Four days after the Stohass Battle

The medic frowned lightly as she made a quick check on Mikazuki's pulse. There was no difference… the pilot's heartbeat still thrummed on like the gentle beat of a drum. There was no increase or decrease.

It just marched on…

Normally, this would be a good thing, but in all honesty, it worried the doctor. Almost a week in and nothing had changed. Would Mikazuki be cursed to remain in this vegetative state forever…?

She hoped not. The constant visits from the members of Squad Mike and Levi had changed her perception of the pilot, and she had come to better appreciate his existence as a whole. All she really wished for at this point was for him to reawaken and, at the very least, experience the last few sunsets of his life with people he loved, not wither away on a bed.

Lightly, the medic set a hand against shoulder and offered it a light squeeze, causing his hand to twitch lightly at the gesture. It wasn't much, but it was still a sign that he wasn't dead, not yet… and it was still enough to give the medic some hope.

'C'mon, kid. Wake up… people're waiting for you…'

Elsewhere

Hanji didn't feel good, but in all fairness, none of the Survey Corps that were still within Sina felt particularly great.

A small part of her had always felt rather excited at the prospect of capturing their Traitor, now known to be Annie Leonhardt, especially when it came to the possibility of dissecting a Titan Shifter on her own. Blame her childlike nature on her obsession with Titans, but to her, learning more about these things was something that she'd never slip by her fingers. It would've been a bloody mess, but still, Leonhardt was a traitor to humanity, wasn't she? She deserved the pain she would've gone through… and by all accounts, Zoe reckoned that she would've enjoyed inflicting it.

And yet… when it came to her to wield that scalpel, to make the first of many incisions onto Annie's flesh… she had relented.

The bound young woman before her had looked so pitiful, and the hollow look in her gaze spoke volumes as to how much remorse she felt in that moment. Even so, when she had made eye contact with her former superior, Annie's gaze showed nothing but acceptance. She wasn't going to run from this, she probably wouldn't even struggle. This extended beyond her acknowledging how it was practically impossible to escape from her current situation…

… this was her accepting the fact that she, in no small way, deserved what was coming, and for as minor as her pity was towards the blonde, Hanji couldn't help but feel her heart clench at that realization.

Ultimately, the bespectacled woman chose to hand the scalpel off to someone else, a junior MPB officer that was less queasy about dissecting a live specimen, and departed the area. Her mind thrummed with hundreds of thoughts as she marched back to the room she shared with Levi, and upon bursting in, she thanked her lucky stars that the midget wasn't present before she doubled over and vomited onto the ground.

Levi would return later that day, exhausted, only to see a sloppily cleaned pile of vomit at the center of the room. He would've asked about it… had he not seen the bespectacled soldier responsible for its existence sitting by her bed, her head bowed in confusion and buried in her hands.

"Hanji," muttered Levi, with him frowning as he moved to stand in front of her, and when she lifted her head up to acknowledge him, he softened his gaze and continued. There was a noticeable hint of exhaustion in Zoe's gaze, exhaustion that was very much unlike what he's seen from her in the past. "You can share your thoughts with me, if you want."

"..." no comment from Hanji at first, with her shuddering lightly as she hugged herself in discomfort, eliciting a groan from Levi as he shook his head and moved to clean up the mess she had made, though as he did so… "... is it wrong, Levi?"

"What's wrong?" inquired Levi for clarity, and at that, Hanji's frown deepened.

"To feel remorse for… someone that probably doesn't deserve it," explained Hanji, and as she said this, Levi raised his brows and put two and two together, with him pausing briefly with his cleanup as he silently pondered her inquiry.

"... this is about the traitor, isn't it," said Levi. It was a statement rather than an answer, and upon saying this, Hanji nodded, eliciting a snort from her friend. "Out of all the people to feel remorse for, why her?"

"I… don't know. I have every right to feel contempt for her… every right to… to fucking carve her up… but… I… I didn't," responded Hanji uncertainly, with her hugging herself as she spoke. Her words surprised Levi, who had expected her to jump at the opportunity to slice into Annie.

