Disclaimer: Kidou Senshi (Mobile Suit) Gundam SEED and its characters are copyright 2000-2004 Sotsu Agency, Sunrise, and MBS. English language adaptation produced under license by Bandai Entertainment.
In other words, I don't own the original intellectual property.
A/N
Answering some reader concerns . . .
1) About the bottle . . . patience is a virtue. I'll point it out when it comes.
2) About Yzak moving so fast . . . I always saw Yzak as someone who had the guts to take what he wanted. Asuka offered, Yzak was beginning to come around to her advances, so why not? And don't forget that they're just teenagers (i.e., dumb and full of hormones they can barely control).
End A/N
Chapter 13
Once in Tassel, the group resumed their previous living arrangements.
Upon their return, Dearka immediately went after Yzak. "So, how did your private time go?"
"Shut up, man."
Dearka could tell Yzak wasn't quite angry yet. He could push a little further. "Come on, Yzak. We've been best friends for how long now? You can tell me."
"I'm telling you, you'd better lay off."
A little more. "Was it a nice and romantic little camp out?"
"Grrrr."
That was enough. "Anyway, we've decided we want to help out with your little adventure."
"Who's this 'we' that you're referring to?"
"Maybe all of us." Dearka put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Look, we know this is something important or you wouldn't be bothering with it. Let us help you."
"And if it involves going deep into EAF territory, into the lion's den, you still want to help out?" Yzak cocked an eye, waiting for a response.
"It's not as if we'd be safe if we stayed here. Whoever is after Cagalli will eventually find us."
"Probably so."
They left it at that.
Two
"Um, Athrun?"
"What is it Cagalli? You look like you've been shot."
She was very pale. "We got a message from Kisaka," she took a seat on the bed before she fell down.
"Let me see it." On the sheet of paper was a one word message. Seiran. "I don't understand."
"The House of Seiran is one of the five ruling families in Orb. Athha is the sovereign, but the other four wield considerable political influence. I think Seiran was one of those involved in making Heliopolis a research facility of the Atlantic Federation, against my father's wishes."
"And they're after you?"
"Yes." Cagalli wiped away a tear. "They want my position."
"By killing you?"
"Either that or forcing me to fulfill my father's obligation."
Athrun was confused. "Which is . . ?"
"My father arranged a marriage between me and Yuna Roma Seiran to keep Orb united. I can either die, or marry him. I believe that's the gist of Kisaka's message."
"You're not seriously considering this, are you?" He was furious, and a little frightened that she would actually do it for the sake of her people.
"Is there another alternative?" She really was considering it, though it was breaking her heart to do so.
"You could just sick the army on him."
Cagalli shook her head. "Too many are loyal to the Seirans. That's who likely attacked us in the command center."
"Then maybe we should ruin them politically. Play some dirty pool of our own." He was desperate to find an alternative.
"Orb may not survive it. It would just cause the civil war my father averted a decade ago by arranging this marriage."
"Then just come with me, away from all this." Athrun knelt beside her, forcing her to look at him. "I don't want to lose you. Not for any reason."
"Oh, Athrun." Cagalli broke down in tears at the thought of being separated from him. "Please help me."
"Any way I can." He held her in his arms, afraid to let go. He suggested, "Maybe we should just kill him first." As much as he disagreed with his father's methods, perhaps this once he should bend the rules too. Will that make me just as evil a man as he was? he asked himself.
She didn't answer. All she could do was cry on his shoulder.
"I love you, Cagalli Yula Athha. And I always will."
Three
"Did you and Yzak have fun last night?"
"Miriallia . . ." sighed Asuka.
"Just call me Mir. All my friends do."
"I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind." Asuka flopped on the bed.
"But talking clears your head. Isn't that what you told me?"
"Using my words against me, eh?" Asuka sat up. "Alright, I'll make you a deal. You tell me what's up with you and Dearka, I'll tell you what's going on between me and Yzak."
"Sounds fair." Mir pulled up a chair. "Dearka wants to remain friends for now."
Asuka was blunt. "That's a lie and you know it."
"That's what he said."
"But it's not what he meant."
"No, it probably wasn't." Miriallia took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm still not quite ready, and he knows that. That's why he said he just wanted to remain friends. He doesn't want to have me on a rebound, and I agree. He deserves better than that."
"Then why don't you give it to him, since he deserves it?"
"I don't understand."
"Do you love him?"
"I think so." Mir didn't sound too sure, but she wanted to be.
"When you figure that out then you need to tell him, and then you two can finally get together. Tell him you love him and make him yours. Don't let too much time go by or you'll lose him."
"I guess you're right. I'll tell him. Now it's your turn."
"I am proud to say that I love Yzak very much."
"Have you told him?"
"Yes."
"How does he feel about you?"
"I can't say." Of course she knew, but her promise was binding. Asuka would not break her word to him.
"Okay, well did you two have fun last night?"
"I had a lot of fun and wish we could do it all over again." Asuka blushed at the memory.
"I noticed that you're using 'I' a lot. Don't you know if he had fun or anything?"
"Mir, all I can say is that I am very happy. I cannot speak for him, but trust me when I say that everything is as it should be."
"If you say so."
Four
"Kira?" Lacus felt his muscles tense.
"Something's wrong. Let's go see Cagalli." Kira got up to leave, with Lacus not far behind.
"What is it?" was the response to Kira's knocking.
"It's me. Open up."
Athrun opened the door at Kira's request.
Kira went straight to Cagalli, who was now crying on the bed. "I know there's a problem, so mind letting me in on it?"
