SO all the bad things that happened have brought us to the turning point. Another moment is coming that will bring our main characters to another time. The stage is about to change and someone will find their redemption.

Another thing I have to say before the next few chapters progress is that Meiko Virea is the main character of this story. Her role is about to change dramatically!

There is set to be a total of 50 Phases so we're almost to the halfway point!

Phase 19: A Race Run

She heard it, the sound of her little girl crying as she entered the nursery. She walked in quickly and took her small child in her arms comforting her until the little girl felt safe again. This was the life she had chosen now, a life that was about her little girl and the world that she would live in.

"Meiko," she said cradling her and letting some tears flow from her eyes as she thought of everything she had lost, "do you realized how special you are?" The little babe looked at her with her glowing smile that reminded the girl again of her past, "I promise you this, clouds with rage and storms with race in but you will be safe in my arms. Rains will pour down, waves with crash around but you will be safe in my arms. No matter where life takes you, no matter what bad things happen I promise you that I will be here for you, I love you!"

At this moment the girl did not understand how she would be forced to abandon this child to a life of pain and death. The little girl would never have her mother there to hold her when she cried, she was destined to cry alone. The simple dreaming mother had no idea of how she would be chased out of the life she had found and how she would loose her entire life.

You gave up the fight

You left me behind

All that's done's forgiven

I watched the clouds drifting away

Still the sun can't warm my face

I know it was destined to go wrong

You were looking for the great escape

To chase your demons away

I've been so lost since you've gone

Why not me before you

Why did fate deceive me

Everything turned out so wrong

Why did you leave me in silence - Within Temptation, Forgiven

It made no sense anymore, no sense at all to Meiko Virea. She was forced into this lie, this life when all she ever wanted was to be free. Was it so hard? Now her own mistakes had cost her another dear friend, another life and it all could have been prevented if she had gone with Uzumi when he first asked. Uzumi or Trey? It was an almost impossible choice for her but now that Uzumi was gone she wished she could do things over, that she had another chance to save him, just one small chance.

She let out a scream as she cried tears of anguish. Everything was wrong, it wasn't supposed to happen that way! How could she have been so blinded as to not see that they were not out of danger yet! She could have called out to the Freedom or the Justice but instead she did nothing. In rage she stood up and gripped a nearby table throwing it to the floor. She looked up and saw her own reflection in a nearby mirror. Tears had stained her cheeks and her face was flushed. Her hair which was usually in order was now matted and messed. Her red locks echoed the blood she had spilled so many times on the battlefield. The reflection of a guilty warrior who did not deserve to live any longer. She grabbed a nearby object and threw it at the mirror. Shattered glass flew around her and on piece sliced her hand as it was passing by.

She looked down at her hand as she collapsed to the ground and pain went up her arm. As she gazed at her hands she couldn't see the wound but rather she saw the callouses that marked her as a fighter. Her hands were so rough from the hours of time she had spent fighting and killing on the battlefield. She was truly hardened and broken by what she had been forced to become and as she looked toward the broke mirror she saw herself in shards.

"It's my fault," she sighed as more tears streamed down her face, "I'm a monster." Now Uzumi was gone forever because of her, just as she had begun to see the truth. She was sure now that Yaro would never forgive her and she had no place left to run to. No more of a way to leave ROW. She had seen a glimmer of hope in her time with Uzumi and Yaro and now that glimmer was gone and she would be forced to fight Yaro again. This time he would try with all his might to kill her and things would be different. But it wasn't right. Uzumi had given her hope, a hope that had been suddenly taken away.

She thought back to the moment, back to everything he had said. He had begged her to be strong, begged her not to let it change her. If he had done it all for her then her going back to ROW would leave his death in vain. Nothing made sense any more. She no longer had the option of joining Uzumi's friends after what she allowed to happen was there any other way?

Yaro would certainly point a gun at her the next time they met, he would not let her live in this world. He would not understand. She had seen it in the way he had tried to kill her back on the battlefield the moment her mobile suit shot at Uzumi. He no longer felt love for her, it had all turned to hatred.

"Uzumi," she cried out to the air, "You promised me! You promised it would be alright! You said you'd always be here! UZUMI!" Liene watched her from the security camera as fear filled his mind. His perfect solider Meiko was breaking from the death of Uzumi and he was sure she was not going to allow the same thing to happen again. She had beaten the S System, what if she discovered about the backup robotic system as well. They were leaving for ORB soon so that she could see Yaro Yamato's hatred for herself, so that she will feel the same thing for him but Liene knew it was not guaranteed, everything would have to be done very carefully. If she did not kill Yaro he would have to be wary, he could not afford to loose her.

As the shuttle ran Cagalli rushed forward to meet them, something told her that the world was not right and she feared the worst. Though several of the guards that had already exited tried to keep her back she rushed forward. Kira and Lacus exited the ship first both looking at Cagalli with the grimmest of expressions.

"What happened," Cagalli asked desperately as Kira took hold of her trying to get her to move away, she didn't need to see what was coming next, not like this. She cried out looking at Kira with tears in her eyes, "is it Athrun?" Her question was answered as Athrun walked from the ship carrying Uzumi's dead body in his arms. Cagalli ran forward screaming out in anguish as she rushed to her husband and the body of her son. Everyone standing on the dock was shocked at the sight and at that moment everyone present felt sorrow wash over them.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" Cagalli cried out once again but this time no one stopped her, "UZUMI! UZUMI!"

