I did it =D I'm a black belt! Ahhh, I can die happy now =) . It was a nine hour long test and one of the most terrifying things…jk, the most terrifying thing I have ever done. *sigh* and now it's over, hallelujah.
Also, I know I said I would post the one-shot but my beta, God bless him/her, was sorta… *cough*…surprised by the length of it… *coughs* Did I mention a lot of important stuff happens in it? Yes… ahem, reasons for it being so long… uh. Uh. I'll get back to that.
Anyway, replies, replies =D
MLGreen4life – Thank you =)
Azettafan- Well, let's define 'together' cuz I have a feeling my version of together might not be what every one is hoping for right now. Keep in mind that we're only at saaay, the half way point now? Fun things are just getting started =D
Kuromi67- awww, that was really sweet of you =) Thank you sooo much for that, and I'm so happy that you enjoy Tangled Fates. Hopefully chapter will surpass the last one as well. Thanks and I hope you have a great day! =)
ESP- KitallaxNariat? *thinks to herself: uh oh* I'm sorta feeling bad now. Everyone thinks they would be great together and um…well… *cough* yeah, we'll talk about that later, lol. Yes, Athrun and Cagalli together in this chapter and definitely in the next. Next will have the emotional overload I've been preparing for the two of them. Ah, you'll see. And I know what you mean about my updates -.- stupid school needs to go somewhere and stay there lol.
Anonymous- just saying- whoa, how do you manage to remember all of that? =O I can never remember anything, I always have to go look it up -.- *sigh* fooie lol
Cagallifan- hahahahhahahahha, 'dang turds about to go down' ahahha, that just really made me crack up for whatever reason. And I'm updating see! This is me, updating, thank you very much. Lol
Saki-hime – EA? Yeah, funny thing about that… well, you'll see, it won't be for a while. *cough* Thanks =)
Mrs. Zala-
Whoa, whoa whoa,whoawhoa Nelly! Siegel being Kitalla's lover O.o , I think you misread that…. Kitalla is 'supposedly' like a daughter to him…. Omg,,, you just completely scarred my fatherly mental image I had for Siegel, between him and Kitalla. XD I love how you write out all your ideas, with a sorta 'hmmm…and then….and hmmm…and then, then' and I'm like: 'This person…" The confession/feelings is not really going to happen this chapter, sorry, next one probably. But fun stuff in this chapter =) Hope it's a good read =D
WritingKnightmare- Hello you, and yes, dances are amazing =D Way more fun then nine hour long black belt tests. Omg, before the test, the black belts made me eat an octopus whole cuz they thought it would be funny… It wasn't, it really wasn't. No offense to octopus lovers but, me and the whole tentacles/body thing just isn't going down well XP. I'M STARING AT YOUR GOOFY GRIN… and it's making me feel horrible. Nariat, poor Nariat. *shakes head* KitallaX? =3 that's the way to go =D Yeah, with the Kimi-hime biz, I tend to also revert to just 'Kimi' sometimes. 'Hime' is just an add on cuz A. it makes her name really annoying sounding cuz it rhymes with eachother, at least to me. BLECH. And B. because, hime- means princess. At least…I hope it does… -.- Crap. Speaking of waiting, 'faithful readerwho hasn't updated their stories in a while', can we say: Hello pot, this is kettle, you're black =P
THANKS FOR REVIEWING GUYS =) And a super thanks to my beta, cuz he/she is so super freaking awesome and they know it, lol XD. And whom with out which, this chapter would not be presentable =D lol
THANKS!
*disclaimer, I do not own GDS- the end.
Now, on to da' chapter!
Chapter 17
Junius Seven
In chaos, it had suffered destruction of epic proportions, and more was about to be unleash- for in the near future, a clash of countless opposing forces is going to take place.
The memorial party aboard the Silverwind.
The Archangel.
Meer and the Assassination Team.
Yzak and his Fleet.
The EA cargo crew.
Each with their own objectives- their own fates that would instantly change in the light of battle.
The world has taken the threads of life, and tangled them in the loom of destiny- for better or for worse.
OOOOOO
Aboard the Silverwind.
In the dim lights of the cafeteria, as chefs cleaned the delicious remains of dinner, two Coordinators laughed softly at a table.
"She really did that? She really pegged one of your country's executive leaders with cupcakes?" Lacus asked, wiping tears of mirth from the corners of her eyes.
Kira smiled, nodding. The two had been there for a while taking about anything and everything that came into mind, "It was horrible! The cooks were about to break down in tears- they had put so much work into that special piece of desert." He shook his head, remembering the day clearly as if it had been yesterday. Cagalli was having her seventh birthday, and while getting ready to eat her cupcake, she had overheard Yuna's father remark to her mother that Cagali reminded him so much of a boy. She had then spun around, cupcake in hand, and had thrown it with perfect accuracy, hitting the man right in the face. The Seirans had been humiliated and furious at the time, and Uzumi had to do a lot of work to smoothen it out.
"Well…I can't blame her considering that…" Kira paused, realizing that he had never told Cagalli that…considerably important piece of information. He sighed. "She's going to be married to Yuna Roma when she returns to ORB."
Lacus cocked her head slightly to one side, her blue eyes mesmerizing him as they caught the light and sparkled. "And you're upset… Do you love her?" her question was blunt yet gentle, probing but patient.
Kira sputtered, going slightly red. He laughed. "Me? Cagalli?" he shook his head, his brown hair rustling at the movement.
Lacus furrowed her eyebrows, confused by his instant rejection of the question.
"It would be…too awkward." Kira winced, trying not to think of… Don't go there. That's in the past! Nobody can know the truth!
"Because you're best friends?" Lacus confirmed.
Hearing a lifeline when he heard one, Kira nodded. "Yeah, definitely."
Lacus studied him for a moment, then she smiled. "I'm so happy that you came, Kira." She murmured, moving slightly closer to him on the bench that they shared.
Kira's eyes widened, an inch, then he smiled as well, content to gaze into her beautiful eyes. Without a doubt in his mind, he reached forward, taking her small delicate hands in his, never breaking eye contact as he did. A soft, pink blush settled on Lacus's features as she met his gaze with a hint of wonder, with an uncertain smile on her lips "Truth is Lacus, I think I'm falling for-"
Suddenly they were violently thrown from their seat as an explosion rocked the ship. Alarms screeched in the air; blaring and clangs were sounded from the kitchen as pots fell from shelves.
Kira stumbled to his feet, only to tumble down again as another explosion slammed the ship. "We're being attacked!" he yelled, assuming the worst. Getting to his feet again, he reached down to pull Lacus up beside him. Gripping her tightly by her hand, he began running towards the brig.
Lacus had a determined expression on her face, no fear in her eyes, but a hint of bewilderment was clearly shown. Who would be attacking a memorial party? We are to be at peace with all nations! Her heart hammered in her chest
They reached the brig and Lacus instantly demanded what was happening.
A moment later, her body guards appeared, their gaze scanning Lacus for injury.
"I'm fine." She said hastily, interested in the Captain's words.
"It's a non-descript ship. It bears no allegiance…" The captain hesitated. "However- it's making is of ZAFT."
"ZAFT?" Lacus and Kira exclaimed in unison, they exchanged a startled look.
The Captain nodded. "A battle ship- and look what's behind it." He nodded to a brig-mate and they loaded an image of what was infront of the ship.
It was a magnified image of another, smaller ship, as big as their own, and it was hovering behind the battle ship- it looked exactly like-
"It's a replica…" Kira whispered. "A replica of this ship, the Silverwind!."
The captain nodded. "They've been planning this for a while." His voice was quiet. "I've already ordered the crew to prepare for evacuation- our ship isn't made for battle." Once again he paused, his gaze directly on the pink-haired singer. "Lady Clyne- you must evacuate immediately while we try to stall them a little longer."
Lacus shook her head. "No!" she whispered. "Don't…please…"
"Meyrin- you will go with her." Instructed the Captain and Meyrin nodded, grabbing Lacus around the shoulder and pulling her towards the door.
"No!" Lacus cried. "Please! I can't leave!" her gaze met Kira's, beseeching. "Kira!"
