I don't even know how I decided to call it this. I mean, you don't even find the mentioning until the chapter is almost at the end. Oh, well.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.
Orbs of Emerald
Chapter 10: Absence of Crickets' Chirp
***
"Ta-da!" I yelled triumphantly as I revealed my "creations" to Wufei and Quatre's approval. "What do you think? Can you recognize them?"
Both just stared from me, to them, and back again.
"Jem?" Quatre said finally, his voice quite shaky.
"Yes, Quatre?"
"You can be a scary, scary person," he said. "Did you know that?"
"Yup!" I winked at him.
Well, I guess I may have went a tad too far on Heero's clothes, but it was worthwhile. He did not look like Heero Yuy, not in the least. And maybe I cut Duo's hair a little too short, but he definitely did not look like Duo Maxwell.
What I'd done? Well...okay, I'd gone out secretly the night before and bought some new clothes, hair dye, and eye color contacts for myself and the boys. The plan had gone well, as I saw with the still-gaping Wufei.
"Are you sure you didn't just replace them with someone else?" he asked, finally shutting his mouth. I don't think he'd let many flies in, but the hanger had been there for a long time, so you never know...
I'd cut Heero's hair even shorter than before, getting the long, long bangs out of his eyes in the process. Then I had taken a comb to his hair, parting it over his right eye. Believe me, that would have been enough, but then I'd dyed it black.
That wasn't even the start of it. I had bought brown eye contacts for him. Even if he didn't change clothes, he definitely did not look like himself. His clothes consisted of simple blue jeans, white T-shirt, and a fine black leather jacket. Brown hiking boots covered his feet.
Not the typical green tank and tight black shorts anymore.
Duo now had shoulder-length hair. He looked like my brother, only too well, when I'd left the brown there. So I bleached his. (O-O; She really is evil. She cut and bleached Duo Maxwell's hair! Such a crime is this!) His normally-blue eyes were now green, about the same color as mine. To tell the truth, we sort of looked like identical twins.
I took that out of proportion with his clothes. He now wore a traditional polo shirt and khaki pants. Extremely reserved, especially with the polished black dress shoes. (Evil! Jem, you are so evil! *crying* Sorry, guys, I had to do it.)
"Ahh!" Duo screamed as I held up a mirror for Duo to look in. "Jem, what did you do?! I look like a freaking businessman!"
Heero scowled upon looking at his reflection.
"I look like a cross between Wufei and Maxwell." His monotone was still there, but anyone could see he was furious.
"At least no one will recognize you," I pointed out. "Hold on, I'll be right back. I've gotten some stuff for myself as well."
About ten minutes later...
"Jem!" Duo shouted. "You look like a punk!"
"Of course, that's what I was aiming for," I said as I walked into the room. Tight black flare jeans laced silver studs down my thighs, held barely on by a tightly-cinched wide black belt on my hips.. Black boots shown only a tiny peak out from under the cloth. A silver spagetti-string shirt, covered mostly by a black leather jacket, revealed a small amount of my stomach. A dog-collar with silver studs was on my throat and I was reminded of it constantly as the two tags clanked together.
My blond hair was covered with a black, silver-studded bandana, my lips by black lipstick, and my face with various shades of silver and glitter. The last touch of the ensemble was my blue eye contacts, which made all the difference to me. I turned back to them and grinned.
"What do you think?" I spun around on my heel.
"I think you've gone nuts!" Duo shouted. (AN-_-; So do I.) Heero merely stared at me, as did Quatre and Wufei.
"It works," Heero stated finally.
"Works?" Duo snarled. "Works?! Heero, I think you've gone crazy with her! Look at you, you-"
"Oh, shut up, Maxwell," I said as I swung a survival pack over my shoulder. The same one I always carried, along with a few added items. "Let's go. Quatre, what did Trowa say about being stated into the X Force's military?"
***
We stood in a short line of new recruits in the holding area of the X Force's base. The three of us were obviously together, but since we looked so different from our usual selves, most people didn't care. A young woman, about a year older than myself, walked down the line. She was the Captain in charge of giving a sort of test to each one.
"Ah, a Kinde, how interesting," the woman said as she reached me. She hid a smile behind her clipboard. "The same last name as the Admiral, what a coincidence." I gave no start, as my training had kept me well away from, but my thoughts were a whole different story.
