Chapter Fourteen
Aaron finished brushing her hair and looked in the mirror. She wanted to try and be the best she could be tonight for Wufei. She was dressed in a simple white dress, far from fancy. It was the best she could get on such short notice. Her ebony hair shone like silk and she allowed a small smile. She liked the way she looked tonight, and she hoped Wufei would too.
She stood and walked over to her bed when she felt strange. It started with a warm sensation that started along her back and spread throughout her body. It was followed by an odd numbness that started in her legs and moved upwards. Finally, she was assaulted by a wave of dizziness and collapsed on the bed. Her head swam and her vision dim. Vaguely, she heard a voice murmur 'I'm sorry'. Her last thought was that the voice sounded exactly like hers.
Wufei waited and waited. He witnessed the arrivals of many guests, such as fellow Preventers Zechs Marquise and Lucretzia Noin, as well as the head of their department, Lady Une. He recognized the laughing Maguanacs and some of Quatre's many sisters.
He had seen Heero, Trowa, and Quatre, all dressed up in tuxedoes, but no sign of Aaron. As he sat with his friends from the war, he noticed that Quatre seemed fidgety. He sighed and turned his thoughts inward. Perhaps she wasn't going to come. Who could blame her? After the way he had always treated her, he began to feel disgusted at himself.
"Excuse me, Wufei?"
The Chinese boy blinked and shook his head, awakened from his dark thoughts. He turned to look at the Quatre and the noticed that the blonde seemed rather nervous. "Yes, Quatre?"
"Do you think you could watch my door to make sure no one interrupts me and Trowa while we're talking?"
The onyx-eye youth nodded distractedly. He wanted to get back to his musings. "Yes, of course...."
The blonde stood and headed to his room, Wufei trailing behind him. All the while the Chinese boy swept his eyes over the crowd in the hopes of finding Aaron. But there was no sign of her anywhere. They arrived at Quatre's room and he leaned against the wall while Quatre went inside. He was about to give up hope when he heard a disturbance back inside the ballroom.
"Baka! Watch where you're going!"
"I-I'm sorry ma'am! I r-really didn't-"
"No excuses! What's done is done, but if it happens again…"
The Preventer scowled and moved away from the door he was supposed to be guarding. Whatever Quatre and Trowa wanted to talk about was there business, maintaining order and discipline was his. He moved towards the sound of the voice and tried to hide his astonishment.
Aaron stood there, dusting herself off and glaring at a man who quickly ran off into the crowd. Wufei quickly determined that the man had bumped into Aaron and knocked her down. But Aaron didn't get mad that easily. She was more like Quatre, more peaceful. The way she glared about now was uncharacteristic for her.
"Agent Aaron, what happened here?" He said as he strode forward.
She blinked and turned to face him, her glare softening just a touch. She swept her eyes over him, as if she hadn't seen him in a long time. "Nothing," she murmured. "Just a run in with a fool."
The Chinese boy frowned and looked her over as well. She was clad in a simple white dress, but she seemed…what was the word? Lovely. A word that Wufei had never used until then.
"Aaron… are you sure you are okay?"
She nodded curtly. "Yes, I am fine. Well, Wufei… you look… handsome… tonight."
He noted the hesitation in her voice, as if she was forcing herself to say something. "…Thank you. You look… lovely, this evening."
"Hn…" She looked around, somewhat nervously. "May we sit somewhere?"
"Of course… I am sharing a table with Winner and the others."
"Winner?"
He frowned at her. "Yes…Quatre Winner, the host…"
She blinked and shook her head. "Oh… excuse me… his name must have… slipped my mind."
Wufei found that hard to believe, but he didn't question her. Instead, he lead her over to their table, noticing that Quatre and Trowa had returned. Both looked relieved, as if they had gotten a great weight off their shoulders. He quickly introduced Aaron then sat down among the rest of them.
He ignored all the talking of the others and focused his attention on Aaron. She was acting very strangely tonight. She also ignored the talking of the people around her and shifted nervously, adjusting her dress now and then. The American looked uncomfortable, but Wufei had no idea why.
It was after eleven when she finally turned to him. "Wufei, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"
The Chinese boy blinked. He was decent at dancing, though a precious few even knew that. He shrugged. "If you wish…."
The woman wasted no time by standing and taking him by his arm and leading him to the dance floor. The song was of the slow, romantic variety, and Aaron had him close, but not too close. Wufei frowned and finally voiced his concern.