"And why's that?" asked Levi, genuinely intrigued now as he turned to face his fellow soldier curiously, and at that, Hanji stared right back with an uncharacteristically hollow look in her eyes, and moments later…

"It just… it was her eyes, Levi. When I took that scalpel out, she gave me a look that told me that she wanted this. That she deserved it. She does deserve it, don't get me wrong… but… I… it… it just didn't feel right."

"... the things we do behind the scenes rarely ever feel right."

And that conversation ended there, with Hanji silently pondering her friend's words whilst Levi cleaned up his friend's mess.

Zoe would go on to sleep hours later, with her trying to block out the pantomime screams of the traitor as her flesh was carved apart by the MPB.

Six days after the Stohass Battle

"He's still out, huh?"

"Mm…"

In response to the medic's words, Lynne, Mike, Eld and Petra could only nod and grunt in acknowledgement as they sat by the still unconscious pilot's form, with all of them observing him with worried looks in their eyes. Almost a week had passed by now, with no news of the boy's potential awakening.

The four Elites had walked in on a somewhat awkward moment, where the medic was moving some of Mikazuki's limbs around whilst he was unconscious. Them walking in on her lifting one of his legs up was indeed rather befuddling, though she was quick to explain that she was moving the young man's limbs around to prevent his muscles from shriveling up. They were quick to accept this explanation.

"No twitching, movement or… perhaps even mumblings?" asked Eld thoughtfully, with him frowning lightly as he observed Lynne pouring a tiny bit of stew into Mikazuki's mouth whilst Mike propped him up. They didn't exactly have a convenient method of feeding him at the moment, so they had to make do with some soup for now. It wasn't the best, but it would suffice when it came to nutrients.

"There has been a noticeable increase in his twitching, but it doesn't really amount to much," stated the medic sadly, with Mike's shoulders noticeably drooping whilst Lynne grimaced in anguish. Off to the sides, Petra's posture slackened as she acknowledged the high chance that Mikazuki wouldn't be awakening soon, but as for Eld…

"But it still amounts to something, doesn't it? The kid's a stubborn one, I'm sure he'll wake up sooner rather than later," mused Eld, with his words lifting the other Elite's spirits up as he grinned in encouragement. Petra in particular seemed extra sure that Mikazuki's coma would end soon, with Lynne smiling in appreciation towards Gin. Mike… he still appeared somewhat unconvinced, but still, he was willing to believe as he set the unconscious pilot down and lightly squeezed his shoulder…

"... mmm…"

"!"

… only for Mikazuki's head to roll over to face him without any assistance! Gasping at this, Petra, Eld and the MPB medic darted forward whilst Lynne and Mike kept their shocked gaze on Augus. They refused to let him out of their sights for even a moment as Lynne grasped onto his hand, refusing to let go… and moments later, a surge of hope flooded her system, alongside the system of those around her, when she felt the pilot actually squeeze her hand.

A few more incoherent groans escaped Mikazuki's lips as his light hold on Lynne's hand tightened, if only by a tiny fraction, but before long, his grip went limp as his head lolled to one side, and at that, the soldiers present all turned to face the medic, who paled several shades over before she ushered them out.

"I know you're excited, but I need to make a few checks on the kid! Go, shoo!"

Elsewhere

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"... so…"

A grunt was all that Nanaba needed to give in order to shut Oruo up, with her rolling her eyes as she shut her eyes and took in the silence of their current location.

Silence… that was occasionally broken by the huffs and puffs of Mina Carolina as she performed several reps of pushups within her cell.

It was a rather surreal sight, to say the least, but even so, Nanaba in particular had grown somewhat used to it by now as she leaned against the wall closest to her in an attempt to relax. Oruo, on the other hand, was still counting just how many pushups Mina was doing as the seconds ticked by, with him sweat dropping every time he saw her finish a rep of ten without pause.

Having been assigned to keep an eye on Mina for the day, Nanaba and Oruo had walked in on her in the middle of performing her pushups. When they had asked the MPB guard present that day about it, he responded by saying that she would do this on occasion, though it was a rarity.

