It was still odd to sleep in a new place, it was even more odd to sleep in someone else's bed. Yzak slept as best as he could in Sven's bed. Sven said he would take the couch but Sven never slept on the couch from what Yzak has seen. Yzak would not know what he would be doing at night but it wasn't much of a concern to him anymore. A slow agitating feeling started to buildup in Yzak. It took a lot from him to quell that feeling. He itching to get out of there.
That morning, he sensed someone was in the room with him as he heard clinking. He could heat it coming from one side of the room. Yzak sat up, trying to wake up. He looked over to see a figure sitting at the small table for two. His eyes still trying to focus in. He could make out a figure with pink hair. His mind filled in the blanks as Selena, making his heart flutter, but his eyes started to focus to view Sven instead. On the table was a tea set and breakfast items. Sven was taking a sip from the cup.
"Ah, you're awake," Sven smiled seeing Yzak's look of disappointment. "I am sorry you got your hopes up, but wrong twin. Besides if Sel would think I am seducing you in any shape of form, she would hold no mercy for me." Yzak was shocked. Sven let out a chuckle. "I'm kidding! She wouldn't. She brought me back, but I wouldn't put it past her though. Come, eat breakfast. Today is the day!"
Yzak peeled the covers back, turning his body into a sitting position. He slipped his feet into the house slippers. Sven watched him walk over to the other chair and plop himself down. There was some curiosity on Yzak's face besides the grogginess that came with waking up.
Sven poured him a cup, and placed a pastry on his plate. "It will be an eventful day today. However, we must take care of your dilemma first and foremost." Yzak perked up when he took the cup into his hand. "I have prepared some items that will help us. From there, someone, either Mikael or Luka, will take you from there to where you will be needed to go next. I will be busy after we part ways from the first step, and then we will rejoin once we are on the newest warship Sel has created, and then we shall depart to coordinates in outer space."
"Wait, I'm coming too?" Yzak asked in between bites. He thought he was going to be left on Earth.
"Of course," Sven explained. "Can't let you miss out on the fight as well. Hopefully, it will be the final battle and the end to this ongoing curse it has been placed upon my family. We could return to living normal lives. Humanity can rest once again as the threat to their rights are no longer in danger."
"Do you really think that could happen?" Yzak stopped from taking another bite.
Sven eyed him. "Hopefully. Sel has a few plans but that all depends."
"Depends on what?" Yzak wanted to know.
"If that bastard actually got his claws into her," Sven's face darkened.
"And if he did?" Yzak wanted to know. Sven didn't speak. Yzak repeated himself. "And if he did?"
Sven took the cup up to his lips. He didn't answer Yzak's question. "Should eat up. Big day today."
Yzak did as he was told since he was finally going to leave this place. After breakfast, Sven had clothes laid out for Yzak. It was a dark blue shirt with light tan pants. It was an outfit he personally had but looking at the brand, it was not the same. Yzak thought he saw that brand in the guest room he was originally staying in. Sven was didn't change. He was still in his lounge wear. Today's color was a light yellow.
Sven brought out a contact lens case. He opened the case after Yzak had dressed. He held them out to Yzak. "These are translucent lens. You can still make out what is there but you won't be able to see things clearly." Yzak took them from him, opening it up, placing them onto his eyes one by one. He blinked several times, getting them into place. He wasn't used to them.
"May I?" Sven spoke.
"Hm?" Yzak was adjusting his eyesight. He wanted to focus in but he couldn't. He felt Sven touch his ears. He felt something be placed in his ears. His shoulders went up in reflex but Sven pushed them down.
"There we go," Sven spoke. Yzak could hear him clearly with the ear buds in. "These will muffle their voices. It will be clear for everyone but them. They won't know since Sel is a genius on these. Anyways. I'll help you walk to your destination."
The two headed down to the main foyer. Yzak need to hold on the railing as he adjusted to the temporary vision going down the stairs. It became easier once they were finally in the elevator, headed down to the level where the Room was located at.
"When we get to our destination," Sven explained. "You will walk in by yourself. Walk towards the center. Stop. There will be a whole body scan. Green light. Then, you'll hear voices but they will be muffled. When you don't hear them speaking anymore, wait a few seconds more and say 'I need more time.' They may speak again but the door will open back up, you will hear that clearly. You turn and walk out. Do not hesitate. I don't know how long that door will stay open. Just get out of there."
Yzak was stunned when he heard the instructions. He wanted to know what this was all about. It didn't seem like it was about the investigation, but then again, he didn't really know how the royal military does their investigations.
