Author's Note: Hello and happy holidays, everyone! I hope you've been having a good time this holiday season, as I bring forth a new story that ties in with the Gundam SEED Reflex series of fanfics. It is a Christmas special, as expected, but it's a little extra for the line of Reflex stories that I wrote earlier. Another thing to know, before you even start reading, is that the Christmas special will take place well over a year earlier prior to the events of the original GSR (and around six years after the events of the prequel, Reflex BLUE). As a result, you may pick up subtle hints about what will happen in the storyline for the prequel to Reflex, given that the whole story hasn't been fully finished yet. These hints may as well be considered spoilers to some, but I wouldn't mind teasing the fandom a little bit on what's going to actually happen, anyway.
Without anything more to mention, enjoy this little story!
Voltage Axe Presents
A Christmas for All to Celebrate
(A Gundam SEED Reflex holiday special)
December 24, Cosmic Era 91.
Six hours to midnight.
Cold winters were not as common in the islands of the Orb Union, given the blatant fact that all of the islands were situated in the Southern Hemisphere of the Earth. However, due to the ever-changing climate of the planet occurring from time to time, the chances of having these sorts of conditions had increased gradually. The first few flakes of snow began to fell from the skies of softened whites and greys all around, the arctic wind blowing gently at the flakes that were in the air, before they made their way onto the concrete pavement of a road. This was the road that led to a series of buildings that were situated around a stately manor that was centered in the entire square area of land. In fact, these series of structures with a large manor happened to be the Athha Estate, belonging to one of the noblest families of past aristocratic elements.
A blue-haired male in his blue-and-white military dress stood behind a large glass window, staring at the wintery scene unfolding before his eyes through the glass. Standing tall, lean, and in his mid-'teens, a smile was brought upon his face in joyous expression towards the holidays of a certain month, where they were widely celebrated by everyone around the world. He continuously stood to see the snow falling from the skies for some time, until a slightly-taller male in the same uniform had made his way past the open doorway, with hair the same colour as the teenaged male had.
The teenaged figure then turned to look behind him to his right, as he could see the older male approach him, before slowing to a stop just beside him to his left. The teenaged boy in the Orb military dress gave a warm smile to the older, blue-haired male, as he felt a hand being laid on his right shoulder. Gold markings on the collar of the older man's uniform had denoted his status as an Admiral, with two emerald stars below the gold markings shining brightly in the light, as the male in his mid-30s had smiled back at him in a welcoming manner.
"Must be the feeling of that time again, huh?" Two-star Admiral Athrun Zala chuckled heartily. "I know that kind of feeling there, Leon."
"Yeah," Leon responded quietly. "It must be."
Admiral Zala had joined his son in watching the flakes of white fall from the comfort of their home, both of them staring at the wonders of wintertime in its fullest: trees with branches devoid of leaves, a thin film of snow on the grounds and everywhere else that gradually increased in thickness, as well as certain wildlife that adjusted to the new environmental conditions that surrounded them. To both the male Zalas, it was quite a spectacular sight to see the beauty of nature in this kind of setting.
Athrun then turned to his son after gazing through the window for a moment or two. "So…are you actually ready for the big party that's gonna happen here tonight?"
"Well...yes," Leon responded after a short pause. "I've already prepared for myself, father."
The older Zala could only give a laugh to himself. "Yeah, well, you know your mother knows how to host such festivities that good in this place," he enthusiastically remarked. "House always keeps on rockin' with such parties like these going on."
It was then that the younger Zala had laughed quietly to himself as he heard his father's remarks.
"That's true," Leon smiled thinly.
"Hey, you had quite a fun time too with your friends there, son," Athrun attested sincerely. "Always spending time with them; video games, dancing, having a chat..."
Leon nodded lightly. "Yeah, all of that."
"I'm just saying that to you out there, Leon," the blue-haired Admiral intonated. "You're always gonna have a good time, like what will be tonight, taking your mind away from war and such."
"Already understood, father."
A series of sounds in what appeared to be footwear contacting against the ground, had echoed in light patters, the sounds becoming even louder as it neared where the two men were.
Athrun turned around to look behind him. "Well, I guess that's the missus coming her way," he noted with a grin. "Your mother's already changed into her new outfit in preparation for the party, so…I can't wait to see her in this new dress she picked for herself."
Leon gave him a slightly-startled look in his eyes, raising a curved eyebrow at him, before he turned away and recomposed himself along with his own thoughts. As soon as the footsteps reached around the corner and past the open doorway, the two blue-haired males turned around and saw a female figure having just stepped past the open doors.
Long and lusciously-permed blonde hair flowed gently in the air, the locks having been longer past the back of the female's slender neck, ending at around the top-half of her torso and also around the shoulders. The strapless, sheath-style evening gown of emerald-green silk had complemented the hourglass curve of the blonde female's body, and the satin opera gloves of matching colour were extended all the way to the elbows of the woman's arms. Complete with the appropriate amount of make-up applied on her face, smoky eyelashes and glossy red lips that pouted and all, the "lioness of Orb" was truly ready for the whole party that was to start tonight.
Her elegant and strikingly-beautiful appearance had sent the older Zala into a bit of a surprise deep down, a small gape in his mouth below his widening eyes and reddening cheeks, as he was shocked to see his wife—of well over 15 years—right in front of his unyielding eyes. Leon was not too receptive as his father was, only he was impressed at how his mother would prepare for herself in the midst of hosting another grand festivity here in the "Land of Peace".
"Why, hello there, boys," the blonde woman greeted as she took a few steps in matching-green stilettos that sparkled. "Sorry if I kept you both waiting here."
Athrun shook his head to snap out of it, before he greeted back to his wife. "Oh wow, honey! I didn't know you…would pick this kind of dress for tonight!"
"Yeah," Leon agreed with a laugh. "You look really nice in that dress, mother!"
"Why, thank you for the compliment, son," Cagalli Yula Zala acknowledged with a smile. "I really appreciate it."
"Is everything all set for tonight?" Athrun asked her.
"Everything's all set, Athrun!" Cagalli answered in her cheerily tone. "I had all the things prepared for the annual ball: the decorations, the whole main courses for the dinner, and anything else around the house!"
"That sounds great," Admiral Zala was impressed in his response. "Has everyone received the invites that were sent?"
