Welcome back to "A Past Life of Noah and Mio: Extras!" In chapter 32 of the main story, Noah and Mio fell into disagreement over what they should prioritize after having been liberated. While Noah had become inspired by the City's fight against Moebius, Mio had wanted to experience the family life but couldn't due to her limited time left. Frustrated at their stalemate, she left him to clear her head.
This chapter was written to flesh out Mio's experience during their time apart. I've included it in this extras collection partly because the main story stays on Noah's perspective. Also, some topics covered here are too mature for the main story's T rating. Thanks for reading!
Extra Chapter 4 "Second Opinions"
A cup of soup was just what she needed now. After failing to get Noah to see things her way, Mio had left him back at the barracks for a solitary meal in the City. Seated on a bench along a side street, she took solace in the comparative peace while voices from the plaza blurred with the rustling of nearby trees.
"Mmph," the zephyr recoiled at the first sip that'd just barely burned her tongue. It'd been quite some time since she'd last done that, the inconsequential and already fleeting pain reminding her how far she'd come from her colony days. Here she was, a liberated soldier without a Flame Clock, abilities enhanced by Ouroboros, and acutely aware of the many things in life that she'd missed by having been sucked into Moebius' cruel system. Mio could understand why Noah wanted to oppose them, a desire which she had herself to some extent. However, it wasn't her top priority at the moment, not while her lamentations over having insufficient time with which to have a child were in full swing. At least the soup, now slightly cooled off, was helping a bit.
By afternoon, Mio had wandered northeastward of the central district. While much of the City had yet to be explored, these streets were familiar as they led her into a residential area. Soon, she found herself in the vicinity of Hursell Orphanage, a home for children of deceased soldiers operated by old friends of her and Noah's previous selves. It was bittersweet for Mio to watch the children play and laugh carefreely, though she realized that someone was watching her back.
"Mio, good to see you." It was Terelda, the matriarch of the establishment with silver hair in a bun.
"Oh, h-hello," the moonblades-wielder hadn't anticipated another conversation following her prior argument with Noah.
"Come on around, the front door is open," the old woman waved to her. "You're welcome to join us."
"Um, okay…" There weren't any coherent thoughts going through Mio's head upon acquiescing to the offer. Once inside the orphanage's lobby, she made a left turn to head back outside where the fenced yard was a hive of activity. While some kids were painting on the covered picnic table, others were appearing to act out scenes of some kind with simple costumes and various props. There were a couple of adult caretakers as well, an aproned woman whom Mio and Noah had seen briefly during their first visit to the orphanage and a slender young man with short hair and stubble.
"As you can see, it's playtime here," Terelda summarized the excitement to the deserter.
"Playtime?" the liberated soldier repeated in question.
"You poor thing," Finn, Terelda's bald husband and patriarch of the establishment approached them with a sympathetic look on his wrinkled face. "So entrenched in warfare that the concept of play is foreign to you."
"Guess it is," her shoulders were shrugged.
"They use their imaginations to be whatever and wherever they wish," the silver-haired senior explained the children's activities with a twinkle in her eye. "It's also a good exercise in their development, something you soldiers were forced to skip by Moebius."
"I think I get it, though," Mio focused on the group of young pretenders. "The only sort of creativity my consul ever allowed was in Levnis customization."
"How dull," the old man chuckled with his hands on his hips. "Everyone should be allowed some fun in life."
"Fun, you say?" she nearly scoffed while her eyes remained fixed on the interactions ahead. "Are they… even aware of what's happening in the world, and Moebius?"
"They know there's something bad out there," he answered in the kids' words, "but that's about as much as they can understand at their age."
"H-how old are they?" the cat-eared Agnian hesitated to ask.
"It's a range from two to ten years," Terelda scanned the yard, tapping her lower lip.
"And ten is like… a first-term soldier?" another question came from Mio whose own hand unwittingly touched the mark on her neck.
"Correct," the old woman nodded before noticing her dreary demeanor. "Er, Mio, are you okay?"
"Ten years of… no worries…" her guest mumbled to herself. "Huh? Oh, sorry, I'm… um…"
"Struggling with adjusting to City life, are you?" Finn correctly assumed with another sympathetic look.
