AN: We're nearing the end now. Only two more chapters left to the end of this story.
-!-
"Hnnn…"
Shifting once again in her sleep, Shirabe drearily opened her eyes to the darkness in the room she shared with Kirika.
Her eyes immediately fell upon the blonde, who was currently snuggling up to her. Kirika tended to be a very messy sleeper, but whenever she was together with Shirabe in one bed, she was far more tame in terms of where her limbs were.
The small bed made the experience slightly uncomfortable, but ever since the end of the battle the two found solace in just being in close proximity, not willing to leave each other's sight. Perhaps it was Miku's unbound resolve, or perhaps it was her bold declarations, but ever since then Shirabe found herself wanting to be in Kirika's presence more.
To be closer to her at all times, not willing to let her go.
Usually, her thoughts would be far more cheerful, especially in a situation like this. Kirika's sleeping face was always goofy, with her mouth slightly open and drool leaking out to stain the sheet beneath.
Yeah, Kirika was goofy, and a bit hopelessly naive…
But that's how she loved her. If there was anything Miku's dedication did for her, it was to make Shirabe realize just how much.
Which why she was a bit tad worried when she woke up feeling so...cheerless. As if some sort of pit formed in her stomach, Shirabe found herself unable to fall back asleep.
So she did the next best thing, and simply watched Kirika instead.
The last few days had been...odd, to say the least. Left without anything substantial to do, the five wielders were next to useless in this new situation. With no enemy left to fight, their contribution amounted to nothing, as Genjuro adamantly refused to allow them to do anything on the account of "you've earned your rest."
It didn't sit well with any of them, and he even disabled their ability to use the simulator and the training room to further enforce this rule.
With their Gears a total mess, they were essentially confined to the submarine without anything to do. Shirabe had taken that opportunity to do the reading she wanted in the archives, but aside from that the grueling boredom started to take its toll.
And not only that, but the sheer inability to help in the city's reconstruction only made them more depressed, which was completely the opposite of what they were supposed to be feeling. This was supposed to be a winding down from the fighting, a time to get a breath of fresh air before doing whatever came next.
But the sheer inability to do anything was frustrating beyond belief.
And that, combined with that bad feeling Shirabe had, kept her up. Kirika was probably hit the hardest with it, as she was more empathetic than herself. She was more prone to noticing shifts in attitude and more prone to her own emotional moments, and she was hit hard with that feeling as well.
The fact that she was sleeping so soundly right now seemed almost comical. Well, at least one of them was getting a good rest tonight.
Shirabe's thoughts continued to rage as the minutes passed by, the clock on the wall clicking and ticking with every second. Like a tempo, she felt her own breathing synchronize with it, somewhat falling into a rhythm that calmed her concerned mind bit by bit.
It was the wee hours of the morning, barely 6 AM. Perhaps she should try and drift off again. A good night sleep always help to-
It came out of nowhere.
All of a sudden, the alarms blared powerfully throughout the entire submarine, waking up everyone on board. Kirika, who had been sleeping soundly up until that moment, woke up with a start.
"WHA-!"
Shirabe barely had time to be surprised as the blonde shot upwards and backwards, her hands in the air. Already too close to the edge of the bed, she cleared those final inches and slipped, yelping as her back hit the ground.
"Kiri-chan!"
"Owowowow…"
Kirika rubbed her head with her hand. Quickly recomposing herself, her eyes widened as the red lights joined in on the noise, further raising their alert levels. Looking towards the bulb responsible for the obnoxious colors, Shirabe and Kirika then looked to each other, one on the bed and one on the floor, trying to understand what was going on.
"We should go, Kiri-chan!" Shirabe said, jumping off the bed and heading to the door immediately.
"Wait, Shirabe! We can't go out like this!" Kirika argued, pointing towards their pajamas. They weren't the most conservative pieces they had, and as a result were forbidden from anywhere except their personal quarters.
Shirabe grumbled to herself for a moment, then turned back to face the room.
"Right…"
She went over to Kirika, offering a hand and helping her to her feet.
Having already lost precious time, the two left the room after a record breaking three minutes, dashing towards the bridge.
-!-
The amount of times the door to the bridge opened in a short period of time didn't surprise Genjuro.
What did surprise him was just how fast the wielders arrived, barely five minutes after the alarm was activated.
Which was good, seeing their current situation.
They were further surprised by the presence of Miku on the bridge, who's expression was so haunted it was impossible to ignore. She sat on a chair close to Genjuro, her hands on her lap and staring blankly at the floor.
It immediately reminded all of them of the day the incident began, more than a month ago. The sheer similarities in reactions were unsettling, but that was not what they were there for.
The alarm quieted down slightly as Genjuro barked his orders. "Keep sweeping everywhere! We can't let even a single spot be left unchecked! We have to find her no matter what!"
"Commander, what is going on?!" Maria asked, bewildered by the proceedings.
Genjuro slightly turned to her and answered. "Hibiki-kun is missing."
Their horrified and shocked reactions were instant and understandable.
"What?!"
"Since this morning, apparently," He continued. "But we don't know the specifics of when. Miku-kun noticed when she woke up, and came to me with the news. We've been looking for her nonstop since then."
It was a bit of an overstatement, considering barely fifteen minutes had passed since Miku first arrived on the bridge panting and distressed. The second she had stated that Hibiki was gone, Genjuro wasted no time in making sure everyone was up on their feet for the joint effort to find her.
But he knew that was not the case. Hibiki was missing.
"Get me internal camera footage of the medbay!" Genjuro yelled.
A crew member on the lower part of the bridge quickly responded to him. "We can't, sir!"
"What? Explain!" Genjuro demanded angrily.
"The system hasn't been repaired yet!" The crew member countered. "They weren't high on the priority, so no one got around to fixing them! Our internal surveillance is still offline!"
'Shit!' Genjuro cursed inwardly. He remembered how at the final moments of the battle, the submarine was shaken so violently that parts of it were damaged, which was why he ordered repairs to take place as soon as possible.
But their manpower in the engineering team was limited, and as a result more vital systems were prioritized. Seeing that the internal cameras were useless in their current situation, they were left low on the list and thus were never repaired.
Which now proved to be a grave mistake. With no ability to check on what was going on in the interior, they were essentially blind as to where she could possibly be.
And what's worse, they were also docked in the harbor and the walkway to the outside remained lowered, meaning Hibiki could have up and left at any moment with everyone being none the wiser.
"Damn it," He cursed. "Miku-kun, you went to sleep at around midnight, correct?"
"Yes." She answered emotionlessly.
"And you came to me as soon as you noticed she was gone."
"Yes."
He contemplated what more he should ask. "You didn't see or hear anybody come or go from the medical room?"
"No," She answered once more. "I...I fell asleep by her side, holding her hand. I didn't hear a thing until I woke up and noticed she wasn't in her bed."
"So that gives us around a six hour timeframe, as she could have awakened at any moment during that period," He said to himself. "She couldn't have gotten very far, then, seeing as she's on foot, without protection, and is severely weakened. She has to be inside the city, but…"
He bit his lip. "We don't have any way to track her. Her communicator is here along with her phone. Seeing as she doesn't have a Gear, we have virtually no way to confirm her position. We're completely blind."
"What about the satellites? They should help us look!" Chris argued.
"We would...but the system is currently down for maintenance," Genjuro explained. "It worked for a little while in the end there, but it started glitching and so we were forced to take it down to fix it."
"So we can't even track her through the air...but it shouldn't be that hard. There shouldn't be anyone in the city right now! How hard can it be to find one person?!" Chris continued.
"Hard enough," Maria commented. "Especially if we have to look with our eyes."
"If that's the case at all…" Genjuro said grimly, forcing the wielders to look at him in confusion.
"Commander...what do you mean by that?" Shirabe asked him nervously.
He was quiet for a moment, calculating the chances of the probability of what he was thinking. It wasn't very high, but it wasn't impossible either.
And because it wasn't impossible, it had to be addressed.
Before he could speak however, it was Tsubasa who announced exactly what he was thinking.
"There is the possibility...that Fudou may have spirited her away under our noses."
They wide-eyed reaction was an indication enough as to the absurdity of that statement.
