This was originally supposed to be a multi-chapter story, but I couldn't get it to come together right. So instead, I took the climax and the ending, spliced them together, added some other stuff, and turned it into a one shot. Not my best work, but I think it came out fairly well nonetheless. If enough people like this, maybe I'll give a chapter story another try. Hope you like it. And remember to review!
DISCLAIMER: Everything belongs to their respective owners; those that created a great anime that really should have a second season. I own nothing.
**Sacrifice**
Somewhere in Saudi Arabia...
The humming and churning of machinery below them pounded through the air as the two rivals faced off on an iron catwalk high above an active nuclear reactor. Canaan stood on the east end; Alphard on the west. Canaan was clad in her typical red halter and brown pants, her hair slightly longer than it was months ago, just enough to put some of it into a ponytail. Alphard was dressed in her usual outfit of a small black tube top, and dark pants held up by thin black suspenders. Her dark colored trench coat hanged down loosely on her, her black hair also slightly longer, but still pulled back into her usual ponytail. The two women faced off with their guns draw and pointed at the other. Both women had blank expressions as they stared each other down, neither one flinching.
"So...it has all come down to this after all, Canaan?" Alphard's voice was rather monotone, almost uncaring. "I suppose it was inevitable. How long ago was it that we were on that train?"
Canaan didn't move or even blink. "Why, Alphard? What is the point in all of this now? I thought all of this was settled!"
"It can never be settled until one of us is dead. I tried to end it myself back on that train, but here I still stand! If the only way for me to feel peace is for one of us to kill the other, then that is what will happen!"
Canaan's eyes narrowed slightly, gritting her teeth for a moment in frustration. "You are willing to kill potentially millions of other people simply to eliminate me? You've lost your sanity, Alphard!"
"Have I?" Alphard lowered her gun a bit, the barrel pointing more toward Canaan's legs now. "If I'm so insane, perhaps you should bring this to an end. Pull the trigger and prove Siam was right in choosing you over me!"
Canaan's hand began to shake, her heart thundering in her chest as her finger tightened on the trigger of her gun. "I won't let this continue! You've hurt too many people!"
"Canaan! Don't shot her!" Canaan's finger relaxed a bit and her eyes shot over to the catwalk to her right that ran parallel to the one they were on. Yuri, looking ragged and holding her side as it was stained red from her blood, leaned on the railing as she shouted. "There are explosives strapped to her body! She's rigged with a dead-man's switch! If her feet leave the floor for too long, this whole place will blow!"
Canaan looked at Alphard again, her face in a slight state of shock. "What?"
Alphard let out an annoyed tsk as her gaze shifted to Yuri. "Didn't I shoot you already? Why must you be such an annoyance?"
Canaan glared with tightened jaw at the terrorist before her. Slowly the pieces of the elaborate puzzle were beginning to fall into place in her mind. Everything Alphard had done had been carefully planned to lead them both to this point. She had never had the intention of escaping. The dark haired killer had tried to kill herself once before, sacrificing her arm in the process, but she had survived despite all odds. This time though, she was planning to succeed, taking Canaan and millions of others with her if necessary. Her face relaxed, but her aim didn't falter. "It doesn't have to be this way. Why won't you let me help you?"
Alphard looked at Canaan again. "You still don't get it do you? Maybe you never will." She placed the barrel of the gun against her temple. "This is going to end, Canaan. One way or another." Alphards dark eyes stared into Canaan's across the space between them. "Which will it be? Will you pull the trigger, or will I?"
Canaan's hands began shaking again. What could she do? The lives of so many were at stake and she felt trapped. Not just by the circumstances of the situation, but by her own emotions.
72 hours earlier
1:27 am
Milan, Italy
Canaan stood in the bathroom of an expensive suite in an expensive hotel. Her hands lay flat against the wall as she supported herself with them, leaning over the sink as she stared at herself in the mirror; her hair was slightly matted and the dark skin of her naked body had a slight sheen in the glowing light from the remnants of sweat. She glared at herself in the reflective surface. How had she ended up in this situation? She had gone there to do one thing, and what ended up happening was the last thing she expected.
She turned the water on and lowered her head, splashing her face with the cold liquid. She leaned against the sink and remained still, letting the water drip off her as she stared at the water that came from the faucet. She remained still for awhile, trying to let her mind catch up to what had happened. She finally turned the water off and looked up at the mirror, jumping slightly and letting out a surprised gasp at what, or rather who, she saw standing behind her in the door way: Alphard.
Her greatest rival and person she hated most in the world stood there, dark hair let down and just as naked as she was, watching. Her right hand rested on her hip, her face currently a blank slate. Canaan wanted to scowl, to glare, to hate her as she stood there, but she found herself unable to. "Stay away from me..." Her voice was slightly horse, chocked off by inner conflict.
Alphard let her hand drop to her side and slowly walked forward. Canaan repeated the line, over and over with each step, but Alphard didn't listen. She felt Alphard's arm slip around her waist, pulling her back against the front of her body. She didn't fight her though. Alphard was taller, more muscular, and had more defined curves than her. She had never been afraid of her despite all that though. She never admitted it, but she was slightly envious of her in regards to those things.
"Canaan..." Alphard's voice was slightly husky, filled with a dark emotion she both hated and grasped desperately for. Her lips gently moved across the skin of Canaan's shoulder, placing a trail of soft kisses up to her neck, pushing her white hair away with her nose as she did. "Come back to bed with me."
