A/N: Wassup, everyone? Welcome back to another chapter! I'm glad that some of you RPed with me. Now I have a lot of good ideas in my head for future chapters. I was able to get some inspiration out of the RPs. A lot of it.

As always, thank you for reading and liking the story so far. I promise you, it won't be sh!t. There will be imperfections, I know. But trust me. I learn from them. Also, I would like to mention that to all those who are still open to RP with, please don't hesitate to talk to me about it. I'll accept any condition as long as Nepgear's character is canon, or close to canon (just maintain her nice attitude, yeah? XD)

Anyways! Onto the chapter. Enjoy the read!

RaiXGear Chapter 12

[Raiken's P.O.V.]

Black…all I saw was black…

From the very moment my vision turns dark, as I fell to the cold ground, memories start to rush into my head like a wildfire.

Memories of war, memories of my fallen comrades…

My family…

I suddenly awakened, finding myself standing beside a familiar tree where I once stood upon as a child. I then turned to the cliff, seeing a familiar sight; a beautiful view of the city.

"Ah…this place...my home country…" I thought. "…Japan…"

Memories once again flood into my mind, all the happy memories of mine while I was a child. Memories of me simply having fun with my family, the picnics we take beside this particular tree, the toys we used to play with, my father's Gunpla...

It felt so nostalgic…to return to such a beautiful sight must be something worth fighting for.

But what truly brought a tear to my eye, is the familiar sight of a woman and a man beside her. The woman with maroon hair, her familiar visage, her outlook, her face…

The blonde man, much taller than her...his blonde hair…those green eyes…I recognize it now.

"…Mom?…Dad?" I mumbled under by breath. The woman then turned to me, her hands clasped together and smiled.

"Raiken, my darling. Come to me, honey." she said as she extended her arm towards my direction.

Out of love and tears, I tried to come close to her, but as I take her hand, everything fades away into dark. As I blink, the beautiful sight suddenly changed. All I see now is space, destruction, mobile suits dying, killed, butchered. Ships being blown up by excessive firepower…

The horror of the previous wars shows itself to me one more time, making me petrified.

All I could do was scream in agony, remembering the losses that changed my life. The people who had died for my sake, I remember all of them. Visions begin to circulate in my head as I see the familiar faces…

My vision turns to black once more. All I could do is close my eyes tightly, waiting for the nightmare to end...

"Raiken…" another familiar voice rang in my head. That sweet, sultry tone…

I open my eyes, only to see a girl with brown hair that reaches her waist. Those beautiful blue eyes…her simple stance, her school uniform…

I could only let tears flow through my face, saddened to remember another loss in my life. I then called out to the girl in front of me.

"…Kurumi…chan…" more tears flow from my eyes as I attempt to come close to her.

"Live…live happily for me…because no matter where you go, I'll always be there for you…" she simply bowed her head, smiling before I was suddenly thrown into a spiral, forcing me to scream in agony.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH-!"

[Nepgear's P.O.V.]

-A few hours before Raiken's dream ends-

Neptune and I were earlier briefed by the doctors that took Raiken into the emergency room. They say his injuries were extensive and nearly fatal. All I could do is let out tears as we watch the doctors carefully remove the damaged Gundam around him.

Later, we see a lot of blood flowing from Raiken's bed. The blood loss is extreme, we could see his stab wound, piercing through his lower torso through. Other injuries consist of lacerations on his arms, bad bruises and some minor slash scars on his chest.

"Neptune…will he ever be okay?" I said in between sniffs, as I wipe my tears with a handkerchief.

"Of course, Nepgear. Raiken will be alright…the doctors did say he is going to live." Neptune replied softly.

I was anxious. Stressed. Scared. All these emotions stir up my mind as I stared through that window. Raiken's blood dripping from the bed was indeed gruesome, but other than that, I could feel nothing other than fear at that moment. Neptune would occasionally pat my shoulder and tell me to sit down, to which I just shake my head, as I could not take my eyes off of him.

I held the key-chain that he had given me very tightly, crying my eyes out in silence for a certain amount of time. I feared for his life, as I realized that he is truly someone important to us. The Basilicom became lively with him around to visit. The fun times we had during that party, everything was perfect.

