After reading Survivor18's comments I decided to include a scene of Gibraltar recap in this chapter because as Survivor18 pointed out it is important and you all know nothing about it and the story hasn't progressed at this point. I am still planning on writing that story as to me it is very important but I'm not going to keep all the events hidden from you anymore because I think you need to know them all if I am going to keep alluding to them.

So it will still be written as a story but I am taking Survivr18's suggestion and using flashbacks along with it to tell the story so you won't all be in the dark anymore.

Previously: Meiko and Uzumi recently discovered that they both have a similarity of sorts. Yaro and Meiko have grown closer through the fact that they are drawn to each other and Meiko assumes it is because they are opposites. Leyas has recently written as song about the events of the war, much like her mother before her except she had the help of her little sister Kayla. Shinn and the Minerva have been fighting as an intervention team in Africa trying to slow ROW's advances and they recently came across an abandoned redemption base. Athrun and Cagalli are fighting ROW on a political front even though it is not safe because there was an assassination attempt on Cagalli's life. Lacus Clyne is hiding with the Clyne faction and Kira Yamato has just been rescued by Redemption and hospitalized for intense injury. With the Yamato family hiding in ORB and Meiko searching for answers it's only a matter of time before they are discovered by ROW. Things are moving now as Liene has started another sage of his plan and Milady Redemption has decided to prepare for the launch of the Resurrection.

Phase 13 - Past, Present and Future

"They won't want me anymore," she cried.

"I'm nothing without Kira," her face flushed from tears, "I can't do this alone anymore."

It had been a dark time for her back in Gibralter bearing the burdens of duty and desire all alone; trying to understand her purpose in life and trying to get Kira to return to her. She fought herself now, knowing that she could not afford to feel that emptiness.

Gibraltar. It had all started with terrorists attacks near the area and at the time Lacus Clyne was training to be a the Chairwoman of the plants. Her and Kira's relationship was a complete secret to the world while her and Chairman Armarfi worked together to hide Kira's past so that they could announce their relationship. In the meantime Kira was beginning to sense that Lacus's career was more important than the feelings he had for her. They began to drift apart as she got caught up in politics and he got caught up in monitoring Gibraltar. It was very hard for her, more so that he realized. He was her heart and he was being slowly torn from her in that time and there was nothing she could do about it. Then it happened.

"What are we Lacus?" he asked her with sadness and anger written across his face. She looked at him with complete confusion; what was he talking about, "I can't just ignore the facts anymore." He grabbed her hands.

"What are you saying?" she asked, "we're together! We're everything! You're everything! I love you!"

"But that's not it anymore," he looked down frustrated, "you are more important than I ever could be and I am taking you down with me. They are targeting me Lacus! Ever step of the way I know that the terrorists are targeting me, not you, me and the more I am with you the more I place you in danger. Besides all that I hardly ever see you outside of political gatherings anymore. It's as if we're done and we don't even know how to say it." The words tore her heart in two for she knew what was coming next.

"No! You love me, I know you do," she put her arms around him, "I know you love me because I love you. And together we can get through this time, we can get through anything!"

"No Lacus," he grabbed both her arms and moved them away from him, "I am transferring to Gibraltar; they need help down there."

"So well just be apart for now you're coming back?" Lacus asked.

"No Lacus," he replied breathing out hard, "we're done."

"No," she responded.

"You deserve better," he looked down, "much better than me."

He had left her that day, in sorrow and pain he was gone and it had torn her apart. It wasn't his fault that he felt that way about things. He had been the target of a lot of messages from the terrorists claiming that they would target Lacus if he didn't leave her and loving her like he did he would rather die than see her get hurt by someone. Little did he realize how deep her love for him went and that he was the one who could hurt her the most. Shortly after that things got more complicated as she began to suspect that something had happened while her and Kira were together.

"Are you sure she's alright? She looked terrible at the summit yesterday," Shinn told Meyrin who was talking to him on the phone.

"No Shinn," Meyrin replied, "I am not sure she's alright, in fact I know she is not. She's sleeping right now and I've been trying to calm her but she keeps going into hysterics."

"Kira!" Shinn said angrily, "he shouldn't have just left her like that."

"And he didn't just leave," Meyrin said, "he told her that it was better if they weren't together. He broke her heart when he left and he told her he has no intention of returning to her again."

"I am sure I'll see him sometime within the next week," Shinn replied, "and when I do he's getting a piece of my mind." Meyrin's train of thought was interrupted when she heard a scream echo through the house coming from Lacus's room, "Meyrin are you there?" She heard Shinn's voice say.

