Chapter 38 "Learn to Accept"

"Haleney," Noah read the name of the most recently defeated Moebius in the City's Wall of Shame. "Soldier, no additional records available."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" the zephyr rubbed his back, the two deserters decompressing after a largely disastrous mission earlier in the day.

"I'm the reason she's on this wall," he stared at Haleney's portrait regretfully, "for all to ridicule…"

"No, Moebius is the reason," she corrected him, insistently.

"I know, but… I killed her," the former pacifist clarified his lamentation.

"I hope you don't plan on dwelling on that for too long," Mio cautioned him, perhaps more sternly than he would've preferred. "Eventually, you'll need to move on."

"I need closure," the contrite Kevesi attempted to convince his Agnian counterpart. "I need… to understand my actions, what I'm doing."

"Of course," she empathized with him in that regard. "Just know that I think your actions have been… heroic."

"Thank you, Mio," he turned towards her, only to notice someone familiar in the registry office just outside. "Hmm?"

"Oh, you're here?" It was Fonse, the mace-and-shield defender with reddish-brown hair whom Noah and Mio had rescued from the mission. Denize, the freckled swordswoman stood behind her fellow survivor.

"Fonse, Denize," the ponytailed soldier stepped aside to let them enter. "You've been freed from your Flame Clock, then?"

"We have," the redhead affirmed, running his hand down his face. "The egg-shaped rock opened and glowed brightly and… our Irises look different now."

"Good." It relieved Noah to know that they weren't about to drop dead from Colony 25's wrecked Flame Clock running dry. "What about orientation?"

"The class they mentioned? Not yet." Fonse momentarily peered over his shoulder to Denize who was still minimally covered in sand. "We just registered, so now we're supposed to head back to their HQ."

"What is this room, though?" the swordswoman couldn't help her curiosity.

"Wall of Shame," the former pacifist informed them, though unenthusiastically, "where all known members of Moebius are displayed… and disgraced."

"Moebius?" the mace-wielder tilted his head. "You mean… the consuls?"

"Like that bitch," she pointed to Haleney's portrait.

"I think… they're meant to discourage others from becoming Moebius," Mio answered instead which caused Denize to back up.

"Well, sure, but how does that happen?" he looked to both of his saviors, unafraid to associate with an Agnian. "Haleney was dead. We found her husk."

"Nobody's quite sure," she confessed the City's gap in the facts. "Still, you'll learn a lot in orientation."

"We know this is already a lot for you to take in," her trusted partner prefaced from his own experience, "but please keep an open mind."

"Right," Fonse sighed at his feet before turning to leave with Denize. "To think, this morning I was supposed to send an inventory report to the commander… who's dead now…"

"I feel for those two," the moonblades-wielder watched them leave, hands clasped in front of herself. "From a colony to the City in a single day, with no time to mentally prepare."

"Yeah," Noah shared her sentiment, his travels with Mio still relatively fresh in his mind. "At least we had multiple encounters with citizens before coming here."

"And still, it was a struggle for me," she recalled her skepticism which hadn't dissipated until her own consul's defeat. "Anyway, shall we go home now?"

"Not yet," he shook his head. "I want to visit Lana first. Doubtless they'll come into contact with her in the barracks."

"Ah," his special mate suddenly realized the probability. "They aren't aware of her rebirth."

"I didn't want to tell them before they understood the concept," the cautious Kevesi laid out his thinking process. "Besides, knowing Denize, our presence might be needed for intermediation."

"She's uncomfortable around Agnians, I can tell," Mio figured out where he was going with this, "and there are new recruits from Colony Mu in the barracks."

"Exactly," he proceeded to exit himself, prompting her to follow. "Hopefully, Lana's there now."

The walk to their destination wouldn't be long, though Noah and Mio were in no hurry. With nightfall upon them, ether lights illuminated the City streets while they headed southward to the barracks. Liberated soldiers populated the large room, some dining in the cafeteria in the rear, others resting on their bunks. Noah soon spotted the recently reborn Kevesi sitting on hers, comfortably in conversation with a female Agnian.

"Pardon us, Lana," the ponytailed soldier interrupted her as politely as possible, "may we have a quick word?"

"Noah, Mio," the little blonde stared back at them while the other individual fell silent. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, you're fine," the zephyr slowly waved her hands laterally, palms open, "but we've come to warn you about something… unusual."

"Huh?" confusion colored the first-termer's face.

