"Ethereal Remains" - a SRMTHG fanfic by Navie

A/N: This takes place a good 150+ years after the show ends. I owe the inspiration of this to Youkomon.

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A smile. He leaned into the warm spring breeze, watching the children play. It was these moments that kept him going after such a long time; keeping the exhaustion at bay, making the struggle of his elderly spirit bearable.

With a parade of giggles, they run to him, just as they had so many times before. Like their parents had, and their parents before them. He loved them all.

"Elder Antauri!" A little girl squeaked. "Tell us a story!"

"Very well," he said, closing his eyes. "What story shall I tell today?"

A little blonde boy stuck up his hand eagerly. "I want to hear about Chiro!"

A stream of giggles and agreement rose. "Yeah! Tell us about Chiro and Jinmay!"

Antauri folded his hands in his lap, turning his head to gaze at the monument behind him, and smiled softly.

"But you have heard those stories many times."

A girl with starry eyes ran up to the monument, running her tiny fingers over the weathered stone. "But I wanna hear again," she said, looking up. "Not a story - tell us about them."

Antauri's smile widened, and he wondered if the child knew just how deeply her question had pierced his heart - but not painfully, no; in a relieving way, much as one cuts a swollen wound to relieve the pressure. His chest warmed as he traced the letters carefully carved by Otto well over a century ago.

Chiro and Jinmay, Saviors of Shuggazoom. They will live on forever in our hearts.

"Chiro..." he began slowly, closing his eyes. It was sometimes difficult to recall the finer details of his form. "He was a child once, like all of you. A bit too short and thin for his age, yes... but his heart was so vast, it could have held the world with its might. He was a bit arrogant at first, clumsy, too..." Antauri grinned. "And afraid of water. He was not born a hero, but the path of his destiny chiseled his life force into the magnificent diamond that lit the way for the progress of all those that came after him. Yet he was human, just like you."

A boy pointed to the statue. "What about Jinmay?"

Antauri nodded. "Jinmay, Chiro's bride, and the driving force behind the end of the great Cosmic Civil War. A more pure soul there never was; she was kind and graceful, and loved strawberry ice cream. She was not human when we first met, but despite her steel form, Chiro loved her deeply from the very moment they first spoke. Her body was since destroyed and rebuilt, molded into a creation that was more human than she could have ever hoped to be. She was a delightful child, a powerful warrior, an influential peacemaker, and a doting mother."

"They had kids?" A four-year old peeped.

"Yes, indeed." Antauri lowered himself level with the group of little ones that surrounded him. "They had many beautiful children, the eldest of which was Lady Sophia, the founder of Shuggazoom Two. Aiden, their youngest, was the pioneer of the Meina Den Space Station project, which is still in use today."

"Do you miss them?"

Antauri's heart skipped a beat. "No," he said, a sad smile forming on his face. "For just as their memorial states, they still live here," he said, placing his hand to his chest. "Where I will cherish the memory of their smiling faces forever. They lived long and happy lives; they neither needed nor desired anything but each other, and those they loved."

The children's eyes widened, some filling with tears at his moving words.

"And I think that is all for today," Antauri said cheerfully, levitating once more. "Run along now - it is nearly midday, and time for lunch."

The children rose, but did not run and skip wildly as they usually did. They walked solemnly to the monument, each touching the stone, gazing with wonder at the two frozen forms before making their way back to the park's center.

"...That was beautiful, Antauri."

He turned to find Nova wiping a tear from her pink eye. "It's been a long time, hasn't it...?"

"Yes. It's strange; I had expected the ache in my heart would have quieted by now."

"Does it hurt you?" Nova asked, her tone gentle.

Antauri sighed, turning to the statue. He gazed up at Chiro's youthful face, with his determined grin and wild hair, and Jinmay by his side, with her pigtails and sweet smile. "No," he answered. "It has become a part of me; another thing I have learned to cherish dearly."

Nova bowed her head reflectively. Antauri lowered himself to the ground and walked off slowly, enjoying the cool grass beneath his artificial feet. Lost in thought, he almost didn't notice when a bright red ball came rolling to him, stopping softly at his legs. Looking down, he saw a tiny boy come bouncing to him, his face alight with laughter. Antauri picked up the ball and held it out.

The little boy stopped, his smile fading, and peered at him hesitantly. Antauri felt time slowing as he noticed the child's jet-black hair, his shining blue eyes and porcelain skin. His heart surged as he smiled warmly at the child, feeling the memories swell within him.

The boy smiled back, taking the offered ball. A little girl skipped to his side, her face angelic, with bright green eyes and a bob of radiant pink hair tied back in a ribbon. Antauri regarded them both in silence, once again placing his hand over his heart. The tiny children only giggled, and the sweet sound of their laughter rang out as they danced away, hand in hand.

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If you somehow happen to have an mp3 of Ethereal Remains from the Haibane Renmei soundtrack, you'll understand where I got the idea for the final scene.