So this chapter is even heavier than the last one, I thought about splitting it but I decided that after the wait you deserved more because of the long wait which I am sorry for. It's just I had so many projects and tests and then midterms! No time to write! But finally I finished it! Here it is:
Phase 28: Treading Water
"My name is Ceveris," he said and she smiled, it wasn't a conventional name but then again he didn't seem like the conventional sort of person. She looked around the prison cell it was cold and dark, she wondered if Cagalli had gotten her last message or if any of them even knew she was missing now. She had never expected this on the mission, she had thought that the terrorists were mostly gone but no it seemed they were still active.
"So how did someone as pretty as you end up in this situation," she looked at him with a smile, he hadn't initially seemed like the kind of person who was talkative but she was intrigued by him because he was in the same boat as her, they had both been captured by these strange people. She didn't know why he had been captured but she did know that together they might be able to figure some way out. Plus he seemed to be a kind person and she knew that any allies at this point were valuable especially since he might know the area better than she did. Befriending him seemed to be the logical thing to do.
"I'm an operative from ORB," Meyrin responded trying to remember what exactly her mission was, "we're still trying to trace the group behind the invasion at Gibraltar and all our leads pointed here. Representative Attha sent me to investigate but it seems I've landed myself here without very much information." Me laughed a little, "What's so funny she asked."
"Well why did ORB choose to send you?" he asked laughing a little more, "sending a girl to do a mans job?" He laughed more at this and it irritated her.
"I am not just a girl!" she declared angrily, "my name is Meyrin Hawke, I am part of ORB's special forces, I am a coordinator! I fought in the second bloody valentine war aboard the Minerva and the Archangel! I helped liberate Gibraltar! I've been in training for missions like this for years! I know what I am doing, I just didn't expect this group to still be as operational as it was! And if you haven't noticed you didn't exactly avoid capture either!" She crossed her arms angrily making him laugh harder at her. He had heard of her, Meyrin Hawke was indeed a legend in her own right for her pat in ending the second war with the Clyne faction and he would have never expected to run into someone so important here. It was funny to him to see how she defended herself against him but she was right he was in the same situation. He stopped laughing and thought back to the experience that landed him here. He had pissed off the wrong people and he would pay for it soon enough with something more than just his freedom, maybe this girl could be of some assistance to him. They could escape together.
"I am sorry," he said calming down and looking at her, she really was beautiful even with her hair a mess from being treated like a prisoner, "I meant no offense it's just I let myself run away with my mouth a lot, it's kinda a bad habit. The truth is I'm here because these guys don't exactly take to the mercenary type. Me and my men have controlled this territory for a long time but ever since these terrorists moved in we've been loosing that control and we tried to fight back but they took me prisoner. So I'm every bit as incapable as you are and the worst part is I can't figure out any way to get out of this place. I've been here for three weeks." The anger faded from her eyes as she realized he probably hadn't talked to very many people in those weeks. These terrorists didn't seem like the kind to explain themselves or to question prisoners.
"I'm just so frustrated," Meyrin said putting her head in her hands as tears came to her eyes, "I'm better than this and I don't know what to do either." He didn't like seeing her cry, she was too pretty to be in here, whoever was in charge of her mission should have taken better care of her. He stood up and walked over to where she was sitting and sat down next to her putting an arm around her. She was a bit surprised but she needed some comfort now, she had no way of knowing if help was coming and she didn't know what to do about it all.
"We'll figure this out," he said looking her in the eye and trying to calm her down, "we're both in this situation and between the two of us we can figure this out. You're a seasoned veteran and I'm a mercenary."
"I'm not acting like a veteran now,"she said wiping the tears from her eyes and trying to pull herself together.
Meyrin stood before the glass of a mirror picturing the past, remembering that moment. The moment that he held her in her sorrow and that moment that they had chosen to join together. They had escaped together against the odds, beaten their way out of there. Ceveris had taken her in as she tried to contact ORB but was unable to. She was safe with him and with his unit and her strategies they had successfully destroyed the terrorists factories. She remembered everything, his insane teasing and his way of speaking to her, it was all way to good to be true for her to find someone like him. He always seemed wild and dangerous but at the same time safe and beautiful in every way and he adored her and he teased her to her annoyance but she learned to love it. They shared their first kiss after the success of their mission.
She had made contact with ORB after the destruction but she had chosen to stay with him for months embracing his pirate life because she was happy to be with him. Lunamaria thought she was crazy but Meyrin never paid attention to her because she seemed to have only problems with her love life. She was blinded by her infatuation with how perfect he seemed and she hadn't seen who he really was. He wasn't like the people whom she was a part of in ORB and the Clyne faction and he did not posses the same noble honor of them, instead he cared for himself more and the money that he made in his business. Everything had been planned by someone else it seemed, he knew that Meyrin was on her way and he knew she would be captured in fact he had instigated it and he had set up that they would be rescued. Nothing was what she thought it was, he had been working with someone else all along and it was all for the information the terrorists had been researching. He sold the information of everything those terrorists had done to some organization. The harm that he had probably done to them all in this, she had no idea of knowing whether or not ROW got the information from his reckless acts.
She felt betrayed that she had been tricked by him to everything and the worst part was that she had really fallen in love with him.
"Mey It's true!" he declared looking away in frustration, she didn't understand, "it's true it all started out as a ploy, I knew that we needed your help, your strategies to accomplish all this and my information came from someone else. The whole thing was to get these terrorists weapons and I got paid a lot of money to do it but don't you see everything? I failed my mission because I fell in love with you just like I know that you fell in love with me. That makes all the difference Mey, it started out wrong but everything is happening around us now. Don't you see that we're perfect for each other." He tried to take hold of her again and she pushed him away as the tears poured down her face, he had betrayed her.
"Don't touch me," she declared taking a step back, "don't ever touch me again! You lied to me, you deceived me and you expect me to trust you just because you say you love me? You never proved it, why couldn't you just tell me the truth?" Her anger, her sorrow and her hatred were all evident to him.
"Because I knew who you were Mey," he responded looking down, "I knew that you were better than me, so much better than me. I am a pirate, a mercenary and so much more, I am not noble and true like everything that you are. I have more care for the things that I do for myself and I never think about the consequences and I'm fine with the way I live. The moment I met you I knew that we were so different yet I wanted to believe that someone like you could possibly love someone like me and I knew I would never know if that was true if I told you everything. I knew too well." She hated it, she hated hearing his words now. She never wanted to feel this pain yet it was such a part of her, it took over her soul and caused her to cry more than she ever had before in her life; her heart had been broken because she had fallen in love with the wrong man.
"I can't forgive you," she turned away, "I can't trust you after all that you did. You used me and you have proven yourself to be everything you say, a scoundrel and a selfish cruel man. I never want to see you again." He was frustrated now, he wanted to make her see how she had changed him and he wanted her to know how much he cared but he knew that he had done wrong. He looked down with a heavy heart of sorrow then back to her. She refused to look at him.
