Kira is Kage

Lacus is Hikari

NOTE:

"Doryaaaaaaaaaa!": normal talking

"Charge!": special case

'Darn!': thoughts

GWA HA HA HA! : Giant creature speech

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!

Please… read and review

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Aboard the Merchant ship heading back to Archangel…

Now, Gino was bound and chained in the brig. Intially, he continued to struggle and tried to break free, but alas, his captors had been well informed of his bloodline limit, and now they've respond to it appropriately by taking extra care on the amount of food that went into his cell. Now he's so weak that not only he can't transform, he can't even break free from these chains. That and the shock of the revelation of Kage's true allegiance were almost too much for his sanity to handle.

His cell was placed right next to Lacus' sealed room. Due to the room being sealed, her miasma won't seep through the entire ship. There's a small glass window in between the room, both sides can look at each other easily.

"HOW COULD HE DO THIS?" Gino gritted his teeth. And to think, he actually looked up to Shadow, Kage… whatever… And now… he never felt so betrayed… "HOW COULD HE BE ON THEIR SIDE!? HE BETRAYED HIS OWN PEOPLE!"

Gino gasped in horror and bent his head down. He looked right next to him and saw the princess sitting calmly, even humming a song by herself while playing with ms. Pink on her lap. She was completely relaxed, not a trace of fear or anger, even after Kage revealed who he really is.

"My lady… how can you be so calm? Why aren't you shocked?"

Lacus blinked calmly at Gino and gave a sad smile. "…because I already knew."

"Eh?"

"I already knew who and what he is… from the very beginning, quite in fact." Lacus chuckled.

"You mean you knew that he was blacklist and he…"

"No, no, no. What I meant is, Kage nickname really do suit him than shadow more! What's with he's a Japanese and all that-" Lacus replied cheerfully.

BOINK!

Gino's head fell down to the ground. How can she still talk about this sort of thing in times like this!? "anoo… Lacus-sama… you do realize our situation right?"

"Daijobu! I'm sure we'll be okay!" Lacus smiled brightly. "Kage will definitely help us!"

Gino gasped upon seeing Lacus cheerful smile. Not a trace of fear in there. "How can you trust him even after all that!? He killed Goud Veia! He… He…"

"He saved us, and get us this far, didn't he?" Lacus took a deep breath and exhaled, releasing particles of her virus into the air, contaminating the room. Lacus knew this even without having the need to see what she's done. "As for the matter of Lord Veia, he already told me about it beforehand, in private. I suppose I should've realized by then he would've been a high ranking officer of the Alliance." Lacus faced Gino and clapped her hands together as she bowed down, apologizing. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I should've told you beforehand!"

"No, well, it's okay." Gino flabbergasted upon seeing the fact the princess is apologizing to him instead. Lacus really had a way of throwing people off with that attitude of hers.

"For now, I think we should just behave and be a good boy and girl! If we do that, everything will be A-okay! Okay?"

Gino sweat dropped. 'Why are you acting like we're guests inside someone else's house…?'

Seeing Gino had calmed down a bit, Lacus returned to playing with ms. Pink. But in her mind, she also wondered on what that brown haired shinobi is doing now.

Meanwhile, up above…

Kira had done debriefing Mwu and Sai as to what transpire in the week of his time in Junius. Naturally, Kira skipped several sensitive parts, such as Lacus' abortive suicide attempts, the fact he met his foster father, the truth about the pilgrimage, the true power of his bloodline limit… but Kira liberally told them about his findings about the Order of Blue Cosmos and the Genmas… and he couldn't hide the fact that he was immune to Genma infection.

"Well, I don't know what sort of mischief Heaven played on you… having such a convenient feature inside you… but… I suggest you keep that to yourself. If the Alliance… no, if the Order of Blue Cosmos as you say still exist and fully active that they dared to send warlocks into that place… they won't be happy to know there's an Advanced in this world that is a perfect counter to the Genmas." Putting aside his student's affinity on killing genma, Mwu was clearly displeased with how reckless Kira fights, compounded with the revelation of Shiki's dark form. But as for the subject as to how Kira ended up saving an Exorcists and the daughter of such a hotshot politician… Mwu's thought on that… "Well, I guess if I'm in your position I would've done the same… but this is troublesome."

"You know her?"

"Well we've been told about her. And in a good and bad way." Mwu sighed. "The good part being that their family had always tried hard to push for peace summit. Siegel Clyne, being one of the members of Zaft high council, had always pushed for peace between Advanced and Naturals."

"Hoo…" Needless to say Sai was particularly pleased.

"The bad part is that he wasn't really successful with it."

"Oww…" The said listener bent his head down in slight disappointment.

"In recent times, her daughters had been taking over as of late." Mwu jerked his thumb to the direction of the holding cells where Lacus resides. "The renewed peace effort has been spearheaded by the princess here. Several times she requested meetings with the Alliance's Five… and her sister, the warrior type, is always by her side protecting her. And she's doing a pretty good job at it. So good in fact, she gained a nickname of her own: the Banshee Knight Lamia."

'Banshee Knight huh? Fitting…' Kira remembered all too well his experience of nearly being 'screamed' to death by Lacus' overprotective twin.

Sai understood immediately. "So protecting her from kidnapping and assassination right?"

"Yeah. The cruel joke is, the assassination doesn't always come from our side."

"EH!?"

"There are those radicals even in the Crimson Emperor's court… the guys who wants war to go on." Kira muttered darkly. "Some guys who were so caught up in the idea of revenge and other various reasons to win this war through military force that the idea of a peaceful solution is out of the question. For those sort of guys, compromise and negotiation was out of the question."

"What… how can that be?" Sai balked. "Why would anyone want this war to continue?"

"Sai, suppose your family was killed by someone." Mwu suddenly gave a blatant example. "Can you ever forgive that someone even when eventually he sobered up and ask for forgiveness? Or… if you want to take your revenge on that guy, but you were unable to do so because your side and that side is at peace? Can you let it go?"

"I…!" Sai gasped.

Kira merely sighed and looked to the ocean. Mwu continued. "That's the problem see? There are just too many things that had happened in this war. Too many atrocities had been committed. Too many grudges, too many anger and hatred… you can't wash all that away with some kiss and make up. There are also some of the Advanced people who thinks that to make peace with us Naturals is also an insult to their pride."

But Kira wasn't listening anymore up until the part when Mwu told him how the assassination doesn't come from only the Alliance side. 'Family of sinners… then there's her miasma… and now this. How many assassination attempts she endured up until now? How many times her food may have been poisoned? Could it be that the reason she wanted to become medic nin was so that she could protect her family from all that? And then in the process it grew worse into the current situation and…'

"What do you think Kira?"

"Hng? What?" Kira blinked several times. Sai and Mwu were staring at him as if they were waiting for something. "Sorry, come again?"

Mwu blinked and he repeated. "Umm, we were just discussing what to do with this situation and I had a suggestion."

"Yes?"

"Well, we take her to Archangel."

"WHAT?" Sai gasped.

But Kira rubbed his chin in deep thought, considering it. "I agree. But we can't let her stay there for too long either. We're the Alliance, we're the enemies of her people, we are the worst kinds of people she could ever meet! She's like a cattle walking to slaughterhouse."

"And there's that miasma Kira told us about! I don't think that chilling room can keep it under wraps for long!" Sai added.

"And on that note it'll be like a butcher to a poultry! There's my men, and there are civilians too! We don't have a specialized isolated room to keep her around!"

"I don't think it's going to be that easy, kid. I'm not enjoying this situation anymore than you do. But we really don't have much choice on the matter." Mwu explained and then added: "And you said, you guys managed to deal with that problem." Mwu pointed at Kira.

"It was… well, yeah… it was a suit. We created an insulation suit that she can wear. But it's not something that she can wear at all times…"

"Insulation suit huh? Well where is it?" Sai nodded.

"Umm…" Kira remembered what happened to those suits. It was all torn apart. And he remembered the one responsible for their destruction. "They were viciously destroyed." 'By me.'

"Then we'll just have to make her a new one." Mwu concluded.

"Can you make them?"

"Who, me? No way! But I happened to know someone who can." The Jounin Captain confidently grinned. "Plus, it's important. We have to bring her with us… but more importantly, no one can know who she really is."

"You mean… she had to be in disguise or something?" Sai began to see where this is going.

"Exactly. Of course, we have to tell a few people and to help us keep it a secret. The Shadowguards for instance." Mwu tapped Sai's temple. "And then Murrue as well…"

"And Natarle Fuku-taichou as well?" Sai added.

"NO! Anyone BUT Natarle." Mwu suddenly barked. He glared at Sai and Kira. "Seriously! Don't any of you breathe a word of who that girl is to Natarle. Knowing her, I'm afraid she'll just come up with ideas which neither you nor I would like! So no! We ABSOLUTELY must not tell her! UNDERSTAND?"

"Y… Yessir!" the bespectacled boy flabbergasted a bit. But Kira still frowned in concern.

"Something in your mind kid?" Mwu looked at the frowning kid.

"So we're gonna… give her mask to conceal her identity. Is this REALLY going to work?"

Mwu and Sai seem shocked upon hearing that question. They looked at each other, and they ceremoniously pointed their fingers at the one known most successful example.

Seeing fingers pointed at him made Kira realized his own unique circumstances. In light of that, he realized he's licked. "Alright! Okay, okay. You win. But we definitely, DEFINITELY had to make returning her to her people a priority. Okay?"

"Naturally, naturally." Mwu grinned.

Chapter 36:

The Princess of Chaos and Peace

A little while after that, Kira, assuming his Kage mask once again, entered the holding rooms. Upon getting a glance of him, Gino growled in anger and struggled to break free. Alas, even with his zoan strength he cannot break free from the chains binding him. Lacus on the other hand, remain sitting calmly in her seat. In fact, when Kage arrived, Lacus showed her excitement.

Kage looked at the guards escorting him and motioned them to leave him alone with the 'prisoners'. They reluctantly complied, more because of Gino rampaging in their backs. Once everyone left, Kage took a chair and sit in front of the two holding rooms. "First, let me explain the situation. This ship is a Zaft merchant ships we've confiscated from some of your knights when they tried to attack us with it. I won't go into details, but at the moment, we make use of them quite often."

"Ara! What for?" Lacus asked.

"A lot of bad things." Kage replied calmly. "At the moment, we're heading to Archangel."

"The fortress Archangel? In Japan?" Gino gasped.

"JAPAN!?" Lacus' eyes began glimmering with happiness in an instant. "We're going to JAPAN!?"

"No." Kage shook his head, and the girl's mood gloomed drastically in an instant. "No we're not going to Japan. See… a lot of things had changed when you guys were trapped in Junius." Kage turned to Gino. "Archangel is no longer a fortress. It's a ship. A battleship. And it's currently home to over 2000 Alliance militia soldiers and roughly around 1000 refugee families. All of them were victims when their homes were attacked and burnt to the ground, by ZAFT knights." On this note, Kage's eyes gleamed viciously as he narrowed his eyes at Gino. The zoan knight was slightly unnerved by it.

"Oh dear…" Lacus gasped in sympathy.

"When the ship set sailed, due to circumstances we cannot abandon them, and we had no choice but to take them with us. Regrettably, we didn't have time to collect rations for all of us. As the result, we left with barely enough food for all of them. And that's why my friends and I went to Junius. We came there to take the food kept at the Bunkers. However, due to… circumstances… we had that little misadventure."

"I see…" Lacus poked her fingers at her cheek while nodding.

"In other words, you're tomb raiding!?" Gino growled again. Gone was the tone of respect and admiration he had for Shadow back in Junius.

But Lacus defended Kage. "Now, now, Gino! Given the circumstances, I think Kage-sama deserve some consideration-"

"No. He's right. We ARE tomb raiding." Kage confessed truthfully much to Lacus slight surprise and Gino's bewilderment. "But what would you choose: let starving people joined the ranks of the dead or fed them with food dead people no longer need?"

"…!" For a moment, Gino looked like he was about to blare in rage, but then he stopped midway and gone silent.

Kage sighed. "At the moment, this ship has been carrying the food back to Archangel. We set off with 6 ships. The other 5, I'm told, had left and returned back to the Archangel. Which means, because of me, this shipment of food is late for a week. And for that reason, this ship will head straight back to Archangel first, and then from there, we'll figure out a way to send you two back home." And now he's getting to the hard part. "Now, there's just a bit of a problem with that part."

"So we noticed." Gino grunted. They're heading towards an ALLIANCE Battleship! That's a big ass problem alright.

"Precisely because of that, before we go to Archangel, there will be some… arrangements involved. Arrangements to HIDE your identity." Kage explained and then pointed to Lacus. "The problem is you Princess. You're too famous. Even amongst your enemies. While I do understand you're famous in a good way… others don't think so. Therefore, for the sake of your own safety, we mustn't let anyone know who you are."

"Ara? Does that mean I have to stay in this room until you can find a way to send us home?"

"No… we may need this ship, and we certainly can't keep you locked in here forever. We're gonna have to put you on disguise." Kage concluded. "The same way we put you in that insulation suit."

"Arara! Could it be… you're going to give me another one of those Samurai style suit!?" Lacus' eyes were gleaming again with hope.

Kage chuckled. "I wouldn't bet on that. I don't think we have someone with skills of Lowe's caliber in our ship." Kage knows Murdoch was good… but he really don't think he was THAT good.

And Lacus pouted again. "Boo… That's because you keep DESTROYING my suits!"

"Ah, that's true…" Kira scratched his head in inconvenience. "But the circumstances… I really had no choice." Another sigh, and Kage turned to his next point of concern. "Gino, I need your help."

"WHAT? You dare ask my-"

"It's not for me. It's for the princess." Kage pointed at Lacus. "You are pretty much the only person within reachable distance whom I can fully entrust with her safety. But that means… you have to behave and be a good boy until it's over, and everything will be A-okay. Okay?"

"Be-Gkk! You-dh! I-hgb." Gino flabbergasted and cat got his tongue.

"See? What did I tell you?" Lacus chuckled in triumph.

"What did you tell him?" Kage looked awkwardly at Lacus.

"Tee-hee!"

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On the next day, the ship finally arrived at their destination.

"SHIP AHOY!" One of the scouts shouted when they saw a familiar dragon wing like sail of a Zaft merchant ship. Even more so when they're bear the flag of the Alliance. "IT'S ONE OF OURS! IT'S THE LAST ONE!"

"Who's on it?"

The Scout narrowed his eyes and looked its occupant: There's Mwu, there's one of the Shadowguard… and… "Oh. My. Lord… It's the CAPTAIN!"

And the whole ship went into an uproar.

"FUAahahahahaha!" Canard laughed as loud as he can be. "This guy just doesn't know how to fucking die, right! HAHAHAHA!" He particularly addressed his favorite footstool, the gasping Balsam.

"Is this him?" Mr. Bushido looked at Setsuna.

"His heart beats a mile a minute. He's alive and kicking alright." Setsuna had never heard a livelier sound of heartbeats.

"Not… possible…" Even the stone cold Sven was shocked.

"Asahina! You owe me… Pay up." Kamina grinned.

"That's it. I'm never gonna bet against our Captain's survival rate again." Asahina groaned as he handed Kamina his winning.

"Wow… okay… but… what's with that ridiculous look?" Karren noted the fact that instead of the usual all black clothing that their captain loved to wear; now he's wearing all white bandages, with blood smears on it. Fact is, they wouldn't know it was him if he didn't carry two things: his ever present Shiki, and his trusty green bird parching on his shoulder. 'Um? Wait… wasn't that more of his brother's (Kira) gig?'

Meanwhile, down there on the ship…

If Gino's jaw can get any lower, it will. "Oh… My… God…"

While Lacus… well being Lacus, she just went with a little "Wowie."

When Kage said the Archangel was a no longer a fortress but a battleship, what crossed Gino's mind was an average Alliance Battlecruiser named after the great fortress. Kage failed to mention that, even as a battleship, that thing is STILL a fortress!

The ship is at least 1.5 kilometer long and it is 10 stories tall, with 3 stories underwater. It has catamaran design with twin hulls and it's about 600 meters wide in-between hulls. Enough space for two battlecruisers to fit in there side by side… in fact there are TWO battlecruisers in there at the moment! And one more at the back that looked completely different with the others. 5 stolen Zaft Merchant ships can be seen docked around the outer side of the twin hulls, encircling the grand dreadnought, each enormous in size but they're still completely dwarfed by it. This makes the fact that the ship was so colossal all the more proponent.

As the merchant ship grew closer and closer, encircling the ship to find a place to dock, Gino get a brief but increasingly unnerving tour of the sheer grandiose of this monstrosity of a ship, including a full count of its ridiculous number of armament. It has rows of gun ports along the broadsides on each deck. And by his count, there are three decks, one row had roughly 12 baker dozen cannons, and each deck sport with just as many guns. Each Gun port looked like a balcony of a small house, except that instead of housing people, it houses the protruding Gottfried Cannon inside it. The upper superstructure of the giant ship looked like a small military base built on the flat surface deck of this behemoth of a ship, located and suspended at the center right in-between the two bows. The Ship has neither mast nor sail. It was clearly insufficient to propel a ship this big. In place, a gigantic paddler placed on the 2/3 portion of the ship were partially dipped underwater.

He can still see scaffolds and platforms here and there, filled with people hammering away at holes and parts that showed underframes and the like. He understood of course that it was a construction process. This thing, already as huge as it is, is not yet complete. God willing, it's not yet fully operational. Gino shuddered at the thought of how much destruction it can wreck when it was completed. But then as he approached the bow, what he saw next made all the grandeur of this imperfect behemoth looked like nothing.

Two huge white angel statues can be seen standing tall at the twin front prows of the battleship, one angel for each prow. The Angel had their hands clasped upward, shouldering… Gino gaped… a gargantuan cannon-no TWO of them in fact! Two angels, two cannons. The size of the cannon barrel's caliber implied the bullet would be the size of a small house. A single shot of one cannon could probably wipe out entire cities with one shot… and this thing has two as bow guns!? What's worse, as they neared the ship, they get a last, brief but mighty important detail of the ship's construction: it was metal. This thing is completely ironclad!

"Milady… have you ever seen anything like this?"

"Wow… humans can do anything if they put their minds to it!"

"Those naturals… this is too much! A ship like this… with that kind of firepower… they can wipe our entire fleet in Carpentaria in a day!"

"Actually, we've gone and done that." Kage suddenly waltzed into the holding room. The other two occupants turned and looked at the captain. Gino in particularly was both shocked and angry.

"You… not only you killed their master, you destroyed his fleet as well?"

"It was necessary, they were in the way. Plus, I didn't finish the job, really." Next Kage glared at the two to stress his next point. "We'll be docking soon. Remember what we agreed? Okay?"

"Haaai!" Only Lacus replied happily.

As the merchant ship approached the Archangel, many people began to gather on the place where the ship will most likely to dock. The Shadowguard, the Juppongatana, the other captains (Murrue) and other officers. All have gathered together to welcome their captain. But then they all noticed another thing. The crew of the merchant ship raised another flag, and everyone gasped in horror. "The ship raised a YELLOW flag!"

"Yellow flag?" Tolle was somewhat confused. "What's the big deal with that?"

"Yellow Flag… it means… beware. There's a bio hazard happening in that ship. Someone get afflicted with an infectious disease and must be quarantined!" Murrue explained. "That also means we can't board that ship before the medical team get in there and make a checkup." Everyone gasped. An infectious disease coming from a ship that just spent more than a week in the island of the dead. That doesn't sound good.

Natarle was about to send for the medical team… until the crew noticed something else is coming.

"Torii! Torii!"

Kira's ever faithful green bird, Torii flew and landed on Murrue's palm. "Torii?"

"Torii! Torii!" Torii gently pecked Murrue's hand and then showed them one of his legs. There's a letter tied to it. Murrue plucked it out and read the letter. Its messy bad handwritings were unmistakably Mwu's handiwork. The content was short:

"Sorry, we got a bit of a snag here. Could you guys please bring Toudou and the Shiseiken here? Signed: everyone's favorite captain: Mwu. :) a~nd Kage."

"Toudou?" Murrue blinked in confusion several times, not understanding this request one bit. "Why would he need Toudou?"

In the end, Toudou and his Shiseiken complied and get on board the merchant ship atop a lifeboat.

Naturally, even Kage was confused. "Ano-sa… I thought you were bringing Murdoch here? Why would you bring Toudou?"

"You'll see!" Mwu calmly waved his hand down. Soon, Toudou and the other Shiseiken landed on their ship, all of them were as confused as hell.

"Mwu? Something you need our help? Who's infected?"

"Well… it's a bit complicated… BASICALLY-" Suddenly Mwu grabbed Kage's head and put it in a headlock under his armpit, much to the boy's discomfort. "-this guy gets to play saving damsels in distress!"

"Huh?" The Shiseikens jawdropped.

"Gah! Hoi! She's hardly that sort of girl believe me!" Kage unlatched himself from Mwu's headlock. "And she's a Damsel BRINGING distress! Mark my word."

"Huh?" Another jawdrop from the Shiseiken.

"Mwu. Kage, mind explaining this in a clear fashion?" That was a demand; not a request; from an invisibly confused Toudou.

"Let's talk about this in private." Kage motioned them to talk in the captain's quarter aboard the merchant ship.

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Later on, inside the Captain's quarters…

"I see…" Toudou nodded as he rubbed his temple in deep thought. "You brought the Princess of the Clyne family here… into the clutches of her enemies."

"I don't have much choice on the matter." Kira, unmasked, sighed in annoyance. "We got a Genma Rush charging right in front of us, I could barely move, and those two were unconscious. What am I supposed to do, leaving them behind?"

"Don't misunderstood, Kira-kun. I'm not judging your actions; I'm just stating the facts. I dare not to say whether it'll be good or bad for us in the future." Toudou understood Kira's situation. Given the circumstances, he might do the same. "Still, that doesn't explain why you need me here instead of doctors."

"No. See, that's the thing. We want to keep her safe, because our glorious young captain here-" A smiling Mwu jerked his thumb to the annoyed Kira. "-insist to return her home safely. And, since this place is, as you say, the clutches of her biggest enemies, we all agreed, until Kira can figure out some plan to bring her home, her identity must be kept hidden."

"Hmm. I see." Toudou nodded in understanding. "Make sure no one of the Alliance top brass realized what exactly we have in our hands. Keep her hidden lest they took her for ransom. That's a very dangerous game, Kira-kun."

