-La Grange Point 5, November 2, C.E. 71, 0400
Empty. That was the word used to describe the area that had once housed the asteroid fortress Jachin Due the most by the forces gathered there to begin the cleanup procedures. Naturals and Coordinators alike, working side by side with one another, though neither force spoke a single word to the other, to fix and clear away the destruction that they themselves had wrought upon one another only just one day ago. To the individuals congregated to this place, this area was one of complete and hollow emptiness. Here was the location where hundreds or maybe thousands had perished only yesterday. Jachin Due was gone, its rocky outer shell now pebbles in the giant swirl of debris. GENESIS was nothing more than a few scattered pieces of metal that had managed to escape the heat from the nuclear explosion when its reactor had imploded from the inside. The few scattered Earth Alliance vessels of the attack force that had managed to survive the battle now sat silently just beyond the reach of the PLANTs, not a single ship without a scar of battle. ZAFT forces combed the wreckage of what had once been their most crowning achievement in technology and warfare. Few survivors would be found, both sides knew. The way the battle had been fought, with such anger and hatred directed towards either side, if there were any survivors, it was by the grace of God that they had survived.
Both ZAFT and the Earth Forces were now convened at this place. This empty area of space that was venturing farther and farther away from the PLANTs as the gravitic stability point orbited the Earth, looming blue and gigantic above it. Survivors spoke barely a word to one another, and even when they did, they were simple phrases that were used to make sure that another person was okay or that there was something else that demanded that person's attention. Nothing spectacular. Just very simply put, these people did not have the strength to talk at this point. Not a single one.
Combing the wreckage, with her sister ships behind her, was the Vesalius, one of the few ships of the ZAFT defensive network that had managed to survive. Her hangar doors slid tightly shut at the base of her mighty claws behind the mobile suit that had just arrived. Yzak slowly began to walk the Duel back towards the starboard wall of the ship, where crews were waiting for the Duel in order to perform maintenance on it. Or perhaps it was that they were there to welcome him back? Or perhaps it was even that they were there to scold him for actually siding with the Orb Forces? To his relief, as the cockpit shield opened, the crews were in no real mood for talk at this point. They just went about their duties as if it were any other day during the conflict, even though in Yzak's mind, he could almost hear the gratitude that the war was finished which their voices tried valiantly to hide. Yzak floated out of the cockpit and into the hangar, slipping his helmet off in the process.
As he touched down on the deck, he saw a lone figure waiting for him just a short distance away. "Captain Ades?" Yzak asked as the older man came closer to him. Ades had a grim look on his face that Yzak couldn't decipher, but he knew it couldn't be good. Would it be Ades who would ask him the fatal question as to why he had fought side by side with the Orb Forces? Yzak braced himself.
Several members of the deck crew watched Yzak approach Ades and saw the Captain's mouth begin to speak silent words to the pilot. After several seconds, Yzak's helmet clanged to the deck and his mouth went aghast. His head bowed slightly down to the deck and his words caught in his throat. Ades laid a hand on Yzak's shoulder and whispered something to him. But very quickly, Yzak shrugged off Ades' hand and quickly floated away from the Captain. The crews could see Ades sigh uneasily as the pilot quickly left the hangar. Once in the corridor away from prying eyes, Yzak flattened himself against one of the walls and collapsed onto the deck, his arms hugging his knees as he sank down. Yzak couldn't talk. Ades had just informed him...that his mother was dead. Yzak tried valiantly not to show any emotion whatsoever, but he couldn't get the image of his mother out of his head. The woman who was the person responsible for his existence...was gone...just like that. Yzak felt the tears begin to spill out of his eyes and for the first time since the war began, he cried.
Across space, on the opposite end of the battlefield from the ZAFT forces, the Valiant hovered in space with several supply ships all around her, assisting with repairs to the great warship that was one of the few capital ships, if not the only one, to have survived the battle at all. It seemed as if the ship's name now took on a greater meaning, given the valiant fight the ship and her crew had fought and had somehow...someway...managed to make it out.
"Are you sure this is the way you want it, General?" Bradford turned around to face Lester as the two walked through one of the corridors in the heart of the warship. "Will you really be alright just going by yourself to meet them?"
Bradford paused. "I really don't know what to expect, Ensign," he said quietly. "But given the risks, it would seem more civilized to just have myself go instead of bringing a whole garrison of troops with me." He turned around. "Besides...I'm the only one who the ZAFT commanders will probably speak with at this moment."
"Why's that, sir?" Lester asked.
"Because I'm the only senior member of the Earth Alliance who happens to be in this area, Ensign," Bradford reminded him. "Despite the fact that my previous actions have been anything but kosher...I feel I need to at least speak with the PLANTs regarding this situation we've gotten ourselves into. Even if it's futile...I believe I must take the chance if it will mean that we won't have to fight this war any longer. Do you understand?" he asked Lester.
"Completely," Lester answered evenly. "Good luck, sir."
Bradford saluted him and Lester returned it. As Bradford left the young man behind, he couldn't help but think of the young men and women just like him...who'd paid the ultimate price with their lives the day before. What would they think of him now that the war was apparently over, with neither side having won or lost it appeared? Along his way to the hangar where his shuttle awaited, Bradford passed the Valiant's small infirmary. He peered inside cautiously.
Inside he could see a heavily bandaged Captain McKinley lying unconscious on a small white bed. Bandages covered his forehead, shoulders, and his legs. According to what he'd been told, Seymour had lost close to a full quart of blood from the wounds that had been inflicted upon him by Sutherland's cowardly attack. Besides the loss of blood, Seymour had suffered a punctured lung, fractured collar bone and pelvis, and numerous other injuries. Wires were connected all over his body as he lay seemingly lifeless in the bed. The constant pinging of the heart-rate monitor signaled that he was alive at least. But that didn't seem to help the person sitting in the small chair by his bed side. Jessie's face was completely pale as she sat with her hands in her lap, her dark blonde hair seeming to have lost all color and flare. Bradford could see by the trails on her face that she'd been crying. Bradford really couldn't blame her. He knew fairly well that Seymour and Jessie had grown close over the past few months of being together on the ship, and seeing him like this must have been like a dagger through Jessie's heart.
Carefully, Bradford whispered Jessie's name in the doorway. Her tear-streaked face slowly turned towards the doorway and acknowledged his presence. "I'm going now, Lieutenant," Bradford whispered. "I'm going to be leaving you in charge of the ship while I'm away. Is that alright with you?"
Jessie turned back towards Seymour's wounded form. "Yes," was all she could manage. Bradford nodded his head and slowly left the doorway, a whole new set of conflicts tearing at his already battered heart. As he left, Jessie stared at Seymour's bandaged face, his eyes closed, the same pained expression on his face that had been there when she'd found him in the infirmary after returning from the battle. Endless tears had spilled from her eyes and she had never left his side, not even to eat. But now, she really had no choice, she knew. The General had put her in charge of the ship and she needed to do her duty at this time, even if it meant leaving Seymour for the time being. Slowly, Jessie carefully leaned over his bandaged form and kissed him gently on the lips. They were cold and she pulled back quickly, a new streak of tears beginning to cascade down her face. "Get well, Seymour," she cried as she stood up and began to leave the room. Just before she left, she turned back and glanced at his unconscious form. "Please get well, Seymour," she cried again. "Please..." With tears continuing to spill from her eyes, Jessie shut the door behind her.
