Heeeyaaa.
So instead of replying to you on the story chapter like I normally do, I pm'ed everyone that I could, and then for those who I can't pm (Cagallifan and Azettafan), I will leave a msg for you in the 'Jabber bomb' at the end of the chapter. Instead of the replies though, I just wanted to write this…
My supreme apologies for a late review- I was gone for a couple days with my family dropping my brother off at a collage (just saying, Virginia is a GORGEOUS state). On the long ride back, at around 11pm at night, another of my brothers called bearing news that he had gotten attacked a block away from our house a bit ago.
Two guys had jumped out of the bushes at him, and luckily another brother (I have five brothers, folks) was there with his friend and they ran in the middle of the street to get across, trying to stop a car, call the cops, and help my brother.
Thank God my brother only got a messed up jaw- for now that's the extent of his injuries that we know of. I am so grateful that he's not in a worse condition of which he could be.
My brother is one of those down-to-earth, quiet, sturdy guys, who annoys the heck out of me sometimes but is a good guy. He didn't deserve to be attacked. Nobody deserves to be attacked like that.
I guess it doesn't really hit you until someone you know or yourself it happens to but it's really making me realize now just how sad our world can be sometime. It's inhuman for people to just attack others. Are we not all the same? Are we not made equal? Sure we may think differently, or have different personalities. Different likes/dislikes. Skin colors. Hopes. Dreams. But isn't it OUR choice to let those things separate ourselves from eachother? Let things so trivial drive us apart when we should be looking past the small stuff to focus on the big stuff. We are unique- but that does not mean we are separate from one another.
I don't know what the meaning of life is for everyone but hurting others…that can't be it. And maybe I don't understand their situation, how they grew up, and why they are who they are but they make the choice to do what they do. They make the decision to hurt innocent people. That I do not understand… *sighs*
The cops haven't found the people who attacked my brother yet, but I am praying that no one else gets attacked, and I'm praying for everyone who has been attacked before just like my brother, and all the families who are suffering from various problems akin to having a relative/friend attacked.
I don't know... these things get me sorta frustated, lol, sorrrryyy!
I know this is all random and rather bizarre, and I'm sorry for taking your time in reading this.
God bless, and happy readings.
Apologies for all lameness, OOCness, spelling/grammar errors- this week was…well…a long one. =/
*Disclaimer- Gundam Seed hasn't been mine since it came out, still hasn't become mine during the course of writing this fanfiction, and probably still never will be mine till the day I die and afterward. (Are we at an understanding? =P )
CHAPTER 13
OOOOO
Narrator POV Harmony
Kitalla could count on one hand how many times she had gotten incredibly angry- this time included.
"Captain?" asked an engineer hesitantly at her murderous expression as she led Kira- who was carrying the sleeping Akira- down the stairs into the brig.
"Send her to the medic bay." She said quietly, working hard to relax her body and calm her temper. She prided herself in being strong and always calm but when Akira had suddenly thrown her off her pilot's seat- surprising her- she had been too stunned at first to react and then had gotten furious with being undermined.
Then the idiotic girl had turned the Chaos homeward despite Kitalla's obvious intentions to kill the red GUNDAM's pilot. Not to mention the fact that her precious GUNDAM was now in need of repair!
"Does the Chaos need any treatment?" her engineer asked.
"As far as I know it does. I haven't had a chance to do a surface scan. The usual- fix the external injuries and recharge and I'll take care of the rest- you know the drill."
The engineer nodded, saluting before waving to two other engineers, leading them in them in the direction of the Chaos.
Kira lowered Akira's limb body gently onto a stretcher, his face lined with worry. "She's hot."
Kitalla didn't even raise an eyebrow at his statement. "Excuse me?" she asked coldly.
Kira's gaze met hers unflinchingly. "I mean, her temperature. I think she's running a low fever." His fingers brushed the blonde's bangs back into place, scattered over her forehead. Akira's eyes were closed lightly and there was a slight crease in her forehead as she fretted even in her sleep.
"We can treat her." Kitalla couldn't help but feel proud when she said that. How many ships out there could treat both Naturals and Coordinators?
One of her doctors had already come up to take the stretcher and Kira glanced between Kitalla and Akira, uncertain.
Yuna then trotted up. "I'll keep an eye on her." He told Kira and Kitalla sighed. She didn't want an audience to her anger. She was used to keeping her real emotions in check- never showing what she thought, always playing the mad hatter. But now… this had unnerved her.
Akira's expression when she had realized what Kitalla was planning to do unnerved her. Because Kitalla recognized it as one she had once wore.
That expression of desperation, fear for someone else, and uncertainty as to whether this was the right decision..
Yes… Kitalla knew that one well…
"Damn." She slammed her fist against the side of the wall once they had wheeled the blonde pilot away. A couple of her brig-units looked up at her in surprise and worry.
Kira glanced one last time over at his friend before raising his chin and crossing his arms over his chest. "Let it go, Kitalla." His voice was stiff and made Kitalla want to snap out at him.
She wasn't some miss-behaving dog he could rebuke! Was she the Captain of this ship or was she not? Did she not save both him and Akira despite her own wishes to just stay out of a non-profit adventure?
Enough! She told herself. You over-reacted earlier! Keep your feelings in check, you fool before something else slips out! Kitalla forced a wicked grin. "Let what go?" she asked, shrugging. She reached up- her gaze never leaving Kira's – as she slid the band that was keeping her hair out of her face off her pony tail and her hair collapsed from it's tight hold around her face. She then unclipped her bangs- which she normally always left up even when she wasn't piloting- and let them flop over her one eye, covering it.
"I know what Akira did was wrong," the confusion in his purple eyes did not change the resolute decision on his face. He would follow Akira no matter what she did.
"Ch!"
"I don't understand it quite myself either." He admitted after a long pause. "But nevertheless, what's done is done."
Kitalla sighed. He had a good point, she would admit that. "Indeed." She mused, more to herself then to him. "Perhaps your friend will enlighten us upon awakening. For I am quite curious as to what her reasoning is." The last couple words were a growl. Even if Kitalla had nothing against ZAFT and Coordinators in general despite her history, she saw no reason against killing off one of their elites who was chasing after her anyway.
Fair is fair- right?
Well two on one wasn't but she would have told Yuna to stop attacking once she had joined in. Kitalla's own code of honor wouldn't allow her to gang up even if it was war.
Kira nodded. "I don't see why not. Just no interrogations. We may be at your mercy, but Cagalli is my princess and I will not let you upset her."
Kitalla snickered. "She doesn't need me to upset her." Kira remained glaring at her and she sighed again. "What are you going to do? Stab me with a pencil? Eh?"
"I'm sure I could come upon better weapons then that, Kitalla-san, but I would prefer if things…didn't get tense between us." The implication in his tone was obvious and Kitalla frowned.
She wasn't making any promises; that was for sure. Sure Lacus made promises but Kitalla didn't- especially ones she couldn't keep. "We'll see." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Though- if things did," she paused for the effect. "You would be the ones at a disadvantage…"
Kira stared at her a moment longer, obviously debating whether to reply to that before he nodded and turned to leave.
Then Kitalla remembered something. "Kira!" she called.
Kira paused, glancing at her from over his shoulder.
"If she doesn't give a reasonable explanation for her actions then realize that I will be forced to assume that she's collaborating with ZAFT and is the imposter."
Kira's eyes widened and then narrowed. "Understood." He snapped and Kitalla smiled. Finally- things were getting somewhere.
