A New Life
By Tenko Shadow Reaver Strife
(Part 1)
Tenko turned the tiny crystal in her hands, watching the way the light shimmered off of it in tiny shards of light. "So this thing can really grant wishes?" she asked, looking up at Cathabad and quirking one eyebrow in his direction.
"Indeed, Daughter-in-law," he replied with a tiny nod of his head. "However, it can only grant the wish if the person is being true to his-or-herself; and the crystal can read the desires of the wish-maker." The ancient Druid paused, then continued: "You could solve all your problems with the right wish, and you could cause even more if you are untrue to yourself."
Tenko blinked as the elder left the room, leaving her alone to ponder her wish. I could solve all my problems, or I could create more, she thought, turning the crystal again to watch the light dance off it again. What wish could I possibly make that would keep the guys from fighting over me and the girls from trying to kill me!
Her eyes lit up as the perfect wish came to her, and she smiled slightly. Tenko closed her eyes and clasped the crystal to her chest, barely whispering the wish on the off chance that the old ghoul was listening from somewhere nearby.
"I wish that the person I would be happiest with was my fiancé, and that my other engagements were canceled." That should clear everything up, she thought as she opened her eyes and stood to leave. A sudden wave of nausea hit her, causing her to falter. She gave a tiny cry as the world around her went black.
Ooooh, my head, Tenko moaned mentally as she regained consciousness. She blinked her eyes open slowly, becoming aware of several things at the same time. The first was that she was lying in a soft, warm bed. How she got there was impossible to tell.
The second was that the room was not one with which she was familiar. She obviously wasn't in the Tamraen's guestroom, and she'd been at Rohan's enough to know it wasn't his living quarters either.
The third was that there was someone in the room with her. The person was leaning against the bed, head lowered into arms and breathing softly, fast asleep. Tenko had no idea who it was, so did not know whether the person was a friend or foe.
Tenko groaned as she tried to sit up, one hand flying to her head as pain shot through her skull. Her movement brought the person sleeping beside the bed to full wakefulness, and concerned violet eyes caught hers. "What do you think you're doing!" the boy demanded in a surprisingly soothing voice as he pushed Tenko gently back down onto the bed. Tenko lay back and blinked up at the other teen. Dark violet eyes that shined with some hidden warmth, messy chestnut-brown hair that seemed to be untamable but somehow made him more endearing-
Endearing! Wake up, Tenko, you must've hit your head pretty damn hard when you passed out! This is a STRANGER for Kami's sake!
"You were hit pretty hard during that last battle," the chestnut-brown-haired teen continued, the soothing tone never leaving his voice. Tenko blinked again and asked the question that had been plaguing her ever since she opened her eyes and found herself here-wherever "here" was.
"Who are you?"
Hurt flashed into those violet pools for a moment, and Tenko instantly regretted her words. She quickly added, "I'm sorry, I'm just having a little trouble remembering anything right now. I can't even remember what happened."
The hurt faded away, replaced with concern once more. "Your mobile suit took a direct hit, and you were thrown from it. You've been unconscious for three days, Tenko. As for who I am, I'm a little hurt that you don't remember your own fiancé, but considering-"
Tenko didn't hear the rest. She'd fainted at the word "fiancé".
Duo sighed and lay his head back down on the bed. It was going to be a very long week.
(Part Two)
Tenko slowly regained consciousness, blinking her eyes at the glare from the sun filtering in through the window. This time, however, she was alone in the room, no sign of her "fiancé" anywhere. If she had found herself in her own room at the Tamraen dojo, or even Rohan's living quarters or the back room of the Angus', she would have believed it to have been no more than a dream.
However, it was the same room she'd awoken in earlier, and she sighed to herself as she sat up.
Guess it wasn't a dream, after all, she mused to herself, reaching up a hand to run through her hair. She hesitated when she caught sight of the ring on her hand, but forgot it when she realized her hair was loose and... longer!
Jumping out of the bed-and, by the way, quickly regretting the motion-Tenko rushed over to the vanity mirror and glanced herself over. Her eyes were still the same crystalline green they'd always been, and her hair was still the same raven-black. However, it was currently out of its familiar (and comforting) braid, and was about hip-length. The old woman would kill me if she ever saw my hair this long! she thought, then seconds later added That is, she would if she was here. But she's not, and I kinda like it.
At least you had a mother... even if she was a prick.
Tenko started and looked over her shoulder. No one had entered the room, but she was absolutely positive she'd just heard someone speaking...
Of course you did, baka! And if you wanna see who it was, turn back around!
The thoroughly confused teen turned back to the vanity mirror and thought Great, now I'm hearing voices!
