Pheonix Rising Yay! It's April 15th! It's my birthday! Happy birthday to me! I just turned 19!
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Pheonix Rising
by Ratha

Part Four:Tension & Confessions

Eiko followed the faint signal from Trowa's gundam as she searched for the severely damaged machine. She felt a sense of urgency, not knowing how badly the other pilot was injured and how long she had before Trowa tried to self-destruct.

"Trowa, where are you?" she called, trying to get him to tell her his position. "It's me, Eiko! Tell me your position!"

No answer. Abruptly there was a burst of static over the audio-link.

"-ko?" came Trowa's voice, sounding slightly hoarse and strained. "What the hell was that thing?"

She knew he was referring to the Versago. "That was the Gundam Versago, and Id Kushrenada was its pilot. I-I'm sorry for getting you involved in this battle between us, Trowa. I shouldn't have allowed you to go so close to the base knowing Id was there with his new gundam. Please accept my apology."

Silence, then, "No, Eiko. My predicament was my fault. I saw the Versago and thought it was Zechs and the Epyon and I challenged Id. I was stupid and made a stupid mistake."

"You're only human, you know," she said wryly. "Even Heero makes mistakes. I've got my gundam, so I can get you back to base. Tell me your position."

"All I can tell is I'm near the ocean. My navigational systems are down."

"I've got a lock on you now. I'll be there before you can say 'Wing ZERO' five times fast!"

Trowa laughed softly, then his voice grew somber. "Eiko, the Versago's weaponry was a combination of Wing ZERO's and Shenlong's..."

"I know. Versago has many weapons-a megasonic gun, a beam saber, two strike claws, two claw beam cannons, and two head vulcans. I read the file for it when they first found it. I..." She trailed off as she caught sight of the Heavyarms. "Oh my God...Trowa, how did you even survive with the damage you sustained?"

"I'm a gundam pilot. We've been known to survive even self-detonation."

"Yeah, you guys are worse than weeds. Ya keep coming back no matter what." She was rewarded with another laugh. "Well! You're certainly cheerful! Looks like Heero's not the only one who can make you laugh." She could almost see him smirk after letting out a derisive snort.

"Whatever. Hurry up and pick me up so we can get out of here. I don't want to face Id when he finds us."

"He won't follow us. You have my word." Her tone was emotionless as she grabbed one of the Heavyarms' cannon arms and lifted into the air toward space.

"You defeated him?" Trowa asked in disbelief.

She hesitated. "No. We didn't fight this time. But we will face each other again in the future. And only one of us will leave that battle alive." She fell silent.

Neither spoke for the rest of the return voyage.
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"Father, I request permission to have full reign over any attempts to retrieve or destroy the Pheonix." Id stood before Treize' desk with a hard expression as he made his request. "I do not want any interference from other OZ soldiers."

Treize turned his chair from the window to face his son. "That is a tall order, Id. Lieutenant Zechs is the one in charge of-"

"Of the Pheonix project only, sir," Id interrupted harshly. "When Eiko defected, the project was automatically aborted. Now the gundam pilots have her."

"Are you so sure? You forget the limitor that was installed-"

"NO. I do not want that ace to be used. I want a chance to face her in a real battle. I want a chance to test the Versago against the other gundams, to explore its abilities to the fullest. I don't want Zechs to interfere, or anyone else. I want to be the one who crushes the rebellion," Id snapped, slamming his fist down on the desk. He leaned over it, hands resting on the desk as he faced his father. "I mean no disrespect to you, Father, but I demand that this be granted to me."

Treize looked at him silently, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "If you were any cadet other than my son, I would have you severely punished for your impertinence to a superior. But as you aren't a cadet, I will grant your request, Colonel Id," he finally said.

It took Id a moment to realize that he'd just been promoted to second-in-command. He straightened up and stepped back, then bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Father. You will not regret your decision."

Treize chuckled softly. "Just try not to get yourself killed, kid. Your sister would get very upset if that happened."

Id smiled broadly and turned to leave his father's office.

"One more thing. Mariemeia wants you to take her to an amusement park before your next mission. Could you wait on hunting down the Pheonix long enough to spend some time with your sister?"

Id smiled and nodded. "Of course, Father. I'll be glad to."
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"Yo, Duo! Get your sorry ass in gear and open the docking bay doors for us!" Eiko yelled over the comm-link.

"What, back already?" Duo laughed. "I can't wait to-"

"Shut up and listen, dammit! Open the damn doors before the Heavyarms gets damaged any further!"

The doors quickly opened and she flew inside, still holding onto the Heavyarms as she docked her gundam. The doors closed behind them and Eiko had to nearly rip the Heavyarms' door off so Trowa could get out. She was relieved to see that he'd sustained only minor injuries from his run-in with Id. Then she exited her own gundam, stumbling slightly as she had to get used to using her eyes again.

