Voices of a Distant Star (by Makoto Shinkai)

-"We're probably the first generation of lovers to be seperated by time and space..."-


[Nagamine stood near the window of a train as she pressed several buttons on her cell phone.
She had pulled back light brown hair, and brown eyes.
She was 15 years old, wearing her school uniform of a buttoned blue vest and short skirt, an orange tie, and a white T-shirt underneath.
Several black birds passed by in the distance.]

Phone:

You are out of your calling area.

[Nagamine sighed.
She now stood on the balcony of a high skyscraper apartment, holding the side rail and looking up at the sky.
Large orange clouds passed overhead.]

Nagamine Mikako:

There is a word, called "World."
Until about the time when I was in middle school,
I vaguely thought the word meant
The area where the signals from my cell would reach.
But why is it...?
My cell never reaches anyone.
[She pressed the buttons on her cell phone again, then put it to her ear.]
Hello?
Say, isn't anyone there?
How far should I go?
I'm lonely.
Noboru-kun?
I'm going home, okay?
[She opened the door to an apartement and stepped in, the orange twilight sun's rays peeking in through the door.
The door slowly closed behind her.
She was suddenly in a classroom filled with empty desks with the chairs laid upside down above them.
In the windows above, all that could be seen was bright red light. Nagamine closed her eyes.]
Say, where am I?
[She slowly opened them back up.]
Oh, that's right...
[She was suddenly in a floating metal pod.
In every direction, up down, right and left, she could see space and holographic monitors.
The Earth could be seen behind her, large and perfectly round.]
I'm not on that world anymore...
[From the outside, she was in a giant metal robot, its chrome surface shining in the orange sunlight.]

---------------

Nagamine:

Wait, Noboru!
[Nagamine ran down the stairs.
The last period of the day had just ended.
School was officially over for the year.
Noboru Terao was waiting for her at the end of the stairs.
He had black hair and brown eyes.
He wore his school uniform of a white shirt and baggy blue pants.
He had a hand in his pocket, the other holding his briefcase.
He looked up at her and smiled.]

Noboru:

Nagamine!
[Nagamine leaned comfortably against the wall.]
So, Nagamine, how was your final exam?

Nagamine:

Nagamine's final exam was perfect.
[Noboru smiled hopefully.]

Noboru:

Then, the same high school...?
[Nagamine's face suddenly brightened.]

Nagamine:

Do you think we can go?!
[Her smile suddenly faded in realization of something, then she turned towards the window.
Her voice became a whisper.]
Probably...
[They went outside, Noboru walking alongside her with his bike.
A giant beautiful chrome blue ship emerged out of the clouds above, several black birds flocking all around it.
It made for a majestic sight.
They looked up in awe.]
Noboru! Look!
There's a spaceship.

Noboru:

Yeah, that's the cosmonaut ship Lysithea, isn't it?
It belongs to the U.N. Army.
I wonder if there were any from this town too?
Select Members?
[Nagamine looked distracted.]

Nagamine:

Mm...
[They resumed walking down the street together.
The train started to pass by the fence that stretched out to their right.]

Noboru:

That ship will travel beyond the solar system.

Nagamine:

Mm...

Noboru:

The story is they're going after the aliens who attacked Mars, isn't it?

Nagamine:

Mm...
[When they finally reached the railroad crossing, the safety rails pulled down in front of them.]

Noboru:

Those Tarsians, I wonder where they came from?

Nagamine:

Mm...
[Noboru glanced at her strangely.]

Noboru:

Nagamine, you're not interested?

Nagamine:

Mm?...
[She looked away]
Kinda...

Noboru:

Well...
Let's stop by the convenience store, okay?

Nagamine:

Mm...

[The train zoomed by.
Each freight train was labeled with a logo: "United Nations Space Agency"
The two walked passed a gas station.]

-------------

Nagamine:

Where should we eat?

Noboru:

Let's head towards the bus stop.
[The clouds over head grew dark, ominous lightning shocks sparking up here and there.
Still, from this point in time, they could still see their orange tops.
The clouds start to suffocate the sun's rays as rain started to pour slowly but surely.
Finally, the entire sky was covered with clouds.
The two rushed through the rain, then came upon a small one room building with benches inside.
They sat on the two benches adjacent to the corner.
Nagamine put off her shoes, then rested a hand on her legs, leaning on the bench with the other.]
Nagamine, are you going to take Kendo in high school too?

