Quick Note: I apologize in advance for any confusion you may have at the end. If there are any questions, feel free to drop me a review/PM. Now, on to the final chapter...

Chapter 11: Sacrifices

~Hikari's POV~

I opened my eyes. My vision was groggy and I had a pounding headache. I tried to move, but I couldn't. I was bound by... something, and my armor and weapons were gone. I struggled to remember what had happened... I remembered going into the Vault to get something... The G.E.C.K. Charon and I had gotten it with Fawkes... Wait! Where's Charon?

The door ahead of me opened, and the man standing there was familiar. He wore an odd off-white coat, he had a pistol strapped to his waist, and he had silvery-hair.

"I see you are awake," he stated in an all too familiar voice

I was filled with rage as I remembered who he was. He was the one that had caused the death of my father; he had tried to make Dad give up Project Purity, so that the Enclave could take all of the glory.

"That's good," he continued. "We were afraid for a moment that you wouldn't pull through, and you would be off no use to us."

"Where's Charon?"

"Charon? I suppose you mean that ghoul you were with?"

I managed a nod.

"Well, I'm afraid the blast killed him. He is gone," he stated. "We left his body back in Vault 87."

"No!" I shouted. "He's not dead!"

"He wasn't even breathing as we left," he said.

I felt a great hole deep in my chest, knowing Charon wouldn't come to save me. We had just grown closer, and he had been ripped away, much like my father. I felt tears overflow and the hatred rise towards the man standing in front of me. I would kill him and everyone else that was affiliated with the Enclave.

"Now, as to why you are here. We require your help."

"Oh, do you now?" I laughed bitterly. "You are the reason that Charon and my father are dead. Why should I help you?"

"Oh, come now. They killed themselves," he said. "Now, what is the code to start the purifier?"

Code? What code?

"Go fuck yourself."

"Don't test me," he warned. "Now, what is the code?"

"No, seriously. Go fuck yourself. I'm not helping you."

"Why you-!"

"Colonel," a voice said from behind.

"Yes, sir, Mr. President?"

"You are needed in my office. Please, I'm sure our guest will be fine for a moment."

"Yes, sir." He glared at me before he left the room.

"Now," the voice continued. "I am terribly sorry for the way you have been treated. I am releasing your binds, now."

I was able to relax just after he had said that, and I felt pain throughout my joints. I wondered how long I had been knocked unconscious.

"Your things are in the locker. You may retrieve them, so I'll unlock it."

There was a click, and I opened it. All of my things tumbled out, so I quickly picked all of it up, putting on my armor, loading my gun, placing my spare ammo in my bag, and everything else in my pip-boy. I held Charon's contract to my chest for a moment before putting it in my shirt, close to my heart for safe keeping. I found his dog tags that he had given me as well, and slipped those around my neck.

"Now, I would like to talk to you face to face," he said. "Please hurry. I will unlock the door."

I clicked, and I exited into the hallway.

"You!" a man shouted. "You are not supposed to be here!"

"B-but I was told by the president-"

"Let me check this out," he interrupted. "Sir-"

"Did I not tell you to call me unless it was an emergency?"

"Yes, but the girl-"

"She is to come straight to my office, no interferences, understand?"

"Y-yes sir."

"Attention all soldiers!" the president said over the intercom. "This is your president speaking! Our guest from Vault 101 is to come directly to my office. Anyone that interferes shall pay. President out."

I walked down the hallway, trying to ignore my uncharacteristic urges to kill every soldier that walked about. It was them that had killed Charon and my father; they were the reason they were dead. I still sent glares in their direction as I passed, but that was all I could do. It frustrated me that I could not get my revenge, but I knew that if I attacked them, I would be dead in a second, and that wouldn't go over well. As I headed up in the elevator, I heard another announcement play.

"Attention everyone!" the colonel said. "This is Colonel Autumn speaking! Ignore the president's message! The girl from the Vault is to be shot on sight! I repeat: she is to be shot on sight!"

I frowned, and I knew I was in for a battle. I turned the safety off of my plasma rifle and ducked down, preparing myself for the worst. They would not be able to physically harm me, but I bet anything I would still die of blood loss. I was faced with a couple of armored foes that opened fire with their laser rifles on sight. I returned fire, quickly turning one into a pile of goo. I only stopped firing to reload my gun. I had killed probably ten soldiers before they stopped firing. I had to admit, it felt pretty good, but I felt slightly sick to my stomach at the sight of their wounds. I also used about half of my ammo in that battle, and I was sure there were plenty more.

"Hikari," I heard the President's voice say from one of the eyes on the wall. "I cannot stop the troupes from attacking you, but I can send some sentry bots to help out. Please accept this as my apology."

