Takeo – Well folks, its been waiting for the right moment, and that moment is now. I present Masks Aside, Part five, the last installment !
WuFei – Finally Onna!
Takeo – You can't blame me. I got struck by a whole bunch of ideas, so I’m channeling energy. Once I’m done with this, we’re taking a camel ride to Arabia, in the Middle East. Warnings people.
Trowa – Takeo doesn’t own GW, neither does she own " No Easy Way " sung by Seal.
Takeo – Thank You bang boy, now on with the angst and good old fashioned Gundam wars, by the way, spoilers, or else this might not make sense, this takes place before, during and after the final showdown between Heero & Zechs, as well as WuFei and Treize. Comments are welcome. Lyrics are in blue. ~…~ are thoughts.

Masks Aside Five: No Easy way to say Goodbye

Close your heart
Close your eyes
Fake a kiss and
Say goodbye
When you know it’s not the way
And you’re leaving home today

WuFei gave Altron a one look over as he prepared for his confrontation with Treize.

We're going to die aren't we? A timid voice asked.

I don’t know, but I must be strong, and if we die, we die with honor. Came the tenor of WuFei’s voice echoing in his mind. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Duo wipe away tears at Heero’s departure, not even turning to offer his lover any comfort.

Trowa emerged from the darkness and wrapped his arms around WuFei, eyes shut as he held his love close to him. WuFei released himself from his embrace and faced his tortured love.

" Heero left Duo for Relena, and Duo isn’t taking it well." Trowa said, not sure if he was strong enough to confront WuFei.

Anger rises
The deed is done
Just to say you
Can’t go on
When you know that’s not the way
Yet you’re leaving home today

" I must leave now Trowa. My destiny awaits." WuFei said as he prepared to enter his gundam, jumping into the cockpit. Trowa followed after him, and for a few moments, a staring contest ensured. This is the only way I could say goodbye my love, please forgive my silence. WuFei bit back tears and focused on avenging Nataku.

If I see a tear in your eye
It’s an easy way
To say goodbye

" WuFei, good luck," Trowa whispered, also keeping back tears. It dawned on him; WuFei might very well die. After all, he was there the night that Treize beat WuFei. He had watched in silence as Shenlong plummeted into the dark sea; and he did the only thing that he could, he followed.

You’re afraid
So you lie
Sometimes this will get you by
But you know that’s not the way

"Tro-chan, I," WuFei whispered, lowering his head down. Trowa looked up; emerald eyes no longer lost.

" You aren’t destined to lose Fei-chan, just to fight, we are soldiers and can do no more." Trowa said, his voice calm, soothing WuFei’s spirit.

And I trust you anyway
Harmony
But not for long
Plain to see
We’re doing something wrong

WuFei nodded and closed his hatch. Moments later, Nataku stood in all her glory and exited from Peacemillion. I wanted to say that I love you Tro-chan, but now it’s too late.

Even though you’ve gone away
I still love you
But if I see a tear in your eye
It’s an easy way
To say goodbye
To say goodbye
To say goodbye

Trowa ran through Libra, looking for Quatre. After rescuing his friend from Dorothy, they both headed out to watch the battle between Heero and Zechs. WuFei was nowhere to be seen.

" Duo, have you seen WuFei?" Trowa asked over his com link. Deathscythe’s pilot shook his head, and continued to watch Heero wistfully. As the battle raged on, a message came clear across everybody's com link, friends and foe alike. It was Lady Une, saying that the Earth had surrendered. Everyone knew that this was only possible if Treize Khusheranada was dead. Despite this Heero and Zechs continued their meaningless battle. (1)

Sent you rilke
By hand
Hoping that you would understand
Don’t you know that’s not my way
I was missing you today

Damn it WuFei, where the hell are you? Trowa watched as a piece of Libra broke off even after Zechs took his own life to destroy the large piece that would destroy the Earth. Heero had just broken out of the piece and everyone was feeling down, the mission had failed. There was no way to save the Earth now…

Anger rises
The deed is done
Just to say that
You can’t go on
When you know that’s not my way

Out of nowhere came Altron, its speed and grace carrying over to Wing Zero. It tossed Heero his buster rifle.

" I think you need this." WuFei said. Heero nodded and flew off to save the Earth. All four gundams, including the MangaCorps watched as the piece was destroyed, Wing Zero, battered but still in once piece came flying at them.

‘Cause I still love you
After all we've
Said and done
Can’t you see
We can’t go on
‘Cause God only knows there’s no easy way
To say goodbye.

