Disclaimer: I own my computer, an extensive manga anime collection, tons of plushies, wall scrolls, posters and assorted toys, the stuff in my bedroom, and an enormous amount of CD's. Do you see the words Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon in there? No? Well, I don't own them then! ~_^
Dedication: To my fellow Troublesome Foursome (Actually, I should say Fivesome because Raye10588 has become a sis too!) for being there for me throughout the writing process and just when I was feeling goofy. Big huge glomps to you! RubyRedDragon05: I'm posting as soon as I can but I'm trying to be better about it! BTW, try http://www.fortunecity.com/business/johns/1394/index.html if you want to have a custom made Wufei plushie. They're awesome! Marsgoddess: Wufei will definitely be having some problems soon! Heehee! I just love torturing him! Alexia Goddess: I offer this newest chapter to you humbly. Sorry for giving you anxiety! Please don't go bald pulling out your hair! marzy001: Isn't Zechs just the sexiest? Don't worry about your fic, you're doing great! monoxide child: You can use the crystal theory if you like since I love your stories and really respect you as an author. Can you tell that I love to mess with my characters as much as possible? ~_^ And Duo is perfect as a means to do just about anything! Petra: Thank you for the review and I hope the story keeps you entertained! skyprincess: I swear there is more Rei/Heero romance coming! MarsFireGoddess: Well, you know what they say about the course of true love never running smooth! And the other couples will definitely be coming. The baby Heeros probably won't show up in this fic though, maybe the next one or in an epilogue? Hmmmm…. Li Ying Fa: A catfight between Rei and Relena? It could happen…. marsbab9: Thank you so much! Your review made me glow all day! IsleofSolitude: Well, there will definitely be more memories back! Anairb: Wow! You read pretty much the whole story in one day! I'm flattered and hope you'll continue to like the story! huffpuff: Oh, I'm so glad to see your review since I wasn't expecting you to read any of my stuff. Thank you so much! *bows deeply* makoto: I'll see what I can do about more Duo/Ami and Makoto/Trowa!
A/N: Gomen, minna! I had meant to have this out as a Valentine's Day present to all of you, but I got a new computer that I had to install and hook up, my social life picked up and I just didn't think it was right to release on the most romantic day of the year. I'm trying to be better!
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Everyone rushed from the science lab and testing grounds at the shocking announcement that the previously missing Vice Minister Darlian had been found, leaving the Senshi to look in wonder at the suddenly deserted room. Rei bit her lip, for she recognized the name as being the one of the woman who had been involved with Heero before her arrival. Trowa had told her that Relena had meant nothing to Heero; that she was in love with Heero but he had not reciprocated the feelings. However, it was difficult for Rei to remain confident in this one area when she had been hurt so many times before and her relationship with Heero was still on unstable ground.
"Well, I guess we're already old news. So what's all this commotion over this Darlian person? Is he like the Three Lights, Rei-chan," Minako asked, her eyes bright with curiosity as she tilted her head in question.
"Iie. First of all, Darlian is the last name of the Vice-minister of the United Earth Alliance. Secondly, Vice-minister Darlian's first name is Relena. Relena Darlian is only one year older than we are but she is the second most powerful person in this galaxy. She is known as the Purveyor of Peace because that is all she has ever wanted. She has promoted the philosophy of complete non-aggression, which is probably one of the reasons why this dimension is so vulnerable to the Ravagers. All weaponry and the study of warfare was pretty much discouraged if not outright banned because of her urgings. She is extremely influential and she was reported missing a couple of weeks ago when her shuttle never arrived at her planned destination," Rei concluded matter-of-factly, having done research on the members of the government when she had arrived, believing in the fact that forewarned was forearmed. She found shelter from her feelings in the need to inform her friends.
"Complete non-aggression? Is she insane? Even in Crystal Tokyo, which is completely peaceful, almost a utopia, the people have us to protect them. Peace is not something one can just attain. It has to be guarded and sometimes fought for," Haruka snorted in disbelief. "What was she thinking, that because they gave up their weapons that everyone else would too? She just made this universe ripe for the picking by any evil force out there, which is exactly what is happening right now with these Ravagers." Haruka shook her head at the idea of the lives lost because of one person's misguided philosophy.
