Soar Through Storms

Physical storms crash around, emotional storms crash over... To soar through them, everyone has to be supported by their loved ones... But will they make it?

Note: I have tried to keep the characters IC, but please remember that a person will act differently under different circumstances. Kira in this fic hasn't been through deaths and war yet, so he tends to be brighter, as compared to Kira from the original GS. I have no intention of being stereotypical and putting Yzak as the evil guy either; he just 'acts' the evil guy, even in my opinion XD Sorry if I offended anyone with that.

A lack of reviews have dropped my inspiration level. Much as I hate to admit it, I love reviews, and the fact that there are so little makes me think that no one wants to read this fic, that this idea isn't good... So please, do me a big favour if you actually like this fic, and review after this!

Special thanks to all reviewers: beautiful.disaster-x, Ultimate Coordinator Berserker, cocoapuffaddict, youknowwho. Thank you for your support!

I've tried to keep Athrun IC, but he might seem OOC in certain parts. Bear in mind that I have all the characters at a much younger stage and having gone through different circumstances as compared to the original anime, so it's natural that they will be slightly different. But by the middle to end of the story I hope to have them exactly like the anime does. After all, the characters grow up.

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Chapter 3: The Heir, His Trial, and His Squire

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The grey thrusting sword flew forward and steadied, its point grazing the neck of Sir Horkath.

"I yield," the knight said, dropping his own sword and raising both hands. With a smile, he moved away from the sword and bowed from the waist. "Well fought, Your Highness!"

Athrun lowered his sword, breathing hard. He inclined his head in a slight bow, as was the custom, then looked up and waited for the verdict.

"Swordsmanship: Pass."

Cheers rose from the large crowd around. The musicians played a fanfare of joy and celebration, and their drummers could be heard loudly even through the shouts of joy. Athrun spotted Dearka and Nicole waving, grinning their congratulations. Yzak stood beside them, with only a slight smile on his face and one thumb pointed up on his left hand. How very like them.

Other tasks had passed similarly for Athrun, and though he was by then tired from all the tasks, he knew that the most terrible one was yet to come.

"It is time for your last task," Sir Horkath announced in a loud, clear voice. The music faded. The crowd silenced.

The sun was radiating its last rays for the day. Three squires had been tested before Athrun; though all three did moderately well for most of the tasks they were set, all three had failed in the Trial's Chamber. The first had ran out, screaming hysterically. The second was thrown out by the chamber, unconscious. The last had exited, white faced and trembling from head to foot, and left court without a word of explanation.

"I'm ready," Athrun heard himself say. Truth be told, he wasn't sure if he was. He didn't fear the Chamber, yet he wasn't nonchalant. He wasn't sure what to expect from it, and he didn't know how he would face it. All he knew was, he had to pass. He could not fail; not here, not now.

Part of it was the responsiblity he held of being the prince. He could not fail the people who trusted him; he could not disgrace his father's name. But the other part had to do with what he had discovered in the late past.

Stormstones and the wars. It had been a peaceful period for many years, and the kingdoms had not seen war at all. Yet tales of battles had been carried down, from mother to child, from musician to song, from writer to book, from artist to sculpture. Athrun knew that war was a catastrophe, and he didn't want to watch trouble flood the world.

Doubtless, King Patrick was making plans to stop any war from erupting. Yet Athrun felt that he could not just sit around doing nothing; he would fight in Zaft's army. As a knight, he would be able to do so.

Sir Horkath nodded. His almond eyes held Athrun's gaze. "Squire, you have faced many trials and obstacles. The road of knighthood lies before you. But you have one last task to face. If you can finish it, you will step onto that road for eternity. Fail it, and you will be barred from that road for eternity."

He moved to a side and raised his gloved arm towards the Chamber. "Open the doors of the Trial's Chamber, and you will be judged. May the Gods be with you, my prince."

What will the Chamber hold?

What will I face?

What are my chances against what is inside?

Athrun walked towards the Chamber. His armour clanked around him, and the crowd's whispers resounded everywhere. But he was oblivious of everything as the Chamber loomed up before him, and his hand lifted slowly, reached for the door knob.

It was cold. Icy cold, and it radiated an air of wisdom as Athrun's fingers closed around it. Slowly, he turned the knob, and something clicked. Everything else around him disappeared; only the task matters. The door opened... he entered, and it closed behind him.

It was dark, yet it was light.

It was black, yet it was white.

It was truth in itself, yet it was filled with lies.

It was silent, yet it spoke.

It was the future, yet it was the past.