"WHAT?! You mean that bastard kidnapped her?!" Chris bellowed, causing several of the crew of S.O.N.G to turn to her in shock.
"We can't rule off the possibility," Genjuro said. "Not after what he did. And that...makes things difficult."
That was an understatement.
The very assumption that he did would already be enough to force them into full mobilization mode. Having practically turned on him on that night, there was no way S.O.N.G was going to quietly allow him to just grab the girl.
Or more specifically, the wielders themselves wouldn't let him get away with it, even if he tried to tell them otherwise. Having already been given their Gears back from Elfnein, it was essentially up to them whether or not to go to his residence themselves and force the information out of him.
And with Tsubasa's threat, he had no doubt that she would make good on it.
Politically, such a move would be disastrous. Regardless of the motive, it would quickly be seen as an attempt to overthrow Fudou's authority, who was in leagues with the government. This in turn would cause the government to turn on them, starting what is essentially a civil war between themselves and the armed forces.
And in a time as tumultuous as this, a single wrong assumption could plunge them into an untold amount of chaos.
Which was why this had to be carefully analyzed. No jumping to conclusions, for a single mistake would doom them all, even with the wielders.
"But we can't jump the gun just yet," He said, trying to defuse Chris immediately. "We need to think of the possibility first thing first. Now, how would he have pulled it off?"
"Either a spy or an infiltrator." Maria summarized quickly.
"Eh? A spy? Really?" Kirika asked.
"It's not out of the question," Tsubasa said. "After all, it's known that Grandfather still has some measures of influence on us, and he's keeping his eyes on us at all times. It's not impossible that there is someone colluding with him from the inside. In that case, that would mean whoever it was would not be on the submarine."
"That's a long shot," Genjuro responded. "Because we have no way to know when it happened, it could have occurred at any point during that six hour timeframe; and six hours is a lot of time to take someone and return, or at least, bring them to a collaborator who would in turn bring her back to Kamakura."
"Then what are we waiting for?! We have to get her back!" Chris shouted. "We can't let that bastard have her!"
"We can't," Genjuro hurriedly responded. "I just said we can't go off of just assumptions. He may have motive, but that's all we have."
"But that's more than enough! You saw what he tried to do!"
"And what if we're wrong?" He asked her, shutting her up completely. "What do you think will happen if we raid his complex only to discover absolutely nothing? It'll be a disaster. No amount of apologies or affirmative action will be able to fix that. No excuse or reasoning we have will get us out of that mess. In fact, we'd just give him even more incentive to take her in order to keep her away from us. We'll be painted the traitors and all of us will suffer."
It was grave enough that it sent chills down their spines. He continued regardless. "That's why now, more than any other time, we have to act cautiously. We won't rule the possibility out, but we can't depend on it either."
"So what do you suggest we do?" Maria asked.
"We send search parties. We scour every nook and cranny of the city perimeter until we find her," He answered. He then turned to Fujitaka. "Have you done a sweep with the proximity sensors?"
"Yes sir. I couldn't find any boats or anything of the like next to us. If she was taken out of the city, it would have to be on land." The bridge member replied.
"Then that narrows down our search. Fujitaka, start mobilizing the teams. Tomosato, shift focus back to the satellite connections and have them back as soon as possible."
"Yes sir." The two answered.
The commander then turned to the wielders. "All of you will join in as well. Even with most of the city destroyed, there might be places she could be hiding in. We're going by the assumption that she ran away, so don't stop until you find her."
Miku immediately shot to her feet, a resolute expression on her face. "I'm going too."
Genjuro looked at her for a moment, thinking on what to do. He contemplated stopping her from joining the search, but that would be a fruitless endeavor. "Alright then. Investigate everything and everywhere you can. Don't leave even a single stone unturned."
The five wielders replied as one. "Yes sir!"
-!-
An hour later, a squad of vehicles was parked outside in the ruined harbor, the teams finishing the final preparations to begin the search. As the many men and women of S.O.N.G shuffled around getting their things in order, the wielders along with Miku waited impatiently, anxious to get rolling.
Frustrated, Chris hailed Genjuro from her communicator. "Old man, why aren't we just using our Gears? We can get this done much faster this way!"
"I thought about it, but in the end it's too unsafe. Remember that your identities are still confidential, so we can't have anyone, even the relief teams, know who you are. You're going to have to do this the old fashion way." He answered her.
She didn't like that answer at all, but there was nothing she could do about it. Gritting her teeth, Chris voiced her frustration by huffing and taking the lead, picking one of the vehicles scattered around the harbor.
None of the wielders said anything as she went. Looking to each other, they nodded and headed off in their own directions, each one of the girls picking a car that will take them around the city in search of Hibiki.
Miku was the last to pick, and she walked forward towards one of the hummers. As she approached, a familiar face peeked out of the open driver's seat, and waved to her.
"Kohinata-san, it's nice to see you again."
She perked up at the familiar voice. "Ah, Motoyasu-san. It's nice to see you too."
He smiled, but then changed tones. "As much as I'd like to catch up, we have work to do. You want to find Tachibana-san as soon as possible, no? Then hop in."
She had no reason to complain. If there was going to be a search, then at least it would be with someone she knew. Miku circled the hummer, heading towards the passenger seat. Motoyasu opened the door for her from the inside, and she climbed up the side and entered the seat, taken aback by the unfamiliar interior of the military grade vehicle.
With a heave, Miku closed the heavy door and put on her seatbelt as Motoyasu spoke up to the comm. "Recon 6 is ready and waiting."
"Good," Genjuro said back. "All units, head out. Your mission is to find Hibiki-kun and bring her back no matter what."
"Yes sir!" Motoyasu responded, and on cue started up the hummer. He briefly looked to Miku, who was staring ahead with her eyes narrowed, and then looked back to the road, driving off.
Dust was left in the wake of the squad, Motoyasu's hummer being the third in the formation. Currently, S.O.N.G only had twenty available vehicles, and for this operation all of them were deployed at once.
They were lucky that the teams and the cars survived or this wouldn't be possible. The operation itself was a simple one: each hummer would drive off in a different direction and carefully comb the section of the city it was assigned to.
The ride was a rocky one as the hummers drove over piles upon piles of debris left over from the battle. Miku held on the dashboard for dear life as the hummer shook and jumped with every meter it drove. Motoyasu seemed completely unfazed, his countless hours of driving experience coming in handy right at this moment.
Miku waited until they finally met some even ground to pick up the built in communicator. Following Motoyasu's example, she pressed the button, hailing her friends scattered throughout the city. "Where is everyone going?" She asked.
After a small cackle of the signal, the first to answer was Tsubasa. "We're heading over to the area of the old concert hall. Since it's still standing, we'll see if she's perhaps on one of the floors."
"And we're going to the city's outskirts," Chris said. "Who knows what hole she's hiding in."
That was true, Miku had to admit. With the city in shambles, none of the spots Hibiki could be in were viable. Flower, the shopping center, the aquarium, every place she could think of was nothing but rubble at this point, and were not places Hibiki could hide in.
There was nowhere in the city she could possibly hide, because the vast majority of the buildings were nothing more than flattened plots of land.
Kirika, Shirabe, and Maria answered her as well, but it didn't matter at this point where they were going. The only thing she could do right now was focus on her own destination.
Lydian campus, chosen by herself. Initially, Genjuro wanted her to head elsewhere, but she had adamantly refused to go anywhere else. Eventually relenting, he permitted it, and so Miku watched the scenery remain unchanged as they made their way to Lydian.
-!-
"Anything, Sakai-san?"
"No sign of her, Akatsuki-san."
Kirika grumbled to herself. She was in charge of the main Shibuya area, the place where she usually hung out with Shirabe and Chris after school. To see all of their favorite shops in total ruin was heartbreaking on a whole other level.
She was just in that one accessories store two months earlier. She had bought a nice necklace for Shirabe there, one her partner had liked a lot, and so the two on their off days checked the store out quite a few times.
And here it was, a flat pancake of a building with one of Zababa's footprints right on top of it. It was so ironic, she realized, that the one who had thoughtlessly stepped on the store was herself, piloting the mechanical goddess. And of course, in close proximity were the titan's footsteps, marking the whole area as one gigantic stomping ground the two colossi had battled right on top of.