"People who have never had to fight don't understand things the way those of us who have sacrificed our lives to protect them do. They will never understand because they cannot see or have not seen the world the way we have to. They don't understand that principles can be a wonderful dream, but it doesn't do much to protect one in battle," Hotaru said wearily, her eyes reflecting her bitterness. She ran her hand up and down her glaive absentmindedly, feeling the coolness of the metal penetrate through her gloves, so unlike when she was in battle and the metal was hot to the touch from the power she channeled through it.
The others nodded in silent agreement to Hotaru's words, wondering how much bloodshed and carnage their eyes would have to see, how many times their hearts would break at tragedies that could not be averted. Several of them wondered how much they would be changed during the upcoming battles, for it was something they knew they could not avoid.
Mamoru lifted his head from his contemplation and murmured, "We should see if we can follow the others. We need to know as much as we can so we will be able to go into battle with our eyes wide open. I don't want any of you hurt because of misinformation. I will not let you be hurt." Mamoru's fierce conviction was evident in his voice, deep and rich with emotion. The Senshi nodded and smiled at their Prince, confident that he would do all within his power to protect them as they would do their all to protect him and their princess and the innocent people of this dimension
"Follow me then. I can track the pilots' destination," stated Rei, tapping her wrist gently. A slim black band seemed to rise from the snowy whiteness of her glove and gave out a gentle beep. She tapped on it for several seconds and nodded, walking toward the door.
"What is that? And how did it come from your Senshi fuku," Ami asked, her face shining with surprise and delight at the little technological marvel. She studied the slim black band admiringly and wondered what new advance would be revealed to her.
Rei smiled, happy to distract herself with chatting with her sometimes shy comrade. "This is one of the coolest things I have seen here and it's so useful! It has a map, a tracking device and a communicator all in one. I can contact or be contacted by the Maganacs or any of the pilots with the press of a button and I can find out exactly where they are if they're in the same vicinity as I am. In fact, they're only down the hall from us right now. I'm sure Quatre-kun will have them made available to you as soon as we get home. As for how it's possible for it to appear while I'm henshined, it consists of phased molecules that have been bonded to me since I've worn it for more than several days. I can even change its color and will it away with a thought," Rei responded as she walked down the hall, leading the others. She swept a long lock of violet hair behind one ear in a nervous gesture and passed her hand over a sensor plate to open the door of her destination.
The door whooshed open on a silent gust of air, revealing a huddle of anxious, babbling men who were all gesturing wildly in excitement. The pilots stood in a row off to one side, varying degrees of concern on their faces. Zechs was hovering protectively over a prone figure and was clenching and unclenching his fists rapidly in uncertainty and fear. A woman with short, dark blue hair leaned tiredly against the wall, a huge bruise rapidly forming on one cheek. Her slumped figure telegraphed her exhaustion clearly to anyone looking at her, but her dark eyes were fixed intently on Zechs and filled with worry. Another woman with honey gold hair arranged in two fat curls framing her face had her hands braced upon the handles of a wheelchair with a young redheaded girl sitting primly in the seat. Both looked frazzled and the blonde had a jagged scrape along her hairline while the younger girl looked frightened, battered and on the verge of tears. The blonde was staring intently at Wufei, who was trying mightily to ignore her.
Duo looked up at the sound of the opening door and beckoned them over with a small smile. Walking silently so as to not disturb the occupants of the room and bring attention to themselves, the Senshi arranged themselves around the pilots, already becoming used to their presence. They looked over at the much fussed over Vice Minister lying on a stretcher on top of a stainless steel table. The figure looked as if she had been through hell and back again. Dark blonde hair that looked as if it had been shorn by dull, rusty blades lay in ragged clumps around her face, falling only slightly below her chin. Deep purple bruises ringed her closed eyes, giving the appearance of a raccoon. Pale, bloodless lips were puffy and swollen, the tender skin chapped and blistered. The young woman was rail thin and the skin across her face looked as if it was stretched taut over the frame of her face and was mottled beyond recognition. The most horrifying thing was the number of thin razor marks that criss-crossed her body in random patterns in an eerie web design, as was the sight of dark red blood caked on her arms from fingertips to elbow. Hotaru whispered softly to Michiru, "Is she dead? I cannot imagine any regular human being looking like that and surviving."
Michiru shrugged her shoulders in uncertainty. Granted, they had been in worse situations and survived, but the limits of the human body were fuzzy in her mind since her realization of her Senshi status several years ago and she had no idea if it was possible for someone to survive such trauma.
