Fic: Identification Number O04172 4/22 By: Miss Peeps

[misspeeps]

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AN: I've added an OC for my deranged plot purposes. Sorry if you don't like them...

Identification Number O04172

Part One, Chapter Three

As the Aprillius colony began to block out the sun light and turn on the street lights, Athrun parked in front of the church. He and Cagali climbed out of the car. He handed the Natural a ticket and they made their way inside.

"Athrun, is it okay for Naturals to go to something like this?" she asked.

"Of course,"

"But isn't it looked down upon for a slave to attend an event this formal?"

"It's just a concert. If there was something wrong with taking a Natural, you wouldn't be invited."

Cagali took a deep breath and headed inside. The foyer was filled with Coordinators conversing like normal humans. They seemed to produce an air of unwelcoming haughtiness that made the Natural feel nervous. It was the feeling that if she didn't get out of here, something bad would happen. She stuck close to her owner, in hopes that he would do any talking for her.

Why had she wanted to go in the first place? She hadn't been cooped up that long. Sure it was nice to get out of the house; sure she needed to see around PLANT in order to accomplish the objective but... This was just discomforting.

Athrun didn't bother to greet anyone in the foyer; rather he squeezed his way to the doors leading to the auditorium. He handed a girl his ticket, and she handed him a program with an 'enjoy the concert.' Cagali followed suite, but the girl only sneered at her.

With the exception of the symphony players warming up on stage, the auditorium was almost empty. Cagali took a moment to look around the room, noting to location of the exits. Athrun headed up to the front of the stage. She followed in the general direction, sitting down in a pew far enough behind him that she wasn't bothering him and close enough to him that he would notice if someone gave her trouble.

She noticed another ZAFT soldier in the symphony, wearing the same maroon uniform as her owner. He made his way over to Athrun and they started talking. She hadn't had the opportunity to see the guy before. However, with the little she knew about the culture it didn't make sense for a prestigious ZAFT red to be the pianist in the Aprillius Symphony. Along the same lines, she supposed that this ZAFT red wouldn't be wearing his uniform to a performance.

Athrun had told her a little about his friend. The friend had been described as 'too nice' and 'a bit behind on the world's state of mind.' He was a year younger than Athrun. They had been next door neighbors, best friends. Apparently he took an interest in piano when they started school and concentrated on it rather than academics. His parents sent him off to a music academy on Earth when he was thirteen, and brought him back right as tensions intensified with the Earth Alliance two years later. Shortly after he arrived back on PLANT, he and Athrun enlisted in ZAFT. That was all she knew.

She watched Athrun and him talk and tried to recall his name. She remembered that her original thought was, 'it sounds like a girl's name.' In fact, he might even be mistaken for girl if he grew out his pastel green hair. Nicol: that was it. He certainly did seem different.

Within a few minutes, the auditorium began to slowly fill. The concert would begin in about three minutes. Cagali stood up quickly and stepped into the aisle, hoping to get closer to her owner now that there were more people. Suddenly, someone bumped her from behind, and the Natural stumbled forward catching her balance on a pew.

She turned around. The girl who had bumped into her hadn't been so fortunate. The high heels she was wearing knocked off her balance forcing her to fall on her butt with a disgraceful 'umph!'

"Are you okay?" asked Cagali, quickly.

The girl she had knocked over wore a conservative black dress, and had light brown hair that fell onto her shoulders."Yes, I'm fine," she laughed lightly, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, that was my entirely fault. I'm so clumsy sometimes." She spoke with a slight accent that Cagali couldn't place.

"Lemme help you up," the former offered, extending her arm.

The girl who had fallen accepted it, and Cagali pulled her to her feet. "Sorry about that, ma'am, I've been distracted like this all day." She straightened her dress as she apologized. Then she looked at Cagali and blinked, her mouth dropping open before she said, "You're a Natural?"

"Yeah," was the reply, the slave now reminiscing the sensation of being unwelcome.

"I mean... wow... you're really a Natural too? The whole dumb number and everything?" she asked, grabbing Cagali's arm to look at it. It was in the girls stuttering surprise that Cagali noticed that she had a number tattooed on her arm as well. Cagali took a second look at the girl, suddenly realizing that noticing that she had normal hair and eye color, and even wore glasses- a clear indication that she hadn't had her genetic nearsightedness corrected. "I didn't think I'd see another Natural in a hundred kilometer radius of a semi formal event!"

"Then what are you doing here?" Cagali asked the obvious question.

