A/N: Well, after a oh so long interval, here comes the eighth chapter. It might not be quite what you expected. =) [] - is a running news commentary Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to its creators and this is only for entertainment purposes.

Wish Not in Dream Part 8: A Changeling born and Changeling who never was


"This certainly is a change of pace. So how does it feel now that your main opposition is out of the loop?"

"If you thought I planned it, I'm afraid not."

"What?"

"Senator Qwi was not supposed to die."

"Then who killed him?"

"I don't know, but you can be sure I'll find out. It seems that there's more at stake here than I ever realized."

*********

Breathing heavily, the young man blocked his opponent's fencing foil.

Left, right, left, right.

Dropping his defensive stance, the man shifted his right foot sharply to feint a jab at his opponent's right. His challenger immediately twisted to counter, leaving his left unguarded. Taking immediate advantage of his adversary's weakness, he switched the angle of his foil and quickly lunged.

His opponent froze with the young man's blade at his throat. The match ended.

The young man, tired yet satisfied that he won, sighed in relief.

A sharp amused voice cut through his reverie. "He must have given you quite the workout."

Startled, Senator Sian turned to face the Vice Foreign Minister.

[The mass killings......]

Quickly adjusting his face in hopes that none of the fear he felt inside was noticeable, Senator Sian faced the Vice Foreign Minister with a gaze of nonchalance, shrugging at her comment. "Nothing I couldn't handle, of course."

In a fencing uniform, the woman named Relena Darlian stared coldly down at him. As always, she looked sharp and attentive. Her façade was perfect and her unshakeable calm was something to be envied. A woman who had yet to take any BS from anyone.

[…the change from calm to chilling blue eyes…]

And her eyes, Sian shivered at the thought. He would never forget how they looked. However, no matter how fearful she seemed, he could not back down from the Vice Foreign Minster without doing irreparable damage to his reputation.

"Is there something I may do for you, Vice Foreign Minister?" Sian asked.

"My, such formality. Outside the eyes of the public, you may disregard rank. Just call me Relena. And as for your question, what else?"

Incredulous, the young Senator looked her up and down. "I'm aware that Lady Catalonia fences very well, and that there are females who fence; but though I admire you, I wouldn't suggest fencing here. Maybe after you've received instruction and training, you could try fencing here. No one here is an amateur, and at your skill level…" Sian trails off as the equally young Vice Foreign Minster walked, no stalked forward until she was standing directly in front of him.

"Oh, poor me. My skill level is so low that I couldn't have possibly seen as you hesitate planning your next move; your foot shifts 45º to the right. Or that you left your right wide open when you did that lunge. Or maybe even that your endurance needs to be worked on?"

Sian was silently furious. His pride smarted from her comments. "You could try to be more civil, Relena."

She smiled. "Really? You think? I thought it was appropriate." She flashed him a smile.

Sian narrowed his eyes as he remembered that sardonic look. He knew exactly why he was not on the Vice Foreign Minster nice list now. Still, Sian prepared to make his biting comeback, but he shut his mouth as he saw Senator Reign walking toward them with a determined look on his face.

[..the immensely popular support for the newest bill made by Senator Reigh failed to meet the approval of the Vice Foreign Minister…]

Anger made Senator Reigh's body tense, and he was clearly angry.

"You shot down my proposal; in fact you lobbied very hard against it. What do you have against me? Nothing, but you refused to sign it. I think that this match will help me release some of my anger. Don't think that I'll hold back."

Senator Sian silently gloated. With Senator Reigh fencing, the haughty former Queen of the World would be put in her place.

He was surprised however, at what exactly happened.

"Stop talking." Relena's foil suddenly flew at him at alarming rate.

"What do you think you're doing? Don't you know you supposed to give your opponent acknowledgement before starting the duel?" The man narrowed his eyes. "But I forget. Your lack of regard for rules in politics is infamous. Why should fencing be any different?" The sneering tone told of his opinion of this woman.

Their foils clash.

"I told you to stop talking."

Her foil pushed him back but he immediately rushed back and attacked from the right. She blocks his blade with her own but then shifts her body to the left, pushing the man back, throwing him off balance and humiliated. The move was only used by superior fencers, showing that their opponent's skill level was beneath their notice and therefore toying with them, making the humiliation worse. Immediately after regaining his balance, he looked back at the blank expression on the Vice Foreign Minster's face.  He could imagine her smirking at him and he shook in anger.

 "Still not worried?"

"You're going to regret this, Relena Peacecraft!" Reigh hissed.

Relena arched an eyebrow and changed her stance to that of 'en garde'. "Doubtful."

Reigh growled and lunged. But she blocked with a simple stroke of her foil and again was able to push him on the back. This time however, she wasted no time after the man regained his balance, immediately going on the offensive.

