AN: And we're back for the aftermath chapters! I took a bit of a break after the last one, but now we're back in business. Updates from now on will be more regular until the end of the story, so hang tight.
Other than that, not much to say. Enjoy!
-!-
It all passed by like a blur.
Perhaps it was the sheer exhaustion, or perhaps it was the overwhelming relief, but from the moment she had finished crying, Chris could only vaguely remember everything that had happened since then.
She could only slightly recall herself being helped up by one of S.O.N.G's members. She could barely remember herself entering the car back to HQ, and she could faintly place where she was and who she was with once she arrived back in the submarine itself.
And then she found her focus returning suddenly, muffled voices becoming clearer by the minute.
"That was a ballsy thing you did, Tsubasa." She heard Genjuro say behind her. Perking up, she turned around, staring at the blue haired idol as she answered.
"I know. If you wish to punish me, then do so."
There was no hesitation nor regret in her voice. Blinking a few times, she spotted the familiar orange spear resting against the wall by Tsubasa's side as she leaned against the wall of the medical room, close to the door.
Genjuro, who was doing the same on the other side, said nothing for a brief moment.
Then he smiled, crossing her arms over his chest. "I won't," He said. Tsubasa was not surprised. "There's no reason to; you acted out of your best intentions, and frankly I'm glad you stood up to him. We don't know how he'll respond, but...we'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
She let out a sigh of relief regardless. "Thank you, Uncle."
It was spoken with true gratitude, Chris realized.
She smiled to herself. 'At least that's out of the way.'
Taking a moment to recompose herself from her blurry episode, Chris surveyed her surroundings again.
She was in the medical room, that much she already figured out. She was sitting on one of the beds closer to the door, with Maria sitting to her left by her side. Across from the two were Shirabe and Kirika, both with their heads turned as they looked towards the other occupants of the room.
And that's where Chris' full attention was drawn.
She watched as the bespectacled doctor checked Hibiki over. The monitor above her head was beeping constantly and in a steady rate, indicating a stable heartbeat. The doctor, along with four of his assistant nurses went back and forth as they continued their check up, not at all bothered by the rest of them.
And they had no reason to. The only one who had gotten any real treatment was Maria, who currently had her entire right arm bandaged from shoulder to wrist due to how much it had bled in the final phase of the battle. The rest of them weren't that badly injured, somehow, aside from a few bruises here and there, and in Chris' case a numb jaw. The white haired girl once again rubbed the side of her face, moving the muscles within to relax them.
With everyone else in a fairly good condition, it was only logical that the medical team's full attention would be on the currently unconscious Hibiki. Now wearing a hospital robe, the chestnut haired girl was lying on her back on the bed, her eyes closed and her chest rising and lowering steadily as she breathed.
Despite the urgency in their movements, Chris could tell that things were going to be alright. So far, it didn't seem like she was being saved from a life threatening condition like back during the FIS incident, but rather simply getting a general post-battle check up. She couldn't see very well from where she was sitting, but she could tell Hibiki was in good hands.
After all, lying similarly unconscious beside her, and holding her hand tightly in her own, was Miku. If there was anything Chris could remember vividly among all the things she couldn't was how Miku simply refused to let go of Hibiki for even a second, almost lashing out at the away team that came to get them.
Upon calming down enough to cooperate, and far too tired to do anything in response, Miku had relented and allowed the paramedics to raise Hibiki to their specialized ambulance. Of course, she had stayed by her side the entire time, not releasing her for even a moment.
Chris didn't know when it had happened, but eventually she too blacked out, and was then brought in together with Hibiki for the checkup. Until just a few moments ago she too was receiving treatment, but she figured they couldn't find anything outstanding to treat so they focused on Hibiki.
It was obvious that the two conjoined beds, which were originally were never supposed to be conjoined, were giving the medical team a harder time in the overall process.
Yet, they still found a way to work around it out of kindness for the two.
It caused Chris to flash a tiny smile.
"We should give them some space," Genjuro said, pushing himself off the wall. "We'll leave it to them and not get in their way."
He went first and approached the door, stepping outside once it opened. Tsubasa clutched the spear and followed after him, and soon enough the other wielders did the same, each one sending on final glance towards the duo on the beds.
Once the door slid closed behind them, the girls let out a collective relieved sigh. "So what now?" Kirika asked.
"We wait," Genjuro answered. "Not much left for you to do."
"For us?" Maria asked, perplexed by his specificness.
He nodded as he looked at them, his eyes glancing between the group. "The battle is over, and your Gears are currently unusable. You all need your rest, so I suggest you take it."
There wasn't any real argument any of them could make.
However, Kirika then raised a point they had been ignoring up until now. "...What about the city?"
That was a question that caused Genjuro to grumble, and he contemplated the best way to deliver his answer.
"Not much was left standing," He said, making their faces fall. "It's a total ruin."
Chris bit her lip in frustration. She did not have much she was truly attached to...except one thing.
"All of our homes are gone, aren't they?" She asked.
Genjuro closed his eyes for a moment.
Then nodded in confirmation. "Yes."
The girls let out discouraged sigh as he continued. "Only two things remained standing in the aftermath: the old concert hall...and the entire campus of Lydian."
Chris, Kirika, and Shirabe looked at him with surprised expression. "It's true. Aside from the damage it took way back at the beginning, Lydian still remains fairly in one piece. The vast majority of the dorms are still standing, and from what I can tell it's still habitable...but aside from that, not much."
He spoke with a sorrowful tone as he looked to Chris. "All of you can stay here of course, for the time being, at least until we are able to set something more permanent up for you...and everyone else as well."
Despite his reassuring words, Chris could not help but feel slightly depressed.
