Black Waltz (part 2)
By Chibi Acky
Disclaimer: I ain't got no money, I ain't got no loot, I only got the clothes on my back, and one shiny boot! *grins* (In other words, I don't own Gundam Wing, but my lil'song was *SO* much more spiffy!)
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[A month after the party...]
There he was, surrounded by almost a surreal aura. It was only the love of her life, standing there, leaning in, and wrapping his strong arms around her. "Would you do something for me... anything for me?" He whispered huskily in her ear.
"Anything." She swore.
"... THEN GET UP!!!!" A voice jerked her from the beautiful dream.
She knew that the moment she opened her eyes, she would be faced with the burden of disappointment.
And as usual, she was correct.
Instead of her knight in shining armor, before her lay her faithful butler, Pagan. She groaned inwardly, and rolled back over. "Go. Away." Her words came out in a slur and were muffled by her pillow. This was the game they played every morning; Pagan would attempt to wake her, she'd roll over and go back to sleep, he'd tell her what time it was, and she's run screaming out of bed.
Simple as that.
"Miss Relena, it's nine o'clock, you have a meeting in a half an hour."
"WWHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!" Why didn't you WAKE ME UP EARLIER?!?!" She screeched, throwing off the covers and dashing like a mad woman. Pagan smiled as he picked up her clock, readjusting the time to seven AM. He still had a lead over her after all these years.
And yet, as he turned to make her bed, he couldn't help but notice the bright red stains on her pillow...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"So, what's the agenda today, dear?" Noin teased her husband over coffee. He glanced up from his paper and gave her a dazzling smile, "Well... Relena has a meeting later, but after that..." He gave her a "mischievous" wink, and she felt her face burn red uncharacteristically.
Relena managed to slump into the room, tying her long hair back with the usual teal ribbon. "Sleep well last night?" Her brother inquired as she nearly tripped over her own feet. Shooting him a dirty look, she reached for an apple, "Not really."
"What's wrong?" Noin passed a worried look to her sister in-law.
The world. War. Pain. Death. That's all wrong. Relena thought with a smug expression on her face. "I don't know, must be the stress." She slid into the seat at the opposite end of her brother and Noin (who still wanted to be called that even though it wasn't her name anymore... go figure...) hoping and mentally praying they wouldn't see the dark circles under her eyes.
"You've been acting strange lately, Relena, we need to know if something is wrong." Her brother had finally put down the paper all together, and he and his wife stared with... pity? Why ever would they have a reason to pity her? As far as she was concerned, they had been through a hell of a lot more than she had prior and during the war.
"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine."
"No... Relena, you're not fine... you're pale, you're way to thin, you're becoming clumsy, and the dark circles-" Relena finally cut Noin off.
"Noin, if I had wanted to be insulted, I would have gone to visit Wufei." Both Noin and Milliardo's eyes twitched at the mention of their fellow Preventer's name, "I'm sorry Relena, but you have to understand that we're just worried about you..."
"No you're not." Relena's bitter and angry statement made Milliardo met her eyes sharply, "And you shouldn't be either. I'm not a little girl anymore, when are you going to understand that?"
"Relena we know, just try to think about-" Relena cut her off again. "Don't patronize me, Miss Lucretzia. We've been through everything together, and yet you still feel you have to watch over me like a mother goose... when are you going to start trusting me?" Wondering how the subject had gone from appearance to trust in a matter of seconds, she let her husband take over the conversation.
Milliardo tried to control the tone of his voice from showing any hint of panic or hurt, "Relena, you're my sister. I'll always trust you."
"And that's the reason that you instruct Preventers to follow me everywhere, right? You know, they'd follow me into the bathroom if I didn't beat them off. I *know* there are people out there that don't like me, I *understand* some people don't agree with views on pacifism, I *realize* that half the world still thinks I'm some naive fifteen year old."
"But you're not, look at all the things you've accomplished, everyone is proud of you. We're proud of you, and I'm positive mother and father would be too." He softened his hard gaze at the sign of her tears.