All around the world, space included, people were joyful at the end of the war. The Gundam pilots celebrated as well, save one. Altron was no where to be found.

" Quatre, you guys go on ahead. I'll meet you on L4 ok?" Trowa said as he fired up his gundam.

" Don't worry Trowa, I'm sure that WuFei's okay. Go ahead." Quatre said.

" Take care of that injury." Trowa said as he blasted off into the sea of stars.

" Hey Q-man, where's Trowa going?" Duo asked as he noticed the distant glow of Heavyarms engines.

" To correct a mistake. Let's get down to L4 okay?" Quatre asked as he headed for L4.

Trowa scanned the field of destroyed mecha all around him. From the scarps, he could tell that this was where the forces of Earth and Libra collided. In the midst of it, Altron sat silent, its eyes a dim green, no motion at all, just silence. Trowa opened up a private line to WuFei's gundam.

" WuFei, are you alright?" Trowa asked as he approached the gundam. There was no reply, no static, just dead eerie silence. Fear gripping his heart, he steadied his gundam against Altron and hopped out. He popped open WuFei's hatch and Altron's pilot was slumped against his seat, lips a pale blue, barely breathing, his seat belt the only thing holding him in place.

"Oh Gods, Fei" Trowa whispered as he unbound the seatbelt, dumping the frail pilot in his arms. He traced slender fingers down WuFei's face; brushing back silk strands that had slipped free from the tight ponytail that Nataku's pilot wore. WuFei's eyes flicked open his teeth chattering.

" Cold, so cold…" WuFei whispered.

"Do you think that you're strong enough for a quick run?" Trowa asked. WuFei nodded and climbed back into his gundam. They made it back in record time. After both gundams were docked, Trowa took WuFei in his arms and headed for a warm quarter on the base. He found one after Quatre directed him.

" What the hell were you thinking? You know that turning off your engines in space leads to a cold death!" Trowa yelled, his emotions taking full charge of him, hot tears washing down his cheeks, as he placed WuFei on the bed.

"I should have died out there Trowa, he remembered their names, those whom had died for him. He shouldn't have died, he loved people too much to die." WuFei whispered, obsidian depths full of sorrow and anger." And it's not like you would give a damn, I couldn't even say goodbye to you, I'm worth nothing." WuFei concluded, curling into a tight ball, wishing to keep the cold away, to keep the pain away. Trowa looked at the slender form of his love in so much pain. He sat next to WuFei, running his fingers through the silky strands.

"We're both terrible at good-byes, but we're still here ne? I'm so sorry for getting angry. Please forgive me." Trowa whispered as he pulled his love against his chest, soothing kisses along the fingers in his hands.

" Yes, we're both terrible at good-byes. For me, good-byes always meant that the person would die. I love you, I don't want you to die, to leave me alone, by myself…" WuFei whispered as he rested his head against Trowa's chest.

" I won't leave you, I promise." Trowa said as he raised tearful onyx eyes to his that shimmered with equally bright tears. He wiped the tears away, bringing his lover's lips to his.

" Ai shiteru Fei-chan." Trowa said, his lips claiming WuFei's, ending this period of war and bloodshed in their young lives.

"It's over?" WuFei asked as he pulled away from his love, slender brows knitted.

" Hai. Justice was served, not just in war, but especially to Duo. He lost Heero, to Relena, the only other person that could twist Heero around their little finger. Apart from that, Heero thinks that Relena is truly the purest of angels and therefore, she shall save him from his guilt." Trowa said as he wrapped his arms around his lover.

"I feel sorry for Duo. If he loved Heero like he said, I can't imagine the pain I would go through if I lost you." WuFei said as leaned into his love's silent embrace. And so the two sat there, reflecting on the past year, the most eventful in their lives, through war and madness and the overwhelming power to conquer and destroy, in a world so noisy, the two silent shadows had found their solace in one another.

The End

1)In my opinion, all of Heero & Zechs fights have been stupid and foolish.
Takeo - Damn it, it's finished. I like Relena, I really do. She's okay as long as she isn't hunting Heero like some kind of deer.
Trowa - This ending wasn't so depressing you know? I like it.
Kento - Of course you would. You should see what happened to me in Inochi & Gi. I was in major brooding mode.
WuFei - Pipe you two, it's time for ice-cream
Takeo - The giddy dance TM must be done first. ^_^;; Not like that, this isn't the time honored * peepee * dance you know?