Kitten's Sunrise
Sequel to 'Kitten's Angel'
By Alexia Goddess
Chapter One
Reunions
A man dressed in desert camouflage, a camouflage hat pulled low over emerald green eyes and a thick strand of brown hair that covered one eye was crouched in the underbrush, the hot outback sun beating down on him. He ignored both the heat of the sun and the snake the slithered over his boot.
"Damn, Barton, how can you stand it out here?" Another man crouching next to the first man hissed. Trowa narrowed his eyes at his 'partner' out of the corner of his eye.
"Quiet," Trowa told him, his voice low and without scorn or humor. His partner grumbled, but remained quiet, sweat dripping down his face in mini rivers.
They'd been there for hours, Trowa Barton and his mission partner Rocky Calancha, hidden in the underbrush of the Australian outback, keeping sharp eyes on the small Ranger outpost. It was rumored that it was possible it could be the entrance to the beginnings of a rebel underground base. Trowa and Rocky had been stationed there to observe the outpost, keep track of who went in and who went out and when.
So far, the only other living creatures besides them that had gone anywhere near the outpost was a young kangaroo.
"This is pointless, Barton," Rocky grumbled. "We've been here since this morning, and we've yet to see another soul!"
Trowa contemplated this, then glanced down at his watch; the mission assignment had said only stay there till about noon, and it was two o'clock already.
"Move out," Trowa commanded silently. Relief caressed Rocky's face, and he wiped a sheet of sweat off his forehead before resettling his cap down over his forehead, and following Trowa through the underbrush to the hidden jeep not far away. With Trowa's back to him leading the way, Rocky got a look on his face that screamed dishonorable intentions. Out of his boot he pulled out what, at first glance, appeared to be a small pistol. Upon closer inspection, one would see a dart in the barrel of the gun instead of a bullet…
Rocky aimed, fired, and Trowa went down, unconscious. Rocky gave a signal-whistle, and a dozen armed soldiers in desert camouflage came running out of the outpost. Trowa, as several arms lifted him, groaned. Rocky slammed the but of a rifle that was handed to him into Trowa's face.
"Always wanted to do that to a Gundam Pilot," Rocky muttered. "Let's get him inside, boys!"
*___~____~____~____~____~___*
The young warrior watched for, waited for his prey from up above, hidden in the deep green foliage that was his favorite oak tree. A gravely path ran directly below the branch he was on, a few feet away from the base of the trunk.
He glanced up at the tree on the other side of the path and found and held the gaze of another pair of mischievous eyes. The only thing that differed was colour; his were the deepest of prussian blues, but the ones he stared into, the ones above a pair of smirking pretty little pink lips, was brightest of azure blues, set in a face that was as cute and pert as a little fairy princess.
He held up a single finger to his lips, motioning for silence. Those azure eyes in the opposite tree glittered, but the tiny giggles he'd been hearing ceased.
A moment later, a car was heard, then the car being parked, the engine turned off...doors opened...doors slammed...a trunk was opened...sounds of a slight struggle...the trunk slammed shut... Then there were footsteps, heavy footsteps, like someone -two someones- were carrying something heavy. Voices, but too far away to be distinguished...
Ah, now they were close enough. A man and a woman, clearly related, dressed in Preventor uniforms.
"It'll be so good to see Kit and Fae again!" The woman sighed, adjusting her grip on her suitcase. The man smiled.
"Axis has been spoiling that girl since the day she was born," He laughed. The woman grinned.
"Hey," She defended Axis. "You haven't been doing much better, *Prince* Zion! Look how many thing's you've brought her!"
"Speak for yourself, Zeph!" The man laughed. "I know for a fact half that suitcase is filled with nothing but gifts for Fae and Sirus."
"They're good kids," Zephra shrugged, smiling. "Even if Sirus is *supposedly* too old to act like one."
"How old are they, now, anyway?" Zion asked. Zephra laughed.
"You've forgotten you're own niece's and her best friend's age?" She rolled her eyes. "You oaf! Fae's almost fourteen, and Sirus is eighteen."
The predator in the treetops grinned ferally, glancing up at those azure eyes in the other tree. 'Good kids,' were they?
Heh heh heh...
He held up three fingers...dropped one...dropped the second...
The third finger fell.
As did the buckets of water.
