Canta Per Me

Canta Per Me

Episode Twenty-Six: Final Act

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or Noir. I wish I did. I just borrowed for this story.

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"NOIR.

The word designates the name of destiny from a distant time.

The two Virgo reign over death.

May the Black hands over the green field…

Please protect the newly born peace."

- opening from the anime, Noir.

Paris, France

The attack at the Preventers brought everyone back there when they found out that Meia was taken from the medical bay. Heero was the first one there, and his hidden concern for Meia was almost apparent. There was shock that most of the attackers were other Preventers. The attackers were gone. It was a big mess to clean up, and Lady Une had her suspicions about the person who ordered that everyone go back to their stationed bases. Now everyone had returned.

"They attacked only to take Meia Krane," said Wufei.

"The Society is everywhere," whispered Heero. Even in the Preventers. Lady Une said nothing, but now everyone was close to paranoia. Quatre thought about what happened in the Middle East during his visit months ago. It sent chills down his spine to think that someone close to him could be a member of the Society. It took hours of cleaning up to get the Preventers' Headquarters before they could get back to business. Heero looked over the computer, and found something interesting on it, "One of the attackers left a message for us on the mainframe for us to find," he said in his typically monotone voice.

"What?" asked Lady Une.

"'Come to a Castle in Germany. There you will find the head of the Society of Night. There you will find Noir,'" read Heero as he clicked on another arrow on the screen. A detailed map of the area was on the screen.

"Get a move on," ordered Lady Une, "Everyone is going. Bring a forensics team. We don't know what we're going to find."

The Preventers took off in helicopters to get to the castle. It was already the middle of the day when they arrived at the castle. There was an ominous silence that hung in the air. All of them looked around the castle with apprehension. "There's more than one way to get inside. Let's split up and cover the entrances," ordered Zechs.

The Preventers divided themselves accordingly. Zechs, Heero, and Duo went through the front entrance was led by the drawbridge. Wufei, Trowa, and Noin took one of the side entrances, while Quatre and Sally took the back entrance. Each team was accompanied by lower Preventer agents. So, each team was about a dozen people.

Zechs and Heero stopped at the entrance when they saw the first two dead bodies. Daggers were coming out of chests. Duo looked around, "I have a feeling were going to find more of those," he whispered. All the agents brought out their guns to cover themselves and each other. They walked along taking note of the bodies. It was pretty clear to them that Noir had cut a path through castle and left the bodies as a trail to follow. The other team that made it on the inside saw some with broken necks that required no weapons.

"The accuracy with the dagger is better than my sister's," whispered Trowa as he looked at the bodies that had daggers coming out of them. Noin for the first time in her life felt sick. She was a professional solider, and she thought that she was used to all this. Wufei thought about how cold these murders were done. All the teams didn't realize that they were all in the cleanest crime scenes. Quatre and Sally were with the forensics team. Along the back entrance there were bodies that had bullets on them. The forensics team determined based on the things that the others were saying back and forth with radios in other parts of the castle that there had been three people who went through the castle.

Finally, Heero, Zechs, Duo, and other Preventer agents reached throne room. All them seemed to gasp collective at the sight of so much blood. Heero walked up to the body of Dekim Barton.

"Well, I guess we found the head of the Society of Night," whispered Duo as he gestured at the head of Dekim Barton. Zechs looked around. He saw drippings of blood that was a trail that lead to the hall, and then another that lead to the balcony.

"Everyone come to the throne room. I need forensics," ordered Zechs. The forensics team came immediately with everyone else.

"From what I can tell, the blood that leads out that way, is fresher. Do you want a better timeline?" asked Sally as she pointed to the balcony.

"I want to see what happened from the beginning," said Zechs calmly.

"Alright. As far as we can tell, two people came in through the front and killed everyone who got in their way," started Heero.

"One of them was using throwing daggers, and another was using a gun probably with a silencer," said Trowa.

"They came to this throne room and decapitated him. Does anyone know who he is other than the fact that he's the head of the Society?" asked Quatre.

"According to our files, that's Dekim Barton," whispered Wufei. Trowa looked actually surprised.

"Do you know him, Trowa?" asked Duo.

"Yes, I've heard of him. He was the one who originally planned Operation Meteor. I replaced his son as the pilot for Heavy Arms when one of the other mechanics kill the real Trowa Barton," answered Trowa quietly.

"Anyway, there is a trail of blood that leads out of this room going that way," said Noin pointing down the dark corridor. The group moved towards that way. The forensics team, headed by Sally, labeled parts that had blood and parts of the hall where larger pieces of the concrete walls fell on from the swords stroked and scraped along. Everyone stopped cold when they found the body of Kurai. There were two swords. One that laid on the ground near her and another that came out of her stomach.

"Oh my God," whispered Duo. The forensics team went to work on that scene.

