Where Roses Lie
By: M. Maxwell
(Gundam Wing in absolutely no way belongs to me)
*At one point in time, I was a beautiful young girl. I had many friends, a social life and lacked only one thing that money couldn't buy, love. I may have been the epitome of gorgeous but I had none that mattered so dearly. Now, as I sit hear, dying, I pray you get this message. It is one that expresses me, not the façade I so desperately hid behind for my short life. I am now in an unknown military base, and if I don't make it, I want the people to know the real Relena Dorlian. Understand this was my choice, to save our people, I must be strong and be willing to give what is, my life. (1) Inochigakede….Inochigakede I will save you and peace. Now I must continue because I feel my time is running short. I was a stubborn girl at fifteen who knew nothing outside of my world but the unhappiness I held in my world of money. I always thought I had troubles, but now I realize how vain I was. As I continue, I remained this way until the war when I met Heero Yuy and the other Gundam pilots. They became my inspiration, and light of hope in the dim world. I owe everything to them, for they brought me up to the light, and for once, I saw actual unhappiness and experienced death. It was this influence that led me to believe I could make a difference in the war, and that I must fight also, to be strong. This is the time, when in death, I discovered life. What was once a fascination became an infatuation, then love. I was in love with Heero Yuy and I had suddenly found a reason to live. I die now, because I want every person in this world to experience true love. To at least feel the way I did just once. Though I have never kissed or much less confessed this until now, I know true love and it is enough to send me peacefully to (2) goshou. Heero, Duo, Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, and all the other fearless soldiers of his era have lived the (3) guntaiseikatsu whilst I have hidden behind the mask of a peaceful leader. In truth I have always urged to fight in battle and to effectively eliminate an enemy, and I am sure, if it had not been for my brother and Noin I would have chosen that path. I fear I must leave soon so I will close quickly, as I hear a noise approaching. God's blessing everyone! *
Slowly I stood watching their movements amongst the stones of the war. The many lives lost without finding true love that I had fought for in the end. I gazed down to the stone beside me that glittered brightest in the afternoon sunlight. The inscription was one of mystery. Who is the girl that lay, beneath the flowered hill? She was the silent flower of war, rest in peace for what you fought. And now, we conclude in the present as I stand by, in spirit watching my death's toll. My eyes scan the crowd of black shrouded people and I see Duo. As always in his black priests outfit but his eyes hold a sad gaze as he stares at the casket before him. Hilde, my dear friend after the war, cries softly holding his arm. Sitting near the two in the front row of chairs is Trowa, Wufei, and Quatre. Trowa's face holds a certain silent grief while Quatre freely cries and Wufei silently mumbles that, in the end, I was wise and strong. I smile slightly at this; praise from Wufei is hard to come by. From the shadows I see one last person that makes my emotions run free. Heero's figure is made clearly outlined by my eyes. He sits next to Duo and my mother in silence. His eyes register no emotion and he is clad in an all black garb resembling Duo's. My mother cries openly beside him and he flinches at her sob's. My mother...she has lost so much in her time, and now I must also join the list of those long gone. I grimace every time I see my mother shed a tear, or any one for that matter. My true love is watching my funeral with a straight face, which is admirable, but I expected nothing less. I gaze on as they close and lock the casket that holds my broken body. They lower it agonizingly slow into the cold, hard ground, where life and death pleasantly combine. Soon the swash of people dissipates, and the only living people remaining are the pilots and Hilde. I wish so badly to reach out to them and say good bye. I never wanted to leave them this way, crying and sorrowful, but I only pray they will find consolation in each other. They are (4)ikka and maybe my death will have bought them together even more. Now, I fear my time is drawing to a close on earth. This beautiful planet that stands out as a blue orb in the dark, bleak universe. It is this vision in my mind that makes me know my decision was a purposeful one. That I died to keep this incredible place's bright light from being extinguished. I look wonderingly towards the people that now stand in a large group huddled over the fresh grave, tossing tears and roses to land quietly on my casket. 'So this is the end,' I thought morbidly to myself. 'I never thought this is the way I'd go.' Slowly I breathed in and was pulled towards my after life. 'Aishiteru Heero. Gomen yo minna.' I whispered into the wind, hoping they would somehow hear it. 'Gomen yo.'
Duo's P.O.V.
