Tsubame: Hehehehehe…again thank you for all your reviews and replies. I'm going to believe in the power of ASUCAGA! I won't give up writing about them! I don't care what Fukuda says…well…maybe a little since he is the director. It really encourages me to go on…
I don't have time to reply one by one anymore…hehehehe…I'm just going to say the same thing anyway…THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!
SeungLee: Thank you for your reply…I really appreciate it more than ever…my friends have started writing like me too. When I read their works and compare them to mine. I just feel like an amateur. I feel like I'm in a table full of professionals here. I know it is wrong to be jealous of friends but I don't know. I guess I've never really had competition before…they are waayyyy…better…
Garowyn: Thanks for the reply. I appreciate you taking the time…your right. I do lack descriptions. That is what everybody says when I ask them to criticize my work. It's very hard for me. I just have trouble playing with words I guess. I'll try to be more descriptive here…
Jihae: Hmmmm…maybe I have been rushing this fic recently…about the typos maybe I can get an editor or something…
anybody here willing to apply? Hehehehehehe…the pay is reading the next chappie before it comes out! I'm the one desperate here! hehehehe.. just kidding…
Sleeping Forest: I knew it! They are OOC! That is what is bad about writing a fic without even seeing the anime… Thanks for the review…but I have a feeling that I do lack something and I'm not going to give up without finding out what it is exactly…
Feyris: Yehay! She is alive! Hehehehe…welcome back!
Chapter 7: Lost
"Where is that Athrun?" Kira mumbled. "It is not like him to be gone this long."
After two dances with Cagalli, Kira returned to his wife. Andy was waiting for Cagalli. But then Kira told her that the Prince of Spain wanted to talk to her. It wasn't really a lie…the prince really did want to talk to her. It was supposed to be on the appointment the next day though. But Cagalli and Andy just can't be left alone together.
Not unless Andy never wants to see the light of day again.
Lacus gave him an assuring hug. She understood what he meant. Though Athrun was always busy with security, he checked up on Cagalli almost every ten minutes. This really wasn't like him. He has been gone for almost an hour. What in the world could take him this long?
Lacus smiled and had him face her. "Athrun is fine. Don't worry so much."
He shook his head. "Lacus, I can't get rid of the feeling that something is keeping him. That he is in trouble." He turned to his sister.
She was again buried in a crowd of aristocrats and diplomats. Andy was beside her and he was thankfully not touching her. She was surrounded with inquiries and questions and every few minutes engage in a heated debate with somebody. That should keep her busy for a while.
"I'm going to go look for him," he told her. "There has to be a reason."
"Are you sure?"
He nodded. "He must be in some kind of trouble."
Lacus nodded. She too was worried about Athrun after all. "Okay, but come back as soon as you find him?"
Kira smiled. "Of course."
"Hmmm…" Lacus began to tinker with her pink Haro that Athrun gave once upon a time. The round little ball was making all kinds of annoying noises again. "What shall I do while you're gone, Kira?"
He grinned. "Why don't you and your little Haro sing a song for these poor souls?" he suggested. "Ever since I swept you off your feet, you don't give them that pleasure anymore."
She giggled. "Maybe because you always keep me for yourself…"
"Oh…and I was trying so hard not to be obvious." He teased. Then he took her hand and kissed it. "But seriously…although I hate sharing you…I'll make an exception tonight."
"It would be wonderful to sing in front of an audience again…" she sighed. "But I don't know…"
"You can do it." He kissed her lightly before walking towards the exit. "Oh, and Jack is over there," he said pointing to a large and mean looking man watching them in the far side of the room. "Don't worry. If anybody gives you trouble while I'm gone, I told Jack to TAKE CARE of them."
Lacus almost groaned. Her husband as usual was being paranoid again but then again…she loved him anyway. "I'll be fine…"
Kira nodded then left to look for his bestfriend.
"Pssst…Annie," Natsumi whispered seeing Kira leave the ballroom. "Isn't that Ms. Cagalli's brother?"
Annie turned towards the brunette boy leaving the ballroom with haste. She frowned like she had just drunk sour milk. "Yes! He's the guy that interferes every time big brother even touches Ms. Cagalli."
"What are we going to do, Annie?" the bestfriend asked. "It looks like he's going to look for Mr. Dino!"
She was quiet for a moment but then she said. "Let him…"
"What! But…bu…but, Annie!"
This time Annie was grinning that grin that told her she had a plan… "Let him find him…because, Natsumi, I have another plan." There was that evil glint in her eye this time.
Natsumi couldn't help but grin too… this ought to be good…
"Let me out!" Athrun hollered at the top of his lungs while pounding on the two-inch thick door. "Let me out of here!"
