Author: Bunny-chan
Email: Bunny_chan85@hotmail.com
Chapter 2
2/15/02
Heya! I hope you're enjoying this so far. The plot will pick up, I promise you. *evil grin* Anyways, this fic is dedicated to Cele-chan becuase she really encouraged me to write this, and she's a huge fan of it, aren't you Cele-chan? ^.^
One small note to Kyros: Did I say Yumeko was a gundam pilot? No. And I asure you, she's not a Mary Sue either. If you cared to pay attention to what was going on, instead of only looking for something to flame, you would've noticed that she's rash, sarcastic, and a very angry young girl. If you are reading this chapter, I urge you to continue reading further ones, only so that you may realize, that her life has not been the easiest.
Disclaimer to save one's ass: I don't own Shin Kidousenki, but I do own Yumeko. ^.^
Wufei slung his black duffle bag over his right shoulder and stole a glance at his room. Okay, so it wasn't his room. He was just using it for the time while he was in L1 with the other pilots. Only a day and a half, not long enough to lose anything important, but still, he looked.
He nodded slightly, as to assure himself, and walked out, ready to leave for chikyuu.
"Ohayo, Wufei!" A cheery voice exclaimed from behind him.
Wufei's eyes narrowed slightly, but he turned around and gave the person a curt nod of aknowlegement. "Maxwell."
"How're you this lovely morning?" Duo asked, running up to him, his long chestnut braid wildly swinging behind him.
The chinese boy raised his eyebrow slightly. 'How can anyone be this chipper at 7:30 in the morning? It's ludicrous!' "As well as can be expected, Maxwell, under the circumstances."
Duo creased his forehead. "Circumstances?" He asked in confusion.
Wufei turned to him, exasperation mounting. "Yes, circumstances, Maxwell. This whole mission coming about suddenly with that onna. It doesn't seem....."
"You don't like her, do you?" Duo asked innocently, but the question asked was less than innocent, depending on the answer of course.
Wufei made a funny face and turned back around to walk down the hall. "I don't believe women should fight, Maxwell. Their place is not in the battlefield, risking their lives."
Duo nodded. "Yeah, it'll take some getting used to. A girl who can fight just as well as one of us!" Duo grinned. "I'll bet she could even beat your ass!"
Wufei glared at the grinning american. "No onna could 'beat my ass', Maxwell."
Duo nodded, agreeingly, his violet blue eyes dancing. "Sure, sure. Now let's get to the hanger. Don't want to be late, now do we?" Then Duo preceeded down the hallway, skipping like a little child going to an amusement park.
Wufei shook his head and walked after him, "Baka...."
***********
"Let's see.... clothes. Need those. Should I take my posters? No... those are irelivant. Not needed." Yumeko paced around her room, picking the objects she believed she would need. She wanted to take everything, it WAS her stuff, but she decided on only was what nessasary. "So... my guns and ammunition... They'll probably have tons of guns and ammo there." She picked up a black barrel gun and looked at it. "I'll just bring my favorite gun with me."
Then came a low knock on her steel door. She barely heard it and walked over with a small sigh of annoyance. When she opened the door, she expected to see Dr. J or her newly found brother, she wasn't expecting this, or perhaps she should have.
"Well, good morning, good looking!" Cheerful as ever Duo responded as she opened the door with a slightly surprised expression.
Yumeko creased her forehead slightly. "Riiiiight," She responded sarcastically. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr....?"
Duo leaned up against the doorframe in an "You want me and you know it" attitude while she repsonded with a "You're fooling yourself" expression on her face. "You can just call me Duo. Duo Maxwell." He said, never ending his carefree grin. "And this sour-puss walking up behind me is Wufei. I'm sure you two have already met...."
"Maxwell, we don't have time for this. We should get to the hanger." Wufei said, glaring slightly, annoyance playing on his hard, tanned features.
Yumeko took this as her cue. "And I don't have time for you. Excuse me," She said, quickly closing her door on Duo's cheerful manner.
Duo's happiness turned into shock. "Man! Did you see what she did Wufei!" He shook his head. "JUST like Hiiro! The resemblences are uncanny!" He exclaimed, picking up his sack and proceeding down the hallway.
Yumeko began packing her belongings again when another knock interupted her.