In truth, Mina was a lot more muscular than one would give her credit for. Whilst she didn't reach the awe inspiring heights of Annie Leonhardt or Mikasa Ackerman, her physique was still toned to a point that even a few Survey Corps would blush. A straight punch from Carolina would probably cause a lesser soldier to double over in pain, or perhaps even knock them out completely!

Either way, Mina was quick to wrap up on her final few reps before she got up from her position on the ground. Nanaba, through the iron bars separating her and her junior, watched as the pigtailed girl began performing a series of stretches to cool herself down, a good idea in the long run as it would prevent muscle cramps, and as she did so, the Elite couldn't resist a light chuckle as she spoke to her directly.

"I should commend you, kid. Not many would consider training whilst being held in a cell," mused Nanaba in amusement, and as she said this, Mina turned to face her as her cheeks heated up lightly.

"Well… it's not like I have much to do at the moment, you know? Gotta keep myself active and all that," muttered Mina sheepishly as she scratched at her cheeks. Nanaba herself nodded in agreement, with her silently observing Carolina's modestly muscular arms as she unintentionally flexed them a good bit, and as the young woman moved to tie her hair up into her signature pigtailed style, the Elite continued to speak.

"We could really use more soldiers like you. I know a lot that would be happy to just sit around and do nothing when in captivity for as long as you," huffed Nanaba, and behind her Oruo felt as though that jab was directed at him, though he said nothing of it as it silently stewed in annoyance, much to the Elite's amusement. Mina's blush deepened a fair bit at this, though she said nothing as Nanaba continued. "Still though, we're not just here to watch you do push ups, kid."

"Is it another interrogation?" asked Mina, with her frowning as she recalled the previous few attempts. Thus far, the soldiers that were tasked with interrogating her were doing a rather poor job at it, probably because they were as clueless as she was on the whole thing. The few MPB that were present to grill her knew that they couldn't lay a finger on her, so they resorted to using their words, and though they were horribly harsh with her, the pigtailed girl knew just as much as they did on the matter, and as such, they couldn't really get much out of her.

"Yes, but considering how many times the others have tried to interrogate you, I believe that it's a fruitless endeavour. In all honesty, I doubt that you know any more than us," stated Nanaba bluntly. Mina seemed to be relieved that, finally, someone was beginning to get her, though she didn't say this as she nodded in relief, eliciting a small grin from her senior all the while. "Still though, that's not the only reason why we're here."

"... it's not?" asked Oruo, genuinely confused, only for Nanaba to elbow him in the ribs, causing him to sputter and bite his tongue, the poor bastard. Mina had to cover up a snicker at this, and she did so admirably as her senior continued to speak.

"We're also here to state that… your stay here might be extended. We're unsure of when you'll be released, but for now, you'll have to grow more… comfortable with your current living conditions," stated Nanaba. Remorse was evident in her voice, though she didn't let it shine through too much as she spoke. Mina's reaction to this was understandable, as the young woman stiffened before clasping her hands together in acceptance. In truth, Nanaba had expected something more dramatic out of her, though she wasn't about to say that as Carolina spoke up.

"Why…? Am I really that important to this whole issue?" asked Mina curiously, to which Nanaba nodded.

"You were in Barbatos' chest when we found you. There was definitely a reason for you being there, but-"

"I already told the others, me being there… it was a mistake! I should've just followed Mikazuki on horseback, but I was worried for him! I… I-I…"

A gentle raise of Nanaba's hand silenced Mina, with her pausing in between her defense of herself as she eyed her superior curiously.

"I know. I wasn't there when it happened, but Lynne filled me in on the details. You were really clueless when you jumped into the Gundam's chest, and I believe her," stated Nanaba lightly, crossing her arms as she spoke. A small surge of hope flooded Mina's chest as she stepped forwards and held onto the metal bars of her cell, though said hope died almost immediately as her superior continued. "But not everyone will. They're all convinced that you know something we don't, and until they get you to spill the deets on something you're completely unaware of, they'll be keeping you here indefinitely."

