Fanficlets - Gundam SEED [Destiny]

Rated
All
(G)
Title: Prelude To the End
Date: 2006/10/06
Author: Duokai
Rating: All ages (G)
Genre: Mood
Pairing: None
Spoilers: None
Comments: Takes place before episode 23 of gundam SEED.
Link to first publication: LiveJournal

Prelude to the end

(Gundam SEED immediately before episode 23)

It was already bright daylight in the room when Nicol awoke. He stretched out in his bed and yawned. A quick look at the clock gave the answer 8:52. Late, but not disastrous late. Even if his original plan to let the increase in light wake him up – he hated the alarm clock with a passion – had gone astray he still would have more than enough time to get ready and get back to the harbour.

He yawned again. It had been a long time since he had last been sleeping in his own, old bed. Not that there was anything wrong with the bunks on the ZAFT vessels, or the standard-issue beds back at the academy, but they weren’t his. The green-haired young man pushed away the blanket and prepared to get out of bed, but stayed sitting at the edge of it, looking around in the room.

It had been his room for as long as he could remember. Every item in it had a history for him. The book shelves, the desk with the video screen, the electronic keyboard filling in for the piano downstairs when he wanted to have more privacy than the large salon offered. The many posters still adorning the walls – he smiled for himself when his eyes fell on a small poster featuring Lacus Clyne. The wardrobe with all his civilian clothes. He wondered if they still would fit him. It had been quite a while since he last needed to use a lot of those. At first the uniforms had felt weird, but soon he had got used to the red, high-necked uniform that now hanged over the back of a chair. With a small sigh he rose from the bed and dressed.

When finished, he let his eyes sweep across the room again, as if trying to memorise it. The shelves cluttered with memorabilia, most of which probably made no sense to anyone but him. The small, round stone from the beach. The card from the classmate that he had had a secret crush on in fifth grade. Some old stickers. Things he didn’t really need, but didn’t have the heart to throw away. In any case, he needed to clean and reorganise a little soon, he thought. His room was a little too much the boy he had been some years ago and too little the current Nicol. But that had to wait until he came back next time. He picked up his bag from the floor and went downstairs.

The breakfast was all set on the table when he entered the dining room. The usual breakfast for years by now. A reassuring tradition and an easy way to start the day. His parents knew his routines almost as well as he did. He poured the tea and put jam on the still slightly warm bread.

He met up with his parents in the hallway. A hug, a soft kiss on his cheek from his mother, some of the usual words about how good-looking and grownup he looked in that uniform, and they all walked toward the door. She had never been fond of him being a soldier, but had accepted it as the duty it was. Very much like he had once done. No one had ever outright told him to enlist, but he had felt it. Being the son in the Amarfi family made it his duty, sort of. Anything else would have been a betrayal of his family. And he couldn’t let his parents down like that.

On his way out, he paused by the grand piano in the big salon. Maybe he should bring those sheets of music, just in case. He needed all the practice he could get. And even if the others found it strange, he actually was helped by only reading the notes, hearing the music in his mind. Taking the sheets of paper from the note stand, he opened his duffel bag and put them on top of the other things already packed. This mission was probably going to be a tedious hide-and-seek one, with not much to do anyway.

Nicol walked down the garden path toward the waiting car, a couple of steps behind his parents and without turning to look back. Why should he? It was just another going away for a while. Soon he would be back again.

Copyright © 2009 Bit Alchemy Revolution & Tonakai Studio
Anime screenshot photo credits: Cagalli Yula Athha and Athrun Zala from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny © Sunrise / Bandai