Hi all! I can't believe this story ended up this long. After mid-terms week I should read it over again and see how it finally sounds. I can't wait for spring break next week because spring break week means Anime Detour! Detour is the anime con in Minnesota which I get to go to this year. Yay!

This is the last chapter of Eternity Rising, part 1. Part 2 will be up soon. Thanks again to everyone who has been reading and review my fic on a weekly basis, I really have a great time reading everyone's review. I hope you all keep on reading!

Eternity Rising: Return of Triumph will be released March 21st

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Seed Destiny


She stared at him as he packed his things.

"So." she said.

"So." he sat on the bed, looking up at her.

"How much time till your unit is here?"

"Yzak said about ten minutes. I should probably head down to the launch bay."

"Probably. Want me to walk with you?"

"Sure."

They walked down the halls of the Archangel. Dearka chuckled out loud.

"What?"

"When I started out, I hated this ship." he said, "It was the bane of my exsistence. Now, it feels like home."

"So, what is going to happen to you?"

Dearka shrugged, "It's a long story."

"We've got time."

"I was supposed to be executed."

Miriallia stopped, staring at him in complete shock.

"Wh...What?"

Dearka put his hands in his pockets.

"It's not that big of a deal now."

"HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT!" she shrieked at him, "They're going to execute you!"

"Not anymore." he said, "I'm just getting demoted now. Yzak talked to them and shit, and now I'm bailed out."

"That's not the point!" she yelled, "Why would you defect from ZAFT if you knew they were going to want to execute you!"

"It was worth it." he smiled, "I would do it all over again."

"You-" she pointed a finger at him, "-you are a stubborn idiot."

"I know." he grinned at her.

She sighed in defeat.

"I can't believe you almost threw your life away from a bunch of people you didn't know."

"I wouldn't call it that." Dearka smirked, "It's not unheard of for men to risk their own lives to make up for wrongs they've caused for a pretty girl."

"Wh-What?" she blushed.

The tall Coordinator glanced at her. He seemed to get taller every day. Dearka was much taller then Tolle was, and much more built. Being a mobile suit piolet, he was in excellent shape, and worked out regularly. She remembered watching him in the weight room with Mwu La Flaga and Murdock right before Jachin Due. The three men would sit there and tell stories, and they would question him about training in ZAFT.

"You'd better not tell Yzak that, though. I don't wanna know what he'd do to me if he found out I ditched ZAFT for a woman."

Miriallia was speechless. She did not know what to say.

"Oh, there's something I still need to do." he said, turning to her, he bowed low, "Thank you for the hospitality, and I apolgize for my rude behavior."

Standing back up straight, he stuck out his hand.

"It's been a pleasure working with you." he said, "I only wish I could work with someone as wonderful as you in ZAFT."

She stared at him wide eyed, and shook his hand.

"Yea-"

She froze as he pulled her into his arms. His strong arms engulfed her, and she heard his bag hit the floor with a thunk.

"Thank you." he whispered, "Thank you for treating me like a human being, and not some weapon like everyone else does. For giving me a chance when no one else would...and not caring that I was a Coordiantor. "

"Dearka-"

"I wish I could stay." he said, "I would stay by your side forever if I could."

She opened her mouth to say something. Part of her felt guilty, the other part wanted him to hold her forever. She melted into his broad chest.

"Take care, babe." he said, letting go of her.

She watched him walk down the hallway.

"I'm an idiot." he whispered to himself as he stood in the launch bay. Yzak was exchanging a few words with Captain Ramius and Murdock. Dearka could tell that Murrue was putting up a strong face, but she knew that she still had duties to carry out.

But Yzak and Captain Ramius were not the main topic in his head. How could he leave Miriallia? He was never going to meet someone like her ever again.

"Dearka!"

He turned around, and spyed her. Miriallia ran up to him, looking at his face. She was slightly out of breath...had she been running around to find him?

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I..." she stepped back and bowed to him, "Thank you for everything you did."

Dearka stared at her in shock as she stood back up. She was thanking HIM?

"Dearka! Move your ass!" Yzak called, "You start duties tommorrow, MAJOR Elthman."

"Comming!" he called, and turned back to Miriallia, "Hey."

"Yeah?"

Dearka pulled her into his arms, and kissed her. He did not care if she would be upset, he could not stop himself. Yzak and Captain Ramius stared at them in shock as Dearka kissed her. He laid a hand on her face, parting her lips. Closing her eyes, she sunk into the kiss. There was some relaxing and comforting in his embrace that she had never felt before.

After a few moments, he let go of her. He did not want to, but he had too.

"Good bye." he whispered.

She watched as his arms slid off her and he turned. Disappearing onto the shuttle.

"Damn you..." she whispered to herself.


"Why can't you come back to PLANT with me?" he asked, staring at her in shock.

Miriallia looked out the window, and then turned to him.

"Dearka, you and I...we're totally different people." she said, "I just don't feel right getting into a relationship right now."

"Miriallia, it's been 2 years." he said, "I know the times were hard. Having someone you love ripped away like that must have been unbearable. But he wouldn't want you to torture yourself like this."