The blonde female in her elegant dress had nodded her head. "They should all be arriving on time, although I wouldn't mind anyone who's fashionably late."
"Of course," he laughed.
Cagalli gave a sigh of accomplishment. "Well, if you excuse me, I'll be elsewhere to check up on how the staff are doing with the tree being set-up."
"Alright!" The blue-haired, elder Zala acknowledged his wife, as she made out of the door and away. "See you at the front doors in an hour!"
Athrun continued to smile, until he turned to Leon, the blue-haired teen giving him a weird look in his eyes.
"W-what?" Athrun stumbled on his words as he queried. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
The 16-year-old Zala could only continue to stare at him with an eyebrow shifted upward, a quiet laugh kept to himself as he thought of his father's reaction upon seeing his mother in that dress.
"I…I do love your mother, Leon. Alright?" Athrun attempted to shake off the suggestions implied from the looks on his son's face. "I'm just amazed at how she's dressed—well, prepared for herself on this coming occasion."
It was then that Leon broke out in a fit of laughter, surprising his father as he did. He tried his best to refrain from laughing even more, but it was only a moment before he finally stopped.
"I was kidding there, father!" Leon chuckled after laughing. "You should've seen the look on your face when you saw her there in front of you!"
The elder Zala groaned, before he patted his hand against his son's back, ruffling the back of his long blue locks as he took his son lightly.
"Ahh, come on there, Leon! You just had me for a second…"
The hands of the golden clock mounted on the wall had read 7:00 P.M., and the skies were already turning darker as night began to fall, the snow continuing to fall in lighter amounts. Athrun and Leon were both in their black suits and matching dress pants and shoes, the exception being that the elder Zala had worn a white dress shirt with a royal-blue tie, while the younger Zala had a tinted-blue dress shirt with a violet-and-black tie. They were waiting for the guests to arrive at the foyer through the front door, while Cagalli was standing a few metres back and facing the twin doors anxiously. Athrun noticed her nervous gaze towards the doors out of the corner of his eye, turning his head around to face towards her.
"Cagalli?" Athrun queried with slight concern. "Is there something wrong?"
The blonde woman shook her head. "No, it's nothing," she paused. "…It's just that I'm thinking about how well the reception's going to turn out, and that's what worries me."
"Don't worry too much about it, honey," Athrun responded with an optimistic expression. "I don't have any doubt that the party will be as much fun, just like all the other celebrations we've hosted before."
Cagalli broke out a smile in response. "Thank you, Athrun. That means so much to me."
Leon observed through the panes of glass of a fixed window besides the right door, a steady stream of blinding lights shining past through the glassed window, the source of the lighting coming from the headlights of a limousine that slowed around the bend and stopped just in front of the doors from the outside and to its left. The blue-haired teen dressed in his formal clothes turned to his father and his mother.
"Well, looks like the first guests have arrived!"
Cagalli then nodded to the two men in black suits with matching shades, who were standing off to her left, as they made their way to the twin entrances and assisted the incoming guests by opening up the doors. The doors had given way to a few figures that disembarked from the limousine, fending off the winds that gusted and blew flakes of snow around as they fully stepped onto the snow-covered grounds. Of the first three guests that made their way up the stairs towards the open doors, two of them were brunette males, the other being a pink-headed woman. Both the adult male and the younger male were dressed in grey overcoats over their formal dress suits, while the pink-haired woman was in her opera coat that was composed of black velvet and white fur, concealing the dress that she would intend to wear for the night's festivities.
Once they made it past the open doorway, Cagalli took a few strides towards them, an open smile on her face as she was excited to meet them again. Athrun and Leon joined her as they saw and identified who the guests were.
"Oh, hello Kira! Lacus!" The blonde female greeted them in. "It's nice to see you! Come on inside, I've been expecting to see all of you here!"
"Season's greetings, Miss Zala!" The pink-haired woman giggled in her response.
Kira brushed off with his one arm followed by the other, the flakes of snow that gathered up on his overcoat, giving out a laugh. "Winter must be actually happening here, huh?"
"It always has been for the past several years, Kira," Athrun smiled. "The staff will be happy to take care of your coats."
Kira nodded as he took off his overcoat, handing it to one of the men who had just opened up the doors earlier, who then proceeded to pick up the overcoat from the brunette male's son. Akira thanked him as the man in the shades received his outerwear, before heading out to the coat-check in a room nearby. The adult Yamato patted down his solid-black suit, looking around his plaid dress shirt and red tie with black stripes, for anything that didn't seem right before he determined that everything was okay. Likewise, young Akira adjusted the collars on both his pinstriped black suit and his tinted-purple dress shirt, before he smoothed down his red tie with white stripes by one hand.
The pink-headed woman unbuttoned her opera coat, before it gave way to reveal a sparkling red evening gown that comfortably wrapped around the hourglass shape of her body. The tiny diamond crystals embedded into her gown had glittered in the light coming from the chandeliers mounted from the ceiling above. Taking off the piece of outerwear with one gloved hand of matching colour, she handed the opera coat to the other man in shades, before he headed off to the coat-check as well. The sight of Lacus in that dress had made Kira's eyes widen up, his cheeks burning slightly rosy upon getting a look at her. He turned his head away, while Akira met up with Leon, the two teens shaking hands and smiling at each other upon the meet.
Cagalli was very impressed at Lacus' attire for tonight's occasion. "Wow, Lacus. You look so beautiful with that dress!"
"I can say the same about yours, Cagalli," Lacus broke open a smile. "It looks quite a lot stunning to those with an eye for design."
"Thank you, Lacus," the golden-blonde female responded cheerily. "Now let me show you around the house. I have a lot of work done for the holidays…"
Lacus followed her to a hallway at their left, while the male Zalas and the male Yamatos were standing around the foyer of the manor. They all heard the sound of another limousine slowing to a complete stop, watching the same two men in their suits and shades arrive over at the door to help the next set of guests come in through. Before they knew it, another three figures made their way past the open doors, two men and a woman coming their way through. This time, the adult male brushed away his shortened locks of black hair and removed the flakes of snow that stuck to his head, while the younger male had patted off the snowflakes sticking to his long, raven locks. A magenta-haired female joined them behind and to the right of the adult male, hands locked with one another, as they took a few steps forward into the foyer.
