You Are Not Forgotten Part 2
Gundam Wing Style
Mizu-chan's Notes: Erm, hi again! Thanks for all the nice reviews! I'm glad people are reading this! Ah.. a quick note is that the time has moved to eight years. The soldiers are still being held as prisoners of war. Why the great time leap? Well, I'm trying to stick with the true story as much as possible. It does seem a bit big.. so maybe I'll change it if ya'll want me too! ^^! Okie, I think that's all I needed to say and thanks again! Hope this part meets up to expectations!
Wufei slashed a shallow cut into the wall beside him with the steak knife he had been given to eat with. The slash was soon lost in the sea of many other slashes made with many other steak knives. "It's been eight years," he growled.
"Perhaps they are just trying to raise enough money. Who knows how much these colonies are asking." Quatre murmured in reply. But he knew that wasn't true at all.
"She said we were dead, Quatre. Why would they raise money for the dead?" questioned Duo. He raised his head from its resting place on his knees. The wounded look in Duo's eyes made his friend wince.
"Why...why?" murmured another man. He was the only other person awake at that current moment. Slowly, he shook his head. After all these years he still didn't understand.
"Who knows Danielson." replied Wufei, addressing the captain by his last name.
"I wonder how everything is ... outside." Quatre murmured. The blonde stared wistfully out the barred window, snatching glances of the stars and the eternal darkness.
"Stop looking outside. It makes the days go longer." Wufei reprimanded. The Chinese man leaned against the wall, arms crossed, as he stared at the sleeping soldiers. Eight years in this same cell had changed them all. Some had even taken their lives, deserted of all hope to ever get out. The remaining were older and less innocent about the world around them. The pain of the imprisonment in their sunken faces made Wufei reluctantly look away.
"My god.. eight years. Eight years and Lord knows how many attempted escapes. Even Heero couldn't find any mobile suits in time to get away." Duo spoke, more to himself then anyone else.
The three other men didn't even reply. They all fell into silence, letting the even breathing of the sleepers take over. Wufei remained leaning against the wall, calm as usual. Unlike the other men surrounding him Wufei had no one he was missing.
Quatre still continued staring out the window. His eyes still held that wistful look as he thought of everything that had been ripped from him and never returned through those eight long years. At least he still had some of his friends with him. But they were only some.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Relena tilted back her head, laughing in joy. The younger girl next to her remained stoned face as the man in front of both of them made pitiful attempts at jokes.
"Oh, come now, Mariemaia. You've got to admit that was somewhat humorous." Relena giggled, nudging her advisor and somewhat friend on the shoulder. But Mariemaia didn't even move.
"'Come on, pull yourself together'? What kind of joke is that? And how can people feel like curtains?" Mariemaia replied, her nose turned up in disgust of the man.
"Aw, gee, Marie. Loosen up."
"If you loosen the cage door of a bird, the bird flies."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know what it means, Miss Dorlian." Mariemaia said, her eyes narrowed. Her tone was sharp. It kept the comedian man silent.
"Marie..." Relena began, her own tone warning. After a pause, Relena flashed a dainty smile to the man. "Could I speak to you later? Call me?" The man nodded before disappearing out the door. Once he was out of sight, Relena whirled on her advisor. "What's this nonsense about birds, Mariemaia?"
"Miss Dorlian, I'm beginning to wonder why you told the public that all POW's were dead. Was it truly for the sake of the alliance and because of politics... Or.." Mariemaia paused, meeting Relena's glare with a venomous one of her own. "Or for your own selfish and childish desires?"
"Mariemaia?!" Relena staggered back. Such harsh words coming from one she thought a friend? "Mariemaia, I assure you the situation of the POW's is not because of my own desires but for reasons beyond my control."
"Then, do tell me why for the past eight years, you seem to be a completely different person? As though a weight had been taken from you? The weight of living up to someone's expectations."
Relena paused, unable to answer the girls questions. Was it true? Was she truly enjoying this new life without the pilots? Without Heero? But then, the former princess regained her tongue, smiled and replied, "Dear little girl, I believe you are mistaken. Do you truly think I'd sacrifice over a hundred other soldiers lives in order to become free of certain duties?"
"Hm, I guess not," but Mariemaia didn't give up that easily. "So then, I guess you needn't worry that Lady Une is gone and the last time she was seen was when she was heading to colonies 0107 and 1116?"
"WHAT?!!?"
