Recent Author's note; I wrote this circa 2000, so it's old, it's rough, and it's confusing. Despite that, it's not a BAD story, just an early one, written in an effort to find a style that suited me. I made a lot of mistakes in it, some I am able, at this date, to correct, some I found I had to leave in. I still feel, after all this time, it might be worth posting, to get other thoughts on my (early) style.
Please, read and please review. Arigato.
The Gundanium Heart
By Draco Seer
Old Author's notes; Naturally, I own no gundams but my own. To my great sorrow, I am unable to quite nail all the characters perspective, so this story reeks of OOCness (Out Of Character), especially Wufie and Hiro (though it can be argued that they are growing up). Endless Waltz never happened, this takes place instead. Written with no knowledge of Episode Zero Graphic Novel. Enjoy.
Hiro;
I suppose I have tried to write this a few thousand times, in the end, I never got past the introduction. I finally decided on this, just to get this out to you.
As the pilot of a gundam, let alone the Wing Zero, I understand your priorities. None the less, I would like to see you sometime. Remember last time? Just before my birthday... Well Hiro, it approaches again. I know you watch me. I see Zero from my window on my jet every so often. I can feel you while I am in the conferences. I never see you, but I know that you're there. It's like Quatre said, you are the spirit of outer space. That is why Zero is so important to you. You need it just like I need you...
I miss you Hiro. It is four am as I write this, suffering slightly from insomnia, and a heartache. Hmmm... More than anything I worry about you Hiro. The war may be over, but as long as you pilot a gundam...
There is nothing I can do. I can't win. I love you Hiro, but I can't ask you to quit piloting Zero. You need me alive... Just like I need you near. I suppose that it's not so bad... but the difference is immense. I know you are near me, and can feel you, but I never get to see you.
Hiro Yuy, you do not exist in any database I have been able to get access to, and there have been many. You do not exist. I suppose that's how you like it, but it sure makes it hard to find out about you, what with Dr. J being dead... I haven't given up yet. And I won't.
I can only guess why you keep following me, my guess is to protect me. Maybe you like me too?
I do have one, just one request to make of you Hiro. If you don't already know, I'll be in the L3 colony on my birthday. I want to see you on my birthday... Call it my birthday wish. I wish I could see you.
Fly with my love, Hiro;
Relena Dorlyn Peacecraft.
"She's a new type too..." Her letter was nothing less than I expected from her, but the comment that made me worry was that she sensed me near.
New Types are the next step in human evolution, they have greater endurance, a broad attention range (and the ability to trade the range for an attention span), greater agility, mental powers to some degree, and also, an affinity Mobile Suits.
And Mobile Suit combat.
As she suspected, I had already known she was going to be on L3 on her birthday. I do need her alive, only half though, of why she thought. I do need her alive, not just because I love her, but also because she is the only road to peace for the next few hundred years.
I'm worried though. They accept her as a delegate of peace as she is right now. I wonder what they would think if Relena and I ever decided to get married? I know that if she doesn't want that now, she will one day. I can't really say I'd mind that.
"But how will they react if it ever comes to that?" Noin echoed my thoughts.
"There are only one of two responses; they recognize it as two people in love with peace in an alliance to further the possibility of peace, or they will see me as an enemy, and her as a traitor, and as a result, the war will begin again."
"It can't be that simple." Quatre said.
"Why not?" I asked him.
"Because, love is pure." Quatre said.
"So is she."
"So are you!"
"We know you love her Hiro," Noin said. "After all, why else would you waste all the time and resources to follow her everywhere in Zero?"
"Because, she needs to be alive for the sake of peace. There have already been three attempts..." They were simply staring at me. "Yes, I love her. What can I do about it?"
"What is the third reaction?" Quatre asked quietly.
"Acceptance, rejection, indifference." I said as I would anything else. "Acceptance, five hundred years, rejection, five days, indifference, I give peace three hundred years."
"So they need to accept you and Zero as delegates of peace." Noin said thoughtfully.