It was completely ridiculous; nothing had survived the battle except Lydian and the old concert hall. Just that fact alone already made her realize that this entire area was pointless to scan.
There was no way Hibiki was going to be here. If she wanted to hide anywhere, it wouldn't be in this...playground of a ward.
And this was the part that was spared. She couldn't even begin to imagine what the area of Western Tokyo might look like to Shirabe, who was there right now in the south with another contingent of the search team.
The entire place was after all scorched to nothingness by Tsubasa's attack, so it was even less likely Hibiki was there either.
"I don't think she'll be here." She said to the comm.
"I don't believe so either. Perhaps we should move onto the next area."
Flipping over humongous concrete chunks would add nothing to their endeavors. Even Kirika had enough sense to know that she wouldn't hide somewhere people could see her.
It had to be somewhere more enclosed, preferably with four walls and a ceiling; maybe even some of the shelters in the area are still intact.
She'll get started on that first.
-!-
"Tsubasa-san, we've already gone through all of the floors we could."
The blue haired idol grit her teeth. "I know, but we must double check in case we missed a spot."
The rescue team member grumbled inwardly. They had arrived in the old concert hall an hour ago, and with their team being the biggest they thought they'd find Hibiki by now.
The building itself was gigantic, and the way up wasn't easy. They had taken the now derelict emergency stairs up to the higher levels, carefully scouring every location as they passed it. Yet, there was no sign of the wayward wielder.
"The chances she's here are slim to none, Tsubasa-san."
"I am aware," She replied in frustration. "Hibiki, where could you have gone?"
They weren't at the top just yet, but her hopes already felt dashed. Hibiki could have gotten anywhere at that six hour timeframe, and by the minute Tsubasa felt as if Genjuro's hypothesis was becoming true. It was a bit rash to assume so already, but so far nobody has reported anything. The girl had become a total ghost, vanishing to somewhere they couldn't find her.
But she couldn't stop just yet. The climb was difficult, but luckily the stairs were all in one piece all the way to the top. After another half an hour of climbing and searching, the group reached the top of the structure, exiting just outside of the ruined concert hall.
Tsubasa needed a moment to take the sight in. She hadn't been in this place for over a year, and coming back to it now was all sorts of nostalgic.
She shook her head. No trips down memory lane now. Leading the way forward, the team cut through the huge courtyard outside of the stage itself, going up the stairs to the concert hall. It was still broken in many locations, and not a single bit of it was ever fixed, but it was still standing despite everything.
For a moment, Tsubasa wished it was destroyed earlier. It offered nothing to the city except for being a cruel reminder to what had occurred there. Also, with the cable car out of commission, it made the climb far more difficult. They would have taken a helicopter up, but the chances that Hibiki was hiding inside of the stairwell were not zero, so they chose to be diligent and carefully search there as well.
They may have not found her, but at least it removed a potential location from their lists. Now, they needed to look through the concert hall itself, and that was going to be difficult all on its own.
And Tsubasa wasn't confident she'd find her here. Out of all the people in the world, Hibiki was the last person she'd imagine coming back here to hide. This place carried sad memories for her as well, and people usually tended to avoid going somewhere where they'd feel nothing but sadness.
But in her current condition, what would Hibiki even be thinking? It was obvious to her as much as it was to anyone else; Hibiki was a distorted individual, and after such a disastrous incident there was no way she'd just let everything go.
No, it was painfully obvious to her what she was thinking.
And how, right now, every place felt unsafe.
A terrible thought made its way into her mind, and she quickly shook her head before it could take hold. No, Hibiki wouldn't do such a thing. She'd never-
"Damn it." Tsubasa cursed, causing one of the search team members to turn to her with eyes narrowed. She ignored his stare, focusing on the frightening logic in her mind and the conclusion she had reached.
A deep pit in her stomach developed, and she prayed to God that she was wrong. No, she could not allow herself to assume anything. She'll find her first, and then think more deeply.
There was no place for wayward thoughts. A Sentinel's duty was to protect the people, even from themselves.
And out of all the people in the world, she vowed to protect Hibiki above all else.
-!-
"Kadingir…"
How long has it been since the last time she had seen this place? It was always just there, on the horizon, yet Maria almost never dared approach it.
She had nothing to find there after all, except for regrets.
"It looks like the inside is still accessible," The search team member to her right said. "Shall we head inside?"
Maria nodded. "Yes, let us go."
The area was usually sealed off from outsiders, but right now nobody would bother checking if someone unauthorized headed inside. And besides, they are S.O.N.G, and out of everyone in the world they should be the only people who should be allowed within.
Not that she could give herself any credit for it. Maria was, after all, not a part of Section 2 at the time of the wielders' battle with Fine. She was not there to see Chris rise into the sky and sacrifice herself to divert the ion cannon's beam away from the moon.
She was not there to witness Tsubasa pass by Fine's guard, and crash headlong into the tower. She did not see her destroy it, rendering the ancient priestess' goal impossible.
She was not there to marvel at Hibiki's first attainment of X-Drive, and of how the three wielders, powered up and resurrected, soared into space in order to stop the moon fragment from crashing down on Earth.
She was not there...to hear their heartfelt song.
Pretending to be Fine after it all ended, and trying to undermine the efforts of those who had saved the world...what was she thinking?
If there was one thing Maria will never stop chiding herself over, it was her utter foolishness in believing there was some sort of justice to what she had done. Threatening innocent people, letting Ver do what he wanted, and even going along with his schemes…
Shirabe once called Hibiki a hypocrite. But in the end, Maria realized, that the hypocrite was herself. Attempting to achieve justice by playing the villain...their plans were destined to fail, for there was no justice in them.
Only a selfish desire that they did not have the strength to attain. Her heart was not as resolute, and so she had naturally lost against those whose hearts were infallible.
Hibiki gave her a second chance to right it all, and so Maria could not bring herself to forget that she was in her debt.
And she would pay it back as many times as needed, for her own sake.
The search team entered the blocked off ruins in due time, the leader entering first to survey the area for potential hazards. After about ten minutes, he headed back out to signal them in, and Maria along with the rest of the team followed him inside.
It was dark, and so each and every one of them was armed with a powerful flashlight that bathed the ruins in so much light that it almost seemed like it still had a working generator.
That should make their search all the more easier.
Still, Maria felt skeptical. She did not believe Hibiki in her current state had the ability to head this far inside on her own, especially since it was so dark. But still, it wasn't out of the question, so they had to take it into consideration as they traveled through the base of the tower.
And there was a lot to search through. For one reason or another, countless of rooms were scattered all over the ruins, forcing the team to head into each one and check them carefully. While they weren't all that spacious, they still had nooks and crannies small enough that a person could fit in, and so it increased the time of their search tenfold.
Maria didn't like being in here, for more reasons than one. It felt claustrophobic, and eerie, and in general the ruins of Kadingir were just another reminder of many horrible things.
As much as she tended to dwell on the past, this place's very existence was like a rotten hole in the core of a generally healthy apple.
She wished they'd tear this place down already, so they wouldn't have to look at it any longer. That they would make use of its remains for something more useful than being essentially a gigantic gravemarker.
Hibiki wouldn't be here, not after everything. The ruins may have had survived the battle, but the chances she was within them were slim.
"Let's go further in." The search party leader said, gesturing forward.
They said nothing in response as they followed after him. Sighing to herself, Maria stepped into the darkness, carried onward by the source of light she held in her hand.
-!-
"An unmarked grave in the middle of nowhere...really, is this what they gave us?" Chris said to herself, clicking her tongue. Her team was responsible to look through the outlying areas, and hers specifically brought her to this cemetery she had never been to before. It was only because of a casual reminder by one of the team's members that she found out what was special about it.
And so, she stared at the tombstone, having been left untouched ever since they had been declared dead over a year ago. They had had to remain in hiding for nearly two weeks until they were able to throw off their tracks, leading to some very uncomfortable moments in the shelter at the time.
It was all complicated business she never bothered to properly listen to, but all in all she logically comprehended the reasons behind such a move. There was something about their deaths being ambiguous, followed by the cover story that they hadn't actually died and were rescued just in time and treated for injuries.
