Author's Note: Happy holidays and Merry Christmas, everyone! Before this story begins, I just want to apologize for the delay behind this. I know I mentioned it in the end-notes of the latest chapter for my other fanfic, Gundam SEED Reflex, it would come out on Christmas Eve. But anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this GSR second holiday special!
Voltage Axe Presents
A Time of Unity
(Another Gundam SEED Reflex holiday special)
December 24, Cosmic Era 92
Athha Estate, Orb Union
Seven hours to midnight
Leon Uzumi Zala seated himself on the front steps that led to the doors of the manor. He watched the crystal-like snowflakes fall from the bluish-grey skies, the light dustings of white being carried around by the breezing winds, covering up every sidewalk and tree it possibly can. A faint smile was on his face as he witnessed the wintry weather appear before his eyes, before a quiet sigh escaped through his lips. It was that time of the year again, where the holidays were fast arriving, and the official start of Christmas was mere hours away. But to the blue-haired young man, Christmas happened to be an important holiday to him, if not, than any other widely-known holiday he celebrated. Christmas was a holiday to celebrate with joy and happiness, for sure, but Leon wanted to also celebrate peace and to share that with those he knew close to him. Considering what transpired during the last couple of decades in the world under the Cosmic Era, Leon desired to celebrate more of the peace that came with this holiday, with everyone else. And he would celebrate that aspect, first with his friends and family.
The first person he wanted to celebrate this part of the holiday with, would be the young brunette male around the same age as him, who became the very first true friend he had ever made in his own life. Leon looked down at a small rectangular box held in his hands, wrapped in glossy paper of high quality, stripes of marine blue and cream white diagonally across the whole gift wrapping that wholly covered the box. Fitted on the upper-left of the box's front side facing him, was a blue bow with white edges, and a sticker tag affixed near the bottom-right of the box's front. The words marked on the tag signified that the gift was intended for that particular brunette male, sent by Leon himself.
Leon stared at the gift-wrapped box for a few moments, pondering over the gift that he would send to the brown-haired male, when he would arrive here with his parents for the annual grand festivities hosted here at the stately home. He was mainly concerned over how the brunette male would feel about receiving this particular gift from him, unsure of the reaction he would get from this person whom he befriended six years ago, based on those doubtful eyes and that slight frown across his lips. Before he could even think further about this, he felt a large palm being placed on his shoulder, the teenaged Zala having quickly snapped his head around to look behind him. His eyes fell upward at his smiling father, dressed in his usual Orb military dress of blue and white. What was different from the last time Leon saw his father in that military dress, in last year's grand festivities, was the amount of emerald stars emplaced below the gold markings of his uniform. There used to be two of the stars that shone in the light; and now there were three of them.
It was some hours earlier today that Athrun Zala was officially promoted to the three-star Admiral ranking of the Orb military, which meant that the already high-ranked official could now have some considerable amount of control over the entire military's operations than before, including having a say on strategic deployment and other tactical matters. Leon was certainly happy over his father's promotion, as he himself had already entered the ranks of the military where he was promoted in later years, to the lowest rank of commissioned officers as Ensign.
The blue-headed adolescent smiled back at his father of similar hair colour, before the elderly Zala seated onto the steps right by his son, his hand still on his son's shoulder.
"Let me guess," Athrun quietly spoke to him, looking at the box his son was holding. "You're still wondering about what he'll think of this gift you'll give him."
Leon's eyes widened in surprise as he turned to his father. "How did you know?"
His father's eyebrows were raised. "Well…I just guessed, didn't I?" Athrun laughed, before his son joined him upon realizing.
Leon chuckled very briefly, before another sigh escaped from him, an unsure expression resuming on his face. "I don't know, father," he gazed upon the box in his hands, before turning to Athrun. "It's something that I spent a lot of my time doing this, just pretty much all for him, than the other friends I know."
Athrun's smile faded for a moment, before he nodded his head understandably. "I know how you feel about doing this for him, Leon," he replied. "But you don't have to worry much about how he'll feel when he receives this from you," the three-star Admiral genuinely smiled. "I'm very sure he will like this."
Leon raised an eyebrow at him. "And how do you know that?"
An elated sigh escaped from Athrun quietly, as he looked up at the cloudy skies. "Well, I can tell you that I know his father a whole lot, ever since the day we met," he explained to his son, reflecting upon those memories from long before. "And I knew he would definitely like that one gift I gave him, on the day we went our own separate ways."
