Phase 49: Yaro's Path
Yaro felt the light of his super seed filling him and he saw the world around him fading into light. There was a path before him in this place and a path behind him where he knew he had trodden before by the footsteps he saw. Wherever this place was he felt that it was safe and he also felt that he somehow belonged here. He had been fighting his entire life to understand so many things and it was only in his recent history that he realized his real need for some form of peace in his life. He had grown up in one of the greatest families in the world and had been given every opportunity to excel yet there was always something missing. He had fallen over the edge a couple times only to have those that cared about him there to catch him and lift him up again. He realized now that without them he was nothing.
He sought in this battle to discover his own identity and his own path; he wanted to know the reason he was in the world and the reason that he had the super seed to light the way before him. Meiko had become the one person that saw him even when he did not see himself who in her own way knew how to encourage him. Now he was here separate from her as he realized that at least for now their paths split leading them down different roads. Before he would have rejected the idea but now he realized that it was not his place. He was stronger than before, more ready for what lay ahead and ready to take a stand for everything that he knew was right and good.
"You are indeed ready," Uzumi's voice Yaro turned to see his cousin standing on a rock nearby. "It's been a long time Yaro. I've only been able to watch from afar and though I wish I could be fighting alongside of you we both know how impossible that would be." Yaro nodded as he saw the glowing form of his cousin, an angel of light always watching over those who he cared about.
"Uzumi," Yaro spoke his name, "you've seen much more than the rest of us. Now tell me where my path leads." Uzumi's face was unreadable and blank as he looked toward the path ahead, it was blurred and unclear.
"That is for you to decide Yaro," Uzumi said to him as Uzumi's eyes grew sad, "I know what fate would have you do but I also know that you do have a choice Yaro. You can choose to continue on as you have your entire life or you could choose to rise higher than anyone would ever expect. For you have it in you to change the world, you just have to find it and to choose your path. For it may seem like darkness but there is so much light in doing the right thing." Yaro did not understand but he knew that when the moment was right he would figure out what it was Uzumi meant.
"I'm ready for anything that comes my way," Yaro said staring past Uzumi now to the path before him as it's blur began to change, "no matter what it is that comes my way. I will stand to the end and fight with everything that is in me for the end of this war. I will bring about a lasting peace and I will put my life on the line for it. This I swear." Uzumi's face saddened as he knew where this would lead everyone and that the road was still long in front of everyone.
"Then fight today," Uzumi said to Yaro as he turned toward the path as well. Yaro saw then the vision fading as he was back on the battlefield, against the STING 2 and he was ready to face it. He yelled orders to a nearby mobile suit team and circled up once again. It would be ready to fire soon and he knew they would all have to stay on top of it to get out of the way.
Kira didn't recognize Meiko anymore, something about her had definitely changed by whatever dark things Liene had revealed to her but he realized he couldn't stop whatever had changed within her. Tears were still in her eyes as they rushed back to their mobile suits. She had explained a little to him, that Liene's whole life was a ploy to draw out an even greater evil and that Liene had given his soul for that purpose. Now Meiko had taken up his cause to end everything and she had all the tools to do so. Kira wondered at everything but Meiko didn't really say much about it, he only saw that she really believed everything she had been told.
Meiko knew in a way she was back with ROW but she knew the world would watch the battle against ROW and know nothing of why they existed. This battle needed to be fought, to show everyone what madness of things that they did not understand, to show them the evils of war and the error of their hatred. Even now her own eyes spelled the madness of war as she was unable to see everything before now, she cursed to the air as she entered the Phoenix.
"Get back to the battlefield father," she said to Kira as she turned toward the PLANTs, "leave Cerrian to me!" But Kira would hear nothing of it, something had brought him to this moment to help her and he knew that whatever it was, it would not allow him to leave her side now. If this was to be her task he as her father would go in with her, it was the least he could do after being so blind to everything. He should have seen that there was more danger in what Liene was telling her than in what he would do to her, because Liene realized that he needed her to finish everything he set out to do. Anger formed in his heart when he realized Liene had also won another battle here, the battle for ending Meiko's reign of light, for now she had every dark emotion in her heart. Her training from ROW was complete and she was more of a weapon than she ever had been before.
"I'm not going back Meiko," he responded to her with resilience, "because I have to protect you from everything, even if I am protecting you from yourself. You are not facing this alone!" She knew he would not give up on that so she nodded and let him come along. Whatever she was going for now, it would be harder than anything she ever had to do before but Cerrian needed to pay for ROW and everything else he caused.
For without Cerrian there would have been no John Liene, the man who became John Liene would have lived in peace and ROW would have never come. Everything would have been better, and Yaro would have had a life with a family that loved him. She saw everything so clearly now, the madness that was John Liene was created by the evils that were Gryser Cerrian. She was blinded by hatred for so long, she never saw what exactly was going on around her and for that she wanted to end it.
"This world is twisted," Meiko said aloud as she looked out onto the battlefield and her fragile super seed opened up again it was as if they could all hear her words now, "Everything that we've done. What have we become? Our souls are forsaken and we've crossed the line into everything that should not be. Seeing the violence now, is this world just a broken promise? Why must we take our vengeance, why must we live the way we do? I don't want to be a part of this hell we've created, falling faster and further until there is nothing left of everything we are supposed to be. There is no escape from our destiny, we've made it clear who we are going to be. No more of this, let it be banished, and let peace come. Now that I know the madness I see everything, we're not going to let this continue!" Kira heard her words and saw the light of her super seed as she moved toward the PLANTs and veered suddenly. She fired her weapons taking out the side of a ship he had not seed as explosions happened and a mirage fell, revealing the ship of Gryser Cerrian.
"Meiko?" Kira asked in shock, what had she done? How had she been so precise with everything. But Meiko did not respond as the girl he knew had faded completely into the Phoenix, a weapon built to fight off Cerrian. She was a weapon made to save them all.
