HIIII! Sorry, i've taken so long to update and reply, i've been on a late vacation but i'm home again now.
First: I want to thank you guys soooo much for your prayers and concerns for my brother, he's doing great and hopefully the people who attacked him will be brought to justice
Second: replies to those who I can't pm
Phyrgianmusic777- thanks so much for reviewing and here is your update =)
Azettafan- to answer your question- no, Athrun will not be going to the junis seven memorial however... ^_^
And I would love your thoughts on what 'more' would have been for the last chapter for future refrence =) I hope this chapter makes up for it and thanks again =)
Cagallifan- Huh? who ever said they're going to meet each other again? =O Maybe i'll just keep them separate foreverrrrrr... jk...jk...jk... Though i can't promise a happily-for-ever after, gallop off into the sunlight moment, I will do the best to my abilities deliver a happy ending while staying true to the story... Lord knows where that will get me...
Thanks for reading and reviewing guys =)))))
I have two Special Shout outs
one to arashic1030 who thought my story was good enough to use in the celebration for Shin's b-day on Shin's fb page- thankssss =)))))
and the second goes to Writingknightmare who sacrificed sleep to help me make a new summary for Tangled Fates. If any of you are into fictionpress then I highly suggest these two fictions by Writingknightmare (and their friend)
/s/2937455/1/Living_on_a_Chance
/s/2927714/1/Changelings
hope those links work
Anyway, Thanks again everyone, I hope you enjoy this chapter and my extreme apologies for any grammar/spelling/whatever fails there are in this chapter (and I'm sure there is a lot. ) i haven't been feeling well, and when i feel like this my writing slacks sadly.
Anyway, ENJOY!
*disclaimer- I totally and completely own Gun- *Kitalla's hand emerges from the screen and slaps the Writer's face repeatedly*-... jk...I don't own it ;)
OOOOOO
Octus five Narrator POV
"Miss Campbell."
Meer's head popped up, startled and she looked bewilderedly about her. She was in her small room above the café. Her eyes sought the familiar speaker and she smiled slightly at the two boys in her doorway.
"Shin, Rey." She nodded her head in greeting, before standing up with a cheerful yawn.
"It's time, M'lady." Shin murmured quietly, extending his hand towards her in a polite gesture.
Meer raised an eyebrow curiously at the strained look on Shin's face before placing her hand in his and allowing him to lead her down the hall towards the stairs.
"May I perhaps say good bye to my adoptive mother?" She asked a moment later, pausing at the bottom of the stairs.
Shin looked away, his hands shaking slightly. "No." his grasp on her hand tightened and he pulled her fast past Rey towards the back entrance into the shop and out of the storage room. But it was too late.
Meer caught her breath as she spotted the reason for Shin's desperation for her to leave.
The metallic shine of Rey's pistol tucked neatly into his hip holster.
The gleam of the wet red liquid that spattered the far walls across the small room.
The pale, familiar hand that laid on the floor, poking out from around a stack of bins, a pool of blood shimmering around it.
"Juane!" she cried, wriggling in Shin's grasp. "Mother!" Shin's expression looked horror stricken at the sound of pain that twisted Meer's voice. "You killed her!" she shrieked.
Rey grabbed her by the upper arms, moving her forward, his expression one of great determination. "She is not your mother. You don't have one! Go." His voice was mercilessly cold.
'You don't have a mother' the words echoed in Meer's head and she blanched, staggering into Shin's arms. Something in her chest froze up and she felt tears well up in her eyes. No…she had never had a mother. Nor a father. She didn't even have an own 'self'. The only thing that was hers was her name 'Meer Campbell' and she wouldn't even have that come time.
Shin picked her up, carrying her out to the black limo that was parked outside the house. He gently laid her across the wide spacious leather seats before sitting down across from her, watching her carefully with his red eyes. Meer had never seen the aggressive assassin/bodyguard so quiet before.
"It will be like you never existed." Rey said as he started the car.
And Meer nodded blankly. She was, after all, never supposed to have existed in the first place. "But why…" she whispered, trying not to cry. She buried her face in her hands, feeling Shin twitch uncomfortably across from her.
"Because you want more to your life- don't you?" Rey's voice was as slippery as a snake's would be if a snake could talk.
She did. She always had. Wasn't that after all the whole reason for existing? But somehow… she had never imagined that dear Juane would be the price she had to pay for power.
"No use crying over spilled milk, as they always say." Rey chortled and Shin turned to stare out the window- the distraught expression on his face was obvious.
One person had already died in Meer's name. And this was only the beginning.
OOOOOOO
Narrator POV Demi-god.