Not just any voices, Tenko, hon; you're talking to yourself. Literally.
Don't tell me I have a split personality now! she thought, seriously contemplating banging her head against the wall.
Nothing so mundane. And please don't go hitting our head against the wall. You might draw unnecessary attention to, um, us. Tenko nearly laughed. Here she was, having a complete conversation with a voice in her head.
Okay, care to explain to me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!
Sheesh, don't yell! I'm right here! The voice-let's call it Tenko 2-sighed and began to speak again: Somehow, you were transported from whatever reality you dwell in to here, my reality. I've been a bit displaced at the moment, but looking over the way things work where you come from, Tenko, I don't mind sharing the space at all!
What do you-
Your memories. They contradict mine a lot. Point 1, you grew up with a mother, even if she was a total nimrod. Point 2, you were forced into three engagements you didn't want and had one crazy guy after you as well. Point 3, every female you might have been attracted to-
HEY! What's that supposed to mean!
I'll ignore that outburst for the moment. Point 3, every female you might have been attracted to was bent on killing you or at least beating the shit outta you. My own memories are tons different, but I'm not going to force 'em all on you at once.
Tenko felt the other voice fading slightly, and nearly panicked. She was still very confused about what was happening to her. Where are you going!
T2 sounded amused when it replied. I'll be around. We're going to have to merge eventually, so I'm just gonna slip back for a while. Play the amnesia thing up for a while. You have been unconscious for three whole days and drifting in and out for half the fourth. Trust me, you'll love it here.
Tenko blinked and stared into the mirror, wondering if her other half, for lack of any better term, had anything else to say. Apparently, it was serious about hanging in the background, because nothing else came to her. The dimensionally displaced teen sighed and leaned her head against the mirror. She ran her hands through her hair again, once more hesitating momentarily when she caught sight of the ring, and grimaced. Her hair was in dire need of washing.
"Hey, you're awake!"
Tenko turned his head to see that another boy had walked into the room. It wasn't the same boy from earlier, though; this boy had long brown hair that was pulled back into a neat braid that fell just beyond his hips and was probably even longer unbounded, and smiling cobalt eyes. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Tenko. You had us scared for a while, woman."
Not wanting to seem rude, Tenko merely blinked at the other teen, a confused expression on her face. The other boy picked up on it instantly and hit himself in the forehead.
"Baka me!" he exclaimed. "I forgot about that whole amnesia thing! I'm Heero, Heero Yuy." He frowned slightly, then turned on the smile again. "Did you want some help washing your hair? It has been four days since you've washed it."
"Thank you," the other teen said with a sigh, allowing herself to be lead to the bathroom across the hall. They probably put me in this room so that whoever stayed up with me-
Duo.
-wouldn't have to be away for very long on the off chance that I woke up. Tenko was grateful for the help, and pleasantly surprised when she didn't turn into a youko (fox-demon) when the cold water hit her. Author's note: Tenko was in a tank-kinnie
"Sorry about the water," Heero said apologetically. "The hot water heater broke yesterday. Wu says it's all my fault, but I didn't see him taking too many cold showers!" The playful tone in the other boy's voice made it very difficult for Tenko to think too seriously about anything at the moment, and she fell silent and allowed the boy to chatter about the events of the past four days with her.
"I feel like an outsider," Tenko mumbled in a low tone. "I can't remember much of anything right now." She had the feeling that her other half would provide a few more answers later, but for the moment she felt helpless. And if there was one thing Tenko hated more than anything, it was feeling helpless.
"Don't worry, Ten-chan," Heero said cheerfully, grabbing a towel to help the other teen dry her hair. "I'm sure everything will come back to you eventually."
Tenko stopped drying her hair for a moment to give Heero a curious look. "You seem kinda familiar," she said finally; it was true, mainly due to the fact that during the boy's chatter, Tenko felt an odd sense of familiarity and old friendship.
Heero beamed at her. "See, you're getting your memories back already. We've known each other since we were kids on L2. The only survivors of Yuy Church."
Tenko felt her stomach sink, and asked, "Survivors?"
Heero took one look at the other teen, sighed, and led her back to the room. Once there, he began to tell Tenko about the massacre at Yuy Church so many years ago.
Tenko lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. She'd been in a contemplative mood ever since Heero had told her about their shared past. Several things had struck a very familiar chord in her, and she knew that was the influence of T2 merging with her. If things kept going at this rate, it would only be a matter of months before the two Tenko's merged into one complete being.
She fingered her long braid and frowned to herself. At least now I understand why I wear my hair so long. It's the only thing that's stayed by me besides Heero in this world.
