GUNDAM--WING
LOST PROMISES
CHAPTER 3
DISCLAIMER and Writers' note:
Jessi-chan: Ohayo mina-san !!
Mae-chan: Ohayo....
Jessi-chan: Welcome to chapter 3 of our fic. So far we only introduced most of our characters and so on.
Mae-chan: And added a few relationship stuff too.
Jessi-chan: Waaah !! She's pairing her up with 'MY' Quatre-sama !!
Mae-chan: Can you continue your speech before we loose the interest of the audience? Besides, I didn't say that I'm pairing them up at all !!
Jessi-chan: tear filled eyes Deemmmooo !!
Mae-chan: .....As you may know, We do not own the series, but you just can't help to change part of the storyline or more, he-heh. Jessi- chan's older sister says that it is impossible to write a fic about GW because of its serious storyline and all Unless you're the original writer and all. All youneed is a creative writer, nee, Jessi-chan? petting Jessi-chan on the head
Jessi-chan: Meow !!
Mae-chan: I found that nothing but a put down....yet I still believe that nothing's impossible, yadda.. yadda and yadda..........continues to pet Jessi-chan's head
Jessi-chan: Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....
Mae-chan: Aaah ! Kawaii no neko-chan desu nee?! Enjoy the fic !!
*********************************
MEMORY OF THE CRUCIFIX AND THE FLUTE
A young seven year old Duo ran swiftly across the hall way. He looks at the watch on his left hand and frowns.
"Aw, shoot. Now, I'm in trouble." He muttered.
He stops and hides behind a post and looked around if someone saw him. A grin broke from his mouth as he began to laugh hysterically. He walks into the church and sat on one of the pews. Seeing that he is now in the safe zone, he takes out an apple from his pocket and cleans it. Just as he was about to bite it, he notices a young brunette girl, a black haired 12-year- old girl and a black haired man with the head priest from across the aisle. Duo quickly ducks into the pews as he hides the apple back into his jacket's pocket and waited for the head priest to disappear with the three new unknown visitors into his office. Finding interest to the new faces, he decided to take a little peek in to the room.
"Things are going well, actually." the priest said as he sat behind the wooden desk.
"That's good to hear." Tomoko replied.
"What brings you here anyway, Shiriori-dono?"
Tomoko turns to the younger girl.
"I wanted Nicole to receive communion before we leave. I would not have any more time later on...so..."
"I understand...Kathleen-dono would have wanted it..." the priest turns to her, "And how old are you child?"
"...Six..." she replied.
"...She's a bit young...." the priest muttered.
"Bend the rules for now. I'll take responsibility." Tomoko said immediately.
The priest stared at him silently with a serious face. Nicole ignored them as her eyes wandered at a painting of two angels with Jesus in it, hanging by the door. She then notices the other presence by the door.
"Uh-oh! I'm busted!!" Duo thought and quickly ran out of sight.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Duo breathed heavily after running away from the head priest's door way. He was now at the open field behind the churches area. He feels two fingers on his right ear, followed by a harsh tug.
"And where have you been young man?!" a woman with blue eyes, wearing convent clothes asked.
"A-At t-t-the s-school gat--e, ow!" he stuttered as he tries to struggle from the nun's clutches.
"Don't lie to me, Duo! Tell me where you have been. Your teacher said you skipped today." she continued.
"Ow-ow-ow! Okay, okay! I'll tell you already!! Just let go!!" the nun releases him as he rubs his redden ear.
"Well?" the nun asked.
"NO WAY!" he stuck his tongue out at her and ran away.
"Duo! You come back here, right now!!" the nun shouted and frowns, "Geez..."
----------------------------------
Duo finally slows down as he entered the colony park. He rubbed his ear one more time.
"Sheesh, there's nowhere safe in this place..." he muttered and turned ahead of him.
His then heeds the presence not far from him. Meters from him, stood the young brunette girl, playing a flute near the fountain that stood in the middle of the green plaza. He paused as he watched her play with elegance and grace.
She suddenly stops and sits on the grass, lying back on the fountain behind her.
".....He knows mom..." she muttered under her breath.
She then feels a presence hovering above her. She gazes up to the source, only finding a long haired brunette making faces at her. Nicole screamed in reaction and it echoed throughout the park grounds, startling Duo, making him loose his balance and fall over with a splash. Nicole quickly sat up and turned behind her.
"Oops.." she muttered shyly.
Nicole stands up, gathering her courage and hurled her voice at him.
"What were you thinking?!" she shouted, "You scared the heck out of me!!"
"I scared you?! What about me?!" Duo snapped back as he got up from the fountain, drenched with water.
He began removing his jacket, squeezing as much water out of it.
"Why did you have to do that?" Nicole complained in a much calmer voice.
"Stop whining. I only did it to cheer you up." Duo snorted.
"Cheer...me..up?" Nicole muttered in question.
"Sou yo. And all the thanks I get is this." he said as he flapped his jacket around to shake some of the water out.
"...Dare...desuka?" she finally asked.
"I'm Duo."
"Duo...I am N--"
"Nicole Shiriori, desho?"
"That's right....How did you know?" she sat down on the cement of the fountain.
"...I-I heard from the nun. She was talking about you." he stuttered, feeling he'll be found out.
"Hmmm... Really? I thought you were the one snooping around by the door of that priest not so long ago." she eyed him cautiously.
Duo starts to remove his shirt. Nicole quickly turns away. Duo notices this.
