Hey guys, it's been so long since my last fan fiction. I decided to start writing again! Forgive me if I have any grammar mistakes or anything like that. And I admit, I am no expert at the anime so please don't review and tell me I'm wrong or that it isn't what happened. Go along with the story people! Hope you enjoy it, this chapter pretty much introduces the story so don't expect it to be awesome.

Disclaimer: No I don't own the anime or its characters.

Peace, harmony, trust, love, happiness…

Those were the kinds of things we all wanted to fight for. In a world that had been torn and divided by the previous wars, such things didn't seem possible and so easily achieved. But as the past is irretrievably lost, we fight on for a better and brighter future; a future where the light shines and brings hope to those who still bear fresh wounds from the destructions of war.

Yet despite our efforts, we cannot ignore the cries of those who are tainted in the core of their hearts, who refuse to lower their guns and acknowledge the existence of each other. It is in our nature to be easily vulnerable to such emotions of hate, jealousy, greed and anger. Not even the purest of hearts can be free from such sensations. Where there is good, there is always evil.

Our world may never be perfect, and although it is too soon to say that the world is peaceful again, we all have the strength to do something no matter how small or how big it may be. I believe that we can restore the world to what was once beautiful.

So much for being peaceful in here, Cagalli Yula Athha thought. The blonde princess was seated in a meeting while she endured hours of bickering and heated discussions of matters concerning Orb. She thought the meeting would end after concluding that Orb will continue to assist the Kingdom of Scandinavia by sending resources they requested. But one emir just had to open his mouth and say that Orb shouldn't help every nation that pleas for it. This caused another debate with the ideals of Orb clashing with morals and responsibilities of other nations. Cagalli rubbed her temple in frustration; mentally telling herself to be tolerant and patient.

"I thought we already discussed this," she said firmly, her expression indicating she was about to lose her patience and sanity.

"But Representative, we can't just willingly accept! These nations can fend for themselves, and doesn't the Kingdom of Scandinavia have a stable economy?"

"Have you forgotten that they allied themselves with the Earth Alliance in the previous war?"

"Are you saying we should turn away and accuse them of bad intentions? They were forced to!"

"Orb shouldn't just freely give away resources, we need them too! It's not rocket science to grasp how much money is involved to make them! Haven't we already sent enough? If they're repeatedly requesting more resources, then what have they been using it for all this time?"

"That's right! They could be up to something!"

"This is nonsense! The Prime Minister of Scandinavia even admitted it himself that their allegiance has always been with Orb even during their alliance with the EA! They need it more than we do!"

I've just about had it with these people!

A pair of hands slammed on the table and the whole room fell to an awkward in the air was thick as the Representative restrained herself from lashing out and yelling unnecessary profanities.

"Enough! We've discussed this and we already agreed! Orb will do its best to help disaster zones, end of discussion!" Cagalli exclaimed. The emirs who opposed this looked down in defeat, but their expressions clearly revealed their irritation and persistence to discuss the matter further.

"This meeting is over, you're all dismissed," the blonde said before heading out of the door. And thank god for that. She felt a wave of relief wash over her as she closed her bedroom door and fell on her bed. As much as she was happy to take a break from such tiresome meetings, she still had piles of paperwork to do in her office. Groaning, she covered her face with her hands, running her fingers through her hair in aggravation and annoyance.

I really need a break.

The pressure of not letting her country down strained her. During the last war, Cagalli allowed herself to be manipulated by the Seirans into allying Orb with the Earth Alliance. Consumed with guilt, she felt as though she let Orb down. But the people remained loyal to her no matter what, and she did not want to fail them again. Even so, Cagalli still yearned for a day where she had some time for herself…a time to think, to feel free, and to do things women her age normally did.

It had been almost a month since the end of the Second Bloody Valentine War and the fall of Messiah. Since then, direct contacts and strategic discussions and negotiations were regularly organized between nations to strengthen mutual relations and understanding. Such tactics were important steps in avoiding any potential conflicts in the future. Dependence and faith in each other is important in managing such relations, Cagalli thought.

As part of Orb's Supreme Council, the Representative of Orb was highly regarded and praised for her heart and spirit that resembled the strength of a lion. She was stubborn but her dedication and intellect proved her to be a true leader of this neutral nation. Daughter of Uzumi Nara Athha, Cagalli never failed to live up to the expectations of her people and the world as she continued to impress and influence those around her.

'Orb will not attack another nation, will not allow another nation to attack them, and will not intervene in the conflicts of other nations.' As a neutral nation, we will continue to uphold those ideals.

Cagalli walked to her vanity table and sat down to stare at her reflection. Her blonde hair had grown a few inches and her bangs were just past her eyes so they were slightly parted to the left. Her eyelashes were still long and thick and her auburn orbs were striking as ever. Changing from her Orb admiral uniform to her maroon uniform, Cagalli brushed her hair a few times and tied half of her hair up with a pin. A couple of months ago, Lacus convinced the blonde to make efforts to style her own hair. Your hair is too beautiful to be leaving it down all the time, she once said. Cagalli laughed at the memory; she couldn't help but envy the pink princess. A sudden knock on the door distracted her thoughts.

