The Razgriz' families came to Oured to see them. And they were so glad that they all gathered together after the war. Harling decided to celebrate New Year together at Bright Hill with Nikanor and other Yukes that fought with them on the last battle. It was the greatest New Year celebration they ever had in their life.

Once the clock strikes 12, bright flashes of colorful fireworks shine above the sky. For the Razgriz Squadron, this marks the new beginning of their life.

A day later, everyone said goodbyes to one another as they all separated and return to their homes. It's a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realized what's changed is you.

Captain Snow retires from the Navy with Captain Andersen. But first, they sail to the ocean where the Kestrel has sunk, giving it one last mourner and honor to the aircraft carrier. The ship is the one that gave one last plane launch for the Razgriz to end the war.

Captain Hans "Archer" Grimm returns home with his family to their province. He finally gets to spend time with his brother who returned home a few days later after the war. He still serves in the military, but he will be assigned to a different one.

Captain Alvin "Chopper" Davenport retires from the military and has returned home with his family. Growing love for music, he became a singer and a guitarist. Gab helps him to make his dreams come true, he finally joins the band.

Captain Kei "Edge" Nagase retires from the military and returns home with her family. She plans to finish the story "A Blue Dove for the Princess" and published it to the public. Her dreams of going further outside the sky will come true.

Lieutenant Colonel Gabriel "Blaze" Williams returns home with her family. Spends a lot of time with them as she can finally rest well. Her career as a pilot will continue. However, she will start at the beginning as she will go to a different nation soon.

Peace has once again spread across the world. Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are.

The "Aces of Razgriz" never flew in the skies of battle again. Above the clouds, there was only a clear blue sky, no longer in need of heroes. And perhaps, that's exactly what they were hoping for all this time.

•=•=•=•=•=•

23 February, 2011 1639hrs
Osean Federal Prison, Osea

Inside one of the cells, a blonde hair prisoner is reading a book while laying down on one of the cell beds. He's been in prison since the end of the year and is sentenced to 20 years. He was an Osean warmonger and fought for the nuke by taking down the Ghosts of Razgriz, but was shot down by joint Osean-Yuktobanian forces, Mobius 1, and Galm team fighting together to end the war.

As he reads his book, the guard came. Tapping the cell bars to give his attention n. "You have a visitor waiting outside."

He thinks that it's just a detective, a CIA officer, or anyone from the government. He sighs and puts the book at the self that each cell provides. Walking towards the cell door, he reaches out both of his hands as the guard handcuffs them. Afterward, he took him to the visitor's room where a person awaits him. Once he sees his visitor, he was shocked to see her again. She's wearing a light brown jacket, light blue shirt, denim pants, and shoes.

"Gab?"

"Allen," Gab said, smiling gently when she saw him again after weeks. Allen sits in front of her and the guard left to give them some privacy. It was an awkward silence for them. Seeing two former rivals facing each other again.

"So, it was over?" Hamilton is the first one to break the silence.

Gab slowly nodded her head. "After that, we all separated. Most of us never fly again, but me and soon one of my wingmen."

"I see."

"And also...." She sighed deeply, clenching both of her fists. "I'm leaving Osea. Probably never return here again."

"Oh..." He muttered. His face cannot easily understand his reaction, but inside he is painful, and feel dreadful from her words. Silence filled the entire room before he spoke. "I guess that's why you decided to visit me. You shouldn't have done that."

"I have to." She replied. "I... Dammit, Allen... I just want to see you one more time. You're my friend, and I don't care if you think about shit or two about me."

"I've done so many wrong things during the war, especially to you, to your wingmen. You should be hated to me, my mind still never changed from before. So get off my face and never come back again."

Blaze becomes irritated, "Look, I didn't come here to cause a fight. If that's what you thinking all this time, then why didn't you kill me before we escape Sand Island?"

Allen snarled, "That isn't your concern. I solely follow orders from Gray Men to get rid of you and your wingmen."

She scoffed, "So I wasted my breath from what I said to you before, huh? I should have killed you that day so you know what it feels like to be dead."

"Then why you didn't kill me instead?! Why do you have to show up in front of my face?!"

"You're acting like a fucking child!"

"I loved you!"

Gab's eyes widen. She’s stunned into silence by the other man’s words, and she imagines Orby is as well watching from the shadows. However, Hamilton's just getting started.

"Ever since you started to socialize with me, after we became friends, I can't get my eyes off you. You're a kind, gentle, caring, and beautiful person I've seen. And you're the only friend that I care so much about."

Gab just stares at him, still dumbfounded. "But, that time-"

"The Grey Men ordered me to kill you. But I can't. I can't kill you because you're my friend, and I can't kill your friends cause I knew you will be broken and want nothing but revenge." He said.

His voice became soft, and the first time Gab ever heard about him. "When Captain Snow told me the Wardog got shot down and presumed dead, I began to plan out the invasion and destruction against Yuktobania. However, the images of you can't get off of you in my head. I felt guilt and sorrow until figuring out that you survive. That day at Sudentor, my wrath has taken over just to get the nuke to defeat those Yukes even if it means to kill you, the Razgriz, until I began to hear your voice, and this... This keeps me from not going insane further."

He shows his fist in front of her and opens his hand. What shocks Gab is that he has her golden bracelet, with A sapphire in the middle and various diamonds surrounded by it.

"That's- that's my bracelet!" She said, "I thought I lost it."

"I always keep it in my pocket, to remind me how much I care about you, like how you care for me. And how much I love you."