"Damn it." She sighed as she opened the door. "Omae-tachi wa bakayaro desu.[1]"
"That's news to me," The figure said, brushing his way past her and entering the room. "What brought on that attitude?"
"Oniisan, Duo came to my room just a second ago. What's with him?" She asked, resuming her packing.
Hiiro nodded his head in understanding. "Oh, Duo? He's horomone driven. Don't let it bother you too much. Are you almost done? We have to leave soon."
"Hai," She said, somewhat distracted as she zipped up her last bag out of three. "Let's blow this place to Hell, Onnisan!"
"Hn."
****************
"It's about time you got here," Quatre said, lightly reprimanding Wufei and Duo as they walked through the hanger entrance.
"Yeah, yeah," Duo waved Quatre off with his hand. "We stopped by to visit someone."
Quatre's light blue eyes flickered a bit, "Who did you visit?"
"We saw-" Duo cut his sentence short as he saw to figures walking into the hanger. "Speak of the she-devil...."
Quatre looked towards the entrance and realized who Duo was speaking of. "Now, that wasn't very nice of you, Duo. I'm pretty sure she didn't do a thing to you."
Hiiro stepped up to the group of three. "Are we ready to go?" He asked, prussian blue eyes as emotionless as ever.
Duo nodded absently as he watched Yumeko walk up to Trowa and start talking to him. Wufei noticed and smirked lightly. His black eyes flickered over the image of Duo staring intently at Hiiro's Imouto.
"If you stare any harder, you might bore a hole into her."
Duo nodded, as if he never even heard the comment.
Hiiro raised his eyebrows at Wufei. "Okay, Duo had better stop staring at my Imouto or he'll find a gun up his ass. Either my gun, or Yumeko's, but it'll be there."
Duo seemed to hear that. "Yeah, yeah. It wouldn't be a day unless someone threatened my life. Let's just get going, okay?" He sighed heavily and walked over to the shuttle entrance and got on. He walked down the aisle and plopped down into his seat. 'Am I really just extra luggage to them? No, I'm not... But then why am I acting like this? I can't be cheerful all the time.... Solo... I think I lost my way. You gotta help me....'
"If you frown," A voice said, startling him out of his revere. "your face will stay that way. Or so I heard."
Duo creased his forehead. "Nani?"
Yumeko huffed. "I know you are doubting. And it's not good." She began to walk down the aisle after Hiiro. "So I thought I would make you feel better. Sorry."
Duo tilted his head and watched Yumeko sit next to Hiiro. "She was trying to make me feel better?"
Trowa and Quatre sat down in the aisle across from Duo. Quatre gave Duo a smile and turned to Trowa to talk about something. Wufei sat in front of him, taking out his katana and polishing it until he could see everything behind him. Duo sweatdropped as he saw Wufei stare at him by his reflection in the long blade. 'Scary...' And Hiiro and Yumeko sat a few rows behind him, a faint bluish glow adorned their faces. Duo grimaced. 'Laptops...'
He sighed and threw his hands behind his head. 'Why are the people I hang around so wierd? Heh, but I'm not exactly normal either. Oh well. Let's see if I can catch some shut eye on this shuttle.'
***********
A blaze of fire and smoke let the shuttle lift off from it's port. The white exterior shined in the fake light of the colony, giving it an almost eretheal glow in a place of Hell.
"Do you think he will suceed in his mission?" A figure asked, watching the shuttle lift off into space.
"I hope he does," Another figure repsponded, an ominous claw-like hand twitched as he spoke. "Because if he doesn't, it will surely make him go mad."
**********
"Duo...."
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
"Duo....! C'mon Duo! I know you want to! You never back out on a dare...."
Drip....
Drip....
"You wanna be one'a us don't ya? Well, then stop be'in such'a little chicken and do it!"
Duo stood in an ominous fog of deception and hate. The thickness was enough to make you scream for air. Almost like a hot, humid, summer. So much was against you, it could make you sufficate. Duo pulled on the high collar of his jacket, trying to get some space between his skin and clothes, but to no avail. The little space he got only let the sticky fog in and made him even more uncomfortable and the conditions unbearable.
"You always were a little chicken, Duo. Can't even do a stupid dare!"
