Gundam Seed/Destiny © Mitsuo Fukuda and Affiliations.

Standard warning for rated-T fics's applied.

Warning: super slow progress, might be OOC.

Enjoy the story!

000

Restarting

By : Naw d Blume

Beta-ed by: JadeDragonHawk

000

Flay stopped in her tracks. Upon hearing a sound, she paused and held her breath. Slowly, she looked back behind her. There, a sight that she had hoped was only in her imagination appeared in the flesh.

"Hello there. Thank you for taking care of me, Miss Allster."

Gasping, she faced the object of her mind and took several steps backwards, "M-Miss At-hha? W-wha?!"

Cagalli stood healthily with glinting pupil-less amber eyes. She would be looking dazzling if not for a pair of fangs that peeked out from either side of her red lips. All paleness on her was gone as if it were never there.

Flay continued taking several steps backwards until her retreat was stopped by the door. In front of her, Cagalli charged at her; attention solely focused on her uncovered white neck.

000

"'The Pearl of Life' was discovered around ten thousand years ago," Nicol started, "There was no exact time of when it first appeared … but the higher-ups were aware of it around that time."

Four people in the living room sat in different spots. Nicol, as usual sat on his favorite chair at the piano. There was a book on his lap; the book containing the information he was sharing. Dearka, Yzak, and Shiho sat on the sofa, while Athrun stood near the windows. His emerald eyes stared out into the night sky. It was cloudy as if representing his own feelings. Deep inside, he felt something stir.

Yzak scoffed, "We know that, Nicol. During our early days, we were taught about it. Its function is to wake the dead."

Dearka chuckled, "Well, well, well. Yzak, you don't think that he only has that information, do you? The document, I'm sure, is more than that."

"I agree with Dearka, Yzak," Shiho whispered, "Athrun surely mentioned that it's a research report. It's bound to have much more information regarding your task, The Chosen's task."

Nicol smiled, "May I continue?" after he was given permission, he continued, "The Pearl was very rare. The possibility is 1:100 in the vampire society. As few vampires were born in each decade, the possibility is getting smaller. The only hint of the existence of The Pearl is that the bearer is able to be alive for a while during nights of the full moon. From the very few objects of research, they know that The Pearl is difficult to extract since it turns into ash outside of the bearer."

"Whoa," Dearka was amazed, "This information is something."

Athrun closed his eyes. The Pearl was the subject of their task. The Pearl was not found yet … in their knowledge except for his. He was well aware of who The Pearl was.

000

Cagalli bit the arm in front of her greedily. Her amber eyes were covered by her eyelids. Behind her, Kira stood close; one arm was bitten, held in Cagalli's hands while the other arm lingered on her flat stomach. He stared lovingly at her.

A gasp in front of them caught his attention next. Flay felt to the ground, legs still too weak to stand. She stared in horror at the scene in front of her. She was sure about the existence of vampires. She was sure. The smell of blood she was familiar with surrounded her. Red blood spilling through the gap in Cagalli's lips, staining the man's long sleeve, made her shriek. She was suddenly aware that in front of her was a vampire drinking blood.

Kira smiled lightly. Humans were humans. "Don't be afraid. She will be back to normal as soon as she has finished."

Flay stuttered, "You- she- I- she's drinking your blood!"

Kira kept silent for a while. He could feel the rush of blood sucked by Cagalli. It would be a frightening scene for a human. He felt sorry for her to have to see such a scene. If Lacus were there, he was sure that the human girl in front of him would be freed from the frightening memory.

"Yes, she is drinking my blood. But, it's fine. You don't need to worry," he paused, "I thank you for the care you provided for her."

Flay trembled but said nothing to him. Her eyes were too occupied with Cagalli. For her, the way Cagalli drank from him was as if she enjoyed drinking the red liquid. "Miss Allster, right?"

Flay's attention was brought back to him. She nodded slowly.

"I hope this will not burden you. Please say nothing about this. Soon, when we meet again, I will make sure you'll forget everything."

"Wh-?"

Before Flay could ask anything, Kira appeared behind her and hit her neck, causing her to lose consciousness. The red headed girl fell and hit the floor with a thump. Kira whispered while holding Cagalli who seemed unaware of anything except for his blood, "We must go now, Cagalli."

