Hey all! I'm SO SORRY for taking so long to update, please forgive me! I can't use my home computer to update, so it takes me awhile before I can get to one that does. Anyways, I'm going to make this short and sweet: Read, enjoy, and Review!!
"Drat!" she exclaimed. It was locked. She smiled evily and pulled a pin out of her sub-space pocket. Putting it into the lock and jiggling it a bit, she managed to unlock the door. The room she entered through it was quite large, and filled with Gundamium alloy and spare parts for the Gundams.
"Why, there's enough parts here to build another Gundam!" she said to herself, surprised. She pulled out Mercury's computer and earrings, and turned them both on. Strange symbols and numbers flashed across the screen.
"Kami! Ami, why do you have to speak another language?" she asked jokingly. She took a deep breath and concentrated on reading the information laid out in front of her. She pulled out a large piece of paper that showed the blueprints for Wing Zero. After studying the supplies she had for a few moments, she began sketching some rough alterations onto the paper. She heard Ami's voice in the back of her head, explaining everything to her and helping her along. It took her about an hour to finish the plans. She could suddenly sense that the pilots were returning, and she quickly cast a spell. All of the parts and Gundanium alloy vanished to a clearing in the forest where she knew she could find. She set up a mirage of sorts, so that anyone merely glancing into the room would see everything asd though it was still there. If they tried to pick anything up, however, the mirage would vanish until they left. She left the room and locked the door behind her, remembering to take out Ami's earrings and return them and the little computer to her sub-space pocket just as the Gundams landed.
Wufei was the first one out of his Gundam. He hit the ground running, and went straight to her.
"Gomen for leaving you here, but you just can't come!" he exclaimed. "Look, I promised myself that I was going to protect you, and damn it all, I'll protect you. That means I won't allow you to go out there."
"I understand, Wufei. It's all right." Usagi told him. "I just worry about you, that's all."
"Why?" Duo piped up from behind Wufei. "The extra energy worked great! My sycthe was more powerful than ever, and all of us came out without a scratch!" he said.
"It's true, Usagi. I believe our battles can only get easier now." Quatre added.
"Arigato." Hiiro said for what had to be the first time in his life.
"No problem. I just wish you would allow me to come with you. You know, just in case anything happens. I could help." she whined.
"No." Wufei said sternly. "And as for anything going wrong, you should have more faith in your own work."
"Arrgh! Wufei!" she yelled, surprising them.
"Whoah." Quatre said softly.
"Just an onna blowing off some steam. You know how it is." Wufei said, earning a death glare worse than Hiiro's from Usagi.
"Look who's sleeping on the floor tonight!" Duo exclaimed.
"Maxwell, unless you want to die, I suggest you shut up." the Chinese pilot warned, shooting daggers (or in this case katanas) at the idiot of the group.
"gulp I'm going inside but if you need anything just give a yell!" he called over his shoulder as he ran. Usagi couldn't help it- she began to giggle.
"What is so funny?" Hiiro asked in monotone. Usagi just shook her head and shrugged. Trowa raised his eyebrow, then shrugged himself and proceeded to walk back to the mansion. The others followed.
"Hey Wufei?" Usagi caught his attention as he began to leave.
"Hai?"
"I'm going for a walk in the woods for awhile, okay?" she asked. He pondered for a moment.
"Do you want me to come?"
"Iie, I'll be alright." she said, smiling at him and then taking off.
"Be careful, Usa." Wufei whispered.
Usagi ran through the forest, alternating between jumping and tripping over tree roots and other common obstacles. She grinned happily as she came into a clearing about two miles from the hanger. The spare parts she would need were there, along with some large pieces of Gundanium alloy that she was sure had not been in the room.
"How did this get here?" she wondered aloud.
"We brought it." Rei said, stepping out from behind a tree.
"What?!" Usagi exclaimed, taking a step backwards. She watched in wonder as her three other friends came out too.
"How... What... When...??" she managed to choke out. Minako giggled.
"Your mother allowed us to come down here to help you. She also sent this metal stuff." the blonde bombshell replied.
"She said you wouldn't be able to create the right kind of armor for your Gundam with the supplies you have." Ami said, smiling gently.
"Told ya you had a couple of guardian angels!" Matoko exclaimed.
"You're one lucky girl." Rei added. By this time they were hugging Usagi.
"So you guys came all the way down here to bring me some armor?" she asked.
"Iie! We're gonna help you build it, too!" Rei practically yelled.
"Let's go to it, then!" Matoko said, wringing her hands together comically. Usagi, still in a slight state of shock, nodded.
Ami laid out a new set of blueprints on a fallen log.
"What's this?" Usagi asked from next to her.
"Your mother and I designed it. It's a Gundam custom made for you." the blue-haired girl said.
"Oh... Tell her I said thank you, alright?"
"No problem."
A few hours later, under Ami's watchful eye, they had managed to lay out all the parts in an order that made sense as to when they'd need them.