If only she could find out what had happened to the other way-ward princess.
OOOOOOOO
Narrator POV aboard the Demi-god.
"Akira! Behind you!" Athrun yelled, struggling to overthrow his opponent who was staying too far away for him to hit with his beam saber. So all he could do was watch from the corner of his eyes as the Chaos slid up the Huntress's legs, curling around them with it's lithe body, it's mouth turning to clamp down on the Huntress's gun arm.
-What the hell?- Akira's voice yelped in panic through the radio.
Heart hammering in his chest, Athrun swooped the Aegis around the ZAKU, trying to get to the Huntress only to be headed off again by the infuriating mobile suit. "Akira! Hold on!" Hold on? Hold on to what? How was telling her to hold on going to help anything? She was trapped and immobile.
"Athrun…" Akira's voice was quiet…rather dumbfounded with surprise. "I'm a dead duck."
The hell with her terminology again.
Athrun couldn't focus. He wanted to go right then to save her while at the same time he knew he needed to destroy the ZAKU first. He couldn't concentrate. He couldn't-
"Shut the hell up, Akira!" he snapped. "I'm going to save you!" He had to! He was her Lieutenant and her friend and she was just a rookie in way over her head. She didn't deserve this.
Already he was making a course towards her, trying to swerve the shots coming at him from behind.
-And what? Turn your back on your opponent? Not on my watch buddy!- Akira snarled. Even as she said it, Athrun was getting hit from behind and he was forced to face his enemy once again despite his screaming thoughts.
How could she even worry about him when she was the one about to die?
NO! She wasn't going to die! He WAS going to save her before then! He HAD to! Otherwise…. Otherwise…
-Listen…- Akira's voice, so soft was slightly soothing and Athrun let out a deep breath, hoping that she had an idea. –I can self-destruct and blow up the Chaos.-
…What?
Athrun's brain froze, trying to process what she had just said.
She couldn't…give up… she wouldn't...right? Athrun wouldn't let her, not her.
Athrun swore, banging his fist against his control console. "You will NOT do that!" he roared, frightened. "I'm going to get you out of there, okay?"
He could do this. For Akira he would risk anything.
He waited, hoping that she would agree but when she didn't he whispered, pleadingly. "Akira! Please don't do this!" his shoulders were shaking and he barely dodged a head shot. He was letting himself be too wide open. Making too many mistakes. He had never done this before! Never! He had never been like this before! Not until…he met her. And then…
-See ya, Athrun.- Akira's voice was gentle, like she was merely saying good night and for a moment Athrun felt the ghost-feeling of her lips pressing against his.
"AKIRAAAA!" he screamed.
Akira was about to die.
His heart stopped for a moment and that was all it took for the bindings around his mind to snap.
SEED. Even now people didn't really know what it was that made some Coordinators suddenly more intelligent, reflexive and aggressive. All they knew was that when it had happened, the person in question should not be angered.
Athrun was very angry and things were now in perfect clarity. He could now see his opponent's weaknesses almost as if the other pilot was telling him himself.
The enemy mobile suit lagged to one side. His right hand was slower then his left. One of his flight-engines was dying, making him slightly drift to one side.
Athrun flew in at full speed despite his dying power in the Aegis. He sliced off one of the ZAKU's arms in a heart beat and then a second later one of it's legs.
Akira. He had to get to her before it was too la-
An explosion suddenly blew the two contenders apart with it sheer force of power.
At the same moment it did the Aegis hit critical levels of power, any second about to power down.
Athrun gaped at the screen. "No…" he whispered, staring at the place where Akira's GUNDAM had been previously. But all that was left was a gloriously triumphant monster.
"No…" his head fell into his hands. He couldn't even protect her.
And now she was gone. Forever.
With a scream of rage, he spun about, seeking the Chaos which had dropped down behind him like a cat about to pounce.
He raised his arm, ready to shield himself from whatever blow that would come. His body trembled in his anger as he seethed.
And the Chaos stopped, frozen for a single heart beat where it stared right at the Aegis, not moving.
The ZAKU was smoking, raising it's gun to fire again at Athrun when the Chaos broke into action again. It sped towards the ZAKU in a blur of black-and-red movement, it's red eyes flashing, it's claws outstretched to grab the floundering ZAKU before Athrun could finish it off.
Realizing what it was trying to do, Athrun, released his sword which consumed most of the energy output in the Aegis, pulling out his hand gun before streaking towards his quarry, determined to slaughter them both.
Slowed down by it's heavy baggage, the Chaos spread it's wings; the whole machine thrummed, the energy shafts in it's wings- like feathers…like blades- shined even more vibrantly giving off sparks as it struggled to pick up speed.
There was something less graceful and lithe about it's movement… After hours of studying the pilot of the Chaos's technique, Athrun had grown used to seeing the unique and practiced way it was piloted. But this…this was almost desperate. An obvious disruption in the dragon's dance. Almost as if there was someone different piloting it…
Athrun shot his gun after it and the energy beams sped towards the monstrous machine. One glanced off a wing, shattering some of the energy emitters in it. Another collided with one of it's hind legs causing it to explode partially, flopping about uselessly. The other just skimmed the top of it's back, grazing it's head, shearing the metal of to display the mechanical innards.
But the Chaos didn't stop, though obviously damaged and Athrun gritted his teeth.
At that moment the Aegis decided to power down, unable to fuel it's self any longer. The screen blinked a few times and the colors swiftly faded from it's armor- leaving it a dull gray and white.
Athrun gaped wordlessly, assessing the situation, his hands skimming over the controls. There had to be something… "AAAAAAAAAGHHH!" Athrun screamed in frustration, the SEED faltering in him as his resolution was hindered. "DAAAAMMIIT!" he slammed his fists down on his useless controls, his face contorted in fury, his gaze never leaving the fast-fading, smoking wreak of the Chaos and the ZAKU. "Damn! Damn! Damn!" He should have-! He should have-!
But it was all too late and realizing this with a last glimpse of the terrible GUNDAM ahead of him, Athrun collapsed in his cockpit, panting, his eyes wide, his chest heaving. Struggling not to scream again he cried through his gritted teeth. "Nnnnggggh!" his head fell forward, his eyes squeezing shut but even that couldn't stop the single angry, desperate tear that ran down his cheek.
Athrun Zala was in a state of shock, slumped in his inactive cockpit in his GUNDAM. They had docked- his GUNDAM had lost all power- and yet he couldn't move. His mind was filled with the images of Akira's GUNDAM being crushed at it's weak points- crushed into mangled pieces.
And he couldn't save her.
He slammed his fist repeatedly on the console, a silent scream pouring out from between his gritted teeth.
And the whole time he had been worrying about his father... Akira shouldn't have come. He wished he had never met her- never chosen her. He should've chosen someone with more experience. Someone-
But then he would have never met Akira. Never got a glimpse into how she saw the world. How- though she never mentioned it- she too, like Lacus, hoped for a world where peace and harmony was everyone's goal no matter who they were, Coordinator or Natural.
"Why did you have to die?" he whispered, his arms wrapped around himself as if he was trying to keep himself from falling to peices. "Why couldn't it have been me?"
If Akira had been there, seeing him slightly curled up in his seat, he was sure she would inform him of how much of a crybaby she thought he was. That he was being dumb- especially when there was so much to live for.
There were tons to live for and she would list everything for him, pausing every sentence to call him a different insulting name from simple things to something ridiculous and creative.