Congrats. You just managed to piece together part of the puzzle yourself.
Yeah, she sighed mentally. I still don't know much about anything though, and what about-
At that point, as if right on cue, Duo walked into the room. The other teen's eyes lit up when they feel upon Tenko, who turned her head to the side and smiled slightly. He's cute, she admitted to herself.
Oh, you're just gonna love him! T2 replied. Trust me, I'll help you out while you're sleeping tonight.
"Hey," he said aloud. "Heero said something about an emergency...?"
Duo sighed and sat down next to other youth. "Yes," she replied, never taking her eyes off Duo. Heero said she seemed to be remembering a few things earlier. I wonder if-stop it, Maxwell. She'll remember with a little time. "OZ got hold of the remains of your Gundam. Trowa, Wufei, and I went to destroy the base and dispose of any remaining gundainium."
Tenko's head snapped up at the mention of the Gundam, and her eyes had widened marginally when he'd mentioned destroying the remains. Duo missed none of this. "OZ got hold of Vampire?" she asked. At Duo's nod, Tenko jumped up from the bed and walked over to the window. "How did I know that name?" she asked herself aloud.
"Sally said that your memory would return in bits and pieces, and not necessarily in any particular order," Duo replied. Tenko turned slightly to regard him. Silhouetted against the sunset, crystal-green eyes wide and questioning, she was a vision. Duo smiled slightly in spite of himself. It was moment like these that reaffirmed his love for the beautiful former-OZ pilot(1).
"I'm sorry I can't remember much of anything about you, or us," Tenko apologized sincerely. She was truly finding herself drawn to this boy, and was curious as to how they had gotten together in the first place. To her surprise, Duo smiled and stood, walking across the room to join her at the window.
Pressing a quick kiss on Tenko's cheek, he softly said, "It will all come back to you in time. Just remember, I'm here for you always." Another half-smile, then he walked across the room and closed the door silently behind him.
Tenko tentatively reached up and touched her cheek. A slow smile crossed her face, and she sank slowly to the floor. She truly hoped that Duo and T2 were right about the memories of her life in this world becoming as clear as those of the life she'd left behind were.
Although Tenko didn't realize it at the time, the memory of her other life were already fading away...
(1) OZ pilot! I'll explain in Part Three, I promise!
(Part 3)
Tenko whimpered softly and rolled over onto her side, curling up into a tight little ball and clutching her braid with both hands. Duo couldn't help but smile at the sight, his fiancé was just so cute when she was sleeping. A soft knock came on the door, and Wufei slipped into the room quietly.
"Why don't you go get some sleep, Maxwell?" he asked in a low tone. "You haven't even been to your own room once in the past four days." Before Duo could argue, the Chinese pilot continued, "I'll sit up with her for a while. It's the least I can do."
The Hell pilot considered this for a moment before nodding his head slightly. It wasn't all that long ago that Wufei would been in a similar situation.
"I could use a little sleep," he finally admitted aloud. Heero entered the room at that moment and faked a swoon at Duo's comment.
"The perfect soldier needs sleep! We've been gypped!" Wufei shook his head, but couldn't suppress a grin at his boyfriend's actions. Duo himself seemed to be torn between chuckling at the baka or dragging himself out of the room. He finally settled on the later and, after pressing a soft kiss to Tenko's forehead, headed for his own room.
Heero picked himself up from the floor and moved to the bedside next to Wufei. Wrapping his arms securely around the Chinese boy's waist, he rested his chin on his shoulder and sighed softly. "She's finally sleeping?"
"Yes," Wufei answered, placing his own hands over Heero's and leaning back against him. "I keep thinking that she'll wake up any time and be the same irrepressible baka she's always been."(1)
Heero laughed softly and closed his eyes. "I know what you mean, Wu-chan. Remember, I've been there."
The two boys fell silent, curled up together in the chair by the bed, watching over their friend and fellow pilot.
Tenko dreamed. Or, more correctly, Tenko was beginning to remember life in this particular timeline.
The braided youth walked slowly down the corridor, wincing as her body protested every move she made. The girl clutched her side and said a silent prayer of thanks that she hadn't been beaten too severely this time-she was, of course, expected to show up at her workstation in the morning.
I hate this damned place , she thought to herself as she slowly made her way to the infirmary. But if I want to be a pilot, I have to stay and take what they dish out. A wry smile crossed her face as she added At least this time they were considerate enough to use lubricant.
