PHASE THREE: Change of Events
C.E 74 Orb Union (Five Years Ago)
It had been three days after the Battle of Messiah, and Cagalli had received news from the remaining Orb fleet that had joined the battle with the Archangel that ZAFT and the Earth Alliance had reached another stalemate, just like they had in Jachin Due two years ago. The fleet were scheduled to return back to Orb today (and should be arriving any time soon now) after finally repairing the damages they had sustained during the battle. She heard that the mother ships weren't that heavily damaged, but the blow they received during the fight was enough to hold them up in space temporarily due to problems with the engine that made it impossible for them to enter Earth's atmosphere.
Sitting by the desk of her study, Cagalli buried her head in her arms, resting against the surface of her desk. She hadn't been able to sit still for days, wishing with all her might that she was up in space for the battle... but there was no way she could leave Orb. Besides, Cagalli was sure that she needed to stay here and allow Athrun to go alone and search for himself there. She did not want her presence to be a disturbance to him. After all... Athrun was a Coordinator. He had been raised in PLANTs and in space all his life. It would be no wonder if he didn't want to stay on Earth, or if he did not want to be with a Natural. Cagalli had seen the way Meyrin had looked at him... a small feeling tugged at her chest and Cagalli stood up.
"Arrrgghhh! Get a hold of yourself, Cagalli!" she scolded herself, messing her hair with both her hands as if doing so would clear away the thoughts that had plagued her for days now. According to the Orb fleet, the Archangel would remain in space for a while longer before they return to Orb – that is, if they were to return here at all. Everything was in such a mess, and though there were piles of paperwork on Cagalli's table, she paid them no attention. There was no way she could rule a country in her current condition. She glared at the paperwork with fiery golden eyes, as if willing for the pile to burst into flames right there and then.
Sighing, the golden-haired princess turned her eyes to the top drawer of her desk. She eyed it for a few minutes before finally pulling it open, taking out a silver ring, shaped almost like an outstretched bird's wing with a singular stone. The stone had often made Cagalli wonder – it was a dark shade of crimson, yet the colour had a tinge of violet as well. She didn't even know what the stone was supposed to mean. Cagalli missed the feeling of having it against her skin. Her ring finger felt awkwardly exposed ever since she took it off.
A sudden knock on the door made her look up in surprise. "Come in," Cagalli said, storing the ring back in the desk drawer. She shut the drawer firmly and turned towards the visitor, her eyes widening disbelievingly at the figure as he closed the door behind him. "A-Athrun..? You... What are you doing here?" she asked, almost cursing herself as soon as the words left her mouth. What was she asking?
Athrun blinked, facing her. He walked forwards, stopping almost just an arm's length from where she stood, shock clear on her face. "Well... I arrived with the Orb fleet," Athrun said, almost as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. He made it sound like returning from a battle where he could have died was completely normal in everyday life. "They transported me here with Justice when I told them I wanted to return, but Kira and the Archangel are still in space. We just arrived –"
"I know that!" Cagalli snapped, annoyed. It annoyed her even more when Athrun pressed his lips, fighting the urge to laugh. "I mean... Uh... I mean, what are you..." she trailed off, unable to ask him directly.
"'Why have you returned here..?' isn't it..?" Athrun asked knowingly, his gaze softening when Cagalli looked up in surprise. He had deliberately given her the wrong answer before, knowing full well what she had meant the first time she asked.
"Athrun..." Cagalli said softly, feeling almost guilty that she had asked him such a thing. He was back, right? What did it matter..? The reason for his return shouldn't matter... right?
Much to her surprise, Athrun grinned. "Let's see... Why did I return? The world is at peace again, and a proposal has been issued to make another peace treaty. Orb will need to grow strong again to protect its ideals. The military are certain that Representative Attha will do a fine job and not neglect her responsibilities," Athrun said mildly, gesturing towards the pile of abandoned paperwork that made Cagalli grimace. Then, the Coordinator crossed his arms, his face thoughtful. "But really, I'm scared of what might happen if Orb continues as how they has been – with the princess almost willingly marrying an idiot 'for the sake of Orb's safety', placed in a state of peril where she was needed to be rescued by the Freedom, being forced to enter a treaty with the Alliance," Athrun said carelessly, flicking his fingers one by one as he counted his statements.
Cagalli could hardly believe what she was seeing. This Athrun had been lost to her for a long time – the Athrun she had first come to know when they had first met. "Athrun... you..."
