Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Raptures of Paradise ❯ The Ultimate Sacrifice ( Chapter 25 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Disclaimer: Well, hope you like this, and this wets your appetite for the WHOLE
story. Note, I'm obviously a Non-Yaoi writer, and a person who tends to write
sappy stories, so if you don't like this kind of story, then GET OUT NOW!!!
Please note that I don't any of the characters, except Nova and the villains.
This does have a Sailor Moon crossover in it. Well, here's some more stuff that
falls on my plot line.

Author's Note: The story comes down to this final moment. How will this end? Who
will die, and who will survive? Just read!

Gundam Wing: Raptures of Paradise
Chapter 25---------- The Ultimate Sacrifice
By Sailor Celaeno

The five former pilots only gaped at the two women. "Why should we
believe a single word you say?" Wufei stared coldly at them.
"What other choice do you have? After all, we're Raptures. We could
simply turn you over to the guards and say that those two that are unconscious
were attacked by you. Or perhaps say they were trying to help you escape. Either
way, you're the ones that will get into lots of trouble," added Midii.
"If we were to trust you, what made you change your minds?" asked
Quatre. He was very curious for their reasons.
"A certain young woman, reminded me that I have someone that I love
very much. Someone who believed in fighting for peace and to protect it as long
as possible," Midii replied, though she slyly looked towards Trowa.
Esmeralda only said, "I looked at things differently and realize
that I was wrong."
"Hn-what's your plan?" asked Trowa.
"Three of you will be given weapons. You have to run around this
complex and distract the guards. The other two will go with us to the prison
cells. We caught the senshi. The four of us will pretend that only two of you
were re-captured and then we knock out the prison guards and free the senshi.
Assuming that the other three don't get caught, we will meet in lower level
sector green. That's where the ceremony will be held. Now who's going to be our
prisoners and who will escape?" asked Midii.
"I'll stay with you," said Quatre.
"I'll stay too," replied Trowa.
Esmeralda nodded her head. "Fine. Here are some rifles and a data
chip you can input into your computer watches. They are detailed maps of this
complex, and includes a program that detects the guards. The red lights are the
guards, and the blue lights are the rest of us. We also have secret passages and
short cuts highlighted in yellow. You must meet us in the room that is
highlighted in green. Clear?"
"Roger," nodded Heero. Wufei just nodded, and Duo also agreed.
"Good, now you three leave and scatter. We'll give you a five minute
head start before we call the guards on you. Starting, now!" noted Midii as she
stared at her watch. The three pilots raced off in three different directions.
Heero raced left back towards where they came. It was a short cut
and he was intrigued at an area they had passed by. He managed to elude three
guards and was able to sneak into a closed off room. Heero noted it was an
storage room filled with food and other devices that would be useful. He quickly
began manipulating a bomb. However his presence was soon detected. "Halt!" a
guard shouted.
Heero glared as he followed them out, then he quickly dashed down a
path that was supposed to lead to another hiding place. He was promptly shot at,
but he dodged the bullets easily. "Hn… going as planned," he noted as he ran
into another room that proved to be empty.

"Damn it!" Midii grunted.
"What is it Miss Midii?" asked Quatre.
"Heero was detected just a minute ago. I have to call the guards."
Midii pressed her communicator. "Alert! Three prisoners are loose in the
building. Capture them immediately! Do not harm them."

Duo groaned. "Heero or Wufei must have been spotted. I should have
gotten another two minutes." Duo raced along another bend. "Hm.. this thing says
I should be near the security room. It's empty for the moment." Duo ran another
twenty yards and went to take a look around the room. "Hm… wow, this setup is
pretty high-tech. Hm… and state of the art."
Duo looked around and found switches that controlled cameras. He
also found a panel that controlled the heating and ventilation systems in
various sectors of the complex. "Hm… if they need a distraction, I'll give them
something. Let's see which part of the building the others are not in…"

Wufei growled as he raced down the hallway. He found a short cut to
a room that contained several energy pods. Quint has said that if he broke the
pods, he could release the energy and it would return to their owners. The
fastest route was through several heating ducts. He leaped up and scrambled into
a vent. It was a tight squeeze, but he managed to find a way to maneuver
through. "Hn... those women had better not be lying or they will pay later."

