Disclaimer: None of the characters in this story belong to me, except the
little princess Alexia.
Gundam Wing
A King's Hero
"On three. . .one. . .two. . .three!" the woman barked, and on her signal, the slight figure was lifted from the gurney to the operating table. Her companions weren't doctors, but in a battlefield situation, she would take whatever help she could get. She continued, barely glancing at the young man to her right, "Duo, start cutting his clothes away. I've gotta see how bad the damage is."
"Yes, ma'am!" Duo Maxwell answered and immediately began cutting the protective suit away from the inert body. Sally Po concentrated solely on the young man who now lay on the table. He was naturally pale, courtesy of his Scandinavian heritage, but now even his lips were colorless. She had a bad feeling he was bleeding internally, which would make her work that much more difficult.
Sally continued, her eyes still on her work, "Quatre, go out and. . .well. . .comfort Noin. Of all of you, you're the closest to her. Heero, put a tight beam transmission through to Earth, and tell Relena that her brother has been seriously injured." Her own response was a 'hn,' but the teenager left the room with Quatre. Sally continued, "Wufei, where is Trowa? Still tracking whoever attacked?"
"Yes, and I should help him," Wufei answered and Sally nodded, itermizing the injuries suffered by Zechs Merquise/Milliardo Peacecraft when the Martian base was attacked only a few hours earlier. Wufei slipped from the room, leaving Sally to do what she was trained to do.
Duo asked anxiously, "D'ya think he's gonna be okay, Sally?" She didn't answer. This did not look good at all, and as much as she liked Duo, there were times when she simply could not handle his chatter. This was one of them. Duo continued, "It all happened so fast. One minute, we were on a routine sweep, checking out an anomaly, and the next. . . When that Mobile Suit attacked us, it should have been me who got taken out, instead of Zechs."
Sally swallowed hard and tried to focus on what she was doing. She and the five Gundam pilots came to the Martian terraforming base, after Quatre got a sense that something terrible was about to happen. Zechs and Lucrezia Noin welcomed them, although Sally could tell the young prince was somewhat wary. He had little contact with the rest of the universe ever since he and Lucrezia arrived here, six months earlier.
Sally was in the communications room with Lucrezia, who was four months pregnant with their first child. Zechs insisted that she remain behind with Sally while he and Duo checked out a strange reading along the perimeter of the base. . .as Lucrezia observed with an affectionate smile, he was still the same Zechs, still trying to protect. Sally smiled, and thought about how glad she was for her friend. After the years of waiting, Lucrezia finally had what she always wanted, always deserved.
Then disaster struck. Zechs and Duo were attacked by a Mobile Suit. According to Duo, his own MS was in the line of fire, but Zechs took the blast instead, and the prince ordered Duo to return to the base to warn the others and defend the base as other Mobile Suits attacked. Against his will, Duo left his new comrade in arms and returned to the base.
Zechs wasn't out of the picture just yet. While his MS was seriously damaged, he nonetheless followed Duo to the base, where a second battle took place. The other four Gundam pilots scrambled to their respective Mobile Suits, which were on loan to them from the base, and joined in the defense. Guided by his own intuition, for lack of a better word, Heero was guided to the site where Zechs battled another MS.
Or, as Duo put it over the communications system, where Zechs was getting his ass kicked. His skills were as sharp as ever, coupled with his desire to protect his wife and their unborn child, but the ancient MS wasn't up to the task. Heero intervened as soon as he saw how badly the MS was damaged. As he engaged the enemy, he didn't notice another raider attacking Zechs. But Trowa had, and he swept in to defend the fallen ace. Within five minutes, the remaining enemy Mobile Suits was routed, and the gundam pilots retrieved the unconscious Zechs Merquise from his MS. Once Zechs was safely inside an MS with Quatre, Trowa destroyed the suit, and they returned to base.
Now, as Sally worked feverishly to save Zechs, she silently prayed that it would be enough. That his wife and unborn child would be reason enough for him to stay alive. Sally didn't just hate losing patients. She hated losing friends as well.
. . .
Where. . .am I? Zechs Merquise thought, looking around. The last thing he remembered, he was fighting to protect his base. His project. His family. There was nothing but smoke and fog, and a chill ran down his spine. It figured. He finally had something to live for, a reason to go on, and it was his time to die. Zechs mentally berated himself for wasting so much time on revenge and fighting. When he should have been building a life with Lucrezia, and getting to know his sister.
//It's not your time if you don't want it to be. . .this could go either way. The question is, what are you willing to give up in order to return to those you love?// a voice asked and Zechs looked around, frowning. The voice sounded distantly familiar, but he couldn't place it. However, as a figure emerged from the smoke, he did recognize his companion. A tall man, with piercing blue eyes and a long gray mane of hair. His breath caught in his throat.
//Father?// he whispered and Raoul, king of the Sank Kingdom, father of Milliardo and Relena, smiled tenderly. Zechs felt tears burning the backs of his eyes, and he said in a broken whisper, //Oh, Father. Can you ever forgive me?// There was a sadness in his father's eyes as the late Peacecraft king approached his only son and first-born child.
//The wrong person is asking that question, I believe. The question is not, can I forgive you? But, can you forgive me?// Raoul asked. Zechs blinked back his tears, not understanding his father's question, and the king continued, //Can you forgive me for not fighting for you? For not protecting you, as a father should? Can you forgive me for putting such a heavy burden on your fragile shoulders when you were still a child?// Now Zechs was truly confused. What did his father mean by that? His father placed no burden on him!
