I don't own Gundam Seed (although I wish it was).

It's just that I was bored and wrote this story in my mind and decided to put it online. This is an AsuCaga fanfic and for the first time I'm using Lacus as an antagonist.

I'm not really a good writer so thank you for motivating me with the review and all

And don't worry; I would clear things up as I update more chapters

I just prefer to take the story on a slower pace but not the updating

So *fingers cross for updates*

And feel free to ask me anything, I'll either answer them or ask you to wait for future chapters

So that's it Enjoy reading: D

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"Long ago, long before the country Neo Verona lifted itself up in the sky, people lived on land and piled it up with sins so unforgivable the Gods decided to vanquish them and destroy each and every life they have created. As the world was about to be destroyed, one girl named Escalus sought for Haumea's pity upon them and prayed for the people to be saved in exchange for her life. Haumea looked down upon her and was perturbed by the great act that the girl did and decided that she would no longer strike destruction upon the world. The God broke a large massive continent, detached it from the earth and lifted it up to the sky. She took the girl as a sacrifice and encaged her in an Ice crystal, timeless and bound for eternity. And as she divides the clouds to give way to the birth of what will be the most powerful land she said " I lift Neo Verona from it's sins, let it rise upon the sky and let it's people look down on men that have sinned below. This is the punishment of the sinners and pity for those who made the sacrifice for others. Grace will be showered upon Escalus' bloodline and the people must emulate her every will for it is my will."

"Well that was it, the end"

"Uhh! Cagalli, tell us more!" the children roared with dissatisfaction, as the girl before them finished her story.

Cagalli can only sigh about the children's reaction. The truth is she's already tired from what she did earlier that day just so she could reach the orphanage and wished to rest for a while but the children became too demanding for her to tell stories upon her arrival since it has been a while since she last visited them. So that's how she ended up telling them the story of Neo Verona and how it came to be. And long before she knew it, she felt more tired than what she originally felt. It's not like she's that old but children's energy are hard to catch up on these days especially when you weren't able to get enough sleep because of special matters. She doesn't really mind it though, because she likes being around children and couldn't refuse them when they ask her with a smile and as she was about to proceed to another story…

"That's enough for the day, children. Your Cagalli must be very tired from keeping up on all of you. Could you let her rest for awhile?" Malchio, the orphanage priest entered the room and kindly asked the children to play for awhile outside. He became taller than the last time time she saw him, Cagalli thought. He was a blind priest from the same bloodline as hers and here in this orphanage, a walk outside the town he lives with the children. He was the heir to the throne, Cagalli remembered but his younger sibling, her father, took over. It's not that he wasn't qualified. Truth is, every bit of him deserves to be king it's just that his every being doesn't want to. She doesn't know why but all she knows is that one day he decided to slit his eyes using a dagger, left the castle and settle in a life far away from it. Of course her grandfather didn't easily concede to what he wanted at that point. He even tried torturing him just so he would accept it but her uncle's resolve was that great and blind or not, he was that great of a man

"Are you done staring?" the blind priest's question brought her mind back to reality, suddenly realizing what she was doing. All this time, she has always been surprised on how her uncle would know if she's staring at him despite his condition. And it brought her a great sense of inquisition in which she ironically refused to ask.

"It's not like I've noticed doing it though" with a child like tone she replied, jokingly mimicking a child who was caught red handed getting a cookie from a jar. And this sparked the laughter from the both of them.

"You must be tired, from all those prayers. You should rest my child" the priest asked with great concern

"I'm fine, after all, doing this is a lot easier than what I originally do in the palace and I like children. Ever since I've been taught to be who I am now, I didn't get to have many friends, so it's fine, please do not worry about me anymore, I would hate to be included as one of your predicament" she replied with a slight tone of tiredness while looking at the children playing outside.

"Believe me my child, you were every bit of a person but never a predicament. Your every visit brings me great happiness from solitude" her uncle reassured her and caused a smile on her face.

"Then I should visit here more often" she suggested while staring at the huge flower garden outside where the children play. She said it out of want to ridicule, expecting another reply of banter from her uncle to make them both laugh. It was what she expected it to happen but the tone and the words that went back to her seem to change the mood.

"Come here as much as you want, treat this as your home with or without me seek this place as refuge when the time comes" Malchio's words struck Cagalli which caused her to stir and stand up from where she was sitting

"Uncle, please refrain from speaking words about ones passing, especially yours" Cagalli pleaded. Her words sounded nothing but sadness as she thought of the idea of losing her uncle.

But her uncle's reply was the very most opposite of what was etched on her face. With a calm and firm expression in his visage he said "The people will all pass and return to Haumea's cradle. It is our end but not yours, for you are unchanging and you will live outside the reign of time, for you carry the will of Escalus, the will of Haumea."

