The Goldstones were restrained in front of Stella, Rebecca, Shiki, and Asuka. With the battle finally over, these mercenaries had a lot to answer for. Stella stood before the Goldstones, a mix of emotions all over her face. She had so many questions, but the first and most pressing one way… "Why. Why did you do all of this?! What did you gain to gain from all of this!?"

With their wrists bound, the Goldstones didn't have any options. Athena sighed and answered, accepting responsibility. "Because we were paid to. Simple as that."

"A little money and that's all it takes for you to betray humanity!?" Asuka slammed her fist against the wall. "You killed Sarisse! You killed this woman's sister and you don't even look remorseful about it!"

"Killing people is what we do." Max said causally. "It's just one of the many things we do. We're mercenaries."

"The only thing we care about in this universe is each other." Kamara replied. "This planet is just one example of how volatile everything is. Humans and androids fighting each other…it doesn't matter what side we choose. As long as we survive, that's all that matters."

"Don't you see? We're the same." Athena said with a smile. "We all fight for what we think is important."

"You can't try and frame your actions in a positive light." Rebecca shook her head. "So many humans and androids died because of you, because you were looking out for yourselves. You can't take that back."

"And we won't." Athena said. "Although, if I may be honest…I do have to thank you for your actions earlier. You could've left my siblings and I to die, and that would've been the ned of the Goldstones. But you didn't."

"That's not the kind of people they are." Shiki said while crossing his arms.

"We weren't going to let you die." Rebecca said while staring at Athena. "But you...I have a question for you. Why didn't you tell Aiden about..."

"About your power?" Athena finished the sentence. "I told my siblings and we came to the conclusion that I should deal with you. If Aiden had known, he would've panicked and attempted to take you out before the final clash. You saw how he was."

"That's..." Rebecca wasn't sure how to feel about it. "But you weren't doing it to protect me."

"No, I kept quiet to persevere the mission." Athena responded. "You were indeed a threat, but not one we could afford to throw every single resource at. Which is why we took the minimalist approach. Whether that was a mistake or not, however...has yet to be seen."

"Yet to be seen?! We got you captured!" Asuka exclaimed.

"But we'll be sure to let the OSI take care of you now." Shiki said.

"There's no need for that." Max said with a faint chuckle. "We'll get out of your hair."

"What!? You're not going anywhere." Stella shook her head. "You have to answer for what you've done to this planet!"

"You're not the first person to tell us this. And you're not going to be the last. Do you really think we'd be in this situation with no way out?" Athena said. As she spoke, the white lines of her ether gear rapidly formed along her body. Before anyone could react, a brilliant flash of light emanated from Athena, blinding everyone who was around.

"Gah! Oh no!" Rebecca had to cover her eyes. Was this why Athena was so insistent on running Rebecca out of energy before, as a backup?! By the time the light faded…the Goldstones were just gone. They escaped. They moved so fast, that a tiny ship could be seen flying off in the distance.

"They got away…" Asuka growled. "But how?! We had their wrists bound, doesn't that cut off Ether Gear!?"

"With enough training, that little weakness doesn't matter at all." Shiki replied. He would know, he went through it himself thanks to Xenolith.

"…I'm sorry." Rebecca sighed heavily. "I think…Athena got very lucky, or she got the better of me. I can't really tell…"

Shiki placed a hand on Rebecca's shoulder. "It's okay…" It was a pretty bitter pill to swallow, though. Ziggy got away, Casey and the Eclipse Ark swiped the Black Moon Star under their nose, and now the Goldstones got away as well.

.

.

"The city's in ruins…." Medi said while looking over everything. "Were we foolish to think that we could take everything back without loss?" She sighed heavily.

"We've fought hard for over two years. I think the fact we made it to the end says a lot." Tristan placed a hand on Medi's shoulder. "Sarisse would be happy that we won."

"Yeah…." Medi nodded.

"We're sorry about the tower." Homura bowed her head. "We did not anticipate that Ziggy himself would appear! We are so sorry…!"

