A Moderately-Long Journey's End

[kill_all_vagans]

[1]

[It was over.  It was over for good now.  The Vagans had been stopped and Ezelcant, who'd started this war out of crazy beliefs, was dead.  And in that final moment Flit'd chosen mercy.  The surviving Vagans would be dealt with in whatever war court hearings or whatever that would be decided on.  No extermination.  No genocide.  Just... an end.]

... I did... I did the right thing.

[It'd started as a question, but by the end he'd felt a little more certain of things.]

[2]

[A short time later, Flit's down in the hangar.  Some things are packed and ready for him, and the AGE Device is in hand.  But the Gundam itself doesn't look to be going anywhere.  So what's the occasion?]



Well... I'll going to be off.  For a little bit at least.

Everyone... thank you for all the help you gave me, all the way from the beginning when the Unity Group took my predictions about Nora seriously.  And for trusting me out there in the end.

But... I'm still an X-Rounder.  Ezelcant was wrong about everything, but being an X-Rounder... even in the end when I didn't intend to fire on Second Moon, it was still tempting.  An easy way out that felt like it would be better for us.

But the AGE System's made progress in finding ways to suppress X-Rounder traits in people, but there's still a lot to do.  And I need to see this through for my own wellbeing.   I'll be back as soon as I can, I promise.  Until then... I'm trusting the Gundam to you.  Don't ever be afraid to use it to save people.

[After he leaves, there'll be another data package left behind for good measure: a configuration to work around the AGE-1's security locks.]

Comments

[actuallyselfish]

"Flit..." Dido says softly.

A moment of uncomfortable silence follows. "I probably should say something more meaningful, I think?" Dido muses. "Here it goes..."

She rests a hand on Flit's shoulder. "Don't ever think that because you're an X-Rounder, you can't make the world a better place. You're not a destroyer like that Ezelcant dip–"

She jabs her thumb at the AGE System. "You're a creator: Always have been, always will. More than that..."

[actuallyselfish]

Her throat catches for a moment. "...You're a damn fine mechanic!" Dido says at last. She pats Flit's shoulder. "And I'm proud to have known you."

[kill_all_vagans]

I just worked to finish what my mother started. And I'm going to keep working at it, with the AGE System.

But being an X-Rounder is more trouble than it's worth. It's helped... but it almost made me do something that would've made me just as bad as them.

And something like that is better off not having.

1

[duetsavvy]

You did! Some guys would disagree, but they're wrong.

Good job.

2

[star_of_sad]

You're leaving?

Flit... it doesn't matter if you're an X-Rounder or not. We knew each other long before I knew what an X-Rounder was.

You're yourself.

2

[gold_four]

It might be interesting, taking someone else's machine for a spin...

[Ataru eyes the Gundam for a bit.]

But before that... I admit, I don't know enough about all the 'X-Rounder' stuff, but have you considered, I dunno... trying to come to terms with it, rather than 'suppress' it? People are a mix of what they inherently are... and what they choose to be.

[And Ataru, being a designer baby, knows all too well about inherent traits.]

If being an X-Rounder is part of you... trying to keep it down, or ignoring it, will be frustrating, maybe dangerous. But understanding it would allow you to cope, and maybe even make use it with... a lot less of the issues.

[...Ataru suddenly has a realisation.]

I guess I'm saying... maybe whilst you're away, talk to a therapist. You know, the kind that most people here don't use for some reason...

[kill_all_vagans]

I know, but I don't want to lose myself.

I worked to develop my abilities as an X-Rounder, and it's made me move closer to a place I shouldn't go.

[kill_all_vagans]

I know... and thanks. For not trying to stop me right away.

[kill_all_vagans]

Being an X-Rounder's not who I am. It's something in me I tried to develop thinking I needed it. And maybe I did, at first...

But bewteen therapy and the AGE System I'll get through this. And I'll help find ways of rehabilitating the Vagan X-Rounders too.

[gold_four]

I'm just saying, there are a lot of people who have stuff they can't change, and have to try and cope with. Maybe look at their examples, see what you can learn from that.

And keep that in mind for the others as well...

[star_of_sad]

But you didn't go there. I knew you wouldn't.

I'm not telling you to stay, I think that kind of spiritual journey would do good. But...

Come back one day, okay?

[duetsavvy]

Oh, don't think I wouldn't try to stop you if you were going to do something else! Even with that one jerk in the way.

What's his deal anyway?

[actuallyselfish]

"And at the very least, singling out a sole group of people as predestined soldiers– it's messed up all around," Dido notes.

She smiles at Flit and raises an eyebrow. "I know its time for you to go your own way and travel to new places–but stop by every so often, okay? Don't just Flit about!"

...did she really do that?

[kill_all_vagans]

Leos... has gone through a lot of very rough things. He was really similar to me in a lot of ways, with his own demons haunting him.

Before he showed up, I ran into him outside of the Sakihama base. He...

... I always did and sad said what I did because I felt I had to if I wanted to protect people. Leos started that way, but he said now he just does it because he likes it.

[kill_all_vagans]

I will. I promise.

Once I have more faith in myself... and I've helped the Vagan X-Rounders have a chance for something better too.

[kill_all_vagans]

You mean Leos?

[star_of_sad]

Well then... Good luck. I know you can do it.

[duetsavvy]

Demons... a lot of people have their own demons. But not everyone turns into a murderous psycho.

You told him to get lost. I hope it's the last we see of him.