On a secluded Nazca, overlooking the rubble that had once been his command post, Gilbert watched silently from the darkened bridge, not even bothering to say even a single word. His subordinate Rinaldo would every once in a while arrive and brief him on the current salvage operations, but Gilbert knew it was hopeless. He knew all about Jachin Due and he knew that when a base of that size self-destructed nothing was going to be left. So...at the moment...Gilbert was without a home. Jachin had been his home for the last two years, since he had been given command of the station before the war even began by the Supreme Council just in case conflict did break out. And it had broken out and the war had happened. And Gilbert had fought it back with all his might and still he had lost his base. Jachin Due was now nothing more than a few scattered pieces of rock and nothing else. It made Gilbert wonder...where would he go from here? What would he do now...? Now that he was virtually without a job...and a home-? Gilbert Dullindal had no idea really where the future would take him. If he went even higher, that was great. If he didn't, that was okay too. Gilbert just wanted to be able to say that he lived beyond the war now that it was over. And hopefully never see another war in his lifetime.
-ZAFT Nazca-class warship Andromeda, November 2, C.E. 71, 0530
As the hatch to the blue warship sighed open to admit the small shuttle, Bradford couldn't help but contain his concern over the coming attraction. The shuttle was now inside the great warship, which had somehow managed to remain relatively undamaged in the battle. Bradford assumed because it had been one of the vessels assigned to guard the PLANTs instead of GENESIS. He gingerly stood up from his chair and came beside the pilot inside of the cockpit. The hatch slowly closed behind them, sealing them inside the ship as the shuttle gently began to set down on the deck below. From where he stood, Bradford couldn't see a thing that was going on below the shuttle, so he didn't know what would be waiting for him when he arrived. He turned to the two soldiers who had been assigned to guard him and said, "When we get down on the deck, don't look around. Keep your eyes going forward and don't make eye contact with anyone. Try to look professional, that's what we're here for. Don't say anything unless I give you the word. And keep your eyes open," he added darkly. He got nods from both soldiers. The shuttle clanked down onto the deck and the pilot motioned for Bradford and the others to disembark a moment later. Bradford slipped on his officer's cap and made one last check around him. Once he confirmed that he was ready, he gave the signal for the pilot to drop the ramp.
The door sighed open before him and Bradford squinted against the lights. He checked his watch. Five thirty. A new day had begun it seemed. As he started down the ramp, Bradford was surprised to find hardly a soul around. There were just a few scattered ZAFT crews at work on damaged mobile suits or other things that made them pay little or no attention to the new arrivals. His feet touched down on the deck and still nobody seemed to care. This was a relief to Bradford, who now could go about his duties without worrying about being attacked by anyone around him. He stepped cautiously forward, his two guards walking briskly behind him. At the end of the hangar stood two ZAFT soldiers. Both had stern expressions on their face and Bradford knew that they were hardened veterans of the war. As he stepped forth, he stopped at attention. One of the ZAFT soldiers glanced at the rank badge on the shoulder of Bradford's uniform and whispered something to his counterpart. The other soldier nodded and the first one pointed down the corridor, as if he were telling Bradford where to go. Bradford nodded his head in response and walked past the two soldiers quickly.
At the end of the corridor was a single door, painted gray that matched the walls of the corridor. Nothing spectacular, very normal. Bradford saw another guard standing by the door and as he approached, the man moved out of the way and inclined his hand for Bradford to enter. He nodded to the soldier and stood before the door. He glanced back at the two soldiers flanking him and received nods from each of them. Bradford took a deep breath. This would be the first meeting between high ranking ZAFT and Earth Alliance officials in more than seven months. After virtually having wiped each other out, now they would have to resort to talking. In truth, Bradford was grateful that at least they would have the opportunity to speak with one another. Slowly, he reached for the door release and pressed the button.
Inside the small room, Yuri Amalfi watched as the door sighed open and the figure stepped slowly inside. The light from the corridor gave light to Yuri's face, reflecting in his eyes as he watched the man approach. Behind him stepped two more individuals, each with rifles grasped in their strong hands. Yuri glanced behind him at the two armed soldiers with him. The two individuals, Bradford and Yuri, stared at each other for the longest time. Each tried to find a weakness in the other, but they could find nothing. Gratifying as it was, they both were hesitant to be the first to speak. "You are General Bradford?" Yuri asked at last.
"I am," Bradford nodded. "You are General Amalfi?" Yuri nodded. Bradford's eyes glanced at the two armed soldiers behind Yuri and Yuri did the same to his. Their eyes met once again, but neither man spoke. Finally, Bradford sighed. "I think it would be best if we both sat down alone at this time, General. Guards, leave," he commanded. Both of the Earth Alliance soldiers looked perplexed at first, but they both quickly filed out of the room. Bradford turned back to Yuri and stared blankly at him.
"It would probably be best if you two leave as well," Yuri nodded. Without hesitation, the ZAFT soldiers followed their Earth Alliance counterparts out of the room, the door sliding closed behind them. The light from the corridor outside was cut off, entrapping the small room in darkness. The only glimmer of light was from the pale blue shadows cascading from the stars beyond the view port that made up one of the room's four walls. The two Generals never let their eyes leave the other as they gingerly sat down in the chairs that had been left for them on opposites ends of the small, rectangular table that was the only feature the small room had to offer. Bradford had brought nothing with him to this face to face meeting. Neither had Yuri. Both men knew that this single meeting was important, but it would likely not determine anything in the future, such as what agreements would be made regarding the peace agreement. This meeting was just a stepping stone on the bridge to peace. But at this moment, neither man spoke a single word, uttered a single phrase, or made a single sound.
Finally, it was Bradford who made the first move. A simple reach into his pocket to withdraw the small, silver case that contained his cigarettes. Bradford was only a light smoker and the only times he did light one up was when he was usually in the middle of an important meeting, such as this. He placed one of the slim cigarettes between his fingers and said, "Do you mind?" quickly to Yuri.
"No," Yuri said quickly. "Be my guest." Bradford popped the cigarette between his lips and extended another one towards Yuri. "Thank you," Yuri answered, taking the object in his fingers. Bradford flicked on his small lighter and the white flame lit the end of his cigarette in a bright flash. Bradford extended the flame towards Yuri's and lit his. Yuri puffed several times and coughed once after a few seconds. Between coughs, Yuri managed, "I'm sorry. I apologize, General."
"No need. Happens all the time, General," Bradford answered, standing gingerly up. Bradford withdrew his cigarette and blew smoke out of his mouth. He chuckled lightly. "You'd be surprised how many people have done that besides you." As he blew smoke through his nose, Yuri managed a chuckle as well.