"..." no comment was given from Mina, who simply lowered her gaze at Nanaba's words. It felt unfair, because it was, but that was just how life worked, she supposed. "Is there any way for me to prove my innocence?"

"Currently? No. Your best bet is if either Annie or Mikazuki spill something that'll prove your innocence, one way or another, but the former hasn't said a thing since she woke and the latter is still unconscious," stated Nanaba sadly. Mina flinched at that, with her not liking the prospect of one of her friends, former or otherwise, taking the fall for her, though she said nothing of this as she nodded sadly. "For now, just… stay frosty, I suppose."

"... yes ma'am," responded Mina, and at that, things grew rather quiet as the two ladies stood idly by. Oruo excused himself as he felt the atmosphere shift into something he wasn't particularly comfortable with, and a few moments after he was out of the room, Carolina exhaled sharply and offered a simple inquiry to her superior. "Hey, ma'am?"

"Hm?"

"Mikazuki… is he…?"

"I… he's still alive. Not conscious yet, but alive."

"Oh… that… that's a relief."

"..."

"..."

"... you… care for him a lot, don't you?"

"No less than how much he's cared for me, ma'am."

"Hmph… I see. I'll give him your regards when I next see him, kid."

"T-Thank you, ma'am."

And with that, Nanaba nodded and left the room, with her taking into account just how red Mina's face was along the way. She was truly infatuated with that boy, now wasn't she…?

One week after the Stohass Battle

It was rare for the nurse to leave Mikazuki unattended, but alas, due to other obligations she had to attend to, she was forced to do so today.

Leaving him unattended was risky, however, as the other MPB soldiers did not take too kindly to him as she did, and within an hour of her departure, the two guards who were meant to keep an eye on him had entered Mikazuki's cell, with one of them brandishing an Anti-Titan blade whilst the other remained unarmed.

"He doesn't look like much up close, I'll be honest," mused the unarmed soldier as he leaned in towards the pilot's face. He contemplated slapping him, though he reconsidered out of instinctual fear. As for his fellow, blade wielding comrade, however, he simply scowled as he raised his weapon up and rested it against Mika's cheek, and with a swift gesture, he gave the young man a thin cut on his face, causing his partner to cringe. "What're you doing?!"

"What we probably oughta do. Think about it, our higher ups want him dead. Imagine the amount of promotions we'd get just by fulfilling that wish!" cackled the blade wielding soldier, with him retracting his weapon as he spoke. To his delight, a few strands of red began to fall from the shallow cut on Mikazuki's cheek, proving something to him right there and then.

Mikazuki Augus was mortal. He wasn't as invincible as the MPB thought he was… and he could be properly killed. He just needed someone to take the swing at his body. His vulnerable, motionless and hopelessly small body.

"We'll get caught if we do that!" retorted the other soldier, to which the blade wielder scoffed.

"And who'd care? Those Survey Corp dogs don't count. This boy is a plague upon us all, and the sooner he is dealt with, the sooner things can return to normal!" argued the blade wielding soldier.

"And what even is this… normal that we wish to return to?"

"It's a life without this fucking monster lurking amidst our ranks! Now be quiet and watch me do what should've been done months ago!"

And with that, the soldier swung his blade at Mikazuki, ignorant of the terrified gasp of his subordinate…

… only for the swing to be stopped dead in its tracks when a powerful vice grip clamped itself down onto the man's wrist.

"Hu-"

Whatever the MPB blade wielder had to say had almost immediately died in his throat when he saw who had restrained him. Of all the individuals present, the one to have walked in on him making an attempt on Mikazuki's life… it had to be him… it just had to be Erwin Smith, who didn't even give the soldier the benefit of the doubt as he launched a punch straight for the side of the MPB's head, knocking him out in a single strike.

Falling to the ground with an unceremonious plop, the soldier, now sporting a broken nose, went limp as his compatriot could only stare on in abject horror… horror that only grew when Erwin turned his attention towards him.