So many emotions rushed through my body as I threw the wine colored rose into the fresh grave. It wafted slowly down and landed silently on the finished wood of the casket. I watched in fascination as it landed and the rest of our group did the same. I began to realize how much the simple rose meant to everyone as they threw their individual flowers. My rose represented the loss of an incredible friend and leader. Relena had become very close to me as a friend when we had finally begun to near her ideals of peace during the war. We had spent many hours just talking into the early morning hours of the day and I had been allowed to see the true Relena PeaceCraft. She had shown me a side of her I was sworn to keep secret, which no other living soul had seen, or experienced. She had been someone trapped into her life, forced to follow her father's ideals, because in the time in war, it was the only role she could take to fight back. I gazed as a few other roses fell to the bottom of the deep hole where she was to rest. Heero's rose rested atop the other's and stood out in great contrast, as the petals were a subtle white. I understood what his was to symbolize. The burden on his heart for never Thanking Relena for the hope she gave him to go on, for never saying 'I Love you' to the girl that held his heart and made him rediscover his humanity. My soul felt for Heero as this was the one event that had least expected, nor wanted at a time like this. Now his heart carried a great guilt and his rose was born from this, and releasing it to her, to rest with her. He wanted the rose, which derived from his love to stay eternally with her. My mind suddenly remembered when I had found out about Relena's untimely death.
*We were all seated comfortably in one of Quatre's mansion's studies. Hilde had been able to meet with us and shed light on the inside of OZ. She had been working as our undercover of sorts to tell us the information necessary to invade and carry out our missions. Heero, Trowa, Wufei, Quatre, and I had all been listening intently when a loud beep had been omitted from the computer that sat on the desk centered in the shadows. In one moment, we were all scrambling around the computer and trying to figure out why it was carrying on. Suddenly, a transmission managed to break through the crackling fuzz on the screen and we found ourselves gazing at Relena's frantic face. My eyes had widened in shock when I saw that she was wearing an oversized OZ army uniform. She looked behind her and then continued her speech. Confessing her to us. Most of which I had already heard from her in one of our talks but some was information that had remained unknown between even the two of us. I remember how we had all looked at the screen in shock as she had continued. Heero had looked ultimately unchanged but the others even showed some hint of emotion. I was burst out of my reverie of thoughts when I heard her speak again. "...God Bless everyone!" I looked on the screen as she turned her back to the screen and guard ran into the control room where she was obviously trying desperately to get out this last message. The man walked up to her and rapped and arm around her waste and kissed her passionately. Her cries of protest still remain clear in my mind. "Get off of me!!" she had said as she tried to push him away. He had raised a gun; it's metal still gleaming ominously in my mind's eye. A shot had rung out and one last cry before the transmission was cut.*
Another rose floated to the bottom of the grave and rested to the side of the rest. Hilde's rose sat to the side of the others and shone brilliant pink against the dark stain on the shiny new casket. Her's represented a lost friend. One whom had only too few moments together. They were the sister's of war. Her's was one of a lost bond.
Three more roses fell to the casket in dismay. Those of Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei. The three of them had felt great respect for Relena. She had provided the light of hope for their souls also. She was the beacon of light that encouraged them to go on and they knew they always held her support one hundred percent on any action they could have made.
I morbidly turned away from the casket as a flicker suddenly caught my eyes. I could almost have sworn I saw a gorgeous angel flying away into the wind and clouds. As I stood, still awed by the miraculous sight, a voice reached my ears, that of tinkling church bells. "Duo," it whispered, tickling my ears. The others behind me came to alert also as thought they themselves had heard it also and joined me by my side. "Heero, Hilde, Trowa, Wufei, and Quatre," It continued. "Please forgive me, and understand I always love you all. Always find faith in each other because Unity is the strongest weapon." A slight sigh followed as the voice faded away. I looked at the clear blue sky. "Relena," I mouthed silently. "We know. Rest in Peace." As I turned to walk away I heard Heero whisper something. "Aishiteru Relena." Then he turned and joined the group as we walked away from the cemetery. I smiled slightly. I, the God of Death, knew personally that Death was never the end, but merely the beginning.
Remember I love comments!!!!!!!! Muahahahaha!!! Okay enough…:;smiles bashfully::
Duo: Die! All that see me must Die!
M. Maxwell: Uh..Duo…wrong fic.
Duo: Oh Really? Oops gomen yo!
1)Inochigakede- At the Risk of Life
2)Goshou- After Life
3)Guntaiseikatsu-Army Life
4)Ikka- A Family