Chapter 5: Realization of Emotions
Cagalli was speechless. She couldn't believe what she was hearing; Athrun has offered her to take her to his world.
"So do you want to come?" Athrun asked extending his hand.
"Of course I'll come," Cagalli said as she got up.
"Ok let me lead the way," Athrun took her hand and led her out of the dorm.
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Athrun and Cagalli were standing on top of a deserted building around where Cagalli lived. Athrun walked to the edge of the building still holding Cagalli's hand.
"We're going to have to jump," Athrun said looking at Cagalli
"Are you crazy! We'd kill ourselves!" Cagalli shouted.
"The portal is half way down to the ground don't worry we wont die," Athrun took both of Cagalli's hands in his. "Do you trust me?"
Cagalli thought for a minute before smiling. "With my life."
"Then here we go," Athrun wrapped his arms around Cagalli in a protective embrace and jumped off the side of the building.
Cagalli closed her eyes ready for the impact of the hard cement but half way through the fall Cagalli felt her heart jolt as if she was having her heart jump-started and then vacuumed into a hole. Cagalli hit the ground but instead of it being hard like cement it was soft. Cagalli opened her eyes to find grass surrounding her. Cagalli looked over to Athrun he was already up on his feet and looking down at her.
Athrun reached out his hand to help Cagalli up. "You're lucky most people pass out from the transition of dimensions," Athrun said as he helped her up.
"I hardly call this lucky," Cagalli said rubbing her head.
"What's not lucky! You're the first person from Grintony to ever visit here," Athrun said excitedly.
Cagalli was surprised the first person. She was very happy. She took a better look at the environment. She was surrounded by eight obelisks in a circle. The obelisks where in what seemed to be a never ending forest. The monument was the only place that was free of trees.
"What is this place?" Cagalli asked in awe yet the place seemed to familiar like a place she has visited in her dreams. Cagalli had grown up in a city so to see a place with more then two trees was pretty amazing.
"This is the Slatz forest and that is the Traden Stones it is supposed to ward off evil spirits," Athrun explained
"Oh," Cagalli was still amazed. "So what do you guys do for transportation around here and if you say walking I will be back through that portal so fast yo…"
"Don't worry we're not walking," Athrun said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a horn. Athrun brought the horn to his lips and blew into making a low note. "Now we wait for Nicol."
Cagalli and Athrun for what seemed like forever until they heard the same note off in the distance. Athrun blew the horn again. Then out of the blue sky a small something came flying right into Athrun's hand.
"Oh Athrun your back! I've missed you so much!" a small voice cried.
Cagalli was again confused. Athrun noticed Cagalli's confusion and showed her what was in his hand, a small red lizard with wings. Nicol, the lizard, caught sight of Cagalli.
" Hey who's that Athrun?" Nicol asked.
" This is my friend from Grintony, her name is Cagalli," Athrun explained to Nicol. Nicol flew towards Cagalli and checked her out from head to toe.
" So you're saying this is a girl. Ha you sure could have fooled me," Nicol laughed.
SMACK! Cagalli smacked Nicol out of the sky.
"Oh yeah did I mention she has a short temper," Athrun laughed.
" Noted," Nicol groaned as he flew off the ground.
"So uh… where is our transportation?" Cagalli questioned looking around.
" You're looking at it," Athrun said pointing to Nicol.
" You have got to be kidding me, how do you expect me to believe that small thing is supposed to be our transportation?" Cagalli yelled.
" You under estimate Nicol he is bigger then you think," Athrun said turing to face Nicol. " Ok Nicol, show her what you got."
" Right," Nicol said, the "lizard" closed his eyes. Athrun backed up a couple of steps. Nicol's body engulfed in swirling ball of flames, the ball of flames began to expand. The flames stopped once they reached around the size of three horses. The flames disappeared and in there place stood a huge red dragon with glowing yellow eyes and teeth the size of a baby's head. Cagalli took a step backwards.
" How do you like me now?" Nicol laughed.
"You were saying something about transportation?" Athrun said a teasing smile on his face.
"He… He… he's a dragon?" Cagalli asked. Athrun nodded. "That is so cool!" Cagalli said running towards Nicol. "And we get to ride him?"
"Look Nicol you have a fan," Athrun laughed. "Yes Cagalli we get to ride him."
" I wish I could tell Lacus about this place," Cagalli said a bit disappointed.
"Don't worry maybe someday you can," Athrun said as he got onto Nicol's back and reached his hand out to help Cagalli up. Cagalli took his hand and stepped up onto the dragon's back. Athrun held onto a rope that was tied around Nicol's neck.
"Hey what am I suppose to hang on to?" Cagalli shouted.
"Scoot up more and hang onto me," Athrun told Cagalli. Cagalli felt awkward at first but scooted up and put her arms around his waist anyways.
"You ready?" Athrun asked. Cagalli was a little scared so she dug her head into his back and nodded. Athrun leaned close to Nicol's ear. "We're ready to go but try to fly slow at least until she feels safer."
"Right!" Nicol said. With a flap of his mighty wings they were off the ground. Cagalli closed her eyes. Two flaps and they were above the trees. A few more flaps and the obelisks below looked like no more then a circle of dots.
"Where are we heading boss?" Nicol said as he hovered at the same altitude.