In a separate area of space, a young Natural combing the destroyed remnants of mobile suits and warships, was drawn to something big that was floating among the debris at the edge of the battlefield. It was sky blue. As the young man ventured closer to the object, he could make a head and a pair of eyes, supported by a neck and torso, two massive guns attached to the thing's shoulders. It was a mobile suit. The man sent for other salvage personnel to come to his location and he ventured closer to the machine. Black scars covered the machine where its arms and lower body had once been attached. A clean cut had been made right through the mobile suit's lower abdomen, effectively cutting the machine in half. The man recognized the marks as those from a beam saber of some sort. The lower body where the machine's power sources were located had more than likely been destroyed. But what made the young man wonder was why hadn't the upper body come apart. He reached towards the mobile suit and came directly in front of the cockpit shield. It was relatively intact. No dents or damage he could find. The opening valve was jammed however. The young man worked feverishly with the controls and after a few minutes managed to jimmy open the cockpit shield just enough for him to pry it open with the rest of his strength. As he peered inside, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped. He quickly radioed for his backup to get there quickly. When asked why, the young man answered, "Because there's something you need to see,".
Bradford took another puff from his cigarette and then asked carefully, "Look...General." He paused and took a deep breath. Yuri waited for him to continue as he held his cigarette in his fingers. Bradford sighed uneasily. "I want to apologize," he said quickly. "Apologize for Junius Seven. I know it may sound foolish, but...I figure if we're going to be the first ones to go for peace...I had to do that. So...I'm sorry for what happened to your people...deeply sorry."
Yuri paused for a moment. By his reaction, Bradford immediately thought that he'd just made an ass of himself. What a way to start the road to peace, looking so stupid! But then to his surprise, Yuri said, "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for one of you to say that." Bradford turned his head back towards Yuri who's eyes were now closed gently. "All these months...that's what I've really been waiting for. For one of you to at least show some regret for what happened. That's all everyone up here was waiting for...just an apology...to show that you actually cared that so many of our people were killed on that day...and that you showed some remorse for them. Makes this much easier in my opinion now that we know that there are at least some of you out there who will be willing to listen to what we have to say for a change."
Bradford shrugged. "Thank you," he said quietly, taking another puff from his cigarette.
Yuri stood up from his chair and walked over to the view port. "General, please," he inclined his head. Bradford gingerly stood up and walked over to the view port to stand beside Yuri. The stars twinkled at them in the distance and from the view port, the two could see the two things they had fought for so feverishly just yesterday. The PLANTs and the Earth. Both were illuminated in the same dark blue that the small room was across the vastness of space. "You see that?" Yuri asked, pointing towards the PLANTs to his left. "That's all we wanted in this war...at least what I wanted. To protect that. The only reason in my opinion that we went to war was because we were attacked here in our homes...on our front doorstep. When Bloody Valentine happened...we were left with no choice really. Either let our homes be destroyed or fight. For most of us...that was why we chose to fight. But it was the scattered few...Chairman Zala among them I'm ashamed to say...that allowed us to escalate the war onto the Earth and try to take your forces out. Many of us wished to just defend the PLANTs...but as I've seen...as you've seen...the war went well beyond that. If I could have...I would've sued for peace in the first year...before the radicals could take power. But by the time they did...it was too late. And in order to protect my family and everything I held dear, I...made the decisions I did...to join their side. Not because I wanted to...mainly because I had no choice. If I would have continued my position for defending the PLANTs, I would've found myself in hot water by the radicals...plus that would've put my own life in danger from the extremists out there. I didn't want to risk having my family hurt by forces to which I could control...the people up here who disagreed with my stance at the beginning. And that's why...that's why I did the things I did. Extending the war across the planet when I could've just played defense from where I was. In the process I more than likely stirred more hatred among your people. For that I'm deeply sorry as well. It may sound weak and petty, but that's how I feel, General Bradford. Mock me if you wish, but-."
"No, you're right," Bradford interrupted quickly. Yuri's speech had made him realize that he too had taken the very same path that Yuri had during the war. "In fact that's why I did what I did during the war as well. For you see that?" He pointed towards the Earth. "That's why I fought...to protect that. But then...things began to happen that...caused me to do things that I'm not proud of now."
"You lost your wife," Yuri said.
Bradford glanced at him suspiciously. "How did you know that?"
"You're profiled by our intelligence, General, you forget that," Yuri pointed out. "I know almost everything about you because I figured if I was going to win this war I was going to have to defeat you. In my opinion you were their best tactician and strategist after they fired your original commander. Cantarii. I must admit, if they had not gotten rid of him the war would probably have been over much sooner. You see, at the time his blockade had severely limited the supplies we had at our disposal and we can only produce so much with the limited resources we have at our disposal. If he would have stayed on...the war would've been over. Irony abounds in warfare, as you know."
Bradford sighed. "I probably had a big role in why Cantarii was fired." Yuri listened intently. "When the criticisms against him came up, I...didn't really do anything. I didn't say anything to protect him or anything that would've helped him keep his command. Because I didn't say anything...the criticism piled up until...they decided to let him go. I was too afraid that I'd follow him right out the door if I said anything...so I didn't. And in the end I ended up fighting against my friend before the war even ended." Bradford pinched his forehead with his index finger and thumb and paused. Yuri waited patiently for his next words. "We're really not that different, the two of us, General," Bradford said at last. "Just two people on opposing sides who got caught up in the war and ended up paying for their decisions later on..."
"Yes, you're right," Yuri answered quietly. There was a brief pause in which neither of them said anything. Then Yuri said, "But I must know, General Bradford." He waited until Bradford glanced in his direction. "What are you planning to do from now on when the real talks for peace begin?"
Bradford paused and blew smoke out of his nose. "At this moment...I don't know..." Bradford said quietly. "Really...it's not my decision to make at this point. You forget that I am only a single element in the Earth Alliance...main representative of the Eurasian Federation. There are many other nations who would more than likely disagree with what I've told you here...and I will have to consult with them before I do anything else here..." He stabbed out his cigarette on the edge of his case and added, "But if it was up to me...I would've done this a long time ago. War is a terrible thing...and yet I allowed myself to get caught up in its glory and madness. We both did. Only difference is we were fighting on opposite sides, General. The same will likely happen when the discussions for peace officially begin...soon I hope. I will argue on the points I've already spoken to you about...that the war has already burned itself out and there's no point in fighting on any further...but that still doesn't guarantee that the friction will disappear. That will always be there in my opinion..."
"Yes," Yuri added reluctantly. "The same goes for the PLANTs. I'll do my best, but...there's no guarantee..."
Both of them paused for a moment. Then, to Yuri's surprise, Bradford turned toward him and extended his hand. "I promise you I'll do my best to earn you and your people the freedom you so rightfully deserve, General Amalfi."
Slowly, Yuri grasped his hand. "And I promise that I will work to make sure that the Earth never comes in direct threat again, General Bradford."
They shook their hands and Bradford said, "May our people never have to fight one another again in our lifetimes."
