Well, this is it. This is a big thing, you know. This is my Christmas present to you people and the last chapter of the story.
Thank you to those who have stuck with me. It's meant a lot to me, and thanks for putting up with me^.^ Especially when I didn't update. Thank you everyone.
Also, because this is the last chapter, it will also be a SONG chapter, and the song I picked is "A New Day" by Celine Dion, but not the fast version. If you've listened to the CD, it's number fifteen and it's the one that doesn't have a lot of background music…okay, it's just the SLOW and mellow version of the song.
Now, the dramatic conclusion to this epic romance.
Disclaimer: I do not own Zoids, but I do own the agents. Also, I do not own the song "A New Day Has Come" by Celine Dion.
Happy holidays, minna-san!
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(A new day has come
A new day has…come….)
The building was collapsing. Pieces of the ceiling were raining down everywhere and the foundation shook from the attacks coming from outside. Not to mention the fact that the top room had gone up in smoke, along with the general of the Backdraft's army. Rose was now gone. The Backdraft had no reason left to fight. Risai was slowly walking down the stairs, leaning against the wall for support, her emotions unreadable. She was leaving a trail of crimson behind her.
(I was waiting for so long
For a miracle to come
Everyone told me to be strong
Hold on and don't shed a tear)
Risai walked like a ghost, having almost no life left in her, nothing to keep her going. She was on the third floor or so. Suddenly, a large explosion shook the building and she lost her balance, sending her tumbling down the stairs. She cried out as she hit the hard metal floor, now lying face down. With a great amount of effort, she pushed herself back up and then slowly stood, needing the wall to help her. She had to keep going. There were people waiting for her. However, the idea of leaving wasn't first in her mind. Leon was gone. Rose had killed him. What was the point in going on if she would never see him again? At least if she died, she'd be with him. Aslo, even if he was alive, she still couldn't be with him. Despite that fact, she continued on.
She made it to the second floor of the building, but she finally succumbed to her wounds. She had a large gash down her back, along with random cuts on her arms. Some of her ribs were broken and her ankle was sprained. The most obvious wound was the bullet hole through her stomach. She was feeling dizzy. She had lost too much blood. She made it to the far wall and collapsed against it, sliding down it to the point where she was sitting on the ground. She was breathing hard and her head was down.
"Forgive me," she whispered in a strained voice. "I can't go on anymore."
(Through the darkness and good times
I knew I'd make it through….
And the world thought I had it all
But I was waiting for you)
On the first floor, the far wall was blown apart, revealing three figures standing in the smoke of the explosion. Leena and Bit, followed by Leon, entered the room, looking around. There were stairs across the room.
"Let's go," said Leena. "We need to hurry." A piece of the ceiling fell near Bit, startling him slightly.
"This place is really falling apart," he noted. All of them had seen the top of the base get blown off, so the three of them had decided to come in and look for Risai.
"Come on," said Leon, running over to the stairwell, followed by his sister and Bit. They quickly ran up the stairs of the falling building. They got to the second floor and looked around. Leon's eyes fell on Risai, who was sitting against the wall, slumped over, her eyes closed.
"Risai!" he shouted to her. The three of them began to run to her, but she didn't respond. "Risai!" called Leon again, trying to get a response from her. She twitched slightly, her mind becoming aware. 'Am I hallucinating?' she pondered. 'I must be hearing things. That voice sounded like…'
"Risai!"
Her eyes snapped open. She turned to her right to see Leon, Bit, and Leena. They all knelt by her, but her eyes stayed on Leon. They were full of shock and relief.
"Leon…" she whispered in awe. "You're alive…"
"Of course I am," he told her softly.
"But I thought…I saw your zoid…get hit with that beam and I…" Her eyes were tearing up. He was still alive. Rose hadn't killed him. If she had known that sooner, she wouldn't have been so reckless in the battle. She wouldn't have allowed herself to get shot.
"We need to get out of here," said Bit seriously. The building shook again as bigger pieces of the ceiling began falling down.
"Let's go," said Leena, standing up. Risai tried to do the same, but her ribs suddenly ached and her ankle throbbed. Not to mention the hole in her stomach was leaking out crimson. She cried out in pain as she tried to stand and failed miserably.
