DISCLAIMER: DO I ALWAYS HAVE TO SAY IT? (^.^) I don't own Gundam SEED Destiny
Here's Chapter 2!
As usual, Cagalli Yula Athha, the Chief Representative of ORB, was roaming around her small but prosperous island nation. She visited schools, hospitals and other public facilities once a week. She wanted to make sure that repairs were going on smoothly and that those who lost their homes were given proper shelter. As the princess patted a random child's head, an ORB Admiral approached and called out to her.
"Cagalli!"
At the mention of her name, the blonde stood up and turned to the person who called her.
"Kira...? What's wrong?"
Panting, Kira Yamato took a deep breath before finally answering his sister.
"Shinn's here... with Athrun..."
"Athrun and... Shinn...?"
"Let's go meet them."
Kira gestured a 'let's go' to Cagalli. She went to a patrolling soldier and told him to take care of things while she attends to the urgent matter. The soldier simply nodded and saluted. The princess saluted back and ran with Kira to the Parliament House.
Upon entering the vicinity, they saw Shinn and Athrun sitting down at the lobby. The twins approached them and as the two ZAFT Aces saw them coming, they stood up and greeted them with a straight face.
"Kira, Cagalli..." Athrun started. He can't look at Cagalli and Kira straight to the eyes because it was still fresh in their memories the thing Athrun did. Before Athrun could muster what he wanted to say, Shinn Asuka spoke.
"Hello Admiral Yamato and Representative Athha..." He greeted, bowing his head then looked at them with no emotion.
"What are two ZAFT soldiers doing here? Are you here to wage war against ORB?" Cagalli crossed her arms, raising a brow, as if asking for an argument.
"Why are you assuming that we want war? Would you just stop talking! You're once again confusing us with your actions!" Shinn burst out, startling the people on the first floor of the Parliament House, raising a fist in front of Cagalli. The raven haired boy emphasized the word, 'confusing'.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just assumed because a certain someone betrayed ORB once again." Cagalli growled, looking at the midnight haired boy, rolling her eyes.
"Cagalli... Please don't take this personally. We're here because..." Athrun wasn't able to finish as Shinn butted in.
"... We made a commotion and as punishment, we're to do community service here in ORB..." Shinn continued from where Athrun left off, lowering his voice as he finished the sentence.
"...made a..." Cagalli started.
"...commotion...?" Kira ended, both amazed at the revelation of the two Coordinators.
"It went off like this..." Athrun tried to explain, his head looking upwards.
~ATHRUN'S FLASHBACK~
"What the hell are you doing here, Zala!?" Shinn asked in a shouting voice after seeing Athrun with a suitcase, entering his personal quarters.
Putting his case down, Athrun took a deep breath and explained himself."I was kicked out of ORB... Cagalli literally kicked me in the crotch and well... here I am..."
"That princess is really insane! Maybe you did something to piss her off... You're her fiancée for heaven's sake... "
"...ex-fiancée... " Athrun muttered in a soft voice.
"What...? I didn't hear you..." Shinn demanded, looking at Athrun with a hint of worry.
"Cagalli's not my fiancée anymore... We're through..."
"..."
"..."
"WHAT. IN THE WORLD. WHY!?" Shinn was dumbfounded but was able to react in way.
"I... uh..."
"...you...?" Shinn was running out of patience. He was already tapping his left foot, with both hands on his waist.
"Shinn... Can we not talk about it?"
"Why not? I want to know why a traitor to ZAFT would unleash a sin by pissing off that insane Goddess of Victory, or whatever you call her..."
"...Unleash a sin..? It doesn't sound right putting those words together like that..." Athrun wanted to know about the young boy's choice of words.
"Unleash because it'll cause massive problems for yourself and a sin because no one should ever hurt a girl..."
The Red Knight understood what he meant. It was true that problems will arise and that Cagalli's not going to let him talk to her ever again."... I'm surprised, Shinn..." Athrun tried to change the topic, preventing Shinn from asking more about what happened.
"Huh...? Why?"
"Are you worried about Cagalli? It's unusual for you to..."
"I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT BITCH!" Shinn slammed his fist on the nearest surface.
"Easy, Shinn..." Athrun positioned his hands, calming down Shinn.
"I don't care about your reasons, but I'll clear this to you... I DON'T LIKE HER, OKAY!" Shinn stomped out of the room, leaving Athrun behind.