Yet…
A terrible anger filled him and he swore. That damn Chaos! He would personally take that monster down!
Of course, vendettas were never really encouraged on the battle field. Anger and hate could distract you and sway you from the proper course. They were ugly emotions that Athrun would always scorn. But this tremendous anger felt like a warm red cloud he could sink into, filling his gaze and his mind with a red haze. It was deliciously inviting and…familiar.
He remembered this wild, uncontrollable feeling from a long time ago. When his mother had died, leaving him powerless and depressed.
Even now his hands were shaking as both then and now were amounting, feeding the churning emotions in the pit of his stomach.
Yet how could things change so fast? One second he felt as if, no matter what, everything would be okay, and then the next, Akira was dead and it was all his fault for not being able to save her- for choosing her in the first place when she was fresh out of pilot school.
A thumping came from the outside world, breaking Athrun out of his silent suffering. A moment later the cockpit opened up though Athrun hadn't made it.
"Lieutenant Zala, are you alright?" Captain Schway peered in and Athrun lifted his head, squinting slightly.
"Akira's dead." Athrun whispered.
The Captain took off his hat with a sigh, holding it to his heart in respect for the deceased. "I know…" his voice was quiet. "She didn't deserve that…"
Athrun said nothing. Part of him was still in denial. Any moment now Akira would drop in on them with raised eyebrows, probably lean over to ask Athrun if he knew what had happened to her favorite pair of socks or something. (In that case he would calmly inform her that if she chose to leave them out then it wasn't his problem if they ended up in the trash).
"We sent out a search crew for her body." The captain continued and the words sounded so cold and cruel that Athrun flinched.
"Will she be given a ceremony?" Athrun asked. Pilots who died on missions were supposed to be honored with an awe-inspiring funeral in their memory. Of course, Akira would probably call it frivolous and a waste to be dedicated in her name; after all, she would say, what did she do that was so amazing anyway?
You were there for me. That alone is enough. Athrun would have told her. But I couldn't be there for you…
He tried to swallow but it felt like something was constricting
The Captain hesitated. "Your father… we notified him immediately."
Athrun blinked. How long had he been sitting in the cock pit?
"And?"
"And…since Akira has no family, relatives or close friends she is to have no ceremony."
Athrun bolted up right in the cockpit, hopping out onto the catwalk. "No ceremony?" he repeated, dumbfounded. "She damn deserved one!"
Captain looked at him hard, rebuking. "Lieuteniant Zala, I know this is hard. But we must follow orders." The warning tone implied that he thought Athrun was speaking out as a subordinate. Athrun was.
"Orders?" Athrun repeated, catching the plural.
"Your father has also commanded us to keep to our mission."
So they wouldn't even be able to mourn the blonde rookie. It was like she had never even existed in the first place.
Unable to speak in fear that he would say something he might regret later, Athrun turned to stalk away. His heart felt mangled like the Huntress inside his chest.
"Lieutenant Zala."
Athrun glanced up expressionlessly to see Uru, her hands to her mouth, tears in her eyes.
"Akira." She whispered pleadingly. "Where's Akira?"
Athrun held his head in his hands, her words breaking his defenses. When he replied he had to struggle not to stumble over his words. "I couldn't…I couldn't save her! I failed her!"
Uru gasped soundlessly, stepping backwards, shaking her head in disbelief. "Not Akira though." She cried, rubbing her eyes. "She was so…"
"Alone…" Athrun finished quietly. "They won't even give her a ceremony."
Uru's eyes widened, still filled with tears and then she just simply shook her head again. "The Chaos killed her…" she confirmed and Athrun nodded. Anger glittered in her eyes.
Athrun walked past her and she made no move to follow him as he stumbled to his room.
Seeing Akira's stuff, untouched from the morning today, still scattered over the floor only twisted his heart even more.
It was like any second Akira would skip out of the bathroom only to trip over her hairbrush which she had dropped on the floor earlier.
The blankets on her bed were still unmade and the picture of her and her friend lay on her nightstand- the drawer half opened as if she had on whim pulled out the picture to reminisce.
Just like Athrun was doing now.
He glanced at his neat bed, the corners tucked, just how he liked it. Then he turned to Akira's messy one and collapsed on it, turning on to his back to stare at the ceiling as Akira's familiar scent flooded him again.
And just like that it all hit him again and it was as if a claw made of ice had jabbed into his chest and now tightly held his beating heart in a cold grip. Shivers ran down his spine, his eyes glazed slightly as he stared at the ceiling above. Akira's face, a small smile across it- her eyes sparkling with her withheld amusement as she clasped her hands behind her back was all he could see.
He remembered a conversation they once had shared while resting from a sparring match.
"Make sure to move your feet a little bit more." Athrun added to the blonde who was mopping her sweaty brow with a rag.
"Hn?" she glanced at him curiously with her violet eyes, an eyebrow raised.
"You telegraph a bit when you go to kick. You shuffle your back foot and crouch slightly." He explained and she made a face.
Straightening up, she assumed her fighting position and with a look of concentration spun and did a 360 round-house. "Better?" she asked.
"A bit." He offered a slight smile. "It's not that big of a deal. I only noticed because I spar with you a lot."
She did it one more time before flopping down again with a shrug. "Can't be helped I guess." She reached up as if to push her damp blonde hair back from her face and in doing so, Athrun noticed something carved into the edge of her jaw below her ear.
"Akira… is there a reason why you have 'weak' carved into your skin?" he asked curiously, one eyebrow raised.
Akira's posture tensed slightly and she let her hair fell back down to cover the scar. "It's nothing." She said quietly, her gaze never leaving the rag she was twisting about in her hands.
Knowing when he was breaching too far, Athrun fell quiet as well, waiting for Akira to calm down again.
"Athrun… what do you think of Naturals?" her voice was soft and Athrun blinked in surprise at the unusual question. He had never been asked anything like it before and he had certainly never thought deeply about it.
"Umm, I don't know…" he said, slightly flustered.
Akira's purple eyes switched from the rag to stare at him steadily, un-amused. "Is it all orders for you?" she asked, standing up again.
"N-no." Athrun stammered, put off with the sudden direction change.
"Do you ever think about the people you kill?" she demanded, taking a step towards him. "Think about the Naturals who fly the mobile suits? Wonder if they have families to provide for at home. Wonder if they have children, a wife, a girl friend, friends waiting for them to return."
Athrun dropped his head, letting his blue bangs shade his face from sight. Honestly he had wondered that. His first few fights he had cried afterward. It seemed so easy in movies, stimulations and games to pull that trigger an end a life but when handed a real gun the reality pierced him deeper then any bullet could. The people he shot. The people he killed on orders, even if he was simply defending PLANT were just like him. Most of them were probably there on orders to kill and they were only doing it to protect… They were only doing it on orders from their superiors.
He couldn't hate them for that, no matter how much he wanted to sometimes.
"Yes." He said after a long moment.
"I hate war." Akira hissed.
"Then why did you join?" he snapped at her. He hated how she made him question things, face things that he rather leave alone. "Nobody likes it but to be in ZAFT you got to learn to expect it."
"It's complicated." She hesitated. "And there's nothing left for me. No home. No family. What I brought here is all I have." She took a deep breath then sighed. "I lost everything to war only to gain war." She didn't sound sad as if she was seeking comfort but more moody.
Athrun stood up to put a hand on her arm in a comforting manner. "But we do it to protect ZAFT."
"Killing princesses who have never done anything directly to PLANT is protection?" Akira snapped, changing moods in a flash.
