HotD01

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to the characters in this fanfic, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

Heart of the Dragon

Part 1

In the vastness of space, drifting among the wreckage of the battleship Libra, a lone mobile suit floated seemingly lifelessly. To be more exact, the mobile suit was a powerful machine known as a Gundam; its' pilot, a Chinese teenager named Chang Wufei. Although the war between the Earth and the colonies had only ended weeks ago, to the young warrior, it seemed like days. The adrenaline rush of battle still coursed through his veins, and yet, he felt restless. The pilot slowly opened his eyes, and rested his hands on the console of his beloved Gundam.

"Are you showing me the right path, Nataku," he asked. "Are you showing me my true destiny?" The quietness of space flooded his ears unbearably, and he closed his eyes once again, allowing his mind to drift ...

~ three days earlier ~

"Wufei, I'd really like it if you stayed here," Relena Dorlian-Peacecraft stated. "Now that the war is over, you'll need somewhere to stay."

"No thanks," Wufei replied, barely able to keep the scowl off of his face.

"You finally obtained the peace you have been working towards," she continued. "Won't you even consider it?"

"You should listen to Ms. Relena, Wufei," Quatre stated. "We could all use a place to call home temporarily." At this, Wufei frowned.

"Look, I said I wasn't interested," Wufei grumbled, losing his patience.

"Or, if you would feel more comfortable, I have a mansion right outside of the Sanq Kingdom," Quatre offered, smiling weakly.

"Yeah, Wu-man," Duo exclaimed, putting Wufei into a headlock. "We could all use a vacation!"

"Get off of me, Maxwell," Wufei stated icily, shoving Duo away from him. "I don't need anyone's hospitality, especially not from a weak ..."

"Ah, you don't have to be so stubborn, Wu-man," Duo interrupted. "Even Heero is relaxing. Now that's something!"

"Dammit, Maxwell," Wufei growled, grabbing Duo by his shirt. "I told you not to call me that!"

"Well, excuuuse me," Duo drawled, waving his hands in front of him as Wufei released his hold on him.

"Where will you go then, Wufei," Relena asked. As Wufei began muttering in his native language, Heero cleared his throat.

"Just let him go," Heero spoke quietly, his voice full of authority.

"But Heero," Relena protested. "It's the least I can do!"

"Because of your peaceful views, Relena, there's one thing you'll never understand about soldiers," Heero said. "Let him go on his way." He crossed his arms, and looked up towards Wufei, who nodded his thanks towards the perfect soldier.

"Wherever Nataku takes me will be my destination," Wufei stated, feeling as if he had to say something to justify his actions. He scowled inwardly, and then turned towards his Gundam.

"Wufei," Relena said as he began to climb into the machine. He turned towards her slightly. "Wufei, whenever you come back to Earth, you'll always be welcomed here, in the Sanq Kingdom." He snorted at her statement.

"Your emotions are what make you weaker than you already are, woman," Wufei commented. He threw one last look towards his fellow Gundam pilots, and then climbed up into the Shenlong. With a sigh, Relena watched as Wufei blasted off.

"Well in any case, Wufei, the offer still stands," she said quietly, a small smile appearing on her face. Quatre placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, Ms. Relena," Quatre stated. "Though he doesn't show it, I'm sure Wufei appreciates your offer."

"That's right, Relena," Duo added. "I have a feeling 'ol Wu-man will be back!" Inside of his Gundam, Wufei sneezed.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Wufei opened his eyes once again as a beep sounded repeatedly from the console of his Gundam. He punched in a series of commands, and then the view-screen popped up in front of him. The view that met his gaze caused him to gasp.

"L5," he asked. "Nataku, is this my destination? Why have you led me here?" Taking the machine off of autopilot, Wufei turned his Gundam towards the colony, and began his descent. Instinctively, Wufei directed his Gundam towards the secluded place the Shenlong had been built. Landing near the abandoned base, Wufei climbed out of his Gundam, falling to the ground with practiced expertise. Staring up at the building, he sighed and a small smile appeared on his face.

"Wufei, whenever you come back to Earth, you'll always be welcomed here, in the Sanq Kingdom," Relena's voice repeated in his head, causing his smile to disappear.

"No," Wufei stated out loud. "I can't go back to Earth, until I find out why Nataku has brought me here." He walked up to the door, and tested the doorknob, only to be surprised that it clicked open. His hand went to his katana instinctively as he cautiously crept into the building. He kept to the shadows, and was taken by surprise as a voice spoke to him.

"I knew you would return here one day, after the war ended, Chang Wufei," a man's voice stated. Wufei scanned the area, however he couldn't find the owner of the voice.

"You're very skilled, to sense my presence in this room," Wufei called back.

"Naturally, Wufei. Wasn't it I, who taught and trained you," the man asked. A tall, bald man stepped out from the shadows, causing Wufei to gasp.

"M-master O," he asked in a disbelieving tone. He bowed out of respect towards his sensei. "How are you alive, Master?" A small smirk appeared on the scientist's face as he put a hand in his lab coat pocket.

"Come, Wufei, have tea with me," Doctor O spoke, motioning towards a table. As he got comfortable, he turned his head toward another room. "Bring an extra cup. We have a visitor," he called out in that direction. The two men heard a muffled reply, and Wufei frowned slightly before turning towards the scientist.

"Master O," he began.

"Wufei," Doctor O interrupted quietly. "What brings you here? Why have you returned?"

"I don't know, Master," Wufei replied. "Ever since the end of the war, I've been restless. My fighting spirit hasn't allowed me to rest, and enjoy the peace. And ... I don't understand why."

"And what of the others," Doctor O stated.

"What," Wufei asked.