"Agreed," Yuri answered. "May we never live to see another war." Both of them agreed on that.
-Archangel, 0600
Earth loomed larger and larger as the Archangel crept ever closer to home. For the crew, just the mere sight of the Earth brought tears to a few sets of eyes. Knowing that the Earth was just a few milliseconds away from being destroyed by so many...and then to have it stopped by so few...it could bring tears to your eyes. The Earth never looked more beautiful to the people aboard the ship. Their long ordeal...fighting their way across space and the Earth to reach safety from ZAFT...and then vice versa in order to escape from the Earth Alliance that had betrayed them...finally looked like it was over at last. They'd returned home...and peace had looked to have been won. But many people still wondered what would happen now? Where would they go? What would they do now that the war appeared to be over? However, they kept these thoughts to themselves. It wasn't the time. Not after all they had done in the past few days...the battles they'd somehow survived...the friends they'd lost...the friends that had returned. Now was the time for good feelings and comradeship. Forget the trials and tribulations that still lay ahead. This time was reserved for themselves and their friends...a celebration of those who had persevered through the greatest of trials and had survived to live on. There was no clear celebration...no parties, no dancing, no cheering...it was all subdued. Implied more or less. The celebration for the crew was just being able to talk to one another...see one another...be with one another. These people had been together for almost a year now, been through more hell than anyone else could've imagined, and had pulled together in a time of need. Peace had finally been brought back to the universe. These people deserved every sweet feel of it.
From out of the Archangel's hatch soared a mobile suit. The repaired Buster, its weapons powered down because they were not needed at this time. Dearka only had the phase shift armor activated to give the Buster its traditional green color scheme as he piloted the mobile suit towards the pink Eternal just a short distance away. He was going there to reunite with his friends who were aboard that ship now. Who probably were going through some hard times at this moment and he wanted to show that he was there for them. Kira had gone through such an ordeal just the day before...losing another friend...having to kill someone again...nearly losing his own life. Athrun too...losing his father, leaving him orphaned. It must have been hell for them these past few hours and Dearka just wanted to make sure that they were okay. In his mind he knew that he wouldn't be there with them for very long. While their hearts lay somewhere on the Earth, Dearka's lay back in space in his home. The PLANTs. He had one thing to do on the Earth once the Archangel and the others arrived and then he'd head back to the PLANTs and help out wherever he could. What he would find waiting for him, he hadn't the faintest idea.
Dearka was not alone in the cockpit however. He had agreed to transport two other friends with him to the Eternal as well. He glanced behind him at one of them and asked, "You doing okay back there, Sai?"
"It's a little cramped, but I think I'll manage," Sai said uneasily from behind his chair. He was propped up behind the Buster's seat, in a very cramped setting. "It does get pretty tight back here after a while though," he admitted.
"What? You'd rather be the one who has to sit on my lap?" Dearka asked. He turned back forward and looked into the eyes of Miriallia who sat gingerly on his lap, his arms around her so he could grip the controls. He smiled casually. She returned it.
"Never mind," Sai responded tiredly. Miriallia laughed and she blushed a bit. Only Dearka noticed though and her reaction made him laugh as well.
"It won't be long now, Sai, don't worry," Dearka replied as the Buster pushed on towards the pink mass ahead of it.
Meanwhile, inside one of the officer's quarters below the bridge of the Archangel, once again the war was just a distant memory. Murrue's brown eyes fluttered open slowly as she regained her senses after a blissful sleep. The bed she lay on was soft and smooth, the thin sheet concealing her body beneath it. Murrue smiled as she awoke, her mind replaying the actions of just a few hours ago. She glanced to her left at the clock on the end table beside the bed and found that it was after six, which meant it was a whole new day. Murrue shut her eyes and retreated back into her mind, thinking of what went on in this bed the afternoon and evening of the day before. She had taken it upon herself to discipline Mwu after he deliberately violated her orders during the battle the day before and had given it her full effort which seemed to have worked. After getting into the proper uniform, Murrue had enacted her discipline upon him for the rest of the afternoon and evening, which had left her dead tired afterwards, the same as Mwu. But all in all it had been a completely refreshing and invigorating experience for her. Murrue stretched her arms by her sides and let out a low, soft sigh in satisfaction as she opened her eyes once again.
She turned her head to her left and found him lying asleep beside her. The sheet was draped around his waist, exposing his thick, muscular chest and arms to her. His blonde hair was a mess on top of his head which lay on his left forearm on the pillow beneath it. He looked so peaceful and innocent that it made Murrue feel so happy and at peace inside. Slowly, Murrue slinked underneath the sheet towards him until she was just a few inches away from him, but close enough so that she could share the same pillow that he slept upon. She could feel his breath coming in soft but sweet heaves through his nose and his mouth was curved upwards in a smile that made her heart leap out of her skin. God how she loved him so. Murrue slinked her hand out beneath the sheet and stroked his clean shaven cheek, feeling how smooth his skin was beneath her touch. She moved her hand slowly down his face and neck until it reached his chest. There she stopped and as gently as she could she traced her finger across his muscles in a series of designs, trying her hardest not to wake him up from his slumber.
However, no sooner had she begun then Mwu suddenly jerked out of his sleep and grabbed her hand with his own. "No, no!" he gasped, his eyes just now beginning to open. "That tickles..." he said, holding onto Murrue's hand as his eyes opened fully, taking in her entire form.
"I know," Murrue whispered back to him, gently beginning to trace her design on his chest again. She looked into his deep blue eyes and asked, "Are you okay? I hope the punishment I decided upon wasn't too harsh..."
"As a matter of fact," Mwu began. He smiled. "I think I need to be disciplined more often, Captain."
Murrue smiled and their lips met in a gentle kiss. His free hand gently stroked her side as the kiss lingered on. When they broke for air, Murrue brought her hand back to his face and stroked his cheek. "Oh, Mwu," she whispered to him, gazing deeply into his eyes. "You have no idea how happy you've made me now. You kept your promise and came back to me..." Her voice trailed off when she saw him avert his gaze and his smile suddenly vanished. His hand continued to stroke her smooth side, but his face now took on a more saddened tone that made Murrue wonder. "What's wrong?" she asked him quietly.
"Nothing," he whispered back, not even looking at her face.
"Something's wrong, Mwu," Murrue whispered. "Tell me. It's okay, you can tell me. Please..."
Mwu shut his eyes and sighed uneasily. Something was eating away at him. Had been eating away at him as a matter of fact. All while their encounter was going on. Something he knew he had to do before it was too late, but he wasn't sure that this was the correct moment. It's now or never, buddy, his brain said to him. Mwu took a deep breath and began. "Look...Murrue," he said at last. Murrue listened intently to him. "These past few months...they've...ugh..." He stopped suddenly. "They've been the best...times of my life...and...and...ugh, dammit this is hard for me!" he said.
"It's okay," Murrue told him quietly, her voice soothing. "Please continue," she told him.
