JC: This is part 3. This time I'll be the one telling the story! There will be some couple moments here. I'm sure you'll be looking forward to it. Please go on and read it.
Disclaimer: Don't try to sue me because you'll just waste your time. Plus, I'm not rich to get myself a lawyer. Hehe…
Wishing can be Deadly
Phase 03: Happy Birthday
The night was young and stars were bright in ORB. The moon shone its luminous light upon the country, making the night more brilliant as ever. Since it was already 6:00 PM, the people closed their shops and stores as they felt excited to go home or go some place with their family or friends. Some of them were getting ready to spend the time of their lives at the Athha estate where the big party was going to be held. They were sure eager to see their loving prince and princess there.
Meanwhile, a certain red-eyed coordinator was still roaming through the streets of ORB. Shinn looked a bit exhausted and disappointed. He scratched his head furiously and mumbled some curses to himself. People passing by him thought he was crazy. But he didn't mind them. He had a big problem to worry about. "What am I going to give her?!" he uttered, slumping his head down. Up until now, he still didn't know what to give to the blonde princess. He had already gone to the mall, but he wasn't able to find a suitable gift. He found it pretty hard to get a gift for Cagalli.
He walked up to a store and saw some accessories inside. He wanted to go in but the sign on the door said that it was closed. He felt so unlucky. The stores were closing up early because it was Kira and Cagalli's birthday. The entire city was going to celebrate it.
"I can't show my face to her without any gift," Shinn muttered, leaning his back against the door of the shop. "What should I do? If only Athha was a bit girlish, then I would know what to give her. But she's not like other girls. From what I've heard, Athha hates dresses and all those girly charms." He sighed deeply.
He was about to give up until he heard fire crackers blowing up in the skies. He gazed at the flickering colors with amazement. While the fire crackers decorated the skies, parade music filled his ears. It sounded like it came from a few blocks away from him. Quickly, he ran to where the music was. When he reached the main street, he saw a parade coming with a band and balloons. There were also a lot of people there. "What's going on?" he asked.
One of the citizens heard his question and he gladly answered him. "This is a parade to honor Kira-sama and Cagalli-sama!" he spoke loudly so Shinn could hear him. "It's their birthday, you know!"
"A parade to honor them?" Shinn suddenly realized something. "Then their birthday party has already started and it's the parade!" He slapped himself on the temple for losing track of time. Well, there was nothing he could at the moment but to watch the parade.
The band played with good timing and rhythm. The beat was jumpy and you could never get sick of hearing it. The people just loved it. After the band, the representatives of ORB followed next, while riding in their convertibles. Each car carried two representatives. They were mostly composed of old men with high political experiences. The next one was the Archangel Crew, in which, composed of the Captain, Murrue Ramius, the Helmsman, Arnold Neumann, CIC Officer and war photographer, Miriallia Hawe, and many others. The next one was a group of High Officials in the military and they were riding in army jeeps. Afterwards, the car carrying Athrun, Lacus, Yzak and Dearka passed by and they were fairly greeted by the crowd as they recognized them as war heroes. Finally, the last but not the least, an expensive black convertible came, carrying two valuable figures of ORB. They were none other than Kira Yamato and Cagalli Yula Athha.
The people of ORB cheered their names loudly as the twins came into their view. They looked so happy to see them. From their faces, you can really see how much they respected their leaders. They started throwing confetti and flowers everywhere, as more fire crackers were sent up into the air.
Shinn was astonished. It wasn't because of the crowd's impact, but because of what he was seeing. He was staring at Cagalli and the clothes she was wearing. He had never imagined the day that he would see the blonde princess wear something so elegant. He had to admit that Cagalli definitely looked stunning in her Blue striped tube top with sash and white mini skirt. As he looked at her hair which was tied with white ribbons, he thought that her face changed. He couldn't believe that it was really Cagalli.