A little boy in a red shirt and black pants stood in front of a larger boy. He held his hand to his eyes, seemingly wiping something from them, like it was impaling his vision. His chestnut colored hair was in a stragely mess, matted with dirt, looking much darker than what it was. It was situated just below his shoulder blades, and some strands were hung unchecked upon the little boy's shoulders.
"I am not a little chicken!" The boy stated indigantly, still rubbing his eyes.
The larger boy placed his dirty hand on the younger boy's shoulder. His eyes were tender this time, no longer holding their scolding fire. "Listen, in order to survive, you gotta do it. I know ya don't want to, but you gotta!" The larger boy removed his hand and ran it through his messed hair. "Think of it as a game. Like I was say'in before; a dare."
"I... I..." He stuttered, clearly torn on the subject. Crystalline tears threatened to fall once more as the little boy stood in the looming presence of the other.
"Duo, you gotta do it!" The older boy put his hands on his hips. "Listen, I'll share my food with you tonight, okay? But after that, you gotta steal. That's the only way you'll live around here!" The older boy moved away from the younger. "I gotta check on the others. Stay here, I'll be back with the food soon." Then, the older boy ran off into the dense fog as if it were not even there. It wasn't restraining to him, the wieght of the air was nothing.
Duo walked through the fog towards the small boy he identified as himself. He remembered that day very well. The first days as an orphan, alone on the streets, fending for yourself. The younger Duo was kneeling on the ground, making little pictures in the dirt.
"You won't enjoy your life, kid," Duo muttered, mostly to himself, than to the comfort of the small boy. "Killings, death, destruction, loss, pain, loneliness.... It's a terrible cycle of war."
Younger Duo continued to make his pictures of elephants in the ground. He knew what an elephant was, and had even saw a picture of one on the huge monitor of the colony. He finger-drew the large ears and big, curvey tusks. He always wanted to see a real elephant one day.
"Duo! C'mon! I got the food!" The younger boy called from a distance.
Younger Duo sprang up from the ground with an excited smile on his face, his violet eyes were dancing with the prospect of food. Real food. With renewed energy, he ran into the fog, after the voice of the boy.
"I'm coming, Solo! Don't eat it all! Save some for me!"
The fog rolled over and obscured anything Duo might've been able to see. The fog was no longer the dense dark gray as it was before, now it was nearly black, a dark navy blue color.
"Duo...."
A voice.... it seemed familiar. Though not of someone of his past.
"Wake up, Duo."
Feminine sounding.... Sister Helen? No... her voice sounded more intimadating. Quatre...?
"Get up, you." Not Quatre... who was it?
Duo could feel himself being pulled out of the fog as he began to feel less contricted, less confined in the heavy, humid, mass.
He opened one violet eye, and then the other. Both widened in surprise. Yumeko was standing in front of him, a slight frown on her features. One hand was resting on her hip, while the other was holding a purple spray bottle. Duo lifted his hand to his face and felt the tiny droplets on his fingertips.
"I knew this would get you up." She said, proudly. "It took forever to wake you."
Duo turned angry. "Why would you wake me in the first place?!"
Yumeko raised her eyebrows. "Fine, if you don't want to get off the shuttle and to our home, then you can stay here."
Duo's body shot up and he looked out the shuttle window. 'We're here already? The shuttle flight was 5 hours... how could I have slept that long?' He let out an intake of air and gathered his things from the seat next to him. He looked up, expecting Yumeko to still be there, but she was already at the shuttle door, getting off. He frowned slightly. 'Did you really expect her to wait for you? Baka...' "Oi! Matte yo!" He called, racing down the aisle, trying to catch up.
************
"Okaasan... why're we here?" A tiny girl with brown pigtails asked, holding her mother's hand tightly as they neared a dark building, the dirty, rundown atmosphere only added to the fear in the little girl's body.
The young woman who held the child's hand nodded slightly, the gesture might've seemed like she was ignoring the little girl, but she wasn't. Her family had always shown little emotion to eachother, why change such a... tradition? The woman's face was worn, lines, almost like huge gauges, trailed from her eyes, mouth, and cheeks, showing an age much older and wizened than her 36 years. "We're going to rest here for the night, 'Meko. We'll rest up, then continue tomorrow."