Kira stared at her- stunned, frozen.
And then she was gone behind a closed door with Meyrin.
The Captain spun around in his chair around to face the front- deep lines crossing his face. "We will provide Lady Clyne with our utmost service of protection!"
"Ay', Captain!" the brig chorused.
All sense of doom vanished from the people inside the brig as they were filled with determination, as well as a sense of purpose, to save their Lady Clyne, even at the cost of their own lives.
Kira stood frozen only a moment longer, then he walked up to stand beside the Captain, his eyes narrowed darkly. Lacus has to live! He thought to himself, focused, watching as few mobile suits began to fly from the battle ship before them.
"Good. Lady Clyne's escape pod has been ejected." Captain murmured quietly. "Set shields to maximum and focus artillery fire on incoming missiles. We need to draw their attention away as she escapes!"
And that's when hell broke loose.
OOOO
Aboard a Skygrasper
Mu La Flagga felt it was pretty safe to say that he had just about the worst luck ever- thank you very much. Trying to distract the ZAFT mobile suits from attacking the Archangel, while flying towards Junius Seven for safety, WHILE hoping an EA ship would be close enough to pick up his distress call, was a bit too much. But no, that wasn't the end of it!
As his vessel and the Archangel soared through the wreckage of Junius Seven, dodging shots left and right- he saw another two small transport vessels ( exquisitely designed too!), one of them practically hiding behind another battle ship that was currently firing at the other one- all of ZAFT design.
"Dammit!" cursed the blonde lieutenant as he just "hopped from the pot and right into the fire". He contacted the brig of the Archangel. "What do we do?" he demanded. The brunette Captain just stared at him, and he realized that he was sort of surprised too, considering he was pretty quick in contacted her for orders. Oh well... "What do we do?" he repeated.
Her brown gaze seared through him as she gazed at him steadily, sorrow coursing through her body. "We pray."
OOOOO
Yzak's fleet
Shiho was the first one to notice, and the first one to stop firing.
"Shiho- you asshole- what the hell do you think you are doing?" Yelled Dearka as he and Nicol struggled to corner the skygrasper that was dodging them in a rather merry way, while flitting through wreckage as well as blocking their shots towards the Archangel. The Archangel's main focus was blocking off Yzak who was…to put it nicely…pissed.
"Up ahead!" Shiho cried, horror suddenly gripping her as she recognized the logo of the memorial party on the transport ship that was being fired on.
Yzak paused, his mobile suit's head turning slightly as he looked towards where the battle was taking place. "Damn!" he swore, watching as mobile suits flocked on the tiny ship. It was going to be destroyed in minutes if someone didn't stop them! He hesitated, glancing furiously back at the Archangel, knowing that they could over power it, they could!
Then he shook his head. "Lacus Clyne is on there! We must save her at all costs!" Despite their orders, Lady Clyne, destined to marry their commrade Athrun Zala, would come first. Even if Yzak was quite sure he would regret it later, especially when the legged ship returned to wherever it had come from.
Nicol, Dearka, Shiho agreed readily, preparing for a slightly different fight. Definitely a much harder one.
OOOOO
Aboard the Archangel.
Ramius gasped, gripping the arms of her seats tightly, her eyes wide. "What just happened?" she cried.
"They're…leaving us." Whispered a brig mate.
On the screen-cam, Mu let out a sigh of relief. "Fantastic. Shall we retreat?"
Ramius steeled herself, not about to miss this chance that fate had suddenly delivered. "Begin to-"
"Captain!" Her CIC interrupted, their eyes gleaming in shock. "Captain! We're getting a transmission from the memorial party!"
"What?" Ramius snapped. What did a memorial party want with them?
"It's audio! I'll play it on speaker."
"This better be important!" Mu grumbled, clearly angry. Ramius flashed him a look to be silent.
A static-field and familiar voice filled the brig. "Captain Murrue Raimus!"
The brig gasped and Ramius sank back into her seat, trembling.
"This is Kira Yamato speaking! I am aboard the memorial party's ship that is currently being attacked by the non-descripted battle ship. I ask of you to lend whatever help you can muster to aid us. This crew is part of the Clyne Faction and it, no doubt, supports our current mission. I repeat, this is Kira Yamato!"
The message ended and the brig-crew turned to gaze up at their Captain.
"But…Impossible…" Raimus whispered, stunned. "The Princess herself told me he was dead…How can he be alive?" she glanced about for the Princess who wasn't there at the time before shaking her head and said, determination blazing in her voice. "Set course towards the ship bearing Kira. We leave no crewmate behind. Especially one who is so dear to our…Princess." She glanced at the cam-screen where Mu was studying her intently. She gave him a challenging look. "Prepare yourself, pilot. It seems we have a common enemy." She murmured, watching as the mobile suits that were originally trying to attack them flew to the rescue of the memorial party. "Prepare to bring evacuees aboard." She added as the Archangel once again picked up speed, heading to the heart of Junius Seven. "And send a message to the memorial party- We are coming."
OOOOOO
Aboard the memorial ship.
"They just hit engine two! Captain!" one brig mate called.
Kira gripped the top of the Captain's seat tightly for balance as missile after missile shook the ship. "Both my mother ship and ZAFT are coming to our rescue, sir. We need to evacuate."
The Captain glanced up at him, nodding in agreement. "Everyone to the escape pods!"
OOOOOO
Aboard the non-descripted battle ship. (A/N – see, I hate coming up with ship names because I never remember them. But If I don't, I'm left with 'non-descript battle ship' which only makes me want to poke my eyeballs out! AH!)
"Lieutenant Rey- it seems our quarry is evacuating. The legged ship is nearing upon us and our radar is picking up two more ships coming at us from opposite directions. One bearing a ZAFT identification and the other of the Earth military. If we continue to fight, we will be over-powered by the combined forces- especially if the EA joins the fray."
Rey frowned before nodding. "Fine. We came prepared for something akin to this happening." He turned to his accomplice. "Shin,"
His black-haired friend nodded, understanding, and the two hit-men took off towards their docking bay where they had prepared escape pods identical to the ones that were being released from the memorial party's ship.
OOOOO
The replica memorial ship (A/N: OH MY GOD, do you see what I did over there? . Yes, that's right folks, to separate the second –fake- memorial ship from the Clyne's, I added the word replica. Boy am I on a roll or what?) (Beta: -signs- once again...) (A/N: shhh, I'm on to something here =D )
Meer studied herself in the mirror, slightly swishing her skirts. She was the exact mirror image of Lady Lacus herself- voice and all. "What have I gotten myself into…" she murmured softly. Then she shook her head. "No! I was born for this!" she moved to her table besides a window, picking up a small pink ball and flipping a switch on it.
Red eyes glowed as the pink-ball came to life. "Haro!"
She looked outside the window where chaos was ensuing. "The real Lady Clyne would oppose this." She whispered. "The real Lady Clyne is going to disappear." The whole Clyne Faction there in Junius Seven would disappear and Meer would return to ZAFT in her place. "All according to plan."
OOOO
Dearka swore. "Damn!"
"What happened?" demanded Nicol.
Dearka fended the mobile suits off with his shield arm. "Lost my sword arm and I'm hitting critical battery levels!"
Yzak swore. "Retreat, now! Dearka!"
Dearka cursed, knowing that he had no other choice. Hoping to skirt around the ships, he began to fly, dodging every hit he could when-
An explosion lit the darkness as the memorial ship exploded! Energy slamming against Dearka's mobile suit, sending him flying through the no-air. (A/N: 'no-air'…ingenious, I know.) (Beta: I am so tempted to change that "no-air" part of -cough- her brain 0.o lol jk) (A/N: oh, whoa, I feel the love *sob* lol)
Dearka yelled, his head slamming back with so much force that everything went black.
"Dearka!" Yzak roared. "Dearka, respond! Anyone see him?"
"No!" cried Shiho, Nicol sending his confirmation a second later. Yzak swore, spinning his mobile suit about, searching for his friend in the wreakage of Junius Seven and mobile suits.
"Dearka!" he screamed, hoping his friend would respond. "You selfish bastard! Not funny!"