"Remember what we discussed?" Noah proceeded to his order of business with her. "Your previous life, at Colony 25?"

"Y-yeah," she straightened her back, fingers interlaced in her lap.

"Well, Mio and I were just there," he revealed, minus the heavy details, "and we've brought back a couple of soldiers who were… er, friends of ours."

"Really?" Lana's face brightened with a gradually growing smile. "You did that just for me?"

"It's a long story," Mio mimicked her expression, though with unease.

"Perhaps we can attribute it to fate," the swordfighter rubbed the back of his neck. "Regardless, they'll be here soon. We don't want you to be alarmed if they wish to speak with you."

"Okay," the recently reborn soldier nodded in understanding.

"I'm sorry we interrupted," Noah bowed his head similarly before he and Mio turned to leave.

"Y-you're the ones who liberated us," the female Agnian with whom Lana had previously been talking spoke up.

"Oh, yes, we are." The former pacifist recognized her by her short blue hair, the tips of which seemed alight like the ether lines on her arms and perhaps elsewhere. "I'm Noah, and this is Mio."

"I'm… uh, Sena," she shyly backed into the bunkbed's ladder behind herself.

"Nice to meet you, Sena," the moonblades-wielder met her discomposure with warmth. "You and Lana seem to have gotten on well."

"We're sharing this bunkbed," the blue-haired Agnian disclosed, glancing at the little Kevesi. "Everyone else from Colony Mu paired up, and I… didn't want to be alone."

"Neither did I," Lana's hands sunk between her knees, legs now casually swinging.

"That's sweet," Mio grinned again, this time genuinely, before their situation brought something to her mind. "Though, I see the barracks are… filling up rather rapidly."

"Yeah, they keep encouraging us to find rooms of our own," someone chimed in from behind. Everyone faced the doorway to find the stylish, accessorized Agnian with brown hair swept to one side.

"Luckily, we'll be moving into one tomorrow," announced her furry-eared, dark-toned comrade who accompanied her into the barracks. "I'm feeling giddy."

"Ah, you two were the guards of Colony Mu," Noah recognized them quicker than he did Sena.

"You can call me Alexandria," the stylish soldier sauntered towards him and Mio. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, properly this time."

"Chickadee," the furry-eared Agnian introduced herself next, both of them carrying nearly-finished cold drinks. "Alex and I have been together ever since we left our pods, er… growth modules, seven years ago."

"That's a long time," the zephyr remarked while they swirled the ice cubes with their straws. "I'm glad you get to continue doing so in the City."

"Thanks for bringing us here," Alexandria winked at her and Noah. "It's one thing to hear rumors of the City, but it's another to actually experience it."

"And now my legs hurt from walking all day," Chickadee leaned on her friend, pouting slightly exaggeratedly. "I think I'll turn in early tonight."

"Curfew won't be for another two hours," Mio reminded them in regards to the noise level.

"Bummer, though I might be…" a yawn cut into the dark-toned girl's response, "tired enough to sleep immediately anyway."

"Guess I'll join her," the accessorized Agnian resigned after sipping her cup dry. "See you later." Following in Chickadee's fatigued footsteps, Alexandria disappeared into the grid of bunkbeds.

"Were those the friends you said would come?" Lana inquired about the two Agnian seventh-termers. "They've been here as long as I have."

"No, our friends are Kevesi," the ponytailed soldier corrected her, "since they've come from Colony 25."

"Oh yeah," she covered her mouth, giggling at her gaffe.

The chatter in the barracks diminished somewhat while Noah, Mio, and Lana awaited the two newest recruits and Sena climbed to her bunk. Ten more minutes would pass before Fonse and Denize stepped into view at last, their subsequent reaction to Lana's presence putting an end to the intervening lull.

"Lana?! What the… spark?!" The freckled Kevesi gawked at the patiently seated girl.

"Is it… really you?" the redhead's reaction wasn't quite so loud.

"Hi," the little blonde waved to them, unfazed.

"How is it even possible?" he tiptoed towards her, extending and retracting his arm indecisively. "You're supposed to be… but here you are… as a…"

"Fonse, Denize," Noah wrangled their attention, though several eyes were already on the scene. "You've just had orientation, yes?"

"Who snuffin' cares about that?!" Denize maintained her outdoor voice indoors. "Our dead friend's right there!"

"Calm yourselves, please," the cat-eared Agnian attempted to dampen their rowdiness.

