Only the Beginning
Chapter 2 – Crystal Tokyo
Even though it was Duo who had organized this Charity Ball, he had to admit he found it extremely boring. Stifling a yawn he wandered to the buffet grabbing for some shrimp when he something sweet wafted past him, titillating his nostrils. He would have known that perform anywhere and without turning he greeted the wearer.
"Hilde," he said finally turning to look at her and as always her beauty floored him. She had not changed at all.
Hilde cocked her head to one side and smiled brightly. Just seeing Duo could always bring a smile to her face. Delighted to see him Hilde threw her arms around his neck and Duo stood there immobile. A part of him wanted to grab onto her and hold her so tight in his arms, but another part of him wanted to push her away from him, and yell at her for hurting him. She had picked up and left in the middle of the night like a thief, with only a letter of goodbye as an explanation. Hilde could feel Duo stiffening in her arms and pulled back to look at him with concern.
"Duo what's wrong?"
"How can you possibly ask me that as though you don't know?" Duo asked through clenched teeth, his usual cheerful face full of anger and pain and humiliation.
"I'm sorry Duo, I thought…" Hilde broke off pursing her lips and Duo raised his eyebrows at her, knowing there was something she was about to say.
"You thought what?"
"That you would have gotten over me by now, especially with news of my engagement," Hilde blurted out and Duo felt his knees start to shake.
"Engagement?" he repeated dumbly and Hilde realized that he hadn't heard. She should have already known that. Of course society news wouldn't have interested someone like Duo, a respected Pastor who cared more about the well being of his orphans than anything else. The fact that Duo didn't care what people thought was one of the reasons Hilde had been so attracted to him in the first place.
"You didn't know," she finished for him and Duo shook her head slowly.
"No, I didn't," he said gazing at Hilde with a betrayed expression and Hilde had to look away, such was the intensity.
"Oh," she murmured lamely not knowing what else to say. Duo steeled him spine and nodded his head at her.
"Excuse me," he said turning and walking from her but Hilde's voce stopped him in his tracks.
"Duo…"
"What?" Duo turned to hear what she had to say and Hilde took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry," Hilde's voice was full of such apology and sadness and Duo tossed his braid over his shoulder turning away.
"That means nothing to me," was his parting remark and Hilde nodded her head taking in her dismissal. She was foolish to have though Duo would want to be her friend after she had abandoned him without warning.
"Sweetheart, lets go mingle," her fiancée came to her placing her hand into the crook of his arm and Hilde turned to smile up at him, although less vibrantly as she had smiled at Duo.
"Of course Milliadros," Hilde conceded allowing him to lead her through the party.
Duo came upon Trowa who was seated by the bar and took a seat next to him downheartedly accepting the lemonade from the accommodating barman.
"Guess you heard the good news about Hilde's engagement," Trowa said a little loudly, and Duo turned to his fellow Gundam Pilot and noticed that his eyes were a little red around the edges. He could smell the rum and coke on Trowa's breath and wondered exactly who much his friend had had to drink so far. From the disapproving gaze of the barman, it seemed Trowa had downed more that a few.
"I did, just then in fact," Duo acknowledged and a flash of pain crossed Trowa's face and Duo didn't need to be a physic to guess that Trowa had received similar news.
"Did you hear about Catherine? She's getting married as well. To some ringmaster of a circus," Trowa said his voice soft now; full of sadness and Duo placed a comforting hand on Trowa's shoulder forgetting his own sadness for the moment.
"I'm sorry Trowa," Duo said and Trowa shrugged his hand off.
"I don't care," he said, although his expression told a different story.
Duo got to his feet pulling Trowa to his as well and Trowa swayed where he stood but didn't fall, and Duo was glad Trowa wasn't as wasted as he first thought.
"Well I care, you need to sober up, no more drinks, this night is for the children Trowa remember that," Duo said and Trowa nodded his head grinning for a moment.
"You're a good man Duo," Trowa said then he turned to the bartender to order a drink.
"Water please," Trowa ordered and smiling Duo patted him on the back and looked at the time.
It was time for the auction to begin so he made his way to the small stage and took the floor standing in front of the microphone.
"Excuse me," he called the attention of everyone and people stopped milling about, meeting and greeting to listen to him as he called the charity ball to attention.
People crowded closer to the stage, each vying to get a better look at the goods on offer and Duo smiled and waved his greeting to everyone. He could see Vice Minister Darlian surrounded by her entourage, Heero was standing off to one side watching her closely, ever the Perfect Solider. Quatre also had his entourage, of his business associates, but he raised his champagne glass at Duo all the smile grinning broadly. Trowa was standing beside Wufei who grinned evilly and turned slightly so Duo could see a glint of the katana he had strapped to his back. Duo chuckled silently at Wufei, having missed the chainman's amusing ways.
"That you for coming, it has made me so happy to see that so many people care about the orphaned children of our society. With your help I hope to open a second orphanage, so we can accommodate more children, and help more lives. God bless you all for being here and…" Duo broke off as he saw something flickering in the distance.
He peered into the night darkness and the flickering grew becoming shining lights and people noticed him staring and turned to see what he was looked at and a hush of awe fell over the audience. Right before their eyes a whole city materialized and Duo rubbed his eyes and looked again to make sure he had seen right and there before him was a Crystal City, shimmering in the moonlight.
"Wow," he breathed in wonder walking off the stage and Heero, Quatre, Trowa and Wufei joined him at the bottom of the stage.
"Lets check it out," Heero said and Duo nodded wanted to find out what was in that beautiful city.
It didn't take too long to organize an exploration party. The five Gundam Pilots offered to go first into the city. It was deserted. Not a person was to be seen. The five pilots walked slowly through the streets taking in the beauty. It was all so clean, so beautiful, so perfect. Ahead of them loomed a magnificent Crystal Palace and the five of them approached the stairs to the Palace with excitement, not knowing what to expect. To their complete surprise the door to the Crystal Palace slowly pulled open and before them stood five beautifully dressed young women who's eyes shown to recognition and relief. Behind them the people of the city kneeled, heads bowed. They stood in a line the five women. On the far left there was a petite young woman, eyes of deep blue and hair the same deep blue, her eyes were cast down demurely but looked up to search Quatre's face quickly. The second across was a fiery looking woman, hair of the darkest ebony and eyes of violet that flashed with fondness as she gazed upon them all. The girl in the middle was a regal looking young woman, hair in two pigtails on either side of her head, her hair was the colour of the sun, and her eyes a clear blue, her eyes so filled with honesty and adoration as she gazed at Duo. On her left stood another woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, but her gaze was fixed on Wufei and she risked a smile in his direction that Wufei had not been expecting. The last woman was tall, and strong looking, chocolate brown hair and clearest emerald green eyes Trowa had ever gazed into. He was quite possessed by her beauty, her dominating form stood out among the others who all looked so dainty and helpless.
"Welcome to Crystal Tokyo, my name is Rei," one of the five women, the ebony haired woman started walking slowly down the stairs and Heero fought the strangest urge to go and assist her as she descended. Wufei's body shook as something about her name touched him, the same thing happened to Duo, Trowa and Quatre. It was like they had all seen her somewhere before but they couldn't for the life of them imagine where. Duo was sure he would have remembered a babe like her and the others. She was two steps away from all of them when the woman in the middle, with long blonde pigtails came running down the stairs and she flung her arms around Duo's neck hugging him tightly, silent tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.
"Oh Duo, I've missed you so," Usagi wept in the arms of the man she loved and Duo stared down at the weeping woman in his hands and frowned down at her blankly.
"Lady, I don't know who you are, I've never met you before in my life."