Gundam SEED: C.E. 79

Réveil Awakening

Later that day, Ashley stood at the edge of the beach as the waves rolled towards the shore. His black hair was tied back in a ponytail, which blew in the wind slightly while he faced the ocean. At about that time, he felt a hand touch his shoulder. At the slightest touch, having startled him, Ashley jumped forward to avoid further contact. Upon doing so, he heard laughter. But it wasn't the laughter of Cameron or his Mother... the laughter sounded innocent, but at the same time hid a shade of sadness behind it.

"Did I startle you?"

"C-Cagalli... no..."

"No? You know, Ashley... you're not a really good liar."

"Ash"

"Huh?"

Ashley's face was flushed red a bit. He wasn't fond of his name at all. He always was made fun of in school about his name. So, he always went by 'Ash' instead.

"Please, call me 'Ash'... I can't stand my full name. It's a girl's name – I hate it..." Ashley replied meekly.

"I don't think it's a bad name at all, but if you'd prefer to be called Ash, then that's what I'll call you."

"Thanks..." Ashley replied quietly as he turned around and continued to watch the sea. Cagalli walked up and stood beside him and watched the sea as well.

"So... are you still angry with me?"

"...Nah, I'm over it now... A man can't lament and dwell over something that happened in the past..."

"Those are strong words... but something tells me you don't feel what you're telling me. It's alright if you're still mad at me... some of the things I said earlier... were things said in the heat of the moment. Upon seeing your anger, you reminded me of something I said to someone very special to me once..."

Feeling the calm, almost apologetic nature in her voice, Ashley couldn't help but be interested. Cagalli was like a different person now than she was just a few hours prior...

"What was it...that you said?" Ashley inquired, looking over towards Cagalli.

"The greatest battle is to keep living," Cagalli said with tears in her eyes. Suddenly Ashley felt guilty, as if he was to blame for her crying. He was never good with the opposite sex, and seeing a girl cry was almost unbearable for him.

"...I'm sorry... I didn't think that my outburst would've caused you to cry—"

"No, Ash, you've nothing to apologize for. If anything, I should be apologizing to you. You made me realize just how foolish I was...for saying the things I said. I'm sure my Father would be saddened to hear me talking the way I was... so... I'm sorry."

And with that said, Cagalli looked over at Ashley. As she made eye contact with him, Ashley merely nodded as to accept what she was saying. Then, as Cagalli turned to head back to the house, Ashley spoke up.

"Wait-what will you do now?"

Cagalli stopped for a moment and then replied, "Isn't it obvious? As the Leader of the Orb Union, I've no choice but to fight. Diplomacy is irrelevant at this point... I've no nation to negotiate the safety of with the Zodiac Empire for due to their direct actions, annihilated over a million people, including my people of the Orb Union."

"But... you're going to need a mobile suit... and all the elite mobile suit models that were involved in the 2nd Bloody Valentine War..."

"Have all been sealed away in space, I know... It was Kira's idea to seal them away and send them into the Asteroid belt. ...But isn't there a military facility here in Australia?"

"Wait a minute, Cagalli... even though you're Orb... any military camp is still a restricted area for any and all Orb Union citizens. Just how do you..."

As Ashley trailed off, Cagalli walked up to him and whispered in his ear, "Your father used to be an Alliance officer, right? According to Earth Federation law, the family of any past or present Alliance soldier is always welcome to the base in which their father was stationed at... and since I take it you've lived here your entire life..."

"...But...still, so I can go to the base in Canberra... but that still doesn't help you get in."

"...You still don't get it, you're going to visit the Canberra Earth Federation Military base with your girlfriend."

"...But... I don't have a girlfriend...wait-WHAT?"

Ashley's entire face was flushed a deep red. He finally understood what Cagalli was talking about, and while it was just a plan, the concept of even playing a role as Cagalli's boyfriend flustered him to no end.

"H-hey, it's not very nice to tease me like that you know..." Ashley retorted.

"...Hey, it's not like I'm exactly fond of the idea myself... but how else would I get inside the base? It's clear I won't be able to if I'm by myself. And if it's believable that you and I are 'involved' then no one will suspect anything. If I can get on the base grounds, I'm positive I can steal a mobile suit therein."

Ashley still wasn't comfortable with the concept of Cagalli's idea, but seeing as there weren't any fresh alternatives, he had no choice but to agree to Cagalli's plan. After releasing a half hearted sigh, Ashley agreed to Cagalli's plan.

While preparations were being made, Ashley awaited Cagalli to emerge from the spare bedroom. Inside, Cameron and their Mother were finding a fitting attire for Cagalli to wear so that she seems more believable as Ashley's girlfriend. After 30 minutes had gone by, Ashley was starting to get mighty impatient. Just as he was about to pound on the door, the door opened and Ashley saw Cagalli standing in between his Mother and Cameron. She was wearing a short mini-skirt and a sleeveless tight top. She had a few golden bracelets and a small purse to go along with her attire. Needless to say, Ashley was awestruck.

"So, how do I look, Ash?" Cagalli asked.

"Y-you...l-look g-g-great!" Ashley exclaimed.

Cameron narrowed her eyes and said with a frown on her face, "Ash... you're drooling..."

"Oops!" Ashley quickly wiped off his mouth. Afterwards he laughed it off while scratching the back of his head. Cagalli didn't seemed phased at all, and she walked up to Ashley, "Well, shall we go, Ash?"