Because the shrine to her parents was gone along with the rest of her things. She didn't care about everything else, but this…
Genjuro noticed her fallen expression, and spoke warmly to her. "I'll help you make another, Chris-kun," He said, reading her distress on her face and knowing exactly what she was thinking about. "I can promise you that."
"It's fine," She said, sighing. "It's fine, just...make sure the civilians get their homes back first, okay? At least...at least we have somewhere to stay. They...their homes are gone. They have nowhere to go."
"I know," He responded. "We're still stuck in the immediate aftermath, so it will take a while. A lot of wreckage needs to be cleared away, and you can bet that international forces will come and assist us as much as they are able."
"But what about the rest of the world?" Shirabe asked. "Noise made their way to a lot of places, didn't they?"
"Yes, and casualties have been...massive. Rebuilding is going to take a very long time...but not before governments all around the globe will start looking for explanations, answers, and something to blame. But that is my job, so all of you shouldn't worry about that. Just focus on resting and getting your strength back."
They fell into a small silence. But then, Maria crossed her arms and chuckled, and they looked to her. "But at least...we got Hibiki back."
That raised a smile in the rest too, making a picture-perfect moment between them. "Yeah...and just because of that, it was all worth it."
That was something they could all agree on.
"In that case-"
"Genjuro-san!"
Pulled away from their conversation, the group looked towards the hallway, spotting Elfnein running down its length towards them. She stopped just in front of Genjuro, and took a moment to catch her breath. "Everyone! You're alright!"
"Yes," Maria answered her. "We're fine, if a bit shaken up. Thank you."
The small homunculus put a hand on her chest in relief. "I'm glad," She said, then looked up at Genjuro. "How are Hibiki-san and Miku-san?"
"They're doing well from what I noticed," He replied. "The doctor still needs to give us a proper diagnosis, but considering the circumstances I believe there is nothing life threatening. We just need to wait for him to finish."
She smiled. "Then, now we can-"
"I would wait, Elfnein," Tsubasa said. "Let everything settle down first. As the commander said, we first need to think about our next move. Even after the battle ends, one must not leave the battlefield just yet. There could be a lot of things that we are missing."
"That's right," Genjuro said in agreement. "The first course of action we'll take is a general study of the damage. We first need a proper assessment before we send in anymore men, as we first must see if there are people who might have gotten stuck in the wreckage. We must also grab anything that could stand out, including fragments of Gears and anything that could be potentially stolen that would reveal more than we are willing. It is only then that we will coordinate with the rest of the relief forces. We must do our jobs first and foremost."
"But...what can we do?" Kirika asked.
"As I said, don't worry about that now. You girls have done enough; it's now time for the adults to do their work." Genjuro said, cutting off any attempts at arguing once more.
"I know, but still…" Kirika mumbled, hugging her own arm. "Saint-Germain…"
It was the one name that was destined to make them feel saddened.
And this time, they fell into a deep contemplative silence, taking a moment to think of the alchemist that had sacrificed everything for their sakes.
"She…" Maria began, exhaling. "She did...what she thought was right. She told us...that it's our duty to live."
"That's true," Genjuro added. "We must never forget what she did for us. She took it upon herself to fix a mistake she believed she had made, and by doing so she eliminated the problem at its root. She...left this world with pride. We must honor her final wishes...to the best of our ability."
Their agreement was unanimous and silent, and together, the group gave a silent prayer to the departed soul of the alchemist that became their friend despite their initial meeting as enemies.
And whenever a friend is lost...the hole left in the hearts of those who remain grows all the more bigger.
"All of you should go rest now. Sleep tight, all of you." Genjuro said, wanting to bring the sorrow to an end.
"Y-yeah...we should." Kirika muttered, a few tears forming at the edge of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away with her sleeve in order to hide them, but the others had already noticed, choosing not to comment on them.
"Before you go, please give me your Gears," Elfnein said. "I'll fix them up for you while you're sleeping."
Nodding in acknowledgment, the five wielders handed over their pendants to her. Elfnein clutched them tightly in her hands for a short moment, then put them in the pocket of her lab coat. "Everyone...I'm so happy that you succeeded. I'm really, really...really happy."
Nobody was sure why she suddenly started getting emotional, but they knew that when it came to Elfnein, it was best to let her emotions cool down on their own.
Tsubasa then spoke up. "I won't be going to sleep just yet," She said. "I'll be coming with you to your lab, Elfnein, if that's alright with you."
Caught by surprise, the homunculus flubbed on her response. "A-ah, okay."
"Then I guess this is where we part ways?" Maria asked. "In that case, I'll be coming with you, Tsubasa."
The blue haired idol did not bother arguing with her. Maria turned to her juniors, looking at them with a warm smile. "Kirika, Shirabe, sleep well, okay?"
The two nodded, and Shirabe responded with a smile of her own. "We will. Good night, Maria."
"Good night."
She didn't bother to correct them or herself, seeing as the sun had already risen above the horizon. The duo turned towards the hallway, quickly disappearing around the corner hand in hand.
Chris rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Alright, I guess it's my turn now too. I need to sleep on everything before I lose my mind again."
"Sounds like a plan," Genjuro said to her. "Good night, Chris-kun."
"'Night." She mumbled in response, saying nothing else in her drowsy state. Then she too turned around, following after her underclassmen towards her quarters.
Leaving Genjuro, Tsubasa, Maria, and Elfnein in front of the door to the medical room. "Then, shall we head to my lab?" Elfnein suggested.
The other three nodded, and clutching Kanade's spear tightly in her hand, Tsubasa followed after the homunculus in silence.