The Admiral had the same last name that I did? Hopes rose and fell within me. Of course Jon hadn't survived, Hilde had said so herself she'd seen him perish with all the rest. I remained silent even as the turmoil of emotions within me continued.
"You three will be bunking with me," said the Captain. "Fall out and wait for me over there." She pointed to a small area of the deck. I took a half-step backwards, pulled an about face, and loosely walked toward the area. The others were right behind me.
"I wonder why she said that," Duo muttered quietly. "Does it really matter that you've got the same last name that their Admiral does?"
"I don't know, Don," I said softly. "But don't forget, we're here to serve our purpose." We'd come up with a small code before leaving, including new, similar names to take on. Heero and Duo had insisted upon me using my original last name. It wasn't common, after all, so I did.
"I know, Jen," Duo smiled. "Wouldn't it be cool, though, if he was related to you?"
"I highly doubt it," Heero said, throwing a warning look toward Duo. I had barely caught it.
"Oh, come on, Arrow, stop being a spoilsport," Duo replied.
"Stop it, both of you," I whispered. "This is no time to be arguing."
"I highly agree, Kinde," said the Captain behind me. How'd she do that?? She was at least twenty feet from me not seconds ago! Despite my suspicions, I pulled to attention.
"My apologies, Captain," I said, saluting quickly.
"Oh, please, call me Rei," she smiled. "Captain is only when things are formal. Follow me, we've much to discuss once we have reached the quarters."
"Yes, ma'am," I answered, throwing a questioning look toward the boys. Duo shrugged and Heero scowled. I don't think he liked being confused very much. Rei began to walk normally and we followed suit, making sure to pay close attention to be able to get back to the hanger. If we needed to make a quick escape, we needed to be familiar with the route there.
Finally, we arrived at a single door. Rei pressed a sequence in the door and it slid open with a soft whoosh. I had watched the sequence. It was an interesting set of numbers, if one paid close enough attention. 0083. I wondered what it meant, if it meant anything at all. 0083 was when the Gundams first became well known to the public.
"I'm sorry to say this, but you must leave," Rei said as soon as the door slid back into place. "I know who you are. You guys can't stay here. Admiral Kinde will find you out before you can say 'Gundam'." Heero whipped out his gun and trained it on her as soon as the last word left her mouth.
"Arrow, stop it!" I shouted, tugging the gun roughly out of his hand. He glared at me a second before nodding. He reached to retrieve his gun but I pulled it from his grasp, staring at him. My temper was flaring and he knew it. He gave up, but not because of what Rei said next.
"As much as it is amusing to see your little game, I must insist," Rei said, chuckling behind her hand.
"What do you mean?" I growled at her. "How could you possibly know?"
"Well, you might say that I knew you were coming. Long before you did. I still need to talk to Trowa, but I haven't been able to locate him. He is quite the recluse, I must say." She laughed again.
"How do you know us, lady?" Duo scowled.
"Well..." she sighed. "All right, I'll tell you. But only if you promise you'll leave."
"Not a chance," I snarled. "Tell us now, Captain."
"I am the goddess Hawatari of the Dimensional Gates, Guardian of the Fates, Ruler of Destiny, and Mover of Chance," she answered, with all the prestige I would expect from a goddess.
"Y-You're...but you can't...it's not-"
"It is possible, and I can if I wish," she answered. "Please listen to me, Jem, I am no more your enemy than the Admiral. But if he discovers you, you will all be in grave danger. And I can't have you in such a position, especially not you, Jem."
"Why especially her?" Heero asked, stepping in front of me. He guarded me with a hand, as if this girl, this goddess, Hawatari, was a threat. I forced him back with my own. I didn't need protection from her. She was on our side.
"Because," Rei sighed and sank onto one of the four beds in the room. "She is the Keeper."
"The what?!" Duo yelled. "You mean to tell me that she is-"
"Yes," she answered standing up and facing us. "Yes, I took the risk. I may have control over the fates, but I can't control chance. When I first placed the Orb within your heart, I had no idea your brother would leave you like that. I made him, a copy of yourself, so that you would have someone to turn to when your emotions destabilized, but..."
"He died," I put in flatly.