He could barely put up a defense. She would come in at a wide seemingly stupid arc, but then would quickly change the angle of the foil so that it would be near impossible to dodge. Then there was the time in which he thought she left an opening, something even the most experienced fencers make, but unfortunately again, she pushed his foil along her side, twisting around her own foil, so that both foils were in front of them and before he could react, pushed him away, almost making him lose his balance.

Again. How degrading. Senator Reigh glances at the crowd gathered. Most of them looked worried or looked on in disbelief. An even worse situation.

This thinking cost him dearly as she continued with the onslaught, with him receiving hits that normally he would easily dodge.

He felt furious. She was just toying with him and yet, he was getting worn out while still barely scratching her. How the hell was this compact woman so strong?

"Pathetic." Then, in Dorothy Catalonia's classic move, the Vice Foreign Minister stopped with her games and aimed straight for the foil.

This of course caused Reigh to look stupidly at the broken sword. He had unbelievably and utterly lost. There was only one way to salvage his pride. Without thinking he threw the broken foil at her.

Relena's eyes widened and she barely dodged. Feeling the air rushing at her, she saw Senator's Reigh fist aiming for her face. Relena immediately tried to deflect his attack and succeeded only in being hit in the arm. Without another look, she started to walk away.

Ignoring the burning ache, Relena stopped and said, "Oh, and don't forget about the party being thrown at the mansion tomorrow, Sian," ignoring Reigh completely.

 [...To the utter surprise of the older conservative members of the council, the Vice Foreign Minister is a throwing party, but aimed only at the much  younger part of  senator crowd. This clearly is a slap in the face....]

Senator Reigh felt rage cloud his mind. This slut dared not only to make a fool out of him on the field of politics, but in fencing and this stupid party to flock men to her? He would get his revenge. Sian caught his eye, and then Reigh smiled.

He would get his revenge. Definitely.

Relena winced slightly. Her arm burned. She had ignored the locker rooms, walking instead outside in her fencing uniform. She should have really not have fenced. But she could not seem to break the last link. Due to her weakness, now she was paying the price of her arrogance. Suddenly, a small flash of longing flared through her. She longed for a place where it was safe with someone to watch over her. Relena shook her head. It was the pain. She definitely did not want to see him, nor a world where everything deceptively seem to improve.

Relena turned the corner and froze.

Leaning casually against the wall was Heero Yuy, his face partially hidden in shadows.

Disgusted at herself, for the immediate recognition despite the darkness, she got over the shock quickly.  With only a slight tilt of her head acknowledging that he was there, she resumed walking.

Despite his hand in the death of Shi and Shi's training she had still felt …something…for him. Didn't matter what it was. Any emotion was not good in terms of Heero Yuy. Better to ignore him than to have all her plans wrecked. He was an obstacle that had to be taken care or at the very least kept from obstructing her plans.

"Why did you have Senator Qwi assassinated?" It was a question, sharp and to the point as usual with him.

Whirling around in shock at the one person she thought who would never accuse her, she found herself speechless. Mercilessly quashing that…feeling and chiding her heart for beating so fast, Relena had only several thoughts cross her mind. The arrogance of that man….

Relena replied, sharply, "Even you believe that stupid story? I'm obviously innocent. Though why you're asking that question is beyond me. If you believed I killed him, it's clearly because he was my enemy. And as I recall Mr. Perfect Soldier, your motto was kill your enemies before they kill you, and leave no trace. If I did kill him then I was only mimicking a sentiment you hold so dearly." A tone of bitterness she couldn't keep out of her voice laced her answer.

Heero was quiet for a moment. "A person told me once that Relena Darlian and Relena Peacecraft died. I don't believe her. So I ask you again as a Preventer, why did you kill Senator Qwi?"

She narrowed her eyes, cursing her weakness. "My personal changes have nothing to do with a decrease in my morality. Meaning, Heero, it does not, in any way, change my stance on murder."

He stared at her.

Relena suddenly felt lightheaded and dizzy, and her heart hurt. Was she having a heart attack at such a young age? She immediately whirled on her feet and charged blindly in the opposite direction, not wanting to expose even more weakness. She didn't bother to look behind her.

Shi had told her once that feelings cost more than they were worth in the end. A pair of golden eyes had told her that everyone had to hate her and this was one path to take. Friends, family, and damnation were a small price to pay.

She was still practically running blindly as the bullet slammed into her chest. She stared at the wound, teetering.

Relena Darlian fell over.

"How could I have been so…careless?" She laughed silently. "Despite the training given me, I still failed. Failure in everything I do; do I really deserve to be the savior of this world? Or even to live?"

[...terrorism at its all time high since the Vice Foreign Minister truly came back....]

A/N: It's not over yet….