Athrun and Kira could only notice these three, as Shinn Asuka, his wife Lunamaria, and their 16-year-old son Kazunori.
"Ugh," Shinn grumbled as he shook away at the snow sticking to his formal wear. "Damn winter! They said it was only a 40 percent chance of snow, not this!"
"Shinn, if you had listened to the latest forecast before we all left, you'd know that wouldn't be true," Luna opined as she inspected around her formal gown that she wore.
Kazunori curiously glanced upon his mother and father after arriving indoors. The elder, male Asuka was dressed in his double-breasted black suit, over a white dress shirt with a black-and-grey tie. Kazunori himself was clad in his black sport-coat, covering over his tinted-red dress shirt, and adorning a blue tie with yellow stripes that was tuckered under the collar of his dress shirt.
Lunamaria brushed off a stray fringe of her reddish-violet hair that was shoulder-length, before she took a quick peek at the hands of her premium-built wristwatch, her blue eyes looking up to see the blue-haired two-star Admiral with his son along with the ZAFT commander nearby and accompanied by his son too. A sincere smile cracked upon her lips, as she joined her husband and son in greeting both Athrun and Kira, the short breeze of air causing the ruffles at the bottom of her one-piece dress to slightly flutter along the direction of the wind.
"Hey," Athrun shook the hand of the dark-haired man. "It's been a while since we last met."
"Yeah, I know," Shinn murmured quietly, turning to look away from him for a moment. "Surprised that you're still around, huh?"
"Gotta be," Athrun answered with a laugh, before he shook Luna's hand. "And how are things with him around lately?"
"Oh, we get along with each other quite well," Lunamaria giggled as she replied. "He's been also spending some valuable time with Kazu recently, too."
The adult Zala focused his eyes on the raven-haired teenager who was a few steps behind and to the right of Shinn and Luna, the teen's crimson eyes staring at his, before his attention was caught by the other two teens as Akira tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
"Hope he hasn't been getting into too much trouble on his own time," Athrun quietly remarked, his gaze still locked on Kazunori, who was talking to his friends at the moment.
"He actually hasn't," Shinn proudly responded. "Never once got caught, nor involved in something that would get him kicked off from the Academy."
"That's impressive," Kira replied in his most positive tone.
"He's a good kid, Shinn," Athrun intonated in his whole honesty. "Always somebody who strives to make a difference in the whole world. I wouldn't count him out from having an important role in ZAFT's future, if I were to."
It was then that Admiral Zala gave his son a series of non-verbal gestures, communicating to the young teen who was with his friends over at the far-right side of the foyer. Leon closely picked up his gestures, before he nodded his head, and turned to Kazunori and Akira.
"Hey, you guys wanna see what I've got going over at the rec room?" He asked them, an eager smile on his face. "I've got several desktop rigs over there that are like, fully loaded with powerful specs, enough to run that game I told you guys about!"
"Oh cool, man!" Kazunori was impressed. "Has it got, like, the latest processors or something?"
"I'll show you, if you guys would follow me there."
Akira nodded. "Sure thing!"
The three teens then headed out and through the hallway to their right, Akira and Kazunori following Leon to the recreation room somewhere around in the large house. As Kira, Athrun, Luna, and Shinn observed the three boys making their way in the distance, there was a few faint knocks on the twin front doors a near-distance away in front of them. The two bodyguards helped the next incoming guests right in by pulling the doors apart for a red-headed woman with her teenaged daughter and son. Both teens were in their formal clothes for the occasion, the male in his darkened tuxedo and matching trousers, and the female in her one-piece evening gown. The red-haired woman adjusted the bun on the back of her head, while her long locks flowed down past her neck at the sides of her head, and gently touched down on her shoulders.
Right away, Lunamaria could notice and identify who the red-headed woman was, in her one-piece evening dress of pure pink silk and wool.
"Meyrin!" She called out her name excitedly, rushing over from her husband and Athrun.
The rose-haired woman rushed to her at the same time, also excited to see her older sister at the soiree.
"Sister!" Meyrin called back, before they embraced each other. "I'm so glad to see you here!"
"Same here, Meyrin! Same here…"
Luna then turned to the three men behind her, before she guided her older sister towards them, Meyrin's son and daughter also joining in from their mother's right. Meyrin gave a graceful smile at Kira as they met, the brunette male nodding his head politely at her in response, with the red-headed woman then facing towards the blue-haired man.
"Hello Athrun," Meyrin greeted him, before turning to Shinn. "Brother-in-law."
Shinn smiled and nodded back at her politely.
"Meyrin," Athrun greeted back. "It's been quite some time since I last saw you."
"Oh, I know," she softly spoke, her eyes looking down to the floor. "I know."
Athrun was caught fazed at her response for a short moment, along with Kira who stood beside him.
"So…how are things between you and your husband recently?" Athrun asked.
She gave out a deep, dejected sigh. "We've been going nowhere lately in our marriage," she replied in her somber tone, her eyes a little glassy as she spoke. "Me and Dylan."
Lunamaria let out a gasp, while Shinn's eyes widened a little bit at the news being broke out from his sister-in-law.
"What happened?" Luna asked in her astonished tone.
"No!" Meyrin objected, but quieted as possible to not alert the others in the foyer. "N-nothing happened. I-It…it's just…that, I don't think we were meant to stay together like this for a long time. I…I mean, he's quite the man that I admire in him…b-but we just couldn't make it all work—the both of us!"
Lunamaria held onto her younger sister, as she was about to break down into tears over her faltering marriage, comforting her as she held onto Meyrin tightly.
"It's alright, sis," Luna tended to her as Meyrin choked on her sobs quietly. "You still have me, it's alright. It's okay to let it out, Mey. Just let it come through."
Meyrin sniffed. "Oh, God, Luna! How could this all happen to me?"
"It's alright, Meyrin. Just hang in there with me…"
Athrun could only stand there and watch with bewildered eyes full of shock, the situation unfolding right in front of him, before he noticed that Meyrin's son and daughter stood dazed right behind their mother who broke down quietly and with Luna trying to calm her down. Not knowing what to do in such a situation like this, he whipped his head left and right to try and find where his son was. Finally, he could see Leon coming out of the hallway from his left, where he motioned an arm to get the teen over where he is. Coming to join his father in the midst of it all, Athrun instructed Leon to bring Meyrin's son over to where the rec room was. With a nod of his head and without a word, Leon walked over to where the red-headed woman's son was standing.
