It was cold again on Rubicon. Then again. It was always cold on the planet.

Raven and Ayre both stood together, side by side, leaning against the railing at the very edge of the base. The room they stood within wasn't massive, but big enough to cause echoes. The window was open, letting in the cool air inside. The cold hardly bothered them. Or for a while anyway.

The cold hardly ever bothered the AC pilot. Even before the augmentation, he was pretty sure that certain temperatures were never too much a challenge for him.

But for his beloved partner, however, it wouldn't be too long before she-

He suddenly felt Ayre shiver slightly, the skin of her shoulder rubbing against the fabric on his black jacket. The young man then wrapped an arm around the young woman and pulled her in close.

She gasped lightly, surprised by his warmth. She then wrapped her own arm around his waist.

"Thank you, Raven," she said.

Raven nodded. His expressions had begun to lose their super-serious tone. Concern became an actual concern, rather than just a type of concern with a "business mode." It became real. Sadness, well, the burial site of his former teammates and handler showed that it too became a genuine sadness.

However, the more positive emotions, such as happiness or joy, the furthest Raven could get was just simply a cocky grin or a smirk with a hint of arrogance.

But Ayre was fine with that. He was getting better already. He was not letting all their hard work be in vain. He really, really wants to be human again, human, like all the way. The two had conversed about certain things such as... "future plans," or more like what would they start doing.

Raven didn't seem like he was willing to give up the usage of his AC nor his mercenary life just yet, wanting to keep living up to his callsign like the other Ravens who're out there. Rusty had explained this to the RLF and Flatwell offered to handle the more proper surgeries other than Gen Four augmentations, such as a possible Generation Eight perhaps. Raven took it. Ayre was hesitant, but she was okay with it in the end, wanting to continue being his operator as usual. It'd be a shame to just throw it all away.

She snuggled against his side, and Raven held her slightly tighter.

Raven blushed calmly and ran a hand through his hair, making the Coral red of his newly-grown roots more obvious. On a mission, he ended up getting exposed to even more Coral again. And Raven thought that Ayre seemed interested in him having red hair, so rather than just getting dialysis... He ended up blushed even harder as his instinct to look away fought his desire to see her surprised and blushy reaction.

By now, Ravenhad a two ministreaks on the right side of his head. One towards the top, and the other closer to the side in the middle.

His original red streak was still where it was.

The left side of his head was somewhat more red, stretching all the way to the back of his hair, where it started to somewhat slope downwards.

However, most of his hair was still clearly black. So at least "Raven" would still stick. Ayre smiled softly and leaned her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes for a quiet and calm moment.

They gazed into the darkness of the night. The moon above in the sky shines dimly. It casted a small ray of light on them. They could hear the breezes wisp by, some parts of it kissing their faces. Raven's jacket and Ayre's dress both danced slightly in the weak wind.

All the lights were turned off, the only "lights" being the faint glow from Ayre's body and Raven's red streaks and eyes.

Ayre wiped a tear away from her eyes, for she had then found herself thinking this; She and Raven were both orphans alright, just raised by totally different families with totally different morals.

And that made them very different in many ways. Heck, even their colors were so different.

Raven was colored with a pitch black, like a walking shadow. He was a broken person, tired of resisting after suffering for so long, and that was understandable, for everyone has a breaking point.

Ayre was colored with a blinding white, like a walking white dwarf star. She was a strong-willed individual, trying to keep going, and some would find that agreeable, somehow she kept the faith despite her solitude.

Ultimately however, one color somehow bonded them together. The lights on Raven's AC and from Ayre's lifeforce, the trims on their clothes.

They were all red. Colored like the "thread of fate" it was called.

Both orphans lacked something, like missing a puzzle, or really, missing an entire half of themselves. That half was taken away from them. However, it all changed the moment they met one another.

They got them back.

They got their halves back through each other, each holding a piece missing in their lives. And those halves were the most important pieces of who they are; Body and soul. One couldn't exist without the other

Raven was a broken body, painted black to mask the cracks. A body without a soul. Just a hound trained to kill.

Ayre was a hurting soul, shining white to conceal the wounds. A soul without a body. Just a lonely speck of Coral.

Body and soul. The true pieces of a living person.

Even having at least one, a true life is impossible.

Raven was the body, Ayre was the soul. They were each other's halves. They were, what was it? Ying Yang. Soulmates. The body can give the soul the way to live. The soul can give the body the reason to live. A way to live life and why it was lived.

The body can breathe and keep the soul alive. The soul can beat and keep the body alive.

And together, they can become one.

Just like humanity and Coral. This dream they shared together, a future where both kinds of people can thrive together.

Ayre turned her head towards him. "Raven...Thank you... so much."

Raven's lips started to twitch. He then smiled. It was real. It was far too real to be an arrogant smirk. It was an actual smile.

The girl then moved out of the boy's light grasp slowly. She turned to him, causing him to mirror her action. She then placed her soft hands on his less pale cheeks. She stared into his eyes, their eyes connecting.

He chose this life. He chose to be more than just a weapon, an "it." He chose to be human, a living person, a "he." And most importantly, he chose to be by Ayre's side, his best friend, his beloved partner.

He protected himself and the AC, her only link to this world, ultimately protecting her from the many dangers that could not only destroy their AC, but also put an end to the only connection to the world she had ever have. He protected her dreams of pure hope, taking on a lighter path, despite the many arguments he had to endure. He protected her from becoming "one" ALLMIND, kept her safe from being caged up against her will.

Maybe she is what made him so special: Having something to protect.

Something to truly fight for. Not something that is all about himself, but seeing how important something is in the eyes of someone else, a true friend.

Raven finally nodded in reply to her. They stood there for a moment. Ayre's hands dropped for a small moment. And then, soon enough, they started to draw closer to one another. The wind slightly picked up, almost as if it was all on cue, as if it knew what was just about to happen. Their hands clasped together with a gentle purpose. They stopped for a moment, their lips just barely brushing against one another.

The young woman's expression shifted to an almost uncomfortable tone of guilt as she looked down.

She then looked back up at him, trying to keep eye contact, not wanting to look away from the person she loved. "Raven. You took on my hopes... my selfish dream. Now, I want to see the future that you choose. Whatever waits ahead... I'll... support you."

Raven smiled. It was soft and gentle, like an ordinary smile. There was nothing else, just joy. This time, there was nothing that could stop them. This was no ghostly peck or anything. It was them. Skin to skin.

They then leaned all the rest of the way in, and Raven and Ayre's lips finally connected, celebrating their very first kiss. The final piece to connect them once and for all... the one thing in life that makes it worth living had finally come into their grasp:

Love.

They were now the true flames. Not of destruction, but of life, flames symbolizing more of a light, casting the shadows of darkness away.

The true Fires of Rubicon.

THE END

https://youtu.be/WEsibVKPNA0

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