The tiny girl nodded her head slightly, just as her mother did, her dark brown pigtails swished as she moved. "But why here, Okaasan? It's scary...." She shivered for emphasis.
The mother looked down to her child with a warm spark in her eyes and a gentle smile on her face, the first act of kind emotion the girl had seen from her mother for days. "We'll only be here a night, 'Meko. I'll always be with you, so don't be scared. I didn't raise my child to be frightened of such things." Then she tapped the small child's cold, red nose with the tip of her finger, amusement dancing in her blue eyes.
"Hai, Okaasan! I won't be scared!" The small child cheered as they entered the rundown motel to rent a room.
Mother and daughter entered the dirty and cold room rented to them. The mother turned her nose slightly to the room, but sighed and set her heavy backpack down on the floor by the rusty, broken table. What did she expect from the most rundown and lowest funded part of L1?
"Okaasan, I'm cold." The child complained, wrapping her small arms around herself and the obvious three layers of clothing.
"I know.... But there isn't much I can do, 'Meko." The woman sighed. "But here," She took of her long, brown coat and wrapped it around 'Meko. "Try to sleep some, 'Meko. I'm going out to look around for your Oniisan once more before I sleep."
The small girl grabbed her mother's shirt quickly, desperation and fear in her eyes. "Okaasan, do you have to? I'll be alone."
The woman held the child's hand, removing it from her shirt. "Hai, Musume. How do you think your Oniisan might feel everyday? He's away from the ones who love him, don't you think he feels alone?" The woman recieved a hesitant nod from the small girl and continued. "I'll always be with you, Musume. But, we have to find Masurao soon. Your 'kaasan misses him, 'Meko."
"Hai, Okaasan. Ja ne. Gambatte ne..." The little girl wrapped her arms around herself again, leaning against the bed, not bothering to get in it for fear of spiders or other insects that might eat her during the night.
Her mother kissed her forehead and smiled. "Ohayo Oyasumi nasai, Musume. Sayonara, 'Meko." And then the woman left, closing the door lightly behind her.
The girl could hear her footsteps down the stairs and to the front door due to the thin walls of the motel. When she deemed it safe, she moved from her spot on the floor to the dingy window to watch her mother.
She had stupidly given her daughter her only jacket.... but she would do anything for her daughter, so it didn't matter. Nothing mattered now. She stepped out into the street, not paying attention to the 'No Crossing' sign.
Lights flashed. Bright white beams shone on the woman, making her dark locks stand out on her pale, worn face. The sound of horns came from a giant monster approaching her at an incredible speed. She turned her face to the light, almost in a welcoming sense. "Gomen," She muttered, before her body was slammed in the front of the 'Monster' and thrown back into the street, hitting a lightpole with a resounding, sickening thud. Blood splattered around the body, coming from almost every place one could imagine. The thick red liquid pooled around the head, face and torso. The only parts appearing to not be injured were her calloused hands.
And the little girl saw it all.... from that dirty, dingy window.
Quatre sat up from his bed, cornflower blue eyes wide, face and shirt drenched with smelly perspiration. He moved his right hand shakily to his head, easing himself from the dream. 'Why did I dream of that...? What was that? Who was that....?.'
He looked around, confused at his surroundings for a second before relief washed over him. 'That's right... The apartment we got for the mission...' Boxes were strewn over the floor, uncleanliness. He glanced at the spot next to him, seeing a form lying there beside him. His heart danced at seeing his koi sleeping soundly under his protection.
A sudden movement from across the room sent him back into his frightened state and led him to grab the pistol he kept on the nightstand. He help it up, hands still shaking from the dream. Fear hadn't gripped his heart like this since he was in the war.... so why was it now? Trying to steady his voice as much as possible, he spoke, "Who's there?"
Then there was a scream, and the shuffling of feet.
[1] "Omae-tachi wa bakayaro desu." You guys are assholes.