He was busy admiring her that he didn't notice that he was blushing. He was falling more in love with her. "Making excuses has always been a specialty of the Athhas!" He recalled those words he said to Cagalli in the midst of his anger. He regretted what he said to her. He wanted to apologize to her, but he ended up spewing some more insults at her. He felt so stupid. "I wish I can turn back time to make things right. I want to make it up to you."
He then decided not to give up on her. "Just wait for me, Athha…" He ran away from the parade, away from the crowd, and away from her. He was going to search for a gift and he was going to do it fast.
Kira and Cagalli were enjoying their time waving their hands at the people, thanking them for their loyal support. They felt like they were artists or stars in some kind of movie as the people shouted their names non-stop. They felt good about it. The only thing they disliked was being called a prince and a princess. Yes, they had those statuses but it was kinda awkward for them to hear.
"If the parade is already this big, then I can't wait to see the party later in the mansion," Kira said.
"Since Lacus, Miriallia, and Murrue-san took care of the preparations, I bet it's going to be grand," Cagalli muttered, thinking how suspicious the three were during the past weeks. She hoped that they didn't plan anything foolish again like last year.
After an hour and a half of parading, the celebrants and the main guests and friends arrived at the Athha Estate at exactly 9:00 PM. They all gathered in the large ballroom where the food was served in an exquisite buffet style. The guests were famished from the parade and they were delighted to stuff themselves with the delicious food. The musicians started playing classical music which was very soothing and entertaining. The maids were also doing their jobs in serving the guests.
While the guests were downstairs, Cagalli and Kira were in their own rooms preparing for the party. Lacus and two maids were helping Cagalli out with her dress. Lacus promised Kira to make Cagalli looked like a real princess for the party. So, she put her heart and effort in fixing Cagalli's hair, nails, and makeup. She practically enjoyed it too.
"Oh my!" Lacus muttered, placing a hand on her cheek. "You look so beautiful, Cagalli!" Her cheeks turned pink as she admired Cagalli.
Cagalli tried to put a smile but she had a hard time doing so. One thing for sure, she loathed dresses and she always didn't enjoy wearing one. However, she couldn't upset a friend who has worked hard for her. She looked at herself in the mirror and got quite amazed herself. "Is this me? You've really outdone yourself this time, Lacus."
"Thank you very much," replied Lacus. "I'm so glad you like it. I personally picked that dress for you, did you know that?"
She looked from head to toe and from back to front. She checked the whole dress, which was a one long azure-blue gown with a tube top, and twirled around. The dress bloomed so gracefully and the tight fit really defined her curves. "What do you think Athrun and Kira will say?" Cagalli asked her pink-haired friend.
Lacus thought about it for moment. "They were pretty amazed last year. I bet you're going to amaze them even further this time. They're not going to take their eyes off of you, especially Athrun." She giggled in a lady-like way.
Cagalli blushed, thinking about Athrun's reaction. He does make it a point to cherish every time she wore a dress, because he rarely sees her in one.
A knock came to the door, alerting the two friends in an instant. "Cagalli, Lacus, are you done? It's me, Kira." He knocked the door once again.
"Please come in, Kira," Lacus replied. "We're all done here."
As Kira entered, the maids immediately bowed their heads to show respect to him. Afterwards, they made their leave to give the three some privacy.
"The guests are waiting for us, Cagalli." Kira approached his sister, grabbed her hand, and twirled her around. "You really look like a girl now." He lightly laughed as he positioned her in his arms like in tango.
Cagalli raised an eyebrow. "The same comment again? That's really getting old, Kira." She escaped from his clutches and pulled his lip. "Come on, let's go!" she grumbled, dragging Kira, as she walked out of the room.
"Oh my…" Lacus clamped her mouth a little, trying to hold her laughter.
The lights in the ballroom went dim, signaling the guests that the celebrants were there. The musicians played their tune and the spotlights turned on, focusing the rays at the entrance where the two siblings stood proudly as the prince and princess of ORB. They were both dressed suitably and formally for the occasion. The tomboyish princess who hated dresses was actually in beautiful gown. On the other hand, Kira, the ultimate coordinator, was in a black tux. Everyone stared at them in amazement, especially Athrun and Lacus.
