Title: Underneath the Stars
Author: Midlight Bunny
Rating: PG
Type: Crossover (SM / GW)
2. Relena's Payment / The War
August 21, A.C. 195
Pargan had just returned to the Peacecraft Academy with two of the infamous Gundam pilots -- Heero Yuy and Quatre Winner. Following them into the establishment, he couldn't help, but wondered how two teenagers could be soldiers… and the best ones at that. He didn't get to dwell on the possible past of each teen for there was something of more importance that needed his attention.
With the arrival of the pilots, the severity of the situation was made clear. OZ wanted to rule and Sanc was their main threat because of the country's belief in pacifism. They would do anything to ruin the peaceful country; they would let no one stand in their way. For that reason, Noin insisted he bring the pilots in when the two pilots had sent a transmission asking to be presented to the country's leader.
Panic filled him as he thought of another possible tactic OZ could use against the kingdom – Serenity, the second princess of Sanc. 'Perhaps I should tell Relena the truth about her family. I do believe it's of grave importance for her to know about Serenity. Yes, then I will go to retrieve her before OZ realizes that there is another Peacecraft princess.' Pargan snapped out of his thoughts as Noin closed Relena's office doors behind him. He prayed that he was not about to make a mistake by telling Relena and causing her additional stress with the mission of retrieving the royal residing in Japan.
*
Relena sat behind her oak desk as she watched Heero walk up the stairs to the Academy. The last time she had seen him was several weeks ago -- too long by her standards. With his nearing presence, her attitude lifted and she felt happy. It was a feeling she hadn't experienced for a while... and when he is around, she felt driven to become stronger like him. Strong enough to help the people of the world, not just her kingdom, against OZ. Right now, he was what she needed.
She swiveled her chair around to face the elaborately designed doors that were the entrance to her political world. Her eyes followed the twisting of the ivy design as she patiently waited for her guests.
Moments later, the sound of knocking resonated throughout the room. The doors gradually opened as Noin escorted their new guests into her princess' office. After closing the door, she took her place next to Pargan as the two boys stood in front of Relena, who had gotten up to greet them.
"Hello Heero. I'm glad to see you again."
"Hnn," was the young soldier's only reply.
Stepping forward, Quatre introduced himself as he took Relena's hand in his and lightly kissed the back of it, "Hello, Miss Relena. My name is Quatre Raberba Winner. It is a pleasure meeting you."
"It is a pleasure meeting you as well, Quatre."
After they greeted each other, the teens took their seats. All knowing that rest would not be on their agenda any time soon.
"I know that both of you are Gundam pilots and I wish for you to stay as guests of my kingdom," Relena explained.
"But wouldn't the kingdom be in danger with our presence here?" asked Quatre.
"The kingdom is always under danger because of our beliefs alone and while you are here, you will be considered students. Besides, I believe that I can help you search for the missing pilot, Trowa Barton."
"Fine," Heero abruptly interjected, "We will stay until Trowa is found and we will help protect the Sanc Kingdom from OZ as payment."
"No. I will help in the search, but you must not fight."
Noin's eyes swept across the room and locked on Relena's determined face.
"Princess, it would be wise to accept Heero's offer."
"I'm sorry, but I will allow no fighting."
"But, Miss..."
Quatre was interrupted as Pargan's voice cut into the argument.
"Perhaps they can help another way. Miss Relena, there is something that I've been keeping from you... with the surfacing of OZ and the resurrection of the Sanc Kingdom, I can no longer keep this a secret."
Relena was confused.
"What is it, Pargan?"
"You see Miss Relena, you have a younger sister and she is very much alive."
All present were shocked to say the least. The first to get his voice back was Quatre.
"You mean there is another princess?"
Pargan nodded his head. "I was the one to save her in the attack of After Colony 182. For her safety, I sent her away with a family I trusted. Currently, she is living in Japan under the name Usagi Tsukino. She is in actuality your sister, Serenity. Like you had been kept in the dark, she doesn't know of her true identity."
Pargan looked up from the carpet with regretful eyes.
"I was going to retrieve her later this week, but with the increasing prospects of OZ finding her I was going to leave tomorrow."
Sitting back into her chair, Relena wondered how many more secrets there were to her life. How many more lies were told as she was kept in the dark. But now was not the time, it could and would have to wait until the time that she knew her sister was safe.
"I agree with you, Pargan. Heero and Quatre will accompany you on this trip. That will be their payment."
August 23, A.C. 195
Landing in Japan, the group of three ignored their jet lag as they stepped off the plane. They had a mission to complete and nothing would stand in their way. For their purposes, they rented a van and loaded it with their equipment and supplies. After grabbing everything they needed, the group headed toward the home of Kenji and Ikuko Tsukino. All the while hoping that they would be able to extract the princess and return her safely to the Sanc Kingdom.