-!-
The small group entered the lab, the door sliding closed behind Genjuro as he walked in. Elfnein approached her station and took the pendants out of her pocket, putting them on the small cushion on her work desk.
Letting out a breath, she turned towards the display case where she had kept the severed arm of the black beast.
"As I thought," She let out. "It's gone too."
Indeed it was. The glass case was now completely empty save for the cushion she had rested the arm on as she studied it.
To have a specimen disappear was unnerving for any scientist, but in this particular case...Elfnein could not help but be happy. With the reason to use it gone, it would just be a burden and a reminder of all the bad things that had occurred.
It was better that it was gone, even if now the glass case was nothing more than a pristine decoration.
"Elfnein," Tsubasa said, breaking the silence. The homunculus turned to her, and her eyes widened when Tsubasa walked forward and presented the spear to her. "Take this. It would be far more useful with you."
"Tsubasa-san…"
Before speaking again, Tsubasa placed the spear on the table carefully, causing Elfnein to stare at it in shock and then turn back to her. "Do with it as you wish."
She then turned around, heading towards the door of the lab without another word. Genjuro stared at her silently, watching her go. Maria alternated gazing between the retreating blue haired idol and the others, then quickly left to follow after her, leaving Genjuro and Elfnein alone.
Genjuro exhaled, and rubbed the back of his head. "Seriously, she's never honest."
Elfnein tilted her head in question. "Genjuro-san, what do you mean?"
"She's leaving the decision of what to do with it to you, or more specifically us. Gungnir itself might be gone, but the fact that this spear still remains is proof that maybe something can be done with it." He explained.
"But Genjuro-san, that's-"
"I know," He replied quickly. "So before we do that, we wait for Hibiki-kun to awaken...no, we give her time to heal first, no matter how long it takes. For now, hold onto it...Kanade-kun's final parting gift."
-!-
Tsubasa trudged down the hallway in thought, barely acknowledging the fact that Maria was right on her heels. Confused by her partner's strange attitude, Maria quickly fell into step by her side, studying her expression carefully as she walked beside her.
A pair of conversing employees passed by the two, stopping in their tracks as they stared in confusion and watched them move down the hallway. Eventually, Tsubasa and Maria found themselves in the small recreation area, the view to the outside visible through the large pane of glass built into the side of the submarine.
Through it, they could see the ruins of the city with sunshine illuminating it, finally giving them a full view of the destruction. Not much was left behind except a few columns of smoke rising from the further end of the city, and they could see helicopters of all shapes and sizes landing in several areas all around the wreckage.
Tsubasa stared through the window, just watching the proceedings. Maria, still confused at her antics, stared at her unreadable face with a tinge of worry, unsure what to make of it.
It was then however that Tsubasa broke the silence. "There's truly...nothing left, is there?"
Blinking twice at the sudden words, Maria was perplexed, and Tsubasa continued. "No, I suppose a little bit is left, even if that little bit is also damaged and crumbling."
"Tsubasa…" Maria could only murmur as she listened.
"It almost feels unreal, looking at it now," Tsubasa said as she put her hand on the glass. "It has merely been a few hours, and yet it feels so distant already, as if it has been years since the battle ended. And yet...even though we won, a few things still weigh on my mind."
"Like what?"
She stared at her own unclear reflection for a moment, melding in with the sight outside. "Like what Hibiki said about us, for example," She answered.
That was something that Maria could admit bothered her as well. Nobody raised that point while they were speaking with Genjuro, and so it went undiscussed completely.
Was it out of a lack of desire to find a justification, or was it simply...that everyone had already accepted that ugly truth?
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that she had always felt that way about me," Tsubasa said, letting out a huff. "And quite frankly, she was right. Due to my grief, I had painted her as an enemy from the very beginning. I let it consume me, and this only added fuel to the fire that was her quest for vengeance, as influenced by the curses as it was."
"Yeah...it's the same for me as well," Maria added. Tsubasa did not turn to her as she spoke. "I too was so consumed by my desires that I failed to see how mistaken I was, and let atrocities occur in the name of a broken justice. And through my familiarity with Kirika and Shirabe, I'm sure the same holds true for them, and Chris as well."
"It took a horrible incident like this to finally make us see the truth. We really have been taking her for granted, haven't we?" Tsubasa said.
For some reason, Maria started laughing softly behind her, and confused by her reaction Tsubasa turned around, staring at her with narrowed eyes. "What's so amusing?"
"Oh, nothing, it's just…" Maria explained. "I thought the same thing too, and I told Miku that as well. I just found it funny that we reached the same conclusion."
Finally understanding what she was on about, Tsubasa let out another amused huff, and turned back around to stare at the outside. "Yes, that is...quite amusing. We only began coming to terms with it because it was laid out before us so blatantly and forcefully that we had no choice but to confront it...our own misgivings and regrets."
Her somber tone worried Maria, who once again looked at her with concern. "Tsubasa?"
"I suppose it's time for me to come to terms with something I've ignored for a long time, for I never truly had the opportunity to do so...but with recent events, I suppose now is the best time."
'Recents events…?' Maria wondered. Truly, she was speaking about this incident, but it seemed like she was referring to something specific about it.
And that caused Maria's heart to race anxiously.
Silence fell between the two.
But then, Tsubasa took a deep breath as she stared towards the outside…
And spoke.
"I loved Kanade."
Maria felt as if a knife was run through her stomach by those three simple words. Her bottom lip quivering, she struggled to keep herself from shaking as Tsubasa continued.
"I can finally bring myself to admit it. I loved her, and I wished for her to stay by my side forever. But...fate had a different idea, and so she vanished from the world, leaving me behind. I thought I was able to move on, but seeing her again made me realize just how much I didn't…"
She removed her hand from the glass.
