Ayashi no Yuugi II: The Final Sunrise
Disclaimer: Standard disclaimers apply.
Ha! It's a 2x4 pairing! It's not that I don't like a 1x2 fic, it's just that there are already too many of those out there. Honestly, you don't find many 2x4 fics out there.
Chapter 9: Dominion Road
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The ivy hung thick over the door, the key was buried under the shrubs, no human being had passed that portal for ten lonely years—and yet inside the garden there were sounds. They were the sounds of running scuffling feet seeming to chase round and round under the trees, they were the strange sounds of lowered suppressed voices—exclamations and smothered joyous cries. It seemed actually like the laughter of young things, the uncontrollable laughter of children who were trying not to be heard but who in a moment or so—as their excitement mounted—would burst forth. What in heavens name was he dreaming of—what in heaven's name did he hear? Was he losing his reason and thinking he heard things which were not meant for human ears? Was it what that far clear voice had meant?
--The Secret Garden--
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April 3, 200 AC; 3:45 PM
Colony L2, Asuka Residence
Whatever Trowa had been expecting when he entered Duo's library, the sight of the braided pilot and the small blonde locked in a passionate kiss had not been one of them. He smiled gently before backing out of the room and quietly closing the door behind him to give the two some privacy.
'Poor Heero,' he thought mildly as he walked away, 'it looks like he doesn't have a chance with Duo after all.'
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Inside the library, the two parted, and Quatre stared at Shinn for a while before leaning his head on his shoulder.
"Do we have a chance?" Shinn whispered, pulling the Sandrock pilot close, looking out the window as he spoke, his violet eyes dark with passion. "Are you willing to take this chance, Quatre? We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain."
"Yes…" Quatre murmured, closing his eyes, "we do have a chance…"
Shinn swallowed hard. "I'm glad…" he whispered as he took possession of Quatre's lips once more.
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April 3, 200 AC; 10:28 PM
CSA Colony L4 Orbital Base, Futune
Admiral Kaze Haruka, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited, Commander of the CSA L4 Orbital Base, Futune, and Pilot 06 of GTK, better known to many as Zechs Marquise of the Oz Military or Milliardo Peacecraft of the Sanq Kingdom, glared at the remaining files waiting for his attention from under his mask as he moved a stack of papers off to one side of his desk. The amount of papers he had been going through lately was tiring to say the very least. The fact that he also had paperwork from Preventors to go through didn't make him any happier. In fact, if he didn't have the type of control he was known for, he'd slump back into his chair with an exasperated groan. Instead, he only allowed the faintest hint of a frown tug at his lips. He glanced at the clock on his desk and heaved a resigned sigh as he reluctantly pulled another file toward him and picked up his pen.
When was the last time he'd seen the mahogany surface of his desk at the Orbital Base? A corner of his mind wondered absently as his eyes skimmed over the report. And when was the last time he saw the oak surface of his desk at Preventors Headquarters?
The first day I arrived in the office, a small voice supplied.
Just thirty-two more minutes. He just had to last thirty-two more minutes, and he'd be allowed to leave his office for his quarters next door for the next five hours. That is, if an emergency didn't come up.
It would be an absolute blessing if no emergencies came up, considering that the CSA had been fighting off wave after wave of attacks from the Nautilus for the past few weeks. The L4 Orbital Base Futune and the L2 Orbital Base Remliel were the only CSA Bases not yet under attack, but that didn't mean that the personnel were not in Class 4 battle stations and on Code Blue Alert, and it most certainly didn't mean that on duty Pilots were not on stand-by.
Kaze heaved another sigh as he scrawled his signature on the dotted line and pulled another paper from the open manila folder toward him. Tiredly, he began to read.
His attention was suddenly pulled away from his work when the lights in the Orbital Base flashed red and klaxons began to wail. His eyes narrowed behind his mask and he hit a button beside him on the desk.
"Marsten!" he snapped, "What's going on?"
"/We're under attack, sir/" his aide said, sounding faintly panicked.
Sure enough, the Base shuddered and the sound of explosions could be heard.
"Nautilus?"
"/Unknown, but most likely./"
"Send out MST Desert-Fox-7! I'll be right down!"
"/Yes sir/"
Damn it! First the Sanq Headquarters, now the Futune. Zechs fumed as he pulled open a drawer and grabbed the gun inside, slipping it into his jacket after checking that the safety was on and that it was loaded, and pushed himself away from the desk, pausing to pick up his saber from the rack behind the desk. He walked briskly to the door, clipping the saber to his side as he went, mentally checking off the small arsenal on his person.