"UZUMI!"

The sun did not shine in ORB that day as the nation received the official announcement of what all had taken place in space. They all knew ROW had taken something from all of them, their beloved prince and part of the future of their country. The next day was the day of the memorial and once again the sun hid behind stormy clouds. The nation turned out to the capital to pay their respects to a fallen hero, the boy who had in the past inspired them all with his wisdom, the boy who had shone them hope and the boy who they hoped would one day take his mothers place in the council. All that was gone.

The day was very dark and as the day went on the clouds thickened. This did not stop the people as they lined the streets to watch as Uzumi's body would be brought to the memorial site and buried beside the memorial of his grandfather. Cagalli looked out of the car she was in toward the streets and they all saw the sadness through her tears. She saw that they all held lit candles in honor of Uzumi, her firstborn son.

She held onto Jeffery as the drove through and Athrun held onto them both knowing that he had to protect them with his life for they were all he had left now.

They reached the memorial site and watched as the casket was lowered into the ground. Yaro felt numb to it all, he had cried he had angonized over it and now he felt nothing anymore except hatred for those who had caused this. Leyas and Kiran both tried to comfort Kayla but she had ended up comforting them, somehow her strength had not faded. She had cried but she knew what was important now, making sure he didn't die in vain.

The nation watched as it's leaders stood before them now. Athrun and Cagalli stood on the nation's stage both standing back as the ministers made statements on the tragedy of the day. It was very hard for either of them to speak and everyone understood how broken they would be. Lacus Clyne also stood there with Kira Yamato and her family and the whole situation had been explained to the nation and to the world. They had fought ROW together and they were longtime allies from the first bloody valentine war, they would continue to stand together no matter how the world took it and no matter how the PLANTs reacted. The people accepted this now for it was because of Lacus Clyne that their nation was saved from the PLANTs before in the second bloody valentine.

With a heavy heart Athrun knew it was his turn to step forward and speak, to speak for his son whom was gone from his life forever.

"I remember when I first came to this nation as Cagalli's fiance," Athrun began looking out and trying to be strong, "it was very hard for most to accept me as my past was not a happy one. As soon as Uzumi was born none of that mattered anymore, because he was everything that a nation's prince should be. He was the strongest, kindest and bravest child I have ever seen. Uzumi and his brother were both so very special to me in different ways. I trained Uzumi from the time he was a little boy in mobile suit combat, he was always eager to learn but he also felt that he should learn what it was like to be in public service like his mother. He cared about everyone he met and never once did I ever hear him speak an unkind word about anyone or to anyone. One of the last thing he said in life was 'It's going to be alright.' He knew he was going and he was concerned about me." Athrun felt tears breaking free from his control as he remembered what it was like to hold his son unable to help him.

"We as a nation must never forget how much he sacrificed for us in that last battle," Athrun said starting back again after wiping away his tears. Anger filled him as he spoke the next words, "and we will never forget who caused this young and innocent life to leave us! ROW was behind this and they will pay for everything they have done! For every hurt they have cause through these actions! We must all vow today that we as a nation will not allow ROW to continue destroying lives the way they destroyed Uzumi's! Hear this now ROW we will never forget!" The crowds agreed with Athrun shouting toward ROW themselves as Athrun stepped down with tears rolling down his face, he could no longer hold back. He embrace Cagalli who had just lost it as well as the whole nation blew out their candles as one saying goodbye to their prince, the most selfless person any of them had ever seen.

Meiko stood in the audience with a hood hiding her face from the stage and when she blew her candle out she felt as if her life was leaving for her. Mike stood behind her watching over her as Liene worked on something else.

"Do you want to leave now?" Mike asked her knowing how this effected her.

"No," Meiko turned to him, "I need to do something alone, I don't need you there." He looked at her with understanding and he knew that she was very different than she had been before and that if she ever discovered how Liene was the one who did this she would hate him more than anything. She now hated herself taking upon her own heart the blame for the boy's death, it hurt Mike to be unable to tell her the whole truth but he knew she had to find everything out on her own now.

He watched as she fled the memorial ceremony now heading toward the cliffs to say goodbye in her own way.

Meiko ran through the park as rain started pouring down, she was right outside of the school now. She saw the spot where she and Uzumi had first met and she collapsed down beside it hugging her knees and letting herself cry. It didn't matter how cold or rainy it was, she needed this moment.

"You said you'd be here," she whispered again, "why did you have to go?" She heard footsteps approaching and looked up to see an older couple standing there with an umbrella. The woman had brown hair while the man had blond. They both were looking at her and whispering something to each other. The woman then left the man and approached her and knelt down beside her.

"Hello," she said in a kind voice, "my name is Murrue, me and my husband couldn't help but notice you and we were wondering what was wrong and if we could do anything to help you."

"Thanks," Meiko said standing up, Murrue followed the gesture and stared at her as if she had seen her before. "I don't think you can help me," Meiko said sadly looking down, "I just... I just..." More tears filled her eyes as a sob took her over before she was able to speak again, "He promised it was going to be alright! He said it was going to be alright." Tears took her over again and Murrue looked to Mu and he came over there to offer support to the girl who was clearly suffering.