Perhaps seeing his son's confusion, Raoul Peacecraft continued with a sigh, //Yes, my son, I did. I would not defend my kingdom, my people, against the Federation, and for that, I lost my life. For that, my queen died. For that, my son's childhood was stripped from him, and my daughter was torn from her family. A very high price indeed for absolute pacifism.//
Zechs frowned, unaccustomed to hearing his father speak so. When he was a child, his father often stated their policy of absolute pacifism, of not fighting. He said slowly, //But, Father, you believed in absolute pacifism. I remember hearing you speak of how important it was, of how necessary it was. That as long as humanity had its dangerous weapons, it would want to play with them.//
//And that is true, my son,// Raoul agreed, //but it's also true that absolute pacifism is an ideal. Do you remember, Zechs, when you were five years old, and you were crying because of something that happened in Mass? Do you remember crying because you did something you believed was wrong, and you thought your mother and I wouldn't love you anymore?//
The memory rose with his father's words. Yes, now he remembered, although if his own memory was correct, he was about three and a half. Yes, because it was at Relena's christening. His father said, //Yes, that is correct. It was at the time of your sister's christening. Forgive me. The years tend to blend together for me. You were three and a half, and you forgot to go to the bathroom before we left the palace. You were so excited about the christening. So, in the middle of the service, you left your mother's side and took care of that need.//
Zechs blushed, remembering the incident. His father continued with a chuckle, saying, //The priest was furious with you, and you were so devastated. Do you remember how convinced you were that your mother and I wouldn't love you any more because of that?// Zechs nodded. Oh, he remembered. He remembered all too well. The memory was still mortifying, even after seventeen years.
His father continued, //We told you that there are some rules that cannot be broken, that keep the world working properly. And then there are some rules which are ideals. Things to work toward. Like going to the bathroom before leaving the palace.// This was said with a teasing smile, and Zechs blushed yet again. His father grew serious once more and added, //Absolute pacifism is another such ideal.//
Zechs started to protest, feeling the foundation of his life swaying under him, and his father continued, //Keep in mind, I have never stopped believing in the ideal of absolute pacifism. But, my dear son, I understand now that it can only take place when everyone is sick of fighting, and it will only last a certain amount of time. Eventually, Zechs, someone will forget the lessons of the past, and the wars will begin all over again. Mariemeia was actually correct about that. It is an endless waltz, but that's true of life, as well as war.//
He paused, then added, //And Zechs, I would have never knowingly, willingly, sacrificed either of my children, if I realized the stakes. If I realized that the Federation would directly attack our kingdom, I would have taken action, so it wouldn't have been necessary for you. I knew something was coming, my son. But I believed it was political. My own arrogance, my belief that the Federation would never dare to attack us, cost us all a great deal. My weakness, my foolishness, cost you and your sister each other.//
//Because I was weak, and foolish, my six year old son had to become a soldier in order to survive. And because I was weak and foolish, that little boy grew up hating himself, for the dual identities he found it necessary to create. Do you not see, my son? You did what you had to, in order to survive. You became a soldier to survive, and to protect your sister. And you did a very good job of protecting Relena. You are the stronger. . .you are the better man. And I am so proud of you for that. You found the courage to fight for your beliefs, for the people you loved, instead of hiding behind your beliefs, as I did.//
//But. . .but what about what I did wrong? What about the people I killed, as a member of Oz, and afterward? What about what I did as the leader of White Fang? I could have destroyed the earth, Father! I wanted to! And I almost ruined Relena's life!// Zechs cried out. He was no longer fighting back the tears which burned his eyes, and now rolled down his cheeks. His father was already shaking his head, his own piercing blue eyes filled with pain, with moisture. Zechs shook, feeling as unsteady as he had after his battle in space with Wufei, the battle that almost destroyed his sanity in Wing Zero.
How did he react to this? To his father's contention that Zechs did the right thing, despite his heritage as a Peacecraft? He spent so many years, as his father said, hating himself for the dual identities he found it necessary to maintain. Believing that his father was disappointed in him. How, then, did he react, when he learned that he was wrong, all along?
//Oh, my sweet, foolish son. Yes, you made mistakes. We all make mistakes. You saw the error of your ways, you helped to save the earth. And when Dekim Barton, damn his soul to hell, instigated his coup for his granddaughter, you returned to protect your sister. That is what is important,// the king replied.
He cupped his son's face in his hands, tenderly brushing away the tears with the pads of his thumbs, then kissed the top of his head. He said softly, //I want you to go back, Milliardo. Or Zechs, if you prefer. You've spent so many years being Zechs, that is who you are most comfortable as. Only you can decide how to reconcile those two men, Milliardo Peacecraft and Zechs Merquise. Personally, I prefer the name Zechs.//
The young prince blinked, and his father added with a sigh, //We named you Milliardo to fulfill a promise to my father. Otherwise, we would have given you a more. . .pleasing name. Perhaps Erik, or Stephen. Kingly names, both of them, and far better than Milliardo. For that alone, for that name, I should beg your forgiveness.// In spite of himself, Zechs grinned. As their conversation continued, Zechs remembered more about his father, the man, including his rather wry sense of humor.
