It was all over the news within the week.

The Prime Minister of Japan was personally on all the news stations as soon as he had been released from the Silver City. His long speech discussing the robots, the Silver City, and the military was shown on all the news stations around Japan.

The drones were to be melted down into metal that would be used to repair all the damage around the country. There were probably enough drones to rebuild twice as many cities as there were now, but it wasn't discussed what the rest of the metal would be used for. Not for more robots, though. The Prime Minister clearly stated that the Robot War would be taken as a lesson to not try to bite off more than the country could chew. Their economy would go down without the extra labor the robots offered, but that had been true since the war started. This wasn't much of a change.

One line stuck out to the entire military, though. About halfway through his speech, the Prime Minister made one very clear statement that the pilots couldn't decide was good or bad.

"Operation Exo-Force will be disbanded when their technology and battle materials can be stored away."

It was a good thing in one sense, that the world didn't need the high tech military subsector any longer. It meant change, good change, and a promising future free of a need for massive battle machines and robotic devices. This announcement showed the country that the government thought that they were all safe for the time being, and that hopefully it would stay that way for a long time. The Prime Minister didn't take the time to explain what would happen if the Exo-Force was needed again. He simply left it at total disbandment.

But it was as though the pilots were losing something. They had been a part of this for too long to just let it go. To the pilots and techies, this was their home. Most of them had lost homes and family members to the war. They had nowhere else to go to. But they had no choice.

The Golden City was being shut down.

But what had hurt many of the soldiers was the news from around the world. Akira's death had not gone unnoticed. The news had spread, and the government was grateful, very grateful. In fact, many countries had awarded her with their highest military awards for her honor and nobility, even in the face of death. Her awards had started with the Japanese Medal of Honor with a Red Ribbon, to show that she had risked her life to save another's. Hikaru had never been so proud of a trainee, ever. Akira had gone above and beyond, and the war was won. The world was safe, for now.

Still, Hikaru wasn't sure what the worst part about coming back to the base was.

First of all, the funerals. The team had returned to find all the drones completely shut down around and in the city, but there were a lot more bodies on the ground than just metal ones. Most were unconscious, others dead. Kouta had eventually had to take the front line, leaving the workshop behind. His battle machine was practically dead, but he had been found unconscious nearby, next to a deactivated robot. He later told the team that he had been knocked out before the robots had shut down. He couldn't remember anything after that.

So the living members of the Exo-Force left had been placed with the responsibility of telling the families of the deceased of their relative's fate. It was nasty and tiresome work. Hikaru hadn't had to do much. He had been put with only one family: Akira's.

How does one tell a parent that their child, maybe their one and only child, was coming home earlier than expected? Those words should have inspired celebration; instead, they would invite only sorrow. Hikaru had done it multiple times, so many that now most of it felt like a routine. He would knock, wait on the door step for the family to arrive, and speak in slow, aching words about the child's fate. This would be followed by tears, screams of shock, and complete breakdowns on the family's part, while Hikaru waited in sorrow for the family to dismiss him. Sometimes he would stay longer to explain how the pilot or techie died, how they had sacrificed themselves for the good of their country. All the words were empty. Nothing could heal a parent's broken heart.

With Akira's family it had been different. Hikaru had visited her city, knocked on the parent's door, and waited for them to arrive, as he always did. The city was partially destroyed, but most of the inhabitants had moved back in from the Silver City's sanctuary. Akira's apartment complex had been basically untouched.

From the moment the door opened, Hikaru could tell Akira's parents already knew what was coming. But what still to say?

"I have some bad news—." No, that was too casual.

"Ma'am, sir, your daughter—." No, no, no! Too callus.

"I'm sorry, but your daughter—." Too abrupt.

"I know your daughter was very special to you—." Too personal.

Hikaru had done this so many times that he could usually pick a line from a piece of paper and say that. But this was different. It was too close to his own heart. He would tell them, and in the process, he would kill himself. He had bowed his head deeply, refusing to meet their eyes. "May I come in?"

Mrs. Hamoto's eyes were already brimming with tears. "It happened, didn't it." It wasn't a question. She could already tell what he was going to say.

Hikaru had bitten his lower lip, holding back tears. Crying wasn't going to help the situation. "I am so…so sorry."

