The journey back to Orb from the United States of South America was by plane. It was about a day's flight to get back. Mu and Andrew were sitting next to one another. Andrew was trying to doze off when Mu nudged him.
"Wait!" Mu spoke in the best hushed whisper he could. "The princess is the mongoose! That's why she pointed a gun a met and that's what you meant by history with my bloodline?" Mu was connecting the dots. "Then-that means she's going to go after him too?! The mongoose will go after the cobra. Its natural!"
Andrew moved his head to look at him. Mu couldn't believe what was going on. "Yes. And that's why I said an enemy of our enemy is our friend. However, the question is why would she go after your bloodline. What is it that makes you and the clones her enemy?"
Mu was stunned at this question. "Huh? I-I don't know."
Andrew moved his head back. "That's the next question on my mind. What is it that made her want to strike you down? She wasn't like that with Rau. Those two had an eight-year difference. About half that between her and Rey. Never once heard any hostility between them. In fact, it was the opposite. Lots of stories about how Rau was entertaining someone important. I thought it was Lacus until Sven pointed it out to me. From what I saw, Rau was infatuated with the princess."
Mu scrunched his eyebrows together. "That's odd. He hated both Naturals and Coordinators. He hated my father for using him as tool. Rau was to be the heir. He was taught how to be with the elites. I was disinherited because of my genetics. I was 'impure.' Rau though." Mu could still remember back then. "When I first met him at the house by accident, it felt odd. Then when he set the house on fire, killing my parents in the process, I no longer knew what happened to him afterwards. Had no idea he was the clone from then when we fought in the First PLANT-Alliance war. It wasn't until the end everything was revealed."
"Hm," Andrew was thinking about that. "He became a nihilistic omnicidal maniac and yet she never stopped him."
"Huh?" Mu glanced at him.
"Rau tried to kill off both Naturals and Coordinators, but where was she then?" Andrew stared at the ceiling. "She did have both her parents and aunt and uncle die. Then Sven disappeared. But Rau and Rey never shot off a beam and destroyed her vessel. So, what is it that makes all of you, her enemy?"
"Clones are illegal," Mu leaned back and stared at the ceiling with him. It's going to be a long flight.
"You're not a clone though," Andrew pointed out. "She wanted to end your life then. Besides, why end a life that had no choice in wanting to be born?"
"Maybe that's what it was," Mu joked. "When Rau was done living, she would end it."
"No, I don't think its that," Andrew smirked. "Too easy."
In between napping, eating, and using the restroom, the two would banter about different subjects. Sometimes it would be about the mission, the past, the present, gossip from the passengers sitting around them, and whatever else they could think of to pass the time.
When the two got back to Orb, they were greeted by Murrue. She was waiting for them to drive them back. She had been allowed back to do what she wanted full time now but to keep seeing the counselor every so often. She asked the two how the trip went. They had gotten results. She asked if they saw where they took her. The two shook their heads with guilt. Mu did tell her that Miriallia and Jess were on the case trying to find out. If it wasn't for them, they would have no luck or had to be there longer to find who was the person in charge.
Andrew asked if Cagalli was allowed to go back to work. Murrue stated that she also could go back. The two wondered how Cagalli and Athrun were doing. Murrue frowned. She explained that there was trouble in paradise but that was to be expected due to the positions they were in. Cagalli was civil when interacting with him in public but that's about it. Murrue didn't want to go further into details as that was not any of her business.
Cagalli and Athrun had to continue attending couples counseling. Even though Cagalli was happy to be back with him, when the counselor asked her about her overall feelings, she expressed that she didn't really know what to feel. This surprised Athrun, he didn't see it coming. Cagalli explained herself as they really didn't have a strong foundation to begin with. The two of them met in the midst of an ongoing war. Their first meeting they were trying to kill the other. Their second meeting was finding out he thought he had killed Kira and she had a gun pointed at him again. The two grew together of not wanting anymore bloodshed. She sent him off with a red stone as a good luck charm. There was the formation of the Three Ship Alliance. She would follow after him to make sure he would never do anything reckless. Cagalli thought everything was going smoothly then. All of them wanted peace. When she took up her father's position, Athrun wanted to stay beside her, protect her. She explained that she never really had a real relationship. She didn't know how to act on her feelings, how to communicate with one another. She just continuing on as normal.
