Title: Crystalline Tears

Authors: Optical Illusion and Aino Yuy aka Usagi-Hater

Disclaimer: The two authors do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. They belong to their respective creators.

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Chapter One: Only I Can See

Mina stood silently at the large crystal gravestone that had an angel on it which her dammed father bought. A small tear ran down her pale face as she looked down at the named engraved.

Lillian Aino.

Mina's mother had died a month ago due to a bad case of lung cancer. It angered Mina that she left her with her drunken father.

"Oh mom. If only you knew what you were doing when you married that fool I'm forced to call a father. He's been mistreating everything… you're memories, me, everyone and everything. I really miss the way things were… the last time I remember enjoying dad's presence was when you were there. It's the only time I can really remember him not drunk and actually happy with me." Mina stopped for a second to wipe away the ever-falling tears.

"Mom, he has a girlfriend. She's after his stupid money and she has him under her spell! He won't even listen to my warnings. Now I get beaten twice as hard because she helps him. It isn't fair."

Mina tossed her head away crying softly. She felt ashamed to have expressed all her feelings to a stone with her mother's name on it. Turning around and whipping her tears away once more she began heading back home. But she stopped when she heard a small voice in her mind. It was light and comforting and she knew it was her mother.

Don't worry Mina, I'll always protect you. You're father has never been good at seeing obvious things. Life is never fair but you definitely deserve a break. I'm sorry but you know I didn't plan on dying. He'll realize something soon enough.

Mina sighed but smiled to herself. Her mother heard her after all.

Taking the rest of the day to hang at the park, Mina saw all types of things. Mothers and children, kids from school, and her favorite thing to see and also envied, couples. Mina knew she'd never have that, someone who would love her. But she hid her sad thoughts behind a smile when she saw Lita and Raye coming her way.

"Mina!" Lita and Rei both shouted happily.

"Hey! I didn't expect to see you guys here!"

"I guess it's a small world after all." Raye sang teasingly.

The two joined her on the bench giggling and talking. Before they knew it the park was closing.

"You girls better get going." The park security guard said, escorting them to the exit. Mina frowned as her friends separated from her. She really did not want to go back to her house.

Maybe Amy will let me spend the night at her place… No, it's too late to ask now. I'll just have to go home and run to my room.

When Mina reached her house she dashed up the stairs and into her wing of the huge mansion. Feeling she was somewhat safe, she slowed her pace and walked into her room. Now she knew was perfectly safe.

After she was dressed for bed, had brushed her teeth and cleansed, she flopped down on her soft bed. She put on the TV only to fall asleep soon after.

It was not the sound of her alarm that woke Mina up the next day. It was her father who was yelling at one of the maids downstairs. He was so loud it could wake up anyone in the household.

Slowly getting up and rubbing her eyes, Mina walked gradually to her bathroom to get ready for school. It took her an hour to take a shower, dress up, and do her hair. 'I'm going to be late again.' Mina thought looking at her alarm clock.

Running down the stairs with her backpack in hand, she dashed out of the house without breakfast. She dared not enter the kitchen. She knew her father or Linda, the woman who supposedly loved her father, would snap at her. She was not in the mood to get yelled at or even get a slap across the face. She preferred starving instead of getting beaten up. Anything was better than that.

Maybe Lita will have some extra lunch with her today… She hoped to herself.

And luckily, Lita did. At lunch time she sat with her two best friends, Amy and Lita. They brought their own lunch with them and Mina made up a lie that she woke up too late to remember to bring hers. Lita, who enjoyed having people eat her food, gave her more than enough to eat.

"Guess what!" Lita squealed when she returned from the bathroom.

Mina and Amy got up from their cafeteria table and gathered their books up. "What is it?" Amy asked.

Lita had a huge grin on her face and her eyes were sparkling brightly. "I finally talked to Trowa!"

This was a big shock for both Lita's friends. Trowa Barton was known as the silent type. He hardly spoke to anyone and not many girls in the school have ever heard him speak.

"Lita… I thought he's doesn't talk to anyone." Mina stated a little confused.

Lita giggled. "But he talked to me! And his voice was so manlike!" She let out a sigh, her hands folded together. "My god, he reminds me of my old boyfriend!"

Mina did not know how she felt… happy that her tall friend was probably the first girl to engage on a conversation with none other than Trowa Barton, or jealous that Lita was most likely going to have another boyfriend.

She remained silent the whole time listening to Lita's story on how she bumped into the silent guy. A smile was present on her face but she felt a sense of depression in her stomach.

Not watching where she was going her shoulder slammed into another's. Her head hurled to the left immediately to meet the eyes of Prussian blue. Heero Yuy was standing on her left glaring.

"Sorry…," she managed to say, her face flushed.

Amy and Lita had gone ahead not noticing their blonde friend's departure. Lita was too into her story and Amy was in the middle of checking her notebook to make sure she had everything. The halls were starting to get crowded and six period was going to begin soon.

"Hn," Heero grunted walking off without saying a word.

Mina relaxed while she watched him go. Heero Yuy was not the type of guy anyone would want to get angry. Much lest, talk to. Many in the school were afraid of him. It was said he kept a gun at his house and a switchblade in his pocket.

Shivering at the thought of the mad boy, she ran after her two friends. When she found them they were already in their math classroom taking their seats. "Mina, where were you?" Amy asked seeing her running into the room.

"Got caught up. I bumped into Heero." Mina explained.

Lita, who sat in front of her, whirled around in her desk to gaze at her. "What happened? Did you talk?"

"… I just said sorry and that was it…"

She noticed her friend's face calmed. "Oh, good. You know, I think he's psycho. He killed his dog! I overheard it in the girl's bathroom last week."

"Really? The poor thing…," Amy said softly.

Mina grinned; she knew Amy didn't believe rumors about anyone. But she wasn't sure if she did… Did he really kill his dog? she couldn't help but wonder.

"He's very cute but he freaks me out," Lita whispered into Mina's ear.

Mina laughed at her friend before she noticed Heero coming into the classroom. Lita turned around to see him too. He walked unhurriedly to his desk, on the upper right side of Mina's.

Everyone in the classroom seemed to have silenced when the student arrived. Once he took his seat down and laid his head on the table, everyone turned away.

"So, as I was saying," Lita said. "Mina, did you hear that Trowa is a flute player?"

"Nope, I must have missed it."

Amy looked up from her books. "He plays really well. He's in my orchestra."

"You never told me this!" Lita squealed, turning to Amy. "When's your next concert? I'm coming!"

Amy raised an eyebrow. "You never came before."

That was all Mina heard before turning away from her friends. Four minutes before class starts.Sighing heavily, her eyes closed slightly and her smile was gone.

No one noticed except for Heero. He was leaning his chin on his folded arms on the desk glaring around the room. When his eyes landed on Mina he noticed that her eyes were not bright like usual. And her smile was not present on her face.

He kept his stare on her a while longer to notice the quick changes. When her friends turned to converse with her, her blue eyes brightened and her smile came back. When the teacher came into the room, she greeted the teacher with a cheerful tone.

Throughout the whole period, he watched the blonde put on and take off her invisible mask.