Dusted
Disclaimer: As always, I don't own anything, except my own plot.
Author's Note: In Book 2, there will be 2 parts. One is done in script format (I might consider re-write it later in a proper form) and the other is the normal one. The second part will have a big break from the first one, but…well, I will explain that later. Here is just to prepare you guys, 'cause you might not understand.
So, yes, Book 2 is also very random. It has nothing to do with Book 1 except the memory loss on Cagalli's part. Please note that each 'breaking line' between Cagalli and Athrun's conversation is there because it's how I updated then. Book 2 part 1 is very rough that way since it had been done very randomly. I decided to put it up because I think it's kind of cute when Athrun tried to explain to Cagalli the crab incident.
THANKS to the reviewers:
Water – thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed reading. Hey, I actually didn't expect there would be a lot of review for "Dusted", since most stuff is not so well made. So, thanks!
LadyRinUchiha – For Book 1, I don't think I will turn it into a proper fic, since I have another which is kind of similar anyway. That one, now, I intend to turn it into a fic but with slightly different storyline. Yes, it is an Athrun angst fic where Cagalli had no memory of him. In fact she could barely remember anyone… But if you want to use some of the stuff in Book 1, sure, go for it. I'm really looking forward to reading that!
moi – (laugh) Alex Dino was born into this story when we were talking about Athrun not being so nice to Cagalli after he came back to being 'Athrun Zala' again. We thought Cagalli deserved better so, we came up with this idea of having another guy for her. Who could be better than Alex Dino, right? (laugh) In my story, Alex did not relate to Athrun in any way but he looked exactly like him (no clone, no twin, no long lost brother, nothing. Just pure coincidence which can only because I say so, using my author power). Later on in my other story. I gave him black hair and blue eyes. Anything can happen in my very random fic, you see. So, after Cagalli went MIA (which she didn't), Alex was the one who found her and got her back to ORB, where he stayed with her since. All of this, of course, will be done in another story… which will probably be in Book 3 or 4. So, stay tune! Thanks for reviewing my stuff up till now, moi!
asga – I do love you. Really, I do. Thank you for reviewing here and there at the forum! My one-shot project for the twins' birthday will be for you, rubenz-san!
Book 2...
Part 1 - That which had been broken…
Orb, Onogoro Island…
It was late in the afternoon... the sun would soon set...
Cagalli threw her shoes on the beach and ran into the sea, laughing happily.
Athrun smiled. He picked up her shoes and put them together before taking off his own and putting them next to hers.
Cagalli: (turned to Athrun) Come on! What are you doing over there still?
Athrun: (shrugged. He made his way down the sandy beach to the sea and...got a splash of sea water in his face) ...Hey! What's that for?
Cagalli: (laughed) You should be able to dodge that, Athrun! Weren't you the legendary ZAFT ace? Perhaps you are a fake?
Athrun: Why you! (started chasing after her. Both of them laughed and played together like two small children)
Tired and all wet, they walked up to the beach and sat down, resting.
Cagalli: (wrung water from her clothes) Thanks for bringing me out here. I haven't been to the sea for quite a while and I kind of miss it.
Athrun: I miss coming here with you, too. (put his somewhat dry jacket on the sand) Sit down, Cagalli.
Cagalli: (stared at him) What? That's your jacket, Athrun!
Athrun: I know. Don't worry, it's all sandy now that I put it there, so just sit down. Please.
Cagalli looked at him then sat down.
Cagalli: ...You said you missed coming here with me. We have been here before, Athrun? Together?
Athrun: (sighed and sat down next to her) We used to. Things were different then...
Cagalli: (looked at him) Tell me.
Athrun: (smiled sadly, looking at the setting sun) Before that... I will tell you another story first...
Athrun: ...three years ago, I was still part of Klueze's team and I was fighting against the EA. Our team's mission...was to get the Archangel and the Strike... (took a deep breath and closed his eyes) Many things happened. Many things...
Cagalli: Athrun...
Athrun: (opened his eyes) It was one of those times... My friends...ZAFT... were attacking the Archangel. I was delayed because of some problem with the transport plane. We were quite far from the battlefield but... there was this skygrasper straying in our way.
