My eyes were as wide as could be and my mouth was open, screams escaping it. I looked at the horrifying scene and closed my eyes out of fear. The Genesis's beam sliced through everything in its path and destroyed every single Mobile suit it had touched. The hellish read positron beam became thinner by the second and vanished in a matter of two minutes. Static electricity still attacked the Vengeance's body with thumps and I stayed still, paralyzed. "What... How... could this... be?" I said to myself, feeling the empty tears rolling down my face. I could breathe normally now but my body was in such a state that I forgot to breathe to hear what was happening outside, what kind of sounds it made. The ZAFT forces around me plunged onwards and the small Strike Daggers models flew away, scared. The ZAFT forces seemed to be at advantage and were eliminating the withdrawing Alliance's troops.

"What are you doing? Stop this!" I said, aiming the METEOR at the ZAFT's Mobile suit's mass. They exploded with vivid colors and I flew passed the Alliance's Mobile suit in a blur. I looked at my monitor and the Eternal had sent a message of withdrawal as well. "Kim, hurry back. We are going too." Said Andrew.

(...)

Everybody had rejoined in the Eternal's control room; the Archangel's main crew and the Kusanagi's main staff as well. I descended from the Vengeance, still dizzy and confused and stepped on the metal steps, where I could lean on the ramp.

"Kim! Are you alright? Kim!" Cagalli's voice echoed in my brain and I found the strength to open my eyes and saw her chestnut eyes gazing at me. "You're so pale! Wait, sit here, I'll go get someone!" she said.

"I don't need anyone... I just need this massacre to end..." I said, pressing my warm head on the cold metal ramp. "You need water. Here, drink." She said, handing over a water bottle. I was so shocked I didn't even have the strength to open the cap.

"Here... let me do it..." she said, untwisting the plastic cap. I took a sip of the cold liquid and felt it going down my throat like a rock. I stayed still for a couple of minutes and Cagalli rubbed my head. "You were too close to that infernal machine... You almost died... I thought Yzak told you to get away from where you were... but you stayed still..." she said whispering, my head on her shoulder.

"I didn't have time..." was all I managed to say. "We'll stay here for a while. Kira and Athrun are not good as well. They pretty much had the same reaction. But Dearka, Yzak and Commander La Flaga are without a scratch." She said, reassuring me. "Thanks Cagalli." It has been half an hour since Cagalli came to help me back up. I stepped down the stairs and slowly walked beside her. "We have a meeting in the control room. The three captains should be there... We're the only ones left." She said. "Why didn't you tell me I kept the meeting from happening?" I said, a bit angry. "I thought it would be best to let you rest for a couple of minutes. You looked like you needed it."

We both entered the elevator and waited until it had reached the control room floor. When we stepped out, a lot of noise was coming from behind the sliding doors, like people were arguing about something. When we entered the room, Mu and Yzak were arguing, their voices torturing my head. "We just can't continue this impossible mission! It's way too dangerous!" said Yzak, pointing fingers at my Commander.

"We didn't this far to give up, Yzak Joule! We have to keep moving on! It's the only solution! We're in too deep of a mess to throw in the towel! I thought Coordinators weren't cowards!" screamed Mu. "I thought Naturals had more logic than a common monkey." Yzak replied, earning a glare from Mu.

"What's going on here?" Cagalli asked, confused. On my side, I was in complete awe before my fiancée; he had cut his hair short with a small Mohawk and clean cut on the sides. He's even more gorgeous than I envisioned... so that's why he took so long this morning, in the bathroom...

"Yzak, your hair..." I started but he gave me a sharp look.

"Never mind the fucking hair! You're Commander's a retard!" he said.

"This dumbass wants the whole party to give up." Mu said, almost pouting.

"...What? Why?" I asked, turning my head to face Yzak.

"Can't you see this is insane? Can't you see this is just a massacre and not a war? This is beyond fighting about the genes! This has gone too far for me to cope with! I am a soldier, but a soldier sometimes has his limits. Look at you for God's sakes, Kim! You're a mess and you almost got killed by Genesis! I refuse to be part of this anymore." He said, crossing his arms.

"Yzak... You're acting weird. What is the real motive behind this...?" whispered Dearka to his fellow comrade's ear.

"I'm not acting weird! This thing radiates more nuclear shit than anything else in the whole wide world! This situation is simply fucked and I am tired of dealing with shit!" he whispered back, his voice perceptible by anyone who listened well.

"We just can't give up." I said to him, giving him a sorry look.

"What? Why aren't you siding with me? I thought you wanted the same thing!"

"I understand where you're coming from, Yzak... but we worked so hard... I just can't leave this behind me like it's not happening when I perfectly know we have more chance of dying if we don't do anything than if we try something." I said, walking to him, taking his hand.

"I... I want you to be safe." He admitted.

"I am! I can't be anymore safe than I am! I pilot a fortress, Yzak! I am more than fine." I said, trying to reassure him.

"Anyway... if that thing were shot at Earth... the extreme radiant energy would burn crisp the Earth's surface, wiping out all forms of life." Said the Kusanagi's chief engineer.