"What of the other Gundam pilots," Doctor O repeated. "How have they adjusted to life after the war?"

"They've settled in the Sanq Kingdom, with Vice-Minister Relena Dorlian-Peacecraft," Wufei replied.

"And she didn't offer you the same hospitality," Doctor O questioned.

"No, it was the opposite," Wufei muttered. "She wanted us all to stay there, to enjoy the peace we've helped acquire." Wufei looked up, and Doctor O gave him a questioning look. "I don't know why I didn't just stay," Wufei answered his unasked question.

"Wufei, how do you feel towards the other pilots," Doctor O inquired.

"Feel," Wufei asked. "I don't feel anything towards them. We were all just lucky to make it out of this war alive. I only go by what I know about them - that they're all skilled warriors." Doctor O studied Wufei, however remained silent. Wufei stood from his place, and walked over to gaze out the window.

"Then perhaps that is why you are here," Doctor O thought inwardly. He looked up as he heard the sound of a tray being carried, and a small smile crossed his face. A teenage Chinese girl entered the room, carrying a tea tray. She had on traditional Chinese garb, and her silky, black hair was pulled back into a braid that went slightly past her shoulder blades. She knelt down at the table with Doctor O, and offered a smile towards him.

"Where is our guest, Master O," she asked while serving him tea.

"By the window," he replied. "Now don't be rude, and offer him some tea." She nodded her head, and then stood, turning towards Wufei.

"May I offer you some tea, sir," she asked. She frowned slightly as he did not turn around to face her.

"Now that's what I like to hear," Wufei thought inwardly. "A woman who knows her place." He turned around towards her, and the words he was going to say caught in his throat. Her eyes grew big in response.

"Wufei," she asked, not wanting to say his name too loudly in fear he would disappear.

"Meilin," he stated, shocked to see her. His throat began to constrict against his will, and he stepped closer to her. He stood in front of her, and she brought a hand up, smacking him soundly across the face. His own hand followed suite, gingerly touching his stinging face. "What was that for," he asked angrily.

"Why didn't you stay in touch," Meilin asked, equally as angry. "Do you know how worried I was! So many thoughts went through my head. I didn't know what to think!" She looked up at Wufei, who was slightly taller than she was, as tears began to form in her eyes, and he rolled his eyes.

"Don't be weak, Meilin. Don't cry," he stated, wrapping his arms around her in a hug. "I missed you, too." She returned his hug, and Doctor O watched with an amused smile.

~ one week later ~

"I've never been so bored in my life," Duo grumbled as he plopped down on the couch, and picked up the remote control. He turned the television on, and began to flip through the channels. After a couple of minutes, he turned the TV off again. "And there's nothing on TV, to boot!"

"Duo," Quatre stated, looking up from the game of chess he was playing. "There's plenty to do. You just need to find something." He moved his piece, and then looked up towards Trowa. "Check."

"Ah, c'mon, Quatre," Duo whined. "You know I can't sit still! I need to do something. Heero threatened to kill me again, and I think this time, he means it! I wish Wufei was here, because even his company is better than watching the two of you play that game."

"All it takes is a little bit of strategy and brainpower, Duo," Trowa stated, moving his piece out of harms' way.

"No thanks," Duo stated. "I don't want to play such a boring game." He wrinkled his nose, and then it dawned on him what, exactly, the meaning of Trowa's statement was. "Oh that was funny, Trowa," he stated dryly, causing Trowa to smirk.

"I can teach you to play, if you want, Duo," Quatre offered, studying the board. As Duo was about to reply, the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Duo exclaimed, jumping towards the phone. "Phew, saved by the bell," he thought as he picked up the receiver. "Hello, Duo speaking," he stated cheerfully into the phone.

"Why did you have to pick up, Maxwell," Wufei's annoyed voice came through the receiver.

"Wu-man, is that you," Duo asked, switching on the video. He smiled as he saw the frowning face of Wufei. "It is you! How are ya, buddy?"

"Maxwell, don't call me that," Wufei exclaimed. "Can't you put someone else on?" Duo pretended to look around.

"Sorry, Wu-man, but no one else is here," Duo stated. He held up a hand to silence Quatre, as he looked up from his game to protest Duo's statement.

"Great," Wufei mumbled. He looked into the video, and stared at Duo. "Well, I might as well tell you, then. I'll be back on Earth by the end of the week."

"That's great news, you have no idea," Duo exclaimed. He saw Wufei look to the side, and heard a girl's voice. Duo put two and two together, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face. "So Wu-man, who's the girl?"

"It's nothing like that, so don't even start, Maxwell," Wufei growled, turning his attention back towards Duo. "I've said what I wanted to say, so make sure to tell the others." Before Duo could reply, Wufei hung up on his end.

"What did Wufei have to say," Heero asked, entering the room just in time to hear the last of the conversation.

"Hey, Heero," Duo exclaimed. "Wufei will be back by the end of the week. Isn't that great!"

"Duo, why don't you ever call him Wufei to his face," Quatre asked. "It would save you from being yelled at so much by him.

"Ah, that's no fun," Duo stated. "People like him and Heero, here, need to have their feathers ruffled every once in a while." Heero glared at Duo, and the self-proclaimed Shinigami shrank back.

"We'd better tell Relena she's going to have another guest by the end of the week, then," Trowa stated. The others nodded in agreement. The three pilots looked towards Heero, and he scowled. He turned and left the rather large guesthouse they shared, and headed towards the main house to tell Relena the news.

To Be Continued . . .

I hope you all enjoy this so far! As I put in the summary, this is an idea I had that I couldn't get out of my head. It's not what you may think it is, despite the title ... If I think of a better one, I'll change it. Anyway, please leave a review.