EDEN, Space

Vishnu fiddled with her claws while the older angel, eagerly examined the interior of the Twilight moon. Jonah materialized behind her. Not the least bit surprised she spoke, "It's been ages since we've last met."

"You know why I called you here."

She nods, "Yes, I, the Archangel-"

"Please, let me address you as Rasshara. Like old times."

"Fine. Jonah, why did you bring us back after abandoning us to the Val-faask?"

"I was meant to be a weapon, nothing more. I lost control. But now, I can change fate. With Luscious."

Luscious curled up in the tentacles and vines of the moon's core, gave a soft moan. Rasshara was at a lost for words. While Vishnu floated about the room.

"We were meant to protect humans, for what? I can revive EDEN, our proud race, and keep what makes us... a person."

"I see.. Jonah, how did you persuade Luscious to aid you? He is a valued admiral of the Order, a once peaceful group."

Jonah grinned, "I gave him, 'miracles.' Leading the way to his supposed victory over Seldor, to me." Luscious squirmed, "Seldom..traitor.."

"Hahah..."

Rasshara tapped her feet, "Pleasant plan, but the emblem frames are still out there."

"Don't worry, I can stop them."

"How so?"

"Millenia in the void.. I discovered the purpose of the Twilight Moon and its many benefits."

An alarm blared. A picture of an incoming Imperial fleet headed toward the moon. "Battle-stations."

Seldom commanded his flagship through a pillar of lasers. "Integrity of the ship is fine, keep pushing! Luscious, are you there?"

Jonah appeared onscreen. "Luscious!?"

He silenced him calmly. "Sir the boy's frequency is spreading rapidly, he's delivering a message."

"Attention, people of the empire. I am Jonah. You may know that I have conquered EDEN. Listen closely, I have control over all of its technology and will use it against you. You have two options join me, or be destroyed."

He shut off. Seldom waved to his men, "He's lyin-"

Milfeulle and Ranpha's frigates rushed on the scene, "Seldom, get out there it's a trap-"

Their own ships surrounded them from the rear and fired. "Milfie- I told you to watch our back."

"Sorry, I'm on it."

She turned around and shot a hyper beam through them. "Our own men are turning on us."

Sigurd's face appeared on the screen.

"Hey!" Ranpha roared, "We're on your side!"

"It's a pleasure fighting the moon angel troupe."

"What?! Have you lost your mind?"

"This is for past insults, at the dance, and the whole of my military career." His batteries pointed at Ranpha. She dodged the rush of the lasers jolting past her.

"You're going to regret that!" she punched on her throttle and pushed forward.

Chitose and Forte fired from afar, with the support of the Rune Angel troupe. "It seems we're too late..," Forte rubbed her cap, "Mori, you better hurry before it's too late."

Suddenly the Elsior appeared out of Chrono-drive. "This is Kazuya. Uh, we're here to help however we can."

"It's been a while since I've seen that ship."

"Ahh," Chitose gasped, "Is that you, Kazuya?"

"Yes."

"Good luck."

EDEN

We were sitting in front of the ruins of the sky-palace. John, Vanilla, and my troupe stood in front of the palace, waiting for Alexia and the emblems.

Shatoyarn and Noah stood waiting and they had the most tense expression. I watched John take in the clouds above us. He took a deep breath. Exhaled. "The universe needs you, commander."

"Mori," I corrected.

He pounded his chest softly.

"Is something the matter?"

"What are we looking for..Mori."

"Lost Technology, I guess. They didn't say," I sigh, "I'm no good, am I? We lost so many people. And now look where we are."

"That's not true."

"Hmm?"

"Before you arrived, I was in charge.. You did much better than I could."

"I guess, so."

He nods, not moving an inch. His skin looked paler than usual.

"Hey, are you alright? You don't look well."

"I'm fine."

"Vanilla was with you earlier, are you sure? Usually she heals right away."

"The Lost Tecnology is here," Alexia announced. Noah hurried inside before she could finish the whole sentence. The palace inside was a ransacked library, but what we were looking for, was beneath the stairs in the basement.