"I never said it was smart. But right now it is the right thing to do."

"I still fail to see my role in this. You guys could just disguise her as you did yourself, Kira-kun. The Kage mask did you some good, did it not?"

Instead of replying, Mwu nudged Kira to do the honor.

"Here's the hiccup." A still confused Kira explained. "She's a medic nin. And like all Medic Nin, she underwent the immunization process. She's immune to all sorts of poison, and can even use her own immunity system to create the cure. However… something… went very wrong in her body. The Immunity turned her into a Typhoid Mary of an extremely deadly disease which continuously emanate from her being. They are odorless, tasteless, colorless Miasma… but very, very lethal. Even her own people kept her at a distance, with no one can stay close to her longer than 5 minutes."

"No one except our prince charming here." Mwu pointed at Kira.

Kira deathglared at his mentor, but Mwu was really having too much fun poking at this, doesn't he? "And it's not like she can stop it. Emanating that poison wherever she goes has become so much a part of her as breathing."

"And this is where you come in Toudou. Back in Junius, the Kid, with some help from Lowe Guele-" all Rounins in that room gasped in shock, recognizing the name of a High General. "-developed an insulation suit, based on Samurai's armor. Regrettably, it was destroyed during the ensuing conflict. We would like you to create that suit for her."

The Shiseiken' eyes widened in shock, only Toudou showed indifference. "I see… so that's why you called us here…" The former Samurai nodded in understanding. "Of course, the armor that we wear was manufactured uniformly by our barracks. But over time, we customized them, redesigned them to suit our preferences. Sometimes it was so thorough it was like we're rebuilding our armor from scratch. All Samurais, Ronins, and all others… we DO have an innate understanding on how to build one."

"But it's out of the question!" Chiba barged in all the sudden. "The secrets of Samurai Armor are not to be passed down to anyone lightly! Those are classified information-!"

"She's trained in the Shinobi arts" Mwu jerked his thumb to his back, referring to Lacus. "And he's an Orb citizen, we know all about the Armor Federal Law." Mwu ruffled Kira's hair. "But we're not asking you guys to build a whole damn suit for fighting, we're simply asking you to build a suit which she can move freely without killing everyone around her. A gas mask, to be blunt."

"The gas mask…? But the gas mask is…"

"Not just for the mouth… the whole body." Kira repeated.

The Shiseiken looked at each other, hoping the other one other then themselves could come up with the answer, but eventually, they all looked for Toudou to give the final decree. Toudou closed his eyes in deep thought, and when he opened them again, he had arrived with the answer. "Show her to us. Chiba; that will be your task. Put on your old suit."

"Hai!" If Toudou himself consent, then the other Four holy Sword had no room to protest.

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Down on the brig, Gino and Lacus still remained in their respective cells, wondering what's wrong, until suddenly they heard footsteps.

Kage descended into the brig, and following behind him, much to the two inmates' shock, a samurai, wearing an old beaten up pale grey armor. Lacus' eyes widened and gleamed with excitement, whereas Gino was somewhat horrified.

Kage motioned towards Lacus, and Chiba understood. But before she proceeds, she looked at Gino. "What of this one?"

Her voice was somewhat distorted, but retained enough of the original tone to show her feminine gender. Add that with the notable curves and bust on her chest, everyone quickly knew that she's a woman.

"Gino, get out." Kage unlocked the jail door. "Chiba-san gonna measure her up. That means clothes off. Up you get now."

Gino grunted, but he got up and followed Kage climbing up to the exit. Before Kage closed the exit, he said: "If you need anything, please call." He nodded once to Chiba and then left the two girls. Chiba and Lacus looked at each other. "Undress. I'm going to take your measurement now."

Lacus nodded and began undressing.

Upstairs, Gino gasped as he saw Mwu and another 4 other soldiers, but they're not like the other soldiers. One with elderly but piercing gaze had a giant cleaver wrapped in cloth on his back, while the others wear ragged Yukata with a katana and kodachi on their belt. They're all samurais. 'What's this? Isn't that…' "Toudou-shishou?"

Everyone looked at the blond. Only Toudou retained calmness and was able to reply. "Why… Gino Weinberg? Is that you?"

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Down below, Chiba began measuring Lacus' body. For a moment, even a woman such as Chiba was somewhat enraptured by Lacus' beauty. Skin as white as pearls. She's like a porcelain doll. That ever present childish but pure smile. It was expected. The Advanced were descendants of the ancient Oni race, and the said race was said to be breathtakingly beautiful to behold. This much beauty in their female descendants should be expected. But her eyes, that innocent gleaming and curious blue eyes kept staring at her armored being. Every now and then she looked like she's about to say something, but then she stopped midway and frowned slightly.

Apparently she wants to start a conversation but she didn't know what to do or say. Finally, Chiba took the initiative. "Is there something you wish to ask?"

Lacus' lips parted and her smile faltered slightly when she jerked in surprise of being addressed. But finally, she speak: "It's nothing… it's just… I want to talk to you… but… I don't know how should I address you…?"

"How to address me…?"

"Kage-san taught me about suffixes… and there are various kinds of it: chan, san, sama, dono… I don't know which is best to use to better address you…"

Chiba's eyebrows lifted in amusement. Does this girl had yet to realize her situation? No. She realized it, Kage had told her personally. But she couldn't find an ounce of fear in her eyes. 'Interesting girl.' "Chiba-san is okay, Hime-sama."

"Chiba-san, eh?" Lacus smiled sweetly. "Then, please just call me Lacus. You can use whatever suffix you found appropriate!"

Chiba resisted the urge to chuckle. "Then, Lacus-chan. Okay?"

"Hai!" Lacus nodded happily. She was hoping for it in fact. Lacus-chan had that certifiable tune that she liked.

Her interest piqued, Chiba found herself wanting to know more of the girl. "Lacus-chan, Kage told me… that you were a Kunoichi?"

"Hai! A medic specialized."

"Umh. I believe you." Chiba was looking at Lacus' hands. Contrary to what everyone might expect, instead of a soft and beautiful hand of a noble woman, Lacus' fingers had scars. Old, tiny, and barely visible scars, but enough to make her supposedly soft and petite hands to have a rough and firm texture. "This is the scars that can only happen when one use scalpel often. No matter how good you are, you will always accidentally cut yourself up around the fingers quite often during the initial days of your training. But… these scars… they're very old. And there haven't been any fresh new scars… you quit?"

"Indeed. My… condition… no longer allows me to treat my patients." Lacus smiled kindly.

"Oh!" That's when Chiba realized she had overstepped her boundaries, remembering the implication of Lacus' condition to the unprotected people around her. "I sincerely apologize for my rudeness."

"It's okay. More than anything, Chiba-san… you're… a Samurai?" Lacus' eyes were once again gleaming in excitement.

When Chiba saw this, she suddenly felt more relaxed and at ease. She was on guard all the time but now… miasma aside she couldn't imagine this girl will cause her any harm or bear any ill will. "Yes. But I suppose… we are former Samurais now. We are dishonored. And even worse, we have refused to perform the seppuku ritual."

"Ara, oh dear… You are… Ronins?" Lacus' smile faltered greatly, turning into a kind solemn smile.

"Hai." Chiba continued her task of measuring Lacus' figure. "Oh, could you raise your hand a bit?"

"Hai." Lacus complied and raised her hand. "It must be tough."

Chiba blinked. "Tough?"

"Well… I'm just saying… I've read about Ronins before. They dishonored themselves and demanded to perform sepukku but they refuse for some reason or another. Your own society pressing you to die… but you don't want to die for some reason." Lacus remembered her own previous state and felt a strong kinship with that caste of Samurais. She almost gave in if not for Kira. "I guess… I can't think of any other word but to call it tough."

Chiba's eyes widened. Was that sympathy from her? "Maybe we're just too cowardly to adhere to the Samurai code."

"Then why are you still fighting?"

Chiba paused for a moment.

"Your armor. It was filled with scars. Mostly to the front side. That's the proof that you've spend your life fighting, at the forefront. Never backing down or showed your back in retreat, those injuries at your back are simply attacks that slipped your guard or by cowardly backstabbing blows." Lacus looked at Chiba's armor. The front half it was full of scars and patch, at the back there are quite few and noticeably shallow. "You must've been fighting hard. So very hard. Was it to protect someone?"

And now Chiba was officially in shock. She looked at Lacus' kind and smiling face in disbelief. "You… how…?"

Lacus chuckled giddily like a child. "I have a sister. She always dote me when we were young. And when we grew up, she became a warrior who always protects me. Her knight armor looked just like yours. They were filled with scars."

Chiba looked at her own armor and now that Lacus pointed it out, she was right. It's really full of marks and scars. She never noticed it until now. Chiba looked at Lacus calm and clear stare. It was filled with admiration and also sympathy, and it's sincere. It felt like ages since someone showed any one of the Shiseiken or Toudou any form of pity or kindness. Ronins are not well accepted by the Samurai community. They were outcast and thus shunned and at the worst they were hunted down like dogs. "To protect someone… huh?"

"Hai?"

"Yes. You were right. We are the Shiseiken. The Four holy Swords. We are the retainers of our lord and teacher, Kyoshiro Toudou." Chiba explained. "A long time ago. We failed a task which our lord had entrusted to us. By all accounts we should've died. But, we refused our due duty of Seppuku for our failure. And we shamelessly survived."

"…what so shameless about it?"

Chiba turned to look at Lacus and gaped. That ever smiling face was gone. In its place was a very sad expression, mixed with a look that won't be out of place from a corpse. "Lacus-chan?"

Lacus took a deep breath remembering her own recent past self. "A little while ago… I was… well… I was a fool. This… body of mine? I hit an all time low. I didn't see a way out… I thought dying was a good idea. So… hey, maybe it's best if I do that too. That's what I thought. Much later I even found out a man I once fell in love with choose seppuku at the end of his life."

Chiba stopped and listened.

"But… then… I met this guy. He's as beautiful and graceful as an angel, but as scary and sadistic as a demon. Not to mention the horrible manners." Lacus will never forget every single insult Kira had thrown her way. Every. Single. One. With that in mind, she chuckled. "And he taught me what a petulant and spoiled child I am. The hard way. Dying is easy. It's living that is hard. He slapped me and even tried to kill me several times for good measure. The message sinks in though."

"Scary and sadistic indeed." Chiba couldn't imagine someone barbarous enough to slap and even tried to kill such a sweet and innocent girl.

"But he was in the right to do so. My stupidity had nearly killed him several times… and it even caused several people to die. Good, brave people in all." Lacus frowned and bent her head down. "After that, I finally opened my eyes and I'm in a serious need to rethink my life a little bit. But I will never again think of dying."

"Good for you."

Lacus smiled again. "Thank you." And then she gets to the point. "When I first heard the concept of Seppuku, to be honest, I was moved. To prefer death over dishonor. That seems like an amazing concept. But… after my own close brush to death… I've been thinking… and now I'm really confused. Those people who took their own lives for their own honor… they left behind many things: the people they cared about, the people who cared for them. Ignoring all their feelings and then just hurt them deeply by simply dying… isn't that a little bit selfish of them?"

Chiba froze in shock, almost as if she forgot how to breathe.

"I mean… if you are a father of family who rely on you to look after them… or a husband whose wife is at home expecting a child… and then you left them alone, dying as you like just because your honor was tarnished…" Lacus continue to talk while Chiba continued to look at her behind her expressionless gas mask. "Uhm… to put it in simpler words… I'm a doctor. I need to treasure my patient's life. But… in the end, after everything… I really think you should treasure your own life a little bit more over other people's life. Don't you think?"

Chiba's lips parted open behind her gas mask as her breathing paced.

Lacus felt a bit uneasy. She's an outsider yet she said all this. But she pressed on. "I know it seems selfish of me to comment like this but I-"

Lacus didn't get to finish. Suddenly, her naked body was being pushed from the back, and she found herself being hugged by Chiba, her head buried to her chest. Despite the armor, she can feel her warmth and her heart beating. And beneath the elaborate breathing of her paced breath, Lacus can distinctively hear a silent muffled sobbing. "Chiba…san? Did… I… umm… If I said anything that offend you…"

"No. (Sniff)" Chiba slightly felt tears streaking at the corner of her eyes. "It's not that. Could you please give me a moment and stay like this for a while?"

Lacus complied and did not resist. "…hai."

Chiba continued to hug Lacus for a little while and after several minutes, she finally let go. "…thank you."

"For what?"

"I'm not sure. I just felt like the need to thank you." Chiba smiled. By that time she had calmed down. Nay, she felt even better. Like a giant weight had been lifted off her chest. "But you mustn't be this naïve too, Lacus-chan."

"Ara?" Lacus blinked innocently, tilting her head.

"Ronins are being prosecuted not without reason." Lacus blinked and gave the female Ex-Samurai her full attention. "Most of the time, these Ronins had committed heinous crimes, dishonorable conducts and various other unforgivable sin. You may call us Super Soldiers, and Super Soldiers we are… But we are no more human than you are. Our hearts are fully capable of pushing us to perform great acts of honor or hideous acts of blasphemous immorality. And Ronins are those who had done too much of the latter, and then they refused to answer for their crimes. They were driven away from our society and then they wander around causing all sorts of problems and mayhem."

Ever the Japanese Otaku, Lacus nodded in full attention.

"This may seem normal in many countries, but it's a problem if you are a super soldier. Becoming a Samurai, having your strength augmented beyond normal human norm, you stood titans among common people. But no longer restrained by law or code of conduct, there are times when they will engage in sinful acts… such as abusing a life of woman and drinking. Robbing, stealing, murdering… nothing is off limits, and no one can stop you. The worst part is… these outcasts, tend to belong to the niche segment of Samurais who… well they just happen to be so powerful they stood on another level altogether compared to other samurais. They were so incomprehensibly powerful to the point we had no choice… but to leave them alone." Chiba paused, suddenly reminded of a certain bloodthirsty disciple. She shook that thought away. Now is not the time to be reminded of that monster child. "That's why, be careful with Ronins, okay, Lacus-chan?"

"But you don't seem like a bad person." Lacus' eyes curved as she smiled happily. "You even told me so much about Ronins. Today I knew more about Ronins than I ever could learn all my life. Thank you for your information, Chiba-san." She bowed down in respect to the female Samurai. "Oh, oh, and if I ever wanted to know more, can I ask you again?" Lacus made a hopeful puppy dog eyes.

Not that she needed it. Chiba smiled kindly. 'What is this feeling? I felt so relaxed… like I've been put on some stress and only now I felt so…' "Your stay in this place will be hard young lady. What's more, I fear it will not be short or pleasant. While you are here, if you ever need a help with anything, as long as it's within my power, you can count on me."

Lacus smile grew broader and sweeter. "Thank you very much!"

"Oh, and if you met that barbarous man who slapped you again, just tell me and I'll be happy to teach him a lesson." Chiba gave the girl a thumb up, pledging her support.

"Ara! Good! Then by all means. Please do so!" Lacus smiled evilly. "That man is right outside."

Chiba jaw dropped. "I… what!?"

"That man is Kage-san!" Lacus innocently added.

Chiba's pale face couldn't be whiter.

000000000000

"Toudou-san… you know him?' Kage looked back and forth between Toudou and Gino.

"We met a long time ago, before I joined the 7th division. I taught him briefly in the finer points of sword art." Toudou explained.

"I truly appreciate what you've taught me, Shishou." Gino bowed down his head to another man he respected. "I didn't expect our next meeting to be like this…"

"That makes the two of us, Gino." Toudou glanced to Kage for a moment and then reverted his attention back to his old student.

"Where's Suzaku? Was he here as well?" At the mention of this name, their faces darkened in an instant and their eyes became sullen. Upon seeing this significant change in mood and atmosphere, Gino quickly realized something had happened. Something really bad. "…Shishou?"

"Gino-kun. Could you please, for the moment, refrain yourself from addressing that particular topic?" Urabe raised his palm.

And that was when Gino realized he cannot press this further. "Uh… right… sorry. I didn't mean to… It's just…"

"It's okay, Gino-kun." Toudou glumly waved his hand down, dismissing that topic for now. And Gino too, rest his case. But Kage made a mental note to bring it up again later.

"So… what are we going to do about him, captain?" Asahina jerked his thumb to Gino.

Gino looked at Kage. Captain. They called him.

"And has he seen?" Senba added. The chef samurai was referring of course, if Gino had seen Kira's face off mask.

"Seen? Seen what?"

Kira simply shook his head answering what the others had perceived. "He hasn't." Then he pointed at the room down below where Lacus is. "But she has."

Everyone nodded. "Well, then maybe we should also put him in disguise. Put him on a different outfit, change his name, think up a cover story…"

"And you have to keep your bloodline limit in check."

"He's a zoan. That should be easy: watch how much he eat." Toudou surmised. "Just put him in an armor that cover his face. Asahina, Urabe, see what you can gather from the warehouse."

"Yes sir." The two shiseiken left the room momentarily. Gino in particular was somewhat in a ludicrous state. "Oi, oi, oi! You guys are serious about this whole mask and disguise thing?"

"Gino, understand this." said Kage in a clear and calm voice. "You two are NOT prisoners. If anything, you guys are unwanted guests. I have no intention to lock you up and throw the key. Lacus in particular, well, the last thing I want is a walking bio bomb in the middle of my army. No one can touch her and if she dies she'll take all of us with her. So I'll be completely clear: my priority is you two returned to your people safely. Understand it's not easy as it is. So please. Don't make it more difficult for all of us."

Gino wanted to bark an insult in reply, but something in him had somewhat mellowed his earlier rage. Instead, he exasperatedly mourned. "Kage… can I really trust you?"

Kage stared at Gino's saddened eyes. "Back in Junius you trusted Shadow. Why should Shadow and Kage be any different? We're one and the same, just different names."

Gino merely tucked his head down in sorrow. That again: the principle of seeing things in the face value for what they really are: food that belongs to the dead now became food for the living, and they are just the same object. The more he listened to Kage, the more he sees his code of conducts, the more it became painfully obvious to him. This is still the same Shadow of Junius that he had come to respect. The problem is only that his name had changed into Kage the Black Devil of the Alliance.

Moments later, Chiba walked out of Lacus' holding cell. She handed a paper to Toudou and then turning to Kage before ferociously grabbed his collar as she glared straight into his eyes with bloodthirsty eyes and all the ferocity of an angry mother tigress. "Kage. San."

"Yes?" The unnerved Kage replied.

"If you hurt one more strand of her hair, your blood. Is. Mine. Are. We. Clear!?"

Kira's brows were raised in bewilderment. "What's this? But this is surprising. Chiba-san, you actually grew fond of her?"

Not only Kira, the other Shiseiken was also surprised. "Chiba?" Toudou curiously asked. Amongst all his Shiseiken, he knew Chiba is the one most loyal to him. That being said, she's infamously had developed little to no attachment to anything else. That she became very protective of a girl she just met in barely a few minutes warrant an attention.

Chiba blinked upon realizing everyone was looking at her intently. And then she remembered her outburst and she blushed. "W… Well… she's… she's a very nice girl and… and…" Chiba sunk back in a bit and then she trembled with rage as she remembered what Lacus had revealed. "And YOU!" She returned her attention to Kira and throttle him closer to her face. "I never take you for a brutal and barbarous type! How could you slap her and even tried to bait her to some monster or whatever!? What is this talk about her safety, you're the most dangerous creature she could possibly know!"

"EHH!?" Everyone bar Kira and Gino gasped. Sai and Mwu had their jaw hung and eyes wide. They don't remember Kira explain that particular episode in his adventure in Junius… and so is everyone.

"Well, what do you expect? She nearly killed me several times… nearly succeeded too, I might add." Kira groaned. "I'd say she had it coming."

"Huh?" Everyone jaw hung.

"It's… true…" Everyone was even more shocked when this comes from GINO! "A… Anytime we see them together… they… tried to kill one another in some way… Lacus-sama had stolen Kage's enchanted super sword, replaced it with dud… and then there's the case where she dragged him down off a cliff… and… Lady Lamia even reported she found her sister was trying to choke the life out of him… oh, also there was that time when the two sisters joined forces to tear him to pieces…"

Of the shocked faces in the room, no one is more flabbergasted than Chiba. If this comes from anybody, she'll just dismiss them as mental hospital escapee. But this comes from the Princess' very own personal guard!

"All in all…" Gino scratched his hair. "It's a public knowledge for all of us that we ought to stay within 10 feet radius from the princess back in Junius, but more importantly was that Kage should not came within 20 feet distance of the Princess, lest they'll be out for each other's blood when no one's looking."

"In other words, I hate her guts to the bone." Kage replied calmly. "God help me, I hate her, and the feeling was mutual. One more reason for me to get rid of her out of my sight ASAP for the sake of my sanity."

His words speak of hatred and disgust, but Kage said so nonchalantly like he was making a casual report on weather. Needless to say everyone in the room was stumped, staring at the bandaged shinobi like he was some freak of the world.

"At any rate, this is fortunate." Kage looked at Chiba. "If you like her that much, then please, by all means, help her anyway you can. Gino here will protect her, but, I think alone, he'll be overwhelmed. Toudou-san, can you arrange it?"

Toudou seem to be the only one who's barely affected by the shocking and bizarre revelation. He nodded. "Hm. I believe that is best. Chiba!"

"Hou… yes? Yes!?" The girl gaped as if she just awoken from a daze.

"Finish up her suit, and then from here on out until she left, her care is a priority."

"Y… hai!" Chiba saluted.

Kage turned to Sai. "Explain this to the other Shadowguards too. Tell them everything."

"Roger that." Sai nodded. "And the men on this ship?"

"Relax. They'll understand." Mwu grinned. "Sides, they don't really knew much about the who and the what."

"Cover story?" Asahina finally brought that final important topic up as the shock abated from everyone.

"I'll think of that!" Mwu volunteered.

"NO!" And the offer was instantly repulsed by a ceremonious roar from both Kage and Toudou.

"I had a taste of how well you made cover stories." Kage glared intensely to the unnerved Mwu. "Once is enough, I think."

"You will not conjure up anymore ideas that might implicate Orb!" Toudou barked. Kage is on a level of a public national hero in the Shinobi society. And now it became world's most wanted mass murderer. He couldn't begin to imagine the troubles this whole situation is giving to the original one as of this moment!

Gino blinked several times seeing the outbursts from the two.