A message popped up from the Captain of their ship. All the escape pods from the memorial trip had been picked up by either them or the legged ship.
"Is Lady Lacus among the survivors?" Yzak demanded, his voice tight.
"Yzak?" Shiho gasped, already realizing what he was going to do.
"No- we believe that she was picked up by the legged ship." The Captain responded grimly.
"Now we can't attack that ship." Nicol hissed, furious.
Yzak hesitated, once more, his scanners were sweeping through the darkness about them- seeking once more for his lost friend. "Dearka…" he whispered quietly, mourning what he was about to do. "Retreat. We must presume that the princess is in safe hands for now, seeing as the legged ship was struggling to defend her as well."
"No! What about Dearka!" Shiho wailed.
"Retreat! That's an order, Hahnenfus!"
Shiho's face glared at him angrily from over the cam-screen. "Dammit!" she screamed before she and Nicol turned tail back towards their ship.
Yzak hesitated one last time before he too followed suit.
"Rest in peace, my friend." He murmured quietly, his flinty silver eyes glaring at the non-descript battle ship. He wouldn't forget it "I will have my revenge."
OOOOOOO
Aboard the Archangel- an hour or so later
"Lady Clyne isn't here?" cried Kira to Ramius. Behind her, he noticed a pilot that was definitely not aboard the Archangel before. Who is he? The guy piloting the skygrasper?
Ramius gave him a funny look. "Lady Clyne is not of our concern. Currently the ZAFT ship is sending us requests for us to send her over to them."
"They think we have her…" Kira whispered, his eyes growing round with horror. "Which means that they don't have her either!"
"Which means that she's important to them and that they will not destroy us until she is safe." Ramius said calmly. "But we don't have her. I have ignored their requests and they have made no move to attack us- they are simply following us right now."
Kira gritted, his teeth, something in his chest was aching badly. The thought of Lacus just floating out there in the darkness, waiting for someone to find her. Or worse…. Lacus Clyne being picked up by the enemy… Lacus…Please…please be okay, please!
Suddenly there was a hissing sound of a door being opened, the sound of running footsteps then something tackled him from behind.
"Kira! Kira! How? You're alive!"
The voice! That voice!
Kira turned to look at who was hugging him tightly from around the chest, and met a pair of familiar amber eyes. "Cagalli!" he cried on impulse and then he stepped back.
Kimi-hime watched him, tears brimming in her eyes as if she was wordless by the joy of his appearance. "Kira! You're alive!"
That's what Ramius said when she first saw me! Which means…they thought…no…Did Kimi-hime tell them I was dead? Kira's eyes narrowed as Kimi hugged him again, this time her embrace was light, her breath brushing his ears. I guess I just messed up that plan. And I'm about to mess up another.
But before he could say anything, Kimi's voice, so soft and cunning whispered. "They'll never believe you, so don't even bother telling them."
Kira gritted his teeth as she stepped back. She was right- they wouldn't believe him if he told the crew that there were two Cagallis in the world, and that one of them was a clone. Especially if they investigated and found out the truth…the whole truth.
"I've missed you, Kira." Kimi murmured sweetly.
What do I do? And how do I prove that Kimi is not Cagalli before we get back to ORB?
OOOOO
Aboard the EA cargo ship
"And let's see what's behind door number one." Murmured the Captain to herself as she stepped towards the escape pod they had managed to recover. The door slid open and a pink ball whizzed out which a happy cry.
"Haro!"
Behind it followed a cloud of silk skirts and pink hair as the perfect example of a 'fairy tale princess' bounced out.
Some of the boys gasped slightly, for the girl floated in the air, spinning to turn around and look at them, was beautiful, her blue eyes sparkling, a slight smile on her face.
One of her brig-crewmates reached up to steady the pink-haired Coordinator.
"Why hello." The Coordinator whispered in a voice like sweet chimes.
The boy gaped up at her as she smiled at him.
Then something seemed to occur to her. "Oh dear…This isn't a ZAFT ship is it." She put a hand to her face, her eyes wide.
And the Captain gasped.
OOO
On the other side of the tiny port area, two engineers (for that's all that they had on the small ship) and three white coats were trying to pry smoking metal apart from a mobile suit's chest cavity.
One of the white coats, the CIC, wiped her brow with a sigh of relief as they finally got the last molten piece away, revealing the red-suited pilot inside.
"Well, it looks like we caught ourselves a Coordinator pilot." Miraillia Hawe joked slightly as the pilot groaned softly.
"Mmmm…Sex…" murmured the pilot and Miraillia's grin vanished.
"Wonderful…" she rolled her eyes. "Take him to the medical bay. Make sure he has a guard to watch him at all times, and cuff him."
Suddenly the pilot seemed to come alive as his head jerked up slightly, his eyes flashing open.
Dearka cleared himeself from the cloud of pain he was in, but only long enough to make out the face above him. She is so hot. He thought numbly as the girl gave him a funny look, her auburn hair neatly tucked behind her ears. Then he noticed the patch on her uniform. EA. "Damn."
OOOOOO
Aboard the Blue Cosmos Mothership
"Good times." Kitalla murmured to herself as she climbed her way up the trash duct. She was wearing her black pilot suit and around her waist was a belt to which were hooked a gun holster and…grenades. Strapped around her right thigh was a blade as long as her forearm and she wore a small jet pack on her back. In a black bag that she had looped across her chest, there were some code-hacking tools that could pick almost any technical lock. Not to mention some rope, ammo for her gun, her Blue Cosmos cap and some bandages that she had grabbed as an after thought.
There was no gravity in the trash duct so she propelled herself forward with light pushes at the sides of the smooth tunnel. It was dark and every small sound made her freeze up, ready to throw herself to the side in case a block of trash was propelled down to be dumped in space.
"The things I do for people." She sighed, wondering when she would find the hatch to the trash room. Sadly, from her years of work as a mercenary- mostly doing behind scenes special work for the Clyne Faction- she was quite used to carrying dangerous weapons while traveling through tight spaces.
She had left the Chaos, safely concealed from prying eyes and ship sensors, wrapped around a suspended hunk of rock. Her beautiful GUNDAM's wings spread like a dome shield over itself, it's metal, curved claws embedded into the rock, holding itself there- frozen without someones will to move it.
From then on, she had jet-packed her way to the rather stationary ship that was brushing it's way through rocks. There, she had searched till she found the hatch where trash was released into space and had waited patiently for it to slide open, rubbish being released. It was only open for a few seconds but Kitalla was fast, quickly sliding between the closing doors before it was too late. She didn't even want to think about what would happen if she got caught between the sliding doors- split in two was the most obvious outcome.
With every foot of distance she moved, her heart seemed to drum a little louder. It was almost too much for her to stand- the fact that the people she had gone out of her way to avoid had managed to sneak their way right back into her life. Blue Cosmos was the name. She had spent the last couple years trying to forget her past, being one of them and now she was doing to her best to relive it.
Find the princess, find a suit for her, then leave. That's all there is to it. She thought grimly.
So simple that it seemed easy for a moment. And then she remembered just what exactly she was doing, and she hoped with all her heart that they would get out of this alive. It pissed her off and alarmed her that Blue Cosmos could sneak about so easily under her nose- made her realize how ignorant and over-confident she had been, and now the potential princess for ORB had been kid-.
Kitalla paused, blinking for a moment in surprise. "What if she wasn't kidnapped…" her voice was thoughtful. Muffed even to her ears inside the helmet she wore "What if she went willingly… on purpose…" her gaze darkened as she considered that theory. That maybe, just maybe this Cagalli was really the traitorous clone. So many things aren't adding up like they should… She shook her self and continued upward once again, choosing an equally annoying subject to think about.
Michael. Michael. Michael. The once love of her life who had, to her, done the equivalent of betraying her. But that was so many years ago- surely she could learn to move on?
I thought I had. She grumbled to herself internally. But stuff like this just keeps bringing it back… Back the pain… Bringing back the sorrow and the hurt and anger.
It was Michael who had showed her that she could escape ships through their trash ducts. And also board ships through them too.