"S-sorry," Fonse ran his fingers through his hair. "So, she's been… r-reborn? Back to her first term?"

"It would appear so," the former pacifist confirmed, feeling guilty for Lana having to endure their excitement.

"Then that means…" the mace-wielder began piecing it together.

"She doesn't remember us," the swordswoman finished his thought for him before addressing her previously lost friend. "Do you… know who I am?"

"Nope," Lana replied simply, bluntly. "Whew… you smell like fish."

"That's because I… uh…" Denize retreated to confer with her partner. "Fonsy, I don't know… what to do."

"Let's… try starting over," he swallowed hard before straightening out his military uniform. "Our apologies, Lana. I-I'm Fonse, from Colony 25… where we all were friends."

"A-and my name's Denize," the freckled Kevesi spoke next, still trying to get ahold of herself.

"Noah told me about you," the reborn soldier stared back at them, gripping the edge of her mattress.

"We missed you," Fonse held back his tears of confusion and joy. "We thought we'd never see you again, but… we're back together… in a new place."

"Yeah, and…" Denize started to say when her eyes drifted up to Lana's bunkmate. "Wait, that's an Agnian. Y-you're with our enemy?"

"Wha…?" Sena suddenly realized that she was referring to her. "Enemy? B-but I'm not…"

"Denize," the ponytailed soldier admonished her, disappointedly, "nobody's an enemy in the City."

"We're one large community now," Mio stepped in, too, though her prior affiliation didn't go unnoticed.

"You would defend that snuffer," the swordswoman sneered at her, arms now crossed.

"Hey, I haven't done anything to you," the ether-lined girl objected to the insult, peering down crossly from her bunk.

"I'm sorry about her," Noah apologized to Sena for Denize whom he didn't expect to do so herself.

"Look, they just told us the real enemy is Moebius," the redhead pulled her away from the bunkbed. "That's why Haleney hunted us."

"Hmph, that loser and her stupid fish," Denize shifted her hatred back onto the traitor whose pet had snagged her in its maw earlier. "Ugh! I need a bath so badly…"

"You can use the barracks' facilities," the moonblades-wielder pointed to the bathrooms on the side.

"Right, thanks," Fonse acknowledged before coaxing Denize in that direction. "C'mon, you'll feel better afterwards."

"Yeah, yeah…" the freckled Kevesi abated her complaining, at least until she reached a pair of separate doors. "Wait, they split girls from boys? Not Kevesis from Agnians?"

"Huh, this is different," the mace-wielder shared in her surprise, both of them staring at the signs on the wall.

"Does that mean there might be Agnians inside?" she fretted for anybody on that side of the barracks to hear.

"She's really having a hard time adjusting," Mio observed as the first-termer hopped out of bed and followed the two newest recruits.

"It's okay, I'll keep you company," Lana offered to her past self's friend.

"Lana…" Denize's pupils dilated at her generosity, "but… you don't know me."

"I don't want you angry with anyone," the little blonde took her hand and proceeded to lead her inside. "You can even wash your clothes, too."

"Well then, guess I'm going here," Fonse pushed through the other door with much less hesitation.

All at once, the room became deafeningly silent. Although Noah wasn't the one who'd caused the ruckus, he felt responsible for it anyway. Trusting that Fonse would keep Denize in line, the two deserters exited the barracks and returned to their apartment.

Things would settle down over the next six days while Noah and Mio stayed within the City to monitor everybody and volunteer at the orphanage. It was a good opportunity to unwind, considering how two of the last three missions had worn him out. When it'd been a full week since their last one, Noah was ready to visit military headquarters again and see what needed doing. To his surprise, there were a few familiar faces among the small crowd of liberated soldiers.

"Fonse, Denize, Lana," the former pacifist found them standing in the rear. "You're volunteering?"

"Figured we'd repay the City for freeing us," the redhead explained his first of two motives. "We can also learn more about our real enemy if we go into the field. And believe me, it took some convincing to get Denize on board."

"Oh shut up," the swordswoman snapped at him.

"How about you?" Noah turned to the youngest of the trio. "Are you tagging along?"

"I'm here for support," Lana leaned slightly forward with her arms behind herself.

"That's awfully nice of you," he shared a lighthearted smile with her before facing her older friends again. "So, you two have taken her under your wings?"

"More like she's taken us under her wings," Fonse admitted with a chuckle, "since she's been in the City longer than we have."