"How can you even bring them into this? Even if I were to meet the again in the afterlife, I'd still hide my face in shame! People are calling me their savior just because of a petty position I held for not even a year! I surrendered my kingdom without putting up a fight and have almost completely abandoned my ideals of absolute pacifism. We're both the same, you and I." She cried, turning her back to him. "You, you hid behind a false death after the battle with Libra... I didn't even know if you were alive until you almost came close to dying again!" She let out a choked sob, "And I had to deal with everything that was dealed to me; Gundam pilots, assassins, kidnappings, death threats, war obsessed girls, being Queen of the world, reestablishing our kingdom... you name it, and I've lived it!" She paused, "So even after all I've been through, I still don't even get the curtousy of respect from my brother. He *still* doesn't trust me enough to walk into my own backyard without having someone there to shadow me."
She finally turned around to face him, and she immediately felt something stab at her heart. Her brother was...
Crying?
She'd never seen him this emotional before, and she found herself not even able to look Noin straight in the eye. "See? Look at what a horrible person I am! I've made you cry!" She began to cry even harder, and turned, running out of the room.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Relena made the mad dash through the Preventer's headquarters, trying to avoid crashing into any objects including the Preventers themselves. She wiped her eyes as she entered the elevator, finally taking a good look at herself. Her hair was drooping out of the previously neat ponytail, her eyes were sullen, and her face as pale as china. There was a resounding *ding!* as the elevator doors opened. She was met with the confused faces of several Preventers, and immediately began to feel self-conscience.
Then, she stopped dead in her tracks....
....and for a moment, she couldn't remember where she was or where she was going.
She shook her head, trying to make some sense of her current situation. Trying to hide the fact she was utterly lost in a building she knew like the back of her hand, she began to wander around, praying to catch someone or some map telling her the directions to Sally's office. Recognizing Sally's secretary, she continued down the hall, trying not to trip. The stares she was getting bore into her skull, and she suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded. Her vision blacked out for a moment before she shook her head to try and regain focus. She knocked weakly on Sally's door.
Out popped Wufei, in popped Relena.
It must have taken him a moment to realize it was her, because he was studying her over very conscientiously. "Are you feeling well, Miss Relena?" He inquired, showing her into the office where Sally was on the phone in a "delicate" conversation.
"Not really." Was her concise reply.
"... Yes ma'am, I understand, but if we paid for everyone's damage then-" Sally continued with a rather annoyed look on her face.
"What's going on?" Relena asked Wufei.
"A lady called and asked to speak with someone; apparently, she wants us to pay for the damages to her home caused by a falling piece of debris." He explained.
"... THEN MOVE THERE!" Sally yelled into the phone. Wufei fought back a smirk as she raised a threatening fist.
"Next time, Justice Boy, you take the call yourself." Sally muttered as she slammed the phone down.
"Onna!"
"Man!"
"ARGH!"
"Um..." Relena began in a quiet voice, "Sally, I was wondering if I could have a word with you..." Sally smiled kindly, trying to hide her worry for the other young woman.
"Sure, have a seat..." She turned to Wufei, "And you, Mr. Wufei, shall wait patiently outside my office until I come out to scold you."
"UNJUSTICE-!"
"Injustice my ass! Just go wait!" She stabbed her pointed finger towards the door, and Wufei, trying to find his sense of honor, sulked out the door.
"My, you certainly have a good hold of him." Relena noted out loud, giving her friend a small smile.
"Ah, well, you have to maintain some control over a man like him." She halted "What can I help you with?"
Relena debated running out of the office right then and there. Could she muster up the courage to tell Sally about her memory lapse, the blood, and the brittleness of her body?
"I had a fight with Milliardo this morning."
Apparently not.
"Really? I was under the impression that you wouldn't have anything to fight about anymore, now that the war is over." Sally let out a little laugh.
"Sally I'm being serious." Sally was alarmed at her friend's strained look, "It wasn't like me at all, I just sort of snapped."