"I'll see to it that you safely reach ORB if that is what you wish," he said heavily, she was the first person he had ever loved and he knew she would be the last, "Mey, I want so much to show you that I love you but I understand why your angry. Just know this that I will always be there if you need me, if you are ever in danger call upon me, you will always know how. If you are ever in trouble and you ever need help I promise you that I will be there, I promise you Mey. For I know someday you will need me, and I will be there." She listened to his words with anger as if she wanted his help after this.
"I will never ever call upon you," she responded in anger, "I will be stronger than ever before and I will never need you again!"
She walked down the halls of the Minerva now as she pictured that moment in her mind, the moment she had realized that everything was a lie. She had worked to be stronger because she never wanted to need his help again but she had failed herself and at a crucial moment she realized that her pride was not worth loosing everything and she called him. Having him here was hard for her as she knew she could never fully trust him again but there was no other way for them to be saved. Him and his remaining warriors were all that she depended on to protect the ship since Shinn and Luna were gone.
"Mey," she turned around to see him standing behind her, "you're crying?" She lifted her hands to her eyes and felt the mist in them, she hadn't even realized that there were tears there. She turned away from him again and he stepped forward but he didn't wrap his arms around her for he had just been remembering the same thing, she had asked him never to touch her again and he loved her enough to respect her wishes.
"I'm fine," she said wiping the tears from her eyes and turning back to him with her hardened expression but she knew him well enough to know that he saw right through her.
"You can't lie to me," he sighed looking into her eyes with sadness in his own, "I know you know that. I understand the pressure you are under to bring this ship into ORB territory but I also know that I am here beside you every step of the way. I won't let this ship fall. It's going to be alright." She strengthened up.
"I am not worried about this ship at all," she said saucily trying to regain ground, she didn't want him to see her weaknesses for she had worked to get rid of them, "i was just thinking about space, the STING and the battles that we went through. You know that the weapons ROW had were very advanced, probably thanks to the information leak you started when you sold that information to some backhanded group." He sighed at this once again.
"You can't lie to me," he repeated looking into her eyes, "you can't lie to me because I know you Mey and I've been in love with you every moment of the past 13 years even though you said some pretty awful things about me when you left." He saw the anger in her eyes falter for a second but she seemed to be trying to hold it up. She had fallen to him before and she knew she was in danger of falling again, all the troubles were 13 years past it was hard to hold onto them for so long, she wasn't like Luna. She just knew she had to stay strong for if she faltered for a moment she would end up falling back into the same pattern as before and he was not trustworthy; he would break her heart despite himself. Even if it was true that he loved her there was no way that he would ever be able to break his old habits and turn away from everything. She knew him too well. All he saw in this moment was the war in Meyrin's eyes, the war she was fighting within herself to hold onto the past as a defense for now, her foundation of anger toward him had been shaken because despite everything 13 years later he had kept his promise to be there for her. He was there to protect here again when she needed him most even though she assumed the worst about him.
"Stop it," she declared trying to fight it off, the feeling that her heart had when he looked at her in that way, she slamed her hands against his chest and he smiled his crooked smile causing her to falter again. He took one her hands that still rested on him. He knew she still had feelings for him, no matter how much she tried to deny it, no matter how much he had broken her heart there was still a part of her that loved and missed him. That was all he needed to throw his inhibitions off, he loved her so much and time had made her even more enchanting to him with her beautiful red hair and stubborn resistance to him. He leaned down quickly in this moment catching her perfect lips in a kiss and pouring out his feelings. He hadn't expected her to kiss him back but she did, her arms wrapping around him and his around her, their mouths moving quickly conveying everything all the anger, the pain and the love that they felt.
Once again she was weak in his arms, unable to think only able to show how she felt about him, no matter how wrong it was to her mind her heart was winning. His hands roved over her as she tried to regain her strength but was completely defenseless against his touch. It was then that the alarm rang about the ship and their moment was broken, she broke from him stumbling backwards at what had just taken place and he stared at her with admiration and love. Her ship was in danger she tried to bring her mind back from it all but found it very difficult, she had let herself become weak to him once again, she had failed. She wiped away tears from her eyes and ran down the halls toward the bridge, they would need her there to be strong now for she was the captain of this vessel. He stood there stunned for a moment about everything before turning and running toward the hangar; the girl he loved was aboard this vessel and he would do everything in his power to protect it.
"What's the situation?" Meyrin asked as she burst onto the bridge. Arthur Trine looked at her for a moment, it wasn't like her to be this late after the alarm and she seemed a little distressed but he knew now was not the time to address that.
"We have a ship port side, they've launched three mobile suits," Alicesia declared with confidence, this should be enough for their protection to handle. After all they had four mobile suits now. She thought about Kiran and knew he was safer now that Ceveris and the others were there, she was happy about that. This battle was sure to be easier than the last one for them all to bear. With that in mind she tried to keep her thoughts focused on the here and now, this was not the time to be smiling all joyously, there was still some risk despite the odds she saw it was just a little too distracting to think about.
"What faction are we up against? What mobile suits? Thermal patters?" Meyrin asked these questions quickly taking her position as a captain seriously, "we need more information people. Order all our mobile suits to launch of course but make sure you inform them what we are gathering. Keep your heads up people back up could appear at any moment. Load the missile tubes, aim the main guns!" She spoke so quickly analyzing the situation with perfection. Alicesia admired her strength.
"We're so close to the ORB outpost," Kiran complained to Ceveris as their mobile suits were loaded onto the launcher catapult, they would be out fighting soon enough, "who would dare attack us this close to our own territory?"
"ROW," Ceveris declared it was then that Alicesia's face appeared on their monitors.
"The ship as been identified as a mock t7 ROW vessel," she explained, "there are three standard mobile suits out there now but we have no way of knowing if there are more on the way. She smiled as she saw Kiran's cocky expression, "keep your heads on out there and protect the ship! We've got this one!" Kiran's grin was ear to ear now at her confidence, he loved it when she was happy. Ceveris noticed Kiran's expression changing and he started wondering about the two but the catapult launched then and he turned hims mind back to the battlefield now.
Kiran launched forward engaging the first enemy he could and fighting as best he could, Ceveris's training helped a little but he still wasn't prepared for this. His mobile suit flew backward as the mobile suit kicked him away. He grabbed for the largest cannon on his mobile suit and fired it at full power severing off the arm of the unit in front of him. His attack was picked up by the Iron Fist flying in and slicing through the rest of the unit as it exploded Kiran shook his head and few quickly toward the next unit when he heard an alert sounding and saw Alicesia's face on his screen.
"Kiran, Kiran help!" she declared, "they have backup! There are underwater mobile suits!"
"TAKE US UP!" he heard Meyrin's yell in the background and he looked up at the rest of the mobile suits. Ceveris and his team could handle this for sure he glanced about his mobile suits, with a few minor adjustments he could be ready for this.
"Got it Alicesia, I'll take care of them," he said quickly turning off his radio before she could protest and diving his mobile suit straight into the sea below. Bubble surrounded his camera leaving him temporarily blind but when they cleared he saw two units following the Minerva which had just lifted itself out of the water. Even further in the distance he saw their vessel, a submarine. He gritted his teeth in anger, they would not take down his ship so easily. He fired his cannon at one but the water pressure was such that his shot just glazed by it barely leaving a mark. The two mobile suits turned to him and he braced himself for what was coming.
