Gundam SEED Fan Fiction ❯ In The Arms Of A War Hero ❯ Informal Welcome ( Chapter 5 )

-Author's Note-

I am so appreciative to all of you who are staying tuned to each update, and especially to ~Alexs for keeping up behind me after every update, thanks so much!

 

On Sunday, I'll be leaving for California and will be coming back around August 4th, so I hope that you hold on, because this will be the last chapter for almost three weeks, until I get back. I hope by then, I will have obtained a couple new readers and possible reviewers and that you all continue on to enjoy this.

Here's a little bit of a longer chapter as a little going away present to all of you keeping up, lotsa love you guys!

Please enjoy!

 

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In The Arms Of A War Hero

 

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Informal Welcome

 

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Chapter 5

 

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“We will be landing shortly,” announced the captain, “and I hope that you have had an enjoyable flight and I thank you for flying with us. Please enjoy the remainder of the flight.”

 

Kira began to grow agitated as he saw all the similar territory he had seen once before. All the memories rushed back in his mind like the incoming tide and he shut his eyes as in means of trying to hold them back.

 

Cagalli placed her hand on top of her brother's, trying to offer some kind of comfort, “It's ok, Kira,” she said. He looked at her and let out a small sigh as he nodded his head and looked back out the window.

 

The plan landed smoothly and swiftly upon the ragged runway, tarnished sheets of ice pattered upon the tarmac.

 

Kira and Cagalli stepped out of the plane along with Mayura, Cagalli's teacher presently, and several men she had not yet been to familiar with.

 

Mayura was dressed in a pale green, goose-feathered coat with fake fur trim along the sleeve cuffs and hood. She wore chunky beige boots and pushed her hair into the small depths of her hood to protect her hair.

 

“Are you all ready, Ms. Representative?” Mayura asked walking beside Cagalli who was turning anxiously taking in the sight of the former battlefield.

 

“Yes,” Cagalli said with a nod of her head, placing her golden hair inside the hood of her auburn winter coat. Her cheeks were already red due to the crisp wind that caused Kira to shiver, along with the memories that caused his eyes to flash.

 

Kira ambled aimlessly behind Cagalli as Mayura went on about the courses of action that were applied during the battle that took place at Alaska, and how ORB handled themselves. Kira kept picturing himself inside his Gundam and he shook tried to shake his head free of thought.

 

“Mr. Yamato,” a man behind him called.

 

“Yes?” Kira asked.

 

“If you are not doing anything, we have heard rumor that there will be an arrival of ZAFT soldiers,” the man said, be followed by a miniscule herd of men.

 

“ZAFT soldiers? Here? Do you know why?” Kira asked, his hood being blown to his shoulders.

 

“Searching for some kind of lost technology, I heard,” responded one man.

 

“Probably just out picking a fight,” grumbled another.

 

“Hmm,” Kira said, looking down at his black snow boots.

 

What would ZAFT be doing here? There's no sensible reason to start a fight here, there's nothing happening. But some kind of lost technology? What could be so valuable that ZAFT would have to come back here to Earth to retrieve?

 

“We would…feel more comfortable if we knew - ”

 

“That I was keeping an eye open, just in case?” Kira said, offering a civil smile.

 

“Yes,” sighed the man who came up to Kira first, “that would be much appreciated.”

 

Kira nodded and told the man to no longer worry about it, because he would keep his eyes open just in case there were any signs of ZAFT soldiers…not that he would be able to do anything in case there were any, anyways.

 

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“Leaving Earth's atmosphere,” Athrun announced guiding the Justice through the finishing mandatory stages. Once the Justice and Buster were grazing open waters, Dearka said, “Boy, wasn't that fun!” he commented sarcastically. Athrun gave him the courtesy of chuckling.

 

“So…Alaska, huh?” Dearka rambled on, “lotsa ice there. Hopefully we won't have to dig for it. That would suck.”

 

“Uh-huh…” Athrun said flicking his eyes over each individual screen in front of him.

 

“What do you think's so important about this tracking device? Must be one helluva machine for Chairman Zala to be this fanatical about it.”

 

“I dunno,” Athrun said leaning back slightly in his seat, “but I couldn't care less, honestly.” Dearka followed suit with a chuckle and the two boys traveled in silence until they embarked upon Alaska a couple kilometers away.

 

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“I apologize for it not being any larger in size, Ms. Clyne, but I do hope it is suitable for you during your stay here.”

 

An elderly woman had offered homestead for Lacus and her attendants once they had arrived, and offered to let them use her house until they needed to leave Tokyo.

 

“This is fine, thank you. I am much appreciative for all the help you've given us already,” Lacus said offering the woman a smile.

 

“Haro! Haro!”

 

“But are you sure it's not a problem leaving us this house?” Lacus inquired, “I would feel terrible if you didn't have a place to stay…”

 

“No, no,” the woman quarreled waving off Lacus's comment with her hand, “do not worry, Ms. Clyne. My daughter has wanted me to move in with her for ages.” The woman leaned in towards Lacus, putting up a secretive hand to her mouth,

 

“She thinks I can't take care of myself,” she whispered. Lacus offered the woman a smile as she took of her cape and laid it gently across the back of a chair beside her.

