hey!! I finally have a new story!! It's been sooo long!! after a complaint that the red font was hard on crying eyes, I switched to dark blue (in honnor of the song I'm listening to right now..."dark blue" by no doubt) well, I still retain my red font for my blurb!! I hope all my gundam fanfic friends could read this...I posted it in a different section! (because it's not really gundam!) well...that'll be all, for now!! here's my little statement that makes this all legal.
-I don't own gundam, I didn't give fling his note...yet, I haven't killed dorothy yet...I'm working on it!, I have yet to write a good fanfic that's not gundam wing, I still can't draw a perfect quatre...no matter how hard I try, I drew a picture of duo that looks like a monkey, I went to church today and said hi to andrew, I've got friends in low places, I hate getting shot down...that's all the admittance's for this story!! luv ya all to death, and I'll love ya even more if you review!!
The Tarians have been around since before the galaxy was still ours. We had the technology to leave earth and claim the Milky Way galaxy as our homeland. We have observed the humans as if they were fish in a tank, so far below ourselves that it was amusing. When colonists moved into space we were crammed into a far corner of the galaxy. We can't move beyond this tiny plot of space because the rulers of our neighboring galaxies would surely never accept us. We cannot cooperate with humans just as they cannot cooperate with life forms lower then themselves. The fish should never oppose its master, for it will surely die. Our founders built a machine, a machine to travel thorough space with. Travel to earth and give them one last chance to surrender. We gathered on one of our planets to discuss the fate of our humans.
I grouped with the other children to discuss our views on the topic. But as soon as the adults were absorbed into the meeting, talk turned to gossip.
"I hear they're going to pick one of us kids to be the messenger of peace," Minorya said flushed with excitement. She took my hand, Minorya has been my best friend since we first began our education at 8 months old. I have seen more of her than I ever will of my family, my mother is strikingly beautiful, Dark hair and sparkling blue eyes, but she was born on earth and was hurt by the people there. My father is very handsome, he has golden hair and green gray eyes and used to be a pilot. He was born on one of the colonies and got sick of life in war torn earth, so he cast his craft into the vastness of space and ended up here, my mother did the same. She was also a pilot in her youth and she and my father have been together since they were 16.
Trow is my twin brother, he has my fathers good looks and my mothers shining smile. I'm rather plain compared to my sparkling family, I rather resemble my uncle Hee, dark brown hair and deep blue eyes. My mother's brother was also a pilot, I have heard the story many times. Trow now takes my hand and leads me to my family, I look back and touch my forehead in a gesture of excuse towards Minorya. She accepts with a grin, I bow to my parents and Trow and then to the elders on stage where I stand.
"The Winner family has offered their children for our cause, Young Trow and Rele, shall bring reclaim what is rightfully ours!" the leading elder proclaims to a cheering crowd. I stumble backwards in surprise, Trow catches me and smiles, he has obviously heard this information before.
"We get to pilot Rere!" His face is flushed with excitement. I'm less exited then he is, more scarred than anything.
Minorya bows in congratulation to me when we exit. "Balions galitarson" she mumbles in formal good blessing, as she scurries off. Minorya is jealous, and she won't ever think of me the same way after I return amongst all the glory, she'll exalt me and there won't be any friendship between us, I will be forced into adulthood. The first party I had to attend was horrible, I hated being an adult, but before long everything blurred and I couldn't tell one party from another anymore. My training had gotten more severe, I had been trained since birth by a strange man, who was only known to me as professor, he trained me to pilot large robot-like crafts that traveled through space. Trow had been trained too, only now did I know why.
Mother showed me the Columba only this week, it's a beautiful creature, slender and graceful beyond anything human looking. It was pearly white and rainbow light glistened upon each of its slender curves and it's dull gray armor. It wore a long transparent sword in a gray sheath. It was so large that I nearly fell over trying to look at the top, my mother ran her hand down it's surface and fingered a pendent around her neck, it was almost a dog tag. On one side there was a 9 and the pyramid shape that adorned the Columba's crown and armor, and printed on the other side was her name in bold, black lettering. "Would you like to see how it works?" she asked suddenly and softly. She ripped the pendent from her neck and I saw her as a young girl, dressed all in white, scarves and gloves to hide her scars, in place as always. She had wings too, one wing made of soft white feathers, the other of shining steel. Two boys glared at eachother on each of her shoulders, a boy dressed in black with soft violet eyes and long brown hair was slung over the metal wing shoulder. And a boy that resembled Trow hung on the feathered wing, I realized this was my father with a gasp. My mother smiled at them and laughed joyfully. Then in a flash of feathers and white light the Columba was alive, and my mother lay on the floor, the craft picked her up and put her in a tiny compartment under it's armor. The tall beast then knelt before me and spoke "do you like it?" my mothers melodious voice was not loud, it just seemed to mask every other sound and wrap you in it's sweetness. I nodded as one of the fingers, longer than 10 of me, reached out to gently brush my face. The giant fingertip played with my knee length hair and I felt the smooth, cold metal against my skin. I would have thought this beast alive if it weren't so cold.
