Hey, guess what guys? This is the last chapter of my series (and it's a long one, too!). Yes, it's just about at the end…but I have 91 reviews right now. Once I hit the number 100, with everyone's opinions and everything, I'll post an epilogue. So review! And I hope you've enjoyed this series!
Thank yous:
RainPure: The mystery machine is indeed Rau Le Creuset's. Though he wasn't important in my fic, he was in the original series, and I'm basing this on that.Merffles: Am I building for a tragic ending? Geez, we'll see, won't we? .
Spellcasterz: In the series, the mystery machine is that of Le Creuset. And I'm mostly following the idea from the series. Yzak fights for ZAFT, but because Athrun and Kira (and Dearka) helped save the PLANTS, he in turn helps them.
Bahamut: I was actually trying not to make Kira too OOC, but oh well. Thanks for reviewing!
Happily Ever After: I still don't know who she'll go with. I'll figure it out in the epilogue (once I get 100 reviews!)
cynical.life: Thanks Chrissy-poo!
ZGMF X-19A Infinite Justice: Glad you liked the chapter! Hope you really like this one!
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed, nor most of the plot, just what happens because Rin has been added to the mix, as I've said before. Hope you all enjoy! I need 9 reviews people before the epilogue!
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: THE FINAL STAGE PART THREE
Getting into Jachin Due was no difficult task. A few ZAFT soldiers here and there, but nothing serious. When they docked and exited their mobile suits and took guns with them, that was when Rin's heart started to pound. She'd done tons of target training before becoming a mobile suit pilot. This kind of stuff excited her. And it was dangerous, which only enhanced the thrill.
A group of soldiers guarded the entrance to the base. They gave a start when Athrun, Cagalli, and Rin rounded the corner and faced them. Rin jumped too – she hadn't expected it, considering the pitiable defences outside the base in space.
"Shoot, now!" their commander ordered, breaking the split-second silence.
"Watch out!" Athrun yelled, diving to push Cagalli out of the way and behind the corner from which they came. Rin kept shooting to give them time, dodging shots all the same. With some quickly aimed rapid fire, three enemy soldiers went down, the commander being one of them. Then Athrun threw a smoke bomb at them as Rin fired the last of her shots, killing the rest of the guards, and they were able to keep moving past them. She reloaded her gun as they turned another corner and stopped to take a quick break.
"Good job covering us, Rin," Athrun said, slouching down against the wall, his hands on his knees.
Cagalli, who was sitting on the ground, was also impressed. "I wouldn't have expected it from you, but I guess I should have known," she said with a grin. After all, Rin was only fourteen, and to be able to focus so well in the military and kill so many with such precision was an amazing feat for someone her age.
"Thanks, Athrun, Cagalli," she replied with a wide grin. To be praised like that always pleased her. Of course everyone enjoyed praise, but for Rin, it was like an acknowledgement of her abilities, which was what she had always strived her. After all, Nicol had always come out before her. But now she was recognized, and it made her happy (not that she was happy to get her chance once Nicol had died, of course).
Up ahead, the doors awaited them, and once through, they'd be inside the control center, filled with ZAFT experts. The chances were high that they'd have to fight them, because three teens seizing a room filled with dozens of adult regulars in the military isn't just a simple task. They finished their break and stepped lightly and slowly to the door, so not as to attract attention. Just one more obstacle to climb, and victory would be theirs.
They were right in front of the door when suddenly, Rin's legs gave way from beneath her and she crashed to the floor.
"Rin, are you okay?" asked Athrun, alarmed.
Cagalli hurried over to help her up. "What happened?" she asked, worried.
Rin swore inwardly for being clumsy, and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I tripped," she muttered, her smile fading as she spoke because of the embarrassment. She felt her cheeks heating up.
Athrun waved it off. "As long as you're not hurt, everything's fine," he said, and then his tone changed when he spoke again: "But now we have to be serious. This is it, guys." He placed a hand on the door.
Cagalli's face was all seriousness and determination. Rin, too, forgot her embarrassment and the blush on her face was replaced with a look similar to Cagalli's. The two girls looked at each other, then at Athrun. They all nodded simultaneously. Athrun bent the handle.
A gunshot rang out as he opened the door, and the three of them stepped inside and gasped.
The easily recognizable chairman of the PLANTS, Patrick Zala, floated in the space-like air, a bullet wound straight in the heart. The face that had appeared on so many TV screens, making important and inspiring speeches on behalf of the PLANTS Supreme Council was motionless, the small eyes wide with shock, his mouth slightly agape, unmoving. Athrun's father was dead.
There was no need for a fight, and the idea didn't even cross anyone's minds as they stared in awe at the chairman who had actually been shot by one of his own men. Everyone in the control room fled anyway.
Athrun rushed forwards with a cry. Cagalli lagged behind, staring. Rin realized that she didn't see the resemblance (it wasn't really visible anyways) and whispered to her, "It's the chairman of the PLANTS, Patrick Zala…his dad."
