Chapter 25 Together Forever
A/N: Ok this is the last chapter. Don't fret though, I've got another upcoming Athrun&Cagalli fic, its title will be featured in my author's note at the end of this chappie. For now, I just want to thank all my supportive reviewers and all those who have given me inspiration! Enjoy this last chapter!
"You're not concentrating enough, dear. Like this. Focus on the person and picture his or her face in your mind, concentrate hard and you will then be able to see his or her aura."Explained Lenore patiently. The blonde girl she was trying very desperately to teach couldn't help but admire Lenore for her patience.
"Ok, you can do this Cagalli," the blonde mother thought to herself, as she took in a deep breath and focused on her baby. Cagalli had initially wanted to practice on Lenore instead, but then found that it was somewhat rude, since Lenore was her elder.
"That's it, maintain your posture, focus and breathing. Picture Aaron's face," Lenore coaxed on, as she watched Cagalli fight for concentration, focusing on her baby son's face.
Cagalli felt an odd tingling sensation before she relaxed her eye muscles and gasped, there was a dream bubbled hovering over Aaron's head, and in that bubble showed Aaron's true emotions and intentions.
The blonde teen mother chuckled as she watched her baby's aura. Aaron was feeling ecstatic, and was thinking about feeding again. Cagalli had just breastfed him lest than a quarter of an hour ago, he couldn't possibly be hungry again.
"I've got it, yes!" said Cagalli enthusiastically, punching her fist into the air as she picked Aaron up from the high-chair he was sitting in and spun him around, before kissing him on the forehead.
Lenore tittered at her daughter-in-law's action, "I'm glad you've learnt how to see people's auras now, honey. Though this isn't the end, it's only the beginning. You've still got to learn how to speak to people even though they're not with you, and how to retract and spread out your wings."
Cagalli froze in her actions, "I have wings? And what's this about being to speak to people when they're not with you, it sounds preposterous!"
"Yes, it's preposterous in the Mortal World, but not here. This way of communication is called 'Mind Communing'. It's the most popular way of communication here," stated Lenore smartly, changing the water in all of her vases, and making the weird flowers in them perk up instantly and brighten in terms of colour.
"I think I'll teach you how to spread your wings out first, it'll be our method of transport later on when we set out in search of Athrun." Said Lenore clearing her throat and gesturing to Cagalli to take a quick look at her own wings before they started off on Lesson 2.
Cagalli was still rather dumbstruck about the fact that she had her own pair of wings, and that she would be able to fly with them, like Lenore had told her about.
"Now, it's really easy, you just have to contract your shoulder muscles and once your body senses that you want to extend your wings, your wings will spread out." Said Lenore, giving a demonstration by using her own pair of grey wings.
"I'll try, but I'm not promising anything. You've seen for yourself how much of a slow learner I am," said Cagalli deliberately, settling Aaron back into his high-chair and doing just as Lenore had instructed.
Cagalli flexed her shoulder muscles and felt a strange rumbling feeling just by her shoulder blades, and when she saw Lenore smiling widely at her, she gathered up all her courage and looked over her back. To her utmost amazement, Cagalli saw that she had extended her own pair of white wings.
"They're perfect, flying is no problem. It'll come as a second nature the moment you start trying, it's just like walking except in the air." Said Lenore, picking Aaron up and cradling him in her arms as the baby boy looked rather drowsy.
"Now, I have to learn Mind Communing?" asked Cagalli, looking over at Lenore.
Athrun's mother smiled, "Yes, absolutely."
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Meanwhile, back in the Mortal World, things were pretty much back to normal. Other than Lord Uzumi's constant grieving, and the bunch's sadness for their friend's deaths, things were definitely starting to perk up.
In fact, Kira and Lacus had already discussed marriage, and were certain they wanted to spend the rest of their lives in each other's arms. Lacus had broken the news to Kyo, Yzak, Dearka and Miriallia just minutes ago, and already the pink-haired girl had influenced Kyo greatly.
As for Mia Campbell, Lord Uzumi had hired her to be one of the handmaidens at Orb, and ever since she had turned over a new leaf, she had made countless friends, some handmaidens, others receptionists or secretaries.
"It's great that the both of you have finally decided on marriage, though Dearka and I have chosen to wait another six months before we think about tying the knot." Said Miriallia wisely, leaning back onto Dearka's chest.
"I'm so excited, and since I don't want to do it alone with Kira, I have asked Kyo to join us if she and Yzak are ready." Said Lacus, giggling away as she looked at Kyo and Yzak, who were dumbstruck.
