Hello everybody! this is flashgunner returning from a long period of no writing due to school work.

This is a brand new story that i already have 2 chapters for, but i'm going to submit the second one an a day or two so i can get reviews on ch. 1

i am sorry to say that i will probably not continue my megaman battle network highschool life story. i'm sorry to those who liked it, i just lost interest in it all together.

anyway here is my new megaman zero story

story

"talking"

thinking

enjoy!

Megaman Zero: Believe in me

By: Flashgunner

Ch. 1: Gone

"Ciel…you have to believe in me!"

……………

Those were the last words she heard from him. Ciel's eyes were fixed on the static transmission plastered on the screen. She stared as if hoping that he might appear on it and tell her that he's ok, like he always had before. But, he didn't.

"Contact has been lost. Ragnarok is breaking apart."

Contact has been lost. Those words cut into Ciel like a knife cutting butter. That meant he was gone…Zero was gone. Gone. And there was nothing she could do about it. Ciel wanted to turn and run away right then and there. She wanted to run as far away as she could, but she struggled to keep her composure. It didn't last long. She turned and ran towards Area Zero.

"Those are……pieces of Ragnarok…"

"Does that mean we've been saved?"

"Niege!" Ciel ran up to the leader of the settlement.

"Ciel! Zero did it!"

"Yes he did, but……he……"

"Ciel……?"

She couldn't take it; it was too much to bear. Again she ran, leaving behind the resistance trailer, the humans, and Area Zero. She stopped at the top of a hill with a lone tree sitting at its apex. Her knees gave way and she slumped onto her hands and knees. She couldn't hold them back any longer. Tears began to drip down her face as she took in all that had happened in only the past half hour. She was going to tell him……she was going to tell him how she felt about him when Weil was defeated. She had always hesitated before; Zero was always so serious and hard to approach. She had finally built up the courage to tell him, but now he was gone. Her perfect chance, gone. When Ciel couldn't cry anymore, she slowly got up and looked into the sky.

"Zero……I'm going to help build a world where humans and reploids can live hand in hand. I want you to watch me do this. Watch me bring the peace we fought so hard for into action. Thank you Zero……I will always love you……sniff"

Ciel turned and began walking down the hill, looking back at the sky once more to make sure she would never forget. Then she turned and walked towards the ruins of Ragnarok. When she arrived she looked around in hopes of finding something that could remind her of Zero. Then she spotted it. A helmet…Zero's helmet only a bit cracked and damaged. She ran towards it and picked it up gently, small tears forming in her eyes. After examining it through her misty vision, she hugged it tightly saying, "Oh Zero... I sent you off so many times assuming you'd always be back... but now...." She brought the helmet up to eye level and spoke to it in a soft yet choked voice, "Rest in peace my knight in red armor……you can now peacefully watch over me while I build this new community." She planted a kiss on the helmet's forehead, then turned and walked away from the ruins, clutching the helmet tightly.

As the wind around the ruins died down, a faint light began to flicker, until it turned into a little gold dot.

"I thought I wouldn't have to come back again, but it seems that I am needed." The gold light morphed into the hologram of the real X. "He should be around here…" X searched a pile of debris until he found a severely mangled reploid. "Zero……we can't let you leave this world yet. There are people here that you need to help, people you need to protect, and people that you need to be there for. I just hope that he can fix you." X teleported away.

He appeared in a laboratory. It had no windows or doors, just lights, a workbench, and more tools than one could count. X Moved forward and lay Zero down on the workbench.

"My my……he's in bad shape." Said a low yet caring voice. X turned and faced the direction of the voice.

"Yeah……his body is severely damaged. Can you still fix him?"

"This isn't anything I haven't handled before." The voice became louder and another hologram became visible. "This world still needs a hero. So we most definitely cannot lose this one."

"Then I guess I can return to my rest with no worries…… Thanks Dad." And with that X disappeared leaving Zero alone with the hologram.

Ciel carefully propped Zero's helmet on the top of a small bookshelf in her room. Gazing upon it, she recollected all the things Zero had done for both her and the Resistance. If not for Zero, this approaching era of peace would have never seen the light. Instead of going about her work, Ciel kept her eyes fixed on what her fallen hero left behind. Her thoughts thought of nothing but him.

"Ciel?" Ciel jumped and turned around quickly. Cerveau stood in her doorway.

"Oh… hi Cerveau."

"It's not like you to be so distant from all of us. Peace has finally been attained and you've been quieter than a Neo Arcadian drone……" Cerveau eyed Zero's helmet on her bookshelf. His eyes widened as he mentally slapped himself. Of course! That's why she's sad. "Ciel…I know it's hard to accept that Zero is gone, but you can't dwell on it forever. Zero gave us this opportunity for peace, so we must focus on that now."

Ciel sat down on her bed. "I know I shouldn't dwell on it. I know that I should focus on our current goal. That's not what's bothering me."

Cerveau sat down next to her. "What is it then?" Ciel's eyes began to water again. She didn't want to talk about it, but if she didn't say it, but she felt like she'd explode if she didn't talk to someone about it.

"I…I……I loved him! Cerveau, I loved him and now he's gone!" She covered her face with her hands. "I was finally going to tell him, but he's gone!"

Cerveau didn't know what to say. He wrapped his arms around Ciel to comfort her as she cried, thinking of what he could say to make her feel better. "Ciel…Zero didn't just fight for you because he wanted peace or to stop Neo Arcadia. If you think about it, Zero could have left us to join Neo Arcadia at any time if he wanted to, but he didn't." Ciel, sniffling, slowly looked up and listened. "Zero was most influenced by you, and your idea for peace. He constantly fought for you and your ideas because he believed in your cause, peace through other means than violence if possible. In the end he gave his life, so that your ideas for peace could turn from dream to reality. He did it all for you, and now it is your turn to be the hero." Ciel's face brightened a bit.

"Thank you Cerveau!" Ciel got up and wiped the tears away. "You are absolutely right. I need to make the best use of the opportunity that Zero worked so hard to give me. I will show him how much I love him through my efforts towards peace."

Cerveau smiled and got up from the bed. "Well, what are we waiting around for?" Ciel smiled and arose from the bed as well.

"There's much to do. Let's get started as soon as we can!" The two walked out of the room. The door shut, casting a shadow over the helmet of Zero.

---To be Continued---

so the new era has begun...or has it? check back soon for ch. 2!

Flashgunner over and out!