Forever Shall We Be
Disclaimer: These things are so annoying and heart braking. * sigh * I don't own Gundam Wing or any of the characters. If I did Wufei wouldn't consider women as weaklings and Sally would whack him upside the head for every time he calls girls onnas!
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Chapter One: The Black Panther Who Snuck Into The Circus
Ichiru's POV
"Ticket for one please?" I asked the man in the booth. "Here you go miss." He said as he handed me the ticket after I gave him the money. I've never been to a circus before but I know that this is the last place that they'd look. I admired the beautiful day as I casually walked into the big tent with red and yellow stripes. When I entered I noticed that there was barely anyone in this place, but then again I was thirty minutes early. I sat myself right in the front row, smack dab in the middle that way I'd be the first thing the performers would see when they came out.
Well I guess that it is only proper that I introduced myself to you and tell you a little bit about me. My name is Arielle Hika Kicharu, but I go by Ichiru Hirazaki. I am fourteen and my birthday is on October thirteenth, which is in a week. From what I know I've been in an orphanage all my life but was sent to one of the newer ones last year. In fact it was the Maxwell orphanage, founded by none other than Duo Maxwell himself, pilot 02 of Gundam Death scythe. I asked one of the nuns about my past and a little bit about Duo and found out that Mr. Maxwell wasn't really as old as I had imagined him. He's only fifteen! And isn't as rich as I thought him as either. I had always pictured some lazy old geezer that was filthy rich and only founded the Maxwell Church cause he wanted to look good. But the nun told me that one of Duo's best friends, Quatre Rebarbra-Winner; pilot of Gundam Sandrock and heir to the Winner Corp., helped him restore the Maxwell church that was destroyed
long ago. And as it turns out that the same sweeper group that Duo grew up with brought me in. They brought me in when I was six. Sad that I don't remember any of this though, I got amnesia a few days after the transfer. I ran away from the orphanage two months ago in order to search for my family. So far all of my family members that I have found have died, I found all of them dead, some deaths unnatural. They are very hard people to find, indeed they are!
It seemed like a great idea at the time but right when I left the care of the nuns and priest, these guys just started coming after me. I don't really understand why they're after me, nor why they haven't given up after all the trouble I've given them! Three years they have been after me!
"Miss? Would you mind us sitting next to you?" A young lady in her early twenties asked me. "No, not at all!" I replied, surprised that I hadn't noticed her and the little girl next to her. 'Already a mother, eh? Unmarried to! Tuff.' I thought when I noticed she had no ring. Some of the nuns back at the orphanage explained to me that most of the children were there because of the war, but besides that it was because the parents were either to young or the father left leaving no money for the mother and child.
I looked at the little girl that was only four sympathetically. She had silver hair and pale blue eyes. She had on a white dress that tied into a neat small bow with a lot of left over string dangling in the back. She also had a white hat to go with the dress. The child matched her mother perfectly. Her mother had silver hair as well but had gray eyes. She wore a white dress as well but it fluffed out more at the bottom and wore white gloves instead of a hat.
I took this time to look around the tent and realized just how packed it had gotten with in such a short time. Almost no more seats were left! The show was about to begin and everyone was sitting down after getting a drink or some cotton candy. I took one last glance at the little girl and her mother before the lights dimmed and only a few spotlights provided the crowd with light. The three spotlights all concentrated on one spot and then a man with a long uni-bang that covered half of his face walked out with the wring master. "Ladies and gentleman, and children of all ages, I welcome you and hope that you enjoy our performance! You people are lucky for today there will be a new act!" I stopped paying attention to the wring master for a while. I had a strange feeling like someone out of place was coming near but I shook it off and watched as the wring master walked back out of the tent to a smaller one just outside and two men walked in with tight costumes on. They began t
o walk up the ladder for a tight rope act but I paid them no attention. I watched all the clowns in little cars going around trying to excite the children while the men went up the ladder. I have to admit the clowns are quite entertaining. Then a drum roll was heard as they began to walk out onto the rope and balance themselves.
I quickly closed my eyes when a wave of nausea took over me. I tried to fight it and sat back down and grabbed my head. 'What's going on?' "You're a freak! Go back to your circus family where you belong!" I heard a boy yell but I didn't hear it threw my ears; I heard it in my mind. 'What was that?' I asked myself and stood back up whiling hoping no one noticed. The nauseous feeling went away but it left a little headache. Finally it went away but then the tight rope act ended. It was supposedly the new act but I bet it was just a new tight ropewalker, he looked unsure of himself.