"Y-yeah," her ears wilted while her hand slowly retracted, "but how did you know?"
"If you don't mind me saying, both you and Noah went through this in your previous life," alleged Terelda who soon started peering over their shoulders. "Speaking of whom, where is he?"
"We've split," Mio's tone stiffened at the conversation moving onto her absent partner. "Don't know where he is now."
"Oh dear," the silver-haired senior sounded rather disappointed.
"Hmph… did he and I argue in our previous life, too?" the zephyr crossed her arms as her now irritated gaze drifted up to the building's eaves.
"You two had an argument?" Terelda's palms came together just below her chin.
"We did," the liberated soldier grumbled, still not facing anyone. "Never realized he could be so careless."
"Perhaps we should move inside," the old woman suggested with one hand already on the door. Unsure about even having this conversation in the first place, Mio lowered her head and returned to the lobby with the proprietors in tow. All at once, the childish laughter was muffled behind them while they drifted towards the seating area. "Can I get you some tea, dear?"
"No, thanks," Mio politely declined, momentarily considering continuing through the front door. Once she turned to see her hosts already seated, however, she felt inclined to stay and tell her tale of woe. "I suppose if there's anybody in the City whom I can talk to, it'd be you two, huh?"
"We're not forcing you just because we were close to your previous selves," the bald senior clarified, nearly waving his hands, "but we are concerned."
"I appreciate that," she acknowledged before finally sitting herself. "I don't know what's happening between him and me. I-I thought we both wanted the same thing, a peaceful life here, but…"
"Noah wishes to take down Moebius?" he guessed after she'd trailed off.
"That's exactly it," her brows were low on her face. "Just like his past self, huh?"
"Both of your past selves had wanted it," Terelda nodded once, interlacing her fingers. "I gather that's not the case for you?"
"Y-yes… well, not quite," Mio teetered with her thoughts. "I want Moebius removed as much as the next person, but there's something I want even more."
"And what might that be?" Finn sat up with keen interest, as did his wife.
"Huh?" their guest blinked twice, having expected them to know from her past self again. "Oh, uh… I want to… create life… with him…"
"Aw, Mio, that's sweet," the silver-haired senior beamed, though the change in mood was only temporary. "Ahem… what seems to be the problem, then?"
"I… don't have enough time… to go through the whole process," the moonblades-wielder dropped her head in distress, gripping the edge of the seat cushion.
"Oh no…" the old man recoiled at her revelation. "How long do you have?"
"Eight months," her eyes were closed until she recomposed herself. "I'd dreaded my homecoming when I was under my consul's thumb, but once I was free of her tyranny, it didn't bother me anymore. Since learning about life, though, I've become a mess again."
"I'm sorry, Mio," his mouth widened into a frown. "You soldiers already have it unfairly, but this is cruel."
"Such is life, I'm afraid," Terelda couldn't help but stare at their guest's neck. "I know how you feel."
"No you…" Mio caught her uncharacteristically immature retort, "y-you do?"
"Finn and I had wanted a family of our own," the old woman took her turn to share heavy information, "but unfortunately… well, let's just say that pregnancy was unsuccessful for us."
"I'm not sure I understand," the liberated soldier alternated curious looks between her hosts.
"There are many contributing factors," he started to explain, momentarily turning his doleful gaze onto Terelda. "Perhaps she shouldn't have joined me in battle against Moebius so often. We never quite figured out exactly why we couldn't conceive."
"My heart goes out to everybody who's unable," Terelda's own sights stayed on Mio. "Believe me, it devastated me for a long time."
"Oh," the zephyr searched for a proper response, no longer the only one worthy of pity. "Did you ever move on?"
"I have, thanks to this place," the silver-haired senior lifted her arms as if to present the lobby without getting up. "Rescuing orphans of deceased soldiers wasn't the only reason for building it. Admittedly, I'd wanted to give myself an alternative to raising children, even if they're not my own."
"I see…" her guest ran out of words again, trying to process everything.
"Incidentally, what made you want to conceive?" Finn broke the silence before it could thicken. "You've only recently learned about life."
