The sweet, flowing strains of a violin floated through the air, carrying with it a beautiful melody. The hand of the person playing was equal to that of a professional, and he put his soul into the music. But his heart was heavy, which was the reason why the tune was melancholy and sad. He was artistic, skillful, fluent..........and he was only 15. His eyes were closed as he drew the bow across the strings, but he was vaguely aware of someone in the room with him. But he was too absorbed in his song to bother seeing who it was. The music trailed off as he put less pressure on the strings, then he stopped and lowered the instrument with a sigh.
"That was wonderful, Master Quatre."
Quatre glanced over at the man with a faint smile. "Thank you."
"What is it called?" Rasid asked curiously as he stepped further into the room.
The boy walked to the window and looked out. His expression almost downcast as he stared out at the blue sky, at the birds darting in the wind. They seemed to be so carefree and happy, with no worries in the world. Quatre longed sometimes to be like that, but unfortunately, he wasn't that lucky. "I'm not sure yet. I was making it up as I went." Rasid shook his head in amazement at Quatre's talent. "Well, I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. And to tell you we have a surprise for you downstairs."
Happy birthday. The words made nearly made Quatre laugh out loud, the happy part anyway. But he held it back as he answered, "Thanks. I'll be there in a minute."
Nodding, Rasid turned and walked out the door, leaving Quatre alone with his troubled thoughts. He hadn't exactly been looking forward to this day. By all rights, he had no reason to. He was alone for his birthday. The Waganac Core was here for him, he knew that, but.....he wanted his family and friends to come. What was it Trowa had said? The only way to live a good life was to act on your emotions. Actually, it was Heero who had said it first. But there was a certain truth to those words. So, how did Quatre feel? Well, for starters, lonely. Depressed, crestfallen, and dismayed also came to mind, but he believed that lonely did just fine.
Past birthdays had always been spent in the colonies with his father. They may have not always agreed on things, but he knew his father had loved him. Quatre was his only son, after all. It was from his father that he had come to value the ideas of pacifism. The only difference was the way they went about achieving it. Quatre had realized that peace was something that must be fought for, so he could protect his loved ones. It wasn't easy, but it was a painfully real fact. He thought of his father's last moments of life when he pleaded Quatre not to fight as a Gundam pilot anymore. But he couldn't abide by that request at that time. His heart had been ripped in half by that loss, and in his misguided sorrow and rage, he allowed the Wing Zero system to take him over.
The Wing Zero. Quatre couldn't help but shudder slightly at the thought of that thing. He remembered how it felt, the raw power and strength that the Gundam had given him. But the price it asked for was too much for Quatre to pay. He had nearly lost his soul to that machine. And his friends. It frightened him that a computer program could do so much damage. He didn't understand how Heero had been able to tame that beast. Or how he himself had when Heero had installed the system in the Sand Rock. Quatre could recall the thing clawing at his will, pushing his control to the edge. Somehow, though, he had survived. Maybe he was stronger for it now.
The five of them had been an odd team. Their differences were many and varied, Heero most of all. That guy had cheated death so many times. On the outside, he seemed so cold and uncaring. His fierce devotion to his missions was what made him appear cruel, but he had become a kinder person in the end. His harsh upbringing and training had luckily not driven out all of his compassion.
Then there was Duo, always so optimistic and cheerful. For someone who referred to himself as the God of Death, he certainly didn't act like it. But he proved he was worthy of that title in battle. And even when things looked their worst, he never lost his sense of humor. A sharp contrast to Quatre's quiet personality. Duo could face danger head on and laugh in its face, then kick its ass.
What about Wufei? Such a mysterious person. His dislike of the weak had been confusing. Was it because he was afraid of becoming weak himself? No, it was because of Wufei's strict moral code to protect the innocent. He was the one Quatre knew the least about, but he had found that Wufei held firmly to his beliefs. But it took Wufei awhile to realize that all people are weak, but it's when they work together that they are strong. No man can stand alone.