"You'd better say yes, Yzak. She's pretty and sexy; you don't want anyone snatching her away from you. But of course, Mirre's way sexier." Said Dearka, afraid that Milly might pinch him.
"Shut up, Dearka," snapped Yzak heatedly, crossing his arms in front of Kyo, who was standing in front of him.
"Are you saying you won't say yes?" asked Kira teasingly, looking over at the young Jule, who was reddening in the face.
"Come on Yzak, you know you want to. Besides, after you get married, on the wedding night she'll be all yours. You'll get to do whatever you want with her, you know you're aching to please her, to touch her, to… OW!" howled Dearka, when he received a hard smack on the head from Miriallia and a kick in the shin from Kyo.
"Yes, he'll be able to legally have sex with me after we're married, and yes he'll be able to touch me all he likes, but you don't have to emphasize on it, Dearka Elthman!" barked Kyo annoyed, hands on her hips as she glared at Dearka.
"So is it a yes, or a no?" asked Kira, circling the young Jule, who was slowly losing his patience. The platinum blonde had never liked being interrogated or being watched this intently.
"What d'you think I'd say? It'd be the first answer you'd think of, yes." Said Yzak, quietening down at his last word.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Brilliant!" exclaimed Lenore Zala, clapping her hands together, clearly pleased with Cagalli's marvellous performance. The blonde girl had finally completed her learning journey, and had learnt Mind Communing a lot faster than when she had started off.
"Now, while you were having a few practices earlier on, I checked up on my dearest son again, and it appears he's been moving around. He's no longer on Springflower Vale; he's on Aspiring Cove now. That's about two miles from Springflower Vale." Stated Lenore Zala calmly, cradling a sleeping Aaron in her arms.
"So how do we find him?" questioned Cagalli curiously, extending her wings and looking at them over her shoulder.
"Well there's only one way to find him, isn't it? We'll just have to look for him. It won't be easy though, he's constantly moving around. I will try Mind Communing to communicate with him, but since he hasn't mastered that skill yet, I don't know if he'll get my message." Sighed the female senior Zala, who concentrated hard, attempting to communicate with her lost son.
Cagalli was rocking a sleepy baby Zala, who had stirred a little, when his grandmother had passed him on to his blonde mother, who had always welcomed him with warm and loving arms.
After minutes of hard concentration, Lenore gave up trying, wiping beads of sweat from her forehead with some tissue paper.
"It's not much use I'm afraid, we'll just have to look for him the hard way, and pray he stays in one place." Said Lenore, grabbing her handbag and extending her own pair of grey wings, "We'll bring Aaron, you can carry him, you won't be using your arms to fly anyway."
The duo and the baby Zala set off soon after, hoping to find their lost relative, who probably felt like he was wandering aimlessly in some weird world, not knowing if he was dead or alive.
The blonde girl had found that her mother-in-law's words were right, and that flying came like a second nature to her.
"How long will it take for us to get to wherever Athrun is?" asked Cagalli, trying to keep her eyes open, as the wind was whipping through her face and brushing her fringe in the way of her vision.
"About 10 minutes if we're lucky," replied Lenore sweetly, "Do look out for other people flying, and there are birds as well, and they won't like it if you cash into them."
"I'll take note," said Cagalli smiling down at Aaron, who had awakened fully and was now enjoying the very cool breeze blowing past him as he lay cradled in his mother's arms.
Cagalli couldn't help but gaze down at the amazing scenery she was seeing below her as she flew high above in the innocent blue skies. There were enormous oak trees, which were pruning themselves, and there were also long running rivers, which were a rich colour of navy blue.
"Beautiful isn't it?" said Lenore, looking over at the blonde teenage mother, who just smiled from ear to ear and nodded happily, shifting her baby up higher in her arms, afraid she might drop him.
"Don't worry, even if you drop him, the clouds would catch him," alleged Lenore, looking down at the white fluffy figures below her. Seeing the blonde mother looked rather confused, Lenore continued explaining, "The clouds can actually see us, so if you drop Aaron, they'll swerve in and catch him. So he'll land on them,"
"Wow, that's interesting. I never thought that a world like this would ever exist, except in fantasy dreams." Affirmed Cagalli, looking down at the fluffy clouds and smiling down at them. To her amazement, the cloud directly below her swooped up and carried her.
Lenore smiled, "We're off to Aspiring Cove, care to take us there?"