He sighed dramatically. "That Seiran idiot did a lot of damage to Orb's military. Not just to the military, but to the government as well... and to make sure you don't fall into pressure like you did with Roma Seiran or to join the Earth Alliance again, the Representative will need someone who can support the system and protect Orb's ideals so it grows strong again. Someone who would willingly stay by her side and help solve Orb's problems –"
"You're staying?" Cagalli cried out, cutting the Coordinator's words off. She had no real idea what Athrun had been blabbing about – though she did know that he was listing down all her weaknesses right there and then, just asking for a fight – but if she understood correctly...
Athrun stopped his speech, his eyes turning soft again as he regarded the golden-haired girl in front of her. "Ah," Athrun answered, smiling slightly. "I want to help you rebuild Orb again, Cagalli... as Athrun Zala, son of Patrick Zala – ex-soldier of ZAFT and the pilot of the Justice."
A wave of emotions nearly consumed the Orb Representative – it was a mixture of pure joy, frustration, annoyance, happiness, relief, disbelief... Cagalli bowed her head, her body shaking as she tried to get a hold of the feelings that were overwhelming her. "Er... Cagalli..?" Athrun approached her anxiously. Cagalli had always been the type of person to fully show her emotions, no matter what they were, but this one he did not understand.
"KISAMAAA!" Cagalli shouted suddenly, landing a full-force punch on the Coordinator's cheek. Athrun stumbled backwards, his eyes wide open in bewilderment as his hand automatically moved to his throbbing cheek.
"Cagalli! What –"
Athrun's words were cut off as something hit his body at full impact, sending him on the floor. He opened his eyes, his eyebrows raised as he took in Cagalli's figure who was already crying, hitting his chest repeatedly. "Bakayaro!" She raised her head, her eyes shining with tears but she was already laughing and crying at the same time. Athrun relaxed. He knew that he deserved that punch – he wasn't even surprised she had actually hit him. After all, he deserved so much more than just that after what he had done to her, even if he did do those things by thinking about her best interests.
"I didn't know what to do. I couldn't afford to let Orb burn itself again and let more people suffer just because I needed to protect Orb's ideals. I thought that everything was for the best, and I couldn't do what I wanted and I was alone. Even when Kira kidnapped me from the wedding, I still wanted to stay and change Orb – I never wanted to make the decisions that Orb was forced to make!" Cagalli cried out, crying freely now as she vented at him, still continuously putting blows on his chest. "People come to Orb and join their military because they believe in Orb's ideals, but if I can't protect that, then... then..." she bowed her head, the sobs making her unable to continue.
Athrun pulled her close, hugging her tight. "I'm sorry, Cagalli. There was no room for me to help you when I remained in Orb. I thought that I could stop the fighting – I thought I could protect you by remaining in ZAFT because I had the power there. But I was wrong... I've been such an idiot," Athrun said, laughing slightly. "I won't return to being Alex Dino again. It was wrong for me to be under that name in the first place – it was why I couldn't help you by staying in Orb. I was powerless," he said quietly, the tears escaping from his eyes. "I'm sorry, Cagalli."
It didn't matter to her. Athrun wasn't the only one who made mistakes during the war, and she did not care about what had happened as long as he was willing to stay by her side again. She heard him force out a shaken "Thank you" amidst his sobs and couldn't help but cry as she realised that she had finally gotten him back.
Later that afternoon, after they had finished crying about all that had happened, Athrun pulled Cagalli to her feet and moved to the desk, pulling the top drawer open and sliding the ring on her finger again, asking her to never take it off again. When Cagalli asked how he knew where the ring was, Athrun replied saying that he saw her shutting the drawer when he entered and he just knew that it was the ring that she had been looking at. Cagalli looked at the ring, now nestled comfortably against her ring finger again, and curiously asked Athrun why the stone was crimson. Athrun's cheeks reddened at that, mumbling something about the fact that it had been the colour of her shirt when they first met and that he had always associated the colour with her. It was the most unromantic excuse for his choice, but Cagalli was truly happy all the same. To hide her embarrassment, Cagalli accidentally burst out saying that next time he wanted to buy jewellery, she wanted the stone to be green, and when Athrun densely asked why, she refused to answer, changing the subject by saying that she wanted Athrun to be her admiral. The proposition had been so shocking and unexpected that Athrun was immediately swayed by the change of topic. It was only later that night after he finished washing his face and looked at himself in the mirror into his own eyes that Athrun realised what Cagalli had meant, and he laughed.
Orb faced major changes after that. Most (if not all) of the Orb soldiers and officers were delighted to have Athrun Zala as their new Admiral. The Coordinator's history in ZAFT as well as his role with the Archangel and protection of Orb was respected fully – Athrun had been a popular choice after all and they were sure that by having him as an Admiral, perhaps this time they could protect Orb's ideals better for both Naturals and Coordinators alike. Together, Athrun and Cagalli promoted peace between both Coordinators and Naturals, launching a project to repair and rebuild the destroyed Heliopolis in Lagrange 3 to make room for more people who wanted to live together in a neutral union.