"Huh," the zephyr tapped her chin, "I guess that makes se-"

"Alright, if that's everybody for today, let's begin," Reynolds, the short, bearded coordinator with a terminal extinguished the chatter in preparation for his announcements. Additionally, two male Agnian soldiers parted from the crowd to stand beside him. "First and foremost, we have a request for assistance by a couple of your own. Dowe and Jaren, would you like to share?"

"Hmm?" the ponytailed soldier observed the quest-givers, their faces appearing vaguely familiar.

"Thank you, sir," taking the floor first was a tall blond boy. "Ahem, my name is Dowe, and this is Jaren."

"We're from Colony Upsilon," the second one took his turn next, boasting a pair of blue fins behind his ears and ether lines down his neck and arms. "Early this morning, we received distress calls from our comrades whom we left behind when we defected."

"Based on their accounts, the consul is there interrogating them," Dowe dove into the details, "punishing those whom he suspects will desert like us."

"Although we have multiple regional teams deployed near Colony Upsilon, they're currently busy tending to other tasks," the coordinator added after clicking on his terminal. "Therefore, you lot will go as you are."

"Colony Upsilon?" Denize recoiled at the location's mention. "But that's… Agnian."

"Huh?" Mio glanced at her with one brow up. "You're still…?"

"I can't go through with this," the freckled Kevesi spun around, hands by her head.

"But… you promised," the reborn soldier gave her a pouty look from below. "You said you'd give it a chance no matter what."

"Grr…" Denize felt herself instantly melting at the sight of her disappointed, first-term friend. "Fine, I'll do it for you."

"That's better!" Lana retracted her frown in approval.

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" Noah dignified her maturity by asking her instead of Fonse. "Denize can always partake in a different mission."

"She has to!" she puffed out her chest, resting her fists on her hips. "It's the only way she'll learn to accept."

"I-I suppose…" he rubbed the back of his neck, unsure despite Lana's conviction.

With no further objections from anybody, Dowe and Jaren led their fellow liberated soldiers out of the City, down the elevator at Mulus Depot, and to the harbor to board a boat. Once out of Patulia Bay, they sailed directly southward through the open sea. With everyone now sitting in close quarters, Noah couldn't help but observe his group leaders again. Only then did he realize why their faces weren't completely new to him.

"You two," the former pacifist leaned forward in his seat across from them, "we've met before, haven't we?"

"Noah, yes?" the tall Agnian mimicked his posture. "Along with…?"

"Mio," the moonblades-wielder offered her name to him. "We four and a few others were liberated together after meeting at the relay base last month."

"Right, I remember," Dowe clapped once, nearly grinning. "You amazed us with your… commitment to each other, despite coming from opposite sides."

"Our pact," Mio recalled what she'd formed with Noah which eventually led them to the City.

"Definitely opened our eyes," the ether-lined boy beside him reflected positively. "Living together and for each other. It makes sense now."

"How?" the swordswoman cut into their harmonizing.

"Hmm?" Noah looked in her direction, as did everyone else.

"How can you be so casual with Agnians?" Denize's own stare focused on him, still in disbelief. "Ring girl, I can… maybe understand, but the rest? We used to fight them."

"We know who the real enemy is," the mace-wielder reminded her from orientation. "We all were duped."

"Doesn't mean I can just suddenly be chummy with these… people," she contended, exercising restraint in her word choice.

"You don't have to be," Jaren spoke next, seemingly unbothered by her demurrer. "All we ask for is toleration."

"Just so you know, it took me quite some time to adjust, too," the cat-eared Agnian commiserated with the Kevesi girl. Whether or not Mio's words did anything for her, Denize settled back in her seat and instead gazed outside the cabin. The ride was nearly over at this point as their destination grew larger in their view and the sea captain activated the boat's cloaking device.

"We're getting closer," the blond boy alerted his crew. "Let's prepare ourselves for what's ahead."

"Have you a plan?" the ponytailed soldier inquired, never one to jump into anything blindly.

"We have to take down the consul before he causes more harm," the blue-finned Agnian dropped his right fist in his left palm.

"The colony's built on a tiny island within that atoll up ahead," Dowe described their previous home's layout, "so we'll just have to go in and attack."

"Doesn't sound ideal," Mio muttered precisely what Noah was thinking, everybody now on their feet.

"Denize," Fonse turned to his partner, "would you prefer to stay here when we hop out?"