"There is something about you," Murrue said looking at her again and studying her, "as if I know you." Something then filled Murrue's eyes that Meiko did not understand and she looked toward Mu; he had the same look on his face as they both looked at her.

"You don't know me," Meiko said, "I'm not... I mean I don't know." She wasn't sure what to say to them, they both looked so kind and she knew she didn't know either of them.

"What is your name?" Murrue asked looking into her eyes as if she saw something in her.

"Meiko," she responded a little quick, "Meiko Virea."

"Well you remind me of someone Meiko," Murrue said, "but I can't quite place it. Do you have somewhere to go?"

"Yes," Meiko said, "I have something I have to do now."

"Well it was nice meeting you," Murrue said putting out a hand, "I hope you find peace Meiko Virea." Meiko took her hand and nodded before turning away. Once they were out of sight she ran again, she did not deserve any kindness from anyone. She ran till she stood there staring out to the ocean as a numbness overtook her. She did not deserve the right to feel. She could not feel, she was not hers and she was not real. Her whole life was just a bad dream and when prayed that she would wake up and find herself a child again sleeping in her mothers arms safe and warm. She thought through her life again back to the only memory of her mother and in that moment she held her heart necklace in her hand.

The simple heart had been with her for her entire life, since the day her mother left her. It was this necklace that showed her in that moment that she was someone. Her heart was hers and she knew that something on the inside of her was changing, from the moment that Uzumi spoke to her she knew. Everything was changing.

Kira watched his son through the entire memorial and through the gathering that was held afterward where many government officials had come to pay their respects. He had seen the look on Yaro's face before on the faces of many people who had just lost someone. Yaro Yamato was filled with more anger than he had ever had. The sadness had gone and in it's place Kira saw that Yaro wanted vengeance. It no longer mattered to him that the girl who piloted the Pain was once his friend and that Uzumi was trying to save her. He knew Yaro blamed himself for what happened to Uzumi. In truth Kira knew the fault was his own because he had not disabled the Pain before letting Yaro face it. He was so focused on getting back in the battlefield he did not even think very much about it. He still wondered now what had went on, Yaro and Uzumi both clearly believed in this girl during the battle but now Yaro wanted her dead.

The services had ended and everyone had begun to rest for the day out of the public eye. There was so much grief around him that Kira felt that the whole house was bogged down in deep sorrow. Kira saw Yaro sitting down in front of a window in a room all alone and knew that now was a good time to speak to him about what happened and to try and help him. Kira knew the path of revenge since he went down it once and he knew that Yaro would regret anything he did in this anger.

"Yaro," he said getting his son's attention, "tell me about what happened while I was away. Who was this Meiko?" He saw anger glint in Yaro's eyes at the mention of her name.

"There is so much to say about her," Yaro replied looking out toward the sun which was due to set in an hour or so, "she was like something out of a dream. I met her on the cliffs..." He looked out as if to make a mental note of something and Kira wondered what he was thinking, he then continued, "we spent a lot of time together, exploring ORB, sharing hopes and dreams, and just living life. Then the whole thing with ORB and the PLANTs happened and I saw her for the last time here. She told me that she was a ROW agent and that she wanted me to stay away from her for my safety. She even warned me that something was coming before the PLANTs threatened us. She said ROW was making her choose between her friends and that they would kill someone she knew if she left. I knew she needed help so I was going to save her. Uzumi said he was going to save her as well but she killed him!"

"Calm down," Kira said putting a hand on his shoulder as he saw Yaro was working himself up over everything, "I remember that her machine stopped in the middle of it's battle several times. What exactly did she say to you?"

"She was worried about me for some reason," Yaro scoffed, "but then something attacked her, some system in her mobile suit or something, so she claimed. She said it was hurting her and that she couldn't control herself so that was when the Pain almost killed me but Uzumi came and he told me to fall back..."

"You don't have to say any more," Kira said comforting him knowing that the death of Uzumi still pained him though much of his greif was replaced by anger.

"I know," Yaro said looking out, "because I know now what she is! She is not a victim but rather a full fledged member of ROW! She is like all of them, damned scum who all deserve to die!" Kira did not like this darkness he was seeing portrayed now. Yaro had always been such a level headed and kind, this side of him frightened Kira for he knew where this would lead.

"Revenge and death are not the answer Yaro," Kira began before begin cut off.

"Of course you would say that!" Yaro yelled, "you don't get it! She betrayed us and we thought she was our friend! Even Leyas feels the same way!"

"Yaro calm down!" Kira ordered.

"It doesn't matter any more," Yaro said walking toward the door, "I have to go." Kira watched him leave knowing that Yaro could not be left alone right now. He called upon a few ORB guards to accompany him, he would have to watch his son carefully now.

The council was gathered again after a long day of memorial for necessary reasons. The ROW forces were still sitting on their border in space and many of the leaders suspected that they were trying to repair the STING.

"We will not stand for this!" Gratsler yelled for once being on Cagalli's side, or rather ORB's side. However misguided some of his sentiments were he stood by his country with dignity. Now the whole nation had been slighted by ROW with the death of Uzumi, and it had showed at the memorial when everyone had crowded the city to pay their respects. This day was a day that would live in infamy to ORB, for this was they day they would decide to show their strength.

