DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gundam Seed, the characters mentioned, or the songs mentioned in this fic.
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Prologue
It is year 70 of the Cosmic Era. It has been just over a year since the war started between Naturals and Coordinators.
Our story begins on an island, with two enemies stranded together. A natural and a coordinator. A man and a woman.
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Phase 1: Heliopolis
A 16 year old blue haired male and his mobile suit had been dropped on a little island, after his transport plane got damaged in an unexpected battle with an Earth Forces fighter plane. The coordinator boy couldn't make contact with anyone from his team, so he decided to take a walk on the beach and get some fresh air. It was a nice hot day after all and he'd never been to Earth before.
A 16 year old blonde female had walked from one end of the island, that her and her skygrasper crashed on, through to the other side. "Wow it's a tiny island. I wonder if it's inhabited," she spoke to herself. As the natural girl reached the edge of the small cliff she was walking on, she saw someone walking down bellow. A ZAFT pilot! She concluded to herself and quickly drew her gun.
As Athrun was walking away from the Aegis, he heard a click behind him. To his surprise there was someone standing on top of the rocks, with a gun in their hands. They were at least pointing it at the ground.
When the man turned and looked Cagalli dead in the eyes, she got startled, and quickly aimed and let off a shot. She missed him and only grazed his left arm.
Athrun dropped his emergency supply kit, as it was being held by the arm that was shot. He ran for cover as the person now completely opened fire on him.
"Hold it!" Cagalli screamed at the soldier as she slid down the side of the mountain.
Athrun hid behind the bend of the mountain clutching his wounded arm. He looked over at his gun that laid beside his bag. He didn't arm himself before climbing out of his cockpit, as he didn't think anyone else would be on this side of the island.
Cagalli walked with her back along the mountain, toward the opening where the man had run to. Did he really just take off or is he still...? She wondered to herself.
An Earth Forces soldier, Athrun concluded to himself as he watched the person from the rocks. Could they have been the pilot of that fighter?
"Huh," Cagalli noticed his gun laying on the floor and edged toward it, never moving her aim from where the man might still be.
"Huh," Athrun gasped. The blonde came into clear view still pointing their gun at him and they were now heading for his gun. This person is smart. He assumed he was going to make it back to his gun, but now seeing as how that was no longer possible, he decided to go for his back up weapon. Athrun slid his back down the rock and pulled his knife from his boot. He stayed in a crouched position, shielding his body and face with his arms and one leg.
Cagalli now had full view of the soldier, who was in fact still behind the rock. They stared at each other for a while. Both ready to kill, neither of them sure what the other would do. Cagalli shifted her focus to the gun on the floor, and kicked it further away from the man.
Athrun noticed that the soldier's attention wasn't on him anymore and took the opportunity to jump out of his cornered position.
Cagalli saw the man move from the corner of her eye and immediately aimed for him again. She shot after him, but he was too quick. She watched as he flipped himself up the side and over the top of the cliff. She was now just wasting bullets shooting at the top of the cliff. "Argh," she grunted in frustration as she reloaded her gun.
Athrun laid very still at the top of the cliff and listened to the soldiers every move.
Cagalli looked around and didn't see him anywhere so she decided to run for his gun. She picked it up and studied it.
When Athrun heard no movement, he peaked over the edge to see the soldier distracted.
Cagalli noticed something moving at the top of the cliff, "Huh?"
Athrun lunged off the top of the cliff. The blonde tried to aim for him again, but this time with his own gun. He kicked his gun out of the soldier's hand and then landed on the ground.
Cagalli gasped as she then tried to point her gun at him, that was in her other hand. It wasn't before he grabbed her arm and flipped her over, sending the gun flying. She yelled as she flew through the air and landed on the ground. Next thing she knew he was on top of her, pinning her right hand down with his knee and her left hand down with his other foot. He then grabbed her vest with his left hand and opened his knife above his head with the other. She turned her head away and screamed as loud as she could.
Athrun's hand froze in the air as a few seconds passed.
When Cagalli realised she wasn't dead, she began peaking through her eyelashes at the man, "Huh?"
Now that Athrun heard the high pitched scream and got a closer look, he realised this was... "A girl." As if he didn't have enough confirmation; with the arm that was pinned down the centre of her chest, he could now feel her breasts pushing up around his arm every time she inhaled. He started to pull his weight off of her, releasing her hands and lifting his elbow off of her stomach.