"Lieutenant Zala, you've been going over those videos for quite the while." Second Officer Janeu poked his red-haired head into Athrun's room, causing Athrun to start.
"Er," Athrun blinked owlishly, his face illuminated in the darkness by the eerie blue light of his laptop screen. He reached up to remove his headphones from his head. "What?" he asked blankly, his hair tangled and his uniform slightly disheveled.
Janeu sighed, rubbing his brow wearily. He couldn't say that he knew the son of the chairman very well but he had a high respect for him. However, seeing him like he now only made him pity the poor Coordinator. The bluenette teen had barely come out of his room at all since the rookie pilot's death.
"What are you trying to figure out?" Janeu asked, coming up behind the hunched pilot to look over his shoulder at the laptop screen. Haven't you already gone over these enough? With that-" he clamped his mouth shut though before he could finish his sentence, realizing what he was about to say. 'With that other pilot'.
Like rubbing salt in the wound; He would have really had his foot in his mouth if he had said that!
Zala didn't seem to notice though as he replied, clicking 'play' on the video he was watching. "That strangle-hold technique of his really seems to be his favorite way to destroy his targets on single-opponent combat."
"What about multi?"
"I haven't really seen that many multi fights between them and others. The only ones showed the pilot simply fending them off and picking them off when can. Though the wing blades seem to be able to cut thinner mobile suit's metals and the tail acts rather like a sword." Now if only he could get past all of these.
"The GUNDAMs are strong. Not even her technique should break them…" noted Janeu thoughtfully. Zala didn't seem to hear him for a moment, the frown etched across his face only deepening. Then something lit in his green eyes and he gaped silently at the screen.
"That's it!" he swiveled around to stare up at Janeu, his mouth still half-open in awe. "That's it! It's like pressure points!"
"Excuse me?" Janeu asked politely, completely confused.
Athrun merely spun back to the screen, his fingers flying across the keyboard in a symphony of furious clicks. His green eyes gleamed in excitement. "I've been trying to figure out how he manages to crush mobile suits like he does and it hit me! The places where he wraps the Chaos around are at the weak points of the mobile suit. Like a pressure point on a person. If you apply enough pressure in specific locations of a mobile suit- knee joints, shoulder joints, elbow joints and others, then you'll cause the mobile suit to loosen bit by bit and then separate to be crushed!" he pulled up a few different videos- comparing the fight scenes. Fiddling with a few dials on the screen, he made the camera zoom up and the video slow down.
"Well," Janeu felt slightly flustered; after all, he had come here on two missions; one had been in hope of dis-encouraging Lieutenant Zala from this obsessive behavior and instead he had only encouraged it. Well done, Janeu. Well done. "That still doesn't help much."
"No," Athrun said grimly. "Unless…" he paused, drumming his fingers on the keys in light taps. "Hmmm…"
"Unless?" Janeu prompted but Athrun didn't respond, off in his own world.
Janeu sighed, giving up and heading to the door. He paused in the door way and glanced back at the dimly lit figure of Athrun Zala.
And even he could see the bitter glitter of unshed tears in those narrowed green eyes. The anguish so tightly contained.
Whoever Akira was she must have meant a lot to have the bluenette mourn her so deeply.
He shoved his hands into his pockets, his head dropping down in a sigh. Then he remembered the reason why he had come. He pulled out the letter in his back pocket, a private telegram from a doctor on Octus five that was addressed to the late Akira. They had received it as private priority and had printed it up. Nobody on the ship knew what was inside of it (after all, privacy was to be maintained). However now that Akira was gone (how could he sound so cold about her death?) the letter would fall into the possession of her Lieutenant.
Not interested in disturbing the focused pilot again, he slipped the letter onto the dresser besides the doorway in the room before letting the door slide shut- hiding the silent, throbbing pain that lingered in the shadows of the room.
OOOOOOOO
The next day on a shuttle heading towards Decembus Twelve. Narrator POV
Kira sighed uneasily, his elbow resting on the arm rest of his seat. He couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed with Cagalli. After all the work he did to get her she just decided to ship him off as a secret ambassador- like what the junk? *O*
But of course, Cagalli's sense of duty and gratitude came first. And her sense of defense.
"Will you stop doing that!" snapped the pilot of the shuttle who was no other then the delightful grizzly bear woman herself; Misaki Kitalla.
"Doing what?"
"Sighing- like every other freaking minute!" she made a disgusted snort. "It's pissing me off!"
Kira's purple eyes narrowed to slits though he didn't dine to refute her in an argument that would scale to dangerous levels by the time they had entered PLANT.
