Chapter 17
"We are going to show those guys who they're messing with once and for all!" I shouted and noted Hotaru had already changed into the outfit she wore earlier today. Positive that no one was going to do any fencing tonight I changed into my outfit too and my hair was still in ondagos. I noted to myself I should put my hair up like this more often. Anyway, I stepped outside the door when I saw Hotaru tuck a caster gun in her belt. I told her she would only be allowed to use it if we were an inch from death and she nodded in agreement. I locked the door and we were off to the fencing room. Outside, the stars were already out and the moon lit the sky. It was warm but once in awhile a small breeze would blow by.
Hotaru and I swiftly walked into the fencing room letting the double doors slam shut behind us. All five gundam pilots were already there.
"Umm...I thought we were going to do some fencing tonight." said Quatre as we walked towards them. Duo's jaw was literally on the ground ever since Hotaru and I walked in. Trowa had to elbow him in the arm to snap him back to reality.
"No, I don't think anyone's doing any fencing tonight. Isn't that right Heero?" I asked and he looked at me as if saying he had no idea what I was talking about. "Oh please, don't give me that look. You know damn well what I'm talking about. You guys aren't really here for the school, you're all gundam pilots." I explained and for a while no one said a word.
"Wh... how...how did you know?" A stunned Quatre asked and Hotaru held up a couple of disks in her hand. Wufei tried to snatch it from her but she pulled away.
" Look familiar? It wouldn't matter if you take these or not. Hotaru made copies." I said pointing to the disks. "So I suggest you start explaining to us what you're doing here!" I added, sending them a glare.
"What are you talking about Riona?" Trowa asked me and I rolled my eyes. "Pl-lease you know damn well what I'm talking about Trenton!" I shouted, accenting on the name Trenton.
"How do you know his real name is Trenton?" Heero asked me slightly puzzled.
"Gee I dunno, but maybe you do Odin!" I smiled accenting on his real name. I could tell they were getting really mad.
"The night of Relena's party, there was a mobile suit attack wasn't there? We know it all. A small organization of survivors from Oz came here to start over Oz's original intentions. They chose to come here because they knew we would be defenseless without you and your gundams. But then you followed, so that's why you're here, am I right?" I explained figuring the guys would never confess anyways. Then without warning, Heero drew out a gun and pointed it square in between my eyes. There was a long pause and suddenly I did a high kick, knocking Heero's gun out of his hand and sending him to the floor. All of a sudden the five pilots, Hotaru , and I were heated in a battle. Hotaru fought Wufei (which I knew would be tough for her knowing she liked him) and Duo. I had to fight Heero and Trowa and Quatre stood around trying to get us to stop. Hotaru was fighting well and successfully knocked down Duo and Wufei a couple of times. I was having a little more trouble. I threw a couple of punches and powerful kicks but Heero was the toughest fighter I'd ever fought. As much as I hit them, they got me back and more than twice I ended up on the floor. Then I was caught off-guard when Trowa grabbed my right arm and twisted it behind my back, making it so that he had a firm grip on me and I would have a hard time fighting back. He pulled me close, my back facing him he whispered into my ear.
"Riona please, don't do this, I... love you..." he said to me and I couldn't believe what I had just heard. All of a sudden I felt horrible for fighting them, but then I snapped back to reality. Elbowing Trowa in the stomach I broke free from his grip and turned to look at him. Tears forming in my eyes, it felt as if time had just stopped. I still couldn't believe he said that to me, but in one swift kick I knocked Trowa down to the ground. I looked over at Hotaru and she had just knocked down both Wufei and Duo.
"Hotaru!" I shouted, signaling her it was ok to use her caster gun. She took it out and fired it at a nearby wall but not in time to stop Heero from throwing another punch. It hit my face and I fell to the floor. I felt Hotaru's hand grab my arm and lifted me up and we ran out of the fencing room as fast as we could. We continued running and running and finally I had to stop. We were now far from the campus and in a densely wooded area. Hotaru bent over and rested her palms on her knees and I leaned against a nearby tree. The moon was shinning so brightly I could kind of see Hotaru. Both of us were breathing rather heavily. After I caught my breath I recognized a salty-sour taste in my mouth. I touched my lip and it was bleeding.
"Are you alright?" Hotaru signed to me.
"Yeah, just a couple of bruises on my arms, neck, and shins and my lip is bleeding, but I'll be alright. How about you?" I asked.