"How do you know so much about Gundams?" Usagi asked once.
"I didn't, before. I had Pluto freeze time up there so I could study for long enough. I also got to travel and secretly watch the original planning and building of the Gundams." Ami said.
"Wow. Doomo arigato." Usagi replied in slight awe.
"Glad to help." she said.
"Masaka!" Usagi exclaimed awhile later.
"Nani?!" Minako replied instantly.
"Look! The sun's going down! Wufei's going to be hysterical!" she said quickly.
"Well then go back to the mansion. We'll keep working here for awhile until you can come back. Don't rush, we can do it." Matoko told her.
"Will you guys be here when I get back?" Usagi asked, pausing at the edge of the clearing.
"Hai!" they chimed.
"Promise?" she asked.
"Promise!" they replied. Satisfied, she ran back through the woods.
About half an hour later, she entered the house, panting. Wufei was pacing next to the window, and his head snapped up as she opened the door.
"Where the hell have you been?!" he demanded, approaching her. His eyes held nothing but rage and concern.
"In the woods." she replied, glancing around to the others for help. She would get none, though, because they all knew how Wufei could get when he was mad.
"For ELEVEN HOURS?!"
"Gomen, Wufei, I was just sitting and thinking and I didn't notice the time and then I saw the sun start to go down and I realized how late it was and how worried you probably were and I freaked out and I ran back here as fast as I could and I'm sorry!" she said, all in one breath. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart.
"Next time take this." Wufei commanded, holding out a small cell phone. "Alright?!" He hadn't lost his furious tone. She nodded and took it, still cowering from his glare.
"Come on Wu-man she didn't mean it!" Duo exclaimed. Wufei screamed and charged after Duo. Just before Duo turned tail and ran, he winked at her.
'He's taking Wufei's focus of anger away from me.' she realized thankfully. Also realizing that what Wufei usually attacked was Duo's braid, she quickly and silently cast a spell on the braided one to make him invisible to Wufei.
"Maxwell! Come back here!" Wufei screamed, running down the hall. Wufei could see that Duo was just passing the kitchen door, and then all of a sudden, he wasn't. Figuring that he had turned into the kitchen, Wufei ran in to find the room empty.
"Maxwell! Where are you?!"
"I'm right here!" Duo replied, confused. He had felt a wierd tingling in his stomach just as he approached the kitchen. Deciding to grab a snack, he ran into his favorite room and opened the fridge. When Wufei had come in, he hadn't even aknowledged that he could see Duo. In fact, the Chinese man couldn't see the American. Duo was waving his hand in front of Wufei's face and pondering the implications of this when it hit him.
'Thanks, Usagi.' he thought, running out of the kitchen and back towards the room Usagi was in. It only took him a minute to run back.
"Thanks, Usagi!" he said as he came back in and sat down.
"No problem." she replied.
"What did she do?" Quatre asked politely.
"Wufei can't see Duo." Usagi said.
"What?" Trowa asked just as Wufei came back in the room.
"None of you have seen that baka have you?" he asked. The other four laughed. Quatre and Usagi pointed to the couch where Duo was sitting. Wufei looked confused and then annoyed.
"Bakas. You're worse than Maxwell. And I still need to talk to you." he said seriously, pointing his index finger at Usagi. In an instant she was on her feet.
"Wufei! I'm sorry! Would you please drop it?" she asked, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. With a very straight face, he replied.
"No." (Usagi rolled her eyes. The others just watched the odd interaction.)
"Well, mister...." Usagi said impishly, moving even closer to him. Wufei raised an eyebrow, waiting to see what she would attempt. In the blink of an eye, she swung her leg out and tripped him, conking him over the head with her wand as he dropped. She had retrieved it from her sub-space pocket as he fell. In a few seconds Wufei was unconsious on the floor.
"Go Usagi!" Duo exclaimed. Quatre and Trowa clapped. Usagi glanced up at the sixth occupant of the room. He was watching it all impassively.
"Hey Hiiro, if you smile you might break your face!" she called. Hiiro couldn't help it- her comment was so unusual, so unexpected, and he just had to smirk.
"It's a start." she muttered, turning back to the waking Wufei. He groaned and put his hand to his forehead.
"Injustice..." he swore quietly, but loud enough for her to hear.
"What is?" she asked innocently, putting her hands behind her back and making her wand disappear again.
"I was knocked out by my own onna." he replied.
"Hey watch what you call me or I'll bonk you with my wand again!" Usagi exclaimed. He smirked, and the look soon melted into a real smile.
"It's a compliment." he told her. She promptly turned beet red. Glancing up at the clock, her eyes widened.
"It's eleven o'clock! I'm going to bed!" she said, surprised. The others nodded and made moves toward the door.
"What about the braided American baka?" Wufei asked. Duo snorted.
"He's been here the whole time. I made him invisible so you wouldn't kill him. I was scared when you were mad at me and he distracted you. I was grateful." the blonde girl replied.