Sure enough, I heard some lasers firing up ahead, some explosions, and some screams. I thanked him before I continued along my way. I scavenged some MF cells off of the bodies of the fallen soldiers before continuing on my way. The bots followed me, and they began to attack the soldiers up ahead. I soon reached a tall set of steps, and I stared fearfully up them. God, I hated heights. I steeled myself before I began the long ascent. I glanced down about halfway, which was a big mistake. I felt dizziness overtake me, and I tried to relax, but it didn't work. I shut my eyes and stuck my head between my knees until the spell passed. I continued to climb, gripping the railing as hard as I could and only looking up. When I reached the top, all I saw was a computer. A bluish green line bounced up and down as the president's voice spoke.

"Welcome, Hikari," he greeted. "It is nice to finally meet you face to face."

"Excuse me, but you're... you're a computer?"

"Well, technically, I am equipped with artificial intelligence, but you are correct," he continued. "I have brought you here to discuss project purity."

"What about it?"

"Well, I need your help," he told me. "I had Colonel Autumn go to try to discuss things with your father, and I am sorry for your loss. I just want to talk."

"So you were the one responsible for my father's death," I said. "Why would I help you guys?"

"Please, just listen. We have a common goal here," he stated. "We both wish to give clean, fresh, and pure water to the wastes, and we both wish to help America become what it was. I just wish to be more... selective of the people to father the future generations."

I didn't like where he was going with this, but I listened to him anyway. I knew he was trying to manipulate my emotions, but I knew better than to fall for it. I would turn the tables on him.

"I have in my possessions a vial of the modified FEV, and I would like you to install it into the purifier," he said. "This virus has been modified to... get rid of any people with any defects in their DNA, thus creating a perfect nation."

"I have seen the FEV at work," I told him. "What makes this any better?"

"It will not mutate the people, like in Vault 87. It will wipe out people that have imperfect DNA."

"What does that include?"

"Super Mutants, ghouls, probably a lot of the people you know, but it is all for the greater good."

"I don't kill others for the, 'Greater good,'" I stated. "Not when they are that innocent."

"These people are no more innocent that you or I," he commented. "What makes them so special that you would save them?"

"These people have lived out here their whole lives, and I could not fathom how much courage, determination, and fight that these people have to have just to get by," I replied. "I have lived only weeks here, and there were times where I nearly ended it all, just give up. If it were not for these people, then I would not be here. My dad used to talk about how sacred life was. He said that we would have to make sacrifices to keep it going, and no matter how hard it was, we shouldn't take the easy way out. It's a struggle, but these people deserve a chance to experience all life has to offer."

"We would be making sacrifices," he stated.

"No, I don't think he meant those kinds of sacrifices," I told him. "He meant personal ones. That's why he didn't give up the purifier to you people. He would rather have died than just let you kill all of those people, and I would do the same. Just... think for a moment about just how many people this would include. Only about five percent, maybe less, of the people in the wastes have no genetic mutations. I know for a fact that even in my sheltered life, I have developed a mutation. Most of your soldiers probably have some kind of mutation. Would you be able to live with yourself knowing that you killed that many people?"

He was silent for a moment. "I have not thought about it that way."

"Exactly. How are you fit to be president when you have not examined every possibility that can happen, every risk that you take? A good president will do that. Wasn't that what happened before the Great War? Wasn't that the reason that we ended up as we are? Because past presidents have made reckless decisions?"

"But I am infallible," he stated, "Unlike my predecessors."

"But were you not programmed by people capable of error?" I questioned. "How can you be perfect when the very people who create you were not? Is it even possible?"

"You... are correct," he admitted. Jackpot. "I have found an error in my internal programming... I am unsure what to do."

"Shut yourself down, Eden," I said. "End it all, so we can truly start anew."

"Analyzing command... New course of action dictated... Self-destruct sequence initiated. It is advised that the FEV be removed to prevent explosive decompression. It is also advised to clear the area using the door on the opposing wall."

A series of alarms went off throughout the facility, a voice stating that the self-destruct sequence had been activated. I had no time to relish my victory in a battle of wits against the super computer, so I grabbed the FEV to be destroyed safely and headed out the door. Once outside, there was a series of explosions behind me. I turned to watch as the base exploded. Vertibirds that were trying to fly off were hit by chunks of rock that flew off of the base, and I couldn't help but cheer as they crashed and burned.

"Die, you fucking soldiers!"

"Mei!" I shouted. "Mei!"

