"Utahime no MERODI (The Melody of the Songstress"
by: Steven Watemaker
Kira tightened his grip on the lever to his right, as sweat dropped from his forehead to his cheek. He had been engaging the ZAFT forces for almost an hour now, and he knew that anytime, his phase shift armor would fail him. He cursed under his breath, as he tried to dodge a barrage of beams from the enemy's DRAGOONs. The Strike Gundam he was piloting was running out of energy, and he can't retaliate from the barrage of ammunition being thrown at him by the ZAFT mobile suits. Archangel was miles behind him, and he knew that the only way he can return safely is if he defeats the mobile suits in front of him.
"Flay" he thought. Images of the maroon-haired lady filled his mind. His palms were sweaty, as he relentlessly fired beams at his opponent. And then, the thing he dreaded most happened... Strike Gundam turned an ominous shade of gray. Kira's eyes widened, as he realized what had happened: his phase shift armor went dead. And as if on cue, an incoming missile hit Strike Gundam squarely in the back...
"I'm Sorry... Flay" Kira closed his eyes as he lost consciousness.
XXX
"Kira! Kira! Come in Kira Yamato!" yelled lieutenant Murrue Ramius, the Captain of the Archangel. Tensions were high inside its bridge, as they listened for any sign of Kira. But all they heard was static.
"We lost him" said one of the technicians manning the monitors.
tears flowed down Flay Allster's gray eyes... She fell to her knees as she watched: computer screens displaying nothing but oscillating lines of gray and black. Nothing that told her that Kira was alive.
She grasped the hard, cold floor benethg her. Thoughts were flying to her head telling her that Kira was still alive... Mirallia tried to come closer to comfort her, but Flay ran out the doors with tears trailing from her eyes.
"Kira... Why? You said you would protect me... You said you would protect all of us... Why?" She hit her fist in the wall of her room, and she sank to the floor, her tears still falling down her cheeks.
XXX
Unmindful of the conflict brewing above her, Lacus Clyne sipped another cup of tea. It was a fine Morning in the PLANTS, and she was enjoying the first hours of the morning eating breakfast and watching her multicolored Haros bouncing in the Yard. All seemed peaceful in the PLANTS. It was truly a tranquil day. So tranquil in fact, that one may forget that a war was being waged in outer space.
Chinmoku wo kowareru... The silence was broken.
Lacus heard something falling, and then, she felt an earthquake. Looking out her window, she noticed that something had fallen from the sky. She ran to get a closer look. But from a few yards away, she can already tell what it was: an earth alliance mobile suit. It was badly damaged, and surely, nobody could have survived. But, the entrance to the cockpit of the mobile suit was opened, and in it, was a stil breathing but unconscious Kira Yamato...
XXX
"Everything will be fine, Flay. I promise"
"I won't let anyone die."
"F-lay"
Kira opened his eyes. all were blurry. All he can see was a mass of white, blue and pink. He tried to analyze what was going on, but a severe concussion kept him from thinking straight. Eventually, his vision finally allowed him to see. And the first thing he saw were the blue eyes and pink hair of an angel. Well, not exactly an angel, but a songstress.
"Hello there" She smiled at the man lying in bed. A pink haro was bouncing around her.
"W-who are you? where am I?"Kira asked.
Lacus smiled again. "Why, you're in the PLANTS"
Kira asked again "Which PLANT?"
Lacus put her finger in her chin to think "Come to think of it, I don't know either!"
Kira sweatdropped. "Who are you?"
"Me? My name is Lacus Clyne. And you are?"
"Kira. Kira Yamato. Why am I here?"
"Your mobile suit crashed."
Images came flooding into Kira. he suddenly remembered what had happened... the Phase shift... the missile... the crash... Flay...
"FLAY!" he screamed, getting up to get to his mobile suit. But he was unable to move; he felt a oang in his abdomen that paralyzed him.
"Don't strain yourself. You have a lot of injuries. You have to stay in bed!" Lacus exclaimed, her haro bouncing faster than usual.
"I need to get to the archangel! I have to tell them I'm still alive! I have to see Flay!"
"Listen" Lacus said, finally forcing Kira back into the bed. You're not leaving until you recover."
Somehow, Lacus' voice was enough to stop his struggling. Kira obliged.
There was a knock on the door.
"I'll be back" Lacus said as she exited the room to see who was her visitor.
Lacus opened the door, and behind it was a blue-haired coordinator holding a bouquet of roses.
"Hello Athrun!" Lacus said.