Athrun was the one to speak. "She's considering going through with an arranged marriage." With that, he left the room.
Lacus asked, "Is this true?"
Cagalli nodded. "It was arranged by my father. Kisaka believes that this man is the one behind the assassination attempts. It was a warning: marry him or else."
Kira sat her up and gave her a hug. "And now you must go back to Orb and confront him."
"Yes," she said weakly. "Their house is also one that pushes for an alliance with the Atlantic Federation. If something isn't done the balance of power will shift to them, giving them enough license to attack the PLANTs again."
"Then perhaps we should play a little hardball of our own." They turned around to see Yzak speaking, followed by Athrun and Dearka.
"Don't you have another objective to worry about?" asked Cagalli.
Yzak answered, "This is more important. If Orb breaks its neutrality, then there will be little hope of a sustained ceasefire."
"Then we shall return to Orb in the morning." Cagalli found her resolve. "At least we know that those under Kisaka's command will support us."
"And how much of Orb's military is that?" asked Athrun.
"Less than a third. The rest may be under Seiran's control. I'm not sure."
"If only we could get in touch with someone on the ground first," Kira shook his head. "As it stands now, we have no way of knowing the situation we're walking into."
"We have little choice in the matter." Cagalli seemed composed, but clenched fists betrayed her inner turmoil. Her knuckles were white with the strain.
Chapter 14
"Ground control, this is Orb One requesting permission to land." Cagalli sent her personal clearance code to confirm her identity.
"Permission granted," came a gruff voice over the com.
They were greeted on the ground with full military honors, like they were foreign heads of state, only it looked like there were about twice as many soldiers around as necessary for such an event. They were not dressed for greeting, but for fighting. Out in front was a gentleman with long purple hair, well dressed and handsome.
"Welcome home, Lady Cagalli." The gentleman bowed, then kissed her hand in greeting.
Athrun exercised considerable self restraint to avoid killing him then and there.
Cagalli was gracious, but only for the sake of appearances. "It is nice to be home, Yuna. Please take me to Col. Kisaka. I would like him present when we discuss our affairs."
"And who are your guests?" Yuna eyed them closely, suspicious of their very presence. As he should be.
"This is my bodyguard," she looped her arm through Athrun's. Pointing toward Kira, she continued "That is my little brother and his fiancée. The others are trusted friends."
"Any friend of Lady Cagalli is welcome here." Yuna gave them a wide smile.
"If we're so welcome, why did you call out the whole army?" Yzak was playing diplomatic hardball, just as he had seen his mother do. "Surely you do not intend to dishonor Lady Cagalli by greeting her in such an inauspicious manner."
"But these are merely our procedures in welcoming important heads of state." Yuna didn't break his smile.
"I know something of political greetings and if I may say so, as a foreign dignitary I do not feel very welcome."
"And who might you be?"
"Yzak Joule, PLANT Supreme Council." Yzak offered a hand in greeting.
Asuka was uncomfortable with revealing this information, but she didn't object. Perhaps he knew what he was doing. She stuck close to him, just in case. And she did enjoy watching Yuna being embarrassed in front of his own men.
"Are you here to offer an alliance with Orb?" Yuna accepted the offered hand, but showed his disgust at the prospect of touching a Coordinator.
Yzak pressed hard with his grip, enjoying watching the blood drain from his adversary's face. "No, I am merely here to ensure that positive dialog between our two countries remains uninterrupted." He was like a cat playing with a mouse, almost bringing Yuna to his knees with pain. Having had enough fun with his toy, he let Yuna go. "Just consider me a good will ambassador."
"I see. Then we shall do our best to make sure that your stay in Orb is a pleasant one." Yuna hinted with body language that such a stay had best be short. Turning to Lady Cagalli, "Let us proceed to your palace where we can discuss these matters and more."
Two
Cagalli and Yuna were alone in her private study sitting in comfortable plush seats. Athrun, Kira, and Kisaka were just outside in case of trouble. The others were waiting in another room down the hall.
"I am grateful you repaired my home in my absence," she began. She was still a little pissed about the tree.
"Think nothing of it," Yuna waved a hand to dismiss it. "It will soon be my home as well. I wanted it looking nice for the both of us."
"About that . . ." Cagalli took a deep breath. "I do not believe that I should be bound by my father's obligations. When he died, so did his commitment to your family."
"You won't consider it even for the sake of our own people?"
"I have already considered it. Our marriage is not in the best interests of the people of Orb."
"How can you say that? You know that by dividing from the House of Seiran you risk civil war."
"True. But by allying with the House of Seiran you will summarily give our country to the Atlantic Federation, which will be no better. Then the fighting will start again, dragging Orb right into the middle of it. Did you not see how the Atlantic Federation treats its allies? The entire Eurasian Fleet was nearly wiped out at Alaska."
"You assume too much, Lady Cagalli." His eyes were hardening.
"And you assume that I know too little of your affairs. While I was trying to stop the war, you were providing assistance to Murata Azriel. I will not allow Orb to fall into the hands of people such as yourself."
"I only have the best interests of our people at heart. Orb will be mine. You may stand by my side, or you will be trampled under my feet."
"Do not threaten me, Yuna Seiran."
"It is not a threat. As of this moment you are placed under house arrest."
"You do not have the authority."
"I do now." He arose from the chair, approaching Cagalli menacingly.
"Athrun!" she screamed.