The lights dimmed for a few seconds and I heard the little girl whisper to her mother that she was scared of the dark and then a spotlight showed up again but this time it centered on the uni-banged clown from before. He was up against a wall. He only had half a mask painted on his face and was wearing a unique clown costume compared to the other clowns. Then the spotlights focused on a girl with short brown hair. "We are proud to introduce to you Catherine Bloom and Trowa Barton in their knife act!" The wring master announced and another pair of spotlights shinned on the man name Trowa Barton. 'Lucky lucky me! So this is where pilot 03 of Gundam Heavy Arms hides out! Trowa, in a circus? Who would have guessed?' I thought and paid very close attention to their act. All of a sudden Catherine whipped out some throwing knives and aimed them at Trowa. With out anytime to react she threw one of them at him barely missing his head. The rest of the act went by the same way, each k
nife landing dangerously close and yet Trowa still lived up to his reputation and didn't even flinch an inch. When the knife thrower was out of knives she turned around and bowed and so did Trowa. Then the wring master stepped forth and brought the microphone up. "Now ladies and gentleman. Today is a very special day! It is our knife throwers birthday! So she.." Catherine shook her head making the ring master pause a second and then he continued. "I'm sorry. She's actually going to have her brother choose a volunteer from the audience to try and do what you all just saw!" He hollered with excitement.
"Found you." Some one whispered behind me and I felt a sharp object being held to my back. I tried to turn around but the man wouldn't let me. I grinned to myself knowing that it was just another jerk that was with those guys. "You sound a little young to be working for that old fart, Mr. Walt" I said knowing very well who the boy was. The boy pushed the knife a little harder against my back and it started to slightly puncture my skin. It didn't hurt but I could feel the blood sliding down my back. " And here the guys told me that you could sense them a block away. But look where I am?" The boy said trying to get me to try and lash out at him. 'Just like his father. Loving the feeling of people in pain or watching the weak try to attack him. But I'm not weak!' I thought and raised my hand, hoping that I would be picked. "I can and I did. I sensed you since you entered this tent but it was odd. Your not like the others are you?" I said, trying to buy some time. Trowa headed t
oward my section of the tent and his eyes landed on me. I tried my best to communicate to him threw my eyes. Just then the boy forced my arm down and grabbed my wrist real hard and held it behind my back. "Goddamn you Kent!" I whispered through clenched teeth.
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Normal POV
Trowa couldn't help but stare into the dark blue orbs that were begging him to come to her. He slowly walked to her and then pointed at here. Two clowns hopped out from their mini cars and went to get her. As they approached someone behind her grabbed her hand and forced it down. The girl winced but still remained focused on Trowa. When the clowns got to her she looked as if she was trying to get out of the man's grasp and easily succeeded and with the clowns help stepped down from the bleachers and went to the wall where Trowa was before. They strapped her hands into the straps that way she wouldn't "hurt herself" and then brought out the microphone. "Thank you for volunteering! May we have you name miss?" One of the clowns asked. The girl nodded and then said into the microphone, "My name is Ichiru." She said calmly and smiled to the audience and at Catherine. "Okay Catherine are you ready?" The clown asked. Catherine smiled and then nodded. "And you, are you ready?" He a
sked her. Ichiru only nodded and quickly checked to see if Kent was still in the bleachers. He was gone.
* thud * Ichiru's bangs flew up when the first knife whizzed by and landed in the wall only a centimeter away from her left eye. Ichiru had a small grin playing on her lips and was starring coolly at Trowa, watching him without giving any attention to the knives that zoomed by. Just as Trowa had done, Ichiru didn't flinch but was grinning the entire way. Before she knew it Catherine ran out of knives and was coming over to release her and congratulate her. "Man! I gave it my best and here you didn't flinch at all! You looked as if you were enjoying the fact that you could have gotten hurt!" Catherine said with amazement in her voice. Ichiru tore her gaze away from Trowa and smiled at Catherine. "Thank you." She said and stepped down from her place to go back to her seat. The lights began to dim letting the crowd know that a new act would start soon. "Hey!" Catherine called out before Ichiru could go any farther. Ichiru turned around and gave the older girl a questioning loo
k. "Do you have any experience in entertainment. I mean you have too to be able to do that!" Catherine asked. "Why do you asked?" "Well, we're looking for someone who can do that act with me since Trowa.." "Yes, of course you would need an extra. Since with all of Trowa's disappearing acts that he pulls." Ichiru cut in. "How did you know that?" Catherine asked. "Hey Catherine! Come on! Trowa's act is starting in a few seconds!" One of the clowns announced and hurried behind the curtain that led to the other tent. Catherine turned around only to find that Ichiru had disappeared. As she walked to the other tent she looked over her shoulder and saw Ichiru in the seat that she was in before. Catherine let out a long sigh and stepped behind the curtain just before her brother's act started.
