Disclaimer: I do not own GW or anything affiliated with them, yet the plot
and some unknown chars are mine.
Author's Apology: Okay, sorry about the paragraph thing. These were all double spaced and seperated when I wrote it but something all messed up when switching from one program and copying to another and somehow it all got messed up and I didn't realize it while checking it over. Gomen mei- no. It's fixed now. =D
Dreams come true Quatre's been having a weird dream lately, one that seems too realistic to be a dream. Well, his dream soon starts to become a reality, much to the dislike of the young pilot. Can Heero and Quatre save their comrades before it's too late? But maybe the better question is, can they save themselves?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~Chapter 1~
"Heero, no!" Quatre cried out in anguish as his comrade's gundam was sliced into two, right through the cockpit. "Heero, answer me! Heero!" Quatre knew in his mind that it was no use, his friend was gone. His heart refused to believe what his eyes saw, and so he continued to call out to his fallen ally.
"Duo, how could you? How could you?!" Quatre lunged out in anger. Duo blocked his shot easily and Trowa retaliated quickly by firing at Quatre, throwing him backwards.
"Why are they doing this? I know they are stronger than this." Quatre couldn't believe that Trowa, Duo, and Wufei had turned against Heero and him. He didn't know why they had turned against them either.
"Why don't you fight them....ughn." He tried to get to the three other pilots, but was cut short as he moved out of the way of Wufei's dragon claw. It was aimed for the cockpit, but do to his sudden reaction, Nataku caught Sandrock's left leg instead.
"The weak will perish and the strong shall survive. There is no need in the world for someone like you." An evil grin crossed Wufei's lips as he prepared for a final strike that would end the young, trusting pilot's life.
"You guys are stronger than this," screamed Quatre in one final attempt to pull away. He was their only hope, the world's only hope now. All of humanity rested upon his shoulders. He tried to pull away from Wufei's grasp and surprise him. He nearly tore from his grip, but Wufei grasped his mobile suit with his other hand.
"A true warrior would have gotten away and defeated me long before now. You are not worthy of being a Gundam Pilot!"
Thinking quickly, Quatre grabbed for his heated blades without a moments hesitation. The only way to get from Nataku's grasp would be to destroy part of his own gundam. Wufei would expect him to strike at the dragon claws, thus easily blocking it. He'd have to strike Sandrock just above his comrade's grasp. He brought the blade in his right hand down and severed Sancrock's left leg just below the knee as Wufei tried to block the "attack" that he believed was intended for him. Surprise crossed his face, but was soon replaced by rage. Meanwhile, Quatre flew backwards quickly through the vast space and off to a safe distance. "You've got to listen to me! You must fight OZ!"
"All we must do is destroy our enemy. You," stated Trowa, emotionless as always.
"Trowa! I know you're stronger than this. I need your help! Please fight it!" Quatre begged, tears falling from his eyes as he watched Trowa ready his gundam, Heavyarms, for one final assault.
"As soon as he fires, I can avoid it if I move...." "What?!" The young Arabian pilot was jerked backwards. Something had torn the heated blades from his hands and his arms wouldn't move.
"You let your guard down, and now you will feel the wrath of the God of Death."
"Duo, let me go!" Quatre yelled, patience wearing thin. "Why don't you guys just fight it?!" Quatre tried to maneuver the controls, but still they didn't budge.
"And now, we will be rid of you once and for all," was Trowa's final statement. He unleashed his final attack, one that would end 04's life.
Quatre looked on in horror, watching the missiles coming closer, sealing his fate. He struggled frantically against Duo's hold, but he still couldn't break free.
¤*¤
Quatre awoke in the hospital, just moments before the missiles hit. He was trembling, drenched in sweat. Realizing he wasn't fighting, he was safe in the hospital with his friends, he began to try and calm his erratic breathing.
Trowa burst through the door, a look of worry on his face as he looked at his terrified comrade. Heero, Duo, and Wufei followed in suit, similar expressions gracing their features.
"Quatre, what's wrong? What happened?" Trowa asked, sitting in the chair next to his bedside, placing his hand upon Quatre's trembling shoulder
Quatre quickly glanced at the confused faces around him. He reached out slowly and placed his unsteady hand on Heero's left arm. He had to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
Heero looked down, unsure why Quatre stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes and had placed his hand upon his arm. Relief began to cross his face, but uncertainty still filled the Arabian's eyes.
"H-Heero? I-is it really you?" he whispered, his voice shaking as he continued to tremble involuntarily.
Heero was confused, but humored the injured boy. "Last time I checked." Man, Duo wore off on people. "What's wrong Quatre?"
The dream was all so real it made him skeptical of what he said, yet now Quatre sat silently, a smile of gratefulness and appreciation illuminating his face. 'Thank you God. Thank you.'