Athrun burst through the door, nearly breaking the heavy oak wood. Seeing the frightened look on his rival's face, he approached slowly. Cracking his knuckles, Athrun let loose a wicked grin. "Is this gentleman bothering you?"
"Yes, Athrun. He is." Cagalli quickly moved behind her bodyguard.
"You don't dare touch me!" Yuna was defiant.
"Oh, I'm not going to touch you." Athrun continued the wicked grin. "Hey, Kira!"
"Yes, Athrun?" Kira came to stand beside his best friend.
"I believe this gentleman tried to do something inappropriate to your sister."
Yuna froze with terror at seeing Kira's eyes change. The pupils shrank to pinpricks, leaving large violet irises.
"No, Kira." Cagalli stopped him. "Don't hurt him."
"You sure?" Kira was ready to do some major damage.
"I'm sure. Just forcibly remove him from the premises." Seeing Kira and Athrun grab Yuna by the arms, she suddenly changed her mind. "No, wait. Perhaps he can be our pawn for a change."
"The Senate will not stand for this!" Yuna protested.
"You seem to think I care." Cagalli ordered Kisaka to show Yuna to a secluded part of the palace. One from which he could not escape.
Three
Kisaka had the foresight to have loyal troops guarding the Athha palace. It was fortunate, as there were forces loyal to Yuna who would have broken in to retake him. They were already surrounding the line of troops guarding the palace.
Kira asked, "How long do you think we can hold out?"
Cagalli shook her head. "I don't know. Probably not long."
"Perhaps we should try to contact Erika Simmons for reinforcements."
"Our communications have been cut, so it'll have to be done in person."
The group had made their headquarters in Cagalli's private study. The eight of them, plus Kisaka, were trying to develop a strategy to get themselves out of this mess.
"We'll go." Yzak volunteered himself and Asuka.
"I'll go too," Kira stood up. "Maybe they'll have the Freedom ready."
"Be careful," Lacus hugged him.
Cagalli hugged waved to her little brother as he made toward the door. "Athrun and I will work on Yuna until you guys return. I'll have to make an official statement relieving the House of Seiran of all privileges and duties." The only problem was making it stick.
"You do that. Stall for as long as you can." And Kira was gone, followed by Yzak and Asuka.
It was early evening, so the three of them dressed appropriately: dark. Asuka raided her stash of kunais. Among the items they purchased in the desert were a bulletproof vest with kunai slots, as well as harnesses for her thighs. Now she was armed to the teeth and quite happy about it. Yzak and Kira also put on light body armor, but preferred to stick with firearms as their primary choice in weaponry.
Sneaking past Cagalli's defensive line was easy. Kira was recognized by the lieutenant they passed on their way out. It was someone who he had saved in the Battle of Orb. At a signal from Kira, the lieutenant and his men ignored them so as not to arouse suspicion from whoever was watching.
The difficulty came in getting past the Seiran forces. They let Asuka take the lead, as she had the training and expertise in stealth tactics. Each hiss of a blade was followed by a sickening thud, making Kira more uncomfortable by the minute. If only this wasn't necessary, he thought to himself.
They were a bit surprised to find Andy and Murrue waiting for them at the gates to Morgenroete.
"What are you two doing here?" asked Kira.
"What does it look like? We're waiting for you. Dr. Simmons is inside." Andy lead them in, leaving Murrue behind to stand watch.
"Glad you finally made it. To be honest, I thought you would come sooner." Eirka greeted them warmly.
Kira didn't waste time on pleasantries. "The Freedom. Is it ready?"
"Sure is. As are the Duel and Buster." Erika turned to Asuka to say, " Though I'm not sure if Dearka would appreciate me loaning it out to someone else."
"Then, perhaps it would make you feel better if I said I would personally deliver it to him," Asuka suggested.
"Not really, but since there's no one else to pilot it be my guest."
Four
"Cagalli. Yuna's father is requesting a communications line be established."
"Very well, Kisaka. Please see to it." Cagalli turned to Athrun and Dearka, who were working on something. "Is it ready yet?"
"Not yet. Just a few more minutes," Athrun told her.
"That'll be plenty of time." Cagalli had formulated a good plan. It just had to work. For her sake, for that of her friends and for her country, it had to work.
Precious minutes ticked away. Kisaka was making the necessary arrangements, Athrun and Dearka hard at work on their device.
Finally Kisaka returned. "It has been done. A private hard line has been connected to the phones, as you requested."
Cagalli looked back at Athrun who nodded. "Good. Put it on the screen."
A large video screen scrolled up out of the desk in her private study. Cagalli took the seat and unconsciously adjusted her hair. This is it.
"Lady Cagalli, I demand the return of my son!"
"Why Mr. Seiran," Cagalli began politely, "I was only discussing wedding plans with my fiancée. Surely you have no objection to that."
"Then let our forces through so I can join your little discussion!"
"Why do you need to bring an army to plan for a wedding, Mr. Seiran?"
"I know damn well that's not what you are doing!" He was red in the face.
Almost there. "You are absolutely right, Mr. Seiran. We have decided that the union of the House of Athha and the House of Seiran is not in the best interests of the people of Orb."
"How dare you! Did you not get the hint the other day? One way or another, the star of Athha will fall and that of Seiran will rise!"
"That sounds like a threat, Mr. Seiran. Were you the one who ordered the attack on me in the Onogoro command center?" Cagalli remained polite. Here it comes.
He was now white hot with fury. "You can marry my son or you can die, Cagalli Yula Athha!" He turned away from the screen momentarily to issue orders. "Storm the palace. Kill all who are inside."