"Ceveris!" he looked up hearing Meyrin's frantic voice, he had just taken out the third mobile suit and it seemed three more had launched, ROW was sure persistent this time around. "You have to get underwater! They have mobile suits, Kiran's down there!"
"What?" he declared in shock, "the kids down there?" Kiran was improving but he had never faced units underwater before, it was much different than in the air, what could posses him to try and handle those units on his own when he had backup. Recklessness was fine when you were a veteran but with Kiran's inexperience reckless antics could lead him to death. Ceveris shook his head and messaged his units telling them to handle the situation in the air.
"Don't worry Mey," he said with confidence, "I'll take care of it." He then dived into the water at top speed, pulling out the knifes on the side of his mobile suit, beams worked underwater but not without adjustments and time. If Kiran was in danger time was something he didn't have.
Kiran was knocked back again by a torpedo that he caught with his shield he cried out as he tried to keep his mobile suit's balance. He pulled out his beam saber and slashed blindly for the mobile suit but the water kept bubbling up around him making it harder and harder to see. He couldn't let this battle go wrong, people up there were depending on him and these units were trying to destroy the Minerva and his friends. Alicesia was depending on him, he couldn't let anything bad happen to her the way it had to so many others in the past weeks. He couldn't let this battle end in death. The seed exploded in the back of his mind as he charged forward lifting his cannons with speed and typing commands into the system.
He fired both arm cannons at once hitting one mobile suit with one shot and weakening its armor but the other one came around knocking Kiran forward. That was when he saw another mobile suit in front of him, the Iron Fist. He smiled as he took queues from Ceveris now reaching out with his mind to try and fight stronger. He followed his instincts as he had been taught and as Ceveris signaled strategies to him he fought on.
"You're doing great kid now stay with me," he heard Ceveris say as he followed the seed in his mind to try and fight off one of the enemies.
"Stop calling me kid!" Kiran declared as he continued to fight on. Ceveris smiled to himself as he pulled out weapons firing into one of the mobile suits and watching it explode. He turned to see Kiran disable an enemy and rush back toward the final mobile suits. Before they could make any moves now the remaining forces retreated, on instinct Kiran began to follow them but the Iron Fist blocked his path before he could. In that moment his seed reformed bringing him out of battle mode and back to reality.
"No need to follow them, ROW they won't be back to bother us," Ceveris said as he watched Kiran's eyes change back to normal, something was really wacky about this kid's abilities and Ceveris wondered if he had just witnessed the seed, something he had always heard about but never truly believed in.
"Kiran, Ceveris," they both heard Alicesia's voice, "the forced have retreated, please return to the ship, we are almost to the outpost!"
"Roger," Kiran said blasting out of the water, Ceveris followed the overeager kid still thinking on what he had witnessed. The boy was picking up things faster than anyone he had ever taught, was this the force that made his father something to be reckoned with? If this seed was real Ceveris knew that a whole lot of things could change and now he wondered how many more people possessed these abilities? How many more could fight that instinctively and win?
Jayley Lired had been planning this for a very long time. She stood in front of the PLANT council now with her ultimatum before her; a war was about to begin and this time things would shift in a way no one could predict. The turmoil around the world was escalating as ROW doubled efforts and she knew these actions would throw everything off balance and that they could be very dangerous but she also knew the path they had to take to the future. She looked at the ring on her right hand remembering the oath she took three years before, a oath to a greater power and a path to a future that would be free of ROW, Redemption and the Clyne faction. The world would be cleansed and she would be the one to start it all. Everything now depended on her. She smiled sinisterly with a twisted look in her eyes. She saw Mike Shustre standing off to the side in the room along with other officials she had invited to be there; he was an important part of her plan. She knew everything that he had been through and she knew that the only way to take down Rayla was through him. Things were looking up. Now ORB would burn as she launched her ultimatum and her father would be pleased with her fro starting the landslide that would end this chapter of humanity.
"Are you certain of these actions?" A council member said. Jayley stood before them, it had been a long hard week but she was now sure of everything that she wanted to accomplish. The council was under her control completely, their thoughts were her own. These actions would not be seen well by anyone but her goals were before her, ROW had to end and today was the beginning. Once Liene saw he no longer had control in the PLANTs he would immediately launch his next stage and Jayley was a step ahead of him.
"They have sheltered our fugitive and they have shown that they clearly have no care for our interests," Jayley spoke with confidence now, they hung onto her every word, "Cagalli Attha is the sister of Kira Yamato and as such she must feel more than just pressure from us. We will not back down until our demands our met! They are to turn in the Clyne faction to us and to cease all military activity in the world. ORB must be eliminated if we are to get what we want and that is real peace." The council clapped at her words and some rose up to cheer her on. This was all too easy, she had prepared for a little more opposition but today everything changed. Mike looked at her with disbelief in his eyes, she had done it and now there would be war different than that of ever before.
The PLANTs were about to mobilize. This would change everything, he looked out the window of the council room toward space knowing now the path he would take. ROW had to be destroyed and now that Meiko was gone he would have to make sure that everything fell. He understood Jayley's plan now. All enemies of peace would fall by the hands of each other they would be destroyed.
"How do we respond to these demands! They are going to attack us if we don't give them what they want!" Grastler declared. Athrun and Cagalli stood together before the council after the reading of the PLANT's ultimatum. It seemed it was all over the news as well, Jayley had spoken before the people already declaring her demands and telling them what she planned to do if ORB didn't respond. The Clyne faction had left a week before and there had been no word from Lacus or Kira but Cagalli was sure that they knew what was going on now. She knew it was coming but she hadn't expected it so soon, the PLANT council in the past would have chosen the most peaceful path but it seemed Jayley was pushing them with everything she had. Her technicians were summoning the NEA now and she was wondering how best to respond. Everything was happening so suddenly, her country was going to burn again. Her breathing increased as she dropped her head and shoulders in defeat trying to see a way out. She felt Athrun's hand on her shoulder and he stepped forward delivering what answer he could.
"It seems the PLANT council has not taken into account the threat that ROW laid against us only weeks ago," Athrun sighed thinking of all that had taken place, "the world saw us fight heroically against the odds and they saw the Clyne faction help us in the name of peace. The PLANT's actions now will not be looked upon favorably by the free nations left in the world, and I fear that war will come to their front in ways they don't even expect." He paused looking at the faces of the council members, they were distraught by this news. They had been preparing the military for something like this but with only a couple weeks between the STING battle and now it was doubtful they would have the strength to stand against all the forces of the PLANTs. Athrun was about to continue when Cagalli grabbed his arm and with a determined look on her face she stepped foward.
"We have done nothing wrong," Cagalli declared with anger, "nothing to deserve this. The PLANT's show no regard for our nation with these demands, we had no choice but to ally with Lacus because of the threat at our borders and now she is no longer here to fight alongside us. I call upon all of you to stay strong, it seems our darkest hour is yet still upon us and I believe that if we are vigilant the truth with bring us to the light."
