DISCLAIMER: Gundam Wing belonged to
Sunrise and co. I’m not making any profits out of this, so don’t sue. Oh, those
you think you’ve never heard before belong to me. And feedback is very welcome,
people!☺
TIMELINE: The story mostly takes place after Endless Waltz. To be more precise, one year after Endless Waltz. That means two years after my very own Treize’s Revenge series.
By Arayelle Lynn.
The peaceful atmosphere in space
seemed to seep into the Preventers headquarters. For days now, there hadn’t
been a single attack from the Telrhani, confirming their suspicions so well.
The Telrhani were preparing for the final attack.
For that reason alone, none of
the Gundam pilots and their friends could close their eyes to sleep, despite
the fatigue from working on their Gundams for so long. The only consolation was
the news of the engagement of Duo and Hilde, something that seemed to give them
a little shred of hope. And hope was what they badly needed when things were
losing into the darkness.
Wu Fei had been the last one
coming out from the galley. When Kylie and Quatre left, Heero had left as well.
Duo left when Hilde, Dorothy and Catherine started to talk about the wedding
preparations, with an amused Howard watching them. Vincent left seconds after
Duo, almost at the same time Trowa left. Then, it was Wu Fei and the three
chatting girls.
Normally, Wu Fei would have gone
away the second the girls started to talk. But he didn’t and chose to ignore
them instead. He was never good with girls. He always thought them as weak and
petty. They always worrying about things that needn’t any worry. No, he had
never being able to tolerate girls, no matter how old they were.
Except for one. Long Meirang,
his late wife. There’s a woman that was completely different from the
rest. The only woman he had ever loved. And every time he thought about her, a
dull ache entered his heart. All he ever wanted was to get her back, which was
impossible.
His memory of Long Meirang brought
back the memory of Mylin, the alien traitor. And again, he shuddered at the
thought of how similar the two looked. Mylin was the complete copy of Long
Meirang, from the beautiful blue-black hair right down to their fighting
movements. It was as if Long Meirang was being reborn again!
The only difference between them was that where Long Meirang had been impulsive and high-spirited, Mylin was reserved and cautious. Plus, she’s an alien whose origin was still unknown to him. But from what she had done for them, Wu Fei was beginning to look at her with a new profound respect.
Suddenly he stopped. He hadn’t
realized that as he lost in his troubled thoughts, he had entered the
observation deck. This was where they could all see the peaceful and beautiful
scene in space. Where those who longed to go to Earth could stared at it for
hours.
But that wasn’t the reason why
he stopped. There, standing near the window and staring into the vast starry
space, was Kylie. Her back was onto him so she couldn’t have known who was
watching her. But that suited Wu Fei just fine. He felt compelled to watch her
this way. So at peace, so very beautiful.
Wu Fei knew, standing before him
was the girl that brought the feeling of love back into his life. He thought
that he had lost it, only to rediscover it with help from the girl who barely
knew what love really was. But he knew that she can never be his, especially
since Quatre Winner seemed to fall head over heels for her. And especially
since she was also showing her feelings for the gentle pilot, although it was
very distinctive.
Nobody knew how hard Wu Fei
tried to control his feelings. Not even he himself knew. Every time Kylie went
out to battle and protect Quatre, he fought the urge to protect her. And
every time she threw herself at the feet of danger, on a mission to save
anyone, he longed to be with her, to fight alongside her. But yet, something
held him back. A memory that etched in his mind and heart. Long Meirang.
Deciding that he should put an
end to this, he started to walk up to her. That’s when he spotted someone else
beaten him to the punch. The other reason why Wu Fei let himself suffered
alone, Quatre Winner.
>>>@@<<<
Staring into space seemed to
give the peace that she needed. And yet, it couldn’t extinguished the dreadful
feeling inside her. And she still couldn’t shake off the image that the Zero
system showed her. Something bad was going to happen. It’s going to happen
soon, maybe even sooner. And it’s only up to her to make sure that the outcome would
be as she determined.