000000000000

For a long time afterwards, the Shiseiken are the only people going in and out of that Ship. Each time they go out, they brought more things in than out. God knows what they're making. But Chiba had been taking time going into the medical ward to take some medicine, a lot of them in fact. That, to the unknowing parties, is a sign that at the very least, the bio hazard warning is genuine.

Finally, after hours that felt like eternity, the ship lowered the yellow flag and docked with the giant fortress ship. Ladders were brought down and the main crew of the ship ascended one by one. Beginning with Toudou and his Shiseiken, followed by Sai, who was quickly rushed by a tear stricken Fllay, and welcomed with a smile by the other Shadowguards. Mwu was welcomed by Murrue and Natarle.

"Welcome back. What happened back there?" Murrue smiled kindly at Mwu.

The Blond shinobi replied with a nervous smile. "I'll give you a full debrief later."

Just then, a commotion burst out from their back. There, on the ladder, a certain shinobi clad in white bandages make his climb. At the last step, he was in full view of everyone aboard. Silence reigned. Kage looked around the crowd. It's as if everyone on this ship were crammed here on this section. Well, almost everyone anyway.

"Hiya guys." Kage murmured sheepishly.

And then it was as if the whole ship burst into deafening cheers. All of them jubilating, yelling, laughing! "The captain's back!" "See what did I tell you?" "I knew it!" "Liar! Why did you bet he won't come back?" Even Kage was a bit overwhelmed. He clearly didn't expect this. So shocked he was he even ignored a hand stretched out to help him up. When he noticed the hand, he looked up to see the owner of that hand.

It was Prayer's, and behind him was a smirking Canard.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Canard gave his trademark vicious smile before helping his captain. "And what's with that ridiculous new look? What are you, a fucking mummy?"

"It's a long story." After days trudging soils of living dead, Kage finally set his foot upon the solid steel decks of Archangel again, and by God how he missed it so. "Oh, and Prayer…"

"Yes sir?" Prayer replied with a smile.

Kage handed something back to him. "I'm gonna need a new coat."

A black and mishapen crumpled dish rag filled with holes. All that was left of Kage's black captain suit. Prayer gulped nervously, seeing the amount of holes and how they're situated close to many of human's vitals. It's like the coat is telling him just what a furious battle their captain had. "Captain… what happened?"

"A little this and that… and…"

(Koff…) (Koff…)

The cheers aboard the ship was momentarily quieted down.

(Koff…) (Koff…)

"…a~nd we got company."

(Koff…) (Koff…)

Canard and Prayer quickly looked down the ladder and then they found the source of that sound of elaborate and heavy breathing. Another person is climbing up.

Once the person reached the final step, Kage bent down and offered a helping hand. The hand was received and Kage pulled the person up… and the cheer vanished completely as almost everyone had their eyes glued on this new face.

The person in question is completely covered in a full skin tight purple body suit that gave an exact depiction of the person's beautiful feminine curvature. Her waist is covered in a large side white skirt armor that covered all the way down to below her knees. And beneath it are stylized purple miko skirt that cover all sides but the small portion to the front, to give the woman an ease of movement. Her upper body is also covered in thin padded armor that covered her chest. Small but thick patches of white samurai-esque layered padded armor were lined on her shoulders.

And finally, the source of the elaborate breathing noises came from the full face gas mask that the girl wear, stylized yet again after a samurai helmet, completely enclosing her face and it has a greatly elongated rear neck armor that reached her back, but not long enough to completely cover her overflowing long pink hair that seem to reach down all the way to below her waist. And they are braided midway, with a white ribbon near the end. But other than that: there's not one pore of opening can be seen.

And then, behind her, another figure rose up. This one is clad in a mish mash of armors: a pair of Exorcist stylized elongated shoulder armor with skull and torches, a Samurai chestplate, what appears to be gauntlets of Alliance's regular troopers padded suit, and various other tidbit that, all of it were covered by a tattered pale dark green cape that completely covered his being, wrapping around his neck. And to top it all off, a bird like mask covered his face. Putting aside the mask, this one was less terrifying than the first guest, but no less eye catching.

Then again, everyone's mind had just one question: "Who are these guys?"

Kage cleared his throat to gain everyone's attention. Not that was necessary. "Allow me to introduce you guys… This…" Kage first motioned at Lacus. "This is… L… erhm… this is Hikari."

"(Koff…) Pleased to meet you all. (Koff…)" Lacus AKA Hikari bowed her head down. Her supposedly melodious and beautiful voice was so horribly distorted into a voice of nightmares that freaked everyone out. Not to mention that elaborate heavy breathing. If they didn't see her feminine (and not to mention beautiful) body added with the noticeable bust, they would've mistook her for a guy.

"Like me, it's her codename, before any of you asked. So yes, she's also a shinobi from Orb. I met her back in Junius. She's a friend of Nagisa Chiba, one of the Shiseiken." Kage easily repeated the cover story they had discussed in length with Toudou and his retinues. The friend bit was an add on they thought up to increase credibility. And then Kage motioned to Gino in his bird mask. "And this is her bodyguard, Taka."

Gino AKA Taka simply nodded silently without a word.

"I'm not gonna go into details of the whats and hows, but they will stay here temporarily… as guests. So… let's be nice, people."

"Hai." Everyone dumbly nodded.

"And, dismissed."

But before everyone can disperse, Lacus had a few last words. "Anoo… (Koff…) Minna-san… (Koff)"

Everyone stopped in their tracks.

"As I understand it (koff) Kage-san here is the captain right? (Koff) Who's the second in command? (Koff)"

"Why would you need to know?" Asked Kage with a rather nervous tone.

"Because (Koff) I need to tell your deputy (Koff) that he needs to take over your duty for a month (Koff)." Lacus added: "(Koff) I'm putting you under quarantine (Koff)."

Silence reigned inside that fortress battleship and then:

"WHAT!?" An ear splitting roar coming from the needless-to-say less-than-pleased Kage ended the silence in response to that verdict.

Gino blared a glare with widened eyes at Lacus whereas Toudou widened his eyes in shock and the Shiseiken, as well as everyone who's into this cover up were thunderstruck with their jaw hung open. This isn't how they rehearse it!

But Kage was more concerned over another matter. Altering what they rehearsed is one thing, but putting him on some quarantine is another matter entirely. He roared in front of Lacus' face. "Why!?" He hissed.

"Why? (Koff)" Lacus replied by placing her armored fingers in front of Kage and then she simply snapped her fingers.

Kage's sight blurred, and all the sudden, the worst sting of a headache assaulted his head and strength left his legs as his eye pupil shook. He instantly collapsed to his knees. Kage shook his head and gasped, holding on to his suddenly sweat drenched temple. "W… What did you do to me?"

"(Koff) Nothing (koff) but what you have done to yourself (koff)." Lacus knelt down and stare at Kage's bewildered and distressed expression, masked face to masked face. "(koff) Your captain (koff) encountered quite a bit of a violence in Junius (koff). He suffered multiple violent blows to the head. (koff) Too many blows, in fact (koff)." Lacus pointedly poked Kage's forehead.

Mwu and the rest of the Shadowguard, including Murrue paled in horror. Kira's condition was THAT bad?

"Was it really that bad?" Canard groaned.

"Will it impair him in any way?" Natarle added.

"And is it incurable?" A hopeful Balsam squeaked before his lips met with Canard's fist.

"No. (Koff) His mental faculty is intact (koff) But as of this moment (Koff) his brain would look like… say… (Koff) a boxing champion (Koff) covered with bruises." Everyone who heard this winced and paled. "(koff) he had taken so many beatings (koff) continue at the rate he's going without some total rest (Koff) and at best you'll be vegetable. (koff) That's the price of receiving too many blows from a Hakutenkun. (Koff)"

"HAKUTENKUN!?" Every soldier within earshot roared in understandable shock and awe. "Another one?" "Are you kidding me?" "What is he, a Hakutenkun magnet!?"

"But it's not incurable (koff)." Lacus' words brought relief to Mwu and the Shadowguards' expression. "(Koff) With slow rehabilitation and proper care (Koff) he'll be back to exactly the way he was in a month (koff). Provided, he did not engage in any strenuous activity (Koff). Strenuous activity, by definition (koff) activities which involved him visiting application of violence to other people (koff) and have violence applied to him in return (Koff)."

"(Koff) And that's why, effective immediately… (Koff)" Before Kage can protest, Lacus took Shiki away from his back. Looking around, she saw Mwu's welcoming hand and throw it at him. "(Koff) I'm putting you on a quarantine for your rehabilitation. (Koff) You're off field duty until I say otherwise (koff). That is my verdict (Koff). Both as your doctor (Koff)…"

Sai's eyes glowed in interest.

Kage groaned and had almost decided to think of a way to avert this…

"…and as your girlfriend. (Koff)" Lacus added pleasantly.

Kage.

Sai.

Mwu.

Murrue.

Natarle.

Canard.

Prayer.

Toudou.

Chiba.

The rest of the Shiseiken.

Gino (taka).

Mirriallia.

Tolle.

Fllay.

Every single soul in that battleship within earshot.

The Writer himself (well… maybe not)

They all screamed in a uniform soul splitting, ship lifting, eye gouging and fourth wall breaking screech of:

WHAAAAA-11101110101001000000000-error-system crash-rebooting-0101010111-AAAAATTT!?

"W-w-w-w-w-w-WAIT A DAMN SECOND! W-W-W-W-WHERE IN THE SEVEN BLAZES OF HELL DID THAT COME FROM!?" Instantly getting back up to his upright position, panicking would be a gross understatement to the state Kira was in right now. His face was so red it practically glowed underneath the mask.

"Ara! (Koff) You don't like having a cute beautiful me as your girlfriend? (Koff) You know how I looked beneath all this (Koff)."

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"

"Besides (Koff) we've gone through quite the stages (koff). We French kissed, (koff) we go naked (Koff)"

"YOU WHAAAT!?" This time, the screech came from the other crews, particularly from the shocked Shadowguards, especially the female one.

Milly covered her reddened face with her palms. "Kage-kun… I never knew…"

Tolle quickly overcome his shock, and now he was in tears. Tears of happiness, actually. "Finally… the last bachelor of our group is gone! BANZAI!" And he threw around flowers and confetti in celebration.

Sai's jaw reached the floor. 'Didn't he say they hate each other's guts to kingdom come?' And now he's completely at lost over what in the name of all that is known or unknown is going on between the two?

Fllay twitched uncomfortably and somewhat disgusted upon looking at the 'couple'. One masked at all times (she never realized she had seen him many times OFF the mask) and the other wearing an armor at all the time. She never heard of a more bizarre matching match up.

Gino's jaw was hung open, and his mind start counting the number of nobles who would kill one another to hear that statement out of Lacus Clyne's lips.

"NO! Wait! It's not what you guys think!" But as Kage glanced around, he realized the damage is done. Murmurs arise from every soldier in vicinity. All of them commenting and whispering to each other

"Thought so!" "The codenames were the exact opposite anyway!" "Oh look he's blushing!" "She must be really cute." "She IS cute. I heard from the guy who works on that ship, she's a real beauty!" "She is?" "The lucky bastard…!"

Kage's face was covered in sweat. He quickly glared at Mwu, asking for some support. All he get was the sight of Mwu smiling. "Mwu-san?"

"Congratulations! Today's the occasion of red rice! Kage! Get your brother! He got a big spread to cook up! We got something to celebrate boys! BOOZE OUT! Come on ladies!" grabbing the surprised Murrue and a protesting Natarle, Mwu dragged the two women out of the premise.

"YEAH!" the whole army cheered and they quickly dismissed themselves, leaving just the still dumbstruck Shadowguard and the Shiseiken.

"Wait! OOMPH!" Lacus glomped on Kage before he could stop this madness from escalating. Hugging him tightly from his back, Lacus purred beneath her helmet.

"(Koff) It's okay. (koff) Don't be shy! (koff) tee-hee!"

"Lacus! What are YOU doing!?" Kira hissed in anger. "Do you realize what you've done!?"

"I do (Koff). I'm taking a vacation (koff) with my boyfriend (koff)."

"ENOUGH with theboyfriend crap! Are you OUT of your damn mind girl!?"

"Ara? (Koff) You don't approve? (Koff) When you gave me the Hikari codename (koff) I thought it'll be a good idea (Koff)." Lacus chuckled. And then, before anyone can stop her, she disappeared leaving a cloud of smoke and an echo of her shrill gleeful laugh.

"What?" The thunderstruck Gino gasped. "Where did she go?"

Kira looked around and saw, to his shock, Lacus reappeared in a puff of smoke and stood on top of the main bridge, the Captain's office. "There! She's using Shunshin."

"A shunshin? Wow. She's a shinobi too, Kage?" Tolle gasped. He thought it was just another cover up.

"A damn good one." Kage groaned. "Sai! Debrief the others! Now I gotta catch that stupid girl…! And for the RECORD: she is SO NOT my girlfriend. I'll be dead before that happens!" Taking a momentum, Kage disappeared also in a puff of smoke, jumping from one rooftop to another, chasing the crazy girl, leaving the Shadowguards, Toudou, the Shiseiken, and the confused as hell Exorcist in disguise alone.

"Get rid of her ASAP for the sake of his sanity…" Asahina's eyes had not stopped twitching yet. His heart beating a mile a minute. "I'm starting to get what Kage-kun meant."

"Can we stomach her for a month?" Senba looked at the gasping Chiba, who don't know what to say to that. She had no idea the kind and innocent girl turns out to be a Stormbringer.

Sai looked he's still short-circuited that he even ignored Fllay's repeated frantic demands to have him or anyone explain what just happened. God knows no one can answer her at this point.

"So… what's your story?" Tolle asked in bewilderment to Gino.

Gino, as confused as hell, don't know where to start.

000000000000

On the rooftop of the bridge, Kage, panting and awkwardly out of breath, finally arrived on the rooftop. "You… crazy… girl…! What… do you think… you're doing?"

"I think I'm doing what I should be doing." Lacus removed her helmet and turned to see Kage. He was panting, sweat falling like rain from his being, and he's on all fours. He was clearly not in best condition, and it has nothing to do with the fact he was in panic until a moment ago (he's still in panic) and chased the medic nin all the way to the top floor. A stark contrast with Lacus, who barely broke a sweat. "Look at yourself." Lacus stated.

"What?"

"Your body. All the injuries you've suffered. Now that the tension was gone and you had the chance to calm down, they're screaming in pain, and now you can and should listen to their agony. What Lord Waltfeldt had done was nothing compared to what your bloodline limit and your reckless fighting style had done to your body. Specifically your brain." Lacus bent down and cupped Kira's face, and gently, she unmasked him, undoing his bandages. Kira tried to resist but found his strength nonexistent. "I'm not kidding with what I said about your head. The damage was… horrible. Far more horrible than what I've told to your men."

"But… Lacus… like this… a month? What… Y… you're gonna stay here for a month?"

"I'm the only one who can heal you. You know that." Lacus pouted. "You were barely healed when you left my care in Junius. With the situation was such, I cannot force you to stay down. You were my patient then… you're still my patient now. And the only time a patient is allowed to leave a doctor's care, is when they're dead, or when they're healed." Lacus gently caress Kira's cheek. "Right now, you're neither." And suddenly Lacus snapped her finger in front of Kira's face and again he slipped down, falling.

Kira gaped in helpless shock. He was so weak that even a girl can do that to him. Finally he struggled to get back up, but seeing he could not, he resorted to roll over and lay down on his back on the roof, heaving up and down, his head staring at Lacus' face, upside down from his point of view. "Huff… Puff… But… a girlfriend? What's the big idea…?"

"Ara! About that!" Gone was the serious and professional doctor demeanor on her eyes. Replacing it was a naughty evil glint. "I think it's the BEST option, given our current predicament."

"What?"

"Consider: you are the hero captain who just faced… how many Hakutenkuns now? At least two, including Goud Veia. You killed one, the greatest Swordsman of Zaft, and then you survived an onslaught of the other one… which I knew for a fact was the STRONGEST Hakutenkun in history… and I can even testify that you practically turned him into a beehive! As we speak, the crew will be talking talltales about how you survived a week in Junius. They respect you. And because of that they respect your rights for eccentrics, your privacy. I'm just taking my share of that fame." Lacus smirked naughtily.

"What… do… you… mean?"

"If I'm just a nobody super cute girl, super genius, super cool, super mysterious doctor in a cool mask who came as a guest, there will be curiosity. There will be attempts to see my face. Endangering the need for secrecy, no?" Lacus chuckled.

Kira grumpily nodded. "Uh-huh, so?"

"So what if I'm the precious someone of the hero Captain; Girlfriend Boyfriend, in our case?" Lacus smiled cutely as she tilted her head, waiting for Kira to see sense in her plans.

"Just because I'm a hero captain doesn't mean there hasn't been attempts to uncover my face…"

"But I bet they are far less than what could've occurred otherwise." Lacus smirked.

Kira gaped and silently replied nothing.

Seeing Kira rests his case, Lacus turned her gaze to the fortress ship, looking at the fortress from above. It was grand. Like a small town built atop a ship. Lacus closed her eyes to the buildings. They're dead things anyway. And then, she placed her hands behind her ears, listening to the voices. The voices of life. She can hear chatters. Many of them were… chatters of happiness. Of hope. It's a good sound, and Lacus smiled.

Kira noticed the smiling face. "You like what you hear? I bet it's quite the commotion down there."

"You don't hear anything from here, do you?"

"I may be an Advanced, but my ears are not that good. No."

"Thought as much. We Clynes were known as the masters of the sound." Lacus murmured. "We are Logia. We may not be like other Elemental Logias whose body was partially composed of elements, but we are controllers of the element, Sound, and we control them just as well as a Logia. We have highly developed ears, as well as highly developed vocal cords… we can see and use 'sound' as clearly as one could see sceneries and use tools."

"I bet you guys made good singers." For a moment, Kira understood the reason for Lacus' heavenly voice. "You yourself is an exceptional singer."

"Why thank you! But we're also terrible screamers, so like, we can probably bring down buildings with our screams. It's quite uncomfortable." Lacus chuckled. "But… given my bloodline limit was such… from here… I can hear everything." Lacus closed her eyes again. "I hear people rejoicing. I hear hope. Joy. Happiness. It's very rare to hear these days." And then Lacus bent down, staring kindly at Kira, still downed on his back. "They're rejoicing because they feel safe. And at the moment, based on the sounds I heard, do you know who they're rejoicing for?"

"Hm?" Kira tilted his head.

Lacus poked her finger at Kira's forehead. "They're rejoicing for you. I hear chatters of the people wanting to express their gratitude to the Gods for granting them your safe return. I hear talk of the crowd, on how they will make this party to commemorate your survival. In short…" Lacus once again cupper her armored but slender fingers on Kira's upside down face. Even through the armor, he can still feel her warmth. "I've been listening to how they've loved you as if you're one of their own."

Kira eyes gleamed for a moment.

"Every single one of them is safe and protected. All because of that sword… Shiki was it? But more importantly, thanks to you. You and Shiki spilled a large number of the blood of your enemies… but…" Lacus smile faltered slightly, but then they returned, even more lovely than before. "…I wonder how many people it has saved? And how many more it will save?"

Kira watched her face so close, they were practically inches apart, and for a moment, all he can see and think were that face. And for a moment, Kira couldn't think of anything more beautiful. Wait, face? "Lacus."

"Yes?"

"Put on your mask. We got a person with a HELL of eyesight that can spot things from miles away." Kira quickly remembered Neil Lockon Stratos. He didn't see him back there, him and around half of the members of the Juppongatana bar Toudou and his team, such as Karren, Kamina, and Sven.

"Boo…" Lacus pouted slightly but she put on her helmet back on anyway, her lovely voice reverted back to that hideous raspy voice. But then, she saw Kira also put on his bandages back, styling it after his now torn black mask. "(Koff) Say… Kira-san (Koff)."

"Please use my callsign when I'm like this. We also have a person who can hear things from miles away." Kira murmured. "In return, you too should refrain calling yourself by your original name. For your own sake."

"(Koff) You know (Koff) I'm starting to dislike this mask and disguise business greatly (koff)." Lacus moaned.

"Welcome to the club." Kira snickered.

"That mask of yours (Koff)… and your disguise and all… (Koff) to be honest… was it really necessary (Koff)?"

"What are you talking about? We're talking about safety here…"

"(Koff) if it's about my safety, I understand the need for secrecy (koff). But this isn't about me (koff), this is about you (koff). What started it (koff)? What gives you the idea of wearing a mask in the first place (koff)?"

Kira was stumped. Apparently, that was really the first time someone openly asked him that question. Quite in fact, he never thought of it. Right now, he can name a number of reasons as to why he must keep the mask. But as to what he thought when he first wore that mask… well… "I don't… really know…" And now Kira felt really awkward. "The name 'Kage' was not something I thought out… but… the mask was my own idea. It does seem like a good idea at the time." Kira momentarily remembered back during that time in the forest when he first dons that mask. He wasn't thinking at all, it was something he thought on a whim.

"And now? (Koff)"

"Now it's indispensable." Kira looked at the fortress ship. "The mask is now more than just protection of identity, it's a symbol. Something that can't be… killed or corrupted, an ideal creature." Kira looked at Lacus. "You said they loved me. What they love is Kage. Give them another person in a mask and they'll worship him just as much."

"FOREHEAD FLICK!" A really hard forehead flick from Lacus right on Kira's forehead.

"OUCH! Oi! What's the big idea!?"

"Punishment (Koff) for being so~o mean! (koff)" Lacus placed both hands on her waist. "How could you say that (koff)! A thousand people can wear that mask prancing around 'I am kage' 'worship me' 'adore me…' (koff)! But they will never be the same, and the people will NEVER accept another. (koff!) Do you know why? (koff!)" Lacus bent down and pointed her finger at Kira. "Because they. (koff) will never be (koff). You! (koff)" Her finger moved up and down at every syllable.

"Huh?"

"Other people may wear that mask. (koff) Other people may claim that name. (koff) But eventually, none will love these people (koff) as well as you. And the people will see that, I'm sure. (koff)" Lacus smiled kindly. Somehow, despite the mask, Kira can picture what her smile looked like behind that mask.

"You think so?" Kira sighed. "I'm not so sure."

"And why is that (koff)?"

"I'm a murderer. A mass murderer. A hero for the Alliance perhaps. But… I've caused the death of over 100,000 people in a span of few days. Can you imagine what the people will think about that?"

