Ok, bear with me here. I'm sorry it took so long to get out, many factors are a part of this including, my being sick for a week, my being in all honors classes and all the teachers deciding to up the workload, my part as Jade Nova-chan's conscience (I wouldn't post this until she posted a chapter), my LIFE (yes I do actually have one...) as well as other scattered reasons (I tried to make it longer). I hope you enjoy this and it is forever dedicated to Lex-chan and Chika-chan! Chibi Tenshi-chan is also a major factor as she is helping my brainstorm for future chapters. Enough with my ramblings and onto what you all are here for, the fic. Before you go, remember, I own and claim to own nothing in the fic except the ideas….SM may be a bit Alternate Universe-ish…
Ichidou Chapter 2
The gold descended upon her face as a swarm of bees on an intruder as one of her trademark buns fell out, covering more than one identifying feature on her smooth, creamy face. Growling in anger and frustration, the second bun was forcibly yanked out, much to its silent protest, and it too settled around her face, framing it, giving it a cool look of control and death where others would look angelic, she looked like the supreme ruler of angel-faced killers.
Her enemies surrounded her, ignoring the mass of the golden river flowing from atop her head, she spun and performed a kick while pivoting around on the spot, knocking one of her enemies flat on his back. In the blink of an eye, an axe relieved her of any chance threat he might have posed. Using grace and cunning she was trained to master, she slipped past her second attacker and a swift knife hand to the neck disabled him almost instantly.
One last person left, she glared at him, challenging him. He obliged her. Big mistake. Last mistake. She connected a sidekick to his stomach and before he even had a chance to follow a tornado kick to the face threw him back a few good feet. Her sky blue eyes burned a flame into his back as he struggled to get up. Coughing a bit, he was able to make it to his knees, but he never saw the axe kick that ended it all.
She was acutely aware of her surrounding coming sharply back into focus as the simulator shut down. The dull black walls held no shine and the plain floor and ceiling were just as drab, save for one pane of glass on one wall. Through the looking glass was one man. Staring at her, he stood unmoving.. She saw him glare at her. Inside she smirked at his utter fury. He was attempting to appear calm but her direct violation of his orders apparently caused him to seethe.
"Get out here now." The almost guttural sounds were ground out over the speaker system, as his eyes never left her blue ones. She knew in an instant that she had gone too far. She didn't care either.
Deliberately taking her time, the leather around her seemed to mold itself to her as each muscle stretched and contacted as smoothly as glass, not a single crystalline drop of sweat daring to mar her face.
"Yes?" her voice was strange to hear it. A sound lacking tone, feeling, depth, coming from a creature such as she was. The cloud of gold framing her face, azure sapphires focused on one man, ruby lips pressed together, she was the model of beautiful. Perfect even, but the voice, it made her seem hollow and empty. Her eyes, devoid of emotion, second her voice's emotionless feeling as she stared her superior down.
"I gave you specific orders to stay in your room." He ground the words out without taking his eyes off of her sky ones.
Shrugging almost casually, she tilted her head to one side, shutting her creamy
lids, "So I wanted to train, no harm in that."
He narrowed his eyes, she was being her usual self, but normally, she'd listen to his direct orders. Missions always went to her head before she got into them. A deep resounding tone came up from his throat as he growled at her "Get on the carrier, you leave now. Took us a while to find you. Time, which we could have used better." Turning, he marched away, his boots sounding on the metal floor. The metallic clicks pleased him, and notified anyone with decent hearing of his presence.
Preferring to be lithe and light, she followed him, nary making a sound. As she walked, she separated the golden cloud into two halves and in two quick movements her normal double bunned hairstyle was back. Without her buns, she felt like she was missing something, as if she was killing off a part of her that refused to die so easily.
She reached the carrier that was heading to earth and pushed herself off the ground to the doorway. The minute gravity on the colony was always used to her advantage. Ignoring the soldiers who recoiled at the sight of her and her crystal moon, the ship welcomed its latest arrival with an air of indifference. Seeking the aid of the lower gravity once more, she floated into the cockpit where she saw another yellow head.
The strands of her hair were pale and not as lustrous as her own. Restrained only by one large red bow, the girl continued to do her routine check. She was humming a tune quietly to herself, blissfully unaware of the new arrival in the cockpit. One hand came up to wipe a little bit of sweat off her brow and she turned around to look for something. Her blue eyes widened and the orange fingernailed hand came to her mouth to stifle a gasp.
"Who-who are you? What do you want?" The words came out of her mouth as her eyes went to the crescent moon on her forehead. A soft scream like sound worked it's way into the air as her tremulous blue eyes stared at the small object.
"What's it to you soldier? What's your name?"
"Aino. Aino Minako." The tremble in her voice acknowledged the fact that Minako knew who she was dealing with. "You w-w-would be-"
A razor sharp voice cut her off. "My mission has not begun, at the base I am referred to as Sergeant Tsukino. What are you doing here?"
