Akatsuki no Kuruma

By Kyomi Terakada

Dark oneshot, character deaths, songfic, AU magic!

Pairings: Cagalli x (someone!)

Whee! Another character death fic! More angst for all. Please review, they make me fuzzy inside.

Song used is Akatsuki no Kuruma sung by Fiction Junction Yuuka.

The lyrics are in italics

/The translation of the lyrics are italic, underlined and in slashes/

'Thoughts are in mini-quotes and italics'

"words are in italics, underlined and in quotes are the words of unamed character"

Kazesasou kokage ni utsubusete naiteru

Mi mo shiranu watashi wo watashi ga miteita

Yuku hito no shirabe wo kanaderu GITAARA

Konu hito no nageki ni hoshi ha ochite

/Shaded by the trees, calling out to the wind, I'm lying face-down crying

I saw a version of myself I didn't even recognize

On this guitar I'm playing the melody of someone who's passed on

A star falls in the grief of someone who'll never be seen again/

Cagalli stared out the blank window of the orphanage. Rain was falling at a steady beat, streaking the window with tears. The sky seemed to cry for her, for her own tears had fallen silent. She had cried all she could.

Yukanaide, donna ni sakende mo

ORENJI no hanabira shizuka ni yureru dake

Yawarakana hitai ni nokosareta

Te no hira no kioku haruka

Tokoshie no sayonara tsuma hiku

/ Please don't go, no matter how much you scream,

all it will do is quietly stir these orange petals

Saved on my soft brow,

I send the memories in my palm far away

An eternal farewell as I keep strumming/

She sat crosslegged on her daybed right beneath the window, leaning against the wall. A guitar rested gently on her lap. She smiled slightly as she ran a finger down the metal string, remembering the times when her love had first gotten the guitar. He had bought it secretly, practiced secretly, and played it on her birthday. She had laughed in delight. Amused by what beautiful music it could create, she had learned to play it as well. Not as well as her love, but it was good enough.

Yasashii te ni sugaru kodomo no kokoro wo

Moesakaru kuruma ha furiharai susumu

Yuku hito no nageki wo kanadete GITAARA

Mune no ito hageshiku kakinarashite

/ The heart of a child clinging to a gentle hand

The blazing wheels cast it off and continue on

On this guitar I'm playing the grief of someone who's passed on

The strings in my heart being plucked at violently/

Unfortunately, he died suddenly one day. It was a shock to everyone, no one knew he had been sick, though Cagalli had noticed he had gone paler and seemed weaker as the days passed. He had always shrugged it off, saying "Lack of sleep, I've been busy lately". The funeral was a depressing time. Everyone who knew him was there, be it Coordinator or Natural.

Aa kanashimi ni somaranai shirosa de

ORENJI no hanabira yureteta natsu no kage ni

Yawarakana hitai wo nakushite mo

Akaku someta suna haruka koete yuku

Sayonara no RIZUMU

/In the pure white unstained by sorrow,

the orange petals stirred in a summer shadow

Even if my soft brow is lost,

I'll cross over the far off, red-stained sand

The rhythm of farewell/

The flowers were tossed gently on the coffin. Cagalli leaned down to give her love one last kiss before it was closed. They lowered it on the ground and began to bury it. Cagalli stood before the grave until they were finished. One last tear fell, and she bowed, turned and left. That was three weeks ago. She let no more tears fall, but he was still in her mind, in everything she did.

Omoide wo yakitsukushite susumu daichi ni

Natsukashiku me fuite yuku mono ga aru no

/Branded into my memories, on the ever-turning earth,

there is something sprouting in remembrance/

She looked at the ring that was at her finger. One of the last memories of him lay in it. For the first time, noticing that she had seemed thinner than she had been before, but she didn't mind. All that was in her mind… was him. Going to stay with Kira and Lacus didn't help much, it calmed her down only slightly.

Akatsuki no kuruma wo miokutte

ORENJI no hanabira yureteru ima mo dokoka

Itsuka mita yasurakana yoake wo

Mou ichido te ni suru made

Kesanaide tomoshibi

Kuruma ha mawaru yo

/ Sending off the dawn's carriage

Those orange petals are stirring somewhere even now

The peaceful daybreak I once saw

Until it is placed in my hands once more,

please don't let the light go out

The wheels are turning/

She plucked one of the strings. Then another. Then another. Happy that it was in tune, she played a simple melody. Smiling, she began another song, accompanying it with her voice. It would be a song for her love. She did not know it would be her last.

"Aa kanashimi ni somaranai shirosa de

Orenji no hanabira yureteta natsu no kage ni

Yawarakana hitai wo nakushite mo

Akaku someta suna haruka koete yuku

Sayonara no rizumu…"

With her last breath singing softly the last note, a last smile, a last tear. The guitar slipped off her lap, and fell on the ground, breaking the body of the acoustic.

Lacus, who was in the house, heard the crash, ran quickly to the room. Opening the door, she gasped. Kira followed quickly after. Kira put an arm gently around Lacus. "We knew it was to happen. Ever since he told us. It's for the best," he said, a voice echoing in his head,"Don't tell her about this. It'll just make her worried'"
'Stupid. You don't tell her, and you died. And because of her depression and your sickness, so did she.' The voice in Kira's head laughed. "Well, think of it this way. If we told her, she'd be depressed either way, right? And now, she had longer to live."

'You fool! She struggled to live each day! She loved you! Trusted you! You should have just told her, and you could probably be alive now!'

"I suppose so. I should take her with me now then, I guess. Look closely. Lacus may not be able to see me. Tell her what happened after we leave."

An angel form appeared next to Kira. Smiling sadly, he walked forwards to Cagalli. "I'm sorry," he began softly. "I didn't want you to worry so." Cagalli didn't answer. She looked up, in a hypnotized daze. A hand reached out towards the angel. His smile lightened, and he took her hand, pulling her soul gently from her body. "Thank you again, Kira. See you around, and don't make the same mistake I did." he said. "Goodbye." Kira replied. "Take good care of my sister." Pulling Cagalli into a loving embrace, he nodded, his white wings wrapped around them and they vanished. "You can count on me."

Lacus just blinked. 'Who was Kira talking to?' She was confused at Kira's smile. He looked at her and began to explain.

Cagalli awoke a while later in the angel's arms. Realising who it was, she smiled, and hugged him. "Good morning, President Attha.How was your sleep?" She laughed. "Why aren't you working? I thought that was your job." She mock-sniffed. He grinned.

"She's gone." Kira simply said. Lacus nodded. "As long as they're together. I guess everything is alright." "Ah, yes."

"You better take good care of her, Athrun."

Owari