Zechs dropped to his knees beside the figure, his hands gripping the edge of the table until his knuckles showed white. "Relena! What happened to you? Who did this to you, my sister," he whispered hoarsely. He bent his head, his forehead resting against her pale arm and took a shuddering breath, trying desperately to not sob at the sight of his baby sister so horribly injured. He almost jumped when a pale hand landed on his shoulder. Looking up, he saw the dark blue haired woman staring at him with sympathy in her eyes. "Noin, what happened? Tell me everything," he demanded, gripping her hand tightly in his.
Noin winced at the crushing grip around her already injured hand, but refrained from saying anything for she knew Zechs was beyond noticing anything but Relena. "First, Zechs, she's not dead. Not yet anyway. She's still alive. Please notify the medics to get here as soon as possible. The med-unit in my ship wasn't enough to heal her, only keep her steady," she responded urgently, hoping that her voice would reach him and give him hope.
The scientists and officials snapped to attention at her words, shaking off their shock and orders to have a med-team dispatched to their location barked out in no uncertain terms were soon underway. They seemed to come alive then, ordering research teams to check out Noin's heavily damaged ship and additional medical teams sent to take care of the other three wounded women. Additional orders were made to the exploration teams, the coordinates of Relena's last known location relayed to see if there were any other survivors from her diplomatic mission.
All the while, Zechs kneeled in front of Noin, his face slowly unfreezing as her words sank in. "She's alive? Please tell me the truth, Noin," Zechs uttered huskily, his voice betraying the fear that he was being placated to keep him calm. His light blue eyes were wild with the need for the truth; they calmed slightly as she nodded, her happiness in her eyes as she realized she might not lose the man she loved to his despair.
"I was sent to pick up Sally and Mariemaia when they called in on the emergency frequency, remember? I went out beyond the Daedelus quadrant and found them in an abandoned mansion on one of the old luxury asteroid resorts, cut off from all communication except for a small booster radio that Sally salvaged when her ship went down. She had been on her way to rendezvous with Lady Une, who had also encountered problems with her ship. It seems the electromagnetic fields in that particular asteroid belt have polarized in such a way that it acts like an electromagnetic pulse, shorting out all technology within a 10-mile radius. It caused Lady Une's ship to go down when she was on her way to her vacation home on Colony L-8. She was able to get a message to Sally, stationed in the new base on Colony L-5, who left before she had even officially checked in. She made her way to Lady Une's location but ended up encountering the same electromagnetic pulse, consequently knocking her ship out of commission as well. When she came to, Mariemaia was crawling towards her. Sally says they were both unable to find Une anywhere and Mariemaia doesn't know where she went because she had come down with a fever that knocked her out for several days. Sally thinks Une went out exploring the asteroid to see if there were any supplies she could salvage to aid Mariemaia's recovery," Noin said wearily, running her free hand through her messy hair.
"We looked everywhere we could for her, but the electric storms that were blowing all over the asteroid made it hard on visibility and became a hazard for Mariemaia in her wheelchair. That's when I finally broke through to HQ on my radio system and reported my location to you. I hoped that the storms were a fluke and we could somehow find Une with a rescue party," Sally added, her eyes filled with concern for her missing friend.
"Unfortunately, the electromagnetic storm hadn't abated by the time I arrived and I almost met the same fate as Sally and Une. Luckily, Sally had let us know about the circumstances surrounding her crash on the asteroid and I had a backup generator and surveillance equipment that let me ascertain whether or not there was a possible hazard awaiting me. I sent down a non-metallic probe that had a shielding mechanism that was able to weather the storm long enough to discover Sally and Mariemaia's coordinates and then get them back up to the ship. However, I tried for two more days to look for Une but there's no sign of her anywhere," Noin continued, closing her eyes wearily as she left the unspoken thought that Une was most likely dead hang in the air. Mariemaia closed her eyes and bit back a choked sob at the thought of her adopted mother, burrowing her face into Sally's shoulder when the woman knelt down and hugged her.
"How did you find Relena," Zechs said hoarsely, his eyes stinging from tears that had come unbidden at the thought that his friend Treize was alone no more and reunited with the woman he had loved so much. He hadn't always gotten along with Une but the last two years had done much to bury the animosity between them as they had worked together in the Preventers to make Treize's dream of peace come true.