C.E 74 PLANTs (Five Years Ago)
A few days after Shinn and Lunamaria rejoined ZAFT, they received a private invitation to Lacus Clyne's house. Amazement and surprise overwhelmed them both - for Shinn, it was due to the fact that he was being summoned by the Chairwoman herself, but to Luna, it was due to Lacus being the famous songstress. Shinn even wondered if the invitation was a fluke, but in the end, they decided to attend the invitation just to overcome the burning curiosity on what she could possibly want that could not be achieved in either the military headquarters or the Supreme Council building which she often went to.
When they arrived, they were surprised when it was Kira who answered the door. He was dressed in a white shirt and plain black trousers and brightened when he saw who it was - Kira immediately ushered them inside, telling them that there were only a few others who hadn't arrived. Upon hearing that, Shinn and Luna exchanged glances, wondering what was going on. Kira easily led them to the back of the house which, to Luna's absolute delight, was a vast space filled with all kinds of flowers with a pathway to the beach. They were both instantly bombarded with numerous coloured Haro's which surprised them - Luna thought that Lacus only had the Pink Haro and never knew she kept that many in her home. The Haros were scolded by Lacus who turned and apologised to them. She wore a light pink dress and Luna couldn't believe that the songstress in front of her was really the provisional Chairwoman of ZAFT.
As Lacus led them away from the house, Luna commented about what she knew had happened during the first war, where Lacus's house had been ransacked and damaged when she had been accused as being a traitor. She merely smiled upon hearing Luna's comment, shaking her head and saying that the situation had changed since then and she never intended to find a different place in PLANTs. Lacus led them to the side of the house where tables and chairs had been set out. Luna wondered why she hadn't noticed the place when they had approached the house earlier and realised that there was a high wall covering them - if one was to stand in front of the house, the wall acted as a disguise as if the house was bigger than it really was.
There, sitting at the tables, were numerous people whom Luna recognised to be respected officers and elite pilots. She immediately moved closer to Shinn, feeling awkwardly inferior. Even Shinn was surprised to see that they were sharing company with such people.
"Please, sit," Lacus said, offering them an empty table. They sat down and Shinn looked around curiously.
"What... is this?"
Lacus shook her head. "You will find out soon."
The last to arrive had been two elite ZAFT pilots and a white-uniformed Commander who appeared breathless. They apologised for being late and Lacus shook her head, dismissing the apology. She turned to Kira who nodded encouragingly at her and stepped in front of the crowd which, at the end, consisted of twelve people.
"I'm sorry to disturb you at a time like this," Lacus started, her voice immediately serious. "We know that the new treaty has been put into effect again, and for now, the world is peaceful. But after what happened last time, I cannot help but think that we have not gained true peace yet. Both wars ended with a stalemate, with no real winner, and the situation we face now is the same as the one after the battle in Jachin Due. For now, I have taken the role of Chairwoman until I can be sure that PLANTs is truly at peace, but wars are hurtful, and a lot of people are still burning with hatred for their losses. As long as peace is still here, we can't do anything but to try our best... but even in ZAFT and PLANTs, not all our opinions agree with each other. I need your help," Lacus said, surprising those who were there.
What she proposed was to have a group of four independent Special Forces units, each unit consisting of one Commander and two pilots - each Commander had also been elite ZAFT pilots, with the exception of Kira Yamato whom Shinn already knew was the pilot of the Strike Freedom. Two units would work together for normal military work which would make it seem like they were from the same squadron. Shinn Asuka and Lunamaria Hawke were placed in the First Special Forces unit under Commander Kira Yamato - the announcement had been so shocking that Shinn choked on his drink and stared wide-eyed at the brown-haired Coordinator who merely smiled approvingly at him. The Second Special Forces unit was made of Dearka Elsman and Shiho Hahnenfuss under Commander Yzak Joule. Shinn, Lunamaria and Kira were to be independent pilots for the Joule Squadron so that even if there weren't any missions for them, they would still be under Yzak to perform normal military work to hide their true positions in ZAFT.
The Third Special Forces unit was made of Tierre Nehas and Printe Chani, both elite ZAFT pilots and they were under the command of Commander Kyena Falen. The Fourth Special Forces unit was made of Laniel Ghens and Sierra Chaes under Commander Yerisa Chile. Both the Third and Fourth Special Forces Unit were under Commander Falen.
"Let's work together," Kira had said to both Shinn and Luna afterwards, holding out his hand for them both.
Shinn couldn't help but feel... what was the word... intimidated? - no, it wasn't that. But something about the Freedom pilot definitely earned his respect, perhaps due to his piloting skills. "Ah... umn..." Shinn managed, shaking Kira's hand. "I suppose. But this is really surprising, having the Chairwoman said something like that," he frowned. Had peace really not arrived yet?