Just after Kira and Cagalli disappeared, Doctor Durandal rushed into the room. He nearly stepped on Flay as he came through the door. The smell of blood was still present in the room. That smell was not unknown for him.

"He is still alive, eh?"

000

Lacus walked gracefully as normal humans did. She walked through the crowds in the shopping district. The morning sun was the brightest. It could burn The Tainted, turning them to ash. Fortunately, as she was one of The Pure, it could only cause some burns on her fair skin. A hat with a wide brim sat on her head to cover her face from the sun's light. Her long blue dress covered her body.

The stores in the shopping district opened one by one. People who worked there rushed inside to prepare. Lacus scanned the line of stores with interest. One of them caught her eye. She then walked inside the store. Although it had only just opened, a shopkeeper immediately approached her with a kind smile.

"Good morning, Miss. What could we help you with?"

Lacus smiled at her, "I'm looking for a T-shirt and a pair of trousers."

"Anything else?" the shopkeeper asked again.

"Do you provide girls' underwear?"

The shopkeeper nodded, "Yes. Let me lead you to the sections of your interest."

The shopkeeper lead the way inside the shop. Behind her, Lacus followed silently. Her blue eyes looked around to see the various clothing in the store. It'd been a while since the last time she had visited any store to buy clothing. Modes had been changing since then.

000

One thousand and five hundred years ago.

Durandal shook hands with a blonde haired man whose name was Ulen Hibiki. They were both researchers. In front of them was the most successful achievement they had gained through the years they worked together. It was called The Ultimate Vampire.

For the first time, the offspring of a tainted male and a tainted female hadn't result in a tainted child.

For the first time, the offspring of a tainted male and a tainted female had resulted in a pure one.

It was a joy both partners shared with each other.

Durandal smiled, "It's been nice working with you, Ulen."

Ulen smiled back, "I feel the same, Durandal. May we work together in the future."

Flashback ends.

Durandal was brought back to reality when there was a knock on his door. After he gave permission to come inside, Sai appeared. The bespectacled man bowed to him and said, "Doctor, Flay is awake."

"Thank you for informing me. You may continue your work."

Sai bowed once more before he left the room. The doctor sat for a while before heading out to the room where Flay was taken care of. The red haired nurse was found unconscious in the room that Miss Athha had previously occupied. Surprisingly enough, the black haired doctor didn't smell any blood besides the blood of someone he was familiar with. He didn't smell Flay's blood in the room. He had some hypotheses for this lone fact.

He knocked twice before entering a certain room, "Flay."

Flay nodded. She looked pale. Her eyes were empty. Durandal couldn't help but take pity on her. It was no mistake that she had seen it. In his mind, he grinned in pleasure. The girl was quite sweet. No one was to be spared upon discovering the existence of vampires. It was either death or being turned into a vampire.

Durandal took a seat not too far from her. His eyes scrutinized her. He cleared his throat before getting directly to the point, "Do you remember anything?"

Several hours before.

Flay was horrified to see the scene playing out in front of her. She was sure that her fear was clearly shown on her face since she heard the brown haired male suddenly say, "Don't be afraid. She will be back to normal as soon as she is finished."

She stuttered as she saw the redness of blood tainting the peach colored long sleeve, "You- she- I- she's drinking your blood!"

The brown haired male kept silent for a while. Despite the building fear she felt, she still could see the love in the eyes of the male.

"Yes, she is drinking my blood. But, it's fine. You don't need to worry," he paused, "I thank you for the care you provided for her."

In front of her was Cagalli drinking blood. She had been beyond frightened when the blonde girl had charged at her. Fortunately, or unfortunately, a male suddenly appeared behind her; offering an arm. She should be glad that her own self was safe. However, what was happening to the man?

"Miss Allster, right?"

Flay's attention was brought back. She nodded, confirming the male's statement. "I hope this will not burden you. Please say nothing about this. Soon, when we meet again, I will make sure you'll forget everything."

His words were confusing her. What he meant, before she could ask, was already gone. She lost consciousness.

Flashback ends.

"I … don't remember anything, Doctor." Flay whispered.