"I got to go!" she quickly said hanging the phone up on Shinn. She rushed up the stairs as she heard a few crashes of things; she shouldn't have left Lacus alone for so long. In the state she was in she was the biggest danger to herself now. Kira should never have left her, Meyrin wished she could go to earth and give him a piece of her mind just like Shinn was going to do, but Lacus needed her now. She opened the door of Lacus's room quickly and saw the girl crumbled on her knees sitting in front of a broken mirror. The room was a mess, and things had been thrown about. Meyrin quickly rushed to Lacus.

"Are you alright!" she asked frantically, "what happened?" Lacus looked up at her, Meyrin had never seen that look in her eyes; the Lacus they all knew was no longer there she was empty and scared.

"I can't do this anymore," Lacus replied, "I can't pretend I don't feel because I do. I can't bear this pain anymore, please Meyrin take me to earth, I have to see him."

"You're bring irrational Lacus," Meyrin responded trying to keep calm, "you are so close to finishing your training! You've worked so hard to keep up this legacy of peace for the sake of our world."

"They won't want me anymore," Lacus looked down with more tears in her eyes.

"What are you talking about the people love you?" Lacus looked at her again and grabbed her hand. Slowly Lacus brought Meyrin's hand to rest upon her stomach and the younger girl who had just looked behind Lacus immediately understood. There by the wall lay the broken pieces of a pregnancy test and the baby was no doubt Kira's. Lacus's perfect image and perfect life would immediately break down in the public's eyes once this got out.

"O Lacus," Meyrin hugged the older girl. She knew that Lacus needed all the support she could get now more than ever, "we have to call Cagalli and Athrun, they can help you."

"No Meyrin!" Lacus protested, "you must tell no one! Promise me please!" Meyrin saw the look in Lacus's eyes and knew that Lacus would tell Cagalli when she was ready.

"Alright," Meyrin replied, "you'll tell her when your ready though right?"

"Yes," Lacus responded nodding, "though I don't know when that will be. I'm scarred Meyrin, I want Kira."

"I know Lacus," Meyrin sighed, "I know."

Lacus Clyne, the princess of the Plants was pregnant and Kira, the father of her child was gone. She was completely alone with this. Unsure of herself she hid her pregnancy from the world and even from those closest to her. For a time Meyrin was the only one who knew. Angry at everyone Lacus began to act out and she secured herself a place on one of the diplomatic missions to Gibraltar. She knew she had to see Kira again but as soon as he saw her there be became angry. After that a battle broke out in Gibraltar and Kira sent Lacus away with Shinn and Athrun to safety while he was captured there by the terrorists.

Athrun, Cagalli and everyone else soon figured out what was going on with her and confronted her about it. Chairman Amarfi told her that the terrorists were threatening her so she stayed with Reverend Malchio in ORB and there she met two year old Yaro, and he comforted her though he had nothing. He touched her heart in such a way that she remembered it.

Things got worse before they got better and ORB worked with the PLANTs to stop the terrorists and retake Gibraltar and rescue Kira. In the end everything seemed to work out. Lacus gave birth to twins, Kira recovered from his wounds, Kira and Lacus finally revealed their relationship to the world and then a year later Lacus was elected. Though she was a young mother the people of the PLANTs saw her as capable as she had worked with a few writers to draw up the treaty of Gibraltar, in which a large group of nations allied to stop the spread of nuclear warfare and to promote the ideas of peace, and she worked on it while she had two twins to take care of. After the treaty was signed she met a redheaded woman who wore a strange white mask. The woman had asked her to take in Yaro, and since Lacus really cared for the child it was easy for her.

So much happened at that time but she had made it through just like she could make it through everything that was happening now. She knew though the dark was around her now the light would come soon and she waited patiently for that light.

"I lost everything I was," Milady Redemption said turning to Yzak as he entered to find her with tears in her eyes, "everything that kept me alive. Everything that I had left in life. It was all taken from me and for sixteen years I have tried so hard to build up my strength in hopes of getting it all back. I can not fail."

"Milady?" Yzak said in confusion upon entering and seeing tears in his leaders eyes and listening to her break. She was very strong around everyone, it was only him who ever saw her break and even then these times were very rare. He did not blame her; not very many young girls would have made it out of her situation. She quickly wiped her eyes and turned to him with a stern look wishing to break off the chains of the past once again..

"What is it Yzak?" she asked, "you came to tell me something?"

"It seems we have received a transmission," Yzak responded, "John Liene wishes to speak to you."

Milady's eyes were filled with anger as she sat down in the captains chair on the bridge and turned to face the screen in front of her. She quickly waved her hand for the commuications tech to open a line with the ROW transmission. How he had been able to broadcast to her was no mystery. The Mars base must have taken some readings from her ship in order to be able to communicate with it. She was certain that this was perfectly safe as her techntions would keep them from being able to trace any transmission to their location.

"It's been a long time Red," he smiled wryly as he appeared, "to long and I hear you have changed your name once again. Is it Milady Redemption now?"

