Disclaimer: Sunrise

***TRIGGER WARNING***

Quite descriptive scenes of physical abuse and a hint of sexual abuse (not the straight actual heavy act, but leaning towards it). If you want to avoid, I suggest to skip the part written in italic, but there are still some description in lines spoken by the character's. If these matters make you uncomfortable or could be triggering something, please skip this chapter altogether.


Tokyo, November 2020

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Why is she here? Cagalli thought. How could she trace her here? Or was she looking for Kira? But their grandparents make sure not to reveal Kira's current address to anyone, especially their birth mother.

And just like that, all the memories she had managed to forget, now coming back to her, leaving her trembling on her spot. She wanted to run away, just like three years ago, to somewhere, anywhere, as long as she didn't have to face her mother again.

"Cagalli…" suddenly she jolted as she felt someone touch her shoulder from behind. She looked up and instantly relaxed when she saw Athrun's worried face, looking down at her. Faintly she could hear the sounds of someone hurrying down from the stairs. Weird, who was that? She remembered the three of them were downstairs already, checking on Kira, but instead they were met by this chaos.

"Cagalli!" The woman from behind the door shouted, calling her out. "Cagalli, it's Mommy, come here, it's been a while isn't it? Please, come and live with me again, dear? Kira, let me talk to her!" She tried to keep the door open. Athrun was trying to pull Cagalli away from that place, but she didn't budge. Cagalli was like a frozen statue, only staring at her mother.

It was her, Cagalli thought, but she looked different. The shadows below her eyes had clearly deepened. Her eyes looked wilder than before. Her once shiny brunette hair, which Kira got from, now looked lifeless and disheveled. Looked like she had it rough lately.

But thinking about the world she was living 3 years ago, it was not unexpected, Cagalli thought to herself again.

"Stay there or I'll sue you for trespassing!" Kira shouted again.

Via gasped dramatically, "How could you sue your own birth mother? What kind of a son are you, Kira? Does your new family not raise you well? What did they teach you that makes you a kid who doesn't respect his own parents? I talk with them later and give them a piece of—"

His new family is not raising him well? The words rang in his head. All the memories after his father cheated on his mother came fleeting in his mind. Did she think that raising a kid well was by hitting them while being drunk all day? "You dare talk about raising a kid when you haven't even done a decent job yourself? All that alcohol you drank all day and night has really messed your brain up huh?" Kira was slowly losing his patience.

"Kira…" Via's voice suddenly got lower than before, surprising all the teens hearing it. The difference was really unsettling. One minute she was screaming like a hysterical person, now she was talking with a voice as smooth as silk, persuading and alluring. "How can you say that to your mother, dear? You were such a good boy… It was my fault, I know… But we can always start it all over again… The three of us, let's live together again just like before, what do you say? You too, Cagalli…. You ran away before we could explain it all to you about everything. If only you were patient enough to listen to me, we could have been able to live together, the four of us…" Via continued to persuade them.

"Four of us…?" Kira was distracted for a while. "Are you getting back together with Father?"

Via's smiling-pleading face changed again into a mask of disgust. "That good for nothing, sorry excuse of a man? Even if he was the last man on earth I would never ever get back with him again, never!" she was back to screaming again. Almost as if she realized her charades were collapsing, she turned into her soft voice, "That's why… Kira, Cagalli… Please… Let's live together again, like a real family. I knew I haven't been a good mother to you, so let me pay my retribution to you, and be a good mother for—"

"Cut it out!" Kira cut her sentence before she could finish it. He had had enough. He did have good memories with his family. He remembered when his mother was still a nice person. He could still remember how he wished every day—after that fateful day—that his parents would return to their old self. He and his sister didn't give up hope for their parents. But it kept getting worse every day.

And now she came to their current peaceful life, asking them to live together again?

"How can you say all those things so easily? Have you already forgotten what you have done to me? To Cagalli?" Kira was tightening both his fists strongly, resisting the urge to just snap the door and send her mother back to wherever she was from. "Do you not remember you left us for a whole week without anything to eat? Do you remember you often hit us both after you pick a fight with father? Every time he ditches you, you take it out on us! Do you not remember throwing a bottle of wine on my back? Thank goodness I was wearing a thick jacket so it didn't leave any mark on me, but Cagalli!" His voice now hoarse with emotion. The last straw that made him stop hoping for a normal family, that made him give up on his parents. "Do you remember how many marks you made on her? The ones you put on her while laughing, you frickin laughed when you put that hot burning cigarette on her wrist! Did you remember how we begged you to stop? Do you remember how Cagalli screamed every time you pushed it deeper into her skin? And do you remember what you said to her? To us?" Tears could be heard clearly from his heart-wrenching shriek toward his mother.