"I was hoping you would say that." Cagalli's smile widened. "You see, we've broken through your jamming devices and broadcast this discussion on all open frequencies. Doubtless, every television monitor and every radio in the entire country has just displayed this act of treason. I hereby revoke all privileges and duties from the House of Seiran. You and your son are under arrest."
"Tough words from such a little girl." He repeated the order to attack. "I know you're bluffing."
"Good evening, Mr. Seiran." Cagalli switched off the video phone and let out a sigh. "Now it's up to Kira."
As the gunfire started, Cagalli led the others to the underground sections of the palace. Here they could defend against a determined attack for a short while.
This is where they had kept Yuna cuffed to a chair while the prior events unfolded.
"Looks like daddy doesn't care about his son," Dearka gave the captive a kick in the shin.
"That's a lie!" Yuna spat.
"Really? Sounded to me like he ordered everyone in this place to be killed. Isn't that what you heard, Athrun?"
"Yep. That's what I heard."
Five
"It's started. Time to go," Kira said.
"Right. Good luck, youngster." Andy waved goodbye before walking off.
Cockpits closed and catwalks retracted out of the way. Mobile suit engines hummed to life. Phase shift gave the suits a brilliant splash of color that would be lost to the night. All that would be seen is the glow of their eyes and engine exhaust.
It was a short hop to the Athha palace, where the night sky was lit up with small arms fire. Had Yuna not been inside, they would have likely started with cannons or even M1 mobile suits.
"Time to put some fear into them." Yzak was elated to be back in a suit. This was his element.
"Using only the thermal sensors it'll be hard to get a fix on who is who," said Asuka.
"I think it's a safe bet that if we work our way in from the outer perimeter, we'll take out the bad guys first."
Kira joined into their discussion, "Just be sure to watch who you're shooting at, Yzak."
Yzak and Asuka worked over the tanks and the command center, trying not to cause too much collateral damage. Kira took on the approaching M1s, hacking off arms and legs. He wanted to avoid killing them if possible.
The Seiran forces surrendered after a short battle. All were taken into custody pending a military tribunal. Yuna's father was killed in the command center, leaving Yuna the only member of the Seiran family to pay for their crimes.
"Please, I beg of you! I had nothing to do with this!" pleaded Yuna.
"Groveling at my feet will serve no purpose," Cagalli shook her head in disgust. "You are a traitor and a coward. Be thankful Orb does not have have capital punishment, for that is exactly what you deserve."
"The Atlantic Federation will not sit still for this! You just wait until Blue Cosmos hears of what you have done! Then I shall have my revenge!" Yuna was going mad, imagining ways out of this predicament, no matter how unlikely.
"So now it finally comes out. Blue Cosmos was behind it all." Athrun gave him a broken jaw as a reward for volunteering that juicy bit of information.
Cagalli ordered Kisaka to put Yuna in solitary confinement under heavy guard. "Come on, Athrun. It's time to rebuild again."
Putting his arm around his beloved, they made their way back to her study. "You know, I thought I'd lost you."
"I'll always love you, Athrun. No matter what may happen." She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for standing with me. I really needed your support."
"That's what bodyguards are for, right?"
"No, that's what boyfriends are for." She placed her gentle hands on his cheeks, caressing them. "I know it won't be easy, but please stay with me. Help me with this."
"Help you run a country? I don't think I'm qualified to do that."
"Nor am I."
"Okay, sweetie. I'll stay by your side." Damn. Now I have to think of a good way to propose.
Chapter 15
"Kira, could you do me a favor?"
"Sure. Name it."
"Athrun's been acting strange the past few days. Could you have a talk with him?" Cagalli wasn't that worried, but the last thing she needed was her bodyguard distracted. Things had settled down over the past week, but not to the point where they could relax their guard.
"Of course. I'll call Dearka or Yzak up to stay with you until one of us returns."
All of them had stayed close to Cagalli since their arrival, unwilling to leave her alone for even a second. Likewise, Asuka had remained by Yzak's side constantly. They were quite aware that they were still targets of assassination.
Dearka volunteered to stay with Cagalli. He had nothing better to do since Miriallia went home to be with her parents. They had planned on going out for a few friendly dates, but as of yet nothing had come of it.
Tracking down Athrun was no easy task. He wasn't on the palace grounds, or even in the immediate area. Instead, Kira found him sitting at an outdoor café with, of all people, Lacus.
"Hi Lacus, Athrun." Kira sat down to join them without waiting for an invitation. "What's up?"
"Athrun and I were just discussing a private matter." Lacus tried very hard not to sound rude to her love. It wasn't necessary, as he knew she didn't mean anything by the dismissal.
"It's okay, Lacus. I was going to talk to him next anyway." Athrun readjusted himself in his chair. "I'm trying to think of a way to propose to a princess."
"Do you have a ring yet?" asked Kira. "That's always a good place to start. Though I must admit, I found myself lacking in that area." Lacus giggled at his honesty.
"No. I need help with that too. That's why I asked Lacus to come with me. I have no clue what Cagalli would like."
"I believe she'd like anything, so long as it's from you," Lacus said. "You are her knight in shining armor."
"Yeah," Athrun smiled. Cagalli's first duty after the attempted coup de ta was to officially knight Athrun. He was now Sir Athrun Zala, champion and protector of Lady Cagalli. "I want it to be perfect, though."
"Speaking of rings," Kira began, "I guess it's about time I found one of those too."