"Okay baka where are you?" Wufei asked the empty air, beginning to karate-chop the air viciously. It was quite a funny picture. Duo dodged his hands and made his way to the other side of Usagi.
"Wufei leave him alone tonight." she said.
"Thanks Usagi." Duo said as he re-appeared. Wufei glared at him.
"Kill him tomorrow." Usagi finished. Duo's eyes widened.
"Thanks a lot Usagi!" he said sarcastically, and then ran to his room. Wufei draped his arm over Usagi's shoulder and they walked to their room together.
"Hey Usagi, you know earlier when you said you were grateful for Duo distracting me?" he asked. She nodded.
"Hai Fei-chan." she replied as she shut the bedroom door behind them.
"Are you scared of me?" he asked seriously. She thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully.
"When you get mad, it scares me because I know how good you are at fighting and how not good you are at controlling your anger." she said. Wufei looked slightly hurt.
"Gomen nasai Usagi. I just worry about you. I'm going to keep my word, though." She nodded understandingly, and they changed into their nightclothes.
Usagi climbed into her side of the bed and got comfortable. Wufei watched sadly.
'I can't help it that I can't hide my emotions when it comes to her. She keeps me worrying all the time.' he thought. 'You worry because you care.' Another part of his mind argued, sounding uncannily like Quatre. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and layed down next to Usagi. Sensing his weight on the bed, she rolled over to face him. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist.
"Aishiteru Fei-chan." she said truthfully.
"Aishteru, Usa." he replied. She smiled and closed her eyes, moving closer to him. He settled his chin on the top of her head and did the same.
When Wufei awoke in the morning, he was immediately aware of the fact that he was alone in the bed. He sat up quickly, listening for the toilet or shower, but heard nothing. He turned to get out of bed and saw a note on his bedside table. He snatched it up and scanned it.
Fei-
Sorry to make you worry. I wanted to get an early start, so I woke up and went for a walk in the woods. I promise I'll be back by 12:00. If I'm not back by then, you have my permission to scream at me and kill Duo! I won't ruin your hunt by turning him invisible this time!
Love, Usagi (with a cute bunny drawn)
He couldn't but smile at her. Sighing, he climbed out from under the blankets and went to take a shower.
"I hope he doesn't get mad at me for leaving so early." Usagi said.
"You've said that about a hundred times so far." Rei pointed out.
"Just because you get up at four in the morning to come build something he doesn't know about and doesn't want you to have, leaving him to wake up alone and maybe have a heart attack, doesn't mean that he'll be mad." Minako added. Then she thought a moment.
"I'm not helping am I?" she asked. They shook their heads 'No'. "I didn't think so." she said.
At one point in the early morning Ami pulled Usagi off to the side and gave her what looked like a motorcycle helmet and a pair of gloves that had wires attached to a small black box.
"If you're going to pilot a Gundam then you have to pilot it safely. Right now you don't even know how to turn the thing on." Ami teased. Usagi stuck her tongue out before allowing Ami to place the helmet and gloves on her. The training drew upon the Ginzuishou for speed and it took Usagi only two hours to learn what it took the Gundam pilots years to. When she was done, she took off the helmet and gloves, thanked Ami, and went back to work, mind slowly going over everything she had been taught.
"You know what?" Usagi said after a long while.
"What?" Rei said, taking the bait.
"We're getting nowhere fast." she replied. They looked at their work- it was true, even with all of Ami's expertise and their hard work, they had gotten close to nowhere.
"You want to use the Ginzuishou?" Ami asked.
"It'll hurt you!" Matoko protested.
"It'll be okay. I have your powers now too!" Usagi reassured them happily. "And this way I can protect Wufei next time they have a mission."
"How will you know if they have one if you're not with them?" Minako asked. Usagi blushed.
"Don't tell Hiiro this, but last night I took his laptop out of his sub-space pocket and wired my communicator so that whenever he gets a mission the details will get sent to me too." she said.
"Naughty naughty!" Rei said, wagging her finger at Usagi comically. She grinned before focusing on her (so far non-exsistent) Gundam. Closing her eyes and concentrating all of her energy on the parts before her, they suddenly began to lift and re-arrange themselves, melding together in a considerably short amount of time. In only ten minutes, a fully completed and charged Gundam lay on the clearing's ground. It was black, with large parts that were silver, green, yellow, red, and blue. Its 'eyes' were a light azure to match its owner's. Usagi smiled at the fact that the large task had not drained her of energy very much.
"What should I call it?" Usagi asked the others.
"How about 'Ginzuishou II'?" Minako asked. The others shook their heads and began offering their own names. In five minutes they had suggested everything from 'Pink' to 'Da Bomb' and back.
"How about 'Unmei'?" Usagi suggested finally.
"Destiny?" Matoko repeated, translating Usagi's suggestion into English.
"I like it." Rei said.
"It would be even better if you named it 'Destiny Sucks' or something like that." Minako added cheerfully.