"Come in!" Cagalli yelled. The door opened and it was none other than her ex-bodyguard Ledonir Kisaka. Holding a thin stack of papers in his hand, he flipped through some pages before stopping at a certain section.

"You do remember there's a meeting with the leaders of the Oceania Union soon," he informed.

"How could I forget?" the blonde said somewhat sarcastically, closing her eyes. From her memory, the prime minister from New Zealand requested a meeting to discuss military cooperation. Something like that, Cagalli thought.

"A transport will arrive shortly. Until then, you have an unexpected guest," Kisaka responded. Cagalli's eyes snapped open as she sat up from her chair.

Making her way to the front of the house, she pondered on who this person could be. She wasn't expecting anyone and she was convinced that there were no meetings scheduled at this moment. The anticipation was almost killing her as she fastened her pace across the hallways. As she stood at the top of the stairs, her eyes widened.

"Birdy!" a certain mechanical bird yelled, flying.

"KIRA!" Cagalli exclaimed, embracing him.

"It's good to see you too Cagalli," the brunette said, returning her embrace and flashing a warm smile. Despite wearing his new ZAFT commander uniform, Kira was still the brother she knew.

"Where's Lacus? Is she here?"

"She'll be here soon, the council called for an urgent meeting so she was delayed. She insisted I come to Orb first so here I am," Kira replied.

"Well, she is the Chairwoman of PLANTS after all. She's a busy woman," the blonde said, smiling.

"You of all people would know what that's like better than anyone."

"Well, duh."

After the war, Lacus Clyne was called upon by the PLANT Supreme Council to be elected as the Chairwoman. She happily accepted and PLANTS was more than happy to welcome their new leader with open arms. The pink princess already proved to be enormously popular with her people despite her wish to no longer perform and sing. In addition, her compassionate words and bright intelligence were favoured by everyone as she was regarded to be a remarkable leader. Ofcourse, Kira chose to stay beside Lacus in which she promoted him as a ZAFT military official. Since then, Cagalli was able to see them often during important peace talks involving Orb and PLANTS. It wasn't regular for them however, to see each other outside the walls of politics.

We never spend enough time together, Cagalli thought. Kira noticed her uneasiness and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Even though her brother could be quite bothersome, she knew he always had her back whenever she needed him the most. Whether he was mean to her or yelled at her like an angry father, Cagalli knew it was his way of showing he really cared.

"So mind explaining why you guys are making an unofficial visit to Orb? I thought the next peace talk wasn't held until next month," the blonde asked.

"We haven't been here in ages and she thought it'd be good to visit since she's got a less hectic schedule. Plus it'd prove how well the relations between Orb and the PLANTS are. You can't argue with that," Kira replied.

Leaders visiting other nations were a sign of an established friendship which was beneficial in the world of politics. Tensions were raised to new heights during the wars, but leaders worked hard to mend and build strong associations with each other. Such friendships between countries were valuable and would ultimately aid in the development of a prosperous world.

"You could've at least called me or something."

"Let's just call this a surprise," the brunette said, smiling innocently.

"Hmph. Well I gotta run, I have a meeting in ten. We'll catch up later."

"Have fun Cagalli."

"Oh I will," the blonde replied, though her sarcasm didn't go unnoticed by Kira. She made her way to the black car waiting outside with Kisaka trailing behind her. It's going to be a long meeting.

"In order to maintain a region of peace and stability, joint operations are necessary."

Cagalli faced the man who sat on a sofa opposite of her. He was Gerald Steiland, Prime Minister of New Zealand, who had an air of enthusiasm and sharpness around him. He was also young, perhaps in his early thirties by the looks of his rather handsome looks and blonde hair.

The leaders from the Oceania Union had arrived in Orb requiring the audience of the princess to discuss military matters. Since Orb's location was close to the union made up of Australia and New Zealand, they felt it was important to hold a meeting in order to deliberate the matters further.

"Exchanging soldiers would prove to be a great strategy, princess. There will be shared ideas, a stronger bond and also revealing what our own military programs have to offer. I am quite aware that Orb is militarily powerful despite its small size, it must be noteworthy."

The man that sat on the left sofa was Richard Simons, Prime Minister of Australia and also in charge of operations in Carpentaria, ZAFT's military base. He was an old man, but his vast knowledge and influence was evident by the way he spoke. Both leaders were unique and remarkable, though it seemed to have placed Cagalli in an uncomfortable situation. I've still got lots to learn, she thought sadly.

"What do you think princess? Cooperation is important, is it not?" Gerald asked.

"Yes, I believe so," Cagalli replied.