"Do you think they'll fire it... at Earth?" asked Murrue, in a silent trance.

"Essentially, the purpose of long distance weapons of mass destruction... is their effectiveness as a deterrent. However, in this case, they've already been used. Both nuclear weapons and that. At this point, neither side will hesitate to use them again." Said Cagalli's protector, Ledonir Kisaka.

"The first time I shot someone in battle... I shivered. But I was told I would get used to it... and I did." Said Waltfeld, shame heard in his voice.

"So you mean it's the same with that and the nuclear weapons?" asked Murrue.

"People have the ability to adapt. Even with battles and killing. "Nobody can do anything about it! For the world full of hatred is engulfing the universe!" Le Creuset's voice echoed in my mind and I tried to shake it off but it wouldn't end... his evil laughter and his arrogant smirk... "You are the world's most destructive being!" His harsh words crawled under my skin and it infuriated me to know that he affected me so much. "Are you okay, Kim? You're shivering." Said Yzak, his hand on my arm. "I'm fine. I was daydreaming... it was more like a nightmare actually..."

"We must stop this... We must prevent those things, the nukes and the Genesis to make contact... or it will be the end of all of us..." said Kira, filled with sadness.

"Let's get happy, people; the only that is in our favor is the fact that it cannot fire consecutive shots. My guess... is that they have to change the 'mirrors' every time it's fired." I said, trying to ease the atmosphere. "Nice one, Kim." Said Yzak, smirking.

"The real pain in the ass here is that we'll eventually, no matter how hard we try to evade it, end up fighting against the Jachin Due's forces. They're defense is quite heavy... Though we'll have the Earth Forces behind us... this won't be piece of cake, guys." Said Andrew, whipping the sweat off his face.

"... How long before they replaced the mirrors?" asked Murrue.

"Is the second target of that thing the Moon? Or... is it..." whispered Andrew, lost in thoughts.

"The Earth Forces will attack with nuclear weapons again, right?" asked Kira, facing Murrue.

"Surely, yes..." But she was interrupted by Miriallia's voice ringing in the cockpit.

"The Earth Alliance's forces fleet as begun their assault! All vessels prepare to takeoff! I repeat: all vessels prepare for takeoff!" I looked at Kira and Yzak put his hands on my shoulders.

"I don't want you to pilot anymore..." he whispered in my ear. "That sounds nice... But I don't have a choice." I said back. We headed for the elevator and Athrun and Cagalli followed us, Lacus asking to be alone with Kira. The sliding doors of the elevator closed and Cagalli couldn't escape a very loud thought. "Is he ever going to make a move?" Athrun contented himself with silence and Yzak shook his head like 'Who do you think you're fooling?' and I just looked at the ground with a smile on my face. We got off on the second level and we followed Athrun and Cagalli until Yzak yanked my arm and pulled me closer to the wall. "Hey, what's up with..."

"You just be quiet! He's finally going to make a move!" he whispered, pulling me closer, hiding our bodies from view. I looked at Athrun and he seemed nervous, like he was waiting for something. "Well, I have to go: they finished the preparations for the Strike Rouge. I'll see you later!" Cagalli said to Athrun, ready to walk away.

"You're going? Strike Rouge?" he asked, incredulous.

"What's the matter? I've received sufficient Mobile suit training for this. I'm a lot better than the Astray pilots!" she said, almost insulted.

"What a prick! What is he doing, dissing my sister like that...!" Yzak's hands rushed over to my mouth and shut my trap. "Yeah... but...!" continued Athrun, lost for words. "The things we can do... the things we want to do and should do... they're the same for all of us, right? For you, for Kim, for Kira, for Lacus...and for me."

"Cagalli..."

"Sure, there are times when it's useless to go out to the battlefield and fight... but right now is kind of necessary!" she said, her voice soothing. Athrun gave her the almost pleading puppy eyes and she frowned. "Don't look at me like that. You take a lot more risk out there than I do. I won't let you die."

"Cagalli..."

"I won't let Kira, who is accidently my little brother, die either, and my older sister Kim, for a fact."

"Older sister...? But I thought..."

"I noticed how mature she's become... way more than me anyway. Plus, I talked it over with Kira and we decided that the first one to get married is the eldest. Since she's already engaged to Yzak... She has the throne." She said, smirking.

"...You're right." He grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him, making the poor innocent blond girl madly blush. He softly pulled her in a warm embrace and Yzak and I almost gasped, overexcited. "He could at least kiss the girl! Talk about cheap romance!" I whispered to Yzak, who shushed me up.

"I'm lucky to have met you...Cagalli." he said, his voice like velvet.

"Athrun..." was all she could manage to say. He slowly let her go and looked in her eyes, not leaving her gaze. "He's going to do it...!" I whispered, budging Yzak's arm. He grunted in annoyance and listened.

