Chapter 5

I froze, stunned, from the advanced technology and the high level of activity. Every piece of technology was at least two years more advanced then anything on earth. The level of activity was also far above anything I'd ever seen.

"Hey!" Athrun called to me from the other side of the ship and was standing holding a door open for me, "Are you ok?"

I nodded then hurried across and through the door, "Yah, sorry," The door closed behind me, "are you sure nothing bad will happen?" I glanced around nervously well it's to late to turn back now.

Athrun nodded and slowed his pace to walk next to me, "So…why did you join the army? What reason does someone like you have to fight?"

I stopped and whirled to face him. Tears of anger formed in my eyes as the memories returned to the front of my mind, "How dare you say something like that! You know nothing about me!" I took a deep breath to keep yelling then paused. Why am I yelling? He has no way of knowing what happened.

Athrun lowered his head, resting his eyes on the tile floor, "I'm sorry. You're right. I don't know anything about you," he raised his gaze to meet mine, "that's why I'm asking. I want to get to know you."

I turned away, unable to face him, "You're right too. About two years ago I ended up in my first battle. I wasn't a soldier at the time but I still managed to survive." I turned to stare out a window as the memory of that day washed over me, "the person who I knew as my brother was with me." Tears formed in my eyes clouding my vision. I took a deep breath and struggled to continue, "He died, that day, in my arms," my head drooped and my shoulders shook trying to keep in the sadness that threatened to overtake me.

Athrun reached out and pulled me into a hug. His arms wrapped tightly around me, as if trying to keep me from any harm that could possibly touch me, "I know how it feels. My mother died in the Bloody Valentine a year ago. It still hurts."

I moved my head back until I could see his face. A small tear rested in the corner of one closed eye. Who would have thought that even through we are on opposite sides of a war, we are still fighting for the same thing. The loss of someone we loved.

Athrun pulled back sharply as someone cleared their throat behind us.