Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing. They belong to Bandai and
Sunrise. I'm just having a little fun and I don't make money off this,
so don't sue. However, the story concept and any characters I created
for the story are mine. Please don't use without permission.
Can be posted anywhere, please just ask me first.
_______________________________________________________________________
Christmas Wishes-Prologue
By Puu
_______________________________________________________________________
A.C. 187...
"What the fuck're you doin'?!"
A man stood in the middle of his ruined doorway and glared at the
soldiers, barring entry into the apartment. The soldiers shoved him
aside and started turning his furniture over.
"Now wait a minute..." the man started, but one of the soldiers grabbed
his arm and steered him into the corner.
"Sit," the soldier growled. The man remained defiant. The soldier's
hand flexed over the grip of his gun and the man slid to the ground.
"We won't be here too long."
The man watched helplessly as they dug through his cabinets, swept
under his bed, and pulled apart his closets. Nothing the small
apartment was left untouched.
"Nothing in here," barked a sergeant into his communicator. He
listened intently for a minute, then turned to the rest of the men.
"Move out. We still have to search the rest of the building." The
small patrol of soldiers left, leaving the man standing alone amidst
the ruins of his apartment.
***
Raised voices and shouts came from all over the neighborhood as dozens
of patrols ransacked each apartment. The whole street was blocked off,
with lights flooding every alley and entrance. A boy peered over the
window sill of an abandoned second floor apartment and watched as
soldiers swarmed the street below.
"What are we going to do?" The boy glanced at the girl next to him.
Her head was bowed and she curled her body around a box clutched
tightly to her chest. They both jumped as they heard the crash and
crunch of a breaking door one floor down. Shouts and angry yelling
rose.
The boy helped the girl to her feet. "Well, we're not staying here."
He looked around. They couldn't go out onto the streets while patrols
were searching for them. They couldn't move up a floor since every
apartment on the block was being ransacked. He remembered Solo saying
something about the apartment...
Something about a smuggling hold...
Footsteps thundered quickly up the stairs. The boy grabbed the girl by
the arm and hauled her into the kitchen. "C'mon, we're getting out of
here." He pulled the cabinets and cupboards opened and shut them when
he didn't find what he was looking for. He felt something that felt
like an outline of a door or a vent underneath the stove cupboards. He
pried his fingers under the edges and pulled. The cover came off.
Another loud crash sounded off very close. Soldiers were searching the
apartment next door. The boy took the girl and shoved her under the
sink. She wriggled inside and he climbed in after her. He then
reached out, closed the sink doors, took the vent cover, and jammed it
back in place. He crawled further into the vent and came up to a
larger space. He blinked. It was very dark, so he couldn't see where
he was going. He groped around. The girl grabbed his arm and pulled
him in further.
Her voice shook. "Where--how...?" The boy clamped his hand over her
mouth as they heard the apartment door crash in.
"Sh. They'll hear you," he muttered in her ear. They heard the
soldiers swarm into the apartment. The boy felt the girl grab his hand
and he squeezed gently.
The soldiers were now in the kitchen, judging from the distinct
thudding noises coming from the walls. They both flinched when a loud
hollow *thud-thud-thud* echoed into their little broom closet.
They held their breaths as the banging became more questioning and
insistent. The boy hoped that they wouldn't find the vent entrance.
"Sir, there's something hollow here."
The girl squeaked and the boy again clamped his hand over her mouth.
They flattened themselves against the wall and held still. The vent
door was forced opened. Lights flashed into the darkened place.
"See anything?"
...
"No, sir."
"See if you can--"
"Captain!"
"What is it, Sergeant?"
"The tenants are starting to riot. They're forming blockades and
refusing to let any of the us near the remaining buildings."
The boy and girl heard the captain snarl a few curses. "Call for some
reinforcements. Let's move."
The boy and girl heard the soldiers leave. The boy felt the girl sag
and slide down the wall. He sat down next to her and felt her shaking.
He put his arms around her and held her until the tremors stopped.
They didn't move for the rest of the night.
***
"Hey, we've gotta get out of here." The girl nudged the boy awake and
he yawned. "It's morning. We need to get this to the warehouse now."
"Is it safe?"
The girl shook her head. "I don't know. It sounds pretty quiet out
there."
They crawled out of the vent, the boy first to see if it really was
safe. The girl crawled out after him after he gave a little whistle.
She pushed out the box before her and the boy picked it up. He gave
her a hand and helped her up.
They left the apartment quickly, lightly stepping over the broken
furniture and debris from the ruined walls. They walked down the hall
and the boy opened the window leading out to the fire escape. They
climbed out and walked down the stairs. The boy lowered the ladder and
went down first. He ran to the end of the alley and looked around.
