Salut! That's French for hi...ugh, I'm just ranting, as usual. The reviews are just lovely, and I enjoy them very much!! Here's the next chapter!! ^_^
Stepping Down
Noin sighed as the packet was placed in front of her. It was yet another written exam.
God, how many of these will there be? She wondered with a little annoyance.
The other trainees seemed annoyed as well. Noin willed herself not to let her annoyance show. It was difficult.
Later that day...
"The results are up!!!"
Noin turned her head. She had spent the better part of her day looking for Zechs, but he didn't seem to be anywhere.
Why do I even bother looking at the results?! She thought. It's always the same...
She did look, though. It was no surprise to her what the results were.
1. Zechs Marquise..............98%
2. Lucrezia Noin..............96%
Well, it hadn't been easy. Neither she nor Zechs got a perfect score on it.
And it didn't bother her that Zechs did better. To begin with, she never did. But she forced the anger upon herself. Now that she called a truce with him, she hardly cared.
Well, you know why you were angry, she reminded herself. You want to be the spitting image of your tou-san. He was better than anyone he trained with. And here you are, the best except under a tall blonde who outdoes you in everything. So much for being the best...
"Ooh, Noin's in second!"
"You think she's gonna go bite Marquise's head off?"
"I dunno. She always does."
Noin glared at them for their assumptions, then stalked away. Am I really that vicious? God, I didn't want to tarnish my own reputation, but have I anyway with my arrogance?
"Zechs, don't you want to check the results of the exam?" asked Treize.
"No need," said Zechs. "I know I'm either in first or second."
"No kidding. Noin is an excellent challenger to you, that's for sure."
"Yes...so, why did you come to pay me a visit?"
"Well, you know the final examination? Well, it has been decided that you will be using Aries suits."
"Really? That's incredible!!"
"Yes. The Aries doesn't use as much fuel as a Leo, and it's impossible to tear into the control panel...it's too difficult. We want to avoid another incident."
"Thank you. She...she was injured terribly."
"Hmm, quite a competitor, isn't she?"
Zechs narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"You like her, don't you?"
"WHAT?! She's just a good friend, Treize!"
"Oh, I'm just teasing. They're not that many girls like her, are there? She's a rare catch."
"I know where you're going with this conversation. She is just a friend."
"Why so defensive? You've never acted like this with other women."
"..."
"I thought so."
"Shut up."
Noin looked in the mirror and parted her hair on her head. The gash had healed, but it became a scar.
It isn't even a battle scar, she thought. Oh well, at least no one can see it...
"So it's a scar now?" asked someone.
Noin jumped in surprise, then sighed. "Yeah. I was hoping I wouldn't get scars until I became a soldier."
"Expect the unexpected," said Zechs. "I take it you saw the results?"
"Yes. You had a 98. I had a 96."
"Oh. Well, are you mad?"
"Um, not really. In fact, I'm stepping down."
"'Stepping down'?"
"Well, I'm good but not as good as you. So instead of trying to beat you, I'll just try my best."
"That's a change."
"The other trainees expected me to explode on you. I've always kept a good reputation, but I've looked like an idiot screaming at you."
"You did create some unnecessary scenes."
"I said I'm stepping down. I'm okay being second. It's better than last."
"Yeah, that's a good point."
For the weeks following their conversation, both got the top marks. Zechs always was first, but Noin didn't seem to mind. In fact, she congratulated him instead of screaming at him. One day, Treize stopped by the Lake Victoria Base. But he was there to see her.
"I see you've fully recovered," said Treize. "That's good. If you didn't, you would be on my consciousness."
"I'm fine," said Noin. "I was able to recover, and now I feel one hundred percent."
"I also want to congratulate you on your excellent achievement here. You'll definitely make a respectable soldier."
"Thank you, sir. I try my hardest to put an effort in everything I do."
"I know. That kind of attitude is best fit for a soldier. You're just like your tou-san."
"I'm flattered, sir." Noin held a smile, but she had the feeling Treize was hiding something.
He seemed to have read her mind. "I want to talk to you about-"
"Zechs?" she finished.
"Oh, you're calling him by his first name now?"
"He's become like a best friend to me. He tried to call me by my first name, but I told him not to. Noin suits me better."
"Uh huh. So...how do you see him?"
"Well, as a friend I guess. And something like a fellow trainee."
"Hmm...I don't think you're telling me everything."
"What?"
"The way you talk about him, and the look on your face when you do. It's deeper than friendship."
"Wha-"
"You care for him a lot, don't you?"
"That's kind of a personal question..."
"It's just a simple one."
"Well, I already answered it. He's my best friend."
"That wasn't the answer to this question."
Noin stood. "It really doesn't matter."
"It's just an answer."
"I must get going. I have an examination soon. If you'll excuse me, your Excellency..."
As she turned to the door, Treize gave her some parting words.
"It's alright to care for him. Zechs is a very trustworthy person. But you've only seen one side of him. You don't know the real truth behind Zechs Marquise."
As she walked down the halls, his words stuck in her mind. The real truth? What did he mean by that? And why did he ask such questions?
She stopped. Her heart was beating at an odd rate. She put a hand to her chest, feeling the steady beat.
Now that I think about it, I never really asked myself how I feel for him. I've always been busy with training that I haven't thought about it. He is just a friend to me...then why is my heart beating so fast? Is it because...God, is his Excellency right? Do I love him?