.

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Mito, December 2012

"NO! Mother please stop, it hurts!"

"You are hurt? That's because you are a useless child! A child who can do nothing deserves to be punished!"

"Mother stop!" A 10 year old Kira pulled his sister's right hand which wasn't held by their mother. "Don't hurt Cagalli again!"

"Oh, Kira. You used to be such an obedient boy, but look now. You hang out with your sister too much, you start to resemble her, being loud and annoying! If you want to save her so much, then come here! I'll punish you too!" Via let go of Cagalli's hand and pulled Kira's. As she was about to do the same thing she did on Cagalli to Kira, Cagalli threw her now-free body toward Kira, making both of them fall, with Cagalli on top of Kira.

But that just irritated Via more. "You just have to interfere in everything, don't you Cagalli?" Via's voice went an octave higher, clearly running out of patience.

Looking back through her shoulder, Cagalli could see her mother's eyes; they were clouded with red anger, so thick she couldn't see any shadow of her own sweet loving mother that she used to be.

The next second, she felt the same burning sensation she felt earlier on her hands, but now it was on the back of her exposed thigh, which was facing her mother.

Cagalli screamed out in agony, turning her body to push away the pain from the back of her right thigh.

"Cagalli-nee!" Kira shrieked, horrified.

"Mother please," she trashed with all her might to free her leg from Via's grip.

"Come here, you little brat! I'm not done yet with you!" Via pulled Cagalli's leg again, and now put her still burning cigarette on the front side of her left thigh. "Are you still going to talk disrespectfully toward me, huh? You rude ungrateful brat! Who do you think still allows you a place to stay in this house?"

"Mother, I'm sorry. Please stop! It hurts so much!" Despite how hard Cagalli pleaded, Via just repeatedly put mark over mark on her thigh here and there, and switched thighs as she pleased, laughing maniacally as Cagalli's scream got louder. "It burns! Mother, please stop! I promise I'll be good, please…!"

.

.

"After all that you've done, don't you dare say you don't remember all those things! Or tell us to forget them and accept you back as if nothing happened!" Kira spat at his own mother, tears falling freely remembering the state of his sister at the time.

Cagalli could still remember the burning feeling of the cigarette on her skin. As she unconsciously put her hands on top of her knitted wristband, the one Kira bought for her to hide it, since people would immediately ask her about how she got that cigarette burn marks all around her wrist once they noticed. Faintly, she also felt like remembering the sensation when the mark was being put on her thigh, a scattering hole all over her skin.

That was actually how they got away from the shithole of a house. Kira pulled her with all his might and forced Cagalli—with those still-fresh burn marks—to run all the way toward their school building, hoping the teachers were still there. And like a blessing in the middle of their misfortune, the infirmary teacher was still there, so he asked them to treat Cagalli's wound first. The teachers were the ones who notified the Child Welfare Association and freed them of their abusive parents, with that burnt mark ofn Cagalli as hard evidence. Which led them to being transferred to the foster facility, and to their current living arrangements.

"Cagalli…"

She looked up from her wrist and saw Athrun right in front of her, blocking her view of her mother. His eyes were full of worry, anguish, and just a hint of anger; one of his hands went to the corner of her eyes, wiping the small amount of teardrops on her eyes; weird, when did she start crying? "Do you want to go?"

"Cagalli!" she could hear her mother calling out to her again.

"Athrun, take her upstairs," Kira ordered hurriedly, seeing Cagalli was right behind him, and that his best friend was there too. Cagalli didn't have to talk with the source of her misery, and Kira wouldn't let her. "You don't have the right to see her! Don't talk to her either! Go away, I'll actually call the police if you don't!"

"Cagalli, you are different, right? I don't know what happened to Kira, but if it's you, you'll understand me, right?" Via pleaded again, but now there was a hint of distress and desperation coming out from her. "I'm sorry, please forgive me, Cagalli. I know I was in the wrong, but I'm so lonely without you. I want us to be back together again. Please, come with me, and please talk some sense to your brother. Tell him it would be the best of things if we could stay together just like old times."

Athrun tried to pull her away from her place as Kira had told him, not wanting her to be exposed to her mother's petty excuses. But Cagalli stood still where she was. Her mother's words triggered something inside her.

Just like old times, she said?

How dare she.

"Mother…"

"Cagalli-nee!"

"Cagalli! I knew you—"

"You said that we could live together, the four of us, didn't you?" She asked with a tone void of emotion at all, cold as a stone.

