AC 205
I woke up, my shirt soaked in cold sweat. The dream had left me rather disturbed. It was 5:37 in the morning; I got up and changed, then went out to the kitchen. The dream had also left me hungry. I knew no one would be up, with the possible exception of Heero, and I began to make myself some pancakes. I tried to recall the dream, but it was completely a blur. I couldn't remember a thing. I shrugged, and returned my attention to the pancakes.
I should have known that Duo's extreme sense of smell would pick up my pancakes, yet I was surprised when he walked into the kitchen.
"What're you doin' up so early, Wu?" he asked, mid yawn.
"I couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd get an early start on the day…and no, I'm not making any for you. If you want breakfast, you'll have to make it yourself," I said, predicting his next question.
He snapped his fingers. "Darn. And I'm hungry, too."
"Are you ever not?" I asked.
"Heh. Funny, Wu. Real funny," he retorted.
I finished making my pancakes and sat down at the table. I smiled at Duo and ate them, right in front of his face.
"Aw, man, that's just wrong! I don't believe you're doing that!"
I chuckled, then taunted him. "Mmm. These are really goooood…"
"Uh. You're killing me, Wu! Come on! You know I can't cook!"
"Then perhaps it's time you learn," I said simply.
"Heh. Good one, Wu. The day I learn to cook is the day you treat a girl like an equal," he shot back.
For some reason, his comment brought my dream back to my stream of consciousness. Not the details of it, but just the fact that it had occurred. I looked at him, my eyebrows slightly raised, and replied, "You may not know me as well as you think, Duo Maxwell."
He perked up at that. "Oh? Do you mean to tell me you still have secrets after all this time? Even Heero came completely clean, about that little girl and her dog, and all."
I nodded. He was right. Heero had told us everything about his past, as had Quatre, who never really hid anything anyway, Trowa, and him. They all had revealed any and all secrets…I, on the other hand, had led them to believe that I had told them all there was to know, when in fact, I had kept a few precious things to myself. I knew, however, that now I would be ratted out to the others; Duo could never keep anything to himself.
"So, come on. Spill. We all agreed we'd tell everything…you can't hold out on us," he said.
I shook my head. "Duo, I'm sure every one of us has at least one thing that we did not reveal."
"Not me. I told you guys literally everything," said Duo in reply.
"Well, then you were a bit foolish. A wise person never reveals enough about themselves to let another use it against them. Me, on the other hand, I never reveal everything to anyone."
"Why not?!"
"It's just not me. I can't explain it, Duo."
About this time, we heard a door shut, and Quatre appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later.
"Hey. Didn't expect you guys to be up," said the Arabian.
"I didn't expect to be up," I replied.
"He woke me up. The meanie made pancakes and wouldn't make any for me," Duo pouted. "Which reminds me," he began, suddenly perking up. I knew where this was going… "Wu kept secrets from us!"
Quatre didn't seem surprised. "I figured. It wouldn't be like him to reveal everything."
I laughed. "You see, Duo?"
"Jeez! I just can't win, can I?"
Heero and Trowa soon joined the rest of us in the kitchen. Duo, as predicted, told them I had kept a secret, and, like Quatre, they had suspected; this caused Duo to pout again, but he perked up as Quatre began to make breakfast for them. I stayed in the kitchen to talk, but not eat. We were quiet while they ate, but the conversation picked up once they had finished.
"So," Trowa began, his hands around his coffee mug. "How big of a secret, WuFei?"
I chuckled. "It doesn't seem to big to me, however Duo would probably find it enormous," was my reply.
"Ah, one of those," sighed Heero.
"Aw, jeez! You just had to go and answer like that, huh?" complained Duo.
"Did you want me to lie?"
"Well…no, I guess not."
"Then don't complain," Heero said for me.
Duo sighed, frustrated.
"Anything that would really matter to any of us?" inquired Quatre.
"Probably not. Most likely it would just be something for Duo to go temporarily berserk over, then settle down and be forgotten," I replied.
"Ah, yes. Another one of the many causes of Duo's insanity," stated Heero.
We all laughed at this, and at Duo as he retorted by sticking out his tongue.
Heero checked his watch, and for the first time that day I noticed that he was dressed up. He was in khakis and a green polo shirt, much more dressed up than his usual black shorts and green tank top. (Yes, he still wore that.) "I've gotta be going, guys. I'll see you later," he said as he stood up.
"Meeting Relena somewhere?" asked Quatre.
"Ee. It's our anniversary today," he replied as he walked out the door.
Anniversary…yes, I too had an anniversary. Not that day, and not for a while yet, but I had one nonetheless. I sighed and rested my head on the palm of my hand. Anniversary. Two of them, actually, a beginning and an end.
'Not today! Of all days, by the gods, not our anniversary!'
My dream…an anniversary. There was a connection now…but what?
"Something wrong, WuFei?" asked Trowa.
"Iie. I'm fine," I replied, my head in the clouds as I tried to unravel my dream. What was the connection? Why would my dream happen on my anniversary? And which one? I went into the living room and gazed out of the window. Why would I have a dream that took place on my anniversary? It just didn't make sense… I had to think a bit to remember when exactly the anniversaries were…It had been so long since I'd done anything for either…….it hit me. The anniversary of the beginning was only three short weeks away. I couldn't believe it. And it would be how long? I did the math…twelve years. By the gods, twelve years…In three weeks would be the anniversary of my wedding to Merian. It didn't feel like twelve years…of course not; it had passed so quickly because she wasn't here. She had died…about eleven years ago. I sighed again.
"You sure you're okay, WuFei? You're being awfully quiet," asked Quatre. I turned around. Duo had been watching cartoons, and Trowa was reading. I hadn't even heard them come into the living room or Duo turn on the TV.
"Yeah. Just thinking, Quatre," I replied.
"Oh? About what?"
"Nothing particular. Just thinking."
Quatre nodded, then went back to watching the cartoons.
I decided I'd be somewhat social, and think about my dream later. I sat down beside Quatre on the couch. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, then we turned our attention to the mind rotting cartoons that Duo was so enthused about.
After only five minutes, I had had enough. "Duo, how can you watch that junk?"
"It's funny, Wu. You can blow them up, chop them to pieces, fry them for dinner, or whatever you want, and they never die!" explained Duo.
"Sounds kinda like us," said Trowa, referring to our past as Gundam pilots.
"We may have survived, but many didn't. Far too many lives were lost, and for what? This gossamer peace we now live in? It could fall apart at any moment, and we could be called back to fight, to kill, for what? Another fragile state of peace, that will only be destroyed," I said solemnly, thinking of Merian.
(Perhaps before I continue, I should explain to the reader just who Merian is. Merian is, or rather, was, my wife. We were married two years before Operation Meteor, and she died after only a year of marriage. Or, I suppose I should say, she was killed. She had so desired to help defend our home that she went against the colony policies and flew a mobile suit in battle. Her last words before closing the door of the mobile suit were "Just call me Nataku". So, during the war, I had always called my Gundam 'Nataku', after her. I fought in her memory and spirit.)
"Aw, come on. That doesn't sound like you, Wu," said Duo.
"On the contrary. It sounds exactly like me, Duo."
Duo sighed. He, much like myself, hated to be proven wrong. "Oh, fine. Be that way."
Trowa chuckled. I smiled. Duo pouted. I sighed. I couldn't stop thinking about her. I remembered the photo album we had made; it was sitting in my closet, actually. I pondered over looking through it, something that I hadn't done in a long time. I decided I would, missing her like I was. I stood up and headed to my room; I shut the door behind me and went straight to my closet. I grabbed the dusty book from off the top shelf and sat down on my bed. I opened the cover slowly, and the first picture to greet me was our wedding picture. I chuckled; how sour we both looked. Neither of us had wanted to be there, but there we were. I stood beside her, dressed in the traditional wedding attire, and she, just to my left, stood with her head turned to the left, in defiance of tradition. I smiled at her picture; she was always defying something. I flipped the page, and saw the picture taken of us in front of my house. Again, I stood, not touching her, and she had her face away from the camera. I remembered how when we walked in, she asked, "Is this it?" as though she had expected more. I answered her in the positive, and she had scrunched up her face in disgust. I had gotten mad, and yelled, "Well, what did you want? I'm not a millionaire!" She was shocked by that, and, in her anger, did not speak to me the rest of the day. What a way to begin a life together, huh?
The picture on the adjacent page had been taken on the second day of our marriage. We weren't even talking to each other. The picture resembled a typical hero/villain picture, where I faced to my right, my back to her, arms crossed over my chest, and she in the same position, facing the left. She was scowling furiously. We had both been so stubborn…I turned the page. The rest of the pictures were from a little later into our marriage. In most, we would stand side by side, but still no contact. But there were a special few where I had my arm around her waist, holding her against me, and others where my arm lay across her shoulders and her arm circled my waist. These were the private pictures we ourselves had taken, setting up the camera on a tripod and rigging it to take the picture on my pressing a button that would trigger the flash. No one had seen those affectionate few except us. I smiled at those few; they were my most cherished memories of her. Those, and the time we…
My face turned red. I missed her. I sighed and closed the album, then placed it back in its hiding place. I lay down on my bed and sighed again. I was feeling tired now, and decided I'd try to sleep. I closed my eyes…
"Not today! Of all days, by the gods, not our anniversary!" I shouted, clutching her in my arms. "I won't let you do this!"
"WuFei, go fight. It is your duty," she said.
I held her tightly. "No. Not today. I refuse to. Tomorrow."
She shook her head. "Today, WuFei. And it's urgent. You must go."
"Why? What's so important?"
"Just go. You'll see. Please, WuFei, hurry!" Her voice was urgent now, and tears filled her eyes. "Go."
I hated to do it, but I went. I climbed into the Altron, the first time in years, and took off. I didn't want to leave her…I didn't want to lose her. But I went. Something in the back of my mind told me she was right, that I had to go. It had started out as an attack on the airport, where she had just flown in. But reports of people still alive in the rubble had sent me in, searching for those who might still make it. I used the Altron's power to lift the large pieces of cement and metal and gradually uncover any survivors. But the Altron was too big to do the delicate work, the actual life saving, so I abandoned it and went into the burning heap. I called for anyone who could hear me to reply. Nothing. I called again. This time, I fancied I heard a reply, but it was barely audible, if it was, in fact, real. I called louder, walking toward where I thought I had heard the voice. "Hello?! Can anyone hear me?!"
A small whisper reached my ears, and this time, I knew it was real. "Father, help me…"
Father? "Who's there?!"
"Please, Father, help me…"
The voice seemed to be almost directly below me; I looked down and saw the face of a young Chinese girl looking up at me. There was a large steel beam laying across her chest, cutting off her breathing. I used all my might to lift it, and asked if she could move. She replied that she thought so, and tried to move as I held up the beam. She was able to move enough to get herself out of the way, but then she just lay still, as though just those couple of inches had completely exhausted her.
Something told me to be sure this girl got out safe, and I had to think quick as the fire began to spread toward us. I picked her up in my arms, and told her she'd be safe.
"Thank you, Father," she managed
I looked at her, curious why she kept calling me 'Father', but figured that at this point, all that mattered was getting out alive…
I awoke with a start. That dream…It was the same one from the previous night. I knew it now. I wiped my forehead; once again, I had awoken in a cold sweat. That girl, the one I tried to rescue…she called me 'Father'. But why? And the woman who sent me in, I would know her anywhere. It was Merian. But how? I tried to shake it off, thinking that I was just reading too much into the dream. I didn't have a child, nor was I a priest, and my wife was dead. It was all just an overactive imagination, and I decided to leave it at that. I got up and fixed my hair, which had become loose while I slept, then I headed back to the living room.
Duo still sat on the floor, laughing as a cartoon character ate a birthday cake with TNT for candles and exploded seconds later. Trowa was still in the chair reading, but he was much farther in his book. Quatre was nowhere to be seen.
Trowa was the first in the room to notice me. "Hey, WuFei. Where'd ya go?" he asked, looking up from his book.
"I took a nap. I was up much earlier than I like to be, and I was tired," I replied.
"Ah."
"So, where'd Quatre go?"
"Grocery shopping. He was trying to make lunch, but he kept grumbling about that we didn't have this and that for what he was going to make, so he finally decided to put lunch on hold until he got back," Trowa replied, chuckling.
"That sounds like him," I replied as I took a seat on the sofa. I sighed and tried not to think about my dream. It was impossible for any part of it to be true…well, except for the part about an airport being attacked. That could happen. But for Merian to be alive… I shook my head slightly, dismissing the idea. And that girl, calling me 'Father'…I didn't know what to make of that. Did she think I was some sort of priest? Or did she mean father in the biological sense? I just didn't know, so I tried to forget.
It wasn't long before Quatre returned and headed straight for the kitchen, carrying a bag of groceries. He worked silently on our lunch, but we could smell it. Quatre was the best cook of the five of us, by far. Though everyone said I was quite skilled, I refused to believe that my cooking was any good.
"Okay, everyone! Lunch is ready!" called Quatre. We filed into the kitchen and sat down, with Quatre's prepared meal before us. Duo, of course, took more than any of the rest of us. Trowa and Quatre took their normal share, but I took nothing. I wasn't hungry, for some odd reason.
"Do you feel alright, WuFei? You have been acting a little strange today," asked Quatre.
"To be perfectly honest, I've been having this really strange dream lately, and until just recently, I couldn't remember any of it. But when I went to my room and took a nap, I had the dream again, and this time, I know what happens in it, but it makes no sense," I replied.
"Oh? Care to share it with us?" asked Trowa.
I shrugged and told them. "In the dream I'm standing with a woman in my arms. She's just showed up at the airport, and suddenly it's attacked. The enemy retreats quickly, but I use Altron to help with the search and rescue. Eventually, it seems I'm the only one trying to save anybody, and I can't do the delicate things in something so big, so I get out and search the burning pile of debris myself. I search around and see no one, so I call out, asking if anyone can hear me. Then it seems like I hear someone, but it's so faint that I think it's my imagination. So I call again, and this time, I hear the voice more clearly. I look down, and there's a little girl, maybe twelve or so, lying on the ground with a steel beam across her chest. I pick up the beam, and I'm able to get her out from under it. And here's the really strange part. The girl calls me 'Father' all through the dream, and the woman at the beginning is supposedly my wife…but the dream is set in this year, about three weeks from now." I left out the important thing, that the woman at the beginning is my wife; my secret was my marriage to Merian. But we had only…well, you know…once. I found it highly unlikely that I had managed to get her pregnant, not to mention the fact that she was dead.
