Author's Note: Okay, I finally bought Endless Waltz on DVD, and let me tell ya, if you've only seen it on Cartoon Network, then you haven't seen it. They so cheated us out of some prime Zechs and Noin moments! Needless to say, I became inspired and this addition to "The Letter" was the result. I do believe that I may even add a part three if this new part goes over well with everyone. So I hope you like
Oh one more thing this part is in first person. I felt like it would flow better that way. And I realize that the time line is a little off but, I wanted to try and have some sense of continuity between these two chapters so I had to stick with the dates I had created before I saw Endless Waltz again, sorry. That being said…on with the show.
A Memento
Dec. 29th AC 196
My hands tightened on Tallgeese's controls. With Barton's threat to drop X-18999 on to Earth, all I could do was watch helplessly as the attack force glided towards the defenseless blue orb below. My jaw tightened at the sight of a green Gundam escorting the mushroom like transports. Wufei…
I had no love for the pilot. In fact a part of me wanted to go and challenge him that instant, damn the consequences. I owed him a severe beating in the very least. He had after all tried to kill Noin at Victoria, before he realized that she was a woman. Noin… I shook my head. I can't think of her now.
A bitter laugh escaped my throat. Not think of her, I bowed my head. Try to stop breathing…it would be a simpler task. The fact of the matter was that there hadn't been a day since that blessed first day at Victoria that I had not thought of her. She was my light. The only person who could see past all the blood and guilt, and see the man within me. My Lucrezia, who stood at my side even when I doubted myself, she was the reason for my souls redemption.
A familiar voice over the com tore me from my thoughts. "This is Duo, the colony's stability control is stabilized you can blow that baby."
I began to charge Tallgeese's mega cannon. A satisfied smile threatening to break out across my face, when another voice took my breath away for an instant.
"You guys stopped Operation Meteor?" It was her. Gods, to hear that voice again. The voice that had haunted my dreams this past year. I almost forgot what I was doing.
"This is Wind," I said once I regained control of my senses. My face becomes a mask of pure determination. Now's not the time. "I'm destroying MO3." I fired the mega cannon. The explosion was blinding. In a matter of seconds MO3 was nothing more than a mass of rubble floating in space.
Unfortunately, Barton's shuttle managed to escape the resource satellite before I fired. "You were a little late." A smug voice called out to me. "See you again."
I watched the shuttle silently glide away. Damn you Barton. I will stop you. I did not return from the dead to fail…
***
After I had brought Tallgeese into a secure orbit I settled down to wait for my new partner. I laughed at the thought. Actually, I was waiting on my old partner. When I requested this mission I also had asked Lady Une to assign Noin to work with me. I could not possibly imagine any one more suited for this mission save one of the Gundam pilots themselves. Since they were occupied with other matters, Preventer Fire was the obvious choice to watch my back in the coming battle.
Preventer Fire, the name suited her. She had certainly caused my soul to burn. Noin…What will it be like to see you again? I wondered if things would be any different after our year apart. Was she still capable of loving one such as myself? A man whose soul had bathed in so much blood during the war that he had to die for a year in order to cleanse it, could she possibly love me? Or forgive me for that matter?
I sighed and pulled a small green notebook from the folds of my space suit. I held it in my hands for a moment not opening it, allowing my gloved fingers to dance across the delicate script adorning its cover, as they had so many times over the years. It was a journal, a memento of years long past, the words within written by the one who owned my tortured soul.
Of course she never even realized that I took it. It wouldn't do for her to be aware of my true feelings for her. If anyone ever knew exactly how much I loved her, they might have tried to harm her in order to get to me. I had to protect her, even if that meant denying myself the privilege of telling her how I felt.
Naturally, there had been times when selfishly I had considered telling her. Usually, I held myself in check and remained silent. Once though, I actually put pen to paper and told her my feelings in a letter. It was just after a battle with the Gundam pilots, she had put herself in between Epyon and Peacemillion. I had almost killed her that day. I shudder even now at the thought of how close I came to sending her into oblivion. In a moment of weakness I wrote that letter, and gave instructions to one of my men to send it to her if anything were to happen to me.
I doubt she received it. Not many people escaped that day with their lives. I'm sure that man was counted among the day's casualties. It was probably for the best anyway. She's sure to reject any overtures of love after the way I've treated her these past few years. Besides what would a pure spirit like her want with a blood stained soul like mine?
I open the notebook and my soul warms at the sight of her elegant script. I stare at the pages without reading them. I have them practically memorized at this point. I keep the notebook as a sort of token. A physical manifestation of her essence if you will. It's something tangible that I can hold on to when my longing for her grows too great to simply push away. The pages have yellowed slightly over the years and the ink has faded, but the small book is a treasure to me.
I sigh and allow myself to picture her face. The endless depths of her eyes. Her proud features. The way she moved. All the times we'd stay up till dawn working together and watched the sunrise. It's slow torture but I relish every memory. They're all I've allowed myself over the years after all.
***
Tallgeese's alarms sound. A shuttle is approaching. I know it's her without looking away from the notebook. I can sense it. Her face appears on my forward screen. I can't bring myself to look at her just yet. Keeping my focus on the page before me I speak.
"Is that you Noin?"
"I've come to pick you up Zechs." She replies.
Oh, how I love you. "Thanks," I lower the notebook. She looks so beautiful. "So Noin how have you been doing?" Do you still love me?
She bows her head. "Good…" After a moment she looks at me again, "Zechs it's been one year and two days."
In that moment I know that I will never leave her again, and when this is all over I will finally tell her how I feel. She maneuvers the shuttle to pick up Tallgeese. I let a silent prayer slip to whatever force that controls our destinies to allow us to survive and then prepare to dock…
Well, that's it for now. As I said earlier I have an idea for more, it all just depends on the response I get on this one…actually that's not entirely true. I'll probably write more even if everyone tells me this part sucks. I'm on a roll here. I just can't control my Zechs and Noin addiction! I have to write more… more… more I tell you…
As always thanks for your time.