Chapter 4: Finally

Ballroom: A few minutes before

"Wh-what'd you say?" stuttered Athrun. "You kept that thing?" demanded Athrun as he almost angrily crossed the room and hoisted Kira up by is pilot suit's collar. "You ditch us and run off to end more lives?" fumed Athrun as he interrogated Kira. "I thought you said that you hated the war and that you wanted it to end!" screamed Athrun as he slammed Kira against the wall. Kira just stood silently and took the abuse. Cagalli, Lacus and the others just looked upon the scene anxiously waiting for one to break the silence.

"You want to know what I've been doing? You want to know why I did it?" returned Kira. "I did it because I had to find out who I am and where I belong. I also had to stop people from trying to destroy all that we have created!" retorted Kira. Outside a crash could be heard as the Freedom landed in the courtyard. Its cockpit automatically opened allowing Kira to climb inside. "Gotta go. See you." Smiled Kira as he broke away from Athrun and ran backwards toward the Freedom giving everyone a mock salute. As Kira sat down and closed the hatch, his expression turned serious. This was his final chance at redemption. He was ready to move on. Once he just another person in the crowd, now everyone knew his name. His fame came at a high price. Although he had it he never wanted it, there was blood on his hands. 'Flay was the past Lacus is the future.' Thought Kira as he deactivated the autopilot and activated the Phase-Shift Armor. As the Freedom rose almost all movement ceased on the battlefield. The Wings of Freedom who had never seen their leader fight were amazed to see that he had actually shown himself. The daggers and the remaining Sword Calamity all stared a the most deadly machine rising from the courtyard of the Orb palace.

Purity Gundam: Cockpit

Sai was in shock. He with his own two eyes had seen the ZGMF-X10A be decimated. "Kira, you'll pay for what you did to me. You took Flay away and then you let her die. You and your kind have no right to exist. For the preservation of our pure and blue world!" shouted Sai over the open link with the Freedom. This gave the Blue Cosmos a morale booster, but just seeing their leader whom they considered their friend out on the field of battle with them was the greatest Morale booster they could receive.

Freedom Gundam: Cockpit

Kira just silently let Sai take out his anger on him, hoping that he would come to his senses. Unfortunately he didn't. Kira looked at the other machines and finally realized that all of them were enhanced daggers. He knew that to save Sai he would have to stop him. It was not the drugs that produced his twisted image of the world. It was the impression and the scar the war left on him. "Sai, come to your senses. What you're doing is wrong. Coordinators are not coordinators by choice. They are as human as any natural." Responded Kira coldly.

"Shut the FUCK up! What the hell do you know you're just as unnatural as the rest of those gene-altered bastards." Retorted Sai as he pushed his mobile suit into action. Those words stung Kira. The person that was once his friend, now a Blue Cosmos member, was attacking him as if he were any other person. He had called him unnatural and an abomination. That was just going too far.

"Sai, you're way out of control. You need to get back in line." Growled Kira as he dodged Sai's initial attack.

"Shut up and stop dodging so I can destroy you! Jackal Unit: For the Preservation of our pure and blue world, you must fight to the end. Send these coordinators back to hell where they came from!" shouted Sai.

(A/N: This is just one big ass battle scene between the Freedom and the Purity. If you don't like battle scenes then just scroll down.)

Battle Scene: Beginning

The Freedom raised its beam rifle to strike down the Purity, but it was faster than Kira had expected. The anti-ship blade slashed the barrel of the rifle rendering if useless. Kira quickly threw it out of he way and activated its beam saber. Sai was already grinning he knew he had caught Kira off guard. What he didn't know was that he was insane. Kira quickly flipped the Freedom over the Purity's head giving it he time to break the anti-ship sword currently in use. It then fired the two Scylla cannons on its shoulders decimating the Freedom's shield.

"Damn it Sai!" grunted Kira as he dodged another blast from the Scylla cannons. Kira took the offensive and flipped out its impulse cannons. He fired back causing the Purity to fly backwards into a Buster Dagger destroying it. Kira began redirecting all unnecessary power to charging the impulse cannons to deliver a phase-shift disruptor beam. When used the cannons fired a beam that not only damaged but also disrupted the phase-shift armor system for a short period of time. Sai, however, wasn't ready to go down yet so he ran at Kira while throwing his six Combat Schneider Knives at the Freedom. Kira retracted the impulse cannons and continued his assault on the Purity with renewed fury. Kira was angry with Sai. Sai and he had once been good friends. Kira stuck his neck out to protect him, his other friends, and the Archangel. Flay had seduced Kira, Sai refused to believe that. After all that Kira had been through Sai had turned on him. The Blue Cosmos, the bane of the coordinators. Sai had become like Azrael deranged, psychotic, and a danger not only to coordinators, but to all of mankind. "I'm leaving the past behind Sai. There is no point in dwelling on past deeds. This past year has taught me that. I always believed you to be a rational person. I guess I was wrong. You are my past, a past I want to leave behind. I gave so much to create the more peaceful world we live in today. I won't let you take that away from me!" raged Kira as he continued to hack at the Purity forcing it to block Kira at every turn.