"I suppose it doesn't help that the last peace ambassador the piloted a suit went back to his fighting ways after a month." Quatre said, tactfully avoiding naming Noin's love.
Noin did that for him as she gathered her stuff.
"Zechs has chosen his path. Don't worry, Hiro. Just keep on. We'll do what we can." Quatre looked at his watch, and his eyes widened in shock.
"I am sorry Hiro, but we will be late. Do you want me to give Relena a message?" I considered for a moment and told him;
"Tell her, happy birthday." Quatre nodded. I mounted Zero, and listened for her jet's take off.
"Poor old Hiro. He is still as cold as ever..." I said.
"Not true," Noin said. "He now admits that he loves her, and that in itself is one of the miracles we fight for, am I wrong, Quatre?"
I reached over and squeezed her shoulder as we walked. "Yes, you are correct. So what can we do for Hiro?" I asked. "They don't even accept me as a delegate, and I was raised as a pacifist. The reason they do not accept me is because I pilot my dear SandRock." I said as I swung into the drivers seat. "And he pilots the Wing Zero-"
"They are the gundam and pilot who stopped Zechs from destroying the planet." I looked at Noin. She motioned for me to make the car move. "Here is how we do this..."
"How is she doing?" I asked as I looked over the feminine body standing by the wall.
"Almost complete. The Omega has some finishing touches that need done, then she is all yours."
I looked again at the creature standing by the wall.
"Perfect."
"Is the Tall Mage ready?"
"Yeah..."
"All of my specifications are in place?" I asked as I negotiated my chair into my cockpit of the Tall Mage.
"All of them."
"Both cockpits work, correct?"
"Yes, and yours has priority."
"Excellent. Thanks Howard."
"You know that there is no guarantee that she'll let you live, right?"
"I know the other pilot. It is not possible for me to die by that hand."
"Epyon II?" The readout meant nothing to me. Why would someone have built a second Epyon? "That's a woman?!"
I started Nataku's engines.
"Who would build another Epyon?"
"I can't imagine anyone wanting to build a second Epyon."
"Even Lady Une has gotten past her fascination with Mobile suits." Quatre said.
"Either way," Trowa stated, "It's a good thing Hiro is on L3."
"A very good thing."
"I third the motion. Are they ready for launch?"
"As soon as Altron sent the word."
"Then shall we Noin?"
"Absolutely Quatre." With that, my Taurus, which I have named Angel's Tear, Quatre's SandRock, and Trowa's HeavyArms took off.
The Zero system had been too simple, it's power too primitive, so I left it out of my Omega. I knew that would put me at a disadvantage for my fight, but I knew what I was doing...
Altron.
"Pilot of the Second Epyon, Identify yourself."
"Hear me well, Chang Wufei, Pilot of Altron, I am Eve, Pilot of the gundam Omega. A name you will learn to fear." I then attacked.
By the time they got here, Nataku and I lay on the ground where Eve decided to leave us.
"Here come your friends Chang Wufei. What shall we do with them?" Eve taunted me from just out of my, what she thought drastically reduced, range.
"Pilots of SandRock, Angel's Tear, and HeavyArms! Your friend Chang Wufei thought me an Opponent unworthy of his full attention. He is at my feet. Dare you challenge, Quatre Winner, a woman who exists as a zero system? Dare you Lucretzia Noin, challenge a woman who was able to, with far less weaponry, take down Chang Wufei, and his more advanced Altron? And You Trowa Barton, dare you fight a woman who just might be able to take you down?"
Duo and his Death Scythe came up behind the Omega, and attempted to plant his double scythe's flaming blades between Omega's wings.
I say attempted.
At the last possible second, Omega turned, and caught the scythe on the hilt of her saber.
"Unreal..."
She proceeded to beat down the God of Death... Or so she thought. The Death Scythe lasted for approximately six seconds longer than I did. He impacted fifty feet away.
"Duo, are you all right?"
"Sure am buddy. Shall we make the attempt this time?" He said and began to start to move his gundam...