Michael- even though she had stopped hiding from her past, it still hurt to recall his name, like a distant sweet song that made her ach, and burn with anger all at once.
Fssssh!
Eyes widening in alarm, Kitalla quickly flattened herself against the side of the tunnel just in time as bags of trash came tumbling down swiftly. Listening to it echo down the dark tunnel behind her, she paused, hearing a soft thud sound that…didn't quite seem right.
Could it be…she wondered. After a moment of speculating, she picked up her pace, certain that the hatch would only be a few feet away.
OOOOOOO
"Damn!" Athrun swore under his breath, rubbing his shoulder where a hard piece of something had slammed against it. It stung but at least it hadn't hit his jet pack. He looked above, straining to see in the darkness looming over him- wondering if the other pilot had heard him. He had followed him on ,er, foot, after watching him conceal his GUNDAM on a distant piece of rock. Athrun had copied his movements, though he had hesitated at the chance to destroy the Chaos while it was powered down. However, curiosity and hatred won out as he decided to chase after it's pilot, following after them as they snuck aboard the Blue Cosmos ship through a trash duct. It's rather brilliant, I doubt anyone has ever thought of sneaking aboard a ship through the trash duct. Athrun thought to himself as he cautiously began to progress up the tunnel, his fingers grazing the smooth metal sides on either side of him. Though I wonder what their business is with Blue Cosmos- especially that they have to sneak aboard… No doubt about it- the moment I get back, I need to inform ZAFT about this.
Minutes passed away and just when Athrun was starting to wonder if the tunnel would ever end, his fingers encountered a roof. He pushed against it and it budged slightly. He tried again, harder and it moved once more. Taking a deep breath, he slammed his shoulder against it, hard, and finally it cracked open. Grasping the lid with his hands, he pulled himself out, the lid slamming shut behind him.
Realizing there was air now, Athrun reached up, pulling of his helmet and shaking his hair out, trying to make out shapes in the darkness surrounding him. He couldn't feel the temperature but from the light shining from the doorway, he could make out that he was in a small empty room.
Grim, determined resolution settled on him as he reached to his waist where his gun was. He was aboard a Blue Cosmos vessel, wearing a famously known ace pilot uniform bearing ZAFT badges. Nobody here would hesitate to kill him. He was risking everything just to kill the person responsible for stealing the life of someone he loved. He took a deep breath and slid off the safety clip of the gun. Here goes nothing.
But before he could even take a single step, something blunt hit him across the back of the head, he gasped and fell forward, darkness swiftly followed the pain clouding his mind.
OOOOOO
Curious to see if her suspicions were correct, Kitalla rolled the limp, unconscious body of the pilot over. "Ahah." She murmured, recognizing the face of the young boy. Tilting his face into the light, she smiled to herself. "You have grown, Athrun Zala." She murmured to herself, recalling a day where she had seen an even younger boy with untidy blue locks and sparkling green eyes laugh softly besides Lacus Clyne.
This is either a curse or a blessing. She mused as she rolled him back over onto his stomach, pulling his wrists up behind him. Reaching into her bag, she retrieved some thick black cords of rope that she carefully tied into a tight hold around his wrists behind his back. Once satisfied, she picked up his gun daintily with two fingers, slipping the safety lock back into place and then dropping it into her satchel of a bag. Then she stripped off the accessories she wore, then her pilot suit, revealing the uniform she wore beneath it.
Her movements were quick and full of ease as she straightened her elf back up, smoothing her uniform, re-strapping her belts and weapons back into place, looping her bag over her shoulder and then folding her uniform and tucking it into a shadowed corner of the room where she hoped to find it later, with both her and the ZAFT pilot's helmet.
Throughout her work, her eyes almost always stayed trained on the unconscious pilot, wary, waiting for the moment that he would come to and start putting up a fight. She was stronge, and bigger than him, but she didn't doubt his Coordinator prowess. She couldn't chance him getting the upper hand at any moment.
Last of all, she fixed her hair, locks flopping over her right eye as always, the rest pulled back into a sleek bun that she tucked under her old military cap. Then, taking a deep breath, she straightened up, walked over to stand beside the still body of the pilot. A slight scowl showed on her face. "Alright, handsome, time to rescue someone important to the both of us."
OOOOO
Pain, stinging and swift, brought Athrun to awareness and he blinked, finding himself laying across the floor, the right side of his face pressed against the smooth ground. Alarm raced through him to realize that his hands were tied almost painfully tight behind his back, and that a heavy weight- someone's knee?- was pressed between his shoulder blades, pinning him in place. Struggling to see his attacker, he wriggled about but a small round pressure positioned itself on his back. A gun.
"Ah,ah,ah. I wouldn't be doing that." Purred a distinctly female voice and from the corner of his eye, he made out a gleaming yellow, cat eye that gazed at him watchfully. Noticing the insignia on her chest pocket, bewilderment flashed through him. She was obviously not a Natural- so why was she wearing a Blue Cosmos uniform? This doesn't make sense… Unless…
"Stand up very slowly." The weight vanished but he bit his lip as his hands were jerked up unnaturally.
Silently he stood up, his back to her, very much aware of the constant pressure of the pistol, wondering how he was going to get himself out the mess.
His eyes searched the room, trying to figure out where the other pilot had gone- and after a few seconds of searching the dark room, he noticed the shapes of two helmets beside the trash duct. He froze.
"Who are you?" he demanded. There was no surprise in him at her gender- that Akira's killer was a girl, a woman. Though men did tend to be the main population in ZAFT, after working alongside Akira, Athrun had no doubt of a woman's skill.
"Well…Currently I'm your enemy- you, no doubt, loath me."
"But?" Athrun said, seething quietly. There was one problem with Akira's murderer being, in fact, a murderess- his instincts of hate towards her were of course still thriving, but he couldn't see himself killing a woman. It went against everything he had been taught growing up. He was a gentleman and this was war. Those two matters did not seem to get along very well at all.
"But," The woman said, calmly. "I could be your friend."
"You killed my…you killed someone very important to me!" snapped Athrun, his anger at her and his humiliation at being knocked out, and tied up overcame his normally calm attitude.
"Ah, and I guess you were raised with the familiar tradition of- what is it called? An eye for an eye? A woman for a woman." She snorted. "Listen. I don't even have to kill you myself."
"Wait." Athrun said slowly, his brow furrowing.
The woman didn't, and jabbing him between the shoulder blades with the point of her gun. "I could just leave you here for a real Blue Cosmos soldier to find you. And believe me, you don't want that. I've seen what happened to Coordinators who were caught alive. Some are killed, cleanly. Others…well, depends on who's the Captain of the vessel. I have seen some very sick-minded Captains in my time."
Athrun didn't doubt her one bit.
"Especially a significant Coordinator like yourself? The son of Patrick Zala."
He stiffened, his surprise at her words overriding something else he had heard. "How do you know that?"
"I could say I've seen you in the news, but I doubt you would believe me. After all, we're in a dark room- how did I figure that out so quickly?" she snorted. "Listen now, Zala. I don't care where you came from, what's your mission or how badly you want to put a bullet through my brain. I am the Captain of the Harmony. I am the pilot of the Chaos and…I am on a rescue mission."
Is she trying to be funny? Athrun thought, bewildered by the sarcastic lilt in the woman's voice.
She sighed. "My point is, idiot, you are the perfect way to rescue my missing person. So if you will play nice and go along with it, I can haul you in to prison; that would be greatly appreciated. Look, I'm even asking nicely!"
Athrun brooded for a moment before saying quietly. "Earlier… you said 'an eye for an eye'… or a 'woman for a woman'."
The tip of the gun dug sharply between his shoulder blades. "What of it?"
"You assume it was a woman."
"I don't assume."
"Did you know the pilot of the Huntress?" Athrun demanded. It was his only guess as to why the woman had so easily killed Akira but not him. After all, the Harmony was supposedly a mercenary's ship- maybe there was a past between Akira and the Harmony. Wouldn't that explain why Akira had been so hell-bent on killing the pilot of the Chaos?
