Neotopia | The city | The S.D.G. | Characters Lacroa | The kingdom | Characters Ark | The land | Characters The Dark Axis | The army | Characters Anime | Episodes | Screenshots | Timeline GBA Game | PS2 Game Manga | Anime Adaptation | SDGF Gaiden | Musha Retsuden | Other	Apocalyptic by SilverBellsAbove    Amid the ashes of the battlefield, the victors stand tall.    unless they trip over a rock. then they're laying on the ground. Oops.    This is the end. Really. There will be a sequel, maybe another after that if I don't feel I'm done with it all. This is the clincher to this story. I hope you all have enjoyed it, and don't die because of my sucky lyrical writing.    SO ha. Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 Apocalyptic 10. Forge Forever On “Is she gonna wake up soon, Dr. Kratos?” Shute asked. He had been asking that question every day for nearly a month now. It had been three weeks since the final fight, and while Graye was stable, she had not woken from her coma. The doctor nodded, “Yes, Shute. She's lately been talking in her sleep, which means that she's probably going to be awake again soon. If she was a vegetable we'd be worried, but she isn't, so it's fine. It's just a matter of time now. I must admit; she has the most remarkable healing rate of anyone I've ever seen. Her ribs are fully healed, and physically she's as good as new. If she was awake, I could let her go right away.” “Do you hear that Captain?” Shute whooped, “She's gonna be okay!” “Affirmative. The hypothesis was correct; all it took was a duration of time for her Reiki to accumulate back to her normal levels.” Captain Gundam nodded. Shute tugged on the tall man's white sleeve, “Can we see her?” “I don't see anything wrong with it. Go right ahead,” Dr. Kratos nodded and walked away. Shute exuberantly turned the handle of the hospital door and entered the medical room. There was Graye, lying with a peaceful look on her face. She was not plugged onto any life support like the two weeks before, and had an almost innocent appearance. “Wow, she looks pretty good for someone who blew up a building while still in it,” Shute noted, “She looks like she could get up and then run a marathon or something.” “Reiki must boost the body's natural healing process. It's now logically explainable how she was healed within a day when she was hit by Zapper Zaku back at New York,” Captain put out, examining her closely. “She performed admirably.” “Yeah, she did.” Shute nodded, “I wish she could wake up so we could tell her that.” “Mrrgh,” the girl mumbled incoherently, “WhyvethoseclamsstartbakingthepiesBakunetsumaru…” Shute snorted, bottling up a laugh. “Even her dreams are silly.” “I suspect her brain is running through a sort of systems check,” Captain offered, “The random output is a sign that she is functioning properly.” “I say she `functions properly' with us, Captain!” Shute grinned and tickled her arms. “Cootchiecoo…cm'on, wake up Graye. You know you want to!” “EghstopticklingIhatethatohlookacabbagehicabbagedonteatmytoesthatsbad” “Cootchie coo!” “Hee hee… hahahah!” Graye continued to half mumble. Captain gave a critical look at Shute, “I do not think that this is proper medical procedure.” “But see!” Shute pointed out, “She answers to it! She knows we're tickling her! Cooommee on, just a leeeeeettleee more…” He continued to tickle her mercilessly, until there was a point at which she started to twitch violently. “HAHAHAHAH!!! STOP TICKLING!” she screamed and jolted upright in bed, eyes wide and disoriented. At once, Shute hugged her friend happily. “Graye! Welcome back!” With a confused look, Graye blinked. “Whattah? What happened? Shute? Captain?” Captain Gundam also wrapped Graye in a tight embrace. “It is good to have you operational.” “Urgh!” Graye yelped, “You guys are squishing me!” “Sorry,” Shute apologized, and both of them got off her. Shute ran out into the hall, shouting, “BAKU, ZERO! GRAYE'S AWAKE!!” Blinking, the girl turned to Captain in disorder. “Uh, how long was I out? I remember losing control of my reiki, blacking out and now I'm here.” “Approximately 3.15 weeks. The Neotopian transport device has been repaired and white Bagu Bagu have been transported here. The public is aware of Reiki and all evacuated civilians have been returned to their homes. Those kidnapped and still alive have been returned to their families.” “Whoahboy. I missed a ton.” Graye blinked. “Can we go? I hate hospitals. They smell funky.” -@- “Lady Graye, you are unharmed and about!” Zero whooped as they met back at Noir Base. Both he and Bakunetsumaru had rejoiced on sight, overjoyed that their friend was all right. Graye nodded, “Yeah, I'm fine. Takes more than a trashcan with ego issues and a big freakin' gun to put me down for the count!” “What you did was a noble