And I wished with all my heart that it would never end…

A few more hours later, one of the doctors finally came out of the emergency room, with a happy outlook on him.

"Lady Neptune, Lady Nepgear, I'm happy to tell you that Commander Tsutsumi will be alright. He just needs to rest well. His bodily modifications do serve their purpose so well that it exceeds normal operation times…" he narrated.

"Bodily modifications? What do you mean?" Neptune asked in return.

"Apparently, his body has been toughened up to the core, augmentations allow for easier healing process. I am no expert in the Federation's medical research, but I do know it helps a lot during combat situations. His body is augmented with a certain type of fluid, which allows for greater resistance to wounds, better performance in combat and enhanced spatial awareness…it's bizarre, but truly interesting to research about!" he continued.

"…So, does that mean Raiken will be okay?" I asked.

"Yes. You may now enter the room. His body and his bed are now cleansed of his blood. Please excuse me, I shall call on the Federation Communications Office for more details." the doctor bowed and left.

Moments of silence, the only sound that could be heard is the beeping of the heart monitor. Neptune and slowly enter the room to see him.

"Raiken…" I sat on a chair beside the bed, holding his hand. I sat on a chair beside the bed, feeling for his pulse on his wrist. I could not stop sobbing.

I felt more than worry. I felt emotional pain, seeing Raiken in such a critical condition. I held onto his hand tighter. "Please be okay…I know we just met…but…I don't want you to go…" I mumble to myself.

Neptune gave me a pat on my back, rubbing her hand on me as I wept.

"It will be alright, Nepgear. He is strong, you know…Besides, the doctor did say he will recover soon." she said.

Seconds later…

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH-!"

Raiken screamed as if he had been through a horrible nightmare. The heart monitor bleeps much faster at an alarming rate.

His screams were loud, full of fear. He was losing his sanity for a short moment. It must have really been a nightmare for him.

"R-Raiken!" Neptune and I got closer to him to snap him out of it, shaking him gently. "W-We're here, Raiken…please calm down…!" I added.

Raiken suddenly calmed down, panting profusely. The doctors suddenly came in.

"What happened?" the female doctor asked.

"I-It seems that Raiken has awakened from a terrible dream…" Neptune replied.

"I-I see…let me test his blood pressure…" they did some minor tests on him to make sure he's safely recovering still.

"…yes, he is fine!" she smiled. "Please rest well, Mr. Tsutsumi. We have called your superiors. They may be on their way soon." she bowed before she left the room.

Raiken fell silent, fully calmed down. He slowly rubs his head to make sure his sanity is still with then turned to me and Neptune.

"…Lady Neptune…Lady Nepgear…" he mumbled.

"I'm glad you're okay." Neptune smiled. "You really had us worried back in the forest."

"Raiken…" tears still flow from my eyes as I said his name.

"…Why are you crying?..." he asked gently, his hand suddenly overlaps mine, surprising me a bit.

"A-Ah…i-it's nothing…" I wipe away my tears with my handkerchief again. "I-I'm just glad you're going to be fine…" I added.

Raiken smiled at me warmly. Despite those injuries, Raiken could still manage to keep such a warm, handsome demeanor towards me.

"…Thank you for staying with me, both of you. You could have went back to Planeptune to report to Lady Histoire…" he bowed his head.

"We came here with you because we wanted to keep you company. It's our choice to stay with you…you're our friend, you know." Neptune crossed her arms, sitting on another chair.

"…I see. You guys are the best…" he bowed his head again. "I guess I should take care of myself next time then…"

"Y-You always should, Raiken…we were so worried about you…We're here for you no matter what…" I bowed my head as well, fidgeting a bit.

"…Then I would do likewise…" he replied with a casual smile. "Anyway…what did the doctors say?"

Everything pretty much became casual once again.

Raiken was just sitting there, talking to us about various things as if none of the events before ever happened. A few hours passed and I felt relieved that things are back to normal.

"Uhm, excuse me. I will get some food for us. I'll be right back." I smiled as I went out of the room.

During my walk down that long hallway, I see a man in a fully decorated military uniform, 2 soldiers in black and grey are following him in an escort fashion. When he looked at me, he approached me with a smile.