"I agree with Gratsler," another senator said, "they have slighted all of us in this and it will not stand! We are standing with the Clyne faction with everything we have, no matter what the PLANTs have to say about it! ROW is going to regret everything they did!"

"We will not attack another nation," Cagalli spoke finally with tears in her eyes, "we will not allow another nation to attack us and we will not intervene in the conflicts of other nations. These are the words my father stood by, the words ORB was founded on. But now we have been attacked, so now everything is justified. We must not hold back..." She couldn't take it any longer, she couldn't be strong anymore. She leaned down with her hands on the desk in front of her holding her up and she cried out her sons name again letting all her greif flow in a rain of tears that matched the rain outside. Today a nation had been brought to it's knees and next it would stand up in stregth. She felt Athrun's arm around her and when she looked at him she saw his resolve, his anger and knew that he would fight ROW with everything that he had.

As would their entire nation. They would all fight to make sure nothing like this would ever happen again.

It was all wrong now. His parents had tried to comfort him but they were too broken, they were not strong enough for this. No one was. Jeffery Zala was breaking all alone because he knew that everyone felt the way he did, and that no one could tell him that it was going to be okay because he knew that they themselves did not believe it. His brother was gone and now he was the only prince ORB had left. He loved his brother so much and always looked up to him, now he did not have him there to guide him through. Jeffery knew he was going to have to take on Uzumi's role in the nation but he knew he would be unable to be as good has his brother.

"Jeffery," he looked up to see his friend Nessara standing in his doorway, he had not seen her since he had stayed out of school for the past week and now she was here, "your mother let me in." She saw that he couldn't control his tears and seeing him like this made her cry as well.

"He was my brother," Jeffery said trying to speak to her, "and now he's gone forever." Nessara knelt down beside him, his best friend did not understand what it was like to loose someone so special to you. She thought about Alicesia and how scared she was about her sister going into battle and wondered what she would have felt if she had lost her.

"I know Jeffery," Nessara replied putting a hand on his, "no one is going to expect you to just stand up strong now."

"But I am ORB's only prince now," he said crying more, "Uzumi was always so good at it! Now I don't have him here to help me! What do I do?" She embraced him as he started sobbing and she cried as well.

"I don't know Jeffery," she said, "but I do know that he will always be with you as long as you hold onto his memory. So don't let go! Just don't let go." She held onto him, her best friend protectively now knowing that he would be fragile for a long time now. She would make sure to be there for him through all this, because he needed her now.

"I'm on her now," Liene said talking over radio to one of his agents, "make sure the forces know we will be returning soon. How many days till it's ready?"

"Two," the man said, "our repair teams have figured it all out and they are replacing the affinity ring with a much stronger one. This time they won't be able to stop it so easily." Liene smiled at this, it seemed that all the plans his enemies had were useless. The end of them all was near. They would suffer the same fate as Uzumi Zala and he would attend their memorials as well, laughing at their failure.

"Liene will not make the same mistakes twice," Milady said as they floated before a window looking down to earth. Yzak had been helping her plan their next operation, she held on to something she knew and she knew what the next battle would result in, "he is going to make sure the Pain is fighting in the next battle and he is going to protect the STING this time around."

"Are you sure they can repair it? Kira and Athrun did knock the power out of it," Yzak replied.

"More sure than ever," Milady said with a slight smile, "and now I know what happens next. That machine must be destroyed this time around."

"But I think Lacus and the others know that the explosion of the machine would cause devestation for anyone near it," Yzak was a bit suprised at the idea himself but destroying it was risky, "anyone who got to that point would have to be very very fast in order to make it out of the net and all the ORB and Clyne faction ships would have to get out of the range of the blast. No mobile suit in heaven or earth can move that quickly!" He then saw the look in her eyes and knew what she was thinking.

"It all is clear to me now," she said, "we will sit out the next battle but that will be the end of it. We will be fighting ROW soon, be ready!"

"Sitting out cost us last time," Yzak argued, he wanted to fight alongside his friends, "and now none of them will ever be the same!"

"If things get that bad again I'll let you fight," Milady replied floating toward the door, "at any rate Liene now knows where the A1 is, so he won't care about getting Lacus alive or not. Now let's be ready for anything Yzak, our next mission depends on speed and stealth."

He had felt it, a familiar unction in his mind and it had led him here. He was armed and ready for he knew what he would find and he knew what he wanted to do. Meiko Virea was a fool to ever think that she deserved him as a friend and he was more of a fool for thinking that he could just take her away from ROW. Hatred and anger flowed through him as he had tried so many times to understand what had happened. He knew that his mother was having the Journey's fight records extracted, which was hard because of what a mess it was but he knew the whole truth. Meiko Virea had made her choice and she had chosen to fight with ROW rather than to escape.

He turned toward the cliffs and saw her there standing staring out to the sunset, like she had so many times during the time that he and her were both in ORB. When everything was simple, when she was just Meiko and he was just Yaro. He walked closer and closer not knowing what to say first or even if to speak at all. He could kill her now when her back was turned but he knew it wasn't that simple. He wanted her to suffer the way he had suffered.