A bunch of yadda yaddas that were unimportant to her, yet she still stood and stared at the empty grave before her in silent despondency.
It, like a lot of things, was a reminder. A reminder of her own role in the grand scheme of things, and how it was by her hand that the Noise were let loose on the world.
How she had willingly followed Fine, wholeheartedly believing in her cause. She realized that in the end, all that she sought was vengeance for the death of her parents, choosing to blame the entire world for the actions of an exceptional few.
She had met many nice and friendly people since she had joined S.O.N.G, and through her interactions with them she learned that she had been wrong.
DEAD wrong, in fact, and it was Fine who was the crazy one.
But even though Fine had manipulated her and tortured her...she couldn't bring herself to hate her; not as much as before anyway. Looking back, the signs were all there...just how broken that woman truly was.
She was tired, and it showed. All of her actions made with a sense of utmost urgency, and she made many costly mistakes that she hadn't made until then.
It was definitely far fetched to think so, but maybe in some way Fine had wished to be defeated. Wished to finally have the chance to stop pursuing a goal she had never reached, and looked for the way out she had never found on her own.
In the end, that woman too was saved by Hibiki. She too found some peace after centuries of bloodshed and conflict.
Chris didn't hate Fine. She pitied her, felt sorry for her...and hoped she was finally able to find some peace.
"Yukine-san?"
The man's voice shook her from her thoughts, and she blinked rapidly as she recomposed herself. Turning around, she looked the man in the eye as he continued.
"We found no clue as to her location, Yukine-san," He said, and Chris clicked her tongue again in annoyance. "Did you find anything?"
She hung her head. "No...she's not here."
She chided herself for getting lost in thought like this. Even though she had already looked through the area of the graveyard earlier, it was still no excuse to day-dream in the middle of such an urgent situation. Hibiki was still missing, and nobody had reported in yet that they had found her. She knew where all her teammates went, and she knew that the moment they'd have found her that they would have said so.
It was a wild goose chase, except if the goose was invisible. They couldn't track her, couldn't see her, and were acting off of an assumption. Chris still believed that Fudou had something to do with Hibiki's disappearance, but until they finish their search they cannot act against him.
She didn't like him, so she blamed him first.
Just like she had done with Hibiki when they first met.
Maybe it would be better to give him the benefit of the doubt...just this one time, and believe that it wouldn't come to needless bloodshed.
"Let's keep going then. We have more ground to cover on ahead. We still need to look through the forest."
She nodded. "Right."
-!-
"You hypocrite! There are so many hypocrites like you in this world!"
Hindsight was truly 20/20, Shirabe finally realized. How ironic was it that she was the one that called Hibiki a hypocrite, and yet the biggest one of them all was herself.
She derided her for wanting to talk, to come to an understanding, yet in the end she was the first to cast aside the meaningless farce they had pursued and gone over to Sections 2's side. Upon seeing the needless cruelty, devastation, frustration, and overall ridiculousness of their goal, Shirabe was quick to abandon ship.
FIS was doomed to fail from the start, and yet she had not seen that until the moment it all went to hell.
The Symphogears were made in order to protect humanity from the Noise, and yet it was FIS who had wielded them against other people first.
Shirabe realized she was the biggest hypocrite of them all, and that she'd probably never be able to atone for it, all the more because she was eventually won over to Hibiki's side by the very thing she claimed was delusional.
And here she was, looking around the shopping district she and Kirika always frequented while they were with FIS. She could still remember the prices and labels of the cup noodles they had bought, and her own meager attempts at cooking up a meal so they wouldn't starve.
They had pursued justice, and that justice ended up betraying them. They relied on a maniac, not seeing that he was most definitely going to turn on them. Doing nothing as he played with someone's mind and body, nearly crippling her for life if it wasn't for the timely intervention by another.
They made mistakes, and in the end Mom's life was the price. The woman, until the very end, believed in her cause and with her final bits of strength saved humanity as a whole.
And yet Shirabe felt that all of that struggle, all of that suffering...could have been avoided entirely had they just come to Section 2 in the first place.
Perhaps then...she wouldn't have to feel like a failure. Wouldn't have to feel...like she was eternally making up for her mistakes.
Her shoes crunched against the rubble underneath her as she walked, trying to think of possible hiding spots in this...charred landscape. Nothing much had changed during the battle, as Tsubasa's attack truly left nothing standing in its aftermath. The air smelled like ash and burning wood, a surprising sensation considering it been over a month since it happened. The wretched stench should have dissipated by now, but she figured such a thing can remain for a long time after the fact.
And the chances that Hibiki was hiding in a hell hole like this were...not high, to say the least.
A fact one of the search team members with her pointed out. "We should move on. There is no way she'd be here. You can barely stand here, much less hide for a long period of time."
"I agree," She answered. "There aren't any hiding spots here; it's all ground up dust anyway."
Where could Hibiki be? Nobody reported in yet, making it seem like they were just going in circles. Was she even in the city at all? Are they looking for thin air right now?
Time was ticking, and Shirabe felt it. Every minute she wasn't in their sight was another minute to jump to conclusions, whether they be hopeful or discouraging. Some were even extreme, a fact she loathed to admit.
But if they didn't rule off Fudou kidnapping her, they couldn't rule off…
'No no no, bad Shirabe.'
To think such things was borderline insanity. They will find her, even if they had to recruit more people to the cause.
Maybe they should have done that in the first place. Twenty teams of six people each all searching for one person inside of a gigantic city would obviously take a huge amount of time.
But they had to act swiftly and without alerting the higher ups in the government to their actions. If they ever found out who was the root cause of the distraction, finding her would be the least of their problems.
"Let's focus on anything that looks out of place. We won't find anything like this." She said to her team.
"Very well. We'll go around and search the vicinity. I think there were some buildings that held up better than most."
The team scattered at the man's words, and she was left to look at them walk in different directions, leaving her alone in front of the supermarket's torn down remains.
Turning around, she went towards her next destination, determined to find the girl that had opened her eyes.
-!-
"Where do you want to start, Kohinata-san?" Motoyasu asked the girl as he and the team looked up at the main Lydian building. It was still in one piece, with only some holes dotting the brick wall that made it up. It was still a shock the structure, along with the rest of the campus, survived the destruction and the chaotic battle that took place just a few days before.
Whether it was a miracle or not, Miku didn't care. Taking a step forward, she spoke. "The dorms...I think. Maybe we can check the other buildings too."
Miku had exactly one destination in mind for herself. Her gut feeling told her that if Hibiki wasn't there, then she wouldn't be anywhere.
She was essentially telling Motoyasu and the others to get lost, because she wanted to make sure in the event she did find her, that she'd be alone. The last thing Hibiki needed right now was more people fussing over her and making noise that could cause her distress.
Miku just knew that right now, Hibiki was in a delicate situation. She had to be approached carefully, slowly, and with gentle movements. Akin to an animal just rescued from an abusive owner, it is only with care and patience that she'd be more willing to open up to others.
This time, she told herself not to go along with Hibiki's empty reassurances in case she tried to give any. The last time she did so, Miku did not ask questions, and that in the end led to her bottling up everything without an outlet for her frustrations.
That, combined with two years of hell and a year of near constant fighting, led to the situation they had managed to resolve by the skin of their teeth.
So for the sake of avoiding a repeat, Miku prepared herself to do as necessary…
And start demanding things of the girl, regardless of what she wanted. Only then will she finally understand.
"Then we'll check here. You go to the dorms and see what you can find." The team leader told her. Whether he got her message or not didn't matter to her, but the fact he was sending her alone implied he did.
The team scattered, and Miku made her way to the dorms. They were not too far off from the main building itself, where all the classes were held. It was a path she knew by heart, and she could only look sadly at the ruined surroundings. They may be still standing, but the knowledge of what had occurred and the circumstances that led to it made everything all the more depressing.
The path was intact, but rife with debris. Several times she had to stop and look for another way, as a giant piece of an adjacent building had apparently fallen and blocked her straightforward trek.
They're not going to come back here in a very long time, she understandably realized. With both the city and the school in shambles, education in a music school was going to take a backseat to the reconstruction and general shuffling of the citizens all around.
