Goodbye, Kusari

[Zephyranthes]

He slept.

For the first time in three nights, Sora could close his eyes and drift away into unconsciousness. The Order shuttle that secured their escape from Tomioka ascended higher and higher into the atmosphere, eventually breaking free of the surly bonds of terra firma. The tiny shuttle shook all the way into space and suddenly stopped the turmoil. Peace. At last, sweet peace and rest.

During that three day march on Tomioka, rest seldom touched his eyes. The sheer anxiety given by Sakura's presence in a combat zone was enough to keep him from not paying any mind to sleep. It was only upon reaching the shuttle that he quietly asked someone to look after her, and then collapsed in his seat. He awoke many hours later.

Outside the window, the blue of the Crow Nebula dazzled his eyes like a shimmering, crystal clear water. Millions of sparkling stars beckoned the human spirit to venture outwards, asking mankind to keep exploring and discovering what each body held. Within those azure recesses lay many worlds that formed Kusari. In space, the lines between Dragon, Chrysanthemum, Republican, Imperial... these manmade borders didn't exist. Just walking concentrations of stardust dancing in the forever. Tiredly, he smiled and sighed. Even with all the dire news and events plaguing Sirius every day, these vistas of creation eased his haggard soul. He did not see the end or the beginning. Merely a wondrous universe that was not weighed down by the strife of lesser men.

Sakura was going to be safe. The peace aboard the ship reassured him of that. But she would grow up one day, and not in her home country. The bamboo grove was far away now, disappearing ever further as the shuttle left Kusari space. It passed through Nagano, then Rishiri, then Hokkaido. Honshu was next, and Sigma-19 marked the end of the Empire's space.

A heaviness dropped in his chest. He gave one last silent goodbye to his home.

One day, he would return.