"I'll... I'll protect you." He said, his strong, masculine voice sending shivers up Cagalli's spine. He slowly lowered his head and grabbed with his lips Cagalli's mouth. "Oh my God! He's so romantic...! I can't believe this!" I said, looking at Yzak. "What do you mean, he's so romantic? Are you actually jealous of Blondie?" he asked, turning me around to face me.

"I'm not jealous; I'm simply saying that this kind of kiss is appreciated!"

"So you're saying I'm not romantic and that I don't kiss like Athrun?"

"I never kissed Athrun, Yzak, you dumbass! He's my sister's boyfriend! I'm saying that romance is nice and that things like 'I will protect you' warm a woman's heart! You can be such an idiot sometimes!"

"I kiss a hell lot better than Athrun does. I say all the nice things he can say to a woman and plus, I fuck nice." He said, smirking proudly.

"Oh, you pompous oaf! We did not fuck, we made love! There's a freaking difference! Fucking is like horses mating and making love is about passion and trust!" I nudged his arm and he kicked my foot. "Fine, I made love to you! I can still be the greatest man in the world! I gave you a ring too!"

"When you gave me that ring, you NOT ONLY did kiss me; you told me not to cheat on you! How friendly is that? God, I feel so good knowing you don't trust me! That's a nice reminder of what our lives will be: DON'T YOU FUCK ANOTHER ONE BUT ME!"

"THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT OF HAVING A FIANCEE!"

"Hey, guys! You should stop it, now." Said Athrun. I gasped and Yzak 'ugh'. "I mean, it's funny and all but really, you should stop arguing over my sake... and for your information, Yzak... I have a gentler touch... You will never match the softness of my kiss." Said Athrun, making me blush and making Yzak growl.

"Oh yeah! Well I can french kiss better than you, Zala." He said, fighting against his own teammate. "Maybe, maybe not. Shall I try it on Kim, perhaps?" I yelped and pushed my body away from the two idiots. "Hell no, Athrun!"

"All hands to level one battle station! I repeat: all hands to level one battle station: both sides have engaged battle! All pilots to the hangars!"

Athrun grunted and ran to the lowest level of the Eternal, to his Justice. Yzak grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him, like it was the last time in the era we'd ever share an embrace again. "If you die out there, I'll be very miserable." He said, putting his head on my shoulder, tightening his grip on me.

"I won't die, I already promised you that. I'm not accustomed to lying." We stayed like that until Kira came running towards us, grabbing my arm. "We have to go, Kim!" I nodded and let go of Yzak's hand, leaving the teenage boy alone, in a long corridor. Kira and I ran to the elevator and descended silently downstairs. Before the door opened, he quickly hugged me and I returned the embrace softly. "I have a feeling this is not over. That I'll see you again afterwards." He said, a soft smile on his lips.

"I have a feeling we'll all see each other again, when this is over."

We didn't have time to lose: the battle has long begun and I ran the flight of stairs leading to the Vengeance's cockpit. I jumped in the hut and started the engine, feeling the buttons under my touch. "You have done so well for everyone that piloted you... Don't let me down." We waited a bit for the Strike Rouge to be completely assembled and prepared and saw Cagalli outside, waiting for the finishing touches. Don't you die on me... little sister. "You guys know the task to do, right? We'll try as hard as we can to stop that Genesis and to ensure protection to the ships. Got it?" asked Mu, boarding the Strike.

"We're professionals: we don't fuck up, pops." Replied Yzak, also climbing in his machine.

"...Kid. Your hair cut is nice." The older man replied, making Yzak smirk in pride and victory. And men will be men... always. "Look, old man! You're woman is coming to see you." Said Yzak, spotting Murrue on the deck, hovering to the Strike. Mu opened his cockpit and descended quickly, letting him be embraced by his Captain. "I thought you wouldn't make it... that I was too late..."

"What is it, silly?" he asked, noticing the memorial necklace around her neck. He quickly grabbed it in his hand and closed his eyes, regretting what he just said. "...Was he a Mobile armor pilot?" She stayed silent for a brief moment and nodded. "Y-Yes..." Commander LaFlaga smirked and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry! I'll be back in a zip. And with victory in hand." He leaned down and kissed her rose lips, making the woman captain shiver. "Vessel detected at Orange 25, Mark 12, Alpha! It's the Dominion! Prepare to launch!" Murrue let go of Mu and returned to her position, in the control room. "Let's go, Mu! We don't have time!" said Kira, watching Mu get back in his cockpit.

"LaFlaga, Strike, taking off!"

"Dearka Elsman, Buster, taking off!" One by one, they launched, leaving Kira, Athrun and I for last. Yzak passed before my eyes and I smiled, knowing he would be alright, along with Dearka. The real worry was about Cagalli, her inexperience making us, especially Athrun, nervous.

"Strike Rouge, taking off!" I could feel Athrun's anxiety from y cockpit and established communication with the Justice. "She'll be fine...you know her."

"Yeah... I'll make sure of that. Athrun Zala, Justice, taking off!" The red N-Jammer canceller Mobile suit was ejected from the hatch and it was now my turn. I was put on the elevating platform and ready to eject. "Kim Desjardins, Vengeance, let's do this!"