deed, Graye,” Bakunetsumaru said, “I'm amazed you managed to pull it off. You truly do have the heart of a gundam.” The girl blushed. “Uh, erm… agh; what can I say to that?! I'm just glad you guys are okay too!” “So, there's a couple other people who need to see us,” Shute reminded. Captain Gundam pushed open the double doors to the main performance hall that was camouflage for the secret base below. Like a case of déjà vu, the SD Gundamaniacs sat in their places. The Force walked to the center, and for there was a second there was silence. But not for long. “SSSSSSSSSSSSSQQQQQQUUUUUUUUEEEEE!!!! GRAYE, YOU'RE ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!” The girl was immediately piled under a mountain of fangirl glomps. “Agh! Take it easy! I just got out of the hospital!” And Grappler Gouf, who was chilling in the corner, turned to a very amused Zero and remarked, “Hey, at least it's not us this time.” “For once, you speak words that I relate to.” -@- “So, you're saying that a big commemoration ceremony is going to happen tomorrow? At Washington? With the president?” Graye asked FennFeatherDragon. Her arm was in a sling, but otherwise she was unharmed from the battle. “Yes. You're going to attend. I've got another uniform for you; your old one is trashed. Your scarf's long gone though. It didn't survive a beamsaber attack. Oh, and the president requests you bring your weapons. Part of a ceremonial thing in recognition of your victory or something.” Graye nodded, “Sure.” And then gazed around to the other Gundamaniacs, “How is everyone?” “I'm good,” Crystal waved. “No serious injuries; sore as heck though. Don't think my wrists will ever be the same.” SilverBellsAbove grinned, “An inch of my hair's gone and I sprained my ankle, but I'm okay.” “Nothing here either.” Melady shrugged, but now she sported a fearsome (and probably well earned) scar that stretched across her collarbone. “Kicked butt and took names, and sometimes you've got to account for some bonehead's axe swinging around the wrong way.” Talec grinned, “I wasn't there. I was working on the transport device, remember? But I did manage to put a wrench in the Zako communication line.” “Me neither,” Charon shrugged, “I was at home camp giving the orders.” FFD nodded, “None of us died. Mostly broken bones, I think someone lost a finger, not really that bad. We were lucky this time. While Nightingale was occupied with you and the Gundams, the orders she relayed to the Zakos kind of stank.” Melady grinned, “Like taking candy from… well, a brick really. Most of the Zakos I trashed had just about the mental capacity of a dandelion. Except for those ones who do the Zako Zako Hour. Didn't see any of them though. I did trash one who had a chef's hat though…” Crystal giggled, “One of those hit me with a spatula.” Graye shook her head. “Suuuurree. So, does anyone want me in uniform or something or can I stay in street clothes? No politicians coming to see me, et cetera?” “Nope,” Charon grinned. “Everything's going to happen at the ceremony tomorrow.” Captain nodded, “What is the procedure in the meantime?” At this, Charon the Sabercat gave a wry grin underneath her mask, and with a laugh he raised a hand in the air. “In the meantime, WE PARTY!!! AND THAT'S AN ORDER!!!” -@- Party. More like GUNDAMANIAC RAVE. Minus the drugs that come with the title of `rave'. And alcohol was only available to those above the age limit. So no, not a rave. BUT ONE MEGA PARTY. In the basement of the SDGundamaniac Noir Base, strobe lights flickered on and off and music blasted just loud enough to make one speak louder than usual. “Wow,” Graye blinked, “I don't think I've ever seen them out of uniform. They've all been on duty like the whole time I've seen them.” Shute brandished a doughnut happily, “Now this is a bash! Wish my parents would let me go to more of these!” “Not really what I'm used to, but enjoyable all the same.” Zero shrugged, “I wonder where Bakunetsumaru has gotten to, ah nevermind. I'm going to see what's in that corner.” Zero left Shute, and without much really on her agenda, Graye followed. Shute went to find Captain. In the corner there blasted an arcade game. Not any normal arcade game. Dance Dance Revolution. Zero saw something red in the corner and went over to badger Bakunetsumaru. “Agh! Make the line move faster! I won't get my turn in before they shut it off when my sister and her band gets here!” SilverBellsAbove frowned. She was dressed in a mint sweatshirt that was patterned with vines and blue jeans. Graye blinked, “Your sister? You've only mentioned her once; she's in a band?” CrystalDragon peeked out from behind somewhere, a dragon boldly emblazoned on her shirt. “It's because she's kind of a pain to Alex, but she loves her anyway. The kid's only a little older than