Her cold demeanor and commanding presence took Minako's breath away. She wasn't stupid, rather, she was adept at hiding her many talents from her enemies. Graceful and agile, formidable enemy was the best way to describe her, but even she knew that if challenged, she couldn't defeat the fellow female wearer of the golden river in front of her. Walls had ears, Minako was attune to the saying of the ears. Lowly soldier she was not meant to play. "I'm s-supposed to pilot the s-ship to Lake Victoria. Those are my orders, ma'am." Shock receding, mind began to whirl at an amazing pace, trying to comprehend if she had been found out or not.
Blue met blue. Light that glimmered off of the Sergeant's eyes seemed to pierce Mina's soul and made her edgy. 'So cold. Empty! Devoid of life and love! Brrr, remorseless and it's like she knows past, present, and future with that creepy light reflecting off of her pupils, I am so glad this is my first- and last- time meeting her. I'm blowing this place as soon as I get the stuff I need. Ears can leak information as well as pick it up.'
"Alright, prepare for takeoff, Aino-san." Ripping her eyes from the blue that belonged to Minako, Sergeant Tsukino, rather Tsukino Usagi, sat down in the co-pilots seat and her eyelids slid closed in meditation. Her birth was foreign to her, dusty from its rare usage. She never knew her birth parents, and scoffed inwardly that she didn't need anyone but herself. There had been a time when it was under debate to code name her 'Bunny' or 'Moon Bunny' or another one of those sweet woodland creatures. She had opted for a cold, indifferent name, cockiness was demise but bunnies weren't exactly what made people cower in fear.
Thinking that 'Shadow' and 'Wind of Death' as too confident, she picked the most nondescript name that she thought of which could apply to her. Sky was born from the ashes of Tsukino Serena's life. It stuck. Sky was feared. She was the ultimate weapon. It was rumored that she could even take out a Gundam pilot. Little did she know all the scheming going around. Even though she was privy to some on the most confidential secrets, there was one she did not know: this was not a battle between OZ and the Gundams, it was far more than that, there was a third part soon to emerge and they would throw the balance of things off.
Sitting there, she was oblivious as to how this would all affect her. What part did she play? Sky knew her mission and carried them out to a tee but what about things she didn't know? Her enemies would prey on those parts of her if they ever found out but the thing was, what did everyone know? How was one supposed to fulfill their mission if others counteract it unknowingly? How was one to survive in such a back stabbing, confusion-ridden world?
Minako was not who she seemed to be. Sky wasn't what she seemed to be either. In the world where they lived, nothing was what it seemed to be. Reality can be bent. It can be broken. Nothing is set. Anything is possible. What's the difference from what is and what you think is? After all, humans can not comprehend the immense thing they think of as their home. Just because you believe you feel it, taste it, hear it, see it or hear it, does that make it exist? How can one tell when illusions are present and when they are viewing the truth buried deep down inside, the hidden meaning and actuality of what happens and why…
***
Eyes closed, he plotted his mission. Colony deserted by the carrier, Victoria called to it. There, there the weapon would rest indefinitely. In that time of uncertainty, he would strike, inflicting a crushing defeat to their latest line of supposedly undefeatable mechas. The Perfect Soldier wasn't about to let them get away. Crippling defeat was what he would deliver to them.
The last rays of the sun called his attention forth as they were relayed to him via his Gundam. Cold Prussian blue meeting warm golden rays and an empty void filled within him. The hollowness inside him grew. Slithering it's way around him, creating a shell of void. Shaking the feeling off, the Perfect Soldier withdrew to the calm that he from which he was taught.
Night shielded him, protected him. Darkness was his ally, sound feared to come near him. Stealth became him, wind envied him, light avoided him, an air of icy control floated around him as he sat motionless in the cockpit of that which he hated and yet loved.
Slowly, the lids of his strikingly handsome blue eyes opened and he knew what he was to, how to accomplish it, when to start the attack, where to position one's ally as well as where to strike to cause the most damage to those he would meet on foot.
His chiseled features betrayed him to be a mere boy, years numbering the lowly age of 15, but in this world of unknown, tactical genius, superhuman, perfect soldier, impossible to beat, hacker extraordinaire, and other such titles hovered around in attempts to see beneath the shield that kept emotions in and prying eyes out.
Shadows and light played around on disinterested features as the moon began to wrestle the grasp of the sky from the sun. Light symphony of clicks filled the humming quiet of the cockpit where the boy fighter was situated as communications lines were passed through until one was secured with his ally.
Another boy really, conquered the black screen that once held a glamorous sunset. Apollo's son he could pass for with his radiant smile and light reflecting sun blonde strands of spiky hair. Ocean blue eyes meat cold Prussian ones as forehead furrowed with mixtures of curiosity, puzzlement, worry and pure innocent care as communication line was filled with orders and battle plans for him to memorize…
***
Indifference. Apathy. Uncaring. She didn't see the need for pomp and festivity. They were foolish to waste their energy and training time welcoming her and the shipment of Taurus that had come with her. Her reputation preceded her. Men averted her gaze, preferring to stare at the crystal crescent that adorned her forehead, the single blemishing feature on her face, yet beautiful and elegant at the same moment as it was crude, childish, and silly. But the true question was, who was idiotically insane enough to tell her that the crescent was 'odd' to her deadly face?
