Disclaimer: I do not own the copyrights to Gundam Wing, Endless Waltz, G-Gundam, any movies or any songs that are used in this story. All copyrights belong to their respective owners.
Readers Note: This contains some spoilers for G-Gundam, so if you haven't seen the whole series I wouldn't recommend reading this.
G Gundam & Gundam Wing
G- W Gundam
Chapter 13: To Neo-Tokyo
*
The explosion of the Nexus Rifle made a light over the Island that illuminated the trees and sent waves into the ocean so violently that even the little Neo-Japan yacht felt the waves. Everyone in the boat looked back at the light that had consumed the sky over the island.
"Heero!" Relena cried out to her love
Everyone looked up to the blinding light wondering what had happened to the loved ones, at least everyone except for Rain.
"Everyone, don't look back!" She cried, "Keep your eyes forward! Let the fight continue!"
"Heero!" Relena called again, but the blast of the Nexus Rifle had deafened her voice like the squeak of a mouse in rush hour traffic.
Back at the battlefield as the light had cleared, no one moved during the whole time of recovery from the blast. Not the Gundam Heads, the Devil Army or even the Devil Gundam. Amazingly though the Fellowship Gundams (Both the Preventers and the Shuffle Alliance) were untouched by the blast. The Gundam Nexus wasn't so fortunate.
It still managed (somehow) to still float in the air, but it was missing a great deal of itself. It's right arm was gone, so too was its legs, at least most of its right leg and part of its left. It squirmed as if all of its circuits were in the middle of a seizure.
"We won!" Duo cried out with glee
"Not yet!" Domon shouted, "Look there!"
The Gundam Nexus began to sprout what looked like vines. In a very sick way it reminded Duo of the movie, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers". The vines became tightly wrapped around each other like snakes breeding, it went to the same length as the Nexus' old arm, and they became more tightly packed as if they were squeezing something between themselves. Then the vines broke apart and thus the Gundam Nexus had new limbs. It looked as if it was never even touched by the explosion.
"Oh, shit…" Duo said to himself
"Don't give up!" Domon called out, "Now is the time to use your specialty techniques!"
"Copy that." Heero said as he brought about the buster rifle. It began to charge as Heero made his attack incarnation, "These hands of mine are screaming yellow! Their bright cry tells me to kill you! Die! Angel Fire!"
The wings of the Wing Zero opened up and the buster rifle let out its full force. Even though it may have looked the same type of firing, but there was something very different about it. Its beam was wider and the noise it made was even louder and faster than the last time he used it. The beam then consumed the Gundam Nexus. And the shock-wave it had made was so loud that all of the Fellowship covered their ears, even at such close distance to the blast. At once the glare cleared and the Gundam Nexus was gone.
"The Gundam Nexus is dead." Domon observed
"Mission complete." Heero stated
"But there's still more to do!" Quatre shouted as the Gundam Heads closed in on the Fellowship. With the Gundam Nexus out of the way, the Gundams fought the Gundams Heads in the air and the Gundam Army on the ground like they never had before. Except for the Preventers who still had Trieze and Lady Une on their minds. All of them kept looking to the mountain where the Devil Gundam stood. It kept still as if it was waiting for one of the Fellowship to come for it.
The one who had a "friendship" (if it could be called that) with Treize Kushrinada was Wufei Chang. The two fought each other as a way to understand one another, yet Wufei, like the rest of the Preventers, wondered what was going on. He looked and Treize who stood with Lady Une never moved.
"Why don't you escape, Treize?" Wufei asked
From the scope available within all of the Gundam cockpits they watched as Treize and Lady Une kept still as statues.
"Move, Damn it!" Wufei shouted, "The Devil Gundam is evil!"
"No it isn't, Wufei." Treize stated softly as if Wufei was standing right next to him.
All of the Fellowship was shocked to hear those words. Especially to the Preventers, they had always known Trieze to yearn for peace. Even if his methods of getting there were unorthodox. Yet, to declare that the Devil Gundam wasn't evil?