"I learned from the best," Milady said alluding to the many times he changed his own name, "And I was very surprised to find that you still go by John Liene, I guess you ran out of names." He frowned at her mocking him remembering times when she used to hang on to his every word.

"You mock now but I have not called to hear it. I call to offer you a deal," his words caused her to cock her head in confusion. What game was he playing now? She knew that there was no person in the world he hated more than her because she stole one of his precious projects; a child that he had planned to raise as a solider. She only regretted that she was unable to save the other one. It was impossible that he was really offering her any sort of deal that she could take and she would settle for no less than her existence in return.

"I'm listening," Milady said signaling for her technicians to record the message and trace it back to its source.

"So once again you interffered with my affairs," he said referring to her rescue of Kira to which she smiled, "and I am growing tired of our little skirmishes. You only show up when I am content that you are gone. I can't understand what it is you are trying to do..."

"Do you have a point to all this because if not I can go back to plotting against you," she interrupted him sarcastically.

"Dear little Red," he looked down sighing, "Don't you realize that all your plotting against me is working against the world? I am fighting to save it and you are getting in my way! Think Red, I have only ever wanted to help you which is why I took you in all those years ago. I am trying to save the world, that is what I raised Meiko up for as well." Milady stiffened at the mention of the other child, the one she had been forced to leave behind, "I am now offering you another chance to come back. Join with me for the sake of this world and we can recreate in into the image of peace and prosperity that we all desire." Yzak looked toward Milady's face and knew instantly she would not listen to a word Liene said.

"What is in it for me?" Milady stood up angrily, she had heard all this before, "you assume that I have the same goals you have."

"I know what it is you want and you won't get it any other way," Liene said almost loosing his cool, "I am offering you your life back! Don't you see that together this would go much faster. Together we can save this world and you can return to your family here in ROW. If you join us ROW and Redemption could fight for a peace that will last for all of forever. We could unite the world and the will of man."

"You only desire this for your own selfish reasons," Milady angrily responded, "you have no regard for the lives of others and you were even willing to sacrifice the life of your own son for your twisted belief that more fighting is the way to peace! Your plans have brought nothing but pain into the world and you expect me to run back to you the moment you start speaking pretty words! I am not Red anymore, I am no longer a stupid little girl. I am plotting your downfall Liene and you will be begging me to spare your life when I am through!" Liene was angered by her words, everyone on the bridge saw it on his face and they all silently applauded their lady for her resolve.

"You have chosen death then," he frowned and yelled, "I will not fail it is you who will die! You and all your pathetic lot!" The transmission then was cut leaving everyone stunned. It was as Milady had predicted, he was angry with her beyond belief. He sought to lure her into a trap now and she knew that this put a block in front of their plans.

"Get us back to base Yzak," she said with a downcast expression, "we have to regroup. If things are the way I think they are Liene has completed the STING." Yzak looked at her in shock, for if that was the truth then they all had reason to fear.

Meiko stepped out of the large car that Uzumi had sent for her and gasped at the sight of the house she was now standing in front of. The Attha mansion was an incredible sight, one she was sure she would remember for years afterward. She had finally secured an invite to their home but it had come from Uzumi not Yaro. Meiko did not understand why he had invited her but after their evening in the park Uzumi had realized that Meiko did not have very many friends and that as they both shared the darkness it would be better if neither of them were left alone for to long. Uzumi was also sure that Yaro would agree with him and enjoy her company in their home.

She walked up the large steps and one of the guards opened the door for her and revealed more things for her to gape at. The hall was very large and well decorated with paintings and furnishings that she was sure were from the history of ORB. There were several corridors leading out of the hall to more and more majestic rooms and at the end of the hall there was a large staircase. Suddenly a familiar feeling entered her mind, but this time was not like the others for it was not as strong and then down the stairs she appeared.

Leyas was shocked to see the girl that she had met weeks before standing there near the doorway, she had not expected to meet her again as her leaving made it quite evident that she was not accustomed to having friends.

"I know you, Meiko was it," Leyas said walking slowly toward the girl with a friendly smile. Meiko was shocked, what was this girl doing here? Leyas Yamato was Lacus Clyne's pop star daughter and it was a shock to Meiko that she was in ORB and now here she was in the Attha mansion. Meiko's mind immediately began to search for some explanation that did not end with Cagalli Yula Atta working with Lacus Clyne but why else would Leyas be here?

"Do you live here?" Meiko asked trying to clear her thoughts up.

"Yes as part of a foreign exchange program," Leyas responded with a smile, "Lady Cagalli was kind enough to let me stay here while studying in an ORB school." Leyas was better versed in the official story than her brothers and could speak it convincingly in her sleep. Meiko was almost convinced but something about her eyes seemed to contradict it.

