Hi again!
Well, here's the next chapter – it is a little longer but well… I got little carried away. Thanks again to all who reviewed! I think there is only … 4 more chapters to this story! Wow! I'll be so sad when I finish it.
Warning:Violence and gun play ahead – don't read it if you're sensitive to this sort of thing ok?
Disclaimer: I still don't own Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny or any other references to either series. The final confrontation idea (three people in the hotel) came from this old series I watched on TV called "Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction" – this story was fiction about a ghost that came back to haunt two lovers. I don't know who the author was but… the credit goes to him or and the writers from the show.
Abhorrence
Chapter#15: Shattered Reunions
Night had fallen for the second time since Kira had returned from their attempt to rescue Athrun. Unable to leave their room on the chance that the others may arrive, Cagalli, Lacus and himself had felt all but stranded. He sat on one of the beds beside Lacus, absent-mindedly swinging his feet to remove excess energy. Looking up at the window, he let out a long sigh. The storm that had taken a fierce hold over the town was only now starting to settle. He refused to believe the worst, that the others had been recaptured, and therefore assumed that the storm had held them up.
It was a lot harder to convince Cagalli of that though.
"I thought they were supposed to meet us here?" Cagalli had her face pressed against the window, leaving a mark where he nose touched the glass. From the window she couldn't see the front of the building but she insisted on staring out of it regardless.
Kira stood and moved towards the door. "They probably got caught up in the storm," He said for the umpteenth time. "I'm sure they will come tonight."
"You said that last night."
"I'm sure Yzak and Dearka are doing what is best for them," Lacus pointed out. "And Athrun. To risk travel in the kind of weather we had yesterday would have been foolish. They might have frozen to death."
Kira recognized the look in Cagalli's eyes and fired Lacus an abrupt glare that silently thanked her for adding to his sister's list of things to worry about. Lacus bowed her head in shame, immediately realizing her mistake.
"Perhaps I could go wait for them by the front entrance?" Kira offered. "That way, we wouldn't miss them."
Cagalli slumped and nodded, never once taken her eyes off of the window. "Fine, do what you want."
Kira started towards the door but Lacus quickly stopped him. Grabbing his sleeve she shook her head warily. "You shouldn't go alone. I will go with you."
Kira knew that Lacus felt bad about her last remark and was looking for a way to avoid making any further off hand remarks that could upset Cagalli. He didn't argue and nodded. They needed some time to themselves and he was sure that Cagalli needed some time to unwind. Their presence didn't seem to be helping matters.
He opened the door and slid through the crack with Lacus close behind. He paused. "Cagalli?" He poked his head out from behind the door. "Are you going to be ok here?"
"Yes," She mumbled. "I want to be alone for a while anyway. Just turn off the light on your way out alright?"
Kira did just that before closing the door behind him softly and following Lacus down the hall. There was a heavy silence between them as they matched their pace step for step until they reached the main doors. The hotel attendant from behind the front desk eyed them suspiciously but said nothing as they lingered around the glass doors, peering out into the darkness.
The reflection of the streetlights shimmered off the newly-fallen snow like gems and Kira quickly found himself hypnotized by their beauty. His left arm snaked around Lacus' slender waist and he pulled her close, letting his fingers trace the thin curvatures of her hips. Under any other circumstances, the atmosphere would have been undeniably romantic for the two of them.
"You know," He whispered softly in her ear, somewhat amused when she shuttered against him. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you."
"It's a difficult time for Cagalli," Lacus agreed. She let her head rest on Kira's firm chest and purred when he wrapped both of his strong arms around her. "I'm scared for them, Kira… both of them."
"Athrun will be fine." Kira told her, wishing the words had come out with more certainty than they had.
"Will he?" Lacus tilted her head and looked up at him. "What if they hurt him, Kira? What if…"
"What if he's just fine?" Kira asked. He didn't want to tell her what Maloby had told him in fear that it would upset her. "Worrying about it won't do us any good until we actually see him."
Lacus shifted in her boyfriend's arms and let her eyes wonder out into the street. Little did she notice the shadows moving about on the road, ducking and sneaking around the parked cars as well as around the buildings across the street. She frowned and lifted her head when she saw a car approaching. It was moving cautiously and gradually slowed to a stop until it reached the hotel. She blinked and leaned forward. Her grip around Kira tightened. She couldn't make out the driver but the passenger had an unmistakable head of thin, silver hair. The silver-haired boy stepped out of the vehicle and moved to the back, passenger door.
