Title: "Scars"
Author: Demeter
Disclaimer: All rights and privileges to Shin Kidousenki Gundam Wing are trademarks and property of Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties. All the characters belong to them, and all stories, relationships, ideas are fiction. They are not related to the original plot. The story, the relationships and original characters within the fic are copyright of the author Demeter.
Part Ten: Eternity in Ten Seconds
The hands of fate have started to move restlessly now. The oil of war has started to boil and in the center of it all, Shade, the pilot thrives. The new threat against the world has appeared, and she wants blood.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Shade only cast Silk a look of indifference, when the older woman sidled up and asked slyly, "How about some Angel Eyes?" Her slightly mocking tone was not lost to the sandy-haired pilot; snorting, she continued on her clean-up of her suit, ignoring the snickers around her. She was not known for messing up on a mission and here she was, hurt and almost caught in the process.
Silk cast them all a warning look before she told Shade in a low voice, "Shadow wants to talk to you."
Shade looked up, her eyes widening. Shadow was not known for easily inviting someone into her sacred chambers. Silk, to her knowledge, had the only rank in the DREAMERS group who could pass in and out of Shadow's rooms with ease.
She nodded. And then set off for the enigmatic Shadow.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Come in."
Shade opened the door cautiously, feeling her heart thud in her chest, nervousness of unknown degree swarming through her. Entering, she was temporarily blinded in the dark. As her eyes slowly adjusted, she saw the figure in the center of the room, the light from the hallway glinting off the glasses.
Shade bowed stiffly before walking toward Shadow.
"Pilot Shade?"
"Yes, General."
"No need for formalities here."
"Yes."
"Good. Please, sit down."
"Thank you."
Shade sat in a high-backed chair and fidgeted uncomfortably. She waited for Shadow to start the conversation.
"Shade, how long have you piloted those mobile suits of ours?"
Shade blinked.
"Excuse me?"
"How long have you piloted our mobile suits?"
"Close to six years."
"And how do you think you did?"
Shade paused, her eyes taking in the expression in the other woman's face. Narrowing her own, she replied stiffly, "I feel I am the best of our group."
Shadow smiled, the glitter lost in the darkness.
"That good?"
"Yes."
"You know of the Gundam Pilots?"
"… The legendary five men who fought in the AC 195 war?"
"That's correct."
"Yes, I've heard of them."
"Have you ever seen their pictures?"
"Only of Quatre Raberba Winner, Trowa Barton, and Chang Wufei."
"Why?"
"What?"
"Where did the other two go?"
"Er…"
"That such famous men, Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell would not be seen anywhere, is it not?"
"Not a surprise, since I have heard they're both hackers of some remarkable degree. They probably have set up some sort of system to ensure that any picture of them would be destroyed." She hesitated. "Also, it seems that they have a relationship much like that of Winner and Barton. In days such as these, where even the rich and powerful have a hard time having relationships between the same genders, it would not be a surprise that they would go into hiding."
"Ah."
Shade eyed the woman. "Is there something you wanted out of this?"
"Of course there is."
"And?"
"We have completed our own line of Gundams."
There was long silence after her words. Shadow watched Shade carefully, seeing first shock and disbelief pass through her eyes.
"I cannot believe that. I heard the technology that built those Gundams were lost during the AC 196 war."
"We have our own sources."
"That's impossible."
"In dreams, nothing is impossible."
"That's true. But this cannot have succeeded."
"Yet we have."
Shade stared at Shadow.
"You are telling me you have Gundams."
"Yes."
"How many?"
"Only three since Gundanium is rather hard to find and transport."
"Why is that you tell me this?"
"I want you to pilot the first Gundam and lead the other pilots into battle."
Shade stood, knocking over her chair in her surprise. A hungry gleam now glowed in her eyes. She searched for a hint of a lie she half-expected to see. Only the calm, unnerving gray glinted back at her through the glasses.
"You're serious."
"We're starting the Rebellion."
"DREAMERS are starting the Rebellion."
"That's right."
The event that all the pilots were groomed for. The war that they all were drilled on. The fight that would allow them to rule the world.
"I accept."
Shade missed the sudden gleam of glee in the dark woman's eyes. She was lost in her own thoughts of fighting in the legendary Gundams. Gaining glory and fame as the one of the only pilots left to be able to pilot the monster machine. A thought suddenly occurred to her.
"How about the other two?"
"They will be piloted by the pilots Sight and Snow."
Shade stood rooted.
Both her friends.
Fighting by her side.
"Yes."
"Good then. Dismissed."
Shade bowed, before hurrying from the room.
Shadow waited until the door was firmly closed before allowing the laughter to escape her throat. She allowed the laughter to run its course before finally staring at a picture on her desk, silver-framed, as ordinary as any picture on any workstation.
"My darling, sweet child. You, who were lost by those who killed so easily, will have your blood back. I'm sorry it took so long." She let one hand caress over the yellowed photo of smiling little girl, her pale pink dress drifting in the wind, her hat nearly blowing off her head, and her pet, a sweet, tiny, furry dog.
"I had lost you once. But I have found you again. She is like you. The Princess is so like you, darling child." Shadow smiled, her face gentle again, her eyes soft. "And I, sometimes, I feel that I have received a second chance to be a mother again."
She paused.
"That man. That horrible man who killed you will eventually fall into my hands. All of them will. All of them who made this war last so long…"
Shadow clenched her fists. "I swore on your death, that I would kill all of them. And I have not forgotten. Child, the time draws near for the decisive war between us. But, don't fret yourself. I have insurance. They will determine the DREAMERS future. And she, she will be my trump card."
Her voice grew bitter.
"They will learn of the pain felt to lose that part of themselves."
The girl in the photo smiled back, her blue eyes never wavered or changing. And the little dog continued to hold the white flower in his mouth, its big brown eyes staring solemnly at the camera.
~*~ Part Ten ~*~
~*~ FINIS ~*~
