Title: Nicol's New Fate (Status)
Author: Darkling59
Rating: PG or K+ (pretty tame)
Fandom: Gundam Seed
Summary: Tori looks out for its master and his friends, more so than even Kira knows
Date: 10/24/08
Warnings: AU, confusion…er…lack of updates…yeah…
Disclaimer: Gundam Seed and related characters, words, etc. don't belong to me. The story does. Don't steal.
Author's Notes: I'm not dead! I promise!

I'm so sorry it has taken so long to get something up; my anime inspiration has pretty much dried up. If no one is still watching this story, I totally understand.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be updating seriously any time soon either. I WILL finish this story. I like it and I'm dedicated but time is in short supply at the moment; it might be in short supply for another few years. But I won't permanently discontinue it so long as I am still able to write. I posted this chapter as sort of a status update for any readers. I'm also putting up a Halloween story that's about three years old (yeah, I know it's pathetic but I wrote it in November and I've forgotten about it at Halloween every year after), and an interlude in Oddity, both with about the same message. I might get one up for Experiment but I don't have it now so, if I do, it won't be this weekend.

I hope you enjoy this little interlude; it doesn't have any bearing on the story, it actually back tracks a bit, but it's what my midterm-fogged brain came up with.

--

The gentle clicking of metallic wings echoes through the halls of the Archangel, lending a sense of urgency and liveliness to the otherwise empty grey corridors. No military vessel is ever fully dormant during a sleep cycle but very few of the on duty officers spend their time roaming the halls.

Wings beat the air quickly as the small metallic form darts around a corner, soaring over the heads of two half asleep guards posted outside the heavy door leading to the brig. Ignoring the door, Tori arches higher then folds its wings and drops into a small ventilation port. The scratching of its claws on metal is unmistakable to anyone with even a passing knowledge of the creature.

On reaching the other end of the vent, Tori takes to the air again, chirping loudly as it soars between the darkened cells. It is necessary to flap even more in here; the ventilation is not as strong as it is in the more frequently traveled hallways. Three quarters of the way down, in the only occupied cell, the small bird reaches its destination.

It attempts to circle in order to draw the prisoner's attention but the lack of airflow makes the procedure next to impossible. Instead, Tori lands on the floor and hops forward, chirping and scratching its claws on the floor. Nicol does not respond beyond sighing quietly in his sleep. When the bird hops up onto his stomach, he mumbles slightly and rolls over.

This dislodges the bird who takes off with an indignant sounding squawk, a surprisingly lifelike reaction from a lifeless animal.

Convinced that Nicol is not going to wake up any time soon and as such will not be paying attention, Tori hops out of the cell and once again takes to the air. It has to flap with great effort to gain altitude but by the time the door is in range, the bird has gained enough height to make it through the port.

The sleeping guards don't notice it now, thankfully. Tori is not programmed with enough higher level intelligence to assist the enemy of its own free will but that is not an explanation the guards would accept.

If that happened, its owner be saddened by its destruction but, more importantly, he would probably be thrown in the cells and sentenced to death under charges of sabotage.

Unconscious to the potential danger of its actions, Tori once again flaps its wings and soars down the nearest corridor, this time retracing its former path.

Seven corridors and three floors up, the mechanical animal reaches its next destination, a door seemingly like any other. This time, unlike with the prisoner, when Tori scratches and chirps at the door there is a reaction. It opens a crack, displaying an exhausted but expectant violet eye. At the sight of his pet, Kira smiles in relief and opens the door another couple inches to allow it inside.

Tori settles onto Kira's shoulder, chirping and running its beak through his hair as if it were a real bird. The boy smiles gently, an expression that lights up his face and seems to banish some of the shadows from his eyes. He brings up a gentle hand to stroke Tori's metal feathers, then sets his pet on the bedside table and tells it to power down.

He vaguely wonders where Tori was tonight but knows better than to try to figure out. If it was getting in trouble than retracing its steps through the security system will cause more trouble than its worth.

He knows this for certain because he tried it once before and got in trouble with Ensign Badgerule for monitoring the system and for letting Tori out of the Archangel without permission even though he hadn't allowed it to do anything. His weak protest that the bird just wanted to stretch its wings didn't help all that much either.

With a loud yawn, Kira turned out the light and settled down on the bed. He doesn't bother to change his clothes. He has to be up in a few hours anyways; what would be the point of getting ready for a long sleep? A few hours will still be welcome though.

As he drifts off to sleep, Kira's mind drifts towards Nicol and Athrun and what he's going to do. He ponders it seriously for about thirty seconds then decides to deal with it tomorrow, when he's more aware and able to actually do something about it.

Yes, tomorrow is a good idea.

--

Thanks to everyone who reviewed!

I'll send out summaries for the next real chapter (since this one is just a place holder and update, there isn't really any point to sending one out for it)