[ Hana Song had never cried in front of anyone but Shiro until they returned to Earth after six long months of recovery in outer space after the battle at Busan. She had never cried in front of anyone but Shiro until she stepped out of the shuttle on the tarmac of what remained of the military base MEKA was operating out of to find rows and rows and rows of people-- military, civilian, anyone ever from all over the world, not just her home-- cheering and welcoming her home. An orphaned girl from Busan who had only wanted to play video games to shut her away from the war-torn world around her and instead ended up entrenched in it. Who ended up stepping up to the plate and, whether she wanted to or not, becoming the hero that people needed to get by. She had never cried in front of anyone but Shiro until her feet touched the ground of her home planet when the last time they had been on this earth she was on the verge of death.
She was finally home. There was a home to finally return to, thanks to her. And that she even lived to return to it-- that's thanks to Shiro.
In the end all she could do was bow, bending at her waist, letting the tears fall to the ground still as she muttered a weak,
Thank you.
Everything after that felt like a blur. Because it was ceremony after ceremony, medical exam after medical exam to evaluate the results of her recovery, appearances to make, officials to meet... She wasn't even able to reunite with everyone at Overwatch until about a week in, at Watchpoint: Gibraltar, where they now hold a more private, intimate welcome back for their Hana-- even though, for the most part, the guest of honor is missing.
Because it's as they say-- all good things must come to an end. And that includes Shiro and the Paladins' time on Earth. There's work to be done on the other end of the Galaxy; more remnants of Zarkon's empire to find and subdue, more planets needing their help, just more. There's always more. And it doesn't escape Hana for one moment that she was the entire reason they even returned to Earth in the first place because she'd finally told them that she needed to return. That there was work to be done yet for her on their home planet and that she was truly, deeply grateful for the fact hat they saved her life and let her recover.
Shiro was the first to know, naturally. Though if Hana were to hazard a guess: he knew even before she told him what she wanted to do. Of course he did. And in spite of her best efforts-- she hasn't been able to spend much time with him since returning. She'd spent a night or two at the Shirogane home, of course, because being able to reunite with his family was just as important to her as all of her other engagements, but...
She wishes that they had more time together. She's not ready to say goodbye to him even though it's because of her that they have to say goodbye. But all good things must come to an end.
So while the small gathering continues on without its guest of honor inside, Hana is on top of one of the buildings near the very edge of the base, where the view over the cliffs and the Bay of Gibraltar at sunset is, Hana has learned, the absolute best. And she's taken Shiro there with her.
And she doesn't want to say goodbye even though this is all of her doing.
In the end all she could do is lean to her side, letting her head rest on his shoulder as she muttered a weak, ]
let's try this again
She was finally home. There was a home to finally return to, thanks to her. And that she even lived to return to it-- that's thanks to Shiro.
In the end all she could do was bow, bending at her waist, letting the tears fall to the ground still as she muttered a weak,
Thank you.
Everything after that felt like a blur. Because it was ceremony after ceremony, medical exam after medical exam to evaluate the results of her recovery, appearances to make, officials to meet... She wasn't even able to reunite with everyone at Overwatch until about a week in, at Watchpoint: Gibraltar, where they now hold a more private, intimate welcome back for their Hana-- even though, for the most part, the guest of honor is missing.
Because it's as they say-- all good things must come to an end. And that includes Shiro and the Paladins' time on Earth. There's work to be done on the other end of the Galaxy; more remnants of Zarkon's empire to find and subdue, more planets needing their help, just more. There's always more. And it doesn't escape Hana for one moment that she was the entire reason they even returned to Earth in the first place because she'd finally told them that she needed to return. That there was work to be done yet for her on their home planet and that she was truly, deeply grateful for the fact hat they saved her life and let her recover.
Shiro was the first to know, naturally. Though if Hana were to hazard a guess: he knew even before she told him what she wanted to do. Of course he did. And in spite of her best efforts-- she hasn't been able to spend much time with him since returning. She'd spent a night or two at the Shirogane home, of course, because being able to reunite with his family was just as important to her as all of her other engagements, but...
She wishes that they had more time together. She's not ready to say goodbye to him even though it's because of her that they have to say goodbye. But all good things must come to an end.
So while the small gathering continues on without its guest of honor inside, Hana is on top of one of the buildings near the very edge of the base, where the view over the cliffs and the Bay of Gibraltar at sunset is, Hana has learned, the absolute best. And she's taken Shiro there with her.
And she doesn't want to say goodbye even though this is all of her doing.
In the end all she could do is lean to her side, letting her head rest on his shoulder as she muttered a weak, ]
Thank you. For everything, Takashi.