The Mermaids Scar…Gundam Style
Chapter 5
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Duo looked out the window, and saw Relena coming up the road. He dried his hands and gestured to Heero, who was *trying* to eat the food Duo had made for him. Momentarily he choked, but took a sip of water and followed Duo outside, wiping his lips and dumping the food in the trash when Duo wasn't looking.
"Hi, Relena," Heero said, "How is Une today?"
Relena nodded. "She's doing much better, thank you. Mary-M wanted to stay with her when I went out for groceries this afternoon." She smiled. Duo noticed Relena's timid way of hiding her left hand. Feeling curious, he reached out and pulled her hand up into the light. Relena instantly blushed rose-red.
"Hey, Heero, look!" Duo said, smiling. On Relena's ring finger was: a ring. A thin gold band and a small but romantic looking diamond. Heero whistled.
"Nice, Relena. From last night, I figure?" He grinned. Relena took her hand back from Duo and smiled softly, her face still red.
"We've been…talking about it for a long time…tonight we finally decided…" She said fondly.
"Good for ya!" Duo quipped.
"I'm just a little sad…I'll have to quit work at the mansion…and God knows I'm needed there now." Relena said, biting her lip.
"Une will understand…she's not the Wicked Witch of the North, you know." Heero assured her. Relena shook her head.
"Its Mary-M I'm worried about."
Heero nodded solemnly. "I see."
"I don't want her to think I'm abandoning her." Relena said grimly.
"Talk to her…make sure she understands." Duo added in. Relena nodded.
"Thank you for the help, boys. I'd better give Miss Une my resignation papers now…" She turned slowly and began walking.
"Relena, we'll be visiting in a little while, all right?? Good luck with your marriage!!" Heero shouted out to her. She looked at him, smiling, and a faint pink still in her cheeks. She waved to them before disappearing from sight.
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"So you're leaving?" Une asked gently, staring at the sun sinking into the ocean. From behind her, she could hear Relena sigh deeply.
"I'll stay for a little while longer, Miss Une…a few weeks, maybe more…"
"That's fine, Relena." Une turned around and gave a comforting smile. "You're welcome to leave when you're ready. I'll write you a letter of recommendation. You've been an incredible housekeeper for me."
"Thank you, Miss Une…I've been happy to work here. Mary-M is a wonderful child…"
A cloud seemed to pass on Une's face but it vanished. "Thank you…she certainly is, isn't she?" Une said in a strange voice. "Is there anything else?"
"Well, Miss Une…I'm worried about Mary-M…I don't want her to think I'm leaving her…" Relena answered nervously.
"I see…well, if you'd like you may have a few hours with her…talk to her." Une said kindly. Relena smiled.
"Thank you again, Miss Une!!" She responded gratefully. Relena heard the small creak of the door swinging open. Relena's head swung in the direction and saw Mariemaia standing there, looking like she was about to cry. "Mary-M… It's not…"
Mariemaia shook her head, and took off running up the stairs, slamming her door. Relena stood automatically and looked to Une, who nodded. Relena made her way up the stairs slowly and opened Mariemaia's door. Mariemaia was sitting on the floor near her bed, her small pack on her lap.
"Mary-M…I'm not leaving you…I'm getting married…"
Mariemaia looked up at her, her eyes brimming with tears. "I don't want you to go, Miss Relena…" She said, her voice tight.
"I'm very sorry, Mary-M…you know I'll visit you…" Relena murmured. Mariemaia opened her pack and brought out something, then extended her closed fist to Relena.
"What's this?" Relena asked lightly. Mariemaia opened her hand and showed Relena a round, pale colored…something.
"Would you taste this, Miss Relena? Please?" Mariemaia asked quietly.
"What is it?" Relena questioned curiously. Mariemaia said nothing. At this point Relena was desperate to make sure Mariemaia understood that she still cared for her, Relena took it and took a small bite out of a corner.
The moment it touched her tongue, Relena knew something was very, very wrong…
She let out a scream as her body exploded with pain…
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Duo put his hand on Heero's arm. "Did you hear that?" He asked cautiously. Heero blinked.
But a second later, a louder scream reached their ears. Their eyes shot up to the mansion in front of them, and widened with horror. They broke into a dead run, reaching the door within moments.
Finding the door unlocked, they raced inside, and saw Une standing in front of the stairs, petrified. As the two boys ran past her and leaped up the stairs, she broke her trance and raced after them, making it to Mariemaia's door first.
The three of them spilled into the room at the same time.
The events that occurred in the next minute could hardly be accounted for.
Duo saw something large and gruesome reach out for Une, slicing open her upper left chest. Blood spilled onto the floor in horrific amounts.
She let out a choked scream, and blood sprayed from her lips. Duo's stomach lurched.
Heero looked up, hardly seeing what had happened to Une, only seeing his worst fear come to life.
He saw Mariemaia, terrified, frozen in place with her mouth open in a silent scream of the sight before her eyes.
Something twisted…something dark green and black, bent half over with a huge hump on its back, chameleon-like eyes, always jumping from one direction to the next, neither of them working in sync. Large arms, with horrendous claws ending at its twisted fingers…claws built to slice. Claws built to kill.
Looking down at Une, he was positive those claws had done their job as Une's blouse soaked red. Duo was staring at Une, his face working quickly, unable to register the sight of Une's body, limp on the floor.
The monster let out a grisly, throaty roar…and Heero had other things to think about besides Une and Duo.
…A Lost Soul…
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Review!! Sorry for the wait, Exams, ya know…