The two stopped in front of a wall with a sliding door. It opened up.
"Remember what I said," Sven reminded him. Yzak walked through the doorway. The sliding door shut behind him. Sven left as soon as it shut. He had to hurry for his own preparations.
Yzak didn't see any objects in the room. He headed to the middle and stopped. A few seconds later a green light scanned him from head to toe. Yzak heard voices first before he saw some sort of figures. He stayed calm. Didn't show any emotions. The voices were muffled as Sven instructed. The voices spoke for much longer than Yzak anticipated. When it finally became quiet again, Yzak spoke the one line he needed to. He waited eagerly for the door to open. It almost felt like it wasn't going to come. Yzak was afraid he would be stuck in another room. He heard the door open at the same time as the voices started to speak again. Yzak turned around, and used his strides to get out of there as quick as he could.
The door did shut right behind him. Yzak was so focused on getting out of the room before the door closed, he didn't see that Luka was by the door. Yzak bumped into him.
"Ah, sorry," Yzak stopped.
Luka grabbed him on either side, steadying him. "Its alright. You did good. Here." Luka took out the hidden ear plugs. He then placed a contact case in Yzak's hand. Yzak took the contacts out quickly. He let out a sigh of relief as he could see clearly again. "I hope your stay has been adequate."
"Oh, yes," Yzak handed back the contact case after he was done with it. "More than adequate."
"Royal treatment?" Luka smiled. Yzak nodded with a smirk. "Since we have bought you more time, it will be easier to get you out of the Kingdom, unfortunately, you will still have to come back to finish it up." Luka looked at his wrist watch. "Hm. We're actually earlier than expected. Let's head this way. You can change in the room." Luka started to walk down the hallway. Yzak followed him. "As usual, what you see here cannot be spoken to others."
Luka led him to another elevator. It took them down a few more levels. They headed to a railway station that brought them farther away from the private mansion. Yzak figured they were getting close to a docking area. When they went through another door after getting off the train, Yzak was surprised to see another hallway. Luka led him into a room.
It had a lounge area with a sink, refrigerator, and snacks. Ther was a set of stairs that led up to another area. Another door, that led to a bathroom. Lots of cupboards for storage. Yzak watched Luka head to the cupboards to bring out pieces of the Kingdom's Royal military uniform. A light grey military uniform with gold and light blue embellishments adorned by a medallion cape with grey outside and gold embroidery that was fastened across the chest. The inlay of the cape was gold.
Yzak changed from his attire into the uniform. Luka headed up the stairs to allow Yzak to change in peace. Yzak placed the light grey crusher visor cap upon his head. He headed up the stairs only to see Luka staring out of a large window. Yzak glanced at himself in the reflection of the window. He not only looked different but felt different. It should feel like another uniform but seeing his reflection, it felt like he was another version of himself.
"I felt the same way when I wore my first uniform here," Luka looked over to him. Yzak walked over to him. Lights started to dim around them. "Luckily, we got here just in time. They have not entered yet."
Yzak looked out the window to see they were peering into a large cavern. However, there was green grass on the ground. There were stone figures in the middle with a large group of people formed in a circle around them. Off to the side looked like a band of some sort. They had simple instruments like drums in variety of sizes. He could see bones, a horn, a clay rattle, a range of flutes, harps, and lyres.
"Usually this is done on sacred land," Luka explained. "But it would cause a stir. This has been deemed sacred for those in the royal military. It is where they can hold ceremonies like this without onlookers. There are many rooms like the one we are in, for those who do not worship the ancient ones but still want to be a part of the ceremony."
Yzak looked out so see similar windows. The windows were tinted to blend in. One could see out of the windows, but others could not see in.
"Vikings ranged from all sorts. Anglo-Saxons to Scandinavians. Allowing others to become a Viking like themselves. Modern times, the old ways are still running strong throughout the Kingdom but there is no more pillaging. There is freedom of religion. You can practice any religion or not any at all, but you cannot force your beliefs onto someone else. If your beliefs are actually harmful, then the law will step in. You have not gotten the chance to experience Scandinavian and Nordic lifestyle. The three countries that make up the Kingdom, share similarities but are also different. Some are straight forward, they like do things alone, social distance is normal, while others like to drink, take turns talking, don't interrupt.
"Blending cultures together there is bound to be frustration, but royal families have navigated that smoothly," Luka continued to explain. "This is one of the ways. The rooms around us hosts soldiers who practice a different religion. They are still part of the crew but they can worship in their own way. Or if someone is an atheist, they can still watch as a respectful onlooker."