Thinking that Cagalli was at least wanting to talk to her, Via answered jauntily, "Yes, the four of us. Don't worry, it's not a cheating bastard like your ex-father—"

"Is this guy the same person as the one who tried to sneak into my room in the middle of the night, just a few days after gran's funeral?" Cagalli asked in a sharp, cold tone. Right after the words came from her mouth, a series of gasps could be heard.

"Wha-what did you do to Cagalli? You did something to her, again?" Kira raised his voice again to his mother.

"No, Cagalli. Didn't he tell you? It was dark in the house, so he must have mistaken your room as his, that's why he woke you up, to ask for the right room." Via tried to answer but her words were broken, like a person saying an excuse, while Kira was switching back and forth from his mother to his sister, not having a clue about what they were saying.

"Ask for the right room? Did he have to touch me in places he's not supposed to, then? Why did he have to do that if he only wanted to ask for his room?" Cagalli continued in a sharp but shaking tone. She was angry that that had to happen to her, if her mother had not brought him there she wouldn't have to experience such a thing. Her hands went to hug her own body, as if trying to shield herself; it was disgusting and she felt dirty remembering the hand that had touched her body. Her anger and disgust mixed together remembering what her mother had said at the time. "You came and accused me of seducing him, believing him more than me. Is that the person you want me to call 'Dad'?"

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Mito, February 2018

"Why are you here? This is my room; I thought mother already showed it to you. If you are looking for yours, I'll show you the way," Cagalli said as she saw the guy her mother had brought home standing in her room. They were staying a few days for her grandparent's funeral, though they did nothing to help with the actual event. She had excused herself while her mother and her boyfriend were still chatting animatedly together as if the death of her mother's parents didn't affect her at all, 180 degrees different from the sad daughter act she had done in front of the neighbor who came to pay their last respect for the deceased.

Seeing him not answering her and just standing there, smiling in a weird way, Cagalli put on a hoodie since it was quite chilly, and because she was a little bit uncomfortable with the guy and wanted to cover herself. The funeral had finally ended today, and she was exhausted physically and mentally with the loss of her genuine family. She just wanted to rest without getting interrupted. I'll just show him the way quickly and go back to bed, she thought.

When she was about to pass him near her sliding door, he stopped her by grabbing her shoulder.

Cagalli stopped and looked up, about to ask what the problem was, when the hand on her shoulder went south to her chest.

Reflectively, she shoved the hand and walked a few steps back. "What in the world are you"

"Just shut up and stay still," he walked forward and tried to touch her again. And when he lowered his head down, Cagalli's heart almost stopped as she realized what he was about to do and

"Cut it out!" She shoved him with all her might, slightly panicking inside. But before she could step back, he grasped her wrist and pushed her back till she was slammed to an old drawer. Cagalli could feel the protruding metal handles proding uncomfortably on her back. She trashed her arms vehemently, but trying as she might, her current 15 year old body strength couldn't win against his adult-man strength.

"What are you doing with my boyfriend, Cagalli?" Via suddenly called out from the hall before sliding the door open, joining them inside Cagalli's room. "You didn't invite him here to have for yourself, did you?"

"Huh… ?" Cagalli was at a loss for words. She couldn't comprehend what was happening. First the stranger her mother brought here entered her room without her permission, scaring her with his behavior and now her mother accused her of... what? "Mother, what do youwhat are you"

"Ah, don't be too hard on your daughter, dear. I was just asking where our room is since it is dark and I just arrived today, I don't remember the halls and everything," the guy with long purple hair smiled sweetly to Via, but gave a side wick glint to Cagalli from the corner of his eyes. "Also, I just want to check how she is and if she qualifies to work at my friend's shop. You see, she wants the best for her shop, so we need to make sure she's all perfect and ready to work."

"Work what? What are you talking about?" Cagalli squeaked out.

"Isn't it obvious? Mother and Father are dead already. You have to work to stay alive, so you'll do exactly that after this. You don't expect me to feed you, right? You are not a child, at least work for your own living, but it will be good if you can earn for me also," Via stared coldly at Cagalli.

"What? But I'm still a minor…"

"You are 15 already, soon to be 16, you can do part time here and there, and this person here," she walked toward him, gazing at him with love-struck eyes, "He knows some people who can provide some workplaces with high income. No need to worry," Via continued.

"What kind of work…?" Cagalli's words quivered. Somehow from the way her mother spoke, it didn't seem like it was going to be a decent job.