Of course no reply came. He knew the only sounds heard from outside were muffled noises and not loud enough to reach the guards.
"Great!" he groaned. "I'm going to be stuck here for hours and Cagalli…" he clenched his fists angrily. He and Cagalli were supposed to be together tonight. That guy…he better not do anything to Cagalli or he'll…he'll…he'll…all he knows that he will not be responsible for broken bones and blood loss…
"Annie!" he hollered again. "Let me out!"
He had been right all along. His only mistake here was trusting Annie. She is after all that guy's sister. They both might have planned this whole set up to take Cagalli from him. They were going to have to do better than this to get him down.
Athrun gave up on the door. Nobody was going to come that was for sure. The door is two-inch thick and solid steel. There were windows all around thankfully so he can breathe. Unfortunately, no way was he going to fit in that 6x6 inch windows, so he can't escape through there. He didn't remember assigning guards there either and even if he did Annie would have just done something to distract them anyway.
He walked to the walls and began tapping and feeling them looking for a button… a lever or anything to activate a secret passage…
He had the coordinator's photographic memory. Before signing this place up as the location for the anniversary, he took a look at the blueprints for this place. It was for well, security purposes and such…he knew this place had secret passages everywhere…all he had to do was find one.
"It had to be here…somewhere," he thought.
Minutes passed and nothing. He finally dropped down and leaned on the wall…frustrated.
"Where is it?" he looked at his watch. He has been stuck in the closet for twenty minutes now… he had spent thirty minutes looking for that earring…he's been missing for almost an hour. "What am I going to do?"
Suddenly, the door burst open and Kira came running in. "Athrun, are you in here?" he finally saw him on the floor. "Athrun?"
"Kira?" Athrun was confused. What was his bestfriend doing here? And boy was he a sight for sore eyes. "What? How? When?"
Kira walked towards him and kneeled down on the floor beside him. "Athrun, what in the world are you doing in a closet?"
"Long story," he said, rolling his eyes. "You have no idea what I went thought the past hour…"
"What?" he asked. "Tell me. My sister's been worried, you know…"
"Really?" Athrun breathed a sigh of relief. So she hasn't fallen into that senator's arms…yet…"Well, it's good to see you. I'd really like to get out of here."
Kira nodded. "Sure, no problem… let's go."
Athrun and Kira stood up and dusted off their pants. "Kira…"
"Yeah?"
"How did you find me?"
"Huh? Oh, that little girl told me that you're trapped here," he shrugged.
Athrun froze all of a sudden. "Little girl?"
Kira nodded. He couldn't understand what the sudden change in attitude meant. "Yes. She is very sweet actually," he said smiling. "
"Blonde hair? Blue eyes? About twelve?" Athrun gulped.
Kira nodded. "Yes, I think she is that senator's younger sister. I think her name was Annie. Why? Do you know her?"
"Kira, we have to get out of here…NOW!" he began running towards the door.
"Athrun? Wha---"
The door slammed shut again and Athrun groaned. Kira stared at the closed door for a moment not really understanding. "The wind?"
Athrun punched the door and exerted as much of his anger as he could. "Not unless the wind comes with blonde hair, blue eyes, twelve years old…and goes by the name on Annie Collins."
Outside, two little girls were now freely laughing their hearts out. They had just tricked two grown men; not just ordinary men…coordinators…and soldiers and ace pilots of war. Of course they didn't really know this. They were innocents concerning the war.
Natsumi covered her mouth, trying to quiet herself and failing. "Annie, you are a genius!"
Annie blew on her fingers, rubbed it on the collar of her dress and trying to look like a know-it-all. "Yes, I know." She was really enjoying this. She never really thought that they could use the same trick on Ms. Cagalli's older brother too. But it worked like a charm. This was more fun for her than tricking their maids and butlers at home…
Actually, the servants seem to dread her now…they even shiver at the mere mention of her name.
Kira turned out to be as much as a sucker for tears as Athrun. She faked tears and told Kira that Mr. Dino was trapped and she was too weak to open such a big door.
Natsumi looked at the door. She could here faint pounding from within. She knew it had to be Mr. Dino. "How long are we going to keep them in there, Annie?"
"Hmmm… just an hour more probably," she replied. "Without them around, there won't be anything to interfere with Ms. Cagalli and big brother."
"They better make it quick. I don't think that door will hold those two for long," Natsumi said, biting her lip. "Especially Mr. Dino."
"You've been duped? By a kid?" Kira asked trying to hide his laughter. Athrun knew Kira better than that though. He knew that his bestfriend at that moment wanted to burst out laughing.
"Speak for yourself," he growled. "You're in here too."
Kira frowned. He was leaning on the wall. He had mixed feeling with the sight of Athrun hopelessly pounding on the door. Should he feel amused? Or worried?
