Chapter 3: To strike a balance
I am Athrun Zala.
Athrun began to speak, not really knowing where he's driving at. On board the Minerva, Arthur gasped, he thought the fellow died a while back…But now he's on all screens.
Recognition of the name triggered dark memories in some people, and joy in others. The council members who were listening now debated among themselves, whether this figure is a friend or foe. Someone who stood in the middle, borne of PLANTS, schooled with Naturals, now fighting for a nation with a mixture of Naturals and Coordinators after the same dream. Another youngster they might make use of…
The ZAFT veterans of course, all recognized the name; he was after all, one of the few who survived the second Jarkin Due battle, the one who destroyed Genesis… The son of the last Chairman, Patrick Zala.
"ZAFT is an army controlled by the PLANTS high council, particularly by one man. Our role, was to defend the PLANTS, it was to protect our fellowmen at all cost. I rejoined ZAFT under the belief that Dulliundal wants only peace for the PLANTS……
I was wrong; my eyes were opened in the fact that the Chairman once used me to fulfill the role to his convenience, a MS pilot, a source of influence. I was blinded by the need to feel like I was doing something meaningful… To know that what I was doing was making a difference in the situation. There are other examples of the real purpose of the chairman once you know where to look. The young lady who pretended to be Lacus, her real name……is Meer Campbell." Lacus nodded slightly in agreement, as grieve overtook her once again.
Shinn opened his eyes; he was lying in a soft bed in unfamiliar territory. He sat up with a start, noticing that someone was draping a blanket over Lunamaria, who was dozing at his bedside. The someone had deep violet eyes which bore the depth of wisdom.
But he cannot be over twenty…
Kira put a finger to his lips, gesturing at the sleeping girl and at another figure who was lying on a bed parallel to Shinn's, an IV drip attached to his arm.
Shinn vaguely remembered meeting the first person in Orb, and the second is apparently a ZAFT officer from the T-shirt he wore. Oddly enough, he had never seen anyone with silver hair except a certain senator two years back, even though the bandage wrapped about his head ruffled his hair. It still gave him the unexpected air of elegance which permeated his unconscious form. Kira reached past Shinn to on the TV,
He must have thought I was bored.
Shinn almost choked when recognized Athrun as he said: ". The young lady who pretended to be Lacus, her real name……is Meer Campbell." Shinn paid attention in spite of the anger rising up in him.
So Athrun knew…
Athrun sounded genuinely saddened when he next spoke, like he didn't like what he was saying. It sounded as if every syllabus was a struggle.
"Her role was to calm the people of PLANTS at first, but her impersonating Lacus had greater uses. The Chairman has plans for her to manipulate, to deceive and to lie. When she realized what she was doing and tried to oppose her fate. She was silenced." He paused, Lacus was crying now, remembering the moment Meer died quietly in her arms, dying from a bullet that was meant for her. Living as Lacus…dying as Lacus.
"Ultimately, that would be the fate of anyone else who oppose the Destiny Plan. To be wiped off the face of this world soundlessly. To be eliminated quietly…" He breathed deeply, not realizing that his speaking pace has quickened by so much. His emotions are getting at him. It was surprisingly painful to recall Meer's life…and death. He realized he didn't want to, because it was his fault. Because he couldn't convince her to depart with him, because he was powerless to save her in those vital moments. Because he had caused her death, indirectly or not. The only thing he knew now, was that he didn't want anyone else sacrificing just as she did, he didn't want anyone else to die…
"What the PLANTS need now, is decent leadership. The council has apparently once again been unable to stop the power from converging into the hands of but one man. And…PLANTS has had a fair share of Chairmen who used this to their advantage. It comes almost like a plague, first Patrick Zala, than Dulliundal, Genesis, Neo-Genesis, Requiem.
The battle is over, once a person lost sight of the reason he is fighting in the first place. As a member of ZAFT, do you know your reason?" Athrun stopped, his head dropping to his chest, feeling as if he talked too much for one day. He wasn't used to speaking to camera screens, and really felt as if he just made an embarrassing speech to the whole of Eternal.
"What the PLANTS need now…" he hesitated, "Is a new chairman, one who understands the situation and only wants peace between Naturals and our nation. One who will end all wars, and no longer will we be allowed to lose our loved ones to the clutches of war." He turned to look at Lacus, smiling weakly. She smiled back at him, and started clapping, surprising Athrun.