It was all Hikaru could manage without completely breaking down himself. The conversation had ended there, with him giving Mrs. Hamoto the date of the funeral service. He told her that unfortunately, there was no body to fill a casket, so they would be placing an empty casket in the grave. And he asked her permission to have the body buried in the military burial grounds, and not at her family's grave site. This was usually one of the questions Hikaru asked the family. It was a huge honor to be buried with the military, though some families preferred that their child be buried more traditionally.

Mrs. Hamoto had nodded slowly. "She would have preferred to be buried with the military. She loved working with you all. It was her dream, and she…she did it."

Hikaru had thanked her and left the house. But as he was on his way, he turned back and faced Mrs. Hamoto once again. "I want you to know," he said slowly, "that she died a hero. She saved many countries from the robots. And she was the most dedicated student I've ever trained. Most of the larger countries have awarded her with the highest military award possible. She's a hero."

Mrs. Hamoto's blank eyes met Hikaru's and she nodded. "Thank you. You don't know how much it means to hear it from you."

The funeral was a larger event than normal. This many soldiers hadn't died since the first attack on Sentai Mountain. The graveyard was located at the bottom of the mountain range that the Golden City mountain was a part of. It was small, secluded, green, and peaceful, all the things a graveyard should have been. Hikaru thought Akira would have liked it. It was a proper graveyard, one where the dead could stay in peace. The remaining members of the Exo-Force that had been stationed at the Golden City attended, along with all the families and friends of the deceased. Even Sensei had made a quick enough recovery to attend. He and Hitomi stood off to the side, watching as the caskets were lowered into their graves. His grey eyes watched everything intently, sorrow behind his expression. Hikaru hadn't spoken to Sensei since the older man had awoken. In general, the Dream Team had avoided Sensei. There was something odd about speaking to him, after all that had happened. Did he remember Akira? Did he even remember what had happened?

Hikaru, Takeshi, Ryo, and Ha-Ya-To stood in the front, close to the graves. They all wore dark, formal uniforms, a combination of suits and military wear. Hikaru rarely wore them. They were for special occasions only, and things of that sort didn't come around often. The dark fabric was pinned along with many medals. One on each of their chests was completely new. The four lead pilots had each been awarded another medal for valor.

Hikaru was sick of the medals. All they really told him was that he had survived. He didn't feel like he should have received more medals. What made him deserve them more than anyone else? He wasn't even sure what he was supposed to do with the uniform after he left. He would never wear it again.

The service was short and precise. And as always, it had ended with the Fallen Soldiers Memorial wall being carved into once again. Hikaru counted five hundred and eighty-seven names on the wall now. They had lost a lot of people.

After the service, Hikaru had been confronted by Akira's two brothers. Not much was said, except a "my condolences" from Hikaru to them. They thanked him for his help in training Akira, and told him how proud they were that their sister saved so many people. Hikaru had presented them with three small boxes. One was the necklace he had given to Akira before graduation. The other one he had never seen, but it was much longer, and had a single dark stone at the end of a long leather cord. The third box was filled with the awards and medals Akira had received. One was the Medal of Honor with a Red Ribbon, from the Japanese government, and another the Distinguished Service Cross from America, as well as the Hero's Medal from China. But there were many more inside, all set into a velvet case. The brothers thanked Hikaru for bringing the necklaces to them, and broke off when trying to explain why they meant so much. The medals were taken with merely a bow and a quiet 'thank you' That was where they left the conversation, unfinished. Hikaru wondered if he'd even speak to Akira's family again.

Then there was the basic leaving of the city. The Prime Minister had declared that the Golden City be shut down completely until proper scientists could be dispatched to find out all the secrets of the city and what technology ought to be used and what ought to be stored away for either future use, or forever if it was deemed too unstable.

When Ryo had heard the announcement, his jaw had tightened and he glared at the screen. "Sure," he had muttered, "like anyone could figure it out better than us."

Hikaru had agreed. But the city's technology wasn't the entire problem. The other was that this was his home. He had sold his house, and all his money had gone into the building of the Exo-Force. What was he going to do now?