And Trowa, his dear friend. An extraordinary acrobat, his apparent lack of emotions matched Heero's, if that were possible. But Quatre knew better. When Trowa had stayed with him at the Waganac base, Quatre had found a confident in the calm, level-headed boy. Then he had almost destroyed it all in an act of stupid insanity, because of the Wing Zero. Quatre didn't want to think about it. He hadn't quite forgiven himself for the anguish he had caused Trowa. He was just glad Trowa had recovered from that experience. His friend had saved him in more ways than one, both his life and his soul included.
He missed them. They were an unlikely group, but they were friends. Quatre hadn't seen any of them since the Earth and the space colonies had joined together in peace. All of the pilots had gone their separate ways. He came to the Waganac Core base for a few weeks, and soon he would have to go back to the colonies to manage his family's business. Trowa had probably gone back to the circus. Duo was no doubt working back out at the in space, collecting savaged parts of ships and such. Wufei could be anywhere, thanks to his wandering nature. And Heero.....well, who could tell when it came to him?
Quatre realized he had been letting his thoughts drift for far too long. Rasid and the others were expecting him. He headed out of the room and walked down the stairs. It was dark down here, too dark. The usual sounds of hustle and bustle from those who protected him were missing. Quatre began to get worried. Where was everyone? "Rasid? Hello? Anyone?" He nervously looked around the rooms, making his way through the base. He came to where Sand Rock was held, a huge storage facility where repairs and modifications were made. The door hung slightly open, but Quatre heard nothing coming from the room. That was definitely not right.
Creeping up to the door, he peered inside carefully. Total darkness greeted him. Swallowing nervously, he slipped through the opening. His footfalls echoed solitarily on the cement floor as he groped around the blackness. Suddenly, he was blinded as the overhead lights flashed on. Quatre cried out in surprise, throwing up his arm to shield his eyes from the abrupt glare. He tentatively lowered his hand from his face after minute, squinting as his vision adjusted. Then he gasped in shock as he beheld a startling display.
"SURPRISE!!!!!!!" A multitude of voices shouted out, scaring the heck out of him. A burst of light exploded in his vision, once again obstructing his sight. Quatre rubbed his eyes and blinked as he saw spots. All the members of the Waganac Core were there, clapping and cheering vigorously for him.
"Yeah! The look on your face, it was just priceless!" The bewildered boy turned toward the voice. Its owner grinned broadly, a black camera hanging from a strap around his neck. The white priest collar was still on his outfit, as it had always been. His long, brown braid of hair swung lazily behind him as he laughed at Quatre's expression. "Oh, man, now that was a Kodak moment! I'm glad I caught it."
"Somehow, I knew we shouldn't have let you bring that thing." Quatre looked at the teen who had spoken. His narrow, almost black eyes briefly met Quatre's before giving camera boy an impatient look. His white clothes were a drastic comparison to his ebony irises and hair that was drawn back into a tight, short ponytail.
"Duo! Wufei!" Quatre exclaimed in astonishment and happiness. "I don't believe it!"
"You should," a steady, mundane voice from his left replied. "We went to a lot of trouble to get here."
Quatre whirled in that direction to see another boy, standing with his arms crossed. As usual, his face was void of feelings. But one could actually see a twinkle of amusement in his cobalt blue eyes. Just barely.
"Heero!" Quatre was totally bewildered, but he was glad to see them. "This is incredible! What are you guys doing here?"
Duo walked over and messed up Quatre's hair mischievously. "Duh! We're here for your birthday party!"
"Party?" Quatre questioned, puzzled as to what Duo was talking about.
"Well," Duo explained, leaning his elbow on Quatre's shoulder and speaking in a matter- of-fact manner, "That guy Rasid contacted all of us and asked us to come. He said you'd be thrilled to see us." Then the braided boy nudged Quatre in the ribs. "So, surprised?"
