Disclaimer: Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino are the geniuses behind Mobile Suit Gundam Wing and Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon was created by Naoko Takeuchi My creative talent lies elsewhere…and until it takes off and I can afford a lawsuit… don't sue me for this creative union of other's works.
Author's Note: This is the beginning of the second chapter of my 'Gundam Moon' story entitled "A Newfound Usefulness" Please keep in mind that the characters have aged and/or mellowed under the influence of others. This is how I envisioned them behaving at the age of 20/21 after a few years of peace. And so the story continues:
a destiny equal to the gods
"Forget about yesterday
when all you could do was hug your knees and sigh
Believe in yourself!"
"Maybe it'll turn out fine, yeah,
I'm sure it'll turn out fine…
For the dream that never ends."
—Duo Maxwell
"Kitto OK!"
Synchronized DreamsIt was 6 am on Monday morning Minako was wide-awake. It had been a whole day since she said goodbye to Duo. She was still wearing the dress he had picked out for her. Minako had headed straight to her room when Setsuna dropped her off, and she hadn't moved at all that night, the following day, or last night. Artemis was beginning to worry about her. She hasn't slept, she hasn't eaten, in the past two days all she has done is stare out the window clutching her pillow and hugging her knees.
"Mina?" Artemis asked gently. He rubbed her leg with his head but still she did not answer. "Mina are you all right?" Minako blinked but continued to stare out the window. "It isn't healthy to go this long without sleeping or eating, Minako can you even hear me?" Artemis said concerned. Minako didn't waver from her view, but she did extend her left hand to rub Artemis' head. Artemis could tell she was listening, but she just didn't care. This went on for the rest of the day.
"Duo? Are you alive?" Relena opened the door to his room. Duo was laying on his bed with his left hand draped over the edge touching the floor, his head rests at the edge just staring downwards. Duo hadn't moved in the past two days either. "Duo." Relena walked in and sat at the edge of the bed. She forced him to scoot over half a foot, and brought his arm up to the bed. "Duo, are you all right?" He didn't respond so she continued. "Have you slept at all?" "This isn't like you Duo, what happened while you were gone? Where did you go?" Duo blinked and looked at her without moving his head, blinking a few more times he let his gaze drift back to the floor. "Oh, Duo. I wish you'd just talk to someone, anyone." She said wiping the hair out of his eyes. When Duo didn't respond, she sat and waited for ten minutes before getting up to leave.
"Heero, I don't like this. Something must have happened to him." Relena said entering the kitchen.
"Don't. He'll be all right." Heero jumped off the counter and went to Duo's room. He didn't say anything he just walked in and sat down in the chair at Duo's desk. Duo continued to stare out at the floor, and Heero waited patiently. After about ten minutes of silence, he said, "So you gonna tell me about her?" Duo blinked and shifted his gaze towards Heero, he sighed but did not say anything. They continued to sit in silence.
Tuesday came and went, neither Minako nor Duo moved. Neither of them talked. Artemis hadn't left Minako's side other than to eat and take care of himself. Heero hadn't moved from Duo's chair not even when Relena called them to dinner.
When Wednesday rolled around Artemis got even more worried about Minako so he dragged out her communicator and called Luna. Luna answered, but she said Usagi wasn't talking to Minako. Artemis tried to explain that Minako wasn't talking in general. Luna was sick of listening to Usagi rant about how horrible she was treated when she went to Minako's and instead of listening to Artemis she ranted about Usagi. Artemis gave up and tried to call Ami, Mako, or, Rei. All of their communicators beeped, but none of them answered. Ami's was in the bottom of her desk drawer, she hadn't used in months and she stopped carrying it around. Mako's was in her bag buried under recipes and cookbooks; she didn't hear it go off as she was running her restaurant. Rei's was sitting out on her nightstand, but she was not around to answer it. She was on her way over to Usagi's. Mamoru had called and asked Rei to come take Usagi out so Chibi-Usa could get some rest. Artemis realized it was hopeless, unless he could figure out how to contact them all on the phone he was never going to get any help.
Wednesday afternoon Duo still hadn't talked and Heero hadn't pushed any harder. Heero sat in the chair, watching Duo stare off into space. He marveled at the fact that Duo had never been so quiet for so long, but now even he was starting to get worried. "Mina, her name's Mina."
Heero blinked he wasn't sure he actually heard Duo talk or if he was staring to hallucinate. "So where's she from?"
"Tokyo."