Responses differed across the PLANTS; little did our hero know that the broadcast is being aired from Janurius to December city. People began bickering among themselves after the sudden development, the possibility of another Zala on the sit of Chairman now that they lost the last one. The council especially, was in turmoil. The election should never be carried out in such a manner, but with Lacus Clyne putting her support behind the eighteen-year-old. The council would definitely have a hard time overwriting her influence.
Does she really know what she's doing? The nerve of that girl…! Does she truly believe that Athrun Zala was Chairman material? Does she think she can hoodwink the council and get away with it?
The people however, did not think so. One by one, they put their hands together and applauded. Soon, a thunderous applause sounded throughout the PLANTS. One could almost see the air currents emanating out of the artificial atmosphere. ZAFT, on the other hand, remained silent.
The broadcast ended, and Athrun continued looking at Lacus with surprise. Correction, he was totally shocked. "What…did I just do?" He managed to stammer, unable to believe. Lacus smiled warmly, "one who understands the situation and only wants peace between Naturals and our nation." She was quoting him, "I'm looking at one such person now." She said, looking at him. "You are a natural at speaking. I'm sure your speech strummed a few heart strings in PLANTS."
"No…! That's not the point, ME? Chairman?" He asked her in awe, still unable to believe what he got himself into. The little voice in him spoke up again, this time, because you did too much…
Shinn understood then, Rey's pleas, Dulliandal's motives and actions; it was to use him… The very same way Athrun was used, only that Athrun discovered the truth much earlier and left. He understood why he lost to Athrun, because Athrun was convicted of his standing, and he was not. In the end, the only stupid one is himself, believing what Rey said was correct, trying to make himself believe. He would never have guessed how deep the conspiracy went, just to thrust him deeper into Dulliundal's pockets.
I was blinded by the need to do something meaningful. So was he. It made him feel important in a way that Dulliundal would go to such an extend to win him over, to think that what he was doing makes the world a better place for all mankind. He couldn't have been more wrong. He was angry and grieved at the same time, all the while he was on the wrong side…More importantly, Rey deceived him…
But Rey's a friend.
Shinn was confused, why than, did Rey say those things? Telling him he's a clone and all, was it a lie too? Was it just meant to pressurize me into pledging his allegiance to the Destiny Plan?
He clutched the blanket in frustration, yelling aloud. "Why did you lie to me, Rey? Why!"
Kira could tell that the kid beside him was distressed about something Athrun said. But when he yelled, it became clear as day to Kira that he was the notorious Shinn Asuka. And Rey… isn't he the pilot of Legend? He bent forward and asked Shinn: "You are …the pilot of Destiny?"
Shinn was momentarily taken aback, someone else other than Athrun mentioning that name brought reality back home, he was still on an enemy vessel "Who…who are you?" he asked cautiously "I remember meeting you in Orb once."
Kira replied "My name is Kira Yamato, pilot of Strike Freedom, a general from Orb." Flashes of memories came back to him, Rey telling him to hunt down Justice while he battles Freedom. But… the pilot before him seemed unscathed,
than what of Rey?
"What did you do to Rey!" Shinn hollered, grabbing Kira by the lapels. Kira looked calmly back at him, than replied: "Your friend…Rey, he's dead." The weight of the sentence came crashing down on Shinn,
"You're LYING!" he screamed, his grip tightening around Kira's collar. But even as the words left his mouth, he could tell that he was trying to deceive himself again. It wasn't the way Kira said the sentence, but the look in his eyes that told Shinn Kira wasn't lying. And if what he was saying was true…
"Why? Why! Did you kill him!" Shinn screamed with renewed fury, shoving Kira away.
"I didn't." Kira replied quietly, anchoring himself on the bedpost to prevent hitting Yzak. "I'll tell you everything…you deserve to know…"
that's the end of this part, do review. Cause I'm gonna give Yzak a girl. Tell me what kind of girl deserves Yzak, tell me what in Yzak complements the girl. And sorry bout the grammatical errors and the spelling errors in the past pieces. I realize it's a little difficult to read. I apologize, the next part will be better.