Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Gundam Seed or Seed Destiny


Stray Thoughts


Lie

--------------------

"A princess should never lie, Cagalli."

"Never?"

"Never."

The sea hummed softly as waves after waves of white caressed the pale gold sand gently.

She shouldn't be here.

"She should always speak the truth and the truth only. People may think that sometimes it is all right to lie since you do not want to hurt your family or you friend's feeling. But then again we cannever know what will happen in the future. What if one harmless little white lie becomes something more? What if it becomes the reason of hatred and bitterness between you and your loved one later? What if it takes that someone away from you forever? Of course, sometimes truth may inflict as much pain and misunderstanding as much as lie but... Do you think anyone likes to hear this? Hearing after the damage has already been done that 'I'm sorry, I lied to you before, but I did it because I didn't want to hurt you...'?"

From a distant she could hear the familiar sound of light but firm footsteps approaching.

He shouldn't have come.

"But, Cagalli, lies always hurt. Always."

So familiar that it hurt, from behind, his gentle voice said quietly, "Everybody's very worried about you. He's very worried about you and he's still waiting for you."

The wind whispered words of the weary sun and restless storm. It would rain soon.

"He loves you, Cagalli. He loves you very much. More than anything and anyone else in the world..."

Was it like how she loved you, too?

"That's why you shouldn't lie. When you lie, not only you and the people who you love and the people who love you will get hurt but so will all those people who also love them."

The warm water lapped lightly against her bare feet. She never cared much for those dainty sandles and could now no longer remember where exactly she had discarded them.

"Cagalli..." her name - just like his - had always reflected so much pain and sorrow that each of them bore and tried to hide and forget. "Cagalli, you love him..."

"Don't lie, Cagalli. Don't ever lie..."

Closing her eyes, she let them come and felt them all. Sadness and laughters, sorrow and smiles, happiness and pains, anger and tears, despair and regrets.

Regrets...

It was a ghost of a sigh that faded in the wind as she put her face in her hands and wept tearlessly.

"I won't lie, Mother. I will never lie."

A hand, so gentle and so sad, touched her shoulder.

A soundlesss sob, then she turned and faced him.

The soft curtains of pale white hid him from her and she couldn't see, but he parted them.

"I promise. Really. A princess' promise."

"I don't love you," she whispered, her voice soft but fierce. "I never did. And never will."

"I know," he whispered, his voice ever so kind and yet so cold. "I know."

The sea sang and the sky bore witness the false union as the wind scattered sweet blossoms of cursed blessing upon them.

To the bride of the other groom and to the groom of another bride.

"I don't love you. I never did. I never will."