Kira smiled. "I guess it can't be helped when people still hold grudges from the past."
"I guess we'll be working together again on the same ship, Kira," Dearka's voice sounded from behind the brown-haired Coordinator.
Kira turned in surprise, his face almost apologetic when he saw who it was. "I guess so. It really can't be helped."
"Don't worry about it. Yzak isn't that bad as a Commander," he said teasingly as Yzak joined them, Shiho by his side.
"Um... You are... Captain Elsman... right?" Luna ventured. One of the pilots from the Le Creuset team with Athrun...
Dearka raised his eyebrows. "Excuse me. Captain Dearka Elsman of the Joule Squadron," he introduced himself with a salute.
"Lunamaria Hawke. Yamato Squadron... wouldn't that be right?" she asked, turning to Kira.
"I-I guess so."
"Shinn Asuka. Yamato Squadron." Shinn saluted Dearka.
Shinn and Luna turned to Kira who suddenly blinked. "A-ah. Commander Kira Yamato. Yamato Squadron."
Yzak 'tsch-ed' and Shinn blinked at the legendary Freedom pilot. Is this guy for real..? "Commander Yzak Joule from the Joule Team," Yzak introduced himself. "I'll be the commanding officer for you," he said at Kira, who could only laugh shakily. Kira never minded that in the least. "And this is my ace pilot," Yzak said, gesturing to Shiho who stepped forwards with a smart salute, introducing herself as she did so.
"Hey, hey. Kira is a white uniform officer as well," Dearka interjected.
"No, it's okay," Kira shook his head. "We're all aware that I'm not a real soldier. There're a lot of things I need to get used to, and a lot I need to learn. I hope you'll lend me your help."
"No problem with that!" Luna said, happy that Kira was with them even if he wasn't exactly a true soldier at heart.
Yzak sighed. "Soldier or not, you're wearing ZAFT's white uniform now. Excuse me," Yzak said, saluting, before moving away with both Dearka and Shiho behind him. Kira had looked at the young Commander moving away and he nodded. "Ah..." he said quietly, his voice barely audible, "I got that."
A year and a half later, Kira moved out from the Joule Team and led a full squadron of his own which consisted of eighty members in total, including the pilots. Upon request, Shinn and Lunamaria both agreed to remain with the squadron and when they first entered their ship (a second generation Nazca-class high speed mobile destroyer named Aurora), they were surprised to find quite a number of their old comrades from the previous Minerva. Among them were Meyrin Hawke, Vino Dupre and Yolan Kent, much to Shinn and Lunamaria's delight. When they asked Kira about it, Kira merely smiled and said that maybe someone had pulled the strings before walking away. They were also introduced to their new Vice Captain, Laniel Ghens, who had been in the Fourth Special Forces unit. He, and his comrade Sierra Chaes, were assigned to the Yamato Squadron after Commander Yerisa Chile was killed in a mobile suit attack led by terrorists.
One day, after being assigned his own squadron, Kira bumped into Yzak who congratulated him, pausing ever so slightly before finally offering his hand. The silver-haired Commander had been rather cold to the new ZAFT Commander at first, but after receiving the Aurora, Kira seemed to finally have gotten his approval.
Kira Yamato and Yzak Joule were later assigned ZAFT's new unit, ZGMF-K1001 Enigma which was a transformable mobile weapon, able to transform into a fighter-plane mobile armour that is more commonly used for speed than battle. Shinn and Laniel were assigned the ZGMF-X2000 GOUF Ignited while Lunamaria and Sierra were given the ZGMF-1001/M Blaze ZAKU Phantom.
C.E 75 United States of South America (Four Years Ago)
A year after the war, two mobile suits landed in a remote area among the forests of the United States of South America which had gained independence from the Earth Alliance and was now considered a neutral state. The two mobile suits were the ZGMF-X20A Strike Freedom and the ZGMF-X19A Infinite Justice. Kira Yamato and Athrun Zala both climbed out from their mobile suits and walked towards the cliff overlooking the deep sea. They watched in silence as the waves pounded against the rocks, the wind strong as it whipped through their hair and Kira commented on how he never wanted to fight again.
"I hope that our conflicts can be solved in a different way from now on," Kira said quietly, turning to look at the Gundam - the one machine that had shared so much with him since the event in Heliopolis. "I wish we will never use these again."
"Ah," Athrun agreed, his eyes darkening at the old memories of the war. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on their parts, but with both of them now having strong ties with Orb and PLANTs, they were both hopeful that the day never came when they needed the Gundams' power again.