Mwu took a deep breath once again and paused. "Like I said...I can't remember a time in my life where I've ever felt more alive...than when I've been with you, Murrue. But...ugh..." He stopped again. Murrue began to grow concerned. He kept on stuttering through his words and stopping all of a sudden. It made her feel uneasily all of a sudden. "Ugh, Murrue..." Mwu continued at last. "I...I can't go on like this...we can't go on like this...it's...it's just not what I would want...what either of us would want, I think..."
"Mwu..." Murrue whispered. Her heart was now racing inside her chest. His words...his words were suddenly becoming more and more uneasy. Is he...is he...leaving me...? Murrue asked herself, suddenly feeling scared. He couldn't leave her! Not now! After all they'd been through together, she couldn't let him go!
"I'm sorry..." he said. "I wish...we could do this someplace else...I could do this someplace else, Murrue. But...I don't think I can wait any longer...it's...it's too hard for me to hold it in anymore. You've been the only person who I've really been able to trust the last few months, Murrue...I can never repay you for that...and I do love you, Murrue Ramius...with all my heart. But...it...this can't go on between us any longer...not...not like this..."
No... Murrue told herself. No...please don't, Mwu...!
"Murrue..." Mwu whispered to her, his hand coming up to gently touch her cheek as she shut her eyes and prepared for the worst. She tried to shut her ears off to his voice, but she couldn't drown out his words. She heard them loud and clear. "...Will you marry me?"
Her eyes snapped open and she gasped sharply. Her body went rigid beside his and her breath left her as her mouth went aghast. His face was sincere all of a sudden, his deep blue eyes could tell no lies. Had he just...had he just asked her to be his wife...? The look on his face...his eyes...his soft hand on her cheek...they told no lies. It was the truth...he had just asked her... Murrue's lips trembled as her eyes slowly went back to their normal size. Her mouth closed slowly and Mwu could see it visibly shaking. He could make out a small droplet of a tear beginning to streak down her beautiful face. Slowly, the corners of her mouth turned up into a smile that lit up his heart. Her mouth opened and Mwu heard her sweet voice answer. "Yes...yes...I will marry you, Mwu..." she cried, tears beginning to streak down her face.
Gently, but forcibly, Murrue took his face in her hands and kissed him deeply. Mwu's eyes shut instantly and he moaned gently inside of her mouth. As the kiss deepened, Mwu found himself pushed onto his back, Murrue's body coming on top of his as their tongues began to play inside their mouths. Finally, Murrue ended the kiss and sat herself on her forearms as she lay on top of him, gazing into his blue eyes. "Oh, Mwu..." she cried, tears still clinging to her eyelids. "You had me scared there, you big oaf...I thought you were leaving me..."
Mwu smiled. "Murrue, you know me better than that." He moved a strand of autumn colored hair away from her face and kissed the tip of her nose. "But I'm sorry I frightened you...but you've got to admit, did you ever think you'd get the question popped in a place like this?"
Murrue smiled back down at him. "Not a chance," she said lightly. "It was just...surprising."
"I know it's soon," Mwu admitted. "We've only been together for what, three and a half months...? But it doesn't matter. I love you Murrue Ramius...and nothing will ever make me leave you ever again. Never again."
"Oh, Mwu," Murrue whispered to him. "What will we tell everyone? How will we tell them? They'll all want to know, but what will we say to them? Where will we get married? Where are we going now-?"
He pressed two fingers against her lips and silenced her. He smiled up at her. "That can wait for now, my love," he whispered quietly. "After all...we have more important matters to worry about right now..." Slowly, Mwu rolled over until he was on top of Murrue, looking down upon her beautiful face. One of his hands gently grasped the sheet that concealed her. "From what I've been told...you also violated several procedures during the battle yesterday. Like...crying over a fallen comrade in the heat of battle...and even though that person survived, you still deliberately stopped manning your post...that's a direct violation of military code, I believe." He smiled an intense smile back down at her. "A violation that requires...disciplinary actions..."
Murrue felt the sheet begin to slide down her body until it fell to the floor beside the bed. "Oh...oh my..." she said, her eyes sparkling up at him.
"As your senior officer at the current time, Captain...I think it's time for me to enact my own brand of discipline on you...you little trouble maker." He kissed her gently. She returned it as the passion began to engulf them once again.
-Archangel, 0630
There wasn't a place more peaceful at this moment than the small room below the bridge of the Archangel that served as the quarters of Lt. Commander Frank Barkhesh. The door was locked securely, the lights turned down, not a sound penetrated into the room at this time. With the exception of the easy, gentle breath coming from the room's sole bed. Its occupants were fast asleep at this late hour after their heated exchange of passion had lasted throughout the afternoon of the day before and into the evening. For both of the bed's occupants, the passion could not have been more fulfilling and breathtaking. After many, many years of searching and hiding behind their rough, military exteriors, they both knew in their hearts that they had finally found the person they had been searching in the dark for all this time. Both had come from difficult pasts. One had almost been killed by a vicious attack as a young man and had ended up having to kill both his step-father and mother in order to save his dear sister from certain death. The other had grown up in a strict military family with many rules that required absolute seriousness and almost no time for play that restricted her from having many friends growing up, leaving her alone to herself most of the time. But now, none of that mattered. When they had found each other however, all those troubles evaporated the instant they touched. Never before had they found so much of themselves in a counterpart, nor did they ever dream they would find someone like the other. Sure, some people would have criticized them for their actions during the previous hours. They'd only just confessed their feelings for one another less than a day and a half ago and already they'd shared a passionate exchange together. Some people would have scolded them for doing it so soon, but the two individuals didn't care. As far as they were concerned, what they had done was okay. They were adults after all, he was 29, she was 25, so they were old enough to understand what they were doing. But in reality, all that mattered to them was one thing and one thing only. They both knew it in their hearts and that was the only thing that mattered to them. They loved each other. And they knew the other loved them right back with the same intensity. Their love for one another burned inside of them brighter than the sun and no matter what people said, they weren't about to extinguish it any time soon.
So it had happened, after a brief session of tasting each other with their lips locked together tightly, they had ended up in his bed. Here they had shed their uniforms and let the passion overtake them in a burning desire to be with one another and love one another. Even now, as they slumbered peacefully on the bed where they had declared their love for one another, the sounds and feelings of the previous evening still ran rampant inside their minds as they dreamed. Frank heard Natarle's voice giggling feverishly, saying that his mustache tickled when he kissed the smooth skin on her neck. He could still feel Natarle's hands, which had been made of hard leather ever since he had known her, turn to soft velvet when she touched him. Frank could even still hear Natarle's voice gasping his name passionately when their exchange had become more heated. All these sounds of passion could not be heard however, by anyone on the outside. It only existed in the dreams of the individuals that lay asleep there.
And so they lay, peacefully asleep in his bed. Frank's strong arms were wrapped securely around Natarle's slim middle, holding her for all it was worth, her smooth back pressed gently to his chest, a smile on his face. Natarle too had a smile on her face as she snuggled gently with her pillow as she held it tightly, while she herself was being held. These two individuals had been searching for so long and finally, in what could have been their darkest hour, they at last had found one another. They had been right there for each other ever since they had first laid eyes upon one another and finally they had discovered the passion and emotion they each felt for one another and exchanged it in a heated exchange of passion that had left them both physically and mentally drained. Now, they lay asleep, peacefully, the outside world completely put away for once in their lives. All that mattered was the one they were holding onto right now. Nothing else.
