Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam wing, and any religious
comments about the afterlife are just my musings, and should not be taken
seriously.
AN: Thank you so much for all your reviews throughout the whole story!! I would
thank you all individually but there was already about twenty reviewers the
last time I did it. But thank you again for all your support! If you're looking
for my next work, I'll be writing out a new story in the next year, after I
finish the other one I'm doing. I'm targeting for something around February,
but if you want to know what it's about… check out my profile. Lastly, in the
last chapter, I had starred a phrase, "The Ying and Yang of Gray and Blue" or
something like that… If you ever happen to see that title, it means that I've
finally found the time to write out a prequel to this story!! It'll be about
Akira and Arika's pasts, but please don't be expecting that anytime soon. I
have ten stories on hold (original and fan-fiction) so I'm guessing at a year
or two… unless I decide to cut out more fictions from my list. Well, I'm
ranting again, so I'll just wrap it up!
To Hououza: Thanks! I loved it too ^^
Anrui Shino: Well, now it's
completely done! Nice to know you enjoyed it so much!
Lynn-Minmay: Yes, I think I nearly
did too. Hope you had some Happy Holidays too!
Water Lily2: Yes, bittersweet
alright. That's the kind of thing I'm good at.
Morrighan of Crimson and Sable:
Well, that was the kind of thing I'm best at writing, I don't think I could've
done very badly at it.
Black Hair and Gray Eyes
Epilogue
Akira flew to the next area with four
other golden-winged angels, checking over the lands of the afterlife. Two black
winged angels flew below her; they had been caught trying to sneak back to the
real world before their time.
As a short-robed golden wing, Aki's job
was to make sure that all the other angels stayed in line, and that none went
to use a portal to the real world as it waited to be fixed by the long robed
golden wings. In the last three years, Aki hadn't really encountered too many
Wanderers, which surprised her.
"Hey, down there!" One of the other
golden-wings called, and Aki immediately saw the red-wing and black-wing,
headed out together, searching for a portal not too far away.
"They seem to be moving out all at once.
We should call for more Patrollers and Healers." Aki called to the others. Patrollers
were short-robed golden wings, the short robes indicating that they had been
strong physically, while long robes had been strong mentally. They had special
jobs in the Afterlife, being Patrollers and Healers. Aki did patrolling, and
Healers found and healed any portals to the real world, the world of the
living.
"Oui. C'est bonne." A French angel, only
a few wing beats away from Aki, turned and headed in the direction of a nearby
group of resting golden-wings not far back.
"Come on, we have to get this to the
Fates." All four angels dived down and recruited the two wayward angels before
turning east and heading back to the large shrine, the only way to contact the
Fates, the rulers of everything. The Fates had created everything, from the
beginning of time, and continued to watch those of whom they created. There
were millions of them, working, always, to create roads and pathways for the mortals
to follow; animals, plants, whatever.
"Aki!" Everyone stopped, floating in
midair, as they waited for the owner of the voice to catch up with them. When Aki
saw it was only Ari, she nodded to the others, motioning for them to go on
ahead. "Akira!" Arika stopped in front of her, grinning from ear to ear.
Aki, on the other hand, showed nothing
but annoyance; this wasn't the first time Ari had stopped her from working. Nor
was it going to be the last.
"What now?" Ari pouted at her sister,
disapproving of her serious tone. Avalon came up behind her, annoyed as ever,
dressed in full black. Aki nearly smirked, as she always did when she saw her
mother. The fates had a very active sense of humor; Avalon's punishment for her
actions in life was to serve Arika for a century before being reincarnated to
try and earn better wings.
"Oh, so now 'Miss I'm-Way-Too-Busy' won't
even take the time to take a peek at her new little sibling?" Aki glanced at
Avalon then Ari.
"New sibling?" Ari's face brightened as
their mother's scowled deeply. She nearly laughed as she knocked at Aki's head.
"Hello? We've got a new Yuy-Peacecraft
on our hands! Boy, you get more clueless every day." She opened her mouth to
say more, but Aki had already sped ahead, apparently eager to see her little
brother or sister. Ari crossed her arms and sighed. "Clueless, but noble.
Avalon," the black-winged angel shot a glare at the little white-wing, but Ari
simply tugged at an invisible thread to discipline her, "You may take a break.
It's about time you take a bath or something anyways."
"Why you-" Ari tugged again, making her
mother lurch forward at the pressure on her limbs.