His father smiled back and said, //I will take that to mean you've forgiven me. Thank you. Now, my beloved son, it's time you returned. Know this, my Zechs. I love you. And I'm very, very proud of you. I always have been. Even when you've done the wrong thing, your heart has been in the right place. Not everyone can claim that, my son. Know, too, that even though there is nothing to forgive, I have forgiven you. I know you need to hear that. Now go, my son, my hero.//
Zechs blinked again. Hero? He was no hero. He was just a soldier. His father smiled and said, once more seeming to hear what Zechs was thinking, //Of course you're a hero, Zechs. You're my hero. You became what I always hoped to be. And regardless of what you think of yourself, you would have made a fine king. Should your sister ever step down, you have my blessing to rule. Now. Go back to your beautiful wife and my granddaughter. That is the choice to make.//
Zechs had only time to gape at his father. . .granddaughter???????? Then the smoke and mist disappeared, and he heard Sally Po exclaim, "YES! That's right, Zechs, fight! Duo, keep an eye on his heart rate!" Curiously relieved by the sound of his wife's best friend, Zechs at last slipped into a deep sleep as Sally continued her struggle to keep him alive.
. . .
"How is he, Sally? Duo?" Quatre asked, bounding to his feet as Sally emerged from the makeshift operating room with Duo at her side. Quatre helped Lucrezia to her feet, and had to remind himself that she wasn't Miss Noin anymore. She was. . .well. . .he wasn't sure what her name was anymore, but she was Zechs' wife now. And in five months, she would give birth to their child.
Duo answered in place of the exhausted doctor, "It looks like he's gonna be a-okay. He has some cracked ribs, and stuff like that. . .Sally can tell you exactly what's wrong with him, but he's gonna be okay. He's tough. . .then again, we already knew that! Not even the explosion of the Libra could kill him! Hey! Where are the others, not back yet?"
"Heero left for Earth. Miss Relena insisted on coming to Mars to be with her brother, so Heero went down to Earth to get her. Trowa and Wufei are still tracking down the rest of the terrorists. I sent the Maganacs with them, just to be safe. Heero's last transmission said that he and Miss Relena would be here in a few hours. So, it looks like he'll be okay?" Quatre asked, referring to Zechs.
This time, it was Sally who replied, "Yes, he will. There was a point where it was touch and go, but he rallied and fought back. He knows he has a reason to live." She smiled at Lucrezia, who was struggling to hold back her tears. Quatre squeezed her hand gently. He helped to subsidize this project, so he spent a lot of time at Mars during the last few months, along with his sister Iria. She, however, was on vacation at the moment on Earth.
In the last six months, he became good friends with Zechs, and Quatre thought sadly about the weeks before the final battle in space, the previous year. //If only we hadn't gone into space at the same time Zechs returned to stop Miss Relena's surrender,// Quatre thought, //we would have become friends and allies a lot sooner.// But. . .they were friends now. And Zechs would need his friends now.
. .
.
He hurt. . .all over. Zechs moaned as the light forced him to open his eyes, and a soft voice said, "You're awake. . .welcome back." The voice was male, rather than female, and Zechs winced as he turned his head. Duo Maxwell was smiling at him, and Zechs reflected a bit ruefully that he hadn't know it was possible for the younger pilot to speak so softly.
Zechs tried to take a breath to speak, but blinding pain exploded in his torso, and Duo continued in that soft voice, "Whoa, don't try to talk! You're damn lucky to be alive, Zechs! Just lie still, Quatre's gone to get. . .Lucrezia. You scared the hell out of all of us." Zechs was in too much pain to argue with the teenager. He closed his eyes, and Duo continued, "That's better. Lucrezia was sitting with you, but she fell asleep, and we took her to another room. I don't figure sleeping twisted like a pretzel is good for the baby."
Zechs smiled weakly in response, opening his eyes, and Duo continued, "Trowa and Wufei brought in the guys who attacked. . .what's left of them, at least. The others are all dead. They're being questioned at the moment. Seems they're what's left of Dekim Barton's organization. Sally contacted Lady Une, to see if Mariemeia can identify them. They won't tell us their names."
Surprise, surprise. Duo continued, "Heero and Relena will be docking in the next few minutes, but I know Sally is gonna want to debrief them before Relena sees you. And here's Mi. . .here's Lucrezia now. C'mon, Quatre, let's leave them alone." Zechs turned his head to see his wife walking across the room to him. She smiled, taking his hand as she reached his bedside.
"You had us worried, love. But Sally tells me you'll be just fine," Lucrezia murmured, gently brushing the blond hair back from his eyes. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead, the tenderness in her dark blue eyes taking his breath away. She gazed at him, exasperation warring with love, and after a moment, the love won out. She said, "I was planning to ream you for almost getting yourself killed, but you wouldn't be the man I love if you didn't try to protect those you love. Just remember. I would rather have a live husband than a dead hero."
A hero. Where else had he heard that? That he was someone's hero? Zechs couldn't remember, the pain was still too intense for him to concentrate on anything but Lucrezia at the moment. He asked softly, "Am I your hero, Lucrezia?" She smiled at him tenderly and lifted his hand to her mouth, gently brushing his knuckles with her lips.
"You always have been, Zechs. And now, you're a hero to even more people. I wanted to warn you before Relena got here with Heero. Someone mentioned the attack in the interview just before she left Earth, and implied that you made the entire thing up. Relena. . .ahhh. . .was the protective sister role to the hilt. She informed the reporter that you were a hero, and were always a hero, and she would allow no one to say such things about you," Lucrezia answered.
Zechs honestly didn't know how to react to that. And he was tired. Lucrezia must have seen this, for she murmured, "Sleep now, love. When you wake up, Relena will be here. And you'll hear from her that now, you're her hero, too." That was the last thing Zechs heard as he once more drifted off to sleep, lulled by his wife's voice and her fingers stroking his hair.
. . .
//I still say it was foolish,// the ghost said, and King Raoul Peacecraft just glared at him. He stepped between the worlds to speak with his son, reassure him that he was never disappointed in him. . .and came face to face with the father of one of the other Gundam pilots.