They've been stuck in the closet for almost ten minutes now. As much as Kira cared for his besfriend, this was not the kind of bonding that he had in mind. Duped by a kid. "But I've only been duped once. You've been duped twice by the same girl too."
"Shut up, Kira," Athrun spat. "You didn't spend an hour doing the things I've been doing."
The brunette sighed. Athrun was right and they should be doing something now. "What do we do now?"
"The walls…feel the walls and look for a button or lever of some sort," pounding his head on the steel door. "Don't be too optimistic though. I've been looking for it for half an hour."
Kira nodded and began feeling the walls. He froze and turned to his bestfriend. "Athrun? By button, did you mean this?"
The wall slid open revealing a dark passageway but who knew where it will take them.
Athrun stared with openmouthed amazement. "Bu---but--- how? I've been looking for that for the---"
Kira rolled his eyes. "Athrun, do you want to spend the whole night asking and wondering or do you want to get out of here?"
Athrun blinked but then nodded. He'll begin asking the questions later…
"Cagalli," Athrun whispered as he took her in his arms. "You know she died honorably, don't you?"
"Athrun," she embraced him back. She had just found out that her friend, Persephone had died trying to protect her family from the Dullindal's attacking forces. Unfortunately, even her family died too. "She…Persephone…she was my friend. She was only fifteen! She had dreams of going to college and becoming a doctor to save people! That was all she ever wanted…"
Athrun had entered the office in time to see Cagalli shaking and crying at the file in front of her. Without any thought of royal courtesy, he took her in his arms and tried to soothe her grieving heart. Again…she had lost another good soul.
They were in her office and she had just received the report on the number and names of the casualties and MIA. Persephone, a teenage volunteer Cagalli met was one of those MIA. With her cheerful blue eyes and light brown hair, she was a vision of sunshine and truly believed that they can achieve peace.
Cagalli was impressed by the girl's at times naïve beliefs but couldn't help liking the girl.
"Cagalli…" he started to say.
"What has she ever done to deserve to die!" she demanded. "What? All…all…she ever wanted was to save everybody."
"Cagalli, she knew the risks. She knew that in the war she could die at any moment and that she might not leave the battlefield alive."
"But Athrun…"
He shushed her and kissed her forehead. "She's at peace now. She didn't die in vain. Never for one moment think that she did."
"She made me believe that we really could achieve peace…"
"And we did…"
"But at what cost!" she pushed him roughly away. She was breathing heavily. "She's not even here to enjoy the peace that she helped achieve."
Athrun didn't reply. She walked towards the window and stared at the sky. It was clear, sunny and beautiful. Persephone was an incredible jet pilot though she was only fifteen. She loved the sky and said it was her home. During the war, her plane was shot down. It crashed ten miles from shore. Her family never made it to shelter…
Cagalli was wearing her Representative's uniform. It was strange…to see this strong leader break down and cry for this one young girl.
"And for how long, Athrun?" she asked then turned to face him. "How long will this 'peace' last? In a year or two…another war might break and then her sacrifice will become in vain."
She never noticed that he appeared now directly behind her. "Then we will keep fighting." He replied. He took her face in his hands and with his thumb gently wiped the last traces of tears on her face. "There…there… Don't cry. She would really hate to see you cry like this."
"But…"
"… And I will be right here beside you…I will protect you…and I have a feeling…that from where she is, Persephone will too."
Cagalli felt the tears stinging in her eyes. For a moment, she could see Persephone's laughing face again and telling her that everything will be all right. "I will protect everyone!" the young girl promised with much optimism and determination sparkling in her eyes.
Cagalli just remembered smiling and giving the rookie a light pat on the head. "I'm sure you will…" she replied.
The tears finally came and Cagalli jumped into his arms. "Athrun, I don't want to lose anyone anymore!"
She tried to lose herself to the scent of his cologne…his leather jacket…with her tears staining his green shirt. He didn't mind…
"I know. I don't to lose anyone else either," he held her trembling body closer. "I especially don't want to lose you, Cagalli." He tipped her chin to have her look to him. "I love you, Cagalli. You know that, don't you?"
She nodded. "I will do anything to protect you too, Athrun, with all my heart." That was the closest thing to 'I love you' she's ever said.
"I know you will." He leaned down and closed his eyes. Cagalli wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes to meet his lips with hers.
"I love you," she thought.
"Ms. Cagalli? Are you alright?"
Cagalli awoke from her trance. "Huh? What is it, Ahf…I mean… Andy?"
"Ms. Cagalli, you seemed a bit distracted," he told her. "Are you alright?" he placed his hand on her shoulder. She stiffened under his touch.
She shrugged his hand away. "I'm fine. I'm…just a little worried about…Athr… Alex."