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April 4, 200 AC; 4:13 AM
Honolulu, Hawaii; Cockpit of Saviour Gundam
"You did WHAT!" Alexa yelled, glad for once that the cockpit of the Savior Gundam had been soundproofed.
This was unbelievable!
Shinn, the ever obedient Shinigami, had broken one of the Creator's decrees, and fell in love with a mortal! Alright, so the falling in love part wasn't illegal per say, but what was illegal was that he had confessed his feelings to said mortal!
And even worse, the mortal could die at any second! Especially since he was Quatre R. Winner, pilot 04 of the Gundam Sandrock, and one of the top Preventor Agents!
This was absolutely unacceptable behavior for a high level immortal of Shinn's caliber!
On the other screen, Kayla had leveled a smoldering glare at the God of Death.
"/It may not be illegal to become infatuated with a mortal, those types of things fade over time, and eventually, you forget about the mortal all together. But to confess to the mortal that you have feelings for them is to bind yourself to them, and you will never look at another person again, regardless of whether or not you hold their heart in your hand. Quatre's death will break you. Shinn, you should also know that Lord of the Underworld or not, neither you nor Quatre will ever see each other again except in passing, and neither of you will be able to stop and talk to the other. At least, you won't have the time, considering that you have your own responsibilities as Shinigami and Lord of the Underworld./"
On the other screen, Shinn winced.
"/I know, but one minute he was crying on my shoulder and I was telling myself that I couldn't and shouldn't confess my feelings to him, and the next thing I knew, we were in the middle of a lip lock./"
"That's still no excuse for breaking the Creator's decree," Alexa snapped, glowering.
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April 4, 200 AC; 5:28 AM
CSA L4 Orbital Base, Futune, Central Command Center
The battle had gone on through the night, and controlled panic was seeping through the CCC of the Futune. Admiral Kaze Haruka, Second Class, Type Two Unlimited, Commander of CSA L4 Orbital Base, Futune, and Pilot 06 of GTK, better known by many as Zechs Marquise or Milliardo Peacecraft, was not at all, a happy man. In fact, he was itching to get inside his Tallgeese and start blowing up the enemy MS and MD, but duty had him confined to the commander's chair in the CCC (Central Command Center).
"Firing Electron cannons!"
"We've lost contact with SF-9!" (Scout Fleet 9)
"SP Remore in Sector 4 has flat lined!"
"Bogey at .3 d'arcies, 4.6 kilometers in the East!"
"Prepare for mine warfare!"
"Dropping mines!"
"Outer wall in E-ring, Sector 2 has been breached!"
"Closing airtight doors!"
"Welle shield power is dropping!"
"Prepare to unfold the Secondary Welle shield."
"Firing EMP."
"Unfolding Secondary Welle shield."
"Emp power at ninety percent and dropping!"
"Welle shield has been set up!"
"Launching Battleship Skylock!"
"Launching Mobile Suit Team Aries Tenshi!"
"Fire Hybrid Cannons!"
"CSA Carrier Bethor is fifteen kilometers away and closing."
"Firing Hybrid Cannons!"
"Emp power at eighty-three percent and dropping!"
"We've lost contact with MST Fire-Bird-5!"
"Have all personnel in the E-ring been evacuated?" Zechs said.
"Currently, we can account for 9.98 percent of the personnel form the E-ring, sir," an officer said.
"Send a call for Mobile Suit Space Patrol Gamma 9 (MSSPG9), and if possible, see if either Admiral Morse or Admiral Mitsuki can come. I have a suspicion that we are going to need all the help we can get."
"Yes sir!"
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April 4, 200 AC; 5:37 AM
Colony L2, Asuka Residence
The house was silent that morning, and most of the pilots had yet to wake. But in the master bedroom, Quatre R. Winner was roused from his slumber only to find himself alone in the large bed.
"Duo?" he whispered, staring groggily at the empty space beside him. Only half awake, the Sandrock pilot had unconsciously switched back to calling the immortal by the alias he had borne during the Eve Wars.
The fact that his love wasn't in bed soon traveled to his mind at warp-speed, and in point three seconds, all signs of grogginess had vanished from the Sandrock Pilot's face.
"Duo!"
Quatre's eyes landed on the crutches leaning against the wall beside the bed. Duo, being Death, had no need for the crutches, as his injuries healed five times faster than a normal human, but if he were in the house, no matter how late or early, he would keep the crutches with him in case one of the other pilots were awake.
The fact that the crutches were leaning neglected against the wall where Duo had left them the night before meant only three things: that he was a) in the hanger under the house, b) in his hidden office under the house, or c) in one of his multiple MS, which were normally stored in the hanger under the house, and on a mission.