The skies around them were darkened as the first attack came without warning to a small ORB outpost in the pacific ocean. The bombs fell quickly and response was futile. Many tried to run and many didn't escape the ruins of darkness that came as the PLANT forces ascended upon the sea firing all manner of weapons into the base. Many cursed the homeland that was supposed to protect them, but the strongest were vigilant dying with their beliefs still in hand; understanding that the darkness fell now but one day light would shine upon the people of the world again.
When word reached ORB of the attack the nation was taken aback. It was all so sudden and unexpected; the PLANTs barely gave the nation time to respond before laying out this ultimatum. There would be war for sure, and no one could stop it now.
The sweet sight of safety was before them as the Minerva docked at the ORB outpost near Africa; it had been a scary journey for a bit there but they knew for now they were out of danger. Meyrin had received orders allowing most of her crew to disembark from the ship as it was to receive it's necessary repairs. It all reminded her of her first voyage aboard the great ship, she had been a lowly member of the bridge on a rough ride which had led them straight into ORB. She had not known then what good friend she would make with those that ran the country and she never expected to be named captain of the Minerva then. Life had taken her far from that time. She stepped off the ship to be greeted by the officers of the outpost and she motioned for Kiran to follow her. The boy was a little bit out of place in the outpost, but one of the officers Meyrin recognized. The man was a personal friend of Athrun's and knew who Kiran was in relation to the Lady Cagalli and he treated the boy with respect.
She was briefed with the situation of the nation since her disappearance and she was socked to learn that the PLANTs had declared war on ORB in such a rash manner. It seemed an outpost in the Pacific ocean had been completely wiped out and many in the base feared now that this outpost was next. She had missed too much in her time away and she knew that there was no time to loose getting the Minerva back into the action. She was also shocked to learn that a majority of the Clyne faction had departed from ORB and headed into space leaving Yaro behind and Kiran as well. This was uncharacteristic of Kira in her mind because he was never the type of person to abandon a fight. She was also informed that this all took place before the PLANTs declaration of war.
All had been silent in relation to the war of ORB and ROW, it seemed the power had decided to leave them alone but it wasn't backing down. There were reports of turmoil in the world increasing all around them and it seemed that Meiko's sacrifice had all been in vain. The power was still a threat. It all saddened Meyrin now as she thought about everything that had taken place thus so far. Too much death and not enough hope in the world she lived in. Children once again were made to bear the burdens of adults as she had seen too many young soldiers on the battlefield and it seemed more were around her in this base. Surely this was not the life man was made to endure. Suffering and pain were endless. She thought on the events of space; she and so many others had watched a girl sacrifice everything she had for them and she heard not one mention of it in the discourse of the officers. It seemed no one had honored her and everyone had moved on from it. She felt guilty for some reason that she also had not thought on these matters very much at all but there was no time for guilt in war.
After hearing everything Meyrin and Kiran were taken into a room to make immediate contact with Lady Cagalli and ORB, for they would need to ensure that the motherland knew that they were safe and they would await whatever orders their superiors had. When Cagalli came on she seemed very relieved to see them, and Athrun was on the transmission as well bearing the same expression. The two must have been worried sick about what might happen. After exchanging stories of things that took place Meyrin was satisfied to learn that everyone seemed to have made it down to earth just fine, except for a few ships that were still MIA and some that had been found wrecked. Shinn and Luna were okay along with many others. Kiran was excited to hear his family had made it down and a little distressed to hear that they had left. The conversation between the four continued on then turning to more important matters.
"Do you think this outpost will be the place the PLANTs attack next?" Meyrin asked thinking about the rumors that many of the officers seemed to believe.
"It's highly possible considering the PLANT forces trajectory from Gibraltar," Athrun affirmed, "and from what information we have about their strategies thus so far. It seems that they are not quite brave enough to attack the homeland yet which is good for us because it gives us time to build up our defenses and plan for an evacuation should one be needed. We do not know how things will play out but we are preparing everyone for any situation we can think of."
"I've also spoken to Lacus," Cagalli said looking a bit saddened, "and though it was brief what I got from her is that their forces in space are not quite ready yet, they took a heavy beating from that last battle and still need time to regroup, plus they seem to be working very hard on Kira's new machine to at least send that down to us. If we have Kira and Athrun fighting together we might be able to keep the PLANTs away until we can figure out how to settle this all diplomatically. We don't want this to cause enmity from the earth toward the PLANTs, the last thing we want is another valentine war."
"But at this point I think the earth is probably already fed up with Jayley," Meyrin responded, "she promised the PLANTs would aid troubled nations and they never did, she promised to fight against ROW and she never did; for when ROW gathered an army in the open she ignored it. I really hope war can be prevented, have you talked to the NEA?"
"They seem to be wavering between decisions now," Athrun responded, "we can't rely on them as they have their own borders to protect, but we do know the situation does not sit well with them."
"We must remain strong," Kiran said with a smile, "we've won in the past, I'm sure we'll make it through again plus we have the three best mobile suit pilots in the world on our side, my dad, you uncle Athrun and Shinn! We can take them!" Athrun laughed at Kiran's light mood, it was good to see the child was still hopeful.
"In the situation we are now in that may be what we are really relying on, brute strength," Cagalli responded breathing out a sigh, "but with ROW still out there, I wonder how much longer we can hold." The conversation continued on with battle plans and ideas for how defenses could be better. In the end Kiran was happy to hear that he may be seeing his brother Yaro sooner than he had expected, for it seemed the possibilities of the tranquility being sent to the ORB outpost he was no in were very high, in that case Kiran would surprise his older brother with his new found mobile suit skills. He looked forward to the battles ahead with hope that they would make it through this nightmare and hope that everything would turn out alright in the end.
"The attack was quick," Athrun stated as he and Cagalli sat alone in the council room discussing what to do now. She was resolved as she had not been in a long time. These people had mocked her pain in saying that she had no right to guard Lacus; the Clyne faction had stood by ORBs side when ROW had attacked, and they had been there to comfort her when she had lost one of the people she loved most. She would rather avoid war but if it was what the PLANTs wanted, the only way to respond was to defend. She would never attack another nation but she would not allow another to attack her.
"The council will take action," Cagalli stated and Athrun understood everything she felt now, for he felt the same way. This was an attack on them personally, for some reason Jayley sought to destroy the nation, she did not care for the information they held. "They will send the Tranquility, for a new unit has been formed around Yaro and the Dreamer. Though I would much rather not put Kira and Lacus's son in danger he is an ORB solider now and he will fight for us better than anyone else we have. The PLANT forces won't know what hit them when they move next." Athrun looked at her clenched fists and put his hands over them, she was worked up over all this and she had need to be, it was outrageous, but he knew that if she did not remain calm she would run herself ragged and into ruin.
"You should rest," Athrun said looking deep into her eyes and seeing her weariness with all the things that were happening around her.
"There is no time for rest now," Cagalli responded, "our nation, our home is being threatened. Athrun why is this happening? Why do we once again have to face off against them?"
