Author's Note: This story is set during the "Earthling" trilogy, in ZAC 2063, prior to the ZAC 2065 epilogue of "Remain in the Light of the Stars." It is strongly recommended to read at least "Earthling" and "Remain" in order to understand the context here.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy it, and reviews are, as always, deeply appreciated.

DEDICATION
For jdoug4118, without whom I never would have "met" Phoenix
And for Tigerhawk, not only an elder statesman of the online Zoids community, but my dear friend, for assistance with some of the required research. I'm sure you'll "do the thing" someday! ;)

ZAC 2063
Chapter 1

So it had all come down to this.

The sun had not yet risen; it merely presented as a pale pink wash of light seeping over the desert horizon to her right, from whence it cast deformed, lengthy shadows over the dunes.

Sixteen dully gleaming Zoids stood in formation opposite her some distance away, with a Pteras hovering ominously over the group. At any moment they chose, she knew, any one of those Zoids could unleash a bombardment upon her. She was out in the open before them, an attractive target if ever there was one.

Her awareness of this fact, that her death could come in an instant, and with very nearly no warning, registered concretely in her body, as her skin seemed to crackle with electricity and beads of sweat wended their way down the center of her chest.

And yet, she was too focused, too determined to feel anything but calm. She knew she was not alone, and she knew she could trust those who would fight alongside her.

Willow sat back in her seat and exhaled, waiting. Zeke was steady beneath her, his feet planted and courage unwavering. He seemed, to all who saw him in the dawn's gentle light, to be glowing, perhaps from some inner strength of will. The Command Wolf and his pilot were a mountain, standing tall and resolute before the storm and the howling winds of fear it bore.

-.-.-.-

One week earlier...
Willow found she was strangely drawn to the cemetery.

She had chanced upon it not long after arriving in the Wind Colony a year prior; it was situated in a desolate little corner of the village, on a grassy hill perpetually caressed by desert winds. A young tree stood at the top, with headstones ringing it in not quite orderly rows all the way down to the base of the hill.

There were rarely any visitors. She supposed that some were discomfited by cemeteries, though she herself was not. She found a deep peace in the silence and stillness of this graveyard, and felt far more at home among the lonely ghosts that wandered here than among her fellow villagers. Not one resident of the Wind Colony had ever made her feel unwelcome; she had not had to endure a single instance of rudeness, nor even mild brusqueness. Still, she didn't think it was just her imagination when she sensed a coolness, a distance, or perhaps a superstitious avoidance from many of the other townspeople.

It was here that she finally felt able to let down her guard, to be and do whatever she wished without sparing a thought as to what others might think of her. There was no pretense among these departed souls: though Willow was an Earthling, an alien on this planet, no one was around to care one whit.

She often found herself in the shade beneath the tree at the top of the hill, sitting quietly, breathing in the desert breezes carrying stories from faraway places, reflecting upon the strange twists and turns her life had taken as well as what might still be to come, but above all, when she sat there, she remembered. A cemetery seemed to be the perfect place for remembrance, surrounded as she was by those whose brief moments in this world were now alive only in the memories of those who had once known them.

She was ensconced in her usual self-imposed solitude one afternoon when a familiar voice borne on the wind reached her ears. She looked down the slope to see Leon, the local doctor, pastor of the colony's small church, and her partner's best friend, waving a greeting and making his way carefully up the hill towards her.

She waved back and stood as he approached. "Good day, Willow," he said, removing his dark, wide-brimmed hat and smiling at her warmly. Much of his initial hesitance and discomfort from when they had first met was now long since dispelled.

"Good day, Father," Willow said respectfully, though she smiled warmly at him, too. Leon was one of the few people here with whom she felt comfortable. Perhaps this was because, even though neither she nor Dan had ever told him of her unusual past, she suspected he had made at least a couple of assumptions of his own, and yet he treated her with kindness and affection anyway.

"Now, now," he protested immediately, the lenses of his spectacles glinting in the strong afternoon sunlight. "I told you, you needn't call me that. We're friends."

"I know, I know." She smiled again.