Secretly, a large hangar was then built under the cliff where they had landed to house both the Strike Freedom and the Infinite Justice. Orb still protected the Archangel and the Akatsuki like it did after the First Bloody Valentine war and somewhere in space, the Eternal lay dormant, never joining ZAFT even though Lacus Clyne had stepped in as the provisional Chairwoman. The Three Ships Alliance were still an independent force. Cagalli and Lacus had both asked why they didn't want to keep the Justice and Freedom with the Archangel and Eternal, but to Kira and Athrun, doing so would mean that they had a chance of picking up their swords again without the hesitation to fight. To both of them, the Freedom and Justice were to be used as a last resort at the time they would need them the most and that was hard to achieve if the two mobile suits were somewhere that was too easy for them to reach.
In truth, Kira and Athrun had both wanted to stop fighting as they had before... and they tried to bury that desire along with their Gundams, praying that they would never need to use them again. It was ironic, considering that Athrun was the Admiral of Orb and Kira was a Commander in ZAFT.
It took two years of hard work and the hangar was fully operational in C.E 78. With Kira's astounding skills and Athrun's intelligence, the hangar was designed in such a way that maintenance for both Gundams was not needed to be done by humans. Numerous plugs connecting to machines did most of the maintenance that was needed by both Gundams although every three months, Kira and Athrun would take turns in going back to the hangar to ensure that everything was settled. They simply did not wish for anyone to see the Gundams again.
C.E 76 PLANTs (Three Years Ago)
The first time Yzak Joule had been introduced to Shiho Hahnenfuss was when they were children. At the time, his mother and Shiho's parents had been so warped in their plans to "unite the children" that Yzak had not bothered to learn either the parents' name or even the child's. All he knew was that they were having extremely idiotic guests that night and that he was to "behave himself" and "treat the girl like a gentleman", whatever those two commands would mean. Why did he need to behave himself in front of a stupid girl anyway? Most girls he knew acted stupid around him anyway, and he physically repelled their presences around him.
When the door bell rang and his mother brutally forced him to greet the guests at the door, Yzak's face had been sour as if he had swallowed enough lemons to last a lifetime. The door opened, revealing the Hah-what's-it's and the first thought that crossed Yzak's mind was that the parents must've been really stupid because he couldn't see the girl anyway. Shiho, who had hated her parents' idea and therefore rebelled by dressing in a smart uniform instead of a dress, rolled her eyes when she realised the idiot she was supposed to be "united with" didn't even bother to greet her at the door. They were ushered inside.
Then, it happened.
"Shiho," Ezalia Joule said kindly, placing her hand on Yzak's shoulder. "This is Yzak. Yzak, meet Shiho," she introduced them both.
"This idiot is a girl?"
"I didn't think I had been facing a boy."
To many parents, the meeting had been a disaster, but after that first night, both Ezalia Joule and the Hahnenfuss couple agreed that maybe things would turn out better than they believed after all.
They rarely got the chance to meet (mostly due to them both rebelling in some way or another) but when Ezalia Joule was accepted in the Supreme Council of ZAFT, she decided that Yzak's rebellious days were over. The first time Shiho introduced herself to him as an elite ZAFT pilot, Yzak didn't even know that she was the same girl he had met years ago. He never bothered to remember her name before, after all. Even as an elite ZAFT pilot, he did not pay her any attention at first due to her being a girl. Yet as time passed, Yzak became more comfortable with her, perhaps because she was not like most idiotic girls he met... that, and the fact that she was a good mobile suit pilot which he admitted to himself grudgingly.
Yzak sought her company a lot as time went by, especially after finding himself alone due to Dearka being captured by the Archangel and Athrun turning his back on ZAFT. It had been comforting to have someone he could talk to without completely losing his mind, though he still constantly reminded himself that she was a girl, and, even worse, the person he was supposed to be "united with". Those thoughts always bothered him, but as time passed, even those thoughts stopped plaguing him.
He realised what her presence really meant to him when, one day, her CGUE unit was heavily damaged in a battle with the Earth Alliance. As he retrieved the unit's damaged cockpit with his GOUF, images of the deaths of Miguel and Nicol were repeated in his mind, along with flashbacks of the pieces of the Aegis, Dearka captured by the Archangel...
"Hahnenfuss!" Yzak called, trying to get an image of her in the CGUE's cockpit – and failing. "Kuso! Hahnenfuss!"
Yzak jumped out from the GOUF as soon as he placed the damaged cockpit down and raced towards Shiho, pushing away several ZAFT soldiers as he did so. She was unconscious and blood trickled down her forehead, but thankfully, she was alive. The wave of relief that swept through Yzak surprised him and though the doctor later on assured that she was fine, he stayed with her until she regained consciousness again.