"Y-yeah... we should get going it's going to take a couple hours to travel via airplane from Perth to Canberra. And it would look odd if we got there too late. Most family visits to the base occur during the morning and afternoon hours of the day. So we should stick to this normal time frame."

"Ash isn't going to get into any serious trouble, is he?" Cameron asked with a hint of concern in her voice.

"I promise, nothing will happen to him. After he gets me inside, I'll scout the mobile suit hangar. When I find a suitable mobile suit, before I steal it, I'll make sure Ash is well out of harms way. I've no intentions of dragging you into my fight," Cagalli answered assuringly.

"Are you sure you want to leave so soon? You've barely recovered from your injuries?"

"I appreciate your concern Ms. Rosi, but I don't have time to spare. I've already heard from your daughter that War was declared on the Zodiac Empire and in return declared against us in kind. I must act before a full scale war breaks out here on Earth. If I can acquire a mobile suit, I think that I just might be able to provide the assistance the Earth Federation will require against the Zodiac Empire. I know what it's like to fight ZAFT Technology, and while the regime may have changed, their technology can't be too different than it was before."

Ashley and Cameron's Mother, Ms. Rosi, was concerned about Cagalli's well being... but at the same time, understood what Cagalli meant. Having once been married to a soldier, she could tell by the look in someones eyes the legitimacy and importance of what they intend on doing.

"I understand dear, and I've confidence that you'll ensure the safety of my son. I want you to take care, Cagalli Yula Athha."

Cagalli smiled and returned Ms. Rosi's embrace, "I will, and you take care too. Thank you for the kindness you've showed me in the short while that I've been here."

Afterwards, Ms. Rosi hugged her son, Ashley, "And I expect you to be back safe and sound by tomorrow, okay? No side trips after you see Cagalli off, you hear?"

"Sure thing, Mother. Hey Cam, take care of Mother while I'm gone, okay?"

"Of course, Ash. Oh, and if you see Lieutenant Bartlett, tell him I said 'hi' okay?"

"Sure thing, Cam."

After the goodbyes were taken care of, Ashley Rosi and Cagalli Yula Athha embarked towards the Perth Airport and boarded a flight to Canberra. While en route to Canberra, Cagalli decided to rest while on board the plane...

Nightmare PHASE II

Cagalli was surrounded by a thick fog. She was in a place foreign to her, and visibility was next to nil. She felt cold and a sense of foreboding. Unsure of where she was, she slowly started to walk forward. Despite the heavy, dense fog, Cagalli could recognize buildings on both sides of her. It seemed that she was in a city of some sort... however it's eerie quietness didn't help ease the tension Cagalli felt. As she continued to proceed forward along the main road...she noticed a lump off in the distance, in the middle of the road. Upon walking up to the 'lump', it was revealed as a human who was slumped over. Kneeling down, Cagalli rolled over the body... it's eyes were vacant and lifeless, dried blood was evident. It's body was contorted in a horrific fashion and it appeared as if this person had lost control of all bodily functions prior to death. The smell was disgusting and repulsive.

Cagalli snapped up to her feet after examining the corpse. She was shaken and afraid. She started to run. She ran past the body and continued running... however the further she ran, the more bodies she came across. Body after body of putrid rotting flesh and death continued to appear before her... She had run to the center of the unknown city, panting, and out of breath. It was then, when she looked up at the sky and saw it shatter...everything was sucked through the vortex into the black void beyond...

Cagalli suddenly opened her eyes. She quickly looked around and realized she was still on the plane. Ashley was asleep and the other passengers were minding their own business as the flight continued en route to Canberra... Breathing a sigh of relief, Cagalli reassured herself it was only a dream... however she was starting to get concerned... just what was it she saw in her dream? And not just the one she had just awoken from, she had one earlier as well.

"Perhaps it's still just a shock from the Impact," Cagalli thought as she turned her head towards the window. The enigmatic terrain of the Great Victorian Desert could be seen below. This reminded Cagalli that it would still be a bit before the flight would arrive in Canberra. Not feeling tired, Cagalli stood up and headed towards the lavatory in the rear of the plane. Once inside, Cagalli splashed cool, cold water on her face. She couldn't help but recall the dream, or rather, nightmare she had experienced just a few short minutes ago. She couldn't discern herself what it was exactly that she felt, however, she knew one thing was for sure... it certainly wasn't a normal feeling. It was as if she felt a sensation in regards to the massive losses of life that she had borne witness to in her dream...

After washing up, Cagalli returned to her seat. When she did, Ashley had awoken.

"Cagalli? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Ash, I just... had a rather unpleasant dream. I figured I'd wash my face with some cold water to cool off. I'm feeling a bit better now, though."

"Didn't you have a dream earlier? In the early morning today, when we all heard that scream – you had a dream then too didn't you?"

"Yes... but it's probably due to the Impact of what happened when I was still in ORB, when Martius-4 fell... I'm sure given time, I won't continue to experience these... dreams..." Cagalli trailed off as she gazed out of the circular window. Silence would befall them and they wouldn't say much of anything for the remainder of the flight...

Author's Comments

In case some of you may be wondering about some of the few character changes that have been displayed by Cagalli, you have to keep in mind that this story is 5 years after the events of Gundam SEED and a lot can change about a person in five years, personality traits included. This story's version of Cagalli is just one of many possibilities of how could've matured. That aside, I hope you'll enjoying the story thus far. Chapter 3 will contain a lot of action, so it might take a few days for me to work on it – watch for it!

RUKAII