Ai's tutors made sure to teach her issues related to combat and all its adjacent disciplines, such as history and psychology. Project Sophia, after all, was meant to raise the perfect and ultimate soldier to pilot the Getter. A "goddess", from what she heard.
Even before becoming a soldier, Ai definitely knew a thing or two about rhythm. She watched from her open cabin Getter-2 fighting against two Beetles, using its polearm.
It swung its blade in empty air, not even close to hitting the enemies. It was like Getter-2 held a broom and almost slipped. When Getter-2 attacked, they just took steps back, making it hit nothing.
He had no chance.
She needed to enter quickly in the mindset her new audience demanded. Thus, she studied psychology and warfare. Although she didn't have any reading habits in her previous life, her new brain absorbed everything like a sponge.
Getter-3 had no better luck than Getter-2. A wingless Dragon and other two Beetles cornered it, against a four-store building. Getter-3 gripped its chakrams. Fusing them together and pointing them forward, Getter-3 charged at full speed. The enemies just stepped away from its trajectory, making it trip against some houses. In the end, Ruby was just as untrained as Aqua.
She also had no chance.
She learned about the condition called "the march of the martyrs"; when soldiers saw themselves hopeless in the battlefield, they just picked whatever weapon close to them and charged forward aimlessly.
Ai's panel was still turned down. She estimated, however, that Getter-1 was repaired. She knew that, by pressing a few commands and turning some levers, Getter-1 could be piloted without a panel.
She could feel the strength returning to her arm. She knew she could open the analog panel. She didn't know how well the getter engine was, so she pulled the handle right below the panel. She typed the analog code to begin the auxiliary electric engine and hoped that it wouldn't attract the enemies' attention.
She regretted turning off the panel. From her position, she could see the effect of the march of the martyrs on Ruby and Aqua and not being able to say anything to them.
Aqua not being able to land a single hit, no matter how he swung the polearm.
Ruby just charging aimlessly again, crashing and stomping everything in her path but the enemies.
She could imagine their personal communications officers trying to help them, giving them commands just like the simulations.
Just like the audience in her concerts were taken in an ecstasy by her lies, so did the soldiers under the effect of the march of the martyrs chose to die in the battlefield.
The enemy mechas piled on Getter-2 and -3. They grabbed them by the arms, disarming them with relative ease.
She realized the moment Ruby gave her that sad smile, they were doomed. And it was her who gave them the keys to their destruction.
The simulations didn't take in consideration the pilots would be two children, who never thought of joining a war before.
Some lies were extremely dangerous. How she missed her previous life. She only told happy and innocent lies to make people feel better. Not…this…
As Ai Hoshino, she never knew how to deal with her emotions or lack of them. But she knew, as Sapphire, that she should be ashamed at that moment. As a mother, she had failed to protect her children.
Just like that dream…
She could see the enemy mechas taking them to a winged Dragon, which enveloped them with a large tail. The rest of the mechas left, leaving behind two Beetles.
"Mom! Help us!"
Despair made her eyes gleam. Again, the screams died in her throat.
The nightmare became reality.
There was the man who killed her in her previous life; he held both her children in his left arm and a knife in his right hand, pointing to her, screaming profanities that the pure ears of her children didn't deserve to hear.
The two Beetles noticed Getter-1. They spoke something between themselves.
She had to bet that they thought Getter-1 was disabled and that the Dragon was distracted enough to not notice her.
Ai knew that the man wasn't going to listen to reason; he only listened to her after he mortally wounded her. Therefore, she needed to take the most difficult decision of her life: either do something and risk him hurting her children or do nothing and let him take them.
Ai knew one thing, however: their children's journey didn't deserve to end there. And she wouldn't abandon her children again. Even if she didn't deserve the love of her children, she, as Sapphire, as the perfect and ultimate soldier, had a lie that she could make reality: mission given, mission accomplished.
The two Beetles that stayed there approached Getter-1, with their spears in hand. They gave small steps, being quite cautious, more than Ai wished for.
Ai saw a vase of flowers beside her. She didn't want to do that, since it was a gift, but she had no choice. She tossed it, hitting him right in the face.
Ai saw a large piece of concrete; it was probably part of a beam. Getter-1's ax was also on the ground, close to its left hand. The panel was still booting up. She needed to act quick with the analogue controls. Putting on the seat belt, overcharging the electric engine, she pulled the controls back, grabbing the beam and, pushed them forward with all the strength she could.
