The end is nigh...
But what awaits at the end is but the beginning.
The Sands of Time have run out,
yet the Fallen haven't died.
'Not enough time... Hurry... Must go... faster!!!' Cagalli's mind raced, screaming at her, between flashes of pain from her leg and arm. She didn't even attempt to look at her injuries... all she could think about was saving them. She prayed for time to stand still for her, even just for a few minutes on just this one day...
Suddenly, the MS shuddered, and proximity alarms began sounding. Cagalli checked her primary display. Massive energy signature detected, ETA: 2 Minutes... "!!! NO... NO, NO, NO!!! DAMN IT, NO!!!!" she wailed out '... not now... not this.' She couldn't afford any more delays. They wouldn't make it to the shelter in time. She railed against the control panels with fists of rage and despair as the viewscreen window quickly turned green and radiant in the viewport. She could feel her eyes burning with anger, shame, and failure. Hot tears were forming... she ran with the pod towards her destination, across the wreckage strewn battlefield. She had to make it... their pulse was steady, they were still breathing, but Cagalli felt... pale... cold... She had lost a lot of blood, and probably had some blood in her lungs from forced decompression when she was hit hard.
Pale green light filled the viewscreens and leaked through holes in the cockpit... Cagalli froze. A chill shot up her spine and across her entire body... 'Oh Haumea... It's too late...' She slowly looked up and around. The light was all over the islands, nary a shadow was left. She attempted to move towards her destination again, but what she saw caused her next breath to catch on the lump in her throat...
The intensity of the beam was unimaginable. Impossible shapes, formed from the contrast of light and dark, were all that could be seen. Light was everywhere. The very fabric of her world was being illuminated by the energy. Sparks crackled around the MS, and a gigantic wave sped towards her...
A bright light shot out, blinding her.
"UUUAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
...Her world faded to blackness as she used her unit to defend the pod...
Welcome. Welcome to a world with:
A princess without a country…
"Father… I've failed you… I'm so sorry…"
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A knight who wishes for eternal peace…
"Revenge won't bring anything back, Cagalli! Do you want another war?"
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A boy left with nothing…
"He's the one… He's the one who ruined my life! Why is he still alive!?"
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A girl recognized as nothing…
"I'm nothing… nothing but a dead woman walking…"
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A songstress that needs guidance…
"I don't know…I don't what to do anymore, Kira."
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A paladin who will do everything he can…
"I will return the world back to peace! If you get in my way, I have no choice but to kill you…"
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A girl who now stands in the shadow of her past…
"It doesn't matter if I was once Mayu Asuka!"
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A girl lost in the sea forever…
"Shinn… you promised to protect Stellar no matter what! But now, I have a new protector!"
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Welcome... to a world filled with:
Despair…
"I… I have nothing left…"
"… Then surrender your all to me…"
"W-why…?"
"I shall grant you ultimate power… for a price…"
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Goddess…
"Why are you giving me this choice?"
"Because we believe you are in need of its strength."
"But I…"
"Will it take you where you need to go? Will it help you along the way? Only time can tell."
"…"
"The Lion once told me that everyone has an ultimate goal in their life. And my goal is to grant you the power to accomplish yours."
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Separation…
"Cagalli…are you there? Are you there, Cagalli?"
"… Sorry, Kira… But I can't be your sister anymore…"
"What do you mean…?"
"I have chosen a path that will lead me far away from you and Lacus, my remaining family."
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Recall...
"I was once known as Mayu."
"What!? Then if you were her, what are you now!?"
"Hikaru Alusca, pilot of the Famine Gundam."
"Wait… You're one of the Riders of the Apocalypse!"
"Correct."
"Then… I have no choice but to finish you off!"
"Try it."
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Shame…
"I no longer have the right to call myself the Lioness of Orb…"
"What!? Why?"
"Because I have performed a great many sins…"
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Betrayal…
"Cagalli…!"
"You know, you've been a constant pain in the ass since day one!"