"Hm. Almost sounds like a premonition, except that you've never been married. And the whole kid calling you 'father' thing…well, I don't mean to get too personal, but…is it even remotely possible?" asked Duo.
"Well, it would be, very remotely, but the woman who would be the mother is dead. Therefore, no, it's not possible," I replied, keeping my secret, yet still being honest.
"Whoa! So you're not a virgin!…Is that your secret?"
"Only an exceptionally small part of it, Duo," I chuckled.
"Ooh!"
"Don't get too excited. That's all you'll find out."
"Dang!"
Quatre laughed. "Who knows?"
"Sounds to me like you've just got an overactive imagination, then," said Trowa.
"That's what I was thinking," I told him. "I just find it exceptionally odd…"
"We all have strange dreams, sometimes, WuFei. It's just a natural part of the human race," said Quatre.
I nodded. But something about Duo's saying it sounded like a premonition stuck with me the rest of that day, and the next…
Two weeks later, there was a rather interesting story on the news. I had been sitting on the couch reading, Quatre and Trowa were playing a game of Chess, Duo was in the shower, and Heero had taken another seat on the couch.
"In other news, the famous martial artist, Nataku, will be arriving on earth in about a week. As for the reason for her visit, she only replied that she was coming to visit family. And now, in sports…"
I gasped. Nataku!
"Hey, WuFei. Isn't that what you always called the Altron during the wars?" asked Quatre.
I nodded. I thought back to my dream, which had started two weeks ago…and this 'Nataku' was going to be here in a week…three weeks after my dream had started…and my dream took place three weeks from that day…about the same time 'Nataku' would arrive. And Duo had said his dream sounded like a premonition…Could he be right?
Heero glanced over at me, an eyebrow raised in suspicion. "Are you okay, WuFei? You look like you've seen a ghost."
I probably did. I was quite surprised to hear that name…Especially since that is what Merian had called herself. I had even felt my heart skip a beat. To hear that name, in reference to a person, after all these years…
"WuFei?"
I blinked a few times, then looked away from the TV screen and toward Heero. "In about a week, I very well might."
"What? Ghosts aren't real, Wu," said Duo.
"I'm not so sure of that, Duo…" I said quietly.
"Er?"
"There was a reason I called my Gundam Nataku, and for all I know, that martial artist could be it…but it's highly unlikely…she should be dead…" I trailed off, my mind once again beginning to wonder how it could be possible.
"Wu, you aren't making any sense. Could you clarify?"
"No."
"Aw, why not?"
"Not your business."
"Umm…"
"Duo, don't argue. Just leave it," interrupted Trowa.
Could it really be Merian? Could it really be my Nataku? But, if so, how? How could she have survived? It seems impossible…But is it? Could she have survived? It just didn't make sense to me…how…how could it be?
"WuFei? Are you sure you're okay?" asked Quatre.
I stood up and went to my room, wondering about the newscast, and whether or not it was my Nataku. I sat down on the bed and thought about the possibility of her survival…slim to none. But, if she had survived, why would she have taken this long to come to me? If it was in fact me she was coming to see…
I crossed my legs in the stereotypical meditation position and closed my eyes. I took a few deep breaths and closed my eyes, letting myself enter the meditation trance. I hoped to achieve some sort of closure; I tended to have a bit of a sixth sense when meditating, and I was attempting to take advantage of it. I continued to breathe slowly and heavily, losing all awareness of everything around me. Finally, I saw her face. It seemed to be asking me if this was the subject on which I wished to meditate. I focused on the face carefully, urging my emerging sixth sense to continue. I was surrounded by blackness, then a light seemed to come toward me…
Suddenly, I was in the past, where Merian had insisted on fighting. She flew off in the mobile suit, and I called after her. But instead of remaining where I was, I soon seemed to be floating out in space, following every move she made in the mobile suit. She took a severe hit, and a quick glimpse of myself watching told me this was her death. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of the mobile suit but debris… But suddenly I felt like I was moving closer to what remained, and I couldn't stifle a gasp at what I saw… Merian, in her space suit, propelling herself out into space, toward another colony in the cluster.
Then, almost as though I was not allowed to see more, I was again surrounded by blackness, then a sudden white light as my eyes shot open. I stared unbelieving at the wall in front of me, then blinked a few times to bring myself to reality. Alive?? She had survived?? I found that hard to believe, but I had no proof that she actually had died. All I had seen was the explosion and the debris. And I had assumed that she hadn't made it out… I blinked a few more times for good measure, then headed out to the living room.
"Um. Did we miss something?" asked Duo.
"I must apologize, guys. I shouldn't have run out like that, but I had to. And it's imperative that I meet this 'Nataku' when she arrives."
"How imperative?" Heero wanted to know.
"Ninmou ryoukai, imperative," I replied.
"Oh, my," said Quatre.
I nodded. "No matter what it takes, I will meet her."
The week until this 'Nataku' arrived passed rather quickly, and I had used old resources to find out what airport she would arrive at.
But now, the day had finally come. I had dressed my best, just in case…After all, if it was her, our anniversary was that day. "Well. Anyone coming with me?"
"You know where she's landing?" asked Duo, sounding amazed.
"Ee. I have my ways. So, coming or not?"
With that, everyone grabbed a jacket and lined up behind me at the door.
"Lead the way, Wu-man," said Duo.
I did. We all piled into the minivan (what five guys were doing with a minivan is beyond me…) and I drove to the airport. Coincidentally (or was it?), she was flying to the airport nearest to where the five of us lived. "But guys, I gotta warn you. What I do when I see this 'Nataku' may seem strange, but it's a test. There's something I've just gotta know."
"Um, okay…" replied Quatre, just as confused as the rest of them.
We arrived at the airport and had to fight our way to the gate she would be arriving from. The crowd was huge. The five of us stayed together, since we had all come in the same car and didn't want to lose each other, but I pushed ahead toward the front of the crowd.
Everyone watched anxiously for Nataku…she had come in on a private flight. When someone finally entered the airport, the crowd cheered.
I was a bit surprised; two people came off the plane, but they were both Chinese women. What was strange was the resemblance of the younger of the two to the girl in my dream that had called me 'Father'.
I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted, "Merian!"
~~~PART 2~~~
The smaller girl looked at the elder, but kept walking.
The other glared at me, then escorted the younger girl out of the crowd.
"Um, Wu?" asked Duo.
"Hm. Either she wasn't who I hoped she was, or she's ignoring me, or she's forgotten…" I said aloud, thinking to myself.
"Wu? Who's Merian?" asked Duo.
"Hm? Oh. No one. Don't worry about it," I said, heading for the van.
"Hey, WuFei! Wait up!" called Quatre.
I slowed my pace, but just so they could catch up. I was eager to find out what she would be doing while she was here. Suddenly, an idea hit me. I turned on my heels and handed Trowa the keys as I headed towards where I had last seen the Chinese pair.
"WuFei?" asked the green-eyed ex-pilot.
"Go on without me. I'll meet you there…eventually," I said. I picked up my pace and literally ran in the direction they had gone. I had to know. Finally, I caught up to them at the baggage claim. "Nataku!" I called.
The younger one turned to look, but the elder instructed her in firm Chinese to ignore it. She did.
I came a few steps closer, and the elder woman turned to face me, her eyes daring me to take one step closer. I stopped dead in my tracks, and spoke to her in Chinese. Please, I asked. Was either of them named Merian?
She replied that it was none of my business.
Something told me to go, but…I had to know.
Please? I asked again.
She told me to leave them alone.
I clasped my hands in front of me, practically begging.
She pointed for me to leave.
I asked why I couldn't get an answer; she just continued to point.
Then, the young girl turned around and spoke. She asked why I was so determined.
I replied that I once knew someone who went by the name of 'Nataku', and that I had thought that perhaps one of them was she.
The little girl told me she was Nataku.
I blinked. She wasn't my Nataku, then. I turned to leave. "Oh. Well, nevermind."
"Why did you want to know?" she asked.
She knew English. "I thought perhaps you were my Nataku."
"What is your name?"
"Chang WuFei."
Her eyes grew slightly wide. "Chang WuFei."
"Yes."
"And you seek one named Merian?"
"Yes. She was my Nataku," I replied.
"She is my namesake."
"Oh?"
She nodded. She turned to the woman beside her. "Relax."
The elder did as she was instructed. She seemed to be this young Nataku's bodyguard.
"In what way is she your namesake?" I asked, glad for what little knowledge I had so far, but also yearning for more.
"She was my teacher. She taught me everything I know," replied Nataku.
"And do you know what has become of her?"
"She passed away just a few days ago. She was mortally wounded in battle about a month ago, and her wounds never healed. It was those wounds that took her life."
"So she had survived past that first battle…" I said to myself, remembering my dream about her floating to another colony due to the blast when I last saw her.
"Yes. She had."
I sighed and turned to leave. "Well, thank you for your information, Nataku. And good luck with whatever it is you are here to do."
There was silence behind me as I walked away; I didn't know what to do or think. Everything was a jumble now. I had hoped that Merian was alive, and I found out she had in fact lived, until a few days ago.
Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound drew me out of my thoughts. I looked behind me, and, much to my dismay, I saw part of the airport implode. My dream flashed back to me, followed by Duo's comment, 'Almost sounds like a premonition'. "By the gods…" I sighed, rolling my eyes.
"NATAKU!"
I glanced over to my left and saw the elder Chinese girl, Nataku's bodyguard, with a look of severe panic on her face.
"NATAKU!" she called again.
Nothing.
"Curses!"
"Is she…" I asked, wondering if she had been caught in the falling debris.
"She's trapped in there…" she replied. So, she too knew English.
"Gods, how strange…" I stood there, watching as rescue workers arrived on the scene and tried to control the fire that had emerged.
"Don't just stand there! "She needs your help!" exclaimed the bodyguard, glaring at me.
"Me? Why? Who am I to her? I only met her today."
"FOR YOUR NATAKU, G0!" shouted the bodyguard.
Well, no matter what, I should go. After all, she is a human being whose life is just as important everyone else's, so I went.
"Hey! You can't go in there!" yelled one of the firefighters.
What if that dream really was a premonition? Could that mean that she……
~~~PART 3~~~
I ran backwards and replied, "I dare you to try and stop me!" Suddenly, I had to know if my dream had anything to do with what was happening now. I dashed into the fire and covered my mouth with the sleeve of my jacket.
There were cracks and pops as the fire burned fierce. I tried to see, but the smoke was too thick; I got down on my hands and knees and crawled around, looking for any sign of life.
"NATAKU!" I called, searching for the girl. "Can you hear me?!"
I heard nothing, so I called again.
This time, I heard a rustling sound, and what sounded like a voice. I couldn't make out what was said, but I followed the voice, repeating my call.
"I'm…I'm over here," came the faint sound.
"I hear you! I'm coming!" I replied. "Are you hurt?"
"I can't move my left leg, and there's too much smoke to see why," replied Nataku's voice.
"I'm coming. Just stay calm. Cover your nose and mouth with something," I instructed the still invisible girl.
As I crawled closer to the voice, I began to see her outline. "Wave your hand if you can see me. I think I see you," I said.
The silhouette lifted an arm and waved.
I crawled closer and looked for why she couldn't use her left leg. Then I saw a large steel beam across it. Well, at least it's not over her chest. I used all my strength to move the beam. "Can you move it now?"
The leg moved. "Yeah, but it hurts a lot."
"Stay still, then. I'll get you out. Everything will be okay." I crawled a bit closer, then prepared myself to pick her up. I lifted her in the bridal-carry and, even though I had to stand to carry her, I walked toward the direction I had come.
She held a piece of cloth over her mouth with one hand, and placed one over mine with the other. "You help me, I help you," she explained.
Beneath the cloth, I smiled. There was something about her that was comforting to me.
I heard the voices of the firemen. "Here comes that crazy who ran in there…wait a minute…what's he carrying?"
"A little help here, guys! I can barely see!" I called to them.
One of them rushed in toward me and put his hand on my shoulder, leading me out. "Are you okay? Do you feel alright?"
"I feel fine, at the moment," I replied. "She, on the other hand," I said, referring to Nataku.
"I'll lead you to the ambulance, then. That was a courageous thing you did."
We got to the ambulance and I laid Nataku on the stretcher. Her bodyguard climbed in, as did I, and we were driven to the nearest hospital.
At the hospital, we found out that Nataku's leg was broken. It was set in a cast, and then I was looked over. I was fine, it turned out.
Realizing that I was without a way to get home, and I had to get Nataku and her bodyguard to wherever it was they were going to stay, I called the house and asked that someone bring the van to the hospital and pick up the three of us. Then, I went and sat by Nataku, waiting for our ride.
"I've arranged a ride for you to your hotel, and to get myself home," I told them.
"WuFei?" asked Nataku.
"Hm?"
"You only met me today, yet you risked your life to save mine. Why?"
I thought about my answer a bit before replying. "Well, for one, you were an innocent bystander in all of that. As the former Gundam pilot that I am, I couldn't just walk away. But…" Here, I glanced over at Nataku's bodyguard. "She said something that made it more imperative than it already was."
"Oh? What did she say?"
"She said, 'for your Nataku, go'."
"So you saved me, for your Nataku," she said thoughtfully.
I nodded.
She smiled. "Yes, your Nataku would have been quite upset if you hadn't gone in after me…" she said with a bit of a laugh.
A few minutes of silence later, Quatre came in. "Hey, WuFei. Glad to see you're alright."
I smiled. "So am I," I replied.
"So, where are we off to?" he asked.
The young Nataku named the hotel at which they would be staying, which wasn't too far from where the other former pilots and I were living.