"Kira!" She gasped. "Kira! It's them!"
"Yzak!" Kira called and almost fell over when Lacus suddenly darted forward, his arms still holding her.
The couple hurried towards the vehicle just as Dearka came around from the driver's seat. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes and he looked a little disheveled but he smiled nonetheless. He helped Yzak open the back door and reaching in, he managed to swing one of Athrun's arms around his neck to help him out.
Lacus froze and when Kira caught up with her, he grabbed her tightly. Both couldn't believe what they saw.
Unsteady on his feet, Athrun almost slipped as Dearka held him upright. His face was painted with blue and black bruises and he looked like a ghost. His skin was pasty white and his eyes seemed dilated. His silky-smooth hair was tousled and matted down, making it even more difficult to see his face. The over-sized sweater clung to his lithe form and Lacus felt the color drain from her face when she saw just how thin he had become. He lurched forward and coughed but the sound was barely audible.
"Oh my…" Lacus whispered and took a cautious step forward. "Athrun…"
His head flew up and his eyes moved about wildly as if trying to find her. She saw a faint smile split his face when his gaze finally fell upon her. Reaching out a trembling hand, he took a step towards her. "L…Lacus?"
"Athrun, you're alive." Lacus breathed and threw her arms around him in a gentle embrace. She felt his entire body collapse into her and winced as she supported his weight. The fact that she could do so frightened her. Lacus had seen Athrun's face and could only imagine what damage his clothing concealed. He felt like a china doll in her grip and she was ashamed to admit that she was almost afraid to touch him. Afraid that he might very well shatter in her arms.
"Athrun!" Kira smiled though his brow etched with deep concern. He exchanged looks with the ZAFT pilots who both nodded, knowing exactly what he was thinking. Kira put a hand on Athrun's shoulder and squeezed gently. It was Athrun's left shoulder.
To Kira's horror, Athrun let out a sharp cry of pain and his legs nearly buckled. Cowering away from Kira, Athrun gritted his teeth and shook his head, fighting back the rush of pain that had just flooded his system. "I'm… sorry, Kira. It's just…"
"It's okay." Kira answered and removed his hand, letting it drop to his side. He then looked away, thinking. His gut twisted in disgust at what had been done to his friend. They had starved him, clearly beaten him beyond reason and for Athrun to openly display such pain… Kira shuddered. Athrun had always been strong. For the Blue Cosmos to bring him to this… Kira couldn't help but wonder whether or not he would have been able to endure whatever his friend had been forced to go through.
"Cagalli?" Athrun's voice brought Kira back to attention and he turned back towards his friend. "Is she alright?"
If Athrun hadn't been as he was, Kira might have laughed. Athrun was the one who was hurting yet he was more concerned about Cagalli than himself. Kira smiled kindly. They may have all but ruined his body but deep down, he was still the Athrun Zala they all knew and adored.
"She's in her room," He explained, carefully observing the way Athrun's expression contorted strangely. He looked almost tentative and unsure about seeing her. "Room 27 on the third floor."
Athrun nodded once as another coughing fit took hold of him.
Lacus released him and moved back to Kira. She watched in painful sympathy as Dearka struggled to keep Athrun upright as he coughed, hacked and choked. His eyes clamped shut so tightly that they watered as he fought to regain his composure. He probably would have fallen right over had it not been for Dearka holding him.
"He's so weak." Lacus muttered fearfully to Kira who answered with a slight nod.
"I'll go get Cagalli and we'll be out of here," Kira told them and spun on his heels back towards the hotel.
He took two steps forward but was stopped by the soft sound of Athrun's voice calling him. He halted in his tracks and scowled, confused. "What is it?"
"I… I need to talk to Cagalli," Athrun breathed heavily, his eyes pleading with the shorter boy to understand. "Please, let me be the one to go get her."
Yzak, who had remained silent up to this point, raised an eyebrow. "You can hardly walk."
"I can make it," Athrun retorted, insulted by his former comrade's remark. Determined to stand under his own power, he untangled his arm from around Dearka and gritted his teeth. He felt his legs shaking from the strain but somewhere he found the strength to keep himself from sagging into the snow. "I won't be long…I need to see her."
