Outskirts

Fubuki snapped out of the trance she was in, and looked up at Aoi briefly, before her head turned away again.

"Please. . . Just. . . Leave me alone. . ." Fubuki said. Aoi was just another painful reminder of Fubuki's failures, a reminder of Cyan. Standing up, Fubuki began to walk slowly away from Aoi. She wanted to be alone. Isolated. Seeing the Legion Pair of Revengers just made her feel even more alone, and after everything else that had been happening recently, that's all she felt she could be. Alone.

"No! No, no, no!" Aoi shook her head violently, ignoring her phone vibrating with a text. She'll get to it in a minute, Fubuki needed her right now. "You've been alone enough! I'm not gonna let you be!" The prodigy rejected the thought of this girl who sounded horrifically broken since three months ago staying isolated even longer than before. Seeing how much she disliked those people in the Resistance, or just other people Aoi would call friends in general... She didn't believe Fubuki chose to be anti-social, and she definitely didn't believe she wanted to be. Aoi chased her again, and walked alongside her while placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I only want to help!"

Fubuki stopped, and stood in silence for a moment, her gaze not leaving the ground.

"It's too late for me to be helped," Fubuki said. "I've already failed too much, failed too many people," she continued. A chilling wind began to pick up in the outskirts of town. "I'm tired of failing, tired of being useless, tired of being weak!" Fubuki was shouting now, as tears continued rolling down her face.

"I want to. . . To. . ." Fubuki couldn't bring herself to say the last words of the sentence. She turned back towards Aoi and dug her face into Aoi's chest as the tears continued. The girl wanted to change fate. She felt like it was just her 'fate' to be useless and unable to change things. Time and time again, she failed to protect those she cared for, failed to make a difference.

The wind started blowing harder and colder as Fubuki cried.

Aoi watched in complete, concerned confusion as Fubuki finally spilled her heart out. While she didn't look at the China lass, she didn't have to make eye contact for the prodigy to realize how terrible she must feel. Failure, she's on about failure. That's what everyone felt like for so long. Mistakes, useless, pointless fighters that couldn't change anything. Of course, they were wrong. The wind grew, Aoi's long ponytail wagged and flailed about, even after Fubuki threw herself onto her chest. Arms hugged the crying one with a warm, comforting embrace to counter the chilling breeze as much as possible.

"It's not too late if you don't want it to be!" Aoi shouted, holding Fubuki tightly. "You want! You want to! You want to be useful and strong, so just do it!" Was given, the usual motivational process, but one she believed in religiously. Never, never did she believe people simply couldn't, or simply didn't want something that they would feel so much better with. People want help, they want to be strong, they want to be happy. So Aoi gave Fubuki a smile, and offered a gumball she finally found with a free hand. Smiles inspire people to be strong, and Fubuki wanted to be strong.

"I'm here to help you, I'm here to see you pick yourself up after a failure! Messing up is just a creaky stair in life. You can hop over it, but you'll always remember to be on the watch for broken steps like that! You'll learn!"

Okay, that probably doesn't apply to the "failures" Fubuki was referring to, but it was something.

Fubuki stopped crying a bit, taking the gumball. She wished there was a bunch nearby they could sit on, but alas there was not. Aoi's words themselves weren't all that helpful, but the intention behind them reached. Fubuki started chewing the gumball, wanting to just lay down for a while. Preferably with her head in Aoi's lap.

"Thank you. . ." Fubuki said, still pressing herself against Aoi. "I want to be. . . strong enough to change fate," she finished. "Aoi. . . Help me."

Meanwhile, on Cray, the commander that had vanished from the front lines returned. The Blue Wave Dragon had taken up the mantle of the life it had to take, even if it hadn't been this timeline's, and now stood alongside Maelstrom and its new ally, Starless.

"Of course!" Aoi agreed to assist. "Of course I'll help you! I'm your friend!"