"That's what I thought..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"HEY!!!"
Quatre's shout caused a few of the slumbering soldiers to leap to attention. They all stared, wide eyed at Quatre, wondering just what his problem was. Of course they were angry. Who wouldn't be when one was disturbed of sleep? But then they saw the excited, almost ecstatic expression on his face and they were filled with hope. Only Trowa had the nerve to ask the question, "What is it, Quatre?"
Quatre smushed his face against the bar, trying to get the best look he could. "Well, I could be just..." He growled, jerking his head from the bars quickly as the electric shocks kicked in. He rubbed the now red lines on his face before continuing. "I could be just jumping to conclusions but there is a mobile suit coming our way. And it doesn't look like any of the regulars."
And then came the mob. The soldiers shoved Quatre away, each scrambling for his own glance at what could be their savior. They pushed and shoved, given a new reason to stare into space.
"Hey! Isn't that Lady Une's suit?!"
"I think it is!"
"They've come! They've come!"
Heero, who had just awoken himself, stood at the back of the mob. Somehow he knew their savior wasn't that suit flying in space. "Stop it. Don't get your hopes up."
At Heero's cold but wise words, the soldiers fell silent. Heero was right. It had been eight years. They had already been forgotten. Slowly the soldiers sunk back to the places they had previously been.
Until....
It had been close to a half hour. Small conversations of dire subjects were flitting around the cell. Trowa and Heero both remained silent, their minds on opposite things. Quatre was busy consoling the few soldiers who "just couldn't take it anymore" while Duo was spending his time cursing the alliance out. Wufei kept a watch through the doorway window for any signs of Lady Une. He had hope. And that's when he saw her.
She had changed. She had grown older and changed her hair style. But her eyes still held the gentle ferocity she always had. The sight of such an old "friend" made Wufei nearly lose his composure. After glancing around to make sure no one was watching him, Wufei slammed his fist against the door.
It had worked. Lady Une's head jerked up. The tall man who had been speaking to her fell silent. Her cold, calm eyes floated over to the door which held brave warriors prisoners. She turned back to the man, her mouth moving slowly. The man nodded and the two came towards the door.
"It.. it's Lady Une. Fellas.." Wufei turned to face his comrades. A rare half smile was seen on his face. "We're going home."
There was silence in the room as the soldiers let those words sink in. The click of a lock was the only sound heard. With his smile still placed upon his face, Wufei slid from the door as it opened to reveal Lady Une and Refel.
In an instant, the silence broke.
"Lady Une!"
"Colonel!"
"Are we really going home?!"
Lady Une just stared in amazement. Her jaw fell open then closed again as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. That's when Wufei felt a small droplet of dread pierce his stony heart.
"Wha.. what are you doing here? You're.. you're all dead." Lady Une's voice was a near whisper. She reached out her hand, as though she thought the collective of soldiers would just disappear into the air. They didn't.
"Relena didn't even tell you?" Heero straightened himself from the wall. He pushed his way through the shocked to silence mob of soldiers until he stood mere inches from Lady Une. "You aren't here to save us, are you Lady Une." He said it has a fact, no questioning in his tone. Slowly he nodded, expecting nothing else from Relena. It was no surprise she still hadn't grown up.
"No.." Lady Une spoke again. Her wide eyes swept through the crowd, recognizing faces even through years of change. She shook her head. "No... how could I not know of this? W.. why are you still here?"
Refel, the balding giant, took this as his chance to speak. "They're still here and we are still waiting for your leader to get back to us. Even the 'dead' need to be bought."
"I'll get the needed supplies to save you right away!" Lady Une spoke with new fervor. She grabbed Heero's hand, making eye contact with every single soldier there. "Don't give up. I'll be back in a few days to make sure of your safe return." Lady Une then turned and fled down the hall.
Blinking, Refel poked his head out the door. "But ma'am, don't you still have to inspect the suits? They still make funny noises.." But she was already gone. Refel shrugged, giving a devilish grin to the soldiers before stepping out and slamming the door shut.
A whoop of cheer suddenly erupted from the holding cell. They were going to get out now! The soldiers celebrated, hugging and congratulating one another. They had made it!
Heero slithered back beside Trowa. Slowly Trowa glanced over at his fellow soldier. "It's not going to work, is it?"