The woman was quiet for a second. And then she sighed. "Why don't you come with me and find out. I won't kill you. We'll work together on this."
"You killed Akira."
"Ahhhh, back to square one aren't we?"
Something tugged on Athrun's wrists, a few seconds later, he felt a loosening feeling around his arms. Is she…? Disbelief filled him as he realized that she had untied him and instantly he spun about to face her. Reacting on the hatred coursing through him, the moment he was facing her, he slammed his forearm up under her jaw, shoving her back with brutal strength until she slammed against the wall. Then, using all of the Coordinator strength within, he pushed upwards, driving her chin up as she gasped.
And throughout it, she didn't fight him. Though, it occurred to him that she was probably just as skilled- she was a Coordinator wasn't she?- and probably as strong, she let him shove her painfully back, practically choking her.
"If you're going to kill me, at least wait until after the rescue mission." She sounded annoyed, her eyes glittering down at him with irritation.
"I don't trust you." Athrun snarled. "And I will have you brought to justice." He yanked the gun from her hand, his eyes never leaving hers as he lifted it with his free hand to her temple.
I can't do this. I can not kill her like this. All of his morals were horrified at the fact that he had gotten this far.
The woman sighed. "I didn't want it to go down this way, honestly." And then she kneed him not-so-gently in the stomach.
Athrun doubled over, dropping the gun with a swear, his breath knocked cleanly from his lungs. Not a pleasant feeling.
"You let your guard down- idiot." She spat, and she dropped into a crouch, sweeping him from behind, her leg hooking around his neatly.
Athrun yelped as he found himself once more on the floor.
"I tried to be nice- honestly. I did."
Next thing he knew he was once more tied up- even more so tightly- from behind and they had assumed the same positions they had minutes ago. The woman behind him, holding him by his upper arm, the tip of a gun pressed against his back threateningly.
"I gave you a chance- and now we're going to do things my way." She hissed, jabbing him repeatedly with the tip of the gun she had retrieved. "Now move!"
OOOO
"I found this little leech in our cargo hull." The woman's voice was pleased sounding, even to Athrun, and he let the crowd know how pissed he was with a few choice swears. "Shut up you- I need to get you in a cell." The undertone of merriment in her voice that only Athrun noticed only made him even angrier. The humiliation he felt as she paraded him through the hallways before people who looked down at him mockingly was overwhelming.
Ten minutes later, they were once more in an empty hallway when the woman said.
"My name is Kitalla, by the way."
"I didn't care to know."
"I'm telling you out of a sign of good friendship."
"If you want friendship, then give me back what I've lost."
"Just what you've lost? A little selfish aren't we?" Kitalla replied after a moment.
"I will kill you." Athrun hissed.
"Like you tried to earlier? Oh very good. I was slightly impressed…slightly.,. barely in fact. I do a better job of pretending to kill than you do actually trying to kill." Her voice was heavy with implication that Athrun couldn't begin to understand.
A minute passed and then Kitalla said, her voice musing. "You know what the best part is? I didn't even start the damn fight between us! That's what the best part is. Here I am almost completely minding my own business- believe me, that's a big deal- when for some unknown stupid reason, ZAFT wants to destroy my ship. Forgive me if I fail to understand your anger."
"You were harboring the princess of ORB."
She coughed what sounded like a snicker. "Oh…that's right. I forgot about that detail. Well, it's nice to know that ZAFT has indeed set out to kill the future leader of a peaceful nation. I can tell ZAFT is just all about making friends these days."
Athrun gritted her teeth, her blunt words had affected him. It was…something like Akira would say.
Suddenly Kitalla laughed. "Hahahahah!"
Athrun almost came to a stop but she continued to shove him painfully forward. "Do you find something funny." He growled.
"Yes, indeed. I believe I completely mixed things up."
"Ready to atone for what you've done?"
She snorted. "Not in the least. Just shut up and keep walking- we're almost there."
OOOOO
Kitalla was far from delighted when she had laughed. No, struck by a cold realization. This entire time she had been sympathizing with Akira, understanding how it felt to be torn but now… Athrun. Poor, poor Athrun. So blindly devoted to a girl that he was, not only destined to kill, but was completely her enemy in reality. To the supposed princess who kept secrets just like Michael...The irony wasn't even what struck Kitalla as so humorous. It had more to do with her sadistic nature and how she just loved to tangle up the fates of those around her. Sorry Akira- I doubt you'll be pleased with what I've brought along with me but… you have your way and I have mine.
"Keep walking- I'm starting to get excited."
OOOOOOO
Muruta did not plan to stay long when he stepped onto the ship's brig. He needed to get down to the prison in time to meet with his guests. "Enact our plan." He shouted to the Captain who had no choice but to obey an order from an Azrael. Without a backward glance, his suit starting to come unbuttoned, he charged out the way he had come.
His cell phone chirped in his pocket- probably his younger brother. "This is Muruta." He said calmly as he moved swiftly towards the prison cells.
"Yo, bro- I can't find the Chaos. I've searched the area around us but the pilot hid it well." Michael's voice was filled with static.
"Damn!" Muruta swore, irritation sweeping across his pale features. Dammit, Misaki! Where the hell did you hide your stupid GUNDAM? You had to have gotten here some how!
"I'm going to have to come back in- the mobile suit I'm using is starting to power down."
Alarm darted through Muruta. "Wait- no! stay out there a little longer? Search for it, find it!" I can't chance my idiot brother running into her.
"Er." Doubt filled Michael's voice. "I guess I can squeeze in five more minutes or so."
Well that's barely any good. "Whatever." Muruta snapped, flicking his phone shut and shoving it back into the back bag he had slung over his arm.
His other hand went to the gun that was pressed against his chest, tucked into a holster that was hidden under his jacket. First, I have to get that damn ring. Then I can kill the blonde and Misaki once and for all.
OOOOO
Athrun wasn't stupid enough to try and overpower Kitalla out in the open. She was considered one of Blue Cosmos right down to her salutes. She talked like one to the others that would randomly appear. She walked like one. Knew their terminology almost as if she was one of them. But how could that be? There was no way you could mix her up for a regular Natural!
"Here we are."
Inexplicable foreboding filled Athrun at her words as she jolted him to a stop by a large closed door. A keypad blinked a blue light at them from the wall, and he heard the woman shifting about through her bag, mumbling under her breath. "Now… this might come as a…bit of a shock. So please don't faint. The thought of lugging your body around already disgusts me."
OOOOOO
Cagalli's POV
There I was, in the bunker of hell, trying to sleep with the knowledge that Yuna was a few feet away from me, with the knowledge that I was being held captive by Blue Cosmos and there didn't seem to be any promise of me getting out. There was no way I was going to get to twenty paces without developing an ulcer or two.
"Cagalli! Cagalli!"
I mumbled a snarl, shifting about as someone prodded my shoulder.
Doesn't that idiot realize I'm trying to sleep? I haven't slept at all and considering the fact that they haven't given us any food, let alone let us pee privately, I'm rather exhausted. I can barely even think straight.
"Cagalli! Someone is coming!"
That got my attention. My skin prickling with alarm, I bolted up on my begind, right before jumping to my feet and starting towards the bars, right in time as a door slid open and footsteps came towards me. One… no…two people?
"Have you seen the light, Azrael?" I called out scathingly, only to receive the second biggest shock of my life.
My heart stopped, my breath froze in my lungs and every particle agreed with my earlier thoughts. This isn't happening. I can't be thinking straight. I can't be!
A warm gush flooded through my body as I felt my cheeks color slightly and somehow, without me approving of it, tears filled my eyes and I shook my head whispering in disbelief.
"Impossible." I gasped, sinking unsteadily to the ground. He shouldn't be here!
OOOOO
Narrator POV
"After you." Kitalla had murmured softly when the door had slid open, and Athrun raised his chin, walking steadily forward down the wide hallway that divided a row of cells on each side.
As soon as the door slides shut I'll spin around and take her down. Athrun thought to himself, dragging his footsteps carefully as he began to plan out his counter-attack.
And then he froze, and it wasn't because Kitalla had cut through the ropes with a knife- he had felt it's cold edge slide past his skin- no, it was because...