The China lass was kind of unsure how to get started, but calming Fubuki down was enough in itself. Aoi took it upon herself to try to reach at Fubuki's cheeks to wipe away the tears while still holding her. They needed to sit down somewhere... "Let's get you back to your place", was suggested.

"U-uh. . . Alright," Fubuki responded, "I'll lead you to there."

Unbeknownst to either of them, Fubuki's deck had changed itself to fit the resolution she had met. A gift from Tetra-Drive to help her change the fate she felt powerless against.

Karin stepped out onto the vast, empty plain of the Outskirts once more. She found herself here a lot recently, since it provided her with a good place to be alone with her thoughts, far from any form of civilization- Most people steered clear of Glendios' old battlefield anyway.

Glendios... That wasn't right. He was Sera now, and this place wasn't a battlefield anymore either. Everything was calm... There was nothing here to disrupt the peace and quiet- An eternal calm after the battle.

Karin sat down where she was and, leaning onto her back, stared up at the orange sky. The stars were beginning to blink into view, right at the edge of the horizon, opposite the setting sun. A breeze passed by Karin, a breeze she couldn't feel- A sad reminder of her current state of being. "I wonder if this is what it's like being locked..." She wondered aloud, trying to make light of her erased senses, though to no avail. Letting out a sigh, she shut her eyes. She wished someone was here to keep her company. Someone like Sera, at the very least.

But that wasn't really possible anymore, being an enemy to the world.

So Karin simply lay there, staring up at the sky as it slowly changed from sunset to night.

Satoshi sat in the emptiness of the outskirts. Had it really been this long since he was last present for the devastation Glendios put forward? He shut his eyes, focusing his thoughts. The success in driving off yet another Reaper was something humanity was taking a lot of pride in, and if anything, he should be with them right now, reveling in their success.

But...a thought had started to linger, since the start of the tournament, and being a part of the mass that watched Haruka take on Chimera. A thought brought to him by a booming voice, one he had not heard for years...one that haunted him during the era of Neu Edelweiss.

HUMANITY HAS ITS PROTECTOR. IT ISN'T YOU. IT WILL NEVER BE YOU.

He cringed as it continued. YOUR FRIENDS ARE GOING TO REALIZE THIS AND LEAVE YOU. THEY'RE STRONGER THAN YOU'LL EVER BE. THEY'RE MORE THAN WILLING TO LET YOU ROT LIKE THE HUSK YOU ARE.

The voice wasn't completely right...but was it completely wrong? Haruka and Yukino were getting married. Others he knew were tying themselves to the Espoir family. It seemed, if anything, that the revolution was close-knit enough that even he, someone who could potentially be seen as a second-in-command, was an outsider. Perhaps it was because he wanted to go about things his own way, but...

Satoshi held his head, trying to calm it. This was not a time for Nebula Lord to rear his head.

Sovereign's voice boomed inside Karin's numbed skull. "It's time. Get moving."

Reluctantly, but unable to resist, Karin hopped to her feet. Looking back to the city, it was clear what Sovereign was referring to. The remaining Reapers she knew about- including the one that had joined her at Sovereign's side against Yukino earlier- were now ALL converging on one spot.

"So are you going to tell me why they're all gathering now of all times?"
"It is to crush whatever hope humanity may have left. Now go. You have a role to play in this."

Karin let out a sigh. She was locked into this freakish hell, and she had no choice. May as well do what she could and get things over with. Sovereign's faint image faded from view, and Karin sped off towards the point of Descent.

Karin popped into existence... And found herself in the outskirts once again. Looking back, she could see where Harbinger was, deleting whatever was left of Gotem City. She was safe from the destruction... Somehow.

The ghastly form of Sovereign appeared behind her, just as it had done before, his faint shape flickering transparently.

Karin simply stood where she was and stared blankly, her mind trying to comprehend everything that had just happened. To her, to the city, and to Yukino.

His usual vigor evaporated back a few miles. His legs carried him here because he didn't know where else was safe to go to anymore. The shell of his body simply plopped to its knees, breathing in the dust of the air. His body was weak for the time being and all he felt was his heart getting frailer and frailer as the evening passed. The rain didn't make the air any less dry, sad to say.

