Hello again! I hope you all enjoyed chappie 1… just let me tell you it gets better!! …poor Hee-chan... MUAHAHAAHAAA! Ok if you want to know what that was all about read on! Yay!

Yui: All right now, today I would like to think a little bit about Heero's pants. Seriously. I mean, how in the world do all his guns fit in there?! Heero? Would you like to answer that question?

H: Do I HAVE to?

Yui: Yes.

H: All RIGHT, since I KNOW you're the powerful author who controls my destiny in the story…

Yui: You are very wise.

H: I put it into Spandex Space.

Y: …

H: sighs FINE. It's a large space within my spandex.

Y: Why is your butt so tight then?

D: Coz he's damn HOT!

Y: You're confusing cause and effect, DUO.

D: ah who needs causality anyway.

H: ACTUALLY its because my laptop can hack into hyperspace. All I have to do is follow its signals into the future and place my gun at the precise moment at the back of my spandex when it tells me I need it.

D: So THAT is Daisy's true purpose!

Y: SSSH!!! SOME PEOPLE HAVE STILL TO FIND OUT WHO DAISY IS!!

H: blushes

Y: Anyhow, before too much is revealed we better get on with the actual story…

Washu: WAIT! This is fascinating! So spandex space is really the future? OOH I understand you folded the future into your own pants!!

Q: That sounded…risqué.

Y: NEVER MIND!! smiles brightly trying to cover up the insane characters behind her enjoy the story ^__^

CHAPTER 2: THE FADING REAL WAS CONTINUING TO SEARCH

Trust, trust me forever!

"Hee-chan, check this out!" Duo cried hyperactively. "I WON!!" Performing an interpretive jig while cheering for himself, the God of Death pointed at the TV screen with agitated gestures. "GO DUO! GO DUO! AHAAHAHAAAA!!!" Heero was sitting on the couch typing something on his laptop. It was supposed to be a report on the last mission, but all that appeared on the screen was disconnected words in various languages, most of all Japanese. Duo's intensity engaged Heero, but he tried not to show it.

He differs from everyone else. He is…Duo. No one is alike to him. He alone is a release from the world's sameness. But…

He is a guy. More precisely, he is Duo Maxwell. However, that is insignificant.

This is illogical. A person's identity is the aspect of the persona that affects the world and is thereby significant. At the same time, I know that it would have no effect whatsoever on the situation if he were female or were his name Beatrice. This paradox is only resolved when… when…

Heero threw his hands into the air at loss of argument.

Now breaking into insane laughter, Duo pounced on his stoic companion, who had not looked up from his laptop. In that instant, however, his nerves were aroused and he jumped up three feet into the air.

                "Duo. What the hell are you doing. You could have broken that." Heero stated monotonously. The jump into the air apparently had not fazed him enough to alter the pitch of his voice. In sharp contrast, Duo Maxwell went on in a singsong voice.

                "Hee-chan, wake up! Can't even Death wake you up? HEE-CHAN! Heero..." Shaking his head, Duo racked his brain for a way to catch 01's pilot's attention. Then, his face became a gloomy mask of terror.

                "Pilot of Zero One. I have a new mission," he stated in a voice whose monotony could rival Heero's. Still, Heero did not respond. The clicks of his keyboard just kept going. Duo grumbled. "Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr..." Sighing, he turned around. He folded his arms and tapped his feet and incredibly inconspicuously began whistling Kitto OK. After five seconds he whipped around and quickly as lightning removed the laptop from Heero's lap, and just as quickly replaced it with himself. Finally, Heero looked up. His glare communicated death to the hijacker of his darling computer. Duo's grin countered the glare with an irresistible invitation to break into foolish laughter. Heero's face distorted as he tried his hardest not to laugh. He thought about war, zero, Dr. J, his missions, and guns, anything he could think of, to stop the hilarity. Smirking inside, Heero muttered in his mind,

I know what will keep the laughter away.

