Rating: T / PG-13

Summary: AU after episode 34 of GSD. What if Kira wasn't found on that fateful day by Cagalli? How will Athrun, Cagalli, Lacus and the others react to his death? But...is he really dead? Gilbert Dullindal's chess game is ever changing as a new fate awaits the Ultimate Coordinator.

Main Characters: mainly focused on Kira and Athrun, but also Dullindal, Cagalli, Lacus...

Pairing(s): none yet.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

Summary of the previous chapters: (it's been such a long time that I think a good summary is needed... that is if someone is still reading this.)

At the same time the Freedom was destroyed by Shinn, Gilbert Dullindal –thoughtful as ever – sent a very restrcited team on the fields, feeling that something or somebody could be found. And indeed he did find someone: Kira Yamato. For Dullindal, this was surprising yet pleasant discovery for he liked playing with Destiny. So he took care of the boy, the Ultimate Coordinator. Dullindal was determined to use his potential fully this time, and Kira's memory loss was simply the occasion: Fate was on his side. While looking after him, a web of truth and lies was created. Kira Yamato was no more, Kira Hibiki, son of Ulen and Via Hibiki and nephew of the Chairman Dullindal was reborn.

Kira is very fastly healing for a Coordinator, and soon met the Minerva's crew, which he would be part of. Lunamaria and Shinn, both feel like a sense of déjà-vu when meeting him, but dismissed that quickly. They seem to get on with Kira quite well. On the contrary, Rey, the only one besides Dullindal who knows the full truth, has difficulties to be very nice with Kira. But he had and will always follow Gil's orders: watch him as his childhood friend, or rather rival.

Meanwhile, Athrun managed to escape with Meyrin, after Kira's so-called death. Last time we saw him, he was meeting with Cagalli in the infirmary. Both torn, filled with regret.

In the last chapter, Kira had a discussion with Lunamaria, but then remember he had an appointment with the Chairman. And here is finally this meeting...

Warning: It's been a long time I haven't written anything in english, so I'm very sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes.

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Gundam Seed: Another Path, Another Destiny

Phase 11 : Power

Slightly exhausted after running all the way down the Minerva to his uncle private quarters, Kira took a deep long breath and checked his watch with dread: Seven twenty eight. A sigh of relief escaped his mouth: he wasn't late – he was even two minutes early. The fact was that Kira didn't want to give a bad image of himself to his remaining living family. After all for him, he only met with his uncle around three weeks ago, and he still had no memory of him. Even if the man did know him, Kira still felt he should prove himself worthy of all the care and affection.

He knocked softly at the wooden door, when suddenly it opened, revealing the usually serious Rey, now looking torn between happiness and annoyance. Kira took a step backward, a little surprise and greeted his friend with a curious look. Why did Rey have an appointment with the chairman? If it was only a friendly talk, then why didn't he come with him and stay for dinner?

Kira shook his head and berated himself mentally. He shouldn't ask himself those questions, it was no good to poke one's nose into other's business. After all curiosity is a bad fault. Besides it wasn't as if they were talking about him...or were they? Rey had been charged to look after him.

"Good evening Kira," Rey simply said just as he began to walk away. Violet eyes blinked slightly.

Good evening?

That was all he had to say? He stared at the retreating red back a little confused. Was it only his imagination, or was Rey always somewhat distant with him? True he was like that with everyone, but after spending more time with him, Kira found out that the blond boy always seemed to be uneasy while together alone. Weren't they supposed to be friends? Or maybe that was the exact reason of his strange behaviour. Since he had lost his memory, the younger man might not know how to behave around him anymore. Great...so it was indirectly his fault. Then maybe he was just thinking to much once again. After all Rey must had known he was to meet with his uncle tonight and that he was almost late.

"Late... Ah that's right!" Kira thought embarrassed as he quickly entered the room.

His amethyst eyes scanned his surrounding, which by the way was very cosy, and easily spotted his uncle sitting on the armchair near the fireplace. Kira began to salute him but was interrupted by this deep voice and a raising hand:

"No need for formalities between us, Kira," Gil said with a warm smile.

The brown haired boy nodded with a shy smile. "Good evening, I'm sorry for being a little late. I hope I didn't make you wait."

"No, no," he dismissed Kira's concern with a waving hand, "You shouldn't worry so much, Kira." Golden eyes met violet, and Kira felt as though his soul could be read as an opened book.

"Anyway," Gil finally said lightly, "we can talk about that later. Let's have some dinner first, aren't you hungry?"