"What the? Aren't you suppose to be just 6?" he mumbled, "Why are you being disturbed by this?"
"I knew you were the one snooping." she blurted pointing at him with one of her eyebrows raised.
Duo filched.
"S-Shut up!" he snapped.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"It's been this way for a almost a year now." Nicole muttered as she sat on the fountain's ledge, "Everything's become so confusing....I gave up on trying to figure things out."
"… Almost a year, huh?" Duo stared at the colonies metal sky, as he lay on the grass, by Nicole's feet.
"It's become so suffocating around him."
Duo sat up and turned to her.
"Did you try talking to him?" Duo asked.
"I did.... But as you can see, I didn't get through him." she weakly laughed, "I got my stubbornness from him, so as much as I already knew I was going to loose.... Someone in me doesn't want to give up.... But another just wants to disappear from his presence…"
Duo didn't really find this a proper time to laugh, but he couldn't help it. After all, he was hearing a 6 year old talking quite seriously, so only a small smirk appeared on his mouth.
"Nikky?!" a voice called from other side of the court yard.
The two children turned to the source of the voice.
"It's that other girl..." Duo thought, remembering the black haired 12-year- old girl who was with Nicole and her father from before.
Nicole turns to him.
"S-Sorry... But I really have to get going." she stood up and ran to the older girl's direction.
Duo watched them disappear in to one of the halls. He scratched his head and sighed.
"Just when the story gets interesting." he voiced under his breath, "Uh?"
He notices the silver colored wind instrument lying in the grass.
"Che! How careless." he muttered and turned to the direction the two girls disappeared in to.
He stared at the instrument he held.
"I guess I have to give this to her later."
-----
Duo opened his eyes immediately. He was in class. The teacher was still blabbing about the history lesson and the room was filled with yawns and whispering from his fellow peers. He had fallen asleep. Incredibly, he wasn't even caught by the teacher. He sees a note on his desk. It was folded nicely and had his name on it. He opens it and read "You look sooo cute when you're sleeping ^_^!!" with a small cartoon of a short haired SD formed girl. He then hears snickering from across of him. Mai was the only one to have noticed him sound asleep. A slight smile breaks from his face out of embarrassment as Mai laughs even more. The smile faded from his face when he notices that Ayame was once again absent. He remembers the sapphire stoned silver cross that she wore. It felt so familiar.... But he wasn't sure where he once saw it.
--------------------------------------------------------
"She's sick?" Duo blurted, "She looked fine to me yesterday."
"Tsk. Tsk." Mai sneered, "Yesterday was yesterday, today is today. There's a big difference there."
"....She did look sort of pale last night." Quatre thought to himself.
Duo stared at Quatre in concern, taking notice of his serious face. Quatre flinches as he takes heed of Duo's gaze.
"Is there something you would like to tell us?" Duo asked.
"N-No, I-I just thought that she kind of looked ill to me last night when I spoke to her."
"Now that I think about it..." Mai added, "She did seem a bit stranger than usual yesterday."
The two boys turn to her.
"Well, if you could remember, when Ayame approached me yesterday about Elena... She did almost forget about it.... And also, last night, I saw her in the hall ways of the girls' dorms and I called her... But she didn't reply."
"...Maybe she couldn't hear you." Duo suggested.
"That couldn't be. I was just about three meters away from her at that time." Mai continued, "I wonder if she's really doing well.... She has been absent a lot since she came here."
"Since she came here?" Quatre questioned.
Mai nodded.
***********************************************
"How are you feeling?" Tetsuya asked as he stared at the sleepy eyed young brunette that lay on the bed beside his chair.
"...What happened?" she slowly sat up, feeling her head hurt.
"I don't think you should get up yet." Tetsuya implied as he tries to lay her back down.
"N-No...It hurts even more when I lay down." she said as she stopped him from doing so.
Tetsuya returned to the chair by the bed.
"Do you want me to get some aspirin?"
"You know my body's system can't take those." Ayame replied.
"U-uh... Right... I forgot." Tetsuya said with a mild laugh.
Ayame frowned at him. She sighed and looked around her.
"How did I end up here?" she asked again.
"....You fainted last night, outside the dorms. Elena found you and one of the students carried you in here."
"....Students?" she thought, then asked, "…Who?"
"Elena said his name is Heero. Same grade as you." he replied, "Do you remember him?"
Ayame hesitated.
".... Not really."
Tetsuya pats her on the head. She turns to him.
"What's wrong?" he asked with a softer tone of voice.
"N-... nothing..." she replied and turned to the floor.
"By the look on your face, there is." he said, "Now, tell me…"
"..... Quatre Raberba Winner...."
"Huh?"
"Have I met him somewhere before?"
"I'm afraid not, but his name is pretty famous. He's the heir to the Winner family." Tetsuya answered.
"...Oh..."
"Then again...." Tetsuya continued.
Ayame stares at him in a matter of surprise.
"Maybe you have..... In another life…" he smirked and winked at her as she glared in disappointment, hoping he would answer her more truthfully.
-------------------------------------------------
Time passed and Ayame was left to do nothing in her room but fiddle around with the silver necklace around her neck. Tetsuya left long ago to explain to their superiors of her situation. Elena had already checked on her five times to make sure she was still in there.
"She acts exactly like Taebe.." she thought and opened the window, "How boring..."
-----
Ayame was stopped by someone calling her name. She turned, only seeing a tall 19 year old woman with black hair and grayish colour of eyes in a navy blue military uniform. Her waist long hair is tied in a loose pony-tail that swung from side to side behind her as she walked towards Ayame.