So he took a deep breath and returned to staring out the window. He knew why Kitalla was so irate. After all, he was sorta upset too.
"We're nearly there." Kitalla said abruptly a few minutes later, her voice cold.
"So I see." Kira murmured as the ship began to descend toward the hourglass shapes of PLANT.
They were just entering Decembus twelve when Kitalla spoke again, her voice low. "I know why she sent you…"
"I thought so." Kira admitted, watching the seated Captain for any movement.
"You can trust that I will, to the best of my abilities, protect your bonny princess and…" she struggled to put a name to Yuna. "And the Weasel." She finished lamely.
"Your support, as you have stated before is temporary."
"Indeed it is. But I assure you, that if this…truce between us were to change for the worse that I will allow Cagalli and Yuna to be safely dropped off at ORB forces. It wouldn't be right otherwise."
"There is no right and wrong in you." Muttered Kira.
"Hmph! You would be surprised." Kitalla's voice wasn't provoking but a mere statement of the fact as if she was troubled. "The world is composed of black and white and shades of gray where right and wrong do not exist." Her head turned slightly so that her golden eyes could catch sight of him over her shoulder. "Pray I stay decided on being anonymous and supportive."
Kira sighed, ignoring her as she rolled her eyes. He returned to staring out the window- watching the ground draw closer and closer, wondering what it would be like to be beside Lacus.
Thinking of the pink-haired Coordinator brought a flood of memory from the previous day.
*flashback*
"I have a request to make…" Cagalli took a deep breath, her amber eyes shifting nervously between the curious Lacus and the suspicious Kitalla. "In gratitude of yours and Kitalla's hospitality and in hope of an understanding between ORB and PLANT would you consider taking Kira as a bodyguard and secret representative of our country?"
"What?" Kira yelped, his mouth dropping and he flushed slightly at the reproving glare Cagalli sent him.
Lacus looked startled at the honest request and she blinked her thickly-lashed blue eyes thoughtfully.
Kitalla was the most frozen of them all. The only indication that she had heard Cagalli was her yellow cat eyes that had flared in surprise. She made no sound though as she played with a small silver and crystal-encrusted ring that hung from a thin, delicate silver chain around neck. It was so un-Kitalla like from the necklace, ring, right down to her absentminded fiddling that Kira was distracted for a moment.
Kitalla caught him watching her and she narrowed her eyes and tucked the ring back under the collar of her uniform.
"I know it's sudden Kira," Cagalli began slowly, yanking Kira's attention back to her. She stared at him straight in the eye, determination in her voice. It was her commanding voice- one she hardly ever used on Kira and Kira knew she was serious.
"But I would hope you would understand." She finished.
Kira clenched his fists, feeling their gazes focused on him.
"It will be alright if you come- I would be delighted to have your company." Lady Lacus smiled, her blue eyes sparkling. "It is a wonderful idea for Coordinators to come to understand ORB ideals."
"Lady Lacus," Kitalla broke in swiftly, her gaze flitting over them before coming to rest on Kira. "I would wish-"
The door slid open and Yuna walked in, saluting all of them except for Kira.
Kitalla hissed, her obvious frustration found a target. "Where have you been?" she demanded.
Cagalli looked just as annoyed- it was rude to keep a Captain and a PLANT representative waiting.
Yuna blinked, looking unperturbed by the animosity in the air. "Cagalli-dear!" he exclaimed, reaching out so smoothly to snatch up her hand, bowing to place a gentleman's kiss on the back of her palm.
Kira knew Cagalli well enough to recognize when she was struggling not to roll her eyes.
"Yuna, we've been over this before, I believe." She said slowly through her teeth, tugging her hand back.
Yuna smiled lazily back, straightening up to lean against the desk beside Kitalla. The black haired Captain let out a hiss of contempt, edging away from him. "My apologies, Ladies, Captain," his eyes rested on Kira's for a moment and he fumbled with his words. "Kira."
"All is forgiven." Lacus promised before Kitalla could even cast a murderous glare. "As you were saying, Kitalla?"
"Indeed- as I was saying before I was rudly interrupted." Kitalla snipped. "I wish you would reconsider the matters…" she paused. "Problems." She amended. "Sending Kira would bring up. For all we know this yellow shrimpie here-" she gestured to Cagalli whose eyes widened in outrage. "Is planning to kill you through her jolly good friend, shrimpie number two." This time the gesture was to Kira and he sighed. "What's the point of a bodyguard who might just kill you? Plus separating the two? Nu-uh. It would be far better and safer to keep all the shrimpies in the cocktail dish-eh?"
