III. A Rush of Blood To the Head
It was a week after Cagalli has recovered from the state of coma…
"You can now take her home," the doctor said.
"She will come back here however, for her monthly check-up and conditioning."
Kira, Lacus, and Athrun listened to the doctor's advice.
After that, it was them who engaged on some serious talk.
"She will return to the Athha's mansion, and I'll look after her," Athrun suggested.
"We will look after her…" Kira stressed.
"Did the other members of the assembly know about her condition?" Lacus asked.
"The newly appointed representative knew that the extended procedure was done. He said it would be unwise to spread this…news." Kira replied with regret.
"Their Goddess of Victory had fallen, but no one knows about it. To everyone, she will remain as the headstrong leader that Orb once had," he added.
"…But not for us," Lacus concluded.
Athrun remained silent.
(end of scene)
"Hey Cagalli, guess what - we're going home!" Kira said ecstatically as he entered Cagalli's room.
But she did not reply. She was busy… tracing the images reflected on the windowpane. The sun was retreating, and its orange glow made a dramatic effect on her eyes, as she does that childlike gesture.
Athrun went with Kira to her room. Lacus already left because she has to go for an emergency meeting at PLANTs.
"Busy huh…" Kira continued as he approaches his sister.
Upon hearing that familiar voice, Cagalli turned and jumped off her seat to give him a big hug.
"Kira… you're here!" she exclaimed.
Athrun was watching them and maintained his distance.
Upon seeing Athrun's face, Cagalli started to have that worried look. Kira saw her reaction, so he asked Athrun to come nearer.
"Cagalli…" he started. " This is Athrun…"
Kira was quite uneasy while doing this.
"Am I actually introducing him to her?" he thought
Athrun stretches out his hand - a sign that he's acknowledging this introduction.
Cagalli's innocent eyes met Athrun's. For some reason, which she didn't understand, those golden-brown eyes became misty.
She stepped backwards, as if she remembered something… some memory of him that hurts her.
Athrun's hand kept itself on midair. Then, he bowed his head to hide his tears.
"You're… crying…" she said as she recalls that day when he visited her… but a more distant image came flashing through her mind.
This will just be a memory…She couldn't understand what that means. Something in her mind tells her not to trust this person. But her heart was beating so fast.
Athrun, upon hearing her words wiped his eyes.
"No. I was just… happy… to see you," he said with a painful laugh.
They arrived at the Athha's mansion. Every servant of the household was there, waiting. But the smiles were all a fraud. All of them knew what happened, and they were deeply saddened by it. But still, they couldn't show their feelings, just as Kira said to them.
"It's harder for me to pretend, but I will do it. I don't want her to feel that she's different. Please, I need your help." Kira said this to the house servants, and to everyone that knows what happened.
"This, is where we live…" Kira said as he guides Cagalli out of the car.
Athrun was there too. He was observing Cagalli's reaction upon seeing her home.He too, once lived there - when he was still working as her bodyguard.
Cagalli was amazed upon seeing the place.
She took a few steps forward, ignoring the eyes of everyone as they watch her. She was looking through the spacious halls that lay before her. She touched the carved stone on the main entrance, showing the Athha's family symbol. Kira approached her.
"Do you remember anything?" he asked.
Cagalli shook her head. She continued to move forward. In her mind, images of memories appear, but she couldn't understand what they are.
She saw an old man with long gray hair, in the midst of the flames…
Then, a picture of a woman holding two babies - one brown haired, the other, blonde
- then a golden mobile suit.
She lost her balance while contemplating on these thoughts. Athrun immediately rushed forward.
He held her as she falls to the ground.
She looked up at him. He was holding her hand…
She looked at hers… and saw something that was missing…
"Where…is…my…ring?"
Athrun lost his breath…
Cagalli's eyes were questioning…
"She remembered- our ring," he thought.But then, the reality of her words sank in.
"Where is my ring?"