"Taebe-san?" she asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted you to hear something very important before you leave for Earth to meet Tetsuya." she replied.
"What is it?"
"The High-Commander asked me to deliver a message."
"… And?"
"He said that you are to avoid contact with the 5 pilots as much as you can."
"... Why does that concern me?"
"Colonel Geraldo ordered the High-Commander to make sure you received this message, so I can't really give you a direct answer. But in my opinion, your contact with the Gundam pilots may give us a risk of including our group to the war."
"I understand. I'll make sure that does not happen." she was about to walk away when Taebe stops her again.
"Remember Dr. Grant?" she asked.
"Yes."
"You gave her your blood sample just a week ago, correct?"
"Yes."
"The reports came in.... The medicine is not working as much as she thought it would.... Ayame... You may only have 4 y--."
"..... I see." she starts to walk away again.
"Ayame! You still have time to leave." Taebe blurted, making her stop her movement.
"Did I not ask you not to bring that up again?" Ayame muttered.
"Ayame, you're 14-years-old. It's not fair for you if you let these people take away your life like this. It's just not fair."
"...Taebe."
"Ayame, this war does not concern you anymore."
Ayame turns to her in concern.
"It never did concern you since the beginning..." Taebe continued as her voice trailed off.
"... Taebe-san..." Ayame said in a sympathetic voice, "I believe that you are wrong.... I believe it is the other way around. This war concerns me more than anyone else."
Taebe gazed at her in surprise.
"What you do not understand is what I see in my own eyes. How I see things in my point of view....." she responded with slight traces of frustration in her voice, "I cannot just stand here and watch you and the others suffer for the sake of people you do not even know. You would be the same as how you can see me. And in that way, it wouldn't be fair to me. You should know better. You were the one who taught me many things when I was but a helpless child."
"B-But Ayam--"
"It was you who taught me how to survive in this world, and learn the meaning of protecting those you care for." she interrupted the older woman before her, "The knowledge I had acquired from you had made me more aware and now, I can actually do something in return.... for your sake and these people."
Taebe was speechless and could say nothing in return to the youngster's words.
"I will not let anyone else end up like me... abandoned and used… Because this war is here.... Because this war is his fault.... I am included. I do have a responsibility in this." Ayame continued in her deadpan voice, "Because I have people I have to protect for our world's future.... it is necessary for me to be included… Even if I have to act as a pawn for the enemy. Whatever it takes, I'll protect the people of L6."
".... I can never change your mind, can't I?" Taebe smiled weakly.
Ayame shook her head slightly.
"If you keep on trying and you might just win."
"Just MIGHT?" Taebe blurted in a change of a lighter tone in her voice, "I'll do better than that, kid! Just you wait."
The usual small smile broke from Ayame's pale face.
"Good luck, Lt. Machiro." Taebe saluted at her.
Ayame did the same and continued on towards the shuttle heading for earth.
********************************************
The young 7-year-old Duo stared at the silver instrument silently, as he waited for the younger child to appear again. He turned to the artificial sky of the colony.
"Maybe.... she already left..." he thought.
Duo's thoughts were interrupted with a harsh bang on his head. Slightly dazed from the impact, he stood in response and turned to the culprit.
"W-What the hell do you think you're doing!?" he shouted.
He pauses in his actions finally realizing the young girl that stood before him. Nicole looked slightly annoyed and had a band aid on her left cheek.
"Oh...! It's you..." he said, "Whoa! What happened?"
"You have something that's mine." she replied, "Hand it over."
"H-Huh? Oh, this you mean...." Duo stared at the instrument for a moment, then back to the girl before him.
Yesterday, she was nicer and a little bit more polite, and now she's damned rude. And to think he kept the instrument safe and waited for her to return it all this time. Duo suddenly turns away from her.
"What's it to ya?"
"Now you want payment for it?!" Nicole blurted in outrage, "That's not fair!"
"Hey, I'm the one who's homeless here! Money's necessary."
Duo paused in his head. This conversation isn't taking a very good light.
"HOMELESS?! Well, correct me if I'm wrong! If you are homeless, then why are you around the church all the time!?"
"I just happen to like it there, okay!!"
"That's not what I think at all!! You're nothing but a free loader and a pain in the neck to those people!"
"F-Free loa—" Duo clenched his hands into fists, "Well excuuuuuuuuse meeeeee your royalty!! Wanna here what I think?! Acting all high and mighty just because you are a daughter of a politician! The lots of you are all the same!"
"I am not acting like royalty! I just want my ---"
"You're flute!! Well you can't have it back! Wanna know something else?! I'm much happier without a parent or a sitter, unlike you for instance. I got more freedom and I learn more from the people who suffer since I am one of them." Duo continued as his voice sounded almost sarcastic, "People like you don't know how much harder life is outside protected walls. You get everything you want! And what about us?! We get nothing! We loose our parents and the children who are victimized are just thrown in places like this!"
"You think I'm happy this way!"
"Pretty much! You get anything you want. This puny flute could probably be replaced in an inst--" Nicole suddenly tackles Duo to the ground.
Nicole forces him down to the floor with all her might, sat on him and clutched on his collar with both hands tightly, almost strangling him.
"L-Let go of me." Duo struggled to get her off but to much avail, she was stronger than he had expected.