"Quatre?" Wufei called, still puzzled about what troubled his kind-hearted friend. They'd sat outside while Quatre slept. Upon hearing a sudden scream, the four remaining teenagers shot out of their chairs and rushed into the dark room. "Quatre, what's bothering you? What happened?" He watched as Quatre continued to shake, but he was slowly calming down.
"It.. it was all so real though. It was all so real...." Quatre mumbled to himself. It was only a nightmare, but it seemed so real. No, it wasn't a nightmare--it was much worse. Somehow though, he felt like it meant something more. Like he was seeing the inevitable fate that was to befall them.
Duo, crossing over to the bed from where he stood near the door, spoke. "Hey buddy. It's okay, it was just a nightmare. It's okay, nothin's gonna happen."
"You need to rest, lie down. It might make you fell better to talk about your dream," Trowa coaxed, placing a firm hand on his other shoulder as he stood, looking into his friend's eyes.
Quatre looked into his face, nodded, and laid back against the hard pillows. Sharp stabs of pain raced through his torso and he was forced to place a protective arm around his broken ribs. With the comfort of strong hands gently guiding him towards the bed, the youth focused on controlling the pain as Trowa let him rest. Looking up, the Arabian found that Duo, Trowa, Heero, and Wufei watched him patiently from their various positions around the room.
"Whenever you're ready Quatre," Heero assured, a strange gentleness and understanding seeping into his cold voice.
Quatre only closed his eyes once again, but this time, he spoke softly as he tried to steady his voice. He was still slightly shaken up over the-- well to say the least, the nightmare.
"We, we were in space together. We all had our Gundams with us." Quatre began quietly, his voice now steadied and calm. "We were on a mission, but I'm not sure what it was. Someone opened fire on Heero and me, but when I turned around, I couldn't see anyone but the four of you. My scanners weren't picking up anything for hundreds of miles." He stopped for a moment, taking in a deep breath to steady his nerve. Bad idea. Wincing in aggravation, he hugged his ribs in an attempt to provide comfort.
"Quatre?" Trowa called softly. Quatre had become like a little brother to him, after all, Trowa was four months and a couple of days older than the Arabian. He had a protective nature towards all of his friends, but mainly Quatre of the four.
"I-I'm fine." Quatre really should have known better than to do something like that, but he seemed to have forgotten when trying to tell the others the nightmare that had invaded his peaceful slumber, and not just this once either. "When I tried again to figure out where the shots came from, I still only saw the four of you. For-for some reason, you three.." he motioned towards Trowa, Wufei, and Duo, "had opened fire on Heero and myself. It... it was like you turned against us."
A quiet but confused "huh?" came from Duo as the Arabian youth felt his friend's eyes on him, waiting silently yet somewhat anxiously. So, he continued. "We battled, it was probably the hardest battle any of use have ever fought, no doubt. It-it was useless, you three were like robots, never tiring. Then, I made a mistake. I allowed you, Duo, to catch me off guard. I didn't have the strength to move. It was my fault, my weakness that.... that..." Quatre saw the images of the fight flash before his eyes. He watched as Deathscythe came at him, scythe raised and ready to strike, feeling the heat from the weapon on his skin.
It was all so real, he'd felt the exhaustion, confusion, anger, and hopelessness of it all! His comrades' words still echoed clearly in his mind.
'The strong shall survive and the weak will perish...'
'You weaklings will both die, just as you should have so long ago...'
'You are not worthy of being a Gundam Pilot.'
'... we will be rid of you once and for all.'
'Don't give up yet Quatre, I need your help... we're the only one's that can save them now.'
'... we must do is destroy our enemy. You.'
"Quatre? Yoo-hoo? Can you hear us buddy?" Duo spoke loudly, for Quatre wasn't responding to anyone's calls.
Bold blue eyes fluttering open in haste, focusing on anything that was before him, Quatre focused his eyes and kept them so, he didn't want to see it all again. The battle was gone once more, he was back in reality.
"Quatre, you don't have to continue, you can go back to sleep. You need your rest watashi no otoku." Wufei called softly to the aristocrat, kindness and understanding invading his voice as well.
"But-but Heero... I let you take the blow that was meant for me! I let you..." he trailed off, ashamed of something he had no control over, even more so without really accepting that it wasn't real.
"Quatre, I'm still here. You did nothing wrong. Besides, it was just a dream, it wasn't real." To anyone else, his voice sounded as stoic as he always was. Yet, everyone in the room was surprised by the hidden emotions that lay beneath the protective tone. There were hints of sadness, sympathy, compassion, protectiveness, and even an inkling of love for his comrade as an elder brother. Quatre had grown on everyone, just like a little brother, and Heero cared for him just as an older sibling should, even if they weren't close to being related.