"Uh… I wasn't-"

He didn't get much of a chance to say much else before he was rendered unconscious by another haymaker from the Survey Corp Commander, who, admittedly, felt some satisfaction in his actions. It was a decent stress reliever, to inflict violence upon others… though Smith reckoned that he oughta keep that thought to himself for now as he dusted his hands off, threw the blade off to the side, restrained the two wankers with multiple rolls of bandages to the point where they resembled mummies, and marched over to check on Mikazuki.

Somewhat unfortunately, Mikazuki remained unresponsive to Erwin's presence, even as he placed a hand on his forehead to check his temperature before he cleaned the shallow cut on his cheek and stuck a bandage over it. Either way, the movement of his chest served as a reminder to him that he was still alive, and as such the Commander could rest a little easier as he shifted away from Augus' body.

There was… a lot he wished to tell the pilot. Apologies, really, as all of this was his fault. He should've done more to keep the promising young soldier's future just a tiny bit safer, perhaps shift more responsibility onto the other gifted young man, or just not rely on him so much during the Expedition but he had not. Opening his mouth, he found himself ready to stay these things to Mika's unconscious form, though he ultimately held his tongue for now. Best to save his apologies for when he woke up, he reckoned.

Thereafter, the Commander found himself ready to depart, but considering how he wasn't sure where the medic was, the blonde instead opted to remain here for now until she returned. He didn't wish to risk another pair of bozos coming in to make an attempt on Mikazuki's life, and as such, he took a chair and sat atop it for the time being, with him reading from a book he had hidden in his jacket all the while.

When the medic returned, she found herself wondering why there were two unconscious men wrapped in bandages on the ground, much less why the Survey Corp Commander was present and vibing in the room, but still, she didn't really question it as she watched him march up to her the moment she made her presence known and pat her lightly on her shoulder.

"Keep up the good work," was all Erwin bothered to say before he left, dragging the two unconscious MBP soldiers behind him all the while, with an Anti-Titan blade strapped onto his waist, and moments later, the medic found herself scratching the top of her head, wondering what the Hell happened whilst she was gone.

Elsewhere

The Carolina household felt… empty, and for the life of her, Mrs Carolina couldn't help but feel as though something terrible was happening right under her nose.

In truth, the building was always rather quiet, especially after her kids had left for their four-year training, but even so, they had always written back to show their love for her. These past few months, however… nothing had come, and it got the woman worried. Out of desperation, she had written a letter to the Military Brigade, specifically for her children's hands… and even after three weeks of waiting, she had gotten nothing from them.

That was… until just a day prior… Nac Tias had returned!

The young man had reentered her home, and without any form of hesitation, Mrs Carolina had pulled him in for a hug that was strong enough to remind him that, despite him having grown stronger during his time in the military, his strength could never be equal to that of a mother's, though before long, she released him for air and let him mingle about, though she did prepare some stew for him whilst he did so.

'Mandatory leave' was the reason behind why he was here, though Mrs Carolina did silently wonder if there was more behind that than he was willing to share. Still though, she said nothing of it, not wishing to ruin his day, or perhaps his days, back home, but even so, she did wonder…

"What about Mikazuki, Mina and Annie?"

And when she had asked him of this… the young man had to look away. He couldn't look his mother in the eye as she asked about the wellbeing of an incarcerated daughter, a daughter on death row and a still comatosed son… and sensing his hesitation to answer, Mrs Carolina opted to drop the issue for now, with him attributing their current leave of absence to nothing more than just some work they had to deal with before returning home.

Nac, however… felt it to be incredibly difficult to avoid the subject for an extended period of time. He loved and respected Mrs Carolina immensely, to the point where it was difficult to keep such heavy truths from her in the first place, and eventually… the young man had cracked, and with a heaviness weighing down on his heart, he told her… everything.

He started from the most important part, of course; he began by telling her about Mikazuki. He told her that he piloted the Gundam, how he was from a different world… and how much he had come to love them despite how they weren't his original family. In truth, Mrs Carolina had thought her son to be lying at first… but considering that hard look in his eyes after he finished recounting his words, she was quick to realize that every word of what he had spoken was gospel.