The Japanese teen punched in the access code to the infirmary. For the seven months that she'd been in OZ, she had secretly come down here at least once a week to patch herself up after the 'attention' lavished upon her by the older soldiers. If the officers knew anything about what went on after hours, they made no mention of it. So Tenko took it upon herself to tend to any injuries she sustained, and eventually stopped struggling with her attackers.
As the door swooshed open, she was surprised to find that she wasn't the only one paying the infirmary a late night visit. Another teen, about the same age as Tenko herself was, whirled around at the sound of the door opening. Violet eyes regarded her coldly from behind the barrel of a gun, and the braided teen shivered involuntarily. Is he one of those Gundam pilots the informants keep telling us about? she thought, blinking her own crystal-green eyes. Who the hell cares, really? If he's going to shoot me, though, I wish he'd hurry up and do it before I pass out!
Almost the instant she completed the thought, pain jolted through her bruised side and she whimpered softly as she collapsed to the floor. She instinctively curled up into a ball and wrapped her arms around herself, waiting for the tremors wracking her to subside. Unnoticed, the violet-eyed teen lowered his gun, blinking as he did so. He had never thought of OZ as anything more than a military organization, certainly he hadn't thought of the soldiers as actual people. But seeing the raven-haired, light-eyed teen curled up on the floor, something akin to sympathy filled his heart.
Crouching beside the crumpled teen, he placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her gently. "Are you okay?"
Tenko lifted her head slightly, pain in her eyes. The dark-haired teen was taken aback by what she saw reflected in the depths of those eyes: fear and disgust with everything that had happened to her mixed in with the pain, with a fair amount of... guilt?
"Haven't been for a long time now," she said in a wavering voice. Gods, I'm going to pass out. Why did someone have to be here to see me like this? She didn't have time to think about anything else, for at that moment the oblivion of unconsciousness claimed her.
She felt herself slowly reawakening. Usually she found herself wherever she'd been when she passed out, most likely the floor of the infirmary or a hallway somewhere. On rare occasions she'd find herself safe and sound in her own room (the teen suspected that either Trize or Zechs had something to do with that-both men seemed to be rather fond of her for some reason).
This time, she had no clue where she was. The blanket that covered her was definitely not one the military issue sheets of her own bed or the infirmary; now that she thought about it, the bed was soft and warm, and she felt, for the first time in a very long time, safe.
Cracking open her eyes, she caught sight of two women in the room with her. One had honey-blonde hair pulled over her shoulders in a pair of twists that fell just below her collarbone. Blue-gray eyes flitted over to her and smiled warmly at her, and she spoke in Chinese-at least, she assumed it was Chinese-to the other, younger woman. The other female had the same blue-gray eyes, but her own hair was a lovely pale shade of lavender, carefully styled in twin braids that fell well past her waist. One braid was pulled over her left shoulder, and she turned to blink at Tenko.
"You're finally awake," she said in a lilting soprano voice. "You had us worried for quite a while."
Tenko groaned as she pulled herself into a seated position, raising one hand to her aching head and trying to cover up as many injuries as she could but it was no use, what she had on was a top to a tank-kinnie, which didn't help at all. As if reading her mind, the blond spoke up gently. "We've tended to the worst of your injuries. I'm a doctor; my name is Sally Po. This is my niece Deedra." The lavender haired girl smiled shyly and waved her fingertips at her.
"Hello," the teen said, still feeling a little weak. "Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but how did I get here from the OZ installation?"
"Duo brought you here," Deedra offered with another tiny smile. "Whether it was because you needed help or because you're with OZ is beyond me, though," she added thoughtfully.
Tenko blinked her crystal-green eyes. "Duo?" she repeated, tilting her head to one side and regarding the two women in confusion.
As if right on cue, the Gundam pilots all entered the room. Tenko turned her head, eyes widening slightly when she recognized not one, but two of the pilots: the violet-eyed youth she had encountered in the infirmary, and-
"Heero?"
Heero's eyes looked about ready to pop out of his head as well. "Tenko Strife!" he squeaked, then turned quickly to face the stoic teen fixing him with an inquisitive look. "Where the hell did you find her, anyway, Duo!"
Tenko never heard whatever Duo had to say to the other pilots. All she heard was a startled cry-maybe it was the blonde who did it; the boy with the bang didn't seem the type-as she collapsed back onto the bed again, darkness settling once more as one final thought crossed her mind:
My best friend... is a Gundam pilot!
Tenko's eyes blinked open, and she glanced around the room in confusion. Her gaze fell upon Wufei and Heero, who had fallen asleep in the armchair, and she relaxed a bit. Only to find herself wondering where the hell Duo was seconds later.