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Ichiru's POV
"Mama! She was great! She was even better den that clown!" The little girl told her mother and then looked up at me with admiration sparkling in her innocent eyes. I softly smiled at her and smiled at her mother whom smiled in return. "You did a very good job. Have you done that before?" The mother asked me. I shook my head and then squinted my eyes, trying to get adjusted to the dark. I could see the outline of a tall man walking out to the center of the ring. Then the light came on to reveal Trowa staring at me. I smiled at him but then noticed a lion charging at him from behind. The crowd gasp as the lion was only a few feet behind him and then he did his trade mark triple-back flip into the air and landed on the lions back and rode around the ring as the rest of the lions and lionesses ran into the ring. His act was mainly just the lions standing up on their back legs, jumping threw hoops, and Trowa doing some acrobatics. The crowd oh'd and ah'd threw out the entire tim
e and their amazement seemed to never seize. When Trowa finished the clowns came back out with their mini cars and started driving around. I looked at the little girl as she stood on her tippy toes in a vain attempt to get a better look at the lions that were walking in a line around the ring. The mother gently picked up her daughter to let her see the lions and I smiled at them both, wishing that I could have a family like that. But perhaps I do and maybe we did stuff together like this but I just can't remember? When the lions disappeared behind the curtains the mother set her daughter down right when her cell phone began to ring. She took out a silver cell phone from her white handbag and asked who was calling her. The mother got a sad look in her eyes and hung up the phone after saying good-bye to the caller. "Honey I'm so sorry but we have to leave." The mother said. "But why mommy?" The little girl asked. "Heina, your grandmother has fallen ill. We must be with her beca
use she might not come back this time." The mother said and the little girl nodded her head and I watched them get up and leave.
'Poor little girl. Hey! What's this? That little girl forgot her hat!' "Heina! Miss!" I called out but they didn't hear me. I got up and ran out of the tent trying my best to catch up with them. * bang bang bang * I froze right where I was and watched as the two bodies dropped to the ground with a thud. Their blood spilled out all over the grass around them. "You have such a soft spot for families like this one, Arielle." Kent said. Soon I was surrounded by tons of men in black suits that all worked for Mr. Waltz. I call this group the 'Silencers'. They always do Mr. Waltz dirty work. "Why?" I asked him. "Why did you kill them?" I allowed my voice to go above a normal shout but it sounded so shaky and scared. "Heina.." The mother whispered as she tried to lift herself up. 'Fool! Stay down, please.' But she would never hear my plea, Kent shot her five more times. I quickly shut my eyes, trying not to let the image permanently burn itself into my memory. When I dared to open
them again the Silencers had left with only Kent remaining in his same position. He smiled down wickedly at the two bodies. Everything started to go into slow motion. Kent reached for something in his jacket and slowly pulled out a different kind of gun. With out giving me any time to react he fired. I felt a sharp sting in my right shoulder and fell to the ground. I looked at my wound only to see a black liquid eating away into my skin and spreading fast. It burned like hell! I quickly bit my tongue not wanting to give him the pleasure of my suffering but unfortunately the sight of me curled into a ball was enough to please him and he slowly walked away. 'What did he do to me?' I turned my head and stared blankly at the to bodies in front of me. The mother's unseeing eyes starring into mine. Her arms clinging to her daughter, her body completely motionless as the blood began to stain their beautiful dresses and hair.