Heero looked a little confused, "Tokyo's a crater."
"I know."
"So where did you meet her?"
"In a gym, in Tokyo, in the past. She punched me."
Heero laughed a little, "Love at first sight."
"Well no not really, I was scared of her at first, she was speaking Japanese."
"Duo, I speak Japanese all the time."
"Yeah, but when you talk I hear English."
"Okay that's only been in effect for the past, what, 3 years, don't tell me you forgot a whole language already."
"No, I just wasn't expecting to hear her say, 'I'm sorry about your jaw' in a foreign language." Duo sat up slowly to face Heero. Less than halfway up he started to get dizzy, and almost fell out of the bed. If it hadn't been for Heero catching him he would have hit his head on the floor.
"Duo, when's the last time you ate?"
"hmm.. what day is it?"
"Wednesday. You came back Saturday night."
"Uh last time I ate… uh…lunch in the park Saturday?"
"Duo, you should eat."
Duo nodded, and Heero helped him get up and practically carried him to lunch.
"Are you all right Duo," Relena asked as Heero sat him down at the table.
Duo nodded and stared at his plate.
As lunch went on Duo picked up his fork, but none of the food ever made it to his mouth, he just played with it mindlessly.
"Duo are you going to eat?" Heero asked concerned
"Huh?" Duo looked up. "I'm not really hungry."
"Could you at least try and drink something?" Relena pleaded.
Duo looked at her, and reached for his glass, he didn't have the energy to get it to his mouth. Frustrated he gave up and tried to leave the table, but as he stood he fell over backwards. Both Relena and Heero ran to catch him. Duo had passed out from exhaustion so they carried him back to his bed.
"Well at least he's trying." Heero said putting his head on the pillow.
"Next time I'll remember straws." Relena said as she tucked his feet under the blanket and pulled it up to his chest.
"Come. Let him rest."
"At least he's finally doing that." They returned to the dinning room.
Minako couldn't keep herself sitting up anymore she had fallen over on her side. Artemis was pacing back and forth on the floor trying to think of something he could do. He ran to the kitchen to try and bring her something to drink at least. If he could just get the refrigerator to open Artemis was pulling with all his strength when a knock came at the front door.
"Minako? Minako are you home?" Rei turned the knob the door was unlocked. She peered in to see Artemis tugging at the refrigerator door. "Artemis? What did she leave you here alone?"
Artemis stopped tugging at the door only to reply, "No I'm trying to get her water bottle but I can't get this stupid thing to open."
Rei laughed, "Oh here let me." She opened the door and took Minako's bottle from the shelf. "Where is she?" Rei said realizing she hadn't heard anyone else since she came in.
"In her room, but Rei it's not…" before he could finish Rei ran into Minako's room to find her collapsed on her bed. Minako's eyes we still fixed on the window, and at first Rei thought she was dead.
"MINAKO!" "Minako, wake up!" Rei ran to her side shaking her.
Minako jumped and blinked. She stared at Rei but she didn't say a word.
"Minako what happened to you? Did he hurt you? Where is he, I'll kick…"
"Rei."
"Oh Minako." She hugged her, "I'm sorry I didn't stop by sooner."
"Rei?" "Air?"
"Oh." Rei let go of her grip only to watch Minako fall to the bed. "Minako what happened?"
Minako sighed.
"Duo, Duo Maxwell is what happened." Artemis jumped up on the bed. "He stole her heart, and when Setsuna sent him home, it went with him. Minako hasn't moved, talked, slept, or eaten since."
"Wait I'm confused. Who's Duo, why did SETSUNA send him home, Minako don't tell me your doing this to yourself all because of some guy."
"Rei-chan. I miss him."
"Minako there are hundreds of millions of men out there to pick from."
"But I love Duo."
Rei thought a minute, "So go find him."
"How?" Minako said trying to sit up.
"Well first I think you need to eat, and get your energy back. You look worse than you did when Hotaru's dad stole your heart crystal."
Minako tried to laugh.
Duo woke up with at start. When he opened his eyes Minako was sitting on his legs, smiling. She was wearing a short black nightgown. Duo blinked, "Mina?" She smiled and giggled. He moved forward to hug her, but she disappeared. Duo almost fell over when she wasn't there.
As he sat back up he saw that she was now sitting on his desk wearing a long flowy black strapless dress. "Duuuooo" she whispered. "Duo why did you leave me," came another voice from the corner. He turned to see her standing in the doorway to his closet much the same way she had the other day, only this time her dress was black with little orange flowers on it, her shrug was orange, and her boots were shiney black plastic. Duo blinked, "I had to."