Via sighed, irritated with all the questions, and snapped, "Stop questioning all the things, just shut up and do as I said. Make yourself useful for once," Via pulled her boyfriend's hand and went back to their room. As Cagalli's eyes followed them leaving her room, she caught the boyfriend, turning his head toward her again, and gave her a wink. She shivered uncontrollably even after they left her alone for a while. The places where he had touched her before felt burning and she had an urge to scratch it clean, even if it only through her clothes.

A few days after that night, the guy always acted lovey-dovey toward her mother, but whenever her mother looked away, he would be staring at Cagalli in an improper, leery way. A few times, when Via was not present, he would corner Cagalli, trying to touch her again in different but inappropriate places, and if she fought back he would threaten her, saying he would tell Via that Cagalli was the one who made the attempt to approach him. She could barely sleep at night for fear that he was going to come again, and she couldn't even lock her own room since their house was a traditional one, her sliding door had no lock.

Meanwhile, the day of her graduation was coming closer—her mother had decided to wait until graduation so no one from her class would start snooping around if Cagalli suddenly stopped going to school. In the meantime, she went around the community, acting as the poor daughter who had just lost her parents.

Driven by the fear of her mother's boyfriend, and for the 'future' she had selfishly prepared without her consent, Cagalli packed what she could—some clothes, a little money she had saved, her mementos with her brother and grandparents—and ran away without any destination. All she knew was she needed to get away from the clutch of her mother.

.

.

"And now you are here, asking me to come with you? What, did you use up the money you got from selling gran's house? So now you came here and want me to go with you? You want me to work for you right? So you don't have to work for yourself. And to keep that guy with you, no? Because if you run out of money, he'll definitely leave you."

The place was silent after Cagalli finished her story. Athrun, who had not heard much about Kira and Cagalli's real mother before this day, couldn't help but stare at her in disbelief and contempt. How could someone like this be a mother of two wonderful people he had ever known in his life? He had known Kira's foster parents for quite a long time. They were as nice and loving as his own parents. But Kira and Cagalli's mother, she was a whole different story. Athrun couldn't imagine the years they spent living together with her. He had seen Cagalli's scars when she was at the hospital. Thinking that the very person who had done that to her, now standing in front of them, shamelessly asking for Cagalli to come back with her despite what she had done, was utterly infuriating. He almost wanted Kira to throw her away, or if not he would volunteer himself to do it.

From behind, Lacus slowly approached Cagalli and held her trembling hand in hers. Just like Athrun, she was surrounded by a loving family, even the helpers in her house were all caring to her. And as a fellow girl, she couldn't imagine if the same thing happened to her too. Cagalli must have been so scared at the time, no matter how strong she was now. And just how much courage to open up about the thing that had happened to her.

And Kira too, could only stare at his mother after hearing what had happened to his sister while he was away. "You…" Kira had lost words to call his mother. Why was this person—this lowly selfish person who didn't care about anything but herself—his birth-mother? "How could you…? You let Cagalli trapped in fear with a brazen guy who's supposedly your boyfriend or whatever he is, trying to put his hand on her? Moreover you accused her that it was the other way? Your own daughter?" Kira emphasized, appalled by the audacity of his own mother. And what do you think Cagalli is? Your slave for making money? Or are you going to make her your punching bag too if she is to live with you again?"

"Both of you are my children! I was the one who carried you for nine months and gave birth to you. If it wasn't for me you won't be here the way you are now! For ten years I've raised you, so you are supposed to do what I say and support me, giving back the debt after I raised you!" She let go of all her facade and showed them her true color and intention. She didn't want them for them alone, she only wanted someone who could take care of her. "Both of you just do what I—"

"Who allowed you to step inside my property?"

Suddenly the screaming stopped, and all of them turned their heads toward the new voice joining them.

"Mom…?" Kira whispered. "Didn't you go for the meeting with the neighbors?"

"I forgot something, so I came back, but what is with this commotion? I don't think I ever allowed you to see my son," apparently Caridad was aware that the person in front of her was Kira's birth mother, and of course she already knew what a horrible mother she was. With authority in her voice, she ordered, "Go away or I'll call the police!"

Enraged with the person who had taken her kids away from her, Via turned her anger to Caridad. "Kira is my son! They are my children, and you are the one who took them away from me! You wanna call the police? Go ahead, I'll sue you for kidnapping!"

"And I'll sue you for trespassing, neighborhood nuisance, and I'm sure you haven't atone your sin for child abuse and neglect. I'm their legal guardian, so we'll see who they will believe when they come here," Caridad pulled her own phone from her bag. "I'll go away now if I were you," she warned.

"They are my children!" Via croaked desperately. "I'm the one who gave birth to them and nurse them, so they have to return what I have given them!"

