Lost Memories/Amnesia Girl Chapter 41

I'm soooo sorry that I haven't been working on my stories as diligently as I normally do. I hope you love this chapter which I think is the second to last…or third to last. I'm not sure yet, it depends upon how lazy I am.

"Don't worry I'll be fine. Kira, Athrun, I'll mostly stay behind and protect the ship," Amarante said with a soothing smile. The two boys looked at her skeptically before looking at each other. Confused Amarante cocked her head as they looked back at her. Before Athrun and Kira would head up to the bridge to check the status on the attack on Boaz, the pilots decided on making a small strategy for defending the precious Eternal. While the boys were at the bridge, Amarante would be in her mobile suit on stand-by.

"Yes we do need someone to protect the ship but then again…whatever the Earth Forces does we're going to need some help," Athrun sighed. They couldn't leave the Eternal by itself and nor could they leave Amarante to protect it on her own. She was a great pilot but if the enemy lead her away and surrounded her, the Eternal would be an easy target.

"I'm not doubting your abilities as a pilot but I don't think leaving you protect the ship is the best plan," Kira replied. Kira knew that she still suffered from severe headaches and loss of memory, and if one of these two options happened during battle, Amarante would probably be killed in a chance of opportunity for the enemy.

"Yet we must do something. If you two stay behind then our attack power will be significantly diminished. You two must go and stop the bloodshed," Amarante urged. She didn't want anyone else to die, natural or coordinator. The Justice and the Freedom had the M.E.T.E.O.R. units, which is key in damaging multiple enemies in a single attack. She could damage three to five mobile suits at a time while the Freedom and the Justice could damage more than twenty units.

"True," Athrun sighed. Kira watched the determined young woman carefully. She was probably going to stand firm on protecting the Eternal, and they needed a competent pilot to protect its precious occupants. Looking down Kira smiled seeing so much of himself in Amarante.

"Alright, Amarante you stay with the ship. We'll go stop the attack on Boaz," Kira said warmly. Amarante muttered a thank you to him. One person needed to stay and Kira finally saw what Athrun couldn't.

"Kira?" Athrun gasped. Kira, why would you suggest such a thing? Amarante can't do such a big task on her own! Athrun thought looking over at his best friend in horror. He had finally stifled the lustful feelings he had for Amarante into brotherly love for her. She never really had a true family, and he wanted to be there for her in any way possible.

"We don't really have that much time to think about it. Amarante, she's a great pilot. She'll be able to do it." Kira began placing a hand on her shoulder. "Just remember to call for assistance if you need help, okay Amarante?" She hated how everyone still treated her like a child, she was almost as capable as they were AND she had been in the military MUCH longer than they had been.

"Of course!" Amarante replied with a smile. They were still floating about in the hangar unsure when they'd be mobilizing. It was an eerie and sickening feeling, as if they were waiting for their deaths.

"Just don't wait too late to call for us," Athrun demanded worriedly. He didn't want to her to die out there. He had to protect her for Nicol and Waltfeld's sake. She had already pulled a stupid move once before and he knew that this time he probably wouldn't be there to bail her out.

"I won't Athrun. You worry too much," Amarante replied. Why the hell do you have to sound so much like Nicol too? Every time I see you I see Nicol and it reminds me of my inability to protect Nicol. I can't allow you to lose you too, Athrun thought looking at Amarante's cheerful face.

"Alright," Athrun sighed, "Kira lets go." The boys pushed Amarante in the direction of her mobile suit before leaving for the bridge. Looking over at Athrun, Kira noticed the worried frown plastered across his face. I wonder how much Athrun worried about his teammates during the war, Kira wondered watching his best friend as they went down the hall.

"Don't worry about her Athrun. She'll be fine. She was able to stand her ground against me for a little while right?" Kira replied placing his right hand on his friend's shoulder.

Looking down, Athrun let out a sigh, "yeah but, she won't be able to last long out there. What if she hits her head and forgets again? She's not the best candidate to be left alone and you know that." He couldn't stop worrying about her, she was more of a child age wise then all of them. She was only fifteen, and she shouldn't have been fighting in the first place.