"I go where you go," the freckled Kevesi swiftly declined his offer.

It wouldn't be much longer before they reached Baldotas Atoll wherein Colony Upsilon sat in alleged turmoil. Sailing slowly so as not to create noticeable waves, the invisible vessel crept through the reef's opening and proceeded to pull alongside the curving shore. Now with a glimpse of the situation through the cabin windows, Dowe's and Jaren's fears for their former comrades were realized.

"Minami, your turn." The consul moved in front of a frightened female soldier who stood in a row with the rest of Colony Upsilon's personnel, half of whom were fresh husks lying on the sand. "Tell me what you think of the City."

"I-I don't really…" the Agnian girl stammered while the others held their breaths. "P-pretty much the same a-as everyone else, sir."

"Not much of an answer, now is it?" he tapped the chin of his mask before resuming the interrogation. "At any rate, do you wish to see this place for yourself?"

"N-no!" Sweat trickled down the sides of her face. "Not at all!"

"What a poor little liar you are," the caped hierarch rejected the soldier's second response, too. Having made up his mind about her intentions, he pointed the barrel of a sharpshooter Blade at her head. Before he could execute her, however, a ring sword came flying from the sideline and knocked the punishing weapon out of his hand. "Gah! What is the meaning of…?"

"You shall not take another life!" the zephyr revealed herself as the interferer while her teammates exited the now visible boat.

"Blast!" the consul's fists vibrated with outrage. "City wretches!"

"Dowe?" a local, surviving soldier recognized his face among the liberators.

"Jaren, too!" another one called out.

"We're here now!" the tall Agnian sought to instill hope to the colony. "And we've brought reinforcements."

"Consul, sir," Jaren addressed his former superior as weapons were drawn. "Your tyranny over Colony Upsilon ends now!"

"Clearly, I moved too slowly," the red-armored dictator grumbled to himself while Noah's group inched closer, outnumbering both him and the soldiers whom he hadn't executed.

"You've been killing our friends just because you thought they wanted to join us in the City!" Dowe called him out on his deadly deeds.

"Ah, there was a snitch yet," the consul presumed from his outcry. "This colony's beyond saving. Should've just wiped it out and started over!"

"You Moebius are all the same!" the cat-eared Agnian advanced to the frontline, hissing. "Not a care for those whose lives you control!"

"Every soldier has hopes and dreams!" Noah stayed alongside her, his inner sword already drawn. "I cannot allow you to disrespect that!"

"Those two…" the caped man took notice of their unique features, "with those Blades…"

"We'll free this world from Moebius' control," the former pacifist declared without hesitation, "even if we have to take you all down, one by one."

"Oh, I highly doubt that," the consul scoffed despite retreating. "You haven't the time, and I've got better things to do!" Nearly at the water's edge, he dematerialized off the plane before any combat could commence.

"He got away," the discontent Kevesi relaxed his stance.

"Nothing we can do about that now," Mio accepted the enemy's escape before focusing on the victims. "As for the soldiers…"

"I'm sorry, we weren't fast enough," the blond boy bewailed the deaths that they couldn't prevent.

"What'll we do?" whined one of the survivors. "The consul ravaged us, even killed the commander and lieutenant!"

"You all wanted to come to the City, right?" Dowe quickly moved onto the next task at hand. "We can take you there."

"You won't have to worry about the consul or fighting to fill the Flame Clock," his ether-lined friend advertised the benefits.

"But… you've got Kevesis," the local Agnian eyed Fonse and Denize warily.

"They, too, abandoned the war," Jaren assured them, both he and Dowe undertaking the recruitment duties. "We live in harmony at home."

"They look so… scared," Denize remarked incredulously to Fonse while they returned their former enemies' stares.

"Was that how we were… one week ago?" the redhead wondered aloud, taking her hand in his.

"Yes, just like us once," the moonblades-wielder looked to Noah before acknowledging Denize's participation. "You've done well, today."

"But I didn't do anything," the swordswoman rebuffed her praise, not out of modesty.

"Your presence helped scare the Moebius away which in turn saved lives," Noah attempted to inspirit her as well. "Lana will be pleased to hear."

"Oh sure, use her against me, why don't you?" Denize's face scrunched into a grimace of annoyance.

"It's true, though," the ponytailed soldier remained adamant, displaying his palms to her.

"Helping each other in the face of adversity," Mio mused about the good in a bad situation. "This is what we're all about."