"Greetings. Are you by chance, Lady Purple Sister?" he stood with his hands behind his back.

I replied shyly. "Yes. I'm Nepgear. May I ask who you are?"

"So, it's true that you helped our soldier solve the crisis in Nasuune. I am the Commander in Chief of the entire Earth Federation Forces, Craig Dameron. An honor to meet you, your highness." he bowed while his two escorts gave me a snappy salute. The man extends his hand for a handshake.

"A-Ah…N-Nice to meet you." I gently shook his hand. "M-May I ask why you are here?" I asked.

"I came to see the young warrior. I heard he has suffered grave injuries on his end. I would like to commend his work. People in Nasuune are currently at peace." he replied.

"I-I see. Thank you for coming." I bowed.

"Well then, I shall be proceeding to his room, yes? Excuse me. Come on, men. Let's go." he looked at the two silent guards as they follow him along the hallway towards his room.

I then stared for a moment as I realized I just held a conversation with the highest ranking official of the entire Earth force. I was in surprise.

"Huh…So that's the main man behind the Federation's intervention against the ASIC…" I thought to myself as I walked along, finding myself at the cafeteria of the hospital.

I then lined up, waiting for my turn to get our meals.

[Raiken's P.O.V.]

Everything was normal in a matter of hours as Neptune and I kept conversing about different, random things. I sat there on my bed, pretty much static because of the various dextrose they placed upon me.

"…so yeah, I wanted to meet you guys, but I was just too shy, too preoccupied to try and greet you." I narrated.

"Aww. It would have been nice to see how you had looked like before." Neptune tilts her head, her HDD form still remains for some reason. "Do you have any pictures you could show me?"

"Of course, my Lady. I'll show you when I get around to it. Right now…I'm kinda stuck here." I looked outside the window.

"Mhm…"

Suddenly, a knock on the door.

"Come in." Neptune replied.

A man enters, two others stood by the door on guard. I immediately recognize the manner of entry; it was Craig.

"It seems that Nasuune's heroes are holed up here in this gloomy room." Craig said as he came closer to my bed. "Great work, son. Nasuune is safe thanks to you three giving that dragon a good ass-whoopin'" he continued.

I saluted back. "T-Thank you, sir." I replied snappily

"At ease, Raiken. No need to be formal in this situation."

Neptune just stood up, staring at us.

"Ah, Lady Purple Heart. It is an honor to meet you." he turned to her, smiling. "Pardon me for my sudden intrusion. I'm the Commander in Chief of the EFF, Craig Dameron. Pleased to be of acquaintance." he extends his hand in his usual gentleman fashion, proposing a handshake to which Neptune reciprocates.

"Yes. Nice to meet you." she simply replied.

"I should thank you and your sister for both for taking care of our finest warrior. Without him, the Federation could suffer major consequences." he bowed.

"Oh, please leave him to us. I'm sure we can take care of him just fine." she replied.

"I actually thought about that very well. I think it's a good time for me to tell you this; Raiken, I have conversed with Histoire early this morning about making you our main representative in Gamindustri." he narrated.

"M-Me?" I pointed at myself.

"Yes. Due to your performances in the last few wars, Histoire requested me to have you assist the CPUs in their quests for development. Also, it's a good idea to integrate our military power with them just in case Zeon or any other outside threat decides to pick a fight."

"Wait…so Proclamation No. 221 has been issued?" I replied in surprise.

"Yes. The Gamindustri-Earth Alliance will be founded by you and the CPUs. Also, you will be forming a military team consisting of you and the CPUs."

"H-Hold on…W-When did you discuss this with the top brass?" I asked

"Few weeks ago. Though, you were still assigned in weapons inspections and base maintenance during those days. We could not take you away from that position at that time. Sorry if I'm late in informing you." he bowed his head.

"T-Then…who will take charge of the Gundam Corps?"

"You are still in charge of leading the Gundam Corps. You just have a new fresh team to manage." he lifts his head up a bit, looking out the window.

"G-Gundam Corps?" Neptune's eyes widen, as she has yet to know of the term.

"Ah, yes. None of you CPUs have ever heard of it, right? I shall explain." he began to explain his definition.