"Treize!" Johan snarled, "How dare you!"
"Spare us, the heroic cliché, Johan." Trieze said, "You don't' understand the power of this Gundam. The Epyon. The Wing Zero. They're mere child's toys compared to the might of this machine. It has shown us what true power is, the power to self-evolve, self-replicate, and self-regenerate. With these, no one on Earth or in God's heaven will stop us."
"The Devil Gundam has pointed your mind!" Domon shouted
"Join us, my Preventers." Trieze called out, "Do not resist us, become part of the greatest machine ever created."
"Never!" Heero declared
"In that case," Treize said with his eyes closed, "I will allow the Devil Gundam to kill you all."
"We will fight you, Trieze!" Wufei challenged
"Then come for me if you dare." Treize accepted as he rose his hand signaling to the Devil Gundam.
"You ungrateful bastard!" Johan screamed, "We served you and Preventer loyally for five years and this is how you repay us!"
Johan fought back against the Gundam Heads with every ounce of force he had left. Until in his made state of fighting back he came up with a plan.
"Heero, Domon!" He called
"What is it?" Heero asked with a grunt
"Go ahead." Domon replied
"Follow me to the Devil Gundam!" Johan called, "Everyone else, cover us!"
"We'll back you, Domon." Chibodee confirmed
"We're right behind you." Duo cheered
"Let's go!" Johan shouted as the Gundam Ryu, the Wing Zero and the God Gundam headed for Treize and Lady Une on the mountain.
"What's the plan?" Domon asked
"Attack with all you got!" Johan said, "Attack with all your might! Everyone together!"
The Gundams Wing Zero and Ryu brought about their buster rifle's and aimed them at the Devil Gundam's platform where Trieze and Lady Une stood side by side.
"All our might!" Johan cried out
The three Gundam Fighters spoke as one, "These hands of ours are burning red! Their loud roar tells us to defeat you!"
"Angel's Light!" Heero shouted
"Dragon's Fire!" Johan screamed
"Bakenetsu God Finger!" Domon called
The three beams of all three Gundams blazed out at the Devil. Their bright colors of yellow and gold intertwined and mixed like fluid water. All three had touched and passed the Devil Gundam like a crashing wave and turned it to dust.
* * *
On the beach of St. Thomas, the Fellowship of the Gundam assessed the damage and loss of the battle. The Devil Gundam had turned to dust, so too did the Gundam Heads and the Gundam Army. As they did the sky cleared and the sun came out. It was warm once again.
The palm trees were green once again, the sand was white and the waves lazily rolled in upon the shores behind the Fellowship. Each of their Gundams were parked along the winding beach and every member stood in the sand in his or her MTS suit looking up at the mountain. The mountain that once had a peak was now a plateau. It seemed so ironic that on such a warm and victorious day the world felt so cold and gray.
The Star Dragon, Johan fell to his knees and wept his tears into the sand. His wife Haruka came up to him, her body pressed against his as she tried to comfort him. Johan reeled himself around and hugged Haruka.
"Why?" Johan wept, "Why did it turn out like this?"
Domon and the rest of the Shuffle Alliance looked down to Johan and the Preventers with the greatest of pity. They knew the suffering that the Devil Gundam had inflicted upon everyone who came in contact with it. Even Domon who saw Johan weeping upon his wife's breast, he was reminded of his brother Kyoji who was lost to the monster. Even though Domon never wanted to admit it but he too felt sad, but there was still on thing to take care of.
George stepped up to Domon, "Should we head to Neo-Tokyo?" He asked
"Yes I think we should." Domon agreed, "The final battle is only a few days away."
Just then a Preventer butted into the quiet conversation: "Please." Quatre begged, "Let us mourn before we think of such pursuits!"
"I agree." Trowa said, his voice unshaken but the tears were streaming down his face and dripping off of his chin, "Let us have this day to mourn the loss of our leader."
"Let them mourn." Argo agreed
"Sure." Domon said with a slight sight at the end.