The girl came up and peeked around behind him. The whole street was
deserted except for soldiers guarding a group of people at the end of
the street. They watched as an army transport truck drove up and this
group was forced at gunpoint to get in.
The boy and girl pulled back and walked quietly the other way, to exit
the alley at the next street. It was empty. They darted across before
anyone could see them. They continued crossing over to the next street
and the next and each street was empty except for the soldiers on
patrol.
They kept moving. Progress was slow; there were no crowds to get lost
in, no people to impede pursuit. And soldiers at every corner checking
papers and identification. Once, while they were waiting for the
soldiers to change guard, a man came up to the corner checkpoint. They
took advantage of the patrol's distraction and slipped inside the next
building. They couldn't see what happened, but they heard shouts and
some scuffling. The girl pressed her fist to her mouth to muffle a sob
when the gunshots rang out.
They realized it was too dangerous to keep going during the colony's
day cycle. They waited until the night cycle, before sneaking out once
again. This time, beneath the shadows, they dodged patrols and slipped
by the corner checkpoints. They had a few close calls, but they made
it back to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the suburbs at
daybreak.
After checking around to see if the area was deserted, they walked up
to the side door. The boy turned to keep watch and the girl started
rapping her knuckles lightly on the door.
*tap-tap* pause *tap-tap-tap* pause *tap* pause *tap-tap-tap*
They waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The door finally screeched open. Another boy, a little older than
them, eyed them suspiciously. He said, "Get in."
They slipped in and the door was slammed shut behind them. "Did you
get the medicine?" The boy only whispered, but the sound seemed cold
and harsh against the quiet of the warehouse.
The girl hugged the box closer to her body. "We did. It's right
here." She looked at the guard, who nodded grimly. "What happened?"
she asked. "Who else?"
"Two more. Tori and Jack. Last night." The guard turned away and the
boy put his arm around the girl's shoulders.
"If we...if we..." she whispered and she glanced up at the boy.
He shook his head. "It's too late. Even if we got back, we would've
been too late." He looked at the guard's back. "How 'bout Solo?"
The guard looked back at them and shook his head. "I don't know."
The girl lifted her chin. "We've got the medicine, don't we? And
everyone else needs it. We're just gonna have to try." She opened the
box and started handing out the small bottles.
***
It hurt to breathe. His head ached. And his body. And his hair and...
"Solo?" His name came from somewhere above him. He shut his eyes
tighter. Maybe if he concentrated...
"Solo? Solo, wake up." A hand grasped his shoulder. He opened his
eyes to glare blearily at the owner of said hand. She stared back at
him, her blue eyes wide. "We got the medicine, Solo. Now you can get
better." He squinted and focused on her face, then her hand. He
heard whispering all around him and he could just make out some of the
healthier kids walking around giving something to the kids that were
sick. He looked back to the girl, who held out her hand. "C'mon,
Solo, take it."
He turned over. "No."
"B-but...Solo, you need the medicine. You need to get better. We need
you to get better. Please, take the medicine." She sounded close to
crying, so he turned back around to take a closer look at her. She
looked shocked, her eyes wide. He sighed. He didn't know how else
to tell her.
"I don't need it. Save it for yourself." His eyes slid closed, stayed
closed, and then opened again. "You'll need it more than I will." He
closed his eyes again.
"Solo? Solo!?" She became hysterical, and Solo could hear her shout
echo off the warehouse walls. She grasped his shoulder and started
shaking him. His eyes snapped open and he saw a couple of the kids
running up to see what was going on. The girl's brother stood right
behind her, the first one to respond to her cry.
"What's wrong? What's going on?" The boy knelt swiftly next to the
girl and grabbed her hand. She looked at him, tears shining from her
eyes.
"He won't take the medicine! He refused to take it!" Solo could see
the boy look confused and shocked. A crowd was starting to form
around them and Solo knew he had to stop everything and take control
before everyone panicked.
"You two stay," he whispered. In a louder rasp, he said, "Everyone
get back to work. He glared at each person gathered around him until
they reluctantly went away. The he turned his glare onto the two that
stayed.
The girl stared down at the medicine cupped in her hands. She looked
up and Solo saw a tear run down her cheek. He reached up to brush away
the tear and she turned away from the touch. Solo saw her eyes harden.
He glanced at her brother and saw him staring back defiantly. Solo
shook his head. They could be so alike and so different. The girl was
more cautious and quiet, while the boy took way too many risks. But
they looked alike, right down to the blue eyes. They had the same
smile, the same laughter.
