Phase 50: Shattered
Flay held her breath inside of her and she was unwilling to let it out. In this day there had been too much loss and the spirit of those that she cared about had been broken in such a harsh way. Liene had gotten his revenge on the world and on those that he swore he would destroy. Flay was much more ashamed now of the things that she had been unable to do out on the battlefield. She was ashamed that she was too weak to stop it all. Now Meiko was lying before her, the girl had lost her will to live after the events and her wounds were great enough that she could let this take her life. The machine gave no response, no heartbeat was heard.
"There's nothing more we can do," a nurse said to the doctor as he kept examining the charts and trying to find some sign of life in the girl; he had see miracles from her. Meiko had first been brought to him after destroying the first STING and no matter how many times she flatlined she always came back; he felt as though there was still hope for her to come back as if this were not the end. It was then that the doctor saw something he didn't understand, there was life but it wasn't coming from Meiko. HIs eyes widened as he called for one of the nurses to look at something with him and she looked shocked as well. Flay looked toward the monitor but she did not understand what it was that they were doing. The doctor jumped and checked the brain wave test, there was a glimmer of something; Meiko's brain was still active, if that was true would her body still respond? For there was something more keeping her alive, the reason she had to live.
"It's impossible!" The nurse said. Flay wanted to know what they were talking about, Yzak squeezed her hand as she felt herself release the breath that she had just drawn in. Hope rose in her heart as she saw the doctor's shocked faces.
"She's with child," the doctor said to the nurse, "and though her heart's not beating there's life in her womb." Flay gasped in shock but then realized the truth of what the doctor was saying; Meiko was carrying a child and a hope for life, that child was Yaro Yamato's for it could be no others. If that were true then this child would be stronger than anyone to ever live; for the child would bear the legacy of two super seeds. Of course the child would live through everything that Meiko had experienced, for this pregnancy was different.
"There's still a chance," the nurse responded to the doctor as Meiko's brain activity increased, "motherly instinct, something inside her has to be fighting for life in all this hopelessness. She's still fighting!" It was then that suddenly Meiko's brain waves spiked and there was a glow as everything came online and her eyes opened; Meiko sat up breathing hard with her eyes glowing violently.
"MEIKO!" Flay yelled her daughters name embracing the girl as the glow left and she felt weak in her mothers arms. It was then that tears came from Meiko's eyes as her mother held her close and the doctors looked upon another miracle; the miracle of the life inside Meiko.
Luna heard monitors around her when she woke to see Shinn sitting beside her bed, he looked weary and weak which was something that she would have never expected from him. What he saw in her eyes was relief to see him alive but there was a sadness as well; the doctors had informed him she had lost a child this day, his child but he knew she had lost so much more. In his mind were the faces of Meyrin and Ceveris who had both perished in the battle along with so many others, Waltfeld, Dearka, Yaro and the list continued on. The world and the PLANTs were shocked at the events that had taken place and how ROW had shaken the world in this final act and though ROW had been defeated the cost had been very high.
"Luna," Shinn spoke taking her hand, he knew this news would be better to come now rather than later; for they were all grieving together.
"I should have told you about the baby Shinn," Tears filled her eyes as she spoke, "but I wanted to fight, I didn't realize that I would loose it over the battle." Shinn shushed her and calmed her down by stroking her head.
"I know Luna," he responded as a deep sorrow filled him, "it's alright, we'll get through it. There's something else I need to tell you now," but the words were hard to say. How was he to tell the woman who had just lost a child that her sister was dead as well, but he had to say it before someone else did. "Luna, Meyrin's gone." The words sunk into Luna's heart, that somehow she already knew there was so much dark around. Tears filled her eyes as Shinn embraced her and cried as well.
They had never predicted something like this would happen when they went in and though they laid their lives on the line willingly everyone knew there was a difference in saying you would die for something and actually dying for something. Meyrin had been in these battles for so long, it just never seemed like a possibility; the Minerva went down as well. It would take them all time to get past everything that had just taken place, the shock and terror that was now with them would not be forever but now they cried and mourned the losses they all had.