The beam caught the enemy mechas by surprised. Ai moved the controls manually, still with her cabin open. Getter-1 grabbed the ax and got up. The loud sound of Getter-1 stomping the ground echoed, as it slammed through the distracted Beetles. Before the Dragon could realize, Getter-1 tossed its ax at its head.
The man dropped her children. All she had to do was slamming her body against the assailant and not let the knife hit her. She had to assume her body was weaker than his, but she was more agile. It was her only chance.
Ai knew that unless she activated the getter engine, she wouldn't be able to prevail against that Dragon. But doing that would likely attract the entire invasion force. She had to bet the electric engine wouldn't do that.
With a mighty scream, she slammed Getter-1 against the Dragon, making it actually tip. At least her distraction worked and the Dragon let go of her children's mecha. She saw the joint between the neck and the body exposed. She grabbed the tip of its tail and slammed into the joint. That would give them time.
"Aqua, Ruby, get up!"
She said, as Getter-1 slapped both Getter-2 and Getter-3. They seemed to have understood the message and got up as soon as they could. They ran to somewhere they could find less resistance and hid behind a warehouse.
Ai slammed the assailant outside, got up and locked the door. While he still slammed the door outside, it didn't matter. She hugged her kids tightly. They were crying, but it didn't matter. She whispered them that everything was going to be alright.
That was the end of the dream. She knew she endangered her children. She knew she only could imagine that because of her military training as Sapphire. She knew she probably wouldn't end like that in real life. But it didn't matter. That was end of the dream.
"Sapphire, what were you thinking?" She could hear Soraya's angry voice from the comms channel. Finally, the panel was online. She had to ignore her for the moment.
Ruby and Aqua's faces appeared on screen. He frowned, while she seemed to be almost crying.
Before they could say anything, Ai said, "It's not your fault." Her tone was stern, but she tried to also sound compassionate.
"Sapphire…" Ruby started saying something, but then trailed off.
"You two are just kids."
"Look, Sapphire, I know it's my first time in a mecha," Aqua said, his frown deepening, "But, I can still fight. I just need to tap that power without letting it consume me."
"Do you have any idea of what would happen if you do that?"
"Sapphire, we-"
"Soraya, hold it. I'm talking to Aqua and Ruby," she cut off Soraya's frequency and continued, "You were under the effect of the march of the martyrs. You'd die a meaningless death if you continued that way."
"Then what do you want us to do?!" Aqua snapped at her.
"Go home."
"But-"
"I don't know what possessed me to give you the keys. You're just two kids who barely know anything of life. Leave the Getters while I cover your retreat."
"We don't have a home anymore! Did you forget it? Stop treating us like kids!"
"Do as I said."
"Sapphire," this time, it was Ruby who interrupted; she spoke with a lump in her throat, "With the due respect, you're not our mother!"
Ai closed her eyes.
She was in front of an empty stage. Back to her old body. That adorable and petite body that enraptured thousands, not that monstruous mass of muscles and violence she was stuck in. Her captivating smile, her cute and most favorite idol outfit, a microphone in her hand. All the lights of the stage were over her.
"How could you ever be? What kind of mother abandons her children when they need most?" from the right side of the stage, someone walked in.
It was Aqua. His teenage self.
"We are being tore apart by all your haters, while you have those little adventures far from us. How does it feel to be such a failure?" from the left side, another person walked in.
It was Ruby. Also, her teenage self.
The stars in their eyes were as black as tar.
"You left us alone." Aqua said, while facing her, "Do you have any idea of how much we cried because you were not there? Do you want to know what happened to our dreams?"
"You're just so selfish and immature." Ruby said, her turn to face her. "Your own mother was right hating you and your father never went after you."
They surrounded her, like animals circling their prey.
"I love you, my children. I have always loved you." She said, her smile froze in her face. She couldn't look at them. Her face cracked.
A green energy emanated from the cracks.
"Wasn't it just another of your lies? Do you think a snake can deny her venom?"
"We were just your little doggies, weren't we? To be discarded when we get old."
They were almost screaming at her ears, but she kept her smile. She couldn't not smile to her children. She needed to show them she would love them forever.
The cracks continued spreading.
"You'd get bored of this lie and would abandon us."
"You would've killed us yourself, because you're such a klutz and then tell lies to yourself saying it wasn't your fault."
They both pointed their accusatory fingers at her.
"You and solely you are going to kill those kids, just like you killed us!"
The cracks finally shattered.
Her eyes opened.
She kept her impassible and stoic expression while Aqua and Ruby waited for her answer.