"What's wrong?" asked Leon, the concern crystal clear in his voice. Risai moved her hand away from her stomach to reveal the bullet hole. All three warriors gasped in worry and shock.
"My ankle is sprained and a few of my ribs are broken as well," she said through her pain. Another explosion shook the building. "You three should just leave," she told them. "Get out while you still can."
"Are you insane?" asked Bit. "We can't leave you here." Risai tried to get up again, but quickly gripped her throbbing side. The pain was too much.
"It's over," she told them. "I've reached my limit. Please, get out while you still can. I won't last much longer." They said nothing as they kept their eyes on her. Leon put on a strong face and reached out to her, his eyes flashing with determination. He slid his arms under her and began to lift her up. Risai cried out in pain.
(Hush…now…
I see a light in the sky
Oh…it's almost blinding me
I can't believe I've been touched by an angel
With love…)
Risai's face was twisted in pain as Leon held her in his arms. The movement had hurt her side where her ribs were broken. He looked down at her with an apologetic look before turning to Bit and Leena.
"Come on," he said to them. "We need to get out of here." They both nodded and the three of them began to run back down the stairs and to the hole in the wall. It had been a while since Risai had been outside and the light hurt her eyes. She squinted as Leon took her from the dark base and into the bright afternoon. The soldiers were still fighting.
"This is pointless now," said Risai. "Rose is dead."
"We need to end this," said Bit as he ran to his stationed Liger. Leena got to her Gun Sniper as Leon took Risai to his Blade Liger. The warriors all got in and went back to the battle. Risai was sitting in Leon's lap as he maneuvered his zoid while trying not to hurt her. He pressed in a COM button and looked to Risai.
"Do you want to tell them?" he asked with a small smile.
"Could you do it…please?" she asked, her voice sounding weak. It hurt too much to talk right now. Leon nodded and then turned his attention to the battle.
(Let the rain come down and wash away my tears
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears
Let it shatter the walls for a new sun
A new day has come…
A new day has…come…)
"Stop the battle!" he shouted over his com-link, which echoed over the battlefield. "The war is over!" Surprisingly, both sides stopped fighting, the sudden exclamation catching their attention. "The General of the Backdraft army is gone!" Leon didn't even have to ask them to surrender. The Backdraft soldiers opened the cockpits to their zoids and stood up, placing their hands in the air. The warriors of the ZBC were inwardly celebrating now, taking pleasure in the ending of this pointless war. With just their small group, they had stopped the war, and they owed a lot of that to Risai. She had stopped Rose on her own. This was truly a wonderful day. The war was finally over. The leader of the Backdraft was gone and peace could once again settle over Zi. Risai smiled as these thoughts crossed her mind. It was over. The fight was over and she could finally rest. She felt her body giving out and she was slipping into the darkness, but she willing allowed it to come to her. It had just been too long. She needed rest.
"Risai?" asked Leon, noticing that her eyes were closing. She simply smiled as they closed completely. After so long, she could finally have a decent rest. She was so tired.
"Risai?" called Leon, now becoming worried. She didn't respond to him at all. She was absolutely and completely unconscious, taking delight in every second of it.
(Where it was dark now there's light
Where there was pain now there's joy
Where there was weakness I found my strength
All in the eyes of a boy)
Risai could feel herself being pulled from her state of unconsciousness and being forced into the light. Her vision was blurred. She didn't know how long it had been since the battle, but she didn't care. She was alive still and she would keep on living. She turned to her right and saw Leon standing there. He was looking down at her, a small smile on his face.
"I'm glad you're alright," he said to her. She couldn't answer him. There was a respirator hooked to her, covering her mouth. She was still so tired. How long had it been since the battle? Perhaps a few days, maybe a week? She didn't know right now. All that mattered was the fact that they had all made it out alive. She would get to see them all again. It was strange just how much she had changed in the past few months. So much had happened, but it had all been good. She had rediscovered so much, and she had met Leon. Because of him, she had learned so much and she thanked him for budding into her life.
Her eyes began to close again, but his face was the last thing she saw before slipping back into the darkness. She'd live through this. She'd stay alive for him. She loved him.