~END OF ATHRUN'S FLASHBACK~
"Woah." Cagalli was taken aback, but not that much about what Shinn said to Athrun.
"Woah, indeed." Kira nodded, glancing at Shinn and Athrun for a second.
"..." Athrun and Shinn was quiet, the red eyed boy's face was red with anger and the Red Knight's face red in embarrassment.
"Carry on..." Cagalli urged the two to continue their story as she has yet to find the real reason why Lacus had to resort to such a tactic. This time, Shinn was the one who talked.
~SHINN'S FLASHBACK~
"Why did he think that I'm worried about that princess? That Athrun Zala... UGH!" The Destiny pilot yelled at himself. A few seconds after, his face shifted to that of a calm person. It made him think hard on why Athrun and Cagalli broke up. He knows how much Athrun loved Cagalli and vice versa. From his fastened walking, he also slowed down as his focus changed.
"Okay... Let me get my facts straight first... From what I've seen and heard, Kira Yamato is an ORB Admiral again after switching affiliations at the last minute... the crew of the Minerva are of course here at the PLANTS... Dearka and Yzak are still here... Lacus Clyne is the new Chairwoman... Athrun is also an Admiral at ORB so that he can stay with Cagalli... but then... just a while ago... he said that they're no longer together... Damn! Why am I so bothered?"
Unconsciously, Shinn stomped his feet and noticed that he was acting weird. "I can't! Damn! Luna and I are dating now! There's no point!" The irritated coordinator continued to walk but he was back to his usual temperament. He went out for some fresh air.
He sat down on a bench just a few steps from the building entrance. He sighed deeply and leaned backwards, with his two hands supporting his body.
"Now that I think about it, it seems like things were back to how they were...Kira at ORB and Athrun here in ZAFT... I want to know the reason... For a fact, Lacus and Kira were dating but... hmm..." He sighed again and took his sister's phone from his pocket.
He looked at it, feeling nostalgic with a bit of sadness with every blink. "Anger... Love... What is it that I really want? Is it to hate her or to love her? I accomplished my goals... but... will I... Can I do it?"
He scratched his head vigorously, messing up his raven hair. "I don't know if I should... DAMN!" Out of nowhere, the young Ace shouted the last word he said. He sighed in relief after seeing that nobody heard him shout. He sighed again, and decided to go back to his room despite the fact that Athrun Zala's sleeping there as well.
~END OF SHINN'S FLASHBACK~
"I'm not sure if Luna's lucky or not to have a boyfriend like you... " The princess clad in golden beauty said to the young ZAFT Ace pilot.
"SHUT UP!" Shinn stood up all of a sudden, raising a fist at Cagalli.
"THIS IS MY TERRITORY! IF YOU DON'T WANT ME TELLING THE TRUTH IN YOUR FACE, THEN LEAVE!"
"SHHHHHH!" The person behind the front desk put her index finger near her mouth and released a loud 'shh' sound.
"Let's continue this upstairs..." Kira gently stood up and offered his three friends to go on with their bickering in a more private place. Cagalli pulled her brother and Kira asked the two remaining guys to follow them. The four of them arrived at a door where secrets are often revealed.
Inside the Conference Room...
The Goddess of Victory, the Red Knight, the Ultimate Coordinator, and the Destiny pilot sat at the round table and conversed again.
"Oh yeah, I wanted to ask... You were worried about Cagalli... and you love and hate someone at the same time...? Am I correct?" the brown haired Coordinator asked the raven haired Coordinator, utterly bewildered with Shinn's story.
"It's just that... She's a girl... for this bastard to do it... " Shinn pointed at Athrun. "...it's just wrong... and I don't want to talk about the person who I love and hate, okay?"
"Fine, fine... Though you sure know a lot..."
"Those are just things I've seen and heard... not eavesdropping or anything though..."
"I know..." Kira replied with a soft giggle.
Athrun and Cagalli, on the other hand, weren't moving an inch. They just sat there, minding their own damn business.
"Looks like the princess and the knight were affected... Painful, isn't it?" Shinn teased them with pride.
"..."
"..."
"Shinn... Let's not say anything... uncalled for, okay?" Kira tried to stop Shinn from creating a mess.
"I'll stop after you guys fill me in with some information..." Shinn took out a booklet and a pen, ready to note down anything of importance.