"Redemption and ORB searched the entire battlefield multiple times for wounded soldiers," Athrun said to the nation before him, "but of all those we've rescued not one is Yaro and though the remains of the dreamer have been found there was no sign of life around them. We must conclude then that Yaro Yamato is indeed lost." He hated giving this address to the military and to those that he knew as family and friends. He was back in ORB; he was addressing the nation about the events that had taken place in space with the state officials and ambassadors from foreign countries were there. The burials of the dead were scheduled for after his speech as he with a heavy heart continued. "He was one among many who bravely went into the fray of death in honor and valor to keep the freedom of the world safe. These brave souls are those who we are here to commemorate today. We have made a great victory but to those who lost love ones this will feel like a defeat. Even in the midst of that do not loose hope for the world that we live in is changing for the better as every nation is gathering together, side by side, to make a better future where we all work toward peace."
"Though we suffered through the long harsh war, you must all see that now it is won," tears sprung to Cagalli's eyes as she listened to him speak with strength. "I ask you all today to in the face of suffering to remember the reason why we fought and the truth that we have gained all we worked for." He concluded his speech with commemorations to make of the fallen officers and then he stepped down to an applause from his nation and he took his place beside Cagalli as the nation watched their dead being lowered into the ground, countless graves across the field in ORB.
"They will never forget this battle," Cagalli said to Athrun in the midst of the solemnity in the air, "the cost was much to high but the outcome, I wonder what exactly it will be in the end. The nations are gathering yes but there is still the problem of the territory that was previously held by ROW. It's far from over if you ask me Athrun, we've only begun." AThrun nodded at her words and looked to see Jeffery who was standing on the other side of her, his young son who was not a part of the fighting. He wondered if the future would bring other battles that could place more danger on the next generation and he realized that the last battle had belonged to the next generation and thus the weight of the world was on their shoulders to change everything. He wondered where the future would take them all.
"One thing's for certain," Athrun spoke as he noticed the sun would be setting soon, "the next battle will not be ours. Something tells me haven't seen the last of the Phoenix's rash interventions."
three hours later
Wind blew around her, it had traveled from somewhere across the water that she could hear in the distance on this Island of ORB. Before her was the past and out there in the sunset was a future that was completely uncertain for now it seemed that her past would be forever marred by the unforeseen things that fell behind her. For the past was marred with so much loss. Tears rolled silently down her face, she was weak in so many ways and they had begged her not to come out here and even now they were watching over her; her father and brother, Kira and Kiran along with Trey, Lacus and her mother Flay. They would surely want to be there for her but they didn't see the only future she had was one on her own, for it was Yaro's grave that was before her. He had given her no choice but to go on as he died for her future but not as Uzumi had, for Yaro's heart was still hurting and his life was scared by anger and hatred.
This wasn't the end, she couldn't have it be the end. She lingered a moment longer knowing that she would have to put it behind her but she didn't want to. She had never loved anyone as she had loved Yaro before in her life and she knew she would never love anyone that way again but he was really gone, not even there with her as Uzumi was. Gone forever. More tears, more heartache as she couldn't even fathom a tomorrow. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see the face of her father there understanding her pain for he had raised Yaro. She turned to him and he wrapped his arms around her as sobs rocked her body. She was going father and farther down in the pain and hurt, the suffering of everything. This was the end of everything, the war was over but the cost was too high. Everyone there held their hands in a final salute to Yaro's grave, for he had died with honor.
But had he really? For Meiko knew his anger and saw his hatred, she knew the darkness that controlled his final moments and she hated herself for allowing him to go farther. Now she would never know what could have been, the future that she had dreamed of with him was gone.
"You're alright," Kira whispered to her, "it's alright Meiko." He hated seeing his daughter go through this, he knew the pain he felt when he had thought he lost Flay and that was bad enough, Meiko had lost the person she had loved with her entire heart and in that she had lost a part of herself. He wasn't going to let this beat her and when he let go of her there were no tears left for her to shed and all emotion was gone from her, her eyes had gone cold and she turned toward the sunset walking past Yaro's grave and toward the cliffs in the distance where they had first met.
Memories filled her head and the sights reminded her of the past, the days that they had spent together in ORB. The good and the bad, for so many things had taken place and she had spent part of it in ROW, everything she could not fathom. Not even Uzumi's presence always with her could take everything away.