Screeches and curses and then laughter rang out as the two Preventor officers became drenched from head to foot. Sirus scrambled down from his perch in the tree. He knew they'd figure out where the water had come from momentarily, and despite being well into their thirties, Preventor Zephra and Preventor Zion DID know how to climb trees!
"Quick, hurry!" Came the delighted squeal of a thirteen-year-old, platinum blonde haired, bright azure-eyed girl as she grabbed Sirus's hand just as he climbed down. Together, Sirus and the former occupant of the tree that had been across from his darted down the lane. Laughter, shouts, and the sounds of a chase filled the Angel Garden of the Sanq Palace that Saturday afternoon, as Zion and Zephra picked themselves up and chased after the two mischievous teens.
"Mama, hide me!" The blonde girl squealed as she and Sirus burst into the East Sunroom. She darted behind the wicker lawn chair her mother, a dark blonde haired, sea green eyed woman in her early thirties blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing as her daughter reached up and smacked her on the shoulder.
"Hush, mama, or they'll find us!" The girl hissed as Sirus ducked behind his own mother's chair; it did him little good, for all he was a lanky eighteen year old, the petite wicker chair did almost nothing to hide him.
"All right, Fae, what did you do this time?" The sea green eyed woman asked.
"Nothing!" Both Fae and Sirus chimed together.
"Alright, WHERE are the brats?" Came a mock outraged cry. Preventor Zephra, Zion right behind her, burst in, scowling. But were one to look past the scowl, one would see a delighted twinkle in her dark green eyes...
"Why, what do you mean, sister dear?" The dark blonde haired woman asked innocently. A giggle came from behind her chair.
"You know PERFECTLY well what I mean, Kit!" Zephra grumbled, accepting a towel from an amused staff member. Zion took one as well, eyes dancing.
"Too bad SIRUS and FAERY aren't around," Zion said, his voice slightly louder than need be. "Aunt Zephra and I got some GREAT stuff in AMERICA."
"America????" Came an overjoyed voice. In a flash Fae was jumping around, demanding stories and her gifts. Sirus stood up from his 'hiding' spot, hands in his pockets, smiling down at his mother, Relena. His face was alight with laughter and his eyes sparkling; he never failed to fall in love with how much fun Fae could be.
"Hey, Z-man, you're back!" Came the voice of a man in his late thirties.
"How are you, Duo?" Zion grinned as he and Duo clasped hands. His eyes widened in surprise, everyone else laughing, when Duo pulled him into a tight bear hug.
"I'm doing great!" Duo said, releasing the blue faced former Xylionian prince. Zephra only laughed. Duo spotted her and wiggled his ears, holding out his arms.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's the Z-babe!" He said, and Zephra hugged him, laughing.
"Good to see you, too, Maxwell," She said.
"Don't I get one?" The dark blonde haired woman, Kitten, Fae's mother, said with a mock, rather childish pout as she stood and came over. Duo grinned and engulfed the woman in a gentle bear hug.
"When did you get in?" Kitten asked Duo, her 'big brother.'
"Just a little while ago," He said. "Just in time to view your daughter and her friend's latest prank." He laughed and reached down to give both Sirus and Fae a high five. Kitten rolled her eyes, but grinned nonetheless. "But man, that was a long drive!" The former Shinigami yawned. "I'm starved! When's lunch?"
"Still thinking with your stomach, eh, Duo?" Came another voice.
"Q-man!" Duo whirled and grabbed the fair skinned, light haired, lean Arabian man in yet another bear hug. Quatre laughed, gasping for air slightly when Duo, still with his long brown braid, put him down.
"Uncle Quatre!" The teenage Fae gave Quatre a tight, enthusiastic hug, which Quatre returned.
"Long time no see, Winner," Zephra grinned, shaking Quatre's hand and giving him a light hug.
"I know," Quatre smiled that gentle smile, and then spotted Kitten. Kitten held out her arms, and Quatre moved to embrace her warmly.
"You're looking splendid, Kit," Quatre told her, and Kitten, grinning, returned the sentiment.
"It's too bad the other G-Boys couldn't make it," Fae said, clasping an Indian bead necklace that Uncle Zion had given her around her neck. Sirus, all of eighteen, came up behind her to help her put it on.