"Yeah, that was…a lot that happened." Jinn rubbed the back of his neck.

"It's okay." Medi said with an exhausted smile. "Really."

"Everyone's fine, though." Sister said. "I did a quick examination. There are no problems. Well…" She did glance over at Blair, who was pretty silent after everything that happened. "I did wanna ask you something. You ate a black hole. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, that was crazy!" Kleene said. "I've never seen anyone do that before…"

"Indeed, it was…quite a lot." Laguna said. "The biggest meal I've seen anyone eat."

"I'm fine." Blair said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Not as hungry as I felt when we came to this planet."

"Em…by the way…" Medi spoke up. "What…happened to Aiden? You fought him, but we've looked all over for his body and he didn't show up…"

Blair was silent. She opened her mouth for a second, but closed it. She couldn't admit that she killed him. That she lost control of herself in the heat of the moment and did the one thing she swore not to do. "He pushed his Knight Gear too far and he couldn't handle the strain on his body, so it crushed him. I guess his body got sucked into the black hole or something, I dunno."

"…" Sister was silent to this. "Huh. Sucks for him."

"Oh, I see." Medi frowned. "I'm sorry about him. I…I truly have no idea why he turned out like this. I wanted to ask him…"

"Perhaps it's better that we don't know." Tristan looked down to the ground. "There are some things in the universe that we aren't meant to understand. Even if it is an old friend. I hope Cynthia isn't too broken up about the news when she hears about it…"

"…" Blair turned away. Right. Aiden had a daughter, and his wife was the person that ruined her life. Just what kind of person was Cynthia…?

"Everything's ready for us to leave." Weisz said. "The ship's ready to go at any time. I hate leaving when things are like this, but…"

"We understand." Medi said with a smile. "We truly cannot thank you enough for everything you've done. But please…at least rest until tomorrow? We're all exhausted, but we'd like to see you all off with a smile."

"…I suppose we can swing that." Weisz scratched the back of his head. Medi was cute and he thought it hard to say no to her.

.

.

Once again, Geno was in his favorite spot. But this time, he had Omega with him as they looked up at the night sky. "…Two years…" Geno said, feeling both a sense of accomplishment and emptiness. There was a lot of loss over the last two years, but they finally won. They could go back to how things used to be…but even then…

"You fought good, kid." Omega said with a grin. "When push came to shove, you fought hard for someone and you protected them."

"Yeah, but…" There was something still nagging at Geno.

Hermit then approached with her hands behind her back. "You're here again, just as I thought. Both of you."

"Hermit! You look better." Geno sat up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Hermit said with a nod. "Thanks to the Eden's Zero recovery system, I'm good as new." She flexed the arm that had been broken. "I wanted to thank you for showing up when you did."

"Well, I couldn't let you down after our talk yesterday." Geno glanced off to the side. "I gotta admit…putting my trust in you felt odd, but…I'm glad I did."

"We couldn't have done it without you." Hermit smiled. "But…I'm sorry about the Tower and all. That…wasn't a part of the plan."

"I don't think anyone expected all that." Omega scoffed. "But if he didn't play dirty, we could've taken him. We can go inside of androids, you know."

"I know, you FMians are something else." Hermit took a seat next to Geno. "So…what are you going to do now, you two? You don't have to fight anymore. Your planet and androids are free from Ziggy's control."

"Yeah, they are. Two years ago, I didn't think such a thing would ever happen. Even when I fought back with Mega, the battle still raged on. It didn't feel like I made a difference." Geno was looking up at the stars. "I thought humans and androids couldn't get along, that the cosmos was always going to be like this, but…but then you guys came along. A ship filled with humans and androids, working together to try and help everyone on this planet. I wonder if the rest of the cosmos is filled with people who thought like me. People who can't fight back…"

"What are you thinking, kid?" Omega felt like he knew, but he wanted Geno to say it. Hermit was curious as well. But instead of answering, Geno stood up.