"Lets show Cagalli around first then we'll head to my secret spot," Athrun said. Another flap of Nicol's wings and they were off sailing over the forest.
"Cagalli come and look at this, open your eyes," Athrun told Cagalli after awhile of flying.
"No thanks, I am quit interested with the inside of my eyelids right now tell me when we're safely back on the ground," Cagalli said.
"Oh come on just look," Athrun said reaching back and patting Cagalli on the back.
"Fine!" Cagalli picked her head up and opened her eyes to see a beautiful setting sun on the horizon looking over a large ocean. Cagalli was speechless.
"It's… It's gorgeous," Cagalli said.
"Yeah it really is," Athrun said looking at Cagalli. "So Cagalli you ready to see how well Nicol can fly?"
"Oh yeah!" Cagalli said not afraid anymore.
"Ok Nicol show her some tricks," Athrun said. With that Nicol dive-bombed making Cagalli scream. Nicol pulled up seconds before hitting the water they were so close to the water Nicol's claw skimmed the surface of the water.
"Go ahead Cagalli see how nice the water feels," Athrun said. Cagalli put her hand into water. It was perfect temperature not to hot not to cold.
"It's nice, what else is there to see here," Cagalli asked.
"Nicol take her to my favorite place," Athrun said. Nicol made 180 turn and headed back the way the came.
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"Cagalli we're here," Athrun spoke. Cagalli had fallen asleep. Cagalli got up and looked around Athrun to see a huge waterfall, and a nice river below it with a beautiful reflection of a moon in the middle of the sky… wait a moon, in the middle of the sky?
"Oh my god what time is it?" Cagalli asked frantically.
"Well judging by the position of the moon in the sky I would say around twelveish," Athrun estimated.
"Shit, I should have been back hours ago, damn it," Cagalli cursed.
"Don't worry in the different dimensions time is different twenty-four hours in my world is only a few in yours, ok," Athrun explained. Cagalli felt relieved then sad.
"That means the longer you stay in my world the more the time goes by in yours so if you stay a year that means its like…" Cagalli thought for a moment. "6 ¼ of a year for here," Cagalli sounded as though she was about to cry.
"Lets not worry about that right now…" Athrun looked down to the water, they were about seven yards up from it. "I've got a question for you, can you swim?" Athrun asked mischievously.
"Yes why do yo…" before Cagalli could finish her sentence she was pushed off of Nicol's back and she plunged into the water below screaming as she fell. Athrun began to laugh as hard as he could.
"What was that for Athrun Zala?" Cagalli screamed as she resurfaced.
"Just for the hell of it!" Athrun yelled back in between fits of laughter.
"Well why don't you come down here to?" Cagalli screamed, she was also laughing.
"My pleasure," Athrun said as he dove into the water gracefully off of Nicol's back. Athrun resurfaced and looked around but Cagalli was no where to be seen until something pulled him under the water. Athrun managed to break free as they both came to the surface. Athrun raised his palm into the air and in his palm appeared a ball of water and he chucked it at Cagalli.
"Hey no fair powers shouldn't be aloud," Cagalli shouted as she rubbed the water out of her eyes.
"That's perfectly fair. When your playing with a dog do you not use your thumbs because its not fair that he doesn't have any?" Athrun asked.
Cagalli thought for a minute she hated to admit it but he was right. "We weren't talking about dogs though they have nothing to do with our conversation," Cagalli argued.
"Of course they do," Athrun said nonchalantly.
"What?" Cagalli asked getting a little irritated.
"This," Athrun said as he transformed into a dog. Athrun doggie paddled around Cagalli as she began to laugh. Athrun (still a dog) paddled out of the water and shook himself dry.
"Of course you get to shake yourself dry while I sit in the moonlight freezing to death," Cagalli said, Athrun transformed back.
"I could make you a fire," Athrun suggested.
"sure," Cagalli yawned. "I'm so tired." Athrun went out to gather some firewood and Nicol, who was in his lizard form now, followed.
"Isn't it such a great night?" Athrun said to Nicol.
"Boss you're getting to close to her, you can't forget about your mission," Nicol said candidly.
"What are you getting at Nicol?" Athrun asked.
"I think you're starting to fall for her," Nicol said. No response. "Boss?" Nicol waited for a reply. Athrun said nothing.
Athrun had gotten back with the firewood Nicol had perched on his shoulder and fallen asleep. Athrun placed the wood down and made a fire with his hand. Athrun looked at Cagalli she was sleeping like a little kid. Athrun smiled and looked at the sleeping Nicol.
"To late," He whispered into the nights air. His words fell on deaf ears.
Authors Note: to say a few things to my fans thanks and I do read Tutoring Trouble and I am sad that it is ending soon. Anyway I bet your dying to know who made me laugh it was none other then Cari 0 with there blooper for episode 24 a war for two (my favorite) I wanted to thank you all for cheering me up though and know one is going to die… at least nobody is going to die that anyone likes. HINT HINT. Any way my next chapter is all written out I did it during in school suspension I just have to get motivated to type it. I'll give you a little preview.
"Nicol I need you to tell my father I finished the mission…"
"What do you mean Athrun?" "I'll show you"
"I'm not afraid of the dark."
"Nicol's in trouble"
"Lose a turn and head back to start."
Ok there you have it. Until next time peace out.