Athrun raised his eyebrows, his eyes widening. Akira had never before expressed such vehemence towards their mission.
Akira blanched slightly as if she hadn't intended to say that and said softly. "I just think that we have more important things to do then this."
"What about Harmony? Do you think it's wrong to fight them?" Athrun questioned sharply. "For all we know they possess nuclear weapons and are planning an attack on PLANT like the EA did."
She shrugged though her expression was slightly stiff and Athrun knew she had no response to that.
"I just…feel like ZAFT isn't doing what it was made to do." She said in a slightly helpless voice. "We're supposed to protect and now it seems like all we're doing is fighting instead of searching for peace."
They were quiet for a few moments longer and then she said softly. "I've never killed someone before."
Athrun bit his lip, trying to figure out what she was saying now. What he should say? Because he had killed people before. For orders. Always for his father's orders.
Akira was silent for a moment longer then held out her hand, forcing a weak smile. "I'm a bit of a wimp. I know why I joined but it doesn't make the fact any easier. Killing people.,.. you're not just killing them- but you're killing their story, their life, hurting people, their friends and family all in that split second."
Athrun stood up stiffly. Was she accusing him?
"But we don't have a choice." She pondered. "I guess then… if we can kill so heartlessly…."
He winced.
"Then… it shouldn't matter to us if they kill one of us." Her tone was thoughtful but carried a hint of regret and pain.
Athrun stared at her incredulously, trying not to think about how he would feel if someone hurt….killed Akira. "You think too much." He said slowly.
She frowned and just like that the serious atmosphere was broken. "And you think too little. Dumbass." A grin split her face though she looked slightly pained.
"Don't call your Lieutenant that!" Athrun chided.
"Dumbass! Dumbass! Dumbass!" she dodged his mock punk before nudging him playfully with her elbow, her eyes sparkling.
It was a moment of simple enjoyment in the middle of a war of politics, prejudice and death. It was a moment worth freezing to live over and over again.
Every smile of hers was worth freezing to see over and over..
Because you never know when you would see it again.
The feeling of her body, perfectly fitting against his. The sweet touch of her lips moving against his . The soft feel of her hair running through his fingers.
All gone before he had even a chance to really get to know her.
And he realized that Uru was right. He was always going to live with the burden of the feeling that had only just started growing in him for the blonde. Not pure lust but simple, uncontrollable, overwhelming, maddening and heartbreaking love for a mysterious, intangible girl.
She was really gone… She was really never coming back… Just like his mother…
Akira was dead.
Athrun's eyes closed and his body shook in silent sobs.
If only he could have a chance to redo it… Redo everything… if only…
OOOOOOOOOO
Cagalli POV
I was floating in space. I didn't wear any suit but I knew it was okay.
The Chaos, majestic and beautiful, was flying around me ever so slowly, it's eyes gleaming as if it was really alive.
We continued like that in a spiral through the stars and unknown worlds as if we were waiting for something and at last I spoke with my mind, my eyes never leaving it's red eyes.
"Harmony… is there really such a thing?'
" Of course. There will always balance in the world. Balance between evil and good. Balance between pain and joy. Balance between hate and love." The Chaos responded, a mighty voice inside my mind.
" I want that. Balance between Who I Am and Who I Am Becoming. Can I find that?"
" Of course. To everyone who seeks- there will be an answer. To everyone who knocks- a door will be opened. To everyone who asks- they will receive. " *1*
"That sounds too good to be true." Tears blossomed in my eyes though I made no move to rub them away. "I want to go home… I want to be with my father and Kira. But now I'm starting to want something else."
"Love can't be measured. Love can't be compared."
"And yet, I still chose my home." The tears in my eyes slid off my lashes to float in space, sparkling drops of saltwater. "I made up my mind! But why does it still hurt so much?" I laid a hand over my chest, my voice trembling slightly.
"Love can't be lost. Love can't be forgotten."
"When I started this mission I always that Coordinators were bad guys." I paused. "But through out the years pretending to be one… I've learned so much." I placed my other hand over my heart and closed my eyes as if I was praying.
"Love is the same and yet unique where ever you go." The dragon comforted. "What else have you learned?"
"I've learned what I want to do with my life." My eyes cleared and I blinked them open. "I want to establish peace through out the world and space. Peace between Naturals and Coordinators. Even if I have to fight to get there, at least it's something worth fighting for."
The dragon smiled and it occurred to me that what was happening was slightly ridiculous.
"So am I doing the right thing?" I mused to myself, feeling slightly giddy.
"You have made up your mind and now you must follow through. It's up to you to determine if it was the right thing in the end."
"Follow through?" I echoed then nodded. "I must put it behind me."
The circle the dragon wove with it's body around me tightened for a heart beat and the dragon's eyes flashed. "No. Never forget what has changed you! Never forget what you have learned!"
"Right, okay. Stupid thought. Do I get points for trying?"
The dragon gave me a baleful look and I sighed.
My eyes started to slide close. "I think…I was starting to fall in love with him…" my voice a whisper of awe was spoken aloud in my own marveling.
"Never forget…"
"But…it would have been bad if I had chosen the other path… to stay Akira… too many secrets and lies between us…" My heart was officially and cleanly cut in half.
"Who are you?" the dragon suddenly demanded.
"I don't know…" I gritted my teeth at the sudden truth that had escaped my lips.
"And that is what you are missing. Peace within yourself. How can you lead a world to peace if you are not at peace yourself?" it made a raspy sound of disgust.
The stars swirled over head and I smiled, feeling sleepy. "You're smart."
"Of course- I'm your subconscious. What else would I be?"
And for a moment it seemed as if the dragon had winked.
I bolted upright with a gasp, my chest heaving in gasps and my hands were clutching my blankets in fists.
"Cagalli!"
Eyes wide my head spun to gaze at Kira- KIRA!-'s face.
"Kira?" I whispered, trying to remember what exactly had happened and everything flooded my mind. "Kira where are we?" I gasped, deciding to address the more important facts first.
Kira grinned, a look of relief spreading across his face. "We're on the Harmony with Yuna."
"Yuna?" I vaguely remembered Kira's friend. "Harmony? But wha-why?"
"Tch! I'm wondering that myself, you freeloaders." Sniped an oddly familiar voice and I looked up, my eyes widening even more so in astonishment to see a very familiar woman.
"Misa!" I cried, my jaw dropping and the raven-haired girl glared with golden- no wait… that can't be right. Misa had green eyes! I was sure of it!
"I thought you would recognize me with out the contacts." Misa-look-alike said, leaning back against the edge of the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest, her expression unreadable. "Speaking of which- it's rather disgusting having to remove someone else's. You owe me big time." She wrinkled her nose in disgust and I blinked my eyes, realizing why they didn't feel so dry and chaffed. My lenses were out- baring my natural amber eyes.
"Misa?" echoed Kira, his amethyst eyes jumping back and forth between Misa and me.
Misa glanced at Kira, looking annoyed. She wasn't the laughing-girl I remembered. "Misaki Kitalla." She stated slowly. "Captain of the Harmony and pilot of Chaos." At the name of her GUNDAM she glanced at me reproachfully.
"You killed-" I began then paused glancing at Kira. "You didn't…" I finished lamely, and Kira's eyes flashed in realization.
"You thought I was dead!" he gaped and I rolled my eyes, trying not to cry and wanting to shake him to death at the same time.
