This fic was created in response to a personal challenge from Hildebrant (author of "Back to You" and "Begin Anew", creator of the C2 "Non-Canon Couples"). I do love the occasional challenge, so I rose to this one.

This is an Alternate Universe (AU) and Non-Canon (NC) work of fiction. It is set in the Cosmic Era (CE) Universe, and it does involve Naturals and Coordinators, but the war hasn't started. And there will be some major OoC-ness.

Summary: The college students of the Heliopolis Technical College are rewarded with a week-long field trip to Earth to learn more about the ancient history. While visiting a dig site located in North America, secrets are inadvertently revealed, some bad, some worse. Now the survivors must find a way to escape with their sanity … and their lives.

The Legend of Icess, Queen of the Forsaken

Chapter 1: Earth-bound

"Well class, the request went through and we have approval. In two weeks time, we're going down to Earth!" the students of the Heliopolis Technical College cheered. Their teacher, a tall but balding Natural known as Ron Manson, had worked very hard to get permission for this trip, talking to members of the Archeological teams all over the Earth, and with his own superiors at the institute.

When the idea was first brought forward, the 43 students were all for it. Most of the children in Heliopolis had been born on the colony, so as a result they knew very little of Earth. Accompanying the class S16, which had well known students like Kira Yamato, Miriallia Haw, Flay Alster, Sai Argyle, Kuzzey Buskirk and Tolle Koening, was J13 and G17.

In total, it would be over 120 students and teachers taking the exciting trip down to Earth. Of course, there were requirements for a student to be allowed on the journey, such as maintaining an average of 80 or better in all courses, having permission from a parent or legal guardian, and passing a small history test on Earth.

The other teachers and professors had never seen so many students in one class with an average of 90 or higher in all of their classes, but then they figured that with the proper motivation, a student could do just about anything. Indeed, the students in S16 seemed to get along very well, everyone was helping everyone so that no one failed the requirements. They made a teacher proud.

"So in the next two weeks, I've altered the curriculum so that we can study North America and prepare for the trip. Doctor Carl Ryan and Professor Cyril Ferguson have been kind enough to send along information on the continent and the areas we will be visiting." Manson continued.

This was the most exciting thing to ever happen to Kira, and he could hardly wait. The rest of the class went by quickly, but then the day dragged on. The students of S16 had the same classes together, all day long. Their History class with Mister Manson was their second class, their first being Mathematics.

Their third class, right before lunch, was Physical Education. Then lunch came around, then Computer Systems Technology and finally General Sciences. As if taunting them, the days started to drag out, feeling like there was more than 24 hours every day. It was painful and torture and the students of S16, J13 and G17 swore that it was done on purpose.

They were to leave on Saturday morning for Earth, and by the time they would land, it would be Sunday afternoon in North America. From Monday to Sunday they would tour the various sites and places of interest, and then return to space on the following Monday. The Friday preceding the trip, the students of all three classes became so antsy and excited that their last classes were cancelled because the teachers couldn't get their attention long enough.

It was a nice sunny day outside the school as Kira, Tolle, Sai, Miriallia and Flay walked home together. Kuzzey usually joined them but he was busy with 'something important' as he had told them. Sai lived the closest to the school, but he usually walked to Flay's house and then went back to his own. Most of the student body in the Technical College knew that Sai had a major crush on Flay, but neither Flay nor Sai chose to act on it.

As usual, Sai and Flay walked up her driveway as the rest of them continued on. "Thanks again for walking with me Sai." She smiled at him. Her smiles always seemed to lighten his heart. "I'll see you in the morning, it's a big day tomorrow!" he replied.

"I've never been to Earth before, even with my father being the man he is. I can't wait." Flay said excitedly. Sai stepped forward and took her hands in his. "Flay, there's been something I've wanted to ask you, for a while now."

"Oh?" Flay looked at him expectantly. He opened his mouth to speak. "Flay will y-" he stopped abruptly when a pinecone collided with the side of his head. Sai turned around angrily and yelled at the laughing forms of his friends. "Real funny!" facing Flay again, his expression softened a little.

"You were saying something before?" Flay asked, wondering what Sai was trying to ask her. A light blush formed on his nervous-looking face. "Ah, it's nothing. I'll see you tomorrow." He bade her farewell and started the walk back to his house.

Tolle couldn't stop laughing as he walked with Kira and Miriallia. "Man, did you see the look on his face? He could've murdered us!" Tolle exclaimed, holding his sides from laughing too much. "Murdered you, not us." Kira corrected.

Still laughing, Tolle stopped at the bottom of his driveway. "Yeah, but you have to admit it was funny. Well, I'll see you guys in the morning, 'cause we're going to Earth!" Miriallia smiled, Tolle was in many ways a little boy trapped inside a teenager's body. "Make sure you sleep tonight Tolle." She reminded him.