"It was a complete fluke actually. My sensors and navigational system were still impacted by the storm and I veered off course from my set flight path home. We must have been several thousand miles away from the nearest warp gate before I realized we were heading in the wrong direction and made corrections to set us back on course. That's when I picked up a distress beacon so faint on my sensors that I was sure it was another malfunction. I almost ignored it, but something told me to check it out just in case, even though I had two people severely in need of medical help because of the brutal electric storm. When I got there, all I could see was what looked to be space debris, but I decided to keep searching. I found Relena purely by accident when I stumbled over here in the remains of what was the bridge of the ship she had been on. She was an absolute mess and I almost thought that I would only be bringing back her remains for burial when I detected the smallest sign of weak pulse. I was so relieved that I picked her up and ran as fast as I could, hoping that I wasn't making things worse by moving her when she was so obviously injured. I got back to my ship and had just fastened her into the med-unit when an enormous explosion rocked through the ship. Evidently, there was a fusion leak or something that detonated after I left the hunk of rock her ship had collided into. That's how we have bruises as well. The impact of the explosion knocked me into the doorframe and Sally's head hit the console in front of her. Luckily, Mariemaia and Relena were strapped down or they would both be in worse shape than they're in now," Noin finished, sighing. By this time, medics had arrived and had moved Relena into a portable med-unit and were busy stabilizing her condition and checking to see how deep her injuries were. Other medical personnel had swarmed around Sally, Mariemaia, and Noin and were busy scanning them for internal injuries and infection with small handheld laser scanners.
"What about Hilde…and Dorothy," Duo broke in anxiously. He had been waiting patiently for Noin to make some mention of where Relena's travelling companions were located, but when he heard her finish her explanation without mentioning them, he felt a surge of panic. Granted, he and Hilde were no longer together, but that hadn't meant that he hadn't cared for her deeply as a friend. His lavender eyes met Noin's deep blue gaze and he knew before she even said anything what her answer would be when he saw the deep sorrow and the tears swimming in her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Duo. I couldn't find them either. There was no sign of anyone else being alive in there except for Relena. All the other bodies were very obviously beyond all aid, but I couldn't find anyone that looked like Dorothy or Hilde. Even if they had been alive, the explosion would have killed them immediately. Nothing could have survived that," Noin offered remorsefully, hating the fact that she hadn't been able to bring back Une, Hilde or Dorothy. She had never felt like such a failure before in her life and her shoulders slumped in dejection, ignoring the stab of pain as an anti-inflammatory drug was applied to her numerous cuts.
"It's not your fault, Noin. You did all that you could," Quatre offered consolingly as he gripped Duo's shoulder to steady the devastated young man. He closed his eyes briefly in silent homage to the friends he had to accept were now gone from their lives forever, his light blonde bangs falling forward to hide his sorrowful expression.
The Senshi stood to one side and reflected on the irony of their lives. How many times had they perished in the fight against evil and been reborn again, given another chance to start over? How often would it continue to happen again and again as they faced new opposition? They had too much life for one body and these poor people, though they didn't know them personally, didn't even have a chance to live one full life. The elder Senshi looked on with pity in their gazes for the people who were left behind. The younger ones had gazes filled with sympathy and sorrow for the grief of those in the room. Minako stared with tear-filled eyes and an aching heart over at Quatre, feeling his pain deep inside of her and wondering in her mind how she could have fallen so fast for someone she barely knew while her heart argued that she had known him for forever.
Ami was deeply puzzled and frustrated with herself when she caught herself staring at Duo once again. Her eyes had been drawn to him again and again since they had shown up in this world and no amount of self-chastisement had been effective in keeping her from noticing the attractiveness of the braided pilot. She had never been one to fall into giddy raptures over a cute guy like Makoto or Minako and was usually the voice of reason when they would want to run after a hot prospect at the lightest drop of a hat. For those reasons, she was deeply disturbed at her encompassing awareness of Duo when her mind knew it was better used in finding a way to vanquish their foes and prevent more senseless deaths from happening. 'For Kami's sake, the man just obviously lost a good friend, if not more, and here you are wondering if his flirting could be something more meaningful. Not to mention that I'm not exactly the type of girl that just grabs a guy's attention with my dazzling good looks. That's much more Minako-chan or Rei-chan's department. The guys I attract are usually drawn by my intelligence like Urawa Ryo or Taiki-kun. Somehow, I don't think Duo-san goes for bookworm girls like me,' Ami concluded sorrowfully to herself.