She understood that Athrun must have felt hurt when the engagement to Yuna Roma Seiran was announced. It was a shock to her too. She couldn't get out of it. Her heart had already chosen Athrun. She did not love Yuna and only kept her to her duty; was right for her to do. It was also hard to go against her parents wishes. She explained that she did have a lot going on. Trying to fill her dad's shoes, trying to figure out what was best for Orb, trying to do so many things at once, that at times she was dropping what she could no longer hold. She felt guilty of dropping off Athrun's feelings.
With everything going on, trying to find her voice amongst all of those in Orb, she admitted she was bullied by Yuna. He controlled who she saw. Cagalli knew she could have rebelled against him, telling him no, but she thought of trying to see the bigger picture. She always hated being the princess but now she sees that a princess wasn't about dresses and balls it was about politics and backing. Cagalli thought that Athrun and Kira would understand as she needed to wear the shoes she once despised. She never meant to push either of them away. She admitted that all she could think about was Orb. She looked to Athrun in his eyes and apologized for neglecting his feelings. Athrun was struck by her honesty. She felt guilty for being manipulated by Yuna, agreeing to align with the Earth Alliance, going against everything they fought for in the first war, going against the principles of Orb itself.
She had tears streaming down her eyes when she told him that she did feel hurt when Athrun left to fight alongside ZAFT. She felt hurt that he had never contacted her or try to dissuade her at all for marrying Yuna. That it almost felt like all the times being together was no longer important. She could understand from his side but she asked him, didn't he love her? It shouldn't have matter who the man she was being forced to marry due to a prearrangement, didn't he love her enough to speak his side? To tell her his feelings. Athrun felt guilty about that. Cagalli continued. She gave the ring back because if he no longer loved her, it would just make it worse for her to always see it. Reminding her of what could have been. Reminding her heart of what it really wanted.
Cagalli wanted him to be in that mobile suit instead of Kira. She wanted Athrun to bring her back to reality, to remember what she was really fighting for. She hated one of their meetings after he had kissed her goodbye and placed a ring on her hand. She hated how he couldn't see how much his emotions were leading him away and how he had to go find himself yet he knew the answer all along. Cagalli said she understood though. She told them that's probably how Kira and him felt about her with Orb. Her emotions were getting the better of her.
Her tears falling heavily now. She had to wait a few moments to gain composure. Athrun wanted to hold onto her but he knew he couldn't. Cagalli sniffled. When her former bodyguard, Ledonir Kisaka, brought Athrun into the Archangel, she thought she would have lost him. That all their fighting seemed to mirror the first war. Did they not learn anything from that?
After the war, the two of them have been trying to rekindle what they had. Cagalli spoke how the two never really talked about the past except when he was brought in by her former body guard. That was the only time. Just once. It was almost like they tried to start anew. When she was recently captured, she could only think about her life, surviving. She felt so happy to be back but to also hear that Athrun was trying his best to look for her. She felt relief too. Cagalli explained that's why she didn't know what to really feel? Why should she feel relief to know Athrun was looking for her?
When it was Athrun's turn. He explained his side and his self. When she told him about the death of her father, it reminded him of his loss of his mother, how he felt when he comforted her, that their connection was getting stronger. That they had something in common and knew what it felt like to have a loss like that. Not many would know or would try to understand. The two of them were already trying to figure out what was right in the world and try to do what was right. When him and Lacus both agreed to break off their engagement, he could only see Cagalli in his eyes. It was her that persuaded him from suicide while trying to stop GENESIS.
Athrun did hate hearing how she was betrothed to Yuna. He knew that sacrificing fame in the PLANTs and ZAFT to be next her was a lot, even with hiding under an alias. Athrun believed he could handle it though. The two of them handled much worse before. Athrun did agree he that he should be blamed for some of the situations that happened. He was so used to being with Lacus as that engagement was basically prearranged. It was a political engagement. He only had to go through the motions and try his best to make a connection. He didn't really know what was real love either. He did have a deep connection with Lacus but nothing compared to him and Cagalli.
