Chapter 11

Moment of Truth

"Ugh…wha-what happen?" I went groggily as I woke up. I went to lift my arm up, but found I couldn't. It was then I noticed I was strapped to a chair with my hands bound behind my back. I was in what appeared to be an interrogation room. Standing in front of me were the Master Sergeant and Todd. "What's the meaning of this?" I demanded. "Who are you?" the MSG asked. "Huh?" I went. "I asked who you are." he repeated.

"I'm Sergeant First Class Blaze Hamilton, pilot of the Vendetta, member of Omega Team, age sixteen." I answered. He threw some photos onto the table. The pictures show the Nirvash slashing Image with a rainbow-like background.

"I'm Blaze Hamilton..." I began reciting again. "Cut the crap kid!" the MSG barked. "I looked up the Hamilton name in Belleforest. There's record of them having a daughter named Lillian but no son. Now talk!" he growled.

"He's hiding something." remarked Lloyd from behind the one-way mirror/window as he scratched chin. "Yeah the question is what?" Rob asked.

I could see that there was no way of hiding it anymore. "Alright, you want the truth?" I spat glaring at the MSG. The MSG glared back at me. "My name is Hi Thurston, son of Haru and James Thurston, descendant of Renton and Eureka Thurston, pilot of the Nirvash typeHOPE, age fifteen." I admitted. It was the first time in months I told the truth about myself. "And I'm a soldier." I added with a glare. "We'll see about that." retorted Todd.

"A Thurston? It all makes sense now. That light, it must have been a Seventh Swell. We've all heard the stories, but I never expected such raw power. But fifteen years old, what the hell were you thinking boy! You do realize that you're under the age limit?" the MSG yelled.

"Fifteen or sixteen, the Image don't care. They'll kill all of us regardless of age." I shot back. "Ain't that the damn truth." Todd grunted. "At least the Nirvash part and you being a Thurston clears some of it up. The weird lights, the Cut-back Drop Turn, I mean there's only been a hand full of people to ever do that move in an LFO other than you, Todd." remarked the MSG.

"How did you trigger it?" the MSG asked. "Trigger what?" I asked. "The Seventh Swell." said Todd. "I don't remember triggering anything. The last thing I remember was seeing the Flestnia X get shot down." I answered. Zita. "Emma! Is she okay?" I asked frantically. "Corporal Emma Datura is fine." stated Todd. "Thank god," I cried.

"So, what are you going to do with me?" I demanded. "You'll be demoted to Sergeant and released." replied the MSG. "That's it?" I questioned. "I'm not gonna lie to you kid. The IEF needs a power like that. There's no way we'd let you go." stated Todd.

"Figures," I muttered. "I just have one more question before we release you. That word you cried out before our communications with you went dead; Zita, what does it mean?" he asked. I called out Emma's real name? Oh no. I can't let them find out about her. I looked my superiors right in the eyes. "Like I said, I don't remember what happened, so I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't know what a 'Zita' is." I lied to them. "Fair enough." responded Todd.

After that I was released and I returned to my quarters. Yuki greeted me with a hug. "Hi, welcome back!" she said with a grin. "I'm home. Listen, Yuki..." I began. I explained to her what happened. Once I was done Yuki thought for a moment. "So...does that mean we can stop hiding who we are and I can go back to calling you, Hi-nii like I used to when we're around other people?" she asked. I smiled. "Yeah, that's right. We don't have to hide who we are anymore." I answered.

"Tomorrow I'm going to go to see the doctor. Maybe she can help me remember what happened." I told Yuki. "Okay, Hi-nii," she replied. After that I made dinner for us, read Yuki a bedtime story, and went to bed.

I awoke the next morning and jumped in the shower. After I was done bathing I exited it and began getting dressed. As I did my upper back started to sting a little. So I turned around and looked at it in the mirror. When I did I saw two tiny bumps. One on each shoulder-blade. "Huh. I must have hit my back on something during the mission yesterday." I thought out loud. The pain wasn't that bad so I thought nothing of it and got dressed the rest of the way.