"You are correct, Ruby," she said, calmly. In fact, she was so calm, it was almost uncanny. Their expressions fixed; they were paying attention, even if a bit scared. "But I need to remind you of one thing: you are in a war zone. If you want to survive, I recommend you to follow my orders. Understood?"
They didn't reply. They didn't need to.
That moment Ai was reminded of the harsh reality: they might be Aqua and Ruby Hoshino, children of Ai Hoshino, but they weren't her Aqua and Ruby Hoshino. The difference between these two concepts was as wide as the universe.
All those lies of her being reunited with her kids were just that: lies. But not just any lie, rather the kind of lie that, no matter how many times told, would never ever ever become true. Their actual mother died horribly and they didn't even have time to mourn her. She was nothing but a stranger to them.
There were things worse than death...
"Dear soldier Sapphire," a voice emerged from the comms. It definitely wasn't Soraya. It was that man – the Overseer, right? – who gave her such conflicted feelings. And she knew that voice sounded upset, in spite of the sweet tone. "May I remind you to not cut off communications? Do you want all of mankind dead because you decided to be a whiny little brat?"
"Apologies, sir."
That was all she could reply.
"Aquamarine and Ruby Hoshino will be the pilots of Getter-2 and -3, whether you like it or not. The boy endured for minutes a level of getter radiation that would've subsumed an adult in seconds. His sister must have the same endurance. We kindly appreciate your intuition. Consider yourself blessed by the universe that we will ignore your attempts to dissuade them."
"Yes, sir."
If they died, their blood would be in her hands. All because of her selfish and misguided desire to replace her children with someone else's children.
I feel sick.
"Take care of them."
A gentle breeze passed behind her. She recognized that whisper. Where did that come from?
She looked at Aqua and Ruby's face in the screen. They looked…sad? Surprised? Concerned?
She had seen the truth behind that world – that great journey of souls through the universe. Every one of them was connected through their lives. It was warm. It was full of tragedy, but also love and hope.
How could she forget? It made her feel a bit silly for having forgotten such a magnificent thing so quickly.
She couldn't let their journey end there. There was something so unique, so ineffable in that universe that made her feel like it was home. Who summoned her there? And for what purpose?
In the end, those questions were irrelevant. She sang lies in the stage to make people happy, to have a refresh from their weary lives. Even if they didn't love her back, she would love them no matter how dire the situation. Those children deserved to love, deserved to live, and that went for everyone in that universe.
If that's a lie, then so be it. Ai Hoshino, Sapphire, Project Sophia, whatever her name, she would fight for this love!
"You have to promise me one thing," she now talked to that Aqua and Ruby; they immediately paid attention. Her voice was so firm and full of determination. "Don't ever do that again. Understand that the first casualty of war is truth, not mattering who's right or not. You don't want to die for something that was a lie all along. You need to understand that to be a Getter pilot, because the hopes and dreams of mankind are resting in our shoulders. Was I clear?"
They nodded. They looked ashamed, but she had a feeling it was the good type of shame; they would be more careful.
Ai realized she even used the dreaded t-word. Did that mean she was truly Sapphire now?
"Ruby, you told me you want to save this world your mother loved. I presume Aqua feels the same way. Well, this is the time to make that happen. I know I may be asking too much from you both, but the world is asking for even more. So let's all do this, together."
Aqua looked aside, while Ruby forced a smile. She could see fear in their eyes, but not just that: if what she knew from her Aqua and Ruby applied to them, it meant they had at least a bit of trust in her.
Being a mother was hard, and that new role wasn't any easier.
"Sapphire, behind you!"
Soraya's voice cut through the comms. Ai barely had time to jump at Getter-2 and -3 throwing themselves to the ground.
A massive tentacle cut through the warehouse in half and would've hit them if Getter-1 didn't act quickly.
"That thing is still alive!"
Ai heard Ruby crying. When she looked behind, she saw the Jellyfish floating in front of them, its shadow covering the sun, all its tentacles sharpened. An entourage of around twenty mechas was with her, surrounding them.
The odds were against them, but she let a small grin form in the corner of her mouth. Although her old lie was shattered, she could still hold on some shards, like the desire to give them a performance they would never forget.
A.N.: Given the evidence, I believe Ai to be a good person at heart. For all her lies she tells to herself and others, I don't think she'd proceed with a lie that would've hurt others or she'd think it'd hurt others. This is why she stopped treating these Aqua and Ruby as her children.