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Normal POV (that night)
"Trowa! The lions are getting a little restless, could you check out what's wrong for me?" Catherine hollered from the tent. "Yes." Trowa replied. "May I come with you? It's been a while since I've seen them." Quatre asked with a polite smile. Trowa nodded and led the way to the cages. As Catherine had said, the lions were getting restless, some of them even began to roar and they all seemed to be concentrating on the same area. "I wonder what's wrong?" Quatre thought out loud and went with Trowa to find out what was wrong. When they arrived at their destination they found two bodies sprawled out onto the ground completely motionless. "Oh my god!" Quatre exclaimed and rushed to the two figures. Trowa quickly ran to get a flashlight for it was already past sunset. When he returned he quickly turned them on only to find the two bodies covered in blood. "Are they.?" "Oh My God! TROWA LOOK OUT!!" Catherine shouted from behind them. The two turned around just in time to dodge so
mething that had lunged at them. Trowa shined his flashlight at the creature to reveal a black panther. "Where did that come from?" Catherine asked. By now the lions in the cages nearby were all roaring and spitting. The panther growled at them and stalked over two the dead figures. "NO! You get away from them!" Catherine yelled and threw a bucket of cold water on the cat. It hissed at her and tried to claw her but Trowa grabbed her out of the way just in time. The black cat was right next to the bodies and began to sniff them out. "That cat KILLED them!" Catherine shouted and ran off to get something. After that being said, Trowa whipped out his gun and aimed it at the cat. "Quatre, go get some help. We need to catch this thing before it does anything else." Trowa ordered calmly. Quatre quickly set off to do what he said.
"Come on cat don't make me shoot you." Trowa began to try to talk with the cat, hoping it would calm down enough for the others to catch it. Now the panther was lying down next to the bodies in a protective manner and every time Trowa tried to get closer the cat would snarl and hiss at him and even swipe at him with its sharp claws. Finally Quatre returned with some of the other workers and with in minutes they were able to capture the panther by shooting it with a tranquilizer. As soon as the beast was caged in a separate part of the circus they called the ambulance and the bodies were taken away.
* the next morning * "So what happened? The cat killed that woman and little girl?" Duo asked. He and Quatre were walking with Trowa to go and check on the panther. "No, the wounds inflicted on the girls were made by guns. The little girl was shot three times and the older woman was shot six times." Trowa explained. "I honestly think that cat was guarding those girls." Quatre admitted as they turned the corner. They stopped dead in their tracts when they saw what was in the cage where the panther was 'supposed' to be.
A girl that looked to be around their age was sprawled out on the ground with blood staining her clothes. Her long wavy black hair covered her entire face and was a mess. "Whoa? What happened to her?" Duo asked and quickly opened the cage and picked up the girl. "She has a large cut on her back and she's been shot in her shoulder." Duo said and they quickly took her to the tent to clean her up.
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Ichiru's POV
I slowly opened my eyes when I heard a lot of people's voices around me. "Wha? Who are you people? What's going on?" I asked. All five gundam pilots, Catherine, and some other people were standing right next to me. I slowly looked around and then shot up. "WHERE THE HELL AM I?" I asked starting to get freaked out with the fact that everyone was crowding around so close to me and just starring at me. I started to get frustrated and my ears started to twitch[1]. "THEY MOVE!!" Duo yelled out and a few of the people I didn't recognize gasped. Before I new it Duo lunged at me and grabbed my ears! "What the hell?" I shouted and pulled away from him which in the process of doing so I hurt my ears, which for some reason were extremely sensitive right now. "Duo!" Quatre scolded Duo for such actions. I watched as Catherine quickly shoved all of the strangers out of the room and closed the door behind them. "What's going on?" I asked her. "Your ears!" Duo said staring at the top of my
head as if he was in shock. "Yeah? What about them? There just like yours only a little smaller? What's so special about them that you just had to attack them?" I asked and reached up the rub the pain away from my ears put they weren't there! "Where are my ears?" I asked them and started to panic. Duo gave me a confused look. "You guys, I don't she knows." Catherine stated. "Know what?" I asked trying to calm down but failed miserably, I mean how would you react if all of a sudden you wake up with out any ears! Catherine reached for something in her purse and handed me a mirror. I looked at my reflection and just starred at it with this blank look. When it finally registered that what I was seeing was real, I slowly reached up to the top of my head to touch my 'ears'. They were soft, furry, and as black as my hair. "Ichiru?" Catherine asked. I saw my 'ears' twitch at the mention of my name. 'No way..'
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A/N: Okay there's the beginning. It's pretty weird I know. A little short too.. Well please R&R and let me know how I can make this better! Oh and don't forget to check out my friend's account, FireQueen1, without her this wouldn't be here. Thanks!
[1] No, she doesn't know that she has cat ears yet. People with small ears can move them, or at least I can, and some times they twitch.