"You look really pitiful with that face, Commander."
"Shut up."
When Lacus approached him one day and asked if he was interested in being a member of the Supreme Council, Yzak was surprised to find himself deliberating on the answer. There was an open position for the National Defence Committee Member representing Martius of PLANTs – a position that was once held by his own mother, and one that he had experience severing for temporarily after the First Bloody Valentine. The elections would be held soon, and as the son of the previous council member and a much-famous war hero, Yzak Joule would have been a very popular choice... not to mention the fact that joining the Council would earn him the purple ZAFT uniform. He would sit in the Supreme Council building, never again witnessing the death of his comrades before his eyes... but also unable to protect those who entered the battlefield.
"No," Yzak had said before he knew it, surprising Lacus and even himself.
Lacus eyed him curiously and then beamed at him with such a smile that Yzak couldn't help but feel very annoyed. She tilted her head slightly, a knowing smirk on her lips. "Ara ara... Is that so..? Why did you choose that, Yzak?"
Yzak turned his head away. "I don't sit and make decisions while my comrades fight to their deaths. It's stupid to just sit and give orders and make decisions while people die waiting," he said, annoyed.
"Yes... You're right," Lacus answered quietly and Yzak looked at her in surprise. "But sometimes, that is the only thing we can do," she said, shaking her head as she remembered her father. Yzak muttered a small apology for turning down the offer, but Lacus only smiled and told him not to worry – there were many other good people out there who would willingly defend ZAFT and the PLANTs with their lives. She smiled, patted his arm knowingly and turned to leave. Before exiting, Lacus paused and asked him that even if he was unwilling to be a Council member, she hoped that he would be a General that would always protect PLANTs and even those who opposes them. She disappeared before the shocked silver-haired Coordinator even had the time to respond.
The first person to see Yzak in his purple ZAFT uniform was Shiho, who had coincidentally been passing by when Yzak exited his room. She stopped and looked at him, smiling slightly. "Commander," she saluted, then relaxing. "That uniform suits you. Congratulations."
"Er... Thanks," Yzak said awkwardly.
"I heard someone turned down the opportunity to join the Supreme Council or head the military headquarters because he loves his squadron too much," Dearka's annoying voice suddenly rang down the hallway. They turned as he walked towards them and Shiho saluted in respect. "Yzak sure has gotten soft over the years."
"Shut up, Dearka."
"Well, at least Lacus still made you a General," the blonde-haired Coordinator sighed, eyeing Yzak's purple uniform longingly. "But I'm still second-in-command."
"I hear you still get to keep your squadron," Shiho said, agreeing with Dearka's statement. "It seems as though I am still needed," she stated, almost smugly.
Yzak pursed his lips, annoyed that she was teasing him. "I wasn't the one who asked you to remain."
"I wasn't the one who accepted to stay," she replied, her voice just as cold. "Excuse me," Shiho said, saluting them both before turning and walking away. As soon as she had her back to him, she smiled, trying very hard not to laugh. Yzak ran his hand through his hair angrily, frustrated with how the conversation turned out. But when he looked at her walking away, there was no mistaking the warmth in his eyes.
C.E 76 Orb Union (Three Years Ago)
Orb's citizens had rejoiced their newly-founded peace again, and among those citizens were Murrue Ramius and Andrew Waltfeld who returned to their shared house in Orb after the Battle of Messiah. The house had been maintained by Reverend Malchio after it was rebuilt (though it was nowhere near as grand as it was before). As soon as Mu La Flaga looked around the large area they had, he immediately proposed that they expand the place for the orphans to live comfortably with them. For a few months, Mu and Waltfeld worked together in expanding the place and from time to time, they were helped by Athrun and Cagalli. Even Kira and Lacus went to Orb regularly to help and the number of children who stayed there increased. For two years, there was always something that they were working on together to make the place better.
Shinn Asuka, who from time to time still returned to Orb, always watched from afar – especially when Cagalli was around. He remembered the first words he had said to her that day on the Minerva, how he had despised her and blamed her for everything that had happened. One day, when he watched her pick up a saw to help them build a tree-house, he walked towards her and took the tool from her hands to help saw the board, giving a biting remark about technology and having workers available. Though she was surprised, Cagalli only shrugged and smiled and said he had a point, but they both knew that it was working together like this that made the place special. A few feet away, Athrun watched the black-haired Coordinator from where he had been working with Kira and smiled.
Despite Cagalli's protests, Murrue decided to keep her alias of Maria Vernes as she continued her small passion of working with Morganroete, heading the second Shipbuilding Section as she had done before the war. One day, two years after the war, when Athrun and Cagalli sent her home (wanting to visit the orphanage themselves), she stopped in front of the large orphanage, finally finished, and smiled. Mu had his back against the wall of the orphanage, chatting to Kira and Lacus before he spotted her and gestured her to come with him. She shrugged and followed him down the pathway towards the beach, unaware of the fact that Kira, Lacus, Athrun, Cagalli and Waltfeld were sharing knowing looks with each other.
