Shizuoka, Japan.

It was the end of autumn. The weather was getting colder, and skies were darkened by heavy, somber fields of clouds, that threatened the city with a storm to come. People in streets were sloughing under the murky feeling that the lack of daylight and tensing air pressure of rising humidity created around them. Most of them, who dared to go outside today, carried an umbrella or a raincoat with them at all times, certain that it would be needed sooner than longer along the way.

Hard blows of gusts bent trees all around, ripping leaves and smaller branches off of them, littering the immediate surroundings with the bits and pieces. Little piles gathered around street corners and alleyways, only to be blown away by the next hit of wind. Normally so clean city streets looked like there was trash everywhere. For those who were local here, it was rather an unusual sight to be seen, although, for children, it was fun to play around with those piles of leaves, kicking them around, throwing them into the air, pretending that it was raining yellow and orange leaves all around. 

A frustrated mother tried her best to restrain her two boys from throwing those leaves over by-passers that came from behind. They didn't really seem to care about those children fooling around anyway, as their minds were occupied by other matters at that moment. They were busy trying to find their way into a Buddhist temple nearby them. Walking down a street, tucking tighter into their black jackets, they tried to find an entrance to the temple courtyard, that was hidden behind low apartment buildings surrounding it from their side.

An employee from a shop right next to them came out running, to collect their promotion sign that was violently banging around in the wind. The group turned sideways, as a car zoomed past them on a driveway, raising a whole pile of leaves from the roadside right at them as it went.

They nearly missed their entrance to the temple, but to their luck a car driving behind the previous one slowed down and turned left from a crossroad that was right about in front of them, forcing them stop and wait for it to go. Before they moved on, one from the group noticed an arching gateway behind two tall trees, further down to a lane between a house and a precisely trimmed, still very green bush fence. Although the gateway rose higher than the building next to it, those trees hid it surprisingly well.

A strong gust flushed through the gate entrance, as they walked through it all at the same time. The temple wasn't yet in view, but they could see its curving, blue-tiled rooftops from the distance, behind yet another building before them. Next to the gateway that the group just walked through, was a long parking area, most apparently for the temple's visitors. People were getting out from their cars, while others walked down to the same walkway that our group came to the parking lot. All of these people were wearing similar looking apparel. Tails and hems of their solid black jackets and dresses flew around, while they paced their ways towards the temple.

Down the walkway, came another gateway, accompanied by a row of tall pine trees, that spread their needles across the path. Behind the second gate, people didn't see the temple yet, but instead a massive, tall forest, that shadowed the courtyard and all its buildings. From those giants of trees, the high wind ripped off leaves and shot them at the people like a wave.

Those trees and temple buildings surrounding the courtyard gave a decent cover from the hardest of gusts, but all those people still wanted to get out of this bad weather. Although it wasn't a massive establishment, walk through this courtyard felt longer than it should have. Those trees felt menacing to them, as wind bent them over and towards their heads, a loud rustle of all those leaves flooding the area. In the shade of the forest, it felt almost like the darkness was eating away what little of daylight was left.

As in mid-afternoon, lights were not turned on outside anywhere. But the main temple in front of them was blazing with warm light, coming from inside it. Inviting to its arriving guests, the sight made them pace up the rest of their way to inside, away from this storm, and just in time. First drops of rain started to come down, as a couple of monks greeted and received the guests.

These traditional wooden buildings, with only a roof that was made of dark blue ceramic bricks, creaked and clattered as the hard wind tried its best to blow them down. People that was gathering inside were sure, nonetheless, that these buildings would hold the storm, as they had been standing there for ages before this day. It wasn't the thing that concerned them the most right now, anyway. Instead, it was this unfortunate occasion, that had brought them to this place, and in such hostile weather as well.

Some, who had already arrived at the ceremony, sat still, waiting for the rest of them to arrive and take a seat amongst that existing crowd. All of them who came, wore black or deep dark suits and dresses, with a simple hat or a hair styled to go with the attire they had. Little by little, a storm outside was forgotten, as grief and sorrow descended on everyone in this hall. The overall mood was heavy and uncomfortable.

In front of this crowd, stood an impressive, highly detailed golden shrine, with beds of flowers, candles, and decorations carefully positioned around this arrangement of what was a funeral altar. Backgrounds were covered with long, bluish-purple silk curtains, that made the shrine a center of everyone's attention. In the front middle of the altar, was a painted portrait, that people saw as their first things when arriving this hall. It was an image of a young, handsome, traditional Japanese man, with a kind face, yet charismatic facial features. He was slightly smiling, wearing a formal military uniform and a hat, medals decorating the chest of his jacket, and chevrons of a Captain on his shoulders.