Hey! I hoped you've enjoyed this so far! I'm really working hard on it to make it easy to understand and read. Please review! It gets the chapters out faster! ^_^ Ja! ~Bunny-chan
BTW: I'm going to start a ML for my fics since ff.net doesn't send out author alerts any longer, plus it's nice for people who don't have an account with ff.net. Please leave me your email address in your review or email me. Thanks! ^_^
Email: Bunny_chan85@hotmail.com
Chapter 2
2/15/02
Heya! I hope you're enjoying this so far. The plot will pick up, I promise you. *evil grin* Anyways, this fic is dedicated to Cele-chan becuase she really encouraged me to write this, and she's a huge fan of it, aren't you Cele-chan? ^.^
One small note to Kyros: Did I say Yumeko was a gundam pilot? No. And I asure you, she's not a Mary Sue either. If you cared to pay attention to what was going on, instead of only looking for something to flame, you would've noticed that she's rash, sarcastic, and a very angry young girl. If you are reading this chapter, I urge you to continue reading further ones, only so that you may realize, that her life has not been the easiest.
Disclaimer to save one's ass: I don't own Shin Kidousenki, but I do own Yumeko. ^.^
Wufei slung his black duffle bag over his right shoulder and stole a glance at his room. Okay, so it wasn't his room. He was just using it for the time while he was in L1 with the other pilots. Only a day and a half, not long enough to lose anything important, but still, he looked.
He nodded slightly, as to assure himself, and walked out, ready to leave for chikyuu.
"Ohayo, Wufei!" A cheery voice exclaimed from behind him.
Wufei's eyes narrowed slightly, but he turned around and gave the person a curt nod of aknowlegement. "Maxwell."
"How're you this lovely morning?" Duo asked, running up to him, his long chestnut braid wildly swinging behind him.
The chinese boy raised his eyebrow slightly. 'How can anyone be this chipper at 7:30 in the morning? It's ludicrous!' "As well as can be expected, Maxwell, under the circumstances."
Duo creased his forehead. "Circumstances?" He asked in confusion.
Wufei turned to him, exasperation mounting. "Yes, circumstances, Maxwell. This whole mission coming about suddenly with that onna. It doesn't seem....."
"You don't like her, do you?" Duo asked innocently, but the question asked was less than innocent, depending on the answer of course.
Wufei made a funny face and turned back around to walk down the hall. "I don't believe women should fight, Maxwell. Their place is not in the battlefield, risking their lives."
Duo nodded. "Yeah, it'll take some getting used to. A girl who can fight just as well as one of us!" Duo grinned. "I'll bet she could even beat your ass!"
Wufei glared at the grinning american. "No onna could 'beat my ass', Maxwell."
Duo nodded, agreeingly, his violet blue eyes dancing. "Sure, sure. Now let's get to the hanger. Don't want to be late, now do we?" Then Duo preceeded down the hallway, skipping like a little child going to an amusement park.
Wufei shook his head and walked after him, "Baka...."
***********
"Let's see.... clothes. Need those. Should I take my posters? No... those are irelivant. Not needed." Yumeko paced around her room, picking the objects she believed she would need. She wanted to take everything, it WAS her stuff, but she decided on only was what nessasary. "So... my guns and ammunition... They'll probably have tons of guns and ammo there." She picked up a black barrel gun and looked at it. "I'll just bring my favorite gun with me."
Then came a low knock on her steel door. She barely heard it and walked over with a small sigh of annoyance. When she opened the door, she expected to see Dr. J or her newly found brother, she wasn't expecting this, or perhaps she should have.
"Well, good morning, good looking!" Cheerful as ever Duo responded as she opened the door with a slightly surprised expression.
Yumeko creased her forehead slightly. "Riiiiight," She responded sarcastically. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr....?"
Duo leaned up against the doorframe in an "You want me and you know it" attitude while she repsonded with a "You're fooling yourself" expression on her face. "You can just call me Duo. Duo Maxwell." He said, never ending his carefree grin. "And this sour-puss walking up behind me is Wufei. I'm sure you two have already met...."
"Maxwell, we don't have time for this. We should get to the hanger." Wufei said, glaring slightly, annoyance playing on his hard, tanned features.
Yumeko took this as her cue. "And I don't have time for you. Excuse me," She said, quickly closing her door on Duo's cheerful manner.
Duo's happiness turned into shock. "Man! Did you see what she did Wufei!" He shook his head. "JUST like Hiiro! The resemblences are uncanny!" He exclaimed, picking up his sack and proceeding down the hallway.
Yumeko began packing her belongings again when another knock interupted her.