Disclaimer: These things are so annoying and heart braking. * sigh * I don't own Gundam Wing or any of the characters. If I did Wufei wouldn't consider women as weaklings and Sally would whack him upside the head for every time he calls girls onnas!
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Chapter One: The Black Panther Who Snuck Into The Circus
Ichiru's POV
"Ticket for one please?" I asked the man in the booth. "Here you go miss." He said as he handed me the ticket after I gave him the money. I've never been to a circus before but I know that this is the last place that they'd look. I admired the beautiful day as I casually walked into the big tent with red and yellow stripes. When I entered I noticed that there was barely anyone in this place, but then again I was thirty minutes early. I sat myself right in the front row, smack dab in the middle that way I'd be the first thing the performers would see when they came out.
Well I guess that it is only proper that I introduced myself to you and tell you a little bit about me. My name is Arielle Hika Kicharu, but I go by Ichiru Hirazaki. I am fourteen and my birthday is on October thirteenth, which is in a week. From what I know I've been in an orphanage all my life but was sent to one of the newer ones last year. In fact it was the Maxwell orphanage, founded by none other than Duo Maxwell himself, pilot 02 of Gundam Death scythe. I asked one of the nuns about my past and a little bit about Duo and found out that Mr. Maxwell wasn't really as old as I had imagined him. He's only fifteen! And isn't as rich as I thought him as either. I had always pictured some lazy old geezer that was filthy rich and only founded the Maxwell Church cause he wanted to look good. But the nun told me that one of Duo's best friends, Quatre Rebarbra-Winner; pilot of Gundam Sandrock and heir to the Winner Corp., helped him restore the Maxwell church that was destroyed
long ago. And as it turns out that the same sweeper group that Duo grew up with brought me in. They brought me in when I was six. Sad that I don't remember any of this though, I got amnesia a few days after the transfer. I ran away from the orphanage two months ago in order to search for my family. So far all of my family members that I have found have died, I found all of them dead, some deaths unnatural. They are very hard people to find, indeed they are!
It seemed like a great idea at the time but right when I left the care of the nuns and priest, these guys just started coming after me. I don't really understand why they're after me, nor why they haven't given up after all the trouble I've given them! Three years they have been after me!
"Miss? Would you mind us sitting next to you?" A young lady in her early twenties asked me. "No, not at all!" I replied, surprised that I hadn't noticed her and the little girl next to her. 'Already a mother, eh? Unmarried to! Tuff.' I thought when I noticed she had no ring. Some of the nuns back at the orphanage explained to me that most of the children were there because of the war, but besides that it was because the parents were either to young or the father left leaving no money for the mother and child.
I looked at the little girl that was only four sympathetically. She had silver hair and pale blue eyes. She had on a white dress that tied into a neat small bow with a lot of left over string dangling in the back. She also had a white hat to go with the dress. The child matched her mother perfectly. Her mother had silver hair as well but had gray eyes. She wore a white dress as well but it fluffed out more at the bottom and wore white gloves instead of a hat.
I took this time to look around the tent and realized just how packed it had gotten with in such a short time. Almost no more seats were left! The show was about to begin and everyone was sitting down after getting a drink or some cotton candy. I took one last glance at the little girl and her mother before the lights dimmed and only a few spotlights provided the crowd with light. The three spotlights all concentrated on one spot and then a man with a long uni-bang that covered half of his face walked out with the wring master. "Ladies and gentleman, and children of all ages, I welcome you and hope that you enjoy our performance! You people are lucky for today there will be a new act!" I stopped paying attention to the wring master for a while. I had a strange feeling like someone out of place was coming near but I shook it off and watched as the wring master walked back out of the tent to a smaller one just outside and two men walked in with tight costumes on. They began t
o walk up the ladder for a tight rope act but I paid them no attention. I watched all the clowns in little cars going around trying to excite the children while the men went up the ladder. I have to admit the clowns are quite entertaining. Then a drum roll was heard as they began to walk out onto the rope and balance themselves.
I quickly closed my eyes when a wave of nausea took over me. I tried to fight it and sat back down and grabbed my head. 'What's going on?' "You're a freak! Go back to your circus family where you belong!" I heard a boy yell but I didn't hear it threw my ears; I heard it in my mind. 'What was that?' I asked myself and stood back up whiling hoping no one noticed. The nauseous feeling went away but it left a little headache. Finally it went away but then the tight rope act ended. It was supposedly the new act but I bet it was just a new tight ropewalker, he looked unsure of himself.
