The Lantern Holder

Epilogue

Quatre and Nari walked down the corridor of the Peacecraft Palace. The mission was complete and both young people felt an exhilarating sense of accomplishment. Nari looked down at her uniform and loosened the formal tie that was around her neck.

"Now what will happen?" Nari asked.

"Now, we go back to our regular lives till there's another threat of someone taking over the universe." Quatre answered. He looked over at her and found her staring straight ahead with a haggard look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"I don't have a place to go." she responded with a shrug of her shoulders.

"You can come with me."

Nari looked up at Quatre and searched his blue eyes. They were so innocent. Suddenly something sprang to her mind. Quatre caught the look in her eye immediately.

"What is it?"

"The last family that I brought to the beach was named the MacGregors. They told me that they came from Ireland where they had this huge castle that had been abandoned for years. I could go there and fix it up."

"That would take quite a bit of work to fix up a castle Nari."

"Well," Nari said, slipping an arm through Quatre's, "Why don't you and the other pilots come with me?"

"I would love that." he smiled down at her.

Nari tilted her head slightly, silently encouraging Quatre to kiss her. He willingly obliged her, leaning down and tenderly kissing her. He could have stayed like that forever, holding the girl of his dreams in his arms, if it had not been for Duo passing by them.

"You guys are worse than Heero and Arys." the braided pilot said as he walked past them.

"You're just jealous Duo." Quatre teased, walking down the hallway with Nari under his arm.

"No, I'm just normal." he shouted back.

Quatre felt Nari move closer to him as they walked down the hallway.

"Something still has you worried." he said.

"Yes." she relented.

"What is it?"

"Do you think that Javin is really gone?"

"Zechs said that he shot down the Aries. I doubt Javin could have survived."

Nari shivered slightly. Quatre stopped walked and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Quatre, he's too smart for that. What if he was in a gundanium body. He could have survived then. This just seems too easy."

"If he is still out there, we'll face him together. You're not alone any more."

Nari buried her head in his shoulder and held him tightly. Whenever she was this close to him, she could still catch the scent of rain. With some reluctance, she pulled back from him and gave him a smile.

"Let's go pack up our stuff and tell the others about Ireland." Nari suggested.

"Sounds good."

Quatre walked with her to her room and opened the door for her. He heard Nari let out a gasp of surprise and saw what caused it. The case that held both swords had been smashed and Obsidious had been taken. Aluma still sat in its rack, untouched. Nari understood the message. Javin was alive, and they would meet again. He expected it. Nari felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder. But she wouldn’t have to face him by herself.