Cagalli: ...(absent look in her eyes) a skygrasper...
Athrun: We shot and got shot. The Aegis, my mobile suit then, was ejected and I landed on one of the small islands scattering in the ocean.
Cagalli: What happened to that skygrasper?
Athrun: (smiled slightly as he remembered) Fate had it that it landed on the same island as me. (laughed a little) And we met. I and that pilot. It's one meeting that I will never forget.
Cagalli: ...What happened?
Athrun: (glanced at her, smiling a small sad smile) We fought. We thought of each other then as enemy, so... (he shrugged) Given the situation, it made sense that we did what we did.
Cagalli: (thought for a moment...) You didn't kill him, did you?
Athrun: No, I didn't. Almost, though. I would have killed that pilot at that time but then... she screamed.
Cagalli: (eyes widened) Huh?
Cagalli: ...a girl?
Athrun: (nodded, smiling) A girl.
Cagalli: (frowned) So, what is it if she's a girl? It doesn't say anywhere that only guys can pilot a skygrasper or mobile suit, does it? So what if that pilot's a girl?
Athrun: (blinked at her) ...I didn't say anything, Cagalli.
Cagalli: (blinked) ...Ah...no, you didn't.
Silence...
Cagalli: ...then what happened? You said you didn't kill her, right?
Athrun: (snapped out of his thought) Huh? Oh that...no, I didn't kill her. I tied her up and threw her gun into the sea...
Cagalli: She had a gun, too?
Athrun: (nodded) Yes. One shot grazed my arm a bit...
Cagalli: ...And then?
Athrun: I left her at the beach and went back to Aegis. I tried to contact my friends but the airwaves were jammed. It was almost evening when came that squall.
Cagalli: A squall...? (she turned to look at the sea) There was rain...
Athrun: (smiled) So there was. She was a stubborn girl, that one. Even all tied up as she was, she still tried to... I don't know what she tried to do then but she just wouldn't give up.
Cagalli: ...And?
Athrun: A thunder probably scared her or something must have startled her because she rolled down and into the water. The rope, I think, got stuck in a crack, so she couldn't get up.
Cagalli: (her face scrunched up) It was such a pain...
Athrun: (nodded) Must be. Anyway... I moved the Aegis' arm to shield her from the rain before I got down. To be honest though... (chuckled) I did that so I wouldn't get too wet actually.
Cagalli: (punched his arm lightly) Some gentleman you are, Athrun Zala.
Athrun: (laughed) I am one of a kind. Just like you, princess Cagalli.
Cagalli: (snapped) Don't call me that! I hate it when people call me princess. Tell me what happened after that.
Athrun: (looked at her, eyes twinkling with amusement) I went down and asked what she was doing. You know what she said?
Cagalli: (arched her brow at him) If I were that girl, I would say 'Can't you tell already?'
Athrun: (burst out laughing) ...haha..ha… (wiped his eyes) Of course... Of course, you would say that...
Cagalli: (angry) What's so funny about that!
Athrun: (chuckled) If you were that girl, Cagalli, what would you say if I just looked at you?
Cagalli: (gave him a weird look) Well, if I were her, I wouldn't be able to move, would I? 'Don't just stand there! Hurry up and help me!' probably...
Athrun: (bit his lip)...'I don't think you're in any position to tell me what to do.'
Cagalli: (suddenly angry) 'Just hurry up and do as I say!'
Athrun: (broke into another fit of laughter)... Oh god!...I can't believe...! (held his stomach as he laughed)... Oh Cagalli...
Cagalli: (her hand over her mouth, eyes wide, she just realized what she had just said)...It's not possible...
Athrun: (calmed down. He's gasping a little from laughing so much. He wiped away the tears from his eyes, which held a faint light of deep sadness, and said in a solemn voice) ...Maybe. Maybe not...
Cagalli: (stared at him)…What do you mean?
Athrun: (shrugged slightly and lay down on the sand, sighing) Anyway...
Athrun: (stared at the darkening sky, thinking about what he would say next) ...So... I helped her up and I cut the ropes...