"No I think it fits quite well really." Ami said. Usagi nodded.
"Unmei it is then!" the odango-atama cried. She looked at her watch. "Oh boy I better make tracks so I'm not late again." she looked at the others sadly.
"Will I ever get to see you again?" she asked.
"I'm sure of it!" Minako replied immediately.
"We'll be back every now and then." Matoko added.
"Yeah we gotta make sure you don't kill yourself by tripping over your own two feet!" Rei chided.
"You must remember to keep up your studies." Ami reminded her. Usagi nodded. Ami grinned. "And you have to fill us in with all the dirt on those five bishoujo!" The others gaped at her.
"What?" she asked, blushing. "Can't I be a teenage girl too sometimes?" They laughed and assured her that it was fine. After hugging each one, Usagi took off back to the mansion, somehow managing to stuff her newly aquirred 'Unmei' Gundam into her subdimensional pocket.
She walked in the back door of the house at precisely 11:30 in the morning. Wufei, Trowa, Quatre, and Hiiro were in the living room. Wufei was sharpening his katana, Trowa and Quatre were composing music and playing light, airy duets together on the flute and violin, and Hiiro was tapping away at his laptop.
"Morning strangers!" she greeted, kissing Wufei on the cheek. He quickly turned his head and caught her on the lips. The two were engaged for a minute of so until they finally had to break apart for lack of air.
"Where's Duo?" Usagi asked. "Usually he would be screaming at us to get a room." Wufei muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'baka American' and burst out laughing. Quatre and Trowa soon joined him, chuckling away until their faces turned red. Usagi sat down on the couch next to Wufei.
"Alright then, who's going to tell me where Duo is?" Usagi asked. Hiiro sighed from behind his laptop, and then shut the top with a tidy click.
"Somehow the baka managed to put himself into his subdimensional pocket and now he can't get out." Hiiro said in a light monotone. Usagi laughed herself.
"We- We were just sitting- at breakfast- and he said he was going to try it- and then he disappeared!" Quatre said between laughs.
"Shall I fetch him out?" Usagi asked.
"NO!" Four people exclaimed at once. Usagi laughed even harder after that.
Beeeep! Beeeeep! Beeee-
Hiiro opened his laptop quickly. It was a few hours later- Usagi still hadn't brought Duo out, to the insistence of the others, and they had spent the time inbetween telling stories about the baka and other people they had known before the war had monopolized their lives.
"Unfortunantly we need the baka. We have a mission, and it won't be an easy one." Hiiro intoned. Usagi nodded and brought Duo out.
"Thank you! Finally someone let me out of my cage!" he said. Usagi giggled as they all went out to the Gundams.
"Are you sure I can't come?" Usagi asked Wufei. The Chinese boy nodded.
"Hai. Stay here. Don't follow me." he warned. She rolled her eyes.
"Wu-fei," she said, whining the last part. "You're such a meanie!" she teased.
"Hai, but I'm a cute meanie, ne?" he replied, grinning. She rolled her eyes.
"Go save the world, cutie." she said, patting him on the butt softly as he climbed up to the cockpit.
As soon as the Gundams were out of sight, she made Unmei appear, and climbed in. Shutting the cockpit door, she quickly read the description of the mission that her computer had picked up from Hiiro's. Frowning at the terms she didn't understand, she shrugged it off and followed the others at a slightly slower pace. She had made Unmei so that even if it was standing completely still in space only a few feet from another mobile suit or Gundam, the other wouldn't see her unless she wanted it too. Still, she didn't want to take any unneccessary risks.
"Maxwell!" Wufei barked into the communicator. Deathscythe spun around just in time to slice open the attacking mobile suit.
"Thanks Wu-man!" he called back.
"I swear one of these days that braid of yours is going down!"
"I didn't know you cared!"
"ARRRGH!"
"Stop it you two!" Quatre barked, attacking a new set of suits himself.
"If the baka wasn't such a weakling then it wouldn't be a problem!" Wufei replied, taking down three more suits in his anger.
Suddenly suits began blowing up- on their own. (Or so it seemed.)
"Nande kuso?" Hiiro exclaimed. The pilots could easily see that there was a reason for he suits blowing up, and it wasn't self-destruction. It was as though an invisible sword sliced through each one.
Then they saw it- A new Gundam.
(Duo taps his foot impatiently.)
Duo: Well, what happens?!
Aka: Duh, you have to wait until the next chapter comes out!
Duo: Well can you at least tell me the title of it?
Aka: Fine. Chapter 10 is called 'Who Stole Duo's Sycthe?'
Duo: EEEEEPP! Shinigami will not stand for his sycthe to be mocked in this manner!
Aka: Get over it. I'm the author. I could make you fly around in a pink Speedo with purple glasses and blue hair, singing "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman".
Duo: (gasp) You've been reading my diary!
Aka: (rolls eyes) Well the daydreams you have are hilarious!
Duo: I'm not talking to you anymore!
