2025-05-10: A Star in the Void
- Log: 2025-05-10: A Star in the Void
- Cast: Alto Saotome
- Where: Nothingness
- Date: U.C. 00100 05 10
- Summary: Alto is dead. This is the end. There is nothing left.
A starless void. An endless dark. A soundless expanse.
Alto floats there, staring blankly into the vast nothingness.
Images of moments, frozen in time, float around him.
His Sentinel, moments away from destruction as the explosions of Brera's missile barrage are just starting to blossom.
The giant image of Ranka, hands stretched out, mouth open as she is frozen mid-song. But it's not for him she sings.
Sheryl, lying on the stage aboard the Battle Frontier. The large Vajra battleship looming ominously outside, charging its large cannon to fire. An end coming only somewhat sooner than expected.
Luca's Nightmare at the edge of the battlefield. There's little he can do but watch as the fleet is consumed.
The One Fine Day, driving off the Vajra swarming it with support from the three ZAKUs surrounding it. A temporary reprieve.
These moments... Are they happening right now?
"They're delusions of your End. The last fragments of your life. You're already dead."
A soft green glow alights Alto's back in the darkness. The voice is familiar. Of course it is, it's his own.
He's already dead? That makes sense... The pain had been unbearable. As if the gravity of a thousand stars was crushing his heart. So then, is all that's left to turn around and follow the light?
"Of course. There's nothing else. You have nothing else."
That's true... And yet, he can't turn. Something about it seems wrong. Seems dangerous.
"You really are a coward. A coward in life and a coward in death."
A coward? That's right... He's always running away from the things that really mattered. His acting career. His family. Friendship. His feelings for Sheryl and Ranka. His doubts about the war with the Vajra. All the things that could hurt him, he's run from in one fashion or another.
"Exactly. So at least be a fuCKIng man at the end and turn aroUND."
Is there any real reason not to?
"Of courSE NOt. There's nothing left for yOU TO WORry about. Just turn arROUND ANd you'll be at peaCE."
Peace... After all this time, that does sound good... There's been so much fighting. So much running. Perhaps, it would be nice if there was an end to it... Perhaps... It wouldn't hurt... To just turn around...
"Alto..." "Alto..."
New voices... Not his... But still familiar.
"IgNORe theM. THey arE JUST More delUSIONs. TheRE'S ONly one tHINg left FOR YOU tO Do."
"Alto..." "Alto..."
A new light shines far ahead of him. A single, guiding star in the darkness. It feels... Warm. Alto's hand slowly reaches out to it.
"YoU CAN't go tHAt waY. THERE IS only oNE Path. TURN aroUND."
But something about the new light... The new voices... Alto continues to reach. As he does so, his body starts to float forward, passing by the frozen images of the End.
More images begin to appear...
Recent times, when he shared a house with Sheryl while she was ill. Despite the bittersweet nature of it--knowing what Sheryl's fate would be--there were still fun times.
"HER DeATh was INEVITABLE."
Griffith Observatory... Alto teaching Ranka how to make a paper airplane. After the events of the Vajra attack on the city, it was a happy, quiet moment.
"She BETRAYed yoU."
Mihoshi Academy... The rooftop, when Alto first saw Sheryl again after having been unable to find her for months. So much relief.
"IT WOuld lEAd to DEStructION."
Aprilius One... Going on a date with Ranka to the street markets, exploring the strange culture of the PLANTs.
"FLEETing momeNTS that ARE GOne."
No... That doesn't seem right. They still exist. 'Fold Quartz has the power to transcend space and time...' He's heard that before. These are not the delusions of a ghost. These are real events that have happened. Are happening. Will happen. But more importantly...
They exist within him.
Alto starts moving faster as he reaches for that light, its intensity growing as he gets closer. The images of his past are flowing by much faster now. Concerts. Birthday parties. Dinners. Picnics. Discussions. Arguments. Teasings. Kisses.
"YOU ARE STIll a coWARD. STILL RUNNing from thE TRUTH."
It's true, he's still running... But not FROM everything. No, instead it's time he runs TO something.
As Alto quickly grows close to the light ahead of him, it's revealed to not be just one star, but five shining in unison in a cross shape. Alto reaches out with both hands towards the one in the center. There is the sound of something rapidly beginning to crack behind him.
"NO! SToP! YOU CanT dO THiS!"
Alto wraps his hand around the central star, bringing it to his chest. As he does so, the cracking sound instantly escalates to that of something shattering. The green light washing over Alto's back vanishes, as a new light envelops him.
In that moment, a barrage of senses crash into Alto's mind. Far too much for him to be able to sort through. But through all of it, he is able to focus on one thing. A single sight... Of Ranka, trapped.
-=-=-=-=-
In the cockpit of the Sentinel, Alto's eyes snap open. His hands are no longer grasping at his chest, but instead holding the fold quartz earring hung on the chain around his neck.
Behind Alto, the green glow from the Fairy Tale system is gone, the green fold quartz at its core destroyed. Free of its corrupting influence, the remaining four purple fold quartz crystals built into the Sentinel glow strongly in reaction to Alto's current focus.
He knows what he must do now.