"…I have to talk to my Mom first." Geno replied while walking off. Hermit and Omega looked at each other. Whatever Geno's decision was, he clearly thought long and hard about it.

.

.

Geno went straight home, where Stella was just…standing in the house with a soft smile. "Oh, Geno. There you are." Stella smiled. "Are you okay?"

"I'm alright. Are you?" Geno approached. "I…know things got a little crazy out there. But the fighting's finally over."

"It is." Stella took a seat on the couch. "Sarisse and your father would be so happy. It…It feels a little empty without them, but I'll be okay. As long as you're safe, that's all that matters to me."

"I…" Geno shuffled to the couch and took a seat next to his mother. "Mom, listen…there's something I have to tell you. I…" Without a word, Stella suddenly wrapped her arms around Geno. "Huh?"

"Thank you for saving me." Stella responded with a soft whisper.

"W-What?" Geno blinked. "What do you?"

"You fought really hard for us." Stella pulled back, looking at her son fondly. "I'm really proud of you, Geno…thank you so much for helping us."

"I-I…" Geno wasn't sure how to react. "How did you?"

"You're my son. I figured it out eventually." Stella winked. "And I'm guessing that's what you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Yes." Geno nodded slowly. "…I want to help people. This war on humanity that Ziggy started. After seeing how callous he is for myself, I can only imagine how badly things are going over in other planets. So I…I…"

"You want to go with them." Stella chuckled. There was a hint of pride and sadness in her eyes. "…My young man is growing up. I'm so proud of you."

Geno stared at his mother. "You…you're okay with this?"

"I don't know how you do it, but your talents are better used to save the cosmos than stuck here." Stella pulled back from the hug. "We have a lot of repairing to do anyway. So we'll be kept busy. You have a lot to do, don't you? I'll be fine, I promise. Just…keep in touch, okay? My only condition is knowing that you're okay."

"Of course! I will!" Geno said and hugged his mother. "I won't let you down, Mom!"

.

.

Morning rolled around. The crew of the Eden's Zero was getting ready to leave and board their ship. They could see numerous androids in Echo City now, all of them assisting the humans with the repairs. "With this, the Resistance is finally disbanded." Stella told everyone. "We've fought long and hard, and lost many people in the process, but none of it was for nothing! So thank you all for fighting with me!"

"Yeah!" Asuka pumped her fist into the air.

"It looks like everything has worked out." Shiki said with a grin. "We still finished what we set out to do. That's the important part. Everything else can come after."

"Yeah…that's one way to look at it." Blair shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, and…" Stella approached Hermit. "…Thank you. For saving my son's heart."

"Huh? Oh, um…it was…nothing." Hermit felt a little embarrassed about it. In that moment, a blue light dropped down from above, appearing before the crew of the Eden's Zero. "Oh, right on time…!" Geno saved her. But to everyone, he was still just the Blue Bomber.

"Right on time?" Weisz blinked.

"Yeah. Right on time. Hermit told me he'd be coming." Shiki said.

"Whoa, hey, wait…" Asuka pointed her finger at the Blue Bomber. "You're leaving!?"

"Yes, I am." Geno nodded. "…This planet is in good hands now. I'm not needed here anymore."

"But I never got the chance to kick your butt!" Asuka exclaimed.

"I'll be back when Ziggy is defeated. Perhaps then we can fight…" Geno scratched his cheek. "But you'll just have to protect everyone in my stead. Surely that's not too hard for you, is it?"

"Tch! Of course not! The next time you see me, I'll completely master this Overdrive!" Asuka puffed her chest out. "And you're going to help me, Tristan!"

Tristan started to sweat. "…Of course I am…"

"I'll make sure you two are patched up!" Medi clasped her hands together.

"So this guy's joining us?" Sister quirked a brow. "This is gonna be one hell of an examination."

"Blue Bomber is one hell of a name, though. It's gonna be annoying to say that over and over to get your attention." Weisz said. "Don't you have something else in mind that's easier to say?"

