私はシェリルノーム。(I am Sheryl Nome).

I am a professional singer, and now I am also a pilot. The first time I tried to fly a real Variable Fighter didn't turn out well. But I'm not the type of person to give up! I always persevere and keep at everything without flinching until I win! At least, I almost always have...

"Sheryl!" a small voice broke me from my thoughts and what appeared to be a young, purple-haired girl popped up next to me as I prepared to step into the Valkyrie for my second real flight.

"Klan!" I smiled at the micronized Zentradi. More than just micronized really – a genetic defect caused the normally voluptuous adult female Klan Klang to turn into a child of no more than twelve years when shrunk to human size. It could be unnerving at first, but eventually you got used to both of her forms.

She shot me a grin and a thumbs-up; "Good luck in your first flight exam! Remember – don't mess up and don't be too good, either. I won't have you beat me!"

I laughed and tossed my light hair behind a shoulder, then grabbed my helmet; "I'm Sheryl Nome. I never mess up and I strive to beat everyone eventually." She knew I was half-joking about the second part so I didn't worry about saying it. I turned and looked out at the sky of The Vajra Planet which our space colony had made into its home less than a month ago. We hadn't come up with our own name for it yet, but perhaps 'The Vajra Planet' is appropriate enough, doing justice to the insect-like life forms who had lived here. "Alto is..."

Klan shook her head, looking glum. Ever since she lost her one true love, Michael Blanc, she's thrown herself whole-heartedly into helping me with my own romantic endeavors. "Not here. He chose Ranka's concert... well, it being her first concert on the new planet and all. It's just too bad they had to schedule your exam for this day of all days."

"Ah, well," I smiled and pretended I didn't care. I was very good at that. "It's only right, I suppose. If I didn't have this I would be at Ranka-chan's concert as well."

"Yes..." Klan frowned. She was intuitive and could probably see through my act. Yet, she didn't say anything. Instead, she tried to change the subject. "You know," she said with a smile; "That Elmo has turned out to be a rather lucky agent indeed. Taking on both you and Ranka now."

"Yes, I'm afraid he might get a rather big head if we're not careful," I managed an indulgent smile while thinking of my enthusiastic manager. If it hadn't been for him I might have lost my singing career altogether when Grace abandoned me. I owed the man a lot, but I didn't mind sharing him with Ranka, either.

"Sheryl!" Klan exclaimed, pointing to the sky.

I looked where she gestured and saw the green creature flying towards me, its antennae wiggling with excitement. "Ai-kun!"

Our planet's remaining solitary Vajra floated above Klan, myself, and the Valkyrie, and a small piece of paper wafted down from him, landing in my awaiting hands. I smiled down at the note, which simply said 'Ganbatte, Sheryl-san!' and was signed by Alto and Ranka. "Thank you, Ai-kun!" I said to the Vajra, grateful that although my two closest friends could not be here, they were encouraging me from afar.

The green alien squealed and hovered above the Valkyrie, intent on observing my exam in their stead.

"Sheryl Nome," a more subdued voice said from across the grass.

"Sensei!" I turned to the flight instructor, walking up to me with his computer in hand.

"Exam Number One. Basic maneuvers. Are you ready?"

"Thousand percent!" I flashed Klan and Ai-kun a smile as I quoted one of my songs in English and saluted the instructor, ready to start my exam and show the world just what I was truly made of.

I put my helmet on at the instructor's nod and climbed into the Valkyrie, settling myself behind the controls. Closing my eyes before beginning, I took myself to that calm, collected place that had always helped me endure trials, and inwardly wished Ranka-chan good luck on her concert. The new song she had written over the past few weeks, 'Songbird', was one of the best I'd ever heard, and I was anxious to find out the audience's response to it.

And, despite the fact that Alto needed to go to her concert and not having him here was disappointing, I still had one thing that was always a comfort.

At the end of the day, he always came home with me.

A/N: Does everyone like the story so far? 'Thousand percent' is a reference to the AWESOME song 'Universal Bunny', and 'Songbird' is the first song on the newly released Macross F holiday album 'cosmic cuune' – everyone's favorite legendary composer really outdid even herself on this series, in my opinion. The music is completely glorious!

'Ganbatte' is good luck in Japanese, for those of you who don't know. Similarly, 'sensei' is 'teacher'. Though I figure pretty much everybody knows that already ^_^

I hope to update this slowly, as well as the Mao one, so please let me know if you like it and leave reviews. Thanks!