She closed her eyes momentarily, and gave a silent apology to the people who were displaced by her actions, as indirect as they may be. But at least...they're all alive, and will be able to come back to their homes.
Eventually.
There was no telling what their reactions would be. As she walked, Miku found her mind briefly wondering to their three friends. The last time she had seen any of them was over a month ago, and she hadn't spoken to any of them since she woke up. She didn't really count her urgent conversation with Kuriyo as such due to what it entailed.
What would they say? The three knew who the wielders were, and were always very accepting of the idea.
But now...would they look at Hibiki the same way as always?
Or would they abandon her, just like those people did back then?
With that gloomy thought in mind, Miku finally arrived at the entrance to the dorms. The rubble scattered by the entrance, which were the remains of the giant rock the beast had destroyed while protecting her, lay still and unmoved. Everything was as she remembered it, down to the craters dotting the track nearby.
There was no use dwelling on it. They were just more things she was not going to see again for a very long time.
Entering the building, Miku made her way to the higher floors, avoiding the various piles of concrete and brick that stood in her way. She took a moment to glance into each room she passed by, saddened by the fact that each and every one was ruined, as if a storm passed through them.
Shattered windows, torn up floorboards, charred objects, and melted steel. That was what she saw in each and every one, without exception.
The stairs were in an equally bad state, but thankfully they were still clear enough to climb. The railing was gone, giving them a feeling of instability, but with careful steps Miku continued. She passed by the second floor and went up to the third, stopping in her tracks as she stepped into the hallway.
She wasn't doing any real search like this, but she knew Hibiki enough to know she wouldn't stay in just any room if she was here. No, there was exactly one she'd go to, no matter its state.
Turning left, she passed by a gigantic hole in the wall of the dorm, the wind blowing in from the outside. She shivered slightly as it passed over her, but disregarded it and continued.
She was looking forward to seeing the sorry state of the room. Even if Saint-Germain claimed it hadn't been ruined, that was still a claim made before the big final battle.
There is no way it was going to be in one piece.
In due time, she reached the entrance to their shared room, surprised to see the door closed and unblemished. She remembered she was here with Saint-Germain and Ogawa before, but she did not expect the door to still be standing.
All of the other rooms had their doors blown off their hinges, so why would this one remain?
She reached over, grabbing hold of the knob and turning it. With a creak, it opened, giving her a view of the inside.
And she could barely believe it.
The room was, for a lack of a better word, spotless. As if nothing had ever happened, everything inside had remained exactly where she remembered it. The beds, the tables, the magazines, and even the windows were untouched.
If the other rooms were ruined by the storm, this one was the eye of that storm. Eyes wide, Miku stepped inside, mesmerized by the sight of the room she was already used to.
Except now it was a small piece of hope, and just like Saint-Germain had said, it was also the image of peace.
"You really did protect it, didn't you?"
She said those words, but she wasn't sure who she was referring to with them.
Was it Hibiki, who despite her maddened state kept this place safe…
Or was it Saint-Germain?
It was all so strange. Looking around, she could see nothing was out of the ordinary. An experimental click on the light switch confirmed her suspicion that power was out, so the electronics were all dead at the moment.
First, she went over to the beds. She pulled aside the curtain and looked at the bottom bunk, finding nothing. She then climbed up the ladder to the top bunk, half-hopeful, only to find that Hibiki was no there either. She climbed down, and headed towards the bathroom, looking inside to check if she was there instead.
The room was smaller than what they had in the older Lydian, so there weren't any places in here Hibiki could hide.
Meaning that despite her hopes, she was not here. "Hibiki…"
Where could she have gone? None of the others said anything, meaning they hadn't found her, so that only made it far more distressing.
What could she do now? Where else could she look?
Deciding to confirm another suspicion, MIku headed to the kitchen and opened the fridge to peer inside.
She immediately had to cover her nose as the stench of rotten food rose from within, and she quickly closed it to spare herself the smell. She should have expected it, she reckoned. A fridge not working for over a month would no doubt have everything in its interior spoil very quickly. The perishables might still be edible, but as it was now, nothing in the kitchen could be eaten. Just a quick glance to the loaf of bread on the counter confirmed that for her, as the entire loaf sported the nasty green color of the bacteria that grew on it.
Dejected, Miku headed over to the couch and sat down, allowing herself to lean back and just appreciate the feeling she had nearly forgotten. She stared at the ceiling, her mind trying to think up possibilities, but nothing really came to her immediately.
She knew her well enough. If Hibiki wasn't in this room, then she wasn't in Lydian.
That was an absolute fact she could back up easily, even if it was just gut feeling.
In that case, it might be a good idea to inform the team so they could move on. They were probably still looking around the campus-
RING RING RING!
She yelped in surprise as her pocket shook suddenly. She reached within, withdrawing her phone from her pocket, not expecting to receive a call now, especially from…
'Tachibana Harumi'
Hibiki's mom was calling her? Now? Of all times?
That...she wasn't looking forward to that. Last time she had heard anything from the woman, it was her tearful plea to save her daughter. That wish did not leave Miku's mind for the entirety of her fight, granting her the bursts of strength she needed to overcome her opponent.
But now, after all was said and done...what could she tell her? What would she tell her? That she got her back, but now she disappeared and nobody knew where she was? They could save the world, but not keep their eye on a single girl while she was recuperating?
What would the woman think? What would she tell her in return?
Nearly inclined to ignore the call, Miku gave it another second before gathering up her courage and answering. She put the phone to her ear, and spoke. "Hello?"
"Miku-chan! Oh, thank god I reached you." Harumi said in delight.
"Is everything okay, ma'am?" Miku said back.
Harumi laughed, and it caught Miku by surprise. "You don't need to be so formal, Miku-chan. Geez, how many times will I have to tell you?"
Miku couldn't say anything in response, the shock still rendering her speechless.
And Harumi continued regardless, this time her tone much more gentle. "Miku-chan...I wanted to tell you...thank you."
Her eyes wide, Miku tried to brush it off. "I-I don't know what you mean."
"You don't need to be so humble, Miku-chan," Harumi said, not falling for it. "I know that you too, fought hard to save her. And you know...I thought you would. You always did…"
The woman sniffled in the receiver, and Miku was once again tongue-tied, not sure how to take her words. She felt her eyes start to water slightly, but she held it back as Harumi continued. "I really...I really don't know what to say. Thank you...for always being there for her, and for…"
Miku tilted her head back, trying not to become emotional as well. "And for supporting us and her through our worst times. Thank you, Miku-chan, for bringing her back home. You will always be welcome in our home, and I'd love to see you soon."
She put a hand on her eyes in an attempt to stop the tears. "Ma'am, I-"
Wait.
What did she just say?
Before she could even respond, Miku leaned forward with eyes wide, intently listening to the woman on the other end. "Can you repeat that please?"
Confused, Harumi answered. "Repeat? You mean...that you're always welcome in our home?"
"No, not that. Before that."
"Thank you, for bringing her back home."
It hit her like a ton of bricks.
She shot up to her feet, her eyes still wide. "Ma'am...are you saying...Hibiki is at your house...right now?"
Harumi sounded puzzled over the phone, but responded regardless. "Ah, yes. She is. Is there something wrong?"
No way.
How? How did she get there all on her own?
Mind racing at full speed, Miku spoke quickly. "Ma'am, make sure she doesn't go anywhere! I'll be there as soon as possible!"
"Ah, wait Miku-chan! What do you mea-"
She hung up, not bothering to hear the rest of her sentence.
It seems...the search was over. Grabbing the communicator she was handed from her pocket, she contacted S.O.N.G HQ.
"Genjuro-san, can you hear me?"
There was a slight cackling as the connection was made. "Loud and clear, Miku-kun."
She didn't spare even a moment. "I know where she is."
She heard him slam his console on the other end, his voice bellowing. "WHAT?! You found her?!"
"Yes," She answered. "But she's not in Tokyo."
"Not in Tokyo? Then where is she?"
She thought for a moment on what to say.
"Genjuro-san, please prepare a car. I want to be there as soon as possible."
"But where are you going?"
She breathed in, and answered. "To Chiba."