She turned to see him standing there and saw in his eyes something that she had seen hundreds of time on the battlefield, a desire for vengeance. Tears welled up in her eyes seeing him this way, he was always such a light to her but now he shared in the anger of a warrior. She felt the darkness in her mind well up for a moment then sink back and she realized it for what it was now, a warning of coming danger and Yaro brought that danger for he wanted her dead now for what she did in space.

"Yaro," she began trying to begin explaining things to him, "I didn't do it! I didn't know, it wasn't me." He pulled out a gun and pointed it at her with hatred in his eyes.

"Save it Meiko," he said and she took a step back in fear, the hatred she saw was something she had seen before in another's eyes.

"You don't even know what happened!" She protested as anger started filling her now. Yaro was not listening to her, he was not letting her reason with him!

"I don't need to know," he yelled, "all I know is that you killed Uzumi." She drew a sharp breath as the moment flashed through her mind again and his words filled her soul. He was dying and he worried about her, the aftermath of it all.

"It's going to be alright."

"Yaro I can't deny that I was in the Pain," she said anger filling her now, "but I did not pull the trigger!" She pulled out her own gun pointing it back at him. Now they were on even ground. She hated this, the weight of the weapon in her hands and the hatred issuing forth from him while she was crying and beginning to feel what he felt. Why wouldn't he just listen to her now? The darkness inside of her was growing with every accusation as she tried to suppress it but she could not.

"Liar!" Yaro accused, "you lied to us from the very beginning! You betrayed us to ROW and you are still with them!" Everything he said now was true.

"Uzumi saved me Yaro," she said, "I don't know why because I'm not worthy of life. But when the Pain was hurting my mind his words brought me back. So Kill me if you must, let his death be in vain!" They both stood there guns pointed at each other, something she never wanted to happen, this was not who she was. She saw hesitation in his eyes and that was all she needed to she she lowered her gun suppressing her anger and fighting the hatred that threatened to take her over. Yaro was someone whom she had depended on and now he was her worst enemy carrying everything she did not want to feel. She knew that whatever they had was over now.

"Meiko," he said cocking in the gun as she dropped her weapon and closed her eyes. The shot never came as she heard someone else there. She opened her eyes and turned to see Liene standing behind her, defending her with a gun pointing toward Yaro.

"Drop the gun foolish boy!" Liene ordered, "NOW!" But Yaro had defense as well as suddenly Kira Yamato jumped out from a nearby rock holding a gun and a few ORB soldiers showed up to back him.

"You drop yours Liene!" Kira said with authority. Meiko had never seen him before in person but his presence was enough that she knew who he was. He looked at her and in his eyes she saw sympathy and kindness. He had no reason to show that to her when she had just killed someone that was close to his family. More tears came from her eyes when she turned back and saw Athrun Zala standing among the ORB gaurds. She had killed his son, he deserved the right to kill her.

"So I see we have a stand off," a few more ROW guards showed up as well as Liene spoke.

"Take Yaro back," Kira ordered a nearby guard but Yaro did not move.

"She was the one!" he said angrily pointing at her, "everything was her fault! She doesn't deserve to live!" The hatred in Yaro's voice was evident and Liene smiled at it knowing that his suspicions were correct, this boy was performing his role perfectly without even knowing it.

"Then kill me!" Meiko almost yelled but Liene pushed her back.

"Make a choice now Meiko," Kira said, he had listened to the flight records of Uzumi's Journey right before coming as Lacus had stopped him and showed him. Uzumi had given his life trying to save her and she was not the one controlling her machine, she was about to go with him when it happened. Kira knew now that she was just as broken as any of them over what had happened and she no doubt wished she could change it all. He saw her now, crying before them all and something about her made him realize that she did not want this life. It was the same thing Uzumi had seen and what had caused him to stay with her until the end.

"She has no choice!" Liene responded angrily, Kira was getting on his nerves now.

"I think that is for her to decide," Kira said turning to her, "I forgive you Meiko. You have a chance to end this now!" He held out his hand to her and her breathing increased as memories of Uzumi doing the same thing flashed through her mind. It was then that Athrun stepped forward. She could see the darkness in his eyes and she wondered what it was that he wanted but he said nothing, he simply looked at Yaro and at Kira.

"SHE HAS NO CHOICE! She belongs with us," Liene said yelling and cocking his gun. A ROW agent, one that Kira recognized from Mars, stepped forward and grabbed a hold of Meiko.

"Meiko?" Kira still spoke to her ignoring Liene's threats. She knew now what she did would decide this situation. If she defected now there would be a battle here but if she did not then Liene would hold off till space where Kira and Athrun would show him their true strength. She did not want any more people to die because of her.

"I can't," she said with tears flowing from her eyes faster than ever, "it was all my fault! Everything was my fault!" The ROW agent then led her away from the scene comforting her.

"This isn't the end Meiko," Yaro yelled to her, "next time we meet in battle, I'll kill you!" What Meiko saw in that moment was something go off in Athrun, like a realization that he had at that moment. Suddenly his eyes were filled with confusion and sympathy as he looked back toward her. He walked over to Yaro and then took him away from there.

"We can settle this now Liene," Kira said looking toward the man now standing before him, both their guns were pointed at each other.

"Or we can settle it in space," Liene said with an evil smile, "for if I die here everything ROW has in the world will bombard ORB till it falls, for that will be at least one victory before the organization crashes. Or we can settle this in space, for even now my forces are regrouping as are yours."