"She may not be the best candidate to be left alone…but she's the best candidate to be left with the Eternal. Athrun, you need to stop worrying about Amarante. She'll be fine," Kira soothed. Athrun needed to stop worrying about every single detail or he'll develop hypertension, Kira thought watching his friend's meek and worried exterior.

"Kira," Athrun sighed weakly only seeing his friend give him a smile.

"I know you don't want her fighting out there but Amarante would never sit inside the ship idly knowing that she had the possibility to make a difference. She has that strong urge to protect as well," Kira reasoned.

"Right…" Athrun muttered seeing Kira's warm smile. How is Kira always so confident? I just really hope Amarante will be okay, thought Athrun looking away from Kira.

In the pilot's lounge, Amarante heard the emergency siren sound off and saw the red lights flashing urgently. So it's already begun…the attack on Boaz, she thought bitterly. Since Kira and Athrun were still not back yet, she had left the hangar to conserve oxygen in her pilot suit. She snatched her helmet floating near-by proceeding out the door and into the elevator to the hangar. Silently, she stuffed her long hair into the back of the helmet before slipping it over her head and closing the visor. As soon as the doors opened she pushed off towards her mobile suit. Observing the scene in front of her she noticed that the mechanics were in their normal hustle trying to finalize the machines before they left for battle. They were screaming at each other to load more ammo and to stop any repairs that were not needed.

"Mare!" she heard a voice call out to her as she reached the cock pit of her GuAIZ. Turning around she saw Athrun and Kira rapidly approaching her. Their faces were pale and their eyes large and dumbstruck. She caught them quickly slowing their quick ascend.

"Has the attack started on Boaz?" Amarante asked as soon as they were in momentary pause. Athrun merely shook his head in his shocked state. Amarante cocked her head trying to figure out what Athrun could possibly be shaking his head at.

"Things have proceeded much faster than we believed. They, they used nukes." Kira began. "Boaz has been destroyed." Amarante's grip on their arms loosened making Athrun believe that she was about to pass out. He took hold of her arm as she began to float away from them.

"WHAT, what about the N-jammers?" Amarante gasped staring into the eyes of her two older friends. Kira this time nodded looking to Athrun to further explain the situation to Amarante.

"It's true. They nuked Boaz," Athrun confirmed. In an instant Amarante began to quiver with an uncontrollable anger. She quickly punched the side of her mobile suit thinking of Le Creuset. So that's what that damn key was, Amarante thought angrily.

"Amarante," Kira soothed reaching out to comfort her only to receive a harsh glare from the girl. They had never seen her so angry, Amarante was always a person was always a cheerful girl which was a trait she received from Mu.

"This was probably his doing…but there's no time to sit around and doddle with the idea. Let's go," Amarante replied her voice shaking with her anger. She gave the boys a harsh shove towards their mobile suits before getting into her mobile suit. Swiftly she activated her machine, releasing the cables attached to it. The mechanics cleared the way for her as she proceeded to the catapult. Pushing off the metal floor Amarante listened to the operator waiting for the signal to leave the ship.

"Amarante…Amarante Takahashi, GuAIZ, launching!" she called out increasing her thrusters bursting into the battlefield. Amarante barely noticed the temporary lag of the cable detaching from her mobile suit. She was too blinded by rage to notice anything besides the desperate fools fighting in front of her. Amarante had that "itch" for utter annihilation until a picture floated in front of her, a picture of her and the Zala Team at lunch. She could remember the events that preceded the picture so vividly when she went into a mad rant in French, Nicol had his arms wrapped around her in a comforting hug, Dearka was trying to make her laugh with a silly face, Athrun was rubbing her back and Yzak, well he was acting like his normal self, glaring down anyone who dared to mess with them, Amarante in particular, again. "Nicol?" she muttered not even noticing Athrun's launch. You don't want me to be angry, is that what you're telling me Nicol? Amarante asked herself before returning to reality. She scanned the area for enemies as the Justice and Freedom docked with their METEOR units. Good luck out there Athrun, Kira, Mu and the others…Amarante thought raising her beam rifle in a supporting manner.