Lacus lips parted and then she smiled sweetly. "Ara! (Koff) Let's find out! (Koff)"

"What?"

"Let's go down there and meet the people! (Koff)" Lacus jabbed her fist.

"Meet them huh?" Kira looked at the civilian area. "Actually… I've more than done that. A few times. I'm the one who personally brought some of them here."

"Ara? But did you do so… (Koff) as Kira or as Kage? (Koff)"

"…" Kira didn't answer. The answer was given by his silence.

"I see (koff). The latter eh?"

"I can do a lot more things for them as Kage rather than Kira."

"That's not true. (koff) I'm sure there's something that you can do as Kira (koff)."

"You think so?"

"Oh, I know so."

All the sudden they heard noises coming from below. The sound of stuff breaking and a lot of chatter… coupled with squeals of fright.

"Get off me you beast! Ouch! Yeowch! Grrr! Unhand me!"

"That sounds familiar." Kira (Kage) growled as he cracked his fists.

Kage and Lacus (Hikari) descended down from the roof, and without further ado, Kage opened the doorway and lo and behold, it was Balsam. Judging by the mess in his office he was making his way to Veia's shrine, where Kage kept the Regalia, Ensui. Before he depart to Junius, he left specific instruction for the Shadowguards and Prayer to make sure the Regalia are protected at all times. However, with all the commotion that occurred when he returned, security became laxer.

However, Kage had made preparations, anticipating that, in form of some Ninja booby trap. Judging by the scene that the pilfering ex-Juppongatana was hung on a fence laced with glue stuck on the ceiling, it worked. The fact that Torii is currently mercilessly and angrily pecking his face, aided with 12 haros furiously bouncing on various parts of his body giving him bruises and multi colored dots allover was an added bonus.

"You again."

"argh! What is this! Nggghh!" Balsam struggled to break free.

"Trap I designed to deal with scumbags like you." Kage eyes shone with even more viciousness than ever. The kind of eyes that had seen hell that will drove lesser men mad, the result of his time in Junius. "You really think I'd keep something as powerful as a Regalia unguarded when I wasn't around to protect it? Maybe I should've put a more lethal trap instead."

"Grh!" Balsam struggled again, but all the sudden, a kunai landed right next to his face, cutting a nick. Needlessly to say it instantly draws his attention towards the thrower.

"Time and again, you've tested my patience, and quite frankly… I'm getting sick of this." A thick black murderous aura emanated from Kage's entire being. His eyes glowed with crimson bloodthirst. "Maybe I should just put you out of my misery once and for all…"

Despite the glaring death threat, Balsam can still find it in him to smirk. "Y… You can't scare me! I heard what your girlfriend doctor said! You're injured and you can't afford to go at it rough!"

WHAM!

Kage's reply to that was a straight punch to Balsam's face.

"Gah…" Some of his teeth fell off his gum, a few bits of it stuck on Kage's fist.

"Tch." Kage plucked the teeth out in annoyance. "Well, by definition, I'm not supposed to do any strenuous thing… but then again, teaching you a lesson never counts as one."

"(Koff) Kage-san (Koff)."

"Hm?"

SLAP!

And a giant sword like Harisen (paper fan) whipped Kage by the head, courtesy of Hikari. It didn't hurt anything except perhaps Kage's dignity.

"WHAT THE HELL YA BITCH!?" Kage roared.

"My definition of strenuous activity (koff) is about you applying violence (koff) and had violence applied in return! (Koff) That just now falls under the classification of applying violence (Koff)!"

"Yeah? Well you just practiced the latter part!" Kage jerked two fingers. "Twice!"

"This is a self made Harisen (Koff). It's practically harmless. (koff)" Hikari giddily showcased her Harisen, made for her by Chiba. "And I said you shouldn't take blows to the head doesn't mean you can't take a poke or two. (Koff) But that also doesn't mean you can just go around getting hit all you like! (koff) Hitting other people senselessly is also out of the question! (koff) You need to rest! (koff) What's with men and violence anyway!? (Koff)"

"In his case, beating the shit out of him seems to be the only way to put him in place."

Hikari shook her head in disgust. And then she walked to the shrine and saw two things: Veia's helmet that she used to admire, and his regalia, Ensui. "Kage-san (koff) You share some blame too! (koff) What sort of idiot that would leave behind (Koff) a Regalia in such an open spot like this? (Koff) It's a miracle it's not stolen yet when you were away! (koff)"

"I don't have much choice." Kage nodded of his head. "Whenever I hold on to that thing, it felt like it sucks my life out every second. I felt weaker and weaker every moment I hold on to it. If I brought that with me to Junius… seeing how wild things were going back there… I'm liable to get killed, and the demons will get their hands on that potent weapon. Plus, it's not like I left it unguarded. I assigned the Shadowguards to protect it."

"I see." Hikari looked at the stuck Balsam. "And you are… who?"

"Suck my dick and I'll tell you bitch!"

Kage kicked said dick instead. "One more wisecrack from you Balsam and I'll-"

SLAP!

Another whack from Lacus' harisen cut Kage midsentence. Kage couldn't care less but he glared angrily at the armored girl, showing he's swiftly running out of patience. Lacus couldn't care less either. Then she looked at Balsam's face. "Balsam…san, is it?"

Balsam shrugged.

"Do you know what that is?" Lacus pointed at the Ensui. "That is one of the oldest and most powerful Water elemental Regalia. A weapon crafted by the Onis. An heirloom. It was said that a long time ago, it was forged from the pieces of a fallen star that plunged this world into an ice age, washed four times in four rivers of hell. Now, it's a powerful mystical weapon that can even change summer to winter in a blink of an eye."

Kage gazed on to Hikari, wondering what Lacus was on to.

"However, I'm also told it was very proud and a perfectionist to a fault." Lacus added while raising a finger, explaining what she knew based on Veia's own explanation. "It will accept no one but the master of Hyomonken. A mystical sword art that came together with Ensui… and its brother sword Hyomaen. Together they make the pair." Lacus looked at Kage. "Kage-san, you've defeated Veia. But Ensui refused to acknowledge you because you are not a disciple of Hyomonken. It may have… partially… accepted you based on the fact that you defeated its previous master, showing that you are at least stronger than your predecessor."

"How can you know he's not pissed at me?"

"You are still alive and got off lightly with 'just' getting weaker." Lacus answered calmly. "Regalia perform miracles by draining the vitality of its owner. And I've seen arrogant and conceited swordsmen were drained down to their bones just for holding on them for a few seconds."

"Hooh…" Kage frowned. He remembered twice he hold on to Ensui and Hyomaen. He didn't felt his strength draining because he's probably to tense to care. But to think it has such a lethal kickback… now he's growing another level of respect to Veia while simultaneously questioning how on earth he survived that encounter. He turned to Balsam and remarked with a scowl. "You owe your life to this girl now, Balsam. If you hold on to that sword, you'll be dead in less than a second."

"Come now Kage-san (koff) Be nice." Hikari chuckled and then face Balsam again. "Balsam-san, I'm not trying to scare you. I'm trying to tell you that this regalia are dangerous and powerful. But above all, it's not worth your life." And then, to Balsam's surprise, Lacus touched his bloodied face and began to tend to it the best she can while she glanced at his body. "Hm. A firm upper muscle. Nice form. A good one to swing swords at excellent level. No doubt you may be a warrior of some repute. Though it seems, judging by Kage-san's offhand remark, there are others far superior then you."

"He was a former member of the Juppongatana. But… he was bottom number. The weakest of all of us."

"Nonsense!" Lacus poked at Balsam's forehead. "The path of a sword is one that go up from bottom to top! Even you must start out weak." Lacus looked at Kage, who nodded solemnly. "A swordsman I once knew told me that. Everyone who walked the way of the sword, their goal, is invariably, for various reasons, to become strong. As strong as one can be. Everyone has their ways: some walked the calm easy mounds; others climb the spiky steep cliff. Everyone has their paces: other run, the other crawls. Everyone has their ways. And you-" Lacus looked at Balsam again. "-you think that obtaining Ensui is the way to go."

"Why not?" Balsam finally retorted. "Our Blacklist Captain started out with a superweapon in his hand!"

Lacus looked at Kage, asking confirmation. Kira, already in deep thought replied as well. "He's right. I started out my military career with Shiki in my hands."

"I see." Lacus nodded. "But then, if that's true… what is your real strength then?" Lacus asked calmly.

Kira and Balsam twitched.

Lacus continued at her pace. "Balsam-san, you justify that Kage-san had a headstart because he have a superweapon. Splendid argument. If you want Ensui, you can take it." And just like that, all the sudden, Balsam was no longer glued to the fence and he fell on floor on all fours. He looked up and saw Hikari took Ensui effortlessly and shoved the ornate bladeless-sword handle to his face. "Feel free to take it. And strive to master it, if you can. Maybe given time and effort, you might be able to do so. But… then… what is your strength then?"

Suddenly, Kira felt like Lacus' distorted words of advice, calm and composed as they may, was actually mocking words of sarcasm being screamed out loud right next to his ears. Lacus was talking to Balsam, and it felt like she was talking to him instead.

"So you use this regalia/(superweapon) as a stepping stone to greater glory, but then, when all is said and done; what is your true power but the power that your weapon give you? Without that Regalia/(superweapon), what are you then, Balsam-san/(Kira-san)?" Lacus asked to a frowning Balsam, ignoring the dumbstruck Kage. "You rely on Ensui/(Shiki) to become… say… Invincible. But most of that invincibility, that strength would belongs to Ensui/(Shiki) and Ensui/(Shiki) alone. Even if you can use it and master it, the strength doesn't belong to you. Even if you can become invincible with it, that invincibility is but an illusion that will vanish like a haze once your source of power is removed. Do you want to become THAT kind of strong person? Is your life worth becoming a fake mighty warrior with a fake strength?"

Balsam stared dumbly at Lacus' outstretched hand, holding the Ensui. "If so, then, by all means, take it."

The former Juppongatana looked at the Regalia in Lacus hand and then to her masked face, and then to Kage, whose thunderstruck expression was completely concealed by his bandage mask. For a moment, his hand lifted, making a motion as if wanting to reach that weapon… but finally, he stopped midway and stood up. Wiping his bloody face, he was shocked to find his crushed teeth and lips were intact. All the damage Kage had done had vanished without a trace.

The former juppongatana take one last look at the regalia, the masked girl, and then the Captain. And then, with a scowl and a loser's grunt he left the room without a word.

Once the man vanished out of sight, Lacus collapsed on her knees. "(KOFFfff…) Uwah! (koff) I was so scared (Koff)."

Kira also regained his bearings and then slowly approached her from the back. "Lacus-san." Kira gently placed one hand on her shoulder.

Lacus was slightly startled when she felt a warmth flowing in from Kira's palm. "Hai."

They looked at each other and Kira gently took the Ensui from Lacus' trembling hands and then placed them back at the shrine, right before Veia's helmet. Looking at it, Kira briefly remembered, in a flash, of every detail that was going on in that duel. "When…"

"Hm?" Lacus perked.

"When I fought with master Veia… I was out of my league. He used Hyomaen most of the time, and yet he rarely used Hyomonken against me. He only does so, as I was using Shiki's power or my Jutsus. But most of the time, he tried to kill me not by conjuring some magic tricks or some over the top mystical elemental blast or something. He tried to cut me in pieces with a blade; not a Regalia."

Lacus smiled kindly beneath her mask. "You really respect him, do you? (koff)"

"Always. But now I realized I did not respect him as much as I should have." Kira clasped his hand and paid his due respect, now increased tenfold.

"Speaking of Regalia (Koff) where's Hyomaen? (koff)" Lacus looked around, searching for that ferocious nodachi. "You do take it with you (koff)?"

"I didn't 'take' anything." Kira noted. "Master Veia's last request to me was to take care of his students. So right now I'm just their caretaker, a steward for the two regalia until such time I can bequeath them to their rightful owner. I've already returned Hyomaen. Now I'm just waiting until I can return Ensui too." Kira looked at the shrine and then glance to Lacus. "It's not a proper tomb, and I've returned his body and head to his people in Gamoff, Carpentaria. But if you want to pray-"

"I do actually (koff). I would like to do just that. (koff)."

"No one will see you here. You can take off your mask if you like." Kira motioned at the door. "I will guard the door from outside."

"Umh." And Lacus took off her mask once again and then she knelt down and start praying in silence as Kira walked out of the door.

Kira sat right there in front of the door, knees crossed, pondering every word that Lacus had said. And as he pondered on, he realized she was right. Every fight he went, it was thanks to Shiki that he was able to survive them. Took away Shiki… well that happened before. And turns out he was pretty helpless on his own. With that said, it all boils down to one conclusion and a surge of chill running down his spine: "I'm really lucky I made it this far alive…"

"That you are."

Kira perked up and saw Mwu coming towards him carrying Shiki tapping her on his shoulder. "Mwu-san?"

"Is she in there?"

Kira nodded. "Praying."

"Praying?"

"Veia. Turns out, she used to have a crush on him." And before Mwu can say anything, Kira added: "And she knew I've killed him."

Mwu's eyes widened and his mouth parted slightly. "My gosh… and she still wanted to take care of your injuries so adamantly? Even after that?"

"Peculiar girl, she is."

"Good match for you."

"Nice joke."

"No. I'm serious." One look at Mwu's glaring eye and Kira realized for once, the elder man is not in joking mood. "To be honest, I came here to thank her, I guess. She's doing to you in one morning what I couldn't do in the last few months ever since you became a captain."

"And that is?"

"To give you a much needed Time Out." All the sudden, before Kira can stop him, Mwu disappeared, reappeared in front of him, and then returned back to where he was, all in a span of a second. And then, he lifted his other hand, let go a jumbled mass of bandages. When Kira came to, he suddenly realized Mwu had ripped apart the bandages masking his face. And to think, he didn't feel anything when Mwu's fingers touched his mouth that close.

"Mwu-san."

"I'm symbolically and literally confiscating your mask. 'Kage' is going to take a little break." Mwu growled. "As the girl said, you're put on suspension. You're off field duty until not only she, but also I, say otherwise." He shook Shiki over his head. "Of course, that also includes this."

Kira didn't say anything.

"Anyway. That's all I came here to say. Cheerio." He saluted with a grin and left.

And still Kira didn't say anything. What Lacus had said, everything she asked of him, all she do for him… it seriously messed him up.

Does it?

Hm? What?

All she's been doing has been pretty normal… extraordinary even. But, her questions were quite simple was it? Why you wear that mask in the first place, why fight, why use shiki at all.

To protect my friends. That's reason enough.

And look how well it has gotten, now they fight for you. Now they put themselves in even bigger danger, for you.

Get to the point.

Kira, her question isn't messed up. It was a simple question born from a rational sane mind. So why can't you answer?

Maybe she's not messing you up. Maybe she's not the one who's messed up.

You're saying I'm messed up from the get go.

You go from a chef and in a little over a month you graduated into a mass murderer who killed over 100,000 people in 5 days and didn't blink. You are messed up.

"K. I. R. A. san!" Suddenly someone closed his eyes from behind. "Guess. Who?"

Said a singsong voice from his back. "Hikari?'

"W. r. o. n. g." She chuckled.

"Lacus…san."

Lacus chuckled and let go her hands before hugging Kira again from the back. "Let's go."

"Go where?"

"Didn't I told you already? To meet the people down there!" Lacus gleefully answered. "And I see you put your mask off. Perfect! That's just good! Breathe your fresh air. That'll give your body the much needed oxygen. Oh! And you might want to change your clothing. It would be weird for you to be wearing bandages. Your external wounds are mostly healed anyway."

"No, I'm not sure I wanna-whoa!" Before Kira can say anything Lacus grabbed his collar and dragged him in squealing. "Hey! Wh… What do you think you're doing! Oi!"

"Hai! Put this on!" Lacus handed something to Kira's lap. A yukata set. Kira didn't remember having this clothing aboard.

"Where did you get this?"

"Mwu-san gave it to me."

"Mwu? When?"

"Aboard the merchant ship! Hora! Take off your bandages, let's put this on!" And Lacus start tearing off Kira's bandages, much to his chargrin.

And the next few minutes, fresh howl of dubious nature sounded from the Captain's office. "Wait! Wait! Stop! Wait! No need to help me! No need to help me!" "Don't be shy now! Let me help you get it out!" "I can do this on my own! Hei! Wait! Hoi! Wait! Yeaaach!" "Aaah! I bet that felt good! Right Moving on!" "What are you doing! OIi! Get your hands off me! Wghhaaa!" "Right! Let's see if we put this in here and…" "Ouch! Ouch! No, no, no, no! Get off me! This doesn't go that way! Yeeeoch!"

Everyone looked at the direction of the captain's office at the top floor, where those howls were coming and paled. 'What happened in there?'

Kira wasn't sure how, but after all that, he get changed to his civil clothing. And for the first time in the longest period, he didn't wear anything underneath his dark blue and grey yukata. The Yukata was loose. He didn't remember having this kind of clothing before… did Mwu set this up?

Lacus nodded in approval. The most pleasant part is that she get to see Kira's cute face in full, once again. This time minus the bandages. "Ara! That looked really good on you! Nyan! Nyan!" And then, Lacus sling her arm to Kira's after she put on her helmet. "(Koff) Let's go. (Koff)"

"Ummm… I think it's best if you let go."

"Eh? (Koff) Why? (koff)"

"Because… the people think that Kage and I are two different people. All they know, I'm his sibling, and the men knew me also as his errand boy. And… since you've pretty much riled everyone up with that girlfriend claim of yours…" Kira spat the last part in annoyance. "Me having the 'girlfriend' of my brother glued to my arm like this is a potent attention drawer… not to mention improper. So: unhand me."

"No. (koff)"

"Unhand me, PLEASE." Kira repeated a tad louder.

"No. (koff)" Lacus smirked sinisterly behind her mask, and she even hugged Kira's arm tighter. "I like being a two timing bitch (koff). Thank you very much (koff)."

"Look, don't make this difficult for me!"

"That's the idea. (koff)"

"Excuse me!?" If looks can kill, Kira would've killed Lacus where she stand a hundred times over.

"I haven't finished paying you back for all the misery you've caused me. (Koff) Not to mention the fact (Koff) that you've been destroying all my prized acquisition of Samurai insulation suits (koff). One way or another (koff) I'm gonna make your life a living hell for every second I can spare. (koff)" Lacus naughtily twirled her finger in front of a glaring Kira. "Every. (koff) Step. (koff) Of. (Koff) The. (Koff) Way. (koff)"

"I'll kill you. I swear to God I'll kill you. Not today, not tomorrow, but someday." Kira, completely licked, gritted his teeth so hard it felt like his teeth will break. And yet he let Lacus cling to his arm as she like it.

"You know (koff) if the world can understand each other as easily as we do (koff), I think international understanding will advance to no end (Koff)." Lacus singsongly replied and put the final touches by even resting her head lovingly on Kira's shoulder and hugging his arm tighter with both hands.

And so the bizarre couple makes their way down to the civilian area. Passerby soldiers who looked at the two had their eyes widened and jaw hung. Murmurs and whispers arose wherever they go, and this made Kira became even more unnerved and uncomfortable. He wanted to wring Lacus away and run, but Lacus are now glued on him, figuratively speaking. And Lacus has no qualm about making her clinging as romantic as possible, including by burying Kira's arm to her cleavages, causing the boy to blush all the way to his ears.

Inconvenience aside, Kira and Lacus get the time to marvel at all the work that has been done on the ship in over the week. Murdoch really worked his ass off. There are more buildings than before. When archangel was a fortress, soldiers' quarters were situated on the fortress grounds. Now, clearly, they need their own indoor quarters. At the moment, the ship was well compartmentalized. The super structure of the upper deck house the main control for the ship: main bridge, spotter's nests, barracks, officers' rooms. Armory, magazine, other military support depot lies right below them. The soldier's (civilian occupied) quarters is right below that.

However, seeing that Archangel was a half finished battleship converted into a fortress and then reconverted again, by its original design, the Archangel does possess hundreds of indoor accommodation for troops – and quite frankly, by Alliance standards, each of them were quite spacious. One of these rooms has enough space to house 10 soldiers along with their gears and stuff. However, one needs to remember that the Archangel was originally designed and built by Orb. These spacious rooms were used to house Samurai Super Soldiers, including their belongings and equipments. Not normal soldiers. What is spacious for soldiers who barely had anything is probably quite small for these Samurais.

What's more, the Fortress battleship was designed for long term engagements. People are expected to spend a long time aboard the ship, going ashore when they are deployed on target. Therefore, relative comfort is also part of the accommodation and amenities for its occupants. Consummate alliance soldiers (cough)Natarle(cough) would've protested on how much 'extras' were granted to the military personnel of the Alliance such as personal (though hard) bed, personal locker and stuff. The other soldiers wouldn't complain with that small extra comforts (like hell they will, beats sleeping on a sheet covered floor).

However, at the moment, the soldiers had to endure sleeping in a strict alliance standards a little longer for these indoor rooms were being used to house the civilians currently on board this ship.

"Murdoch really did quite well while I was away…"

"Murdoch?"

"Mwu's lieutenant. He's very good at fixing stuff. Ah, speak of the devil." No sooner than Kira had said that, the black skinned mechanic was just around the corner. It looks like he's screaming about something to Jackie and Neumann.

"-AND JUST WATCH IF I CATCH YOU DUMBASSES DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN!" Murdoch yelled so loud, the two poor Ninth division soldiers looked like they just shrunk to a few millimeter sizes.

"Murdoch?"

"Ah! Kira my boy. What brings you here and isn't that future fratricide incident called 'your brother's girlfriend' clinging to your arm?" Murdoch of course, already knew who Kira really was while his men did not and so he played things appropriately. Nevertheless… the girlfriend thing was a… plus in the fun department. "Or are we looking at a nice elopement here? Oh youth!"

Kira shot Lacus a murderous look when she just giggled. "It's not what it looked like. Hikari-san, this is Kojiro Murdoch. 9th division lieutenant."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance. (Koff)" Lacus bowed.

"Your service, my lady."

Kira followed. "What's going on here? What's all that screaming?"

"These idiots and goofballs are the reason!" Murdoch glared again at the whimpering Neumann and Jackie. "They tried to drill a hidden hole that'll make an instant access to the woman's lavatory!"

"I… see…" Kira nodded in understanding. "Can't you fix it? Close the hole or something…?"