After my 10th birthday my training intensified, by the time I reached the age of thirteen I was desensitized and cold, my warm humor overwashed by years of intense physical and mental pain. I was terrified of no one, exempting the professor, he had broken my wrist a few months ago, I was left to sink into pain that I couldn't show on my face for 48 hours, no food, no sleep. If I shed a tear or shut my eyes for more than a second or he would break the other wrist too. I was nearly healed by now and once I was I would be in for another beating. I could block it out by now. My parents hated this…that's why they took Trow and me away from them, we lived in a research facility. At least we still had eachother. When my wrist healed I prepared myself for my next beating…but it never came, I found out why a few days later, I had lost all track of time. We only had two months until our first mission. I must have been 14 when I heard the news of the mission…the years had blurred though and I couldn't be sure…I felt like I was 300, I wanted to die. There was going to be a party, we would say goodbye to our parents and learn under a new teacher, we would meet him at the party.
The party was wonderful, champagne and happiness, I saw my parents and my friends and everything was bright, I had something to live for after all. A hand grasped mine as I turned and bowed to Glavious Mantier. "Good evening quiska Rele" his low melodious voice said using the formal term, as he held my hand and we bowed low to eachother in respect. Glavious was a good-looking boy of about my age, he was my betrothed. I felt nothing for him, felt nothing as we danced, suddenly the tune was interrupted and a strange melody began broadcasting, it seemed to be a flute and violin duet. I looked at my father, his face was blank and the champagne glass slipped out of his hand and hit the floor with a sickening crack. He paid no heed but ran to a man standing near the door "TROW!" he yelled, instead of grasping hands and bowing as you would do with a treasured friend, my father threw his arms around the man. My mother went over and threw her arms around him as well, laughing and kissing him on the cheek. The man didn't smile much at this, even though he held on to my parents with all his might. This must be my brother's namesake. I was named after my aunt.
The man was silent though it was clear he had much to say, I could see years of agony played out in this man's green eyes. His brown hair swept over his face and he was very handsome. The next day at training I received my worst beating yet, we still had not been turned over to our new teacher, and the professor wanted to test us. We went to the top of a very tall building
"Rele!" Minorya cried I could see she was bound to a chair. The professor lifted the girl up and stood her on the edge of the building, then he beckoned to me and gave me Minorya's hands.
"Let her go" he whispered, I refused. "You know what happens when you disobey." He said all too calmly. He took the sharp knife to the soft part of Trow's arm and rested the blade upon his skin.
"Don't do it Rere!" Trow screamed to me as the blade drew his red blood. As the blade slid farther in to his skin and his face got tighter trying to hold back his pain, I let her go. I could see her platinum blonde hair as her small form fell, I heard her scream as she died. I didn't cry…I had no more tears left. The professor then decided we were ready to be left to the other teacher and exited out the door.
I tended to Trow's wounds and slung his almost unconscious body over my shoulder.
"You're a strong warrior, Re." He said softly as his head fell against my shoulder. The man they called Trow Barton waited at the bottom of the stairs.
"Ready to go?" he asked in a deep monotone. I shook my head yes, it was all I could manage. We all went back to the place I had called home as a child, it was thick and sweet with happy memories. This was a dangerous place for a soldier. Mr. Barton said it would probably be best if we spent our last couple of days in this house. My parents clutched us to themselves, tears spilling from their faces, now creased with the years of agony our training had caused them. When Trow and I went upstairs to sleep in our beds for the first time in years I stopped in the hall. It was Mr. Barton "We all know our last days are at hand, come to earth with us…Your brother and Father Maxwell would be so glad to see you."
"…Father…Maxwell?" my mother softly questioned, I could almost see her wistful smile, and the dark hair falling over her beautiful eyes. My father walked into the dark hall and a look of surprise quickly faded to a well-worn and comfortable smile.
"Sweetheart? Why aren't you asleep? " He asked slinging his arm around me. We sat on the carpet while I hid in my silence.
"You remind me of Trow," He said smiling at me.
