DISCLAIMER: Gundam Wing doesn’t belong to me. Anyone that is familiar to you belong to the Sunrise and co. I’m not making any profits out of this, just the relief feeling that I finally get the story out of my mind before it haunt me to my insanity!

 

TIMELINE: The story takes place in the tv’s Gundam Wing, right after Heero disappeared into outer space and before Noin and Dorothy met at the grave and before Heero reappeared to give Relena her birthday present. And oh, after Treize’s Revenge II: The Lone Soldier.

 

TREIZE’S REVENGE III: REVEALATIONS AND CONFRONTATION

By Arayelle Lynn.

 

                Though surprised by what had just happened, Quatre settled down on a crate, next to Relena. Seeing an empty space, Duo settled down as well beside him. Wu Fei put his blade aside and leaned against the wall, right opposite Heero who was leaning as well. Trowa and Sally remained still, looking at Lady Une who was standing before them. “Alright, tell us,” said Quatre, gently. “How did Kylie came to be Treize’s adopted daughter?”

 

                Lady Une smiled at the memory. “It was entirely fated. She was just a small child.” She paused and stared at the ceiling as the memory of that fateful day came back to her mind. “Treize and I were in Thailand where we met this small seven-year-old girl. We were there on a mission for the Alliance. I was just an Alliance spy then and Mr. Treize was General Catalonia’s valuable officer. I was suppose to meet Mr. Treize to give reports on my findings while on the colonies. We met at the rendezvous point when I saw this dirty-looking girl picking Treize’s pocket for his wallet.”

 

                “Of course I warned Treize off and caught the girl red-handed. But the look on her face was unforgettable…”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

                When Treize heard Middie Une cried, he turned towards her. He was surprised to see the Alliance spy struggling with a small girl who seemed to be giving her a hard time. “Lieutenant Une?” he asked.

 

                “She’s a pickpocket, sir. She tried to steal your wallet,” she said. It was then Treize noticed his wallet in the little girl’s hand. Lieutenant Une yanked the wallet from her and handed his wallet back to him. He looked at the girl, impressed by her skill. She had managed to steal his wallet without him knowing and with him surrounded by his own men. If it weren’t for the Lieutenant Une, she would’ve gotten away clean.

 

                “What do you suggest we do with this theif?”

 

                The little girl turned to glare at him. Treize was taken aback by the fire in her eyes, which matched the fiery red of her hair. Her eyes told him that she was angry at being caught but they also challenged him as well. From there, Treize could tell that there’s a hidden spirit inside her and that she knew no fear. She didn’t care what happen to her at all.

 

                Suddenly, the little girl kicked Lieutenant Une on her knee. In pain, Lieutenant Une released her grip as the girl ran away. She bit off angry remarks as they watched the girl escaped. “Let her be, Lieutenant. We should be talking about your findings. General Catalonia expects some news,” he said, then turned to call one of his men. “Take some of your men and go  find the girl. I’ll give rewards to any who find her.” The soldier nodded and called on six men. They then ran towards where the little girl disappeared to.

 

                “Sir,” said Lieutenant Une. “Why?”

 

                Treize began to walk, while she followed. “In her world, if she failed to steal anything and get caught, terrible things could happen to her worse than getting arrested. Which is why she wasn’t afraid when you want to hand her over to the authorities.” He looked at her. “And I don’t want that to happen.”

 

                “But why?”

 

                Treize looked at her, as if surprised by the question. “I don’t know,” he said, wondering why. What was his reason? Finally he answered, “I guess it’s the fire in her eyes. I don’t want it to flicker off. There’s just something beautiful about it.”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

                “I guess you found her then?” asked Quatre. Lady Une nodded.

 

                “Yes. It was nightfall as I finished my reports. Mr. Treize was about to fill me up on my next assignment when the soldiers Treize sent came back and told us where she was,” she said. “Treize quickly went to where she was and saw a drunk beating her up while other small children looked on in fear. She was badly hurt and if Treize hadn’t come that instant, that sorry bastard would have rape her.”

 

                “What?” Quatre cried, as the others were shocked. Even Heero looked angry.

 

                Lady Une closed her eyes, trying to extinguish the image but couldn’t. It was as if it just happened yesterday. So she continued. “Of course, Treize went ballistic. He beaten the man senseless and handed him over to the authorities. That was the first time I’d ever saw anyone could get that angry. And it wasn’t pretty.”

 

                “What happened then?” Relena prompted, feeling sorry for the little girl.

 

                “The other children were sent to a safe house where he made sure they get decent families to live with. He got the little girl to the hospital and waited for her, never leave her side for a minute.” She paused. “It was then I vowed my loyalty to Mr. Treize.” She remembered why. It was because the little girl reminded her of her brothers, how hard she worked to support them. Treize had just shown her that day that there’s at least one person in the cruel world who still had compassion for the weak.

 

She continued. “When the girl was well, Treize took her in to live with him. And Treize was so happy after that. Kylie seemed to fill the empty space in his life. While she get to grow up like a normal child.”

 

                Suddenly, Lady Une’s face was grim. “Then one day, Kylie overheard something she’s not suppose to hear,” she said, quietly. There was silence.

 

                “Well, what is it? What did she heard?” Duo prompted, he seemed to have caught up with the story like the rest of them were. He felt a kindred soul in Kylie since he too, had lived in the street when he was little.

 

                Lady Une looked up to the ceiling. “General Catalonia’s discussion of the plan to gain control over the colonies and the annihilate the Alliance forces.” Her eyes glistened. “She was only eleven then. Treize and I were discussing along with the other highest Romefeller leaders. When we were leaving, we found her standing before the door, ready to enter.”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

                “Kylie!” said Treize, scouping her up in his arms. The girl hugged him while the other Romefeller officers looked on.

 

                “Who is this child, Treize?”

 

                “She’s lovely.”

 

                Kylie looked at them in a scrutinizing gaze. How dare they asked Treize who she was. She lived in this house so they should know who were they looking at. She’s the lady of the house, just like Treize told her before. Then, she saw Treize smiled and put her down. “This, gentlemen is Kylie, the lady of the house.”

 

                Kylie straightened her dress and curtsied beautifully, like she was trained to do when meet Treize’s guests. One of them extended his hand. “Hello, Kylie. I’m General Catalonia, very pleased to meet you.” He kissed her hand. “I have a daughter about your age. Perhaps one day you will meet her.”

 

                Duke Dermail looked at Treize, awfully pleased by his selection. “You shouldn’t have kept her to yourself, Treize. She’s the most beautiful child I’ve ever seen. Where did she came from?”

 

                “Some place,” said Treize and kissed her cheek gently. “I purposely hid her here because she was too precious to be shown around.”

 

                “I see,” said General Catalonia, chuckling. “Yes, she does seem like a  precious little thing. Maybe one day you would take her to see my daughter, Dorothy. She’s been asking about you.”

 

                “Perhaps,” said Treize. Then, he signalled a servant to show the leaders out. He turned to Kylie, who was looking at him, guiltily.

 

                “I’m sorry, Mr. Treize. I’m not suppose to barge in on your meeting with your friends.”

 

                Treize laughed gently. “Nonsense. Who said that?” Kylie glanced at Lady Une, who had been assigned as Treize’s personal assistant a few months ago. “You are the lady of the house and you could go anywhere you want.”

 

                “Alright,” she said, suddenly feel bashful. “I actually came by to give you these,” she said, handing him the roses. “I picked them up fresh from the garden. They’re the first blossom this year.”

 

                Treize took the flowers and smelled them. “They’re lovely, Little Fire.” He called her by the nickname he gave her. “I’ll keep them close by my bed.”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

                “Red rose,” Lady Une whispered. “It was her favourite flower. And because of that, red rose became Treize’s favourite as well. Their love and devotion for each other was so strong that I guess I was a little jealous.”

 

                “What happened next?” Quatre prompted gently.

 

                Lady Une looked at him. “Something that changed our life.”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

                Kylie watched as the Romefeller leaders left the estate. She then looked back at Treize, who was watching her. “Why were they here?” she asked, her eyes were serious.

 

                Treize sat on the sofa and took her on his lap. “We were discussing some matters.”

 

                “What is it?”

 

                “Secret matters,” he said, winking playfully.

 

                “You said people who love each other should not keep secrets,” she argued. “Don’t you love me anymore?”

 

                He chuckled, softly. “Yes, I did say that, didn’t I? You’re a smart girl.” He straightened himself. “Alright, I’ll tell you what we were talking about.”

 

                “Mr. Treize,” Lady Une protested.

 

                “No, Une,” said Treize.“When our plans came in motion, she will see that everything will not be the same. It is better for her to know about it now.”

 

                Lady Une quieted as Treize turned to the little girl who waited patiently for him to continue. Treize then looked at her in the eye. “In the near future, we’re going to invade the colonies and annihilate the Alliance.”

 

                His eyes stared into hers, searching for a sign of fear or surprise. But there was none. Instead, there was a look of understanding and acceptance in her eyes that surprised Treize a little. Suddenly, she climbed down from his lap and took his hands in hers. Her eyes never left Treize’s

 

                “Then, let’s invade the colonies and destroy the Alliance together,” she said, with a seriousness that surprised Treize and shocked Lady Une.