"Because as long as there is evil in this world there will be a threat against every life," Athrun replied, "And as long as we have weapons and war there will never be an incentive to discuss peaceful solutions. These are dark times we live in, darker than before and I know we have every reason to be afraid but for some reason I feel as if we have a grace over us. We are not alone in this, something is coming."
"I hope for all our sakes you're right," Cagalli said standing up and walking toward the window of the room, the council would convene again soon and when they did actions of defense would be taken and Yaro would be sent out to fight for the nation Cagalli loved so dearly.
Yaro stood on the deck of the Tranquility as it moved from the docks and toward the sea; war had come to the nation and now he was given the chance to fight for the things he understood to be true. ORB was a nation that was being unjustly attacked and his loyalty to it was without question. He did not understand the PLANTs motives in this but he knew that whatever they were they went against his. They were finally launching the Tranquility, and soon he would have a chance to fight as he truly was. People had seen him as weaker in the past but now they would lean on his strength for he knew that there was a power that lay within him that he didn't fully understand. He heard the sound of someone taking a deep breath behind him and he turned to see Tripp. His fellow pilot seemed like a good person but Yaro had for the most part avoided to much contact with the members of his crew, the last thing he needed were friends that could be lost in the endeavors to come and most of these people were naturals.
"This is truly one of the most amazing features of this ship," Tripp said, "that we can float along the ocean and sit on this deck and watch it go by." Yaro nodded with a blank expression on his face and the hint of a scowl that he seemed to wear all the time now. Tripp had heard that Yaro Yamato was a different kind of person than he seemed to be now. Now Yaro seemed to bear a solemn countenance and rarely did he speak. Since being transferred to the ship Yaro sat alone in the dining hall, if he ate there at all. At the mission briefing he only spoke to affirm that he understood the plan, now he spoke nothing and only nodded to acknowledge his fellow pilot's presence. "This mission seems crazy, heading to an outpost because we think the next attack will land there... I wonder if it will and if it doesn't then we will have been in the wrong place. Kinda strange how the council seems to be taking it's actions now, I've heard that the Lady Cagalli is letting them make more decisions without her. I also heard that there is a possibility that the outpost we are heading to..." at this point Yaro interrupted him.
"Is there a point to you telling me all this because I do not care what you think about it all," Yaro snapped, he didn't need this right now. He had thought through everything himself and the last thing he wanted to think about is what might happen if they are wrong.
"I just thought you'd want to know that my Father heard the Minerva was docked at the base we are heading to," this caused Yaro to almost jump in surprise. The Minerva had been missing for awhile now and without pilots, to hear it was safe was good news but to hear it was in the path of the next attack was terrible news. His brother Kiran was aboard that ship and how it made it back was a miracle that was beyond him.
"The Minerva?" Yaro repeated in surprise, "what's it doing there?"
"Apparently that was the first place it could make it too," Tripp replied, "I don't know all the details but I have heard that your brother is with them and his mobile suit, the council expects that the ship will be of some help to us in the coming battles." Now Yaro was confused, Kiran in a mobile suit? He had next to nothing experience, putting him in a machine was like condemning him to death. Yaro knew that he would have to change the situation once they reached the outpost, he could not allow Kiran to fight, especially not against the PLANTs for doing so might put Lacus in a more downward situation than she already was.
"Kiran is not a solider of ORB," Yaro responded, "he bears no responsibility to fight for them."
"So you are the only one then," Tripp said looking out toward the sea, "the only one of your family to choose ORB. What made you choose it over them?"
"Because they are not my family," Yaro said darkly staring into the horizon, "and they don't understand anything anymore. Now is the time to stand up and fight the forces in this world that are trying to destroy us, not to run into the shadows. They are not my parents, not my siblings but just the people I care for. I have no family but I will fight to protect those who have been there even if now they hide away from everything they need to face."
He was angrier than he had been in a long time. Everything he had planned seemed to be crumbling around him and all the officers saw the darkness in his eyes as he entered the meeting that morning. They knew what this meant and they feared it, for Liene's anger and wrath had led him to victory so many times. For in his anger his actions became harsh, and he lost his care for anything else except success, it was this singular focus that had made him an adversary to be reckoned with. Gilligan Manchester dare not speak a word knowing now that Liene had lost Meiko and Jayley, and now he would surely unveil even darker plans.
He stood his ground, not speaking a word as the offices briefed him on the situation. The PLANTs had declared war on ORB, with Jayley leading the effort to begin the war. The first attack had taken place at a ROW outpost as the PLANTs made it very clear that they showed no regard for ORB. The world was stunned now by what had taken place and it seemed that the NEA had stepped forward with statements that the PLANTs were out of line in not even giving the nation much of a chance to respond with their declaration of war. It was everything Liene had hoped to avoid, for now he knew enmity between the earth and PLANTs was sure to rise up again, and now this many years later could the world really afford another valentine? His plans were not yet fully realized; for he needed to unite the world by force under the ROW banner, and now it seemed he would not be able to do this without eliminating the PLANTs from the equation completely. But on the other hand the coordinators were a part of his plan as well, he needed them to be his arm, his hold over the rest of the world. How would he get out of this now.
"Order Jayley to cease her actions," an officer declared to Liene who still stood in his anger not speaking to any of them.
"She won't listen," the transmission of Mike Shustre declared, "she claims that she needs to destroy ORB! Her hatred is strong, it's futile to try and dissuade her from these actions! Liene she is going to destroy everything!" He played his role well now, Mike hated ROW and he knew Liene was close to breaking, he just needed the right persuasion.
"We let her," Liene said gritting his teeth and clenching his fists in anger, "We withdraw from the PLANTS! We leave Jayley Lired to her schemes, I care not for what she does now! Let her know that we are no longer backing her, and that she is in this completely alone. I know what strength lies in ORB, and I know that she will not be able to break them so easily, and perhaps she will learn from her mistakes." His reaction was unexpected by the group by then Mike remembered who he was dealing with. Liene was calculated, he did not take action without a plan and now Mike knew that he would tell the secrets of his plan to no one.
"But sir..." Gilligan tried to protest.
"WE LET HER!" Liene yelled again to get his point across, "and we bide our time, for we have everything on our side now." He turned toward the door and looked back once more, "mobilize our armies and be ready for my command, there are things which I must look into on Mars." With that Liene stormed out leaving the whole group stunned. Something was not right, Mike knew it and he wondered if Liene had discovered the truth of what Redemption had done all those years ago.
Mike felt fear in his heart now, for he knew what might happen if Liene were to get a hold of the A1; he would have a weapon more powerful than anything before. Someone who could break the world in a way Meiko never could have.
Breath was hard to take in but it was coming as the darkness was finally fading away and the light was coming in. It had been a long time getting here but as she felt strength returning to her she knew that she really was alive and that this time around her life would be different. As she opened her eyes she was hit by the shock of the light and she quickly closed her eyes blinking until her pupils adjusted to it all. She looked around and saw that she was in a room with a large window looking out toward the ocean, the blinds were open and there was a large collection of medical machines all around her. She stretched her arms and she realized her whole body still felt a tinge of weakness but all in all she was sure that everything was so much better than the last time she had woken up. She had no idea how much time had passed since the event in space or where exactly she was but she was glad to finally know that she was safe and not in some prison somewhere.
