Chapter 20: Honor the Fallen

On the cold plains of the snow covered prairie located on the outskirts of the still rebuilding city, Alex stood in front of his parents' graves. He closed his eyes and pressed his hands together in front of his chest with a little head bow. Father, mother…and sister, it's been five months since my fight ended, and with it my time in the ATSG. In these five months I have wondered the purpose of my life, what is it can someone who was trained to take a life exactly do now? Honestly I'm not really sure even after thinking about it so much. But I know that the blood I have shed can never be reversed. Time only flows in one direction, and I must learn to move with it as well. So I will leave this city, I will travel the world and help as many people as I can. Hopefully, just hopefully I will be able to find a meaning for my life. He bent down to the newly made grave for his sister and cleared the snow from the ground. He took a compact shovel and dug out the small metal box of memories he hid before. With a racing heart, he unlocked the only obstacle in his way and flipped open the lid. Inside were his precious memories of the past. He took out the family photo and smiled happily for he was thankful to each and every one of them. Had it not been for you all, I would not be standing here with this resolve. I know things could have worked out better, but I will do my best to make the most out of what I have.

Alex stood up after having stored the box in his bag. He looked at his sister's empty grave and then up to the sky. Are any of you watching from up above? If you are, I hope you continue to watch over me and I hope I make you proud from now onwards. He felt a few fingers slither in between his as a soft cushy feeling excited his hand. He looked down to find a white cotton glove as bright as the snow mixed with his black leather gloves. Chloe smiled his way and rested her head on his shoulder as the two stared at the gravestones. Alex looked at the family photo and felt his smile widen with even more joy. I have a lot to repent for. But I won't die before I do so. I, both Chloe and I will live together in this world to make it a much better place. I will strive to eliminate corruption, and hatred like you wanted to Sister, but I will do it by showing kindness and trying to come to a mutual understanding with others. I will become the helping hand to help realize the ideals you wished for, to create a pure blue world. The couple turned around and started walking towards their car. Alex looked at the bags neatly tied down in the back and asked. "Got everything you need?"

"Yup," Chloe chipped with an excited tone. He smirked her way and took the driver seat. "Then let's make this a trip to remember not just for us, but for everyone we come across."

The bird chirped, the ocean waves washed back and forth in a hypnotic rhythm and the sun was as bright as ever. On this tropical land of Hawaii stood a beach motel nearing one of the most popular beaches visited by tourists and locals alike all year round. Inside the motel sat an orange haired woman opening the fridge to check the temperature of the freshly made cheese as she took a gentle sip of the new grape wine. A waitress moved towards the entrance of the restaurant and closed the doors when the short hand hit eight and the long hand hit twelve on the clock. It was time for them to close the restaurant for the night.

The waitress locked the main doors and turned the sign over to "Closed". In the kitchen was a pale skinned head chef who wiped the counters clean. He looked up at the orange haired woman entering the kitchen and smiled. "I remember that it's our date night, no need to remind me."

"But we are running late," she replied holding up the movie tickets. "You know I'm super excited to see this one."

"Okay, okay," he laughed at her cute pout. "Give me five minutes for cleanup. Plus you need to still go and get ready yourself."

The orange haired woman, Carolina gave him a seductive smile. "I think my dress will knock your socks off tonight in more ways than one."

"Is there supposed to be some underlying message there?" asked the ex-soldier known as Wash now simply going by the name of David. He cleared his throat trying to control his blush. David finished the last of his cleanup as Carolina watched lovingly. Her gaze however made it harder for him to work as he became more and more self-conscious by the minute. "Um, I meant to ask. How is Siris doing?"

"Oh him," Carolina pulled out her phone and opened up her email app. She opened a photo attachment and showed it to her boyfriend. "It seems like he is very busy being a father, and a husband."

David smiled happily for him for he got the ending he wanted being reunited with his family, and most of all, his daughter. Carolina gently rested a hand on his shoulder with a most stern gaze sending cold shivers down his spine. "So you better bring your A-game tonight David. I want at least three. If you don't, guess who is sleeping on the couch for a month?"

"Y- Yes ma'am."

In their room, Carolina opened her dresser and looked at the various types of fashionable clothing she had collected in the five months gone by. She smiled at the very first piece of dress she got thanks to the help of the girls working alongside them here. Opening this motel with David was the right choice. Not just financially, seeing as how it took off pretty quickly, but socially as well as it gave us the opportunity to meet so many different types of people and become friends. She unfolded the dress and laughed at the memory it scavenged. She was about to buy something what she would now consider completely hideous, it was only by some luck that one of the waitresses and receptionists saw her shopping that they helped her. It was also the very first outdoors dress David ever got to see her in outside of her work clothes. That was quite the date night. I never would have thought that David would have had it in him to be so aggressively romantic.

