Z for Zariach Chapter 1: Meeting
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Gundam characters.
Quatre Raberba Winner had been elected the representative of the colonies. The young man with platinum blonde hair and pale blue eyes was to be the ambassador of the colonies. The heavy burden was placed on the shoulders of a sixteen-year-old boy with the blood of many on his hands. This is more than he could handle but he accepted it.
Quatre meanwhile had also been asked by Heero Yuy, former Gundam pilot 01 to send one of his old friends to Earth since he was going down there for a meeting. His friend was the cousin of one of the members of Maraganc Corps. This was a surprise for Quatre as he knew that the families of the Corps had been mostly killed in the Oz's Federation wipe out years ago. The most surprising fact that she was a girl.
Her name was Zariach. She was a soldier trained by the same teacher as Heero to become one of the Prefect Soldiers. She had a faint Arabic look on her with midnight black hair and a pair of cobalt black eyes. Those eyes were dead like Heero's, showing not even the slightest hint of emotion.
The fact that her eyes resembled Heero seemed to trouble Quatre greatly. Heero was cold and mostly kept to himself which was a habit which frequently got him into trouble. He did not wish the same thing to happen to her. She looked like Heero even though she most definitely younger.
She was dressed in a simple Arabic dress and wore a lovely ring around her thumb. She wore a headdress that was commonly used to protect them from the glaring sun. She looked like an regal Arabic princess if not for the cold look in her eyes.
'She deserves to be happy. The war has ended. She should be happy that she does not have to fight anymore,' thought Quatre as he observed her in the plush confines of his private jet.
They were heading to the desert where the Maraganc Corps was situated. He had managed to convince the representatives to meet him there as he was unwilling to leave Zariach by herself.
He had sent a message to the Captain Rashid and he has agreed to take care of everything. There was nothing more he can do to help but to ensure that Zariach got to meet her cousin Abdul.
Trying to keep his thought from straying into the wrong directions, he kept his eyes on Zariach. If she noticed, she gave no outward sign. She was looking out into the unforgiving space which had brought her up.
'What is she thinking?' wondered Quatre. He hoped that she was not having any regrets to return to her family on Earth.
"How does the desert look like?" asked Zariach finally.
"It is like a sea of sand. Miles and miles of it. It's a lovely sight to see. The sand is ever changing so you never see the same scene more than once," answered Quatre, happy that she finally said something. She had barely exchanged a few words ever since boarding the shuttle.
"My mother says it's like heaven. The sand sings for the people who listen closely. The sand is the guardian of the people. It will protect the ones who love the desert."
Quatre thought about the people living in the desert and agreed. "Yes. It does take care of those who love it. Do you wish to see the desert?"
"Yes. My mother's dying wish was to return to the desert. She said that the desert was to be her final resting place. No matter where she was, she will always find her way back to the desert to rest."
"Sounds like she really loved the desert."
"She did."
They entered the Earth's atmosphere not very long later. Zariach looked out from the window on the blue sphere that had brought up her mother and sighed.
'Are you here, mother? I wish that you could see the Earth again like you always wanted to. Did your spirit drift all the way back to our beloved desert?'
"Don't feel so sad. I'm sure that your mother's spirit has made it back to the desert." Quatre voiced sounded by her side. She turned to see him smiling at her warmly. "Given her love for the desert, the desert would definitely guide her back."
"Thank you," whispered Zariach. Those words gave her more warmth than anything else could. It's been a long time since she had felt anything close to warmth from someone who she barely knew.
"We're arriving soon. I took the initiative to inform your cousin before hand. He will be meeting us at the docking bay."
Zariach merely nodded and watch the descend to Earth.
Meanwhile at the docking bay, the entire Maraganc Corps was preparing to receive young master Quatre and Abdul's cousin.
"What if she does not like the desert's temperature? She has been living in the colonies for all her life, what if she cannot take this temperature? What should I do?" questioned a very nervous Abdul. He was so overjoyed about his cousin's whereabouts that he was overwhelmed with anxiety.
"Don't worry. We will help her adjust. She's from the desert and will always love the desert," assured his teammates. They were trying their best to help him calm down.
"But what if?"
"What if nothing. There is nothing for you to worry about. She is coming here to visit you. You should take a break and adjust you attire. You don't want her to get a bad impression, right?" rumbled their Captain.
"Yes. Of course. I must go neaten my attire." With that Abdul rushed off to find a mirror.