"Hey," Leon laid a gentle hand on her son's shoulder. "You must be Bradley, right?"
The male in his early-teens turned to him, his strands of reddish-brown hair moved in the air accordingly.
"Yeah," he responded gruffly.
"How about I bring you over on a tour of what I have in the rec room?"
Bradley glanced over his shoulder, before he turned his gaze back at Leon. "Sounds fine to me."
"Alright!" Leon motioned a hand to lead him. "Follow me."
While Bradley closely followed Leon to the recreation room in the manor, Meyrin's daughter snapped to her senses and had also helped Luna in comforting her mother as she wept.
"Mother, please," her daughter pleaded quietly. "There are other guests nearby; it's best if we take this outside of the place."
The red-headed adult woman had finally emptied out the last of her sobs, her eyes already having been puffy with red under the mascara and make-up already applied on her face. She wiped the tears that remained on her eyes and cheeks with a handkerchief she had stored somewhere in her leathered purse.
"No, it is fine, Kairi," she sniffed again. "I've completely gone over it right now."
Luna exhaled her breath, a solemn expression on her face. "I'm glad you've fully recovered from that, Meyrin. I know how you feel all about this, alright?"
Meyrin nodded sadly. "Yeah."
"We'll talk more about this, just you and me, okay?" Luna soothed her. "For now, just have a little fun here at the party that Cagalli has done a lot to host, alright?"
"Okay."
Shinn, having observed every moment played out in front of him ever since he stood where he was, had turned to Athrun and shrugged his shoulders whilst raising his eyebrows. Likewise, Kira did the same upon staring at the whole scene without doing anything further than just standing there. Athrun could only give out a huge sigh of relief to himself, after everything had unfolded in front of them.
Another ten minutes had passed, before the next few invited guests came through the doors of the manor. A blond male in tan complexion was accompanied with a younger teen to his left, and an adult woman with light-brown hair to the teen's left. Both the blond male and the young male were in their black tuxedos with matching trousers, while the light-brunette female was in her ocean-blue evening gown, the design being bell-shaped and the gown being made of luxurious chiffon. Kira and Athrun immediately took notice of the three guests coming towards them, both of them smiling as the three approached them.
"Dearka!" Athrun called out the blond man's name. "I'm glad to see you here tonight!"
"Yeah, I hope we aren't too late getting here," Dearka Elsman mildly remarked. "Took a while for us to get set up, and with the weather going on outside right now…"
"I know. Kinda dreadful, right?" Athrun laughed. "Well, you're actually right on time here, along with everyone else."
Kira focused his eyes on the younger blond male who was fast approaching his early-teens. A warm, friendly smile creased his lips as he patted the blond boy on the shoulder twice.
"Hey, little guy," the adult Yamato greeted him. "It seems you've grown up by a lot since the last time I saw you."
"Spike actually couldn't wait to come along with us to this party Cagalli's hosting," Miriallia told him, gently laying a hand on her son's right shoulder. "It appears he gets well along with the other kids around here."
"Well, Leon's out there showing the other guys where the 'toys' are," Athrun spoke. "I don't think they would come on back for the dinner, 'though."
"Uncle Kira, there's actually a present that I wanted to give to you," the blond pre-teen said. "But it's also from my parents, too."
Kira acknowledged with a nod. "Ah, how nice of you, Spike! I'll receive it after when the dinner's over."
"Yeah, the bodyguards will be keeping those gifts and presents in the backs of the limos for further inspection," Athrun added, shrugging his shoulders. "It's for safety reasons, you know."
"Hmm," Kira frowned. "I know some tensions remain in the nation and elsewhere, but don't you think that's just a little bit too much there? These are the guests that both you and Cagalli invited, and obviously, both you and she know all of us here."
"I'm sorry about the whole thing with the gifts, alright?" Athrun responded to him sincerely. "But it actually wasn't my decision for that to happen, it was pretty much hers."
"Cagalli?" Kira queried, raising an eyebrow before he sighed. "I know that she's been through a lot in the past, Athrun. But you know that she would eventually pull through, that's who she is as far as I know."
"Not since what happened in Mexico," Athrun replied sternly. "Remember what went down in the United Peace Conference there? It had huge impact on her life, Kira, you'd have to know how much she went through all of that when it happened."
Kira sighed deeply. "Yeah," he said in a dejected tone. "I knew all about it six years ago. It's just that time passes by, Athrun. I was in a very different position at that time when it did happen."
"We all were, Kira," Miriallia told him. "I recall that time when I was assigned to cover all of the action that happened within the Mexican state. It was unimaginable being there, I can only tell you that."
Dearka focused on her, a feared look in his eyes. "Thank goodness that you made it out from there. I was definitely afraid for your life being put on the line, and I didn't know what to do if you weren't there anymore…"
"It's alright, Dearka," she assured him. "I won't be doing much work that I would risk my life into. I'll always be there together with you and our son."
Athrun broke up the subject, turning to the blond man. "So, how are things with you and Yzak lately?"
"We haven't talked to each other that much," Dearka answered him, his hand reaching at the back of his head. "Not since I was promoted to the rank of captain recently."
"You've got that right!" A voice broke out from behind him.
The group of five then turned around to direct their eyes at the next set of three guests that had already came through the front doors of the mansion. A silver-haired male in his mid-30s approached them, along with a brunette woman beside him to the left and around the same age as him, as well as a female teenager to his right with the same brunette locks as the older woman at the left of him.
"Elsman!" The silver-haired man called him out by his last name. "Where the hell were you when I phoned in your number?"
"I-I was out helping Miriallia around with the yard work when you called!" Dearka had a look of unease as he responded. "I…didn't know you were calling in, anyway!"
"Excuses!" Yzak growled out.
Shiho Hahnenfuss, the silver-headed male's wife, tugged at his arm gently a couple of times.
"Easy there, Yzak!" She tried to calm him down. "No need to go against your friend like that."
"She's right, father," the teenaged female added in agreement. "We're supposed to act civil in such a formal event like this."
Yzak shortly sighed in frustration as he relaxed himself. "Sorry, Shiho…and Vivian," he exerted his breath. "But it looks like someone should've told me that they couldn't come to answer sooner enough."