 

                Treize smiled gently, thinking that she was just kidding. “You don’t know what is at stake when you said that.” But Kylie didn’t smile back. She stared at him with a seriousness that rivalled any adults.

 

                “I know, father,” she suddenly said, surprising Treize and Lady Une. Kylie had never call him that. From the time they first met, Kylie had been calling him Mr. Treize, like Lady Une. She never called him father until now. Not even after Treize decided to adopt her. To hear her called him that showed that she had just pledged her life for him, forever. Not the other way around.

 

                “Teach me how to be an OZ soldier, father,” she said, sounding more like an order than a request. “Teach me to fight the enemy and I promise you that I will deliver total victory at your feet.”

 

                For a moment, Treize closed his eyes and was quiet. Seeing his silence, Kylie feared that he might rejected her request. For what seemed like forever, Treize opened his eyes and smiled. “Alright, Little Fire. I’ll teach you how to become a soldier.”

 

                Kylie smiled happily and threw her arms around him. Treize hugged her back, tightly. Though the smile was still on his face, he was crying inside for he had just lost his ‘daughter’ to the war he himself was helping  to initiate.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

                “That was the last time either of us saw her smile,” said Lady Une, her eyes seemed to see the past and they could see a single tear threatened to roll down. But quickly, she wiped it away and turned to look at them. “She began her training shortly after that,” she continued. “Treize and I were surprised at the transformation that took over her in just a short time. She had cut her long hair and changed her image. All the gentleness and innocence of a child were all gone, completely wiped out of existence. She had became a hard-spirited soldier and go by a male name, Kyle Khushrenada.”

 

                “Kyle Khushrenada?” Duo repeated. “Why would she gone around posing as a male?”

 

                Lady Une closed her eyes. “Because if she use her own name, people would see her as Treize’s little lady. Kylie didn’t want that. She wants them to treat her like Treize’s son and a soldier. And surprisingly enough, Kyle turned out to be one of  OZ’s best soldier.”

 

                “But Treize only agreed to train her just so he could satisfy her, right?” asked Quatre. “He never intended to use her in battle. Right?”

 

                She shook her head. “No. Treize was planning to put her in charge of a mobile suit troop, under the command of Zechs Merquise.” Relena’s head raised at that.

 

                “What!” Duo shouted, nearly deafened Quatre. “How could he? She was just a young girl. Doesn’t he worry that she would get herself killed?”

 

                “On the contrary, Duo, she was about your age,” said Lady Une. “So, you should look at yourself when you thought of her motivation.”

 

                “But still, she’s a girl!” said Duo, emphasizing the word.

 

                Lady Une looked at him. “Gender is not the issue here. Anyway, who did you just faced? A girl, remember?” Then she paused. “Anyway, you didn’t let me finish my sentence.”

 

                “Go on, then,” said Trowa, giving Duo a warning look. Duo swallowed and shrunk back.

 

                “Anyway, Treize was going to put her in the front line until he heard about you five,” she continued. “When he get to know about you pilots and actually met one personally.” She looked at Wu Fei. “He realised that the war has changed you all and drained all of your humanity. You all lose out on the chance of living like normal children would.” She looked at the Gundam pilots. “And he realised that he couldn’t do that to Kylie.”

 

                “Why?” asked Quatre.

 

                “Because he realised that he still want her as his own daughter. If he send her out to fight, Kylie will no longer be the little girl he picked up from the streets. She will be just another OZ soldier who happened to be trained personally by Treize. It would destroy what they shared together in the past. No, he couldn’t do that to her. He loved her too much.”

 

                “You see, when Treize brought Kylie into his house, he promised that she would have a normal life without fear and hunger like she suffered when she was in the streets. He wanted her to grow up to love and be loved.” Lady Une smiled sadly. “I guess, Treize never realized how much he really loved her until that day when he heard about you pilots.”

 

                She looked at them. “Treize was always careful enough not to let anyone entered his heart, fearing that he might hurt them. But for the first time in his life, someone had entered his empty heart, without both intended to do so. I have wished countless times that Treize would keep me in his heart,” she said softly.

 

“But that never happen. So, I settled to be by his side and do everything he wished me to do. So, it gave me an absolute happiness when he let Kylie into his heart. Even if it wasn’t me. I was happy that he at least have someone he could look back to.”

 

                “What happened to Kylie then?” asked Trowa.

 

                Lady Une gave them a pained look. “Kylie was hurt. But she never showed it, although Treize could feel her pain. She became such a great soldier that emotions are no longer relevant. Instead, she obeyed every orders Treize gave her, like any good soldiers would.”

 

                “And so, Treize sent her and the rest of humanity that was still intact to the human resource division, where she handled the entrance of new recruits and the welfare of soldiers who died in battle.”

 

                “I see,” said Heero, surprising everyone. “So in turn to save the rest of her humanity, Treize sent her to deal with the cause and effect of the war. To make her see the innocence of the new recruits and the sorrow of the families of those who were killed.”

 

                “Exactly,” said Lady Une. “But their relationship changed. Treize stayed away from her, fearing for the feelings in his heart while Kylie keep her distance, respecting his decision. But I know their love for each other is still there.”

 

                “And when Treize was detained, he made sure Kylie didn’t join the retaliating soldiers and instead, sent her to outer space. He wanted her to remain in shadows, fearing that Duke Dermail or any other Romefeller officials would use her against him. Since part of Kylie’s training was to hide from the authority, Romefeller never found her. And that was the last time Treize and I ever heard from Kylie. She seemed to have disappeared until now.”

 

                “Alright, so now that we have heard the whole story, what are we going to do?” asked Duo. “Do we let her do what she wants to do?”

 

                “No,” said Heero. “We hunt her down and kill her.”

 

                Relena, Quatre and Duo were surprised to hear that. “What? Why?” asked Relena. “She’s just a young girl whose life was twisted by the war.”

 

                “And she happens to be the most dangerous enemy around,” Trowa said. “Heero’s right. We must find and destroy her.”

 

                “Leave her to me,” said Wu Fei suddenly. The others looked at him, surprised. “She has a score to settle with me. I am the reason why she’s acting like this. I’m the one she wants.”

 

                “No!” said Lady Une. “When you find her, leave her to me.”

 

                “Didn’t you heard what she said?” asked Wu Fei. “She said your words no longer mean anything to her. She recognized you as a traitor and therefore, a target.”

 

                Lady Une reached for something in her pocket. “I know that my words are useless on her. But I’m sure these aren’t,” she said, showing them an envelope. There’s a red seal behind it, sealing the letter.

 

                “What is it?” asked Quatre.

 

                Lady Une smiled sadly. “Treize’s letter he wrote before he departed for that final war. Somehow, he knew that he’s not going to return and wrote a letter to Kylie, explaining his actions and giving her his final orders.” She fingered the letter. “I was to give her this but when Treize was killed, so was any sign of her. I’ve been searching for her this whole time, knowing that she is the dangerous assassin people have been talking about. Until now…”

 

                She looked at them, particularly at Quatre. “This letter could make Kylie turned to our side and stop this endless and useless retaliation.” She walked up to him. “And I’m entrusting this to you, Quatre.”

 

                “Me?” he choked, surprised.

 

                “Yes, Quatre. You have enough resources to find her quickly, before she could make her next move. So, you’ll be our messenger, the one who would give her this and stop her from destroying herself and others.” She looked at him, pleadingly. “Will you do this for me and Treize?”

 

                Quatre stared at the envelope for a moment and then took it. “I’d be honored to do so, Lady Une.”

 

                “Thank you,” she said. She then looked at all of them. “Good luck.” Then she was gone. Quatre looked at the envelope and pocketed it. “Well, I better get started if I want to find her quickly,” he said, started to leave, but Heero stopped him.

 

                “You better find her fast, Quatre,” he said, quietly. “If I find her before you do, she wouldn’t be standing.” With that, Heero left, leaving Relena who watched him leave with a worried look on her face.

 

                “Heero,” she said, softly.

 

                “Don’t worry, Relena,” said Quatre. “He’s not serious about that,” he added, trying to make her feel better.

 

                “He is serious,” said Wu Fei. “And so am I.” Duo started to say something but he interrupted. “Like I said earlier. She has a score to settle with me. And we all know who would be the final victor.” Then he too, left.

 

                Without turning, Quatre said to Trowa, “Well, what are you going to do, Trowa? Are you going to hunt her down too?”

 

                “No,” said Trowa. “Someone need to be here and protect Relena, in case Kylie return. And besides, you need all the concentrations to find her before the two did. So, leave Relena to me.”

 

                Quatre was happy to hear him say that. He then turned to Duo. “Hey, don’t look at me,” said Duo. “You’re my ride, so I’m stuck with you.” He then looked at him mischievously. “Besides, I really want to see this Kylie again. She’s cute.”

 

                That brought a smile to Relena’s face. “Hilde’s going to kill you if she heard you said that about another girl, you know.”

 

                “Yeah, well, if I turned up dead, we know exactly who told her that.”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

                “So, Kyle is really a girl,” said Noin when Duo finished telling the story. She was very surprised at this turn of event “And she’s Treize’s adopted daughter.” They were in the hospital, visiting Noin who would be alright in a few days.