Kira nodded and followed him to the dinning room. The food was very good as usual, which at first surprised him. He thought that a military cantine was bound to be awful, but was pleasingly prove wrong. They ate while talking about many useless things, but when Kira decided to broach the subject of the political situation of the world, Gilbert raised a serious a tired gaze. After a short silence, the raven haired man sighed loudly.

"Things have become quite complicated these days, Kira..." he paused as if contempling his answer. " I guess you had read or heard the recent news."

Kira nodded but kept quiet.

"Well where to begin... After the first Bloody Valentine, after all these tragedies, loss and pain, the world finally thought it could have his well deserved peace. Then why did the battles began again?"

He looked expectantly at the brown haired boy, and Kira realised he waited an answer. He hesitated slightly, thoughtful before saying:

"Fear of the unknown?"

A fleeting smile graced the chairman's features waiting for Kira to elaborate.

"I mean... Naturals are afraid of Coordinators because we are different, or rather because we were born different, they fear our capacities. Coordinators left the Earth year ago, we have forgotten what it is like to be naturals, they have become as strange as we are to them..."

Kira sighed slightly. "But I'm sure many people believe we can all exist together, and accept our differences... Differences even exist among Cooridinators and Naturals."

Gilbert took a sip of his coffee and looked at him straight in the eyes.

"You're right, but then why are there still conflicts?"

Kira shrugged. "Some people are intolerant..." he narrowed his violet eyes slightly. "Just like the Blue Cosmos, or those who setted the Drop of Junius Seven."

"So you did read what happened in the Londonia Lab."

Kira repressed a shudder, that report was horrible. He couldn't believe people –Naturals who claimed Coordinators were an abomination – could do such a thing. How could one put so much suffering upon children? How could one only consider that kind of monstrosity?

"...Yes. I ... I still can't realise such actions could still exist nowadays. Why didn't they stop that? Did the Earth Alliance really approved of that?" Kira said with a hint of desperation in his voice.

"Not all the Earth Alliance. The one closely entwined with Blue Cosmos and Logos, yes. Djibril and his followers would stop at nothing to anhilate us, even if it means creating more suffering and chaos to the world. I think you begin to understand why we had to do something."

Kira nodded mutely. Heaven's Base. They had to stop them, they couldn't let them go on, they had no choice. It was unavoidable.

"It's really such a shame the Orb Alliance decided to join the treaty," he continued with another sip of his coffee.

"But what really worries me, is Djibril disappearance... some sources say he might have escaped to Orb..." He sighed deeply. "I guess that too was unavoidable. But I truly did admire their country during and after the last war."

He leaned on his chair and sighed softly. The Chairman might have liked Orb, but Kira could not understand how a country once so brave and mighty, could approve Blue Cosmos and worse help them. Accordingly, he didn't remember the last war –or anything else –but what he read helped him to know the situation. And with his present knowledge and his Uncle's recent fillings, he could not help but feel a certain disgust toward that country, a feeling that was strangely mixed with a hint of disappointment. Deep down, he paradoxically could not hate Orb, but that did not mean he liked them either.

Kira looked at his Uncle pensively, so much responsibilities and worries were upon those shoulders. He hated that. He hated war, he hated making people suffer.

"If only the fightings would just stop..."

Gilbert chuckled slightly.

"That may be a dream, Kira; as long as people wish to be better and selfish, nothing will change. We all, Coordinators and Naturals, wish for a peaceful world."

That statement was so true, but at the same time so pessimist.

Did it mean that the world was doomed to destroy itself one day?

He didn't have much more time to ponder when the door opened slowly, hesitantly, revealing a girl, around his age, with long pink hair and a golden star clip. She put a hand on her mouth and said, clearly embarrassed:

"Oh... I'm so sorry, Chairman, I didn't know you had an appointment today, and I..."

"Don't worry, Lacus, come in," he interrupted her with his charming smile. They both stood up, having anyway already finish their dinner, and greeted her.

She weared a white and blue dress, the top looking more like a bathing suit. Her blue eyes were joyful, even childish and right now a little embarrassed. In other words, Kira found her beautiful and her face seemed so familiar, but at the same time wrong. Something was just...off and he couldn't pinpoint what.

"Kira...Kira!"

He jerked out of his reverie, a slight blush on his cheeks when he realised he had been staring. She didn't seem perturbed by that, either oblivious or enjoying the attention.

"Lacus, this is Kira Hibiki, my nephew, and Kira, this is Lacus Clyne," Gil introduced him with a gracious wave of hand.

"Oh really?!" She clapped her hands together, grinning happily, obviously thrilled to meet him.

Lacus Clyne?