The girl held out her hand once again. "Take the medicine, Solo. You
need to take the medicine."
Both were as stubborn as mules. Twins to the very fingertips.
"No," Solo said, shaking his head. "I don't need it. Save it for
someone who does."
The boy frowned, not understanding. "But--"
"No." Solo shifted in his blankets. There was no easy wat of saying
it. "It's too late. It won't work for me anymore. I'm too weak to
fight back."
"But--" they both said. Solo silenced them with a look, his face hard
for a minute. Then it softened as he regarded them somberly.
"It's too late for the medicine to take effect. Please, understand."
He sighed. "I wish we could have had more time together, but..." His
voice trailed off and the only sound was his harsh breathing. "Be
there for each other. Be strong and," he looked at the rest of the
ragged group behind the twins, "take care of them. Take care of each
other." He closed his eyes. "I think I need to rest now." The twins
nodded.
"You'll be there to watch over them, too, Solo. You'll always be with
us to see them through," whispered the boy.
Solo passed away that night.
***
Weeks later...
"Drink this." The boy held up his sister as she drank the water he
offered her. "I thought you were gonna leave too, Ducina."
"How long have I been out?" The girl whispered, leaning against his
shoulder, weak from the plague that had hit her like a sledgehammer.
"Ohh, I feel like crap."
"You sorta look like it too, Ducina...." She frowned as she heard what
he called her.
"What's with the name?" she asked. He grinned at her slightly peevish
tone.
"Well, since I've decided my name's gonna be Duo, your name's gonna be
Ducina, since you're my twin." He held her tighter, until she squeaked in
protest.
"..." Her brow furrowed as she thought about it.
For one second, he felt a tightness in his throat. "Don't like the
name?"
She twisted around to face him. She smiled. "...It's fine. In fact,
it's rather appropriate."
He raised his eyebrows. "Really? In what way?" He grinned in relief
when her eyes lit up.
"Well, ya see, since Solo's always gonna be with you and, of course,
I'd never leave you alone...." As they looked out of the window at the
moon, Ducina began to describe to Duo on the meanings of their names...
...to be continued
_______________________________________________________________________
I actually finished revising it! -_-;;
Revisions will be be coming out as soon as possible. If I can help it,
I will be updating once a week.
Sunrise. I'm just having a little fun and I don't make money off this,
so don't sue. However, the story concept and any characters I created
for the story are mine. Please don't use without permission.
Can be posted anywhere, please just ask me first.
_______________________________________________________________________
Christmas Wishes-Prologue
By Puu
_______________________________________________________________________
A.C. 187...
"What the fuck're you doin'?!"
A man stood in the middle of his ruined doorway and glared at the
soldiers, barring entry into the apartment. The soldiers shoved him
aside and started turning his furniture over.
"Now wait a minute..." the man started, but one of the soldiers grabbed
his arm and steered him into the corner.
"Sit," the soldier growled. The man remained defiant. The soldier's
hand flexed over the grip of his gun and the man slid to the ground.
"We won't be here too long."
The man watched helplessly as they dug through his cabinets, swept
under his bed, and pulled apart his closets. Nothing the small
apartment was left untouched.
"Nothing in here," barked a sergeant into his communicator. He
listened intently for a minute, then turned to the rest of the men.
"Move out. We still have to search the rest of the building." The
small patrol of soldiers left, leaving the man standing alone amidst
the ruins of his apartment.
***
Raised voices and shouts came from all over the neighborhood as dozens
of patrols ransacked each apartment. The whole street was blocked off,
with lights flooding every alley and entrance. A boy peered over the
window sill of an abandoned second floor apartment and watched as
soldiers swarmed the street below.
"What are we going to do?" The boy glanced at the girl next to him.
Her head was bowed and she curled her body around a box clutched
tightly to her chest. They both jumped as they heard the crash and
crunch of a breaking door one floor down. Shouts and angry yelling
rose.
The boy helped the girl to her feet. "Well, we're not staying here."
He looked around. They couldn't go out onto the streets while patrols
were searching for them. They couldn't move up a floor since every
apartment on the block was being ransacked. He remembered Solo saying
something about the apartment...
Something about a smuggling hold...
Footsteps thundered quickly up the stairs. The boy grabbed the girl by
the arm and hauled her into the kitchen. "C'mon, we're getting out of
here." He pulled the cabinets and cupboards opened and shut them when
he didn't find what he was looking for. He felt something that felt
like an outline of a door or a vent underneath the stove cupboards. He
pried his fingers under the edges and pulled. The cover came off.