Outside, Athrun and I waited for Kira to take off and he was almost as soon ejected from the hatch, last in line, ready to fight. "Wait here, guys! They'll eject the METEOR's." Said Kira, waiting for the Eternal to send the metal fortresses out for a lift off. From each side of the pink Nazca, three engines we pushed in space, in our direction. I let the METEOR click on the Vengeance's back and felt its weight again. I pressed on my speed pedal and flew as fast as lighting to the battlefield, Kira and Athrun not far behind. The Vengeance, as soon as we got in the field, detected an enormous source of heat. "What's this?" I asked. Knowing the answer, I tried to establish communication with Yzak, but in vain.

"Why aren't you answering, Yzak? Damn it!"

"No, this can't be!" Athrun's voice echoed in my cockpit as I looked in the distance, the Genesis firing another death beam in front of us. "Not again!" The light was so blinding that even the Vengeance and I were immobilized. This shot was way more powerful that the last one and its light were more blinding than ever. I looked on my monitor and directed the beam to its target. The moon! They aimed it at the moon!

"Kira! They aimed it at Ptolemaeus Crater! It's the lunar base!" screamed Athrun, his nerves running out.

"Look out! They're coming!" The ZAFT Elites and their GINNs were firing all over the place as a sign of victory over the Earth Alliance, having destroyed their second most powerful and influential base after Alaska. "If that thing is fired at Earth, it's all over!" screamed Andrew Waltfeld, inside the Eternal. His message was sent to all of our support, along with all of the Mobile suits on the field. I could see the displayed red dots on my monitor and prepared the METEOR to fire. "Here they come." I pressed the firing button on my main lever and the METEOR shots hundred of projectiles and beams towards my targets being anything that attacked me and my Mobile suit.

"We have orders to go get the Genesis! Don't slack off now, kids!" screamed the Captain of the Eternal, his harsh voice bringing us back to reality.

"Kira! Athrun! Everyone! Let's stop Genesis!" Lacus's voice echoed in the communication system and everyone took their orders. I looked around and saw strange little pods flying past us, in the direction of the PLANTs. Oh no! Those are...! "Kira, Athrun! These are Nukes! They're aiming at the PLANTs again!"

"We won't let them!" Athrun...

"Let's get them before this turns very ugly again!" Kira...

In order to help the people I love... I need the SEED! An overwhelming waved of power washed over me and I pressed on the speed pedal, making the Vengeance fly onwards at the speed of sound. I could see very distinctly the Nukes being released from the Mobile armor transporting them, aimed at the hourglass shaped objects called PLANTs. I wouldn't let them get away with this. I pressed on the firing button again and aimed my beams at the flying nuclear ticking bombs, making them exploded into bright flashes of radiation. "Arghh!"

Yzak's grunt reached to my ears and I turned around, see the Duel behind me, attacked by the infamous Raider.

"Yzak! What are you doing here?" The Raider is right behind you! Oh no you don't!" Clotho had taken out the Raider's spike ball and readied it to be fired at the Duel's back. I quickly grabbed the cord and cut in with a blade, making the Raider's pilot furious.

"Why you, ignorant little scum bitch! I'll get you today!" I pushed Yzak out of the way and punched the Raider in the face, making the pilot even angrier than before. "I'LL KILL YOU!" I didn't have time to mess with this scumbag so I took out my laser blade and cut the right hand away, making the right arm useless. I reached to Yzak and tried to calm him down. "How he called you! Unforgivable!"

"Never mind him... He's really... Look!" I pointed the Vengeance index towards the distance, to the Archangel. The Dominion, coming up the fronts, had deployed the Gottfried, ready to fire it at the white legged ship's cockpit. No! Not this! No! The beams reached the Archangel's sides violently and it had stopped moving. "They're done for! Do something, someone!" I screamed out of panic, Yzak's Duel warping its arms around me. They won't make it... Wait... don't say that... Murrue's the captain... She'll be fine... After all, she pilots the best ship of them all. Destruction surrounded our Mobile suits as GINN and Strike Daggers exploded around us, making the air around them brighten in deep pink shades.

"Kim! This is Cagalli! We've reached the defensive troops of Jachin Due!" he voice brought me back to the real world and Yzak let go of me. "That's good. I will take care of the remaining forces behind you, the Kusanagi and the Eternal." The Duel suddenly punched me back down and his back was fired by the Raider multiple times, sending Yzak into a paralysed trance. "Yzak!"

"Why are you fighting so desperately? How can you find a valuable reason to do what you do?" screamed Clotho, taking all of his rage on the Duel, Yzak still resisting. "I have something to protect! Kim! Go!" I nodded and flew away, leaving my fiancée behind. "Don't you die on me."

"Kim! Go protect Cagalli!" screamed Athrun, his hands full with the Calamity. I flew towards the Strike Rouge and pushed the Forbidden away, cutting half of his scythe in my path. "This is my battle, not yours!" screamed the Shani, the pilot, out of whack. I flew to the Strike Rouge but didn't have time to react: the green Mobile suit sneaked from behind and shot down my shield, making the Vengeance tremble in a cloud of smoke.

