This fanfic is a Fantasy/Action/Adventure/Romance one...

Disclaimer: Michiyo Hikari does not own anything from the anime/manga series, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed.

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Chapter 2 – Questions and Answers

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"HOLD IT!" Cagalli screamed, her hands on her hip, getting the attention of her brother and his companion. "What 'seal' are you two talking about?" Cagalli turned to Kira. "Why is it so surprising that I can see him?" She waved her hand at Athrun's direction. A second after, she noticed the two glanced at each other with unreadable looks on their faces. Cagalli had no clue of what they were talking about and why on the elliptical face of Earth did Kira's friend call her his lady? Cagalli winced at the address, no one ever called her that and she didn't like one bit of it.

"Kira, I think we should consult Lady Laura." Athrun suggested as he hopped down the tree and landed with practised ease beside his friend. "I'm certain that she has an explanation to what's happening." He was in deep thought. Once he looked up, he asked the brunette. "Is that all right?"

Kira nodded and he turned to Cagalli (to at least tell her they were going somewhere). "Listen, sis, I barely know the full story of this situation but if you come with us, I'm sure we'll find the answers we need."

Cagalli wanted to decline, she could care less of what they were saying. But it was Cagalli, her curiosity got the best of her. "Fine, but if this is something stupid, I'll chase you down."

Kira nervously laughed. "You have my word."

The blonde glared at Kira with those menacing amber eyes before she shifted her gaze to the other guy before her. "Who are YOU?"

Amused by Cagalli's mood and childish expression, Athrun tried to fight the smile that threatened to form on his lips. Even though he knew well enough that he would not be able hold it back. To hide the turning curve of his mouth, he bowed as he spoke. "My name is Athrun Zala and I am your Guardian. It's an honour to finally be acknowledged by you, my lady." Finally raising his head and standing in full height, he was welcomed by Cagalli's baleful stare.

Cagalli's brow twitched at Athrun's introduction, especially when he called her "my lady" once again. "Look, YOU! Stop calling me "my lady" ok? I'm not ANYONE'S lady and it ANNOYS the HELL out of ME when YOU call me THAT! Plus, what 'GUARDIAN' thing are you SAYING? I STILL have parents, thank you very much!"

"My sincere apologies m- I mean, Cagalli." Athrun caught himself in time. After breathing a sigh of relief, he turned to face Kira again. "Shall we go?"

Kira gave Cagalli a questioning look and she gave him a nod. Assuming that they were ready, Kira nodded at Athrun. The twins watched as Athrun walked towards the sakura tree on his left. Holding up his hand and placing it on the tree's trunk, he chanted words that the two did not understand. Cagalli eyed the tree and gasped in surprise at what was unfolding in front of her. A long rectangular entrance that showed a house surrounded by wonderful plants and flowers (that Cagalli had never seen in her life) replaced the dark brown wood. Pinching her arm to assure that it was all a dream, Cagalli felt little to no pain but noticed Athrun rubbing his arm the second after she pinched herself.

"After you, I believe." Athrun announced; he gestured the siblings to go.

"K-Kira w-where are we g-going?" Cagalli found herself stuttering as she got scared. "W-What is that p-pla-"

Kira grabbed his sister's wrist as he pulled her forward. "It's ok, Cagalli, you'll get used to it. C'mon."

Before she could utter a protest, she felt her face pale when she saw Kira's body enter the tree and actually go through it. Cagalli closed her eyes as she stepped forward and entered herself. When she finally opened them, she found Kira standing on her right with a smile on his face. The blonde looked around and saw the very same sakura tree she just passed through but the entrance featured their house on the other side. After Athrun finally came out himself, he said words that sounded odd to her as the passage disappeared.

"My lord, you're here!" A girl's voice squealed in delight.

Cagalli whirled around and saw a very beautiful girl – probably as old as she was – with long, silky pink hair hugging Kira. The blonde glanced at her twin's face and saw for the first time in sixteen years, that Kira Yamato was blushing (because of a girl nevertheless)! What surprised her more was that Kira actually wrapped his arms around the girl's waist as he returned her embrace.