She shivered as the chill of
death passed through her. She had felt it before. Felt it when she was
preparing to battle Heero on that day Treize’s Revenge was subdued by
Treize Khushrenada’s letter. The difference was that then she was asking for
death but now, she was reluctant to accept death.
She jumped when something fell
on her shoulder. She turned and realized that someone had placed a Preventer
jacket over her shoulder. “Can’t sleep?” said a sympathetic voice. She didn’t
have to look to know who was talking to her.
“I could’ve said the same thing
about you, Winner,” she said, again noting the tired look on his face. She
smiled at him gratefully.
He sighed. “I guess we all
seemed to be having sleeping problems. I just saw Duo entering the hangar and
Heero, sitting in the lounge. Trowa wasn’t in his room the last time I checked
and Wu Fei, well, he’s nowhere to be found.” He scratched his head. “Maybe I
should’ve said yes when Sally suggested that she should prescribe us with
sleeping pills.”
“Sleeping pills won’t fix our
problems,” she disagreed. “We’re restless because our senses are warning us of
the coming battle.” She shrugged. “Even the Preventer agents and the colonies
felt it. Nobody’s going to get some decent sleep for the rest of the night and
probably tomorrow.”
“I guess you’re right,” he
admitted, looking out of the window. “Peaceful, isn’t it?” he commented. “And
to think that there’s a war going on… It’s just not right.” There’s pain in his
voice as he thought of the prisoners.
“It isn’t,” Kylie agreed. “But
it’s just perfect. It gave us the determination to fight for this peaceful
moment. To preserve it for the future of mankind. It reminds us of what we are
fighting for.” She looked at him. “Who we are fighting for.” She
emphasized the last sentence.
Quatre glanced at her. Her last
comment was left unreplied. Then he smiled, looking more and more like an
innocent little angel that made her heart ached and feeling blissful at the
same time. “I’m just thankful that I’m able to share this moment with you,” he
said, shyly.
She let the comment passed and
dug into her pocket instead. She then took out a wooden handmade panflute.
“Treize made me this when I was a little girl,” she said, looking at it fondly.
Then she gave it to Quatre, who looked at her, surprised. “Let see if you can
play it as well as you play the piano.”
He was surprised. He didn’t know
how she knew that he could play a panflute. Of course, Noin could’ve told Kylie
that he could play the piano since she had heard him play once but he had never
made it known to anybody that he could play a panflute as well. And this
just showed Quatre how much Kylie knew about him.
Not wanting to disappoint her,
he nodded. He then made his way to the nearest wall, sat on the floor and
leaned against the wall. Kylie followed him and settled next to him. They made
themselves comfortable on the floor and then stared out into the celestial
sight before them.
Then, Quatre played.
>>>@@<<<
Dorothy watched Quatre and Kylie
sat on the floor. She knew that she must let go of Quatre now. He belonged to
someone who’s very deserving of him. And there’s nothing in the world that
could force her to ruin that. She won’t. She just couldn’t. And that thought
not only gave her sadness but joy as well.
Like Kylie, she also jumped when
something was draped over her shoulder. Startled, she saw warm green eyes
looking down on her. “Trowa,” she voiced. The Heavyarms pilot smiled at her.
“You’re going to catch a cold if
you stay here for too long,” he said, gently.
“I guess,” she said. “What are
you doing here?” she asked, curiously.
Trowa nodded at Quatre, who was
playing the panflute. “I was looking for him,” he said. “But I guess he’s in
good hands now.”
Dorothy didn’t even bother to
give a response to that as both of them watched and listened to the song Quatre
was playing. It was mellow but there was a tinge of hope in it. They had never
heard the song before, so they guessed that it was one of those Quatre composed
himself. And the song described him well, innocent and yet, captivating.
“It’s kind of hard to accept
that the two are a couple,” Trowa said, after a brief moment of silence. “Both
them are so different from one another, it’s like they are from two different
sides of a coin.”