She took out another dress, a two piece and hanged it in front of herself. Nah, this one won't do. She looked for something easier to move around in, protect her from the night breeze of Hawaii but at the same time show off more of her feminine charms, not that David minded much and she knew that. But to her as a personal point, she had made it a note to start trying to be more physically attractive. She knew that she already had the body, it was the charm she felt lacking in. As she put down another dress with a disappointed sigh, she wondered that out of all the clothes, how is it she has not found something yet. She wanted for tonight to be truly special for the both of them. Just as she was about to give up with yet another sigh and pick up a dress at random, her eyes zoomed towards a red one piece dress that went down to knee length, exposed her shoulders and the nape of her neck. Perfect, this will make him speechless for sure.

David being the ready one always, he had made sure to store his clothes for the date in the worker's area at the beginning of the day. He changed into his formal shirt and pants, checked his wallet and made sure to take all that he needed. He checked the watch and smiled nostalgically. I remember her running late like this for our very first date as well. He looked around the establishment to see many customers going in and out, and the workers, most of who are composed of former ATSG soldiers. He walked towards the deck area of the lodgings and leaned against the railings. One of the workers exited the building for his break and waved towards David. "Looking good boss, going out?"

"I told you guys to stop calling me boss," David smirked back as he adjusted his coat. "Yup, both Carolina and I will be out for the night. So it's your guys' job to hold down the fort till we are gone."

The employee gave a thumb up as he lit up a cigarette. "Boss, can I ask why you decided to open up the beach lodge here?"

"Well aside from you already asking the question," David replied with a sheepish smile and he continued. "I always wanted to retire somewhere tropical, to drink a cocktail out of long glass while sitting back and relaxing on the beach. But retirement doesn't really suit me, so I decided to open this up in Hawaii, so I can get the best of both worlds."

"It's amazing how you have so much clarity on yourself already."

"Well, if you spend a long amount of time thinking on this, anyone can come to have some to," David flexed his fingers while staring at his palm. "Either that, or you just stumble upon it out of sheer dumb luck, haha!"

"Which one was it for you?"

"I guess it was a combination of things. But mostly it was Carolina kicking my ass to get myself in working shape again," David answered with an embarrassed but a thankful smile. "Had it not been for her, who knows whether this lodge would still be around or not."

"Considering the things you have been through already, I am sure it would be," answered the employee. Everyone here knew of one another's past as soldiers, they also understood that some struggled more than others. David smiled patting the man on the back and said. "Well as long as we all stick together, I'm sure I can overcome anything."

"Are you ready David?" asked Carolina walking down in her red one piece dress, high heeled shoes, a vibrantly red lipstick coated her lips and light makeup masked her face. Both the men's jaws went dropping at the sight. If anything, she managed to find some amusement from this. She reached out for the employee's mouth and sealed it shut while let David's hang open. His impressed and clearly somewhat provocative stare started to turn her on. She quickly closed his mouth before she went in for the kiss and held him by his hand while nervously brushing her hair. "S- So, let's get going eh?"

"Hey, check this out," one of the employees motioned to their friend and pointed towards the staff TV. On the screen were three individuals all dressed formally with top and bottom news overlays. The news being discussed regarded the reds and the blues and the events that occurred five months prior. Carolina stopped in her tracks to see their ongoing debate. One of the employees noticed and stood up nervously. "Sorry, I realize you are going out on your date. I didn't think this would interfere with your plans."

David looked at the intense gaze in Carolina's eyes and smiled. "Its fine, even if we are late for the movie, there will always be a next time for it. Right now, this is more important."

It has been a while since I saw that look in your eyes. David led her to the sofa and sat down hand in hand beside her. Such determined eyes only help increase the radiance of your charm. He turned his attention to the TV where he saw the female newscaster discuss the recent developments regarding the rebuilding. "In recent news, the funding dedicated to the rebuilding of destroyed cities has just doubled today. The science budget regarding the study of the nuclear radiation in the affected areas however has seen a slight hit due to lesser tax returns. We will now go live on the streets to see what the people have to say about the reds and the blues involved in this major incident."

A camera man and a reporter approached a man dressed in formal clothing. It was early morning just about when people were ready to head to work. "Sir, could we please have a moment of your time for the news?"

