Vandread Fanfic - Until the End
Chapter VIII - A Man's Cruel Destiny
Rating - G / Romance / Sci-Fi
Author's Note - What is Rick's dark destiny?

Don't you wanna be free?
Tell me now that is the meaning
Of dying for someone

Don't You Wanna Be Free?- Wain L

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"Hibiki and Erick had left the ship in their Vanguards." BC informed Magno of the latest development.

"Sub Commander, VX4's Synchro Counter is working." Ezra said.

"Good. What's the synchronization rate?"

"87.65% and increasing. 88, 88.5, 90...What?"

"What happened?"

"The rate keeps increasing. It's now at 95%. Wait. The signal is gone."

"He probably deactivates VX4." BC speculated.

"I don't think so. Why's so sudden? Trace the signal." Magno told Ezra.

"Yes."

After a while...

"Sorry. We couldn't pinpoint the exact location. It's probably out of our range."

BC sighed in frustration.

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"Urghh...what happened? How long I've been unconscious?"

Erick opened his eyes and scans the monitor. He could only see the remains of a large battleship. He also finds himself buried in an asteroid. He tried to contact Hibiki but to no avail.

"Hey, you're okay?"

There's no response from VX4. The monitor reads: REPAIRING: 50%...

"Great. Stranded yet again and I couldn't move this thing. Guess I have to simply wait until this thing operational."

While trying to rest, Erick's mind drifted back to the events after he and Hibiki escaped from Nirvana...

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They were flying for god only knows how long when they were confronted by a large fleet. An image of a man appeared on the monitor.

"You two! Where are you from?"

"I'm from Tarark!!" Hibiki replied.

"And I'm from Terra." Erick said.

"Terra..."

A while later, they were taken to the fleet's commander. He and the rest of the crew had white, pale faces. They look like zombies. Hibiki took a step backward but Erick remained calm.

"You...Which one of you is from Terra?" The commander spoke.

"I'm from Terra." Erick moved forward.

"Have you heard a person called 'Slayer of God'?"

"Slayer of God? No. Didn't heard of it." said Hibiki.

"Apparently, our enemies called themselves 'god' and started to assault many worlds in this galaxy."

"What for?" Erick asked.

"We still didn't know their motives but they seemed to attack us because of our skin."

"You mean..."

"Yes. They attack us and extract as many skins as possible from our dead comrades."

"That's disgusting..." Hibiki chipped in.

"Tell me, what are your attackers looked like?"

"Sorry, we didn't know what they look like. They've been sending insect-like creatures on us."

"Then who is this 'Slayer of God'?"

"According to the data we obtained, the enemy had a prophecy that one man called 'Slayer of God' will come and bring nothing but destruction to them."

"And they actually believed this prophecy?"

"It seems so."

"Well, if one of us is the slayer, we would have kicked their sorry butt back home!" Hibiki said.

"So what's the connection between Terra and this prophecy?" Erick asked the commander.

"According to them, 'the slayer' is from the farthest system in this galaxy and Terra is the farthest system unless there is any other system that is farther than Terra."

"They attacked Terra just to find this 'slayer of god'?"

"Yes. That is their main purpose of attacking your home."

"Tell me, have you ever heard anything about Terra since the attack?"

"I've heard that they are conducting some kind of experimentation on the captives to determine if one of them is the 'slayer'."

(I hope Rick didn't hear this...)

Then, an operator cried.

"Sir! We're under attack!"

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"Sub Commander, we're receiving a transmission from Rabat."

"Bring it on the screen." BC said. Moments later, Rabat and Utan appeared on the screen.

"Yo. Can I get on board?" Rabat asked.

"After what you did? No chance." BC replied.

"You'll change your mind when you see what I've got from the thrash area." Rabat picked up the unconscious Hibiki and shows it on screen.

BC was speechless but Magno said,

"Fine. Bring him in."

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"Why are those women suddenly thrown us in here?"

Bart who is still in female's dress asked Duero who still remains calm despite Bart's constant whining.

"Well, I don't have a clue. Maybe it has something to do with Hibiki and Rick/Erick."

"I didn't see those two for quite sometime now."

Then, a group of women approached the cell they're in, taking Rabat and Hibiki along.

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Rick is drifting in the middle of empty space, still couldn't find the answer he seek. Then, he cried his lungs out.

"SARA!!"

Then, a red light appeared above him and Erick was standing before him.

"Rick, the time has come."

"The time has come? What do you mean?"

"The time has come for me to be a part of you once again."

"Wait. You mean..."

"Yes. We will become one."

"Why? Why now?"

"After all these years, even though I'm more powerful than you are, I still couldn't take over from you. You've had this power known as 'love' and 'friendship'. And I...don't have any of that other than hatred and destruction."

"Erick, when we become one, you'll have those feelings. I guarantee you that."