The father of the young blond boy Quatre, who looked like he could be Raoul's son as well. The man continued, //He was just a child, he shouldn't have been fighting. Especially not after I forbade him!// Raoul wondered if ignoring the other man would work, then decided it would make no difference. Winner was trying to justify himself, to himself.
//Your son did what he thought was right. He's a good boy, you should be proud of him. I know I'm proud of my son. Oh, both Quatre and Zechs have made mistakes, taken the wrong path, but they're good boys both. And even if you're not proud of your son, I would be proud to have him as my own,// Raoul answered. The other man looked at him, startled.
Raoul could hear what his companion was thinking, and said, //Our decisions caused heartbreak to our children. My selfishness and your cowardice. In fact, your cowardice almost cost Quatre and Iria their lives, Quatre his very sanity. If I had it to do again, there are many things which I would change. And what of you? Or do you persist in your pride, in your arrogance? Has dying taught you nothing? It took my death, my departure from the physical world, before I understand that my ideals weren't worth the lives and souls of my children.//
//Then your ideals are worthless,// Winner fired back, and Raoul shook his head, his blue eyes blazing. Winner continued, //We both died for what we believed in. Absolute pacifism, no more fighting, no matter what the cost.// Raoul stared at his companion, stunned. //Was I ever that foolish,// he thought, //did I ever put such a high value on my ideals, after I left the physical world? He still doesn't understand what he has done to his son!//
He said, //Your death was for nothing, Winner. Nothing at all, for your son continued his own battle. Just as my son did, even believing that I would stop loving him. And they were right! We were wrong. . .that isn't absolute pacifism, that's slavery! There is no peace in slavery, don't you understand that?// He shook his head. Talking to this man was impossible. He would find someone else, someone reasonable.
"You do understand," a soft voice said, and Raoul looked around, startled. He saw the young boy once more, Quatre. He heard us? Quatre continued, "You understand why I had to fight, why I couldn't promise my father not to fight in a Gundam." Raoul hesitated, then allowed himself to materialize in front of the boy. Quatre smiled gently and said, "You're Zechs and Relena's father."
"You can see me. . .of course you can, with your gift. Yes, little one, I am proud to call them both my children. I did not realize you could hear me. . .hear us," Raoul said apologetically. Quatre just blushed and lowered his eyes, and Raoul continued, "I thank you, Quatre, for helping to save my son's life. It's not his time to join his mother and myself, not when he still has to be a father to the child Lucrezia now carries."
"You're very welcome, even though no thanks are necessary. Zechs, and Lucrezia, have become my friends. Zechs should have never been my enemy," Quatre sighed, "not when we were fighting for the same thing all along. Lucrezia's baby will be a little girl. You know that, don't you?" Raoul hesitated, then nodded. Quatre continued, "I can hear her sometimes. She doesn't talk, the way we do, but I can hear her. And I know how afraid she was for Zechs."
Raoul was deeply touched, and he said, "Then I know I can count on your to look after my family for me. For now, it's time for me to return to Katerina. My mission here has been accomplished. My son no longer believes that he has been a disappointment to me. My work here is done. Good-bye, young Quatre." Raoul smiled at the boy one last time, then dematerialized. His children would be in good hands now. The Gundam pilots and Lucrezia would see to that.
. . .
Five months later, the gundam pilots were once more gathered on the Martian base. The last five months saw great changes for all of them. With the testimony of all five pilots, and Sally Po, the remaining members of Dekim Barton's organization were jailed for their attack on the Martian base. The clincher was, of course, Mariemeia Khushrenada's testimony.
And now, almost a year after the little girl's grandfather attempted his coup, a new life was coming into the world. Lady Une and her eight year old adopted daughter journeyed to Mars for the event, as did Relena Peacecraft. She spent almost as much time on Mars during that time as she did on Earth. She had almost fifteen years of catching up to do with her brother. She grew to love him deeply in these last five months, learning that under the trappings of a former soldier was a soft-hearted older brother and father to be. She learned a great deal about the older brother whom she never understood. Until now.
And now, she was an aunt, as Alexia Merquise/Peacecraft made her entrance into the world. Milliardo. . .Zechs. . .was still uncomfortable using his birth name, and he admitted to her that he would probably always be more comfortable using the name 'Zechs.' It was whom he was for fifteen years. And no matter what name he used, Lucrezia loved him.
While Lucrezia rested, Relena cradled her new niece in her arms. She was sleeping at the moment, like her mother, but Relena didn't mind that. She memorized each feature, each lash, each expression. Perhaps in time, she would have children, but Relena was only eighteen. For now, she was content just to hold Alexia in her arms. She would make a good aunt. . .spoil the little girl rotten, as was the privilege and duty of every aunt.
Relena sat down, still cuddling Alexia, and murmured, "There are so many things I want to teach you. So many things you need to know, about our family. About your father. He's a hero, you know." She smiled a little, remembering the dream she had five months earlier, while she was on the shuttle bound for Mars, then told her niece, "He's my hero, the hero of a queen. And. . .he's a king's hero. Your grandfather's hero. He'll be your hero, too. I promise you."
Raoul Peacecraft gazed at his daughter and granddaughter, but it was his wife who said softly, //Yes, my darling girl, he will be Alexia's hero. Come, Raoul. The children will be fine without us. Thanks to your conversation with him, our son has finally started forgiving for the path he took. This is a day of new beginnings. Come. It's time for our new beginning.//
And with that, the king and queen of Sank quietly moved to the next plane of existence. Oh, they would watch over their children, their heroes, that would never change. . .but it was time to let go. It was time to go home.