Dearka spun around the mobile suit he was fighting but the enemy was in a stronger machine. Krey fought without heart and without a care but his machine was clearly the more powerful of the two and Dearka began to realize that he was near loosing this battle if he didn't step his tactics up. He swiped at the machine but it came back stronger and in the moment Yzak turned his own machine to see Jurme's beam saber slice through the side of Dearka's machine. Dearka cried out and saw the heat levels of his reactor rising.
"Dearka!" Yzak yelled his friends name and moved in to fight off Krey. Dearka let up the systems trying to cool his machine but nothing was working. He reached to eject but his cockpit would not open and panic filled him.
"Yzak!" Dearka called as Yzak attacked full force at Jurme Krey, tearing his enemy apart. Krey realized now that his time had come, he had tried hard to make some sort of difference for ROW because he always believed in the cause but Liene overlooked him all the time choosing Meiko Virea over him. They were bitter rivals but today he did not die by her hand, for she would have spared his life. He saw the final blow coming and he let it come because he realized it was justice for the wrong he had done his entire life. Yzak watched the machine explode in front of him and moved back quickly turning to see Dearka's machine struggling.
"Just hold on Dearka," Yzak said moving in and trying to pry open the cockpit.
"It's too late Yzak!" Dearka declared, "get back! You have a life, you have to live!" Yzak didn't want to give up but Dearka's machine was way too hot and it exploded causing his machine to fly backwards, damaged and ruined.
"DEARKA!" Yzak yelled as the realization that it was over for his friend sunk into him. This was never meant to happen yet it had. Another one of them had been lost this day and Yzak's anger was intense now as he scanned the battlefield and the ruin that it had all over it. Everyone was fighting but the battles were being lost left and right. ROW kept bringing in more ships and he knew that they were nowhere near done yet.
Lacus tapped her fingers against the arm of her chair, clearly savoring the small victory she had just won. People always underestimated her because of her pink hair and peace loving ways, but now the seed was in her eyes as it was clear that she was not letting things around her just go the way they had been going. Kayla sat in the seat beside her mother with the pink Haro jumping around behind her repeating his name irritatingly. The ZAFT officers and Clyne faction troops were before her now as she nodded to them reassuringly.
"You've done well," she spoke to all of them clearly, "ZAFT has been given it's new orders to concentrate ROW and regard us as allies. After what Leyas has revealed I am sure that it's not a shock they would listen." The lead of them nodded.
"Yes ma'am," the man responded, "we're all on the side of peace and in the end we were beginning to suspect something from Jayley Lired. She has disappeared since the battle as well and we have been working on your orders to locate her and bring her into custody but there are no traces of her. As for the cannon she employed it was not built by ZAFT and we had no clue it was behind our lines until the mirage fell. Whatever game she was playing she had allies and it's clear that at some point she was connected to ROW." Lacus nodded, that was revealed with the information they collected on Mars, the same information Leyas had relayed to the entire world this day. Lacus was at first worried for Leyas but she admired her daughters boldness in standing up for what it was she believed in. That truth that Leyas had spoken turned around a lot of things today and it helped her win this.
"Very good," Lacus responded standing up, "we must now do our best to protect our people, no shots must come near the PLANTs from that STING 2. I have received reports that Kiran knocked out the strange cannon, now all that remains is to end ROW. Concentrate everything on disabling their ships and mobile suits. Try to bring officers into custody so that we have confessions to weed out any other potential threats from ROW. Though I suspect they brought everything here today, we must not rule out the idea that they could attempt something else." The officer saluted her.
"Yes ma'am," he responded turning with a few of his other officers and relaying messages changing strategies. Lacus leaned back, this was where she should have been all along.
Trey rushed up the stairs with Flay and the Redemption guards behind him, as he hurried he saw that the door was ajar but Leyas must still be inside. His heart quickened as he sensed danger and he wondered why she had not come down yet.
"Leyas," he said her name as he rushed up the stairs bursting through the door.
"Trey!" Flay yelled alarmed, she hoped that whatever was wrong it wasn't a trap because if it was, he was rushing right into it. She ran behind him holding her gun up but there were no gunshots as he made it into the room, there was no sound but him crying out in anger, yelling for Leyas. When Flay entered he was frantically searching but there was no sign of here anywhere.
"Where is she?" Trey asked desperately looking everywhere he could but Flay just shook her head. She didn't understand it either, there was only one way out of this room and they were guarding it. Whatever happened someone had been planning it for a long time, and she was shocked to find that Leyas's plan had backfired in such an unexpected way. His emotions were at a high as he feared the worst, this was not part of the plan at all. Leyas was not here, she was missing and that sunk into him like a knife in the chest as he frantically rushed to the computers in a desperate attempt to hack the system. Nothing was working he glanced around the room rushing around the walls, searching for another way out. Flay watched as his emotions cracked and she put her weapons away and moved to him as he collapsed to his knees.
"We need to regroup," Flay said to him, "whoever did this could come back." She knew that may or may not be true, the guards might have fled because they received a message that the job had been finished. For this was someone's plan all along, let Leyas win this part so that victory seemed assured then distract her escort. It was done too artfully to be by John Liene, something else was up.
Yaro moved into the barrels, he had already destroyed all four and they had all been replaced quickly. Anger was stirring in his veins but he was staying on top of it all and trying to fight it. Something was telling him that he needed to figure something out fast because they were not going to be able to last of the STING 2 could not be stopped at some point. He had gotten a message from his mother that Kira said John Liene was dead now but the onslaught was not going to let up till they destroyed everything. Apparently this was nowhere near the end even though Meiko's goal of Lienes death had been met. Yaro realized now this madness would have to be fought out to the end and there were still quite a few ships to take out. If they could end those ships the robotics would be useless and without anyone to control them.
