Pilots and Columns

*Last Time: Explosions rocked the base while the two stood together, seemingly unaware. A white light enveloped the two just as the base was destroyed.

This Time:

Duo sat in the cockpit of his Gundam, Deathsythe Hell. Heero hadn't come out of the base yet and he was getting worried. He's never taken this long before. Usually, he's out with the information before we've even finished destroying all of the Mobile Suits. Where could he be??' He watched as the preliminary explosions began to rock the base. Those were just to destroy the hangers that held Mobile Suits, Dolls, and aircraft carriers, should anyone in the base try to escape before it was destroyed. Come on Heero! You only have 30 seconds left! You can't leave me now, not like this. After all we've been through, you have to pull through.' (AN: no he's not in love with Heero, he's his best friend) He scanned the exits of the building, hoping beyond hope that his best friend would miraculously emerge unscathed and alive.

Quatre watched as the second set of explosions began. A sense of sadness and dread filled his heart. He also felt the slightest tinge of peace and relief. Heero was inside the building and wasn't coming out. Quatre was feeling Heero's emotions (AN: he's got some emphatic abilities). Heero was going to die and knew it. He seemed even slightly pleased that he wasn't going to live to see another day, like he was finally at peace with himself. Quatre sighed. He'd miss Heero, but at least he could tell that Heero didn't regret dying, the others couldn't. I'll tell them for you. They'll hate me for not coming to save you, but I'll tell them you died happily.'

Wufei and Trowa watched as their bombs began to detonate from their Gundams. Their work was done. Heero had gotten the files, as usual, and the base was blowing up. In a mere 30 seconds, there would be nothing left of the base but a pile of rubble. They would once again go back to Quatre's mansion and await their next mission.

Trowa opened a link to Quatre's Gundam.

"We've set up the bombs to explode in 15 seconds. We are no longer needed here, let's go home. This mission is complete." He said without looking up. When he did look up, the sad, resigned expression on Quatre's face alerted him to an unforeseen complication.

"What happened?" He asked the boy as gently as he could.

"Heero.." He croaked out, choking on a sob. No matter how much he wanted to appear calm to Trowa when he told him the news that Heero wasn't coming back, he couldn't.

"Wha" Trowa was cut off by Duo and Wufei joining the conversation.

"Hey Q-man, have you seen Heero come out yet??" Dou asked with deep concern.

"What?! Yui is still in there?! That building's about to blow! Where is he?" Wufei raged.

"He's he's not " Quatre managed to get out before he was so RUDELY interrupted by the CHAOS base exploding.

The pilots' attention was instantly diverted to the fireworks before them. The base exploded in a flurry of lights. Quatre burst into tears, Duo stared dumbfounded at the sight, Wufei looked shocked, and Trowa gazed impassively at the sight before him.

"He's gone." Duo managed to whisper.

"Yui, gone? I can't believe it." Wufei said, sounding like a child who had just learned that their parents weren't the invincible, all-knowing, all-powerful, faultless gods they thought they were.

Before anyone could say another word, a bright white light lit up the area where the base had stood moments earlier.

"What the hell??!!" Wufei cried in shock.

"I thought, *sniff sniff* I thought all the bombs had already gone off." Quatre said through his tears.

"They did." Trowa answered, as confused as everyone else.

Duo just sat in his cockpit, wide mouthed at what he saw through the light.

"Heero." Duo breathed with relief.

"What??" Quatre asked the braided pilot.

"Heero" was the only thing Duo passed through his lips as he lifted his hand to point at the receding column of light.

What the pilots saw, at first was just a strange beam of energy (I got tired of saying light). As it slowly dimmed and lessened in size, what they saw was*