She glarred at him, "You don't understand anything." she said, "You don't understand what it's like to be thrust into a war that you had nothing to do with and then have the person you love in front of your eyes-"

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

She jumped at his outburst. He marched towards her, grabbing her arms, he pinned her to the wall.

"I joined the same ship, the same crew...allied with the same people that killed THREE of my childhood friends. I join the enemy of my people, and fought against my family, my friends, everything I believed in. I risked my life because I was following what I believed was right. Don't you DARE stand there and tell me I don't know anything."

Miriallia had never seen him this angry before. Dearka stepped away from her,

"You know, what? Forget it." he said, "I'm done wasting my time."

"Dearka-"

He slipped on his coat.

"I was ready to give you everything I have, Miriallia." he said, "For a while, I was fine just being your rebound, but I can't stand it anymore. You may think you know everything there is to know about life...but at least you don't love someone who won't even acknowledge your presence."

"I-"

He grasped the door to her apartment, and turned to face her as he was about to leave,

"Good-bye Miriallia."

As the door shut, she closed her eyes, sinking to the floor. Pulling her legs up to her chest, she sobbed.

Dearka...don't go...


Miriallia opened her eyes, sitting up, she yawned.

It had been such a long time since she dreamed about past memories. Getting out of bed, she padded across the floor, slowly getting dressed. She tired to get up before Dearka most of the time, but it usually did not work out that way.

Opening her door, Dearka was already in the kitchen. It had been almost a week since he had started living with her. Amazingly, his wounds were healing faster then Ellanor could keep up. So in the last two days, Dearka had started helping out with the rebuilding.

"Good morning." she said, "You're up early."

"What can I say? I'm a morning person." he smiled, "I made breakfest."

"You made, what?"

He was munching on a piece of bacon, watching the television. The first few days, he had tried repairing the communication system in his Zaku to contact his unit, but after a while he found out that it was beyond repair, and gave up. Now, he would help take care of the rebuilding, and spent most of the day building make-shift houses for the refugees.

"Breakfest." he held up a piece of bacon, "Don't worry, it's good."

"I never doubted you." she took a piece, and nodded in satisfaction, taking another piece, "What are you doing today?"

"I'm going over to help repair the post office." he said, "We get to stop early for the festival."

"Festival?"

"Didn't you know? There's a festival tonight in honor of rebuilding the village. Once the post office is done, it'll be mostly fixed now." he said.

"You've done a lot of work."

"Well, techinically, I'm partically responsible." he said, "I don't feel as bad if I help out."

"It wasn't your fault." she sat across from him.

"Yeah, it was." he stood up to get something to drink.

"So, what have you been up to the last few years?" she asked, "Obviously, you're still in the military."

"Yeah." he said, "I work for Yzak, still a major. Mostly, I run missions and I'm also the weapons officer, and lead pilot."

"Sounds busy." she said.

"Not as busy as you."

She smiled, "I like the traveling. It's worth it."

"I'm glad you've been doing so well since I left."

"Yeah, I've been doing really well-"

She realized the meaning behind what he really said. Dearka picked up his coat, sticking another piece of bacon in his mouth. She really had been doing alright without him, it seemed. Never giving him a second thought since they last saw each other. Maybe she was better off without him.

"Dearka, I-"

"I'm going to be late, see ya at the fest."

She stood, "Dearka, stop!"

He froze just as he was about to open the door. Miriallia walked up to him, and he felt her rest her head in his back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't intend to sound like that."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I missed you."

"You're lying."

She gasped, looking up at him. Dearka turned around and leaned against the back of the door. He did not look at him, his eyes sinking to the floor. It hurt him to look at her.

"Dearka, look at me."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because." he frowned, still looking away.

Miriallia walked foreward and laid her hands on his face.

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to hurt you." she said, "I know that I said something harsh things. I wasn't thinking about how you would feel. I'm sorry."

"I know." he said, "But can I really hold you to your word? I don't really know you."

"I don't really know you either." she smiled, laying a hand on his cheek, "We've got time to figure it out."

Dearka stared at her a moment. She watched as a tear slid down his face from the corner of his eye. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into his chest.

"Mir..." he said, sliding down the door to the floor. He buried his face in her hair, "Mir-"

"I know. It's okay."

Touching his forehead to hers, he was about to lean in to kiss her when they heard a scream outside as the familiar blast of a missile hitting the ground rang out. Shattering all the windows around them. Dearka wrapped his arms around Miriallia, protecting her from falling glass. He glanced out of the broken windows to see mobile suits in the distant sky, along with rising smoke.

Oh hell...


I can't believe I actually stuck to a fic for this long. I'm really proud of it I hope that the next series turns out just as good.

Thanks again to everyone who as ever written a review. A particular thanks to Wolf from the Land of Snow, Mystical Dreamz, and ZGMF X-19A Infinite Justice. You guys always review right away, and have reviewed on almost every single chapter. (Hats off to Misteline for being the first to review one of my fanfics EVER)

Again, if anyone has any requests or suggesions for the next series, tell me. I might be able to write it in!

Honto ni Arigato

Lilith