He was used to doing what he needed to do. Lacus and him never really got to meet up or speak to each other during the war. Yet, he knew Lacus would always be there waiting for him. Maybe that's why him and Cagalli had a hard time. He fell right back into doing things on his own because that's all he ever knew. He accepted accountability for not asking Cagalli for her thoughts or her opinions on the matter. Especially when it came to the attack on Amory One.
Athrun explained how at times it still haunts him when Cagalli hit her head in the cockpit of the mobile suit he was piloting. He felt so helpless seeing her unconscious with blood dripping down her face. He didn't have any political strength or backing to protect her. He knew Yuna despised him. Athrun felt he was being backed into a corner. He needed to do something. Athrun looked at Cagalli who was clutching a tissue. He never thought of giving up on her. He did want to be the man to steal her away from Yuna. Crashing the wedding, exclaiming that Cagalli was marrying him, not Yuna. He should have done that. Athrun agreed he was caught up in his emotions. Caught up from the past. He didn't want someone like his father, yet he was manipulated by Gilbert, to continue on with their prejudice plan. Both of them were controlled in some way.
Athrun grabbed Cagalli's hand. He stroked the left ring finger. He stared at it, stating how happy he was to see it upon her hand once more. He felt like he still had a chance after everything, but when he saw that she no longer wore it, it did sting. Athrun looked up at Cagalli. He understood. He put her through a lot. That at one point in time, neither of them trusted one another. He agreed that Cagalli was right. After all of the journey they did together during the first war, did it mean nothing to them in the second one?
Athrun shocked Cagalli when he stated he didn't want to start anew, he wanted to continue on. They went through so many obstacles to be where they are now, that if they did start anew, then it meant that the past would be wiped clean. Athrun didn't want the past to be gone. That was their past. Even thought they didn't see eye to eye on everything, he still wanted to hold onto it. He apologized for making her feel as if he didn't love her. Athrun exclaimed that he loved her very much. He couldn't see anyone else in his future, except her.
Cagalli cried once more as she braced him into a hug. It was good they were getting their sides heard and their feelings out. The counselor asked if there was anything else that needed to be out in the open. The two agreed they need to learn to communicate with one another, to learn they can depend on each other, and that their partner doesn't need to fulfill all aspects in their life.
Cagalli did glance away from Athrun. The counselor asked Cagalli to speak about it. Cagalli spoke with a hushed tone, that even though she trusts Athrun, the rumors of him being a womanizer did irk her. She brushed them off when he had been saved by her former body guard but it did sting to see a woman was brought with him. Hearing Athrun's full side and how he tried to get Meer to come with him at the time, didn't lessen it either. She did have a bit of resentment when she heard that Athrun had the injured woman's sister pining after him for a bit. Athrun balked at this accusation. He wanted to interject but the counselor stopped him. Cagalli was not finished. Cagalli knew that Athrun loved her but she did wonder if the engagement to Yuna did perspire these events or was Athrun really a charmer from the beginning and she never saw it. When Cagalli was finished, it was Athrun's turn. He didn't know what to say to that. He didn't ever think of himself like that or to treat women in that particular sort of sense. He agreed some of Lacus' fans were fans of him but he never saw them in a romantic light. He apologized about the rumors. He only has eyes for Cagalli. He hugged her once more. Cagalli cried again, apologizing for believing in those rumors and feeling insecure. He squeezed her once, stating it was understandable for her to be insecure about that. He was inconsistent with his love for her.
The counselor did recommend that the two take a break before coming together again fully. Letting the feelings settle. That's what Murrue was seeing while the Andrew and Mu were gone. She didn't know that the two had already made up and were letting everything sink in before going on their first date in long time.
