Kira x Murrue fanfic - Chapter 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED or Gundam SEED Destiny, so please point that damned lawsuit cannon at someone else!
Author's note (1): The Chosen Path by MapleRose is highly similar to how my fic starts off, however, my fic is in no way a copy, nor is it meant to be one.
Author's note (2): Also, I suppose that this fic can be considered an A/U continuation of Destiny, since, I changed the story so that Neo Roanoke's DNA does not match that of Mu La Flaga.
"So this is where you're hiding," Murrue Ramius smiled at the young boy known as Kira Yamato, who was presently staring into the depths of the ocean as he stood on the rear observation deck of the Archangel. Only a few days ago, the Freedom Gundam had been destroyed, leaving him without any way to protect the ones he loved and cherished. He didn't answer her.
"What's wrong Kira?" She asked, noticing his troubled expression, but he still didn't answer, and she didn't want to push the matter, so she turned to the ocean, waiting for him to respond.
This boy that she met in Heliopolis, he had grown. He was no longer the awkward and shy boy of two years ago. He was much surer of himself and full of purpose, or so he looked. "It's just that," his sudden voice startled her slightly. She turned to him with a reassuring smile, waiting for him to go on. "What exactly are we doing Murrue?"
Kira was looking at the ocean instead of her. "I thought that when I piloted the Freedom for the first time, I had a clear idea of what we should be fighting for. But now I'm not sure anymore."
She sensed that he had more to say, and was proved correct when he continued speaking a few seconds later. "I wanted to prevent a war from happening, and I don't want anyone to die. That's what I thought when I went on the battlefield. But it seems that all we're doing is causing chaos and confusion, and it seems that more lives are lost due to our intervention. And," the young Coordinator struggled to find words for a moment, "and in the end, we weren't able to prevent what Cagalli had feared. It all seems so pointless!" He hit his fist on the glass in frustration, and he was surprised by the gentle hand on his shoulder.
"We're only human, Kira. We have no way of knowing the future. We can only choose the path that seems to be right at the time, and later, if we find that we are on the wrong path, we may regret it, we may even cry a bit, but that's life. We can't go back and changed the past, no matter how much we want to." Kira noticed a tinge of sadness in her eyes, and he knew what she was thinking. Murrue saw him looking at her, and gave him an encouraging smile.
"It's hard to know what the right thing is, especially since we're in a war. The path we chose may be the most difficult, and in the end, it may even be the wrong one. It seems that what we're doing right now is in vain, but how will we know if we don't even try? We have no way of knowing what would have happened if we didn't intervene in all of those battles. We may not have been able to prevent the battles, and people may have been killed due to our intervention, but you also have to remember that our actions also saved people."
Kira smiled a bit, grateful for her reassurance, but that smile faded as he thought back to his meeting with Athrun. "I never thought I'd be fighting Athrun again, but--" he broke off, searching for the right words. "Are we mistaken? What if Athrun was right, that the Chairman isn't wrong, and Lacus was targeted by mistake?"
"I can't tell you that Kira." Murrue answered softly. "But I believe that protecting someone that is precious to you is never a mistake nor is it foolish."
"Huh?" Kira was surprised by her words. "I think you can love the world because there is someone out there who's precious to you. That's why we try so hard, and that's why we fight, in order to protect that someone," she looked down, smiling sadly. "Even though you may think the action was foolish or mistaken at the time, all you really wanted was for that someone to be there for you."
"Murrue…" Kira noticed her sad smile, but he also knew that there was nothing he could do or say make her feel better. "I'm sure Athrun is fighting for the exact same reason, to protect what's important to him." She gave an assuring grin at the young Coordinator. "Both you and Athrun are good people, and that makes the situation even more difficult. But I'm sure that one day you and Athrun will be able to work together again. So until then, don't be so hard on yourself, you're not alone." She smiled, then without thinking she leaned forward, and softly kissed him on the lips.
Kira's eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised by his captain's actions, and he blushed deeply as he replied. "T-thank you, Murrue." Murrue smiled, but her smile faded a second later, as Kira suddenly fainted. Murrue quickly caught him before he fell to the floor.
A few days later, Murrue sighed as she sat at her desk in her quarters. The Archangel sat in a dry dock at the Orb shipyard along with the Eternal, which had been modified to fly in the atmosphere, and the Kunsanagi. Murrue was exhausted from the months of fighting against both ZAFT and the Earth forces.
Her mind was still plagued with images of the Freedom Gundam's last battle, her heart sank to her stomach as the images flashed through her mind. Murrue couldn't deny that she cared deeply for Kira. After the memories of the last battle finally left her mind, she stood up, left her quarters, and headed towards the hanger.