"He is more nervous than a groom on his wedding day," commented someone.
"Yes. It's not everyday you see a long lost kin."
The entourage watched anxiously as the shuttle pulled into the station. There was some difficulty as the engine was malfunctioning and on the verge of exploding.
"I believe that we have to exit the plane by jumping. Is that alright with you?" asked Quatre.
"Sure."
"Here take this parachute, you need it to land."
Zariach looked at the parachute like it was a foreign object. "Don't bother. I can manage find without it."
"Wait," cried Quatre as she jumped out of the plane. He quickly jumped after her to ensure that she was alright.
He was shocked to say the least when she landed safely on the ground without a parachute like he had.
"I told you I could do it," smirked Zariach as she dusted herself. "It just takes practice. Lots and lots of practice."
"Remind me never to argue with you," said Quatre as he untangled himself from the parachute.
The entire Maraganc Corps was looking at them and walking closer. They had seem Zariach jump out of the plane and land safely. This was not something you would expect of a normal person. Zariach clearly had a few tricks up her sleeve.
"Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends. They look like they have just seen a ghost or something."
"Sure." Quatre proceed on with the introduction. "This is Abdul's cousin. Her name is Zariach from colony L5."
"Nice to meet you. We are from the Maraganc Corps and this here is you Cousin Abdul." The captain said indicating a nervous looking Abdul by his side.
Abdul was caught off guard at how Zariach resembled her mother, his aunt. They looked like two peas in a pod if not for the cold look in her eyes. She had clearly seem the war and had suffered for it. He had hoped that she had a happy childhood.
"Nice to meet you, cousin. Mother told me some things about you."
"Knowing Aunt, they can't be all that good."
"You could say something like that," said Zariach smiling faintly.
Abdul felt a burden being lifted off his shoulders at her small but true smile. 'There's still hope for her after all.'
"Enough dilly dallying. Let's go back to celebrate." The men all voiced their appreciation. They had prepared a feast to welcome them.
They were feasting on the most delicious meal of lamb and chaapati (a kind of food) at the head quarters. They had it all prepared specially for Zariach. They were very happy that one of them had found a lost member of their real family as all if them have lost contact with them should they still be alive.
"How was your life in the colonies?" asked Abdul.
"Quite nice. There were some people who took me in after mum died," answered Zariach.
"What did you do for a living?" asked the captain of the Corps.
"I was a soldier."
This statement brought the immediate silence to the table.
"You were a soldier,' asked one of the men slowly.
"Yes," replied Zariach unfazed as she carried on eating. "Didn't Quatre tell you?"
"Tell us what?" asked Abdul.
"I'm part of the project perfect soldier."
"Heero did not tell me that. He said that you were trained to be a prefect soldier like him," argued Quatre.
"That's what project perfect soldier is about. Training prefect soldiers for war."
"There is no more war. You do not have to fight anymore," said Abdul. He did not want his only living family member to have to fight.
"Now there is not." Zariach added silently, "There soon will be."
The dinner table gradually fell silent at her expression that was both blank and bitter.
The men silently made an agreement to make her happy for the rest of her stay. They had to prove to her that peace has arrived and that there was no longer a need to fight. There were no more comments about war for the rest of the evening.
They led her to the room they had prepared specially for her.
It was a magnificent room with a homely touch. In the middle was a four-poster bed with drapes surrounding it that flowed from the ceiling. It had a breath-taking view of the desert from the balcony and it's own privy. (Washroom) it also boasted of a jewel-studded dressing table and cupboard.
"Do you like it?" asked Abdul when Zariach said nothing.
"Like it? I love it."
The men were smiling behind her back at a job well done. They wanted her to have the best because they had all long lost all their kin and she meant more than just a cousin to them.
The next few days were spent touring the desert and the adjoining town. She had captured the hearts of the men with her small smile, which managed to seem both sweet and bitter at the same time. The only set back was that Zariach did not reveal any more things about her past in space. She also wore a tradition headdress regularly as every time she took it off, many men would start falling for her when they were on the streets.
When the captain commented on this, Quatre explained that it might be because of her training as a perfect soldier in space.
"But Young Master Quatre, we're family. She knows that she can trust us," argued the Captain.
"I know but Heero told me not to expect too much. After all once bitten, twice shy." Quatre was looking sadly at Zariach as he said that. He had grown fond of her over the past few days.