Kira exchanged worried looks with Lacus as Athrun took a shaky step forward. Dearka also looked perplexed but didn't try to interfere as Athrun fumbled with the front door to the hotel. He opened it just enough to slide his slender frame between the two doors and then continued to hobble down the lobby. His movements were awkward and wobbly as if he was learning to walk for the first time.
"Should we go after him?" Lacus asked. Her grip around Kira tightened as she clung furiously to his waist. "What if he hurts himself?"
"I don't think he will." Kira replied. He recognized the look in Athrun's eyes. The look that had always told him that Athrun needed to do something. Unconsciously, he ran a hand through Lacus' long, pink hair and sighed. "Whatever he has to say to Cagalli must be important…and I think we should let him do as he asked."
Yzak grunted and teetered on his heels beside the car. "Whatever he needs to say to her can't be that important."
"Who are we to say?" Kira demanded. "Give him a couple minutes with Cagalli – it can't hurt anything can it?"
"He'll probably fall down the stairs," Yzak muttered. "I'm not cleaning up the mess when that happens."
"Shut up, Yzak." Dearka piped up and swatted him over the back of the head. Normally he was in good spirits but the strain of the last 46 hours was beginning to take its toll on him and he was starting to become a little edgy. "Don't forget how worked up that gal was about him. He was probably worried about her too, you know how Athrun is."
Everybody nodded.
So preoccupied were they that nobody noticed the shadowy figure climbing up the side of the hotel from one balcony to the next towards the third floor. Towards the window of room 27.
Meanwhile, as Athrun slowly made his way up the stairs, he was seriously reconsidering his decision. Was what he had to say to her really that important? Did he really want to know the answers to the questions he wanted to ask? He groaned as another dizzy spell overtook him and he stumbled to the side of the stairs, reaching blindly for the wall for support.
Beads of sweat rolled down from his brow as his breathing came in heavy pants. The drug was still in his system. He could feel it raging havoc inside of him as he fought for control. If he let himself fall, he doubted he would be able to get back up. Athrun shook his head. He did not want to be seen lying prone in a stairwell. Yzak and Dearka would never let him hear the end of it.
Eyes narrowing, he crawled up the stairs, leaning on the wall to keep himself upright. Everything seemed to be moving further and further away from him. Never had a hotel room seemed so distant. It felt as if he had been walking for miles but he had to reach Cagalli. He had to know. His heart beat painfully and he felt almost ashamed of himself. In many ways he was strong but in others he was weak and extremely vulnerable. He had survived through his ordeal at the hands of the Blue Cosmos for her, knowing that he couldn't leave her because he loved her. And she loved him. At least, that is what he had believed to be true. He needed to know. After everything he had been told, after all the pain, he needed to hear it from her. He needed her to confirm the love that he had always believed they had shared for one another.
The journey to Room 27 completely exhausted him and when he reached the door that led to it, he had to stop and catch his breath. He felt miserable. Never could he recall a time he had felt so poorly… not even after having been thrown from the explosion of the Aegis. It felt as though someone had connected him to a machine that gradually pumped the life right out of him.
From inside her room, Cagalli was staring emptily through the slightly-open window into the lonely streets. So many thoughts were coursing through her mind as emotions flooded her heart. She was fighting for a peaceful world and a world where people could live in happiness. Yet, she would not. If finding true peace meant loosing the people she cared about… was it really worth it? At one point she would have said yes, now she wasn't so sure.
She tensed when she heard a soft thumping coming from down the hall. She straightened and turned towards the door. The moonlight from the window behind her cast out her shadow onto the floor and she shivered. The sound was faint and it certainly wasn't Kira's footsteps. She reached back into her belt and pulled out her pistol and held it firmly in her left hand.
"Kira?" She called hesitantly.
Nothing.
The sound grew near and she shuddered slightly as the door to her room began to open. He heart stopped. "Lacus? Answer me!"
She re-adjusted her aim, intending to shot should the intruder be someone other than her two friends. She would not be taken down. Not until she either found Athrun or avenged him.
Just then, the door flew open and slammed loudly against the wall. The light from the hall illuminated the silhouette of a gangly figure whose legs quivered beneath him. His wild hair danced about his chin as he desperately clung to the wall. The stranger's deep, green eyes shimmered hauntingly in the moonlight and when they fixed themselves on her, Cagalli froze.