"That's right, I'm a girl! What is it with you men?!" Cagalli yelled with tears in her eyes. She thought back to a similar comment she received from Kira when they first met. Was she just the ugliest manliest girl to ever walk the planet? Or were these men just blind? Not to mention egotistical, thinking that only a man can be on the battlefield.
Athrun now dropped his arms, lowering his knife and releasing her vest. He was still shocked. He had never been in such close contact with a girl, but he'd also never seen a girl on the battlefield before. His mother always raised him to be polite and respectful to women, but his father and military training have taught him to follow orders without question, and eliminate any enemy he come across. These two very different beliefs and viewpoints were now fighting with and contradicting each other. I don't know what I should do. Do I kill her, because she is an enemy; or do I respect her as a woman?
Athrun tried to meet common ground and decided to tie up the blonde girl that tried to kill him. He tied her hands behind her back and her feet together. He noticed she didn't have a supply kit or anything with her, How is she planning to survive? He saw a black string around her neck and thought it was probably her military ID card, although she didn't seem to be wearing a uniform. Athrun pulled the string out from under her shirt and it was a necklace with a purple pendant type stone hanging from the bottom.
Cagalli gulped as she wasn't sure what was going on. This was one of the few times in her life that she kept quiet and just observed. She felt grateful however, that she decided to wear her amulet today as it was probably what saved her during the crash and a few seconds ago when this man almost killed her.
Athrun patted her down to check for more weapons, but avoided her delicate areas. He then checked her pockets on her pants, still in search of an ID so that he can maybe get in contact with someone from her group to come and rescue her. He unzipped her vest to see her breathing heavily and felt grateful that she didn't have any pockets on her upper half for him to search.
Cagalli didn't like being manhandled, but she appreciated how respectful the young man was being about it and she didn't want to say or do anything right now that could get her killed.
Athrun zipped her vest back up and then walked over to her gun. He separated it from its ammunition and threw them into the ocean. If she isn't a threat to me, then I don't have to kill her.
Cagalli laid there watching the man in the red uniform. Why did he let me live? Is it really just because I'm a girl? What am I gonna do? What's gonna happen to me? Will anyone even look for me? I'm not really with the Earth Forces so they have no obligation to. I'm sure Kira will, we are friends now. What if they don't because they think I'm dead? Kisaka is probably beating himself up about this.
What am I gonna do with her? I can't just leave her here. I could always just ask her… "Tell me," Athrun's voice broke the girl's train of thought. "Are you really with the Earth Forces?" He enquired as he walked over to his bag and opened it. He zipped his jacket open. "Your not carrying any identification," He said as he pulled the jacket off of his arm, revealing his injury and his blue undershirt. "Besides, I've never heard a soldier scream like that on the battlefield."
Cagalli blushed at the statement, as she was hoping he would have forgotten that part, "Sorry about that." She watched him clean and cover his wound.
"You're the one that tried to shoot down our transport aren't you?" Athrun asked rhetorically. "I saw your downed aircraft on the other beach," he was speaking to her in a friendly tone.
"You guys tried to shoot me and down!" Cagalli barked.
Athrun looked at her quizzically, "Tell me something pilot. What group do you belong to and why are you alone?"
"I am not a soldier and I don't belong to a group," Cagalli tried to sit up. "and I...ahhh," she fell down face first and rolled down the little embankment only to land back on her face. "oh, don't want to be here!" She moaned into the sand.
"Hmm," Athrun watched the woman struggling on the ground. He felt bad for her, he wasn't one to watch a woman struggle and not come to her aid. It was one thing to watch a man struggle, but a woman... It's protocol I suppose. He stood up as he pulled his jacket back over his shoulder. He bent down to pick up his bag and was about to head to the Aegis, as didn't want to watch her struggle.
"Are you... one of the guys who attacked Heliopolis?" Cagalli noticed that his machine looked like one of the two mobile suits she had seen in the factory district that day. "I was there when it... when it happened. I was at Heliopolis when... you guys destroyed it."