"Indeed you should, Kira Yamato." Lacus feigned anger. Turning back to Athrun, she continued. "What about the setting? That's important too." Of course, she and Kira had questionable settings for their engagement but she found it charming nonetheless. Kira was her knight as well. Despite that, she was seriously considering making Kira propose to her all over again.
"How about a nice restaurant. You can have the ring submerged in a wine glass or something," Kira suggested.
Athrun shook his head. "That wouldn't work. First, we couldn't get her out of the palace long enough to eat out. Second, she'd probably not notice the ring and choke on it."
"You could have it sticking out of the icing on a cake." Kira thought about that for a moment. "No, she'd probably miss that one too."
"Perhaps you should just be old fashioned and propose on one knee out in her garden," Lacus firmly suggested. It was more of a hint to Kira than a suggestion for Athrun.
"Yeah. That could work." Athrun sounded disappointed. He wanted something spectacular. Spectacular. Hmm. "I've got it! Fireworks."
Kira was puzzled. "You're going to put the ring in fireworks? Can you do that?"
Lacus was becoming exasperated. "Kira, will you stop thinking about putting the ring into things." Placing a gentle hand on his forearm she demanded, "You had better not try something that corny with me or you will have one angry pink-haired princess on your hands."
Athrun got a good chuckle out of their exchange. "No, I was thinking of having fireworks go off after I propose."
"Now that's an idea," Lacus beamed. "Too bad Kira didn't think of it first."
"All that remains is finding the ring." Athrun got up to leave, with Kira and Lacus not far behind.
Lacus knew Kira needed this little adventure just as much as Athrun. They were both so clueless. This way, she could help Athrun while dropping clever hints to Kira about what she wanted.
Athrun settled on a ring that was very nice. Lacus approved, but made sure Kira knew better than to get her the exact same thing. Similar would do, but not exact.
"Thanks for all your help," Athrun waved goodbye as he headed back toward the palace. He would discuss plans with Kisaka on concerning the timing of the fireworks. He didn't want it to cause an uproar, so it would be best to let the military know ahead of time.
"Any ideas yet?" Lacus looped her arm through Kira's as they strolled down the sidewalk.
"Nope. Not a one."
"You're lying. I can tell."
"I'm trying very hard to keep it a surprise. Please don't ruin it."
"I will try my hardest." She gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Let's stop here for a while." Sitting on a bench, they looked out at a luscious green park area with children playing in the early spring afternoon.
"Isn't this a nice place?" Lacus snuggled up to her man, taking in his scent. She thoroughly enjoyed the cologne he was accustomed to wearing.
"Yeah. You think we can have kids of our own someday?"
"I think you're getting ahead of yourself, Kira. You still need to properly propose. Then, perhaps I shall accept."
"I know you want kids too." He kissed the top of her head, mesmerized by the way the ocean breeze was playing with her long pink hair.
"That is very true. I want lots of little Yamatos running about." She took his hand into her lap. "But before that, you're going to have to become a little more bold."
Kira let out an uncomfortable gulp. "What do you mean, Lacus?"
"I'm not going to ask you to make love to me, no matter how slow a mover you are."
"I thought we were not ready ready to take that step."
"We're not, but someday we will be. How will you know when I am ready?"
Kira shook his head. "I don't know."
"I am not going to tell you. You will just have to work up the courage to find out for yourself."
Two
"Could you answer that?" Cagalli was busy under a small mountain of paperwork. She hated it, but she had to prove herself to the remaining Houses and the Senate that she could be a capable leader. Administrative matters were just as important as military ones, in which she had already proven her worth. After seeing how Cagalli took care of her political enemies, the other government officials had decided to treat her with kid-gloves for the time being. She knew it wouldn't last.
"Sure." Dearka was surprised to find it was a call from Miriallia. And even more surprised to find that it was for him. "What can I do for you, Mir?"
Cagalli tried hard to eavesdrop without being noticed.
"Sure. I'll see you in an hour, then. Goodbye."
"Finally going to get that date?"
"If your bodyguard ever decides to show up," Dearka sighed.
"I'm sure he'll be back soon. It's been a few hours, so he ought to be going through withdrawal about now."
"Hey, that's not very nice." Athrun came in without knocking. "However true it may be, it's still not very nice." He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Go have fun, Dearka." Cagalli dismissed him. "But take care of yourself."
"I will. You two lovebirds behave." Dearka gave a short wave on his way out. Here we go. Don't screw this up, Dearka.
He tried to give himself a pep talk on the way to the rendezvous, but it didn't help much. He was nervous, his palms sweating. He just knew he was going to screw up.
Wait. What am I so nervous about? Nothing is going to happen anyway. We're just going to be friends, right?
That calmed him down somewhat. Before he knew it, he was waiting at the designated street corner half an hour early.
Miriallia arrived fifteen minutes early. "Well, at least you know not to keep a girl waiting." She greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. "Let's go for a little walk first."
"Okay. Lead the way."
They enjoyed a long walk in silence, arm in arm. The sidewalk they were on led them by a cliff with a nice ocean view. It just happened to be the same place he and the members of the Zala Team saw Kira at Morgenroete. The sun would be setting soon, so they stopped here to take a look.
"You said there was something you wanted to tell me." Dearka wasn't in any hurry to find out, but he had nothing else to talk about.
"Yes. I . . ." She hesitated a moment as if unsure of herself. "I want you to meet my parents."
"Will it be alright? I mean, we didn't exactly meet under the best of circumstances. I doubt I'd make as good a first impression on them as I did on you."