The teenaged male of long blue locks stared at his father, as he continued to stare at the skies, Leon being slightly astonished at his father's stern but stoic expression right after he explained to him. Athrun then shook off that expression on his face, turning to Leon with that genuine smile across his lips.
"Anyway, just…let him receive the box from you, Leon," he told him. "As long as he's happy he got it from you, then I'm sure all that trouble you went through with this will be all gone."
Leon nodded in response, a slight smile on his face. "Alright, father. I will."
"Good," Athrun patted him on the back twice.
Leon then turned to him. "Hey, father."
"Hmm?" Athrun raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Congrats on that whole promotion this morning," Leon told him with a bright smile. "I've been wanting to tell you that since the coronation you attended, but I nearly forgot."
Athrun sighed. "It's alright, son," he smiled gladly. "I appreciate you for that."
"Yeah," Leon simply responded, turning his focus away from his father.
"But hey, you know?" Athrun chuckled. "You'll probably be at my rank within the next few years; I guarantee that you will."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I'm sure!" Athrun nodded. "All it takes is a hell of a lot of determination and grit for you to be at my level."
Leon laughed quietly. "Yeah."
Athrun then glanced down on his wristwatch, the time digitally displayed in front of his eyes. "Well, I guess it's time that I check in with your mother," he explained to his son. "See how she's doing with the preparations for tonight, with all the other staff and all."
"Alright," Leon nodded shortly, before his father left off back into the manor.
A faint smile was on his face, as he glanced down at the box he was holding in his hands again, before looking back up at the wintry scene unfocusedly.
Athrun traversed through the hallways with two bodyguards trailing closely behind, on either side of him, as he tried to find where his wife was. He could then see not too far in the distance, the amber-eyed blonde female rushing towards him, dressed in her usual maroon blazer over a white dress shirt and black trousers. His eyes widened in surprise when he heard her call out his name with a sense of urgency, the unmistakeable feeling of panic that her golden irises had expressed. Athrun slowed himself to a stop, just as Cagalli had approached him.
"Cagalli," he raised his eyebrows. "What's wrong? What's going on?"
"Oh, Athrun," she gasped, her breathing hitched. "It's gone terrible already!"
He laid his arms on hers and pulled her in slightly towards him. "What's gone terrible already?"
"T-the preparations, Athrun!" Cagalli sputtered out, frowning. "Most of the decorations haven't been set up, and the kitchen staff has fallen behind on everything!"
"Are you serious about that?" Athrun queried.
"Of course, I am!" The blonde woman brusquely responded. "Athrun," she whined quietly, "this whole dinner party is going to be a disaster…and I don't know what to do!"
Athrun sighed deeply to himself, glancing away from Cagalli as he lowered his head. He then looked right back up at her, a slight smile on his face.
"Hey, don't worry too much about that," Athrun assured her with a confident tone in his voice. "I'm pretty sure you can handle these kinds of duties."
"But," Cagalli objected with a lowered tone in her voice, "I don't want the invited guests to think that we're ill-prepared to hold this kind of event."
The blue-haired three-star admiral nodded his head understandably. "Alright, how about I help you out with what you need, to get everything all set up?"
Cagalli blinked, a slightly-unsure look in her eyes. "You…you're sure you can handle this?"
"Of course," Athrun nodded again. "I'll be the one carry some of those responsibilities for tonight, while you can go ahead and get the rest done on time. Besides—"
A young male's voice broke out from behind him. "Father? Mother?"
Athrun turned around, breaking his gaze from his wife, to find Leon standing in the near-distance with the box still held in his hands. He approached them closely, the younger Zala raising an eyebrow.
"What's going on here?" He curiously asked.
A smile crept onto Athrun's lips, as his adolescent son blinked, still confused over what was going on between his mother and his father. The elder Zala turned towards Cagalli after a very brief moment.
"I'll have Leon help me out with your tasks, as well!" He concluded, an even brighter smile on his face.
Leon was caught by surprise, adding to his confusion. "W-what?"
"Oh, that is very sweet, coming from the both of you!" Cagalli laughed, smiling back at him. "I suppose since the both of you aren't that busy right now, it would be very appreciative to help me out here."
Athrun also laughed gently, rubbing the back of his head. "After all, I'm always there for you, right?"
"Yeah, for sure, you are!" Cagalli replied with a small giggle, before she passed by them, and headed down the hall. "I'll check back with the both of you in a short while!"