He pictured the image of Relena Peacecraft, smiling that fake smile, following him histrionically into all the hideouts he escaped to, preaching her hypocritical, self-deceptive messages. Her amazing acting skill, or persuasive skill, whatever it was that won over all the people. Heero's glare turned into a frown as he attempted to bury himself in unhappy memories. Then Duo stuck out his tongue and distorted his own face in a way that Heero had never thought possible. That did it. The strangeness of the expression caused Heero to burst into extreme laughter, taking Duo with him. Laughing like maniacs, they leaped around the room. After a long while of this entertainment, they collapsed onto the ground.

                "Fuck you Duo," Heero muttered.

                "Read between the lines," Duo replied, holding up his index, middle, and ring finger at the same time.

                "Baka."

                "Hey. Cheapass, I dunno Japanese."

                "You know baka."

                "Sure I do. Omae o...omae o...damnnn what was that word?"

                "Kisu." Heero grinned smugly.

                "Ah yes. Omae o kisu."

                "Shut up, Duo."

Heero turned around.

What am I doing? Nothing. I am merely entertaining myself. 

He shook his head.

One moment I laugh off the notion of loving him. Then next, I am…attempting to obtain his attention.  That is what I was doing, was it not?  Whenever I am with him I become carried away, and whenever he's not there I rationalize against love. How can I know what is true? Is any truth real? What is real? Who cares?

"Trowa!!" the blonde boy exclaimed joyfully as his face transformed from a mask of indifference into an expression of ecstasy, the morning rays of the sun accentuating his sweet features. He jumped up from the worn-out seat and desk covered in papers and books and ran to hug his best friend. Trowa smiled gladly and returned the embrace and said,

"I am so happy to see you again. How have you been?" Quatre pulled away to look at Trowa with shining eyes and a huge grin.

"Very lonely," he answered. Trowa laughed.

"You are surrounded with government officials. I am sure they would be glad to have tea and chat." Quatre joined in the laugh.

 "It's amazing how you have solutions to all my problems," he told him as he touched his shoulder softly. Trowa smiled.

 "The circus troupe is stopping by here for a few days so I decided to visit."

"Well, I am working on some very important government issues concerning--oh, I don't know, but I was wondering if the circus director needs a desert act?" Quatre burst out in a giddy tone.

 "I haven't asked him, but why--" then Trowa laughed energetically.

"Yes we definitely need one. It's absolutely necessary." Then they both laughed and abandoned all thoughts of work. The day passed, then the night, and they were still together the next day.

Quatre laughed as Trowa tried to calm down the lion. It was roaring uproariously at something in the distance that neither of the boys could yet discern.

"It's all right, girl. I'm here. Nothing to worry about." Trowa patted the lion on its head. "I think someone's coming. And Zelda here doesn't seem to like that person," he then told Quatre. Trowa was not mistaken. A figure appeared on the horizon. Actually, it was a car. It was very large, and it was yellow. It approached quickly and stopped in front of the circus gate. A woman with long, blonde hair, large double-eyebrows and an arrogant smile exited from the driver's side. From the passenger's side emerged an extremely tall Arabic man. Quatre's eyes widened and tears appeared in them.

"Dorothy! Rashid! Everyone's coming! This makes me so happy!"

The blonde boy ran and hugged each of them. Then a cry came from inside the car. Dorothy turned and helped a two-year-old girl out of the car.

"This is my daughter Wario," Dorothy proudly stated. Rashid placed a hand on her shoulder. Wario giggled happily. She pulled Quatre's ears and squeaked delightedly.

"Waiwai!"

"She is so adorable!" Quatre gushed. He grinned at Wario and tickled her. Wario laughed in a high-pitched tone. Trowa stood by and smiled.

"I think she likes you," Rashid told Quatre. Quatre was too busy to notice. He also did not see the tears in Dorothy's eyes and the sad half-smile on her face.

               

Sally Po entered Wu Fei's small room. It was sparsely furnished; there was a bed and a shelf, with not much variety of clothing on it. The only luxury seemed to be the ancient katana that was hanging on the wall above his bed. It was noon, and she was worried, since Wu Fei usually did not sleep that long, even on weekends. She gazed at his figure, sprawled on the white sheets. They were soaked, as were his clothes and hair. His hair-tie had come out and his black hair was spread out on the pillow. His face was white and his breath even, and the beams of sun raced through the window onto his face.  His eyes fluttered open the instant that the door opened. Instinctively his arm came up in a defensive stance. Then he was standing in front of Sally, prepared for any reaction. Sally laughed and raised her hands in defense.

