"My Sweetest Heart for You" Chapter 5 – "Songs of Heaven and the Earth"
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Gundam Seed/Gundam Seed Destiny. I am not compensated in any way for my work other than the enjoyment that my readers experience.
A/N: I must sincerely apologize to all of you for how long it's taken me to get these next few chapters up.
As many of you may be wondering, this is Chapter 5, which I have previously sent out. I decided to do some revision to this chapter to test out my writing skill, which I believe has improved in the time I've been gone. Also, I need to correct some things in order to suit what I've already written for Chapter 6, which has also been completed.
I suggest to the many of you to re-read this chapter, as I'm sure some of my revisions will leave some of you satisfied. I know that I was while I was writing them.
Thank you all for your patience; I know that I've made promises to some of you that I didn't keep to. For that, I apologize once again.
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Kira & Lacus
"Please… don't go Kira…" Lacus whispered, her voice tender and soft. Her small hands encircled around Kira's waist, gently pulling herself closer to him… the seductive warmth of his body having taken in of her mind and body.
Kira stood, paused at having Lacus' body being so very close to his own. The enveloping gaze of her baby blues enraptured his soul, unwilling to let him go…
Lacus slowly raised a hand and placed it over her chest, where her beating heart pounded near painfully within. For as long as she could remember, she had never felt as she did now… nor with anyone she'd ever known had she felt such a strong bond. It was as though the feelings that now coursed through her very blood were taking them to a place where feelings were no longer necessary
She drew Kira's hand onto her hand, wanting him to feel her heart with her as well…
"…" Kira's face darkened a deep shade of red. Lacus' gentle face calmed him however… silently assuring him that everything was alright.
Kira felt like he wanted to say something… but he didn't know how to express it. His lips were open, yet no words came out. "…Lacus… I…"
Lacus only smiled and hushed Kira with a finger to his lips. She shook her head slowly, quieting any protests he might've had. Though she could see the conflict in his amethyst eyes, there were no worries between them.
The pink-haired girl earnestly desired to know the young boy's heart… to soothe and help with whatever pains ravaged his soul; ever since the day he'd come to her, he would often stare out onto the boundless ocean… as if searching for something he knew would never come. Such a thought pained Lacus more than even he would ever know…
Lacus took a hold of both his hands, holding them gently together. "…Kira… do you still want to be with me, no matter what happens from now on…?"
"…" Kira remained silent in the midst of such a question. '…Why would she ask that…?" he thought.
It was then that he remembered all of those times… times when Lacus would seem scared, afraid of being alone. She would even plead with him never to leave her… and such a thing frightened him. He wondered what could've happened to her to leave such a scar on such a fragile, beautiful heart.
Kira looked onto Lacus' gentle face, unknowing of the words that would bring her the happiness he wanted. Even so… the silence that was now building up between them would only prove more painful if he allowed it to go on.
"…Lacus…" Kira raised a hand and softly caressed Lacus' cheek. At the feel of his warm touch, Lacus sighed softly and closed her eyes. "…I can't promise you that we'll always be together, or that… things will happen where we may be separated, but I…"
"…" Upon hearing his words, Lacus quickly turned around, wrapping her arms around herself. Somehow, she knew he was going to say something like that…
'…Lacus…' Kira slowly walked up behind her, encircling his arms around her gently. "…But I wanted to tell you… that even if we aren't together like this, I'll never abandon you, I promise…"
Lacus could feel a warm tear sliding down her cheek at Kira's kind words and the assurance of his soft embrace. She turned around and embraced him tightly, burying her head in his chest… her lips trembling slightly.
Kira smiled, holding her all the closer to him. For him, it was truly a moment where he felt alright with himself… where all the problems of his past and who he really was felt so irrelevant. Something about this girl…, who had so suddenly become such an important part of his life, was able to heal the wounds of his heart and mind….
A silent moment passed between the two, where they could just enjoy one another's company… for however long it would be allowed.
Lacus slowly raised her head up so that she could once again look upon Kira's gentle face, his lips looking ever kissable… the silent call of her heart earnestly wanting for him to now claim her as his… even it were but once in her short life.