Once arriving in Juuban, they set their plan into action. First they dropped off Pargan at the Tsukino residence, then Quatre and Heero headed to the nearest motel to clean-up and scan OZ transmissions. As the two pilots were monitoring the airwaves, Pargan would talk to Usagi's parents. He would inform them of the newest developments and Usagi's need to return to the Sanc Kingdom for protection. Pargan also had the responsibility of informing Usagi of the move and her true past. By that time, they would be safely heading back to the Sanc Kingdom before OZ caught wind of her existence. At least that was supposed to happen.
August 25, A.C. 195
Heero and Quatre had just intercepted an OZ transmission concerning Serenity. Under the orders of Lady Une, they were deploying a unit to capture the girl. The teens quickly gathered their belongings and threw them into the back of the van. Speeding down the streets, Heero turned down the last road and immediately slowed down. Several OZ military jeeps were approaching the Tsukino residence. Each man armed to the hip with weapons.
To avoid suspicion, Heero drove around the block till he was behind the targeted house and let the engine run. Jumping into the back, he grabbed an extra gun from one of the black duffel bags. Turning to Quatre, he nodded and they jumped out of the van.
Looking toward the house, the two saw Pargan dragging a girl behind him. When she had reached the street curb, gun shots rang through the air. Heero watched as the girl retched herself from Pargan's grasp and ran back toward her house.
"Stop! You must not go back there! Please stop!" yelled Quatre.
Heero took off and caught the girl before she could reach the back gate.
"Stop."
The girl spun around, making her blond pigtails swirl in the wind. He looked into her sapphire blues eyes and caught her when she fainted. Hearing the soldiers' shouts getting near, he knew they had to get out of there fast. Placing one hand on the small of her back and the other under her knees, he ran back to the van with his load.
"Heero, what happened?"
"She fainted."
After handing her to Quatre, he jumped into the driver's seat and sped off toward the airport.
*
Setting the controls on auto pilot, Heero left Quatre to watch the plane. He passed Pargan, who was sleeping on a row of seats, and headed toward the back of the private jet. Looking at the girl lying in the last row, he could vividly remember her eyes when he had stopped her. They held such grief and guilt... 'guilt of what?' he thought. A soft cry brought him back to reality to see the girl curl up on the seat as she cried. Unsure of what to do, he watched her.
"Why do your eyes hold such guilt?"
Lifting her head, Usagi looked at the other teenager.
"My parents just died because of me."
"But they weren't your real parents."
"It doesn't matter that they weren't my birth parents. They took me in and loved me, that I will forever be grateful for. Do you know what I'm talking about?"
Usagi quizzically looked at him.
"No."
Her eyes softened. Forgetting her sadness, Usagi reached up and hugged Heero around the waist.
"Everyone should know what it's like to be loved."
Heero pulled her off and looked her in the eyes, expecting to see pity for the one before her, but what he saw was concern and caring.
"Why would you care? You don't even know me?" he slightly glared at her.
"Well, I act on how I feel and I felt like giving you a hug."
Usagi tilted her tear stained face and gave him a small smile.
"So what's your name?" she innocently asked and looked at Heero.
His emotionless facade slowly gained cracks as the blond before him explained her actions.
"Heero Yuy," he replied.
"My name is Usa..."
The girl's eyes dulled as she remembered her dead family left behind in Japan. Tears stung Usagi's eyes, as her sadness threatened to swallow her whole. Following the words of Adin Lowe, Heero knelt and hugged the petite girl in front of him.
"Thank you," whispered Usagi as she held onto him for dear life. "My name is Usagi Tsukino… but Uncle Pargan says that I'm supposed to be someone else."
Sleep was slowly overtaking her as her eyes started to droop shut. Usagi pulled away and kissed him on the cheek before she went back to sleep.
Heero stared at her sleeping form as he brought his hand to his cheek. 'What just happened? Should I really act more on my emotions? Was Adin right?' Thoughts ran rampant through his mind as Usagi's words took meaning for him. 'Perhaps the doctor didn't strip me of all my humanity.'
*
It's been three weeks since Usagi first arrived in the Sanc Kingdom. She did not attend classes in order for her to keep a low profile, but now she was bored out of her mind. Not to mention that she was watched like a hawk by both Quatre and Heero. Finally she had enough.
Walking out of the front entryway, Usagi spotted Relena reading under a tree. Seeing her sister, she remembered their first encounter. It was amazing, for they had instantly bonded. Both attributed this connection to their concealed pasts and the loss of their loved ones. The tragedies brought them closer as they were learning to heal themselves through each other.
*
Relena watched as Usagi walked toward her and laid the book she was reading on the grass next to her. For she had learned the hard way, about books, free time, and Usagi, a long time ago in which her book was snatched and a chase around the lawn ensued.
"Seri?"
Usagi smiled and stood in front of Relena.