Nagamine:

What should I do? Are you, Noboru?

Noboru:

Yeah, I'm gonna.
You should continue too, because you're strong.

Nagamine:

So you say,
But you really just want to join the same club as me, right?

Noboru:

What are you saying?

----------------

[It finally stopped raining, and the clouds started to part.
The sun's orange light peeked through the sky.]

Noboru:

Should we go home pretty soon?

Nagamine:

Yeah... It stopped raining, hasn't it?
[Nagamine stood on the back of the bicycle as Noboru rode it.
She smiled as the wind blew through her hair.
When they passed through an overhanging roof, she looked up at the sky.
Her face brightened.]
Hey, look!
The sky!
[8 Red lights moved through the sky in a delta formation, white streams of smoke trailing behind them.]

Noboru:

It's a Tracer.
[They gazed up at the sight with wonder.]

Nagamine:

It's pretty, isn't it?

Noboru:

Mm...
[The lights disappeared in the distance.
Nagamine's hand tightened around Noboru's shoulders.
She lowered her head next to his ear.]

Nagamine:

Say, Noboru...
You know, I...
[Noboru's eyes widened.]
I am going to be onboard that.

------------------

[Nagamine's unit floated in Mars's atmosphere, the clouds passing by below.
Under the clouds was a mass of red craters and a huge canyon running like a scar through the planet.
Nagamine suddenly boosted forward through the air.
She soared higher and higher up as she looked around frantically.
Something purple suddenly passed by.
It was the drone ship she was supposed to destroy.]

Nagamine:

Found it!
[She released a cluster of missiles towards it.
The drone ship spun and manuevered around them.
Nagamine's robot dropped slightly, then boosted upwards after it.]
Please, hit!
[The robot aimed up a machine gun and started firing up at it, aimed towards the direction it was headed.
The bullets hit and punctured several big holes into its hull.
It exploded in a burst of flames and smoke.
Nagamine floated in space.
She took out her cell phone.]
'Noboru,
On Mars, it was training the whole time.
Even here, I am a Select Member,
So my scores were pretty good, you know.
I've seen Mt. Olympus, and I've seen the Marineris Valley too.'
[Nagamine gazed at a huge alien city in a crater down below.
There was a large lake of water in its center.]
'I totally went sightseeing on Mars too!
Of course, I went to the Tarsian Ruins too.
It was a view I'd seen many times in textbooks,
But I feel kind of like I cant' believe that I saw the real thing.
I thought, "The solar system really isn't just for humans."
The survey unit of 2039 was annihilated by the Tarsians here.
This time, with the technology we've received from them,
We're going to pursue them.'
[Nagamine took formation with the other robots and flew up into the sky, leaving Mars's atmosphere.
The huge blue ship they had seen earlier back on planet Earth was up in orbit, waiting for them.]
'I've gotten used to life on the Lysithea.
After training on Mars, we've come all the way to Jupiter
And are taking a short break at a satellite base on Europa.'
[She was suddenly floating in space above a gigantic red planet.
Nearby was Europa surrounded by a metal ring of machines.]
'I never get bored of looking at Jupiter's clouds.
Also, the Flux Tube between Io and Jupiter is amazing.
It's the hugest lightning in this solar system!'
[A lightning shock went up from one of the clouds and shotstraight towards the Io moon.
The machines dotted around it completely absorbed all the electricity.
Nagamine pressed a button on her cell.]
Will it reach?
[She closed her eyes and sighed.]

Noboru:

[The sky was a clear blue, only a few small clouds dotting here and there.
A few pink petals drifted in through a window.
Noboru had his head laid face down on his desk over his arm, crying silently to himself.
He was wearing a black high school uniform.
Except for him, the entire classroom was empty.
His cell suddenly ringed.]
It's from Nagamine.
Mikako Nagamine is a classmate
I was pretty close to during middle school.
That we'd get to go to the same high school...
Well, I was hoping, but...
It seems that Nagamine is on Jupiter right now.
[He was suddenly leaning against a pillar outside, staring at the sky.]
During the summer of my third year of middle school,
Nagamine was chosen as a Select Member of the U.N. Space Army.
That winter she departed with a huge U.N. fleet,
With over a thousand people on board, On a Tarsian survey.
Now that you mention it,
Nagamine had pretty good grades and was good at sports,
But even so, it's the U.N. Army, you know.
It seems, somehow, kind of like a stupid story.
[With a slight smile on his face, he narrowed his eyes as a scatter of petals flew by.]