"Mr. Barton?" I inquired softly, he shook his head yes
"I think he wants to go by Bloom now" he said. Mr. Bloom walked into the hall and cocked his head to the side
"Your coming…aren't you little one?" My father smiled and nodded yes. Then he grinned and stood,
"your pet name for me's not so accurate anymore!" He smiled as he sized his height up to Mr. Bloom's. Mr. Bloom let out a small smile, then something strange happened, they seemed to be caught in eachother's eyes, and all expression drained from their faces. These men I hardly knew had more to their pasts then they let on. My mother's form slipped from the light of the kitchen to the dark hallway and her expression drained also, she looked almost discouraged and jealous, either that or deeply saddened. My father blinked and all seemed to fade into an awkward silence, my mother sighed and walked back into the kitchen,
"I'm sorry, Trow" my father's face shaded with shame, turned away.
"Don't be" Mr. Bloom's whisper was barely audible. My father kissed the top of my head and walked away. I tried to read Mr. Bloom's feelings, but they were too well hidden, it was clear he had a lot of practice keeping what he thought to himself.
I awoke the day of our mission to see the warm morning light shining through our window. I pulled on a pair of white slacks and a white shirt and walked down to breakfast. Our first mission was to visit the colonies and collect father Maxwell, Then we were to go to the earth sphere and speak at the meeting of the colonies and the counties of earth to plead our case. If that didn't work…well that was what the suits were for. My mother had taught me how to use the Columba and its twin suit, the Raven. Trow was taking the Raven, I fingered the pendent around my neck, this one was made for me and had my own name engraved in the side. I lifted the pendent and became the craft. I lifted my own listless body to the storage compartment and nodded to the Raven. Both suits took off as the crowd cheered loudly below. We soon entered the silence of space. In no time we had reached L2, there we landed in the port and transferred our life forces to our human bodies. A tall handsome man with graying hair but youthful violet eyes greeted us, he was wearing a completely black outfit with a priest's collar. He introduced himself as father Maxwell and commented on how much we resembled our parents. I heard the man slip a bit when talking to my brother, almost calling him by my father's name, he had right too, my brother resembled my father so. He was a kind man, and had offered his place to us for the few days we would be staying here. His colony was beautiful, clean and peaceful…and it was all so warm. The humans were wonderful too, charming and caring. Father Maxwell was as old as my parents, and I knew he had gone through just as much…but he sparkled with an energy that couldn't really be explained, for all he had been through he should have been steel cold. He took off his black hat and a long brown braid came tumbling out, I realized suddenly that he was the other boy in the vision I had when my mother entered the Columba.
I went to the hanger and ran my hand along the Columba's smooth surface, I did this often, I could sometimes see things my mother was thinking or see her memories. This time I saw a memory, a memory of a time when they all fought together but didn't really understand the power they expressed when they killed. It was a feeling, having nothing to fight for but fighting all the same, it was my mother's childhood…the way it was when the Columba was her craft and the lives she took didn't scorch her soul as they did now. Her mind as a child was cold, as cold as mine was now, as cold as death…and I finally knew why uncle Hee acted so weird all of the time, and why my parents would sometimes wake up screaming, drenched in a cold sweat. Soon their lives would be mine, Trow's, soon we would share in their suffering. I boarded the Columba and gave the heads up to Trow, we were going to earth. Earth was the birthplace of our parents and our species, earth was the mother of the human race, but who was I to care…this mission would lead to massacre, the humans wouldn't give up their colonies so easily.
The professor, my parents, Mr. Bloom, uncle Hee, and aunt Rele waited for us when we arrived, Father Maxwell's shuttle had just landed when we got there. Everyone exchanged hugs and kisses, and there was memories and laughter…a beautiful mask for the painful flashbacks I knew they all saw. As much as they loved eachother, they reminded eachother of what was…what they didn't want to remember.
"Where's the Wu-man?" My father asked uncle Hee.
"Dead" came the steely reply. My father scuffed the ground with his foot in gentle sorrow that was quickly hidden. The professor took us aside at the meeting, he grabbed my arm and Trow's and injected us with something. I wasn't scared he had injected us with things before, and he could have done worse. When things started to go black I got frightened, but my pain was quickly eased. Suddenly I was on our planet, in the Columba, I rubbed my head and jumped at the professor's voice over the speaker.
" Your mission is to destroy the civilization on this planet" The professor's voice was calm, as if he had pre-recorded this message.
"But…why?" I asked, knowing I had to follow his orders no matter the cost. There was no answer, I clicked the screen onto Trow, he was in shock, his head pressed hard into the back of his seat.
"How…how could he?" Trow stammered.
"I'm not gonna do it!" I screamed at the world
"never, never" the professor's voice again eased onto the speaker.
"You know what happens…when you disobey." He said, I saw the canon aimed at the raven, I saw it as it fired I jumped and pushed Trow's suit out of the way. Trow clicked in again, he looked bad he was pale and his eyes were burning holes in the whiteness of his skin.
"I'm…scared," he said weakly as I lifted his suit to standing position.
"Do it" snarled the professor as some sort of gas eased into our cockpits, I was in an angry rage as I destroyed our people's base.