The Gundam Corps is my elite personal unit, or if some people refer to it as my personal army, consisting of tough individuals who have achieved more feats than the regular GM units, Jegan units and even some Jesta units.

They are specially trained for any combat situation, both capable on Earth and in space. In order for one to be drafted into this unit, you must possess prowess and utmost dedication to the service.

Though, there is a deeper meaning to why I decided to become the main founder of the unit. When I interview some of the new recruits, I ask them their reasons to fight. A lot of the reasons most of them mention are similar to mine; to either avenge their fallen loved ones in battle, to promote justice to those who are in need of help, or other sentimental reasons.

I just happen to have all of those reasons written down in my code.

After explaining, Craig sat down on a chair, drinking some water he had received from a nurse earlier. Neptune just took in the information she had just received.

"I see…so they're your personal subordinates, Raiken?" she asked.

"Pretty much." I nodded with a smile.

"Raiken founded the group after he had found a lot of warriors sharing the same sentiments and reasons to fight as he did. It promoted very good results." Craig continued.

"Wow…to think that sentiments can truly bring them together…" Neptune thought.

"Yes…Ah, I think that's all I have to say, really." Craig stood up. "Other than that, when you feel rested enough, send a report to my office, both hard and soft copies. I need to evaluate the results."

"Yes sir." I simply bowed. As I said so, Nepgear returned to the room, a plastic bag and a tray in hand.

"Raiken, I'm back…" she smiled warmly at me.

"Oh, hey. I smell a lot of good food here." I replied back.

"Nepgear! Let me help you with this." Neptune stood up to assist her with carrying the bag.

"Why hello, Lady Nepgear. Please, sit down. We were just discussing a few important things." Craig bowed as he greeted her.

"O-Oh, please. Thank you." she indeed sat down on a chair beside my bed.

A few more minutes later, as I was eating a bowl of ramen, Craig continued to explain the proposal towards Histoire to us, especially Nepgear who has yet to catch on.

"I-I see…so we're going to be working with Raiken now?" Nepgear smiled brightly.

"Yes. He will be your assistant, and our representative. I'm sure he will be more than satisfactory." Craig replied.

"Y-Yes! We get to have fun working together, right?" the girl with lilac hair turned to me with excitement.

"U-Uhh…yes…I-I'm looking forward to working with you…" I blushed as I bowed formally.

"I knew this was going to be an interesting idea…" Craig thought to himself. "Let's see how it turns out for him…"

Nepgear and I just smile at each other casually. I blushed a little more when I looked at her. Neptune just nodding her head in approval.

"Anyway, your Astraea has been taken back to the base for damage assessment and repairs. Meanwhile, you're stuck with the SAGA. Not that you would have a problem with it anyway." the old man smiled.

"Is it going to be sent to me right now?" I raised my head.

"A Zeta unit will deliver it to you. Just mark your address and we'll get it to you." he replied with a snap.

"Roger. I won't let you down, sir." I sat a bit more straight.

"You never did, son. You never did. Take care of yourself. I'll be heading back to Earth now. We have matters to settle there." he saluted before he left the room.

"Yes sir!" I saluted back as he left, his two guards accompanying him.

Neptune turned to me and smiled, extending her hand towards mine just like Craig did towards her.

"Now that we will be involved with your work, I'm looking forward to working with you…Commander." she giggled with that sexy tone in her voice.

I blushed as Nepgear looked at me. I feel tingly inside throughout the rest of my stay in this very room.

Time passes. It was 2:30PM in the afternoon, and a few more minutes before I am going to be discharged. Neptune and Nepgear just sat, their things neatly packed, my bag still intact.

The nurse then enters, smiling brightly.

"Sir! You're being discharged. Please, stay still as I take off your dextrose…" the nurse approached me and removed the needle stuck on my left arm. "Please wait for the doctor's approval and lab results before you leave. I shall call him right now." she bowed before she leaves the room.

"That's great, Raiken. We can finally go home together…" Neptune crossed her arms.

Suddenly, Nepgear's N-Gear rang.

"A-Ah…excuse me…oh, it's IF and Compa!" Nepgear said, answering the call. "Hello? IF?..."