"Athrun!" he called to his uncle, "lead the teams in and take out the oncoming ships! Archangel with me, we have to find another weakness! Where is Kiran when we need him." He scanned the battlefield for the Courage and saw that Kiran was moving through it and destroying every enemy in his path as he was heading toward the PLANTs, wherever he was going it seemed urgent so Yaro turned back to the ship in front of him. They had to defeat this thing. He looked at the power on his weapon that he knew could drain some of the power from the ship but he had no way of knowing how powerful it would actually be.
She felt nothing but anger and hatred as she crashed her mobile suit into the side of the ship and fired a large blast toward it's engines. She was sure the fire crews were rushing as mini explosions went throughout the ship. She turned over it destroying a few guns, Kira was on her tail backing her up and destroying other guns. The ship launched a couple mobile suits and as Meiko continued disarming the ship Kira met them maneuvering around them and switching his targeting computer on. He watched as Meiko veered around the ship toward the opening she had made and she felt her mobile suit in at high speed. She was going to fight it from the inside, his seed exploded in panic and he turned on the three mobile suits. He fired his mobile suits guns and took out many of their weapons. He then moved in taking out their defenses and flew around the ship as it launched more mobile suits.
Meiko inside the ship fired her weapons and trashed the entire hanger to prevent any more mobile suits from being launched. She moved out of her machine quickly and launched herself toward the emergency doors before they shut and she drew her guns. She fired on everyone in sight as people were too late to draw their weapons. Her eyes were darkened as she took life after life. She was following the plan Liene had detailed for her on the disk, she knew where Cerrian was and she would kill him before he had a chance to twist the world anymore than he already had. She was strong enough to get through his forces and her hatred was such that she was unstoppable; taken over by the super seed and the darkest of thoughts she ever had were consuming her now.
She didn't believe in fate, or anything Liene said about prophecy but she knew that Cerrian was aware he had it coming. For anyone who ever committed a dark act instantly was filled with the shame it brought and the knowledge that there was only one end to all this.
Kira defeated a few more mobile suits and moved toward the opening Meiko had flow through. He saw the Phoenix suspended and realized Meiko must have left it. He then saw the doors were all shut, Meiko was inside now and alone. Her anger was such that he was aware whatever it was she was doing, she was doing blind. He needed to somehow get through to her before her madness caused her to loose life. He reached out for the surge of super seed energy he had felt earlier but it wasn't coming, no this was time for Yaro to move and Kira opened his transmissions.
"Yaro!" Yaro heard Kira's voice as his seed ignited by the sudden rush of adrenaline through him.
"What's going on?" Yaro asked as he continued to fight and glance at his power. They were getting close and he wasn't going to let up now. This was his battle and his contribution, perhaps destroying this ship could end everything and cause the ROW forces to loose heart.
"I need you to use your super seed Yaro!" Kira said urgently, "that new ship, Meiko's inside and I can't get to her Yaro, she's lost her mind! She's angry and she's not thinking clearly! I've never seen anything like this Yaro! You need to connect to her somehow, take hold of her and save her!" Yaro at that moment felt torn, he had committed himself to fighting here but Meiko needed him, he loved her so dearly and he would not loose her again. If what Kira said was true something must have happened to ignite the solider within her. Something was very very wrong. Yaro did not know what his super seed could do but it's connections were clearly strong, perhaps there was some way he could pull her out of this and save her before it was too late.
"I'm going for it," Yaro responded as Kira breathed in relief, "I'll do whatever it takes to get through to her." He turned to the Archangel and everyone who was fighting alongside them and quickly dropped behind them. "Cover me everyone," he said to them as he moved his machine into super seed mode and reached, he had to get there.
Meiko moved through the ship quickly killing everything in her path as her mind was focused on one thing, Cerrian was here. She moved through a high security area and killed the guards then ran toward the room she knew that Cerrian would be in. She had made it this far and nothing was going to stop her from ending everything. She fired three shots shattering the glass around the room as four guards behind it fired at her, two of them missed but one of them hit her. The bullet sunk into her shoulder, the same one Liene had shot before and the pain was immense but her extreme anger made it seem like nothing. She jumped into the air and spun toward them dodging the bullets as she went. She hit the ground right in a landing and fired at one dead center in the forehead.
She moved swiftly up the walls around the and fired again killing the second, the third. She then rushed toward the doors and after swiping a card off a dead guard she opened them and moved in.
"Please Meiko Virea see reason," the man before her said in a weak attempt to defend himself, she knew he was not Cerrian but rather one of Cerrian's goons. No the real Cerrian lay behind in the last room. "This is a peaceful ship, we want no part in the battle, only to protect those who wish to bring good into the world. See reason, this is all madness…" She didn't let him speak longer as she shot a bullet through his throat and he collapsed on the ground before her. She shook from the wound in her arm but she wasn't done yet, she would finish this task.
She let out a cry and shot off a frequency from one of her weapons that shattered the glass walls and cause it to rain. Some of it cut her as it flew by her but she didn't mind as she aimed fast and fired into the man beyond. She shot again and again and again, he fell to the ground and she continued to fire, draining all three of her guns and then collapsing to the ground in pain and anger. She shook from it but now she was immobilized as herself started to surface in it all. Behind her was a trail of death and before her was who she believed to be Cerrian, mangled and shot full of bullets. She cried out again as her mind fought her on many levels and the intensity of everything hit her hard. Everything she had felt her entire life unloaded in this moment as she cried out louder, her super seed burst stronger and everyone on the battlefield heard the cry of anger and grief that exploded from their Phoenix.
Lacus held her head as she heard it, Kira let tears escape his eyes as he feared the worst, Kiran and Trey echoed it and Yaro grasped it letting it's direction guide him now to Meiko's mind.