The young girl clasped her small hands about Kira's face… carefully closing her eyes as she leaned herself up towards him…
Kira's expression softened at what she was doing… though he felt confused, unsure of himself if this was what he really wanted… something told him that this may be his only chance… as sad a thought as that was.
While the rain was still pounding heavily outside… the wind blowing ever forcefully, all such distraction was blocked out for the two in that moment. Neither nature nor anything else would interrupt them, in what was surely a blessed time.
Kira, his heart now beating painfully in his chest, wrapped his hands about Lacus' slim waist and closed his eyes… leaning himself down to meet her…
Finally, their lips came together in a soft kiss… ever graceful and tender. Lacus' face flushed deeply at the feel of his warmth seeping through her mouth, trailing throughout her body… leaving a warm feeling in the depths of her stomach.
Suddenly, a bright light began emitting itself from between their two bodies. Though it was small at first, it began growing stronger and stronger… too strong.
Kira's eyes opened wide, his mouth agape at the sight now before him. The strange phenomena suddenly grasped a hold of their bodies, striking down within their eyes… filling them with an inexplicable and near terrifying power. Both their mouths shot open, crying out something beyond the language of human tongue… a shrill cry that pierced through the solid rock of the cave, reducing to ash several smaller pieces of it in mid-air.
'…K-Kira…!' Lacus cried out within her mind. This strange light… the power that seemed to flow through her body without care or remorse, was not unknown to her. She had felt this once before… though that did not change the extraordinary fear that ran through her blood.
The strange power quickly filled up the cave and soared out into the skies above. Though the dark storm clouds still filled them, raining down over the Earth below… they quickly parted way in the light's presence, as if in fear of its tremendous power.
Striking up ever further, its force pierced layer and layer of the Earth's atmosphere and shot up beyond into the far reaches of space. There, it dispelled and rained back down over the planet in small fragments of its once great power.
However, back down within the confines of the cave… Kira and Lacus trembled for a moment before collapsing into one another's arms. The entirety of their strength had been sapped by whatever that phenomenon was… leaving them with near nothing left to sustain themselves.
"…Huff…Huff…" Kira gasped for breath, his breathing as hard and ragged as he'd ever felt it. Never before had his body felt so utterly exhausted… even trying to form a single word felt as hard a strain as any other he could've imagined.
"K…Kira…" Lacus managed to gasp out. She reached out with her hand to slowly clasp it around Kira's.
'…L-Lacus…' Kira thought. It amazed him… if Lacus were as exhausted as he was… no, even more so… it was almost unfathomable to think that kind of will power she had to still move her body around as much as did…
It was all that could be done at the time though… after that; the two of them quickly fell into the realms of consciousness. All that remained in the aftermath of their thoughts was the feeling that their very souls had been torn asunder from their bodies in those few moments, freed from the 'fleshly cages of existence' that had bound them to the Earth.
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Rey, Shinn & Lunamaria
Rey raised his hand along the sky, waving a piece of highly advanced targeting equipment along the course of where the strong light had penetrated the sky. After bringing it back down… he studied it closely, wanting to confirm the results as best he could.
Shinn awaited the results anxiously from behind Rey. His hands were folded across one another, his fingertips tapping along his arm. "…Well, Rey? Do you know anything yet?"
Rey stood up and turned around towards Shinn, nodding his head. "…Identity has been confirmed, it's the target," he said very plainly.
Inwardly, Shinn was smiling at the confirmation of his highest hopes. At last, he'd found the person he was searching for. It was time… he would finally get his chance to avenge his family… his sister.
Luna walked up towards Rey, wanting to ask him a question. "…So, are we going to pursue it instead of heading towards Azure?"
Immediately, Rey shook his head back and forth. "…No, we're going to proceed as planned and enter Azure under civilian guise."
After hearing those words, Shinn's expression sharpened. "…What do you mean we're not going after him? The whole purpose of our mission is to confirm that bastard's identity, so why…"
"That's enough, Shinn," Rey retorted, distaste evident in his voice. More than a lot of things, Rey didn't like officers like Shinn allowing his personal emotions to start interfering with orders… especially Chairman Durandal's orders.