"I'm convinced that this will benefit all nations and send a positive message to the people. We are all working together for the same goal after all," Richard noted, entwining his fingers and placing them on his lap.

"Also it would put them at ease knowing that they are secured from any possible threats," the blonde added. It was a scary thought knowing that despite the quietness, there may be something dangerous lurking in the dark. Cagalli pushed aside the thought of another war; she was going to do everything in her power to prevent such a frightful outcome.

"You are absolutely right princess," the blonde prime minister responded, widening his grin.

"I'm sure that both of you were quite aware of what happened to Armory One in the previous war. Three Gundams were stolen and they almost destroyed everything. If we choose this path, we can prevent that from happening," Richard added. His words rang truth to Cagalli's ears as she nodded approvingly.

"That's right, I remember hearing about it and I couldn't believe it. It was such a catastrophe. Was it true princess that you were there when it happened?" Gerald asked.

"Yes, I had a meeting with ex-Chairman Gilbert Durandal but it was interrupted when the Gundams was stolen," the blonde replied.

"It must've been an alarming experience for you, but I am glad you escaped unharmed by it. I can't imagine the losses," Richard said, his voice implying the sorrow he felt.

Cagalli could still remember the fear the felt when she witnessed Gundams destroying everything in its pathway and seeing the amount of damage it caused. It was a replay of the first war; Heliopolis was in chaos after Gundams were stolen and that never left her memory. War is terrifying like that, she thought.

The meeting went on for almost 3 hours. In the end, Orb agreed to do military exchanges with the Oceania Union. An official agreement was signed and after shaking hands, Orb established another great bond with a nation. Cagalli heaved a sigh of relief as she walked out to her car, feeling all drained and tired. There were times where she felt tempted to just take a holiday and relax, but the fear that the Orb Union could falter kept lingering in her thoughts. She was afraid that the events in the previous wars would repeat itself if she slacked off in the slightest.

"Your father would be proud," Kisaka said, who was sitting right next to her in the car.

Memories of her father resurfaced again, causing her to close her eyes. Ignoring the ache she was feeling in her heart, she remembered the happy times with him. From reading books to her when she was a child to teaching her about life's lessons, Cagalli cherished every moment. There was not a moment that passed by without her missing him, but she was strong enough to stop the tears and live her life.

Walking back to her office, she realised the door was half-open. I remembered closing this door before I left, Cagalli thought. Shaking off her suspicions, she closed the door to look at the view of the sun setting from her window. The sky was streaked with beautiful oranges and yellows as night soon fell. Sitting on her chair, Cagalli closed her eyes and basked herself in the warmth of the sun rays emitting from the window.

I wish I could just sleep all day without any worries. It would be just…

Cagalli opened her eyes at the sight of an unidentified object sitting on her desk. Raising an eyebrow, she stood up to grab it. It was wrapped with paper and felt warm and soft, like it was…cooked. She gasped at the familiar smell, slowly removing the paper wrapping until a piece of paper fell out. Cagalli then left the object on the table to pick up the note. She read it and suddenly widened her eyes in surprise.

"Kisaka!" Cagalli shouted.

A few seconds later, Kisaka opened the door to her office and let himself in. Cagalli's back was turned to him, hiding her emotions so he had no idea why she called him so suddenly.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

"Do I have anything else planned tonight?" the blonde asked.

"Uh, well, you have dinner party to welcome the new emir –"

"Cancel it."

"What? Why?" Kisaka responded, dumbfounded.

"I said cancel it, I'll meet him tomorrow."

"Sure. But tell me, what made you change your mind? Is there something else you have scheduled?"

"No, I just want to enjoy my dinner," Cagalli replied amusingly, waving the object in her hand. She walked out of her office, leaving Kisaka still pondering aimlessly. The blonde made it to her bedroom balcony, feeling the cold breeze as night blanketed Orb. But she didn't pay attention to the city view or the cold wind; it was the small note in her hand that seemed to have magically erased all her qualms and anxieties.

I know you're hungry, so I made sure they put extra chilli sauce.
– Athrun

Smiling, Cagalli removed the final pieces of wrappings until a doner kebab was revealed. Doner kebabs and chilli sauce are made for each other, she once told Kira. The blonde chuckled at the sudden nostalgic memory as she looked up at the stars.

I'll be waiting for you Athrun.

That's it for Chapter 1. Yes I know, it's indeed boring and short but it'll get a little interesting soon. Do review if you can, it would mean a lot! I watched Gundam SEED Destiny to refresh my memory. I can't stop replaying the scene when Athrun gives Cagalli the ring. They are just adorable I could literally cry! And I really wish Athrun would just shoot Yuna the ugly bastard!

Athrun: *shoots Yuna*
Justicederu: Thanks Athrun.
Athrun: Do I know you?
JD: ...

Hope to see you next chapter!

Xox Justicederu