Shute, actually.” “Hey, it was the deal,” the brunette answered, “Charon did food and I do music. I still feel sorry for the trio. I don't think Zapper will ever touch the lid on a rice cooker ever, ever again.” Melady, sporting her usual attire, shook a glass of punch festively, “She better not have hit him too hard with that spoon; or I think that spoon might be going somewhere else.” “Hey, it's no good to threaten your fellow Gundamaniac Melady,” FFD put out, her cast had a million signatures on it, including the Gundam Force's. “Rrgh! Dog of a dead dog's dog!” SilverBellsAbove cursed as the DDR machine abruptly shut off without giving her a turn. Charon stepped onto the small stage waving at everyone with a microphone. “Hi, wait is this thing on?” she asked, but obviously it was. “Okay. So, we all know we went and RIGHT KICKED DARK AXIS BUTT, so I thought we'd throw a little party down here. And what's a party without a band? So our very own Bells went and rang up her very own sister, and here Morgan Salazar is! For those unhip to all those up and coming bands, Morgan's the lead singer and guitar for the group `Spazzgasm' and they're here tonight! Put your hands together!” Charon jumped off the stage, but not before she threw her mic up into the air, and a girl a little younger than Graye ran up through the curtain and caught it. Garbed in a pink spaghetti top with a somehow sinister chibi face on it and short bushy brunette pigtails, she winked a chocolate eye at the audience. “How are all you doing tonight?!” she grinned lazily. “I hope you're all ready for the house to come down on you, `cause I'm not leaving until we heat this place up!” Everyone cheered. “So, congrats at shelling the little metal keisters of the Axis for me. I want you all to know I was there in spirit, and was watching the whole thing via news! Well, I can't steal all the spotlight tonight, so here's the rest of my crew! Backing me up on the bass is my best pal Allie!” The left curtain lifted to a blonde, skinny girl in gothish clothing with a red guitar, “That's me!” Morgan twirled her white axe happily and motioned to the other curtain, “And my other partner in crime, Markie's here to catch my butt with his awesomeness on the drums!” A scruffy redhead gave a thumbs-up, “How are y'all tonight?” “And finally, the one who always takes the heat when things get ugly, is Kat with the almighty keyboard of doom!” The last one, a shy looking African American girl waved, “Hi.” “So, to start out little set off, we'll go with a song that's pretty appropriate. It's a little ditty we like to call `All Hope Down'.” A chorus of applause erupted from the audience, but they soon went silent when the music started. At first, it was soft, but it went up a bit into a fluid verse- There've been times when you just quit All hopes down, dreams don't mean shit But when things are dark, Don't be afraid Leave your mark, and forge forever on. Give your all and fight your fight and You might just make it To see the light No good, no wrong just blood Blood, there on the floor, on your hands Sing the song of glo-ry The chorus started, a little louder- Don't dare put out that candle, Open your eyes Is it too much to handle? Even when the end rears its ugly head There'll still be someone there to tuck you into bed Fight for your life, Fight for your pride Fight when you should've died! All hope down, On your knees and beg Beg for light to come and end it all But at the conclusion, it's a bittersweet thesis For angels of sacrifice lost in the squall It's the end of the world, Take cover, batten the hatches Someone's been playing with matches Destiny's a bitch Soul's fire, Reason's glitch. Don't dare put out that candle Open your eyes Is it too much to handle? Even when the end rears its ugly head There'll be someone there to tuck you into bed Fight for your life, Fight for your pride Fight when you should've died! Dodge your bane, strike together In concert you hold each other As one Don't let go, overcome Those fears that drive you back Don't stop 'til you're done In your mind's eye don't you back away Courage unlimited, all hope down Kid, go to town With your dreams cause Only one life to live And make sure it's your all you give The music started to ebb a little, and Morgan's soft soprano was the only voice now- Don't you dare put out that candle Open your eyes Is it too much to handle? Even when the end rears its ugly head There'll be someone there to tuck you into bed Fight for your life, Fight for your pride Fight when you should've died! She ended it with a fiery crescendo, and then cut off with a bow. The Gundamaniacs gave rabid applause, thoroughly enjoying the performance. “Now,” Morgan smiled, “Before the next one, there's a burning question on my mind!” She hopped off the stage