"Alright. Then off we go," replied Quatre, grabbing some of their bags, which the bodyguard had managed to keep with her.
The trip to the hotel was relatively quiet. I helped them carry their bags to their room, then said farewell to the young Nataku.
"Thank you, WuFei, for saving me. You have made your Nataku very happy in doing so," she said to me.
I smiled. "You're welcome, Nataku."
She hobbled over to me on her crutches and hugged me. "I will never forget you," she said quietly.
"Come now, Nataku. You must rest up for tomorrow," said the bodyguard.
She nodded and let me go. "Perhaps I will see you again, Chang WuFei."
I smiled and nodded, then headed back toward Quatre and the van.
Quatre gave me a perplexed look as I exited the hotel. "Okay, spill. What did I miss that brought you to the hospital, and who the heck were they?"
I laughed a little. "Quatre, that little girl is the Nataku that we had heard about on the news. And the elder one is her bodyguard, or so I assume."
"And how did the three of you end up at the hospital?"
"You remember that dream I had, about rescuing the little girl from a fire at an airport?"
"The one where the girl called you 'father'? Yeah, I remember that."
"It was premonition, of sorts. The airport was attacked, and the little Nataku was trapped in the fire caused by it. And, like in my dream, I went in after her. She never called me 'father', though," I replied with a little laugh.
"Really? Wow."
"Yeah." I sat in silence the rest of the way home. It had been a long day, and I had a few things to think about.
~~~PART 4~~~
The following day, I woke up in a haze. It seemed like the whole bit with the airport had been nothing more than a dream. But…it was too real to have been a dream. I even had the cloth that the young Nataku had held over my mouth as I carried her out of the debris. I sat up in my bed and tried to make sense of it all. Just what was happening here? Was I becoming psychic? Or was I losing my mind? Could it all have been a figment of my imagination? Or a dream?
As I thought, I looked over at the picture of Merian and myself that I kept on my nightstand, almost as if she could tell me the answer. Then, something occurred to me. As crazy as this may sound, maybe…maybe Merian did have the explanation. She was the common tie in it all. The tie between myself, and the young Nataku. She had been in my dream, my premonition, and she had been in my vision. Something inside me told me that she was the key to it all. Now, I just had to unlock it. But that was the tricky part. I didn't know where to begin.
A loud knock on my door interrupted my thoughts.
"HEY! WuFei! You up?" came Duo's ever-obnoxious voice.
"Hai, hai. I'm up," I replied, somewhat annoyed. "What do you want?"
"You comin' out for lunch?"
"Lunch? What happened to breakfast?"
"Been there, done that. Double-check the time, Wu."
I did. It was almost noon. Why in the world had I slept so late? "Yeah, I'll be there in a sec," I replied.
"Alright." I heard him walk away.
I got out of bed and dressed, made sure my hair was pulled back in its usual manner, then headed to the kitchen. "Hi guys."
"Wow. For once, someone slept later than Duo. I didn't think that was possible," said Trowa as I took a seat.
"Yesterday was a tiring day," I replied.
"So Quatre tells us. So…that dream of yours really was a premonition?" asked Heero.
"It seems that way," I nodded. "The airport being attacked, me going in to save a little girl, on this day…"
"On this day? Whaddya mean, 'on this day'?" asked Duo, perking up and removing his attention from the food before him.
My face turned bright red. I had slipped. They didn't know about my anniversary with Merian…feh. They didn't even know about Merian, much less an anniversary. I shook my head, hoping I could get out of it. "Nothing, nevermind."
"Uh-uh," Duo shook his head. "You're not getting away from this that easily. What the heck do you mean?"
I sighed, knowing it was useless. I had said too much, and now, I had to pay for it. "Well…" It was hard to begin. "You know how I told you that in my dream, my possible premonition, I was standing with a woman who was supposedly my wife?" I began.
"Uh-huh…"
"Well…in the dream, the day it happened, yesterday, was supposedly my anniversary with this supposed wife…"
"Okay…go on…"
I took a deep breath. "In reality, yesterday was my wedding anniversary." There. I said it.
"WHAT???"
"Nani?" spoke up Heero, with one eyebrow raised.
Trowa and Quatre stopped eating and looked at me, bewildered.
"You were married??" asked Duo, his face still showing his surprise.
"And now, it's out. My big secret. I was married two years before the first Operation Meteor. When I told you about my dream, you found out that it was technically possible for me to be a father. That's because I was married. But, like I said then, she died before a child could have been born…." Suddenly, I remembered what the young Nataku had told me. That Merian had died only a few days ago. "...Or so I thought."
"Nani?" Heero asked again.
My mind whirled with the memories of when Merian and I consummated our marriage, her supposed death, the dream, the young Nataku, being trained by my wife, her bodyguard saying 'for your Nataku', and how the young Nataku said that Merian would have been upset had I not gone in after her…there was just no way.
Without realizing it, I shook my head, and the words "it's just not possible" escaped my lips in barely a whisper.
"Earth to WuFei! Come in, WuFei!" Duo said, in attempt to bring me out of my haze.
I blinked a few times as I tried to clear my head. Finally, I looked up, straight into Duo's violet eyes. "I just had…the craziest thought…" I said quietly. I stood up so fast that I knocked over my chair, and headed for the phone. Moving faster than I thought I could, I looked up the number for the hotel Nataku and her bodyguard were staying at, then called it. When the desk clerk answered, I asked for their room. I was told they were out for the day, but I could leave a message. I left my name and number, and asked that Nataku call me when she returned. The clerk said he would deliver the message, and I hung up.
I heaved a frustrated sigh. "This is gonna bug me the rest of the day!" I exclaimed. I turned toward the kitchen, and saw four perplexed faces. "Eheh. Don't mind me. I'm temporarily out of my mind," I said with a nervous laugh.
"For…how long?" Duo asked.
"I don't know," I sighed, hanging my head.
Duo grinned. "Right."
I headed to the living room and began to pace, thinking to myself…out loud. "But…if…then…why? Why would she not have…? It doesn't make sense. I would think that she would have tried to find me and tell me…but…" I was almost intentionally leaving my sentences half finished. I knew the others could hear me, so I didn't want them to figure me out…not until I figured me out. "Why would she not have tried to find me if…Ooh! It just. doesn't. make. sense!"
"Um…Wu? You okay in there?" Duo asked.
"Uh…no, not really. Like I said. Don't mind me." I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down…maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe I just had an overactive imagination at the moment…maybe I was right…
By 9:00, I still had heard nothing back from Nataku or her bodyguard. I began to wonder if that desk clerk had actually taken the message down, or if they were okay. But, it was all out of my hands, now, and all I could do was wait.
We were all seated in the living room, doing nothing important. Duo had turned on his cartoons and was now watching them intently. Trowa was seated in the easy chair, reading the day's newspaper, and Heero and Quatre busied themselves with a game of Chess on the floor.
I had been sitting on the couch for the past two hours, almost literally twiddling my thumbs. Then, just because I could, I sat on the coffee table, meditation style and closed my eyes. I had to relax…or I would go nuts!
"Um…WuFei?" asked Trowa, glancing up at me from behind his paper.
"For the third time, don't mind me."
"Um…we've been trying, but…you keep doing odd stuff like this, and, well, we'll have to have you committed," replied Duo.
"Sorry, but…I just have to calm down, or you really will have to commit me," was my stressed-out reply.
"WuFei, what in the world could you be so stressed out about? I've never seen you like this before," said Heero.
I shook my head. "Just…a lot on my mind, that's all," I replied.
"You sure you're okay?" asked Quatre.
"I hope I am, Quatre. If only I'd get that phone call…"
As if on cue, the phone rang. I leapt up, hoping to hear Nataku's voice on the other end. "Hello?" My spirits sank. "Oh. Yeah, he's here. Just a sec." I cupped my hand over the receiver. "It's for you, Heero," I sighed. "It's Relena."
Heero got up and took the phone. I returned to my perch on the coffee table and attempted to meditate and calm myself down.
I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I remember is Duo calling my name.
"WuFei. Wu! Hello? WuFei…"
I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a few times. "Hm? Nani?"
"You were snoring."
"Huh? Was I?"
He nodded.
"Well, that's a first. I've never fallen asleep while meditating before…" I said absently. "What time is it?"
"One. In the morning."
"I didn't miss any phone calls, did I?"
"Nope."
"Darn. Well, okay then. I'm gonna go to bed."
"Yes, go. We do have an answering machine, you know," Duo said, helping me to my feet.
"I know…" I sighed. Why hadn't she called? I began to think about this as Duo escorted me to my room. Maybe she had gotten in late, and didn't call me thinking it would have been rude and that I was already in bed. Yes, that seemed logical. I'd go with that theory. Maybe she'd call tomorrow…
~~~PART 5~~~
I awoke at eight, my usual time. The first thing I did was check the machine. No messages. I sighed, and sat down in the living room. I hadn't even bothered to change into my pajamas the night before, so I was currently in a day-old outfit. I didn't care. I didn't know why I didn't care, I just didn't.
Heero was the next up, followed soon by Quatre, who immediately began making breakfast.
"Hey, WuFei," Heero began. "Why's it such a big deal?"
"I just want some peace of mind! Is that so wrong?" I replied.
"No, not at all," was his reply. "But, what's such a big deal that you can't tell us, and that it's driving you this crazy?"
"Look. I just don't want anyone to go figuring anything out about all this before I do. It's not an easy thing for me, either. It could change my entire life," I replied.
"How much change?"
"It could all be flipped upside down and turned inside out," was how I answered that.
"Wow. That's no small deal."
"I know. But that's how it is. This could be big, but I'm not gonna be able to get a decent night's sleep until I get that phone call!"
"From whom?"
"Nevermind."
"WuFei…"
"Forget it."
Trowa entered the room, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Forget what?"
"ARG!"
Heero couldn't resist the urge to smile. "Leave it alone, Trowa. He's being driven insane by something, but he refuses to tell any of us what. Just leave it at that."
"Alright," he replied with a shrug.
Duo showed up right as Quatre placed the food on the table and announced that breakfast was ready.
"Perfect timing, as usual," said Quatre with a smile.
"You know me. I never miss a meal!" Duo exclaimed in return.
We all, myself included, as not hungry as I was, sat down at the kitchen table. I knew that though I didn't feel hungry, I should eat something to keep my strength, and my wits, about me. I picked at my food some, and ate a little.
"WuFei, this isn't healthy. You've gotta eat," said Quatre.
"I know. Believe me, I know. It's not that simple, though, Quatre," I said with a sigh.
"Still wierded out by whatever it is that made you act strange last night?" he surmised.
I nodded. "Even more so, if that's possible."
He smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure it will all be okay in the end."
"Not if I go insane first," I said, half joking.
Around noon that day, the phone rang. And it was for me.
"Hello?"
"W-WuFei?" came a quiet whisper over the receiver.
"Yes?"
"It's Nataku," returned the voice.
My heart skipped a beat, and when it resumed beating, it decided to beat twice as fast as usual.
"Sorry I didn't call you back yesterday…something strange is going on."
"What?"
"Oh, shoot. I can't talk anymore. I gotta go. I'll try to call you again later."
With that, the line went dead. I stood there, staring at the receiver in disbelief. Something strange was going on? What did that mean?
"WuFei? You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," said Trowa as I walked into the living room.
"Well, I got a call…from who I called yesterday, but…"
"But what?"
"But, I got nothing out of it, except confusion," I finished.
"Oh?"
"Yeah…I wonder…" I began to try and figure out what was going on. But, I got nowhere on the limited information that I had. All I knew is that something strange was going on that prevented her from calling me. And she had to keep the call a secret, but why?
It took a minute for me to realize that the others were waiting for me to finish my statement. "Hehe. Sorry. Just thinking, half out loud," I said, feeling ridiculous. I sat down on the floor cross-legged and tried to think more. I got nowhere, unfortunately.
A few minutes later, the phone rang again. It was Nataku.
"Sorry about that, WuFei…it's not easy to call you now."
"It's alright. Wha'd you mean something strange is going on?"
"It's Kiana."
"Who?"
"My bodyguard. She's acting really strange. When the desk clerk gave us the message last night and told us whom it was from, she tore up the paper it was written on. I snuck down later last night and asked him if he remembered the message. He did, lucky for me."
"Why would she do such a thing?"
"I don't know."
"That's really odd, considering she told me to go in after you that day at the airport."
"Yeah. I had to go because she came in the room, and if she found out I had called you…you get the picture."
"Yeah. So…what are you gonna do?"
"I dunno. I-I don't know what to do! I'm lucky she's been out this- uh oh. She's back."
"Then hang up. Don't get yourself in trouble."
The line went dead. I sighed.
"Wu?"
"Something's fishy. And it's not lunch."
~~~PART 6~~~
A week passed, and there was no sign of things clearing up with Nataku. In fact, I hadn't heard from her in a week. And the mystery was driving me nuts! Why would Kiana not let her call me? It didn't make sense, especially, as I had pointed out to Nataku, when she was the one who sent me in after her…
"This is ridiculous! I'm going over there!" I exclaimed, grabbing my jacket.
"Over where, Wu?" asked Duo.
"To the hotel. I'll see you later."
"H-hotel?"
But I was too far out the door to answer Duo's question. Quatre would, I assumed. The hotel was only a few streets away, and it wasn't long before I got there. I took the elevator to their room, which was on the third floor. I knocked loudly, hoping Nataku would open the door. To my dismay, the one to answer was Kiana.
"Nani?" she asked harshly.
"I'm here to see Nataku," was my firm reply.
She shook her head. "No can do."
Nataku's face appeared between Kiana and the door. "WuFei!" she said happily, a huge smile on her face.
I smiled at her. "Hi there."
Kiana pushed her back. "No, Nataku."
"I'm not a dog," was the young girl's retort. "Come on in, WuFei. Kiana, get out of the way."
Kiana didn't budge.
"Well, I would but…" I gestured to Kiana.
"You want to see her, ne?"
I looked curiously, suspiciously, at Kiana. "Yes. I do."
"Prove it."
"What? Kiana, what are you doing?" asked Nataku, as confused as I .