"Miss Allster, do I need to remind you that you have an obligation to tell everything to your higher ups? It's an important matter regarding Miss Athha, our patient," he paused, "She was under our care. How do we explain to her family and friends about her disappearance?"

Flay nodded, "I know, Doctor. I also worry about Miss Athha. But I don't remember anything. I only remember that something left me unconscious when I was going to head back."

Durandal observed Flay's face. The empty face looked blank. He sighed. It seemed that the nurse was not lying. He might need additional time to dig out the information from the red haired nurse. He stood from his seat and reached for the door.

"Take a rest."

He walked out of the room. His steps were heard softly, going away from Flay's room. The red haired nurse was shaken. Her eyes blurred with tears threatening to fall.

000

Athrun gazed at the opened documents on his table. Just some hours earlier, The Chosen had gathered in the living room to discuss said documents. The discovery of The Pearl of Life had had a good result. Yzak seemed to have his spirit back. He was eager to find other hints. Dearka was like usual. The blonde man was grinning and smirking. Nicol, the calmest among them, was glad that his discovery could elevate the enthusiasm of The Chosen to fulfill the task.

It had been three years since the first time they had set foot in Orb. However, it was only now they managed to find a lead. Athrun let out a long sigh. If he had told them everything, this lead wouldn't just be appearing now. They'd have found the lead a long time ago.

Athrun touched the edge of the document; the part of it that was not burnt.

"The Pearl of Life is able to give a life…."

His mind flew to a certain female. His hand clenched against his chest, feeling that there was no vibration of a heart.

"Is that why you have a beating heart?"

000

A pair of amber eyes stared into a pair of purple eyes.

"Hi."

Cagalli frowned, "Don't 'hi' me, Kira."

She tried to sit up. After sitting, she was face to face with Kira. Kira's face was the kind of face she liked the most. His purple eyes, his nose, his lips, his brows, his long eyelashes. Every part of his face always resonated calmness. She found calm just by looking at him. She smiled at him. Some minutes ticked by while she observed him. It had been years since the last time she had seen him.

The sound of vehicles passing by was heard. The sun was high and the air was warm. She felt her clothes stick to her skin. Suddenly, she was alerted to the scent surrounding them.

"Kira … did I?" she asked hesitantly.

Kira nodded once.

She disheveled her blonde hair, "Oh, crap! I'm sorry, Kira. I really am," she paused before adding, "Is it still hurting?"

She leaned towards him with a worried face. Her right hand touched the red part of his left long sleeve. Two holes were present courtesy of Cagalli's fangs. He smiled lightly before patting her head with his right hand, "It's fine, Cags."

"I drank too much, didn't I? I should have been able to restrict my thirst! I-,"

"It's not your fault. Your blood was drunk before. It's only normal for you to feel thirsty."

Cagalli sighed, "I'm already a teen, Kira. Even if my blood is drunk … even if my thirst is unbearable … I shouldn't be sucking your blood dry! I should be able to restrain myself."

Kira ran his fingers through her hair, "There was a human there. You nearly launched yourself at her. I didn't think that you could have accepted it if you were to drink her blood."

A fragment of memory rushed back to her mind. "I was thanking her and the thirst was unbearable. I am so ungrateful."

000

Meyrin smiled to some nurses while heading to the room where Cagalli was taken care of. In her hands, there were flowers. They were for the blonde girl. She smiled lightly to no one when she was almost at Cagalli's room. Her mind was flying to Flay. The red haired nurse was kind enough to her that she accepted her request to read letters for Cagalli. In her bag, there were some other letters. She hoped that Flay would accept her request once more.

After arriving in front of the room, she peeked through the glass window on the door.

She frowned. There was no Cagalli inside. She walked to the nearest information table, "Excuse me."

A nurse smiled to her, "Yes? May I help you?"

"Do you know where is Miss Athha's room? I'm here to visit her. The last time, her room was there. But, just now, she is not there." Meyrin said while pointing to the room which Cagalli had first occupied.

"Miss Athha?" the nurse asked to make sure.

Meyrin nodded. Somehow, she was afraid that something had gone wrong.

Someone startled her by tapping on her left shoulder, "Miss Hawke?"

"Sai?"

Sai nodded at her, then glanced at the nurse who had been talking to Meyrin, "I'll take over from here."