Athrun drank in the sight before him, oblivious to the fact she was holding a gun in her hand. Cagalli, she was alright. Exhausted from more than just the walk up to her room, Athrun forced a small smile. Even though he could barely make her out, she had never looked more beautiful.
"Cagalli…"
Relief overwhelmed him and his legs finally gave out. Without warning, the young man in the doorway suddenly collapsed to the floor in an unmoving heap.
"Athrun!" Cagalli cried as she recklessly threw the gun aside and made a frantic dash towards him. The few meters that separated them seemed to stretch into eternity as she collapsed beside him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She pulled him close, crushing her body against his in a tight embrace. Burying her head in his chest, she reached up with a shaky hand and wiped the damp strands of blue hair from his eyes. Tears shimmered in her own auburn orbs as she held him, feeling the beat of his heart against her own.
It took a moment for Athrun to register what was happening and for a minute, he was paralyzed. Then, he felt it. The cold and bitter despair that had clung to him since his capture vanished as the heat radiating off of Cagalli flooded his senses. Slowly, he returned her embrace and relaxed, ignoring the throbbing pain, from his numerous injuries, the fierce contact caused.
When she felt Athrun respond, Cagalli's head shot up. Her eyes bored into the pair of twinkling emeralds gazing down at her. Before she knew what she was doing, she lifted her head and captured his icy, blue lips with her own. She felt a tremor wrack his body but she didn't withdraw. Instead, she laced her hands in his thick hair and pulled him closer. She poured all of her passion, joy, relief and anger into the kiss and grinned against his lips when he moaned weakly and deepened the kiss.
The kiss ended when Athrun pulled away, gasping. He dropped back to his hands and knees, his fists clinching tightly at his sides until his knuckles went white. His breathing was shallow as he fought to draw air into his lungs. Sweat poured down his face and soon his shallow gasps turned into violent coughs.
"Athrun, what is it?" Cagalli gripped his right shoulder tightly as he shuddered with each cough that ripped itself from his throat. The moonlight shifted again as a gentle breeze caused the window curtains to flutter and Cagalli could see a strange metallic substance on his trembling lips. She froze, trying to bury the fear that she knew he could see so plainly on her face. "Oh… my god…"
"I know," Athrun croaked as his coughing subsided. Holding onto her shoulders, he tried to stand though she more or less had to guide him to his feet.
He was dangerously unsteady and it was a wonder that he had managed thus far without passing out. He shook but didn't resist as she, once again, hugged him and let his head rest on her shoulder.
"Cagalli I…"
"Shhh," She hushed him. "Save your strength. We'll get you to a doctor and everything will be just fine. Just… stay awake."
She felt Athrun nod his head in compliance. "I feel terrible."
For Athrun to openly admit he was feeling 'terrible' meant in fact that he already had one foot in the grave. Any injury he had sustained in the past had always been 'just a scratch,' or 'nothing' and he was always 'fine.' This time, there was none of this. He made no attempt to shrug off or deny the fact he was suffering.
"Don't worry," Cagalli told him, trying to keep her voice steady. "When we reach the doctor's, he or she will fix you right up." It frightened her to know that her words were meant more or less to convince her rather than him.
"Sure," Athrun made an attempt to smile as he clung to her to maintain his balance. He seriously doubted that anyone could ever repair the damage that had been done to his body and his mind. "I'm sure they will."
"Come on," She said, pulling away and taking his hand. "We have to get you to a hospital. Orb territory is not that far away."
Obediently, he allowed her to lead him to the door but then stopped short at the threshold. Puzzled, Cagalli turned back and raised a concerned eyebrow, her brown eyes questioning. "What is it?"
"It's just…" Athrun lowered his gaze, somewhat embarrassed. "I…I need to know something."
"Athrun?" Cagalli closed the distance between them, tilting her head up to better see his pale and battered face. Her expression was serious as she watched him warily. He was like a trembling child, almost afraid and uncertain of everything around him. Even her. "Talk to me."
"I…" Athrun's voice faltered as he struggled to contain himself. The pain of the last few weeks was fresh in his mind, as was the fading hope he had had that someone might come for him and the doubts Jibril had planted in his head. His eyes wavered and moistened though he refused to let the tears fall.
"It was three weeks…." He fumbled over the words as his throat tightened with emotion. "Why… I thought…I mean…you didn't give up on me… did you?"
Cagalli's eyes widened as she realized what Athrun was so awkwardly trying to say. He thought that she didn't care! He wanted to know why they hadn't rescued him sooner! More tears gathered in the corners of her eyes as she threw her arms around him.