My mother was crying softly as she watched the horrible image on the screen. I knew she wanted to scream, to scream for us to stop, but we couldn't hear her. Father Maxwell took her hand, she brought his wrist close to her face and looked at it, the memories flooded back. Back to the first time she had taken that hand, she had looked around at the scars that adorned both of the boy's wrists and said weakly. "So you're the boy?" She had removed her gloves and he took her small wrist in his hands and stepped back in surprise.
" I wonder if the tape still exists?" he asked softly as he pushed her wrist back towards her. She laughed merrily,
"something to show our grandkids?" she giggled as she pulled the glove back on. I snapped back to reality, noticing again where I was and being tossed from the bittersweet laughter of my mother's memory to the hell of the place I was. The drugs must have worn off, as I came upon the edge of our civilization, I looked behind me at the burning nightmare of what used to be our home, I was fully aware of what I had become. I turned and destroyed the buildings that lay in front of me. I turned to Trow and clicked him in,
"what have we done?" he screamed between his sobs.
We were back on earth, I stood and accepted my praise from the professor without shame. Trow pounded the man with his fists, clenched in anger…refusing to live up to the sin he had committed. My mother's eyes, no longer stained with the product of her sorrow were now aflame with anger. She smacked me across the face when I came to her
"what were you thinking?" she forced, the pain in her words hurt more than my stinging cheek. I saw her anger and felt it, she didn't understand why I had done what I had and she didn't need to. I deserved every bit of contempt from her. They went back to our home to salvage what they could but Trow couldn't go with them, as much as he wanted to.
"I knew at least one of you would comply, the boy will follow." I winced as the professor ran his cold fingers over my head. I slept every night with the horrible pain of my mother's contempt, my brother's courage, my father's silence, and my people's death.
I didn't go near the Columba while the political talks raged on, the Tarians were declaring war against earth and the colonies. Proud people, they knew not what was going on…but attacked the earth and the colonies anyway, with whatever forces they had left without the raven or Columba. After the colony massacre by the Tarians, the earth and the colonies joined the fight. The colonies had unleashed their newest forms of mobile suits, the pilots had been training since birth for an event such as this. When Trow and I were to attack the Tarians again I approached the Columba with caution, I knew it would be filled with all my mother's contempt but when I rested my hand on the pearly white surface I nearly stepped back. It tingled with sorrow, my mother still cared. My revelation of having my mother still love me left me feeling weak and sad, my refusal to fight left the professor with no choice but to use the drugs again. I understood his intentions and suddenly the carnage was before me again, I took off toward earth to kill the professor. I had him in my sights "don't shoot, I am but a man…a man who hungers for battle, you cannot deprive me of my pleasure" my sword just wouldn't comply. The professor lived. And I had to be punished, I had been bad. The professor could no longer hurt my body, I would just block the pain. He put me in the dark place, I was alone with my thoughts for days. This was the worst punishment of all…I was bad.
The light stung my eyes when I walked out, as much as I wanted to close them I ignored it. There was another mission, I went alone…Trow was gone. The professor didn't use the drugs, this time I just killed. It felt so good, I was powerful again not the meek girl who cried in the dark place. I was no longer of the name Rele, I was no longer a person inside. The Columba no longer housed memories, for me it was a tool. I killed without thought or emotion, I laughed at the weakness of those I murdered…a laugh without mirth. I met the other pilots at a summit meeting, The professor introduced me to them…he patted my head and left me with them. They were children, they retained smiles…they were weak soldiers. When I finally killed 3 of them, I returned only to find they had murdered the professor. I finished off the other two and laughed, laughed at the horribly ironic tone of the scene before me. The war was boiling down, I didn't have to kill again but I was still as cold as ever. I saw Trow on the news, speaking for peace. So he was the one that had tipped the pilots off to who had started the war. There was no more Tarians left, the civilization had all perished, or blended in with the humans in the colonies. No more dispute, as sick as it was I hungered for war.
"Its horrible isn't it?" I hadn't even heard uncle Hee come in.
"What?" my voice was as closed as my mind.
" the feeling of having nothing to fight for…it's a horribly empty life, doll" Uncle Hee's face was downcast and dark shadows crossed both of his eyes.
"Take my advice, redeem yourself while you still have time for love" before I could answer he set a small cage and a set of keys on the table before me. The cage contained a single white dove, and the keys were to a waiting motorcycle. I rode down the center of the deserted highway my driving coat trailing behind me, The dove sprawled in her cage and I lifted my eyes to the sky and searched. The Columba slid into view, gliding through the air on impressive wings, one metal one soft feathers. I raised my hands to the sky, letting the fingers of the Columba bring me up, I took off my sunglasses and felt the warm white light in my face and my hair and coat blowing behind me. I spread my arms to the wind and to the vision of my mother. Father Maxwell took her hand and whispered " you're the only one I've ever loved" as my mother turned away. And for all the death, I spread my arms and embraced the sun.