"I'm in the symphony," she stated.

The Orb spy took a moment to process the information before the meaning sunk in, "But you're a Natural..." she said to herself.

"Crazy, huh? My owner had me do a blind audition and the next thing I know I'm called in as a substitute for the next two concerts."

"They chose a Natural?" was all Cagali managed to say.

The other girl looked towards the stage. "Sorry, we're about to start," she said. "Nice meeting you," and she made her way to the stage where she took a seat in the last row of violins.

Cagali stood silently gapping in wonderment. What in the world... How was a Natural in the Aprillius symphony? This was PLANT. It was practically unheard of. Most Coordinators thought Naturals to be completely inferior in intelligence, strength and humanity all together. Her owner would have her audition, and it would be allowed? There was no way. Her ears and eyes must be fooling her. A Natural would not - should not- be in the Aprillius Symphony Orchestra.

"Hey Cagali, come sit down," Athrun caught her attention. She did as she was told, although her eyes remained glued on the Natural girl in the second row as if she expected her to disappear in a whiff of smoke. The girl was talking cheerfully to the people beside her, smiling despite the looks she was getting.

"I see you met Nicol's pet Natural," said her owner.

She looked towards the green haired pianist in the ZAFT uniform. He didn't look capable of owning a Natural slave. "He owns her?" she asked. She received a nod. The girl had sense that this wasn't right, like there was something plain and obvious that she was missing. "What do you mean by 'pet Natural?'" she asked.

"He owns her, he basically gives her no work and he won't call her his slave. I think that warrants the term."

'Pet Natural,' she repeated the phrase in her head. She would have liked it better if Athrun had called the girl a slave. The other term gave a different light to the slave trade yet it sounded as derogatory as any insult. For some reason it just didn't sit with her. The term 'Natural Slave' at least stated that the Natural was human. 'Pet Natural,' implied better treatment, but it suggested that the Natural was more like a dog, stupidly wagging its tail for its owners, not knowing the difference.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen," said the conductor, interrupting Cagali's thoughts. "My name is Michael Cooksey and I'm the conductor of the Aprillius symphony. I'd like to welcome you and thank you for coming. Tonight's selection includes..."

At that moment, a girl across the aisle began coughing loudly, so that Cagali could not hear the list of songs. The slave checked the program as the symphony began tuning. She refocused on the Natural girl in the symphony, trying to piece together this sudden oddity. She had the letter 'O' tattooed before her five digit number as well. Cagali had been on the first shipment to PLANT since before the Bloody Valentine. The homeland defense had suspended the slave trade in fear that shuttles leaving or entering the atmosphere might be shot down by the Earth Alliance. So that Natural must have been on PLANT for almost a year.

The girl across the aaisle coughed again, and Cagali glanced over at her in annoyance. The Natural's jaw dropped and her heart skipped a beat.

'Lacus...' she thought. She'd recognize her any day; if nothing else the long pink hair was a dead giveaway.

Lacus was Kira's most recent girlfriend. Kira had always had a knack for picking up pretty girls, then dumping them within three weeks. There had only been two exceptions to the rule. The first was Fllay. Cagali had deplored that girl (which was something special because with most of Kira's girlfriends she was somewhere between indifference and dislike), but she was smart. She practically controlled Kira for two months before Kira figured it out. The Natural twin considered it fortunate that Kira had come across Fllay when he was fifteen rather than now.

The second was Lacus. Cagali had really liked her. The pink-haired girl was a PLANT citizen visiting Earth on the Bloody Valentine and therefore unable to return to the Coordinator's homeland with the Earth Alliance's war policy to shoot anything not belonging to Earth Alliance traveling to and from space. The PLANT government suggested that all citizens of PLANT move to a neutral country, either Scandinavia, Oceania, or Orb until the situation was under control enough that they could be transported back to PLANT.

The Natural twin hadn't gotten to know Lacus well, but Kira had truly opened up to her. He talked about his ideals, his goals, his secrets... their secrets. Kira had told Lacus how he and his sister were training to become mobile suite pilots in Orb's young military, growing in power and officially not existing. They were going to make a difference in the world. He'd even let her see some of the training simulations, Lacus had seen both Cagali and her brother run through simulations and acknowledged their skill. She definitely knew more about the Orb military than she should.

In fact, a little less than two months ago Cagali remembered Kira telling Lacus about the assignment he had gotten. The Natural had been unintentionally eaves dropping on the conversation, but it probably stuck out in her mind because it was the last time she had seen or heard from the girl. At the time, she hadn't considered it to be a potential problem.

