Four figures, dressed in somber black, stood quite a ways apart from another, precariously balanced on the stone ledges of a windswept cliff. They faced the raging ocean, the only sounds around them being the crash and thunder of the waves, and the occasional screech of a sea bird. The sun sparkled on the water, hiding the depths of cold liquid that sheltered and kept—never to relinquish—a single defiant, bold boy.

At the base of the cliff, a handful of others waited, the wild ocean winds whipping their clothes into a black and navy flurry. One girl broke apart from the cluster, and walked toward the four lonely figures. The winds buffeted her slight frame, threatening to sweep her away, but she persisted, leaning into the wind, and clutching her dark dress closer to her skin.

She made it to the very edge of the stone cliff. Looking down, she could see the four easily as they stood vigil on various ledges.

“Heeeeeeeero!” The winds took her call and sweep it around in swirls of chilly air, round and round the rocks.

One of the four watched the girl struggle up the cliff toward him, her dress whipping around in the wind. He looked away. “Go back, Queen.” He muttered, but his words were lost on the wind. Glancing up again, he could see that she had not moved, nor did she plan to. He exhaled, his shoulders slumped and he turned his back on the sea. The girl watched his ascent with sympathetic eyes. When he reached her height, she reached down and clasped his wrist, helping him up.

“Thank you.” He said shortly. The girl said nothing, and turned back to watch the one she had called to. The boy followed her gaze. “Heero will be the last to let him go.”

“No.” the girl answered. “He was the first, and he regrets it.”

The boy shrugged. “Whatever you say, Princess. Or should I say Queen?”

“Neither. Relena is a good enough name; I prefer it.”

“I see.”

Relena sighed with weary patience. “Will you wait with me, pilot?”

“If you call me Wufei, I will.”

“Will you wait, Wufei?”

“Yes.”

They stood in silence. Another of the figures below sighed and clenched his fists, relaxed them, and scaled the stone wall. Wufei and Relena offered their help, but he refused.

“Wufei. Relena.” He said by way of greeting.

“Trowa.” They answered, inclining their heads in welcome.

“I will wait as well. There is nothing else for us to do.” The other two nodded slowly, and all three sat down heavily.

The winds pulled time along; and another figure cried alone on his ledge, and climbed the way up with tears in his eyes. He accepted the help of all three on the cliff, and they lifted him up to sit beside them.

“Now what?” He asked when he’d caught his breath.

“We wait for Heero, and then we waited for instructions.” Trowa answered.

“I see.” The boy squeezed his eyes shut.

Relena patted his hand. “It will be all right, Quatre.” She said, repeating the words he’d so often said to her numbly.

Quatre forced a thin smile. “If you say so, milady.”

Relena did not answer, and stared out at the chilly waters. “It is hard to believe that… he lays down there.” She whispered after a while.

“Please, lady, do not speak of him to us.” Quatre pleaded.

Relena turned her sad eyes to him. “My apologies, pilot.” Neither of the two other, silent boys made any comment on the strangely formal speech Quatre and Relena used. The small group at the base of the cliff bowed their heads and walked away, eyes wiped dry, and bodies held stiff.

The sun dipped lower into the sea, coloring the waters a bloody red, tinged with the yellows and oranges of fire. The last figure, alone on a rock ledge, stood stony and silent, watching the last of the flaming orb plunge into the water. As darkness fell all around him, he lifted his face to the black sky, muted winds sweeping his dark hair out of his eyes. Then, with a last stare out over the darkened ocean, he climbed the cliff face, choosing the hardest route. He vaulted over the last obstacle, and landed on silent feet near the four who had been waiting, his breath ragged and his face hard, with a thin sheen of sweat across his brow. Relena rose, and brushed past the three others, barely looking at them. Heero turned back to the sea, unable to leave without a last look.

“Heero.” She started, laying a hand on his arm. He shook her off, his eyes locked on the sea, seeking the glimmer of moonlight on gundamian alloy. “Heero.” she said again, louder this time. He turn to face her, his dark eyes snapping with anger. She saw the underlying pain, hiding behind the red glints of fury. Before she could act, before she could tell him of her loving trust, or ease his guilty pain, he had slapped her once, pushing her off-balanced. She stumbled and fell, skittering down the cliff, buffeted around by strong winds. Relena was finally stopped by a large rock, by which she lay still and unmoving. The boy she had called Heero walked down the cliff calmly, past her broken body, and toward the four massive machines that rested under a cluster of rock cliffs.

“She was only trying to help.” A soft voice said behind him.

“She can’t help us.” A deeper voice answered the first.

“That is true.” The third said, and they all fell silent.

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