"Oh Athrun! We tried so hard to get you back! They wanted money but then… when they found out who you were, they refused to follow through with the deal we had made! Dearka and Yzak searched for days and Kira worked for three weeks to find you! We… we got you out as soon as we could! I'm so sorry! For everything!"
Athrun didn't say anything as she sobbed openly into his chest. He didn't need to. They held each other, in the emptiness of the hotel room, content to be in each other's arms. Cagalli's sobs slowly seized and for what seemed like hours, they just stood in the doorway, caught in a tight embrace. It had been a long time since Athrun had felt so much at peace.
"Say it for me, Cagalli," He murmured suddenly, his face hidden in her blond hair. He needed to know the truth. He needed to reconfirm what he had known to be true from the moment he had laid eyes on her. "Please, say it. Forgive me but so much has happened – I need to hear those exact words. I need to know… I need to hear it from you. Please… Cagalli…"
He could feel the grip around his waist strengthen. "I love you, Athrun," She whispered without hesitation.
He hugged her tightly, relief and pure joy rushing over him. The fear and confusion that had forced its way into his mind evaporated and the words Jibril had spoken to him, the lies and stories, finally took their leave. "Promise me you'll always say it."
"I promise," Cagalli took an oath, an oath she had long before he had asked her to. "I will always love you, Athrun."
"My, my, my…isn't this jet pull at your heart strings? The little Orb Princess with her little Coordinator companion." Jibril's all too familiar voice sung out from the open window to Cagalli's room and shattered the heart-felt reunion.
The couple broke apart and Athrun instinctively stepped in front of Cagalli. "You again…" His eyes narrowed in recognition.
"Yes me again," Jibrili chuckled menacing and, picking up Cagalli's disregarded gun, he pointed it at the stunned couple. The moonlight reflected off the barrel as it aligned itself level with Cagalli's chest. "Did you honestly think that you could escape from me, Athrun? If you had just died as a good prisoner should then we wouldn't have to involve your girlfriend. Such a pity…"
Athrun saw the gun was aimed at Cagalli, not himself. He tested his muscles and was relieved to find that, although still weak, they had not yet shut down from the strain of the past few weeks. His eyes locked on the barrel. He had to protect Cagalli. Every muscle in his body tensed as he evaluated the situation. Jibril was too far away for an attack and he couldn't leave Cagalli. He refused to take that chance.
"You are brave when the odds are so overwhelmingly in your favor." Athrun growled almost bitterly. He was both sick and weak. There was no way he could get both he and Cagalli out of this alive.
"And that's the way I like it," Jibril chortled, raising his gun to assure his aim would be true. "Say goodbye, Athrun Zala."
Athrun shoved Cagalli out of the way as a gunshot shattered the heavy silence and a startled cry escaped her throat. She fell, landing in the hallway, and looked back to see Athrun drop to the floor, half in and half out of the doorway. Gritting his teeth, the battered Coordinator tried to push himself upright but only got as far as his elbows. Blood stained the over-sized sweater and slowly spread over a spot between his ribs. Panting heavily, he hiccupped and choked.
He coughed weakly and Cagalli's eyes widened when she saw droplets of red dribble down from his mouth as he continued to hack, as if trying to clear his throat. Athrun managed to regain his composure and raised his head, pained eyes locking on her own.
"Cagalli find Kira and the others," He gritted out through clenched teeth. A trickle of blood rain ran down the corner of his mouth, only adding to his already disfigured features.
"What? Athrun, No!" Cagalli retorted, close to panic. She shook her head violently in the negative. She couldn't leave him. Not again. She couldn't let them take him away from her a second time.
"Go!" Athrun hissed desperately. His eyes found hers and held them for the briefest of moments. "Please, Cagalli," His voice softened as the sound of boots grew louder and Athrun knew that Jibril was directly behind him. "Please…go to Kira. He will keep you safe."
"I missed," Jibril pretended to sound disappointed as he approached. "Oh well. I get a second chance."
"Cagalli…"
Grab him and run…Cagalli's mind frantically sought out a plan of action. No… it won't work – he's too weak. I can't leave him but if I stay then I will only be a distraction for Athrun and we will both be killed. If I find Kira then maybe… maybe… if Athrun can hang on then maybe…no! You can't leave him like this!