"I finally got you! I did it! I... did... What? Arghh!" My laser sword pierces through the thick armor and slashed apart the Forbidden's cockpit, making the Earth Alliance's Mobile suit exploded into millions of pieces. I took my breath and flew higher, sending the METEOR beams against the GINN and the Strike Daggers at the same time, making dozens of them explode.

"Kim! Behind you! It's the Raider!" Breathe in... Breathe out... I saw the diming light of this Raider's sword and closed my eyes, buying enough time to pray that Yzak's life should be protected by almighty somewhere, somehow.

"Not my girlfriend, bitch!" The Raider exploded into pieces as the destruction wind whipped on the Vengeance's body. When the cloud of smoke cleared away, the Duel's damaged body reached to me and I quickly grabbed it in the Vengeance's arms, my anxiety regaining a normal level. "Yzak!"

"It was time for me to save your life... once in my life." I smiled and looked in the distance to check on the Archangel. This was strange: the Dominion had completely stopped from moving! Life pods were sent in the direction of the white legged ship. "What's going on there?" I asked, Yzak looking at the Dominion. "The Dominion's crew is abandoning ship! What's the meaning of this?" The Dominion's Lohengrin fired and I screamed, knowing the Archangel wouldn't make it out of this. "NO!"

But the beam was stopped... by the Strike! It was standing there, blocking the beam! "WHAT'S HE DOING?"

"Remember? I can make the impossible possible!"

Commander...! The Strike, in a matter of seconds, exploded and completely disintegrated in an explosion of sacrifice. "...Mu..." I couldn't control the amount of tears escaping my eyes anymore. The Archangel aimed at the Dominion with its own Lohengrin and...fired. The beam reached the cockpit and the ship exploded along with the rest of the people inside it. The Dominion, like a fallen ship should, exploded in a spectacular light. I looked at the Archangel, its right side completely destroyed. "It needs help!"

"We don't have time to save the Archangel now! We have to destroy Genesis!" screamed Yzak, holding the Vengeance's hand. I felt this sudden feeling... I recognized this feeling... This man... I knew who was the responsible for this knowing...

"Yzak, you go. I have unfinished business to attend. I won't be alone, don't worry. Kira will be here with me. Go find Dearka and destroy Jachin Due..."

"Are you crazy? I won't leave you here! Alone!" he said.

"You go. I have... old feuds to settle with Le Creuset."

"What's Le Creuset have anything to do with this?" he asked, incredulous.

"This is the feeling I had when I first met him... I know it's him and he's coming. I don't want you to see this. Go find Dearka." I replied.

"But...!"

"This is an order!"

He quickly let go of the Vengeance and departed to rejoin with the group. I know you're coming, Kira... I can feel you. As I foretold, the Freedom has arrived beside me and I looked at the Gundam's cockpit. "Kira, you felt it too, right?"

"Yeah... I know it's him."

"I say... we destroy him. Everyone must be accepted in this world... but pure evilness like him shouldn't taint the rest of this place we call home anymore. He doesn't deserve to die because of what he is but because of what he believes in: chaos."

"You're completely right."

"Kira... Mu sacrificed himself to save the Archangel... he protected it from a death beam from the Dominion..."

"I have heard the news from Cagalli... Kim, let's do this for the sake of everyone... for this world." Said Kira, preparing the Freedom's METEOR system. "He's coming."

"There he is! Let's go get him!" The Mobile suit that was approaching the Archangel was not a model I recognized. It looked like an N-Jammer Canceller prototype as well and the body looked like the Freedom and the Vengeance combined, but with a mysterious star-like shape Aile pack. Is that... the DRAGOON System I see on that damn Mobile suit or is it just my imagination?

"You go behind him, Kim! I'll attack from his front side! When I tell you to hit, you hit, got it?" asked Kira. "Of course! I'm all ready for him..."

But we weren't the first one to have detected Le Creuset: it seemed that Yzak and Dearka had taken a step forward and started an assault on him. The Buster, equipped with heavy Valiant positron cannons, was shooting in the dark Mobile suit's direction. I researched the model on the Vengeance's data base and only obtained the name "Providence". I sent the data over to the Freedom and let Kira read. "It's equipped with a powerful fortress system as well..." he whispered.

"We must be very careful."

Dearka, even as Elite of the ZAFT forces, was having difficulty with this so called GUNDAM Providence. None of his shits had landed and Le Creuset was quickly catching up to him. The star-like shaped mobile armour Aile pack suddenly detached from the Providence's silhouette and aimed in the Buster's direction.

"The DRAGOON! Kira! Do something! It's going to pulverize him!" Kira sped up and launched several Lohengrin beams from the METEOR, in the direction of the Providence and Le Creuset. This gut wrenching feeling in my insides was making my skin burn and I followed Kira, also shooting in the ZAFT's Mobile suit's direction. The green positrons beams escaping from the DRAGOON were directly attacking the Buster, which was already slowed down by its heavy cannons. Dearka was having a hard time keeping up with the lighting fast DRAGOON and soon, half of the Buster was gone, exploding around its pilot.