"Hey, it's only me. Love you too."

Wu Fei slowly lowered his arms and relaxed. He nodded to Sally.

"What is it? A new mission?"

"No."

Wu Fei raised his eyebrows and looked at her questioningly.

"I only came to see you. Do I need an excuse for that?" Sally asked.

"You don't need an excuse for anything, excuses are weak," Wu Fei remarked. Sally smiled. Then her expression turned serious.

"What happened last night? You are drenched."

Wu Fei gazed at her evenly.

"I was out."

Sally stared back persistently. Like that, they stood facing each other for ten minutes. Then one of Sally's assistants stuck her head in the door. Confusedly, she looked from Sally to Wu Fei and back as they were unblinkingly, silently, fighting a battle that only they understood. The assistant shook her head and exited. Sometimes I think she takes her psychological experiments a little too far…

Then she went on filing her documents. The day passed. Nobody exited Wu Fei's room. Wu Fei was not about to lose a staring contest to a woman, or anyone for that matter. Instead, he let his thoughts drift. His mind wandered to the katana that hung on the wall.

It's the one she used…Nataku.

                After only two months in the dojo, Meilan had acquired a control of her powers that rivaled that of the masters. She would disappear for entire days, sometimes weeks at a time. And she always reappeared unharmed. Nobody knew where she went. Nobody ever asked. Nobody ever questioned, as she was the strongest. The fighters held her in respect. The same could not be said of the scholars. One of them in particular.

                'Where do you go?' the young boy with black hair and narrow, black eyes behind large glasses demanded.

                'Wherever I want.' Meilan gazed at him evenly.

                'Where do you want to go?' he continued.

                'Anywhere on earth.'

                'How?'

                'I am finding out.'

Wu fei was now skeptical. It sounded like a little girl's dream.

                'I am talking to the trees.'

Wu fei laughed demeaningly.

                'All right, little girl. But when do you train?'

Meilan turned around and gazed into the horizon where the scenery turned blurry.

                'While I talk to them. They tell me how to fight. With this sword.'

She held up an ancient katana. Wu fei gasped.

                'It's the katana of the elder! It is a sacred heirloom! You cannot take this!

'Why?'

'Did he give it to you?

'Yes.'

'Why?'

'He wanted to.'

After Sally felt that ten hours had passed, she forced her gaze to the ground in surrender. "You have not changed," she told Wu Fei, who had not moved since the morning. Finally, she turned and left his room.

The woman clad in black checked her gun, satisfied that it was loaded. She placed extra ammo in a bag that she slung over her back. Then she locked the door to her home, unlocked her car, sat in the seat, slammed the door shut, and drove off full throttle. It was the middle of the night, and the stars were bright, so she did not need her headlights. She drove through the small town into the woods, along a narrow, hidden street that was unheard of and not named.

After a few hours of driving a carefully planned course that sometimes even led off the street, she arrived at a clearing. The trees surrounded it, and there was a large hill in the middle on which stood a heavily guarded fortress. The guards patrolled all the way around it, walking always in sight of another guard. This was where the most dangerous prisoners were held. These were people who were a serious threat to the peace of the world. These were people who lived not by the laws of the government or by civility; they had lived by some twisted commandment born by the shadows of their own souls. And one of these people, one of these unspeakable criminals; one of them was a man whom the woman could not do without. Her heart yearning since he had been found crushed under the remains of his own experimental weapon, barely alive, by the authorities, she made her way stealthily toward the fortress.

The blood that flowed out of his open wounds on his arms and legs was red. The sky on that sunset,burning red. The lights on the police cars, flashing red. The sound of the sirens, red. The flames that could have been, red. STOP WITH THIS DAMN POETRY!!!!

