Here it is! The ending! Hope you enjoy it!
Kaorin: Can I go home yet!?
Jay: Just wait, it's almost over.
Kaorin: HE TOUCHED ME WHERE I PEE!
Jay: I did not! Stop lying!
Note: Words in bold are lyrics from the song "Red Sector A" by Rush. I felt the song was appropriate.
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Lieutenant Thompson and his medical squad had been chosen to follow the strange-talking girl back to this hidden bunker that she had mentioned. The squad of ten men scuttled quickly past the disabled alien craft and made their way through the copse of trees that only an hour or so before held the bodies of the fallen teens.
"Right this way.", the airheaded girl pointed to the yard behind a house that was now nothing more than a pile of rubble and mismatched pieces.
As the squad members approached they saw what to them seemed to be stairs that led straight into the lawn. Lo and behold, that's just what they happened to be.
"Down there is tha shelter.", the girl told the soldiers, smiling innocently.
"...You should probably go in first, considering that we may look threatening.", Thompson told the girl.
'I'm real glad I took those lessons in Japanese way back in training.', he thought.
"Ah, okay. Good idea.", the girl said wistfully and was at the bottom of the stairs in a moment, struggling to pull open the heavy steel door.
"Miss Osaka! You're back!", came the cheerful cry from inside.
The soldiers treaded slowly down the stairs, not wanting to cause any unneeded panic in the kids.
"Hi, Chiyo-chan. I came back with some doctors that wanna help ya'll out.", Osaka told the assembled wounded.
A flutter of voices came from the room. Excited at the possibility of help and release.
"C'mon in guys.", Osaka directed the men inside.
The soldiers entered the bunker and cordially greeted the students within. As they went about the business of moving the heavily wounded onto stretchers and administering the necessary medicines, little Chiyo-chan cound not stop thanking the men.
"Thank you very,very much! We appreciate your help!", she squeaked.
"Thank your friend. She's the one that told us about this place.", Lieutenant Thompson responded.
Seemingly without a second thought, Chiyo-chan bolted up to Osaka and wrapped her arms tightly about the taller girl's waist.
"Huh?", Osaka asked, spaced out.
"Thank you for saving us, Miss Osaka!", Chiyo-chan spoke happily.
"Ah, I just followed the rainbow...or sumthin'..."
All that we can do is just survive
All that we can do to help ourselves is stay alive
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Admiral Kipling stood outside the medical tent, coffee in hand. Not much had changed since the counter-attack began. All the men were in a holding formation due to the ongoing operations of the Special Forces within the crippled alien vessel. He simply sipped his drink and gazed across the battlefield, waiting.
"Sir! A transmission just came in from Commander Tirvel.", a soldier approached the Admiral and saluted.
"Mmm.", the Admiral intoned and hurried back into the confines of the tent. Another soldier that approached them handed the Admiral a phone wired into a cordless transmission unit stationed near the far wall.
"Admiral, we've got something on radar. Massive and incoming. We're tracking with anti-air units. Do I have command to fire?", Tirvel's voice crackled over the radio.
"If you can confirm it to be an enemy craft, fire at will.", the Admiral ordered.
"Yes, Sir.", Tirvel said and the transmission ended with a snap of a closing connection.
The Admiral stomped out of the medical tent, barking orders as the flaps closed behind him.
"I want everyone on call and on the lookout. Command caught a massive incoming vessel on radar. If it manages to make groundfall I want everyone prepared for one hell of a fight. Got that? I want it relayed! Now!"
The soldiers standing outside who heard him gave a quick salute and moved off to pass the word along. The Admiral realized that he had forgotten his coffee inside, yet it didn't matter. Night was upon them and the sky was just beginning to shine with stars.
One star in particular shone above all the rest.
Ragged lines of ragged grey
Skeletons, they shuffle away
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"Sir, we are ten miles downrange of the main enemy force. Do you wish to proceed?", the pilot asked.
"Of course.", Lord General Kimril intoned from beneath his mask. He was donned in his L-47 Biotech Battlsuit specifically designed to amplify every human capablity. The suit was a shining white plasteel carapace with pinstripes of deep maroon alon the arms and breast area. A visor covered his entire face, not even his eyes could be seen beneath the tinted viewport. In the outfit he was an imposing figure. Towering over seven feet tall and with a broad upper boddy, the suit definately improved every aspect of himself. An unstoppable beast.