"No, I don't believe it will." The two fell to silence, allowing the rest of their companions to feel the joy of hope. They deserved it. For the past eight years they had been deprived of it. Even Wufei couldn't wipe the smile from his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, what you are telling me, Lady Une, is that you've seen the dead POWs?" Relena questioned, her very tone causing snickers to fly around the room.
Lady Une stared at the changed Miss Dorlian in amazement. She then glanced around the room to where some of her friends sat. Even Sally and Noin couldn't help but chuckle. Milliardo's face, though, was grim. Une had a feeling he had known about the living soldiers. With new anger, Lady Une turned back to the Vice Foreign Minister. "Yes! Over one hundred of them! We need to get them home! Live POW's remain in the colonies of 0107 and 1116."
"Lady Une, I assure you. The prisoners of war have been dead for over eight years. Please don't bring up old wounds." Relena then stepped out of the room, signifying that Lady Une's request had been denied. The audience, still snickering filed out of the room leaving Lady Une to stand there. There was no way this could be true. Miss Dorlian.. what was Miss Dorlian doing?
"I suggest you keep your mouth shut, Lady Une." Milliardo suddenly spoke. He had stayed. Lady Une stared at him, bewildered.
"But.. why?"
"The war had put a strain on the alliance. There was no way we could buy back that many prisoners." Milliardo said. He sounded as though he was talking of candy instead of real human beings.
"But we're richer now!"
"What would the Vice Foreign Minister look like if she said all dead POWs were alive?"
"That's no reason to keep them there!"
"Lady Une.." Milliardo stepped up to her. "Keep your mouth shut. You're fired. I don't really think that anyone will believe a civilian." With a smirk, Milliardo slithered from the room.
"What has happened? What has happened to this alliance? This.." Lady Une suddenly collapsed, landing harshly on her knees. She buried her face into her hands, letting the sobs rack her body. "This is not what this alliance was made for. Oh, brave soldiers, I'm sorry...
I'm so sorry..."
END OF PART TWO
Extra Mizu-chan Notes: Wow, having too much fun making Relena a bad person! Hehee! ~:~giggles evily~:~ Anyways.. I hope everyone likes this story. Erm, in the true story the reasons for not returning the POWs was unknown. So I just made this up. It makes the story more interesting!! Well, that's all I had to say. Thanks for reading this! I love ya'll!
Gundam Wing Style
Mizu-chan's Notes: Erm, hi again! Thanks for all the nice reviews! I'm glad people are reading this! Ah.. a quick note is that the time has moved to eight years. The soldiers are still being held as prisoners of war. Why the great time leap? Well, I'm trying to stick with the true story as much as possible. It does seem a bit big.. so maybe I'll change it if ya'll want me too! ^^! Okie, I think that's all I needed to say and thanks again! Hope this part meets up to expectations!
Wufei slashed a shallow cut into the wall beside him with the steak knife he had been given to eat with. The slash was soon lost in the sea of many other slashes made with many other steak knives. "It's been eight years," he growled.
"Perhaps they are just trying to raise enough money. Who knows how much these colonies are asking." Quatre murmured in reply. But he knew that wasn't true at all.
"She said we were dead, Quatre. Why would they raise money for the dead?" questioned Duo. He raised his head from its resting place on his knees. The wounded look in Duo's eyes made his friend wince.
"Why...why?" murmured another man. He was the only other person awake at that current moment. Slowly, he shook his head. After all these years he still didn't understand.
"Who knows Danielson." replied Wufei, addressing the captain by his last name.
"I wonder how everything is ... outside." Quatre murmured. The blonde stared wistfully out the barred window, snatching glances of the stars and the eternal darkness.
"Stop looking outside. It makes the days go longer." Wufei reprimanded. The Chinese man leaned against the wall, arms crossed, as he stared at the sleeping soldiers. Eight years in this same cell had changed them all. Some had even taken their lives, deserted of all hope to ever get out. The remaining were older and less innocent about the world around them. The pain of the imprisonment in their sunken faces made Wufei reluctantly look away.
"My god.. eight years. Eight years and Lord knows how many attempted escapes. Even Heero couldn't find any mobile suits in time to get away." Duo spoke, more to himself then anyone else.
The three other men didn't even reply. They all fell into silence, letting the even breathing of the sleepers take over. Wufei remained leaning against the wall, calm as usual. Unlike the other men surrounding him Wufei had no one he was missing.
