Foreword: This is going to be a collection of random one-shots and drabbles exploring the different types of relationships in SEED and possibly Destiny. Why am I doing this? Well I've got some random ideas and instead of uploading in separate stories, I'll put them together. The scenes will be random depending what inspires me at the moment, but the settings will be canon. I love the different types of relationships in SEED (maybe that's why I still like the series so much). Here, I'll write about friendships, rivalries, un-requited love, and other random relationships. However, I don't think I'll be including the romantic relationships between the canon couples, but we'll see.

The title is inspired by Kikyou (from Inuyasha)'s words about how once the strings of Fate are entangled, it can't be undone. And it is ironic, that the war took many of their friends, yet it brought them together.

AN: This one was written some months ago actually, it's a challenge fic from AbbyKat, based on the poem "Sea Canes" by Derek Walcott. Parts of the scene is inspired by "Salute!" by mumyou nanashi.

Title/theme: FRIENDS
Characters: Athrun and Yzak
Approx time line: GS phase 31
Summary: "They were a team, comrades, best friends"

--------------

"Half my friends are dead.
I will make you new ones, said earth
No, give me them back, as they were, instead,
with faults and all, I cried."

Athrun stared at his food and found it hard to swallow. The silence was starting to get to him. He looked up across the table and stared at the silver-haired boy. He couldn't remember another time when Yzak was so quiet.

Yzak felt Athrun's gaze on him and looked up. "What do you want?"

Athrun looked away. "Nothing. It's just... too quiet."

The other boy growled low in his throat. "I don't need to be reminded."

"Yeah..."

Athrun looked at the empty seats around the table and suddenly felt nostalgic. He remembered how they always ate together, laughing and arguing. He remembered how Yzak would always challenge him, and how Dearka and Rusty would fuel the fight, laughing at the entertainment, while Nicol tried his best to calm everyone down.

But that was back in the days of the academy. Now all that was left of the Klueze team were the two of them.

He knew from the beginning that this would happen. How could he not, going into a battlefield.

But still, the idea of seeing his friends killed in front of his eyes haunted him. They were a team, comrades, best friends.

Rusty...Miguel...Nicol... and Dearka was MIA too, probably dead like his other friends.

"This is all your fault you know," Yzak mumbled through the thickening silence.

The words stung like a slap on the cheek.

"You should've just destroyed the Strike back at Heliopolis. You had a chance, but you hesitated! Why didn't you do it Athrun!" Yzak's voice rose in pitch, as he leaned across the table, almost screaming to Athrun's face.

"Yes, I know," he answered meekly. He was in no mood to argue. Besides, from the slight tremble in Yzak's voice, he knew it was just the other boy's way of letting out his anguish.

"If, if you had... Then, then Nicol and Dearka would still be here right now! You're the team captain, why couldn't you protect them!" Yzak spat in Athrun's face.

"I know that!" Athrun snapped back. "I destroyed the Strike, didn't I?"

At that, Yzak fell silent. He looked away and sat down, staring at his food.

What Yzak didn't know was that in order for Athrun to take revenge, he had to destroy another friend of his.

And even so, no amount of tears and vengeance can bring his friends back.

---

Word count: 391