"Meiko!" she heard Uzumi's voice from down one of the halls and turned to see him coming toward the two girls, "welcome! I see you've met Leyas." Leyas nodded politely.

"Yes we met before at school," Meiko said filling Uzumi in. Leyas then heard a noise coming from the stairs and turned to see a little pink haired girl sliding down the banisters toward them. The little girl looked shockingly like Lacus Clyne except for her lime green eyes.

"I haven't met you!" she almost yelled when she suddenly fell from the banisters and hit the floor then stood up quickly, "I'm okay, no one panic!"

"You know you're not supposed to do that!" Leyas sighed as if annoyed with the younger girl.

"I don't care," Kayla then bounced up to Meiko holding out a hand, "I am Kayla!" As Meiko took the younger girls hands she was surprised to see there was wisdom in the young girls eyes; a deepness that Meiko was confused by. "Meiko. You don't have to be sad while you are here, I'm sure that nothing bad is going to happen." Meiko was shocked by how the young girl had seen through her and not only that there was a familiar feeling in her mind at the approach of the young girl, just like with Leyas.

"What's all the noise," she knew the voice before she turned to see Yaro standing there completely shocked at seeing Meiko here. Yaro then glanced at Uzumi and it was as if suddenly there was tension in the room that all of them could feel. Kayla bowed out of the room and Leyas followed her.

"Hey Yaro," Uzumi said breaking the silence, "I invited Meiko over today for some board games, you're welcome to join us." Meiko had almost laughed when he had sent her the invite, she had never played board games and wasn't quite sure what they were. Meiko could sense that Yaro was not calm in this situation and she began to think that he was hiding something, something that she was not supposed to know.

"Sure I'll join you," Yaro said putting on a smile but the truth was that he was unnerved by Meiko being there. They were hiding a secret that no one could know, they were Lacus Clynes children and though he trusted Meiko he was not willing to take any chances.

"Great! I set some up this way," Meiko and Yaro the followed Uzumi into another large room with a very large window that overlooked a large garden that was in their back yard. Meiko had never seen a home like this in her life as she had spent all her time in bases. She wondered what it was like living in a place like this day to day. It was just to beautiful for words. The room that Uzumi had led her into was also very comfortable looking. There were two large couches, a small table with a few chairs and on one side of the room there was a large TV.

"Here is the game," Uzumi motioned to the table on which sad some funny look objects. As Uzumi began to explain the rules she heard noise coming toward the room and saw the two girls entering with Kiran trailing behind them. They were all arguing about something.

"I want to watch an action Sis," Kiran said trying to sway Leyas from putting in a girls movie.

"Well I want this movie," she said, "so you can take your movie elsewhere or you can sit here with us. Meiko zoned out of the conversation thinking about what Kiran had just said. He had called Leyas sis and he was Yaros brother. That meant that Yaro was Leyas's sister and Lacus Clyne's son. The realization made no sense to her, this just couldn't be happening. She began breathing hard and Uzumi realized that something was bothering her as did Yaro.

"What wrong," Yaro put a hand on her arm.

"I'm fine," Meiko said grabbing the table, "I am just fine."

"You don't look fine," Uzumi said standing up and putting a hand on her forehead. She was pale and her features suddenly looked very frail. Something was wrong they both knew it yet Meiko would not budge.

"I am fine," she insisted, "just keep explaining the rules." She would clear this all up later.

Yaro and Uzumi cleaned up the board game together, Meiko had left a few minutes ago and Uzumi could tell Yaro was bothered about something. The older boy had not spoken since she left, though he was friendly when she was here. Uzumi wondered what could be bothering him.

"You know how dangerous it is to just invite people over?" Yaro asked nearly dropping the board game pieces he was holding. He was angry with Uzumi for inviting Meiko over because it was to dangerous for anyone to meet all of his family. Sure Meiko was no threat but this could open the door to more people coming in and the news spreading like wildfire around the school. There was something else bothering him as well but it wasn't an emotion he recognized, could it be that he was jealous that Uzumi had been the one to invite Meiko over? Yaro always told himself that him and Uzumi were both just Meiko's friends but was there more to it? Did Yaro want to be more than Meiko's friend?

"Meiko is not dangerous," Uzumi said calmly not wanting to fight his cousin, "she is sacred Yaro and she needs friends who she knows won't just abandon her." Yaro frowned.

"We can't have anyone knowing who I am or who my siblings are!" Yaro protested, "not even Meiko."

"As if she could figure it out," Uzumi responded, "she's not from the PLANTs, she is from earth somewhere and from what I know she lost everything. She has no one Yaro, no family, no friends and no future which is why I thought it would be nice to show her that we are her friends." Uzumi frowned, Yaro was acting irrationally and it made no sense.