Days later, delegates from Earth and Space arrived accompanied by Lady Une and Dorothy Catalonia. Quatre and the Maraganc Corps went to receive them. Zariach however was nowhere in sight.
"Have you seen that dear cousin of yours, Abdul? I told her we were having guests today," asked the Captain.
"I did, she said she would rather stay in her room. She does not want to see them."
"May be she does not like huge crowds of politicians. I know that I don't."
"I hope so," commented Abdul. For some unknown reason, Zariach looked very sad at the news of the arriving diplomats. 'I wonder what is bothering her?'
They held a ball in honor of the guests and Zariach found out that she was to appear as Quatre's dance partner whether she liked it or not.
"Remind me again why am I doing this?" asked Zariach.
"Because Young Master needs a partner and you are not allowed to lock yourself up in your room for the whole day," replied Rashid.
"I can do what I want to do. Besides, I don't see why he can't just partner that Dorothy Girl," retorted Zariach.
"So you did turn up after all."
"I was watching from the sidelines. You just did not notice."
"Well, I refuse to let you stay here and not greet our guest. It is basic courtesy to just show your face to them so they know you are here."
"I don't then see the need for me to dress up like a fruit cake for them to see," rebuked Zariach as she eyed the dress he had brought her. It was multicolored and looked too bright.
"It was the only dress that we could find that was your size. Unless you brought a presentable one with you, I suggest that you start getting dressed."
"If I told you I have a nicer dress would I be able to toss this one in the trash?" asked Zariach innocently.
"No. I will return it to its true owner, but I want to see your dress first."
"You drive a hard bargain."
"I know."
"How do you feel? Nervous?' asked Abdul.
"Not really. I think you are more nervous than me about Zariach going to the ball," replied Quatre. He was putting on the finish touches of his suit.
"That's true. I heard that she did not take it well when she had to come to the ball."
"I will not worry about that if I were you. Captain said that he would take care of everything."
"I hope so." Abdul looked even more worried than ever.
"It's getting late. We better make our way to the hall. It's not nice to keep a lady waiting."
Quatre opened the door and they both proceed outside. However, he came to an abrupt halt when many ladies rushed from in front of him. They were all whispering, "are you sure? Is she really that pretty?"
"What's the commotion all about?" asked a puzzled Quatre.
"Your dance partner seems to be attracting lots of attention," replied Rashid. "She's waiting for you outside the hall."
"Zariach?" asked a shocked Abdul.
"If you don't believe me, see for yourself."
The three men proceed to the hall where the ball was to be held and had quite a hard time squeezing through a large crowd that had gathered there.
They came to a stop when they first caught sight of Zariach. She was decked in gold, jewels and silk.
Her hair was twisted into a beehive on her head, which was threaded with pearls. There was a veil on her face which was long enough to cover part of her face yet short enough for the onlookers to see her small pink, full lips. Her eyes were outline in black and dusted with gold dust by the side. Her cheeks were touched with a faint dust of rogue making her look lovely.
She wore a simple gold chain round her neck, which had two pendants. One was a crescent while the other was the symbol of the god of the desert. Her outfit was lily white which paled her complexion. It was threaded with gold and the material shimmered every time she moved. It covered all of her skin yet seem to make her look sexy.
There was a variety of jewelry on her fingers, which were adorned with many sparkling rings including the gold ring, which she always wore.
'She looks good enough to eat,' thought Quatre as he looked at her.
"Aren't you going to meet her? She can't go into the hall without you, you know?"
"Oh...right," stammered Quatre as he made his way to Zariach. She turned to smile at him as he fought his way through.
"Nice to see you finally made it," said Zariach. After much persuasion by the captain, she finally got rid of the rough accent of her voice. It now sounded like a kitten purring.
"Sorry, I'm late. I had a hard time getting in."
"Never mind but your suit's all rumpled."
"It appears so," said Quatre as he adjusted his suit. Zariach extended a helping hand.
"Don't they look like a couple?' whispered someone in the crowd. Both of them wisely chose to ignore that comment.
"Shall we?" asked Quatre extending his arm to her after the final adjustments had been made.
Zariach merely smiled as she linked her arms with his. "Here goes nothing," she told Quatre. "I'm going to make a big fool out of myself."
"Don't worry. You look ravishing." Whispered Quatre as he led her into the hall.