It was rather awkward for Midii and Esmeralda, Quatre and Trowa to
walk down the hallway. "Emsie, I---"
"Quatre, you don't have to say a word. There's not much that can be
said. I think you should hate with every last bit of hate you can gather from in
your body. I could have easily killed Dorothy with what my jealous heart could
feel. I despised her, but now I see that she deserves your compassion more than
I," Esmeralda said as she led Quatre down the hallway.
"Emsie, hating you won't make me feel any better. I have felt the
coldness that anger has brought me. I suppose I'm angry, but I can't really hate
you. In a way I've always been angry since that time years ago. But I could
never really hate you. After all, I can't feel angry like that unless you mean
something to me, right?"
"You mean… I still do? How can that be Quatre? I've lived without
love and when I realized I had it, I felt such dark envy in my heart. All I
wanted was for you to love me. Your love was real and I wanted it. I took
Dorothy's energy just for that."
"Emsie, I realize that. I will have a place in my heart for you. But
I can't love you like that anymore. My life has moved on and I can't give you
more than what I can."
"I know that now, Quatre. Oh don't look at me like that. I know, you
only feel sorry for me. I don't want you to ever feel sorry for me because pity
only makes me all the more wretched for it."
Midii and Trowa walked a few yards away and had a conversation of
their own. "I will thank you on behalf of everyone else. I know you must risking
a lot to help us," Trowa started.
"That's not necessary for you to say, Trowa. I owed you for sparing
my life."
"… you still want me to kill you?"
"I did say that I won't die for anyone or by anyone except you,
Trowa Barton. The one who gave me my new life shall take it away from me."
"New life? How did I give you that?"
"That day you decided to let me live completely changed my life
forever. I left that rebel camp, I couldn't live envying people that have
nothing. I had to live to help my family. I needed a reason to live and you
reminded me of that. It's only fair that only you can do that," Midii answered.
"Is that really the reason why you've come back to my life? Just so
I can kill you? Or is there another reason why you wanted to see me?" Trowa had
a suspicion about Midii.
Midii blushed lightly. "Why would you think that?"
"You should realize that I don't play games with people's lives like
you want me to do with yours."
"What do you want me to say? That I only came back because I love
you? That I've been in love with you for the last 8 years?"
"Only speak the truth, Midii Une. Don't say anything less than
that."
"Then you know all that needs to be said."
They continued walking down the hallway. It was all that passed
between them. Soon Trowa stopped walking. Midii turned back to stare at him for
a moment. "Why'd you stop here?"
Trowa only walked to her and lightly pressed his lips on her. Midii
had closed her eyes and lightly touched her lips. "You looked very sad. I
thought maybe that might make you feel better."
"That's more like something I would do, Trowa." She couldn't help,
but smirk at him.
"Did it work?"
"Not bad, Barton."

Heero had narrowly dodged more guards, and shot a few of them. He
was able to finish making a bomb from one that he had found earlier. "This
should certainly be quite a distraction for these guards. I should head for the
room down below." He found an unoccupied room and hid the bomb as he installed
it.

Duo played with several buttons. He made the soldiers' barracks 20
degrees above normal. He made the shower rooms 20 degrees colder than normal. He
tricked the sprinkler system into thinking that the hallways in several sectors
were on fire. He laughed as he saw the looks on the faces of people in those
immediate areas.
Soon there was an announcement. "Someone has been tampering with the
climate controls. Search for the source of these disturbances!"
Duo snickered to himself. "I'll just be on my way." He checked his
computer to see that there was a fairly clear path to the rendezvous point.