Nagamine:

'Finally, leaving Jupiter.
The Lysithea will travel way beyond Pluto after this,
But the specific destination seems to be a secret.
It will take longer and longer for the mail to reach you.
From the furtherst corner on the other side of Oort Cloud,
It's about half a year.'

Noboru:

[Noboru stood at the railroad crossing, waiting for the train to go by.
He looked down at his cell, the smile faded from his face.]
It's like air-mail from the 20th century.
Yeah, it'll be all right.

"From: Mikako Nagamine
Subject: Are you well?
..for the mail to reach you,
but even from the furthest corner of the Oort Cloud,
it's still about half a year, huh?
It's like air mail from the 20th century.
Yeah, it'll be all right!"

What's all right?
[He watched the train go by, catching a glimpse of the same freight logos he had seen before with Mikako.]

In this way, my first quarter at high school has passed by
While exchanging mail with Mikako.
[He leaned against the wall, looking down at his cell.]

Phone:

No message has been recieved.

Noboru:

The further Mikako goes from Earth,
The more the time it takes to exchange mail lengthens.

"There are no messages.
There are no queues scheduled."
[He sat in the same building they had waited out the rain that last day together, looking down at his phone.]

Phone:

No message has been-

Noboru:

It's just...
I will become someone who only waits for Mikako's mail.

----------------

[The Lysithea cruised through space, two great spheres hovering up ahead.
A couple of asteroids floated by.
Nagamine was inside the Lysithea in her robot alone, fingering her cell phone.]

Nagamine:

'Noboru, I am at Pluto, the end of the solar system.
It's been about half a year since we left the Earth.
The Lysithea armada has continued the Tarsian survey
All the way from Jupiter,
But we haven't found signs of the Tarsians anywhere.
Noboru-kun, but in truth, for me, it'd be best if...
We don't find anything, and we can come back to Earth quickly.'
[Just before she could send the message, the alarm suddenly sounded and red flashed up on the screen.]
What?

Comm. Voice:

Tarsians confirmed at 12 o'clock. Distance: 20,000.
Tracer Units 1-4, prepare for dispatch.
[A couple of people rushed into the Hangar Bay.
Her robot suddenly started to descend.]

Nagamine:

The enemy? For real!? Am I going out too?
[Her fighter was launched from the ship.
The entire fleet of blue ships were launching fighters.
It looked as if they were sending out blue lasers as the fighters streamed out.
Nagamine floated in space, looking about for where the enemy would come from.
'Warning' suddenly appeared on the screen, and she spotted one coming from above.
She gasped as her shield was impacted, then two other ships formed on its wing and they started heading back for another pass.
The ships looked almost like blobs, and behind it looked as if two long horns were protruding outwards.]
I have to shoot them down!
[She quickly released a cluster of missiles, destroying two of them.
The last one maneuvered around an asteroid and charged towards her.]
What?
[Mysteriously, it stopped right in front of her.
Several other horns appeared out of it, like arms and legs, then they grew out irregularly like tree branches and webs, and slowly started to engulf her fighter.
What appeared to be its head slowly pulled forward and looked at her.
A warning flashed up on the screen.
Naganime gasped as an eye suddenly opened up on its head.
She moved her robot's arm forward and shot it several times with her machine gun.
It went limp, then exploded in a cloud of blood.
She turned around and sent another one flying with her fist.
Panicking, she took several deep breaths, sweat rolling down her face.
A map simulation screen suddenly popped up.]
Wha?

Comm. Voice:

Tarsian fleet confirmed at a distance of 120,000.
The fleet will evacuate by a one-light-year warp.
All Tracers, return to the ships immediately.