She set a remote-controlled explosive at the foot of the hill behind a rock that was large enough to temporarily hide her but small enough to reveal an explosion of that caliber. Then she stole off into the forest and snuck to the other side of the clearing. She pressed the button on the remote. There was the sound of a small explosion on the other side of the hill. As she had expected, the guards flooded to that location, overly trained but never challenged and thus cocky. The woman ran up the hill, suppressing her rapid breath, the trembling of her hands controlled as she entered the password that she had obtained by extensive hacking and betrayal.

 JWBC1524IJFRE3.

 Then she entered. She saw the plan of the dungeon in her mind, and she visualized the cell that her beloved Zechs was being held in. There was a creaking sound. The woman whirled around, gun at hand. She faced a very tall man in a guard uniform.
"Move and I shoot," he barked.

Duo never left, and neither was he asked to stay, but through an unstated, mutual understanding, he and Heero realized that they would not get rid of each other for a while. As a result of this arrangement, neither of the pilots went to bed before morning, since Duo had habits of dragging Heero along on arbitrary, self-set "missions" such as walking around in the rain. It had not rained since the night before, however, and Duo was up for a moon-walk.

                "Hey, Heero…" Duo prolonged the name and pronounced it with a distinct sound that nobody else could imitate. And it never had failed to grab Heero's attention. Though he was immersed in the fascinating world of his laptop, he blinked when Duo called him.
                "Is that all I can get from you?" Duo had noticed even the blink. "I think you should name your laptop, you two are practically lovers!" he whined. This time, Heero ignored him.

                "All right, it is called Daisy. It's settled. Now while you and Daisy thoroughly enjoy yourselves, I will go out and entertain MYSELF with the wind." For this, Duo almost earned a strange look. Almost. Heero's eyebrows arched as he continued typing.

                "Itte kimasu." In a last attempt to grasp Heero's attention, he spoke this phrase in Japanese. He had learned it from Heero because he always said it when he went out, if he bothered to say anything.

                "Itte rasshai," Heero replied absent-mindedly. Duo grinned. The Perfect Soldier had spoken! Looking immensely pleased with himself, he exited. The door opened again, and Duo stuck his head inside.

"You're insane!" he called. Then he turned and ran outside.

Heero could hear the door to the staircase of the complex slam, and then all was quiet. The room seemed darker, somehow. The light of the laptop was all. Of course, since Duo had switched off the lights before he went out. He had always seemed to Heero like an environmentalist. Almost as bad as that Winner boy…

                Heero tried to refocus on the report he had been writing all day long. It took him longer than usual to write; for some reason he repeatedly found himself unable to concentrate. Everything was a distraction. Especially Duo. His incessant chatter had never bothered him before, really; he had only pretended that it did. But today every word that left the braided pilot's mouth echoed back and forth in his head, and his computer lost its usual elusive appeal and turned into an empty box. And Heero didn't even miss it.

Crash.

There were small explosions of thunder outside. And the rain began pounding on the roof. A glaring, sharp bolt of lightning struck the sky and illuminated the world.

At first Heero did not think much of it. It was only a distant, lateral matter, the last thing on his mind.

What has that baka been doing for all these years? He was never a Preventer, and I never heard from him.

Heero leaned back in the couch. For some reason, the room seemed hot and cramped now, an instant transformation.

                He'll be fine out there; he can take care of himself.

But the room closed in much tighter now, and the heat turned into a sweaty, metallic cold. Heero could taste it.

                Not always.  When he was captured by OZ… They would have killed him. Those pathetic excuses for weapons that OZ had were nothing compared to my buster rifle or his scythe, but neither of us had the possibility of using weapons. I need to stop disregarding time! OZ had full use of their weapons; we gundam pilots did not, and Duo would have died. On his own, he had no possibilities.

But then, we escaped because of my ability to infiltrate.

There is no OZ now, baka! Why am I driving myself crazy?

Heero felt dizzy. There just did not seem to be enough oxygen in this damn room.

Japan is not supposed to be a fucking oven!! Well apparently it is. At least my apartment is. Or maybe it's Tokyo. In any case, whoever controls the fucking temperature… is out to kill me…

Heero's eyelids were heavy with the humidity and he struggled to keep them open.

Like that night—when was that anyway—when the rain beat me… I know it… I'm losing it… and it all started when that baka came along. No it has always been there, but the baka released it, defined it…CLEAR YOUR MIND!