"Have you seen the light, Azrael?" called out an achingly-familiar voice that caused Athrun's heart to break into a wild sprint- just as it's speaker came into view.
Akira. Yamato.
Though her eyes weren't the same odd violet shade, familiar violet shade, Athrun had no doubt that it was her. The furrowed brow, the spark of determination and bravery in those eyes. The blonde hair, though tangled and unkempt, that swathed about the pale, drawn face.
Her eyes had widened vastly at the sight of him, her mouth opening slightly as she gripped the bars in front of her tightly, with balled fists before sinking unsteadily to the ground.
"Impossible." She whispered, shaking her head, unable to understand what she was seeing.
"Those should be my words." Athrun murmured. He shook his head, gritting his teeth. It couldn't be real! Akira was dead! He had seen her die! Heard her last words! "Impossible." He echoed, anger sweeping through him at the illusion, the heist before him. It couldn't be her. Akira was gone and she wasn't coming back.
Growing even more so angry, he spun about to face Kitalla. "What the hell are you doing?" he demanded, rage glittering in his green eyes. He was very aware that the girl- who could she be if not Akira?- whose eyes were focused on him in a look of self-torment. He took a step forward, the muscles in his arm flexing as a part of him considered the best way to come at her in an attack to subdue.
This had to be a trick! Akira wasn't there, a few feet away. It couldn't be! This woman, Kitalla had to be doing it to him on purpose.
Caught by his own fear of the impossible, his anger and denial, he threw a punch, following it up by a quick roundhouse to the woman's head.
"Athrun!" The girl cried, tears clinging to her dark lashes. "Athrun, stop!"
He hesitated in his kick at the sound of her voice, like a spear through his heart.
Kitalla didn't hesitate though, as she shot forward, her forearms clapping around the thigh of his outstretched right leg. For a moment, he stared at her narrowed cat-eyes in surprise before her other leg hooked around the one holding him up and her right forearm slammed against his chest- the two forces moving in opposite directions causing him to fall back. He landed with a gasp on the hard floor, only to roll backwards and come up into a guarded stance, watching her carefully as she maneuvered herself towards the cell.
"You came searching for the pilot's murder- and instead you found the pilot." Her voice was cold and she gestured to the blonde behind her who clung to the bars staring at Athrun in a look of pain.
Athrun glanced at Kitalla, and then stared at the blonde, his heart pounding rather hard in his chest as he swallowed. "You can't be alive…I saw you die."
Kitalla raised her jaw at him, watching him in disgust. "She's alive, Zala. Are you so blind to all truths that you can't see the obvious?"
The blonde's head whipped around as she glared furiously at Kitalla, tears sparking in her eyes. "Why are you doing this?" she screamed. "Why did you bring him here?"
"Why ever not? I needed an excuse to come to the prison and besides, Zala was lucky it was me who caught him rather then a real Blue Cosmos soldier." Kitalla sneered. Her eyes met Athrun's. "Now, if you could hurry up and decide what to do so we can get a move on- I rather not be here forever."
"Athrun."
Athrun couldn't bring himself to meet the girl's amber gaze.
"Athrun." The girl hesitated, then took a deep breath, her voice shaking only slightly. "It's me. I'm alive."
And just like that, something flicked in him and his eyes met her unique and wide amber eyes. His own green ones were wide, lost, confused and angry. Disbelief was obvious on his face with a hint of wonder.
"Athrun…" the girl hesitated then said. "You are best friends with Dearka, Yzak, Shiho and Nicol." She paused, watching as Athrun's face went suddenly pale. "We were both assigned to a secret mission to assassinate the…" her voice faltered. "princess of ORB."
The man behind her, one who Athurn finally noticed then, as he let out a brilliant snobby snort, was rising to his feet behind the blonde.
"And…you…" a strange wistfulness flashed through those amber eyes. "You kissed me before I left you."
Even Kitalla looked slightly startled at this, and Yuna let out a soft cry of: "A Coordinator?"
But Akira, for that was only who she could be- who else knew what she did?- met Athrun's gaze evenly. Her lips pressed together, her eyes blinking slightly as if to ward off the invasion of more tears, coupled with determination and bravado that Athrun would know anywhere, swirling about in those molten amber orbs.
Akira… The denial was brushed away as a pang of delight echoed through him, as he took a half-a-step forward, one hand extending subconsciously; as if he was afraid that the image before him would suddenly shatter- and he would wake up moments later to find out that this had only been a dream.
It wouldn't be a surprise to him- he had dreamed nightmares of equal merit where images of Akira, healthy and so gloriously alive, tormented him by lying by him, only for him to find at morning's wake that the bed beside his own was still and empty. That the drawers in the extra dresser had long become unused. That when he stepped into docking bay- only one GUNDAM greeted him.
For just as the Huntress had been lost to ZAFT, so had Akira to Athrun.
"You're…you're alive." Dare he believe? Dare he step out onto this wobbly bridge of hope, afraid that the ropes might snap, the boards might break beneath his feet?
Akira looked as if a thousand different responses were battling within her to be said, but at last, she nodded, almost a life time later. "Yes… I am." He didn't realize he had been holding his breath until then, as if only her words could confirm what he saw before him.
And just like that, joy, complete and utter joy burst forth within his body as he confirmed she was alive! All the pain, all the sorrow that had been buried within him were gone, gone as if it had never been there to begin with. Though, of course, it didn't make sense, Athrun didn't care because…because she was alive and that was all that mattered.
"Akira!" he whispered before taking a full step forward.
OOOOOO
Cagalli's POV
When Athrun had reached through the bars to cup my face, I couldn't even begin to imagine what he was thinking. Possibly along the lines of 'Holy crap- she's alive?'. Honestly, I couldn't begin to let myself wonder. Because…Athrun…was right there in front of me. I had thought…no…I had sworn to myself that I wouldn't see him again, or at the least not for a good many years! And yet…
Love always finds a way.
Athrun's lips met mine, the wide bars allowing our faces to press close enough for him to chastely graze my mouth with his, much to my own shock. I heard a yelp from behind from Yuna and a soft sigh from the woman who had followed Athrun- Kitalla. But I couldn't begin to care- because Athrun was kissing me and every synapse in my brain had just exploded in symphony of happiness, terror, confusion and…hope.
Hope. A word that had carried me through so many years of my life. When I lost loved ones, when I found myself on foreign territory by myself, - it was hope that led me on. So many different forms of hope, coexisting inside. Hope.
"I…" Athrun whispered, only for my ears to ear, despite the bars that separated us. His forehead leaned against mine, expressing all the trust he had for me that I didn't deserve. "I thought you were dead. I thought you had died, Akira" for an agonizing second, he closed his eyes, shaking his head "I missed you so much."
The tears spilled over, running down my cheeks and he wiped them away with soft strokes of his thumb.
"Listen…I know this is awful timing…I know it's also rather sudden. I don't know what happened- and believe me I want to know! And I know you might not feel the same towards me but…" he took a deep breath, his green eyes blazing with passion. "But I had to tell you…I can't…risk losing you again." His words shook with fervor and I gaped at him, speechless. Speechless because this was exactly what I didn't what, exactly what I didn't need, and exactly what every fiber of my body longed for.
Athrun.
He was right though- he couldn't have chosen the worst time ever to say that to me. One of us was behind bars. The other was a Coordinator on a Blue Cosmos ship.
But I was known for my bad luck in timing.
And for one, crazy, reckless moment where my more unruly side screamed within for me to tell him how much I missed him. About how I had thought about him every day and if things could be different, I would have stayed. Stayed at his side always. If it wasn't for…
The truth. That I am not who he thinks I am. The truth that I'm not just a Natural but the Princess of ORB who he has sworn to kill. No…no…I can't tell him that… I can't…I don't want to…And yet…I think I have to…
At the very least that I was a Natural and though he would want me to return with him and give a full accountant to what had happened to me…I wouldn't be able to. Even though…
I. Love. You.
Reality slapped me across the face, but I was saved from replying right then as Kitalla suddenly froze as if something had occurred t her and she snarled. "What. Did. You. Just. Say?" That's rather a stupid question- considering we've been talking for the past few minutes… A part of my brain mused to it's self
The Captain shoved Athrun to the side even though he hissed furiously. Instead she reached through the bars to grab me by the collar of my shirt. "What did you just say?" she demanded again.