The people in the middle wore several different traditional garments. They watched people placing down items at the different stone figures. The band was playing music and singing.
"When you joined ZAFT," Luka glanced over to him. "What was the reason?"
"You know how it was like growing up in the PLANTs," Yzak explained. "We may have had superior genetics but we were reduced to second class citizens. We were forced into depending on Naturals because they forced us down to make us depend on them. There was no way out. Until we united against them to form ZAFT, to rise up and become our own. I didn't think of joining ZAFT until the fall of Junius 7. A lot of us thought the same. We have the capabilities to do something, so why not do something about it. If it meant taking down the very Naturals who subjugated us, well at the time it was a bonus."
"But now?" Luka asked him.
Yzak glanced at his own reflection. "My reasons are still similar. I may have made some mistakes along the way, but I still fight for equality. I still fight to keep our footing in the world, even if others don't like it."
"Do you think you have repented enough for accidently killing the civilians in the First War?" Luka looked over to him.
Yzak paused. "I hope I have but it is still not enough." Yzak looked back up to see people coming in from the edges towards the circle. They looked like they were ancient soldiers getting ready to head off into battle. "I still mull over that incident. I didn't know they were civilians. It was a battlefield. The Archangel never broadcasted they were civilians. The shuttle never broadcasted they were civilians. I did what I was trained as a soldier to do, yet it finally caught up to me. I was to be punished and yet the late Supreme Council Chairman Durandal stepped in and wiped all of our past mistakes clean. I was lucky. Hearing Selena was also going to save me, also lucky. When I wear that ZAFT uniform, when I make those decisions as a commander, I hope that I can stop further bloodshed. I hope I can stop those who want to push the world back into classism. I hope that I can continue to make a difference. I hope that I can right my wrongs.
"Was it another blow to my pride when I met Kira, the pilot of the Strike?" Yzak scoffed. "Absolutely. Was it even more of a blow to find out he was a civilian with no military training? Or how he forgave me for all the things I have done because I was a soldier, and I followed my superiors? How he hoped that we could make amends and start a new path," Yzak let out a chuckle. "For a person like him to wield that type of power in battle, in reality he is a soft hearted man full of nauseating kindness at times." Yzak had a look of annoyance and disappointment. "Countless times he has gotten lost while Supreme Council Chairwoman Clyne was in meetings and I had to show him the way back. Ugh!"
Luka let out a laugh. "You're human, Yzak. That's all that we are, humans. Being highly evolved, our emotions no longer fixate on basic instinct. We now deal with complicated emotions and problems. Human made problems need human made answers. However, a complicated emotion can be traced back to something so simple, maybe even instinctual. Long before these three countries unified to become a Kingdom, they went through pillaging and wars, then they modernized and become some of the best places to live, and now a neutral nation, hoping to keep that way of life. However, they never lost sight of their roots. And what you see now. Those are soldiers, Berserkers to be exact. The next ones are Ulfhednars and then the Disirs." Luka could see the confusion on Yzak's face.
"Berserkers are bear like warriors who go into a trance like state," Luka explained. "They become like this state through a ritual process right before battle. Ulfhednars are wolf like warriors. Disirs are female spirits associated with Fate that can either be benevolent or antagonistic. Coordinators like us, fought to stay alive. We picked up arms to keep our lives. These people have put down their weapons to pick up farming and live their lives. There were no standing armies. Maybe call to arms but they wanted to live peacefully as fisherman, farmers, wood workers, and such. And now they are called once again to pick up arms." Yzak watched as he spotted Princess Anita walking in by herself. She was dressed in ancient warrior attire. "We fought for the desperation of our lives. We fought for revenge. We fought to avenge the lives we lost. But for them, this fight may be in revenge for what they did to the royal family, hopefully ending this long feud, this isn't something new. They're putting down their rakes, nets, saws, and picking back up the axe, the sword, and shields." Anita placed down an offering to one of the statues. Sven walked in next, with similar attire. "Their blades never rusted or became dull. Their shields have never collected dust. The muscles still remember how to take down the enemy with one blow." Sven placed down an offering to a stone statue. He entered the circle of people. Finally, Selena entered as she was the last. Luka pushed a button to listen in on the singing. They both got goosebumps from the ceremony. Luka continued on. "This is what happens when you provoke a civilization who has worked its way to live in peace from being warriors." Yzak looked over to Luka. "The wolves of Odin will not stop at baring their fangs, they will rip the throats out of their enemies." Yzak gulped as Luka looked over to him. Selena placed down her offering at one of the stone statues.