"Captain Kitalla- at least act your age by treating my subordinates and I with respect!" Cagalli cried.
Yuna nodded in agreement. "And while you're at it I would like a room more suited to my taste!"
Kitalla glared at the purple haired Natural. "The only taste you're going to be getting is of my fist if you don't shut up about the room!" she hissed.
"Hey!" Yuna yelled.
"And you, blondie, I will treat you with respect when I feel that you have earned it." Kitalla snarled and Kira took a protective step forward to the Captain, ready to jump in between her and Cagalli should she become violent towards Cagalli.
"Everyone! Calm down!" Lacus cried, clapping her hands together, her expression unhappy. "Please, calm down. We are all leaders gathered here and must act so!"
"Agreed!" Kira chimmed in, placing a comforting hand on Cagalli's shoulder, calming her down with a slight glance.
Kitalla closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath. When she opened her yellow eyes, she had withdrawn into her cold self. Bowing low she murmured. "My apologies, Lady Lacus, ORB represantatives. I admit I am feeling rather uneasy." She straightened up, a slight frown on her face. "I must take my leave for now." She strode out of the office, pulling her hair out of it's up-do as she did so.
"What's wrong with her?" Yuna muttered crossly and Cagalli shifted her weight uneasily from hip to hip.
Lacus's expression was downcast. "That wasn't how I wished for things to go at all." She sighed. "Kitalla has been having a lot of trouble to deal with for the past couple days. You must understand that ZAFT has word of your presence on board the Harmony which puts her in a difficult position. She now appears to be favoring ORB making the EA uneasy with her and ZAFT is now an unspoken enemy."
"Actually, it's pretty clearly spoken." Cagalli mumbled under her breath- too quietly for Lacus to hear.
"She has never wished for a public standing but the more she involves her self in all of your lives the more she is brought to the publics' awareness."
"Hn!" Yuna's response was though Cagalli shushed him a second later, her gaze steady on the pink-haired Coordinator's.
"I see. Captain Kitalla's sacrifice for us will not go unforgotten in ORB."
Lacus raised an eyebrow. "Honestly, I think the most honor you oculd do her would be to let it go forgotten in your country. Secrecy if you will for the Captain and her crew."
Cagalli frowned. "I can not simply just not repay her for all she has done."
"And I'm sure one day that there will be a way you can express your thanks to Captain Kitalla- but for now that is not the matter." Lacus's eyes shifted to Kira and Kira smiled despite himself at pretty features and her gentle eyes.
"Will you go?" asked Cagalli, breaking away kira's focus from Lacus's beautiful eyes.
Will he go-? Kira blinked, feeling slightly flustered. "Oh, I…" he hesitated, not wanting to offend Lacus but desperate to convey the urgency of their situation to Cagalli.
"Kira, I know what you're going to say." Cagalli pushed on, placating. "But I really feel that your presence and abilities would be better used at Lacus's side. Also, I want you to be my advocate in whatever matters might arise and to protect Lacus until Yuna and I are safely in ORB forces."
Kira opened his mouth then froze at the implication in her words. 'to protect Lacus until Yuna and I are safely in ORB forces'. The words throbbed in his head and he swallowed tightly, looking down at his feet- trying to ignore the weighty request Cagalli had placed upon his shoulders. One which Kitalla had realized before he even had.
Yes, he would serve faithfully as a bodyguard and an ORB advisor to Lacus. Yet he would also be Cagalli's and Yuna's protection. If Cagalli and Yuna were to be threatened, harmed or killed under Kitalla's orders then he was to equate whatever action on Lacus Clyne. Lacus would be their shield and Kira the knife held to her throat.
"Do you understand?" Cagalli asked, her golden eyes sharp and grave.
Kira felt miserable, glancing at her then Lacus before nodding. "Yeah. I will go, Cagalli." He understood her view of the matter. No matter what they said, both Kitalla and Lacus were unpredictable and with Kira near Lacus, Kitalla wouldn't dare to threaten Cagalli unless she wished for Lacus's untimely death. Cagalli was always thinking ahead. "But how am I going to get there in time? We're leagues away from Octus five." Did he sound whiny? Complaining?
Cagalli nodded. "From Octus five, yes but we are close enough to Decembus twelve that if you leave in the morning tomorrow you would be able to reach."
"It will be no trouble for us to get you there." Lacus added, smiling in a way that made Kira catch his breath.
"I just hope you know what you're doing." He whispered to Cagalli, struggling to swallow past the lump in his throat. "I won't be here to protect you."