Dearka shrugged. "Hey, if it'll help, I'll tell you that by myself next time you call."
Before Yzak could even respond back, all within the group had diverted their attention to the blonde woman in the green dress and the pink-headed female in red that came out into the foyer from the same hallway they went through.
"Oh, hey there everyone!" Cagalli greeted them. "Sorry for not showing up, I was taking her on a tour around the house."
"It's all okay," Miriallia responded. "We're all glad to see you here."
"So, I guess we should get everything all started, right?" The blonde female smiled. "I'll have the men guide you to where the dining room is. Have a nice evening!"
"You too," Shiho replied, as the men in black suits and shades led the groups of invited guests to the room.
Lunamaria waved a hand at Cagalli in a friendly gesture as she passed her by, the blonde lioness waving back at her and smiling. When she was left alone in the foyer with her husband, Cagalli laid a hand on his arm, facing her golden irises at his green ones.
"Hey," she asked him quietly. "Where's Leon?"
"He's out there showing his friends around in the rec room."
"Well, can you get them back to the dining table right now? We can't start without them."
Athrun nodded in response. "I'll get them back there, promise me."
"Good," she acknowledged and kissed him on the cheek, before she left. "See you there."
His face flustered up after the kiss, the blue-headed male watching his wife walking away to the corridor, before he started to walk off to find his son and his friends. Before he could even get to the hallway on the right side of the foyer, he heard a few knocks on the polished oak doors coming from his right. Turning his head to the hallway, before focusing his sights back on the front doors, Athrun paced his way to the doors and answer whoever was knocking on them from the outside.
'Wonder who would come in at a time like this?' He thought to himself.
Opening up the doors, the elder Zala encountered in front of him, four men who were waiting behind the doors. They were all dressed in their double-breasted jackets and trousers of matching colours. Two of them were adorned with scarves of wool around their necks, the others having ear-warmers over their heads. Athrun narrowed his eyes upon seeing these four men, having familiarized their faces from before, but could not fully identify them in any way possible.
Finally, he asked after not saying anything. "Um…may I help you?"
"Yeah," one of them answered, his finger touching a golden lapel on his suit. "We got the invites to the party as well, from Commander Yamato."
Athrun blinked. "Uh…C-Commander Yamato?"
The blue-haired man had failed to recognize the lapels on their suits that bore the insignia belonging to the ZAFT Specter units. Just before anything else could further happen, Kira quickly came in on the scene and joined Athrun beside him.
"Oh! Sorry about that, Athrun!" Kira chuckled in his chagrin. "Sorry about that, too, guys. You can all come in!"
The four men just smiled and nodded as they came through the open doors, passing by the brunette and the blue-haired male. Closing both doors shut, Athrun turned to his long-time friend and raised a suspicious eyebrow at him.
"You invited them?"
Kira laughed. "I'll explain it to you after the dinner."
All of the invited guests joined both the Lioness of Orb and the military's blue-haired admiral at the dining room, the size of the room having been more than enough for the large group of people attending the function. Covering over the long strip of carpet on top of the polished oak floor, was a dining table that was stretched to seat nine people on opposing sides and was wide enough to seat two people on opposing edges. Various servings of nutriments on luxurious platters and plates had sat on top of the tablecloth made of fine cotton, while the attending guests comfortably sat on the chairs of silk and cashmere.
Shinn and Lunamaria discussed about their profound relationship since the end of the Second Bloody Valentine War, and how theirs changed for the better, after Kazunori was brought to the world roughly a year after their marriage was official. Kira and Lacus talked about how, despite losing their closest ones during the first war, they continued to strengthen their resolve and put their differences aside to ensure that peace was established in the world as the first priority. They had also discussed the times they had spent with their son, when both weren't busy in their work as ZAFT Commander and Chairwoman of PLANT, respectively. It was quite the same stories that Athrun and Cagalli shared as well, with the exception that their differences had kept them segregated from each other, until the Third Bloody Valentine War happened. From there, they united together in their efforts to restore harmony across the nation, and took it in strides to resolve the conflicts that plagued the Earth for a long time. They had then conversed about how their son was very important to them, having come into the world when the third war was winding down and at the same year that Akira was born.
Everyone at the dining room was having a memorable time as they did before, with table conversations that spanned from the times they spent in the military, all the way to sharing stories that involved the children that they were raising. Even the four guests that came in late, all from the ZAFT Specter Teams, had shared the fun times with the others as they had a serving of roast beef on solid-made ceramic plates. One of the ZAFT Specters invited into the party, Major Carmine Adams, gave out a boisterous laugh before he took a sip of the sparkling wine that was in his glass. Exchanges were also heard between the ZAFT Commander and the other Specters that also included Adams in the mix.
Long after the dinner had concluded, all the older men that attended had agreed to settle over at a lounge somewhere else in the manor with all the females following Cagalli to another part of the house, and all the boys having retreated back to the recreation room as well. Inside the wide and spacious lounge, Kira, Athrun, and Shinn were seated on a luxurious, upholstered couch of fine leather and cotton behind one end of a glass table, while Dearka and Yzak were sitting on a sofa also made of luxurious fabrics at the opposite end of the table. Two of the ZAFT Specters, Carmine and a blond gentleman by the name of James Snowden, were seated on leathered recliners behind the one end of the table between the three men to their left and the other two at their right.
Shinn took a small sip of the malt scotch that was in his lowball glass. "Well, I gotta say, this get-together is really coming along as I thought it would be," he cleared his throat. "Your wife knows how to host good parties, Zala."
"Don't mention it, Shinn," Athrun smiled, as old-fashioned jazz played in the background. "The staff around the place know what to do for a time like this."
While Athrun was talking to Shinn, Kira held Spike's gift that was wrapped with glossy paper of shiny qualities and bright colours, topped off with a red bow on one side. There was a sticker tag on the gift that addressed to him by his name, with Spike's name having been written by the young boy himself, along with Dearka's and Miriallia's name under the "From" section of the tag. The brunette male glanced upon the gift that was the size of a large portrait frame, having been around an inch thicker. A heart-warmed smile crept upon his lips, as he gazed upon the present that he had been holding.
Athrun then turned to Kira. "Hey. You, uh…might want to tell me why you invited these guys?"