It was a white emblem frame with wings, surrounded by a pillars of stone. Noah pushed me aside and ran to the machine, "I've never seen anything like this before.."

Alexia continued, "There can only be two pilots for this emblem frame. With the strongest passion inside."

"I'll do it!" Noah shouted, "I'll fight Jonah!"

"Hey, what's gotten into you?!"

Noah turned around, "Quiet, human. You have no idea what you're fighting against, I have to do this."

"Hey, what are you talking about?"

Alexia waved her hand and a wall of ice covered our legs, "Only Mori may choose who flies with her."

Noah squirmed, "It's not fair, choose me!"

"Choose wisely, Mori."

I looked at Noah struggling with the ice covering her legs, she was holding back drops of tears.

"Noah, why do you want to fly with me?"

Shatoyarn held on to Noah tightly, "There, there," she patted her on the back. "I'm a grown woman! …," she breathed heavily, "The Twilight moon, Jonah is my older brother."

"Because you came from the black moon, right?"

"Yes...he's my blood. Not just that, but it's been so long since I've seen my own kind. When I heard the story.. I knew he was lonely, like me."

"What do you mean? You're surrounded by people who-"

"Don't spout nonsense! You're not my kind. You don't know what it's like to live so far away from your family, galaxies, eons. The only reason he's like this is because- no one understands him."

"Noah, I'll help him somehow. But I can't let you onboard the emblem frame."

"Then..what can I do?"

Alexia stood next to her, "Where is the Black Moon?"

"Destroyed," she said.

"Then, you may be part of the frame's core."

"..Thank you," she shut her eyes and nodded.

"Now, it is time to decide," she said.

My troupe chanted, "Pick me. I'll fight for you."

Who would I choose? They all fought alongside me through the bitter end. Saito, Baron, Fleur, Manny..I noticed John was looking through a window. Vanilla was standing next to her. "I need a time-out," I walked away. "Aw, come on!"

John didn't flinch when I stood beside him. Vanilla gave me a nod and stepped back. The window had a view of EDEN's stars for miles. Constellations, comets. "It's a beautiful place, isn't it?" I asked.

"It is."

"John, I've noticed.. has something been.. wrong with your chest?"

He didn't speak. "John.."

"Yes," he managed to say, "I don't have much time left."

"Why?"

"My heart is artificial. Built on nano-machines. Vanilla tried her best. But I can't live forever."

"So why join the army?"

"I help the best I can, while I'm still alive. Try to make a difference, so I won't be forgotten. Mori," he spoke, "I'm proud of you. I'll miss you. Though we haven't spoken, I was proud to be under your command."

"John, there is one last mission, I want you on."

"The emblem frame."

"Yes."

"I'll do it."

He walked with me to the white fighter. "This is it."

Alexia and the emblems nod. Their bodies begin to dissipate into fumes that get absorbed into the emblem frame. The canopy opens slowly for us, as we step inside.

Noah taps the nose and she too disappears into the hull. "Bring us to the the Twilight Moon. It's time to end this."

Shatoyarn nods. The angel troupe salute me one last time and haul us back to the shuttle and we begin liftoff.

Twilight Moon, Over Eden

Clouds of fire explode in space. The battle had been raging for hours already. Kuromi steered us carefully through the chaos of burning ships.

"Careful..careful."

There was a beep on the radar, Shatoyarn from the White Moon opened fire with a white light, "Incoming emblem frames, it's the Macedonians.

I was inside the emblem frame, preparations for lift-off weren't complete. The ship rattled from an explosion. "Don't worry!" Fleur shouted, he and the rest of the troupe scoured the hangar and found spare fighters. "We'll hold them off."

"But those fighters-"

"We can fight them, emblem frame or not! Even if we die trying," he nods. They take off into space, blasting away at the enemy.

John pressed random buttons. Then, there was a tap on the window, it was Vanilla. "Good luck, you two." She walked away.