"Then space," Kira said as they both lowered their guns, "and we will be stronger for we will never forget what you have done."

"Likewise," Liene replied thinking about Meiko, Kira had almost gotten to her like that boy before. He had to fall in the next battle. Liene would use the Pain to accomplish this for Kira would now be just as foolish as that boy.

"Why! How can you just forgive her?" Athrun questioned when they made it back to the house and Kira had led him into a room to show him something. When Athrun had seen Meiko for himself he knew that there was anger in her over what happened and he had seen her sadness yet a large part of him felt hatred toward her for what she did.

"I can forgive her because she didn't do it," Kira said clicking a button on a computer and playing it, the tape of Uzumi's last battle retrieved from the Journey and send to them by Andrew Waltfeld.

"Meiko you don't have to go back to them, you know now that you don't, they will just make you go through all this again. They aren't going to let your friend live once they learn you didn't destroy me when you had the chance, it's too late for that now. Come with me, and you will never have to fight again, Meiko you're a good person. The death that they force you to participate in only causes pain, no one should kill another don't let them fill you with hate! Come with me." Athrun listened shocked, this was his son's voice.

"UZUMI RUN!"

"MEIKO!"

"NO! I'm not doing anything! It's just moving!" Athrun's breathing quickend as he listened

"MEIKO!"

"Uzumi RUN! I can't control it! UZUMI!"

"Meiko! Don't let this change you, It's going to be alright if you just listen to me, don't let hate consume you. Don't let them control you! Listen to me you have to be strong Meiko."

"Don't you leave me! Don't you dare leave me!"

"Its' going to be alright! I will never really leave you, I'll always be here, It's going to be alright." Fresh tears filled Athrun's eyes as everything made sense now. Uzumi had fought to save her all along and she had nothing to do with what happened. She was the victim of ROW and they were going to let her take the blame for everything that had happened. The anger that had filled him would have led him to kill her when it wasn't really her who did it, but rather someone who took control of her mobile suit.

"We can't let Yaro fight her!" Athrun said wiping the tears from his eyes, "her mobile suit does not respond to her own commands, no matter what she want's she is being manipulated! Kira, Yaro want's her dead!"

"Yaro knows this is the case Athrun," Kira said sighing and looking down, "He has known all along but he still blames her. Nothing we say to him will change that, I've already tired." Athrun could not believe this, Kira was not going to give up on his son. Athrun knew what it was like to loose a child and he did not want Kira to feel that pain. Yaro's death on top of Uzumi's would destroy them all, this was not a battle he could be allowed to fight in.

"We are not letting Yaro be us!" Athrun yelled and a memory snapped in Kira's mind.

He was fighting Athrun with everything within him. He hated him, he killed Tolle now he would suffer!

"Athrun," he said thinking over it all. They had fought so hard to kill each other and in the end they had both suffered from it, thinking the other dead they both questioned their right to live. Revenge, it was something that fuled so many. It had consumed Shinn in the past as well, because Kira had killed someone that he had cared about. It didn't matter that it was an accident or that Kira did not want to kill revenge was still pointed at him. It now no longer mattered to Yaro what Meiko felt, only that she was in the Pain at the moment of Uzumi's death, it was enough for him. Someone had to pay and in his mind that someone was Meiko.

"I'm going to speak to him!" Athrun said, "we have to prevent this."

"It's truly tragic the way life goes," Liene said, "I know what it is like to loose people I care about Meiko," he looked out the window thinking about it, every moment in his life flashing before his eyes. "It truly breaks you." He looked at her and saw the numb expression on her face, seeing Yaro had given her a shock. She knew he was angry but seeing his hatred had done exactly what Liene thought it would, it had driven her into madness and she would take up the sword once again and raise it against his foes.

"Everything has faded now," she replied looking down, "I can't reach my soul."

"My father was murdered in front of me when I was fifteen for siding with coordinators," he sighed, "and later my wife and son were killed because I chose the path my father did. I know how it feels Meiko and I am here to tell you that the pain you feel with fade and all you will be left to remember them with is your anger. Grasp that anger, take it in and use it for if you let it go then the memory of those you loved will fade." She looked at him blankly and he did not know what she was thinking now. She looked inside herself and saw her own anger but she also heard the words Uzumi had spoken to her. The path Liene wanted her to take was not one that she could allow herself to take. If she did then Uzumi's memory would be in vain. But would it be so bad to let her anger out for once, to fight for herself and for no one else? Yaro was going to try to kill her and in that case should she fight him back or should she surrender?

The day after the memorial was another dark day and a surprise awaited them all as the Minerva pulled into ORB's port after a long absence. Kira and Lacus went down to meet them with a group of ORB soldiers as Athrun and Cagalli were still too filled with grief. It was hard for both Kira and Lacus to share the horrible news to people whom were as close as family to Uzumi. Shinn was family to him in a way, he was always there as Uzumi was growing up and he had helped Uzumi through many hard times.

"ROW is going to pay!" Shinn said in anger clenching his fists and crying out in anger, "THEY ARE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!"

ORB had not been exaggerating when they had said that ROW would pay for the death of their prince. They were sending ten more ships along with the Minerva and two mobile suit carriers. Morgenrate had unveiled upgrades for the Justice and the Destiny that had been conmissioned by Lady Cagalli herself. Two attachments that would allow them to move faster and to fire a weapon with the fire power. It had been two days since the memorial and the scouts had sighted ROW forces moving back toward ORB airspace.

