Love and Marriage
Everyone was at the chapel getting ready for the big ceremony. Pilots two through five were waiting for the call to start.
"Duo, are you sure you want to do this? We have always known that Heero is very important to you, so for you to do this--"
"Why do you ask that, Quatre? I have been happy with Hilde for four months."
"And you have been happy with Heero for four years! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"We will watch you in your ceremony, but I know that you cannot find peace with that woman."
"Wufei! How dare you say that!"
"Because it's true, Duo. I may speak few words to you, but I do watch you closely. You may love Hilde, but you are in love with Heero."
"Duo, I have reason to believe that Hilde is taking advantage of your position with your salvage company."
"Wufei, Trowa, both of you just shut up! This is my wedding day and I don't need you ruining it. Any of you!"
Everybody finally situated themselves in the chapel pews for the ceremony.
"If any one believes that these two people should not be united in holy matrimony, speak now, or forever hold your peace."
The silence in the chapel was deafening, as everyone looked around for someone to break the silence. The four pilots in the front row knew that Duo would be unhappy, but they didn't want to instigate it.
Then, from the back of the room came a voice, "I don't think that Duo and Hilde belong together."
Everybody turned their heads to the voice. A woman stood at the back of the chapel, leaning against the large, carved double doors.
"Why do you believe these two do not belong?"
"First of all, the police are here to arrest Hilde of embezzlement. Mr. Maxwell, do you know that she stole over ten million dollars from your company in the past four months? I think that must be a record."
There were many hushed exclamations of 'what?' 'oh my' and 'I can't believe it'. Then Hilde's voice pierced through the rumbling. "This is slander! There's no proof!"
Duo's second in command, Howard, stood up. "Yes there is, and the prosecutors have every detail of your scam down to the penny. They even have the prenuptial agreement."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Duo asked.
" 'In the case of accidental death of Duo Maxwell or the dissolvement of this marriage, Hilde Schbeikner will receive all monies from Gundam Salvage, Inc.' Of course, this is only if you DO marry her. It says nothing of stopping in the middle of the ceremony."
"That's a lie, Duo, believe me," Hilde pleaded with her fiancé. She ran to Duo and started pounding her fists on his chest.
The police walked in and hauled Hilde out of the chapel, still in her wedding dress.
"Now there are five special guests here and someone who arrived fashionably late for his own wedding." The five masters walked in, followed by pilot 01.
"If we are to have a wedding, at least lets get the right people married to each other."
Each master was holding a large jewelry box. In Dr. J's box were four matching rings, each with a small set of wings engraved on the blue gundamium band. The rings of Professor G's box were black, with a cross engraved on each one. The red rings of Doktor S's box had the half mask of comedy engraved on the outside and the tragedy mask on the inside. Instructor H's box held four green rings with a heart engraved on each one. Master O's held rings that were gold, with red dragons molded into the intricate weave of the rings.
"We now commence the marriage of Heero Yuy, Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Winner, and Wufei Chang."
"Huh?"
The pastor continued, "I was told that there would be problems marrying the five of you. A little birdie warned me ahead of time," he glanced over at the nameless woman, "We will now continue."
Heero began the unusual ceremony. He walked to Dr. J, took the first of the four matching rings out of the box and walked to Duo. "I, Heero Yuy, take you, Duo Maxwell, to be my lawfully wedded husband." He put the ring on Duo's finger, then kissed him deeply on the lips.
He took the second ring and walked to pilot 03, who was somewhat in shock, but stoic as usual. He said his vows to the part-time clown, slid the ring onto a slender finger, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
He took the third ring and walked to pilot 04, who wasn't really surprised, since his space heart told him this would happen. Heero said his vows to the multi-billionaire, slipped the ring onto his finger and gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.
He took the fourth ring and stood in front of pilot 05, who was pale as a ghost. Heero said his vows, slid the ring onto his finger and walked away without kissing him. Wufei stood there, tormented between relief, shock and hurt. He was never kissed by anyone before, and could have done without the extra audience, but he was hurt that the Perfect Soldier didn't think him perfect enough to kiss him.
Pilots 02 through 04 did the same, and they all didn't dare kiss pilot 05. By the time it was Wufei's turn, there was already much talk about why no one wanted to kiss him.
Then it was pilot 05's turn. He turned to the back of the chapel and said, "I can't do this."
"My Beloved," the woman said, "don't lie to your heart. It aches for love, too much, in fact." She walked up to the front and handed him a sword. "Do you remember this sword, Wufei?"
"This was the sword you gave me when you were chosen to be betrothed to me."
Gasps were heard all around the chapel.
"What?" Wufei asked of the unwanted audience. "I am the heir to the Chang dynasty and the figurehead of the Dragon Clan. I am expected to have a wife and children already."
Someone asked, "Do you have any children?"
"No."
"Actually, Wufei, you do. The elders are raising a test tube baby from you and me. And so your obligation to the clan is done."
"What!" Wufei yelled in shock.
"Your only obligation to the clan and dynasty was to produce an heir. The elders are running everything anyway, so it would be a waste for you to be there."
Wufei stood there, speechless.
The woman continued, "Can you read what is written on the hilt, Wufei?"
"Love, trust, honesty, respect, companionship."
"Do you know what that means, Wufei? Who do you truly love? Who do you love enough to trust?" She looked over at the other pilots. "You haven't been honest with yourself, but you were always honest with them," she said, pointing to the four pilots. "You rarely think that anyone can meet your high standards, yet you respect your fellow ex-Gundam pilots. When you needed companionship during the war, who was always there for you, Wufei?"
"But I was never there for them..."
The woman sighed. "Unsheathe the sword, Wufei. Do you remember what was carved there so many years ago? Long before there were Gundams or the war, this sword existed."
Wufei looked at the blade. His eyes widened as he began reading, "Oh my God!" Quatre walked over to Wufei. "What is it, Wufei?" He looked at the sword, "It's in Chinese. I can't read it."
"More accurately," the woman said, "it's in ancient Chinese. Only three people ever knew what it said."
"Who?" asked Duo.
"The one who carved it on the sword, and Wufei and myself of course. It was supposed to have our oath of dedication on there, but he had this carved instead. He thought I couldn't read it , but I knew when I set my eyes on that sword that we would never be together. Why don't you finally read the oath, to those whom you wrote it?"
Wufei looked at the woman, then to the four pilots. He knelt down in front of the four pilots and began to speak from his heart, for he didn't need the sword to know what he had to say, wanted to say, for so long.
"You are the light in my darkness.
You are the beacon to lead me home when I am lost.
I cherish you with every ounce of my existence.
You make my being whole.
You are the four points of a shining star, of which I am the fifth.
Without you I am incomplete, unable to glow.
I will follow you to the four corners of the earth to protect you.
I will beg the four Gods of the heavens to save you.
I will lay down my life for you unconditionally.
I will always be beside you, surrounding you.
You will be in my heart forever."
When he was done with his vow of eternal dedication, there was total silence in the house of God. Suddenly, there was a burning sensation in his chest, and when he removed his shirt to examine his torso, a dragon was emblazoned on the chest and back.
He then heard a click at the back of the chapel and knew that she had left for his own good. He knew that she would never be directly in his life again, yet he knew she would be beside him. He looked at the other pilots and saw that they were also in different stages of water works. He walked to the other pilots and examined their left hands, to find a matching dragon wrapped around each pilot's small finger. He kissed them, and whispered, "I love you," in their ears. After each pilot finally kissed pilot 05, there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Wufei looked at the huge scene the guests were making, and whispered to the other four pilots, "Let's go home," and they all ran out of the chapel before anyone could give them their blessings.
05/27/2002