"Here we go," Cagalli whispered to Kira, taking hold of his hand.
Kira looked at her for a second, thinking of the life and experiences he shared with Cagalli. To think that a girl like Cagalli was actually his twin made him wonder why fate separated them from birth. He was separated from her for sixteen years and he didn't even expect to first meet her in Heliopolis. He always thought that the universe was big, but somehow he doubted that. As he turned to the guests, he presented a smile. He walked through the aisle with Cagalli, feeling like they were a couple. He giggled at the thought and continued walking until they reached the stage.
The lights turned bright, the music stopped, and the guests turned silent. All of them were waiting for the twins to give out their speech.
Kira was up first. As usual, he felt kinda nervous about it. But, he wasn't as shy as he was the last time. The first time he gave out a speech to thousands of people, he turned pale and almost fainted. Kira wasn't used to having people stare at him. But right now, Kira was doing fine with his speech.
As Kira's speech went on, Cagalli wandered her eyes all over the place in search of a red-eyed coordinator with black hair. To her dismay, he was nowhere to be found. "I'm so stupid. I wasted all my chances to invite him. I wanted Shinn to be here."
"And thank you for coming. I really appreciate it," Kira finished his speech, slightly bowing his head. He straightened up and told Cagalli that it was her turn.
Cagalli nodded, feeling confidently about her speech. Unlike Kira, Cagalli was used to handing a large group of people. Her training in the military and in politics molded her into a fine leader. In the history of ORB, Cagalli was the youngest and the most popular leader.
The people listened to every word she said and they found it to be interesting. Cagalli talked with sincerity and care. It was obvious that she didn't just memorize some lines on a paper. She was talking in her own words. That was always her style. She knew exactly what to say.
After the speech, the music started playing again. The center of the room was cleared up and one by one, couples from left and right began dancing. Murrue Ramius danced elegantly with her partner and fiancé, Mwu La Fllaga. Not too far from Murrue were Miriallia and Dearka. Dearka was a terrible dancer, but Miriallia didn't mind it. Truth to be known, Miriallia's graceful dancing covered up for most of Dearka's mistakes. Kira and Lacus joined in as well and both of them danced with love and passion.
Meanwhile, at the garden, Athrun and Cagalli were sitting under a tree as they admired the wonderful view of the moon and stars in the sky. The night was so peaceful and relaxing, and they really enjoyed it.
Athrun breathed in, savoring the cool breeze, and exhaled. He turned to his fiancée whom he thought as the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. He leaned forward and pecked on her cheek, causing her to blush like crazy. Athrun simply laughed at her cute reaction.
"I told you to stop doing that!" Cagalli grumbled, rubbing her cheeks. She always felt embarrassed when Athrun does sweet things to her. But, deep inside, she always liked it.
He paid no heed to her words and kissed her cheek again.
This time, Cagalli steamed up and her face turned totally red. She covered her face with her hands and lowered her head. "Athrun, you idiot!"
"Cagalli, there's nothing to be embarrassed about," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It was just a kiss."
She faced him, trying to put on a tough front, with her face still red. "It always surprises me, you know!"
"You're the same as ever." In an instant, he lifted her cheek and kissed her on the lips.
Cagalli was rendered motionless as she felt Athrun's hot lips against hers. Her heart was pounding restlessly. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss more. She savored every moment of his breath as she ran her fingers through his hair.
Afterwards, they parted and stared at each other for a while. As the wind picked up, their lips met again and they were once again indulged with one another. It was like an ethereal reality for them.
Athrun broke the kiss and placed his hand on her cheek. He locked her in his emerald orbs, admiring her beauty. He pulled something out of his pocket and showed it to Cagalli. It was a small rectangular silver pocket watch with superb markings on it. The watch was also a locket and it had his and her picture. "Happy Birthday, Cagalli..."