Slowly, Hikaru stepped into the warehouse. He had been here millions of times, but he had never been at a point where he had seriously though he had entered the wrong building. There was something not right about the whole place, besides the obvious fact that most of everything was gone. Maybe it was the new smell, or all the empty space that wasn't filled with people or machines, or the fact that the floor was clean.

"Anyone home?" Hikaru called out, stepping into the workshop. His voice echoed off the walls and around the room. He hadn't been in here since before…well, before the battle. It was oddly quiet inside. Usually something was whirring or humming inside. But there was nothing to make any noise anymore.

"Well, this is an odd visit, isn't it?" Ryo's voice came from behind a large piece of canvas covering a few cabinet sets. His lips were upturned in a tight smile. He looked even more stressed than usual, and Hikaru had seen him pretty stressed out before.

Hikaru shrugged and came farther into the workshop. "Yeah, well…I need someone to talk to."

Ryo raised an eyebrow, leaning on a nearby table. "It must be pretty bad if you're coming to me for advice."

"But I can trust you," Hikaru replied quietly. He watched as Ryo shrugged and returned to filling boxes with tools. "So…um…how have you been?"

"Besides that fact that I've had to clear out three workshops and my closet of all my stuff, pretty well," Ryo grumbled. "I still have to check if my third secret workshop has everything out. I don't place a whole lot of stuff in there. But honestly?" His blue eyes met Hikaru's. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do."

Hikaru nodded. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Ryo shrugged again and returned to his work. "How about you? How have you been holding up?"

Hikaru sighed quietly. "Um…pretty good, I'd say. All my stuff is basically packed up." He placed a hand on the wall of the workshop. "This might be the last time you see this place."

"Yeah." Ryo rubbed his hand on the wall near to him. "This place has been good to me. I can't imagine working somewhere else. I guess I'm going to have to get used to it. Maybe I'll be able to buy my own workshop."

"And what? Sell all your devices you make?"

"Are you kidding? I'll bask in the glory of having created them and use all of them to keep people away so I can live in peace."

Hikaru managed to crack a smile. "Well, at least you have some idea."

Ryo shrugged again. "Yeah, well, I don't have much else to think about while I'm packing up everything. Except…yeah. I'm trying not to think about much else." His eyes narrowed and they fell into shadows. "I killed her, you know."

Hikaru felt his throat tighten. He had been trying to avoid that topic. He sucked in a breath. "Ryo…"

"Do you know why I'm rarely on the front line?"

The blue-haired pilot shook his head.

"Because I can't stand death," Ryo hissed. "Especially ones that are my fault. And don't you dare say it wasn't my fault!" He yelled out suddenly, noticing Hikaru's upcoming rebuke. "I created the battle machine! I gave it the firepower! Dammit!" He slammed his fist into a spare slab of zaylium metal, a loud clang resounding through the workshop. "Why did I add in that stupid self-destruct button?" His voice cracked as he continued. "If I'm such a genius, why couldn't have stopped her? What's the point of being brilliant if you can't save one girl?"

Hikaru clenched his fists to keep them from shaking. His voice was a whisper. "I don't know."

"Damn it, Hikaru, give me a straight answer for once!" Ryo held up a screwdriver threateningly, though Hikaru could tell the young man's heart wasn't really in his attacks any more. Ryo's eyes betrayed tears.

Hikaru sighed and shook his head. "Everyone dies, Ryo." His voice was quiet. "it's just up to us to remember the person and move on."

Ryo snapped angrily back. "That's a load of BS and you know it. Moving on is not as easy as you make it sound. It's like a blaster to the chest; believe me, I know."

"Oh, so what do you want me to say?!" Hikaru spat his voice rising. "'Hey everyone, Akira died and it's going to be incredibly hard to forget her. Good luck!' Ha-Ya-To has been sitting up in our room for the past few days, playing some song called 'If I Die Young' over and over again. And Takeshi has been in the training gym, working off all his pain. I'm the leader, Ryo, and that means I have to make the tough decisions and be the example and move on. That's what a leader does!"

Ryo shifted his position slightly and walked over to the pilot, placing a hand on the blue-haired teen's shoulder. "You don't always have to be the leader." Ryo's voice was uncharacteristically soft. "If anyone should be in their room mourning, it's you. You knew Akira better than all of us, and you two were close. You need to stop pushing off your sadness and actually think about Akira once in a while."