 

The woman handed her a key and left soon after, “Thank you very much!” Lacus cried after her, waving to the woman from the doorway.

 

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“So, where do you want to start? We've got a lot of ground to cover,” Dearka said, clawing his way around the snow piles.

 

“Well, we'll cover more ground if we split up, so you take the East side and I'll take the West side, we'll meet at North and see if we can find anything.”

 

“That's fine by me!” Dearka called walking away from Athrun with his arm in the air giving a badly done salute. Athrun smirked at Dearka than turned around, placing a backpack on his back containing a power canister to give the left over Gundam a small amount of power. Athrun set off into this frozen wonderland hoping that this excavation would be done in a minimum amount of time.

 

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“Kira!” Cagalli cried running towards her brother. “Did you hear that!”

 

The sound of something large incoming had Cagalli shaken up. She had instantly left Mayura and some council members on her own to dive for her brother, but she felt safer just being in his presence.

 

“Cagalli,” Kira said looking at his sister. “One of the council members was telling me that he heard rumors about ZAFT soldiers coming here in search of some kind of technology. I think they've landed here. In Gundams…”

 

“What!? ZAFT! Here!” Cagalli put a hand to her forehead and looked around anxiously. “What are we gonna do?” she asked worrisomely.

 

“Don't worry,” Kira said, “I'm gonna go check it out, just stay close to everyone, ok?”

 

“Kira, I'm going with you,” Cagalli said keeping her arms stiff at her sides and straightening her posture.

 

“No, Cagalli. It could be dangerous,” Kira said trying to reason.

 

“I'm not staying here worrying about whether or not something has happened or whether the ORB council members will be attacked!”

 

“Cagalli…”

 

“Just get all the other council people on the plane and get them to stay there until we know it's safe. But I'm going with you, Kira,” Cagalli said firmly.

 

Kira sighed and mentally rolled his eyes at his sister's stubbornness. “Alright, fine. I'll keep lookout while you tell everyone to get on the plane.”

 

“Gotcha.”

 

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Is this it?

 

No…just a snow pile…

 

Is this is?

 

Another snow pile…

 

This HAS to be it!

 

Damn these snow piles!

 

Dearka had a gut feeling that the Gundam containing the tracking system was going to be hidden under some snow. And he found it necessary to dig at every large snow pile he saw, thinking the device could be hidden underneath.

 

“God…this is gonna take forever,” he sighed resting a confused hand to his forehead.

 

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Maybe Dearka's found it. Maybe he's already at the North side.

 

If only I knew what it looked like…

 

Athrun was grazing the snow intently looking for any sign of unevenness or bumpiness coming from a snow mound, but all he saw was a whole lot of white.

 

He walked around aimlessly, sticking his arm done every large snow pile that he passed by, hoping to hit something hard.

 

He walked straight until there was a colossal mound of snow in his way. He began to go around it, when he saw a small amount of black sticking out from underneath the snow. He ran his hand over the black spot and brushed away the snow, revealing what he soon realized to be, the cockpit of a Gundam.

 

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“Everyone inside?”

 

“Yeah, after some complaining, and yelling, it all went underway.”

 

Kira and Cagalli carefully paced along the snow banks, gazing outwards at the frozen world before them.

 

“Do you think it might be, Athrun?” Cagalli said, Kira heard a small amount of hope and joy in her voice.

 

“I don't think so,” Kira said.

 

“Why not? He's back at ZAFT, isn't he? His father could have chosen him to come?”

 

“But he's in jail…” Kira said. Mentally scolding himself for letting that slip out.

 

“Jail? What!”

 

Cagalli moved herself in front of Kira blocking his path and held a hand out and pressed it against his chest to stop him from moving.

 

“What'd you mean jail? He hasn't sent us any letters, how would you know how…he…is…”

 

Cagalli trailed off as he saw a guilty hint in Kira's eyes as he looked away from her face and down to the snow by his feet.

 

“Did Athrun send a letter, Kira?”

 

“I didn't want you to worry,” Kira said quietly. “I didn't want you to be so upset that you wouldn't be able to concentrate on your duties to ORB.”

 

“But Kira!” Cagalli shouted. “You hid this from me! You lied to me!”

 

“I didn't want you to be upset about him, Cagalli!” Kira tried to reason. “I didn't want it to upset you.”

 

“I'm upset, Kira! I - ugh - how could you not tell me!” she shouted after stalking off into the snow.

 

“Cagalli, wait!” Kira called after her, but she just ignored him and continued to trudge off.

 

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Athrun had managed to open the cockpit, only to find the frozen remains of half a former ZAFT soldier inside. Trying not to retch, Athrun pulled the remains out into the snow and buried the body, offering a proper salute and then continuing on with his own business.

 

He slipped inside and sat down, from his pack he pulled out the power canister and hooked it up to the interior of the Gundam. It started up with the glimmer of its eyes and the OS Menu came up. Athrun did what he had been instructed to do and ejected the disk that contained the tracking system on it.