Nagamine:

[Her eyes widened.]
The lag between Noboru and I will be a whole year!
Have to mail now...
[She looked around frantically for her phone and noticed it floating far beyond her reach.
Something suddenly shocked her shield.
She winced, then turned her head up and glared.
She fired upwards with her plasma gun, dodged a beam of electricity, then fired at it again.
The enemy ship was doing the same process.]

Comm. Voice:

Tracer 2, return to the ship immediately.
[A dark hole surrounded by electricity was appearing in front of the Lysithea, slowly getting bigger.
The tip of the Lysithea was already inside.]

Nagamine:

I have to shoot down this one, or...
[She pulled her fighter back as it charged after her.]
I won't make it!
[She stopped her ship.
When they were straight in front of each other, she brought her robo arm up, a large yellowish energy sword appearing out of its wrist.
Just before the white spires around the enemy could reach her, she slashed it in half, blood splurting out of it just before it exploded.
She quickly turned around and sped towards the Lysithea.]
I have to go back!

[Back on Earth, on the time Nagamine's next message should've reached him, Noboru looked at his cell phone impatiently.]

"January 24, 20048 (Fri)

Receiving Message...

Checking Mail Box..."

"No message"

[He sighed, shivering as the snow blew by.
The electricity from the dark hole suddenly enveloped the Lysithea, then it disappeared in patches of blue light.
Nagamine finally retrieved her cell phone.
She put her arms around her knees, then stared down at the screen.
The Lysithea finally left warp, appearing out of another dark hole.
Several asteroids were floating all about them.]

Comm. Voice:

The fleet has warped out.

[Nagamine pressed a few buttons on her cell, then stared at it in disbelief.]

"Via Super Long Distance Mail Service

Distance of Destination: 13477536000000 km

Estimated time for the arrival of mail: 1 year . 16 days . 12 hours"

In 43 hours, this fleet will take a long distance warp
To the Sirius Alpha Beta system using a galaxy shortcut anchor.
We will fly through 8.6 light years.
We haven't yet found our way back to Earth.
Commander Struman sends this reminder,
Don't forget sending mail to your family.

"To: Noboru Terao

Sorry.
Say, we are seperated from space and Earth,
Like lovers, aren't we?
It'd be nice if this mail safely reaches you,
Noboru.

~Mikako Nagamine"

Nagamine:

It will take a year for this mail to reach Noboru.
From Sirius, it will be eight years one way, you know.
Noboru...
About me...
[She held her legs even closer.]
I wonder if you'll forget?

------------------

[It was raining hard outside.
Noboru gave a girl his umbrella, then turned and walked up the stairs through the rain.
He quickly ran into the building he and Nagamine had hid from the rain that last time.
He sat down, then cursed as he grabbed at his hair and stared at the ground.]

Noboru:

The seasons have passed once and summer has come again.
It was the winter of last year that I quit waiting for mail from Mikako.
After all, mail hasn't come from Mikako for a whole year.

[Noboru's eyes widened when his cell suddenly sounded.]

It's from Mikako.
This is the first mail in a year!

"The mail has gotten really far, huh? Sorry.
Umm, even now I'm still all excited, but...
I wonder how I should explain this? I'm at the
Point where the ship, Lysithea, you know, has
Just now warped 1 light year's distance.
To me, one year hasn't passed at all, you know.
I am still 15 years old, you know. To you,
Noboru, it's one year ago, to me, it's 30 minutes ago, around Pluto, you know."

After this, the Lysithea will...
[Nagamine's voice sounded in his head as he spoke aloud.]

Nagamine:

'After this, the Lysithea will
Enter a long distance warp.
The destination is Sirius, 8.6 light-years away.
By the time you receive this mail, I will already be at Sirius.
From now on, it will take eight years and seven months
To receive each others' mail.
Sorry.'

[It stopped raining and the sun started to clear.]

'Say, we are seperated by space and the Earth...
...like lovers, aren't we?'

