The Other Side of Paradise
Part 3
Author: Nyneve (AKA the atomic ion)
Well…here's the third part. *sigh* I just don't really feel like sharing any odd anecdotes today. Other than I bought Tenchi Muyo in Love on DVD over the weekend. Very good movie. Also saw The Two Towers for the second time. I love that movie. And I also watched Endless Waltz on DVD too. So I should be good. Especially since InuYasha and Cowboy Bebop is back on! Yay! Well, I suppose my exuberance shouldn't hold you back from your reading. So, here's Part 3!
-Nyneve
************************************************************************Neo-Queen Serenity sat in the throne room looking relieved. The Representative from the Science Academy had just left, and she was glad of it. For some reason, all aspects of science seemed to escape her. And ever since Amy had become a recluse, she'd had to struggle on her own.
Suddenly, someone staggered into the throne room. It was Raye. Her shoulder and arm were bleeding profusely and she was extremely pale.
King Endymion, who was sitting next to Serenity, immediately went to her and caught her just as she was about to collapse.
"Oh my God! Raye! Are you all right? What happened?" Serenity cried, running to her friend.
"Your majesty…I was…attacked," she stammered, feeling lightheaded from the loss of blood.
"By who? When? How?" Serenity pressed on.
"Sh! She needs to get to the infirmary. Amy can help her from there," Endymion said.
"Of course! Just hold on a little longer Raye! Don't die!" Serenity cried, then dashed out of the room. Endymion shook his head and carried Raye down to the infirmary.
As he lay her on a hospital bed, she looked up at him desperately. "My Lord…Please tell Amy, Mina, Lita, and Trista to come down here. I need to talk with them."
"I will in a few hours. Right now you need a blood transfusion and a bandage. But who was it that attacked you?" he asked.
Raye bit her lip. She couldn't believe it was really Quatre who had attacked her. Not her sweet, innocent Quatre. But still, he had called her Firebird only once, right before she killed him. How could anyone else know?
"Raye?" Endymion asked again. Suddenly, Amy entered.
"Oh my…Raye are you all right?" she cried, washing her hands and putting on her latex gloves.
Raye smiled weakly. It was the first time in months since Amy seemed to have her spirit back.
"Well, you can explain later. Your majesty, I have to ask you to leave now," Amy said, a little guilt in her voice.
Endymion smiled. "Of course. Take good care of her Amy. We can't let the Princess of Mars be hurt terribly."
After he left, Amy gave Raye a glass of water and some painkillers. Then, she took a sponge and wiped the blood away. When the wound was clean, she examined it. A suspicious look crossed her face.
"Raye?" She asked, hoping her friend wasn't too groggy. Of course, who could be groggy after their dead lover just came back and shot them.
"Yes?" Raye answered. Amy stared hard into her eyes.
"Raye, this is a gunshot wound. There have been no guns on this planet since the Great War," she said.
Raye shivered at the mention of the Great War. The War that had left them in charge of the planet. The War that should've been called a massacre.
"There are now," Raye whispered, staring back. For once, Amy was taken aback. There was something in Raye's eyes that none of them had seen since the War. Something all of them had gone without for years. It was fear.
"Raye, what happened?" Amy asked. Raye shook her head.
"I can't tell you. Not before I can talk to Lita, Mina, and Trista too. This will affect all of us," she replied.
"All right," Amy sighed, then went over to her computer. "We'll transfuse the blood in a few minutes. I'll go get the others in about an hour or so."
Raye sighed and lay back on the bed, letting the painkillers cloud her mind.
A few hours later, when Raye was feeling better, Mina, Lita, Trista, and Amy all gathered in the room.
"What's this about now Raye? How did you get hurt?" Lita asked.
Raye took a deep breath. "Do you remember what happened a year ago?"
They all nodded. Who could forget? Going to find the Thanatos Crystal, meeting the Gundam Pilots, falling in love (or gaining a rival), learning the truth, then finally, killing their loved ones.
When they had returned to Crystal Tokyo, they swore never to tell anyone, not even the king and queen about what happened, just in case someone were to find out their weakness. If an enemy found out whom they loved, then who knows what cruel methods could be used to torment them?
"We swore not to talk about it Raye," Mina said.
"I know. But we have to now. I was visiting the old shrine, when I was attacked," Raye explained.
"By who?" Amy asked.
"A boy. A boy who had a gun. A boy who looked just like Quatre," Raye said.
Even Trista gasped at that. "What? How?"
"I don't know. I don't think it was really him. There was something in his eyes. But everything else, the way he said my name, the way he tried to comfort me…it was like he was the real Quatre!" Raye cried.
"So, if Quatre's somehow come back from the dead, what are the odds that the other guys are too?" Lita wondered.
"Pretty good I'd say. Didn't you notice how the five of them were a team, like us? If one of them came back, they probably all did too," Mina replied.