"Damn..." she grinned after nearly falling into Duo, her eyes slightly unfocused. "Whatta rush! That suit's ZERO system is awesome!" She giggled giddily and sat down hard on the ground, then she abruptly shook her head violently and made an odd noise that made the boys laugh softly. "I'm fine now," she said with sudden composure.

'That's the gundam designed for you?" Duo asked, craning his neck around to look up at the flame-colored gundam.

"Yup, that's the Gundam Pheonix." She went on to explain what had happened to her and Trowa.

Duo whistled softly. "Damn...Now we've got another enemy out for our heads."

"What do you suggest we do, Eiko?" Quatre asked.

She arched an eyebrow and grinned mischievously. Instantly all four boys felt worried at her look. "What do I think we should do?" she repeated slowly. "I think we should...GO TO BED!!!!!"

The four boys jumped and she fell backwards with laughter at the shocked surprise on their faces. Then they began laughing as well at the ingenious way that she'd gotten them.

"I don't know about you guys, but I'm bushed!" Eiko said when she'd finally calmed down. "G'night, guys!"

The five pilots went their separate ways to act on Eiko's suggestion of sleep, calling goodnight to each other with a camaraderie that hadn't been present before Eiko's arrival.
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A dark figure crept through the shadows of the gundam's base, moving with suspicious stealth toward sickbay. The figure entered and crept toward the unconscious form of Heero Yuy. A light sparked to life, revealing the figure to be none other than Eiko. She looked at the unconscious boy silently. Even in unconsciousness, his face was hard in a cold mask of indifference. She reached out a hand and carefully brushed his bangs away from his face.

"What could have made you agree to J's training, Heero?" she whispered. "What happened to make you so cold and uncaring?" She placed her fingers against his temples and closed her eyes, trying to access his memories. She frowned as she saw a young girl and her dog, an exploding base, a Leo suit falling onto a building beside the base, and the lifeless body of the dog in the rain. Eiko jerked her hands away and looked at Heero in sudden understanding. "I see. You keep remembering that girl and feel responsible for her death. But it wasn't your fa-"

She let out a startled scream as her wrist was suddenly held in an iron grip.

Heero glared up at her with cold eyes. "What the hell were you doing?" he growled, gripping her wrist tighter as he sat up.

She swallowed fearfully. "I was...trying to learn more about you. And attempting to heal your injuries. I shouldn't have meddled with your memories. Gomen nasai, Heero-san."

He frowned at her. "I should kill you, Pheonix," he hissed. "You're too dangerous to be allowed to live. So why are you here?"

She relaxed slightly, seeing he wasn't going to kill her right away. "Because I am colony-born. Why should I fight against them when I am part of them? I should be protecting them, not destroying them. Don't you think so?"

He remained silent, then released her wrist. "I'll be keeping an eye on you, Pheonix. One wrong move or suspicious act, omae o korosu."

She shrugged. "Join the club. Now I've got you and OZ after my head. Oy vey. What am I, Miss Popularity? Well, good night, Heero." She turned and left the room. "And you're welcome for helping you."

"Arigatou."

She faltered briefly, glancing back at Heero, who was ripping his IV lines out of his arms. Then she grinned wickedly as an idea occurred to her and she headed toward her room with a jaunty step.
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Eiko hummed to herself as she worked on repairing the Wing ZERO's ZERO system. No one else was up yet, so she had time to work out the kinks in her plans for today.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing to my gundam?!"

She stuck her head out of the cockpit and looked down at Heero. "I'm repairing the ZERO system, of course. I'm the only one in this base that knows how. Unless you don't want me to."

The Wing's pilot scowled at her. "No one touches my gundam but me."

She shrugged. "Wakatta. Gomen nasai, Heero-san." She started to climb down from the cockpit.

"Matte."

She paused and looked down at him in surprise. "Nanda?"

"How did Duo get both his gundam and my own back here from the base?"

"I piloted your gundam," she said carefully. "After I blew up the base."

He scowled darkly. "Fine. Just don't break anything."

She watched him walk away, then she let out a huge sigh of relief. "I thought he was gonna kill me! Talk about a lucky break." She climbed back up to check the connections and the repairs. Satisfied, she climbed down and closed the cockpit, then went to the mess hall for breakfast. After she made a detour to the kitchen and Wufei's room.
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Duo, Quatre, and Trowa looked up from their plates in surprise at a startled yell from Wufei's room. A moment later, Eiko came running in with a maniacal grin and a bucket.

"EIKO! OMAE O KOROSU, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Wufei ran in after her, soaking wet and mad as hell.

