1,1 million words… well, I certainly have written a lot… and I'm going to write some more. But to make it easy for you all, I'll recap the first 49 chapters, just to note some of the most important details of the story so far. Recap time!

And I didn't tell you what happened to that dog because I really didn't have any plan for it…

…until now.

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It is a world in an ancient age of warriors and warlords where a bitter war has been raging between two types of humanity for centuries. On one side, the Naturals, the normal humans, who formed a massive world organization comprised of all nations of the world dubbed the Alliance, and on the other, the Advanced, mortal descendants of the old ones who once ruled the world, possessing special abilities called Bloodline Limits, forming the Empire of Zaft. Fueled by centuries of blood debt and ancient feuds, the two factions held nothing but fierce enmity against one another that will not end before one is destroyed out of existence. For 72 years, they have a waged a bloody war with no sign of it ending.

Enter a seemingly ordinary Advanced by the name of Kira Yamato, a civilian working in a humble ramen bar as a waiter, living an unremarkable life in his Homecountry of Japan, the Capital Nation of ORB, and the third neutral party. Unremarkable, that is, until he came into possession of a powerful blade named Shiki. And from there, Kira was thrust into a world of violence and murder, risking his life to protect his friends… against his own kind. In order to do so, Kira masked himself and assumed the identity of a masked Shinobi named Kage. It is a name that, unknown to him at the time, belonged to a great hero of Orb, his home-country. Worsening the matter, Kira was also forced to stand on the opposite side with his Childhood friend, Athrun Zala, who is an elite Knight of the Empire of Zaft. Despite his reluctance, Kira/Kage proved to be extremely capable as a warrior and tactician. Fighting desperately for his survival and that of his friends, Kira's skills and strength grew at a very rapid rate.

As it turns out, it was no coincidence. Kira was once a squire serving under the House of Zala, a noble of the Zaft Empire. There, he received both the loving care of the matron of the house, Lennore Zala, as well as highly advanced military education from the brightest generals of the Empire. The latter was put to a greater use when Kira's reluctance to fight was ended by the death of Kuzzey Buskirk, a close friend, by the hands of Zaft Knights. Now donning the name Kage with greater drive, Kira's battle for survival became a quest for revenge. Accomplishing the death of Goud Veia, one of the strongest commanders of the Zaft Empire, a Hakutenkun, Kira assumed the leadership of the 7th Division as its Captain. Kira, as Kage, was quick to prove his worth as a leader, and recognized both by friend and foe as one of the most dangerous warrior alive. Commandeering Archangel, an extremely powerful ironclad Battleship developed secretly by Orb, Kira eventually left Japan and officially joined the war against Zaft with his role as a Captain of the Alliance military, all the while keeping his identity as an Advanced a secret from all but a trusted few.

But even more secretive than his true identity, was his true motive. Unknown to everyone, including even his trusted friends, Kira harbored an undying grudge against the Empire of Zaft. Once, a long time ago, and for a reason that he himself doesn't know, Kira was condemned to a hellish prison where he was subjected to an inhumane treatment so brutal that it twisted and corrupted him to the point that whatever love he once had for Zaft was forever replaced with absolute hatred. A hatred that has since been renewed by tragedy, cemented with rage, and now that it is armed with sharp fangs of steel and fury, Kira seemingly determined to bring about his long overdue vengeance, no matter what stands in his way.

Enter Lacus Clyne, the eccentric First Princess of the House of Clyne, who originally desires her own death to make amends of a past sin. Kira met her by chance during a misadventure to the island of the Dead, Junius and unintentionally became an impediment to her death-quest. With these two souls being a total opposite with one another in many ways, they quickly 'bonded'… by exchanges of insults and oaths of war eternal. As if mirroring the enmity between the two nations, the couple is literally the worst of neighbors, with the inability to breathe the same air together under the same sky without trying to suffocate one another. Ironically, Kira was the one person who was able to truly understand Lacus' plight, more so than even her own family and friends. Likewise, after surviving a deadly tribulation by Kira's hand, Lacus was able to delve deeper into Kira's heart, gaining an intimate understanding of Kira's personality and motives better than even Kira himself. Kira helped Lacus overcome her guilt thus quenching her death-wish, whilst Lacus was able to greatly diminish the worst of Kira's murderous fury. To their surprise (and horror), both found that they were, quite in fact, kindred spirits. Alas, they hate each other too much to admit it.

Putting aside their enmity, the two worked together in order to survive and escape Junius' deadly environment. But due to some mishaps, Lacus ended up separated from her family and escort, and is now in the custody of Kira's division. For her safety, Lacus kept her real identity a secret by donning an insulation armor that not only mask his identity but also kept her poisonous miasma in check and re-adopted the persona Hikari, an old codename during her days as a Shinobi, and also assumed the role of Kage's self proclaimed girlfriend, as an added measure of protection. Kira's original intention was to keep Lacus just long enough until they had a chance to return her to her family. But Lacus' eccentricities and whimsical behavior doesn't make it easy. Alas, no secret last forever. Arriving in the violent and lawless city of Shanghai, an incident saw Lacus' true identity discovered by a Logos Minister by the name of Alejandro Corner, who wished to use this knowledge in order to blackmail the deviant Kage into his service. To protect Lacus and her secret, Kira took the decision to kill Corner with his own hand. It is a decision with dire repercussions, for the Logos is the very highest authority of the Alliance hierarchy. To kill one would mean to incur the enmity of the most powerful men and women of the Alliance itself. And so it was that Rena Imelia, General Captain of the 10th division had no choice but to take matters personally and Kage was immediately arrested.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Kira's Childhood friend, Athrun Zala was also arrested for his part in providing aid to Kira early on. Completely unaware of the transformation his dearest friend had underwent, Athrun was beset with his own problems. Aside from his incredible prowess as a warrior, being a prodigal genius in mechanics and engineering, Athrun had contributed no small amount of technological advancement to Zaft military. A mishap that saw him captured by an Alliance special task force revealed that somehow, the Alliance had gained access to some of his inventions and used it to advance their own technology. With some unexpected help from a captured engineer Yoon Saefan and a mysterious brawler girl Cagalli, Athrun was able to escape his predicament, even destroying the Alliance secret research facility with some help from Mother Nature's fury. Regardless, this doesn't change the fact that he's still an escaped criminal…

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I was preparing a picture to go with this chapter, but my pad gave up on me… TT0TT

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Chronologically speaking, this happens straight after chapter 35, and right before and during chapter 10.

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Chapter 50:

Athrun Side:

My Friend

Eating his n-00-th goat satay (Sate Kambing) on the beach by the bonfire, Athrun stop eating the moment he saw shapes forming on the horizon. The shapes of Zaft fleet of battle barges. "They're here." Tossing the skewer away, Athrun nonetheless remained where he is. As expected, one of the barges brought down a boat and approached the shores. Athrun can barely make out a familiar shape…

"Athrun, am I glad to see you again."

It was none other than his commander, Raww le Klueze.

"Lord Klueze." Athrun nodded.

In a short order, Athrun was immediately brought aboard the ship. Alas, Raww's expedition was not tasked to search for survivors, but to find an escaped convict. He was immediately placed in the ship's brig, given the fact that his status as a criminal remained unchanged. And now, even worse for him, this misadventure of his is considered his attempt to escape judgment, and so, as an added punishment, his legs are also shackled to the floor… of course everyone knew that won't work on a Zoan of his caliber.

Nonetheless, Raww did everything in his power to make his stay in prison as comfortable as possible, such as providing him with his favorite book so that he can pass the time more contently.

"Vorgu… tec… what?" One of his guards, out of curiosity, read the title of the book.

"Vorgerückte Alchimie für Experten (Advanced Alchemy for Experts). It's German." Athrun smiled.

"Oh… yeah… you hail from German… aren't they in European continent?"

"Yes. An Orb territory. And you?"

"I'm born here. In Februarius."

"Oh! Februarius. That's a nice place."

Raww chuckled as his entrance interrupted that little chat. The Knight immediately excused himself to provide the time and space for his superior officer. "Athrun. Having a good time I hope."

The boy tapped the book in his hand. "It keeps me sane. What news from the front?"

'!?' Raww was secretly surprised. Athrun didn't seem to be particularly interested in discussing his misadventure in Indonesia. 'Is there a reason?' In truth, Raww wanted to immediately have a debrief of what transpired in that island… but then again, he found himself having to defer to Athrun's judgment. After all… there's this interesting development brewing in Japan… of this… shady new character… "Bad news, I'm afraid. That Archangel is still impenetrable, and it became even more impenetrable with each passing day."

And so, the two talked in length regarding recent events, and Raww also showed Athrun the file pertaining to that shady character. As expected, Athrun took an instant interest in Kage. "This… Kage… existence… he seems had struck quite a blow in the soldiers morale… judging by his skills, he's probably around… 5-3rd seat, a lieutenant at most… but we never heard of his name before."

"Intel speculated that Kage might not have been his real name."

"Do tell. That's a nice trick. We don't know who he is… but he could be anyone."

Eventually, they spend their time discussing a series of tactics and strategies to crack down the Archangel. When everything is said and done, Raww couldn't help it anymore. "One last item."

Athrun chuckled knowingly.

"I've read the report too… I've heard rumors of a secret weapon facility but… I had no idea that they were here, right in front of our very nose…" Raww nodded. "With this, I'm sure the court will be magnanimous enough to call off your-"

"No."

"Pardon?"

"Mount Danan exploded and wiped out the base. I was never there. End of story."

"Ah? But… Athrun? The credit of the base's destruction is yours by right. I'd say that would be more than sufficient to secure the reinstatement of your knighthood. With this Kage roaming around, lord knows we will need you on the field more than ever."

"That's not the point right now." Athrun shook his head. "The thing is… I saw a lot of my inventions in that base. Even one as useless as the Fart Gun. I mean… the Fart GUN!? That's a toy I invented when I was a kid, it has absolutely no military use whatsoever. How the hell did the Alliance get their hands on that!?"

"You're suspecting someone is… oh I see." Raww understood why Athrun wished to keep it under wraps. That a childhood toy is also taken means that whomsoever had been providing the Alliance with Athrun's inventions is likely someone close and personal. "I understand, Athrun… but… such a pity."

"It's okay. It's better this way."

"I understand. If there's anything I can do to be of assistance…"

"No. Not that I don't trust you, My Lord, but… right now, the less people know, the better."

Raww nodded before leaving Athrun as he read the report to study what he can of this… Kage. "'Hypnotic ability beware his eyes…' geeze… get real!"

"You didn't tell him?"

Athrun can hear Kokuyou whispering in his ears. "About you? No. Not yet." As Athrun closed his eyes, he once again found himself facing Kokuyou atop his throne of arsenal.

"Oh… you didn't trust your superior either?" Kokuyou stare down at Athrun with his usual condescending gaze.

"Lord Klueze has a close relationship with my father." Athrun explained. "While I trust Lord Klueze… given the circumstances, I'm not sure I can do the same with the men he's working with."

"You suspected your own father more than anyone?"

"They have the toy I made from my childhood." Athrun chuckled. "That's what I wish to say… but my father despises the Naturals to the bone. The last thing he'd do would be to help them advance their technology. Well… at any rate, we're bound to find more clues if we stay as we are now."

"Are you not worried for your brethren fighting out there in the field? Your people are at war, are they not?"

"I'm worried. All the time. Which is why I consider this little problem of mine to be nothing more than a minor issue in comparison to the greater interest of my people. But, as you yourself had witnessed, I don't have to be on the field to be useful."

"Hmph. I wonder if it'll be that easy…"

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Originally, Athrun was to be transferred to the penal facility in Tasmanian Island. However, Raww managed to pull some strings and instead, he brought the boy to a prepared dungeon in Veia's homebase, the Carpentaria Port.

While there, Raww made regular visits to his cell both to ask for his counsel and chess game. Eventually, Veia also came to visit once he returned from Japan, both to ask for his advice and to prepare for the second full on assault against the Archangel Fortress. Athrun merely repeated his debriefing of his initial battle plan with slight modifications to ensure his strategy is foolproof.

"What if… in the most unlikely event that…"

Athrun cut Veia's comment. "There is 1% of chance that they might be able to slam all three of their ships simultaneously at the Aquarius before it manage to go far. When that happens I think it is best if you, Lord Klueze, commission your crack Ruby Exorcists secretly. A battalion, perhaps."

Raww understood, but Veia was slightly skeptic. "A battalion of the 'Undead Purger' over a 1% chance that they might-"

"-get a slightest chance to completely derail the strategy and change the direction of the battle? That's right. On 2nd thoughts Lord Klueze, bring two battalions."

Veia looked at Raww as if asking: 'Tell me you're not seriously considering this.'

Athrun can guess what Veia was thinking and followed. "There is a 99% chance of success, but that also means we're 1% defeated. 1% chance of failure is still a chance. Truth be told, this plan has so many unknown factors in it, I would even go so far to call it inadequate by my standards. But… well… battle is not a chess where every variant is a known and definite value. There are many probabilities… many uncertainties. There's no such thing as a perfect plan. But we can prepare for any situation we might end up on. Think of it this way: even if the Aquarius did eventually succeed as planned, the exorcists could come in handy in case they decided to do something drastic."

"There's no such thing as too much firepower, my friend." Raww further convinced his fellow Hakutenkun.

Veia sighed. "Alright. Fine, fine. Raww, since your… well… demotion, you're practically a Fire Knight… relatively speaking you've become a grunt soldier. But with the sort of influence you had… that was in name only. I'm giving you a field promotion as my advisor. Take a pick of your finest Exorcists, assemble a battalion and station them on Aquarius."

"A battalion? I did suggest-"

"To cover one battalion… I'm bringing a firepower equivalent… to a battalion." Veia added, giving an eye to Raww.

The recently promoted Masked Advisor caught the message. Athrun was particularly disturbed that Veia changed his advice by bringing only half the number of the Ruby Exorcists he recommended and instead brought out the now deranged Fire Knight Miguel Aiman to offset the balance.

Athrun obviously protested to that inhuman idea, but Raww quickly reasoned. "Latest intel suggests that most of the Juppongatana are away. Their defenses are paper thin and I fear Harlbarton may have already send runners to call them back. Unfortunately most of the Exorcists are in Boaz right now. 1 battalion of Exorcists is all I can spare. If you need more, we have to wait much longer… but time is against us."

But that was Raww speaking. Another reason is that Athrun had noted of how Veia had taken a great interest with this Kage character, and that he clearly wished to deal with him personally. Originally, Athrun wanted Veia to quickly deal with Harlbarton. But Athrun also approve that, as an unknown quantity, Kage deserve the attention of a Hakutenkun, if nothing else to ensure that this unknown quantity will not interfere with the plan if he proven to be much stronger than projected. But clearly, now they need an alternative to suppress the known quantity Harlbarton, seeing Raww will most definitely be preoccupied with his Arch Nemesis, Mwu La Flagga. And Miguel Aiman, who arguably became much stronger since his descent to insanity provide an excellent alternative. Athrun sighed and tucked his head down as a sign that he gave them his reluctant approval.

"Then, we shall take our leave." Raww nodded. "Oh, and… we've arranged for you to be transferred to Aprillus with the next tide."

Athrun rolled his eyes. "Did the council approve of this?"

"Well… they demanded it. You see, after that incident with your whole ship, the news of your misadventure to Indonesia isn't exactly common knowledge, all they know is your ship sank. Hence, most think you're dead." Raww snickered, clearly enjoying himself. "But… I had to finally let slip that I pulled you out of shipwreck… now they want to keep an eye on you at all times."

"Plus, your stomach, boy, is putting my pantry on an enormous strain." Veia joked as he tucked his head. "We were never fitted to feed that big of a stomach."

"I understand." Veia only jested, but Athrun agreed on this point. By Zoan's standard, he's not much of a glutton, but he's still a zoan. By rights, he shouldn't be able to fill his belly so fully, considering the fact he's practically a prisoner. It is by Raww's and Veia's kindness that he was well fed and well cared for. He wouldn't want to impose too much on his host.

And so it is, on the day when Raww and Veia departed on their campaign, Athrun watched their departure from the brig of the Prison Ship heading towards the Mirage Fogs of the Zaft continents.

Granted, at that time Athrun held no allusion that the perfectly pitched strategy he had set up would result in some of the worst defeat Zaft ever suffered.

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Several days later in Aprillus, Raww finally returned from his campaign. Rather than reporting what had transpired in Japan to the high command as he should, Raww opted instead to first visit his protégé on the prison where Athrun was entombed, the Military Prison Bastille Secundus.

Unlike in Carpentaria where Veia's respect of Athrun's ability will ensure the prodigal boy will be treated well, he'll get no such treatment here. When Raww arrived, he was welcomed by a stern faced Warden, who led him to the deepest, darkest dungeon. This is nothing like the specially cared and prepared cell in Carpentaria, it was dank, blood stained, smelled of piss and un-cleaned excrements, as a prison for war-criminals should be.

Raww knew that this hardly matters for the boy. As he understands it, his mother and the late Hakutenkun Ray Yuki trained him, ensuring that he had feasted on hardship and discipline on daily basis since childhood. Athrun is anything but some spoiled nobleson that still suckled on their parent's fame and fortune.

The dour faced warden led him to the cell, where he saw the boy sitting calmly in a dirty cell, dining on hard bread and drinking water. Athrun smiled when he saw Raww coming. But that smile faded when he saw that Raww came with Nichol… without Veia.

Raww knew that Athrun realized the oddity, and so… "Leave us." He gestured the Warden to leave. The guards nodded and they left. Raww began explaining the reason of this oddity. As the details flowed in, the last color in Athrun's face faded, as did the strength in his fingers. The clay glass shattered as it fell from the hands of a shocked Athrun Zala.

"COME AGAIN?" Athrun banged his prison bars when he heard the news from Raww and Nichol. The bar dented.

Losing the battle along with most of the invasion fleet was bad enough. But the death of one of Zaft's most powerful general is the worst news anyone who call themselves a self respecting proud Zaft citizen can bring. Is this some horribly bad joke?

"I haven't debriefed the High Council and the Faith Guard yet. And I've told my men to keep their silence to prevent this news to reach unfriendly ears. But even as we speak, Yzak Joule and what's left of his fleet are bringing Veia's body to be entombed in his fortress at Gamoff. Soon they'll be all over the public… if they haven't already."

"I don't think the Alliance would keep their mouth shut either." Nichol added. News this big, imagine the boost it'll have to the enemy's morale!

Athrun gasped and was at a complete loss of words. But his mind continued to race on, seeing the flaws, the cracks in his plan. "…they're using Fuji to create a Tsunami that propel three flagships forward didn't they?"

Nichol blinked. "How did you know that? That's exactly what Kage did!"

"So it is Kage." Athrun frowned in deep thought. When he first set up his strategy, he calculated that Kage's strength level was at 5th to 3rd seat. Given Veia's interest of him, he assumed he's at least a lieutenant level. But then, the fact showed how grossly mistaken he is: Veia, the one Hakutenkun they say no one can kill is now dead. And what's more, the unbelievable way in which the Archangel army countered his strategy. And Raww stated that it was Kage who orchestrated this disaster? "I always prepare. In my head I always think of two strategies. There's one strategy, and another to counter the first strategy. If I was in their position, that's exactly what I would do. And that's why I even went so far as to give you access to Tanhauser."

"It didn't work as well as we hoped, but worry not, it has already been destroyed." Raww followed and stressed the next point. "The main problem is: the manner of Kage's strategy was so cleanly executed and so perfectly prepared, it's beyond coincidence. All the things that's about to happen. Parts of his strategy are sloppy and yes it's still has holes- but the fact is we were defeated. And since the fact that you were imprisoned the whole time and that only I and Veia would know about the true execution of the plan, this rules out the possibility of a sneak. Which leaves us only… two possibilities."

"Two possibilities?" Nichol looked at Raww and then to Athrun who caught up instantly.

"Either I've finally met my match… or…" Athrun messed his head. 'Or I've met him before and told him how myself…' "…Lord Klueze… you said… Kage knew me?"

"Yes." Raww nodded. "He showed his awareness that you were guilty for defying an Imperial Edict, and that you were supposed to be executed. As for his response of your survival… he showed surprise… and for a moment I thought it was relief I hear but… afterwards it's only bitterness."

"…" Athrun was utterly confused now. This Kage knew him? Knew his personality well enough to even predict what his train of thought will be? And suddenly, his mind began to travel back to that issue of his stolen inventions. If he had known this Kage before, then it seems highly probable that this Kage is involved… or is he? Who would hate him enough to do such thing? But then, his thought immediately moved back to the present. Specifically, the repercussions of Goud Veia's death. "…watch over Yzak."

"Yzak?"

"Yzak Joule. He's close to Veia… and we both know how temperamental he can get. And he just watched Veia getting beheaded… I fear he'll do something rash."

"Once Veia's death is officially announced, the Empire will enter a ten day funeral games. By Imperial decree, we wage no war during that period. I think even young Mr. Joule would not dare to defy an Imperial decree in the face. But… what Kage did is indeed outrageous. The Empire will most definitely add him among the ranks of Blacklist."

"Blacklist?" Nichol gasped. "That would be highly unorthodox. The Blacklist has only been given to Alliance Captains. And only 3 of them so far, those who had proven themselves for years…"

"With Harlbarton's death, and Kage's show of skills and ingenuity, I see no other candidate other than Kage to succeed the Iron Wall as Captain of the 7th division. And I know my Nemesis and the other Captains will most likely support his candidacy."

"You're saying…" Athrun frowned.

"I'm saying that if Mr. Joule wishes to take his revenge on Kage, he should know that when he faced him again, the enemy will have an army on his back. I don't think he would dare to make such reckless move." Raww explained. "Besides, he'll get his chance soon enough. After the 10 day period is over, the Empire will definitely launch a punitive expedition to Archangel."

Athrun knew that's true. But… he also knew that Yzak will most definitely refuse to wait that long. "Just the same… keep an eye on him."

"Understood."

After that, Athrun also realized that just using his head within the confines of this prison would not be enough to deal with the situation. At this point, direct intervention is necessary. Which also means… drastic measures had to be taken.

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As predicted, the death of Veia sent a massive surge of hysteria and horror across the empire. A 10 day Funeral day was declared, no Zaft warriors were allowed to wage war during that period. They're forbidden to attack unless they're being attacked upon… which happens almost everywhere in the area where Veia once reigned. From Australia, New Zealand and the entire Southeast Asia. It was riot and chaos.

While Veia wasn't exactly a popular ruler with his mental disorder problem, he nevertheless managed to keep things under control. The people under him lived in a relative if uneasy peace, with the Alliance's fear of him kept them at bay. With his death, that fear is gone. Emboldened by it, the Alliance renewed their assault on Veia's territories. Granted, it hardly gained them anything but a bloody high body count that came from successive defeats or pyrrhic victories. The Defenders of Veia's old territories were more angry than upset if anything.

Some in particular… was angrier than others.

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Some few days later, still within the Funeral Day period… Athrun received an expected guest in his cell. His nose had caught his scent as he sneaked around the corner of the prison.

"…Yzak had left, hasn't he?"

In his cell, Athrun sit calmly, barely surprised when Nichol materialized out of thin air.

"Yes."

Athrun turned around and saw that Nichol is wearing his Wood Onyx Knight full gear; it reflects both his history as an Onyx Hassansin and his current position as a Wood Knight. But seeing his friend is obviously getting ready for war, Athrun knew what's in his mind. "You're leaving?"

"Lord Raww is assembling an expedition to Japan. We're going to help Yzak." Nichol glanced warily over his shoulder, watching out for the warden to come back.

"…you're here to tell me this?"

"I'm here to… ask for your blessing." Nichol grinned. "In other words, I need your advice, Athrun."

"Well… I always reminded you at daily basis so I'll skip the basics. Stay alive at all cost for the sake of the greater plan… you know the drill."

"Of course."

"Get ready to walk into a grilling." Athrun continued. "I fear by now Yzak had vented his rage on multiple villages… the Samurais would be in high alert. They'll snap at the slightest provocation. Be very, very discreet… which will be difficult, considering most of Lord Klueze's army would probably consist of shock troopers, all of them are zealots who screamed their prayers to God at least three times a day."

"Ri~ight." Athrun's only flaw: he's everything but a devout churchman.

"…and one more thing…" Athrun followed. "…an army led by Lord Raww has a weakness." Athrun began giving him said advice. "While it is an adaptable and flexible army, it's still bogged down in tradition. Like that tradition to always wear a helmet into war. Be careful of infiltrators. An enemy soldier can easily infiltrate our ranks by dressing up like us. If an army separates and strayed too far from the watch of the command, check them upon return."

"Understood." Nichol turned around and seemingly ready to leave, but he can feel Athrun's awkward gaze on him. And he realized… he knew. "I…" He chuckled. "Okay… I confess. I'm here to break you out of prison. Blitz Gauntlet can turn me invisible; maybe it can do the same with you, Athrun-san."

Athrun smiled. "Thanks my friend. But I'll be just fine. Come here." Athrun calmly approached Nichol and gave the boy a friendly hug. "Good luck."

Nichol awkwardly returned the hug. When they parted, Athrun merely maintained his awkward smile. But Nichol also noticed that he refused his offer… because he had something else in mind, apparently. Either way, the warden is just around the corner, and Nichol no longer have the time for another word. The Knight disappeared just as the warden appeared before Athrun's cell. "…?" He looked at Athrun… and he saw no signs of anyone else in there. "Who're you talking to Zala? I heard voices."

"No one. Just myself." Athrun smiled innocently. "I sleep talk. Pretty often. Sometimes so loud I woke myself up."

"…" The Warden merely shook his head. "Go back to sleep and be quiet. And put a cork to it, convict. Some of us are trying to sleep too."

Athrun merely nodded and the grumpy warden waltzed away. Athrun sniffed the air several times, and only Nichol's lingering scent still remained. The boy had left his cell, vanished into thin air, somehow passing through his prison bars without anyone noticing. Such was his skill as an Onyx Hassansin.

"Well… I think it's time." Athrun revealed a little something he pilfered from Nichol's pocket. He felt bad not accepting Nichol's help, but… an unwilling help is as good as any, and that would give Nichol a plausible deniability. He did something with his mouth and blood trickled from his lips, and then he quickly swallowed the pill, along with some of his blood.

The next morning, the warden was checking the cells one by one. "Cell 102, vacant, check; cell 103, occupied, check; cell 104, occupied, check; 105 occupied, che… eh?"

The occupant of cell 105 is Athrun… who now lay lifeless in his bed, heads down in a pool of his own blood. Blood pouring out of every opening in his face. Nose, ears, even his eyes.

The physician was called and after a quick check the verdict was: "Blood fever. Ebola infection. Terminal. He's dead."

"Blood fever!" The warden jumped back in horror, fearing he will be infected by the disease.

"Nothing to it. Send for the priest, give the poor soul his last rites, burn the body along with this whole cell to sterilize it." The head warden quickly decreed. "Poor kid."

"I don't understand. I thought he was healthy a few days ago and we treated him well, did we not? How can he just…"

"This is a prison, boy. And he's a noble born. Maybe he's just not used to the harsh environment of this prison and so the ailment got to him. Even if he's a Zoan. It's not unheard of." The Head Warden shook his head as his subordinates had began to pour oil on Athrun's cell. The Priest arrived and starts reciting the boy's last rites.