"Ha. Thanks. Before I fade from this world, send my regards to Barnette."

"Huh? Barnette? Wait...you kissed her?"

"Ha. Only a kiss. All will be over when you absorb me."

"Don't worry. I'll do that. I promise."

"Thanks. Now, put your palm on my chest."

Rick put his right palm on Erick's chest. Then, Erick begins to fade away.

"Goodbye, Rick. I hope that you'll return and find Sara..."

Then, there's a bright, white light. Erick was gone, absorbed into Rick.

"Don't worry, Erick. I'll find Sara." Then, Rick is surrounded by white light.

Moments later, the asteroid where VX4 was buried suddenly exploded. Then, a white comet in the shape of a phoenix came out from the explosion and cruised at full speed, leaving a trail of white streak behind.

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"Uhh..."

"You're awake?" Duero's voice entered his mind.

"Arghh...I'm...was brought back here?" Hibiki tried to get proper bearings as stood up.

"You should thank me, boy. I'm the one that found you." said Rabat who is sitting cross-legged in front of him. Hibiki looked at him. Then, Bart and Duero.

"Wait...where is he?"

"Erick? He wasn't here when you were brought in." Bart explained.

"You didn't found him?" Hibiki asked Rabat.

"Hey, I'm not a rescuer or something. I found you just by chance."

"Come to think of it, what were you doing out there?" Hibiki asked.

"Yeah, how did you know about the invaders of Rick/Erick's home planet?" Bart fired another question.

"Maybe you're some kind of informer?" Duero speculated.

Rabat laughed loudly.

"HAHAHAHA...You got me there. I'm the number one informer in the universe."

"Grr...you sold us out? I ought to pound you right away." Hibiki clenched his fist.

"Hibiki, fighting will not solve anything." Duero tried to calm him down.

"The doctor's right, boy. Right now we've got to get out of here."

"And how we're going to do it? We'll fry if we get through the barrier." Bart said resignedly.

"There's no need to worry about that." Rabat took out a device from under his boot and after a few button tapping, the barrier disappears.

"Okay, I'm outta here." Rabat made a hasty exit, leaving the other three behind.

"Hey, wait..." Then, the alarm goes off.

"Darn, not at this time..." Bart sighed.

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"There, I connected you with an anti-shock device. You'll be fine." Parfet said assuringly. Pyoro sighed.

"Here we go again..."

Then, an electrical energy absorbed by Pyoro, rendering it unconscious. Moments later, Pyoro rose up in the air.

"Parfet, what happened?" BC asked.

"I don't know. Something took control of Pyoro. I couldn't disable it." Then, a rasping voice echoed.

"GREETINGS."

"Who are you?" Magno asked.

"THAT WOULDN'T BE NECESSARY. BUT YOU CAN CALL ME 'GOD'."

"God'? Why are you attacking us?"

"WE'VE COME TO TAKE ALL OF YOU BACK TO WHERE WERE YOU BELONG, EARTH."

The whole crew gasped.

"Earth? What do you mean 'take us back'? You killed every single human you encountered."

"EARTH HAD BECOME MORE AND MORE POLLUTED. WE NEED VARIOUS PARTS OF HUMAN BODY THAT COULD EXTEND OUR EXISTENCE. THE PLANETS AND SYSTEMS YOU ENCOUNTERED INCLUDING THE PLANET OF MEJALE AND TARARK, ACTED AS OUR RANCHES."

"R...ranches?" Bart stammered.

"You sick bastard...." Magno cursed.

"HAHAHA. THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. IT IS YOUR DESTINY TO BE PART OF US."

"What were your purpose of attack on Terra? You didn't seem to be interested in any parts of their body."

"WE ONLY INTERESTED IN TERRA BECAUSE OF ONE MAN. THE ONE CALLED 'SLAYER OF GOD'."

"Slayer of God'?"

"HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT POSSESSED THE POWER THAT COULD DEFEAT US."

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"UCHUUJI-SAAAN!!" Dita screamed as she avoided a blast from her pursuers.

"There's too many of them. If only we have the Vanguards..." Meia mumbled.

"Meia. What happened to you? We can win this one without the help from men." Barnette shouted through the intercom.

"MEIA!! WATCH OUT!!" Jura warned her. A blast of blue energy came from one of the mother ship. The blast went straight at her.

"LEADER!!" Dita cried.

Meia tried to move. But her body didn't respond. She leaned back on the seat and smiled resignedly. Then, the thought of Rick flooded her mind.

(Goodbye, Maverick.)

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I just feel "Rhythm Emotion"
I just feel light forever and more
Only to be, I'm leading myself to brighter way out, it's so far away
I just feel "Rhythm Emotion"
I just feel love forever and more
Only to you, I'm sending my heartbeat so far away

TWO-MIX - Rhythm Emotion - Gundam Wing 2nd Opening Theme


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