"Alright, I'll see you later as well!" Athrun waved at her as she trailed off to another area of the manor, before he sighed to himself quietly.
Leon focused on his mother, who was already off in the distance, before he turned to his father with a befuddled expression on his face. "Father, what's going on?"
Athrun turned his gaze towards him. "I promised your mother that you and I would help her out in getting the rest of the party set-up for tonight, since she has so much to do at once, already."
"B-but, why me?" Leon asked.
The elder Zala turned away from him with a frown, before he directed his focus back towards his eyes. "Sometimes," he breathed out, "your mother is the one who gives all her efforts in putting together a very excellent occasion like this." Athrun paused, before continuing. "And although some of her staff can also pitch in with the set-up and everything, she still has to do a lot to co-ordinate, and plan what goes where for these kinds of festivities."
Leon nodded his head, understanding what his father was saying to him.
"Please understand this, Leon," he told his son. "It's ultimately your mother who is mainly responsible for making these fine parties happen in this place…and I really don't want to see her become let down, just because of a social gathering gone wrong."
Leon nodded again, firmly understanding him this time.
"So you know where I'm getting at?"
"Yes, father," Leon agreed. "I totally get it."
"Good," Athrun nodded back at him. "Now, how about you go and help me out with what you mother wants the both of us to do?"
"Okay," Leon answered with slight reluctance.
Athrun eyed the wrapped present that Leon was still holding. "If you can, you could just put your gift in your room, and then we'll start."
"Alright, then," Leon quietly murmured.
And with that, the young blue-haired male marched over to his room that was a few hallways around, stepping into it and placing the box of blue and white onto the top of his wooden desk. He then stepped out of the room, leaving the door nearly closed as he left in a hurry, returning back to where his father was.
For the next few hours leading up to the mere amount of time before the start of the grand festivities, Athrun and his son had went around the manor to help with the certain parts of the set-up that his blonde wife was struggling with. They were able to assist some of her staff with putting up all the decorations around the house, helping those in the kitchen area to bring in some of the ingredients necessary to make the food for the guests. Those were all daunting and arduous tasks to do much of, but in the end, both Athrun and Leon had managed to get all these critical tasks finished before the party would begin.
The time was now at 7:00 P.M. in the evening, as indicated by the hands of the wall-mounted clock of shining gold and piano black. Through the windows, the skies had already turned dark, and the snow continuing to fall in heavier amounts. Athrun and Leon were now dressed in more formal attire, both of them in their solid-black suits and trousers, and matching dress shoes of leather. The elder Zala had a white dress shirt beneath his suit, and a navy-blue tie, while the younger Zala had a tinted-violet dress shirt, and a blue-and-black tie. Both were standing at the foyer, expecting the usual guests to arrive there, through the front doors of the manor.
Athrun could then hear the pitter-patter sounds of footwear coming into direct contact with the floor from his right, turning his attention to where those noises were coming from, as they got louder and closer. He could see his wife, in a dazzling evening dress of emerald-green and golden yellow, sparkling in the lights of the chandeliers from the amount of clear crystals embedded into the dress. The 'Lioness of Orb' slowly treaded out from the hallway in stilettos that were of matching green, lusciously-permed blonde tresses flowing gently in the air, while the opera gloves of satin fitted her hands perfectly as they moved by the slightest.
A small gape was formed in the elder Zala's mouth, as a tinge of red was across his face upon the sight of her elegant and stunning appearance, much like it was in the previous year's festivities. Athrun then turned his gaze away from her, and let out an awkward cough to himself. Leon could only smile at his mother when she came into the scene, before turning to his father with a teasing glance in his eyes. Athrun glared back at him with an earnest expression, before both father and son turned towards the door again, as they saw the bodyguards in black tuxedos walk to the doors.
One of them had opened up the door, to let in the first guests who arrived at the manor, the Yamato family coming through and into the foyer to be warmly greeted by both Cagalli and Athrun. Both Kira and his son allowed a couple of the bodyguards to have their overcoats taken to the coat-check nearby, while Lacus had her opera coat taken there as well. The elder Yamato and his son were also in their black suits; only Kira had a plaid dress shirt and a dark-violet tie, while the younger Akira had a light-blue dress shirt and a tie of red and green stripes.
"Phew!" Kira reacted to the wintery weather outside, as he engaged a conversation with his best friend. "Didn't expect to see a lot of snow tonight."
"To be honest," Athrun chuckled, "I don't think anybody else would have expected this, too!"