"And I trust you are well?"

"I am. Thank you for asking."

Leon put his hat back on his head and gazed at her curiously. "May I inquire what brings you to a place like this? It's not often I encounter others here. Was someone you know buried in this cemetery?"

Willow shook her head. "I suppose I just...enjoy the seclusion," was all she could think of to say that didn't make her sound hopelessly pitiable. "And you? Are you here to remember someone you've lost?"

"There are many I could visit in this place," Leon said, a touch of melancholy in his voice. "But no, I was hoping that perhaps I could learn something here, or at least get some inspiration on solving a problem I'm having."

Willow regarded him with interest. "What problem would that be?"

Leon sat down in the grass at the foot of the tree and motioned for her to do the same, so she obligingly settled down beside him. From here, they could see much of the colony below, its vast lake shimmering brightly. "I'm doing research, you see," he said. "I'm not only the pastor here, nor just the unofficial doctor. I'm also something of a hobbyist historian."

Willow, who had not known this, was fascinated. Her assigned career track aboard the Globally had been akin to that of a historian, after all. "What sorts of history do you study?" she asked.

"Nothing grandiose, though I think it of consequence just the same." Leon's eyes took in the spread of the farming village below them, a small oasis of green in a vast and unforgiving desert. "I'm trying to write the story of the Wind Colony," he said. "We are but one Republican settlement of many on this continent, and there are, of course, many more still in Delpoi. But it's my belief that every place has a story to tell, and that every story deserves to be heard."

"I know exactly what you mean," Willow replied emphatically. "And I'm in complete agreement."

"You are?" Leon asked, startled.

She nodded. "I love stories. Whether real or imagined, they tell us so much: not only about one another, but about who we ourselves are, and where we're going, and what we might yet be. How can we understand others if we can't see the world through their eyes? How can we know or even dream anything of our future if we remain ignorant of our past?"

Following this spirited monologue, Leon studied her as if seeing her for the first time. "Yes, I think you're right. On all counts."

"Please tell me, what kind of a story is it that the Wind Colony has to share with us?"

"Well, that's just it." He scratched the back of his head. "I've made a lot of headway, but I think I've hit a wall in terms of what I can accomplish here in the colony. I need to cast my net a bit further afield."

"What do you mean?"

"I suppose you wouldn't know this, since you didn't grow up around here, but the Wind Colony is one of the oldest settlements in Europa. It was founded over a hundred and fifty years ago, when refugees fled the tribal warfare that was spreading over Delpoi like a cancer. They came across the Deldaros Ocean by ship, because there weren't many in the way of seafaring Zoid species back then, you see. Also, most of the technology we nowadays take for granted didn't yet exist at the time, because the Earthlings, whose technology would so radically improve our own, wouldn't crash down on Zi for another century or so."

Willow's breath quickened at mention of her people, but she looked down at the ground and managed to keep her expression neutral. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she noticed that Leon was peering just a bit appraisingly at her, and she then realized that, though most anyone on Europa or Delpoi with even a rudimentary education could be expected to know the broad outlines of historical conflicts and refugees and what technology had been developed when, he had nevertheless taken the time to explain these basics to her. Aghast, she looked up at him, mouth slightly agape, heart hammering.

"I knew my best friend wouldn't fall in love with just any woman, you know," Leon said lightly, holding her gaze, his expression kind.

She swallowed, and said nothing.

"I know you're feeling a bit out of place," he continued, turning to face forward again, as though he hadn't just practically dropped a bomb on her. "I've seen the way you hold yourself at arm's length from others when Dan's away, you know. It can be very challenging, to adjust to a new place and new people. And I'm sure Dan's being gone all the time isn't helping matters."

"No, it doesn't," she agreed quietly.

"But he's not someone you should be hiding behind, either. I would love to see you being, well, you, instead of just someone's shy little shadow."

"I know." She sighed. "It's so hard."

"I'd be lying if I said that I know exactly what you're going through, but rest assured, I've had my own difficulties, too." He plucked idly at a blade of grass. "Did you know that Dan and I only met for the first time in the army? We didn't grow up together, and neither of us grew up here."

