Disclaimer: Rae does not own Galerians:Ash. Well, except for a copy of the game. XD

AN: I liked Cas. She was a fairly minor character; however she left a strong impression. I decided to write a little fic on her. Not a whole lot is revealed about the courageous soldier, so I had room to kind of play or whatever with her personality.

A warning though, this contains spoilers of the character death kind, and is definitely not a happy ending fic. (Duh, this is Galerians, after all.) Well, let's see how it goes....


The Unknown

It wasn't as if it came as a surprise to her. Not a shock. She had long known that ultimately this path could lead to nothing other than death. The life of a soldier...

So as she pulled the pin on the grenade, she smiled.

Death.

In a few moments, her life would cease to be.

It wasn't that she was particularly frightened by the thought of death exactly, yet... The unknown was an uneasy thought to consider, especially when faced head on with the concept.

The unknown.

Would there be anything more?

More than this hellish existence?

Though really, it was almost a relief, wasn't it?

No longer faced with seemingly endless amounts of bloody skirmishes in cold, bloodstained corridors.

No longer forced to face such hideous creatures, the never-ending legion of grotesque faces and gore-tainted claws.

No longer having to observe comrades and friends torn to pieces and left blood covered, with tears still visible in their dead eyes. Well, for those left with eyes. Blood and tears. The stench of decay and fear...

Metal and more metal.

Gunfire and corpses.

No, it wasn't the thought of her own death that really frightened her. The apprehension flickering through her war torn mind rested uneasily on the concept of death itself.

Not the fear of the pain, or the darkness swarming at her vision. What next? That was the real thought.

After the end, would there be anything?

Or would it just be that same darkness enclosing on her now?

Would she fade? Disappear into the dark?

No, the darkness wasn't the problem. It was the unknown lurking within that black wave swiftly enclosing upon her.

The unknown...

Cas shook her head, releasing the trigger from the bomb clutched oh so tightly in her bloodstained hand.

Only one way to find out, right?

There was no sense in trying to deny the facts. The fact being that one way or another, she would not leave this battle alive.

By monster or explosion...

Explosion suited her tastes better. At least this way, she'd take some of the fuckers with her.

Perhaps this way... At least it may buy the others some time. What few others that were left among the living...

If...

That Galerian. Rion. He would be the one. She somehow had known that on very first glance. His eyes held something that let her know. Know that if anyone were able to take on the oppressive Galerian force, it would be Rion. Also a Galerian. It seemed ironic and perfectly fitting.

Rion. Something within his haunted eyes had left a strong impression. Strength and pain.

He would protect the doctor. Lilia...

Cas wasn't quite sure as to why, however... The thought of the woman in danger didn't sit well with her.

Her dedication and smarts, her genuine emotions...

Rion and Lilia....

Strange that her last thoughts would be of the young scientist and the haunted Galerian. Odd.

However, it didn't really matter anymore.

The time for thinking had passed.

--Tick--

The small mechanical click let her know that it was over.

Will there be light beyond this darkness?

She forced a smirk onto her slightly trembling lips.

Only one way to find out.

Take care of her, Rion. And... Take care of yourself too...

The light tore through Cas, engulfing her in its roaring blast.

And in that fiery light of death, she found the unknown...to...be...

-----------------
Unknown

Let the unknown take me
Take me
Take me from this place

Freedom and misery
Take me
Take me

Let me be free

Let the unknown take me
Take me
Take me

Darkness fades
--Take me--
As light
--Take me--
Of the unknown
--Take me--
Sets me free

Free.

owari~


Rae: To be---WHAT? XD

Well. It's unknown, that's the whole point of the fic. ^.^

Her life faded and she found her new place in that unknown world of death.

She had regrets, but she fought bravely, sacrificing herself for the cause. Cas was cool. *teary eyes* Poor Cas-san... T____T