The lights dimmed for a few seconds and I heard the little girl whisper to her mother that she was scared of the dark and then a spotlight showed up again but this time it centered on the uni-banged clown from before. He was up against a wall. He only had half a mask painted on his face and was wearing a unique clown costume compared to the other clowns. Then the spotlights focused on a girl with short brown hair. "We are proud to introduce to you Catherine Bloom and Trowa Barton in their knife act!" The wring master announced and another pair of spotlights shinned on the man name Trowa Barton. 'Lucky lucky me! So this is where pilot 03 of Gundam Heavy Arms hides out! Trowa, in a circus? Who would have guessed?' I thought and paid very close attention to their act. All of a sudden Catherine whipped out some throwing knives and aimed them at Trowa. With out anytime to react she threw one of them at him barely missing his head. The rest of the act went by the same way, each k
nife landing dangerously close and yet Trowa still lived up to his reputation and didn't even flinch an inch. When the knife thrower was out of knives she turned around and bowed and so did Trowa. Then the wring master stepped forth and brought the microphone up. "Now ladies and gentleman. Today is a very special day! It is our knife throwers birthday! So she.." Catherine shook her head making the ring master pause a second and then he continued. "I'm sorry. She's actually going to have her brother choose a volunteer from the audience to try and do what you all just saw!" He hollered with excitement.
"Found you." Some one whispered behind me and I felt a sharp object being held to my back. I tried to turn around but the man wouldn't let me. I grinned to myself knowing that it was just another jerk that was with those guys. "You sound a little young to be working for that old fart, Mr. Walt" I said knowing very well who the boy was. The boy pushed the knife a little harder against my back and it started to slightly puncture my skin. It didn't hurt but I could feel the blood sliding down my back. " And here the guys told me that you could sense them a block away. But look where I am?" The boy said trying to get me to try and lash out at him. 'Just like his father. Loving the feeling of people in pain or watching the weak try to attack him. But I'm not weak!' I thought and raised my hand, hoping that I would be picked. "I can and I did. I sensed you since you entered this tent but it was odd. Your not like the others are you?" I said, trying to buy some time. Trowa headed t
oward my section of the tent and his eyes landed on me. I tried my best to communicate to him threw my eyes. Just then the boy forced my arm down and grabbed my wrist real hard and held it behind my back. "Goddamn you Kent!" I whispered through clenched teeth.
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Normal POV
Trowa couldn't help but stare into the dark blue orbs that were begging him to come to her. He slowly walked to her and then pointed at here. Two clowns hopped out from their mini cars and went to get her. As they approached someone behind her grabbed her hand and forced it down. The girl winced but still remained focused on Trowa. When the clowns got to her she looked as if she was trying to get out of the man's grasp and easily succeeded and with the clowns help stepped down from the bleachers and went to the wall where Trowa was before. They strapped her hands into the straps that way she wouldn't "hurt herself" and then brought out the microphone. "Thank you for volunteering! May we have you name miss?" One of the clowns asked. The girl nodded and then said into the microphone, "My name is Ichiru." She said calmly and smiled to the audience and at Catherine. "Okay Catherine are you ready?" The clown asked. Catherine smiled and then nodded. "And you, are you ready?" He a
sked her. Ichiru only nodded and quickly checked to see if Kent was still in the bleachers. He was gone.
* thud * Ichiru's bangs flew up when the first knife whizzed by and landed in the wall only a centimeter away from her left eye. Ichiru had a small grin playing on her lips and was starring coolly at Trowa, watching him without giving any attention to the knives that zoomed by. Just as Trowa had done, Ichiru didn't flinch but was grinning the entire way. Before she knew it Catherine ran out of knives and was coming over to release her and congratulate her. "Man! I gave it my best and here you didn't flinch at all! You looked as if you were enjoying the fact that you could have gotten hurt!" Catherine said with amazement in her voice. Ichiru tore her gaze away from Trowa and smiled at Catherine. "Thank you." She said and stepped down from her place to go back to her seat. The lights began to dim letting the crowd know that a new act would start soon. "Hey!" Catherine called out before Ichiru could go any farther. Ichiru turned around and gave the older girl a questioning loo
k. "Do you have any experience in entertainment. I mean you have too to be able to do that!" Catherine asked. "Why do you asked?" "Well, we're looking for someone who can do that act with me since Trowa.." "Yes, of course you would need an extra. Since with all of Trowa's disappearing acts that he pulls." Ichiru cut in. "How did you know that?" Catherine asked. "Hey Catherine! Come on! Trowa's act is starting in a few seconds!" One of the clowns announced and hurried behind the curtain that led to the other tent. Catherine turned around only to find that Ichiru had disappeared. As she walked to the other tent she looked over her shoulder and saw Ichiru in the seat that she was in before. Catherine let out a long sigh and stepped behind the curtain just before her brother's act started.
