Standard Disclaimers: All characters, except Vespera, do not belong to me. They belong to blah, blah, blah. You know who.
Warnings: A little OOC and maybe sap… Original character.
Note: This is an epilogue and side-story for my previous fanfic 'Liberation'. It's sole purpose is to pave the way for a possible Wufei x Vespera relationship. And please remember to read the note after the fanfic that concerns the main sequel to 'Liberation'. Thanx! And also, my utmost gratitude to Shadow, my beta reader! Yay!
Achieves:
The Temple of Anime: http://members.spree.com/SIP1/bastet7/gw/fics/yaoi-main.htm
DF's GW Yaoi Fic Archive: http://members.xoom.com/riouka/gwpage.html
Shadow's Gundam Wing Fanfic Archive: http://www.geocities.com/kmdkshadow/
Reiko-chan's Dirty Books: http://wakeup.to/Duo
And anyone else who wants my fic! Just give me a call ok? ^o^
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Once, there was an angel who lived high in the seraphic heavens. Although she was incredibly beautiful and powerful, she was never happy. No matter what she did, she always felt something lost in her lonely life.

Jumping back inside her mobile suit, Vespera quickly launched it into action. Pulling forcefully on a trigger, her Leo started to back away from the burning base. She knew this MS couldn't last for long even with her skilful piloting, and thus had to get away as soon as possible. Raining fiery shells heavily onto her enemies' mobile suits, she maneuvered her MS dexterously in the battlefield. Then suddenly, she saw her companion's icy composure at the view screen out of the corner of her eyes.

"Did you get the information we need?"

Dodging another round of attack, the young lass smirked confidently. "Of course! You can always trust me to get things done."

The Chinese pilot snorted. "Then let's leave this base. It's pretty much down already."

"Ryokai!" Vespera returned nonchalantly. She backed away slowly, almost ready to blast off. However, she had failed to notice the mobile suit lurking in a dark corner. Without her knowing or suspecting any foul play, it fired a shot aimed for Vespera. At the eleventh hour, her instincts recognized the familiar brightness heading straight for her. Gasping her surprise, Yume immediately reacted by pulling back her Leo. But she knew it was too late, and she would sustain quite a bit of damage even if she had managed to pull back a little.

Bracing herself for the impact of the potent blow, she snapped shut her violet orbs. But then, she felt her MS moving back and heard the loud blast ringing on a metal surface. However, she felt no pain at all. Her eyes fluttered open once more, and to her surprise, she saw Wufei had pulled her away and taken the blow for her with Shenlong instead.

"Wufei! Daijoubu!?"

The Shenlong pilot's voice cracked only a little, if any. "Leave now! I'm fine!"

The young female pilot knew better than to argue with her friend right now. She immediately boosted her engines and quickly sped off, keeping Shenlong in check, always making sure it was near her in the skies.

Then one day, she decided to go onto the mortal world to find that piece of herself that had been lost so long ago. In exchange, she had to give up her feathery pristine white wings.

With a bit of effort, they were both back at their current safehouse, which was another of Quatre's mansion, and Vespera took upon herself to support Wufei onto the bed.

"Wait here. I'll go get the kit." She ordered, knowing that Wufei wouldn't listen to her if she had said it nicely. He snorted haughtily, but sat down quietly, for he was too tired to start an argument with Vespera right now.

Moments later, she return with the first aid box in one hand. Sitting down on the bed beside the injured Chinese pilot, she set the box close to her and opened it. After requesting Wufei to remove his shirt, she wiped the dirt and sweat off his body with a towel, cleansing him for she knew he probably would be too tired to bath right there and then. Most likely, he would take a shower only in the morning. Then she took out the antiseptic cream and with amazingly gentle hands massaged the cream into his body. Several quiet minutes passed by, until Yume decided to ask something to suppress her curiosity.

"Doshite? Why did you save me? It's not some fatal blow that could cost me my life even if I were to have gotten hit." She asked morosely. Waiting for an answer, she unwound the clean bandage and wrapped it around Wufei's torso. In the serenity of the room, she reveled in the sensation of feeling his bare back to her skin. Gingerly, she inhaled the unique fragrant scent of the Chinese pilot, fathoming that this could be her only chance to be this near to him.

