For Endless Fight
Zero, Ciel, and everyone else belongs to Capcom.
Fighting. It's all in vain. When people fight, it's usually for a certain goal. Sometimes, to prove that they are the better. Other times, to save people's lives. But even someone as powerful as Zero wasn't perfect. After all these years of fighting, Zero was called a hero, but what made a hero? A hero was someone who was willing to put him or herself in danger for the safety of others. A hero fights for others. A hero conducts groundbreaking experiments for the benefit of others. A hero tends to the needs of others. Though everyone called him a hero, Zero disagreed with what everyone thought. He wasn't any hero. After all this time, Zero managed to recollect some memories of his past. One particular memory was the prime reason that Zero didn't believe he was a hero. And thanks to this one memory, Zero knew that he was no different than the ones he fought. He was the original carrier of the Maverick Virus...well, his body was, at least. And it was destroyed.
To Zero, the entity known as Omega was the definition of Maverick. Many people thought of Zero as a noble warrior who fought for everlasting peace. Omega is...was evil incarnate. With a swift strike of the Z-Saber, Omega's reign of terror instantly ended. If Zero ever died, he'd die knowing that he stopped a madman's plan on world domination. But would he die knowing he stopped this madman's ambition twice?
As skilled and powerful as Zero was, he knew that, deep down, he won't be returning. That is, unless Zero became a cyber-elf...
I mean a lot to the Resistance. Alouette, Cerveau...Ciel...
Zero blinked. He then remembered where he was. It was about 4 in the afternoon. Zero leaned against the Resistance Trailer, his arms crossed. Should he break the news that he most likely won't come back alive? It would break so many hearts. He was like a father to Alouette. Zero closed his eyes, sighing. Alouette. This little, optimistic, girl had always looked up at Zero like a god. She thought he was perfectly capable of doing anything. Perfectly capable of doing the impossible.
And then there was Ciel. She made it obvious to Zero that she loved him. Whether the confrontation with Ciel in Neo Arcadia gave it away, or her optimistic smile whenever Zero entered the room. The red reploid didn't know whether to accept Ciel's feelings or decline them. Probably because he had forgotten how to love. In fact, Zero almost forgot how to feel. Almost. Zero showed the most emotion when Elpizo destroyed X's body to gain the power of the Dark Elf...or the Mother Elf, as she is called now.
So what was Zero's decision? Would he leave without telling anyone he would die? Lie to them, telling them everything's going to be alright? Or would he spit out the truth? Admittedly, that would be awkward. Randomly walk up to Ciel and say "Hey, I'm going to die now. Bye now..." like the indifferent bastard he was? Yes, he would. Except he'd try to break it down into pieces, and break it down slowly.
Zero took a deep breath. He'd at least be able to say goodbye before leaving for the final battle. He decided to start with Cerveau. The crimson warrior entered the tech room, where he saw Cerveau typing some reports and viewing files on the numerous recipes that Zero had collected. As Zero crossed his arms, he cleared his throat. As Cerveau turned around, he stood up. The scientist put his hands behind his back.
"You're leaving, aren't you?"
"With someone as evil as Weil, I don't believe in fairy tales and happy endings..."
"You know, you mean a lot to the Resistance. Because of you, they were given hope that the aftermath will be a happy one. But without you..."
Cerveau paused. Zero was quiet, until he broke the silence. "Whenever people call me a hero, I ignore them. I see myself when I fight the Mavericks."
"What are you saying, Zero?"
"Cerveau, back when I was in my original body...I discovered that I was the original carrier of the Maverick Virus. That was the reason I first sealed myself away. And then X woke me up for the Elf Wars. By the time the war was over, X was broken. He lost his friends, and his loved ones. I regretted sealing myself away, but at the same time, I didn't. Because of me, evil will live forever in the end..."
"So every time you fight, you see yourself in your enemies. Zero, past sins don't define a being. The character within the person, and the decisions it makes, define it. You may not care about justice, but you've fought for the people you believe in. We all believe in you, Zero."
"So, here we go again. I'm fighting an endless fight for everlasting peace. Is it all worth it? Even after I die, and after Weil is dead, that doesn't mean evil will cease to exist. If I somehow do survive, then I'll still fight. That's the reason I was created. To fight. I won't damn Ciel. I won't damn anyone. I'll do everything in my power to stop Weil, especially if it costs me my life..."
Cerveau nodded. He extended a hand, which Zero shook. "We believe in you, Zero."
Minutes later, Zero sat on top of a grassy hill, deep in thought. He had about 2 hours before he had to leave for the final fight. The warrior was thinking how to break this to the Resistance. Area Zero was one of the few places where nature was still existing. It seemed to be spreading. Zero saw a butterfly floating around him. The reploid stuck out his hand, which the butterfly landed on.
"Maybe when I'm gone...nature will return. Maybe in time, Neo Arcadia will be rebuilt. Maybe in time, reploids and humans will live in harmony together," Zero muttered to himself.
As the butterfly floated away, Zero barely heard timid footsteps behind him. As he turned around, he saw the little girl Alouette walking towards him, doll in her grasp. Alouette never dared let go of her doll. After all, Ciel did make it for her as a gift.
"Hi, Zero..."
"Hi." Zero replied briefly.
The child reploid sat down next to Zero. He stayed silent, until Alouette spoke up.