When they entered, silence fell. If Zariach's grip did not tighten on his arm, Quatre would have never guessed that she was nervous.
In hopes of assuring her, he mumbled a series of encouragement to her as the reached the end of the stairs.
"Thank you," he heard her say as the first couple of delegates came to greet them. Quatre introduced her as a family friend who was also visiting the desert.
She received many glances from the people in the room, as she was one of the most beautiful and mysterious one among them. Over dinner, Zariach thought she was going insane with the amount of attention she was getting from the ladies about how she managed to dress so elegantly.
Finally after dinner ended, Zariach thought that her ordeal had ended, until she found out that she had to dance with Quatre.
"I've never ever step foot on the dance floor. How can I possibly dance?" she asked an incredulous Zariach.
"I'll teach you. It's not that hard."
"But...but..."
"Just accompany him," prompted Lady Une who had been watching from the side -lines. "Everyone in the room is waiting for you to dance with him."
"I feel so honored," commented Zariach. "I have no idea how I let myself get talked into this."
Quatre merely chuckled. "Not many people can escape the captain's eye. Not even you." He told her as he led her to the dance floor.
The musician struck up a slow leisurely waltz, which gave Quatre enough time to figure out that Zariach actually knew how to dance.
"You lied." He stated.
"I just wanted to wiggle out of this. You have no idea how embarrassing it is."
Quatre merely smiled and urged her to keep up with the tempo. They managed to escape later on after they had each danced with every partner in the room.
"My feet are killing me," whined Zariach as she rested on the ledge of the balcony.
"It's not that bad. Everyone seems to like you," comforted Quatre.
"Well, joy for me. I can't believe that I am a part of whatever you're doing. Some peace conference or something."
"We are having a peace conference. It is to discuss peace between space and Earth."
"Do you think it is actually going to work? The space and earth have been fighting since the beginning of time and you expect them to resolve their differences over a meeting."
Quatre looked at her shocked. "You don't believe that Earth and Space can live in peace?"
"What I have encountered so far has made me to believe so. If they stood a chance of living in peace, the scars that I had should have healed long ago. Did they heal? No. They are still there telling me that Space and earth can never live in peace."
"That's because you lived in the era of war. Once things die down, there will be peace and harmony. That's what we fought for in the Eve Wars."
"You fought for peace. I fought for survival. You're the only people who think that there is going to be peace."
"There will be peace," said Quatre with a passion. "And when that day comes, I will show you that. I will show you that we can live in peace. I will show you that you can be happy."
"Happy? What makes you think I am not happy?"
"Because every time I look in your eyes, I see bitterness. You smile yes, I agree. You hardly ever smiled happily. Your smile always carries a hint of bitterness inside." Because he could not resist the urge, he placed his hand on her cheek. "Why are you so sad? Every time I look into your eyes, I see a sad person. One who is crying inside."
"I'm not sad. I have almost nothing left. Not even my emotions. I gave them up long ago when I chose my life."
"No. You still feel. Space heart tells me so."
Because she knew what Space heart was, she declined to comment. Instead she looked away from Quatre and down the balcony. He was driving her insane. He was too kind, too caring for a person who piloted a Gundam and had seen the horrors of war.
"I don't. At least I chose not to. There is little meaning for it left in a person who was created for war. I don't think that the peace talks will work. That is my stand. You can agree with it or disagree, but you cannot change the way I feel about it."
"I can and I will." Quatre said determinedly.
"I await that day," said Zariach as she turned to walk away.
'One day, you'll see. I will make you happy again.' Vowed Quatre silently as he gazed at her retreating figure.
The next day was the delegates will go to a near by town to witness the burning of the weapons that had been found hiding there. It was to be a signal of peace between Earth and Space.
When the delegates and Quatre entered the hanger where the bus was, they were surprised to find a fully dressed Zariach trying very hard to convince one of the men to let her help him fix the bus.
"It most certainly will not kill you if I gave you a hand. You're not telling that you are going to accompany them coated with filth," argued Zariach.
"But I can not allow you to help fix it since you are a guest."
Zariach merely rolled her eyes heaven wards and sighed. She walked off shaking her head. 'What a load of hogwash. You and your male chauvinist pride.' She lingered by the side to see if he was going to finish his work on time. When he finally glanced at his watch and realized it was impossible for him to finish in time, he rushed off to find a replacement.