All thoughts were interrupted as the medics finished stabilizing Relena and turned to Zechs to inform him of her condition and what they needed to do to restore her health. A soft moan broke through the soft murmur of conversation and all heads turned towards the source of the sound. Relena's hand twitched spasmodically and her chapped lips parted to moan, "Heero." Zechs frowned and then glared at Heero, motioning with an authoritative hand for him to approach his sister. Heero stepped up silently next to the med-unit and peered at Relena, a question in his gaze as to why she was calling for him instead of her brother. He was uncomfortable being the focus of so much attention, especially when it was centered on the wishes of one spoiled Vice Minister.
"Heero," Relena rasped once more, her eyelids cracking open to catch Heero's bland gaze. Her eyes widened and tears leaked from the corners of her eyes, trailing down her face to pool on the soft silicon gel pad beneath her. Her hand rose up shakily and grasped his, turning into a death grip as she held onto him with the desperation of someone who had thought they would lose everything worthwhile in their life. "Aishiteru, Heero! I'm so happy to see you again. I thought I would never see your wonderful eyes again. It was the thought of you, waiting here for me that kept me alive all that time when I was trapped beneath the wreckage of the ship. Don't leave me again," she concluded in a dry whisper as her strength ebbed and her eyes fought a losing battle against the morphine the medics had injected into her system to help her rest and heal. Her hand remained wrapped around Heero's though, unwilling to let go for even a short period of time.
Heero stared impassively at Relena and let her hand remain clasped around his, wondering if he was so devoid of emotion that even a severely injured woman's declaration of love would leave him cold. Relena had never been as close to him as she had thought or wanted but he hadn't cared enough to try to dissuade her from her misguided feelings. She had always wanted to make him into something he wasn't, a hero for peace trapped by the confines of war. How could one explain to her that though he didn't love war, he was comfortable with it and understood the need for it? Combat was what he had been trained to do. It was a part of him he couldn't ignore, couldn't change. No one really understood except for his fellow pilots and even then, they all had their own unique reason for why they had participated in Operation Meteor. It wasn't until Rei had entered his life that he had found someone who could accept him for what he was, a soldier dedicated to his cause. Relena had professed to love him, but how could she say that when all she ever wanted to do was change him? He looked down at her with emotionless eyes, not even caring enough to disengage her hand or respond to her pleas.
Rei bit her lip as she watched the scene unfold in front of her, unable to look away even though that was her fondest wish at the moment. Inside, her mind and heart screamed in outrage and anguish, each emotion vying for dominance. She could hear Trowa tell her that Relena meant nothing to Heero, but it was so very hard to believe when Heero stood there and accepted her pledge of love. He had had no problem pushing her away after their night kissing in the starlight. She fought the jealousy that was rising in her throat, wanting to be voiced aloud. She wanted to rip Heero away from the grasping woman, but was held by the emotion that throbbed in the woman's raspy voice as she told him that he was the reason why she kept on living. Suddenly, her vision swam before her eyes, blurring into a haze as she saw herself dying in someone's arms and telling him that she couldn't die without seeing him once more and that he had to live for her. Just as suddenly as the vision came, it disappeared and she shook her head to clear it as tears seemed to block her throat. She was nearly startled as she felt a strong arm come from behind to support her. She looked up blindly, her violet eyes awash in tears that stubbornly refused to fall. The sight of Makoto peering worriedly into her face met her gaze and she tried to smile reassuringly, but she could only manage a weary grimace. She felt Makoto pull her more securely towards her and could only gratefully lean her head against the steady shoulder that always seemed to be there for her. Her mind continued to race and she felt despair swamp her as she wondered how she could possibly compete against a declaration of love when her own feelings were so unsure. Heero had agreed to accept her challenge and give a relationship between them a chance when they were in the meeting room, but they hadn't had an opportunity to make things clear between them and discuss what it was they were feeling. Because of this, Rei wondered if Heero regretted agreeing to a relationship with her so soon. After all, he had thought Relena dead as had everyone else when so much time had elapsed after her being reported missing.
Trowa looked at Rei leaning against Makoto, drawing strength from the supportive strength of her friend. He knew what was going through her mind and he frowned at Heero momentarily before returning his regard back to Rei. He was glad to see that some of their friends had been found, but he wondered what was going through Heero's mind that made him calmly accept Relena's words when in the past he had always brusquely ignored her. 'I hope he's not changing his mind now that Rei has finally opened up to him and made herself vulnerable. I told her to not worry about Relena's position in his life and now this happens,' he thought agitatedly, running his hand through his silky brown hair in aggravation. He was grateful to see Makoto hug her and wondered briefly at the depths of her heart. 'She seems so emotional and her heart is obviously very soft since she cares so much. I can tell that she's extremely protective of her friends from what I've seen and heard so far. She has an amazing capacity for love,' he thought idly and then dismissed the thought as being unconnected to the situation. He hoped Heero cleared things up soon before he lost Rei through stupidity.