Kira was also having trouble with the damn DRAGOON as the mobile armour sending beams at him became quickly and swifter than anything else the young Coordinator had ever experienced. "Yzak! Dearka... he's...!" But Yzak had already planned his intervention. The DRAGOON had now found a new target to pulverize into tiny pieces: me. The METEOR system, even thought it was an excellent complement to the Vengeance, was heavy on the speed and dramatically slowed my Mobile suit. The propulsion system wasn't that great in close combat but I decided to keep it on the Vengeance and to support Kira with my cannons. Le Creuset established communication with both Kira and I and we could finally hear his evil chuckles.

"You're something that shouldn't be able to exist! Both of you!" Kira lost his temper and sent the METEOR crashing against the Providence. "Blast you!" I looked behind and saw the Duel reaching for the Buster's arm and I sighed.

"Take care of him, Yzak." Now that my attention was fully directed towards this battle, my movements were sharper and quicker than I expected. Le Creuset, speaking to Kira, completely lost his patience and exclaimed: "If people hear of you, they'll want to be exactly like you!"

I decided to stay low and to fly under the battlefield so I could reach to the Providence incognito, from behind. Kira was now left alone with Le Creuset, assault by both the Providence and the DRAGOON system. He tried everything to escape from this infernal attack: Lohengrin beams, Hell darts, Valiant cannon beams, and nothing would break neither the Providence nor its small mobile armor defense. I could clearly see that Kira was in grave difficulty, Le Creuset landing hits on its METEOR. "And that's why your existence should not be permitted!"

"You're the one who shouldn't exist!" I slashed with my laser blade three of its mobile armor assault system and cut through the Providence's Aile pack from behind, taking Le Creuset by surprise. Kira's METEOR was now heavily damaged, hit by multiple slashes caused by the DRAGOON. "Still... let me make it very clear! My strengths aren't the only thing that makes me who I am!"

"Yes... and who's going to believe that? You think they'll understand? They won't understand! Nobody will!" Le Creuset took out his laser sword and stabbed the Freedom's METEOR on the side, Kira having no other choice but to let it go and let it explode in space. The pods travelling to the Archangel were now passing under us and I looked on Le Creuset, analyzing what he would do next. "It's been a while, Kim! I supposed you heard what Kira and I were discussing about?" he asked, like nothing happened.

"Of course I heard you piece of shit! I heard everything!"

"Well, why aren't you confused? Why aren't you ashamed of what you are? I know Kira is, so why aren't you feeling like shit?" he asked, pushing me with the Providence's arms. I pushed back, making the Vengeance resist under the other Mobile suit's weight.

"Because I know what I am and I accept it!" This seemed to anger the man even more. "You'll never understand what complexity you really are! Because of you, the world has to suffer!" I punched the Providence in the cockpit and Le Creuset suddenly stopped.

"You're the one at fault! Everyone belongs where they feel best in this world! Scum like you shouldn't dictate!" I could hear his murderous chuckles in my ear and I saw the Providence's arm reaching for a rifle, aiming right at the pod below us. Kira had already flown lower to go to its rescue and Le Creuset shot nonetheless.

"Kira! Block!" Listening to his gut, the Freedom quickly took out its shield and blocked the beam with skill. He paused for a moment and I looked behind him, gasping. "The DRAGOON! Kira!" But it was too late. The small armor pierced through the lifeboat with a powerful beam and it exploded into a deep cloud of smoke, making the people inside burn to crisp.

"FLAY!" My brother's voice echoed in my cockpit and I turned around to face the Providence, pissed as hell. "You'll regret this!" But that damn freak had no intention of fighting me.

"Even I won't lower myself as to fight with you." Was all he said before flying away.

"Don't you escape on me, you sick fuck! COME BACK HERE!" I pressed on the speed pedal to the floor and the propulsion system of the METEOR provided me with the strength and swiftness to reach to Le Creuset...thought he had an advantage that I did not have: more time.

I closed my eyes and stopped for a moment, my heart beat too rapid for me to continue. "Even I won't lower myself as to fight with you." I took a deep breath and let the commands go, my hands reaching for my eyes. Tears escaped from them as I repeated his words in my head over and over again. "What... What am I, really? I'm a monster...! He's right... I don't deserve to live amongst the humans... for I am not one or another..."

"And who do you think you're kidding with that, Kim?" His voice echoed in my head but I wasn't sure how to react... After all, it has been some time since I've heard this voice... I stopped breathing to hear what the man's voice was saying, but it seemed to have stopped. "Who... Who are you?" I asked, unsure of how to respond to this situation.

"Who am I? Come on! I've been gone for a short while and you dare to forget me? What have you become, Kim Desjardins?" he said in a dramatic voice.

"Damn it! Why are you talking to me and I demand to know who you are!"

"Damn girl, calm down, will you? Are you sure you don't remember me?" he said, his voice sounding exactly like... like... This can't be! He's... he's dead...! "Is that... you, Seth?"