"Well duh!" I cried, scrubbing at my eyes. "You, mister, have a whole hell of a lot of explaining to do." My breath shook in me and I punched him weakly. "Who the hell do you think you are? Dying and then just showing up again! Huh?"
Kira's expression softened and he moved to sit next to me. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders comfortingly and for a moment, I felt my face flush slightly as I remembered Athrun's arms winding around me. It was different and I bit my lip.
"You're an idiot. Cags. You should know better then to think that I would just die like that with out getting you home first." He bopped his head against mine and I sniffled, smiling.
"You're still planning to take me home, eh?" my chuckle was watery sounding and Misa broke in with a snort, a slight smile on her face.
Kira nodded, his eyes sparkling in happiness from behind his scattered brown bangs. "Home." He agreed. "Just like I promised- I'll bring you home."
"Yeah? You and what ship?" Kitalla coughed, sniggering and Kira shot her a nasty look. "We'll see about that, Toilet-girl." She snickered at my horrified expression and Kira raised his eyebrows.
"I hope I'm missing something to this." Kira said dryly and Misaki grinned a rather fiendish grin.
"Akira didn't appreciate the…prank on her in ZAFT." Her voice was vastly amused and then it hit me.
"You! The toilet!" I stammered, my eyes wide. "You knew before I was cleaning that it was fixed? You knew that I didn't and you just let me-"
"I thought we already had this conversation…" her voice was laced with annoyance.
"But you knew for a fact that I didn't and you chose not to warn me?" I cried. Hey, I might not be a girly-girl but exploding toilets aren't exactly in my category of 'ha ha ha, very funny'.
"Well that's obvious." Kitalla paced a few steps, her arms folded tight under her chest, her lips pulled down at the corners.
"Never mind, I honestly don't want to know." Kira squeezed his eyes shut and as he did that the arm he had wrapped around me tightened. It was comforting, this warm presence that was as familiar as my own, but it did nothing to sooth my aching heart.
"I wanted to meet you." Kitalla's thin black eyebrows raised, her eyes watching me intently. "Lady Lacus talked very highly of you… So I disembarked from my ship, leaving it out in orbit and came down to Octus five to meet you as best could. Of course, I had to pull a couple strings to get on the military base but, the mission was a success.
"While I was there I happened to check out the data base… which is when I ran into that email with the information of an ORB scout ship in the premises." She added.
My eyes widened and I glanced at Kira, remembering that fateful day.
"I contacted Lady Lacus, let her know what I had found out before returning to my ship as fast as possible and retrieving my GUNDAM." Yet again there was another reproachful look towards me and Kira shifted slightly against me.
"Then I hurried back to Octus five as fast as I could and so on and so forth to this day." She paused in her pacing, yawning slightly.
"Lacus Clyne?" I gaped, feeling utterly confused.
The tan woman grinned wider in a rather smug way. "Pink-haired? Normally followed around by a flock of 'unmentionables'?" her golden eyes switched to Kira who was watching my reaction intently.
Unmentionables? Oh…. 'Pink-thing'.
"She knows who…I am?" I said slowly, shaking my head in bewilderment. "You know who…I am…" for a moment I felt dizzy. Too much for my brain to handle.
Misaki nodded then frowned. "Actually… Sorta." Her expression seemed to darken slightly and as it did Kira moved me absentmindedly till I was slightly behind him looking over his shoulder at the raven-haired woman.
"Sorta?" I repeated slowly.
"There is a little glitch in the plan… See, currently there seems to be two Cagallis' in the world which is a no-can-do."
Kira hissed slightly and I narrowed my eyes, confused. "What do you-?" I stopped as the realization dawned on me. "Kimi-hime." My voice was quiet and my hands shook slightly in my lap. My teeth gritted of their own accord, a habit I did whenever I remembered my 'evil twin'.
Misaki's eyes narrowed to slits, watching my reaction carefully. "Then you must understand my dilemma, Akira."
"Yes." My voice was quiet.
"And not only that-"
"Captain Kitalla!" Kira broke in.
Misaki- Kitalla paused to shoot Kira a nasty look. "Get out." She snapped. "You're not helping. I want to talk to Akira."
"I'm not leaving Akira!" he snarled back.
Snarl? I had never seen sweet-tempered Kira snarl before. It bewildered me.
He must really dislike Kitalla for her to get his back up so easily.
Kitalla rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'm going to kill her, sheesh. Get out, before I'm forced to make you." The deadly glitter in her eyes nearly convinced me for a moment that she could. But of course, that would be nigh impossible. Kira was a Coordinator, a strong one at that. It would take more then Kitalla to make him leave a room.
But then…was Kitalla perhaps a Coordinator? That would explain her looks… but then… she wouldn't be able to pilot the Chaos which had responded to me. So she was a Natural? Then why…
Then again, as far as I knew, Kitalla was harboring us despite the danger to her crew and herself. She was captain and we couldn't erase that fact nor that her crew answered to her not to the princess of ORB.
"Kira…" I rose, shakily, and called on all of my training as a diplomatic princess. To hold my head high, keep my gaze steady, neither challenging nor weak. "I'll be fine. I'll call for you when we are done talking."
Kira glared at me. "Cags, you don't realize who you're messing with. Kitalla's tricky."
"Kira."
"She's a bloody mercenary, Cagalli! She makes a living off of selling out people like you to the highest bidder." Kira burst out furiously and I blinked, stunned.
And then there was a whisper of sound and suddenly Kitalla had Kira in a head-lock, her other hand holding a knife to his throat. Kira froze, letting out an angry hiss.
Kitalla's expression was cold and calm. "Oh sweetie-pie, please…please just step out. I would hate to have to clean blood off the floor and Lacus seems to have a liking for the both of you…alive or whatever." She sighed wearily. "I made a promise not to hurt you or your bonny-lass with out warning so just skidaddle already." And with that she promptly walked Kira out, locking the door behind him.
"Cags- I'll be right out here." Kira called from the other side of the door, his voice worried.
Yeah, a whole lot of good that did.
Kitalla rolled her eyes then turned to stare at me and I shuddered, not liking her at all. What had happened to the amused Misaki I had met in ZAFT?
Then Kitalla relaxed, sliding her knife back into her boot. "I thought he was never going to leave." She grinned though the cool glint never left her eyes. "Shall we talk?"
"Yes. Lets."
OOOOOOOO
An hour later, I was up-to-date with everything involving Lacus, Kimi-hime, Harmony and what had been going on here and Kitalla's attempts to get me.
"We were hoping to find you in the ORB vessel with Kira… buuuut ZAFT just had to stick their nose into it." Kitalla shrugged.
We had been getting along rather cordially though neither of us had relaxed our guard- still I wondered what had made Kira so antsy. Sure Kitalla had a rather wicked sense of humor, a cold personality and many secrets, but for the time being she seemed decently honest. She wasn't selling us off. She was simply doing Lacus a favor, and…for some reason things had gotten a little complicated for her to abandon us.
I wanted to trust her on her word that she wouldn't sell us out. And it wasn't like I had much of a choice anyway.
"Now," Kitalla drew herself up from the seat she sat on, her back straightening and her hair flopping down to cover her one eye again. "Another dilemma, Akira-dear."
"Cagalli." I corrected her for the millionth time and she snorted, waving her hand dismissively.
"Your Highness." She drawled, her voice laced with innocent contempt and I hissed angrily.
"We are currently being chased by the Demi-god."
"You've been chased by the Demi-god for quite the while and don't blame me for it!" I snapped.