She took the watch into her hands. She then held it close to her heart. "Oh Athrun… Thank you so much."
"I'm glad you liked it. I had a hard time finding the right picture for it."
"You always go all the trouble to give some special to me. I really appreciate it."
"Anything for you, Cagalli," he said, clutching onto her shoulders. "Please remember that I will always love you no matter what."
She nodded her head and smiled. "Me too…"
They shifted their eyes back at the stars to continue their moment of peace and quiet. Just then, a shooting star passed by and they got excited.
"Since it's your birthday, make a wish," said Athrun.
Cagalli entwined her hands with Athrun's and closed her eyes. She thought hard about what to wish for. This led her to remember her encounter with Shinn in the city. She remembered what she wished for to Shinn and that was for him to stop hating ORB. Her wish came true at that point and she was very happy. Then there was the other wish where she wanted to see Shinn on her birthday party and to be friends with him. She attempted to invite him so many times, but she failed. She sighed as she opened her eyes. She looked up at the sky and muttered her wish silently.
Feeling thirsty, Athrun went back inside to get refreshments, leaving Cagalli alone in the garden. It was a long way back to the ballroom, but Cagalli could wait since she was enjoying her time. She stood from her position and walked around the garden. She ran her hands through the leaves and flowers, thinking deeply about Shinn. She wondered if Shinn had already gone back to the PLANT. She wondered if she would ever see him again.
"Athha…" an unruly voice spoke out of the blue, giving Cagalli quite the surprise.
The voice was familiar to her that she couldn't help but smile in delight. Quickly, she spun on her heels to face the person. "Shinn!" she uttered his name.
"Um…err…Sorry I'm late…" Shinn scratched his head as he smiled awkwardly.
"My birthday's complete now that you're here!" She presented an adorable smile, making Shinn blush easily.
He scratched his head more and turned away. "Kira-san invited me. That's why I'm here."
"Kira did?" Cagalli made a note to herself to thank Kira later. "Well, it was unexpected of him."
Approaching Cagalli, he pulled out his gift from pocket. "Anyway, happy birthday, Athha!" he cheerfully greeted the blonde. He grabbed her wrist and placed the gift around it. "There you go. It's my present for you."
"This is—" She held her wrist up high to admire Shinn's gift clearly. It was a cute bracelet with small ruby and crystal stones. "A bracelet…"
"Umm…" He poked his cheek, feeling a bit awkward, as he looked down. "I made it myself. I learned to make bracelets from my little sister, Mayu."
Cagalli's eyes softened. "Shinn, thank you," she said. She reached for his cheek, lifted his face, and stared into his ruby eyes. "Thank you for the gift and for coming here."
Suddenly, Shinn had the urge to hug her. However, knowing that Cagalli was Athrun's fiancée, Shinn tried his best to hesitate. He touched her hand and removed it from his cheek. But he took the chance to caress her hand dearly in his. As he stared at her amber orbs more, the more his heart told him to hug her.
"I'm sorry…" he muttered. He pulled the blonde into a hug and held her tightly. "Athha, I-I…" Tears began flowing out his eyes, depicting his hidden emotions for the princess.
She felt his tears on her shoulder and she asked him if there was something wrong. She received no reply, and Shinn continued crying. She hugged him back to comfort him, to ease him of his pain, and to let him know that she cared for him.
"How long are you two planning to stay like that?" Kira stepped out from the shadows, revealing a pissed look at Cagalli and Shinn.
Shinn hastily backed away from Cagalli. "Sorry about that!" He bowed his head at Cagalli and then at Kira. "I guess I was getting carried away." He laughed lightly.
"You guys were too close for comfort. What if Athrun managed to see you two?"
"I can't imagine," Shinn whined.
"Kira!" Cagalli planted her fists on her hips. "Aren't you supposed to be with Lacus?"
"We've just finished dancing. Lacus is now having a nice chat with our friends."
Cagalli raised an eyebrow. "Then mind telling me why you're here?"