"Yeah, total bummer that Angel got dragged to that boring 'briefing' at the last minute," Duo grumbled. "But she did say she should be able to make it for the actual birthday date." He added, ruffling Fae's bright blonde hair.
"Wufei and Heero are on one of those deep space missions out past Jupiter," Quatre explained. "And Trowa got drafted to Australia to investigate what looks like might be a premature attempt to start a anti-peace organization." He winked at Fae. "But they did send presents for our birthday girl!"
"You remembered!" Fae squealed. "Did you bring them? Can I have them? Pleeeeeeeeease???"
"Down, girl," Kitten laughed, hugging her daughter from behind. Fae, embarrassed by her mother's public show of affection, flushed and pushed away with a, "Mama!!!"
"You're birthday isn't for another week, squirt," Sirus told her, grinning. Fae only stuck out her tongue in a mock pout. "Well, can we at least go have lunch so we can eat those brownies Maria made? Pleeeease???"
"Brownies?" Duo attention was perked immediately. Everyone laughed.
"Well I think it's safe to say we're all getting rather hungry." Relena said, smiling as she stood and set down the book she'd been reading before Fae and Sirus had burst in.
"Well then, c'mon!" Duo grabbed Kit's hand, and Fae grabbed one of Zion's and one of Zephra's, the two hungry pranksters dragging everyone towards the door.
*___~____~____~____~____~___*
The figure sitting in the tall-backed chair in front of a computer console was clearly bored, judging from his/her posture. The figure leaned forward in the chair slightly, and it was revealed that it was a breathtakingly beautiful woman. She sighed, tapping her blood red, perfectly manicured nails against the desk as she watched the data from their newest captive scrolling down the screen.
Boring, boring, boring…more boring, boring…hmm…amnesia…interesting…nay, boring boring…
The woman sighed again, like an impatient teenager would sigh when waiting for a late date. Suddenly, just as she was about to quit, something interesting caught her eye…she paused the scrolling of the data and began reading in more detail. Her perfectly arched eyebrows rose, her deep black eyes twinkling with delight.
"Be careful," She warned herself. "This man likes to read…this could just be from one of the stories he's read…no, it includes his fellow pilots…perhaps a story of his own? But is it based on true events, or is it fictional? If these are actually memories and not imaginings, then…" The woman's breath caught in her throat at the possibilities.
Grinning like a schoolgirl, she reached for the comm. button on her desk.
*___~____~____~____~____~___*
One Week Later
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Faery… Happy birthday to you!"
"And many mooooore…" Duo ended the chorus with a deep alto verse of his own. Everyone laughed, and cheered, Fae grinning like crazy at her place at the head of the long, polished mahogany table.
"Mine first, mine first!" Fae's best friend, Cassie. Fae happily accepted the gift, tore of the ribbon, shredded the pretty metallic silver wrapping paper, and tossed aside the top lid of the cardboard box. Fae let loose a girlish squeal of delight and lifted the beautiful black, metallic, transparent sparkly blouse.
"That better come with an undershirt," Axis said in a voice that was humorous, but with an underlying tone of a father's dead seriousness. Fae laughed, and reached into the box and pulled out a black, sleek polyester spaghetti strap top.
"They're interchangeable," Cassie told her, showing everyone the three other transparent, metallic jacket/blouses; navy blue, hunter green, and ruby red. Fae hugged her friend, handed the box and clothing to Quatre who set it on another table.
Next came the one from Heero, who was absent. She tore off the wrapping paper, and a note was revealed under it, taped to the box. Fae read it quickly, then handed it to her father. Axis, reading the note, grumbled something best left unrepeated, and Kitten laughed out loud. Fae, curious, opened the box and pulled out a crystal case, containing an antique silver pistol.
"Only Hee-man would give a fourteen year old a gun for her birthday," Duo laughed.
"I'll have to have a word with him when he gets back," Axis grumbled. Fae smacked her father playfully on the arm.
"Be nice, daddy. It probably doesn't even work." She said, passing it to Quatre who added to the clothes from Cassie. Quatre turned back around with his own gift, and Fae hugged the contents with enthusiasm; a breathtakingly beautiful porcelain fairy doll, and a small black box containing a necklace with a golden pendant of a fairy sitting on a star. She put it on, and hugged Quatre warmly.
