Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam SEED, or any characters or items associated with it. I only possess the merchandise. So don't sue me.
Warning: End of story ahead!
A.n./ - Yup. This is where I totally start off on my rampage!
Mobile Suit Gundam SEED
Post Chaos
Phase 09: Presently Occupied
"Commander!" Kira awoke when he heard a voice call out his rank. Kira looked across the tarmac from where he was laying to see his best friend running towards him. He stood up, wobbly at first, but once he had regained his balance, he was able to stand up straight to greet him. Athrun hadn't changed much over the years, but Kira was starting to look like a man who had made a career out of the military. His brown hair had a few gray streaks in it, so he looked like a man in his early forties as opposed to late thirties. And following Athrun was…
"Daddy! Don't ever scare us like that again!" Lise, Kira's daughter. She was about 5'3", with brown hair and pale blue eyes. At sixteen, she was already quite attractive. She had, however, one habit that Kira wished that she didn't. She liked to wear the ORB military shirt that she had been presented with as more of a jacket than a shirt, and she seemed to enjoy dressing exactly like Cagalli. Sometimes, more than Kira though was appropriate.
Ever since she had turned sixteen, there had been a steady stream of young men at their door, each asking if they could date her, and, each in their turn, being let down by a kind, yet stern, "No." All, that is, except for one. That one, even Kira liked to have around. He was kind, courteous, and always knew how to respond. The only person, it seemed, who disliked his presence, was Cye.
Ever since the time that he had found out about ORB's lies during the war, Cye had refused to trust anyone having anything to do with the government. Except for his family. Because, after all, if you can't trust your family, who can you trust? Of course, Kira and Lacus just figured that this was normal, and said nothing of it.
But the boy still came around, none the less. And today would be no different. When Kira and Lise got home, (Athrun was living with Cagalli in their own house, which just happened to be the barn on Kira's property.) the boy was already there, helping Lacus with some yard work. When Kira approached, the boy stood up, snapped to attention, and saluted. Of course, Kira would salute back, as he always did, and Lise would hug him, and then they would go in the house, leaving the boy to finish his work.
It was easy for Lacus and Cagalli to see what Lise saw in him. He was about her age, with piercing brown eyes and jet black hair. He was also around her height, which was nice, and he had a great deal of respect for Lise and her family. But even good things can have a dark side. And this boy was no different.
Once he had finished with the yard work, he came inside the house, where he collected his duffel bag and promptly headed to the bathroom to take a shower.
"Listen, dad," Cye began to protest the moment he heard the water start. Kira just shot him a look that said "shut-up-and-drop-it", and led him into the kitchen where he began to inform his son as to why they were letting him go out with Lise. Convenience would dictate that this would end just in time for the youth to walk in.
"Um… Mr. Yamato?" Kira looked over to see him standing in the doorway. "What is it, Shin?" Shin looked back at him and said, "I've finished with the work. Is there anything else you need me to do?" Kira looked back, shook his head, and replied, "No, Shin. There's nothing left. You've literally done every thing." He then turned away, but then whipped back around and added, "You know that you don't have to do these things for us." Shin looked back and answered, "I know I don't have to, but I want to." That said, he headed out the door.
But he would be back. He always came back. That was the once thing Kira was assured of. A moment later, Lise walked into the room, dressed in her usual tomboy attire. "I'm going out for a bit, dad," she said as she headed for the door. She said this knowing that all Kira would say was… "All right, just be home at a reasonable hour or call to tell us when you're going to be staying." She mouthed the words as they were said, so, to Shin, it looked as though she were saying them. And Kira knew that if she wasn't at home she was asleep on Shin's couch… hopefully.
Even though he would act calm and collected, the sheer fact that his daughter was old enough to date scared the hell out of him. And as always, he would worry until she either got home or called to say where she was staying. Especially that night.