"Wait!"
"Wufei?"
"Let's see how Quatre handles his troops." I switched com lines to include Quatre. "Quatre, We are both still alive, and both Nataku and the Death Scythe are operational."
"I didn't think you would let her beat you Wufei."
"I wouldn't let anyone beat me. Keep in mind, she is unearthly fast. Just remember that we are here to help as back up."
"All right. Do not intervene unless she is about to kill one of us. Now both of you should stand up when she isn't looking at you. Trowa, Noin, you guys flank me, add in when you won't hit me, all right?"
"Roger that Quatre." Noin said
"Let's go." Trowa said, HeavyArms bringing his left Arm to aim at the Omega. I nodded, and blazed a path right up to her. but when I got there, I had been staring at her face the whole time, and when I was a foot from her, she disappeared.
I flipped, and my shotels were holding the saber of the Omega ten feet from my face. I heard the at-at-at-at-at of the HeavyArms firing. Omega moved her wing about five inches, and all the bullets bounced off her wing toward Noin.
"NO!!!!" I brought SandRock's foot up into the gut of the Omega, as Noin dropped below the spray of Trowa's bullets. "Didn't see that one coming, did you Eve?" I asked as soon as I knew Noin was in one piece.
My shotel left a trail of fire through the air as it went through the saber's blade, and came to rest on her neck.
"What do you want Eve?
"Hiro Yuy, and the Wing Zero" She said and was gone before I blinked.
"Am I too late?!"
"Tall Geese?"
"Tall Mage! Where is she? Is she already gone?"
"If you are referring to Eve and her Omega, they just disappeared," The pilot of the Altron stated. "Who are you?"
"Dang, I'm too late! Is everyone all right?"
"It takes more than an amateur mobile suit pilot to top four gundam pilots."
"You don't get it, she isn't just an amateur, she is a new type that was fused with a computer in utero!"
"New type?!" The God of Death screeched.
"Duo, clam down! That doesn't answer who you are." Quatre stated.
"Oh, Forgive me." I landed the Tall Mage and made it bow. "Quatre Raberba Winner," I bowed to him. "Lucretzia Noin." I bowed to her, "Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, and of course Chang Wufei." I said, bowing to them all in turn. "I am Exterra Rain. You may call me X."
"Hiro..." I murmured, looking at the moon from my Balcony.
"Happy birthday Relena." I knew he was there, but even so, I tensed at the voice. It was ten o'clock, my birthday, of course, and I had retired early.
"Quatre already told me that for you. I wasn't expecting you."
"Should I leave?" I turned to face him, and shook my head.
"No, I would never ask you to leave, not you." He nodded. He wore the school uniform we had provided for him for the short time he had attended the Sank Kingdom. He held in his arms a dozen white roses and a wrapped package. He came over to me, out onto the Balcony, his eyes automatically darting all around, to identify possible sources of danger, as well as avenues of escape. I could only smile fondly at him.
"Do you know when your birthday is?" I asked him.
"No. These are for you," he said, handing me the flowers. I smiled, he did make the attempt to smile back at me, but he... Well, a smile isn't exactly his natural expression.
"Hiro," I said, a faint smile on my face, shook my head. His face resumed his stoic expression. "Did anyone see you?"
"Of course not." I gestured inside, and motioned for him to continue as we walked in. "I was trained in martial arts, marksmanship, mobile suit combat training, to augment my natural ability, basic first aid, and slightly advanced first aid, and the Code of Honor. Above all, I am not seen, except by those I know I can trust." I put the flowers in a vase as he spoke, and set them on the table when he was finished.
"I'm honored that you feel you can trust me." His smile was more genuine this time, but he said nothing. Instead, he handed me the gift.
It was a music box that played Pretty Little Horses. It was so beautiful, and that, along with Hiro actually BEING there, I just started crying.
And Hiro. My knight, my guardian angel, MY hero... He knew what to do, he folded me into a hug, tight against any that would harm me.