The hangar of the Archangel was dark and silent as Murrue entered the cavernous area, and after a moment she turned her head towards the area where the Freedom Gundam had previously been located; its titanic form would loom in the darkness like a sleeping god.
The Freedom was no longer there, but Kira was, he was standing in front of where his Gundam had previously been secured, silently staring at where it once stood. Murrue smiled as she walked up behind Kira and gently put her hand on his shoulder.
Kira turned to face Murrue then he blushed slightly and quietly asked. "Murrue, why did you kiss me the other day?" She blushed deeply as she replied. "Well, why wouldn't I?" Kira smiled slightly as he replied. "I didn't think that you liked me like that, Murrue." She smiled and replied. "I was thinking about that the other night after you fainted, and to be honest, I think that I am in love with you, Kira."
Kira blushed again, but he quickly recovered and replied. "Well, either way, without the Freedom, I can't effectively protect you or anyone else on the ship." Murrue smiled as she replied. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Kira." Kira raised an eyebrow in confusion as Murrue led him over to a nearby computer.
When they reached the computer, Murrue pressed a single button on the keyboard and Kira watched as the screen flashed to life, displaying blueprints for a new Gundam. Kira looked at Murrue and asked. "What is this?"
Murrue grinned as she replied. "These are the blueprints for a new Gundam, which we have been building for the last few months; the ZGMF-X62S Freedom's Destiny Gundam. But it is more commonly known as the Freedom, in honor of the original Freedom Gundam."
Kira stared in amazement at the blueprints; he immediately noticed multiple new technologies and weapons, which had been incorporated into the design of the ZGMF-X62S Freedom's Destiny Gundam. Kira also noticed that the Freedom's Destiny Gundam retained not only the appearance of the Freedom Gundam, but all of the weapons as well, while still adding new weapons and capabilities.
Kira looked at Murrue for a moment and then he asked. "How long until it is completed?" Murrue sighed, she didn't really want Kira to go back onto the battlefield, but she also knew that he wanted to fight in order to protect her, and after pausing for a moment, she answered. "Well, since it has actually been under construction since the beginning of the war, it should be ready in only a few weeks."
What Murrue didn't tell Kira, was that there were two more Gundams; the Strike Freedom and the Infinite Justice, both of which had also been under construction and were very close to being completed.
Three weeks later, Kira was sitting in the cockpit of the Freedom's Destiny Gundam, which had been transferred to the Archangel from the Eternal as soon as it had been completed.
The night before, Kira had carefully analyzed the specifications of his new Gundam, and now, as he anxiously waited for launch clearance, he thought to himself. 'All of the weapons from the original Freedom, stronger Phase Shift Armor, and DRAGOONs which can be used in the Earth's atmosphere...'
Kira was jerked from his thoughts a few seconds later, as his Gundam was lowered onto the launch tracks on the starboard catapult.
"ZGMF-X62S Freedom's Destiny, you are cleared for launch." Miriallia said as Kira put both hands on the control yolks, and the starboard catapult doors opened.
"Kira Yamato, Freedom, launching!" The Freedom's Destiny Gundam launched forward, and detached its feet from the launch tracks. Freedom opened its wings as it shot out of the hanger bay, and as it turned towards the approaching ZAFT fleet, its Wings of Light flared to life, leaving glowing afterimages in its wake.
Shinn Asuka saw the Freedom's Destiny Gundam launch from the Archangel and grinned, narrowing his eyes. "Now we shall who is superior." Shinn said as he drew the Destiny's 'Arodight' anti-ship sword and boosted forward, slashing out. Kira dodged and fired Freedom's beam rifle, but the Destiny dodged, and aimed a beam cannon at Freedom.
Kira raised his shield to block, but a set of fingers curled around the top edge of the shield and ripped it out of Freedom's hand. The Destiny fired, and the beam blast splashed across Freedom's armor. Shinn laughed and switched his communications frequency to match the Freedom.
"So how do you like the Destiny?!" He asked as he drew one of the Destiny's beam boomerangs and threw it, then boosted ahead, slashing. Freedom dodged the beam boomerang, but the sword attack caught Freedom's thigh and severed the limb clean, along with slicing the left Xiphias rail gun in half. Kira fired Freedom's remaining rail gun at point blank range into Destiny's face, knocking the enemy Gundam backwards. Shinn laughed as he flipped Destiny right side up, firing his beam rifle. The green lance of energy pierced Freedom's rifle, and Kira let the rifle drop before it exploded.
The Freedom drew both of its beam sabers and charged, drawing the blades back. Kira slashed, but Shinn blocked one of the beam sabers with the Arodight, and the other with the beam boomerang, now turned beam saber. Shinn pushed Freedom backwards, put away the beam saber and grabbed Freedom's head.