Mir laughed. "I made sure before I left that no scalpels were lying around, so you'll be fine."
"Thanks. I appreciate that."
She took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. "And there's something else I wanted to say. I'm just having a hard time finding the words."
"You don't have to say anything."
"Dearka, shut up for a minute." Mir took a deep breath before continuing. "You see my hand. There are gaps between my fingers, like something is missing. Well, something was missing from my life. But when your hand is in mine, I feel more whole."
"What are you trying to say?"
"That I think I'm in love with you." Mir wiped away a tear. "I still miss Tolle very much, but that doesn't mean I want to put my life on hold just because he's gone. Please let me be with you, Dearka. Don't turn me away. You're not my rebound."
He embraced her, just as she wanted him to. "You know I'm a wise ass. And a jerk sometimes."
"Yeah, I know."
"But I do love you, Miriallia."
"I know that too."
"You sure your parents aren't going to kill me?"
"Pretty sure." Mir giggled. "If you get into trouble, I'll protect you."
"I'm grateful."
Three
"So what is this surprise of yours?"
"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise now would it?"
Athrun was leading a blindfolded Cagalli through the house and out the door.
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"No. It'll only take a minute, I promise."
"Fine. I give you one minute before you're fired. Whoa!"
Athrun scooped her off her feet and began to run. Making it into position, he signaled Kira and Lacus for the countdown.
Setting her down, he let her know she could take off the blindfold.
"This had better be worth it." She opened her eyes to find herself in her flower garden by the water fountain. Early spring flowers were blooming, letting off a fragrant scent in the evening breeze. The sun had just set, streaking the sky shades of orange, then purple, then blue.
"Ahem."
Cagalli was so busy looking around at the setting that she didn't notice Athrun. He was on bended knee.
"Lady Cagalli Yula Athha, please accept this gift from your knight as a token of my undying love and loyalty to your service."
"Athrun?" Cagalli was taken aback.
"Will you marry me?" He was too slow. After such careful planning and timing the fireworks went off before he could finish, nearly spoiling the moment.
"What?" Cagalli strained to hear.
"WILL YOU MARRY ME?"
"YES." She said it without thinking. As it dawned on her what had just happened she began to weep the sweet tears of unbridled joy. She whispered, "I love you, Athrun Zala."
He couldn't hear, but then he didn't need to. Slipping the ring on her left hand, they both turned to see the fireworks display in her honor.
It was breathtaking, just as he had found her breathtaking.
The next day it was heralded throughout the land that Lady Cagalli Yula Athha would take Athrun Zala as her prince consort at an unspecified wedding date.
Four
"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Haw." Dearka bowed low.
"No need for that. Eleanor and Kyusaku will do. Come on in, young man," Eleanor beckoned.
"Thank you." Removing his shoes on the mat, he followed Miriallia inside. Neither Dearka nor Miriallia knew their parents had other guests.
"Dearka Elsman, I'd like you to meet the Koenigs," Kyusaku introduced them.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Koenig." Dearka could hear his heart pounding in his chest. Oh, God. I am going to die.
"Let's all sit down in the living room and have a nice little chat." Eleanor had Dearka and Mir take the loveseat. They were on sitting on by the north wall, with the Koenigs on the east sitting on the sofa and the Haws on the west in two plush chairs. They were trapped.
The Haws and Koenigs seemed quite nice, but the situation was becoming extremely uncomfortable for the young couple.
"Miriallia has told us of your involvement in the war," Kyusaku began. "We would like for you to share your stories with the Koenigs. I believe they deserve an explanation of the events, as do we."
"Oh, God. Please kill me now." Dearka buried his face in his hands.
"No need for that, son. This isn't an inquisition," Eleanor tried to explain. "We just want to know the truth about what happened. All of it."
"We could tell Miriallia was hiding something. We were hoping you could fill us in." Kyusaku passed Dearka a beer. Perhaps it was an early peace offering, or perhaps it was just to loosen his tongue a bit.
Dearka accepted it anyway. "I guess I should start at the beginning. After Junius 7, I enlisted with many . . ." They let Dearka speak uninterrupted for about an hour. The Koenigs were very uncomfortable at first. Their knuckles were white from clenched fists when Dearka first sat down, but they slowly began to see that perhaps this former ZAFT pilot wasn't all bad.
"As a member of the le Creuset Team, we tracked a group of top notch test pilots to Heliopolis. Le Creuset ordered us to go in and steal the prototype weapons we suspected were inside, which we did without question. Sure Heliopolis was neutral territory, but the EAF weapons made it a fair target in our naive eyes. We kept the damage to a minimum and thankfully most everyone made it out before the heavy fighting began. Actually, there wasn't supposed to be any heavy fighting at all, but Kira . . . You know Kira Yamato, right?"
They all nodded.
"Well, Kira got trapped in Morgenroete with an EAF officer and had to take one of the mobile weapons to escape. He turned out to be a Coordinator and saved Mir, Tolle and some others from getting caught up in the collateral damage. Unfortunately, Kira didn't know the full capabilities of his mobile suit and knocked a sizable hole in the colony. Seeing that display of raw power, le Creuset couldn't let it go. So he attacked again, the colony collapsed, and we chased the EAF ship all the way to Earth. Luckily, Kira was a better pilot than all of us put together."
Miriallia was wringing her hands, praying for this to go well.
"Once on Earth, we took up the chase again. It turned out that one of my comrades, Athrun Zala . . ."
"Son of Patrick Zala?" asked Kyusaku.