This time things were different though, Athrun would not go to space. He was completely shaken by what had happened and he realized now that his place was with his grieving family, Cagalli and Jeffery. He could not leave them alone now for he would never forgive himself if ORB was attacked and they were taken from him as well. Kira respected his choice. Athrun had never gotten the chance to speak to Yaro who was avoiding everyone it seemed but he had encouraged Kira to try again. Now Kira and Athrun shook hands as the team set off once again to fight ROW off and to defend their contry and their honor.

"I don't think that we are completely out of danger from the STING," Kiran said to Alicesia. Both of them were on a shuttle headed back to the Tranquility.

"But your father said it was done," she replied, "he said they had beaten it."

"Yes," Kiran said looking down, "they beat it but they did not completely destroy it and because of that, I am sure it will be back."

"So that girl is being forced to fight?" Shinn asked, Kira had just finished filling him in on everything he knew about the Pain and it's pilot, "if that is the case then why did she refuse your offer?" It was something Kira had asked himself many times, was this girls situation simply played out so that they didn't fight her with everything they had or was she really being held against her will.

"I don't know," Kira said, "but I've been thinking about the past a lot lately. It just doesn't seem right that so much of what we fight for only leads to more and more pain. I remember trying to kill Athrun in the first war and I remember fighting you in the second. And after all that look at us now we are all such close allies and it makes me wonder if we should try harder to save Meiko. Uzumi believed in her, so much that he was more concerned about her in the end than himself, there was really something special about that boy." Hearing his name still left Shinn aching, he had visited Uzumi's grave before they left but he hated that he had missed his memorial.

"The whole nation decided to fight because of him," Shinn sighed and Kira heard the upset in his voice. "If he was really fighting for her can we allow his death to be in vain?"

"Shinn I have tried to talk to Yaro about all this but he won't listen to me," Kira looked out toward space, "he want's revenge so badly that he has forgotten how to think of anything else. If he fights her again then he will destroy himself yet we can't just force him not to fight, he'll just go out anyway. He'll find some way."

"I'll talk to him," Shinn said clenching his fists, "I am tired of watching each generation repeat the past generation's mistakes. One thing is certain Kira, in the next battle you have to take down that machine before Yaro get's to it. Disable it and then take the girl hostage, of ROW values her they will certainly cease fire if we take her." Kira did not like that idea one bit, it reminded him too much of Lacus when she was held hostage and if he did bring her aboard one of their ships her safety would not be guaranteed. So many others blamed her for what happened as well.

"I think she is valued," Kira said, "on Mars I heard her name spoken a few times and there is something about her that, I don't know..." He had been thinking about it since he had seen her, something about her just didn't seem normal.

"Stellar Louisier," Shinn said walking into the room where Yaro Yamato stared out into space.

"What?" Yaro asked him and for the first time Shinn saw what Kira and Athrun were so concerned aboout. In Yaro's eyes Shinn saw the same anger and hatred that had consumed him so many times in his life but he saw something else as well, a deep darkness about this boy that he did not understand. He wanted this Meiko dead and he would stop at nothing to kill her, it was the same as the story Shinn was going to tell him and Shinn only hoped he could make a difference.

"The name of the girl your father once killed in the second bloody valentine war," Shinn replied sitting down next to Yaro, "she was part of an extended program that the earth alliance had. Her body was chemically altered to make her fight more like a coordinator and they forced her to fight. Kira was only defending a city when he did it, he had no choice at the time but I hated him for it."

"He killed her?" Yaro asked a little surprised.

"Yes," Shinn responded taking the open opportunity he had now, "after I mourned for her I swore that I would destroy the Freedom and kill it's pilot, see I did not know Kira at the time but Athrun tried to stop me. I was so obsessively blinded by my hatred that I never really thought about what had happened or why things went the way they did, I just took the easy way out and blamed Kira." Shinn felt the heaviness of the memories of that time on him now. His actions had been very reckless and wrong, Kira had only killed Stellar because he had seen no other way. The machine she was in was destroying the city and Kira was trying to destroy the machine without killing her but there was no way.

"But you didn't kill my father," Yaro said with a glint of confusion in his eyes, "and you are friends today."

"No I didn't kill him," Shinn said holding out his hands, "but I did shoot the freedom down. I completely destroyed it and in the process I hurt Kira badly and caused the Archangel to be without protection for awhile. It took me a long time to realize how wrong my actions were. Hatred and vengance never turn out right and they always leave you hollow."

"Not this time," Yaro said anger filling him as he grasped it because it was all he had left. All he had left of Uzumi was vengeance and no one would take that away from him.

"The same thing that happened to me happened to both Athrun and Kira," Shinn went on still trying to get through to him and sensing that it wasn't doing any good at this point, "they both had killed a friend of each other. They were best friends and children and when they met again they were each others worst enemies. They tried hard to kill each other but once they both thought they had succeeded they both felt as if they should have died themselves. It left them hollow. Yaro you can't go into battle with a mindset ready for revenge, it will consume and break you!"