Cagalli's eyes widened in shock, and the two girls ran after him.
Athrun went straight to his father, but it was too late to do anything. The three of them knew that he was already dead. As Athrun brought the floating body down to the floor, Rin went up to him and hugged him as a few tears came down his cheeks, but she was crying even more than he was.
"I'm sorry, Athrun," she sobbed. "But please, don't cry…"
Athrun looked at her in surprise, and his tears froze on his cheeks.
"You're the one who needs to stop GENESIS now," she explained with a hiccough. "You need to be strong. And I…I know what it's like to lose a family member…so I'll cry for you…" And she stopped talking all together and just cried. She'd encountered so many deaths in this terrible war, and now she was weeping for all of them: Nicol, Clotho, Orga, Shani, Mu, Chairman Zala, everyone. She hadn't allowed herself to get overemotional for most of them, because she hadn't had the time, but the emotion welled up inside of her was so great that it just burst, and it felt like a great weight was lifting off her shoulders as she cried it all out.
Cagalli went over to her and put a gentle hand on her shoulders. Rin managed a watery smile, and Athrun stood up, shook himself over, and marched over to the computer. Rin got herself to stop sobbing loudly and listened to the sound of Athrun's fingers racing madly across one of the keyboards. Then she heard a slam, and looked up in surprise, her tear-stained face free of any new ones.
"What is it, Athrun?" she asked, her voice still trembling slightly from having just been crying. The look on his face told her instantly that something was terribly wrong, which only made her even more upset.
"They've programmed Jachin Due to self-destruct, and when it does, it will trigger GENESIS," Athrun explained angrily. "It's too late to stop it now. Damn!" He punched the keyboard again in his outburst.
Rin punched the floor in anger. Athrun was right. Nothing would stop the nuclear power of GENESIS except for nuclear power itself, but that was impossible…or was it?
"I've got it!" she exclaimed. Athrun and Cagalli were instantly all ears. "A nuclear explosion can destroy it," she began to explain, and her face slowly dropped as she realized the lameness of her finish, "if we only had the nuclear power to create one."
Cagalli's face dropped as well, and Athrun's did too, but only for a moment, for then he was deep in thought. "We do!" he exclaimed, perking up suddenly, and he bolted out the door. Rin and Cagalli exchanged bewildered glances, and then quickly followed suit.
"Athrun," Rin began, "I don't under–"
"Not now," he ordered in a commanding voice, and so Rin had no choice but to follow quickly and in silence. He ended up leading them back to the mobile suit docking point where they had left theirs, and ascended towards the Justice.
"What are you planning, Athrun?" Cagalli asked as she boarded the Strike Rouge and Rin boarded the Harmony.
"You'll see," was his only reply.
Rin was about to pester him again when she felt a jolt seep through her body. And instantly she knew what it was. That feeling when there was great danger in a battle… Not that every battle wasn't dangerous – but when there seemed to be more danger to her life than usual, she'd feel it. Although the last times she felt that way, her emotions got in her way…but not now. Her mind was miraculously clear, and she felt that she had to see what was going on outside Jachin Due.
"Cagalli," she said, calm but urgent at the same time.
"Yeah?" came the worried reply. Cagalli could sense in her voice that something was wrong.
"Look after Athrun," she told her. "I have to check something out."
Cagalli looked surprised. "But what are you –"
"Just listen, okay?" Rin said impatiently. Then she added, more calmly, "Please. Don't let him die."
Cagalli had to grin at that comment. "I'd never let that happen." And they took off on separate paths, Cagalli and Athrun deeper into the control facilities, and Rin towards the outer space. She wondered vaguely what Athrun was up to, but she was mainly focused on something up ahead.
Once out, Rin located the source of the problem immediately. Kira was fighting a strange mobile suit – one she'd never seen before. She floated in space, unnoticed by anyone, transfixed on the sight before her. The machine was incredibly strong, with multiple attack techniques she'd never seen before. It was all Kira could do to keep from being hit – that's how strong the fighter was. No one could best Kira like that. Yet here was this thing that clearly had the advantage, this mystery machine…
Mystery machine! Everything clicked in her head. The one that injured Dearka!
Rin had had enough sitting around. She zoomed into the fight, filled with a determination to win.
As she drew closer, flashes of everything that had happened since Nicol's death flowed through her mind. Learning his piano pieces, meeting Athrun, fighting Kira, talking with the reverend Malkio, fighting to protect Orb, fighting alongside Kira, playing piano in front of Athrun, getting captured by Azrael, Kira and Athrun's attempts to save her…all had brought her to this point in time and space. This was what she had strived for. And she had with her the powers of the SEED. She realized that now. She knew that she could awaken these powers without worry of hurting someone dear to her again. Things felt different now. She knew she could do it. And now was the time!
