Walking down the lonely and wet road, Cagalli realised that there was nothing else to do besides the extreme. She knew Kira would come looking for her, but he would be unable to sway her. Cagalli had to do something to get her closer to Athrun again.
She spotted her abandoned car on top of the hill overlooking the pier and the ocean. It was still cold out, and she was beginning to shiver. Covering her chest with her thin coat, she went and stood beside her car. Looking out into the ocean brought her back to the one thing she couldn't put from her mind: Where life was going to go from there.
It took a few days for Athrun to re-cooperate after what had happened. Cagalli went in with Myrna to change Athrun's dressings on his wounds. The doctor had found a large amount of bruises and cuts all over his body. When asked, Athrun wouldn't tell anyone where he had gotten them. The worst of places were around certain parts of his forearms and on his back.
Maybe he got into a fight, Cagalli thought, but why wouldn't he tell me if he did or not? It took her a while to change them, and tears came to her eyes frequently when she saw the immense amount of wounds. Through the entire time, the two didn't say a word to each other.
Lacus, Kira and Cagalli were going to go out for some much needed quality time outside. Cagalli had been swamped with work, and although Kira tried to help with the workload, there were just certain things he couldn't do. Lacus had to make some speeches and the two girls had to go on some business outings together to show the people that the PLANTS and ORB were working together. This was important since the people who still lived in the PLANTS looked up to Lacus as much as ORB residents looked up to Cagalli. The people needed to know that they need not fear the other race.
Lacus and Cagalli had finally gotten a day off, much to the representatives' dismay. Cagalli told them to page her if there was a serious problem.
"I swear," she told them, "If ANY of you page me, and the country is not burning to the ground, I will shoot all of you. I mean it. Lemme have some peace and quiet!"
She was looking forward to having some fun for a change with her friends, but Athrun still wasn't acting like his normal self. She asked herself over and over again what might be the matter with him. The worst thing she could think of was that he had some advanced disease that he was dying from, but didn't want to tell her because he only had a short time left alive.
Kira and Cagalli tried their hardest to get him to talk about it, but no results came. He just wouldn't budge, no matter how many things they tried. Finally, Lacus took over and yelled him out of bed. She was having an off day, and even the twins were afraid of her.
Athrun got out of bed, and got dressed. He came down the stairs to smiling faces, but he didn't return any of them a slight glance. Being too worried about what might set off those EA creeps, he tried to keep his mouth shut, and barely spoke at all. When asked a question, he answered, but not in detail. Athrun was surprised at his own voice the one day because it didn't sound anything like it should have. It was cracked in places, and just wasn't the voice that he normally had.
All of his friends noticed this change in his attitude and personality. Cagalli was definately right.
Walking down the street, the girls and Kira were talking, but Athrun just stared at the ground. He didn't want to be anti-social with them, but he was afraid of his own words. The night before, he had thought of how he could get around not being able to tell his friends, but Athrun couldn't come up with anything. Finally, walking down that street, he realised that the only way to prevent anyone dying would be to push them all away. It hurt him to do it, but if they hated him, he wouldn't have to say anything and get Kira shot, and if Cagalli didn't want anything to do with him, he would never be able to hand ORB over to Takahashi. It was the only way to save them.
He needed to start now.
"So Athrun," Lacus began, "What's new with you?"
This comment startled Athrun.
"Oh, uh..." he said, "Nothing really."
"What's the matter with you?" Cagalli asked.
"Nothing!" he said quickly, "Why does something seem wrong with me?"
"You're a little jumpy," Kira said, patting him on the shoulder.
"There's something you're not telling us," Cagalli told him with a frown.
"What?" said Athrun.
"Let me guess," Kira started, "If you tell us you'll need to send us to Antarctica? No wait, you'll have to kill us?"
Athrun's eyes opened wide.
"No!" he said, "It's nothing like that."
Kira laughed. Athrun didn't realise it was a joke. Narrowing her eyes at him Cagalli thought to herself, he didn't know Kira was joking, there's something wrong.
"Well what is it then?" Cagalli asked bluntly.
"Nothing," said Athrun quietly.
"Yes there is," she told him, "There's something you're not telling us, and it's important. Athrun, you have to tell us so we can help!"
"You can't help," he told her.
"We can, if you'll let us," pleaded Cagalli, "You need to tell us! Trust us, whatever it is, we'll all get through it, because chances are, it has something to do with us."
"Alright," Athrun said, "I will tell you."
At that moment, from the top of the building across the street, a sniper took aim at Kira.
"Well?" Cagalli pressed. He was stalling and she knew it.
"The truth is," he began, "I don't want to be with you anymore."
"What?" she exclaimed.
"I told you!" he said more urgently, "I'm sorry Cagalli, but I don't want to be with you anymore."
Cagalli cut Athrun off on the sidewalk. She was so angry with him, so hurt. How could he have done something like this to her? She thought he loved her.
"If you're going to say it," she yelled, "say it to my face!"
Athrun looked Cagalli directly in the face. His emerald green eyes bore into her amber ones and he repeated what she didn't want to hear;
"I don't want to see you anymore. I just don't love you like I used to."
Cagalli pushed him backwards. Her face was twisted and a few seconds away from crying. She couldn't bare it anymore.
"Why?" she asked beginning to cry, "Why don't you love me anymore?"
"I don't have to have this conversation," Athrun said, voice steadily growing louder.
Athrun pushed past her. He was walking quickly down the street, tears forming in his own eyes. That was too much, he thought. Kira ran to catch up to him.
"Athrun," he said, "Why did you say that?"
Athrun looked back at Cagalli and Lacus. He could see that she was pained, and crying into Lacus' arms. He had done too much, hurt her too deep.
"I had to," he explained.