"I came to check up on you," he said, turning his head towards Shinn. "And to see if Shinn was around."
"According to Shinn, you were the one who invited him."
"One of your wishes was to be friends with Shinn, right? I wanted that wish to come true."
Shinn was surprised at what Kira said. He turned to Cagalli who was smiling cheerfully at him. His face turned a little red, but he didn't care about that. "You want me to be your friend?" he asked her.
"Of course," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Don't tell me you'll refuse?" She shot Shinn a death glare to intimidate him.
"Uh-no!" Shinn said, blushing like crazy. "Why would I? I mean, it would be an honor to be friends with you."
Cagalli raised an eyebrow, thinking absurdly of him. "Man, you look dumb while blushing like that."
"Say what?!" Shinn fumed, as Cagalli smirked. He breathed in deeply to control himself and looked back at Cagalli. "Here…" he grumbled, holding his hand out for her to shake.
Cagalli shrugged. "Hmph… A handshake won't do!" She slapped away his hand and crossed her arms. "It's my birthday. Why don't you take me out or something?" She sounded like a spoiled brat.
"Hold on, Cagalli. Have you forgotten our birthday party?" Kira reminded her. "You can't leave the party."
Despite that fact, Cagalli wanted to spend some time with Shinn. She pulled Kira by the ear and whispered something to him. Afterwards, she pushed him back and faced him seriously. "Okay, you got that?" she questioned.
Kira unwillingly nodded his head. "Yeah… Yeah…" He slumped down and spun on his heels. "You have to pay me back big time, Cagalli." He walked off a few steps before turning his head at Shinn.
"What is it, Kira-san?" Shinn asked.
"Take care of her, understand?" Kira muttered in a serious tone, scaring Shinn a bit. He made his way back to the mansion where he had a favor to fulfill and that was to stall Athrun as long as he could.
"Athha, what did he mean by that?" Shinn turned to Cagalli who was glaring furiously at him. "Umm…? What's wrong?" he squeaked.
"Stop calling me Athha, got it? I have a name and it's Cagalli!" She pointed a finger at him. "You better remember that!" she demanded.
"Right… Okay, Athha… I mean, Cagalli…" he chuckled, feeling amazed of her spunk and attitude. By that, he realized that he and Cagalli were somewhat alike in terms of personality.
Cagalli looked around if there were other people around the garden. To her relief, nobody was there but them. She thought it was the perfect chance for them to go. Swiftly, she grabbed Shinn's wrist and dragged him all the way to the back gate. There, she saw Shinn's motorcycle parked along the street. She pushed Shinn towards the said vehicle and smirked at him.
"Wait a second!" Shinn scratched his head, looking confused. "Are you planning on going on a ride?"
"Duh! Isn't that obvious?" She tapped her foot impatiently on the hard concrete.
"Oh…okay…" Shinn put on his helmet and boarded his motorcycle. "Where do you wanna go?"
Cagalli lowered her head as her amber eyes grew soft. "To my father's memorial…" she said in a low voice.
At that, Shinn's ruby orbs grew wide as marbles. "Lord Uzumi's memorial…" He bit his lip, feeling hesitant, as he found neither the courage nor guts to face the Lion of ORB. After all the insults he laid down on the Athhas, he knew it was inappropriate to even set foot near the memorial. "Cagalli, why don't we go to the beach instead? It's pretty cool there."
But the princess shook her head. She put her hand on his shoulder, prompting him to look at her. As her amber orbs met his ruby ones, she slowly leaned forward and kissed his temple.
"C-Cagalli…" His cheeks turned red as a tomato. He felt his knees weakening from all the heat that was going up to his head.
She pulled herself back and drowned herself in his eyes. She showed him a warm and cheerful smile, which reminded him so much of sister's smile. "Shinn, you don't have to be ashamed. My father was a kind man. I'm sure he understood your feelings."
"But I still insulted him, even though it wasn't his fault."
"Shinn, I'm sure that father had forgiven you long before I met you."