"What are you doing!? This looks bad, y'kn--" Duo falls silent as he finally notices that the little girl that has him pinned on the floor was crying.
Her eyes shone in anger and frustration as she bit her lip as if she was keeping herself from screaming.
"H-hey...C-C'mon.. You don't have to cry..." Duo whispered nervously.
"Shut-up..." she said in muffled voice, "You don't know anything about me... So shut-up..."
Duo was silent, letting the girl cry a little longer.
"Do you actually think... I'm happy with the way things are now? ... Huh? .... Do you?" she asked, "... I had gone through hell just to keep up with a twisted life I live in.... I lost my only means of support when I was 4... my only brother... A year after, my mother dies. Soon after that, my father abandons me... I lived in a place like this long ago... But it was burned and everyone was killed... My father took me back.... But he only took me back so he can use me for his projects. Do you still believe that I am happy with a life like that?!!" Nicole shouted angrily.
Duo stared at her, shocked by her sudden words.
"People like you… You always assume…" she muttered between sobs, "No one bothers to understand… No one bothers to know the truth…"
Her grip on his collar loosened as she got off him. Duo stands up slowly beside her, who was wiping the tears away from her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. His eyes widened as he noticed several bruises all over her arms and at the side of her neck.
"..Nicole... W-What... happened to you?"
She gazed at him with out a change of emotion in her eyes, still consumed by her anger. With one last look, she ran away from him without saying another word. Duo scratched his head and frowned.
"Damn it.... What happened to her..?" he looked at the silver flute he held with his left hand, "....I was suppose to give this back...I'm so stupid."
Duo's eyes suddenly widened. He turned to the direction where Nicole had ran to and clutched at the silver instrument angrily.
"Why that little...!?" Duo muttered and dashed after her, "She took my watch!!"
---------------------------------------------------------------
Duo sat by the fountain, cursing under his breath as he caught no sight of the little girl again.
"Damn that girl. Should have known better than to trust someone like her." he muttered.
"'Bout time you learned." a voice said followed by a loud thud on Duo's head.
Nicole was now sitting on the cement railing of the fountain near Duo, who was clutching at his head where a small bump was forming.
"What the hell are you doi--" Duo paused in his words noticing the Bible Nicole was holding, "Don't you know that it's bad to hit people with those things?"
"Tsk. Tsk." she shook her pointer finger at him, "The words of God have the power to smite evil from all people, whatever their beliefs maybe."
Duo frowned at her response.
"It's still isn't an excuse for hitting me with it." he said to her.
"Really?" she asked and stared at the book, "I thought it was a very good excuse... The head nun here said you like Death better than God. I think hitting you with it is a good reason."
Duo sat back down and stared at the synthetic sky.
"....May I have it back." Nicole asked.
"Hm?"
"The flute. May I have it back?"
Duo stood up and handed her the flute as she handed him his watch. He sat beside her and gazed at the ground.
".. I hope you don't mind me asking... but..."
"Oh! This?" Nicole gestured at her arms.
Duo nodded.
"I got into a fight." she replied casually.
"EH?!! With who?"
"... A bunch of street kids. Cecilia-san took care of them though." she smiled.
"What an idiot." Duo smirked as Nicole began to laugh as well.
They both turned to the sky once again.
"So...... Why is that flute so important to you?" he finally asked.
"... My mother used to play this when she was younger. When she was eleven... Here, there is an inscription." she pointed at the engraving on the lower portion of the instrument.
"So that's the most important thing to you..." he muttered.
Nicole shook her head.
"I have this." she removed a silver necklace from her neck.
On that very same necklace hung a silver cross with a blue sapphire stone in the middle.
"The cross of God and the jewel is called An Angel's Tear." she said proudly as she handed it to Duo, "My older brother gave it to me. He said that it would protect me because the jewel shines where ever it goes.... He told me, he'd find me where ever I may be… As long as I have this on... Surely I'll meet him again..."
Duo remembers the words Nicole threw at him.
-"I lost my only means of support when I was 4... my only brother..."-
He stared at the cross silently then to Nicole who sat beside him in deep thought.
".. You actually believe he's coming back...Don't you?" Duo asked.
Nicole nodded, not even bothering to turn back at him.
"If not one way.... then another... I will find him, what ever it takes." she said in a soft voice, "Even if living in Hell will bring me to him... I will gladly do so."
Duo watched her in concern, in deep thought.
-"For a brother you truly love and can never get back.... Denial is you only means of comfort... But you have so much to live for... So many things you can do alone and accomplish... So why are so willing to let go of your life so easily?"-
"It'll be great when that time comes." Nicole smiled.
-"... And the things... Those things I said to you..."-
Nicole stared at him in worry.
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
"N-Not really." Duo laughed.
-"God.... I'm so stupid."-
to be continued....
************************************************************************
Jessi-chan: How's that one? Cute? Annoying? takes out a semi automatic pellet machine gun and points to readersOr just plain stupid?
Mae-chan: W-Where did you get that?
Jessi-chan: *proudly* The dollar store! It comes with bullets too! takes out a small bag of rubber pellets from her back pack
Mae-chan: O-Okay. I think I~'ll go stand a liiiiittle bit further from you.
Jessi-chan: pointing the gun all over the room Nwahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!!
Mae-chan: Since Jessi-chan is busy playing with her new toy..... Again I am left to be the one to thank the lot of you for keeping up with us. Please e- mail us for comments and suggestions. Better yet, leave us a review! Bye- bye now!