She was a little girl again, always surrounded by weapons and always darkened by them. She was their protege, their little assassin. She was their darkest dreams, their greatest fear and somehow at the same time their only hope. She was everything they had made her to be, Meiko Virea, ROW's darkest creation. Everything they did wasn't what she wanted but it was somehow what she fell into, she couldn't escape the truth that she was everything they wanted her to be. She was their weapon and no matter how far she ran she kept returning and though she didn't want to be a part of everything she became the heart of it all. She rose high but then fell back down, so was there ever any worth to it all? Was there?
"NO!" Yaro broke through Meiko's mind as he saw memories of her fragile childhood and he was filled with every dark thought she had ever had in her entire life. Things that had been erased by forgiveness resurfaced as Liene's words had taken hold of her and changed her in that moment but Yaro alone could feel her real self still there and fighting to get free from the madness of everything. The failure that she felt for not seeing the truth and the hate she had for herself and those around her that caused everything. She had taken many lives mercilessly but she justified it all and he saw that no matter the anger and hatred she showed, Meiko Virea was still there.
Yaro's eyes glowed brighter than ever before his full super seed alive and his light shooting in all directions from his mobile suit, everyone saw it. So much light, beckoning hope and opening the hearts of all as his mind brushed Meiko's. Her super seed which had pained her so much surfaced and his thoughts became hers.
"No matter what you think you did you're still here," Yaro said to her, "Meiko you're still here. Please Meiko, you did what you had to in the moment, no matter what you didn't see we all make mistakes. You can't give in, you can't let it control your fate! You make your own destiny! Let it go Meiko, let it go." She responded to him as he saw her heart fighting all the memories that plagued her now.
"Yaro," her mind cried out his name as he was right there with her every moment.
"Meiko you are all you have ever been," he said to her, "you are the Phoenix." In that moment she felt the warmth of his super seed and the love that he had for her; she felt the safety he offered as the one person who understood everything. He saw everything and still was there beside her now.
Only Kira was there to see as at the call of Yaro and Meiko the Phoenix's engines ignited and the machine's super seed system activated. It was there ready as Meiko felt herself gain the strength to stand once more and float quickly back toward the hangar to get out of this doomed ship for the attention of ROW was on it as well. It would be going down soon.
Kira saw Meiko move past the doors and toward the Phoenix, there was a wound in her shoulder and there was a weakness to her that he saw clearly. She was hurt, tired and growing emotional. She was pulling herself together but Kira realized she was almost to a breaking point. He knew no matter what he said she would deny it. He had no control to get her off the battlefield and after what had just taken place he was sure she would want some way to atone for everything.
Yaro moved his mobile suit and shouted to all the forces around him to get out of range. The STING 2 was charging to fire and only three barrels were ready so he assumed the last one they had shot down was not replaced yet. They were getting close.
"Stay out of the range," Yaro said to his forces, "but prepare to move in once the shot fades! Stay alive people, this is the press." He then looked out on the battlefield and saw in terror that the Eternal was in range of the blast as it started to fire. "Eternal get out of there!" He yelled to them as he saw another one of the blasts heading toward the ship Kira and Meiko had entered.
"We can't move!" a crew member shouted in fear as Waltfeld braced himself for it. There was nowhere they could go with ROW ships on either side of them firing everything they had. He was only thankful now that Lacus was not here and in danger, for this was the end. He had defended the world for so long, only to loose out today. He had fought for ZAFT and in the end sided with the Clynes as they were people who truly desired peace. He had protected Lacus since she was just a young girl with ideals in her head and a voice that the masses listened to. Now he died defending the same ideals he believed in.
The blast was true as it went through the Eternal marking the last voyage of Andrew Waltfeld and the famed ship of Lacus Clyne.
"NO!" Lacus wanted to scream louder at what was happening before her but she knew she could show no weakness here in her time of triumph. It was terrible, the loss that incited her to rage and caused her heart to beat irregularly as her crew went down with her ship but she was safe in the PLANTs. She shook her head and Kayla was next to her a strength and support. This was not the time to cry, the place for that would be when this was over. For she was now more than ever ready for it to end.
Kiran's heart beat strongly and with anger as he searched for Trey's signal in the PLANT with his machine. He fought off a robotic unit and spun around the far side of the PLANTs until he found the signal that he was searching for. Trey's communication was still online, perhaps it was not too late to stop what Kiran knew was going to happen. He had to get Trey to save his sister before this Cerrian took her. He hoped beyond hope that his delay did not bring him to be too late.
"Trey!" Kiran shouted the name of his ally as he continued to fight the robotic unit that stubbornly pursued him, "Trey you have to tell me you have Leyas with you! Trey they are after her, the same ones who brought that cannon wanted to kidnap her. Please tell me she's safe." There was no response for a second then he heard Trey's breathing through his radio as he pulled a winning move and caused the next robotic to explode in front of him. The blast threw him off course a bit and just as Trey was about to speak it cut out so he moved back into position and connected again, "repeat, I missed what you said!" He was desperate hoping for good news beyond hope and knowing that Trey was taking too long to respond.
"Leyas is gone," Trey responded to Kiran, "they took her! They distracted us with guards and they took her! We failed Kiran! I can't find any hints to where they went! Leyas is gone." Kiran was not too shocked at the news, he had a feeling in his mind that he had failed with his mission to warn them and failure had a bitter taste to him.
Fire would not take her, the end was not here now. Meiko was still there.
"NOW!" Meiko yelled as the blast hit the ship and she fired up the Phoenix blasting out with Kira on her tail. She turned her mobile suit to see the ship exploding behind her, and the end of her mission up in flames. She was back, her mind no longer numb and hollow as before; Yaro had made it through and she saw that she did what she had to. She completed the prophecy and destroyed the enemy of the world, but the battle was far from over as she saw the ROW ships were continuing to fight, despite Liene's death. The large STING 2 was also still up and running, she would have to correct that.