"What of Lord Klueze? What should we say to him? You know the two are close! If he finds out his favorite boy is dead he'll have all our heads!"

"Don't be silly. We'll tell him only when he asked of it. Until then we keep quiet." As soon as the priest was done and the other warden had finished filling the room with straws and oils, the Head Warden held a torch in his hand. "We'll just burn that bridge when it comes." And he tossed the torch into the cell, and soon, the whole room was ablaze, consuming everything inside. Athrun's cell continued to burn well into the evening before the fire finally died down and the undertaker can start shoveling the ash out. Soon, his shovel hit something hard… Plowing away the ashes, he found a charred bone on the ground. "Poor sod. May his soul find peace with his ancestors."

"Thank you for your concern."

"?"

The Undertaker turned around and saw an up close view of a gigantic ash covered armored fist heading straight to his face.

A moment later, the ash covered Undertaker walked out of the cell, carrying a coffin on a cart. He signaled the warden that the body has been taken and the cell has been cleared.

As usual, the undertaker took the coffin to the graveyard at the back of the massive base. But instead of digging a hole, he left the coffin out in the open. Not because he's too lazy to dig a proper burial hole… But because the poor undertaker inside that coffin is JUST unconscious, and the last thing Athrun wanted is to mar his escape by burying an unconscious man alive.

Discarding his disguise, Athrun, clad in his dark crimson Kokuyou Aegis Armor, saw in the distance that a fleet of ship had just departed having finished restocking. Knowing Nichol, knowing his speed, Athrun had no doubt that he had boarded said ship. Lord Klueze is in for a nice surprise.

"Alright… now…" Now that he's out, he can begin his own work. "Now… King, that thing we talked about…"

"You realize that you're asking me to step on my pride?"

"…I beg of you?"

"…(groan)…"

The Kokuyou armor shifted and reshaped himself from the regal Kingly Aegis armor into a less conspicuous design. Specifically, the standard full body armor of a Forge Corps Legionnaire, with a helmet that completely covered Athrun's face, a replica of the armor he used to wear when he was still a Legionnaire. The only wrinkle is that the color scheme is still that of Kokuyou's original dark violet purple. "King…"

"SILENCE WHELP! I had demeaned myself enough to take on this inferior form. DO NOT TEST ME FURTHER!"

'All the temperamental super weapons in the world and I had to get my hands on the one with an acute superiority complex…'

000000000000000000000

"So that's how you got out?" Nichol rolled his eyes. He knew he was missing something. He should've known. The latest brew of an Onyx Hassanssin Fake Death Pill – it does more than just momentarily stopping your heart, one can change the way one 'died' with a slight altercation, after which the effect will disappear as if it never happened. Drink it with water and you looked like you died of drowning, drink with it hot coffee and you looked like you died of plague. Athrun must've drunk his while munching it in mixture with his own blood. It made you seemingly died of an accelerated form of ebola infection. Lord knows they wasted no time to burn Athrun's body to prevent what they thought a precursor to an epidemic. A problem that Athrun, with his healing factor can easily fix. "I don't understand one thing. Why did you have to steal it from me? I would've given it to you for the asking."

"If you did, you'll be charged an accessory to the crime of aiding and abetting a fugitive… but then again at this point it hardly mattered huh?" Athrun rolled his eyes. After the disastrous massacre of Raww's army, his former senior Courtney Hieronimus had to commit to his duty and arrested Lord Klueze. If Nichol had gone along with Courtney, he can play his defense that he went along with Courtney to arrest Raww as well… but no, he came to him instead.

"Yes." Nichol smiled. "Still… why didn't you come with us as soon as you escaped?"

"Well…" Athrun snickered. "This is a bit of sentimentality… but… I need to see it. I hadn't had a wink of it for 8 years ever since I went to train with the Corps."

000000000000000000000

The Zala Manor.

It used to be a magnificent antiquated edifice that sheltered generations of Zala family. But then his father sold it a few days after his mother's funeral. Someone bought it… but clearly the new owner, whoever it was, had neglected of caring for it, for the manor has been left in a state of complete disrepair. Its roof tiles falling apart, the windows are barely holding together for it had more holes than a Swiss cheese, and there's no wall on it that didn't have cracks. The tree withered, the wild moss had covered almost the entirety of its solid limestone foundations, the reason the whole building is still standing.

"…" Athrun sadly frowned at the ruins of the place he used to call home. After the sale, Athrun was immediately shipped off straight to the military academy to undergo his official training. He hadn't had a wink of home for years.

With a gentle push, the great door to the manor was opened, and as expected, its interior is as ruined as its exterior. The great chandelier that had crashed into the floor below welcomed the return of the prodigal son. Paintings of his ancestors' portraits faded and covered in dust, some bitten off beyond repair by rats and moths that had made the many caverns on the cracked walls their home. Swarms of plants had invaded in through the same cracks. A tree literally grew out of the cracked pavements; its roots had all but devastated the floorings, carpeted by years and years of mounting bird poo. All in all… the devastated state of his home all indicated that no one has been here for years. Athrun remembered the days when these halls had seen better days, when laughter and cheer echo in these walls, and then he remembered another person that filled this house with such pleasant memories.

0000000

11 years ago…

"Right. This is your home now." Lennore pushed the confused 6 year old Kira forward. The poor boy still didn't understand what happened. Right after he and Ray Yuki worked together to crack that pick-pocketing syndicate, Kira fully expected that he'll be sent back to the streets… but no. He was harried into a carriage and brought into the Zala Manor, completely confused and at lost. So much so that he's actually on the verge of crying.

Then again, in all honesty, when Athrun first saw him, he was still somewhat upset of the boy. Not because of how his mother seem to favor him so much, and certainly not because he's a street rat. No… It's… "Hey. You're gonna cry are you?"

Kira jerked at Athrun's glare. He quickly bit his lips. "I… No… I… uhh…"

"Aren't you a boy?" Athrun groaned. "Boys shouldn't cry."

Kira pouted and he tried his best not to cry. He failed. And he starts crying.

"Athrun!" Lennore immediately came to the crying boy's aid. "Be nice now! Kira will stay here with us. You have to learn to be nice!"

"I am nice." Athrun pouted. "But he's such a crybaby! It doesn't take much to make him cry!"

After that uneasy beginning however, Kira was quickly accepted as a member of the Zala Household. And while everyone treated him as a family, Kira had to earn his keep. His father assigned him as Athrun's personal Butler/Squire. And quite frankly… Athrun was not entirely thrilled with the idea of having a personal butler. Especially one who is so prone of crying like Kira.

But that all changed during his first week on the job.

In the morning of the first day of that week, Lennore gave Athrun his family badge; the Crest of Zala family: the Serpent that coiled in the shape of an Infinity symbol. It was a badge that, as she said it, had endured long history of being born by generations of the Zala bloodline. He was told not to lose it, no matter what. Kira also listened intently at his side. And then, the carriage takes them to school for the Zaft nobleborn.

Kira, now cleaned and dressed properly as Athrun's butler, watched in awe and wonder through the carriage window of the many things they passed on the road. Citadels made of rock and stone with extravagant ornamental colored window decorating it, people dressed in glamorous clothing, knights in shining armor standing guard holding on to banners of attractive colors, jesters playing acrobatic while fluidly juggling innumerable objects in the sky… everything is new, everything is interesting to him. And everything looks amazing. The more familiar viewer like Athrun chuckled seeing Kira's childish excitements, which is understandable really, considering where he came from. "Completely different isn't it? With the sewers of Germany that is." Kira jerked in realization and he immediately recomposed himself, his face completely red with embarrassment over his unsightly behavior. Athrun chuckled. "This is my home country. What do you think?"

"It's like… a fantasy world out there." Kira blushed. "I… it's hard to believe I'm actually here. But… is this okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Athr… urmm… I mean, Young Master, I'm just a street rat from the sewers. When I helped Lord Yuki, I do it because I just wanted to help my friends… I didn't expect to be rewarded or anything…"

Athrun twitched at Kira's call on him. "You don't like it here?"

"I do! I really like it here, Young Master. But… is this okay?"

"It's okay for Mom."

"And what do you think, Young Master?"

"What do I think? Well…" Athrun glanced over his shoulder as they're closing in to their destination. "Survive being my butler for one week, and we'll talk about it some more." Kira was left somewhat puzzled at that remark.

The carriage stopped in front of what is unmistakably the school. But Kira watched in wonder as Athrun passed through the school that was filled with children of their age group… straight into a section which was filled with teenagers, older than the two of them by at least a decade.

It took Kira awhile that day to understand that his Young Master was also a genius of his own right. Such was his brilliance, he bypassed years of conventional schooling classes and at his age he's already attending his third year of Senior High school. But… when you jump that many classes at once, compounded with the many quality questions you asked in your class, and your test scores being off the chart… such a thing attract… envy.

Kira's eyes balked when he saw the state of Athrun's table. Nails glued to his chair, his table smeared with shit and covered in profane language such as 'smart ass', NERD, and then some. "What is this?" Kira looked around, searching for culprit. "Who did this?" Obviously, no one confessed.

Athrun took it in his stride. This happened often. And the teachers secretly let it happen. He had heard tales of how those teachers held some grudge against her mother. Apparently, his mother had a habit of unintentionally making them look like a fool by asking questions they, more often than not, were unable to answer. Imagine their horror when they found out her son has the capacity to do the same if not more if he so chooses. And so they secretly let the bullying happen, in hope that the stuck out nail will be hammered down.

Kira spent that first day surviving an onslaught of pranks all directed to Athrun. Laxative on his drink, shoes went missing, clothes ripped apart, books torn and found in a backed up toilet… it was brutal.

When they finally took the carriage home, Kira was more disheveled than Athrun. "Goodness gracious… I heard the term bullying before but this is… does this happen often, Young Master?"

"Sometimes, yeah." Athrun looked indifferent. "Though… today IS worse than usual."

Kira balked. He imagine the only thing different today was the fact that Athrun had a butler around. Him. "Is it my fault?" And already tears began to well up in his eyes.

"W… What… no! I mean yes, but not in the way you think!" Athrun groaned as he saw Kira was about to cry again. Strange. He seems to cry when he felt others are being troubled. "They're envious of me. They've always have been… jealous of me. And now I got a personal butler. Very few nobleborn these days can afford that sort of luxury for their young. So."

"I… see… that's just… horrible." Kira frowned in deep thought.

"Quit."

"I beg your pardon, Young Master?"

"Quit this job, Kira. I knew from day one, you're a clever guy. Cleverer than you let on. You can do a much better job than being a servant." Athrun explained. "The bullying will only get worse, and I fear you might get caught up in it."

Kira frowned and his teary eyes steeled a resolve. "No."

"Kira-"

"Your mother saved my life, Young Master." Kira replied. "Your family saved my life. I want this job because I can't think of anything else I'd rather be. And if I'm going to be a butler, your butler, your squire, I'll have to be the best I can be."

And for the first time, Athrun was rendered quite speechless.

"And something your father said to me. 'A squire's duty is to stand his ground at his master's side, no matter what. Don't you leave his side, boy, if you know what's good for you.'" And Kira declared proudly. "And I mean not to, Young Master."

When he first heard that resolution, in all honesty Athrun did not take it seriously… that is… until the incident at the end of that week.

It started with a nasty intentional bump Athrun suffered at his arrival at the school gates. As usual, it was Kira who vainly scolded the culprit, the school bully, 'Loony' Lorenzo Mascorrido. Athrun laughed his brains out when Kira secretly nicknamed him brick-face. Why? Because his family's bloodline limit gave them the hardest face in the world that can dent even metal on impact. Has a side effect of flattening their faces though, hence the nickname. He was also Athrun's regular bully. And today was an intentional face first charge to Athrun's bag that sprayed its content allover the street.

"Hurry up, Arthy boy! Or you'll be late! Hahaha!" Lorenzo ran along with his laughing bully friends.

Kira looked angrily and suspiciously at the big bully as he helped his young Master to pick up his stuff… some of them had Lorenzo's massive footprints on it. But as Kira picked up the pieces… he realized something's missing. But he had yet to know exactly what it was.

Athrun didn't notice and they have no time. The School bell is already ringing in the distance and they're late.

As usual, as Athrun attended his class, Kira must wait by the door, along with the other butlers. Still his mind raced to that incident this morning. He could've sworn something was missing. And then it hit him like a brick.

The bell ring again to sign lunchtime, and Athrun looked to the class door, expecting to see his ever loyal crybaby butler… but no. He's nowhere to be seen. "Kira…?"

In the Canteen Kira looked angrily as 'Loony' Lorenzo boasted before his peers, with Athrun's family Badge playing around his fingers. "You should see the look at that brainiac's face. His cutesy butler squealing like a girl! Hahaha!"

Kira hissed and his head began to formulate retribution. 'Let's see…' A waiter carrying mugs of water is coming from the right, a bottle of Tabasco on the left, the water dispenser is next to a pile of dirty plates at the other end of the room… and a pair of twin girls of his age is chatting with their empty dirty plates on the table. First step, Kira immediately approached the girls. "My Ladies. May I relieve you of those plates?"

"Ararara? Thank you, kind sir." The Pink haired girl smiled in gratitude. Her twin, not so much.

Ignoring the pink haired twin, Kira put the knives and the fork away, but he took the plate and the spoon. And then, without attracting any attention to himself, Kira grabbed the Tabasco. He poured the Tabasco on the spoon and took his aim. Target: Lorenzo's large mug of ginger ale. And then, with a snap and a very precise aim, the red projectile was catapulted across the air and plunged into the mug, no one noticed. He's been talking nonstop, he'll be thirsty soon. Wasting no time, Kira immediately moved on to the next preparation. He knelt down and waited for the waiter carrying a pile of mugs filled with water and ale to come near him. And when he does, he suddenly got up and smashed the tray. The glasses fell, its content sprayed on the floor, and everything was drenched. Drenched and slippery.

And for the moment everyone's eyes were watching the scene of Kira apologizing profusely and the waiter barking at him angrily. "You idiot!"

"Sorry… Sorry. I'm terribly, terribly sorry…" Scampering like a frightened commoner he is, no one noticed that Kira dropped the two dirty plates in a path straight from Lorenzo's table.

And with the final piece in place, Kira walked away, disappearing from everyone's sight and mind. And as soon as that happen, Lorenzo finally realized how dry his throat is and unwarily grabbed his mug. "Ale in the count of three! Three!" And everyone gulped their mug empty in a heartbeat.

The next thing that followed were screams from Lorenzo's burning throat. "WATER! SOMEONE GIVE ME WATER!" But all the mugs have been emptied, and his friends had drunk theirs dry. Desperately seeking something to refresh his throat, Lorenzo looked around and saw the water dispenser at the other end of the table. In his haste, his feet stepped on the first slippery dirty plate and he lost balance. "W… What…" his other leg flailed wildly and stepped on the second plate. The boy went on a short slide before he slipped and fell uncontrollably, the badge in his hand was involuntarily thrown off hid fingers. But Lorenzo has greater concern as he fall to the wet floor, the momentum caused him to slide uncontrollably across the slippery surface until his, as mentioned before, extremely hard face collided with the pile of dirty plates at the other end of the room. When he tried to lift himself up, the towering pile of plates finally collapsed right on top of him.

And Kira watched from the shadows with a smile as Athrun's badge of Zala that Lorenzo had unwillingly thrown is securely held in his two small hands. When he turned around he came face to face with one of the pink haired twin. The long haired one. "Uhh…"

"Enjoying the show?" She smirked. "I know I did!"

"My Lady." Kira bowed courteously.

The girl eyed Kira with great interest. Apparently, she had stayed to see what part exactly her plate will play in the grander scheme of things. And the end result was a laughter she hadn't had in a long time. "Who are you?"

"I'm but a humble servant from the House of Zala, My Lady."

"Indeed?" The girl blinked in interest. "And you go all this trouble for… a laugh?"

"My Lady, I wouldn't dare. I simply do so to take back that which belongs to my Master." Kira kept his head down, not letting himself to see the noble lady in the eye. Servants aren't supposed to look at the nobleborns in the eye. Not without permission.

"Your master is most fortunate-" Kira jerked as the girl go through the trouble of actually kneeling down so that she can see him in the eye. Purple eyes met with clear baby blue ones. The girl chuckled at a shocked Kira's expense. "-to have such a clever and mischievous servant. He might hurt his stomach laughing at a daily basis. As I did just now. Thank you for that by the way."

"My… Lady." Kira bowed again and he immediately back away to keep his distance from the funny girl and averted his gaze to the ground again. "I'm sorry… but I must return to my master."

Kira awkwardly left, and yet he can still feel the girl's interested gaze on him. Fortunate then that he'll soon forget that little encounter.

Athrun found Kira running towards him all flustered but a smile plastered on his face. "Kira! Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry! I was picking up th-" Kira's was cut midsentence when something hard slammed him from behind.

"You little SNOT!" It was Lorenzo, as furious as a bully should be when he's covered head to toe in leftovers. "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO ME! YOU FILTH!" He charged in again and kicked Kira in the stomach. "And you DARE steal from ME!?" Lorenzo stomped Kira, but this time, the boy caught the foot.

"I… am no thief." Kira gritted his teeth as he struggled to hold the feet from squeezing his lungs. "But you are."

"You DARE!?"

"Yes. I dare!" And to the shock of all, Kira pushed Lorenzo's foot away, causing him to stumble. Everyone in that place, nobleborn or otherwise, looked in horror at Kira's conduct. The servant boy stood tall, defiantly glaring at Lorenzo in the eye. "I am the servant of the House of Zala. And you are a thief and a bully who stole my master's belongings." Kira growled in defiance. "I simply take it back!"

"You… YOU LOWLIVE COMMONER!" Lorenzo roared and he suddenly closed distance before having his head met with Kira's. Kira was instantly brought to his knees with his head spinning. "You little shit! You servants are just shacks of meat who should just listen to your superiors!" Lorenzo stepped on Kira's head. "A piece a trash like you who didn't even have a worthy blood flowing in your veins is lower than a cockroach! So you lower lifeform should just shut up and keep your head on the ground!" And with that, Lorenzo kicked Kira by the face, and the poor boy was thrown a few meters away with his bashed up head drenched with his blood. Lorenzo closed in with a sneer, but he stopped when he saw Kira get back on his feet. Everyone, Nobleborn and servants alike watched in horror as the event runs its course.

"Stand… your ground… no matter… what…" The words came out slowly from Kira's ruined mouth. And finally he stood back up, his one remaining opened eye maintain its defiant glare at Lorenzo.

Lorenzo grew angrier and he rushed in towards the rebellious blood-bathed servant boy for the kill, stomp after stomp, closing the distance, face ready to bash.

Kira gritted his teeth and closed his eyes ready for the end as the man's face is but an inch away…

CRASH!

Kira realized he's still alive. He opened his eyes and found, to his shock, that Athrun is right in front of him. And even more surprising, he's literally holding Lorenzo's face at the palm of his hand. Judging by the widened eyes Kira saw all around, no one saw this coming either.

Lorenzo's supposedly iron hard face was squeezed to a wrinkled rag under the pressure of Athrun's fingers; a painful experience for the older teen as he clearly moaned in pain and his burly fingers are vainly clawing at Athrun's smaller wrist, struggling to tear this iron hard grip off his face.

"That's right…" Athrun noticed the shocked face of everyone. "I never told anyone of my Bloodline Limit, haven't I?" His hissing words are as cold as the fury raging in his chest. "The teachers often said I got my brain from my mother… well, they're not wrong. In fact, most people say I take a lot more from my mother, rather than my father. But… I did inherit something from him." Athrun's grip on Lorenzo's face tightened, and already everyone can hear the sickening cracks of the poor boy's skull as he fell on his knees. "Namely… his Bloodline limit."

The shock in everyone's face immediately shifted into that of sheer utter horror that came from their knowledge of what Athrun truly meant. All who knew the history of the Zala quickly understand: A mind like Athrun Zala… reinforced by the strength that his ancestor once commanded… that is the most unholy of union if they've ever seen one.

In his anger, Athrun's emerald green eyes turned into slits. "I… am the Nobleborn of the House of Zala. I care not what you do to me. Stole away my heirlooms, insult my name, smother me in shit, do whatever you like with me…" His supposedly child aged voice turned monstrous. "But the next time you harm my friend… the next time you lay a hand on my family… that will be the last time you have a face… or a head."

One last squeeze, followed by another sickening crack, and Athrun finally let Lorenzo go, his face utterly deformed with the skull beneath it fractured almost to dust. The teen screamed and howled as he wildly rolled on the floor, holding on to his wrecked as well as tear and snot decorated face.

Turning a deaf ear to Lorenzo's howl and a blind eye to everyone's horrified expressions, Athrun only pay attention to the one person in need of help. Athrun grabbed Kira and dragged him away by the shoulder. "For someone smart enough to crack down a pickpocket syndicate, you can be remarkably idiotic at times eh?"

"W… Wfat?" Kira could barely talk, his teeth is buckling beneath his lips.

"You're gonna die for a damn badge? Of all the stupidest thing to die for…"

"Your… Mfom… sfaid… you shoulfd… keepf an eye on it… family heirloomf…"

"It's a piece of steel with a fancy picture on it. I can always get another!" Athrun frowned angrily at Kira. "But… a loyal true friend is not something you can easily get in one lifetime."

"…Y… Young… mas-"

"Athrun." Athrun smiled. "Call me Athrun from here on out."

"I wouldn't… dare…"

"Call me by name or I'll leave you behind."

"Aargh!"

0000000

After that, Lorenzo spend 3 weeks in the hospital, and Athrun was suspended from school for three months. Not that it mattered, he never returned, seeing no use in doing so. His first one week in his third year Senior High School was also the last conventional class he attended. Lorenzo's father, baron Mascorrido the Senior was furious, and he demanded remunerations for his son's injuries. But that was nothing compared to how angry her mother was for what happened to Kira. When the Baron was still 6 miles away from the Zala's estate, an insult laden spear flying from the said manor pierced his carriage and barely missed his face by centimeters, and it invited him to quickly reconsider his demand into a quick escape for his dear life. Last thing Athrun heard of them is that the whole family moved out to another continent the very next day.

Still… that incident marked the official integration of Kira Yamato into what Athrun would easily considered the best years of his life.

Passing through the forward hall, Athrun walked past the ruined rooms and the glimmers of the memories associated with it and entered a large room filled with racks. The Study. At first glance, the many cabinets lining within is still filled with books. But as Athrun pulled one of them out, his suspicion confirmed. What age didn't devour, the rats had used to satisfy their hunger. Only its cover remained intact while its content had been virtually feasted upon. Returning the book to the rack, Athrun immediately climbed the uneven stairs to the second floor, trudged through the familiar hallways, turned around well known corners. He hadn't been here for years, and yet despite the ruin the years had visited upon it, nothing changes. The new owner, whoever it was, didn't even bother cleaning, much less renovating. He opened the door, and beheld… his old room. Exactly as he left it.

Well, the way he left it before he departed for his training in Forge Corps' workshops. Before he left, the whole room was filled with his stuff. It's part metal workshop, part chemical laboratory, part his living chamber. The manor used to have 45 rooms, but he can no longer sleep without the smell of metal and the sound of chemical reaction bubbling, so against the protestation of his mother, his lab, workshop, and sleeping chamber is one and the same. 4 rooms were demolished to make this one room; another 16 of the remaining 41 had already been destroyed when his inventions went awry. Henceforth, no maid or butler dared entered here. Everyone was afraid that his chamber would just… explode or they came out missing a limb or sprouting strange new ones. Well… everyone but one.

In time, while he's still a bit of a crybaby, Kira grew enough backbone. And what a bone!

0000000

10 years ago…

"ATHRUN! WAKE UP!" The now 7 year old Kira fearlessly kicked the door down. "WAKE UP! SUN'S UP!"

No response, but Kira knew Athrun was in there. The lazy oaf. The room was dark, the little inventor kept it that way. Groaning, Kira walked past the bubbling test tubes and the hissing pipes to the window curtain. Kira tried to sprang it open… but Athrun had a bright idea of tying them up with a padlock. Alas, insofar, of all the things Athrun had invented, he had yet to invent a padlock that a certain former professional pickpocket cannot pick. One bent wire later, and Kira sprang the curtain open, allowing the sun to shed some light on the situation.

And as it happened, Athrun jerked in full wakefulness, much to the misfortune of the table on top of his head as his Zoan strength forehead smashed right through it when he wake up. Neither the table nor the sun hurt him, but he acted like the latter is giving him unspeakably adverse effect to his eyes, rolling around in perceived agony as he screamed. "My eyes! My poor eyes!"

"Don't be so melodramatic! Just because you don't go to school anymore doesn't mean it's alright for you to sleep all day! Get up!" Kira mercilessly opened another curtain, allowing more of the Sun's ray to pierce through Athrun's body.

"Kira, for mercy's sake be gentle-AARGHH!" The poor sleepy boy lurched in make-believe agony as the sun's harmless blessing repulsed him off the floor. Disheveled and a complete wreck, Athrun deliriously crawled on all fours through piles of half empty flask and disassembled doodads, all to avoid hateful rays bringing him to full wakefulness. Kira couldn't care less of his antics and began his campaign of cleaning this chaos Athrun called his sleeping quarters. "What time is it anyway?" Athrun croaked.

"It's 8." Kira replied. "In the morning."

"8" Athrun repeated. "8. You woke me up 8 in the morning, you heartless sadist!"

"What?"

"You know I've been awake for 5 days straight!"

"Working another one of your whack job invention?" The pile of empty breakfast, lunch and dinner plates on the corner as well as three empty gallons of high caffeine coffee next to it served as proof of that claim. Kira couldn't care less. "Need I remind you we have an appointment with lord Yuki's class at 10!?"

Sleepiness was quickly kicked out of the window as Athrun's eyes widened to teacup size. "By Einstein's Hair and Tesla's Mustache, it's TODAY!? I thought it was tomorrow!"

"You're a genius engineer Athrun, fix that stupid watch!" Kira pointed at the clockwork of a sandglass watch that he had no idea how to read.

After Athrun (and Kira) was kicked out of the school, they spent more time at home, and Athrun discovered his passion for inventive engineering. And, if Athrun may say so himself, he's doing a pretty good job at it. Problem is… the house, and by extension, the whole city, took a pounding from his passion.

A REALLY HARD pounding.

Invention 734: mail launcher…

Intended Function: To launch packages to hard-to-reach receiver at high ground (Towers for example). Athrun used this on his first round as a news mail boy.

Result: Four Lords of the Manor raised a white flag of surrender after Athrun's launcher bombarded their house to ruin with newspaper, literally. Athrun was immediately fired afterwards, and the newspaper agency went bankrupt.

Invention 818: Automatic Tree Processor…

Intended Function: Tree log came in from one end, and all sorts of furniture came out of the other.

Result: Actually, this is one Athrun's few inventions that actually worked as well as intended… But it worked too well. The carpenters and furniture merchants protested because it drove the market price of furnishings downhill.

Invention 987: Instant Pasta Pill…

Intended Function: Easy to cook, easy to eat instant pasta, the sauce, as well as the complementary garlic bread, all super-dehydrated and chemically compressed into a single pill that needs only one drop of water to turn back into one plate of hot warm al-dente pasta meal. Very useful for campaigns.