Visually, the room was black. It was as if it wasn't a room, nothing but darkness existed. Yet it could not have been darkness, for Athrun could still see himself and his grey armour, as if light were shining upon him. There were no monsters to slay, no spirits to scare him, no obstacles to fight.

You would fight?

Athrun jumped. The voice came out of nowhere. It sounded in his head, yet it seemed to echo around the place.

Athrun Zala. Prince of Zaft. You would fight?

"Yes. I will fight," Athrun replied. He steadied his voice as his heart beat fast. "I will become a knight, and I will fight."

What will you fight?

Stunned, Athrun blinked. What will he fight?

Who will he fight?

"People that I have to fight against," he said uncertainly. "People who are against my cause."

Indeed. What are you fighting for?

That one Athrun could answer. "Peace. The stormstones are due to be unsealed anytime soon, and I will fight to stop this world from turning into a warfield. I will fight to stop the war."

What is war? What is peace? The voice hardened. It grew increasingly louder, raking at Athrun's head. How ironic. You want to fight for peace? You are just contradicting yourself! You know not what war is, and you know not what peace is!

It hurt. It felt as if a thousand swords were stabbing at Athrun's head with each word the voice spoke.

You have not even seen war. What makes you so sure you want to stop it? How can you be sure that you will not become a tool of war, a bloodthirsty fighter, one who kills without mercy on the battlefield? All the sparring you do is child's play; you have not taken lives, you have not seen lives taken. You are a mere boy, one who knows nothing at all!

The pain intensified, and Athrun fell to his knees. His bones were groaning, his joints ached. It seemed as if pressure was crushing him from all angles, and the voice boomed loudly, deafening him.

If you fight on the battlefield, you will kill. No matter your cause, you will bring harm to those who oppose you. Is that what peace is? Will that bring peace? Will you fight on without mercy, taking the lives of people who-

"I don't want war!"

The pain subsided slowly. Athrun struggled hard to rise to his feet. Sweat was dripping off him like raindrops after a storm, and his body felt weak from head to foot. Every muscle ached, and every joint creaked. His head still felt heavy and sore, but it was clear enough for him to think.

The voice was right.

Why had he never thought about it before?

So many years of training. So many things learnt. But page and squire training...

Why had they never touched on what mattered?

Peace...

War...

What were they?

It was true; he didn't know. He was still ignorant.

"I will learn."

Learn? The voice pressed harder.

"I will learn what war and peace are." Athrun breathed heavily. The pain had returned, and was trying to push him down again.

I won't let it beat me! He remained standing.

Oh really, squire? Lie down. It is easier. Let things go. You won't be able to learn. You'll fail.

"I will try," Athrun insisted. He took another deep breath. "I haven't been through war. I don't know what it's like. But I know that war will bring suffering. Even if I haven't seen it myself, others have, and suffered for it."

...So...?

"I'll stop the coming war. I know the stormstones will cause harm one way or another... and I'll stop it," Athrun's thoughts were gathering and becoming clearer as he spoke. He knew he meant every single word he spoke, and though the pain was still pressing him, there was a new energy in his body that was resisting it.

Are you sure you can do it?

"Humans can never be sure of anything." His green eyes shone with the energy he felt as he looked up, standing against the pressure of the Chamber.

"But I will try."

The pressure was gone. There was silence. It seemed like everything had stopped.

... You are interesting.

The voice sounded amused. There was a light, laughing tone to it. It was as if the voice disbelieved him, as if it thought Athrun wasn't good enough.

I'll make it. I have to. For the good of all.

"I'll show you I can do it. I'm not just boasting."

Show me, then. The voice had become serious. It boomed as loudly as before, and the pain returned. Then it crashed heavily onto Athrun, throwing pain into every inch of his body, bearing down heavily in his mind, pushing him to the ground.

Athrun cried out, and struggled against the invisible rocks holding him down. The more he struggled, the worse the pain got. The pain was bearable while he was on the ground, but as soon as he tried to rise swords and lances pierced him.

A small light shone above him, turning red slowly as the pain persisted.

You will suffer. Will you lie down and give up? Or will you stand in spite of the pain... and reach towards the light?

Athrun didn't think it was possible for the pain to increase, but it did as he struggled to his feet, searing across him like nothing before. But he stood up. Slowly, his hand reached out towards the ball of red light, trembling with exhaustion, and his fingers closed around it.

White light shone all around him, brightening until his eyes were blinded, and he could see nothing, feel nothing.

Bring forth peace, Sir Knight, Prince Athrun.

Then he was outside the Chamber, blinking. The sky had darkened with night, and everyone was watching him. Sir Horkath was watching him intently.

Athrun raised his hand. His fingers were now closed over the red hilt of a sword.

