It was that time of the year again. The time when people gathered to remember, and perhaps to forget. To remember that people had died, but it was forgotten precisely what for. Oh, they had their presentations, the ones about the World Wars. Did they have any idea what a real world war was?
She shook her head. Of course they wouldn't. She crumpled the neatly written, politically correct, carefully worded speech in her palm and shoved it in a pocket. To the Abyss with diplomacy.
Standing in the shadows were four of the five former Gundam pilots. Hidden in shadows, heroes though they were, because they had killed. And killed. And protected the people, the very people who would harm them because of that.
She could see the fifth pilot more visibly, because he had chosen to continue protecting the people. She strode to the podium, ignoring the applause of the crowd.
"Peace. It's a word, an ideal, a dream. The posters say we have peace at last, but do we really? Perhaps we don't have as much propaganda as during the big, visible wars, but we certainly don't have peace.
"People die, every day. They die from cold, or heat, or flood, or fire, or human intervention. People who fight over land, for political control, even over religion. We remember the brave soldiers who fought, or do we?
"Do we remember the innocence torn from these child soldiers? Or do we remember the fact that they died at the whim of politicians. Do we remember the fear, the horror, the excruciating pain? Do we remember the idealists that believed that single-handedly they could save the world?
"Do we remember the tiny wars on the streets, for food, for shelter, for survival? Do we remember the imperfection of each person? Do we recall that as we claim peace, people still fight and die every day? Do we not still bear weapons of mass destruction? Why are they not discarded if we all agree that peace is what we want?
"What about the land mines that the so-called peace advocating countries still plant for innocent people to step on, not purposely, but for defence? What does all this mean? I know what it means to me.
"It means that while people can speak of things, they often are not prepared to back up their words with action. This makes their words meaningless. But is it their intention? I don't believe so.
"Perhaps peace really is an unreachable ideal. After all, hasn't this world's history been filled with battles? As the tides of time shift, as the borders between countries move, there have been wars.
"Countless revolutions, civil wars, invasions and repulsions that have spanned over months, years, decades or even centuries. And the dance of alliances and enemies has not ended. Enemies have become allies have become enemies over and over again.
"Will it stop? Do we truly have anything to look forward to? I hope so. I hope everyone in every country will with out exception will finally grow tired of the killing and just stop. They will find pleasure in the simple act of being with their family and friends and will no longer desire what is not there's to have.
"So remember your brave soldiers, your wars, your dead. Lest we forget what wars are really like." Relena stumbled away and walked away, listening to first the silence, then the seemingly malevolent buzzing of the crowd. Relena stumbled and was caught by two sets of strong arms.
"Relena..." Heero said, simply lost for words.
"I've never heard you speak like that," Duo added. Relena nodded to both boys. Quatre brought her some water.
"Do you think they will listen?" Trowa asked.
"That's the 120th century question, isn't it?" Relena replied ruefully.
The End
I realise people will be upset with this. Please email me directly if you have something to say to me. But I must say, when I saw the 'Peace at last' posters, I wanted to scream.
Here are a few war facts:
No country is without a war in their history. Least of all, mine. One of the longest wars, which I consider a world war, is the Hundred Years War, which in fact lasted 128 years.
Other wars that came to mind were the Napoleonic War, the American Civil War, the War of 1812, the French Revolution, the American War of Independence, the Vietnam War, both World Wars, the War of the Roses, the Crimean War, the Russian Revolution, the Thirty Years War, the Native American Wars, the Gulf War, the Wars in China, the Inquisition which was a war against the people, the Crusades... dear Goddess, there have been so many!
So remember, lest we forget. Je me souviens.
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