"Agent Aaron, what is wrong with you tonight?"
She looked up at him and he saw something flicker across her eyes. "Wrong?"
"Yes, you are not acting like yourself tonight. You seem nervous and uncomfortable."
Aaron looked up at him and he noticed the strength and fierceness in her onyx orbs. There was certainly something strange with her tonight.
"Wufei… what I am about to tell you will sound strange, but listen closely. I am not who you think I am."
The Preventer agent raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Aaron Lei knew much of our relationship, thanks to your files. But there were a few things she didn't know. In my eyes, you will always be that scholar boy, forced into an unwanted arranged marriage with me."
Wufei narrowed his eyes dangerously. Why had she slipped back into this? He disapproved her using his wife as a way to get to him.
She saw and felt his disbelief and pulled him close. She looked at him with a gaze full of ferocity that Aaron could never manage.
"Listen to me, Chang Wufei. This woman has taken my name in her efforts to change you, and you have forgiven her. There is no reason for her to continue her act. I am Meiran. And I do hope that I will not have to resort to explaining our one night together to get you to accept it. Get your mind out of your books and for once, accept the impossible. For the impossible can happen."
There was something in the way she spoke, the way she acted, in the very way she carried herself and treated him that made him believe. He knew Aaron, and this was not her. This woman was his wife. She spoke with a quiet urgency, but the tone gave him the simple choice to believe or disbelieve.
His eyes widened slightly. "…Meiran…?"
A smile flittered across her grim face. A smile he had rarely seen, but it was one that was worth seeing nonetheless. "You said while I past away that you never had the chance to prove yourself worthy of being my husband. This is your chance, Chang Wufei. Dance with me."
Wufei, for once in his life, was stricken into speechlessness. So instead of talking, he held her close and danced. They both held each other uncertainly, but they had never truly been close. He didn't know how it happened or why it happened, but it felt like a burden had been lifted. He was with his wife, and nothing else in the world mattered.
The crowd moved as they gathered around the giant screen and awaited the countdown. At that time, Meiran looked up at him sadly.
10…
"Wufei?
9…
"Yes?"
8…
"I have to go…"
7…
"Why?"
6…
"My time here is up.
5…
"Will I ever see you again?"
4…
"Whenever you look at this girl…"
3…
"…I will miss you."
2…
"Take care, Chang Wufei."
1…
"Thank you."
The clock struck twelve and the crowd erupted into cheers. Like many other couples, Wufei was locked in a passionate kiss with his wife. The last kiss he would ever share with her.
Aaron's body slumped a bit in his arms and he felt a warm feeling drift through him. He faintly heard the words 'Farewell', echoing in his mind. Aaron Lei opened her eyes in the middle of the kiss, and broke it with a soft gasp.
"Wufei! How… how'd I get here?"
The Chinese boy gave her a genuine smile. "Do not concern yourself with that, Aaron. You told me once you cared too much to see me hurt. Aaron, I share those same feelings with you. Only now do I realize how much you mean to me."
Aaron Lei blushed at his words and threw her arms around him. She loved him, and was now unafraid to admit it. And now, she knew he loved her back.
After years of isolation and anger, of having his heart frozen by too many events, Chang Wufei the avenging warrior died. And from his ashes rose a new Chang Wufei. Chang Wufei the man. Nothing more…nothing less.
~End~
Alas, all good things must come to an end! And I had to make this chapter nice and long to make up for all my other short chapters. I apologize for those of you who don't like the supernatural aspect, but the category should have warned you. And since this is the end of Heartfelt Memories, the Heartfelt trilogy is at an end ;-;. I'm not sure if I'll write a sequel, but there's still a chance. And now, I feel I should explain a few things about the Trilogy.
Of course, you may have noticed the tiny fact that I made Duo a girl. Why? Well, I thought I should try something new to kinda set me apart. I've gotten flames, yes, but I got good reviews too. I apologize to those of you who didn't like it, but I tried my best to think of soemthing new for the series.
Another thing, for those of you who've read Episode Zero, what I wrote isn't true to the letter. I got all the dialogue from a website which had directly translated the Japanese, so it sounds a bit odd. So I apologize about that too.
If you want anything cleared up, you can just e-mail me at ChiSeireiEldamri@aol.com, or IM me over Aol Instant Messenger at Seraph Quatre. Until we meet again, farewell, my friends ^-^!