Cagalli narrowed her eyes. "I think your abilities of protection will be better appreciated at Lacus's side." She paused, allowing her expression to soften. "If there was anyway I could have it, Kira. I would." Her voice dropped so that only he could hear her speak. "If I could send Yuna I would, Kira, believe me. However you and I both know that Yuna, with out proper training, will stick out like a sore thumb."
Kira nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"I'm sorry, Kira, for what I'm asking you to do. But hopefully things won't come to that." Cagalli murmured, holding his hand in hers, squeezing it gently. She turned back to the screen and Kira turned with her, forcing his eyes to meet Lacus's hopeful ones.
"I hope that a peaceful unity will be born between PLANT and ORB one day." Cagalli stated simply to Lacus and her voice throbbed with her desire for world-wide peace. Kira realized then just how much she hoped that Lacus and Kitalla would prove true to their words.
Lacus nodded and faced Kira, beaming. "Wonderful! Shall I expect you then tomorrow, Kira?"
Kira hesitated, wondering how he would get to PLANT, but he nodded. "I will go." He whispered.
"Hey, Yamato, wake up!"
Kira's purple gaze switched to stare at Kitalla who was bending over him, her nose slightly wrinkled.
"I wasn't asleep."
"Of course you weren't. Honestly- I don't really care." She waved her hand in a 'come on!' motion, gesturing him out the open door of the shuttle. "We're here, duh. I want you out- duh. So go!"
Kira yawned slightly, unclasping his seat belt before standing, stretching his hands to the ceiling.
He started walking to the exit of the shuttle only to be stopped at the door way by Kitalla as she grabbed his sleeve, jerking him to a halt.
Her golden cat eyes stared at him intently, enforcing her unspoken words into his mind.
"I know." Kira said slowly, answering her questions. Her glittering eyes narrowed. "Truce."
Her nose wrinkled in distaste. "Your princess is keen of mind. But vengeance is what I do best. Keep that in mind." Then she shoved him- not at all gently- out into the bright light of Decembus twelve.
Stumbling slightly, Kira blinked, trying to get his bearings.
He was on a private docking bay and he could feel the ground beneath him thrumming from the engines in the ship behind him.
"Kira!" sang a voice and he looked up in surprise to see a pink-haired young lady dance towards him, followed by what seemed to be a bouncing pink ball.
"La-Lady Lacus he stammered, steadying her as she nearly bull-dozed him over. She beamed before looking over his shoulder, through the open doorway of the small transport ship at Kitalla.
Glancing back, Kira saluted the raven-haired Captain and she nodded before saluting Lacus. "Farewell, Lady Lacus, and take care."
Kira blinked in surprise. That was the closest thing he had seen to 'concern' on the Captain's emotionless face.
Lacus nodded, her bottom lip jutting out slightly in childish determination and for a moment Kira caught himself thing about her soft, pink lips, curved and full with invitation more then he probably should be.
He groaned and Lacus glanced at him in worry.
"Are you alright?" she asked, touching his arm and electricity seem to shoot through Kira's body where her fingers grazed his bare arm.
Kira couldn't believe he was actually standing next to the famous, beautiful pop singer, Lacus Clyne. What he could believe though was the death-by-eyes glare that he was receiving from Kitalla as she slid the door to shuttle shut, preparing to take off, back to her ship.
"Are you ready, Kira?" Lacus asked, clapping her hands together happily, her blue eyes shining with joy.
Something in his chest tightened and Kira nodded mutely. He prayed with all his being that Lacus would turn out to be every ounce of a an amazing person that she seemed to be, that he wouldn't have to threaten her cause by God, he didn't think he could do it.
He was never one for sappy love stories, though gorey actions onces wasn't his thing either, but somehow Lacus had enchanted him from the moment he had laid eyes on her through a video camera aboard a ship. Her voice was so sweet and gentle, her expressions bewitching, and her heartfelt feelings so pure and strong. No wonder people were captivated by her. No wonder they loved her though they didn't know her.
Lacus was like an angel sent to guide them and Kira found himself wishing for a split moment that she was his angel.
Live the for moment. Live for every moment.
Kira smiled back at Lacus, his brown hair hanging in strands over his sparkling aymthyst eyes as he slipped his hand into hers, letting her tug him along. "Yes." He said to her while at the same something twisted slightly in his chest forming a subtle ache and he hoped with all his heart that he would never have to choose between these two important girls. His princess and his angel.
OOOOOOO
Aboard the Demi-god
Athrun Zala never thought he would feel this pain…this…this agony again over someone since the death of his mother. It was so vivid and throbbing within him as if someone had shoved a blade into his heart and then twisted it. God, it hurts!