Then a mage dressed from head to foot in white stepped forward.

"The Trial's Chamber has granted Squire Athrun, Prince Zaft, the gift of the blade Aegis."

Aegis...

Then Athrun collapsed in exhaustion, and he blacked out.

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It was a light blade for easy wielding. The grip was covered with leather dyed red, and a crescent-shaped pommel added to its weight. The guard was formed from curved metal that formed a basket hilt, twisting in intricate designs to protect the wielder's hand, while the blade itself was a pale gold that resembled white, yet was tinged with crimson. There was nothing else special about it, apart from the fact that it seemed to fit Athrun's hand perfectly.

The mages had said that the blade was called Aegis. Even when Athrun was unconscious, his grip on the sword had been so tight that no one could take it from him. When he awoke fifteen hours later, he examined Aegis with Kira beside him.

"The Chamber just gave it to you like that?"

"Uh huh. I don't understand it either. Unless it's supposed to aid me in what the Chamber wants me to do," Athrun said uncertainly.

"Stop the war...?" Kira had heard a simple relevation of what Athrun had undergone in the Chamber. Athrun had seemed reluctant at first to explain what was in it; when he did explain, it was only briefly, about a voice that tried to test him. Kira knew that Athrun had not been completely honest, but he did not probe.

"Yes." Athrun raised Aegis again, and stared at it as it caught the light from the windows. "Or maybe this could be a guide to tell me what I'm supposed to do."

"There are always so many unanswered questions, aren't there?" Kira said with a sigh, crossing his legs. He was sitting on Athrun's bed, with his boots on no less, but since the prince didn't mind, he didn't bother. "There's no use wondering, though. Let's just wait and see if anything happens. And if... the stormstones are really unsealed."

Both Cagalli and Athrun had explained more about the stormstones to him. Kira's own fears about King Patrick and King Eldorth were tugging at him, but he still kept silent. He wasn't used to telling, after all, and his suspicions could be wrong.

"You're right, I suppose." Athrun sheathed Aegis and leapt lightly off his wool covered bed. "Let's go to the parade square to watch the other squires. Maybe someone else will be deemed worthy of knighthood today."

Kira followed him out.

Later that day, two other squires were accepted by the Chamber. Trembling and pale, they were also led to rest in their rooms. Both were from the castle of Sir Jule, Yzak's father. Obviously, the strict knight had trained them well. With a small smile, Athrun thought that Yzak would probably pass his knight trials with excellent results the next year.

And Kira was likely to do the same. If Kira was still around, that is.

Somehow, Athrun couldn't shake from his mind the possibility that Kira might be fighting on Orb's side if a war came. One side held his friends and mentors. The other side held his friends and families. If Athrun was told to choose between them... he probably wouldn't know what to do. So what, then, would Kira do...?

Looking at his friend's gentle, pleasant face, Athrun could not imagine Kira ever making any terrible mistakes like that. All he must do is trust in his friend, and know that he will always do what is right.

What is right... for everyone...

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The silver sword tapped his shoulder lightly three times.

"In the name of the Gods in heaven, I hereby make thee a knight. Be ever true to the path of goodness, protect always your neighbour, honour always your king."

Over the years, Kira had seen many squires knighted by King Patrick. This time, he felt a certain sense of pride in his friend as Athrun bowed low before his father, newly dubbed a knight.

Applause broke out among the gathered nobles for the third time that night. The dubbing ceremony was held in the great hall, where dinner would be served directly after that. The hall had been decorated in red and gold for the event, and the nobles had all arrived dressed in finery befitting their stations. Chatter broke out among them as they discussed the new knights, before King Patrick raised his hand for silence.

"Let the celebrations begin!" he commanded. As usual, he called for respect, and had an air of majesty around him. The three new knights were led to the king's table to dine, in honour of their success. The others went to their designated places as the pages and squires began to serve.

Serving, of course, meant that Kira had a good chance of hearing what the nobles were talking about. Most of their topics were centered around Athrun and the sword that the Chamber gave him. After all, neither of the other two that had passed had received anything from the Chamber. It was extremely rare for such an occurance; already, there were certain ones who said that it was probably because Athrun was the prince.

Somehow, that sort of made Kira wonder what he would find if he entered the Trial's Chamber.

Finally, as his work was done, Kira took a plate of food that the cook had hurriedly dumped on him and went to the verandah outside the hall, sitting on a small ledge beside Cagalli. Other squires and pages had done the same, gathering out of sight on the balconies or corners of the floor.

"You look tired," Cagalli said, munching on a piece of chicken.

