A/N: For March 2022, I teamed up with Tomo (TomoXKaguraLover229/ChrisLover229 on AO3) to bring you all a retelling of Symphogear, but if a certain someone had a bit more involvement.
I'll let our story speak for itself, but I hope you enjoy our collaborative one-shot!
Two Souls, One Gungnir
Where are you, Tsubasa? Everything is dark, and I can't see you.
Kanade!
Sorry... It looks like I won't be able to sing with you anymore.
Why? Why are you saying that? That's cruel...
Then you're a crybaby, Tsubasa.
I don't care! I just want you to sing with me forever!
Did you know, Tsubasa... When you sing as hard as you can, you get really hungry...
KANADE!
That was the last time I was able to talk to Tsubasa before everything went quiet... Since then, it's been nothing but darkness and silence.
How long has it even been since that day? Hours? Days? Years? At this point, I could hardly care about that. I only care about two things right now: If Tsubasa's doing well without me, and if that kid was able to be saved...
...As much as I miss being able to perform with Tsubasa, I still believe I did the right thing, even if it cost me everything. But, the longer I'm in this endless void, the more I start to question if it was...
What am I saying? Of course it was! Sure, I could've easily left that kid for dead, but who's to say that I would've lived by doing that? With the state I was in, there's a good chance I would just be right here again. Only real difference is that I'd have the guilt of letting someone that I could've saved die.
I just wish I could have some form of solace so that way I could at least spend eternity in this darkness peacefully...
"Balwisyall nescell Gungnir tron"
"Huh? Is someone there?" I called out into the darkness, but the voice I heard didn't respond. "Hey! If someone's there, give me a sign!"
Suddenly, as if my request was answered, a bright orange light starts to engulf the pitch black darkness I was in. It was so bright that I had no choice but to cover my eyes as it spread throughout the void.
After that, the ground beneath me suddenly disappeared, sending me into a free fall to god knows where. I may not be able to tell where I'm going, but wherever it was, I was gonna get there really fast...
After what felt like hours of falling, I was finally able to open my eyes again. However, instead of the darkness that I had grown accustomed to, I saw a starry night's sky. Was that endless void just a bad dream? Or was I in a coma? Regardless, the fact remained that I was finally free from that damn darkness. All that I need to do now is find Tsuba-
"Huh? Huh? Wait! What's happening to me?" I heard a voice cry out, which immediately snapped me out of my train of thought. When I looked around, I saw two girls who were being surrounded by Noise: A child who looked amazed by what she was seeing despite the immediate danger, and the older girl she was looking at.
Hold on, was the older girl wearing... A Symphogear?! But how was that possible? Only Tsubasa and I could wield the Gears, right?
You know what, that didn't matter right now. All that did matter, was making sure those two could get outta here! I just need to activate my Gungnir and I can- huh? I'm already wearing it? Y'know what, I'm not going to question it. Instead, I'll just get the attention of the Noise. "Hey, uglies! Remember me?" I shout, but the Noise don't even glance in my direction.
"Well then..." I mumble as I summoned my armed gear. "I'll just have to jog your memory with my Gungnir!" Without hesitation, I stab right through the Noise. I waited to hear the sound of those bastards turning into nothing but ashes, but no sound came. In fact, it was as if I didn't even touch them. "What the?"
"Kanade-san?" The kid in the Symphogear armor asked me. "Is that really you?"
"Now's not really a good time for questions, kid." I interrupt. "Right now, I need you to use your Gear and get that child out of here! I can handle the Noise until backup arrives."
"But-"
"We'll talk later, just get that kid out of here! Now!" I shout once again, which startled the girl.
"Y-Yes, ma'am!" She replied as she took the kid and leapt from the building.
"Alright, now to properly deal with you freaks!" I ready my spear as I charged at the Noise again. This time, I'm gonna make sure I don't miss, and what better way to do it than with a thousand spears?
STARDUST∞FOTON
I watched all of the spears fly towards the unsuspecting Noise, covering my face from the dust that I already knew was gonna go flying everywhere... But nothing happened. I went to look, and there wasn't even a dent on the roof from the spears. And, to add insult to injury, the Noise were all goin' after that other girl, acting like I didn't even exist.