"No… that's exactly the problem. I think you should see it yourself!" Murdoch gritted his teeth the whole time he led Kira and Hikari to the place. When they get there… it looked even worse than what Kira had imagined. It's virtually a disaster zone, filled with rubbles and ruins. Piles of shattered floorings and rocks, snapped woods, all sorts of mayhem as far as the eye can see. It looked as if the lavatory collapsed from a floor above, pulverizing whatever's beneath it.

Looking at all this mess, even Kira don't know what to say. "No one hurt?"

"No. Thank God." Murdoch grunted. "Because of the bad tunneling construction, the whole lavatory both male and female collapsed. It's a disaster area."

Well… let's just get them to rebuild the whole damn thing then."

"THAT'S EXACTLY what I'm gonna have these idiots do!" Murdoch added. "And you'll DO it ROCK by ROCK if you HAVE TO, OR I'M GONNA HAVE FUJI TOSS YOU OFF TO THE OCEAN AND IT'LL BE DAVY'S LOCKER FOR THE LOT OF YOU!"

"Somebody called?" A booming voice from outside caused the two convicts to even shrivel tinier in fear. Fuji, the giant peered through the window of the demolished lavatory above.

Lacus gawped behind her mask when she saw the gargantuan human.

When Fuji saw Kira, he was more than pleased. "Kira-san! You're back!"

"I'm back." Kira grinned.

"I can breathe calmly again. Who's that with you?" Fuji noticed the armored human, he can feel the glare from behind the armor's visor.

"This is Hikari." Kira jerked his thumb at lacus, who was too stunned to answer. No doubt she was gawking inside. "Hikari, this is Akamichi Fuji."

"Ahh… Konichiwa! Fuji-san! I'm Hikari! Kage's girlfriend!" Lacus recovered remarkably quickly and replied politely

"Kage's girlfriend?" Fuji looked at the gloomy Kira and then to Hikari several times in confusion. If that's true, that will be the most bizarre girlfriend if he ever seen one. 'But Kage's Kira right? So…' Fuji gave a rather awkward smile. "Well, welcome to your boyfriend's ship. I'm sure it's quite something right?"

"Definitely (koff). It's a nice ship. (Koff)

"Too bad these dunderheads damaged it!" Murdoch slapped the two culprits heads.

"Anooo (koff)." Everyone looked at Lacus (Hikari). "I'm just saying… (koff) don't you think it's a bit of a waste to just fix it? (koff)"

"What do you mean a waste young lady? This is a disaster area!"

"How bout if we make use of it? (koff)"

"Make use of it?" Murdoch was a bit lost.

"(Koff) Lend me your ears…" Murdoch bent down his head as Hikari whispered her ideas. Kira, Fuji, Neumann and Jackie couldn't hear a thing beyond the occasional grunts and nodes from Murdoch. A moment later, Murdoch raised his head.

"You know what? That's a wonderful idea!" Murdoch roared. "I'll do it, by Godfrey! Heck, with Fuji's help, I think it'll be ready this evening!"

"Ara! (Koff) Perfect! (Koff)" Hikari clapped her hands together. "(koff) I'll be sure to tell Kage the Good news! (koff)"

"ALRIGHT YOU BASTARDS! TIME TO WORK! FUJI! Come along! I got work for you!"

"(Koff) See you later, Mr. Fuji! (Koff) Sir!" Hikari waved her hands to Fuji by the window. "And thank you in advance for your hard work! (koff)"

Fuji blinked several times and then he returned the smile and waved back before he disappeared from sight, preparing to help Murdoch. The Canadian mechanic quickly dragged his two guilty soldiers to God knows where, doing God knows what…

Kira looked at lacus, wondering what was she talking about. "Lacus… what was that all about?"

"Nyahehehehe…(koff)" Lacus giggled. "It's a boom surprise. (Koff)"

"Surprise? Uh huh? Well, surprises from you usually gave me a heart attack." Kira groaned. "You said you're going to tell Kage the good news, well go ahead, tell me now."

"Ara? But you're not Kage!"

"I AM Kage!"

"No… you're not." Lacus suddenly poked Kira by the nose. "Open your eyes, Kira Yamato. THIS who you REALLY are. Your identity as Kage is NOT normal. You are you, and you are losing yourself inside that monstrous mask."

"Eh… Erh?"

"There, see? You've even forgotten what it's like to be you again. This is not good, Kira-san." Lacus crossed her arms. "I heard Mwu-san when he was talking to you. And I agree. I think you should stick like that for a while. Get the feeling back of what it's like being human for once, not a symbol."

"But…"

"No buts!" Lacus pouted again.

"Oh yes, there will be buts!" Kira growled back. "Kage is a captain of the 7th division, and right now, I've left the base for a week! There'll be TONS of things and problems that had piled up like a mountain during that time! How am I supposed to deal with them if I'm not Kage!?"

"Try it then."

"What?"

"Try to deal the problem as KIRA. Not as Kage." Lacus pointed. "That's the point of me asking you to go down there and see the people. See their problems, and then help them. YOUR way! Not Kage's way!"

"Uh…" Kira still look a bit unconvinced. "But… how can I…"

"AaargH! MOOU!" Lacus grabbed Kira's arm and dragged him away. "Enough! Let's just go down there and see how it'll work out!"

"Ah… Aaah!?"

And Lacus too dragged Kira to she knows where.

000000000000

Just around the corner…

"And that's how it is." Mwu nodded happily seeing how things are progressing between his student and his questionable status girlfriend. "Things are looking pretty good now, right, Murrue?"

"But this is crazy! Lacus Clyne the daughter of the Clyne Family!" Murrue ruffled her hair in slight frustration. "An incident this big, you can expect a thunderous response from Zaft!"

"We're already in one heck of a predicament anyhow." Said Mwu coolly. "When the boy killed Veia, when he brought the Bladebane to near extinction… there have been more than thunderous response. It's a storm, one after another. And now that hell-sent girl came along and forced him to TAKE a God-damn-too-much needed break."

Murrue still looked a little bit concerned… but then she nodded in understanding. "You're right. I guess Kira-kun needed that. How careless of us to never try to do it."

"We never could think of a way… But she could." Mwu pointed where Kira and Lacus were until just a moment. "And she just did it."

"But back to the matters at hand Mwu. That girl CANNOT stay here."

"The Kid and I were more than aware of that." Mwu nodded. "Which is why I'm telling you the truth. And please don't tell the girl's true identity to anyone… not even to your lieutenant."

"Natarle? Why can't I?" Murrue blinked, but then she get a horrified response from Mwu.

"Why can't I? You know well why!" Mwu swing his hand. "She's so stiff all the time! And God knows how long the pink princess will be stuck with us, the way she behaves! If your lieutenant finds out, I fear she'll go out of her way and reported her to the top brass! How are we supposed to return her to her family then, hm?"

"Ah… good point." For a moment, Murrue was reminded again of how stiff her lieutenant can be.

000000000000

Meanwhile, Kira and Hikari finally made it to the civilian area. It was, just as how Lacus' described it, bustling with life. People were moving left and right carrying stuff. Children laughing as they run happily from room to room, squealing and playing. When one of them saw Kira arrived, they all went into uproar.

"Ah, that's Kage's brother! Umm… what's his name… Kira! Yes! It's Kira-san!"

"Kira-san! Uwaah! Kira-san's here!" "Uwaan! Kira-nii!" "Kira? Oh yeah! That waiter from Amaterasu!"

Everyone suddenly rushed straight towards Kira, much to Kira's surprise. 'Wha…?'

"Kira-san! How are you doing!?" "Wahaha! We haven't seen you like forever!" "Where have you been man?" "Heard you went with your brother, you must be worried sick!" "The food ain't the same without you at the kitchen!"

"Awawawaawawa…" Kira flabbergasted at this tirade of questions. He didn't even know where to start answering.

Seeing how the usually calm Kira panicking brought giggles to Lacus who in particular was both happy and surprised. 'What's this? Kira-kun was actually quite popular?'

"Kira-nii! Kira-nii! Where's Kage-aniki?" One of the child asked. One simple question from the child and everyone was suddenly riled.

"Yeah! What happened to your brother?" "We heard he's injured!" "We'll he be okay?" "I heard he had to be quarantined!"

'I knew it. They wanted Kage…' "He's… well… he'll be c…"

"He won't be able to come I'm afraid. (koff)" Hikari cuts in before Kira could answer. That was when everyone was suddenly aware of the armored Girl's existence, and naturally, seeing and hearing both her horrifying form and sound, they instantly gave her a wide berth.

"Kira-san… who… what is that?" They pointed at with shaky finger at the armored girl.

"Well… everyone… this is Hikari-sensei… she's… a doctor… and… errrhhh…" Kira quickly thought up an answer. "…She's my brother's… Girlfriend."

And if the uproar that came from the folks seeing Kira wasn't loud enough, the whole occupants of the civilian complex roared so loud it almost as if the ceiling was blasted off its hinges! "GIRLFRIEEENDD!?"

"No way!" "That's a girl!?" "She's the captain's girlfriend?" "Why is she wearing that armor?" "Waa! I wanna see her face so bad!" "Can you show us?" "Is that a custom samurai armor?" "I've never seen something like this before!" "Wow, it looks pretty cool!" "So the boyfriend is a ninja, the girlfriend is a samurai?" "That's pretty matching!" "No, no, Kira-san said she's a doctor!" "You're also a doctor?" "Wow, that's awesome!" "Can you heal my backside pain?"

"Awawawawawwawa…" And now, it's Lacus turn to be overwhelmed as suddenly, she became the center of attention and all the people are closing in on her. In fact, it seems like she was bombarded with twice as many questions. But to Lacus… this is quite something new. She never had this many people so close to her. Not ever since her body emanates miasma. But the one thing that truly caught her attention, is how their eyes are shining with curiosity and wonder… yet no fear. The initial fear was perhaps due to her distorted voice… but once Kira told them the story… that fear vanished in an instant. 'These people…'

"Alright people! Settle down!" Help came from Tolle clapping his hand, and the rest of the team, Fllay, and Gino in tow. "The two are a bit overwhelmed there!"

The crowd dispersed slightly, allowing passage to the team. "Well, it surely is a surprise. I thought after spending a week waiting for your brother in Junius you would be resting by now!"

"Well… there's… a… this and that…" Kira awkwardly replied. He particularly eyed two people who had yet to know his identity: Gino and Fllay. Gino's eyes widened upon seeing Kira's face. For a moment, a flash of recognition appeared on his eyes when he saw Kira's face, but upon seeing Kira's awkward eyes… a stark contrast with Shadow/Kage's piercing ruthless purple eyes, he shook it off. "Taka, right?"

Gino blinked. "What?"

"Your name." Kira suddenly offered his hand. "Your name is Taka, right?"

"Ah…" Gino blinked again and finally nodded. "Yes. I… I'm Taka… and you are…"

"Kira Yamato." Kira answered. "On behalf of my brother, I'm really sorry about what happened in Junius." Kira bowed down.

"Well… erhh…" Gino don't know what to say and bowed down as well.

"Well, it looks like you'll be staying with us for a while. Let's get along together, kay?" Kira grinned, and once again offered his hand.

Gino was somewhat taken a back. This guy felt so different with his black clad sibling. Gino relaxed his guard for once and accepted the handshake. "Yeah… let's."

Kira also took the chance to introduce Lacus with the rest of his friends: "This is Sai Argylle." Kira motioned at the boy with orange glasses carrying a spear, who gave a nod. "Tolle Koenig…" Next, Kira motioned a boy with light brown hair giving a small salute with two fingers. "And Mirriallia Haww."

The brown haired girl bowed. "But my friends call me Milly!"

Lacus politely bowed. "A pleasure to meet you all, Sai-san, Tolle-kun, and Milly-chan." And then Lacus scurry back to Kira, whispering: "Am I giving the honorifics right?"

"It's okay… I guess…" Kira rubbed his cheek.

Lacus sighed in relief. But then, she noticed the last person of interest. A red haired girl, standing behind Sai. "Ara? And who might you be?"

Upon realization of being noticed, Fllay squeaked and hid deeper behind Sai's back. But then, Sai move aside and revealed Fllay's form. The red haired girl glared at Hikari suspiciously, and to a lesser degree, fear. "Hey… that pink hair… are you… one of them?"

"Them?"

"Advanced!" Fllay squeaked. "You're one of them aren't you?"

Lacus nodded and nonchalantly replied. "Why, yes."

A gasp from Fllay and then she scurry back behind Sai's back, her eyes now filled to the brim with horror and to a lesser degree, hate. Problem is, she's not the only one. Every civilian aboard that ship were those whose lives had been ruined by Zaft armies. In short, Advanced. It was slight, but everyone can feel the atmosphere darkened slightly.

Seeing this awkward response, Lacus turned to Kira for some explanation. "Kira-san? She's…?"

"Fllay Allister." Kira whispered. "She's Sai's fiancée."

"Ara!" Lacus clapped her hands again. "Does that mean she's also your friend then?"

"In a way…" Kira shrugged.

Lacus nodded and then she extended her armored hand. "Let's get along, okay?"

"No way!" Fllay barked back. "You're one of them! You're an Advanced! That means, you're one of the enemies aren't you? You're one of Zaft right!?"

Kira cringed and Lacus' extended hand faltered. The situation suddenly became really tense. Sai tried to defuse the situation to no avail. "Fllay! Calm down! She's not-"

"They attacked Amaterasu, and then attacked several villages, driving us away from our homes! And you're one of them! How can I get along with you!?"

By now, murmurs began to arise among the civilians which grew increasingly negative and the initially jovial mood gone downhill fast. Seeing the situation is getting dangerous, Kira tensed up and prepared for the worse. Gino also sense the seriousness of the condition and prepare himself.

Fllay continued to rail on. "How many people you've killed with your super special powers? You advanced are all monsters!"

"FLLAY!" Sai barked the girl to silence. But the damage was done. The initially jovial crowd suddenly grew antagonistic, and the children were terrified and hid behind their parents. They even start seeing people raised whatever object they're holding in their hands in a threatening manner, to use them for offensive purposes. Everyone glared at Hikari. Instinctively, Kira and Gino covered Lacus, and the Shadowguard bar Sai, move in to help their friend in their defense.

As the situation is getting worse, Tolle whispered to Kira's ears. "Kira… here, I got a spare mask. Go around the corner and then came back as Kage. He'll douse this situation in a jiffy!" Tolle shoved a black mask under his arms.

Kira briefly considered that and was about to grab the mask but then he caught sight of the people's eyes. They were terrified. And all the sudden, Kira stopped. He looked at the mask and then to the people's eyes.

"Try to deal the problem as KIRA. Not as Kage."

Kira finally moved his hand away from the mask and Lacus' eyes widened. And then, pass through his shocked friends, Kira Yamato stand forth in front of the crowd. They all looked at him, wondering what he's about to say.

"Stand down."

The crowd cringed.

"Stand down. All of you." Said Kira. "You can't do this. You don't want to do this."

The mob started murmuring again.

Kira continued anyway. "She's an Advanced. In her blood flows the same blood that flows in the veins of your enemies. That I understand. But that doesn't mean she's your enemy." Kira took a deep breath and then exhaled. "I understand that you guys are angry. I understand some of you had even suffered, directly or indirectly. But that doesn't mean you can take it out all your anger on every Advanced that happened to come your way."

The mob now looked at the said boy.

"They've done many things to you all. And you all had your rights to be angry. But… my brother also started it. We had our share of blame." Kira bowed his head down. "We killed a Hakutenkun. And then things escalated when Zaft retaliate and they brought their wrath for Kage against you. And for that, I'm truly, sorry." Kira bent down on his knees and pressed his forehead to the ground, kneeling.

Upon seeing Kira prostrate himself in such a way, the crowd had calmed down somewhat, but they're still riled. And then, one of the crowd, a man walked forth and spoke. "Kira-san, please raise your head. We do not blame your brother. Quite the opposite, we are grateful for him."

The man helped and raised Kira back on his feet. "We understand what's happening, but your brother had more than make it up for his actions. He saved us, saved our family, brought us here, and protected us all the way." The man showed the merry preparation that they have been doing until a moment ago. "Quite in fact, Kira-san… until a moment ago we were preparing to throw a party celebrating Kage-dono's return tonight."

"He even went to Junius just to bring us food… it's the least we can do." A mother followed and everyone murmured an agreement.

"We never blamed him. We blamed Zaft. But… that's just it, Kira-san. They've… done… horrible things to us. I've lost my wife and I watched her burnt alive when the mercenaries Zaft had sent to our homes torch our home to the ground. We're… we just…" The man held back his tear. "We respect your brother, and we understand, Ms. Hikari being his girlfriend… but… we just can't bring ourselves to let go or to not hate the Advanced after what they've done to us."

"I never asked you to do either." Kira replied as everyone looked at the boy again. "My Brother and I, everyone in Shadowguard, our town, Amaterasu, was the first town of Orb that was attacked and burned by Zaft. That is, after they pillaged and plunder our homes like bandits they are." Kira growled and then he jerked a thumb to himself. "They barged into my house, took my meager savings, they lynch mobbed me to the inch of my life, and then when we tried to escape, several times they tried to kill me and my friends… they actually managed to kill one right in front of my eyes. Can I let go? No. Do I hate them? Yes." Kira closed his eyes, gritting his teeth. "God help me, I hate them so much. But… this hatred… this anger… it must stay with me." Kira clapped his hand to his chest.

"What do you mean?"

"Your children are watching." Kira motioned at the terrified children in vicinity, hiding behind the adults. It was then the crowd suddenly realized the presence of the underage audience. "This war has been fought, not only in some distant battlefield, but amongst us. Amongst our homes. Our children are watching this horror happening before their very own eyes. They're already as terrified of this war's atrocities as it is. The fear has been passed on. If you must hate your enemies then so be it. But please… don't pass on your hatred to your children too."

At this point, all forms of hostility had all but disappeared. Everyone silently lowered their weapons and bent their head down in sorrow and shame. Seeing how the tense atmosphere had greatly lessened and the danger had indeed passed, Gino breathe a sigh of relief and the other Shadowguards also relaxed their vigilance. Kira bent his head down, silently thanking them for their understanding. Fllay still hid behind Sai. While the crowd had calmed down, the girl still looked a bit rattled and agitated.

Lacus looked at the girl. She looked at her cold blue eyes. There's only terror in there. Lacus tilted her head. "Fllay-san. You must be really scared."

"Uh?" Upon being addressed, the crimson haired girl jumped on her spot.

"I understand." Lacus nodded. Despite her distorted tone, the kindness of her heart flows out through her words. "I mean… look at me. You can't see my face, my voice was distorted to the point of being monstrous…" And then Lacus added. "Which is quite a pity (Koff). Some people, (Koff) Kage and Kira included (koff), all said I have a nice voice. (Koff)"

Everyone tilted their heads in bewilderment some of them didn't believe it one bit. Kira on the other hand, couldn't help but to agree.

"But you know…" Lacus tilted her head. "I didn't come here to scare you people. And I truly apologize, on behalf of my people, the Advanced, over all the wrongdoings that have befallen you. No. I truly am sorry."

Now the crowd looked at the armored girl.

"Let me guess… Some of you… if not all of you… might think that… so I got a pretty voice. But that's all because I am an advanced, right?" Lacus bent down to make her point. "All those who think so please raise your hands!"

Everyone and by that, everyone, even Kira and the shadowguards raised their hands.

"Well, it's true. I owe my voice to bloodline limit. My ability is my voice. Rendered useless due to this mask." Lacus tapped her gas mask. "But even so… having a pretty voice just because I was born with it… that's not something I can be proud of." Lacus sighed. "And you may not believe this… but some of us… envy the naturals."

"Envy? You… envy… us?" the man from the crowd blinked. The crowd was also shocked. Most of the time, it was always the opposite. The Naturals greatly envy the special abilities of the Advanced's bloodline limit. They envy their higher parameters: stronger, faster, smarter… Now an Advanced came before them and say it was the opposite was a shocker.

"Yes. We envy you. We were descended from the Onis. From birth, we were gifted. But… we owe our… superiority…" Lacus made an amusing snide at the last word. "…to a greater sire. We were given privileges by those that came before us. We became great because of how we were made. We can't take pride in that. We don't earn all the wonders we've done. Given examples of what I see here…" Lacus growled. "I could probably say we don't deserve these powers. But Naturals are different."

Lacus gestured the crowd as the representation of the Natural race. "Everything you've built, every greatness you can achieve, you owe them to no one but yourself. The joy of achieving something great by your own powers, small and insignificant they may be. The joy of taking yourself, with your own strength, to greater heights… that is a joy, we Advanced can never fully understand."

The crowd was taken aback. Is that how Naturals looked like from an Advanced's perspective?

"You are weak." Lacus blatantly stated as everyone's eyes widened. "Compared to us Advanced race, you ARE weak. But that is not something to be ashamed of. Weakness is not a sin. It's a gift of opportunity that is unique to you weak people. The opportunity for you to help one another and thus to connect and bond with one another. To understand each other and share with one another. When you are stronger, you share strength to those who are weaker, when you are happy, you share your happiness to those who are sad, just as they share their sadness with you. The same goes for anger, joy, hate… love."

Lacus looked lovingly at the mother shielding her child. Lacus smiled. That there is the example of the greatest love of all: a mother's love for her children. Lacus began inching closer to the said woman as she continued addressing the people.

"And that's the problem with us… the Advanced. We are strong… or… we think we are." Now Lacus bent her head down in a sorrow, looking at herself. "Strength isolates. We couldn't share, we don't want to share. We are blind to others less fortunate then we are. Just as we are blind to our own. And often times… We believe we were strong, and so we don't need anybody else. We reject other people, we reject their help… we closed off the world around us… we thought we can solve everything on our own… we remained blind to it… until it's too late and we realize that we are no more weaker than you… and then finally… we became the weakest… and worse… we are alone, because we deny everyone." Lacus closed her eyes. Remembering that was exactly how she had lived her life until now.

She thought she can solve everything on her won. She closed off everyone around her, not allowing them to come into her life under the excuse of not wanting to hurt them. Lacus sorrowfully tucked her head down, remembering how she went overboard with her immunization until at last she was completely isolated with the rest.

And then Lacus looked at Fllay, still frightened and hide behind Sai, as if Lacus eyes can pierce through her. "And that's why… for this reason… we… are also afraid of you." Lacus looked at the crowd, at Fllay, and then she momentarily looked somewhere else.