(Hush…now…
I see a light in the sky
Oh
It's almost blinding me
I can't believe I've been touched by an angel
With love…)
It had been nearly two weeks since the war ended. The members of the ZBC had succeeded in arresting all of the Backdraft men involved and had been assigned to clean up the remains of the war. It had taken two weeks, but everyone was finally ready to return to their normal lives. The members of the three teams were currently standing outside the base, waiting.
"Where are they?" asked Jamie, looking at his watch. "They're late."
"Well, we can't leave without saying goodbye," noted Naomi. "It wouldn't be right." She stood next to Brad, but something was different. On her finger was a ring, and a pricy looking one at that. It was an engagement ring. Not long after the battle, he had proposed to her and she had said yes. This was slowly getting on Bit's nerves. He had yet to propose to Leena. He fingered the small box in his pocket and decided that this was as good a time as any. He turned to her.
"Leena?" he asked.
"Yes?" she questioned back.
"Remember how I said that after the battle there was something I needed to ask you?"
"Yes…" She watched as Bit got down on one knee and pulled a box from his pocket. Leena's eyes widened.
"Leena, will you do me this honor and become my wife?" he asked, opening the box. Leena's eyes sparkled as she saw the diamond ring sitting in the black velvet box.
"Oh Bit, of course I will!" she said happily as he stood up.
"Really?" he asked out of pure joy.
"Really!" she shouted as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him. Everyone around them smiled, happy to see that the two pilots had finally made their relationship permanent.
(Let the rain come down and wash away my tears
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears
Let it shatter the walls for a new sun
A new day has come
A new day has…come…)
"Finally," said a familiar male voice. They all turned to see Taban and Miharu walking from the base and over to them. "I was wondering when that was coming." The agents seemed a bit different from before. They wore normal clothing for once. Taban was dressed in black pants, still, but he wore a white shirt and a light blue jacket. Miharu had on a pair of blue jeans and a navy colored shirt, accompanied by a tan colored over shirt. They both wore sunglasses, though. They had a few bags with them. The strangest thing was the way they were standing. Taban had his arm around Miharu's shoulder, holding her closely to him. The teams had known all along that there was something between them, but never had the two agents been so open with it.
"I'm glad it's all finally over," said Miharu. "It's been such a long time."
"What's with you two?" asked Rick, seeming slightly confused, which wasn't really that different from any other time. "You both look…I don't know…normal." Meiyuu hit him gently upside the head at the idiocy of his comment. They all laughed softly.
"We'll take that as a compliment," said Taban with a smile. "It feels good to be normal."
"After two hundred years, I had forgotten what this was like," commented Miharu. The two of them shared a secretive smile, one that the others weren't entirely sure of. The two agents were talking kind of strangely, as if there conversation wasn't at all about the war.
"Just what are you two talking about?" asked Mattei, speaking for all of them. The two agents turned to each other and then nodded once. Some things would never change. That was always how they agreed on things. Taban moved his hand to his shades and removed them, keeping his eyes closed for a moment. When he opened them, he smiled widely, noticing the shocked expressions on their faces. Miharu did the same as she tucked her sun glasses away in her pocket.
"Your…eyes," pointed out Leon. "They're…"
"Different," finished Doc. Taban and Miharu only beamed more at the sight of their friends' confusion. Taban's eyes were a beautiful emerald color and Miharu's were a deep brown.
"What does this mean?" asked Meiyuu.
"It means we're free," said Miharu. "We can finally rest. Our ties with the ZBC have finally been severed."
"Your…ties?" asked Rick. Jamie's eyes were the first to widen in surprise.
"You mean…" he began, "you're no longer agents?" Everyone stared at them in shock.
"That's right," said Taban. "We've been changed back. We're now your everyday twenty one year olds." Everyone smiled at this. The agents were free from the ZBC, free to live their lives. Leon couldn't suppress the smile that pulled at his lips. He knew what this meant and he was happier than any of them.
"What about Risai?" asked Leena, noticing the younger agent's absence. Taban shot Leon a smile before answering.
"Let's just say she's still my little sister," he told them. "By about two years." He glanced over his shoulder and smiled.