The cloud made no reply, but just collected Lenore off and sped off at such a fast speed, all Cagalli saw was a blur of blue and white.
Finally, the cloud slowed down and Lenore gestured to Cagalli to get off. The blonde girl slipped off the cloud and extended her wings once more, flying downwards in Lenore's wake.
Cagalli was rather relieved to feel her feet back on the ground when she landed with Aaron safely cradled in her arms.
"Now, let's hope Athrun's still around here somewhere." Whispered Lenore looking around for any sign of her grown-up son.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Athrun had been walking constantly for hours, and his legs were aching like hell. The blue-haired co-ordinator finally approached a little crystal clear stream and sat down on a rock by its bank.
Like Cagalli once was, Athrun was amazed to see little colourful guppies swimming in unison together in the stream and the flowers by the stream were literally dancing in the wind. However, nothing could beat the fact that he felt undoubtedly lonely and lost.
The young Zala had no clue where he was or even if he was alive or not. He had been seeing weird things, winged people, dancing flowers, and weird swimming fish. He missed Cagalli, he missed Aaron, and he missed Kira and the others.
Athrun looked up at the sky above him, willing himself not to cry. For once he felt ever so lost and unknowing of what to do, he wanted Cagalli to be there, to hold him and embrace him like she always did.
Suddenly, the blue-haired co-ordinator felt a pair of warm and loving arms wrap themselves around him. They felt familiar, and he recognised that scent of chamomile and roses, the scent of his mother, but it couldn't be, his beloved mother, Lenore Zala, was dead.
Yet the pair of arms that were embracing him weren't Cagalli's, and Athrun was very sure it was indeed Lenore Zala, the mother he loved ever so dearly. The mother he only remembered so clearly in his memory.
Slowly, Athrun turned around to face the woman behind him. Those emerald eyes, midnight-blue hair just like his, the face of his mother.
Athrun's eyes widened in absolute disbelief, his eyes soon swimming in tears.
"Yes darling, it is me, now rise and come to me." Whispered Lenore Zala, taking his arms off her son, and walking backwards slowly.
Athrun hesitantly got up, following in the footsteps of his mother, before he flew into her arms, burying his head into her shoulder, holding her close and never wanting to let go of her. He had already lost her once, he didn't want to lose her again.
Memories of his mother flooded Athrun's mind as he silently cried on, his tears flowing freely. Images of Cagalli and his son, Aaron Zala, spun in his mind. Athrun remembered Cagalli's voice, her touch and her scent. Only then, did the young Zala realise that the blonde girl truly meant more than his life to him.
"Look up, Athrun, look up. Tell me what you see," whispered Lenore, urging her son to free his face from her shoulder and look up at the two persons standing before him.
Athrun sluggishly tore his face away from his mother's shoulder, and opened his eyes wide, ready to welcome what he was about to see before him.
Instantly, Athrun's eyes widened considerably, his pupils enlarging as he stared at the smiling face of his beloved Cagalli Yula Athha and his laughing son, Aaron.
Lenore released Athrun from her grasp, letting her son run to his family, and embrace them all.
"Athrun, I'm so glad we found you, I was so worried." Said Cagalli, her voice quavering uncontrollably as she hugged Athrun tight, trying not to sandwich little Aaron between them both.
"This is paradise," said Athrun, wiping his tears away with his free hand.
"Of course, we're in heaven, the land of eternity," said Lenore wisely, urging the newest Zala family to look around.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
3 months later, two couples back down in the Mortal World celebrated the event of matrimony. Lacus Clyne was now Lacus Yamato and Kyo Zala was now Kyo Jule, and many happy events had followed after their marriage.
Dearka and Milly had also decided to tie the knot after witnessing their friends' weddings, and Lacus and Kira were also expecting their first child, and her pregnancy was confirmed. Meanwhile, Kyo and Yzak had been trying for their first child, and things were getting pretty much better, as Kyo had missed her period for two months already.
At the same time up in the Land of Eternity, Mrs. Cagalli Yula Zala is expecting her second child fathered by Athrun Zala and is learning how to cook from Lenore.
So, things have pretty much returned to normal, or even better.
A/N: Aaaah! This is the end! Thank you to all my reviewers and supporters, and to everyone who has given me inspiration! Sorry if the last chapter was a little rushed! Don't fret about this last chappie, as I have another Athrun&Cagalli fanfic coming up, its title is "Remember Me". Do look out for it! Thank you so much to all!