Part 19

Previously-

There was nothing for a while as everyone watched in stunned silence. Suddenly, Reyn gave a cry of agony and then rushed toward Ryo, hands outstretched with the intent of strangling him. Ryo looked at the older man calmly and shot him in the chest before Athrun could stop him.

As Reyn hit the ground, something slid out of his jacket. It was a compact metal box, and it looked exactly like the bomb which Cagalli and Athrun found planted in Cagalli's office so many nights ago.

"It was… It was Reyn all along." Cagalli said numbly to herself.

"I know. It's quite unbelievable, isn't it?" Ryo said.

Cagalli let out a bitter laugh. "All along… It was Reyn. That's why the case dragged on for so long. He was the one who planted the assassin in the house. He was the one who planted the bomb in my office. He was the one who hurt Kisaka – he- he probably couldn't bear to kill him because of the friendship they shared. It was he… It was he who did all those things… But why? Why would he?"

"His son, Caleb, was killed in the Second Bloody Valentine War, after all." Ryo said gently.

"But- But he was my friend! Surely he would have understood that I didn't want the war to happen either?"

"Death… Can be a very powerful motivation, it can take away… All logic." Ryo said, in an almost dreamy voice.

Athrun turned and looked at him sharply.

"What did Reyn mean by you thinking that Cagalli caused the death of your brother?" Athrun asked quietly.

Ryo simply shrugged.

"Maybe he was just trying to think up of some lame excuse in the hopes that you would be distracted and turn to me instead. I… don't have any family so, a brother is definitely out of the question."

"And… What about Reyn's daughter?"

"What about her?"

"Why did she attack Meyrin?"

"I have no idea."

Athrun fell silent again.

It was about nine in the morning. Cagalli, Ryo and Athrun were in the living room, all of them looking slightly dazed. Meyrin, who had fainted shortly after the whole ordeal, was resting in her room.

"Is Meyrin alright?" Athrun asked Ryo.

"I went to check in her just now, and she seemed fine. I brought her some warm milk. She's asleep now."

"Ah. Alright."

"I'll… I'll go make some breakfast. I've radioed the police, they're coming to pick us up at around noon." Ryo said, standing up a bit awkwardly

After breakfast, Cagalli went straight up to her room to do a bit of packing. She sat on the edge of her bed, and stared at the empty suitcase, suddenly feeling extraordinarily tired. Her shoulders were slumped, and hugging her pillow to her face, she started to cry.

Suddenly, she felt someone slide an arm over her shoulder. She looked up and saw Ryo, looking sympathetically at her.

"Are you alright, Princess?"

"I'm… I'm fine. I just… I just can't bring myself to believe it."

"Neither can I – but then, all the facts are laid out."

"But- But I don't understand, Ryo! Why would he wait until now? He had so many opportunities…"

"Maybe he needed time to plan…"

"Reyn… No… I can't believe it. It must be some sort of mistake, Ryo, it can't be him…"

"You saw it yourself. Both Anne and him wanted to kill you."

"You-You said once that you were close to Reyn, didn't you? Did you know his family personally then?"

"Well enough."

"I… I still don't understand why she would want to lunge at Meyrin like that."

Ryo suddenly leaned over and gave her a hug.

"Don't think so much." He said, in what appeared to be a reassuring voice, but beneath it were tones of menace that Cagalli did not understand.

"R-Ryo?"

To her shock, she suddenly heard a sharp click. She gave a little jump, and then she realized that she had been handcuffed to the bedpost.

Ryo immediately stood up. He walked over to the door, shut it, and then turned the lock.

"Ryo? What are you doing? Why did you cuff me to the bed?" Cagalli asked a bit nervously.

Ryo turned to her and smiled – a twisted, grotesque grin.

"You're right, you know, Cagalli. It wasn't him."

Ryo took out his gun and pointed it straight at her head.

"It wasn't him – because it was me."

Cagalli gaped at him, eyes widening in shock.

"You? But- How? Why?"

"Didn't you say, Princess, that I looked like someone you knew?"