I began to run towards the sound of her voice as she presumably shot the remaining soldiers. The explosions increased in size and number as I heard Mei call my name. She appeared over a rock, and she ran over to me in a hurry.

"I thought I lost you!" she shouted over the explosions as we embraced. "When I saw those explosions, I though the worst!"

"I talked to the president!" I told her. "I convinced him to blow up the base, and he did! He was really a computer!"

"I guess that'll make a great story for back home, huh?"

I smiled and nodded. After all of this was over, we would go home, but... without Charon, things wouldn't be the same... Just then, over the rock, I heard it. Charon's shotgun. I let go of Mei and walked slowly over to the edge of the rocky cliff. I stared in a daze. Standing there, killing off the last soldier, was Charon.

"Charon!" I shouted. He was alive!

He just about dropped his shotgun when I called his name. I slid down the cliff and ran over to him, tightly embracing him. I felt him return the gesture while I buried my face into his shoulder. He smelled just like I remembered: warm leather, gunpowder, and sweat.

"You're alive," I mumbled into his armored chest, letting the tears of relief wash down my face. "I was told you were dead."

He gathered me into his arms and lifted me off of the ground. I stared into his milky-blue eyes, and he stared into mine. The look he gave me made my stomachs flutter. It said that he was worried about me, genuinely so. I felt his lips against my forehead before he held me close once more. My face flushed at the contact, but it was... good.

"Hate to break up this love fest, but we gotta go," Mei stated. "The whole base is collapsing, and I'm pretty sure that it's not very safe."

Charon nodded and put me down, but his hand lingered on mine.

"Where to?" he asked.

"We have to go to the Citadel," I stated. "The Enclave has the G.E.C.K., but Dad put a code on it to prevent entry. That's why they kept me alive, I think. They couldn't figure it out, but I think know what it is."

"Now? We just got you back!" Mei exclaimed.

"If we don't then the Enclave will be able to guess it," I told her. "We can't take them on by ourselves. We're going to need the help of the Brotherhood."

"Fine," she conceded. "Where's Fawkes?"

~Mei's POV~

It was kind awkward with the way that Charon and Kari were acting around each other. Figures she would end up with someone like him. Still, I was glad she was back. When I saw the explosions, I feared that she had died, but leave it to her to outsmart some super computer. As we headed to the Citadel, something in the pit of my stomach said something bad was coming. I ignored it, hoping that I was wrong, but the feeling kept nagging at me.

"Wh-what?" Elder Lyons gasped at the news that we brought. "This... This changes everything... Activate Liberty Prime!"

"Yes, sir," a scribe said.

"Everyone else, prepare to infiltrate the Jefferson Memorial!" he continued. "Hikari, do you have the vial of FEV still?"

"Yes."

"Good. We will destroy it properly."

She nodded and handed the rather large vial of glowing blue liquid over to the elder. In the middle of the room, a lot of steam was released, and what looked like an old robot emerged from the center. Kari began to cough and Charon had to take her out of the room. I watched in wonder before Sarah Lyons started to talk to me.

"Well, you and your sister are now considered members of Lyons Pride," she stated. "Do you want the recon armor or the power armor?"

"Recon," I stated.

She nodded and a knight handed it to me. I changed quickly before running upstairs, ignoring the stares from the other knights. Kari seemed to be better, but I could tell she was only getting worse.

"Maybe you should wait here," I told her. "Just to be safe."

She shook her head. She was a stubborn one, but there was nothing I could do about it. Unless she was sedated, she would find a way to come with us. I guessed it would just be better to have her come so we could protect her rather than have her sneak in. Charon showed more concern for her well-being than he usually did, and it was a bit weird. Still, at least she really knew that he cared.

Overhead, Vertibirds swooped in and began to fire upon Liberty Prime, but they were no match for his laser. One shot and BAM! they were crashing and burning. We followed Prime, who kept shouting about eradicating communism, down to the Memorial. It was rather fun killing all of the soldiers alongside the giant robot. When we reached the memorial, only Kari, Charon, Fawkes, Sarah, and I entered the rotunda. Kari glared at the man that waited for us.

"Well, well," he said in a weird accent. "Look who has shown up. Hikari, it is nice to see you again. I believe the last time we spoke, you told me to... What has it again? Oh, that's right. I believe you said, 'Go fuck yourself.'"

Charon protectively held his arm out in front of Kari. I knew she would be safe with him. I was surprised when she lowered his arm and walked forward, slightly hunched over and wincing.

"You've lost," she said in a weak voice. "President Eden is dead. Over half of your men are dead, your base is gone. It's over, Colonel. The Enclave is no more. Give up now."