"The Eternal!" Kira exclaimed as he realized it wasn't there, that it had been destroyed by the warships.
"It's alright," Meiko said reassuring him, "Lacus is in the PLANTs." He nodded still saluting for the fallen warship. She looked out toward where she should go next. Everyone seemed to be stretched thin as ROW had more robotics coming; Liene had brought everything he had. Today was to mark the last battle of ROW and he was making it as memorable as he could. She breathed in deeply as she knew what she had to do now and what part Kira would play.
"I'll join with Athrun," Kira said to her as he saw that Athrun and Yzak were defending the ships from a launch attack of ROW agent mobile suits; a little bit harder than robotics. She nodded, that was what she believed he had to do at this point.
"I'l going with Yaro," Meiko responded, "We've got to take out that machine."
"Roger that," Kira responded moving his machine at high speed toward his destination. Meiko streaked out in front of the battlefield in fully glory as she knew that the reappearance of the Phoenix was sure to inspire the masses to fight all the harder, and with the length of the battle so far she knew morale was low. She let off the bright lights of her machine and brandished it's wings as she flew toward the STING 2. On her way she spun around a group of robotics and let a ROW ship lock missiles on her, she then moved behind the mindless robotic units and let them take the missile strike. She then moved toward the ship and shot down it's missile launcher and fired on it's main hangars. She couldn't let them launch anything else at this point.
She then moved past it and repeated the process of disarming on two more ships. She had spilt too much blood already and with ROW's commander down she knew a lot of Liene's followers were more innocent that he would have the world believe.
"Yaro Yamato," he heard a voice he did not recognize coming from his communicator and on his screen was a strange man. He didn't have time for this, they had to finish the job on the STING 2, he had spent most of the battle here, it was ridiculous in his mind. He knew that it appeared as if every time ROW lost a ship they would replace it, just like the cannon barrels but that seemed impossible unless they had not yet attacked with full force; that thought was something that made him more anxious so he put it out is his mind.
"Unless you have some way of stopping this thing I don't want to hear it!" Yaro yelled at the man on the screen and the person did not flinch or show any sigh of leaving, he just smiled slowly.
"I have exactly that," the man responded slyly, "I was going to let you figure it out but you're taking too long. Behind the barrels is a heavily defended area, there are quite a few ship turrets an missile launchers. What do you think they are defending?" It was then that this man's implications became clear to Yaro. ROW would have seen the Dreamer's fights in the battle against the PLANTs so they knew it's capabilities. Of course they would defend the part of the ship that was most vulnerable to him. He now noticed just how large it was and that it would take a full charge to take it out; the nuclear reactor.
"Who are you?" Yaro now asked the man.
"Simply someone who wishes ROW would hurry and end," the man responded, "for they have meddled in affairs of the world long enough; and you're the only one who can stop them." With that the man disappeared leaving Yaro confused.
Meiko moved quickly now as she sliced through the robotics the Archangel was fighting and ended her stream of power right in front of the Dreamer and she blasted a large cannon taking out the barrel in front of him. She then turned back to him with a smile as she knew this was their time to fight alongside each other. This point in the battle was theirs.
"Meiko," Yaro said her name with relief, he would need her to get to the reactor.
"You didn't think I would give up that easily did you?" Meiko responded to him with a grateful voice, "I do have you to thank for that." He let her voice sink into his heart as he knew that it was far from over. He had reached for her in her state of panic but now she would help him through this next part. Her debt would be repaid then, if she could even call it a debt for he loved her more than anything in the world now.
"Anytime Meiko," he said to her as he turned to the STING 2, "I know what to do here but I need you to cover me." She looked in the direction his mobile suit was turned toward, "the nuclear reactor is large and I'm near at full strength, I can take that power away and this machine would be done, but I need you to help me fight past the defenses." She looked at it's massive size and thought of Yaro's weaponry. She then remembered her initial encounter with the first STING and that once Kira got her through it was only a nuclear explosion that stopped the reactor. If Yaro could do the opposite of what she did and drain the power from the nuclear reactor the results wouldn't be as devastating as the first time.
"I'll help you through," Meiko responded, "but are you sure there is enough power to take it out." Yaro nodded as his eyes began to glow.
"My super seed gives it enough power," he replied as he turned and moved in. She followed him breaking the lines and using a targeting computer to fire on the first wave of cannons. It was as if the ROW ship read what they were trying to do and it sent out a fresh wave of robotic mobile suits. Meiko and Yaro moved side by side and with quick skill to destroy as many as they could but another wave was produced.
"Go Yaro!" Meiko exclaimed and he listened as he knew she could handle it. He saw Mu and Jacob's machines coming on both sides of him.
"Got you covered," Mu said as he destroyed a turret and Jacob joined Meiko fighting the robotics. It was then that Yzak arrived with his machine and moved past Mu and Yaro to destroy more of the defensive weapons on the machine.
"There's a shield around the reactor," Yzak said to Yaro as he sliced the gun barrels of a turret, "It's on the far side, Mu if you move with me we'll be able to take it down." Mu nodded in response and followed Yzak away from Yaro so he moved the Dreamer into a more intense fighting stance and let his super seed take control.
"There are 15 ROW ships on that side," Kira said to Athrun as more robotics flew from there, "if we can destroy them I think they will loose control of the robotics then they will be forced to give up and surrender," Athrun saw what Kira was saying but that all depended on if those were indeed the ships controlling the robotics.
"I'll go with you on this one," Athrun replied to Kira, "we can certainly take them and this will end if Meiko and Yaro then take the STING 2 down."