"I wanted to ask you if I could do something, anything," Usagi pleaded with puppy dog eyes. "Ple-e-ase," she pouted toward her sister.
Laughing, Relena nodded her head in agreement. Lately she had noticed that her sister was growing antsy to say the least. That meant trouble for the staff because the last time the little princess was bored, all of the occupants of the mansion were eating food that looked like it had escaped from a science fiction movie. The memory made her inwardly shudder.
"Why don't I get you a gymnastic coach? The gymnasium has been refurbished… and I don't look forward to eating gelatinized veal and corn ever again."
Relena winked at Usagi, who sheepishly laughed.
"Thank you, Lina!"
Usagi gave her sister a bear hug and then ran back into the Academy. In the meantime, seeing as there was nothing to do at the moment, there was time for another 'prank'.
*
Watching in the shadows, Usagi's guard for the day slightly smiled at the antics of the younger princess. Just seeing her with so much enthusiasm and energy sparked something in him that made him want to laugh and smile. So engrossed in his own thoughts, he failed to notice the figure of Dorothy Catalonia, granddaughter of Duke Dermail, approach Relena.
*
Relena watched the retreating forms of Usagi and Heero. She was somewhat relieved that he was there to keep her little sister in line, for the time being. Left to her own devices who knew what could happen. Yet, she felt as if she was losing him...
"Miss Relena," Dorothy's voice intruded into her thoughts.
"Yes, Miss Dorothy?" Relena's full attention now on the aristocratic girl in front of her.
"I have come with an invitation from my grandfather, Duke Dermail. He requests your presence tomorrow," Dorothy explained. "I will provide the transportation and you will be under the highest care."
Relena knew the others would object to her going, but eventually she would need to face her greatest adversary, Duke Dermail. She might as well get it over with now rather than later. Perhaps she could convince them to see pacifism and war from her own view; possibly saving many soldiers and innocent people from needless bloodshed.
"Dorothy, please inform your grandfather that I accept his invitation."
Dorothy nodded in satisfaction.
"Thank you, Miss Relena. I shall inform my grandfather."
Dorothy curtsied and headed back to the Academy to inform her grandfather of Relena's arrival. 'Lovely. You are predictable Miss Relena. You are going to try and sway war-hardened soldiers that pacifism is the way to save all of mankind. (She walked through the entryway and turned to see Relena chatting with several of the girls that attended the school.) Tomorrow is the start of a glorious revolution. Be prepared to see how magnificent war truly is, Miss Relena.'
*
"Heero," Quatre shouted for his comrade as he waved a piece of paper in the air.
Shoving the printout into the other boy's hands, he stopped to catch his breath. Heero's eyes quickly scanned the e-mail. He noted the words "gundaniam alloy", "shipment", and "Khushrenada". Folding the paper, Heero tucked it into his boot and headed toward one of the white Tauruses.
"Be careful, Heero."
Noin came running in as Heero started the engine. Both Quatre and Noin had to shield their faces from the blinding gusts. As the Taurus flew out of sight, Noin turned her questioning eyes onto Quatre.
"Where is he going?"
"We received an anonymous e-mail. Apparently gundanium alloy has been secretly shipped to a castle on Earth; to be more specific, the castle where Treize Khushrenada currently resides."
Both gave one last glance toward the open ocean as the hanger doors shut. Hopefully the report was wrong and Heero would return quickly to Sanc.
*
Noin ran down the front steps of the Academy as she saw Relena and Dorothy ahead. Earlier she had found a note from Relena that explained her plans for the day. To relieve Noin's worries, Relena wrote that Dorothy had ensured her safety. The older woman was far from relieved. She trusted Dorothy as far as she could throw her.
As the princess was about to enter the car, Noin stepped in front of her path – effectively blocking her from going any further.
"Princess, please allow me to accompany you," the concern in Noin's eyes expressed her skepticism of Relena's safety.
"Miss Noin, Miss Relena won't need any bodyguards. She will be well cared for," ensure Dorothy.
Relena gently laid a hand on Noin's shoulder.
"You can not stop me from going. I will not run away from the problems facing this kingdom. I will be fine."
Noin stepped back and gave Dorothy a warning glare that conveyed more than words and simple torture should Relena be harmed.
"Tell Usagi that I'll be back soon," Relena whispered to Noin as she passed.
*
Heero had just received Epyon from Treize when he heard of the attack on the Sanc Kingdom. Mentally kicking himself for leaving, he pushed the thrusters to their limits. The sight that greeted him upon returning was devastating. Quatre, Noin, and the Maganac Corps were fighting the Cancers and Leos the best they could, but slowly the Sanc's defenders were being pushed back into the kingdom.
Opening a communication link to the two white Tauruses, Heero inquired about the locations of the princesses. He was disturbed by their reply.
"I'm sorry Heero. Relena was taken hostage by OZ."