Looking up, he saw the faint figure of a person he knew. No, he knew who it was. He just didn't want to believe it was who it was.

"... What are you doing here..."

His breathing was ragged. He sat himself on the dusty ground finally, collapsing under his own weight. He didn't want to be alive at the very moment.

Karin turned to face the boy who addressed her. It was Sera.

She stared at him blankly, orange eyes still glowing faintly, the barely-visible form of Sovereign looming behind her. She looked at him for a few moments... and a tear fell from her eye. She couldn't feel it, but she cried- a single tear, falling from her face and mixing into the rain.

She sat down across from him. Sovereign was silent, seeming like he wouldn't interfere. Evidently, Karin had earned a brief period of freedom. She took it gladly.

"...I... I don't know..."

She leaned back and looked to the cloudy sky. Sovereign's image vanished.

"...I-I... I'm s-sorry, Sera..."

Another tear. Karin felt the sadness and despair begin to well up inside her... Of course. Sovereign gave her this freedom... So she could wallow in despair. And sure enough, that's what she was going to do. More tears followed. She was actually crying.

"I tried... I t-tried to protect her, to get h-him back, to do e-everything... e-everything I could for you all... B-But none of it worked, it all failed... I failed..."

She fell to her back, closing her eyes. She didn't want to move.
"Sera... I'm... so, so sorry."
Words were all Karin could give at this point. Words that, in the end, would mean absolutely nothing.

He wanted to grab Karin by the collar and wail on her. Sera was tired. He was pissed off. He was... honestly, way too drained to do anything. His body was so fatigued from the battle with Hydra after getting cocky that he felt as  if the world could collapse under him.

"Sorry doesn't bring her back Karin. Sorry doesn't bring anyone back."

Sera lightly pounded his fist in the dirt, coughing and hacking up his insides. His body was on fire and growing more and more feeble as time passed.

"I'm sorry that Tsubasa is gone, but that doesn't mean he gets to come back, you're sorry Yukino was erased and guess what?"

He kicked the dirt, grasping as much of his remaining strength to stand up. Haruka was across the city, unable to speak a word. But Sera had enough energy to at least bark.

"Yukino doesn't get to come back either! Haruka lost his fiance! You lost a comrade and close friend! I lost my best enemy and the world lost their last hope and you want to tell me that you're sorry!"

His voice was being carried by the dusty wind of the deserted arid lands.

"I don't give a damn if anyone is sorry anymore! Haruka told me that being sorry was a good thing but being sorry hasn't helped anyone now, has it? Why can't I be sorry and get what I want back! What more does it take!"

He yelled the sky, no longer at Karin. He was royally enraged now. Vigor came to his body as his head got hot.

"WHY DOES EVERY WIN HAVE A DRAWBACK?! WHY DOES EVERY LOSS HURT MORE THAN THE LAST? I KNOW YOU HEAR ME CHRONOJET, I KNOW YOU DAMN WELL HEAR ME!"

Sera didn't know if he was heard. He just didn't want to believe that everything was going to fall apart without a trace of hope. He dropped to his knees, so livid he could break something with his mind. Assuming he had telekinesis.

"I'm sorry too. But being sorry doesn't bring anyone back."

His mouth was dry and he was ready to pass out.

Karin was tired too. She was tired of everything, and Sera was right. Saying sorry didn't bring anyone back. It didn't make anyone feel better. Sorry didn't help against the Reapers, sorry didn't free Karin from the Reapers' control... Sorry didn't help anything.

She stood up, she slowly walked over to Sera, and she spoke to him one last time.

"...Yeah. You're right."

With her last words to Sera spoken, she turned around, took a step away, and vanished once more, leaving Sera alone.

Some time had passed. Satoshi was locked into meditation, as he had been not long ago. Clearing his mind to focus his thoughts...this took time, but in this state of calm, it took quite a lot to startle him, and likewise a lot to wake him for a moment outside of his own will.