"So when's this Archangel supposed to be complete?" she asked.

"About two to three months. It's really coming along well. They're saying that the Archangel and its crew will be the ones making history," Kira replied.

"Sounds fitting for you"

"Or we could be seriously underestimating the enemy and get blown to smithereens on our maiden voyage."

"Let's hope not. What about your sister? Is she assigned with you?"

"No, she's not."

"Is she assigned in Orb waters?"

"Nope"

"Then what is she doing?"

"That is undisclosed information," Kira had smiled, and Lacus looked confused. "I suppose I'm assigned with her for now. I'll be working with her until the Archangel is ready to launch."

"Sounds like she got a bigger assignment than you," Lacus teased.

"Hehe... I guess you could say that. What are you going to be doing while I'm gone?"

"Actually, that's why I wanted to talk to you."

Kira looked surprised. "What of it?"

"PLANT says it will be safe enough to reopen transportations for civilians in a few weeks. I'll be going home."

"When"

"Two to three weeks... Kira... I think... I just wanted to tell you in person... We need to end this relationship now. Once I'm back on PLANT you know that I can't. I shouldn't be now but..."

The conversation had gone downhill from there. Lacus left in December, right before Christmas. Cagali had seen Kira cry more than she had ever seen before the day Lacus left. He had been truly attached to her.

Yes, Cagali would recognize Lacus Clyne any day. The problem was Lacus Clyne would recognize Cagali. What had her brother told that girl! For sure she knew that Kira and Cagali were pilots in the Orb military. 'Undisclosed information,' he had said. Gee, that sounded normal. Had he actually referred to her mission as that or was her memory just twisting things up?

The spy sat stiffly, wondering what she could do. She couldn't let that girl see her. If she caught a glance, she would be recognized. Lacus would say a few words in good nature and send the spy straight to ZAFT headquarters. 'I just have to avoid her,' thought Cagali. How she would pull it off seemed a bit distant.

And the symphony began playing. The oddness of the Natural girl among the members seemed to have been muted out with the appearance of Kira's ex. Cagali wasn't able to pay attention to the music as she would have liked. At the end of the first song, Lacus left the auditorium to control her cough, walking by Cagali. A minute or two later, when she walked back to her seat, she showed no sign of recognition.

The spy figured the logical explanation would be that Lacus wasn't expecting her to be here, and therefore not looking around for her. In fact, it was fairly unlikely that she notice anyone during the concert. However, intermission might be a problem.

Cagali glanced at the program Athrun was holding. He seemed to have dozed off during the last song, his head tilted back, eyes closes and mouth slightly open. She reached over and pulled the program out of his hands, wondering if she should wake him or not. She decided he probably needed the sleep, and she'd nudge him if he snored.

She checked the program; this was the last song before intermission. She could hardly picture that she'd been sitting in the auditorium for almost an hour. The song ended and there was some applause. The lights turned on and Cagali slipped by Athrun, careful not to wake him, and towards the double doors on the far end of the auditorium. She'd made up her mind. She'd just slip outside during intermission and neither Lacus Clyne nor her sleeping owner would know the difference.

A moment later, she let the door shut softly behind her as she stepped into the slightly chilled night air. The simulation to the normal daily change to night was so real that she tilted her head back to look at the stars. Reminding her that she was on PLANT, the blank navy blue sky stared back at her; the only thing that was even remotely star-like was the blinking lights of the control center and an apparently broken tile in the sky lining letting in a little sunlight. Cagali directed her gaze back down and watched absent mindedly as the cars on the freeway passed one another.

The moment of silence was interrupted as the door behind her opened and shut. 'Athrun must have followed me out,' she thought, and turned her head.

The brown haired Natural she had seen earlier leaned back against the door, her eyes lightly closed. Cagali hadn't notice how small she was. She hadn't seemed more than in inch or so shorter than her, but her slim form made her seem so fragile, like she could brake any moment… For a moment, the spy just looked at her trying to grasp the aura she put off. After a few seconds, she came to her senses, "Hey, are you alright?"

The girl jumped suddenly. A look of fear was plastered on her face, an expression that Cagali would not expect from her considering the cheerful mannerisms she had displayed earlier.

"What are you doing out here?" she snapped.

"I just wanted to get away from the crowd," said Cagali blandly, a little taken back by her tone of voice.