Quatre's brow wrinkled slightly as he pondered over Heero's unusual action of accepting Relena's gesture of love. He could feel the emotional void in Heero quite clearly. It felt like the sharp bite of an icy wind blowing from the North, freezing all in its path. It was the same as it had always been before Rei's arrival and the normally emotionless Heero started to become a tangled puzzle of rioting emotions.
Wufei snorted softly and turned his head sharply from the scene of Relena grasping onto Heero's hand. He had never liked the weak princess. She embodied everything that he thought was weak and wrong in an onna. He had even joined Dekim Barton and Mariemaia Khushrenada in order to breathe new life back into the world she had lulled into a false sense of security and mind numbing obedience. He was disgusted that Heero would actually let her touch him. 'Feh, he's giving her false hope that he might somehow care for her when he could care less if she lived or died. He should be honest with her now more than ever. There's no reason to lead her on, especially if he's going to be involved with the little houyan (A/N: Chinese for flame. There you go, Duckie!) since she's going to give him hell if she thinks he's playing with her. It would almost serve him right for getting involved with an onna,' he thought sourly. His mood darkened even more as he caught Sally glaring at him balefully. Evidently, she hadn't rethought her position about how they had broken up and still hated him for seemingly deceiving her. He returned her glare with a furious one of his own, still angered over her implication that he would get involved with her while he was thinking of someone else, effectively lying to her. He smirked in triumph when she angrily tossed her head and looked away, feeling as if he had won a small battle with the woman. Still angered, his gaze roamed around the rest of the room before being caught by the image of Hotaru staring at him with contemplative eyes and then settling her gaze on Sally and letting a small look of pity cross her face when she looked back at him. He stiffened in outrage, rightly reading her pitying expression as one directed at him. He didn't know what was going through her mind, but the thought that she pitied him was an outrage to him.
The other Senshi had silently gasped in outrage at Relena's words and Heero's seeming acceptance of her love. Haruka shot an angered look over at Mamoru that spoke volumes. It quite clearly conveyed the message, He's supposed to be her lover? and Mamoru shrugged, his own brow furrowing at the disregard he felt was being dealt to one of his dearest friends. As Rei's closest male friend, he wanted to stride forward and rip the clasped hands apart, anything to banish the light of sorrow in Rei's eyes. Haruka continued to shoot daggers at Heero's back with her eyes and mentally planned on gutting him slowly with her Space Sword. You just did not go around leading her friends on and then breaking their hearts without serious consequences. Michiru, on the other hand, wasn't feeling anger so much as sorrow to see the possibility of Setsuna's earlier words come to reality right in front of her. Setsuna had warned that the pilots might be already embroiled in relationships with other people and not feel the same as they had for the Senshi in their shared past and Michiru was horrified to contemplate that this might be true in Rei's case. Hotaru was clearly unhappy at the despair she saw written across Rei's elegant face. She wondered idly if anyone would mind if she summoned her Silence Glaive and dealt a mercy killing to the blonde on the med-unit who was the unwitting source of pain for one of her closest friends. She spent several minutes convincing herself not to, and found herself very disgusted with her conscience and the internal struggle she always had when it came to destruction. Setsuna was aghast at the sight before her and wondered how Rei had come to be here if Heero's heart was already pledged to another. She shook her head in confusion for her memories of Rei and Heero were those of a couple that could not be parted, so devoted were they to each other. They had been like two halves of one whole, neither one truly alive until they had found each other. She frowned at the unforeseen obstacle that was posed by Relena and uneasily contemplated the results that could arise from this complication. Makoto had sensed the pain radiating from Rei and had immediately offered her a shoulder to lean on, knowing how much Rei hated to show weakness in front of others. She would protect Rei and make sure she had some private time to sort things out before having to confront these people. She was heartsick for her fiery friend and marveled at the control Rei had after so many emotional disturbances. She knew it would have been easy for Rei to revert back to the immature, hot-tempered girl she used to be and she wouldn't blame her if she did, but so far Rei was doing an admirable job of presenting a calm façade. Minako, on the other hand, was ready to stomp her foot in vexation at Heero's blindness. She hoped she was wearing Rei's high heels when she did it too, right on top of Heero's foot. She had never been so frustrated in her life as to when she saw this display of ridiculousness in front of her. She could read the emotions connected to love very clearly and she knew that Heero did not love Relena, so she puzzled over why he was allowing this to happen in front of Rei. Rei's emotions kept flickering back and forth between hopeless love and seething anger (A/N: Minako is not empathic like Quatre, however, I wanted her to be able to tap into the love emotions of others, like love, hate, and indifference.) and Minako worried that this would drive her best friend even further away from love than she normally kept herself. Ami was extremely sorrowful for she felt bad for the poor young woman on the med-unit, but couldn't keep herself from hoping that Heero would brush her off or indicate in some way that he didn't reciprocate the young woman's feelings. She had a very tender heart, but her loyalty remained staunchly with her friends. She had hoped that Rei would find a happy ending with Heero, somehow connecting the thought that if Rei could, so could the rest of the Senshi. For even in her heart and mind, she had wondered if only Usagi and Mamoru were destined to find and hold true love. Suddenly, she noticed that the room was uncomfortably warm and getting warmer. Her sensitivity to heat because of her ice-based powers caused her to pinpoint the source quite easily as she stared at her raven-haired friend uneasily, wondering what was going through her head and heart.