"…" Wufei ruminated the truth of her words. It would indeed only be a minor blow if she were to get hit, definitely not enough to do much harm to the young lass. So why? Why did he risk his own safety? Was it because she was his teammate? Or because she was his fellow conspirator? Or even a friend? Questioning himself umpteen times over perpetually, his brain could not provide even one bit of answer. Recalling the incident, he remembered that he had thought nothing of the action he did. It was all his reflexes. But he would be damned if he were to tell her the truth of him protecting her because his mind didn't want her to get hurt. "…Because… you're my companion, and it is a man's duty to protect the weaker women." He lied, a sinking feeling gathering in his stomach.

Vespera frowned disappointedly. Normally, she would have argued with Wufei for berating women, but she was too upset by his response to retort. Silently, she cursed herself to have read too deep into the action. She had pinned her hopes too high, and receiving not the kind of answer she had wished for, despair sank into her mercilessly. "Oh."

Silence settled uncomfortably between them again. Ignoring the uneasiness as much as she could, the young deity tightened the bandage a little more, then pulled it to Wufei's side and tied it into taut knots. Patting his shoulders gently, she stood up and sashayed to face him. "It's done." She announced tersely.

"Arigatou." Wufei nodded. Then he picked up his shirt that had been strewn aside previously and put it on again. Seeing that Vespera had made no effort to leave, he hinted in a subtle manner. "It's getting late."

Turning away, she answered softly, sounding a little crestfallen. "Yes, it is late. I shall be going. Take care of yourself. If you need any help, I will be in the next room." She offered then slithered through the open door speechlessly. A few seconds later, Wufei heard the distinctive sound of a door being closed.

Sighing mentally, he slipped into something more comfortable and climbed into the covers, intent on getting some eye-shut. However, in the taciturnity of the room, thoughts quickly consumed him again. He knew that feelings between him and the exquisite siren had blossomed a long time ago. However, he didn't know what had resulted in the process. Friendship, most probably. But deep within him, his mind had taunted him, claiming that it wasn't friendship, but rather something more precious. But he had no idea what his mind meant.

One thing was for certain though. Vespera had reminded him of the long dead Meiran. He had always wondered where Nataku went after her death. Did she go to heaven? Or did she go to hell? Or did she turn into dust and faded into nothingness? After meeting the dynamic vamp, he thought he knew the answer. He had found Meiran's shadow in Vespera. Both were faithful to their beliefs, and stood firm to uphold what they had believed in. They weren't as useless as most other onna, knowing the skills needed to survive the war. They were both extremely intelligent and plucky, dauntless. And most importantly, they both had the same hauntingly similar pair of elusive eyes that bore through his soul.

Then she met a human boy. He was a valiant warrior with a fiery spirit that seemed impossible to tame and a pride that always seemed too high to reach. Although the angel knew it was difficult for anything to blossom between them, she yearned towards that warmth as the emptiness within her desired completion, like a flower leaning towards the sun.

Vespera stepped into the cool comforts her room offered. Without a word, she leaned back, letting herself fall into her bed. Sighing, she stared up into the ceiling, half-expecting and half-hoping that she would see a pair of eyes piercing through the darkness. And if she were lucky, that person would play cupid for her like she had for Duo and Heero.

Huffing, she pouted discontentedly when she saw none. Now alone, she realized that love perhaps was not meant to be for cupids. No wonder Venus, the goddess of love, was always miserable. Tying two beings together did offer some sense of satisfaction, but when she thought about herself not given the same reward of love, the amount of loneliness generated wasn't any laughing matter.

"Why is he being so difficult to understand? One second, I think I know what's going on in his psychotic mind, and the next second, he proves me all wrong." She turned to her side, snuggling closer to her soft pillow. "Sometimes I feel like I'm crashing myself into some kinda brick wall, like a moth drawn to fire so I can get burnt. What the heck am I trying to do? Kill myself?" She rolled her eyes in sheer realization, amazed that she finally understood what Duo had meant by a love-hate relationship she would have for Wufei. Duo had that sort of feelings towards Heero once too, before she came along and molded the perfect soldier into a lovey dovey prince charming instead. Sighing, she made a mental note to slam Duo into the nearest wall the next time they met, or send him a nightmare concerning him being stalked by an obsessed Relena or Dorothy. Did his damn prediction have to be so accurate?