That was until the phone on the end table beside the bed chimed an angry ring. The noise jarred Frank out of his sleep and he cursed the phone and whoever was calling. Where was his Walther when he needed it? If he had it, he'd just blow the shit out of the phone and go back to sleep. But, he didn't have it and Natarle still slept soundly in his arms, so reluctantly, he carefully reached across her sleeping form and took the receiver in his hand. "Hello...?" Frank whispered in a hoarse tone, trying desperately not to wake Natarle.
"Frank? It's Stevy," came the voice on the other end of the line. Frank rolled his eyes in dismay, but managed to keep his composure. "Sorry, did I wake you?"
"Maybe..." Frank answered sleepily. He sighed. "Sorry, Stevy. What's up...?"
"Josef just talked to the guys over on the Kusanagi about what we're going to do now," Stevy began. "Seems that the Kusanagi's going to have to stay in orbit for a little while until they can make repairs to her. Eternal's going to stay in space, according to Miss Lacus and Capricorn's going to head back down to the surface. In all likelihood we're going to be following them down to Earth."
"That so..." Frank said quietly. "What'd my sister have to say about it?"
"I don't know, nobody's seen Murrue since yesterday, buddy," Stevy told him. Frank smiled. He knew where his sister was. Likely in some bed on the ship with his best friend. "No sign of Mwu or Lieutenant Badgiruel either. So Josef's been manning the bridge as of late. His wife survived the explosion on the Kusanagi so he's been dying to go over there and see her."
Frank hummed in response. "Only question that remains is where we're going, right?"
"Mm-hmm. We're supposed to be following Capricorn back down to the surface, but we haven't the faintest idea of where we're heading," Stevy said.
"Orb more than likely," came another voice. Frank heard Natarle's voice in a whisper and immediately cursed himself for waking her. But when Natarle slowly turned in his arms to face him, she was smiling. An innocent smile that made Frank's heart melt inside of him.
"What was that?" Stevy asked curiously.
"Nothing, you're hearing things again, Stevy," Frank said quickly. Gently, Frank brought his hand down to her side and stroked her smooth skin. Natarle moved closer to him and pressed her body against his as she listened to him on the phone. "But it's probably going to be Orb where we're headed."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Stevy answered. He sighed. "You think we'll find any trouble there like what we've been running into lately? We have had some bad relations with some nations in the past few months."
"Miss Cagalli's got a big influence down there, Stevy. I'm sure we'll be fine. Things'll be beautiful again." His hand slowly made its way up Natarle's side and touched her cheek. "Just beautiful..." he whispered, partly into the phone, partly to her. She smiled again, causing Frank to smile back at her.
"Okay..." Stevy said. "Anyway, they say we'll be back planet side by as early as the day after tomorrow. They're going to try and find a safe place to keep the Archangel so nobody will be able to find it or us."
"What about everybody on board?" Frank wondered out loud. "What'll happen to us?"
Stevy shrugged. "Guess we'll just have to wait and find out. I'm assuming they'll just let us go where we please since we really don't have a home to go back to."
"We'll figure something out Stevy. Probably be best if we went our separate ways for a little while...make it harder to find us..." Frank's voice trailed off as he felt Natarle's hands of velvet begin to gently caress his chest muscles. Her cool lips planted a kiss against his collar bone. He gasped quickly through his nostrils at the feel of her touch. "Yeah...they'll probably just let us...find our own paths to travel when we get back..."
"You okay, Frank?" Stevy asked. "You sound stressed."
"Fine," Frank said quickly. Natarle was making her way slowly upwards, now her lips trailing kisses along his neck, occasionally her tongue sticking out to playfully lick at him. She was antagonizing him. "...Think we should be able to handle ourselves when we get back...after all we did just save the Earth and the PLANTs...so getting ourselves settled back into civilian life shouldn't be too hard, I don't think. We'll be find, Stevy. What do you think you're going to do...?" He gasped again as Natarle gently bit at his earlobe, causing his breath to leave him.
"I don't know," Stevy said casually. "Maybe see what I can do with the song I wrote. I mean, Niada and Jay always said I should take it on the road, so...who knows? I'll figure something out. What about you?"
"He's coming with me," Natarle whispered playfully, loud enough for Stevy to hear on the other end. Frank immediately shushed her, but Stevy had already heard it.
"What was that?" he demanded. "I definitely heard something that time!"
"You're imagining things, Stevy. Go to sleep," Frank ordered quickly. "It'll be good for you."
"Frank, don't hang up, I heard something! What's going on there!" Stevy scolded him, but Frank was already reaching over to hang up the phone.
"Goodnight, Stevy!" Frank said, pressing the phone back down on the receiver. As soon as he hung up the phone, his hands were on Natarle's shoulders and taking her away from his ear, which she apparently knew was incredibly sensitive. She was smiling at him as he held her again. "Now why did you make me do that?" he asked casually.
"I wanted to see if you could maintain your composure, Commander," Natarle said, her arms going around him and beginning to stroke his back. "Like you usually do when you're on duty...I wanted to see what you would do when you were in a normal state."
Frank raised his eyebrows. "You know it's not normal for me to have a woman as beautiful as you in my bed, you know," he reminded her lightly. She giggled back at him and they kissed. The kiss lingered on for several seconds and their arms wrapped around one another in a gently embrace. Natarle's fingers began to play with the skin on his back, roaming all across it as if she were searching for something. Frank noticed this too. "What are you looking for?" he asked her quietly.
"The scar," Natarle told him. Eventually she located the jagged thing in the middle of his lower back and ran one finger across its surface. When she did, Frank tensed. Natarle grew concerned. "Does it hurt...?" she asked, her smile disappearing.
Frank nodded slowly. "Yeah..." he struggled to say.
"Oh, you poor baby," Natarle cooed.
"Demands constant attention," Frank told her.
"I'm sorry," Natarle apologized in a whisper. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Frank. I never mean to hurt anyone when I'm off duty, you know...it's only when I'm on duty that I mean to hurt people."
"I know," Frank told her soothingly. "It's okay, it's okay." He held her in his arms and stroked her gently as she breathed in and out. "I know you didn't mean to hurt me, that was my fault...but it does make me wonder about you." Natarle looked into his brown eyes and inclined for him to go on. "Like you said, when you're on duty you're a good little girl who doesn't break the rules no matter what may happen...that's what I admire most about you. You take your job seriously unlike some of the other girls I've met. But...that does make me wonder...when you're off duty like right now...how to you turn into such a bad girl all of a sudden?"
Natarle smiled. "I wasn't trying to be bad," she told him. "I'm not a born bad girl, you know. I wasn't raised that way."