"Allen..." Gab's soft voice spoke. Hamilton can see her holding up her tears, knowing that what he said is true. He clenched his fist, his heart began to ache.

"I remember you said that you are not ready to have a relationship because you're still young and unprepared. I understand that." Then he holds her hand gently. Her hands are still soft despite being used in war. "But, at least let me cherish everything for us."

"I..." Gab can't hold herself any longer. She bow down her head and began to cry. "I'm so sorry!"

Hamilton gets off from the seat and kneels in front of her. "Gab, I should be the one to apologize. For everything I've committed to you, and your friends." Then he wipes her tears away with his thumb. "I may know you never forgive me, but at least never forget about me."

Gab felt his hands stroking his cheeks and siding off the hair behind her ears. Their face slowly get closer and then-

A door opens, made both of them flinch, and looked at the guard standing outside.

"Ma'am. It's s time."

Gab grumbles and looks at him dead in the eyes. "Can you give us a few minutes, please?"

The guard was kind enough to give them some time so he left them alone again as he closes the door. Gab sighs and stood up.

"Oh, right. Here." Hamilton reaches out her bracelet to her, but she refuses and closes his hand.

"I want you to keep it. That's the only thing you may remember about me." Gab smiles.

"I... Thank you." He replied with a smile. She nods her head and slowly turns around to leave. She hesitates at first but finally did one last gift before leaving.

She turns to face Allen and pulls his collar to let his face close to her. She stares at his eyes for a few seconds and finally...

She kissed him.

Hamilton was surprised at first but quickly turn into a gentle but passionate kiss. The first-ever kiss they had in their life. After a minute, their lips separate from each other as they took a breath.

"Holy shit..." Gab chuckles. Allen still getting used to this situation, but Gab kissed him again at a quick pace.

"Gab. I... Thank you, for everything." He said, then hugs her tightly as she did the same. Gab smile and walks away. Before she left the room, she gave one last salute at Hamilton before leaving. Once she's gone, he falls to his knees and for the first time in many years, he cried.

Once Gab left the federal prison. She stares at the sky, tears began to fall out of her eyes.

"Are you alright, Gab?" Orby asked. Gab lets out a deep sigh as she wipes out her tears.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She calls for an Uber as she went to a new location.

•=•=•=•=•=•

Once she reaches a large park, she's sitting at the bench, staring at the beautiful, shining sea as the sun slowly sets down. As she was about to take a sip of her soda, a familiar middle-aged man sits beside her. "Gab."

"Milosz. You took your time." Gab said. She offers a can of soda which he gladly took and opens the lid. "Any news?"

"All your records of the Circum-Pacific War, including every information from the OADF has been classified and hidden to everyone but us and the two leaders, including your wingmen as well."

Gab nods in approval and took another sip of soda. Sulejmani turns to face her, "You said you're going to live in Emmeria, right?"

"Yeah. I was planning to get Emmerian citizenship. But that'll be soon." She clarified, "Looks like I'm going back from the start."

Milosz scoffed, "Never give up on flying, do you?"

"Hey, it became part of my life flying to the skies even before I was reincarnated. I'll stop flying once my body can't handle it anymore." She finishes the remaining amount of soda. "What about you? Do you want to fly again?"

"Ah, that." He chuckles, taking a chug on his soda, "I'm already a commander in Special Task Force, Gab. Plus, my days in the air are over. After I got reincarnated, all the past before has gone."

"I see." Gab laughs a bit, starring at the horizon like a crown jewel. "At least it's good to see you again here, Milosz."

He raises the soda can, "Amen to that."

They look above the sky as slowly, one by one, the stars appear to shine above them. Gab's days of flying as "Blaze", the former leader of the Wardog Squadron, the leader of the Razgriz Squadron, has finally come to an end as the curtains come to a close. And a new song will officially embark soon.

•=•=•=•=•=•

Excerpts from "Aces, Demons, and Ghosts: Mysterious Heroes of the Belkan Conflict"
- OBN Journal, July 2014 Special Issue -

Speculations abound over the true identity of the "Aces of Razgriz," a small squadron of fighter pilots which played a key role in resolving the Circum-Pacific War (Belkan Conflict), and has since disappeared without a trace.

Some still firmly believe that this squadron was in fact the Sand Island detachment of the Osean Air Force 108th Tactical Fighter Squadron, better known as Sand Island Squadron.

Feared among Yuktobanian troops as the "Demons of Razgriz," the ferocity of this squadron's combat power is said to have weakened the resolve to fight among many in the front lines.

To date, very little information has been obtained regarding Sand Island Squadron itself.

The last recorded account is a report dated December 7, 2010, stating that all planes from Sand Island Squadron had been shot down over the Ceres Ocean. No records about them have since been found.

There are, however, numerous similarities that connect Sand Island Squadron to the "Demons of Razgriz."

Whatever the truth may be, the memory of this mysterious squadron, hailed both as aces and demons – and, at one point, as ghosts – still lives among us.

Vincent Harling, 48th President of the Osean Federation, has announced last year at the 2013 Osean Federation Council Meeting that in the year 2020, the government will release to the public all records from every department pertaining to the Belkan Conflict.

In a speech following his announcement, President Harling declared the following:

"We must let time shed light on the truth behind this conflict. In the meantime, the world has already begun to head down a new path."

"And this path shall go on, as long as the blaze of fire that shines through the darkness is not extinguished."

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•~ THE END ~•
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