Cagalli couldn't help but laugh to her heart's content. Turning to a deeper shade of red upon hearing Cagalli's laugh, the two let go of each other as Kira told the girl what happened. Man, she wished she had brought her camera! She found the two very cute together but deep inside herself, she felt a pang of jealousy. Of course she wasn't jealous that Kira hugged a girl, she felt kind of jealous that her brother seemed have found someone very special to him and she – on the other hand – had not even attracted a single guy in her life!

How would you know? Not every guy told you they didn't like you, did they? Her conscience argued. Besides, who knows, maybe they were just too shy to admit their feelings or... too afraid.

Shut up, no one asked you.

I'm just stating the facts.

I must be going crazy, talking to my own mind.

Again, who knows?

Shut up, brain, SHUT UP.

Finally walking towards his sister, Kira introduced the two girls. "Cagalli, this is Lacus. Lacus, this is my sister." Kira avoided Cagalli's eyes for he knew he was going to catch a hundred questions and a bunch of teasing about Lacus if he did not.

Lacus curtsied and smiled as she held out her hand to the Cagalli. "My name is Lacus Clyne and I am Kira's Guardian. It's an honour to finally meet you in person, Cagalli."

Guardian? What the heck is this place? Shaking Lacus's hand, Cagalli plastered a smile. "The pleasure is mine."

"How sad, my lady. You didn't seem happy when you met me with the fact that I am your own Guardian." Athrun pressed on as he stood beside Lacus, emphasizing the two words the blonde hated.

Cagalli scowled at his sudden interruption. "Maybe that's because I was not happy to meet you!"

"My, my, Cagalli, you shouldn't be saying that, child." said a woman who seemed to be in her late forties; she had striking auburn hair and stunning brown eyes as she headed towards them. "Athrun, why don't you go off to the village and buy us some bread while Lacus and I take care of Kira and Cagalli?"

Athrun smiled at the woman and bowed his head. "As you wish, Lady Laura." After nodding his head to everyone, midnight black, angel-like wings sprouted from Athrun's back and took off into the vast sky. Cagalli gaped at the boy's disappearing figure as questions flooded her mind.

Where am I?

How come that weird jerk can fly?

Who are these people?

"Hello, child. I'm Laura and welcome to Syphoria." Seeing the look on the blonde's face, Laura giggled and led the three teenagers to her house.

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"Thank you." Cagalli said as she accepted the glass of something purple, that Lacus handed her. She wanted to drink it but... what was it?

As if reading her mind, Kira answered her. "It's called Farzle here. Try it, it's good and refreshing." He held up his own glass and gulped its content.

Hesitant, yet incredibly thirsty, Cagalli drank her beverage as well. It was delicious! It tasted somewhat sweet with a little touch of sourness and it gave her a warm and refreshing feeling at the same time. Putting down her glass, she turned to the two other people sitting around the table, wanting the answers she came there for. "Um... I don't mean to be rude but where exactly are we?"

Lacus merely smiled as Laura explained. "We're in Syphoria, the other world below Heaven and of course above Hell. It is another realm that is unknown to humans." She began. "Syphorians are no different than humans when it comes to physical appearances but they are beings with special abilities called Epherals. People in this world all have a certain Epheral. Others possess simple Epherals like changing the colours of their hair while some chosen ones have Epherals that can protect and help people. Lacus for example, was born with the power of nature. It is why some people address her the Songstress of Nature. She can make plants grow, produce herbal medicines for various diseases, and even create poisonous ones."

Cagalli then looked at Lacus in awe who flushed at her title.

Noticing all eyes were on her waiting for something to happen, Lacus closed her eyes and stretched out her hand as she hummed a wonderful melody. Slowly, a blue seed appeared in her palm and it grew into a beautiful flower. The plant looked like a rose with sky blue petals adorned with dark blue swirls coming from the ovary and ending at the flower's tips. Its bright yellow leaves were shaped exactly like two-dimensional diamonds as it contrasted the plant's green stem. Picking up the flower floating above her palm, she handed it to Kira who turned red as he muttered his thanks.

"Cagalli, my dear, I believe you also have an Epheral." said Laura as the two looked at each other. Laura serenely smiled at Cagalli's bewildered expression.

"T-That can't be." Cagalli could not believe what she just heard. "I-I mean with all due respect, I can't possibly do anything like that!" she said.

