Epilogue
Birds flew along the coast casually, dipping down every so often to snag a fish from the ocean. The waves crashed along the cliffs far below sending low rumbles of sound high up to be heard. On the edge, a man sat with his legs hanging down looking out over the water. A perfect, cloudless sky spread out far above completing the picturesque environment.
He raised his head slightly hearing an all too familiar sound approaching from somewhere behind him. The telltale sound of jet engines nearing where he sat. Regardless of it, he looked back down at the water below as it foamed against the rocks. He looked farther up towards the north, where his greatest nightmare lived.
How many tears had been shed so far? It had only been a day since their Interceptor touched down back at West Genetics. It wasn't like coming home from Kaizu. There was no gathering of students to welcome them home with cheers. No fanfare or embraces hailing them as heroes. Only Ingrid and Sister Margaret tearfully pulling them each close as they lost themselves in emotion.
For an hour they stood, or fell to the ground on the tarmac holding each other as if they might drift away if they dared loosen their grips. Captain Lane throttled the engine down and stood by respectfully bowing his head watching as they wept. There would be no ceremony for them this time. No one even expected them all to come home so soon, let alone bring news that their student president, Captain, and friend was gone.
Elizabeth had not come with them opting to return to her home in Midland with Andre. Their goodbyes had already been said as they left Spirereach. They were short, but heartfelt nonetheless. It was the first time since the battle that Varen had spoken. It was also they last he spoke saying a simple goodbye and hugging Elizabeth tightly. They left the facility in secret accompanied by two Chevalier Pandora. As their Interceptor took off, Roxanne came running into the field falling to her knees.
"I'm so sorry!" She screamed as loud as she could into the wind as the door slid shut and the transport flew South towards Asakura.
"It wasn't your fault…" Varen said softly looking back over the ocean thinking back on that moment. He knew she felt some degree of responsibility for holding him back from trying to help Chiffon. He reached over picking a small clover that he noticed nearby. The sound he had heard earlier was much louder now. No more than a few hundred feet perhaps and the pitch began to die down indicating that the Interceptor was landing.
A few minutes later and the sound died off completely replaced by the sounds of footsteps behind him crunching along the small rocks that made up the cliff he sat on. He glanced over to his right still not enough to see who had approached him looking at the sprawling facility that made up West Genetics. The place he called home.
"Beautiful isn't it?" A man's voice asked. Varen didn't recognize it as any of the Limiter's he knew and it most assuredly wasn't General Renalt.
"Sure." Varen answered crushing the clover in his hand and letting the wind carry it away.
"Do you want to know what a father's greatest fear is?" The man asked. Varen ignored him continuing to watch the waves roll towards the cliff.
"A day when another man steals his daughter's heart." He continued and now Varen raised his head, his eyes widening slightly. He began to breathe harder and felt a fear pass through his body that pierced to his soul.
"That girl…she loved you. More than anything else in this world she loved you. I remember when she told me and I began debating how best to get rid of you. However, her voice and the things she said. Well, I understood that she was the one thing I'd always wished for her. Happy." He said. Varen swallowed hard feeling his heart begin to hurt. Tears welled up in his eyes just hearing the man speak.
"I know a lot about you Varen Askiligar. I know about the things you can do, and all you've done for those around you. To be honest, I don't care about any of that. There's one thing about you that I'm aware of and it's all I care about. You loved Chiffon Fairchild as much as she did you. You made my daughter smile brighter than anyone else. I'm thankful she met you. I wanted you to know that." He said as Varen's shoulders shook. He tried to hold back, but the tears could not be stopped as he cried hard into his hands.
"I'll be here for a short while…when you're ready." The man said turning and walking away. Varen's eyes opened wide as he took in large breaths of air forcing his body to move against his emotions. He spun around quickly on his knees seeing the man walking towards a Chevalier Interceptor. He was dressed in a neat suit with short white hair and Varen reached out forcing his mouth to move.
"Sir!" He finally forced out amidst the tears making the man stop. Varen dropped his hands to the dirt looking at the ground on all fours.
"Please…let me marry your daughter!" Varen cried dropping his head to the ground wracked with pain once more. He heard the man turn and approach him crouching down before where he was prostrated.
"I would have been proud to call you my son." He said putting a hand on Varen's back while he fell to his stomach unable to hold himself up anymore. Gengo Aoi ran his hand along Varen's back trying to comfort him as he lay screaming his grief into the ground.
"Is this everything?" The man sitting behind a large oak desk asked. The woman who had laid the folder down nodded and bowed before leaving the room.
"The E-Pandora project will be discontinued. The entire incident will be explained as failure to provide adequate security and safety protocols by Mark Spencer." The man said. A group of people sitting around a table nearby scratched some notes down on pieces of paper.
"In the interest of retaining our appearances, credit the Nightingales with uncovering failed safety protocols. Do not include anything about the insurrection. Only that by the time they could take action an E-Pandora novalized requiring an immediate response by a coalition of Chevalier and Genetics Pandora." He continued.
"Sir, what about those involved in the attack prior to the E-Pandora novalization?" A woman asked from the desk.
"Julia Munberk, and Charles Bonaparte tried to stop the Nightingales. There is no need to include anything about that. Only that the coalition succeeded in stopping the Nova. When their injuries are healed, return them to their schools." He answered and the woman nodded, noting his orders.
"Sir? There's only one problem I see with this." Another man said making everyone turn to face him.
"Speak."
"There is one who might yet cause issues." He continued making the man behind the desk tap his chin.
"Yes…perhaps you are right. The death of Chiffon Fairchild complicates this greatly. Bring me General Renalt. I think the Justicar has outlived his usefulness."