Reunited Friends

"Athrun!"

A somewhat impatient shout came from around the corner ahead.

Athrun stopped and looked up. His two companions—no, comrades-in-arms—were standing there.

Yzak Joule stood with his arms folded, leaning against the wall. Beneath his short silver hair was a face filled with displeasure, his brows tightly furrowed as though he were angry about something.

Beside him, Diego Elsman appeared more relaxed. Leaning against the opposite wall, he smiled faintly when he saw Athrun looking over and gave him a small wave.

After the Battle of Alaska, both of them had briefly been listed as MIA—missing in action.

It was only when ZAFT assembled to attack Orb that Athrun learned from intelligence reports that they had survived.

But with the tense military operations at the time, and the two sides assigned to different units, they had never managed to contact each other directly.

"Yzak, Dearka!"

Though he had long known they were alive, seeing them standing safely before him in person brought an entirely different, heartfelt sense of relief.

They had all been through far too much during their time apart.

The grave lines on Athrun's face softened unconsciously. He quickened his pace and walked toward them.

"You've worked hard. Looks like things weren't easy on your end either." Joy at their reunion colored Athrun's voice.

"It was all right." Yzak merely snorted in response.

Dearka shrugged, a smile of helplessness and relief mingling on his face as he picked up the conversation. "Same to you. Good thing you're all right. I heard Orb was a complete mess."

"Well... about what happened in Alaska..." Dearka scratched his fluffy hair, his expression turning somewhat bitter. "I've decided to treat it as getting my life back for free. I don't want to talk about it anymore."

Dearka's words made Athrun respond in