Thereafter, he spoke of how… well, Mina and Mikazuki were both incarcerated for varying reasons, with the latter being in prison for reasons that he did not know (technically not a lie) whilst the former was in a bedridden coma. Mrs Carolina had to hold back a gasp at that, and likewise, Nac had to hold his mother back from bolting into Sina and checking up on her son. It was an eventful struggle with Tias having to hold his mother back for quite some time, and though he was ultimately victorious, he felt dead tired once the deed was done.

"... and what of Annie?" asked Mrs Carolina after she was… relatively calm, to which Nac gulped. Great, if Mikazuki being in a comatose state could set her off this badly, one could only imagine how bad her reaction to her adopted daughter being a traitor would get her.

"She's… busy. Some stuff happened in Sina, and she couldn't write back to you. Probably won't be able to for a while. I actually saw her a few days ago-" a complete lie, and Nac hated how it sounded, "-and she's… s-she's doing alright!"

The lie had not tricked Mrs Carolina, not completely at least… but for now, she seemed fine with accepting it as she nodded sadly, fingers laced together tightly as she silently processed everything that Nac had just told her. Her daughter was incarcerated for a crime that she wasn't aware of… and her adopted son was the pilot of that Mobile Suit that was instrumental towards the Trost Incident's victory and also in a comatose state… that second part was a lot more worrying to her, but all the same, it got her worried about her children.

But alas, she was a civilian, and as a civilian, she was unable to really do anything to change the military's sway over her kids. The most she could do was vocalise her support for her kids, but what good would that do? Protests never worked in the past, and considering how so many protesters had gone missing in the past decades, Mrs Carolina knew better than to do something so foolish.

Still… there was something that she could do… but she wouldn't ask about it. Now wasn't the time to do so.

Cold… it all felt so cold… and yet, in the coldness of his accursed mindscape, Mikazuki couldn't help but feel comforted by the frigid temperature of this wasteland.

To a certain degree, he was aware of where he was. This… was his heart. Cold, vapid and ultimately… empty. Empty… save for himself. It's been this way ever since he had come to this new world, and he hated it. He missed everyone from Tekkadan, even now, and now that he actually had time to himself whilst comatosed, the young man's thoughts in regards to his loneliness were only exasperated.

How long had passed since he had come here? He had forgotten by now, considering how little impact time had in this place. All he knew was that he felt right at home in this desolate place, and with a sigh, he found himself considering staying here. At least here, he wouldn't have anyone's expectations to meet.

And at least here… he wouldn't have to face his friends. He could only imagine how they were right now, and it was a thought that he kept banishing into the darkest depths of his mind every single time. He didn't wish to think about his friends… not when it brought him such mental anguish, but inevitably, his mind would always stray towards them, one way or another, and with a scowl, he squeezed his eyes shut and attempted to just… go to sleep.

Sleep for how long, he wondered?

For a few minutes? A few hours? Days? Weeks?

… forever?

He didn't care.

He was just so tired… so perhaps, if he closed his eyes…

That being said, however…

Something kept pulling him back to consciousness.

Something refused to let the few flickering embers of his soul from snuffing themselves out so soon.

Something was keeping that flame in his chest lit, even as he wished to have it die down forever… and after an undetermined period of time had passed… that presence made itself known to the pilot, with it setting a gentle pressure against his shoulder, catching his attention as he reopened his eyes once more.

Turning towards the thing that was forcing him from resting, Mikazuki turned and saw…

"Orga…?!"

"I was wondering when you'd actually sense me, Mika."

Sure enough… there stood Orga Itsuka. Or rather… floated, anyhow, with the tanned young man observing his oldest friend within the depths of his mind. He looked just as he did five years prior, with his tanned skin, eccentric lilac hair, Tekkadan jacket and arms by his side in a somewhat cocky manner. Just seeing him in any way, shape or form, sent a surge of happiness through the otherwise neutral boy's form, and without hesitation, he surged forwards, hoping to capture his old friend in a hug.