Frank hummed in response. "That makes me wonder about something else, Natarle," he said. "It concerns your name. If you weren't raised to be a bad girl...then why...when I rearrange the letters in your name...do I find the phrase...Natural Bad Girl...?"
Natarle giggled a bit and pressed herself closer to her love. Frank could inhale her spicy scent from where he lay and it was intoxicating. "That's how I really am...on the outside...I'm just a normal good little girl who abides by the rules...but when you dig deeper...and get to know me...I turn into a bad girl."
Frank raised his eyebrows. "So you're a bad girl at heart, huh...?"
"Mm-hmm," Natarle hummed. "But I didn't let her come out earlier..."
"You didn't?" Frank was shocked. "Why?"
"Because I was afraid I would scare you...because...when I'm bad...I'm bad," Natarle said.
"Really..." Frank said slowly. "You're bad?"
"I can be very bad," Natarle cooed.
"Well...in that case...and as a matter of fact..." Slowly, he turned Natarle onto her back and came on top of her, locking his right hand with her left. "We do still have a while before we'll even have to think of reporting...and I can assure you that I will not be frightened so easily..." He smiled down at her beautiful form. Natarle smiled devilishly back up at him.
Before he knew what happened, Frank found himself on his back, Natarle straddling him above, her violet eyes glaring down at him. She leaned in close to him. "You have no idea what you just got yourself into, Commander..." She kissed him fiercely.
-Eternal, 0700
Athrun sat on the edge of the bed in the Eternal's infirmary with his shirt off and his arms stuck gently by his sides. The medics on the ship had diagnosed him with just a bad flesh wound on his chest that would heal completely in a matter of weeks, but they still had ordered him to keep it bandaged up heavily until about a week later. Right now, Athrun was having his chest rebandaged after the ones that had been put on his chest the day before had been used up by soaking up all the blood that had come out of his wound. But, in contrast to the day before, he wasn't being bandaged up by a medic. Athrun sat as still as he could as he felt the soft, nimble fingers trace the white bandages across his ribs, being extra careful not to touch his wound. Cagalli concentrated as best she could to try and not to hurt him, but that couldn't be helped when she pressed the first new bandage over the wound, causing Athrun to wince in pain at the touch. "Sorry!" Cagalli told him hurriedly. "Try to hold still, Athrun."
"I'm trying," Athrun told her. He sighed. "It just hurts, that's it." He knew why it hurt. He'd gotten the wound when he'd let his anger and frustration boil over in the battle yesterday. This pain was just a constant reminder of what he'd done...how he'd broken a vow that he would never again let his anger get the better of him.
"I know it does, Athrun. But we've got to keep it protected in case you get an infection. If that happens, it will hurt even more," Cagalli reminded him.
"Yeah, I know..." Athrun said quietly. A few minutes later, Cagalli had finished wrapping the bandages around his chest and stood up gingerly. "That it?" he asked politely.
"Yes. You should be okay until tonight when we have to replace them again," she said.
"We?" Athrun said, raising his eyebrows. "You mean you're going to take them off and put new ones on later?"
"I've got to, Athrun," Cagalli answered. "The medics here are all dealing with other casualties at the moment, so that just leaves me to handle you. I'm only doing this because I don't want you to get hurt anymore than you already have, stupid."
Athrun chuckled. "And I thought you just wanted to see me with my shirt off again."
Cagalli hissed angrily. She stomped her feet towards him and got down on her knees so her eyes could look directly into his. "Athrun...shut up!" she said plainly. Her hands took his face in their grip gently and slowly brought them towards her. Athrun's arms slinked around her figure as their lips met, gently at first, but then drinking deep into the sweet taste of each other's kiss. Athrun slowly laid down on his back and took her down with him, their lips dancing with one another as they kissed. His hands rubbed her back gently, feeling how smooth and soft she was. Her hands played with his blue locks and tossed them this way and that.
"Athrun, you in here?" Kira suddenly appeared in the doorway and his eyes widened with shock at what he saw.
"Kira!" Cagalli shouted at him.
"Whoa! Whoa! Sorry, I'm so sorry guys, geez," Kira stammered, shielding his eyes as he backed out of the doorway. "A little warning next time would be nice though," he added sheepishly.
Cagalli was off of Athrun in an instant, scrambling to her feet. Athrun dashed to find his shirt and slipped it over his head and on in a split second. "Come in now, Kira," Athrun said. Kira slowly made his way into the room, his cheeks blushing bright red. He was followed immediately by Lacus, Miriallia, Sai, and Dearka at the rear. "Well it's a party," Cagalli joked.
"Are you feeling better, Athrun?" Lacus asked kindly. "You did look like you got beaten up pretty badly."
"I'm fine, Lacus. Just a flesh wound," Athrun reassured her. "Only my pride's hurt."
"Yeah right," Dearka said sarcastically. "I've heard that before."
"Dearka!" Miriallia scolded him.
Dearka raised his arms in self-defense. "Hey, I'm only trying to lighten the mood, sheesh!"
"Makes me wonder how you could have ever survived in the Earth Forces for all those weeks," Sai said casually. Everyone shared a hearty laugh.
Cagalli sighed happily and said, "Well, I got word about ten minutes ago that the Earth Forces and ZAFT met earlier this morning. Bradford and Amalfi I think. So at least that's a start...not much I know other than they've at least met with one another...so I guess they're trying..."
"They'll try their hardest, Cagalli, I'm sure of it," Lacus reassured her. "Both sides have witnessed the horrors of war more than enough, I believe. Now people have begun to see the bright lights that peace emulates...and hopefully they will find a way to shine it into the farthest parts of the universe."
"Great. Now that we know what happens to them...what happens to us?" Sai wondered out loud.
"Yeah...we're still technically deserters...so where will we go...?" Miriallia put in.
"Home you guys," Cagalli said. "You guys are both from Orb and that's where we're headed. Remember, I'm the heiress of that country, so I still have a fairly large amount of political power down there. I'm sure we'll be able to figure something out that will satisfy all of our needs."
"Yeah...all I want to do is go back to my family..." Miriallia said quietly. "I think I've seen enough of war and battlefields already...hopefully things will just go back to normal now...for me and my parents that is."
"What about you, Sai?" Kira asked.
"Same as her," Sai answered. "Go back home to my family...try and find a job somewhere maybe...try and get by with an honest life...I don't know really," he admitted. "I just want to put this whole experience behind me and move on..."
"Same here," Lacus agreed. "All I would wish is that we could all find a place to live in peace...forever..."
"Dearka, what about you?" Athrun asked.
Dearka snorted. "Not going to Orb, I can tell you that." Everyone looked at him with startled eyes. "Guys, you know me," he said casually. "I don't belong on Earth. My home is in the PLANTs...that's where I belong...that's where I want to live. I will admit though before I go back there...there's something else I've got to do, first."
"Return the sword," Sai said.
"Yep," Dearka nodded. "Looks like we finally brought peace back...so now I'm obligated to return it to her..." he said, thinking of sweet Mrs. Swanson, the kind woman who had motivated him to do what he had done in the past few months...push to bring back peace and protect innocent people like her and her family...so they wouldn't have to suffer more than they already had...