"If he wants to see you, he's got to get past me."
I sighed. "Kiana, this is stupid. Why should I have to force my way past you?"
"It's the only way you'll get to see her, Mr. Chang." With this statement, she lowered her center of gravity and took a stance like she was challenging me.
My eyes widened as I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"
She said nothing, and only stood there, glaring at me.
"Very well. I am a bit rusty, but…" I matched her challenge stance, and the match began. It turned out, I was more rusty than I thought. I had a hard time matching her at first…a very hard time. She was also better than I had expected. Her first move completely caught me off guard- a low, round kick to knock me off my feet. She nearly succeeded, too. But at the last second, I leapt up and flipped behind her. Then, I gave her a taste of her own medicine. I succeeded where she had failed. She fell off to the side, but in a flash, she used her one arm to push herself up off the floor then swung a nice roundhouse kick in my direction. She seemed to have the advantage in brute strength, but I had a speed advantage. The duel lasted for about half an hour, and gained quite an audience as the other people on the third floor heard the commotion and dared to peek from their rooms. Even the bellboys stopped; they had to. We took up all the space in the hall.
She threw a punch; I caught it, turned 180 degrees and fell to my knees, and flipped her over my shoulder and onto her back. This time, however, she didn't get up immediately. She lay there, for a moment, then slowly raised herself to her feet. She breathed heavily; we both did. She was a good opponent for me.
"Very well then," she said with a bow. "You may see her."
Nataku ran from her room as best she could due to her crutches. She let them fall to the floor and hugged me tightly.
I smiled and hugged her back. Something in side me screamed for me to tell her that I would never let anything come between us, but that would have sounded odd. Would have. Who am I kidding? It did sound odd.
Kiana sighed happily, I assumed at the sight before her. "A job well done, and a mission complete."
I looked at her strangely. "What? Mission?"
"This is not the place for the explanation. Come," she said, heading into their hotel room. I picked up the discarded crutches and handed them to Nataku, then followed them into the room, shutting the door behind me.
"You mean we can finally tell him??" asked Nataku excitedly.
"Yes."
I was lost. "Finally tell me what?"
"Who I really am," replied Nataku.
"You aren't Nataku?"
"Well, yes and no."
I raised an eyebrow.
"My real name is Mei Ling. Chang Mei Ling."
I blinked. "Ch…Chang?"
She nodded, almost shyly. "Chang," she whispered.
"Then, Me-"
"Merian. To me, Mom." I could see her bite her lower lip nervously. She kept her gaze turned from mine.
"Which means…that you…that you're…" So, the dream was a premonition after all.
"She is your daughter, WuFei," Kiana said to me with a smile. She placed her hand on Nataku's shoulder. (Hmm…I guess I should call her Mei Ling now, ne?) "We've searched for you. And now, the day has come."
"Mother's last wish was that I find you, Father," Mei Ling told me. "She had always told me that you were brave, courageous, and an excellent fighter. She said I got half my fighting genes from you. I can see it now, that she was right."
"So…she hadn't forgotten about me…" I said, deep in thought. I felt my heart beat quickly, and I noticed as my hands began to shake. Now what?
"Merian loved you more than anything in the world, WuFei. She always spoke very highly of you. You and Mei Ling were the most important people to her. Every night, she told me that she was searching for you. When I asked her why, she replied that it was because she missed you more than anything, and that you needed to know about Mei Ling. She tried to find you, but…she didn't succeed before she passed away," Kiana told me.
"So that's why…I never knew. She couldn't find me. As a Gundam pilot, I was always on the move. Never in the same place twice for more than a few days, and once I left, the fact that I had been there was impossible to discover, if I could make it that way. But she did try."
"Yes. She tried for as long as I had known her. I was there when Mei Ling was born. I had acted as a friend and protector for her while she was pregnant, and as a protector for Mei Ling her entire life," said Kiana.
"Mother taught me martial arts, and she made me the famous 'Nataku' I am today. She said that the name should have some special meaning to you when I found you, Father."
"She was right. The last thing I ever heard her say was 'Just call me Nataku!' before she flew off in a mobile suit, and, as far as I knew, died," I explained.
Mei Ling smiled and nodded.
"One thing I don't get, though. Kiana, if Merian's last wish was that Mei Ling find me, why would you not let her call me, then challenge me here?"
"That Mei Ling find you was her last wish to Mei Ling. To me, it was that I act as a protector for Mei Ling, and, if you were found, to make sure that you would take care of her. You see, now that you know, she is in your custody. Merian's wish. That you two live as father and daughter, as you should have. And I was to make sure that you would take care of her, that you could and would protect her; the airport, that I sent you in rather than going in myself, was a test. If you had not gone, I would have, and you would never have known that you have a child. But, you went. So, the testing continued. I got the message from the desk clerk, and tore it up, because Mei Ling was dying to tell you the truth. But, I couldn't tell her that I had to believe that you would care for her. She would have thrown a fit; a fit worse than the one she did when I tore up the message. My challenge to you was also a test. If you could defeat me, then I would relinquish custody of her to you. And you did. She is in your care now, WuFei. Take care of her."
"I will," I nodded. "I had wondered why I felt some sort of connection to her…"
"Now you know."
I smiled, thinking about how the others would react when I came home with her. "They won't believe it," I said aloud.
"Who?" asked my daughter. (That feels so strange to say!)
"The guys I worked with. The other four Gundam pilots."
"Ah."
Suddenly, it hit me. I didn't know a thing about being a parent. "Oh, wow. I'm gonna have no clue what to do…I don't know how to be a parent…"
"Well, the hardest part is over. She's already half-raised. Just follow your heart. That's all you can do," replied Kiana.
Mei Ling hugged me. "I have a feeling you'll be a great father," she said with a smile.
~~~PART 7~~~
A few hours later, we were at a bus station, waiting for Kiana's ride.
"Do you have to go, Kiana?" asked Mei Ling.
She nodded. "Yes, Miss Nataku. I do. You are with your father now. My job is done. You can call me whenever you want." She looked up at me. "And you, WuFei, can call me if you have any questions about parenting."
"You'll be on speed-dial," I told her with a laugh.
She smiled. "You know where I'll be, Mei Ling. And you two are welcome to come and visit me. In fact, I hope you will. I'll miss having you around. I already do," she said, tears in her eyes.
Mei Ling hugged her fondly. "I miss you already too, Kiana. And we'll visit you…as long as you return the visit sometimes," she said, wiping her eyes dry. Even I felt like I would miss her, as little as I knew her.
I extended my hand to her. "It was good to meet you, Kiana. And, thank you, for taking care of Mei Ling all this time."
She shook my hand and smiled, then pulled me into a hug. "Take care, you. And remember, don't hesitate to call me if you need to."
I returned the hug and smiled. "Trust me, I won't."
It was about then that her bus pulled up. "Well, guys, this is it."
"Take care, Kiana," said Mei Ling.
I nodded. "Take care."
She smiled and waved, then boarded the bus.
Mei Ling wiped the tears from her eyes. "Well, what now?" she asked as Kiana's bus drove away.
"Now, we go home," I said, picking up her suitcase.
She nodded. "How far is it?"
"Not very. I walked to the hotel from there," I told her. We started walking.
"Oh wow. Okay. So…what's it like there?"
"I live with the other four Gundam pilots. There's Heero, who tends to be quiet. He was the one that was always the emotional brick wall. Nothing got through to him. He's changed, though. Softer, now that he has a girlfriend. There's Duo, who's like an overgrown child. He's always watching cartoons, and he loves to be sarcastic. Trowa is another quiet one, but he's always been a softer sort of quiet. He was affected by the emotions, but never let it show. And finally, there's Quatre. He's the responsible one, for lack of a better term. He's the one that cooks most, though they say that I should cook every once in a while."
"Do you?"
"No. I only cook for myself."
"Just like Mom predicted," she giggled.
"Really?"
"Yeah. So…anything else?"
I thought about this a moment. "No, not really. Just be prepared for some strange looks when you walk in," I said when I saw the house. She nodded.
I opened the door and walked in. I could smell Quatre cooking dinner in the kitchen. Mei Ling followed me in and looked around.
Quatre popped his head out of the kitchen. "Welcome back, WuFei. Just in time for…" He spotted Mei Ling. "Um…Why's she here?"
That got the attention of the other three pilots, who were sitting in the living room. They turned their gaze to me and my daughter as I headed away from them towards the bedrooms.
"Hey, Wu! Doncha think she's a little young for you?" asked Duo, teasing.
I backed up just enough to stick my head around the corner into the living room. "Duo, that's sick. Not to mention incest," I said, immediately heading down to my room, which was across from the spare.
"N-nani?" Heero stuttered.
"What the heck?" Duo said. I could picture his face, jaw dropped, eyes wide, blinking in confusion.
"Well, that comment certainly deserves an explanation," added Trowa.
I opened the door to the spare and set her bag on the floor. "This will be your room, Mei Ling. Mine is right across the hall, in case you need anything."
She nodded her understanding.
"Hungry? Dinner should be about done," I said.
"Yeah."
"Alright. Let's go, then."
"You gonna tell them tonight?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Dunno," she shrugged.
We headed toward the kitchen, which had already been filled by the others. "We have a dinner guest, guys," I told them. Mei Ling stepped shyly in behind me.
"So I guessed," replied Quatre, gesturing to the extra chair.
I took one of the two empty seats, and Mei Ling took the other. I smiled, and began to eat like nothing was different.
"Um…Wu? What in the world did you mean?" asked Duo.
"Yeah. Why is Nataku here?" added Quatre.
"Nataku?"
The blonde nodded. "That's the one that WuFei saved that day he went to the airport."
"Ah hah. So why is she here, and what in the world did you mean, Wu?"
I smiled. "She's going to stay here," I said.
"Why?"
"Care to tell them your name?" I asked her.
"Mei Ling. Chang Mei Ling," she said, her voice quiet and noticeably nervous.
"Um…Chang?" asked Duo.
Heero raised an eyebrow and looked between the two of us. "Hmm…she does seem to bear a resemblance to you, WuFei," he said.
Trowa nodded in agreement. Quatre dropped his fork and blinked a few times.
"Um…I'm lost," stated Duo.
"Aren't you always?" asked Heero. "Am I interpreting that correctly, WuFei?"
"If you're thinking of that dream and the girl in it, yes."
"Oh wow," was all Trowa could manage.
"I think you may have to spell it out for him," Mei Ling said, gesturing to Duo.
"As usual. Duo, Mei Ling is my daughter," I told him simply.
Duo's jaw almost literally hit the table.
"What did you mean, dream?" asked Mei Ling.
"A few weeks before I met you, I had a dream, that seems to have been quite a premonition. In it, I saved a young girl about your age that kept calling me 'father' from an airport that was attacked. She was trapped, and surrounded by fire. And I went in to get her. Sound familiar?" I explained.
She nodded. "Yeah."
"Well, welcome to the house, Mei Ling," said Quatre with a smile. "I'm Quatre. The one with the braid is Duo."
Trowa and Heero introduced themselves as well.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," my daughter replied politely.
Duo shook his head.
"What, Duo?" asked Trowa.
"The thought of WuFei being a father…sheesh. It's just too weird."
"You'll adjust," I replied. He nodded.
We finished dinner with what turned out to be a question and answer session for Mei Ling. How old was she, where had she come from, et cetera, et cetera. From there, we moved into the living room, where Duo turned on his usual cartoons. Mei Ling and I sat on the couch beside each other. She watched Duo's cartoons, and as the night progressed, I felt her lean her head against me. I stretched a bit, and put my arm around her. We were both pretty tired.
Another half an hour or so passed, and the entire house grew pretty quiet. The clock chimed ten, and I looked over at my daughter. She had fallen asleep.
"I'm heading to bed, guys," I told them as I stood to pick her up. I tried not to wake her.
"Good night, WuFei," said Trowa. Duo and Heero waved.
"Night," said Quatre.
I carried her down to her room and laid her gently in the bed. She stirred a little and opened her eyes slightly.
"Going to bed?" she asked softly.
"Yes. And you're in yours," I told her as I placed the comforter over her. "Remember, I'm just across the hall."
She nodded. "I will."
"Good night, Mei Ling."
"Good night, Dad," she replied, her final response before drifting off to sleep once again. I kissed the top of her head gently, then turned to go to my own room. I shut her door softly, crossed the hall, and opened mine.
I stepped in and shut the door behind me, then changed into my pajamas. A chilly breeze blew through my open window (did I leave that open? I don't think so…). I walked over and shut it.
"I'm glad to see she found you," came a soft voice from behind me.
I whirled around to see nothing.
"And I'm just as glad that you took her in. I'd have had to haunt you if you didn't," the voice said. Then, slowly, a figure began to take shape before me.
"M-Merian???"
She smiled. "Hello, WuFei."
"B-but…but how? I thought…"
"That I was dead? I am. This is just my spirit that you see before you," she explained as she sat down on my bed.
"So you tried to find me, eh?"
"I tried. But every time I thought I had you, something happened and you were gone in almost an instant. I would have told you, if I could."
I nodded. "I'll take good care of her…well, as good as I can, anyway."
She smiled. "I know you will. Kiana trusted you enough to give custody to you. That really says something. Mei Ling was like a daughter to Kiana."
"So I gathered."
"I can't stay long, WuFei," she told me.
I nodded and sat down beside her. "I miss you a lot, Merian. Every day, I think about you."
"I know. We spirits can feel it when we're thought of. I miss you too, WuFei. If I could, I'd resurrect myself to be with both of you, together. Like the family we never were."
"I wish you could," I confessed.
"But I can't. Anyway, I was just making an appearance to you to let you know that I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just didn't get the chance."
"It's alright. It's not your fault."
She smiled, and her image began to fade slightly. "Lie down, and go to sleep, now. You've had a hard few days."
I lay down and closed my eyes to sleep. I was tired, so I don't know how long it took me. All I know is that I could swear I felt Merian's lips on mine before I was completely asleep. Or maybe, it was just a dream...