Rei's sadness and unusual bout of self-pity was slowly giving way to a deep-seated feeling of anger. The fire in her that she normally focused into her passionate drive in fighting and all other aspects of her life was slowly emerging, unused to being dampened by sadness. She had turned all of the horrible things in her life to something better with her determination. Her heart, slowly becoming more and more vulnerable to Heero's intensity, hardened as past pains of betrayal by men surged into her memory. Her mind revolved around the niggling thought that was always present because of her emotional scars, the thought that he was just toying with her emotions before he discarded her for something better. Her pride asserted itself once more and she gently broke away from Makoto, glad for the support given but determined to not hide behind it or use it as a crutch. She ignored the questioning glances thrown her way by her concerned friends and focused her gaze on Heero's back. She continued into her dark thoughts, unaware of the Senshi squirming uncomfortably and beginning to perspire heavily from the fiery aura that was unconsciously forming around her in response to her volatile emotions. Unbidden, another flash ripped through her mind, whisking her somewhere unknown yet tantalizingly familiar to her acute senses.
### Begin Flashback ###
"How can you leave me? You know what they're saying is wrong," Rei cried out, her hand outstretched to touch the back of the man facing away from her. Tears swam in her eyes as she continued to regard the stiffly held back and firmed shoulders of the man she loved. Her fists clenched tightly into the folds of her long flame-red silk dress, the skirt creasing under the pressure. Outside the door of the cozy room, music floated into the night air, the strains signaling the beginning of another dance.
"I have a duty to my planet, just as you do. I cannot knowingly disregard the orders of my King and Queen," the deep male voice responded. "How can you ask me to turn my back on them? I would never ask you to do the same." The man stood rigidly, his aura screaming pride and duty. He looked out over the silvery hued gardens beneath the window, his eyes cold and unseeing. Soft candlelight flickered over his features, shadowing them yet lining his form in a glowing halo of light.
"If I knew they were wrong, you wouldn't even have to ask! My duty has been to Serenity first and foremost, since I was born, but if I thought she was doing something unjust, I would stand up to her. You know this is a ploy by the Dark Kingdom to sunder the allegiance made between the planets of the Silver Millennium and Earth! Endymion is staying for Serenity-hime, why won't you stay for me," she asked passionately, hating the note of pleading that had crept into her voice, the voice that had beguiled royalty and ambassadors from across the cosmos. She picked at one of the brilliant diamonds that dotted the skirt of her formal gown in the shape of icicles, an inside joke of hard ice dancing among flames. It had been one of their favorite gowns of hers and he used to compliment her every time she wore it for him. Now, she could barely stand to be in it, feeling as if the gown had become tainted during this horrid encounter.
"Endymion is the Prince of Earth. He will not disobey his parents. He will return with us as well, even if we have to take him back forcibly. We are his guards, those most loyal, and we will see to it that no harm befalls him," the man answered, his face still in shadow as he turned. The rich, midnight blue cape he wore fastened negligently to one sapphire shoulder clasp swung out in a wide arc, brushing the heavy red silk of her flowing gown as if it wanted to touch her the way he, himself, did not dare to do at this moment.
