"Francis! Francis!" Shouted a girl with curly blonde hair.
She ran through the streets past several fleeing people of France. She was dressed in a white princess gown, with a sparkling crown on her head. She pushed past a few people heading the opposite direction, desperate to get to the front. Her blue eyes full of worry and fear as buildings began to fall around her.
"Francis! Where are you?!" She shouted over the rumbling.
She grabbed on to a light pole as the ground shook from another explosion. She looked up to see Rose Gundam fighting bravely against Skull Gundam. She heared the sound of a little boy crying and quickly turned around and headed in that direction.
"I'm coming! Hang on Francis!!" She shouted, running as fast as she could in the dress.
She rounded a corner and found herself right on the battlefield. The road was all torn up and light mist of dust floated in the air. She lifted her skirt up a bit as she climbed the large chunks of ripped up road.
She didn't care if she had lost her crown, or if her thousand dollar dress was being torn. All that mattered was that she get to Francis as fast as she could.
Sure enough, little Francis stood in the center of the chaos. He reached a hand out to Rose Gundam, crying tears. The Princess that had been searching for him came over a mound of road and ran up to little Francis.
"FRANCIS!!" She cried, running over to him.
Francis continued to stand in the same spot, crying. Skull Gundam used its Skull Laser on Rose Gundam, sending it flying into a building behind it. The shockwave of the Gundam's impact caused not only the building it landed on to crumble, but the buildings next to it to crumble as well. Francis was too busy crying to see a huge chunk of debris coming down on him.
The Princess gasped in shock and reached out to Francis.
Never Ending Conflicts
Fight 11 - Promise to the Dying
"I hear you're going to take on Skull Gundam this afternoon."
"Indeed I am, mother." Francis answered, looking at the vid-phone across of him.
"Are you sure you can handle it? I mean, the Skull Gundam has been quite a match for everyone."
"I will be fine, mother. Don't worry." Francis replied with a smile.
"Just be sure to come out alive."
"I will. I need to go now mother. Good-Bye." Francis answered.
The vid-phone hung up and Francis looked out his window. He watched with melancholy eyes as Malaysia passed him by outside. He remembered the Skull Gundam very well. Francis still had nightmares about that day that had long since passed.
"We will arrive on the battlefield shortly, sir." Spoke the driver.
"Thank you." Francis answered, his eyes never leaving the window.
As the sun began to set below the horizon, Skull Gundam emerged out of the shadows. It made its way to a clearing where it waited for the arrival of Rose Gundam. It folded its arms as its pilot stood in the cockpit, arms crossed.
The pilot was 29-years-old with short blonde hair and deep cold blue eyes. He had a scar on his right cheek in the form a slice mark. His right ear was pierced with a small silver cross earring.
"Do you see it yet?" Asked the pilot.
"He approaches from the East, Rin."
The pilot smiled slyly.
"Now it's time to finish the other one off." Rin answered as he waited.
Rose Gundam appeared before Skull Gundam. It stood tall and proud, ready to fight. Its eyes locked on the odd Skull Gundam. Its Beam Sword was drawn, ready to go. Francis held the glowing rod that acted like the Gundam's beam sword tightly in his hand.
"Do you hear that, Prince of France??" Rin asked, cupping his left hand behind his ear. "That's the sound of you death bell ringing."
"The only sound I hear," Francis answered. "Is the sound of your unavoidable defeat approaching over the horizon."
"For a Prince, you sure have a wise-ass mouth." Rin answered, that evil smile still on his lips.
"GUNDAM FIGHT, STAND BY!" Shouted Rin's assistant.
"READY!" Shouted Francis.
"GO!!" Rin completed.
Skull Gundam fired its Skull Laser, hitting Rose Gundam in the shoulder. The mighty Gundam of Neo France skidded back several feet before slamming into a grand brick tower. It curmbled under the Gundam's weight and fell to pieces. Francis gritted his teeth as his left shoulder flashed yellow.
"Sorry. Weren't you ready for that?" Rin asked, chuckling a bit.