But inside her, she knew that she would have to try some more. She couldn't just give up the first and only man that ever made her heart race like there were no tomorrow. If she gave that up, she knew that she would regret it for the rest of her life, for there are very rare chances that you'll meet the person who is worthy of your love. So since she had found him she didn't intend on letting him go so easily.

As a girl, she wished Wufei would take the initiative and woo her instead of the other way round. But she also knew it wasn't very possible at all. That was why she had decided to take things into her own hands.

'Fate exists but it can only take you so far, because once you're there, it's up to you to make it happen.' She remembered hearing some elder say this, and now she was depending on its degree of truthfulness.

After going through so much trouble with Wufei, her only consolation was that he didn't slap a 'determined-to-be-a-bachelor-forever' neon sign on himself.

As a mortal, she couldn't perform a tenth of the miracles that she used to. But even so, she had retained the most precious of her gifts. Her kindred spirit which allowed her to touch the boy's tattered soul.

The next morning, Wufei woke up with a yawn. The last mission had really worn him out. Getting out of bed, he grabbed a new set of clothes and stepped into the bathroom. As he opened the door, he felt a wave of hot steam sweep over him. Flabbergasted, he rushed in, and he stood in awe as he noticed the bathtub had already been filled with hot water, just enough for a nice, warm bath.

Although he was surprised, he still decided to enjoy a bath first before storming his overworked mind for an answer. But actually, he already knew it was the young lass from the next room who had filled up his bathtub.

After a long bath, he got out. And for the first time in the entire morning, noticed that the set of clothes he had worn to the mission last night was missing. What did Vespera want his bloodstained shirt for? He wondered, but didn't ponder much on it.

Just then, he heard his stomach growl in hunger. Wufei thought it would be wiser to agree to the growling, for he knew he hadn't had a single bite since last afternoon. Walking out of his room, he heard faint shuffling downstairs. Vespera was probably up and wide-awake. Although judging from his bathtub, he already knew that fact.

Upon entering the dining hall, a very familiar aroma sprung forth into his nostrils. It smelled like his home, L5, China. Looking at the table, he noticed that the plates and cutlery were already laid out neatly.

Then, Vespera walked out of the kitchen. She was wearing a little apron, and her radiant face gleamed with a sheen of perspire. Holding a large pan with her hand, which was covered with a petite kitchen glove, she chirped sanguinely.

"Ohayo gozaimazu, Wufei! Ready for breakfast?"

He nodded. "What…"

"If you're gonna ask what gruel I have prepared, then I'd rather you not ask." She interjected frivolously.

"Doshite?"

Vespera slapped her forehead with her free hand. "It's a failure. But anyway, I guess you'll just have to settle for it, because I haven't got the time to do it again."

Nodding knowingly, Wufei slid into a cushioned chair comfortably, then prepared himself for the 'gruel' Vespera had just made up.

She positioned the pan near Wufei's plate, then scooped up the food with a large spoon. Setting it down on her friend's plate, she turned her attention to the expressions going through his face. Astonishment mostly. But there was also a tinge of happiness.

"Man tou[1] ?"

She snickered. "There's more." Then she ran back into the kitchen, and when she came out, her hands were holding some triangular whachamacallit wrapped in leaves. Quickly, she peeled the leaves off and placed it gingerly on Wufei's plate.

"Zhong zi[2] ?" He poked at one with his chopsticks in disbelief.

Vespera nodded vigorously. "Yep! Go on! Try it! I spent the entire morning making them!" She cajoled, as she waited eagerly in anticipation.

The Chinese pilot picked up one man tou with a shaky hand, and put it to his mouth. Taking a bite, he felt at home. "It's good. Why did you say it was 'gruel'?" He asked as he nibbled.

She shrugged. "It's not as good as I wanted it to be. The man tou's a little rough and it has too many big holes, like a mouse's just went through it! And the dumplings are a little too dry. "

"Honto ni? I think it's good enough." He replied, after he swallowed another mouthful of food.