Result: "Mamamia." An entire armada of ships at the Aprillus harbor barely floated atop a sea when it was struck by a terribly massive storm. One crate of that pasta pill was lost to the hurricane, and the next instant, the entire city harbor was assaulted by a tornado of meatball bolognaise spaghetti, a storm of mushroom sauce fettuccini, coupled with a rain of vegetable ravioli, a downpour of macaroni and cheese, with a heavy hail of garlic toast on the side. Surprisingly, all the pastas are Al Dente.

After that last incident, Lennore theorized that this healthy albeit destructive (to its surroundings) drive of inventive genius is her son's way of expressing his thirst for attention. While Kira was always by his side through the thick and thin, his supposed role as a deterrent was not very effectively served. Rather, if anything, Kira had grown a taste to be Athrun's partner in crime at times. The two, being brilliant yet curious as the children of their age should be, are in need of the firm discipline that a male father figure can provide. And while his mother's love is not in short supply, Patrick's work consumed enough of his time that it denied the children of such discipline.

And so, Lennore asked Ray Yuki, her oldest and closest friend, to do it in the father's stead. Noticing the damage Athrun can inflict on his men, Ray, recently retiring from active field duty to become an instructor, considered it his moral civic duty (AKA: fed up with the complaints that citizen of Aprillus sent his way weekly, by the truckload) to redirect this… passion to a more positive use. And so it is that he made a constant visit to the Zala manor to teach the boys what they're missing. Thankfully, both children enjoyed his visits and his teachings, especially Kira whom, as everyone noted, grew a mutually strong fondness with the Hakutenkun who once arrested him.

Today was a very special day. The Hakutenkun met the two children at 10 o'clock sharp, and then he dismissed his 5 Honor Guards to get their own free time in town while he, as he crudely put it, perform his curbside duty that everyone knew he'll enjoy. Today, the Hakutenkun gave them both an assignment of five tests in five subjects: Math, Language, Science, Social Studies, and Literature. Usually, there's a stark contrast in what these children can and cannot do, based on what they like and don't like. Athrun is a constant perfect scorer in Math and Science, an average in Language and Social Studies, with a terrible grasp in Literature. Kira scored an average in Math but an utter failure in Science. Still, he scored remarkably high in Literature, and he also surpassed Athrun in Social Studies and Language with his perfect grasp of the two subjects. Collectively, Athrun's score is slightly higher than Kira's, but all in all, the two never get a perfect.

So today of all days, as an incentive, the Hakutenkun promised them a ride aboard his famous chariot, the Meteor Chariot, if they managed a perfect score at the current test. As proof of this, today Lord Yuki came to their house aboard said chariot, and it was left on the stable, its horses unhooked and left to graze. They're in for a pleasant stride for the rest of the day afterwards… IF the children succeeded.

And for that reason, in the last month Athrun and Kira studied and studied to the very inch of their lives. Both teaching each other their weakest subjects so that they can improve upon it. Ray realized well that he had roused the beasts. The only reason the scores of these children suffer on certain subjects is because they showed a lack of interest in it. Now that they've worked themselves halfway to death to overcome their weakness as he had hoped they would, there's no way a single brain, even if it belonged to Ray, can produce the question of high enough standards to be a challenge for these two junior virtuoso. So he hired 5 Professors to help him produce 100 questions for each subject. He ran through the questions afterwards and they are monstrously high level tests that would give even the most vaunted of scholars a tough time.

But clearly he had underestimated these children, or in this case, underestimated just how much they wanted to ride his chariot. Ray rolled his eyes when Athrun goes through in seconds a question that a teacher took 3 days of sleepless nights to create. And that was Literature, supposedly his weakest subject. Kira calculated the answer to his physics question in his head and give out a perfect answer in 5 minutes.

Insofar, Ray had planned that these 100 questions will keep them busy until sundown, then they can have a ride aboard his chariot for the whole day tomorrow. But… judging by their enthusiasm, they intend to end this here and now. Why the haste? Then again… he already knew the answer. Even when one withdrew from field duty, a Hakutenkun rarely have a free time for their duty is never-ending. It can only shift from one form, to another. When he's no longer down there on the battlefield swinging sword, he must teach others how to swing the sword for him. So if a Hakutenkun can actually make the time for such a civil visit, one know it is not something a Hakutenkun can do easily.

'…these children… they understand that… so they want to finish this quick, here and today so that I can quickly return to my duties tomorrow without worries?' Ray narrow gaze landed on Athrun and Kira, still burying their heads at the work he gave them. They looked very… excited. As excited as children on the verge of getting a new toy should be. Ray smirked. 'I've been thinking too hard.' And so Yuki merely sentenced that this speed spurt is owed to that childish excitement. Whatever the case, at this rate, they should be done in a little over-

"HELP! HE~ELP!"

That scream halted everyone's line of thought. A man ran into the Zala manor garden, chased closely by the manor guard. "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!" But the man's scream was cut off when the guard jumped over him and smothered him to the grass. And still he screamed for help. "H… Help!"

Yuki was never one to refuse a call for help. "Don't hurt him now!"

The Guards kept the man pinned, but they relaxed their strength. Yuki helped him up, judging by his filthy make and frail built, he's but a commoner. "Are you alright?"

"I… I heard there's a Hakutenkun here… we need help. Please help us!"

"Alright, I want you to calm down and take a deep breath. Tha~at's it. Now… what happened?"

"A… a… a bar brawl… a bunch of knights, fighting with some local gangster… they're tearing the city apart!"

"Let the local law enforcement deal with that, a mere riot is not something a Hakutenkun should concern himself with!" the Guard retorted.

"My Lord… my brother is the Local law Enforcement… and he's completely overwhelmed! These knights were very powerful! And…" The beggar looked at the crest in Ray's armor. "That crest! Yes! Some of them are wearing your crest!"

"My crest!?" At this, Ray stood at full alert. His crest is only shared among his Honor Guards. That's the five people he had dismissed for their much needed, god given chance of free time. And they're no slouch. So if there's a riot in which his men involved and had grown to such degree that it's NOT yet over in 5 minutes… "Alright then. You two come with me, and you, good sir. Show me the way." Before he left, Ray turned to his two protégé and pointed out: "…and you two… I expect that test to be done by the time I get back."

And in an eyeblink, Ray disappeared and the two kids were left to their own devices. From the distance, they can hear the sound of galloping horses. Apparently the Hakutenkun left without his Chariot and opted instead to ride on horseback to the scene. The two children looked at each other… "Oh great." Kira slapped his head. "There goes our trip."

"Kira, a Hakutenkun's duty is to the people and to the country. It's already amazing he was able to spare the time to see us every month!"

"I know. I know! I understand that." Kira pouted. "…but… it seems to me everything and everyone is overly reliant on a single Hakutenkun… I mean… what if a Hakutenkun wasn't around to help? What are they going to do when disaster struck and there's no hakutenkun to spare?"

"Well… there's only so much even the most powerful beings on the planet can do. It's not like they can be everywhere everytime."

"If only there's something we can do to help Lord Yuki… maybe help him solve the case faster…" Kira chuckled. "Ack… who am I kidding? We're only kids. What can we do?"

That question lit a fire in Athrun's eyes, as if Kira had just reminded him of something. "…wait… there IS something…"

And Athrun told Kira of his plan, and Kira's response to it is a predictable: "No."

"It's the only way."

"You're crazy. Lord Yuki will have us hanged when he finds out!"

"That chariot is extremely, extremely fast. And we know how to use it, we've memorized its feature to within a millimeter of its frames. We go in we go out, and nobody will even notice."

By now Kira was already half convinced that this plan can work. But he was also quick to point out a problem: "You forgot: It needs 5 people to operate."

The two children were discussing of course about the Meteor Chariot. It's a massively powerful chariot, the only one left of its kind, bristling with as much destructive power as that of the Alliance's infamous Slayer Mammoth Tanks. Two massive cannons with protruding bayonets as the yoke for four armored horses, the chariot cart is a fortress segmented into four smaller compartments encircling the center fifth and main section. Each compartment bears a weapon load of deadly capacity: each of the two forward compartments bear a twin linked rapid firing arrow bolter with an under-slung flamethrower at the front, each of the rear compartment carry a long range precision spear launcher. Each of the main wheel sports four Tristan cannons protruding out of the wheel's surface in addition to the massive shank on the center wheel axis. When this thing charged into a battlefield, it's a literal ground zero wherever it threads.

One wrinkle: in battle, it took 5 people to operate effectively: one to man the horses, and four to man the guns. With Ray Yuki as the commanding officer on board, that's 6 people. And as such, the speed suffers… somewhat.

On the stable, the two children looked at the Meteor's daunting size, and for Kira this idea sound more ridiculous with every moment he spent staring at the ponderous chariot. "This is impossible."

"Not with my invention."

"Invention?"

"Remember that thing I've been working on for 5 days straight?"

0000000

As this happens, Ray and his entourage are approaching the scene of the riot. Fortunately it doesn't take long to locate, with the tall black smoke billowing high up on the air marking its location for the eye to see.

"There it is my Lords."

Ray narrowed his eyes. It appears the situation had devolved into a siege. Worse… the besiegers managed to get their hands on some artillery? "How in God's name those gangsters managed to acquire a cannon!?"

"Well… I would presume they bribed the right people?"

"Homeland security my foot." Ray growled in suppressed fury. And this was supposed to be his day off. Tomorrow, a long and thorough investigation of the local army barracks awaits him. There'll be the devil to pay when he finds out who's responsible for this terrible military equipment mishandling. Too bad for the kids though. By the looks of things he won't be able to give them that ride for a very long time.

BOOOM!

"Hm?" When he turned around, he saw in the distance that a manor just instantly fell into ruin, and then a tower collapsed, and finally a house was torn down not three blocks away from him with this rumbling grew alarmingly louder. A chain of destruction that is heading his way, and the latest one was of such close proximity that the Grand Knightmaster knew he's about to go face to face with the culprit.

And when he does, even his horse's eyes widened to teacup size. Ray and the horse had just about one heartbeat to duck for cover as the Meteor Chariot blazed over their heads and its whirring wheels missed them by a millimeter.

When he regained his bearings, Ray's jaw went slack when he saw the back of his meteor rapidly disappearing into the street… and unless he's hallucinating, he saw two familiar looking children at the helm. "Gods… no…"

Kira looked back in horror. "Athrun… I think you almost decapitated Lord Yuki."

"Sorry… but this thing is way faster than I imagined!" Athrun screeched in sheer panic. In fact… he pretty much lost control of the horses. Thanks to that, the wheel shanks had torn down the supporting pillars of the aforementioned three buildings which results in their subsequent obliteration.

Kira tried to distract himself from thinking on what horror Lord Yuki will have in store for them… if they can make it back alive. "Do you know where you're going!?"

"I know where!" And yet Kira saw Athrun closed his eyes tight in fright. "J… Just get ready on the weapons!"

"Ready… you say…" Kira looked utterly confused at the equipment Athrun had installed on the Meteor main compartment… Athrun said that this is the equipment he created so that one man can control the Meteor's weaponry on his own. First glance it looked like a miniaturized pipe organ with various kinds of button and levers on them. Press the right key and the weapon will fire. Well… by design, it was meant to be used by a full grown adult. But Kira and Athrun are still 7 year old midgets. Their small hands can barely reach for the gun controls and control the rampaging horses at the same time, so they split the job: the stronger Athrun will control the horses and Kira will control the weapons… once he figure which button fire which weapon.

"Et to… et too…" And the poor Kira was as confused as he can be. Square, Cross, Circle, Triangle, Start, Select… 'What sort of blinkered mad genius would create a controller console like this!?' Kira thought in panic.

"Square Button fires the forward subweapon, the Triangle button fires the rear subweapon, press R1 and L1 and the square button to fire the secondary Subweapon, the lever controls the targeting-"

And the poor Kira was at a complete lost. Couple that with the stress of enduring Athrun's driving and he was quickly driven into a nervous breakdown. And in panic, he pressed the first button he landed his eyes upon.

The X button.

The two main cannon roared and two projectiles were sent ahead of the chariot. They squarely landed on the base of the granary tower right next to the bar. And a loud crack resounded and the whole building began to tilt. Dangerously so.

The Gangsters gaped and they quickly dispersed. The granary landed with a loud crash right on top of their prized cannon. "What on earth?" The head gangster finally saw that gigantic chariot is coming their way and they quickly identified it as a Hakutenkun's chariot. "Oh Fuck me! It's the Hakutenkun! Run! RUUUN!"

Some of the ruffians took their horses and rode off while the Chariot is still some distance away, leaving behind some of their friends who didn't bring any. And then, bolting out like arrows loosed from a bow, 5 knights burst out of the bar and quickly apprehended those left behind. "Those scums stole our horses!"

Kira saw that they're nearing their destination and yet Athrun isn't slowing down. "Athrun…" They're closing in. "Athrun…!" Kira repeated a tad harder. Did he not hear him? He didn't know that Athrun was so tense, he's closing his eyes in fear and his fingers are all stiff. "ATHRUN!" And then Kira saw something that made his heart stop. And that was also when he decided to stop asking and do it himself. And the 'it' is to take the reins from Athrun's stupefied hand and yanked the horses to stop.

The Horses stopped, but not fast enough, their iron-shoed hoofs skid across the road… Kira pulled the reins with everything his got. "STOO~OP!" And finally, the horses stopped… 3 centimeters away from a puppy dog who fainted immediately. Kira heaved up and down in relief. At that time, Athrun also regained his bearings. "Kira? Wh… What… we stopped at last?"

"Yes, we stopped." Kira groaned as he descended from the Chariot. Yuki's Honor Guard gawked in wonder when instead of their lord, two children jumped down from it. "W… What? Who are you two?" Kira ignored the question and took the puppy in his hands. Apparently, the horses did not stop fast enough, the poor puppy was bleeding. But Kira didn't know just how bad, so all he can do is caress it gently in his arms.

Meanwhile, the Knights are still confused of this situation. "Where's Lord Ray Yuki?"

"He's but a few leagues behind us, he'll soon catch up." Athrun quickly answered as he gestured of an approaching horseman behind them. "What happened here?"

The Knights knew of Athrun and his family, and so they answered. One stood forward to represent the rest. "Lord Zala, I'm count Ashemar, of Lord Ray Yuki's Honor Guard. We were drinking in the bar when we found Absinthe. The Gangsters had been using the bar as place to keep an illegal cache of Absinthe. When we tried to arrest them… they fought back. They were drunk. They were really, really drunk. We managed to beat down a few of them… but the rest managed to escape and call on the others… resulting in that siege. You've saved our lives, Lord Zala. We thank you."

Ashemar said all that in one breath as Athrun pondered on what he just heard. Absinthe is a very, very strong alcoholic beverage. In fact, it was so strong, there's an imperial law in Zaft forbidding its sale in public establishment such as this bar. What's more, due to its hallucinogen effect, Knights on active duty are not allowed to keep them either. They can only be bought via prescription on certain shops, by nobles, for personal use only.

"They stole our horses. Those damn thieves!"

"Don't worry." Ashemar calmed his colleague. "We'll post search warrants for those bandits. They'll be captured before week's end."

Athrun had thought of leaving it at that, but Kira seem to have other ideas. "Athrun… we can capture them. We can use this Meteor to catch up with them."

Athrun rolled his eyes. "Kira… are you… angry at them?"

"Let's just finish this here and now while we can… You coming?" Kira already put down the wounded puppy aboard the chariot and took the reins.

Athrun looked at the gangsters. The dust is still visible. Indeed, with the Meteor's speed, they'll catch up instantly. "Okay." The Raven haired boy quickly climbed the chariot.

Kira pulled the reins and the horses obeyed him. "I'll drive, you shoot. I can't figure out the accursed controller of that infernal console of yours. I think you better simplify the control next time."

"Noted." Athrun moved to the position of the gun controller as the chariot rode off again. Athrun saw the knights are growing smaller and smaller as they left them further and further behind whilst Lord Yuki had just arrived to talk to his men. He can feel the Hakutenkun's gaze staring at the two children. Still, Athrun was curious about one more thing. "Kira, we both know we just secured a fact that the two of us will be the youngest children ever to face a military tribunal for stealing military equipment. So before Lord Ray Yuki catch up with us and do as such, mind explaining why you're so eager to catch those gangsters?"

Kira replied simply. "I will not have them suffer for Ashemar's lies."

Athrun smirked. Of course. As smooth as Ashemar put it, they're not that much of an idiot to trust such lie. But if Ashemar had his way, those punks will suffer disproportionately worse consequences. "Right. Let's go. There are 8 runners. Let's get them all in one shot!"

0000000

The Knights and Yuki watched as the Meteor quickly disappeared into the corner. The Knights had just finished spinning their tale to Yuki. Ashemar had refined his tale further and so his superior didn't seem to suspect anything. But Ashemar had to ask. "My Lord… those two children… Zala and his servant… did you really allowed them to play around with your chariot?"

"I did promise them a ride." Yuki merely snorted. "Though this is not what I had in mind."

"But… those children… they have no idea-"

"Oh, they have more than ideas alright." Yuki let loose a small chuckle. "And I'd watch my tone with them if I were you, Ashemar. In a few years you might have to call them 'My Lords'."

0000000

The gangsters squealed in disbelief. That damn Meteor Chariot is still hot behind their tails and, Lord help them, it's closing in fast.

"YaaH! YAAAAHH!" This time, Kira is firmly in control of the horse while Athrun operate the weapons. Clockwork machinery moved the weapons in place of manpower with precision machines are capable of. Somehow, Kira's angry passion was shared by the horses under his reins, and they all pushed their legs faster.

Before long, two of the runaway gangsters can already feel the Meteor horses' breathing down their backs. To avoid being crushed, they have no choice but to split up, making way for the chariot to pass between them. But the Chariot's shanks are coming towards them, and in this narrow street they have no more room to avoid the scything shanks. Fortunately, Athrun had no intention to hurt anyone, as per Kira's request. With a flick of a switch, the shanks were pulled back. The two runners sighed in relief… until they saw the two precision spear launcher turrets trained their barrels towards them. "Ah…"

"L2 and R2 Button to switch ammunitions…" The clockwork mechanism of the precision cannon stuffed a blue colored package into the barrel. "Charging with the Triangle button… aiming with joystick…" Athrun narrowed his eyes. "Net harpoon loaded… charging complete… and fire!"

BANG! BANG!

The lance was gas propelled at point blank range and they instantly sprang out into iron cord nets. The two perps were nailed to the building walls with the net flattened them to the wall, and there they will remain so until Ray and his cohorts catch up and properly arrest them.

Only 6 targets remained. But they began to realize the real identity of their hunters. "Wait a sec… That's not the Hakutenkun…?" One of the perps had enough sense to get a look at the Chariot's drivers. "They're just kids!"

"What!?"

"Just brats!" One of the gangsters roared. "We can take them!"

"They're brats in control of one of the most powerful manmade weapon in the whole of the Empire you morons!" One of the more sensible gangsters roared. "I prefer a Hakutenkun, at least he'll know what he's doing!"

"There's a narrow alleyway ahead! Let's see them chase us through that!"

Their horses speed up and made a sharp turn before entering the alleyway. Athrun gasped in realization and quickly fired the precision gun, but the spear only managed to nail one ruffian and the rest successfully escaped into the alley. Kira pulled the reins to stop the chariot and the two grudgingly watched as the horsemen rode in that narrow corridor, too narrow for the chariot. "You can blast them with the wheel mounted tristan, but with the amount civilian in there, that is out of the question, even if you've already replaced the ammunition with rocksalt…" Kira grunted.

"No, definitely not." Athrun grumbled. "We'll have to find another way, but by the time we find it, they'll be halfway to Novembrius!"

"Then let's make sure we DON'T lose 'em." Kira whistled in a certain tone.

"Toriiiii!" Materializing from the high sky is the only being who had been Kira's friend much longer than Athrun, the ever loyal green bird, Torii.

"Torii, follow them!"

"Torii!" The bird obeyed and zoomed into the alley. Athrun also opened the map of the continent sized City Aprillus, his eyes whirred searching for an alternative route. His mind quickly plotted a course with the shortest time. "Kira! Let's go!"

The horses neighed as they charged forward under Kira's command. The citizens had to jump out of the way to avoid being run through. Kira, having a poor sense of direction, had to rely on Athrun for directions. But he also kept track of Torii tailing the fugitives from the skies. "Take the next turn and keep going straight!" Kira yanked the reins and the horses made the sharp turn without reducing speed, causing the chariot to tilt dangerously to one side. But as they regained their balance and charged ahead at full speed, Kira and Athrun balked and the driver quickly pulled the reins to stop the horses.

"…an overnight surprise bazaar!? HERE!? NOW!?" Kira roared.

"There's nothing about this on the map!" Athrun gritted his teeth. "Now what?"

Kira wildly looked around. And then he found the answer. "We'll just have to take a shortcut." Kira began redirecting the main cannon.

"Shortcut?" Athrun quickly catch on Kira's definition on shortcut. And while he knew the subsequent consequences of that shortcut will be… devastating… he also calculate that if they take this shortcut, it'll shave the time needed to catch up with the perps by half, and they can get them from an advantageous angle. "Okay… fix the aim by 10 millimeters… to the right… and… FIRE!"

The X button was pressed, the main cannon was fired at the base of the nearby guard tower. The tower began to tilt dangerously to a direction as planned by Kira and calculated by Athrun. It also fell slow enough to give time for the people below to evacuate the premises. "Yosh!" Kira whipped the horses and they stomped forward at speed, heading towards the falling building. As soon as the distance between them has been closed enough, Kira masterfully pulled the reins, and, as one, the four horses knew what their master wanted and jumped, carrying the chariot behind them off the ground. The horses landed on the walls of the collapsing tower, accelerating its fall somewhat with their added weight and they immediately run up the tilted walls to the very top of this falling structure with the chariot behind them. When the building finally touched the ground with a crashing finality, the chariot's wheels had also left the rooftop and into the roofs of the buildings that now will serve as its tracks.

And now, the chariot made the road out of rooftop to rooftop, leaving behind a trail of carved roof and broken tiles behind. With this shortcut, Kira immediately rein the chariot to go straight at where Torii is flying.

The still speeding runaways had just considered of slowing down… until they hear the now familiar rumbling of that infernal chariot that grew increasingly louder, denoting their chasers are closing in on their position. "Oh my God!" The rearmost runner turned over his shoulder, thinking that he'll be welcomed by the sight of that chariot crushing everything in their way… to his wonder, the chariot was nowhere in sight.

And then he felt something just hit him on the back. That something is a half a dozen arrows that struck his back from above. "Wha…" He managed to get a glimpse of that chariot flanking them from their right side, with the Bolt launcher trained at him from high above… and then the tranquilizer kicked in and he fell unconscious atop his horse who quickly trailed behind as soon as it felt its master's whip ran silent.

"4 left." Athrun stated as he operated the mechanism to reload the Bolt launcher with more tranquilizing darts before said weapon start firing bolt after bolt at the runners down below while Kira steered the Chariot as it thread from rooftop to rooftop. The runners can feel the two chasers kept their eyes fixed on their back. They have no plan on letting them go anytime soon. Fed up with this unwanted attention, a runner lost his temper and blindly fired a crossbow at the chariot. That blind shot was aided by a blind luck and almost hit Kira's head by centimeters. The boy fortunately ducked beneath the chariot just in time. But Athrun, seeing his best friend was almost killed, naturally respond in fury. "OI! That's my friend you halfwit! Kira you're alright?"

"Y… Yeah." Kira fidgeted as he timidly crawled out of cover and held the rein again… and that was when he realized a new unavoidable plight waiting in front of them: a magnificent towering colored window depicting an image of George of Glenn belonging to a proportionately massive church. And at this speed, they'll crash right into it head on. "Oh shit… Athrun! DUCK!"

Inside the church, its occupants are still blissfully unaware of the incoming disaster…

A senior priest is angrily explaining to some of the young acolytes under his charge, of the importance of care and delicacy when cleaning said window. "This priceless stained window was donated to this church in honor of our Founding Father by the Grand Pope Leoric the Magnificent five decades ago! And the glass itself is over 2 centuries old, so you imbeciles better have care or I'll have your heads!"

CRASH! TINKLE!

George of Glenn's adorned said glass for two centuries, and now a giant misshapen maw took its place. The Acolytes began to exercise their newfound understanding of care on the foaming priest, lying on the floor with his heart broken and nerve endings wracked beyond sanity's mercy.

Kira climbed out of cover for the second time that day. "That was close… AAH!" Kira shrieked in horror. The cause of that horror was the huge piece of glass embedded on Athrun's forehead. The said victim had yet to understand his predicament for the moment.

"Kira what… oh." Athrun quickly understood and pulled the glass off his head. The gaping maw immediately re-knit themselves in a heartbeat.

Kira rolled his eyes. Even though Athrun had explained the limits of his Bloodline in full, the boy is still having a hard time getting used to some of its aspects. "That was gross… but cool."

"So you say… but your healing factor is nothing to sneeze at either." Athrun smirked.

The Chariot continue to charge on and on, passing through a corridor that is clearly too narrow for the chariot. But the Chariot was made to be sturdy… very sturdy. And the four horses had been specially trained and specially bred. Armored head to hoof, they've been taught to stop at nothing… as in absolutely nothing unless their master wills it so. Indestructible armor united with the indefatigable strength of beastly sinews provided enough force to plow its way through no matter what's in their way, brick, wood and mortar. The Chariot went straight on, but what awaits them at the end of that road is a very small window. "I'LL BUST IT OPEN!" The X button was pressed again, and the main cannon fired. The window was forcibly enlarged, and the speed and mass of the armored beast and chariot did the rest.

With an explosion of dust and rock, the chariot burst through the walls of the church and they're back to zooming across rooftops in pursuit of their prey. Though the sojourn did cause a widening in the distance to their targets, the chariot was quick to pick up speed and soon the distance is closing again.

The runners are at their wits end. The end of that narrow alleyway is in sight, and a wide road awaits them. A wide road means that monstrous chariot will soon be on their tail again, with room to maneuver. Athrun also came up on the same conclusion as he checked their progress across the map. "Past the rooftop of this last building, and we're back on the main street!"

"What building?"

"A restaurant. It's called…" Athrun paled. "…the 'Sky's View' restaurant."

The Sky's View restaurant is a luxury restaurant where its customers can enjoy their meal while marveling the view of the sky…

through its seemingly unassuming, specially made, delicately fragile, painstakingly measured, and thus absurdly EXPENSIVE…

glass roof.

CRASH! "Excuse me, may I take your-!?" TINKLE! "Today's special is stallion-meat steak ala-AAAAHH!" WHAMM! "You beasts! Give me back my salad!" CRUNCH! CRASH! And pretty much everything else panicking people would say when a giant chariot, horse and all, fell from the sky…

The runners entered an intersection of the main street and first they turned left. To their horror, the end of that choice is a dead end. They immediately turned around and take the other way. But by that time, their chasers had finished their quick drive in take out and burst out of the restaurant, their giant chariot barring the way, their main cannon trained at them. All four horses, crunching their salad in their mouth, glared at them. The beasts' grim gaze were matched by the darkness of their master, a dour faced, sauce covered, Kira, who just slurped down a spaghetti strand, and a rather upset soup drenched Athrun, munching a dangling and twitching crab claw that was pinching his cheek.