He really did save my life, she thought with a small frown as she climbed out of the bed, wincing slightly at the pain in her side. Glancing down at the bruise, she grimaced. That's fairly new; those bruises are all faded now... thank god. Crossing the room silently, she shot a parting look over her shoulder at the two pilots-two of her friends-and silently slipped out of the room. She wasn't sure how she knew the way, but she soon found herself outside the door to what she knew was her room.
Her's and Duo's room.
Pushing the door open quietly, Tenko slipped into the room and crossed over to the bed. She crouched down beside it, a small smile crossing her features as she looked at Duo's peaceful sleeping face.
You'd never know he was a terrorist watching him like this, Tenko thought, and reached out to brush a lock of hair off the boy's sleeping face. The hair, of course, fell right back into place, causing the bright-eyed teen to snicker softly. He's so cute like this.
Starting to feel better?
This time, she didn't start at the other voice. It was beginning to sound more and more like her own. Hai, I am. But...
But what? T2 asked, confusion evident in her voice.
Tenko spoke aloud, more to hear herself in the silence than to actually question her fiancé (it was becoming easier to think of him as such): "Why did you take me away from there, Duo? I was no more than an OZ soldier, and no threat to anyone. Even if they'd completed Vampire, I would never have been able to fly it in the condition I was in." She rested her head on the bed, crystal-green eyes tenderly regarding the sleeping teen. "Did you just want to capture an OZ soldier? Did you think you could force them to cease work on the project? Or were you truly concerned for me as a person?" She sighed and crawled onto the bed, resting her head against Duo's chest. As she listened to the soothing sound of the boy's heartbeat, she closed her eyes and whispered, "I never understood why. I hope one day you'll tell me your reasons, my love."
"Tenko? What are you doing in here?" The soft soprano came from the open doorway, and was just above a whisper so as not to disturb the sleeping pilot. Tenko lifted her head and caught sight of the lavender haired girl standing in the hall. For a moment, she was confused as to who she was.
Diredre? No, the hairstyle's all wrong. Lavender hair, braids-
"Gomen, Deedra," she replied softly, climbing off the bed reluctantly and crossing back over to the door. "I woke up and didn't know where Duo was."
Deedra Po smiled warmly at her friend. "Aunt Sally said your memory was starting to return a little. You found your way to your own room without any problem," she said brightly, though still in a whispery tone because of the others sleeping in the house. "That's a good sign. Do you remember much of anything else?"
Hands holding her down, beating her when she struggled, clamping over her mouth to keep her from screaming while they took turns with her body...
She shuddered involuntarily, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. "A little," she mumbled. "Not all stuff that I want to remember, either."
Deedra nodded sympathetically. "Our memories make us who we are," she said in a sad voice. "I wish you didn't have to remember those ones, though." She wrapped her arms loosely around her friend and pulled her into a gentle embrace. For some reason, Tenko would half-expected her to glom her tightly and purr about taking her on a date. But the embrace remained gentle and friendly, not possessive. "Now then," she said matter-of-factly, slipping into 'serious doctor mode', "let's get you back to bed. You're still recovering from the crash."
Tenko smiled softly and allowed herself to be led down the hall to the guestroom. She found herself liking this girl...
(1) Gee, don't you wish you had friends who said such nice things about you?
(Part Four)
"Refresh my memory here, Heero..."
"Uh-oh... what now, Ten-chan?"
"How often does Wing's self detonate work?"
"Oh, I dunno... never."
"Okay, and what about Shenlong/Nataku/whatever the fuck we're callin' it this week-"
"If you weren't Heero's best friend I'd hurt you..."
"Yeah, yeah, love you too, Fei. Answer the damned question."
Shrug. "Never had to use it."
"And Hell's?"
"Works too damned well for my peace of mind!"
"What are you getting at, Tenko?"
Duo, from where he was currently typing, perked up slightly. He was curious as to where the hell his fiancé was going with this train of thought himself.
Tenko sighed and threw herself facedown on the sofa. "So when the hell did Vampire decide to start self detonating every freakin' time things look bad?" She added under her breath, but just loud enough for Duo to catch, "Maybe I should start callin' her 'Hell Junior'..."
Heero barely muffled his laughter, earning a slight scowl and a pillow to the face from the ebony-haired former OZ pilot. Duo found himself shaking his head and smiling slightly. Only Tenko could evoke such feelings of warmth and contentment within the Perfect Soldier.
As he had almost from the very first moment the pair met...
The mission was, surprisingly, a bit more complicated than he'd thought it would be. His thought process had been quite simple: Get in. Get the plans for the new Gundam OZ was building. Get out.