"They are all void the moment you effed up with them. They don't owe you anything, and you don't have the right to get them back even if you beg and bawl like that. What are you gonna do with them anyway? I doubt you are going to be a loving doting mother to them, am I right? Actually no, don't tell me I don't wanna know, if you are not gonna scram, I'll call them now," Caridad was done bluffing. She actually dialed 110 and reported to them that there was an intruder in her house. After telling them her address, she turned back to Via, "They'll come in 10 minutes, the police post is near, you know," she said as she put her phone back.

"No, you didn't call them…" Via trembled.

"If you don't believe me just wait, and prepare yourself to go with them to the office, and while we are at it, I'll ask for a restraining order so you can never come near my children again," she flipped her hand on her chest, "What are you gonna do now? Oh, I think we can sue you to pay for child support instead, you know," Caridad smirked in triumph.

It looked like Via was aware of what she had done and her current position, because she hurriedly went past Caridad and walked out from her house, pausing for the slightest bit when she saw someone outside the fence.

"Umm… Mrs. Yamato…?" that person called out slowly, unsure.

"Ah, I'm sorry but could you tell the neighbors I won't be making it to the meeting today? I'm sure you watched the ordeal and could understand my situation. The police will come soon and I have things to report to them. I'm extremely sorry…" Caridad told her with a wide smile like the commotion didn't happen at all, and still not acknowledging all the teenagers inside her home.

While his mother was explaining the situation to the neighbor outside, Kira's body slightly relaxed, as he was aware that his mother had left already. He walked inside for his sister. His two best friends were there, standing protectively around her, who still looked like she was in a daze after what had happened.

"Cagalli-nee," Kira called her out, "It's okay, she's gone now. I won't let her hurt you again," Kira soothed his sister who was still trembling a little bit. Her eyes were hard, like it was guarding herself from unpleasant feelings. "You hear me? You are safe, we won't let her near you again, ever," Kira promised, his hand going to her hair, patting in a soothing manner.

Looking up to her brother, the realization that she was finally safe dawned to Cagalli. She suddenly lost the strength on her body and slumped down to the floor, making her brother and friends fuss over her, worried.

"Kira…" she whispered, hiding her face on Kira's chest.

Kira could feel her trembling figure as she leaned on him. Things were escalating really fast, one moment they were care-freely talking about their future, the next moment they were interrupted with their long lost—but hardly missed—mother. Out of the two of them, Cagalli was the one who suffered physically more than Kira, and the reveal of the truth as of what had happened to Cagalli at their grandparents house, their mother had added more that scarred Cagalli mentally too.

Just when he thought they could live the rest of their lives without the shadow of their past…

Hugging his sister tight, Kira whispered comforting words to calm her down. Deep down, he felt sorry for not being able to protect his sister again, but his feelings were secondary. Her sister came first, so for now he focused on calming her down.

"Cagalli," Caridad walked hurriedly, approaching the twin. "I'm sorry you had to see her again. Kira, take her upstairs and let her calm herself down. I'm going to wait here for the police officer to come."

"You actually called them?"

"Of course. If she knew our house already, there is a chance she'll come again. I'll ask for a restriction order to be put on her, so she would be arrested if she ever comes here again. All the charges I said to her are true, so we should be good." Turning her attention to Cagalli, who was still hiding her face on Kira, Caridad tried to sooth her again, "Cagalli, don't think about her again. You'll be okay, you have us now, and we'll protect you," Caridad said as she caressed Cagalli's head.

As Kira and Athrun took her upstairs to Kira's room, Lacus stayed behind, approaching Kira's mother. "Umm… I don't know if this will help but…" Lacus showed Caridad her phone.

"Is this…?"

Lacus nodded. It was the recording of what had just happened there. As the screaming between Kira and her mother started, Lacus thought that it would be better to save some kind of evidence of what was going on at the time.

"Thank you. I'm sure there is a record of Cagalli and Kira's neglect since their case went to the Child Welfare Association, but this might even help for the restriction order. You go upstairs and stay with Cagalli, I think she'll appreciate a female companion too. And could you please tell Kira that he might be needed downstairs, the police might want to take his side of the story since I came later," Caridad told Lacus.

"I will," Lacus nodded before heading upstairs to join her friends.


That was quite heavy to write, for me at least.

This is the last scene of the painful flashbacks of the story, so from now on there wont be any scene like this. Its nearing the end, so all that left is the peaceful events toward the finish line.

This story has been here for a year, and you guys still read it? Thanks a lot, guys. I actually thought people already forget about this series altogether. This is only my way of coping and venting with the current situation, but I'm glad there are still people who read my story.

See you next chapter

Cheers~