"Many of you… had been oppressed by the Advanced who had used their powers to abuse you… to keep your heads down… (Chuckle) This… I have to say… for them." Lacus spat with anger and disgust. "Shame. On. Them. Pity them. Those people… are petty, weak, arrogant, ignorant and petulant children. Shame on them. They're just trying to cover their own frailties with bravado. You are afraid of them, but I can tell you, those people, they are more afraid of you." Lacus suddenly turned around and pointed at the crowd, causing them to wince, but specifically, she was pointing at Fllay.

"They've been living in a prison of fear. Haunted by their own superiority, haunted by their own undeserved birthright, they were afraid. They were afraid others will see how pathetic they are. And so they became a bully. Just to cover their own insecurity, to cover their own weakness, they closed off the world around them. To make you blind of their ineptitude, they impose fear upon you. So that you will live in fear, and not see their weakness. Not see their incompetence. They instill fear upon you so you too build the wall around you, closing your view from seeing the obvious." Lacus was truly depicting the Advanced as herself, but it was an accurate depiction of the Advanced as a whole.

Herself before this. Herself before she met Kira. She closed off the world around her with that 10 feet rule. Not allowing anyone to share her pain or joy. She bottled it all up inside her, walling her world in limits she set up upon herself. It wasn't until Kira smashed her walls open, turning her world upside down and now look at her. She's standing barely an arm's reach away from more people than she had ever came in contact with all her life, talking to them for almost half an hour albeit she do so behind a suit of armor.

Everyone in the crowd was greatly absorbed by her words. The soldiers, in particular, felt a familiarity of her words with that of Kage. They began to note the parallel between her speech of the Advanced being weaker than they perceive … and Kage's earlier words of how Naturals being stronger than they believe. It's a perfect complement. Slowly, without realizing it, the crowd had moved closer to her, wanting to hear more from her, unwilling to miss a single word.

"Pity the strong… for we are weak inside." Lacus surmised in a sorrowful tone. "And we envy the weak… for sharing with each other, they became truly strong." Lacus shook her head and continued.

"Just now… I believe you just said that you wish to… raise a party for Kage?" Lacus clapped her hands together. "I think that's a wonderful idea. My boyfriend is a…" Lacus looked meaningfully at Kira. "He's a very troubled man. He is strong. Very strong. I knew this to be true… because he's also a very kind person. All kind people are truly strong. Back in Junius when… when more than his life was on the line… he hardly, if ever, think about himself. All he cares about, all he can think about… is the welfare of other people before himself. But… even someone as strong as him could not forever hold the burden. And he finally cracked. And that's why… I've quarantined him and after a fashion, I sealed away his life as a warrior."

The crowd gasped. "Quarantined… It was really that bad?" One of the soldiers frowned in fear for the captain.

"He had seen too much. Enough to send lesser men to madness. But he endured it… though not without some scars." Said Lacus. "And that's the problem. He endured and he grew stronger… But he grew too strong too fast… he will become detached. He'll become less human… less… well… less like you… I guess." Lacus looked at Kira again. "And now…" Lacus bent her head down in sorrow. "And now… he is weak. He's very, very weak. And I'm not just talking about his body."

And now Kira winced as he can feel Lacus was glaring at him through visor of her mask. "I'm also talking about his soul. That's why I had to do this. That's why I have to… lock him down. Had he continued the way he is… he will probably physically recover… but as it is… his mind and soul will deteriorate until at last… he will no longer be the man you all had come to care and love."

Kira blinked as his eyes and Lacus met.

"Ne, ne, Hikari-sensei." A little child shook Lacus(Hikari's) skirt. "Are you telling us that Kage-nii is sick?"

Seeing the child's teary eyes moved Lacus. She bent down and patted the girl's hair with her hand. "And what's your name, little one?"

The girl replied timidly. "…E…Elle."

"Elle-chan… you're concerned for Kage-san's health?"

Elle nodded. "He… saved me. Back in the forest…" The girl blushed, but then, her eyes became tearful again. "Ne… Is Kage-nii fell ill?"

"Yes. He's a little ill, I'm afraid. (Koff) I'm… not sure… if he can join the party… (koff) But he will be alright!" Lacus huffed and pounded her own chest. "Leave it to Onee-chan! (Koff) I'll make sure he's back on his feet in a jiffy! (koff!)" Lacus added and all the sudden her kind, motherly and gentle tone was back to that childish and naughty tone… this time with a bit of a snarl and pout. "Oh yesseree, (koff) I'll make sure he's healed (koff). He can scream and shout and curse me all he likes (koff)… he will only leave my care with a clean bill of health (koff) or not at all (koff) I'll lock him down for the rest of his natural life if I have to! (koff)" She glared meaningfully at the unnerved and sweatdropping Kira.

Everyone cheered up a bit upon hearing that their hero will definitely get better and more importantly he's in the best hands.

Lacus turned to the crowd again. "And that's why I believe this party is a wonderful idea." Lacus smiled as she patted the girl's hair several times. "Let him know that the people he protect… the people he's willing to lay his life for loved him just as much as he loved them. Let him know that we are there to share his pain, his burden. That will heal him. Better what even I can do. Better than what any doctor can do."

The crowd nodded. Kira's word soothed their anger to unease. But Lacus words had aroused their happiness and cheer.

"She's right. Let's go on with the party." Kira also nodded. "We got other things to celebrate after all. Celebrate the fact that everyone made it back alive from Junius, not just Kage. Oh, and, come to think of it, we haven't had proper celebration for managing to escape that hell during the siege…"

"Didn't we already have a party back then?" One of the folk asked.

"But that was only booze! We were short on food back then!" The other one countermanded. "What sort of celebration where we only drink and eat… what… roasted nuts?"

"My point exactly." Kira twirled his finger. "Let's have a proper celebration now. This time only, you guys can blow off some steam and party. I'll cook too." Kira cracked his knuckles and already he can sense the mood just gotten more positive by a notch. "It's been a while since I cook anything fancy anyway."

"Umm… but where are you going to cook?" A soldier raised his hand.

"We have a kitchen, don't we?" Kira jerked his thumb to his back.

"Actually no, we don't." The soldier replied. "I don't know if you're aware of this, Kira-san, but the lavatory area was demolished last night."

"I know actually. I've been there, I've seen it myself. Murdoch is doing something about it. But what does that had to do with the kitchen?"

"Actually…" The Soldier added. "The Lavatory area collapsed… and… obliterated the kitchen right beneath it."

Amongst the rubbles of the lavatory there's a bent sign for kitchen was partially buried beneath the rubble.

"Hoh." Kira nodded. "Well… if that's the case… we'll use the main deck!"

"Deck?"

"Yeah." Kira grinned. "Let's make it an open air barbeque party for everyone: soldiers, civilians, officers… everyone."

By now, everyone's mood is back at partying mood. The soldier is also happy, but he's still a bit unconvinced. "Will it be alright, Kira? What will your brother say?"

"I…" Kira smiled kindly. "I know my brother. And I say he would be immensely vexed at me if he finds out that you guys can't have fun because of him. I'll talk to him. I'm sure he'll consent."

"Plus! We got another thing to celebrate!" Tolle suddenly joined the fray. "Let's celebrate the fact that after a history of single life that's as long as his entire lifetime, Kage finally got himself a girlfriend!" Tolle presented Hikari.

Everyone finally cheered, and it's official: they'll throw a party for the heck of it even if it kills them! And the crowd quickly dispersed and they began preparing all the necessities for the party.

With all the tension gone and Lacus was no longer the center of attention but a few, Lacus finally calm down and staggered back, slightly overwhelmed of being approached by so many people around her, surprising Elle who happen to be on her back. "Huhyaaah!"

"Nee-chan, are you alright?" Elle was obviously concerned.

"I'm okay (koff) I'm okay." Lacus laughed. "I thought they'll be scared of me. (Koff) With how I looked and all… (koff)"

"Most of them are Orb civilian, Hikari-san." Elle's mother explained. "We're quite used to the sight of a samurai walking around in their suits of armor. In fact, often times they were welcomed and respected." She added. "They're probably just scared of you because of your distorted voice. But, as you can see, they got over it fast."

"I see. (koff) I'm liking these people more and more. (koff)" Lacus chuckled as she looked down and saw Elle, still looked worried for her. Lacus smiled and then bent down as she rummaged her pocket, looking for something. "I think I stashed it safely somewhere out of my reach… (Koff) hope I still got… (koff) Ms. Pink?"

"Haro! Haro?" The Pink ball shaped Shikigami came flapping in.

"Ms. Pink, do you still have it (Koff)?"

"One left! Haro! One left! Haro!"

"That'll do." Ms Pink opened her mouth and dropped something to Lacus hand, and then she gave to Elle. It was polygonal box in pink color. Lacus motioned her to open it.

Elle opened the box and found, to her delightful surprise, a flower. Made of a mixture of white and black chocolate. And though it was clearly made of chocolate, the flower was vibrant, as if it was a real flower. "UWaaaH!" Elle was clearly entranced. She looked up to Hikari, gratitude evident. Hikari motioned her to enjoy herself. Elle looked first to her mother, and she simply gave a nod and a smile. Elle took it as an approval and took a bite. A second later she reveled in the delicious sweetness of the chocolate.

"Do you like it, my dear?"

"Umh!" Elle nodded eagerly.

"Do you like sweets, Elle-chan?"

"Umh! Umh!" Elle nodded again furiously.

"Onee-chan likes it too you know! (koff)" Lacus cheerfully replied. "I really, really, really, reallyreallyreally like sweets!" She giddily replied in a childlike excitement. "I like it so very, very, very much!"

"No wonder you're fat." Kira whispered to himself in a tone inaudible to ordinary hearing.

Unfortunately for him, Lacus' hell's ears are anything but ordinary. And that's why Kira more than earned the next incoming slap from Lacus' harisen, much to everyone's confusion.

"Hikari-chan? Why do you hit him like that?" Milly asked, confusion evident.

"Because he's being rude. (Koff)" Lacus answered simply as twitching veins covered her helmeted head. "Just like his brother I guess. (koff)"

"Stupid sound based bloodline limit of a hell's ear…" Kira groaned with his head on the ground.

"…and it serves you right!" Lacus chuckled.

"Haa…" Everyone shook their heads.

Everyone also chuckled. The mother also had her light laugh, but she stopped when the act visibly cause some pain to her part. Lacus saw this, and then she also saw the woman's bulging womb. Measuring the size of her girth, Lacus had a good idea of how long she had been pregnant. 'Oh my…' "Milady? (Koff) Take care not to move so much (koff) You're pregnant for 9 months already. (Koff) The day where Elle-chan will see her siblings will not be far off. (koff)."

The mother chuckled. "I understand. I will take care." She also added with a smile. "You know, Kage-san is a truly fortunate man. His future wife is not only a wise and strong woman, but will also become a kind and caring mother."

Lacus, and naturally Kira blushed all the way to their ears. Unlike Lacus', Kira's blush does not escape his friends' attention. "Where's Elle-chan's father?" Kira tried to distract himself by looking left and right.

"Her father died during the attack on our village."

"Oh… I'm sorry." Kira flabbergasted.

"It's alright. Come, Elle." Soon, the Mother took her leave, together with Elle, waving her goodbye. "Bye, bye! Hikari-Onee-chan!"

Lacus lightly returned the wave.

Seeing the chocolate Elle ate so happily, Kira decided it's best to warn her now rather than later. "…One thing, Hime…" Gino and Lacus looked at Kira, still downed on the floor but he gave a meaningful look to Lacus. "I know." He said calmly. "I know everything, including that matter. Which is why I'm saying, I think you should hurry up and tell everyone about it… and take care in everything you gave to the people."

"I don't need you to remind me of that fact (koff)" Lacus glumly noted. "That was my last clean chocolate anyway… (koff) stored well out of the reach of my miasma. (koff)"

"Miasma?" Fllay blinked in suspicion.

On that subject, Kira turned to the Shadowguard. "You guys understand right?"

"Sai told us everything." Tolle nodded. "We pretty much get the gist of it. Worry not, Princess. We will help ensure your safety during your hopefully brief stay here."

"Princess?" Fllay twitched in suspicion. After all, she's the only one who's not a shadowguard. Sai made a mental note to break it to her later, slowly.

"Ara! (koff) But I'll be staying here for quite a while you know? (koff)" Lacus replied jovially.

Kira turned to Lacus. "And that's why you better make sure you don't rupture or damage that suit."

"I'll be very careful. (Koff)" Lacus nodded. "And I'll be extra careful (koff) to keep the suit away from YOUR brother. (koff)"

"And… why is that?" Milly blinked.

"Because all my other suits were destroyed, (koff) quite viciously, by him. (koff)" Lacus scoffed.

"Look… my brother's not one to like obliterating other people's belonging… but given the circumstances I don't think he had much choice." Kira felt great guilt of destroying those suits again and again.

Lacus looked at Kira's awkward face. Without the mask, now it's easy for her to see Kira's emotions and expressions. More and more she realize beneath that mask, Kira really is just another human. "Still, it's quite something unfamiliar to me (koff) With so many people coming at me all at once like that (koff). I'm used to being avoided or ignored. (koff)"

"Really?" Kira chuckled. "That's surprising. I thought you'll have some experience with that?"

"What do you mean? (koff)" Lacus tilted her head.

"Suitors." Kira answered simply. "Don't you get swarmed by a ton of them daily, the way you look underneath that armor? Heck, I bet you're up to your elbows in marriage proposals."

Lacus heart fluttered when she heard the indirect praise from Kira. "Not really. (koff) I didn't really get overwhelmed until I reached 12 (koff). By that time, my miasma had fully developed, (koff) and most people steer clear off me. (koff)"

"Suitors?" Fllay's eyes twitched even more suspiciously. "Marriage?"

A glint appeared on all Shadowguard's eyes.

"Riiiight!" Milly suddenly came along and wring Lacus by the shoulder. "Tell you what boys? How bout if Hikari, Fllay and I took a girl's only tour?"

"Ara! (koff) That sounds wonderful! (koff)" Lacus clapped her hands together in excitement. "Perhaps you can give me a tour around this place? (koff)"

"My pleasure!" Milly nodded. "Coming, Fllay?"

Fllay still look a bit uncertain, but then she looked at Lacus' armored face once again, and all the words of praise Kira showered to her: beautiful, princess, suitor… All that made her somewhat annoyed and so she pouted. "Hmph!" She hugged Sai's arm and dragged him away. Sai smiled nervously as she understood his fiancée is in bad mood. Like this she'll stay mad until he gave her a present… or two. "Aaah! Guys… I'll be taking my leave for a while…"

"Good luck." Kira and Tolle flatly gave a thumb's up. The girl's sulking state is infamously hard to quell down.

"Thumb's up… right…" Sai moaned and left with a sulking Fllay dragging him.

"Jaa, shall we, Hikari-chan?" Milly smiled.

"Hai!" Lacus quickly cling to the other girl, and the two figures rapidly diminish as they departed further.

Gino looked in concern at the two girls, gnawing his lips in concern.

"Relax." Tolle smirked. "My girlfriend is also the second best shot in this ship. Anybody try to mess with her, she'll snipe them down."

"Go with them if you like. But your concern is at a minimum." Said Kira calmly as he crossed his arms. "Your princess declared herself my brother's girlfriend, that's to say she's wearing the strongest badge of protection. No one alive on this ship would dare to touch her. But let me warn you, if you put too much attention on her, people grow suspicious."

"I understand. But I'm still going to watch her, even from a distance just in case." He looked at Kira. "By the way… Thank you. For your words that soothe the anger of the mob. Had you not said what you said… I doubt the situation would end well for all of us."

"What I'm saying is the truth." Kira glared.

"I know. And on behalf of my people for all the wrongs they've done, I would like to apolo-"

"Save your apology when the fault is really yours." Kira shrugged in slight annoyance. "Those 'people' you're apologizing for is already dead and they had it coming. Kage made sure of that."

Gino's eyes widened slightly and then he took a bow before leaving without a word.

And now there's only Kira and Tolle. Seeing no one is paying them attention, Tolle decided to break it freely. "Still… I had to say it Kira. You have a gift of gab… but that girl is quite as good as you… probably better too! I was fully convinced the whole party idea will never come to pass."

"Yeah. Well…" Kira sighed as his lips formed a smile. "You're looking at a girl who's striving to end a war that has been going for almost a century in a peaceful manner. If she doesn't have at least that much skills in the fields of silver tongue, then she would've been all bark and no bite."

"Guess so." Tolle looked at the eventually unused Kage mask in his hand. "Say… can I ask you something? Back then… I offered you a spare mask… why didn't you take it?"

Kira looked at the mask in Tolle's hand. "Because that won't solve anything. When I looked at their eyes… all I see is fear. As Kage… I could probably cleared up that mess swiftly… but… that won't be the end of it. As Kage, I used fear as a weapon against my enemies. But I cannot use that against them: innocent civilians who are already as fearful as it is. They were afraid, afraid of Lacus, afraid of Hikari, a creature they don't fully understand. Kage is, from the very beginning, a creature that cannot be understood, that must not be understood. Using Kage I'll be just using one fear to calm another, trading one abstract creature with another. That's why I can't use Kage. They need to see a being that they can relate to. A creature of flesh and blood. As a human who knows the same pain and suffering they did. As a…" Kira paused for a moment and then finished. "As a Kira Yamato."

"But… that was really close. For a moment there I thought we were going to-"

"It was never meant to be easy. But what's right is rarely what's easy." Kira smiled. It's a smile of relaxation and above all, peace. Something he had not been feeling since… forever. "And that's why returning her to her people is gonna be hell." His smile vanished, replaced with a stern gaze. "Because it's the right thing. She can do it, Tolle. If there's gonna be a good end to this damned war where there will be something good left for the future generation… she GOT to return to where she belongs. And I'm gonna squeeze every bit of my skills to its limits to make sure of that." Kira left, each of his steps was filled with determination.

Tolle looked at his departing determined friend's back… and then he realized something.

000000000000

"So… Lacus-chan right?"

"Hai."

Milly and Lacus trudge across the civilian sector calmly, watching the activities take place. Everyone is now polite, giving a friendly wave and kind gesture every now and then, but no one really pay particular attention. They were busy with their own activity, after all. The two girls are therefore free to talk matters that pertain to… well… private and… girlish.

"Well, I must say, it's nice. It's been a while I'm talking to another girl of my age group."

"Ara?" Lacus tilted her head as she chortled. "Don't you have other girl friends? I mean Fllay-san there."

"Yeah… but… there are times when Fllay is just being… Fllay… And… she was never really… 'in'…" Milly chuckled and she put on a quotation mark. "It's always been… the five of us: Tolle, Sai, Kira, Kuzzey, and then me." Milly counted their inner circle of close friends with her fingers "I'm pretty much the only girl in our small group. So, sometimes… I kinda felt a bit lonely. You know what I mean?"

"Ahaha. Yes. I understand." Lacus chuckled sweetly. "But still… I'm not exactly… how do you say it? …'part of the gang' now, am I?"

"You think so?" Milly glanced meaningfully at Lacus. "Ne, Lacus-chan… did you know? Back in our home, Kira was actually quite popular among girls."

Lacus shrilled and chortled. "I bet he is." She had seen Kira's face. And the first she did was to instinctively kiss him passionately. She regretted it of course, but still, she couldn't help herself. With a face like that, a legion of fangirl seems like a given.

"Most girls would try everything to woe him. Every favorite method: baking him chocolate, invite him to a date… etc, etc…"

"Well… the first one won't work." Lacus shook her head as she chuckled in glee. "He hates sweets doesn't he?"

Upon hearing that from Lacus, Milly became more confident with her intuition. "Look no further for example: me, Fllay… the two of us were once member of Kira Fangirl club."

"Ararara!" Lacus twitched and looked at Milly's smiling face. "But… Fllay-san is Sai-san's fiancée… and aren't you Tolle-kun's girlfriend?"

Milly caught a faint trace of panic in Lacus' tone, and she smirked. "Relax. It's all in the past. That group was disbanded a long time ago." Lacus tilted her head in relief as Milly continued. "See… We gave up. Kira isn't just your average guy. By his face alone, many girls would swoon over him. Add that with his air of sophistication, his genius level intellect, his constantly calm and friendly demeanor, not to mention his overwhelming kindness. You couldn't ask for a more perfect guy."

Lacus counted all the wonderful qualities Milly spoke about Kira. Comparing that with the way Kira behave OFF battle… "Well that's not true." Lacus sulked. "He's rude, ornery, brutal, sadistic, deceitful…" The armored Lacus had stopped walking and continue to list what she perceives to be Kira's innumerable flaws. "…battle maniac, ruthless, merciless, violent, mischievous to a fault…" And the list doesn't seem to be ending anytime soon. "…Arrogant, bloodthirsty, dense, insensitive, sometimes even obsessive… I could list all his flaws from one end of this ship to the end of another and I'd still run out of space!" Lacus shrilled. That was when she noticed Milly was staring at her, with a peculiar smile plastered on her lips.

"Do you know why we gave up?"

"What?"

"That guy is just too damn perfect. So perfect it was more scary rather than perfect. It felt like… he lived in his own world… looming down on us, separate from all of us. I guess… it was the… isolation you spoke of earlier. At least… that's how he is from our perspective." Milly chuckled. "But you were able to see that other side of him, the ugliness beyond the diamond. You were able to crack him up. I've never saw Kira that riled up. The look on his face when you declared yourself his girlfriend? Priceless!"

"What are you trying to say, Milly-san?"

"I'm trying to say is that you probably saw more of Kira than any of us, his so called best friends… or any other person in this world, had ever seen." Milly stated. "You made him more human. You. And I'm saying maybe that's exactly what he needs. Someone who can match wits with him, someone who can match up to his perfection and downgrade him a little. Someone who can stand side by side to him on equal grounds, made him realize he's only human."

Lacus was quite grateful for her full face mask, because if Milly saw just how red her face had gotten, she won't be able to differentiate between her hair and her face. "W-w-w-w-w-what are you trying to say!?"

"What I'm trying to say is…" Milly chuckled as she grabbed Lacus' hand to prevent her from fret and run. "I think, Kira truly consider you… as…" Milly chose her words carefully. She clasped Lacus' hand tighter. "…as one of his closest friends."

Lacus' blush waned significantly.