In the distance through the viewport could be seen the burning lights of the main NATO encampment. The faint outline of the downed barge could also be identified.
A screen on the pilot's control panel began to blink a bright crimson and let out a loud blare.
"Incoming fire. Shields are charged and ready.", spoke the pilot in hushed tones.
The contrails of missiles and anti-air fire were streaking towards their position at incredible speeds. Yet, each one simply impacted upon the shield barrier, barely harming the vessel itself.
"Destroy it.", Kimril commanded.
"What?", asked the pilot.
"The barge.", he responded.
"But...Sir? Our men are on that barge.", the pilot said.
"No worries. I want it blown to bits."
In a matter of seconds the once great barge was torn to mere shreds of splintered metal and charred bodies in the midst of a vast blossom of fire.
Shouting guards and smoking guns
Will cut down the unlucky ones
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"What on Earth is that?", one of the medical soldiers spoke.
"Another ship? Dammit!", Lieutenant Thompson said.
"The aliens just keep comin' back don't they?", said Osaka.
Chiyo-chan shook with terror.
"M...Maybe we should go back inside"
The was a moment's pause as they watched the fireworks show of the missiles seemingly doing no damage to the immense craft.
"Sounds like a good idea.", Lieutenant Thompson said as the rest of the crew quickly agreed.
I clutch the wire fence until my fingers bleed
A wound that will not heal
A heart that cannot feel
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"Holy crap! They're all dead!", said Tomo, her voice echoing around the prison barge.
Tomo, Yomi and Yukari each stood observing the myriad of dead corpses that had once been enemy fighters. Even though they were outnumbered, the Special Forces team had the advantage of heavy cover. Very few NATO soldiers were lost. The same couldn't be said for the Imperial Army. All 200 men, dead. Even Captain Remlin now had a smoking crater in his head from Yukari's trigger finger. She felt no remorse either, these men had no right to be on Earth in the first place!
With the cell doors opened, the various prisoners were rejoicing at their newfound freedom. Broken familes and friends hugged in the dim light.
One of the soldiers spoke in broken Japanese over a loud microphone.
"Everyone please form a single file line and exit down this ramp"
He pointed to a ramp that led from the ship back into the cool night air. The soldiers had been able to push the ramp open due to the hydraulics being quite loose.
Needless to say, Tomo and Yukari managed to yank Yomi along to the front of the line. They smiled victoriously as the walked once more back onto the Earth.
"All right! We did it!", Tomo pumped her fist.
"Yeah!", Yukari slapped hands with the hyper girl.
"Um...not so fast...", Yomi gulped.
"Huh?", asked Tomo.
Gazing into the sky they saw the approach of the massive shuttle, shining like a vicious beacon.
"Holy shit!", Yukari screamed and bolted off into the scorched forest nearby.
"Hey! Don't just leave us here!", Tomo scampered after, quickly followed by Yomi.
From within the trees they watched as other freed prisoners scampered off at the sight of the floating vessel. Screaming as they ran off blindly.
"Wonder what that's here for...?", Tomo asked.
"Do you really have to ask?", Yomi asked cynically.
Lances of blue light pierced through the night sky and touched across the crippled barge. Shredding the exterior like paper, the barge quickly blew into a massive fireball. The three escapees took cover behind trees as shards of metal lodged themselves in the trunks.
Even Tomo couldn't help but shed a tear at the lives needlessly lost in that split second.
Hoping that the horror will recede
Hoping that tomorrow we'll all be freed
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The assembled soldiers dove for the nearest available cover when the red-hot shrapnel from the exploding barge pattered around them. Admiral Kipling dove headlong under a truck as he heard pieces slam against the vehicle and the screams of men caught in the deadly rain.
The rain ended, the wounded collected. There was nothing left of the barge save a small amount of smouldering wreckage.
"Call command! I want every damn missile, cannon and whatever else is there aimed at that ship! NOW!", he barked upon crawling from underneath the truck.
The enormous vessel glided silently to the ground, the hot backwash felt even at a distance of nearly a half mile.
"Everyone stand your ground!", he shouted over the din of the wounded.
Large flaps on the side of the craft lifted with pure silence. Men marched out. Line after line of soldiers marched from the interior and stood in formation along the sides of the craft.
The Admiral gulped down a frog in his throat. The men numbered in the thousands. Far more than his waning 900 he had come with. The two armies faced one another. A showdown
As if from nowhere a star shot into the sky from the pinnacle of the landed craft. It ascended into the sky and hovered, shining like an azure beacon in the night. It glowed furiously, and at its center, a being. A hovering, seven foot tall humanoid.