"Then why did you take it all from me! You bastard! None of you understand! I loved Flay. She gave herself to you and you let her die at the hands of that fucker, Rau!" retorted Sai as shot both of his beam rifles at Kira. Kira just merely grunted at how the effects of the drugs enhanced natural far beyond their given capabilities at a high price. "You failed to protect her. You know it Kira. We all believed you were one of us. You let the people on that shuttle get killed. You didn't make an attempt protect that little girl or Flay! Did you?" sneered Sai. That opened up a deep wound for Kira, one he had spent most of the past year away from those he loved trying to bury.

"Shut up." Spoke Kira with burning hatred as he suddenly saw the peak of his genetic alteration. He saw a seed drop and shatter unleashing all of his anger and fury and honing it into deadly skill and reflexes. Kira disengaged the charge on he P-S disruptor and used the shock of energy to propel the Freedom forward at an amazing speed while drawing its other beam saber and slicing off the Purity's arms. Sai was in a state of shock and denial he had had the upper hand just seconds ago, now he was nearly defeated. Kira shifted the Freedom around and just lopped off the head of the X403p. Kira also destroyed the power pack disabling the Phase-Shift armor.

Battle Scene: End

As the ZGMF-X10A rose, Kira looked out over Onogoro City. There was not too much damage to the city and the opposing Blue Cosmos forces had been destroyed. There was just one thing on Kira's mind. 'Is it time to go back to a normal life? Can I go back? I've defeated my past and my fears. Its time to move on. I've buried my past, begun to live in the present, and now I can look forward to the future.' Thought Kira. "All units, return to the Eternal. We cannot afford to draw in any more attention than we already have." Commanded Kira as he brought his dormant boosters back online and flew off towards the Eternal just as fifteen MBF-M1 Astrays arrived on the scene only to clean the scene. Most of the Blue Cosmos had sustained quite serious injuries and some had died, but all of them would be taken into Orb custody and dealt with by Cagalli Yula-Attha.

Back in the Ballroom

Lacus just watched tearfully as the Freedom took off as if willing it to come back. All she could feel was a sharp ache in her heart. Dearka and Milly were both relieved that it was all over. Milly unconsciously put her head on Dearka's shoulder and just let it lay there reveling in the feeling of warmth. Dearka obviously realized this and let a smirk come to his face, but didn't say anything as he realized Miriallia had fallen asleep from exhaustion. It had been a long turbulent night for all of them. The shock of the Blue Cosmos attack was just a minor experience to all of them at this point the real surprise was Kira. Where had he been the past year. The most anyone knew was that he had helped several governments rid themselves of terrorist groups.

"I wanted to thank you again, Councilman Joule, for helping me earlier." Said Karissa with a smile to Yzak. That smile almost made Yzak feel like jello. She had no idea what she was doing to him.

"It was nothing. You can call me Yzak, it's alright." Responded Yzak with his second genuine smile that night. Karissa smiled back and gave him a quick hug leaving Yzak stunned as she walked over to Lacus to consol her boss and friend.  Yzak felt like a fool.  'Soldiers aren't supposed to like jello.  Much less feel like jello, but that hug albeit quick was so warm' debated Yzak's head as he turned to talk to some of the other PLANT council members.  Athrun was quietly talking to Cagalli about how to handle the situation as it took place on Orb soil. He gave her a quick peck on the lips before telling her to talk to her staff. Cagalli nodded and walked off to speak with her staff and to control the press. Athrun strode towards the others and the delegates.

"Excuse me. We would like to inform you that you are all welcome to stay the night in the palace. We will have the staff show you to your rooms. Thank You." Stated Athrun as he addressed the delegates. As Athrun walked away he contemplated on how he had reacted to the Freedom earlier. 'I guess I shouldn't have done that. Kira was only trying to protect us, now he's just run off again and Lacus is heartbroken. Kira's become the idol of so many teenage girls these days. Any picture they could get of him always appears on the front covers of magazines and phony stories about him appear on the front page of the newspapers. Well at least now they have a real story to write about. That idiot better come back or I'll track him down and punch his ignorant face in.' thought Athrun as he walked over to Yzak. "How are the council members dealing with the situations?" asked Athrun.

"Alright, I suppose. They haven't gone ballistic yet." Replied Yzak as he looked over to Karissa who was still talking with Lacus in front of the window staring into the sky.

"Lacus, I'm sure he'll come back. You shouldn't worry about that. You actually do have a two and a half week break coming up in a few days. You should rest..." trailed off Karissa as she too lost herself in the sky.

Eternal

"Mr. Waltfeld, how are the repairs coming on the damaged units?" asked Kira as he entered the bridge still dressed in his pilot suit although he did have his helmet off. He was exhausted from the battle, but he still felt exuberant that he had defeated his past. "Any casualties?" questioned Kira.

"No, casualties and you shouldn't worry yourself about the units, kid. Get some sleep. You can decide what to do about your love life in the morning." Replied Andrew smirking as he saw Kira blush at the reference to the relationship between Kira and Lacus. "I'll take over for tonight." Said Andrew as he saw Kira try and stifle a yawn.

"Thank You." Replied Kira before walking back to his captain's quarters. He immediately stripped off his pilot suit and took a long shower. After emerging he saw the picture of himself and Lacus sitting on his desk. He smiled sadly and collapsed on his bed into a calm, dreamless sleep, something he had not had in a long time.

To be continued...

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