Canaan watched Alphard in the mirror; her right arm holding her tightly, but protectively, her dark hair framing her beautiful face. Her skin tingled with a chill, then burst into flames as she felt Alphard's lips touch her. Memories of earlier that night that she attempted to suppress came rushing back all at once, forcing a sharp intake of breath and a whimper from her throat. "Alphard...I..." She let out a soft gasp when Alphard's hand moved, sliding across her waist, the fingers tangling gently in the patch of white hair nearby. "Stop...I can't...not again..."
Alphard moved her hand again, this time up to Canaan's shoulder and slowly turned her around. "Canaan...look at me." She waited until the white haired mercenary finally looked up at her, their eyes meeting. "Do you hate me?"
Canaan's mouth went dry staring into the dark eyes of the person she swore to stop; the person who killed her mentor, Siam. This would have been the perfect time to kill her, but she had found herself unable to. She clenched her teeth and swallowed hard. "Yes. I hate you. I hate you for killing Siam; I hate you for harming Maria; I most of all hate you for refusing to let me help you."
Alphard's face remained stoic. "Good." Her hand reached up and pushed some white strands away from Canaan's face. She placed her hand on the side of Canaan's neck and pulled her forward, their lips coming in contact once again that night. Canaan's hands went to Alphard's shoulders, almost like an attempt to push her away, but she didn't. Alphard's arm wrapped around the mercenary's waist, pulling their bare bodies together tightly.
Canaan's eyes slowly closed as she felt the constriction around her heart fade. Her arms wrapped around Alphard's neck as she finally returned the kiss, allowing the dark haired woman's tongue to enter her mouth. Her mind fell into a white haze as her senses were once again overwhelmed that night; no synesthesia required.
"Alphard..." Canaan's voice had the tone of determination. She had come to a decision. Whether it be right or wrong, it was the only way out of the situation Alphard had placed them in. "I won't allow you to hurt anyone else. And that includes yourself!" She grabbed a tube from her belt and tossed it in the air between them. When it reached the highest point in the arc she took aim with her gun and fired. When the bullet made contact with the tube, a bright white light was released.
Alphard watched the tube fly through the air, a curious expression on her face. It suddenly turned to shock when she realized what it was, but was too late when the shot rang out the blast of the tube caused her cover her eyes from the bright light. Pulling her arm away from her eyes revealed her vision to be dark and blurry. "A Flash-bang? I expected something more-" Her sentence was cut off when her gun was knocked from her hand. She didn't have enough time to react to that when she felt Canaan grab her neck and pull, bringing their lips together again. The slightly sweet taste of Canaan's lips were accompanied by a massive pain in her stomach that radiated out through her body. Finally, her eyes began to refocus as Canaan broke the kiss. The dark haired woman looked down; Canaan had stabbed her.
Canaan watched the blood pour from the knife wound and over her hand. She looked up, the two of them locking eye again. As Alphard began to fall back, she shoved her against the railing of the catwalk, ensuring her feet didn't leave the metal below them by pressing their bodies together as much as she could despite the embedded knife. She could feel Alphard's skin growing cold. "It didn't have to be this way." Her voice was quiet as she whispered into the other woman's ear.
Alphard stared down at the catwalk, eyes wide with astonishment. She had underestimated Canaan once again. She coughed a few times, a small stream of blood escaping her mouth and running down her chin. She could hear the sorrowful undertones in Canaan's voice. "Yes...it did." Her voice was forced and horse. "Sometimes a sacrifice needs to be made...for others to be happy."
"Why, Alphard? Why did you do this?"
"The other night...was the first time in a long time that I felt...happy. I didn't deserve to feel that way. And it wasn't fair to you."
"I could have helped you. We could have been happy together."
"Happy?" Her lips curled into a sad smile. "I lost my right...to happiness...long ago. You, however..."
"That's not true. You had a second chance. We had a second chance." Canaan felt tears begin to well up in her eyes, but she did her best to hold them back; they fell down her face any way. Thankfully, Alphard couldn't see her face from their current position.
"I guess we'll never know now." She coughed a couple more times. "I'm sorry...for everything."
"I know." Canaan closed her eyes as the silent tears streamed down her face and onto Alphard's coat. "I forgive you."
Alphard used what little strength she had to wrap her arm around the mercenary. "I'm cold, Canaan."
"I know." She felt Alphard's body go limp in her arms, keeping her supported enough to prevent the dead-man trigger from activating. She could feel the explosives under the other woman's dark pants and around her arm.
"Hang on, Canaan!" Yuki's voice rang out from somewhere behind her. "I'll get someone to disable that device so we can get out of here. The sound of her footsteps leaving could be heard, but Canaan didn't move or respond. She just continued to hold Alphard's body against her own.
Though the world may be better off without the infamous Alphard, Canaan allowed herself to sob quietly over the hardest thing she ever had to do. Despite everything Alphard had done to her, her friends, and the world, she cared about the dark haired woman and had no doubt she had felt the same, even through the fog of hate she surrounded herself with. Though it was now too late for them, she hoped Alphard had finally been able to find the peace she had been looking for, even if she could not be a part of it now.
"We'll see each other again...one day. Until then..." Canaan finally smiled. "Be happy."