A voice boomed across the battlefield, a voice louder than anyone had ever heard before.
"You have made your last move! Feast your eyes upon your doom, Warptainted!"
The being spread its arms and exploded with laughter. With a outstretched arm he shot forth bolt after bolt of blazing blue energy that pattered quickly amongst the assembled troops. Many of the men could not find cover quickly enough and were struck by the falling balls of plasma.
"Fire! FIRE EVERYTHING!!", the Admiral shouted so loud that his throat became sore.
Sickness to insanity
Prayer to profanity
Days and weeks and months go by
Don't feel the hunger
Too weak to cry
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Kaorin stirred and awoke. The first thing her weakened eyes registered was movement. The medical tent was in an uproar. Doctors and nurses pushes patients on rolling beds out of the infirmary and across acres of gravel and dust to escape the receding sounds of gunfire heard in the distance. Through the darkness Kaorin was being pushed. She found that her right arm was in a sling and her breaths came in gasps whose pain was only masked by the drugs dripping through her IV.
Beside her rolled another injured girl. Her deep, dark hair, indistinguishable from the night air flowed as the roller bed was pushed. Her forehead was swathed in bandages and her right arm was also slung across her chest in a cast.
"Is that you...Sakaki-san?", Kaorin's voice came in a raspy whisper.
The other's head turned. And she smiled.
I hear the sound of gunfire at the prison gate
Are the liberators here?
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Commander Tirvel heard the radio crackle and come to life.
"Fire! FIRE EVERYTHING!"
"You heard the man!", he barked into the ship's intercom.
Cannons boomed and missiles streaked off like violent fireflies.
--------------------------------------Do I hope or do I fear?--------------------------------------------------------------
The exchange began. The red lance-light of the aliens peppered the NATO forces as the Earthlings returned fire with flying waves of lead. Man after man on both sides fell to the onslaught. Then the shining star-person began to descend. Faster. Faster. The speed of its flight left a blue contrail after it as the Earth soldiers fired upon him in vain.
He collided with the front row of soldiers, sending a few barreling through the air. The impact had shattered the pavement. He stood, the light faded. There stood a man over seven feet in height donned in shining white armour. On his right arm was a multi-barreled cannon and upon his left was attatched a blade of shining magenta, a saber of pure energy.
Soldiers shouted and fired upon the tall beast of a man. The bullets seemed to leave but small imprints on the perfect suit. Yet, his response was quick and wicked. With blidning speed he decapitated one man, vaulted nearly five meteres into the air and fired a volley of shots down upon a group of three hapless soldiers. All torn to pieces. Landing once more, he tore one man's stomach out mercilessly. Another trooper tried to fire directly at his face, but before he could his head was nothing more than bone marrow and brain particles. The beast continued his rampage. Killing anyone and everyone who stood in his way. Even those who tried to run did not get far.
'Guess there's no running.', Admiral Kipling stood and unsheathed his sword and pistol, readying for the inevitable battle.
For my father and my brother, it's too late
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Lord General Kimril smirked beneath the visor.
'Is this man a fool?', he thought.
He had spotted Admiral Kipling standing still. Pistol and steel sword raised.
'Has he not seen the death I sow?', he thought, referring to the fleeing soldiers that he was still cutting down.
'This might be fun.', he thought as he approached the Admiral and stood tall.
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"Holy crap! They're getting slaughtered!", Tomo shouted from the trees.
Tomo, Yomi and Yukari had all watched the unfolding battle from the treeline. They had watched what seemed to be their last hope being torn down by the firing maroon soldiers and the brutal flying man.
Then the artilliry hit. The maroon soldiers were thrown by the orange fireballs. Tomo smiled inwardly. The missiles and cannon shells had been invisible as they came streaking through the night sky. The enemy had not even suspected them.
Thousands of soldiers were torn and incinerated by the extreme volley of fire. The barrage lasted nearly five constant minutes. Hundreds of shells had slammed into the soldiers and the landing craft. When the smoke cleared, not much was left. A crater, if that.
"All right!", Tomo yelled.
"For once...you're right.", Yomi agreed.
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Lord General Kimril paused upon hearing the first collisions of the heavy munitions. He knew what had occurred and it wa his own fault.
'No matter.', he thought.
He would defeat them all himself. Bullets would not harm him.