"Hey, you took a hell of a long time, Kim! Have you forgotten about me already? Why are you... Oh no! Don't cry! You know I hate it when you cry!"

"But... I am so happy you're here..."

"Well, technically, I'm not really here... I'm in your head, in your memories." He said. His presence felt reassuring, like it was needed from my body for too long. I could feel his embrace around my waist and I tried to hug it back but to only catch air in my arms. "I told you I'm not here. You can only hear me."

"Seth...! I am so ashamed! I let you die for me and I never shouldn't even imagine..."

"Are you crying again? Kim, I'm dead because it's my choice. I made the choice to protect you and look at my decision: you're fighting in the most powerful Mobile suit that mankind has built and you've grown to be much more capable than I envisioned. I am glad I permitted that to happen. Don't cry over what I chose for myself. I am glad where I am. Since I'm all around you now, I can protect you in the best way I can. You have friends now to count on and they have you to count on too. By the way, what the hell are you doing with this psycho, Yzak?"

"He's... he's... Oh, what the hell...! He's my fiancé, now. We... I understand him more than you can imagine... and he understands me... And he saved my life multiple times already..."

"And so you're going to marry him...?" asked Seth, incredulous.

"I guess so... but not now... Not when all of this shit is happening around us. In a sense, I'm glad you didn't get to see what we went through since you died... It's been nothing but carnage... but I survived... And my friends have survived..."

"You see? I haven't been missing a thing, really. I am in peace now... More than I ever was before... And that's because of you. I can finally breathe without having to feel this pain in my chest. I am not a soldier anymore... but I live through the people around you. Especially your brother, Kira."

"I always know you were kind of like him and that he resembled you in many ways... Wait! How come you know he's my brother?"

"I told you: I am all around you. I know what you are, Kim. This Le Creuset man... he's not right about you. He's reading you the wrong way. It's not because you're different that you're odd, it's because you're the kind of person that accepts who you are and to live with it the best you can. That is what's freaking him out: he doesn't like people with clear conscience like you. He likes them weak in the mind and in the spirit so that he can make them believe his garbage lies and manipulate them as he wishes, like the ZAFT Chairman, Zala. You are worth it. You are worth 150% more than anything in the whole wide world. Even death. That is what he's scared the most... because he's all alone and you're not anymore." He said, his deep voice caressing my ears.

"Is that... true?"

"I've never said anything truer than this. Why don't you go kick his ass for me, hm? How does that sound? I bet you can stick his title right up his scrummy bosom, Commander Desjardins?"

"You bet I can. I am ready... more than ever!" Seth vanished and left inside of me this urge to do my best, this feeling of invincibility. I closed my eyes and let this rush pump through my veins, letting this wave of hope crash into me. When I reopened my eyes, the Freedom was waiting for me, Kira, smiling.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

"Hell yeah."

I looked on my display screen and saw the two small white dots on it. The Eternal and the Kusanagi... He's aiming for them! I quickly grabbed my laser swords and made the crucial decision to leave behind the METEOR. I unclipped it from my Aile pack and could feel the lightness of the Vengeance again.

"Now it's time to show you that you will eventually have to lower yourself... and to kneel before me, asshole, for I shall be the one to destroy you!" When I finally reached to the Kusanagi, Le Creuset had already stated his assault with the DRAGOON, taking the two ships by surprise. "Damn you!" I swung my sword in the Providence's direction, missing. Kira, on the other hand, shot beams in his direction, Le Creuset still standing strong, his laughter echoing in our ears.

"This is our destiny! It's a path you took knowing where it was headed! Don't blame me for killing you, Kim! You should've died long ago, like it was planned! But you defied even your own nature and survived! You aren't lucky! You aren't hope, but merely an illusion that this is working out for you! This is what you life for! You have no reason to live anymore!" He took out his laser sword and slashed a part of my Aile pack, sending me backwards.

"She deserves to live! She's worth it!" Kira's words resembled so much like Seth's... that I had no more doubts about him being alive around me anymore.

"Shut up!" I took out the Vengeance's double headed rifle and shot beams towards the Providence, Kira on its tail.

"People have faith in justice and hide from problems they don't understand! They never learn, never bother to ask! This is what lies at the end of the path! There is no longer any way of stopping it. And humans will become instinct! Like they should! And I will start with you, half breed!" The Province pushed me around and Kira wasn't able to break the lock because of the DRAGOON. I tried to release his grip from the Vengeance's arms, but he was too strong and I let the Vengeance in a free fall.

"She deserves to live! She's worth it!" Kira...

"You are worth it. You are worth 150% more than anything in the whole wide world. Even death. That is what he's scared the most... because he's all alone and you're not anymore." Seth... I won't let you down.

"The difference between you and I... is that I am understood! I am not alone anymore and I can count on myself even more from now on!" I kicked Le Creuset out of my way and slashed another two mobile armor units on his back with my laser sword, the Providence backing up.

"We are always alone." He replied, about to leave.