The End!
little princess Alexia.
Gundam Wing
A King's Hero
"On three. . .one. . .two. . .three!" the woman barked, and on her signal, the slight figure was lifted from the gurney to the operating table. Her companions weren't doctors, but in a battlefield situation, she would take whatever help she could get. She continued, barely glancing at the young man to her right, "Duo, start cutting his clothes away. I've gotta see how bad the damage is."
"Yes, ma'am!" Duo Maxwell answered and immediately began cutting the protective suit away from the inert body. Sally Po concentrated solely on the young man who now lay on the table. He was naturally pale, courtesy of his Scandinavian heritage, but now even his lips were colorless. She had a bad feeling he was bleeding internally, which would make her work that much more difficult.
Sally continued, her eyes still on her work, "Quatre, go out and. . .well. . .comfort Noin. Of all of you, you're the closest to her. Heero, put a tight beam transmission through to Earth, and tell Relena that her brother has been seriously injured." Her own response was a 'hn,' but the teenager left the room with Quatre. Sally continued, "Wufei, where is Trowa? Still tracking whoever attacked?"
"Yes, and I should help him," Wufei answered and Sally nodded, itermizing the injuries suffered by Zechs Merquise/Milliardo Peacecraft when the Martian base was attacked only a few hours earlier. Wufei slipped from the room, leaving Sally to do what she was trained to do.
Duo asked anxiously, "D'ya think he's gonna be okay, Sally?" She didn't answer. This did not look good at all, and as much as she liked Duo, there were times when she simply could not handle his chatter. This was one of them. Duo continued, "It all happened so fast. One minute, we were on a routine sweep, checking out an anomaly, and the next. . . When that Mobile Suit attacked us, it should have been me who got taken out, instead of Zechs."
Sally swallowed hard and tried to focus on what she was doing. She and the five Gundam pilots came to the Martian terraforming base, after Quatre got a sense that something terrible was about to happen. Zechs and Lucrezia Noin welcomed them, although Sally could tell the young prince was somewhat wary. He had little contact with the rest of the universe ever since he and Lucrezia arrived here, six months earlier.
Sally was in the communications room with Lucrezia, who was four months pregnant with their first child. Zechs insisted that she remain behind with Sally while he and Duo checked out a strange reading along the perimeter of the base. . .as Lucrezia observed with an affectionate smile, he was still the same Zechs, still trying to protect. Sally smiled, and thought about how glad she was for her friend. After the years of waiting, Lucrezia finally had what she always wanted, always deserved.
Then disaster struck. Zechs and Duo were attacked by a Mobile Suit. According to Duo, his own MS was in the line of fire, but Zechs took the blast instead, and the prince ordered Duo to return to the base to warn the others and defend the base as other Mobile Suits attacked. Against his will, Duo left his new comrade in arms and returned to the base.
Zechs wasn't out of the picture just yet. While his MS was seriously damaged, he nonetheless followed Duo to the base, where a second battle took place. The other four Gundam pilots scrambled to their respective Mobile Suits, which were on loan to them from the base, and joined in the defense. Guided by his own intuition, for lack of a better word, Heero was guided to the site where Zechs battled another MS.
Or, as Duo put it over the communications system, where Zechs was getting his ass kicked. His skills were as sharp as ever, coupled with his desire to protect his wife and their unborn child, but the ancient MS wasn't up to the task. Heero intervened as soon as he saw how badly the MS was damaged. As he engaged the enemy, he didn't notice another raider attacking Zechs. But Trowa had, and he swept in to defend the fallen ace. Within five minutes, the remaining enemy Mobile Suits was routed, and the gundam pilots retrieved the unconscious Zechs Merquise from his MS. Once Zechs was safely inside an MS with Quatre, Trowa destroyed the suit, and they returned to base.
Now, as Sally worked feverishly to save Zechs, she silently prayed that it would be enough. That his wife and unborn child would be reason enough for him to stay alive. Sally didn't just hate losing patients. She hated losing friends as well.
. . .
Where. . .am I? Zechs Merquise thought, looking around. The last thing he remembered, he was fighting to protect his base. His project. His family. There was nothing but smoke and fog, and a chill ran down his spine. It figured. He finally had something to live for, a reason to go on, and it was his time to die. Zechs mentally berated himself for wasting so much time on revenge and fighting. When he should have been building a life with Lucrezia, and getting to know his sister.
//It's not your time if you don't want it to be. . .this could go either way. The question is, what are you willing to give up in order to return to those you love?// a voice asked and Zechs looked around, frowning. The voice sounded distantly familiar, but he couldn't place it. However, as a figure emerged from the smoke, he did recognize his companion. A tall man, with piercing blue eyes and a long gray mane of hair. His breath caught in his throat.
//Father?// he whispered and Raoul, king of the Sank Kingdom, father of Milliardo and Relena, smiled tenderly. Zechs felt tears burning the backs of his eyes, and he said in a broken whisper, //Oh, Father. Can you ever forgive me?// There was a sadness in his father's eyes as the late Peacecraft king approached his only son and first-born child.
//The wrong person is asking that question, I believe. The question is not, can I forgive you? But, can you forgive me?// Raoul asked. Zechs blinked back his tears, not understanding his father's question, and the king continued, //Can you forgive me for not fighting for you? For not protecting you, as a father should? Can you forgive me for putting such a heavy burden on your fragile shoulders when you were still a child?// Now Zechs was truly confused. What did his father mean by that? His father placed no burden on him!