"Come, Warptaint!", he boomed to Admiral Kipling.
The Admiral smiled happily.
"Glad I could help.", he smirked.
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Admiral Kipling made the first move. He feinted low with his blade but instead brought it up in a sweep, narrowly missing Kimril's head. He was fast enough, though, to evade the return slice of the energy blade. He felt it's heat as it passed close to his head. The sweep has left Kimril hunched slightly, exposing a place where the armour plates connected. A weak spot.
Jamming his blade between the plates, he was greeted by a grunt and a spurt of crimson. Yet the Lord General was not finished. He turned and let loose and short blast of bolts that skimmed neatly over the Admiral's head, singing hairs.
'Perfect.', the Admiral thought.
Kimril's right arm was extended, leaving his armpit exposed. Thrusting foward with all his might, Kipling's saber pierced the underlying black mesh and entered Kimril's flesh. From his flesh it entered his lung. Another quick push and his heart was pierced.
Kimril paused as blood seeped into his throat.
"THIS IS NOT THE END!", Kimril raged. Pulling away from the blade and swiftly sweeping Admiral Kipling's head from his shoulders. Away tumbled the decapitated skull as the body slumped down useless.
Moments later Kimril also joined the Admiral in the deep expanse of death.
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"Everything's so...quiet.", whispered Ai, Kaorin's mother to her husband.
"Is it really...over?", her husband asked.
The battlefield was strewn with bodies. None that survived.
Both dashed towards the NATO encampment, fearing nothing for their lives. Thinking but one thing.
'Kaori!'
But I must help my mother stand up straight
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"Sir! We have recieved reports that the battle is over and that the enemy's main commander is dead. But...it seems that Admiral Kipling also was killed."
The radio hissed with static as Commander Tirvel composed a response.
"Pull three cruisers to shore. Move this damn ship as well."
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Kaorin had been dreaming again. Dreaming of a peacful place. Her old life. Friends, family, everything was perfect. Maybe she had not seen it as perfect then. But, then she had not concocted any idea of war.
"Kaori!!", she felt herself being embraced. Her eyes shot open to meet those of her mother. Kaorin was filled with joy. It was real! All real! She used her one good arm to hug her mother. Then her father also embraced his daughter.
"I love you.", her mother said.
"I...love you too.", Kaorin whispered.
Another form approached her bedside, sitting in the open within the darkness. The form limped foward, her body wrapped in bandages.
"Kaorin. Glad to see you're ok.", Sakaki smiled.
Kaorin had decided. She couldn't have been happier.
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It took a long while for Japan to recover from the invasion. The aliens had been defeated. No trace was left. A year later, to the day of the final battle a memorial service was held outside Tokyo University. Family members and friends of victims and other well-wishers stood in a massive group outside the newly reconstructed buildings. A worldwide moment of silence followed. Everyone had come to bow their heads and pray for all those lost. Kaorin, Yomi, Tomo, Yukari, simply everyone. Most of Tokyo and its surrounding subdivisions had arrived as well.
The names of the dead were read off. The girls and their teachers cringed and tears fell from their eyes as they heard one name.
"Kagura Hidoyoshi"
There was no hiding the grief. Yet, sometimes after the grief is over, it is best to move on. To continue what that person would have wanted. Tomo and Osaka had never replaced the third position in the Numbnuts and they never would.
Yet, there were happy endings. Kimura had located his wife and daughter, both had escaped safely from the prison barge before it burst into oblivion. The other girls' parents had also gone into hiding or escaped with their lives. Everyone had lost a loved one or friend in one way or another. But all knew that what their loved ones would have wanted was to see Japan live once more. There was still much more to be done, progress was slow. One day, everyone hoped, one day, life will be normal once more. Perseverance is the key.
Kaorin squeezed Sakaki's hand tightly as they both stood, heads bowed, letting the world know that no matter the circumstances, there is always hope in the world. Always heroes.
Modern day Spartans.
Are we the last ones left alive?
Are we the only human beings to survive?
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I would like to thank everyone who has read this story. You are all awesome! I'm glad that people enjoyed it. This chapter is for you Anime Rebirth in return for your support and the fact that you gave a chapter to me as well.
Azumanga Epica is my next full time project so see you all on the flip side!
Kaorin: Can I PLEEASE go home now!?
Jay: Fine, fine. Here. (hands her a complimentary mint) Have fun.
Kaorin: I hate you...