He would be sorely disappointed when his body passed through Orga's, with him widening his eyes in disappointed surprise as he stopped moving directly behind his brother in all but blood.

"That won't work, Mika. In some way, I think you knew that from the very beginning, but it didn't stop you from trying, now did it?" stated Orga, his smile apparent in his words. Mikazuki's response was mostly silence, with him lowering his gaze sadly as he nodded. Itsuka did not see this… but he sensed it, with his smile faltering a little when he did.

"Can you blame me? It's been five years," stated Mikazuki, with him keeping his back to Orga as he spoke. Itsuka chuckled at this, seemingly agreeing with his words.

"Perhaps, but in those five years, you've… improved quite a lot. You've grown so much more than even I could've anticipated, and I'm proud of how much you've matured over the years. … well, I'm not exactly the real Orga, I'm what your mind remembers to be the real Orga, manifested to give you a good talking to, but wherever he is out there… I'm sure the Orga Itsuka that you consider to be your brother feels the same," stated Orga… or rather… not-Orga, with the warmness in his voice tying knots in Mikazuki's stomach with each passing word.

"... thank you. You're not him, but thank you regardless," muttered Mikazuki, though in response to his words, not-Orga simply chuckled.

"You're welcome, but even so, I think you should try and get out of here, Mika. If you don't, then everything you've done for the past five years will be flushed down the drain," mused not-Orga, though at his words, Mikazuki felt his spine tingle as he shook his head.

"... why bother?" inquired the boy, with him acknowledging some of his memories from just a few weeks prior. "They're going to kill me. It's better to die in my sleep than to die when awake."

"You're not wrong, but still, there's always a chance of you getting out of this situation."

"I don't see such a thing happening, not-Orga."

"It could."

"Probably. A chance isn't enough to change my mind, though."

"That's fair. But what about your friends?"

"... I don't know if I can call them that anymore. I… betrayed their trust. Again."

"I'm sure they'll find it in them to forgive you, Mika."

"I… don't want to face them, not-Orga."

"Why's that? The Mika I knew was always fearless in the face of everything, death included."

"I'm not the Mika you knew."

"Touché."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Mika."

"What is it?"

"You love them, don't you?"

"... I do. I love them. I love Mina. I love Nac. I… I don't hate Annie. I want to hate her, but I can't bring myself to."

"If you truly love them, then the least you could do for them is to let them see you one last time."

"But what if they hate me for what I kept from them? Mina knows that I know about Annie being a Titan beforehand. She probably hates me for keeping it a secret from them. She's probably told Nac by now. They probably ha-"

"You know, I remember a time when your mind was a lot calmer than this. A time where you didn't overthink things to this degree."

A pause, with Mikazuki glancing back at not-Orga, silently requesting an explanation, one that he gave shortly thereafter.

"Then again, you're not the same Mika as so long ago, as you've told me, and I should come to terms with that sooner rather than later. Your heart's softened with time, and you're letting these small things worry you more than they ever would have in the past…"

Opening his mouth, Mikazuki was about to defend himself on the issue, though before he could do so…

"... and I gotta admit, it's refreshing."

"Huh…?"

The confusion in Mikazuki's voice was apparent, and if anything, it made not-Orga laugh in amusement.

"Considering how I'm literally just a figment of your heart, my words probably won't mean much, but… it feels nice to see you finally taking some initiative for yourself. You were always quite the aimless puppy, back when you were with Tekkadan, someone that almost always followed Orga Itsuka's commands. You lacked the drive to do what you wished to in that world," stated not-Orga with a smile, one that flattered Mika quite a bit as he continued. "And you always lacked the heart to care for others to this extent."

"I always cared for Tekkadan," defended Mikazuki weakly, to which not-Orga chuckled.

"Yeah, but it always felt like it was out of obligation. It always felt like you only cared for Tekkadan because my real self did. Is that so? No need to answer, I think I know your response regardless," chuckled not-Orga, and the silence that followed told him all he needed to know. "I'm not saying you didn't care for them, but in your eyes, if it was between saving the real Orga and Tekkadan, you would've gone for the former without hesitation, hm?"