Sera's rant made his eyes open. His words had carried in the open air of the outskirts right into his ears. Another battle had happened? Yukino was the casualty this time? He felt a twinge of pain at hearing this, because it was technically his responsibility to defend the general of humanity, and the loss of his friend...this wasn't alright. Really, if it wasn't for this state he was in, he'd probably smash something. A lot. Several times.

But seated as he was, it was as if Satoshi wasn't nearly as fazed by this as he should be. This moment of peace, of examining words piece by piece instead of taking the brunt of an idea...the reality settled faster than one might expect. He closed his eyes, letting Sera vent more to whoever he was talking to. Then, after a brief silence:

"Sorry won't bring anyone back. You're right. Action will. But sentiment, like rage, clouds our judgment." He cracked his knuckles, still sitting cross-legged. "If we want to bring someone back, we can't hesitate, but we can't act out of rage either." His eyes opened, still aimed downwards. "If there's anything that would show respect for those lost, it would be that we can transcend suffering as a blight and turn it, instead, into an engine for our success."

A half-smile, nearly a smirk, crossed his lips. "That's what hope is."

Sera pouted. He wanted to just bark and scream at the speaker. It was Satoshi, one of Haruka's closest friends. He looked at the man, basically too tired to give any semblance of a good response. He simply stared at the meditating Satoshi. He seemed to be blabbering about...

Hope.

Sera instantly perked up, listening to what he had to say. While the whole "keep hope" spiel never really applied to him. But with the way everything was going... the commander's disappearance and all, he felt it was time he started believing in something. Anything.

Even if that anything was a immaterialistic little hope.

"Go... on. What action do you propose? As far as... saving goes."

Sera was intrigued at least. Even if this was just food for thought... Haruka bragged about how smart Satoshi was, and that his intelligence was potent and what made Haruka such a good decision maker today. The Triad worked in interwoven ways like that.

"We rally together with what we have." Satoshi placed his hands on his knees. "At least, that's what we should do...when we can tear away all that burdens us in our minds." The hands trembled a little as he made a push to stand up.

"It's hypocritical for me to say this, since I'm haunted by something from my past...but if dealing with this past brings peace of mind, breaking it down bit by bit...then I've answered it back, and saved myself." He nodded sagely, turning to Sera. "The same can be applied to those lost to the reapers. We can do this if we show we are more than just Yukino."

In a way, he knew they already had, based on the results of Chronicle's Eve, but Satoshi needed these people, these soldiers, to stand with one another and do something about their general. It wasn't over until it was really over. The reapers would have to eliminate every last human before the fight was over, of that he was certain.

"More than Yukino..." Sera got the message loud and clear. It was an inevitable message that needed to go through everybody's skull eventually. She was the commander of the Resistance, but she was not the whole Resistance. The mentality that says you can only succeed because of the existence of one person would be the ultimate downfall of a group.

Sera understood, and nodded in agreement. It wasn't really over until it was over.

With this, he sat up, intent on listening in to the wiser of the group. This might be his one chance to get insight on knowledge that he couldn't be provided elsewhere.

"So... for the Reapers. Do you think we can defeat them? Harbinger and Sovereign..."

He scratched his chin, kind of awkwardly staring off.

"I know you said we can win but... I mean, do you think we will?"

Satoshi gave a light smile. "I don't actually have a direct answer to that. There's one thing that I've been able to hang onto all this time, and it's amazing I'm not dead from it, but thanks to it, I'm surprised at how things have turned out. It's something that opposes the predetermined, fate, all of it. I've watched it shape the whole world around us, ever since I met Yukino."

A head tilt. "I believe in our luck, Sera, and that's what will make things change for the better. No matter how bleak, luck always shows up at the least expected moments to change the state of consistency."