Dorothy stared at the couple.
But instead of agreeing, she said, “But that’s what made them look so beautiful
together. Their differences made them so perfect for each other.” She looked at
him. “We only often see a couple as perfect and true when both have so much in
common but what we’re seeing here is a couple that complements each
other. Quatre’s innocence and Kylie’s guilts. The light and the darkness. The
angel and the devil.”
“And they both compensate each
other’s weaknesses so well. Quatre’s insecurity and Kylie’s strength, as well
as Kylie’s lack of emotion and Quatre’s kindness and sympathy for others.” She
sighed. “They’re so beautiful together,” she said with a sorrowful feeling.
Trowa was surprised by her
response. He hadn’t thought about that. As he stared at his surrogate little
brother and the ex assassin, he admitted that what Dorothy said had its truth.
But then, he was even more surprised by what she said afterwards.
“Even so, I hope that Kylie won’t cause Quatre pain
because… she has the potential and reasons of doing so,” she said, her voice
hardened. Her face was all serious and very manacing. It was then Trowa really
realized that Dorothy did have feelings for Quatre. And that would only
give her nothing but pain in the end.
>>>@@<<<
Relena found Heero sitting all
alone in the lounge. His eyes were closed as she entered but opened before she
could say anything. He didn’t even looked at her when he said, “That’s one
welcoming sound, don’t you think?” referring to the sound of the panflute that
rang throughout the headquarters, soothingly.
“Quatre has taken up a new
instrument,” she said, smiling. “I think it’s Kylie’s doing.”
Heero closed his eyes again.
“He’s very talented. Who knows how many instruments he could play.”
“Maybe Kylie does,” said Relena.
She expected him to reply but silence drowned the entire room. Relena saw
Heero’s chest rose and fell steadily but she knew that he wasn’t asleep. And
she knew that that he was waiting for her to speak.
“I…uh… come here to see you
before you go,” said Relena. She looked at him, nervously. “I feel as if
tomorrow is the final day. And I want to see you before you leave for battle.”
There was silence.
Suddenly Heero opened his eyes,
startled. Relena was kneeling on the floor before him. She had taken his hand
and now pressing it onto her cheek. She looked up at him. There’s a tear
rolling down her cheek. “Please be careful, Heero,” she said, her voice mixed
with heavy emotions. “Come back to us safely.”
Surprised by her action, Heero
could only look back at her. How did she know that he was planning to die in
battle? That he would give anything to make sure his twin sister made it
through alive with her lover? And to make sure there is a future for
Relena and Vincent to protect?
Recomposing himself, Heero
looked away. He stared at the ceiling for a brief moment. “Do me a favor then,”
he said.
Now, it was Relena’s turn to be
surprised. But then she smiled, looking very pleased. Heero rarely asked for
favors, especially from her. “What do you want me to do, Heero?” she probed,
gently but eagerly.
“Accept Vincent. Let him enter
your heart. Accept his proposal.” He looked at her surprised face. “That’s the
only payment I’m asking you, for protecting you over the years.” He looked
away. “I hope you will pay this debt.”
Relena was indeed surprised. And
that made her fell into a deep silence.
>>>@@<<<
Duo had returned to Deathscythe
to finish up his work. When he was just finishing, Hilde came in after a long
conversation with Catherine and Dorothy. She didn’t know why but she felt
closer to the two girls over the months.
Now, both of them were sitting
close, listening to the sound of the panflute silently. They knew exactly who
was playing it and knew who was with that person. But it wasn’t the time for
Duo’s critical opinion over the person’s companion. It was time for them to
enjoy this moment of peace before they entered the chaos that’s outside the
boundary of metal and fiberglass.
The panflute played on, soothing
the most troubled hearts and healing emotional pain of the losts. It made them
more at ease and closer to those around them. That’s when Duo felt Hilde’s hand
tightened in his.