"I have work to do," Hikaru said roughly. "I have to oversee the work on the city."

"No you don't. You need to go see Akira's grave, or something. You've been like a zombie this week."

Hikaru felt his words catch in his throat before he forced them out. "But if I'm not strong, who else is going to be?" He cried out, trying harder to hold back tears.

"We can take care of ourselves," Ryo said gently. "You're the one who need time. Go to her grave, Hikaru. Talk it out. You haven't been yourself since her death."

Hikaru swallowed. "I can't get down the mountain…"

Ryo rolled his eyes and pulled a small, flat object out of his pocket. "Please. Just because everyone else has shut their battle machines down doesn't mean I have. The team's machines are all still activated until this afternoon."

The pilot picked up the small piece of plastic and metal, twirling it around in his fingers. "Will you…will you come with me? I think I'd like some company."

"Sure. Let me get my keys."

In the end, the entire team, including Midori, came along with Hikaru to the graveyard. They didn't want to disrupt the peace, but they thought it would be good for them all to talk when they were finished. And anyways, the Golden City was a mass of people disassembling the entire place. None of them wanted to be a part of that.

They landed in the grassy field off from the graveyard a little. Slowly, they exited their battle machines and stood in the freshly trimmed grass of the cemetery. The wind rushed across the hills, blasting the leaves on various trees in multiple directions. Hikaru let the air wash over him as he tried to keep calm. The air felt good on his hot face.

The pilots all walked through the tombstones, maybe glancing down at some of them, recognizing many of the names. Hikaru had known quite a few of the people buried here personally. Others he had only known by name, and a few he had merely crossed paths with. But they had all died doing the same thing: fighting for their country and the people of the world.

It was obvious which part of the cemetery Akira and the other recently deceased had been buried in. Grass had barely begun to sprout up on the brown mounds of earth covering the casket. A few other people were there, setting flowers on their loved ones graves. The pilots remained silent as they watched the families, and then turned to Akira's grave.

Many of the other headstones around the graveyard were simple stone, nothing fancy, but Akira's was different. She was a war hero, and that meant her grave was much more lavish. The stone was black granite, and polished so much that the pilots could see their reflection. Engraved on the front were the words,

Hamoto Akira

born May 23rd, 2020

died April 19th, 2037

A loving daughter, strong friend, and hard worker.

A hero to the world and to her team.

Ha-Ya-To set a few flowers on the burial mound, speaking first. "Hey, AK…um…I just wanted to say…thanks for everything. You're great, and…and we all miss you." He broke off, looking slightly confused. Hikaru understood the feeling. What was he supposed to say to a grave?

Takeshi cleared his throat and moved to the front. "We miss you, Akira. And wish you were here. All this crazy stuff is going on. You always could put a smile on our faces. Anyways, miss you, love you, hope you're…um…doing okay wherever you are." He crossed his arms as he moved to the back once again, jaw set.

"You're a great pilot," Hitomi said quietly. "And a great roommate. I…I'll miss you." Tears streaked down her face, and she welcomed the comforting arm Ha-Ya-To put around her shoulders.

Ryo crossed his arms, looking stubborn. "You were an idiot to pull a stunt like that, I hope you know. And I can't even rebuild the Solar Flare." He paused. "But you were more important than that dumb hunk of metal, anyways. I'm sorry it had to be you." He tried to say more, but ended up choking on his own words and had to stop.

Midori took the podium. "Hey, Akira…I didn't know you very well…but if the guys are all saying these things about you, it makes me mad that I didn't get the chance to know you better…so…yeah."

They all looked to Hikaru, who was still watching the grave with narrowed eyes. Finally, he stepped up to the front and got to his knees. He stared at tombstone, which seemed to stare back at him. He tried with all his might to imagine Akira's eyes peering out and looking at him, those dark purple eyes that he loved so much. "Well…Akira…um…" What was he supposed to say to someone who was dead? It couldn't be asking her how she was doing, or what she was up to. He swallowed hard. "I know you did the right thing…d-d-dying to save all of us…b-but," his lips trembled as tears streamed down his face. "why did you do it? Why couldn't we have worked something out? We could have saved you too. We just needed more time."

