Gundam Seed Destiny Fan Fiction ❯ Coming To Terms ❯ STAGE: 001: CHANGE ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

coming to TERMS .

four years later, and quite the change

STAGE : 001
by kurumi

A light breeze filtered through the light temperatures of autumn. The sun was mid way in the pastel sky; a mixture of soft blues, oranges, and pinks. Shinn focused on the road ahead, but in the back of his mind he had to admit, that no matter how much he had come to dislike ORB, it was simply beautiful. The trees were all painted with an orange palette, each orange not the same as the next. Autumn had been his favorite month when he lived in ORB, years ago when Mayu and his parents were still alive. He quickly blocked the thought from his mind; he had things to be happy about. For one, Lunamaria, who sat next to him in the medium blue car that was heading down the coast of ORB. He tipped his head for a moment to catch a glimpse of her for a moment and she smiled in acknowledgement. It had been some time since the two had visited the grave of his family, and the other casualties of the attack. It was indeed a bittersweet place, but Shinn found that his pain and his passionate hate had begun to wear away, slowly with time.

He suddenly became aware of the cell phone in his pocket, the possession of his late sister. The cell phone had become a reminder of love, instead of a reminder of death, after the war had cleared. They came to a stop, with a gorgeous view of ORB's ocean. “Come on, Luna.” Shinn smiled opening the side of his door. Lunamaria did the same, as she lifted the flowers from the back seat. They Angelic White Lilies, Shinn had told Luna that they were Mayu's favorite.

As they made the trek down into the open area that sheltered the simple, the one, the only one pedestal that carried the memorial of everyone who had died. He smiled, seeing that foliage had grown around the grave that had before been the death site of many. Flowers grew, and surely new hope could arise from so. It was strange to him that the place he was ready to destroy could be so beautiful to him now. As they advanced further, almost reaching their destination, the faint of a figure lined in front of the grave was visible. The figure had bent over to place flowers onto the grave.

Lunamaria went ahead of Shinn, picking her pace up to almost a jog. While he was still bent over, Lunamaria lifted her hand onto his shoulder, still unaware of whom it was. The figure turned his head to the side to lock his malachite eyes with Lunamaria's lavender. Lunamaria let go of his shoulder, with a gasp.

“… At-Athrun?” She stuttered out, taking a step back, taken by shock.

“Lunamaria.” Athrun faced completely forward, taken back a bit, and then he looked beyond Lunamaria. “… Shinn.” Shinn stopped where he was, to also be taken in by surprise. Shinn quickly made it to the grave area and was next to Lunamaria.

“Athrun.” Shinn let out a long breathe, gradually smiling. Lunamaria did the same quickly offering her former comrade a hug. Athrun, a little surprised at first, smiled taking the hug in return.

After Athrun had let go of Lunamaria, Shinn and Athrun locked hands in an all to formal shake until they were both laughing and both went into a few second grasp, all awkwardness had vanished.

x x x

“So, Athrun,” Lunamaria began, setting the flowers onto the stone memorial. “You're still living in ORB, I see.” Lunamaria moved next to Shinn again. Athrun casually nodded while fixing his own flowers so that both bouquets could be properly seen. He went back in line next to Shinn, who was next to Lunamaria.

“Yeah, I still in live in ORB.” He tilted his head to get a good look at both of the ZAFT soldiers. Shinn stepped forward, sliding both his hands behind his neck, and continued on with the conversation.

“I figured as much, an idiot like you would live here.” He had said this with a laugh in his throat. He had only been joking with the previous ZAFT ace. Athrun only returned the comic gesture with a lighthearted laugh, stepping next to Shinn. Lunamaria stood a good step back from both and laughed quietly as the watched the peace between the two.

“So, then you and Lunamaria live in PLANT, then?” Athrun asked, then taking his hands into his pockets, watching Shinn from the sides of his eyes. He already knew the answer, but it was conversation, and he needed to break the ice of four years. Shinn and Lunamaria did not look too different, he noted, just a little taller and more mature. He'd noticed Lunamaria had never grown her hair out, Shinn had told her not to.

“Yeah,” Shinn said, rather laid back, something he wouldn't have been a couple years ago. After the war, many things has changed, and with the change, everyone must flow; even the stubborn Shinn Asuka. He smiled and turned to Lunamaria, which in return she smiled back. “We do.”

Taking the conversation in another direction, Lunamaria moved next to Athrun. “Isn't is funny you brought the same flowers as us, Athrun?” Shinn hadn't noticed before, and neither had Athrun, but both had brought bouquets of Angelic White Lilies. It really was a strange coincidence that made the three take up laughter, lightly. Both bouquets laid on the stone, perfectly aligned for all to see.

Shinn looked up into the clear sky, closing his eyes for a moment. “Lilies are Mayu's favorite.” Lunamaria smiled, and then asked Athrun.

“Athrun, do you like Lilies to?” Athrun was a bit caught off guard by such a random question. He only smiled and shrugged.

“I like them, yeah, but they're my wife's favourite.” He said plainly. As Athrun focused his eyes on the horizon that touched the water, both Shinn and Lunamaria found themselves gasping, shocked from his nonchalant comment. For a second both thought they'd misheard, but Athrun nodded in their direction.

x x x

Athrun, Lunamaria, and Shinn gradually made it up the steps. Lunamaria stopped, still in disbelief. “Athrun, you're married.” She took it in. Ever since he'd confirmed his marriage, they'd been silent, and now Lunamaria was the first to talk. She let out a long breath and gave him another hug. “Congratulations.” Shinn was as shocked as Lunamaria been, but was more curious of who his wife was.

