Disclaimer: don't own anything you recognize
A/N: I really should have said it in the very beginning, huh? It is an AU series. Alliana is NOT a canon GS character. She's mine. And she is a canon character for the Connection stories. As some of you guessed already she is Athrun Zala's twin sister, so they are look-alikes - think how Athrun looks like to imagine Allia. Unlike Athrun, Alia cannot activate her SEED, she is an Empath of the group. But I'm getting ahead of myself. You'll read more about her later. Other characters of mine are Siri Ariana and Ray Allster - before anyone asks about them.Thanks for pointing it out, guys. I hope it's cleared up.
Antilles
2. remembering
Nicol
I really did not want to leave Allia behind. I knew I had to - I stalled for as long as I could.
'I'll survive,' she had told me then, more curtly than she expected.
I nodded.
'I know you will. But Allia? I'm sure Athrun is fine.'
'Then why can't I reach him?' she had asked quietly. 'Why is our connection snapped?'
I shook my head slightly.
'I think that's something you will have to find out by yourself.'
She nodded barely.
'Be careful, Nicol.'
'Of course. You practice that violin of yours, right?'I asked.
She nodded in the agreement and gave a hesitant smile.
'Yeah I will. you don't forget to write that music.'
I nodded and walked away.
It hurt to look at Allia. She looked crushed, and much older than her fourteen years. But I did promice to come back, and I decided to do whatever I can to keep that promise.
As I disembarked in my newest home, I received a shock of my life - Allia Zala stood talking with a blonde young man, a couple of years older than myself. Her emerald green eyes were dull with unshed tears, and her face was hard, pale and defiant. Dressed in a customary dark-green Zaft tunic and pants, and black boots, she almost looked like a boy.
I gasped in astonishment and the pair turned towards me.
'You must be Nicol Amarfi,' the blonde greeted me cheerfuly. Too cheerfuly, for the military base around us. 'I'm Dearka Elmsman, and this is Athrun Zala. Seems to me we're going to be in the same unit.'
I stared at the kid next to him.
'W... wait a second,' I spluttered, knowing I went white as a sheet. 'D...did you just say Zala?'
'That's right.' His voice was much lower than Allie's, and he looked at me with curiosity. 'What's the matter?'
'Nothing,' I whispered, too shocked to reply clearly. 'Nothing.'
Athrun
That new kid certainly was strange. First, he went pakle as if he saw a ghost, then he said that nothing was wrong with him. He sure had me wondering.
I decided to leave it for now. I did not want to press it on the new guy, but it seemed that there was something important he wanted to tell me. He kept sizing me up, as though he knew me from somewhere.
But where? I don't know him... Well, not until today that is.
I let Dearka do all the talking. He was disgustingly cheerful for all that was worth it.
I wish Allia had been here. Then I wouldn't feel so alone.
The new boy finally mastered courage to call me aside, and I was surprised to hear a stammer in his voice.
'You wanted to talk with me?'
I was leaning on the wall of his room as Nicol was unpacking his belongins.
'Yeah.' The young pianist looked up at me before rifling through his things and coming up with the scrapbook and a small smile. 'I think I have something for you, Athrun.'
That certainly took my interest. How could a kid whom I only met have somerhing for me? I mean, I don't even know the guy...
I gently took the scrapbook and opened the first page.
My breath caught.
On the very first photo was Allia. She was very pale, and her emerald eyes were dim. There was a defiant tilt to her face. She obviously did not know that she had been caught on the film, and her eyes stared up in the sky, longing clear in them. She was wearing a short black skirt and black leotard, with black leggins and boots completing the unusual for my cheerful sister outfit.
My heart constricted in pain, as I hurriedly leafed through the rest of the scrapbook. Allia, on nearly all of them. On the last photo, she looked much worse for wear, her eyes clouded with unshed tears, but other than the fact that she looked older and more ill, nothing changed about her from the very first photo.
'How... She's alive...'
Relieved and pained voice filled my ears before I realised it was me doing the talking. I breathed sharply, taking out the last photo of my missing sister.
'How old is she.'
'About fourteen.' Nicol answered. He was sitting on his bed and patted the covers next to him.
