Heartless Joy
Chapter 1, Coming Back
SilverRose82
Tis the well awaited sequel to my story The Ice Soldier. I believe that I have come a great way as a writer. And I want to thank everyone who continues to read my stories. If you want to know when I update, go to my webpage Link on in my profile and click on the link Update List when you get to the main page.
I don't believe that you will have to read The Ice Soldier first to understand everything that's going to take place in this story.
Review, Thanks, and Goodnight:
~*~ SilverRose82 ~*~
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
"Why are we back here? Ben?" Serena asked as a soft wind blew though her hair, creating a waterfall of gold and silver than played against the two small bodies that stood on either side of her. Small dark red violet eyes glanced up at her, pink hair tied back in a ponytail at the base of her neck. Icy blue eyes glanced over at the silent man next to her as she clung to Serena's hand.
"I have a mission." Ben supplied as he captured the small fire engine red haired girl, causing her to squeal in surprised delight, and placed her on his shoulders. Three years had past since the death on the Commander, three years since Serena had come to terms with her parents, three years since the day she left with thoughts of never returning.
"Why did I have to come?" Serena muttered darkly as Ben laughed placing an arm around her shoulder as they made their way out of the space port.
"Because we can't have you trying to take over to world now can we." Ben smiled as he poked her in the side. Serena shook her head as she grasped Rini's hand when they appeared in the busy outside world of the space port. Ben flagged over the waiting limo and ushered them all in, both Rini and Mariemeia started playing with the numerous buttons that were next to them.
"What's this mission you're on?" Serena asked as she crossed her arms over her chest and settled back into the leather seat, glareing at Ben who was seated across from her.
"You know that the wars been over for about a year now, well they want to make sure that Relena is well protected. Don't want another war starting now do we? Well, I'm going to be working as a bodyguard along with the other pilots. You're just here because I don't want to go alone. That woman is scary." Ben shuttered as he remembered one of his first meeting with the woman.
"She's not that bad, Ben." Serena laughed. She remembered what he told her about his first meeting with Relena Peacecraft. It hadn't been fun since the woman had become drunk from some injection of sorts. Serena had nothing against the pacifist woman she considered a friend, but she could never understand why the woman wouldn't even learn the basic defence. One day her bodyguards wouldn't be there.
"You weren't stuck with her when she was drunk." Ben cried causing Serena to laugh harder. "It's not funny."
"Oh don't be a baby." Serena teased while Ben pouted at her lack of care. Grinning slightly Ben had her pinned before she could do anything. Serena's eyes widened slightly, she knew that not training daily like she had years before had left her slower but she shouldn't have been caught off guard like this. Muttering a string of curses she had learned in another language so the girls wouldn't be able to understand, she tried to get out of Ben's grip.
"Nope, Serena Serenity, you won't be able to get out of this one." Ben scolded her like he would Mariemeia. The limo's sudden hault caused Ben to crash onto the floor as Serena, Rini, and Mariemeia scrammbled out of the limo to get away from Ben's crazyness.
~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~
"Hey, Heero! Hotaru!" Duo cried out as he went to greet his friends. The two were the last of the long lived couples to enter the meeting room. All around the room, were the other pilots and their girlfriends, wives, or fiances. Raye and Wufei were in one of their daily arguments, Mina and Quatre were in a quite conversation with Lita and Trowa.
"Hnn." Hotaru could only sigh as she smiled apologenicly to Duo at Heero's lack of speaking.
"Alright, everyone's here let's begin." Duo cried out as he turned to look at Lady Une who stood behind the desk chair. The twenty-one year old Vice Foreign Minister sat before them, her cornflower blue eyes studied everyone before her. Most of them hadn't changed all that much over the years, the guys had grown taller and filled out more, while the girls features had softened.
"We have to wait for one last family." Une told him as childish giggling was heard from behind the closed meeting room door. A low thump was heard a few seconds later along with curses that would put a sailor to shame, scolding, followed by a louder thump before the doors slowly opened. Appearing before them was a tall, slender woman with golden silver hair that fell to the floor, two giggling little girls one with cotton-candy pink hair and the other with fire engine red, and a man, rubbing the back of his head, wincing in pain with sharp icy blue eyes and longish sandy blonde hair.
"You're late." Lady Une smiled, before noticing the blonde woman's glare, she reconized the sapphire eyes only once before had she seen such a colour.
"Its his fault." The small red head smiled as she pointed up at Ben. Relena's eyes widened when she noticed who the new comers were. The two Gundam Pilots that protected L6 and L7 together, the two pilots that caused fear amoung many of the soldiers that came from the two colonies. Pilots 00 and 01, the originals. One that she had known to be a great friend three years ago, before the death of a great man caused her to leave.
"Welcome." Relena smiled as she stood to greet the two. Everyone in the room stood silent as they watched Relena hug the golden woman and shake hands with the man. She smiled down at the two little girls that didn't really know or remember her. "It's great to see you again."
"Likewise." Serena answered softly watching for any other reactions. None came and for that she was greatful.
"Let's get on with this meeting shall we?" Lady Une asked as everyone settled down and turned to listen to the leader of the preventers. "I know that no war has broken out since the end of the last one. But we need to be prepaired for anything, which is why we've asked for the Gundam Pilots to become Miss Relena's bodyguards once more."
"Mission Accepted."
"I'm with He-man." Assorted answers followed, but all pilots had accepted the mission. After a few minutes of silence, Mina broke the un-nerving silence.
"Who are you?" A raised eyebrow and a cocky grin were the only answers she got from the two standing by the door, two little girls sitting silently by their feet playing some sort of child's game.
"Soldiers state your names, code names, pilot number, and gundam names." Lady Une ordered, as one death glare was sent her way as sapphire eyes started to darken.
"Ben Travis. Sol, original Pilot 01, Gundams: Ares and Zeus."
"Serena Serenity. Cosmos, Pilot 00, Gundams: Chaos and Shadow." Robotic answers from two dangerous pilots who instilled much pain into anyone who tried to stop them. Gasps were heard around the room from various people. The girls stared at their old friend, while Duo's indigo eyes held betrayal.
"Serena……" Hotaru trailed off as she tried to walk closer to the older woman.
"I no longer am the person you once knew. Don't confuse me with her." Serena's sharp tone cut through the room, silencing everyone at the anger within her voice. Ben reached out to her but haulted when he noticed the pain on the pilot of DeathScythe's face. He remembered Serena telling him about the man who thought he could tame a wild mare that had been so abused. Ben remembered how hard it was to get her to really even talk to him outside of necissarity again after coming back to the base with both Mariemeia and Rini.
Though the two had met again three years ago for a brief few minutes, Serena had hardened herself after thinking that her best friend and only confident had been killed. Finding out that he was alive and well had weight her down. Then the death of the commander, losing her faith in her belief that she was doing something for the common good of the world, had shattered when she watched the shuttle sliced in two. And then listening to the congradulations afterwards when the pilots had landed and the girls told, all tore away at her well hidden but fragile soul.