Both of them laughed for a moment, before they continued conversing to each other.
"Lately, I heard that you received a promotion to three-star admiral," Kira told him, before he shook his hand with a proud smile. "Congratulations, Athrun! I'm really happy you've gotten this far here."
"Thanks, Kira," Athrun firmly returned the handshake with his own genuine smile. "It's been a long time coming, but I expected this kind of achievement to happen one day."
The next set of guests to arrive at the foyer, were the Asuka family, Shinn leading his son right through the doors with Lunamaria right behind them. Shinn vigorously patted and swiped away the bits of snow that were sticking to his double-breasted suit of black, over a white dress shirt with a red tie around his neck. Kazunori, likewise, did the same for his dark-black blazer.
"That stupid weatherman!" Shinn snarled a bit. "He didn't say it was going to snow that hard!"
"Well, you're right about that," Luna acknowledged him, smoothing out the ruffles of her maroon gown. "But I guess winter's definitely like this around here, so…"
Kazunori waved at Akira and Leon, before he joined them, as his parents chattered away with the other parents of said boys.
"Hey, you guys," Kazunori grinned as he met the both of them.
Leon smiled in a friendly manner at him. "How's it hanging, Kazunori?"
"It's been quite alright," the raven-haired male answered. "My father took me to go see some sort of film that I kind of liked…"
"Has to be an action one, right?" Leon asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Definitely," Kazunori nodded. "How did you know?"
"You and I hang out together, sometimes," Leon explained, "and I could tell you're really into these kinds of movies, with all those posters on the walls of your room."
Kazunori shrugged his shoulders. "Well, anyway," he murmured before grinning, "hope your game room's ready for us! We had quite a blast over there, last time!"
"Yeah, yeah," Leon laughed lightly. "The rec room's all prepared for us, too!"
Another 20 minutes passed, before the third set of guests arrived. This time, the Elsman family came through the doors of the manor, immediately followed by the Joules right behind them. Miriallia and Shiho were elatedly talking to each other about their current lives and with their own husbands, walking into the foyer, in their evening gowns of bright teal and deep purple, respectively. Athrun was quite amused to hear Yzak squabble at Dearka over all the trivial things they did back at ZAFT, just like the old days when he was with them. Another few minutes went by, before the Hawkes arrived at the foyer, Meyrin with her son and daughter right by her side. Kairi Hawke broke away from her mother to have a friendly conversation with Vivian Joule, while Bradley also went off to join in with the other guys that were around his age.
While chatting with Athrun, Kira, and Shinn, Lunamaria consoled her younger sister as they had the conversation regarding the events that transpired since the last time they were all here. Following that ultimate decision to break it off with her husband, Meyrin filed for divorce a couple of weeks after the previous year's holiday gala. Following the series of legal hurdles, she gained full custody of both her children, although it came with an emotional struggle that lasted for months. It had been somewhat painful for her to go through all this, but also to her own children as well. She hadn't expressed her sadness openly just like last year's festivities at the beginning, but the feelings of sorrow still held up as she spoke to the others.
Shinn, Athrun, and Kira could understand what she was going through, after her decision to put an end on her relationship with her estranged husband. They sympathized with her, but they also felt lucky at the same time that they had solid, long-standing relationships with their beloved spouses.
By the time that most of the invited guests had already arrived at the foyer, and were all reacquainted with each other, Cagalli had led them into the dining room for the dinner party to officially start. Athrun and Kira had remained behind at the foyer, in case there were any more invited guests that hadn't arrived yet. Although the three-star Admiral hadn't completely went through the list of all the guests that were invited to tonight's festivities, he could still remember what happened in last year's gathering, with the whole misunderstanding of four particular men who were actually Kira's other 'friends'. It was certainly embarrassing on Athrun's behalf, and the Chief Commander of ZAFT had some explaining to do that night. This time, when the elder Zala heard from earlier that Cagalli was the one who sent the four extra invites to Kira, he cringed inwardly and hoped that his long-known friend didn't sent those invites down to those men again.
Athrun glared at Kira next to him through narrowed eyes, while Kira suddenly noticed the Orb admiral staring at him, and returned his gaze with a rather awkward one. The brunette male could only let out a sheepish giggle quietly, before they heard the doors being knocked onto, from outside the manor. Athrun nodded his head to the bodyguards in front of him, allowing them to open up the doors and let in whoever had intended to come right through. The polished oak doors swung wide open to reveal a group of four men in their thick-layered jackets of leather, and of fine fabric. This time, Athrun could certainly tell who these men were as they marched themselves into the foyer, judging by the golden lapels on their attire that shone from the light reflected upon them. Those lapels bore the insignia of the ZAFT Specter units, and Kira had already recognized those and their faces as well, when they walked in.