Aaron finished brushing her hair and looked in the mirror. She wanted to try and be the best she could be tonight for Wufei. She was dressed in a simple white dress, far from fancy. It was the best she could get on such short notice. Her ebony hair shone like silk and she allowed a small smile. She liked the way she looked tonight, and she hoped Wufei would too.
She stood and walked over to her bed when she felt strange. It started with a warm sensation that started along her back and spread throughout her body. It was followed by an odd numbness that started in her legs and moved upwards. Finally, she was assaulted by a wave of dizziness and collapsed on the bed. Her head swam and her vision dim. Vaguely, she heard a voice murmur 'I'm sorry'. Her last thought was that the voice sounded exactly like hers.
Wufei waited and waited. He witnessed the arrivals of many guests, such as fellow Preventers Zechs Marquise and Lucretzia Noin, as well as the head of their department, Lady Une. He recognized the laughing Maguanacs and some of Quatre's many sisters.
He had seen Heero, Trowa, and Quatre, all dressed up in tuxedoes, but no sign of Aaron. As he sat with his friends from the war, he noticed that Quatre seemed fidgety. He sighed and turned his thoughts inward. Perhaps she wasn't going to come. Who could blame her? After the way he had always treated her, he began to feel disgusted at himself.
"Excuse me, Wufei?"
The Chinese boy blinked and shook his head, awakened from his dark thoughts. He turned to look at the Quatre and the noticed that the blonde seemed rather nervous. "Yes, Quatre?"
"Do you think you could watch my door to make sure no one interrupts me and Trowa while we're talking?"
The onyx-eye youth nodded distractedly. He wanted to get back to his musings. "Yes, of course...."
The blonde stood and headed to his room, Wufei trailing behind him. All the while the Chinese boy swept his eyes over the crowd in the hopes of finding Aaron. But there was no sign of her anywhere. They arrived at Quatre's room and he leaned against the wall while Quatre went inside. He was about to give up hope when he heard a disturbance back inside the ballroom.
"Baka! Watch where you're going!"
"I-I'm sorry ma'am! I r-really didn't-"
"No excuses! What's done is done, but if it happens again…"
The Preventer scowled and moved away from the door he was supposed to be guarding. Whatever Quatre and Trowa wanted to talk about was there business, maintaining order and discipline was his. He moved towards the sound of the voice and tried to hide his astonishment.
Aaron stood there, dusting herself off and glaring at a man who quickly ran off into the crowd. Wufei quickly determined that the man had bumped into Aaron and knocked her down. But Aaron didn't get mad that easily. She was more like Quatre, more peaceful. The way she glared about now was uncharacteristic for her.
"Agent Aaron, what happened here?" He said as he strode forward.
She blinked and turned to face him, her glare softening just a touch. She swept her eyes over him, as if she hadn't seen him in a long time. "Nothing," she murmured. "Just a run in with a fool."
The Chinese boy frowned and looked her over as well. She was clad in a simple white dress, but she seemed…what was the word? Lovely. A word that Wufei had never used until then.
"Aaron… are you sure you are okay?"
She nodded curtly. "Yes, I am fine. Well, Wufei… you look… handsome… tonight."
He noted the hesitation in her voice, as if she was forcing herself to say something. "…Thank you. You look… lovely, this evening."
"Hn…" She looked around, somewhat nervously. "May we sit somewhere?"
"Of course… I am sharing a table with Winner and the others."
"Winner?"
He frowned at her. "Yes…Quatre Winner, the host…"
She blinked and shook her head. "Oh… excuse me… his name must have… slipped my mind."
Wufei found that hard to believe, but he didn't question her. Instead, he lead her over to their table, noticing that Quatre and Trowa had returned. Both looked relieved, as if they had gotten a great weight off their shoulders. He quickly introduced Aaron then sat down among the rest of them.
He ignored all the talking of the others and focused his attention on Aaron. She was acting very strangely tonight. She also ignored the talking of the people around her and shifted nervously, adjusting her dress now and then. The American looked uncomfortable, but Wufei had no idea why.
It was after eleven when she finally turned to him. "Wufei, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?"
The Chinese boy blinked. He was decent at dancing, though a precious few even knew that. He shrugged. "If you wish…."
The woman wasted no time by standing and taking him by his arm and leading him to the dance floor. The song was of the slow, romantic variety, and Aaron had him close, but not too close. Wufei frowned and finally voiced his concern.