                The strange sensations that restrict my capabilities of concentration began occurring when I became aware of their possibility. Earlier, there had always existed the likelihood of my losing my mind, as opposed to in the war, where there was simply no room for such thoughts. But now that I focus on it… the possibility takes on a shape and …does that mean that I control the world? My consciousness…determines the outcome of possibilities? What am I thinking…

As soon as I began thinking I was insane… it has become more than one of many possibilities. I got stuck on the idea, and everything around me—Duo, my reactions, the damn temperature even!—implied that it was indeed true. Thus the simple act of having a thought makes the previously inconceived possibility real?--All the symptoms appeared after I considered it… I made it real by looking at it… It simply was not real before… do I control reality?

Darkness engulfed Heero as his eyes fell shut, and he was breathing heavily. His dark hair was matted to his forehead, and he brushed it back.

It shouldn't be so hot… why can't I control the damned heat?…at least my perception of it… the actual thing…the actual heat, it's not changed by me…but I could make myself believe that it's not hot… it could go either way, ne… either it's hot or cold… my looking at it or feeling it for the first time determines how I will perceive it…after that, I can't make myself fully believe that the other way is true, because deep down I will believe my initial reaction, as long as the temperature remains constant. I can't make it cold anymore… I have already seen it as hot…but if I changed the temperature I could change my perception… if I could start anew, I could shape everything at my will…the only problem is that the perception happens so fast that I can't possibly consciously control it…if I destroyed everything… then everything would arrange itself in a way that is unconsciously perfect… unless I'm unconsciously wrong…

                The instant that I perceive something, all the possibilities of what it could have been disappear somewhere… but that instant still has the possibilities; they exist until the instant is gone. Where did it go? Those instances, they all exist and they do not, because they are disappearing, but they do not have time to disappear because exactly the next moment they have to be gone…that communal, instantaneous… instant between infinities must be the present. But that moment, that moment of collapse in between the existence of the possibilities and their absence…the moment they are perceived—are they?--… does it really exist?

Heero's mind was becoming fuzzy and it became increasingly difficult to focus on a train of thought, and the systematic, clear thinking of the perfect soldier clouded over. He turned around, so he was lying face down on the couch, slowly sliding off. The moon was becoming weaker as the clouds covered it and the drops of Rain became apparent, followed by subtle Thunder and ephemeral Lightning.

…I will do that, make my own present…when I destroy, the new world… it will become perfect…it won't be so damn hot…

Heero's body hit the ground with a thump. Then he staggeringly arose, chest heaving, and made his way to the door; the room seemed under his control now that he stood. He stalked as if in a trance, all the way to the Preventers lab that was not far, the occasional Lightning forming sharp patterns on his skin. As he exited with a research mobile suit that had not yet been destroyed, Heero's loud, insane laughter reverberated through his own mind.

…Rain! It's so fast and so am I, and I will be as fast as my present, and I will remake you!!!

The Thunder beat in time to his rapid heart, and the Lightning flashed each time he blinked, and the Rain was a constant reminder of reality that Heero never regarded but rather used as a medium for hypnosis.

…down, down, down…as I rise up! It is not you falling; it is me rising!

As he advanced toward Tokyo, he stepped on cars, the ripping sound of destruction echoing along with his laughter; the crumbling of buildings added to his fascination. The terrified screams of the people running from their ruined homes and grieving for loved ones who had fallen victim to Heero's ravaging onslaught contradicted his feat, but he never considered them, being too profoundly intent on Tokyo.

…I hate this heat, and I hate this confine, and I hate all the restraints of the world, and I hate everything that separates me from what I want!!!!

Ravaging the city, flames dominating the helplessly weak citizens, red. NO~!

…I want to be one! One with the present!!!!!

The crunches of further cars temporarily compensated for the driving force to destroy, but after a few seconds there was the need to destroy more. Heero laughed the whole way, controlling the fates of so many. 

…you are all part of my present…my perfect present…'He is the perfect soldier.'… 'Heero! I want to be strong like you!!'… 'He's quite the guy.'…'The soul of outer space…'…'Would Heero Yuy want us interfering with his humanity?' His humanity! My humanity, my present!