Hikaru had to force himself to keep from screaming his words out. He wanted to curl into a ball and cry until he had no tears left. "It wasn't supposed to end like this. We were…we were supposed to survive the war, be happy. We were supposed to be together. Why? Why were you so damn noble?" A sob rose in Hikaru's chest with he didn't try to stop. He let out a half cry.

He couldn't take any more than that. Hikaru took a long breath, drying his eyes. "I miss you. I love you. And…be safe…." He swallowed hard, sniffling a few times. Finally, he stood, brushing his hand across the tombstone top. He turned back to his teammates, eyes mostly dried but probably still bloodshot. They all looked back at him with sympathy.

"Come on," he said. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. "Let's go."

They landed back in the city minutes later. They had parked their battle machines in the training ground, where Ryo was immediately put to work taking necessary precautions to shut them down. Hikaru and the others left to find somewhere quieter to spend their time.

The city was abuzz with workers. Everywhere, people were packing boxes onto tanks and shutting down the hidden computers all over the city. The team had already packed their gear. Hikaru had never left his room so empty before. All of Ha-Ya-To's things that usually littered the closet floor were gone.

The military said that all hands were on deck, but Hikaru didn't want to help. The idea of leaving was still too painful for him to participate. So he and the others sneaked off.

"What are we going to do?"

The six pilots lay on the ground, heads in a circle. There were very few patches of green space in the Golden City, but they had only ever found one that they actually used. It was small, and circular, on the edge of the city, but in a position where the entire rest of the city was visible. It was quieter there. From that place, the sounds of the deconstruction could hardly be used.

Takeshi shrugged in response to Hitomi's question. "What other use is there for a pilot than piloting? Though I don't think a plane would be very compatible after using a battle machine."

"What are our skills good for?" Ha-Ya-To added. "We have wicked reflexes. Maybe we can…never mind, I have no idea."

Ryo raised an eyebrow. "Well, everything's being shut down and we're not coming back here, so…I'm probably going to be called out for doing this, but these are yours."

He handed them each a small metal object, wrapped tightly around the top with a ribbon. Hikaru picked up his from Ryo's hand and held it out, holding it by its blue ribbon and letting it dangle. It looked almost like a tuning fork. "What is it?"

"Your Battle Key," Ryo said. "All battle machines have one. It's connected to the engine and makes it work properly. They're all supposed to be taken out and stored in the Silver City with the battle machines when the Silver City is closed. They're putting all our battle machines inside and sealing them in there. I kind of sneaked our favorites out for each of us. Ha-Ya-To, you got the Golden Guardian, Takeshi the Blade Titan, Hikaru the Sky Guardian, Hitomi the Blazing Falcon, and I got the Cyclone Defender. I thought you might like to keep them."

Hikaru smiled, holding his key up higher so it hit the light. "Man, I'm going to miss flying this thing."

Takeshi nodded. "You and me both. I can't believe they're closing the city and all our battle machines down."

"The government thinks it's for the best," Ha-Ya-To said. "The Golden City is going to be declared off limits until further notice. The Silver City is going to be closed up until it's needed again. Our battle machines…well…they might never be used again. Thanks for the keys, Ryo."

"My pleasure. Who knows? Maybe in a few years, we'll need them again."

They all sighed for a moment, relaxing in the grass. The silence was golden after so much stress. Hikaru could just fall asleep right there. But he didn't. Instead he said, "I guess we could always do work for the larger military. But to tell you the truth, I don't want to. I'm going to miss piloting way too much, and the military doesn't have battle machines."

Hitomi nodded. "Agreed. I think my grandfather and I are going to go back to his old house and live. Maybe I can get a job as a blacksmith or something cool like that. At least I'll keep in shape."

"That sounds great!" Ha-Ya-To said, ever perky, even in their moments of seriousness. He grabbed Hitomi's hand and gave it a squeeze. "I wish you all the luck. I'm probably going to have to get a job. Because I joined the Exo-Force, I never finished school. Maybe a waiter, or something."

