Destiny

Extracted from PHASE-29 of Gundam Seed Destiny.

Gilbert Durandal is the chairman of PLANTS and a former genetics scientist. PLANTS is a group of space colonies where genetically altered people called Coordinators live. Durandal sits alone in a dark room, in front of a chess set, staring at it. As he thought about recent events, he remembered a conversation that he had with his old companion, Rau la Creuset. Rau is an officer of ZAFT, the military of PLANTS and is also a human clone. Because Rau is already dead, what Durandal sees and interacts with is actually a memory of the conversation that he had with Rau in the past.

(Rau suddenly appears seated on the chair in front of Durandal and the chess set. He appears to be grinning at Durandal and quickly disappears.)

Durandal: I do not know when, where or why they met each other. And yet their souls were attracted to one another, as if they were destined..
But if we can attribute events to destiny, then why do we struggle to live?

Rau: (Appears and picks up a chess piece) All living things are born and they eventually die. That's all there is to it.

Durandal: So you're saying that it's pointless to wish or hope for anything?

Rau: No, no, that's not it. It is simply the truth behind us human beings and this world that we love so much.. No matter how long or how hard you strive to live.
It's something everyone should know but they forgot. However, I alone will remember... I'll never forget it. All that means, though, is that I've never forgotten the meaning behind the life of someone such as myself. (Rau laughs and disappears)

Durandal: But even you chose life... As if you were resisting something... As if you were longing for something... (Stands) What are we to do when we found out that our wishes will not be fulfilled? When we find out that it has been destined?

(Rau appears again, this time standing behind the chair that he sat on)

Rau: I wouldn't know about such a thing. I only know about myself.
It's like moving through a maze. There are always many paths before you, and we always choose one and simply follow it. You all believe that what lies at the end of the path is what you've been wishing for. And I follow the path in order to confirm the fact that there is nothing for me in the end. (Rau disappears)

Durandal: (Grabs a chess piece and looks at it closely) Just who decided it? And what did they decide? Perhaps what we wish for was actually beyond the path that we weren't able to choose..

(Rau appears, standing besides Durandal with his arms folded and is grinning at Durandal)

Rau: Time will run out while you ponder.

(Durandal clenches the chess piece and frowns in frustration)

Rau: A path that you did not choose might as well never existed. You might think, "... If only back then... If only back then..."
We cannot go back, no matter how much we look back. We cannot change anything. All we can do is to keep moving forward into the unforeseeable future.

(Durandal sits and places the chess piece back on the chess board. Rau is seated)

Rau: Some time other than now... Some place other than here... That wonderful thing must be there... (Rau laughs) Will you all walk down the path of bloodshed for all eternity, in search of what you wish for? How unfortunate.

Durandal: Are you saying that there is no salvation?

Rau: What is salvation? Is it for all of your hopes and wishes to come true? Are you trying to say, "... It wasn't supposed to be like this... " ? Is it for your wishes to be granted, to turn back time?
Then can you say for sure that you won't make a mistake the next time?
Just who decided it? And what was decided?

(Durandal frowns)

Durandal: Then I will change everything! If we can't go back, then I will begin by travelling down the correct path. Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, Thymine... What one can do... And what one should do... Because you yourself know that best.

(Rau has already disappeared. Durandal is alone again. He smiles to himself)




There you have it. Some lines from the anime.
Just finished watching Gundam Seed Destiny. One of my favourite Gundam series.