 

                Duo shrugged. “Yeah, and Quatre is in his office now conducting searches for her. And Sally is helping out. They got every people looking into the matter.”

 

                “And with Kylie injured from the duel with Wu Fei, Quatre has agents watching over every hospitals and pharmacies in the colonies.”

 

“Provided if she doesn’t have medical supplies of her own,” Trowa said.

 

Duo looked at him. “Right, rub it on. Why don’t you say she turn to the guerillas for assistance. I mean, they’re on to it together, remember?”

 

“No, I seriously think that Kylie works alone. She seemed to have survived well by herself when she was little, so she is capable of taking care of herself.” Trowa looked at Noin. “You were close with Zechs and he’s close with Treize, Kylie used to be an OZ soldier and had lived with Treize once, haven’t you heard about her at all?”

 

Noin shook her head. “No and I pretty much doubt Zechs knew about her either. Treize could sometimes be a little secretive about his personal life.” She then paused. “Though I did recall of hearing about a new cadet by the name Kyle. Zechs once told me that he was good.”

 

“Yup, I think that’s Kylie alright,” said Trowa. “I wish we know more things about her now. I just want to see if she can still be save.”

 

Duo nudged him, teasingly. “Having a little soft spot for the little lady, huh?” He put his hands out in a mock surrender. “Don’t worry. You’re not the only one who is charmed by her looks.”

 

“I just want to make sure Quatre won’t be in any danger when he finally found her, that’s all.”

 

“I know who we could ask,” said Relena suddenly. She had been quiet the whole time, still disturbed by Heero’s actions. Trowa, Duo and Noin looked at her expectantly. “We should go and see Amy. They’ve been living together since the war started.”

 

“Great, let’s go,” a voice from the doorway said. They turned to see Quatre. He looked at Noin. “Thought I take a break and visit you. But I guess we’re going away now,” he said, as Relena and the others stood up. “Get well soon, Miss Noin.”

 

“Good luck, you all,” she said as they walked out.

 

Quatre drove them to the hotel Relena had told him. To their relief, Amy Pierson was still staying there and was in her room. They then went up to see her. As soon as she saw them in the hallway, she quickly rushed towards Relena. “Where’s Kyle? Is he dead?” she asked. Relena almost felt sorry for her.

 

“No, he escaped,” she said, knowing that Amy still didn’t know that Kyle was a girl.

 

Amy looked tear-stricken as she led them into her room. “It’s all over the news,” she said. “They said that the assassin was killed by a Gundam pilot,” she told them. “And the others, they take it pretty badly. I mean, they didn’t believe that while we were busy promoting peace, our band member is out killing people.” She looked at them. “But all I want is Kyle back, safe and sound.”

 

“You must have cared for him deeply,” said Quatre, gently helping her to a sofa.

 

Amy looked at him as if he had just said the wierdest thing. “Of course. He cared for me.”

 

“That’s why we need your help,” said Relena. “We’re trying to find Kyle before it’s too late. And we need you to tell us about him and his past.”

 

For a moment Amy was silent. Then she frowned as if trying hard to remember something. “You know what, I don’t really know much about Kyle’s past,” she said to them, surprised by her lack of information. “But what I do know about him is that he’s the most caring and sweetest person I’ve ever met.”

 

“How is he caring and sweet?” Quatre prodded. “How did you meet?”

 

Amy looked down. “Kyle saved my life,” she said. “I was with my family when OZ attacked the White Fang. The colony I was on was immediately pulled in into the battle. My parents were killed by an explosion and I was about to be buried under tons of falling concrete when Kyle pushed me to safety.”

 

She then looked at them, as if remembering something. “And he was wearing an OZ mobile suit uniform. I thought that he was one of them. But he told me that he’s a deserter, that he has left OZ a long time ago.”

 

Duo leaned forward. “And then what happen?”

 

“He took care of me,” she told them. “He got a job and use the money to support us. He even got me into the band.” She smiled at the memory. “While we were walking, he saw Morris and asked him to hear me sing. He, right there and then, took out his guitar and played a song for me. When we were finished, Morris signed us in immediately.” She looked at them. “He made me a star.”

 

Trowa looked at Quatre and nodded. “Thank you, Amy. I think we’ve found out what we want to know. You’ve been very helpful,” said Relena. She stood up, ready to leave when Amy grabbed her hand.

 

“Don’t hurt him, okay? He’s really a good person.”

 

Relena was touched by the love she had for Kyle and nodded. “I promise you. No harm will come to Kyle. Even if I have to put my life in line,” she said, thinking of Heero. They then left.

 

“What’s your verdict?”asked Duo. “Can she still be saved?”

 

Quatre looked at Trowa. “I’ll get back to work now.” He started to walk away when Trowa took his arm. “Wait, I want to help,” he said, making Quatre smiled happily.

 

“Great, I’ll play the bodyguard then,” said Duo. Relena turned to him “Don’t worry. I’m not planning to go anywhere until we find her. So, I don’t need a bodyguard.”

 

“Fine, then,” said Duo. “I’ll just sit back and let you guys do all the work.”

 

“Duo,” said Quatre, shaking his head in amusement.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

Kylie strummed the guitar, attempting to finish the song before she died. Seeing Lady Une again brought back painful memories from the past. And the only way she could distract herself from the pain was through the guitar.

 

Before this, she found herself unable to finish this particular song. But now, she used all the pain inside to write and found it was easier for her to finish it. Her wound was still aching but the bleeding had stopped. She was angered by her carelessness. She should have seen the blade coming at her instead of freezing when she saw Lady Une. Luckily, the wound was shallow and she’s sure to be back to her feet in no time. Which was the good news. She was sure that the Gundam pilots would find out her hiding place sooner or later. But she didn’t care. Pretty soon it would all be over for her. And the pilots.

 

‘Don’t worry, Mr. Treize. I would be joining you soon,’ she thought and then continued writing her last song.

 

 

>>>@@<<<

 

It’d been six days since the incident. The search was still on as Quatre worked furiously to find Kylie before Heero and Wu Fei find her. The news of the assassin’s supposedly demise spread really fast. Luckily, Relena managed to use all her power to maintain the true identity of the assasin.

 

Meanwhile, The United was facing a dilemma. As Amy still tried to defend Kyle on his behalf, the other members and Morris decided to end Kyle’s contract. But they all agreed to keep the identity of the assassin a secret, fearing the truth might ruin their own career. And Amy was forced to agree as they announced to the media that Kyle Rayden had left the band. But she did convinced them to play Kyle’s new songs because she know he would’ve want that.

 

But as the days went by, Quatre and Relena worried that the people would discover that the news of the assassin’s demise was just a cover up. And so, Quatre and his team was forced to work hard to make sure Treize’s letter get to her first before anything happen to her or if she decided to take a more drastic measures that could create more conflict and the discovery that she’s still alive. And while Quatre, Trowa, Duo and Sally worked hard to find her, Relena was trying hard to convince some of the world leaders who knew about the assassin being alive, to leave the search to her.

 

Quatre was staring at a report when the news came in. “Quatre, we got it!” said Duo, rushing into the room “A few of our people saw a girl that fit Kylie’s description in colony V17753.”

 

“I guess she knew the authorities would be looking for a boy, not a girl,” said Quatre as Trowa smiled a little.

 

“Clever little girl, isn’t she?” he said.

 

Quatre stood. “Well, what are we waiting here for? Let’s get to her before Heero or Wu Fei does.”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

When Kylie woke up that morning, she knew that the day would change her life forever. That this was it. But she went on her day as usual. Had her breakfast, cleaned the place up and continued on her maintenance of her mobile suit. Something deep inside told her that she’s going to need it.

 

She felt very calm the whole day, as if accepting her early death already. She had nothing she feared and nothing she regretted except the fact that she was unable to see Amy again. But even then, Kylie knew Amy was in good hands. Plus, her wound had closed up, thankfully and she could move with the agility she once had before Wu Fei’s blade slashed her.

 

Then, having finished her usual routine and her Taurus maintenance, Kylie picked up the guitar and continued to finish her song, hoping she could finished it before he arrive. She was nearly finished when she sensed someone’s coming. She kept her back on him and sensed a gun pointing at her.

 

“Took you long enough to find me,” she said, her back was still on him.

 

“You were good. Very good,” he said, noticing that she’s wearing a dark flight suit under her denim jacket.

 

Suddenly she turned, a gun pointed at him. “Hello, Heero Yuy. I knew you would find me first,” she said. “You always struck me as the most resourceful one.”

 

“It’s time we finished what we’ve started in Sector G27,” said Heero.

 

“Right,” she said. “This would be our final confrontation.”

 

With that she leapt. Heero fired at her but she quickly ducked away from the line of fire and fired her own gun, forcing Heero to take cover. Then, Heero leapt up and saw where she was hiding and fired. Kylie felt the bullet passed near her ear and somersaulted to safety and fired again.