She thought back to Uzumi, she was alive as he promised. She breathed in the air deeply taking in the feeling of freedom and ignoring everything else but her new found peace.
She sat up slowly taking check of how it felt with her mind and stretching her arms slowly, her dark red hair fell around her as she moved and it was then that she looked down and was shocked. She knew her right hand felt different, it was cold but now she looked down and saw a black glove over it. She brought both her hands in and slowly removed the glove and then she was taken aback to see that her hand was fake. She had heard that research was leading to better and better synthetic body parts and that now they could make a persons nervous system attach to them in such a way that they felt real. This must have been what someone had done to her because the hand she saw was clearly metallic with some sort of skin colored substance over it. She flexed it and bent it amazed that she was able to move it just like her real hand. She quickly slipped the black glove over it not wanting to see it anymore, it was too odd for her. She continued to examine herself wondering if she had lost any other limbs, she felt the bandages around her shoulder that had been shot by Liene. Someone had taken great care in her treatment, and she wondered who it was when a woman walked through the door.
The woman stepped back upon seeing her awake and sitting up and Meiko looked at her confused, something about her. A bright light flashed through Meiko's eyes as she felt a stabbing pain hit her mind and she gripped her head giving a small cry of pain as the face of Yaro flashed through her mind along with the faces of others she knew and she saw a violet glow filling the space in front of her.
He walked down the halls of the Tranquility when suddenly a stabbing pain shot through his mind and Yaro Yamato's hands rushed to his head as he gripped it and he saw a blurry vision in his head. It was her, Violet eyes glowing with fire and red hair flashing through his mind, Meiko Virea. It faded quickly and something told him to be wary, this was nothing he had ever felt before as he saw a blue glow matching his eyes brighten up the space in front of him, a power filling his being which faded with the same speed that it had overtaken him. Overwhelmed by it all he collapsed.
"Drink this," the woman said holding a cup out and patting Meiko on the back. She sat there watching the girls movements carefully, she hadn't expected her to react like this when she entered the room. Meiko was coughing violently now and shaking, perhaps she had moved to quickly when she grabbed her head. Meiko's coughing slowed as she drank the sweet liquid and Milady sat there still watching her intently. She had not expected to see her awake yet but she was glad that her recovery was finally speeding.
"There, all better now?" Milady asked her as if she was talking to a child and Meiko looked up trying to see past her mask into her eyes but the white mask covered most of the woman's face. She had short red hair and a kind smile from what Meiko could tell, she wondered who it was that she saw now.
"Who are you?" Meiko asked and the woman sat back.
"I'm a friend," she said speaking with a kind voice, she then stood up and walked toward the wall punching in a code. She turned back to Meiko now taking in a deep breath, Meiko could not tell in which direction she was looking but Milady's eyes were focused on the girl in front of her, the child she had always deemed her hope for the future. She could not believe her eyes now seeing how much the little girl had changed. She saw Meiko's confusion she so spoke on, "my name, well I guess I don't even remember my name but I am called Milady Redemption by those who seek peace. I've been through darkness and shadow, there were many times when my life should have left my being but it did not. Like you I have arisen from the darkness and ashes to fly again, to live again. Seeing you alive, it was a very close brush with death Meiko. Let me assure you that we are all your friends here and we mean you no harm." Meiko seemed to take comfort in her words, true there was something about this woman that made her feel safe, as if she knew her before.
"Where am I?" Meiko asked.
"You are on earth," Milady said with a smile walking to the window, "we're somewhere in southern Atlantic Federation territory, pretty close to ORB actually but neither factions know of this place." Milady then sat down on the bed beside Meiko taking another deep breath, "You are currently on a small island, in a rather large house which is well hidden by the land and underneath this Island is the main base of my organization, Redemption." Meiko seemed taken aback by this as memories of ROW's fear of redemption shot through her head. Her fear faded quickly as she thought about the fact that Redemption worked against ROW, and they had saved her after most likely witnessing what actions she took to stop ROW. So they were on her side in a way, but she still wasn't sure about it. Milady noticed how Meiko was taken aback by her revelation.
"So you're on my side?" Meiko questioned as if trying to work everything out, "what happened after the battle? I only remember..." Her mind drifted as she saw Yaro's face in her mind again, as she heard her own words pour out and as the darkness took her once again. She closed her eyes tight as other memories drifted to her, Uzumi shielding her from the darkness because she had another destiny to fulfill, "I remember darkness. I remember entering the codes, and bracing myself for death. How is it now that I lived?"
"You self destructed your mobile suit but not your protection," Milady began remembering all the details she had worked out years ago. "Inside every mobile suit you've ever had there has been an 'escape' system that was designed to release and lunch your cockpit away from your exploding mobile suit." Milady had made sure when she left that Mike would oversee that this equipment was secretly put into her mobile suits, for it was always imperative that Meiko survive. "Of course in the kind of explosion you caused such a system would be useless, you would be lost in the flames of the STING before getting far enough. That is at least what I feared, but it seems you've counteracted that. When my pilots retrieved your cockpit it was surrounded by an energy, a glow and we believe that this is one of the reasons you survived. Of course you were not without injury; you were tossed around the cockpit quite a bit, you were exposed to high heat and some radioactive energy. All this should have killed you but again an energy that we have classified as the super seed has healed your body, and it seems your soul as well." To Meiko now it seemed as if this woman could see right through her, into her heart and into her mind. Hearing all this overwhelmed her, she should be dead yet she lived because of an energy from within.
"The super seed," she repeated trying to make sense of it all. There was an energy inside of her powerful enough to save her from death, if this was true then what was she really? This seemed to set her apart from other people entirely. If this was true was she really human?
"Don't worry," Milady said seemingly able to read Meiko once again, "this energy does not belong to you only, it's deemed to be the next stage of human development, you're just the first person ever to manifest it. I also should tell you that according to our theory and our measurements you seem to have used it quite a bit recently and it is certain that it will take you many years before you are able to really control it and use it. For now it's just a part of you that is wild and will show up when you least expect it." Meiko thought about this, she was the first to manifest the next stage of human development. Was this why Liene thought she was so important? It made her wonder even more about her past and what it was that caused her to be enslaved to ROW from such a young age.
"Milady Redemption," she said the woman's name, "I thank you for what you've done for me but it is dangerous to shelter me. In this world I know Liene will do everything to kill me, and your organization is already on their target list. There is no need for me to put you in any more danger once I am recovered fully, I wish to seek out my past." Milady expected this from the girl, for all her live Meiko had never been given any answers to her questions, but sadly there was no time for this.
"Liene believes you dead Meiko," Milady responded, "no doubt it is his one comfort, that you are dead and gone. Besides that Liene has no idea where our base is, you are safest here. For he will never be able to reach you in this place. Rest now, you've been through hell all these years. Take comfort for the first time in your life, you are safe Meiko and I promise that no one will let ROW find you again." Meiko laid back as the woman left the room. She stared up at the room unable to think from everything that was happening around her.