If I'd have known how close to completion the Gundam really was, I would have had Heero and Wufei come along to blow up the base. He smiled slightly to himself; he would have never thought those two would make such a good team. It was even more surprising how well each seemed to complete the other-Heero was the life and laughter, while Wufei was the stealth and cunning. And watching Quatre and Trowa together... Duo shook his head and returned to downloading files from the remote computer in the infirmary.
Heero and Wufei, Quatre and Trowa... they've all paired off quite nicely, he thought idly as his fingers typed automatically from years of conditioning. He paused as a single thought blazed through his subconscious mind: I'm the only one who's alone.
The sound of the door sliding open startled him, and he drew his gun as he whirled around. He nearly dropped the gun when he realized that the girl standing in the doorway was probably no older than himself. Crystal-green eyes blinked at him, no fear shining within them. Duo knew he was staring, but couldn't seem to pry his own violet eyes away. The other teen was clad in an OZ uniform, but her waist-length black braid was definitely not regulation. And the teen's fragile appearance... it stunned Duo to the core that OZ could let one of their own soldiers fall into such a state.
Or was she like this when she joined up? he thought. And if so, how could they even allow someone like her into their military!
A sudden pained whimper erupted from the other teen, and she crumpled to the floor. The teen curled up into a ball, clutching her sides and shivering as she continued to whimper in pain. Duo blinked and lowered his gun slowly, walking to the other Japanese-oh, yes, that had been the first thing he'd noticed-the teen's side. She's... hurt, he thought, frowning slightly even as he reached out to gently shake the girl. "Are you okay?" he asked softly.
Damn it, why do I even care! She's part of OZ, she's the enemy, she-
Any other mental arguments died the moment those pained-filled crystal-green eyes locked with his own. The pain was most prominent, with fear and disgust added for good measure. What made Duo feel like killing every damned soldier in the place-aside from the pale-eyed teen-was the guilt lingering in the back of those beautiful eyes-
Did I just think that! But... but she does have pretty eyes-
"Haven't been for a long time now," the girl replied in a wavering voice; then her eyes fluttered and her head hit the floor with an audible thud. Duo blinked, trying to figure out his feelings at the moment; then he carefully picked up the girl. He was shocked at just how light she really was, and reaffirmed his vow to kill every soldier in this base in the hopes of getting whoever had hurt this fragile soldier.
I don't even know your name, he thought to the ebony-haired girl as he carefully slipped out the same way he'd come in (he was even more careful this time; he didn't want to drop the poor pathetic child he was holding).
But I promise that I won't let any of them hurt you ever again.
I swear it.
"Oi, Duo, did you get the plans?" Heero asked as he dropped onto the couch next to the stoic Japanese pilot. His only response was a glare and a barely audible death threat. "I'll take that as a 'NO'," the braided teen said cheerfully; his grin brightened as his Chinese love walked past the room, and he tackled the unsuspecting teen with a cry of "Feeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeei-chan!" Duo frowned thoughtfully and stood, walking down the hall. Wufei noticed his hasty retreat and, pushing Heero off his back in the process, clambered to his feet and followed the chestnut-haired teen. "You never did tell us about this soldier you brought back from the base," the black-eyed boy said; Heero's eyes widened, and he quickly latched onto Duo's arm.
"You captured an OZ pilot!"
"I don't know if she's a pilot or not," Duo said, his frown deepening as Quatre and Trowa joined them in the hall. "All I'm sure of is that she was..." he paused, searching for an appropriate word before settling on, "abused while working for them."
"What are you hoping for, Duo?" Trowa asked, visible eye focused on the Japanese teen. Duo glanced back over his shoulder, eyes unreadable.
What am I hoping for? he wondered, saying aloud, "No one deserves to be treated in that manner, Trowa. It's dishonorable."
At Wufei's nod of agreement, Duo turned and continued to the temporary infirmary that Sally and her niece Deedra had set up in the guestroom. He was hoping that the girl had regained consciousness, if only for the reason that he'd at least be able to learn the chick's name.
The black-haired teen was awake, when they entered the room. Duo scolded himself mentally for staring as those crystal-green eyes turned to regard the five of them. Her eyes went wide, and she half-whispered a name that was familiar to all the pilots:
"Heero?"
Cobalt eyes flew wide, and the braided pilot of Wing squeaked, "Tenko Strife!" before turning quickly to face Duo. "Where the hell did you find her, anyway, Duo!"
The Japanese teen rubbed his temple before softly replying, "The infirmary." Quatre's small startled cry cut off anything Heero might have said, and all five whirled around to see Tenko collapse onto the bed again. Deedra quickly moved over to them and pushed them gently towards the door.