"You're leaving us, aren't you, Zero?" Zero was surprised, not only at how abruptly she said it, but how he had forgotten how much she matured. He never really was around long enough, having to often go to missions. The young voice melted Zero's heart out of guilt. How could he leave everyone behind like this? No, don't think that. He had to do this. For the benefit of everyone. For the future of Alouette.
Zero responded after what felt like hours, even though only 4 seconds had passed. A guilty sigh escaped his mouth, and then he spoke. "Yes. Most likely so."
The warrior wasn't surprised when Alouette burst into tears and tightly hugged his arm. Zero wrapped a comforting arm around the girl's back. In this moment of shame, Zero felt one emotion. Sorrow. In the fairy tale world that everyone expected, Zero saw himself with Ciel, having officially adopted Alouette by then. But in reality, Zero saw himself dead. Along with Weil. And everyone would be heartbroken.
"Please, don't go, Zero! W-We all care for you so much! Especially Ciel!"
"I know. I regret doing this...but I have to. Alouette, you need to be strong for Ciel. Can you do that for me? That's...my dying wish."
As Zero released Alouette, she leaned back, wiping some tears and nodding. "Yes, Zero. I can do that..."
"Good."
As the two hugged again, Zero heard Alouette whisper a simple request.
"Will you play with me...one last time?"
Zero couldn't possibly refuse. He simply couldn't refuse declining this one simple request from a little, lonely, isolated girl. After all, if it weren't for Ciel, himself, and the old reploid Andrew, she'd probably be ignored entirely. And even those 3 didn't talk to Alouette much. So Zero nodded.
"Okay, Alouette."
And then there was only one left. Ciel. No one cared about Zero the way Ciel did, and even Zero himself knew this. He fully expected a confession from her. So he might as make something go right in Ciel's life and accept her. Zero thought about how she'd feel once he died. She was a responsible human. In fact, in several weeks, she'd be turning 16.
"Ciel, can I speak to you in private?"
Ciel blinked. What could Zero need from her at this point? 1 hour, and now, he'd have to go fight Weil. He couldn't be confessing his love to her, could he? No, he hasn't shown any emotion whatsoever in these years she had known him. So maybe she should confess now? Like the old saying...now or never.
"Sure, Zero."
She followed Zero to an empty room in the Resistance Trailer. In fact, the only thing it had was a bed. She was nervous. Whether it was about being alone with Zero, or the fact he thinks he won't return, or maybe both. Ciel put her hands behind her back, looking at Zero.
"What do you need, Zero?"
"I need to talk to you. About Ragnarok."
"What about it?" Ciel raised an eyebrow.
"I...I wish I could tell you I'll return from Ragnarok, but I'd be lying."
"Zero, I believe in you. You need to believe in yourself. You can do this. We've seen you fight Copy X. We've seen you fight Elpizo. We've seen you fight Omega. And centuries prior to that, you've fought armies of Mavericks. You can do this, Zero."
"Maybe I can, but it's still very possible that I'll die for you all."
"Zero, you shouldn't be scared-"
"I'm not scared. Ciel, I constantly put my life on the line for everyone, knowing I have a chance of dying every time I do so. But this is beyond my power. This...station is a behemoth. Weil's Mavericks are far more powerful than those of Neo Arcadia...what used to be Neo Arcadia, at least."
Ciel blinked when Zero said this. She then realized she had been carelessly risking his life, thinking that because he was a legendary hero, he would always return without a scratch. So here and now, the young scientist realized that even legends like Zero weren't perfect. They were still mortal. They weren't any different from any other reploid. They had flaws, just like everything else. And then Zero spoke again.
"Ciel, if you love me, this is your last chance to tell me."
The second Zero mentioned the word "love," Ciel blushed. "I...I really made it obvious, didn't I?"
Zero nodded. "Yes...you did."
Ciel's legs started shaking in nervousness, but she might as well say it right now. It's not like she would ever be able to get another chance to say it to him. She had been waiting for years, and she almost waited too long. Almost.
"Well, then...to answer your question, yes. I...I deeply care for you. I don't want to lose you, Zero, but whatever the cost, I'm glad you're willing to sacrifice yourself for us. You're a true hero."
Zero was about to say he didn't believe he was a hero, but in this situation, he decided not to. He always thought there was something more than saving lives and fighting. Zero then shifted his memories to several months ago. Copy X had just been killed. And X had said "The heart is what counts." Yes...Zero knew that deep down, he didn't have the heart of a hero, but the heart of a warrior. He had firm belief in others, especially X and Ciel. They were the true heroes. Zero was nothing more than the muscle.
While Zero zoned out momentarily, Ciel decided to snap him out of it. Zero's eyes briefly widened in surprise as his lips met Ciel's. He didn't push away. In fact, he embraced the kiss. Even now, Ciel didn't know if Zero really did love her, seeing as how he always seemed completely devoid of emotion. But in one split-second, with one action, Zero immediately remembered how to feel. How to love. And he loved Ciel. He couldn't deny it. He couldn't repress this...human emotion. Maybe in time, humans will know that reploids are just as human as they are. That they were no different from them. Maybe. Hopefully. That was what was different about Zero. Everyone was optimistic, while Zero was pessimistic.
But he didn't want to end this soft moment any time soon. But he had to. In the end, he fought the endless fight. He fought for everlasting peace. Though peace was never everlasting, it did last for a long time.