From anything that would hope to hurt her, I held her safe. I loved her so much, to keep her safe, I would gladly have sacrificed my life. Thankfully, that wasn't necessary, for I did want to be with her.
We simply stood there as she cried into my shoulder.
She fell asleep standing there. I picked her up and took her to her room. As I laid her down, she stirred.
"Thank you, Hiro." She whispered.
"Happy birthday... Relena." I said, and leaned down to give her a kiss good night. She was asleep before she realized it.
I went back to the front room of the suite provided to her by the company. My com unit to Zero activated.
"Yes?"
"Hiro, this is Sally Po. We have a situation that requires your attention."
"It's all right, she's asleep. I'm going to stay here while you tell me about this... situation."
She told me the story of Omega.
"They weren't actually hurt, they were simply testing her abilities."
"That sounds like something Duo would do, he hates to loose. As per Wufei..."
"They didn't have the greatest choice Hiro, She is about ten times faster than they are. Even you are going to have trouble with her. If you can convince her to fight."
"You don't think she wants to fight me?"
"I'd say it is possible. If you did fight, it would be very close."
"What are you saying Sally?
"I'm saying that you need to keep your tail in the air on this fight. We also have a new friend, a paraplegic named Exterra, Pilot of the Tall Mage. A new Tall Geese."
"Hmmm..."
"Howard is back, so we have all five machines back in top form. The Tall Mage is made of a lower grade of Gundanium, so while stronger than a mobile suit, it wouldn't last against any gundam, except for possibly Omega."
"Sally?"
"Yeah, that's what I thought, but this is what X has told us. And Eve is a new type that, and I quote, 'a new type that was fused with a computer in utero.'"
"This could be a problem." I commented thoughtfully as I looked toward Relena's Room. "Time to disappear again... I'll be on my way within an hour."
"All right, We're in the usual spot."
"Roger that." I shut off my Com and sighed. I had wanted to spend tomorrow with her as part of my birthday present. I went back into her room, to get one last look at her.
Her voice stopped me as I turned to leave.
"Your leaving again, Hiro?" I turned my head halfway to look at her out of the corner of my eye. She was sitting up in bed, looking at me with sad eyes. I turned my head away from her.
"A woman in a new gundam beat Duo and Wufei."
"Is that possible?"
"With gundams, anything is possible." I walked away.
"Good bye, Hiro."
"Good bye... Relena. I'm sorry I couldn't stay longer."
Then I was gone.
I watched as she spun, and landed perfectly on the tight rope.
"Are you ready Trowa?" I smiled at my "Sister's" voice. I put my arm around her waist.
"Of course. Are you sure you won't hit me?"
"Don't be mean Trowa!" She said. I stopped the tape and stood up, offering Katherine a hand up. She stood up slowly, her smile gone. "It is a gundam?" I nodded. She looked away from me. "And I thought you were crazy for insisting on keeping HeavyArms in working order."
"Hiro uses Zero on a daily basis. Quatre doesn't use SandRock much, but it is still kept functioning, the Magnac corps insist. Wufei wouldn't be complete without his Nataku. Though Duo doesn't take up the roll as the God of Death very often at all anymore."
"Much to Hilde's relief."
"Much to his own. The Death Scythe is kept in an air tight chamber to keep it in working. All the gundams, weather or not we can or will acknowledge it, are necessary." I said as I gathered Kathy to me.
She returned the hug gratefully.
"Come on, we have to practice."
"Duo?! Duo! Duo, where are you?" I leaned against the glass as Hilde searched for me. "Duo, didn't you hear me calling you?"
"I'm worried Hilde." I admitted as she approached. "My buddy here seems to think he is going to be needed on a greater scale pretty soon." I sighed as I stood straight and stretched.
"I... uh, got... dinner ready."
"Supper? Why didn't you say so? C'mon!" I grabbed her hand, and pulled her along.
"Duo?" I stopped at her tone. I looked back at her.
"What's up?"