He thought he could deal with it. All of yesterday he had spent tense and wide eyed. Half of him still in shock over the matter and the other half in denial.
She died…
She can't be dead. Somehow she escaped and we're going to find her and when we do…
How… could she die?
-Find her, I will never let her fight with us again! Not against people this strong. Not until she's stronger… So she really doesn't ever die.,
HOW COULD SHE DIE?
She can't be dead…she can't be… Athrun paused in the mental war that was taking place within him, his breath picking up speed. He had been going through Akira's things, sorting what would be returned to the military from what would be thrown out. The uniform he had been folding was slowly being crumpled as he clenched it in his fists, bowing his head to it. His eyes were wide and he couldn't bring himself to blink them to wash away the burning sensation in them.
"She can't be dead…" he whispered allowed, pressing his forehead to the stiff cloth of the red uniform. "I haven't told her… anything… how much…I…" he swallowed, trying to keep himself from saying it, knowing it would only hurt more to admit it, realize it and then relive the pain. And yet, a glutton for punishment, he whispered. "I've come to…to…love her."
When had 'like' turn to 'love'? When he had realized that his father-his father!- was determined for Athrun to live at the cost of his subordinate, an innocent? After they had kissed and he watched her suit up, resolving that he could never let her be hurt by anyone; not his father, not the Chaos, not by anything? When he saw her die and realized that a part of himself had died with her?
Or when he had cooled her fever through the night, holding her close with a small smile on his face because despite her being sick, she was the most beautiful, precious person he had come to call his…
"Akiiiiira…" he moaned, hunched over on the floor.
How could he go on through out this mission with out her? Wake up every morning knowing that Akira wouldn't be there. Go to sleep every night, waiting for Akira to come in so that he could fall asleep peacefully to the sound of her soft, steady breathing.
Trying to distract him self from the burning anguish ripping through him, he sorted through her stuff quickly, his dark green eyes narrowed to ward off the bitter tears.
It was when he was going through her things that she kept on the sink counter (the reason why she had threatened Athrun multiple times with death should he ever touch it.) that he paused.
He opened it up, shifting through it only to find some military badges, I.D.s, toiletries and…
Athrun blinked, holding up the big bottle into the light, reading the writing on the white surface. "Contact Solution." He glanced back into small case where it had been stored curiously. "But no contact case, nor prescriptions…" and he had certainly never seen her in glasses before… But… why would this be in her bag otherwise? Athrun didn't know many Coordinators who needed contacts. Normally it was only for people whose eyesight had gotten botched while they were being designed or if their eyesight was deteriorating with age or disease/infection.
Akira needed them?
Hesitantly he laid it back into her case of things, the ache inside of him numbed at this confusing new puzzle. God, how could she do this to him? She was gone and still she had left him questioning what he knew about her.
He only knew so much. What she had told him and what he knew from her bio didn't really amount to much. God, he was so foolish. How could he have wasted all that precious time he had with her to trade insults or tease her when he should have been getting to know her.
Or would that have made this pain hurt even more? Athrun couldn't imagine it burning anymore. It was as if someone had branded his soul with a hot iron and it would never quite heal.
Tired emerald eyes met tired emerald eyes as Athrun stared at himself in the mirror, unable to comprehend the expression he wore. His face was contorted in anguish and fury, his blue hair tangled about his face and his green eyes wide as he panted, clutching the sink's edges in his hands. Shadows clung to his eyes and he blinked wearily- wishing he could sleep with out thinking about her and remembering what had happened.
He shook himself as if trying to shake off the pain before walking back into the room, heading the pile of papers and files that Akira had stashed on her dresser.
Most of them were simply military-related papers. No letters from friends or family she had brought to keep close. The only thing that she seemed to have from her past was her picture that Athrun had stuck in his pocket earlier that day.
"Military, military, military." He mumbled, chucking things in the trash. These things were much easier to throw out then Akira's other things. Her casual garments that still clung to the sweet smell of her. *1*
Something white with bold black letters caught his eye and he leaned over to pick up a thin letter that must have fallen from the stack earlier on.
"Dr. Marchos." He murmured, reading the following address. Octus five. "Priority." He bit his lip, feeling as if he was on the verge of another of Akira's secrets. Of course she deserved her privacy, despite her being…being… away, but curiosity gnawed at the inside of Athrun. His fingers tugged at the corner of the envelope, about to rip it open.
The door slid open and he jerked, his finger sliding along the paper's edge, jerking it open. Pain flashed through his thumb and blood beaded up from a paper cut.
"Ouch, damn." A drop of blood stained the letter and Athrun swore, sticking his throbbing thumb into his mouth.