"No," he said as he loaded his pistol. "No, it's not gone. We are still here, and the Enclave is alive with us. We will proceed."

He held his gun up, but Charon was faster. One swift movement and the colonel was lying on the ground, surrounded by a pool of blood. He sent a death glare to the other soldiers, who seemed to be weighing their chances of surviving. I guess they decided not to chance it and turned around, exiting out of the opposing door. It was in that moment of silence that we heard it.

"Hello? Hello? Is anyone there? This is Dr. Li!"

Sarah rushed up to the intercom.

"Sarah Lyons here, along with the Mansen twins and their followers. What's wrong?"

"I've been monitoring the systems remotely, and I've got some bad news. Someone sabotaged the machinery. It needs to be activated now, or the results would be catastrophic!" she explained.

"Well, this isn't exactly how I imagined going out," Sarah said with a sigh. "Who's going in? Should we draw straws?"

"I'm going," Kari stated. "Dad would want me to do it."

"Kari, no," I interrupted. "You're too sick. You won't have a chance of making it out."

She squeezed her eyes shut in pain, holding a hand around her mid-section. "I have to do this."

"No, let me."

"I will do it," Charon stated. "I am healed by radiation. It will be nothing to me."

"Charon, no," Kari said. "I am doing this."

"Kari, I can't let you, and neither will Charon."

"You guys need to hurry!" Dr. Li's voice said.

"Only I know the code, though, and it would be useless if one of you went in."

"Hikari, please tell me," Charon begged.

~Hikari's POV~

I had to go in there. It had to be me who started it. I could tell that I was going to die soon, anyway. I wouldn't let Mei give up her life, and Charon and Fawkes, to be honest, didn't care about the project. I wanted to finish what my father had started.

"No, Charon," I told him. "I'm going in. Sarah, close the gate when I'm in."

She nodded, but Charon grabbed a hold of my arms. I felt a pain rip through my lungs and head, so I closed my eyes again.

"Charon, I don't want to... but... Please don't make me order you to stay out of the way."

"You're going to have to," he said. "I won't listen any other way. You have given me too much freedom for me to back down now."

"Fawkes, you believe in destiny, correct?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Well, I believe that it is my destiny to start this purifier. My father," I told him, gesturing to his body inside the glass, "And my mother both gave their lives for this project, and it is only right that I finish it. Please, I'm begging you to keep these two at bay."

"If that is what you wish, then I will oblige."

"Thank you," I said. "Now Charon, let me go."

~Mei's POV~

Kari was being stupid about this. Charon and Fawkes could start it with no problem; all they needed was the code. She rambled on about destiny, but there was no way I was going to let her do it. Not a chance.

"Guys, stop this none sense," Sarah intervened. "She is the only one that knows the code, so let her in."

Charon didn't let Kari go, and I prayed he wouldn't.

~Hikari's POV~

I stared into Charon's eyes, feeling the tears well up.

"Please," I whispered. "You have to let me go now, or this place will blow, and all of us will die."

~Charon's POV~

So many thoughts rushed through my head at that second. I was sure that I loved Hikari. She had shown me kindness when no one else did, and she was throwing away her life. And for what? Some project that had claimed both of her parents. She looked up at me with her watery amethyst eyes, begging me to let her go. I wanted nothing than to hold her back and let someone else do it, but I couldn't. We had to do something. Damn it, why did it have to be her? If it were anyone else wanting to start it, I would have no qualms about it, but... Hikari was the reason that I got up every morning. She needed someone to protect her; she was too fragile. She was my purpose; I was sure of it.

"Please," she whimpered. "Let me go."

Slowly, I took my hands off of her arms, avoiding her eyes. I could feel the tears that had not fallen since the war began to form in my eyes. I blinked them back before embracing her one final time.

"Thank you," she whispered as she returned the gesture with all of her might.

"So you're just letting her go?" Mei exclaimed. "After all of this... you're just..."

~Mei's POV~

I was furious. I thought Charon was supposed to keep her safe! Instead, he let her go. I tried to rush after her, but Fawkes's giant hand grasped the collar of my armor.

"It is her destiny," was all he said.

I watched in horror as the glass wall enclosed Kari in the room. I ran up once Fawkes had let me go and placed my hand against the glass. She smiled, tears falling down her face, and pressed her hand against mine.

~Hikari's POV~

I knew Mei would be able to carry on, even if I didn't make it through. She had to.

"Charon," I said through the glass, "Please, take care of Mei for me. Make sure she's safe."

He nodded, and I saw a single tear fall down his ravaged cheek.