"I only said that the target has been confirmed. However… from the readings I've picked up, it's still somewhat different from our previous records. Besides, I hardly doubt some of those people down in the town didn't see those light. I'm sure they'll come to investigate as soon as they'd able, if they haven't already…"
Shinn scoffed and turned his head aside. He was growing more and more displeased with how Rey only wanted to seem to take more and more time in his 'assessments'.
"As much as I would rather this mission to be completed earlier, if we head out… it's very possible we'll be spotted, and then we'd have to find some way to explain ourselves to those people. Is that what you want, Shinn? To blow our cover when we've just gotten started?" Rey asked, inwardly curious of whether or not Shinn was really acceptable for the times ahead.
Shinn clenched his fingertips into tight fists. As much as he hated to admit it, and in spite of his personal hatred towards 'him', Rey still had a point to make. "…Alright," he replied.
Luna could only stand back and watched as Shinn had to once again be lectured by Rey on what was right for the 'mission'. It hadn't been something she was surprised to hear… things like this went on all the time between them. Shinn was just too emotional for his own good sometimes and Rey always had to be there to set him straight…
"You're both dismissed for now. We'll regroup in two hours. Do whatever you want to until then," Rey said.
Shinn took no time in walking away. He went up straight to the cockpit of his Impulse and began working inside of it, as hard as he could.
At the sight of her distressed comrade, Luna felt like she should do something. Even so, if she went up to him as he was now… he might not even listen to anything she had to say.
With a distressed look on her face, and unsure of what was going to happen from now on… Luna slowly walked back up to Rey to see what he had to say. "…Rey…?"
Rey slowly stood up from what he was doing and turned around to face his subordinate, curious of what she wanted. "…What is it, Lunamaria?"
Luna raised a hand and placed it over her chest. "…It's about Shinn…" she whispered.
Rey quickly took a glance over to the cockpit of the Impulse, taking notice to how hard and focused Shinn was working. He looked back towards Luna. "…What about him?"
"…I'm worried about him, Rey. What will you do if he gets out of control?" she asked.
Rey's eyes were unmoving, definite conviction held within their blue depths. "…If Shinn becomes a threat to the mission or any innocent civilians, I will deal with him as I see fit. Chairman Durandal has given me any and all means of use if such a thing should happen," he said.
Luna's face fell at Rey's words. "…Any and all means? But I thought Chairman Durandal was the one who opted for Shinn to be on this mission, so why…?"
Rey shook his head. "…I will not question the Chairman's orders. I am sure that he had very good reasons for assigning Shinn this mission… I suppose we'll find out soon enough why it is," he concluded.
Even as they spoke, the sun was setting upon the darkening sky. The stars themselves were veiled beyond dismal clouds, their gray outlooks giving off a distinction of ill feelings.
Luna could think of nothing else to say. With that, she turned away and walked off to spend what time she had to herself thinking out what was going to happen when they reached Azure… when Shinn would probably meet that man again.
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Unknown – 1 Hour Ago
"What do you mean it's activated again!? That's supposed to be impossible!" a voice roared out from a piece of com equipment.
"I'm sorry, sir! It's gone completely beyond our control, nothing we're doing is even slowing it down!" a young solider, dressed in red, yelled back through the receiver.
From all around the young man, debris and wreckage of all sorts littered the area. Scraps of mobile weaponry, even the bodies of other soldiers… some whose limbs had seemed all but blown off, with the small of decaying flesh and blood filling the air, went on for far too long.
Suddenly, without any kind of warning, a large beam of energy pierced through the floor… from under the smoke that followed it, a large figure pierced through and soared up into the sky… its bright blue wings gave off an eerie aura of destructive power, superseded only by its yellow eyes, through which none escaped its gaze.
The solider shuddered at the knowing what had come his way. It… was here. He grasped the receiver and yelled into it as loud as he possibly could. "Sir!! It's here! Freedom is here!!"