"Damn it." She sighed as she opened the door. "Omae-tachi wa bakayaro desu.[1]"
"That's news to me," The figure said, brushing his way past her and entering the room. "What brought on that attitude?"
"Oniisan, Duo came to my room just a second ago. What's with him?" She asked, resuming her packing.
Hiiro nodded his head in understanding. "Oh, Duo? He's horomone driven. Don't let it bother you too much. Are you almost done? We have to leave soon."
"Hai," She said, somewhat distracted as she zipped up her last bag out of three. "Let's blow this place to Hell, Onnisan!"
"Hn."
****************
"It's about time you got here," Quatre said, lightly reprimanding Wufei and Duo as they walked through the hanger entrance.
"Yeah, yeah," Duo waved Quatre off with his hand. "We stopped by to visit someone."
Quatre's light blue eyes flickered a bit, "Who did you visit?"
"We saw-" Duo cut his sentence short as he saw to figures walking into the hanger. "Speak of the she-devil...."
Quatre looked towards the entrance and realized who Duo was speaking of. "Now, that wasn't very nice of you, Duo. I'm pretty sure she didn't do a thing to you."
Hiiro stepped up to the group of three. "Are we ready to go?" He asked, prussian blue eyes as emotionless as ever.
Duo nodded absently as he watched Yumeko walk up to Trowa and start talking to him. Wufei noticed and smirked lightly. His black eyes flickered over the image of Duo staring intently at Hiiro's Imouto.
"If you stare any harder, you might bore a hole into her."
Duo nodded, as if he never even heard the comment.
Hiiro raised his eyebrows at Wufei. "Okay, Duo had better stop staring at my Imouto or he'll find a gun up his ass. Either my gun, or Yumeko's, but it'll be there."
Duo seemed to hear that. "Yeah, yeah. It wouldn't be a day unless someone threatened my life. Let's just get going, okay?" He sighed heavily and walked over to the shuttle entrance and got on. He walked down the aisle and plopped down into his seat. 'Am I really just extra luggage to them? No, I'm not... But then why am I acting like this? I can't be cheerful all the time.... Solo... I think I lost my way. You gotta help me....'
"If you frown," A voice said, startling him out of his revere. "your face will stay that way. Or so I heard."
Duo creased his forehead. "Nani?"
Yumeko huffed. "I know you are doubting. And it's not good." She began to walk down the aisle after Hiiro. "So I thought I would make you feel better. Sorry."
Duo tilted his head and watched Yumeko sit next to Hiiro. "She was trying to make me feel better?"
Trowa and Quatre sat down in the aisle across from Duo. Quatre gave Duo a smile and turned to Trowa to talk about something. Wufei sat in front of him, taking out his katana and polishing it until he could see everything behind him. Duo sweatdropped as he saw Wufei stare at him by his reflection in the long blade. 'Scary...' And Hiiro and Yumeko sat a few rows behind him, a faint bluish glow adorned their faces. Duo grimaced. 'Laptops...'
He sighed and threw his hands behind his head. 'Why are the people I hang around so wierd? Heh, but I'm not exactly normal either. Oh well. Let's see if I can catch some shut eye on this shuttle.'
***********
A blaze of fire and smoke let the shuttle lift off from it's port. The white exterior shined in the fake light of the colony, giving it an almost eretheal glow in a place of Hell.
"Do you think he will suceed in his mission?" A figure asked, watching the shuttle lift off into space.
"I hope he does," Another figure repsponded, an ominous claw-like hand twitched as he spoke. "Because if he doesn't, it will surely make him go mad."
**********
"Duo...."
Drip.
Drip.
Drip.
"Duo....! C'mon Duo! I know you want to! You never back out on a dare...."
Drip....
Drip....
"You wanna be one'a us don't ya? Well, then stop be'in such'a little chicken and do it!"
Duo stood in an ominous fog of deception and hate. The thickness was enough to make you scream for air. Almost like a hot, humid, summer. So much was against you, it could make you sufficate. Duo pulled on the high collar of his jacket, trying to get some space between his skin and clothes, but to no avail. The little space he got only let the sticky fog in and made him even more uncomfortable and the conditions unbearable.
"You always were a little chicken, Duo. Can't even do a stupid dare!"
