AN:
In all honesty… this was probably the hardest of all the entries. I didn’t know whose perspective to write it from at first, and I wanted to get to the speech! ^^;

We Must Not Forget
Those Who Have Faded

To some of them, it was an awe-inspiring moment. To some of them, it was the realization of humanity’s dreams. To some of them, it may have seemed like the end of their dreams. But to me it was a most relieving occasion. No one would have to die anymore. It took so much to not cry.

I would have pereferred not being there at all. I don’t like places where there are lots of people. Generally, seeing people lined up and in uniform like that is intimidating — it gives me a sense of something going wrong, something purely evil happening soon. But when we actually arrived, the feeling of wonder that saturated the air nearly choked me.

Or maybe it wasn’t a special feeling at all. Maybe it was just me.

But I felt it.

The other three Repairers felt it. Everyone felt it. I could just tell. And maybe it wasn’t exactly in the same frequency, that feeling. But it was there. I couldn’t stop crying. Silently, yes, but crying nonetheless.

I always knew coming here was going to mean facing many horrible deaths. I knew my partner’s and my promotion depended on death or exhaustion. I think, however, that both of us were expecting death. We both had a sort of foreknowledge of the deepest pain that is kin to death. That was why we were there — that was why we entered the race. So that we could stop it all. All of it.

All of it.

The Head of the Academy spoke with more than words. He spoke with his heart — with the very depth of his soul. The repercussions of it will touch the souls of many to come. Or at least I would hope so. Then again, it seems that only the people actually involved in wars are the ones who understand their terror. I wouldn’t be surprised if I heard someone asking for a war.

But the majority of humanity is smart enough to realize that having a little bit of fun is most certainly not worth losing Zion over.

Everyone was so excited when the Pilots came back from that last battle. I was crying, the other girls were crying, Rioroute was crying — and now that I think about it, that was such a sweet thing. It’s just like him to pretend to be tough and then break down the minute something great happens. I’ll never forget that.

Erts and Garu were quietest of all, I remember clearly. Even Erts — sullen, silent Erts — couldn’t keep a smile from being on his face. It was so nice to see him smile. And Garu — Garu, who had been so purposeful and even blind in his dedication to finish everything — it was so wonderful to see him happy.

I’m sure Ernest was happy too. I’m sure he was glad for all of us.

I can safely say everything said that day is something that will go down in history. I believe it’s safe to assume that students mere decades later will be forced to read the speeches given to conmemorate the end of the War. I’m also certain that some school assignments will include things such as, ‘Imagine you are a Candidate at the Goddess Operator Academy…’

But all the words in the entire universe, in every language, and in every dialect, and every form of wording ever that ever existed, is in existence, and will exist, would not have and will never be enough to express the joy felt be all of humanity — the whole of our kind — at the victory we received that fateful day.

Our Last Star will be preserved forever.

Forever.

***

I really don’t feel I’m in any condition to write the speech. I forgot most of it. If I do write it it’ll turn out horribly and I don’t want that. *pout* So here it is. The last entry for 2002 for this fic. I need to go…out into the real world again. ^^;