~Charon's POV~

I can't believe I let her just waltz in there. The inner door opened, and she recoiled slightly, coughing violently as she approached the keypad. I wanted to break through the glass and carry her back out, telling her how foolish she was being, but I had no choice in the matter.

~Mei's POV~

Kari kept coughing as she typed in the number. Right as she clicked the enter button, she fell to the ground, onto her knees. The whole place began to shake, and red liquid flowed out of her mouth and into her hand. I pounded on the glass as the light began to brighten.

~Hikari's POV~

A pain ripped through my lungs as the place began to shake. I coughed and coughed until I fell to the floor, the pain worsening in my lungs. I eventually tasted blood, and I realized that I had just coughed it all up. More continued to flow out of my mouth, and I knew I was about to die, but I was okay with that.

~Mei's POV~

Kari slumped to the floor, and that's when I saw what Charon was doing. He rammed the glass over and over. I was surprised when a crack appeared in the glass, and I popped a rad-x before tossing one to Sarah. The glass shattered, and I felt the radiation hit me like a shock wave. Charon leaped through the hole in the glass and ran over to Kari.

~Charon's POV~

Hikari... she was so light and weak as I lifted her off the ground. I knew I had to get her out of there, no matter the cost. I carried her out of the rotunda and back into the gift shop.

"Ch-Charon?" she weakly called.

"Yes, I am here, Hikari," I whispered as Sarah called for a medic. "You're going to be fine. You're going to be okay."

"N-no. I'm going to die."

~Hikari's POV~

I smelled... warm leather, sweat, and gunpowder. I called for my ghoul bodyguard. He told me I was going to be okay, but I knew I wasn't. I was being realistic.

"Don't say that," he whispered, running his calloused fingers through my short, shaggy hair. "You're going to be just fine."

"Charon, w-we both know-"

I had another coughing fit, and I felt the liquid rise in my throat.

"Just stop talking," he told me.

~Mei's POV~

God... Kari, why? I prayed that she would be alright, but I knew she wouldn't be. My gut told me this would be the last I saw of her.

"Kari, you have to live, okay?" I said through the tears. "You c-can't leave me. I can't do this on my own."

"Shh," she said, lifting her hand to my face. "You'll be fine. You're s-strong enough."

I began to sob as she dropped her hand back to her chest.

"I-I love both of you," she said. "You b-both h-h-have to be st-strong and carry on."

~Charon's POV~

The kid was such a sad sight. She was laying on her deathbed, trying to comfort us. Where were those goddamned medics?

"I've a-already a-a-accepted death," she whimpered. "M-Mei, please reach into my shirt and pull out the paper..."

What the twin pulled out, I had set my whole life by. The dying twin grasped a hold of it, shaking profusely.

"Ch-Charon... T-take it. You're free."

I was shocked by the kid. Even in death, she was doing things that no one had ever done before. I was a pretty much a slave to that piece of paper, and she was giving me my freedom. I took it and stowed it in my pocket. She tried to sit up, but she was too weak. I lifted her up, and her smooth hand traced my rough cheek. A second later, her hand was replaced by her trembling lips.

"I love you," she whispered. "I just... wanted to let you know that."

"I love you, too, kid.

"And Mei, I love you, too," she said. "You almost always had my back when we lived in the Vault. I don't th-think that Butch would be alive if it weren't for you... I-"

~Hikari's POV~

I was so tired, but there was so much I had to tell them... Too much I left unsaid. I was grateful to both of them, and I liked them most of everyone in the wasteland. They had been my rock and shelter, but I was ready. I could see a light in the sky, and beautiful, beautiful music. I shut my eyes, and everything went black.

~Mei's POV~

"Kari? Kari? Kari!" I shouted. "No, no! Kari, don't leave me! I can't do this without you! KARI!"

The tears that fell blinded me as the medics arrived, but it was too late. Kari was gone, and I was alone.

After Notes:

Finally! It's the end. That kinda makes me sad. :'( I can't believe I actually finished uploading it...

Buuuut, I'm already in the process of writing a sequel, but I highly doubt it will be nearly as long. The first chapter is about the same length as this one, which is kinda short by my usual standards.

Again, I apologize if the POV switching was rather confusing, but I really wanted to make sure you got a deeper connection with the characters, although I may have done the opposite. If you have any questions, feel free to drop me a review or PM. I'm usually on every day, but I've got drumline through Sunday, and I've had it every day this week.

Drumline is almost over, and after it is, I'll be able to have more free time to type and work on my story.

I really hoped you guys liked it, and I'm open to any suggestions you may have. Thanks for reading and the few reviews/favorites/subscriptions I have received so far. They really are a great encouragement. Much appreciated, HikariMei.