Zariach took advantage of his absence to take a look at the bus. She was a fully qualified technician in Space. She could assemble a MS Cancer in half an hour flat, with the proper equipment of course. She merely lifted a brow and fixed the faults in the bus. After that she cleaned her hands and started to walk off.
"What did you do?" asked the man as he came back.
"I fixed it. It can move without any problem now," she said over her shoulder.
"But that's impossible. You need at least half an hour more."
"You do. I don't."
The man was looking blankly at the bus and Zariach, amazed at her feat.
"Aren't you going to change? They will be here any minute," commented Zariach. "Or are you going to join them in those rags your wearing?"
The man finally snapped out of his daze and dashed off.
"Take your time, Hamad. We will wait for you," the captain said from the back.
"Looks like you are all here."
"Thank you for fixing the bus Zariach."
"No problem," she said as she made her way to the chief technician of the Maraganc Corps.
"Hey there girl. I got what you wanted." Yelled the technician as he slipped down one the poles. "This here will take you there." He said as he indicated to the bus.
"You must be joking."
"I'm not. I'm merely following orders," grinned the technician.
"You are the death of me," grumbled Zariach as she walked off.
"Where are you going?"
"I can find some other transport. One without your sticky fingers in it."
"What did she want?" asked Abdul.
"She wanted me to find her transport to where you were going. That what ever name town."
"Looks like she decided against it," commented Dorothy.
"More like you scared the hell out of her last night. She's not one for crowds. They rarely are. Hey lass, this is the only ride to whatever that place is for today. Take it or leave it." With that he left.
She was muttering something under her breath.
"It's not that bad," comforted Abdul. "We'll keep you company."
"That's what I'm afraid of," he heard her say as they shepherded her into the bus.
They were kept her a distance away from the delegates as they had taken the technician's comments at heart. Zariach was too happy that she did not have to deal with delegates as she engaged in a heated conversation with the men. They were arguing over, which dishes the cook, cooked best when Zariach's cell phone rang.
Her face fell considerably as she answered it.
"Zariach 0807," she answered.
"Miyuki 1079. The information and mission ETA (estimated time of arrival) 1200h. Collect it from the Regent. You know the boss.1079 over and out."
"Zariach.0807 Copy that."
"Who was that? Why did you say 0807?" asked Samul. He had been arguing gleefully with her a moment before.
"A friend of mine. She called to tell me where to collect the stuff she sent me. 0807 is just in case she called the wrong person."
"Were you a soldier?" asked Lady Une who had been listening to the conversation.
"Yes. How did you guess?" asked a smiling Zariach.
"There are some soldiers who still call themselves by their serial numbers because they are not used to their names. An old habit, I would say."
Zariach looked at her carefully. Lady Une possessed an aura much similar to that of a man she knew. That man was Treize Khursanda. "I don't suppose you know some one called Treize Khursanda. You sound awful like him."
"You knew Treize-sama?" asked an astonished Lady Une.
"It's not a sin to. Not when I last looked."
"But how? When?"
"Some where in the last decade or so. I met him at the street somewhere. I can't remember. He was just like you, too observant for my taste."
"He never mentioned anything about you."
"How could he? He doesn't even know my name. It would be a miracle if he did."
This comment silenced Lady Une who did not speak a single word for the rest of the journey.
The delegates were watching the burning of the weapons while Quatre and his bodyguards kept a look out for Zariach. They wished that she had chosen to go with them instead so that they would know where she was.
"If you keep on straining your neck, you will look like a giraffe," commented Lady Une.
"Sorry," apologized Quatre. "I guess I got carried away."
"I doubt that she will run into any trouble. This is one of the most peaceful places on Earth."
"I suppose you are right. I must over reacting."
The rest of the meeting went on smoothly but there was still no sign of Zariach. They were soon due to have lunch at the most famous restaurant 'The Regent'. That was where they saw Zariach. She was staring at the billboard of the diner looking at the pictures.
She had arrived earlier because she wanted to see if there was anyone in the restaurant she knew. She had a faint idea of the owner but could not place a name. She was distracted when she saw the company coming and looked away to flash them a smile. She knew that she should remember but there were too many people who she had met in the war.
"Nice to see you here. We thought you might have gotten lost," said Abdul.
"You should not worry about me so much, Cousin. I can take care of myself for one day," retorted Zariach. She had gotten used to calling him cousin in the past few days.