"He's right man. I could hold a gun to his head at point blank range, fire, and he'd still live through it and only have a scratch, if that! Now, I'd demonstrate for you," Heero cast Duo a wary glance, "but I just reloaded this thing and I don't really wanna waste a bullet on him, so, sorry." Placing his hand near his right hip, Duo patted his gun.
"Exactly. Do you know how hard it is to wound him, let alone kill him? And Duo? I'm sorry Quatre, but that is seriously almost never going to happen." Trowa spoke with a slight smile portrayed on his lips, watching as his brother mulled over the new insight, obviously agreeing with him.
"What!? You guys really think that I'm incapable of something like that. I could take him, heck, I could take all of ya!" Duo bragged, protesting Trowa's comment.
"Sure you could Duo, sure you could," called Wufei, sarcasm dripping heavily from his words.
"I can and one of these days, I'll prove it to ya!" Folding his arms across his chest, Duo leaned against the wall, a childish pout disturbing his features.
"Don't feel too bad Duo, you're more skilled in battle than I could be." Without any intentions of being modest, Quatre spoke softly. He knew he wasn't the strongest, fastest, or most skilled in combat. In truth, he had no clue as to why he'd been chosen as a Gundam Pilot in the first place. He didn't feel that he was of any use in battle, heck, he was always the one being helped or saved. So why *was* he a pilot?
"You're a genius, you don't need to fight to save your skin. But hey, get some sleep buddy. You need to rest and relax while you can. This is probably the only vacation we're gonna get. Might as well take advantage of it." Duo knew that Quatre had been doubting himself and his worth, but there was no need. Most times, it were Quatre's strategic plans and his mercy and kind-heartedness that saved the others. His humanity even in the heat of battle. That, and his understanding nature. It kept the five together and on good grounds, the friends staying friends.
Nodding slowly, Quatre wearily closed his eyes, sleep beckoning to him once more. He didn't want to close his eyes, to dream, for fear of seeing the nightmare again. Yet, he couldn't do it, he couldn't stay awake. So instead, the youth fell into sleep, a deep, exhausted sleep, one without dreams or emotion; into a dark yet comforting void.
With a heavy sigh, Trowa rose form the chair. Hanging his head, he began to leave the room to let his injured comrade rest in peace when a soft voice called to him. Looking up, he noticed Heero looking back at him, his gaze surprisingly imploring.
"Will he be all right?"
"He's got a lot on his mind at the moment, Heero. Quatre just needs to rest, we all do." Heading out into the brightly lit hallway of the hospital, the young pilot collapsed in the chair that was closest to him and closed his eyes. He knew his friends were tired, from endless days and feverish nights of fighting. they had no time for sleep, the war made sure of that. His friends were feeling the strain, Quatre probably the most of the five. Trowa'd been able to push himself to the limits and over the edge without much problem. Yet now, now as when he was finally starting to feel the fatigue.
Duo took a seat next to Trowa, his body and mind both tired and warn. He hated this war, loathed it with a burning passion. And just when it looked like things are *finally* starting to go your way.... BAM! they take a turn for the worse. The only thing that truly kept him fighting was the dream of peace that would one day come at the end of the useless war.
Wufei leaned against the white wall, his discipline and self control faltering. It may be a weakness to show his fatigue, but he had not the strength nor will to care. He was tired, soar, he couldn't concentrate, and like the others, hated the war. It was useless, they were like quarrelling children who were fighting over nothing.
Heero was the last to exit the room, silently closing the door behind him as he walked into the hallway. He hesitated a moment, holding onto the door handle for balance.
Duo, taking notice of his friend's hesitation, thought it odd and spoke up with concern in his features. "Hey, uh Heero? You okay?"
Releasing frame and taking a few unsure steps, the pilot replied as he tried to keep his vision from spinning. "Yeah Duo, I'm just..." His sentence was never finished, for the world around him disappeared into a vast nothingness as he fell, his legs giving out.
Wufei had turned to face Heero at this time, for he felt that something was definitely wrong. The proud warrior watched Heero fall, his knees giving out as his Prussian blue eyes rolled back into his head, eyelids fluttering closed. Hastily taking a step forward, with a well-aimed, outstretched reach, Wufei caught Heero's limp form as he fell. He would be saved from any serious injuries. Gently lowering the both to the floor, he called over his shoulder, "Duo, go get a doctor." He knew that Heero was tired, they all were, but something else wasn't right and he just wanted to make sure his comrade was going to be well.
Trowa, with a great effort, was up and out of his seat in seconds, at Wufei's side as he held the wan form of Heero in his arms upon the floor. "What happened Wufei?" Trowa was trying to sleep and when he'd heard rushing footsteps and Wufei's call for a doctor, he was awake and at his side without hesitation. Meanwhile, he heard Duo sprinting down the deserted hall, in search of a doctor. The young circus performer gently took Heero's wrist, finding a weak pulse before brushing the second pilot's bans from his eyes and using the back of his hand to check his temperature. "He's burning up... why the hell of all times?!"