"Ah-Ahmed?" Cagalli said in disbelief. "No, no, that can't be. Ahmed would never hurt me. Besides, he's…dead…"

"Yes. So he is. Ahmed, you see, was my brother. My twin brother."

"He…never told me…"

"I was sold when he was born, Princess. My mother – my real mother – was forced to sell me off, a mere boy of five, for the want of money to tide through a famine. My foster family – well, they were more of slave drivers actually – they were wealthy, and they lived far from the desert. I became their little servant boy. Sleeping in the kitchen, living off scraps. All that crap."

"I was made fun of all my life. I was unwanted, and they let me know it, and their torture grew worse day by day. By the time I was ten, my life had been living hell. They beat me, starved me, and made me do their chores. But oh – I had my revenge in the end." A dreamy smile escaped onto his lips, and Cagalli shuddered.

"You…killed them, didn't you?"

"Why, yes. Rat poison in their soup." Ryo said with relish. "I did all of the family in, and got away with it scot-free. They arrested the cook, I think."

"Don't you feel guilty at all?"

"Why should I? They deserved it, even the cook. They were horrible people, all of them…" Ryo grinned unexpectedly, flashing his canine teeth wickedly, and Cagalli cringed. "And this is where Reyn comes in."

"Reyn?"

"Oh yes. Reyn. Reyn wasn't directly involved in this. Reyn was more of an accomplice. You see, Reyn and I, we go way back."

"What?"

"Reyn was the person in charge of the case. He was a sharp, shrewd man. While everyone else believed that I was innocent, Reyn could see that I had something to hide. He knew that the cook was innocent, but he could not prove it. So Reyn did what he thought would be the best for me and for society – he took me in. He sent me to a military institution, some sort of police academy; he hoped that I would be reformed. He brought me home and introduced me to his family. His wife loved me, as did his son and his daughter. They treated me like family. Outwardly, I pretended to enjoy their affection, but inside I found it sickening. Why were they doing this? They weren't really my family.

"I could never really get along with people, I always found myself despising the majority of the people I met, but I remember the one person who could understand me – my twin. I vowed that I would be reunited with him one day, and hence, when I was sixteen, I managed to find out at last where my real family was. I arrived back to find my parents and the rest of my siblings, and what a disappointment that was! They were all blood-related, but still I couldn't fit in with them at all… and the one person who understood me like I knew myself, the one person I was ever able to feel natural and at ease around – he was dead, thanks to you." Ryo blubbered, his eyes wide and his hands shaking as he held the gun.

"He loved you, he loved you and you killed him!" Ryo accused, "And instead of mourning for him for the rest of your life, you went and gave the last thing he ever gave you to… to Athrun Zala!

"So I began formulating my plans, and well, I shan't bore you with all the details. I was just very, very lucky that I was able to find so many people who hate you." Ryo said, hissing. "My seniors in University, for example. Aaron and Gerald."

"But… I don't understand - Reyn- he-" Cagalli interjected.

"Reyn, Reyn, Reyn. Reyn's family adored me. When his wife died of sickness, the last promise she made him keep was to take care of me. Anne had this huge crush on me, and when her father found out I was attempting to assassinate the princess, she threatened to kill herself if he were to expose me. Anne offered to help me, and I more or less blackmailed Reyn into joining me.

"The first few attempts were all failures, and so I decided that it was time to take the game up a notch. It was time for me to get to know you, Princess dear. And I have to say, I still have no idea what Ahmed saw in you – you're a weak, blubbering little fool." Ryo sneered.

"What about Kisaka's attack? How did that come about?" Cagalli asked.

"Kisaka found out that I wasn't the best choice for bodyguard. It was Reyn who pulled the strings and made me your bodyguard so I could get close to you. Aside from that, Kisaka knew Reyn far better than any of you. He knew that with Reyn's capabilities, the case should have been closed long ago. He confronted Reyn. In normal circumstances, Reyn would have confessed the whole thing to Kisaka – but luckily, Aaron was outside waiting. Before Reyn could say anything incriminating towards me, Aaron jumped in and pushed Kisaka out of the window. He would have killed him, but Reyn stopped him."

"And- and the fire?"

