Chapter 6: Joy of a lifetime

"Cagalli it's time to go" that was what she heard as she saw a woman hold out her hand to a 3 year old child. "Its time to go or we're going to be late."

"Yes mother I'm coming, I'm coming" then she was knocked down on the ground.

"Come on it's time to go! We're going to be late" Cagalli became startled only to open her eyes to see Lacus standing over her with a pillow.

"We're going to be late Athrun isn't going to wait forever and kira will get tired and just go home, and I'll be left at the altar all by myself, because you'll still be sleeping!" said lacus pouting as she clung to a pillow in her hand. Just as she raised her hand again and hit cagalli feathers flew all over the place.

"Why you!" Then cagalli grabbed a pillow and started hitting Lacus, before long the room was covered in feathers, and giggles could be heard throughout the corridors of the mansion.

"Alright you two" said Merna barging into the room. After this month I am retiring let's try to be good until then. No sooner had she said that a group of waiters brought in plates of fresh fruit and fruit juice freshly squeezed with oranges from the garden. The girls were still in their night gowns as they sat down to have their breakfast.

"The most exciting part about today is we'll finally get to be sisters" said lacus as she took a sip of juice.

"Here's to celebrating our life as sisters"

"I'll drink to that." Said lacus. And then they both started to laugh.

It was 9am Lacus was the first to be escorted down the hall by a maid into an Arabic style bath filled with red rose petals. While cagalli was escorted to a roman style bath filled with white rose petals. They were both later massaged down with light fragrant rose oils. So as to not get the oils onto their dresses. Each of them had at least five attendants helping them to dress at all times. Lacus was dressed in a white strapless wedding gown with lining of pink satin. The front of the dress stopped just below the knee, but the back of the dress had a detachable train. Her hair was spiral curled on this day and adorned with pink Amaryllis flowers which is a flower that means splendid beauty. This particular flower was chosen to give her the mature appearance of a young woman in her twenties symbolizing her growth in mind, body and spirit. She would not where a veil on this day for she wanted to see only the eyes of her lover with nothing in between to create a moments distance. Her neckline was enhanced by a single necklace given to her by cagalli as a wedding present. It carried the same stone that was in the engagement ring that cagalli wore on her finger from Athrun. Her arms would be covered by a single chiffon shawl which could be worked about her arms through and through. Her shoes were adorned with pink amethyst crystals that could easily be noticed in its sparkling splendor from several feet away, and her ears sparkled with the same crystals within her shoes. She felt like a true princess, as she looked in the mirror, but tears streamed down her face as she thought of her father whom she wished was here with her today. However she took comfort in the realization that her soon to be husband was an admiral man that her father ultimately approved of before he died, as long as she could remember that she was in a peaceful place in her heart.

A few doors down the hall Cagalli was admiring her dress in the elongated mirror that stood in her room she too wore a strapless gown only it had a sheer train that attached to the waist line of her dress with white roses died green to match the color of earth, and her hair was pinned up with green carnations a flower which means pride and beauty. She wore pumps made of glass to protect her delicate feet and a simple gold necklace enhanced by a small emerald crystal given to her by her father on her 18th birthday. She wore earrings of the same jewel given to her by Athrun on her 20th birthday. Unlike lacus she didn't wear a chiffon shawl but she wore long satin gloves that stopped short of her elbow. She too decided not to wear a veil; as she wanted nothing to separate her from Athrun's glistening green eyes. After one last look in the mirror she was startled by a knock on her room door.

"Lady cagalli, it's time" said one of the attendants. She took one last look at the picture of her father and mother smiled and then left the room.

Lacus and Cagalli felt the need to be close to the people, so they agreed to ride in a glass top limo so that everyone can share in the joy of the festivities. The streets were lined with the city's patrons and people from all over the world as they gathered to see their princesses. There was so much press that the country's military was out in force, but not for oppression, but for protection. The princess waved tirelessly and endlessly to the people until they reached their destination. Once the limo stopped and they stepped out of the vehicle the footmen presented them with their bouquets filled with the same flowers that adorned their hair. Only they also kept with the tradition of something old which would have been their fiancés for their relationships were long lasting, The something borrowed was the limo they had just rode in , the something new were their futures and last but not least was the something blue. In the center of their bouquets stood a very special blue rose and inside the rose was a ring that each of them had custom made for their loved one. It was now time to go the distance.

As they walked down the aisle they passed by all their families' friends and loved ones, even Sigh was in attendance and miriallia, reporting of course. As she had exclusive access to the wedding of the century. As they walked together between the aisle mwu and murru were to cagalli's right and Andy was to lacus's left. There was a wide open space between the guest and the stairway that led to the altar. To escort them across this space were dearka and ezak. Dearka took cagalli's left hand and ezak took lacus's right on the right side of cagalli stood 3 Orb murasames and on the left side of lacus stood 3 plant Saviors. Once they reached the foot way of the stairs Dearka and Ezak bowed and then it was up to them to climb the way alone. Half way to the top they could see reverend malkio , and an Orb Haumean priest and his assistant. As they climbed further to the top of the stairway they saw the ones who were to be part of their lives. Athrun was dressed in a white suit with gold trim outlining the edges with white shoes to match. It was especially designed in the plants to suit his personality. When cagalli saw him she saw nothing else, she was however relieved that he didn't wear his military uniform or a traditional suit it would of just reaped of yuna if he wore something like that. Lacus on the other hand knew that whatever kira wore was defiantly going to be his own style. Like athrun he also wore a white suit, but it was lined with silver trim, and naturally he wore white shoes instead of black. When they finally made it to the top Athrun and Kira both reached out their hands to help them up the last step and then the two couples turned and stared at each other as if they were the only people on earth before turning around and facing the priest.