"Well it's to late now," Yaro responded, "just don't bring anyone else over here." Uzumi nodded but he began to understand exactly what was going on in Yaro's head. Yaro Yamato was jealous and Uzumi knew it would be better just to ignore that fact.

Meiko sat on her computer searching every database she had on Leyas Yamato. She had seen a few of the girls concert videos but they did not offer the answers she needed. She was sure that she had heard Kiran call Leyas sis and she wanted to know why. She searched again for photos of Leyas's family and she finally came across what she was looking for, a Yamato family photo. Her heart began to pound as she realize what was in front of her, everything Liene wanted. This information was sure to make the PLANTs angry, the Yamato children were staying in the home of Cagalli Yula Attha. Everything pointed to Cagalli helping Lacus and possibly being involved in the launch of the Minerva.

This was the reason why Meiko had come here, because she had to get close to Uzumi, because she had to find out if Cagalli had helped Lacus. She breathed hard and she felt dizzy at the thought, she cared about Yaro and Uzumi now they were her friends but they did not know who she was. Would they still care for her if they knew the truth? She looked down at her calloused hands again and saw that her life here was such a lie.

Her heart and mind warred again. She wanted some peace, she wanted happiness. She wanted Yaro and Uzumi, they were the best people she had ever met but she knew that if she kept on that she would hurt them. She did not want to hurt them. How did she escape this. Tears began to flow from her eyes now. She knew Liene's arrival was long due and that he would come to ORB. He would come to ORB and he would make Meiko tell him everything she had learned. What was she to do? She did not want to give up the peace she had found here. She did not want to loose her friends.

She had to do something about this. She had to protect them. She had to lie.

Cagalli paced in front of the council. She had spend a lot of time working on this plan and now she was presenting it. She knew she would be met with opposition but she knew that the action of her nation would provoke others to follow her lead in the promotion of peace. She also knew that something big was about to happen, she felt it yet she could not place it. She only hoped she could prevent more death in her actions.

"I propose that we stop sitting around and waiting for ROW to reveal their motives," Cagalli spoke with strong authority, "and though it has been our way to ignore conflict and to focus on our own affairs I fear that we will be dragged into this war somehow. I am now speaking out of a love for my country and out of a will to protect it from battles and conflict." She breathed in and looked at Athrun for strength, "I propose that we urge ROW's leaders to have a diplomatic meeting with all the countries in the world."

"That is impossible," a council member spoke up, "the people would never approve."

"I am not proposing we join the fighting or break from our ideals," Cagalli said, "I am only proposing that we ask ROW why it is that they are so blatantly fighting to destroy the peace that we have all worked so hard to build."

"ROW is not our concern," Gratsler spoke up, why was he always her greatest opposition, "our concern is our borders and how they are being effected by the sudden upheaval in countries around us. ROW has posed no threat to us, only to countries who have allowed conflict within their borders and we should not follow in their ways."

"That is the sort of thinking that will drag us into war," Cagalli said slamming her hand down in the desk, "complacently sitting by and doing nothing while ROW plots against us! Do you think they are just going to invade other nations but pass us by because we are doing nothing? No they are going to gather their strength and focus in on us laughing because we are doing nothing!"

"But is a diplomatic meeting with ROW really going to change things," everyone was silent as Berren Duabi stood up, he was Cagalli's greatest support in the past and here he had something to say against her plan, "they don't seem like the type to agree to diplomatic meetings or friendship with people they want to destroy. I am not sure that they will agree to anything we have to say no matter we do to try and get them to listen. I propose that we increase our military strength, send messages to ROW warning them that we are armed and ready. Then I propose we wait."

"Just wait?" Cagalli asked, "for them to attack us and destroy us? They are stronger than us!"

"And how do you know that?" Gratsler asked, "you haven't seen their strength firsthand, you don't know what they are capable of. Who knows they might be spent now after dealing with so many nations."

"The fact Gratsler is they have so many nations under their control now," Athrun said looking at the senator with anger, "and with the military help from other nations they can conqure us without even hurting themselves. You assume that nothing bad is going to happen here because nothing has in sixteen years but remember that ROW was so reckless to attack the PLANTs almost a year ago now and that they have learned from that battle. Who knows what they are planning."

"No one knows Athrun," Duabi responded, "and if we make ourselves stronger we can fight them off." Cagalli realized she was getting nowhere with her proposal, a meeting with ROW was not a good idea in the mind of anyone here but her. Athrun had even resisted her idea earlier. If she couldn't speak with ROW and she couldn't fight them what was she to do? How would her nation face the fast approaching storm?