The young lass smiled. "Well, that's nice to hear." She took off her apron, and took a seat herself. Picking up her chopsticks, she dug in as well. "So, what do you wanna have for lunch later?"

"Hm? Anything."

"Anything Chinese, you mean. I know! I'll try 'winter melon chicken soup', 'sweet and sour pork', 'abacus beads', topped with white rice! Wouldn't that be sumptuous?" Then she muttered a list of ingredients to herself absently.

Wufei just ate on, seemingly oblivious to her speech, but deep down inside, he knew he was grateful to the girl. Especially after he saw the copy of 'Madam Tay's Chinese cuisine recipes' cookbook. And also the 'The complete idiot's guide to cooking' book.

Whenever he was upset, she comforted him. Whenever he lost faith, she restored his confidence. When he was hurt, she patched him up.

Later in the noon, some time after lunch, Vespera walked up to Wufei with the first aid kit in hand "Time to change your bandages, Wufei." She dangled the kit in her hands suggestively.

Wufei inserted a bookmark, then shut his book and placed it on the little table by his side. Quietly, he removed his shirt to make it more convenient for his friend. After some thoughts, he sat down on the floor as well, so she could sit behind him.

That was exactly what she proceeded to do. She knelt behind the Chinese pilot, and gingerly removed the old bandage, throwing them into a heap at her side. Wiping his body gently with a damp towel, she winced when she saw the scars that were scattered around. Some looked rather old, while others were newer looking. Running a delicate finger across one old scar, she frowned. "Do… these still hurt?"

Wufei knew exactly what she was referring to. "The scars? No, they don't hurt. They never really hurt before. They are the signs of my years of effort and determination, it's an honour."

"Honour or not, they still cut into your skin. Judging from the amount of scars you have and their length, they must have hurt. Even if they didn't hurt you physically, they still bruised your pride. I assume they came from mishaps and errors made during missions." Her voice was laced with concern. Hearing no response, she turned away, searching the kit for the antiseptic cream and cotton wool.

Squeezing a bit of the cream onto the cotton, she applied it lightly onto the injuries. "Why don't you admit it? Wufei, sometimes it's better to admit faults rather than ignore them. Gazing at the truth can bring pain, but at least you'll be able to overcome it. You're too prideful."

Wufei snorted. "What do an onna like you know?"

"More than I need to."

"I've done nothing wrong before."

"Then ask yourself this: what have you ever done right?" She countered as she tightened the last bit of the bandage, and tied a knot. Gathering the kit back, she stood up. "Maybe it's a question you'd like to think alone?" Then she turned and walked away, leaving a mildly confused Wufei behind.

The Shenlong pilot pondered over her words. Or rather, her tone. She sounded almost angry at him.

Slowly, the angel discovered her hidden feelings for the boy. It was love. At the same time, she also knew the boy had none of the sort for her. Even so, she never left his side, standing by him through thick and thin.

Vespera dumped the kit back into the cabinets in a huff. She wasn't really angry at Wufei, but she was mad at herself for losing her temper. "One day that blasted temper of mine is going to chase him away, if I haven't already." She sighed morosely, looking down at her feet.

'I hate to play a role in this unrequited love. I've given him so many hints that I've lost count, gave him all I could. But he just can't seem to return my feelings? Stupid cupids.' She spun around, and sauntered out into the laundry room. Looking into the clothes inside laundry bag, she grouped them up into different types and tossed them into different washing machines.

'But what can I do about that? The only thing I can do now is to wait patiently. Maybe, just maybe, he'll realize it someday.'

When he mourned for his dead lover, her heart wrenched painfully, but she stayed on, believing that it was a good sign for he trusted her enough to tell her his past.

That night went terribly wrong. In fact, it was hell.

Wufei had been very restless in sleep, turning and tossing repeatedly. Sweating profusely, he groaned painfully. His mind was in a jumble, and his lips formed incoherent words. "Mei…Mei…" That was all he could say, when he said anything at all.