"Promise me something. Promise me that you won't... that you will come back to me. Promise me?"
I gathered her close to me, hugged her tight and gave her a soft kiss. "Of course I promise. I'll always come back, my word as a mobile suit pilot. As a gundam Pilot." I kissed her again, deeply this time, then took her hand, and led her to the dining room.
All that night, I only had one really coherent thought. I hoped I wouldn't break that promise.
I reached over to touch the wall, but suddenly, I wasn't reaching over, I was reaching up, trying to foist the wall off me. Then, the whole world turned dark. A few minutes, and a few vague sensations later, light returned to the world. The doctor came in, and he started to talk to me, but as he was talking to me, he began to change, from someone trying to delicately hurt me to someone who wanted me dead in the worst way possible.
I woke, sweating, and sat myself up in my bed.
"Eve."
I laid back down. I sat, blinking in the darkness. My twin sister. Before the accident, we were best friends.
Then, the wall fell.
A three story wall suddenly fell on me. How I walked away with any mobility at all amazed the doctors, but I was after all, a new type. Like my sister, I was fused with a computer in utero, but unlike my sister, I chose to be human.
The Tall Mage and the Omega are extensions of us.
I told Ms. Noin that my Tall Mage could stand up to only one gundam, and that was my sister's, and yet, even Hiro would have a difficult fight against her.
My name is X.
"So where does that leave us?"
"In suspense." Wufei said from his place on the ceiling.
Welcome to the new Peace Million. A more powerful and maneuverable craft than the original. This is the 'usual place' that Sally had told Hiro about. He was boarding as we spoke. "All right then," Hiro said as he entered the room. "What do we think about this development?"
"She is strong," Wufei stated.
"Fast too," Quatre said from his position by the monitor.
"I'm worried," Duo said from the couch.
"Noin?"
"She is intelligent, highly so." I said.
"Trowa?"
He said nothing, yet spoke volumes as he rubbed his right arm. Hiro nodded.
"Then I guess I need to meet Exterra."
"You may call me X." He raised his ear as he turned to face the door.
"X then." I said looking at him, sitting in his hover chair. He looked like he wasn't strong enough to pilot any mobile suit, let alone the Tall Mage I had seen in the bay. "Sally tells me that the only gundam your Tall Mage could hope to beat is her Omega?" He nodded. "But the Tall Mage is faster than the original Tall Geese, yet weaker then it was." He nodded. I nodded, and looked around at everyone.
"Omega's pilot, Eve Rain." I stated and sat down. X stiffened when I said that. Once I sat down, I looked at him. "Sister?" He nodded.
"Twin, best friend, my... other half." I nodded. "She isn't like me though. We were both combined with a computer, but she isn't... She chose to be a computer after..." He closed his eyes in shame.
"I chose to become human after this had happened. My sister... she said she loved me, then disappeared. Last year, I got an anonymous e-mail, they were the plans for the weapon my sister had designed; a modified design of course, but the design of the gundam couldn't be denied.
"Attached was a single sentence. 'I have a head start.' So I took out my Tall Mage sketch, and called in Howard."
"Now you know where I've been." Howard said as he entered the lounge. "We worked on the plans a little, and built the Tall Mage."
"Unfortunately, we were late." He bowed his head as he said that.
"We told you not to worry about it, X," Duo stated. "We weren't hurt."
"Tell me Howard, what are the Tall Mage's abilities."
"The Tall Mage is a black Tall Geese, no particular Cloaking abilities, such as the DeathScythe, and no where near as fast as the Wing Zero. Not a lot of firepower, though it does have a staff for a weapon. there is a focusing crystal that can shoot beams in any direction, and this little genius manage to find a way to make his Tall Mage... Well, let's just say you have to see it to believe it."
I nodded. "How about Omega?" X typed on his keyboard, and an image appeared in thin air.
"Epyon?!"
"Whoa buddy, your shields must be dropping." I said. "Your not usually that..."
"Transparent," Wufei said.
"Yeah, what he said."