"Sorry," the girl apologized immediately, "I'm basically here for the same reason. All these Coordinators just have their heads driven up their butts and think they're better than all of us. They can't stand it when they're proved wrong… and I really don't want to be around them right now."

"I figured a Natural in a performing arts group was overstepping their caste," said Cagali. "I suppose they give you a hard time."

"That's an understatement. About half of my fellow second violins would like it if I suddenly fell ill and the percussionist that stands behind me would like to cut my head of with the cymbals."

"Then why are you performing with that group in the first place?"

She smirked, "To prove that I can."

The sheer relevance of the declaration earned a laugh from Cagali. She shook her head, "I can see where you're coming from. I'm like that too, in some aspects."

"I think everybody is. What's your name?"

"Cagali, and you?"

"Tati," she replied. "So why did your owner bring you here? Are you supposed to help with the reception or something?"

"No, he said he felt guilty for keeping me locked up in his house for ten and a half days."

"He kept you locked up in house for ten and a half days and felt guilty?"

"Yeah"

"Sounds about like your average slave owner. But he took you to an Aprillius Symphony performance? He must be generous. Or loaded. What's his… or her name anyways?

"Athrun Zala"

"Well that explains it," she declared. "Nicol gave him the tickets. I'd heard that he got a slave dumped on him but I didn't make the connection that you were it."

"You know him?" Cagali asked, and then realized that Athrun had known who she was, so it would make sense that she knew him as well. However, Tati's reply knocked her off balance.

"I used to live with him."

Cagali took a step back, and voiced the obvious thought "What the heck?"

"Yeah, I used to live with him," she explained, "about when Nicol bought me he and Athrun enlisted in ZAFT and went into the whole training thing, and trainees don't get much money so he and Athrun rented an apartment together to save, and that puts me living with Athrun. You don't know who Nicol is do you?"

"I know who he is; I've yet to meet him, though."

"You should. He's not all 'KKK' like some Coordinators you come across."

Cagali smiled and shook her head, "I dunno, with the few days I've been on PLANT, it seems like everyone I've met has that sort of attitude. I can't really imagine someone without it here."

"Actually most of them aren't like that. You just get a bad taste because the ones that are that way always open their mouths."

"Yeah, maybe not so bluntly hating your guts and acting so superior. But they think it."

"I'm pretty sure Nicol doesn't think that Coordinators are better than Naturals."

Cagali thought for a moment. "If he doesn't think Coordinators are better than Naturals, then why did he buy a Natural slave?"

"I met him on Earth at the Academy of Music in Scandinavia. We were pretty good friends. About a month after he went back to PLANT, I was on a train hijacked in order to sell the passengers to PLANT. Well, he happened to call my family and they gave him the low-down. So he found me and bought me," said Tati. "He said he was going to send me back, but well. There was Junius Seven and the restrictions on travel."

"So what about now? The restrictions have been lifted."

"I'm actually pretty happy here. I don't really want to go back to Earth."

Cagali looked at her for a minute, letting this soak in. "You're pretty darn lucky."

"Yup, I'm pretty darn lucky. I think you're well off too, Cagali. You could have gotten stuck with someone a lot worse than Athrun Zala, even if he does keep you locked up in his house most of the time. And once his fiancée moves in you won't be so lonely. She's pleasant; you'll probably get along with her."

"I didn't know he was engaged."

"He is. It's an arranged marriage. You should ask him a few questions, you might learn something."

"Maybe I will."

"One thing about him though, never piss him off. But if he's mad at something other than you, you're fine."

"I'll keep that in mind." Cagali smiled and laughed lightly. Perhaps the isolation was getting her.

"We should go back inside," said Tati, looking at her watch. "Intermission lasts another two minutes."

"Alright," agreed Cagali and followed her in. Talking to that girl left her feeling better. Maybe after being alone for too long, or maybe that she had proved that some people on PLANT believed Coordinators and Naturals were equal as well.

Tati pointed Cagali into the auditorium and made her way on stage through a side door.

It was only a few seconds after she entered the auditorium that Athrun came up to her. "Where have you been?" he asked, a little bit annoyed.

"I went outside," she replied blandly.

"Why didn't you tell me where you were going?"

"I figured you would rather sleep."

"From now on I am to know where you are at all times. Do you realize they're about to start again? It was only a ten minute break."

"Yes, sorry 'bout that."

"It's fine," said her owner.

Cagali looked to her left and jumped in horror. The very girl she was trying to avoid was standing beside her; her mouth was slightly opened as she stared in wonderment.