Back at the compound, the two young men were gaining their strength back. The two were permitted to have physical therapy and to perform basic functions such as writing or typing. It was a slow pace for them but they were gradually building up. Diana had come by twice to meet them individually. On one of the occasions, she had left snacks she made for the young man with long brown hair. The young man with long, light green hair was about to take a snack after she had just left. The other one stopped him. The light green haired one asked if it could be poison. That wasn't it. Though it wouldn't seem logical to kill them off when they had just recovered. The one with the brown hair explained that he had a strong gut feeling about not eating her snacks. He explained that just thinking about eating her snacks, he wanted to vomit. This confused the other. Was she a bad cook? If so, then with him being in this state, she must have really tried hard to make it well. The brown haired one shook his head. He was going to have to trust his gut feeling. The light green haired one agreed. They almost slipped up. The two had to be more vigilant on one another.
At the PLANTs, Kira was usually with Lacus guarding or mostly following her around while she had several meetings. There were instances where he would get lost. One time he had gotten so lost that he ended up in a military building. He came across Yzak who had to show him the way back. This time Kira had gotten lost once again and ended up in the same building. Kira wandered around trying to find his way back but also hoping to run into either Yzak or Dearka.
Yzak spotted Kira glancing around the hallways as if he was looking for someone. Yzak let out a sigh before gathering himself up. He started to walk towards Kira. Kira noticed him and lit up in relief.
"Commander Yamato," Yzak greeted first, closing the distance between them.
"Ah-uh-C-C-Commander Joule," Kira stammered out. He was about to call him by his first name but then he remembered where he was at.
"What brings you here?" Yzak stopped as he was in front of Kira.
"Uh," Kira tried to think of an excuse.
"You got lost, again?" Yzak spoke in a hushed tone.
Kira glanced away in embarrassment. "Yeah…"
Yzak nodded. "This way. Chairwoman Clyne is probably in a meeting over here." Yzak waved his arm out front. The two started to walk where Yzak motioned.
"Thanks, again," Kira was still not use to the layout. "I hear you are preparing to go out again."
"Yes," Yzak kept looking straight ahead. "There have been reports of extremists still out there. Some skirmishes. We have been appointed to continue our efforts on keeping the peace."
Kira nodded. "That we must do. We worked so hard to gain it, we can't lose it so easily."
The continued to walk in silence until Yzak heard a song being played. The words struck him as he stopped to turn his head to hear the song coming from an office with its door open. He kept himself from gaping luckily.
A soldier in a red suit saluted him. "My apologies, Commander. Was it too loud?"
"Huh?" Yzak came back to reality. "No. It's fine. I was just wondering where the music was coming from. At ease." Yzak waved at him. The soldier put his hand down.
"It's Miss Setona Winter's latest song," the soldier explained. "Her songs are catchy but the lyrics are sad."
"Mm," Yzak nodded. "Thank you, we will be on our way." Yzak started to walk off with Kira still confused about the situation.
Kira caught up to him as he was leaving him in dust. "Are you also a fan of Setona?" Yzak was silent. "I heard from Athrun that you were Lacus' number one fan."
Yzak paused. He turned to Kira. "That was just a joke from Athrun." The two continued walking. "I do like her music but that was just Athrun teasing me."
"Huh?" Kira didn't understand. "Athrun said he saw you had a picture of her but when he spotted it, he could only see the pink hair. You immediately hid it out of embarrassment." Kira softened. "It's okay to be her fan. Almost everyone on PLANTs even on Earth is her fan."
Yzak was doing his best to keep himself under control. "Athrun has poor eyesight. He has misjudged things twice now." He muttered to himself.
Thankfully, Dearka came into view. He was on his way to see Yzak. He had news about their departure that needed his authorization.
"Commander Yamato," Dearka saluted. "Commander Joule." He explained to Yzak what he had. Yzak asked Dearka to show Kira the way back to Lacus. Yzak said his goodbye to Kira before departing from them. Dearka and Kira continued on the journey back to Lacus.
"Does Commander Joule have a thing for pink hair?" Kira mused out loud.
"HUH?!" Dearka was caught off guard. How did Kira find out about Yzak and Selena?
"Yzak paused when he heard Setona's latest song," Kira explained. "It was only a moment but he seemed to be shocked about the song."
"That I don't know," Dearka felt relief. He didn't know how he was going to react if Kira did know. "I haven't even heard the song either."
Dearka escorted Kira back to where Lacus was currently at. After that Dearka prepared to head back out to space with the rest of the Joule team.