Quatre still continued staring out the window. His eyes still held that wistful look as he thought of everything that had been ripped from him and never returned through those eight long years. At least he still had some of his friends with him. But they were only some.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Relena tilted back her head, laughing in joy. The younger girl next to her remained stoned face as the man in front of both of them made pitiful attempts at jokes.
"Oh, come now, Mariemaia. You've got to admit that was somewhat humorous." Relena giggled, nudging her advisor and somewhat friend on the shoulder. But Mariemaia didn't even move.
"'Come on, pull yourself together'? What kind of joke is that? And how can people feel like curtains?" Mariemaia replied, her nose turned up in disgust of the man.
"Aw, gee, Marie. Loosen up."
"If you loosen the cage door of a bird, the bird flies."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You know what it means, Miss Dorlian." Mariemaia said, her eyes narrowed. Her tone was sharp. It kept the comedian man silent.
"Marie..." Relena began, her own tone warning. After a pause, Relena flashed a dainty smile to the man. "Could I speak to you later? Call me?" The man nodded before disappearing out the door. Once he was out of sight, Relena whirled on her advisor. "What's this nonsense about birds, Mariemaia?"
"Miss Dorlian, I'm beginning to wonder why you told the public that all POW's were dead. Was it truly for the sake of the alliance and because of politics... Or.." Mariemaia paused, meeting Relena's glare with a venomous one of her own. "Or for your own selfish and childish desires?"
"Mariemaia?!" Relena staggered back. Such harsh words coming from one she thought a friend? "Mariemaia, I assure you the situation of the POW's is not because of my own desires but for reasons beyond my control."
"Then, do tell me why for the past eight years, you seem to be a completely different person? As though a weight had been taken from you? The weight of living up to someone's expectations."
Relena paused, unable to answer the girls questions. Was it true? Was she truly enjoying this new life without the pilots? Without Heero? But then, the former princess regained her tongue, smiled and replied, "Dear little girl, I believe you are mistaken. Do you truly think I'd sacrifice over a hundred other soldiers lives in order to become free of certain duties?"
"Hm, I guess not," but Mariemaia didn't give up that easily. "So then, I guess you needn't worry that Lady Une is gone and the last time she was seen was when she was heading to colonies 0107 and 1116?"
"WHAT?!!?"
"That's what I thought..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"HEY!!!"
Quatre's shout caused a few of the slumbering soldiers to leap to attention. They all stared, wide eyed at Quatre, wondering just what his problem was. Of course they were angry. Who wouldn't be when one was disturbed of sleep? But then they saw the excited, almost ecstatic expression on his face and they were filled with hope. Only Trowa had the nerve to ask the question, "What is it, Quatre?"
Quatre smushed his face against the bar, trying to get the best look he could. "Well, I could be just..." He growled, jerking his head from the bars quickly as the electric shocks kicked in. He rubbed the now red lines on his face before continuing. "I could be just jumping to conclusions but there is a mobile suit coming our way. And it doesn't look like any of the regulars."
And then came the mob. The soldiers shoved Quatre away, each scrambling for his own glance at what could be their savior. They pushed and shoved, given a new reason to stare into space.
"Hey! Isn't that Lady Une's suit?!"
"I think it is!"
"They've come! They've come!"
Heero, who had just awoken himself, stood at the back of the mob. Somehow he knew their savior wasn't that suit flying in space. "Stop it. Don't get your hopes up."
At Heero's cold but wise words, the soldiers fell silent. Heero was right. It had been eight years. They had already been forgotten. Slowly the soldiers sunk back to the places they had previously been.
Until....
It had been close to a half hour. Small conversations of dire subjects were flitting around the cell. Trowa and Heero both remained silent, their minds on opposite things. Quatre was busy consoling the few soldiers who "just couldn't take it anymore" while Duo was spending his time cursing the alliance out. Wufei kept a watch through the doorway window for any signs of Lady Une. He had hope. And that's when he saw her.
She had changed. She had grown older and changed her hair style. But her eyes still held the gentle ferocity she always had. The sight of such an old "friend" made Wufei nearly lose his composure. After glancing around to make sure no one was watching him, Wufei slammed his fist against the door.
It had worked. Lady Une's head jerked up. The tall man who had been speaking to her fell silent. Her cold, calm eyes floated over to the door which held brave warriors prisoners. She turned back to the man, her mouth moving slowly. The man nodded and the two came towards the door.
"It.. it's Lady Une. Fellas.." Wufei turned to face his comrades. A rare half smile was seen on his face. "We're going home."
