A/N: *All characters, locations belong to Monolith Soft and Bandai Namco. I do not own Xenosaga in any shape of form.* (For Karen Hart)

Alone with her hands against the balcony railing tight, MOMO watched the New Year's Eve fireworks brightly explode.

Colourfully they all reflected in her amber eyes, their shades ranging from red pink yellow and blue.

Despite the cheerful atmosphere she couldn't fully take it all in, she hadn't been the same since Jr. left.

The realian hoped that her hectic day at Scientia would make her forget, but alas- it didn't.

Her attempts of trying to cope were failing, since MOMO couldn't forget about Jr.'s heartfelt conversation with her.

But the question she asked at the time bothered her the most, when was Albedo going to say "Hi" to her?

The U.R.T.V abhorred her kind, to point of murdering them merely to appease his own cruel satisfaction.

Why would he even consider talking to her, let alone making any form of eye contact?

Once her hands slowly moved themselves away from the railing, MOMO's mind only wanted to sleep the pain away.

It'd been at least a few hours since she'd watched the joyful occasion begin, and it'd been only a couple of days since she asked.

With a disbelieved shake of her head. MOMO headed towards her bedroom.

Just before her hand could reach out to the door knob, she suddenly heard a barely audible voice speak.

For a moment MOMO felt bewildered she couldn't make sense of who it was, nor what it spoke of.

Gently she sighed whilst merely dismissing the voice as the wind howling, since the forecast did predict a rather forceful breeze.

But again she was interrupted once the voice spoke a lot more clearer, It sounded slightly muffled, as if the individual wore a helmet or some sort of mask.

She cautiously spoke once the familiar shade of white, briefly went past her eyes.

Such a colour was often associated with peril, especially whenever the likes of Jr. wasn't around.

"W-who are you, I thought all the testaments disappeared...?"

Behind the mask a smile formed amused at her assumption, when MOMO turned around she was met with a shake of a head.

"Not quite, for I still reside in Rubedo, remember?" Shocked beyond belief the realian took a few steps back, unbelieved at who she saw.

Unhooded and unmasked, Albedo stood before her with folded arms.

"It's been a while since we've spoken like this, Perhaps a few years if my memory recalls well."

Unable to verbally reply MOMO simply nodded, but when her sight turned away she thought about what he'd said.

Indeed, The Song of Nephilim was the very first time that the two had spoken but it was done through a reverse link.

Such a form of communication wasn't well explained but all that Jr. knew, was that Albedo purely used it to delve deep into her memories.

In glimpses akin to a defragmented dream, MOMO started to reflect back on the Song of Nephilim.

Even now she still remembered how she felt and what the room it even smelt like, it had such a distinctive scent of rotting corpses.

But forever instilled into her memory like scar unallowed to heal, was the first time when MOMO confronted the U.R.T.V himself.

When she first entered the room Albedo's head was propped up, almost as if he anticipated her arrival exactly on time.

Initially the realian paid no mind to him but rather her sister, who laid emotionlessly in his arms- apparent that she was dead.

Not before long his hand caressed across her synthetic flesh, still able to feel the bumpy and deep lacerations that he made earlier before.

Only Jr. remained to finish off such a disturbing and twisted setpiece, but until then Albedo could only tide himself over.

Amid her horrifying reflection of the past, the Testament's voice resonated and suddenly spoke.

"You know now that I think about it, I can't really blame you for not being able to forget a time such as this."

"I too have memories that I desire to be erased from my own memory."

Such a response sounded so uncharacteristic, to come out from the likes of him but when she thought about it... it made sense.

Sixteen years ago into the past Albedo once felt the fear of being alone, of being forgotten by the only one he held close to his heart.

In his own way he felt the same as her although as of now, Albedo would surely find it hard to convey such a close-similarity.

Truthfully, he was eccentric whenever it came down to showing "'true" emotion.

Only being able to deviate, between twisted sincerity or just plain mockery.

Before MOMO could take another look at herself again, her sight changed to see Albedo's present form materialize before her.

His expression was curious, yet apparent that he was still trying to hide his distaste for her.

But Albedo couldn't help but laugh a little, especially once his own mind reflected back on Jr.'s first rencounter with him. "I often wonder, if your heart still holds that resentment for me?"

