Author's Note #1:
- The previous chapter lacks any dialogue; as it serves as a prologue to kickstart the story's plot.
- The idea of the protagonist of this story is named after a Yu-Gi-Oh! character, albeit from the English dub version, came to mind from how Shinn Asuka was named after an Ultraman character. In this case, Akiza Izinski, whose Japanese name is Aki Izayoi. This story's version of Akiza acts as both Aki and Yusei Fudo altogether, with a mix of Aporia's backstory due to coming from a post-apocalyptic future.
- In Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's, Aki is voiced by Ayumi Kinoshita. In this story, my choice of fan cast voice for Akiza is still Ayumi Kinoshita. As for the English dub, it's Cristina Valenzuela. Considering the time travel themes, this story's version of Akiza also acts as the Gundam equivalent of Homura Akemi.
- As in the source material, Flay is still voiced by Houko Kuwashima. With Erica Mendez for the English dub/NYAV dub.
PHASE-02: Barren Wasteland
C.E. 150
7 years into the future, a deadly artificial intelligence known as JUNO has wiped out 98% of the Earth's population and destroyed almost every living creatures across the universe and ruled all the planets, colonies under their iron-fisted rule by hacking all every single mobile suit and wreak havoc, creating armies of robots that laid waste to everything in their path.
Meanwhile, at the Minami Lunar Base, a moon base built by the PLANTs and Orb, remnants of humanity's last line of defense are in the verge of being outnumbered by JUNO's forces. A resistance leader who took refuge in the moon base, Akiza Izinski helped the lunar base's personnel in fending off the attackers until it was too much. A man in a labcoat named Dr. Paradox escapes with Akiza as JUNO's robotic soldiers overwhelm the lunar base. Dr. Paradox leads Akiza into the basement as he introduces to her a mobile suit designed for time travel, the VGMT-5DS01 Paradox Gundam.
"The future must be changed in order to stop this nightmare.", Dr. Paradox said as he entrusted Akiza to pilot the Gundam in order to prevent the uprising of the evil artificial intelligence. "You are our only hope who can make this possible."
"No, but I...", Akiza spoke her hesitance.
"I know you can, Akiza.", the scientist continued. "Here, mankind has already lost. But, by going back in time, there is still time to change everything. You must go!"
JUNO's robots began raiding the docking bay, as Akiza activates the Paradox Gundam for the first time.
"Paradox, Akiza Izinski, taking off!", Akiza launches the Paradox as she holds off the attacking enemy mobile suits until Paradox suddenly projects a wormhole in front of her.
Akiza heads for the wormhole while evading her attackers, transporting her into the space-time continuum. As she heads 79 years into the past, Akiza couldn't help but cry and mourn now that Dr. Paradox is presumed dead and can't think of the fact that her life that she once knew is gone and is forced to escape into time.
C.E. 71
Akiza finds herself 79 years into the past after exiting into the wormhole, witnessing the battle between the Freedom and the Providence from the earlier episode.
"That's the Freedom. Kira Yamato!", for some reason, the Paradox managed to scanned data of the Freedom.
"What is that mobile suit?", Rau momentarily paused after witnessing the appearance of the Paradox.
Akiza immediately goes SEED Mode, and by doing so, time suddenly stopped. Akiza apparently has the ability to stop time even while in the vacuum of space. Which isn't normally possible as time works differently in space. This power can only last 30 seconds, buying her enough time to move the escape shuttle launched from the Dominion out of the crossfire before the Paradox Gundam pulls out its "Flamberge" Beam Rapier, impaling the Providence in the chest.
As time returns to normal, Rau dies as the Providence explodes, with his last words being "This isn't possible. Time has been diverged..."
Meanwhile, Akiza and the Paradox attempt to make an atmospheric entry into Earth as the screen fades to white.
Akiza slowly wakes up after being found washed up ashore in the beach by Flay.