"As… well… one of us." Milly smiled. 'That's all… for now.' Milly added mischievously to herself.

And Lacus' blush vanished.

000000000000

Night came… and virtually everyone aboard the ship had gathered on the upper deck.

Several pyres were set up to light the night. Large rectangular metal plates, originally the ship's spare plating were spread out on the deck, with fire bursting on other side, rendering the surface piping hot. Stripes of meat: beef, fowl, fish, even squid, and fried rice all were cooked on the hot plate. The plates were arranged in a circular position, each steel plate had around 15-20 people dining on them. Encircled at the center are four identical steel plates, positioned to form a box, encapsulating the people inside, which in turn, are also surrounded with various kinds of cooking utensils and ingredients.

Why this setup is decided to become the center of attention simply because Kira, and Senba are inside, preparing to cook.

While waiting as the meat are still in the process of barbequing, everyone gathered and chattered together. Everyone, every soldier high ranking or low ranking are gathered in a disorderly set up. The Juppongatana were scattered here and there. Some like Toudou and his Shiseiken formed a group of their own, Prayer sit next to Mwu, accompanied by Murrue and their respective lieutenants, accompanied by several soldiers. Canard; and an unwilling Balsam being made a footstool; Sven, Setsuna and Mr. Bushido made a group of their own, dominating an entire plate for themselves – mostly because they're the oddities among everyone and no one wanted to be close to them. Kamina and his gang of mischief made a merry group of their own. He couldn't find Lockon and Karren though.

"The two are on guard duty, I think." Senba explained.

"Remind me to have someone bring some food for them too later."

"You're not bringing them yourself?"

Kira sighed. "No. I have previous engagement. Sorry."

"Aye."

When the heavenly scent of meat nearly being grilled to perfection is coloring the air, Kira took it as a sign.

Senba nodded and banged the hot plate several times to draw everyone's attention.

Everyone looked at Senba's direction and gasped when they saw, to their shock: Kage, standing in the middle of the cooks, right next to Kira.

Tolle, in Kage's disguise, tried to his best to make his sound like Kira. Whispery, yet stern and confident. They rehearsed it all afternoon.

"Uh-hum. Kira had told me everything." Kage nodded. "Sadly I won't be able to join you for the night, but you'll have my brother to keep you company with his cookings…" The crowd cheered at the notion. "I'll make this short. Don't make too much mess… or damage anything… else I'll send Murdoch out for your blood."

Everyone paled.

The horrorstruck atmosphere slightly unnerved Tolle and then he quickly added in a nervous stutter. "B-But… well… l-l-let's make this short…"

Kira slapped his face and put a hand on Kage's shoulder. A sign to make it quick.

"…um… Above all else… Have fun. That's an order." Kage nodded. And then, as sudden as he arrived, so sudden he disappeared, in a puff of smoke, much to everyone's slight disappointment.

At the corner of his eyes, Kira saw Tolle reappearing at the agreed upon spot, and then, as if nothing happened, casually rejoined with the rest of the Shadowguards on the hot plate, and with them, were Hikari, Taka, and the incredibly nervous Fllay. All of them were safely accompanied by Toudou and the remaining Shiseiken.

Kira smiled. Now he can really let down his guard and be lax for once. "Well… don't look so down guys." Kira took a glass filled with water. "You heard my brother. Tonight you're neither soldiers nor civilians. Tonight you're just normal people… having fun. So, let have fun. For fun! KANPAI!" Kira toasted as he raised his glass.

"KANPAI!" Everyone cheered.

"For a barbeque that someone else is paying! KANPAAI!"

"KANPAI!"

"Ok, who said that?" Kira sweatdropped.

And so the party commence. Every group had their servings of roasted items; each person grilled whatever they want on the hot plate. Some barbequed beef, others barbequed fish, the other plate barbequed vegetables and mushroom.

But the main star dish came from the hot plates at the center where Kira and Senba were cooking, hence the reason for the special spot.

"Kira, don't put the sauce on the noodle. Put them around the noodle. It gives the right amount of aroma and taste. And make sure you keep twisting and turning them around. Burn it just enough so that it's crisp on the outside and yet still soft on the inside. Roast it. Don't sautéed it."

"Instead of water I'm giving it some meat essence sauce to add the flavor!"

"That's good, in that case, make sure you turned the noodle at the right time lest you burn it!"

And Kira did so easily enough. The heavenly smell of the Yakisoba the two were making beats the smell of the grilled meat right in front of everyone's noses. Hence explaining why there's already a long queue of hungry people with empty plates in front of the box. The Shadowguard Tolle and Shiseiken Asahina being among them.

Seeing such a sight clearly baffled the unfamiliar eyes, namely Gino (Taka). "Wow. I've heard of how good chef will have long lines of people waiting to get just one crumb from his dish… I thought it was just a figure of speech."

"Kira's the best cook in town!" Tolle easily bragged. "Probably the best in Japan too, if he tried." The Shadowguard together with Asahina had returned with plates filled with heavenly smelling Yakisoba in his hands.

He handed a plate to Milly, Sai, Fllay, and of course, Taka and Hikari as well.

Taka skillfully used the chopstick he was provided with and took a mouthful of the roasted noodle. The taste of meat juice soaking into the noodle overflowed his mouth with every bite. The scent of burnt salt and sauces inflame his throat. It was… exquisite. "The brother is a world famous mass murderer… while he's an extremely skilled chef…" Taka closed his eyes, savoring the meal. "One brother took the path of death, the other took the path of life… what a great contrast between the two."

"Contrasting indeed." Toudou also enjoyed the Yakisoba. His stern gaze breaks momentarily to savor the meal. "But it doesn't mean those two ways can't intertwine with one another."

"Shishou." Taka looked at his one time teacher.

"In this time of chaos… a sword of death for another is also a sword of life for the other." Said Toudou slowly like a teacher to a listening student. "That is the sword that Kage had swung all this time. That is the sword that had massacred countless lives. That is also the sword that had also saved all lives you see before you. That is also the sword that had saved your life and the life of your Mistress there."

Gino momentarily glanced at Hikari.

"Remember Gino. A sword that only cuts everything in its way is not a sword of man. It's a sword of an unthinking beast." Toudou glared at Gino. "And Kage… is no such a man. Remember that when the time comes when you have to cross swords with him."

Gino nodded and bowed down, thanking the lesson he received from this teacher.

Meanwhile, Hikari continue to stare off the distance, across the chattering crowd, past the queuing people, straight to Kira. His slightly brownish skin glowered from the burning flames around him. Sweat glistened across his face, sparkling droplets here and there as he moved from one plate to another, flipping roasted noodles to the sky. His eyes glimmered with jumping flames, his messy brown hair vibrantly moving on their root, keeping up with their swishing owner's head, mending one batch of food to another. And his smile kept changing from the light smile to the practiced grin every time Kira served the food to the waiting people on the counter.

'He's alive.' Lacus surmised having witnessed all this. 'Before he was just like a dead man walking. But now, he's alive. So vibrant, so overflowing…' She smiled beneath her helmet. The sight of Kira working so happily amidst the roaring fires was quite pleasing to her eyes.

"Hey, are you gonna eat that?"

"(koff)?" Hikari turned and saw Fllay glaring at her. Her plate was empty with little to no leftovers. That's when Lacus also noticed that her yakisoba had gone stone cold for a while and she hadn't touched a single strand. "If you want… (koff)" Hikari handed her plate to Fllay.

The maroon haired girl glared at the plate tensely as if she was afraid Hikari had poisoned it or something. But she finally took it and start gulping it down.

As Lacus saw this, and how everyone was eating Kira's noodle with such a relish, she couldn't help but to feel somewhat annoyed. Ramen. Soumen. Udon. Soba. Yakisoba… With her fascination of Japanese culture, of course she had more than her share of such cuisine. But those were made by the so called high class chef… and they weren't even specialized in Japanese food. They only used techniques that they know to make what she wanted. Of course they still taste good… but she had a feeling that it doesn't taste exactly as it supposed to be. And now there's a genuine Japanese Yakisoba made by a genuine Japanese chef being gulped down right in front of her.

She'd be lying is she say she wasn't brimming with envy.

But to eat she had to unmask, and to unmask in front of so many people, even when she's protected by so many people who knew her identity… nay… even if her identity wasn't the case, that would mean endangering everyone on this deck with her miasma. And that is out of the question. 'Endure it, Lacus. Endure it. What happened today was the result of your own actions. Endure it.'

The other people understand her situation and they eat less heartily.

A few hours into the party, Kira decided to stop cooking and handed things over to Senba. After all, most of them had their fill at this point… all but one. He approached the plate where his friends were waiting.

"Hikari-san! Come with me for a second, my brother needs you."

"Hm?" Lacus tilted her head, but then she followed Kira nonetheless. Gino was about to follow but firm hands of everyone in vicinity grabbed his shoulder and pressed him down, preventing him from leaving.

The two went to a secluded area, in a higher ground, separate from the rest, but gave them a clear overlooking view of the dining crowd down below. There a small solitary but piping hot plate there, with a closed canopy, and other raw yakiniku materials. There's already several strips being roasted, some is just about done.

"Kira-san… this is…"

"It's far and no one can see you. You can open your mask and eat freely here." Kira cracked his neck.

Lacus' stomach growled so loud that some people below even mistook it for thunder grumbling in the sky.

Blushing furiously, she sat down and took off his mask, revealing her beautiful, sweat covered and red face. "Okay… I'll help myself with some food." Lacus took a chopstick, snapped it open and start picking the meat, starting with the smallest, and then she took a bite from it.

Kira slapped his face. "Lacus… in here, there's no need to call on ceremony or to impress anyone. We are rambunctious lot. You can eat at your pace. You must be really hungry."

Lacus heard the word… and then, all the sudden, her pace changed and she let her demeanor overwhelmed by hunger. Using the chopstick she swiped 2 or 3 strips at the same time and swallowed them, chewing at plenty of meat in her mouth while putting another half a dozen on the plate. Within seconds she had swallowed the meat and grabbed another serving.

Seeing her appetite, Kira smiled and he too began to cook the main dish: his Yakisoba. The smell was enough to stop the starving princess from wolfing down her next serving of meat.

"Here you go." Kira handed Lacus the plate. Looking at this plate, Lacus took a slower, gentler pace.

She took one strand and put it in her mouth. Once she tasted it, she was completely stumped. It tasted unbelievably good. The vegetable is crisp, the meat is tender and juicy, and the noodles: crisp on the outside, tender and soft on the inside, with a very thick taste that overwhelm her taste buds… What are those noodles she had been feasting up until now? Cheap knockoff that couldn't compare to the one she's having right now!

"Well, eat up, eat up!" Kira smiled. "There's plenty more where that came from!"

Lacus happily digged the meal, but then as she saw Kira's back, working on the plate, she felt something missing. "Kira-san!"

"Yes?" Kira turned around and suddenly, he felt something warm, juicy, meaty roasted beef went inside his mouth, shoved in by Lacus' chopsticks. "Hmm?"

"Kira-san! You should eat some too! All the food you're making and you haven't take a single bite so far."

"I'm not hungry." Kira munched the meat in his mouth. But as soon as he swallowed the food, his stomach growled.

Lacus heard it and smiled kindly. "See? You need to eat in timely manner, and truth be told, you're late for your dinner! Come on, sit down! Eat!"

Kira felt like he just couldn't argue with her (at least, not on this particular subject) and so he sat down next to her, enjoying the meal while they looked at the pyres down below, observing the night party as it proceed. Kira couldn't help but to feel delighted. "Thanks."

"For what?" Lacus looked at Kira.

"For making this happen." Kira motioned at the party down below. "It's nice to see this place became livelier in a good way. Before then, this place is only lively when arrow and cannonballs rain down upon us."

"Well, everybody loves a party." Lacus chuckled.

"True… but that's not what I meant. It's more than merry making down there." Kira smiled as he looked down at the civilian down below. "They are my people. My countrymen. Now, as I see them down there, all of my people… my friends… every one of them is safe. It's a good feeling."

Lacus smiled happily upon hearing that. And then, Kira began to turn and the two looked at each other face to face.

"You know Lacus-san… like this… I couldn't help but to think." Kira continue to gaze on to Lacus' blue eyes. Lacus waited with held breath. "I'm… really…"

Whatever it is Kira wished to say was drowned by the sound of rising cheers from below. The two were clearly distracted and they looked down. The cheer and vibrant joy of the party went on undisturbed despite the awkwardness of that one section. People are eating, laughing, and now, they were singing. All done very loudly, very badly, nicely, or just tone deaf.

The two looked at each other and chuckled. What a noise, they could hardly hear each other speaking. The two finally resolve to just sit down and enjoy the show. But all that revelry was stopped when Lacus heard a cry of horror.

"MAMA!"

An alarmed Lacus stood up and saw the direction of the cry.

"MAMA! MAMA!"

This time, those with keen ears caught it. Which means Kira, Mwu and Setsuna heard it too and they stopped whatever they're doing and listened to the sound. Kira saw Lacus had also seen what she heard, and following the spot where she's looking, Kira also see it.

It was Elle crying and screaming with her little voice… and her mother was on the floor.

"MAMA! MAMA!" Her tiny cry was drowned by the sound of the uncaring revelry.

"Lacus, mask on!" Kira took immediate action as he run towards the edge of the place and then he roared. "Oi! EVERYONE! SHUT UP!"

The roar was so loud that noises of revelry up until now were silenced in an instant. At first, all eyes turned to Kira's spot. And that's when everyone realized that there's something happening. That's when Elle's tiny screams finally reached everyone. That's when everyone noticed the woman's circumstances.

"MEDIIIIC!"

The party grinded to a halt. Even those who were drunk until a minute ago sobered up in an instant. All eyes watched this scene with horror and shock. The mother stood on a circle of people, they all gave her a wide berth to grant her some air. Kira and Hikari also came down and looked at the situation.

The Medical team was fortunately was on site, with Sai was the first to come the mother's side, checking her condition. The woman continued to moan in pain.

"Her water's breaking… she's going into labor now!" Sai concluded. "We have to move her. Get a stretcher here!" Sai barked amidst the scream of the mother.

Lacus watched, and more importantly, she listened. The woman's cries… and the sound of heartbeats… no… three heartbeats… And then there's this dissonance she caught amidst the cries. 'My God…' "No." Her firm tone drew everyone's attention. "Whatever you do, don't move her!"

Charging through the crowd, Lacus made her way towards the woman and she lightly tapped her swollen womb. Getting a feel of something, checking the condition of her womb. "…Milady… what's your name?"

The Mother looked and saw it was Hikari. She answered weakly. "A-Anna."

"Anna-san, listen to me… your baby will not turn. It cannot be born without help."

"What do you mean turn?" Sai frowned.

"When a baby was born, its head must come out first. So there's some… movements and the baby will turn inside the mother's womb so that their head came out first… but with Mrs. Anna here… the Babies will not turn."

"Babies?" Sai was greatly alarmed upon hearing the plural denotation.

"She's carrying twins." Lacus noted. "If we don't get them out… she will die… and so will the babies."

"NOOO!" Anna scream in horror. Her life was inconsequential, but her children will die too?

"Then what should we do?" Sai gulped. He had never experienced something like this before. The other medics were also at loss.

"We have to operate her." Every medic in the field looked at the armored girl. "We have to perform a surgical birthing procedure. Make an incision!"

"Surgical procedure?" "Incision?" "What, like cutting her out?" "Are you crazy!?" "I've never heard of such procedure!" The Medics began protesting. "Young girl! Stop talking nonsense!" "What do you know about medical procedure anyway?"

"I've done this before!" Lacus plead. "We can save her! I know how!"

"Then explain it to us exactly how are you going to do that?"

"She doesn't have that much time!" Lacus pointed at the dying and gasping Anna. "She'll be dead by the time I finished explaining!"

"Look woman! We've practiced medicine for 10 years and we've never heard any surgical technique that can be used in situations like this! We can't just let you, some untrained girl do whatever on a patient-"

"DID YOU NOT HEAR ME!?" Now more angry and desperate than ever, Lacus boomed. Distorted by the mask, her angry voice was horrifying to be told, instantly shutting them up. "IF I DON'T HELP HER NOW, SHE, AND HER UNBORN CHILDREN, WILL DIE!"

"Enough!" Kira barked and swiftly made the decision. "You guys had done all you can. Hikari! She's in your hands now. Sai! Stay here and help her anyway you can! Everybody else: GET OUT!"

The authoritative tone made all the disgruntled Medics skeptically backed away, while Sai remained.

Lacus quickly began her work with a yell: "LILY!" The Pink Haro and the other eleven Haros popped in around Lacus, as silent as a whistle, but ever ready to work. "Set up a perimeter, I need a sterile environment."

Lily, the Ms. Pink hopped and then expanded and engulf everyone within range, namely Lacus, Sai and Anna. Not a moment to soon, the three is now inside a ball shaped tent, completely covering everyone in a semi transparent pink membrane.

Inside, all the sound from outside were completely sealed shut and all the Haros assume their working position, Lacus readied herself, tightening her skin tight gloves. This is different with Kira's operation. The mother was not immune to her miasma, and so she had to do it wearing a skintight suit. A more extreme the skills she used, even a single layer of sheet can mess up with her senses, and so she had to compensate and adjust. She took a few more minutes to make sure she's up for the task at hand.

"Umm… Lacus-san?"

"Hmm… yes?"

"Have you… urm… done this before?"

"Before I quit, I've done it several times. It's called a Caesarean Section. C-Section, for short." Lacus squinted her brows, trying to remember. "The last time it was with a triplet… about… 5 years, 3 months, 15 days, 16 hours and 45 minutes ago. Anyway! I have no time to explain the process, just watch and help me out, okay!?"

"Before you quit you say…?" Sai gaped upon hearing how Lacus can remember an operation years past and still remember it by the minute. "I've seen what you did with Kira… are you saying that too was based on a previous surgery?"

"That one was from 5 years, 2 months, 2 days, 5 hours, 20 minutes, 30 seconds ago. But Kira's case was much harder than that one guy with 7 bullet holes on his face."

And all doubt that Sai had for her skills vanished in an instant. "What do you need of me, Doctor?"

"Hot water. And lots of it!"

"Understood!" As soon as Sai returned with it, Lacus was at the ready with a scalpel in her hand.

"Operation… begins!"

And Sai saw something he could never forget…

Hours passed…

The people waited outside with anxiety and concern. Gone was the joy and revelry of the party, replaced with a tenseness of their nerves. Suddenly, everyone seems greatly concerned over this incident and none are willing to leave before a resolution is achieved. Even non related people such as the Juppongatana and the captains. All waited with held breath and not a squeak. The children who participated in the party had all fallen asleep in the arms of their parents. Elle remained awake, sitting on Milly's lap, with Tolle at her side. Fllay curled down with slight boredom, several times her head tucked down, falling asleep and then jerking back awake due to discomfort. Kira stood still, his eyes keep watching at the inside of the tent, ignoring even Senba's offer for a drink or a splash of water to ease his anxiety.

And then, the pink ball opened up a hole, and Sai walked out, completely stunned out and looked as if he was in a trance. The smile-less face of the medic initially made everyone thought of the worst outcome. Kira approached the mesmerized bespectacled boy. "Sai? How did it go?"

"Kira…" Sai's lips were trembling. And then, at last, his trance broke and a smile formed on his lips. "…I think… I just watched a medical God at work…"

As if on cue, the sound of babies crying resounded from within the bubble.

Kira and everyone was relieved beyond measure upon hearing that voice. The pink bubble opened up, revealing Hikari, with her gloved hand smeared in blood, and a weakly smiling Anna, on a makeshift bed… and in her arms, two naked and bloody but alive babies, wrapped in cloth, crying their lungs out so that the universe can hear the birth voice of these two new lives.

"Operation… complete." Hikari declared with a tired but satisfied tone.

And everyone's cheer exploded. The joy and happiness that faded suddenly returned several folds. Everyone danced, everyone sings, everyone eat and drink again. This time with increased relish and revelry. Suddenly they got more reason to celebrate like never before. Hikari, Sai and Kira looked at these two new souls in Anna's arms. Kira felt a tuck down below and saw it was Elle. He grabbed the girl and lifted her up over his shoulder.

Hikari giggled. "That's your little brother and sister right there, Elle-chan!"

Kira shoved Elle to arms reach to the babies. Elle was slightly frightened at the bloodied form of her new siblings, but then she start lightly playing with their little fingers.

Meanwhile, Sai still couldn't avert his eyes away from Hikari. "Hikari-sensei… I… I…"

Hikari looked at Sai.

"I… I wish to become a surgeon one day. So I've been learning from a lot of medical books and other references. But I've never… EVER… saw a medical procedure like that! What's more… you do it in such… skills… it's like… like… well… I've said it… it was Godlike. With such skills… why do you quit?"

Hikari tucked her head down and then replied solemnly. "Because having a godlike skill… is not the same as being a God, Sai-san." Lacus reiterated in humility. "…for instance… doctors can probably prevent someone from dying… but a doctor cannot bring someone BACK from the dead."

"But-"

"Doctors have one taboo. Do you know what that is, Sai-san?"

"…Doctors… are live savers. Not life takers." Sai replied calmly. "They say Doctors can make a better killing machine on the battlefield… but our duty is to save lives… not take them."

"I've broken that taboo, Sai-san." Lacus looked at her bloodied armored hand. "I've killed my patients… the same reason why I enclosed myself inside this armor… I have become a creature that takes life. Someone like me can never become a doctor again."

"But just now, you just saved a life… Three of them in fact!"

"But I do so in fear." Lacus balled her fist. "This suit interferes greatly… if normally I can do this with 90 percent chance of success… I thought I can compensate it with my skills… but just now, that was less than 20 percent… there are 4 out of 5 chances I would've killed Lady Anna and her children." Lacus looked at Kira. "Back then in Junius… if I operated your brother the way I operated on lady Anna today… he might've died."

Sai gasped. Even with that unbelievable skill… that was under restraints!?

"Would you like to bet on your patient's life whether your skill is enough to overcome that low odd of success, Sai-san?"

"I… I…" Sai shivered in fear. His skills are laughable in comparison to Lacus, and yet the superior of the two is also not exempt from the chance of failing. And failing means the death of patient. "I… I don't think I had the courage to say yes."

"You're afraid."

Sai nodded in shame. "Yes."

"Good." Lacus nodded. "Nurture that fear, Sai-san. That is what is needed from a doctor. Fear."