The day had passed and the Fellowship never left that beach, until the pilots with the heavier Gundams left. Argo and Trowa left for Neo-Tokyo in their carriers. Others left one by one in no specific order. It came down to a final few; Heero, Wufei, Johan, Haruka, and Domon. Wufei got up from the sand and headed back to the Gundam Nataku. Before he left he spoke to the remaining few.
"I'll see all of you at the final battle in Neo-Tokyo." He said
The next one to leave was Heero, but what he said was more direct, "You can't mourn forever." He said, "You have to move on like the rest of us."
Heero took to the Wing Zero and flew off to where the sun was casting off its colors of red, orange, yellow, and the fading blue. As Heero sped off to Neo-Tokyo, Domon Kasshu was about to do the same.
"He's right you know." Domon said, "you can't mourn like this forever. I hope you come to Neo-Tokyo. Otherwise everyone else would have won. You would have jus taken the easy route and given up before trying. Then all that time spent on you would have been a waste."
"You don't know me that well." Johan said under his breath.
"What's that?" Domon asked
Johan got up to his feet and brushed off the sand from his MTS suit with his wife Haruka standing by his side.
"I will fight." Johan said, "In the memory of Treize Kushrinada and Lady Une."
"Noble." Domon smiled, "Now, let's go. RISE GOD GUNDAM! COME FUUNSAIKI!"
"RISE GUNDAM RYU!" Johan called and Haruka followed suit.
"RISE GUNDAM NEMESIS!"
All three boarded their Gundams and made their way across the Pacific Ocean.
"To Neo-Tokyo!" They said together.
* * *
In Neo-Tokyo, the Fellowship had arrived with over a day to spare. Along with them a few other Gundam had arrived too. All of them stood upon the tiled arena as the announcer for the Gundam Fight Broadcast came on.
"It's truly an exciting day Ladies and Gentlemen!" She blared into her microphone, "Today we begin the final battles of the 16th Gundam fight. The best fighters who survived the 11 months in getting here have all arrived. From Neo-Jamaica we have Gundam Dancer. From Neo-Mexico we have Gundam Quatzequatel. From Neo-Egypt we have Gundam Pharaoh XX. Then there's Mongol Gundam from Neo Mongolia. Tiger Gundam from Neo India and Mammoth Gundam from Neo-Siberia."
She then introduced the rest of the Gundams that belonged to the Fellowship. All of them felt the great pride in this whole competition. A long time ago there were competitions held on Earth called, "The Olympics". The Preventers knew what it meant to represent a country and to go up against the best in the world. This was the heart of being a Gundam Figher. Just then the announcer started a new line of announcements.
"Here to begin the Gundam Final Battle is Prime Minister Kurato!"
On top of a large Romanesque balcony above the stands came the ruler of all space, Prime Minister Kurato.
"Ladies and Gentlemen." He called, "Fighters from around the world. Welcome to the 16th Gundam Fight. It is my honor to declare the Final Battle here in Neo-Tokyo as open. To commemorate this, I am pleased to present the champion of Neo-Japan and three time winner of the Gundam Fight, Domon Kashu and his God Gundam."
The crowd cheered for Domon Kasshu as he got off of Fuunsaiki. Within his God Gundam he began a very special set of moves as he made his way to the torch below Kurato's balcony.
"The School of the Undefeated of the East!" Domon called, "Tenkken, Keretsu, Tempa-Kerouken!" The hands of the God Gundam began to glow as if they were about to use their specialty weapon. Then Domon brought his hands together, clasping their fingers while holding them up tot he sky. "Look! The East is burning red!"
A beam came out of the God Gundams fists and it made its jump across the stadium to the torch cup. It landed and made a fire within the cup that was large enough to see from miles around.
Domon raised his fist and so did the God Gundam.
"Gundam Fighters!" He called, "Let the games begin!"
* * *
After the opening ceremonies, the Fellowship met with each other. Heero looked to Johan and cracked a very thin smile.
"So, you decided to come." He said
"I didn't want to miss the chance to fight any of you." Johan said to the Fellowship.