Eiko shrieked and ducked behind a startled Heero who'd just come in. "Eek! Save me!"

"Hey, Wufei!" Duo grinned. "You're not supposed to take a shower in your clothes."

"Shut up, Bakagami!" the angry Chinese boy snarled.

"What happened, Wufei?" Trowa asked with a vague smile.

"That little brat dumped a bucket of water on me!" Wufei snapped, pointing at Eiko.

"Moi?" she replied, looking innocent. "I would never do anything like that, Niichan! You must have done it yourself."

"Why, you little-!" Wufei lunged at her.

She shrieked again and bolted around the table, Wufei in hot pursuit.

Heero frowned in confusion as he joined the other three pilots at the table. "What all did I miss while I was out?"

"She's Wu-man's wife's cousin," Duo explained. He then gave his friend a recap of the last 48 hours.

When Duo finished speaking, Heero looked expectantly at Trowa for confirmation.

"She's proven to be a good pilot," Trowa said quietly. "I didn't trust her at first, but she doesn't have a single evil intent in her. She can be trusted. She'll be a great help with our new enemy."

"New enemy?" Heero repeated.

Eiko stopped so fast Wufei ran into her. "Id Kushrenada," she said emotionlessly. "The son of Treize. You've heard of the Gundam Versago?"

Heero nodded.

"That's Id's gundam. It has a ZERO system similar to Wing ZERO's and Epyon's. Id himself is a formidable foe, what with his high ki and and superior fighting abilities. Add that to the Versago, and the gundams are done for. IF I had stayed with OZ, that is." She suddenly grinned. "But on a lighter note, why don't we all take a day off to have some fun?"

The five boys looked at each other in complete bafflement. "Fun?"

She assumed a commanding maternal stance, hands on hips. "That settles it! You boys are taking a day off! No missions, no fighting OZ, nothing but relaxation and fun! Whether you think you need it or not, the six of us are going to an earth theme park! No arguments!"

Duo grinned and saluted her. "Yessir!"

The others rolled their eyes.

"Looks like Bakagami's got a new friend," Heero muttered.
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"Oh look, Id! Bunnies!" Mariemeia pointed eagerly and dragged Id toward the rabbit cages. "Aren't they cute? I love that little white one with the red eyes!"

Id smiled. "Yes, they are kind of cute. But not as cute as my little sister."

She laughed and hugged his leg. "You're nice, Id! Can we go ride the merry-go-round now? Please?"

"I thought you wanted some cotton candy."

"Cotton candy! Let's go get some!"

Id laughed as she dragged him down the midway. "Slow down, M & M!"

A familiar voice stopped them. "Nice shot, Niichan! You dunked Duo!"

"Eiko?" Id turned to look and spotted Eiko's familiar black hair.

"Miss Ryushi!" Mariemeia cried happily and ran toward Eiko.

"Nani?" Eiko turned in surprise only to get tackled by the younger girl. "M & M?" Eiko said in surprise, then looked up to see Id. "Uh oh. Um...Wufei? We gotta problem."

"Hm?" Wufei turned around. "Who's the kid?"

"Mariemeia Kushrenada," Eiko said quietly, eyes locked on Id. "And that's Id."

Id scowled as he approached them. "Mariemeia, come here," he ordered sharply. When the girl had moved to his side, he glared at Eiko and Wufei. "Well, Pheonix," he spat angrily. "Who's your friend?"

Eiko visibly bristled. "This is my cousin Meiran's husband, Chang Wufei. Niichan, that is Id and Mariemeia Kushrenada, Treize' two children."

"That's Id?" Heero asked as he and the other pilots came up behind them.

"Hai, Heero-san." Eiko looked slightly panicked. "Don't you dare, Id! Leave them out of this."

Id sneered at her. ""I'm not interested in you right now, Pheonix. I have a score to settle with Chang."

Wufei bristled silently. "What are you talking about?"

"You attempted to assassinate my father." Id drew a sword and aimed it at Wufei. "En garde."

Wufei scowled. "I have no weapon to defend myself."

Id smirked. "Easily fixed." He tossed the sword to Wufei, then pulled out his gunblade.

Eiko looked ready to have a conniption. "That's not fair, Id! Your gunblade's made out of gundanium!"

"Stay out of this, Pheonix!" Id snapped at her.

"Id?" Mariemeia said softly, tugging at Id's pants leg. "You promised me cotton candy."

Id scowled at Wufei a moment, then sighed. "Okay, 'Meia."

Eiko sighed with relief and snatched the sword from Wufei. "Give me that! Id! Take your stupid sword and quit neglecting your little sister!" She practically threw the sword at Id. "Sorry, M & M, but I can't play with you today. Maybe later, okay?"

