Chapter 45 "Lending a Hand"
It seemed impossible, his own subconscious as a portal to the past. Yet, the harrowing scenes of the recurring nightmare remained as vivid to Noah as his recent memories did. Cold was the sensation of running through the tundra with Mio, and loud were the cries of the other Ouroboros whom he'd left behind, or so the story went. There was no way that Noah could've done something so cowardly and selfish, he kept telling himself. Mio had made sure that he wasn't taking the blame for it, either. Even after discussing it with old friends and new, the complete truth still eluded the investigative Kevesi like a terrible tease.
Nevertheless, Noah understood that not all answers were guaranteed to be found, especially with Moebius in charge of Aionios. Perhaps, then, it was time to set it aside and refocus on day-to-day life in the City. On this night, he and Mio found themselves in a popular canteen for dinner and a chat with friends.
"Fonse and Denize are here," Mio pointed them out to Noah on their way to an open table.
"Ah, so they are," the ponytailed soldier soon spotted them himself.
"Noah, Mio!" Fonse, the mace-and-shield redhead waved with crumbs on his fingers from a fried skwaror tender. "Come and sit by us."
"Do they have to?" Denize, the freckled swordswoman muttered to him which didn't slip past Mio's impeccable hearing.
"Is someone else with you?" Noah noted a third, empty chair at his friends' table.
"Lana," the mace-wielder motioned with his head. "She's gone back for seconds."
"Don't know how she can pack it all away," the freckled Kevesi remarked in disbelief before digging back into her veggie-and-meat salad.
"Well, she keeps busy with all her activities," the redhead reminded her while Noah and Mio took their seats at the next table. "Builds up an appetite, doesn't it?"
"Ah, her art classes," the moonblades-wielder knew to what he was alluding.
"Every week, she brings home something new that she made," Fonse informed his liberators who'd begun eating as well. "Paintings, figurines, um… what else?"
"I think I've seen her with origami," Mio added to his list after her first bite of fish tacos.
"Clutters up what little space we have," Denize idly poked at her leafy greens with her fork.
"I suppose," the mace-wielder conceded after dipping his tender in sauce, "though we can't say our apartment looks dull anymore."
"It's a mess," his partner reiterated in her usual combative tone. "I only get the corner for my succulents."
"But the sunlight comes in over there," he pointed out to her with a slightly smudged smile.
"Fonse, whose side are you on?" the swordswoman dimmed her sights at him, lips pursed.
"Why does there have to be sides?" the former pacifist interjected from his table. "You three used to be inseparable."
"How many times do I have to tell you?" she pivoted her indignation at Noah which was practically second nature to her. "She's not the same Lana anymore."
"She looks and sounds the same, at least from what I remember of our early-term days," Fonse reclined in his chair for a moment of reflection. "However, her personality is what's changed, and I don't know why."
"Your group dynamic is different, now," Noah offered his perspective, having set down his shredded armu steak wrap. "That could be why Lana is behaving differently."
"I don't understand," Denize continued to stare at him with furrowed brows.
"The last time she was in her first term, so were you two," he explained to his former teammates from Colony 25. "There was no age gap back then, so you all were on the same wavelength. But now, it's harder for you to relate to her."
"Oh, so you're saying it's our fault," she slightly misinterpreted his words.
"I wouldn't say that exactly," the ponytailed soldier rubbed his forehead with the back of his hand. "Rather, you don't share the same interests, or priorities."
"Perhaps the environment you create isn't what Lana needs," the zephyr provided her own thoughts on the matter.
"The environment?" the freckled Kevesi repeated in question, squinting at Mio.
"Oh…" It dawned on the redhead first.
"What?" Denize whipped her head back in his direction. "What are they…?"
"You know," he looked her in the eye, his mouth curling at the end.
"I…?" the swordswoman started to say before figuring it out herself. "Oh, for spark's sake."
"Is it that surprising?" Mio questioned her surprise, recapturing their attention. "You've complained about lack of priva-"
"Shush, ring girl," Denize growled at her, head hung low in mild embarrassment. "I'm up to speed, now."
"I'm… sorry," the cat-eared Agnian shrank back into her seat as the conversation likewise receded amongst the indoor chatter.
"So, anyway, what have you guys been up to lately?" Fonse swiftly moved onto a new topic. "Still trying to figure out your nightmare, mate?"