 

Bullets flew all across the room as each gunner tried to hit their target. Neither seemed to be winning because both were equal in skills. Then, Kylie was about to execute another somersault when her feet landed on an oil patch and she slipped. She felt a bullet flew past her and fired one, near Heero’s feet. “You missed me,” she said, keeping the gun trained at him while she get back to her feet. But as she risen, she felt a sharp pain in her ankle. ‘Great! I’m getting sloppy.’

 

Heero looked at her. “We’re not making any progress,” he said. “You’re a mobile suit pilot, aren’t you?”

 

“Yeah,” she said. “I was actually waiting for you to ask that.”

 

“How good are you?”

 

“Does it matter?”

 

“Yes. I only fight those who can fight me,” said Heero.

 

She looked at him, defiantly. “Alright then, I’m good enough to defeat you.”

 

Heero smiled. “We shall see,” he said, lowering his gun. “My Gundam is nearby. I’ll be back in a minute.”

 

Kylie glanced at her red Taurus. “I’ll wait for you,” she said, lowering her own gun. Heero turned to leave when suddenly a voice said. “No! Our fight is not over yet.” Both Kylie and Heero turned towards the voice. It was Wu Fei.

 

“You can wait, Wu Fei. I was here first,” said Heero.

 

Wu Fei looked at Kylie. “No. We need to finish what Treize and I have started. And only she could do that.”

 

“I’ll decide that,” she said, her gun was training on him.

 

“Stop it, all of you,” a new voice said. Quatre ran and stood between Kylie and Wu Fei.

 

Kylie’s tightened her hold on the trigger. “Step aside, blondie,” she said, coldly. “Your turn will come soon.”

 

“No, this is wrong. You shouldn’t be fighting each other,” said Quatre, looking at her. “The war is over, Kylie. Treize sacrificed himself so we could have this peace. He sacrificed himself for your future.”

 

Kylie frowned. She never expected this. “What do you mean? Is this a trick?”

 

“It’s not a trick, Kylie,” said Quatre. “We know all about your story. How Treize found you in the streets and how he took you in as his own daughter. You were a very happy little girl then, Kylie. And that’s what Treize ever wanted from you.”

 

Kylie bit her lips. “You’re just using that story to trick me into surrendering.”

 

“It’s not a trick. It’s the truth,” said Quatre, gently. Then decided to do what he came to do. “Before Treize was killed in action, he wrote you a letter. Here it is,” he said, showing her the letter.

 

“That’s a fake. Anyone could fake a letter,” she said, her index finger still on the trigger.

 

Seeing she’s not going to back off, Quatre decided to do the bravest and craziest thing. He stepped forward, his chest touching the nozzle of her gun. “Quatre!” said Duo as a warning. He stepped forward only to be held back by Trowa. “You’ll endanger Quatre’s life and your own if you move,” the quiet circus boy hissed. They turned to watch the two, quietly.

 

 “That letter is not a fake. Treize wrote this and gave it to Lady Une to deliver it to you. Now, she gave it to me to give it to you. Please, read it,” said Quatre, still trying to convince the validity of the letter to the cold assassin.

 

Still, she ignored the letter and fingered the trigger. “Shoot me if you want to but please read this letter,” he insisted. But instead, her finger was squeezing the trigger slowly. Quatre decided to throw his life into her mercy and didn’t move. Instead, his eyes met hers in a steady gaze. For a moment there, Heero saw Kylie’s cold eyes battled Quatre’s warm ones.

 

“Quatre!” It was Trowa who called out. “Get away from her.”

 

But still neither Quatre or Kylie were moving. His life was definitely in her hands now. She could kill him instantly by just squeezing the trigger. For the tenth times, Trowa wished he was a little closer to both of them so he could try and disarm her. But to move now would be signing Quatre’s death certificate.

 

“Kylie!” said Heero, breaking the intense silence. “The letter was no trick. It was really from Treize. Trust him.”

 

“Why should I?”

 

Wu Fei answered that. “If there’s anyone you could trust in this world, it’s Quatre. He’s the most trustworthy among any of us.”

 

For a moment Kylie stared at Quatre, still determining if she should trust him or not. And Quatre stared back at her, his eyes softened. “If you want to die, at least please die knowing how much Treize love you,” he said, gently.

 

At that, Kylie lowered the gun. The others exhaled while Quatre hold out the letter. “Please, read this,” he said, softly. Her hands grew cold as Kylie took the envelope from Quatre, seeing the familiar seal. She broke the seal and inside the envelope were a letter and a petal of dried rose. She recognized the identification, unfold the paper and read it.

 

‘My loveliest Fire,

 

By the time you get this letter, you would’ve heard about my demise and my defeat. But fear not, it has always been my plan to lose. My only regret is that I was not able to live on with you and that I had to leave you so soon, all alone in this brave new world.

 

Little Fire,

 

I know at this moment you would be in great grief and confusion but remember this. Those around you now are to be trusted. Stop fighting them. They are the ones I included in my plan to ensure the peace among our people. They are the ones who would be helping you to get along with this new world. Please, trust them and keep them in your loving heart as you have kept me.

 

Little Fire,

 

From the day I took you under my wings, I’ve never asked for a favour from you but this would be the first and the last. In that brave new world, there would be a person who will save mankind. Her name is Relena Peacecreft of the Sanc Kingdom. I would really like it if you could protect her with all your life and help her maintain peace on Earth and in outer space. Help the Gundam pilots to keep the peace because that has always been my ultimate goal for the war I’ve initiated a long time ago. These people are the symbol of peace and should be protected at all costs.

 

That is all I asked from you. I’m sorry if I ever wronged you, Little Fire, but remember this, I would always love you and be in your heart. Please, save yourself. Live and love others as I love  you. You’re so beautiful when you love. Be happy and live a long life for me.

 

                                                                                                For All Eternity,

                                                                                                Treize Khushrenada- your father’

 

                When Kylie finished reading the letter, she fell to her knees, feeling weak. “Oh, father. I finally understand what you wanted me to do and why you raised me,” she whispered. She picked up the dried petal and kissed it. “I’m sorry for what I’ve done. You sacrificed yourself so I wouldn’t have to stain my hands with blood. But instead, I defied your wishes and tainted my hands. More horribly, by using your name!” she softly said, so no one could hear her say that.

 

                The Gundam pilots looked on in silence. Quatre knelt before her and put a hand on her shaking body. “It’s okay to cry, Kylie,” he said gently. But Kylie’s tears were all dry since she was little so she didn’t. Instead, she stared at the letter, Treize’s last words to her. And saviour of her soul.

 

                Then, for what seemed like forever, the whole colony suddenly blared with warning lights and sirens. Heero looked at his comrades. “It’s an attack. Must be the guerillas.” Then, he ran out towards where he kept his Gundam, followed by Wu Fei and Trowa. Duo was torn between leaving Quatre alone with Kylie. But then Quatre nodded, telling him that he’ll be fine.

 

                He turned to Kylie, who was looking at him. “Thanks,” she said, in her usual serious voice. She then rose to her feet and started to walk towards her mobile suit.

 

                “Wait, where are you going?” he asked.

 

                She looked at him. “Out there, where the battle is. It’s time I do the right thing,” she said, walking away.

 

                “Wait!” Quatre called out. “Your battle is over, remember. There’s no reason for you to fight any more.” Kylie turned to him, expressionless. “In Treize’s letter, he told me to protect the peace of mankind. The guerillas threatened that peace, so I should go out there and stop them.”

 

                She kept on walking. “Maybe you should go too,” she said, climbing up her red Taurus. “I’ve always wanted to fight with all the Gundam pilots.” Quatre looked at her for a moment and then nodded. “Alright, I’ll see you out there then.”

 

                She then climbed into the cockpit and switched on the system. She was about to put on her helmet when she felt a dull ache in her right side. She reached out to the dull ache and felt something wet on her fingers. It was blood. She looked carefelly and saw a big stain on her dark suit. “So, he didn’t missed me after all,” she said to herself. “Forgive me, father if I happened to die in this battle. But it’s up to me to stop all this madness,” she said, praying that she won’t passed out before the battle was over.

 

                And so, she launched.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

                “They’re attacking the White Fang guerillas,” said Duo, as they’re approaching the battlefield.

 

                “I guess they’re tired of seeing the White Fang guerillas in outer space,” said Trowa, glancing at the screen on his left. “Problem is, the OZ-Treize faction guerillas are nuisance themselves, too.”

 

                Then another Gundam joined in their formation. “Hi, guys.”

 

                “Quatre! Where’s Kylie?” asked Duo.

 

                “Right in front of you,” he answered. Duo looked forward and saw Kylie’s blood red Taurus flying ahead. “What is she doing out here? Has she lost her mind or something?”

 

                “You’re about to see,” said Quatre.

 

                Then, Kylie opened the channel to the OZ-Treize faction guerillas and the White Fang guerillas. “I am Kyle Khushrenada, representing Treize Khushrenada himself. Cease your fire and prepare to surrender to the new world order. The war is over, people.”

 

                From the OZ-Treize faction guerillas’ mothership, Hagan and his admiral looked at the image before them, surprised. The admiral nodded, finally saw the truth. “So, that’s why Treize trained him personally. He was his adopted daughter, Kylie,” he whispered.