His words pierced through her every being. Reminding her of who she is and what she has to do. It brought her a great dilemma of which statement from her uncle caused her pain more, the former or the latter. With eyes depicting pain and confusion, she knew the priest sensed what she felt upon hearing those.

"I do understand, but please, I do not want to hear those words of parting from such a noble man" again Cagalli couldn't do anything but plead. And finally her uncle had no choice but to…

"I concede, I do not wish to bring you sadness, I won't speak these words about death any more if the grand priestess wishes for it. In your presence I am nothing but a humble serva-"

"No, do it for me, because I am your family and you are no ones servant, you owe it to yourself to live" she cut his words with a response full of emphasis. Her eyes were focused on him and she knows that he's very much aware of it. The air suddenly became thick between two conversing individuals and suddenly words never came out. Any child could understand what they're speaking of but no one can understand the depth of emotions that come along with it. And at that time, as she looked at the priest's face evident of being passed by time through its creases, she wondered if her uncle was just like the painting on her quarters, so beautiful from afar but as you take a closer look…marks and cracks will appear upon it. Is it really possible, for such a man full of resolve to be somewhat broken inside?

"What are you thinking of?" suddenly words came from her uncles lips.

"Nothing, I was just thinking, what does a blind man see in his darkness" it would have been better to be blind; she doesn't know what was he really like when he still had his vision for she wasn't born yet but she knew her uncle would have preferred it and given the chance to see once again, he wouldn't accept it. Rather than losing, it was like he gained something from being blind. For in darkness he only looks at things that he preferred to see, keeping it in secret, unaware to anyone.

"Oh! A Pegasus"

"So pretty!"

"They're flying!"

The sounds of cheers from children seeing flying horses from above diverged inside the cabin. Winged horses, the royal guards are the only ones allowed to have one. And today, they seem to crowd up the sky searching for someone and preparing for the arrival of another.

"It must be the guards, they're searching for you"

"Maybe they were thru searching all ten thousand rooms in the castle and realized I wasn't really playing hide and seek with them, I have to return to the castle at once, otherwise I have to face Mother's wrath" Cagalli jest as she stood up and put on her cloak, to make her less recognizable as she passes through town secretly back to Orb. She was heading towards the door and her uncle was listening at the retreating steps. Before opening the door and bidding goodbye, she turned back with a smile and spoke

"I'll bring a cake that Myrna baked when I get back, you should taste them, and they're really good." Someday, she realized, there will come a day when she will know the secret beyond that façade, but not today when it has been a long time since they talked to each other and when it isn't really fair to bid goodbye after such an unpleasant mood.

Finally her uncle smiled and said "Splendid, I'm sure the children will be thrilled, I'll keep you to your word then" as if trying to ignore what had conspired in their conversation.

A thud from the door and his niece was gone, once alone the same statement ringed in his senses over and over. Scouring his mind, bringing him back the memories.

"What does a blind man see in his darkness?"

"Darkness from destitute of vision is incomparable to that of the world. Darkness exist for there is light and you are light, my dear Freedert"

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On my way back, I couldn't help but admire the everyday loud setting in one of Orb's marketplace. It was populated with different types of people. A child stumbles, and his playmates help him up, the capable assisting the elderly, Lovers were also taking a stroll, the fruits and vegetables appear to be freshly picked and the weather was cool and blissful. I wished everyday was like this, and Escalus fulfilled it. She wouldn't mind being a sacrifice in exchange for the people's forgiveness then so will I, for their happiness. That was it, and I wish for nothing more, not even a hint of being in love and being loved back because my heart beats for the people of Haumea and just like Escalus, I was bound to the second hand of time.

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"Where is she?" Searching for the priestess, Mir was now scowling like mad at the maids, searching for the priestess. She has been Cagalli's handmaiden ever since they were young. She came from a poor family of 9 children. With nothing to feed them, her parents sold her to a trader. That was the life in Idola after all, the land under Neo Verona, famously known as ground of sinners. It was the total opposite of a paradise floating in the skies. Famine instead of feasts, poverty instead of pleasures and people are left with nothing but barren land to plant their jealousy on towards the people from the sky continent. It was when Myrna found her and brought to the kingdom of Orb, now that she had come this far, As bad as it may sound, she was thankful for being sold. For she met Cagalli, she met the person who showed care upon a slave like her. She never treated her as someone lower than her status but treated as an equal, as a friend.

But despite her infinite gratitude at the princess, there were also times when she felt she could prefer the life in Idola back then, compared to certain scenarios that Cagalli subjects her on. And this scenario was not new to her. Not when she escaped from the castle to secretly visit the orphanage and the king was expecting to see her in the afternoon. How cynical the situation is, she thought. The person who gave her life is the same reason for her head to be cut off in due time if she doesn't find her. Not until she saw a figure appearing through the door…

Slowly...