"Yes, that's the one. It turned out he was best friends with Kira. They grew up together, but this war had come between them. They're both good and reasonable people who were desperately fighting for what they thought was right: Kira to protect his friends, Athrun to protect the PLANTs. Athrun's mother had been killed in the Bloody Valentine. Over the Marshall Islands, Kira killed one of our good friends, Nicol. He was fifteen, had wavy sea foam green hair, and was an accomplished concert pianist. I've never met a nicer guy. The next day, Athrun killed Tolle. They didn't mean to kill the friends of the other. All they were after was to kill each other and themselves. I guess they thought that if the other had to die, then it might as well be by their hands with themselves soon to follow."
Mrs. Koenig began to cry.
"If this bothers you, I can stop."
"No, son. Please continue," requested Mr. Koenig.
"Athrun pinned his mobile suit to Kira's and initiated a self destruct. By some miracle both survived. Athrun was taken care of by Orb for a short while before being returned to ZAFT. Kira was in the care of Lacus Clyne, daughter of the former PLANT Chairman Siegel. During the battle, I was captured and taken aboard Miriallia's ship, where I said some things that I'm not proud of. After they were betrayed by the Earth Forces in Alaska, the ship defected to Orb in order to help with its defense against the Atlantic Federation. I was released, but stayed around to help out. We were joined by both Kira and Athrun. Now I'm considered a defector, along with all those who fought in the Triple Ships Alliance. I fought with Mir until the end."
Miriallia jumped in for the first time. "It's true. He's saved our lives a number of times. He even took a bullet for me two weeks ago." She held up his left forearm to reveal a nasty scar. He hadn't had time to get it removed yet.
"Yes. One of Yuna's men tried to shoot Mir." Dearka's final comment caused both families to stiffen a bit. The reputation of the House of Seiran had gone down dramatically since Yuna's arrest.
"And what is it that you want from our daughter?" asked Kyusaku.
"I want nothing."
"Then why are you here?"
"Because I care for her and she asked me to come. If I am not welcome then I will gladly go." Dearka arose from the loveseat.
"No, my boy. Don't go. I apologize. This has been hard on us all. We were very fond of Tolle, so please excuse our bitterness over his passing."
"I appreciate your being frank with us, young man." Mr. Koenig arose to shake Dearka's hand.
"We were all victims in this war. None of us knew what was really going on until it was too late." Dearka shook his head. "Le Creuset, Chairman Zala, and Director Azriel were all miserable bastards. We were nothing but pawns in their little game of genocide." He took a deep breath before concluding. "In the end, it doesn't matter if we're Coordinator or Natural. People are not defined by their abilities alone. That's what Kira used to say."
"How is Kira these days?" asked Eleanor. "He was such a gentle boy. It's hard to imagine him as a soldier."
"He is well. At the moment, he and his fiancée are staying with his sister."
"I didn't know he had a sister." They were all shocked.
Miriallia said, "Well, it was kind of a secret for a while so don't go spreading it around."
"Now that this unpleasant mess is out of the way, I would like you all to stay for dinner," announced Eleanor.
It was a pleasant meal, considering.
Chapter 16
"Oh, my! A surprise for me?" Lacus was expecting something, but she tried very hard to be surprised.
"Yes. Kira asked me to give this to you before he left this morning." Athrun handed her a box before leaving her bedroom. Kira didn't stay with her the night before. He said he had something important to take care of that couldn't wait.
"Let's see what it is." Opening the box, she was startled to find a purple dress. It looked extremely old fashioned, but it was just her size. It came complete with matching slippers and a cone hat with a see-through kerchief dangling from the top. A princess outfit, property of the local costume rental shop. Inside was a note. 5:45 pm, flower garden. Don't be late.
It was now 5 pm and she hadn't seen Kira all day. She thought she had a good idea what was coming, but this threw her for a loop.
She put on the dress and fixed her hair. Making her way down to the garden, she was beginning to get nervous. This is it.
Promptly at 5:44 Lacus heard a clomping sound. Turning around, she saw a wondrous sight. A white stallion, with a well dressed man riding it. It was Kira, of course, arrayed as a medieval prince.
"My lady," Kira offered a hand.
Lacus accepted, only to be swooped up onto the horse. She rode sidesaddle with Kira around the palace, out the gate, and down the road to the beach. They made it just in time for sunset.
"Kira?"
"Shh. Just watch."
Together they watched the gentle waves alight with fire as the sun sank into the water. As twilight faded into night, Kira and Lacus dismounted.
"Lacus Clyne."
"Yes?"
"My pink-haired princess."
"What is it Kira?"
"You know what's going to happen next, don't you."
"Yes. But do it anyway."
Kira knelt on the sand. "Will you marry me, Lacus Clyne?"
"Of course I will, Kira Yamato."
As he slid a ring onto her finger, Lacus slumped to the ground to hug him then and there. Between kisses, she noticed they were not alone. Two figures under a street lamp up the beach were watching them. "Kira, who are those people over there?"
"Those are my parents. I would like you to meet them."
Kira and Lacus made their way up the sidewalk to the weeping couple. The mother ran up to Kira, giving him a hard smack before breaking down and hugging him.
"Why didn't you come see us or even call before now?" asked the father. "We were so worried about you."
Kira cried too. "I'm sorry mom, dad. I didn't want you to see a soldier instead of your son. All I did was fight, day in and day out. And not because I wanted to, but because people I cared about would die if I didn't. Because I was a Coordinator and only I had the power to protect them. Then there was another reason. I knew that I would ask why you made me a Coordinator, why you made that decision and placed such a burden on me."