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Ichiru's POV
"Mama! She was great! She was even better den that clown!" The little girl told her mother and then looked up at me with admiration sparkling in her innocent eyes. I softly smiled at her and smiled at her mother whom smiled in return. "You did a very good job. Have you done that before?" The mother asked me. I shook my head and then squinted my eyes, trying to get adjusted to the dark. I could see the outline of a tall man walking out to the center of the ring. Then the light came on to reveal Trowa staring at me. I smiled at him but then noticed a lion charging at him from behind. The crowd gasp as the lion was only a few feet behind him and then he did his trade mark triple-back flip into the air and landed on the lions back and rode around the ring as the rest of the lions and lionesses ran into the ring. His act was mainly just the lions standing up on their back legs, jumping threw hoops, and Trowa doing some acrobatics. The crowd oh'd and ah'd threw out the entire tim
e and their amazement seemed to never seize. When Trowa finished the clowns came back out with their mini cars and started driving around. I looked at the little girl as she stood on her tippy toes in a vain attempt to get a better look at the lions that were walking in a line around the ring. The mother gently picked up her daughter to let her see the lions and I smiled at them both, wishing that I could have a family like that. But perhaps I do and maybe we did stuff together like this but I just can't remember? When the lions disappeared behind the curtains the mother set her daughter down right when her cell phone began to ring. She took out a silver cell phone from her white handbag and asked who was calling her. The mother got a sad look in her eyes and hung up the phone after saying good-bye to the caller. "Honey I'm so sorry but we have to leave." The mother said. "But why mommy?" The little girl asked. "Heina, your grandmother has fallen ill. We must be with her beca
use she might not come back this time." The mother said and the little girl nodded her head and I watched them get up and leave.
'Poor little girl. Hey! What's this? That little girl forgot her hat!' "Heina! Miss!" I called out but they didn't hear me. I got up and ran out of the tent trying my best to catch up with them. * bang bang bang * I froze right where I was and watched as the two bodies dropped to the ground with a thud. Their blood spilled out all over the grass around them. "You have such a soft spot for families like this one, Arielle." Kent said. Soon I was surrounded by tons of men in black suits that all worked for Mr. Waltz. I call this group the 'Silencers'. They always do Mr. Waltz dirty work. "Why?" I asked him. "Why did you kill them?" I allowed my voice to go above a normal shout but it sounded so shaky and scared. "Heina.." The mother whispered as she tried to lift herself up. 'Fool! Stay down, please.' But she would never hear my plea, Kent shot her five more times. I quickly shut my eyes, trying not to let the image permanently burn itself into my memory. When I dared to open
them again the Silencers had left with only Kent remaining in his same position. He smiled down wickedly at the two bodies. Everything started to go into slow motion. Kent reached for something in his jacket and slowly pulled out a different kind of gun. With out giving me any time to react he fired. I felt a sharp sting in my right shoulder and fell to the ground. I looked at my wound only to see a black liquid eating away into my skin and spreading fast. It burned like hell! I quickly bit my tongue not wanting to give him the pleasure of my suffering but unfortunately the sight of me curled into a ball was enough to please him and he slowly walked away. 'What did he do to me?' I turned my head and stared blankly at the to bodies in front of me. The mother's unseeing eyes starring into mine. Her arms clinging to her daughter, her body completely motionless as the blood began to stain their beautiful dresses and hair.