Perhaps seeing his son's confusion, Raoul Peacecraft continued with a sigh, //Yes, my son, I did. I would not defend my kingdom, my people, against the Federation, and for that, I lost my life. For that, my queen died. For that, my son's childhood was stripped from him, and my daughter was torn from her family. A very high price indeed for absolute pacifism.//
Zechs frowned, unaccustomed to hearing his father speak so. When he was a child, his father often stated their policy of absolute pacifism, of not fighting. He said slowly, //But, Father, you believed in absolute pacifism. I remember hearing you speak of how important it was, of how necessary it was. That as long as humanity had its dangerous weapons, it would want to play with them.//
//And that is true, my son,// Raoul agreed, //but it's also true that absolute pacifism is an ideal. Do you remember, Zechs, when you were five years old, and you were crying because of something that happened in Mass? Do you remember crying because you did something you believed was wrong, and you thought your mother and I wouldn't love you anymore?//
The memory rose with his father's words. Yes, now he remembered, although if his own memory was correct, he was about three and a half. Yes, because it was at Relena's christening. His father said, //Yes, that is correct. It was at the time of your sister's christening. Forgive me. The years tend to blend together for me. You were three and a half, and you forgot to go to the bathroom before we left the palace. You were so excited about the christening. So, in the middle of the service, you left your mother's side and took care of that need.//
Zechs blushed, remembering the incident. His father continued with a chuckle, saying, //The priest was furious with you, and you were so devastated. Do you remember how convinced you were that your mother and I wouldn't love you any more because of that?// Zechs nodded. Oh, he remembered. He remembered all too well. The memory was still mortifying, even after seventeen years.
His father continued, //We told you that there are some rules that cannot be broken, that keep the world working properly. And then there are some rules which are ideals. Things to work toward. Like going to the bathroom before leaving the palace.// This was said with a teasing smile, and Zechs blushed yet again. His father grew serious once more and added, //Absolute pacifism is another such ideal.//
Zechs started to protest, feeling the foundation of his life swaying under him, and his father continued, //Keep in mind, I have never stopped believing in the ideal of absolute pacifism. But, my dear son, I understand now that it can only take place when everyone is sick of fighting, and it will only last a certain amount of time. Eventually, Zechs, someone will forget the lessons of the past, and the wars will begin all over again. Mariemeia was actually correct about that. It is an endless waltz, but that's true of life, as well as war.//
He paused, then added, //And Zechs, I would have never knowingly, willingly, sacrificed either of my children, if I realized the stakes. If I realized that the Federation would directly attack our kingdom, I would have taken action, so it wouldn't have been necessary for you. I knew something was coming, my son. But I believed it was political. My own arrogance, my belief that the Federation would never dare to attack us, cost us all a great deal. My weakness, my foolishness, cost you and your sister each other.//
//Because I was weak, and foolish, my six year old son had to become a soldier in order to survive. And because I was weak and foolish, that little boy grew up hating himself, for the dual identities he found it necessary to create. Do you not see, my son? You did what you had to, in order to survive. You became a soldier to survive, and to protect your sister. And you did a very good job of protecting Relena. You are the stronger. . .you are the better man. And I am so proud of you for that. You found the courage to fight for your beliefs, for the people you loved, instead of hiding behind your beliefs, as I did.//
//But. . .but what about what I did wrong? What about the people I killed, as a member of Oz, and afterward? What about what I did as the leader of White Fang? I could have destroyed the earth, Father! I wanted to! And I almost ruined Relena's life!// Zechs cried out. He was no longer fighting back the tears which burned his eyes, and now rolled down his cheeks. His father was already shaking his head, his own piercing blue eyes filled with pain, with moisture. Zechs shook, feeling as unsteady as he had after his battle in space with Wufei, the battle that almost destroyed his sanity in Wing Zero.
How did he react to this? To his father's contention that Zechs did the right thing, despite his heritage as a Peacecraft? He spent so many years, as his father said, hating himself for the dual identities he found it necessary to maintain. Believing that his father was disappointed in him. How, then, did he react, when he learned that he was wrong, all along?
//Oh, my sweet, foolish son. Yes, you made mistakes. We all make mistakes. You saw the error of your ways, you helped to save the earth. And when Dekim Barton, damn his soul to hell, instigated his coup for his granddaughter, you returned to protect your sister. That is what is important,// the king replied.
He cupped his son's face in his hands, tenderly brushing away the tears with the pads of his thumbs, then kissed the top of his head. He said softly, //I want you to go back, Milliardo. Or Zechs, if you prefer. You've spent so many years being Zechs, that is who you are most comfortable as. Only you can decide how to reconcile those two men, Milliardo Peacecraft and Zechs Merquise. Personally, I prefer the name Zechs.//
The young prince blinked, and his father added with a sigh, //We named you Milliardo to fulfill a promise to my father. Otherwise, we would have given you a more. . .pleasing name. Perhaps Erik, or Stephen. Kingly names, both of them, and far better than Milliardo. For that alone, for that name, I should beg your forgiveness.// In spite of himself, Zechs grinned. As their conversation continued, Zechs remembered more about his father, the man, including his rather wry sense of humor.