I stared at her, bewildered, caught off guard. First Athrun now Kitalla. "What?" I gasped.
"Let her go!" Snapped Athrun, a deadly look in his deep, agonizingly-haunting green eyes.
Kitalla paid him no heed though as she shook me lightly. "When we walked in, whose name did you call?"
"Azrael." I said, struggling to get my bearings again. I was after all a princess. Kitalla couldn't just shake me around like a disobedient puppy! Not to mention, what the hell was she doing involving Athrun? She knew very well what she was doing- why did she drag him along? Didn't she realize how much it hurt me to see him there? Or at the very least, how much this complicated our situation?
Anger welled up inside of me at the thought that she had done this on purpose, in some kind of way to spite me It didn't make sense, but right then nothing did.
This is Kitalla I'm talking about… she doesn't think past her own plans…
"Which brother?" she whispered, her voice so quiet. Athrun had stepped closer and I glared at him, warning him from interrupting. His eyes narrowed and after a long moment, he nodded, though his fists remained clenched at the sides.
"Muruta Azrael." I growled back as calmly as I could beneath her piercing stare.
And just like that Kitalla dropped me, horror filling her eyes and for the first time since I had known her, I saw a hint of fear in her eyes. An ancient fear. "No…Where one brother is…" she murmured. "The other is as well…" she stared at me. "It was a trap." She whispered. "A replay from seven years ago…"
"Seven years ago?" I demanded , watching as Athrun- once sure that Kitalla wouldn't touch me- began to open the cell door. The bars slid apart and, followed by Yuna, I stepped out to join the other two. Athrun made no move to come close, his eyes watching me with a strange uncertainty. I couldn't blame him. I remembered how it felt to agonize over Kira's death, only to see him alive before my very eyes.
I cocked my head, watching Athrun but he only turned his away, his gaze becoming vague as if he wasn't quite there, as if his spirit was somewhere else and I bit my lip.
Trying to find something to break the uneasy tension between…well… just about everybody, I clapped my hands together softly, making Yuna jump.
"Seven years ago?" I repeated, remembering something that had happened seven years ago…to me… when my mother had died.
Kitalla seemed to shake herself to life, her cat eyes starting to focus on me, filled with a somber pain I couldn't begin to understand. It bothered me- to see someone who had always seemed so distant with the world felled by normal human emotions. For some unknown reason, I had come to think that Kitalla was above human drama, and the insecurities, fears, and guilt that ate away from the inside. Perhaps that's what made it so easy to hate her sometimes- like now when she had brought Athrun to me. "Here you are. Here I am. Just like it was seven years ago when your mother died." Her gaze flickered to the corner of my jaw, almost as if she knew what she would find there. My scar that Kimi-hime had given me. "Of course."
I gasped. "What do you know about my mother?" I cried, my hands balling into fists.
Kitalla's gaze flickered over my shoulder for a moment. At last she said. "There's much I've been keeping from you. But don't judge me." Her gaze suddenly became flinty. "I'm not the only one who keeps secrets." Her words were a snarl and it took me a moment to realize that they had been directed at me.
"Now, wit out further ado." She reached into her satchel, pulling out black gun that she flipped to Athrun, who caught it, his eyebrows raising in surprise. "Alright, Prince Charming. You have found your princess." And like that she turned her back and began to walk away. Her shoulders straight, her pace hurried and her body rigid.
To my astonishment, Athrun did the unthinkable and grabbed my hand with his free one, following Kitalla. "We need to get out of here!" he said, his eyes locked on Kitalla's darting form, refusing to meet my eyes. I noticed Yuna following us in a rather skittish manner.
While we chased after Kitalla, Athrun said to me, his voice low. "You were alive this whole time."
I hesitated before nodding. "Yes."
Ahead of us, Kitalla would run and then pause at every corner, glancing about for Blue Cosmos and every now and then, there would be a bang as a shot rang out and the lines around Kitalla's mouth would deepen.
"Did…did that…did she… What happened…how is this…possible?" he shook his head.
I shook my head, swallowing tightly. "She didn't kill me. She never wanted to. She just… took me back to the Harmony."
Athrun stumbled slightly in surprise. "Were you… a prisoner?" his tone was slightly guarded which confused me.
"No. I was a guest."
Athrun's hand clamped tightly over mine. "Then why didn't you send me a message or something?" he yelled. As if his red suit wasn't attracting enough attention. He took a deep breath as if calming himself. "Why didn't you come back?" And that was it, the question that stumped him even more then the fact that Kitalla didn't kill me.
Why hadn't I returned?
A guard sprang out ahead of us but Kitalla leveled her gun calmly and fired. He crumpled to the ground, blood trickling from a neat hole in his forehead.
"I couldn't!" I murmured, shaking my head. "I just couldn't…"
"Couldn't or wouldn't, Akira?" he snapped and I was taken aback by how quickly things had changed.
At the sound of his fury something bristled within me. How dare he accuse me like this? He doesn't know a thing of what I went through- before and after I met him! What I gave up to have come this far, in the past and now.
"Some things aren't about what you want!" I cried. "Somethings go beyond that, Athrun."
Athrun's gaze darkened. "So… you were aboard- and you didn't kill the princess? At least make an attempt?"
That got me. I bit my lip and for the first time his eyes glanced back at me taking in my startled expression. "Akira. Or is that really your name? I'm coming to the conclusion that I really don't know anything about you."
I shook my head. I couldn't deny what he was saying but… just a bit ago he had looked down at me so warmly, gently and had cradled my head and kissed me.
"I don't know what you mean." I stammered.
"And you were a guest? Since when are you friends with Harmony?" Now there was bewilderment with a tingle of longing in his voice. "Why wouldn't you contact me?" his hand pushed my head down for a moment and I yelped in surprise only to feel the wind whistle for a moment and my hair rustle as a bullet streaked above me, just missing me by a few inches.
Teeth gritted, Athrun raised his gun and fired and behind me, I heard a groan and the sound of a body hitting the floor. From the corner of my gaze, I noticed a trickle of blood move across the floor.
I had never been one to puke at death, but seeing Athrun do it so easily without a single thought shook me, and I stared at him wordlessly for a moment as he pulled me along beside him.
"I couldn't." I said again.
"At the very least…can you tell me why."
"I…" My eyes slid close and my hand slipped down his forearm on it's own, finding his hand, my fingers entwining through his. I opened my eyes to see him watching me from the corner of his. An overwhelming feeling of comfort and trust flooded through me and for one second, his gaze softened.
"I wanted to… But I couldn't." I gritted my teeth, preparing myself to say whatever I had to.
"What do you mean? Stop saying 'couldn't." he cried, though he didn't release my hand from his. He spun a corner and I wondered where Kitalla was leading us and how she knew her way around so easily.
"I can't explain!" I cried. I couldn't sum up any defense to his words that tore me from the inside, because he was completely right.
"Why can't you?" he demanded again. R
"The same reason…" My voice was raw as I let my feelings cloud it. "The same reason I can't come back with you."
Athrun faltered in mid-stride, his green eyes widening as he glanced at me, uncertainty and fear overriding his hurt and anger. "What do you mean? Of course you're coming back!" he snapped and my nails dug into the back of his hand , my eyes flashing at the undertone of an order that I heard in his voice.
"It's not you- it's me!" I yelled, not able to bring myself to laugh at the liner I had given him. Really- who hadn't heard that line before? And there, I was using it in the middle of fight scenes as Kitalla screamed at us from ahead to get our asses in gear cause apparently, she couldn't protect us while we had our little 'lover's spat'.
Athrun snorted, coming to a stop to turn and face me. Luckily, Kitalla was providing a decent enough distraction- her and her gun at least.
"What are you doing?" I shrieked. "We can't stop here!" He yanked me abruptly to the side just as another bullet missed me by a few inches.