"Shoo, shoo," she said, warm smile in place despite the worry in her violet eyes. "She's still very weak, and Aunt Sally thinks she might actually be in the early stages of shock." The girl closed the door behind her, then leaned heavily against it with a sigh. "Her eyes are haunted," she lamented softly. "I've never seen so much pain in anyone's eyes... not even Tsu's."
The five pilots nodded in silent agreement. Mu Tsu Chang was a member of Wufei's clan, and had been a noble warrior before the destruction of L5. He'd somehow survived, but had been blinded by the flash of the explosion. Those beautiful teal eyes were completely sightless now, but could still reflect emotions clearly... and the pain that would flash through them whenever anyone mentioned the colony was almost more than anyone could bare. Deedra had been with her aunt when Wufei had hauled his cousin through the front door of their safe house, pleading for someone to help him with the slightly taller boy. The girl's heart had gone out to the blind warrior in the instant; and wherever Deedra Po went, it was almost a given that Tsu wasn't very far away.
As if waiting for his cue, the blind teen seemed to appear suddenly in their midst. Sightless teal eyes seemed to seek out Deedra of their own will, and he placed one hand on her shoulder. "It seems that our friend has seen more of the darker side of life than anyone should at our age," Tsu said in his soothing tenor. Deedra closed her eyes and leaned against her beloved friend, taking strength in his mere presence.
... Seen more of the darker side of life than anyone should at our age. That phrase rang through Duo's mind, and without a sound, he turned and made his way towards the hangar. The remaining six teenagers exchanged a look-Tsu shook his head with a wry smile as he heard the other boy move away-and quickly followed him, their curiosity getting the better of them.
Duo turned, locking eyes with Wufei. "Feel like blowing anything up today?" he asked mildly, even though there was a glimmer of real anger within his violet eyes.
"You mean that base where you found-"
"Hn," Duo interrupted before heading into the hangar. "After I get that new Gundam out of there, I want to eradicate that place and every single person inside."
Heero's eyes lit up, and he flashed a feral grin. "Use the good shit, Fei-chan. And if you can get into any of the living quarters, plant a lot there!"
Under his breath the other pilots could hear the Chinese youth mutter, "I could think of some other things I'd prefer to blow up besides their rooms..." as he followed the pilot of Hell into the hangar.
Violet eyes widened as he caught sight of the incomplete Gundam for the first time. It was similar in appearance to the Epyon, only it was white in color... and somehow seemed less menacing for some reason.
Wonder what they call this thing, Duo thought idly as he climbed up into the cockpit and began to study the controls. He knew that Wufei was waiting nearby to set off the explosives that would destroy this base, and couldn't help but smile to himself. How the other teen had gotten into the common room, which was filled with off-duty officers and soldiers, without being seen was a mystery to the Japanese pilot.
He blinked, eyes narrowing as the vid screen came to life on its own accord to display the image of Zechs Merquise. What the-
"Attention please," the recorded message began; Duo noted that the man's eyes held a look of sorrow and determination within them. "If you are attempting to steal the Gundam Unit Vampire, I advise you to cease and desist at this time. The self detonate has been activated, and will go off in ten seconds unless the proper code is entered immediately."
Shit! Duo frowned to himself, thoughts racing. There has to be a way to stop the self detonate sequence from inside the suit! On their own accord, his fingers typed out a series of letters even as he tried to think of what the code could be. To his amazement, the red glow that the cockpit had taken on faded and the vid screen flared to life once more. He blinked as he realized just what he had typed into the command system:
Tenko
Zechs' eyes on the monitor still held a look of sadness within them as he spoke: "If you know Tenko, then the only thing I ask of you is that you make sure this Gundam gets to her. She's been trained to pilot this particular mobile suit, and I know that she will be an excellent ally to your cause. I already know that only a Gundam pilot would attempt to steal Vampire; please be kind to Tenko. She deserves some kindness after the life she's been forced to live. Thank you for saving her from herself."
The recording ended, and the screen went black. Duo stared at the screen in silence for a long time, before finally nodding.
"Mission accepted," he said quietly, then engaged Vampire's control system.
It was time to go home.
"Whoa! So this is the new Gundam!" Heero nearly shrieked when he caught sight of the new suit in the hangar. Wufei heaved a long-suffering sigh and shot a look at his boyfriend.
"No, it's a paperweight," he quipped, smiling at Heero's giggles. "What does it look like, Hee-chan?"
Duo ignored the exchange and continued to download the information on this new suit into his laptop. If they were going to use the suit in battle, they would need to know its limitations and weaknesses.