"Where am I?", Akiza placed her palm on her face in confusion while recollecting the events. Until she realized that she unknowingly undone the death of an individual who was supposed to die during the First Bloody Valentine War: Flay Allster! "That was... Flay Allster. She wasn't supposed to be alive...", Akiza spoke to herself before the door opens as Flay enters the room.
"Hey, you're awake. I just found you washed up on the shore.", Flay brought in food for the unwanted guest. Akiza just quickly rushes at Flay and knocks her out cold.
Few minutes later, Flay regains consciousness only to find herself with her hands tied and, on her bed, where Akiza was laid to sleep earlier. Akiza herself was nearby who just recently finished the meal Flay left for her and is now drinking two cans of beer.
"Hey, what's the big idea tying me up after I saved your life?!", Flay demanded, only to fall in deaf ears as Akiza is not only drunk, but she's also rather reeling from survivor's guilt after what happened in the future, as evident with tears falling in her eyes.
Akiza for most of her life, is calm and collected and down-to-Earth rational person. This is the first time she just found herself on a downward spiral from her inability to save her friends and family in the apocalyptic future she hailed from, all she can do right now is trying to drown her sorrows.
And to Flay's shock, Akiza locks the door and turned the lights off of the room. She then unties her, and while smiling in a rather unnerving manner at Flay as she crept closer.
"What's gotten into you?", Flay tries to keep her distance from Akiza as if she's trying to attack her. "Not only you are drunk, but you are also way out of your mind!"
"Touch me.", Akiza provocatively asks Flay to touch her breasts, much to her chagrin. When Flay refuses, Akiza grabs her hand and forces her to fondle her breasts as she starts moaning. "It feels good... Don't stop."
"You're out of your mind!"
When Flay attempts to get out of bed, Akiza yanks her back into it as she stands on top of her.
"The night is still young, girl. Try and amuse me for once."
Flay remembers the time having sex with Kira in an effort to manipulate him into killing his fellow Coordinators. This time, she finds herself on the opposite end by Akiza, while under the influence of alcohol, who is about to rape her. As she had no other choice but to give in.
Two hours later, Akiza wakes up regaining her sanity after realizing she just went too far. Akiza didn't want to hurt Flay, but she wanted to find solace with someone who just experienced great amount of pain. Knowing that the damage has already been done, she'll decide to take full responsibility for it rather than denying her actions. As an alternative for an apology, Akiza decided to tell her story to Flay about her dark future.
"I'm not from this world, I'm from 79 years from the future. 98% of the Earth's population along with every single living being in the universe are wiped out by a corrupted artificial intelligence. I lost my family, friends, and everything I loved and cherished. I was forced to travel back in time in order change the future as the life I once knew it is gone forever right before my very eyes."
Flay wakes up, as she faced on the opposite direction after Akiza put her through. Hearing Akiza's story, she realizes that she herself had her own fair share of pain and trauma, not just from war, but from an apocalyptic future. She questions if Akiza exaggerated her story, but she answered that it's the truth.
"Was your story exaggerated or something? An apocalyptic future where all living beings are wiped out by an artificial intelligence... Is that even possible?"
Akiza continued, "I know I've been exaggerating all this apocalyptic future thing, but I experienced it firsthand than anyone who had been through the war between the Alliance and ZAFT. And you, despite you're too young to be roped into an unwinnable war, the experiences you have will forever engraved into your soul for better or for worse."
Akiza can see through Flay's mental state after surviving the last stage of the First Bloody Valentine War, after having witnessed death and destruction with her very own eyes all the way to Muruta Azrael of the Blue Cosmos resorting into Neutron Jammer Canceller-enhanced nuclear missiles that only furthered the hatred between Coordinators and Naturals.
"I can see through from your past wrongs that you used to hate Coordinators.", Akiza looks deeply into Flay's eyes before revealing herself to be a Coordinator. "I'm also a Coordinator myself, a New Generation Coordinator. However, like what I said before, Coordinators and Naturals, almost every living being in my world, are all wiped out from existence."