Watching the sunset with Mu, Murrue felt completely at peace. Mu commented on how he never knew a day like this would come, as he had often felt as if his life would be fully on the battlefield. He never thought he would survive, and the orphanage was one of the small ways for him to repent – it was a way for all of them to repent for their sins. When Murrue turned to console the mobile armour pilot, she was surprised when he suddenly took her hand, his blue eyes serious as he went down on one knee asked her hand in marriage, to live with him for as long as they still remained alive – he smiled crookedly at her as he usually did when the tears began to fall from her eyes, immediately saying 'yes'. He told her that he would have just asked, but Lacus insisted that he get down on one knee. Murrue laughed through her tears and when he slid the delicate golden band on her ring finger, she admitted that she actually had always loved mobile armour pilots.
Unsurprisingly, Kira, Lacus, Athrun, Cagalli and Waltfeld were waiting for them when they returned, the skies already turning a very dark shade of orange. Cagalli and Waltfeld had been putting bets on how badly Mu might have screwed up the proposal, but then they saw the ring on Murrue's finger and Mu winked at them. That night, they celebrated.
Lacus had been extremely busy with the preparations, surprising Cagalli and Kira both when she fussed and complained about how the wedding should be made grander. Athrun nudged Kira as they stared, wishing the Coordinator good luck for whenever it was 'their turn' and Kira sighed, already dreading it. All the Archangel crew as well as those who fought with the Eternal were invited. Waltfeld was made the best man, with Cagalli and Lacus as the bridesmaids. The day before the wedding, Murrue had looked at Mu, alive and well, and wished that Natarle Badgiruel had been there with her.
Precisely three weeks after Mu proposed, a modest wedding was held at the orphanage, the children receiving new suits and dresses which cheered the event immensely. Shinn, Lunamaria and Meyrin made an appearance which pleased Cagalli to no end, and most of the crew from the Three Ships Alliance also came. Kira had stared at Lacus when she appeared in her white bridesmaid dress and murmured about it not being fair to Mu that there was someone prettier than the bride. Athrun, however, pretended not to recognise Cagalli and he asked her if she knew where she was, which earned him a small blow to the arm – Cagalli, dressed beautifully in her dress had snapped angrily at the Coordinator and before she knew it, everyone was laughing at her, making her cheeks redden. Athrun lowered his voice and told her that she was truly beautiful – this time, she knew he wasn't teasing.
Amazingly, just before the ceremony, a shuttle arrived in Orb and Yzak Joule, dressed smartly in a black tuxedo, arrived in a black car. Astounded, Athrun ran to greet them, but as soon as he made a comment on Yzak's attire, the silver-haired General turned his head away and stalked off angrily back towards the car. They later found out that it was Dearka who had forced the General to come, but the fact that Yzak did appear showed them that they had made a bond with the short-tempered Coordinator after all. When they spotted Yzak again a few minutes later, a young woman in a simple white dress was with him, later introduced as Shiho Hahnenfuss. Athrun arched an eyebrow at her and Dearka mischievously whispered something about Yzak getting soft before moving away.
When the ceremony started and Murrue walked down the path, made by scattered red rose petals on the white beach sand, everyone turned to look at her and she blushed slightly in embarrassment. She walked with Archangel's ship pilot Arnold Neumann, her eyes shining as she tried to hide her laughter when she looked at Mu's nervous face. When the vows were said and the wedding ring rested safely against her ring finger, everyone stood to applause the new couple who wrote another chapter in their lives.
Miriallia, who had been the photographer for the whole ceremony, spotted Dearka standing alone with his eyes on the beach not long after everything was settled. She walked towards him and he turned when she approached to stand beside him. Dearka commented on how everything smelled fresh and original here, on Earth, which was unlike what he faced in PLANTs even though that place was always there for him to return to. He asked about her, and she truthfully said that she had not found her true home yet. As a freelance photographer, Miriallia had been moving from place to place; never staying for more than a few months, but it was a life that she enjoyed. Dearka laughed, saying that her life seemed to be split into chapters. He then turned and looked at her sincerely, saying that even the worst of things were only chapters and that there was the rest of the book to finish writing. Miriallia understood.
They watched the sunset together, and at some point while the sun moved down, Miriallia held Dearka's hand, surprising him, but she did not look at him. Not wanting to break the moment, Dearka merely tightened his hold and when nightfall approached and it was time for the ZAFT Captain to return to PLANTs, he kissed her cheek briefly and she told him that she would visit PLANTs soon to capture more pictures. He promised her he would wait.