"That's what the shuttle flight is for!" he called over his shoulder and then closed the door to his house. Kira and Miriallia resumed their walk, living the furthest from their school. Kira was the last of his group of friends to move to Heliopolis, he and his parents had moved here from Copernicus City on the moon.

Kira was seven when they moved to Heliopolis, and he was thankful more so now than ever that he moved into the house right beside Miriallia. The two of them became fast friends, and not a year after, they met Tolle, Sai and Kuzzey. Once they started at the Heliopolis Technical College, Flay became their friend, despite her apparent snobby attitude.

Finally home, Kira walked Miriallia all the way up to her bedroom door. "So … did you need help with packing anything?" he asked her. She smiled kindly at her friend. "I don't think I have anything left to pack, you've helped me for the past three days, but it's sweet of you to offer." She politely declined.

Grinning stupidly, Kira scratched his head. "Yeah, I guess I did help before. I guess I should go finish packing my stuff." He readjusted his backpack and walked down the stairs to her front door. Miriallia's head popped over the balcony railing. "Kira! Want to watch a movie tonight?" she asked him.

"Sure. What time?" he asked. Miriallia always picked out the oddest movies, but Kira usually enjoyed them. "Come over whenever you finish packing." She told him, and then disappeared into her room. Kira ran to his house, dropping his bag on the entryway floor and rushing downstairs to his room. He had been so concerned with helping his neighbor pack her stuff that for the last three days he hadn't even touched his own bags.

Normally it would've taken him all night to pack his bags, but with the prospect of spending another evening with his friend watching an oddball movie, he had to pack fast. Really fast. Two suitcases and a backpack later, his room was pretty much devoid of clothes and electronics.

Taking a quick look around, Kira was satisfied that he had everything he would need all packed up. He looked at his alarm clock to see the time, only to see a blank spot on his desk. "What the? Where did it go?" he wondered aloud. A memory of him stuffing literally everything into his suitcases came back and he laughed lightly. "Oops. Oh well, better go see Milly now."

By the time he made it to her house, Miriallia was already sitting in her living room with a large bowl of popcorn and a blanket wrapped around her legs. "You're late." She told him. He laughed once. "Well, I was so busy helping you pack the past couple of days that I neglected to start my own packing. I packed everything I could, even my alarm clock, so I lost track of time."

She giggled. "You're so strange sometimes Kira. Now sit down so I can start the movie." He complied, plopping down on the couch and grabbing the bowl of popcorn away from her as she started the movie. "What are we watching?" he asked around a mouthful of buttery goodness.

"It's called the Twilight Princess." She tossed him the DVD case, forcing him to release the bowl of popcorn. She nabbed it back as soon as his hands caught the case. Seeing her hold on the snacks, Kira decided to read what it was about. "A lone forest boy in green who can travel between realms has the ability to walk the earth as a wolf. But who is the Twilight Princess and just how far will he have to go?" Below the description were a few reviews. "So beautiful, yet so cold; the Twilight Princess will break hearts with its darkness. Twilight? Princess? The mystery is tied to a limbo where light seems to have died a horrible death."

Kira set the case down on the coffee table in front of him and reached into the bowl for a handful of popcorn. "Sounds interesting." He said, relaxing on her couch to watch the movie. By the end of the movie, Miriallia had fallen asleep, and her head was resting on Kira's shoulder. He pulled the blanket up over her and set the popcorn bowl on the coffee table.

Just as he was about to get up, he heard voices coming up the driveway. It sounded like her parents were home. Her family was not the picture perfect family that one might assume they were judging by the photos on the mantle. Miriallia's father was a borderline alcoholic, and her mother rarely stood up for herself or her daughter. Kira pretended to be asleep as the front door opened.

He could feel her father's eyes boring into the back of his skull as her mother walked quietly to turn the TV and DVD player off. "I don't know about this punk neighbor of ours." Her father grumbled as her mother rejoined him. Of course, her father was a very private man, and wanted only the best for his daughter, but his view of the best often contradicted Mir's view.

"They haven't done anything, and Kira knows better than to try anything without explicit permission." Her mother reminded him. "I suppose." Her father grumbled. Kira sighed in relief as they walked upstairs to their master bedroom. It seemed that her father managed to control either his drinking or his temper, maybe both.

Kira stood quietly and gently picked up the sleeping form of Miriallia. Tiptoeing up the stairs, he silently nudged her door open and set on her bed. "Rest lots, tomorrow's an exciting day." He whispered.

He had been asleep in his own bed for several hours when he rolled over to find something in the way. Something soft and warm and vaguely familiar. An eyelid slowly opened to see the back of Miriallia's head, her orange hair tickling his nose. "Your parents had another fight?" he asked her, placing his hand on her bare arm, causing her to stir.