"Speaking of which," Quatre said, "what are the first matches.
Domon, being the closest to the Neo-Japan government did have some knowledge of the matches set up by Prime Minster Kurato and his committee.
"The first match I know of." Domon said, "is with Johan and Gundam Ryu verses the fighter from Neo Mexico, Gundam Quatzelquatel."
"When's that fight?" Johan asked
"Tomorrow." Domon answered, "In the mean time I have some friends to introduce you to."
The Fellowship had followed Domon through the streets of Neo-Tokyo. They passed by the restaurants that had open kitchens to the street air. Their cooking sent up the steamy and nearly greasy mist to the street. Its smell was pleasing, the kind like smelling breakfast cooking after waking up hungry. They passed the stores and street stalls that sold thousands of antiques to the millions of Neo-Tokyo as well as hundreds of tourists from around the world. Some of the antiques were genuine and the others were just fakes. Soon, the Fellowship came to the docks, the salty sweet air of the ocean was so thick that it could be smelt in the wood of the dock.
Near, as well as far away from the docks, the harbor was filled with shops from different nations. There were so many that it was hard to see where the water was situated. There were pleasure ships, yachts, rafts, boats, and even Junks from Neo-Hong Kong and Neo China.
Domon was heading to one particular junk that set itself at the very end of the wooden peer. He walked to it like a man who was going back to a home that he hadn't been back to in a long, long time. He came within a few feet of the junk and out from that ship came three people.
There was an old man with a small beard and he wore truly ratty clothes, just a regular T-shirt and a pair of shorts. At the old mans sides were two children, a boy and a girl. The girl was definitely older in how tall she was compared to the boy. Yet they both looked as if they were in their early teens. The girl wore just as ratty clothes as the old man (so too did the boy), except hers had a little more hint of color than the others with a light pink dress and her hair was done up into buns under bright yellow covers. Next to her a boy in a light blue tank top and green shorts.
"Welcome back, Domon Kasshu!" The old man called out
"Hi, Han!" Domon waved back
"Domon!" The children cheered as they charged up to the Gundam Fighter.
Domon hugged the children as if they were his own.
"We missed you, Domon." One of the children said
Domon broke the embrace and gazed at the children name Hoi and Min. He remembered these children from the 13th Gundam Fight, back they they were different children.
"You've grown up." Domon smiled looking at them both. He got back to his feet and led the children back to the junk, "I've brought some new friends with me. Let's catch-up."
"Sure!" The children cheered
As the Fellowship was about to board the junk an odd noise came from behind them. It sounded a lot like a horse, and it was drawing closer. All of the Fellowship turned to look to the direction of the sound. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly in some cases) it was the white horse named Fuunsaiki. It came galloping down the dock and to Domon Kasshu. As it stopped Domon noticed several people running onto the dock. He recognized them as officials from the Neo-Japan crew. They panted as they ran towards Domon, but Fuunsaiki reared up on its hind legs when the officials came closer.
"This horse is crazy!" One of the officials panted.
Domon petted Fuunsaiki's snout as he tried to get an understanding of the situation, "What's going on?" He asked
"We were trying to give him a B-12 shot." The official explained, "The vet said that he seemed a little undernourished."
"Fuunsaiki doesn't like needles." Domon explained, "now head back to the base and I'll take care of him."
"Fine, he's your horse."
The officials left as the old man named Han stepped forward onto the dock.
"What a magnificent animal you have here, Domon." He complemented
"Thanks." Domon smiled while petting the horse, "His name is Fuunsaiki. He belonged to my old teacher, Master Asia. But after Master Asia passed away, Fuunsaiki chose me as his new master."
"What a pretty horse." Hoi and Min said with glee as they both began to put the horses sides. Fuunsaiki on the other hand took in all the attention he could soak up.
Then Han came back in, "I was just about to serve dinner." He said, "would you and your friends care to join us, Domon?"
"I'm sure they would."