The blue-haired male gestured with his thumb pointed to the two ZAFT Specters sitting to their right, and to the other two that were playing a round of billiards behind him.
Kira snapped to his senses, before he responded to Athrun. "Oh! Well, since you sent Lacus and me the additional four invites to take anyone else in ZAFT, I decided to give them the invites since they were really interested," he explained, before the tone of his voice turned slightly stern. "That, and the role they played during the armed crisis in Mexico."
"Commander Yamato's right," Carmine confirmed, causing Athrun to look at him. "We're the ones who actually stopped the crisis from escalating even further, and that meant another war."
Athrun blinked. "W…wait a minute," he queried incredulously. "Y-you…you're the guys that Kira sent in to—?"
"Affirmative, Admiral Zala."
"Unbelievable!" Shinn remarked, astounded. "So you are the men that I've been hearing about for a long time! I thought you guys were regulars in the military!"
One of the ZAFT Specters at the pool table, in his darker-skinned complexion and wearing a fleece vest over his dress shirt, had chuckled loudly as he lined up for a shot with his stick.
"Who says we were?" Captain Terrence Brooks quipped, smiling. "You guys haven't seen us in our operations when we're deployed."
Brooks then proceeded to strike the cue ball with the tip of his stick, before he ended up sinking a ball with a green stripe around it, into a pocket of the table.
"Aw, man!" The other ZAFT Specter playing in the match, Staff Sergeant Rafael Dion, had groaned. "I had that covered there, holmes!"
"Apparently, you didn't cover that point," Brooks laughed heartily.
Yzak glanced upon Brooks continuing to play the match with Rafael by setting up for another shot, before he turned to Dearka, who had an awestruck expression on his face.
"Hey, Elsman," the silver-haired man glared with a scowl. "Something caught on your mind?"
Dearka shook his head. "What? No! No…I-I'm actually quite amazed by these guys here," he responded highly of them in his remarks. "They actually risked their own lives to save the billions of people here on this planet, and how much effort and dedication it took for them to do the unthinkable."
"Well, your buddy has a point on that one," Carmine told Yzak, agreeing with Dearka. "I just happened to be there, you know, holding it out with the rest of my team until back-up arrived."
Yzak raised an eyebrow. "With heavy enemy resistance coming at you?"
"Yep," Adams nodded his head. "Held it all out until I got some help from up above."
Yzak curtly nodded his head a few times in acknowledgement, before he turned to the brunette male.
"Hey," he told Kira, who was still holding Spike's present in his hands. "Are you gonna open that?"
Kira's violet irises looked up. "This?"
"Yeah, the one Dearka's little kid had given you."
"Open it up, Kira," Dearka smiled at him. "You won't regret having it."
Kira gave a light chuckle, before he proceeded to unwrap the present and see what was underneath the glossy paper of flashy colours. He was surprised to see that the present was actually a picture frame made with delicate glass over its smooth, metal frame. Fitted into the large frame, was a high-quality colour photo of a time when all of the families joined together for a group shot at one of the beaches in Orb. The brunette male could identify the picture having been taken one year ago during a summer day, as everyone in the photo was wearing the appropriate attire for the season in particular. He could see himself in the photo along with Shinn, Athrun, Dearka, and Yzak, along with Lacus and the other women who were beside their respective husbands. Crouched a row down, were his son Akira, and the other children from their respective parents.
He was highly amazed at the quality of the picture, and how much memories that had brought him back to those times when the world was truly at peace, the times he spent with his wife and son along with all the others. Those were the memories he wanted to cherish in his whole entire life. He held back his best, against the emotions that intensified upon staring at the picture fitted within the frame for so long.
"It…it's beautiful, Dearka," he noted quietly. "I think I may mount this on a wall or set it on the table of my room."
"I'm glad you liked it, Kira," the blond male smiled gracefully.
"Tell Spike that I deeply appreciate the gift he sent me," Kira told him. "I'll send him a gift to him once I return back to PLANT."
Athrun focused on Kira and took a sip of the whisky in his drink, before he turned to Carmine. "So, I guess you'll be hanging around at ZAFT for quite some time, huh?"
"Not really," Carmine laughed a bit. "I actually do have less than two years of service remaining, before I'm finally set for the rest of my life."
"Hey, that's not too bad," Shinn remarked. "What are you gonna do after you're done serving in the forces?"
Carmine sighed to himself with optimism in his mind. "Once I'm done after the final tour of duty, I'll be able to spend some time with my long-time girlfriend abroad. Probably go on a long vacation with her…hell, I might even take it further and propose to her one day."
"Whoa-ho, man!" Dearka gave out a surprised holler in response. "Look who wants to pop the question to that special somebody, after he's done saving the day and the world here!"
All the men sitting in their seats then joined Dearka in his humor as they laughed raucously, including Carmine, who chuckled lightly at his remarks and shrugged his shoulders in response. Brooks observed through the glass panes of a window, noticing that the flakes of snow had stopped falling heavily, and were gliding along the air gently in lighter amounts.
"Hey," he noted. "The snowfall's easin' up by a lot."
Athrun turned his head around to focus on him, before he turned his head back to the others. "Well, Cagalli has planned for all of us in the house to meet up outside for the lighting of the tree, and that's in an hour or so."
"Better to tell our kids about that right now," Kira remarked with a smile, before he turned to Brooks behind him. "Well, while we're on the topic of guys like him and his duties…what's been happening with you lately, Captain?"
"Me?" Brooks queried back, before he laughed. "I'm actually quite a ways off before I'm promoted to major, and that's about a year to be exact!"
"Good on you, Terrence," Carmine grinned. "You're just becoming a well-hardened veteran just like me. In fact, you'll probably make it further than I will, in my lifetime!"
"Ah, don't mention it," Brooks remarked as he focused on another shot at the cue ball, before he struck the ball that sent another striped ball deep into a pocket.
"Oh, come on, man!" Rafael protested. "What the hell?!"
"Also, I've got a new recruit on my team," Brooks continued. "Fresh off from training apparently, knows his stuff quite well, and handles like a charm."
"Ah," Kira acknowledged positively. "I want to get to know him very well, then. You should've invited him over to the party!"
"Thing is, he doesn't want to show up here," Brooks explained. "Not because he's shy or anything, but he told me he had plans of his own, wanting to attend his own matters."