"Okay!" the little girl chirped and dragged Id off.

"She's cute," Duo commented blandly. "And she just saved your ass, Wu-man."

"Don't call me 'Wu-man', Bakagami," Wufei snarled.

"I see what you meant when you said Id was dangerous to us, Eiko," Trowa said softly. "His aura is dark."

"He's scary," Quatre added with a shudder.

"He's an arrogant pain-in-the-ass," Heero grunted.

Eiko suddenly rounded on them angrily. "Damarimas! All of you!" she snarled. "I don't want to hear another word about him! Not a single word! Got it?!"

They all looked at her in shock at her outburst.

"I came here to forget about my past for at least one day and it seems that I've failed miserably." She looked ready to burst into tears at any moment. She turned away from them abruptly. "Gomen nasai, minna-chan. I shouldn't have blown up at all of you like that. I-I need to be alone for a while." Without another word, she ran off and disappeared into the crowd.

"Eiko...!" Wufei, Trowa, and Duo chorused in an attempt to call her back.

"Eiko..." Quatre whispered, clutching at his chest.

Heero looked at them silently, then looked in the direction the black-haired girl had gone, frowning slightly. Silently, he backed away from the other pilots, vanishing into the crowd.
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Eiko sat silently at the base of a tree, knees pulled up to her chest, tears streaming down her emotionless face. She tensed at the soft tread of approaching feet and instantly identified Heero's aura. "Go away, Heero-san," she said dully. "Unless you plan to kill me right now, go right ahead. I hurt too much inside to stand living."

"You sound like Quatre," Heero grunted from behind her.

She sighed miserably and dropped her head onto her knees, not caring in the least when she heard him sitting beside her. "What do you want, Heero?"

"How did you do it?"

"Nani? Do what?" She looked at him in confusion.

"Pilot the Wing ZERO. Only Zechs and I have ever mastered the ZERO system."

She smiled mirthlessly. "I was raised in one. Doctor J trained me in one until I turned twelve. Then when I turned thirteen, OZ kidnapped me and trained me to be their ultimate weapon. I didn't want to fight at first, to hurt innocent people, so they put a limitor in my neck to control me." She pulled her hair away from her neck to reveal a silver metal switch. "I had no choice after that. They made me watch as they destroyed my home colony, as they killed Cousin Meiran. I thought they'd killed Niichan, too, and I just...broke down. Then when you and Duo-kun came to attack the base, I sensed your thoughts about Niichan's mission at the time and I decided right then and there that I would get my revenge on OZ for Meiran's death and rejoin Niichan."

"What happened during the three years before Operation: METEOR?"

She sighed heavily. "Id trained me how to fight when Zechs wasn't training me to hone my powers. Id and I became close friends during that time. Now he feels that I've betrayed him by joining the 'enemy'. I don't blame him." She dropped her head onto her knees again and was silent.

Heero looked at her silently and noticed her shoulders were shaking. Was she laughing? No, she was crying! But why? "Eiko? Doushitano?" When she didn't respond, he hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder. "Eiko...?"

If anything, her sobs were now audible, though she still didn't respond, even to his use of her name. Acting on instinct, he awkwardly pulled her close in a comforting hug. She openly sobbed into his chest, hands gripping his shirt tightly as she cried. He attempted to soothe her the way he'd once seen a mother soothing an upset child.

"Eiko, please tell me what's wrong," he pleaded softly.

"I think I've lost my koi forever," she whimpered. "Id hates me now. He hates me for leaving him for you guys. He won't let me into his mind anymore. He only lets me see his hatred and betrayal and what he wants to do to you guys. I'm scared to let any of you near him. The five of you are like a bunch of oniichans to me. I don't like the way Id's making me take sides and choose between either betraying you guys or him. Why can't he get along with everyone? Why is he doing this to me?"

Heero stayed silent. He didn't know how to answer her, or even if he should. He hated indecision. It was dangerous and usually meant getting hurt or killed. Finally he sighed. "That's the price of doing what you feel is right. You usually end up doing it alone. Except you aren't alone, because you have Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, and Duo doing it with you."

She sat back to look up at him, wiping away her tears. "You don't just mean me," she stated bluntly. "You're talking about yourself, too."

He nodded. "Hai, Eiko. You have more in common with all of us than I'd first thought. Don't give up on Id yet, Motochan. Fate doesn't just throw missiles at us. Sometimes it throws candy. Now let's get back to the others and enjoy the rest of the day. Okay?"

She smiled slightly and nodded. "Arigatou, Heero-niichan."
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Author's notes: EEE! I'd planned to make this part a humor part, but it refused to let me make it humor. Gomen for Heero's OOC-ness, but don't you think it fits? ~Ratha~