The same famous pop star who took part in the last war? Truth to be told, Kira was incredulous, he couldn't believe what he just heard; that she was Lacus Clyne. It was ridiculous, really, why should he doubt his Uncle's word? Moreover he had seen pictures of her in various magazine and he could tell the woman in front of him was unmistakably Lacus Clyne.

Still...

Why did it feel like so wrong? Why did he feel this strange pang deep within his heart?

He didn't even know her.

Yeah, it was ridiculous, utterly ridiculous; so the brown haired boy dismissed all these disturbing thoughts. He felt someone grab his arm, and went out of his daze with a smile. She was talking at him so happily that he felt guilty for not listening. When she finished her tirade, he said nicely:

"Nice to meet you, I've heard a lot about you. You are very courageous."

Her blue eyes darkened with what looked like guilt or shame, for a split second, but Kira noticed it anyway. He really began to wonder if he was badskilled with people, he always seemed to breach a sensitive subject, just like with Lunamaria.

"Yeah...thanks, it's difficult sometimes, but I like it," she smiled at him gratefully.

Gil cleared his throat lightly. "Now that the formalities are done, let's seat down," he directed them outside the dining room, near the fireplace. Kira glanced at the fire, its dancing flames reflecting into his violet eyes. He almost lost himself in his thoughts again when the Chairman looked at him and spoke up.

"As you already know, I will have to go back on the PLANTs very soon, in two or three days at most."

Kira nodded, while Lacus was gazing peacefully at the window.

"And as a part of the Minerva's crew, you will surely be into a battle sooner or later...," he trailed off with a taint of worry in his voice.

"I know," Kira reassured him, "I know this will happen, I am trained, don't worry, Uncle..."I will not be a nuisance, I won't disappoint you. But I ...

Gil smiled warmly at him with a nod.

"I also know this might be emotionally difficult, but I trust your judgment. Sometimes battles are unavoidable, aren't they?" He stared at the two of them, Kira remembering their earlier discussion. "Lacus knows that more than anybody else."

Bright blue eyes looked up at him with a smile. "That's true, even if we only wish for peace."

"Anyway," Gil said while getting up and staring down at the borwn haired boy, "I do trust your skills, Kira, but you won't be able to do anything without power."

Kira looked at him slightly surprised, as his uncle told him to follow him, alongside with Lacus, if she wished to. Curious of what was going on, the pink haired girl trailed behind them, her red Haro in her hands. After a few turn, she already knew were they were heading. He led them to the hangar, and then a guarded room. Gil used his magnetic card and entered, while violet eyes widened. The Armory.

Kira glanced all around him, he was surrounded by so many Mobile Suit. That was the defence of ZAFT, but that was also what made war possible. He kept on following his Uncle, without paying very attention to where he was going, when he stopped suddenly in front of a bright blue and red Mobile Suit. Kira stared at it with awe, it was indeed beautiful in its design, very close too a Gouf. Gil's voice took him out of his reverie.

"This, Kira, is the GOUF-Phoenix. The new prototype of the Gouf. It combines the weapons of a normal Gouf improved with some configurations of the Ginn, with more flexibility and speed."

Kira could only nod mutely, still staring at it, while Gilbert looked at him slightly amused.

"This will be your weapon, your power, your strengh."

My power ... my weapon

"This will be your defence."

To kill ...

"I trust you with it, Kira-kun."

...To help you, for a peaceful world ...

To be continued...

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Author Notes: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for taking so long to update! But I really can't help it, I've got very important exams... I've finished all the writing tests (finally! They lasted four weeks), and now I've got to study for the orals...

Thus I'm very tired, and I admit not very motivated, that I'm wondering if it's worth to continue writing this story... And it does not help that I'm currently obsessed with Kingdom Hearts II lol. Still I don't think I'll give up, all the more if you people still want to know what will happen! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

If you are wondering when we will see a battle stay tuned! But it may not be Kira's, but soon for him. I guess with that chapter, you can guess against who.

Thanks for the reviews to : r, Ultimate Zero Purge, Ominae, ossia, demonz8000, cherryheart, cobaltstar, Kagami Kyoji, TheDisruptiveOne, link2143, RuByMoOn17, furin-a, choclatbandit, Tala ishtar, blueflamesofsadness, Salvation Gundam, X-19A Infinite Justice, dark galaxy, frogger666, Disturbed Insomniac, Black Magician Girl3, Windstar, Hiyami, im2cool4love, risingsundynasty, XxlighttenshixX, Bourrichon, Laura28182, Azalie-Kauriu.

Next Chapter: Back on the Archangel, how will Athrun deal with a Lacus being attacked, and not knowing Kira is dead ?

Comments are always welcomed!