"You need to pay more attention." He replied shortly.
"Let me go!" I yelled, yanking fruitlessly at my hand that he held tightly in his own. Why was he doing this to me? Treating me with anger was better than this! At least I could handle that- handled being hated and yelled.
The blue haired Coordinator, who was so deliciously handsome, who, I couldn't deny, that I dreamed about almost every night, clenched my hand in his. "Why…can't you come back with me… Everyone would be so happy. Uru, the crew…" he swallowed. "Akira- I don't know what's going on, but you can tell me. We'll figure it out. Just come back…with me."
My mind whirled in a tempest of my emotions as I struggled to think up an answer, I had to tell him no, that was obvious. I am the princess of ORB and my country would always come first.
But before I could even utter a single word, tell him anything, footsteps echoed behind us, making our heads snap around.
"Well, well, well…Look at what we have here.." A cold smooth voice interrupted and I stiffened, recognizing the voice with a feeling of horror. Him.
OOOOOO
Meanwhile…
"Oi vey." Murmured a disgruntled pilot as he turned his mobile suit back in the direction of his mother ship, having given up on hunting down this deranged pilot's spacecraft. "Sorry brother…" Michael actually wasn't that sorry, no matter his orders. For the past couple years, his brother, his only family in the world, the only person he could trust now, had started to leave him out of the loop of things. Which, in Michael's opinion, really wasn't fair. Screw the military secrecy crap. Michael was one of their ace pilots and he didn't get to know why exactly it was oh so important to stalk down the Chaos.
"Oh well…" he mumbled, shaking his head inside his helmet. His mobile suit was close to running out of power and ZAFT was near by. There was no way he was going to get caught out here in the pile of rocks with a mobile suit close to powering down!
Hold on… For a moment he thought he saw a gleam of something red, a small speck of red in the darkness of space. Just a single second and then it was gone. "Hm." He shrugged, completely unaware that he just missed, by slight chance, the discovery of the Aegis.
OOOOO
Back to our main characters- Cagalli POV
"You!" Kitalla snarled at the man, Muruta Azrael, who had appeared around a corner, a black back slung around his shoulder and a smile on his face as he watched the four of us group together. Hardly a heartbeat later did a shot rang out and a bullet whizzed by his ear. It missed Azrael by a foot or so.
"Isn't this lovely." He purred, leveling a gun at me. "You and him." He laughed before turning to face Kitalla who was seething. The gun in her hand was trembling slightly as if she could barely control herself. "You missed by the way- you always did have a miserable shot, Misaki."
I could feel Athrun's eyes on me for a long moment, but only a moment as his attention returned to the sadistic blonde before us. We were in a grave situation.
"Muruta." Kitalla hissed, her gun never waving in her focus, pointed directly at his head. "I've missed you."
"Don't lie- it's unbecoming." Azrael smirked and snapped his fingers. Around us, guards were walking up, guns in their hands. Despair settled upon me; we didn't stand a chance. "Though you are right- it's been years, hasn't it." His tone became darker. "Years since you saved the Coordinator bitch Lacus Clyne and then later, this bitch."
I glanced at Kitalla, stunned by his words. Kitalla…had saved me? When? And not just me- but Lacus? That didn't surprise me- something connected those two- but me?
"So you found out."
Kitalla's words confirmed it- and not just as I flashed back to something that I had considered unimportant then. A memory of my father telling me that the reason I was alive was because someone had dropped me off at someone's door step. It was a mystery who that person was.
And it was Kitalla. Though I didn't know the full the story- I didn't know why or how, I didn't doubt the resonating truth. Misaki Kitalla had possibly saved my life when I was seven years old!
"Everyone thought you were dead- my brother spent days searching through the charred corpses that littered the ORB residence, praying he would find you. But you weren't there. Broke his heart- but not mine. In fact, if you hadn't saved her," he nodded towards me. "Then you would have done me the biggest favor ever. Removed yourself from his life." He sighed. "Everyone thought you were dead- like I said. One of the unrecognizable burned remains. But I knew better- Misaki is smart. Misaki is clever. The girl is gone- and so is she. Very clever. Changeling bitch!"
Kitalla said nothing. Though I could feel the rage radiating off of her, she would not let herself be bated.
"What do you want with us?" she demanded. "Why did you kidnap them?"
"Well, of course since Kimi-hime will be in place soon, I want them dead." Muruta seemed to be deliberating in mock thoughtfulness. "But…I longed, simply longed to see you again." He smirked. "Should I give you a moment for goodbyes?"
I could feel the conclusion coming. Only a few minutes left before they would all open fire at us, and all that would be left was four bleeding corpses.
Perhaps, my return to rein over ORB was just…never…meant to be.
I turned to gaze at Athrun, whispering. "I'm sorry."
He shook his head. "It doesn't matter." His words stung and I wasn't sure what he was talking about. What I had been saying earlier or…
He's right- It doesn't matter. Nothing matters. Because we're going to die.
Yet, to my surprise, Athrun took a deep breath to steady himself before he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close, his face pressing against my hair and the saying 'It is better to die in the arms of the one you love' popped into my head causing a shiver to go through me.
Is this how we would die?
I hesitated, wanting so badly to give in, but at the same time, fearful that I couldn't keep up my charade forever. You're going to die- what does it matter? My heart screamed and I pressed my face against Athrun's chest, mouthing all the words I couldn't bring myself to say.
In some distant corner of my mind I dreamed… I dreamed of an alternate universe where Athrun and I met. There was no war, and I wasn't a princess. We were just two people who met, clashing at first, and then…falling in love.
My name is Cagalli Yula Attha and I think… I'm afraid I might be falling for you. And I shouldn't. I can't. And yet… I am and it feels so terrifying, agonizing, painful and heartbreaking. But also, exhilarating, fantastic and so wonderful and so right. Being with you…is so, so right.
I turned my head up to meet Athrun's gentle green gaze and just like that all, the chaos, all the terror I felt within and around me was swallowed as if I was standing in the eye of the storm. It was as if all the sound was blocked out, and all I could see was Athrun's mesmerizing gaze. Like emeralds, so dark with mystery, yet shining with passion.. And some how, I knew that even if I died, we died, everything would be okay.
I love him.
Well? What did I have to lose? This was the end, after all…
I opened my mouth, drawing breath to tell him in these last few moments just how messed up he made me feel inside, just how much joy I felt when I saw him, how much I wanted to stay with him, apologizing every day for leaving. But before I could say a word, Azrael said. "Oops- time's up." He began to make a slashing sound and I froze at the clicks of safety locks being popped off, guns being leveled.
Kitalla took a deep breath and I realized with a burning sensation of guilt that I would be the reason she died. The reason why her crew lost their beloved protector and captain. Because she came, despite her irritation with me, she came to rescue me… For a second time.
I wished I would have time to say 'I'm sorry' to her…to Yuna… and to the man who stood next to me, his arms wrapping around me as if he could take every bullet for me just by embracing me.
I don't deserve you. I thought, despair settling in.
"Oh- wait a minute."
I blinked, watching in surprise as Azrael then walked towards Kitalla, her yellow eyes staring at him furiously.
He smiled at her. "Thanks for returning this to me. My plans would be useless without the Alpha." And then he reached up and grabbed at the small chain that peeked out from under her collar. Yanking it free with a sharp tug.
Kitalla's eyes widened in horror as she watched him walk away with the necklace and ring clutched tightly in his hand. "You son of a bitch!" She spat.
He chuckled. "If I'm one- then so is my brother. How does it feel to know you've made out with a son of a bitch?" His expression revealed the sadistic glee he felt in knowing we would die before him.
"Okay," he said, once out of the circle the guards had made around us. His eyes were studying the ring he held and he waved his hand almost absentmindedly towards us. "Now you can kill them."
The End.
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Well, duh I'm kidding. =D anyway, next chapter will be more fun, hopefully. I know a lot of people were probably hoping for perhaps fluff? Idk, sorry though. Next chapter I hope will appease those issues. Hm, well, oh wells. We shall see =)
Revieeewwwww ==))))))) and I'll love you forever =)
Yours truly,
Azetta