She glared at me frostily. "I wasn't about to, idiot. However, I am going to blame you for the fact that my Chaos is damaged and unusable leaving the Harmony rather unprotected outside of the standard defense system. If the Demi-god catches up then there is a good chance they will be able to over take us."
I bit my lip, realizing why she was so angry and feeling a wave of dismay. Sure she may be a mercenary but I was starting to wonder if that was just a front. Just an act to push away questions, curiosity and…people. Also… would Lady Lacus really be good friends with a mercenary?
Wonderful… because of what I had done I had endangered the Harmony and it's crew who didn't deserve even a stubbed-toe for helping me.
"Not to mention-" Kitalla continued, anger glittering in her narrowed eyes though she kept her voice cool. "The fact that you purposely aided that ZAFT pilot."
Oh-fudge'en-cookies. I drew the conclusion Kitalla had found and slumped in my seat, wide-eyed.
"I'm not part of ZAFT!" I whispered. "I'm the Representative and Princess of ORB. Daughter of Val and Nara Uzumi."
"Are you really? Oddly enough that is the exact same preposition Kimi-hime said."
"Kimi-hime!" I spat the name. "The coward who ran away from your ship?"
"Maybe she had a reason to? With Kira and Yuna here perhaps there was more going on then we are all aware, eh?"
I stared at her furiously then shook my head. "What do you want me to do? How am I to prove myself as the rightful Princess so that you will take me home?"
Kitalla relaxed and for a moment I saw the hint of a smile on her face. Her frosty golden eyes warmed slightly and she beamed at me. "Well, that's a load better!" her voice took a 180 turn about, becoming cheerful. "Kira told me where the Archangel will be- the mothership he came on. For you see, Akira-friend, all I need to do is check your DNA and compare it to the records of Cagalli Yula Attha's before she vanished in ORB and I will find the truth." Her voice was smug and at her words I relaxed, grinning.
"Alright. Fine by me." I had no doubt that my blood would match up and just like that, everything would be solved. Kitalla had every right to doubt my words- even if it pissed me off- and she was doing me a tremendous favor of taking me half-the-way home.
"One last thing, Akira, before you go join your friends." Kitalla looked genuinely troubled. "Athrun Zala piloted the Aegis, I'm quite aware of that."
I fiddled nervously with my fingers. "Yes."
"…You saved him…" her yellow eyes switched to stare at me as if she was trying to read the truth right off my eyes. "Why?"
I swallowed then said in all honesty. "Athrun Zala is not like his father." My heart hammered painfully in my chest as I spoke of him and I struggled to not let my emotions cloud my words. "I have hope that perhaps he can change his father's ways or maybe even become the chairman of PLANT himself one day and lead PLANT towards a better future with the Earth Federation and ORB." And perhaps we could meet again then… as equals. As the Representative of ORB and the Chairman of ZAFT.
"On your word alone… lives hang in the balance." Kitalla was silent for a moment as she stood up, her eyes gazing absentmindedly at her boots. She paused walking out of the door and glanced back. "Akira…" her expression looked oddly conflicted… pained, sad, angry and lost.
It bewildered me to see so much of her exposed in that split moment. So much of herself contained in a few words.
"Yes?" I prompted nervously.
She bit her lip, spotting Kira hurrying down the hall towards us then dropped her head, her thick mane of black hair cascading down to hide her face from view. "Take it from me, Akira…"
I had to strain to hear her weary voice.
"Sometimes it's better to let it go before it hurts too much to bear."
My eyes widened in surprise and bewilderment in her words. She couldn't possibly know in just a few words that I cared for Athrun Zala… right? That's impossible!
"I beg your pardon, Kitalla?" I chirped nervously as Kira entered the room, his eyes darting back and forth between the frozen captain and me.
"I will see you later. Rest and have a good day, Akira." Kitalla bowed respectfully at the waist to my surprise before walking away, her shoulders slightly limp.
"Are you okay? What did she tell you? What was that about?" Kira fired question after question and I smiled weakly before hugging him to me tightly.
"I missed you!" I said, ignoring his questions to inhale his warm, familiar scent.
Another painful stab in my heart at the reminder of another familiar scent.
Surprised, he wound his arms around me and spun me around slightly, making me laugh.
"Akira, you're going home! Finally, you're going home!" Kira's voice was infused with joy and at his words my eyes filled with tears.
Home. My father; My beloved country; My loyal people.
The tears ran down my cheeks, out of Kira's sight, and it took me a moment before I realized that not all of the tears were being shed in happiness.
Athrun… I'm sorry… I never wanted to betray you.
Kitalla's words echoed in my mind as I cried in joy and sorrow. "Sometimes it's better to let it go before it hurts too much to bear."
How could she know?
How could she understand?
OOOOOOOO
Narrator POV aboard the Harmony.
The Harmony moved steadily forward, the Chaos wrapped partially around it the front of it. Stars glittered, reflecting off the smooth metal hide of both ship and GUNDAM and in the darkness of space floated a tiny figure.
Attached to her Chaos by a thin rope, a small jetpack on her back and a tool belt wrapped around her waist over her pilot suit was Kitalla. She floated in the silence, quietly watching her Chaos as if the two were having a conversation. But of course that was impossible for the Chaos was a simple machine- though brilliant.
However, to her, it was the one thing that had remained steady in Kitalla's life. It meant many things to her, amounting to a great deal as if it was her own child. It was the one thing she could count on to never betray her.
Many people don't like being in space with out some amount of control or power. Whether a ship or a GUNDAM. Space was the netherworlds, an endless mystery. Dangerous for those who get too curious. Too arrogant or ignorant.
But Kitalla was never one to consider her self weak. She welcomed the serenity the darkness offered even though others would call it suffocating. The silence. The ease that weightless-feeling offered. As if she was really free of her troubles. Better then drinking way into mindlessness.
She forgot her troubles when she was in this world. By herself with no one but her ever present weapon and defense. Chaos. Her sword and her shield. Her memory of a time long ago before she was the Captain of the Harmony, before she met Lady Lacus, before she had learned the truth about herself.
The Chaos was all she had of her past life besides her picture and her uniform. All she had kept that didn't scar too deeply. All she had to remember him with…
If she wasn't wearing her helmet and could survive with out it, she would have started scrubbing at her eyes, trying to erase the memories that Akira's actions had re-awakened.
"Athrun Zala." She murmured, remembering the bio she had read of him. An ace pilot having already killed countless people and fulfilling many missions. The Lieutaniant had been awarded numerous medals of honor by his father, Patrick Zala, the chair man and one of the most aggressive leaders of PLANT. Oh the beautiful irony she could already see developing. It was a cruel twist of fates. Romeo and Juliet.
She laughed throatily. "Oh yes… I know that story well." She shook her head, bemused, struggling not to clench her fists at the avalanche of emotions flooding through her. Holding her hand in his. Stroking her hair when he thought she was asleep. Resting his forehead against hers, breathing in her scent. Pressing his lips against hers in a message of love that no words could explain.
Her heart took a painful lurch then and she doubled over slightly. A tear sliding past her lashes to float in her helmet. "Nnnngh." Oh yes… time healed if only one was stubborn. It had made her strong… but even now she would look back at the times before the truth and the betrayal… He betrayed her… so she betrayed him. No matter how much she disliked the youngsters at times, she never would wish that pain on anyone.