Another loud crash sounded off very close. Soldiers were searching the
apartment next door. The boy took the girl and shoved her under the
sink. She wriggled inside and he climbed in after her. He then
reached out, closed the sink doors, took the vent cover, and jammed it
back in place. He crawled further into the vent and came up to a
larger space. He blinked. It was very dark, so he couldn't see where
he was going. He groped around. The girl grabbed his arm and pulled
him in further.
Her voice shook. "Where--how...?" The boy clamped his hand over her
mouth as they heard the apartment door crash in.
"Sh. They'll hear you," he muttered in her ear. They heard the
soldiers swarm into the apartment. The boy felt the girl grab his hand
and he squeezed gently.
The soldiers were now in the kitchen, judging from the distinct
thudding noises coming from the walls. They both flinched when a loud
hollow *thud-thud-thud* echoed into their little broom closet.
They held their breaths as the banging became more questioning and
insistent. The boy hoped that they wouldn't find the vent entrance.
"Sir, there's something hollow here."
The girl squeaked and the boy again clamped his hand over her mouth.
They flattened themselves against the wall and held still. The vent
door was forced opened. Lights flashed into the darkened place.
"See anything?"
...
"No, sir."
"See if you can--"
"Captain!"
"What is it, Sergeant?"
"The tenants are starting to riot. They're forming blockades and
refusing to let any of the us near the remaining buildings."
The boy and girl heard the captain snarl a few curses. "Call for some
reinforcements. Let's move."
The boy and girl heard the soldiers leave. The boy felt the girl sag
and slide down the wall. He sat down next to her and felt her shaking.
He put his arms around her and held her until the tremors stopped.
They didn't move for the rest of the night.
***
"Hey, we've gotta get out of here." The girl nudged the boy awake and
he yawned. "It's morning. We need to get this to the warehouse now."
"Is it safe?"
The girl shook her head. "I don't know. It sounds pretty quiet out
there."
They crawled out of the vent, the boy first to see if it really was
safe. The girl crawled out after him after he gave a little whistle.
She pushed out the box before her and the boy picked it up. He gave
her a hand and helped her up.
They left the apartment quickly, lightly stepping over the broken
furniture and debris from the ruined walls. They walked down the hall
and the boy opened the window leading out to the fire escape. They
climbed out and walked down the stairs. The boy lowered the ladder and
went down first. He ran to the end of the alley and looked around.
The girl came up and peeked around behind him. The whole street was
deserted except for soldiers guarding a group of people at the end of
the street. They watched as an army transport truck drove up and this
group was forced at gunpoint to get in.
The boy and girl pulled back and walked quietly the other way, to exit
the alley at the next street. It was empty. They darted across before
anyone could see them. They continued crossing over to the next street
and the next and each street was empty except for the soldiers on
patrol.
They kept moving. Progress was slow; there were no crowds to get lost
in, no people to impede pursuit. And soldiers at every corner checking
papers and identification. Once, while they were waiting for the
soldiers to change guard, a man came up to the corner checkpoint. They
took advantage of the patrol's distraction and slipped inside the next
building. They couldn't see what happened, but they heard shouts and
some scuffling. The girl pressed her fist to her mouth to muffle a sob
when the gunshots rang out.
They realized it was too dangerous to keep going during the colony's
day cycle. They waited until the night cycle, before sneaking out once
again. This time, beneath the shadows, they dodged patrols and slipped
by the corner checkpoints. They had a few close calls, but they made
it back to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the suburbs at
daybreak.
After checking around to see if the area was deserted, they walked up
to the side door. The boy turned to keep watch and the girl started
rapping her knuckles lightly on the door.
*tap-tap* pause *tap-tap-tap* pause *tap* pause *tap-tap-tap*
They waited.
And waited.
And waited.
The door finally screeched open. Another boy, a little older than
them, eyed them suspiciously. He said, "Get in."
They slipped in and the door was slammed shut behind them. "Did you
get the medicine?" The boy only whispered, but the sound seemed cold
and harsh against the quiet of the warehouse.
The girl hugged the box closer to her body. "We did. It's right
here." She looked at the guard, who nodded grimly. "What happened?"
she asked. "Who else?"
"Two more. Tori and Jack. Last night." The guard turned away and the
boy put his arm around the girl's shoulders.
"If we...if we..." she whispered and she glanced up at the boy.
He shook his head. "It's too late. Even if we got back, we would've
been too late." He looked at the guard's back. "How 'bout Solo?"
The guard looked back at them and shook his head. "I don't know."