"No," she shook her head, tears shining in her eyes. "He isn't. He's right here, right on this station. He's lost all of his memories."
"J-Jonathon?" I stuttered. My eyes went wide. My brother was alive? How could it be? Hilde had said...he'd. But how? "Is alive?"
"Yes. But you must leave here," Rei said, begging us with her eyes. "If the Orbs are joined, Dirken will discover the second's Keeper, and if that happens...this world and everything and everyone in it will belong to him. Including me."
"But Hawatari..." I protested. "If I'm the Keeper, he can't get to the Orb without me, right?"
"That's right, but-"
"And if he can't get me, then he can't rule this world. The Orbs are almost back together for you to take them back to the Gates, can't you see?" I asked earnestly. "You can stop this whole thing by taking them back!"
"I'm sorry, Jem," she shook her head, her eyes closed. "The prophecy must be fulfilled. I can't do that, I have to let destiny take its course. Please, listen to me. You must leave here. Forget about your brother, I will try and reclaim his memories and give him back to you, but you mustn't come back here."
"Why not fulfill it, then?" Heero asked.
"What?" Rei and I turned to him as one, both confused.
"Are you always this vague?" Duo joked, though he knew it true. (AN-My fav quote from Yu Yu Hakusho!)
"What do you mean, Heero?" I asked shrewdly. "Fulfill it?"
"The prophecy," Heero iterated. "If we join them together, their holder, be they good, would become a god. It's their choice what becomes of this world."
"You're forgetting one thing," Rei sighed. "Although you all have good intentions, none of you are completely righteous. What the prophecy means when it speaks of righteous, is that a person who has white hands, clean of blood, and an innocent conscience, regretting nothing in their life, can be the only Holder of the righteous prophecy."
"Guess you're right," Duo sighed. "What do we do, then?"
"Well..." Rei drawled out thoughtfully. "Jem could very much fulfill it all if she could face her fears of her brother and father. However, there is one secret in her destiny that must be fulfilled before she can be called completely righteous. A promise that Jonathon made to you the day he left, Jem."
"What do you mean?" I asked, bewildered. What had Jon promised me?
"Something that is staring you right in the face, dear," Rei smiled. "But you must go. You must leave here. If you succeed, Jem, I will know and you will know as well. We are connected that way."
"I don't get it," Duo frowned. "What secret? What promise?"
"She can explain to you," Rei answered. "I will escort you to your ship." The moment she opened the door, however, we were face-to-face with a lavender-haired man who gave Rei a death glare that would make even Heero whimper like a puppy.
"Well, Miss Nani," he said coolly. "It seems that you have betrayed us."
"B-Betrayed?" she asked, in a very convincingly-innocent voice. She sure could act. "Commander Dirken, I would never-"
"Of course you wouldn't, Miss Nani," he said, grinning. "But the evidence still stands. Among your new trainees is the Keeper of the Orb."
"Commander Dirken, surely you don't believe that the goddess Hawatari would give the Orb a Keeper!" Rei cried, her voice sounding as surprised and shocked as anyone who believed that would.
"I do," he answered. "And one of these three is he." He turned around and spoke to several soldiers, plenty enough to hold even all seven of us. "Take them to the holding cell!"
"Sir!" crowed the soldiers with a crisp salute. He turned back to Rei.
"We shall soon see the day that I rule this world, Rei Nani. And then Hawatari will have to bow to my wishes."
"Monster!" I cried out. "You cruel, twisted, evil man! How could you want such a thing? How could you?"
"Easy," he answered, turning to me with a smile that could wilt roses. "I'm a demon at heart." Blue eyes widened in shock. A demon? A demon? This man, this lavender-haired, black-eyed man, was in fact a demon? How could such a cruel twist of fate bring its hammer down toward me?
"Rei!" cried a voice. A very, very familiar voice. One I could not remove from my head if I tried, one that had told me in my dreams that I needed to be strong. "Dirken, what are you doing?!"
"Captain Rei Nani has betrayed us, Admiral," answered Dirken smoothly. "She tried to hide the second Orb from us by sending away its Keeper."
"What?" he choked on his words and rushed past Dirken. It was then that I saw him. Wearing a white uniform with golden clasps and a high collar, scars crisscrossing his body, one arm obviously a prosthetic, but it was him. It was him, with all the worry and pain in his eyes that he'd had in his eyes when I'd broken down over his melted hand.