Before her meeting with Commander Le Creuset, Flay hated Coordinators, to the point she sympathized with the Blue Cosmos' ideology; so much so she's been pulling the strings on Kira to kill his fellow Coordinators. Even after she lived to tale of everything she had been through, it will still forever haunt her for the rest of her life. Akiza seems to realize that her undoing Flay's death caused her to deal with her own survivor's guilt.
"Everything I've done to him, and everything that happened... I don't know how I can recover from it.", said Flay.
"Look, in spite of all that. It's never too late to start over. You can't run away from your past, but you must have the courage and resolve to come to terms with it.", Akiza replied, "We all have to face our own inner demons to achieve the clarity of our own purpose. But, you don't have to bear that burden all to yourself."
Flay had a genuine look of surprise the moment Akiza said those very words to her. And despite being a Coordinator from the future, and everything she did earlier, she comes off as a mature and serious woman with a good heart.
"Who are you?", Flay then asked.
"Akiza. My name is Akiza Izinski. If I remember correctly you are the daughter of the Atlantic Federation's Vice Minister, George Allster. Flay, I presume...", the time traveler introduced and without the need of further explanation, she already knew Flay's existence. "When the Freedom and the Providence were fighting, the escape pod that you were on-board were caught in the crossfire, I bought the Freedom enough time to save you by destroying the Providence, along with Le Creuset."
Flay also remembered witnessing the mysterious Gundam that appeared from the wormhole.
"Was it you who piloted that Gundam from the wormhole?"
"Yes, that was the Paradox. A Gundam capable of time travel, and was entrusted to me to change the future. However, the Paradox consists of four Gun Vehicles that combines into the mobile suit itself. When I attempted atmospheric entry, the Paradox's components were separated, and I ended up here."
Akiza ended her story, and for some reason. She still remained unsatisfied after having a rather awkward sexual encounter with Flay.
"I really went overboard earlier. Other than the fact I got too drunk... I might have a feeling that I might have opened some of the wounds that you had. I too have scars that will never heal before I ended up here.", Akiza apologetically expressed her conscience after raping Flay.
"It's okay, Akiza.", Flay replied, and realized that Akiza didn't mean no harm to her. "I'm glad that you helped Kira saved me. Is it okay that I will call you "Aki"?"
"Go ahead. I won't mind."
Flay felt that breaking up with Kira was for the best, and since living in solitude won't be enough to heal her psychological wounds. She somehow found a common ground with an older and more mature Akiza, a time traveler from a dystopian future, whose life has already been turned upside down by the horrific experiences.
Akiza was urging for more as she and Flay once again continued having sex.
The following morning, Flay wakes up from a nightmare of her being shot inside of the escape shuttle. The DRAGOON from the Providence shot the shuttle as she was caught in the flames had not the Paradox intervene. Once Flay woke up, she realizes that she originally died and that Akiza's actions caused a divergence.
Meanwhile, Akiza is taking a shower, and seems to be having to be reflecting on her mistake of undoing Flay's death. As she was originally supposed to have died by Le Creuset's hands, and what was left of her spirit comforted Kira at the time. Akiza realized that the divergence was just only the beginning.
Outside, as Akiza looked into the ocean, while still inside the beach house, Flay searches around Akiza's belongings until she discovers a picture of a young Akiza with her parents. To her surprise, her parents resemble that of Athrun and Cagalli, which suggests that if Akiza is related to not only either of two, but to Kira as well. Considering that both Kira and Cagalli are related by blood.
Meanwhile, while going out for fresh air, she approaches Akiza.
"I assume you figured out why did I saved your ass by accident?", Akiza said, "I know you're asking why."