From Duo there was a gift certificates to the mall's arcade, the ice cream bar, the trendiest French boutique in all of Sanq, and –one of the things she'd wanted most- tickets to the carnival that weekend!
From Trowa there was an entire book series about a girl with telepathic powers, along with a stationary kit and an expensive red fountain pen, a custom made golden dragon on the end of it.
Sirus gave her a manicure/nail polish kit, with every color imaginable, and a gift certificate for a free professional manicure.
From Relena –whom was absent due to a meeting on L3 colony- Fae received the loveliest set of art pencils, clay eraser, rulers for straight lines, a practice pad, and the finest sketching paper money could buy, along with a beaded, mini tot bag to put it all in.
From Wufei –this was one of Fae's favorite gifts- came a set of Chinese throwing stars. The edges of each star were sharper than the sharpest sword, and both sides of the stars were decorated with inlaid gold patterns. There were eight stars in all, plus twin daggers that matched the throwing stars. Fae's thrill heightened when she discovered a note from Wufei promising to show her how to use them- can't have a 'helpless onna' carrying weapon she didn't know how to use!
Finally came the gifts from Aunt Zephra and Uncle Zion; from Zephra a complete, brand new set of everything a dancer could want; three leotards, each a different color, all with matching hair ties, gauzy, feather light wrap around dance skirts, tights, and dance shoes. And not just ballet shoes; three different pairs -one pair to match each leotard- of ballet shoes, jazz shoes, tap shoes, toe shoes, and stage shoes. It all came inside a black pleather dance bag with gold lining, with a matching water bottle and insulated bag to carry snacks.
Uncle Zion gave her a complete, and obviously extremely expensive jewelry set; rubies set in gold. Earrings, necklace, choker, bracelet, ring, and anklet.
Last, but not least, came the gifts from Fae's parents; Kitten handed her daughter a four foot long, half a foot wide case wrapped in dark gold tissue paper. Fae noticed a twinkle in the eyes of everyone but Cassie; they all knew something about this particular gift. Fae, unlike with her other gifts, carefully parted the tape from the tissue paper, and slid the long case out of its golden encasing. The case was made of a deep burgundy, well-worked leather, inlaid with intricate designs of pure gold. Fae ran her fingers delicately over the filigrees, and only upon Cassie's hushed hurries did she lift the cover, slowly. The hinges, well oiled, didn't give the tiniest squeak. But Fae, however, squealed and gave a cry loud enough to wake the dead. She snatched up the contents of the case and hugged it to her chest, tearfully thanking Kitten and Axis.
Only after she had calmed down after the initial shock of receiving the most beautiful weapon on the face of the Earth –or at least, after she heard Duo and Cassie's laughter- did she take the time to fully examine the blade. A most magnificent weapon, it was. Sheathed in a leather scabbard the same deep burgundy brown as the case, with the same golden etchings in the designs of flower and stars. At the top of the scabbard, under the hilt, a fairy etched in gold in mid flight leaned over to smell a flower.
Fae unclasped the harnessing that kept the sword in its scabbard and pulled it out. The blade was of the most radiant shimmering silver, streaked with barely detectable wavering streaks of metallic blue, betraying that the metal was the finest of steel. The hilt was made to look like two strands of gold weaving and twisting around each other. The hilt guards were decorated with flowers and stars and filigrees. On each side of the hilt, sitting on the hilt guards, were two twin fairies, reaching around the hilt to clasp hands.
"Now you have one, Angel has one…and I have one!" Fae whispered…then kissed the hilt and sheathed it, only to hug it once more.
"There's one more thing to go with that," Said a voice. Fae whirled in her seat.
"Angel!" She cried, running to her 'cousin' with a delighted smile, fairy sword still in hand. Angel and Fae embraced warmly. Angel pulled away and held her 'cousin' at arms length, smiling at her.
"Look at you," She said. "Only two months since I last saw you when I left to accept my promotion at the Preventor's headquarters, and you've not only sprung up like a weed, but doubled in beauty, as well." She looked up and winked at Axis. "I'll bet Axis has had to beat the boys away with a stick."
"Not without assistance from us, he hasn't!" Duo laughed. Fae only grinned, her ears slightly red from the praise.
"How was the trip?" Fae asked Angel. Angel smiled.