"Agent Aaron, what is wrong with you tonight?"
She looked up at him and he saw something flicker across her eyes. "Wrong?"
"Yes, you are not acting like yourself tonight. You seem nervous and uncomfortable."
Aaron looked up at him and he noticed the strength and fierceness in her onyx orbs. There was certainly something strange with her tonight.
"Wufei… what I am about to tell you will sound strange, but listen closely. I am not who you think I am."
The Preventer agent raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Aaron Lei knew much of our relationship, thanks to your files. But there were a few things she didn't know. In my eyes, you will always be that scholar boy, forced into an unwanted arranged marriage with me."
Wufei narrowed his eyes dangerously. Why had she slipped back into this? He disapproved her using his wife as a way to get to him.
She saw and felt his disbelief and pulled him close. She looked at him with a gaze full of ferocity that Aaron could never manage.
"Listen to me, Chang Wufei. This woman has taken my name in her efforts to change you, and you have forgiven her. There is no reason for her to continue her act. I am Meiran. And I do hope that I will not have to resort to explaining our one night together to get you to accept it. Get your mind out of your books and for once, accept the impossible. For the impossible can happen."
There was something in the way she spoke, the way she acted, in the very way she carried herself and treated him that made him believe. He knew Aaron, and this was not her. This woman was his wife. She spoke with a quiet urgency, but the tone gave him the simple choice to believe or disbelieve.
His eyes widened slightly. "…Meiran…?"
A smile flittered across her grim face. A smile he had rarely seen, but it was one that was worth seeing nonetheless. "You said while I past away that you never had the chance to prove yourself worthy of being my husband. This is your chance, Chang Wufei. Dance with me."
Wufei, for once in his life, was stricken into speechlessness. So instead of talking, he held her close and danced. They both held each other uncertainly, but they had never truly been close. He didn't know how it happened or why it happened, but it felt like a burden had been lifted. He was with his wife, and nothing else in the world mattered.
The crowd moved as they gathered around the giant screen and awaited the countdown. At that time, Meiran looked up at him sadly.
10…
"Wufei?
9…
"Yes?"
8…
"I have to go…"
7…
"Why?"
6…
"My time here is up.
5…
"Will I ever see you again?"
4…
"Whenever you look at this girl…"
3…
"…I will miss you."
2…
"Take care, Chang Wufei."
1…
"Thank you."
The clock struck twelve and the crowd erupted into cheers. Like many other couples, Wufei was locked in a passionate kiss with his wife. The last kiss he would ever share with her.
Aaron's body slumped a bit in his arms and he felt a warm feeling drift through him. He faintly heard the words 'Farewell', echoing in his mind. Aaron Lei opened her eyes in the middle of the kiss, and broke it with a soft gasp.
"Wufei! How… how'd I get here?"
The Chinese boy gave her a genuine smile. "Do not concern yourself with that, Aaron. You told me once you cared too much to see me hurt. Aaron, I share those same feelings with you. Only now do I realize how much you mean to me."
Aaron Lei blushed at his words and threw her arms around him. She loved him, and was now unafraid to admit it. And now, she knew he loved her back.
After years of isolation and anger, of having his heart frozen by too many events, Chang Wufei the avenging warrior died. And from his ashes rose a new Chang Wufei. Chang Wufei the man. Nothing more…nothing less.
~End~
Alas, all good things must come to an end! And I had to make this chapter nice and long to make up for all my other short chapters. I apologize for those of you who don't like the supernatural aspect, but the category should have warned you. And since this is the end of Heartfelt Memories, the Heartfelt trilogy is at an end ;-;. I'm not sure if I'll write a sequel, but there's still a chance. And now, I feel I should explain a few things about the Trilogy.
Of course, you may have noticed the tiny fact that I made Duo a girl. Why? Well, I thought I should try something new to kinda set me apart. I've gotten flames, yes, but I got good reviews too. I apologize to those of you who didn't like it, but I tried my best to think of soemthing new for the series.
Another thing, for those of you who've read Episode Zero, what I wrote isn't true to the letter. I got all the dialogue from a website which had directly translated the Japanese, so it sounds a bit odd. So I apologize about that too.
If you want anything cleared up, you can just e-mail me at ChiSeireiEldamri@aol.com, or IM me over Aol Instant Messenger at Seraph Quatre. Until we meet again, farewell, my friends ^-^!