"You would not only leave me for this farce of a command, but also separate your prince from my princess? I thought you had realized that the cold comfort of duty does not apply to them! How can you even think of separating them? They would languish without each other, their spirits dying in concern and agony for the other," Rei bit out, her heart aching at the iciness she hadn't heard in his voice for eons. He had returned back to the formal stranger she had first met so many years ago and it killed a part of her to know that he had blocked her from his mind and heart so easily. The guests dancing outside in the ballroom were completely oblivious to the drama being played inside the palace, their guardians and caretakers' hearts being ripped asunder.
"The matters brought up by the King and Queen are of grave concern to them. What we have heard could be a plot to overthrow the throne. The King and Queen have decided that the truce between the earth and the Moon is to be nullified since it cannot be disproven that Queen Serenity is not entering this truce and sanctioning the engagement of the Prince and Princess in order to secure the Earth for her own purposes. For his own safety, the Prince must be returned back to Earth until things can be satisfied. A little heartbreak now can be overlooked in the greater schemes of things. When he is back at his parents' side, he will come to his senses and realize that he was being foolish and emotional," the voice intoned, the face still hidden by the shadows that he seemed to draw around him, a shield from the fiery light she emanated with her fury.
"Are you saying that you were being foolish and emotional too? Is this your way of saying that you regret loving me, regret being with me, regret giving me a piece of your heart in exchange for a piece from mine? Or are you saying that I never meant that much to you anyway? That must be it for you to turn your back on me so easily. Was I just a game perhaps, one to see if I could be tamed by the greatest warrior of Earth? Did you laugh as I fell for you, words of love pouring from my lips like wine," the Martian princess screamed, feeling her heart shatter into a million pieces as he kept silent. Her fists clenched even tighter into her dress, the faceted gems cutting into her tender skin and drawing blood.
The man saw everything, saw the blood drip down her slender fingertips and stain her beautiful gown with her angered misery. The perfectly cut diamonds of a few minutes ago now seemed to dull, shedding their beautiful light and mocking him as her blood continued to coat their perfect surfaces. He refused to respond, however, and began to walk away, towards his awaiting ship where the others waited for him with their Prince safely secured. He halted at the door, his hand turning the knob, as he heard her voice break through the heavy, stiff silence once more.
"You know that Beryl and Metallia's forces are near, that they will mount their final attack on us any day now. Will you still leave and withdraw your forces, knowing how outnumbered we will be without your support? Will you knowingly abandon us to the dark tide that will sweep over the moon and the rest of the galaxy," she asked, tamping down her infamous temper and hoping to appeal to his logic. She refused to let him know the depths of the pain in her heart at his act of betrayal. She would try one last appeal for the innocent citizenry on the Moon; not for herself, never for herself.
"My duty is to my planet and to my liege, so my answer must be Yes," he said flatly as he turned to face her for one last time, his Prussian blue eyes sweeping across her still form. With that last word, he turned and left, never looking back, exiting through the now opened door
"Heero," Rei screamed, her tears threatening to choke her as she collapsed in a heap of ruby silk. She buried her tear-streaked face in the soft, cool folds of what used to be her favorite dress and sobbed freely, the tears flowing in rivers down the porcelain beauty of her face. She cried, alone in the dark, the way she never would in front of another soul, the darkness of the room reflecting the emptiness in her soul. She sobbed as all of her bright, happy dreams turned to ash in front of her very eyes and she knew the dreams of her closest friends were also crumbling before them. She felt the life drain away from her as the bond between her and her beloved broke and she was left with a gnawing pain where her heart used to beat so happily, content and secure in her reciprocated love. Now all she had left was a dull burning inside of her as she realized the depth of his betrayal before she passed into a dark, welcome oblivion.
### End Flashback ###
Rei came back to reality with a jarring sense of pain, her eyes swimming with the tears she had felt in her vision.
####***
A/N: Ta-da! It's short but it's out before another month passed! Aren't you proud of me? (Preens slightly at her accomplishment and then blanches when she sees a gun pointed square between her eyes. She peeks around the barrel to see a very annoyed Heero. Heero: You made me into a heart-breaking jerk! Now I'll never get Rei to come back to me!) Ah heh heh, come on, Hee-kun, you know I would never do that to you. Aren't you my favorite couple in the anime universe? Anywhoo, tune in next time for another chapter. (Runs like all the bats of hell are chasing after her.)
Next time: So Rei knows Heero was her lover. Does she believe it and if she does, what does that mean for her burgeoning relationship with our favorite Perfect Soldier? Has Relena won already?