THE END
I woke up, my shirt soaked in cold sweat. The dream had left me rather disturbed. It was 5:37 in the morning; I got up and changed, then went out to the kitchen. The dream had also left me hungry. I knew no one would be up, with the possible exception of Heero, and I began to make myself some pancakes. I tried to recall the dream, but it was completely a blur. I couldn't remember a thing. I shrugged, and returned my attention to the pancakes.
I should have known that Duo's extreme sense of smell would pick up my pancakes, yet I was surprised when he walked into the kitchen.
"What're you doin' up so early, Wu?" he asked, mid yawn.
"I couldn't sleep, so I figured I'd get an early start on the day…and no, I'm not making any for you. If you want breakfast, you'll have to make it yourself," I said, predicting his next question.
He snapped his fingers. "Darn. And I'm hungry, too."
"Are you ever not?" I asked.
"Heh. Funny, Wu. Real funny," he retorted.
I finished making my pancakes and sat down at the table. I smiled at Duo and ate them, right in front of his face.
"Aw, man, that's just wrong! I don't believe you're doing that!"
I chuckled, then taunted him. "Mmm. These are really goooood…"
"Uh. You're killing me, Wu! Come on! You know I can't cook!"
"Then perhaps it's time you learn," I said simply.
"Heh. Good one, Wu. The day I learn to cook is the day you treat a girl like an equal," he shot back.
For some reason, his comment brought my dream back to my stream of consciousness. Not the details of it, but just the fact that it had occurred. I looked at him, my eyebrows slightly raised, and replied, "You may not know me as well as you think, Duo Maxwell."
He perked up at that. "Oh? Do you mean to tell me you still have secrets after all this time? Even Heero came completely clean, about that little girl and her dog, and all."
I nodded. He was right. Heero had told us everything about his past, as had Quatre, who never really hid anything anyway, Trowa, and him. They all had revealed any and all secrets…I, on the other hand, had led them to believe that I had told them all there was to know, when in fact, I had kept a few precious things to myself. I knew, however, that now I would be ratted out to the others; Duo could never keep anything to himself.
"So, come on. Spill. We all agreed we'd tell everything…you can't hold out on us," he said.
I shook my head. "Duo, I'm sure every one of us has at least one thing that we did not reveal."
"Not me. I told you guys literally everything," said Duo in reply.
"Well, then you were a bit foolish. A wise person never reveals enough about themselves to let another use it against them. Me, on the other hand, I never reveal everything to anyone."
"Why not?!"
"It's just not me. I can't explain it, Duo."
About this time, we heard a door shut, and Quatre appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later.
"Hey. Didn't expect you guys to be up," said the Arabian.
"I didn't expect to be up," I replied.
"He woke me up. The meanie made pancakes and wouldn't make any for me," Duo pouted. "Which reminds me," he began, suddenly perking up. I knew where this was going… "Wu kept secrets from us!"
Quatre didn't seem surprised. "I figured. It wouldn't be like him to reveal everything."
I laughed. "You see, Duo?"
"Jeez! I just can't win, can I?"
Heero and Trowa soon joined the rest of us in the kitchen. Duo, as predicted, told them I had kept a secret, and, like Quatre, they had suspected; this caused Duo to pout again, but he perked up as Quatre began to make breakfast for them. I stayed in the kitchen to talk, but not eat. We were quiet while they ate, but the conversation picked up once they had finished.
"So," Trowa began, his hands around his coffee mug. "How big of a secret, WuFei?"
I chuckled. "It doesn't seem to big to me, however Duo would probably find it enormous," was my reply.
"Ah, one of those," sighed Heero.
"Aw, jeez! You just had to go and answer like that, huh?" complained Duo.
"Did you want me to lie?"
"Well…no, I guess not."
"Then don't complain," Heero said for me.
Duo sighed, frustrated.
"Anything that would really matter to any of us?" inquired Quatre.
"Probably not. Most likely it would just be something for Duo to go temporarily berserk over, then settle down and be forgotten," I replied.
"Ah, yes. Another one of the many causes of Duo's insanity," stated Heero.
We all laughed at this, and at Duo as he retorted by sticking out his tongue.
Heero checked his watch, and for the first time that day I noticed that he was dressed up. He was in khakis and a green polo shirt, much more dressed up than his usual black shorts and green tank top. (Yes, he still wore that.) "I've gotta be going, guys. I'll see you later," he said as he stood up.
"Meeting Relena somewhere?" asked Quatre.
"Ee. It's our anniversary today," he replied as he walked out the door.
Anniversary…yes, I too had an anniversary. Not that day, and not for a while yet, but I had one nonetheless. I sighed and rested my head on the palm of my hand. Anniversary. Two of them, actually, a beginning and an end.
'Not today! Of all days, by the gods, not our anniversary!'
My dream…an anniversary. There was a connection now…but what?
"Something wrong, WuFei?" asked Trowa.
"Iie. I'm fine," I replied, my head in the clouds as I tried to unravel my dream. What was the connection? Why would my dream happen on my anniversary? And which one? I went into the living room and gazed out of the window. Why would I have a dream that took place on my anniversary? It just didn't make sense… I had to think a bit to remember when exactly the anniversaries were…It had been so long since I'd done anything for either…….it hit me. The anniversary of the beginning was only three short weeks away. I couldn't believe it. And it would be how long? I did the math…twelve years. By the gods, twelve years…In three weeks would be the anniversary of my wedding to Merian. It didn't feel like twelve years…of course not; it had passed so quickly because she wasn't here. She had died…about eleven years ago. I sighed again.
"You sure you're okay, WuFei? You're being awfully quiet," asked Quatre. I turned around. Duo had been watching cartoons, and Trowa was reading. I hadn't even heard them come into the living room or Duo turn on the TV.
"Yeah. Just thinking, Quatre," I replied.
"Oh? About what?"
"Nothing particular. Just thinking."
Quatre nodded, then went back to watching the cartoons.
I decided I'd be somewhat social, and think about my dream later. I sat down beside Quatre on the couch. He smiled at me, and I smiled back, then we turned our attention to the mind rotting cartoons that Duo was so enthused about.
After only five minutes, I had had enough. "Duo, how can you watch that junk?"
"It's funny, Wu. You can blow them up, chop them to pieces, fry them for dinner, or whatever you want, and they never die!" explained Duo.
"Sounds kinda like us," said Trowa, referring to our past as Gundam pilots.
"We may have survived, but many didn't. Far too many lives were lost, and for what? This gossamer peace we now live in? It could fall apart at any moment, and we could be called back to fight, to kill, for what? Another fragile state of peace, that will only be destroyed," I said solemnly, thinking of Merian.
(Perhaps before I continue, I should explain to the reader just who Merian is. Merian is, or rather, was, my wife. We were married two years before Operation Meteor, and she died after only a year of marriage. Or, I suppose I should say, she was killed. She had so desired to help defend our home that she went against the colony policies and flew a mobile suit in battle. Her last words before closing the door of the mobile suit were "Just call me Nataku". So, during the war, I had always called my Gundam 'Nataku', after her. I fought in her memory and spirit.)
"Aw, come on. That doesn't sound like you, Wu," said Duo.
"On the contrary. It sounds exactly like me, Duo."
Duo sighed. He, much like myself, hated to be proven wrong. "Oh, fine. Be that way."
Trowa chuckled. I smiled. Duo pouted. I sighed. I couldn't stop thinking about her. I remembered the photo album we had made; it was sitting in my closet, actually. I pondered over looking through it, something that I hadn't done in a long time. I decided I would, missing her like I was. I stood up and headed to my room; I shut the door behind me and went straight to my closet. I grabbed the dusty book from off the top shelf and sat down on my bed. I opened the cover slowly, and the first picture to greet me was our wedding picture. I chuckled; how sour we both looked. Neither of us had wanted to be there, but there we were. I stood beside her, dressed in the traditional wedding attire, and she, just to my left, stood with her head turned to the left, in defiance of tradition. I smiled at her picture; she was always defying something. I flipped the page, and saw the picture taken of us in front of my house. Again, I stood, not touching her, and she had her face away from the camera. I remembered how when we walked in, she asked, "Is this it?" as though she had expected more. I answered her in the positive, and she had scrunched up her face in disgust. I had gotten mad, and yelled, "Well, what did you want? I'm not a millionaire!" She was shocked by that, and, in her anger, did not speak to me the rest of the day. What a way to begin a life together, huh?
The picture on the adjacent page had been taken on the second day of our marriage. We weren't even talking to each other. The picture resembled a typical hero/villain picture, where I faced to my right, my back to her, arms crossed over my chest, and she in the same position, facing the left. She was scowling furiously. We had both been so stubborn…I turned the page. The rest of the pictures were from a little later into our marriage. In most, we would stand side by side, but still no contact. But there were a special few where I had my arm around her waist, holding her against me, and others where my arm lay across her shoulders and her arm circled my waist. These were the private pictures we ourselves had taken, setting up the camera on a tripod and rigging it to take the picture on my pressing a button that would trigger the flash. No one had seen those affectionate few except us. I smiled at those few; they were my most cherished memories of her. Those, and the time we…
My face turned red. I missed her. I sighed and closed the album, then placed it back in its hiding place. I lay down on my bed and sighed again. I was feeling tired now, and decided I'd try to sleep. I closed my eyes…
"Not today! Of all days, by the gods, not our anniversary!" I shouted, clutching her in my arms. "I won't let you do this!"
"WuFei, go fight. It is your duty," she said.
I held her tightly. "No. Not today. I refuse to. Tomorrow."
She shook her head. "Today, WuFei. And it's urgent. You must go."
"Why? What's so important?"
"Just go. You'll see. Please, WuFei, hurry!" Her voice was urgent now, and tears filled her eyes. "Go."
I hated to do it, but I went. I climbed into the Altron, the first time in years, and took off. I didn't want to leave her…I didn't want to lose her. But I went. Something in the back of my mind told me she was right, that I had to go. It had started out as an attack on the airport, where she had just flown in. But reports of people still alive in the rubble had sent me in, searching for those who might still make it. I used the Altron's power to lift the large pieces of cement and metal and gradually uncover any survivors. But the Altron was too big to do the delicate work, the actual life saving, so I abandoned it and went into the burning heap. I called for anyone who could hear me to reply. Nothing. I called again. This time, I fancied I heard a reply, but it was barely audible, if it was, in fact, real. I called louder, walking toward where I thought I had heard the voice. "Hello?! Can anyone hear me?!"
A small whisper reached my ears, and this time, I knew it was real. "Father, help me…"
Father? "Who's there?!"
"Please, Father, help me…"
The voice seemed to be almost directly below me; I looked down and saw the face of a young Chinese girl looking up at me. There was a large steel beam laying across her chest, cutting off her breathing. I used all my might to lift it, and asked if she could move. She replied that she thought so, and tried to move as I held up the beam. She was able to move enough to get herself out of the way, but then she just lay still, as though just those couple of inches had completely exhausted her.
Something told me to be sure this girl got out safe, and I had to think quick as the fire began to spread toward us. I picked her up in my arms, and told her she'd be safe.
"Thank you, Father," she managed
I looked at her, curious why she kept calling me 'Father', but figured that at this point, all that mattered was getting out alive…
I awoke with a start. That dream…It was the same one from the previous night. I knew it now. I wiped my forehead; once again, I had awoken in a cold sweat. That girl, the one I tried to rescue…she called me 'Father'. But why? And the woman who sent me in, I would know her anywhere. It was Merian. But how? I tried to shake it off, thinking that I was just reading too much into the dream. I didn't have a child, nor was I a priest, and my wife was dead. It was all just an overactive imagination, and I decided to leave it at that. I got up and fixed my hair, which had become loose while I slept, then I headed back to the living room.
Duo still sat on the floor, laughing as a cartoon character ate a birthday cake with TNT for candles and exploded seconds later. Trowa was still in the chair reading, but he was much farther in his book. Quatre was nowhere to be seen.
Trowa was the first in the room to notice me. "Hey, WuFei. Where'd ya go?" he asked, looking up from his book.
"I took a nap. I was up much earlier than I like to be, and I was tired," I replied.
"Ah."
"So, where'd Quatre go?"
"Grocery shopping. He was trying to make lunch, but he kept grumbling about that we didn't have this and that for what he was going to make, so he finally decided to put lunch on hold until he got back," Trowa replied, chuckling.
"That sounds like him," I replied as I took a seat on the sofa. I sighed and tried not to think about my dream. It was impossible for any part of it to be true…well, except for the part about an airport being attacked. That could happen. But for Merian to be alive… I shook my head slightly, dismissing the idea. And that girl, calling me 'Father'…I didn't know what to make of that. Did she think I was some sort of priest? Or did she mean father in the biological sense? I just didn't know, so I tried to forget.
It wasn't long before Quatre returned and headed straight for the kitchen, carrying a bag of groceries. He worked silently on our lunch, but we could smell it. Quatre was the best cook of the five of us, by far. Though everyone said I was quite skilled, I refused to believe that my cooking was any good.
"Okay, everyone! Lunch is ready!" called Quatre. We filed into the kitchen and sat down, with Quatre's prepared meal before us. Duo, of course, took more than any of the rest of us. Trowa and Quatre took their normal share, but I took nothing. I wasn't hungry, for some odd reason.
"Do you feel alright, WuFei? You have been acting a little strange today," asked Quatre.
"To be perfectly honest, I've been having this really strange dream lately, and until just recently, I couldn't remember any of it. But when I went to my room and took a nap, I had the dream again, and this time, I know what happens in it, but it makes no sense," I replied.
"Oh? Care to share it with us?" asked Trowa.
I shrugged and told them. "In the dream I'm standing with a woman in my arms. She's just showed up at the airport, and suddenly it's attacked. The enemy retreats quickly, but I use Altron to help with the search and rescue. Eventually, it seems I'm the only one trying to save anybody, and I can't do the delicate things in something so big, so I get out and search the burning pile of debris myself. I search around and see no one, so I call out, asking if anyone can hear me. Then it seems like I hear someone, but it's so faint that I think it's my imagination. So I call again, and this time, I hear the voice more clearly. I look down, and there's a little girl, maybe twelve or so, lying on the ground with a steel beam across her chest. I pick up the beam, and I'm able to get her out from under it. And here's the really strange part. The girl calls me 'Father' all through the dream, and the woman at the beginning is supposedly my wife…but the dream is set in this year, about three weeks from now." I left out the important thing, that the woman at the beginning is my wife; my secret was my marriage to Merian. But we had only…well, you know…once. I found it highly unlikely that I had managed to get her pregnant, not to mention the fact that she was dead.