Wufei, holding Heero's unconscious frame, stared at Trowa in amazement. He was definitely not his normal, stolid self, but he was actually frustrated instead of his normal, steel nerve. "Settle down Trowa, it's only to be expected by the way Heero's been pushing himself. At least we're here instead of out in the middle of nowhere." The young Chinese warrior cast his glance upward from his unconscious companion's pale face in time to see Duo trotting back down the hallway. Accompanying him was a tall, lean man around his mid thirties. It was Quatre's doctor, Dr Reynolds.
The doctor, quite confused and slightly worried at seeing the young man unconscious on the floor, followed the slightly anxious teen down the hall. "What's been going on here?"
"He fell unconscious, he's extremely worn, and he's got a high fever." Trowa didn't miss a beat as he listed off what he knew was wrong.
Dr. Reynolds reached for the youth's wrist as Trowa had done before, finding for himself that the teen's pulse was extremely soft and slow. Sighing, he stood immediately and looked down the hall, catching sight of an older nurse exiting another patient's room. "Nurse," calling loudly, he watched her whirl to face his direction in confusion, "I need a gurney down here!" It wasn't urgent but it was needed. This order was not a question to be ignored though, his voice not falling on deaf ears. The nurse scurried down another hall and out of sight.
Duo, at a complete loss, stood off to the side as slight anxiety and frustration built inside of him. His lack of strength didn't matter, nothing did when something like this was happening to his friends.
Bringing his hands up to his face, Trowa rubbed the sleep from his eyes before laying his head in his hands wearily. His anger, worry, frustration, fatigue, and sadness all mixed and quarreled in his mind, sending it into a whirl of confusion. He couldn't keep doing this, he was going to go insane if things kept up like this or if *one* more thing happened! They were here because of a recent battle, Quatre had gotten beat up pretty badly and was now recovering from that. Four of his ribs had been broken and he was bleeding internally, but due to the hasty ending of the battle and the quick arrival on the colony, the doctors had been able to stop it before Quatre bled to death.
"Trowa?" Duo called hesitantly as the doctor and a different, male nurse transferred Heero's limp form from the floor to the gurney.
"I-I can't do this any longer guys. Why won't this war just end?!" Trowa's last words were desperate, he wanted to just go to sleep, he was so tired and felt himself grow sick, sick of everything that had happened, and especially of the war. Eyes upturned, they threatened to brim with tears that he'd so long held off but was too tired to care now as his hands dropped to his sides.
Duo, with a sigh and nod to Wufei who left with the Japanese boy, kneeled by the other youth's side. "Look buddy, it's cool to get frustrated from time to time, but you can't give up on us yet. We need you, and things are gonna be okay. We just can't give up too soon in the game, not after we've come so far. You just need to rest and relax, the war takes its toll on everyone. You just need a break Trowa, well all do. Now, we've got one so take advantage of it while you can." Without thinking, he laid his hand upon 03's shoulder.
Trowa knew Duo spoke rather wisely at the time, but what he said wasn't that easily done. If he were to relax now, his problems and responsibilities would just be shifted and added to another's shoulders, something he just couldn't do. "It's not that easy Duo, there's so much more yet to do, so many things that lay unfinished. And I must finish them Duo, for no one else will and they are my responsibilities. I cannot just leave them undone. I just don't know what to do. I truly don't know." Without his consent and much to his loathing, the tears came to his eyes and brimmed the emerald depths. When he tried to push them back, they ignored his commands, so instead, to hide them, he but closed his eyes. At this, a lone tear fell from his emerald eyes, tracing it's delicate path down his weary cheek before being quickly dashed away. "Damn these emotions..."
Duo only smiled, glad to have finally put his mind at ease that Trowa could cry and that he was human just as the others were. Patting the boy's shoulder, he tried to comfort his friend. "Look, it's just you and me here. I'm not gonna tell and no one else is around. What better time than this to let out your pent up emotions. You know I won't care. Surprisingly, Heero once told me that for anyone to live a good life..." Duo stopped as he watched Trowa begin to speak.
"... is to follow your emotions. I know," he finished.
"You heard it too huh?"
"Yes." Lowering his head, he let a small smile grace his lips as he pushed the other tears back, regardless of Duo's assurances.
Taking a weary sigh, Trowa opened his eyes and was somewhat surprised to see Duo sitting in worry. "I'm fine... truly."
With a soft nod, Duo helped the youth to rise as they made their way towards Heero's room, to meet Wufei, yet not before the weary circus performer checked on his Arab friend.