"You didn't?" Willow said quickly, surprised. She had known that Dan had bought his cottage here after being enlisted for a couple of years, but she had simply assumed the Wind Colony was Leon's hometown, and that that had been what had influenced Dan's choice of where to settle.

"Neither of us had much left to return to after the cataclysm, but we still wanted a place to call home when we were between tours of duty. So we decided to buy houses here, simultaneously. Do you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because we're both so shy with others that neither of us could bear the idea of being all alone in a brand-new town!"

"Really?!" Willow couldn't imagine her calm, composed partner feeling shy or awkward. And Leon! He worked with people all day, whether healing or ministering to them. She had seen for herself how natural and at ease he was around others; it was that very steadiness, in fact, that made people, even strangers, feel comfortable around him right away.

"We've all lost people and places and things we loved, and no one set off on this journey knowing all the answers already. We all had to start somewhere." He pushed his glasses a little bit further up his nose and smiled at her. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, you belong in the Wind Colony just as much as someone who can trace their roots here back for generations. No matter where you came from or how long or short a time you've lived here, this can be your home, too, if you want it to be."

Willow couldn't help but think of the other townspeople then, their polite words and guarded expressions. Had she misread their feelings? Or was it as simple as them sensing her discomfort and reacting in kind? It was so hard to decipher the intentions and emotions of new people; nearly all of her prior experience in navigating these tricky social waters had been with the cloistered and very finite population of the Globally, where she already knew everyone.

"I know you feel like an outsider," Leon continued. "I understand, I really do. Just remember, you have a place here, too. Everyone who lives or has lived here is a part of the larger story of our village, and all of those components are important."

"Thank you, Leon," Willow murmured, letting his compassion settle over her like a soft blanket. "Even though I have Dan in my life again, I - I still feel so...I'm not sure how to describe it. I don't know how to feel lonely anymore, when I know there are people, and even a Zoid, too, who love and care about me. I genuinely don't mind all the time that I spend by myself. I guess it's just that these difficult feelings are larger than that."

Leon nodded. "It sounds like you still have a lot of things you're sorting through."

"I do."

"I have no doubt that you'll get to where you need to be, in due time. We all will. And until then, we'll just keep working on our own particular thorny problems, right?"

Willow realized she had entirely forgotten about Leon's earlier mention of having difficulty with his research. "Forgive me!" she exclaimed, embarrassed. "You were telling me about your work on the Wind Colony's history."

Leon laughed. "Yes, I'd nearly forgotten why I'd come to the cemetery in the first place! Well, to briefly summarize, I've been trying to research the genealogy of several contemporary families who can likely trace their family histories back to some of the colony's original residents. The problem is there is something of a missing link. I've found repeated references in various documents to a certain individual, and I suspect she's the keystone to not only the colony's establishment, but its character. A founding mother, if you will."

"So then why are you having trouble? It sounds like she's the one you need to be looking into."

"Because I don't know who she is," Leon sighed. "I have a name, and those aforementioned oblique references that don't bother to go into much detail about her because her identity and role are so self-evident to the writer, and nothing more. If I could get my hands on some of her papers, or even the ship manifest confirming the timing of her arrival on Europa, it would help me start putting the pieces together."

"Ship manifest?" Willow echoed, bewildered. She had never heard this term before.

"It's a log from a ship that lists passengers, cargo, and departure and arrival information. Basically, I would look for ships arriving at the port city far northeast of here that listed a passenger with her name, and that would give me some leads."

"So you don't have these records?" Leon shook his head. "Then who does?"

"There's a large trading post about half a day's journey south of here called Athraigh Town. It's known to be one of the most active markets in southern Europa. And, I hear it has an amazing library, one very popular with genealogists due to the size of its historical primary source collections."

"A library!" Willow remembered well the feeling of promise and expanding horizons when she had encountered a small trove of books one day in Fort Zephyr. She had heard of these things called libraries, but had never seen one herself. The Wind Colony was far too small and agrarian for such an entity. "You think the records you need will be there?"