(Pretty music/music without any words)
Taban and Miharu moved out of the way, revealing Risai, who was now walking from the ZBC base. She had on a sun dress. It was sky blue with white roses embroidered on it. This was the first time in years that she had worn anything resembling a dress. It fell to her knees. Her hair was blowing in the slight breeze. Her eyes were still the same cerulean blue they had been before. A smile was on her face as she walked towards them. She saw her brother and Miharu standing to the side, both smiling. She was glad that they could be together without having to worry about the rules. However, she was happy for another reason. Her eyes landed on Leon, and she stopped walking. He wore a smile on his face as he saw her and she developed one on her own. She knew it. He was hers now. She could finally be with him freely. She was free to love him. She broke into a run and began to head for him. She craved his embrace. She wanted him to hold her and show her that she wasn't dreaming.
(Let the rain come down and wash away my tears
Let it feel my soul and drown my fears)
Leon opened his arms as Risai ran to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as he embraced her. He held her tightly, not wanting to ever let her go and she felt the same. They could finally have a relationship. They could be together without restraint. Leon already knew that she loved him and he felt the same. They slowly loosened their embrace, but kept their position. Risai was now able to see his face, his eyes holding hers. She could see the love in his eyes and she knew she held the same emotions in her own blue orbs.
(Let it shatter the walls for a new sun
A new day has come…
A new day…has…
Come…)
Risai lifted herself up as Leon bent down slightly, their lips meeting in a hard and passionate kiss. This was something they had been craving. A real kiss, one that held everything they felt in it. They didn't care that everyone was watching them. All they knew was each other and that's all they cared about. They eventually broke it and simply smiled, now turning to the rest of their group. Leon's arm was around her shoulders. Leena and Bit, along with Rick and Meiyuu, Brad and Naomi, and Taban and Miharu, all stood the same way, smiles on all of their faces.
"Well," began Taban, "I guess we'll need to organize a team." Miharu nodded to him.
"Or…" began Naomi, giving Leon a small, all knowing smile. "You three could always join our team." Leon returned Naomi's smile, knowing exactly why she had asked. The two of them were very good friends and it was nice to know that she wanted him to be happy.
"That's a great idea," said Miharu and she knew Taban agreed. "It'd be great to be on your team."
"Now that that's settled," began Doc, "what do you say we get going?"
"Sounds good to us," said Rick. "Let's all go out to dinner."
"It's mid afternoon," pointed out Bit.
"Yeah, but I'm hungry," he complained with a smile.
"It's your own fault you skipped lunch," chided Miharu.
"Well, yeah, but…"
"I think going out for dinner would be a great idea," said Taban, saving Rick from a losing argument. The warriors all began to make their way down the road to the hanger to get their zoids. Leon and Risai walked further behind, Leon's arm still around her shoulders. Risai looked up at him, her smile still playing on her soft lips. This was what living was to her. She had everything she had ever wanted. She loved Leon more than life itself. She was finally free, left to live a normal life. Two hundred years had been too long for her. She wanted a break. She looked up at the blue sky above them. It was a perfect day to begin her brand new life, free of everything…of the pain. She felt alive. Open. Free. She was happy.
'Most people would say that this was the end
But it's really only the beginning.'
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It's done…and it was so much fun writing it. I enjoyed every minute of it.
There isn't much to say. It's odd knowing that a fic is done, but here's the thing, so LISTEN UP!
I'll ONLY do this if you pay attention.
I could write a SEQUEL, but I want to know who would read it.
I want at least TWO people please, or I may even settle for one, but you'd have to promise me that you'd at least READ it first! I don't want a repeat of my DREAM WEAVER sequel…not that you know what that was…
ANYWAY, please get back to me on that.
If you want to know what it would be called, I'll probably call it "Right Here Waiting" or "A Hero's Obsession".
Here's a small description: It'll take place six months after the war and someone from the distant past shows up surprisingly, which may pose a problem. That, and a certain someone will escape from jail…
Care to take any guesses at pieces of the plot line?
Anyway, if you want me to write it, tell me, and I'll promise to update more than once every two months. I could probably update at least once every few weeks.
And finally, thanks to everyone who read this fic, even if you didn't last this long. It's been a pleasure^.^ I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as you did and if you wanna see the real conclusion, you'll have to convince me to write my sequel^.^
Until that time comes, I'll be seeing ya!
Audi^.^