The clothes that the immortal had worn to bed last night were thrown neatly over the back of a chair, and his laptop, normally on the desk at a right angle to the door, was gone as well.
His eyes wide at the simple thought that Duo, although immortal and not truly injured, was on a mission; the Arabian panicked and rushed over to the bookshelf, and hit the hidden button that he had been told was there. The hidden door slid open with a quiet hiss, and Quatre ran down the dim stairwell which led to a hallway leading to the braided pilot's private office, and in turn, down to the hangers where his MS and Gundam were normally kept.
He ran down the hall and came to a stop in front of a metal door, and quickly punched in the code given to him, and shifted from one foot to the other impatiently while the door slid open with a nearly inaudible hiss. He ran down the hall and turned down the right hand corridor and threw the cherry wood door open. The small blonde froze for a fraction of a second, and nearly collapsed with relief at the sight of the immortal sitting at his desk, a pile of papers in front of him.
Shinn looked up from his papers in surprise when he heard the door get flung open, and blinked at the sight of the terrified but relieved look on his blonde love's face. Shinn felt worry bubble up in his chest, the Sandrock pilot looked like he was about to collapse.
"Quatre?" he said gently.
"I—I thought…" Quatre trailed off embarrassedly.
"You thought I'd left on another mission?"
Quatre nodded mutely, flushing, and Shinn chuckled affectionately as he rose and walked over and pulled his love into a reassuring hug.
"Baka," he scolded gently, "Considering the near disastrous ending of my previous mission, I'm hurt that you'd think I'd actually leave again without telling you." Shinn smiled gently as he captured Quatre's lips with his own.
They pulled apart, and Shinn continued, "After last night, the last thing I'd want is to cause you more pain, and if I really had gone on a mission, you wouldn't have come running into my study, now would you? You would have run down to the hangers to see if my MS was still there. And, even if they are slave drivers, the Triad wouldn't send an injured pilot out into the battlefield unless it was absolutely necessary."
Quatre flushed in embarrassment, and Shinn chuckled, a low rumbling sound from inside his chest, as he leaned down, touching his forehead to Quatre's, his hand on the back of the small blonde's neck.
"Anata wa… honto ne… kawaii, Quatre-kun," the immortal murmured before capturing the small blonde's lips once more for a passionate kiss.
(Kamui Gaia 07: I'm sure I messed this up! I was going for "You really are cute, Quatre.")
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April 4, 200 AC; 6:41 AM
CSA L5 Orbital Base, Ambriel
Admiral Dorothy Catalonia, Third Class, Type Four Unlimited, Pilot 02 of Gundam Team Hamied (GTH), Commander of CSA L5 Orbital Base, Ambriel, was by no means a happy woman.
Five attacks had been made against her Base in the past three days, and though she had successfully fended them all off, she had no doubt that the Nautilus were just getting warmed up. Repairs had yet to be made to the C-ring in Sector D4, or the F-ring in Sector G5. All the attention of the Orbital Base's personnel was on their duties, and the entire Base had been put on Code Blue Alert, and all Pilots were on stand-by.
Other bases at each Lestrange Point had been fending off attacks as well, and the nine CSA Space Patrols at each Point were on high alert. The six Carriers in each Lestrange Point were cloaked and floating near each of the three Orbital Bases at each Point.
The current Base under attack was the Futune at Lestrange Point 4, in Sector Alpha Omega Pie. But it wouldn't do to forget the Bases on Earth, oh, no, even those were under attack. So far, the CSA were pinned, leaving Preventors to take up the slack at guarding the Earth and her Colonies. The best Preventor Agents were either on leave or pinned to the Commander's Chair in one or another CSA Base, fending off attacks, which meant that although the Preventors could take action if necessary, they wouldn't be at their best.
Of the Five Original Gundam Pilots, one was injured, but the moment he was fully recovered, he'd be swept off by the Triad with a flurry of missions, darting from one Lestrange Point to the other, then from Lestrange Point to Earth, and from one part of the planet to the other, then from Earth to Lestrange Point, and on, and on, and on, in a never ending cycle, leaving Preventors one Gundam Pilot short.
Things were so bad that even Admirals Alexa Morse and Kayla Mitsuki had split up, and the two were flitting from Lestrange Point to Lestrange point, from Lastrange Point to Earth, and from one side of the planet to the other, and back.
In other words, the CSA ranks were stretched thin, very thin.
At least one thing was for sure, no one could say that the Nautilus Leaders were stupid anymore.
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