That night, everyone celebrated (with the exception of Yzak, Shiho, Dearka, Shinn, Lunamaria and Meyrin who returned early). They played games and laughed happily, telling jokes and teasing each other. When the children were finally tired enough to sleep, Lacus, Cagalli and Miriallia brought them upstairs to tuck them in. Kira and Athrun went outside and walked to the end of the porch overlooking the sea. They watched the stars and the moon and the skies and the seas, both silent until Torii's call broke both their thoughts. It landed on Kira's shoulder and Athrun smiled.
"I remember when we used to take this for granted," Kira started, reminiscing their old days on the moon. "Things have really changed since then... the world..."
"Ah," Athrun agreed, shaking his head slightly. "We don't know how long the peace will last..."
Kira breathed in deeply. "I think it has always existed and lasted, if we looked hard enough."
"Kira..?"
"You and Cagalli... Me and Lacus... Our friends and comrades... Even when we fought, there were always moments of peace that we feel when we are with them. I think that's the most important thing of all. Without that, we cannot fight. If we forget the peace we have, even in war, we will be unable to fight for what we want. I think it's important to always have this feeling... To keep on fighting..."
"Nicol... Rusty... Miguel... Heine..." Athrun said the names softly – all whose deaths, ironically, had been associated with the Kira in some way. "Do you think they will forgive us for living so happily?"
"Always," Kira answered – he had no doubt. "Tolle..." Fllay... "All of us... we all fought for the peace of the world. We all fought so our friends and family could live happily. I think it's unforgiveable if we fail to live happily after they had sacrificed themselves to give us the chance... It's sad..." Kira trailed off, watching the skies again. Torii hopped off from his shoulder suddenly, flying towards the skies. Kira wasn't worried though – the mechanical bird would always return to him. The brown-haired Coordinator looked at his old friend and they exchanged smiles as they watched Torii flying away. Always.
MOBILE SUIT INFORMATION
Model number: ZGMF-K1001
Code name: Enigma
Unit type: Mass Production Transformable Mobile Suit
Manufacturer: Integrated Design Bureau (ZAFT)
Operator: ZAFT
Launched: C.E 77
Accommodation: Pilot only, standard cockpit in torso
Dimensions: Overall Height 18.84 meters
Weight: 76.38 metric tons
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery with power extender
Armaments:
2 x MMI-GBA210-A 75mm CIWS, mounted in head
4 x MMI-GBA210-A 75mm CIWS, mounted on wings (mobile armour form only)
2 x MMI-M826 "Hydra" Gatling Beam Cannon
MMI-700 "Gigas" Beam Sword, stored on hips
2 x MS-100 "Armour Schnieder", stored on hips
Shield, mounted on left arm in mobile suit use
Optional Equipment: Enigma Wizard Packs
Author's Note: This chapter was extremely fun to write, seriously. I'm not aware at what time I started writing, but by the time I looked at the clock, it's past 3AM. XD I shall be moving houses on Sunday, but I hope this chapter is long enough to compensate for my absence – hopefully, it won't be very long before I get internet access again. I'll be writing as we wait. Who knows, maybe I'll be able to finish the next chapter before Sunday. :D In the next chapter, we'll get back to present day after they watched the Freedom go down.
I noticed the mistake about Yzak after I published the previous chapter. I've edited it slightly, making him Lacus's personal advisor instead of a ZAFT Commander (which he already was). Sorry for the mistake! Information on Kira's Nazca-class Aurora might be given in later chapters - I'm still unsure how big a role that ship will be currently. The reason I put him in the Joule Team first is due to Kira's lack of leadership skills - unlike Athrun, he was never really a soldier or a leader, so putting him as a Commander straight off would have been weird. I wish I can write more about the five years between GSD and present day, but we need to get back to Kira. T.T Maybe I'll have flashbacks in this fic.
I thank Freedom Tsuki, AsuCaga4ever, PrincessOfDestiny14, Magus-15IchiGo, WaaWaa and hakuMeyen for your reviews, and also to those who favourite-d and alert-ed this story. Thank you so much! I hope you enjoyed this one – let me know what you think!
AsuCaga4ever: Nah, I think I'll leave them as it is. I don't mind Shinn/Luna that much – it's just that I love Stellar more. There will be a good balance for the romance though, with heavy focus on Kira/Lacus and Athrun/Cagalli, I'd expect. But anyway, thanks for the input! :D
WaaWaa: Unfortunately, the present day in this fic is only five years after GSD – if they have children, they'd only be five years old which won't help much. But that's a seriously interesting idea for an ending. I'm tempted to try it out. XD