Wufei double-checked to make sure that the coast was clear before he
jumped out of the vent. He could see that the pod room was only a few yards
away. He stealthily made his way in. He was able to knock out the two guards in
the room. "Hm… there are twenty pods in this room." The pods were about the size
of a small briefcase and appeared very easy to open. They were placed in
compartments that locked energy within the pods.
Wufei pried open them all, and soon an alarm rang. His computer
quickly told him that 10 guards were approaching. He also saw there was another
heating duct that connected the room to a hallway that was clear of guards. He
quickly scrambled towards the duct and was able to reseal it before the guards
burst in.
Three minutes later, Wufei emerged in a hallway about 4 sections
away. "Good, no one saw me. I still have time to go to the rendezvous point." He
quickly made his way.

"We have two prisoners," reported Esmeralda. The two guards stared
at them. They soon nodded and lead them deeper into the prison area. After the
doors closed, Trowa and Quatre quickly moved to knock out the guards. The
guards' keys were soon taken.
"They're cells are a few meters down that path. We'll keep an eye
out for more guards," Midii shouted as Trowa and Quatre raced down the hallways.
"I can't believe they were able to catch us!" groaned Amara.
"We can't help that Amara. After all, they surprised and outnumbered
us," noted Hotaru.
"That may be true, but we should have been strong enough to fight
them off!" huffed Lita.
"Look, let's just stay cool about this. After things could just look
up," smiled Mina.
"Hello ladies," chimed a familiar voice.
"Quatre!" squealed Rini with joy. She and the others perked up with
excitement as the two ex-pilots pulled out keys and proceeded to unlock the
doors.
"We thought we'd never get out of here!" sighed Raye as she walked
through the prison bars.
"Don't start celebrating just yet. We still have to save Relena and
stop Tempest," noted Trowa.
Amy nodded. "He's right. I remember the guards were talking about
something was happening downstairs, and there's been more movement in the
hallways."
"Are you okay?" Midii huffed as she approached.
Many of the senshi glared at Midii as they remembered seeing her
when they were captured. "What's she doing here?" growled Amara.
"Look you can hate me all you like later. But right now, there are
much more important things to focus on," Midii said calmly.
Rini stepped forward. "Well whatever made you change your mind, I'm
very glad that you did. You're doing the right thing, Midii."
"I very much hope that I can change what I've done," Midii said
quietly.
"You're already doing a great deal right now," added Hotaru.
"We have to hurry. I think there are guards that are coming," called
Esmeralda.
"Look we'll split up. Some of us will stay to fight the guards. The
rest will go stop the ceremony," Trista replied plainly.
They all nodded in agreement. "The outer senshi will stay," noted
Michelle.
"Alright then," Trowa replied and they all split into two groups.

"Tempest, there are reports of explosions, and prison escapes. Also
several weapons fire. We have uninvited guests in the building," reported
Hecate.
"Fools! They think their silly little games will stop me? This
ceremony will continue as planned. Bring her in!" Tempest said as she looked
over a large scroll. "I have waited a millennium for this moment. I won't let
pests stop me!"
"Indeed," Hecate said.
Relena was soon led into the room by a guard and Flamethrower. "What
are you going to do to me exactly?" Relena began, as she tried hiding her fear.
"Well my dear. I think that it was selfish of Proserpine to drag an
innocent person into a feud that I've had with her mother and Queen Serenity,"
smirked Tempest.
"Why can't you just give up? You'll never win, even if you kill me.
People like you will never win in the end," spouted Relena.
"I can assure you, Miss Relena. All that is irrelevant. It's not
just for power. I want revenge. Empress Nova and Queen Serenity deprived me of
my destiny! All those centuries ago, I could feel power flowing through me.
Power that could have made me as great and wise as them. They feared my power
because they knew I could surpass them in power. So they had me locked away in a
prison dimension that was designed to slowly deprive me of my true abilities.
Now that I'm free, I'll finish my final evolution. The true epitome of my
abilities, to surpass the limitations that other mortal beings are given when
they first appeared in this universe. Now you will be a witness to the birth of
a new age Miss Relena. How lucky you are!" cackled Tempest.
"And how does Kari feel? Rose can still feel her inside of that
body," asked Relena.
"Never address us by that name again!" roared Tempest. "Kari has
been dead for years. There is only Avatar, Tempest reborn and incarnated. Soon
all will know that name and learn to fear its power!"
"You still haven't answered me. Is this what she want?"
Avatar's voice re-emerged. "Yes Miss Relena. My happiness was
deprived because I was too powerful for any normal human to control. Now I will
show them all what happens when the weak try to control those that are
stronger!"
Relena frowned. "Then there is no hope for you. You are truly lost
forever."
"Proserpine! You have until the sand in this minute class to leave
Relena's body. Or else, I will kill her to get you. Such terms aren't difficult
to understand."
"I don't think so!" shouted Heero as they burst into the room.
"Heero??!! Get out please!" pleaded Relena.
"You think that your lives are worth throwing away just to save
hers?" shouted Tempest mockingly.
"It may not seem that way, but the more important thing is that we
stop you!" glared Wufei.
"Let's see what you head-strong pilots can do to stop me!" Tempest
cackled as they began firing.