"Hope we all didn't miss in on the fun, Commander!" Major Carmine Adams grinned, lowering down part of the wool scarf covering his mouth.
Kira laughed. "Oh, it's just getting started, fellas!"
"Yeah, Kira—I mean…Commander Yamato, is right," Athrun dryly added. "We're just beginning with the dinner right now, so all of you guys could join there as well."
"Hey, Commander," Terrence Brooks, the other ZAFT Specter in the group, had smiled heartily as he wrapped an arm around a younger male next to him. "Look who's also coming along with us!"
Kira's eyes widened slightly at the young man standing next to Brooks, dark-black hair in a brushed bowl cut, and frame-less glasses over his brown irises. Although Athrun may not have recognized this person before, the brunette commander could certainly realize who he was, and it was certainly the man that Brooks said from last year he had not been to the party at that time. Both Athrun and Kira led the group of four men to the dining room, as the bodyguards closed the front doors shut, the festivities having already begun with the dinner.
The dinner began with what Cagalli had expected optimistically in her mind, a great start for everyone involved. Everything was already set up at the dining table, and all the invited guests had a very good time, having wonderful conversations across the table while they ate. The blonde woman had first thanked her husband and son for taking up some of the responsibilities for getting everything all prepared for the night, and she appreciated all their help and support from them. In response, all the invited guests raised their glasses of sparkling wine to Athrun and Leon in a toast that was dedicated to them. Both father and son waved their hands awkwardly back at them, laughing quietly as well.
Shortly after the dinner ended, all of the older men had retreated off to the same lounge in the manor that they had all convened at before, including the four ZAFT Specters who were also there as well. They were all sitting around a large oval-shaped table with a glass top on it, Kira, Shinn, and Athrun seated on a sofa of luxurious fabrics and other materials, while Dearka and Yzak were sitting together on another sofa across from them. Major Carmine Adams and Staff Sergeant Rafael Dion were seated on leather recliners at one end facing both sides, while Terrence and the other Specter were also seated on the same type of chairs at the other end.
Athrun poured in a large bottle of premium-quality whiskey onto the smaller lowball glasses, before serving them to his guests and himself. They all raised their glasses to clink against each other's in their own toast to a perfect holiday season, and to one another in good health and spirits, before all of them downed the alcoholic drink at once.
Shinn sighed as he placed his glass down on the table. "I didn't know you were the one who pitched in with your wife to set everything up around here," he told Athrun, who was sitting right next to him.
"Well, Leon also agreed to help out," Athrun pointed out. "So…"
"Anyway, that's not what I'm here to discuss that about!" Yzak cut in, interrupting whatever conversation the two were about to have. "I'm here to talk about Zala's promotion earlier today!"
"Oh yeah," Dearka recalled. "Athrun's climbed up the ranks again…that is still admiral, I believe?"
"Three-star admiral," the azure-haired male corrected him. "I'm now at the highest rank according to the military here."
"Right," the blond male scoffed. "I still consider that to be some small achievement, 'though."
"But…I'm actually jealous at this guy!" Yzak pointed his lowball glass towards Athrun, as he began crossly. "I mean, I'm high up already to take on a position in strategic matters, but he gets the highest honour in that military there, and I don't make enough to get another promotion?!"
Dearka raised his eyebrow. "What are you talking about? It doesn't matter if he's actually considered to be higher up there than you are, or the other way around, at least you're still in charge at the executive level."
"Ah…save it, Elsman!"
An awkward silence took over the entire lounge, as the four ZAFT Specters watched on amusingly, still holding on to their glasses of whiskey. Kira then cleared his throat to break the awkwardness surrounding the area, before he spoke up.
"So, speaking of promotions," the brunette male then focused towards Terrence sitting nearby. "I heard you're now a Major, since recently."
"Definitely, Commander," Major Brooks responded affirmatively. "I got promoted to that rank a few months ago, and what can I say?" He chuckled. "It's still all about serving for peace in the world, that's all that matters."
"Damn straight," Shinn nodded his head.
Kira then eyed the young man sitting next to him. "And this is the recruit you say he didn't come here, last year?"