"Will we make it?" I prayed under my breath, "Please.." I held onto a picture of Lisa. This was it, I've proved myself, I'm no monster.

"Mori. Why did you choose me?"

"You were the one who pushed me to become a good commander."

"But I'm no one. That's what-"

"Wrong. We're all special."

He was speechless. Contemplating, "Special..."

"Special."

"Mori, if we survive I want to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"I want to..how do two get to know each other?"

I blush then think, "Date?"

"Yes. Me, and the angel troupe."

I sigh, well he was close.

"300 meters," Kuromi said. The ship rocked back and forth in the explosion. "We won't make it.."

I won't let you cretins win this time!

That voice was Elizabeth's. She was trying to stop us, permanently. Eonia ran into the hangar, he saw a ship and carried boxes of explosives toward it and went to work.

"Eonia, what are you doing?"

"Giving you time!"

"Those explosives.. wait, you're not going to-"

"There's no time. We have no other choice."

"But Eonia!"

"Little sister!" He paused, "I'm sorry. Good luck."

He turned on the engine and launched. His ship aligned itself with the Macedonian squadron and entered chrono-drive, warping into the center of their formation.

An explosion, then ripples projected from the ship, followed by a series of separate booms.

"My squad!" Elizabeth cried.

"Ready for take-off, Mori!" John called.

WHOOSH.

We fired from the ship, the speed was incredible. Passing through Elizabeth in a split second.

PZZT. BOOM. Her fighter was no more.

The emblem frame, white and angelic. The wings protruded to the north, to the south, to the west, and the east. "Archangel. That's what we call it. Archangel."

I could see the Elsior in the swarm and locusts of ships and fighters scattered about. "John."

"I understand."

We fly away.

Twilight Moon- Bridge

Rasshara and Vishnu armed themselves. Their angel brethren were already sacrificing themselves. Jonah held on to Luscious. "It's time,"

the moon echoed. A rift from space ripped open and the skeletons of destroyed ships leaked out. "This fleet is just the beginning, when we defeat the enemy. We can bring back the old edenians."

"Some memories are meant to die, Jonah."

"Not this one," he hissed. He swallowed Luscious whole in the maze of arms and vines. Then fused himself with the moon.

"We do what is best for the people of EDEN. Perhaps we should consider war as our option-"

TOOM. No answer.

A white fighter valiantly galloped toward them. "Those miniscule angels did it."

"Oh no.."

"They're headed this way. We have to fight them."

I could visually see, thousands of dead ships blocking our way.

WHOOOSH. Clusters of the Archangel's rockets landed into my targets and destroyed them. We sped past the pesky fighters and approached the metal plain of the Twilight Moon. Its arms stretched, revealing... chrono-cannons.

"Dammit!" Ranpha swore, "They're going to wipe us out!"

The remaining fleet began to turn around.

"Hey, where are you going?" Forte called, "Don't panic, we should try channeling our HALO."

"But we're not on emblem frames!"

"Yeah, Forte-san. It's going to be hard," Milfie added.

"Remember, Ranpha, Milfie? The Emblem Frames are people. Not machines, we don't need them necessarily."

"Hmm, are you sure, Forte? Risking our lives would be foolish," Mint countered.

"We have to try!" Chitose chimed.

"She's right," Forte flew forward, wings began to grow from her battleship.

"No way!" Milfeulle glided left, "Me too! Let me try."

Mint broke right, along with Chitose. Soon they formed a shield that covered me and John. The blast blurred our vision and shock waves crippled us. Like a violet quake..a chrono-quake!

The waves ceased, Archangel slowly cruised along. Were the fleets okay? They didn't move, but then the lights came back on and they fired. Yes!

Shatoyarn called, "There is an opening in the center of the Twilight moon, hurry and face Jonah."

Yes, Shatoyarn! Noah's voice screamed.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Prepare for radical turns," Jonh warned.

"Wha-Whooaa"

Two angels flew with claws toward us. The Archangel clicked, and blades rushed from the wings. SWISH SWASH. Their wings were clipped and they clutched their wounds.