"Hm. Almost sounds like a premonition, except that you've never been married. And the whole kid calling you 'father' thing…well, I don't mean to get too personal, but…is it even remotely possible?" asked Duo.
"Well, it would be, very remotely, but the woman who would be the mother is dead. Therefore, no, it's not possible," I replied, keeping my secret, yet still being honest.
"Whoa! So you're not a virgin!…Is that your secret?"
"Only an exceptionally small part of it, Duo," I chuckled.
"Ooh!"
"Don't get too excited. That's all you'll find out."
"Dang!"
Quatre laughed. "Who knows?"
"Sounds to me like you've just got an overactive imagination, then," said Trowa.
"That's what I was thinking," I told him. "I just find it exceptionally odd…"
"We all have strange dreams, sometimes, WuFei. It's just a natural part of the human race," said Quatre.
I nodded. But something about Duo's saying it sounded like a premonition stuck with me the rest of that day, and the next…
Two weeks later, there was a rather interesting story on the news. I had been sitting on the couch reading, Quatre and Trowa were playing a game of Chess, Duo was in the shower, and Heero had taken another seat on the couch.
"In other news, the famous martial artist, Nataku, will be arriving on earth in about a week. As for the reason for her visit, she only replied that she was coming to visit family. And now, in sports…"
I gasped. Nataku!
"Hey, WuFei. Isn't that what you always called the Altron during the wars?" asked Quatre.
I nodded. I thought back to my dream, which had started two weeks ago…and this 'Nataku' was going to be here in a week…three weeks after my dream had started…and my dream took place three weeks from that day…about the same time 'Nataku' would arrive. And Duo had said his dream sounded like a premonition…Could he be right?
Heero glanced over at me, an eyebrow raised in suspicion. "Are you okay, WuFei? You look like you've seen a ghost."
I probably did. I was quite surprised to hear that name…Especially since that is what Merian had called herself. I had even felt my heart skip a beat. To hear that name, in reference to a person, after all these years…
"WuFei?"
I blinked a few times, then looked away from the TV screen and toward Heero. "In about a week, I very well might."
"What? Ghosts aren't real, Wu," said Duo.
"I'm not so sure of that, Duo…" I said quietly.
"Er?"
"There was a reason I called my Gundam Nataku, and for all I know, that martial artist could be it…but it's highly unlikely…she should be dead…" I trailed off, my mind once again beginning to wonder how it could be possible.
"Wu, you aren't making any sense. Could you clarify?"
"No."
"Aw, why not?"
"Not your business."
"Umm…"
"Duo, don't argue. Just leave it," interrupted Trowa.
Could it really be Merian? Could it really be my Nataku? But, if so, how? How could she have survived? It seems impossible…But is it? Could she have survived? It just didn't make sense to me…how…how could it be?
"WuFei? Are you sure you're okay?" asked Quatre.
I stood up and went to my room, wondering about the newscast, and whether or not it was my Nataku. I sat down on the bed and thought about the possibility of her survival…slim to none. But, if she had survived, why would she have taken this long to come to me? If it was in fact me she was coming to see…
I crossed my legs in the stereotypical meditation position and closed my eyes. I took a few deep breaths and closed my eyes, letting myself enter the meditation trance. I hoped to achieve some sort of closure; I tended to have a bit of a sixth sense when meditating, and I was attempting to take advantage of it. I continued to breathe slowly and heavily, losing all awareness of everything around me. Finally, I saw her face. It seemed to be asking me if this was the subject on which I wished to meditate. I focused on the face carefully, urging my emerging sixth sense to continue. I was surrounded by blackness, then a light seemed to come toward me…
Suddenly, I was in the past, where Merian had insisted on fighting. She flew off in the mobile suit, and I called after her. But instead of remaining where I was, I soon seemed to be floating out in space, following every move she made in the mobile suit. She took a severe hit, and a quick glimpse of myself watching told me this was her death. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of the mobile suit but debris… But suddenly I felt like I was moving closer to what remained, and I couldn't stifle a gasp at what I saw… Merian, in her space suit, propelling herself out into space, toward another colony in the cluster.
Then, almost as though I was not allowed to see more, I was again surrounded by blackness, then a sudden white light as my eyes shot open. I stared unbelieving at the wall in front of me, then blinked a few times to bring myself to reality. Alive?? She had survived?? I found that hard to believe, but I had no proof that she actually had died. All I had seen was the explosion and the debris. And I had assumed that she hadn't made it out… I blinked a few more times for good measure, then headed out to the living room.
"Um. Did we miss something?" asked Duo.
"I must apologize, guys. I shouldn't have run out like that, but I had to. And it's imperative that I meet this 'Nataku' when she arrives."
"How imperative?" Heero wanted to know.
"Ninmou ryoukai, imperative," I replied.
"Oh, my," said Quatre.
I nodded. "No matter what it takes, I will meet her."
The week until this 'Nataku' arrived passed rather quickly, and I had used old resources to find out what airport she would arrive at.
But now, the day had finally come. I had dressed my best, just in case…After all, if it was her, our anniversary was that day. "Well. Anyone coming with me?"
"You know where she's landing?" asked Duo, sounding amazed.
"Ee. I have my ways. So, coming or not?"
With that, everyone grabbed a jacket and lined up behind me at the door.
"Lead the way, Wu-man," said Duo.
I did. We all piled into the minivan (what five guys were doing with a minivan is beyond me…) and I drove to the airport. Coincidentally (or was it?), she was flying to the airport nearest to where the five of us lived. "But guys, I gotta warn you. What I do when I see this 'Nataku' may seem strange, but it's a test. There's something I've just gotta know."
"Um, okay…" replied Quatre, just as confused as the rest of them.
We arrived at the airport and had to fight our way to the gate she would be arriving from. The crowd was huge. The five of us stayed together, since we had all come in the same car and didn't want to lose each other, but I pushed ahead toward the front of the crowd.
Everyone watched anxiously for Nataku…she had come in on a private flight. When someone finally entered the airport, the crowd cheered.
I was a bit surprised; two people came off the plane, but they were both Chinese women. What was strange was the resemblance of the younger of the two to the girl in my dream that had called me 'Father'.
I cupped my hands around my mouth and shouted, "Merian!"
~~~PART 2~~~
The smaller girl looked at the elder, but kept walking.
The other glared at me, then escorted the younger girl out of the crowd.
"Um, Wu?" asked Duo.
"Hm. Either she wasn't who I hoped she was, or she's ignoring me, or she's forgotten…" I said aloud, thinking to myself.
"Wu? Who's Merian?" asked Duo.
"Hm? Oh. No one. Don't worry about it," I said, heading for the van.
"Hey, WuFei! Wait up!" called Quatre.
I slowed my pace, but just so they could catch up. I was eager to find out what she would be doing while she was here. Suddenly, an idea hit me. I turned on my heels and handed Trowa the keys as I headed towards where I had last seen the Chinese pair.
"WuFei?" asked the green-eyed ex-pilot.
"Go on without me. I'll meet you there…eventually," I said. I picked up my pace and literally ran in the direction they had gone. I had to know. Finally, I caught up to them at the baggage claim. "Nataku!" I called.
The younger one turned to look, but the elder instructed her in firm Chinese to ignore it. She did.
I came a few steps closer, and the elder woman turned to face me, her eyes daring me to take one step closer. I stopped dead in my tracks, and spoke to her in Chinese. Please, I asked. Was either of them named Merian?
She replied that it was none of my business.
Something told me to go, but…I had to know.
Please? I asked again.
She told me to leave them alone.
I clasped my hands in front of me, practically begging.
She pointed for me to leave.
I asked why I couldn't get an answer; she just continued to point.
Then, the young girl turned around and spoke. She asked why I was so determined.
I replied that I once knew someone who went by the name of 'Nataku', and that I had thought that perhaps one of them was she.
The little girl told me she was Nataku.
I blinked. She wasn't my Nataku, then. I turned to leave. "Oh. Well, nevermind."
"Why did you want to know?" she asked.
She knew English. "I thought perhaps you were my Nataku."
"What is your name?"
"Chang WuFei."
Her eyes grew slightly wide. "Chang WuFei."
"Yes."
"And you seek one named Merian?"
"Yes. She was my Nataku," I replied.
"She is my namesake."
"Oh?"
She nodded. She turned to the woman beside her. "Relax."
The elder did as she was instructed. She seemed to be this young Nataku's bodyguard.
"In what way is she your namesake?" I asked, glad for what little knowledge I had so far, but also yearning for more.
"She was my teacher. She taught me everything I know," replied Nataku.
"And do you know what has become of her?"
"She passed away just a few days ago. She was mortally wounded in battle about a month ago, and her wounds never healed. It was those wounds that took her life."
"So she had survived past that first battle…" I said to myself, remembering my dream about her floating to another colony due to the blast when I last saw her.
"Yes. She had."
I sighed and turned to leave. "Well, thank you for your information, Nataku. And good luck with whatever it is you are here to do."
There was silence behind me as I walked away; I didn't know what to do or think. Everything was a jumble now. I had hoped that Merian was alive, and I found out she had in fact lived, until a few days ago.
Suddenly, a loud rumbling sound drew me out of my thoughts. I looked behind me, and, much to my dismay, I saw part of the airport implode. My dream flashed back to me, followed by Duo's comment, 'Almost sounds like a premonition'. "By the gods…" I sighed, rolling my eyes.
"NATAKU!"
I glanced over to my left and saw the elder Chinese girl, Nataku's bodyguard, with a look of severe panic on her face.
"NATAKU!" she called again.
Nothing.
"Curses!"
"Is she…" I asked, wondering if she had been caught in the falling debris.
"She's trapped in there…" she replied. So, she too knew English.
"Gods, how strange…" I stood there, watching as rescue workers arrived on the scene and tried to control the fire that had emerged.
"Don't just stand there! "She needs your help!" exclaimed the bodyguard, glaring at me.
"Me? Why? Who am I to her? I only met her today."
"FOR YOUR NATAKU, G0!" shouted the bodyguard.
Well, no matter what, I should go. After all, she is a human being whose life is just as important everyone else's, so I went.
"Hey! You can't go in there!" yelled one of the firefighters.
What if that dream really was a premonition? Could that mean that she……
~~~PART 3~~~
I ran backwards and replied, "I dare you to try and stop me!" Suddenly, I had to know if my dream had anything to do with what was happening now. I dashed into the fire and covered my mouth with the sleeve of my jacket.
There were cracks and pops as the fire burned fierce. I tried to see, but the smoke was too thick; I got down on my hands and knees and crawled around, looking for any sign of life.
"NATAKU!" I called, searching for the girl. "Can you hear me?!"
I heard nothing, so I called again.
This time, I heard a rustling sound, and what sounded like a voice. I couldn't make out what was said, but I followed the voice, repeating my call.
"I'm…I'm over here," came the faint sound.
"I hear you! I'm coming!" I replied. "Are you hurt?"
"I can't move my left leg, and there's too much smoke to see why," replied Nataku's voice.
"I'm coming. Just stay calm. Cover your nose and mouth with something," I instructed the still invisible girl.
As I crawled closer to the voice, I began to see her outline. "Wave your hand if you can see me. I think I see you," I said.
The silhouette lifted an arm and waved.
I crawled closer and looked for why she couldn't use her left leg. Then I saw a large steel beam across it. Well, at least it's not over her chest. I used all my strength to move the beam. "Can you move it now?"
The leg moved. "Yeah, but it hurts a lot."
"Stay still, then. I'll get you out. Everything will be okay." I crawled a bit closer, then prepared myself to pick her up. I lifted her in the bridal-carry and, even though I had to stand to carry her, I walked toward the direction I had come.
She held a piece of cloth over her mouth with one hand, and placed one over mine with the other. "You help me, I help you," she explained.
Beneath the cloth, I smiled. There was something about her that was comforting to me.
I heard the voices of the firemen. "Here comes that crazy who ran in there…wait a minute…what's he carrying?"
"A little help here, guys! I can barely see!" I called to them.
One of them rushed in toward me and put his hand on my shoulder, leading me out. "Are you okay? Do you feel alright?"
"I feel fine, at the moment," I replied. "She, on the other hand," I said, referring to Nataku.
"I'll lead you to the ambulance, then. That was a courageous thing you did."
We got to the ambulance and I laid Nataku on the stretcher. Her bodyguard climbed in, as did I, and we were driven to the nearest hospital.
At the hospital, we found out that Nataku's leg was broken. It was set in a cast, and then I was looked over. I was fine, it turned out.
Realizing that I was without a way to get home, and I had to get Nataku and her bodyguard to wherever it was they were going to stay, I called the house and asked that someone bring the van to the hospital and pick up the three of us. Then, I went and sat by Nataku, waiting for our ride.
"I've arranged a ride for you to your hotel, and to get myself home," I told them.
"WuFei?" asked Nataku.
"Hm?"
"You only met me today, yet you risked your life to save mine. Why?"
I thought about my answer a bit before replying. "Well, for one, you were an innocent bystander in all of that. As the former Gundam pilot that I am, I couldn't just walk away. But…" Here, I glanced over at Nataku's bodyguard. "She said something that made it more imperative than it already was."
"Oh? What did she say?"
"She said, 'for your Nataku, go'."
"So you saved me, for your Nataku," she said thoughtfully.
I nodded.
She smiled. "Yes, your Nataku would have been quite upset if you hadn't gone in after me…" she said with a bit of a laugh.
A few minutes of silence later, Quatre came in. "Hey, WuFei. Glad to see you're alright."
I smiled. "So am I," I replied.
"So, where are we off to?" he asked.
The young Nataku named the hotel at which they would be staying, which wasn't too far from where the other former pilots and I were living.