"I've killed so many soldiers. So many lives lost… at my hands." Mio stared into her palms, rueful of her past actions. "I hoped to make up for it."
"A noble thought indeed," Terelda adjusted her posture after a thoughtful pause. "Far be it for me to discount anyone's dreams, but I have to wonder if your heart was in the right place."
"Huh?" the tenth-termer snapped out of it. "What do you mean?"
"A child should be born from love, above all else," the old woman preached, her tone suddenly serious. "Now, we citizens may pride ourselves for having grown our population in the face of Moebius, but we shouldn't have children just to meet a quota."
"That's not the only reason," Mio looked towards the side door behind which the kids continued to play. "I adore them… the smiles on their faces…"
"Then I have a suggestion," her hostess recaptured her attention. "If you want, you can lend us a hand. You'll get plenty of smiles coming your way."
"That's awfully nice of you," the moonblades-wielder was taken aback by the proposal.
"We could use the help anyway," the bald senior added, the air in the lobby not quite so tense anymore. "The little rascals are full of energy, and we only have two volunteers."
"I'll think it over," his guest rose to her feet, feeling a few kinks in her joints.
"Very well," Terelda stood as well, appearing pleased that Mio hadn't rejected outright, "and the offer is open to Noah as well."
"I doubt he'll take it," the cat-eared Agnian repined, still bitter about him. "Anyway, I think I should go now. I really need to… return to my journal."
"Okay then," Finn was the last to stand, moving by Terelda's side. "We hope you feel better soon."
"We'll see." Unable to smile at present, the liberated soldier bowed her head instead. "You've been gracious hosts." With nothing further to say, Mio exited the orphanage to the City streets outside. By now, the afternoon sun was tugging on any available shadow while she searched for somewhere else to go. She wasn't ready to head back to the barracks yet, especially if Noah was still there. It would only be a few hours, however, before he would reach her via her Iris to provide an update.
"Mio…" the ponytailed soldier began the tentative call with slightly bated breath.
"What is it? Are you hurt?" Her tone was stilted at best, though her concern was genuine.
"I'm fine," he hoped to assure her.
"Have you gone out?" a slightly disappointed sigh preceded the zephyr's question.
"I'm deployed, yes," Noah swallowed before proceeding to deliver unfavorable news, "and, um… it's going to take more than a day."
"Tch…" A long pause followed her reaction, doubtlessly making him uncomfortable. "Tell me when you get back."
"I will," the pacifist promised, unable to think of anything else to say before her inevitable withdrawal. A brief exchange with him was all that she could take, given their prior argument. In the meantime, Mio resumed her reading and writing amid the moderate tranquility of the residential plaza. When it became too dark to continue, she packed up her journals and retreated to the barracks.
Mio found their bunkbed empty upon her arrival, Noah's absence unsurprising following his update. Regardless, she couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment in having nobody familiar to greet her. After dropping off her belongings, the lonely deserter grabbed a food tray from the cafeteria in the rear and dined alone.
Next morning, Mio awoke to find that he hadn't yet returned. Other liberated soldiers in the barracks were beginning their day, some eager to see what new activities awaited them at the nearby military headquarters. Assuming that Noah's own mission somewhere abroad was still active, she dressed herself, grabbed her backpack, and exited to find a new spot on which to roost until his return. This time, the fields beyond the City's walls were calling to her.
Past the front gates, Mio followed the path through Mulus Depot to a cliff where a fantastic view of Patulia Bay was offered. The morning breeze of late summer felt nice to the liberated soldier upon settling herself in a tuft of grass. There was no shortage of reading material, between her own jottings and those of her former commander whose journal contained City references and slang. She even reread a few entries that'd confused her previously but made more sense now. After an hour of perusing the pages, however, a commotion from the depot created an unavoidable distraction.
Climbing to her feet, Mio observed an arriving group of City militants and volunteers. Much to her continued disappointment, Noah was nowhere to be seen. In that moment, she realized how much more his absence was bothering her than their argument ever had.