Cornered with no way to escape, the runners' eyes still blazed with the desire to fight their way. Kira knew this will end ugly. Clearly, that was not what he wanted.

Athrun knew this… so he took matters into his own hand. Getting off the chariot, Athrun step forth and approached the horsemen on foot, step by step closing their distance. The horsemen looked at each other, everyone wondering what the boy had under his sleeve. But then, they decided to just charge ahead and trample the boy down if that's what it takes to secure their freedom.

Kira saw the charging fools, but he was hardly worried.

As the distance between the two sides rapidly diminished, Athrun hardly changed his pace. His eyes turned to slits, fangs growing, nails to talons, skin to scales, hair to spines.

It was then the ruffians noticed the change happening. At first, their horses had yet to slow down as its riders can still stare down at the transforming boy… But then, as the riders are seeing him at an equal eye level they slowed down, until at last the horses stopped completely when the riders had to bend their heads so high up to look at the creature that was the boy staring down on them in turn.

GRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWRRR!

When Yuki heard the roar, echoing for miles away for the whole city to hear, he knew the chase was over and the game is secured.

0000000

"You two pups are in trouble." Yuki crossed his arms as he glared at the two children stand ready before him. "And when I say trouble…" A distant cracking sound echoed, and the Church that had the misfortune of being plowed through by the Meteor collapsed instantly, its fall send a sizable shockwave across the city. The shockwave of the collapse also brought further ruin to whatever's left of the Sky's View Restaurant. Yuki noticed, but he didn't have to turn his head to know that poor building is already beyond repair. "…I mean a seriously huge trouble."

Kira and Athrun winced.

The two children stood upright, while their captives, completely paralyzed in fear curled down with their hands and feet shackled in chains. "Athrun… Kira… will you explain yourself?"

Before Athrun can say anything, Kira step forward and lifted his hand. "It's my fault, my Lord. I'm the one who insisted on the chase."

"You?" Yuki rolled his eyes. "Alright. Explain, Kira."

Kira took a step forward, and without wasting his breath, bluntly stated his answer: "Lord Ashemar lied."

The accused understandably balked in anger. Yuki merely glanced at his honor guard and silenced him before he can let out a protest. "Kira. Do you understand what you're saying? This is a grave accusation to my knights. Which means, it's not just Lord Ashemar's honor, but mine as well. If you cannot prove your words, I don't care if you're just a child, you will be held accountable."

"Absinthe." Kira answered the challenge and answered. "Lord Ashemar stated that they've uncovered an illegal Absinthe cache in that bar. And yet they reeked of Absinthe."

"Well of course I reek of Absinthe!" Ashemar balked. "We just came from a storage chockfull of the stuff!"

"So you claimed." Kira replied. "But what's the proof that bar really kept an illegal cache of Absinthe?"

"None left." Ashemar answered coolly. "They burned the whole stock before we can stop them."

"Then, you're saying that the smell of Absinthe that permeates into you only came recently…" Kira moved on. "And yet, both Athrun and I smelled Absinthe on lord Yuki's chariot."

Yuki blinked, and Ashemar balked.

"Lord Ashemar is the charioteer in charge of controlling the reins of the horses, is he not?" Kira jerked his thumb on the section where drivers are stationed on the Meteor. "We rode that thing halfway across town, and we nearly get drunk by the smell of Absinthe permeates into it very strongly. Alcohol's scent doesn't permeate into objects so quickly unless it is constantly in contact with something that smells as such."

Now Yuki turned to Ashemar for explanation, and Ashemar immediately knelt down. "My lord… I'm terribly sorry. It is as the boy had implied… Yes, I am rather fond of Absinthe. In fact I have my own vineyard, and a wine cellar beneath my home. And Absinthe is indeed one of my favorite beverages which I drink quite often. But I'm your knight, the knight of this realm, and as such I respect the law. I know the law forbidding them. And seeing that I am your knight, I had taken the necessary steps to ensure it will not impede on my duties! On my honor, I swear this to be truth, My Lord."

The Grand Knightmaster seem indifferent regarding his honor guard confession. "And yet I still don't see the connection between Ashemar's drinking habit… and your insistence on chasing these people, at the cost of destroying half the town."

"The truth." Kira merely answered. "I did it to protect the truth that is about to be mocked by Ashemar's lies. And he's still trying to mock it with more lies. Ashemar lied that he found a cache of Absinthe, and then he blamed these people for starting a riot. But they didn't start it." Kira suddenly stood in front of the gangsters. "THEY did." And he accusingly pointed his finger… at Ashemar and his men.

"I beg your pardon?" Naturally the accused looked incredulous.

"Like I said, the scent of Absinthe told me everything." Kira glared. "You were drunk in that bar. And in your stupor, you play sword and you injured one of them… and now they want retribution." The arrested Ruffians eyes glimmered with hope as they gazed on their diminutive defender.

This Ashemar clearly took offense. Enough that he pulled out his sword. "I will not have you stand there and mock my honor boy! Continue to do so, then I must ask you to prepare for the consequences!"

"You should prepare for yours. You just showed me the truth yourself."

"What?"

"Lord Ashemar's sword sheath." Kira pointed at the said object. "The edge of the sheath socket where the sword came in is full of tiny little scratches and marks, and yet the rest of the sheath indicates it's brand new. It's a sign that those scuff marks happened recently, probably last night, as well as this morning. He had trouble sheathing his sword because his vision is blurry and his hands are shaky due to effects of alcohol. That means he was drinking heavily last night, and this morning he still had a hangover and yet he's still craving. So he brought two bottles." Kira quickly explained as he pointed at the sheath.

"How do you know there are two-"

"Because you broke one. This morning you picked up Lord Yuki, driving his Chariot, but knowing that you'll get a free time after you drop Lord Yuki off, you also brought your own horses. You kept your Absinthe on your saddlebags." Kira dropped the saddlebag he took from the reclaimed stolen horses. "I found traces of broken glass in one of the bags, and it's damp and stinks of alcohol, as it was drenched by it. The first bottle was broken in your bag, so you brought another one. When Lord Yuki dismissed you and your people this morning, you went straight to an unassuming pub, where you can drink copiously… but then well, the riot starts."

By now Yuki was half convinced of Kira's tale. Before Ashemar can say anything, the Knightmaster asked: "How do you know the absinthe doesn't come from the bar?"

"The bar. Absinthe is, as you said it yourself, is forbidden on public bars. One can only buy it through prescription, and given the tax the government levied on them, one look at the bar, one can easily see that Absinthe is CLEARLY beyond their price range. I mean, if they have enough money to buy something as expensive as that drink, they'd be better off using that money to fix their rooftops." Kira quickly added. "Which also means that the Absinthe doesn't come from the bar… it came from Lord Ashemar."

Ray remained indifferent. "That still doesn't prove Ashemar started a riot."

"The proof is in Ashemar's actions." Kira remained confident. "He burned the bar, issued a warrant for the escapees. He's trying to silence the witnesses, preventing them from telling the truth."

"IT'S TRUE MY LORD!" Suddenly, the arrested fugitives find their voice again. "He was dead drunk, and he harmed my brother! He's the owner of that bar, he sliced his arm off!"

"He LIES!" Ashemar roared. "You lying lowlife! How dare question the honor of Lord Yuki's personal guard! My Lord, tell me you're not seriously taking this boy's word against the word of your trusted Knights!"

But Athrun had another thing coming. "How bout if we take your word against lab test?"

"Test? What test?"

Athrun respectfully bowed to Ray. "My Lord, with your permission, I would like to conduct a test on their urines on the hour. It'll take 48 hours for alcohol to be broken down in human body. During that time, alcohol level can easily be examined. If these people had consumed more alcohol than they should, we would know."

And Yuki nodded. "Permission granted."

"My LORD!?" Ashemar gasped in horror.

Yuki glared at his honor guard flatly. "Take the test, or confess. You have nothing to fear if you're not false."

Ashemar wildly looked between Lord Yuki, and the two boys… and finally… the only thing he can do was to grind his teeth and knelt down in defeat and confession. And soon, the other Knights also followed suit, confessing their folly with their prostration. In the face of this admission, Yuki sighed. "My only question… is why Ashemar?"

"…" Ashemar didn't answer. But Kira deduced it quickly. Though he has a problem remembering the right one word to describe it. "Difort… Defoy… Devoce… Athrun, what was the word again?"

Yuki and Athrun figured out the word for Kira. "Divorce?" Ashemar turned his head down.

"The ring finger. There's a mark where the ring used to be… it's gone. I heard that happened when people separated from their wives."

The Knightmaster had heard enough. This has touched a rather personal issue. "I think that's quite enough for today. I will hear the rest of this in my office tonight, Ashemar. For now, you will relinquish your weapons and your badge."

The prisoners behind Kira and Athrun jumped in excitement and cheered their gratitude to Kira. But Kira firmly silenced them with a grim look. "Don't get me wrong. You lot are still going to do time for stealing horses, inciting unrest, and resisting arrest… and you still need to tell us about how you can get your hands on a cannon you're not supposed to be using."

The captive gangsters calmed down, and one of them, the leader stated: "That's just fine with me, young lad. Whatever you need, as long as justice is served for my brother's severed arm."

"One thing I don't understand gentleman." Yuki joined the conversation. "Pertaining this riot, you're clearly innocent. Why did you run? If you're innocent you should've stayed."

"Would you believe them?" Kira answered in place of the prisoners. "Would anyone so much as to listen to them?"

"You know I would." Yuki was the rare type of Nobleborn who divide right and wrong in a clear black and white.

"They didn't think you will. It's their word against 'their' word." Kira looked between the dirty and ragged innocent gangsters, shackled and tied, and the glamorous guilty knights, with nothing tying them down. "And who can blame them? You're the Grand Knightmaster, Lord Yuki. The perpetrators on this incident are your own honor Guards, knights hand-chosen by you. As you say, this isn't just about your knights' honor, it's yours as well. Now what sane man would dare to test the honor of one of the most powerful man in the empire?"

Yuki's eyes widened, finally catching the full meaning of the boy's words.

"If it wasn't you who personally mediate this case… if it's one of them…" Kira nudged his chin at the onlookers. Most of them are nobles who looked upon him and the gangsters with scorn. It doesn't take a genius to know which side they'll take. "The truth will be forever buried, bent so as to damn the innocent, while the perpetrators are protected by rank and nobility. The rank and nobility that… you… gave them."

The Hakutenkun was rendered utterly speechless. And he was not the only one. Athrun, the gangsters, even the whole street watched in shock and awe at the boy. Did he just criticize a Hakutenkun in the face?

0000000

Perhaps that was the first time when Athrun began to feel that Kira was not just a brilliant prodigy. Lord knows Lord Yuki shared his thought because on the next day, while his father cursed the gods for tormenting him with such a reckless (the amount of people suing the Zala family), destructive (4 masters of the house and one owner of the restaurant send the bill for their destroyed dwellings), and blasphemous son (The Grand Pope himself wished Athrun a week in hell for the damage he had inflicted on a centuries old church), Ray Yuki decided that the discipline these children needed are military discipline. With the swift agreement of his fuming father, the two children are to follow a mandatory lesson on the basic Military Command School. It felt odd entering a class filled with students who are older than them by at least 2 decades, but there they are. That was the day the two were introduced to the art of war. And like everything else… they excel at it.

Still, Athrun always made it a point that he kept his scientific hand clean when it comes to the military. His modification to the Meteor is one thing, and Athrun had even gone so far as to study Lord Yuki's military record to find the perfect control mechanism for the Meteor's various weapons. But if anything, studying the hellish battlefield a Hakutenkun had gone through simply made him dislikes conflict even more. If he had his way he'd remove every piece of weaponry on that chariot and replaced it with picnic apparel like automated snack server or umbrella springer or an air conditioner or something.

Under Yuki's supervision, Athrun became a talented strategist, but he kept his inventive genius separate from the military aspect and never once he contributed any invention to it. His father disagrees and many times he pushed forth military projects down his door. His mother clearly disapproved, and there has been many times his parents clashed over this issue.

In the end, to appease both sides, Athrun took on a project that is not of military nature… but not exactly civil either.

0000000

9 years ago…

"The Energy project?" Kira blinked. "And your idea is this… steam sphere thing?"

"Yes." Athrun giddily drew the blueprint on his workdesk. "If this works, it will help a lot of people."

"Or kill them." Kira frowned. "Your father will most certainly found a military use for it."

"I know." Kira's point made him less eager to continue his work. But he continued on it nonetheless. "Still… I know I'm a beginner in this industry. I knew only what I've taught myself, and we have little to no references. I need some advice."

"From who?"

"From the people I'm sending this letter to." Athrun showed the address of the completed letter to Kira. The boy recognized that address.

"You're sending this… to Orb? The Berlin branch Morgenroete academy?" Kira rolled his eyes.

"Orb is the only country in the world that had a fully efficient and effective steam engine. None master the art better than them." Athrun explained. "I'm sending a blueprint of a steam engine concept for them to study. Maybe they can give me some input."

"Will they answer though? Other than their top secret bushido art, steam engine is one of the knowledge they jealously guarded. I even heard stories of how their captains go down with their ships to ensure the destruction of their steam engine so that not even its wreckage remained to be studied."

"Well, that's why I didn't put in my name, and I certainly won't tell them what it's for. I'm sure Orb gets thousands of letters from some garage inventor sending their ideas of an invention. I'll just slip mine into one of them."

"It could be months before you receive an answer though."

"Naturally. But I'm patient. I can wait."

But contrary to the long wait they were expecting, the reply from the Morgenroete science academy came as swift as a short two weeks! Their answer even clearly implied that they've always known who he is, even though Athrun had been extremely careful as to not let even a single mention or clue of his family name, putting a fake address to further throw them off, and yet this letter was sent right to the main manor of the Zala Household, addressed directly for him by name.

"As expected of Orb's information network. Their reach really goes far and deep." Kira scratched his head as Athrun read the letter. "So… what did they say?"

"Well… they said…" Athrun frowned in annoyance. "…that an 8 year old like me better stick to sucking my lollipop rather than wasting their time." Athrun also pulled out a package. "They even returned the package containing the blueprint intact. Intact as in completely untouched. They didn't even so much as to read it."

Kira twitched. "…okay… they were too brutal in their choice of words… and 'yikes' on their treatment. But they have a point, Athrun. We're only 8 years old. They've been doing this for decades before we were even born. And no offense, but we both know we're not the only geniuses in this world. Probably somewhere out there, there's someone who's really, really good at this… wa~ay better than you."

Despite Kira's attempt to ease his young master's disappointment, it was obvious by the twitches in Athrun's eyes just how much pounding his pride took from this demeaning treatment. This was further proven because on the very next day…

"Athrun… what are you doing?" Kira gawked.

Athrun had bashed down the walls separating 4 rooms to merge it with his current room/workshop for the sake of this project.

"What do you think genius?" Athrun grinned. "I'm building an engine to build my steam engine!"

It took a full minute for Kira to come to terms with the fact that his dear friend is still pissed off with that reply. "Athrun! Calm down! If they say no, there must be a reason!"

"It can work Kira! The theory is solid!"

"It's a theory! And theory is not solid until it's proven. Until it's put into practice! That's your own rule of a thumb, as I recall!"

"Then help me prove it." Athrun turned around and grasped Kira's shoulders to look him in the eye. "Help me finish this project as you always have! With you at my side, I know I can do this."

"I…" Kira is still skeptical, but he just can't fight against that much hope burning in Athrun's gleaming eyes. As always, Athrun truly believed that what he's doing, he do so to help people. Even though Kira knew a portion of that virtuous reason has been sullied by a desire to heal Athrun's damaged ego, that part will never change. Thusly, Kira's next decision was easy. "…alright."

Athrun grinned. "Then let's get to work!"

And for days afterwards, the two children worked hard around the clock to make a reality of Athrun's greatest invention yet. And while Athrun mostly utilized both his massive intellect and great strength of arms to manage most of the work himself, Kira can still find work in the support role, such as ensuring there's a fresh mountain of sandwiches available whenever Athrun's stomach began to rumble empty. But… it wasn't until the later stages of the project did Athrun finally noticed a talent in Kira that he wasn't aware of until that point.

"Athrun… what is this?"

Kira was pointing at the sphere that would house the awesome power of the Steam Sphere. It was made of thick stripes of metal with reinforced frame.

"That is the sphere for the engine. Ah, be careful with it. That thing is the most delicately unforgiving part of the whole system."

"Unforgiving… how so?"

Athrun stopped for a minute both to chew down the sandwich Kira brought him and to explain. "The strength of a metal plate is dependent on the monotony of its structure, the purity of the metal, so to speak. The purer, the stronger the metal will be. The problem is that Metal plates are shaped from molten iron ores and raw iron ores has their impurities. Because of that impurity, the melting point of different batches of iron ores will also vary. Some melt faster, others melt slower. The differences can be minute or significant, but the slight impurity of the metal was resulted from those differences, as do the varying qualities of steel."

Kira could scarcely understand but a few words of that explanation as smoke rise up on his brunette head. All he knows is that his young master could use some help. "So you're saying… for this Steam Sphere to be perfect, you need… 100% pure steel plates to cover the shell?"

Athrun laughed. "No. Technically speaking, 100% pure steel is impossible. Even if we try our best to refine an iron ore, there will always be some substances who managed to found its way into the mixture: dirt, rust, graphite, other minerals… No. For the Steam Sphere to work, while the steel plates must be strong and tough to achieve maximum strength, it is also important to mix in other material to make it tensile and elastic so as to not break so easily against overwhelming pressure. But most importantly… each plate HAD to be… identical with one another. Otherwise, a single weak-spot, a single impurity, and the shell will shatter."

"Identical you say…" Kira narrowed his eyes. That's the only word he understands anyway.

"That's why I spent all night to make those plates from a single batch of metal mixture. That way, those plates will be more identical with one another."

"…Athrun… I hate to disappoint you but…" Kira sadly concluded as he frowned at Athrun's confidence filled smile. "None of those metal plates are identical."

"…what?" Athrun blinked.

"That one has a… 0.1 millimeter hole in it. And that one has… something else mixed into it, so a small 3 millimeter wide patch of it was 0.5 millimeter thicker than the rest. On the other hand, that one is thinner by 0.3 millimeter-" Kira's offhand remark was halted when he saw how low Athrun's jaw had dropped.

At first, Athrun didn't say anything and Kira thought he took offense of his remark. But then, Athrun silently took the sphere, pluck out the plate that Kira said to be faulty and split it in half with a hammer and a nail, right on the spot where Kira said the impurity lay. And as he undone the work that had deprived him from a good night's sleep, he saw the truth in Kira's word. A sliver. It was but a small, barely noticeable sliver of metal that is definitely NOT iron was found in the layers of the broken cross section of the strip. He cracked open other strips sentenced to be faulty, and each test only lend more credence to the accuracy of Kira's judgment.

"Kira… you can notice something as minute as this?"

"That and lost more. That one has a stain of 0.5 millimeter dirt on the small 3 millimeter patch and… and…you… can't?" A puzzled and confused Kira timidly asked.

That was no sarcasm. It seems even Kira himself did not know that what he did is not something anyone can do. Athrun was surprised, but not unpleasantly so. All Advanced are able to absorb varyingly enormous amount of information in a single glance… but invariably more so than a Natural could. But, if Athrun may say so himself, unique unto Kira, he has this talent to be able to spot minute details. Details others would often ignore. Details so tiny, one could say they almost didn't exist at all unless its significance pointed out by an observer as acute as Kira. And today, perhaps years of continuously using this gift, consciously or not, had further developed this amazing eye for detail into something even more refined.

'Is this… Kira's bloodline limit?' They never did figure out exactly what Kira can do. He's physically underwhelming, even by Natural's standard. His saving grace, his intelligence, while rare, is not enough for his value to be deemed fit for duties more worthy than his current post. Granted, Kira was also quite satisfied with his job, so he didn't question it. They know that he's a Paramecia type by the fact that his physical composition cannot change into elements and neither can he change into a different species. 'Is he an Eye Type? Maybe…' At any rate… this ability is practically heaven-sent and it could not come at a better time! "Kira… come with me!"

Athrun dragged a still confused Kira to the harbor market to meet with his regular traders for minerals and ores. A shop owned by a Forge Corps Centurion.

"Lord Courtney! Lord Courtney!" Athrun yelled several times.

Courtney blinked in bewilderment as he saw his favorite customer arrived with a confused and certainly out of place butler dangling behind him. "Athrun? How can I help you today?"

Athrun is still trying to catch his breath. "About my project…"

After a brief explanation, Courtney brought the two children to a room where raw iron Ores are sorted and collected based on their quality. Kira was brought face to face with rows upon rows of carts filled with Iron Ores.

"Okay Kira. Do your thing!"

"Umm… Athrun… what exactly are you looking for here? I mean… what kind of Ore you wanted?"

"The ones with as little impurity as possible."

"But… I had no idea what was that supposed to mean!"

"Hrmm…" Athrun plucked one. "Look at this one. Is it pure or not?"

"…I think there's this 3 millimeter weird sliver on this patch, and there's the two millimeter bubbling swell there, and then there's this footprints of flies on… the last one doesn't count right?"

Athrun fought an urge to facepalm. 'This is going to take a while…'

5 hours later, and the two sleepy children finally procure a single inspected ore sample whose quality Athrun deemed of sufficient grade, as inspected down to the gnat's eyebrow by Kira. After that, the two children spent a few more weeks afterwards to sort out ores whose quality matched the first sample. But… perfection is impossible… without a few bumps. For one thing, Kira has absolutely no understanding on what can be considered a pure ore, and what is not. As expected of the boy who used to get B- on Geological Chemistry. And so, Athrun had to give his butler a crash course on the subject. He catches on quick, but not that quick.

One morning, Athrun looked in satisfaction as a cartload full of ores they have collected. It took great, great pains to get to that amount. Seriously. Sometimes they have to wait for the next shipment to arrive because the ones they wanted aren't available in the earlier shipments. Just a few more ores, and he can finally move on to the next-

"Uh… Athrun…"

"Yes?"

"I think… this one ore is a lot better than the first one we used as the main sample."

"Really? (Yawn…)" Athrun took the ore. "Different as in… this one is better than the one we currently used?"

"Yes."

"…what makes it better?"

"…I just noticed that this one doesn't have the fault that the first sample has!"

"Faulty… FAULTY!?" Athrun snapped. "But I thought you picked them up to be perfect!"

"I picked them based on the way I see it! I didn't know that it was a fault until today!"

"Kira… that's the main sample… for the whole truckload… that took us so long to collect! If that sample is faulty than the rest is…"

"…faulty as well?"

"Yes." Athrun groaned.

And so they had to start over again… throw away the first batch and redo. They spent another 3 weeks and they managed to get halfway there until…

"Athrun… I just noticed this one is… way better than the sample… I didn't notice it because… I think I was sleepy… at the time."

And they have to start over again… and again… and again… and again…

'…lord almighty, give me the strength not to pluck those damn overly perceptive eyes out!' Athrun was on the verge of tearing his hair out when Kira pointed out another newfound flaw… and they have to redo the whole thing… again.

Thankfully, as Athrun had declared himself, he's patient. And after weeks that almost turn to months… they finally managed to collect enough for the project to finally continue to the next stage, for real this time.

Kira watched nervously as Athrun toss in the ores into a huge vat of glowing red hot molten iron. It went through a series of refining process to further ensure its purity before Athrun pour them into a mould that will shape it into the plates that will form 1/8 of a sphere shell. Athrun showed the first cooled metal plate to Kira. "What do you think buddy?"

Kira strained his eyes and nodded. "Yes. Perfect."

Athrun's grin grew wider. "Right. One down." Athrun gently put the first plate on the table. "7 to go."

Athrun was so happy that his project was this close to completion, he worked hard day and night, so excited he was, he had even forgotten to sleep. Kira, as a close friend would, shared his happiness and excitement, and continue at Athrun's side, wide awake as long as he's awake. In the next 3 sleepless and excited days, Athrun completed the other 6 plates. All those 6 plates were appraised by Kira's unforgiving evaluation and passed with nothing less than perfection. But on the last day, the last plate, Athrun finally noticed that while Kira share his enthusiasm, he didn't share his stamina. Multiple times he caught Kira fell asleep standing up, and right now he finally gave in to his rest on top of his chair. He was dead tired. Athrun smiled in understanding and covered the sleeping boy with a blanket before he continues on his work.

But as Athrun shaped the last of the metal to create the final shell plate, he began to notice a problem… he's running out of iron. Worse, there aren't any of those pure Iron Ore left… and it was in such a critical moment too. "…oh no… ehh… what to do… what to do?" Thinking quickly, Athrun snatched a few handfuls of his normal Iron ore stock and poured it into the vat. They melted instantly, adding more iron into the mix. The final plate was finally finished without a huff, and to Athrun's eyes, it looked perfect, just like the rest.

But it's not Athrun's eyes that will evaluate them. It'll be Kira's. Athrun gently nudged his most able albeit sleepy assistant for the final checking. "Kira! Wakey, wakey! Judgment time!"

"Hrmmh? Whrf…" Kira slowly roused to wakefulness, his eyes are still somewhat heavy and blurry. But Kira tried his best to pry it open and looked at the final plate. "…perfect."

"And that's a wrap!"

"Ya~ay…" With a limp thumb up, Kira fell back to sleep. Again.

Athrun smiled. Kira had certainly earned his rest. As for Athrun, the hardest part of the project is over… well… for now that is. Now it's to the chemistry lab which he's pretty good at and he can continue this part alone. But he'll make sure that he won't be alone when this project is completed.

The next morning, Kira finally woke up only to see that Athrun had made massive strides on his progress. In fact, the Sphere has been assembled, and the machinery that Athrun had set up has been hooked into it, ready to operate.

"Athrun?" Kira is still trying to adjust to these new surroundings. He must've entered a very, very deep sleep that Athrun was able to do all this without waking him up. "Athrun?" He called again, for his young master was nowhere in sight.

"Over here Kira!" Athrun called.

Kira turned to see a grinning and triumphant Athrun by the control panel of this machinery. "Come here!" Athrun watched happily as Kira climb his way up to his place. "It's finished. I'll just pull down this lever, and the construction will begin promptly."

"Really?" Kira looked around the machinery and saw chemicals and other substances he didn't know circulate around the whole mechanism. "Wow… So it's… done?"

"Yes. I'm just waiting for you to wake up!"

"Why?"

"Why? Why?" Athrun laughed. "Kira, you made this possible. This thing is as much as it is your creation as it is mine. If it's going to be completed, you earned the right to be the first to witness it!"

"I… well… thank you I guess?" Kira timidly answered.

Athrun chuckled, but his face shifted to a more solemn look. "Listen, Kira… I've been doing some thinking."

"I'm listening?"

"Let's tell Mom and Lord Yuki about this ability of yours. Maybe from there we can work something out about what your bloodline limit really is and maybe… I don't know… I think it should be enough to put you into knighthood or something. With your abilities, you'd make Duke or Baron easy-"

"Athrun…" Kira chuckled in glee. "You know me. And you know I scorned and pissed at our people's obsession with titles and nobilities. I don't need Knighthood if they're going to prevent me from doing what I want, when I want. And right now, I'm doing just that."

"But you can be so much more than a butler!"

