It had been hours since Kinomoto Hikaru had boarded the ZAFT ship, yet she still remained unable to awake. The doctors thought she was in a coma, but it was evident after a while that she was just unconcious. Although it was assured that she would have all the proper and update medical care and assistance, Athrun refused to leave her side. It was not so much that he did not trust the doctors, but he had grown up with Hikaru and had always protected her. He felt he still had to.

Outside the medical room where Hikaru lay, Rau Le was standing with one of the men who monitored the enemy's status on the bridge. "Sir, are you so sure it is a good thing to leave Athrun in there with her?"

"Athrun will not do anything to her." Rau Le stated confidentally.

"Well..." The man seemed a little uneasy to repeat the next part to Rau Le. "Sir, that was not really what I meant. I mean, they did grow up together after all, right?"

"Correct." Rau Le replied. he then turned to face the man and he fixed him with a stare. "Are you insinuating something?"

"No." The man replied quickly. Rau Le did not believe him and his cold and ever-watchful stare remained. This made the man uneasy and he lowered his head. "Well..." He spoke quietly. "If it was someone I grew up with... I would want to see them free and unharmed rather than be a hostage in this war." Rau Le smirked.

"That is why we did not capture one of YOUR friends." Although the statement was airy and did not at all seem cruel, the operator felt a chill down his spine. He knew very well that he was getting ridiculed. Rau Le turned back to face the closed door that had Athrun and Hikaru inside. "I believe Athrun will be professional about this and not do anything rash. He knows very well the circumstances that would befall him if he did so."

Inside the room, Athrun was beginning to fall asleep. He was deadly tired as he had been staying up for the last eighteen hours. His eyes began to droop and his head began to bow. That was when he heard a light swoosh of movement on the bed. Jerking his head up and his eyes open, he looked at the bed. Hikaru was awake. Her eyelids fluttered continuously as she struggled to open them. When she finally did, she looked around the room. It took a little while to focus her eyes and see her surroundings clearly. She did not recognize where she was. "Where... where am I?" She finally voiced.

"Hikaru!" Hikaru turned her head to look in the direction that her voice was said. Something about the voice triggered something within her memory although she could not remember exactly what it was. When she saw Athrun beside her, she forced her memory to remember. He did look so familiar... "Hikaru." Athrun said again. He moved closer to her and he took her hand within his. He was no longer sleepy, but relieved only that she was awake and there with him. Suddenly, as Hikaru looked into Athrun's wide and soft eyes, she remembered.

"A--Athrun...?" Athrun smiled and nodded his head.

"Yeah."

Hikaru smiled and sat up although she was still a little weak. "Oh, Athrun!" She threw her arms around him and hugged him. He held her and shut his eyes, grateful that she was safe and unharmed. "It's so good to see you again! I haven't seen you in ages!" She then pulled away from Athrun and had that sparkle in her eye; the same sparkle she had had since she was a little kid. "How have you been?"

"Alright." He smiled. He said the thing that was expected to say; he could not tell her that he was a main part of the war and was fighting against his once-best friend on opposing sides. "How about you?"

"I can't complain." She smiled again, making Athrun's heart soar as she did so. He always had deep and unconditional feelings of love for Hikaru; but that was only because he felt like her older brother. He always felt the need to protect her although he was only a few months older than her.

Hikaru looked anxiously around the room, as if looking for something or expecting something. When she did not find it, her eyes met Athrun's once again. "Athrun," She asked. "Where is Kira?" Athrun froze. "And where are we anyway? How did I get here?" Athrun did not speak; he remained frozen. How could he tell her all that had happened? How could he let her know that she was captured as a hostage and how could he tell her that everyone wanted Kira dead? When he was the one who had spent his childhood trying to protect her with Kira, how could he tell her all the things that she wanted to know? How could the truth come out? Hikaru must have noticed Athrun's uneasiness because she placed her hand on his chest. It jerked him out of his deep thoughts and he looked up at her. "Athrun?" Her eyes were pleading for him to tell her the truth despite the circumstances. Athrun let out a deep sigh and shook his head lightly. He could not tell her. If he wanted to protect her, he could not tell her.

"Well, that is very rude of you, Zala Athrun." Rau Le said, entering the room. Hikaru let out a brief yet frightened gasp as he entered.

"Athrun..." She said uneasily, backing against the wall as he approached.

"Don't you know when a lady asks you a question, you must answer her?" He approached still and still Hikaru backed away from him as he approached. Her back was now flat against the wall. Athrun, seeing her fear, instantly stood up and faced Rau Le. He growled and his fists were clenched at his sides.

"Leave her alone!" Rau Le was amused.

"Really, Athrun." He said, bemused. "I am just trying to help answer the girls' questions. What has got you so aggitated?"
"You're scaring her!" Athrun replied a bit forceful. It was the first time that he had stood up to Rau Le in such a manner.

"Stand aside, Zala Athrun." Rau Le said icily. He was no longer in the mood to play games. When Athrun still refused to move, Rau Le reached out his hand and roughly pushed him aside. He then faced Hikaru who was still cowering on the bed. Hikaru did not know who Rau Le was, but the very presence of him terrified her. When he faced her, she cowered again. "Since Athrun refuses to answer your questions, I will for him. You are on one of the ZAFT Alliance Forces ships. You were taken here by Athrun to be held hostage." Hikaru froze. "We will not release you until such time that the Earth Forces surrender." Rau Le looked pleased at the horrified impact he seemed to have on Hikaru. Smirking, he then turned to Athrun who was glaring coldly at him and was still growling under his breath like a rabid dog. Rau Le was terrifying Hikaru and he knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. So he glared. This also brought a smirk to Rau Le's face. "Be nice and polite from now on, Athrun. And report to the bridge as soon as you are ready." With that, he left the room, leaving behind the angry Athrun and the horrified Hikaru.

After Athrun had gotten over most of his malicious anger towards Rau Le and had calmed down, the sadness and worry began to sink in. He could not even bring himself to look at Hikaru. She could not look at him either. "I'm sorry, Hikaru." He finally said quietly, and that was all he said before he made way to leave the room. After the door opened and before he could leave, he heard Hikaru's voice from behind him.

"Just tell me," She said quietly. "Where is Kira?" Athrun stopped short and turned back, his eyes opened wide in surprise as he faced his 'little sister'. Finally he sighed and lowered his head.

"Kira... he's on the other ship. He's our enemy." Athrun heard Hikaru's sharp intake of breath as the information sunk in. It broke Athrun's heart.

"Ki-- Kira is... the 'enemy'? You mean... you are fighting against him?" Athrun nodded his head slowly without a word and refused to meet his friend's eyes. "Why?" She finally exclaimed, demandingly. It surprised Athrun and he looked up despite himself. He felt his heart break even more as he saw the tears down her face. "Why are you two fighting against each other?! Why?!"

"I..." He really had nothing to say. What WAS there to say? "It can't be helped." Was all he finally said, tearing away from her.

"It can't be helped?!" She screamed. "You two grew up as best friends! The three of us! We were best friends! Why is it you are fighting one another?!" Athrun said nothing. Something within the silence then triggered something within Hikaru and she gasped once again. "You... you did not take me... as a hostage for Kira...?" She asked the question only to be told she was a fool; that she was wrong in thinking that. But that was not the answer she received. Instead, Athrun once again turned to the door and opened it.

"I did not get you to make you a hostage. It was not my decision. Just... stay here in the room. I will be back later." A solitary tear fell from his eye and splashed onto the floor as he pushed himself out of the room and into the hallway, making his way to the bridge. The door shut behind him.