It would be helpful if Tenko could run through these tests, he thought with a small frown. It's easier to test a suit's limitations if you know the pilot's as well. But she's still recovering from- He shook his head abruptly to stop that train of thought. He did not need to be distracted with thoughts of the girl at the moment... but he'd been given a mission. He had to follow it through. He wanted to follow through.
A soft sound form the doorway of the hangar drew the three pilot's attention, and three heads swiveled around. Heero put his hands on his hips and mock-glared at the girl standing there.
"Tenko! You're supposed to be resting, baka!"
Tenko ignored her friend and stepped into the hangar. Duo caught himself staring again. The other Japanese teen had apparently been given free reign of the overflowing wardrobes in Quatre's house, because she had managed to find some clothing. She was clad in a purple tank top that seemed to accentuate her slender frame and a pair of loose-fitting black silk pants. But what had really caught Duo's attention, aside from how damned good the girl looked in purple and black, was the glimmer in her crystal-green eyes. There was a light in them had been missing the first time he'd seen the teen... and it made her appear even more breathtakingly beautiful.
Duo tore his gaze away and returned to typing. He managed to shut out the conversation going on behind him with some difficulty-it wasn't every day that a very good-looking, unattached young woman walked into the hangar and caught his eye-and nearly jumped when he realized that someone was standing right behind him. He turned around slightly, coming face to face with Tenko.
The other teen was looking past him at the laptop, a slight frown on her face. Kawaii, Duo thought, nearly blushing when he realized how close he'd come to saying that out loud. But the look of concentration on the girl's face was cute...
"Vampire's nowhere near being complete yet," the light-eyed teen finally said softly, turning her head slightly to lock eyes with Duo. For an instant, something flared to life in those cool orbs, then it was gone just as quickly. "How the hell did you manage to get her out of the base?"
Duo decided not to tell her of Zechs' recorded message... for now. "I had some help," he answered instead. "Wufei went along as back-up."
He was rewarded with a small, shy smile. "Heero's koi," she said softly, then laughed at the look of surprise that crossed the perfect soldier's face. "I've known Heero Yuy since I was five-years-old," she said easily, shrugging. "It don't surprise me none that he likes guys. Or that he has excellent taste in 'em," she added with a wink. "That guy's a babe."
Did she just wink at me!
That thought was quickly killed when Tenko tilted her head to one side, gave him an appraising look, then smiled brightly and added almost as an afterthought, "You're actually pretty cute yourself." With that, she leaned forward and pressed a brief, chaste kiss to the stunned pilot's lips. "Thank you for not destroying Vampire," she said softly. "She's all I've really got left."
Duo watched as the girl turned and walked away, pausing only at the door to glance back over her shoulder and flash a warm smile at him. It was only then that he realized Heero and Wufei were still in the hangar, and that Heero was openingly grinning at him while Wufei did his damnedest to hide his own smile. The Japanese teen scowled at them and turned back to the laptop, typing once more even as his thoughts wandered.
Thank you for not destroying Vampire. She's all I've really got left.
No, Tenko, he said to himself, eyes brightening as he remembered that innocent kiss the girl had given him, You've got friends here. You have a home and a family now.
I promise that I'll help you to see that.
The presence of someone right behind him drew him out of his thoughts, and Duo turned his head to find Tenko practically draped over his shoulders and giving him a curious look.
"What?" he asked, the ghost of a smile beginning to form on his lips. Tenko blinked wide pale eyes at him, then tilted her head slightly.
"I know my memories are still a little fuzzy," she said, a smile beginning to tug at the corners of her own mouth, "but for some reason I remember you actually taking a break every now and again."
"New mission orders," Duo replied, resuming his typing. "Not sure who'll have to take it." He was about to add "because I'd rather stay here and keep an eye on you" when his fiance suddenly dropped into his lap and wrapped long slim arms around him. "Tenko, what are-"
"You need to relax a little, Du-chan," Tenko interrupted, a familiar sparkle in her eyes. "Don't make me forcibly drag you away from the comp, koibito."
Duo mock-scowled at the girl, but he was elated. She called me koibito. She hasn't done that since the crash. My Tenko's starting to come back to me.
He finally sighed and allowed Tenko to drag him away from the computer and over to the couch. "I guess the orders can wait for a few hours..." he conceded, then smiled in spite of himself when his beloved flashed him a bright smile and curled up against him on the couch, closing her eyes with a contented sigh.
Your memory is returning more every day, he thought, fondly ruffling the girl's hair and smirking as she protested the abuse to her braid. Soon everything will fall back into place.
My love, Tenko.