"How did you...", Flay was surprised that Akiza was quick to deduce. "Yeah, I just woke up from a nightmare that I was about to be killed by-"
"Rau Le Creuset.", Akiza again manages to be one-step ahead of Flay. "That ZAFT commander. He's a smooth operator alright, but under that mask, the guy is off his rocker. His end goal was to make sure all of mankind can eventually self-destruct from their own hubris, hoping that they die along with him. I assume Le Creuset used you as bait to further worsen the war between the Alliance and ZAFT."
The truth shocked Flay to her core, considering that Akiza has learned the history of the Cosmic Era, it's safe to say she knows a few what happened during the war.
"And then, there's that what happened in Jachin Due. The Providence's DRAGOONs destroyed the shuttle that you were onboard along with remnants of the Dominion. Kira Yamato tried to shield you from Le Creuset's beam rifle, but he did not saw that one coming, which caused your death."
"So you're saying that I actually died, Aki?", Flay asked, with her legs trembling from learning about her death, and at the same time Akiza admitting that she considers undoing Flay's death a sin.
"That wasn't part of my mission. But, I fucked it up.", Akiza can only look down below in shame over her actions.
And unsurprisingly, Flay does not seem to be feeling negative over the fact that Akiza actually saved her rather than Kira. She was lucky that she is still alive at this moment.
"That's not true, Aki. It doesn't matter if you saved me, I'm truly grateful."
"Flay..."
"Remember what you told me, "you don't have to carry all that burden alone?""
Hearing that her words last night echoed right back at her, Akiza is reminded that right now she has no one left in her life to turn to and the world she once knew is gone forever. Likewise, Flay sacrificed her relationship with Kira to live in solitude in order to make up for her misdeeds. And now, meeting the Gundam pilot from the future changed her life for the better.
"Flay, I have nothing left to lose other than changing the future. But, I cannot do this alone.", Akiza seems to eager to let Flay get involved in her mission, but also explains the risk of doing so. "However, the moment you decide to go with me on this path I'm taking, is going to be far more dangerous than the horrors of war. I've seen so many deaths and destruction back in my world, and I hope that there's a way to prevent tragedies like that from happening here and beyond."
"That's why I am going with you. I don't want the mistakes of my past determine my future! I want to do everything to atone for everything what I've done, especially to Kira."
"If you insist.", Akiza sighed in relief, knowing she'll be stuck with Flay. As saving her from death turned out to be a blessing in disguise. "Now, let's cut to the chase. We better find the four Gun Vehicles that combine into the Paradox Gundam before they fall into the wrong hands."
"Why?", Flay asked.
"Put it simple, if the Alliance, or by extension Blue Cosmos, got their hands on either of them. We're screwed."
From afar, a mysterious man with a white hair observes Akiza and Flay as they begin searching for the Gun Vehicles. The young man, however, somehow has a faint resemblance to one of the original Le Creuset Team members, Yzak Joule.
Author's Note #2
- Akiza's drunken behavior is probably the result of her own PTSD, as it is common for people with PTSD to use alcohol to cope with their trauma. Sumeragi from Gundam 00 is one of the most famous examples and even Misato Katsuragi from Evangelion.
- Akiza can also look into the memories of people she interacts, this even includes that are erased from the timeline, like Flay's death in this case. This is also a reference to Ayumi Kinoshita's other famous role from Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger. Jasmine is an ESPer that can pick up sensory impressions of others through contact through an object or visiting the location of her target has touched or been to. This story's version of Akiza still has psychic powers much like her YGO namesake.
- Flay is the only person who calls Akiza with the name "Aki", perhaps a reference that only people close to Izayoi who call her that name (i.e., Yusei, Divine (formerly), Lua & Luca, and Aki's parents)
- UPDATE 4/29/2023: Akiza also acts as the LGBTQ+ representation for this story. And this is more likely that she prefers women over men and starting a relationship with Flay. To top it all off, this was always to be intended to be part of her character in this fic. I took inspiration with the ongoing Gundam series, Witch from Mercury, as far as concerning the pair of Suletta and Miorne; as the anime does have some yuri undertones.