"I think there's a very good chance. And if not, the head librarian would know where to point me."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Willow exclaimed. "You should go to Athraigh Town right now and get the information you need so you can write your history!"

Leon seemed amused by her enthusiasm, but shook his head. "I'm afraid it's just not possible," he said ruefully. "I'm the only one in this colony with any medical training beyond the most basic. To go on an unnecessary little jaunt like that without a replacement would be incredibly irresponsible, tempting though it is." He looked past the sprawling community below them to the desert beyond, a bit wistfully, Willow thought.

"Do you miss being in the army?" she asked suddenly.

"A little," he admitted. "As I told you when we first met, I didn't enjoy the violence. But the excitement, the adventure, all of the ridiculous things Dan and I used to get up to…" He paused, his eyes now downcast and taking in the Wind Colony once more. "But sometimes it's important to give up what one personally wishes in order to serve the greater good."

Willow could hear a note of resignation in his voice, though she had no doubt he truly believed in the spirit of what he was saying.

"Dan and I have talked about this, actually," Leon continued. "We both feel the same way. The Wind Colony is our home, and everything in the world that matters to us now is here." He cast a significant glance in her direction. "Especially now that you're finally among us. He and I would do anything for this place and the people who live here. It's that important.

"He feels the best way he can do that is to do what he can to protect it. By being in the army, he can fight against those who would try to do us harm. Me, with this injury, I can't make those same kinds of contributions. But until I'm better I can work to heal the sick and tend the souls in this village...and I can do my best to preserve our past for those who will live here in the future."

"Spoken like a true friend of this colony," Willow remarked, almost to herself. He had gotten her thinking. Leon turned to her and smiled appreciatively at the compliment. "Which is why," Willow continued after a moment, "I'm going to go to Athraigh on your behalf and get those records for you."

"You - you will?"

"Yes, because I believe in preserving our pasts and in helping friends," she declared spiritedly.

Leon couldn't help but laugh. "I must say, Willow, I've long enjoyed your almost relentlessly earnest idealism. It's quite unusual, you know, and all the more refreshing for it."

"Thank you, but I wasn't always like this," she replied, blushing. "There were some...darker times, too. I know what it's like to be tested, to have to keep the faith no matter what, even when you can't find any light on the horizon."

"And life will continue to test you, and I'm sure you will continue to rise to the occasion. I have no doubt, in fact, that you have many an amazing story of your own to tell." He smiled at her again. "Maybe someday I'll be privileged enough to hear one."

"Maybe," she conceded, shyly tucking her hair behind her ear. She saw asteroids and planets and stars sailing by the Globally's windows in her mind's eye.

"Anyway, if you were serious about going to Athraigh for those records, I'm afraid I can't find it in me to turn you down, and so I very gratefully accept your offer. Could I trouble you to come by the rectory later, and we can discuss the details?"

"Of course."

"You have my thanks." Leon stood, brushing grass off of himself. "And so, for the time being, I will leave you to your seclusion. Until then, Willow." He politely tipped his hat and set off down the hill, long legs carrying him swiftly and a bit lopsidedly away until Willow was quite alone again.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her chin upon them, closing her eyes, breathing steadily, absorbing the welcoming silence and ethereal memories in this place as though they were precious water slaking a thirst.

Somewhere far below, she knew, there was a simple adobe house, and beside that house sat a white Command Wolf, patiently awaiting the return of its pilot.

At this thought of her dear friend, she smiled. Dan, who had been devoting himself over the last year to climbing the military ranks, had left Zeke behind for his latest tour after volunteering to cross train on the other types of Zoids deployed by the Helic forces. So what better way for Willow to give Zeke a bit of excitement in what was otherwise surely a very dull country life than to go on a little adventure together? She herself had been looking for a change of scenery, she now realized - and a deeper sense of purpose, too.

Willow stood, taking in the headstones and the colony below one last time from this great height. Far beyond, stretching limitlessly to the horizon, the desert beckoned, its countless zephyrs calling to her. She sighed happily and stepped into the bright afternoon sunshine.