~*~End Chapter~*~
A/N: Well, wonder what happens next... ~mischievous smirk~ Do dreams foretell the future through the merciful youth or do they lie as just false nightmares? You be the judge. R&R
Author's Apology: Okay, sorry about the paragraph thing. These were all double spaced and seperated when I wrote it but something all messed up when switching from one program and copying to another and somehow it all got messed up and I didn't realize it while checking it over. Gomen mei- no. It's fixed now. =D
Dreams come true Quatre's been having a weird dream lately, one that seems too realistic to be a dream. Well, his dream soon starts to become a reality, much to the dislike of the young pilot. Can Heero and Quatre save their comrades before it's too late? But maybe the better question is, can they save themselves?
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~Chapter 1~
"Heero, no!" Quatre cried out in anguish as his comrade's gundam was sliced into two, right through the cockpit. "Heero, answer me! Heero!" Quatre knew in his mind that it was no use, his friend was gone. His heart refused to believe what his eyes saw, and so he continued to call out to his fallen ally.
"Duo, how could you? How could you?!" Quatre lunged out in anger. Duo blocked his shot easily and Trowa retaliated quickly by firing at Quatre, throwing him backwards.
"Why are they doing this? I know they are stronger than this." Quatre couldn't believe that Trowa, Duo, and Wufei had turned against Heero and him. He didn't know why they had turned against them either.
"Why don't you fight them....ughn." He tried to get to the three other pilots, but was cut short as he moved out of the way of Wufei's dragon claw. It was aimed for the cockpit, but do to his sudden reaction, Nataku caught Sandrock's left leg instead.
"The weak will perish and the strong shall survive. There is no need in the world for someone like you." An evil grin crossed Wufei's lips as he prepared for a final strike that would end the young, trusting pilot's life.
"You guys are stronger than this," screamed Quatre in one final attempt to pull away. He was their only hope, the world's only hope now. All of humanity rested upon his shoulders. He tried to pull away from Wufei's grasp and surprise him. He nearly tore from his grip, but Wufei grasped his mobile suit with his other hand.
"A true warrior would have gotten away and defeated me long before now. You are not worthy of being a Gundam Pilot!"
Thinking quickly, Quatre grabbed for his heated blades without a moments hesitation. The only way to get from Nataku's grasp would be to destroy part of his own gundam. Wufei would expect him to strike at the dragon claws, thus easily blocking it. He'd have to strike Sandrock just above his comrade's grasp. He brought the blade in his right hand down and severed Sancrock's left leg just below the knee as Wufei tried to block the "attack" that he believed was intended for him. Surprise crossed his face, but was soon replaced by rage. Meanwhile, Quatre flew backwards quickly through the vast space and off to a safe distance. "You've got to listen to me! You must fight OZ!"
"All we must do is destroy our enemy. You," stated Trowa, emotionless as always.
"Trowa! I know you're stronger than this. I need your help! Please fight it!" Quatre begged, tears falling from his eyes as he watched Trowa ready his gundam, Heavyarms, for one final assault.
"As soon as he fires, I can avoid it if I move...." "What?!" The young Arabian pilot was jerked backwards. Something had torn the heated blades from his hands and his arms wouldn't move.
"You let your guard down, and now you will feel the wrath of the God of Death."
"Duo, let me go!" Quatre yelled, patience wearing thin. "Why don't you guys just fight it?!" Quatre tried to maneuver the controls, but still they didn't budge.
"And now, we will be rid of you once and for all," was Trowa's final statement. He unleashed his final attack, one that would end 04's life.
Quatre looked on in horror, watching the missiles coming closer, sealing his fate. He struggled frantically against Duo's hold, but he still couldn't break free.
¤*¤
Quatre awoke in the hospital, just moments before the missiles hit. He was trembling, drenched in sweat. Realizing he wasn't fighting, he was safe in the hospital with his friends, he began to try and calm his erratic breathing.
Trowa burst through the door, a look of worry on his face as he looked at his terrified comrade. Heero, Duo, and Wufei followed in suit, similar expressions gracing their features.
"Quatre, what's wrong? What happened?" Trowa asked, sitting in the chair next to his bedside, placing his hand upon Quatre's trembling shoulder
Quatre quickly glanced at the confused faces around him. He reached out slowly and placed his unsteady hand on Heero's left arm. He had to make sure he wasn't seeing things.
Heero looked down, unsure why Quatre stared at him with wide, disbelieving eyes and had placed his hand upon his arm. Relief began to cross his face, but uncertainty still filled the Arabian's eyes.
"H-Heero? I-is it really you?" he whispered, his voice shaking as he continued to tremble involuntarily.
Heero was confused, but humored the injured boy. "Last time I checked." Man, Duo wore off on people. "What's wrong Quatre?"
The dream was all so real it made him skeptical of what he said, yet now Quatre sat silently, a smile of gratefulness and appreciation illuminating his face. 'Thank you God. Thank you.'
