The battle was in full swing. Beam fire and projectiles shot across the emptiness of space like a macabre firework display, decimating all those unfortunate enough to be in their path.
The Archangel was in battle against the ZAFT ship Minerva. No-one among the Orb ship's crew wanted to fight against the other ship, but they knew that they had no choice if they wanted to save their homeland.
Archangel's captain, Murrue Ramius, frowned as she watched the ZAFT ship's movements on screen.
She had met her counterpart, Talia Gladys, before at Morgenroete, and had imagined that if they had met under different circumstances, they could have been friends.
She's doing as she's been ordered, just as I am...
"Where is Akatsuki?" she asked, turning to Miriallia.
"Near the ZAFT lines. It's fighting with Infinite Justice!" replied the younger girl.
Murrue sighed. Colonel Lorrnoke had taken off in the golden Orb mobile suit in order to fight for them. While she knew that he could take care of himself, she felt guilty for some reason. He had joined the crew because he had nowhere else to go, and although Murrue harboured a secret hope that he had joined them because he wanted to be with her, she had to be realistic.
He has no real reason to be out there. He didn't have to sign up and become part of the Orb military, and he didn't have to go out there...
As Archangel and Minerva continued to dodge and exchange fire, Akatsuki was heading back towards it's ship.
Neo knew he needed to help that boy Athrun take out the Requiem, but for some reason, he felt like he had to get back and see how Archangel was holding out.
That ship is the only home I've got. I have to protect it. I have to protect her...
Up ahead, he could see the familiar lines of the Orb battleship, as it fired and was fired upon by the ZAFT warship.
Good, still hanging in there...
All of a sudden, Minerva swung it's bow around to directly face Archangel, and a shimmering light began to form at it's nose.
What...that's their positron cannon...they can't...
Neo pushed Akatsuki's verniers to their limits, and the golden mobile suit shot towards the two ships.
I can't let it happen! Not again!
Again? This had happened before? Why had he just thought that?
"Captain! Minerva has just activated it's positron cannon!"
Murrue turned to face Chandra, aghast. "Dammit!"
The Clyne Faction ship Eternal was just behind the Archangel. It had barely any weapons, and certainly wasn't well shielded enough to survive a hit from a cannon like that. And they wouldn't be able to get out of the way in time...
If our ship moves, Eternal will...
The beam shot from Minerva's bow straight towards their bridge, a red beam of death that was unavoidable.
Murrue pressed back in her chair, an expression of absolute terror on her face.
So, this is it. Just like before. Only this time, he's not there to save me...
The blast was just about to hit the bridge, when it was stopped by something.
A golden mobile suit.
Akatsuki.
Murrue gasped. Not again, it's happening again, it's just the same! Please, I don't want him to leave me too!
The positron blast hit Akatsuki full force, causing alarms to blare in the cockpit. Neo grimaced as he struggled to hold the shield in place against the fire. He knew that the mobile suit's mirror coating should protect it to some degree, but whether it would hold up...
No, that doesn't matter. Whatever happens to me, I have to finish this!
"I won't let you destroy the Archangel!"
The ship was everything to him, and if Neo could protect it, and the one person in the world he remembered without a doubt, then it was worth it, even if he was killed in the process...
The Akatsuki glowed a brilliant white as it absorbed and dispersed all the energy from the enemy weapon, and the bright light triggered something in Neo's mind...
A cascade of images tumbled through his mind, making his blue eyes widen in surprise. What was this? What was he seeing?
They feel like...memories?
Places, people, sounds, smells, they all hit him at once. A lifetime forgotten, almost three decades of a past that had been missing for so long. Trying to make sense of what was happening, Neo gasped as he saw someone very familiar...
An auburn-haired woman with haunting marigold eyes. He remembered teasing her, kissing her, being with her..
The memories of her caused emotions to bubble up in his heart. They were already there for her, but now the feelings were even stronger...
"Murrue..."
Now I remember, and now I know why I wanted to stay on the ship. Because my heart remembered her, even if my mind didn't. I love her, more than anything...
Other memories surged to the surface, of being with the Earth Alliance, of the Extended children, of himself, covered in bandages and hooked up to machinery after...after he had almost been killed saving the Archangel.
Just like this time...
"I'm..."
I'm not Neo. Now I understand. Neo was the name I was given after my memories had been lost. I just assumed that that was who I was, who I had always been. But I'm not.
My name is Mwu La Fllaga...
Murrue sat motionless in the captain's chair, tears threatening to build up in her eyes. He had...Akatsuki was nowhere to be seen..
He's gone...just like before...I...
"It's all right!"
Akatsuki shot up in front of Archangel's bridge, and the Colonel's face appeared on the screen.
"I won't go anywhere anymore!"
Murrue gasped. He was alive? Her heart began pounding for a reason she couldn't explain.
Akatsuki fired off it's DRAGOONS as the heavily damaged Minerva fired again, and they formed a protective barrier around the Archangel, deflecting the beam.
Neo's image on the screen smiled.
"Let's finish this and go home, Murrue.."
Murrue? He..he called me by my first name? He...that's not Neo...
Tears built up in Murrue's eyes, tears of pure happiness. He remembered her...he was back, back to the way he should be.
"Mwu!"
This means we have another chance together. A chance at the future that was stolen from us..
Mwu smiled gently as he saw the tears in Murrue's eyes, and the happy smile on her face.
Yes, let's go home after this is all over. Home together...
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( Lol. What can I say? Not as good as I'd hoped it might be, but, meh, it's the weekend again, which means I didn't have chance to daydream at work. That's where I get all my inspiration, y'see.
Please read and review! )