There was silence in the room as the soldiers let those words sink in. The click of a lock was the only sound heard. With his smile still placed upon his face, Wufei slid from the door as it opened to reveal Lady Une and Refel.
In an instant, the silence broke.
"Lady Une!"
"Colonel!"
"Are we really going home?!"
Lady Une just stared in amazement. Her jaw fell open then closed again as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. That's when Wufei felt a small droplet of dread pierce his stony heart.
"Wha.. what are you doing here? You're.. you're all dead." Lady Une's voice was a near whisper. She reached out her hand, as though she thought the collective of soldiers would just disappear into the air. They didn't.
"Relena didn't even tell you?" Heero straightened himself from the wall. He pushed his way through the shocked to silence mob of soldiers until he stood mere inches from Lady Une. "You aren't here to save us, are you Lady Une." He said it has a fact, no questioning in his tone. Slowly he nodded, expecting nothing else from Relena. It was no surprise she still hadn't grown up.
"No.." Lady Une spoke again. Her wide eyes swept through the crowd, recognizing faces even through years of change. She shook her head. "No... how could I not know of this? W.. why are you still here?"
Refel, the balding giant, took this as his chance to speak. "They're still here and we are still waiting for your leader to get back to us. Even the 'dead' need to be bought."
"I'll get the needed supplies to save you right away!" Lady Une spoke with new fervor. She grabbed Heero's hand, making eye contact with every single soldier there. "Don't give up. I'll be back in a few days to make sure of your safe return." Lady Une then turned and fled down the hall.
Blinking, Refel poked his head out the door. "But ma'am, don't you still have to inspect the suits? They still make funny noises.." But she was already gone. Refel shrugged, giving a devilish grin to the soldiers before stepping out and slamming the door shut.
A whoop of cheer suddenly erupted from the holding cell. They were going to get out now! The soldiers celebrated, hugging and congratulating one another. They had made it!
Heero slithered back beside Trowa. Slowly Trowa glanced over at his fellow soldier. "It's not going to work, is it?"
"No, I don't believe it will." The two fell to silence, allowing the rest of their companions to feel the joy of hope. They deserved it. For the past eight years they had been deprived of it. Even Wufei couldn't wipe the smile from his face.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So, what you are telling me, Lady Une, is that you've seen the dead POWs?" Relena questioned, her very tone causing snickers to fly around the room.
Lady Une stared at the changed Miss Dorlian in amazement. She then glanced around the room to where some of her friends sat. Even Sally and Noin couldn't help but chuckle. Milliardo's face, though, was grim. Une had a feeling he had known about the living soldiers. With new anger, Lady Une turned back to the Vice Foreign Minister. "Yes! Over one hundred of them! We need to get them home! Live POW's remain in the colonies of 0107 and 1116."
"Lady Une, I assure you. The prisoners of war have been dead for over eight years. Please don't bring up old wounds." Relena then stepped out of the room, signifying that Lady Une's request had been denied. The audience, still snickering filed out of the room leaving Lady Une to stand there. There was no way this could be true. Miss Dorlian.. what was Miss Dorlian doing?
"I suggest you keep your mouth shut, Lady Une." Milliardo suddenly spoke. He had stayed. Lady Une stared at him, bewildered.
"But.. why?"
"The war had put a strain on the alliance. There was no way we could buy back that many prisoners." Milliardo said. He sounded as though he was talking of candy instead of real human beings.
"But we're richer now!"
"What would the Vice Foreign Minister look like if she said all dead POWs were alive?"
"That's no reason to keep them there!"
"Lady Une.." Milliardo stepped up to her. "Keep your mouth shut. You're fired. I don't really think that anyone will believe a civilian." With a smirk, Milliardo slithered from the room.
"What has happened? What has happened to this alliance? This.." Lady Une suddenly collapsed, landing harshly on her knees. She buried her face into her hands, letting the sobs rack her body. "This is not what this alliance was made for. Oh, brave soldiers, I'm sorry...
I'm so sorry..."
END OF PART TWO
Extra Mizu-chan Notes: Wow, having too much fun making Relena a bad person! Hehee! ~:~giggles evily~:~ Anyways.. I hope everyone likes this story. Erm, in the true story the reasons for not returning the POWs was unknown. So I just made this up. It makes the story more interesting!! Well, that's all I had to say. Thanks for reading this! I love ya'll!