I was glad for it, because my legs gave way and I sank next to him.
'How is she?'
'She seemed to be fine when I left her,' Nicol said cautiously. 'But I often caught her having nightmares and crying when she thought nobody could see her.' He sighed. 'I ntried to tell her that you were okay, but she didn't listen.'
Nicol
I did not know if I should tell Athrun that his sister was seriously ill just a few days ago. It was a miracle that she pulled through at all, and I was still worried about her. But now, looking at her shell-shocked twin brother, I realised that it will be easier on twins to go one step at a time.
'She's very ill.'
Athrun's voice broke the unexpected silence. I stared at him, wondering how he knew what I tried to hide, and he just smiled grimly.
'I overheard it about eight years ago. Mom and dad were arguing about Allia, she was very ill. Dada had the grace to say that she could die any second now.' He chuckled mirthlessly. 'mom pointed out that she manneged to survive just fine for five years. They did not know that we heard everything.'
I was quite shocked at this announcement of Athrun's. He knew something was wrong with his sister and currently, he could not do anything.
'What are you going to do?' I finally asked.
He just shook his head in defeat.
'I wish I knew.'
Alliana
'Are you coming?'
'In a minute!'
The blue-haired girl tore her gaze away from the evening sky peppered with stars and smiled tiredly at her friends.
Silver-haired and green-eyed, SiriAriana smiled at her.
'You got lost in the stars again, haven;'t youo?'
'You know me too well.'
The girl grinned.
'What's the big deal, anyways?' Ray demanded roughly.
Allia gave a small smile.
'Hey, you okay?' Siri worriedly glancd at her friend's pale face.
'Yeah, I'll be all right.'
She tried to get up, but her feet suddenly collapsed underneath, taking her down. Not that Ray did not help.
Then Allia's world went blissfuly black.
Siri
'What's tjhe matter with her?' Ray demanded
I shrugged, feeling the familiar feeling of dread as Allia collapsed.
'Her friend warned me about her. But I did not think she'll be this bad...'
'Say, how about Heliopolis?'
'What about Heliopolis?' I asked sharply. I did not want to move Allia anywhere, unless there was a strong reason for it.
'Did you forget?' Ray demanded. 'First of all, Heliopolis is a neutral colony, meanig they can accept the fact that Allia is a weak Coordinator. Plus, they have just the equipment they need to heal her...' The redhead trailed off, as I sternly measured her up. 'What?'
I shook my head in exasperation. Ray Allster was very uneasy about Allia, even though the girl was very weak. While she seemed to accept that Allia was a Coordinator, Ray usually hated that kind.
'Are you suggesting it because it's better for Allia, or are you suggesting it because you'll be closer to Flay?'
Ray winced. She was a sister to Flay Allster, and missed her older sibling quite a lot.
'That hurt beneath the belt, Siri.'
'And so it should...' I paused, as Alia cried out from whenever she was. '...But as much as I don't like it, we're going to do it. We've got to help Allia.'
Alliana
memory
...Athrun?
...Hmmm?
...What do you think they were talking about?
...I don't know...
...What's dying?
...I don't know...
...Why are they worried?
...We'll find out... I think...
memory
...Hey, guys.
...Kira, Cagalli... what are you doing here?
...We just thought...
...Hmmm...
...There's war incoming.
...What's war?
...Well, we're leaving... mom said we'll be moving to Heliopolis soon...
... What! but...
...I know...
...they want to separate us.
...No!
...Yes...
...Yeah, someone's going to take Cagalli away...
...What is this world coming to?
...Heh...
memory
...You already said good-bye to Cagalli?
...Yes. You're the last one...
...Happy to oblidge, sis...
...Why do I get the feeling that it's the last time I see you?
...Never give in to the odds, sis. You can... and will live through this. I'll be careful, I promise...
...I'm afraid...
...Me, too...
..Hey, chin up. You can do this...
...Yep...
...Hey. I'm only a thought away...
...Be strong...
...Okay. As long as you are.
...Okay...
A/N: the last scene is Alliana's memories from the times she isfive, eight, and twelve years of age, respectively. She is mostly out of it... Yzak, Cagalli, and Kira's stories are next