END
LOST PROMISES
CHAPTER 3
DISCLAIMER and Writers' note:
Jessi-chan: Ohayo mina-san !!
Mae-chan: Ohayo....
Jessi-chan: Welcome to chapter 3 of our fic. So far we only introduced most of our characters and so on.
Mae-chan: And added a few relationship stuff too.
Jessi-chan: Waaah !! She's pairing her up with 'MY' Quatre-sama !!
Mae-chan: Can you continue your speech before we loose the interest of the audience? Besides, I didn't say that I'm pairing them up at all !!
Jessi-chan: tear filled eyes Deemmmooo !!
Mae-chan: .....As you may know, We do not own the series, but you just can't help to change part of the storyline or more, he-heh. Jessi- chan's older sister says that it is impossible to write a fic about GW because of its serious storyline and all Unless you're the original writer and all. All youneed is a creative writer, nee, Jessi-chan? petting Jessi-chan on the head
Jessi-chan: Meow !!
Mae-chan: I found that nothing but a put down....yet I still believe that nothing's impossible, yadda.. yadda and yadda..........continues to pet Jessi-chan's head
Jessi-chan: Prrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....
Mae-chan: Aaah ! Kawaii no neko-chan desu nee?! Enjoy the fic !!
*********************************
MEMORY OF THE CRUCIFIX AND THE FLUTE
A young seven year old Duo ran swiftly across the hall way. He looks at the watch on his left hand and frowns.
"Aw, shoot. Now, I'm in trouble." He muttered.
He stops and hides behind a post and looked around if someone saw him. A grin broke from his mouth as he began to laugh hysterically. He walks into the church and sat on one of the pews. Seeing that he is now in the safe zone, he takes out an apple from his pocket and cleans it. Just as he was about to bite it, he notices a young brunette girl, a black haired 12-year- old girl and a black haired man with the head priest from across the aisle. Duo quickly ducks into the pews as he hides the apple back into his jacket's pocket and waited for the head priest to disappear with the three new unknown visitors into his office. Finding interest to the new faces, he decided to take a little peek in to the room.
"Things are going well, actually." the priest said as he sat behind the wooden desk.
"That's good to hear." Tomoko replied.
"What brings you here anyway, Shiriori-dono?"
Tomoko turns to the younger girl.
"I wanted Nicole to receive communion before we leave. I would not have any more time later on...so..."
"I understand...Kathleen-dono would have wanted it..." the priest turns to her, "And how old are you child?"
"...Six..." she replied.
"...She's a bit young...." the priest muttered.
"Bend the rules for now. I'll take responsibility." Tomoko said immediately.
The priest stared at him silently with a serious face. Nicole ignored them as her eyes wandered at a painting of two angels with Jesus in it, hanging by the door. She then notices the other presence by the door.
"Uh-oh! I'm busted!!" Duo thought and quickly ran out of sight.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Duo breathed heavily after running away from the head priest's door way. He was now at the open field behind the churches area. He feels two fingers on his right ear, followed by a harsh tug.
"And where have you been young man?!" a woman with blue eyes, wearing convent clothes asked.
"A-At t-t-the s-school gat--e, ow!" he stuttered as he tries to struggle from the nun's clutches.
"Don't lie to me, Duo! Tell me where you have been. Your teacher said you skipped today." she continued.
"Ow-ow-ow! Okay, okay! I'll tell you already!! Just let go!!" the nun releases him as he rubs his redden ear.
"Well?" the nun asked.
"NO WAY!" he stuck his tongue out at her and ran away.
"Duo! You come back here, right now!!" the nun shouted and frowns, "Geez..."
----------------------------------
Duo finally slows down as he entered the colony park. He rubbed his ear one more time.
"Sheesh, there's nowhere safe in this place..." he muttered and turned ahead of him.
His then heeds the presence not far from him. Meters from him, stood the young brunette girl, playing a flute near the fountain that stood in the middle of the green plaza. He paused as he watched her play with elegance and grace.
She suddenly stops and sits on the grass, lying back on the fountain behind her.
".....He knows mom..." she muttered under her breath.
She then feels a presence hovering above her. She gazes up to the source, only finding a long haired brunette making faces at her. Nicole screamed in reaction and it echoed throughout the park grounds, startling Duo, making him loose his balance and fall over with a splash. Nicole quickly sat up and turned behind her.
"Oops.." she muttered shyly.
Nicole stands up, gathering her courage and hurled her voice at him.
"What were you thinking?!" she shouted, "You scared the heck out of me!!"
"I scared you?! What about me?!" Duo snapped back as he got up from the fountain, drenched with water.
He began removing his jacket, squeezing as much water out of it.
"Why did you have to do that?" Nicole complained in a much calmer voice.
"Stop whining. I only did it to cheer you up." Duo snorted.
"Cheer...me..up?" Nicole muttered in question.
"Sou yo. And all the thanks I get is this." he said as he flapped his jacket around to shake some of the water out.
"...Dare...desuka?" she finally asked.
"I'm Duo."
"Duo...I am N--"
"Nicole Shiriori, desho?"
"That's right....How did you know?" she sat down on the cement of the fountain.
"...I-I heard from the nun. She was talking about you." he stuttered, feeling he'll be found out.
"Hmmm... Really? I thought you were the one snooping around by the door of that priest not so long ago." she eyed him cautiously.
Duo starts to remove his shirt. Nicole quickly turns away. Duo notices this.
