Pacific Rim: New Horizons

Somewhere She Belonged

It was dusk when Shadow was sitting by the seashore. The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. The sound of seagull squawks was drowned by the crashing waves. Eden and Puma had left for a mission. She was thinking about how different her life would have been if she had remained with her father.

Her trail of thoughts suddenly halted when she heard footsteps approaching her. She looked back to find Nova who came and sat beside her. It's been a long time since they talked with each other. " So, how is the training treating you?" She asked.

"After the Marshall has increased the training time, I barely got any time to rest." Nova laughed at hearing my comment. " Even I was stressed at the first."

" At least you didn't have to fight three attack jaegers all at once," Shadow interjected.

"Well, you see we had to spar with each other in the academy. That's where I met Chrome." She finished when she found Shadow staring at her dumbfounded. " Academy?" She asked.

"You don't know about the Academy?" Nova asked, shocked. Shadow politely nodded. Nova decided to fill her in. " The Jaeger Academy is an institution which the teen Jaegers attend to improve their skills and become qualified Jaegers."

When I went there with Eden as my partner. We both trained very hard. I still remember the day when I managed to damage my conn-pod during one of my first spars. Eden was beside me the whole time. Even Hydra and Puma assisted us throughout. Didn't you attend the academy?" she asked after finishing recollecting her academy days.

"I wish I had." Shadow wished that she could have attended the Academy with them. To her, it was nothing but a paradise. She would have been thrilled to meet new Jaegers and Instructors.

Back then she was alone, with no one to console her, no one whom she could trust and confide in. She was just a slave to her father. His words were to be followed. She still remembers the horror of her father's base.

As Shadow drifted off into her thoughts, Nova noticed the sadness in her friend's eyes. She gently placed a hand on her shoulder, bringing her back to the present. "Are you okay?" Nova asked with concern in her voice.

Shadow took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about the past." She didn't want to burden Nova with her troubles, especially when she was enjoying catching up with her friend after so long.

Nova could sense that something was still bothering her, but she didn't press any further. Instead, she changed the topic and started telling Shadow about the new Jaegers she had met during her recent mission.

"Wow, you met new Jaegers?" Shadow asked, genuinely interested. "Tell me more about them."

Nova's face lit up as she began describing her recent mission. "Yes, I did! There was this one Jaeger named Atlas who was incredibly skilled in hand-to-hand combat. I even saw him take down a Kaiju with just his bare hands!"

Shadow's eyes widened in amazement. "No way, that's amazing! I've never seen anyone fight like that before."

"I know, right?" Nova said with excitement. "And then there was this other Jaeger named Phoenix who was just as impressive. She had this unique ability to generate fire from her hands and use it to defeat Kaiju. It was truly incredible."

Shadow was fascinated by the stories of these Jaegers and the unique abilities they possessed. She couldn't help but feel a little envious of Nova for being able to witness such incredible feats.

"Sounds like you had an amazing mission," Shadow said, smiling at her friend. "I wish I could have been there to see it."

"Maybe someday you will," Nova said optimistically. "You never know what the future holds. Who knows, maybe you'll even get to meet Atlas and Phoenix someday."

Shadow smiled, feeling a little more hopeful about her future. "Thanks, Nova. You always know how to cheer me up."

"That's what friends are for," Nova replied with a grin. "Now, tell me about your recent missions. I want to hear all about them." And with that, the two friends spent the rest of the evening catching up on each other's lives and sharing stories of their past missions

As they talked, Nova suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot! I wanted to show you something," she said, standing up and motioning for Shadow to follow.

Curious, Shadow got up and followed Nova as she led her to Jaeger's rec room. As they entered the room, Shadow saw a new Jaeger and Hydra sitting on the couch, chatting and laughing. They both looked up as Nova and Shadow walked in.

"Hey Chrome, this is Shadow," Nova said, gesturing towards her friend. "Shadow, this is Chrome. He is an amazing Jaeger and a cool person too."

"Nice to meet you," Shadow said, feeling a little shy.

"Likewise," Chrome said with a smile. "Pulse HE IS NOVA'S FINANCE" Hydra injected with her usual hyperactive tone.

Nova gestured towards the couch. "Why don't you guys all sit down, and I'll grab some snacks?" she suggested.

As they settled onto the couch, Chrome and Hydra started talking to Shadow, asking her about her training and her experiences as a Jaeger. Shadow found herself relaxing and enjoying their company. She had never felt this comfortable around a stranger before.

As they chatted, Shadow realized that she was grateful for Nova's invitation to the rec room. She felt like she belonged here. She was surrounded by people who understood her and who genuinely cared for her.

It wasn't long before Nova returned with a tray of snacks, and the four of them spent the rest of the evening laughing and talking about everything and anything. As the night ended, Chrome and Nova said their goodbyes, promising to see each other again soon. After some time, Shadow felt tired. She said her goodbyes to Hydra and proceeded towards her room.

As she settled into bed, Shadow felt grateful for all the people in her life - her friends, her fellow Jaegers, and most of all, Eden. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, feeling safe and loved.