He simply looked at me strangely.
"A female version of Epyon, to be exact. Her wings are broader, and she has multiple guns on her." He highlighted the area he spoke of as he was talking. "Her speed, along with her current pilot's speed make her roughly twice as fast as Epyon." Hiro just hmmed, and walked out of the lounge.
"Hey, X, are you hungry?" Quatre asked him.
"I could definitely eat."
"I'll join you if I may?" Wufei asked.
Wufei, Quatre and X left the lounge. Noin, Howard, Trowa and I remained.
"So, what do you think?" Noin asked.
"There is more going on here then we realize. Peace is a small step, that brings us that much closer to... Something... Greater."
I nodded.
"Well!" I said as I leaped up. "I better get back to L2, or Hilde'll wonder what happened."
"See you later Duo." Noin said as she sat down to the computer.
"We know where you live." Trowa said in parting.
The Death Scythe awaited me in PeaceMillion's bay. There was a message from Hilde waiting for me.
"Duo, I seem to miss you a lot. Oh well. Just wanted to ask you to pick up some dinner on the way home. See you later."
"Hmmm... She worries about me too much buddy." I hailed Zero. "Hey Hiro, Got a second?"
"What's up Duo?"
"Hey Hiro, you have that funky little communicator thing that connects you to Zero, don't you?" He nodded. "Can you get one of those for me and the Death Scythe?" He switched his gaze from my face to just behind my ear. I turned to look and found a communicator.
"It seems we all have people we care for now, and they will worry about us as we worry about them. So we all have one now."
"Thanks Hiro. One other thing real quick." He raised his eyebrow in question. "How do you keep Relena from worrying about you?"
"I don't. She accepts my role as a fighter, and she worries about me. She treasures the time we have together, always tinged with sadness, knowing that I will leave soon to once more pilot the gundam that will one day destroy me. She doesn't like it, and so worries about me... but she does accept the fact that I can do no else."
"Thanks, Hiro."
"Would you like Relena to speak with Hilde?"
"If you'd ask her, I'd appreciate it." He nodded then disconnected.
I waited for a few moments, just thinking. "Hey Hilde?"
"Duo!" She exclaimed, obviously happy to see me.
"Hey Hilde, what do you think of going out to dinner tonight?"
"I'd like that Duo." she said quietly. It was obvious that she liked the thought of spending time with me, but you could feel the sadness, nonetheless. I nodded.
"Give me ten minutes," I said and disconnected.
Two am, I had just fallen asleep when she attacked PeaceMillion.
I kinda fell into my chair, and raced to the mobile suit bay. The Tall Mage was waiting for me.
Despite the PeaceMillion's cloaking fields, the Omega zeroed in on it pretty easily. That argues for a homing device, possibly on the Altron. I was waiting for her.
Zero swooped toward the Omega and she stood still.
"My name is Eve Rain, pilot of the gundam Omega."
"Hiro Yuy, I pilot the Wing Zero."
"And I am X, I pilot the Tall Mage."
"Well done brother. My calculations stated that you wouldn't have it done before another month was up."
"Then can't you see how foolish this is?!" X asked as the Tall Mage negotiated itself even with me from the Omega. "A computer only knows so much!"
"You begin to annoy me brother..." She said as she activated her saber.
I brought mine online. "The original Epyon was at 160, I beat him."
"And you at one-fifty. I feel sorry to tell you Hiro, but Omega and I are now at 225," She sounded enthusiastic, but her eyes...
Her eyes were dead.
"Exterra."
"Yes Hiro?"
"Your sister no longer exists." I said, and I attacked.
"Hiro!" Quatre yelled, "Watch out!!!" I never hesitated, I was already committed to the attack. She raised her whip as I brought up my sword.
Slash!
My beam cannon went flying, my shield gone with it. I drew the second beam saber that I was never able to use against Zechs. I wasn't as good with two blades as apposed to one, but I needed to be able to watch myself.
"I told you she was fast Hiro!" Quatre said.