 

                “He’s a girl?” Hagan looked at him. “How did you know about that?”

 

                “I’ve heard Treize raised a little girl. It didn’t occurred to me that the young assassin who was with us is her.”

 

                “What should we do now? She’s speaking for Treize alright.”

 

                The admiral was silent.

 

                As soon as she said that, the battle seemed to halt for a moment. “Well?” Duo wondered as they waited for anything to happen. They didn’t have to wait long. The White Fang guerillas started to fire on her. But Kylie was expecting that and she sailed away from the line of fire.

 

                A moment later, the OZ-Treize faction started to fire on the other guerillas and the Gundams as well. “Well, there’s your answer, Duo,” said Quatre and charged up his weapons and dived into the middle of the battlefield.

 

                Kylie fired on all of them, including those who said that they were fighting for Treize, after hearing them said, “Prove to us that you are speaking for Treize.” And so, here she was, in her Taurus she upgraded herself to have the same efficiency and speed of the Gundams. She had never been in a real mobile suit combat before but she knew her training would be sufficient enough to destroy her enemy.

 

 

                Heero flew into the battle and started to destroy his enemy. At the same time, he kept his eyes out for his comrades. And with the Zero system in his cockpit, it was easier for him to see everything through Wing Zero’s eyes. As he watched out for his comrades, he also watched over the new pilot. Like she said earlier, she was good although he knew she had never been in a battlefield. Although her skills were not as fine as the Gundam pilots, Heero knew that he was looking at probably the most skillful pilot in OZ and the Alliance, excluding Zechs. He also knew that if she had been in battlefields more often, she would have improve her skills to match any Gundam pilots.

 

 

                Duo yelled and howled, happily. As always, a good fight excited him more than watching girls. And now that this could be the final battle between them and the two raging guerillas, he intended to enjoy the battle before there’s no other enemy left to fight against. Which was fine with him. Hilde had been asking what would he do once they achieved total peace. She asked if he’s going back to school. At the prospect of sitting around and listening to dull lectures, Duo thought that he should go and find himself a job instead. And he’s sure that with Quatre, owning a resource satellite, he could easily find a job there. Ahh, life was looking good from here on.

 

 

                Wu Fei meanwhile, fought as if he was giving death sentence to all his enemy. They had been a nuisance to the colonies and Earth long enough. It’s time for them to be shut down permanantly. And he knew that he’s one of the people who was capable of doing that. But even so, as he glance at their new ally, he hoped she will survive this battle because they still had an old score to settle. ‘Thank you, Treize. For giving me the second chance of defeating you.’

 

 

                Trowa destroyed all his enemy easily. His HeavyArms was the perfect Gundam for long range attack because of the fire power. Even before he entered the heart of the battle, he could easily wiped out all his enemies who were blocking his way. And because his Gundam could easily buy him time, he had the opportunity to watch over all his teammates, especially Quatre and the new pilot. Both were battling in the heart of the battle, since the main target was Kylie. All Trowa could do was destroy some of them with his blasters so he could at least reduced the number of enemy that was battling the two.

 

 

                When the enemy started to attack Kylie, Quatre quickly flew his Sandrock into the heart of the battle. He knew that with all the enemy targeting Kylie, she would need assistance. And he also knew that she was inexperience when it came to real battle, having only trained through simulations and target practices. So, he stayed near her, watching her back as well as his own. The guerillas, especially the White Fang, were determined to destroy her since she was Treize’s family. And Quatre, ever-believing that everybody deserved a second chance, determined to bring her out of the battle, alive. He knew although Kylie was the enemy of peace, there would be at least someone who would mourn for her passing if she were killed. And he could not do that to Amy. They’d promised her no harm to come to Kylie.

 

 

                Although she was sweating, Kylie never felt so cold. She knew that she was entering the stage of shock due to the loss of blood. But she forced herself to remain conscious and helped the Gundams defeat this enemy of peace, which was now her enemy. And she knew that she had to keep on fighting to prove to some of the guerillas that she was indeed Treize’s rightful messenger.

 

                But one thing that troubled her was that her eyes kept on seeing double as she struggled to target her enemy. And her hold on the control stick was weakening…

 

                “Enemy troops at 5 o’clock!” she heard Quatre warned her through the head speaker. She quickly snapped herself into the land of the living and fired on, beautifully rolled away from their own line of fire. “Kylie, behind you!” But the warning came too late. Her Taurus shook as she was thrown forward. She cried in pain as the seat straps dug into her injured side. She saw stars in her eyes.

 

                “Hold on!” she said hoarsely to herself, biting her lips. In the background, she heard a frantic voice.

 

                “Kylie! Are you alright? Answer me.”

 

                “Yeah,” she gasped. “I’m alright, Quatre.” She then realized that he had took out the one who shot her. “Thanks for the assist.”

 

                Quatre stayed by her. “Think you can continue?”

 

                “I intend to,” she said, the pain somehow jarred her awake. Then, she started to charge her enemy with Sandrock staying close by her side. Both destroyed enemy after enemy, watching each other’s backs in perfect harmony as if they’d fought together before. And not long after that, the enemy was reduced. Suddenly, they heard a transmission coming from one enemy’s mobile suit.

 

                “You are indeed speaking for Treize,” said a man none of them recognized. “We’ll fight by your side now.” With that, a half dozen OZ-Treize faction mobile suit guerillas turned away from them and shot at their own comrade. As Quatre and Kylie looked on in surprise, they heard surprise shouts and curses from the ones who were being attacked. Each felt betrayed and the squad leaders ordered their pilots to shoot at the six renegade pilots.

 

                Then a transmission from OZ-Treize faction guerillas mothership came through to her. “Admiral Garner and Colonel Hagan,” she said, recognizing the man she talked to not long ago. “Are you prepared to surrender to the new world order now?” she asked.

 

                Admiral Garner looked at her, calmly. “Kyle, or should I call you Kylie now. You know why I’m doing this,” he said. Kylie nodded. “I know. You retaliated not because of Treize’s unfulfil ideals but because of your own ideal. You want power for yourself,” she said, realizing the truth.

 

                Garner nodded. “Smart girl. I knew you’d figured it out sooner or later.”

 

                “Yeah, but I know one thing that you haven’t figured out yet,” she said. Garner looked at her, interested. “What is it, young lady?” Kylie glared at him, triumphantly. “You chose the wrong time to seek power, Garner. You should’ve wait until everyone was comfortable with the peace but you choose to entangle yourself with the still active Gundam pilots.”

 

                At that Garner glanced at the other video screen and saw the other Gundams all lined up with her, side by side. “What are you planning to do?” he asked, fear began to crept through him.

 

                “What the Gundam pilots always do with their enemy,” she said, her face cold. “Destroy them.” With that, all six mobile suits charged straight at the mothership. Each knew that in order to stop the battle was to destroy those who coordinate the battle. And the people who were doing so were standing in the bridge of the mothership.

 

                Many of the guerillas mobile suit came at them, attempting to stop the pilots. But all were destroyed easily. The mothership started to fire at them, but the brave young pilots still continue to charge as if the shots that hit them were merely irritating bugs. And then, as they all reached the mothership, Heero raised his buster rifle, Trowa opened all doors of his missiles, Duo swung his scythe, Wu Fei thrust his trident, Quatre charged up his twin sickles and Kylie targetted the ship.

 

                “This is for you, father,” Kylie whispered.

 

                Then, as one, they gave everything they got. For a moment, silence stood still, then the mothership blew into space dust. The surviving guerillas, including the White Fang, scattered all over the space after losing their leader. Losing their battle to the Gundams.

 

                Quatre heard Duo gave out a loud whoop as he smiled to himself. Heero and Wu Fei watched the remaining guerillas ran away like frightened ants. Some stayed on, surrendering themselves to the Gundams.  Trowa looked at all his friends. “We did it!” Duo cried out. “We can finally have peace! I can start looking for a new job now.” Never had Quatre heard someone sound so happy at the prospect of having to look for a new job. “Uh, Quatre.”

 

                “Yes, Duo?”

 

                “Would you hire me?” asked Duo. “I don’t want to look that far for a job.”

 

                Quatre found himself laughing. “I’ll think about it, Duo. I still have to find out if you’re qualified to do anything.”

 

                “Oh, bummer.”

 

                Trowa looked at them. “Come on, guys. Lets go home.”

 

                Quatre nodded, as the other pilots started to leave. Heero and Wu Fei herded the surrendering guerillas to the nearest colony, with help from Duo. Seeing Kylie’s Taurus not moving, he flew next to her. “Come on, Kylie. It’s over. You did it,” he said, gently.

 

                When she didn’t answer, Quatre adjusted his transmission. “Do you hear me, Kylie?”

 

                Still no answer.

 

                “Something’s wrong. Trowa!”

 

 

                Meanwhile, Kylie felt as if she was floating on an endless ocean. She felt nothing but peace, although, she could faintly heard a voice calling out her name. Then that voice turned franctic as he called out to his friend. “She’s not moving,” she heard him said. “She must be hurt or something.”

 

                “Let’s tow her in,” another voice said. “Maybe we’ll find out what’s wrong later.”