"I have no doubt they will," Kira said looking toward that battle, "they're strong enough, and the odds are ever moving in their favor." Athrun smiled slightly as he knew Kira was correct. If anyone could take the STING 2 down now they would have to place their bets on Meiko and Yaro and whatever they were planning to do there. He then followed Kira and the two aces moved toward the ships at a blinding speed and they were certain to win here. Shinn joined up with them quickly as he knew the faster this went the better. The three together were unstoppable and the ROW ships did not stand a chance.
"The Shield is down Meiko!" Yaro yelled as he saw the shield fade, Yzak and Mu had succeeded. Meiko nodded and Jacob moved in to secure her move away from the robotics as Yzak and Mu joined him. Meiko moved toward the defenses of the reactor and fought them off while defending Yaro as he moved his mobile suit in position and charged the blast. He elevated is super seed energy letting it flow into the weapons and she saw his machine began to glow. He reached out with his mind and opened up all possibilties before him and focused on the one that would lead to victory.
"This is the beginning of your path Yaro," He heard Uzumi's voice in his head, "No take your shot."
The Dreamer fired a large blast that ate into the heart of the nuclear reactor and the power instead of disappearing as before flowed into the Dreamer mobile suit as Yaro put everything he had into it. The blast was long and the light was bright as the battlefield turned to see it. The light of the Dreamer.
"Yaro," Meiko said his name in awe at what was happening before them. She felt her strength weakening from her wounds, she knew he would have to strike now before she was out of strength entirely. He heard her breath waver and knew that she was hiding weakness from him. He smiled as he knew she would be able to hold on one second longer. For he was ready.
"This day it will end," Yaro said, "this day ROW falls!" The blast faded and the STING 2 shut down completely but the Dreamer continued to glow brighter than before.
"That's it!" Shinn announced as they took out the last ship and he smiled satisfyingly as he saw that Yaro and Meiko had indeed ended the reign of the STING 2. Kira's breathing was hard and so was Athruns as they turned to see the battlefield was silent. The PLANT, NEA and Redemption forces spent. The ORB and Clyne faction forces holding on and ready to continue to fight but for all intents it appeared to be over.
In that moment they turned from the battlefield toward the light they saw radiating from the Dreamer, it took over the battlefield captivating everyone who could see it. It's awesome and amazing light.
"It's over," Athrun let out.
"No," Kira felt danger in his mind as everyone turned away from Yaro to see another force of ROW ships move it and all the robotics once again came online. Kira's mouth fell open in shock and anger, it was so close to over yet this. There were nearly as many ships on ROW's side as when the battle had begun and with the forces of good spent on the last batch this was certain to be the end.
Yaro stared dead ahead of him at the oncoming ships and he felt the fear of his allies rise in the battlefield. He heard many of their thoughts through his seed, thoughts of goodness and the people they wanted to see again. A hopeless feeling in the air. Breath left Meiko's lungs as she saw what was coming. They could fight them off surely but not without more loss of life and a price that was harder for them to pay than it should have been. The cost was already high, at this moment it would break the spirit of the world and she was shocked at how thorough Liene had been. She clenched her fists.
"Yaro," she said to him as she felt a weight of responsibility on her shoulders., "I'll go in alone, this is my battle you must see that. I'll take them all." She wanted to do this, to erase the guilt of responsibility for not seeing before what was happening around her; for not understanding John Liene nor paying attention to things beyond the world that she grew in. She had been blind to everything, blinded by hatred and anger over what she had been forced to endure and she had never imagined that Liene endured worse. Liene gave his soul to the darkest acts to bring about peace and ROW was a symbol of what he had been forced to do. She now wished to erase that symbol for the sake of the world and for his son. Yaro knew what it was she was planning and that she would sacrifice her life for the world in this act to end ROW because of guilt. He also saw things she did not understand, reasons why she had to live that even she was unaware of; reasons that drove him on. She was also injured, and too weak to actually succeed and if she did not see that she was blinding herself to the truth that she wasn't ready for this.
"No," Yaro responded to her words as he weighed his own reasons for this moment, "I'm going in." He knew now what Uzumi meant, "for this is my path, not yours. This is my end." Anger filled her at his words but he cared not. Uzumi said he would rise, but to rise he would first have to fall; that explained the sadness in his cousins eyes. He would have to fall completely so far that there would be no way out but in this act he would then rise in history and to those who cared for him. But it didn't matter what the world said about him, for he realized he needed this. To erase the things that he had done, he would find the light that Uzumi spoke of; the light that came from doing the right thing no matter what that thing led to.
"I'm going in with you then," she responded to him, "there's no way in hell I'm staying here." He heard her words but they rolled past him. This was not her fight, he realized it now more than ever. This fight was his, to end ROW and clean up the mess his father made; it was his fight. No matter how she tried she could not change that, and she could not be a part of it just as he could not be a part of her fight earlier. Their paths split now, leading them farther from each other. He had to make everyone else understand, he would deal with Meiko after he got his family back.
"I'll handle it," Yaro now broadcasted to the battlefield, "Defend the PLANTs, defend the ships! Defend the lives that deserve to keep living. I'll end this now! The power the Dreamer absorbed from the STING 2 will end this now." Meiko's anger grew at this, he was still refusing to allow her in on his plan. She wasn't going to let him go in alone, and she saw the battlefield behind her recoiling as the ships of the allies regrouped together as a barrier in front of the PLANTs, clearly now believing in the light of the Dreamer and trusting that he knew what he was doing. His super seed was stronger than hers, fully matured and it inspired the masses to do as he told them. This was a power she should possess but didn't. He was now cutting her out of this battle and sending her away; she didn't want to leave his side and she would not go anywhere willingly. "I'm going in alone Meiko, don't try and follow me." But she was already resolved and she wondered if he would really go the full measure to stop her.