No one. Cockiness and confidence this high didn't lie within the beings of officers ranking even higher than she. Perched on a chair, she surveyed the black cloak that enveloped the earth every night. New as it was to her, her face showed no signs of interest as she stared out at the moon.
"True beauty can only be witnessed by those who know what they are regarding." The words seemed to float out through the night sky as the one with its name turned and began to stretch before retiring to the night's silvery dream world's grasp. Staring at the bleached white ceiling as slumber began to claim her, thoughts of why Aino-san would have been fiddling in the cockpit ran through her head for Aino-san had stopped as soon as she had entered…
***
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Soft music of crickets filled the night as time ticked away. Chronos ignored all happenings in view of his duty to run time through the ages, doomed eternally to duty, his uncaring eyes held no pity. Twinkling gems held their position for wary travelers as they surveyed the happening of a world beneath their dignity to visit.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
In the peace, calm tranquility of the forest, two green flames burned brightly. Crouching almost in a mortal-like position, Wing Gundam Zero was truly a formidable enemy and had the nearby Victoria base known of its presence, impending doom would have swallowed them up. No one had survived a Gundam attack head on. Ever.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Time was drawing near. Planned precisely with precision few had, seconds were held accountable for. One false move could cost a life, yours, or worse yet, the mission. Ready to pounce, crouching, counting down by seconds. Any time now. 5. 4. 3…
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Crickets betrayed, droning call of the siren of alarm raised the pearly gates of heaven. Frantic defenses gathered to fight the intruder, fully knowing, fully fearing the consequences. Odds against them and for the single one, twisting and turning, molding for the suit of Gundanium, the odds only furthered the fear invading soldiers through adrenaline filled air.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Bolting upright the millisecond before alarm shredded calm, dressed before others comprehended, out the door before soldiers died. Cursing the planet's gravity as useless, dead use of energy, feet pattered down the hallways, nary emitting a sound. Leather cloaked figure blending with shadows, golden cuffs and emblem reflecting light, breaking human figure from those watching.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Sound of quiet, feeling of wind, she knew it wasn't good. Slinking along, moonlight fell through the window, lighting one that was not its. Venus shone brightly as the pale blonde swiftly began her escape from the walls which were closing in on her. She was the crack and now the walls were crumbling around her. Not wishing to be trapped, she chose to leave now and worm her way in another way.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
The gentle wind carried the pieces of debris to the ground, one cubic centimeter by one cubic centimeter. Lives disappeared off the stage, as one player took all the pawns out, not so much to eliminate a threat but to draw the king out into the open. Glinting bloody red in the moon's light, slicing air and everything in its path, the Gundam whiled and danced its dance of death as the pilot whispered penance for deaths caused for the sake of the living.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Shadows dancing a ritual of deception, air stilling in the breathless presence, hidden deep within the depth of darkness, caressed by the black void. Gundanium it was, but to be a mere Gundam was calling the moon plain gray. Sleek, agile angles and curves blended in with the path of twists and curvaceous leaves of the forest heart it was hidden in. Neon green, sight deep into heart, holes were bored through the dense underbrush by the all seeing eyes.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Space suit neglected, soundless footsteps led to a Taurus suit. Shoving technicians, their eyes wide with surprise, cockpit was entered. Control flared to life as her fingers danced over the keyboards, instructing that which she was so familiar with to do her bidding. Roaring to life under her care, the suit flew out of the hanger towards the breach of security. Adrenaline pumping, attention focused on the Arabian looking Gundam on the screen, a screen blinked in the corner of her eye. Two green eyes. About-facing herself, she mentally challenged this stranger suit to combat, fully knowing it was probably Gundam 01.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Gate of freedom lying strait in front of her, Minako dared a glance back at the base and saw one Taurus suit turn and face the forest. Blinking blankly, the forest seemed to move as a suit emerged. Blood rushing from her face, mouth soundless moved to form the word 'two' over and over again, unbelieving. Base was no longer condemned as rubble, it was to be mere dust after this attack! Yet the Taurus suit remained unmoving, as did 01. Reeling with the shock of discovery, she placed Sky as inside the Taurus and pilot 01 inside 01 of course.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
"Mission: Destroy the mobile suit known as sky. Mission accepted. If this is sky, sky burns tonight." A cold voice in a cold cockpit stated to the cloak of darkness itself in his emotionless voice of duty…
To be continued…
I'm sorry if I confused anyone in this chapter once again. I you have any question, state so in your review or email me at Sailor_Silver_Moon@hotmail.com and I'll try and help as best as I can to explain my (odd) ways of thought. This is going to be kind of a dark fic though it is going to be a romance fic later. I'm still unsure of who to pair Usa with so polls are still open. Anyways, sorry for the delay and I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner. Reviews are greatly appreciated! If you hate my cliffhanger, say so! If you liked the method I use to describe, SAY SO! I can't tell what to leave out and what to do more if I don't hear from you! :) Arigatou minna!!
~Silver