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"Are you... one of the guys who attacked Heliopolis? I was there when it... when it happened. I was at Heliopolis when... you guys destroyed it." The silence from the pilot regarding Cagalli's question was deafening. Her thoughts drifted off to what happened that fateful day.
"I was wondering if I could get a tour of the school and maybe sit in on one of the classes. You see, I would like to go to school here next semester." Cagalli said, enquiring at the front desk of the technical college.
"Let me speak to one of our professors," the lady at the front desk said as she walked away.
Heliopolis was a colony built in space that was under the jurisdiction of the great Earth Nation of Orb. Orb is one of the few countries that still accept both Naturals and Coordinators. Orb is also one of the few countries that practice both a monarchy and a governing body. Their governing body consists of the elders from each of the five noble families. The Athha family was the noble family that currently had the throne.
A few minutes later, the lady came walking back with a blonde male in a lab coat.
"Professor this is..."
"Cagalli," The amber eyed girl answered as she shook the man's hand.
"Cagalli would like to take a look around the school and observe one of your lessons, as she is thinking of coming to school here next year."
"Nice to meet you, Cagalli," the Professor smiled at the girl. "I'll escort you to my classroom and then we'll arrange for one of the students to give you a tour after the lesson."
Cagalli nodded and then began to follow the man. "So Professor is it true that this school helps Morgenroete with its programming and technology."
"My, my; quite an informative young lady," the Professor looked to the side and arched a brow at the young lady. "To an extent, yes," he finally answered as they were still walking. "This is my classroom," he gestured as they finally stopped in front of a door. "You can wait in here while I go find the student that will be your escort for today," he motioned for her to go inside. "Now where is Kira?" he mumbled to himself as he walked back down the hall.
A few minutes later a bunch of students walked in. One took notice of Cagalli in her brown jacket and hat, leaning against the wall. The boy was a young brunette with violet eyes, he was wearing a black jacket and green pants.
Cagalli watched as the kids began goofing around. She then saw a door on the other side of the classroom, and wanted to see if she could sneak out of it while the students were distracted and the Professor was away. She went to try and open it, but it was looked. All of a sudden the classroom began to shake. Everyone quickly ran for the emergency exit.
"What's this all about?" One of the students that wore glasses, asked the people evacuating down the stairs.
"We're under attack by ZAFT. Some of there mobile suits have entered the colony," a stranger on the stairwell informed them.
Cagalli gasped. Then it must be true, she thought to herself. I better try and find it now before I get stuck in a shelter. She quickly bolted out of the classroom, but in the opposite direction from everyone else. She ran down a dark passage way and had to keep stopping to hold onto the walls, as the building shook.
"Argh," Cagalli growled as someone grabbed her arm.
"What are you doing?" It was that brunette kid she saw in the classroom a few moments ago. "It's a dead end there."
"Stop tailing me. Better get out of here and hook back up with the others."
Another explosion happened that sent Cagalli's hat flying.
"You're a... a girl!"
"Yeah what you think I was? Let's hear it!" Cagalli was always treated this way. Just because she didn't like dresses and makeup didn't make her a guy, there are girls that don't like or do those things.
"Uh I just thought," the boy was cut off by another explosion.
"Go back now, I have to check up on something on my own."
"Easy for you to say, how will I retrace my steps?"
Cagalli turned to glare at him.
"Let's see, here this way," the student grabbed her arm again and started pulling her along.
"Let go of me you jerk!"
"Jerk?"
"I just never thought we'd get, involved," Cagalli said trying to fight back some tears.
"Don't worry, we'll be okay. There's still shelters left in the factory district." The teenage boy dragged her down a whole bunch of passage ways until they eventually reached an opening.
They ran into a railing that over looked the grounds of the factory, where they saw these two giant grey robots. The one had yellow eyes and the other green.
"Hey, those are..." the teenage boy started.
"I knew it. The Earth Forces prototype mobile weapons. Father I knew you betrayed us all!" Cagalli yelled with her eyes closed, as she fell down onto her knees.
Cagalli's yelling spooked a soldier down below, thus the lady in an orange overall quickly turned to shoot at them.
"Huh! Come on!" The boy grabbed her arm and ran from the bullets. "Crying won't help you. Come on now, run!"
The two teenagers ran as fast as their legs could carry them.
"See some people have evacuated here," the violet eyed boy assured her as he pressed the intercom for the shelter.