Midii and Esmeralda quickly shot at several guards. Quatre and Trowa
tried to fight back as well, but they were soon running out of ammo. "We're
going to have to make a run for it. Otherwise, they'll trap us here and catch
us!" shouted Midii over the weapons-fire.
Esmeralda quickly shot two men. Soon the gun-fight ended and they
managed to scramble from behind a console that they used as a barrier. "I think
we got them all," Quatre huffed.
"I guess so," Trowa searched with his eyes. None of the soldiers
were moving.
They walked away not noticing one soldier slowly take aim.

"Uranus… World… Shaking!" Sailor Uranus shouted as some men fell
through an opening that formed at the attack.
"We have to be careful. This fortress is built above some unstable
ground!" noted Trista as the ground began shaking.
Michelle frowned as they ran to find the others.

Sailor Celaeno watched the whole business unfolding from her
dimension. "I see that it's coming very quickly. Soon, this battle will end, but
their journey is far from over. It's about time I make my entrance." With that
Sailor Celaeno glowed and teleported.

Flamethrower blasted seething hot flames at the three pilots. They
each scrambled and narrowly avoided serious burns. "That's just the beginning of
our power. You can still leave here alive, but I won't be so merciful if you
don't!"
Wufei proceeded to shoot his enhanced rifle aiming at Flamethrower.
She was hit and soon collapsed. Her masked loosened off. "Her?! I should have
suspected. I knew I didn't trust her for a reason."
A bright silver glow appeared and Sailor Celaeno appeared. "You?!
Bitch! How dare you show yourself here? I will destroy your precious pilots and
senshi. Just so I can see the look of despair and sorrow as your beloved watches
are lost to your darkest enemy!"
"You proceed to act like you know so much about the ways of this
existence. But you know as much as the next person. You couldn't even begin to
understand how it works. This universe is a never ending cycle of life and
death, Blissful Joy and never-ending Suffering, Hope and despair, Light and
Darkness, Destiny and Chance. How dare you make yourself so capable of
understanding. I have existed long before you were even an atom of existence. I
have seen and felt all those things. You cannot even begin to understand if you
cannot live and think beyond the limits of your human emotions. You cannot move
beyond anger and fury. That is why you didn't deserve your powers. You weren't
willing to give up and embrace the darkness along with light."
"You, senshi of destiny! How dare you decide who can be deprived of
their destiny. I was destined for this power!"
"You were destined for this power because you chose to believe that.
Your powers showed you want you wanted them to show you. In your heart you
wanted power over all things and that was what made your powers show you the
vision you had. This power doesn't belong to you and you know it!"
"ARGH!!!! screamed Tempest as she formed a giant energy beam to
attack Sailor Celaeno head on. The bright flash engulfed the room with strong
light. However despite the power, Sailor Celaeno used her twin swords to create
a force field strong enough to block the attack.
"You cannot fight the destiny you have chosen. You've made your
choices and it's about time faced the consequences!" Sailor Celaeno only
replied.

Lucrezia and Milliardo stared at their small daughter. "I wished
this didn't happen this way," Lucrezia said sadly.
Milliardo stared at the baby too. "I know Noin. You never meant for
this to happen. I can't possibly blame you, just as I can't blame myself. It's
not anybody's fault."
The sad couple could only watch sadly as their first-born laid in
her incubator struggling to live. Anastasia, their little Annie couldn't last
long like that way, which was their dreaded fears. "Please, don't let Annie
die."