"Aaron tripped you so that you would have to have a change of clothes and go off to some secluded area. However, you didn't spill anything on your dress at all. Instead, you broke your heel. But no matter, the plan still went off accordingly. I had to hit myself in order not to appear suspicious though, and Zala still saved you in the end."

"But you were poisoned – how… how could you have-"

"That poisoning? There was just enough in there to make me really ill, but not kill me. It was a red herring."

"But what about the bomb?"

"Ah. The bomb. You see, I was planning to set the bomb off. Reyn decided last minute that he couldn't have it on his conscience to allow me to kill you. So he stole the bomb from my room, and he ran to the pantry to meet his daughter and get off the island. But I followed him, and we started fighting."

"Why did you bring Reyn's daughter onto the island then?"

"She wanted to come. Aside from that, I was planning to get together with Meyrin after this whole operation was over. I couldn't have a jealous, simpering little girl ready to expose my crimes still alive, could I?"

"You planned to kill her either way."

"Yes. Yes, I did." Ryo looked triumphant, and his hands were no longer shaking now. "And now, my dear Princess, enough explanations. After so long, I'm finally able to claim my prize, I'm finally able to avenge Ahmed – do you have any last words, Your Highness?" He said mockingly.

"Just this – you aren't avenging Ahmed. Ahmed would never have hurt me." Cagalli replied quietly. "And do you ever think that Meyrin would learn to love you after she finds out what you've done?"

"No. That's why she won't know. I put sedatives in the milk, just like I put them in Zala's coffee. After I shoot you, I'll carry her out and set fire to the house, and then I'll tell her when she wakes up that there was a gas explosion, and I could only get her out in time." Ryo said calmly.

Suddenly, there came a click, and both Cagalli and Ryo froze.

The door swung open, and there stood Athrun, a radio transmitter in one hand and a gun in the other.

"H-How long have you been outside there?" Ryo demanded.

"Long enough." Athrun replied, smirking.

There was a rush of static from the radio transmitter, and then the voice of the deputy came through.

"Ryo Handel, you are under arrest."

"Game's over, Ryo Handel." Athrun said, pointing the gun at Ryo's head. But to his surprise, Ryo started smiling instead. Instead, he inched closer to Cagalli, putting the gun straight to her temple.

"Not yet, Athrun Zala. Put down your gun or I'll kill your precious princess."

Athrun gave a sharp intake of breath, and the hand holding the gun wavered slightly.

"Athrun, don't do it, shoot him." Cagalli said, her voice surprisingly calm.

Ryo pressed the barrel to her temple menacingly.

"You'd better shut up." He hissed, and he turned to look at Athrun.

"So what's it going to be?"

Athrun slowly bent down and put his gun down on the floor.

Ryo smiled.

"Kick it under the bed." He instructed, and Athrun followed.

Ryo then pointed the gun at Athrun instead.

"Athrun Zala, my, my. This is unexpected. You didn't drink the coffee?"

"No. I never trusted you – and I guess I was right in that."

"Ah. Well. No matter. You'll die either way."

Ryo cocked the gun and smiled pleasantly at him. Athrun felt like punching him, although he knew it was perfectly impossible. Instead, he looked up and grinned and Ryo.

"You're jealous of me, aren't you?" Athrun said.

"What?" Ryo said in disbelief.

"About Meyrin, I mean."

"N-No. I'm not jealous."

"You are. That's why you hate me so much, isn't it?" Athrun taunted.

Cagalli was looking at him in plain shock.

"I am not jealous, Athrun Zala. Meyrin will be mine." Ryo said through gritted teeth.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Athrun said.

"Why?"

"Because, she's heard every single word you said."

"Wh-WHAT?"

Meyrin slipped out from behind the wall and stood in sight at the doorframe. Her eyes were pink-rimmed, and it was obvious that she had been crying.

"Meyrin! I… Please, I can explain!" Ryo said pleadingly, but Meyrin just shook her head.

Ryo's hands were shaking again, and then quickly, he calmed himself down.

"Die, Athrun Zala." He said resolutely.

He pulled on the trigger.

A shot rang out clearly, and then came the sound of a body hitting the ground, and screams of horror as it fell.