A little boy in a red shirt and black pants stood in front of a larger boy. He held his hand to his eyes, seemingly wiping something from them, like it was impaling his vision. His chestnut colored hair was in a stragely mess, matted with dirt, looking much darker than what it was. It was situated just below his shoulder blades, and some strands were hung unchecked upon the little boy's shoulders.
"I am not a little chicken!" The boy stated indigantly, still rubbing his eyes.
The larger boy placed his dirty hand on the younger boy's shoulder. His eyes were tender this time, no longer holding their scolding fire. "Listen, in order to survive, you gotta do it. I know ya don't want to, but you gotta!" The larger boy removed his hand and ran it through his messed hair. "Think of it as a game. Like I was say'in before; a dare."
"I... I..." He stuttered, clearly torn on the subject. Crystalline tears threatened to fall once more as the little boy stood in the looming presence of the other.
"Duo, you gotta do it!" The older boy put his hands on his hips. "Listen, I'll share my food with you tonight, okay? But after that, you gotta steal. That's the only way you'll live around here!" The older boy moved away from the younger. "I gotta check on the others. Stay here, I'll be back with the food soon." Then, the older boy ran off into the dense fog as if it were not even there. It wasn't restraining to him, the wieght of the air was nothing.
Duo walked through the fog towards the small boy he identified as himself. He remembered that day very well. The first days as an orphan, alone on the streets, fending for yourself. The younger Duo was kneeling on the ground, making little pictures in the dirt.
"You won't enjoy your life, kid," Duo muttered, mostly to himself, than to the comfort of the small boy. "Killings, death, destruction, loss, pain, loneliness.... It's a terrible cycle of war."
Younger Duo continued to make his pictures of elephants in the ground. He knew what an elephant was, and had even saw a picture of one on the huge monitor of the colony. He finger-drew the large ears and big, curvey tusks. He always wanted to see a real elephant one day.
"Duo! C'mon! I got the food!" The younger boy called from a distance.
Younger Duo sprang up from the ground with an excited smile on his face, his violet eyes were dancing with the prospect of food. Real food. With renewed energy, he ran into the fog, after the voice of the boy.
"I'm coming, Solo! Don't eat it all! Save some for me!"
The fog rolled over and obscured anything Duo might've been able to see. The fog was no longer the dense dark gray as it was before, now it was nearly black, a dark navy blue color.
"Duo...."
A voice.... it seemed familiar. Though not of someone of his past.
"Wake up, Duo."
Feminine sounding.... Sister Helen? No... her voice sounded more intimadating. Quatre...?
"Get up, you." Not Quatre... who was it?
Duo could feel himself being pulled out of the fog as he began to feel less contricted, less confined in the heavy, humid, mass.
He opened one violet eye, and then the other. Both widened in surprise. Yumeko was standing in front of him, a slight frown on her features. One hand was resting on her hip, while the other was holding a purple spray bottle. Duo lifted his hand to his face and felt the tiny droplets on his fingertips.
"I knew this would get you up." She said, proudly. "It took forever to wake you."
Duo turned angry. "Why would you wake me in the first place?!"
Yumeko raised her eyebrows. "Fine, if you don't want to get off the shuttle and to our home, then you can stay here."
Duo's body shot up and he looked out the shuttle window. 'We're here already? The shuttle flight was 5 hours... how could I have slept that long?' He let out an intake of air and gathered his things from the seat next to him. He looked up, expecting Yumeko to still be there, but she was already at the shuttle door, getting off. He frowned slightly. 'Did you really expect her to wait for you? Baka...' "Oi! Matte yo!" He called, racing down the aisle, trying to catch up.
************
"Okaasan... why're we here?" A tiny girl with brown pigtails asked, holding her mother's hand tightly as they neared a dark building, the dirty, rundown atmosphere only added to the fear in the little girl's body.
The young woman who held the child's hand nodded slightly, the gesture might've seemed like she was ignoring the little girl, but she wasn't. Her family had always shown little emotion to eachother, why change such a... tradition? The woman's face was worn, lines, almost like huge gauges, trailed from her eyes, mouth, and cheeks, showing an age much older and wizened than her 36 years. "We're going to rest here for the night, 'Meko. We'll rest up, then continue tomorrow."