After I was done I locked up and made my way to the doctor's office. I knocked on the door. "Come in," responded Rin. I entered. "Well, well, well. If it isn't Hi Thurston." she said with a smirk. "So I guess everyone knows who I really am by now, huh?" I said. "Word travels fast." she replied. "So what can I do for you?" she asked.

I sat down on the bed. "Yesterday I blacked out during the battle. I can't remember anything that happened. No matter how hard I try. I was wondering if you knew of some way that could help me recall what happened." I asked her. "There is a way. You've heard of hypnosis, right?" she asked me. I nodded. "Well, if you want I could hypnotize you and attempt to recover your memories that way." the doctor suggested. "You can do that?" I questioned. "With your permission, yes. I can record the session on this recorder. Then I can play it back for you." she informed me as she retrieved the device from her desk. "Alright then, let's do that." I responded.

Rin instructed me to lay down and close my eyes. She told me to imagine a happy place where I felt comfortable and secure, such as relaxing in a meadow beside a gently running stream. I immediately thought of Zita and Yuki. I pictured us back at my home in Belle Forest. Living together as one big happy family. That was my happy place.

"Just let your feet relax, and your legs relax. Feel your hips relaxing, and your waist relaxing. Feel your chest relaxing, and your arms relaxing. Your shoulders relaxing, and your neck and head relaxing. Feel your entire body relaxing, all over." she instructed. I did. And before long I drifted into a deep sleep.

I awoke to the sound of Rin snapping her fingers. "So did it work?" I asked her. "Yes, we're done." she answered. "Alright, let me hear the recording." I told her. "Are you sure you want to?" she asked. "Huh? Of course I'm sure. That's why I came here. Because I wanted to remember." I stated.

Rin began the recording...

"It's yesterday. You're in your LFO. It's during your battle with the Image at FAC-51. You've just rescued the survivors. Tell me what happens next." said Rin's voice. "We're on our way back to the Eclipse. There's an Image over the Flestnia. No, it's going to get her." said my voice. "No, Zita!" I screamed. "Zita? Who is Zita?" asks Rin. "Zita is Emma." I reply. "Is Zita your nickname for her?" she asks. "No, I'm not telling. You can't make me." I reply. "Alright, let's continue. What happens next?" inquires Rin.

"The Flestnia falls to the ground. There's nothing I can do to help her." I state. "And then it comes, the rage, the pain. There's something happening to Nirvash. It's like a giant rainbow. I think it's a Seventh Swell." I say. "It's as if Nirvash has answered my cries of agony. There's a trail of orange-red trapar behind me. Is that from me?" wonders my voice.

"I go after the nearest enemy and I rip it apart. It's blood sprays over me. Then I go after the next enemy. And another. And another. And another. I want them all to die. I want them to pay for what they did to her. This feeling, it feels good. I feel like I'm invincible. I see the core up in the sky. It like it's mocking me. I want to destroy it. I rush towards it with my knives draw and I pierce it. I go straight through the center of it and I come out the other end. And then the all the Image stop and die. I've done it. I've killed them all." says my voice.

"And then what happens?" asks Rin. "I go to where the Flestnia X crashed. It's in horrible shape. A barrier surrounds us. I think the Nirvash is trying to protect us. I use my LFO's hands to rip Zita's cockpit open. There's blood everywhere. I open my cockpit and jump from mine to hers. I check her pulse. She's still alive. There's so much blood. She must be bleeding from somewhere. I have to help her. I tear her clothes and look for wounds, but I can't find any." I state. "You can't find any? Is Emma Coralian?" asks Rin. "No, I'm not telling. You can't make me." I reply. "Alright, then. What happens next?" she asks. "I'm exhausted. I fall asleep on top of her." I answer.

"Now I'm going to snap my fingers, and when I do you will be feeling wide awake, fully alert, and completely refreshed." said Rin.

With that the recording ended.