"Hey, oh sorry Zala." Chirruped a voice as Uru poked her head into the room. "I tried knocking but you didn't seem to hear me."
He shrugged, not in the mood for companionable chatter, removing his thumb and wrapping it in a handkerchief from his pocket.
Biting her lip, Uru sat down on the edge of Akira's bed. Her fingers stroking the smooth covers. "Um," she mumbled, her brow furrowed as she stared down at her lap, trying to find her words.
Athrun tossed the letter onto the bed besides her, the paper inside sliding partially out of the open envelope.
"What's that?" she asked, a desperate note to her voice as if the silence was biting at her.
"I don't know." Athrun mumbled. Like so much else about Akira.
"I still can't believe she's gone." Whispered Uru, tears flecking her eyes.
Athrun swallowed tightly- struggling to remain calm though he felt like hunching over to sob.
"What are you thinking?"
Athrun blinked, flipping through the multiple thoughts that were jammed into head, clambering to heard and settled for one he could say with out crumpling to the ground. "The Chaos." He growled, clenching his fists.
Uru frowned. "You're thinking about getting revenge." Her eyes glittered in uneasily.
"It's the only thing I can do for Akira." He whispered, turning his head away.
She opened her mouth then closed it, biting her lip. "Would Akira want that?"
She murmured.
Athrun's green eyes flash to her in shock and he grimaced. "I…"
For a moment he thought he could hear an echo of Akira's voice, blatantly chiding him that killing would only lead to more killing and peace would never be achieved. "No." he said softly, straightening his uniform.
"Not that I'm disagreeing cause' it's part of the mission but…" Uru stopped as if she realized that nothing made killing right. Only after Akira's death was the truth so strong to them now.
"Oh, but I heard from the Captain that they are issuing medals of honor in Akira's name."
Athrun snorted slightly. "That won't bring her back."
Uru looked downcast at his dismissal but Athrun couldn't bring himself to feel bad for her. He knew she had come despite her own sorrow to see how he was doing and try and cheer him up and now he was only hurting her.
"Akira would have said it's useless frivolity." He explained to her and hers lip twitched up in a slight, weak smile.
"Akira would say that, wouldn't she?" she laughed. "It's strange, I only knew her for a few days and yet…" she shook her head, tears catching in her thick lashes. "I wish things hadn't turned out like this."
Athrun sighed. "We all do. Akira was special."
"You probably know that better then me." She glanced at him. "Did you love her?"
Athrun's head jerked up and he gaped at her. "Did I…?"
Uru flushed, opening her mouth as if to apologize but Athrun cut her off in a stormy torrent.
"Did I?" he repeated, sounding slightly angry. "I did! I still do! …And…" his fury evaporated as fast as it had come leaving him weak and bewildered. "And I can't figure out why… I've been engaged to one of the sweetest, kindest most beautiful woman in the world for years and never fell in love and yet…" he shook his head. "It only took several days for Akira to become…"
Uru looked like she was going to outright bawl.
"Special." Something clouded his vision and he gritted his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut.
"I have to go," Uru cried, rushing past him.
As soon as the door slid shut behind her Athrun collapsed on the bed she had departed from, face into the blankets. A tear slid from his lashes, soaked up into his blankets in hardly a heartbeat.
He rolled over, determined to be strong. Determined to keep going. He took a deep breath, trying to his slow his heart down. Oh, Akira…
Something dug into his side and he turned his head slightly to peer at the sturdy envelope.
Reaching over he gingerly picked up the small stiff piece of paper that had been inside of the letter, unfolding it to read the small bold letters that were written in the center. His eyes widened and he picked up the envelope again, checking to see who it was addressed to.
Yup, to Akira Yamato.
"What does this mean?" he murmured, glancing at the letter again to read those five ominous words again, sent from the doctor who had treated Akira in the restaurant in Octus five. Five simple words that made Athrun wonder just who Akira really was.
I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE.
OOOOOOO
Elsewhere
"Captain, we've interpreted a code message."
A broad shouldered Natural with dark curly hair looked up from his key pad aboard the brig. His bushy eyebrows furrowed and he grunted. "Read it."
The green coat cleared his throat. "'It is time. We are ready. Code: Punishment initiate.'"
The Captain smiled, his dark beady eyes glittering in excitement. "Bring me Azrael. It is time."
OOOOOOO
Aboard Harmony, in the Captain's room
"Captain?" someone knocked on the door and Kitalla jumped, nearly dropping the picture frame she had been studying. Well, more like the picture in the frame she had been gazing at.