Wufei: Good. That will make this place a lot quieter.
Duo: Hmmph.
"Drat!" she exclaimed. It was locked. She smiled evily and pulled a pin out of her sub-space pocket. Putting it into the lock and jiggling it a bit, she managed to unlock the door. The room she entered through it was quite large, and filled with Gundamium alloy and spare parts for the Gundams.
"Why, there's enough parts here to build another Gundam!" she said to herself, surprised. She pulled out Mercury's computer and earrings, and turned them both on. Strange symbols and numbers flashed across the screen.
"Kami! Ami, why do you have to speak another language?" she asked jokingly. She took a deep breath and concentrated on reading the information laid out in front of her. She pulled out a large piece of paper that showed the blueprints for Wing Zero. After studying the supplies she had for a few moments, she began sketching some rough alterations onto the paper. She heard Ami's voice in the back of her head, explaining everything to her and helping her along. It took her about an hour to finish the plans. She could suddenly sense that the pilots were returning, and she quickly cast a spell. All of the parts and Gundanium alloy vanished to a clearing in the forest where she knew she could find. She set up a mirage of sorts, so that anyone merely glancing into the room would see everything asd though it was still there. If they tried to pick anything up, however, the mirage would vanish until they left. She left the room and locked the door behind her, remembering to take out Ami's earrings and return them and the little computer to her sub-space pocket just as the Gundams landed.
Wufei was the first one out of his Gundam. He hit the ground running, and went straight to her.
"Gomen for leaving you here, but you just can't come!" he exclaimed. "Look, I promised myself that I was going to protect you, and damn it all, I'll protect you. That means I won't allow you to go out there."
"I understand, Wufei. It's all right." Usagi told him. "I just worry about you, that's all."
"Why?" Duo piped up from behind Wufei. "The extra energy worked great! My sycthe was more powerful than ever, and all of us came out without a scratch!" he said.
"It's true, Usagi. I believe our battles can only get easier now." Quatre added.
"Arigato." Hiiro said for what had to be the first time in his life.
"No problem. I just wish you would allow me to come with you. You know, just in case anything happens. I could help." she whined.
"No." Wufei said sternly. "And as for anything going wrong, you should have more faith in your own work."
"Arrgh! Wufei!" she yelled, surprising them.
"Whoah." Quatre said softly.
"Just an onna blowing off some steam. You know how it is." Wufei said, earning a death glare worse than Hiiro's from Usagi.
"Look who's sleeping on the floor tonight!" Duo exclaimed.
"Maxwell, unless you want to die, I suggest you shut up." the Chinese pilot warned, shooting daggers (or in this case katanas) at the idiot of the group.
"gulp I'm going inside but if you need anything just give a yell!" he called over his shoulder as he ran. Usagi couldn't help it- she began to giggle.
"What is so funny?" Hiiro asked in monotone. Usagi just shook her head and shrugged. Trowa raised his eyebrow, then shrugged himself and proceeded to walk back to the mansion. The others followed.
"Hey Wufei?" Usagi caught his attention as he began to leave.
"Hai?"
"I'm going for a walk in the woods for awhile, okay?" she asked. He pondered for a moment.
"Do you want me to come?"
"Iie, I'll be alright." she said, smiling at him and then taking off.
"Be careful, Usa." Wufei whispered.
Usagi ran through the forest, alternating between jumping and tripping over tree roots and other common obstacles. She grinned happily as she came into a clearing about two miles from the hanger. The spare parts she would need were there, along with some large pieces of Gundanium alloy that she was sure had not been in the room.
"How did this get here?" she wondered aloud.
"We brought it." Rei said, stepping out from behind a tree.
"What?!" Usagi exclaimed, taking a step backwards. She watched in wonder as her three other friends came out too.
"How... What... When...??" she managed to choke out. Minako giggled.
"Your mother allowed us to come down here to help you. She also sent this metal stuff." the blonde bombshell replied.
"She said you wouldn't be able to create the right kind of armor for your Gundam with the supplies you have." Ami said, smiling gently.
"Told ya you had a couple of guardian angels!" Matoko exclaimed.
"You're one lucky girl." Rei added. By this time they were hugging Usagi.
"So you guys came all the way down here to bring me some armor?" she asked.
"Iie! We're gonna help you build it, too!" Rei practically yelled.
"Let's go to it, then!" Matoko said, wringing her hands together comically. Usagi, still in a slight state of shock, nodded.
Ami laid out a new set of blueprints on a fallen log.
"What's this?" Usagi asked from next to her.
"Your mother and I designed it. It's a Gundam custom made for you." the blue-haired girl said.
"Oh... Tell her I said thank you, alright?"
"No problem."
A few hours later, under Ami's watchful eye, they had managed to lay out all the parts in an order that made sense as to when they'd need them.
"How do you know so much about Gundams?" Usagi asked once.
"I didn't, before. I had Pluto freeze time up there so I could study for long enough. I also got to travel and secretly watch the original planning and building of the Gundams." Ami said.