OMG, that took a lot out of me. It's 3 AM and I'm still awake...what the hell is wrong with me?! Well, I hoped you enjoyed this installment, and be sure to wait for the next chapter!! ^_^
Stepping Down
Noin sighed as the packet was placed in front of her. It was yet another written exam.
God, how many of these will there be? She wondered with a little annoyance.
The other trainees seemed annoyed as well. Noin willed herself not to let her annoyance show. It was difficult.
Later that day...
"The results are up!!!"
Noin turned her head. She had spent the better part of her day looking for Zechs, but he didn't seem to be anywhere.
Why do I even bother looking at the results?! She thought. It's always the same...
She did look, though. It was no surprise to her what the results were.
1. Zechs Marquise..............98%
2. Lucrezia Noin..............96%
Well, it hadn't been easy. Neither she nor Zechs got a perfect score on it.
And it didn't bother her that Zechs did better. To begin with, she never did. But she forced the anger upon herself. Now that she called a truce with him, she hardly cared.
Well, you know why you were angry, she reminded herself. You want to be the spitting image of your tou-san. He was better than anyone he trained with. And here you are, the best except under a tall blonde who outdoes you in everything. So much for being the best...
"Ooh, Noin's in second!"
"You think she's gonna go bite Marquise's head off?"
"I dunno. She always does."
Noin glared at them for their assumptions, then stalked away. Am I really that vicious? God, I didn't want to tarnish my own reputation, but have I anyway with my arrogance?
"Zechs, don't you want to check the results of the exam?" asked Treize.
"No need," said Zechs. "I know I'm either in first or second."
"No kidding. Noin is an excellent challenger to you, that's for sure."
"Yes...so, why did you come to pay me a visit?"
"Well, you know the final examination? Well, it has been decided that you will be using Aries suits."
"Really? That's incredible!!"
"Yes. The Aries doesn't use as much fuel as a Leo, and it's impossible to tear into the control panel...it's too difficult. We want to avoid another incident."
"Thank you. She...she was injured terribly."
"Hmm, quite a competitor, isn't she?"
Zechs narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"You like her, don't you?"
"WHAT?! She's just a good friend, Treize!"
"Oh, I'm just teasing. They're not that many girls like her, are there? She's a rare catch."
"I know where you're going with this conversation. She is just a friend."
"Why so defensive? You've never acted like this with other women."
"..."
"I thought so."
"Shut up."
Noin looked in the mirror and parted her hair on her head. The gash had healed, but it became a scar.
It isn't even a battle scar, she thought. Oh well, at least no one can see it...
"So it's a scar now?" asked someone.
Noin jumped in surprise, then sighed. "Yeah. I was hoping I wouldn't get scars until I became a soldier."
"Expect the unexpected," said Zechs. "I take it you saw the results?"
"Yes. You had a 98. I had a 96."
"Oh. Well, are you mad?"
"Um, not really. In fact, I'm stepping down."
"'Stepping down'?"
"Well, I'm good but not as good as you. So instead of trying to beat you, I'll just try my best."
"That's a change."
"The other trainees expected me to explode on you. I've always kept a good reputation, but I've looked like an idiot screaming at you."
"You did create some unnecessary scenes."
"I said I'm stepping down. I'm okay being second. It's better than last."
"Yeah, that's a good point."
For the weeks following their conversation, both got the top marks. Zechs always was first, but Noin didn't seem to mind. In fact, she congratulated him instead of screaming at him. One day, Treize stopped by the Lake Victoria Base. But he was there to see her.
"I see you've fully recovered," said Treize. "That's good. If you didn't, you would be on my consciousness."
"I'm fine," said Noin. "I was able to recover, and now I feel one hundred percent."
"I also want to congratulate you on your excellent achievement here. You'll definitely make a respectable soldier."
"Thank you, sir. I try my hardest to put an effort in everything I do."
"I know. That kind of attitude is best fit for a soldier. You're just like your tou-san."
"I'm flattered, sir." Noin held a smile, but she had the feeling Treize was hiding something.
He seemed to have read her mind. "I want to talk to you about-"
"Zechs?" she finished.
"Oh, you're calling him by his first name now?"
"He's become like a best friend to me. He tried to call me by my first name, but I told him not to. Noin suits me better."
"Uh huh. So...how do you see him?"
"Well, as a friend I guess. And something like a fellow trainee."
"Hmm...I don't think you're telling me everything."
"What?"
"The way you talk about him, and the look on your face when you do. It's deeper than friendship."
"Wha-"
"You care for him a lot, don't you?"
"That's kind of a personal question..."
"It's just a simple one."
"Well, I already answered it. He's my best friend."
"That wasn't the answer to this question."
Noin stood. "It really doesn't matter."
"It's just an answer."
"I must get going. I have an examination soon. If you'll excuse me, your Excellency..."
As she turned to the door, Treize gave her some parting words.
"It's alright to care for him. Zechs is a very trustworthy person. But you've only seen one side of him. You don't know the real truth behind Zechs Marquise."
As she walked down the halls, his words stuck in her mind. The real truth? What did he mean by that? And why did he ask such questions?
She stopped. Her heart was beating at an odd rate. She put a hand to her chest, feeling the steady beat.
Now that I think about it, I never really asked myself how I feel for him. I've always been busy with training that I haven't thought about it. He is just a friend to me...then why is my heart beating so fast? Is it because...God, is his Excellency right? Do I love him?
OMG, that took a lot out of me. It's 3 AM and I'm still awake...what the hell is wrong with me?! Well, I hoped you enjoyed this installment, and be sure to wait for the next chapter!! ^_^