Until he saw a lone, dark figure running resolutely along the road, through the fire, incredulously screaming his name. He was coming to him. Heero was not controlling him. He could not control him.

Dark, dark, falling, empty.

I was not able to use my weapon. He has my humanity…and my present.



In the darkness the dragon wakes.

Wu Fei glanced at the clock that hung on the otherwise bare wall. It was ten in the evening. It did not matter. He felt a slight nagging in his stomach; he had not eaten since the previous day. It did not matter. What mattered? Wu Fei once again opened his window and jumped. Once again, he ran.

The dragon awakens. To a heart that is numbed with cold the dragon takes.

 The harsh streaks of wind beat against his face, as if intending to fight. Wu Fei did not fight; he welcomed the blows, relished the sharp stabs of cold. They were powerless. They could never hold him back. After reaching the magical, secret place and mastering the river, Wu Fei stepped into uncharted territory.

With you at my side the dragon sleeps.

Everything around him was still blurry, up to his perception, for the first instant. The air was thick and hot, wet and tense. It carried a vibrant scent of summer. All traces of the sharp, cold bursts of wind had vanished.

On dragon wing your wishes will leap. Lalalalalalalalalala…..

Wu Fei felt so light, and he jumped up, and found that he was capable of reaching the clouds. His body that he left behind lay redundant and forgotten. As he raced through a tropical, dynamic, eventual forest of crystal trees, he was no longer Wu Fei. He was the forest and the trees and all the life, and he carried no memory but the immediate moment. Then the center of the forest emerged; one tree stump held up all the rest of the trees. The other trees were growing out of it, spreading to create this forest. He then reverently placed his hands on the stump and bowed his head, embracing the memories that were projected to his mind.

Your wishes can bring forth a destructive future.

It is a network of colors; a river of red joins a river of blue, creating a river of purple, only to join another river and then another, until they can all be one and complete as black.

Lalalalalalalala…..

His own face. He recognizes himself; the black hair, the slanted, black eyes, and the sharp features of his face. He is running through a labyrinth of thoughts. They are his own, and he knows where to go. Then he collides with a wall he has never seen before. It is not his own. Frantically, he runs back to find another way out. At every exit, there is a new wall. Head on he rams into one of the new walls. Breaking through, he enters the labyrinth of the thoughts of someone else. Seeing them, they become part of his own.

Or you can bring salvation.

Then image of a two-headed dragon. The labyrinth becomes fog that lifts. The dragon in front of him is dancing to a beat Wu Fei cannot hear. He attempts to ride it, but as his understanding is in lack, again and again he is thrown off. He never stops. Then, a beautiful voice, a suppressed reminiscence.

You were the first dragon

My beloved

I've been watching you

From the fairy stump

Because you flew away

The sky is unseen to me

How beautifully did the water

Touch those lips

How you shone

At the spearhead of battle.

Nataku is with him. She smiles sweetly and then laughs.

"Will you now accept me as your wife?"

In the darkness the dragon wakes.

Wu Fei solemnly nods and grasps her hand. She pulls him away to fly through the clouds. He has never truly flown before, he realizes. All those times, he does not remember what it was, he has been in the air before, were only standing, now he is soaring-- When the thick cloud layer is penetrated, they emerge to space. Here we will remain for eternity. Space is infinite. But no--Nataku pulls him farther. There is no wind in outer space and yet her black hair flows beautifully behind her.

The dragon awakens.

Space turns white and the stars black. Nataku releases him. Can you fly too? In a lighthearted beam she vanishes. For the single instant of doubt, Wu Fei pays.

To a heart that is numbed with cold the dragon takes.

He falls, falls back to earth, leaving behind Nataku, who has been present all along. His ability to fly seems forever taken. One last remnant of her challenge fades: Find me.

                EARTH.

She is giving us trouble.

Why?

There is a hook in Triterria.

Find it.

Chappie 2: COMPLETE. How d'you like it so far? Please review! And now you know who Daisy is! Rejoice! Anyway, on to chappie 3!