"That's correct, Commander," Terrence confirmed. "I would like to introduce to you, the newest member of the Specter infantry teams, Staff Sergeant Davis Leung."
"Ah," Kira replied with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, soldier."
Davis just shortly waved back at him, murmuring quietly. "Greetings, Commander."
"So, Davis," Kira begun to ask him politely. "How did you end up here at ZAFT? More specifically, how did you find yourself in the Specter teams?"
The black-haired young adult with eyeglasses had stumbled clumsily in his answers. "Um, w-well, sir…I, uh…"
Major Terrence Brooks immediately took notice of that, and filled in for him, as he explained to Kira. "Um, what Davis was trying to say," the darker-skinned male told the brunette commander, "was that he graduated from a technical institute four years ago, and wanted to take on a challenge he thought was worth the experiences of his life."
Davis nodded at what Brooks was answering Kira for him. The elder Yamato also nodded his head in understanding the Specter's explanation, as he continued.
"After he graduated, he voluntarily enlisted himself into the forces, and served there for a few years," Brooks went on. "His superior officers found him to be exceedingly capable in today's situations, and it showed when they brought him in for special training…very sufficient enough for him to make the grade for where he is now."
"I see," Kira nodded, along with the others. "That really is interesting."
Brooks then turned to Adams, who was sitting there across from him, preoccupied in his thoughts. "Hey, Carmine," he called out to him. "It looks like you've been very quiet all this time."
"Huh?" Carmine looked up and shook his head. "Sorry! Just…wandered off there for a second."
Yzak and Dearka chuckled, while Terrence continued.
"Anything you got something to talk about?" He asked. "Something about your time at ZAFT close to being up?"
Carmine nodded. "I do," he replied, before he turned to the rest. "You heard it straight from Terry, but it's true. I got a couple of more weeks before I complete my final tour of duty."
"That's really nice, actually!" Shinn took another sip of his glass. "What do you have to do, before you're finally set?"
"Well, my team and I are being tasked to oversee and disrupt a weapons trafficking operation in South America," Carmine explained. "Last I heard, those shipments are planned to be transported through the Andes Mountains in Peru, destined for somewhere in Bolivia."
"But that is an extremely high-risk assignment, am I right?" Yzak asked.
"It is," Major Adams answered. "But my team and I are a whole lot prepared to take on what's coming our way. I've been through a lot in my years as a Specter, but I can pull through with this one."
Both Yzak and Dearka nodded, along with the others.
"Trust me, guys," he gruffly affirmed to them. "The world would still be peaceful, but a whole lot safer, when this is all said and done."
It was another hour that passed by, as Akira, Leon, Kazunori, and Bradley were all engaged intensely on an online multiplayer battle at the recreation room. Just like last time, Akira and Leon were partnered up on one side, while Kazunori and Bradley were together on the other. Spike Elsman, Dearka and Miriallia's son, was just off to the sidelines and sitting on a couch. The young, blond boy had a tablet device, where he surfed up the sites that he was always looking up on the browser. The other four boys competed against each other in teams, getting their soldier characters to control the majority of the capture points all over the map.
"YEAH!" Kazunori roared out excitedly. "TAKE THAT!"
"I'm almost out, Leon!" Akira called out to his best friend. "Drop me that ammo box!"
"I got it, Akira!" Leon responded, letting his player character release a box filled with random ammunition that landed nearby Akira's avatar.
Kazunori could see that the ticket count for his team was fast dwindling to zero. "Come on, Bradley!" He shouted over to the male Hawke next to him. "Where are ya?!"
"I'm comin' in!" Bradley growled. "This damn hover-tank is kinda hard to handle, alright?"
However, it was no use for both Kazunori and Bradley, as the ticket count for their team had expired at zero. Leon and Akira cheered lightly as they won the round over the other two boys.
"Hey, that was awesome!" Akira told Leon. "Couldn't believe that happened."
"Yeah, I didn't believe it, either," Leon acknowledged, before asking his brown-haired friend. "But…where did you find that icicle?"
"In the game?" Akira asked, before the blue-headed male nodded in his answer. "Oh, well, there were a bunch of them hanging off from the rails. Just got to…find it when it's there."
"I will admit 'though," Bradley attested, "that you guys did a very good job at containing us. But that railgun, man! It's so overpowered!"
Kazunori turned to Leon. "Hey, did you hear that the next game's going to be all about cops and robbers?"
"No, I haven't, really," Leon plainly answered.