He couldn't understand why… why can't she remember anything about him. This reality hit him, and the wound was deeper than anything he can imagine. It's even worse than death itself…
He helped her as she stood. Kira came to them.
"Are you okay?"
Cagalli just nodded. To Athrun's surprise, she threw herself to Kira and embraced him. Kira was also surprised with that gesture.
"My ring… where is it?" Cagalli asked Kira.
Kira gave Athrun a meaningful look.
Is she referring to your promise ring? Kira's eyes were conversing with Athrun's.
Athrun nodded in approval.
(end of scene)
She got tired of wandering around her own house. After two hours of doing so, she decided to rest.
Kira was with Athrun in Cagalli's private office.
" I have a lot of questions," Athrun began.
"So do I…" Kira continued.
They have invited her doctor, as well as the scientist who performed the extended conditioning for an afternoon tea.
"There are a lot of changes in her behavior, as you can see now," the scientist explained.
"Her memory was subconsciously erased after her therapy with the drugs that we've given. But we are hoping that it's just a temporary state of amnesia."
Athrun asked about her memory of their promise ring - which she only referred to it as her ring. He said he couldn't understand why his memory wasn't included when she remembered it.
"There are a lot of unexplained changes in a person who receives the extended conditioning," the doctor explained.
"Some people's feelings changes… from love to hatred. Some memories either good or bad will appear to them as if it was real. Even a person's memories of other people change," the doctor let his last sentence hanging.
"What do you mean by that?" Kira asked.
"As I suspect in your sister's case… she doesn't know that you are her twin brother. You appear to her as someone who's even more special… a boyfriend, or lover…"the doctor explained.
"What can we do about it?" Athrun was a little troubled by that revelation.
"We can't do anything about it right now. But we are hoping that as her condition progresses, she would eventually return to …normal."
The doctor's words were heavy, as if Athrun couldn't take it. He was hesitating to ask Kira the question, but he did it anyway.
"What are you going to do now?"
Kira took a deep breath.
"I'll play the part… for her," he replied.
On the kitchen, one of the maids accidentally broke a piece of expensive china…
The sound echoed along the halls… it was like a cry…
Cagalli's eyes snapped open.
Moments past… Kira and Athrun were running towards her room.
She was shouting…
Athrun was the first one to enter. He searched around for her.
Kira ran immediately towards her bed. It was stained with blood.
"Kira!" her eyes were panic stricken.
"Cagalli!" Kira shouted as her rushes forward to see her.
She was crouching beside her bed. The lampshade was broken.
Athrun ran towards them upon hearing her voice.
Cagalli's hands were bleeding… they were full of scratch marks. Athrun obtained a piece of fabric from her closet and tied this on her hands, as Kira searches around for her dressing robe.
"… he will kill me," she said.
Athrun held her in his arms, but as she looks up at him… she screamed again.
"I don't want you!"
She ran towards Kira and hid herself on his back.
Kira was rather saddened by his sister's reaction of total hostility towards Athrun.
"Shh… don't cry anymore," Kira said as he hugs her.
"She said someone was trying to kill her…" Athrun said. His sorrow towards Cagalli's behavior was beginning to show.
"That man… with that armor… I'll kill him," Cagalli said with anger.
The three of them were not aware of the unexpected visitor, who immediately rushed towards Cagalli's room after hearing the news of her panic attack from one of the servants.
(end of scene)
He was holding a bouquet of roses… he just wanted to see her, after hearing that she already went home after the extended conditioning.
As he stands on the doorway of her room, her bloodstained self revealed itself to him. He was shocked.
"What happened here?"
Cagalli was the first one to notice as he spoke.
"It's… him!" She pointed towards the doorway.
Kira and Athrun's eyes diverted towards the source of her panic.
On the doorway, standing before them… was Shinn…
This short chapter was inspired by my favorite song by coldplay… yeah. Upon hearing the song, I suddenly went to the computer and type…
I do experience such impulse…