Sai gasped and turned his head up.

"Fear, not just for yourself… but also fear for the life of your patients. Without that fear, how can you care for the wellbeing of your patients and understand what they need? With only skills, a doctor without fear for their patients is nothing more but a cold blooded reaper in white coats. That is my advice for you, Sai Argyle."

"…H… Haah!" Sai bowed in total reverence and respect.

Hikari turned to Anna, who had began feeding her children. "Name them milady!" Said Hikari. "Name your children!"

"Name… yes… I have two names in mind." Anna smiled happily. "For the girl… Hikari… and for the boy… let's see… ah yes… Akira." Kira and Lacus blinked. It was obvious they were clearly named after them. Anna understood their surprise. "That way, when I raised them, they will always remember the two people who had brought them to this world. They will remember the two people who had saved their lives."

Lacus gasped for being given such honor, even though it was not exactly her name, but then she smiled lightly behind her mask. "Thank you."

Kira gaped. "But… I did nothing… Hikari-sensei saw your first and Sai helped you!"

"What are you saying Kira-san? If you had not called and warned everyone, no one would hear Elle screaming."

"That's a fact. And, you're the one who convinced those pompous pricks who called themselves medics to let Hikari performed the surgery!" Sai added, jerking his thumb at the dejected surgeons.

Kira's blush couldn't be redder and then he closed his face. But when he took his hand down, his face became even redder and everyone chuckled… that is… until they realized the red of his face wasn't because of a blush. Blood suddenly trickled out of Kira's nostrils, to the horror of everyone.

"Kira… what…" Sai gaped as his trembling finger pointed at Kira's face.

And then, as if on cue, Murdoch, dragging the half dead Neumann and Jackie came in. "Doc! Doc! Been looking everywhere for you, they say you're here!" Murdoch seems to be happy of something. But as soon as he saw the atmosphere were that of horror instead of joy, he realized something was off. Especially with the fact that Kira got blood on his face.

Hikari looked at Murdoch. "Yes?"

"Umm… about that thing you asked… it's done… took longer than we've expected but it's done!"

"Murdoch-san, (koff) bless your soul, (koff) you're just in time. (Koff)" Hikari sighed a relief. "We need it NOW, actually (koff)."

Murdoch was pleased by the fact he made it. "Yep! That's what I figured. I've already prepared it… I think you and your boyfriend should take first dibs on it. And then tell me if there's something wrong with the bath construction?"

Kira and Sai twitched. "Dibs? Bath?" the two echoed.

"YOSH! (koff)" Hikari suddenly grabbed Kira and before anyone can protest or say anything, she dragged him away. "Come on Kira-san! (koff) Let's go tell your brother the good news! (koff)"

"Wait a second! What do you mean BATHS!?"

Kira's howl unfortunately fell on Hikari's deaf ears and the two disappeared into the night…

Moments later, Senba came with an emergency request:

"Kira, I'm getting swarmed with orders here! The order for the Yakisoba just went double! I… where is he?"

"…he went out." Sai, Anna, and Murdoch don't know what else to say, and they answered short.

"Went out? WENT OUT!? We. Are. In a CRISIS here with Mwu, Murrue and Natarle volunteered to help! And the three, ESPECIALLY Mwu, couldn't cook even if their lives depended on it! Do you have any comprehension what-"

The sound of a series of bonfire in Mwu's section exploding in the distance that cut Senba midsentence seems to be the answer that gave Sai a good comprehension just how bad it will be.

Needless to say, the cheer that night lessened somewhat when the food taste went downhill in a stomach-ulcer-causing and vomit-inducing or just jaw-breaking rate…

000000000000

Speaking of jaw breaking, Kira's jaw also reached and broke the floor when he saw Lacus' idea of a boom surprise.

The demolished Lavatory had been transformed, drastically…

… into an indoor, Olympic pool sized, bathhouse.

It was huge! The rubbles from the devastation had also been used instead as some kind of a landscape decoration, making it as if it was a hot spring in the middle of a mountain area.

"A bathhouse… this is your idea? A BATHHOUSE inside a BATTLESHIP!?" With twitching eyes, Kira roared in a bloodthirsty wrath.

"Yes. Now strip!" Lacus ordered.

"No!"

"Yes. As your doctor I insist that you must get in there." Lacus made it clear: this is not an order, it's an Ultimatum.

"NO! Are you crazy? A Bathhouse in a battleship! In what world did you ever hear that?"

"Now listen, you need a place to calm down and relax! I just made you one! Didn't you Japanese love to go to… what do you call it… Onsen for relaxation and rest?"

"This is a MILITARY ship, NOT your private yacht!"

"This is an open bath! Everyone can use it! We just got the honor of using it first!"

"You fake my permission to do this! Look, declaring yourself my girlfriend for the sake of safety is one thing! But this is abuse of authority!"

"But this is for YOU, you know!"

"OUT OF THE QUESTION! First thing tomorrow I'm gonna have this place DEMOLISHED!"

"HOW TERRIBLE! Do you know the trouble Murdoch-san and his workers must've gone through to make this?"

"I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS! YOU DID! I had enough of your wildness young lady! As of tomorrow, there's gonna be a CHANGE in direction! It's me saying, you listen! Or it'll be the brig for you! GOT IT!?"

"Is that your final word!?" Lacus growled and deathglared Kira for all her worth.

"DO YOU WANT TO HEAR MY FINAL WORD, WOMAN!?" Kira returned the deathglare tenfold.

"GIIIRLS!" And suddenly, Lily, Megi, Levi, the Twins, Ghienny, and this one other girl… a Lacus doppelganger with curly pigtails and a braid, dressed up like a Viking, complete with a sheep horned helmet and a coat made out of sheep appeared and surrounded Kira. She cracked her knuckles in readiness for something that Kira knew he wouldn't like. "Meet Barbara! Now, strip im girls!" Lacus smiled. All seven charged in simultaneously.

The battle was short and brutal.

Kira, now stark naked, were carried in one hand by Barbara like some dish on a plate, and then, the Viking Lacus throw the still protesting and howling Kira straight into the hot bath. Problem is, she threw him too strong and Kira skipped on the hot water surface several times before landing with a splash right in the middle of the pool.

"AARGGHHH!" Needless to say, upon impact, Kira screamed his brains out upon being flashboiled inside that scalding hot water.

"Yep… You're definitely a big baby." Lacus shook her head and then, she began to undress.

Kira struggled for a moment and finally managed to find his footing, realizing the onsen was not that deep. Initial reaction was that Kira attempted to swim out of this pool bath ASAP, but then, as he swam and his body began to adjust to the temperature, he began to let the heat seep into his bones. And then, unwittingly, Kira began to calm down and felt relaxed as he stopped struggling soon after and found himself enjoying the waters.

As soon as Kira relaxed himself, that's when he began to notice other things too. Kira closed his eyes, and then, slowly, he began to feel the blood coursing in his veins… the pores of his skin opened up, his nose suddenly began to suck in vast quantities of air and then unleashing them just as easily… his heart beats so loud so strong… and his head felt so light… so empty… 'What's this? Have I been dead all this time or something? It's like every hole in my body were clogged up until a moment ago…' Suddenly he felt nothing but comfort and ease as his breathings stabilized and Kira calmly breathes in and out, in… and out… in… out… Kira opened his eyes… in… and he saw a naked Lacus standing right in front of him… and out the blood goes.

"GyaAA!" Kira turned around quickly, closing his eyes and his bit red face.

"Nice to see you enjoying yourselves." Lacus smirked.

"I'm… I'm… I'm getting out!"

"Oh no you don't!" Lacus grabbed Kira by the shoulder and hugged him tightly before he can get far, pressing her breasts on his back, much to Kira's shock. "This is your rehabilitation, Kira Yamato!"

"R…Rehabilitation?"

"Uncork those holes you call nose and smell the air!"

Kira took a deep, deep breath… and that's when he realized the air does smell a bit… funny… like… a mixture of medicine and flowers?

"Aromatherapy Bathhouse." Lacus explained. "This water isn't just hot water… it's a herbal tonic of my brewing that stimulates cell growth and regeneration. The scent you smell will also help your overworked brain to relax and recover. Add that with some muscle relaxing herbs and other poison dissolving mixtures, all this help you relax and made your body rest to the fullest." Lacus explained. "Oh… and…"

The pink haired princess twirled her finger to the sky and then the wooden ceiling suddenly turned into the view of the night starry sky. The indoor hot spring now looked a lot more like an outdoor rocky hot spring. The scene of the starry sky calmed even the initially annoyed Kira. This scenery, it eases his mind greatly. "This scenery is so that even your eyes get a rest. An empty sky is calming and light. It's easy on your nerves."

The brunette was so relaxed that without realizing it, he slumped back and sank down the pool all the way to his chest until the back of his head snagged on something soft and cuddly… namely, Lacus' breasts.

Kira jerked in shock and made a notion of getting back up but Lacus hugged him tighter from his back, pressing him deeper to her bust. "You're gonna have to stay submerged in this bath for at least an hour, every day." Lacus hugged Kira tighter while Kira struggled. Then she rested her head on Kira's head, locking him up in her embrace. Her breasts continue to smother the brunette's head, squishing, bouncing back and forth against his back. Kira's teeth clattered and he shivered from head to toe and fro. Her nipples are nibbling the back of his ears. At last, the stimulation proved too much, Kira was completely red at that point with all the blood rushing to his face, all thoughts of escaping or rebelling was gone from his overloaded brain and Kira resigned himself to fate and stopped struggling.

Moments later…

The two finally took their bath in peaceful silence.

Lacus closed her eyes and enjoyed her dip in the hot spring.

Meanwhile, Levi generated two blocks of ice to compress Kira's steaming hot head. And he's already halfway through vaporizing the first set of ice, bypassing the melting phase entirely.

"Lighten up, Kira-san! That's the whole point of this bath."

"I'm… trying…" Kira grabbed the new pair of iceblock from Levi and now compressed his head again with it. "But… all… this… blood… on… my… head… over… stimulation…"

"Sowwy!" Lacus cutely apologize with a wink.

All she did was making herself more adorable with her breast inadvertently bounced again, causing Kira's blush reddened even more than he thought possible, and the iceblocks were vaporized in an instant. This time, Kira's head literally exploded due to overstimulation. Levi swung her head, giving up. "That's it! I can't do this! He vaporized the ice faster than I can make them!"

"Lacus! Haro! You're not helping your patient like this! Haro!" Lily slapped Lacus' head.

Another few moments later…

Now Levi is compressing Kira's head with a four iceblocks, with Lacus must face the opposite direction of wherever Kira is looking. That is to say, they're sitting back to back. Without any further stimulation, Kira recovered faster, and now he can enjoy the onsen to the fullest. He exhaled in comfort. All his stress and anger seem to just… seep away.

"How do you feel now Kira-san?" Lacus glanced through her shoulder.

"I'm better now. Yep."

"Good! Can I turn around now?"

Kira took a deep breath, and then he exhaled again. "Okay. But please… no more of… that."

"Okay." And this time she meant it. Lacus turned around and faced Kira with most of her body dipped down underwater, much to Kira's relief. Her body was completely covered by the water, and the water is not transparent, but near white.

"This water…"

"My recipe." Lacus remembered one more detail. "And… your blood is in the mixture too."

"My blood. Me, and the many people that will bathe here… is bathing in my blood."

"Oh no, no, no. I only added a few drops. Plus, this water is just for you. For your therapy. I have other recipe for other people, but that's another story."

"For me huh?" Kira looked at lacus. "What about you?" Kira went straight to the point. "Your miasma. You're still a walking bio bomb. Does it not affect and… well… poison the water or something?"

"Well, you guessed right, my body did poison the water… but I know my virus better than anyone." Lacus smiled. "Back in Zaft, this is how I have to take my bath. With herbal water, heated up to a certain degree, the virus will die out. And the herbal tonic suppresses them." Lacus motioned to Megi, whose flaming hand was dipped into the water, generating a sizzling sound, keeping the temperature of the bath just as desired. "Of course, this is not healing, just suppressing. But, after use you can toss it to the sea no problem. No hazardous materials are used in the making of these waters!"

"That's a relief." Kira frowned. "But that doesn't change the matter at hand, right?"

"I know, I know… No need to remind me." Lacus replied glumly. "We'll break it to the people ASAP. Tomorrow morning, I'd say." Lacus quickly raised her voice. "Especially the parents and the children! We have to make sure they keep their children away from me!" A tinge shudder of fear laced Lacus' words. She crossed her arms and hugged herself tightly in fear. Lacus was suddenly reminded again of that mother and child she accidentally killed with her miasma. "I… I don't want…"

Suddenly Lacus felt a tuck on her head. She looked up and saw Kira's hand patting her head. "Don't worry."

Lacus looked at Kira timidly.

"I'll kill you first before that happens."

Lacus' eyes widened and she snorted again before giggling uncontrollably. "Pfftt… ku… tehehehe…"

"Hm?"

Lacus giggled and giggled until she wiped her eyes. Apparently she laughed till she cried. "That's… that's the second time you promised to kill me."

"And on both occasions you laughed your ass off." Kira shook his head in bewilderment. "Normal reaction usually involved you getting scared halfway to death and put great distance from your future killer. Instead you hook me up and stick on me like paint."

"You're saying I'm not normal." Lacus chuckled. "…normal people don't kill other people just by being close to them and breathe the same air as they do."

Kira looked at Lacus' expression.

"I'm not normal, Kira-san." Lacus tucked her head down. "In any rate, this will be the continuation of our contract in Junius."

"My contract with you was to kill you when you wanted to." Kira snarled. "That contract was annulled the moment you found your will to live again."

"Then let's renew it. The contract will be as follows: if you find that I, in any way, had become a danger to the people around me… first sign of trouble… you will kill me. Even when I'm down to my knees and begged for mercy."

"…and you expect me to follow through that? Even after I baited to Babylon!? What, you need to be baited to another larger than life monster or something?"

"You know the biggest fear I felt when I operated on Miss Anna? I was afraid, that this suit had a rupture somewhere, and then I'll accidentally killed Miss Anna and her children. This is no longer about the matter of my mentality, Kira-san." Lacus frowned. "This is about what's right for the people. I'm not a doctor… not a lifesaver… now I'm just a walking plague. And this suit… can only protect the people for so long. So please." Lacus pleaded.

Kira tucked his head down. "…you know… that thing I wanted to say back there?"

"Ah yes. That. What was it that you're about to say?"

"…well… what I'm trying to say… is… I'm really…"

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Lacus, clothed and cleaned, climbed up the roof of the tallest place on this ship, the bridge tower. Tonight, there's no moon. So it was as dark and completely pitch black. The only illumination came from the dying bonfire down below, and some torches aboard the guard towers. The party is over, and many people are now leaving back to their bunks and quarters.

Lacus took off her mask, breathing the night air. In here, so high above in this black night, no one can see her face.

But they can still hear her voice for sure.

She began with a hum to a tune in her head. And then…

Mizu no naka ni yoru ga yureteru

The tired people on board the Archangel stopped.

Kanashii hodo shizuka ni tatazumu

They all heard the voice and wondered.

Midori nasu kishibe

Did angels just come down to sing or something?

Utsukushii yoake o

The Soldiers who were cleaning the party also stopped

Tada matte iraretara

Everyone looked around, searching for the source of this heavenly voice.

Kirei na kokoro de

The gulls stopped cawing, even the sound of waves also quieted down, as if even Mother Nature is enjoying this song.

Kurai umi to sora no mukou ni

Milly and Tolle was taking a stroll when they too heard the song. They looked up and saw someone atop the tower, eyes wide, and more importantly, ears open.

Arasoi no nai basho ga aru no to

Fllay, still sulking, also heard the song, and for a moment, she forgotten her anger.

Oshiete kureta no wa dare

Sai, until a moment ago, was burying his head on some medical books, but he stopped all that when he heard the voice.

Dare mo ga tadoritsukenai

Neil and Karren were having their small meal with Senba who delivered their food and they also stopped eating. Neil could easily see someone was on top of the bridge… singing. Though he can't make out her face in this moonless night.

Sore to mo dareka no kokoro no naka ni

Other guard towers, every soldier aboard the ship, wherever they are, they all heard the song and stopped whatever they're doing.

Mizu no nagare o shizumete

Elle cheerfully peered out of the window upon hearing the beautiful voice. "Onee-chan! It must be Hikari Onee-chan!"

Kureru daichi o uruosu shirabe

Anna was breast feeding her newborn children when she heard the song. "oh my… what a lovely voice…"

Ima wa doko ni mo nakute mo

Gino was parched on the roof, and when he heard that song, he recognized it as Lacus' heavenly voice.

Kitto jibun de te ni ireru no

All the soldiers, and all the civilians, all looked up to that tower, and they saw an angel with pink hair singing on the tower. The children also woke up and peered out of the window or they walked out of the room. All gaze to the tower and the angel singing on top of it. All woes and sorrow were suddenly forgotten.

Itsumo itsuka kitto

Up above, Lacus breathe the night air with her bare face. She knew she shouldn't be doing this. But… what Kira said back then… it set her heart all aflutter. If she didn't let loose with a sing or something, she won't calm down.

"What I'm trying to say it… I'm really… given after everything that happened… to be honest… I'm really glad I get you out of that island alive." Kira remarked, much to Lacus' shock. "Thanks to that, you did more good to these people than any of us ever did in the last few months. So… try to stay alive okay? I said I'll kill you… but I won't if you don't give me a reason to."

She was so excited and so happy, there's no way she can calm down so easily, because what he said next was forever engraved in her heart.

"Because… you're a very important person… for me. Okay? I want you to live. So don't make me kill you." Kira turned around to hide his blush, while Lacus looked like someone just hit her with a creampie. And for the record, she loved having a creampie smashed to her face.

"He wants me to live." Lacus smiled to herself and she repeated slowly, word per word. "He. Wants me. To Live." Tears tricking down her eyes. "Ara?" Her tears can't seem to stop. "Arara?" It was tears of happiness. Lacus couldn't do anything to stop it, so she unleashed her happiness the only way she knows how.

Mizu no akashi o kono te ni

Her song reached her crescendo, and they resounded allover the ship, with the birds, the wind, the waters, all things, living and elemental danced in tune to her voice.

Subete no honoo o nomikonde nao

The soldiers who had seen so much bloodshed over the years suddenly forgotten all the horror and closed their eyes dreamily in peace, even a battle hardened veterans such as Mwu and all members of the Juppongatana also immerse themselves in her song and be at peace for the time in what felt like ages.

Hiroku yasashiku nagareru

The civilian also looked up, and they suddenly forgot all the horrors they've suffered during the war. Only the good fond memories arise, and all the sadness seems to be swept away. Parents remembered their loving children. Children remembered how they loved their parents so, siblings think of how they cared one another.

Sono shizukesa ni tadoritsuku no

Everyone looked at the bridge tower where this song came, and they all closed their eyes, focusing only on their hearings. To enjoy every word of this heavenly voice.

Itsumo itsuka kitto

'He wants me to live…' with that final thought, Lacus ended her song with joy in her heart. A feeling she hadn't had in years that she almost forgot what it felt like. 'It felt like this.'

Anata no te o tori…

Kira, still in the hotspring, heard the song and recognized it as Lacus' voice. He knew what it meant and the risk Lacus took just to do so. He smirked and muttered to himself: "I'll kill her. Yep. I'll definitely gonna kill her myself." And yet Kira did absolutely nothing but sit back and relax, enjoy the song to the fullest with a calm peaceful smile.

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Came morning…

"Ah! Hikari-sensei!"

"Hikari-sensei!"

"Good morning Hikari-sensei! Care for a cup of tea?"

"Sensei!"

"Hikari-nee-chan! Konichiwaaa!"

…and in one peaceful night the Archangel had officially became Lacus' playground.

And the famous Angel's Bath was established.

Archangel First Upgrade: Angel's Bath

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Trailer for the next chapter:

Kira LOVES spices.

While others were drinking water by the barrel, Kira simply said: "Another serving of that super spicy curry please!"

Kira HATES sweets.

Kira collapsed on the floor, frothing and gasping with a chocolate stuck on his mouth.

Lacus LOVES sweets.

Lacus happily sucked several gobstoppers in her mouth all at once.

Lacus HATES spices

"FIREEEE!"And Lacus dipped her head into the basin, drinking all the water there after one mouthful of that spicy sauce.

Add three stooges of a cupid to the mix…

"Putting these two together will be difficult." Sai concluded.

"VERY difficult." Tolle added.

"Well, this is not Mission Difficult gentlemen, this is Mission Nearly Impossible." Mwu answered with a smirk. "Difficult should be a walk in the park for us."

Care to guess what you get?

"Now let's do this sensibly. She's only a childish girl. For God's sakes!" Kira calmly stated… until a sugar coated creampie landed on his face. And then he maniacally stated: "Catch her alive, I'm gonna kill her myself."

Lacus clawed her suit, screaming hysterically for help with her throat being choked and burned by a dose of concentrated black pepper that was injected into her breathing mask's respiration system.

Giving a new meaning…

Kira peeked at the pipe and then had a cupcake smashed to his eye with the force of cannon.

...to the word Tsundere.

Lacus ate the strawberry chocolate peace offering… only to find they were made out of chilies.

or is it Yandere?

The sugar frost cake exploded, covering everything in cream. A particularly huge and extremely sharp sugar frosting somehow pierced through the door, missing Kira's head by the millimeters.

Lacus crawled out of her hiding spot only to see an incoming: "AIRSTRIKE!" And Kira in Kurenai Shiki dropped a carpet bomb filled with finely powdered jalapeno chilies squarely to her base.

Chapter 37:

Prankcraft: Spice and Sweet

Oh and…

The Zoan looked in horror to every direction, silently waiting, unnerved by the menacing silence. "Where are you, you little green terror!?"

"Torii!"

"WhaaAARGHH!" And Gino fell to the pit.

What do you expect? War(scratch) prank is everywhere.

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Yup! And there he goes. The new chapter, and it's a very calm one. And so will the next one… somewhat.

By the way, this is something I want to ask, please answer in your reviews: I've been using in-between aliases and real names for Kira and Lacus. When they're in disguises I addressed them as their disguised name (Kira being written as Kage most of the time throughout the story so far). Do you guys enjoy this sort of treatment, or must I write them in their real names, even when they're in disguise?

Read and Review. Critics and flames are more than welcome.