Quatre, Trowa, Midii, and Esmeralda checked the next hallway. There
was no one and they hurried. Esmeralda turned around as she thought she heard
something behind them. She turned in time to see the barrel of a gun aiming
towards them. "NO!!!" she screamed.

"It's a few turns away," noted Trista.
"Right. They're going to need all the help they can get," Amara said
as they went racing.
"I only hope that we won't be too late," sighed Hotaru. As Sailor
Saturn, she was strong enough to run and fight.
"We can only try. The other senshi will need us," agreed Michelle.
The four outer senshi raced to find the other senshi and the pilots.

"I certainly am not afraid. In fact, I've been waiting for the
chance to destroy you, as you have done to my hopes and dreams!" Tempest made a
sword appear in her hand. "It's about time to see if I can defeat you. But
first…" She snapped her fingers, and Heero, Duo, and Wufei were in chains
against the walls.
"But what about Rose?" asked Hecate.
"Begin."
"I won't let you!" Sailor Celaeno tried using her powers to stop
Hecate.
Tempest used her powers to block off the attack. "Fight me!" And the
two swordswomen were clashing swords all over the room.
"I call with the powers of the Negaverse. Come forth Proserpine, she
whose power over the light will light the way into ever-lasting power!"
Relena gasped as she could feel a surging energy flowed through her.
"What are… you… doing?" She began wheezing.
"It's about time I see my sister again," laughed Hecate.
Heero glared as he saw Relena writhing from the energy. He struggled
even harder to get free. "Damn it Why won't these give?" Duo and Wufei also
struggled harder. One of them had to get free to stop Hecate and Tempest.
Slowly they could see a ghostly twin of Hecate start to leave
Relena. "Help me please," gasped Relena as she fainted into unconsciousness.
"Come to me sister!" Hecate laughed as her twin slowly came towards
her. They were soon joined to form one woman. The three pilots gasped as they
witnessed something that no one could have anticipated.

"Esmeralda!" Midii fired her gun at the soldier.
Quatre gently shifted Esmeralda towards him to comfort his poor
friend. She had taken a bullet for him. "Emsie! What have you done?" He had
tears forming in his eyes.
"Nothing at all. You didn't deserve to die. You weren't meant to die
by someone's bullet. Promise me something?"
"What? Anything at all!" Quatre said desperately to his friend.
"Make sure my boy turns out okay?" Esmeralda gasped as she collapsed
in his arms.
Quatre shook her lightly, but he knew she was dead. He could feel
liquid on his shirt and saw that she had been shot in the chest. "I promise."
Quatre moved her against a wall and closed her eyes.
"I'm very sorry, Quatre," Trowa put a hand on his friend's shoulder.
"I know Trowa." Quatre sniffed a little. "I know you took that
bullet so I could help save the world. I won't make you regret that decision,
Emsie." He looked up at Midii and Trowa. "We should go."
The other two nodded solemnly and ran with Quatre.

Lucrezia and Milliardo watched their daughter again. She looked so
helpless as she laid there in her tiny bed breathing slowly. As quickly as they
turned away, her heart machine began beeping. "Zechs! She's dying!" Lucrezia
looked with horror as she saw her baby slowly deteriorate in her condition.
Soon nurse and doctors converge over Anastasia to try to save her.

