Chapter 10- Do You Know?
Gilly looked at the salvage yard. Her heart sank, was this where they were going to live? She looked at Duo, skeptically.
"What?" He asked her, offended.
"Is this where we're living?"
"What? You don't like it?"
"No. It's wonderful..." Gilly said sarcastically.
"Ouch."
"No, it's great. I'll adjust easily."
Gilly went inside the house and looked around. It was cozy, and was perfect in every way. It wasn't bad, not bad at all in fact. She looked behind her; Duo was no longer with her. She found a room and sat down on the bed.
For no reason, Gilly pulled out her Gundanium box. She starred at it for a moment, than opened it. She looked at the keypad, and a number flashed through her mind. She quickly typed it in, and a compartment she'd never seen before opened.
Inside the new compartment was a ring. It looked like the ring her father had given her mother so very long ago. Gilly examined the ring carefully. It was a gold band, with three leaves of Black Hills Gold on it. She looked long and hard at those leaves.
Gilly remembered this ring. It had only been a gold band the last time she saw it. Her mother had lost it, and never found it. She wondered how it had gotten into this secret compartment of the strong box, which her father had given her.
Gilly starred at the ring the three leaves. As she looked at the center leaf, it aligned with her pupil, and Gilly saw the laser hit her eye.
"I gave this to your mother," A voice said, "and than I took it so you could have it when you'd find Knightsaber. The risk of our lives was great but, for the sake of you finding the mobile suit that could only be used by you, it was an okay sacrifice. I knew about your ventures onto the computer to find out about OZ. That curiosity had been programmed into Zero, than into you, so it couldn't be helped.
"I wanted to tell your mother and you, but before I could it was obviously, too late. If you found this, than we've probably been killed and you are with Knightsaber. Gillian, use Knightsaber, where the ring when you're ready, fight OZ, and don't worry about us. We love you so much. Never lose hope, always have faith. We're so proud of you."
The message ended. It didn't tell Gilly much, but it helped to know that this was okay with her parents. She wanted to cry, but for some reason couldn't, and instead slipped the ring back into the secret compartment, closed the box, and put it away.
"So much to do." She heard Duo's voice.
"How long have you been there?" Gilly asked.
"Does it matter?"
"No."
"Why don't you cry? Anyone else would."
"Because, anyone else would. I'm not anyone else. I am Gillian Norgaard. Or as you know me, Gilly Hathaway. No."
"No? No what?" Duo looked confused.
"Gillian Norgaard is dead. I killed her, and now, Gilly Hathaway stands in her place. Gillian died the second I met Zero."
"What do you mean?" He was officially confused.
"I wouldn't be here now, hadn't it been for Zero. I'm not the same person I was when I was five. My life changed and I was never Gillian again. It just took my parent's death to realize, that Gilly is who I am."
"I'm sorry."
"It's chilly isn't it?" Gilly changed the subject.
Duo held up a blanket; "I brought you a blanket."
"I know." Gilly starred at the plain white wall.
"I know you know." Duo replied.
"Than why say it, when I know it?"
"Do you know all?"
"I just know."
"Enough?"
"Do we ever know enough, or for that matter, anything?"
"I know not."
"Of course little mongoose, know yourself well first, than ask can we truly know each other? Can we even truly know ourselves?"
"I don't know." Duo was puzzled with this silly conversation.
"How much can we actually know bout each other, before it's too late?"
"I still don't know."
"Than I'd suggest you learn."
"Here's you r blanket." Duo said abruptly as he wrapped it around Gilly's shoulders.
"Thanks." Gilly said with due politeness.
Duo sat down on the bed, on Gilly's right. He put his right arm around her and pulled her to him. To him, she seemed very cold, so he also held her hands in his.
"Know your enemy." Gilly said bluntly.
"Huh?"
"Know your enemy." She repeated.
"I like that."
"Do you know yours?"
"Are back to the 'know conversation'?"
"Are we? I don't know." She paused, "Have you learned from it, yet?"
"No, but I will."
"I know."
"Augh!" Duo howled.
* * * * *
The scream Duo heard was unreal. He awoke from his peaceful sleep with a start. After hearing silence once more, Duo began to get up and investigate. When he slowly crawled out of his bed, another scream filled the air. Without another moment's hesitation, Duo shot out of his room, and down the hall towards Gilly's.
"Why? Why? Why?" Gilly asked again and again.
"Gilly!" Duo called as he burst through the door.
He raced over to Gilly's bed, and once he was there, he could see Gilly thrashing around. This was just like last time. Duo starred for only one second, and suddenly, she stopped. Her body became still and quiet. Duo almost released a sigh of relief, when he realized that Gilly had stopped breathing.
Without another second's time, he scooped Gilly up in his arms, and shook her gently. When nothing happened, Duo began to panic. He wished so badly to kiss her, but it wasn't worth a thing if she wasn't awake to return the gesture, or even to allow it. With grave sadness, he embraced her fiercely.