"I'm afraid that search has stalled for now," Noah reported on his general lack of progress since he'd brought up dreams to his friends three days ago.
"That's a bummer," the mace-wielder offered brief sympathy upon finishing his dinner. "Personally, I'd be curious to learn about my previous selves, but I wouldn't even know where to start."
"Right, with Moebius erasing our memories," the oldest soldier of the group commiserated with him.
"I can't even imagine whom I might've been friends with in the past," Fonse let his gaze wander around the canteen, glimpsing a few faces at random. "I could've been best buds with someone who's a stranger to me now."
"It's cruel," she started to do the same, "so many hearts broken, no doubt."
"Well, I'm happy to believe that I met Denize in the past," he refocused on his partner, reaching for her hands. "We don't need proof, right?"
"Wipe your fingers first, Fonsy," the freckled Kevesi slid her arms off the table.
"Fair, fair," the redhead chuckled before acquiescing.
"It is said that ignorance can be blissful," Mio continued to ruminate while Fonse and Denize momentarily slipped into their own little bubble.
"So I've heard," the swordfighter observed them as well. "The City's bound to have soldiers who killed one another in the past and aren't aware of it."
"Yeah, hmm…" the moonblades-wielder stared at her mostly full plate with a sigh.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Noah apologized upon realizing what he might've accidentally refreshed in Mio's mind.
"It's alright," she shook her head slowly. "I haven't… seen anybody I recognize as being a past victim of mine."
"Same here," Fonse returned from his short, romantic interlude with Denize, "probably because many soldiers wear masks in battle."
"It's a good thing, in hindsight," the zephyr rested her hands together on the table. "I can remember a few faces. And I still… think about Amie, sometimes."
"Mio," the former pacifist shared a melancholic frown with her.
"Who's Amie?" the mace-wielder inquired, inadvertently snapping the two deserters out of it.
"Someone from Lanz' colony that I killed," Mio informed him with most of the details withheld. "It's a… really long story."
"Hmph, what isn't?" Denize mumbled to herself as the discussion dissipated once more.
"So, um, how's your dinner?" Noah struck up new conversation with Mio, the two couples now branching off.
"Much to my liking," the cat-eared Agnian appreciated his attempt to cheer her up, "though, it could use a bit more salt."
"I saw some packets at the bar," he pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. "Shall I grab some?"
"Yes, please," Mio nodded with her napkin pressed against her lips.
"Alright," the courteous Kevesi rose from the table. The dinner rush was in full swing by now as Noah weaved through the busy dining area towards the bar where he snagged the condiment for Mio. No sooner had he turned to head back than his eyes fell upon a familiar blonde first-termer seated at another table. "Lana?"
"Huh?" the semi-recently reborn soldier rotated towards him. "Oh, hi Noah!" Sharing her table was Sena, the ether-lined Agnian with lively blue hair.
"Hello," he acknowledged the older girl before returning to the younger one. "Er, Lana, weren't you with Fonse and Denize?"
"Oops! I was, wasn't I?" An embarrassed but innocent grin grew on her face. "But I saw Sena and… she was all by herself."
"It's okay," the blue-haired Agnian dropped her arms by her sides. "You can go back with your friends if you want."
"But you're always alone," Lana contended, staying glued to her seat.
"Why don't you both come over?" the ponytailed soldier extended an invitation as an alternative. "The more, the merrier, right?"
"Oh, I don't know," Sena appeared to hesitate at the prospect. "Denize doesn't really like me."
"I-I suppose…" Noah reluctantly agreed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Tell them I'll come back soon," the little blonde requested to him before facing her Agnian friend again. "Right now, I'm with her."
"Very well," he obliged by Lana's wishes and turned to leave. Back at his own table a minute later, Noah handed the packet of salt to Mio who'd been waiting patiently.
"Thanks," the moonblades-wielder repaid him with a warm smile.
"Mhm," his expression mirrored hers before addressing the nearby Kevesi couple. "Er, I found Lana on the other end of the canteen."
"Is she still filling her plate?" Fonse assumed whilst he checked his Iris for updates.
"Actually, she's eating with Sena now," Noah revealed to him and Denize. "She'll come ba-"
"What?" the swordswoman sat up in apparent shock. "We were dumped? And for her, no less?"