"No more games." Shinn said as he began to crush Freedom's head, and a few seconds later, Freedom's head exploded. Destiny quickly backed away and dodged as Freedom fired its twin plasma cannons. Shinn dodged the twin energy blasts, but a few seconds later, his jaw dropped as the Freedom's head and left leg both regenerated.
Suddenly the Destiny's main wings opened, and a plane of pink energy formed in the gap between its wings. An instant later, Freedom's wings also opened, and just like the Destiny, a plane of pink energy formed in the gap between the wings.
"Just stop fighting me!" Kira yelled as he combined his beam sabers and flew towards the Destiny.
As the two Gundams passed each other, Shinn quickly wheeled the Destiny around and fired his beam rifle, the shot heading straight at the Freedom's now exposed back. Before Kira could do anything, the Infinite Justice Gundam seemingly appeared out of nowhere, blocking the beam blast with its shield, and for a few seconds none of the three mobile suits did anything, as the newly arrived Justice Gundam flew up beside the Freedom. Everyone stared at the Justice as it hovered beside the Freedom.
"So, the Justice is here too." Rey Za Burrel said to himself as the ZGMF-X666S Legend Gundam stopped beside the Destiny.
"I bet Athrun is piloting the Justice, that damned traitor!" Shinn growled as he renewed his attacks, firing his beam rifle, but the Justice and Freedom both moved out of the way.
"This is Murrue Ramius, calling the Freedom, can you hear me?" Murrue said as Kira's eyes widened in surprise.
Kira nodded slightly, quickly recovering from his shock, and as he dodged a barrage of beam blasts, which had been fired by the Legend, he asked. "Murrue, why are you piloting the Justice...Where's Athrun?"
Murrue began to fire her beam rifle, forcing the Destiny back behind its beam shield as she replied. "Athrun is still unconscious, and if we plan to protect Orb, we need as many machines on the battlefield as possible." She paused for a few seconds, in order to dodge another beam blast, which had been fired by the Destiny, and then continued. "If I'm going to fight, I'd rather do so alongside you, I'll also be able to protect you more effectively then I could from the bridge of the Archangel."
Shinn growled in frustration, the Justice was either dodging or blocking all of his shots, and as his frustration peaked, Shinn threw his beam rifle at the Justice, but Murrue reacted instantly, kicking the weapon back towards the Destiny. Shinn's eyes widened in surprise, and without thinking, he batted his own rifle away with the shield mounted on his right arm, sending the weapon splashing into the ocean.
Murrue grinned slightly as she charged forward, Shinn responded by drawing the Destiny's sword, and in a flash the two Gundams crashed together, sparks flying around them. Shinn growled as he broke the stalemate after a few short seconds, and ignited his Wings of Light, charging at the Justice again, his sword out in front of him, but just as the sword was about to hit, it was cut in half.
"What was that?" Rey asked as he broke from his clash with Kira and pulled the Legend back, at the same time the Freedom and Justice also regrouped.
"Shinn Asuka, you are blind to the truth." A voice said as another Gundam appeared.
The newly arrived Gundam resembled both the Freedom and the Freedom's Destiny, it also had the same color scheme of the two, but the wings were wider, there was an energy cannon on its chest, and in its right hand was a glowing beam saber.
"Athrun Zala!" Rey said, surprise evident in his voice, as the Strike Freedom Gundam floated in between the Destiny and the Justice.
"Shinn, Rey, why have you stopped?" Talia Gladys, the captain of the ZAFT battleship Minerva asked.
"You don't see the mobile suit on radar?" Shinn asked.
"No, is there another machine out there." Talia replied.
"Yes, it's Athrun Zala, but I have never seen this machine before, it looks like an upgraded version of the Freedom." Rey replied.
"Shoot him down and then finish your mission." Talia ordered.
"I would like to see you try." Athrun said, as he freed and ignited a second beam saber.
"Athrun, you're still injured, go back to the Archangel." Kira said, as he moved the Freedom's Destiny in front of the Strike Freedom. Athrun glanced at Kira, not wanting to leave his childhood friend fighting alone, but Kira seemed to read Athrun's mind as he smiled and replied. "Don't worry, Murrue and I can handle these two."
Then, as if to prove his point, Kira unleashed his DRAGOONs. As soon as they had cleared their mounts, each of the remote weapons extended a small set of wings, ignited their internal engines and swarmed around the Destiny and the Legend, forcing them both to take cover behind their beam shields.
Shinn glanced down when an alert suddenly began to blare at him. "Damn! I'm almost out of power!"
"Shinn, head back to the Minerva! Once we rearm our machines we will come back and finish this." Rey ordered. Shinn nodded and they both boosted away from the battlefield.