"Nuh-uh, you
must be polite to earn a sooner reincarnation date." Ari wagged a finger in
front of her mother's scowling face and flew off to join Aki, who was probably
already at the Looking Pond.
And indeed she was. The Peacecrafts were there too, both golden-wings. Actually,
Ari was the only white-wing there. The Taishos, Heero's
family, and Mr. Dorlain were all golden wings, some long robed and some short
robed. They all gathered around the Looking Pond.
Ari greeting everyone quickly before
finding a place by her sister, who was staring intently into the picture the
pond formed.
*~*~*~*~*
Heero and Relena both stared down at the
baby boy in his mother's arms. Small strands of dark brown hair were matted on
his head, and his small face was contorted as he cried. Their first born.
"He's beautiful…" Relena whispered as
she stroked the baby's face, trying to calm him down. His response was to free
a tiny arm out and swipe at the air. Heero caught the limb with his fingers,
and gingerly rubbed it.
"Yes, he is." The couple looked at each other
for a moment, and smiled as the baby boy continued to cry. Relena sighed and
held him closer, but the child still didn't stop.
"Should we think of a name first, or try
and make him go to sleep?" But as she said those words, and pale hand came down
from nowhere and caressed their son's cheek, instantly calming him. He moved
his head into the soft-looking hand and opened his eyes, revealing them to be a
cobalt blue. Heero and Relena looked for what had stopped their baby's crying
but saw nothing.
"Could it…" Relena knew what her husband
meant, and looked around, searching for any sign of her daughter… from three
years back. There was none, except for a slight change in the air. It was more
peaceful now…
"Maybe… Aki…" She looked longingly out
the window, wishing that her daughter could be alive right now, really caressing
her little brother. But there was no point of living in the past and she turned
her attention back to her son.
"She's watching… she promised…" Through
watering eyes, Relena smiled at her husband and baby.
"Yes, she did. Heero, look! He has your
eyes too! He's going to grow up looking just like his father." They leaned into
each other as Relena raised the baby to suckled her
breast. "Except I'm going to teach him how to use a comb."
Heero only grunted in response.
*~*~*~*~*
"Aki! What do you think you're doing? We're
already under close watch because of our little… escapade." Ari scolded her
twin (though older looking one) as she held her hand above the looking pond.
The ripples quickly smoothed out, forming a crystal clear picture again.
"Hn."
"You'd think being a whole person with
me for a while would make you open up a little more." Ari was trying to make
her voice sound accusing, but failed horribly. Her shoulders slumped and she
walked away from the rest of the group, being followed by her sister. They sat
in a grove not far away.
"Oh well, we have an eternity to work on
it." She sat, her legs slightly pulled up and her elbow resting on her knee.
Here head was resting on her palm, a bit at an angle, and both of her eyes
closed. "So… are you thinking of being reincarnated anytime soon?" and eye
opened to look at her sister. Aki looked at her questioningly.
"Oh come on! You know we can sign up to
be reincarnated anytime we want. We aren't with wayward wings, you know."
"You still have to stay here for at
least a century, what with Avalon's punishment." Ari scoffed, righted her body
and flinging so hair to the side.
"A century isn't long compared to
eternity, you know? Besides, I only have about… ninety-seven years left?
Besides, I never said anything about coming with you…" Aki raised an eyebrow.
"Ari, in all of our lives, we've always
been reincarnated as twins."
"And we've never lived a full life. That's
why I did what I did when you died."
"And we were punished."
"Just answer the question!" The older
looking one turned away, looking like she was seriously considering it. Ari,
deciding not to let Avalon stray, tugged at the strings tied to her fingers to
check on her mother. Good; she was still and the Purifying Springs.
"I've decided…" Aki's voice brought the
younger twin out of her daze. "To stay here for a while. I want to see everyone
again."
"Everyone… as in…?"
"Everyone. In the colonies, on Earth, in
Mars, everyone." Aki's wings unfurled, ready to take off again, but stopped,
making Ari look up at her sister. "Have you seen…?"
"Oh, our first parents. Err, wait,
second, no, maybe, the first parent's we remember?" Aki nodded. "Of course.
Actually, they went for reincarnation just before we came back. Now hurry up
before I get blamed for holding you back from work… again!"
Aki nodded to her sister and flew off.
*~ The End!
There you go! A nice ol'
Epilogue! Hope you enjoyed!!