"Denize, it's… fine," the redhead tried to calm her down. "They're friends, you know."
"I know, but…" her hands balled into fists on the table.
"It shouldn't matter that she's Agnian," he reminded his partner, careful not to talk too loudly. "We're all on the sa-"
"Yeah, yeah…" Denize cut him off, arms crossed and frown in full force.
"It's still a struggle for you, huh?" Mio surmised, swallowing a sigh of disappointment.
"Hmph," the freckled Kevesi pivoted away from her.
"We spent nine terms opposing the other side, and suddenly we're allies," Fonse summarized their experience, his Iris still active. "I must admit, even I'm still adjusting, somewhat."
"But Lana's only ever known amity," the lone Agnian of the group brought to their attention. "It makes sense that she'd get along easily with Sena or me."
"Not to mention she has her whole life to live in the City," the mace-wielder realized aloud, his tone somewhat solemn. "I'm rather jealous."
"To think I cried for her, after she died in battle against…" Denize paused as her grouchy gaze fell upon Mio, "some entity."
"Speaking of which," his hand raised, signaling another change in topics.
"Hmm?" the former pacifist faced him, nearly finished with dinner.
"A City surveillance team reports that Colony Nu just wiped out Colony 7," Fonse shared with the group the news as it appeared on his Iris. "Military HQ's seeking volunteers for emergency rescue of survivors."
"How awful," the zephyr clasped her hands over her gem empathetically. "Those soldiers who don't know any better, out there still fighting."
"Colony Nu, you say?" Noah started to ponder, drawing all eyes onto himself.
"Huh?" the redhead finally deactivated his Iris.
"They destroyed Colony 17, my home before I moved to Colony 25 and met you two," the swordfighter relayed a small but significant portion of his personal history to his fellow Kevesis. "We were… ambushed, at night. And then they slipped away, just as easily."
"I've heard about Colony Nu," Fonse prepared to add his two cents. "That's their strategy, to remain mobile and stealthy. We never encountered them, so… I guess you never got to exact revenge, eh?"
"I don't need revenge," the ponytailed soldier was swift to assert, "although…"
"Noah?" Mio directed her concerned sights onto him with a fairly clear idea of what was going through his mind.
"I feel compelled to help out their victims," he voiced to everybody, momentarily accessing his Iris to read what Fonse had seen earlier.
"I see," her suspicion was confirmed.
"This looks like something we can do, too," the mace-wielder turned to his partner across the table. "Right, Denize?"
"If you want to," the swordswoman didn't appear to object.
"Okay, then let's report to military HQ," Fonse rose to his feet which prompted Denize to do the same.
"Hang on," the former pacifist wasn't quite so quick to follow. "Mio, how do you feel about this?"
"As long as we keep combat to a minimum," the moonblades-wielder gave him a warning alongside her blessing. Just as they stood to join Fonse and Denize, however, their younger friend approached them at last.
"I'm back," Lana announced in her usual cheerful manner.
"You took too long," Denize chided her with a heavy dose of attitude. "We're out of here."
"Oh," the first-termer stopped in her tracks. "Where are you going?"
"If you'd been here, then you would've heard," the freckled Kevesi didn't let up as she walked past Lana.
"We're lending a hand outside the City," the redhead informed her, putting on his jacket. "We may not get home 'til much later, I'm afraid."
"Again?" Lana rested her hands on her hips.
"What do you mean, again?" Denize spun around, affronted by her word choice.
"You're always coming home late," the younger Kevesi girl elaborated, no longer sunny.
"What do you care?" the older one challenged, now mimicking Lana's stance standoffishly.
"It's not healthy for you," the little blonde advised what she'd picked up from somewhere in the City.
"Mind your own business, you brat!" the swordswoman raised her voice, now out of patience. All at once, the air seemed to be sucked out of the room while the background chatter carried on without them.
"Brat?" Lana chiseled the ice that'd quickly formed between them. "Isn't that a bad word?"
"It… uh…" Denize suddenly found herself sweating in a pool of regret but couldn't get any further words out of her mouth.
"Well, get home safely," the first-termer seemed to let it slide, regardless of whether or not she'd understood the barb. Without any farewells, Lana shyly slipped out of the canteen and left her older friends stunned.
"Perhaps, I shouldn't have introduced her to you guys," Noah couldn't help but feel responsible for his friends' argument. "I'm sorry."