"I deserve to battle you as well, Le Creuset so don't you fuck off on me again! I maybe am neither the perfect Coordinator nor the perfect enemy to begin with but I deserve a shot so fight me!" I took out the second laser blade from the Vengeance's equipment and waited for an answer.

"Why shouldn't I give the chance to live since your own father wanted you dead?" Oh, that's a cheap say you'll regret.

"My father tried to save me, remember? He implanted Kira's genes inside me to keep my heart beating. If I remember correctly, you're the one with the hating father who cloned his own child, am I right? He wouldn't have made you the way you are if he ever did love you, correct?" There was a silence in the communication system and Le Creuset wasn't talking very loud now.

"Am I right? You're the one who's hated by your own parents! Why should I be like you? Unlike the being you are, I had family; I have friends and a lover. I don't see why I should be concerned by your ill sayings!"

"No... not true... not true...!" His raspy voice was now heard and he seemed to have realised his own premises and he was now bombarded with them.

"You think people are like what you say: full of hate? I don't see that!" I flew to the Providence and punched it away, making its dark body tremble under the pressure. Le Creuset seemed to have knocked away from his daydreams and came back to reality. "...How are they not like that? What's your proof? What do you believe in and why do you believe in such shit?" He sent a beam on the Vengeance's leg and I felt it explode under its weight, making the Mobile suit tremble.

"Because you were brought up not knowing anything else!" Kira had liberated himself from the DRAGOON and kicked the Providence in the back, destabilizing its pilot. While I tried to stabilize the Vengeance, Le Creuset now addressed himself to my bother in utter confidence.

"Of course people know nothing else! People only really know about themselves!" Le Creuset slashed through the Freedom's Aile pack and pushed Kira around while he sent the DRAGOON on my side. I evaded the hits and felt like crawling through a spider web. I looked at Jachin Due and saw life boats spreading from the core into space. What's happening? Why are the forces retreating from the area? I tried to communicate with Cagalli and Athrun but nothing would work. I had to endure the DRAGOON long enough to land the fatal hit to Le Creuset and to end this war. Le Creuset snickered evilly and laughed his heart out, still pounding on Kira.

"No matter what happens now, I've won anyway! When Jachin Due self-destructs, Genesis will fire!" Jachin Due is going to self destruct! And the Genesis will fire as well? This is horrible!

"There's no way left to stop it! Earth will burn and the ensuing tears and screams will trigger new battles!" Le Creuset seemed to have reached his final string on the sanity chart. I looked down and saw Cagalli and Athrun flying towards the Genesis facility, their Mobile suit on the last strand of speed. "Athrun, Cagalli!"

"This is a day of revelation for everyone!" Kira's Mobile suit now ready to crumble as the Freedom lost parts in the air, shot by the Province's DRAGOON. I looked at the conic part of Genesis and closed my eyes to think, leaving my Mobile suit to be his target. He's not going to do it. He's a chicken shit, for all I know. He wouldn't dare to create a massive nuclear explosion. Kira finally landed a hit and sent Le Creuset flying backwards, madder than ever.

"You are also part of their results! Both of you!" He beamed away Kira's Freedom's right arm and Kira was about to take out his last stand with the laser blade when I came crashing down on the Providence's back, making Le Creuset unable to move.

"What the hell are you doing, you bitch!" he screamed, squirming the Providence in any way possible.

"Don't you even try to destroy the Vengeance. You wouldn't want that, trust me." I grasped the body harder and pulled it away from Kira with great speed, dragging the Providence along for a ride. "There's a world I want to protect and damn, you ain't going to have it for yourself!" My words seemed to have shocked him and I continued pulling harder on the Providence, Kira slowly following from behind.

"Kim, what are you doing? You're too close from Genesis, you'll...!" I could see the final mirror of that damn invention and I looked at it, seeing the reflection of the half mutilated Vengeance in the representative object. I could see Captain DuFlamme and Seth, pulling with me and I could feel the heat emanating from the mass destruction weapon. "Let me... GO!" I closed my eyes and pushed Le Creuset where I wanted him to land and simply said:

"You're free now. Free from hate, free from pain..." Genesis, activating the auto destruct system, exploded in thousands of clouds of smoke and I pressed on the speed pedal, through the floor and felt like time wasn't fast enough, like it didn't help me escape. The Genesis shot the deadly ray of its light beam and crushed Le Creuset to infinite bits and pushed me away with violence, also hitting part of the Vengeance. The metallic body was savagely thrown away, making my head tumble on the cockpit's roof. When the explosion finally stopped, calm returned to normal and I could hear the deep silence of space. It's... It's over... finally... I am... done.

I was about to close my eyes when Birdie's voice came to wake me up from my slumber, its little beak knocking on my cockpit's door. When I pressed the button to open it, Kira's head appeared, along with Cagalli's and Athrun's, in my hatch. I slowly floated towards them, blinded by tears. "Kim!" I could feel their arms wrapping around me and I hugged them back, their eyes also full of tears.

I looked to the stars and told myself that I finally understood: we all belong together... in this world... No matter how different we are... And that what makes us believe in the good...