* * *
Onboard Han's Junk, all of the Fellowship was aboard enjoying a bowl of rice along with some nicely cooked fish that Han caught earlier. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, except for Johan. He looked down at his bowl of rice and was deeply emerged in his own thoughts. Until one of the children called to him.
"Mr. Johan." Min called, "Are you feeling alright? You've hardly touched the food."
"I had lost someone that I knew very well." Johan answered in a soft voice
"Like a friend?" Hoi asked
Johan looked at the children and thought about what was asked of him. For as long as he served in Preventer he never knew what Treize was to him. The obvious answer was that Trieze and Lady Une were just superior officers to him. Yet now it felt like another remember of his family had died.
"Yes." Johan answered, "Now, in this place I am unsure if I can fight."
It seemed odd because just hours ago Johan said that he was going to fight in Treize's honor. Maybe, just maybe, Johan was kidding himself in that he wanted to look strong in front of Domon, but there was no hiding it at all. The loss of Trieze was greater than he imagined it would be.
"Hmm." Han smiled as he always did, "So, you've given up already?"
"No." Johan answered
"Then what?" Domon asked
"All of us came here to bring them back home. Now that they're gone it seems we failed in our mission. It almost seems pointless to fight in this competition."
All was silent until Han handed a small jar to Johan. He passed it as if Johan asked for it. The Star Dragon looked at Han's hand and wondered what was going on.
"Here." Han said, "Pour this on your rice."
Johan took the jar into his hand and looked it over. It looked like a peppershaker, "What is it?" He asked
"It's the Hollow Worm or Wonder Bug Powder." Han explained
"Hollow Worm?" Johan asked, "Wonder bug?"
"That's right, its only a few centimeters long and it attacks other insects that are twice its size. The funny thing about it is that it always wins because it never gives up. And that is what makes it so great."
Johan looked back that the jar in his hand and then poured it over the rice. Though he never noticed it but only a few feet away from him, Hoi and Min were smiling and were about to talk to Johan about the jar he had in his hand. But before they did, Domon had brought a finger to his lips, smiled and winked at the children. So, they said nothing.
Johan at the rice as he passed the jar around to the Fellowship.
"May we never give up." Johan thought.
As he finished he went to the top deck of the Junk and watched the sun set over the city skyline. Behind him came Domon Kasshu, Heero Yuy, Haruka Tenou, and Duo Maxwell. As Johan heard their footsteps and the creaking boards of the ship he then spoke a thought he had.
"What's going to happen to Mariemea?" He asked, "Who will take care of her? Who will tell her that her parents are gone?"
Haruka came up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist, and laid her head on his back. She tried to comfort him through bodily contact as she did when Johan mourned the loss of Treize Kushrinada.
"We'll tell her, Johan." She said, "We'll take care of her. We'll raise her as if she was our own child."
Johan smiled only a little bit then broke the embrace and stepped off the junk.
"Hey, where you goin'?" Duo asked
Johan turned around and said, "I'm going for a walk."
"Be ready for your match tomorrow." Domon said
"I will." Johan aid softly as he headed into the city
Within the city, he kept thinking about how all the time, energy and patience had been wasted. Was all of it in vain since Treize and Lady Une were dead? Johan tried to reason it out from the speculation that if nothing was done who knows what the Devil Gundam could do.
"It was the right thing." Johan tried to reassure himself of, "I did the right thing."
Then the reassurance collapsed when he thought about all that time he spent training. As his mind teetered between those two thoughts he suddenly heard a song being played above or behind the noise of the streets. He could make out the melody but it was the worlds that struck a chord.
Underneath your clothes
There's an endless story
There's a man I chose
There's my territory
And all the things I deserve
For being such a good girl…honey!
Because of you I forgot the smart ways to lie
Because of you
I'm running out of reasons to cry
When the friends are gone
When the parties over
We will still belong to each other.
The neurons in Johan's brain snapped. He dashed towards where the music was coming from. He shoved his way through the people who were going one way or another. The feeling that was running through him was the extreme version of seeing someone familiar on the street and wanting desperately to know who they are.