The tiny girl nodded her head slightly, just as her mother did, her dark brown pigtails swished as she moved. "But why here, Okaasan? It's scary...." She shivered for emphasis.
The mother looked down to her child with a warm spark in her eyes and a gentle smile on her face, the first act of kind emotion the girl had seen from her mother for days. "We'll only be here a night, 'Meko. I'll always be with you, so don't be scared. I didn't raise my child to be frightened of such things." Then she tapped the small child's cold, red nose with the tip of her finger, amusement dancing in her blue eyes.
"Hai, Okaasan! I won't be scared!" The small child cheered as they entered the rundown motel to rent a room.
Mother and daughter entered the dirty and cold room rented to them. The mother turned her nose slightly to the room, but sighed and set her heavy backpack down on the floor by the rusty, broken table. What did she expect from the most rundown and lowest funded part of L1?
"Okaasan, I'm cold." The child complained, wrapping her small arms around herself and the obvious three layers of clothing.
"I know.... But there isn't much I can do, 'Meko." The woman sighed. "But here," She took of her long, brown coat and wrapped it around 'Meko. "Try to sleep some, 'Meko. I'm going out to look around for your Oniisan once more before I sleep."
The small girl grabbed her mother's shirt quickly, desperation and fear in her eyes. "Okaasan, do you have to? I'll be alone."
The woman held the child's hand, removing it from her shirt. "Hai, Musume. How do you think your Oniisan might feel everyday? He's away from the ones who love him, don't you think he feels alone?" The woman recieved a hesitant nod from the small girl and continued. "I'll always be with you, Musume. But, we have to find Masurao soon. Your 'kaasan misses him, 'Meko."
"Hai, Okaasan. Ja ne. Gambatte ne..." The little girl wrapped her arms around herself again, leaning against the bed, not bothering to get in it for fear of spiders or other insects that might eat her during the night.
Her mother kissed her forehead and smiled. "Ohayo Oyasumi nasai, Musume. Sayonara, 'Meko." And then the woman left, closing the door lightly behind her.
The girl could hear her footsteps down the stairs and to the front door due to the thin walls of the motel. When she deemed it safe, she moved from her spot on the floor to the dingy window to watch her mother.
She had stupidly given her daughter her only jacket.... but she would do anything for her daughter, so it didn't matter. Nothing mattered now. She stepped out into the street, not paying attention to the 'No Crossing' sign.
Lights flashed. Bright white beams shone on the woman, making her dark locks stand out on her pale, worn face. The sound of horns came from a giant monster approaching her at an incredible speed. She turned her face to the light, almost in a welcoming sense. "Gomen," She muttered, before her body was slammed in the front of the 'Monster' and thrown back into the street, hitting a lightpole with a resounding, sickening thud. Blood splattered around the body, coming from almost every place one could imagine. The thick red liquid pooled around the head, face and torso. The only parts appearing to not be injured were her calloused hands.
And the little girl saw it all.... from that dirty, dingy window.
Quatre sat up from his bed, cornflower blue eyes wide, face and shirt drenched with smelly perspiration. He moved his right hand shakily to his head, easing himself from the dream. 'Why did I dream of that...? What was that? Who was that....?.'
He looked around, confused at his surroundings for a second before relief washed over him. 'That's right... The apartment we got for the mission...' Boxes were strewn over the floor, uncleanliness. He glanced at the spot next to him, seeing a form lying there beside him. His heart danced at seeing his koi sleeping soundly under his protection.
A sudden movement from across the room sent him back into his frightened state and led him to grab the pistol he kept on the nightstand. He help it up, hands still shaking from the dream. Fear hadn't gripped his heart like this since he was in the war.... so why was it now? Trying to steady his voice as much as possible, he spoke, "Who's there?"
Then there was a scream, and the shuffling of feet.
[1] "Omae-tachi wa bakayaro desu." You guys are assholes.
Hey! I hoped you've enjoyed this so far! I'm really working hard on it to make it easy to understand and read. Please review! It gets the chapters out faster! ^_^ Ja! ~Bunny-chan
BTW: I'm going to start a ML for my fics since ff.net doesn't send out author alerts any longer, plus it's nice for people who don't have an account with ff.net. Please leave me your email address in your review or email me. Thanks! ^_^