From where she was, Cagalli could see Athrun was gathering what was left of his strength for one last, desperate gamble. She shook her head weakly. He had always been so reckless and so careless with his life. He took too many risks. Like a game, he would throw his life on the line and hope that the dice would roll in his favor. This time, she knew, that if she left him, she would never seen him again.
"Miss. Cagalli…"Jibril's voice was directly above the fallen, young man and Cagalli could clearly see the deranged man as he popped into view. "It's time for you to join your friend. You're choice in company is most appalling but hopefully a few years in purgatory will cleanse your soul of your poor judgment. Farewell…"
With every ounce of his remaining strength, Athrun surged up and tackled the Blue Cosmos leader, fueling his one, final attack with all the strength he could muster. Jibril howled in both surprise and anger as the mortally wounded boy forced him back into the room.
Jibril shouted out numerous obscenities at him. He cursed him and snarled at him and he tried to bring up his gun to shoot Athrun a second time but Athrun grappled with him for it as the two fought for control of the deadly weapon.
"Cagalli! Get out of here now! Don't look back! Please, run!" Athrun shouted as he clung to Jibril's weapon arm like a second skin. He couldn't hear her nor did he hear any sounds of footsteps distancing themselves from the room. What was she doing? His strength and life fluids were draining and he knew he was deteriorating fast. He had been ill to begin with but he held on, knowing that this would be his last confrontation with the enemy. There was no way he would survive this.
Jibril was eventually able to free a hand and dealt the youth a solid blow across the face but Athrun hung on. Another blow smashed into the side of his face followed by another in quick succession and Athrun could feel his grip around the man's arm loosening. He saw the man raise an angry fist to him yet again when something suddenly caught it midair, preventing it from descending upon him.
Athrun's eyes widened.
"Stop it!" Cagalli screamed, and latched onto Jibril's other arm. It took both of her arms to keep the powerful man from striking Athrun and she let out a pained grasp as Jibril furiously tried to yank his arm away. "Stop! I won't let you hurt him!"
She honestly didn't know what she planned to accomplish but right now she didn't care. All her mind registered was that this man was causing Athrun incredible pain and she had to stop him. Kicking out, she managed to jam her knee into the man's shin and was rewarded with a low grunt.
Her victory was short lived, however, as Jibril lashed out in retaliation. He wrenched his trapped arm forward, bringing Cagalli close. Raising his steel-toed boot, he kicked her away as hard as he could. The girl flew back with a startled cry of pain and crashed into the bed-side table.
"You little…" Jibril growled as he wrestled with Athrun to aim his gun at the downed Orb leader. "You're going to regret crossing me!"
Athrun's grip was still slippery and his heart caught in his throat as he saw that the barrel of the gun was pointing dangerously in Cagalli's direction. The terror the pulsed through him was staggering and something inside of him snapped. A surge of energy rushed through his system as he valiantly pulled the man's weapon arm away from Cagalli. The momentum of Athrun's swift motion sent the two of them crashing to the ground. He had to protect Cagalli. He had to protect Cagalli.
"Let go you little bastard!" Jibril roared at the boy, suddenly terrified. The intensity in the boy's eyes was foreign to him and the power behind them scared him. His eyes were glowing a bright green and his pupils had thinned.
Athrun had gone into seed mode.
From where she had fallen, Cagalli rose to her knees and gasped when she saw the two figures rolling on the floor. Scratching, kicking, thrashing and struggling, the Blue Cosmos leader and the injured youth continued the battle for control of the gun. Neither was prepared to give up.
"Damn your kind!" Jibril cried as he fought to free his weapon. "I am going to kill you, boy!"
Athrun said nothing – his eyes saying more than any words could have. He twisted and turned as they rolled around. Bumping into the dresser, the light sitting on top of it toppled over, shattering on the floor. They banged up against the wall with Jibril on top of Athrun. The man struck him again and again about the face before landing a hard blow in Athrun's already abused stomach. The boy gasped and slumped into a dazed heap.
"Athrun! No!"
Ripping his gun from Athrun's weakened grasp, Jibril scrambled to his feet and staggered back to distance himself from the beaten, young Coordinator in the corner. He stiffened as he turned around, flashing a menacing smirk at Cagalli before focusing his attention once again on Athrun. He had a promise to keep.