Cagalli: (looked at him, tilting her head slightly) That easy, Athrun? Didn't you say that you thought her your enemy?
Athrun: (remembered the exact events and blushed)...ah...
Cagalli: (noticed his blush but brushed it away as the light from the setting sun instead) Tell me the truth.
Athrun: ... (was trying his damnedest to keep his blushing under control) ...Just...give me a second, okay?
Cagalli: (blinked, then shrugged) Fine. (drew her knees up, resting her chin on her arms. She closed her eyes)
Athrun: (glanced at her direction. He suddenly became sad... she remembers but at the same time she doesn't... will she ever remember at all?) ...Cagalli?
Cagalli: (opened her eyes and turned to him) Hmm?
Athrun: (rolled onto his side and looked at her) Cagalli... I helped her up and there was this...crab crawling out of her hair and onto my arm. We stared at it and, before it reached half-way, it fell off and gone. I... (lowered his eyes, feeling his cheeks warmed) I...laughed.
Cagalli: (blinked at him then frowned a bit) What's so funny about a crab?
Athrun: (smiled sadly) Well...I just hadn't experience much of this sort of thing...
Cagalli: Aren't there any crab in the PLANTs or what? (turned away)
Athrun: (looks at her intently for a moment then said in a flat tone) You don't remember.
Cagalli: (upset) Now I am supposed to be that girl, Athrun?
Athrun: ... (thoughtfully) No. (sighed) No, you are not supposed to be that girl, Cagalli.
Cagalli: (turned her face away from him)
Athrun: ...She hopped out of Aegis' shield... She hopped out into the rain then. It was the sand, she said. She looked so happy standing in the rain like that...
Cagalli: ...
Athrun: I couldn't think of her as my enemy anymore after I saw her...smile. I went to her and cut the ropes. Without weapon, she was no threat to me, I thought then.
Cagalli: (snorted)
Athrun: (smiled a bit) A crab on your shirt, Cagalli.
Cagalli: (eyes widened and got up suddenly) Wha---! Where---! Ah--!
Athrun: (sat up and calmly, accurately pulled a small crap from the hem of her shirt) Here.
Cagalli: (blinked at the crab) ...You're right.
Athrun: (the smile on his face faded and he turned abruptly from her, blushing) ...ah...Cagalli...your, ah, shirt...
Cagalli: What...? ...(suddenly realized what he meant and quickly pulled down her shirt)...!
Minutes of embarrassed silence...
Athrun: (cleared his throat) So...err...
Athrun: I...(eyes widened, he stopped speaking suddenly. His face turned white...then red...then back to white again)...
Cagalli: (becoming worried) Athrun...are you feeling okay?
Athrun: Ah...I...I'm f-fine.
Cagalli: What is it? What's wrong?
Athrun: (face turned red this time) er...umm...
Cagalli: (started to get impatient) Athrun, tell me.
Athrun: (was swearing three languages in his head all at once... how is he supposed to tell her about what happened next!)... ah…
Cagalli: (a thin cord of patience snapped. She grabbed at his shirt collars and shook him) Just spill it out already, damnit!
Athrun: (said everything in one breath) Iaksedhertotakeoffherclothesbecauseshe'sgoingtobesickifshewearswetclothestherestofthenight!
Cagalli: (eyes wide. Somehow she managed to understand what Athrun just said which was basically, 'I asked her to take off her clothes because she's going to get sick if she wears wet clothes the rest of the night!')...Oh...(let go of his shirt and started to blush furiously)
Athrun: (face as red as a ripe tomato) I didn't mean to do anything! I was just concerned and she was wet! I--- It gets really cold at night in those areas and---
Cagalli: (put her hand up, stopping him)...It's okay... Just...give me a second...
Silence...both took time to calm themselves and their blushes.
Cagalli: ...Then, what? What happened after that?
Athrun: (heat shooting up to his face again just hearing her voice) …I got some ration out of the Aegis and gave her a blanket, then I left to find some sticks since we had no choice but to stay on that island for the night.
Cagalli: ...
Athrun: (cleared his throat) When I came back to the cave, she's...covered and her clothes were already hung on a long stick so they could dry. I started the fire... Outside, it rained for a while longer before it stopped.