"What the? Aren't you suppose to be just 6?" he mumbled, "Why are you being disturbed by this?"
"I knew you were the one snooping." she blurted pointing at him with one of her eyebrows raised.
Duo filched.
"S-Shut up!" he snapped.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"It's been this way for a almost a year now." Nicole muttered as she sat on the fountain's ledge, "Everything's become so confusing....I gave up on trying to figure things out."
"… Almost a year, huh?" Duo stared at the colonies metal sky, as he lay on the grass, by Nicole's feet.
"It's become so suffocating around him."
Duo sat up and turned to her.
"Did you try talking to him?" Duo asked.
"I did.... But as you can see, I didn't get through him." she weakly laughed, "I got my stubbornness from him, so as much as I already knew I was going to loose.... Someone in me doesn't want to give up.... But another just wants to disappear from his presence…"
Duo didn't really find this a proper time to laugh, but he couldn't help it. After all, he was hearing a 6 year old talking quite seriously, so only a small smirk appeared on his mouth.
"Nikky?!" a voice called from other side of the court yard.
The two children turned to the source of the voice.
"It's that other girl..." Duo thought, remembering the black haired 12-year- old girl who was with Nicole and her father from before.
Nicole turns to him.
"S-Sorry... But I really have to get going." she stood up and ran to the older girl's direction.
Duo watched them disappear in to one of the halls. He scratched his head and sighed.
"Just when the story gets interesting." he voiced under his breath, "Uh?"
He notices the silver colored wind instrument lying in the grass.
"Che! How careless." he muttered and turned to the direction the two girls disappeared in to.
He stared at the instrument he held.
"I guess I have to give this to her later."
-----
Duo opened his eyes immediately. He was in class. The teacher was still blabbing about the history lesson and the room was filled with yawns and whispering from his fellow peers. He had fallen asleep. Incredibly, he wasn't even caught by the teacher. He sees a note on his desk. It was folded nicely and had his name on it. He opens it and read "You look sooo cute when you're sleeping ^_^!!" with a small cartoon of a short haired SD formed girl. He then hears snickering from across of him. Mai was the only one to have noticed him sound asleep. A slight smile breaks from his face out of embarrassment as Mai laughs even more. The smile faded from his face when he notices that Ayame was once again absent. He remembers the sapphire stoned silver cross that she wore. It felt so familiar.... But he wasn't sure where he once saw it.
--------------------------------------------------------
"She's sick?" Duo blurted, "She looked fine to me yesterday."
"Tsk. Tsk." Mai sneered, "Yesterday was yesterday, today is today. There's a big difference there."
"....She did look sort of pale last night." Quatre thought to himself.
Duo stared at Quatre in concern, taking notice of his serious face. Quatre flinches as he takes heed of Duo's gaze.
"Is there something you would like to tell us?" Duo asked.
"N-No, I-I just thought that she kind of looked ill to me last night when I spoke to her."
"Now that I think about it..." Mai added, "She did seem a bit stranger than usual yesterday."
The two boys turn to her.
"Well, if you could remember, when Ayame approached me yesterday about Elena... She did almost forget about it.... And also, last night, I saw her in the hall ways of the girls' dorms and I called her... But she didn't reply."
"...Maybe she couldn't hear you." Duo suggested.
"That couldn't be. I was just about three meters away from her at that time." Mai continued, "I wonder if she's really doing well.... She has been absent a lot since she came here."
"Since she came here?" Quatre questioned.
Mai nodded.
***********************************************
"How are you feeling?" Tetsuya asked as he stared at the sleepy eyed young brunette that lay on the bed beside his chair.
"...What happened?" she slowly sat up, feeling her head hurt.
"I don't think you should get up yet." Tetsuya implied as he tries to lay her back down.
"N-No...It hurts even more when I lay down." she said as she stopped him from doing so.
Tetsuya returned to the chair by the bed.
"Do you want me to get some aspirin?"
"You know my body's system can't take those." Ayame replied.
"U-uh... Right... I forgot." Tetsuya said with a mild laugh.
Ayame frowned at him. She sighed and looked around her.
"How did I end up here?" she asked again.
"....You fainted last night, outside the dorms. Elena found you and one of the students carried you in here."
"....Students?" she thought, then asked, "…Who?"
"Elena said his name is Heero. Same grade as you." he replied, "Do you remember him?"
Ayame hesitated.
".... Not really."
Tetsuya pats her on the head. She turns to him.
"What's wrong?" he asked with a softer tone of voice.
"N-... nothing..." she replied and turned to the floor.
"By the look on your face, there is." he said, "Now, tell me…"
"..... Quatre Raberba Winner...."
"Huh?"
"Have I met him somewhere before?"
"I'm afraid not, but his name is pretty famous. He's the heir to the Winner family." Tetsuya answered.
"...Oh..."
"Then again...." Tetsuya continued.
Ayame stares at him in a matter of surprise.
"Maybe you have..... In another life…" he smirked and winked at her as she glared in disappointment, hoping he would answer her more truthfully.
-------------------------------------------------
Time passed and Ayame was left to do nothing in her room but fiddle around with the silver necklace around her neck. Tetsuya left long ago to explain to their superiors of her situation. Elena had already checked on her five times to make sure she was still in there.
"She acts exactly like Taebe.." she thought and opened the window, "How boring..."
-----
Ayame was stopped by someone calling her name. She turned, only seeing a tall 19 year old woman with black hair and grayish colour of eyes in a navy blue military uniform. Her waist long hair is tied in a loose pony-tail that swung from side to side behind her as she walked towards Ayame.