"Alright. Then off we go," replied Quatre, grabbing some of their bags, which the bodyguard had managed to keep with her.
The trip to the hotel was relatively quiet. I helped them carry their bags to their room, then said farewell to the young Nataku.
"Thank you, WuFei, for saving me. You have made your Nataku very happy in doing so," she said to me.
I smiled. "You're welcome, Nataku."
She hobbled over to me on her crutches and hugged me. "I will never forget you," she said quietly.
"Come now, Nataku. You must rest up for tomorrow," said the bodyguard.
She nodded and let me go. "Perhaps I will see you again, Chang WuFei."
I smiled and nodded, then headed back toward Quatre and the van.
Quatre gave me a perplexed look as I exited the hotel. "Okay, spill. What did I miss that brought you to the hospital, and who the heck were they?"
I laughed a little. "Quatre, that little girl is the Nataku that we had heard about on the news. And the elder one is her bodyguard, or so I assume."
"And how did the three of you end up at the hospital?"
"You remember that dream I had, about rescuing the little girl from a fire at an airport?"
"The one where the girl called you 'father'? Yeah, I remember that."
"It was premonition, of sorts. The airport was attacked, and the little Nataku was trapped in the fire caused by it. And, like in my dream, I went in after her. She never called me 'father', though," I replied with a little laugh.
"Really? Wow."
"Yeah." I sat in silence the rest of the way home. It had been a long day, and I had a few things to think about.
~~~PART 4~~~
The following day, I woke up in a haze. It seemed like the whole bit with the airport had been nothing more than a dream. But…it was too real to have been a dream. I even had the cloth that the young Nataku had held over my mouth as I carried her out of the debris. I sat up in my bed and tried to make sense of it all. Just what was happening here? Was I becoming psychic? Or was I losing my mind? Could it all have been a figment of my imagination? Or a dream?
As I thought, I looked over at the picture of Merian and myself that I kept on my nightstand, almost as if she could tell me the answer. Then, something occurred to me. As crazy as this may sound, maybe…maybe Merian did have the explanation. She was the common tie in it all. The tie between myself, and the young Nataku. She had been in my dream, my premonition, and she had been in my vision. Something inside me told me that she was the key to it all. Now, I just had to unlock it. But that was the tricky part. I didn't know where to begin.
A loud knock on my door interrupted my thoughts.
"HEY! WuFei! You up?" came Duo's ever-obnoxious voice.
"Hai, hai. I'm up," I replied, somewhat annoyed. "What do you want?"
"You comin' out for lunch?"
"Lunch? What happened to breakfast?"
"Been there, done that. Double-check the time, Wu."
I did. It was almost noon. Why in the world had I slept so late? "Yeah, I'll be there in a sec," I replied.
"Alright." I heard him walk away.
I got out of bed and dressed, made sure my hair was pulled back in its usual manner, then headed to the kitchen. "Hi guys."
"Wow. For once, someone slept later than Duo. I didn't think that was possible," said Trowa as I took a seat.
"Yesterday was a tiring day," I replied.
"So Quatre tells us. So…that dream of yours really was a premonition?" asked Heero.
"It seems that way," I nodded. "The airport being attacked, me going in to save a little girl, on this day…"
"On this day? Whaddya mean, 'on this day'?" asked Duo, perking up and removing his attention from the food before him.
My face turned bright red. I had slipped. They didn't know about my anniversary with Merian…feh. They didn't even know about Merian, much less an anniversary. I shook my head, hoping I could get out of it. "Nothing, nevermind."
"Uh-uh," Duo shook his head. "You're not getting away from this that easily. What the heck do you mean?"
I sighed, knowing it was useless. I had said too much, and now, I had to pay for it. "Well…" It was hard to begin. "You know how I told you that in my dream, my possible premonition, I was standing with a woman who was supposedly my wife?" I began.
"Uh-huh…"
"Well…in the dream, the day it happened, yesterday, was supposedly my anniversary with this supposed wife…"
"Okay…go on…"
I took a deep breath. "In reality, yesterday was my wedding anniversary." There. I said it.
"WHAT???"
"Nani?" spoke up Heero, with one eyebrow raised.
Trowa and Quatre stopped eating and looked at me, bewildered.
"You were married??" asked Duo, his face still showing his surprise.
"And now, it's out. My big secret. I was married two years before the first Operation Meteor. When I told you about my dream, you found out that it was technically possible for me to be a father. That's because I was married. But, like I said then, she died before a child could have been born…." Suddenly, I remembered what the young Nataku had told me. That Merian had died only a few days ago. "...Or so I thought."
"Nani?" Heero asked again.
My mind whirled with the memories of when Merian and I consummated our marriage, her supposed death, the dream, the young Nataku, being trained by my wife, her bodyguard saying 'for your Nataku', and how the young Nataku said that Merian would have been upset had I not gone in after her…there was just no way.
Without realizing it, I shook my head, and the words "it's just not possible" escaped my lips in barely a whisper.
"Earth to WuFei! Come in, WuFei!" Duo said, in attempt to bring me out of my haze.
I blinked a few times as I tried to clear my head. Finally, I looked up, straight into Duo's violet eyes. "I just had…the craziest thought…" I said quietly. I stood up so fast that I knocked over my chair, and headed for the phone. Moving faster than I thought I could, I looked up the number for the hotel Nataku and her bodyguard were staying at, then called it. When the desk clerk answered, I asked for their room. I was told they were out for the day, but I could leave a message. I left my name and number, and asked that Nataku call me when she returned. The clerk said he would deliver the message, and I hung up.
I heaved a frustrated sigh. "This is gonna bug me the rest of the day!" I exclaimed. I turned toward the kitchen, and saw four perplexed faces. "Eheh. Don't mind me. I'm temporarily out of my mind," I said with a nervous laugh.
"For…how long?" Duo asked.
"I don't know," I sighed, hanging my head.
Duo grinned. "Right."
I headed to the living room and began to pace, thinking to myself…out loud. "But…if…then…why? Why would she not have…? It doesn't make sense. I would think that she would have tried to find me and tell me…but…" I was almost intentionally leaving my sentences half finished. I knew the others could hear me, so I didn't want them to figure me out…not until I figured me out. "Why would she not have tried to find me if…Ooh! It just. doesn't. make. sense!"
"Um…Wu? You okay in there?" Duo asked.
"Uh…no, not really. Like I said. Don't mind me." I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down…maybe that wasn't the case. Maybe I just had an overactive imagination at the moment…maybe I was right…
By 9:00, I still had heard nothing back from Nataku or her bodyguard. I began to wonder if that desk clerk had actually taken the message down, or if they were okay. But, it was all out of my hands, now, and all I could do was wait.
We were all seated in the living room, doing nothing important. Duo had turned on his cartoons and was now watching them intently. Trowa was seated in the easy chair, reading the day's newspaper, and Heero and Quatre busied themselves with a game of Chess on the floor.
I had been sitting on the couch for the past two hours, almost literally twiddling my thumbs. Then, just because I could, I sat on the coffee table, meditation style and closed my eyes. I had to relax…or I would go nuts!
"Um…WuFei?" asked Trowa, glancing up at me from behind his paper.
"For the third time, don't mind me."
"Um…we've been trying, but…you keep doing odd stuff like this, and, well, we'll have to have you committed," replied Duo.
"Sorry, but…I just have to calm down, or you really will have to commit me," was my stressed-out reply.
"WuFei, what in the world could you be so stressed out about? I've never seen you like this before," said Heero.
I shook my head. "Just…a lot on my mind, that's all," I replied.
"You sure you're okay?" asked Quatre.
"I hope I am, Quatre. If only I'd get that phone call…"
As if on cue, the phone rang. I leapt up, hoping to hear Nataku's voice on the other end. "Hello?" My spirits sank. "Oh. Yeah, he's here. Just a sec." I cupped my hand over the receiver. "It's for you, Heero," I sighed. "It's Relena."
Heero got up and took the phone. I returned to my perch on the coffee table and attempted to meditate and calm myself down.
I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I remember is Duo calling my name.
"WuFei. Wu! Hello? WuFei…"
I slowly opened my eyes and blinked a few times. "Hm? Nani?"
"You were snoring."
"Huh? Was I?"
He nodded.
"Well, that's a first. I've never fallen asleep while meditating before…" I said absently. "What time is it?"
"One. In the morning."
"I didn't miss any phone calls, did I?"
"Nope."
"Darn. Well, okay then. I'm gonna go to bed."
"Yes, go. We do have an answering machine, you know," Duo said, helping me to my feet.
"I know…" I sighed. Why hadn't she called? I began to think about this as Duo escorted me to my room. Maybe she had gotten in late, and didn't call me thinking it would have been rude and that I was already in bed. Yes, that seemed logical. I'd go with that theory. Maybe she'd call tomorrow…
~~~PART 5~~~
I awoke at eight, my usual time. The first thing I did was check the machine. No messages. I sighed, and sat down in the living room. I hadn't even bothered to change into my pajamas the night before, so I was currently in a day-old outfit. I didn't care. I didn't know why I didn't care, I just didn't.
Heero was the next up, followed soon by Quatre, who immediately began making breakfast.
"Hey, WuFei," Heero began. "Why's it such a big deal?"
"I just want some peace of mind! Is that so wrong?" I replied.
"No, not at all," was his reply. "But, what's such a big deal that you can't tell us, and that it's driving you this crazy?"
"Look. I just don't want anyone to go figuring anything out about all this before I do. It's not an easy thing for me, either. It could change my entire life," I replied.
"How much change?"
"It could all be flipped upside down and turned inside out," was how I answered that.
"Wow. That's no small deal."
"I know. But that's how it is. This could be big, but I'm not gonna be able to get a decent night's sleep until I get that phone call!"
"From whom?"
"Nevermind."
"WuFei…"
"Forget it."
Trowa entered the room, rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Forget what?"
"ARG!"
Heero couldn't resist the urge to smile. "Leave it alone, Trowa. He's being driven insane by something, but he refuses to tell any of us what. Just leave it at that."
"Alright," he replied with a shrug.
Duo showed up right as Quatre placed the food on the table and announced that breakfast was ready.
"Perfect timing, as usual," said Quatre with a smile.
"You know me. I never miss a meal!" Duo exclaimed in return.
We all, myself included, as not hungry as I was, sat down at the kitchen table. I knew that though I didn't feel hungry, I should eat something to keep my strength, and my wits, about me. I picked at my food some, and ate a little.
"WuFei, this isn't healthy. You've gotta eat," said Quatre.
"I know. Believe me, I know. It's not that simple, though, Quatre," I said with a sigh.
"Still wierded out by whatever it is that made you act strange last night?" he surmised.
I nodded. "Even more so, if that's possible."
He smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure it will all be okay in the end."
"Not if I go insane first," I said, half joking.
Around noon that day, the phone rang. And it was for me.
"Hello?"
"W-WuFei?" came a quiet whisper over the receiver.
"Yes?"
"It's Nataku," returned the voice.
My heart skipped a beat, and when it resumed beating, it decided to beat twice as fast as usual.
"Sorry I didn't call you back yesterday…something strange is going on."
"What?"
"Oh, shoot. I can't talk anymore. I gotta go. I'll try to call you again later."
With that, the line went dead. I stood there, staring at the receiver in disbelief. Something strange was going on? What did that mean?
"WuFei? You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost," said Trowa as I walked into the living room.
"Well, I got a call…from who I called yesterday, but…"
"But what?"
"But, I got nothing out of it, except confusion," I finished.
"Oh?"
"Yeah…I wonder…" I began to try and figure out what was going on. But, I got nowhere on the limited information that I had. All I knew is that something strange was going on that prevented her from calling me. And she had to keep the call a secret, but why?
It took a minute for me to realize that the others were waiting for me to finish my statement. "Hehe. Sorry. Just thinking, half out loud," I said, feeling ridiculous. I sat down on the floor cross-legged and tried to think more. I got nowhere, unfortunately.
A few minutes later, the phone rang again. It was Nataku.
"Sorry about that, WuFei…it's not easy to call you now."
"It's alright. Wha'd you mean something strange is going on?"
"It's Kiana."
"Who?"
"My bodyguard. She's acting really strange. When the desk clerk gave us the message last night and told us whom it was from, she tore up the paper it was written on. I snuck down later last night and asked him if he remembered the message. He did, lucky for me."
"Why would she do such a thing?"
"I don't know."
"That's really odd, considering she told me to go in after you that day at the airport."
"Yeah. I had to go because she came in the room, and if she found out I had called you…you get the picture."
"Yeah. So…what are you gonna do?"
"I dunno. I-I don't know what to do! I'm lucky she's been out this- uh oh. She's back."
"Then hang up. Don't get yourself in trouble."
The line went dead. I sighed.
"Wu?"
"Something's fishy. And it's not lunch."
~~~PART 6~~~
A week passed, and there was no sign of things clearing up with Nataku. In fact, I hadn't heard from her in a week. And the mystery was driving me nuts! Why would Kiana not let her call me? It didn't make sense, especially, as I had pointed out to Nataku, when she was the one who sent me in after her…
"This is ridiculous! I'm going over there!" I exclaimed, grabbing my jacket.
"Over where, Wu?" asked Duo.
"To the hotel. I'll see you later."
"H-hotel?"
But I was too far out the door to answer Duo's question. Quatre would, I assumed. The hotel was only a few streets away, and it wasn't long before I got there. I took the elevator to their room, which was on the third floor. I knocked loudly, hoping Nataku would open the door. To my dismay, the one to answer was Kiana.
"Nani?" she asked harshly.
"I'm here to see Nataku," was my firm reply.
She shook her head. "No can do."
Nataku's face appeared between Kiana and the door. "WuFei!" she said happily, a huge smile on her face.
I smiled at her. "Hi there."
Kiana pushed her back. "No, Nataku."
"I'm not a dog," was the young girl's retort. "Come on in, WuFei. Kiana, get out of the way."
Kiana didn't budge.
"Well, I would but…" I gestured to Kiana.
"You want to see her, ne?"
I looked curiously, suspiciously, at Kiana. "Yes. I do."