I hear the voice on the other line well enough. "Hey, Gear. We're here to pick you up. Geez, you could have called for us when you need help…"

"S-Sorry…We're here in Room 407. We'll wait for you." Nepgear replies.

"Alright. See you there." the call ends.

"So, those two are comin', huh?" I asked.

"Yes…IF and Compa were worried about us…" Nepgear smiled.

A few minutes later, IF and Compa peeked at the door window, waving at us before entering in. Considering that IF was holding her helmet in hand, she probably brought her green bike.

"Finally…caught up with you three. What's up?" IF greeted.

"Mr. Raiken! Are you okay?" Compa cutely approached me.

"Y-Yes, thank you for your concern, Miss Compa…" I bowed my head. "I'm alright now, as you can see."

"Whatever the hell happened to you, we're just glad you're still in one piece." IF commented, smiling.

"Yeah. I did what I could for these two. They were being overwhelmed, but I didn't allow it." I replied, clasping my hands together, as the two girls examine my tattoos in surprise.

"Wow…I remember the one and only time I saw this tattoo…You always wear long-sleeved t-shirts and you're hiding such a beautiful tattoo…!" IF cutely blushed as she took a closer look.

"Thank you. I designed it myself." I nodded.

"Those black lines and stuff must really mean something cool." Compa mumbled. "Why hide it though, Mr. Raiken?"

"Nah, I just don't like to show off too much." I smiled.

"Doesn't seem that way, considering you love to look at your own style a lot." IF smirked.

"N-Not really…" I blushed a little.

Nepgear also took a good look at it. "It really looks cool on you, especially to the back of your hand, Raiken…"

I blushed a lot more when she said that. I could have sworn I could feel my face steaming a lot.

"T-T-T-Thank you, my Lady…" I couldn't muster the right words to say.

Neptune smirked a little bit, knowing my reaction was a sort of sign.

The doctor then knocks on the door. "Excuse me, Mr. Tsutsumi?"

"Please enter." I replied, to which he complies, approaching me with papers in hand.

"Sir, you have the go-signal. You're now discharged. Though, I would like to recommend you some medicines and certain fluid intakes you need to consider…" and he explained some boring stuff about my medical necessities and what not, to which I had to take note in my head.

"Thank you, sir." I bowed.

"Can you stand up, sir?" the doctor asked.

"Y-Yes…I'm still feeling a bit wonky, otherwise I'm alright."

I tried to get out of the bed with a bit of difficulty, wearing my shoes and my biker jacket, leaving the bandages on my body to stay on me.

Suddenly, I feel someone holding my hand and carrying my arm to rest on something. It was Nepgear.

"Hey Raiken, let me help you walk..." she carried me by the arm as we began to walk out of that gloomy hospital room.

During that walk, my face felt flustered, considering that out of all the people who could have helped me with my weight as we walked along, it was Nepgear. Her sweet words rang in my head, her angelic voice…her willingness to extend a hand to a friend in need, I feel more than just gratitude.

I could feel my heart racing, beating crazily like never before. This familiar sensation and warmth, I could feel it resonate throughout my body. The emotions running wild in my head as I tried to hide it all with a natural smile as she carried me gently.

Memories once more returned to me, remembering the girl who I once loved. I could hear her voice in my head as if she is saying to "let go and be free to feel these emotions once more." I could feel she's right. All the sadness I had suffered, while new opportunities lied ahead of me.

Nepgear…Purple Sister…to me, I think she is a sort of message brought to my life…

"{Live happily…huh…? I guess I found a reason to do so, perhaps?}" I asked myself in thought when Nepgear whispered something to me.

"I just wanna say something, Raiken…

I'm just glad you're here…"

Nepgear's words pierced through me. I remembered those words. I then reply back warmly after a brief moment of blushing.

"And I'm glad I'm with you, my Lady…"

"Hm? W-What is it, Raiken?" Nepgear's eyes widened for a second, not fully hearing what I said. It's cute that she didn't notice despite her distance towards my face was very near.

"N-Nothing…just…be careful, okay?" I smiled shyly.

During the journey back to the Basilicom, I finally found out something that I never expected…

…I'm falling in love with her.