-!-
"I actually can't believe this. What are the fucking odds?" Chris bit out as she propped up her elbow on the arm rest of the limo.
The moment they had heard from Genjuro that Hibiki was found, everyone hurried back to the submarine for an update, only to run into Miku, who was waiting for them with the limousine parked outside. With the road out of the city more clear than within it, the car had less trouble driving around wreckage and heading into the freeway.
And here they were, one hour later, on their way to Chiba. Choosing to forgo having the whole rescue team go, Genjuro found it appropriate to only have the wielders accompany Miku, with Motoyasu serving as their driver for the ride.
All six of them were packed in the spacious backseat, half-anxiously waiting for the long ride to end. Thankfully enough, Chiba wasn't that far away from Tokyo, so they were already at the halfway point to their destination.
Still, to think this is how their search would conclude.
"It is indeed shocking," Tsubasa said, her arms crossed and her eyes closed in contemplation. "But somehow, it's not that strange."
"But how did she get there? It's so far!" Kirika exclaimed. "I mean, there was no way she could have gotten there alone, not when she's so injured."
"Less injured and more weakened would be the correct thing to say," Maria interjected. "But yes, I agree. I suppose we'll get all of our answers once we arrive. Miku, did her mother tell you anything else?"
"No," Miku answered. "I...kind of hung up in her face. But she should be expecting us, or at least, me."
"Are you sure it's okay for us to come too? What if Hibiki is-" Shirabe tried to add, but Miku cut her off.
"It's fine. All of you should be there. She needs you there. Just leave her to me."
"Are you sure, Miku?" Tsubasa asked in worry.
"Yes. I'm sure. I know what I need to do; we've already been through this before."
Tsubasa knew that, and that just made her all the more disheartened. While she was glad her extreme assumption did not come to pass, that didn't make things any easier. She had never been in a position like this, and it made her nervous.
She had been on the constantly broken side, being taken care of by others. Never had she been on the opposite side.
And she knew this time was not like the others, whether it was by Hibiki's experiences or her own. This...there has never been something on this scale before.
It was new territory.
Territory she wasn't sure she was ready to explore.
"Very well then. We'll trust you, Miku."
It was a response in the name of all those gathered in the limo. Appreciating their faith in her, Miku smiled and nodded gratefully.
The rest of the drive wasn't much to talk about. They had remained fairly silent, all six of them lost in thought as they prepared themselves mentally for what was to come. Staring out the windows or into their laps, it was the quietest the group had been since the beginning of the incident.
And so, some time later the car stopped, having reached its destination. Brought out of their thoughts, the group looked out the window at the house.
"I see, so they fixed it." Maria commented, taking note of the new window pane that gave a view into the living room.
"Oh, that's right. You've been here before, Maria; at least, for a little bit." Kirika recalled.
"I wouldn't call it being here, since I left almost right away, but I guess you can count it." Maria replied.
Before they could say anything else, Motoyasu turned his head around to speak to them. "Whenever you need me to pick you up again, give me a call." He said.
Miku looked back to him and nodded. It seems he figured out it will take a while.
"Thank you, Motoyasu-san." She said.
He smiled. "No problem. I'm glad that you were able to find her. Go do what you do best, Kohinata-san."
Her spirits lifted at his words, and with a strong push opened the door to the outside. The rest of the group followed after her, slamming them shu behind them. Miku walked forward, passing the concrete wall that surrounded the front yard, with the other wielders on her heels.
Motoyasu drove off, and they were left in the silence of the early morning. The girls looked towards Miku, who took a deep breath before stepping forward.
With a gentle click, she rang the doorbell.
Tension rose as they waited for the door to open. Soon enough, they heard muffled footsteps approach from within, and the door swung open.
"Miku-chan!" Harumi exclaimed. "You weren't kidding when you said you'd be here as soon as you can."
"I figured it would be the best course of action," Miku responded. "It's nice to see you again, Ma'am."
Harumi laughed in response. "Oh geez, you'll always be formal with me, won't you? But that's fine. I'm glad...I'm glad you're here. She's...she's waiting for you."
Miku tilted her head in confusion. "Waiting for me?"
Harumi let out what sounded like a sad sigh. "She...hasn't moved from her room since she came back. I left food for her outside her door in case she was hungry, but...nothing. She hasn't touched it at all. She hasn't spoken to us nor has she said anything the entire time. She just...locked herself in her room."
Miku thought on what the woman said. Yes, this was eerily similar to last time.
Now she'll have to find out just how bad it was.
It was at that moment that Harumi noticed the group standing behind Miku, and her eyes widened. "You...are…"
She knew who they were. No, she didn't know who they were exactly, as she had never seen them before and thus never even heard their names.
But she knew. She knew that they were the ones that made it all possible.
Maria stepped forward, joining Miku's side and bowed slightly. "Good day to you, Tachibana-san. My name is Maria Cadenzavna Eve; it's a pleasure to meet you."
Following Maria's lead, Tsubasa stepped forward as well. "I'm Kazanari Tsubasa. It's an honor to meet you, Tachibana-san."
"Ah, Akatsuki Kirika. Nice to meet you."
"Tsukuyomi Shirabe."
"Yukine Chris."
The girls introduced themselves, and Harumi committed their names to memory. She looked at them in surprise, and then her expression lightened. "I see...you girls are her friends. You're the ones...who fought so hard."
They stiffened, only now remembering that the woman knew exactly what the circumstances were, even if she didn't have all of the details.
She stepped aside from the door. "Please, come inside. I've kept you outside for too long already."
They nodded, and Miku led the way. She breathed a sigh of relief, seeing the familiar house once again. She took off her shoes, placing them exactly where she remembered she always did, and stepped onto the house proper. The other wielders did the same, and Harumi led the way to the living room.
There, Kyoko and Akira sat by the new table; bigger and better than the old one. The two stood, and approached the guests to greet them.
"Miku-chan," Akira began. "It's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you too," She answered. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," He said sheepishly. "I'm just glad that everything finally calmed down."
Everyone there agreed with that sentiment. Miku then turned to Harumi and spoke to her. "Then...I'll think head upstairs."
"...okay, Miku-chan. I hope that at least she'll open up to you." The woman said hopefully.
"If I know her at all, she will."
Leaving her friends in the living room with the Tachibana family, Miku headed back to the hallway, stopping by the door frame for a moment. She briefly looked back to the group gathered in the living room, smiled, and then headed up the stairs towards Hibiki's room.
-!-
Harumi wasn't lying when she said Hibiki hadn't touched the food.
Which was strange, since the one thing Hibiki was always fond of was food, seeing as every time Miku cooked for her, there were barely any leftovers.
Yet, staring down at the untouched plate on a tray by the door, Miku knew that Harumi hadn't been lying to her either. She wouldn't put it down by the door for no reason after all.
She slid the tray aside, and knocked gently on the door with the back of her hand.
"Hibiki?" She called out.
There was no answer. Total silence was the response, as she had expected.
She inhaled and exhaled, mentally readying herself.
"I'm coming in."
And opened the door to the inside.
The first thing she noticed was the darkness in the room. Not a single light source was turned on, and the only light coming in was through the sides of the currently closed shades over the window by the desk.
It gave her just enough illumination to take in the shape of the furniture, and she found it nostalgic. Nothing had been moved since the last time she was there, which was perhaps over a year ago. The desk, the bed, the closet, everything was exactly as she remembered it.
She found it strange, how two rooms related to Hibiki were completely untouched by the flow of time or by any other outside influences.
It was a bit surreal, to be in this room now.
And as her eyes scanned it, she finally found what she was looking for.
There she was, in the far corner of the room away from the door. She was huddled under a blanket, hiding her entire form beneath it as she remained unmoving. It was then that Miku noticed the small source of light that lay on the floor in front of her, and she could also see a small white cable extending from it and into the huddled form.
'Ah, so you're listening to those songs again…'
It seems Hibiki had taken her old phone out of storage, wherever it was, and decided to use it as a music player for the moment. She did not turn or in any way acknowledged the fact that Miku had entered.
Slowly and quietly, Miku closed the door behind her and walked towards Hibiki with soft steps. As she got closer, she could start hearing the muffled music from the earphones; loud enough that she could tell something was being listened to, but too far to pinpoint which one.