"Same here, except no bleeding lip." she signed and I nodded.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Hotaru asked me again staring at my face and I realized she had spotted a stray tear on my cheek. I quickly wiped it away.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" I replied to her trying to sound cheery but she knew I was faking it.
"Riona, I know you don't cry from a bleeding lip or a couple bruises. Something's wrong..." she signed and unable to hold it in I began sobbing as I slowly slid my back down the tree and sat down on the forest floor with my face in my hands.
"Are you sure we did the right thing?" I managed to say as countless tears raced down my face.
"What do you mean? It was your idea! But yeah, I guess we had to." Hotaru signed.
"Oh yeah? Then why do I feel so bad?" I asked her crying some more. I rarely had breakdowns like this and I kind of felt embarrassed, especially at a time like this.
"I don't know, but I feel the same way too. I mean, fighting Wufei was hard physically but you know it was even harder on the heart. Is this about Trowa?" she asked me. Hotaru seemed to know the root of every problem. I nodded. "What happened?" she asked.
"I was fighting him and then he had me in a lock and then he pulled me close and told me to not do this and he said...he said...he loved me!" I explained and continued crying. I could tell Hotaru didn't know how to respond.
" Don't let that bother you. You've forgotten what your original goal was to do and it was to stop them, not fall in love with them. You gotta focus on what we intended to do. Don't let that stand in your way. You gotta go back to that tough Riona, don't wimp out on me now." Hotaru signed. She was right. I wiped away my tears.
"Thanks Hotaru." I said to her and gave her a hug. She smiled and nodded as if to say you're welcome. We talked a little more, but this time around it was how Hotaru felt about the Wufei.
"Well we can't show our faces back there anymore, they'd kill us for sure!" I acknowledged Hotaru and she nodded.
"We'll worry about that later, right now I think I need some sleep." she signed and sat down and leaned up against the tree. I promised myself I would stay up and keep watch but as the night went on my eyelids grew heavier and soon I surrendered to slumber.
I didn't know what time it was but I woke up, hearing the sound of rustling leaves. I stood up and looked around and was about to wake up Hotaru when suddenly I was grabbed from behind. Not able to look at my attacker I tried to scream for Hotaru but quickly a hand was placed over my mouth. I continued to struggle but it was still hard without all my energy. The next thing I knew I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and I fell into unconsciousness.
"We are going to show those guys who they're messing with once and for all!" I shouted and noted Hotaru had already changed into the outfit she wore earlier today. Positive that no one was going to do any fencing tonight I changed into my outfit too and my hair was still in ondagos. I noted to myself I should put my hair up like this more often. Anyway, I stepped outside the door when I saw Hotaru tuck a caster gun in her belt. I told her she would only be allowed to use it if we were an inch from death and she nodded in agreement. I locked the door and we were off to the fencing room. Outside, the stars were already out and the moon lit the sky. It was warm but once in awhile a small breeze would blow by.
Hotaru and I swiftly walked into the fencing room letting the double doors slam shut behind us. All five gundam pilots were already there.
"Umm...I thought we were going to do some fencing tonight." said Quatre as we walked towards them. Duo's jaw was literally on the ground ever since Hotaru and I walked in. Trowa had to elbow him in the arm to snap him back to reality.
"No, I don't think anyone's doing any fencing tonight. Isn't that right Heero?" I asked and he looked at me as if saying he had no idea what I was talking about. "Oh please, don't give me that look. You know damn well what I'm talking about. You guys aren't really here for the school, you're all gundam pilots." I explained and for a while no one said a word.
"Wh... how...how did you know?" A stunned Quatre asked and Hotaru held up a couple of disks in her hand. Wufei tried to snatch it from her but she pulled away.
" Look familiar? It wouldn't matter if you take these or not. Hotaru made copies." I said pointing to the disks. "So I suggest you start explaining to us what you're doing here!" I added, sending them a glare.
"What are you talking about Riona?" Trowa asked me and I rolled my eyes. "Pl-lease you know damn well what I'm talking about Trenton!" I shouted, accenting on the name Trenton.
"How do you know his real name is Trenton?" Heero asked me slightly puzzled.
"Gee I dunno, but maybe you do Odin!" I smiled accenting on his real name. I could tell they were getting really mad.