"But why Duo," asked the one sitting on his bed. She had come back only to torment him more.
"You told me I had to," he said to the one at his feet. "You told me to be strong and walk away," he said a little louder to the one at his desk. "You gave me the damn key, didn't you," he yelled at the one in the closet.
In unison they replied, "It was a test to see if you loved me, and you failed."
Duo grabbed his head; it was throbbing with pain and confusion. He leaned forward screaming, "No, it's not true, I do love you. It's not true." Minako put her hand on his shoulder, she was sitting next to him now as if she'd woken up there. This Minako was wearing one of Duo's black shirts and nothing else. "It's okay sweetie. They're just being mean. I know you love me, I do." Duo was breathing hard now; she pulled him towards her to comfort him. Duo hit his head on the wall. Minako wasn't there. He opened his eyes again and they were all gone. Trying to catch his breath he repeated, "it's okay, Duo. Get a hold of yourself."
Someone entered the room, "Duo are you okay?"
Duo looked up it was Minako again, her hair was pulled back in a braid, and she was wearing the same yellow dress and orange sweater he had picked out for her.
"I thought I heard you screaming." She said as she walked to the side of the bed.
Duo hugged her around the waist, when she didn't disappear he twisted her hips and pulled her onto the bed. She was sitting in his lap. Duo smiled, "Oh thank god you're here, it was so horrible I thought you hated me," he said moving in to kiss her.
She put a hand to his face, "Duo. Are you okay?"
Duo blinked, it was Heero. Duo collapsed still hugging his friend. "No I can't get her out of my head." He said into Heero's chest.
"That's uh… sad." Heero couldn't think of the right words, he put a hand on Duo's head and rubbed his hair, as if he were a little kid. "It's okay Duo. There. There."
"Heero."
"Yeah?"
"You really suck at this."
"I know." A thoughtful pause, "At least you're not still trying to kiss me."
"Sorry," he apologized "I thought you were Mina."
"I figured."
"What's going on in here?" Relena asked from the doorway. She had a tray of food for Duo. Duo sat up fast hitting Heero in the chin with his head. Relena laughed as Heero glared at him. "Here I brought you some soup." She said as she walked over to the bed.
Duo rubbed the back of his head. "This is so surreal. I just tried to kiss your fiancé and you're bringing me soup."
Heero looked at him shaking his head. "You need help."
"Would you get off of me?"
"Oh but Duo, isn't this what you wanted?" Heero teased.
"You're a jerk." Duo said pushing him.
Heero stood up and Relena put the tray on Duo's lap. Duo stared at the bowl. Relena had brought him tomato soup and something in a covered glass with a straw. "Do you need us to feed you?" Heero asked as serious as he could.
Duo rolled his eyes upwards from his food and looked at Heero, "Shut up."
Heero raised his hands and backed away. As he and Relena were leaving, Duo said softly. "Heero will you feed me?"
Relena stopped trying not to laugh out loud. Heero turned around and walked back to the bed. He pulled the chair from the desk and sat down with Duo. Without saying a word, Heero began to spoon feed his more than helpless best friend. Relena smiled and just before she turned to walk out of the room, there was a flash behind her. She turned to see Pagan holding a camera. The old man smiled and she shoved him out of the room again trying not to laugh. Heero and Duo both simply ignored them and continued with the whole feeding process.
Rei had made Minako three Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jam sandwiches. She cut them in triangles and set them on a plate in front of Minako. Minako was staring at them blankly. "What's wrong, didn't I make them just how you like them?"
"I can't eat them, they look like Duo."
Rei walked over to her, eyeing the plate, "Where in the world do you get that out of 6 triangles?"
Minako sighed and blinked, "They just do."
"Oh Minako, would you just eat?" Rei said her worry being replaced by frustration. "If you don't I'm going to shove them one by one down your throat."
"All right fine." She said still staring at them.
Rei picked one of them up put it to Minako's mouth and said, "Open." And when Minako did she pushed the corner of the sandwich in, and said, "Bite. Good, now chew." Minako did as she was told, only to laugh at Rei and take the sandwich away before she could do it again.
Feeding herself now Minako asked, "Okay so how do I find him?"
"Where is he exactly?"
"On Colony L1, in the big manor that Relena and Heero own, in the year After Colony 200."