"I know I can. But I'm a butler right now because I choose to. I don't believe in fate predetermined by one's blood, but in this instance, I suppose I could say it is providence." Kira smirked. "What are the odds? My best friend is working on an invention that can help countless people, provided it was done right. And then, as if preordained, I happened to have exactly the kind of ability needed to help you perfect it. That just makes me very happy. If being your butler means I can help you, then I say: screw knighthood."

Athrun was not only overwhelmed by that answer, he felt humbled as well. You don't have to be a knight to live honorably. This butler before him understands this simple fact many citizen of Zaft fail to grasp, himself included. "Kira… what have I ever done to deserve this friendship from you?"

Kira reply is that of a meaningful smile. "Come on. Let's just finish this."

Athrun smiled as well. "Right." Athrun placed his hand on the lever and threw the switch on. "Let's roll!"

And with that, the machines roared to live. Gears turned, pistons pumped, pipes rumbled and whistled and the gauges instantly moved to maximum. The chemicals boiled furiously as they coursed through across the machine, mixing in a pre-calculated chemical reaction. And then, the pipes leading into the sphere began to rumble as well, a sign that the chemical is entering the sphere.

"The two chemicals mixed in that shell results in a very explosive reaction. That's why the Sphere had to be perfectly tough and airtight, to contain and compress that chemical reaction and store the energy released inside that shell."

"Right." Kira nodded… but as the subject once again returned to the case of the shell, Kira suddenly noticed… something… is seriously wrong. He asked himself why didn't he notice this until now. Kira didn't realize of course it was because he was sleepy when he made the final checkup. And now that his drowsiness is gone… his eyes regained its pinpoint clarity… and all sorts of alarm that denote everything that is wrong in this picture in his eyes just blared at the top volume in his gut. "Athrun… the metal… I think there's something wrong with-"

"Not now Kira!" An excited Athrun was too preoccupied as his project is reaching the final critical point… and that was when the crack finally appeared for all to see.

And suddenly a flash of blinding white filled their line of sight. For Atrhun though, that flash was just an instant, because then, his vision was filled with the sight of Kira jumping in front of him. "ATHRUN!"

"KIRA-what… NOOOOOO!"

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When Athrun opened his eyes again, what he saw was the sky, covered in white. As his consciousness began to test his other senses, he noted that couldn't feel anything but cold. A freezing cold that bites all the way through his flesh and bone. "W… Wha…" His ears also couldn't hear the words from his own lips. Athrun's brain commanded his body to move, but if they obeyed, he didn't felt them. This numbness finally gave birth to irritation, and with it, the desire to figure out what the hell is going on, and so he willed himself to regain his senses.

The first to recover was his ears. Unfortunately, the sound of screams of horror and the cracking of fire did little to give him the clarity of his situation. But as he concentrated, his sight also returned… and the white blur further sharpened into shapes… of clouds, smokes, and frozen half shattered rooftops. Having regained only two out of five senses, Athrun struggled to gain more information of his surroundings so that he can make sense of what little he sees. He struggled to bend his neck so that he can turn around to see the situation…

He was buried, halfway through his waist, beneath huge chunks of frozen rubble. The rubble that fell upon him when his invention blew up and knocked layers of the ceiling down upon him. The screams came from the many butlers and onlookers who came to that section of the house when they saw a gigantic explosion of ice that towers all the way to the sky, blowing up like… a quarter of the entire manor.

Athrun watched all this and he finally understand that his invention caused this. He looked back to himself… and then he noticed why he couldn't feel anything. Because around ¾ of his body was frozen over… and the rubbles had crushed… his everything from waist down to smithereens. "…wait… Kira?" Suddenly, his thought flew to a certain brown haired boy. If it can do this to him… what it'll do to Kira? "KIRA!?" His ears regained enough functionality to let him know that he screamed the name out loud.

But the lack of any form of answer only served to arouse Athrun's panic. That panic accelerated the return of Athrun's remaining senses and bodily functions. "KIRA!" Still silence, and by now, Athrun had lost the patience to wait. Mustering what little strength he can pull from this shattered body, Athrun pushed the rubble off and start crawling with his remaining half frozen limbs. "KIRAAA!" Panting, Athrun climbed to a high enough place so that he can both scanned the surrounding to look for his friend, and to see the full extent of what he had done. The sheer shockwave of the explosion had shattered the windows of every house within 10 blocks away from the said manor, and some of the lighter houses were also knocked away. He saw a tower collapsed into the street when the shockwave rattled it to its frames. "Oh my God… what have I done?"

The horror over what he had created was immediately overwhelmed with an even greater horror when he finally caught sight of what becomes of his friend. From his point of view, it seems the entire left half of Kira's body was frozen! "Kira! KIRAAA!"

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Miraculously, no one was killed in that accident. All the butlers and maids were in safe distance from the explosion, though some are still injured when half the manor collapsed. The incident also saw to it that Athrun lost the entire lower half of his body. It took him a month to recover and for his limbs to regenerate. But that was nothing compared to what happened to Kira. The boy suffered acute frostbite on over 60% of his body and the hypothermia sent him into a coma. Doctors diagnosed that… even if he somehow survived, he'll be crippled for life. By some miracle or providence, Lenore heard of a Medical Nin from orb whose skills were said to be borderline godlike were visiting Zaft. Kira was sent there with all due haste. And then, in 3 months, to the shock and relief of everyone, Kira made a full recovery, but he still had to spend a considerable amount of time confined to a wheelchair.

Athrun didn't recall his mother was ever that furious. Such was her wrath; it eclipsed even her husband's authority as the head of the family. She forced Athrun to swear to Kira on her life, that he will never make another invention like this. In fact, she also banned him from inventing anything else until he straightens up. For his part, the incident did rob Athrun of his taste for experimentation and invention. After the Steamsphere, Athrun didn't, couldn't, invent anything for a very long while.

Athrun snapped out from his trip down the lane of memories as he looked back to the now. His (rebuilt) room. There's not a single invention left in here. He had made sure he removed every scrap of proof that this was once his lab before he departed for the military life. Only a small dust covered wrench that he must've dropped testament to that fact. Empty. There's nothing left.

A loud trashing sound echoed down the hall, coupled with angry yells and voices. Athrun instantly snapped back to vigilance and cautiously crept out.

"8 years! 8 years I've owned this house and I've never been able to put a step in it!" An elderly voice roared angrily. "And don't give me these stupid excuses! I paid you a fortune to clear it up, and all I get in return is your ineptitude!"

"My Lord, your disappointment is understandable, but that's no excuse to endanger yourself by coming here-"

"Silence!"

Athrun blinked in surprise. He didn't know about the elderly voice, though he had a guess, but the second voice… now that's an awfully familiar voice. Athrun silently crawled into a hiding spot in the shadows where he can get a clear view on the events down below.

Ashemar, visibly aged appropriately since the last time Athrun saw him years ago, are leading a whole group of Knights, and they are being reprimanded by an elderly but well built man. Athrun immediately recognized who that man is, for he shares the same facial features with his son… before he crushed said son's face with his hand all those years ago.

"All these years I've stomached the humiliation Patrick's whore had given me and my family!" Lord Mascorrido the senior bear similar features with his son. Flat brick face and all. "Then Patrick sold the house to me. And yet I never have been able to so much as to touch it!"

"Lower your voice my lord!" Ashemar suddenly pulled out his sword. "Come out of the shadow to where we can see you! Do it now before I make you."

Athrun understand that he had been discovered. Before pondering how, Athrun opted to immediately make his presence known.

Mascorrido and Ashemar saw a Forge Corps Legionnaire appeared from the shadow. A perfectly ordinary Knight of the corps if not for his awkward color scheme and the fact that he's here of all places.

"Who are you?" Ashemar asked.

"The years haven't been kind, have it? Lord Ashemar?" Athrun saw little use in subterfuge at this point. Down below, Ashemar's eyes widened in recognition of that voice, as memories of that day in the city burned in his mind.

"You!" The Legionnaire's helmet collapsed and opened up, revealing the teenage aged face of the boy Ashemar would remember. "Athrun Zala? I thought you were dead?"

"Sorry to disappoint." Athrun flatly stated. "And Lord Mascorrido. It's been awhile."

The Lord was clearly less than pleased to meet the person largely responsible for his involuntary removal. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? Right back at you. What are YOU doing here?"

"This is my house! I bought it from your father! This place is mine now!"

"Funny you should mention it's yours." Athrun looked in concern with the ruins of his home. "Based on what I've seen in the last few hours, you haven't done much renovating much less living here. So… what exactly are you doing here?"

"That's not your concern."

"In some ways you're right." Athrun narrowed his eyes. "But events had seen to it that I must be somewhat more inquisitive than usual. And while it's true this is your property, it was once mine. Given the circumstances, I'm afraid I must insist on an answer."

"And if we refuse to answer?"

"I'll persuade you."

And before he knew it, Athrun was surrounded by four knights all bearing him obvious ill intent. He recognized them. Yuki's former honor guards, all sacked together with Ashemar for conduct unbecoming of their post. There was once a time Athrun looked up to them. Now… "You four… have you even lost your honor as knights?"

"Thanks to you and that butler of yours, we've lost our post and our status." One of them growled. "We've been waiting a chance to get even ever since! Since that girly brat ain't around, I guess you're just shit out of luck, Zala!"

"You condemned innocent men for your mistakes." Athrun retorted. "You're lucky Lord Yuki was magnanimous enough to only sack you. Other people get hanged for less!"

They didn't answer, letting their preparation for battle do the talking. Athrun glared coldly at Lord Mascorrido the senior down below. "One last chance, Lord Mascorrido. Answer my question, and I'll leave you to whatever affair you have with this place in peace."

But Lord Mascorrido also had his grudge against him. It was obvious he had no intention to stop his knights to pursue their revenge, knowing it will satisfy his vendetta as well. "Beat him down to the inch of his life, but I want him alive. I'm going to torture him to death myself!"

It seems Ashemar is the only one who's against this. "My Lord, are you sure? If Lord Patrick hears of this-"

"Last I heard, his own father was the one who petitioned him to be sentenced to death." The Noble smirked. "He's not even a Knight anymore. He's a fugitive, no, even better, he's an escaped convict. An outlaw. Right now we're just doing our civic duty to arrest a runaway. In fact, I'm well within my rights to kill him here and leave his body to rot."

Athrun closed his eyes. 'King. Is it done?'

"I finished the first item. The second item should be finished momentarily, but it's not yet ready."

'The first one should be more than enough.'

"But I will not tolerate this form-"

'It was designed specifically to be used in conjunction WITH the Mk. II Aegis Class armor.'

"Oh…" And he can feel Kokuyou's mood immediately improve.

Following, Athrun's discolored Legionnaire armor began to change shape. The Forge Corps Legionnaire armor literally melted, and a different armor crept out of the mass and folded into shape. Athrun had continuously refined the armor ever since his time in Indonesia, adding a bunch of new features, reducing inefficiencies and refined existing specifications. The undersheath is still that of metallic black muscle fibers. The initial lizardlike scale surface monstrous armor has been smoothened to a sleeker layered armor that form-fits his body, composed of armor plates interconnected by the black muscle fibers, a pair of long plated side waist armor extended down. The arm and leg mounted blades that used to hang by a winch was replaced by a more elegant mechanism where the blades sleekly extended out of the forearm and knee mounted seams before it seamlessly slink back into a layered sleek and angular gauntlet and greaves. As was his way, it has no revelry or ornaments, only functionality, but Athrun allowed himself some vanity by adding some decorations such as the multiple badges with the symbol of Z for Zaft and the Z of his family insignia in multiple spots.

But the centerpieces of this new armor that differentiate it with the previous version other than its sleekness are its new shoulder pads. The Shoulder pads are longer, sleeker, and more angular than the previous jagged form. Armor plates of similar design are also featured as knee guards. Another distinct feature is a series of dial pad system with three gems embedded on various locations around the armor. One pair fixed on each shoulder guards, another pair on each waist guard, and a single pad set at the center of the belt area. The gems on the pads glowed with power of three different colors: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

As for its offensive features… Athrun extended his right hand where a mass of Kokuyou formed into an orb in his hand… and then from both sides of the orb a thick hexagonal staff extended out in sections until it reached the proper length of a polearm weapon fit for the wielder. The whole weapon is composed of four sections. At the end of front-most section a three pronged spearhead was formed, each with a different weapon protrusion. The first that formed was that of an ornate hammerhead, and then on the back side of the hammer, a sharp fluidly spiraling spike took shape. Topping it all off, thrusting out at the center, a spearhead with a distinct wavy blade, similar to a local short sword he found on Indonesia. Said main spearhead was noticeably longer than the first two protrusions. Finally, on the other end of the rearmost section of the staff, is a crescent headed blade, a vertically protruding axe.

The end result is a dark crimson Halberd with varying weapon protrusions attached to each of its prongs. Spinning the halberd atop his head, Athrun slammed the weapon on the floor hard enough to crack the floor as a warning. "En garde." Accompanying that challenge, the helmet slide out of the Aegis armor's collars and took shape upon Athrun's head, creating a layered full face protector that completely covered his head, capped by a distinct singular horn protrusion on the forehead, bearing a glowing neon green gem. The only openings visible are the two slit holes where one can see Athrun's green eyes blazed in the darkness.

The four knights looked at each other while measuring this opponent, weighing the risk and options. But then they nodded to each other, founding bravery in their advantage in number. And the first to charge was the Water Knight armed with a pair of swords. One held a normal length sword, the other a huge zweihander, which he easily wielded one hand. The first that came is a horizontal slash of the normal length sword. Athrun easily dodged the first sword slash and as expected, the zweihander came next in a plowing stab. Athrun retaliated with a one hand swing using the spike side of his pole arm weapon. The Water Knight raised his sword to block the strike, but to his horror, the spike utterly pulverized both his sword and the arm holding it, and more. Upon impact, the excruciating pain he knew he'll receive didn't burst, instead, he felt… cold. Freezing. Literally! His sword and shattered arm were instantly encased in ice! "What the-" Before he can arrive on an answer, the second wave of attack came, this time from the butt of Athrun's halberd, AKA its axe head. The sheer force sent him flying through three layers of dusty brick walls. He landed half dead with a shattered left arm and broken spinal cord.

The next Knight, a Wood Knight carrying a three chained flail marched, swinging his weapon over his head. Athrun's free left hand shifted slightly, and a jagged arm blade swivel out of the seams, burning red hot with flaming veins bursting out of its surface, coming from a gleaming white hot alchemical circle grafted on its surface and resonating at a high frequency due to its hollow center. With a single flaming swing, the three flails were cut to melting stumps, and while the wood knight had yet to register that fact, the wave bladed main spear head burst into flames before it pierced through his armor and then his stomach. The Knight's subsequent scream grew louder as Athrun easily lifted the skewered man up. The stench of burning flesh filled the air.

"What you guys failed to understand… was that Lord Yuki's mercy that day was due to Kira's pleading for him to be lenient. He doesn't want you to bear too big of a grudge. He fears its repercussions to the people involved, himself NOT included. Kira was always too nice for his own good." Athrun coldly stated beneath the helmet as firm as his battle hardened heart. "But I'm not that nice." Athrun swing the spear and the man hang by it along in a circular spin. The Iron Knight managed to duck the impromptu bludgeon in time, but the Earth Knight was a little too late. The Wood Knight was yanked off the spear by the momentum and crashed head first unto the axe wielding Earth Knight, sending them both flying off down the stairways.

The Iron Knight is the only one left standing, and he's starting to have second thoughts. But then, he steeled himself and tossed away his tower shield and wielded his war hammer with two hands, as if challenging the fellow Iron knight to a hammer showdown. Athrun accepted the challenge as he held his pole-arm weapon with two hands, the hammer side at the ready. "Mine's set for Earth though…" Athrun shrugged. "RAAAAAAAAGH!" The Knight lifted his hammer over his head and rushed forward. Athrun didn't rush, but he waited, his hammer laid low, ready to welcome the attack. As the Knight brought his hammer down, Athrun's hammer swing up, both weapons collided with a deafening ring, sending a shockwave that reverberated across the estate, splitting the ground beneath them and the already fragile structure of the building. While the convulsion continue, both combatant seemed locked in a stalemate, thought it was obvious that one side is struggling to maintain that stalemate, while the other side didn't seem to be troubled in the slightest. The stalemate ended when the former faltered for just a splinter second, and thus became the loser when he was launched screaming through the roof for his defeat by the after-burst of the winner's upward swing.

Athrun looked down and saw the surprised and terrified look of Lord Mascorrido. He jumped off the balcony and landed firmly on his two legs, cracking the floor even further. Ashemar didn't seem to be surprised by how easy Athrun dealt with his comrades, all of which are veteran Elemental Knights. "Athrun… that spear… the elements you bend… they're more than just iron and metal."

"Well, I am an Iron Knight. But-" Athrun's words were briefly interrupted when the last surviving Knight, the Earth Knight roared and descended upon him from behind with the Axe rise up to cleave the boy in twain. Without so much as turning an eye, Athrun merely responded by slamming his spear to the ground, and the runes on the Crescent blade on the spear's butt glowed green. The ground briefly cracked before a mass of slithering thorns tower out and engulfed the straggler before crushing him to a stain on the ceiling. "-if you recall, I'm also Lord Yuki's student."

Realization dawned on Ashemar as he nodded. No wonder the boy was favored to be the next Hakutenkun. 'He's essentially the second coming of Ray Yuki…' And then, they can hear the sound of footsteps. A multitude of footsteps, the march of a lot of people heading their way, given the fact said noise grew increasingly louder. And finally, an army of rudimentarily armed warriors came in, led by that Iron Knight he sent flying through the roof. 'Lord Mascorrido's Free Companies…' Essentially, it is Zaft's equivalent to the Alliance militia. Hired conscript, brigands and mercenaries. He counted roughly 50 of them. "I downed 3 Elemental Knights in seconds, and you think 50 sellswords can stop me?"

To answer that, Athrun heard more and more footsteps coming… many times more than the first wave. And now, there at least 10 times their number… give or take a few baker dozens.

Athrun rolled his eyes. 'That's more like it…'

"Whelp."

'I'm busy.'

"When I speak, you will listen, whelp! And listen well."

'What?'

"…you're not very fond of the artistic side are you? My new body is somewhat… dull… cosmetically."

'I didn't design this thing with fashion in mind. I'm an engineer not an artist!'

"Clearly. At least this second thing you had me constructed is more artful."

'…if you've completed it then bring it out ASAP! Lord knows I need it now.'

"Hmph. Isn't someone in a bad mood?"

Regardless, Kokuyou complied with Athrun's request without a fuss. A new mass formed on his left arm this time. At first, it's a simple, seemingly unnecessarily thick, kite shield with multi layered plating with angular design matching the rest of the new Aegis armor. But unlike the plain angular armor, the shield bears what appear to be some artistic designs in form of multiple metallic heads of leering wolves. Topped at the upper edge of the shield, is a metallic visage of a woman. And then, four serpentine masses extended out the edges of the shield, forming four armored mechanical segmented chain swords that framed the shield with razor sharp edge. Creating a bigger and towering kite shield that is almost as big as the wielder.

But then, as if signifying the perfection of the new Mk. II Aegis Armor, additional Silver platinum ornate decorations formed on the various edges and sleeves of the armor's gauntlets, greaves, shoulder pads, and chest plates. Accompanying them are the many glowing neon green gems that appeared on various parts. And to finalize it, a kingly but tattered dark red cape burst out from his shoulder armor that expand far and wide on his back, floating inches away from the ground, and a long cloth of the same coloration burst out behind the helmet's signature horn, creating a long pommel. Athrun stared at the color scheme of his armor of dark violet, black, the contrasting Silver Platinum and Neon green, and then this… cape. 'King?'

"I've checked your messed up head and I don't see any more designs to complement this armor. This cape is the manifestation of what's left of my unprocessed body… in case you came up with something else… Master."

Athrun suppressed his shock that the ego-obsessed Weapon called him master for the first time. "…thank you. You're not so bad after all are you?"

"If you take so much as a scratch against these pushovers on my maiden run, I'll have your overstuffed head on a pike!"

'I take that back.' Athrun cracked his neck nonetheless. "Simultaneously or wholesale. Take your pick."

They looked at each other… and strangely enough they can't reach a consensus. Opting instead to look for the one who pay the bills for the decision. And the decision is…

"Whoever can kill him will get 10 times the promised pay and a knighthood."

And in unison the next scream that follow was a unanimous: "ATTAAACK!"

Men rushing, men jumping, men screaming, men swinging weapons. A wall of murderous will driven by greed filled his vision. But to Athrun… that's just like presenting him with a larger target. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Athrun swing his halberd, burst of fire, swirl of ice, and a hail of stone trailed along with each weapon protrusion that denotes them and slammed the ground. At least a few dozen attackers were thrown by the blast, some were burnt, others crushed, the rest frozen. Running past the fallen warriors, other warrior rushed in as one mass, intending to use their bulk to ram that tank of a knight down. Athrun merely snorted and slammed his shield before him and stand his ground.

BAM!

The faces of the front most chargers were smashed flat against Athrun's shield. Others behind them fare no better as they collided with the halted front, and the one behind them further lend weight to the pressure, some are even thrown off their feet and piled up over others in front. As for their target… Athrun barely budged from where he's standing. His thick shield didn't even take as much as a scratch. He slowly moved a step back and lifted his hammer halberd. The Earthen Alchemical circle runes on the hammer lit up.

They realized what's coming and tried, in vain, to quickly run out of the knight's crosshairs, but they're still piled with one another in a tangled mess. Unwilling to wait till they break free, the Dark Violet Knight slammed the ground. As expected, the earth capsized and giant shards of rock and stone shot out. Unnaturally, they shot out in a straight line towards the piled victims, and each shard was shaped… in a form of earthen hammers the shape of giant fists. The tangled sellswords were as helpless as they can be when a dozen gigantic fist of earth erupted under their feet and send them flying to the air.

And while everything is still in air, Athrun lifted the Scylla shield. "COME HERE!" The four Wolf heads on the shield extended out, revealing rods with superheated bundles of steel wires spinning furious around the torques. Physics 101: Spinning hot metal produce Electromagnetic. The Scylla shield hummed loudly, to others, it's like the sound of wolves howling to the sky. As if responding to that howl, all weapons and objects made of metal trembled and immediately flew towards the shield. Some that are wielded are also struggling to wrench themselves free from their owner's hands.

But others that were pulled by the Scylla began to converge, piece by piece, forming a gigantic mass of steel that are glued to the shield. "TESLA STORM!" Athrun slammed the shield to the ground, and an electric storm buzzed around the iron knight, and the collected steel weapons buzzed and whirred in a tornado of steel and fury. The mercenaries were bludgeoned by the buzzing steel masses, thrown helplessly to the air like rags and they fell lifelessly like such. One of them woke up just to see Athrun stride coldly through the fallen. Watching the knight's horrifying visage, all thoughts of prize and glory were forgotten. "…M… Monster…"

Athrun heard that remark, and though he seemingly paid it no mind, it does work as a decent food for thought for the warrior inventor. Scylla Shield, Tetra Halberd, Aegis Armor… those were his inventions that, in a stark contrast to his first endeavors, geared towards battle. Towards harming other people. Yes, after the Steam Sphere incident, Athrun had lost all taste to invent. He spent much of his time to stay by Kira's side until he fully mends. And even then, he stopped all his inventing activity and fill his days seeking other endeavors that would put his brilliant mind for the sake of helping people… that is… until the passing of his much loved mother at the end of that year. And that was when he was freed of his oath to never invent again, and he did start inventing again, if only to distract himself from the sorrow. Problem is… his invention took a sinister turn to a dangerous path… a darker and more murderous path.

And the worst thing is, he threw away a good friend for trying to stop him.

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8 years ago…

A few days after the funeral of Lady Lennore…

All joy had vanished from the House Zala following its matriarch's passing. Everyone, from the disciplined Knights to the lowest servant seem to have lost their spirits, such was their love for the matron. But none of their sorrow, not even if they can somehow be summed together, can match the grief felt by two children bereft of their mother.

Kira sat completely lifeless on the armchair. For several days, he couldn't stop crying and even when he finally does, he was no different than a corpse. He hardly eats or sleeps. No one can seem to bring him out of his stupor even if they bothered to do so. Only one had not the heart to see this continue.

"Kira?"

Kira barely responded. His empty vacant eyes stare up and saw the Head Maid of the Household staff, second only to Lady Lennore in her motherly care of Kira… the woman that adopted him in her stead. Kira shifted his gaze down again. Caridad Yamato quickly called his adopted son's name once again, this time with more urgency in her tone that demanded obedience from the boy. "Kira! Look at me!"

"…" This time, Kira lifted his head and they stayed up. Though his eyes remained dead.

"Kira… I understand. We're sad too. But surely Lady Lenore wouldn't want you to mourn her forever."

By now, though his heart is anything but mended, Kira was significantly better than he was a few days ago, thus at the very least, his adoptive mother's words did get through.

"…what… what would she want me to do?"

Caridad bent down and tucked her head to Kira's. "What DID she say she wanted you to do?"

Kira winced… but then he began thinking. And then… he remembered. That day in the gazebo. He promised three things to Lady Lenore. Doing his homework, staying himself… and… watch over Athrun. "Athrun… Athrun!" For the first time in what seem like forever, life returned to his eyes as a sense of purpose re-instilled. "…Athrun!"

Caridad nodded in relief seeing her son finally regained his spirit. "Yes. Athrun. Your friend."

"Athrun… whe… where is he?" Seeing Caridad's frowning face immediately told Kira that all was not well. "Mom? What happened?"

"We… We don't know what to do."

The door to Athrun's room was bolted from the inside. None of the household staff could enter even if they want to. Kira had become desperate enough that he had regained his wits. One bent wire, some shift and touches as delicate as finger tap to something as rough as a kick, and the door was unlocked, all of its bolts snapped open.

When Kira opened the door, he first thought he entered the wrong room. So he closed the door, checked his eyes, checked the surroundings to see if the wrong turn had been taken somewhere… no. He's where he's supposed to be. "…" So Kira opened the door again… and he's still trying to work on believing what he sees in this room.

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A few hours after his mother's funeral, Athrun's mood was initially pretty similar to that of his foster brother: broken and devastated. But then, it began to take a turn for the worst when Athrun buried that sadness… with anger and hate. All his inventions began to reflect that twisted mind state.

Invention 98,654: Blood hook arrows – hooked arrowhead that was designed to kill the victim if they try to pull the arrow out as the hook will tear their flesh apart. Even if they managed to survive that, shards of the arrowhead broke upon impact; the shards will flow in their blood stream, ripping their veins inside out.

Invention 116,786: Organ cannon – nine gun barrels of hell separated into three decks, placed on a rotary base, each barrel fired a cluster of shrapnels. Has a 100% chance to kill whoever standing in its line of fire, and 60% chance killing the operator if it misfires. Still, the rotary system was later applied on the Isolde artillery cannon.

Invention 122,099: Melta warhead – The shell contain three types of super compressed and highly explosive chemicals divided into three stages of explosion. Front-most is a very, very strong concoction of chemical nightmare that can instantly rust armors and shields to dust. In case that the target is rust proof, the second container contain freezing chemical agent that will instantly superfreeze targets to the point of fracture. After which the extremely volatile and strong acid concoction put on the final container will dissolve rock and flesh beneath the armor off the bone. One arrowhead explosion can affect an entire city block.