"We can talk with her later," Fonse took charge of the situation, not wanting to miss the mission. "Right now, let's go before they leave without us."
After returning their plates, the four liberated soldiers exited the canteen and made their way down to military headquarters. Much to their surprise, several people had already shown up to volunteer. Among them were Lanz the two-toned defender, Pollux the former Levnis pilot with the same skin pattern, and Ashera the zealous double-lancer. Also present was Sena who didn't go unnoticed by Denize.
"Oh, she's here," the freckled Kevesi hid none of her displeasure.
"H-hello…" the ether-lined girl displayed a shaky palm, likewise discomfited by the inadvertent meeting.
"On second thought," Denize started to leave but bumped into Fonse.
"You really want to back out now?" the mace-wielder didn't move out of her way. "We could save lives tonight."
"Don't twist my arm," she glared at him for essentially calling out her pettiness.
"Thank you everyone for answering the call." Meanwhile, Reynolds, the short, bearded coordinator with a terminal addressed the crowd. "I assume you're aware of what's going on. So, unless there are any questions, please board the Levnis and meet with our team in Everblight Plain."
"What'll we do if Moebius pops in?" Pollux raised his hand while some of the volunteers started walking ahead.
"The group leader will give you instructions on how to proceed," the coordinator didn't miss a beat. "Right, off with you, and good luck."
Before they knew it, Noah and his friends were scooting down the outdoor corridor to catch up with the others who'd already picked their seats inside the transport Levnis. Not another second was wasted as it lifted out of the City and commenced the latest mission of mercy. The air was tense and undeniably awkward inside the cabin with Sena and Denize exchanging various glances during the ride.
Looking out the windows didn't provide happier sights as the only lights shining in the nighttime were explosions from distant battles. Several flashes came from below while palls of red motes that Ferronises hadn't absorbed rose into the air like smoke. All of this was a sad, stark reminder of the terrible life that Noah and company had left behind from being liberated. With a little luck, they hoped to offer the same opportunity to any survivors of the freshly destroyed Colony 7. Now in the Aetia region, the Levnis brought the volunteers to the City's local team who'd put out the request.
"You've arrived," a woman with brown hair in a ponytail greeted Noah's group. "I'm Rachella, leader of the Everblight militia for the City."
"Noah," the swordfighter introduced himself, "and this is Mi-"
"Thanks for coming," Rachella cut right to the task already underway. "Sorry to rush you, but we haven't much time."
"Right," he peered over her shoulder to the destroyed colony, "the soldiers."
"Most of my team's already mobilized, so you can pitch in and help," the group leader laid out the situation for the volunteers. "Defenders should bolster our perimeter, while everyone else will search for survivors."
"Got it," the ponytailed soldier spoke for his fellow liberators before turning to face them. "Well then?"
"Guess I'm heading out there," Lanz began making his way towards the militants on guard.
"W-wait for me!" Sena followed him into the outskirts.
"Yeah!" Ashera sprinted past both defenders with her modified Blade already active. "Give me something to fight!"
"Hopefully, we don't have to fight," Fonse remarked in their wake as he started walking after them.
"You're going too?" the swordswoman halted him before he could take another step.
"Of course," the redhead gave her a puzzled look. "I have a shield, after all."
"Come on," Mio urged Denize while Fonse ran to catch up with the other defenders. "Let's join the rescue squad."
"Yeah, they need our help," the two-toned boy likewise encouraged her.
"Hmph, fine," Denize reluctantly parted with Fonse and followed the rest of the volunteers towards ground zero.
Colony 7, or at least what remained of it, sat atop Rottswoe Battlescar at the north end of Everblight Plain where the wind howled like a dying volff. Kevesi wreckage was strewn everywhere, along with a sickening amount of fresh husks. In fact, most of the deceased were found near the destroyed canteen and in the barracks. Elsewhere, militants shouted into the rubble in hopes that a buried survivor would hear them. It was about as grim of a scene as it could be, but Noah and Mio didn't let that stop them from their duty. Pollux likewise got his hands dirty with the search, using a heatseeking device that he'd brought from the City. As for Denize, it wasn't quite so easy to jump into the task.
"Hey, you," Rachella called out to her, having brought up the rear. "Did you find someone?"