"The fingerprints on the handle of this sword and that dagger match Relena Darlian's," said one of them, referring to the sword coming out of Kurai and the wide tipped dagger that belonged to Relena. Heero took the dagger from the other agent and looked at it. It was as wide as the wound on the back of Dr. J's neck. He looked up against of the walls opposite of him and saw blood at the bottom.

"Relena was also injured. Blood analysis says that she was stabbed with these," said Sally as she showed them with plastic glove clad hands the chopsticks with blood on the tips. "I don't think it was deep as that wound in Kurai's body."

"Look at all the blood," whispered Zechs. There was so much a blood trail down the corridor and bloody hand prints against the walls. It was all Relena's blood.

"Relena got out of this corridor and came back to the throne room," whispered Quatre. Everyone had the same thought. The only things that they saw from Relena were her weapons and her blood. They walked back to the throne room where they followed the freshest blood in the entire palace to the outside. The sun was once again high in the sky. Heero looked to see that the trail of blood ended at the edge of the balcony that only had old stones that had wore away to nothing to act as a rough railing, but there was no railing at the part where the bloody trail ended. Zechs watched from the archway, not stepping forward. Was this what it was like for Relena when she witness the murders of their parents?

The most disturbing thing, other than the bodies of Kurai and Dekim Barton, was Relena's body was never found. There was blood, but the blood trail ended. If she threw herself off, then the blood was simply washed away. Heero struggled down the with some rope as if he were going spelunking down the waterfall to the rushing river below. There he found Relena's gun. At the end, they found out that there were two guns used, but only one recovered. That meant that Meia had to be the other one, and Heero was positive that she was the one who got out of there without any injuries. There was no way of knowing if Relena was dead or alive. Either way, they had to announce something to the public.

* * *

Unknown Location

"The news comes as shock to the world. Former Vice Minister Relena Darlian was killed today in a car accident in Germany. This news further compounds the sadness following the recent murder of Patricia Darlian. Relena Darlian was the also the adoptive daughter of Vice Minister Charles Darlian. During the wars, she was crowned Queen of the World. Her biological parents were the King and Queen of the Sank Kingdom, Augustus and Katernia Peacecraft. More news on this tragedy as it happens," said the new caster on television. Athena turned it off.

The generator had been reserved to only run medical equipment, but Athena decided to see what the news had to say. She only had it on for that small report. She stood up and lit a candle to guide her through the halls of the old convent. She walked until she got to one of the rooms and opened the door quietly. There were pieces of valuable medical equipment that only the Society had access to. She didn't seem the slightest bit alarmed when she noticed that all the machines were off. The generator had been powering the machines for the past three days. She looked at the once occupied bed and smiled. There was a piece of parchment paper with the seal of the Society on it that was left behind. Athena picked up the paper and took it with her.

"Balance has been restored," she whispered she walked away from the room. She walked all the way back to the abbey and knelt down in prayer. She burnt the original designation with the light from the candle. Finally, she blew out the candle, leaving everything dark.

* * * One Year Later * * *

St. Gabriel's Institute

Heero stepped out of his car and looked at the school that he had only attend for such a short amount of time. It took him almost a year to find her. He wondered if he would recognize her. Did she grow a little? Was she happy? He worried about that. He looked for her in the yard. It was lunch time. Of course, he remembered when that was. He remembered all his time at the St. Gabriel's Institute because Relena was with him. He looked for her. She would be the same age as he was when he attended. He finally found her sitting on the grass with her uniform shirt covering her legs. Her red hair was still short, but she looked happy and healthy. She didn't look as soulless or lifeless as she did before. Heero walked up to the fence. Just a few months ago, he found out that she was the other heir to Dr. J's fortune. He also found out that Relena had left her entire estate to her as well. Heero was never informed about his relationship with Meia Krane. He never found out about why Dr. J was killed, the other scientists knew, but they kept it quiet. Everything he did in regards to Meia was out of instinct.

A group of other girls came up to her. They weren't like those annoying, posers who used to crowd around Relena. No, these were real friends. He felt happy for her because she was able to make real friends of her own. Heero didn't know why he was watching over her. At first he thought it was for Relena's sake because Relena loved and took care of her, but he soon realized that he was doing it on his own. He couldn't understand it.

The events that took place at the castle were forgotten. The Preventers were given orders from high that the case was closed. Heero was determined at first to find Relena, but he was unable to find any clues. She had disappeared. The only clues that were left were the ones at the castle. Soon, Relena was declared dead by the courts. The Preventers had to cover it by saying that she had died in a car accident in Germany. They had a private memorial service for her even if there wasn't a body.