In Vespera's room, a chill ran down her spine, spreading to the end of her every nerve. She shivered, as a sense of foreboding raced itself through her. The realm of dreams- her realm- was going hectic. Dreams and nightmares were being sent to the wrong people at the wrong time. Nightmares are actually living creatures that seek refuge in the minds of the weak-minded. Once implanted, it could plague its victim forever. As the goddess of dreams, Vespera's duty was to create suitable dreams for every living being in the universe, and keep the nightmares at bay. However, since her departure from Utopia, no one had been really taking care of the realm of dreams. Her friends did their best to help, but everything still boils down to her. With two separate identities unlike her brother, she juggled both jobs as best as she could. But there were still times where she overlooks some detail. That night was one of them. One nightmare was growing larger, as it indulged itself in the darkness of its victim's mind. Vespera shook off the dizzy spell that hit her because of the unbalance forces in her world, and tried to locate the evilness.

With utmost accuracy, the location of the nightmare revealed itself to her. It was in Wufei's mind. Shock did not do anything to hinder her actions. Immediately, she burst into his room. Once in, she dash to his side, and quickly grasped his hand in hers. Her violet irises fluttered shut as she recited.

"Gates of eternal dreams, hear my prayers! Let darkness envelop me once again!" She focused her powers onto Wufei, and her body glowed darkly. As her powers reached their peak, her body transformed into a mere black mass of energy, and it penetrated Wufei's mind by entering him via his forehead.

Opening her eyes, Vespera found herself at a vast green field. The sky was bright, with a reddish hue at the horizon. Gentle breezes blew across the land, and the air smelled of the fragrance of nature. Then she remembered her purpose. 'I didn't come here for sightseeing.' She berated herself. It had been quite some time since she last entered someone's dream like this, but she was confident she still knew exactly what to do in such a case. Most probably, the nightmare had attacked mind at its weakest. Thus, as long as she found the weak point, she would find the despicable creature as well. Looking around, she combed the area as much as she could. As she started to levitate, she heard a woman's voice. It spelt of strength and power.

"Wufei! Are you a man? I thought you would be more like one after becoming my husband, but it looks like its not going to happen. Why aren't you practicing like the others?"

Vespera brought a hand over her mouth, and her breath caught in her throat. Her mind was revolving around one question: Who is this woman? Confident, arrogant even. But every inch of her smelled of justice. The kind of woman Wufei would probably like.

Wufei closed the book he had been reading. "What for?" He asked coldly.

"To do justice!" The woman countered.

"Justice? Do you really think there is justice in the world?"

"Try me."

"…Sure." The Chinese pilot removed his glasses.

The actual fight was short. The woman could hardly keep up with Wufei after some time, and she did her best to dodge every attack. It had started raining in the fight, and both were drenched to their toes. But it did nothing to quell the explosive feelings the woman was experiencing. Soon, the fight was over. As she knelt on the ground, she panted heavily. "How… How is this possible? Me, the strongest of the Long clan…"

Wufei gazed down at her coolly. "Nataku?… The name suits you. But justice is just something people use to give meaning to their actions… It's useless to use it as an excuse to fight."

The woman finally got up onto her feet. But her legs were still wobbly. "Of course I know that! But we still have to fight! This is the Long clan!" She shouted as tears cascaded down her cheeks.

Then Vespera saw the scenery around her change. OZ soldiers were attacking the L5 colony. And L5 only had two MS fighting back. One of them was an older version of Leo, and the other was the uncompleted Shenlong. In a flash of white, the Leo had burst into a fiery inferno of hell.

Suddenly, the scenery was changing again. This time, she saw the woman, whom she now knew as Meiran, was dying, in Wufei's arms. As she struggled to stay alive, she had asked Wufei: Is she worthy to be his wife. Yume knew what the answer would be. A quick 'yes' confirmed her predictions. When she breathed her last, Wufei's eyes slowly widened. "Nataku!!!" He screamed in pain and woe, enough to shake Vespera's soul.

Then Yume saw it. The cause of Wufei's restlessness. The nightmare. It's roots were planted in Meiran's image. Her beautiful looks had been distorted to form the face of a monster. Yet her voice did not change, still strong and powerful. But this time around, it was also filled with hatred and disdain. "You are a pitiful man, Wufei. You failed to protect those you love. Your birth place L5, your family, your friends, your wife Meiran… All of them died because of you! It's all your fault! None of these would have happened if not for you! It's all because of you!" The monster accused, pointing a bony finger at the troubled boy.