He felt his heart skipped a beat when she said that. He sighed in relief and positioned himself on his motorcycle. "Hop on, Cagalli."
Cagalli smiled widely and nodded her head. She picked up the extra helmet, put in on, and rode the vehicle. "You better get there fast, Shinn, or else," she threatened him.
"Sheesh! What a bossy princess!" Shinn shrugged as he switched the engine on. Before he was going to speak, Cagalli hit him hard on the arm. "Ouch! What was that for?" He rubbed his sore arm as he turned to her grumpily.
"Don't you ever call me a princess, got it?!" she uttered, staring at him like she wanted to kill him.
Shinn shivered in fear at the sight of the fuming princess. He quickly averted his eyes away and prepared to take off. "Better hold on!" he shouted in panic and zoomed off in top speed.
It took them only about 7 minutes to get to the memorial. And it was all because of Cagalli's bickering on Shinn. For the first time in his life, he could not argue back. He did not think that Cagalli was so much like him. He guessed that he finally met his match.
Well, upon reaching the memorial, Shinn noticed that Cagalli became silent. He glanced at her only to see her standing in front of the memorial. He motioned himself to her side and saw her face, which was very solemn.
"Did you know? He was not my real father," she spoke to him so openly. She felt like talking about her father and her secret that she kept, which only a few knew.
Shinn gasped in surprise. "Lord Uzumi was not your father. Then who…?"
"Despite that fact, I still think of him as my real father because he was the one who raised me."
"I'm sure Lord Uzumi loved you very much."
She clutched onto the bracelet that he gave her and started crying. "You know, I wish father was still here. I want him to see my accomplishments. I want to know if I made him proud."
Shinn embraced her in his arms to comfort her. "Cagalli, you're a great leader. You're well-admired by the people of ORB. Don't you think that's enough to make Lord Uzumi proud?"
Cagalli continued to sob, but she managed to make a smile. "You're right, Shinn. I'm sure that he's proud of me."
"Of course!" He gently pushed her back to face her amber orbs. "You are his daughter after all." He showed her a well-toothed smile.
"Thanks, Shinn. I'm glad we're friends."
"Yeah…Friends…" Shinn's face saddened at that fact. He knew that they could be nothing more than friends. He thought of accepting that, but his heart was having a hard time doing so.
Since they were out for already 30 minutes, Cagalli thought of going back to the mansion before Athrun finds out. She told Shinn to hurry as she walked towards the motorcycle, which was across the road. As she reached the middle or the road, a truck appeared all of the sudden and it was about to hit Cagalli. "Not again…" she muttered, closing her eyes.
Shinn ran with all his might and jumped towards her. He grabbed Cagalli and landed roughly on the other side. Since it was safe, Shinn positioned Cagalli in front of him and glared at her. "This is the 2nd time. You've gotta watch your back more cafefully!" he scolded her with a hint of concern in his tone.
Strangely, because of Shinn's daring rescue, Cagalli did not feel scared or nervous unlike last time. "Thanks again, Shinn, and sorry about that." She leaned forward and pecked his cheek.
Shinn flushed red again and backed away until his back hit his motorcycle. "You didn't have to do that?"
"Why not? It was my way of showing thanks."
"A simple thanks is fine!" He held the spot where she kissed her and grew redder.
Cagalli laughed out loud. "That expression is purely cute!" She pointed her finger at him as she kept laughing. "Shinn, you're one fun guy. I didn't think I would have this much fun. Thanks a lot."
"Well that's…err…" He scratched the back of his head. "You're welcome," he politely said.
"This is a birthday I will never forget." She looked up at the starry sky and smiled. "Because most of my wishes came true."
The end
JC: I've finally finished. I really put a lot of effort into thinking of what scene or moment to put here. I was thinking of going with Kira/Cagalli, but I felt that it would nice to write about Shinn/Cagalli for a change. I hope this story was okay. Please leave a review and not a flame. Thanks for reading!