"About what, Shinn?"
"First, about your relationship with Lacus Clyne and your sudden transfer from ZAFT back to ORB..."
"Ah... I guess it's time... It happened when..."
~KIRA'S FLASHBACK~
"Are you finally settled in? I know you lived your life on Earth for most of the time..." Lacus put her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, who was fidgeting on his seat.
"I'm okay, Lacus... Just a little nervous is all..." Kira sighed, tapping his left foot at 3 seconds interval.
"Why? I told them that you'll be a ZAFT white coat because of your contributions and of course because I need you to stay here with me." Lacus smiled as the Ultimate Coordinator blushed.
The elevator stopped and the intercom informed them that they were already on the 4th floor, where Lacus' office would be. They both entered her office and there they were greeted by Dearka Elsman, Yzak Joule's second-in-command.
"Good Afternoon, Chairwoman Clyne." Dearka and Yzak saluted as did Kira and Lacus.
"Yzak, you don't have to call me formally... Plain ol' Lacus is just fine." Lacus grinned happily at the two boys. "Is there something the matter?"
"I have received word that Athrun Zala was banished from ORB. We're here to personally give you the papers that the Princess sent."
Dearka handed Lacus an envelope and she began to open it slowly. She slipped her hand to grab the contents and there she saw three papers.
"Hmmm... Athrun's transfer paper, a recommendation letter and a personal letter..." The pink princess said as she analyzed the three papers. She looked up at the two boys and told them that she'll handle those. Yzak and Dearka saluted her and left the room.
"So... what's this all about?" Kira asked his girlfriend, eyeing the papers on her hand.
"I'll read the personal letter first..."
Dear Lacus,
Hey. You might be surprised to get these documents from me. That's the truth. I approved Athrun's change of alliance since we're already through. He came here a few days ago and after you guys have left for PLANTs. He said that he thinks our relationship is going nowhere and that we have to break up. Of course I cried, I punched him in the face, I pointed a gun at him... but I love that bastard... I love him but, out of anger, I took out a form and signed it. It was the transfer papers. The other letter is about his entry as a soldier of ZAFT. He doesn't need it because he's a Zala but I wrote one anyway. Just so you know, I'm going to the Atlantic Federation for a conference, and if you'll reply, I might not be able to answer immediately.
Sincerely yours,
Cagalli Yula Athha
"Athrun... broke up with her?" Kira said astonished.
"Oh Cagalli..." Lacus said with a worried face and looked towards Kira. "If that's the case... then you should go to ORB..."
"What? It's okay... That's Cagalli we're talking about... I know she won't let anyone bring her down." Kira was shocked at first but knowing how much Cagalli can endure pain, he had faith in her.
"But Kira! Cagalli's your sister... You must be very angry with Athrun... and I know that you want to comfort her as much as I do..." Lacus held her boyfriend's arm, telling him to go with both the emotion contained in her words and her eyes.
"Lacus..."
"If Athrun's coming here for his transfer... then I think you should go to ORB... I don't want you beating him up..." Lacus hugged Kira as he sighed quietly. He knew that Kira wanted to rush to his sister and embrace her. "Okay Lacus... I'll go there."
"Be careful..." At that, Kira left the room and headed for ORB.
~END OF KIRA'S FLASHBACK~
"Oh... kay... Though I didn't hear anything about how you're an ORB soldier now..." Shinn stated, glaring at Kira.
"That's because I'm not done yet... I just stopped because..." Kira's gaze was now at a Cagalli who was sobbing, her head on the table. Kira patted his sister's back. "Sorry, sis..." Cagalli cried even harder and then hugged her brother. Her chest was buried on his chest and she hugged him tightly.
"You are a dead man, Zala." Shinn warned Athrun with a 'you're literally dead' tone.
Athrun just looked at him with almost no emotion and then looked at Cagalli worriedly.
"I'll say this fast... I decided to put my relationship with Lacus to a halt because I wanted to stay in ORB after Cagalli almost..." Kira stopped then sighed, and then began to talk again. "I chose to stay with my sister than to stay with Lacus... She knew the reason why I had to stay behind and she's willing to wait for me..."
"Oh... So that explains why you're here in ORB... and that the real thing was, you two were in a hiatus... I heard them say you two broke up but thank you for clearing it up..." The Destiny pilot nodded with his arms crossed, indicating that he now understood half of his worries.