Kira fell asleep in the armchair that had become his bed as of late. Initially, Lacus wondered how he could stand it, but then Murrue told her about how Kira had once used the cockpit of the Strike as his bedroom and living quarters for a number of weeks during the war. So now, she didn't mind, but she still thought that it seemed to be incredibly uncomfortable. Kira's sleep, however, had become unsettled as of late…
In his dreams, a cloaked Mobile Suit was always showing up and destroying everything. He would wake up, however, just moments before he saw the pilot's face. This time, the dream would be different. It would be worse.
dream start
"Kira!" Athrun's shout over the MS link intercom was loud enough to get Kira to snap out of his Seed Mode just as five more M1's exploded in balls of fire and were no more. "Show yourself," Kira shouted into the open channel. It was all he could say before the Freedom was hit in the arm. The shot effectively vaporized the gun, but somehow left the arm intact.
Before he could grab the beam saber, the Freedom's hand was stopped by that of it's cloaked attacker. Whoever they were opened the hatch of the MS. They were wearing a uniform that Kira knew all too well. The uniform of a ZAFT pilot. In order to show that he meant no harm, Kira stepped out onto the Freedom's hatch as it opened, and gave the hand signal that meant, "I'll meet you on the ground." The other complied.
Once on the ground, Kira once again stepped out on the hatch. This time, he watched as the pilot got out of the now uncloaked MS. The other Mobile Suit looked a lot like the Strike, except it had an upper torso that matched that of the Freedom. Once out, the pilot looked back at Kira, and Kira saw that the flight suit had undergone a few changes. The face plate, which was once transparent, was now mirrored, so he couldn't see his adversary's face. The second was that it now had a place to carry extra ammunition for the standard pistol that every pilot was issued.
Kira removed his helmet as a sign of good will, and the pilot removed, as Kira suddenly became aware, her helmet, and drew her gun. The face staring back at him was the last one that he had expected.
"Lise, what are you doing?" Kira was shocked to see his own daughter standing on a Mobile Suit, pointing a gun at him. He was even more shocked when Shin joined her on the hatch. "What are you two doing?" Shin just stared back at him with a cold stare that said "I should have done this long a go, and you just couldn't see it coming."
"Oh, father, shut up!" Kira was shocked at what his own daughter had become. Images of her growing up flashed before his eyes when he heard the gunshot echo. He was falling. Falling from the hatch of his Mobile Suit towards the ground, wondering when the change had occurred.
end dream
Kira awoke in a cold sweat. This was not the first time that he had had the dream, but it was definitely the creepiest rendition of it that he had experienced to date. He got up out of his chair and decided to go for a walk. There was only one place he could go when he felt like this, and he was going to get there, one way or another.
When the door slammed shut, Nobody even woke up to hear it.
Kira hurried to the hanger to sit in the one place that could afford him solitude from nightmares: the Freedom's cockpit. Elsewhere, Shin and Lise were saying their vows. Lacus was sleeping peacefully, and Cagalli and Athrun were, well, busy. Dearka and Mir were attempting, for the 8th time this week, to watch all of the Lord of the Rings films without falling asleep, and things were peaceful.
Title Card: Thanks to all of the friends and family who supported me in this effort. – Jon
Epilogue: A timeless tale
Kira awoke to the sounds of children laughing. He looked over at the clock to see that it was almost noon. His once brown hair was now mixed with gray. He got up and looked out of the window. He could see his grandchildren playing with their cousins in the yard. IT was truly peaceful.
Lacus was busy in the kitchen, and Cagalli and Athrun were working at their repair shop, while Murrue had gotten her license to practice medicine, and was working at the hospital with Dearka. Mu was still the manager of Level 56, and all was calm.
But things are not always as they seem…
Fin
A/n - well, needless to say, this has been nothing short of an adventure. Thanks to all of you who have read and reviewed, and all of my friends and family who have supported me in this endeavor. This has been my longest work yet, and I know that it will stay as my personal tribute to the creators of Gundam SEED.
Now, to thank all of my pre-readers (as well as those who influenced my decisions)
My brother, who despite the fact that he never actually read the entire chapter, decided to push me to get it done and published. Thanks.
My closest friends – thanks to all of you. You have helped me in the development of the fic, as well as the closure of the story. I could not have decided to end it at 9 chapters without you.
The entire staff at SQUARE ENIX – Thanks to Advent Children and the brief clips of Dirge of Cerberus, I have already started writing my next story.
That's it, I believe, except for…
My girlfriend. She told me that I should take some time off to think about where I really wanted things to go, so! Thanks!
Yeah. That's it! So Later all!
- athrun