"Easier?" Geno blinked. "Uh…"

"Yeah, we have to give you a good name." Stella said while placing her hands on her hips with a knowing smile. "Blue Bomber just doesn't cut it anymore."

"Pressure's on, kid." Omega snickered.

"Call me…Megaman!" Geno suddenly exclaimed. "Yeah, that works."

"That works?" Blair lifted a brow.

"Isn't that name already taken?" Weisz stared with a deadpan.

"Just let him have it." Rebecca nudged Weisz.

"I like it!" Kleene snickered.

"Tis an honor to have you join us, Megaman!" Homura smiled.

"The more the merrier, huh…" Jinn rubbed the back of his neck.

"We have no shortage of hands." Laguna added.

"Welcome!" Pino grinned.

"Welcome aboard." Shiki shook Geno's hand. "It's nice to have you."

"I won't let you down." Geno said with a firm nod. "We'll stop Ziggy together."

"Megaman! Megaman!" The people of Delta Ridge began to cheer for Geno. Even though he was difficult and hard to work with in the beginning, in the end, he really did show up and try to help everyone. They recognized this and wanted him to know that they appreciated all their efforts. Geno felt weirdly choked up, turning around to give Stella once last look. She gave him a nod and a smile, which he returned before boarding the Eden's Zero with the others.

"Thank you for everything, Eden's Zero!" The people and androids of Delta Ridge exclaimed as the ship began to fly into the air, soon taking off for space. The crew waved for as long as they could before they were out of sight.

"…Are you okay?" Medi placed a hand on Stella's shoulders. "Your son is going off into space…"

"I'm okay." Stella was crying, but they were happy tears. "He wants to do something with his life. Who am I to stop him? I'm so proud of my boy."

"When he gets back here, I'll totally kick his butt for hiding that from me!" Asuka exclaimed. Stella couldn't keep her mouth shut and told her friends Geno's secret; she had to. But they were the only people who knew. "Go on, my shooting star. Shine a bright light on this universe."

The Eden's Zero finally departed from Delta Ridge, freeing the planet from Ziggy's grip. Even if they weren't able to obtain the Black Moon Star from this planet, they had their own reward of liberating another planet from Ziggy's clutches. It was a long and hard fought battle, but in the end, it was worth it. Their mission was still far from over, however. Three of the Black Moon Star pieces have been found and their locations recorded, but there were still two left. The Eden's Zero, with their new members of Geno and Omega in tow, head outward into the cosmos once more to resume their search….

.

.

Ziggy's hidden location was on Lenard. He returned after he failed to destroy Shiki and Delta Ridge. He glanced towards the Eden's One, before recalling where he had seen Blair before. "…Yes, I remember now. 20,000 years in the future, the Black Moon was still roaming the cosmos. But not in the way that they know it now. It hovered above our planet, passing by as it drained Ether from an already dwindling race of androids."

He recalled the image firmly. A large black mass floated in space and everyone was warned not to get close to it….

[Flashback]

"WARNING! WARNING! THE BLACK MOON IS APPROACHING!" An android exclaimed.

"The Black Moon?" Ziggy was confused.

"Yes!" An android replied. "Do not get close to it. It can drain Ether from anything it passes by…"

Ziggy took a close look at the black mass from the distance. Upon closer inspection… "Wait...there is a life signature in there. Is there a human in there?"

"Negative." The android shook its head. "That is not a human, despite any and all appearances. That is a Therion. Long ago, this Therion made their way to the Black Moon and consumed its power, but, well…you can see how things turned out now. All of their rage and anger merged with the Black Moon and…they became one and the same."

"One and the same…" Ziggy repeated. He didn't recognize this person. Within the core of the Black Moon was a person he would only see later on. The unconscious person within the Black Moon was none other than Blair Elfin…

[End Flashback]

"In every universe, that woman makes her way to the Black Moon and threatens to consume all life itself, persisting even in the future in an endless slumber. Blair Elfin…much like this universe, you are an anomaly that is not allowed to exist."