Noboru:

[Noboru repeated the last line under his breath, his hand twitching slightly as he did.]
Like lovers, aren't we?...
Since middle school, we probably only saw each other.
But a distance that takes eight years at the speed of light,
Is no different than saying, "forever."
[Nagamine sat in the pod of her robot with her head buried in her arms.
The Lysithea started to enter another hyperdrive portal.]
The time between Mikako and I drifts further and further apart.
That is why I have made a goal,
To make my heart harder... colder... stronger.
The door that I know will never open...
I won't knock on it eternally.
I will become an adult, even alone.
[The Lysithea entered the portal, then it disappeared along in wavy sparkles of blue light.]

-------------------

[The fleet left the portals and burst back into open space.
A small but brilliant blue sun could be seen in the distance.]

Nagamine:

Since the last century.
We've known that Sirius has its own planetary system,
But we are the first in all humanity
To observe another planetary system with our bare eyes.
[The ships floated over a green Earth-like planet covered in clouds.
The crescent of a moon was lit up in the air beside it.]
The fourth planet of the Sirius System, Agharta.
[Nagamine's robot was launched from the hangar.
Along with several others, she headed down towards the planet.
They were seen as small red lights as they entered Agharta's atmosphere.
They soared through the clouds above.
Down below was a vast stretch of a green ocean near a coast line of the rocky cliffs.
From a hill, a deer-like creature looked up as the red lights sped through the air, leaving a trail of white smoke.]
Agharta has sky, clouds, and seas which are very similar to Earth's,
But I think these are completely different after all.
The time and distance becomes further and further away from Noboru.
[The units marched through the forests.
The trees only rose up to the robots' knees.]

Comm. Voice:

All exploration units from one through twelve.
There is still no evidence of Tarsians.
[Nagamine reached an open grassy plain.
She slowly ascended up a hill.
She stopped as several birds flew up past her unit.
She looked up at the sky as several dark clouds covered the sun.
The foot prints she had left behind started to take in water.
It started to rain.
The remaining rays from the sun through the clouds grew smaller.
Nagamine looked up at the sky with awe.]

Nagamine:

Wow...
I want to be hit by the rain.
I want to go to a convenience store and eat ice cream together.
[She closed her eyes, then buried her face in her hands as she started to sob aloud.]
Noboru-kun...
[When she had stopped crying, she took out her cell phone and started to enter in her message.]

"To: Noboru Torea
Subject: I am here...

Hello, Noboru, who's become 24 years old! I am the 15 year old Mikako.

Say, even now I, about you, Noboru, really, really like you, you know."

[When she had finished, she quickly sent it.]

"Transmitting mail...
8 years 224 days 18 hours until arrival of mail."

[She hugged her phone close to her chest and closed her eyes.]
Please get there...
[She put two fingers to her head, then her eyes suddenly shot open.
Her entire life with Noboru flashed before her eyes in a couple of seconds.
She was suddenly floating in the air, staring at the image of her younger self in front of her.
The younger Nagamine was wearing a long light blue school dress.
She smiled back at her.]
Me?!

Younger Nagamine:

[Her voice was slightly electronic]
Hey!
You finally came this far, haven't you?
[In reality, the younger Nagamine was the white body of a Tarsian with its outer shell taken off.
It was a Tarsian illusion.
A Tarsian city was somewhere very nearby in a crater hidden by the hills surrounding it.]
To become an adult, pain is necessary too,
But you will probably be able to go much, much farther,
Even to other galaxies and other universes.
Hey? So, please come with me, okay?
I would like to entrust it to you.
[Nagamine was suddenly back in the empty classroom.
She sat behind one of the desks, crying with her face buried in her hands.
Her tears pattered onto the desk.]

Nagamine:

But I just want to see Noboru again,
And just tell him, "I love you!"
[She wiped her face with her arm, but it was no use.
The tears just kept coming.
The younger Nagamine stood nearby, watching her worriedly.]

Younger Nagamine:

It will be all right.
Don't worry, you will see him again.
[The younger Nagamine was suddenly behind the railroad crossing.
A train zoomed by, then she was gone.
Nagamine suddenly found herself back in her pod.
A "Warning" holograph suddenly came up.]

Comm. Voice:

Tarsians are existing everywhere on Agharta.
Encountering combat.
Their block exists in orbit and are approaching us!
[A holographic map showed a cluster of Tarsians heading straight for the planet.
Nagamine looked up and noticed a light growing in the sky.
It came down and made a huge explosion as it collided with the ground.
Nagamine's unit landed on a cliff above the Tarsian city away from the blast.
Nagamine lowered her head and closed her eyes tightly, tears sparkling up into the air.]