"Aren't you?" Kira said with a small smile. Running around for the trials had not exactly been energising, after all. "Everything will die down now, since Court Trials are over."

"That's true. So what would be the next big event?"

"Choosing of squires by the knights, I suppose," a third voice said.

Kira and Cagalli turned. Athrun smiled and sat down beside Cagalli, where the last empty space on the ledge was. Unlike the two squires in their red tunics, he was dressed in his own princely finery. Cagalli immediately noticed Aegis hanging from his belt, and eyed it intently. Kira stared at Athrun, who shrugged and grinned, then removed Aegis from its scabbard and handed it to Cagalli.

"Uh, thanks..." she said uncertainly, taking the blade. The next moment, she was examining it from every angle as if she had never seen a sword in her life.

"Have you decided who to pick yet?" Kira asked as Cagalli poked Aegis.

"Not really," Athrun sighed. "Father said to pick one before tomorrow night, and whoever he might pick would probably be from another castle. Imagine being served by someone I haven't even met. But I haven't really thought about it, since all I did was fiddle with Aegis..."

There was a small flash of light between them. Kira and Athrun blinked. Cagalli, in between them, was holding Aegis with both hands, and looking bewildered. Aegis was glowing red.

"Er... Oops?"

"Cagalli! What did you do?" Kira exclaimed, staring at the sword. Cagalli thrust it at him.

"I don't know! I didn't do anything! It wasn't like that when I first held it!" As soon as the sword left her hands, it stopped glowing. Kira handed Aegis to Athrun. There was no reaction whatsoever.

"Try again," Athrun said, passing the light blade to Cagalli again. Nervously, the squire took it, and it gleamed red.

"... Maybe Aegis likes me?" she offered lamely.

Athrun shook his head, deep in thought. Then he laughed.

Cagalli turned to Kira, giving him a look that said 'Is your friend nuts?'

"The sword likes you," Athrun repeated, then grinned. "You are interesting."

Cagalli gave him a look that Athrun could have sworn was similar to his own expression when the Chamber had said those words to him. Cagalli probably thought he was making fun of her.

"Athrun...?" Kira suddenly remembered what Athrun was saying two days ago, before his trial had started. "Are you thinking of...?"

"Would he disagree?" Athrun asked, grinning. "Like he said, Aegis seems to like him."

"Am I being discussed here?" Cagalli interrupted crossly. "At least tell me what's going on!"

Athrun laughed again, and Cagalli wanted to smack him. The fact that he was a prince stopped her. And the fact that he looked extremely nice when he was laughing...

Is she insane? What kind of weird thoughts were those?

He's insaneshe thought when Athrun took her right hand, which was still holding Aegis, in his. Neither of them were wearing gloves, and the contact sent a small jolt through Cagalli, much to her bewilderment.

"Squire Cagalli, I would be honoured if you would take me as your knightmaster," he said formally. Cagalli's jaw dropped at the sudden invitation.

"I refuse," she replied.

Athrun blinked.

Kira blinked.

Cagalli stared calmly back at both of them in turn.

"What?" Both said simultaneously.

"I don't want to be your squire. It'd be too tiring to run around you all the time," Cagalli said peevishly.

Kira and Athrun blinked again.

Oblivious to the happenings, the chatter around them continued, and the musicians continued playing.

The trio was silent for a while.

Then both Kira and Athrun laughed. It was rare to see Kira so spirited, as he was usually quiet, and Athrun supposed part of his amusement was from seeing how Cagalli could affect Kira. Still, most of his chuckles came from what Cagalli was saying.

"This... must be the first time in history... that a squire downright refuses going under a knightmaster!" Athrun said between guffaws.

"Cagalli, that wasn't a question. You're not supposed to be allowed to say no," Kira explained, his eyes shining with merriment. "That's why it's the knights that pick the squires, not the squires that pick the knights."

"Kira, your brother's really interesting," Athrun said, grinning. He looked down at his hand, which was still holding Cagalli's, which was still holding Aegis. "And since Aegis likes you... well... I mean it."

"Eh?"

"I want you to be my squire," Athrun said. "There's no one else I can think of, after all. I'll try not to make you run around me so much, all right?"

"Do I even have a choice?" Cagalli grumbled. Sitting up straight, she replied in a formal tone. "I would be honoured to be your squire, Sir Knight."

Kira and Athrun burst into laughter again, and each ruffled her hair affectionately with a hand.

After so many dark happenings, it felt so good to laugh.

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A relatively short chapter compared to the others, I think...

So... if you found that OOC, it's only for a while. Please forgive any terrible mistakes on that, and tell me in a review if you think I should improve on that!

Review please!

Daidairo