"But Dearka..." Miriallia said. "What will you do...what'll happen when you get back to the PLANTs, I mean?"
Dearka paused. Then he shrugged aimlessly. "I don't know...my dad's still got a lot of influence up there...so I know I'm going to be getting a lot of shit from him about what I've done, why I did it, where I was, why didn't I tell them, etcetera, etcetera...!"
As the chorus of laughter escalated, Kira quietly managed to slip out of the infirmary and into the corridor. He wasn't in much of a mood to laugh at this moment. As he walked down the corridor to nowhere in particular, his mind replayed the thoughts he'd been sleeping on ever since the day before. What's going to happen now...now that we've come this far and accomplished so much...? Lost in his mind, Kira wandered to the observation room at the rear of the ship and stopped. He stared out at the stars sunk into the blackness of space, watched them wink at him in the distance. Kira saw his own reflection in the view port, violet eyes staring back at him, a face that seemed to be asking him the very same questions he himself was asking.
Images played before Kira's vision...images of people who he'd lost in the war...that now appeared to have finally ended. The little girl from Heliopolis. He could still see her small form, wrapped in complete innocence, stretching her tiny hands towards him, presenting him with an origami flower she had made herself. "Thank you for protecting the rest of us 'til now..." he tiny voice said to him. Kira saw her shuttle exploding just before it reached the safety of Earth's atmosphere, taking her and all the other civilians from Heliopolis with it.
Tolle... "What do you think you're doing! Kira may be a Coordinator but he's not on their side! Didn't you see what just happened...you must be out of your mind, all of you Then later on, seeing him sitting in the cockpit of the Skygrasper just after leaving Orb. "I volunteered. I just want to help out somehow!" Kira saw the Aegis GUNDAM's shield spiraling towards him, slicing into the cockpit and killing him. He could still remember that image vividly...the destroyed wreckage of the Skygrasper exploding in a bright fireball that must have stretched at least forty feet into the air...his friend's gravesite.
Flay... "I don't want any of you Coordinators acting friendly with me!" Then of course..."Oh...you're different Kira...that I know!" After he'd failed to protect her father's ship from ZAFT. "You didn't make any serious attempt to fight, did you! It's because you're a Coordinator too!" When he'd broken down in tears after not being able to protect the little girl... "I may not be able to fight by your side...but my feelings will protect you!" Kira felt his heart begin to ache as he remembered all of his friends that had been taken from him by the war. Flay especially...he had just lost her the day before...
"It's tough isn't it?" Kira blinked his eyes and turned his head behind him. He saw Athrun coming towards him slowly, his face a neutral expression. Athrun came next to him and leaned against the view port. "All these months...nothing but fighting. Now...it's over...we don't know what's going to happen next."
Kira turned away from his friend and responded, "Yeah..."
Athrun noticed his friend's expression. "What's wrong?" he asked carefully. He knew that when Kira got like this, something was definitely troubling him deep inside his soul.
"Nothing," Kira answered quickly.
"Kira..." Athrun maintained. "Something's wrong."
Kira closed his eyes and sighed painfully. "I was thinking...remembering more precisely. About my friends...the ones that have died...who I weren't able to protect..."
Kira's words made Athrun's heart ache as well. Athrun narrowed his eyes and exhaled painfully. He too had lost many friends to the war. Miguel...Rusty...
"Oh! Athrun hey! By the way, I meant to thank you for coming the other day!" Athrun heard Nicol's voice again...the young boy who loved the piano and fought to protect his home. "The truth is, I'd like to try and do a proper concert someday..." Athrun still contemplated what might have been...what if Nicol had survived...what would he have done if something like this had happened if he was alive... But Athrun knew that wasn't possible. Nicol was dead...chopped to pieces by the very person who stood next to him now. "Yeah..." Athrun said uneasily. "Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"
"I wish..." Kira began again, gazing out mysteriously at the stars. "I wish I could have protected them...so they could see this...peace..." Kira's head dropped.
"Lacus told me about your friend." Kira's eyes widened and he glanced at his friend. Athrun shook his head sadly. "That girl who was on the shuttle that le Creuset destroyed..." Kira hummed quietly in response and didn't say a word. "I'm sorry, Kira. I know it's not much...but I just want you to know...I'm sorry about what happened out there..."
"It's okay..." Kira answered, his voice trembling as he did so. "I'm sorry too." Kira could see Flay's shuttle exploding right before his eyes, consuming her body and spirit with it. Her spirit reappearing to him and telling him not to cry anymore. "It...hurts. It hurts to even think about it now...knowing that I could've saved her...kept her alive. She didn't deserve to die...why'd she have to...?"
Athrun glanced at his friend. "It hurt you that much...?" Kira nodded slowly. "But when you came back here...you seemed pretty happy. Even just a little while ago you seemed in a good mood...why'd you...?"
"Lacus," Kira answered simply. Athrun tilted his head a bit in confusion. Kira smiled. "I made Lacus worry about me all day yesterday...and a lot even before that. I didn't want her to worry anymore...worry about me...more than she already had. You know how she gets when someone worries her..."
Athrun shut his eyes. He too knew that feeling. "Yeah...it does hit you where you live when you see her when she's worried."
"She means a lot to me," Kira said. "I didn't want her to worry anymore...about me, that is. So I held it in...I didn't cry...didn't show any emotion. It tore me up inside...made me feel hollow. About Flay...about what I'd done..."
"You killed him, didn't you?" Kira glanced at Athrun and nodded slowly. Yes...he had killed him...le Creuset...plunging his beam saber into the cockpit of the ghost-like mobile suit. In his state...Kira had been greatly hurt by Flay's death...at the hands of that man... He'd tried to hold his feelings back...and had done so for most of the fight. But at the last minute...when Rau had proclaimed that Earth would be destroyed along with everyone on it...that had pushed him over the edge. He couldn't hold it back anymore...and he had killed him.
"I didn't want to," Kira said softly, admitting his guilt. "But...I let my emotions get the better of me again...and I killed him..." His voice trailed off, disappearing into the still atmosphere inside the ship. Athrun and Kira stared long and hard at the stars in the distance. They looked so peaceful...so carefree, full of discovery and freedom. Neither of them spoke for a long period of time. "What's going to happen...?" Kira said at last. His gaze had transferred from the stars to the looming blue object just beyond their reach. Earth. "The war's over...we've done all we can...so...what'll happen...now that we've come this far...?"
Athrun sighed. "Whatever it is...we'll find out together..."
Kira glanced at his friend, who managed a small smile. Kira too managed to eke a smile onto his face as well. Despite the loss...despite the sacrifice...despite the destruction...they had done it. Peace had been brought back to the universe. The war was over. Nothing commanded their attention now. It was over...over at last. "Yeah..." Kira whispered. The stars winked in the distance, almost as if they were signaling their agreement.
AN: Well, that's the last full chapter. Only the epilogue remains. Expect it out next week and please review if you can. Thanks y'all!