 

                “Hold on, Kylie. We’re going to get you in,” the voice said.

 

                But she doesn’t want to hold on. She’s too tired. She just want to sleep.

 

                And so she welcomed the darkness that beckoned to her.

 

 

                Quatre and Trowa both pulled Kylie’s Taurus into the hangar. They saw the authorities shipping the guerilllas out of the hangar and their three fellow Gundam pilots awaiting their arrival patiently. As soon as they’d landed, Heero ran towards them. “What happened?” he asked. Quatre ran towards the red Taurus as Trowa spoke to the three. “We don’t know. She didn’t answer our calls.”

 

                “Trowa!” They heard Quatre called out. They all ran towards him. He was kneeling in the opened cockpit of the Taurus. Heero climbed up the cockpit and saw Quatre, holding the unconscious girl in his arms. He looked closer and saw the floor was pooled with some red substance. Blood? He looked at her and saw a large dark stain on her dark suit. ‘I didn’t miss,’ he thought, surprised.

 

                “She’s still alive,” said Quatre, breaking through his shock. “We need to get her to the hospital now.” Heero quickly helped Quatre with her as they climbed down.

 

                “Let’s use my car,” said a new voice. Heero was again surprised to find Relena there. But he didn’t wait for any explanation. He took Kylie from Quatre and ran towards the awaiting car. Quatre climbed in with Relena as Heero took the driver’s seat.

 

                “We’ll meet you there,” said Trowa, waving them good bye.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

                Kylie was in the operation room for nearly eight hours and in that time, Trowa had arrived with Wu Fei and Duo. And then Lady Une rushed in with Dorothy in tow. She looked really worried. They waited patiently as the doctor worked on the Kylie.

 

                “Are they still in there?” asked a new voice. They turned to see Noin, Hilde and Sally. They then realized that Noin was scheduled to be released that day.

 

                “Yeah,” Duo answered as Hilde came over to him and gave him a hug.

 

                “I’m glad it’s over,” she said, quietly.

 

                Duo glanced at the operation room. “No. It’s not over yet.”

 

                Sally walked over to Heero as Noin settled down next to Relena. “How are they doing?” she asked, nodding towards the worried Relena and the silent Quatre. Trowa was standing close by.

 

                “She’s worried and he feels guilty,” Heero answered, quietly.

 

                “And you?” asked Sally, pointedly. Heero looked up, surprised.

 

                “You looked pale.” Sally touched his arm. “And cold.”

 

                Heero brushed her hand away. “I’m fine. I was giving Kylie some blood. It appears that we both have the same blood type.”

 

                “Oh, I see,” said Sally, knowing he was hiding something else. She could see there’s a strange look on his face. Anxiety?

 

                Finally, the door swung opened and the surgeon stepped out. He looked at the people gathered around, saw Heero and nodded. “Thanks for the assist,” he said, gratefully.

 

                “No problem,” said Heero.

 

                Relena looked at the surgeon, her face hopeful. “Well?” she asked. The surgeon looked at her and then at the rest of them. His eyes didn’t look promising. “Is any of you her immediate family?” he asked. Lady Une quickly stepped forward. “I’m Lady Une, her legal guardian.”

 

The surgeon was surprised to hear who she was. “Oh, I didn’t know,” he faltered then recomposed himself. His face was all serious. “She’s still in critical condition. She lost a lot of blood due to the gunshot wound.”

 

“Gunshot wound?” said Lady Une, glancing at Heero. But the cold Gundam pilot didn’t meet her eyes.

 

The surgeon cleared his throat. “But we managed to find the person with the same type just in time.” As he said that, he glanced at Heero. Lady Une nodded, realising what he had done. “As a precaution, we will place her in the Intensive Care to watch over her progress.”

 

“The ICU?” asked Relena. “Is she going to be alright?”

 

He looked at her, gently. “We don’t know yet. Her wound was pretty bad. She might survive or she might not. It’s all up to her.”

 

“Don’t worry,” said Trowa suddenly. “She’s a tough girl, she’ll pull through.”

 

Lady Une nodded at his optimism, remembering how Kylie managed to survive in the streets when she was little. “Yes, she will pull through. She has to.”

 

The surgeon nodded. “Alright. I would suggest that you all should go and rest now. We don’t need any of you reserving your place in the ICU with her.”

 

“Thank you, doctor,” said Quatre.

 

“You’re welcome, Quatre Winner,” the surgeon said, winking. “Tell your sister Erea hi for me.”

 

Then, the group was quiet. Quatre buried his head in his hands. “I shouldn’t have let her go into the battle,” he said. “I should’ve known. It’s all my fault.”

 

“No, I shot her,” said Heero. “I should’ve seen it.”

 

                Lady Une looked at them. “No, it’s none of your fault.”

 

                “Why did she had to go into the battlefield, knowing that she’s hurt and all?” asked Quatre, wondering her motives.

 

                “Knowing Kylie, she would have gone there even if she has a broken leg,” Lady Une answered. “Kylie loved being a soldier. Something about the war gave her an inner strength. Maybe it’s the friendship or love that radiates from wars. Or the beautiful deaths of dying soldiers.” She looked at them. “In reality, if Treize hadn’t brought her in from the streets, she would’ve joined the army somehow. Kylie loved a good challenge. So it doesn’t surprise me at what she had put herself into a while ago.”

 

                “Hmm… she is a true soldier,” said Heero. For a moment there was a complete silence. When Relena raised her head a few minutes later, Heero was gone.

 

                Quickly, she rose to her feet and ran towards the exit, surprising the others. But he wasn’t there. So, she walked over to the window, hoping she could at least catch a glimpse of him leaving but as usual, Heero was already gone. Disappeared again from her life.

 

                ‘Heero!’ she whispered. ‘Am I going to see you again?’ she wondered.

 

                Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned. “Don’t worry about Heero, Relena,” said Quatre. “Your paths will cross again because no matter how far your destinies lead you apart, in the end, you two are fighting the same battle. Trust me.”

 

                “Where do you think he’s going?” she asked.

 

                “Where Wing Zero lead him, Relena.”

 

>>>@@<<<

 

                Two days after that, Relena and Quatre found themselves in Kylie’s room. Her condition had stabilized but she’s still unconscious, as if she was in a deep sleep.

 

                “She look so still,” Quatre remarked, placing a red rose in a vase. Relena noticed that either Quatre or Trowa would bring a red rose to her room. Her only regret was that Lady Une left before Kylie awaken. The older woman had said that she had no place in Kylie’s life. Dorothy had been reluctant to leave, since there’s some unfinish business with Quatre and Trowa. But still, her loyalty to Lady Une came first.

 

                Quatre stared at Kylie’s peaceful face. He finally saw the innocence of a child within her, the trait that she had been trying to hide. He was sure that if she had been happy, she could actually be one of the greatest people in the world, like Relena.

 

                “She must have suffered a lot in her life. That would gave her the strength to go on,” Relena whispered. She too noticed the peaceful look. Quatre nodded and said another thing, “Or love Treize more than herself to give him this kind of loyalty.”

 

                They were quiet for a moment. “What would happen to her now?”

 

                Relena shrugged. “Well, she would be tried for her crimes.” She looked at him. “But I intend to convince the justice council to pardon her.”

 

                “Why?” asked Quatre, surprised.

 

                Relena brushed a loose hair on Kylie’s forehead. “She’s a victim of this war as much as we all are. She deserved a second chance. She deserve a normal life.”

 

                “Just like we all do,” said Quatre, remembering his own life.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

                Amy finally convinced Morris and the others to let her see Kyle. Ever since they learned that Kyle Rayden was an assassin, they had been avoiding the subject, not wanting to talk about Kyle any more. At last, Amy told them that she’s seeing Kyle because she wanted to say good bye. And they all gave the permission.

 

                Now, here she was, standing before the door. Trowa, the circus boy, was there with her. He and his friends had been keeping watch continuously. “She’s still unconscious,” said Trowa gently. Amy startled, still trying to grasp at the new information that the Kyle she knew was actually a girl.

 

She entered and gasped. “You are a girl!” she said, staring at the prone figure lying on the bed. And Kyle was not only just a girl, she’s beautiful. Which explain why she could be mistaken as a gorgeous boy. Her soft feature made her seemed as if she was a boy of 13 years old. Only now Amy learned that Kyle was her age. This new development explained why Kyle didn’t like to be smothered by girls. And it also explained her strange reaction towards the kiss. Kyle was not angry because of being taken advantage of, she was angry at having fooled people so convincingly. And embarassed.

 

“Wait!” she said, turning to Trowa. “What about Kyle’s headache? He, she, has been having it for a long time. Is something wrong with her?”

 

Trowa shook his head. “The doctor did a CAT scan on her to see if there’s any internal bleeding. But they found none. I think the headaches are cause by lack of sleep.”

 

True. Kyle probably went out every night to scout his targets.

 

“Go on, then,” said Trowa gently. “Talk to her.”

 

Amy nodded and slowly entered the room. She sat beside the bed and took her hand into hers. “Hi, Kyle. It’s Amy. I hope you can hear me,” she said and then waited for any sign from her. But there’s none. So, she decided to continue. “I… uh… came by to see you. You really had us all fooled, you know. Who could have thought that a guy like you, who wrote all those beautiful songs, could be the one who strike terror to all world leaders.”