There was nothing they could really do. As Meia had said, the Society was everywhere. They were the world. The Preventers couldn't spend time seeking them out, and they were ordered not to. Paranoia over took them if they allowed it, so they decided to go on with business as usual. Heero didn't pause to really morn Relena, which took the other Gundam pilots by surprise. Duo swore that it was because Heero was cold hearted, but Quatre told him that Relena was long gone before anyone noticed. Relena didn't want anyone morning her death. The Preventers continued working to keep the peace, and with the Society's blessings, they were able to do that successfully. The case was closed also because Kurai was dead. She was the only one who admitted out loud to one of the Preventers that she was Noir, so the higher powers were satisfied. Relena never admitted to them that she was Noir, nor did she admit to them any wrong doing. Meia got off as well because they couldn't verify if she was ever in the castle or even if she had ever killed anyone. They had no evidence.

The legend of Noir had faded away into the shadows that it had come from before. No one else carried the name. The Society of Night elected a new leader. As for Athena, she could continued her work, but didn't designate any new children to be Noir. She would leave that for the next Kind Mother. The Society of Night had won, and they celebrated something else that happened.

Millardo Peacecraft revealed himself to the world as being alive. He went to the Sank Kingdom to rebuild the country, which the neighboring countries willingly surrendered the lands that they had acquired back to him. He refused to rebuild the castle in the capital city, so he elected to stay at another castle that was close to the capital. Lucrezia Noin married Millarod Peacecraft and became his queen. Millardo devoted himself to promoting pacifism. Others may have believed that he caved to the demands of the Society, but he wasn't doing it for them. He was doing it for the memory of his family. Relena had faced her destiny without fear, and he felt that he should be willing to do the same. He wore the royal seal around his neck. The Sank Kingdom promoted pacifism, but had a small, well-trained army to protect the country, and they had allegiances with the neighboring countries help protect them. Millardo never visited his sister's grave because he knew that she wouldn't want him to. He didn't even send flowers to the grave. Instead, he devoted himself to fulfill his long awaited destiny. In his reign, he would never hear from the Society of Night.

Meia Krane turned around from her friends, who were having a different conversation amongst themselves. She saw Heero standing just at the fence. She waved to him slightly. Heero give her a smile, and she returned with a smile of her own. Her blue eyes sparkled. Finally, he turned and walked away because he was satisfied at her well being. "Who was that, Meia?" asked one of the girls who saw Heero walk off.

"My older brother," answered Meia with a soft smile.

* * * * * *

Somewhere in an unknown place in the world. She stood still looking at the waves of the sea in front of her. She looked behind her to see the field that was opened to her. The grass had turned yellow with the breeze blowing through them. The wind gently played with her long, loose, and honey colored hair. Her blue eyes gazed at the world around her with joy in them. Her long white dress was flowing carelessly in the breeze. So, this was what it was like to be free? She liked that feeling.

Perhaps, she was an angel or a ghost. It didn't matter. She smiled at the distance all around her. There were no walls, no barriers. She was no longer burdened by a title or a destiny that she had to fulfill. She was now free to find her own way. Nothing to keep her from her peace and freedom. There was also no one to stop her. The freedom to think on her own and live as she chose was intoxicating. The world was now open to her. She saw the possibilities, and they were endless. Just the way she liked it. Her feet were bare and her arms were free because her dress was sleeveless. She felt like she could fly all on her own. She closed her eyes and took in the air around her. Never had the air felt so clean and free. She felt free and weightless. The scars on her body were gone as if nothing had happened. They were no longer needed to remind her. Now was her time to forget, so that she could live.

The sea on the other side was endless and the depths were unknown. The field led off into an unknown distance. Where everything led it didn't matter, she had everything that she wanted. She had saved herself from destruction and her soul. Her innocence was stripped away, but it was replace with a deeper understanding of everything else.

She was free to enjoy her own personal peace.

~*The End*~

Author's Note: And that's the end of Canta Per Me. It ends as simply as it began. It's a logical ending, other than killing everyone off. No Relena and Heero moments. Come on now, would that make any sense to the tone and feel of this story? (Personally, as much as I like that pairing, it's been done over and over again that I'm as tired with that as I am with the yaoi pairings as well. I know that this is Fanfiction, but where's the originality? Every other story I see has either the typical straight pairings or the yaoi pairings. That's why I like the humor or parody fics, now those are different. I like being unique and offering something different for my readers.) Relena had to save herself and rise to the occasion, so to speak. I won't say for sure if she's alive or dead. Maybe it is a ghost you see out on the field and near the sea. To be free also means to be happy with just you. She doesn't need the others to enjoy her freedom. This was all about Relena and her journey. I can honestly say that this is one of the most original Gundam Wing fics out there. I'll be taking a week off before the next one. I think I've earned it. The next fic is called, "Breaking All the Rules." I hope to make it as original as possible as well. Thank you to all my reviewers and to those of you who e-mailed me (By the way, anyone who wants to be alerted when the new fic begins for sure can visit my page and leave a message on the board and read the little over there, or e-mail me. I'll get a mailing list soon). I also wanted to write a peaceful ending to reflect the prize at the end. I think that the ending is a satisfying one. It's not necessarily happy or sad. It's an ending. Everything comes back full circle.