He had come to this conclusion after trying to cope with all Nebula Lord threw at him. Luck was failing them as much as it was helping them move forward. How could they throw caution to the wind to something like it was beyond the being's imagination, and it was trying to reinforce this in his mind. And yet...luck was also liberating. Something that dispersed uncertainty...by accepting it, embracing it. Dumb as it sounded, this almost made war, much as peace was sought, fascinating to reflect upon. And that was exactly what he had just done.

"It may be hard to share that sentiment, but after all, luck determined you being here, did it not?"

Sera nodded trying to absorb what exactly Satoshi had meant by... luck. While it was true that luck was a large determining factor in anything that happened in life, was luck really a strong enough force to defeat a fate as large as Harbinger and the Reapers. Sera was skeptical, to say the least.

"Luck, huh?"

While Satoshi made a point of Sera being lucky to even be here, it was more of Sera being lucky that the person he stole the life of at some point had enough compassion in his body to give the poor seed of the void a second chance at existing.

He owed Haruka a great debt for that.

"I suppose luck... did play a part in it yes. Well, if you believe luck is the determining factor, what's stopping us from moving forward?"

"Well, it might make sense to us...but everyone else will be a different matter." Satoshi shrugged. "I'll try to explain it to them, but it may not have the same impact." His look hardened. "I...have to ask a favor, though. Is there some way you can tell me why Nebula Lord is still haunting me?"

Satoshi's phone vibrated, and with a side glance, he answered Mizumi's text as he awaited Sera's response:

What the heck are you talking about? What happened?

Sera nodded, trying to acquire some of the calm Satoshi seemed to be emanating. It was as if he had been preparing for a calamity of this scale... way ahead of time. Wish Sera could say the same. His body had deteriorated a lot from the last battle, requiring an extensive amount of time kept out of the reach of battle for now.

Now Sera got to answer questions but they... weren't exactly ones he had clear cut answers for. Satoshi was dealing with some sort of phantom, the one of Nebula Lord specifically. He tilted his head in thought for a moment.

"I... I'm honestly not sure. As far as I know, most other people were able to get rid of the distortions I gave them. I wonder..."

He closed his eyes, thinking for just a moment about it. Maybe...

"Maybe he likes you. Don't take that the wrong way. Star-Vaders are territorial, but, maybe he's looking to make peace with someone from Earth. Not impossible, I'm sure."

Sera had no real idea if that was the case, but it seemed feasible for the most part, assuming it was a non-violent set of reactions.

"You should talk to Haruka... he's probably beating up over this. Get to him when you can, okay?"

Sera wanted to note that, as he stood up and stretched a bit. His body hurt all over, but he already spent his time here. The wet dirt was now irritating him.
-----
LOOK, IM A GUY, OKAY. I HAVE A DICK. OR I HAD ONE I THINK. LOOK DUDE PAL CHUM AMIGO, I DONT KNOW HOW IT HAPPENED. -plssendhelpmizu

"Likes me? He keeps telling me I'm worthless, wasting my time, alone. That's 'liking' me?" Satoshi wanted to be angry about this, but instead...he just chuckled. In truth, it was kind of funny that this was how an invader showed its affection, if it was such a case. Perhaps accepting this darkness as part of his core existence was something he would have to do to move forward. Maybe...

Maybe he had to confront this darkness. He wasn't going to do it alone, but it definitely sounded like a good idea.

"I was going to head to the slums to try and help for once instead of piddling out like usual. Though...it seems I should probably pick up Mizumi first." He glanced at his phone again, raising an eyebrow, before returning his gaze to Sera. "I'll meet you over there, maybe. If there's anyone who can get Haruka to move, it's us."

We've been in bed together. I'm pretty sure I'd know if you were a guy by now. Where are you?

IM AT THE BEACH, LOOK, I KNOW BUT I THINK I HAD ONE, LIKE I DONT HAVE ONE ANYMORE BUT MAYBE I DID SO DOESNT THAT MEAN IM A GUY? THATS HOW THAT WORKS RIGHT. -mizu

A few moments passed before another message came out.

IM REMEMBERING A LOT OF THINGS RIGHT NOW AND I DONT UNDERSTAND WHY. -mizumizu