Athrun sat with Uzumi on the porch outside of the house watching the sun fade over the misty hills on one side of ORB. This country was truely beautiful and Athrun knew that him and Cagalli had done well in raising their boys here. Now he looked toward his son and saw that there was something troubling the boy. He had noticed it for awhile but he had thought it unwise to press him for answers. Athrun knew Uzumi well enough to know that he would come to him with whatever it was when he was ready.

"Have you ever felt the darkness father," Uzumi suddenly asked a question catching Athrun off guard. Darkness, something that Athrun had not heard about in a long time. It had consumed him eighteen years before after he had found out that he would be forced to possibly kill his best friend. Did it plague his son now and if so why?

"A long time ago Uzumi," Athrun sighed, "but I escaped it."

"How?" Uzumi asked. Athrun looked into his sons eyes and saw that there was fear there, something that Uzumi had never had. Uzumi was always the strongest one of his two sons, never scared of anything. What was it that could frighten him?

"I don't know how," Athrun replied looking down, "it all built up then suddenly it was gone. Kira used to say that the darkness usually meant that a life was on the line. A lot of people died back when I felt it, a lot of good people." Uzumi's fear then escalated.

"I feel it now father," he said looking down, "it's been growing in my mind ever since I left the battlefield and I'm not the only one who feels it."

"Yaro?" Athrun asked fearing that both boys could be effected by the same thing as him and Kira had been in the past.

"No," Uzumi shook his head, "a girl I met named Meiko." Athrun looked at his son questioningly. Who was this Meiko and why was it that Athrun felt as though he had heard the name before? "I don't know why it is but I am scared of something. There is something coming for me and I don't know what it is." He looked at Athrun with tears in his eyes, "I try to see it but it's all black. I don't know why but I'm frightened." Athrun felt fear escalating in the boys voice and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't let it consume you," Uzumi looked toward his fathers sureness, "don't let it take you! You're stronger than it Uzumi, I know because I almost lost to it as well. You can't let this control you, you have to fight it!" Uzumi heard the worry in his fathers voice and the commanding strength that it held.

"But how?" Uzumi asked, "it's taken hold of me."

"Turn toward the light," Athrun replied, "run toward the light and hold on to everything you hold dear!" Uzumi then hugged his father, he so desperately wanted that strength back.

"I'll try father," he said, "I'll try."

Kira believed that he was being held captive now and he did not understand why. He had been hospitalized after arriving aboard this strange ship and still had not been permitted to leave. The door to the room was always locked and he wondered why. This organization was strange, so far he had only met a few of them and if seemed like they wanted to keep him from wandering around the ship. He was fed up with all this, he had thought they had come to free him not to keep him captives themselves. They had told him they would take him to see his family but it had been a month since then and every time he asked about it they said it was not safe. He was not going to take it anymore. The doctor walked in with a trey of food and Kira stood up.

"I demand to speak to the leader of this organization," Kira said angrily. The doctor expected something like this to happen soon but he knew that Milady had given him express orders to keep Kira hospitalized.

"Milady has left the ship," the doctor replied, "and she has urgent things she must attend to. I regret to say that you can not speak with her at this time."

"Then let me speak to someone else," Kira replied, he was not going to let up, "there has to be someone else in this ship who has authority to help me. I am tired of sitting around! I do not need any more care, I am fully recovered!" The doctor sighed knowing there was little he could tell Kira but there was one thing he could do for him.

Yzak sat down at the desk waiting patiently for Gren to bring Kira to him. He was directly disobeying Milady in this but he knew with time she woud understand that he did the right thing. Kira was in the dark about everything and Yzak knew it was time to shed some light on recent events. His little talk with Kira might not completely calm him but Yzak was sure it would keep Kira from questioning redemption anymore. He heard a knock at his door.

"Come in," he said and Gren walked in with Kira trailing behind him. The moment Kira stepped in shock spread over his face; Yzak had disappeared years before and had last been seen in the Gibraltar incident and now here he was. Had he been in Redemption all along?

Yzak stood there before Kira and Lacus and it was apparent to them that the last shot fired came from his gun. He smiled at their shocked faces; Shinn was the first one to speak up.

"You're supposed to be dead!" The story going around was that Yzak had been killed.

"I am not that easy to kill," Yzak responded.

"But where have you been all this time," Lacus asked holding the wounded Kira tightly.

"There is a hint of unrest in this world that I could not ignore," Yzak said putting away his gun, "and as long as that unrest exists I will fight alongside a peace keeping force that exists to save people like you from plots like this one."

Kira now understood Yzak must have been speaking about Redemption when he said that. He had saved their lives in the final battle of Gibraltar and the lives of Kiran and Leyas who were both still unborn. They were forever grateful to him but a few minutes after that moment he had disappeared again and they had not heard from him since. Some of the members of the Clyne faction sought to investigate where he was but they never came across any traces of where he had disappeared to.