He nodded but said nothing. Cagalli Yula Attha, she was just within his reach yet she was untouchable to him. All the ever thought about was her bodyguard. He was jealous…jealous that she could really care for somebody this much…but it isn't him.
She became quiet again and every few minutes checked the entrance for any sign of him.
"Where are you, you idiot?"
"Natsumi, they're quiet."
The two were still standing guard outside. They were surprised at the silence from within the closet. There was no more pounding or shouting or anything. It was like they disappeared.
Hesitantly, they opened the door just a crack.
"Annie!" Natsumi exclaimed. "They're not here!"
Annie began pacing. "Where could have they gone?" she turned to Natsumi. "This used to be your house. Do you have any idea where they could have gone?"
Natsumi used to live in that house before she became an actress. But then she and her family moved and sold the house to the Orb government since it is one of the oldest mansions in the country. It was a historical landmark. She thought for a moment then snapped her fingers. "Could have they've known about the secret passages?"
"Secret passages?"
She nodded. "They're everywhere in the house."
Annie nodded with understanding. "The passage here. Where does it lead?"
"The garden…"
"Are we there yet?"
"For the last time, Athrun, not yet!" Kira shouted. Kira was leading them down the long corridor. Isn't it convenient that Kira has a flashlight pen?
After five minutes of non-stop walking, they finally reached a dead end. "Well, this is it. Now what?"
Athrun frowned. "According to the blueprints, we should find a cord that will trigger an exit. Right over…" he aimed the light at the right side of the dead end. "…here."
Sure enough, they found a cord dangling from the roof. Athrun pulled it and a door slid open.
"Finally…" Athrun sighed with relief as he stepped into what looked like an enormous garden. So far, Athrun could see three fountains and probably every flower known to man. "Over there! That's the direction to the balcony according to the blueprints."
"Well then? Let's go." He knew that Lacus would be worried about him now.
"Wait a minute." He stopped upon seeing a red rosebush. It was surrounded by the white ones. When they were younger, Cagalli used to be called the Desert Rose. She didn't use the much title anymore though. Maybe she was shy but nobody but Athrun ever called that anymore. Every once in a while Athrun still teased her about it and she still blushed every time he did.
It really surprised the two that there was only one red rosebush. It is either the previous owner loved white roses very much or she wanted to emphasize the beauty of the red. Athrun didn't really mind. Just like Cagalli, she is the red among the white. She is one in a million and he isn't about to let her go.
When he saw it, he couldn't help but want to pick one for Cagalli. His precious rose… he picked one up and gazed at it for a moment…smiling. Then he fashioned it on his front jacket pocket. He couldn't wait to give it to her later.
"Ready to go now, loverboy!" Kira rolled his eyes. And Cagalli thought he was mushy…
"Yup!"
Then a scream was heard. It sounded like somebody was in trouble. "HELP ME! AHHHH!"
Both boys turned to the scream. "Kira, somebody's in trouble." He began running towards the sound. Not even stopping to think…
Kira nodded and followed him. Both boys could never ignore somebody in trouble. "Where is it coming from?"
"Over here!" he said entering a passage with walls made of stone and covered with vines. "Over here!" turning to a curve.
Many twists, curves and turns followed after that, desperate to reach the scream but to no avail. It was as if the screams were getting farther and farther away from them but getting more and more desperate by the second. Then the screams for help stopped.
Then Athrun stopped, looked around. He finally realized what had happened and let out a shout of dismay. He then proceeded to punch the walls.
"Maybe the trouble is over?" Kira suggested. He didn't like the murderous look on his friend's face.
Athrun shook his head.
Kira began to look around. The walls had to be twenty feet tall and the surface? It was very smooth. "Athrun, where in the world are we? You do know the way back, right?"
He shook his head. He was too busy concentrating on the voice and desperate to help that he never even took note of where they went in out and much less where they were exactly. "Kira, we've just been duped again…" He whispered viciously.
"What?"
"I don't know where we are but I know exactly what this is. I saw it in the blueprints too," he replied.
"What? What are you talking about, Athrun?"
"Kira, we're lost. This is…" he paused then folded his arms. "A maze…"
Tsubame: Another brilliant trap by Annie and Natsumi. Hehehe…Why torture just one bishie when you can torture two! HAHAHAHAHA…
As I was writing the Persephone part, I was listening to Gundam Seed midis! You know what? While I was listening, it reached Nicol's piano piece and the idea just came to me. So I guess you don't wonder now about Persephone now. I also haven't written about Athrun and Cagalli interactions in a long time so I wanted to write one here….hehehehe…I hope it isn't too corny…
I seem to write a lot better while listening to midis. Does that work on you too?
Constructive criticisms please!