"Extremely!" Quatre said joyfully. He had no idea that Rasid had planned all of this for him. He suddenly noticed that someone was missing. "Did Trowa come?" he asked, looking around for his friend.
Wufei gestured behind him, a faint smile showing. "He's finishing up with the decorations."
Quatre followed his directions and nearly fell over in shock. His Gundam was standing in its spot by the wall. It was festively adorned with purple, white, and red streamers that were crisscrossed in an attractive style. An object that appeared to be a gigantic rolled-up scroll was hanging from his Gundam at chest level. Trowa was perched on the top of the left arm, holding a piece of rope in his hand that was attached to the scroll. He was waiting rather ceremoniously for someone to give him the word. "Ready?" he called down. Heero gave him a nod. "Yeah, go ahead."
With that, Trowa smiled serenely and took a playfully dignified bow. Then he jerked hard on the rope. As he pulled, a huge banner was unfurled down the front of the Sand Rock, with big rainbow colored letters on it spelling out, "Happy Birthday, Quatre!" Duo burst into enthusiastic applause. Wufei nodded in approval. Heero simply eyed it disdainfully. His work finished, Trowa calmly used the rope to swing down off Sand Rock. He let go about 10 feet down and somersaulted himself around, adding in a backflip. He gracefully landed, then shoved his hands in his pockets and nonchalantly walked toward the other pilots.
"Well, Trowa never fails to make an entrance," Duo declared, laughing.
Trowa threw him an indifferent glance before greeting Quatre in his normal quiet tone. "Hey, Quatre. Been awhile, hasn't it?"
"Yes," Quatre agreed. "I'm glad to see you, to see all of you, my friends." His eyes shimmered with joyful tears. "Thank you so much for coming."
"Ah, you'd do it for any of us," Duo said, waving his hand in an unconcerned manner. He grabbed Quatre's arm and started pulling him. "So, come on! We all got presents for you!"
"Presents?" He saw that Duo was dragging him toward a table. Several objects rested on the surface. Duo snatched a long, staff-like one up and thrust it at Quatre. "Mine first!"
Quatre chuckled as he accepted the gift, thinking that Duo was enjoying this even more than he was. He carefully turned the item over in his hands, examining it. It was messily wrapped in brown packaging paper. Quatre finally found a slit in the paper and slid his fingers under it, ripping it off. When he revealed the gift inside, he peered at it with puzzlement. "Uh..."
Duo beamed happily as he explained. "I made that out of usable parts I found. I have one just like it. That little baby came in real handy when I had to bust Heero out of that hospital he was trapped in." He sensed Heero's irritated glare and glanced at him with an innocent look. "What? It's true!"
Quatre still wasn't sure what to make of it. It was curved at a sharp right angle at the top and had a sort of handle near the bottom end. He got a comfortable grip on it and noticed there was a small button where his thumb was. He pushed it, and an intense but small blue flame shot out of the bent side. It caused the curved end to begin spinning and Quatre cried out in surprise as he was lifted into the air. The top of the staff twirled like a helicopter propeller and functioned the same way. Quatre frantically tried to figure out a way to get back down to the ground and ended up pressing the button again. The flame shut off abruptly, allowing him to drop to the floor.
Duo grinned proudly as Quatre's eyes widened in amazement. "Cool, huh?"
"Yes, very!" Quatre agreed wholeheartedly. "What a wonderful gift! Thank you!"
"Aw, it was nothing," Duo said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Wufei stepped up and plucked a short, slender package off the table. "Here," he said, giving it to Quatre.
The blond boy looked at it for a moment. It was attractively wrapped with red and gold patterned paper. Quatre almost hated to ruin it, but he wanted to see what was under it. He gingerly pulled off the wrapping, careful to keep it whole. He gasped in astonishment at the item. It was a beautiful dagger, with a blue hilt. The cover on the blade was elegantly decorated with carvings of dragons and Chinese symbols. Quatre gently removed the weapon from its sheath, marveling as the light hit the sharp metal.