"Akira…" she laughed again. "It's like watching my life over again! Watching a younger me…" And just like her, Akira had done the same thing. She had chosen duty and what's right over love. Kitalla could never blame her for that… Never. She respected the feelings she had seen in Akira's desperate eyes. She remembered feeling the same. She remembered…
"I hate you!" she cried, curling up in a ball, glad that noone could see or hear her in that moment. That she was alone. "You screwed with me! You screwed with my life! My head… my heart." Her eyes burned with a bitter liquid but one tear was enough. She was a grown woman, a captain and a leader! She couldn't be letting herself get so torn up over something that had happened years ago! She needed to follow her own advice and let things go! Forget things…
"I love you, Misa. I love you more then anything in the world."
Something in her stomach clenched and she squeezed her eyes shut, resisting the urge to scream. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, DAMMIT!"
After a moment of harsh panting, she took a deep breath before opening her eyes.
"Chaos." She murmured to her unresponsive GUNDAM, choosing it like always as a distraction as something else occurred to her. She soared forward to place her hand against the nose-tip of her Chaos. Her voice was musing as she scanned her beloved machine. She had designed the Chaos, created it and was the only one allowed to touch the hardware encrypted in it. Her crew engineers only were allowed to repair the surface damage. No one was supposed to know how to make a neuron-linked GUNDAM such as hers except her… except…
To her knowledge, four others had found her original blue prints.
And that made her angry. The Huntress was born of someone else's use of her design and luckily it was by ZAFT which had made the Huntress useless in their hands until Akira had come along. But the power behind it... If she could go back to that time and changed it so that she and him had never discovered the technology; even if it would cost her the Chaos, she would do it. Nobody was meant to have this much power at the flick of a thought.
She had already decided to make it her mission to hunt down the four other creations of her design. She would destroy them and the blueprints and then kill anyone who knew of it's making.
"One down, dear Chaos, my precious Beta." She murmured, stroking the huge machine's nose-tip, her gaze traveling through the darkness absentmindedly. The GUNDAM would be inoperative for a bit but as soon as the damage was repaired to the back, leg and wings she would prepare. "The Huntress was destroyed. Now there is only three more."
For her, it was race against time. She had to destroy these GUNDAMs before they were mass-produced. Before ZAFT figured out how to adapt them to Coordinators. Before the world burned in her mistakes.
Kitalla paused and her eyes flashed. "Proto, Omega and then that one…" her gaze darkened. "Alpha… the original. The first…" Alpha…the most dangerous one of them all because of who was in possession of it. And she knew who possessed it… and she knew where to find them both…
"Soon, dear Chaos… soon you will be the only one."
OOOOOO
Kira watched Kitalla curiously from the hatch where he sat in a pilot outfit. The captain seemed to be in pain, curled up in a ball as she floated over the ship.
"Ki-" he almost called before realizing that she wouldn't be able to hear him.
He watched her intently for a moment longer, wondering if he should go over to check on her, when she straightened up, her back to him as she soared towards her GUNDAM, her hand out stretched to it.
He sighed, then remembered why he had originally came out there. He pushed himself towards and touching her lightly at the shoulder he got her attention.
Her golden eyes narrowed at the sight of him, hardening. Her lips mouthed the word: 'what?'.
Well, that and some more stuff which looked like insults. Awww, blessed silence.
Kira mimed eating and then nodded back to the open hatch.
Kitalla's eyes became vague for a moment as if she was trying to recall the last time she had eaten. Then she nodded, pushing past him towards the entrance to the ship.
Kira followed her back into the ship, glancing one last time at the massive GUNDAM, shivering at the gaping jaw. He had heard that Kitalla had designed the Chaos and he had to admire her attention to detail. She had mimicked the creature to a dragonic-perfection; giving the dragon a gaping jaw filled with jagged metal fangs. Claws with dagger nails. She had even thought to make it 'fire-breathing'.
But what had inspired her he couldn't help but wonder.
OOOOOO
Narrator POV aboard the Archangel.
Though kept in a cell, Mwu was pleased with the fact that he was once more mobile. He could stand and walk for a period of time with out getting tired or dizzy. Now if he could only figure out a way back to the EA then everything would be perfect. Better yet, if he could get to know that pretty captain, perhaps seduce her into telling him information on this strange ship and what it's mission was then things would be better then perfect.
But first- to get him self out of this cell…
OOOOOO
In the EA.
"You sure you are alright?" The Commander asked his subordinate from where he sat at his desk, watching the pilot ahead of him.
"I am fine." The blonde-hair man replied, gazing out the window of the mother ship down at earth, his back to the Commander.
"It's a miracle you survived. I'm sure they'll ransack the honorary book to find something to award you with." Commander Boisk continued with a boisterous laugh.
"As if I don't have enough." The pilot mused, chuckling as he turned to face the hearty EA Commander.
"Welcome back, La Flaga." Commander Boisk said once more, warmly to his familiar friend.
Rau Le Creuset's smile widened as he gazed at the Commander before him. "It's good to back, sir. It's very, very good."
OOOOOO
Narrator POV Octus Five.
Lacus Clyne was packing her suitcases when she received word that her memorial trip had been put off for two more days.
"Oh dear, well, I have a head start." She smiled at her bodyguards cheerfully, laying down the kimono she had been about to fold neatly.
Lunamaria Hawke and her younger sister, Meyrin, exchanged a glance, worry plain on their faces. The two, dark-pink-haired Coordinators were Lacus's personal maids and bodyguards and were with her almost at all times. Both were skilled in handling artillery,- Meyrin also specialized in computers while her older sister carried a great deal of skill in long-weapon fire as a mobile suit pilot.
"Are we keeping secrets?" Lacus said in a reproachful voice though her expression was gentle.
Her body guards shook their heads furiously though neither of them would meet their lady's eyes.
Lacus sighed in defeat. It had been like this all week with them. She felt like she was attending a funeral every time she caught sight of their grave expressions. "What do you think is wrong, Haro?" she asked her dear confident.
The pink ball flapped it's ears, blinking it's eyes in delight at being addressed by it's owner. "Haro! Wrong? Oh no! Wrong? What's wrong?"
Lacus laughed. "I couldn't have asked it any plainer." She shot her quiet friends a pointed look that they avoided noticing.
A maid walked in then, curtsying to them. "Lady Lacus, Captain Kitalla wishes to speak to you."
Kitalla-dono? Lacus smiled, leaping to her feet. Humming to herself, she skipped to her table before gracefully sitting down and flicking on the webcam and the screen.
The moment the screen had settled, she couldn't deny the stumble in her heart's steady beats at the sight of the handsome brunette Coordinator that stood in the background behind her friend's desk.
"Kitalla!" she cried delighted.
"Lady Lacus." The raven-haired Captain gave a light bow of her head, her golden eyes sparkling with the smile her lips did not share.
"And Kira!" Lacus added quickly, addressing the brown-haired Coordinator who gave a start at the sound of his name.
"La-Lacus." He stammered and a very familiar blonde who had been standing next to him gave him a light punch in the shoulder.
"Akira!" Lacus beamed, reaching up to tuck a lock of pink hair behind her eyes.
Akira made a slight face before giving a slight bow. "Lady Lacus. I hear that it is you I must thank for saving Kira's life. And my own."
"I didn't know Kitalla had gotten you!" Lacus sighed happily, clapping her hands together. "Kitalla, you are brilliant- though a little bit late with keeping me informed."
Kitalla rolled her eyes in a exaggerated motion. "My most sincere apologies."