"The night of Relena's party, there was a mobile suit attack wasn't there? We know it all. A small organization of survivors from Oz came here to start over Oz's original intentions. They chose to come here because they knew we would be defenseless without you and your gundams. But then you followed, so that's why you're here, am I right?" I explained figuring the guys would never confess anyways. Then without warning, Heero drew out a gun and pointed it square in between my eyes. There was a long pause and suddenly I did a high kick, knocking Heero's gun out of his hand and sending him to the floor. All of a sudden the five pilots, Hotaru , and I were heated in a battle. Hotaru fought Wufei (which I knew would be tough for her knowing she liked him) and Duo. I had to fight Heero and Trowa and Quatre stood around trying to get us to stop. Hotaru was fighting well and successfully knocked down Duo and Wufei a couple of times. I was having a little more trouble. I threw a couple of punches and powerful kicks but Heero was the toughest fighter I'd ever fought. As much as I hit them, they got me back and more than twice I ended up on the floor. Then I was caught off-guard when Trowa grabbed my right arm and twisted it behind my back, making it so that he had a firm grip on me and I would have a hard time fighting back. He pulled me close, my back facing him he whispered into my ear.
"Riona please, don't do this, I... love you..." he said to me and I couldn't believe what I had just heard. All of a sudden I felt horrible for fighting them, but then I snapped back to reality. Elbowing Trowa in the stomach I broke free from his grip and turned to look at him. Tears forming in my eyes, it felt as if time had just stopped. I still couldn't believe he said that to me, but in one swift kick I knocked Trowa down to the ground. I looked over at Hotaru and she had just knocked down both Wufei and Duo.
"Hotaru!" I shouted, signaling her it was ok to use her caster gun. She took it out and fired it at a nearby wall but not in time to stop Heero from throwing another punch. It hit my face and I fell to the floor. I felt Hotaru's hand grab my arm and lifted me up and we ran out of the fencing room as fast as we could. We continued running and running and finally I had to stop. We were now far from the campus and in a densely wooded area. Hotaru bent over and rested her palms on her knees and I leaned against a nearby tree. The moon was shinning so brightly I could kind of see Hotaru. Both of us were breathing rather heavily. After I caught my breath I recognized a salty-sour taste in my mouth. I touched my lip and it was bleeding.
"Are you alright?" Hotaru signed to me.
"Yeah, just a couple of bruises on my arms, neck, and shins and my lip is bleeding, but I'll be alright. How about you?" I asked.
"Same here, except no bleeding lip." she signed and I nodded.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Hotaru asked me again staring at my face and I realized she had spotted a stray tear on my cheek. I quickly wiped it away.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" I replied to her trying to sound cheery but she knew I was faking it.
"Riona, I know you don't cry from a bleeding lip or a couple bruises. Something's wrong..." she signed and unable to hold it in I began sobbing as I slowly slid my back down the tree and sat down on the forest floor with my face in my hands.
"Are you sure we did the right thing?" I managed to say as countless tears raced down my face.
"What do you mean? It was your idea! But yeah, I guess we had to." Hotaru signed.
"Oh yeah? Then why do I feel so bad?" I asked her crying some more. I rarely had breakdowns like this and I kind of felt embarrassed, especially at a time like this.
"I don't know, but I feel the same way too. I mean, fighting Wufei was hard physically but you know it was even harder on the heart. Is this about Trowa?" she asked me. Hotaru seemed to know the root of every problem. I nodded. "What happened?" she asked.
"I was fighting him and then he had me in a lock and then he pulled me close and told me to not do this and he said...he said...he loved me!" I explained and continued crying. I could tell Hotaru didn't know how to respond.
" Don't let that bother you. You've forgotten what your original goal was to do and it was to stop them, not fall in love with them. You gotta focus on what we intended to do. Don't let that stand in your way. You gotta go back to that tough Riona, don't wimp out on me now." Hotaru signed. She was right. I wiped away my tears.
"Thanks Hotaru." I said to her and gave her a hug. She smiled and nodded as if to say you're welcome. We talked a little more, but this time around it was how Hotaru felt about the Wufei.
"Well we can't show our faces back there anymore, they'd kill us for sure!" I acknowledged Hotaru and she nodded.
"We'll worry about that later, right now I think I need some sleep." she signed and sat down and leaned up against the tree. I promised myself I would stay up and keep watch but as the night went on my eyelids grew heavier and soon I surrendered to slumber.
I didn't know what time it was but I woke up, hearing the sound of rustling leaves. I stood up and looked around and was about to wake up Hotaru when suddenly I was grabbed from behind. Not able to look at my attacker I tried to scream for Hotaru but quickly a hand was placed over my mouth. I continued to struggle but it was still hard without all my energy. The next thing I knew I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and I fell into unconsciousness.