-I don't own gundam, I didn't give fling his note...yet, I haven't killed dorothy yet...I'm working on it!, I have yet to write a good fanfic that's not gundam wing, I still can't draw a perfect quatre...no matter how hard I try, I drew a picture of duo that looks like a monkey, I went to church today and said hi to andrew, I've got friends in low places, I hate getting shot down...that's all the admittance's for this story!! luv ya all to death, and I'll love ya even more if you review!!
The Tarians have been around since before the galaxy was still ours. We had the technology to leave earth and claim the Milky Way galaxy as our homeland. We have observed the humans as if they were fish in a tank, so far below ourselves that it was amusing. When colonists moved into space we were crammed into a far corner of the galaxy. We can't move beyond this tiny plot of space because the rulers of our neighboring galaxies would surely never accept us. We cannot cooperate with humans just as they cannot cooperate with life forms lower then themselves. The fish should never oppose its master, for it will surely die. Our founders built a machine, a machine to travel thorough space with. Travel to earth and give them one last chance to surrender. We gathered on one of our planets to discuss the fate of our humans.
I grouped with the other children to discuss our views on the topic. But as soon as the adults were absorbed into the meeting, talk turned to gossip.
"I hear they're going to pick one of us kids to be the messenger of peace," Minorya said flushed with excitement. She took my hand, Minorya has been my best friend since we first began our education at 8 months old. I have seen more of her than I ever will of my family, my mother is strikingly beautiful, Dark hair and sparkling blue eyes, but she was born on earth and was hurt by the people there. My father is very handsome, he has golden hair and green gray eyes and used to be a pilot. He was born on one of the colonies and got sick of life in war torn earth, so he cast his craft into the vastness of space and ended up here, my mother did the same. She was also a pilot in her youth and she and my father have been together since they were 16.
Trow is my twin brother, he has my fathers good looks and my mothers shining smile. I'm rather plain compared to my sparkling family, I rather resemble my uncle Hee, dark brown hair and deep blue eyes. My mother's brother was also a pilot, I have heard the story many times. Trow now takes my hand and leads me to my family, I look back and touch my forehead in a gesture of excuse towards Minorya. She accepts with a grin, I bow to my parents and Trow and then to the elders on stage where I stand.
"The Winner family has offered their children for our cause, Young Trow and Rele, shall bring reclaim what is rightfully ours!" the leading elder proclaims to a cheering crowd. I stumble backwards in surprise, Trow catches me and smiles, he has obviously heard this information before.
"We get to pilot Rere!" His face is flushed with excitement. I'm less exited then he is, more scarred than anything.
Minorya bows in congratulation to me when we exit. "Balions galitarson" she mumbles in formal good blessing, as she scurries off. Minorya is jealous, and she won't ever think of me the same way after I return amongst all the glory, she'll exalt me and there won't be any friendship between us, I will be forced into adulthood. The first party I had to attend was horrible, I hated being an adult, but before long everything blurred and I couldn't tell one party from another anymore. My training had gotten more severe, I had been trained since birth by a strange man, who was only known to me as professor, he trained me to pilot large robot-like crafts that traveled through space. Trow had been trained too, only now did I know why.
Mother showed me the Columba only this week, it's a beautiful creature, slender and graceful beyond anything human looking. It was pearly white and rainbow light glistened upon each of its slender curves and it's dull gray armor. It wore a long transparent sword in a gray sheath. It was so large that I nearly fell over trying to look at the top, my mother ran her hand down it's surface and fingered a pendent around her neck, it was almost a dog tag. On one side there was a 9 and the pyramid shape that adorned the Columba's crown and armor, and printed on the other side was her name in bold, black lettering. "Would you like to see how it works?" she asked suddenly and softly. She ripped the pendent from her neck and I saw her as a young girl, dressed all in white, scarves and gloves to hide her scars, in place as always. She had wings too, one wing made of soft white feathers, the other of shining steel. Two boys glared at eachother on each of her shoulders, a boy dressed in black with soft violet eyes and long brown hair was slung over the metal wing shoulder. And a boy that resembled Trow hung on the feathered wing, I realized this was my father with a gasp. My mother smiled at them and laughed joyfully. Then in a flash of feathers and white light the Columba was alive, and my mother lay on the floor, the craft picked her up and put her in a tiny compartment under it's armor. The tall beast then knelt before me and spoke "do you like it?" my mothers melodious voice was not loud, it just seemed to mask every other sound and wrap you in it's sweetness. I nodded as one of the fingers, longer than 10 of me, reached out to gently brush my face. The giant fingertip played with my knee length hair and I felt the smooth, cold metal against my skin. I would have thought this beast alive if it weren't so cold.