and to Zapper Zaku leaning in the corner. The little girl looked up at him with shiny eyes. “Will you marry me?” “Not likely, organic.” Graye blinked. “What the crap?” “I think Morgan's a mechasexual,” SilverBellsAbove explained with a sarcastic snicker. “She fell in love with a Zoid at age 10.” “Hey!” Melady frowned, “He still has to yaoi with Grappler! You can't marry him!” “Ugh! That's even less likely!” -@- The night was getting on, and the party was starting to die down. The manager of `Spazzgasm', Eva CirkerStark, came to personally hug Graye and say goodnight, and most everyone had left except for Captain and Shute. “Graye knows we're going to leave at the end of the ceremony tomorrow, right?” Shute asked as he helped fold up chairs. Captain Gundam nodded, “Yes. She was emotionally distressed when he heard the news from Professor Talec.” “It's too bad,” Shute frowned. “I'm gonna miss her. She's a good girl.” “While I am tempted to refer to her high value in combat, I must say that emotionally I agree with your statement, Shute.” The boy sighed, “She didn't even see her brother even. No one knows where he went after he got… um… I think the word's `unpetrified'” Captain Gundam thought for a second and then said, “Based on her explanation, all signs point that she gave herself the objective of eliminating Nightingale from the start. Now that that is accomplished, she feels no regret for what happened. She will now await what happens next.” “I think you're right Cappy,” Shute nodded. “it's a huge coincidence that we landed in her backyard though. I mean, we could have landed anywhere right? Why in her backyard, huh?” “A valid hypothesis would be that like energy attracts. Her overwhelming amount of Reiki's similarity to gundam's energy must have drawn the transport close to her.” “I guess we just have to wait till tomorrow…” Shute followed, but then gave a huge yawn. “Wow, it's way past ten. I should go to bed or something, right?” “That is correct. Let's go upstairs.” -@- “March, march, march. Left, left, left right left. Wow. Does this REALLY have to be so weird? Can't the president just come up to me, hand me a cookie and say `thanks you rock my socks, girl'?” Graye thought to herself as she performed the weird marching maneuver up to the podium that she had rehearsed. The Gundam Force had already done their little part, and the president was now waiting for her. She didn't have a chance to see the president beforehand, so she was just a little curious. She knew that the president was the first woman in office the USA had ever had, but that was about it. She never was one to watch all the speeches on the news, and the president had left war issues to her cabinet, preferring to help stabilize the economy within her country. She approached the podium and climbed it. About face. Graye blinked. The president was a blonde woman about the same age as most of the SDGManiacs with her hair pulled back with a headband. She wore a small black suit jacket and pants and looked very official. This was President Jule Patterson-Gordon. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw SilverBellsAbove snigger quietly. “We are gathered here today not only in recognition of Earth's victory, but also of the triumphs of one woman for her country. While not even enlisted in the armed forces, she has overcome the impossible and surpassed limits set down through history. The name of this woman is Graye Tyrone Kenneth, and to drop the guise of formality for one second, she kicked butt.” There were a few snickers directed at the comedic comment heard in the audience, but also many looks of respect. Graye blushed. “And it is in her honor we gather here today. It takes far more than the average man or woman not only to defeat the enemy, but also to defeat ourselves. Earth before this time has been in turmoil, and it is directly thanks to her and the Super Dimensional Guard that we are standing here, not as the United States of America, but as Earth. Thank you; you rock.” Graye blushed again. And then the world turned over. “DIE ORGANIC SCUM!!!” a squeaky voice full of hate and rage screamed, jumping out of the back of a passing truck. The lavender Zako streaked to the President of the United States, hand scythes held up to end it all in one last strike- BANG A neat hole blasted through the front of the Zako's magenta eye; someone had shot Slayer Edge from behind. Her voice became staticy and the Zako settled to the ground in a metallic thump, finally undone for good. And a figure of a man in silhouette was against the midday sun, perched on top of a great gasoline vehicle. A lone silver pistol smoked, still pointed in the direction of the shot that hit its mark. Hopping from his place, the young man grinned at the whole assembly, most of all Graye. “Long