"Taebe-san?" she asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I just wanted you to hear something very important before you leave for Earth to meet Tetsuya." she replied.
"What is it?"
"The High-Commander asked me to deliver a message."
"… And?"
"He said that you are to avoid contact with the 5 pilots as much as you can."
"... Why does that concern me?"
"Colonel Geraldo ordered the High-Commander to make sure you received this message, so I can't really give you a direct answer. But in my opinion, your contact with the Gundam pilots may give us a risk of including our group to the war."
"I understand. I'll make sure that does not happen." she was about to walk away when Taebe stops her again.
"Remember Dr. Grant?" she asked.
"Yes."
"You gave her your blood sample just a week ago, correct?"
"Yes."
"The reports came in.... The medicine is not working as much as she thought it would.... Ayame... You may only have 4 y--."
"..... I see." she starts to walk away again.
"Ayame! You still have time to leave." Taebe blurted, making her stop her movement.
"Did I not ask you not to bring that up again?" Ayame muttered.
"Ayame, you're 14-years-old. It's not fair for you if you let these people take away your life like this. It's just not fair."
"...Taebe."
"Ayame, this war does not concern you anymore."
Ayame turns to her in concern.
"It never did concern you since the beginning..." Taebe continued as her voice trailed off.
"... Taebe-san..." Ayame said in a sympathetic voice, "I believe that you are wrong.... I believe it is the other way around. This war concerns me more than anyone else."
Taebe gazed at her in surprise.
"What you do not understand is what I see in my own eyes. How I see things in my point of view....." she responded with slight traces of frustration in her voice, "I cannot just stand here and watch you and the others suffer for the sake of people you do not even know. You would be the same as how you can see me. And in that way, it wouldn't be fair to me. You should know better. You were the one who taught me many things when I was but a helpless child."
"B-But Ayam--"
"It was you who taught me how to survive in this world, and learn the meaning of protecting those you care for." she interrupted the older woman before her, "The knowledge I had acquired from you had made me more aware and now, I can actually do something in return.... for your sake and these people."
Taebe was speechless and could say nothing in return to the youngster's words.
"I will not let anyone else end up like me... abandoned and used… Because this war is here.... Because this war is his fault.... I am included. I do have a responsibility in this." Ayame continued in her deadpan voice, "Because I have people I have to protect for our world's future.... it is necessary for me to be included… Even if I have to act as a pawn for the enemy. Whatever it takes, I'll protect the people of L6."
".... I can never change your mind, can't I?" Taebe smiled weakly.
Ayame shook her head slightly.
"If you keep on trying and you might just win."
"Just MIGHT?" Taebe blurted in a change of a lighter tone in her voice, "I'll do better than that, kid! Just you wait."
The usual small smile broke from Ayame's pale face.
"Good luck, Lt. Machiro." Taebe saluted at her.
Ayame did the same and continued on towards the shuttle heading for earth.
********************************************
The young 7-year-old Duo stared at the silver instrument silently, as he waited for the younger child to appear again. He turned to the artificial sky of the colony.
"Maybe.... she already left..." he thought.
Duo's thoughts were interrupted with a harsh bang on his head. Slightly dazed from the impact, he stood in response and turned to the culprit.
"W-What the hell do you think you're doing!?" he shouted.
He pauses in his actions finally realizing the young girl that stood before him. Nicole looked slightly annoyed and had a band aid on her left cheek.
"Oh...! It's you..." he said, "Whoa! What happened?"
"You have something that's mine." she replied, "Hand it over."
"H-Huh? Oh, this you mean...." Duo stared at the instrument for a moment, then back to the girl before him.
Yesterday, she was nicer and a little bit more polite, and now she's damned rude. And to think he kept the instrument safe and waited for her to return it all this time. Duo suddenly turns away from her.
"What's it to ya?"
"Now you want payment for it?!" Nicole blurted in outrage, "That's not fair!"
"Hey, I'm the one who's homeless here! Money's necessary."
Duo paused in his head. This conversation isn't taking a very good light.
"HOMELESS?! Well, correct me if I'm wrong! If you are homeless, then why are you around the church all the time!?"
"I just happen to like it there, okay!!"
"That's not what I think at all!! You're nothing but a free loader and a pain in the neck to those people!"
"F-Free loa—" Duo clenched his hands into fists, "Well excuuuuuuuuse meeeeee your royalty!! Wanna here what I think?! Acting all high and mighty just because you are a daughter of a politician! The lots of you are all the same!"
"I am not acting like royalty! I just want my ---"
"You're flute!! Well you can't have it back! Wanna know something else?! I'm much happier without a parent or a sitter, unlike you for instance. I got more freedom and I learn more from the people who suffer since I am one of them." Duo continued as his voice sounded almost sarcastic, "People like you don't know how much harder life is outside protected walls. You get everything you want! And what about us?! We get nothing! We loose our parents and the children who are victimized are just thrown in places like this!"
"You think I'm happy this way!"
"Pretty much! You get anything you want. This puny flute could probably be replaced in an inst--" Nicole suddenly tackles Duo to the ground.
Nicole forces him down to the floor with all her might, sat on him and clutched on his collar with both hands tightly, almost strangling him.
"L-Let go of me." Duo struggled to get her off but to much avail, she was stronger than he had expected.
"What are you doing!? This looks bad, y'kn--" Duo falls silent as he finally notices that the little girl that has him pinned on the floor was crying.
