In the light
After all that, there was nothing?
So Kaoru's our only hope?
Welcome back.
Cold outside?
Welcome home!
How was it?
There are just days like this.
So it was no use?
And you?
Nothing for us either.
The ice on the river was too thick, so we couldn't catch any fish.
I see.
A zero harvest day.
How many days in a row does this make?
Who has cooking duty today?
It's me.
What's wrong?
I sprained my ankle earlier.
But it's nothing serious.
No, I'll take care of cooking today.
What's on the menu?
Let's see...
I'll make soup with potatoes and dried meat.
That again?
It sounds fine, but I almost can't eat that anymore.
I could even go for a steak made of Pague.
And even Adam would eat until he was stuffed.
No, I wouldn't eat it!
Howard, don't be ridiculous!
Yes, it's mean to Adam.
It was a joke!
But the way food is running out...
...we'll have to think about the worst-case scenario.
Now, now...
Let's all cheer up!
Right, right!
"There's always a blue sky in your heart."
The words of a great person.
Whose words were they?
Mine!
Idiotic.
What'dya say?
Where are you going?
I'll give it another try.
Right now?
Great! That's our Kaoru!
We'll be waiting for you!
Howard!
It'll be pitch dark soon.
I'll be back before then.
Promise us.
Be careful.
Damn it...
Let's hurry up and eat.
Once Kaoru gets back.
For crying out loud, what's he up to?
He's searchin' for food, ain't he?
You even sent him off by saying, "We'll be waiting for you," Howard.
That may be true, but I didn't tell him he could be late for dinner.
Maybe something happened to him.
I'll go look for him.
I'll go too.
That's impossible!
You sprained your ankle, didn't you?
I'm fine!
I'll go too!
I'll go by myself.
Everyone else, start eating ahead of us.
Just in case, you should take some live embers and oil.
Luna, take this.
Snowy nights...
...are bright, I guess.
He climbed down here.
It's started coming down strongly again.
Will they be okay?
Luna...
It looks like my turn has finally come, Louis.
Kaoru!
Grab on to this quickly!
We made it!
Why are you here?
Why?
Isn't it obvious? I came looking for you.
But you could have been in danger!
Now see here...
Let's go back.
But to think there'd be that big a fissure in a place like that...
Kaoru!
Are you listening? It's dangerous to climb a cliff in this wind!
Let's look for somewhere we can bivouac.
I'm going out after all!
In this blizzard?
Give it up!
Bell, I'll go with you!
No way.
If someone goes out to search now...
...there's a danger they might be in an accident as well.
I know you're worried about Luna and Kaoru...
...but I won't let you put yourself in danger right before our eyes.
Menori...
We'll wait for them to come back.
You even brought embers.
Bell said I should bring them.
And also, here.
From Sharla.
Sharla...
...got quite a shock.
She told you?
I asked her.
Because she'd been acting strangely.
I believed there was no way you'd do something like that.
And even if you had, there was surely some deeper reason behind it.
There isn't one.
I killed him.
He was...
...the first opponent I ever lost to.
Before I came to Roca A-2 I lived in a space station.
There was a training school for space pilots there.
You are the superior students chosen from over ten thousand boys and girls.
But your true battle begins now.
Because in the five years until you graduate, you will be run through a sieve repeatedly...
...and in the end, only very few of you will be able to become space pilots.
For the next problem, you are not to use the computer.
Raise your hand when you're done.
Done!
In the first year...
...the hundred and sixty students who entered were thinned by half...
...and halved again each year...
...so by the last school year we had been reduced to ten.
To think my roommate in the last year of school would be Kaoru!
I'm delighted! Nice to meet you.
I've actually wanted to be your friend for a while.
Forget it!
I hated him.
I couldn't get over how he could help the weaker students while handling everything perfectly and nonchalantly.
I hated that smile of his too, overflowing with moral sense and never twisted by hardship.
Number eight, exhale more slowly.
If you want to give up, then go home.
There's plenty of other candidate trainees.
Hang on.
Let go of me!
I'm going home.
I won't be in the last selection anyways.
You can't give up on yourself!
If you do, you'll regret it your whole life!
We may be rivals, but we're also friends sharing the same dream.
So stand up. We'll go talk to the teacher together.
Until the end, I thought the encouragement he would sometimes show was just an act he put on for marks.
So I planned to take that mask off him someday.
Top scorer is Louis. Second place is Kaoru.
But...
...he was perfect.
From what I hear, they're only choosing one person in the last round.
Just one person?
Which means it's a fight between Louis and Kaoru.
No, it's obviously Louis.
Kaoru's lacking in leadership and cooperation ability.
Hey!
Your final mission before the final selection will be piloting these training ships in groups of two.
Please treat it as such.
First will be Louis and Kaoru.
Aye!
All ships!
Dust storm approaching!
This is not a drill!
Return immediately!
Roger!
Range: 30.
We can't get out before the storm gets here.
We'll just have to steer through it.
I'll pilot us.
Right now, I'm the pilot!
But my piloting skills are better!
I won't lose at the real thing!
Fine.
Here they come.
Next, angle 35.
Approaching fast.
Range: 10...
You're great!
This is bad!
Kaoru, let go!
If you don't, you'll die too!
Kaoru...
I leave my dream in your care.
Louis!
At the academy, there was a rumour that I let go intentionally to get my rival out of the way.
I didn't want to make up an excuse or anything.
I decided to drop out of the academy.
Right now, he's still floating around the darkness of space.
And he will forever.
There's no reason I who killed him should be here in the light.
You didn't kill him, Kaoru.
We might have both made it if Louis had been piloting.
My pointless pride killed him.
But...
But, you didn't let go of that Louis kid's hand on purpose, right?
I'd never be so cowardly as to use an excuse like that!
But once in a while, a strange thought creeps over me.
Back then, why couldn't I hold on tighter?
Maybe...
...I let go unconsciously!
Kaoru...
The rope blew away somewhere.
Then we'll have to climb up by ourselves.
Kaoru...
Don't let go!
Wait here.
Can I ask you just one thing?
What is it?
What did Louis say at the end?
I don't know.
Even though I've been thinking about it all this time.
Maybe he said, "Live!"
My father said that at the end.
He died to save my life.
So...
Live!
Louis...
--Luna! --Kaoru!
Luna!
Our friends are here.
Let's go.
Yeah.
Maybe these ruins are my home.
Chako and Shingo said the card that seems like it might open the ruins can only be used by me.
And why do the people who appear in my dream look at me so gently?
"Alduram Gyet?"
Next time: Who? Who is it?