Francis got up, the glowing rod appearing back in his hands. Rose Gundam's eyes flashed and charged towards Skull Gundam. Rose swung its Beam Sword franctically, trying to cut Skull's head off. But Skull kept moving out of Rose's range, missing all of Francis's mighty swings.
"What's the matter? Can't hit me?" Asked Rin, laughing.
Rose swung another time at Skull, missing yet again. The canon mounted of Skull's head began to glow, catching the attention of Francis. Before he knew what happened, Rose Gundam was hit shoulder again and sent flying into another building. As Francis sat down, clutching his injured shoulder, Skull Gundam approached him.
"Now, Prince of France. It's time to kill you like I did her many years ago." Skull Gundam answered, its canon glowing again.
Francis looked up at the towering Skull Gundam.
Little Francis stood in the center of the rubble, crying. His mother had told him not to go out on the battlefield, but he didn't listen. He wanted to see the Gundam fight and watch his father pilot the Rose Gundam. But Francis never intended on the battle being this ruthless or dangerous. Now all he wanted was for his father to stop fighting.
Skull Gundam used its Skull Laser on Rose Gundam, sending Rose Gundam flying into a building behind it. The shockwave of the Gundam's impact caused not only the building it landed on to crumble, but the buildings next to it to crumble as well. Francis was too busy crying to see a huge chunk of debris coming down on him.
"Francis!!" Shouted the Princess, running over to him.
A single crystal earring hit the cracked pavement and shattered. The chunk of debris slammed into the ground with a loud thud. When the smoke cloud disappeared, Francis was lieing face first on the ground. He stood up, dirty and cut. He turned around and his eyes widden in shock.
The Princess lay crushed under the debris. She lay there, unconscious. Francis cried some more as he ran over to the crushed Princess. He knelt down next to her and gentle shook her.
"Monique! Monique!" Francis cried to her.
The Princess slowly opened her eyes and smiled up at Francis.
"Francis...my dear little brother." Princess Monique spoke softly. "Do not cry. Everything will be fine. You'll see."
"Monique...I'm sorry." Francis cried as he hugged his older sister.
"Francis..." Monique whispered to him. "Do not be afraid. Be strong for me, little one. Be strong for our Nation."
Monique placed her good hand on Francis's head.
"There will come a time for you to pilot the Rose Gundam." Monique spoke. "When that time comes, promise me you'll do your very best for our Nation and bring honor to the De Sand family."
"I promise...Monique." Francis sobbed.
"Good." Monique answered with a smile.
Monique's hand slipped off of Francis's head and hit the ground. Monique closed her eyes and fell limp in her little brother's arms. Francis looked down at his still sister, his eyes wide and full of shock.
"MONIQUE!!!!!" Francis shouted to the sky.
Francis's eyes flashed white and his hands clenched into tight fists.
"Yes. I still remember that day like it was yesterday." Rin answered. "The young Prince of France. Crying like a little baby over his dead sister."
Francis glared up at Skull Gundam, his eyes overcome with rage and anger.
"Such a classic moment." Rin replied with a laugh. "Making your father's defeat to me all the more better!"
As Rin continued to laugh, Francis stood up causing Rose Gundam to do the same. Rin stopped laughing and looked at the Gundam standing before him. Rose Gundam's eyes glowed bright green as it faced Skull Gundam.
"ROSE HURRICANE!!!"
Several little rose bombs were launched from Rose Gundam. They surrounded Skull Gundam and exploded. Rin was tossed side to side as the shockwave of the explosions struck his Gundam. Through the chaos of all the explosion, Rose Gundam removed its Beam sword and charged towards Skull Gundam.
Rin looked at his main monitor to see Rose Gundam coming at him. He tried to move aside but the explosions from the rose bombs had damaged his systems. Francis let out a loud cry as he raised the glowing rod over his head. In an elegant slicing motion, Rose Gundam cut off Skull Gundam's head. The Gundam's heavy head hit the ground and rolled away.
Francis watched as Skull Gundam's body hit the ground.
"That one was for Monique." Francis answered as the glowing rod disappeared from his hand.
As Rose looked down at the defeated Skull, a vision of a smiling Monique appeared in the setting sun.