Shinn smiled and shook Athrun's hand. Athrun smiled, beginning back up the stairs again. As they reached top, Athrun turned to Shinn and Lunamaria. “Why don't you come visit at my home for a while, so long as you're in ORB?” Lunamaria brightened, tugging on Shinn's shirt.

“Come on, Shinn.” She smiled. Shinn only nodded, Athrun smiled, and he called over to them as they both reached for their cars. “Just follow me!”

Then for a second as Athrun began driving to his home, he realized that maybe this had not been such a great idea.

x x x

Lunamaria and Shinn were a bit in awe as they drove up behind Athrun to what they assumed was his home… It was HUGE. There were pillars stringing across the front of the white house, each seemingly holding up the marble slabs of the front. There were elongated silver framed windows letting light bask into the lower floor. Gardens that seemed like they were from a fairytale twisted around to the back yard, and various flowers flourished to become beautiful… just like once upon a time. You could clearly see that a segment of the roof was made from crystal to be part of a sun ceiling. There were large ok doors, two of them and double doored that led inside. They expected some like Athrun Zala to perhaps have a nice house, but this was something surely much more elegant than they had pictured.

“Shinn! Lunamaria!” Called Athrun, driving by the side of the house, and getting out of his car. Athrun slid his jacket off, waving to them, advancing up to the front gate. The two ZAFT pilots followed behind Athrun, leaving the gate behind and coming up to the front door. Athrun twisted the large door open, the right side of the double door. As they were now granted to see the insides, they were a little surprised. It wasn't as extravagant as the outside had been… it was more relaxed, surely it was beautiful, but comfortable as well.

The sound of the door clicked as Shinn closed it behind him and as the three walked from the foyer into the main room, though out one door light, tiny and swift steps could be heart, and along with a world that neither Shinn nor Lunamaria expected:

Papa!

Before anyone had time to say anything, two tiny bodies were running from the open door and into the main room. Little dresses bounced up and down rhythmically, little shoes pattered on the tile of the floor, and tiny arms jumped and reached for “Papa.” Shinn and Lunamaria watched as blue haired little girl grabbed at Athrun's right shoulder and a blonde at his left, as he lifted them into his arms. It was quite easy to tell that the blue haired girl was Athrun's daughter; had Athrun been a girl, and a child, that is what he would have looked like. She kissed Athrun's cheek, as the other did, but she was not so identical to Athrun. With blonde hair, the only attribute that linked her to Athrun Zala was her emerald eyes.

“Papa, Papa.” They both smiled, gaping onto Athrun's neck like little princesses. Athrun smiled warmly, telling his daughters.

“Girls, we have guests today.” He turned the girls to see both Lunamaria and Shinn. Lunamaria had already been lost to the cuteness of the girls. “Athrun! Your daughters are so adorable!” Lunamaria smiled as Athrun gladly let his blonde daughter into Lunamaria's arms. Shinn smiled as he saw the miracle that Athrun and his wife an undoubtedly created… human life. He could only, like Lunamaria, drown in the essence of youth, the innocence that rarely existed in anyone but children.

However, everyone had become distracted when they heard a voice from the kitchen. “Athrun, is that you?” It was a feminine voice, and both Shinn and Lunamaria were positive it was the lucky Mrs.Zala. Lunamaria looked down at the child in her arms as she struggled from Lunamaria's grasp, as the blue haired child did to Athrun. They were both ecstatic with the words, “MOMMY!” Lunamaria had grown excited, with the wonder of who his wife was.

They watched the two girls patter off into the kitchen, excitedly, like when Athrun had gotten home.

“Athrun, can you help me with the girls?” She called out from the kitchen, with a little distraction in her voice, so she quickly added. “You know, being six months pregnant isn't easy.” She chuckled lightly, something that made Athrun warm, and something both Lunamaria and Shinn had noticed.

Athrun gave a small note. “Just a second— Coming!” He said, while power walking into the kitchen to help his pregnant wife. Within moments, Athrun is out with the blonde child hanging from his arms, as she smiles happily, being in her papa's arms. Following suit, his wife is out from the kitchen, right behind him, the navy haired child in her arms as well.

Without looking at her face, Lunamaria note that she is DEFINITELY pregnant.

Only, what Shinn sees first is not her stomach, but her face, her identity. Lunamaria looks over to see Shinn's hand clenched and his teeth slightly grinding, and only then does she look to see what Shinn saw. Lunamaria, shocked from normal speech can only mutter out.

“Representative— uh..Princess… Attha…”

m i s c e l l a n e o u s :

Hello there! Well, this is obvious post GSD. So what do you think? I actually like it & let's face it—
Someone needed to write this. Because WTH happened during the end of GSD. nothing was CLARIFIED!
Sorry to Asurin fans, but I'm completely Asucaga. I have finally made my contribution
to the GS section, which I've been meaning to do for some time. I will also have another chaptered fic coming after
this, the info is on my profile.

& if you wanted to know this is a chaptered fic.
Stay tuned for the next stage.

CAITLAN / FUJI / NINJA-BUTTERFLIIE

this is for you, thanks for being my GSD junkie for
the past while. You're AWESOME!
& thanks for reading over this.
Oh, and since I couldn't think of a proper title,
she cleverly suggested:

"Holy Crap They're Married?"
-huggles-

Luff j00!

R e a d & R e v i e w

Disclaimer; Uh, I, Uh. Unclaimer cause Gundam is obviously not mine.