"The same to you…!"
"Just shut up you ZAFT pawn!"
"I am no pawn! I chose the path that followed my ideals!"
"Your ideals are nothing more than a winding road of betrayals and indecisions!"
"Shut the hell up, Cagalli!"
"I am not Cagalli!"
"Then just who the hell are you!?"
"I'm Cagurren! And I'll destroy you so that Cagalli won't have to suffer anymore!"
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Song…
"I've been waiting so long to meet you! The Chairman told me one day that I would and here it is! I'm so happy!"
"…Why are you doing this? Why do you want to be Lacus so badly?"
"…Because Lacus is the only one who can save Meer."
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Hate…
"Damn you… ZAFT!!! You'll pay with your life!!!"
"… She's letting it take control…"
"Cagalli, stop it!"
"Not until I get revenge!"
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Hope…
"What are you saying, Stellar?"
"Stellar… can't be with Shinn anymore."
"Why not?"
"…Because Stellar… because Stellar is part Scion!"
"What!?"
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Revival…
"You really are a selfish person, aren't you? You think you can come back like nothing has happened?"
"I'm not doing anything like that!"
"Then why are you here? Why come back now?"
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Past…
"I can't run away… I can't change it."
"Yes you can, all you have to do is believe."
"I'm scared…of what I'm becoming."
"Then we will protect you."
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Love…
"Why? Why is this happening? Why me?"
"Because it's destiny…"
"Who are you…? How do I know you?"
"I'm Raze and I will do whatever I can to protect you, Mia Campbell."
"You're–!!!"
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Death…
"Father…! Kisaka…! The citizens of Orb…!"
"What are you doing…!? You'll…!"
"Shut up! I've had it with all your deceit, lies, and betrayals!"
"That was not part of the…!"
"I said, shut up! I won't hear anymore of it!!!"
"Stop! Don't do it!
"Their deaths will be on all of your shoulders…!"
"DON'T!!!"
"HAPPY BLOODY HALLOWEEN!!!"
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Sickness…
"The virus' name is Lusus Naturae… It turns any human it comes into contact with into a Scion follower…"
"Chairman Dullindal… What are you saying…?"
"That the virus pacifies aggressive behavior and convinces humans into following The Way…"
"What!?"
"In other words, it is a direct threat to the Destiny Plan's way of bringing about peace!"
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Prophecy…
"People cannot change their destiny because it was already determined when they were born!"
"You're wrong! We can change it! That's what makes us humans!"
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Destiny…
"You bastard! I can't believe you're still alive!"
"Shinn, what are you…?"
"You… why don't you die!"
"NO! Shinn, don't kill Kira!"
"Stellar…?"
"If you shoot Kira, I will forever hate you!"
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Truth…
"Cagalli isn't like that!"
"Why would you say that?"
"Because I know Cagalli!"
"Really? Then why is she leading such a violent massacre?"
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Enemies…
"Damn it, Cagalli, why do you always have to make things tougher?"
"…Athrun, you don't understand anything…"
"What do you mean!? You're the one that doesn't understand anything! If Lord Uzumi was here, he would–"
"He would be angrily crying at the loss of Orb and its citizens!"
"You don't know that! You're an idiot to believe that!"
"Athrun, you are the idiot… following the Chairman's ideals! Screw you and the Destiny Plan!"
"What was that!?"
"No more…from now on, we will be enemies, Zala!"
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Nostalgia…
"Why do you still have that?"
"… Because it was from a better time, a better place…"
"Why?"
"… Because it reminds my other half, Cagalli… of their father…"
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Identity…
"Just who am I?"
"You're another part of me, just like I am a part of you."
"Then how did you come to exist?"
"Your anger, hatred, sorrow, and loss resulted in my awakening…"
"But… how?"
"…I don't remember…"
"Do you remember anything?"
"Yes…"
"What?"
"The name I was given was Cagurren."
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Fears…
"Stellar? What are you doing in that thing? Please get out of there Stellar! I don't want to shoot you!"