Inside the Eternal Waltfeld watched his little daughter hover around the ship causing him to become rather anxious. She should be fighting the enemy and helping to stop the nukes. Amarante, we're alright…go help out your comrades, DaCosta thought watching Amarante fend off any mobile suit or projectile that approached the Eternal.

"Amarante what are you doing linger around here?" Waltfeld growled. If she did die in battle he'd rather not see her death so up close and personal. Amarante shivered at how much he sounded like an actual Tiger.

"Athrun and Kira told me to protect the ship!" Amarante replied carefully shooting off the head and arm of an incoming GINN. Amarante, you would be that naïve to believe anything that Athrun and Kira tell you. You still have a very innocent heart which means I taught you very well, Waltfeld thought.

"Well that is mighty noble of you but you have a job to do," Waltfeld began. "Get out there and stop those nukes!" Amarante hated being yelled at, it always made her cry. She squirmed in her seat itching to turn off the com system so she wouldn't have to hear him yelling at her.

"But," Amarante muttered as tears began to form in her eyes.

"We'll be fine here Ms. Amarante, please go assist the others," Lacus said warmly.

"Ah…Roger that," Amarante said weakly. With a sigh she knew that Athrun and Kira would be pleased and very displeased to see her. Dammit, there are so many fighting so desperately! Amarante thought watching the battle she was approaching.

"Amarante, what are you doing here?" Dearka asked. "Aren't you supposed to be protecting the Eternal?" Amarante grimaced, Athrun and Kira must have spread the word that she was staying with the Eternal.

"I've received new orders to help stop the nukes," Amarante replied hearing the frantic beeps of her system alerting her to a missile lock. Quickly Dearka shot it down before turning his attention back to Amarante.

"Well we can definitely use the extra help," Dearka replied signaling her to follow him. Yet something was telling Amarante to go in the opposite direction.

"It'll be easier if we split up to stop them. I'll go this way!" Amarante replied cheerfully.

"AMARANTE WAIT! Damn that girl," Dearka called out angrily watching her mobile suit dodge incoming projectiles and mobile suits. Sometimes I wish the Buster was made for mobility, she's a smart soldier, she won't get killed off so easily, Dearka thought before returning to his side of the battlefield. There it is again! Could it be Le Creuset? Amarante flinched carefully making a barrel roll to the left to avoid an incoming beam. Feeling that same sensation again she continued to dodge making her moves sporadic and unpredictable as possible, but her enemy was almost just as quick as her.

"There's only one person who would go after me with such hate and fury, Amaranta," Amarante began switching the com system to her sister's. "Why are you doing this!"

"DON'T YOU FEEL ANY SYMPATHY FOR OUR FATHER?" Amaranta hollered firing haphazardly at her sister.

"Funny, I didn't think you'd ever stoop THAT low dear sister. Have you forgotten who received all his love and admiration?" Amarante snapped.

"STOP BELIEVING THAT, THAT DESERT TIGER MAN IS YOUR FATHER!" Amaranta growled.

"He IS my father! Even if he didn't give my birth to me, HE'S MORE OF A FATHER THAN ICHIRO EVER WAS!" Amarante replied.

"Well Amarante have you ever thought about WHAT would happen after the war? Do you really think that man will take you in? Do you really believe that this Waltfeld character really loves you?" Amaranta screamed.

"YES he does! He deeply cares about me! Not like you know what love is, that corrupt thing that Ichiro spewed to make you loyal to him while he treated me like crap! Trust me if we received equal treatment, I would have stayed, I would have done his wishes, I…I would have joined the Earth Forces," Amarante replied meekly, she relaxed her control on the throttle and joystick. All Amarante ever wanted was to be in her father's grace, to be praised by him, to be loved by him yet he died despising his only other daughter. She quickly came back to her senses hearing the frantic beeping of her machine but just as quickly froze seeing her sister swoop in to kill her with one slash of her beam saber. It was like what Yzak showed her of Nicol's death. Her mind frantically told her to move, but her heart kept her there. To be with Nicol for eternity, it would be her dream come true.