And the latest: Invention 165,679: Tanhauser – A supergun project. The idea is trying to create a super steam powered cannon to rival Lohengrin. Doesn't work yet.

A very heavy eyebags had formed beneath his sleep deprived eyes, and his lips had not tasted water or food for long. But Athrun, half mad with grief, had all but forgotten how to sleep, forgotten how to starve or thirst, drunk in this uncontrollable bloodlust and fed by his desire, this need to make whoever took his mother away pay… the boy prodigy had continuously worked on his latest masterpiece of destruction for countless sleepless nights, completely undisturbed.

"Athrun?"

Until now. And for the first in the longest time, Athrun's haze of hatred momentarily lifted as he turned around and saw the horrified eyes of Kira.

"W… What are you doing?"

"…what do you think I'm doing?" Athrun grumpily returned back to his work.

"Athrun…" Kira looked at all this horrifying contraptions his friend had amassed in his absence. He may not be an engineer; he doesn't need to be a genius to know these things can harm a lot of people. "You… You made all this?"

Athrun merely nodded with a grunt.

"Why?"

"…" Athrun didn't say anything, he just kept working and working.

Kira couldn't wait anymore for an answer and stepped in. "Athrun!" He grabbed his shoulder and forced him to turn around. "Athrun, look at me!"

Athrun finally stopped working for once and faced Kira, though his emerald green eyes are now more dead than alive.

"This is wrong! Athrun… you can't create things like this!"

"…Why not?"

"Why not?" Kira couldn't understand why Athrun could bring himself to do this. "Athrun, this isn't what your mother would've wanted!"

"My Mother is gone!" Athrun roared. "And I'm going to make them pay!"

"Them?"

"The Naturals! The bastards who took her away from me! I'm going to make them all pay! Every last one of them!"

Kira shook his head. "Athrun, you're just a kid! You can't kill people!"

"The naturals were the ones who turned Junius into that place!" Athrun roared. "Had they not done that, my mother wouldn't have to go to that damned place!"

"That doesn't give you the right to kill every Natural in the world!?"

"They stole her from me!"

"YOU SELFISH BASTARD!" Kira roared as he finally burst into tears. "DO YOU THINK I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT HER!? YOU THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE HURT BY HER PASSING!? They stole her away from me too!"

"Then help me!" Athrun held Kira's shoulder. And for a moment, Kira can feel warmth returned to Athrun's cold eyes… but it was… stained. Stained with fury and bloodlust. "Stand beside me as always! Together with you we'll take our revenge for Mom! We'll make everyone responsible for taking away the one we love pay!"

But rather than glad, Kira was disgusted. He stood transfixed in horror at this bloodthirsty monster his friend had become. "Athrun… even if you do that… even if you kill every last natural on earth, you won't feel any better!"

"You don't know that!"

"Do you?" Kira pressed on. "When your hands are bathed thick with everyone's blood, would that make you happier?"

In a better situation, Athrun's logic would see the truth in Kira's words. But right now, the boy was far too consumed in anger and hate that his logic had been buried. Athrun's warmth suddenly disappeared. "Kira… are you going to stop me?"

"You used to believe in helping people." Kira growled. "Everything you create, everything you do was to help people! But now? Look at this! Look at ALL this!" Kira gestured to the many genocidal and sadistic weapons Athrun had created. "Your mother won't come back even if you flood the whole world with the blood of her killers. And even if she does, you think she'll be happy of what you did in her name?"

Rage had deafened his ears, and once again, Athrun's eyes darkened. Suddenly, he no longer saw Kira as a friend, but an obstacle. "If you're not with me, than you're against me!"

And for a moment, Kira was frightened at the prospect of having Athrun's in an opposing side. But in the end, Kira wisely understood what must be done. It doesn't matter how much it will hurt Athrun… and himself.

"I will help you with everything. Even the craziest of schemes you can think of, I'd even give you a hand to realize it. Anything… but this." Kira glared. "Human lives worth the same, each and every one. But they worth only when they're alive! To kill the living in the name of the dead is not honoring their sacrifice, it's besmirching it! Why, if your mother could see you right now, she would be disgusted of you!"

"Don't you dare say a word ABOUT MY MOTHER!" In his anger, Athrun momentarily snapped and slapped Kira so hard, it sent him flying until his back was slammed against a metallic plate. Kira even spit blood upon impact. Seeing the drawn blood, Athrun momentarily realized he's gone too far. Regret invaded his heart, but his anger is bigger still and stayed his leg from lending a help.

Kira didn't need it anyway. Spitting out the blood, Kira get back up and grabbed hold of a pipe. "Athrun… I promised Lady Lenore that I will look after you." Athrun frowned when Kira grasped the pipe with hostile intent. "And I will do it… no matter what it takes!" Kira struggled to lift the steel pipe over his head.

Athrun frowned. The fool thinks he stand a chance against him in a fistfight?

"RAAAAH!" Kira charged in and swung the pipe straight towards Athrun.

Athrun didn't budge, knowing it won't hurt him. He even closed his eyes.

CRASH! TINKLE!

When Athrun opened his eyes again, he found to his horror that Kira wasn't aiming at him. He swung the pipe at his table, destroying all of his chemical apparatus.

"Wh… What are you doing?"

"RAAH! RAAAH!" Kira swing his pipe again and again, destroying chemical tubes and glass left and right. Their contents mixed into a chaotic but volatile and dangerous mix. "ORAAA!" And Kira recklessly mixed them all as he destroyed the flask and tubes left and right. Some of those mixtures were extremely acidic, and Kira's steel pipe was corroded. Without pausing, Kira swing his pipe and sprayed them the mixture on everything Athrun had been working on. As expected, its effect weren't pretty.

"Kira! What are you doing?"

"RAAAHH!" Kira kept swinging the pipe, this time he start attacking one of Athrun's deadly invention in an attempt to damage and eventually destroy it.

"STOP IT!" Athrun rushed in and grabbed Kira's arm before he can swing again. He didn't even notice that Kira's hand had gripped the steel pipe so tight it bleeds. But Kira didn't care and kept swinging. "I SAID STOP!"

An enraged Athrun violently yanked Kira's arm and slammed him to the ground. Kira struggled for another swing but Athrun quickly pinned his arm, holding it tight until Kira's fingers weakly unlatched from the pipe. But Athrun was so furious of Kira, he hadn't lightened his grip… in fact, his hold is tightening to a dangerous state. It's getting harder for Kira to breathe, and his bones are making worrying noises. And still Athrun didn't let up.

"A… Athrun…" Kira choked. Athrun's half mad gaze couldn't seem to see what he's doing. Until…

TORIII!

An unusual bird chirp heralded the coming of Kira's oldest and most loyal of friend, Torii. Seeing his master being choked halfway to death, Torii naturally came to his defense. With an angry chirp, Torii smacked to Athrun's face, beak first. It managed to catch Athrun with enough surprise that he let up and allowed Kira to scamper away from his blood mad young master. "T… Torii…" But now he had to watch in horror as Torii angrily attacked Athrun with his claws and beak, not realizing, or caring, of the danger he placed himself in.

"You… infernal… bird!" Athrun howled when Torii pecked his eyelids one time to many. And in a quick grab, and the green bird is now struggling in his grasp. Kira's heart skipped a bit as his mind embraced a terrible thought. "ATHRUN! NOOOO!"

SNAP

A small but sickening bone crack from Torii's wings seems to ring loudly in Kira's ears. Athrun looked at the weak dying creature in his hand and pitilessly threw him at Kira's feet. "Stupid bird!"

Upon seeing the broken near death state of his bird, Kira can only see black. "ATHRUUUUN!"

A pulse of blue light caught Athrun eye… that was his only warning before Kira send a punch with his left arm that struck him full by the abdomen.

Athrun is still trying to figure out what happened. Because on one second, he was standing in front of Kira on one end of the room, and one extremely painful second later, he was already holding on to consciousness on the other end of the room, with, by his count, a dozen of his sturdy inventions –pulverized or snapped in half to cushion his landing when Kira plant a single punch to his now cratered chest.

"W… what…?" Athrun looked at his half ransacked workshop. Did Kira just did this… to him… with a punch? And then he saw him, crying, screaming at a mass of green fur he knew to be Torii. His left arm is emanating a blue aura, as do his left eye… "You bastard…" But Athrun's rage is still huge enough to overcome his confusion.

Problem is, he had shared that rage to Kira as well when he broke Torii. "YOU KILLED TORII! AAAAAAAAAAAAARGHH!" Kira screamed hysterically and rushed towards Athrun. Athrun merely stand his ground and wait for the half mad Kira to come. And when he does, the first thing that landed was his left fist. Athrun was prepared for another seething pain but this time… it turned out quite different. It's only a soft thud on his face. Whatever power boost that Kira's left arm had wielded, it's out of juice now…

Good news for a very pissed Athrun, bad news for Kira.

"You wretched scum!" And with a punch of his own, Athrun brought Kira down to his knees. And that punch was the precursor to the next, and the next, and the next. By the time Athrun landed another punch, Kira's blood splattered on his face. In that moment, a spark of sanity found its way to Athrun, and now he beheld Kira's bloody ruined visage. And that was when he realized he had drawn enough blood from him to cover his fists with Kira's blood.

"F…"

"!?"

"Fi… Finish it…!" Kira's lips trembled as he could barely speak the word out. "Do it! Finish it! And remember!"

"!"

"You will remember… what you did today… of the lengths you went through… all in pursuit of your vengeance!" Kira's eyes glared at Athrun. And in that moment, the blood haze lifted from his eyes, replaced with fear. "You will remember… that you killed your best friend to avenge your mother!"

"Wh…!?"

"You'll have to do it I swear!" Kira growled and suddenly he found some strength in his limb, enough to lift his hand and grabbed Athrun's collar. "If you insist to construct… a road of corpses on your path of retribution… then the first corpse you'll have to lay down… will be MINE! DO YOU HEAR ME!?"

At that instant, thankfully, Athrun finally realized just one second earlier that he's about to beat his best friend to death. By now, his anger was almost gone, and in its place, was horror and shock. Athrun gritted his teeth to steel himself as he yanked Kira up. "I never want to see your face again!"

"AAAARGH!"

Caridad jumped back in fright when her half dead son was thrown out of the room like a rag. Athrun looked darkly at the downed Kira on the floor like staring down filth. Athrun tossed Torii's lifeless body to Kira's hands. "If you ever interfere again… I will kill you, filthy peasant!"

"A… Athrun…" Kira weakly watched as Athrun slammed the door shut before his face. Caridad had no choice but to drag the dejected and half dead Kira away. "That… monster… is not Athrun…" Kira murmured weakly as his tears trickle down Torii's broken body.

But as this happen, another pair of cold eyes gazed down upon them.

00000000000000

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" Athrun swung his weapon again in anger, sending many more of the battered and the broken back from where they came. This anger was not for them. It was for himself. Seeing his home again had brought him down to many memory lanes, and of all those memories… that memory was the one he despised the most. It showed just how much of a wretch he was then.

It's not like Kira's words then didn't have any effect. After that encounter, not a moment goes by where it didn't haunt him. In the end he wasn't able to make any progress whatsoever in the following days after. Somehow, his father had got wind of his lack of progress, because the next week, he fired everyone and sold the house. He also unilaterally slated his son for an early enlistment in the army, in the Forge Corps Academy. At that point, Athrun was still so angry, so hateful of Kira's apparent betrayal, he didn't even care of what becomes of them with the lost of their home and livelihood, and he just accepted his father's decision. A part of him was even glad to be rid of all potential nuisances…

It wasn't until it was too late that Athrun finally realized that what Kira did that day was something only a true friend would've done. And instead of being grateful, he spat it on his face. Someday, he'd want nothing more than to talk this matter with Kira, and then he'll kneel in front of him and beg forgiveness for every single thing he said and did that day.

For now…

"DIEEE!"

Trudging into the past for too long does have its demerit. In this case, Athrun was too preoccupied that a mercenary managed to sneak up and bludgeon his head with a mace. Fortunately, the idiot decided to declare his intent at the top of his lungs. His cloak reacted and halted the mace midswing. The cloak burst back and turned into a mass of cylindrical mass that hammered the straggler to a wall. "…hmmm…" Now that he turns his attention back to the matter at hand, there's still so many. "…Fine." Athrun grabbed his cloak. "…King… you said this cloth is formed of everything you had left unprocessed right?"

'Indeed.'

"Right." Athrun took the cloth off and throw it up to the sky. At first it looked as if the cloth were helplessly blown up by the wind… but then the cloth burst apart into patterns of circuitry that covered the sky above the battleground. The reach was far and wide, every mercenary was well within its scope.

"I've wasted enough time with you peons." Athrun lifted his hand, like a commander preparing to give the order for an attack.

"Reign of Steel."

And the order was given as he dropped said hand.

And in an instant, the metallic circuitry poured countless droplet of the Kokuyou, each turned into a finely forged sword of keen edge. Each weighed heavier than its appearance would suggest as one sword that fell on the ground also cratered it to something that resemble a meteor crash site.

"WHOAAAAAAAA!" And the mercenaries quickly made themselves scarce as soon as possible, but the rain was relentless and heavy. Many didn't make it.

The spray only lasted for 5 seconds, but it had the effect that Athrun desired. Aside from the unwanted but unavoidable total obliteration of the surroundings, those who were caught up in it are in no shape to continue fighting, and those that were lucky enough to have survived it had decided that they had tasted enough of Athrun's capacity for violence for a lifetime. There are many ways to attain knighthood and riches; gambling their lives against him is not one of them. With that revelation, the mercenaries scurried away, desperately enlarging the distance between them and this unholy offspring of war and destruction.

The swords break apart into streams of circuits of liquid metal and they flow back to Athrun, reshaping themselves into the Armor's signature cloak.

All that's left… is Ashemar. Mascorrido must've made himself scarce at some point.

"Lord Ashemar…" Athrun growled. "You can save yourself a lot of pain if you just tell me the answer to my question."

"Perhaps." The Fire Knight brought out his weapons at last… a two headed jousting lance and a shield that… strangely resemble Athrun's shield, minus the mechanical add-ons and other decorations. "That shield… and armor?"

Athrun nodded. "I modeled it after yours. I did say I always liked your armor."

Indeed, Ashemar's Fire Knight Armor strangely resemble Athrun's, the helmet even came with the same forehead horn protrusion and a long pommel. Naturally, Ashemar's armor is less refined, more human, and not as cutting edge as Athrun's. But had Athrun did not use Ashemar's armor as a reference in the design department; his armor won't look as good. (AN: I SO wanted to give you guys a picture… WAAAAHH! TTOTT)

Ashemar smiled as he put the visor down. "A knight finds answer at the edge of a sword. I remember Lord Yuki taught you that, yes?"

Athrun sighed. "Right."

Ashemar raised his lance in a salute, and following the proper decorum of knights preparing to duel, Athrun returned the gesture. And they took their stances. Both being shield wielders and lancers, they placed their shields before them, their weapons extended out of the fortification.

With a jerk of their feet, both fighters charged towards each other. They rushed at the same speed, but Ashemar's jousting lance is longer than Athrun's halberd. Fully expecting this, Athrun used his shield to parry the lance, but by then Ashemar's spiked shield is coming. If he used his Halberd, he won't have time to stop it. So, he dropped his halberd and welcomed the shield with his fist, swinging said limb to his face. Ashemar lift his shield to stop that fist from pulverizing his face. A loud ring resounded when the two metallic objects collided with equal force. The defender jerked back when he saw an imprint of the attacker's armored fist dented the back of his shield. Reacting quickly, Ashemar dropped his lance and unsheathed a hidden knife on his shield and swing it at Athrun's eyes. But Athrun had known such attack will come and dodge it easily before he slides back whilst grabbing his halberd. Likewise, Ashemar also reclaimed his Lance as he immediately charged in again, lance first.

"No." Athrun held his Halberd with two hands and welcomed the stab with a violent roundhouse swing that smash the incoming lance aside. The maneuver caught Ashemar by surprise if nothing else and his huge weapon also drove him off balance to the point he was forcibly spun around, his back completely open. Athrun charged in, Halberd pushed forward for a flaming stab.

SLASH!

Much to Athrun's surprise, Ashemar used the momentum of his initial spin to complete a massive roundhouse horizontal slash that forced Athrun to stop charging and duck. While his target had yet to recover, Ashemar charged in with a multitude of drilling stabs at incredible speed. Athrun was forced to bunker down behind his Scylla Shield to endure the barrage. Athrun steadied his footing and remained calm, enduring Ashemar's onslaught of stabs, waiting, reading the pattern. He waited, and waited… and then as soon as he sensed an opening, Athrun bashed his shield hard enough to repel Ashemar's lance back, open up his defense and at the same time, the boy sent a series of extremely fast and powerful drilling stabs of his own. Ashemar's reflexes instinctively raised his shield to welcome the drilling stab. He was quick to find the boy produced an impossibly strong force that struck his shield three times. End results: it threw the man off his feet until he was slammed against the wall halfway across the room. Ashemar grunted in pain before his body unlatched from the cratered wall and his body fell to the floor with a thud.

Athrun return back to his stance, not relaxing his guard knowing Ashemar would most certainly survived that assault.

As expected, the man quickly get back up on his feet with hardly a scratch, he even had the luxury of chuckling. "Not bad, Athrun. Not bad. I thought you got soft in that Strategic Command School thing."

"What about you? Those trick moves looked awfully outdated. What, you spend too much time jousting instead of fighting?" Athrun retorted.

"Ouch." Ashemar laughed it out. "Now you've done it boy." And then, the Knight transformed. His whole body enlarged to almost twice its original size, and his lower half suitably enlarged and expanded. Two additional legs formed behind his transformed forward stallion legs, and the Fire Knight turned into a gigantic centauroid form, and a pair of wings sprouted out of his massive black stallion lower half.

"Oh, right. You're a Zoan." Athrun nodded. "The rarest subspecies of Zoan, Mythical species, Hybrid Type, Pegasus."

"They banned me from Jousting games because of this… it was a no competition every time I participate." The Pegasus Centaur Knight stood up on its two hind legs, its forward hoofs swings in a challenging gesture. "Come, Athrun! Let me show you the power of the former head of a Hakutenkun's Honor Guard!" Ashemar lifted his lance to the sky, and in an eye blink, veins of fire spiral around the lance, coursing through the Knight's frame. The feathers of the Pegasus wings also burst into fire, veins of flame appeared on the now blackened and hardened stallion lower half. His shield burns bright, and his lance looked like a chunk of burning magma reshaped into a lance. "En Garde!"

With a stomp of his burning hoofs, Ashemar jousted in and his magma lance is already right in front of Athrun's nose. The boy dodged by a hairbreadth, but the accompanying shockwave bludgeon him in full, stunning him. What's more, Ashemar's hoofprints left a trail of cracks behind him, and they're violently exploding into pillars of magma, and one such hoof is right next to him, ready to explode. The explosion came and it threw Athrun off to the air. A clarion of horse neigh and a flapping of fiery wings signs that Ashemar took to the skies. As soon as Athrun recovered his senses, the Pegasus centaur is already right in front of him, a blazing meteor of flame and inferno that struck him full. The boy's world blur into a spin as the impact sent him spiraling out of control in the sky. Unwilling to give him a chance to breathe, Ashemar's wings batted, his hoofs stomped, and he sharply turned in the sky, heading back to the still helpless boy and gave him another stab, once again sending the boy knight into another involuntary swirl.

Ashemar's wings batted furiously, propelling the rest of that centauroid body in a violent zig-zagging maneuver around Athrun, stabbing him again and again, no intention was shown that Ashemar will give the boy the slightest chance to land. As Ashemar flew circles around the red Knight, he also left trails of fire balls. Pretty soon there were dozens and when the infernal Centaur decided to land, there are hundreds of them. And Ashemar has no intention to leave them hanging idle in the sky. He pointed his lance to Athrun, and following that direction, all the accumulated fireballs converge upon Athrun, one after another, fusing into a massive miniature sun, with the silhouette of the Knight at its core. Ashemar coldly twisted his lance, and the miniature sun exploded in a blinding ray of light.

For a moment, Ashemar could only the see the last remaining ambers of his flame dissipating amidst the rising blackened smoke. But that amber let out a glimmer, and Ashemar knew what comes next. He lifted his shield in time to receive a drilling stab from Athrun's flaming halberd, his armor smoking top to bottom but unscathed. Ashemar's hoofs carved across the floor as Athrun's spear pushed him back by a few meters. When it seem like the momentum are ceasing, Ashemar reacted and launched a horizontal slash. Athrun blocked the attack… and his shield does more. The bladed edges of the shield unfurled into four mechanical chain swords that slither and coil around the lance, lashed it tight to the shield. Ashemar grunted as he tried to pull the lance, but the chain swords are tying his weapon tight. Athrun used the momentary pause by kicking Ashemar's shield and jumped away to open a distance, yanking the flaming lance off Ashemar's hand. While he's still midair, the cloak blared and launched a barrage of swords. Ashemar raised his shield again and the swords bounced off away. Bereft of his handheld weapon, the Centaur Fire Knight's arsenal is far from dry. His wings batted up and launched a series of fireballs snaking at his opponent. When Athrun landed, the fireballs are still hot in pursuit. He responded by slamming the spike side of his halberd, generating a bluish white runic circle upon impact, and a mass of icicles erupted and encapsulated the Knight just as the fireballs collided with it in a bursting explosion.

"Well, well… that thing can survive a 500 degree flame? Label me impressed." Ashemar didn't even wait for the smoke to clear to know the boy survived.

"This armor survived a ground zero next to an exploding volcano." Athrun growled as he bashed the remnants of the icicle away to reveal his unmarked self. "If you can do better, I dare you to do so."

Ashemar had to whistle. "You're challenging me?"

"Challenge? That would be playing fair." Athrun grunted as the four chain swords on his shield tightened their coil and crushed the oversized lance to smithereens. "I'm done playing."

"Very well." Ashemar stomped his hoof, more fire burst out of the seams on his body, his wings burst into gigantic pinions of fire, generating thousands of fireballs, not dissimilar with what he used to blow up Athrun the first time. What is different is that this time, rather than converging it on the opponent, the fireball concentrated on user, and the centaur knight became a gigantic fire incarnate. All this in preparation for what is clearly his final charge to end the battle. "You can't stop this."

Athrun remained calm. "King…" Time to use that feature he installed on the Mk. II. "Right arm, Single Bronze OverCharge, if you please."

The dial pad on Athrun's right shoulder armor spin until the dial pointed at the Bronze colored gem. The Gem was then pushed into a mechanism inside the said shoulder armor. A bronze colored pulse of energy particles flowed on the initially invisible circuitry on the surface of the undersuit's muscle strands, concentrated on his right arm and then it flowed into Athrun's right hand, and finally into his Halberd. Soon said weapon is bursting with particles of Ether Mana. Athrun readied his energy enriched halberd, and he concentrated all that power on the Water Spike protrusion. Soon, even Ashemar can feel the hall's temperature just went down by a few dozen degrees. Gigantic shards of snowflakes formed out of the water in the air and converge on Athrun's halberd.

Ashemar gasped when he sensed the explosion of Athrun's ether level to around 5… no 10 times the initial amount, and it's still rising, rapidly so. The two opposing energy swirls and clashed with one another. It'll be a close match. "Hellfire…"

"Absolute Zero…"

"SMASHER!" Ashemar turned into a blur of burning light of the miniature sun he had become.

"Extinction!" Likewise Athrun brought the pike down and gigantic shards of ice exploded in a colossal stream of frost that freezes everything around it.

The concentrated blaze of fire collided with a compressed storm of blizzard and frozen hail. The fire exploded in a towering conflagration and the storm of icicles exploded into rupturing icebergs.

The massive main hall of the Zala manor could no longer contain the impact of two elemental extremes and in a blinding two colored light, the whole section of the manor exploded, its shockwave rippled across the city, shattering windows and other items that cannot withstand such force, reminiscent to the destructive force that Athrun once visited upon that city with the Steam Sphere prototype.

When the explosion finally passed, whatever's left of the now ruined Zala manor is still engulfed in smoke. The victor trudged through the ruins until he finally beheld what becomes of the loser.

"…you really… have become strong…" Though he groans in pain, Ashemar's half frozen face still managed a smile.

Athrun, maintaining his untouchable state throughout the entire ordeal, merely glanced at the senior Knight's state. The only part of Ashemar's body that he can move is the only part that wasn't sealed in ice, in this case, his face. His body looked like it was flash frozen solid halfway through its transformation back into human form, what's with one of his bent leg is still human, and the other still held two legs, one of them still have hoof for foot. And one of his wings, shredded beyond recovery, still sprout out of his human waist. The rest are completely locked or stabbed in place by icicles. "…Like I said… it doesn't have to be like this if you just answered my questions!"

"What… what do you wish to know really?"

Athrun felt little need for subtlety at this point. "I'll be blunt. Did you pilfer my inventions and gave it to the Alliance?"

"What?" Ashemar's eyes widened in confusion. "Are you serious?"

"…" He's very serious alright.

Ashemar rolled his eyes in understanding why the suspicion would fall on him, considering their past. But in this case… "Athrun, we did get off on a wrong foot… but you must believe me… Exiled and dishonored I may be, I'm still the knight of Zaft Empire. I've taken up the oath to protect her beauty and place her integrity above all else, especially petty grudge."

Athrun frowned, measuring the truth in Ashemar's testimony.

"Besides… I never held any grudge over what you and that squire did to me and brethren. It's no more than we deserve for besmirching the Honor of my Lord with my lies." Ashemar confessed. "My family had served the Empire for generations. My father and his father, and all his fathers before them, they gave their lives to defend the empire. And they do so with pride, without a second thought or care for personal gain. How can I, who had lost a measure of whatever esteem they once commanded, had any reason to do any less than my significantly greater sires?"

And for a moment, Athrun half believed him. "…then… could it be… Mascorrido?" Athrun swing his shield, and one of the chain sword lashed out and extended to incredible length. It punctured a brick wall before coiling itself around the neck of one Baron Mascorrido, who's been taking cover behind that piece of debris. With a yank, Athrun pulled the hooked squirming noble through the said wall and brought the man into the conversation. Lying face down before the fully armored knights, the supposedly well built Baron looked small and weak by comparison.

"I doubt that." Ashemar chuckled. "I mean… he doesn't have that kind of cunning. Sure, his whole family hates yours to the bone, but he once said to me that the first thing he'll do to this house is to purge everything that would remind him of your mother and your family and watch it burn down to the last cinder."

"Really?" Athrun raised his eyebrows. Mascorrido, knowing he's no match for the returned prodigal son based on the scale of the battle he had witnessed, had to grudgingly held his tongue and squirm under his cold gaze.

That beside the point, Athrun had to admit that Ashemar made a fine case, and its truth is validated by what Athrun had seen with his own eyes. His house was left completely untouched by anyone for 8 straight years ever since he left it. No signs whatsoever of anyone touching anything.

"Sigh." And so, Athrun believed him. He placed a hand on the ice seal imprisoning Ashemar, and when said hand left it, a small red runic circle was formed. And then, slowly, but surely, Ashemar felt warmer and warmer. The ice encapsulating him are melting… even evaporating at a rapid rate. His transformation back to human was finally completed as well, and when the ice fully melted, a human Ashemar fell off and Athrun kept him from hitting the ground face first by welcoming his fall by giving his shoulder to hold on to.