Laura was still smiling before she spoke, she seemed to be a person who smiled a lot. "The fact that you saw Athrun earlier and that you are actually in Syphoria proves that you have an Epheral, child. Don't you worry," she assured her, "I suppose your Epheral has not been awaken."

Cagalli nodded although she still doubt she had any special power or "Epheral".

"Now as I was saying," Laura continued. "Where was I? Ah yes, Epherals," she nodded to herself, "because of it, your brother has been here a lot of times now, dear."

"WHAT?" Cagalli yelled, dumfounded. "B-But he never told me anything!" she then glared at Kira who raised his hands up in defence.

Laura chuckled and it shifted Cagalli's attention back to the woman. "It's not his fault, child. I told him not to tell you. You see," she added, "I did not expect the two of you to arrive here so soon, but your brother has discovered his Epheral when he was just eight years old – an astounding boy he is – and his discovery allowed him to see your Guardians, Athrun and Lacus."

Cagalli thought as if her mind was in the middle of a whirlpool in her head. Kira had his "Epheral" since he was eight? EIGHT? And it allowed him to see their "Guardians"? Ignoring the other questions swimming through her brain, she asked the one thing she wanted to know since she met the blue-haired boy and the songstress. "W-What exactly are Guardians?"

"I thought you'd never ask." Laura paused, either it was for a thrilling effect or not, Cagalli did not dare ask. "Guardians, my dear, are Syphorians born to protect a person – more appropriately called their Lord or Lady – from any harm or pain. Guardians are very rare. In fact, there were only eight Guardians known in the history of Syphoria before the birth of Athrun and Lacus sixteen years ago. Their population density is very low." she said sadly, " It is because they are born within the hearts of the one they are destined to protect. Now don't get the wrong idea," She said as she noticed Cagalli's shocked expression. "they are not related, they are born of course from their own mothers' womb. When Guardians reach the age of five, they will see, watch over, and keep their Lord or Lady safe. From that time on they also attend various difficult trainings to increase their power in order to keep their Lord or Lady out of harm's way. My dear, will you please pinch yourself? As hard as you like."

"Why?" Cagalli asked.

"I will tell you in a while." Laura calmly stated. The lady appeared to have an aura of royalty and calmness for she spoke with such grace and authority that all Cagalli could do was follow.

Cagalli did as she was told and pinched herself as hard as she could. Since she was a child, she always thought herself strange for she felt very little pain every time she expected something to hurt her terribly. Eager for answers, she turned her focus back to Laura.

"I assume you did not get hurt as much as you expected?"

The blonde nodded.

"That is because your Guardian, Athrun, felt most of it."

Kira frowned; he obviously disapproved of the idea of Lacus getting hurt in his place. Meanwhile, Cagalli could only stare until she finally found her voice. "Y-You mean when I get hurt he feels it more than I do?"

Laura smiled as she said a soft, "Yes."

Cagalli felt her stomach tighten, since she met Athrun she acted anything but nice to him and all these years he was, protecting her? He felt most of the 'pain' she was supposed to feel every time she fell down the stairs, scraped her knee, got into a fight, or simply got hurt?

"B-But isn't that unfair? I-I mean why would someone have to experience that?" Cagallie grew guilty. "I'm sure there's a way for Guardians not to get hurt when the person they are trying to protect do!"

Laura's eyes twinkled in what seem to be a look of happiness.

"I'm impressed, Cagalli. No one has ever mentioned that to me. Yes, I believe there is a way...three powerful words you must say that will change your life and of course your Guardian's but you shall discover that for yourselves." Laura smiled. "That reminds me, we need to perform a certain ceremony tomorrow for your Guardians to create another seal between the two of you. Syphoria is not as safe and peaceful as it used to be. It seems that the seal has really been broken."

"Lady Laura?" Cagalli called, the woman only smiled at her and urged the girl to continue. "Why were some S-Syphorians born with Guardians?"

The auburn haired woman closed her eyes and opened them again. Her brown orbs gave away emotions of sadness and worry. "It was said, my child, that if you have a Guardian, you are in danger most of the time. I believe that if you grew up in the human world... you were born with extreme danger that will follow you when you enter Syphoria."

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To Be Continued
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