"Quatre?" Wufei called, still puzzled about what troubled his kind-hearted friend. They'd sat outside while Quatre slept. Upon hearing a sudden scream, the four remaining teenagers shot out of their chairs and rushed into the dark room. "Quatre, what's bothering you? What happened?" He watched as Quatre continued to shake, but he was slowly calming down.
"It.. it was all so real though. It was all so real...." Quatre mumbled to himself. It was only a nightmare, but it seemed so real. No, it wasn't a nightmare--it was much worse. Somehow though, he felt like it meant something more. Like he was seeing the inevitable fate that was to befall them.
Duo, crossing over to the bed from where he stood near the door, spoke. "Hey buddy. It's okay, it was just a nightmare. It's okay, nothin's gonna happen."
"You need to rest, lie down. It might make you fell better to talk about your dream," Trowa coaxed, placing a firm hand on his other shoulder as he stood, looking into his friend's eyes.
Quatre looked into his face, nodded, and laid back against the hard pillows. Sharp stabs of pain raced through his torso and he was forced to place a protective arm around his broken ribs. With the comfort of strong hands gently guiding him towards the bed, the youth focused on controlling the pain as Trowa let him rest. Looking up, the Arabian found that Duo, Trowa, Heero, and Wufei watched him patiently from their various positions around the room.
"Whenever you're ready Quatre," Heero assured, a strange gentleness and understanding seeping into his cold voice.
Quatre only closed his eyes once again, but this time, he spoke softly as he tried to steady his voice. He was still slightly shaken up over the-- well to say the least, the nightmare.
"We, we were in space together. We all had our Gundams with us." Quatre began quietly, his voice now steadied and calm. "We were on a mission, but I'm not sure what it was. Someone opened fire on Heero and me, but when I turned around, I couldn't see anyone but the four of you. My scanners weren't picking up anything for hundreds of miles." He stopped for a moment, taking in a deep breath to steady his nerve. Bad idea. Wincing in aggravation, he hugged his ribs in an attempt to provide comfort.
"Quatre?" Trowa called softly. Quatre had become like a little brother to him, after all, Trowa was four months and a couple of days older than the Arabian. He had a protective nature towards all of his friends, but mainly Quatre of the four.
"I-I'm fine." Quatre really should have known better than to do something like that, but he seemed to have forgotten when trying to tell the others the nightmare that had invaded his peaceful slumber, and not just this once either. "When I tried again to figure out where the shots came from, I still only saw the four of you. For-for some reason, you three.." he motioned towards Trowa, Wufei, and Duo, "had opened fire on Heero and myself. It... it was like you turned against us."
A quiet but confused "huh?" came from Duo as the Arabian youth felt his friend's eyes on him, waiting silently yet somewhat anxiously. So, he continued. "We battled, it was probably the hardest battle any of use have ever fought, no doubt. It-it was useless, you three were like robots, never tiring. Then, I made a mistake. I allowed you, Duo, to catch me off guard. I didn't have the strength to move. It was my fault, my weakness that.... that..." Quatre saw the images of the fight flash before his eyes. He watched as Deathscythe came at him, scythe raised and ready to strike, feeling the heat from the weapon on his skin.
It was all so real, he'd felt the exhaustion, confusion, anger, and hopelessness of it all! His comrades' words still echoed clearly in his mind.
'The strong shall survive and the weak will perish...'
'You weaklings will both die, just as you should have so long ago...'
'You are not worthy of being a Gundam Pilot.'
'... we will be rid of you once and for all.'
'Don't give up yet Quatre, I need your help... we're the only one's that can save them now.'
'... we must do is destroy our enemy. You.'
"Quatre? Yoo-hoo? Can you hear us buddy?" Duo spoke loudly, for Quatre wasn't responding to anyone's calls.
Bold blue eyes fluttering open in haste, focusing on anything that was before him, Quatre focused his eyes and kept them so, he didn't want to see it all again. The battle was gone once more, he was back in reality.
"Quatre, you don't have to continue, you can go back to sleep. You need your rest watashi no otoku." Wufei called softly to the aristocrat, kindness and understanding invading his voice as well.
"But-but Heero... I let you take the blow that was meant for me! I let you..." he trailed off, ashamed of something he had no control over, even more so without really accepting that it wasn't real.
"Quatre, I'm still here. You did nothing wrong. Besides, it was just a dream, it wasn't real." To anyone else, his voice sounded as stoic as he always was. Yet, everyone in the room was surprised by the hidden emotions that lay beneath the protective tone. There were hints of sadness, sympathy, compassion, protectiveness, and even an inkling of love for his comrade as an elder brother. Quatre had grown on everyone, just like a little brother, and Heero cared for him just as an older sibling should, even if they weren't close to being related.