 

Personally, I thought it would be a solid piece of equipment, not information on a disk, Athrun thought amusedly.

 

“But, oh well…” he sighed unhooking the power cylinder and putting it back in his pack that he tossed over one shoulder as he climbed out of the Gundam. He climbed around the Gundam and continued on his way until he met Dearka at due North.

 

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Why couldn't he have told me! Did he think it made me feel less worried about Athrun not knowing that he was safe, let alone ALIVE!

 

Cagalli continued stomping her way around thinking furiously about how Kira had kept something so important away from her. It was a letter from Athrun. From Athrun. Maybe if it had been from Lacus, or Miriallia, she wouldn't have been so upset. But because it was a letter from Athrun and Kira had kept it from her, made her even more upset.

 

Cagalli snapped out of her thoughts and spun around, staring wide-eyed around her location. She was completely out of sight of Kira and she hadn't been keeping track of where she was going.

 

“Kira!” she called, hearing her own voice replying to her call as the wind played with her echo in the frost-bitten air.

 

“Mayura!”

 

Oh damn it… she thought. I think I'm lost…

 

“Hey…don't I know you…”

 

Cagalli spun around and found a familiar face walking towards her in a red ZAFT uniform with wild blonde hair.

 

“Oh my God! Dearka!” Cagalli said happily walking over towards him. “I heard that ZAFT soldiers were coming here, but I didn't think I'd see you here!”

 

“What are you doing here, yourself? Is ice a new hobby or something?” he joked.

 

Cagalli laughed, “No, no. I'm here for work actually. I'm learning about the tactics used by ORB that took place in the battle here.”

 

“What? A classroom's no good anymore?” he said smirking.

“Apparently not,” she said smiling back. “So, are you here by yourself?”

 

“No, actually, I'm here with - ”

 

“Cagalli?”

 

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“Damn it! Why did she have to run off. I knew she was going to be upset. But running off wasn't what she should have done! She's probably lost know…”

 

Kira wandered off in the same direction he saw Cagalli stalk off in. He felt badly about not telling her, but his intentions were for the best. He knew she was going to be upset, but running off on her own in Alaska wasn't exactly what Kira had pictured her doing. But, she has a right to be upset, after all, her and Athrun were pretty friendly, and Kira could understand why she'd be upset with him by not sharing the news about the letter with her.

 

Kira just hoped that he'd find Cagalli before it started to get dark.

 

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Cagalli slowly turned around at hearing such a familiar voice. She heard that voice every night in her dreams and had only dreamt about the day when she'd hear it again.

 

My mind is playing tricks on me…My mind is playing tricks on me…Oh my god…it IS him…

 

Cagalli turned to see Athrun Zala standing right before her. Tall and handsome, just as she remembered him. After fifteen months of wondering how he was, where he was, what he was doing, he was right in front of her.

 

“Athrun…” Cagalli said, the name sounding so fugitive yet memorable on her lips.

 

“Cagalli…” Athrun repeated, “What are you doing here?”

 

Cagalli explained to the Athrun ORB's reasoning for bringing her out to Alaska, but all the while as she explained, she couldn't take her eyes away from the sight of him. Her eyes drank in every ounce of what she had so longed to see for such a long time.

 

“Fifteen months, Athrun…” Cagalli said.

 

“I know…” he replied.

 

They both stood in silence, staring at each other. Their hearts racing. Thinking about how long it had been since they had seen each other, how long since the last time they had spoken.

 

Athrun began to walk towards Cagalli. Cagalli was glued to the spot. She watched him slowly make his way towards her as he stopped in front of her. Cagalli felt tears in her eyes. It was really Athrun.

 

Before she had another moment to think, he pulled her into a hug. Holding her tightly around her arms, she stood limp in his arms. Feeling the warmth from his body she felt several tears fall.

 

“Athrun…” she cried in his ear. She pulled her arms out from underneath his and wrapped them tightly around his neck, holding him close once again. Breathing in his masculine scent that she had almost forgotten.

 

“I missed you,” he admitted to her as he broke the hug to look at her. Cagalli felt her already red cheeks glow redder. “Yeah, I missed you too,” she admitted.

 

“Cagalli? Athrun?”

 

Kira stood in the snow drinking in the sight before him. His best friend and his sister were talking, just like fifteen months ago. For a couple seconds Kira felt a twinge of guilt for not telling Cagalli about Athrun's letter, before he walked up to his friend and placed his hand on his shoulder.

 

“Hello Athrun,” he said.

 

“Hello Kira,” Athrun responded.

 

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-Author's Note-

I realize it's not exactly THAT long, lol. But it's longer than I usually write. I hope you guys enjoyed that, `cause this is the last update in almost three weeks. AH! Scary isn't it?

 

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If you have any comments what-so-ever, or questions at all, I would love to hear them via e-mail or review.

 

I will talk to you all again in 3 weeks!! TAKE CARE EVERYBODY!!