"This restaurant serves the best food around here. Especially their fifty cent delight, it tastes heavenly," explained the town chief.
Then, it all came back to her. A tattered doll, which could not be worth anything. Smiling yet weary faces of soldiers who had just fought a war. Those who had tried to protect her once. Her face broke into a smile. She remembered who they were now.
"Let's go in, the weather outside is unbearable," complained one of the delegates. The rest agreed and followed.
A waiter greeted them enthusiastically. He was not very pleased to find out that they had brought someone extra. "I'm very sorry, sirs. There is no more place for one more."
"It's alright. Can you please help me give your boss this coin?" answered Zariach politely as she produced a weathered fifty-cent coin. The waiter agreed as long as she did not insist on dining.
"But it is not right. We should be able to eat lunch with you." Argued Abdul.
"Don't worry cousin. Once he sees that coin, forget about this meal, I can eat here free for all I want."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Soon, many figures rushed down from the stairs. They were all dressed in western suits and bore scars from the war on their faces. They had just dived down the stairs and now were currently staring open mouthed at Zariach.
"Is this how you greet your guests? How very rude."
"You're alive?" asked one the men disbelievingly.
"Why not? It going to take more than one bullet to kill me."
"It went right through you. Right through your heart. I saw it. I saw you die," stammered another man.
"If I was so easily killed, I would have died years ago. Meanwhile, looks like you are doing quite well. This restaurant looks plausible."
The men came down the stairs hesitantly. They refused to approach Zariach. Quatre noticed that they were all shaking. They were not shivering with fear but vibrating with hope. Realization struck him. They were hoping that she was truly alive.
Zariach tapped her foot impatiently. "Would you men hurry up? I prefer to have a full stomach soon."
"It really is you. We all thought you die during the war."
Zariach merely rolled her eyes to express her emotions. The men saw this and their faces broke into smiles.
"You have not changed one bit. Still as impatient as ever."
"That's because you all are as bothersome as ever. Aren't you going to invite me in? You all promised me a banquet if I remember correctly."
"Right you are, Missy. We have Roger here whip you a feast. Isn't that right Roger?" asked one of the men.
The chestnut haired man identified as Roger merely grinned. "We can't have her saying that we are not trustworthy now, can we?"
They lead Zariach and the delegates through a series of elaborately decorated hallways. They were decorated similar to the Elizabeth era where velvet drapes where the trend. Each hallway also boasted a picture each. There were two of them, which were very well drawn masterpieces.
"Where did you get these two paintings?" inquired Zariach.
"From the very people you sold it to. They are quite nice, aren't they?" replied the man which had introduced himself as Comrade.
One was of the sweeping view of the desert with a lone, cloaked person standing in the center. It was as mysterious as it was stunning. The other was one of a pale young angel who was staring out a window. His wings were outspread as he looked upon the starry night through sorrowful pale blue eyes.
"I think we know this young man in the picture. He was the one you were looking after during the war, isn't it?" asked Roger.
"Yes. You met him. His name was Yu-e."
The word 'was' brought the men to attention. The young man in the picture was dead. They had noticed her affection for him during their short meeting and thus decided that that topic should be wisely avoided. They also somehow managed to keep the delegates occupied yet talk to Zariach at the same time.
Lunch was a splendid affair when Roger decided to cook for them personally. The delegates and the corps enjoyed themselves immensely thanks to the appearance of Zariach. They were about to leave when a black envelope was given to Zariach. The doorman said that it was to be delivered to her personally.
She was still smiling but she did look rather sad to Quatre.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked.
Zariach merely smiled back, "No. I just remember something."
Quatre decided not to mention this to Abdul because he was very worried about his cousin and there was no need to make him even more nervous.
They spent the afternoon touring the town and visiting the various churches. Zariach simply refused to go in and instead, stayed outside the churches to play with the children. They could not figure out as to why she refused to enter but let her get her way. She held the final decision.
It was soon time to leave. They waved goodbye to the town and left for home.
Meetings for the peace conference carried on for days and often into the late hours of the night. Quatre was literally buried with work from the conference and his company. He was exhausted to say the least but he was determined to see through this conference.
A knock sounded on his door led him sighing. 'Just what I need. More work.' "Come in," he replied wearily.
"Still working. You have been at it for hours." Zariach commented as she entered with a steaming bowl in her hands.
"What are you doing here?" asked a very surprised Quatre.