The boy's words were being drowned out by Cagalli's thoughts, on what she just saw.
"Get in," the young man's words broke her thoughts.
"Huh?" Cagalli asked confused as she hadn't heard what the boy and the man from the shelter had discussed.
The violet eyed boy grabbed her by her shoulders and started shoving her into the elevator.
"What are you... I can't..." Cagalli struggled against his grip.
"Get in will ya. I'll go to the other side. Don't worry okay. Hurry!"
"Wait don't do it," were the last words Cagalli could get out before the elevator door closed. And just like that the boy was gone, she didn't even know his name.
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This surprised Athrun. What would be the odds that this girl would have been there in Heliopolis that day? He never stopped to think about the civilians that were affected by the attack. He just looked at her, not really sure what to say. He wasn't at liberty to discuss their operation and he also didn't want to admit to her that he was partly to blame for the attack on what was probably her home.
"Hmmm," Athrun said nothing as he turned and walked toward the Aegis. Athrun was a trained soldier and didn't really remember details to many of his missions. This one however was planted in his memories for two reasons. One, they accidentally destroyed a Neutral Civilian Colony; and two, that was the day his best friend became his enemy. The events started playing out in Athrun's head.
In a space war class ship just outside of Heliopolis, Athrun was changing from his red soldiers uniform into his red flight suit. The green eyed teenager joined ZAFT after his mother died in a nuclear attack on the Plants.
ZAFT was the name of the military forces that fought for the Plants where the coordinators lived. The Plants are colonies that the coordinators built in space, to escape the conflict with the naturals on Earth.
"You ready Athrun?" A green haired boy named Nicol called to the coordinator.
"Yeah," Athrun said as he grabbed his helmet and left the change room.
Athrun and his teammates wore red uniforms as apposed to the green uniforms that the other regular military wore. The red uniform meant they were part of the Elite Forces; so they were called on a lot of top secret and highly important missions, such as this one.
Athrun's team had snuck into the colony through the shafts and stuck explosives all over the military base. The ZAFT team had now quickly escaped the building's interior and were on a mountain watching the military transport new mobile suits around. Their ship outside the colony had begun an attack, as to distract the soldiers and draw out the new equipment.
"That's it, it's exactly like Commander Le Creuset said," a silver haired man said looking through a pair of binoculars.
A tanned blonde male held up an explosives detonator, "What, with the right amount of prodding they're sure to come out of their hole?" Dearka then pressed the button. "After all the Naturals are stupid and pathetic."
Athrun stood numbly as he listened to the heartless way his friends were speaking about the naturals. A few months ago it would have bothered him, but after what happened to his mother, and after his military training and the things he'd seen and done in the war; it just didn't anymore.
The red team was now coming down from the mountain and joining the green team's attack.
"Destroy any parts we can't carry and the factories," Yzak commanded. "Intel indicates five of them. Are the other two still inside?" The silver haired man wondered aloud.
"Rusty and I will continue. Yzak you guys take these three," Athrun suggested.
"Okay go for it," Yzak agreed. "If you're piloting one, disarm the self destruct first."
As Athrun landed, he shot two guys and blew up an artillery truck. He was a flawless soldier for his age. "Rusty!" Athrun yelled as someone killed one of his teammates. Athrun ran to him and then heard an Earth Forces officer yell something and quickly turned to shoot at her. He shot the woman in orange in the arm, but then ran out of ammo. She began falling and he decided to take the opportunity to grab his knife and go for her as she had also dropped her gun. As Athrun was approaching her, a brunette male civilian jumped down to her aid and looked up at him.
"Athrun?" The teenager said unsure.
Athrun stopped dead in his tracks, "K-Kira?"
It was his childhood friend. He stood frozen with his knife still in the air. What does he do know? His military training never prepared him for seeing a long lost friend and civilian getting involved and being on the battlefield. He slowly dropped his arm and took a step back.
The Earth Forces officer that they had forgotten about regained some strength and started shooting at Athrun again. He quickly retreated as he watched the officer shove his friend into the cockpit of the last remaining machine, that they were standing on. Athrun watched from the mobile suit he had just boarded, as the uncaptured mobile suit was activated and easily broke its restraints. It slowly stood up and rose out of the flames.
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