Nagamine:

I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!

-------------------

[An older Noboru opened his apartment room with a key and walked in, closing the door behind him.
He was wearing a tan shirt and blue jeans.
There was a white airforce shirt hanging on a wall in his apartment, with a golden medal over its pocket.
He passed by a newspaper resting against the wall.]

Newspaper:

-News from 2047
Battle at Sirius 8 Years Ago . Victory (Every Morning Newspaper)

Met. Nobe Astronomical Observatories deep space probes makes another discovery
shortcut anchor to the center of the milky way...
Seriously Damaged: The possibility of
return, the Lysithea
Next Tarsian Survey Unit, Number One-

[Noboru walked up to the balcony, and rested his arms on the rails, looking up at the dark-clouded sky.
Five planes flew overhead, leaving behind a trail of white smoke.]

Norobu:

That summer day, I remember well when I thought
The period of 8 light years seemed eternal.
Although I haven't lived my life since then without indecision,
That goal I decided upon that day still hasn't changed.
I will live in my own time, and starting next month,
It's that armada duty that I've been hoping for.

[He suddenly heard a ringing from back inside the apartment.
He came in, grabbed the cell phone, then stared at the screen.]

"You've got mail."

[He opened the message, then his eyes narrowed slighty, trying to hold back his tears.]

Mikako...

"March 25, 2056 (Sat)

From: Nagamine Mikako
Subject: I am here...

Hello, Noboru who's becoming 24 years old! I am the 15 year old Mikako."

[It slowly began to snow outside.
Nagamine flew through the air, dodging a fireball aimed at her unit.
Her shield zapped as another one hit.
She jetted up into the air, pursued by her attacker.
The Tarsian continued firing on her, several shots striking her shield.
Nagamine fired back with her machine gun.
She maneuvered about again when another fireball struck her shield.
She charged towards it, five more consecutive hits striking her.
She flew back, and sent down a cluster of missiles.
The Tarsian turned back around, rolling as it sped straight over the open sea, skimming by the waters as several missiles plopped into the water around it.
Nagamine pursued it, then right when it was flying over the land, she came down on top of it and smashed it into the dirt.
She aimed her wrist down at it, and fired sprays of bullets into it.
Blood sprayed up into the air, then she finally stopped firing.
She stared at the gory mess below her, breathing heavily.
Tears and sweat dropped from her face into her lap.
The snow outside of Noboru's apartment came down plentifully.]

The mail from Mikako had only two sentences,
And the rest was just noise.
[Noboru took a thick brown coat, stepped out of his apartment and locked the door.]
But even with only this, I think it's like a miracle.
[He let out a cold breath into the winter air.]
Say, Mikako, you know, I...

Nagamine:

[Nagamine's unit sped upwards towards outer space.]
Say, you know, Noboru-kun,
I have alot of things I reminisce about.
After all, I have nothing here.
For example, you know...

Noboru:

[As Noboru walked towards the railroad crossing, the safety rails came down and the red light started blinking.]
For example, things like summer clouds and like cold rain...
Things like the smell of a fall breeze...

Nagamine:

Like the sound of rain drops hitting an umbrella...
Like the softness of the spring soil...
[She reached space, then sped towards the battleground where the Survey Fleet and the rest of the units were fighting the Tarsians]
Like the feeling of peace at the convenience store
In the middle of the night...

Noboru:

And then, you know, like the cool wind after school...

Nagamine:

Like the smell of chalkboard erasers...

Noboru:

Like the sound of a truck passing by in the middle of the night...

Nagamine:

Like the smell of asphalt in the rain...
[Nagamine turned her gun towards one of the Tarsians.
Too late, the Tarsian charged by and struck her arm clean off with the edge of its wing as it passed by.
The arm let out zaps of electricity as it detatched, then exploded.
Nagamine turned her head and watched it blow up.
She turned her head away as the light of the explosion became too bright, then growled and turned her ship towards the Tarsian that destroyed her arm.
A beam sword came out of her wrist, then she slashed it in half as it passed by again.
It split in half, then exploded.]
Noboru-kun...
Things like that, I have all this time...
[She turned and resumed her course towards the Lysithea.]