"I heard they're starting a university for Exo-Force students who never finished high school," Ryo said quietly. "Apparently, we might not be 'stable enough' to get back into society yet." He gave an awkward half-laugh. "Sounds dull, really. I'll probably go across seas or something. Or maybe I'll just go to university here."

Midori nodded, her hand finding his. "Our house is gone, and so are Mom and Dad. So I guess where you go, I'll go, Ryo. Though, I'd rather get a job than go to school again."

Takeshi stretched out. "I'll probably get a job. Not sure what yet, but I can't stand to be in a classroom after all this action. My parents would be happy to have me home for a while. We'll see how long that lasts. How about you, Hikaru? What are you thinking about?"

The blue-haired pilot was silent for a moment. "Well, I sold my house when I joined the Exo-Force, and I don't know if I'll get reimbursed for that. If not…I don't know where I'll go. I might go into university, but until then, I don't have anywhere to stay."

"Are you kidding?" Ha-Ya-To sat up quickly, flashing Hikaru a grin. "You're coming home with me! I already asked my parents and everything. They said it would be great to have you around until you figure out what you want to do."

Hikaru blinked in surprise, looking up at his golden-eyed friend. "Really?"

"Yeah, sure! I already labeled all your stuff to go to my place, too, so we don't have to worry."

The lead pilot let out a huffing laugh, partially amused and partially in relief. "Ha-Ya-To…you're…"

"Amazing, I hope!" Ha-Ya-To grinned. "And my little brother is really excited to meet you."

Takeshi gave a laugh. "Oh, and Ryo? You and Midori are coming to stay at my house down the mountain pass until you get situated. Be prepared for randomness, though. I've got a big family."

Midori smiled at her brother's annoyed expression directed towards Takeshi's last comment. "Ryo really means to say thank you, Takeshi. I guess we all have a place to stay then."

Their eyes all locked. Hikaru realized he had no idea where any of them lived. He had lived with these people for so long that he had never actually asked when where there real homes were. It was odd, now thinking about it.

He would never again have to worry about a robot on his tail, wondering if his teammates were after it. He would never fight back-to-back with Takeshi anymore, tag-teaming their battles to match in perfect synchronization. He wouldn't have to worry about Ryo's reaction when Hikaru destroyed a battle machine, or have to listen to Ha-Ya-To's jokes. And he would miss every one of those things. They were what made him who he was.

This was his team. And they were going to be separated, maybe for good.

But unlike the last time they were sent away from one another, Hikaru actually felt rather at peace. He knew his friends well enough to know they would meet up again at some point. He knew deep down, none of them could escape what they had experienced. "Hey, meet up here sometime?"

"Ooh, being illegal again, are we? Definitely!" Ha-Ya-to cheered. "My microphone is always on!"

The others laughed as they all stood. Hikaru put his hand in the middle, Takeshi followed, and soon they were all in a circle, one hand in the middle. "Team?"

"Team!" They all called out, laughing loudly. In the midst of their despair, they somehow always managed to lighten the mood.

Hikaru knew he would be fine. He would survive living life down at sea level, away from the terrors of the mountain. Just knowing his team was a phone call or email away was all he needed.

So they all turned and walked back into the city center once again, into the thick of the crowds of pilots and techies. Hikaru glanced around, watching his friends all continue on their way.

Slowly, they all managed to collect the rest of the pilots' and tech's belongings on the tank-like machines that would be taking them back down to their respective cities. They were all going home, and yet leaving the only home they had had for years. But Hikaru wasn't worried. He wasn't thinking about how the only clothes he owned were uniforms, jumpsuits, armor, and workout clothes. He wasn't stressing over the fact that he would have to do something with his life. He wasn't even pining for Akira to be there. He missed her, but she was gone. It was time for him to move on. Akira would have wanted that.

And as he left the city for the last time, he didn't look back.

And 34 chapters later...the writer appears again :)

Since I had already finished this story by the time I posted this up, I didn't comment in every chapter. But I'm always happy to see your reviews and PMs.

By the way, if you got this far and have an idea for a name for my Grounded-2 novel, PM or review or something to let me know :) I'm in need of a name for it.

Anyhow, thanks as always for reading! I had a really amazing time writing this, and I hope you enjoyed the read :)

~Pixie