Almost immediately, the cries of those bloodied victims once again razed through the air. The solider, whose honorable duty gave him strong wanting to try and help… fell victim to the immense fear he now felt coursing through his blood.
'There's… nothing I can do. It's too strong… I don't stand a chance against something like that,' he thought.
From out of the hole that Freedom had made, two ZAKU type mobile suits came blazing through it. They immediately fired upon Freedom, hoping to at least slow it down to some degree.
All their efforts were in vain however. At the sound of their guns being raised, Freedom raised its own shield and deflected the projectiles without any effort. As the sound of the empty ammunition came clanging down on the floor, the white mobile suit ignited its beam saber along with its thrusters and went soaring off of the ground towards its enemy.
In an instantaneous motion of speed and unparalleled ability, Freedom sliced through the ZAKU's, leaving them in nothing but a heap of scrap metal, followed by the flow of blood strewn out from their cockpits.
At the sight of such a horrific display of power, the solider fell upon his knees… frozen in fear. While he lay still, the white mobile suit slowly walked over towards him… raising up its still ignited beam saber high into the air.
In an instant, Freedom gave a vertical slash downwards and pierced the soldier's body… sending its remains as nothing more than a few bits of ash and dust back into the Earth.
With its task in the room accomplished, Freedom ignited its thrusters and soared back down through the hole… as to what its intentions were after that… it was unlikely any of those unfortunate enough to fall in its path would want to know.
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Athrun & Cagalli
"Huff…Huff… Athrun, are we almost there yet?"
"For the third time, Cagalli… we're almost there, okay?" Athrun replied.
Cagalli narrowed her sights on Athrun, giving him a look that he was all too familiar with. Athrun chuckled nervously at the look, quickly turning his head back down the dirt pathway they were racing on.
Not a few minutes after they'd seen the strange light did he and she, along with several other villagers from Azure race off to see if they could discover the cause. Although they had been running for a little over an hour, they were growing very close to their destination.
Athrun himself was particularly determined to see the light's source was what he thought it to be. If that was the case… then they would have a difficult time ahead of them, especially if Cagalli suspected as well.
Back when they'd first seen the phenomenon, Athrun wanted Cagalli to stay behind, but she resolutely refused anything of the sort.
"…Cagalli, why did you want to come with me, anyway?" Athrun asked.
Cagalli remained silent in the midst of such a question. She gave it some thought, trying to understand of why it was that Athrun was so concerned. "…Does it really matter if I'm coming or not? Do you think it's dangerous…? Is that why you wanted me to stay behind?"
Athrun shook his head back and forth. "…No… it's nothing like that. It's only that we don't know what we're going to find there, so I thought you should stay back and leave it to me, you know?"
Cagalli grimaced at his statement. It was so typical of Athrun to try and play the tough guy, protecting her whenever it suited him best. Even if he did play the role of a hero at times… it still didn't mean that she wasn't perfectly capable of protecting herself.
"…You don't have to worry about me, Zala. I can take care of myself," she replied, her tone a bit chilly.
After a momentary silence, Athrun called out to everyone. "Come on, everyone! We've got to hurry up if we want to get there before nightfall!"
Everyone recognized Athrun's call, redoubling their efforts. They sped along even quicker down the trail, coming closer and closer towards the entrance of the cave where Lacus and Kira still resided.
Not long after that, they finally reached it. Athrun himself was the first to approach, anxious to make sure that he could get a first look inside.
Cagalli quickly made her way in from behind Athrun, placing a hand on his shoulder. "…And where do you think you're going? You know you're not going in there without me," she said, determination in her voice.
Athrun's instincts told him that he should go in there alone… just in case what he believed to be the cause came to light of reality. Still, he knew that time was running short, and dissuading Cagalli would take too long…
The boy sighed and nodded his head. "…Alright, you can come along. I'd like the rest of you to stay behind and guard this place for me. Make sure that no one else comes in, alright?"
At his request, all of the other villagers nodded their heads. With that done, Athrun and Cagalli slowly made their way inside the entrance.
As soon as he'd taken his first few steps inside, Athrun noticed something very wrong with the cave… a few things in particular. "…Cagalli, doesn't it seem like something's wrong here?"