"Just a minute, Nariat." She called to her assistant captain, setting down the picture on her desk gently. It was a picture, the only picture, she had of her sister. They were both in dresses, her sister in a wedding gown and she in a bridesmaid, their black hair mingling as they pressed their heads together in a sisterly way of joy. Ridiculous grins were spread across their face, though hers was smaller then her sister's and more pained. After all, the her sister's wedding wasn't long after Kitalla had left Blue Cosmos.
Her sister had been twenty two at the time in the picture and Misaki was nineteen.
"Which means big sister is 29 this year, if I'm 26." Kitalla murmured. She never bothered to keep track of dates or birthdays.
Her annoyance flared then as the door opened and Narait stepped in with out her permission, walking up behind her to place his hand on her shoulder.
"Misaki." He murmured and she shifted uncomfortably. Very few people called her by her first name. She could count on one hand how many had.
"Nariat." She replied, refusing to turn and face him, knowing the expression that would be on his face. Nariat was from the Clyne Faction and had been one of her first supporters back when she had been trying to create the organization called Peace. That was part of the reason she didn't knock his hand aside, trying to convince herself that he only had a friendly interest in her and nothing more so.
"Aren't we past last names?" he joked and she gritted her teeth. Well, so more for the last part.
He felt her shoulder stiffen under his hand and he removed it with a slightly impatient sigh. "You're thinking about the past again."
"I'm thinking about my sister." Kitalla replied hotly.
"You're thinking about Blue Cosmos." he disagreed.
Damn. She regretted ever telling him anything about her. She turned, shoving past him and he fell in step behind her.
"I don't know the full accounts of your past-" he said carefully.
"Yes thank God for that," Kitalla murmured under her breath so that even his Coordinator hearing wouldn't pick it up.
"But I suspect that ring you always wear has something to do with it."
Oh.
Kitalla's eyes widened and on reflex she reached up to graze the ring under her high collar with her finger tips. It was all she could do not to let her voice tremble when she replied. "Nariat, this is not the time for this conversation. I am under a lot of stress as it is." Her voice just barely polite.
There was a huff of breath and she found herself spun around against her will and pressed against the wall, Nariats silver eyes glaring at her from under his tide of crimson hair. "It is never a good time to talk with you! If only you would share this stress you go on about!"
How dare he? Her mind shrieked. Was she not Captain? His reining officer? "Release me, Nariat." Her voice cold and slow, the slitted pupils of her eyes so thin and small, giving her a wild savage look.
He back up a step, silent, frowning.
Kitalla glared at him, raising her chin. "I appreciate your concern for me," she said, her voice still icy. "You are a good friend and a brilliant assistant. However, I will not sanctum any questions of my past. If ever I want to share it then I will. No matter the feelings you have for me, I see you as only a friend and I order you to drop this matter."
"How many years are you going to dwell in the past?" he yelled. "How long is it going to take before you move on! Fall in love, get married and have children." His gaze was so intense upon hers.
He made her angry. He made her ashamed. With out thinking she snapped back. "If you're the only choice I have for a lover then forever will it be."
His eyes widened at her cutting, furious retort and he gaped at her.
Kitalla only flew on though, angry at herself and him. "This-" she exclaimed, pulling out her ring and holding it out. "This is my past… and my past was my heart! I gave up everything! EVERYTHING! Do not tell me to move on if you can't even understand how much it hurts every day."
Her breath caught at the words she said and she went pale, her fists clenching so tightly that her nails dug into her palm. She took a deep breath to steady herself before saying quietly. "It's been a long day. Thank you for your concern and my apologies for my sharp words." She swallowed, tucking her ring back under her uniform. "You're a good friend, Nariat. One of the best… I don't want to lose you like I've lost so much before."
Nariat was quiet as well when he responded. "If you told me… Misa…then maybe I could understand." He turned and walked away, his shoulders stiff.
Kitalla's yellow eyes widened, her pupils returning to their original size as she gazed after the Coordinator. Something twinged inside of her, echoing in the hollow-feeling space she felt inside of her chest. It echoed in her but nothing answered. Years ago she had given her heart away.
And now it would never come back.
Sorry guys, i know this is one of my shorter chapters but I just can't get into the mood of writing when i feel so off and all, lol
*O* 'What the junk'- Thanks xoxodork ^_^
*1* You know you're just a messed up person if you can't write that with out thinking: OMG Athrun was sniffing Akira's bras and undies *scream* hahhahhaha
Folks- just to be clear I did NOT write that with that intention in mind…
Thanks guys for reading and I hope you enjoyed it =)
Review review review and I'll love you forever =)))))
Azetta