"Relena, you and I both know that it isn't healthy for a person to hold in feelings. Bottling them up inside you only leads to such outbursts." She met they younger girl's tired eyes, "What were you fighting about?"
"The war, trust, our parents, his 'death', just everything that I promised wouldn't be brought up again."
"But it's good that you did, otherwise you'd carry it with you until you finally would snap."
"But Sally..." She felt the pesky tears rising up again, "I made him *cry*- my own brother began to cry because of my scathing comments." Sally sat there in a daze for a spilt second. Milliardo Peacecraft aka Zechs Merquise aka Preventer Wind... crying?
She almost didn't think he was capable of such a feat.
"It's all right, 'Lena, you probably just struck at some fear deep inside his heart." Sally reasoned.
"Like what?" Another bitter comment from Relena.
"Maybe he just doesn't want to lose you again." Sally patted her friend's hand, "Relena, he's just doing what he thinks is right. I'm sure he trusts you, but he's probably just worried about what could happen to you when you weren't watching or paying attention."
"You think so?" Her voice was hopeful this time.
"I think so." A smile rewarded her for her faith. They sat in silence for a while until Sally began to talk about Duo and Hilde coming to work for the Preventers (much to Wufei's dismay) and Trowa and Catherine coming to town with the circus. But then, it all took a turn for the worse as Sally brought up the dreaded subject.
"Relena, I must admit, you really don't look well."
"Aw, not you too, Sally!" Relena faked a bright smile, the one she used for political conferences, and continued, "I feel fine! WONDERful!"
"You're lying; I'm a doctor, dear, I can tell these things."
"Damn." She muttered under her breath.
"Are you having any... cramps, stomach pains, or fatigue?"
"Fatigue... just a little..." Relena admitted sheepishly.
"Headaches, nausea, or coughing?"
Relena didn't reply, fearing the diagnostic report that was soon to come.
"Memory loss, blacking out, or clumsiness?"
"..." Was Relena's only answer.
"You're acting like Trowa, dammit!" Sally cracked a smile in the tenuous situation. Headaches, nausea, coughing, memory loss, blacking out, and clumsiness? What could be wrong with the ever-graceful princess and politician?
"Relena, I'm going to need you to tell me everything, or I can't help you."
"No... I can't..." Relena muttered, looking away, remembering only the blood, the pain, and those deep cobalt blue eyes...
"Sleep deprival, general clumsiness, lack of coordination, blackouts, nausea, and memory loss." Came a voice from a shadowed corner of the room.
Sally and Relena both jumped a mile at Heero's sudden appearance, "I'm sorry Heero, but you can't be in here while I'm giving Relena a checkup-"
"A month ago is when the symptoms started, beginning with tiredness and nausea." He gave her a emotionless glance, "Will you tell her about the blood, or will I have to?"
"What blood?" Sally sounded worried.
"I followed her upstairs after I watched her stumble a few times, when I came upstairs, she was in the bathroom vomiting blood." Relena looked away, utterly disgusted with herself. Sally tried to remain calm as she turned to her friend, "Relena... have you-?" She never got to finish, because Relena stood up and looked absolutely furious at Heero, "No more questions today Sally, I have a meeting now."
"Please, Relena-!" Sally motioned for her to stop, and Heero grabbed her delicate arm. Relena almost winced in pain at his iron grip. "You're being reckless with your life."
She ripped her arm out of his grip and exited the room. Sally looked to Heero helplessly, "You can't make her do anything she doesn't want to."
"And that will be her ultimate downfall." Heero muttered, following Relena's path. Just before he left the office entirely, Sally called out softly to him, "Heero... Relena could be dying, make sure-" She choked slightly on her words, "-make sure you bring her back." Heero just nodded wordlessly.
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I know it's taken me forever and a day to get this next part out. Thanks for all the reviews! Please keep them coming! Luvs and hugs, Acky :)
PS Black Rose-chan, I'm sooooo close to be done with the main layout of your site, a few more days...
By Chibi Acky
Disclaimer: I ain't got no money, I ain't got no loot, I only got the clothes on my back, and one shiny boot! *grins* (In other words, I don't own Gundam Wing, but my lil'song was *SO* much more spiffy!)
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
[A month after the party...]
There he was, surrounded by almost a surreal aura. It was only the love of her life, standing there, leaning in, and wrapping his strong arms around her. "Would you do something for me... anything for me?" He whispered huskily in her ear.
"Anything." She swore.
"... THEN GET UP!!!!" A voice jerked her from the beautiful dream.
She knew that the moment she opened her eyes, she would be faced with the burden of disappointment.
And as usual, she was correct.
Instead of her knight in shining armor, before her lay her faithful butler, Pagan. She groaned inwardly, and rolled back over. "Go. Away." Her words came out in a slur and were muffled by her pillow. This was the game they played every morning; Pagan would attempt to wake her, she'd roll over and go back to sleep, he'd tell her what time it was, and she's run screaming out of bed.
Simple as that.
"Miss Relena, it's nine o'clock, you have a meeting in a half an hour."
"WWHAAAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!" Why didn't you WAKE ME UP EARLIER?!?!" She screeched, throwing off the covers and dashing like a mad woman. Pagan smiled as he picked up her clock, readjusting the time to seven AM. He still had a lead over her after all these years.
And yet, as he turned to make her bed, he couldn't help but notice the bright red stains on her pillow...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"So, what's the agenda today, dear?" Noin teased her husband over coffee. He glanced up from his paper and gave her a dazzling smile, "Well... Relena has a meeting later, but after that..." He gave her a "mischievous" wink, and she felt her face burn red uncharacteristically.
Relena managed to slump into the room, tying her long hair back with the usual teal ribbon. "Sleep well last night?" Her brother inquired as she nearly tripped over her own feet. Shooting him a dirty look, she reached for an apple, "Not really."
"What's wrong?" Noin passed a worried look to her sister in-law.
The world. War. Pain. Death. That's all wrong. Relena thought with a smug expression on her face. "I don't know, must be the stress." She slid into the seat at the opposite end of her brother and Noin (who still wanted to be called that even though it wasn't her name anymore... go figure...) hoping and mentally praying they wouldn't see the dark circles under her eyes.
"You've been acting strange lately, Relena, we need to know if something is wrong." Her brother had finally put down the paper all together, and he and his wife stared with... pity? Why ever would they have a reason to pity her? As far as she was concerned, they had been through a hell of a lot more than she had prior and during the war.
"Nothing's wrong, I'm fine."
"No... Relena, you're not fine... you're pale, you're way to thin, you're becoming clumsy, and the dark circles-" Relena finally cut Noin off.
"Noin, if I had wanted to be insulted, I would have gone to visit Wufei." Both Noin and Milliardo's eyes twitched at the mention of their fellow Preventer's name, "I'm sorry Relena, but you have to understand that we're just worried about you..."
"No you're not." Relena's bitter and angry statement made Milliardo met her eyes sharply, "And you shouldn't be either. I'm not a little girl anymore, when are you going to understand that?"
"Relena we know, just try to think about-" Relena cut her off again. "Don't patronize me, Miss Lucretzia. We've been through everything together, and yet you still feel you have to watch over me like a mother goose... when are you going to start trusting me?" Wondering how the subject had gone from appearance to trust in a matter of seconds, she let her husband take over the conversation.
Milliardo tried to control the tone of his voice from showing any hint of panic or hurt, "Relena, you're my sister. I'll always trust you."
"And that's the reason that you instruct Preventers to follow me everywhere, right? You know, they'd follow me into the bathroom if I didn't beat them off. I *know* there are people out there that don't like me, I *understand* some people don't agree with views on pacifism, I *realize* that half the world still thinks I'm some naive fifteen year old."
"But you're not, look at all the things you've accomplished, everyone is proud of you. We're proud of you, and I'm positive mother and father would be too." He softened his hard gaze at the sign of her tears.
"How can you even bring them into this? Even if I were to meet the again in the afterlife, I'd still hide my face in shame! People are calling me their savior just because of a petty position I held for not even a year! I surrendered my kingdom without putting up a fight and have almost completely abandoned my ideals of absolute pacifism. We're both the same, you and I." She cried, turning her back to him. "You, you hid behind a false death after the battle with Libra... I didn't even know if you were alive until you almost came close to dying again!" She let out a choked sob, "And I had to deal with everything that was dealed to me; Gundam pilots, assassins, kidnappings, death threats, war obsessed girls, being Queen of the world, reestablishing our kingdom... you name it, and I've lived it!" She paused, "So even after all I've been through, I still don't even get the curtousy of respect from my brother. He *still* doesn't trust me enough to walk into my own backyard without having someone there to shadow me."
She finally turned around to face him, and she immediately felt something stab at her heart. Her brother was...
Crying?
She'd never seen him this emotional before, and she found herself not even able to look Noin straight in the eye. "See? Look at what a horrible person I am! I've made you cry!" She began to cry even harder, and turned, running out of the room.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Relena made the mad dash through the Preventer's headquarters, trying to avoid crashing into any objects including the Preventers themselves. She wiped her eyes as she entered the elevator, finally taking a good look at herself. Her hair was drooping out of the previously neat ponytail, her eyes were sullen, and her face as pale as china. There was a resounding *ding!* as the elevator doors opened. She was met with the confused faces of several Preventers, and immediately began to feel self-conscience.
Then, she stopped dead in her tracks....
....and for a moment, she couldn't remember where she was or where she was going.
She shook her head, trying to make some sense of her current situation. Trying to hide the fact she was utterly lost in a building she knew like the back of her hand, she began to wander around, praying to catch someone or some map telling her the directions to Sally's office. Recognizing Sally's secretary, she continued down the hall, trying not to trip. The stares she was getting bore into her skull, and she suddenly felt dizzy and lightheaded. Her vision blacked out for a moment before she shook her head to try and regain focus. She knocked weakly on Sally's door.
Out popped Wufei, in popped Relena.
It must have taken him a moment to realize it was her, because he was studying her over very conscientiously. "Are you feeling well, Miss Relena?" He inquired, showing her into the office where Sally was on the phone in a "delicate" conversation.
"Not really." Was her concise reply.
"... Yes ma'am, I understand, but if we paid for everyone's damage then-" Sally continued with a rather annoyed look on her face.
"What's going on?" Relena asked Wufei.
"A lady called and asked to speak with someone; apparently, she wants us to pay for the damages to her home caused by a falling piece of debris." He explained.
"... THEN MOVE THERE!" Sally yelled into the phone. Wufei fought back a smirk as she raised a threatening fist.
"Next time, Justice Boy, you take the call yourself." Sally muttered as she slammed the phone down.
"Onna!"
"Man!"
"ARGH!"
"Um..." Relena began in a quiet voice, "Sally, I was wondering if I could have a word with you..." Sally smiled kindly, trying to hide her worry for the other young woman.
"Sure, have a seat..." She turned to Wufei, "And you, Mr. Wufei, shall wait patiently outside my office until I come out to scold you."
"UNJUSTICE-!"
"Injustice my ass! Just go wait!" She stabbed her pointed finger towards the door, and Wufei, trying to find his sense of honor, sulked out the door.
"My, you certainly have a good hold of him." Relena noted out loud, giving her friend a small smile.
"Ah, well, you have to maintain some control over a man like him." She halted "What can I help you with?"
Relena debated running out of the office right then and there. Could she muster up the courage to tell Sally about her memory lapse, the blood, and the brittleness of her body?
"I had a fight with Milliardo this morning."
Apparently not.
"Really? I was under the impression that you wouldn't have anything to fight about anymore, now that the war is over." Sally let out a little laugh.
"Sally I'm being serious." Sally was alarmed at her friend's strained look, "It wasn't like me at all, I just sort of snapped."