He was a soldier, yes, but nevertheless, it was a terrible, and unfortunate tragedy that had brought all these people here to mourn for him. At age of only 31, Toshiro Matsuyama, the man in the picture, should have had his entire life still in front of him, career-wise, and as a beloved, and loving member of a large, yet close family, that most of this ceremony's attendees were composed of. From his parents and siblings sitting in the front row on the right side of the crowd, that was divided by a center aisle, to his aunts, uncles, cousins and nieces, and his fiancé, who was sitting in the front on the other side, amongst Toshiro's military colleagues, close friends and some important acquaintances.

Everyone in this hall knew her well, even if they might have not been in interaction with her before. If Toshiro had a chest full of honor medals, she held a reputation that was well known around the globe, without any other marks than her own, distinguishing appearance, that made her stand out from the rest of this crowd. She was a young woman, with a delicate figure that well fitted someone in her early twenties. With quite a pale skin, ice blue eyes, and a bright silvery white hair, that at shoulder length evenly settled down over her neck, ears, and forehead, she looked like a complete opposite to Toshiro. She was Gabrielle Ambrose. "The Angel" people commonly called her as well.

Small sobs and cries carried throughout the crowd. Toshiro's mother and sisters tried to keep it down, but while crushed by the sense of loss they were forced to experience, it wasn't so easy for them. In contrast, that same feeling made Gabrielle act numb and absent instead, as she sat there with every other guest. Beneath her dark makeup, that reflected her current state of mind, deep anxiety and misery could almost be seen to consume her soul. With dead eyes staring at the portrait of Toshiro, she drifted back and forth between the present, and memories of her and him — times, that she counted as the best of her entire life. Times, that she would never get back again, no matter how hard she wished. The only thing she could do was to draw back into those memories and sink into them for a one while longer, as she had done over and over again in these past weeks prior to these funerals. It had almost become an automated function for her, as she tended to get lost into her thoughts ever so often, to escape the cruel reality she was forced to find herself in. She found comfort in reliving those key moments, that she experienced with Toshiro;

...their first encounter, well before they even knew each other — in her home city, the Citadel of New Mombasa, where they were assembling groups from international fighting forces, and their own Citadel protection forces, that Gabrielle was a member of. In that crowd, within the briefing, she remembered how they walked past each other, changing gazes like they would have known, that there was going to be something special between the two. He was a bit taller than herself. His combat uniform sitting perfectly on his broad shoulders. A trained killer, but still, he looked very kind and gentle. And that subtle smile, that he gave to her when he walked across...

...a sight, that she later got to get used to, as Toshiro was assigned under Gabrielle's command, her being one of few Sentinel armor pilots, that acted as the head of every fire team. Whenever they were not in training or a mission, Toshiro and Gabrielle happened to bump into each other, and so, became familiar, and close with themselves...

...so close, that after a while, they were spending most of their off-duty time together, doing things that brought them even closer to each other. She didn't know when or how it happened, but remembered, how she realized in the middle of it, that they were dating. Even a thought of it felt unreal and absurd to her. A dream, that she only would have wished to come true, like many other things that followed...

...their first kiss, on the beachside of New Mombasa, as an evening sunset overlooked them across the ocean...

...that warm, overwhelming feeling of falling in love, whenever they spent time together. A feeling, that Gabrielle didn't know existed in her...

...how they used to travel to places between missions, Toshiro showing her things, that she had never experienced before - to be somewhere, with no obligations or assignments. Live like any normal people in the world. It was new and weird for her, yet extremely liberating at the same time...

...love. that mutual feeling, that eventually led to him proposing her, under an evening sunset on that same beach, where they first shared a kiss with each other. A romantic, carefully planned move from him, that sold it to her in a heartbeat. It was after a long, peaceful walk over the beach, where there was only them, the ocean and a few seagulls flying around or taking rest on the beach sand, that was warmed by the sun for that entire day. it felt so pleasing between her toes, as they stepped along the beach, barefoot. And that warm wind that flung her silvery hair against her face, as they watched the sun go down behind the horizon, bursting the sky in all tones of colors orange, yellow and red...

For once in her life, she could remember being happy. She felt wanted and accepted, loved, just the way she was. It didn't matter if she was a hybrid or had been severely impaired and had had cybernetic body replacements installed in the past — remnants of a nightmare, that forever haunted her. Even in those happy moments with Toshiro.