Cagalli: (nodded and looked up at the sky) I wish we will have rain soon, too.
Athrun: (looked up as well) Aa... But you don't want it now or we both are going to get wet again and we might catch a cold later.
Cagalli: (looked at the setting sun) Athrun, it's late. Shouldn't we go back now?
Athrun: (turned to looked at her)...We should. But do you want to go? Really?
Cagalli: (turned to look at him. She looked into his eyes for a while) ...Tell me more.
Athrun: ...Since her pack got washed away, I shared my ration with her. (chuckled) She wouldn't take it at first but then... her stomach protested. She had to swallow her pride along with the food...
Cagalli: Humph...
(growls)
Cagalli: (blinked, then blushed. She glanced at Athrun and found that he's blushing also)
Athrun: ...You hungry, too?
Cagalli: (nodded)...(looked for her bag. Found it. Opened. And got out a couple of snack bars, candies, and some chocolates)
Athrun: ...(blinked) You still keep this many sweet in your bag?
Cagalli: (glared at him) Oh, shut up. You should be glad that there's any at all. (threw a snack bar at him)
Athrun: (caught it easily. He stared at her)
Cagalli: (took a bite out of her 'food'. Noticed his stare and glared at him) What?
Athrun: (shrugged) Just that...you didn't change as much as I thought you had. After everything that happened...
Cagalli: (looked at him strangely, then looked away and said in a quiet voice) You should not say such thing when you know almost nothing, Athrun Zala.
Athrun: ... I am sorry.
Cagalli shrugged nonchalantly.
They ate in silence.
Cagalli: ...So...(took out a bottle of water and drank from it)...what happened after that? Did you tie her up? (gave Athrun the bottle)
Athrun: (looked at the bottle, then at her) Huh?
Cagalli: (impatiently) That's water for you to drink and the question is what did you two do after you gave her something to eat?
Athrun: Oh...(took the bottle from her somewhat numbly)...we didn't talk much and no, I didn't tie her up. There's no reason to do it, after all.
Cagalli: (disapproving look) You are too careless. Or is it because you thought she was a girl so you went easy on her?
Athrun: (sharp look, he snapped at her) I didn't want to think of her as my enemy. If she's really the enemy, if she seemed like a potential threat, I would have finished her long time ago. (looked away) I asked myself later...why didn't I kill her? Why was it that I was more at ease and natural around her, compared to some others who I had known for a long time but still felt just as awkward as the first time...? What was it about this girl... Even now I can't understand her.
Cagalli: ...
Athrun: (sighed and looks up at the sky. It's getting dark and stars were coming out) ...I wondered many times before and I wonder again...why did I tell her so many things...? Things that I would rather not speak of to anyone, much less to a stranger, an enemy almost...
Cagalli: ...What did you tell her?
Athrun: (sad, absent look in his eyes) Heliopolis... Junius Seven... My mother...
Cagalli: (looked at Athrun, wide eyes)
Athrun: ...We both had a fair share of pain and loss in the last war. We lost our families, our friends, our home... Ourselves...
Cagalli: (her gaze dropped, her face sad... She put her hand over his)
Athrun: ...We fought our own friends. We killed innocent people. We...
"I have no intention to shoot you! But you're going to go and attack Earth with that again, aren't you? I know very well that Orb's at fault for making them! But that…that mobile suit will end up killing many people on Earth, won't it?"
" Then shoot me. I'm the one responsible for pulling the trigger on that mobile suit. I'm a ZAFT pilot. I will not allow you to touch my machine. If you insist on using that gun, I will kill you. "
Athrun: (closed his eyes and a sigh shivered from him) We… we have done so many…things, following blindly because we were so desperate for peace…
Cagalli: (quiet whisper) Lives lost… loved ones who shall never again return… and those who are left behind continue to grieve… Grieving for the rest of their lives…
Athrun: (looked down) So much sacrifice… but all for nothing. In the end, peace didn't last for so long… and I...I couldn't protect anyone. Not even the one who's important to me most...
Cagalli: (deep sorrow in her eyes as she listened. She reached out and gently guided Athrun's head to her shoulder) ...I know.
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