After my 10th birthday my training intensified, by the time I reached the age of thirteen I was desensitized and cold, my warm humor overwashed by years of intense physical and mental pain. I was terrified of no one, exempting the professor, he had broken my wrist a few months ago, I was left to sink into pain that I couldn't show on my face for 48 hours, no food, no sleep. If I shed a tear or shut my eyes for more than a second or he would break the other wrist too. I was nearly healed by now and once I was I would be in for another beating. I could block it out by now. My parents hated this…that's why they took Trow and me away from them, we lived in a research facility. At least we still had eachother. When my wrist healed I prepared myself for my next beating…but it never came, I found out why a few days later, I had lost all track of time. We only had two months until our first mission. I must have been 14 when I heard the news of the mission…the years had blurred though and I couldn't be sure…I felt like I was 300, I wanted to die. There was going to be a party, we would say goodbye to our parents and learn under a new teacher, we would meet him at the party.
The party was wonderful, champagne and happiness, I saw my parents and my friends and everything was bright, I had something to live for after all. A hand grasped mine as I turned and bowed to Glavious Mantier. "Good evening quiska Rele" his low melodious voice said using the formal term, as he held my hand and we bowed low to eachother in respect. Glavious was a good-looking boy of about my age, he was my betrothed. I felt nothing for him, felt nothing as we danced, suddenly the tune was interrupted and a strange melody began broadcasting, it seemed to be a flute and violin duet. I looked at my father, his face was blank and the champagne glass slipped out of his hand and hit the floor with a sickening crack. He paid no heed but ran to a man standing near the door "TROW!" he yelled, instead of grasping hands and bowing as you would do with a treasured friend, my father threw his arms around the man. My mother went over and threw her arms around him as well, laughing and kissing him on the cheek. The man didn't smile much at this, even though he held on to my parents with all his might. This must be my brother's namesake. I was named after my aunt.
The man was silent though it was clear he had much to say, I could see years of agony played out in this man's green eyes. His brown hair swept over his face and he was very handsome. The next day at training I received my worst beating yet, we still had not been turned over to our new teacher, and the professor wanted to test us. We went to the top of a very tall building
"Rele!" Minorya cried I could see she was bound to a chair. The professor lifted the girl up and stood her on the edge of the building, then he beckoned to me and gave me Minorya's hands.
"Let her go" he whispered, I refused. "You know what happens when you disobey." He said all too calmly. He took the sharp knife to the soft part of Trow's arm and rested the blade upon his skin.
"Don't do it Rere!" Trow screamed to me as the blade drew his red blood. As the blade slid farther in to his skin and his face got tighter trying to hold back his pain, I let her go. I could see her platinum blonde hair as her small form fell, I heard her scream as she died. I didn't cry…I had no more tears left. The professor then decided we were ready to be left to the other teacher and exited out the door.
I tended to Trow's wounds and slung his almost unconscious body over my shoulder.
"You're a strong warrior, Re." He said softly as his head fell against my shoulder. The man they called Trow Barton waited at the bottom of the stairs.
"Ready to go?" he asked in a deep monotone. I shook my head yes, it was all I could manage. We all went back to the place I had called home as a child, it was thick and sweet with happy memories. This was a dangerous place for a soldier. Mr. Barton said it would probably be best if we spent our last couple of days in this house. My parents clutched us to themselves, tears spilling from their faces, now creased with the years of agony our training had caused them. When Trow and I went upstairs to sleep in our beds for the first time in years I stopped in the hall. It was Mr. Barton "We all know our last days are at hand, come to earth with us…Your brother and Father Maxwell would be so glad to see you."
"…Father…Maxwell?" my mother softly questioned, I could almost see her wistful smile, and the dark hair falling over her beautiful eyes. My father walked into the dark hall and a look of surprise quickly faded to a well-worn and comfortable smile.
"Sweetheart? Why aren't you asleep? " He asked slinging his arm around me. We sat on the carpet while I hid in my silence.
"You remind me of Trow," He said smiling at me.
"Mr. Barton?" I inquired softly, he shook his head yes
"I think he wants to go by Bloom now" he said. Mr. Bloom walked into the hall and cocked his head to the side
"Your coming…aren't you little one?" My father smiled and nodded yes. Then he grinned and stood,
"your pet name for me's not so accurate anymore!" He smiled as he sized his height up to Mr. Bloom's. Mr. Bloom let out a small smile, then something strange happened, they seemed to be caught in eachother's eyes, and all expression drained from their faces. These men I hardly knew had more to their pasts then they let on. My mother's form slipped from the light of the kitchen to the dark hallway and her expression drained also, she looked almost discouraged and jealous, either that or deeply saddened. My father blinked and all seemed to fade into an awkward silence, my mother sighed and walked back into the kitchen,
"I'm sorry, Trow" my father's face shaded with shame, turned away.
