Chapter Fourteen:
The Funeral
Everyone was quiet for two days after Meer's death. Stellar and Lacus were blaming themselves for Meer's death. Stellar and Shinn were walking down the street and Stellar sighed.
" What is it, Stellar?" Shinn asked quietly as they walked farther down the street.
Stellar sighed again, then looked at Shinn.
" The funeral for Meer-Chan is tomorrow. I think we should go…" Said Stellar sadly.
" If you go, I'll back you up one hundred percent, Okay Stellar-sama." Said Shinn as he put his arm around Stellar's shoulder.
Stellar looked at Shinn sadly.
" It's all my fault that Meer-Chan died!" Cried Stellar.
" No it's not, Stellar-sama." Said Shinn soothingly as he brought Stellar into a deep embrace.
Stellar cried into Shinn's chest and grabbed his shirt tightly.
" Why… Why did she die? Why was she the one? It's all my fault!" Cried Stellar into Shinn's chest.
Shinn looked at Stellar and kissed her on the top of her head because her face was barried in his chest.
"Stellar, Stellar… You'll be all right, I promise. Meer would want you to move on too. Trust me on this one." Said Shinn looking down at Stellar's head.
Stellar looked at Shinn.
" I want to quit the army. I don't want to kill any more people. I feel like a murderer." Cried Stellar.
" Stellar-sama, This is war. We are not in peacetime. We must fight for what we believe in." Said Shinn as he looked away from Stellar.
" We have to get going." Said Stellar still crying a little bit.
"Okay…" Said Shinn looking back at Stellar.
Shinn let go of Stellar, then as Stellar began to walk off, Shinn grabbed her arm and pulled her back against him. He embraced her as if this was the last time they would see each other. He moved his head to her shoulder.
" I know how you feel Stellar-sama." Whispered Shinn in her ear, " I thought it was my fault my whole family died. Then I thought to myself, you know your family would want you to move on, but I can't move on, not until I kill who ever really killed my family."
Stellar embraced Sinn back and then sighed.
" Why does life have to be so unfair to you and I, Shinn?" Asked Stellar as she looked up at him.
" Yes, life is unfair but you have to live it to its fullest." Said Shinn as he looked down at Stellar.
" I guess your right but I just can't believe she is gone, never to return to this earth. It's quiet sad really. She was only seventeen years old." Said Stellar sadly as she looked away from Shinn
Shinn let go of Stellar and began to walk down the street again. Stellar followed closely behind.
" Lets get back to base." Said Shinn as he stopped to allow Stellar to catch up with him.
" Okay, lets go then." Said Stellar starting to feel a little happier.
She began to skip to Shinn, She was not able to stop in time. She ran straight into him and knocked him over, but she caught he balance before she fell on top of him.
" Oh sorry…" Said Stellar as she looked down at Shinn on the assfault. " Are you okay?"
" I'm fine, just fine." Said Shinn as he looked at his skinned knee. " Damn it! I'm bleeding, and these are new pants too!"
Stellar bent down to help Shinn up, but instead of helping him up, he helped her down.
" What the hell!" Yelled Stellar as she fell next to Shinn.
Shinn laughed and got up.
" I don't think so!" Said Stellar as she grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.
They both laughed.
" You know we really need to get back to base." Said Stellar as she got up and helped Shinn up.
" Okay, no more stopping on the way." Said Shinn with a laugh.
They made it back to the base in a short amount of time.
" Good you're here." Said Cagalli sadly.
" Huh… What's wrong Cagalli?" Asked Stellar and Shinn with confused looks.
" We have decided to have the funeral today instead of having it tomorrow." Said Lacus as she walked out of a room with Kira.
" Lacus-Chan… I'm sorry… It was all my fault." Said Stellar now looking at the floor.
" It was not anyone's fault my dear Stellar-Chan." Said Lacus walking up to Stellar and gave her a hug. " No one planned on this to happen."
" Lacus… We need to go get ready." Said Kira as he walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder.
" Okay…" Said Lacus as she let go of Stellar and walked away with Kira.
" You know I can't stand this anymore!" Said Cagalli, " Shinn Athrun left on the Minerva without you and everyone else. He hid the Gaia, the Obis, and the Choas in a bunker down the road. He got the Impulse in the hanger across from it.