She unleashed the SEED, and fought. As she fired relentlessly at the machine, through the communicator, she spoke to Kira. "I know we've had our differences, Kira, but that's in the past. I'm sorry for the mean things I said to you…and thanks for everything you and Athrun have done for me."
Kira was surprised with her behaviour. "Rin?" he asked in a disbelieving, unsure voice, as he continued to fire at the machine as well.
Rin smiled at him. "I'm serious," she said. "And now I really should repay you for your troubles. So here I am!"
Kira paused for a moment, then grinned. "Right," he said. "Sorry I doubted you."
"You had every reason to," Rin assured him. Then her smile left her face, and she turned to focus on the task at hand.
Kira nodded, his amethyst eyes full of determination. "Let's go!" he cried.
He and Rin threw some rapid fire at the mystery machine, but it dodged every single attempt. Then it fired six missiles at Rin. Rin dodged them easily.
"Rin, look out!" Kira warned urgently, firing at the missiles.
From the missiles emerged many beams of intense green light, threatening to trap her mobile suit in a cage of dangerous beams. Alarmed, Rin tried to dodge the beams and relied on Kira to help destroy them. However, with her machine in such terrible condition already didn't help, because without legs, her speed was limited. Her machine's left arm was blasted off, and she screamed.
"Rin!" Kira cried out, and with a newfound strength, he fought viciously against the machine, covering for Rin.
Alerts blared in her machine and she tried hurriedly to fix everything, but halfway through most of her controls froze and broke down completely. "Argh, damn it!" she exclaimed furiously, pounding the keyboard angrily when it, too, stopped working.
"Rin!" Kira yelled at her as he fought on, though at a disadvantage. "Get back to the Eternal for repairs!"
"No!" Rin protested, knowing full well that she was now being incredibly stupid.
"Rin!" Kira argued in such a stern voice that she was momentarily stunned. "If you keep fighting here, you're going to get killed! Don't do this to yourself! You've already come close enough to death and you don't deserve to get that close again! Not at your age now! Maybe when you're old, when you're a grandmother of lots of kids or something like that – but not know! Don't throw your life away just for your pride! Don't throw away the life Athrun gave you!"
Those words hit Rin, and they hit her hard. As cold as they were, there was only goodness and in them. Kira wasn't being mean; he only meant well. After all of their differences, he cared for her, just as Athrun did. If she died know, Athrun would be devastated – and Kira too.
"He's right," Rin said softly to herself, almost in awe, as Kira fought on, gaining the upper hand and then losing it again. "I can't throw my life away now. I have to get back…to the Eternal..."
She tried to locate the ship of the pink princess, but with her machine beaten so badly, it was impossible. There weren't anyone else in sight besides the mystery machine and Kira. If she wandered now…
"No," she breathed, and the realization hit her hard. Then suddenly everything around her was spinning wildly, but her machine wasn't moving. She gasped, bringing her hands to her ears in an attempt to stop the ringing in her ears, but it didn't work. She squeezed her eyes shut and her stomach turned to ice. A panic seized her as she gasped for breath. What was wrong?
"Rin!" Kira yelled urgently, alarmed. "What's wrong, Rin? Answer me! Argh!" And he had no time to concentrate on her, for the mystery machine was right on top of him.
But Rin knew what was wrong. Athrun had been right in worrying about me, she realized with a wistful smile. He was right…I'm not recovered from my operation yet.
She opened her eyes, making her even more dizzy, and she struggled not to vomit. Her vision swam before her, but she could dimly make out the movements of the Freedom and the mystery machine. Kira was losing. No doubt he would run out of power soon. The end was drawing near. And if Rin tried to wander and find an allied ship, in her and her machine's condition, she could end up wandering for hours, or even forever. But, if she could hang on long enough to defeat the mystery machine, Kira would be able to bring her back. Help was far; victory was close. She just had to hold on a bit longer.
Through her swimming vision, she saw the target ahead of her, and knew that she could take it by surprise since it was so wrapped up in its fight with Kira. She charged forwards, oblivious to Kira's cry of surprise and protest. Then, with the last of her strength, with her last remaining arm, she took out her beam sabre and got the machine straight in the control booth. She had done it!
The machine cackled with sparks that indicated the dawning explosion. And it was the last of Rin's machine, too, as the alert blared even more urgently than before. Everything around her began to go up in sparks. She thought she heard Kira yell her name, but the communicator was destroyed.
Vaguely, she thought of escape, and through her fading-to-black vision she fumbled with the eject button, knowing full well that it was too late and that there was no more eject button. Her vision blackened as everything around her exploded, and she was filled with one last thought:
Athrun…
Kira…
I'm sorry, you two…
I'm sorry, everybody…
But I did it…
Then her vision turned lighter and lighter into shades of grey, getting lighter and lighter.
Nicol…I'm going to see you again…for real this time…Nicol…
And everything went white.