He came to a bar whose name was written in Japanese but Johan knew that it read, "Sato's Bar." He stepped in and came to the foyer at the edge of where the round tables and chairs were set up. He looked and his eye immediately caught the sight of a stage. Standing on top of it was a very familiar face. A young woman with long wavy blonde hair was contrasting the tan of her skin.
"Shakira?" Johan uttered to himself. He made his way to an empty seat to hear the rest of the songs to make sure that it was her. He then found a table as the song had ended as he sat down he made eye contact with the singer. After the song was over she spoke to the crowd.
"We'll take a short break." She announced, "but we'll be right back." As she hung up the guitar she came down to meet Johan.
"It's been a long time, Johan Rodriguez, Gundam Fighter of Neo-Spain." Shakira smiled
"It has, Shakira." Johan answered, "And are you here on tour?"
"No, I'm here as a Gundam Fighter."
Johan raised his eyebrows, "I don't think that's allowed since I destroyed your Gundam head when we competed for the title of Neo Spain."
"I'm not fighting for Neo-Spain. I'm fighting for Neo Mexico."
That was when Johan thought of the Gundam for that country, "You mean you're the pilot of Gundam Quatzelquatel?" He asked
"That's right. I wanted a rematch to see if your win was just a fluke."
Johan smiled, he felt somehow…good inside. Perhaps it was because of the challenge. The feeling that he was being challenged ignited a fire within him. In the warmth of that fire everything else seemed to melt away like ice on a hot stove.
"From what I heard," Johan reported, "we're going to fight tomorrow."
"Good, but before you go and get ready," Shakira smirked, "I have a song for you."
Shakira had a look in her eyes at Johan and it was the look that Johan recognized. It was the same one that Shakira gave him when they danced together. It seemed that she still had a love/dislike type of crush on Johan. Though, he was more loyal than that, he still remembered his vows. The feeling of the cold ring that was stringed around his neck reminded him even more of that love and the bond he made. Pressing his hand onto the ring through his shirt, he watched Shakira climb onto the stage as she brought the microphone to her lips.
"This will be my last song for the night," She announced, "because tomorrow I'm going to be in the Gundam Fight and this song is for that fighter. Hit it!"
The song began, at first it was a set of slow guitar chords then the drums came in. That was when Shakira shook her hips and belly danced to the beat. Then the lyrics started.
Lucky you were born that far away so
We could both make fun of distance
Luck that I love a foreign land for
The lucky fact of your existence
Baby I would climb the Andes solely
To count the freckles on your body
Never could imagine there were only
Ten million ways to love somebody
Le do, le, le, le, le. Le do, le, le, le.
Can't you see
I'm at your feet
Whenever, wherever
We're meant to be together
I'll be there and you'll be near
And that's the deal my dear
Therover, hereunder
You'll never have to wonder
We can always play by ear
But that's the deal my dear
The whole time that Shakira sung and shook her hips from left to right in sequence with the beats it seemed like her hips were commanding the drums or maybe the drums were commanding her. Yet, the whole time as she looked out into the crowd the only person she looked at directly in the eye was Johan.
Lucky that my lips not only mumble
They spill kisses like a fountain
Lucky that by breasts are small and humble
So you don't confuse them with mountains
Lucky I have strong legs like my mother
To run for cover when I need it
And these two eyes that for no other
The day you leave will cry a river
Le do, le, le, le, le. Le do, le, le, le.
Can't you see
I'm at your feet
Whenever, wherever
We're meant to be together
I'll be there and you'll be near
And that's the deal my dear
Thereover, hereunder
You'll never have to wonder
We can always play by ear
But that's the deal my dear
Le do, le, le, le, le. Le do, le, le, le.
Can't you see
I'm at your feet
Le do, le, le, le.
Think out loud
Say it again
Le do, le, le, le.
Tell me one more time
That you'll live
Lost in my eyes
We're meant to be togheter
I'll be there and you'll be near
And that's the deal my dear
Therover, hereunder
You've got me head over heals
There's nothing left to fear
If you feel the way I feel
To be continued…