"He's right man. I could hold a gun to his head at point blank range, fire, and he'd still live through it and only have a scratch, if that! Now, I'd demonstrate for you," Heero cast Duo a wary glance, "but I just reloaded this thing and I don't really wanna waste a bullet on him, so, sorry." Placing his hand near his right hip, Duo patted his gun.
"Exactly. Do you know how hard it is to wound him, let alone kill him? And Duo? I'm sorry Quatre, but that is seriously almost never going to happen." Trowa spoke with a slight smile portrayed on his lips, watching as his brother mulled over the new insight, obviously agreeing with him.
"What!? You guys really think that I'm incapable of something like that. I could take him, heck, I could take all of ya!" Duo bragged, protesting Trowa's comment.
"Sure you could Duo, sure you could," called Wufei, sarcasm dripping heavily from his words.
"I can and one of these days, I'll prove it to ya!" Folding his arms across his chest, Duo leaned against the wall, a childish pout disturbing his features.
"Don't feel too bad Duo, you're more skilled in battle than I could be." Without any intentions of being modest, Quatre spoke softly. He knew he wasn't the strongest, fastest, or most skilled in combat. In truth, he had no clue as to why he'd been chosen as a Gundam Pilot in the first place. He didn't feel that he was of any use in battle, heck, he was always the one being helped or saved. So why *was* he a pilot?
"You're a genius, you don't need to fight to save your skin. But hey, get some sleep buddy. You need to rest and relax while you can. This is probably the only vacation we're gonna get. Might as well take advantage of it." Duo knew that Quatre had been doubting himself and his worth, but there was no need. Most times, it were Quatre's strategic plans and his mercy and kind-heartedness that saved the others. His humanity even in the heat of battle. That, and his understanding nature. It kept the five together and on good grounds, the friends staying friends.
Nodding slowly, Quatre wearily closed his eyes, sleep beckoning to him once more. He didn't want to close his eyes, to dream, for fear of seeing the nightmare again. Yet, he couldn't do it, he couldn't stay awake. So instead, the youth fell into sleep, a deep, exhausted sleep, one without dreams or emotion; into a dark yet comforting void.
With a heavy sigh, Trowa rose form the chair. Hanging his head, he began to leave the room to let his injured comrade rest in peace when a soft voice called to him. Looking up, he noticed Heero looking back at him, his gaze surprisingly imploring.
"Will he be all right?"
"He's got a lot on his mind at the moment, Heero. Quatre just needs to rest, we all do." Heading out into the brightly lit hallway of the hospital, the young pilot collapsed in the chair that was closest to him and closed his eyes. He knew his friends were tired, from endless days and feverish nights of fighting. they had no time for sleep, the war made sure of that. His friends were feeling the strain, Quatre probably the most of the five. Trowa'd been able to push himself to the limits and over the edge without much problem. Yet now, now as when he was finally starting to feel the fatigue.
Duo took a seat next to Trowa, his body and mind both tired and warn. He hated this war, loathed it with a burning passion. And just when it looked like things are *finally* starting to go your way.... BAM! they take a turn for the worse. The only thing that truly kept him fighting was the dream of peace that would one day come at the end of the useless war.
Wufei leaned against the white wall, his discipline and self control faltering. It may be a weakness to show his fatigue, but he had not the strength nor will to care. He was tired, soar, he couldn't concentrate, and like the others, hated the war. It was useless, they were like quarrelling children who were fighting over nothing.
Heero was the last to exit the room, silently closing the door behind him as he walked into the hallway. He hesitated a moment, holding onto the door handle for balance.
Duo, taking notice of his friend's hesitation, thought it odd and spoke up with concern in his features. "Hey, uh Heero? You okay?"
Releasing frame and taking a few unsure steps, the pilot replied as he tried to keep his vision from spinning. "Yeah Duo, I'm just..." His sentence was never finished, for the world around him disappeared into a vast nothingness as he fell, his legs giving out.
Wufei had turned to face Heero at this time, for he felt that something was definitely wrong. The proud warrior watched Heero fall, his knees giving out as his Prussian blue eyes rolled back into his head, eyelids fluttering closed. Hastily taking a step forward, with a well-aimed, outstretched reach, Wufei caught Heero's limp form as he fell. He would be saved from any serious injuries. Gently lowering the both to the floor, he called over his shoulder, "Duo, go get a doctor." He knew that Heero was tired, they all were, but something else wasn't right and he just wanted to make sure his comrade was going to be well.
Trowa, with a great effort, was up and out of his seat in seconds, at Wufei's side as he held the wan form of Heero in his arms upon the floor. "What happened Wufei?" Trowa was trying to sleep and when he'd heard rushing footsteps and Wufei's call for a doctor, he was awake and at his side without hesitation. Meanwhile, he heard Duo sprinting down the deserted hall, in search of a doctor. The young circus performer gently took Heero's wrist, finding a weak pulse before brushing the second pilot's bans from his eyes and using the back of his hand to check his temperature. "He's burning up... why the hell of all times?!"