"You thought you would be strong enough to control me Hecate. But I
have now shown you that I'm the stronger one now," Proserpine hugged her sister
and they soon merged into one body. One woman again. "You're not going to win. I
won't let you."
"What? I won't be defeated!!!" Tempest concentrated and the whole
building shook with fury.
Heero, Duo and Wufei were freed. Heero ran and freed Relena. He
carried her in his arms and checked to see if she was breathing. He could hear
soft, slow breaths. The floor began cracking beneath their feet. "We have to get
out fast!" shouted Duo.
Sailor Mercury ran into the room. "We have to leave now. The walls
are already starting to crack."
"That witch is still free. We need to stop Tempest. She can still
try to destroy the world," shouted Wufei over the rumbling.
"We're too late?" Quatre sighed as he, Trowa, and Midii appeared.
"This stack is going to blow really soon! But we still have to stop
that maniac from getting loose!" shouted Duo.
Suddenly Tempest began quivering and her eyes glowed as she spoke.
"Kari is trying to fight with her," noted Sailor Celaeno.
"Everything around us is falling apart. You can't get anything done
now! I knew you were using me to all this and now everything is falling apart!"
Avatar snapped.
"We can still destroy them all if you trust me," coaxed Tempest.
"Everything you've said has led to nothing but failure after
failure. This will blow up in our faces!"
"Listen you little fool! I have control of this body now. And you
will listen to me!"
Midii couldn't stand it any longer. She could see that
Tempest/Avatar was standing very close to a large hole that had formed. She
gathered her courage and raced towards them. Everyone stared with wife eyes as
they saw Midii and Tempest fall over the edge. "Midii!" Trowa gasped. He raced
to the hole.
He saw that Midii hung precariously over the edge. "Trowa?"
"You're a crazy fool, Midii Une. Why'd you have to do this?"
"What's the matter Trowa? Afraid that you wouldn't get the chance to
kill me?" she smirked.
Trowa inwardly smirked, but he remained just as indignant. "Stop
joking. Let me help you up."
Just as Midii reached for his hand, she screamed as she felt Tempest
pulling on her leg. "You are clever. By being in this body, you can easily kill
me. But you have to die too in order to kill me."
Midii looked up at Trowa. She smiled sweetly. "Trowa?"
"Hn?" Trowa looked down at her with some concern showing in his
eyes.
"I do love you Trowa Barton. One day, you must kill me for what I've
done to you. It's only fair!" Midii said as she shoved herself from the wall.
"Midii!" he shouted down at her. His eyes widened slightly as he saw
her throw herself from the edge, dragging Tempest screaming to their apparent
deaths.
The building stopped shaking. Everyone stared at each other in
disbelief. They weren't quite sure that they could believe the craziness that
they were witnessing. Proserpine broke the silence. "I must leave."
"Where are you going now?" asked Sailor Mercury.
"I have been revived, but I am a spirit without a body. Now that I
have been given a second chance at life, I think I should give someone else a
chance to live."
"Like who?" Duo stared blankly.
Sailor Celaeno then spoke, "A little baby girl that is dying?"
Proserpine nodded her head. "You don't mean…" trailed Quatre.
"I must hurry. There is still a chance to save her. A baby that
doesn't have a soul, that spark of life, will not survive. I shall be her spark
and be born again." Proserpine turned into a glowing light that raced towards a
hospital several miles away.

Lucrezia sighed and began crying as she saw her dead baby. She had
to hold her in her arms. "I wish you could hear me, Annie. I wish you could hear
mommy." She held the tiny cold hand.
It broke Milliardo's heart as well. He couldn't help, but feel
sorrowful that his first child was dead. He reached to touch the cold little
face. He looked up and saw a strange light appear in their room. A girl was
smiling at them comfortingly. "Who are you?"
"Are you Annie's angel?" asked Lucrezia.
"It was because of my darker half that your daughter died. It is
only right that I fix that terrible thing."
"How could you do that?" asked Milliardo.
"Relena saved my life by being my host, the source of strength that
I needed to bring back love and hope to those that Tempest and the Negaverse
have taken from the people of this world. To show my thanks, I will help someone
she loves. She loves you both, and most of all, she loves your daughter." She
gestured to the dead baby. "She loved that little girl, even though she had not
seen her. She dreamed she would see that little girl and be her godmother. If
you are willing to be my parents?"
Lucrezia smiled a little at Proserpine. "I am your new mother."
"I will be your new father."
Proserpine smiled and changed into a brilliant butterfly that flew
and landed on Anastasia. She faded inside the baby. Anastasia felt warm and
began crying loudly. Two lives were reborn that day.

Well, the story is pretty much over, but what do I have stored for you readers
next? You have to read the final part Chapter 26!