Carefully…

One…

Two…

Thr-

"Freedert!"

That was the last thing that Cagalli wanted to hear at this point. It was Miriallia and judging from the tone, the word mad can be an understatement. When she arrived at the castle, she just wanted to quietly shut the door and sprint her way to her chambers, take a bath, change into a more presentable clothing compared to the dirty-looking ones that she uses when she escapes to the town and pretend that she's been having tea at the porch since this morning but none of her plan eventually worked didn't now. Facing Mir, somewhat hoping to be spared, she greeted her like nothing eerie was going on

"Oh! Hi Miriallia! I was just…out to find you!"

"Don't give me that!" Cagalli slightly retreated due to Mir's sudden intonation. Suddenly, she looked like a child in front of a parent, and a very angry one she can tell.

"What in Haumea's name have you been doing? The king is expecting you and he's bent on cutting off my head" Miriallia grimaced, not buying her earlier statement

"Oh, you misquote about father so much Miriallia, Father won't even hurt a fly" Cagalli said it with a knowing stress. She discerns well that her father wouldn't do that. The king was kind and good to everyone and he's also funny for Cagalli. Miriallia couldn't help but sigh at her account. She knew what her priestess was saying is true; the king is Indeed Kind to everyone. But that wasn't enough to turn the tables on Cagalli's disposal.

"But that doesn't mean you could sneak outside anytime you want, everyone has been searching for you, we were all worried for your life and ours too" continuously reprimanding her. The situation was really nothing new to Miriallia, but every time this happens it seems that she'll never see her again and whenever the thought comes to her mind, she feels a sudden emptiness within her.

"Your father will definitely, throw us of-"after an assumed endless lecture of how dumb it was to take a venture outside the castle gates. Miriallia was stunned at Cagalli's action. She suddenly hugged her; she hugged her so tight that Mir felt warmth, nothing but comforting warmth.

"Miriallia, I don't know what would I be without you, stand by me forever, I beg of you"

Miriallia was stunned. For a second she was in complete utterance and now, the priestess rendered her speechless. She's certain she could never keep up with her. Not when she's too compassionate, affectionate, unselfishly gentle to argue with, much more to rebuke. And with one last squeeze…

"Freedert! Again?" Cagalli ran towards the staircase to her quarters. Miriallia couldn't really decipher if her words were made up of tomfoolery to once again escape from being lectured at. But Cagalli never lies, not with using words that can directly stride through ones heart.

"Freedert…" with one last sigh, she called out to her

"Hm?" the princess stopped at her tracks and faced her handmaid's way once again.

"Welcome back" it was all she could do, Mir remembered, realizing it was not Cagalli's fault if she wishes to use the meager freedom that fate had robbed her off. That was when she realized she couldn't do anything. Her vision followed the princess' strides through the hall, as she disappears; Miriallia thought that if there's something she could be thankful for, she was glad no one had seen them as far as the maids are concerned. But suddenly a figure emerged from the background.

"I see our pretty little priestess took a little trip" Halca, Lacus' handmaiden loomed from the dark corners and from that ill-lighted space; Mir knew she was listening to them.

"Trip? I don't know what are you embarking at, we were just conversing" Miriallia denied, covering up her shock at Halca's sudden appearance.

"Just Conversing? Well, that's great Miriallia, I'm sure the queen will be thrilled to hear that directly from the princess, after all, her holiness doesn't lie" with a pompous grin filled with sarcastic phrases, she left Miriallia at her own accord. Miriallia's not sure whether she would inform Queen Via about the princess' venture or not and she's not even sure why she remained in the castle when her songstress was still on Arc Aile, south of Neo Verona. But one thing was uncompromising to her, Halca was not one to be trusted especially when Freedert's the one concerned.

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Hair like golden shreds, Amber orbs that can surge through anyone's soul, wearing a dress, white as snow adorned with brilliant gems, she appeared as the contrary of the pauper-looking princess who strolled the streets a while ago .And now, she stood waiting in all her glory. Her beauty was incomparable. One of the two guards, beside her, thought. Scanning her appearance, no ordinary girl would have the guts to stand beside her even for a second. The jewels she wore were dazzling, but they seem to lose their gleam when she's the one wearing them. Surely, no man could ever resist her, not when she'll put every woman into a great sense of jealousy. But she was no different from any piece of art, No matter what figure she has, No matter what color you paint her with, she's only meant be looked at and appreciated from afar. Beyond the doors she bides to be presented.

"I present to the king. Freedert Metherlence, Grand priestess of Neo Verona"

Read and Review

I definitely recommend that you listen to Maaya Sakamoto's Kazemachi jet in order to get the mood of the 2nd chapter.