"Oh, I forgot you didn't know her. This is Lacus Clyne. We're getting married in June."

Somewhere between being introduced to Lacus and her owner being engaged to her brother's ex-girlfriend, Cagali was left in a state of shock. On one stream of her brain she was thinking about how close she had been to Kira, and the other half was flooded with the chant of 'I'm gunna die.'

Then the pink haired girl broke the moment of silence, "This is your Natural from Greenland?" she asked.

'Greenland?' thought Cagali. 'Oh crap… I told Athrun I'm from Greenland.'

"Yes, this is her," replied her owned.

'I'm dead,' thought Cagali, 'Caught, tortured and killed.'

Lacus regarded her for a moment. Cagali could feel her eyes boring holes into her, about to send her to death row. "It's nice to meet you, Cagali," she said.

Her choice of words said what she was thinking. So she was playing it off as if she didn't know her, and at the same time informed Cagali that she had questions. As far as she knew, Athrun hadn't told Lacus her name yet. She was glad that she had at least told Athrun her real name. If she had said her name was Caroline and Lacus called her Cagali, it could have been trouble.

"Nice to meet you as well, Miss Clyne," she replied. And for a moment they looked at each other in silence.

"So, Lacus, did you finish your recording early?" Athrun broke the silence.

"No, I've been feeling under the weather. Maybe I just got a cold or something. My voice isn't its best so my manager has arranged to put the recording on hold. I'll be doing the photo shoot first." Cagali had no idea what she was talking about.

"Ah, so you'll be here on the other side of the colony, right? We should do something together. Between your tour and getting stuck on Earth, we haven't gotten to see each other much. How long are you going to be here before you go back on tour?"

"It looks like another week. Maybe if I get over whatever I've got we can do something fun. You're creative."

"Alright, just don't sneeze on Cagali, you might kill her."

Lacus smiled, "I'm pretty sure it won't kill her. She might get sick, though."

"I'll be fine," said Cagali.

The lights flashed on and off, and they sat down, now Lacus was with them. As the conductor came back on stage, Cagali couldn't help but notice how Athrun had his arm wrapped around Lacus' waist as Kira had held her so dearly months before.

But Athrun didn't love her. She could tell because Kira did. His attitude was missing something that Kira clearly portrayed, yet she could not extinguish exactly what it was. Athrun had never spoken of her. She rarely spoke to Athrun, but one would expect them to mention that they were engaged. He was trying, she could tell, to put on a façade. No, he was trying to fall in love with her. Yet Lacus was holding him back because she was in love with someone else.

And the symphony began playing. It was soothing music, beautiful music, unfit for this world. Cagali's mind did summersaults and cartwheels, bouncing to its own mad beat, as if the music wasn't even there. She tossed around conversations in her head, played out with this pink princess. Lacus sourly stated that she had never liked, nor loved, Kira. Then she spat out her reasons with distaste and revulsion. Lacus cried: how she wanted to return to Earth. She was as torn apart as Kira had been when she left. Lacus accused Cagali of treachery, and she pointed out to Athrun hard evidence of Cagali's status of 'spy.'

Cagali felt something tap her leg. She looked down. Lacus offered her a folded piece of paper though she did not glance away from the stage. Cagali unfolded it quietly.

'After the concert, would you speak with me in private?'

She refolded it and put it her pocket. The spy glanced at the program, and began to count down the songs. Surely Lacus didn't know her well enough to tell when she lied. Cagali began to invent a story, how she was captured. Why she was captured. All that had happened since Lacus left. To her it seemed to make sense, twisting in truth with lie.

It seemed only minutes later that the audience rose, clapping enthusiastically after the final song. Then as the audience began to file out, Cagali stepped out of the aisle, letting Lacus and Athrun out. Lacus turned to Athrun, "Would you excuse me for a moment?" she asked.

"Sure, go ahead," he shrugged.

She walked off and Cagali followed her closely. She avoided the foyer, where many of the members of the symphony and audience were gathered, sipping on lemonade or champagne and snacking on cookies. Lacus lead her to the side of the auditorium and then looked back at Athrun to see that he wasn't paying any attention.

"Since when is Orb in Greenland?" asked Lacus.

"Since I said it was," replied Cagali.

"So are you lying to him just to see if he'll believe it?"

"I'd rather not tell him I'm from Orb. I doubt he even knows it exists, or that he would care. But when my country starts exercising her power he'll know and he'll care and I'd rather not have him know I'm from Orb."