"I mean, I know this series is all about military action, but…really?" The raven-haired teen opined. "Well, as long as they're doing something different, then…yeah," he shrugged his shoulders.
The next round started on the screens of their computers, as Leon turned to Akira beside him.
"Hey, Akira," Leon called out to him, the brunette male turning his attention to the younger Zala. "I actually do have a present for you; it's a surprise gift that I made recently."
"Oh! Thank you, Leon," Akira smiled warmly. "I appreciate it from you."
"Wait until I give you that present, when we're all outdoors for the lighting of the tree," Leon flashed a smile back. "You'll definitely like it!"
Akira laughed in response, before they all kept on playing.
Leon stepped out of the recreation room not a while too long after, as he made his way down the halls to his room as quick as he can. It was an hour or so, before every invited guest and he were invited outside the manor for the tree lighting, and Leon wanted to retrieve that gift-wrapped box he had in his room, so that he would give it to Akira before the lighting was supposed to begin. Finally reaching his own room, Leon swung open the door with one hand, and expected to find the blue-and-white box to be still sitting on his desk.
His eyes widened up in horror, when he found out that it had disappeared on him, all of a sudden.
This sent the blue-haired teen into a frenzy of panic and fear, wondering where the box had went. He tried to remain his calmest, as he searched everywhere in his room, checking each and every corner to make sure it was still there. But it wasn't. Where the heck it went, he wondered, as he ran out of his room and dashed down the halls again. He distinctly remembered that he placed the box onto his desk, before he had set out to join his father in getting the party all completely set up. Suddenly, it wasn't there, and Leon had no idea who it actually was that took the box in particular.
Leon checked each and every room as he ran down the hallways and corridors, trying to search for the box that suddenly went missing. He passed by a room where Dearka and Rafael were inside, competing against each other in some sort of fighting game that utilised a set of motion controllers that lit at the top.
"Come on, holmes!" Rafael shouted in excitement, as he swung the controllers around at the large-screen television. "Show me what you got!"
"Oh, you're going down, alright!" Dearka called him out in response.
They fought hard against each other in the game, before Rafael had the upper hand over the blond male, easily knocking him out with one thrust of the motion controller he held.
"Hell yeah!" Rafael whooped in victory, raising his arms upward. "That's what I'm talking about!"
Dearka quietly groaned in defeat, his head hung low. "Aw, man…"
Leon kept on searching everywhere around the house, trying his best to find where his gift had went, but his efforts were ultimately futile as the clock was nearing midnight. He ran into his father in a hallway, who was actually looking for him, Athrun blinking as he saw his son stop before him.
"What were you doing?" The elder Zala asked.
Leon tried to explain to his father about his current situation. "I was trying to look for—"
Athrun's wristwatch beeped, causing him to look down at the time. "Never mind that, Leon!" He observed the timepiece. "We have to come outside right now; your mother's waiting for us to get the tree fully lit up!"
"But…"
"There's no time!" Athrun guided him out of the hallway and to the direction leading to the outside. "We have to go!"
Leon vocally stumbled around, trying to get his words out, as his eyes were as wide as saucer plates.
This was very bad, Leon thought, as his father led him out of the back of the manor. He had promised his best friend that there was a present meant for him, hoping that he would be very happy when he opened it in front of him. But now, there was no present, and all that searching for the box that mysteriously went away had been totally fruitless in the end. Leon could not imagine how Akira would feel, when he would tell him that he didn't have the present for him. And even worse, all that work he had put in to making that special gift for the one friend he knew closely for years, it had been completely wasted as a result of what happened.
Feelings of sadness and guilt took over him, as he stepped into the outside, where the snow was now being blown lightly around in the air.
They both joined the crowd of the invited guests that gathered before the area where a tall-standing tree was before their eyes. Leon watched behind him, as his father broke away and walked off to join his mother, who was standing in front of the entire crowd to address them like it was in the year before. He suddenly found himself standing right next to Akira, the blue-haired teen jumping slightly and silencing a gasp upon realizing it. Turning away from the brunette male for a moment, Leon tried to gather up some explanations for not having the present for him, but shook his head at each of those suggestions thought up in his head. He wouldn't really lie to his best friend! It just wasn't him to make up excuses or other reasons, even if they were logical or well-thought of.
The only way he could tell his best friend about this, is by just simply telling him the truth.
Leon turned back towards Akira, who was still watching Cagalli addressing the crowd ahead, thanking them for all the fun times and celebrations they had tonight. A very nervous expression was on Leon's face, as he tried to get Akira's attention, his stare of unease laid upon the brunette teen of similar age.