"Huh?" the freckled Kevesi snapped out of her daze.
"I was asking if you've found someone in the rubble," the woman in charge sounded impatient.
"Oh, n-not yet," Denize straightened herself out, staring blankly at nothing in particular. "Feels like I'm losing someone, though."
"Eh?" Rachella's brow raised in curiosity. "Was this your old colony, then?"
"No, um…" the swordswoman shook her head in a feeble attempt to find something smart to say.
"Well, stay vigilant," the group leader started to walk away. "We're all risking our lives being out here."
"Are you feeling ill?" Noah approached her with Mio after hearing the lopsided exchange.
"Don't be nosy," Denize's expression and tone regained rigidity upon his inquiry.
"Are you still thinking about Lana?" the zephyr pressed her for more regardless.
"Seriously, you two?" The freckled Kevesi glared at them before conceding to their concern. "Fine, yeah, I hate myself for shouting at her. The only reason why I'm here is to escape."
"Escape?" Mio tilted her head while she tried to decipher Denize's words. "Are you afraid of her?"
"Over here!" Pollux hollered nearby with his heatseeking device pointed at a Levnis whose frame was damaged beyond recognition. "Somebody's trapped inside!"
"Right, this isn't the time or place," the former pacifist determined as he ran to the developing scene, prompting Mio and Denize to follow. "Pollux?"
"This Equites!" the two-toned boy put away his gadget and began tugging on the jammed door. "Help me!"
"We're on it," the lone Agnian of the group assured him. Everybody had their hands on the scrap metal in a cooperative effort to pry it open. No ounce of strength was wasted, and soon the debris revealed a pair of early-term Kevesis curled in the cockpit. One was a boy with light brown hair and short wings, while the other was a girl with dirty blonde hair in pigtails.
"Two of them!" Pollux exclaimed while the other militants gathered around the wreckage.
"Well done," Rachella lauded the discovery, shining a light inside. "They're not husks, so they're still alive."
"We mustn't dawdle, though," the moonblades-wielder cautioned after observing Colony 7's destroyed Ferronis. "Their Flame Clock is nearly empty."
"Indeed, we'll have to go with just these two," the woman in charge decided without further deliberation. "We've searched for long enough." Carefully, each survivor was extricated from the smashed Equites and cradled into the arms of a militant.
"Zeon…" Noah read the dog tag on the boy before doing the same with the girl's, "and… Rinoa."
"Poor things," Mio sympathized with them, Denize thinking similarly but silently. "They're going to be so lost when they wake up in the City."
"Better than being dead," Rachella stuck to the positive as the survivors were carried away. "Alright, let's pack up and go home." Not wishing to remain exposed, she recalled the defenders from their posts and soon everyone was making their way back to their Levnis. During a routine headcount, Noah gazed back at the smoldering mess that was Colony 7.
"Something on your mind?" the zephyr inquired upon noticing his contemplation.
"Complete devastation after sundown," the solemn swordsman spoke softly. "This was definitely Colony Nu's doing."
"Does it still hurt, that night?" she rested a hand against his forearm.
"It was tough," Noah didn't quite answer her question but nevertheless appreciated her comfort, "especially since we didn't have the City to come to our aid."
"But tonight, we've saved two of them, huh?" Fonse brought attention back onto the survivors as the Levnis hatch shut in preparation for liftoff.
"I look at them, their faces…" Denize appeared as glum as Noah was but for a different reason, "and all I can see is Lana."
"She's probably asleep by now," the mace-wielder stretched his arms, stifling a yawn.
"The most innocent of us all," she continued her lamenting despite others in the cabin beginning to eavesdrop, "and I snuffin' yelled at her."
"It's not too late to make amends," the cat-eared Agnian reminded her. For once, Denize didn't scowl or retort in response. In fact, the rest of the ride back home went without another word. Only when they arrived in the City and the two survivors were carted to the infirmary did someone speak.
"Hey, wait," the swordswoman stopped Sena in the outdoor corridor.
"W-who, me?" the blue-haired Agnian backed against the wall.
"You live alone, right?" Denize forced herself to look at her former enemy. Fonse, ever supportive, stood by his partner's side. "Er, would you mind very much if… you could take Lana in?"
"T-to be my roomie?" Sena appeared to perk up at the proposition while Noah and Mio observed with smiles on their faces.