"That's fine with me," Kira smiled. "There's always another party here for next year, right Athrun?"
"Oh yeah, next year for sure," Athrun confirmed.
James, having not said anything in a while, then turned to Carmine who was to his right. "Hey," he hushed so as not to let the others know. "I got something to ask about that black-haired gentleman with the red eyes."
Carmine leaned in close, before he responded back with a question. "Asuka? Okay," he nodded, then paused. "What about him?"
"Just something random," James explained briefly, "but don't you think he'd be a good match with the Chief Representative of Orb here? I mean…"
Carmine interrupted him, sighing deeply as he leaned against the reclining armchair and rolled his eyes back, before he exerted his breath quietly and sat up straight.
"It definitely won't happen, Snowden," he drawled quietly under his breath to James. "Not in a million years."
James nodded his head in response, before he turned to the two men who were still having a match over at the billiards table.
Brooks focused his aim on the cue ball again, before he set up an odd-angled shot and took it, sending the 8-ball deep into a pocket to win the match.
Rafael Dion cursed. "Dammit!"
Explosions blasted through the speakers of ceramic, carbon, and metal, before the ratcheting booms of gunfire erupted and had mixed in with some of the roaring explosions going off. A chaotic field of battle emerged through the colourful glass display of the inch-thick monitor, as bullets flew and buildings fell apart from the impact of the shells hitting them. Shouts and hollers of joy and excitement came from the four young boys inside the recreation room, as they were intensely engaged in a competitive online multiplayer match.
"Rrraaaaggh!" Kazunori roared, as his player character engaged in infantry combat. "I've got you in my sights, you bastard!"
"Eat lead, scumbag!" Bradley shouted, the player character he controlled had fired a barrage of bullets at another soldier controlled by another player.
Akira grunted as he did his best to defend a capture point, his avatar in-game firing down on the hostile units below with a sniper rifle. "I need some help here, Leon!"
"Laying down some suppressive fire, Akira!" Leon controlled his soldier in emptying away the light-machine gun's ammunition at the soldiers controlled by Kazunori and Bradley.
Kazunori and Bradley's soldiers avoided the barrage of bullets bombarding them by taking cover behind a wall. The raven-haired male controlled his character to look around and find a way through to the control point, moving the ergonomic mouse around on the table. His player character then turned to Bradley's.
"Hey, you try and distract him, and I'll go around and flank 'em both!" Kazunori directed the male Hawke.
"Roger that," Bradley responded.
Bradley's soldier then fired back in short bursts at the hostile firing off his LMG from behind a barrier. While he did, the soldier controlled by Kazunori had moved around and far-off to the left, going through a flanking route without catching any attention from the other enemy soldiers around the area. Coming past the open doorway of a house in tatters, Kazunori managed to have his character avoid the sniper fire coming from Akira's position, diving chest-first onto the ground. While prone, the raven-haired teen tapped away a button that made his character lob a frag grenade up into an arc, where it sailed in the air landed right next to Akira's soldier who was on a higher level. Akira blinked, caught in a daze, before a powerful explosion sent his soldier flying up sky-high.
Rising up on his feet, Kazunori's soldier managed to find himself in front of Leon's avatar, continuing to fire off his LMG at the soldier that Bradley controlled. Bradley's soldier fired off a few rounds that struck the hostile gunman in the chest, before a series of bullet rounds travelled towards the gunman from the left and sent his body flopping down onto the pavement. Smoke billowed from the barrel of the carbine rifle held in the hands of Kazunori's soldier, as he simply stood there.
"Aw man, you got both of us, Kazu!" Akira groaned out.
"Well, let's just say I'm that good at games like these!" Kazunori remarked with a grin on his face.
"Hey, this game's actually quite awesome, Leon!" Akira communicated to him through the headset. "I mean, compared to the last one, they changed a lot of things and made it all good!"
Leon chuckled. "Yeah, I suppose taking away the suppression effect, balancing out the weapons, and the ability to counter someone's knife from the front is all that great."
"Man, the suppression is what I really didn't like in the last game," Bradley agreed. "I'm glad they took it away for this one!"
"A-men to that!" Akira laughed.
All four boys kept on playing the game on the desktop rigs that were well-suited for the experience they were having right now. Suddenly, Kazunori became ticked off upon noticing a detail in the game that he just caught.
"Hey!" The raven-haired boy shouted angrily. "That was my kill, you ass!"
"I got to him first!" Bradley argued.
"No way, man!" Kazunori lashed back at him. "I was the one who took most of his health down! I should've gotten it!"
Bradley scoffed. "Yeah, right. That's coming from the cloth monster hiding in the rocks with a radioactive Twinkie!"
"Well, at least I'm not a catfish who thinks hiding under cardboard boxes is a good tactic!" Kazunori shot back loudly.
"Will the both of you please calm down?" A voice broke out away from the teens sitting next to each other. "I'm trying to browse here!"
All four teenaged males then turned their attention to a young blond boy sitting cross-legged on an armchair with an ottoman close by. Spike was busy as he looked up images of women in scantily-clad clothes online, using his laptop computer to do so.
Elsewhere in the manor, all of the females attending the party joined Cagalli at a large room that was dedicated for her whole entire wardrobe selection that was full of elegant dresses. The adult women were quite delighted upon the sights of Shiho's daughter and Meyrin's daughter trying out the attire that the Chief Representative herself had selected for them. They gave out admiring remarks and were in awe over how much the formal clothing had perfectly fit the both of them.
"Vivian, that dress really does look good on you!" Shiho chirped.
"I have to hand it to you, Kairi," Miriallia complimented highly, "you look quite stunning with that!"
Cagalli smiled. "So, what do you think of the dresses that I picked out for you two?"
Kairi and Vivian looked down and around the garments they were wearing, before they looked up at the mirrors in front them that were about a few inches taller than they were. The female Hawke was in a full-skirted gown that reached the floor, delicately and exotically trimmed, and made of luxurious fabric of a vibrant turquoise colour. Yzak and Shiho's daughter, Vivian, was also in a full-skirted gown that almost touched the carpet. However, the ruffles of her skirt were of a different pattern than that of Kairi's, and the gown was of vibrant purple velvet. Both teenaged females were entranced by the design and appearance of the dresses that they were wearing.
"Wow, I can't believe that actually looks good on me!" Vivian commented.