“Come back safely, you hear?”
she said, quietly. Like Relena, she had this very odd feeling that the next day
would be it. “I don’t think I can live without seeing you again.”
That struck Duo deep. He even
didn’t know how deep he felt. For a moment, he want to return her touching
remark but then felt a sudden wave of mixed emotions struck him. And he knew he
can’t lost control now. He’s a Gundam pilot, after all. He had to be able to
conquer his true emotions.
So, he feigned hurt. “What? You
mean to say that you doubt my piloting skils?”
“No,” said Hilde quickly. “I’m
only telling you to be careful. You’re not exactly like Heero or Trowa.”
“What?” That was a genuine
surprise. “Are you telling me they’re better pilots than me? Who’s next? Wu
Fei? Zechs? Kylie? Quatre?” he asked, jumping up to his feet. “For your
information, I’m as good as any of them. Maybe even better.”
Hilde stood. “You’re twisting
what I’m saying,” she said, desperately trying to make things clear. “I’m only
saying that you’re not as spontaneous and reckless as the rest of your pilot
friends.”
“Hey, I can be as spontaneous
and reckless as they are,” he said. “After all, I’m the God of Death. My enemy
trembles at the sight of my scythe!”
At that Hilde lost her temper.
“Fine! Do what you want to do. Blow up yourself and your Gundam for all I
care,” she exclaimed. “I only want you to be back safely but you seemed to love
putting yourself in danger. Fine! Maybe we’ll be getting rid of one annoying
brat in this war.”
Shaken, Hilde suddenly cried. Realizing that he had
went a little too far, Duo put his arms around her. “Hey, it’s okay,” he said,
gently. “I was just kidding you know. You know how I love to see you angry.”
“You nut,” said Hilde, sniffling as she punched his
shoulder. “How could you mock me when I’m being serious.”
He held up his hands. “Alright,
my fault. I’m sorry,” he said, tilting her chin up. He then stared into her
glassy eyes. His face was serious. “I promise you that I will return to you.
Now, more than ever,” he said, with conviction.
They then held each other,
listening to the sound of the panflute that echoed on throughout the entire
base.
>>>@@<<<
Zechs and Noin were in the
control room, helping out Sally and her team to decrypt the information that
the alien Mylin sent to them. Lady Une, McGarth and the President were also
there, watching their progress.
They were looking down a screen
when they heard the sound of the panflute. And that seemed to soothe the
frantic atmosphere in the room as each agent was starting to feel more at ease.
Noin looked up from the screen and met a pair of blue eyes. She noticed that
Zechs was staring at her.
Then, Zechs reached for her hand
and squeezed it reasuringly. There was nothing but love in his touch and Noin
couldn’t help herself from blushing. She knew that one day, they would have to
tell everyone that they’re married. But now, they’ll just have to make do with
keeping their marriage a secret.
Lady Une saw the whole thing.
She didn’t know how but she could sense that the two was holding back a secret.
And she distinctively knew what it was. But whatever it was, she was really
glad that things were working out between her two top agents.
As she watched them, her mind
wondered on to Treize. For a thousandth times, she wished that he was there for
her. But it wasn’t meant to be. Then, another thought entered her mind as she
looked away, into the unknown.
‘Hold on, Mariemaia. Just hold
on.’
>>>@@<<<
Alone. That’s what she felt
inside out. She had never felt this alone in her entire life, even when her
mother died and left her with her late grandfather. Mariemaia tightened her
arms around herself, shivering. They had separated her from the other
prisoners, to avoid creating another Jack Fields. They knew that she was
important to the Preventers and that she had the ability to stir up the spirit
of the prisoners to fight against the alien guards.
And that’s why she ended up in
this cell. That’s why she felt so alone.
Mariemaia wondered about Jack.
She knew that right now he and Francine were already in a different ship,
heading back towards the alien’s home world. She didn’t know how or where that
was but she was sure that she she would never again see Jack and Francine and
some of Catherine’s circus family that were also taken with them for a long,
long time.