With my eyes widened I picked up the device. "Is this the only recording you have?" I asked her. "Yes, why?" she wondered. I threw the device on the ground and used my boot to stomp it into a thousand pieces. "Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded. "You can't tell anyone about what I said today. As far as everyone else is concerned, I still don't remember what happened. Got it?" I told her sternly. "I wouldn't have told anyone anything to begin with. There's Doctor-Patient Confidentiality you idiot! You didn't have to go and destroy my recorder!" she retorted. I couldn't take any chances. I had to protect Emma's identity. "I'll replace it." I told her as I cleaned up the mess. "Whatever, just get out of my office, Hi." she sighed and shooed me away. I apologized to her before I left the office.

I decided to visit the hanger. When I got there I found Emma standing beside the Nirvash. She had one of her hands placed on the mech. "What are you doing here?" I asked her. She turned to me. "I wanted to thank both of you for saving me." she replied. I turned away, unable to look her in the eyes. "I didn't save you. When I got to you, you were already healed." I answered. Emma took hold of my hand. "But you tried to save me. And for that, I'm glad. Thank you." she told me sincerely. I looked into her eyes. "You're welcome." I replied.

Then she frowned. "What the matter?" I asked. "I'm not sure how much use I'll be without a LFO now. You know what they say, a pilot without their LFO is kinda like a fish out of water. Right now, I'm useless." she said sadly. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll figure something out." I reassured her.

Just then a man with a clipboard came in. "Sergeant Hi Thurston and Corporal Emma Datura?" the mysterious man asked. "Yes," we answered. "Good, I've been looking all over for you two. I'm here to inform you that from this day forward Corporal Datura is to be your partner." he responded. "Huh? What do you mean by that?" I questioned. "Do I have to spell it out for you? You and the Corporal will will be sharing the Nirvash." he stated. My face lit up. Zita and I will be piloting the Nirvash together as one. "By the look on your face I can tell that obviously doesn't bother you." he remarked with a chuckle. "That's great news! See Emma, I told you everything would work out." I told her with a smile. "Well, have fun you two." said the man as he turned around and walked out.

"Are you sure I'm even worthy of sitting next to you in her?" she asked once we were alone again. "Emma, come with me. I want to show you something." I told her as I took hold of her hand. I led her back to my quarters. Yuki was still asleep when we entered. "What did you want to show me?" she inquired as I looked through Yuki's toy-box. Found it. "This," I told her. I showed her the Compac Drive I'd given Yuki. Her eyes widened once she saw the word glowing across it. "That's..." she gasped.

Z I T A

"I think this means we're supposed to be together. I've had this Compac Drive since I was a little kid. And it wasn't until recently your name started to appear on it. Yuki noticed it when I gave it to her. So to answer your earlier question; yes, you're definitely worthy." I told her. "Besides...I can't picture piloting Nirvash with anyone but you." I added as I stared straight into her eyes.

"Hi..." she said. We shared a kiss.

A month went by. I was never treated quite the same again after everyone on base found out who I was and what happened at Hacienda. Everywhere I went the higher-ups watched me carefully. It was like I'd become their prisoner. And the ones that didn't seemed to avoid me just about altogether. It was like they were afraid of me and Nirvash. Even some of the other Omega Team members seemed scared of me. The only ones who treated me the same as before were Matt, Dahlia, and Emma of course. Probably because they knew who I really was beforehand. It wasn't a good feeling, but I didn't really blame them. Even I was scared of my own power.

And then it came. My next mission. Emma and I were to infiltrate the growing gang in Bester known as 'Kazoku', find the leader, and bring him to justice. It would be just the two of us. No back-up. We didn't know much about the leader. Other than he went by the name Joe and was supposed to be in his late 20s to early 30s. Kazoku had been stealing military supplies and equipment. In one of their latest raids they stole fourteen LFOs from one of the local plants.

At the time I was unaware that this next mission would also be my last.

A/N: And here's the next chapter. The story has basically been leading up to this moment. When Hi and Zita will pilot the Nirvash typeHOPE together. Hope you enjoyed it. Hmm...I wonder how Nirvash will perform with Zita in the passenger seat? Next, Chapter 12: Stay Together For The Kids. What trial will these two face next? Stay tuned!

P.S. Thanks Ref for editing this chapter relatively quickly. I appreciate it.

~Wave