He looked agreeable to the idea. The reporter held the microphone towards him while asking. "What do you think of the involvement of those red and blue soldiers from the UNSC army in the war five months ago?"

The man looked a little angered at the question as he pointed to his car. "Do you see that?"

The camera focused on a broken car, completely smashed from the top to bottom. "I rely on this to get to work every day, to live my life like a normal person. In their war I got caught up, my family got caught up. My car is destroyed because of their fighting that they failed to control. If they were trying to protect us, then they should have pushed them back and driven the fighting to the outer city limits!"

On another scene, another interviewer approached a weary looking woman. She initially felt shocked to be on camera but quickly settled. "What do I think about the involvement of the reds and blues from the UNSC?"

The interviewer nodded while resting the microphone close to her subject's mouth. "I think that they need to pay. We are just normal people who got pulled into the conflict. I mean my son died for crying out loud! He died in my arms suffering from grenade shrapnel. How can I as a mother ever think then that they did good, that they helped us when my own flesh and blood was taken from me?!"

A reporter approached a man in loose clothing and a beanie hat who looked at his destroyed apartment building. "Excuse me sir, I was hoping for some of your time to interview you about the involvement of the reds and blues five months ago. Would you be alright with that?"

He simply nodded in response. The reporter rested the microphone close to him with an ecstatic giggle. "Fantastic, is this your home by any chance?"

He nodded and said. "It was my home. For the past five months I have been living in a government shelter, like the rest whose homes were destroyed."

"Do you hold any grudges against the reds and the blues for this?"

"No," the man calmly noted. "They were just trying to do the best they could having come into the picture after the war began. I can't exactly ask them to be perfect. They did save us from only god knows what world that crazy terrorist organization would have created after all."

"Some people are blaming the reds and the blues for what happened, what are your thoughts on that?"

"Screw that," the man answered with a determined tone. "I am still here, I am still alive. That is all that's important. Even if we lost our homes, our possessions then we can simply regain them. I won't lie by saying we can get it all back, but to blame them is like pushing the blame onto someone because we don't want to help ourselves. Instead, it would be just easier to blame someone else and get it over with. Let's all just be thankful to still be able to breathe the air, taste food and sleep knowing we have weathered out one of the worst storms of our generation."

The screen changed to a father and a son. These were the same father and son that the reds and blues gave their lives to protect in the fighting. The father looked to his son and turned to the camera with a smile. "I don't know if you will get this message. I hope you guys are able to hear it. The reds and blues, two individuals from your group helped to save both me and my son. Were it not for them, I would not be here like this. We would no doubt be lost bodies in the debris. But because of them I'm still alive, we are both still alive. Thank you for fighting for us, to protect us and most of all giving us another opportunity at living our lives. I hope good fortune finds you all."

"And there we go," said the female newscaster. She turned to her two male colleagues and noted. "Those are some interviews we had gathered by going to the streets of affected cities and people. What do you two make of this?"

"To be fair, some of them have a good point," said one man. "It was the reds and blues that escalated the fighting and caused more damage to the cities. If anything, it should be them paying for reconstruction, not the people of America."

"But look at it from another perspective," said the other man. "You saw some of the testimonials that helped to paint the reds and the blues in a positive light. It is clear that many people idolize them now, not just as celebrities but as true heroes. We need more powerful examples like that to help put people into a positive direction for society."

"But this is not positive," argued the first man. "Look at the destruction their actions caused, the number of lives lost."

"Look at the number of lives saved to," said the second man. "We can't look at things from just one side of the issue. If we do so then it becomes so much easier to condemn them for their action rather than trying to fully understand it."

"Of course," said the female newscaster who motioned to a video screen beside her. "I apologize for interrupting you two but we have to move on to the next segment as we go live from the large scale event setup for the reds and the blues by the UNSC. We got special permission to film and stream this live as it happens. Please watch carefully."

On a foreign planet, at a large field filled with several raised rectangular stones, a remote controlled drone activated and the static on the screen cleared. The information recorded was transmitted live with ease. On the land were several red and blue soldiers, all mixed in together. In front of the crowd was a large stage. The drone lowered towards the stage and followed a group of familiar soldiers, the BGC, up the stairs and onto the podium. The camera zoomed out and backed away to give room to the presenters. One by one those of the BGC made an effort to stand up with all their emotional strength, and make a dedicated speech to the fallen. It was clear to everyone that in this short amount of time, both sides had managed to bond beyond what they had imagined. The loss was felt by all. Sarge was the last to dedicate his speech. A group of soldiers with assault rifles all stomped their foot on the ground in unison with a salute. The BGC stood up in a straight horizontal line and gave a salute in return. The weapon wielders raised the rifle in the air at an angle and waited for the prompt. Everyone and Muffins raised their arms into a proud salute as the assault rifles fired.