"Hey, I remember you!" a voice called to her from the crowd. Perking back up, Mio noticed a girl with long brown hair and green, half-rimmed glasses heading her way. "You're Mio, the Agnian we rescued from that mauler Moebius."
"Oh, r-right," the liberated soldier vacated her spot to meet her ally. "And you're… Gina?"
"Almost, it's Gianna," the brunette cheerfully corrected her. "Good to see you aga-"
"Oi! Where'd you go?!" Another voice sounded from the path, this time from a man with a pair of goggles on his head. It was Dermond, the leader of the City's Morrack militia.
"I'm over here, Father!" she hollered over her shoulder to him.
"Great Gonzales' gherkins!" he nearly dropped a pair of bulky bags in his possession. "It's a soldier kid we brought to the City!"
"Yeah, you did," Mio soon recognized both his face and his manner of exclaiming.
"Enjoying City life?" the goggled man asked with a hopeful grin.
"Um, well…" she momentarily considered shielding her misery from them, "not really."
"Aw, what's the matter?" Dermond's sunniness quickly faded, as did his daughter's. "Too much to take in?"
"That's the long and short of it," the moonblades-wielder started feeling embarrassed by their apparent concern. "I've lost track of myself, my purpose…"
"I'm sorry," Gianna clasped her hands in front of her, "it's just something soldiers have to deal with once they're here."
"Sure feels like I'm the only one," Mio groused to them, part of her wishing that they'd leave her alone.
"Oh?" the bespectacled girl tapped her chin while her other hand rested on her hip. "Your friend with the ponytail… what's his name? Noah? He's taking the transition well?"
"Don't know," the tenth-termer's demeanor soured at the mention of his name. "Never asked him."
"Guess I can't really fathom it," the team leader remarked mostly to himself before adjusting his grip on his cargo. "Anyway, I won't keep bothering you, kid. Gotta lug this stuff back to HQ."
"You sure you don't want me to carry one?" his daughter started to reach for a strap.
"Nope, I can do it!" Dermond insisted with an almost playful dodge. "I'm not old yet!" With no need for lengthy goodbyes, the male militant made slow tracks for the City. Gianna, on the other hand, didn't follow him like Mio had expected.
"My father, stubborn like an ardun," she muttered in his wake.
"Your… father…" the zephyr stared at him walking away before turning to the City girl.
"Mhm," Gianna's lips were pursed while she scratched her residually sweaty forehead. "You know what parents are now, right?"
"The people who, um… yeah, I know what they are," Mio shyly slid the sole of her boot across the grass.
"At first, they take care of their kids," the brunette repeated what Mio already knew, "but in due time, the roles start to reverse."
"As in… you take care of him?" the liberated soldier sought clarification, moving her pointed finger around.
"Perhaps, someday when he's too frail to peel a green nectarine," the bespectacled girl chuckled before her expression turned pensive. "He's the only family I've got."
"Shouldn't you have a mother, too?" the moonblades-wielder remembered from orientation.
"I did, once, but she died when I was, like… really young," the female militant recalled bravely, having long been accustomed to the facts. "Father was devastated, but he knew her time was up."
"Her time…?" It didn't take long for Mio to figure it out. "Your mother was a… soldier?"
"A Kevesi cutie, as he'd often describe her to me," Gianna continued to reminisce fondly, if a little emotionally. "Some folks thought it was weird for him to get down with a soldier he'd liberated, but… I don't know… I find it kind of sweet."
"So… wait, she must've had enough time to, um…" the cat-eared Agnian couldn't quite finish her sentence.
"Have me? Yup, with a year to spare." Digging into the top of her soiled shirt, the brunette pulled out a necklaced locket containing a tiny picture of her mother. "Since she'd reached her homecoming, Father and I needn't worry about her being out there fighting the war again."
"Huh, I never… considered anything like that," the zephyr peeked at it before dropping her sights to the ground.
"Many things are possible without Moebius' meddling," Gianna kissed the locket before stuffing it away, "but they control soldiers' lives such that they don't even know what love is."
"Love…" Such a short and simple word seemed so significant to Mio. "I've heard some soldiers say it…"
"Probably not in the sense of romance, though," the bespectacled girl speculated, now focused on Mio. "That's what Moebius doesn't want spreading around the colonies. Children born naturally don't have embers to fill Flame Clocks."