Well, it's not like it was much of a mystery for her. Miku knew for a fact which songs Hibiki was listening to right now. There wasn't any need to even guess.
Once she finally got close enough, Miku kneeled down behind her, simply looking at the covered form. She slid her bag off her shoulder, placing it by her side quietly. She had gotten it ready while waiting for the wielders to gather in the harbor, and now it would serve its purpose well.
A silent minute passed before Miku decided to act. Slowly, she extended her arms forward…
And gently grabbed at the edges of the blanket, right by Hibiki's head. The girl beneath did not react, and so Miku took it as a sign to continue. Slowly, she pulled the blanket down, uncovering Hibiki's upper body completely.
She was still clothed in the hospital robe from before, which was something that surprised Miku. And yet, Hibiki did not react, and simply remained hunched down, her head tilted downwards and listening to the music.
Miku sighed, and this time reached out with one hand.
And from the back, ran it through Hibiki's hair slowly, finally feeling her hair again for the first time in over a month.
"Oh geez," Miku uttered quietly. "You have so many tangles in your hair…"
With her free hand, she reached into her bag, rummaging through it briefly before pulling out a hair brush. Raising herself a bit higher so she could have vision of all of Hibiki's head, she began the quiet work of brushing her hair.
It was a slow, methodical process. Done in total silence from both parties, Miku ran the brush through Hibiki's hair little by little, at times tugging at the more stubborn tangles to free them. At times she felt as though she was putting a bit too much force behind it, but Hibiki's lack of reaction to even that made her believe she might have fallen asleep.
But she knew she didn't, because she could sometimes feel her body shudder involuntarily. In the total silence of the room, and due to her proximity, Miku could also slightly hear the music being played from the earphones.
It was a song she could not forget. After all, it was one Hibiki had listened to day after day back then. It was catchy, upbeat, and all in all a very good song that in time she found herself liking as well.
But for Hibiki, it was akin to a lifeline.
'Synchrogazer…'
How nostalgic it was, to hear it again.
Finding herself smiling despite herself, Miku continued her work. Hibiki's hair was not only extremely tangled, it was also kind of dirty; it was to be expected, she told herself, all things considered.
And that told her enough. After arriving at home through unknown means, Hibiki had shut herself in her room and had not moved at all, not even bothering to change clothes or take a shower.
'It looks like I have a lot of work ahead of me.'
Not that she minded at all.
Finally setting the brush down after what felt like an eternity, she ran her hand through Hibiki's hair again, feeling it for any more tangles she may have missed. It looked much better now, having regained some of its former shape and luster. It still had some final touches that needed to be done, but that would require a shower first.
However, that was not important right now.
Slowly, she made her next move; reaching over with both hands, she gently plucked out the earphones from Hibiki's ears. The girl did not respond, and so Miku tossed them forward, uncaring for them at all.
And then, she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Hibiki. She lay her head on her shoulder and embraced her from behind, not reacting to the following shudder.
It was so quiet she could hear Hibiki's breathing very clearly. They were stable, yet there was a sense of nervousness to them, as if they were about to go wild at any moment.
Miku closed her eyes, and spoke softly to her ear. "It's okay...it's okay…"
Another shudder, and the breaths began to become erratic.
"I'm here...it's okay...it's okay…"
A sharp inhale.
Miku took the opportunity, and entwined her fingers with Hibiki's own, holding onto her hand tightly.
"Hibiki…"
Hearing her own name being muttered was what finally broke her. Soft sobs began to wrack her, and Miku did not even need to open her eyes to know what her reaction was.
"It's okay...we don't blame you...no one blames you...so it's okay...you're safe...I'm here for you…"
She tightened her grip.
"Like I always was...so please...don't blame yourself…"
She could hear them now, the sobs. Hibiki's whole body shook under her hold, but she did not let her go.
She would never let her go again.
"It was hard...but as long as it's for you, I don't mind. That was my promise to you...now and forever more…"
There was whimpering now, and Miku found herself joining her.
"I'm so glad...to finally have you back...it was...so...so hard…"
For the first time, Hibiki moved. In a strange act, she turned herself around, and now she faced Miku directly, her head still downcast.
So this time, Miku reached forward and raised her head for her.
Finally...after so long…
She looked into the amber eyes she dearly missed, now glistening with tears.
She tried to wipe them away with her thumbs, but more just kept on coming. She let out a choked laugh, one that was between a chuckle and a sob. "Oh geez...you're so dirty. We need to get you a shower as soon as possible."
It was a half hearted attempt at stopping their emotions from overflowing.
And in the end, it was for naught.
Miku touched her forehead to Hibiki's, holding onto her tightly. She reached behind her back, and hugged her once more.
"I missed you...so so much...Hibiki…"
Miku's words served to break Hibiki even further.
And then, she finally spoke, uttering a single name.
"...Miku…"
The dam finally shattered.
And the erratic whimpering became a heart wrenching cry.
All Miku could do...all Miku wanted to do, was to hold onto her. To be there for her, to support her.
And so she did, with her own tears flowing down her cheeks,. She was sure Hibiki's cries could be heard all the way downstairs, but she didn't care.
In the darkness of the room, and in a scene not unlike what had taken place just three years before, the two girls held onto each other for dear life.
And cried.
And cried.
And cried.
Until they thought they could cry no more, but did so anyway. And the entire time, their embrace only tightened, as if they were afraid the other would disappear if they loosened it even just a tiny bit.
All that was there to accompany them...was the muffled sound of Tsubasa's song.
-!-
"Please, sit. We have enough chairs for everyone."
Heeding the woman's words, the wielders looked to each other for a moment, and then took a seat by the table. Despite the house's relatively small size, they all still managed to fit in the living room comfortably, and now sat together with Hibiki's family.
They felt a bit out of place, a feeling that was expressed by Kirika as she fidgeted nervously in her seat. Shirabe promptly held her hand to calm her down.
"Would you like something to eat, or to drink? We just finished having breakfast." Harumi offered.
"Thank you, but water is fine." Tsubasa answered.
Akira chuckled, then rose from his seat to head to the kitchen. "Alright, water coming right up."
They fell into silence, and only the sound of rushing water broke it completely.
Feeling that the atmosphere was choking them, Kiyoko spoke up, placing her hands on the table. "So you five are...Hibiki's friends, right?"
While scrambling for a response for the sudden question, Maria was the first to articulate it. "Ah, yes. We are her friends, as well as…" She began, looking towards the others for reassurance. "Her teammates."
Harumi sighed in what seemed like relief, and spoke up herself. "I see...it's a bit surprising, you know? Hibiki, ever since then...didn't have many friends aside from Miku-chan. I'm glad that in Tokyo...she found people she can count on."
The girls fell quiet as Harumi continued. "She...well, you probably know by now, how that girl never tells anyone what she's truly feeling. Always keeping up appearances just so others won't worry about her. She wouldn't even open up to her own mother about her troubles."
"Yes," Maria replied. "She has always done that. She has always...put others above herself."
They understood, Harumi noticed. The expression they made as Maria spoke told her enough.
It made sense after all; it was said that some of the closest bonds...are formed on the field of battle.
The thought caused Harumi to prop up her elbow on the table and she held her head in her hand. "I never knew...just how hard it was for her. I never heard even a single thing about how she put her life on the line."
Her expression turned sour. "I couldn't believe it, when Kazanari-san told me. I was so shocked and so angry, I really wanted to go over there and let him have a piece of my mind. I know what the circumstances were, but know that I will never, never approve of it. The last thing Hibiki needs is to give more of herself for others when the same wasn't done for her."
It was a very radical train of thought, but the wielders knew she had her reasons.
After all, a mother cares about her children. The last thing she'd want is for her child to be in danger, no matter how unfair she has to be.
"But I also know...that it was her choice. That even though she was caught in some extreme circumstances, she willingly made the choice to fight for others. I just...wish she'd have told me sooner."
"If it makes any difference, Ma'am," Maria replied. "Her means of fighting no longer exist. The Symphogear she had used...is gone. It was destroyed along with-"
"-along with the demon, right?" Harumi finished for her, causing Maria's eyes to widen. "I know, I can put things together from what Kazanari-san told me. It...it was difficult, wasn't it?"