"But... What is the real reason? Did something happen while you're in ORB?" Shinn asked the brown haired Coordinator. Athrun was just quiet, as he did not know how to approach them without the twins killing him.
"I'll tell you why..." Cagalli wiped her tears with a handkerchief and then told them what really happened. She took on a firm stance while sitting and then began.
~CAGALLI'S FLASHBACK~
"Cagalli!" Kira opened the door of the blonde princess' office and gave his twin a hug. Cagalli was shocked to see him in ORB and stood up all of a sudden. She was bewildered by his actions but she hugged him back nonetheless.
"What are you doing here, Kira?" Kira broke the hug and shook her shoulders.
"DID THAT ATHRUN ZALA HURT YOU? ARE YOU OKAY? DO YOU WANT ME TO BEAT HIM UP?" The Ultimate Coordinator shouted at her restlessly. One can see how much Kira was worried for Cagalli.
"Ki...Kira..." The ORB princess was on the verge of tears. A few seconds later, she threw herself at her brother and started to cry loudly.
"I'll be staying here for you, okay?" He caressed the back of her hair as she cried.
"I know..." The blonde girl answered even though her face was wet with tears, still on her brother's chest.
Kira led Cagalli to her room so that she can rest. He opened to door and told her to lie down and he'll just get a glass of water. He went back, only to see Cagalli already sleeping.
"Cagalli..." He kissed his sister's cheek and then she spoke in her sleep.
"A...Athrun..."
Kira frowned at the mention of his best friend's name but later changed into a sad face because he knew that Cagalli loved Athrun very much and that he can't comfort her better.
Everything was going on smoothly, with the princess not thinking about what happened between her and Athrun. It was until a certain date that Kira would soon decide to stay in ORB.
"Kisaka! Where's Cagalli?" Kira was in a panic and his tired body was a giveaway. Kisaka shook his head sideways and he started to run again.
"CAGALLI! CAGALLI! WHERE ARE YOU?" Kira shouted as he ran at the corridors of the Parliament House. He stepped on his car and drove to the Athha Mansion furiously. As he arrived, a maid came out of the mansion and told him that Cagalli was not home. "I'm sorry Master Kira, but we tried to look for her after you called but we really can't find her..." The maid's hand was on her chest, trying to catch her breath."I understand... Thank you for your help." He dashed to his car and persisted on looking for the Lioness.
"Where is she..? Oh Cagalli..." The older twin was now beyond worry. It's as if he'll breakdown into pieces if he doesn't succeed in finding his little sister. Almost out of hope, he parked his car at a street and fixed on looking for her within the woods located just across the streets.
"I know it's unusual to look for her here... but I'm desperate... DAMN! Where's Cagalli...?" The amethyst eyed ORB soldier ventured into the woods and kept on shouting until his throat dried up. He was about to finally give up when he saw a familiar person just a few meters from him, her back facing him and was on the edge of a cliff.
"Ca..."
The person lost consciousness and was about to fall until Kira caught her.
"Sis... ter..." Kira grabbed her by her arms and pulled her to a hug. He embraced her so tight but there was no response from his beloved sister, who was awaken by the firm grip of her brother.
"What... are you doing? You could've died!"
"I... don't... care..." Cagalli answered him with a blank expression. Kira just hugged her tightly, afraid that she'll do something stupid again.
Kira broke their hug and examined her whole body for possible injuries. His eyes widened when he saw two cuts on her wrists. It was bleeding so much and that worried Kira even more.
"Cagalli! Why? WHY? Please... I know you're stronger than this... I know you won't do this... You're brave and you're always thinking positively... Why do this?"
"I... don't..." Losing a significant amount of blood with a tired body and tearful eyes, the Princess of ORB lost consciousness again and even though Kira tried to wake her up, she wouldn't.
~END OF CAGALLI'S FLASHBACK~
Everyone in the room was quiet. Even Shinn Asuka was silent. Kira Yamato was clenching his fists, not out of anger but out of agony, remembering that Cagalli would even think of doing that.
"WHY ARE YOU SO CHILDISH?" Athrun Zala stood up and slapped her across the face.
Cagalli touched her sore cheek and looked fiercely at the emerald eyed Coordinator as Kira and Shinn both looked utterly surprised at Athrun's sudden action.