He collapsed onto the ground as though a deflated balloon. "Meiran, please forgive me…"

"You don't deserve forgiveness at all!"

"NO! Everyone deserves to be forgiven sometimes!" A clear, crisp voice rang out.

The monster spun to its side to face the new comer, and spat disgustedly. "Who are you!?"

Vespera ignored its question and instead countered. "To err is human. It's normal to make faults! Nobody's perfect!" Then she knelt down beside Wufei and held his hand in hers. Giving it an assuring squeeze, she looked into those blank obsidian orbs. "Wufei, it wasn't your fault. It was nobody's fault. There was nothing you could do about it. It was fate."

"Fate?"

She nodded. "Mm. Sometimes, fate just lets something horrible happen. It has to. Light will attract darkness, and darkness will attract light. Good and evil need to be balanced. And death does not mean that that special someone is gone forever like the wind. They are always with us, in our hearts, helping us to find another someone who will love us like they had. Love will transcend death, as long as it's true."

The monster growled low in its throat. "What nonsense. Love is worthless. Only power is everything. But look at yourself, Wufei. You failed to protect all those you should have. You're powerless, useless. What right do you have to pilot Nataku?"

"It's because of the fact that everything you loved was destroyed that you have to fight! You have to fight for all of those people who have died. Let them know that they died for a noble cause, that they didn't die in vain. Let their deaths be worth it. Don't let them die for nothing." Vespera pleaded softly.

Wufei finally looked back into her pools of violet. "Am I really the rightful pilot to pilot Nataku? Do I have the right anymore?"

"Yes, you are the rightful pilot. Nataku belongs to you, and only you. Nobody else can pilot Nataku.

"Don't trust her! She's deceiving you!" The monster shrieked.

Vespera stood up. "Oh, look who's talking." She sneered venomously. This monster had hurt Wufei and disturbed the tranquility of her realm, there was no way she would let it go. Once the Chinese pilot got more confident about himself and conquered part of his fear, the nightmare had lost much of its power because it had lost its fuel.

She gave a sly smirk, and her eyes hardened into diamond slits. Without another moment's hesitation, she lunged forward. "Demon's dance[3] !" She stabbed the monster with her rapier. With a blood-chilling shriek, the nightmare crumpled into dust.

Vespera sighed in relief, glad that she had managed to get rid of the nightmare just in time. Reaching into her little pouch by her side, she fished out a handful of stardust. With a contented smile, she threw the magical powder into the air and let them settle down into the dreamscape. As soon as the dust touched down, a gust of magic swept across the land. The former dark and devilish atmosphere had gone, replaced by seraphic grace and gentleness. Yume knew by this time that her powers had once again worked its magic and the nightmare had transformed into a sweet dream.

She was about to return to the real world when something suddenly struck her. 'If I stay here, I might get to see the important people in Wufei's life… And this is his conscience; it can't lie to me. Everything I see here is the truth of he thinks and who he really cares for…' She brought a hand up to her mouth in realization. Then she knitted her brows. 'But I'm invading his privacy, and also abusing my powers… It's not right… I've got to leave now…' She started to walk away, but something inside her made her stop right there and then. 'Maybe just for a little while… it wouldn't hurt, I guess…' She reasoned as she waltzed back deeper into the dreamscape.

Vespera went around the whole area like an explorer exploring some virgin land, not missing a single detail. She saw her brother, Heero, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei's precious Nataku. Vespera was almost jealous of the scrap of gundamium junk, but she smiled it off when she saw herself as well. Then there were many others she couldn't recognize. Most probably his family and friends from the now gone L5. That included his wife Meiran.

The goddess was about to leave, believing that she had already seen too much. As she spun around, she was still grinning from ear to ear. The next thing she witnessed proved too much for her to take.

Alas! The human boy eventually found refuge for his torn heart in another woman and left the angel behind.

"Wufei!" A melodious voice called out sweetly.