His father smiled back and said, //I will take that to mean you've forgiven me. Thank you. Now, my beloved son, it's time you returned. Know this, my Zechs. I love you. And I'm very, very proud of you. I always have been. Even when you've done the wrong thing, your heart has been in the right place. Not everyone can claim that, my son. Know, too, that even though there is nothing to forgive, I have forgiven you. I know you need to hear that. Now go, my son, my hero.//
Zechs blinked again. Hero? He was no hero. He was just a soldier. His father smiled and said, once more seeming to hear what Zechs was thinking, //Of course you're a hero, Zechs. You're my hero. You became what I always hoped to be. And regardless of what you think of yourself, you would have made a fine king. Should your sister ever step down, you have my blessing to rule. Now. Go back to your beautiful wife and my granddaughter. That is the choice to make.//
Zechs had only time to gape at his father. . .granddaughter???????? Then the smoke and mist disappeared, and he heard Sally Po exclaim, "YES! That's right, Zechs, fight! Duo, keep an eye on his heart rate!" Curiously relieved by the sound of his wife's best friend, Zechs at last slipped into a deep sleep as Sally continued her struggle to keep him alive.
. . .
"How is he, Sally? Duo?" Quatre asked, bounding to his feet as Sally emerged from the makeshift operating room with Duo at her side. Quatre helped Lucrezia to her feet, and had to remind himself that she wasn't Miss Noin anymore. She was. . .well. . .he wasn't sure what her name was anymore, but she was Zechs' wife now. And in five months, she would give birth to their child.
Duo answered in place of the exhausted doctor, "It looks like he's gonna be a-okay. He has some cracked ribs, and stuff like that. . .Sally can tell you exactly what's wrong with him, but he's gonna be okay. He's tough. . .then again, we already knew that! Not even the explosion of the Libra could kill him! Hey! Where are the others, not back yet?"
"Heero left for Earth. Miss Relena insisted on coming to Mars to be with her brother, so Heero went down to Earth to get her. Trowa and Wufei are still tracking down the rest of the terrorists. I sent the Maganacs with them, just to be safe. Heero's last transmission said that he and Miss Relena would be here in a few hours. So, it looks like he'll be okay?" Quatre asked, referring to Zechs.
This time, it was Sally who replied, "Yes, he will. There was a point where it was touch and go, but he rallied and fought back. He knows he has a reason to live." She smiled at Lucrezia, who was struggling to hold back her tears. Quatre squeezed her hand gently. He helped to subsidize this project, so he spent a lot of time at Mars during the last few months, along with his sister Iria. She, however, was on vacation at the moment on Earth.
In the last six months, he became good friends with Zechs, and Quatre thought sadly about the weeks before the final battle in space, the previous year. //If only we hadn't gone into space at the same time Zechs returned to stop Miss Relena's surrender,// Quatre thought, //we would have become friends and allies a lot sooner.// But. . .they were friends now. And Zechs would need his friends now.
. .
.
He hurt. . .all over. Zechs moaned as the light forced him to open his eyes, and a soft voice said, "You're awake. . .welcome back." The voice was male, rather than female, and Zechs winced as he turned his head. Duo Maxwell was smiling at him, and Zechs reflected a bit ruefully that he hadn't know it was possible for the younger pilot to speak so softly.
Zechs tried to take a breath to speak, but blinding pain exploded in his torso, and Duo continued in that soft voice, "Whoa, don't try to talk! You're damn lucky to be alive, Zechs! Just lie still, Quatre's gone to get. . .Lucrezia. You scared the hell out of all of us." Zechs was in too much pain to argue with the teenager. He closed his eyes, and Duo continued, "That's better. Lucrezia was sitting with you, but she fell asleep, and we took her to another room. I don't figure sleeping twisted like a pretzel is good for the baby."
Zechs smiled weakly in response, opening his eyes, and Duo continued, "Trowa and Wufei brought in the guys who attacked. . .what's left of them, at least. The others are all dead. They're being questioned at the moment. Seems they're what's left of Dekim Barton's organization. Sally contacted Lady Une, to see if Mariemeia can identify them. They won't tell us their names."
Surprise, surprise. Duo continued, "Heero and Relena will be docking in the next few minutes, but I know Sally is gonna want to debrief them before Relena sees you. And here's Mi. . .here's Lucrezia now. C'mon, Quatre, let's leave them alone." Zechs turned his head to see his wife walking across the room to him. She smiled, taking his hand as she reached his bedside.
"You had us worried, love. But Sally tells me you'll be just fine," Lucrezia murmured, gently brushing the blond hair back from his eyes. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead, the tenderness in her dark blue eyes taking his breath away. She gazed at him, exasperation warring with love, and after a moment, the love won out. She said, "I was planning to ream you for almost getting yourself killed, but you wouldn't be the man I love if you didn't try to protect those you love. Just remember. I would rather have a live husband than a dead hero."
A hero. Where else had he heard that? That he was someone's hero? Zechs couldn't remember, the pain was still too intense for him to concentrate on anything but Lucrezia at the moment. He asked softly, "Am I your hero, Lucrezia?" She smiled at him tenderly and lifted his hand to her mouth, gently brushing his knuckles with her lips.
"You always have been, Zechs. And now, you're a hero to even more people. I wanted to warn you before Relena got here with Heero. Someone mentioned the attack in the interview just before she left Earth, and implied that you made the entire thing up. Relena. . .ahhh. . .was the protective sister role to the hilt. She informed the reporter that you were a hero, and were always a hero, and she would allow no one to say such things about you," Lucrezia answered.
Zechs honestly didn't know how to react to that. And he was tired. Lucrezia must have seen this, for she murmured, "Sleep now, love. When you wake up, Relena will be here. And you'll hear from her that now, you're her hero, too." That was the last thing Zechs heard as he once more drifted off to sleep, lulled by his wife's voice and her fingers stroking his hair.
. . .
//I still say it was foolish,// the ghost said, and King Raoul Peacecraft just glared at him. He stepped between the worlds to speak with his son, reassure him that he was never disappointed in him. . .and came face to face with the father of one of the other Gundam pilots.