"Uh-huh." Rei contemplated "So future?"
"Yeah. Like 300 years in the future."
"Well to time travel you need to steal a time key from Setsuna."
"Time key. Rei you're a genius!" Minako ran into her room.
"Uh, Mina I was sorta kidding, you can't just take one of Setsuna's keys." She got up following her.
"Oh where is it?"
"What?"
"My orange sweater I was wearing it when we sent Duo home."
"That wouldn't by any chance be the same orange sweater you're wearing now, would it?"
"Doh." Mina said slapping her forehead. "I forgot. I haven't changed since Saturday."
"That's really gross Minako. Maybe you should take a shower, and change before you go off looking for him."
"Really? You think so?"
"So how many were there?"
"Uh, not including you…four. I think there were four."
"Duo, you need to get some sleep."
"But that's what started it, I had a bad dream and I woke up to find her sitting on my legs. But then she wasn't there she was on the desk and then at the closet and then back at my feet and all the while she was scolding me. Then there was another one who was nice, but still not real. That's when I hit my head and then you came in."
"Well okay maybe sleeping is just a little too big of a request. How about you get up and take a shower. Duo you're starting to smell. Besides it might do some good to help clear your head."
"Okay. I think I can do that."
Heero took the tray off Duo's lap and put his feet on the floor for him. "You're on your own from here." Duo nodded and Heero left the room.
Duo slowly stood up, the room was spinning but he managed to make it over to the dresser. Duo looked at himself in the mirror, "I look like shit." He tried to take his layers of shirts off over his head but he hadn't quite regained enough balance for that. Clinging on to the dresser to stable himself he heard her voice.
"Would you like me to help you with that?" Duo looked in the mirror Minako was standing behind him. She walked up to him and put her arms on his shoulder looking at him in the mirror she said again, "I'd be happy to help you take this stuff off."
Duo shut his eyes and said, "You're not real. You're not real. You're not real." When he opened his eyes she was gone. Duo turned around and sat down on the dresser for support and then began taking off his shirts one at a time. His boots had been taken off of him days ago, so all he had to do was peel off his socks. He then removed his pants and turned back around to face the mirror. Duo opened the top drawer; first he pulled out a clean towel then his hairbrush. Duo removed the tie from his hair and slowly began to brush out his braid. When he was done he noticed that his hair was longer than his boxers. Amused by this fact Duo grabbed his towel opened the door and peered down the hall. No one was out there. 'Good,' he thought and walked down the hall to the bathroom. When he got there he ran into the doorframe. Finally he got the door open just to find another scantily clad Minako. Duo shook his head pretended not to see or hear her and went to the shower.
When he turned on the water he heard Minako scream, "Ahh, that's cold." Duo opened the door to find yet another one.
"She can't hurt you. She's not real. Just take the damn shower and get it over with," he said to himself. He hung his towel on the top of the door, stripped out of his boxers and climbed in the shower. After about two minutes of ignoring that Minako she disappeared. Duo found that if he didn't listen to them, they would go away. By the time he was done with the first wash of his hair he had mastered the ignoring-fake-Minakos-routine and practically stopped hallucinating all together.
"How's he doing?" Relena asked as Heero returned from Duo's room.
"He's hallucinating, but he knows it. So I'd say he'll be fine after he gets some sleep."
"You really think he will."
"Maybe after his shower."
"He's taking a shower? How did you manage that?"
"I told him he stinks."
Relena shook her head, "That's horrible. You're supposed to be his friend. Isn't he suffering enough."
"What. I told him the truth. I'm not going to lie just because he thinks he sees her in every corner."
"I'm just teasing you Heero, I'm glad you got him out of that whole moping phase."
"Oh he's not done moping. I just got him to eat, shower, and maybe sleep."
*****DING DONG********
"Who in the world?" Relena began getting up to go to the door.
Pagan beat her to it, outside there was a young woman carrying a small duffel. "Yes. Can I help you?"
"Is this where Relena and Heero live?"
"May I ask who's calling?"
"You're Pagan right? Weird guy who answers the door as if he were on the phone? Is Duo here?"
Relena stepped around the door, "Yes he is. Would you care to come in," she said pushing Pagan out of the way.
"Thanks."
"I'm Relena Darlian."
"You must be Mina." Heero said from the entrance to the foyer.
"That would make you Heero?"
"Hmn. Duo's this way."
"How'd you find us," Relena asked.