Could I not do anything against the Noise because of my coma? Or did the Noise get stronger while I was out? Regardless, I have to try and help those kids. "Hey, kid! Watch out behind you!" I tried to warn her as I jumped from the building into the battlefield below.
Thankfully, the girl could hear me, seeing the Noise getting ready to attack her from behind, which she managed to destroy with her fist. "I... I beat them?" She said... Wait, did I just hear her thoughts? Why could I hear her thoughts?
I was about to question it further, but something else broke my train of thought, or should I say, someone. From behind the horde of Noise, I saw a light that was getting closer as it broke through the horde, revealing a woman on a motorcycle, a woman that I was very happy to see again. "Tsubasa!"
"Imyuteus Ame no Habakiri tron"
Like the dramatic swordswoman I know and love, she jumped from her motorcycle before gracefully landing next to the kids and myself. "Boy, am I glad to see you again, Tsubasa!" I say to her, but she doesn't even turn to face me.
"Don't space out, or else you'll die." She said, before running off towards the Noise. "You stay here and protect the child."
"Tsubasa-san?"
That was odd... I mean, yeah, Tsubasa's very serious when we're on missions, but she still would've said hi back before charging in. "Gotcha. You just do your thing."
As expected of her, Tsubasa tore through the Noise like they were sheets of paper, dealing with them all in what felt like seconds, before finishing off a huge one with a massive sword.
"Great to see you're still an amazing swordswoman, Tsubasa!" I call out to her. Tsubasa, however, said nothing as she jumped off of the massive sword and began to walk away.
"HQ, the Noise have been dealt with." Tsubasa said to her communicator.
"Well done, Tsubasa." I could hear Boss say through the speaker. "Make sure to keep an eye on the Gungnir wielder until the others arrive."
"Uh, hello? Tsubasa?" I say, trying to get her attention. At this point, she's just being rude. "Look, if this is about nearly killing myself at the concert, then I'm sorry for scaring you like that. But hey, I'm here now, so it's all good, yeah?"
"Understood Commander." Tsubasa said, still ignoring me and talking to Boss.
Needless to say, Tsubasa's starting to get on my nerves. "Okay, now you're just being childish." I say, as I reach for her arm to get her to look me in the eyes. "What are you not ta-"
I stopped talking after I saw my hand just go right through her arm, which made me immediately pull my hand back. "What the..." I tried to touch her again, but the same thing happened.
Finally, I tried tackling her, hoping something different would happen, but I just flew right through her. Although, when I did, Tsubasa momentarily stopped and glanced around like she was looking for me. Eventually, she shrugged and continued walking. "Why is this happening?"
"Kanade-san?" I heard the girl in the Symphogear armor ask me. "Is everything okay?"
"Wait, can you actually see me?" I ask, to which the girl nodded.
"Am I not supposed to?" She asks.
"I mean, you should be able to, but for some reason Tsubasa doesn't see me." I tell her. "By the way, who are you? And how do you have a Symphogear?"
"I'm not entirely sure what that is, but my name is Hibiki Tachibana." Hibiki said.
"Well, it's good to properly meet someone who can actually see and hear me like you can, Hibiki-chan." I say to her, extending my hand out to shake hers, only for her hand to go right through mine like what happened with Tsubasa.
"Wh-What?" Hibiki gasped. "Your hand, it just..."
"That happened when I tried to touch Tsubasa, too." I tell her. "I have no idea why, though."
"Wait... You're really Kanade-san, then?" She asked. "But, how is that possible?"
"What do you mean 'how is that possible'?" I ask. "Did I miss something while I was in a coma?"
Hibiki looked at me nervously before she continued. "Kanade-san... You died saving my life at the last Zwei Wing concert..."
It felt like I was hit by a bus when she said that... "I'm... Dead? But, that's..."
"You told me to never give up on living before you sang a beautiful song." Hibiki explained. "All I remember after that was waking up in the hospital and hearing the news that you were one of the people listed as dead after the concert."
When she said that, it all came rushing back to me: The Noise outbreak at the concert, the kid that was impaled by my Gungnir, and my superb song- Wait... "You're the kid from the concert?!"