"Rei, how could-"
"Jonathon!" I cried out to him in interruption, joy, and pain.
"Who dares interrupt me?" he growled, standing up straight. I fell silent. "Who? Speak now."
"Jonathon..." I croaked through tears of mixed joy, confusion, and fear. He turned to regard me, everything an Admiral should be. Except his short stance and childish features.
"Who are you?" he asked, not angrily now, just...confused. "And who is Jonathon?"
"I am Jeminie Renai Kinde, of Earth and you are my twin brother, Jonathon Douglous Kinde," I answered forcefully.
"No...no, you must be mistaken," he said, shaking his head. "The only family I had was killed by Mobile Dolls on Earth. Lieutenant Nakami assured me that-"
"They thought I was," I put in. "And so did I. But...someone found me and took me away. Jon, you must remember. Do you? The day-"
"That will be quite enough, Miss Jeminie," said Dirken darkly. "I don't take kindly to traitors trying to fill my leader's head with silly hopes only to dash them to pieces."
"I am not trying to fill his head!" I shouted at him. "You're probably the one who destroyed his memories in the first place, there's no way-"
"Stop, Jem," Heero said quietly. "If he does not believe you, let him be. Let him help this demon take over this world."
"But-" I started.
"Take them away!" Dirken ordered, interrupted my protest. A soldier grabbed each of my arms immediately.
"Jonathon!" I shouted, crying. Why? Why didn't my brother believe me? Now that I'd finally found him and finally had revealed to him who he truly was, why didn't he believe me? Dirken's control over his memories must be so absolute that not even the closest to his heart could reveal the truth in his eyes.
"Jon!" I cried again, sobs breaking out all over again. I forgot every ounce of my training and fought to escape the soldiers' grasp if only to hold his broad shoulders in my arms again. If only just to kiss his cheek in a sisterly love to have him wipe it away in mock disgust, if only just to touch his soft chocolate hair and mess it up again.
If only just to see his soft blue eyes again, see the light that had lit my path and my past for so very long. Just to see that great but rare smile upon his pinkish lips again. If only...if only to be his twin again and say something at the same time again.
"Jonathon!" I screamed out, unable to stop myself. The soldiers that held me rolled their eyes as I reached back to the stunned boy and the sadistic man just to catch a small, faint glimpse of him again. Oh, my brother whom I loved as only a sister could, why couldn't you remember me, your sister, your blood, your friend for the length of your life?
The soldiers dragged me along the floor, my black jeans catching the bolts in the floor, making the men lift me into the air to crash back down again, causing pain to run up and down my spine as my tailbone smashed roughly into neo-titanium floors.
"Jem, pull yourself together!" Duo called from his similar position. "We'll figure a way out of this."
"Easy for you to say," I muttered bitterly as they lifted me again.
"Oh, will you just shut up?" groaned one of the two men who were dragging me. There were three others surrounding my little group alone, and then two dozen more surrounding our entire group. The stupid demon probably foresaw the reasoning behind placing additional guards on myself and the two Gundam Pilots. There were only the two carrying Rei and one behind her, but with forty guards guarding four people, how could we possibly escape from this little armada? We would have to wait until information reached Trowa or we came up with some bright idea.
"Jonathon..." I whimpered as my tears began to subside, completely out of exhaustion.
"Hey, kid," said one of the soldiers. He looked pretty nice, actually, considering he was guarding me. He had kind blue eyes and dark, mysterious navy hair. "You really think Admiral Kinde is your brother?"
"Would you forget your brother's face?" I growled in answer.
"No."
"You've got your answer," I looked to the side, my anger being taken out on the wall as I attempted to incinerate it with my eyes.
"If he is, don't worry."
"Why?" I snarled, glancing at him.
"Because. I haven't forgotten my sister's face, either."
My expression lightened and I nodded once before looking away again. Maybe...maybe Jon would remember. Maybe. It was a tiny flicker, but it only took a flicker to light up my heart to hope for Jonathon's return.
We reached the holding cell and were each thrown in, none-too-gently, either. Me especially by my guards, as my spine crashed flat against the wall and threw my head back with a loud "thud" that reverberated up and down my torso. So much for the nice treatment the other guy had been giving me.