"These are pretty nice, Aunt Cagalli!" Kairi lauded. "Are these really the Christmas gifts you're giving us?"
"For sure, indeed," Cagalli answered. "I got them off from a catalogue the other day!"
Lunamaria stood next to her younger sister as she watched Meyrin's daughter try out the elegant attire with Shiho's. A smile was brought to her lips as she watched along with the other women she had known in the forces from the past. However, she was caught by surprise when she saw her young sister looking down to the floor, a saddened look on her face. Turning her attention to her sibling close beside, Luna laid a hand on her sister's forearm, causing Meyrin to turn to look at her.
"Mey," Luna murmured quietly. "Is this about what you told us earlier?"
The red-headed woman turned away from her and looked down again, frowning as her eyes became glassy once more.
"Y-yes…it is, Luna," she answered very softly.
Lunamaria narrowed her eyes, a deep sigh escaping through her lips, as she thought deeply about her little sister and how much she experienced in her life after serving in the military. Having reflected upon the times she had shared with the red-headed woman she'd known ever since they were born, the magenta-haired female eventually recomposed herself and brought up a suggestion from the depths of her mind, that she wouldn't know how her young sister would respond to.
"Meyrin," Luna sighed, before she paused briefly. "…I don't want to be the one to suggest this, but if it's actually going nowhere between you and him, then it's probably the best to break it up."
She then anticipated for whatever reaction that she would receive from her sister, expecting the worst from her after the suggestion she had just brought up. Instead, she noticed that the red-headed woman had remained silent, the frown still hanging off from her face amid the doleful look on her brown eyes.
"M-Meyrin?" The magenta-headed female asked after a long silence. "Are you okay?"
Meyrin then turned to her. "N-no, you're actually right," she replied back. "Maybe it is time for me to part ways with Dylan."
"B-b-but—"
"It has to be done, anyway," the red-headed woman attested quietly. "I'll file for divorce soon when this is all over."
Lunamaria's eyes widened at her sister's sudden decision, a small gape forming on her mouth in surprise at the same time. Closing her mouth quickly and turning away for a moment, Luna then smiled confidently and patted her little sister on the shoulder, holding her close in a comforting embrace.
"I'm glad you made the decision, Meyrin," she whispered to her. "I'll be there to support you as always."
Meyrin turned to look at her, smiling at last. "Thank you," she whispered back.
It was only a short amount of time before midnight struck. Everyone attending the party had now congregated outside of the manor, where they all met at an open area surrounded by a few structures that were part of the Athha Estate. It was already cold since the start of the day, and it was even chillier with the light breeze of the winds factored in. All the men and boys wore their scarves of wool and thick fabrics in addition to the coats and jackets that some of them were wearing, prior to entering the manor earlier on. Similarly, the women and girls were wearing their coats and other articles of outerwear that also included shawls and scarves around their necks. They were all standing before a large hexagonal pedestal of solid concrete, a circular metal door embedded within the hexagonal base.
Kira, Lacus, and their son watched from the front row, before they saw the blue-haired admiral and his blonde wife gently marching from their left, coming to a stop to face all of them. Leon joined Akira beside him, as he watched his parents address to everyone participating in the party.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for coming here," Cagalli announced to the crowd. "It really was a spectacular time to celebrate the holidays for all they are, and it wouldn't be made possible if not for everyone here tonight!"
Some of the invited guests let out a few cheers, and laughs were to be had from the others, with a few of them commenting about how much of a good time they had.
"Before I conclude the night's festivities," Cagalli continued, "there's one more thing left that I want for all to see…and that's the raising of the tree!"
The blonde woman then gestured to a male in his black suit and shades nearby, where the male then pushed a button on a yellow remote switch. The metal door within the concrete base slowly gave way in sections, gradually sliding wide open, before a large Christmas tree slowly emerged from the open hole of the pedestal. The tree itself being as tall as half of a standard mobile suit, the branches and leaves were wrapped around with an array of LED lights, and decorated with a wide variety of ornaments that hung from the branches themselves.
Everyone on the ground was in awe and amazement upon seeing the tree in its entirety, their eyes looking upward at the star on top of the decorated tree that shone golden yellow from the light that reflected off of the topping ornament. Athrun looked at the time on his digital wrist-watch, before he turned to his wife.
"It's almost time," he noted with a smile.
Promptly enough, the lights wrapping around the tree lit up to life, varying colours shining away in blinking patterns that alternated from one pattern to another. After a few seconds, the row of lights situated at the very bottom of the tree's branches lit up first, before the row above lit up next and so on.
"Let us all countdown to the new day ahead, everybody!" Cagalli cheered.
At once, every one of them counted down the seconds left until the arrival of the holiday at the stroke of 12, starting with ten seconds remaining.
"10…9…8…"
Kira turned to Lacus and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Lacus."
"Merry Christmas to you too, Kira," she smiled back, before they shared a kiss.
"7…6…5…"
Accompanied by her husband to her left, Lunamaria stood next to Meyrin, who was to her right. The magenta-haired woman comforted her young sister while being closer to her. Luna gave a warm smile to her, with Meyrin sincerely smiling back. The red-headed female was also joined by her son and daughter too, as they watched the row of lights fill upward to the top of the tree.
"4…3…2…1!"
"Merry Christmas, everyone!" Cagalli cheered out again, as a large display of fireworks lit the night skies over the Athha Estate.
The whole crowd cheered and celebrated, as flakes of snow began to fall again, all of them rejoicing to signal a new day that would officially mark the holiday known as Christmas Day. The world had witnessed a lot of tragedy and chaos in the forms of war and violence. Tonight, however, the world would instead only witness peace and happiness through the spirit of the holidays…and the hope that the peace would last as long as humanity is willing to be. In this essence, it was a Christmas for all to celebrate.
…And a good ending to this little holiday special (to me, at least)! Honestly, I didn't think I would reach well over 10,000 words for this story, but I didn't want to make the story run on any longer at the same time. That's why the actual dinner gathering scene was considerably short, and I wanted to make it a little bit longer, but I felt that it wasn't necessary with the other scenes to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this Christmas special! If you liked this story, feel free to put this under your favourites list, or leave a comment…or both. Thanks for reading, and as mentioned above: happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and have an epic 2014! Voltage Axe, signing off!