Yzak had been approached by Milady Redemption a year before the Gibraltar incident. Her family was gone and she was left with their large fortune, utterly alone. She told him that the world was in danger and that she sought to build up a military force with the sole purpose of protecting the world and stopping a man named John Liene whom she claimed plotted against the peace. Though everything did not seem to add up Yzak trusted her and worked with her on the military. When she traced John Liene to Gibraltar and figured out that he was after Lacus's two unborn coordinator children she had sent him to intervene. She had stopped Liene in all ways she could and in doing so she had protected Kira and Lacus's family for the past 14 years. They did not know the half of what the organization had done for the world nor would they ever find out.

"I know it is a shock for you to see me here now," Yzak said motioning for Kira to take a seat and for Gren to leave, "truthfully Milady asked me not to reveal myself to you but I suspect a lack of answers is driving you crazy right now." Kira did have a lot of questions but he was not sure Yzak would be able to answer them all.

"Why did you save my life for starters?" Kira asked, "and how did you know where I was?"

"It might help to tell you a little about this organization before as that may clear up a lot," Kira nodded to this statement so Yzak continued, "Redemption was founded about sixteen years ago right after the Destiny incident. Milady came to me for help and together we built this organization in order to fight ROW, which was still in it's infacy at the time. The truth is Milady escaped from the clutches of John Liene so she had an idea of what was coming."

"So she was his prisoner?" Kira asked.

"No," Yzak responded a little bit unsure of whether or not to tell him the truth about it all, but Kira deserved to know, "she was Liene's right hand. Her name was Rayla 'Red' Frost while in ROW and Liene deceived her about everything. Once she learned the truth about how Liene's goals would destroy the world we know and tear down everything that was good and right she swore to stop ROW. In leaving ROW she lost everything and all she was left with was her family's wealth. We've been diverting ROW's plans for a long time. I was in Gibralar because she predicted that Liene was there. We stopped an assassination attempt on Lacus twelve years ago before it was able to take place. We rescued Leyas and Kiran one day when Liene tried to have them kidnapped on their way home from school. We've kept him away from your family, from Cagalli's family and from many other political families over the past fourteen years."

"Then you picked up information on my capture and rescued me because I am part of a political family?" Kira asked.

"Not exactly," Yzak responded, "see you Kira are different. Every member of Redemption knows of the hope you inspire and of the things you stand for. You are the Ultimate Coordinator and you don't fully understand what that means." Kira was a bit unnerved by this, how did Yzak know all that? That information was erased from all records by Chairman Amarfi right after the Gibraltar incident.

"Milady found Ulren Hibiki's lab," Yzak said sensing Kira's unrest, "or rather Liene found it because Liene worked with him and Liene knew everything about you Kira. You were not just created as a scientific breakthrough but the real reason you were born is so that there could be someone in the world to inspire hope to people. Someone who could survive through almost anything. Someone who was strong enough to carry the truth." Yzak could have said something else but he kept it to himself that Kira was strong enough to carry the super seed. Yzak believed it was a theory but Milady believed it was true. There was another level of seed energy that only a few had. This energy was predicted to be enough to allow the human minds to touch. It was still all only prediction but Ulren Hibiki had been onto something when he placed it inside of Kira's DNA.

"I'm not sure i understand it all," Kira replied. Speaking on the ultimate coordinator subject was still a little touchy for him and he did not want to keep pressing for answers in that area.

"You don't have to yet," Yzak replied, "but someday you will."

"What about my family?" Kira asked moving to his real concern, "where are they now?"

"Your wife is now safe in the Clyne Faction base on the dark side of the moon," Yzak replied, "and your children are in ORB under the protection of your siser and your best friend." Kira was a bit shocked by this but he knew Lacus well enough that she would want to send her kids as far away from the fighting as she could.

"When will I get to see them?" Kira asked.

"Not for some time," Yzak replied, though he regretted having to put Kira off again, "we have reason to believe that Liene has laid a trap for us and so we have chosen to back out for now."

"Back out of what?" Kira stood up, "my family are out there and I can do nothing for them if Liene decides to attack them."

"He doesn't know where they are!" Yzak nearly yelled, "and it would be impossible to get you past ROW if what Milady predicts is going to happen happens. I am sorry I can't tell you more but it is impritive that you trust us." Kira calmed down taking a deep breath and remembering the dream he had in the ORB prison that one of his children was already overtaken by the darkness. It was hard for him to just wait when one of his children was in danger.

"I hope I have cleared some things up for you," Yzak said as the door open and Gren came in letting him know that his time was up, "time for you to go now."

"Thank you," Kira said as he walked out with Gren. Yzak then turned to his wall and slammed his fist on it. He regretted not being able to help Kira more and the truth was Yzak knew Kira's kids would not remain safe for long. He feared that Milady overlooked a small detail in claiming that they were safe; the Pain was on the Prejudice and yet it did not launch. Liene's warrior known as Meiko Virea was missing.

