The Yellow Brick Road
Chapter 4: GRIEVE – Athrun's past haunts him
October, C.E. 76
When your past haunts you, there is no place in the world that you can hide from it. But Athrun still tries.
In the aftermath of the Second Bloody Valentine War, there is still much healing to be done. So, after Athrun left Orb and Cagalli for the second time, he visits the places ruined by the war. He goes by Alex Dino once again because no one really appreciates his true identity. And he's afraid the townspeople would only reject him if they knew who he was.
For the next few years, he spends his days helping the reconstruction of towns, volunteering at rescue missions, assisting in soup kitchens and orphanages. He spends his days trying to do as much good as he can. Perhaps to distract himself from the ghosts he still sees. Perhaps to atone for all the sins he's committed. Perhaps to save himself from the guilt and anger.
Perhaps to escape the life he's cursed with.
Athrun spends his nights alone. In his travels, he makes acquaintances and jokes around with the townspeople, but he does not venture closer. He is afraid he'll get too close; his past has taught him to be wary of others and of himself. That's why he doesn't stay at a town for too long.
Some nights, the televisions of the bars he frequents are turned on to the news or to late night talk shows. Some nights, they feature the friends he left behind. He'd see Lacus on screen, regal as ever, talking about her new job as a peace ambassador or about her upcoming charity concert. He'd hear Yzak, with his signature snides and grunts, explaining the closure of PLANT's mobile suit factories. He'd see Cagalli, proud and stubborn, shaking hands with the new leaders of PLANT and the Earth Alliance after signing new peace treaties - this is his favorite.
Some days he would think he's sure and stable and finally ready to go back home.
And yet there are days worse than others - a lot worse. While handing out rations, he would see a woman with short blue hair and green eyes like his. While carrying blocks of cement, he would notice a young man with curly green hair, and he would hear a distant piano playing a familiar song. While delivering goods to another town, he would catch a woman with long gray hair and freckles humming a Lacus Clyne song.
"Hey, Alex, you okay?" A man claps his back. "You've been spacing out a while there."
Athrun looks up and shakes his head. "Oh. Sorry. I just remembered something."
"Don't worry about it. Just don't think too much," the man says. "We've still got a lot of work to do."
"You're right." Athrun goes back to whatever he was doing. "There's still a lot of work to do."