Characters: Yzark Jule, Athrun Zala
Parings: None
Time frame: GS post ep 46
A question of friendship
"The pilot of Freedom is the same guy who used to pilot the Strike. He is Athrun's childhood friend."
Yzark doesn't want to believe Dearka's words. He doesn't want to believe a single thing, be it about what Dearka thinks about the war, what might be happening to and around Yzark, or about what the traitor claimed about-
"Get out of here! Do you want to die?"
No, Yzark can't believe that that one is the same as the one that cut Nicol in half and gave him his scar and that he has fought so angrily, desperately, obsessively with.
It doesn't make sense.
The Strike most definitely didn't hesitate in killing Nicol. So why hesitate in killing Yzark, to whom death should have come sooner than to his fifteen year old and innocent teammate.
But, whispers a voice in his head,..
"Just say it, that it is my fault. That I should have died!"
It fits.
"Orders were to destroy! What do you think you were doing?"
It fits too well for it not to be true.
Ever since the Heliopolis mission Athrun has been behaving nothing like the rival that has beaten Yzark at every little thing. Athrun has been off.
More so after Nicol.
And mostly so after he destroyed the Strike.
Yzark is not a good friend of Athrun, but he has seen the difference all the same. That bastard hadn't been proud of his kill, of the revenge he successfully executed, not even of the medal or promotion. Instead there had been a look in his eyes whenever he was reminded.
Yzark doesn't like the bastard, but he knows Athrun well enough, being his teammate.
A dead look, that has wondered why he is alive. And not, as Yzark has thought, when Nicol isn't, but when that other very close friend of his, who he has killed, isn't.
It is the truth.
That damn traitor!
...
…then what else is the truth?