time no see, sis. Hey, how come I wasn't invited, Miss Prez?” “CYRUS!!!” she screamed and forgot the protocol that had been drilled into her all morning. Graye ran up and embraced her older brother; halfway on the verge of tears, “You're back!” The older boy blew a strand of honey blonde hair out of his face. “In the flesh. I can't believe it. I heard you took on the head honcho and won, and I didn't believe it. Guess I was wrong, though. You've grown up.” He put a hand on the small gold locket around his neck and started to remove it, but a hand stopped him, “No,” Graye said. “Keep it. You'll need it.” “So it is with heavy hearts that we see the Gundam Force leave for their base world,” President Jule finished and Shute was about to call Haro on the communicator but a voice rang out again. “Wait!” Graye cried, eyes resolute. Shute blinked, “Huh?” “I'm going with you!” “But your world's in no danger now!” Bakunetsumaru pressed. “Aren't you going to enjoy time with your family?” The girl pushed her hair back. “I miss my brother a lot, yeah. But what kind of person would I be if I just let you guys go, not giving a care in the world about what you might have to face? Your worlds are in just as much danger as mine was, and I'm going to help you with it? One good turn, right?” Laughing, Cyrus waved, “Hey, let her go you guys. She won't stop until she gets her way, so don't even bother! Even if you did leave, she'd find a way to follow you, even if it took years! Man, she throws the WORST tantrums you've ever seen, believe me, so you don't want to be on the other end of those!” Captain Gundam was silent for a second, but then looked up. “I have contacted Chief Haro. He has acquiesced; you may accompany us.” “Yeah! Bye guys! Hold down the fort for me! See you, Miss President!” Graye waved at the SDGundamaniacs in the audience especially, an enthusiastic smile stretched over her face. Charon waved, “Look after Shute for me!” “And don't you even think about dissing the trio!” Melady countered. “I've got a flamethrower and not afraid to use it!” “Go kick butt for us!” TDAT CrystalDragon waved. Talec flashed her a peace sign, “I built a communication's receiver at Noir base! You had better call!” “Or else I'll break the dimension barrier myself and come to tell you off!” SilverBellsAbove grinned, “Send us a postcard or I'll come for your soul, Graye!” “Stay safe!” FennFeatherDragon nodded. “No good if you come back to us in smithereens!” Bakunetsumaru roped the trio closer to the rest of the people to be transported, and Graye gave one final wave, “I'll bring back souvenirs! You guys will see the Force again after this is all over, you know that party last night, we'll throw one ten times as big for ALL the worlds! And all of you're invited! Bye guys!” “I love you Graye!” Cyrus yelled in finish, limping a little on his robotic leg in their direction, “Don't you ever give up, or what will I say to mom and dad?” “Bell Wood,” Shute said into his phone, voice a little wavery because he thought he might cry, “Eight to transport. We're coming home.” And it all began again.    there were a few last second cameos in this one, one of which you may have got.    Dr. Kratos : NOT Kratos from tales of Symphonia. I have been playing way, waaay too muc God of War lately, so this was the name that stuck XD.    Morgan Salazar: my little sis. Around 10 now. No, I don't think she's really mechasexual. I was cracking a weird joke; ever since she lost SD Gundam a while back she poured herself into Zoids. Poor little sister; must buy DvDs!    Jule P.G.: A real person in my World History class, who aspires (really and truly, with all her heart) to be the first female president of the United States.    Eva CirkerStark: My best school friend. Spazzy as heck. Flirts with everyone. If you force fed Zero thirty pounds of pixie stix, you would get Eva. She aspires to be a singer, but also a manager between gigs.    `Spazzgasm' is an inside joke between a few of my friends and I. The BAND (which currently does not exist) is Morgan and all her best friends right now. It's sort of a wired mix between punk, rock and something that's not quite pop or country, with a heavy emphasis on lyrics without being rap. Yeah. Go figure. IRL she plays guitar, so that's where I got it from. Trippy, aint it?    So now you know.    I hope my icky lyrics didn't kill you. That's a jumble of what was running through my head when I wrote the final fight. Hope you likey. Bad poetry AHOY!    Watch out for sequel soon! I love you all and your support!!! *hug* Chapter 9 - Chapter 10	Media | Official Art | Music | Video | Other Toys | Model kits | CCG DVDs | Volumes | Voices | Staff Fan | Art | Fic | AMVs | Other | Fanlist Other Dimensions Links
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