"It was…well, I've had better," She said. Everyone laughed at that; Angel's proneness to space sickness was a 'family' joke. It was made even more funny by the fact that Fae had a stomach of steel…and to think they were intended to be the same person…
Kitten watched her daughter(s) with a slight smile on her face. So long…it had been so long since Angel had first come into their lives, arriving in a Gundam almost identical to Epion, and declaring herself not only from the future, but to be Kitten's future daughter…
Kitten's smile widened as Axis slipped an arm around his wife's waist and kissed her temple. She then laughed outright at the expression on Fae's face when Angel presented her with a black velvet box that she opened to reveal a bracelet bearing the word 'Faerie.' Kitten remembered the call she had gotten from Angel, asking her permission to get her 'cousin' that special gift. Angel'd had to have it custom made, after months of searching for a bracelet or necklace with the word 'faerie,' or at least 'fairy,' with no luck.
"Mama, lookit!" Fae said, her eyes lit up with delight, pulling Angel behind her as she held up her wrist for Kitten to see. Kitten grinned, met Angel's eyes, and Angel winked. Simultaneously, Kitten and Angel held out their right arms and pulled up their long sleeves to reveal their own bracelets. Fae's jaw dropped, blinked…then leaped into the air with an enthusiastic, cheerleader-style midair split and a loud 'wahoo!!!!!'
"Good to see you again, Angel," Kitten said, embracing the woman that was –biologically- her daughter, but whom was, on an emotional level, no more than a very close niece.
"I wish I could say the same," Angel whispered quietly. Her happy demeanor and casual outlook flickered for a moment, revealing pain and fear for only a slight second. Kitten's own eyes flashed with worry. She glanced at Axis, who was in the process of showing Fae a few moves with her new sword, moves that were a bit more advanced than the ones in her fencing class.
Axis's eyes were caught by Kitten's, and his own eyes mirrored hers. She jerked her head towards Angel, then discreetly pointed to the hallway. Axis nodded, Fae never noticed a thing, and Angel and Kitten quietly left the dining room.
Once outside, Angel's mask dropped completely. Had she not lived almost her entire life as a soldier, Kitten knew the thirty-year-old woman would have been in near hysterics.
"I'll be blunt," Angel said, swallowing thickly. "The reason I wasn't able to get here till now was…" She swallowed again. "Trowa and his partner Rocky have disappeared."
*___~____~____~____~____~___*
"I'll be right back," Fae told everyone. "I'm just gonna go stash my stuff in my room so we have more space for the games kay?" Various acknowledgments echoed her statement, and Fae gathered up all her stuff in one huge armful and headed out of the dining room, exiting through a different exit than Angel and Kitten. She turned the corner, and froze suddenly as she heard her Uncle Trowa's name.
Fae paused, getting as close to the edge of the corner as she dared, realizing that Angel and her mother were right around it. Fae evened her breathing and set her body in 'silent' mode, feeling no qualms whatsoever over evesdropping.
"What do you mean, he's missing?" Fae's mother whispered hoarsely.
"Just what I said," Angel sighed. "You remember how Uncle Quatre told you he'd been drafted to Australia? To observe what the Preventors think might be the base of a potential rebel group? Well, he and his temporary partner, Rocky Calancha, went to their post, to do their observing…and they just never came back."
Fae's breath caught in her throat, her azure eyes as wide as dinnerplates. She was too shocked to even register a strand of her chin length, rod straight bright blonde hair tickle her nose. Fae didn't hear any more of the conversation, and, not caring if they heard her, Fae whirled and dashed down the hallway and up the stairs to her room, where she slammed the door shut with her foot and dumped everything on her window seat. She threw herself onto her bed, grabbed her pillow, buried her face in it, and screamed.
It was a full five minutes before the shock wore off, followed by an unstoppable onslaught of tears and sobbing. So enveloped in emotional agony was she, that she didn't notice the pair of ruby red eyes surrounded by golden 'skin' watching her through the
skylight window above her bed…
To Be Continued…
WAHOOOOOOOOOOOIEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! I did it! Welcome to the first chapter of 'Kitten's Sunrise.' Was it good? Was it long enough? This was basically just a chapter to set up the story. The next chapter will be much more…involved, I guess is the word. Anyhoo, ja ne!
Smile More, Dream Always,
Alexia Goddess
*ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY*