Angels Don't Exist
Chapter 9
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Disclaimer: i don't own GW or SM...

A/N: I wanted to put this story on hold until i finished up Sacrifices..BUT i wrote another chapter...! hehe...well...i just finished reading chapter 8..(of this story) and i realized that the even would've made more impact if i put more detail in it...*sighz* i'm going to try and put more detail into this chapter...and add a lot of p.o.v's
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Duo looked over to where Trowa had sat, motionless since they got back. "Do you think that he'll be all right?" He asked Quatre.

"Of course." Quatre answered, "He has to."

"But still.." Duo started, "He looks so...so...I don't know! He just looks so 'out of it!'"

"Duo.." Quatre answered, "Have you ever lost someone close to you?"

"I see your point.." Duo said. And indeed he did. He knew what it was like to depend on someone and then wake up one morning to realize that they weren't there anymore. He knew how it felt, and how much it hurt. "I'm going for a walk." Duo said, the talk with Quatre had opened up old wounds for him.

"Sure." Quatre said, "Just don't be gone too long, we still need to make up a new strategy to defeat the colonies."

"No prob!" Duo left. As he walked outside, he remembered. He remembered his past. He remembered Father Maxwell, Sister Helen, Solo... Tears that he thought were long buried away made their way to the surface.."Why me?" he asked.

- -- - -- -- - -- -

Hotaru sat in a room that was brightly decorated. The walls of the room were a soft, yellow-cream colour. The curtains and carpet were white. There wasn't much furniture in the room, just a sofa and a coffee table. The coffee table was made of mahogany with oak trimmings and was painted with a shiny tarnish. The sofa was a white colour as well with yellow pillows.

The room did not reflect her mood.

Hotaru sighed. These days, she always got the feeling that something was going to happen; something unexpected, and something that could very much kill them.

She looked out of the window and saw that Duo and Quatre were standing off to one side looking at Trowa. Quatre said something to Duo and Duo answered, looking slightly pained. Then Duo walked off. Hotaru turned and watched Trowa. "Is he thinking or just staring off into space?" Hotaru asked herself.

"Both." Someone said.

Hotaru turned around. It was Heero, again. "Why is it that you always pop up out of no where? And why is it that you always seem in the right place to answer my rhetorical questions?"

Heero shrugged. "I get around. I keep my eyes and ears open. How else?"

Hotaru threw her hands up in the air in frustration. "That was a rhetorical question too."

Heero smirked.

"I'm going to talk to Trowa.." Hotaru said.

"Yeah...sure." Heero said. He watched as Hotaru got up and walked over to Trowa.

- -- - -- -- - -- -

"Hey Trowa." Hotaru said, cheerfully. "How are you?" She said when Trowa gave no reply. In fact, he didn't even show a sign that Hotaru spoke to him. "Trowa!" She said sternly, "You know..this is stupid!"

"What is?" Trowa snapped, glaring her straight in the eye.

Hotaru returned the glare. "This!" She snapped, feeling her temper rise. "You think you're the only one who has lost someone close to them!? You sit here sulking around in your self pity! You can't and will never be able to change your past! There is and was nothing you could've done!!"

Trowa looked away. "I could've saved her." he whispered.

"What!?" Hotaru said, her anger still high.

"I COULD'VE SAVED HER DAMMIT!" Trowa said, "I should've saved her...I should've......"

"I'm sorry, Trowa." Hotaru said, "I know how you feel...I've lost a lot of people I loved in the past, I've been the 'evil' person before, I've been lost myself."

Trowa looked up into her eyes, they were telling the truth. "Who are you? What happened in your past?" Trowa asked, slightly suspicious.

Hotaru looked away. She spotted Heero in the doorway. "I think we should start working on the plan... I'll get the others."

Trowa narrowed his eyes, "Okay..."

Hotaru got up and looked at Trowa, "Just remember, you do not have to be alone in this. I'll always listen."

"Thanks..." Trowa said.

- -- - -- -- - -- -

"Here's the mission." Heero informed them, "We sneak past them, and destroy the suits that are in the hangar. Destroy every last suit, leave none whole. NONE!"

"We need to recruit more soldiers, we cannot do this alone." Hotaru said.

"I'll get my troops to help." Quatre said.

- -- - -- -- - -- -

"As most of you already know, we are currently in a war." Duo told the crowd, "We need people who are willing to help us achieve peace. We need people who are willing to fight for Earth, fight for their homeland, and most importantly, fight for those you love."

Hundreds signed up. Some signed up because they had nothing to lose, some signed up because if this war continues, they have everything to lose.

- -- - -- -- - -- -

Their army consisted of hundreds of thousands of people. Each of them had a reason to fight, each of them had a special someone to live for.

"I truly respect those who signed up to fight." Hotaru told Heero, "They didn't have to, but they did to keep their families safe. And I know that they know that some of them won't make it back alive. There is no such thing as a bloodless war."

Heero nodded, "And you? Who are you fighting for?"

Hotaru paused. "I'm fighting for...for everyone who has every dreamed of living in peace. I'm fighting for all those who died in the war..and I'm fighting for myself, my beliefs. Who are you fighting for, Heero?"

"That's a hard question." Heero said, "I've never really thought of fighting for a special purpose. I was sent on missions and to fail those missions meant death. I suppose that means I fought for my life, for my survival. But that was in the past."

"And now?"

"Now? I'm fighting for the children on both the colonies and the earth. I hope that they won't have to grow up witnessing the flashes and anger of war. I hope that no one else would be brought up as I was." And I'm fighting for you. Heero thought, although he wouldn't admit it.

"All right." Came Quatre's voice over the comm-link, "We are to move out." The mass of people in suits began to leave their carriers and float to the colonies where an army was waiting for them.

Suit clashed with suit. Swords attacked and shields blocked. Everything became a game, no, it was already a game. Hotaru corrected herself.

Heero was battling the leader. They flew from here to there in a matter of seconds.

"Admiral Jonus," Heero said, "You are good."

"And you are certainly admirable, Heero Yuy." Jonus answered.

They had started with energy guns. And now they were on using energy swords. Clash. Block. Attack. Block. They went on, ignoring the rest of the war.

"Life is like a game of chess." Admiral Jonus said, taking his sword and slicing off the arm of Heero's gundam.

Heero saw an opening. "I agree." He then swung his sword into it. The suit blew up. "Checkmate."

- -- - -- -- - -- -

The war was over. Admiral Jonus had been defeated and the rest of the colonies forces fell apart. The gundam pilots, Hotaru, and Relena were having a party to celebrate the victory.

"Hotaru..it's time to go back."

"Who's that?" Duo asked.

Hotaru looked. "Setsuna-mama?"

"Hotaru, it's time to go back, a year is up." Setsuna said.

"B-but...can't I say good-bye?" Hotaru asked.

The holo-graphic Setsuna nodded, "You have an hour. When you are ready, take your key and call out: 'Crystal key, take me home!'" She disappeared.

"What was that about?" Duo asked.

"I have to go home.." Hotaru said to him, "I'm going to miss you."

"We can always visit!" Duo said, "Where do you live?" He got out a pen and a piece of paper.

"It's not that easy, Duo." Hotaru said sadly, "I have to go...and I won't be able to visit."

"Then...this is goodbye?" Duo asked, "Forever?"

Hotaru nodded.

"Goodbye then, Taru-chan." Duo said. "I'll miss you a lot. You're like a sister to me."

"I'll miss you too, Duo, you'll always be a brother to me." Hotaru said.

Saying goodbye to the others were easy. All except Heero, who she couldn't find.

"Do you know where Heero is?" She asked everyone. None of them knew.

"Hotaru, an hour is up." Setsuna reminded her.

Hotaru nodded and held out her key. She then noticed Heero, she stared at him and he met her eye. 'Good-bye' she mouthed.

'Till we meet again, I'll miss you. Good-bye isn't forever, I'll find a way to see you again.' Heero mouthed back.

Hotaru smiled. 'Farewell until then.' "Crystal key, take me HOME!"

A purple cloud spiraled down and engulfed Hotaru.
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Happily Ever After...?

finished: April 18, 2002 @ 5:13 pm