Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed (Destiny/Astray/etc) or any of its characters that I use here. I do, however, own the plot and any original concepts and Original Characters (O.C.) that I may feature. All OC character designs and any images I post of them will also be owned by me. I am also not writing this fanfic for profit, or to in any way affect the franchise's production or distribution.
Original Characters: For those who care there are (or will be) links to a profile picture for each O.C. I use that is of some importance in my user profile. If you are new to the story, I recommend you look at them as the characters are introduced in the story.
Comments: Will likely pull some heartstrings at certain points. I intend to make this as emotional as possible once the story kicks full dive. For now, it's just an opening, the plot is mostly developed but I am in the process of tweaking it as well as making some decisions.
Other than that, please read & review, and enjoy!
The sun's dazzling summer rays lit the cloudless skies of the neutral island nation of Orb. The nation's capital city's downtown area bustled with commerce and trade, traffic sounds and the gossip of passersby were audible everywhere. A young man with a silver bob cut clad in a green shirt and white pants walked down the street casually, occasionally taking notice of shops or people as he passes them by.
After serving in ZAFT dutifully for so long, Yzak finally gets a break – a vacation to be exact. Although he had not asked for one, it was a treat from chairwoman Clyne and so he accepted. He was to have one month off to spend however he wished. Not having seen Athrun for so long, Yzak had decided to pay him a visit in Orb. To his dismay Athrun was still on active duty in the Orb military serving under Cagalli Yula Athha. Fortunately, the two were close so Cagalli had arranged for Athrun to have a day off at the end of the week. This gave Yzak some time to kill wandering around Orb.
Soon without realizing it, Yzak had wondered off to the entrance of a park. Seeing as there weren't anything in the commercial district that was of interest, he sighed and thought to himself, 'Why not…A walk in the park would at least be quieter and more refreshing…'
The car honks and loud gossiping teenagers were soon replaced by a relaxing chorus of birds chirping and a soft rustling of trees. Yzak continued down the park's walkway, occasionally passing by young kids with their parents. Eventually he came across a few benches in an open area and decided to have a seat. Looking up at the sky, he is reminded that his home is up there and so is his best friend who fought through both wars with him.
'I wonder how Dearka is doing…' Yzak wondered. Since he was to be gone for a month, command over his ships was temporarily passed to Dearka. He got up off the bench and resumed his previous trajectory through the park.
Entering a serene lane, he takes a look to his right to find a small pond decorating the park. On the edge of the water, some children ran after one another playing some sort of children's game. Yzak smiles at the sight.
'It's good that these children can run around so happily…' he noted mentally as he recalled the atrocities of the two wars – the destruction of Junius Seven, the destruction of Januarius One, Two, Three, and Four, December Seven, and Eight, and lastly, the time he had shot a civilian shuttle in anger.
Yzak turned from the children and continued down the lane. Soon a young man around his age with light blond hair headed for the opposite direction came into view. As the two were about to pass each other, Yzak could not help but take notice of him. The man was neatly dressed and had a calm expression. His emerald eyes were cold and added an aura of ruthlessness to him.
Yzak kept his eyes on him in interest as they passed one another. However, his focus is interrupted by a sudden cold and wet sensation.
Despite the cold temperature of the water, Yzak's blood began to boil with anger. The idea of refreshing had been part of his reasons for taking a walk in the park but this was far from what he had in mind.
"Nice try Aria," a calm voice stated from behind Yzak. As the owner of the voice continued to walk away, he went on to say, "But…if you don't want to get into trouble with strangers or possibly get hurt, you should maybe consider stopping these childish pranks. Alternatively you can try brushing up your on timing and aim, but I'm quite confident you will never accomplish that."
"Grr….Just you wait, I'm gonna get you one day!"
Yzak angrily looked up. Holding onto a thick tree branch and an empty bucket directly over him was a girl – the one whom the man before had referred to as Aria. Just like the man who passed by, she had light blond hair but with blue eyes. Yzak had to admit, she was quite pretty and she looked as if she could be the fraternal twin of the man who he had just passed.
"Hey!" Yzak called to her to get her attention.
She turned to him and her entire figure froze. It would seem she had not realized that her prank did work on someone…just not the person she intended to pull it on. She looked down and then around before turning back to him.
"Uhm…by any chance…could you help me down from this tree?" she asked pleadingly. "…Please?"
Yzak was ready to say no or possibly even kick the tree to make her fall off but then he remembered the innocent people he had already killed in the past in a fit of rage. Instead, he sighed and told her, "Jump down. I'll catch you."
Aria complied and Yzak caught her and set her back down on her feet. She then turned to him.
"Sorry about that…" she tried to apologize.
Still pissed off, Yzak simply glares at her.
"Uhm…is there anything I can do to make you less angry?" she asked hopefully.
Yzak did not answer her. However, moments later, his stomach betrayed him with a growl.
"How about I buy you lunch…?" she offered.
Seeing as the girl meant him no harm and that he hadn't ate yet, he complied, "Fine."