Noin's guilt was etched on her face as she thought of ways that she could have prevented Relena from handing herself over to the enemy.
Quatre continued where Noin left off, "…and Serenity is with the other students that are taking refuge in the hospital."
*
When the Romefeller Foundation announced their intentions to attack, Usagi sent Pargan and the students to seek refuge in a shelter under the hospital. She adamantly protested against Pargan's wishes for her to stay with the group and headed back into the school. Running through the first floor, she searched each room, calling out to anyone who may have been left behind. On the second floor, Usagi stopped at Relena's office. She walked up to the glass and watched the war waging outside the windows.
Usagi watched as Noin's and Quatre's Taurus' were joined by a large number of sandy brown mobile suits. With each passing minute, she noticed that they were being pushed back into the city.
"No. The people. Heero, where are you?"
As if to answer to Usagi's cry, a crimson Gundam appeared and started to destroy OZ's mobile suits with a vengeance.
*
Heero destroyed half of the Leos on the shore of the kingdom. Looking for Quatre, his eyes fell on a couple of mobile suits sneaking up on the Academy. His eyes narrowed as the Zero System came to life, causing gold flecks to swirl with the blue in his irises. Soon visions of blood, battles, and princesses filled his head.
"My enemy...," he whispered.
Flying into battle, Heero sliced one suit in half and punched another through the cockpit. Turning around, he made short work of the last three suits. Searching the area for more enemies, his eyes fell on the figure in the window of Relena's office. He fought against the system as images of Relena filled his mind.
"Relena..."
The system took over once again and Heero charged the Academy.
*
Usagi saw the crimson Gundam obliterate the suits that were around the Academy. She sighed with relief when she realized that it was Heero, but in the back of her mind she sensed that something was wrong. The Gundam stopped and turned to look at her.
"Heero..."
All of a sudden, the Gundam charged toward the school. Her heart was pounding in her ears… 'Not again.'
"Stop! Heero, please stop! You don't want to destroy the Academy! Please, I don't want to lose anymore that I love!" she shouted out the window.
Usagi placed her hand on the sill and stared blankly at the approaching gundam, awaited her death.
"Heero..."
*
Recognition registered in Heero's clouded mind, 'Usagi...'
"NO!"
Pushing the Zero System out of his mind, Heero stopped the Gundam from destroying the Academy and one of the only people who truly cared for him. Breathing heavily, the suit was frozen in mid-swing as Heero stared down at Usagi.
Opening the cockpit, he shouted to her, "Usagi! It's not safe! Get out of here now!"
Usagi nodded and yelled back to him, "Heero! I know that you will bring Relena safely home! Promise me that you'll take care of yourself as well!"
Moments passed as the two stared at each other. After finally getting an 'affirmative' nod, she proceeded to walk out of the office and whispered over her shoulder, "I'll be waiting for you."
*
Four months later...
Relena and the pilots slowly made their way to the shuttle back to Earth. 'The war is over, yet I still need protection.' Sighing, Relena took one last look at the colony she has been staying at since the end of the war. 'At least I'm going home now.' A small smile graced her face as she turned and boarded the private shuttle.
*
Taking a seat close to the back, Heero became lost in his thoughts. 'Usagi, I kept my promise. I'm bringing Relena back to you.' He stared through the window as the maintenance men were making final preparations for the shuttle to Earth. 'Now we're going... home?! I have no place to call home, do I?' Running his fingers through his unruly hair, he fastened his seat belt and waited for the shuttle to take off.
*
'34 bottles of beer on the wall, 34 bottles of beer. Take one down, pass it around, 33 bottles of beer on the wall. 33 bottles of...' Sitting in the limousine, Duo bopped his head in sync to his 'mental' singing. (For he was threatened by a katana, two guns, a dagger, and a tube of lipstick when they first got into the limo; all because he started singing the song loud and off-key… for the last half hour of the flight) As he was on his last 10 bottles of beer, the limousine pulled up in front of the former Academy. Duo jumped out and kissed the ground. "No more beer!" he yelled. Turning to face his comrades, he was met with quizzical looks.
"Uh... Duo, could you find my sister Serenity? She should be in the garden out back."
"Okay!" yelled back the Deathscythe pilot as he raced up the stairs of the Academy.
Relena couldn't help, but shake her head at the antics of pilot 02. Contrary to Duo's excitement, the others were quite tired and leisurely ascended the stairs to wait in the main hall for Serenity. Not long after, a petite girl appeared in the hall and latched onto Relena.
"Welcome home, Lina!"
*****
Thank you to the following reviewers:
Gackt Camui
hiyayaka
Crystal-Winter
la2
Serenity Angel
Heeros Bunny
angel 313
midnight tricky
kylarachan
Moon Mage Goddess
You have greatly helped to chase away the butterflies running rampant in my stomach as I post this fic. =)