He gently placed Ashemar on the ground, then he turned to Mascorrido. "One thing I still don't follow. You bought this house, you owned it… and yet you never so much as to… put a foot in it for 8 years?"

"Don't play coy with me Zala!" Mascorrido found his voice again, as well as his anger. "Was this your family's idea of a joke? You sold me this house under the promise of making peace between the two houses, but you left behind that monster guard dog around?"

"Monster Guard Dog?" And now, it's Athrun's turn to be placed in a bewilderment. "I didn't recall we have anything like that back in our household…!"

"Oh really? Than what the hell is-" Before Lord Mascorrido can let out whatever retort he had in mind, another sound drowned his voice. That of a resounding:

WOOF!

Everyone stopped talking.

WOOF! WOOF!

"…Lord Ashemar…" Athrun murmured. That is one loud barking! "…explanation… quick and dirty?"

WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!

"…after your family left, not long after Lord Zala sold your house, a rumor circulate of a giant demon hound made a home out of your house. For 8 years, no one dared to come in, in fear of that monster hound." Ashemar complied quickly. "We brought all those men today to try to bring it down when it slumber during the day, but… our duel had been mighty loud indeed. I'd be puzzled if it didn't catch the full attention of everyone, and everything, with at least an ear."

WOOF! SNORT! WOOF! CRASH! TINKLE! The loud barking grew louder, and this time, it is accompanied by the sound of giant footsteps of a quadruple creature rushing, crushing everything with its massive bulk in the process. The ground rumbled at an escalating rate, denoting the decrease in the distance between them.

Athrun stand ready with his shield held forth and his spear at the ready. And then a loud THUMP emerged from a spot of rubbles that buried the hallway. The Creature collided with the barricading debris.

A howl of anger echoed from the seams, and soon, a loud crash followed, a sign that the creature just rammed itself against that blockade again. Massive chunks of the rubble were blasted out. The monster had strength enough to make a short work of that obstacle. And then another crash, and more rubbles fell off, and this time they can see that monster is right behind what remained of the debris. Athrun even caught sight of the monster's eyes. A green bestial eye. One more hit like that, and the rubble will be plowed through.

That moment came as soon as everyone finished that conclusion, and as soon as the last of the rubbles were sent to the air, the light of the sun revealed the creature's detail for everyone to see.

At first, its obvious canine features were clearly the first thing one would notice; with the creature better resemble a wolf rather than a dog. Its giant fangs protruding out of its elongated snout, covered head to toe in black fur. But… everyone would also quick to notice the many unnatural features the monster wolf possesses. Chief among them is that it's easily three times bigger than a horse. Its fur is more like spines rather than hair. And primarily, above all else…

…it has two heads.

If it weren't for the helmet, Athrun jaw would drop to the floor. Lord Mascorrido gaped and squealed, trying his best to get away from the monster in the flesh. Ashemar also glared in defiance of the abomination. But while the two men saw only the aberration… the boy… saw something else entirely.

There was one minor detail of the memory lane he had forgotten…

…regarding as to what happened to that dog…

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Kira was the first to panic after that wild chariot chase was over. Athrun was equally fretful, as the dog they thought they missed now lay dying in their arms. Neither of them knew what to do, and there doesn't seem to be any vet around.

"What should we do? What should we do?" Kira gaped and was on the verge of crying.

"I don't know." Even Athrun was also at lost. Animal biology is not one of his forte.

In the end, Ray Yuki had the answer. "You hurt him, you heal him."

"How?"

"Athrun! Give him some of your blood. Its regenerative power will do the rest." And then he turned to Kira. "Kira, you mix some of your own with Athrun's. Your intelligent healing system should allow Athrun's blood to adapt to the canine's blood."

The two kids barely understand what Ray Yuki was ordering, but without hesitation they slit their palms and let the blood drip on the poor creature's wound. "Do you think this will work, Lord Yuki?"

"I didn't say it wasn't a gamble." Yuki replied. "I suppose all you can do now is leave it to fate."

Seconds after seconds followed, droplets after droplets poured… and then… a miracle. The wound suddenly re-knit itself, and the dog stirred to wakefulness. When Kira and Athrun finally stopped giving their blood, the dog had already barked happily, even running in circles with no trace of wound left but what blood smears can tell. It happily rushed to Athrun, who joyfully welcomed the pup in his arms. The dog happily licked at Athrun, tickling him. Athrun quickly noticed a side effect of Kira and his blood coursing through the creature's vein: the dog now have a pair of dichromatic eyes of purple and green. Kira's and his. "Can I keep him?"

"What?"

"Can I keep him?" Athrun smiled. "With this, I'll also have a pet, just like Kira have Torii!"

"You will be responsible for that dog's care and raising now." Lord Yuki decreed. "Gods help you if you treat it ill or train it poorly."

Yuki won't hear Athrun complaining or do any of the aforementioned. "So… what are you going to name him?" Kira asked.

Athrun thought for a moment. And then he had the perfect name in mind. "Lord Yuki said… leave it to fate. Well… Fate clearly decided the pup should live… so…"

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Fatum's dichromatic eyes were transferred on the two dire wolf heads he now bears. One head have a pair of purple eyes, the other have a pair of green eyes. And yet it was his saving grace. If it weren't for that particular feature, Athrun would've treated his old pet as an abomination as well… even though his current form would obviously warrant such treatment.

"Fatum?" Athrun called at the monster his pet dog had become. "Fatum, is that you!?" Fatum. Latin for Fate. Because fate had ordained the pup to live.

The monstrous hound heard the call of his name, and responded with a knowing snarl. And yet he didn't recognize the voice that called him. He didn't understand that time can change his master's voice. But it's not the voice he's focusing upon. His two pair of noses sensed three beings whose smell he didn't recognize had intruded upon his marked territory. He had guarded this place from intruders and thieves for 8 years… and now half of it lies in ruin. And these three are definitely responsible. No matter, he will defend whatever's left, even if eventually only dust will remain. Fatum roared angrily and rushed towards the intruders.

But one of the Intruders did something unexpected. He dropped his spear and shield and then cast off his armor.

And as soon as he did so, Fatum's nose was bombarded with a scent that he DOES recognize! A scent he had waited for 8 years to smell again! "WOOF!" And with one pair of happy bark, the two headed Wolf Hound halted his charge. But the momentum of his massive weight still dragged him forward a bit, causing his razor sharp nails to scrape the ground in a hair rising screech. But the two headed Wolfhound managed to stop just inches away from Athrun.

Athrun waited with baited breath as he presented himself for the wolfhound's judgment.

Fatum two heads gently sniffed Athrun's smell. It has this mixture of steel and blood in it… coupled with this thick smell of chemicals… it is definitely his master. He had finally returned. At long last. Fatum two heads joyfully licked Athrun's cheek, tickling him the same way he did years ago when they met the first time. Only in this instance, the tickle came from both sides. All his anger disappeared, his ferocity dissipated… along with its size.

Fatum quickly shrank before Athrun's eyes. From a giant two headed hound into… that puppy that Athrun recalled he saved all those years ago. Athrun lifted the puppy in his arms. He still look the same… he didn't age a day since that time. "Dear God… Fatum… it is you! W… What have we done to you?" He knew having his Zoan blood and Kira's intelligent healing factor in that dog would produce unintended side effects… but he couldn't imagine it would be like this! The question is… whose blood was responsible for this… mess? "Fatum…" Athrun gently caress the puppy in his arms.

"Arf! Arf! Arf!" Fatum happily barked.

"Z… Zala…"

Athrun turned and saw an obviously less than pleased Mascorrido. "I guess you were right… we… did left something behind." Upon catching sight of Mascorrido, Fatum's playfulness turned to viciousness in one breath.

The Baron became somewhat unnerved under the creature's angry glare.

When his mother passed away he had completely forgotten about his pet dog. He spent so much time confined to his workshop, ignoring everyone and everything, including Fatum. But through it all, Fatum remained loyal. When he finally left, the poor puppy must've believed that his master will return someday… And so Fatum made a nest out of Athrun's house, keeping watch over it, making sure everything stay as is until his return to the best of his abilities.

Athrun sighed and felt more miserable than ever. When he went all out against Ashemar, he didn't spare a thought of preserving whatever's left of his family manor… After everything Fatum must've went through to protect it. "Lord Mascorrido, I'm sorry for all the trouble my family has given you… but… I think it's best if you leave the premises… now. Promptly."

"Is that threat!?"

"It's a suggestion." Athrun made his point by letting Fatum go. "I'll try to convince him to leave, but it's going to be a bit difficult if he's hellbent on munching your head off."

As if to put an emphasis his master's point, Fatum transformed back into his beastly form. His fur grew, as do his body, and his head split into two, both pair of eyes glared hungrily at the royal flesh it wanted to dine so badly. And yet, even with bestial fury incarnate staring at him, Mascorrido the senior still entertain the idea to be deviant… And that was when Fatum decided to seal the deal by taking a leaf out of his master.

By giving the stuck up Aristocrat a good loud roar and a chance to count how many teeth he had.

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWRRR!

Minutes later…

A much smaller and more docile Fatum lay down in a curl, content and satisfied of a job well done. The only trace left of Lord Mascorrido is a damp stink stain of piss from where the Baron had fainted standing up for 10 full second before he scampered off when he woke up. Athrun couldn't care less and had begun tending to Ashemar, at the very least, help him to sit comfortably atop the ruin.

"I've shamed myself, doubting your Honor, Lord Ashemar." Athrun began with an apology.

"That's enough of that, Lad. What about you?" Ashemar continued. "Is it true? You defied a direct order from the Emperor?"

"I defied an order from a man who overstepped his boundaries." Athrun growled. "And that order nearly cost me an irreplaceable friend. I had no regrets."

"But then… now you obviously just break out of prison. You're a fugitive. An Outlaw! That's capital offense! You'll be hunted down to the ends of the earth."

"All because I tried to save a friend and stayed the enmity of one of the strongest super power country in the world." Athrun groaned. This thing with that stuck up imperial emissary is snowballing out of proportion. "Maybe this is what I always wanted. To just break away the chain of this suffocating traditions and ceremonies and do what I want for a change."

Ashemar smiled. At the moment, Athrun is less of Patrick's son, more of Lennore's. "…about your misplaced Inventions… I may have something…"

"Yes?"

"You remember that day during the chariot case, if you recall, my colleague and I were besieged by the gangsters, and they're clearly using a completely out of place military grade Tristan cannon."

"I remember."

"After that incident, Lord Yuki immediately conducted an internal investigation as to how those gangsters can get their hands on such military hardware. I didn't know how far, given my sacking, but I hear tell that he was on the verge of an important clue… before his unfortunate departure to Junius."

"What clue?"

"Mercy me, I don't know. There's only so much I can pick up in my exile. But… I did hear that it was indeed… the work of someone from the inside. And Lord Yuki was close. He just… didn't have the time."

Athrun quickly caught on with what Ashemar was implying. Indeed, an inside job is also precisely how his invention can found its way to the hands that weren't meant to have them.

"Lord Yuki kept all his investigative reports in his office in Jachin Due." Ashemar continued. "But that's public record now. His personal journals, war records, even his diary. They're now museum pieces for everyone to see. He already knew that, so he won't place an internal investigation in there. Which means…"

"Yes." Athrun already knew where to look. "I understand." This conversation is over, and so is his journey to the past memories. For now, his duty calls, reinforced with a destination and a clue. "Will you be alright?"

Ashemar smiled. "How can I not be alright? I fought you, didn't I?"

And that was all the assurance Athrun need to leave his senior so that he can mend his injuries in his time. As Athrun left the wreckage of his old house, Fatum loyally followed him, intent on never leaving his master out of his sight, ever. Athrun wished the same on his part, which is why he lifted the tiptoeing Puppy and brought it to his arms. Looking at this house, he suddenly remembered there was one more memory he still kept. The day he finally came to his senses.

The day he parted with his one true friend and brother.

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8 years ago…

Kira glanced back where all the maids and butlers are being loaded onto cart. When the house was sold, Lord Zala also fired all his household servants. They're being harried to the public employment office to be redistributed to another household. That being said… The Zala household, under its matriarch, was untraditionally kind to their servants… a trait that few other Noble household tried to emulate. Athrun grew up considering every single one these maids and butlers his family, especially Kira. Alas… in the last few days, that bond didn't seem to be enough to overcome Athrun's wrath over the loss. Kira looked to the house, on a place where he knew Athrun would usually spend his time… but the curtain had sealed the window shut.

"Move it, peasant!" A stern hard faced guard violently grasped Kira's shoulder and forced him to move away. But the guard didn't spare his strength, and Kira stumble face first to the muddy ground. The guard only saw this as a sign of laziness. "On your feet!" He kicked him, but that only serve to wrack so much pain to Kira's abdomen, he lost whatever strength he mustered to get up. The guard failed to understand that, and he's about to send another kick until-

"If you like that foot, you'll keep it away from him."

The Guard gaped when he saw a dark faced Athrun appeared. The Guard immediately stepped away. Athrun sent him further away with a glare, he needs some privacy. He looked back to Kira. "You're okay?"

"…" Kira didn't say anything. He got back on his feet without looking at him in the eye. It was easy to see that he's still angry at him.

"I… My father decided to sell the house… I have no say about it."

"…" Kira still choose silence for his answer.

"Kira… please… talk to me."

"Where are you going now, Athrun?"

"What?"

"I don't care about that house. My parents and I can still found work, probably not with a better master, but we can still work. Or if not, we can always leave. My parents had amassed enough savings for the three of us to leave Zaft for good. They've done so for quite some time." Kira didn't turn around, but he knew Athrun was listening. "The ONLY reason we chose not to, is because Lady Lennore never gave them a reason to leave her side. Now the woman that binds them are gone, they're free to go wherever they wish."

"…"

"Right now, the reason they had yet to book a ship out of Zaft… is me. And the last thing I wish to be is an impediment to their freedom. But I still have a reason to stay… or do I?" Kira made his point quite clear. If he's going stay, he'll stay for the Athrun he knew and loved as a brother… not that vengeance driven bloodthirsty monster he saw the other day.

Athrun winced. He came here wanting to make peace with Kira. In truth, he still wanted the satisfaction of revenge for what becomes of his mother. But after his soul searching in the last few days, he came to realize that by the end of it, he wished to enjoy that satisfaction with Kira at his side. He had hoped that these last few days would mellow Kira a bit for some compromise… so that he can see things his way for a minute… but if anything, Kira had stiffened.

Athrun's silence gave Kira all the answer he needed. "You're going to continue are you? Even after everything."

"I…" Athrun wanted to say you're wrong, but he also couldn't find it in him to say that he won't do what he had done.

"If that's how you stand… then there's nothing more for me to say."

"Kira, wait!" Athrun grasped his shoulder before he can leave. "Please… I… I don't want our parting to be like this…"

And for a moment… Kira softened somewhat. "…neither do I." Kira turned around and looked at Athrun with the saddest smile ever graced his face. His eyes looked like they were on the verge of crying. "But I have to. Because I have nothing but this. I can't follow you where you're going. Leaving is the only thing I can do to make you understand."

"…" For a moment, Athrun looked bitter at Kira's apparent stubbornness. "Why… why can't I avenge the ones who took away the one whom I hold most dear?"

"Because it won't do you any good." And to make his point, Kira showed something that made Athrun felt nauseated to his very core: Torii's corpse. "You just killed… someone who had been on my side… from the day I was born… Even if I could kill you… do you think Torii will come back?"

"…" Athrun was speechless. Utterly, speechless.

Kira smiled as tears trickled down his eyes. The last tear he'll shed before Athrun… and then he pulled him for one last heartfelt brotherly hug. "Goodbye, brother. I hope you find what you're looking for."

But the Guards felt that was more than enough and they roughly grasped the boy's shoulder and dragged him towards the carriage while Athrun can only watch helplessly and Kira's already small and timid figure grew smaller and smaller…

And then… in one instant when Kira finally vanished from his sight, everything, everything that has been eating him, all the bloodthirst and anger that overruled his mind in the last few days… they disappeared without a trace. All that remained… is one single fact.

Kira was his closest friend and brother… and now he's gone.

Athrun fell on his knees, tears overflowing in his eyes. He finally realized what he just lost. And in that realization… the only thing he can do… is scream.

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The now 17 year old Athrun stand where his 9 year old self once stood.

In hindsight… they did meet again. Quite recently too. Athrun had no imagination on what happened that Kira could end up in Japan after their separation, with a new bird that looked exactly like the one he killed and not so surprisingly, it has the same name…

But when he saw how happy he was then, no trace of anger or hate whatsoever even if he secretly feel different, Athrun truly believed it was for the better, and thus he had no plan to ponder or ask him of it. In fact, if the whole of Zaft army had not showed up the very next day, he had seriously considered the idea to just abandon his mission then and there to leave his friend in well earned peace. And then, he'll go and visit him as a civilian and a friend, and then they'll talk things out. Athrun didn't know if Kira was the type to nurse grudges, but even if he does, Athrun was prepared to pay whatever price just so that he can make his peace.

But fate speak different, and he realized his personal peace must wait with war still on the horizon. It escalated to the point it come knocking on his friend's house. Thanks to that, the long awaited reunion he had waited for almost half his life are messed up, and he had no idea where Kira's now, or if he's unharmed. But what he wouldn't give to know where he is now and hope to God he's alright. Athrun steeled his resolve. First mount Danan, and before that, his friend's home. That was the final straw. This war must be end. And it must end the proper way. The longer it continues, these tragedies will continue to repeat over and over. His proper reunion with Kira must wait. Knowing Kira who would often put others before himself, Athrun knew he would agree.

"I won't be coming back here for a while, buddy." Athrun smiled as he gently played with Fatum. "Wanna come?"

Fatum's only reply is an easily translatable agreeing bark.

When Athrun was finally completed his last reminiscing, he turned around to see the grim faced Guards and Wardens of the Bastille prison standing at ready to take him back home. "Athrun Zala… put your hands where we can see them! Resistance is pointless!"

Athrun rolled his eyes. Ah yes, he did remove his armor, so they hold on to an idea they were arresting an unarmed Zoan. 'No need to hide it anymore.' "I'm sorry guys…" Kokuyou began to drip from his pores. "One day, I will come back and surrender myself to whatever judgment you have in store. But right now… I'm afraid I have to resist this arrest." By then, Athrun's armor has been revealed in full. Worsening the matter for the wardens' forces, Fatum also wished to join the battle and turned into his monstrous form.

Fortunately for them, Athrun had enough of fighting one's own kind for one day. "Fatum, no." He gently caressed Fatum's snout. "Let's just go."

"W… Wait!" The Wardens dared themselves to close the distance with weapons at the ready.

"Whelp, give the beast the honor of my cloth." Kokuyou stated.

Athrun's thoughts exactly as he pulled out his cape and draped it over Fatum. The two headed wolf squirmed uneasily when he felt the cape began to melt over his fur, but Athrun's firm and gentle hand over one of his snout kept him from panicking.

There wasn't much of Kokuyou left to cover the whole beast, so big he was. But it was enough to at least cover the vital points of the dire wolf with the same type of armor that covered Athrun's whole body. The upper half of the right head was quickly encapsulated in a wolf helmet, while for the left head, its lower half received the honor. Both frontal forelegs were covered with armor and additional shredding blades, and the rear legs gained thigh armor plates. The soft-spot on the frontal lower chest were armored and slither around the body to both heavily armor its upper back and formed a saddle around the waist area which extends into segmented plates that cover the upper portion all the way to its long tail.

Athrun quickly mounted the dark purple armored Fatum, and at this height, the wardens never looked so small. "If I were you I'd jump out of the way right about now." As if to enforce this, Fatum let loose his dual resonating howl and then grinded his teeth for good measure.

"Oh shit!"

"Just tell them I hit you!" Athrun laughed. And Fatum jumped over the wardens before he and his master zoomed away at incredible speed. When the wardens looked back to catch at least a glimpse of the monster wolf's swishing tail, the creature had already left, sinking into the darkness of the city's many alleys and gangways. It's amazing that something so big can disappear without a trace so quickly…

"The creature can accelerate to 150 km/hour. No horse on earth can catch it." Ashemar struggled to crawl out of the ruins.

"But… he's a fugitive! We can't just…"

"Leave it you idiots." The former Honor Guard chuckled. "We tried to kill that monster for 8 years. And now the young master returned and it turned to be no more than an overgrown puppy dog, he's off no concern now. Besides, that boy understands his position quite well. You heard him. When the time comes, he will surrender himself. So no worries. Yes?"

The Wardens looked at each other and they finally agreed to call it a day and disperse, leaving the exiled Knight alone among the ruins.

Besides, word had been sent. There's no way the fugitive can leave this island anyway.

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Athrun let Fatum ran as far as he wanted to. It seems the wolf had made himself quite at home in the concrete jungle of that continent sized city. It was amazing to see how very few people so much as to notice his presence, even though his size is anything but discreet. Granted, Fatum can easily change back to his unassuming puppy dog form to avoid any risk of detection completely, but it seems he had also learned the trick to maintain his stealth even in his giant two headed wolf form. The capacity to learn means… massive intelligence to back his already incredibly massive and unnatural strength, now that's a deadly cocktail that will top any steed. As if to put further emphasis on that point, Fatum chose to stop on a narrow alleyway where no one around… just a few short kilometers from the harbor. He understands his master's needs to leave the island, and so he cleverly concluded the harbor.

"Clever boy." Athrun gratefully ruffled Fatum's spine like hair. "You're right. I need a transport out of the island. But we need to do it discreetly. You understand right?"

"Woof!" Fatum immediately shrank to his puppy dog form after that quiet bark and his barding also reverted back to the Aegis armor's cape. "Good boy. Now… how do we get in…?"

Athrun narrowed his eyes and noticed there's an unusually heavy concentration of Forge Corps legionnaires in the harbor. They're loading siege engines such as Tristans and Isoldes with their shots and gunpowder as well as collapsible prefabricated Siege Towers into Barges. Athrun easily concluded that they're departing for a battle. The question is where. "Hm… King, we need to mingle… again. And this time… I expect some professional objectiveness from someone of your stature… please?" Athrun gleefully pressed the right button. "Or are you telling me your ego diminish your rationality to below that of a… hound…?"

Oohh… maker help me, I hate you so much I wish you die a slow painful death in hell! It's working and Kokuyou knows it.

"Yeah? Get in line. You're not exactly the first." Name the Grand Pope, as a start of that list.

Nevertheless, Kokuyou relented and this time, he did it right. The next instant, a single unassuming Forge Corps Legionnaire followed by a harmless puppy dog joined hundreds of others walking around the Harbor.

Athrun approached a Legionnaire managing a few barrels of gunpowder. "Hello brother, need a hand?"

"Thank you brother." The Legionnaire welcomed the help and let his brother lift a barrel for him.

"Quite a crowd here… where are you people going?"

"Oh? Haven't you been told?"

"Sorry… I must've missed the memo."

"Well… officially, we were ordered to arrest that boy, Yzak Joule as well as Lord Raww for breaking the funeral days. Well, you know… that ridiculous tradition that says 'Thou shalt wage war not in mourning days…' tradition? Lord Klueze departed to Archangel three days ago, and the Joule kid a few days before that. So they broke it. Silliest thing to get arrested for… sigh."

"Well, it's a tradition." Athrun chirped. "Because apparently we don't have enough of that already yet."

The Legionnaire snorted. "Our Centurion, Lord Courtney clearly dislikes that, but orders are orders. So he decided to bend it. We'll arrest Lord Raww, and we'll bring with us a whole army and weaponry to reinforce him. After that, we'll arrest him."

"But we're still in the period of Funeral Days, aren't we?" By his count, this is the eighth day of the Funeral Days. If Lord Raww departed three days ago, he must've arrived on Japan today… or yesterday if he really pushed it.

"I know. We have to wait. It kills me to wait."

"That makes the two of us." Athrun continue to converse with that said Legionnaire as he carried the barrel all the way to the barge.

"Hurry up you leadfoots!" The Legionnaire winced when they heard the scolding of their leader, the Centurion of the Corps and Athrun's former instructor in smithery and engineering, Courtney Hieronymus. "We can only depart in a few days, but at the very least I don't want any delays when we can finally leave!"

"Yes, My Lord." Athrun and the Legionnaire saluted.

Courtney frowned when he heard the reply from one of thee Legionnaire, finding it strangely familiar… but then he shook his head and blame it on his imagination. "Carry on."

Athrun and the Legionnaire continued their conversation. "Well, that's how it is brother. If we can get there earlier, we will."

"Indeed." In his mind, Athrun began thinking up ways on how to get off this continent sooner discreetly…

"What is going on there?" Suddenly, the Legionnaire pointed out a bunch of guards and wardens of the Bastille Secundus appearing at their doorstep, talking with the Harbor Guard, a notion that Courtney didn't enjoy, as he looked remarkably angry when he made his way to the wardens.

"What the hell is going on here?"

"My Lord, we have a breakout. And our trackers followed his scent here, so we suspect he might be trying to escape the continent. We need to initiate a blockade of all ships before he escapes. Nothing comes out, nothing comes in."

"And how long this blockade will last?"

"A week. At least."

"Over my dead body! Our brethren are dying out there and they need the weapons we're loading into those ship! In a week's time there might be none of them left!"

"Then help us find the convict and we will leave you to your business in peace."

"Who the hell are you looking for anyway?"

"Athrun Zala."

The name of his favorite customer turned favorite former student brought a change in Courtney's gloomy expression. But he was careful to keep his excitement under wraps. "Oka~ay… he shouldn't be too hard to find…"

Athrun shook his head in bewilderment. 'Those wardens… They're pretty tenacious aren't they?' Athrun unassumingly looked around, searching a way to avoid detection…

Meanwhile, Courtney began scanning his subordinates. Knowing his student, Athrun could easily forge a Corps' armor and blend in seamlessly. The question is, how is he going to find him without these pesky overzealous jailors intervening. "You know, we'll be more productive if we spread out and search?"

The Wardens agreed and they spread out, leaving one warden to stay with Courtney. "What's your bloodline limit son?"

"I'm a Paramecia sensor: The eye that can smell. I can 'see' scent as colors."

"That's useful. And what do you see?"

"That's the problem right there." The Warden rubbed his eyes. "All I see is the heavy scent of steel. Your whole Corps is armed and armored to the teeth, their scent heavily covered by steel, and Zala can be any one of them."

"Let me help you." Courtney then roared. "LEGIONNAIRES, ATTEN-SHUN!"

All Legionnaires stopped on their tracks and turned to their Centurion. "INSPECTION! REMOVE YOUR HELMETS!"

As one, the Legionnaires removed their helmets, and as expected, not one of them are Athrun. What's with the beards and hair and all. But their scents are now out in the open.

"Well?"

"Much better. But I still couldn't find his scent."

"Then he must be on one of the ships. We'll have to check the ship one by one… let's start with mine, shall we?" Courtney's ship was by far the largest of all ships docked in there. At almost twice the size of standard battle barge, and it's also ironclad. It was another one of Athrun's creation. Zaft standard Battle Barges were once designed to carry catapults and trebuchets. Before almost all of such siege weapons were replaced with modern firearms. Heck, they even came built in with a prefabricated siege tower, and they still use crossbows and ballistas on deck. And even then, it still can't hold a candle next to an Alliance Battlecruisers with their superior quality of cannons and ship speed.