"But why would Quatre attack you Raye? He loves you," Amy said quietly. A single tear slipped out of one of Raye's indigo eyes.
"I don't know. Right before he disappeared, I heard a voice. A woman's voice. She was telling him to return, because he was wounded too badly. He called her 'My Lady'," Raye said. "It can't be him. It's some sort of illusion, or he's an enemy disguised as Quatre!"
Trista closed her eyes. "No Raye. I have seen this. He is indeed your Quatre. The others have come back too. But…"
"But? But what?" Lita urged.
"I don't know. Everything has become cloudy. I do not know why or how they have come back. Except they are no longer on our side. We cannot trust them," she said.
They were all silent.
"If they aren't on our side, then they pose a threat to us. And if they pose a threat to us, then they pose a threat to Neo-Queen Serenity, King Endymion, and Small Lady. We have to tell them," Amy said.
The others nodded in agreement.
The next day, Serenity, Endymion, and Rini were walking in the gardens with Neptune, Uranus and Saturn when they saw the other five Senshi approaching.
"Raye! Your arm looks much better. How are you feeling?" Serenity asked.
"Fine, Your Highness. But there is something we have to tell you," Raye said.
"We've been keeping this secret to ourselves now for a year. But we have to tell you now," Mina replied.
Hotaru took Trista's hand. "This has to do with what happened when you went away, isn't it?"
She nodded, then they went on to explain their story.
At the end, Serenity was crying. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea why you'd all suddenly changed. Now I know it's because you've been hurt terribly."
"Trista, you really loved someone?" Amara asked, shocked. Michelle whacked her shoulder lightly.
"Don't act like it's completely impossible," she snapped. Amara rubbed her shoulder.
"Sorry," she muttered.
"Anyways, the important thing is, Quatre threatened to return later. I think they're planning to attack us," Lita said.
Endymion closed his eyes and thought hard. "You said that the Gods of Time had addressed them as Gundam Pilots."
"Yes. Not that we have any idea of what a Gundam is," Raye remarked.
Endymion opened his eyes. "I see. Follow me. If they're planning to attack, we need to prepare," he said, leading them towards a large, abandoned hangar.
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"What happened to you?" Duo asked as Quatre entered. Not that he really cared. Ever since he had seen Quatre betray his friends, it made no difference whether he lived or died (AN: None of them have it completely figured out that Quatre's been possessed).
Quatre just continued to walk on. Waiting ahead was the triumphant form of Janus. The boy had been gloating ever since he succeeded in gaining control of Quatre's body. Now, he went around making threats to do the same to the others.
"Oh my. Quatre, you've been hurt," Janus said, grinning. He knew that deep inside the real Quatre was still conscious and aware of what he'd tried to do. But still, the possessed Quatre said nothing.
Janus shrugged, then glanced over at the other four pilots, who were watching him warily from their sarcophaguses. "My mother wishes to see you now. She has a gift in store for the five of you."
The five men followed the boy down the corridor to a different chamber. This one opened up to the top of a hill, where Hecate was waiting.
"Hello then. Quatre, I hope you haven't been hurt too terribly?" she asked.
"I am fine, My Lady. Nothing more than a minor burn," he answered.
"Good. Now then, I believe you are all ready for your first mission," Hecate smiled. The five men looked at her.
"Mission? What mission?" asked Heero.
"The mission to destroy the Crystal Palace of course. However, seeing as it takes great amount of power to do so, the five of you cannot do it on your own. So, I've provided you with help," she raised her hands then turned towards the very top of the hill.
The five Gundam materialized. All were in perfect condition, and looked as if they had never fought a battle.
"Natal…" Wufei murmured, slowly approaching. To everyone's surprise, Hecate made no move to stop him.
"Go on. These were created for fighting, were they not? That is all I ask of you," she said. "To fight the enemy of this world, Neo-Queen Serenity."
"Enemy? Open your eyes Hecate. It's true we know nothing about this world, but anyone can see this is not a place of war and suffering," Heero said, looking off in the distance at the city. "Serenity has done her best to bring peace to this place. And she's done a better job than anyone I have ever seen."
A single, angry scream echoed through his head, undoubtedly Mina's.
"You know nothing of this world. I am not fighting to attain peace, I am fighting for the justice all of my kind deserve. Serenity has deprived us of that. That is why she is my enemy," Hecate said dangerously.
"Heero," Duo whispered into his friend's ear. "I have an idea. Let's go along with this. We might be able to warn the queens. Maybe we can even figure out what Hecate's trying to do."
"Now then, you'll find civilians are quite rare in this city. Don't worry about them. I want you to kill as many at the palace as physically possible. Then destroy the palace. If you try any tricks, you'll regret it," she threatened.
The five pilots nodded, then boarded the Gundams.
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Well, all for now! R+R! Buh-bye!