"I made some soup and the boys insisted that you had some." Zariach now referred the corps as boys as they were still playing jokes on each other even though they are all grown up.
"Thank you. You shouldn't have."
"It's nothing. You might consider sleeping after you drink it. You look horrible."
Quatre smiled faintly as he drank the whole bowl down. It was mouth-watering and a welcome addition to his empty stomach. It was probably the best soup he had ever tasted. "Thank you again. You have no idea how much I needed it."
"I can probably guess," snickered Zariach as she lifted the bowl from his hands. "Go to sleep Quatre. You are working yourself to death."
Even though she helped brew tonics for him, Zariach also presented Quatre with another set of problems. She would usually disappear late at night and only return the next morning, reeking of alcohol. The corps did not find out until one night Abdul was going for a midnight snack and saw Zariach sneaking out. He thought that she was just going out to find something she dropped so he decided to wait inside for her. He did not expect her return at 4 am the next morning smelling of alcohol.
He was shocked to say the least about her going out alone at night. He was very worried when she came back barely coherent enough to recognize him. She had stumbled through the door right into his arms without the faintest idea where she was.
When she woke the next morning, she found that she was to be interrogated by the entire gang of worried men who where very concerned about her life. They gave her an entire list of reasons why she could not go out alone at night. They warned her that someone would on the look out from the security camera should she tried to go out alone again.
Zariach was trying her best to argue her way out but she found herself at a lost at how to outtalk forty stubborn men. She was claimed as the most devious of the Prefect soldiers and yet she could not outwit some over anxious men. It was an insult and a joke if the others ever found out.
Finally she gave up as she realized that she was not getting anywhere with her arguments. She however did not promise them that she would stay and thus found other ways and means to escape from the compound to go drinking. The men were trying their best to outwit Zariach but she always managed to get out anyway.
This gave them the opportunity to locate the leaks and gray areas of their security but Zariach seem to outsmart them all. The technicians welcomed this experience to challenge them as they felt like they have been resting since the end of the wars. The security was given a total face-lift and was so called impregnable except to Zariach.
Abdul tried to reason with her by telling her that he could drink with her. He even bought a series of wine just to encourage her to drink with him. She did and Abdul found out that she could really hold her liquor. Then the other men tried to drink with her but found out that her measure of wine was far beyond theirs. They were all dead drunk before she shown signs of getting drunk.
The wine also cost a lot of money, which they found out to their dismay. They could not afford to drink as much as they wanted to. As soon as they decided to stop buying wine, Zariach smiled and said, "You can't out drink me. Besides, you don't have enough money to buy enough wine to make me drunk."
They had no other choice but to let her off, as they could not find out how she managed to get out of the fortress, which they had built.
The more troubling news was that the extremist groups have set up bases in the desert to stop the peace conference. They had found many bases, which have been destroyed before they even set foot on them. There had been many attempts to disrupt the conference but were effectively stopped by the men.
The increase in hostile activity caused the men to worry even more about Zariach's safety as she went to town unguarded every night. They even had sentries outside her room to make sure that she did not go.
Zariach noticed this and decided to come a consensus. If she were to go out drinking, she would inform one of them instead of leaving them in the dark. The men knew it was not much but it was the best she had given them so far.
Zariach rarely went drinking anymore, much to their delight, as she seemed to be involved in a project of her own. She spent hours in her room or on one of the many balconies painting and drawing. They were very happy with it as they felt she was safer inside with all of them.
Zariach found their behavior amusing and heart warming. They were sincerely worried about her safety. She had never had someone worry so much about her yet. Her mother had only lived with her for three short weeks to her memory and was the only person other than those whom she had fought along side with who showed her a hint of human compassion.
It also made her sad to realize that she had barely any happy memories to share with them. They had shared many of their hilarious experiences with her yet there was not much that she could share with them that was not horrifying or depressing.
Yu-e had once asked her, "What would you do if there was no fighting?" Her answer was that she would die as she was born to fight. A world of peace had no place for her.
She had loved him very much. More than it was wise as she found out when he died. She had not eaten for days and nearly died if she had not been forced fed. Before he died, he had asked her to smile happily without bitterness for him to see. She had failed to do because she could not find something in her heart to make her feel happy enough to smile without seeming sad.
'How ironic life is? I sold my humanity in exchange for survival when I was younger and now I long for it to make the only blood kin I have happy.'
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