"Whatever happened to your pride? You were never like this when I knew you on Earth."

"I guess I had to get rid of it."

"You couldn't do that if you tried."

"If you can go off and leave my brother crushed then surely I can lose a little pride."

"How is he?" asked Lacus.

"Last time I saw him he was still recovering from you returning to PLANT. Does he know you're engaged?"

"Yes, I told him a week or so after I met him."

"You know the Archangel launches next month. He'll probably be heading up to space," said Cagali. "Kira could turn out to be the one to kill Athrun. Or vice versa."

"Don't tell me that. I don't want to think about it anymore," said Lacus, shaking her head.

"He is a mobile suite pilot, like Athrun. And I would be out there as well."

"How did you end up here, anyway?" she asked.

"I was scouting in South Africa. You know of the Earth Alliance base by Cape Hope, right?" Lacus nodded. "Well, I was riding a train to get back to my group from Orb after the mission and it was hijacked by the SNW."

"You weren't armed?"

"Well, of course I was," Cagali smiled, "I just don't play ten to one with real guns."

"I figured you would have tried," replied Lacus.

"I'm not suicidal," replied the natural. "Although I think getting this number tattooed on my arm is what killed my pride." Cagali said this and showed Lacus the number on her arm.

"O04172," she read. "I think the first two digits would confuse most people."

"Maybe that was the point."

"Maybe so," said Lacus. "So what do you want to do? Continue to pretend we don't know each other?"

"Yeah, that'll work."

"I think it'd be easier if I told Athrun I'd met you before. I don't like having to lie. This will probably be a long period of time that we would have to keep this up."

"I don't think so. It'd be better not to tell him. And besides, after a long period of time, we would know each other, wouldn't we?" pointed out Cagali.

"Yeah, alright," agreed Lacus. "If that's what you feel like. So Kira's on the Archangel set to launch next month. Where would you be?"

"Well, the mission I was assigned has probably been handed over to someone else, so I'd be with him."

"What's that?"

"That," replied Cagali, remembering what Kira had said to Lacus referring to the job she was on at the moment, "is undisclosed information. I've got a feeling if any of that information got out, Orb would get quite a bit of trouble."

"Athrun is coming," said Lacus. "You stay here." She headed out one of the nearby doors.

A moment later, Athrun stood beside Cagali. "Is she trying to avoid me or something?" he asked.

"No, I think she just had to go to the bathroom or blow her nose."

"Probably the later, I hope she starts feeling better so she can sing again."

"She sings?"

"Yes, her songs are on the radio a lot. She was actually stuck on Earth for a while, so she's recording a new album to release."

"I didn't realize you were engaged to a pop star. I didn't realize you were engaged." said Cagali. "She seems very nice."

"Yeah, that's why I bought a house," replied Athrun. "If I were married, I'd rather not have to live with someone else."

"Well of course, you'd probably give them nightmares."

"True," said Athrun, "You know, I just want to see her happy. She hasn't seemed like her normal self since she got back from Earth."

Cagali cocked her head up at Athrun. "Maybe she's not."

"Why did she want to talk to you?" the Coordinator asked.

"Oh, just girl stuff," she lied nonchalantly. "You wouldn't understand."

Suddenly, there was crash and screams were heard from the foyer. Cagali swung her head in the direction of the noise. Athrun took off running down the aisle of the now empty auditorium. After a few seconds of shock, Cagali sprinted after him. Pushing open the door to the foyer, the natural gasped at what she saw.

A table was tipped over and the many glasses on it had shattered; their contents split everywhere. Athrun was helping Nicol hold down a man in a business suit, his forehead was slightly bleeding. He had been in the audience. Nicol looked like he had been slugged a few times: bleeding slightly from the mouth and forming a black eye. Tati was watching, horrified. She looked like she was about to cry.

The man was cursing at Nicol, "You think that just because you have talent you can insult the rest of us by bringing in a Natural? You think I'd pay to listen to a Natural fiddle on an instrument? Any five-year-old could play better than them!" He raved and shouted, trying to escape the two ZAFT soldiers' restraint.

"Tati, go home, take the bus," said Nicol. "Would someone call the police?"



Prologue

Part 1, Chapter One  <-- re-read?

Part 1, Chapter Two <-- re-read?

Part 1, Chapter Three < -- You are here.

Part 1, Chapter Four <-- Click me!

Part 1, Chapter Five <-- Click me~

Part 1, Chapter Six<-- Sorry, I'm not click-able yet.

Part 1, Chapter Seven