"But now...I feel like I can. I, by my own hands, struck her down, and by doing so I found myself finally able let her go. It was by far one of the most difficult thing I ever had to do...but I know I had to. I know that if I did not, I would never been able to cast away the burdens that I shouldered...and to accept myself and the past. I cut her down, and with that I found some sense of liberation; it's quite ironic, isn't it?"
Tsubasa herself wasn't sure what she was feeling at the moment, speaking these words to Maria. She could only vaguely see the pink haired idol's reflection in the glass, and was unable to make out her figure completely.
And perhaps, it was for the better.
For she would not see her conflicted expression, and how she was biting her own lips.
"This time, she left me behind something more than just a memory. More than just a legacy forced upon someone else...no, this time she left me her will and her approval that it's time to move on. I suppose this incident...shed a light on everything for me. Of course, threatening Grandfather was quite a big step up for me. Looking back, I never thought I'd have been able to stand against him."
Breathing in and out to calm herself, Maria spoke up. "But you did."
"Yes, I did. Even though the Sentinel's path is not one I wish to abandon, I will no longer hesitate on fighting for what I truly believe and what I truly desire. I will no longer allow those shackles to hold me down."
A wave of relief washed over Maria. She felt ashamed at herself, feeling this way from what Tsubasa was saying.
Tsubasa turned around, looking straight at Maria with a smile on her face. "However, I'm quite unfamiliar with such freedom, so I must ask to you assist me in that regard, Maria."
Maria's eyes widened in surprise at her request. Letting out a small laugh, Maria smiled back as she answered. "Honestly, I'm a bit unfamiliar with it too, so I guess we can help each other."
"Sounds good to me."
It was a strange, unexplainable moment between them.
But for Maria, it was all she ever wanted to hear.
"Shall we go to sleep, then?" She asked her idol partner.
"Yes, let us go."
And so, the two walked back down the hallway to their quarters.
A passing by employee would smile to herself as she noticed their proximity, their hands almost instinctively seeking out the other.
-!-
The next day…
"Move that part out of the way first!" Ogawa commanded the workers, his voice somehow reaching them despite all the noise of the machinery.
Holding his phone in his hand, Ogawa surveyed the area as it was cleared slowly but surely. It had taken Genjuro exactly one day to start working on cleaning up the wreckage, and all in all Ogawa agreed with the sentiment.
Even though he just came back from Chiba, he was already given an additional assignment immediately, which was to spearhead the clearing operation.
It was also the first time Ogawa got a good look at the remains of Tokyo, and he had to admit it was worse than he had imagined. There was barely anything left to salvage, so his presence there was more of a formality than anything else.
Or at least, that's what they wanted the world's governments to think. With so many eyes on Japan, it was crucial that recovery of any leftovers elements from the fight would be as secretive as possible.
And there was no one better at being secretive than Ogawa Shinji. As a result, he understood Genjuro's need to have him on site. Still, it was quite a sight to see; the former bustling metropolis was leveled so completely it could hardly be called a city anymore. Such devastation was only seen way back during the war, something none of the currently working personnel had the displeasure of seeing.
At least, Ogawa thought to himself in relief, this was the aftermath. Genjuro had updated him on everything that had happened, and he was as glad as everyone else that Hibiki had been successfully rescued. All of the hard work the wielders had put in order to achieve that objective finally came to fruition.
And now that they were resting, it was up to the adults to deal with the rest, and so this was his area of expertise.
Careful not to dirty his suit, Ogawa trekked through the wreckage. Nothing was on fire, which was good, and the midday sun was not so oppressive as to make the operation a living hell. Supervisors screamed and shouted to their subordinates, and the veritable army of bulldozers filled the air with exhaust and noise.
And that was just the tiny part he was in. Seeing as the vast majority of Japan was spared the destruction, many sent their rescue teams along with plenty of equipment to assist the capital. He had to give credit to the government's response, just a day after the incident and they were already all over the place.
Still, reconstruction would take time. A lot of time, he reckoned.
Continuing his surveillance, Ogawa eventually reached the site of the end of the battle; the crater in which the final confrontation with Fudou occurred. He stood on the rim, looking down towards the center of it, imagining in his mind the situation the wielders had found themselves in. It was by a stroke of luck nobody died that night.
No, that wasn't correct, he said to himself. There was a single casualty among them.
And part of his job today was to try and find anything that might have been left of her, as small a chance as it may be.
Turning away from the crater, he ventured towards a different direction. Having been debriefed on the sequence of events, Ogawa took it upon himself to investigate various points of interests that could narrow down his search for evidence. While the vast majority was gone along with the Gears, he had a gut feeling that something was left behind.
And that was what he was going to figure out.
Ignoring the many workers around him, Ogawa continued his search, his hawk-eyes scanning every piece of debris he lay his sight on. Left and right he looked as he walked, circling the crater.
'Perhaps…'
He stopped, standing at a particular stop he recalled he saw in the footage. Unless he was mistaken, this was where Saint-Germain stood before she rose to destroy Adam, meaning the direction she would have come from would be...
He turned, heading further into the wreckage. Climbing over a few collapsed concrete walls in his way, he reached an area where the bulldozers still hadn't come through yet.
Retracing her steps turned out to be more interesting than he had anticipated, Ogawa noticed. Wherever the spear had landed, it must have been in a hard to reach place, made all the more difficult for her due to having one arm. She must have also tried to remain as quiet as possible as to not alert Adam or Fudou to her presence, and appeared when the time was right.
He jumped over a bigger pile of rubble, landing on a leg and a knee on the other side. Lifting his gaze up, he stared ahead.