Not long after that bombshell was dropped on me, Section Two's agents arrived to clean up the aftermath of the Noise.
Meanwhile, Hibiki caught me up to speed on what was happening in the world, that is, at least what she knew. From what she told me: Herself and Tsubasa were the only named survivors of the concert, two years have passed since then, and Tsubasa went on to continue singing by herself. "Huh... Tsubasa's that popular in the span of two years? I mean, Zwei Wing was already hella popular, but damn."
"Tsubasa-san's really great." I couldn't agree more with that statement. "It's thanks to her music that I was able to stay positive through the last two years."
"Speaking of, you never did say what happened to you after all that." I mention, which made Hibiki grab her arm anxiously. "...Touchy subject?"
"Little bit..." She admitted.
While I was curious, I know better than anyone when to back away from a sensitive topic. "Then I won't ask unless you're willing to talk about it."
"Hehe... Thank you."
Just then, Aoi walked up to Hibiki with a warm drink in her hands. "Here. Drink this. It'll warm you up." She said, handing Hibiki the drink.
"That sounds useful. Thanks." Hibiki replied, taking a sip of the drink as Aoi left. Needless to say, Hibiki enjoyed the drink.
"That good, huh?" I tease, which Hibiki nodded affirmatively at. As she nodded, however, our Gears started to glow, before dispersing all at once, reverting my clothes back to my old green and yellow top with my blue jean shorts while Hibiki's clothes reverted back to a Lydian school uniform. But, why did both of our Gears revert simultaneously?
I would've asked Hibiki, but clearly she wasn't prepared for the reversion process and was sent stumbling backwards. Thankfully, someone was there to catch her from falling over, that someone being Tsubasa. "T-Thank you! Thank you!" Hibiki said to Tsubasa. "Actually, Tsubasa-san, this makes it the..."
"Second."
"Second time you've saved me!" Hibiki said, secretly giving me a thumbs up.
"The second time?" Tsubasa asked, which Hibiki chuckled nervously in response to.
"Mommy!" The kid that was with Hibiki shouted as she was reunited with her mother... Before a Section Two agent forced them to sign a form saying that they weren't allowed to talk about anything they saw here tonight, which I've overheard the spiel of enough times already.
"...Well... I better get going, then..." Hibiki said, breaking the awkward silence.
However, much to the shock of both myself and Hibiki, several men in suits surrounded us alongside Tsubasa. "We have unfinished business with you."
"Why?!"
"You will accompany us to the second branch of the Disaster Relief Squad." Tsubasa answered, before handcuffs were swiftly placed around Hibiki's wrists.
As this happened to her, a sharp pain entered both of my wrists, which hurt like hell! "This is deeply regrettable, but we are taking you into custody." Ogawa-san said, which explained the surprisingly swift cuffing.
Suddenly, two of the agents surrounding Hibiki grabbed her by the arms and dragged her into one of the cars. "But... whyyyyy?!"
Of course, not wanting to be abandoned at the power plant, I ran after the car that Hibiki was taken in. I ran as fast as I could, before I was finally close enough to leap for the car's bumper.
As expected, my hand went right through it. But, unexpectedly, I didn't fall face-first into the asphalt. I was flying! If Hibiki telling me about my death wasn't already proof enough that I was dead, this pretty much cemented the fact that I was a ghost. Well, at least this makes getting to HQ a lot easier... All I can do now is just hope I can get some more answers about what has happened over the last two years there...
A/N: And with that, we end the one-shot!
So, about this one-shot. To make a long story short, it all spans from the idea of, when Hibiki gained the Gungnir Gear via shards in the chest, she gained "Kanade's Song". However, in this version of events, "Kanade's Song" is a little more than just a metaphor. Think of it as the sort of dynamic Carol and Elfnein have in XV, or something akin to Sothis and Byleth in Fire Emblem: Three houses.
Lastly, I want to take a moment to shout out Tomo again for collaborating with me on this one. Honestly, they're responsible for this one-shot existing in the first place. So please, go follow them on AO3 if you can.
Anyways, thank you so much for reading our one-shot, please make sure to go check out Tomo on AO3, and I shall see you all in my next one-shot!