One by one, the BGC stepped down the stairs to the ground where the crowd had already dispersed to mourn the fallen. The drone followed and looked to their right. There were three people, all sitting around a grave, crying together and comforting one another. The drone looked to the left. There was a red soldier and a blue soldier holding hands together while bowing their head in respect. To the left again, was Grif and Bitters, both speechless only to be consoled by Simmons. To the right as the drone neared the exit of the graves was Iowa, the lone survivor now all alone and his family destroyed. Caboose stood by his side resting his palm atop his shoulder, to let him know that it was alright. They are gone, but he is not completely alone, they will be remembered forever through the many dedications created to the reds and the blues on Earth and all across the UNSC.

The drone stopped at a good shot of the BGC standing by the Pelican bay doors. Sarge motioned for Simmons to follow. Tucker looked quietly alongside Church at the terrible tragedy for hundreds of thousands lie here. Simmons helped to guide Grif back alongside Bitters. While Tucker called Caboose over who took Iowa gently by the arm and led him to a new place he could make a home within. The drone watched the BGC board the Pelican and slowly started lifting up in the air. As it rose higher and higher, the immense number of graves became clear. This was the cost of war. As the drone stopped at the very top having brought every grave into frame, one could easily tell that the casualties extended over two-hundred thousand.

This was war, their worst war yet. Fight, survive, prosper, remember and appreciate. This is what the warriors of the reds and blues now all lived by. Their unity is strong, their bonds are powerful and no one can ever destroy it now. They fought one of their bloodiest wars, and many died bravely, while those that survived strived to do better from now on. They are unyielding soldiers. This was their story, the story of how the reds and the blues saved the Earth as well as the galaxy.

"The Destiny of Man is to unite, not to divide. If you keep on dividing you end up as a collection of monkeys throwing nuts at each other out of separate trees."

- T.H. White, The Once and Future King

~ Fin ~ Cradle of Hope Trilogy

A/N: This is it folks, this is the ending. What did you think of the 'Cradle of Hope' trilogy (Season 17, 18 & 19) in comparison to the 'New Order' trilogy (Season 14, 15 & 16)?

I would love to hear your feedback on it and which one is your better preferred. Before I get to my closing remarks, I have one last musical suggestion.

Musical Suggestion: Spanish Sahara by Foals (play from break line 4 to 5 when the drone shows the live stream of the grave).

Now, a big thank you to everyone who read and supported not just this story but the trilogy as a whole, and super big thank you to bob parley and MKDemigodZ-Warrior for sticking with my journey in writing the Red vs. Blue fan-fics from Season 14 to Season 19.

This was quite a different from the norm RvB style of story in my opinion to work on due to the nature of how apart Carolina was from everyone else. But the massive scale it also took in uniting several reds and blues together was definitely interesting to write. I hope the story was a great read when it comes to considering this now as a complete trilogy.

By the way, if you are reading this before reading the chapter, I suggest you stop here. Read the chapter and then continue reading the author's note. I'm going to list out what happens to the characters after the conflict in clear cut terms in case any of it was left confusing for anyone here.

Washington/David: He wanted to retire initially somewhere tropical, but instead he opened a beach motel with Carolina able to enjoy the tropical area while maintaining his financial security. He is also in a relationship with Carolina.

Carolina: While deepening her like for cheese and wine, she opened the beach motel with David to live a normal life, and is now in a relationship with him looking to the next stages of her life where she hopes to start a family.

Sarge, Simmons, Grif, Tucker, Caboose and Iowa: Goes back to Blood Gulch.

Church: He goes back to Blood Gulch with Tucker now sharing the storage unit with Sigma.

Palomo: He went back to Chorus to be with Jenson.

Bitters: He went back to Chorus still affected by Matthews' death.

Andersmith: He returned to Chorus.

Siris: He goes on to repair his relationship with his daughter, wife and family.

Alex and Chloe: They go on to travel the world to help others in need and are in a relationship.

That should be it. Again thank you for reading and supporting my stories. For now, I'm leaving fan-fiction behind in pursuit of my original storied on fictionpress (under the same pen/user name). But that will be for after a short break. I hope you are able to come and support me there as well :).

A note for any feedback that this story now gets, thank you for taking the time to do so but it will NOT be implemented due to the completed status. I hope this does not hinder your enjoyment.

Catch you all later!

~ Monty Mason

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