"We are gathered here today to join these men and these women in matrimony and on a path toward a complete future." Stated reverend malkio "Lacus and Kira please join hands", reverend malkio then proceeded to wrap from Kiras hand to Lacuses hand a silver string shaped much like a ribbon

"I bind you two as you take your vows with this silver string of fate. May your two futures be combined for eternity." Then reverend malkio walked over to Athrun and cagalli,

"Athrun and Cagalli please join hands" They joined hands" I bind you to each other with this gold string of fate. May your destines never waver for all eternity" The Haumean priest then started the procession,

"Do you Kira Yamato take lacus Clyne to be your lawful wedded wife in sickness and in health forever and ever -till death do you part?" and then he asked the same of Lacus. In concert they both said "I do" and then he said "Do you Athrun Zala take Cagalli Yula ATTha to be your lawfully wedded wife in sickness and in health as long as you both shall live till death do you part?" and then he also asked the same of Cagalli. Athrun then turned beet red as he looked at cagalli he thought it's finally happening and couldn't get it out of his mouth fast enough as they both said together "I do" reverend malkio then said, "the exchange of rings please. Kira then gave lacus the ring that athrun had presented to him at the party. As he gently placed it on her finger, Lacus could hardly control her tears, because even though it was now adorned with white diamonds she instantaneously recognized the ring. She then reached inside her bouquet and placed a similar ring on kira's finger much like the one she gave him aboard the eternal. When it was time for Athrun to put his ring on cagalli's finger he surprised everyone and knelt down on one knee,

"This is to make up for not giving you the engagement ring properly the first time" he said this with a blushing look on his face. The ring he gave her was a simple gold one with one single imperial topaz gem to match the color of her eyes. The ring that cagalli gave him taken straight from her bouqet was gold adorned with tiny emerald stones around the sides to match the color of his eyes. After the exchange reverend Malkio said, "by the power vested in me and the authority of the plants" and the haumean priest said. "and the goddess of haumea" They both simultaneously said, "we now pronounce you husband and wife ,you both may kiss your bride"

At the sound of that KIra kissed Lacus and it seemed like they never came up for air and as Athrun kissed Cagalli an uproar of happiness could be heard for miles. But as athrun and cagalli were kissing cagalli opened her eyes long enough to notice the assistant priest open his haumean book and pull out a gun. She was the only one who saw it- It's as if everything was happening in slow motion. He was standing a short distance from Kira and Lacus; there was just seconds to act.

Before the assistant priest could say "for the preservation of our pure and blue earth"

Cagalli quickly pushed Athrun aside and before he could realize what had happened she put herself in between kira and the gunman shielding him with her body and then the gun fired.

"I got him" the gunman said "I got him, dammit I missed" The gunman then took his own life, so as not to be interrogated. Cagalli turned around looked at kira and said, "I was finally able to protect you" before collapsing forward into his arms. Kira could hardly control his feelings before screaming

"NO!", At the top of his lungs Lacus just fell to her knees crying unable to speak.

"Why Cagalli! Why didn't you scream or yell?" said kira crying uncontrollably

"No time…." Cagalli could hardly speak, because she was bleeding so much from her side "I lost my father and I didn't want to be alone without my brother" she then reached for kira's face with her bloodied left hand and as she held his cheek in her hand she slowly turned her head to the right. What she saw was Via sitting behind Kira's mother who was crying profusely …Cagalli finally realized whom she was for the first time as she visualized the picture of her mother in her room…with her last strength cagalli uttered, "Mother" before losing consciousness. Kira looked back and thought she was talking about his mother, because Via was no longer there. Cagalli had managed to shove Athrun down two steps pushing him out of hind sight" Athrun then managed to climb the steps still unable to comprehend what just happened. He saw Cagalli's lifeless bloodied body with the flowers thrown from her hair in Kira's arms. Kira called for athrun,

"Athrun hurry!" He yelled "Athrun was paralyzed with disbelief, so kira ran over shook him and then slapped him.

"Dammit listen to me!" screamed Kira "Cagalli is not dead yet! She's just lost consciousness, but she will be if I don't have your help! I'll need you to cover her wound with your hand and apply pressure. I'll be right back!" Kira then ran not noticing anything or anyone around him. He ran to a murasame got in, and upgraded the systems to accommodate that of a coordinator and then knelt the machine down with its hand extended. Athrun then carried Cagallis lifeless body covered in blood to the murasame. He climbed on its hand and helped kira place her into the cockpit. Kira then told Athrun to take care of lacus. It seemed like hours, but all of this happened within minutes. Kira took off and decided to take cagalli to a military hospital the main reason being security the second reason being distance.

"Hang in their Cagalli" said kira with an urgent fervor in his voice" I won't loose you like this! I'm not going to let you die" Cagalli then faintly uttered the word "Athrun". She didn't know that Athrun was in one of the savior Gundams following right behind them.. All kira could think about was that he had to make it to the hospital… All Athrun could think was I can't loose her again…, and lacus just couldn't think at all….