"Even though you've been in longer than I have, you're still an idiot Amarante," a voice called barraging the incoming Strike Dagger. Like a blossoming flower…Shiho! Amarante thought gunning her thrusters in reverse.

"Shiho…you're," Amarante muttered.

"A friend once told me, friendship transcends the battlefield," Shiho replied with a pleased sigh. Although the superior, Amarante was still the younger one and still had much to learn.

"How could you believe that faker? It's obvious that I'm the REAL Amarante!" Amaranta cried out fiendishly. If she could instill doubt in Amarante's friend, maybe she could get her to destroy her. Rolling her emerald eyes Amarante took quick aim and destroyed the strike dagger's right leg.

"Amarante, although at times naïve and innocent, would never be that obnoxious and idiotic to call out to the enemy in such a way!" Shiho snapped.

"Damn you," Amaranta cursed as Amarante approached Shiho stunned.

"We'll talk later, when this battle's over. So who exactly is this girl?" Shiho asked as Amaranta charged them again.

"I thought it would be obvious by the way we sounded," Amarante muttered to herself. "She's my twin sister."

"SHE'S NO SISTER OF MINE!" Amaranta replied shooting at the two Z.A.F.T. machines.

"Shiho do a barrel roll now!" Amarante snapped feeling that sensation again. Is it them…those other people or is it Rau le Creuset? Amarante thought, looking in the direction that she felt this strange presence. Shiho did as she was commanded barely avoiding the green light of a beam.

"Never send a girl to do a man's job," Armand growled.

"Armand? WHAT the hell are you doing here?" Amaranta barked. He was supposed to be on stand-by.

"With the way you fight, you'll just killed without completing the objective," Armand huffed pulling out his Dagger's beam saber charging towards Amarnate.

"Objective?" Shiho muttered firing her machine gun at the new attacker.

"Killing me," Amarante replied coldly counterattacking with the beam claws of the GuAIZ. So you finally have the intent to kill Amarante, that's wonderful! Armand thought in his blood thirsty manor. The mobile suits creaked against each other as the two pilots pressed against each other. Shiho flinched, this couldn't be the amnesiac Amarante that she had met more than a few months ago. She sounded too cold and insincere, was this the real Amarante?

"Your life ends today!" Armand hollered trying to overpower Amarante by pressing his shield against her machine. Rolling her eyes Amarante fired the extensional arrestors into the shield and side of the mobile suit while barraging the main camera with CIWS guns mounted in the head of the mobile suit. As Shiho fended off Amarante's sister she felt her stomach drop hearing an abrupt alert that was followed by a short brief written message.

"AMARANTE GET OUT OF THE WAY THEY'RE GOING TO FIRE G.E.N.E.S.I.S!" Shiho hollered fleeing from the area.

"Genesis?" Amarante questioned releasing the badly damaged Strike Dagger following after her best friend. Amaranta picked up the damaged machine also fleeing from the battle in the direction of her armed forces. That's a huge heat signature, Amarante thought continuing to follow Shiho into the safety zone. She watched in horror as a giant multi-colored laser flew through Earth Federation Forces like a hot knife through butter.

"I…I never imagined," Shiho muttered in a weak voice too stunned to move. She was lead to believe that the Earth Forces were only capable of this type of destruction. Z.A.F.T would never stoop that low, or so she believed.

"Shiho," Amarante called out softly. "Shiho now do you believe that we have to stop Z.A.F.T. and the Earth Forces from annihilating each other? Will you assist me?"

"How could Z.A.F.T. stoop that low?" Shiho responded weakly. She STILL couldn't believe Z.A.F.T. was capable of doing this. When Yzak had brief his team about the destructive weapon, Shiho only believed they were going to use it for scare tactics and scare tactics only. Nor did she believe the magnitude would be so large.

"This is war Shiho, after this…nothing surprises me anymore," Amarante replied coldly.

I'm being a lazy college student right now…so I'm not going to embellish as much as I normally do.