"Thanks Quatre. Learn how to specify 'fast,' would you please?"
She put her whip away, and drew a second saber.
They exchanged blows, each trying to learn the other's limits, each having no success. Inside the Tall Mage, I buried my face in my hands. The Tall Mage, around me began to glow. I sat back in my chair, gripped the controls, and let the Zero system take over.
The Tall Mage, began to glow, a darkish black tinged with gold. SandRock told me there was nothing there.
"The Zero system?" I asked, despair resounding. "X! Stop!"
The Tall Mage's arms came up to chest level, and a ball of pure white began to form there. I looked to the Omega and found that Hiro was in the way.
"Hiro!"
Trowa hit him with just enough time for them to clear the line of sight.
"You son of a-!"
Then the Omega was gone. The Tall Mage's glow faded.
I read of the attack of the Omega on PeaceMillion from a news paper.
"Hiro..." The article went on to saw that the battle involved two mobile suits, the Wing Zero and an unidentified mobile suit that looked like a female version of Epyon.
"The new suit is named Omega," Sally told reporters. "We have no reason yet to believe that she threatens the peace of the people but have so far isolated her attacks on the gundams."
Idly I wondered how Duo, Trowa, Quatre and Wufei were. Of course, if the pilot of Omega were a serious problem, They'd already be working together. Unless...
I wrote a letter to Sally Po.
"Hmmm..."
"What's wrong Sally?" I asked.
"A letter from Relena. She wants to know who Omega is after."
"What are you going to tell her?" I asked as I gently kicked myself down from the ceiling.
"I don't know If I can tell her anything. She said it herself, she is after Hiro."
"No."
"Huh?"
"She isn't after Hiro. There is something she wants, but he isn't it." I went over by the window. "I have the strangest feeling that her next attack is going to be on Relena."
I brought out my communicator.
"Hiro?"
"Yes."
"I think you need to get back to Reelena, between the rest of the pilots, Noin, and X we ought to have everything under control here. I think you need to get back to her now."
"Roger that Wufei. I've been thinking about it myself for a few hours. I'll be gone in ten minutes."
"See you later Hiro."
"Why would she go after Relena?" I only looked at her.
"Whatever it is Sally, It has to do with Relena and Hiro, and probably a lot more than just them." She hung her head over the letter she still held. I came over by her, and put my hand on hers. "I will not believe she wants us dead."
There was a message for me when I got back to my home that day.
I was back on earth, for an entire week!!! Poor old me, huh, wanting all the comforts of home? Well, poor not-so-old me, anyway. It was nice to have actual gravity again, not that artificial is bad at all, but Earth... It's where I was born. It's home.
"Not that I actually have a home besides my jet..." I murmured as I picked up the envelope. It was a typed note, and once I read through it, it was obvious who it was from.
------------------------------------
Relena;
I'll be close to you for awhile.
Also, I need you to do me a favor.
Hilde is worried about Duo.
If you could talk to her I'd owe you.
------------------------------------
I met Hilde once. On Libra if memory serves. She was injured in her escape. I understand why she would be worried about Duo though. I nodded to myself as I reached for the phone.
I wondered why there would be a pink car pulling up to the place Duo and I shared until the passenger got out.
"Relena?"
"Hilde, it's good to see you again!" She turned to her driver and thanked him. Then she walked over to me.
"Well... This is a surprise."
"Yes, I am terribly sorry that I couldn't call, but I didn't know your number, and I wanted to talk with you." I led her into the front room, where we could talk out of the cold outside. It was winter time.
"With me?"
"Don't be too surprised. After all, Duo and Hiro both pilot gundams."
"Yeah, but Duo, he may talk to his suit, but it doesn't have a mind of it's own, like..."
"Hiro's Wing Zero." I shrugged. "It hurts, though, doesn't it?" I asked. "The ones we love going off to fight, us sitting at home praying for their return, and fearing that they won't," Hilde nodded, tears in her eyes.
"How do you do it Relena? How have you survived almost two years?"