"Wow. Doomo arigato." Usagi replied in slight awe.
"Glad to help." she said.
"Masaka!" Usagi exclaimed awhile later.
"Nani?!" Minako replied instantly.
"Look! The sun's going down! Wufei's going to be hysterical!" she said quickly.
"Well then go back to the mansion. We'll keep working here for awhile until you can come back. Don't rush, we can do it." Matoko told her.
"Will you guys be here when I get back?" Usagi asked, pausing at the edge of the clearing.
"Hai!" they chimed.
"Promise?" she asked.
"Promise!" they replied. Satisfied, she ran back through the woods.
About half an hour later, she entered the house, panting. Wufei was pacing next to the window, and his head snapped up as she opened the door.
"Where the hell have you been?!" he demanded, approaching her. His eyes held nothing but rage and concern.
"In the woods." she replied, glancing around to the others for help. She would get none, though, because they all knew how Wufei could get when he was mad.
"For ELEVEN HOURS?!"
"Gomen, Wufei, I was just sitting and thinking and I didn't notice the time and then I saw the sun start to go down and I realized how late it was and how worried you probably were and I freaked out and I ran back here as fast as I could and I'm sorry!" she said, all in one breath. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart.
"Next time take this." Wufei commanded, holding out a small cell phone. "Alright?!" He hadn't lost his furious tone. She nodded and took it, still cowering from his glare.
"Come on Wu-man she didn't mean it!" Duo exclaimed. Wufei screamed and charged after Duo. Just before Duo turned tail and ran, he winked at her.
'He's taking Wufei's focus of anger away from me.' she realized thankfully. Also realizing that what Wufei usually attacked was Duo's braid, she quickly and silently cast a spell on the braided one to make him invisible to Wufei.
"Maxwell! Come back here!" Wufei screamed, running down the hall. Wufei could see that Duo was just passing the kitchen door, and then all of a sudden, he wasn't. Figuring that he had turned into the kitchen, Wufei ran in to find the room empty.
"Maxwell! Where are you?!"
"I'm right here!" Duo replied, confused. He had felt a wierd tingling in his stomach just as he approached the kitchen. Deciding to grab a snack, he ran into his favorite room and opened the fridge. When Wufei had come in, he hadn't even aknowledged that he could see Duo. In fact, the Chinese man couldn't see the American. Duo was waving his hand in front of Wufei's face and pondering the implications of this when it hit him.
'Thanks, Usagi.' he thought, running out of the kitchen and back towards the room Usagi was in. It only took him a minute to run back.
"Thanks, Usagi!" he said as he came back in and sat down.
"No problem." she replied.
"What did she do?" Quatre asked politely.
"Wufei can't see Duo." Usagi said.
"What?" Trowa asked just as Wufei came back in the room.
"None of you have seen that baka have you?" he asked. The other four laughed. Quatre and Usagi pointed to the couch where Duo was sitting. Wufei looked confused and then annoyed.
"Bakas. You're worse than Maxwell. And I still need to talk to you." he said seriously, pointing his index finger at Usagi. In an instant she was on her feet.
"Wufei! I'm sorry! Would you please drop it?" she asked, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. With a very straight face, he replied.
"No." (Usagi rolled her eyes. The others just watched the odd interaction.)
"Well, mister...." Usagi said impishly, moving even closer to him. Wufei raised an eyebrow, waiting to see what she would attempt. In the blink of an eye, she swung her leg out and tripped him, conking him over the head with her wand as he dropped. She had retrieved it from her sub-space pocket as he fell. In a few seconds Wufei was unconsious on the floor.
"Go Usagi!" Duo exclaimed. Quatre and Trowa clapped. Usagi glanced up at the sixth occupant of the room. He was watching it all impassively.
"Hey Hiiro, if you smile you might break your face!" she called. Hiiro couldn't help it- her comment was so unusual, so unexpected, and he just had to smirk.
"It's a start." she muttered, turning back to the waking Wufei. He groaned and put his hand to his forehead.
"Injustice..." he swore quietly, but loud enough for her to hear.
"What is?" she asked innocently, putting her hands behind her back and making her wand disappear again.
"I was knocked out by my own onna." he replied.
"Hey watch what you call me or I'll bonk you with my wand again!" Usagi exclaimed. He smirked, and the look soon melted into a real smile.
"It's a compliment." he told her. She promptly turned beet red. Glancing up at the clock, her eyes widened.
"It's eleven o'clock! I'm going to bed!" she said, surprised. The others nodded and made moves toward the door.
"What about the braided American baka?" Wufei asked. Duo snorted.
"He's been here the whole time. I made him invisible so you wouldn't kill him. I was scared when you were mad at me and he distracted you. I was grateful." the blonde girl replied.
"Okay baka where are you?" Wufei asked the empty air, beginning to karate-chop the air viciously. It was quite a funny picture. Duo dodged his hands and made his way to the other side of Usagi.