Athrun was lying on his back, panting hard while trying to twist himself around and get up to his hands and knees. Blood blossomed over his shirt and pooled beneath him but that didn't deter him. His arms shook as he strained to sit up. Sweat, both from exertion and fever seeped out from every pore of his body and he coughed, choking on blood that had accumulated in his mouth. He spat it out. Breathing was growing more and more difficult and he knew that he was dying. The world was starting to slip out of focus and Athrun bit his lip to deny the sob in his throat escape. Somehow Athrun's pain-filled eyes found Cagalli's and he held them. Silently, he apologized for not being able to say goodbye to her the way he might have liked to. He only hoped that she could forgive him for leaving her like this.
Cagalli was frozen, trapped as her eyes locked on his. Tears gathered in them as she realized that she wouldn't be able to reach Jibril before he pulled the trigger. And he was too close to Athrun to miss. After everything, she was going to loose him. "Jibril… no… please don't!" She hated herself for it but she had no other options but to beg. And beg she would if it meant saving Athrun's life. "Don't kill him!"
"But I made a promise," Jibril replied in glee, clearly enjoying the two lovers' anguish. He nodded towards Athrun. "Didn't I?"
Athrun gritted his teeth. It wasn't worth wasting the precious breath he had left to answer.
"Remember when we first met," Jibril asked coldly as he towered over the defeated Coordinator. "Do you remember when I said that I would kill you when the time was right? Well, that time is now."
"Then… shoot," Athrun wheezed and coughed, sending a tremor up and down his entire body. Lifting his upper body with his arms, he glared furiously into his opponent's eyes. "Because even if you kill me, you will never win. People like you are weak. Cagalli is strong…you will never win in a war with her."
Jibril shrugged. "I won't have to. Once you are dead, I will kill her too. I will have the satisfaction of knowing that I was the one who killed the great Athrun Zala and the powerful Cagalli Yula Ahtha of Orb. May your soul rest in peace with the Devil because that is where you're going, boy. Straight to hell. Say hello to your father for me while you're there."
"Athrun!" Cagalli cried, brokenly. "Athrun!"
Cagalli, I'm sorry…Athrun's mind whispered as he drank in the sight of her once last time. He could hear her calling out to him but he was too exhausted and too weak to respond. His strength had left him. He watched as Jibril pointed the gun at his heart and closed his eyes. He didn't want his last memories to be staring into the cold barrel of a gun. His arms wouldn't support his weight any longer and he sank back to the floor. I love you and…I tried to protect you… I failed… I'm sorry…
TBC
What would you call that? A cliffhanger right? Well, I had to end it somewhere. I hope you enjoyed it. Poor Athrun, poor Cagalli – poor everybody! Why did I do that to them? I really don't know but I guess I better work on the next part and get them out of this mess.
Please review and let me know what you think ok?
Thank you for all of you who reviewed the last chapter and I'm sorry if this one is being posted later than usual. I will try to post again as soon as I can. Find grammar errors? Let me know please!
Until next time,
Krilyn
Slightly Sinister Sinestra Well I put in a little bit of fluff but I think I took it away didn't I? I'm sorry. Yup Cagalli did have a panic attack but I think she was more concerned about Athrun and relieved.
Kageharu Kaco Ummm… yeah… he kinda ruined it didn't he? Sorry but well… yeah… I'm evil I guess. hehe
daisukiasu'n'caga I don't like the blue cosmos either. After the next chapter, I will give Athrun a break – I promise
"….": Ok, I will try to punish the blue cosmos. I just have to think of a way to do it. This chapter was tough to write but I'm glad it's finished lol. My new story is AU but it is a nice break from this one. Not as dramatic and easier to read - thanks for reviewing!
Cari-Akira Sorry, I didn't mean for it to be confusing. The guy in the house was actually a member of the blue cosmos – I hope that clears it all up. Thanks for the review
Nicole: Um… it was emotional but… not exactly sweet was it? I couldn't help it. It reminded me of that show and I thought I should write the same event in this story. Yeah I'm slow at starting stories… but I'm glad u think they get better
Genny-Chan: Hurray! Another Athrun fan! I love the guy! Though you wouldn't know it hehehhe… glad you like the story
Lamu: Yeah I enjoy writing Yzak and Dearka – they lighten the mood. Personally I never really liked Kira much but he's sorta important so I'm glad that I'm doing ok writing him up to. I do try to keep the characters realistic – I'm glad you noticed-.