Golden Sands

By Misanagi

Rating: PG

Pairing: N/A

Summary: Quatre walks in the desert, trying to reach Sandrock.

Warnings: Angst. Quatre's POV.

Archive: Gundanium Line

Notes: Gift fic written for Dysis. Merry Christmas!

Thanks to Anne for the beta hugs

I landed on the soft sand with a thump, losing my balance and falling on my knees. As I unbuckled the parachute, I saw the jet fall and crash into the sand, nose first. If I had been there, I would have died.

The Romefeller suits flew by without even circling once to make sure the occupant of the jet was dead. They were idiots; after all, they had fired without even waiting for me to identify myself.

From what I remember of my position, I still had a while to go before I reached the Maguanacs, which meant that I would have to do some walking in the desert. Noon had already passed, so hopefully the temperature would drop a few degrees in the next few hours. I didn't fool myself; it was going to be hell.

My father had taught me many lessons, which was surprising considering the amount of time he had spent in the office, and away from home. Many of those I used in my daily life, and there were some others that I was still struggling to comprehend. More than the company, the satellites, or the money, that was Father's legacy, his knowledge. I was still angry at him, and I guess it was because it's better to deal with anger than to deal with grief, but I pushed those thoughts aside. I needed to concentrate on what he had taught me. There would be time to mourn later.

"The first thing you should do when facing a substantial problem is to identify the things that need to be dealt with immediately." When my father had said those words I doubt he had in mind that one day I would be stuck in the desert, and using his business strategies to survive and fight. Life had too many ironies.

The first thing I needed to handle was my water supply and I also needed to find some kind of cloth to cover my head or I would be passing out before I had managed to get too far. When I had ejected from the jet I didn't have time to grab anything so my pack had been left behind.

I checked my canteen and noticed that it was full, but still that wasn't a lot. If I managed to get to the Maguanac camp, I would probably be heavily dehydrated by then. Taking a deep breath I began to walk. I would need to ration my water supply.

Seeing as it was better to burn my back than allow the sun to fall on my head without any protection, I took my vest and shirt off. I tied my shirt around my head and put my vest back on, covering at least some skin. This wasn't good, the sun was going to burn my skin quickly, not only making any movement painful but also weakening me. However, the fight wasn't over, and I would be damned if I let myself die walking in the desert instead of fighting.

"Focus only on what needs to be done at the moment. Push any other thought from your mind."

Walk and breathe. That was all I needed to do, walk and breathe. Inhale. Step, Exhale. Step. For a moment I thought I was losing my balance. I closed my eyes and steadied myself. Taking a small sip of water, I continued walking.

Inhale. Step, Exhale. Step.

There was something in the sand. I struggled to walk a little faster, until I was close enough to see what was there. It was my robe. I guess it must have flown out of the jet when I ejected. I was lucky that I had found it; I didn't think my shoulders could handle the sun anymore.

I took my shirt of my head and put it on, leaving the two top buttons open. It was damp with sweat, and it felt sticky and hot against my skin. The vest wasn't really necessary so I decided to leave it there. My robe would do a good job at shielding me from the sun. It was made of a cotton blend that made the fabric light but also protected me from the sun, and it had a hood. The only bad thing was that it was a dark brown, and would probably attract the sun more than a lighter tone, but anything was better than having my back burnt just so I could keep my head protected.

Feeling new strength fill my body, I started to walk again, determined to reach the Maguanac camp. The sound of my stomach told me that I was getting hungry. I had the urge to laugh at myself. Food surely wasn't a priority right then, and it wouldn't be for a while. I took another sip of water and decided to stop thinking about food and focus on my breathing again.

The sand was soft. I wasn't only in the desert, I was in the dunes. I was walking on mountains of sand. My body was tired and keeping myself up was getting harder and harder. That's why I was so relieved when I found a wooden staff, almost buried beneath the sand. I dug it out and used the staff for support. 'Yes,' I said to myself. 'I can go on, just a little longer.

Pulling on the sleeves of the robe, I tried to hide my hands. The sun wasn't as strong but by now, every ray of sun that touched my skin was agony. I kept my head bowed, looking only at the sand, and shielding my face. I coughed. I was inhaling sand with every breath I took. After spiting, I put some of the robe's hood above my mouth and nose, and continued walking.

The heat was becoming unbearable. I took a small sip of water, and for an instant, fear took over me when I realized it was the last. I fell to my knees and tried to use the staff to stand, but the wood broke with a crack.

If my mouth hadn't been so dry, I would have laughed bitterly. I was as good as dead.

"I will not die this way." I had meant to shout the words, but they came as a hoarse whisper. Taking strength from my determination, I forced my body to stand up again and walk. If I was to die, I would at least die walking.

Inhale. Step, Exhale. Step.

Sandrock was near. I just needed to walk a bit more and I would reach it. My beautiful Sandrock.

My legs felt weak, and weren't able to carry my weight anymore. I fell to my hands and knees, breathing heavily, trying to calm my accelerated hart beat and to will the dizziness away. Suddenly I could distinguish some sounds in the distance. "That sound..." Those were Mobile Suits firing; a battle was being fought very close by.

The adrenaline finally kicked in. I pushed myself up and started to run towards the sounds of war. I was almost there. Moments later I could see it. The Maguanac Corps were battling Romefeller Leos and Mobile Dolls.

I ran, and pushed down my hood, waving my hand and waiting for someone to notice me. The soreness and exhaustion was mostly forgotten. I had made it.

A cockpit opened and Auda stepped out. "You came back," he greeted.

"Water," I said, surprised at the force of my voice.

Auda threw a canteen at me and I drank the whole thing in a gulp, feeling my strength return to me.

"We have something for you, Master," he said.

"I know," I replied, smiling. "I came back for it."

And now that I had Sandrock back, it was time to start fighting again.

- The End –