 

Then she felt her eyes watered as tears rolled down. “I’m sorry but I have a bad news, Kyle. The band and Morris decided to replace you with another bass player. They thought that it was inappropriate to have a killer in our group. I’m so sorry.” She cried for a moment, wondering why the bad things happened to someone who was always kind to her.

 

“But whatever you do or did, I’m proud of you, Kyle,” said said, softly. “You might have showed to others that you’re ruthless and cruel but to me you’re the kindest and most loving person in the whole world. You showed us how love could melt even the coldest heart. And for that, I am grateful.”

 

“So please, live. Teach us more about that love and the power of human heart. I know you’re much stronger than this. Don’t give up.” She brushed Kylie’s hair, lovingly. “I have to go, Kyle. I would certainly miss having you around. But wherever I go, I would keep the memory of us in my heart. And I know in a way, you will keep me in yours.”

 

She then leaned over and kissed Kylie on her forehead. “I love you, Kyle Rayden Khushrenada. I’m forever in your debt.”

 

And then, casting a last look, she left.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

As soon as the darkness dissipated, Kylie found herself walking in the garden behind Treize’s mansion. She was wearing the same dress she wore when she asked Treize to train her. The last dress she ever wore. The robins chirped on top of the trees as she sauntered gracefully towards the rose bush at the far end of the garden. For the first time in her life as a soldier, she was humming.

 

“You certainly are cheerful today,” a voice said. Kylie turned and smiled almost immediately.

 

“Why not?” she asked, picked a red rose and slipped it on Treize’s uniform. “The garden is so beautiful this year. I’ve never seen it being this beautiful.”

 

Treize smiled. “Yes, you have. You were just ignoring it ever since you became a soldier. You never pay attention to the garden after that, which was why I didn’t have anyone to maintain the beauty of the garden like you have.”

 

“I’m sorry about that,” she said, lowering her eyes. “But I promise you that I would never abandon the garden again. Ever. I would stay here as always and nurture this garden and produce the most beautiful roses in the whole world,” she said. Then winked at him. “Happy now?”

 

Treize took her hands in his. “Yes, I’m very happy here, Kylie,” he said, gently. “But you can’t stay.” Hearing that, Kylie’s smile vanished, replaced by a look of terrible pain. “B… but why? Don’t you want me any more?” she whispered.

 

He brushed her soft red hair. “Always, Kylie. I’ve always want you by my side. But not today. It’s not yet your time.” Kylie shook her head. “No. It is my time. My fight is over and there’s nothing for me to return to. All I want is here.”

 

“My darling sweet Fire, you must live. There’s so much more you can do for the world, for me. There’s so many people who need that love you can give them. There’s so much you can teach them and learn from them. You must go back.”

 

“But… Mr. Treize, father.”

 

“I’m so sorry that I didn’t see how much you have grown,” he said. Treize then touched her face, gently, savoring the softness of her cheeks and the beautiful shade of her winter blue eyes which always reminded him of someone. “Ohh… you’re so beautiful, my Little Fire. I’ve always wondered who was your mother. Perhaps one day you will find out who your parents were and be reunited again.”

 

Kylie felt a tear slid down her cheek. “You are my parent, father. You are my saviour.”

 

Treize brushed the tears away. “Live and love,” he whispered and kissed her.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

Kylie opened her eyes slowly. She was in a hospital room. The light from the artificial sun streamed through the window and bathe her with pure light. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if letting the light cleanse all her sins away. In that state of tranquility, Kylie remembered the garden she was in and Treize…

 

She opened her eyes. “Father,” she whispered, felt a tear rolled down. She could still feel his kiss on her cheek as if it wasn’t a dream but a vision. A vision of her future. And she could still remember what Treize told her in that vision. It was her final mission.

 

Live and love

 

That’s it!

 

She then sat up, ignoring the excruciating pain in her side and pulled out every wires and IV that were attached to her body. She then swung her feet to the floor and stood. It took her a few minutes to steady herself from her weak limbs. She knew from the unsteady feeling of her body, she had been unconscious for sometime, maybe six days?

 

As she gathered strength for her limbs, she assessed the room. It was just like any other hospital room. Clean and white. Nothing to indicate that people knew her being in the room. Especially nothing from the fans of Kyle Rayden in which she was thankful. She wanted to leave the life under the spotlight.

 

 Then, on the small table by her bed, she saw a red rose and a blood stained letter. Treize’s letter. She then picked up the single rose, surprised that there was not a single note attached to it and smelled it. She never felt any better. It’s been a long time since she smelled a fresh red rose.

 

Then after regaining strength to her feet, she began to walk slowly at first, towards the door. She willed her shaky hands to support her body on the wall. When the door slid open, she exhaled. There was no one waiting in the hallway. She wasn’t surprise when she wake up to find no one was waiting for her. After all, she was an assassin, the enemy of peace. But what surprise her was that there’s no security guard placed outside her room. She knew that she was a criminal but why wasn’t she treated as one?

 

So, she dismissed the thought and started walking down the hallway. Her hand left hand holding her painful side as her right hand support her on the wall. In a few occasions, she had to stop to take a deep breath to recover from the pain of healing wound and then she resumed her search for the exit again.

 

‘Wait,’ she remembered something. She looked at herself. She’s wearing a light blue hospital gown and she’s bare footed. ‘I can’t go out looking like this. They would put me back to the bed and sedate me.’

 

At that moment, the word sedative seemed like a good idea because the pain started to shot through her spine again. But she willed it away and continued to walk, eyes searching for a janator room or the staff lounge, any place where she could find a suitable outfit.

 

Then, she saw it. A janator room not too far her. So, she make her way eagerly but cautiously towards it, each steps brought in new strength to her. When she reached the room, she opened it and entered. The room was dark until she switched on the light. There, she found a dark tops, blue jeans and a denim jacket. She put them on, pleased how they fit her frame so well. She was about to leave when she suddenly saw something. To her surprise, it was a red rose.

 

‘What’s going on here?’she wondered. ‘Could it be that those guys…?’

 

But she had no time to wonder. The nurse who was suppose to run a check on her would be entering her room any time. And when she did, she would discover that her patient was gone. And so, Kylie went to the door, then halted and reached for the rose. She smelled it and smiled as an idea began to from.

 

‘Maybe I could pose as one of the visitors. The rose would make me look less suspicious.’ Then, she exited the small room. She stood still for a while and took a deep breath. ‘Alright, so you got new clothes. Now, let’s see if you could do something with the way you walk,’ she thought. ‘You must try to walk straighter.’

 

And so, she continued to walk. Her left hand was still favoring her side and right hand supporting her weight on the wall. She tried to straighten her back a little to keep from bending. She walked slowly, pretending to take her time where else she’s trying not to push her body too far.

 

After a long walk, Kylie finally found herself stepping out of the exit. She continued to walk, even slowly since she had no wall to support her and the rose was still in her hand. She didn’t walk very far when she suddenly froze. Standing before her, as if waiting for her appearance were Heero and Wu Fei.

 

“You two!” was all she could managed.

 

Heero looked at her. “How are you feeling?” he asked. Kylie was surprised at the question and nodded. “Managing,” she answered.

 

“Where do you think you’re going? Your fight is over.”

 

She shook her head. “No, it’s never over. There are still hidden guerillas headquarters in outer space and on Earth. I know where they are. I should’ve stop them earlier but I didn’t. So now, they are my burden I have to carry. Maybe when I’m finished I will return. Until then, I have no right to wear Treize’s name.”

 

For a moment there was silence. Then Heero walked up to her, took her hand and gave her a set of keys. Kylie stared at it before looking at him. “There’s a truck parked behind that old building,” he said, pointing at a building. “All you need are all there; money, identification documents, the works.”

 

He looked at her. “Inside the compartment is an address of a hotel. The room key is in there. We thought that it would be the perfect place for you to recuperate. But you can leave at any time. It was all taken care of.” He stared at her, carefully. “Think you could make it to the building?” he asked, a little doubtful.

 

Kylie’s hand went to the source of the pain. “I’ll manage,” she answered, staring back at him as if challenging him to challenge her. Then she extended her hand, ackwardly. “I… uh… rarely shook hands with people.”

 

Heero took her hand, for he too rarely shook hands with anybody. The first time was with Zechs. “Thanks,” she said, gratefully. “Thanks for all this.”

 

“Don’t thank me,” said Heero. “This wasn’t my idea.”

 

Surprised, she turned to Wu Fei. The Chinese pilot was watching them in interest but seeing her looking at him, he shook his head. “No. This is not my work. I was only accompanying him.” He gestured at Heero. Kylie looked back at Heero. “Actually, it was his idea,” said Heero, looking up.

 

Kylie looked up as well and saw Quatre, standing at the top of the stairs. He smiled at her, as she realized who had been leaving her the roses. Still looking at him, she nodded in appreciation.

 

From the stairs, she saw Quatre mouthed. “You’re welcome.” For a moment there, he saw Kylie’s eyes softened then suddenly they hardened as she turned away from him. Quatre wondered what happened at that moment.