Unable to keep her eyes focused on his pair for even a second, MOMO suddenly turned away. "I... I can't give a definite answer- Sorry."

"I thought so, even the very thesis of your existence found me revolting." Slowly the scenery faded back to the white balcony, but not before long she also realized what he meant.

Much to his sudden surprise, MOMO replied whilst still turned away.

"Thesis... you mean my sister Sakura- right?"

After a few moments whilst in-between some light laughter, he replied with folded arms. "Of course, but I have you know, that I'm not here to merely ask for your forgiveness."

But before Albedo could continue on, he was shortly interrupted by a small smile. "No it's fine. I can see why you feel the way that you do, even now."

With an unbelieved smirk, he sarcastically interjected with a shake of his head. "Really, I find that hard to believe!" Firmly as she could, she disagreed with a step forward towards him. "No, I'm serious." "You can disagree all you want, argue if you have to." "But you can't deny that you've felt fear, at least once in your life."

"But there was another way I saw often saw fear too, a bright beacon guides boats if they are caught in a violent uncontrollable ocean."

"There's a reason as to why the two of you are even reunited again, that fear of yours has brought you back to him."

"How else could've Jr. found you?"

Despite his immense distaste for her, the analogy she spoke of was undeniably true.

Even when he was moments away from death, he spoke of not being afraid of death anymore.

Unbeknownst to Albedo prior to his demise, the emotions of a particular person do indeed exist within the Imaginary Number Domain.

But not as psychical form, but as a collective consciousness. In short Albedo's thoughts would be collected as tangible form- without a proper host to speak of.

Truthfully if Albedo submitted to dying by Jr.'s hand and refused Wilhelm's offer to become a Testament, he'd eternally suffer because of it.

Briefly, his sight moved away still able to remember Jr.'s last words before he ultimately faded away from existence.

"Y-you bastard, you knew... all along!"

Such a lie was to ensure Jr.'s utmost safety from the likes of Gaignun at the time, even prior to Yuriev's control over him Albedo knew well of the future.

Purely because Wilhelm had enlightened him, even before Albedo decided to give chase for his brother.

But despite MOMO not knowing his true backstory, she couldn't bring herself to hate him no matter how hard she tried.

Even as a child Albedo was stricken with some form of obsession, long before U-DO even made it's tragic contact with him.

Once Albedo had reopened his eyes his hand slowly moved down before it rested onto his heart, even if the two were distanced greatly apart- their heartbeats were always felt.

For a moment he managed to pull a relived smile, once the familiar warmth made his own fingers tingle.

It had been a long time since Albedo had felt any sort of relief, he couldn't even hack away at his flesh anymore.

Curious as to why he suddenly stopped talking for such a long time, MOMO spoke from behind.

"Um... who are you thinking about?"

With a shake of his head, the U.R.T.V spoke back with a smile. "Rubedo, of course... we're finally there."

Just before Albedo could watch the Elsa dock, his sight changed to see MOMO who seemed cheerful and keen to find out more.

"You mean Shion and the others... have arrived to Lost Jerusalem?"

"Indeed, but I doubt you'll be seeing his face anytime soon, well... at least not for quite a while."

"Ah, but now I hear my dear Rubedo... yapping at me to come back! Somethings never do change... do they?"

After MOMO laughed a little she noticed that Albedo took a few steps, getting ready to return back into Jr.'s consciousness.

But before he could do so, the realian asked him one last question.

"Why did you come to see me, I'm... I'm just curious."

"To drop by and say hello back, it was what you wanted- right?"

Unable to even speak a single word MOMO only shook her head in disbelief, on his own without Jr. even reminding him Albedo left to see her despite hating her.

But she had to ask, just to make sure that he wasn't hounded by his older brother. "That's true but... did you do this purely because you really wanted to?"

In reply Albedo nodded with folded arms, whilst from distance he watched the fireworks begin to die down.

"Let me remind you that we wouldn't be talking at all, if I didn't want to in the first place. PĂȘche."

In a blink of an eye Albedo suddenly disappeared, despite not having a proper goodbye with him MOMO felt somewhat relived.

Once MOMO gently pushed her bedroom door open, her eyes adjusted to the bright auto-functioning lights.

Although the future seemed uncertain, MOMO believed that someday- Jr. would come home.