For he had pointed a gun at her when she was his enemy but he couldn't pull the trigger because beneath his anger he saw through her and though he didn't admit it to himself then he had not had it in him to ever hurt her because he did love her. She was such a mess then, so much of her was wrong and he tried to care but couldn't. Even in the end he took her back after she had hurt him so much. Tears rolled down again as she wrapped her arms around herself and the sunset disappeared as rain began to fall.
For now she would never forget anything. It didn't even make sense to forget all the good times, how it felt to have his arms around her and every kiss they had shared. The blind belief that they had built together, when they believed together that they would somehow make it out. He had turned everything around, he had taken away her heart in the process.
Now she was alone, she would never really find the meaning of it all, perhaps it had no meaning; just another random event. She had to get past needing him, but not yet, now she cried, now she hurt, now she held onto everything and she didn't want to give it up. Time would probably be her ally in healing but for now she believed that it would never heal. She wold forever bear the mark of hurt from his hands, the way he had touched her so sweetly. She ran her hand through her hair trying to bear the ability to turn back to those who now worried about her. Her body felt hollow inside and her heart felt like it no longer existed but the world was still spinning beneath her feet and begging her to leave it behind her, begging her to go forward as she cried out screaming Yaro's name to the unforgiving skies and the hollowness inside her.
"YARO!" she cried out, "WHY! WHY DID YOU GO! DAMN IT YARO! YOU CAN"T BE GONE! WHY! PLEASE TELL ME WHY!" She felt madness trying to take her as she collapsed to the ground letting grief completely overcome her, ignoring the sounds of those who were running toward her as she felt as though she was completely alone for a this moment when a bright light surrounded her as consciousness left her her mind was floating in a dangerous place, her broken heart was hurting in a dangerous way as she didn't want to be here once again, she had been brought here once again by the one person who would try so hard to convince her everything was going to be alright, but how could it ever be alright again. She was more scared than ever before in her life, so weak and overcome by everything and she didn't know how to get past it. Everything she was feeling defied reason and logic, everything she had always feared had come to pass.
"NO!" Uzumi's voice as he knelt beside her putting his arms around her as she shook from everything. She looked around and this dream world was no longer beautiful but ragged and darkened, Uzumi was no longer the same as before but there was hurt in him as well. "No more!" he spoke firmly, "No more! I promised I'd be here, I promised you I'd protect you and I can't do that if you won't let me Meiko. I know your world is completely shattered, your heart is crashed and destroyed and Yaro has been torn from you but you can't be beat by this. You're stronger than that!"
"I'm not strong," Meiko whispered barely as her voice was breaking, she felt as though she was dying, she should have died. She hated being here. "I still wonder why haven't I died, I'm still breathing, but why? He's gone, Yaro's gone and he's never coming back. I don't want to live in a world without him, I can't do this."
"But you have to," Uzumi responded, "it's what he wanted, it's why he held you back, so he could go in alone. Meiko he loved you so much he wanted you to live in peace, and though it was his own anger that drove him to it, it was also love for you that gave him the determination to make sure that through everything you would be alright. Now the world is almost restored but it's up to you to finish what he started. You still have a purpose, a meaning for existence." She felt the comfort with Uzumi there and she heard the words breaking through her sorrow and going into the recesses of her heart.
"My mind is gone and I'm drowning in my tears," she spoke, "this time it's different. I've never felt like this before, you can't believe I can get past this, cause I can't see a way out." Uzumi looked into her eyes and she saw hope within his.
"No Meiko," he shook his head, "you will do more than get past this. You will get your heart back and everything you believe in. I know you. You won't let this beat you, you'll come back again stronger than ever before, different than ever before. All you have to do is look within yourself, really look at your strength for you are more than this and even without him you will still fight for truth and you will stand in your destiny." As he spoke she felt a determination rising within her, something changing and he continued, "remember Meiko there is so much more to be done, Leyas is still out there and she needs help, you're the only one who can see the rest of this thing through. Yaro made his move for peace and now you see to it that peace is what comes."