"It's a family heirloom," Wufei said calmly. "When my home colony was destroyed, I went back and managed to save it from the wreckage after searching for days. I wasn't sure what to do with it, though. I couldn't risk using it for combat and damaging it. Then I realized that of all people, you would probably appreciate it the most and keep it protected." Wufei looked at Quatre with a solemn expression. "Please take care of it for me."
Quatre didn't know what to say. He replaced the dagger back into the sheath and clutched it in both hands. "I promise I will. Thank you." Wufei acknowledged that as Quatre carefully placed the present on the table.
Heero was next, but he had no elaborate wrapping for his gift. He merely reached into his tight, black shorts and miraculously came up with a pistol. He casually tossed it to Quatre, who caught it and stared at it with a bit of bewilderment and alarm. "Heero?"
Not one for fancy speeches, Heero shrugged as he spoke in his usual monotone. "That gun has saved my life countless times. I want you to have it."
"Are...are you sure?" His answer was a simple nod.
Quatre looked at the gun with uncertainty. He balanced the weapon in his hand, feeling it's hefty weight.
Heero was very possessive of his weapons. For him to be giving this to Quatre; well, it was a wonderful gesture of friendship on the Heero's part. Quatre smiled finally, getting a mischievous glint in his blue eyes. He aimed at a single fluorescent bulb high on the ceiling, pulled back the hammer and fired a single bullet. The light exploded into thousands of glittering shards that rained down upon the floor. All the Gundam pilots gaped at the broken glass; that was a hard shot to get off. Their blond-haired friend would have to be a marksman to do that, which apparently he was. Heero turned back at Quatre, actually mildly impressed.
Quatre lowered the pistol, a pleased look on his face. "There's a bit of a recoil when it fires, but it's not too bad," he informed Heero cheerfully as he set the gun down. Heero was taken back a bit by that, then a very faint smile played upon his lips. Quatre may have had a docile personality, but he was a Gundam pilot nonetheless. He had been trained in combat and firearms the same as the rest of them.
"Quatre?" Trowa walked over to the table and retrieved his gift. It was a small wooden box with golden metal trimmings on the side. Quatre eagerly accepted it and set it on the ground. He opened the lid and his brow crinkled slightly in confusion. It was a clown mask, or rather half of one. Only the right side of it was there. A single tear was painted on under the eye and the mouth was turned down in a sad frown.
"I used to wear that for the circus act I perform in. Back then, I believed that I was only here to fight OZ. I didn't think it would not matter if I died, so long as I completed my missions. So I was reckless. But now, I know I have something to live for." Trowa put his hand on Quatre's shoulder and spoke gratefully. "My friend, you taught me how to live again, to cherish this time I was given. And I am forever indebted to you." He took out the mask and put it in the startled boy's hands. "So I want you to keep this as a reminder of all you've done for me. It's also my way of leaving behind that life I used to lead."
Tears spilled down Quatre's cheeks, a few of them dropping onto the mask. One actually traced it's way along the same path as the painted tear. After all the things Quatre had done, his friend still forgave him. It was hard to believe. He finally brushed a hand across his face and smiled at Trowa. "Thank you." He turned to his teammates. "Thank you all. These are the best gifts a person could get."
"Happy Birthday, Quatre!" Duo exclaimed, and the others echoed, even Heero. Quatre's heart was lifted at the words. It was a happy birthday after all. They were all his friends, and his family. They were all he needed now. "Okay, now let's party!" Duo cupped his hands to his mouth to amplify his yell.
Rasid stepped up and opened up a box full of different instruments that had been brought down. He offered Quatre's violin to him. "Would you honor us with a song, Master Quatre?"
"Sure!" Quatre replied. Taking the instrument, he plucked a few strings and tightened some screws to get in tune. He brought the bow up and began playing. It was a soft, lilting melody, beautiful and slow. Trowa smiled at the music, Wufei nodded slightly, Heero merely crossed his arms, and Duo frowned a little at the dull beat. He wanted something with a faster tempo.