"Um, Akira?" He finally murmured out.
The younger Yamato heard Leon calling out his name, albeit quietly. He whipped his head around to face Leon. "Yeah?"
Leon was now getting even more nervous than ever, trying his best not to break down as he attempted to explain to his best friend. "Well, uh," he stumbled in his explanation, "about that present that I was going to give you…"
"Oh!" Akira's eyes flashed open, as soon as he realized what his friend was trying to say. "You mean…this?"
Leon choked out a surprised gasp, when he saw the brunette male bring out that box from behind his back, complete in its original gift wrapping and all.
"W-wha," the blue-haired teen stumbled out again, flabbergasted, "what…"
"Hmm," Akira beamed out a smile to him. "I think the bow is a very nice touch to this!"
Leon finally recomposed himself, before his eyebrows furrowed with an astonished expression on his face. "W-where did you get that from?!"
Akira blinked. "I got that from your room," he answered. "I was out to get to the washroom, when I noticed that your door was still kinda open," the brunette teen explained. "And I thought when I saw this box, I wanted to hold on to it, until you were here with me."
"U-uh, okay…"
"I thought you said this was a surprise gift for me, is it?" Akira queried, holding the box in front of him.
Leon shook his head. "Yeah, it is!" He smiled. "Why don't you open it right now?"
Akira followed his best friend's suggestion, before he took off the gift wrapping that was hugging around the box. The box was now in its plain white colour, as Akira lifted open the lid entirely, revealing what was inside the container.
Inside the box was what appeared to be a robotic pet bird, resting in its idle state. It was in the form of a blue jay, carefully-crafted and designed so that no parts were loose, nor improperly functioning. Leon saw Akira's reaction upon seeing what was inside the box, his eyes lit up in surprise, feelings of awe expressed through his widening smile. The robotic blue jay suddenly woke up from its reverie, its head perking up and looking at both males, first at Akira and then with Leon. It let out an electronic chirp, before it called out its own name.
"Kunio!" It cried out, in a screechy squawk.
Akira laughed a bit, and so did Leon, as the robotic bird stood up and spread its wings. It then flapped them for the blue jay to fly upward and out from the box, hovering around the two, before it landed right onto Akira's shoulder. The brunette teen tapped a finger lightly on the toy bird's head, the robotic pet having shaken its head at its owner's touch.
"Hey, Leon," Akira turned to his blue-haired friend. "I actually do like this gift that you've given me right here!"
The crowd began to count down to the tall tree being lit up, as Leon began smiling brightly in response to his friend's compliments about his gift. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Akira," he said. "I'm also very fortunate to be your best friend, too."
"Same here, Leon," Akira focused on the pet bird, before turning to him again. "Same here."
Leon continued to smile, with a slight tinge of red across his face. "Merry Christmas, Akira."
"Merry Christmas to you too, Leon," Akira smiled back at him.
The both of them then turned to the rest of the crowd, as they joined in on the countdown. Once all the guests in the crowd counted down to zero, the tall-standing Christmas tree that was unlit, had been finally lit. The LED lighting around the branches of the tree flashed into their bright and vivid colours, starting from the bottom of the tree, working their way up to the very top of it. Once the lights were all lit, all the way to the top of the tall pine tree, the large star that was emplaced at the tip of the tree had shone brightly in its golden yellow colour.
"Merry Christmas, everyone!" Cagalli cheered out, along with Athrun right beside her, as a display of fireworks then lit up the night skies to signal the new day.
Right away, the entire crowd had broken out into a carol, singing a familiar Christmas-themed song together as they held each other's hands. Akira and Leon also joined in as well, as they all took part in a melody that united them together as one. The robotic blue jay looked around while it was still perched on Akira's shoulder, before it decided itself to take off from there with a call of its name again, and into the air above. Leon excitedly pointed at the flying pet bird, Akira also having taken notice, as the blue jay swept through the skies. It finally hovered right near the top of the Christmas tree, spreading its wings out once more, amid snowy skies and bright flashes of fireworks popping behind it.
The world would continue to face its own struggles every day, but for a day like this that had just arrived, it was a time for peace among those living across the world. It was a time of unity for those who enjoyed it.
Once again, hope you guys enjoyed this second Christmas special, and thanks for reading! Hope you all have a safe and wonderful holiday season…and have a happy new 2015!