Maria sighed. "Yes...it was."
Before anyone else could speak up again, a low and muffled moaning sound rose from above, piercing through the house's thin walls.
Their hearts clenched at hearing it, knowing who it originated from.
Harumi forced herself not to shed tears, trying to keep her composure in front of Hibiki's friends.
But there was one thing she wanted to tell them. One single, important thing.
She lay her other arm across the table, and spoke.
"Thank you...thank you...for saving my baby girl. I don't know what I would have done...what I would have done, if..."
She sniffled despite herself. At that moment, Akira came back with a tray with the cups of water. Seeing his wife's distressed state, he placed it down on the table and walked behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders to comfort her.
The girls weren't sure how to respond. The highly emotional atmosphere elicited a sniffle from Kirika and Chris both, the two girls holding it back as much as they could.
And yet, Tsubasa smiled. She smiled, and reached across the table to hold the woman's hand. Surprised by the touch, Harumi raised her head to look her in the eyes.
"No...the one we need to thank...is you."
The statement caused Maria to smile as well. Harumi was taken aback, not sure what the blue haired idol was referring to.
And Tsubasa continued, her voice full of heartfelt sincerity. "Thank you...for bringing her into this world. Thank you...for giving us the opportunity to meet her. She...she saved us. She saved every single one of us, in her own way. She extended her hand to us in friendship, even though we only responded with animosity and loathing. She saw our sorrow, sympathized with it...and helped us alleviate it."
It was true for every single one of the girls.
"She took it upon herself to end our grief, and it was only because of her...that we can be here now. I would not be remiss to say...that she saved our lives," Tsubasa recounted, reminiscing of those days.
Of all the days and times she had cried after losing Kanade.
And how Hibiki, by her own effort, helped her out of that overwhelming despair.
"And so, I think I'm speaking for all of us when I say...that we'll forever be grateful. That is why we have vowed...to lay down our lives should it require it, for her sake. It is the least we can do...as gratitude for all she had done for us."
Yeah, she remembered. The promise they had made together before the final battle.
And it still held true, even now.
Harumi chuckled, gripping Tsubasa's hand tighter. "Don't...don't say that. You girls are young, and you have your whole lives ahead of you. You can't...speak of throwing them away. I'm sure...Hibiki would say the same thing too."
"I know...and someone...had already done so," Tsubasa said sorrowfully, and Harumi's face fell at the words. "All that is left for us to do now, is to live our lives...and try and bring back the light into hers, just like she had done for us."
The guilt that Hibiki now shouldered could not possibly be quantified.
But they resolved themselves. If Hibiki considered herself a sinner...then they too are sinners.
So they can be sinners together, and help each other climb the way up once again.
Harumi sobbed again. Akira reached over to the tray with the cups and handed one to Harumi, who gratefully accepted it and took a sip, breathing in and out to calm herself.
Tsubasa released her hold on her hand, and Harumi pulled both back to grasp the cup. "Geez, that girl...after going through all that, she still had it in her heart to care about others. I desperately wanted to tell her that she didn't have to, but I doubt...she'd have really listened. It's not who she is, after all. She is not one...who can simply stand aside."
"Yes, that is indeed true," Maria said. "Although I do have to ask; do you know how she got here?"
Harumi nodded her head. "Yes, I do. At least, I think I do," She answered, and the girls listened intently. "Just this morning someone rang the bell, and I was shocked to see Hashiba-sensei with her in tow."
They perked at the unfamiliar name, and she explained. "Hashiba-sensei was one of her teachers from her middle school. After the incident, many of her peers as well her teachers shunned her, and she was left with barely any support from the school itself. The only one who had supported her, and was on her side...was Hashiba-sensei. He desperately pleaded to the chairman to try and help her, but his requests fell on deaf ears. Even after she was pulled from school, he had always come to our home regularly with assignments and homework. He cared about her education even after everything, and so we were deeply grateful for his support."
She laughed. "So that's why I was equally shocked and relieved to see him stand in front of our door, with Hibiki at his side. He said that he found her wandering on the road by herself while driving up north, and he brought her back here even though it delayed his own plans."
So that confirmed it, they realized. She really did run away from HQ, and had ended up in the middle of nowhere.
Harumi sighed once again, and took another sip. "She seemed so lost and unresponsive when I looked at her the first time, but when she realized she was back home...she ran. She turned around and ran, and I chased after her. I haven't run in such a long time, yet I was able to keep up with her. And once I caught up with her...I brought her back home. I tried to make her eat, or say something, but she locked up completely. She wouldn't look us in the eye at all, and in the end I led her up to her room to rest. I exchanged a few more words with Hashiba-sensei afterwards and saw him off, then called Miku-chan."
So that filled the empty gap for them.
"I see," Maria responded. "Because just this morning she just up and disappeared all of a sudden. We looked for her the entire time, but couldn't find her inside of the city at all. I'm glad that in the end she ended up being at home rather than some strange place."
Harumi once again sighed in relief. Taking the opportunity, Akira handed each of the girls their own cups of water, which they accepted with a silent nod.
"I want you girls to know," Harumi said, this time managing to smile. "That you'll always be welcome in our home. It is the least this poor mother can do to thank you."
"Then we'll come visit," Chris suddenly said, speaking up for the first time. "I-I mean, we need to check on her sometime, right? Then I guess it's okay if...if we come and see her…"
She drifted off during the end, which Tsubasa realized was because she realized all eyes were on her and it embrrassed her.
Harumi laughed once again. "Yes, we'll be glad to have you."
With the gloomy atmosphere having been evaporated, they all finally calmed down enough, and took a sip from their cups of water.
It was then that Akira noticed someone standing in the doorway to the living room, and he stood from his seat. Confused by his action, the others turned around to look as well.
Miku was there, a smile on her face and her left hand extended behind the wall. They could see her eyes were red, probably from crying, yet despite that she was smiling brightly.
Miku looked to where her hand was extended, and whispered. "Come on. They're here."
A moment passed, and she waited.
And then she smiled even more widely, and stepped inside the living room proper.
Leading Hibiki inside by the hand.
Nobody said anything, and they simply stared at her with wide eyes. For many of them it was the first time they ever saw Hibiki look so...withdrawn, and vulnerable. Her head downcast, she seemed to shrink further under their stares, and almost instinctively attempted to escape again.
But Miku held her hand tight, refusing to let her go.
Slowly, they all rose from their seats, barely making a sound as they pushed the chairs back. The wielders walked towards her, stopping in front of her and saying nothing, not commenting on her dress or state.
Those didn't matter in the least.
All that mattered, was-
"Hibiki," Tsubasa said. The girl stiffened at the sound of her name being called, almost expecting to be punished right here.
Except what came...was something she didn't expect.
"Welcome home."
It was enough to cause her shoulders to relax. Shocked beyond belief by the gentle tone of Tsubasa's voice, Hibiki slowly raised her head to look at her, her eyes wide.
And was met by the sight of Tsubasa's smile.
"A-ah…"
Foregoing being formal as she was used to being, Tsubasa tried something new.
She stepped forward, and without warning wrapped her hands around her, enveloping Hibiki in a tight hug. Miku released her hold on her hand, content with watching their interaction.
Tsubasa closed her eyes while Hibiki remained shocked and confused by the gesture.
And the singer's voice came out gently once more, the words weaving themselves into Hibiki's ears.
"I'm glad...to see you're safe," She said. "And I want you to know...that we don't blame you. No one blames you. So it's okay...it's okay…"
And for the second time that day, Hibiki broke down. Despite having already cried just a few minutes before, the tears came back in full force. Her hands rose and clutched Tsubasa's shirt tightly, crunching up the cloth in her grip.
The others held back no longer. Joining in on the hug, Maria, Chris, Kirika, and Shirabe surrounded her, holding onto her and whispering gentle reassurances in her ears.
Miku, Harumi, Kiyoko, and Akira all watched with smiles on their faces.
The road would be long. This was just the beginning of a very tumultuous journey.
But at least now...the path to the happy days they sought…
Was finally open.
