"How's the recovery going, Rito?" Tobi inquired, glancing at the small bug sitting beside him.

"Feeling better. They did what they could to patch me up," Rito replied, eyeing his quarters on the ship. "I might even be able to fix G-meca. Luckily, the pirates kept her parts."

"It looks like we're finally nearing the Bureau of Xeno Relations," Tobi remarked to his companion.

Rito looked up at the star map. "Oh, wow, we are." The proximity felt surreal after years of searching for this place. "Just don't get too excited; there's no guarantee they know," he added, placing a reassuring hand on Tobi's arm.

"I know," Tobi responded. Despite the uncertainty, he genuinely hoped they had found the right place. The fact that they weren't under the empire's control anymore was a relief.

"What's that glowing thing behind us?" Oros inquired, peering through the large windshield at the side of the ship. The others followed his gaze and witnessed a spectacular sight—a golden glowing cloud slowly traversing through space.

As it approached, preparing to envelop the ship, the true nature of the spectacle was revealed. The sparkling space anomaly transformed into dozens upon dozens of golden butterflies. Their radiant glow added a soft luminescence to everything around them, covering the ship in a delicate display.

"Whoa, anything in your books about this?" Rito asked Tobi.

"I've never heard of it before," Tobi admitted.

"They're beautiful," Rayla commented, placing her hand on the glass where a butterfly rested on the other side.

However, the enchanting moment took a turn. The ship began to accelerate. "Our navigation system has been knocked offline," Rayla declared in shock.

The butterflies guided them to a colossal, hive-like planet, where the ship gracefully entered through large hexagonal openings. After a gentle landing in the loading bay, they stepped out onto the deck. The butterflies dispersed like a burst of light, fluttering further into the planet's intricate halls. "I guess we follow them," Tobi suggested, leading his crew down a hallway adorned with thousands of books.

As they approached the end of the corridor, they entered a central, expansive white room. Gigantic books were neatly arranged on equally massive shelves, and a large centipede-like creature stood with its back to them. Rito began to express hesitation, but before he could finish, a yellow sheet was swiftly forced beneath their knees, causing them to trip backward onto the soft fabric—held like a hammock by the butterflies.

They were lifted up, carried to the top of a catwalk, and gently placed down. The large centipede turned her head, revealing a smile. Her oversized eyes heightened their anxiety. "Oh! You're finally here!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

"I've been waiting for you!" she gestured towards Tobi.

Tobi stared at her with a puzzled expression. "Pardon?"

She extended her hand, and the butterflies gracefully landed on it. "I've had the pleasure of watching your journey. I am the author of your books."

"You're the Bureau of Xeno Relations?!" Tobi exclaimed in shock. "No offense, but I was expecting something a little different."

She smiled at him. "If there's one thing you should have learned from my books, Tobi, it's that life is full of the unexpected." She pulled her hand down, showing the butterfly perched on her index finger. "I'm a hivemind. My spawn works as my eyes throughout the universe. I see all and have lived a long life. And do you know what I've learned?"

"What have you learned?" Tobi leaned on her hand, and she lifted him up into the sky, away from his friends.

"I have learned the universe is beautiful, life is beautiful, and knowledge deserves to be written down and shared with the universe. Life is so much less scary when there is no mystery. Learning about our fellow beings and their cultures is a sign that we wish peace between all! Don't you agree?"

He nodded. "I do."

"But you aren't here to converse about the universe. You've had a hard journey, and you deserve your reward." She placed him on her shoulder and brought up a hologram in front of her. "Unfortunately, I don't have the answer you need. I promised him not to disclose that information." She displayed a photograph of an old man who resembled Tobi, with white hair, a white beard, and a similar face and build. Clearly, another of his kind.

"I've sent the coordinates to your ship. He's a bit of a recluse living on planet Gasnue. His name is Herman, and I believe he is your last hope to get home."

"Why didn't he want you to know?"

"Fear of his world being tainted by outside forces," she explained. "And under the United Galaxia Charta, I'm not allowed to document any species that has reached a certain level of development and intelligence."

"Well, thank you, seriously," Tobi expressed overwhelming joy, on the verge of tears. He was going home soon. "I don't know how to repay you."

"It's the least I could do for a loyal fan!" she said cheerfully before adding in a slightly louder whisper, still audible to everyone else, "And maybe you can send me some species notes about you to add to my private collection."

"Sure thing," he replied, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Now off you go." Before she let him leave, she held out a little butterfly to him. "I want to watch the reunion! It'd be nice to see Herb again!"

Tobi placed the little butterfly on his shoulder. "Seriously, thank you again." She blushed, feeling embarrassed, and waved him off.

"That was weird," Oros remarked back on the ship.

"You know she can still hear us, right?" Tobi asked, pointing to his little golden bug friend.

"Eh," Oros replied nonchalantly.

"All systems are back online," Rito confirmed. "Next stop: Gasnue."

They found themselves at the location of the coordinates, planet Gasnue. They landed near a large, thick tree with leaves trailing down like curtains. Several spots on the tree glowed pink and blue, and the area resembled a wetland swamp. There were several nice huts around the bog, but one was a bit away from the main town.

He must have heard the noise of the spaceship, as he exited his home and stared at the ship. He looked exactly like his picture—every feature resembling Tobi. This was it. Tobi walked down to the ground, and the others stared at him skeptically. "H-Herman?" Tobi asked out loud, nervous that he was making some kind of mistake.

The other let out a sigh. "You're quite a few light-years from home, kid."