The plaited girl whizzed around immediately, surprised that she had actually missed something. Her surprise rocketed when she saw Wufei turning towards her and wrapping his arms around Sally's slim waist.

Her mouth opened and closed, trying to speak but all words had left her mind in an incoherent jumble. She shook her head in denial; body freezing on the spot. 'I… It…It can't be… no…'

Without another second's hesitation, she turned away and quickly sprinted away. She couldn't stand to see this happening for another moment more. Returning to the real world, she ran back into her room and threw herself onto her bed.

'What am I thinking? What made me think that I could break the shackles and locks that chains him down, and that I could tear down the gundamium walls around his heart? I'm being such an idiot. Vespera no baka. I never had any hope in this. Fate did not mean for me to be happy. I just don't have that streak of luck like Duo.' She mused wistfully, tears flowing down her face. Burying her face into her pillow, she recalled her friend's words. The goddess of love, Venus had once again played another of her silly pranks on her. A smack on her head, or a punch on her face she could take. But this was too much.

'A tough road of choices and decisions will accompany you as you pursue your love. You can give up, and lose everything, never to meet that special someone again. Or you can persevere, and perhaps capture the heart of your dashing prince. But love will not come to you; you must chase after it yourself. Fate exist but it can only take you so far, cause when you're there, it's up to you to make it happen. Only when 'love' thinks you're worthy of it, then shall it come to you.'

"When will I ever be worthy to be loved? What do I have to do?"

Heart broken, the angel returned to her world. Even if she had fallen out of love, she was glad she finally understood what had been missing from her life. And she knew from that day on, she would spread her wings and love for the world.

The next morning when Wufei woke up, he noted with disappointment that there were no hot baths waiting for him, nor were there any delicious Chinese cuisine. And worst of all, there was no Vespera. She had left a note for him, claiming that she had a solo mission somewhere faraway and that she wouldn't be coming back to this safehouse anymore.

The Chinese boy sighed silently, and walked into the empty kitchen to prepare some simple breakfast for himself. He knew at least some basic skills in the kitchen to feed himself in times like this. It was something necessary to become a gundam pilot, he always thought. And as a pilot, he knew many other things that allowed him to survive the harsh world. What he didn't know was that he had unwittingly broken a fragile heart.

It rained the whole day.

Sorceress Fantasia @ 29th January 2001
Last revised 1st February 2001
Beta read 19th February 2001

Glossary:
[1] Man tou: It's a type of Chinese bun that is totally white and plain.
[2] Zhong zi: It is also called glutinous rice dumplings. It's a traditional Chinese food, usually eaten in the fifth day of the fifth Lunar month.
[3] Demon's Dance: Sorry Sony! I took this name from 'The Legend of Dragoon', an RPG created by Sony (I think).

IMPT! Notes from SF: So what do you think? Too sappy or what? Well, I like sap! C&C craved!
Ok, listen people. I am in dire need of help here. I'm in a dilemma as to what happens between Wufei and Vespera in part 2 of 'Liberation'. So I have thought of four possible type of endings with each of their own possible sequel. Please cast a vote for *only* one type of ending. I will count the votes I get for each ending and write the one most appealing to my readers. OK?

Ending type 1: Wufei and Vespera gets together.
Possible sequel to ending type 1: Heero marries Duo, and Wufei marries Vespera. All goes well. No more sequels after that.

Ending type 2: Wufei doesn't love Vespera and she goes back to Utopia alone.
Possible sequel to ending type 2: Years later when Heero and Duo gets hitched, Vespera returns as their bridesmaid and meets Wufei again. But both of them are already married to someone else.

Ending type 3: Wufei finds out that he loves Vespera only after she blocks a blow for him. But she does not pull through.
Possible sequel to ending type 3: Vespera resuscitation.

Ending type 4: Wufei finds out that he loves Vespera only after she blocks a blow for him. But she pulls through eventually.
Possible sequel to ending type 4: Wufei asks Vespera to give him some time to try to love another after Meiran. They'll start dating, eventually.

So please! Help me by casting *only* one vote for the four endings! Arigatou! Personally, I have voted for ending 3, as it is the first ending that entered my mind. It is the best ending for a fruitless love. And a resuscitation fic would be nice…