 

Kylie nodded at Heero and Wu Fei, her demeanor was cold. Then, she continued to climb down the stairs. At the bottom of it, she stopped. Without turning, she addressed to Wu Fei. “Wu Fei, don’t think this is over. We’re not finished yet.”

 

“I’m looking forward when that day come,” was Wu Fei’s reply. She then continued to walk. She had no right to resume her challenge with Heero because they knew in their last duel, who won. So there was no point to continue the duel.

 

“One more thing,” she said, and turned. “If any of you see Lady Une again. Tell her that Mr. Treize had always keep her in his heart. He had always love her.” Heero nodded, promising to deliver the message. She then continued to walk towards the old building. Her proud steps hid the pain of her injured side pretty well.

 

As Heero watched her go, he addressed his question to Wu Fei, “Are you really going to fight her?” he asked. Wu Fei nodded. “Of course. She’s a worthy opponent. She challenges my skills.”

 

“You think you can win?”

 

Wu Fei frowned. “If you have asked me this question a few days ago, I would’ve said yes,” he said. He watched as Kylie disappeared into the truck and drove away. “Now, she is stronger than before. So, time could only tell.”

 

Speeding away in the truck, Kylie glanced at the red rose and smiled to herself. Then she looked far ahead. “Don’t worry, father. I will live to fight another day. Just like you trained me to do.”

 

“Live and love,” she whispered, a new motto in her life.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

Quatre watched the truck disappeared into the horizon and he walked back towards Kylie’s room. There were voices coming from it as he saw the nurse, the doctor and Relena argued about the disappearence of the patient. Trowa and Duo were observing them in amusement.

 

Relena then saw Quatre’s smiling face and decided to reassure the doctor and the nurse, saying that the patient was well taken care off. After a little argument, the two left. Relena turned to the three. “You guys did this,” she said sternly but a smile played at the corner of her lips.

 

Quatre shrugged, not wanting to volunteer anything. So, Relena decided to give them the latest news. “I thought of talking to Kylie myself,” she began. “But I managed to convince the justice council and the remaining families not to press charges. Kylie is free. There’s even a family who is happy to take her in since she was the adopted daughter of Treize Khushrenada.”

 

“Somehow I doubted Kylie would want that,” said Duo.

 

Trowa nodded. “She’s too independent to be tied down. I think she’s better off alone.”

 

Relena sighed. “Yeah, that’s why I want to talk to her. But I guess talking to her would be like talking to Heero Yuy.” She turned to Quatre. “You saw her leave. How is she?”

 

“Truthfully, still in pain,” Quatre admitted. “But like Trowa said, she’s too independent. She’ll get through everything.” Then he noticed something on the table. “Hey, she forgot Treize’s letter.” He walked over to it and saw a note with another piece of paper neatly arranged on the table. She had put the rose on the note. It was adressed to him.

 

‘Keep the letter. Some day, I will come back for it. Could you please give the other paper to Amy. She’ll know what to do. And many thanks, Quatre. You can be trusted.’

 

Smiling gently, Quatre kept Treize’s letter in his pocket, close to his heart. He then picked up the other piece of paper and the rose. He walked to the exit. “Hey, where are you heading?” asked Duo. Quatre looked back to the people in the room. “Doing something a friend entrusted me to do,” he said and then walked away, nearly running.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

As soon as the owner of the Winner’s resource satellite left, Amy unfold the paper. She had been surprised when Quatre showed up in her doorsteps, delivering news that Kylie was up and well. He then handed her the paper, saying that it’s for her. He would’ve given her the red rose but she refused, saying that if Kylie left it, it was most probably meant for him as a gesture of thank you. She also told him that it was proper that the rose was given to him because it’s from a girl. She nearly chuckled seeing the embarrass look on his face which stayed on until he left.

 

Now, as she read the paper, Amy found a tear slid down. On the paper was the lyrics to Kyle’s last song and a little note. ‘It’s still not finish. Could you write a line or two for me in the end.’ She read through the lyrics, feeling the pain and beauty of it. And when she get to the last line, she suddenly know how the song ended. As if it was Kyle who dictated it to her. And so, she picked up a pen and finished the song.

 

>>>@@<<<

 

Heero Yuy watched from afar as Relena exited from the building, having succeed in making world policies to maintain peace. The main action was to destroy all mobile suits and weapons. He watched as she was swarmed by the world leaders and the media as they asked her questions about the outcome of the meeting.

 

Though the conflict was over, Heero was still there, watching over Relena, protecting her in the shadows. Defeating any enemy from the guerillas that actually attempted to assassinate her. She didn’t know about the attempts on her life or how many were there because Heero destroyed all of them before they could even get near to her. Nobody knew about what he had been doing. Not even Noin since he purposely stopped contacting her. The last he heard about Noin, she had joined the Preventer Intelligence with Sally Po and finding out possible threats to the world peace.

 

As for the other pilots, well, Quatre was helping out her sisters with the family business as usual. But Heero could sometimes see his path crossed Relena’s since Quatre was supposed to be one of the most influential people in outer space and on Earth.

 

Duo tried working with the Winners before he decided it was dull and complained about having to dress properly. So, he left the resource satellite with Hilde who still stick by his side. Current location, unknown. And Heero did not care enough to find out. But he knew Duo was nearby somewhere.

 

Of course, Trowa returned to the circus. And his travelling trait would sometime crossed paths with Relena, Quatre, Duo and even Heero himself. Of all pilots, Trowa was the only one who usually saw Heero, protecting Relena from harm. And he would sometimes gave assistance to Heero, whenever Catherine had her back on him.

 

Wu Fei disappeared as soon as they parted at the entrance of the hospital. Heero knew that he’s meditating and preparing himself for the next duel he’s going to have. Of all pilot, Heero saw less of him. But he doesn’t mind. Soon, they would all see each other again for Quatre had just leave them a word to meet him, concerning their Gundams. And Heero can’t wait to hear what it was all about.

 

And from all over the world and space, Heero would always hear news from private resources about the attacks on the guerillas’ headquarters which many of them were sent to the proper authorities, namely Preventer. Heero knew that there were guerillas attacks everywhere but the media never reported them because the attacks never got to the population. Because somewhere out there, a lone soldier was on a quest to protect the peace, travelling unrecognized, fulfilling her promise to the person she loved. Heero knew, it won’t be long until he see her again.

 

Then, as Relena’s chauffeur, Pagan drove the limo away from the hall, Heero started his own vehicle and drove off. He had just foiled another attempt on Relena’s life. Now, he’s out to foil another attempt so Relena could celebrate her 16^th birthday which was just around the corner. Heero thought of giving her something but at the moment, he couldn’t think of anything. Except that he must stop this coming threat on her life. As he drove on, he heard a well-known song in the background. The new hit song from The United.

 

 

FADING TO BLACK

BY KYLE RAYDEN.

 

Since the day I blinked into existence,

I know no love, know no comfort,

I know no happiness, know no warmth,

I know no company, know no light.

 

Since I blinked into existence,

I know only hate, know only fear,

I know only sorrow, know only pain,

I know only loneliness, know only darkness.

 

As I walk down the path of life,

I learn not love but hate,

I learn not comfort but fear,

I learn not happiness but sorrow,

I learn not warmth but pain,

I learn not company but only loneliness.

 

But somewhere in my twisted path of life,

I found my only love, my only comfort,

My only happiness, my only warmth,

My only company and a tiny light in the darkness,

But only to have lost them all at once.

 

Now, I know only revenge,

My heart and soul know only hatred,

And I became nothing but a soulless and heartless soldier,

An avenger of the darkness,

Fading to black.

 

You are an angel of light,

A guardian of love

that touches many souls

If you ever found yourself in doubt,

Remember your love for others,

Remember my love for you,

and shine more than the brightest sun

spreading warmth all around.

 

Never drown yourself in hatred,

in fear, in sorrow, in pain and in loneliness,

because your light and your warmth will guide others,

as it has guide me into the arms of the heavens.

 

Let me shoulder all the burden of darkness in the world,

as it the only thing my tainted soul could do.

As I fade to black

Fading into darkness

I saw a light of hope at the end of  the tunnel

Will it be able to cleanse my tainted soul?

 

And as Heero heard the song, he wondered about himself. Though it wasn’t about him, he could easily related himself to it. He wondered if someday he would be able to return love or was he forever cursed to be the person he was now, a loveless fighter. Could he someday live a normal life? Or would he continue to fight until he himself killed in battle?

 

Only time could tell.

 

Somewhere in the moon of Jupiter, a lone soldier smiled as the song finished. She was glad that they played all her songs. She didn’t care about the money made, just the satisfaction that her message was passed across was enough. Now, she knew how she could write such beautiful songs about peace. Somewhere inside her, there’s a spirit of a little girl still playing in the garden, still able to smile in happiness for her new life.

 

‘Don’t worry, everyone,’ she thought. ‘I’ll be alright. Someday, I’ll return a better person.’

 

With that she charged her enemy that was coming at her. Peace to the Earth and peace to the colonies!

 

THE END.

 

 

LOOK OUT FOR SERIES 2: SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST