I don't own Gundam Wing or the characters! Some other guys do! Go bother them!
Chapter 3...
With a start Relena snapped her eyes open and immediately looked at the clock on the side of her bed. Still groggy from sleep she could just barely tell that she was late.
She threw the heavy quilt off of her and shivered a bit from the colder air. It was actually quite alerting going from comfortable, cozy warmth to a freezing room. Relena hated it.
But work was calling and she was already a half hour behind. As she pulled a dress suit from her closet and threw it over her head. Her nightdress was left forgotten on the floor as she grabbed a brush and removed the knots from her long hair.
As soon as her hair was pulled back in an somewhat formal bun she was running out of her room and slipping her left shoe on her foot.
"Pagan! I'm in a bit of a rush! I'll eat breakfast at the office downtown!"
Relena was now racing down the marble stairs and almost out the door when a voice stopped her.
"You'll hold it right there, little lady. I will not allow you to leave under nourished. I would be beheaded."
The princess smiled and turned around to face her faithful servant. Pagan was always too kind to her.
"I'll be fine...as...soon...as...Pagan?"
"Yes, Miss Relena?"
"What on Earth did you do to your hair?"
Pagan merely looked at her curiously and then reached in his pocket. He pulled out a small mirror and looked at himself. The reflection showed a man, wearing a butler's uniform, and there was a mustache covering his upper lip. The tips were jet black but at the very beginnings were gray. At the top of his head it was much the same. At the very roots his hair was gray while most of the length was black. Though there were some patches of the horrible gray over his ears.
"You mean the gray, miss? Well, between you and your brother I'm sure it will all be falling out soon.
Relena only stared at him.
"And what do you mean trying to rush out of the house like that? Everyone is waiting at the breakfast table for you. Honestly."
The young politician still looked perplexed even as she followed the older man through large oak doors into the dining hall. She hardly ever got to use the room nowadays. There was always too much work to really sit down and have a decent meal with her family.
But as she walked into the large room she was startled once again.
Sitting where her brother usually sat was a man with striking blond hair talking with a woman on his right who was laughing and suddenly looked up as Relena walked in.
"Relena! There you are! We've all been waiting."
"Pardon me, Ma'am, but who are you?"
The lady laughed harder and stood up. Relena saw she was wearing a long, somewhat formal dress. It was a light blue and hung off the older woman's shoulders just a bit. There was a red sash going from her right shoulder and ended in a bow on her left hip. The lady's hair fell over her shoulder and down her back in long curls of honey-blond.
"Oh, you are being so silly lately. Come sit down. Miliardo should be here any second..."
Relena silently refused the invitation when she heard the doors behind her open. She turned and gasped when she saw who had just walked in.
Wearing black dress pants, a light blue shirt, and a rather expensive looking dress jacket was a young boy. He looked up at her and smiled.
His hair was such a light blond that it was almost white. It was in loose curls that just barely stood off of his head. But Relena knew him from the eyes.
A cold, metallic blue was what she saw. Not unfriendly, but actually smiling from pure, innocent happiness.
"Miliardo?"
He looked at her like she had just said something stupid and walked over to the two persons at the far end of the table.
"I think Lena needs to spend less time with her dolls: I think she's going crazy."
The man smiled and rubbed the top of the boy's curls.
"That's not nice, Miliardo."
"Aww...dad...."
Relena felt so many things at once. She first felt like the air was passing properly through her throat, because she felt like she was chocking.
She also felt as though her legs would give out on her any second.
And she didn't have time to register what else she was feeling because the happiness and peace of the room was suddenly shattered like the windows on the far side of the wall.
All Relena saw was guns, and sudden fires bursting everywhere. And then she saw the man, woman, and Miliardo running out of the room. Then, she saw herself running with them.
She was small with her long hair tied in braids that flew behind her as she ran. She kept tripping over the yellow dress she was wearing and Miliardo constantly had to pull her by the hand.
The quiet house was thrown into chaos as there were shouts flying between men with guns and others with torches. But one small sound registered to Relena.
One single gun shot sounded in her ears and seconds later she saw the man...her father, fall to the ground.
She wanted to stop and see if her were all right, but a force was carrying her with the woman and the children.
And now she could see the woman's face clearly. It was exactly like her own, but older, more dignified. And tears were running down her cheeks as she tried to keep a calm look on her face. She suddenly picked her children up and ran down an empty hall.
She could feel the fear in the woman almost as if she were feeling it herself. More than her own safety, the lady was worried what would happen to Miliardo and Relena.
Relena felt tears pouring down her own cheeks and willing the woman to run faster with her mind. But, of course she was powerless.
The woman finally burst into a room at the end of the corridor and shut the door behind her and locked it. She placed her children on the floor and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. And almost as if Relena could read the woman's mind she knew this terrified woman before her knew this was the last time she would see her children.
Her mother could hear the cries outside the door and already knew most of the household was either dead or dying. But her children would not go down so easily. Even if she would have to fulfill their safe destiny with her own blood, she would make it happen.
With a sudden strength the woman marched across the room and pressed her hand against the wall. She moved her manicured fingers along the panels and suddenly pressed down on one. The wood moved away from the room and showed a passageway behind it. It was dark and musty and there were cobwebs everywhere.
The woman grabbed her children and forced them into the tunnel.
The younger Relena looked terrified and her bright eyes were filling with tears. Miliardo was in much the same state and was trying to keep his lip from trembling.
"Darlings..."the queen swallowed hard trying to calm herself. "You have to hide in the tunnels for a while. Miliardo, you play hide and seek in here, don't you?" she was forcing a smile on her face though all she wanted to do was break into tears.
"Take Relena and show her all your secret places in the walls. And be sure to be very quiet."
Miliardo threw himself into his mother's arms and hugged her as tight as possible. He let go reluctantly and then picked up Relena's hand.
"Let's go Lena."
Relena whimpered and grabbed her mother's sleeve.
"I don't want to go in there, mommy. There are spiders. Can't I stay with you?"
The lady hugged Relena and kissed her cheek. Her daughter was clinging to her now and her grip just tightened as she tried to pull Relena away.
"Mommy needs to take care of something. I'll find you later."
"I want you to come with me now."
"Honey..." she swallowed again and rubbed her eyes, "I need you to go with Miliardo."
Relena broke her grip from her mother and looked at her brother.
He was holding out a hand to her and trying his best to smile. The white jacket he had been wearing was covered with specks of dirt, and his hair was ruffled more than usual.
"Do you promise to get me?"
The young Relena touched her mother's cheek and pouted even more.
"Of course."
The monarch turned her head towards the noises that were coming from outside the door. She would be found soon, and killed by these unforgiving soldiers. Her consolations were that her children would be safe and maybe, if God was kind, she could be with her husband soon.
Relena nodded and took Miliardo's outstretched hand. The two walked into the darkness and in seconds they were beyond sight in the murky tunnels.
The lady slammed the panel back into place and ran her hand along the hidden hinges to make sure no one else would find out where her children were hiding.
She leaned against the wall and slumped to the ground. Mere seconds after she had secured the secret tunnel the door burst open and soldiers wearing clothes covered with dirt, ashes, and blood pointed guns at her.
Relena could only watch as the woman was surrounded and beaten into unconsciousness and finally one of the soldiers aimed a gun at her and fired.
The young princess turned her head as he fired and buried her face in her hands.
She felt the ground suddenly start to shake and when she looked at her surroundings everything was being eaten up in flames.
Through the closed windows of the room she could see old mobile suits firing their large guns all over.
And as the fire consumed the soldiers and the castle, Relena got one last glance at the fallen figure of the Queen.
"Mother..."
Relena suddenly felt a burning sensation on her hands and looked down. The fire had now caught her and was swirling around her flesh and clothes.
The smoke turned a very dark black and surrounded her.
Small sparks had reached their way up to her neck and burned the sensitive flesh. The pain became too much and Relena screamed.
Heero raced down the hallway. He knew he shouldn't have left her, even for a minute.
He threw the door open and stood at her side near the bed.
She was sitting up with a hand covering her eyes. Her hair was falling over her shoulders and sticking to her face. She didn't even look up when he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Relena..."
* Hours later, on a plane...*
"So, Noin..." Duo placed his hands behind his head and leaned back against his chair. "Are we there yet?"
Noin rolled her eyes at him and tightened her grip on the controls of the plane.
"In a few minutes we'll be landing."
"Good! I can't wait to get this done with!"
Noin steered the plane slightly to the left and checked over all the equipment.
"Our assignment is to check out a fortress with possible enemies, and P.O.W's...could you try to sound a bit more serious about the subject?"
Duo glanced at her and grinned, "Listen, once they see the God of Death, they'll back down. No worries."
"Is that you're plan for every battle?"
Duo looked out the window and observed the scenery. Then, after a moment he looked at her and smiled.
"Basically."
Noin nodded, "Well, then I'm really glad there were five Gundam pilots instead of just you."
Shinigami looked shocked for a moment and then crossed his arms angrily over his chest.
"This is the last time I take you any where, Noin. You're no fun."
Noin shook her head and snorted. And yet, she couldn't help but want this mission to be done as well. Miliardo's kisses had been passionate and still lingered on her lips, and her cheeks, and her...other areas.
"Jee, Noin, could that be the strip we're approaching? Or should we wait for another one?"
The lutienent blushed and set the plane into the proper mode for landing. She slipped in mic down over her lips and pushed the intercom button.
"Attention: we will be landing. You all know what to do. Noin out."
The purple haired pilot lowered the plane down gently. Within a minute the wheels had touched down on the landing strip and was coming to a gradual halt.
Duo grabbed his set of microphones and smiled.
"Thank you, passengers, for flying Shinigami Airlines. You're luggage can be found at the rear of the plane. Please file out of the side of the plane in a calm, and singular manner. And don't forget to-crackle-hey!-crackle-shuffle-NOIN!-crackle- Those are MINE!"
"Disregard Commander Maxwell. Grab your gear and met me outside the shuttle."
She put Duo's headset away in the locker in the cabin and grinned at the pouting pilot.
"C'mon. We've got to go welcome some overdue guests."
The braided pilot sighed and stood up, grabbed his bags and led the way down the ramp.
A congregation of about fifty soldiers stood on the abandoned airfield. There were large cracks running through the concrete and weeds, some a few feet tall, were growing through the cracks. What was most likely the tower was covered with vines and other foliage. The glass was broken and even from fifty feet away Duo could see dirt, and mud, and branches growing on what remained of the window.
"Wow. What a dump."
Noin had grabbed a map from her pocket and scanned it. She held it tighter as another plane, identical to her's, landed on the landing strip.
"All right, Duo, looks like we'll have to hike through a kilometer or two of pure forest. As soon as we get within 100 hundred meters I want to form a circle around the base. We'll move in, bust into the place see who's stirring. I want everyone with a communicator on, and a check in every ten minutes. I want team leaders with inferred scanners." She looked at him for confirmation.
"Look who's rushing into things now."
Noin blushed and turned her head to look at the arriving troops.
"Maybe I'm being a little bit hasty, but I really just want to get back to Cinq and see Miss Relena."
Duo snorted and crossed his arms, also surveying the company of men and women.
"Oh sure...but I don't think that's the only Peacecraft you want to touch base with..."
The pilot just laughed harder and Noin slapped him up the side of the head.
"Tell them what to do. I'll be grabbing the rest of my equipment."
Duo turned to face the crowd as Noin boarded the plane again.
"Just be sure not to make a phone call to Zechs too long. I don't have time to be waiting for you two finish up your sweet nothings to each other."
He moved his head just in time as a heavy bag came flying at where his head was just seconds ago.
Chapter 3...
With a start Relena snapped her eyes open and immediately looked at the clock on the side of her bed. Still groggy from sleep she could just barely tell that she was late.
She threw the heavy quilt off of her and shivered a bit from the colder air. It was actually quite alerting going from comfortable, cozy warmth to a freezing room. Relena hated it.
But work was calling and she was already a half hour behind. As she pulled a dress suit from her closet and threw it over her head. Her nightdress was left forgotten on the floor as she grabbed a brush and removed the knots from her long hair.
As soon as her hair was pulled back in an somewhat formal bun she was running out of her room and slipping her left shoe on her foot.
"Pagan! I'm in a bit of a rush! I'll eat breakfast at the office downtown!"
Relena was now racing down the marble stairs and almost out the door when a voice stopped her.
"You'll hold it right there, little lady. I will not allow you to leave under nourished. I would be beheaded."
The princess smiled and turned around to face her faithful servant. Pagan was always too kind to her.
"I'll be fine...as...soon...as...Pagan?"
"Yes, Miss Relena?"
"What on Earth did you do to your hair?"
Pagan merely looked at her curiously and then reached in his pocket. He pulled out a small mirror and looked at himself. The reflection showed a man, wearing a butler's uniform, and there was a mustache covering his upper lip. The tips were jet black but at the very beginnings were gray. At the top of his head it was much the same. At the very roots his hair was gray while most of the length was black. Though there were some patches of the horrible gray over his ears.
"You mean the gray, miss? Well, between you and your brother I'm sure it will all be falling out soon.
Relena only stared at him.
"And what do you mean trying to rush out of the house like that? Everyone is waiting at the breakfast table for you. Honestly."
The young politician still looked perplexed even as she followed the older man through large oak doors into the dining hall. She hardly ever got to use the room nowadays. There was always too much work to really sit down and have a decent meal with her family.
But as she walked into the large room she was startled once again.
Sitting where her brother usually sat was a man with striking blond hair talking with a woman on his right who was laughing and suddenly looked up as Relena walked in.
"Relena! There you are! We've all been waiting."
"Pardon me, Ma'am, but who are you?"
The lady laughed harder and stood up. Relena saw she was wearing a long, somewhat formal dress. It was a light blue and hung off the older woman's shoulders just a bit. There was a red sash going from her right shoulder and ended in a bow on her left hip. The lady's hair fell over her shoulder and down her back in long curls of honey-blond.
"Oh, you are being so silly lately. Come sit down. Miliardo should be here any second..."
Relena silently refused the invitation when she heard the doors behind her open. She turned and gasped when she saw who had just walked in.
Wearing black dress pants, a light blue shirt, and a rather expensive looking dress jacket was a young boy. He looked up at her and smiled.
His hair was such a light blond that it was almost white. It was in loose curls that just barely stood off of his head. But Relena knew him from the eyes.
A cold, metallic blue was what she saw. Not unfriendly, but actually smiling from pure, innocent happiness.
"Miliardo?"
He looked at her like she had just said something stupid and walked over to the two persons at the far end of the table.
"I think Lena needs to spend less time with her dolls: I think she's going crazy."
The man smiled and rubbed the top of the boy's curls.
"That's not nice, Miliardo."
"Aww...dad...."
Relena felt so many things at once. She first felt like the air was passing properly through her throat, because she felt like she was chocking.
She also felt as though her legs would give out on her any second.
And she didn't have time to register what else she was feeling because the happiness and peace of the room was suddenly shattered like the windows on the far side of the wall.
All Relena saw was guns, and sudden fires bursting everywhere. And then she saw the man, woman, and Miliardo running out of the room. Then, she saw herself running with them.
She was small with her long hair tied in braids that flew behind her as she ran. She kept tripping over the yellow dress she was wearing and Miliardo constantly had to pull her by the hand.
The quiet house was thrown into chaos as there were shouts flying between men with guns and others with torches. But one small sound registered to Relena.
One single gun shot sounded in her ears and seconds later she saw the man...her father, fall to the ground.
She wanted to stop and see if her were all right, but a force was carrying her with the woman and the children.
And now she could see the woman's face clearly. It was exactly like her own, but older, more dignified. And tears were running down her cheeks as she tried to keep a calm look on her face. She suddenly picked her children up and ran down an empty hall.
She could feel the fear in the woman almost as if she were feeling it herself. More than her own safety, the lady was worried what would happen to Miliardo and Relena.
Relena felt tears pouring down her own cheeks and willing the woman to run faster with her mind. But, of course she was powerless.
The woman finally burst into a room at the end of the corridor and shut the door behind her and locked it. She placed her children on the floor and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. And almost as if Relena could read the woman's mind she knew this terrified woman before her knew this was the last time she would see her children.
Her mother could hear the cries outside the door and already knew most of the household was either dead or dying. But her children would not go down so easily. Even if she would have to fulfill their safe destiny with her own blood, she would make it happen.
With a sudden strength the woman marched across the room and pressed her hand against the wall. She moved her manicured fingers along the panels and suddenly pressed down on one. The wood moved away from the room and showed a passageway behind it. It was dark and musty and there were cobwebs everywhere.
The woman grabbed her children and forced them into the tunnel.
The younger Relena looked terrified and her bright eyes were filling with tears. Miliardo was in much the same state and was trying to keep his lip from trembling.
"Darlings..."the queen swallowed hard trying to calm herself. "You have to hide in the tunnels for a while. Miliardo, you play hide and seek in here, don't you?" she was forcing a smile on her face though all she wanted to do was break into tears.
"Take Relena and show her all your secret places in the walls. And be sure to be very quiet."
Miliardo threw himself into his mother's arms and hugged her as tight as possible. He let go reluctantly and then picked up Relena's hand.
"Let's go Lena."
Relena whimpered and grabbed her mother's sleeve.
"I don't want to go in there, mommy. There are spiders. Can't I stay with you?"
The lady hugged Relena and kissed her cheek. Her daughter was clinging to her now and her grip just tightened as she tried to pull Relena away.
"Mommy needs to take care of something. I'll find you later."
"I want you to come with me now."
"Honey..." she swallowed again and rubbed her eyes, "I need you to go with Miliardo."
Relena broke her grip from her mother and looked at her brother.
He was holding out a hand to her and trying his best to smile. The white jacket he had been wearing was covered with specks of dirt, and his hair was ruffled more than usual.
"Do you promise to get me?"
The young Relena touched her mother's cheek and pouted even more.
"Of course."
The monarch turned her head towards the noises that were coming from outside the door. She would be found soon, and killed by these unforgiving soldiers. Her consolations were that her children would be safe and maybe, if God was kind, she could be with her husband soon.
Relena nodded and took Miliardo's outstretched hand. The two walked into the darkness and in seconds they were beyond sight in the murky tunnels.
The lady slammed the panel back into place and ran her hand along the hidden hinges to make sure no one else would find out where her children were hiding.
She leaned against the wall and slumped to the ground. Mere seconds after she had secured the secret tunnel the door burst open and soldiers wearing clothes covered with dirt, ashes, and blood pointed guns at her.
Relena could only watch as the woman was surrounded and beaten into unconsciousness and finally one of the soldiers aimed a gun at her and fired.
The young princess turned her head as he fired and buried her face in her hands.
She felt the ground suddenly start to shake and when she looked at her surroundings everything was being eaten up in flames.
Through the closed windows of the room she could see old mobile suits firing their large guns all over.
And as the fire consumed the soldiers and the castle, Relena got one last glance at the fallen figure of the Queen.
"Mother..."
Relena suddenly felt a burning sensation on her hands and looked down. The fire had now caught her and was swirling around her flesh and clothes.
The smoke turned a very dark black and surrounded her.
Small sparks had reached their way up to her neck and burned the sensitive flesh. The pain became too much and Relena screamed.
Heero raced down the hallway. He knew he shouldn't have left her, even for a minute.
He threw the door open and stood at her side near the bed.
She was sitting up with a hand covering her eyes. Her hair was falling over her shoulders and sticking to her face. She didn't even look up when he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Relena..."
* Hours later, on a plane...*
"So, Noin..." Duo placed his hands behind his head and leaned back against his chair. "Are we there yet?"
Noin rolled her eyes at him and tightened her grip on the controls of the plane.
"In a few minutes we'll be landing."
"Good! I can't wait to get this done with!"
Noin steered the plane slightly to the left and checked over all the equipment.
"Our assignment is to check out a fortress with possible enemies, and P.O.W's...could you try to sound a bit more serious about the subject?"
Duo glanced at her and grinned, "Listen, once they see the God of Death, they'll back down. No worries."
"Is that you're plan for every battle?"
Duo looked out the window and observed the scenery. Then, after a moment he looked at her and smiled.
"Basically."
Noin nodded, "Well, then I'm really glad there were five Gundam pilots instead of just you."
Shinigami looked shocked for a moment and then crossed his arms angrily over his chest.
"This is the last time I take you any where, Noin. You're no fun."
Noin shook her head and snorted. And yet, she couldn't help but want this mission to be done as well. Miliardo's kisses had been passionate and still lingered on her lips, and her cheeks, and her...other areas.
"Jee, Noin, could that be the strip we're approaching? Or should we wait for another one?"
The lutienent blushed and set the plane into the proper mode for landing. She slipped in mic down over her lips and pushed the intercom button.
"Attention: we will be landing. You all know what to do. Noin out."
The purple haired pilot lowered the plane down gently. Within a minute the wheels had touched down on the landing strip and was coming to a gradual halt.
Duo grabbed his set of microphones and smiled.
"Thank you, passengers, for flying Shinigami Airlines. You're luggage can be found at the rear of the plane. Please file out of the side of the plane in a calm, and singular manner. And don't forget to-crackle-hey!-crackle-shuffle-NOIN!-crackle- Those are MINE!"
"Disregard Commander Maxwell. Grab your gear and met me outside the shuttle."
She put Duo's headset away in the locker in the cabin and grinned at the pouting pilot.
"C'mon. We've got to go welcome some overdue guests."
The braided pilot sighed and stood up, grabbed his bags and led the way down the ramp.
A congregation of about fifty soldiers stood on the abandoned airfield. There were large cracks running through the concrete and weeds, some a few feet tall, were growing through the cracks. What was most likely the tower was covered with vines and other foliage. The glass was broken and even from fifty feet away Duo could see dirt, and mud, and branches growing on what remained of the window.
"Wow. What a dump."
Noin had grabbed a map from her pocket and scanned it. She held it tighter as another plane, identical to her's, landed on the landing strip.
"All right, Duo, looks like we'll have to hike through a kilometer or two of pure forest. As soon as we get within 100 hundred meters I want to form a circle around the base. We'll move in, bust into the place see who's stirring. I want everyone with a communicator on, and a check in every ten minutes. I want team leaders with inferred scanners." She looked at him for confirmation.
"Look who's rushing into things now."
Noin blushed and turned her head to look at the arriving troops.
"Maybe I'm being a little bit hasty, but I really just want to get back to Cinq and see Miss Relena."
Duo snorted and crossed his arms, also surveying the company of men and women.
"Oh sure...but I don't think that's the only Peacecraft you want to touch base with..."
The pilot just laughed harder and Noin slapped him up the side of the head.
"Tell them what to do. I'll be grabbing the rest of my equipment."
Duo turned to face the crowd as Noin boarded the plane again.
"Just be sure not to make a phone call to Zechs too long. I don't have time to be waiting for you two finish up your sweet nothings to each other."
He moved his head just in time as a heavy bag came flying at where his head was just seconds ago.