The girl lifted her chin. "We've got the medicine, don't we? And
everyone else needs it. We're just gonna have to try." She opened the
box and started handing out the small bottles.
***
It hurt to breathe. His head ached. And his body. And his hair and...
"Solo?" His name came from somewhere above him. He shut his eyes
tighter. Maybe if he concentrated...
"Solo? Solo, wake up." A hand grasped his shoulder. He opened his
eyes to glare blearily at the owner of said hand. She stared back at
him, her blue eyes wide. "We got the medicine, Solo. Now you can get
better." He squinted and focused on her face, then her hand. He
heard whispering all around him and he could just make out some of the
healthier kids walking around giving something to the kids that were
sick. He looked back to the girl, who held out her hand. "C'mon,
Solo, take it."
He turned over. "No."
"B-but...Solo, you need the medicine. You need to get better. We need
you to get better. Please, take the medicine." She sounded close to
crying, so he turned back around to take a closer look at her. She
looked shocked, her eyes wide. He sighed. He didn't know how else
to tell her.
"I don't need it. Save it for yourself." His eyes slid closed, stayed
closed, and then opened again. "You'll need it more than I will." He
closed his eyes again.
"Solo? Solo!?" She became hysterical, and Solo could hear her shout
echo off the warehouse walls. She grasped his shoulder and started
shaking him. His eyes snapped open and he saw a couple of the kids
running up to see what was going on. The girl's brother stood right
behind her, the first one to respond to her cry.
"What's wrong? What's going on?" The boy knelt swiftly next to the
girl and grabbed her hand. She looked at him, tears shining from her
eyes.
"He won't take the medicine! He refused to take it!" Solo could see
the boy look confused and shocked. A crowd was starting to form
around them and Solo knew he had to stop everything and take control
before everyone panicked.
"You two stay," he whispered. In a louder rasp, he said, "Everyone
get back to work. He glared at each person gathered around him until
they reluctantly went away. The he turned his glare onto the two that
stayed.
The girl stared down at the medicine cupped in her hands. She looked
up and Solo saw a tear run down her cheek. He reached up to brush away
the tear and she turned away from the touch. Solo saw her eyes harden.
He glanced at her brother and saw him staring back defiantly. Solo
shook his head. They could be so alike and so different. The girl was
more cautious and quiet, while the boy took way too many risks. But
they looked alike, right down to the blue eyes. They had the same
smile, the same laughter.
The girl held out her hand once again. "Take the medicine, Solo. You
need to take the medicine."
Both were as stubborn as mules. Twins to the very fingertips.
"No," Solo said, shaking his head. "I don't need it. Save it for
someone who does."
The boy frowned, not understanding. "But--"
"No." Solo shifted in his blankets. There was no easy wat of saying
it. "It's too late. It won't work for me anymore. I'm too weak to
fight back."
"But--" they both said. Solo silenced them with a look, his face hard
for a minute. Then it softened as he regarded them somberly.
"It's too late for the medicine to take effect. Please, understand."
He sighed. "I wish we could have had more time together, but..." His
voice trailed off and the only sound was his harsh breathing. "Be
there for each other. Be strong and," he looked at the rest of the
ragged group behind the twins, "take care of them. Take care of each
other." He closed his eyes. "I think I need to rest now." The twins
nodded.
"You'll be there to watch over them, too, Solo. You'll always be with
us to see them through," whispered the boy.
Solo passed away that night.
***
Weeks later...
"Drink this." The boy held up his sister as she drank the water he
offered her. "I thought you were gonna leave too, Ducina."
"How long have I been out?" The girl whispered, leaning against his
shoulder, weak from the plague that had hit her like a sledgehammer.
"Ohh, I feel like crap."
"You sorta look like it too, Ducina...." She frowned as she heard what
he called her.
"What's with the name?" she asked. He grinned at her slightly peevish
tone.
"Well, since I've decided my name's gonna be Duo, your name's gonna be
Ducina, since you're my twin." He held her tighter, until she squeaked in
protest.
"..." Her brow furrowed as she thought about it.
For one second, he felt a tightness in his throat. "Don't like the
name?"
She twisted around to face him. She smiled. "...It's fine. In fact,
it's rather appropriate."
He raised his eyebrows. "Really? In what way?" He grinned in relief
when her eyes lit up.
"Well, ya see, since Solo's always gonna be with you and, of course,
I'd never leave you alone...." As they looked out of the window at the
moon, Ducina began to describe to Duo on the meanings of their names...
...to be continued
_______________________________________________________________________
I actually finished revising it! -_-;;
Revisions will be be coming out as soon as possible. If I can help it,
I will be updating once a week.