Her eyes shone in anger and frustration as she bit her lip as if she was keeping herself from screaming.
"H-hey...C-C'mon.. You don't have to cry..." Duo whispered nervously.
"Shut-up..." she said in muffled voice, "You don't know anything about me... So shut-up..."
Duo was silent, letting the girl cry a little longer.
"Do you actually think... I'm happy with the way things are now? ... Huh? .... Do you?" she asked, "... I had gone through hell just to keep up with a twisted life I live in.... I lost my only means of support when I was 4... my only brother... A year after, my mother dies. Soon after that, my father abandons me... I lived in a place like this long ago... But it was burned and everyone was killed... My father took me back.... But he only took me back so he can use me for his projects. Do you still believe that I am happy with a life like that?!!" Nicole shouted angrily.
Duo stared at her, shocked by her sudden words.
"People like you… You always assume…" she muttered between sobs, "No one bothers to understand… No one bothers to know the truth…"
Her grip on his collar loosened as she got off him. Duo stands up slowly beside her, who was wiping the tears away from her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. His eyes widened as he noticed several bruises all over her arms and at the side of her neck.
"..Nicole... W-What... happened to you?"
She gazed at him with out a change of emotion in her eyes, still consumed by her anger. With one last look, she ran away from him without saying another word. Duo scratched his head and frowned.
"Damn it.... What happened to her..?" he looked at the silver flute he held with his left hand, "....I was suppose to give this back...I'm so stupid."
Duo's eyes suddenly widened. He turned to the direction where Nicole had ran to and clutched at the silver instrument angrily.
"Why that little...!?" Duo muttered and dashed after her, "She took my watch!!"
---------------------------------------------------------------
Duo sat by the fountain, cursing under his breath as he caught no sight of the little girl again.
"Damn that girl. Should have known better than to trust someone like her." he muttered.
"'Bout time you learned." a voice said followed by a loud thud on Duo's head.
Nicole was now sitting on the cement railing of the fountain near Duo, who was clutching at his head where a small bump was forming.
"What the hell are you doi--" Duo paused in his words noticing the Bible Nicole was holding, "Don't you know that it's bad to hit people with those things?"
"Tsk. Tsk." she shook her pointer finger at him, "The words of God have the power to smite evil from all people, whatever their beliefs maybe."
Duo frowned at her response.
"It's still isn't an excuse for hitting me with it." he said to her.
"Really?" she asked and stared at the book, "I thought it was a very good excuse... The head nun here said you like Death better than God. I think hitting you with it is a good reason."
Duo sat back down and stared at the synthetic sky.
"....May I have it back." Nicole asked.
"Hm?"
"The flute. May I have it back?"
Duo stood up and handed her the flute as she handed him his watch. He sat beside her and gazed at the ground.
".. I hope you don't mind me asking... but..."
"Oh! This?" Nicole gestured at her arms.
Duo nodded.
"I got into a fight." she replied casually.
"EH?!! With who?"
"... A bunch of street kids. Cecilia-san took care of them though." she smiled.
"What an idiot." Duo smirked as Nicole began to laugh as well.
They both turned to the sky once again.
"So...... Why is that flute so important to you?" he finally asked.
"... My mother used to play this when she was younger. When she was eleven... Here, there is an inscription." she pointed at the engraving on the lower portion of the instrument.
"So that's the most important thing to you..." he muttered.
Nicole shook her head.
"I have this." she removed a silver necklace from her neck.
On that very same necklace hung a silver cross with a blue sapphire stone in the middle.
"The cross of God and the jewel is called An Angel's Tear." she said proudly as she handed it to Duo, "My older brother gave it to me. He said that it would protect me because the jewel shines where ever it goes.... He told me, he'd find me where ever I may be… As long as I have this on... Surely I'll meet him again..."
Duo remembers the words Nicole threw at him.
-"I lost my only means of support when I was 4... my only brother..."-
He stared at the cross silently then to Nicole who sat beside him in deep thought.
".. You actually believe he's coming back...Don't you?" Duo asked.
Nicole nodded, not even bothering to turn back at him.
"If not one way.... then another... I will find him, what ever it takes." she said in a soft voice, "Even if living in Hell will bring me to him... I will gladly do so."
Duo watched her in concern, in deep thought.
-"For a brother you truly love and can never get back.... Denial is you only means of comfort... But you have so much to live for... So many things you can do alone and accomplish... So why are so willing to let go of your life so easily?"-
"It'll be great when that time comes." Nicole smiled.
-"... And the things... Those things I said to you..."-
Nicole stared at him in worry.
"Is something wrong?" she asked.
"N-Not really." Duo laughed.
-"God.... I'm so stupid."-
to be continued....
************************************************************************
Jessi-chan: How's that one? Cute? Annoying? takes out a semi automatic pellet machine gun and points to readersOr just plain stupid?
Mae-chan: W-Where did you get that?
Jessi-chan: *proudly* The dollar store! It comes with bullets too! takes out a small bag of rubber pellets from her back pack
Mae-chan: O-Okay. I think I~'ll go stand a liiiiittle bit further from you.
Jessi-chan: pointing the gun all over the room Nwahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa!!
Mae-chan: Since Jessi-chan is busy playing with her new toy..... Again I am left to be the one to thank the lot of you for keeping up with us. Please e- mail us for comments and suggestions. Better yet, leave us a review! Bye- bye now!
END