She awakened with purpose as she saw the faces of those who were there surrounding her she sat up quickly and saw the rain had cleared and things were different now, she was still in pain but in the midst of that pain there was anger at what was still going on in the world. Peace was coming and things were arranging themselves toward a bright future but there was still a twisted darkness lingering in the world.
"Meiko!" her mothers voice surrounded by questions about whether she was alright. She stood up to them and they were all looking at the mixed emotions that surrounded her. She stared straight ahead as she realized the task that was before her; Uzumi was right she would have to come back harder and stronger than ever before. She still had many purposes, her unborn child and her family. Forgetting those things would leave her with nothing but a hollow heart. She realized now that she started something when she attacked Cerrian's warship and since Leyas was in the middle of everything it was up to her to end it.
She looked at the faces of those around her, the people that she cared about more than anything. They would all fight alongside her and with her and they all shared in her pain at this loss for they had all lost him as well. She looked down again breathing in the strength that she needed.
"It's hard," Meiko said, "but I'm not going to loose." She turned to Trey, "and we have a job to do." She turned back to Kira and Lacus, "my sister is in danger and I will save her, I will search high and low, far and wide until I find her. I promise you I will not give up until this world is saved, for whatever threat lingers I will be there." She then turned to them all it was fast that so many things had risen within her as a result of Uzumi, she then turned away walking back up the hill back toward the ships and they all followed her. She wiped the tears from her eyes and glanced back at Yaro's grave once more, she realized now he didn't want her to be held back and that his grave should push her forward now. She vowed there and then two things, one that she would never allow herself to cry again and two that she would never fight in a mobile suit again. For now on she pressed toward peace and a future where mobile suits would no longer be needed in the world.
She vowed these things not knowing what was coming. There was so much she didn't realize they would have to face before the end would come. Kira walked behind her and he saw strength return to her with each step, he wondered about his daughter; for he felt as though this was the beginning of something different.
No matter what the future held they would all face it together, for this is why they fought, out of the love that bound them together.
For Meiko had found her redemption and come into a family whose ideals were as immortal as the sun, and those ideals were now hers. She was different now and though a part of her would never get over Yaro she was not alone, and her task was not complete. Until then they would be separated by the veils of the world and in the end she would to leave the world in death but her soul was immortal as was his and she knew their hearts would pull them together once again. But for now she lived on and she would not let anyone stop her from being all that she could be and from ending the darkness in the world. For peace would come and it would be immortal.
And I've lost who I am, and I can't understand why my heart is so broken rejecting your love without, love gone wrong, lifeless words, carry on. But I know, all I know is that the ends beginning, who I am from the start, take me home to my heart, let me go and I will run, I will not be silent, all this time, spent in vain, wasted years, wasted gain, All is lost hope remains, and this wars not over, theres a light, theres the sun, taking all the shattered ones to the place we belong and his love will conquer.
A gasp of sharp pain, a future uncertain. A cry in the darkness and death all around.
It would never be over. It would never be over. It was forever immortal. It was a heart beat an ideal, a love. It was never over. How could anyone believe it was over? Why was it over?
Peace would come. Immortal Peace had to come.
It's not over.
Immortal
So that's the official end of Gundam Seed Redemption. It's been a wild ride over I think three years of work and I've finally come to the final moments. This chapter was brief but it was a wrap up chapter. So drumroll now I will be posting a prequel for Immortal right after this!
Thank you all to you loyal readers and loyal reviewers. Survivor18, CaptFreedom, SamuraiGundam, Fenikkusumaru, Byron Lancaster, and Casey Rising have all been amazing and when I was loosing hope I could always count on a review from one of them that would drive me forward. Thanks to all those who reviewed along the way as well, I might be forgetting some just because I haven't seen reviews from you in awhile but I cherished every comment.
I want to encourage you all that though this ending was kinda rushed and bleak there is so much more to come that I hope I haven't totally blown or given away yet. I've revamped Gundam Seed Immortal in the past months to make it as intense as I could. There are a lot of awesome twists, turns and some very tragic moments. So get ready cause I will start it soon. Be on the lookout! :D
And let me know what you think about this ending! REVEIW!
-WinterChill