Wufei, holding Heero's unconscious frame, stared at Trowa in amazement. He was definitely not his normal, stolid self, but he was actually frustrated instead of his normal, steel nerve. "Settle down Trowa, it's only to be expected by the way Heero's been pushing himself. At least we're here instead of out in the middle of nowhere." The young Chinese warrior cast his glance upward from his unconscious companion's pale face in time to see Duo trotting back down the hallway. Accompanying him was a tall, lean man around his mid thirties. It was Quatre's doctor, Dr Reynolds.
The doctor, quite confused and slightly worried at seeing the young man unconscious on the floor, followed the slightly anxious teen down the hall. "What's been going on here?"
"He fell unconscious, he's extremely worn, and he's got a high fever." Trowa didn't miss a beat as he listed off what he knew was wrong.
Dr. Reynolds reached for the youth's wrist as Trowa had done before, finding for himself that the teen's pulse was extremely soft and slow. Sighing, he stood immediately and looked down the hall, catching sight of an older nurse exiting another patient's room. "Nurse," calling loudly, he watched her whirl to face his direction in confusion, "I need a gurney down here!" It wasn't urgent but it was needed. This order was not a question to be ignored though, his voice not falling on deaf ears. The nurse scurried down another hall and out of sight.
Duo, at a complete loss, stood off to the side as slight anxiety and frustration built inside of him. His lack of strength didn't matter, nothing did when something like this was happening to his friends.
Bringing his hands up to his face, Trowa rubbed the sleep from his eyes before laying his head in his hands wearily. His anger, worry, frustration, fatigue, and sadness all mixed and quarreled in his mind, sending it into a whirl of confusion. He couldn't keep doing this, he was going to go insane if things kept up like this or if *one* more thing happened! They were here because of a recent battle, Quatre had gotten beat up pretty badly and was now recovering from that. Four of his ribs had been broken and he was bleeding internally, but due to the hasty ending of the battle and the quick arrival on the colony, the doctors had been able to stop it before Quatre bled to death.
"Trowa?" Duo called hesitantly as the doctor and a different, male nurse transferred Heero's limp form from the floor to the gurney.
"I-I can't do this any longer guys. Why won't this war just end?!" Trowa's last words were desperate, he wanted to just go to sleep, he was so tired and felt himself grow sick, sick of everything that had happened, and especially of the war. Eyes upturned, they threatened to brim with tears that he'd so long held off but was too tired to care now as his hands dropped to his sides.
Duo, with a sigh and nod to Wufei who left with the Japanese boy, kneeled by the other youth's side. "Look buddy, it's cool to get frustrated from time to time, but you can't give up on us yet. We need you, and things are gonna be okay. We just can't give up too soon in the game, not after we've come so far. You just need to rest and relax, the war takes its toll on everyone. You just need a break Trowa, well all do. Now, we've got one so take advantage of it while you can." Without thinking, he laid his hand upon 03's shoulder.
Trowa knew Duo spoke rather wisely at the time, but what he said wasn't that easily done. If he were to relax now, his problems and responsibilities would just be shifted and added to another's shoulders, something he just couldn't do. "It's not that easy Duo, there's so much more yet to do, so many things that lay unfinished. And I must finish them Duo, for no one else will and they are my responsibilities. I cannot just leave them undone. I just don't know what to do. I truly don't know." Without his consent and much to his loathing, the tears came to his eyes and brimmed the emerald depths. When he tried to push them back, they ignored his commands, so instead, to hide them, he but closed his eyes. At this, a lone tear fell from his emerald eyes, tracing it's delicate path down his weary cheek before being quickly dashed away. "Damn these emotions..."
Duo only smiled, glad to have finally put his mind at ease that Trowa could cry and that he was human just as the others were. Patting the boy's shoulder, he tried to comfort his friend. "Look, it's just you and me here. I'm not gonna tell and no one else is around. What better time than this to let out your pent up emotions. You know I won't care. Surprisingly, Heero once told me that for anyone to live a good life..." Duo stopped as he watched Trowa begin to speak.
"... is to follow your emotions. I know," he finished.
"You heard it too huh?"
"Yes." Lowering his head, he let a small smile grace his lips as he pushed the other tears back, regardless of Duo's assurances.
Taking a weary sigh, Trowa opened his eyes and was somewhat surprised to see Duo sitting in worry. "I'm fine... truly."
With a soft nod, Duo helped the youth to rise as they made their way towards Heero's room, to meet Wufei, yet not before the weary circus performer checked on his Arab friend.
~*~End Chapter~*~
A/N: Well, wonder what happens next... ~mischievous smirk~ Do dreams foretell the future through the merciful youth or do they lie as just false nightmares? You be the judge. R&R