"Romance?" the deserter's ears perked up.
"You were taught the facts of life clinically," Gianna seemed familiar with the biological lesson within orientation, "but love is an essential ingredient."
"A child should be born from love…" the moonblades-wielder recited what Terelda had told her yesterday.
"Sounds like you've picked up on a thing or two," the brunette grinned before it dawned on her. "Hang on, is love what's been bothering you?"
"Sort of," Mio acted shyly, now cognizant that the topic at large was a sensitive one. No longer opposed to having Gianna's company, she motioned for the female militant to follow her back to the cliff for privacy. Once they were out of earshot of any potential passersby, Mio prepared to share what she'd told her old friends. "When I learned that I can create life with a partner, it became my newfound purpose… especially since I've taken away so many lives."
"Uh-huh…?" Gianna leaned in while they sat together, eager to hear the rest.
"But I can't," the zephyr revealed without further delay, "I don't have enough time."
"Shite…" her ally cursed under her breath. "I'm sorry about that."
"It doesn't hurt as much as it used to," the liberated soldier admitted, staring at the sea. "I'm realizing now that… it wasn't totally a desire out of love."
"Don't have anyone close to you, then?" the bespectacled girl's lower lip was sticking out.
"Oh, I do… I-I think…" Mio nearly retracted her response after giving it. "He and I… got into an argument."
"Noah, huh?" Gianna peered around for the absent swordsman. "Is that why he's gone?"
"Yeah, on a mission," the moonblades-wielder informed her whilst keeping a lookout for a City Levnis. "Wish he'd come home already."
"Ah, I can relate," the brunette leaned back on her arms to get comfortable. "My partner hates it when I'm away which is… too often."
"It must be great when you do get to be together," the zephyr assumed, now facing the citizen in her company.
"Indeed…" Gianna closed her eyes to imagine something which no newcomer could fathom. "The longer I've been away, the stronger the passion is."
"Passion?" Mio continued to absorb new words for her ever growing vocabulary.
"When you love someone enough, you just want to make them feel good," the bespectacled girl emerged from her little fantasy to look Mio straight in the eye. "And just because you can't create new life with them doesn't mean you can't still enjoy pleasure together."
"How would I do that?" the cat-eared Agnian was rapt at attention.
"When you and Noah are ready, explore yourselves and see what happens," her ally climbed to her feet, brushing the grass off herself. "As for me, I think I've kept my partner waiting long enough. Sorry for getting carried away."
"It's okay," the moonblades-wielder remained seated. "You've given me something… different to think about."
"Incidentally, you're not the first person I've met in your position," Gianna brought the conversation back to the beginning. "It's a misfortune of timing for many older liberated soldiers."
"Really?" the tenth-termer slightly tilted her head.
"Yeah." Content with the advice and anecdotes given, the female militant started to head back to base. "Best of luck to you."
"Thanks." At last, Mio was alone again, the soothing sound of the sea soon reentering her consciousness. Not a minute had passed when she realized how little she was concentrating on her clutter of thoughts. There was still some organizing to do, but it no longer seemed insurmountable. If there was one thing that was still bringing her down now, it was her continued separation from a certain Kevesi. Shortly before noon, however, she received a request for communications via her Iris.
"Hey," Noah spoke the moment she'd accepted, "I'm back."
"Where are you?" her response belied her impatience.
"I'm nearing the barracks," he informed her, likely a few steps away from it.
"Oh," she intonated downward in contemplation. "You won't find me there."
"Hmm?" A pause from him hinted to her that a quick search was underway. "I see. Well… I'd like to talk, if it's alright with you."
"Not there," the cat-eared Agnian acceded before sending her position on the map to her Kevesi counterpart's Iris. "I'm outside the City. Will you come to me?"
"Yeah, I'm on my way," Noah complied in turn, terminating the call to begin the rendezvous. Suddenly, she felt a little nervous at reuniting with him. However, Mio knew what she wanted to say in what was sure to be meaningful discourse between them.