And that's when he realized he reached the right place.
It made sense to him why anyone would miss it. Even the satellites wouldn't have been able to find this easily, due to the fact that a piece of a nearby wall had fallen on top of it. However, from his angle, it was almost too obvious.
He walked over slowly, and tossed aside the piece on top of the object.
And promptly picked it up, staring at it with a curious gaze. "So you simply left this behind, haven't you?" He said to himself.
In his hand was none other than Saint-Germain's gun, the core of her Faust Robe. From what he had gleaned, this was what made her transformation possible.
And now, it was the only thing that remained of her.
Sighing to himself, Ogawa quickly opened a channel to HQ.
"Commander, I've found something."
-!-
A few days later...
Beep
Beep
Beep
Her eyes fluttered open slowly.
The first thing she noticed as she awakened was the total darkness in the room, her eyes taking their time adjusting to it.
The ceiling above her was vaguely familiar, and only the beeping coming from her left gave her any idea at all as to where she was.
She turned her head to the right, spotting the several empty beds of the medical room, as well as the door that led out of it. Other than a few dim LED lights, it truly was very dark and quiet inside; almost comfortable, even.
Beep
Beep
Beep
The obnoxious noise continued, ringing in her head.
It was then however that she noticed that her left hand was warmer than the other, and that something was grasped in her hold. Tilting her head, she looked down to where it was.
And saw her own hand holding another's.
Instantly her mind rebooted, and memories returned to her in full force. Her eyes wide open, she quickly turned her head fully to the left.
"Hibiki…"
She murmured the girl's name in shock. She was there, right next to here, her eyes closed and her chest rising and lowering slowly as she breathed. From what she could see, she was sleeping, and the EKG above her was monitoring her heartbeats.
To her untrained ears, they sounded stable.
That was enough to cause her to lose her composure immediately.
"Hibiki…"
Miku turned over on her side, staring at Hibiki's sleeping face. Tears welling up in her eyes, she cradled the hand she was holding to her chest, enveloping it with her other hand as well.
She clutched it tight, as much as she could, not letting it go for even a second.
"I'm glad...I'm so glad you're okay…"
Barely a minute into waking up, Miku was already crying in relief. Hibiki may not be conscious, but she was alive. She did not know what state was she in at the moment, but she had hope.
The beeping continued as she sobbed, getting it all out of her system once again.
She briefly wondered to herself; how much could she cry in a single month? She didn't count, but she was sure she cried more in this one incident more than she ever did her entire life.
That's a long period to compare to, yet she couldn't bring herself to stop. The huge shift from horror to relief, from sorrow to happiness...it was just too much for her.
She could face down the grudges of humanity, yet she couldn't control her own emotions.
But no one would ever blame her for such a thing, for what she and the others had achieved was an act worthy of being called a miracle. Saving Hibiki from the grasp of All the Evils of this World will always be the one triumph they'll forever consider their greatest accomplishment.
Their greatest victory.
It took Miku the better part of half an hour to finally calm herself down enough. The sheets stained with her tears, she raised one hand to brush away a loose hair that fell on Hibiki's face, being gentle and slow as she did so.
Truthfully, she didn't want to leave her side at all. She was content with lying in the darkness and just watch her sleep, being ready to respond to absolutely anything that came up.
She was resolved to do so as well, and in fact, it was she was doing just at that moment.
Unfortunately, she did not take into account the call of nature.
Reluctantly, Miku released her hold on Hibiki's hand and rose from the bed, putting her feet on the ground. It was cold, and it was only now that Miku noticed that she was clothed in the normal hospital gown that she had worn last time she was hospitalized in HQ. A brief glance back to Hibiki showed that she as well was garbed in it.
Putting that thought aside for now, she put on the slippers that were provided by the side of the bed. She rose to her feet, stumbling once before regaining her footing.
And so, Miku uneasily made her way to the door, her legs moving forward a tiny step by step. When it slid open, she winced at the sharp sound of it giving way, and stepped into the bright hallway.
The door promptly closed behind her, leaving her completely alone. She looked left and right, trying to spot anyone she might recognize, but she wasn't what time or even what day it was.
Her confusion was pushed aside as her bladder burned again, and deciding to put aside all other matters away for now, made her way to the restrooms where she remembered them.
During her trek, she could not help but inwardly laugh at the familiarity of the situation. Walking through the empty hallways of S.O.N.G HQ, in the company of only her own mind. She could only assume it was night time, but the lack of windows on the submarine made it difficult to ascertain. No employees were around to tell or her even notice her awakening, and so she was once again alone, just walking through the hallways.
Fortunately, it served as the perfect opportunity to just think to herself now that her mind wasn't as groggy and her emotions were far more controlled.
She could barely believe it. She had indeed, with everyone's help, defeated the demon and took Hibiki back. It threw absolutely everything it had at her and more, and yet despite all of that she had surpassed it and proved victorious.
It was almost surreal. Here she was, slightly limping forward half-aimlessly looking for a toilet, when just before she had been channeling heavenly power and sowing destruction in her wake, clashing against the evils of mankind.
For a change, she felt proud of herself. Relieved and calmer than she had ever been, all she had to look forward to was the moment Hibiki would wake up.
However, thinking about it now, she knew for a fact that such a process would bring about its own share of difficulty. Miku could admit that she knew Hibiki very well at this point, maybe even better than herself, and she could say with absolute certainty that Hibiki was not going to wake up very happy.
No, her reaction would be one that would paint Hibiki in a new light for them; complete and utter horror and crippling guilt at that she had done, followed by completely shutting herself away from the world in order to not deal with it.