"I closed my eyes and wished," Minako said, "Duo told me where he lived," she continued based on their weird expressions.
"Oh. So how long have you know Duo?" Relena pried.
"About a week." Both she and Heero answered.
Relena shot Heero a look, "Mina right?" she began putting an arm around Minako's shoulder and directing her into the living room. Heero stopped at the doorway and sighed.
"Aino Minako. You can call me Mina."
"Where are you from?" Relena began
"Japan."
"Really. What part?" Heero butted in from the doorway.
"Uh, Tokyo." Minako said not sure why he was prying.
Relena looked at her funny, "Tokyo? When's the last time you were home?"
"Oh I couldn't say; it seems like it's been hundreds of years."
"So where did you meet Duo?" Relena continued.
"At the gym. We were both playing basketball and we got our balls mixed up."
"Is that when you punched him?" Heero asked still standing in the doorway with his arms folded waiting for this insane interview to end.
"Yeah. How'd you know about that?"
"Duo."
"So what have you been doing for the past four days?" Relena said fighting to regain control of the conversation.
"Mostly staring out my window and ignoring my cat."
Relena smiled.
Heero could hear the water turn off down the hall, "Did you want to see Duo?"
"Yes. Terribly."
"Come. He'll be in his room shortly."
"Heero why don't you wait until he gets out of the shower to drag her down there?"
Heero didn't respond.
"How far away is his room?"
"Oh no, it's not that, it's just that lately Duo has a tendency to uh…" Relena didn't know how to continue.
"Walk around in a mindless daze." Heero finished and took Minako by the arm before Relena could object again.
He started down the hall. "The bathroom's the second door on the right. Duo's is the third on the left. The kitchen is in the center, if you should want something just ask Pagan he'll get it for you."
As they were passing the bathroom Duo walked out drying his hair. Usually he's wearing boxers as well but today he was so out of it that he was completely naked, not that he didn't have enough hair to cover himself. Minako stopped in her tracks as her jaw almost hit the floor. Duo looked up at Minako and screamed, "I thought I was past this hallucination shit. Not another one!" with that Duo collapsed on the ground.
"Hmn." Heero said as he grabbed Duo's arms and pulled him up. Heero wrapped an arm around Duo's chest and looked at Minako. She had yet to blink. Heero started to drag Duo down the hall; Minako scrambled to follow Heero to the room. Heero directed Duo to the bed. He dropped him face down on the sheets leaving his feet hanging over the edge. Heero went to Duo's still open top drawer pulled out a black pair of shorts and walked back over to the bed. He started at Duo's dangling feet and put his shorts on him, flung his feet on the bed, and then handed the hairbrush to Mina. "If it's not brushed before it dries it'll be a huge knot." And with those parting words of wisdom Heero left the room shutting the door behind him.
Minako shook her head, looked down at the brush, and then at the sleeping Duo. She smiled. "I guess I would have done the same if you showed up in my house." And she carefully found all of his hair and began brushing it gently using the towel to help dry it. When his hair was completely brushed dry she took the red bow from her hair and put it in his, smiled, and crawled in on the other side and crashed. For the first time in four days both Minako and Duo slept.
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Author's Notes: Angst!
So what do you guys think of their first reunion?
If you think Heero and Relena are a little out of character now…wait until the next chapter. I think near-married life has warped them in my mind a little. Either that or I was trying to balance out Duo and Minako's melancholy. I mean if Duo's going to be the stoic, angsty one then I guess Heero's just going to have to fill the void. Let's just say having friends tends to warp people into acting like them once in a while… and that's what has happened here.
As for the reference to Tokyo being a crater… well in the well-thought out version I had of AC 200… Tokyo had been destroyed…well I'll go into that detail later.
As for the whole Heero speaking Japanese and Duo hearing English thing… Um… well I had to come up with a reason why Duo didn't understand Minako to begin with because well… anyway to fix this plot loophole I had thought up an idea that after the wars were ended, assuming that mankind could actually achieve a world of peace, the world would return to a pre-Babel like state. And everyone would be able to understand everyone else…while all speaking, reading, and hearing in native tongues. Does that make sense?
Well anyway… Thank you all for the reviews… keep them coming. ^_^
Let me know if I've dropped of the deep end at any point. Now it's time to go finish my alterations on the upcoming chapters.
Coming up next…How will Duo respond when he realizes Minako is real? How will Heero and Relena take to a new guest in their house?