“Jack, Francine, my friends,
please be safe.”
Then, she wondered about her
mother, Leia. In her dreams, she always saw her. Her mother had always been the
one who gave her the strength to go on. But lately, another person had appeared
in her dreams as well. That person not only gave her strength but also a sense
of security that she had never found even when she was living with her
grandfather. And she knew who that person was. Treize Khushrenada, her father.
“Father, mother, help me.”
Then, her thoughts went to the
woman that she thought as her second mother. She missed Lady Une terribly. The
woman had been her backbone since she was reborn after that brief conflict a
year ago. It was Lady Une who told her about her father, who make sure that she
had the best for everything. And it was Lady Une who held her during the nights
when Mariemaia woke up, screaming from her nightmares. And now, she felt that
she needed her more than ever.
“Lady Une, I need you.”
Her last thought went to the
girl she was glad to call sister. Mariemaia was very grateful when Kylie had
taken the effort to come and warn her about the Gundams during the Operation
Meteor crisis. She was grateful that the girl dared to dodge bullets just to
persuade Mariemaia to rethink her decision. And she was even more grateful that
Kylie was generous enough to forgive her for turning against her. And she was
thankful that now, she had someone whom she trust enough to get her out from
any danger.
“Kylie, please hurry.”
These were all the people that
became the most important part in her life. And she badly wished that she would
be able to see them again. She was about to go to go to sleep and welcome her
happy dream when suddenly the metal door clanged and someone entered the dark
cell.
That someone placed a bowl on
the floor. “Eat,” it was a woman’s voice. But she didn’t immediately leave as
the other guards always did. Instead, she put a hand on Mariemaia’s face,
wiping the tears away. “Hold on, little girl,” the woman said, so gently that
Mariemaia was surprised. “They’re coming. Your champions are coming any moment
soon.”
Then, she left.
>>>@@<<<
Mylin knew that the end was near
for her. In fact, as soon as Warleader Variskh give the order to attack, the
end will become inevitable. And as much as she wanted it to end, she found
herself looking at the screen reluctantly. But the ball was already rolling and
all she could do was to play along.
Emperor Gylendar appeared on the
screen the second she activated their connection. He looked at her intensely,
noticing the grim look on her face. “Mylin? What do you have to report to us?”
he asked. There was a strange note in his voice, telling her that things back
home weren’t doing so good.
“The Warleader has finally
ordered the final attack on the humans. It will be early tomorrow morning when
the humans are at their most vulnerable,” she reported. “Our warriors are busy
preparing to ensure absolute victory.” Even then, her voice held a certain
uncertainty o it. And the emperor noticed this.
“You worry about the Gundams?”
he guessed.
Mylin sighed. “More precisely,
the pilots. They aren’t like the foes we fought before, Your Majesty. And they
still have the chance to turn everything to their favour.” She shook her head.
“This could be our toughest battle yet.”
“Your concern is well noted,
Mylin,” said Gylendar. Then, he looked at her carefully. “Is there anything
else?”
To his surprise, Mylin fell on
her knees and lowered her forehead on the floor. His surprise was not for the fact
that she knelt before him. No, his surprise was because lowering one’s forehead
on the floor was a gesture only those who were condemned to death would do.
Those who had committed the highest crime that even the emperor couldn’t find
himself to forgive.
Mylin looked at him, there’s
deep regret in her eyes. “Mylin?” he said, questioningly.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty, for I
have betrayed you and your people,” she said. The emperor was surprised as she
continued. “I’ve tried so hard to avoid this but I’m beginning to feel sympathy
for these humans.” Then her face darkened. “And what I’m about to do to the
enemy of my sister and I might cost us our victory.”
She lowered her forehead on the
floor again and looked up. There’s tears in her eyes. “Please find it in your
heart to forgive me.” Then she looked at him, lovingly. “In my life there had
never been anyone I love but you, Your Majesty. And my soul is suffering
because I could no longer be there for you to protect you from your enemy.” She
paused. “And don’t worry yourself about my betrayal. I will pay it with my own
death.”