Noboru:

[Noboru slowly made his ascent up the the stairs through the snow.]
I have all this time...
Thought that I would like to experience these with you, Mikako.
[Nagamine finally made it to the active battle ground back with the fleet and started fighting back the Tarsians along with the other units.
Lasers, machine guns, fireballs, jets, and explosions filled the battle field.
Giant laser guns along the sides of the Lysithea and other Survey Ships opened up and started firing upon the enemy.
Several Tarsians exploded as the powerful beams shot through.
Bigger cruiser sized Tarsian ships took the hits without much incident.
They were also surrounded by forcefields.
Their red engines opened up, and propelled them towards the Survey Fleet.
Their red barriers collided with the Survey Ships' blue barriers, energy battling against energy.
Both Tarsian and Survey cruise ships exploded throughout the battle field, its brilliant lights striking away the blackness of space.
Radiant rainbowy waves emenated from the explosions and swept through the entire battle field.]

-=Hello, little star...
Are you doing fine?
I'm, lonely as...
Everything in birth.

Sometimes in the dark...
When I close my eyes.
I, dream of you...
The, planet earth.

If I...
Could fly
Against these nights!
Fast...ter than
The speed of light!
I would spread...
These wings, of, mine!!!

Through the years and far away...
Far beyond the milky WAY!
SEE the shine that never blinks...
The shine that never fades.

Thousand years and far away...
Far beyond the silky WAY!
YOU'RE the shine that never blinks...
The shine that never dies.

Hello, tiny star...
Can you hear me call?
I'm, so blind as...
Everything at birth.

If I...
Could flow
Against these nights!
Straigh...ter than
The speed of light!
I would lay...
These hands, on, time!!!

Through the years and far away...
Far beyond the milky WAY!
SEE the shine that never blinks...
The shine that never fades.

Thousand years and far away...
Far beyond the silky WAY!
YOU'RE the shine that never blinks...
The shine that never dies.

(Quieter)

Through the years and far away...
Far beyond, the milky WAY!
YOU'RE the shine that never blinks...
The shine
That ne-ver dies......=-

Nagamine:

[Through the radiant lights, the Lysithea was all that she could make out.]
The armada is sinking! I have to defend the Lysithea!
[Noboru stepped on through the snow alongside the fence that seperated the street from the railroad.
His eyes were turned towards the ground as he walked on.]
[Nagamine sped in front of the Lysithea protectively.]
Say, Noboru-kun...
We are far, far, very, very far apart...
[She let out a mass of missiles from her unit.
At the same time, the Lysithea sent out another wave of blue lasers.
They travelled alongside each other as white and blue lines through space.]

Noboru:

...But it might be that thoughts can overcome time and distance.
[Noboru stood in the snow, watching the familiar building to which they had hid from the rain.]

Nagamine:

Noboru-kun, have you ever thought about something like that?

Noboru:

If...
[Noboru looked up as the sun started peeking through the clouds.]
If for even an instant, something like that could happen.
What would I think?
What would Mikako think?
[Nagamine sped alongside of her missiles towards the enemy fleet.
They exploded all around her into the enemy forces.
With her only remaining arm, she charged through, striking away everything that came in her way.
Red blood streaked through the air.
After making her way through the great wave of smaller ships, a beam sword jumped from her wrist.
She brought it straight down into the enemy cruiser ship, then started speeding across the ship with the blade still deep inside of it.
Blood streamed from the large scar she was making as she made her way across.
She finally got to the end and sped off.
A brilliant explosion shined behind her.
They had finally won the battle.
Nagamine's unit floated aimlessly through space, slowly spinning through the air as green sparkles flew into the air around it.
It finally slowed down and stopped spinning, and the engines stopped.]

Nagamine:

Say, there is probably one thing we would think.
[Nagamine floated in the air with her eyes closed, smiling happily.
White specks of tears sparkled all around her.
She slowly opened her eyes.]
Say, Noboru-kun...
[For a single instant, their minds were joined as one, in perfect synchronization with each other.]

Noboru and Nagamine:

"'I am here.'"


The End