Cagalli raised an eyebrow, confused of what he meant. "…What do you mean?" she asked.
"…Look at this…" he said, kneeling down to pick up a large pile of ash on the cave floor… "It looks like the ground's been disturbed recently… that's not all, it looks like the walls and even the ceiling were hit with something… something really strong," he said.
Cagalli's expression sharpened, becoming aware of what it was that Athrun was trying to get across to her. "…You don't think it was that light we saw, do you?"
"…It could be. I really want to find out what's going on here… this is getting to look…!"
Just as Athrun was about to continue, from near out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a lustrous amount of pink hair strewn out across the ground.
Athrun's emerald eyes widened in shock, his entire body suddenly feeling as though it were paralyzed by some outside force. His lips stuttered before uttering a single word… "L-Lacus…"
Cagalli wasn't sure she'd heard him right. He couldn't be… why would he say Lacus' name? It wasn't long after that she too caught sight of the girl laid out across the floor, her long hair entangled about her body. She fell upon her knees, raising her hands to clasp against the painful beating of her heart.
Athrun composed himself and slowly knelt by Lacus' side, brushing a few strands aside so that he could get a good look at her face. A smile caressed his lips when he saw that it was truly her…
"Huh?" Athrun then took to noticing that Lacus was with someone else… a young boy, their hands intertwined with one another. '…Who's this one?' he thought.
"…Cagalli… Cagalli! Pull yourself together," Athrun said.
Cagalli shook her head back and forth, raising a hand to rub it against her forehead. "…But… but why? I don't understand… what's she doing here?"
Athrun knew that time was already in short decline… if it hadn't run out already. From outside, he could already tell that the sun had set beyond the horizon, and night was well in view. If they didn't get back very soon, they would have a dangerous time getting back home…
"…I have no idea what's going on here… but we need to get these two back to Azure as soon as we can. We'll see what we can do then…" Athrun said.
"…Yeah, you're right," Cagalli replied.
Both Athrun and Cagalli helped to lift up Lacus and Kira from the cave floor, slowly carrying them outside. Once there, they, along with the other villagers, hurried back as quickly as they could to Azure. Once there… well, only time would tell what would happen.
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Athrun & Cagalli
Athrun walked out of Lacus' room, breathing a sigh of relief.
Cagalli leaned against an opposite wall, anxious to hear of how she was doing. "…So, how's Lacus?"
Athrun nodded his head. "…She's going to be just fine. She and the boy seemed to have just been sleeping, although… I want to talk to them as soon as they wake up, which may be a while…"
Cagalli raised an eyebrow. "…Why do you think that?"
He looked back towards the room, his emerald eyes narrowing out of concern. "…From what I can tell, something completely exhausted them. I'm not sure what yet… but…"
Cagalli sighed faintly. "…You don't know anything else beyond that, right?"
He shook his head back and forth. "I can guess as much as I want to, but we're just going to have to be patient and see what happens next," he said.
"…Now that you're done, we have to get going. The committee has already asked for us," Cagalli said.
Athrun stuttered for a moment. "…You're telling me they've already been informed of this?"
Cagalli sadly nodded her head up and down. "…Yeah, I'm afraid so. I don't think they know about the boy yet, but… they've probably called me down so they can find out about Lacus…"
Athrun clenched a fist together, angry at himself for having been so foolish earlier. "…I should've been more careful… if I had never brought the others along…"
Unwilling to leave him to beat himself up, Cagalli stepped up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "…No, don't blame yourself, Athrun. We couldn't have known that this would happen…"
Athrun remained silent, even though he desperately wanted to believe his friend's words. "…We should get going," he said.
"…Alright," she replied.
With that, the two of them headed outside… walking down a path that the two of them felt would forever change the course of their lives. The peaceful times that they had come to know were changing… perhaps in a way that could never be brought back…
To be continued…
A/N: Chapter 6 will be up momentarily. To those of you that have waited so long, I once again thank you. I promise this will never happen again. I can only hope that you are still interested in reading what happens.