"Don't be" Mr. Bloom's whisper was barely audible. My father kissed the top of my head and walked away. I tried to read Mr. Bloom's feelings, but they were too well hidden, it was clear he had a lot of practice keeping what he thought to himself.
I awoke the day of our mission to see the warm morning light shining through our window. I pulled on a pair of white slacks and a white shirt and walked down to breakfast. Our first mission was to visit the colonies and collect father Maxwell, Then we were to go to the earth sphere and speak at the meeting of the colonies and the counties of earth to plead our case. If that didn't work…well that was what the suits were for. My mother had taught me how to use the Columba and its twin suit, the Raven. Trow was taking the Raven, I fingered the pendent around my neck, this one was made for me and had my own name engraved in the side. I lifted the pendent and became the craft. I lifted my own listless body to the storage compartment and nodded to the Raven. Both suits took off as the crowd cheered loudly below. We soon entered the silence of space. In no time we had reached L2, there we landed in the port and transferred our life forces to our human bodies. A tall handsome man with graying hair but youthful violet eyes greeted us, he was wearing a completely black outfit with a priest's collar. He introduced himself as father Maxwell and commented on how much we resembled our parents. I heard the man slip a bit when talking to my brother, almost calling him by my father's name, he had right too, my brother resembled my father so. He was a kind man, and had offered his place to us for the few days we would be staying here. His colony was beautiful, clean and peaceful…and it was all so warm. The humans were wonderful too, charming and caring. Father Maxwell was as old as my parents, and I knew he had gone through just as much…but he sparkled with an energy that couldn't really be explained, for all he had been through he should have been steel cold. He took off his black hat and a long brown braid came tumbling out, I realized suddenly that he was the other boy in the vision I had when my mother entered the Columba.
I went to the hanger and ran my hand along the Columba's smooth surface, I did this often, I could sometimes see things my mother was thinking or see her memories. This time I saw a memory, a memory of a time when they all fought together but didn't really understand the power they expressed when they killed. It was a feeling, having nothing to fight for but fighting all the same, it was my mother's childhood…the way it was when the Columba was her craft and the lives she took didn't scorch her soul as they did now. Her mind as a child was cold, as cold as mine was now, as cold as death…and I finally knew why uncle Hee acted so weird all of the time, and why my parents would sometimes wake up screaming, drenched in a cold sweat. Soon their lives would be mine, Trow's, soon we would share in their suffering. I boarded the Columba and gave the heads up to Trow, we were going to earth. Earth was the birthplace of our parents and our species, earth was the mother of the human race, but who was I to care…this mission would lead to massacre, the humans wouldn't give up their colonies so easily.
The professor, my parents, Mr. Bloom, uncle Hee, and aunt Rele waited for us when we arrived, Father Maxwell's shuttle had just landed when we got there. Everyone exchanged hugs and kisses, and there was memories and laughter…a beautiful mask for the painful flashbacks I knew they all saw. As much as they loved eachother, they reminded eachother of what was…what they didn't want to remember.
"Where's the Wu-man?" My father asked uncle Hee.
"Dead" came the steely reply. My father scuffed the ground with his foot in gentle sorrow that was quickly hidden. The professor took us aside at the meeting, he grabbed my arm and Trow's and injected us with something. I wasn't scared he had injected us with things before, and he could have done worse. When things started to go black I got frightened, but my pain was quickly eased. Suddenly I was on our planet, in the Columba, I rubbed my head and jumped at the professor's voice over the speaker.
" Your mission is to destroy the civilization on this planet" The professor's voice was calm, as if he had pre-recorded this message.
"But…why?" I asked, knowing I had to follow his orders no matter the cost. There was no answer, I clicked the screen onto Trow, he was in shock, his head pressed hard into the back of his seat.
"How…how could he?" Trow stammered.
"I'm not gonna do it!" I screamed at the world
"never, never" the professor's voice again eased onto the speaker.
"You know what happens…when you disobey." He said, I saw the canon aimed at the raven, I saw it as it fired I jumped and pushed Trow's suit out of the way. Trow clicked in again, he looked bad he was pale and his eyes were burning holes in the whiteness of his skin.
"I'm…scared," he said weakly as I lifted his suit to standing position.
"Do it" snarled the professor as some sort of gas eased into our cockpits, I was in an angry rage as I destroyed our people's base.