She could already see it play out: Hibiki would awaken with everyone around her, see their faces, and almost immediately start panicking. Miku remembered the face Hibiki had made before the curses took charge. She had noticed what kind of expression marred Hibiki's face at the approach of their closest friends and allies.
Yeah, she could see it clearly. Hibiki, so horrified by her own actions, would deem herself unfit to be in their presence. She would shy away from the world, just like back then, in order to avoid others' scrutiny.
Only that this time, she would definitely feel it was justified. Hibiki was afraid of the world after all, and now would be even more so seeing that she had directly threatened it.
The fact that she was influenced by a dark force would not even be a part of the equation for her. She would only shut herself away and wallow in grief and guilt on her own without telling anyone how she was feeling.
The same deal as always with her. Miku had already gone through iterations of the same thing in the past, and she resolved to deal with it the same way as she had always done:
Be there for her. She had promised her she would, and not even the near destruction of the world would be enough to make her rescind that promise.
But of course, everything comes at its own time. She first wanted to hear how Hibiki was doing rather than rely on a beeping machine above her head, and then she could start brainstorming her approach to her inevitable nervous breakdown.
It was no secret to her that Hibiki had problems. Quite a few of them, in fact, a fair bit of them stemming from that fateful day in the Zwei Wing concert.
But so did everyone else, herself included. And she of course remembered clear as crystal how she brazenly and unashamedly admitted to her own right to the demon, completely undoing its apparent plan to break her down.
It didn't matter to her what the demon thought. Miku was first and foremost on Hibiki's side, no one else's. She had made that abundantly clear to Genjuro, and she was glad that everyone else shared in that feeling with her.
She didn't think she could do it without them. Their support was paramount, and in the end the fruits of their labours ripened magnificently.
All that's left to do is plant the new seeds, and carefully watch everything grow from there.
Her bladder burned again, shaking her out of her inner stupor and pulling her back into the real world.
First, taking care of her basic bodily needs.
-!-
About ten minutes later, Miku began making her way towards the bridge of S.O.N.G. Still unaware of what time it was, she walked through the halls again silently, this time not falling into any internal monologue or deep thought on the way.
She reached the door in due time, and it slid open before her.
Immediately, Genjuro turned around, and his eyes widened when they landed upon her. "Miku-kun?!"
The rest of the bridge turned as well, surprised by her appearance. "Are you alright?" He asked her.
She stepped inside, walking forward to stand in front of him. "I'm fine, thank you," She answered, looking around. She could see a few familiar faces among them, particularly Fujikata and Elfnein.
For some reason, Aoi was nowhere in sight.
"I see, I'm glad to hear that," He said in relief. "You've been asleep for a couple of days, Miku-kun."
"A couple of days?!" She said in shock. "How? I thought...what has happened so far?"
He crossed his arms. "Surprisingly, not much," He admitted. "At least, nothing aside from general damage control and wreckage clearing. It's the quietest it's ever been."
"Ah...I see…" She murmured in silent contemplation. "Where's...where's everyone else?"
He laughed. "Sleeping. It's almost midnight after all."
Miku's eyes widened in shock, taken aback. "M-midnight? How did I-"
"Don't worry about it, Miku-kun," He interrupted her. "You blacked out after the fighting. You expended so much energy and effort that you needed all this time to recuperate. It was a hard fought battle after all."
"I know, but…" She muttered in concern. She then perked up, staring up at him in alarm. "How's Hibiki?! Is she-"
"She's fine," He answered calmly. "She's fine. The doctor checked her over time and time again and he couldn't find anything physically wrong with her. She has a clean bill of health, so you can rest easy."
Miku hugged her arm, clutching it tightly. "I'm glad...I'm glad she's alright, that's she's not-"
"This is the result of your hard work and dedication, Miku-kun. Never forget that. You fought against certain death and came out victorious." Genjuro said in an attempt to cheer her up.
"I know, but now...Hibiki will…"
"I can imagine," He said. "Unfortunately, this is something I'm not qualified to deal with. This is something...only you can do, Miku-kun. This is where you'll be needed more than anywhere else."
So he figured it out too, she realized. That the real challenge will come after Hibiki wakes up, and all the memories of what had happened will rise up to the surface. That was of course assuming she'd remember.
And assuming she'd wake up at all.
It was a concern Miku had to voice straight away. "Do...do you know when she'll wake up?"
"No. The doctor found no fluctuations in the brainwaves, so we can only assume that she's sleeping, just like you were. We don't know if there'll be long term psychological effects, but I'd like to believe the results more than my own assumptions; I don't want to jump to conclusions." Genjuro said, eliciting another sigh from Miku. "I know you're worried; we all are. We're all anxiously waiting for her to wake up, to see how we can help her through this...and I know it won't be easy. It looks like you're once again our trump card."
Trump card...last time she heard that pair of words be spoken, it was at the very beginning of when it all started. Just before the cocoon hatched and fell, kicking off the worst conflict they ever had to deal with.
But Miku knew that it was going to be a repeat of what had happened after the concert.
So he was right, no one else was more qualified to handle it. As the person who knew Hibiki the most, there was no other solution.
Still, she wasn't looking forward to it. She wasn't looking forward to see more despaired expressions on her face, or listening to her spouting out words of grief, just like back then.
It was heartbreaking enough the first time.
She fell silent, unsure what to say in response this time. Seeing her hesitation and concern building, Genjuro spoke up again. "You should go back to bed, Miku-kun. You don't want to mess up your sleep schedule after all. You want to be alert when Hibiki-kun wakes up, don't you?"
He was trying to dissuade her from racking her brain, she noticed. "I don't, but…"
There was much she wanted to ask him. "How are Hibiki's parents? And what about the citizens? What will they do?"