Her mind was so very clear, it was as if she could fly at this moment in time but her body was still to weak to really stand. She felt peaceful for the first time in a long time, and safe as Milady said she was. This safety was so freeing that she just wanted to embrace it and hold onto it forever. She felt new as Uzumi had said she would. Now her thoughts turned to ORB, the Clyne faction and to Yaro. She had sided with them in the end as a way to defeat ROW and she wondered now what fate they had met in escaping the STINGs explosion. As she lay there wondering about everything she couldn't help but feel a little lonely. She was at peace but she knew something was not right in the world, and she wondered now about Yaro. Where was he now? How much time had really passed? And more importantly, was he even alive?
"I can't believe that there is nothing I can do to stop this," Lacus said with a tone in her voice Kira had not heard for a long time, she seemed much more hopeless than she had been for a long time. The long days away from the PLANTs were beginning to break down her strength slowly. She hated being away from everything she used to call home, and she hated being unable to help them, he knew everything she felt now and he knew that he could help her by simply understanding everything it was that she said. She belonged to the PLANTs, her home from the time she was born, he knew this and it had been the reason he had never wanted to come between her and her destiny to preside over them in peace. Now lies had separated her from a part of her identity and in the darkness her two sons were also separated from her. Everything was hard for them all and now she wanted to reach out to her home and try to tell them the truth but they both knew that the PLANTs were too blinded by lies now and that nothing she said would make a difference. She had been painted in the darkest of lights by her enemy, by a liar who sought harm to the world.
He understood how this hurt her; how it hurt her when the people turned against her. He regretted leaving her to face it alone, but he was here now to stand with her as they faced the dark ahead of them.
"They will not listen now," Kira Responded taking her in his arms, "but someday I believe they well. I believe that the truth will come back around, for lies never win in the end and when the truth comes back again you will be able to reclaim your identity in their eyes. For now though Lacus, we know the truth of everything and and we know that we will not back down from returning the light to this world!" She knew his words to be true and she took comfort in them, the darkness had to lift.
"Well we know now that Kiran is safe," she said remembering one thing they had to rejoice over, "that is one thing to remember, that the darkness didn't take him from us. There is hope for the future, if we can all survive through this night." He loved hearing her hopeful words, she had inspired him to light so many times in his life, it was one of the many things he loved about her. She was perfect in his eyes and he would take care of her through everything, his true love, his other half. Kira and Lacus were truely made for each other.
He stared out the window wondering what it was that had happened. He had seen her inside his mind and suddenly everything felt different, there was no coincidence in what happened. A member of the crew had found him unconscious and had him checked out in the medical center, all they could find was traces of a strong energy and they knew nothing else. Yaro Yamato now remembered every moment of everything that he had seen with her, Meiko Virea was the strongest person he had ever met and somehow she had called out to him.
Life was pressing on him now. War in ORB and war in space; it seemed somehow that he believed everything rested on him yet he didn't know why. Today had been hard to witness so many things in this war but today he had also see the eyes that had once inspired him to light. Somehow his heart felt unburdened by it all and he began to realize the reason that depression and sorrow had not ruled him in the event of her death. It was because his subconscious was connected to hers, somehow their minds were connected now and even though the outside saw darkness he began to feel something in his heart from that moment that the glow had filled space and time around him. Whatever had happened he would kill to save the lives of those around him, he would kill to prove now that he was right and he would kill to find out the truth of everything. Nothing his family had taught him came up now, he felt his true self surfacing, he was in a war and in this situation the only thing that was certain was the strength that one held within their own heart. The peace of Lacus Clyne has been ideal but he saw now that it was a dream world, for man would always hold this hatred in their heart and that good people needed to fight to protect the things they loved. Without the ability to fight and to kill those who wish to destroy they would all be lost. Now he held onto a truth that he would believe, somehow Meiko Virea lived, whether in human flesh or in spirit it did not matter. Her energy was still there and he knew he could not search for the force of it but his heart knew it to be true by their connection. Through the ashes of darkness and shadow Meiko Virea's light would go on forever.
Jayley wasn't surprised at seeing him there now. Mike Shustre had been left in the PLANTs by ROW and it seemed they still had not moved him, in that time she had worked on him very strongly and she knew a man like him would never be able to resist her offer. She hated ROW, he hated ROW and in many other ways they were the same. She knew that her words had met their purpose, he had once sworn allegiance to Redemption but that was easy to break off, Rayla had left him for another and she knew that with the right persuasion he would question the girl whom he loved, and who never game him love in return.
"What exactly are your plans?" Mike asked her, "I want in." She smiled at this, she had expected as much.
"Well they aren't really my plans, I'm just one stage of them," she responded with a crooked smile, "you see Mike, Liene wasn't the only person to think of an elaborate plan to bring a real peace. I follow one who wishes to wipe the slate clean again, erase all governments and great powers and start anew in a different way than Liene does, we are not idealists and the use of force that he has brought about we have used to our advantage. Letting you know that much is a lot believe me, we are still in the shadows secretly." Mike was surprised at this but then he realized that if organizations like ROW and Redemption existed in the shadows there could be many others that have not yet been discovered. It took quite a few years for the world to pick up on ROW's actions and Redemption was still only known by the few that had her as enemies. If this was another faction who was heading it and what was it's true goal?
"Who would I be working for then," Mike asked now, he didn't want to work for someone who would only lead him down the same path as Liene or into the same doubt as Rayla. He wanted to make a difference for the world now in a way that no one else really could.
"You would be working for me, Mike and indirectly for my superior," Jayley said standing up and walking toward the window, "my father, a man with influence greater than you can imagine at this point. We have let ROW run it's course for a reason, for as soon as we destroy it the nations of this world will want leadership and that is what we will give them. The NEA will want in on it and that is what we will give them and the PLANTs will also be subject to us, a united world." It made a little more sense to Mike, though he had no idea who this girls father might be and she seemed to be jumping around his identity.
"And ORB is the only thing that stands in your way?" Mike said as it made sense now.
"Naturally," Jayley responded, "the nation an it's independent ways is a problem for us; if it continues to go on then you know how they would retreat a global government, they've flaunted it in the past. They are set in their ways, an enemy of the true and lasting peace I desire to bring to the world, you desire this to. Now you have a change to bring it to pass if you join us." He believed her words now.
"I will join you," he said, "I will join you in this cause, I swear it." She smiled as she stared out the window, all that was left was to find the A1, and to twist everything that Liene wanted to restore, and break everything that Rayla had done.
Her mind and soul were restless, tossing and turning in the night. She wanted to find a way out of this place, the peace was suffocating and she knew something was wrong, something was so very wrong around her. Her body was took weak now for her to do anything, she had just begun to regain strength and she knew she had to be patient but how much longer could she afford to? She had buried the past where it belonged, she had left behind all the things that had haunted her for so long and she had been changed. She had made it through the darkness to get to this point and now she knew that she would come face to face with more and more uncertainty as this all continued. Here she was safe for now but the world around her was spinning fast and that Uzumi had spoken of the future as if it all depended on her, and now she wanted to stop being useless. She wanted to arise now.