"Yeah, but you looked so peaceful sleeping so I didn't want to wake you." She told him. There was a quiet laugh before his response. "Hey, I told you if ever need to talk, no matter when, I'll be here for you."

They fell back asleep, both of them sleeping peacefully, but neither of them making intimate moves. Their friendship meant too much to sacrifice it for something that might not be the best idea. Hours later as the dawn sun crept through the window a muffled beeping could be heard. Kira woke first to reach out and slap the snooze button on his alarm clock, only have flesh slap wood instead.

"Right, packed my clock." He muttered. Sitting up, he gazed down at Miriallia, still sleeping in the same position she fell asleep in earlier that night. He smiled at how peaceful and content she looked, and then shrugged and playfully nudged her awake.

"Just five more minutes mom." She moaned, still half-asleep.

Kira laughed. "You can sleep on the shuttle beside Tolle. Right now you've got to get back to your house and get ready." That had the desired effect on his neighbor. Miriallia shot out of Kira's bed in a flash and ran over to one of his windows. Kira stopped her as he realized that she was wearing a sleeveless nightgown. "You can use the front door, my parents are still away."

Miriallia ran hurriedly, barely listening to Kira saying he would help her with the luggage in a bit. Her parents would be angry if they found out that she slept at Kira's again. Her father always assumed that Kira did something inappropriate even though Kira would never think anything of the sort.

Luck was with her as her parents were still fast asleep. Stripping out of her light blue nightgown, Miriallia stretched languidly, enjoying the morning sun pouring in through the small bathroom window. Hot water cascaded over her lithe body as she turned on the shower, washing away the recent memories of the fight between her parents.

Soon enough she had dried herself, combed and arranged her hair and brushed her teeth. Mister Manson had given his students a forecast for the next week for North America, specifically a place they once called Alberta, located in a country called Canada. It was supposed to be a bit on the cold side for the first day and then the weather would warm up to much more bearable temperatures.

Many centuries ago, the people living in Alberta joked that the winter was never truly over, and every few months it would snow for a day, even in the middle of summer. They also joked that they only had one true day of summer, in which they would play summer sports and then go right back to winter. Perhaps there was some truth behind their jokes; it was supposed to be their summer season down there.

Today she picked out a pair of blue jeans, a pink t-shirt and a white sweatshirt. It was always better to have layers than to freeze or overheat she told herself. She had just finished getting ready when the doorbell rang once, letting her know that Kira was probably waiting for her.

She opened the door to find him standing nonchalantly. "Hi Kira." She greeted him. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Hey Miriallia, need help with your luggage?" he asked politely.

"That would be wonderful, thank you." She had two suitcases, a duffel bag and a backpack. Kira had his own two suitcases and a single backpack. He managed to arrange things so he carried his own stuff along with Miriallia's backpack and duffel bag. "So you excited?" he asked.

"Very. It's been years since I've been to Earth, and it'll be fun to go with my friends this time." Kira unfortunately had never been to Earth, born and raised on different colonies. "I'm looking forward to the trip as well." He told her.

There was a charter bus that picked them up, along with any other students on the way. For the flight, each passenger was allowed on carry-on and the rest would be stored in the luggage compartments below decks. One of their fellow classmates, a Natural by the name of Simon Grey was already on the bus and in deep conversation with a pretty blond. Kira and Miriallia sat together, not sure of whom else might board the bus.

The ride to the spaceport was short and boring, as was the boarding procedure. Once strapped into their assigned seats, the chatter began to rise as the students realized that they were moments away from beginning their journey to Earth. All three classes and their respective teachers could only fill one shuttle, which also avoided confusion.

A speedy ZAFT shuttle passed them by as they journeyed through space, the shuttle much smaller than their own. Few students from the Heliopolis Technical College had ever made a re-entry and didn't know exactly what to expect. While the re-entry process could be considered a nerve-racking process, this time it was very smooth.

The view left something to be desired; everywhere they looked, it was nothing but clouds everywhere. Not until they had nearly landed did they see something other than clouds and fog. "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Earth." The pilot announced as they touched down. "Conditions are favorable for improvement; the weather is at 3 degrees Celsius, with a 40 chance of rain. Not the best all around, but for former Alberta, this is paradise."

Some students laughed. Most of them were too tired and barely remembered gathering their possessions and checking into the hotel. The last conscious thought on most of their minds was 'where are we?' Kira bunked with Tolle across the hall from Miriallia and Flay. Sai and Simon were three doors down. None of them had seen Kuzzey since the landing, but all of them were too tired to really care.

After all, tomorrow the touring would begin, starting with a recently unearthed temple just over 50 kilometers away. Two of Ron's colleagues were in charge of the site and it promised to be at the very least educational. Then Kira's head hit the pillow and he was out like a light.

Well the first chapter is up, and that means that V90 should be posted soon as well. Please Read and Review, whether it be good, bad or ugly.
Thank you all,
Prayer