The ring he gave her on the beach that evening, was made out of bright white gold, with a light blue sapphire planted into the ring's setting, intended to match her silvery hair and glimmering eyes. That same ring was now spun around in her finger, as she didn't know any other ways to subtly express her anxiety and despair. She did her best to keep herself calm and under control in this situation, much like she always did. But regardless of her effort, a few sobs escaped from her, as she winded through those comforting memories.

A woman next to her, that she was accompanied by, sat motionless with her eyes gently closed. As another western Caucasian woman in the crowd, she didn't blend in with the rest much better than Gabrielle. Her name was Michelle Abrams, although her friends knew her better as Annie. For the looks of her, she was at her forty-something, with white skin, brown, mid-length hair curled up into a bun on to the back of her head. A clear seam ran across her face, down between the eyes, pretty much dividing her entire head. Other than that, she looked fairly good, besides a few scars here and there.

Gabrielle's sobbing caught her attention and brought her out of the meditation she was in. She opened her eyes and turned to look at Gabrielle. Her left eye appeared to glow with yellow light, from a narrow line circling around the pupil, that actually was an image sensor lens. Trying to catch Gabrielle's attention, she carefully placed her hand over her knee, and whispered "Gabe. You alright?" Intruded by this gesture, Gabrielle fiercely swiped her hand off of her and quickly wiped her face like it would have been an accident to repel Annie off. "Mhm..." she mumbled, wiping her cheek, again and again, knowing that her makeup was messed by those few tears that got away. At no point did she try to look at Annie, but to make it clear that she didn't want to interact with anyone, she turned away from her completely.

Helpless to ease Gabrielle's pain, Annie leaned back into her chair, feeling pity for her young friend. She wished, that things could have been different — better for her, but the unfortunate truth was what they were in right now. As she had witnessed time after time, the world had a cruel and unfair nature at its core. As an example of that, this day was no exception.

A monk walked in slowly, silently from the back entrance, stepping in front of the shrine and kneeling down to sit under the portrait of Toshiro, facing the audience that waited for him to start. As it was a tradition, he started a chant to begin the ceremony, while others quieted down to respect the one they were here give their farewells to.

Little triangle shaped, dimly glowing devices, called "Focuses", attached over the ears of Gabrielle, Annie, and a man next to them translated the chant from an old Sutra, that the monk spoke out in Japanese: "Gone, gone, gone beyond. Gone, gone, gone beyond..."

As Gabrielle had feared, a mixed burst of negative emotions hit her in a form of a panic attack, that was triggered at the very same moment the chanting began. In her stomach, it felt like being dropped down. Like a rug would have been swept under her feet, making her fall into a bottomless pit, while she desperately tried to grasp to hold on to her man, for the very last time. In her subconsciousness, she knew that this was the end of it all. The final goodbye for her one true love. The only thing, that had ever made her feel complete and worthy.

She didn't know, what was happening. All control over her emotions disappeared in that sudden moment. She felt like her body would have shaken hard, while her eyes started leaking uncontrollably down her face and being unable to take a breath all at the same time. She felt sick, her head hurt and she couldn't hear more than a blurred noise around her.

Accidentally she let out a cry while standing up to run out of the temple hall, so that no one could see her upcoming breakdown. She slammed her hands over her mouth while turning towards the front doors at the end of the little corridor between the funeral crowd. Unable to stop from crying now, her knee-long black skirt prevented her to sprint full speed, so she ran out taking shortened steps as fast she could. Some of the crowd turned to look at her way, but those who didn't, knew what she felt and respected her decision to draw outside.

Annie sat in the front row, calmly. She looked at the man next to her, who stared back at her, with a wondering look on his face.

"What happened?" He asked Annie.

"I don't know." She replied, unsure, but suspecting what just happened.

"Should I go?"

"No, you stay here. I will handle this."

Annie stood up slowly, straightening her dress before moving away. Circling the empty chair of Gabrielle, she started walking down the corridor between those two crowds, following the same path that Gabrielle had just taken running out in a rush.

The monk kept the chant going on, interrupted by the two guests leaving this sacred ritual. Annie did her best to stealth her way out of there, wanting not to cause any distraction to the others. Arms crossed tightly, keeping her eyes on the floor as she walked, she made it past the final row of the ceremony audience. Then she was clear to make a run after Gabrielle before she'd get lost from them completely.

Before stepping out she stopped at the coat rack next to the doors and grabbed her coat from one of the nails. Next to hers, she saw, that Gabrielle didn't pick her own when she ran away. Probably for having bigger things in mind, than getting cold in the breezes of Japanese winter on its way. She took it and left.