In this day she looked back into the darkness of her life and saw the grace of an unseen force always held her. Through it all she had survived, every impossible situation and within her heart there was still light. Uzumi had spoken of her destiny, something that was meant to be that no one could stop, a destiny of light. Now she felt the weight of it all, the responsibility to rise again. She bore the super seed and it marked her as stronger, it marked her with power and she knew that Liene coveted that power more than anything yet there were a few things that never added up in her mind.
She was sure she missed something important. Liene always had a backup plan, he planned everything as if each and every person would betray him. This was how ROW had remained so strong, those who dare betray him were usually caught and made to pay. Meiko believed that she herself was a backup plan, for she always heard whispers of another child Liene depended on, someone whom he deemed irreplaceable and he often ridiculed Meiko for not living up to his expectations. Now that she looked back she had a feeling that there was someone meant to take her place, a darker and stronger force that she would not be prepared for. If this was the case how would she ever step into her destiny?
It was not enough that she was redeemed. There was something else. Something bigger for her. She no longer felt the guilt of the past but now that she felt her peace beginning to fade. She didn't want to go back to the battlefield again. She didn't want to fight anymore yet it seemed that was what everyone would expect from her, for was there anything else she knew how to do? If this was true then everything would happen all over again. It was happening again.
She sat up and grasped her head trying to will these dark thoughts out of her mind but now she was too deep into it. She didn't want to look back but looking forward seemed just and dark as ever. She tried to focus on the present, trying to convince herself there was no reason to be afraid of darkness for she dwelt within light but she felt the darkness anyway. She was utterly alone in this room, she had not seen anyone since that strange woman and she wondered what these people in Redemption expected from her now.
"I need myself," she whispered in the darkness. But in this instant she felt something break inside of her as the violet glow once again electrified the space around her. She began to seem images floating through her mind, images that were not memories but rather visions. The world was burning, she saw the eternal being blasted by a large cannon, she saw Liene laughing among the flames, she saw Trey and Leyas fighting for their lives, she saw Kiran running for his life, Kayla standing in front of the wreckage of a gundam, she saw battles, wars, darkness, she saw everyone she ever knew. She saw Yaro a broken shadow of the boy she knew, rushing into the battle in front of him and fighting with all of his might, a blue glow led him on as he seemed to be willing to sacrifice himself for something. The images of him filled her with fear as she tried to recognize the darkness and fire that burned in his eyes, something had really changed for she knew him to be filled with light but none of that was left in these images. He seemed so angry, so filled with hatred. What was happening to him? Somehow he was there in front of him yet she couldn't reach him, she couldn't stop him! Images continued to flash before her as she saw too much more it was then that she felt an arm around her and the pieces of the shattered seed reformed in her mind leaving her numb and frail.
"What's going on?" she heard the voice of a man asking as she felt someone holding onto her.
"The super seed," Milady's voice said, "it's reacting for some reason." Milady felt Meiko's consciousness fade as the girl fell unconscious from the energy that had suddenly jolted inside of her, "It's still too much, too fast. She should never have been attacked by the S-System Yzak, I am worried about what it really did to her." Yzak stood there in shock, Milady had place constant monitors on the girl. Apparently she had been lying awake when she violently broke her seed somehow causing this wave of energy.
"This is the power we are depending on?" Yzak asked thinking about the prophecy, "she can't control it! It attacked her mind." Milady still held the frail form of the girl on her arms.
"The super seed is strong," Milady said, "I have always feared that it could manifest in darker ways than we have expected but her energy is still off balance from the explosion she endured. I believe that once she is fully healed that everything will go back to what it was before her battle. Her wounds are deep stemming from the S-System to the STING, we just need to wait. Soon she will not be able to access this energy until the time when she can control it."
"How much longer will she be like this?" Yzak asked trying to make sense of it all. The girl should be dead, super seed or not she was under heavy radiation and nuclear energy for way to long; it was a bit frightening to think about someone possessing that much strength yet it was certain that she was not the only one. He watched Milady as she didn't respond quickly, she was holding the frail form of the girl very protectively as if she could disappear at any moment. He didn't blame her, Milday had been hoping and praying for the past sixteen years that the young girl she had watched over would survive and that she would be able to help save her from ROW.
"I don't know," Milady responded with a few tears rolling down her face, "but I promised her mother I would protect her, and now I can finally fulfill that promise. No matter what happens I will protect her even if that means helping her fight off her own power."
"Maryah Virea should have watched over her own daughter better," Yzak said. Milady looked at him with eyes of sorrow.
"Liene deceived her as he did me," Milady replied, "neither of us could escape the lies until it was too late for Maryah and I ran for my life and I abandoned everything that I loved and Meiko was forced into this fate because I wasn't strong enough to save her. You don't know how much guilt that has caused me, I made a promise and I almost couldn't fufil it." Yzak didn't mean to make her upset, he felt bad now for being so blunt about everything; he was the only one who knew the full past of Milady, of Rayla and of everything else she ever was and ever had. She always seemed so strong he had forgotten that inside of Milady's strength was Rayla's weakness. He saw her pain now and he knew he was responsible. In that moment she let go of Meiko, gently laying her back. She then reached up and removed her mask letting Yzak see into her eyes, the crystal blue eyes that held her reason for everything that she had built Redemption upon. Her shattered and broken life that had led her to this place.
"I meant nothing Rayla," he said whispering her most common name, "I mean nothing about you, I know that it still hurts you." She looked down and back at him.
"I know," she replied, "and you're right about everything Yzak. You are my severest critic, without you I would have fell into death from my sorrows and none of this would have happened. We would not have the advantage over Liene if I had become that. Sometimes I fear the darkness for it's not all gone." He took her in an embrace as more tears rolled down her face. He knew this was all very hard for her now, seeing Meiko like this and facing her past.
"I'm not going to let that happen to you," Yzak held her tight, "I'm not going to let it take you. I vow to you once again that your life is my life, I will give my life for you and everything you've built if it comes to that." She cried harder now for she knew the battles ahead could actually bring this to pass. Everything was in such a delicate balance and she would have to keep believing that it would all turn out right for to doubt it would bring more and more darkness into the minds of all those around her. And with the darkness came death, but even then nothing was certain for Meiko had faced more darkness than all and she was alive and more full of light than ever before.
SO So So sorry about how long it has take to update.
Crazy chapter I know, lots of information, there is just so much I am trying to work through right now. The story was originally just supposed to be just about Meiko and Yaro but I have realized how I have had to work a lot with the other characters in order to continue to really tell the story. I hope to continue on in that pattern but as chapters are moving on now I am going to shift back to bringing Meiko and Yaro's story to the center point. Believe me there is some crazy stuff coming and this story will end on a dark note and Immortal will begin on a dark note. So get ready for some more heavy stuff.
Also I was so excited about this chapter because it is the awakening of Meiko in quite a few ways. I hope this satisfies you for awhile because I never know when I will actually get to write with school! It took me more than a month to get this done and I was writing every time I had inspiration.
Ok so REVIEW, REVIEW! I am trying to get back into the spirit of the story so writing doesn't take this long, if you REVIEW and tell me your thoughts this could help! REVIEW!
-Winter chill