"… Stellar needs to get away… from everything."
"What are you talking about? I… I can protect you, Stellar!"
"…Stellar can't stay anymore."
"Why?"
"… Cagurren is calling Stellar. She needs my help."
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Friendship…
"If only things didn't turn out this way, am I right, Kira Yamato?"
"Chairman…!"
"It's quite a pity that Athrun is loyal to ZAFT. It's even sadder that Orb had to fall."
"What is your point!?"
"Now, now, no need to rush. My point is that you are still friends with Athrun. Quite amazing, in my opinion."
"What do you mean!?"
"Just that Athrun was the one who helped plan the Fall of Orb."
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Reason…
"Why do you fight, Athha…?"
"…I don't want anyone to suffer the hypocrisies of the Destiny Plan."
"Even if you suffer…?"
"…Yes."
"…Then we will suffer with you."
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"I won't let this war happen!"
"Stellar? No…you're supposed to be dead!"
"No…! No, Stellar doesn't want to die again!"
"Kira… I'm sorry."
"What are you fighting for!?"
"She killed millions!"
"No… Lacus…"
"…I will sing the song of peace as myself, no longer as Lacus Clyne."
"You have sad eyes…"
"My poor, older brother doesn't understand anything!"
"Mayu, no, you can't be… Mayu is dead!"
"Shinn… Mayu wasn't dead…!"
"I'm sorry, Father. I'm sorry!"
"Goodbye, Sieg… and thank you for saving my children…"
Cagalli awoke, or at least she thought she did.
Her vision slowly focused, revealing a desolate landscape. Nothing moved, nothing spoke. All was deathly silent... the only thing she saw through her damaged cockpit walls and in her monitors was the pod. It was still intact.
A gigantic spasm of pain hit her, and she blacked out again...
A thousand voices called out to her mind, alien, distant...
"Cagalli... Cagalli... Cagalli... Cagalli... Cagalli..."
"They are Coming... TheyareComing... TheyareComing... TheyareComing... TheyareComing..."
"You Must Awaken... YouMustAwaken ... YouMustAwaken ... YouMustAwaken ... YouMustAwaken..."
"You Will Fight... YouWillFight... YouWillFight... YouWillFight... YouWillFight... YouWillFight..."
"Bring Others, Tell Others, Message, Tell, Fight Destroyers... FightDestroyers... FightDestroyers... FightDestroyers... FightDestroyers..."
"They Are Mindless... TheyAreMindless... TheyAreMindless... TheyAreMindless... TheyAreMindless... THEY ARE MAD!!! MAD!!! MAD!!! MAD!!! MAD!!!"
"Believe Us... BelieveUs... BelieveUs... BelieveUs... BelieveUs..."
"You Will Understand... YouWillUnderstand... YouWillUnderstand... YouWillUnderstand... YouWillUnderstand..."
"Let Us Help... LetUsHelp... LetUsHelp... LetUsHelp... LetUsHelp..."
"It Will Only Be A Matter Of Time, MatterOfTime... MatterOfTime... MatterOfTime... MatterOfTime... MatterOfTime..."
"Before the Sinners Fall."
Welcome to...
Gundam SEED: The Fallen
by DreamersLTD
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"Cagalli… what does peace entail?"
"Peace entails a better, safe, and quiet world where Patrick, Lenore, Uzumi, and Kisala can live peacefully… without dictators… like the Chairman… or me."
Well, this has been sitting in my hard drive for too long. I honestly don't think that anyone will still read it now that Gundam 00 is semi-available for viewing. But anyways, here's an old story idea set in post-Destiny. I can't even remember the people whose works inspired me to write this, especially the one whose work had an opening very similar to this one. I want to credit them for the original idea, but I can't even remember who they are/were. If you happened across this spoiler-filled intro, then please tell me what you think of it so far. I need to know if I should even bother posting up the rest of the chapters (after retuning them, of course).