"And yet your still here," Yaro replied, "my father and my uncle are both still here. Shinn she killed him, no matter what anyone says about her being unable to control her mobile suit the fact is she killed him. She was strong, stronger than most people I know and if she had wanted to she could have stopped it."

"Just think about what I've told you Yaro," Shinn responded trying not to loose his cool at this moment. Part of him wanted to yell at the boy but he knew it would do no good. As he stood up and walked out he looked back to see tears falling from Yaro's eyes, perhaps he had broken through just a little. Or maybe he had made no difference at all.

She sat outside his cell leaning against it crying, he stuck his hand through the bars to her shoulder comforting her in any way he could. Trey Likra Day had never seen her like this, she was broken and suffering while he was here rotting in this cell. As soon as she had returned to the ship she had snuck down to see him and he had been shocked. He could barely recognize her, everything she was had gone.

"It was so awful," she sobbed, "and Yaro is going to kill me." She had also told him about ORB, everything she could between sobbing and breaking down. He hated being behind bars through everything, she was being forced to go through it all alone and he knew she would not be able to take much more of it. He hated Liene for everything he was doing to her, she didn't deserve this anymore but it seemed that she had lost all hope of a way out because of him. She had refused to leave because she was scarred they would kill him and she had turned in her other friends for him. Now this Yaro hated her because her mobile suit had killed his friend, not because of anything she had done. Trey knew what had happened, Liene had completed his new system with backup measures to keep Meiko from defecting and she deserved to know the truth.

"No," Trey said comforting her, "listen to me Meiko you have to forget about me now, all that is important is you escaping this."

"What are you saying Trey?" she looked at him frantically, "I couldn't bear it if anything were to happen to you! I've already lost Uzumi please don't ask me to loose you as well."

"I'm asking you to save yourself Meiko," he said, "when I was last at a ROW base I overheard about a system Liene was planning to install in your mobile suit. A system that would force you to fight and give him the ability to control your mobile suit. Meiko he is using you and he killed Uzumi to hurt you! He know's what he is doing and he doesn't want you to know about it."

"How can you be sure?" she said anger rising in her at the thought.

"Because of everything you have just told me," he responded taking her hand, "Meiko you are the only friend I have left in the world, my family was killed in the wars on earth and I need to know that you will be safe. You have to disarm that system before you go into the next battle then you have to defect. I met Kira Yamato when he was captured and he will not allow anything to happen to you if you ask him for refuge, he is one of the best people in the world."

"But if I go they will kill you," she cried as more tears flowed from her eyes, "they will kill you!"

"And I'll die happy knowing that you are safe," Trey said.

"There has to be another way," she said thinking but not finding any answers. She would have to be strong but it was too hard for her but it should not be. Liene had betrayed her trust with this mobile suit system and she would now allow him to use her in that way again. She had to tell Yaro the truth and she had to decide what to do.

Could she really just leave ROW now? Could she really just face her fears and earn her freedom? It was what Uzumi had wanted her to do, but how would Yaro react? Would he ever forgive her?

"Daddy," Kira turned to see Kayla standing there, Lacus had insisted in bringing her up as Cagalli and Athrun were still in mourning. The truth was Lacus was scarred of her child being out of her sight now that one had already fallen but Kira was the only one who knew this.

"Kayla," Kira said bending down to her level and giving her a hug, when he released her she spoke.

"We are going to win the battle," Kayla said with a slight smile, "but I fear the tears are not going to end. Daddy, I've seen things in my dreams. You have to protect Yaro." Kira wondered what had been going on with his little girl since he had been gone. She had apparently used the seed mode to make a speech like her mother back when Lacus was facing the PLANT fleet and ever since then she had been very different. Everyone said that she was wiser than most and Kira knew that something had changed on the inside of her when her seed had broken, for he knew the day his broke something did change.

"I promise you I will protect him," Kira replied.

"Be careful," Kayla said as she got a faraway look toward space, "they are always watching out there and waiting for something. I am not sure of their intentions but I have seen them." Kira looked out toward space and wondered what she spoke of now when she answered his qustion, "redemption is waiting now, for the breaking of the warrior."

Redemption was watching. Redemption was doing nothing.

Meiko sat inside the Pain doing something that no one would expect. Her fingers moved faster than most people's typing away and recreating the remains of an older system. This time things would be different, this time Liene would have no control. She watched the computer screen carefully as she analyzed everything about this new model of the Pain. The secret of it's power is that it had two nuclear cores instead of one which is why it fit Meiko's fast style perfectly. She had been working on this system for an hour now and she was almost ready. This battle would be hers and hers alone, no more interferance from the outside. No more interferance from Liene.

So our heros are about to see battle once again and this time Meiko is not letting Liene decide who she is going to fight, but with Yaro on the path for revenge and Meiko on the path to redemption what will take place? What happens next in Phase 20 - Standing Alone?

Thanks to you reviewers: Joker Oak, Fenikkusumaru, ididlacus, CPT freedom, survivor18, Byron Lancaster, ShyRose. I value all of your responses and I am glad you all are continuing to read and review this story! Stick with me cause there is a lot more coming, some things will be more shocking than others but I am really loving writing this now which I why I have been updating much faster than ever before!

Thanks so much and keep reviewing! All those who haven't reviewed I would really like to know what you think, I do read every review multipule times so that I can get a feel for each person's reaction so REVIEW REVIEW!

-WinterChill