"Wufei leave him alone tonight." she said.
"Thanks Usagi." Duo said as he re-appeared. Wufei glared at him.
"Kill him tomorrow." Usagi finished. Duo's eyes widened.
"Thanks a lot Usagi!" he said sarcastically, and then ran to his room. Wufei draped his arm over Usagi's shoulder and they walked to their room together.
"Hey Usagi, you know earlier when you said you were grateful for Duo distracting me?" he asked. She nodded.
"Hai Fei-chan." she replied as she shut the bedroom door behind them.
"Are you scared of me?" he asked seriously. She thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully.
"When you get mad, it scares me because I know how good you are at fighting and how not good you are at controlling your anger." she said. Wufei looked slightly hurt.
"Gomen nasai Usagi. I just worry about you. I'm going to keep my word, though." She nodded understandingly, and they changed into their nightclothes.
Usagi climbed into her side of the bed and got comfortable. Wufei watched sadly.
'I can't help it that I can't hide my emotions when it comes to her. She keeps me worrying all the time.' he thought. 'You worry because you care.' Another part of his mind argued, sounding uncannily like Quatre. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and layed down next to Usagi. Sensing his weight on the bed, she rolled over to face him. He wrapped his arms loosely around her waist.
"Aishiteru Fei-chan." she said truthfully.
"Aishteru, Usa." he replied. She smiled and closed her eyes, moving closer to him. He settled his chin on the top of her head and did the same.
When Wufei awoke in the morning, he was immediately aware of the fact that he was alone in the bed. He sat up quickly, listening for the toilet or shower, but heard nothing. He turned to get out of bed and saw a note on his bedside table. He snatched it up and scanned it.
Fei-
Sorry to make you worry. I wanted to get an early start, so I woke up and went for a walk in the woods. I promise I'll be back by 12:00. If I'm not back by then, you have my permission to scream at me and kill Duo! I won't ruin your hunt by turning him invisible this time!
Love, Usagi (with a cute bunny drawn)
He couldn't but smile at her. Sighing, he climbed out from under the blankets and went to take a shower.
"I hope he doesn't get mad at me for leaving so early." Usagi said.
"You've said that about a hundred times so far." Rei pointed out.
"Just because you get up at four in the morning to come build something he doesn't know about and doesn't want you to have, leaving him to wake up alone and maybe have a heart attack, doesn't mean that he'll be mad." Minako added. Then she thought a moment.
"I'm not helping am I?" she asked. They shook their heads 'No'. "I didn't think so." she said.
At one point in the early morning Ami pulled Usagi off to the side and gave her what looked like a motorcycle helmet and a pair of gloves that had wires attached to a small black box.
"If you're going to pilot a Gundam then you have to pilot it safely. Right now you don't even know how to turn the thing on." Ami teased. Usagi stuck her tongue out before allowing Ami to place the helmet and gloves on her. The training drew upon the Ginzuishou for speed and it took Usagi only two hours to learn what it took the Gundam pilots years to. When she was done, she took off the helmet and gloves, thanked Ami, and went back to work, mind slowly going over everything she had been taught.
"You know what?" Usagi said after a long while.
"What?" Rei said, taking the bait.
"We're getting nowhere fast." she replied. They looked at their work- it was true, even with all of Ami's expertise and their hard work, they had gotten close to nowhere.
"You want to use the Ginzuishou?" Ami asked.
"It'll hurt you!" Matoko protested.
"It'll be okay. I have your powers now too!" Usagi reassured them happily. "And this way I can protect Wufei next time they have a mission."
"How will you know if they have one if you're not with them?" Minako asked. Usagi blushed.
"Don't tell Hiiro this, but last night I took his laptop out of his sub-space pocket and wired my communicator so that whenever he gets a mission the details will get sent to me too." she said.
"Naughty naughty!" Rei said, wagging her finger at Usagi comically. She grinned before focusing on her (so far non-exsistent) Gundam. Closing her eyes and concentrating all of her energy on the parts before her, they suddenly began to lift and re-arrange themselves, melding together in a considerably short amount of time. In only ten minutes, a fully completed and charged Gundam lay on the clearing's ground. It was black, with large parts that were silver, green, yellow, red, and blue. Its 'eyes' were a light azure to match its owner's. Usagi smiled at the fact that the large task had not drained her of energy very much.
"What should I call it?" Usagi asked the others.
"How about 'Ginzuishou II'?" Minako asked. The others shook their heads and began offering their own names. In five minutes they had suggested everything from 'Pink' to 'Da Bomb' and back.
"How about 'Unmei'?" Usagi suggested finally.
"Destiny?" Matoko repeated, translating Usagi's suggestion into English.
"I like it." Rei said.
"It would be even better if you named it 'Destiny Sucks' or something like that." Minako added cheerfully.
"No I think it fits quite well really." Ami said. Usagi nodded.