"Hibiki-kun's parents are alright. Ogawa personally saw to their safety during the battle; in fact, just today as a gesture of goodwill we had the house repaired, so they don't have to sleep in an unsafe environment. As for the people of the city...we're still trying to figure out some solutions, but in the meantime they were spread throughout the country to lodge in hotels and other temporary housing complexes. We're still bathing in the aftermath, so we can't do much until we have the full picture."
"I...see…" She murmured again. It was a terrible thing, hearing that so many people were displaced from their homes due to the fighting. But there was no other choice, for even the shelters weren't safe from the destruction. "I understand that...there was also fighting...in the rest of the world, right?"
He fell silent for a moment, his expression grim and sorrowful. "Yes. And there were casualties...nearly a million of them."
She could barely believe it. 'A million dead…'
The thought terrified her in more ways than one. Not just because it got so bad that even those uninvolved got caught up in it...but that the very knowledge that she was responsible for the death of nearly a million people would shatter Hibiki completely.
And that would be the best case scenario.
It was a piece of information that she was almost adamant to keep hidden from her. She couldn't allow her to know that-
"I know what you're thinking, Miku-kun, and I have to say that I think likewise," Genjuro suddenly said, cutting her off from her thoughts. "But...there might come a time she'll have to know. We have vowed to no longer keep secrets, so we intend to keep it that way...even the heavy ones."
"But this is different," She argued. "If she hears about this, then...even I don't know how she'll react."
"I know, which is why we'll have to break it to her at the right time, only after everything. This is going to be a long process we'll have to approach carefully, amongst many other things. But don't you worry about the world at large; leave that to us, the adults. Your concern should be her and her alone."
He knew Miku was prone to worrying incessantly about pretty much everything. Like a snowball, every thought she has escalates until the moment she can no longer handle it, at which point she can end up making mistakes.
Her obtaining her Gear the first time was a result of such uncontrolled snowballing concern. He wasn't willing to let that happen under his watch again.
"I know...but...what about the others? Are they alright?" She asked.
"Yes, they're doing fine," He responded with a chuckle, confusing her. "If any anomalies popped up, we'd already be all over them. Concern yourself only with Hibiki-kun and yourself right now, nothing else. Conserve your energy for when you'll need it."
She wanted to argue further, to say something back to him. There was so much on her mind right now she could barely sort it all out, but she knew he'd just answer the exact same way. "I...I understand," She relented. "I'll try to...calm down."
"That's what I like to hear," He said with a smile. "Now go. You don't want to leave Hibiki-kun by herself do you?"
She blushed slightly at his words despite herself, and nodded in response. She yelped when he suddenly placed his hand on her head, petting her gently. "Seriously, Chris-kun was right. You really can't help but worry, can you?"
Her eyes widened at the implication of his words. "How do you-"
"What, you think the simulator doesn't have internal cameras?" He said, tilting his head. "Of course I'd know about your little rendezvous in the middle of the night to train. It's not that much of a secret, especially since Elfnein gave you that tablet to use."
It surprised her, knowing he was aware of what they were doing...of what she was doing.
And that brought up another thought, something that she wasn't proud of. "Genjuro-san, I…"
She swallowed, and he removed his hand from her head. "I want to apologize...for the way I acted. I don't have any excuse for it. I didn't mean to-"
And he put his hand on her head again, and huffed. "I know. Your apology is accepted, Miku-kun; I'm aware of the circumstances. In fact, I think I should be the one to apologize to you. I've manipulated your feelings in a very cruel manner."
She remembered that now, how he tricked her time and time again to get her to move. In hindsight, she couldn't really fathom exactly why she held such a mindset at the time, or why she fell to his tricks so easily. She was vaguely aware of the why, but not the why why.
It was all very strange for her, even in her own mind. Maybe now that the multicolored haze she had been engulfed in all this time was gone, she could finally see more clearly.
It wasn't a blurry memory as she had expected. No, she remembered every detail of that one month downtime; she just couldn't explain it. Even to herself it made no sense.
But there was no point in dwelling on it now. The source of it was gone, along with the enemy they had been desperately fighting.
All that remained was the heavy emotional baggage that they were going to have to sift through bit by bit.
"It's okay, I...I understand too. I don't blame you for it, so it's fine...it's fine," Miku responded. "Then...I guess I'll head back now."
"Alright. Sleep tight, and we'll see you again tomorrow."
She responded with one final nod, and turned back around towards the door. Miku briefly glanced back at him once more, and then took the final step forward, leaving the bridge behind.
Genjuro stared at the door for a moment, contemplating their conversation.
"Genjuro-san?" Elfnein called to him, making him turn back around.
"It's nothing," He said. "Give me a status report on those repairs."
-!-
She wasn't sure why she was in this room now of all times.
Aoi sat on the bed, staring down at what she held in her hands right above her lap with a saddened expression. "Saint-Germain…"
The gun did not do anything in response. Ever the dutiful commander, Genjuro had noticed her shift in attitude and mood following the conclusion of the battle. While he did not know the extent of their correspondence, he knew that Aoi and Saint-Germain had struck up a close friendship, stemming from her helping the alchemist complete her Alca-Noise army in time.
They had sat together quite a few times after that on regular occasions. In the cafeteria or on the bridge, they had gotten along quite well, and always had something to talk about and discuss.
And for someone like Aoi, who was dedicated to her job, close friendships were few and far between. She had indeed found the coincidence to be amusing, seeing herself making friends with someone who was once their enemy.
But she treasured those moments, every single one of them.
And now, all that remained was this gun, the symbol of Saint-Germain's resistance to oppression and the tool that allowed her to get this far.
Upon finding it on the battlefield, Ogawa had handed the gun over to Genjuro, who in a surprising move handed it over to Aoi for safekeeping, seeing that right now it had no real use. She figured that maybe one day they could reverse engineer it to perhaps make some upgrades for the Gears, now that Ignite is gone.
But still…
"Seriously...leaving me hanging like this...it's a bad joke…"
Aoi wasn't one who was prone to crying. In fact, it happened so rarely nobody could remember the last time she did so.
Until the moment Saint-Germain sacrificed herself, which was the moment she could hold it back no longer. Since she had already done her own fair share of crying, all that remained in Aoi's heart was a hollow hole.
She grasped the gun tighter, and raised her head to look at the table in the room. It was clear and cleaned, not a single reminder of Saint-Germain's presence remaining upon it.
To see it unused once more brought down her spirits further, her memories playing back again to the times she had helped the alchemist. Placing the gun on the bed by her side, she rose, heading over to the table. She placed her hand on the metallic surface, simply staring at its reflective shine.
"Can't even say goodbye properly, can you? Sheesh…"
She spoke those words merely to comfort herself, and their effectiveness was...dubious, to say the least. As one that almost never mourned, she was unsure how to confront such feelings on her own. Fujitaka had extended a helping hand, asking if she wanted him to do something for her.
She responded with her usual teasing, leaving him behind with a flushed face.
But now, in the quiet of Saint-Germain's vacant room, there was nothing but memories of bliss.
She studied the table semi-carefully, remembering her own attempts at making jokes and Saint-Germain's flat responses. She had tried, seemingly in vain, to get a laugh out of the woman, but it was an incredibly difficult endeavor. In the end, she failed to do so, but she had to admit it was fun either way.
Is this what it felt like, she asked herself. Is this how a person is supposed to feel in this situation?
She didn't know, and quite frankly, she didn't want to.
She was pulled out of her thoughts when she noticed something strange sticking out from behind the table, on the face closest to the wall. It was so small it was barely visible, but she could see something tiny protruding from its back.
Putting both hands on the edge of the table, she pulled it back slightly so she could reach the mysterious object. Reaching over with one hand, she grabbed it by the exposed tip and pulled, tearing it out of its resting place. Turning it over in her hand, she read what was written upon it.
"For S.O.N.G only."
She tilted her head in confusion. Why would this piece of paper be stuck to the back of the table?
Curious as for the context, she reached over with her hand once again. Placing it upon where she had grabbed the paper from, she felt something out of place in the table's construction. Something was stuck to the back of it, as her hand was not touching metal but rather what felt like plastic.
Opening her palm, she wrapped her hand around the object, realizing it was square shaped. With a small yank, she pulled it out of where it was hidden and straightened herself, looking at it in further confusion.
"A hard drive?"
That was...odd. Why would Saint-Germain hide a hard drive behind the table? Turning it in her hand, she confirmed what it was by the USB port on its front, and she noticed it was one of the more common ones.
It was a fairly basic hard drive, but if Saint-Germain went through all the trouble of hiding it, then it must be important. And considering the note signified it was for S.O.N.G only…
This needed a deep look into. Whatever it was it contained, it was probably extremely important. And if it belonged to Saint-Germain of all people, then…
There was no more need to think on it here. Quickly grabbing the gun from where it lay on the bed, she clutched the two objects the alchemist left behind and exited the room, heading back to the bridge.
-!-
Miku entered the medical room once more, heading into the comfortable darkness once again. The familiar beeping broke the silence, signifying Hibiki was still asleep. She looked at her prone form from afar, her mind churning at what would happen the moment she'd wake up.
She walked towards her, opting not to lay on the bed this time. Quietly, she took the doctor's chair, raising it above the floor as to not make noise, and placed it gently next to the bed.
She sat down, and held Hibiki's hand with her own once more. She clutched it tight, placing her elbows on the edge of the bed and leaned forward, touching the hand to her forehead in silence. She closed her eyes, content with this simple closeness.
"Hibiki...it'll be alright. Everything will be-"
She stopped herself. No, that phrase was forbidden now, never to be repeated again.
"No...but even if things are not alright, I'm here for you, just like I've always been. I'm not letting you go, just like I told you."
Those words were her lifeline, her strength. They were what pushed her forward, giving her the power needed to overcome that evil.
"I'll never leave your side. So please...don't go anywhere…"
She stopped herself from crying again, holding the tears back with sheer force of will.
And the effort, combined with the sheer relief of everything she had heard in the short time she was awake, began to take their toll.
Her eyes closed slowly, and she lay her head on the edge.
"Don't go...anywhere…"
Leaving those words behind, Miku drifted off into the land of dreams.
-!-
…
…
…
…
Her eyes fluttered open.
She raised her head slowly from the side of the bed, and winced as she felt a sharp pain in her neck. 'Ah...I fell asleep…'
With eyes only half open, she noticed the room was still completely dark and quiet, not a single sound piercing through the blackness. She twisted her head slowly, looking around groggily, yet could find nothing out of place.
"Ugh…" She murmured. As nice as it was to sleep beside Hibiki like this, it still wasn't all that comfortable. But apparently, she was so tired that she dropped like a baby anyway, even after being unconscious for days.
"What time is it…" She asked, not expecting a response from anything or anyone.
She leaned back, and raised her arms above her head to stretch.
Only to notice something was amiss.
There was no beeping.
She wasn't holding Hibiki's hand when she woke up.
Her eyes flying open instantly, she looked towards the bed in front of her…
And froze.
For the person that lay on the bed just hours before-
"...Hibiki?!"
-was nowhere to be found.