Then Quatre grinned broadly as he sped up his movements, and the song changed into a lively jig. The members of the Waganac Core cheered loudly and clapped in time. Another sound merged with his, and Quatre glanced over to see Trowa. He had pulled a flute out of the box and was playing with him. Their notes sang together in the joyful melody.
Duo's eyes gleamed at that and he raced over to the carton himself. He rummaged through the items and let out a whoop as he located a suitable instrument. He placed the alto saxophone to his lips and blew a few notes to get rid of the preliminary squeaks. Then, to Quatre's amazement, he joined in the song! He added a new richness to the tune as he played along.
Another hand went into the box and Wufei came up with a clarinet. He examined it for a moment before settling his fingers on the keys and participating in the song. He played with an ability equal to that of a professional. A tiny smile crossed his face as he looked at Quatre and saw his astonished expression. Heero stoically stood off from the others, watching the four boys askance from his viewpoint. Then with a small sigh, he walked over to the instrument bin and peered inside. He reached down and plucked out a trumpet. His lips pursed as he debated whether or not he should actually do this. Finally he put the trumpet to his mouth and began playing with a crisp, clear sound. His face was solemn as he contributed his tone to the group, but his eyes were sparkling.
All of them played differently, but they all blended together just right. It wasn't that surprising; the five of them already knew how to work together. Still, when the song was finished and everyone in the room had erupted into thunderous applause, Quatre lowered his violin and stared at Heero, Duo, and Wufei in stupefaction. He had known that Trowa had musical talents, but the other three had never shown that they did too. "How did you guys.....?"
"Come on, Quatre," Duo replied in a teasing manner. "We're Gundam pilots, aren't we?" He gave the blond boy a wink. "We've been trained to do anything!" Wufei and Heero nodded at that.
Quatre blinked for a moment, then smiled in agreement. "Guess so."
Duo took his camera off and tossed it to Rasid. "Think you could get a picture of everyone?"
"Sure," Rasid said, nodding. The five friends gathered together and Rasid raised the lens. "Ready?" The Gundam pilots nodded, and a burst of light occurred as the flash went off, saving the moment forever. Then the party started back up, full of laughter and joy. Especially for Quatre......Quatre leaned on the window sill, looking out as a cool wind blowing in from the desert. It was night now, and everyone had gone. He had waved good-bye to his friends as they took off in their various vehicles. He had not been sad to see them go because he knew that somehow, he would see them again. What a great birthday, Quatre thought happily. He couldn't have asked for a better gift then to see his teammates again. He suddenly heard the door open and turned to see Rasid step into the room.
"Here, Master Quatre," he said, holding out something square which Quatre accepted eagerly.
"Thanks." The blond boy thanked him and looked at the item with a content expression. "I'm going to bed now." Rasid nodded and said, "Goodnight," as he left the room. Quatre sat down on his bed after he was gone and placed the object he held on the night stand next to it. It was the picture that had been taken of the five boys. Quatre was glad that Rasid had been able to get it framed so soon. He laughed as he noticed the things he hadn't seen when the photo had been shot. Trowa and Wufei were smiling in their own quiet way. Duo was waving at the camera with one hand while giving Heero bunny ears with the other. And as usual, Heero had a cool expression, but the difference was he also had a very faint smile on his face. Quatre shook his head as he settled himself into bed and turned off the light. The moonlight streamed in through the window, coming to rest upon the photo. As his eyes closed, Quatre's mind was full of memories of the wonderful day. Thank you, my friends, he thought as he finally drifted off to sleep. You gave me the best birthday ever.What do you think? This was my first Gundam Wing fic ever. It's also the first fanfiction I've actually completed, so I'm really happy about that. I don't know if the guys can actually play instruments or not, but it was fun to write it that way. So anyway, thanks for reading!
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