"How are you going to stop me?" Meiko responded angrily to him, "I'm not going to let you do this Yaro, I'm not going to let you throw your life away like this!" His eyes were clear as he did not heed her words, he only saw what he needed to do and that he needed to keep her out of it.
"You're not even going to take a second thought to think about what you mean to the world?" Yaro asked her calmly. "I don't need your permission to go in alone; this is my Destiny Meiko and it will never be yours." He would go the distance to keep her safe. His machine glowed brightly as he turned on her striking the Phoenix and shocking the battlefield, "cause I'm not letting you fight like this!" He knew she was too weak to fight back strong enough to stop him. She had no super seed power and not enough strength to stand against his Destiny.
Kira looked shocked when he saw Yaro attacking the Phoenix, and he wanted to move in to defend her but the robotics were swarming now. No one was there to stop Yaro from ending Meiko now, but somehow Kira knew he wouldn't do it but he still did not understand what was going, then he realized Yaro wanted to fight alone so he was disarming Meiko. He would not allow her onto the battlefield and Kira realized that their darkest dreams were coming true. Yaro was going to give up his life for everything that they believed in and no one was to go with him; for no one could stop him.
Meiko fought back strong but her mind was weak so she could not access her super seed. Yaro basted her shield and started breaking her weapons one by one. She fought back harder but he was beating her. She struggled trying to gain the upper hand but again and again she kept loosing it. She didn't want to go down like this, she didn't want to loose this battle and she wanted to fight alongside Yaro and not against him. He felt sadness in what he had to do but he knew it was necessary, nothing she said would change his mind; for he loved her enough to save her from death.
"Yaro please! I can't loose you! We have more of a chance if both of us go in," she protested as she grappled for any chance she had against the super powered Dreamer and the light of the super seed but there was nothing. She was loosing this battle and he was going to go in alone no matter what. She didn't expect that she would ever be defeated so quickly by anyone; but her reflexes against Yaro were never as strong as against anyone else. There was always something about him that was different, from the first time she fought him to today and she knew there was a strength to him that she would never understand. He had been through so much; from the darkest thought to the most evil act he had ever committed there was always something of a light that he could not escape. His soul was preserved for this day and this moment.
"This isn't your fight anymore Meiko," he said, "it's mine!" He destroyed the last defense she had as his super seed dominated his machine, his mind and the entire battlefield. For this time she had lost a battle as Yaro proved himself superior to her in one way, the way that mattered in this moment; his super seed was complete. She cried out in anguish as she tried once again to move her machine, to stop him as he knew he did not want her to see the things that were coming. All her life Meiko had seen the dark and today it had been worse than ever, just for this moment she will be blind to it all. He reached out the hand of his mobile suit taking the head of the Phoenix and smashing it, along with Meiko's cameras and the view of the world that she had. He heard her crying out his name as he turned the Dreamer toward the ships that waited in the distance. He had spilt so much blood on this battlefield and the battlefields before, so many lives had been lost because of him and now it was time for him to embrace his destiny, his darker dreams and his true identity as the son of John Liene. And with that identity came the responsibility to end the madness of his father and bring about the peace ROW always promised the would bring.
Liene's child projects had both been taken from ROW but even that did not change their purpose. Meiko was destined to end Cerrian and Yaro was born to close ROW's final acts. No matter how people around them had tried to stop everything they had only caused it all to happen. Yaro bowed his head now as he knew it would not be long, his life in this act was forfeit.
"Please understand Meiko," he said to her now, "I will destroy the darkness now, I will destroy ROW and I will destroy everything else in the process. The world will be reborn, and only then will you find the peace that you deserve, only then will I be free." For so long he had desired the freedom to move past everything that he had witnessed and all the things that had changed him. That came today and with the world as his witness he would show who he really was.
"NO!" She cried out, "you can't do this! You can't fight like this Yaro! If you don't die you'll live with this guilt of how many you killed and if you do die I'd rather die with you! Please Yaro! I need you, I need you!" His eyes widened at her words, he had told her he loved her once when she was confused and alone, then once when they had seen life for what it could be. That time they had together that seed so long ago now. She had opened to him and said it as well but the hardships that the phrase came with, it meant that they were both vulnerable and able to be hurt now, would she dare to say it again.
"Meiko Virea," he said her sweet name for what he had determined in his heart would be the last time, "you've been everything that I've ever dreamed of, you have been my only joy and my only strength. Now Meiko Virea I want you to say the words you only barely said to me before. I want you to say the words that you hid from when you were in ROW. I want you to say the words that you always feared would leave you vulnerable. I want you Meiko Virea to tell me the words I know are true; give me the peace of knowing there is something for me to return to and then I will promise you anything you want me to." She heard him and she knew what he wanted now and she knew that he understood what it was she would ask. This was a moment of so many decisions and all at once it hit her and she felt her super seed begin to glow, but this time it was different. There was no darkness in this, only light as it was her own super seed.
"Yaro Yamato," she said as tears rolled down her face and her breath began to catch in her throat, "I love you!" He exhaled as he heard the words echo in his soul and their hearts connected in that moment. He knew this was the hardest thing she had ever done, to speak words of comfort when she knew he would be throwing himself into the frays of death in only moments. She knew that no matter how she begged, he was determined to change the world. "Promise me," she whispered now, "Promise me…" It was as if everything around them had faded and she made her final plea begging him, "Promise me you'll live!"
"I'll live," he spoke words with conviction now as he knew he had something to live for, "I will live!" There was silence from him now as she heard nothing more, and she knew that he had charged forward into the battlefield that was certain death. There was no way he could survive yet he had promised her he would. He had promised her he would live, but no matter what he promised he knew he could not outrun fate.