The father of the young blond boy Quatre, who looked like he could be Raoul's son as well. The man continued, //He was just a child, he shouldn't have been fighting. Especially not after I forbade him!// Raoul wondered if ignoring the other man would work, then decided it would make no difference. Winner was trying to justify himself, to himself.
//Your son did what he thought was right. He's a good boy, you should be proud of him. I know I'm proud of my son. Oh, both Quatre and Zechs have made mistakes, taken the wrong path, but they're good boys both. And even if you're not proud of your son, I would be proud to have him as my own,// Raoul answered. The other man looked at him, startled.
Raoul could hear what his companion was thinking, and said, //Our decisions caused heartbreak to our children. My selfishness and your cowardice. In fact, your cowardice almost cost Quatre and Iria their lives, Quatre his very sanity. If I had it to do again, there are many things which I would change. And what of you? Or do you persist in your pride, in your arrogance? Has dying taught you nothing? It took my death, my departure from the physical world, before I understand that my ideals weren't worth the lives and souls of my children.//
//Then your ideals are worthless,// Winner fired back, and Raoul shook his head, his blue eyes blazing. Winner continued, //We both died for what we believed in. Absolute pacifism, no more fighting, no matter what the cost.// Raoul stared at his companion, stunned. //Was I ever that foolish,// he thought, //did I ever put such a high value on my ideals, after I left the physical world? He still doesn't understand what he has done to his son!//
He said, //Your death was for nothing, Winner. Nothing at all, for your son continued his own battle. Just as my son did, even believing that I would stop loving him. And they were right! We were wrong. . .that isn't absolute pacifism, that's slavery! There is no peace in slavery, don't you understand that?// He shook his head. Talking to this man was impossible. He would find someone else, someone reasonable.
"You do understand," a soft voice said, and Raoul looked around, startled. He saw the young boy once more, Quatre. He heard us? Quatre continued, "You understand why I had to fight, why I couldn't promise my father not to fight in a Gundam." Raoul hesitated, then allowed himself to materialize in front of the boy. Quatre smiled gently and said, "You're Zechs and Relena's father."
"You can see me. . .of course you can, with your gift. Yes, little one, I am proud to call them both my children. I did not realize you could hear me. . .hear us," Raoul said apologetically. Quatre just blushed and lowered his eyes, and Raoul continued, "I thank you, Quatre, for helping to save my son's life. It's not his time to join his mother and myself, not when he still has to be a father to the child Lucrezia now carries."
"You're very welcome, even though no thanks are necessary. Zechs, and Lucrezia, have become my friends. Zechs should have never been my enemy," Quatre sighed, "not when we were fighting for the same thing all along. Lucrezia's baby will be a little girl. You know that, don't you?" Raoul hesitated, then nodded. Quatre continued, "I can hear her sometimes. She doesn't talk, the way we do, but I can hear her. And I know how afraid she was for Zechs."
Raoul was deeply touched, and he said, "Then I know I can count on your to look after my family for me. For now, it's time for me to return to Katerina. My mission here has been accomplished. My son no longer believes that he has been a disappointment to me. My work here is done. Good-bye, young Quatre." Raoul smiled at the boy one last time, then dematerialized. His children would be in good hands now. The Gundam pilots and Lucrezia would see to that.
. . .
Five months later, the gundam pilots were once more gathered on the Martian base. The last five months saw great changes for all of them. With the testimony of all five pilots, and Sally Po, the remaining members of Dekim Barton's organization were jailed for their attack on the Martian base. The clincher was, of course, Mariemeia Khushrenada's testimony.
And now, almost a year after the little girl's grandfather attempted his coup, a new life was coming into the world. Lady Une and her eight year old adopted daughter journeyed to Mars for the event, as did Relena Peacecraft. She spent almost as much time on Mars during that time as she did on Earth. She had almost fifteen years of catching up to do with her brother. She grew to love him deeply in these last five months, learning that under the trappings of a former soldier was a soft-hearted older brother and father to be. She learned a great deal about the older brother whom she never understood. Until now.
And now, she was an aunt, as Alexia Merquise/Peacecraft made her entrance into the world. Milliardo. . .Zechs. . .was still uncomfortable using his birth name, and he admitted to her that he would probably always be more comfortable using the name 'Zechs.' It was whom he was for fifteen years. And no matter what name he used, Lucrezia loved him.
While Lucrezia rested, Relena cradled her new niece in her arms. She was sleeping at the moment, like her mother, but Relena didn't mind that. She memorized each feature, each lash, each expression. Perhaps in time, she would have children, but Relena was only eighteen. For now, she was content just to hold Alexia in her arms. She would make a good aunt. . .spoil the little girl rotten, as was the privilege and duty of every aunt.
Relena sat down, still cuddling Alexia, and murmured, "There are so many things I want to teach you. So many things you need to know, about our family. About your father. He's a hero, you know." She smiled a little, remembering the dream she had five months earlier, while she was on the shuttle bound for Mars, then told her niece, "He's my hero, the hero of a queen. And. . .he's a king's hero. Your grandfather's hero. He'll be your hero, too. I promise you."
Raoul Peacecraft gazed at his daughter and granddaughter, but it was his wife who said softly, //Yes, my darling girl, he will be Alexia's hero. Come, Raoul. The children will be fine without us. Thanks to your conversation with him, our son has finally started forgiving for the path he took. This is a day of new beginnings. Come. It's time for our new beginning.//
And with that, the king and queen of Sank quietly moved to the next plane of existence. Oh, they would watch over their children, their heroes, that would never change. . .but it was time to let go. It was time to go home.
The End!