For a moment, Emperor Gylendar
looked at her. His face unreadable as usual. Then, he nodded. “Very well,” he
said, betraying no emotions. “I accept your reasons for your betrayal.” He
paused, staring at her. “I will miss you, my ‘Eye and I hope you will be
careful in you Vengeance Quest.” Then his eyes softened. “Be safe, Mylin.”
Then, he was gone. And she was
all alone, like the little girl in the cell below.
>>>@@<<<
“Got it!” a voice exclaimed,
jarring Lady Une from her deep thoughts. She looked at Sally, hovering over an
agent she knew as Tom at the data console. Zechs and Noin were also there while
McGarth and the President were making their way towards the foursome.
They looked through the data
scrolling down the screen. They could almost feel each other’s excitement. “My
god! This is unbelievable,” they heard McGarth said, surprised. They had to
agree with him for once. It was unbelievable.
“We must have the Gundam pilots
to take a look at this,” Lady Une declared, realizing the importance of the
information to them. “They must know what to expect.” She looked at the
President and McGarth. “They are the only ones who could be the key players in
the final battle.”
McGarth started to object but
the President nodded. Lady Une looked at him gratefully, before addressing one
of her agent. “Jean, go and fetch the Gundam pilots,” she said. The female
pilot nodded and was about to go to the door when a husky voice stopped her.
“No, leave them to us.”
They turned to look at Zechs and Noin. Lady Une nodded.
“Alright.”
The two left. It didn’t even
taken them a minute to find a Gundam pilot. They found Trowa and Wu Fei,
waiting patiently outside the room. Both were standing and leaning against the
wall. They didn’t even react when they saw Zechs and Noin.
“You’re successful?” asked Wu
Fei, knowing exactly what the answer would be.
Noin nodded. “Yes. We’re on our
way to find all of you.” She and Zechs then started to walk past the two
pilots.
“You might want to give them
some time,” said Trowa, stopping them. Zechs regarded him.
“Where’s Heero?” he asked. Trowa
nodded at the direction of the lounge. Without any words, Zechs led Noin
towards the lounge.
They found Heero, fast asleep on
the sofa. A blanket was draped over his chest. But the sight that touched them
was the peaceful look on his face. And also of Relena, who was also sleeping.
She was on the floor but her head was rested on Heero’s lap. Her hand was holding
Heero’s. Both looked so peaceful and happy that the two didn’t have the heart
to interrupt the perfect sight of two young lovers.
And so, they left the two with
their dreams.
They made their way towards the hangar, thinking
that they would find Duo, Quatre and Kylie there. Instead, they found two of
the three in the observation deck. Both were even surprised by their second
discovery.
Quatre and Kylie were both on
the floor, propped against the wall, fast asleep. But what made Zechs and Noin
surprised was how the two looked so comfortable and so right with each other.
Both had the same innocent look, as if they were just children sharing a tiny
bed. The two were sitting close, their bodies leaning towards each other that
their heads were almost touching. It was then Zechs realized how much the two
unlikely couple meant to each other.
Noin nudged Zechs forward,
signaling him that they should leave the two alone. Her husband agreed by
pulling her hand as they tiptoed away. But both missed the next miracle when
Quatre’s hand somehow found its way to Kylie’s and the girl unconsciously
smiled.
Zechs and Noin reached the
hangar, silently. None of them spoke since they left the observation deck. They
were still overwhelmed by the rare and barely possible sights that were
displayed before them earlier.
When they got to the hangar,
they immediately saw Hilde, looking down at something. Upon hearing their
footsteps, she looked up. Then she slowly and wordlessly raised her index
finger to her lips, signaling them to remain quiet. Seeing the questioning look
on their faces, Hilde gestured them over. When they were close enough, they saw
the reason for silence.