The man guided her farther away. They stood near a window. Sai corrected his glasses before smiling. Smiling back, Meyrin could feel the worry inside her piling up. She could feel sweat on her hands.

"Miss Hawke, Miss Athha disappeared last night."

Meyrin felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. "Pardon me. I think I heard you wrong."

Sai smiled sadly, "She disappeared last night."

"Wh-what do you mean? She was in a coma! She couldn't have been walking around!" Meyrin shrieked, catching the attention of the people near where the two of them were standing.

"We are terribly sorry. Last night…," Sai explained.

000

Lacus stood beside Kira. Her left arm was linked through his right arm. Her head rested on his right shoulder. They were standing behind the window. Their eyes stared down at the road below. Cagalli was not present.

"Kira, isn't it wonderful to find her unharmed?" Lacus asked, her eyes still staring at the road. There was no answer from Kira. The only sound came from the cars and vehicles on the road.

Kira's left hand caressed Lacus' arm, "It's fine. But … everything seems to be more complicated than what we predicted before," he paused, "Will you still stand by my side?"

Lacus closed her eyes. She whispered, "I will always, Kira."

The two of them stood still for a few minutes, listening to the sounds from the road.

Tap.

"Hey, lovebirds, how long are you two going to stand there? The road isn't that beautiful a scene, is it?" Cagalli asked grinning.

The white gown of the hospital she had worn before was replaced with a red T-shirt and brown trousers. She looked fresh. She walked at a steady pace towards them. Lacus and Kira no longer stood close together. Both of them had separated as soon as Cagalli had said 'lovebirds'. Their faces were calm, glad to see a fresh-looking Cagalli.

Cagalli entwined herself between Kira and Lacus, "I prefer looking at kiddos at Himawari's than the road. You two have a strange taste in scenery."

Kira chuckled while Lacus smiled. With a serene voice, Lacus said, "The clothes are your size, right?"

Cagalli nodded, "Yes. You are never mistaken about my size."

Kira snorted, "For a hundred years, your size never changes, Cags."

Cagalli pinched him before staring at Lacus, "Hmmm, Lacus, didn't you forget something?"

Lacus put a cap on Cagalli's head while saying, "No."

Cagalli grinned. The pink haired vampire was always making her happy. She never forgot about her taste in clothes that included a T-shirt, a pair of trousers, sneakers, and a cap. Cagalli held her dearest people close to her. Her amber eyes saddened, "I will be fine. No need to worry, okay?"

Lacus and Kira tensed at her words before relaxing. They nodded in unison.

The three of them continued staring at the road.

000

One thousand years ago.

Athrun brought some flowers to a woman sitting near a pond; his mother. In his eyes, his mother was one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her navy hair was blowing in the wind.

"Mom, I found these flowers." Athrun said with a smile on his face. His hands offered the flowers to her.

Lenore Zala, his mom, smiled at him. She accepted the flowers and sniffed at their scent. "Thank you, Athrun. They are lovely."

Athrun blushed, "Not as lovely as Mom."

She chuckled upon hearing the words from her child. She was sure that he would be a gentleman when he grew up, "Thank you."

Athrun nodded and sat down beside her. Both of them stared at the clear water in the pond. There were some fish swimming around. It was one beautiful day. The sun was present. There were only a few clouds in the sky. The mother and son really loved that place. They rarely went out of their palace. When they walked out, they couldn't help but to taste the beautiful day as much as they could. The only thing they wished for was the presence of Patrick Zala, Lenore's husband and Athrun's father.

Flashback ends.

000

To be continued.

000

Happy b'day, Kira! Happy b'day, Cagalli!

Finally, this fic's beta-ed. So, you realize how much better it's in comparison to the previous version, right? Hmm, that's why, I suppose that you should be thanking Jade for it. Muach. Love you all!

Thanks so much for everyone who has been patient with me and my super slow writing process.

Reviewers lalaathhazalalala, ShaNelSha, lezala, TheHouseOfAthhaZala, FTS-Peace, falconrukichi, shafinaathha, Riko, Periodic Table, blondeprincessa, Ax, I love all of you. Sorry for the super long wait.

So, feedback? /puppy eyes no jutsu/