"You, Nakami," said the voice of Dirken. "You, Rodriegiuz, guard this cell. I don't want anyone coming out of it, you understand me?"
"Y-Yes, sir, Commander Dirken, sir," answered the same voice as the man who had spoken to me.
"Rodriegiuz?" prompted Dirken.
"Sir. I will guard this cell with my life, sir."
"Good. In an hour, I will send for one of the three who were with the ex-Captain Rei," Dirken instructed. "I expect the girl first. If she is not the Keeper, I want her execution orders made out immediately following the meeting."
"Execution, sir?" asked the voice of Nakami. "Don't you think that's a bit...uncivilized?"
"This has escalated into a war, Lieutenant," Dirken scowled. "There must be no chance that she may escape and inform the Earth Sphere of our whereabouts."
"Sir."
"Good day, Lieutenants."
Duo sighed, running a hand through his short hair. "So, what do we do? We can't let them execute Jem."
"She won't be," Rei sighed. "The instant she gets near the other Orb, it will start glowing, as will the Orb in her heart. After that, I don't know. They have to get Hawatari to say the chant to exorcize the Orb before things can begin. I don't know if she will be able to resist the calling of the Orbs." She was smart. Rei spoke as if the goddess Hawatari was another person, to fool the guards, perhaps. But for some reason, I didn't think that Nakami would need it.
"We still have to get out of here," Duo pointed out. "But how?"
"I don't know, okay?" I shouted unsteadily, like I was on the brink of insanity. I sat down on the bunk and held my head in my hands. Refusing to look even one of them in the eye, I stared at the ground, thinking about Jon. How could he not recognize me? How could he-
"That's it!" I shouted, punching my left hand with my right fist triumphantly. I jumped to my feet and used the toilet paper (AN-You know, they always have a toilet and stuff in a jail cell.) to wipe the makeup off of my face and whipped the bandana out of my hair. I ran my fingers through my blond hair and took out the blue eye contacts quickly.
"That is better," Heero droned, crossing his arms over his chest. "But how is it going to help?"
My excitement fell and my arms dropped into my lap, still holding the bandana, as I flopped down roughly onto the bunk. I tossed the bandana onto the ground hard and stomped it into the dust as brutally as I could before sighing and putting my head in my hands again.
"Jem, stop it," Duo said quietly. "You're only making it harder on yourself."
"What would you know?!" I shouted suddenly, hot tears rolling down my cheeks again. "You've never had a brother or sister before, you have no idea what it's like!" I sobbed violently again and my shoulders sunk and rose with each one. "None of you do." I whispered resentfully. I continued my little pity party for myself until I was rudely awakened again.
My shoulders were suddenly lifted roughly and my face along with them and I found myself staring into worried blue eyes. Instead of shouting, Heero spoke quietly. But those soft words had more effect on me than yelling ever would.
"Stop doing this to yourself, Jeminie. It isn't your fault and it never will be. Pull yourself together, Jem, you're stronger than this. You're stronger when you're you."
If there had been crickets to chirp in the silence that followed, even they wouldn't dare to even try to break this. The taboo of eerie silence was not broken until Heero himself shook my shoulders.
"Be the Phoenix, Jem. Be the rose in the ashes, with all its thorns."
Finally, he released my shoulders and stood back into the shadows, the quiet, Perfect Soldier that we all knew him much better to be. But that Perfect Soldier was human enough to be there when we fell. And he was there for me when Jonathon wasn't.
With that thought, I stood up again and threw my arms around him. He wasn't Jonathon, but he was close enough. Actually, he was farther than Jon now. He was more than a brother. He was the friend that sticks closer than a brother. He stiffened against my hold, then relaxed and patted me on the back gently.
"Let's get outta here," I whispered as I released him.
"Jem?" whispered a voice into the cell from outside.
***
Whoa...scary, scary, scary, I have the SCARIEST mind ever! Why did I do that to Duo? I love his braid, why did I cut it off?! I love Heero's low bangs and I love Duo's braid, I love his personality, why did I cut his hair?
Okay, breath in...breath out...Jenny needs to get a hold on herself again...Oi...this is getting closer and closer to the plot climax, I can't wait! I've already written the climax out, but it's getting so close! I'm almost done! YEA!