Country? Or Friends?

Disclaimer: Gundam SEED is not mine.

Chapter 1: Revenge Is Bittersweet

The two GUNDAMs darted through the skies, dodging each others' laser blasts and clashing swords in a furious battle- one pilot sought only to survive the battle; his opponent sought revenge in the death of the other.

"Shinn! Please, stop!" The brown-haired pacifist pilot pleaded. Shinn, the black-haired pilot, didn't even pause in his vengeful thoughts. "Listen, I don't know how I pissed you off so badly, but I'm sorry, okay?" Kira then realized why Shinn might be so angry. "Is this about that pilot I killed in Berlin? Look, I'm sorry, alright? I didn't know she meant something to you! And besides, would you rather I'd let her destroy what was left of Berlin? Snap out of it, already!" Shin roared.

"She was going to stop! Why couldn't you have just stayed back?! She was stopping!" The anguish in Shinn's cry caused everyone on the battlefield to pause. There were a few moments of silence, then the battle resumed. "Dammit, why?! I loved her! I loved her, you bastard, and you killed her and my unborn child she was carrying! You killed them both, now I'll fucking DESTROY YOU!!!!!" Shinn redoubled his attack, his last memory of a living Stella replaying in his mind.

Flashback

Shinn held Stella after her Mobile Suit exploded as a result of Kira embedding his sword into the laser cannon as it charged.

"Shinn..." Stella's voice was barely more than a whisper. "You... came back... for me..." Tears welled up in her eyes and ran down her face. Shinn grabbed her raised hand, holding it to his chest as if his heartbeat could keep hers beating. "Y-you promised... you'd protect... me..." Shinn's eyes filled with tears, as well.

"Stella... I'm so sorry I broke my promise. I couldn't protect you! I'm so sorry!" Stella coughed weakly, then gave a sad smile.

"You did...You did your best, Shinn... I just wish... I wish I could've... lived long enough for our child... to be born..." Shinn was shocked by this.

"W-w-what? Stella, you're...?" She nodded, a wistful smile on her face as she placed her free hand on her stomach.

"Yes. In another seven months... We'd have had... our own little baby... to share our love with... I'm... so... sorry.. I love you... Shinn." With these last words, and a short kiss on Shinn's lips, Stella died. With her died Shinn's unborn child, and a piece of his heart.

Flashback End

Shinn shook his head and screamed at Kira again.

"You killed her! You'll pay with your own life!" Shinn launched his GUNDAM at Kira's again, causing his opponent to go back onto the defensive. Kira then blocked Shinn's sword strike and cut off the Impulse's left arm and head.

"Meyrin! Send out the Chest Flyer and the Force Silhouette!" Shinn called over the radio, detaching his cockpit from the rest of his GUNDAM. His boosters continued on, plowing into the Freedom and driving him backward. Shinn fired his jet's guns, causing his booster to explode and send Kira down to the ground. "Meyrin! Sword Silhouette!"

"Right!" Meyrin launched it out to him. Shinn then linked his jet with his Chest Flyer and Sword Silhouette and grabbed one of the blades from the Sword Silhouette. He flung one of his laser blades at Kira, knocking the Freedom off balance, and drew another, longer, physical blade. The blade, as soon as it was taken off the Sword Silhouette, instantly activated, becoming reinforced with energy. Shinn launched himself at Kira for the final time, ramming his blade through Kira's shield, and stabbing it through the Freedom's main body just as the Minerva fired its Tannhauser cannon at the Archangel. The two GUNDAMS were engulfed in the explosion from the Tannhauser, completely blocking them from sight. When the smoke cleared, the Freedom was in pieces, and the Impulse was missing the head and both arms. The entire ZAFT attack force heard Shinn's voice over the radio.

"Haha... I did it... Hahaha... Stella... I finally did it... He's dead... I've avenged you... and our child... I did it..." Athrun, however, looked on in horror.

"KIRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!" Shinn never heard his agonized cry.

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"You did it!"

"Way to go, Shinn!"

"Amazing!"

These were the congratulations that the other pilots were giving Shinn as he descended from his Mobile Suit. One in particular ran up and shook Shinn's hand, giving him a congratulatory clap on the shoulder.

"You were on fire out there, Shinn!" He exclaimed. Shinn smiled back.

"I guess so." He replied.

"Shinn, did you really just defeat the Freedom?" Another pilot asked. Shinn smiled as he nodded.

"Sure did."

"You're getting a medal for sure, man!"

"You must be invincible!" Shinn thanked them and walked over to Athrun, who was seething by the door.

"I took revenge today." Shinn didn't notice the glare on Athrun's face. "For you, too!" Athrun's hand shot out, grabbing Shinn by the collar of his flight suit. "W-What the hell are you doing, Athrun?!"

Luna ran over. "No, Athrun, stop!"

"Are you happy to have shot him down?!" Athrun demanded angrily. "Does it make you proud?!" Luna and a couple of other pilots ran over to try to help defuse the situation. "Dammit, you bastard, He wasn't even trying to kill you!" Athrun's hands tightened on Shinn's collar so much that his knuckles were white. "He was only... He even apologized! But you... You had to take revenge on him?!" Shinn grew angry and cold.

"And why shouldn't I be happy?! He killed the woman I love- and my unborn child! He was a powerful opponent! I avenged my lover and unborn child! So tell me, how should I be feeling, if not ecstatic?! Should I be crying like a baby?! should I be praying?! Or..." Athrun was now shocked and furious. "Maybe you think it'd be better if I'd died out there! Is that what you're saying?!" Athrun sceamed as he punched Shinn.

"Dammit, Shinn!" Shinn stumbled backwards into his friend Rey, who stood him back up.

"Fuck you, dammit!" Shinn cried as he lunged forward at Athrun. With cries of "Hey, whoa!," Guys, stop!," and "Watch it!," Rey, Luna, and a few other pilots restrained Athrun and Shinn.

"Athrun!" Rey said, "Please show some restraint!" Athrun looked at him, then bowed his head.

"It's just...He didn't have to be shot down." He said. Shinn protested.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"Kira and the Archangel were not our enemies!"

"Of course-"

"They're enemies." Rey interrupted. "I don't know what they were planning- and to be honest, I really don't care. But if our country decides they're enemies... then they are. You and I don't make such decisions- Because we are soldiers of ZAFT!"

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A/N: I thought of this story not too long ago. Oddly enough, it started out as a dream in anime format. Wierd, huh? But, anyways, I thought I'd type up what I could, and try to continue from there. Look how far it's gotten. I'll continue as often as possible, but don't expect much past the end of Flames Of Destiny for awhile. I'm gonna have a hard time acquiring anything past the end of the movie due to... internet complications. Regardless, tell me what struck your fancy, and what I can improve! Thanks in advance! Oh, and to my Mysterious Familiars readers:

Little mistake on the military ship date. I'm not shipping out for a couple of months. Just thought I'd clear that up. Sorry!!!