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Normal POV (that night)
"Trowa! The lions are getting a little restless, could you check out what's wrong for me?" Catherine hollered from the tent. "Yes." Trowa replied. "May I come with you? It's been a while since I've seen them." Quatre asked with a polite smile. Trowa nodded and led the way to the cages. As Catherine had said, the lions were getting restless, some of them even began to roar and they all seemed to be concentrating on the same area. "I wonder what's wrong?" Quatre thought out loud and went with Trowa to find out what was wrong. When they arrived at their destination they found two bodies sprawled out onto the ground completely motionless. "Oh my god!" Quatre exclaimed and rushed to the two figures. Trowa quickly ran to get a flashlight for it was already past sunset. When he returned he quickly turned them on only to find the two bodies covered in blood. "Are they.?" "Oh My God! TROWA LOOK OUT!!" Catherine shouted from behind them. The two turned around just in time to dodge so
mething that had lunged at them. Trowa shined his flashlight at the creature to reveal a black panther. "Where did that come from?" Catherine asked. By now the lions in the cages nearby were all roaring and spitting. The panther growled at them and stalked over two the dead figures. "NO! You get away from them!" Catherine yelled and threw a bucket of cold water on the cat. It hissed at her and tried to claw her but Trowa grabbed her out of the way just in time. The black cat was right next to the bodies and began to sniff them out. "That cat KILLED them!" Catherine shouted and ran off to get something. After that being said, Trowa whipped out his gun and aimed it at the cat. "Quatre, go get some help. We need to catch this thing before it does anything else." Trowa ordered calmly. Quatre quickly set off to do what he said.
"Come on cat don't make me shoot you." Trowa began to try to talk with the cat, hoping it would calm down enough for the others to catch it. Now the panther was lying down next to the bodies in a protective manner and every time Trowa tried to get closer the cat would snarl and hiss at him and even swipe at him with its sharp claws. Finally Quatre returned with some of the other workers and with in minutes they were able to capture the panther by shooting it with a tranquilizer. As soon as the beast was caged in a separate part of the circus they called the ambulance and the bodies were taken away.
* the next morning * "So what happened? The cat killed that woman and little girl?" Duo asked. He and Quatre were walking with Trowa to go and check on the panther. "No, the wounds inflicted on the girls were made by guns. The little girl was shot three times and the older woman was shot six times." Trowa explained. "I honestly think that cat was guarding those girls." Quatre admitted as they turned the corner. They stopped dead in their tracts when they saw what was in the cage where the panther was 'supposed' to be.
A girl that looked to be around their age was sprawled out on the ground with blood staining her clothes. Her long wavy black hair covered her entire face and was a mess. "Whoa? What happened to her?" Duo asked and quickly opened the cage and picked up the girl. "She has a large cut on her back and she's been shot in her shoulder." Duo said and they quickly took her to the tent to clean her up.
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Ichiru's POV
I slowly opened my eyes when I heard a lot of people's voices around me. "Wha? Who are you people? What's going on?" I asked. All five gundam pilots, Catherine, and some other people were standing right next to me. I slowly looked around and then shot up. "WHERE THE HELL AM I?" I asked starting to get freaked out with the fact that everyone was crowding around so close to me and just starring at me. I started to get frustrated and my ears started to twitch[1]. "THEY MOVE!!" Duo yelled out and a few of the people I didn't recognize gasped. Before I new it Duo lunged at me and grabbed my ears! "What the hell?" I shouted and pulled away from him which in the process of doing so I hurt my ears, which for some reason were extremely sensitive right now. "Duo!" Quatre scolded Duo for such actions. I watched as Catherine quickly shoved all of the strangers out of the room and closed the door behind them. "What's going on?" I asked her. "Your ears!" Duo said staring at the top of my
head as if he was in shock. "Yeah? What about them? There just like yours only a little smaller? What's so special about them that you just had to attack them?" I asked and reached up the rub the pain away from my ears put they weren't there! "Where are my ears?" I asked them and started to panic. Duo gave me a confused look. "You guys, I don't she knows." Catherine stated. "Know what?" I asked trying to calm down but failed miserably, I mean how would you react if all of a sudden you wake up with out any ears! Catherine reached for something in her purse and handed me a mirror. I looked at my reflection and just starred at it with this blank look. When it finally registered that what I was seeing was real, I slowly reached up to the top of my head to touch my 'ears'. They were soft, furry, and as black as my hair. "Ichiru?" Catherine asked. I saw my 'ears' twitch at the mention of my name. 'No way..'
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A/N: Okay there's the beginning. It's pretty weird I know. A little short too.. Well please R&R and let me know how I can make this better! Oh and don't forget to check out my friend's account, FireQueen1, without her this wouldn't be here. Thanks!
[1] No, she doesn't know that she has cat ears yet. People with small ears can move them, or at least I can, and some times they twitch.