Thusly, Athrun designed a new ship from ground up, one that can rival and hopefully surpass their Alliance counterpart. Unlike the angular and boxy design of the battle barges, the war galley shaped like a bulbous and curved trident with a sleek and narrow aerodynamic design. Enormous but lean, the Nazca battleship, as it so named, was designed specifically to use firearms. Fitting that, it is bedecked with almost three times the firepower of a battle barge with 25 Tristan cannons on each side and two rotating triple barreled Isolde long range artillery guns as chaser bow gun, and don't forget the 10 large bore anti infantry shrapnel spraying blunderbuss turrets lining up its upper deck. Despite the added armor and armaments, four massive sails on front, back, and on each of its two side hulls, and multiple rudders at the longer central hull also ensured it will be twice as fast in a straight run… albeit less maneuverable as a tradeoff. It's still in the experimental stage, but mass production was already underway. Which is why Courtney was allowed to appropriate the prototype to be his flagship.

"Yes."

The Forge Corps Centurion and the Sensor Warden quickly boarded Courtney's galley, and the Sensor continue to look left and right. "It's… faint… but it's still covered in steel…"

"Yeah, well sorry about that. Not only is this ship is ironclad, it also has a built in Smithery in it. Let's do this the old fashioned way, look for him room to room. Granted it'll take a while, seeing this is a really huge ship… what say you?"

"Works for me." And then, from one part of the ship to another, Courtney led the warden through every part of the ship, Smithery, Armory, Magazine, Kitchen, Provision storages, even Knight's living quarters. And they all checks out. Only faint traces of Athrun there, but not even his shadow can be found. And finally, there's only one more room that had yet to be checked. "Captain's quarters. My room." Courtney opened the door, showing the Sensor Warden his rather snobbish room.

"Alright." And the Warden started his routine, he searched places where one can hide. He failed to notice that Courtney just locked the door and he just gave a cue to the wall behind the warden… which soundlessly collapsed into Athrun's Kokuyou's cape and the Aegis armored knight swiftly approached the warden from behind.

Poke.

And the Warden was welcomed with the vision of an abundant amount of Athrun's scent coming from the close up view of his armored fist knocking him out silly.

Athrun left the unconscious warden and looked questioningly at Courtney.

"Silly boy. Did you forget my bloodline limit?" Courtney's eyes turned silver platinum for a brief moment. "Material Vision. My eyes can see the minerals and components that composed an object. I can immediately tell when an entire section of the wall is made of materials that don't show on the periodic table."

"What are you going to do now, Lord Courtney?"

"That depends on what are YOU up to, Athrun. You don't do something as outrageous as breaking out of Bastille Secundus just to say hi to your mentor." Courtney took a moment to marvel the armor that Athrun wears. "Is this the new Aegis Armor? Nice."

"Thank you. Still, those wardens were correct. I need a way off this continent. A way off Zaft."

"To do what, exactly?"

"Winning the war."

Courtney looked at Athrun's resolute eyes beneath his dark violet armor. He smirked as he snapped something to Athrun's hand. It's a thick metal key. "You know my ship has a locking mechanism, yes?"

"Of course. I designed it." Athrun quickly added: "In fact, I remember I designed this whole ship to be able to sail through our unkind and erratic ocean with minimal crew."

"At least five, if I read your designs correctly. Which is why you need this ship. You need heavy firepower and a mobile base of operation with minimal but highly capable crew. Raww's stuck on Japan right now, and we have to stay here to abide to that stupid tradition lest we'll be locked in prison for a year. Some of us need to keep their knighthood… you on the other hand: defying an imperial edict, publically insulting the Emperor, and now an escaped convict… Did I miss anything?"

"Well… this early morning I blew up my house – no – it's Mascorrido's house, so it's willful destruction of private property, oh, and I blew up an island off the face of the earth so its environmental destruction, not to mention illegal albeit unintentional genetic experiment on a puppy dog, and don't forget resisting arrest."

Courtney jaw dropped at Athrun's increasingly long and severe list of convictions. "The point is… I don't want to be implicated with aiding and abetting someone with that big of a list of criminal activity. And not that I want to see that list grew any bigger, but let's add defying federal law to the mix… as well as performing a one man hostile takeover of an experimental prototype military ship?"

"Yeah. Why not?"

"That means you have to beat the crap out of everyone on this ship." Courtney nervously added. "Myself included. Oh, and you might want to keep a few of my men around. It's going to take more than one man to control this galley. They can always tell you took them hostage."

Athrun shook his head. "No. Where I go, I go alone. I'm an outlaw. No sense dragging others with me!"

"Athrun, this battleship is huge-"

"Lord Courtney…" Athrun smirked mischievously as he gently placed his hand on Courtney's shoulder. "I'm Athrun Zala."

Minutes later, a huge uproar erupted from within Courtney's Nazca ship. Starting with the unconscious sensor warden being thrown out of window glass, and then one by one, every Legionnaire aboard said giant ship suffered the same fate, forcibly ejected out of various parts of the vessel. At the same time, said ship began to cast off, much to the confusion of all the Legionnaires in the port. The Bastille's wardens immediately realized where their prey is. It was immediately confirmed when said prey appeared… atop his monstrous two headed wolf… and a brutalized Courtney hanging by one of the wolf's head's jaw.

"Sheesh… Athrun… I know we're just pretending but can't you take it easy?" A bruised black and blue Courtney choked a whisper.

"Well, you're the one who ask not to be implicated." Athrun meaningfully rubbed Fatum. "Now off you go!" Fatum growled and swished his head with a jerk, flinging Courtney screaming into the port. Three Legionnaires were pummeled to break his fall. With the last of the Nazca battleship occupants removed from the premises, the ship somehow began to pick up speed.

"How in the name of Neptune did he manage to control that ship alone?" A Legionnaire asked their barely conscious Centurion.

"You're forgetting one thing son…" Courtney snorted. "He's Athrun Zala."

Athrun calmly stood on the decks of the Nazca as pulsing liquid metal circuitry matching the color of his armor flowed from his feet and spreads into every part of that massive battleship and permeates into every component in it. The rigging and roping came to live, sails unfurled on its own, even the rudders rowed as if being pulled by an invisible crew. Simply put, by inserting Obsidian King's circuitry into the ship, Athrun can control the whole vessel single handedly with the force of his will. The Wardens watched in fury as the ship quickly departed and even began to build up speed. "CALL THE COAST GUARDS! SHOOT THAT THING DOWN BEFORE IT REACHED OPEN SEAS!"

The Coast guards quickly moved on to the prepared Isolde Coast guns and they aimed it at the fleeing Battleship. But Athrun had fully anticipated that. With a backward glance and a shift of his Halberd, the battleship gun ports opened up, the cannons extended out, and the ship immediately turned around to reveal its broadside facing the harbor.

"Oi… oi! He's not gonna fire at us… will he?" One of the legionnaire nervously asked. Courtney watched and saw the measured angle of the guns… and he realized: "Yes. Yes he will."

With a slam of Athrun's halberd, 25 Tristan cannons roared, launching 25 fused cannonballs at pinpoint accuracy as directed by the one man that aimed them. And yet the cannonballs weren't aimed at the harbor. The sound of wood cracking and stones blown off beneath the harbor explained that Athrun just aimed at the foundation pillars of the harbor that supported the structures above. Satisfied, Athrun willed the Nazca to leave, one salvo is all he need after all. The sheer weight of the artilleries and the number of heavy armored legionnaires above it will do the rest.

"RUN!" Courtney roared as the sound of wood snapping and stones cracking beneath them accompanied the buckling of their footing. And the Legionnaires, merchants and everyone on the outermost edge of the harbor retreated to inner area.

As expected, with one last thunderous snap, the whole outer porch of the harbor collapsed, all the coastal guns sank with it. Athrun allowed himself one last backward glance over his shoulder to make sure the Wardens and the Coast Guards managed to jumped safely away just in time before the footing collapsed on their feet. Now his hunters can only watch grudgingly at his ship, quickly disappearing into the horizon. And even then, Athrun tilted his halberd, letting loose a pulse of energy coruscating through the circuitry around the ship, and the vessel gained some unnatural boost of speed cutting through the ocean.

Courtney watched in well guarded pride and admiration. The Warden came to him immediately. "Get your ship ready, we have to chase him-!"

"Chase him how?" Courtney smirked. "We're under orders. We're grounded until the Funeral Days are over… that's about… 2 days from now. Athrun will be halfway to India, for all we know."

The Wardens flabbergasted, and with a grit of his teeth, they had no choice but to swallow it and depart back to their prison, angry and empty handed, much to Courtney's secretly immense satisfaction.

The Centurion looked back to the now empty horizon, where his student had disappeared without a trace. "Run wild, boy. Run wild."

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In a blink of an eye, it's already 3 days since that commotion on Aprillus harbor.

Based on the stars and compass that had guided him, Athrun knew he had entered the stormy and violent oceans of Japan, Orb's territory. Even though Athrun pumped the Nazca as fast as he could, he just knew that by the time he arrived, the battle had already begun… and casualties had already mounted. But unfortunately, Athrun can't speed his ship further even if he wanted to. The reason for that is…

Athrun suddenly sensed something. "Veer right!" The Nazca quietly moved to the right. "Alright, stop! And don't move!"

The Nazca went completely still. All the blazing torches that was meant to light up the night were put out, and in an instant, the dark colored ship merged with the darkness of the night. Athrun waited with baited breath… and then it emerged.

A significantly smaller ship than the Nazca quite literally jumped out of the sea moments later. The ship landed on the stormy oceans with a splash, a few short kilometers away from the Nazca.

The ship is small and of compact shape, enough to hold only 8-10 people. Significantly smaller than the battle barge, but only slightly smaller than an Allied Destroyer. With a sleek and streamlined design, and yet it was robust and tough, with no visible opening but what few filtered slits, it was designed to be watertight, given its ability to operate underwater. The shape and its black and white color scheme reminded Athrun of a Killer Whale. It even looked like the actual animal, if not for the fact it was ironclad and more angular. The upper armor plate colored completely in black, while the hull, while sleek and smooth, is also somewhat bulbous nearing the end, presumably to increase its load capacity. The bridge is located near the far back, acting as the 'fin' of this metallic orca. Athrun saw no visible armament or any gun ports, but the Orca-like ship did bear a visible military armament: a single massively oversized cannon, enshrined beneath a sacred Torii Gate, the cannon's caliber is remarkably bigger than even the Alliance's Gottfried at 18 inches wide. At the bottom forward of the lower hull is a pair of this metallic killer whale's enormous 'frontal fins', extending down its hull, connected near the base by a winglike apparatus, a foil. That same foil wing also connected the two turbines at the back which is the ship's main propulsion engine. No rudders, no sails, no riggings, no features one would find in ordinary sail ships… but a few short and compact smoke stacks just behind the bridge told Athrun this thing is powered… by a very compact and powerful steam engine. Highly efficient Steam engines produced by Orb's Morgenroete facility.

In many ways, this tiny ship, even with that oversized gun, is outgunned and dwarfed by Athrun's Nazca… But Lord Knows Athrun dare not to mess with it. Instead, he quieted all sound, dimmed all torches, making sure not even Fatum let loose so much as a whimper. The turret of the smaller of the two ships swivel and scanned the seas, searching for any intruder. Athrun can feel the ship's crews are scanning the surroundings, and he struggled to calm his heartbeat when he can actually feel the cannon turret was trained to his direction. Athrun swallowed a gulp while crossing all fingers he can spare.

But in the end, after a while, the Orca ship rear turbines start spinning, the smoke stacks boomed once, and within moments, the ship began to move away, quickly building up speed, incredible, blurring speed, until even its hull finally left the waters, and only the foils are in contact with it, and without so much as a backward glance, the Hydrofoil Destroyer left. Either they missed him, or they had detected Athrun's ship but they didn't seem to care. Whatever the case, the ship disappeared, with no indication if there will be any form of response to his presence will arrive soon.

"Well… that was lucky…" Athrun breathes again.

Hmph. Why are you so afraid of a single tiny ship like that when you had this dreadnought under your command?

"King, you have a lot to learn about warfare." Athrun sighed. "It's not the ship I fear… it's the super soldiers inside it. We've entered Orb's waters. That just now was a scout. A single Scout has about 8-10 super soldiers in it, and that cannon, the Yamato Chakra shock cannon, can rip this ship in half with a single shot. And have I mentioned the twin underwater torpedo launchers mounted on those frontal fins? Even if we're lucky to survive all that, destroying a single 'Sachi' Submersible Destroyer will call in a hundred more."

Phooey. How droll.

Despite King's skepticism, Orb's Naval force supremacy is unquestionable, even their mere scoutship hold enough firepower to hold their own against significantly larger ship. "But… this is kind of weird…"

How so?

"We just left the International Waters. We barely entered theirs… I've never seen Orb's scout ship ventured this far… huh?"

Observing further where the Scout ship was heading, Athrun saw a silhouette… an enormous silhouette. He thought it was landmass, a small island… until he noticed that landmass is moving. It was no island. It's a gigantic and mobile naval fortress that completely dwarfed the Nazca. And beneath it… hundreds more of those Hydrofoil Destroyers, submerged or otherwise, followed in the nautical giant's wake as it moved slowly across the horizon.

"Gods… above…"

Athrun finally realized he's watching Orb's infamous fleet is on full mobilization. That scoutship was part of this fleet, all of which are heading to kick someone's ass. Momentarily overcoming his awe, Athrun pondered on what event would necessitate this full mobilization. What would anger an army of Samurais to such extent? And then it occurred… Yzak had lost it, and in that rage he must've raided multiple villages along the way, killing many innocents in the process. The Samurais are now on a warpath, a punitive expedition to punish the ones responsible. "Yzak… what have you done…?" This fleet was doubtlessly heading towards the only Alliance foothold in the region, the Archangel Fortress. They have no leads on the wherebouts of the raiding Bladebane army, but they must know where it's headed. But Athrun knew for a fact that the international sea around Archangel has been blocked by Zaft navy, and the Samurai fleet knew, for a fact, that they cannot just punch their way through that blockade, all guns blazing. So here they are, waiting. Waiting while sending out their scouts and shinobis to gather intel. Once they've accumulated enough information, their response will be swift, precise, and deadly. Athrun realized then that time is against him. He must act now. "Fatum, I'll be leaving for a while. You keep watch here, okay? There's plenty of food in the storage, but don't be too noisy."

"Arf!" The Dog barked. Though he's a bit… reluctant. He just found his master after 8 years of waiting and now he's off to go somewhere out of his sight… again…?

"Don't worry. If all goes well, I should be gone for only a few days." Athrun also felt bad. But, this is something he needs to do alone. Nazca can outwit one scout, but not a hundred of them on high alert. The ship had to be abandoned, and to make sure some unsavory character won't try to get their hands on it, Fatum has to stay. After all, he managed to keep his house untouched for 8 years… what hardship keeping a ship intact a few days? With that said, Athrun jumped into the ocean and start swimming. Those scouts wouldn't think of looking for a man going for a midnight swim in this ocean. In fact, Athrun was quite sure that even if they did notice him, the report would sound so ridiculous, they'll dismiss it. With his strength and speed, he'll reach land in a few hours. He'll just use that little beach he found the first time he infiltrated here.

As expected, his trip was unnoticed, and by dusk, the land was already in his sight. But before he can move on… he noticed ships are moored on where he wished to land. What alarms him is that they all bear the flag of the Alliance 7th division. What are they doing here? Closer observation showed there are only a few men guarding them; men tasked to guard the ships… which means the ships are currently empty. Now the question is… where did the occupants go?

Athrun suddenly embraced a terribly bad feeling. The rogue knight wisely decided to keep his stealth for now. Diving deeper, Athrun swam stealthily and quietly landed, sticking close to the cliff walls and keep out of their sight. He also managed to pick up a few bits of information along the way…

"So, what do you say of our new captain?"

"I'd say he's a freak. The guy wear mask all the time, moving about like a shadow… he freaks me out!"

"But I heard the guy was pretty good. I mean, even Toudou obeyed him!"

"Yeah? Then why did he told us to stay here for a week and then this morning he just… harried us off and told us to wear those dead knights' armors… but he didn't say a word of why and he just left us here!"

"Well, yeah, somebody gotta look after the ships… If you don't like it, you could've left with the rest. I recalled you were offered an armor, but you refuse. What's the problem?"

"What's the problem? It stinks! It belonged to a dead man!"

"Pussy. Now we know why he left you behind, you whiner."

Athrun heard enough as he sneak away from the two arguing soldiers. What they said filled him aplenty with information. Kage is now the new captain of the 7th division, and just now he ordered his men to wear Zaft Knight Armors. This indicates he just ordered them to infiltrate a Zaft army, to tear them apart from inside. He must hurry now… when the battle start, if they haven't already, lord knows what calamity those men can wrought…

Rushing into the forest, Athrun wildly looked around, pushing his senses to the limit to detect any sign of a battle raging… to his nervousness, he didn't hear or feel any. Either the battle's done… or… hopefully, it hasn't started yet…

"Quickly my lord! This way!" A battered Knight burst out of the bushes, not looking where he's going because he was too concerned of his master faltering behind him. When he turned around at last he came face to face with Athrun, who already clad himself in his Aegis armor.

As if on cue, a wounded fire knight, dripping with lava, dragged his feet out of that bushes along with many of his men, all injured. When they also saw what the first knight saw, the Knights, not recognizing Athrun's personally customized armor quickly showed hostility for their self defense. Athrun, seeing their wounded situation realized he arrived too late. Thankfully, the Fire Knight was someone he knew. "Lord Ignis. It's me."

Igniz blinked when he heard and recognized that slightly distorted voice… "Athrun?"

"What happened?"

"Betrayal. Some of the knights in my battalion went crazy and attacked us from inside… my men… slaughtered… ack! Kage… he… must've bewitched them-" Ignis choked and fell. His blood glows orange hot like lava. Each drop seared the grass instantly before quickly dying out, preventing a larger fire. Athrun quickly came to the Knight's help. Seeing the knight was on their side, the other knights relaxed their vigilance.

"No." Athrun shook his head. "You were infiltrated by some of the 7th division's soldiers clothed in a clever disguise."

"How did you kn…Urh…" Ignis groaned.

"You need help." Athrun quickly concluded. "Come on now, you need a medical atten-"

Before Athrun can finish, a gasp cut his words. That gasp is the final death rattle of a knight with a giant Zweihander cleaved through his chest from behind. The culprit kicked the dead knight, revealing his satisfied snarl.

"One down… few more to go." Canard smirked. All his swords had been destroyed, only Harlbarton's blood bathed zweihander remained. "And who is this new fucker?"

"Probably just another Knight!" Kamina followed suit, his giant drill sword at the ready.

"Be careful." Toudou appeared next. "I had a feeling this one isn't like the rest."

"Let's just finish them off quick." Setsuna appeared behind Athrun, blocking their way out. They're surrounded from all four sides. "I'm worried about Archangel. I think it's under attack right now."

"You think?" Canard snarled. "Well, like Kage said, kill everyone, but keep that one alive for questioning!" Canard motioned Ignis.

Ignis' guards angrily growled and stood ready before the wounded Ignis, ready to sell their lives dearly for their master.

With a cry, the four Juppongatana charged in. A knight lift his shield to block Kamina's stab, but his drill tore the shield to shreds before it did the same with the knight holding it.

"Oi! Keep the armor intact! We need them!" To make his point, Canard beheaded another knight by the opening beneath his helmet.

"Right you are, Senpai." Setsuna also refrained from slicing the knight armor and all, he grabbed a knight by his neck and snapped it instead.

Toudou soundlessly slashed a Knight with a swift clean stroke to the opening of his armor around the waist. The armor was undamaged, but blood poured out of the seams as the Knight fell dead on his knees.

The remaining two Emerald knights stood their ground and formed a two man shield wall. The three Juppongatana, eager to finish the job swiftly, charged together in unison. Kamina get there first and rammed the shield with a full body slam, breaking the shield wall apart. With the defenses broken, Setsuna close in for the kill and jammed his palm through the Knight's chin from below before he had a chance to put up his defenses. Canard lifted his zweihander and was about to stab through the last one. The sword was brought down, but a thick massive kite shield managed to intercept it before the deed was done.

Said shield belong to Athrun. "Oh no you don't." Athrun bashed his shield forward and pushed Canard back.

"BLOCK THIS!" Kamina immediately came next, his drill whirring. Athrun brought out his shield again and the drill collided with said shield with a reverberating impact. And even after that, Kamina's drill continues to grind, trying to dig its way through his shield. But the Dark Violet Knight didn't even budge, and it was clear to all that Kamina won't make any progress even if they wait forever.

Thusly, Setsuna and Toudou charged the full armored Knight from both sides. He didn't seem to bring any weapon with him, for some reason.

Athrun anticipated this flanking attack. Punching up, his cape sprang to life and turned into a mass of liquid metal. With a jerk, the mass split into two cylindrical hammers that sprang to opposite directions, bludgeoning both Setsuna and Toudou back to where they came. Kamina is still trying to grind his way in, but Athrun had enough. The four chain swords on his shield sprang out, surprising Kamina and allowed a moment of opening. The four chain swords used that opening and whipped forward, slapping the drill off Kamina's hand. At the same time, the two cylindrical hammer merged back and turned into a gigantic version of Athrun's fist. The Violet Knight dropped his shield and Kamina gulped seeing the biggest fist he had ever seen in his life at the ready to tear him a new one. Athrun punched his fist forward, and the oversized version of that fist streamed forward to perform the actual punching. A maimed Kamina was sent flying through the woods with some of his ribs cracking. Before Athrun can relax, another figure jumped over his giant fist and used it as a track to run towards him, his Zweihander at the ready. Athrun immediately willed the fist to disperse, but just a second before the fist disperse completely, Canard managed to jumped up and now he's descending towards him, his Zweihander slashing down to cleave him in twain. Athrun merely batted his palm at the descending Swordman, and a mass of razor sharp protrusions erupted and threatened to engulf Canard. Fortunately Canard managed to use the wide sword as a shield to protect his vitals, but some of them still managed to get through, pushing him back down to the ground.

"ALL TOGETHER!" Kamina roared as he burst out of the woods with his drill whirring.

Setsuna and Toudou grunted in agreement and charged in unison. Canard also joined his comrades and launched his attack.

Athrun silently responded by quickly materializing his Tetra Halberd. "TETRA BREAK!" Athrun slammed the ground with his three pronged halberd, and a huge section of the ground capsized violently and headed straight to Canard who lose his footing when the earth buckled under his feet. A mass of wooden roots erupted and overwhelm Kamina. A wave of fire engulfed Setsuna. And Toudou had to jump back when a series of icicles erupted under his feet. The four attackers lose their footing and their momentum when the elements themselves raged furiously to block their way, Canard was thrown off the ground by the sheer shockwave and landed, unfortunately enough, right beneath Athrun's feet.

Canard is still unaware of what just happened, but then he heard a clanking sound of metallic footsteps. When he looked up, he saw Athrun's cold green eyed gaze is upon him. "Tell me what you're doing here, and I'll deign to be merciful."

"Fuck you."

"I knew you'd say that." Athrun twisted his halberd, and the flamberge blade burst into flames. The Knight was prepared to stab a fearless Canard's chest… when he heard a whirring sound coming from the front.

When Athrun looked up, he saw a giant blue buzzsaw is whirring towards him, fast. Athrun lifted his shield in time, but to his surprise, the buzzsaw struck him with enough force to throw him off balance. He can't block it perfectly, and the energy buzzsaw bounced and ripped the last surviving Emerald Knight's entire upper half.

Athrun grunted and looked at where the buzzsaw came from. As it turns out, it is also where the buzzsaw flew back… into a demonically armored left arm of a man clothed and masked black. The buzzsaw stopped spinning, revealing itself to be an enormous oversized sword handle that generates a massive energy blade. That oversized energy blade dissipated, along with the left arm armor, turning back into a normal seemingly unassuming Katana with a distinct red and blue handguard. Its blade is pure white, but it glows with power.

And in an instant, Athrun felt the icy freezing fingers of fear creeping down his spine. The man is clothed in black, with very little opening but what little he can see beneath the darkness. It could be the darkness of the forest that lend weight to his dark attire, or this incredibly thick blood lust that obscured his vision, but he looked like a living shadow… and that shadow enlarged his supposedly diminutive figure to monstrous proportion. But more horrifying than his garb, was his eyes. His dark purple eyes blazed beneath the shadow of the bangs of his dark brown hair, as cold and dark as the night itself, and as lifeless as corpse. And this… this inhuman murderous intent… it's like there's nothing left in that person that is human other than his shape.

And then, as if by coincidence or by fate, the two characters that met one another for the first time asked the same question at the same time:

"Who the hell is that?"

Ignis quickly answered with baited breath. "That… is Kage. And it seems, just like what Raww predicted, he now leads the 7th division."

Athrun frowned beneath his helmet. 'Gods… so this is a blacklist… this inhuman bloodlust… I had heard that the Blacklist Captains are those whose power came from, figuratively speaking, having sold their soul to the devil… but… this is no angel or devil… he's Death in the flesh!' "If he's here… than Yzak is already…" Athrun naturally assumed the worst, given the amount of blood covering the shinobi's katana.

"I'm afraid so."

Toudou also tried to explain what little he knew of this knight. "We knew not who he is… but… fair warning… he's no ordinary knight."

"Clearly." Kage narrowed his purple eyes at the mysterious Violet Knight. And then he looked at the trail of fire, the broken earth, the stream of wooden roots and the melting icicles… that's four elements out of five. Kage recalled only one person was capable of this… but he also remembered that person is no longer among the living. Somehow, he had a feeling he had to give this unknown character his personal attention. "We're running out of time. Get Ignis. I'll take care of this."

"Yes sir." The Juppongatana picked themselves up behind their leader.

Athrun frowned seeing the obedience showed by the notoriously undisciplined and rebellious militia soldiers of the 7th division to their new captain. And to think, it shouldn't be that long since Kage took command of the said division. This simply speaks volumes of this adversary's capacity to lead. Athrun growled as he readied himself to make his stand. "Lord Ignis, can you stand? Can you run?"

"Stand? Of course I can." Ignis grinned painfully as he lifted his two handed long sword. "But run? I think I've had enough of that."

"He wants you alive-"

"If I'm captured, either you kill me, or I'll kill myself. I'd rather die than become part of whatever that devil is plotting."

"So be it." Athrun nodded, realizing that elder knight doesn't have long to live anyhow, and so he eyed intensely at the Dark Captain, the one responsible for this.

Swishing his Shiki, Kira charged forward, followed by his warriors.

Readying his shield and halberd, Athrun stomped forward as Ignis stand his ground.

The SHinobi swing his katana and the Knight do the same with his halberd.

The two weapons clashed, allowing the two concealed fighters to get an up close view of another, and only one thought crossed their minds as the purple eyes met with the green ones:

'What are you!?'

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…I so wanted to give you guys a picture. The armor was… A TABLET! A TABLET! MY KINGDOM FOR A TABLET! WHYYYYYY…? Sob… WAAAAAHHH! TT-TT:(

Oh, and Gundam wise, Athrun is using Regenerate Gundam instead of the Aegis, I can even say he's already using Justice… And Ashemar used Aegis instead.