My mother was crying softly as she watched the horrible image on the screen. I knew she wanted to scream, to scream for us to stop, but we couldn't hear her. Father Maxwell took her hand, she brought his wrist close to her face and looked at it, the memories flooded back. Back to the first time she had taken that hand, she had looked around at the scars that adorned both of the boy's wrists and said weakly. "So you're the boy?" She had removed her gloves and he took her small wrist in his hands and stepped back in surprise.
" I wonder if the tape still exists?" he asked softly as he pushed her wrist back towards her. She laughed merrily,
"something to show our grandkids?" she giggled as she pulled the glove back on. I snapped back to reality, noticing again where I was and being tossed from the bittersweet laughter of my mother's memory to the hell of the place I was. The drugs must have worn off, as I came upon the edge of our civilization, I looked behind me at the burning nightmare of what used to be our home, I was fully aware of what I had become. I turned and destroyed the buildings that lay in front of me. I turned to Trow and clicked him in,
"what have we done?" he screamed between his sobs.
We were back on earth, I stood and accepted my praise from the professor without shame. Trow pounded the man with his fists, clenched in anger…refusing to live up to the sin he had committed. My mother's eyes, no longer stained with the product of her sorrow were now aflame with anger. She smacked me across the face when I came to her
"what were you thinking?" she forced, the pain in her words hurt more than my stinging cheek. I saw her anger and felt it, she didn't understand why I had done what I had and she didn't need to. I deserved every bit of contempt from her. They went back to our home to salvage what they could but Trow couldn't go with them, as much as he wanted to.
"I knew at least one of you would comply, the boy will follow." I winced as the professor ran his cold fingers over my head. I slept every night with the horrible pain of my mother's contempt, my brother's courage, my father's silence, and my people's death.
I didn't go near the Columba while the political talks raged on, the Tarians were declaring war against earth and the colonies. Proud people, they knew not what was going on…but attacked the earth and the colonies anyway, with whatever forces they had left without the raven or Columba. After the colony massacre by the Tarians, the earth and the colonies joined the fight. The colonies had unleashed their newest forms of mobile suits, the pilots had been training since birth for an event such as this. When Trow and I were to attack the Tarians again I approached the Columba with caution, I knew it would be filled with all my mother's contempt but when I rested my hand on the pearly white surface I nearly stepped back. It tingled with sorrow, my mother still cared. My revelation of having my mother still love me left me feeling weak and sad, my refusal to fight left the professor with no choice but to use the drugs again. I understood his intentions and suddenly the carnage was before me again, I took off toward earth to kill the professor. I had him in my sights "don't shoot, I am but a man…a man who hungers for battle, you cannot deprive me of my pleasure" my sword just wouldn't comply. The professor lived. And I had to be punished, I had been bad. The professor could no longer hurt my body, I would just block the pain. He put me in the dark place, I was alone with my thoughts for days. This was the worst punishment of all…I was bad.
The light stung my eyes when I walked out, as much as I wanted to close them I ignored it. There was another mission, I went alone…Trow was gone. The professor didn't use the drugs, this time I just killed. It felt so good, I was powerful again not the meek girl who cried in the dark place. I was no longer of the name Rele, I was no longer a person inside. The Columba no longer housed memories, for me it was a tool. I killed without thought or emotion, I laughed at the weakness of those I murdered…a laugh without mirth. I met the other pilots at a summit meeting, The professor introduced me to them…he patted my head and left me with them. They were children, they retained smiles…they were weak soldiers. When I finally killed 3 of them, I returned only to find they had murdered the professor. I finished off the other two and laughed, laughed at the horribly ironic tone of the scene before me. The war was boiling down, I didn't have to kill again but I was still as cold as ever. I saw Trow on the news, speaking for peace. So he was the one that had tipped the pilots off to who had started the war. There was no more Tarians left, the civilization had all perished, or blended in with the humans in the colonies. No more dispute, as sick as it was I hungered for war.
"Its horrible isn't it?" I hadn't even heard uncle Hee come in.
"What?" my voice was as closed as my mind.
" the feeling of having nothing to fight for…it's a horribly empty life, doll" Uncle Hee's face was downcast and dark shadows crossed both of his eyes.
"Take my advice, redeem yourself while you still have time for love" before I could answer he set a small cage and a set of keys on the table before me. The cage contained a single white dove, and the keys were to a waiting motorcycle. I rode down the center of the deserted highway my driving coat trailing behind me, The dove sprawled in her cage and I lifted my eyes to the sky and searched. The Columba slid into view, gliding through the air on impressive wings, one metal one soft feathers. I raised my hands to the sky, letting the fingers of the Columba bring me up, I took off my sunglasses and felt the warm white light in my face and my hair and coat blowing behind me. I spread my arms to the wind and to the vision of my mother. Father Maxwell took her hand and whispered " you're the only one I've ever loved" as my mother turned away. And for all the death, I spread my arms and embraced the sun.