"That's… a complicated question to ask me," defended Mikazuki meekly, though he wasn't wrong on that front. Either way, not-Orga chuckled, seemingly agreeing all the while.

"Fair enough. But that's besides the point. Years ago, you wouldn't have given anyone aside from Orga a second thought. But now… you've changed. For the better. You've opened your heart to those around you and you've begun to actually… love them for who they are. You caring for them extends beyond mere camaraderie… you see them as you once did someone else… and you'd die for them ten times over, just like you would for Orga," smiled not-Orga as he shifted his elbow back to bump it against Mika's. The pilot frowned at this, though he didn't deny not-Orga's claim either way. "And you also worry about what they think about you."

"What if I do? It's a valid worry, regardless of whether or not I've changed," grumbled Mika.

"Well, I'm sure they love you enough to forgive you."

"..."

Love… Mikazuki knew so little of it. The sensation was so foreign to him that the pilot wasn't even able to notice when someone else was falling for another! The only love he really felt prior to now had been for Orga and, to perhaps a lesser or greater, depending on one's outlook, Atra and perhaps Kudelia, but still… he still felt it difficult to comprehend such a complex emotion.

"Is love really that strong of an emotion? Strong enough to let someone forgive another for doing something horrible?" asked Mikazuki cautiously, and at that, not-Orga laughed.

"I would think so. After all, you've no hard feelings against Annie, do you not?"

A pause. Looking inwards metaphorically, Mikazuki frowned as he silently pondered not-Orga's words. Did he… hate Annie? Closing his eyes, he tried to find an answer to that question… and in truth, he had no conclusive one. As he had said prior, he… did not hate Annie, despite the atrocities she had committed in Marley's name, but at the same time, he felt his love for her dwindle.

Dwindle… but never did it fade… to a certain degree, Mikazuki still loved Annie… and yet…

"I don't. But I don't love her either. I… I don't know how to feel about her," answered Mikazuki truthfully, and at that, not-Orga chuckled.

"Such is life. We can never know what someone else feels about us, not until we face them directly. I myself am confident that Mina and Nac are worried sick about you, but we can never know until we see them directly," advised not-Orga, who smiled a little when he felt Mikazuki's defenses waning. The blackness around them had cracked several times over whilst they were conversing, a sign that the young pilot's resolve for remaining behind was slowly but surely beginning to waver, and it all culminated in a few chunks all around them falling off and shattering at their feet, a sight that made not-Orga's smile widen as his form flickered a little.

"... I wouldn't want to worry them. I'll go back. To where I now belong," muttered Mikazuki, with an air of finality to his voice as his mindscape brightened. Slowly but surely, the darkness surrounding it fell away, making way for its usual clarity as not-Orga disappeared along with it. Still, even as he faded, the replica of Mika's brother maintained his smile, with him glancing back at Augus as the seconds ticked by.

"Now there's the Mika I know," grinned not-Orga as he turned to face Mikazuki head on, and at that, the pilot glanced back at him and smiled, prompting the mental replica of his brother to shut one eye and nod at him. "You know what to do, don't you, Mika?"

"Ah. I do, not-Orga. See you."

"Ciao."

And back in the real world, just barely a little under one and a half weeks after the battle of Sina had concluded, Mikazuki's eyes slowly cracked open, and when they did, the medic that was overseeing him dropped the tray she was carrying as she gasped in shock.

"...?" Mikazuki made an attempt to speak… though it didn't get too far as he felt his voice getting jammed in his throat, but even so, he did let out a hoarse groan, something that made the medic gasp as she darted over to him to check his pulse. She was elated to see that it was steady and healthy, and before she darted off to inform the various members of Squad Mike of his awakening, the doctor held onto Mikazuki's hand tightly and spoke a few words to him.

"I knew you'd wake up one day, kid. I-I just… I knew it! So many people were betting on you reawakening… so many people were worried for you!"

And with that, the pilot could only smile weakly, a sight that could easily be mistaken for a mild twitch of his lips.