Lacus laughed. True her friend's actions could annoy most people, but Lacus didn't mind. When she had first met Kitalla she had wondered if the black-haired girl was in a constant state of crossness with the severe, sarcastic way she spoke. However, as they got to know eachother, Lacus realized that Kitalla's way of being friendly was just different. She was a prickly person with an even more so prickly past.
One that Kira was beginning to learn.
Speaking of Kira. "Kira,"
"Yes?" His amyethyst eyes watched her curiously and she smiled.
"Are you alright from rescuing Akira?" she knew for a fact that Kitalla's methods of rescuing could be rather… dangerous.
Kira smiled a smile that showed mostly in his eeyes. "I am alright, thank you, Lady Lacus. And you?"
"I am fine, thank you. Akira," Lacus continued.
"Yes?" Akira asked.
"I see you won't be able to join me for the memorial trip after all." Lacus gave a sad smile. It would have been fun to get to know Akira- a possible candidate for being the true princess of ORB.
Kitalla cleared her throat. "Lady Lacus, if I could speak to you alone." The meaning behind her words couldn't be any clearer and the blonde and brunette gave a stiff nod before exiting the room to wait outside.
"Yes, Kitalla?" Lacus asked curiously.
"There seems to be…a slight implication." Another eye roll.
"Yes?"
"Weeeell." Suddenly Kitalla stopped, her face getting bright red as if something had occurred to her.
"Are you alright?"
"Er…" Kitalla stammered- Lacus couldnt' remember the last time she had heard Kitalla stammer, let alone look red- "I…ah…"
"Is it something to do with Harmony? Kimi-hime? Akira?" Lacus prompted, starting to worry.
"Eheh." Kitalla hesitated before continuing on. "Soooo, I was attempting to kill this other pilot on the Demi-god when Akira overthrew me and took control of the Chaos." Her words came out fast and jumbled and it took a moment for Lacus to realize why exactly her friend had gotten so nervous.
"'Other pilot'… you mean Athrun Zala." Lacus's voice was flat.
"Yeah…your fiancé…"
There was a brief silence in which Kitalla coughed, her gaze avoiding Lacus's harder gaze.
"And Akira stopped you." Lacus at last asked after a particularly long moment.
Kitalla took a deep breath as if to recall herself, her fingers drumming on the desk. "Mhmmm."
Another moment of silence then Lacus said again. "You were going to kill my fiance."
"Did I say that?"
"Athrun Zala is not like some Coordinators."
"I could have sworn I said 'attempt to kill' which means there was a chance I wouldn't have."
"Athrun Zala is good, and sweet and kind." Lacus enforced each word with feeling. "Unlike some people I could mention…"
"And this is why I procrastinate in reporting things…" Kitalla rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Lacus, just because he acts good and sweet and kind to you, a fellow Coordinator, doesn't mean he acts so to everyone." Her gaze darkened. "You know how much I hate prejudices."
"You were part of one once," Lacus said softly, not intending to hurt and yet Kitalla still flinched visibly, her gaze becoming colder. A cold and angry Kitalla was one who was hard to deal with.
"My apologies, Kitalla-dono. I spoke out of turn."
Kitalla stared at her hard for a moment before shrugging and relaxing, a slight-razor sharp smile on her face as she leaned back against her desk. "No biggie, Lady Lacus."
"But explain to me the point of this matter."
Kitalla took a deep breath. "Do you not think it's odd that perhaps Akira would rescue Athrun? Perhaps she is working along sides ZAFT after all?"
Lacus's eyebrows raised and she stared deeply into her friend's eyes, trying to figure out what Kitalla was thinking. "Oh." She said softly as something occurred to her and she shook her head, her pink hair swishing about gently around her face. "No, Akira is Cagalli. I'm sure of it! You believe that too! I can tell."
Kitalla bit her lip.
"You don't even believe what you said…" Lacus added, her voice a murmur.
Kitalla refused to look at her. "She reminds me of…me when I was her age." Her voice was quiet.
"Then what do you think?"
"I want to think that she is the Princess. But the facts disagree and it's just as possible that Kimi-hime is the princess. They were both raised with a diplomatic tongue, a regal air and are well-educated. Though it seems to me that Akira has a better grasp of foreign affairs and politics then Kimi-hime does." She wrinkled her nose slightly.
"Not everything can be solved with logic."
Kitalla opened her mouth as if to disagree then stopped and shook her head. "no… you're absolutely right." There was anger in her voice though Lacus couldn't understand why. "In that case… We must track down this Kimi-hime. I am quite interested in meeting her."
"Of course. Shall you call the others in?"
Kitalla raised an eyebrow. "There was something else you wanted to ask them?"
Lacus struggled not to blush. "Just wanted to say goodbye."
Kitalla stared at her intently- her expression unreadable though it looked as if she was amused about something.
"What?"
"I notice you didn't ask anything about Athrun to wonder if he was alright." She teased. "But Kira on the other hand- ho ho ho!"
Lacus flushed, arriving at the conclusion Kitalla had made.
"I'll spare you this time, Lady Lacus." Kitalla chuckled wickedly before pressing a button to open a door, gesturing to the two ORB representatives to come in.
"Kira, Cagalli. I am happy to have met you. I hope we'll be in touch again. I would love to talk to both of you more." Her eyes lingered on Kira for a moment.
"Are you going somewhere?" Kira asked with out thinking and Lacus nodded.
"Yes, I am going on a memorial trip to Junis Seven to sing for the souls of the dead." Lacus's smile became sad.
Cagalli's eyes suddenly lit up and she slammed her fist into the palm of her hand. "Oh!"
"Yes?" snapped Kitalla, giving Cagalli an odd look.
"Um," Cagalli glanced at Kira then Lacus, her gaze steady but humble. "Lady Lacus."
'Yes?" Lacus asked.
"I have a request to make…"
Okay…I'm really sorry for this sorta crappy late chapter of random bits *bows repeatedly* Sorry! Next chapter, I plan to get more into how Athrun deals with no Akira. And I wonder what Cagalli is planning to request of Lacus, eh? =)
Anyhoo, please review thoughts, questions and whatever else that might come to mind and I'll be happy to get back to you. ^_^
Thanks for reading!
Azetta
Jabber bomb- or just my replies to Azettafan and Cagallifan, lol.
Azettafan- awww, thanks soooo- wait… you're going to kick my butt? Happy-feeling vanished… lol =P jkkk. Uhuh, just like Cagalli thought Kira was dead. I see this 'Omg I thought you were dead' as a tradition from Gundam Seed + Destiny. I'm not kidding, there were a couple 'omg, I thought you were dead' moments. Who am I to discontinue this tradition? =D
Cagallifan- see,,,, I could have made it a 'measly peck' (LOL) but I thought to myself, "How would you feel if you were the reader?" and I was like: "Hell no… That's not happening! THEY WILL KISS AND THEY WILL KISS GOOD, DANG IT!"
And yeah, Chaos, honestly I think it's really just Kitalla waiting for that perfect moment to piss everyone off. Oh wait… maybe it's me…nvm (la la la)
And I'm starting to feel that I should change the genre to a romance/drama cause there doesn't seem to be as much adventure as I intended… (oh foo…) what do you think as a reader?
And thanks, I'm working on my school and I'm sure that you can write even better then me! I hope you do write some day and post it on fanfiction for us all to read =)
Concerning reunion/separation… welll we win some-we lose some.
Thanks so much for reviewing! =)
Play list:
In Pieces – Linkin Park
Iredescent- Linkin Park
King of anything