"Unmei it is then!" the odango-atama cried. She looked at her watch. "Oh boy I better make tracks so I'm not late again." she looked at the others sadly.
"Will I ever get to see you again?" she asked.
"I'm sure of it!" Minako replied immediately.
"We'll be back every now and then." Matoko added.
"Yeah we gotta make sure you don't kill yourself by tripping over your own two feet!" Rei chided.
"You must remember to keep up your studies." Ami reminded her. Usagi nodded. Ami grinned. "And you have to fill us in with all the dirt on those five bishoujo!" The others gaped at her.
"What?" she asked, blushing. "Can't I be a teenage girl too sometimes?" They laughed and assured her that it was fine. After hugging each one, Usagi took off back to the mansion, somehow managing to stuff her newly aquirred 'Unmei' Gundam into her subdimensional pocket.
She walked in the back door of the house at precisely 11:30 in the morning. Wufei, Trowa, Quatre, and Hiiro were in the living room. Wufei was sharpening his katana, Trowa and Quatre were composing music and playing light, airy duets together on the flute and violin, and Hiiro was tapping away at his laptop.
"Morning strangers!" she greeted, kissing Wufei on the cheek. He quickly turned his head and caught her on the lips. The two were engaged for a minute of so until they finally had to break apart for lack of air.
"Where's Duo?" Usagi asked. "Usually he would be screaming at us to get a room." Wufei muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'baka American' and burst out laughing. Quatre and Trowa soon joined him, chuckling away until their faces turned red. Usagi sat down on the couch next to Wufei.
"Alright then, who's going to tell me where Duo is?" Usagi asked. Hiiro sighed from behind his laptop, and then shut the top with a tidy click.
"Somehow the baka managed to put himself into his subdimensional pocket and now he can't get out." Hiiro said in a light monotone. Usagi laughed herself.
"We- We were just sitting- at breakfast- and he said he was going to try it- and then he disappeared!" Quatre said between laughs.
"Shall I fetch him out?" Usagi asked.
"NO!" Four people exclaimed at once. Usagi laughed even harder after that.
Beeeep! Beeeeep! Beeee-
Hiiro opened his laptop quickly. It was a few hours later- Usagi still hadn't brought Duo out, to the insistence of the others, and they had spent the time inbetween telling stories about the baka and other people they had known before the war had monopolized their lives.
"Unfortunantly we need the baka. We have a mission, and it won't be an easy one." Hiiro intoned. Usagi nodded and brought Duo out.
"Thank you! Finally someone let me out of my cage!" he said. Usagi giggled as they all went out to the Gundams.
"Are you sure I can't come?" Usagi asked Wufei. The Chinese boy nodded.
"Hai. Stay here. Don't follow me." he warned. She rolled her eyes.
"Wu-fei," she said, whining the last part. "You're such a meanie!" she teased.
"Hai, but I'm a cute meanie, ne?" he replied, grinning. She rolled her eyes.
"Go save the world, cutie." she said, patting him on the butt softly as he climbed up to the cockpit.
As soon as the Gundams were out of sight, she made Unmei appear, and climbed in. Shutting the cockpit door, she quickly read the description of the mission that her computer had picked up from Hiiro's. Frowning at the terms she didn't understand, she shrugged it off and followed the others at a slightly slower pace. She had made Unmei so that even if it was standing completely still in space only a few feet from another mobile suit or Gundam, the other wouldn't see her unless she wanted it too. Still, she didn't want to take any unneccessary risks.
"Maxwell!" Wufei barked into the communicator. Deathscythe spun around just in time to slice open the attacking mobile suit.
"Thanks Wu-man!" he called back.
"I swear one of these days that braid of yours is going down!"
"I didn't know you cared!"
"ARRRGH!"
"Stop it you two!" Quatre barked, attacking a new set of suits himself.
"If the baka wasn't such a weakling then it wouldn't be a problem!" Wufei replied, taking down three more suits in his anger.
Suddenly suits began blowing up- on their own. (Or so it seemed.)
"Nande kuso?" Hiiro exclaimed. The pilots could easily see that there was a reason for he suits blowing up, and it wasn't self-destruction. It was as though an invisible sword sliced through each one.
Then they saw it- A new Gundam.
(Duo taps his foot impatiently.)
Duo: Well, what happens?!
Aka: Duh, you have to wait until the next chapter comes out!
Duo: Well can you at least tell me the title of it?
Aka: Fine. Chapter 10 is called 'Who Stole Duo's Sycthe?'
Duo: EEEEEPP! Shinigami will not stand for his sycthe to be mocked in this manner!
Aka: Get over it. I'm the author. I could make you fly around in a pink Speedo with purple glasses and blue hair, singing "I'm not a girl, not yet a woman".
Duo: (gasp) You've been reading my diary!
Aka: (rolls eyes) Well the daydreams you have are hilarious!
Duo: I'm not talking to you anymore!
Wufei: Good. That will make this place a lot quieter.
Duo: Hmmph.