Disclaimer: For the 13th and final time (in this story anyway) Gundam Wing does not belong to me.
Author's Note: The last chapter! ::sobs:: Despite my complaining for this past month as the deadline approached, I did have a lot of fun with this. A few thank yous, before I go on with this last chapter: Mephisto Waltz, the judge of this contest, whose mailbox I filled with chapter updates, thank you for bearing with me and you never have to hear from me again if you don't want to. Misanagi, for your frequent reviews, thank you, and thank you to anyone else who did it, I appreciate your feedback. To my friends, my parents and my history teacher (who probably aren't reading this) thank you for putting up with my octopus question, and not asking questions. And now on to the last chapter (and off to take a nap)!
A Fish Out of Water- Chapter Thirteen
When Trowa awoke the next morning just before noon, the other side of the bed was empty, but for a small stack of neatly folded clothing and a tray of bacon and toast. The merman sniffed this odd-looking food cautiously, and having no problems with the scent, gobbled it down. After breakfast, he read from the books he had brought until Duo arrived to take him to the wedding.
All the huts were decorated with garlands of different colored flowers, greenery and strangely enough, seaweed (at Relena's request). A small altar had been set up with unlit candles, and five solemn old men in robes stood around it.
"Those are the shamans," Duo explained. "They're kinda like priests, but they also have magic. J, G, S, H and O are their names. Odd guys. They're going to marry Heero and Relena." He said a hurried goodbye and rushed over to stand by the groom, leaving Trowa with Hilde, who had come to bring him to her hut, where Relena had stayed for the night.
"I'm so glad you could give me away," the former sea princess said when she saw him. She was dressed all in white, wearing a silk dress with a shawl made of feathers (most likely Heero's). "I'd always imagined that my brother would do it, but-" She buried her face in Trowa's shoulder, crying tears of both happiness and sorrow. It was more than just the separation, they'd apparently had some falling out that he didn't know the reason for, and though it didn't cause Relena's disappearance, it was a part of it. "You'll tell him everything, won't you Trowa? About the wedding, and Heero and that I'm sorry for…" Her voice faltered and Trowa squeezed her tightly, feeling closer to her than he ever had before.
"Of course," he replied, wiping the tears away from her face. "I promise I will. Cheer up." He smiled at her. "It's the least I can do. I owe you. If it weren't for you running off, none of this would've happened."
"None of what?" she asked curiously. "What's happened?"
He grinned at her, glad that he finally had a secret to keep from her. "I'll tell you later. Maybe."
"It's show time, guys," Hilde called from where she'd been waiting outside. Taking each other's arms, with Trowa only leaning on her slightly for support, they walked out into the cheering crowd. If it hadn't been apparent before, Relena was as loved here as she was at home, and Trowa was finally convinced she was doing the right thing. If that hadn't done it, Heero's beaming smile would've. Trowa felt a strange kinship with the man, both were quiet and reserved by nature and experience, but love had brought them out of their shells.
Trowa's own face lit up when he spotted Quatre near the altar, next to the royal family. But his eyes widened in shock when he saw who stood next to him: Dorothy, looking awfully serious and subdued. She saw Trowa and looked down guilty. But Trowa didn't glare at her as he might have before; in a way, he owed her just as much as he did Relena. He gave her a small wave before depositing the bride in the arms of her waiting groom and then went over to join them.
"Hi," she greeted him softly, while Quatre squeezed his hand in an affectionate "hello".
"I didn't expect to see you here," he said honestly.
She nodded. "Quatre asked me to come. Relena invited me actually, and I didn't really want to come, but he needed help with- things- so he brought me back with him." She didn't say anything more, after a silencing glance from Quatre, who smiled at him mysteriously.
"We'll tell you later," he said, by way of explanation. It was the one thing that Trowa, after so many mysteries already, so did not want to hear.
* * * * * *
Throughout the entire ceremony, Trowa fidgeted. He couldn't wait for the magical rites that, not only married the couple, but also had included Relena's transformation into a full human, to end. It wasn't as spectacular as he'd expected, being that she was human already. But it was deemed a success when, at the reception held on the beach, the princess daringly dipped her lower body into the water (careful not to spoil her dress) and nothing occurred, to the delighted cheers of the guests. After stuffing their faces with all the seafood they could eat, Trowa pulled his lover and the sorceress aside.
"What's going on?" he demanded, his curiosity so great that he couldn't contain himself. He was too busy grilling them to notice a small redhead had slipped under the table to hear their conversation.
"Well, Quatre began slowly, partly teasing, partly making sure Trowa was ready for this news, "we found out what happened to your old kingdom."
Trowa nearly dropped the glass of champagne he was holding (not drinking) when he heard this announcement. "What? When? How?"
Quatre glanced at Dorothy to explain. "Well, you see, the reason Heero had been sent out in the first place was that we discovered that there was a good chance of a volcanic eruption, based on the data of a device that we have here. By the time he got there, it was too late, though he found some survivors (who fled the moment they saw him). Quatre knew of this, and from your description, he determined that that must've been how it was destroyed. That was where we were all morning, checking the place out. The volcano's dormant now (meaning it's not going to erupt for a long time). You wouldn't recognize the place; the cooled lava formed a brand-new island. But it's perfectly safe to inhabit, provided that we give you one of our prediction devices."
Trowa looked at her in disbelief. "What does this mean?"
"It means that you can go home," Quatre said, looking suddenly sad. "To your real home, Trowa, not just Relena's kingdom."
"Ow!" A yelp alerted all of the to the young princess's presence. She had been so startled apparently that she hit her head on the table.
"You shouldn't eavesdrop," Quatre told her gently. "I hope your father's not looking for you."
She shook her head. "No, I made sure he wasn't. He's still enjoying the party. Does this mean you're going back to our kingdom?" she asked hopefully. "I remember you," she added, as an explanation of how she knew that. (And also her father had gently told her of what had happened to her family.)
Trowa nodded. "Yes, your highness. Your kingdom, if you take what is rightfully yours."
She thought for a moment, with more seriousness than a girl her age should have. "No," she said finally, "I think I'm hardly fit to rule an underwater kingdom. Besides, father needs me. I'm his heir now. I humbly abdicate in favor of you, Trowa Barton," she said, formal throughout her speech. Then she giggled. "You'd better do a good job, or I'll come after you," she mock threatened.
Trowa bowed to her solemnly. "As you wish, your majesty."
She shook her head again. "No, as you wish, your majesty."
* * * * * *
Thanks to Dorothy's magic, which produced a speedy little boat, the two made it to the kingdom in record time. The sorceress had declined their offer of accompanying them, saying she had better things to do. What she really meant was that she had intruded on their relationship enough already, and wouldn't do so anymore.
Trowa felt strange being back in the water again, especially there. Quatre, who had traveled in his seagull form part of the way to find the island they had mentioned was perched on it, his lower legs in the water as Trowa surveyed his kingdom. It was a mess, yes, but they could work on it. Catherine, who they had run into on the way (with a grumpy captain and healer in tow) was back in the Sank Kingdom, asking for supplies and delivering news to the prince, his wife and their new merbabies, who had just hatched that morning. They had made much faster time, traveling on the army's trained dolphins. After giving her brother an earful for worrying her so much, she had reluctantly parted, saying she'd meet them later. All throughout their conversation she'd been shooting confused looks at Quatre that said, "Do I know you?" Though curiosity was killing Cat, she accepted it and said she would bring Prince Milliardo, Noin and the babies to visit his sister and get her story first. Trowa was glad of it; it would give him some more time alone with Quatre, who had been strangely quiet through most of the trip.
"What's the matter?" Trowa asked when he came up to the surface, preening his lover as he so often did to him.
Quatre smiled slightly at the gesture. "It's nothing," he lied, but Trowa wasn't going to let him get away with that.
"Yes, there is something," he said seriously, "and I don't need to be an empath like you to know it. Tell me."
"It's selfish," he warned, then sighed. "I was wondering about what's going to happen to us, now that you're finally going home."
Trowa narrowed his eyes at him in confusion. "What do you mean, 'what's going to happen'?"
"Well, you heard what Dorothy said. 'A bird may love a fish, but where can they build a nest?' Even though she said it to be mean, it's the truth. I can't live underwater, and you can't do what Miss Relena did. Your kingdom needs you."
Trowa frowned. "That is a difficult problem," he admitted, one he had indeed agonized over the night before while Quatre was asleep. But as he watched Relena and Heero, a fish and a bird, respectively, getting married, he realized there was hope. And coming there that day had given him an idea.
Trowa propped himself up on his elbows; his head rested on his hands. He ran his fingers over the rocky, but mostly flat dirt. "Quatre?" he asked. "Is this land bigger than your house?"
Quatre looked around him. "Yeah, not by that much, but yes, it is."
"Hmm," the merman murmured, tapping his chin thoughtfully.
"What? What are you thinking about?" Trowa pulled himself up next to him; his fins still submerged in the water.
"Oh, I was just thinking, someone could build a house up here," he commented. "You know, if they wanted to."
"Who would want to do that?" Quatre started to ask, and then his eyes lit up. "Hey, that is a good idea!"
Trowa grinned. "It'll be perfect. I doubt that machine of yours can work underwater. And your people have a lot of stuff that can help us. You could be a liaison between the two peoples. We'll have the first merpeople-Avian trading post."
Quatre nodded excitedly. "Yes, and it's a lot closer than the Sank Kingdom is. It'll only take a day to get there flying. And you can come see me whenever you want if I live there." Then his face fell. "But wait. You're the prince now. There are certain responsibilities that go with that. Responsibilities that require you to be with a woman."
Trowa shook his head. "Yes, but it can work out. Some human queen once, I remember, was never married and had no children, but they didn't have too much difficulty after she died. And besides, it'll be easier for me because I have Cathy, and all her siblings were childless and dead. Her children can be my heirs. We'll just have to find a bunch of mermen to parade in front of her until she picks one. I'm sure that there are plenty of good-looking survivors, or people who just want to move that she can choose from. It'll be fun; she's tried to set me up often enough, shouldn't I return the favor?" Quatre cracked up. "Don't laugh, see if I don't do that." He wrapped his arms around the young man. "See, I told you we could work it out," he said, kissing him gently.
Quatre sighed contentedly. "Yeah, I guess so." He relaxed in Trowa's hold, determined to simply enjoy the afternoon sun and not worry anymore (for the day, anyway).
* * * * * *
So, in the end, they all lived happily ever after, with the occasional lover's spat and bad day, of course. After a brief, but loud argument, Relena and her brother finally reconciled their differences and made up (Though he nearly challenged Heero to a duel for allegedly kidnapping his sister first). The prince also got to visit with his old friend Treize, who was very glad to see him indeed (That had been the reason, Trowa learned, why he'd been so accepting of Relena in the first place). Relena got to meet her nieces and nephews, who were constantly keeping their mother busy, and made them all promise to visit after their trip. Duo and Hilde kept the newlyweds' house while they were away, and were expecting a brood of their own in the next few months. Dorothy visited both the Avian village and Trowa's kingdom often, and to their surprise, the people actually started to like her. Mariemaia, who she began teaching sorcery, was especially fond of her cousin. The half-mermaid later proved to be as beloved a ruler as her father, grandfather and adopted uncle were. Sally and Wufei had taken a page out of Milliardo and Noin's book and decide to start a family as well (meaning Sally had decided and Wufei didn't argue). Trowa had made good on his threat and provided Catherine with an array of handsome suitors, who she rejected one by one in favor of the somewhat ugly royal entertainer whom they had known since childhood. He had survived for the same reason that Catherine had: a romantic getaway that was masqueraded as a visit to friends. Trowa had not been the only one seeing someone secretly, apparently. He expected that they'd be the next expectant parents in a few months, maybe even before Heero and Relena. And, as for Trowa and Quatre, they were building their own little nest in the exact same spot Trowa had pointed out. For, they had discovered not where a bird and a fish could build a nest, but how. It was quite simple actually, and the essential element of any relationship, same species or not, which could be summed up in a single word: compromise.
The End