"We're sorry son," whispered the mother.
"It's okay now, mom. I know the truth." He felt her stiffen in his arms. "All of the truth."
"Lord Uzumi told you?" asked the father.
"No. Before he died he told Lady Cagalli that I was her brother, but we didn't find out the whole truth until our ships took refuge in Mendel."
The mother backed away. "Can you ever forgive us for hiding this from you?"
"There's nothing to forgive. You have been great parents and I had a happy childhood."
"Thank you, Kira." It was the father's turn to embrace the boy. "We're just sorry you had to grow up too fast."
"Wars do that."
"Well, now that that's out of the way, how about you introduce us to the young lady."
"Mom, dad. I'd like you to meet my fiancée, Lacus Clyne."
Two
"What's our next move?" asked Asuka.
"There is that whole research facility thing we need to take care of." Yzak was lying on the bed, looking up at the ceiling. Asuka was by his side.
"It's time we were on our way, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"I'll miss this place."
"Yeah." Yzak sighed.
"But it's not so much the place as this time we have spent together. I only pray that it come again."
"It will. We're going to make it through this." Yzak began to massage the back of her neck. She was coming to love it more than anything.
"Do you still want for us to do this alone?"
"I do. And you still object."
"I don't think we can do it by ourselves. There are too many things that can go wrong."
"Like us."
"Yes. It was a mistake, but we knew that going in didn't we?" Asuka took his massaging hand and kissed it.
"So we did."
"Do you regret it?"
"Not a single bit," he answered.
"Neither do I." She rolled over onto him, resting her head on his chest. As her breathing adjusted to the beat of his heart, Yzak resumed his gentle massage.
Three
"Sorry about last night. I really didn't know they were going to do that."
"It's fine. So often parents never find out how or why their kids died in battle. Now they know." Dearka let out a sigh.
They were having a late dinner at a nice restaurant.
"They would like you to come back sometime. I made them promise not to put us through that again." Mir reached out to claim his hand.
"What kind of an impression did I make on them?"
"Well, my mother seems to like you. My dad probably does too, but I think it'll take him a while to warm up to you. He was like that with Tolle as well, even though our parents had been friends for some time. Dad isn't the type to immediately approve of my boyfriends."
"I'm just glad I made it a week without somebody trying to kill me."
Miriallia got a good giggle out of that. "So, what's your next move?"
"I assume Yzak and Asuka are going to head out soon. As much as I would like to stay here, I also don't want them to do this alone."
"I know."
"I'm sorry, Mir."
"Don't be. Just promise me this one thing. That you'll come back."
"I promise."
"I'll never forgive you if you keep me waiting."
"I don't give promises lightly."
Mir cocked her head. "What do you mean?"
"When I was young I heard a fairytale that made quite an impression upon me. It was about a samurai nobleman who had to go off and fight, but before leaving he made a promise to return for his brother's birthday. Time passed and the birthday came. The brother waited at the gates until sunset when he finally saw a figure walking up the road. It wasn't the samurai, but his ghost. He said, 'Forgive me brother, for I was taken captive and held for ransom. There is a saying that the soul can travel 1000 miles in a day. I took my own life so that my soul could travel home in time for your birthday. I have kept my promise.' And with that, the samurai vanished."
"What an utterly depressing fairytale."
"True, but it makes the point. No matter what gets in my way, I'm coming back to you Miriallia Haw."
"Just make sure you come back alive. I wouldn't survive it if I lost you too." She was almost in tears at the thought of losing him the way she lost Tolle.
Dearka could see her heart breaking right then and there. "I won't let you down." He gave her a kiss.
Four
"I suppose Kira is proposing right about now."
"He's so obvious. I bet Lacus saw this coming a mile away." Cagalli tossed a rubber stress relief ball at her bodyguard, hitting him in the back of the head. "Bodyguards should pay better attention."
"Yes ma'am." Athrun settled back into his chair as if to take a nap.
"Hey! You better not fall asleep guarding me again, Athrun Zala." It was an obvious reference to their first meeting.
Athrun turned back to show her a smirk. "Well, at least I don't have a gun for you to steal this time." His eyes widened in mock fear as she began to approach.
"You're not getting away from me!" Cagalli launched herself toward him in a cat-like pounce.
Athrun deftly maneuvered himself to land under her so she wouldn't get hurt. "Now what was that for?"
"I order you to kiss me."
"And if I say no?"
"Then I'll steal a kiss and order you to give me a foot massage."
"We wouldn't want that, so I guess I better kiss you."
She beat him to it. "Now I want a foot massage and a back rub."
"Anything else?"
"Plenty."
"I hear and obey." That earned him a playful punch in the arm.
"Damn right you do!"
Athrun rolled over to pin his assailant to the floor. Kissing her, running his fingers through her hair, she absolutely melted. Cagalli was putty in his hands.
"Athrun?" She gently pushed against his chest.
"Yes?" He began to rise, letting his captive go.
"Come with me." She blushed as she led him by the hand down the hall. "I think it's time."
"Time for what?"
"Keep talking and you won't be getting any tonight, Athrun Zala."
That sudden outburst stopped them dead in their tracks. Turning away, blushing, they desperately wanted to avoid eye contact. "You mean . . ?"
"I said stop talking." Cagalli began leading him again, off to her bedchamber.
End Part Four
A/N
As always, thanks for reading and reviewing.
End A/N