No time to finish off, there was the Twilight moon to deal with.

We spun clockwise into a small crater of the Twilight moon and spiraled at fast speeds, the ground, walls, and ceilings blur at the speed we were going.

Inside was the core. Jonah's face projected from the beating heart of this machine, "You've come to stop me. Why?"

No, we're here to speak to you."

"There is nothing to discuss!" he roared. Drones spun around us, but Archangel shot them aside with fliers. Jonah, listen! It's your sister, Noah, from the black moon.

"Sister, what do you want from me?"

He fired a beam, which narrowly missed, grazing a wing.

I want to help you!

"How can you help me? No one can help me! I need no one!"

The Emblem frame shook and I fell from my seat. "Mori!" John held onto me. We wrestled with the controls, but the ship was descending.

"My only existence..is to destroy everyone!"

No! Listen! You're not alone, I understand what you're feeling. Please! There's more to it than that!

"No, no, no!"

The walls began closing in and battleships were being built. We won't make it at this rate if we don't do something.

Gracia wouldn't want you to do this.

"Gracia is dead," he replied.

No, she isn't.

Jonah was confused, "Even if she is, I can't see her. So long as I am a weapon. I can only destroy and fulfill my creator's will."

Fight destiny then!

Jonah didn't respond.

Dammit, he's not saying anything.

I held onto the core, "He's right. As long as he's in the twilight moon's system. We can't help him."

Wait, there is a way.

"What? What can we do?"

You have to channel your all your memories into the ship and give it to him. I'll be able to upload it into the core, but-"

"But what?"

Remember how I told you, prolonged use of the HALO system can harm the pilot. This..might kill you.

I hesitate, could I do it?

Please, Mori. There's no other choice.

"I-I-"

John held on to my hand, "I'll do it." He began typing away on the core console.

"No, what are you doing?" I smacked his wrist.

"Someone has to do it. Or-"

"Or we'll all be slaves," I finished for him, "I can't live like that. Watching everyone I've met.."

"We won't. I'll use the-"

"We'll use the HALO system."

"Okay.."

John typed away. The system is ready.

"Are you ready, Mori?"

"Yeah."

I remembered Lisa. The war. Takuto's warm smile. Kazuya's friendly nature...The free spirited Fleur, Manny's charisma...Jack's past..Saito's mentor. The famous angels.. we just knew each other..and this was how it'd end.

I felt myself become sleepy. The world slowly darkened. Before turning pitch black. Beside me, I saw John's heart throb rapidly, before coming to a stop.

The walls were crumbling. It's working..

The wind gently brushed my cheek. The grass, stroked my hair and the windmill was revolving around the moon. I woke up, and John was sitting beside me awake. The moon and rune angel troupe were standing beside us.

"You're awake!" Milfuelle hugged both of us.

"What happened?" I asked.

Everyone looked away, but Forte.

"You did it, Mori."

Noah was there, holding Jonah in her arms. He was fast asleep. "...Thank you. I'll teach him right from wrong, with Shatoyarn."

"Gracia," she corrected.

"Heh, makes sense now doesn't it, Mori?"

"I was always wondering where the ai for white moon was. But- there's still something I don't get- how come I'm not dead?"

Noah, patted Jonah on the hand. He nudged his head just a bit. "Much of your life-span is gone, but he brought you back the best he could. Jonah said.. 'thank you.'

I sat there puzzled. John helped me up. Fleur scratched his head, "I suppose this makes you the hero of the empire. What will you do now?"

I looked at John. He stared blankly, before giving me a tight hug. Everyone looked away, chuckling. "I- I want some time alone."

"Hah! Suit yourself!" Forte winked.

"Hey don't tease her!"

With that, I had the prairy of Skylon to myself. There was a lot of work left undone. I held my picture of my old friend Lisa. "Goodbye, old friend." I burned the picture and let the ashes fly across the sky. "Hey, Mori," John called. "Coming," I answered.

"So where are we going?"

"There's a place I was raised in, that I want to show everyone. This way-"