"Prove it."
"What? Kiana, what are you doing?" asked Nataku, as confused as I .
"If he wants to see you, he's got to get past me."
I sighed. "Kiana, this is stupid. Why should I have to force my way past you?"
"It's the only way you'll get to see her, Mr. Chang." With this statement, she lowered her center of gravity and took a stance like she was challenging me.
My eyes widened as I raised an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge?"
She said nothing, and only stood there, glaring at me.
"Very well. I am a bit rusty, but…" I matched her challenge stance, and the match began. It turned out, I was more rusty than I thought. I had a hard time matching her at first…a very hard time. She was also better than I had expected. Her first move completely caught me off guard- a low, round kick to knock me off my feet. She nearly succeeded, too. But at the last second, I leapt up and flipped behind her. Then, I gave her a taste of her own medicine. I succeeded where she had failed. She fell off to the side, but in a flash, she used her one arm to push herself up off the floor then swung a nice roundhouse kick in my direction. She seemed to have the advantage in brute strength, but I had a speed advantage. The duel lasted for about half an hour, and gained quite an audience as the other people on the third floor heard the commotion and dared to peek from their rooms. Even the bellboys stopped; they had to. We took up all the space in the hall.
She threw a punch; I caught it, turned 180 degrees and fell to my knees, and flipped her over my shoulder and onto her back. This time, however, she didn't get up immediately. She lay there, for a moment, then slowly raised herself to her feet. She breathed heavily; we both did. She was a good opponent for me.
"Very well then," she said with a bow. "You may see her."
Nataku ran from her room as best she could due to her crutches. She let them fall to the floor and hugged me tightly.
I smiled and hugged her back. Something in side me screamed for me to tell her that I would never let anything come between us, but that would have sounded odd. Would have. Who am I kidding? It did sound odd.
Kiana sighed happily, I assumed at the sight before her. "A job well done, and a mission complete."
I looked at her strangely. "What? Mission?"
"This is not the place for the explanation. Come," she said, heading into their hotel room. I picked up the discarded crutches and handed them to Nataku, then followed them into the room, shutting the door behind me.
"You mean we can finally tell him??" asked Nataku excitedly.
"Yes."
I was lost. "Finally tell me what?"
"Who I really am," replied Nataku.
"You aren't Nataku?"
"Well, yes and no."
I raised an eyebrow.
"My real name is Mei Ling. Chang Mei Ling."
I blinked. "Ch…Chang?"
She nodded, almost shyly. "Chang," she whispered.
"Then, Me-"
"Merian. To me, Mom." I could see her bite her lower lip nervously. She kept her gaze turned from mine.
"Which means…that you…that you're…" So, the dream was a premonition after all.
"She is your daughter, WuFei," Kiana said to me with a smile. She placed her hand on Nataku's shoulder. (Hmm…I guess I should call her Mei Ling now, ne?) "We've searched for you. And now, the day has come."
"Mother's last wish was that I find you, Father," Mei Ling told me. "She had always told me that you were brave, courageous, and an excellent fighter. She said I got half my fighting genes from you. I can see it now, that she was right."
"So…she hadn't forgotten about me…" I said, deep in thought. I felt my heart beat quickly, and I noticed as my hands began to shake. Now what?
"Merian loved you more than anything in the world, WuFei. She always spoke very highly of you. You and Mei Ling were the most important people to her. Every night, she told me that she was searching for you. When I asked her why, she replied that it was because she missed you more than anything, and that you needed to know about Mei Ling. She tried to find you, but…she didn't succeed before she passed away," Kiana told me.
"So that's why…I never knew. She couldn't find me. As a Gundam pilot, I was always on the move. Never in the same place twice for more than a few days, and once I left, the fact that I had been there was impossible to discover, if I could make it that way. But she did try."
"Yes. She tried for as long as I had known her. I was there when Mei Ling was born. I had acted as a friend and protector for her while she was pregnant, and as a protector for Mei Ling her entire life," said Kiana.
"Mother taught me martial arts, and she made me the famous 'Nataku' I am today. She said that the name should have some special meaning to you when I found you, Father."
"She was right. The last thing I ever heard her say was 'Just call me Nataku!' before she flew off in a mobile suit, and, as far as I knew, died," I explained.
Mei Ling smiled and nodded.
"One thing I don't get, though. Kiana, if Merian's last wish was that Mei Ling find me, why would you not let her call me, then challenge me here?"
"That Mei Ling find you was her last wish to Mei Ling. To me, it was that I act as a protector for Mei Ling, and, if you were found, to make sure that you would take care of her. You see, now that you know, she is in your custody. Merian's wish. That you two live as father and daughter, as you should have. And I was to make sure that you would take care of her, that you could and would protect her; the airport, that I sent you in rather than going in myself, was a test. If you had not gone, I would have, and you would never have known that you have a child. But, you went. So, the testing continued. I got the message from the desk clerk, and tore it up, because Mei Ling was dying to tell you the truth. But, I couldn't tell her that I had to believe that you would care for her. She would have thrown a fit; a fit worse than the one she did when I tore up the message. My challenge to you was also a test. If you could defeat me, then I would relinquish custody of her to you. And you did. She is in your care now, WuFei. Take care of her."
"I will," I nodded. "I had wondered why I felt some sort of connection to her…"
"Now you know."
I smiled, thinking about how the others would react when I came home with her. "They won't believe it," I said aloud.
"Who?" asked my daughter. (That feels so strange to say!)
"The guys I worked with. The other four Gundam pilots."
"Ah."
Suddenly, it hit me. I didn't know a thing about being a parent. "Oh, wow. I'm gonna have no clue what to do…I don't know how to be a parent…"
"Well, the hardest part is over. She's already half-raised. Just follow your heart. That's all you can do," replied Kiana.
Mei Ling hugged me. "I have a feeling you'll be a great father," she said with a smile.
~~~PART 7~~~
A few hours later, we were at a bus station, waiting for Kiana's ride.
"Do you have to go, Kiana?" asked Mei Ling.
She nodded. "Yes, Miss Nataku. I do. You are with your father now. My job is done. You can call me whenever you want." She looked up at me. "And you, WuFei, can call me if you have any questions about parenting."
"You'll be on speed-dial," I told her with a laugh.
She smiled. "You know where I'll be, Mei Ling. And you two are welcome to come and visit me. In fact, I hope you will. I'll miss having you around. I already do," she said, tears in her eyes.
Mei Ling hugged her fondly. "I miss you already too, Kiana. And we'll visit you…as long as you return the visit sometimes," she said, wiping her eyes dry. Even I felt like I would miss her, as little as I knew her.
I extended my hand to her. "It was good to meet you, Kiana. And, thank you, for taking care of Mei Ling all this time."
She shook my hand and smiled, then pulled me into a hug. "Take care, you. And remember, don't hesitate to call me if you need to."
I returned the hug and smiled. "Trust me, I won't."
It was about then that her bus pulled up. "Well, guys, this is it."
"Take care, Kiana," said Mei Ling.
I nodded. "Take care."
She smiled and waved, then boarded the bus.
Mei Ling wiped the tears from her eyes. "Well, what now?" she asked as Kiana's bus drove away.
"Now, we go home," I said, picking up her suitcase.
She nodded. "How far is it?"
"Not very. I walked to the hotel from there," I told her. We started walking.
"Oh wow. Okay. So…what's it like there?"
"I live with the other four Gundam pilots. There's Heero, who tends to be quiet. He was the one that was always the emotional brick wall. Nothing got through to him. He's changed, though. Softer, now that he has a girlfriend. There's Duo, who's like an overgrown child. He's always watching cartoons, and he loves to be sarcastic. Trowa is another quiet one, but he's always been a softer sort of quiet. He was affected by the emotions, but never let it show. And finally, there's Quatre. He's the responsible one, for lack of a better term. He's the one that cooks most, though they say that I should cook every once in a while."
"Do you?"
"No. I only cook for myself."
"Just like Mom predicted," she giggled.
"Really?"
"Yeah. So…anything else?"
I thought about this a moment. "No, not really. Just be prepared for some strange looks when you walk in," I said when I saw the house. She nodded.
I opened the door and walked in. I could smell Quatre cooking dinner in the kitchen. Mei Ling followed me in and looked around.
Quatre popped his head out of the kitchen. "Welcome back, WuFei. Just in time for…" He spotted Mei Ling. "Um…Why's she here?"
That got the attention of the other three pilots, who were sitting in the living room. They turned their gaze to me and my daughter as I headed away from them towards the bedrooms.
"Hey, Wu! Doncha think she's a little young for you?" asked Duo, teasing.
I backed up just enough to stick my head around the corner into the living room. "Duo, that's sick. Not to mention incest," I said, immediately heading down to my room, which was across from the spare.
"N-nani?" Heero stuttered.
"What the heck?" Duo said. I could picture his face, jaw dropped, eyes wide, blinking in confusion.
"Well, that comment certainly deserves an explanation," added Trowa.
I opened the door to the spare and set her bag on the floor. "This will be your room, Mei Ling. Mine is right across the hall, in case you need anything."
She nodded her understanding.
"Hungry? Dinner should be about done," I said.
"Yeah."
"Alright. Let's go, then."
"You gonna tell them tonight?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Dunno," she shrugged.
We headed toward the kitchen, which had already been filled by the others. "We have a dinner guest, guys," I told them. Mei Ling stepped shyly in behind me.
"So I guessed," replied Quatre, gesturing to the extra chair.
I took one of the two empty seats, and Mei Ling took the other. I smiled, and began to eat like nothing was different.
"Um…Wu? What in the world did you mean?" asked Duo.
"Yeah. Why is Nataku here?" added Quatre.
"Nataku?"
The blonde nodded. "That's the one that WuFei saved that day he went to the airport."
"Ah hah. So why is she here, and what in the world did you mean, Wu?"
I smiled. "She's going to stay here," I said.
"Why?"
"Care to tell them your name?" I asked her.
"Mei Ling. Chang Mei Ling," she said, her voice quiet and noticeably nervous.
"Um…Chang?" asked Duo.
Heero raised an eyebrow and looked between the two of us. "Hmm…she does seem to bear a resemblance to you, WuFei," he said.
Trowa nodded in agreement. Quatre dropped his fork and blinked a few times.
"Um…I'm lost," stated Duo.
"Aren't you always?" asked Heero. "Am I interpreting that correctly, WuFei?"
"If you're thinking of that dream and the girl in it, yes."
"Oh wow," was all Trowa could manage.
"I think you may have to spell it out for him," Mei Ling said, gesturing to Duo.
"As usual. Duo, Mei Ling is my daughter," I told him simply.
Duo's jaw almost literally hit the table.
"What did you mean, dream?" asked Mei Ling.
"A few weeks before I met you, I had a dream, that seems to have been quite a premonition. In it, I saved a young girl about your age that kept calling me 'father' from an airport that was attacked. She was trapped, and surrounded by fire. And I went in to get her. Sound familiar?" I explained.
She nodded. "Yeah."
"Well, welcome to the house, Mei Ling," said Quatre with a smile. "I'm Quatre. The one with the braid is Duo."
Trowa and Heero introduced themselves as well.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," my daughter replied politely.
Duo shook his head.
"What, Duo?" asked Trowa.
"The thought of WuFei being a father…sheesh. It's just too weird."
"You'll adjust," I replied. He nodded.
We finished dinner with what turned out to be a question and answer session for Mei Ling. How old was she, where had she come from, et cetera, et cetera. From there, we moved into the living room, where Duo turned on his usual cartoons. Mei Ling and I sat on the couch beside each other. She watched Duo's cartoons, and as the night progressed, I felt her lean her head against me. I stretched a bit, and put my arm around her. We were both pretty tired.
Another half an hour or so passed, and the entire house grew pretty quiet. The clock chimed ten, and I looked over at my daughter. She had fallen asleep.
"I'm heading to bed, guys," I told them as I stood to pick her up. I tried not to wake her.
"Good night, WuFei," said Trowa. Duo and Heero waved.
"Night," said Quatre.
I carried her down to her room and laid her gently in the bed. She stirred a little and opened her eyes slightly.
"Going to bed?" she asked softly.
"Yes. And you're in yours," I told her as I placed the comforter over her. "Remember, I'm just across the hall."
She nodded. "I will."
"Good night, Mei Ling."
"Good night, Dad," she replied, her final response before drifting off to sleep once again. I kissed the top of her head gently, then turned to go to my own room. I shut her door softly, crossed the hall, and opened mine.
I stepped in and shut the door behind me, then changed into my pajamas. A chilly breeze blew through my open window (did I leave that open? I don't think so…). I walked over and shut it.
"I'm glad to see she found you," came a soft voice from behind me.
I whirled around to see nothing.
"And I'm just as glad that you took her in. I'd have had to haunt you if you didn't," the voice said. Then, slowly, a figure began to take shape before me.
"M-Merian???"
She smiled. "Hello, WuFei."
"B-but…but how? I thought…"
"That I was dead? I am. This is just my spirit that you see before you," she explained as she sat down on my bed.
"So you tried to find me, eh?"
"I tried. But every time I thought I had you, something happened and you were gone in almost an instant. I would have told you, if I could."
I nodded. "I'll take good care of her…well, as good as I can, anyway."
She smiled. "I know you will. Kiana trusted you enough to give custody to you. That really says something. Mei Ling was like a daughter to Kiana."
"So I gathered."
"I can't stay long, WuFei," she told me.
I nodded and sat down beside her. "I miss you a lot, Merian. Every day, I think about you."
"I know. We spirits can feel it when we're thought of. I miss you too, WuFei. If I could, I'd resurrect myself to be with both of you, together. Like the family we never were."
"I wish you could," I confessed.
"But I can't. Anyway, I was just making an appearance to you to let you know that I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just didn't get the chance."
"It's alright. It's not your fault."
She smiled, and her image began to fade slightly. "Lie down, and go to sleep, now. You've had a hard few days."
I lay down and closed my eyes to sleep. I was tired, so I don't know how long it took me. All I know is that I could swear I felt Merian's lips on mine before I was completely asleep. Or maybe, it was just a dream...
THE END