They were greeted by the sight
of Duo Maxwell, asleep on his future wife’s lap. There was a peaceful smile on
his face as Hilde continued to stroke his hair gently. They looked at Hilde and
saw the love for the Deathscythe’s pilot radiated from her eyes and her face
was glowing like the full moon from earth sky. She then regarded them and
mouthed, ‘He has a rough day.’
Knowing exactly what Hilde was
asking from them, Zechs and Noin left the hangar quietly. “Trowa Barton was
right,” said Zechs to Noin once they’re away from earshot. “We should give them
some time. The next day would probably change their life one way or another.”
Noin nodded, sad and happy at
the same time. She looked back at where they came from. “Duo and Hilde made a
cute couple. I’m just glad that they realized how much they need each other
before it’s too late,” she commented as they walked along the hallway.
When Zechs didn’t say a thing,
she looked at him. “You worry about Heero and Relena,” she guessed, knowing his
heart. “What do you think about a possible union between the two?”
Zechs took his time to provide
an answer. “Impossible,” he said, surprising Noin. “Heero knew that Relena love
him and he felt the same way too.” He shook his head. “But Heero won’t accept
Relena by his side because he knew that he can’t be with her the way Vincent
Dupree can.”
Noin understood his words even
before he finished saying it. And she admitted it, reluctantly, that it was
true. Then, she decided to ask another matter. “What about Vincent? Could you
accept him your brother-in-law?”
That, he didn’t take his time.
Zechs quickly gave her the answer. “If Heero think he’s suitable for Relena, I
just have to agree with his choice. Heero would do anything to make sure Relena
is happy.” He paused, as if in deep thought. “But I prefer if Relena could make
her own choice.” As he said that, Noin could detact a note of sorrow in his
voice. And so, she changed the subject.
“I’m really glad Quatre found
someone he could love,” said Noin, lightly. “Although I had first thought it
would be Dorothy, seeing how close they were, but looking at Kylie now, I guess
there’s something about the girl that fit right in with Quatre.”
Zechs face was still grim.
“Don’t be glad so early, Noin,” he said. “They may look right for now but Kylie
may yet do something that could cause Quatre Winner a lot of pain. And herself
included.” He paused. “I think things are happening too fast for them and Kylie
might end up doing the same thing Heero is doing to Relena. Pushing love away.”
Much to his surprise, Zechs
found himself shivering, not from cold but from a strange thought. “Sometimes,
I feel as if Heero and Kylie are one and the same,” he said, his voice so soft
that Noin barely heard it. But then Noin had to admit that there was something
strange and spooky whenever Heero and Kylie were together in one room.
After travelling in silence,
Zechs and Noin reached the galley. They found Catherine and Dorothy, talking to
Anne, the president’s granddaugther. The three looked up when they entered.
“Here, join us,” Catherine invited, reaching for two empty mugs and poured some
coffee.
Zechs and Noin sat. “What were
you talking about?” asked Noin, giving Anne a smile. “We could hear you from
the other hallway.”
“Catherine was just telling us
about her circus life,” Dorothy answered. She and Catherine were trying to
distract Anne from the absense of her grandfather. And also to distract her
from the coming war. “It’s really exciting, really. I never thought much about
it.”
“Well, you won’t feel that way
if you’re stuck with cleaning the cages,” Catherine said, teasingly. Dorothy
looked at her in horror before broke into laughter, realizing Catherine’s
tease. Then, both looked at each other, a strong bond had forged between the
two of them.
However, although both Catherine
and Dorothy were wearing smiles, Noin could detect the anxiety in their eyes.
She knew that they too, were worried about the war. They were worried about
losing the people they love most.
Noin sighed. ‘It’s always a hard
thing to leave a love one behind to go fight a war. But it’s even worse for
those who were left behind to watch their love ones go without ever knowing if
they would return,’ she thought. Somehow, Zechs sensed her distress and put a
reassuring hand on hers.
She smiled gratefully at him.
