Second Strike of Lightning

[lightning-1.livejournal.com]

[1]
(Fate is standing before the tube which holds Bardiche with a hollow look on her face. Because she wasn't strong enough Bardiche got this damaged. She was also reckless in pushing herself and Bardiche so hard during the battle. Fate walks up to the tube and puts her forehead and  clinched  hands on it. Silent tears start to fall down her face.)

Bardiche...I'm so sorry....

[2]
(Fate is out on the observation deck with a distant look in her eyes. If you approach her you will see that she hasn't even noticed you yet. Her eyes are puffy, she obviously has been crying.)

(What do you do?)

Comments

2

[coolblueiceman]

Fate.

[Chrono comes up behind her, taking a place next to her against the guard rail. He doesn't look (or sound) much happier than he did when they'd left the base to return to the Chalice; he's speaking in carefully-controlled tones, unusually softly. A dull rage still smolders in his eyes, and a few bandages are apparent, probably from the last firestorm he got caught in trying to pursue Gato.]

Are you hurt? I didn't get much of a chance to check in with you, aside from getting everything prepared for the repairs to Raising Heart and Bardiche.

[lightning-1.livejournal.com]

I'll be fine. I've been through worse.

(Fate's voice rings out hollowly and emotionless. Chrono hasn't seen her like this since Precia told Fate what she really was.)

[coolblueiceman]

Don't be so hard on yourself, Fate. None of this was your fault. You really made a difference out there. I know you don't feel like it - I don't either - but it's the honest truth.

[lightning-1.livejournal.com]

I...I just wish I could have done more. Maybe if I didn't spend so much energy on Phalanx Shift I could have fought more and Gato wouldn't have got away.

2

[zetahatsudo.livejournal.com]

[Have a concerned newtype, Fate.] Fate... What happened out there? The entire town is in ruins.

[lightning-1.livejournal.com]

(Normally Fate would have been surprised by Kamille's seemingly sudden appearance but Fate now simply turns to Kamille.)

The town was attacked by Zeon and during the cross fire someone named Gato stole a Gundam armed with nuclear missiles. We tried to stop him but...we failed. I...I tried so hard...for nothing.

[zetahatsudo.livejournal.com]

['W-what...!']

...[Is now hugging you, Fate] I'm sorry... I should have been there to help.

2

[wimpy-cure-ever.livejournal.com]

[Here, Fate - have a concerned roommate. Nanohana's heart breaks as she sees Fate in her condition.]

Fate... need a hug?

[she seems like she does and it's the only thing she can think of doing. She feels awkward asking her what happened.]

[lightning-1.livejournal.com]

(Fate looks at Nanohana for few seconds before looking down. Truthfully she kind of does but she is still a little too sad and angry to voice the fact.)

I feel so...weak.

[wimpy-cure-ever.livejournal.com]

Weak... [Oh, she knows that feeling all too well. The encounter with DJ RGNK for starters. As she tries to find the words, CHYPrE appears before the two]

Don't feel so down-desu! You're alive and that's all that matters!

2

[emorangerpink]

[Laura hesitates briefly before approaching. Fate has her own friends to worry about her, after all. But if she's not with them now, she probably needs reassurance even more badly.]

Fate... I heard a little about what happened. Why don't we take a walk? I find things seem a little less... difficult when I'm in the arboretum.

[lightning-1.livejournal.com]

(Fate looks at Laura before nodding.)

Alright.

(Her tone is rather hollow, sounding nothing like the Fate that you know.)

[emorangerpink]

[Laura leads the way down to the gardens, trying to keep Fate from brooding without pestering her as they walk.]

I heard a few of the pilots took a pounding down there. I'm relieved you're not hurt worse than you seem to be.

But I guess it's not scrapes and bruises that you're worried about?

1

[white-deviling.livejournal.com]

Fate-chan, Bardiche tried his hardest today...just like you did.

[lightning-1.livejournal.com]

But I forcefully pushed him to work so hard and now he's like this. I didn't even consider that he was hurt. I'm horrible. He was given to me by my teacher before she left, she entrusted him to me. Not only that, I've known him almost as long as Arf. Yet I did something so selfish and forced him.

(Fate falls to the ground crying as the emotionally pain and physical exhaustion become too much for her to stand.)

[white-deviling.livejournal.com]

Trying your best doesn't make you a horrible person, and none of us fought for selfish reasons today. We really wanted to protect people.

And well...Bardiche knows you better than I do, so he should know this too.

1

[space-mcgyver.livejournal.com]

[Despite being angry at evil madmen who make little girls cry, Lowe decided to act optimistically. Here he is, a wrench in hand.]

Let's fix it.

[lightning-1.livejournal.com]

(Fate looks at Lowe for a few seconds.)

I appreciate the sentiment but I hope that you understand that that...(Fate points to the wrench)...isn't going to help.

[space-mcgyver.livejournal.com]

I know, it's all I had lying around for demonstration purposes. But I have more tools than just a wrench, trust me! And a Junker never gives up when stuff needs fixing.

Or in other words... you made it out okay, and your Device is damaged, but still in one piece too. So you shouldn't give up either.

2

[punches-vamps.livejournal.com]

[Well, there's another person out here, watching the landscape pass by.]

...Hey.


...You doing alright?

[lightning-1.livejournal.com]

(No words are spoken as Fate simply shakes her head, her eyes still having a distant look in them.)

[punches-vamps.livejournal.com]

That bad, huh...

Mind talking about it?

2

[chozo_girl]

[Samus walks up to the observation deck, silently, and stands besides Fate for a bit. She waits for Fate to realize her presence before saying anything]

[lightning-1.livejournal.com]

(After a few seconds Fate looks at you slightly but she doesn't say anything.)

[chozo_girl]

What happened?

[It's obvious that Samus is referring to whatever happened out there. But even though she wasn't in the sortie, and reports have been a bit sketchy until now, she seems more interested in what Fate thinks about what happened than the facts themselves]