"You did not need to do that," he heard the door open and heard Milady's voice behind him. She missed nothing that happened within her own ship and that was part of the reason why she was such a good captain.

"He did not understand Milady," he breathed in, "he was beginning to fear the worst."

"Then perhaps we should send him to ORB," Milady replied.

"It's as you said earlier," he looked down, "it's too dangerous."

Athrun absorbed everything Shinn was telling him about the abandoned outpost that he had found. It seemed to Athrun as though there was something out there that he had completely overlooked. Redemption, he had heard of it once before and not from any political networks. He had heard it breathed in fear by the ROW agent he had caught the day of the attempted assaination on his wife.

"Redemption," Athrun said, "and are you sure that everything was erased?"

"Everything Athrun, It was as if they knew we were coming," he replied not fully understanding what he had seen, "The only thing left was a folder with a few photos and none of them seemed to give a clue as to what this organization is up to."

"I think that they are on our side," Athrun replied thinking about the idea of another organization on their side. Who were these people? Were their intentions good?

"How do you know?" Shinn asked. He was inclined to think that they should name these people enemies until they discovered their true intentions. Unexpected friends were better than unexpected enemies.

"I don't really know," Athrun responded, "I just know that saying Redemption strikes fear into the heart of ROW agents. You should try it sometime and let me know what you come up with." Shinn wondered at this. Was there a possibility that there was a miracle waiting out there for all of them. A miracle led by an embelum of a Rose.

Meiko stood patiently as Yaro climbed up the tree. They had gotten lost in one of the forests outside of the ORB capital and had realized that they were going in circles. Now Yaro had decided that the best way to know which direction to go in was to climb a tall tree and look for the city. Meiko on the other hand was not so conviced; she knew how the lay of the land worked and was pretty sure that she could retrace their steps with no problem. The only thing she was concerned about was the amount of questions it would bring up if she suddenly revealed that she was an expert in tracking and tracing through the land. She was already confusing to Yaro with her perfection in a mobile suit. No need to let him know that she could do more than one thing very well. So she had let him climb the tree but things had been going slower than she thought.

"Are you up their yet," Meiko asked, "because it might be easier just to try and retrace our steps."

"I'm almost to the top," he yelled down. She frowned and sat down by the base of the tree and began to think over the past few days. She, Yaro and Uzumi had hung out around school but she sensed Yaro was always tense. When she was alone with just Yaro he was relaxed. There was no evidence of him and Uzumi having a fight so she did not know what was happening.

Both the boys were comforting to her and for the first time in a long time she felt like she had some real friends. When she was with them she ignored her past trying to take in every peaceful and good feeling that she could knowing that this would not last forever. She had made up her mind that Liene did not need to know anything about the Clyne children being in ORB, they were just children after all and their being there did not mean that Lacus Clyne was there. She was a bit nervous about the thought of lying to Liene but she did not see any other way out of it.

She would be leaving to space soon and then she would remember these moments as happy amidst all the sadness that she would face. She could not hold on to these moments if she cause the death of the two boys she had grown to respect and care about. It was a complicated situation but she thought it was worth a try.

"I think I should have picked a different tree," Yaro said suddenly dropping down beside her causing her to jump, "this one is not nearly as high as it should be." She smiled at this, and he noticed. It was the first time he had ever really seen her smile. She stood up and walked toward a tree near the one he had just come out of.

"Maybe you're just not light enough to get to the top branches," she said hoisting herself into the tree and climbing up it at an impressive speed. Yaro watched in amazement as she disappeared from sight.

"How did you?" he stopped himself, "why didn't you climb the tree in the first place?"

"Because you seemed so determined to do it," she yelled down, "and I did not want to deprive you of something you wanted to do." She had reached the top and she did see the city from there. She smiled to herself and quickly climbed down.

"So?" he asked as she landed next to him.

"It's this way," she said walking in the direction that she had predicted it would be in all along.

"That was fast," he pointed out.

"I know," she responded. They then walked on together continuing the conversation they had started earlier before they got lost.

Wow these chapters are getting long! There weren't as many reviews as I hoped last chapter but props to all those who did review because it was those few reviews that I got that encouraged me to get this done as quick as possible!

I think I have hit the point in the story that I have been anxiously waiting for because everything is finally coming into place for the first half of the first story. There are some big events in store and I can't wait.

I ask again: Has anyone seen the concept art? If so what did you think? If not read my authors note from before the last chapter.

I want to know what you think about how I drew the characters.

Please review

Reviews encourage me to write more faster.

Believe me I really enjoy reading your reviews they make me so happy!

Thanks for reading!

More to come!

Winterschill