"Relena, you and I both know that it isn't healthy for a person to hold in feelings. Bottling them up inside you only leads to such outbursts." She met they younger girl's tired eyes, "What were you fighting about?"
"The war, trust, our parents, his 'death', just everything that I promised wouldn't be brought up again."
"But it's good that you did, otherwise you'd carry it with you until you finally would snap."
"But Sally..." She felt the pesky tears rising up again, "I made him *cry*- my own brother began to cry because of my scathing comments." Sally sat there in a daze for a spilt second. Milliardo Peacecraft aka Zechs Merquise aka Preventer Wind... crying?
She almost didn't think he was capable of such a feat.
"It's all right, 'Lena, you probably just struck at some fear deep inside his heart." Sally reasoned.
"Like what?" Another bitter comment from Relena.
"Maybe he just doesn't want to lose you again." Sally patted her friend's hand, "Relena, he's just doing what he thinks is right. I'm sure he trusts you, but he's probably just worried about what could happen to you when you weren't watching or paying attention."
"You think so?" Her voice was hopeful this time.
"I think so." A smile rewarded her for her faith. They sat in silence for a while until Sally began to talk about Duo and Hilde coming to work for the Preventers (much to Wufei's dismay) and Trowa and Catherine coming to town with the circus. But then, it all took a turn for the worse as Sally brought up the dreaded subject.
"Relena, I must admit, you really don't look well."
"Aw, not you too, Sally!" Relena faked a bright smile, the one she used for political conferences, and continued, "I feel fine! WONDERful!"
"You're lying; I'm a doctor, dear, I can tell these things."
"Damn." She muttered under her breath.
"Are you having any... cramps, stomach pains, or fatigue?"
"Fatigue... just a little..." Relena admitted sheepishly.
"Headaches, nausea, or coughing?"
Relena didn't reply, fearing the diagnostic report that was soon to come.
"Memory loss, blacking out, or clumsiness?"
"..." Was Relena's only answer.
"You're acting like Trowa, dammit!" Sally cracked a smile in the tenuous situation. Headaches, nausea, coughing, memory loss, blacking out, and clumsiness? What could be wrong with the ever-graceful princess and politician?
"Relena, I'm going to need you to tell me everything, or I can't help you."
"No... I can't..." Relena muttered, looking away, remembering only the blood, the pain, and those deep cobalt blue eyes...
"Sleep deprival, general clumsiness, lack of coordination, blackouts, nausea, and memory loss." Came a voice from a shadowed corner of the room.
Sally and Relena both jumped a mile at Heero's sudden appearance, "I'm sorry Heero, but you can't be in here while I'm giving Relena a checkup-"
"A month ago is when the symptoms started, beginning with tiredness and nausea." He gave her a emotionless glance, "Will you tell her about the blood, or will I have to?"
"What blood?" Sally sounded worried.
"I followed her upstairs after I watched her stumble a few times, when I came upstairs, she was in the bathroom vomiting blood." Relena looked away, utterly disgusted with herself. Sally tried to remain calm as she turned to her friend, "Relena... have you-?" She never got to finish, because Relena stood up and looked absolutely furious at Heero, "No more questions today Sally, I have a meeting now."
"Please, Relena-!" Sally motioned for her to stop, and Heero grabbed her delicate arm. Relena almost winced in pain at his iron grip. "You're being reckless with your life."
She ripped her arm out of his grip and exited the room. Sally looked to Heero helplessly, "You can't make her do anything she doesn't want to."
"And that will be her ultimate downfall." Heero muttered, following Relena's path. Just before he left the office entirely, Sally called out softly to him, "Heero... Relena could be dying, make sure-" She choked slightly on her words, "-make sure you bring her back." Heero just nodded wordlessly.
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I know it's taken me forever and a day to get this next part out. Thanks for all the reviews! Please keep them coming! Luvs and hugs, Acky :)
PS Black Rose-chan, I'm sooooo close to be done with the main layout of your site, a few more days...