"Two days ago was the first time in over a year that I had seen him. I knew he was watching me, Zero is a rather distinctive suit, especially if you look for it. but I didn't get to see him at all. Which actually makes it worse. But let me tell you a few things.
"First is that they choose their own path. They love us, more than they'll admit, even to themselves... the second thing is tied into the first. Hiro had told me once that Duo had told him, 'To save the people of the colonies, I'll gladly become the God of Death.'
"Duo's path was chosen by him for all mankind. Yes, It hurts, the hope and the fear, but then they come home."
"And everything is perfect." she said around a sob.
"Well, close enough to perfect for me, as it leaves me time with the one I love."
She stepped out of her car at her place. She looked around at her level, then said loud enough for any one to hear who was listening.
"I guess you owe me, Hiro." She walked into her place. I smiled.
"Zero to PeaceMillion." I said as I resumed my solider facade.
"PeaceMillion here, how are you, Hiro?" Sally asked me.
"Worried as always. She talked to Hilde for me today."
"Well that's good, maybe Duo can relax now."
"Now Sally, here is the irony. I told her if she went and talked to Hilde, I'd owe her. Now, she is home from Hilde's, so I'd like to go in and find out what she wants, maybe stay with her for the night. But I can't do that without...?"
"Someone to protect the compound while your not in Zero."
"Right." I said with a sagely nod.
"I'll ask around and see who is free. Call you back in ten minutes."
"Roger that," I said and closed the channel.
"Pathetic, weak, naive, stupid human." I murmured darkly as I powered up my gundam. "Don't even know how to encode your transmissions."
Of course I expected nothing less.
The trick would be to kill them without letting them die.
Quatre, Noin, and I went directly to the Sanc Kingdom.
Not surprisingly, not to me at any rate, Omega arrived just as we did.
I twirled my staff into her throat, then I charged her, pinning her to the ground "Sister!"
"Brother," She snarled. She kicked me off of her, and I turned to her.
"Why do you want them dead?"
"There are more things in heaven and Earth, Dear Brother, than have ever been dreamed of in your philosophy. I lost you brother, I will not let them risk that!"
"You didn't loose me, you left me!" I cried out in anguish and I charged her again.
Before I hit, she asked one question; "Then how did the wall fall?" She poured on her speed in an attempt to get behind me, I swung my staff in just the right direction and got her in the gut.
She brought her clawed fist into my shoulder. I grabbed her wrist, and used a bit of my pre-wall knowledge; Judo.
Her sensors must have gone haywire as fast as I was going. It didn't show in her technique though. I charged my staff.
"Did you make it fall?"
She fled.
He looked at me then at Noin, then gestured on to where Relena stayed. He flew. I looked at Noin. She gave me a worried glance as well. We followed at a more sedate pace.
Someone knocked on my door. I set down my book and went over to the door. I had been ready for bed, dressed in my night gown, my hair unbraided.
And there was Hiro, dressed in his normal green shirt and black shorts, his hair an unruly mess. I looked behind me to the window, and through It I saw SandRock, Quatre's gundam. The Taurus that Noin calls Angel's Tear was nearby.
Both were facing away, protecting the compound. I looked back to Hiro, and opened the door, implying an invitation.
He accepted.
The next morning, the sun woke me up. It was nice to be able to sleep yourself out, I don't get to do that often. Relena slept next to me on her bed, snuggled up to me, my left arm around her shoulder.
I turned the TV on and shut the sound off. The news was depressing, but it told me that Omega had attacked last night. Not here, about three miles away. That must be why it took Quatre so long to get here.
In closed captions it told me;
Eye witness reports state that the Omega had been fighting a staff held by nothing. The SandRock and Angel's Tear stood nearby watching the fight.
The staff was obviously the Tall Mage. I wonder if Noin and Quatre heard any of the other two pilots conversation.
I'd ask them later.
But now, a surprise for my lady.
Check out the web sites, Zero has 2 sabers. www gundamofficial com