Athrun began walking past Kira now, trying to get as far away from the scene as possible. He didn't want to be anywhere near them anymore. Kira let him go. He had decided that Athrun needed his space, but he knew something was up after that, and it was Kira's job to help his sister and best friend.
Athrun would never treat her like that if something wasn't wrong with him. Kira wanted to the bottom of it all.
Trying to clear his eyes of tears, Athrun continued down the street. Out of nowhere, a group of men came out of the shadow of the alleyway. And lo and behold, the man in the centre was Takahashi. No surprise to Athrun who had decided to stop for a little visit.
"Trying to hurt her to save her eh?" Takahashi laughed, "You're into chivalry is it? It's interesting to watch. Reminds me of a favourite book of mine, but we're not here to talk literature. You need to stop this brave little attempt to save her."
"This is the way I'm going Takahashi, and if you don't like it," Athrun said, "You can kill me if you'd like."
"I might take you up on that offer Athrun," Takahashi said, "But instead, I kind of like this change. In fact, I'd like to use this to an advantage."
Takahashi threw a piece of paper at Athrun. He picked it up.
"A shuttle ticket?" said Athrun, surprised.
"Yes," he said, "I'd like you on the next shuttle to the PLANTS tomorrow morning. You see, if you go away, Cagalli is distrought and will give up easliy into what I'm prepared to offer to her: a joint operation in which she and I share ORB and the EA."
Athrun turned back to the sidewalk, trying to look for an escape. The men had blocked his only way out.
"Fine," he said, "When's the shuttle leaving?"
"8 o'clock tomorrow morning," said Takahashi, "Make sure you're not late. We wouldn't want that would we?"
The men parted and let Athrun slip past. He continued to walk down the street, comtemplating what he was going to tell them all if he went home just then. Instead, he waited out the evening in a restaurant, he knew only too well. He and Cagalli had gone there before, on a date. She had sat across from him, and Athrun couldn't help but watch her blonde hair shimmer in the sunlight coming through the window. He watched her amber eyes glow when she saw that piece of chocolate cake they shared. Athrun had felt embarassed that day because he was shy a couple of dollars for the restaurant, but Cagalli smiled and silently put down the remainder of the price. The two smiled at each oher frequently that day, but as for what had just happened, he feared he would never earn a smile from Cagalli's lips again.
It was heartbreaking to do it, but Athrun knew that he had to save her by pushing her from him.
She watched the waves crash against the side of the cliff. Cagalli looked down. It was a long way, but surely, it was the perfect place. He had died here, and she was going to as well. The moon was beginning to try and pry through the gray clouds with no success. She laughed at its foolishness for trying, but smiled at its bravery for attempting the impossible. She missed him like the moon had missed the stars on that cloudy evening. Something shimmered in the grass next to her.
Cagalli reached down and picked up a small ring. It had been engraved around the band. She read what it said: Cagalli, Hoping we are together always. I love you so much. Love Athrun.
She held the ring in her palm. Rubbing her fingers together in the hand that picked the ring up, Cagalli realised that the blades of grass she had touched were convered in Athrun's blood from the night before.
He had hoped to give the ring to her. It was in the pocket nearest to his heart when they had shot him, and must have fell out when he crumpled to the ground in her arms.
Cagalli let out a sharp cry, and was lying on the ground again, his blood on her hand.
Athrun had decided to go back to the house later at night, and found the environment to be very quiet. It was 2, but at least half of the household was asleep. Athrun walked quietly into his own room and started to put his clothes in a suitcase he had in his closet. He picked up a small box from his bureau.
Inside was a beautiful ring that he had meant to give to Cagalli. It was nicely cut, and he had even taken the time to engrave it. He knew he should have left it for her, but he put it into his pocket instead. Athrun didn't want to bare listening to Cagalli turn him down, or try and return the ring.
Athrun stepped out of his room and shut the door behind him. He owed it to her to leave a note or something, but he knew she would chase after him.
Kira was standing at the end of the hallway. Athrun turned around and was startled by his presence.
"Where are you going?" Kira asked.
"Away," he told him, "Far away."
"Cagalli's been crying all night Athrun," Kira said quietly, "You need to tell her how sorry you are. How could you hurt her that badly?"
Athrun had no answer for him.
"At least go in and tell her you're leaving," Kira continued, "I bet you she's still up. Lacus was in there, but thought she needed some peace."
"You're right," Athrun said, "I'll go in."
He opened the door into Cagalli's room. The light shone on her face, but she was not awake as Kira had said. Just then, Athrun heard Kira's footsteps on the stairs. He knew Athrun didn't want to be overheard. Stepping inside, Athrun's heart beat faster and faster as he neared her bed.
She turned over and away from the chair he had sat in. He wasn't sure what to say to her, but he began anyway.
"I'm sorry I said those things to you Cagalli. I didn't mean to hurt you so much, but I need you to know that if I told you what was really up, then the people who are after me would kill Kira. It was important that I kept you all out of it, but the only thing to do was to push you all away."
Cagalli slowly opened her eyes.
"I really do love you Cagalli," he continued, "but I'm leaving in a few hours to go back home. I need to get out of here. I'm so sorry."
Athrun got up out of the chair and went over to the bed. Cagalli quickly shut her eyes again. She didn't want him to know that she had heard him say that he loved her. Athrun kissed Cagalli on the cheek, hoisted his bag over his shoulder, and walked out of her room, trying to leave her forever.
Hearing the front door shut, Cagalli quickly got out of bed, got dressed and ran down the stairs to where Lacus and Kira were having tea. Breathing heavily, she wanted to tell them what she had heard, although only half of what he had said.
"Athrun's leaving," Cagalli shouted.
The three teenagers rushed out the doors putting their coats on and jumping into Cagalli's car. She turned on the ignition and they drove into the night sky in search of Athrun.