"What? Why!" Said Shinn now alarmed.
"Why did he leave, Cagalli." Asked Stellar quietly.
" Because…because he felt that a girl shouldn't fight in a war like you and I and Luna!" Said Cagalli angrily.
" Then why the hell did he leave Auel, Sting, and myself! We're not women!" Said Shinn angrily.
" Because he wants you to take Stellar, Sting, and Auel to their ship A.S.A.P. SO DO IT!" Said Cagalli as she turned around and looked over her shoulder, " You remind me of Athrun a few years ago, Shinn." Said Cagalli as she walked off looking at her left hand.
" That was strange." Said Stellar looking at the back of Cagalli's head.
" Strange…Very…" Said Shinn now feeling that his team members had left him behind.
" Huh? I wonder why she was looking at her left hand?" Said Stellar as she watched Cagalli turn the corner.
" I have no clue really and I really don't care." Said Shinn rudely.
They walked through the door where Meer's dead body was. Stellar looked as if she had lost a loved one or a pet. She kneeled down to Meer's side and healed her lifeless hand.
"I will be with you one day again Meer." Said Stellar sadly as tears started to run down her face.
Shinn quietly walked over to Stellar and put his hand on her shoulder for compassion.
" Stellar…Hey Stellar…" Said Shinn shaking Stellar like a rag doll.
" Huh? Oh…I guess I was deep in thought there." Said Stellar lying to Shinn not wanting to tell him she was praying for Meer's soul to pass to a place of no war and only peace between Natural and Coordinators.
" Oh okay… Are you ready to go? We can't stay for the service… We have to go to your ship. Then I'll have to leave and find the Minerva alone." Said Shinn calmly.
"What… You're going to leave me." Said Stellar looking at Shinn with tears in her eyes once more.
" I'm sorry Stellar, I have to for my own safety." Said Shinn looking down at Stellar, " You'll be fine, I know it."
Stellar got up from her kneeling position and turned around to face Shinn.
" Shinn…You told me… You would protect me… You said you would stay with me." Said Stellar now pouring in tears.
" Stellar… I know, but you knew it would never work out. You're with the Earth Forces and I'm with Z.A.F.T." Said Shinn hesitating.
"You!" Said Stellar slapping Shinn across the face, " It could work… Look at Athrun and Cagalli!"
" We are not them Stellar…" Said Shinn cut off by someone opening the door.
Shinn and Stellar both jumped.
" Who the hell are you." Yelled Shinn looking at the man.
" I should be asking you that, boy!" Said the man.
" I asked you first, go on spill it." Said Shinn.
" Stellar, do you want to tell him that I am your Commander." Said the man.
" Huh… You are?" Said Stellar questionably.
" Stellar! You know this man!" Said Shinn no on the edge.
" Oh, from the Earth Alliance… This is Neo." Said Stellar quiet embarrassed with herself, " Neo this is Shinn from Z.A.F.T. He was going to help us transport the mobile suits to the ship, but now that you're here… he doesn't have too." Said Stellar with a smile toward Shinn.
" Right… So what bunker are they in?" asked Neo.
" Bunker H-4, SIR." Said Stellar saluting to an Earth Alliance officer in a Z.A.F.T. uniform, which seemed really strange to Shinn.
" So, Shinn… Do you pilot a mobile suit?" Asked Neo.
" Me…" Said Shinn pointing to himself, " Yeah, but my "mobile suit" went with the Minerva.
" Well that's the pits now isn't it." Said Neo.
" Yeah… Knowing that my crew left me with nothing really irritates me." Said Shinn.
" You know Shinn, you're a really bad liar." Said Neo with a laugh
Shinn and Stellar looked at each other in disbelief.
" So where is it Shinn, tell me!" Demanded Neo.
" Never!" Said Shinn, "It's my machine and if anyone tries to steal it from me I will personally kill them." Said Shinn looking crazed.
" Oh I see. Even I have that feeling with my machine too." Said Neo, " But I want yours."
" You'll never get it!" Yelled Stellar abruptly.
" Really, Stellar? How do you know?" said Neo.
" There will be no funeral for this girl with you on this PLANT!" Yelled Shinn, " I'm with ZAFT that means I'll fight you until you go back to your own Natural world and leave us Coordinator's alone, and are machines too." Yelled Shinn as he pulled out his gun.