Seventeen years of friendship. Charra and Zee. Two Zion-born girls just walking around one day, talking about after these years of friendship, and that it might just die.
"Zee, you have to understand my reasoning behind it all. I just can't be someone who lives a 'normal' life in Zion now. Too much has changed for that. I want to fight for Zion."
"Charra, I don't understand you anymore! You can't even go fight since you're a free born!"
"Well if it becomes necessary, I will fight for Zion here, if times turn to that. And going into the Matrix wouldn't work obviously, and being an operator does not show my will to fight."
"You have changed so much. So much just because of that Dreama girl; ever since she left you, you have not been the same."
"No shit! And how could you bring her up, you despised her! And that is not the reason I want to fight. Dreama did make me discover who I really am, and I really want to fight for Zion, in some way."
"Do what you want! I don't care anymore. If fighting is what you really feel like you must do, so be it. Bye Charra," Zee replied, storming off.
"Bye Zee. Some friend you are!" Charra exclaimed back.
Charra leaned back against a rough Zion wall and just thought. She felt like crying, but she couldn't. Love and friendship, those meant nothing to her anymore.
It was only weeks before that everything between Charra and Dreama was perfect. Charra just turned seventeen, and Dreama was a little over eighteen. Charra had long brown hair at the time and gorgeous brown eyes, as Dreama had short black hair with icy blue eyes.
But they spent every moment together. They walked through the streets of Zion, holding each other's hands, looking so much in love. Zee would never be around Charra anymore, since she despised Dreama and hated being around them, since they always acted like a couple.
One night, as Charra and Dreama lie in Dreama's room after hours of making love, Dreama had something to say.
"Charra, you were amazing, but there is something I have to tell you."
"Dreama, what is it? After what you showed me, it has to be good."
"I say again, you were amazing, but it is not good news."
"What?! You made love to me with such power, such grace!"
"I know. But I…I have to break up with you," Dreama said, as Charra started to cry. One of the last times she would cry. "Since I am eighteen now, and I am a pod-born, I am going to go fight. Fight within the Matrix. Fight outside the Matrix. For our freedom."
Charra continued to cry as Dreama brought her to her chest. Charra cried, "But Dreama! It's so dangerous. And you could always continue to be with me, for when you return home at times!"
"I know that it's possible to keep somewhat of a relationship. But who knows if I am ever coming back? And when I do, if so, I might be a completely different person. Probably different from me, who loves you so much!"
"I see. I see how it is. I wish I could go out with you and fight, but I couldn't fight with the Matrix."
"I know. But whatever happens, if sentinels come to Zion or other forces from the Machine City, fight! Fight your heart out!"
"I love you, and I will. When do you leave?"
"A few hours. But don't see me off, Charra. I love too fucking much to see you through that pain."
"Okay. I guess I should be going. But you know Dreama, I will always love you."
Dreama grabbed Charra with such force, such need, and kissed her. Charra returned the kiss back, their tongues exploring each other's mouths with such need, such ending.
Once the powerful kiss was broken, Charra got up and put her white tank top and gray pants on. Dreama got up and gave Charra a quick but strong hug. She opened the door, and Charra whispered, "I love you" and so did Dreama. That was the last either ever saw of each other.
Dreama was killed in a crash not too soon after. Charra lost it and went to Zee for comfort. Zee was there for her friend, who was in such need for comfort and care.
The years had gone by since all of this. Charra and Zee lived two completely different lives. Charra was isolated from everyone. Her former relatively long brown hair was cut into a short, butch cut. She had cut it all off, wanting nothing to get in her way if she had to fight. She had to fight. For Dreama. Her haircut even showed how much she still thought of Dreama, but she never let it show through. Dreama was long dead now, but the spirit of her lived on through Charra.
Zee, on the other hand, stayed more of the same and met Link. Link was the guy that Zee knew she would marry, and she did. But not too long after their marriage, Link volunteered to be an operator on one of the ships, nicknamed the Neb (since it had a really long name!). Zee stayed in Zion, waiting for her man to return once more. She was so afraid of what might happen to him, since Zee's brother-in-law, Dozer, was killed on the Neb only months before.
But both Charra and Zee were ready to fight if necessary. They both had someone to fight for, no matter if she or he were living or dead. Neither would know this though, for the fact that Charra and Zee hadn't talked in the years. They didn't know though that soon enough, they would be fighting, fighting together.
Charra and Zee were on the dock with all the other volunteers. The Zion Battle was about to begin. They looked at each other, with fierce determination, knowing what and whom they were fighting for, and going down as friends.
Charra and Zee walked through the tunnels, seeing what sentinel to blast next. Zee asked, "Charra, you scared?"
"Shit, yeah. I'll make you a deal, though. You keep loadin', I keep shootin'."
"Deal."
The senses of friendship, being there, lived on, years later. They kept on fighting, shooting the fuck out of the sentinels. Charra shot at one. "TAKE THIS!"
"Oh shit!" Zee exclaimed as they kept on shooting.
Charra and Zee continued to run through the tunnels. They got down one tunnel, and Charra saw one of the monsters down the steep cliff below. She knew that she had to shoot at it. "Yeah." Charra continued to move towards the edge, as she said to Zee, "Grab my belt."
Zee was holding onto Charra's relatively sturdy belt, as Charra went down the precipice, far enough down that she could get a good enough aim, but high enough that she wouldn't fall. Charra then said with a determined tone, "Just give me one clear shot." She shot at it, but it landed a little off aim. "Shit."
Charra starts to lose her balance a bit as a sentinels comes flying their way. Zee exclaimed, "Charra!"
They ran through the tunnel with such speed that had let them in. Zee was able to escape it, but Charra wasn't so lucky. Charra lie injured, almost dead, as Zee started to run back to her, but knew her life was at risk by seeing that sentinel.
Charra was dead. She lay there in her old, tattered white tank top and gray pants, dead, but for fighting for what she believed in. Fighting for Dreama, fighting with Zee, it could not have ended any better for Charra.