Every eye was on it as Yaro went into the midst of the ships with his brightest light glowing and he fought. Explosion, after explosion lit the sky as even from earth Cagalli and Jeffery looked up to see lights glowing and fading quickly. What was left of the allies that had stood before now held back as they saluted to a sacrifice that Yaro was too quick and willing to make. Tears in their eyes as the emotion of everything weighed on each person. The ROW fleet was slowly evaporating as Yaro continued to fight, no damage to his mobile suit would stop him till every last ship was down.
Any other mobile suit that entered was lost but Yaro was not, he was fighting. Kira was shocked at what the world had come to, all the devastation seen today and the loss of life. He moved the Freedom in and collected what was left of the Phoenix, he could hear Meiko's cries as she wanted to know what was happening but she lacked any way to see what was going on. Kira felt his own eyes crying as he knew that Yaro would not return from this, it was the end for his son and everything that he had taught him came down to this last act. Yaro felt hope flowing through him as he fought, he ignored everything but will and everyone watched as the largest explosion yet rocketed through the rest of the ships, edged with the blue glow of Yaro's super seed. It vanished then leaving only the rubble of the ships. Every robotic was disabled, everything was finished.
"Goodbye my son," Kira said as he bowed his head. Every ship launched their return lights and every person on earth lit their candles toward the sky as the world beneath them felt the emotion of the skies above.
"Yaro," He heard Meikos voice as he rushed toward the Reversal, "Yaro, Yaro, Yaro, Yaro." No response, no matter the promise he made. There was no response to her calls, Yaro Yamato was gone.
Kira dragged her limp form from what was left of the Phoenix as the Redemption medical team rushed toward them both. Flay entered and saw the shocking scene, Meiko limp in Kira's arms with her breath becoming more and more shallow; for everything this day had broken them and in turn it had broken the world around them.
"Get her to the emergency room now!" Flay yelled as Kira let the doctors take his daughter from him. Flay saw the broken look on his face and knew he was morning the death of his son, Yaro more than anything now. Kira felt what he knew it was that Athrun felt when Uzumi died, the hollow anger and tragedy of an event that never should have occurred. Memories of Yaro now filled his mind, the small child he had adopted from the orphanage at Lacus's insistence. She had grown attached to the boy and thought she had twins to raise she felt that another addition to their family was a good idea and Yaro had been one of the most amazing children in the world. Kira often forgot that Yaro was adopted as they raised him; even in his moments of defiance Kira saw his strength and Kira had grown proud of him. Now Kira realized in this moment he would never see Yaro's face again; he would never comfort him when he was down and he would never see him rise again.
Kira wrapped his arms around himself as he realized how fast the moments had moved and now they were lost. At the same time Lacus in the PLANTs was feeling the same devastating loss and Kira knew he needed to get back to her and the kids; for they were all broken in this now. He had tried to avoid ever crying again but today tears flowed freely for besides Yaro so many more had fallen.
"Get me a shuttle to the PLANTs immediately," he said to a Redemption guard, he then looked to Flay who also had tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry," she said trying to think of something else to say as sobs filled her. Yzak then came from the other side of the hangar seemingly and embraced her. Kira turned away toward the shuttle now heading to his family; to face this loss with them and help them through it. He was the head of the family and though he felt like breaking down as a child he knew he would have to show strength and in a way that was the hardest task of all.
Athrun enters the PLANT council chamber to see the distraught ZAFT officers as Lacus was crying and trying to gather herself with Kayla there comforting her. Athrun saluted as he knew she had military power here and he knew that it was something he could do now out of respect for what had just taken place.
"The battle is over," Athrun said to the ZAFT officers, "the PLANT borders are secure, the NEA teams and the Redemption teams are taking the ROW officers captive as we speak and taking in the wounded." He hated this formality in light of what had just taken place but it was something he knew was a necessary evil at this point. To Lacus the world around her was spinning, she could barely hear what he was saying over the memories of her little boy. The same child who had helped her through so much in the past had now saved so many lives today but the sacrifice was his life. It was then that the doors to the chamber opened again to reveal Kira. At the sight of her husband she jumped from her chair and rushed into his arms; he held her close and let her emotions wash over him.
"Yaro," was the only word Lacus could say but Kira understood. Before the doors could close behind Kira there were two more people entering, Kiran, Trey and Leyas should have been behind them but she wasn't.
"Where's Leyas?" Kira asked staring at Trey directly as he had been the one to take her into the PLANTs as recklessly as he had. Trey wanted to cower in this moment, to run away; this family didn't need any more ill news. He was loosing his emotions as it was; him and Kiran had searched through the PLANT as best they could and had found no sign of her. Wherever she had gone it was out of their reach.
"She's gone missing," Kiran spoke up finally as tears were spilling from his eyes, he had lost his brother today in death and his sister had vanished.
The words Kiran spoke hung between everyone in the room as they were all shocked.
"Leyas," Kira said looking toward the ceiling, strength didn't matter now. His son was dead, his daughter was gone. "LEYAS!"
"We're loosing her," the Redemption medical officer yelled as Flay stood by Yzak watching the medical team scramble to try and save Meiko; nothing was working as her vitals were getting worse and worse then the sound that no one wanted to her. Her heart beat was gone.
What an emotional ride, there is still one more chapter. Phase 50: Shattered but I think it might be short because it's more of a wrap up than anything else. This story has been a beast to write and am overwhelmed to be at this point now and seeing it closing brings tears to my eyes. There were so many things that had to happen in this chapter I wasn't sure how I would fit it all in but I got there. (Luna/Shinn's reactions will be in the next chapter along with other things)
So I've given quite a few shocks I think, I want to hear everything you have to say about them and how you think they will affect what happens in the future of this story that I've been creating. So please give me a long detailed review of what you thought about all this and about all the things that happened. I seriously do obsess over reviews, I love reading them and I enjoy hearing what you have to say so REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!
-WinterChil