Gilly began to cough, and more importantly, breath. But, before Gilly could open her eyes, Duo was hit over the head. He helplessly fell, and dropped Gilly. Her eyes snapped open just as a hand covered her mouth. Still out of breath, Gilly fainted into the strange arms of someone from a lifetime ago.
* * * * *
Duo groaned as he opened his eyes from an unusual sleep. He felt his head, and the bump that sat upon it. Than he realized that Gilly was nowhere to be seen. What had happened exactly the night before was unsure, but he had a pretty good idea. It seemed that Gilly had been kidnapped, but the purpose was unclear to him.
Even once Duo found the note, he still didn't understand. It read:
Most annoying rival-
The one you call Gilly is in my hands at this time. If you wish to retrieve her, you may travel to Colony LX/1823 at the La Grange point. Be there at 2:30 today, or she may find herself being very uncomfortable. Prepare for the fight of your life.
Hatefully,
S.W.
"Well, he's a very unpleasant loser." Duo sneered, "2:30, eh?" He checked his watch, "I'd better get moving."
Duo grabbed his gun and hat. He ran for the door and out it very quickly. He was outside and on his way to Deathscythe Hell, when a young girl walked up to him. She was his own age, only shorter. There was something very familiar about her.
"Hey, Duo." She said cheerily.
"Hilde?" Duo said suddenly.
"You remember me."
"Hilde Schbieker. What in the Hell are you doing here?"
"I came to see you. I found out that you were back in space, and I figured I'd stop by, and we could catch up on some stuff."
"Hilde, I can't talk right now, I have to take care of something." Duo said as he continued to walk.
"Duo..."
"I'll see you around!" He called, but didn't look back.
"Later than, Duo." Hilde sighed blissfully as she watched him go.
Duo sighed. Hilde had always been a flirt, but than again, so was he. Gilly would flip if she knew about this, but that was irrelevant right now. Now, he had to once again save Gilly's ass.
Gilly looked at the salvage yard. Her heart sank, was this where they were going to live? She looked at Duo, skeptically.
"What?" He asked her, offended.
"Is this where we're living?"
"What? You don't like it?"
"No. It's wonderful..." Gilly said sarcastically.
"Ouch."
"No, it's great. I'll adjust easily."
Gilly went inside the house and looked around. It was cozy, and was perfect in every way. It wasn't bad, not bad at all in fact. She looked behind her; Duo was no longer with her. She found a room and sat down on the bed.
For no reason, Gilly pulled out her Gundanium box. She starred at it for a moment, than opened it. She looked at the keypad, and a number flashed through her mind. She quickly typed it in, and a compartment she'd never seen before opened.
Inside the new compartment was a ring. It looked like the ring her father had given her mother so very long ago. Gilly examined the ring carefully. It was a gold band, with three leaves of Black Hills Gold on it. She looked long and hard at those leaves.
Gilly remembered this ring. It had only been a gold band the last time she saw it. Her mother had lost it, and never found it. She wondered how it had gotten into this secret compartment of the strong box, which her father had given her.
Gilly starred at the ring the three leaves. As she looked at the center leaf, it aligned with her pupil, and Gilly saw the laser hit her eye.
"I gave this to your mother," A voice said, "and than I took it so you could have it when you'd find Knightsaber. The risk of our lives was great but, for the sake of you finding the mobile suit that could only be used by you, it was an okay sacrifice. I knew about your ventures onto the computer to find out about OZ. That curiosity had been programmed into Zero, than into you, so it couldn't be helped.
"I wanted to tell your mother and you, but before I could it was obviously, too late. If you found this, than we've probably been killed and you are with Knightsaber. Gillian, use Knightsaber, where the ring when you're ready, fight OZ, and don't worry about us. We love you so much. Never lose hope, always have faith. We're so proud of you."
The message ended. It didn't tell Gilly much, but it helped to know that this was okay with her parents. She wanted to cry, but for some reason couldn't, and instead slipped the ring back into the secret compartment, closed the box, and put it away.
"So much to do." She heard Duo's voice.
"How long have you been there?" Gilly asked.
"Does it matter?"
"No."
"Why don't you cry? Anyone else would."
"Because, anyone else would. I'm not anyone else. I am Gillian Norgaard. Or as you know me, Gilly Hathaway. No."
"No? No what?" Duo looked confused.
"Gillian Norgaard is dead. I killed her, and now, Gilly Hathaway stands in her place. Gillian died the second I met Zero."
"What do you mean?" He was officially confused.
"I wouldn't be here now, hadn't it been for Zero. I'm not the same person I was when I was five. My life changed and I was never Gillian again. It just took my parent's death to realize, that Gilly is who I am."
"I'm sorry."
"It's chilly isn't it?" Gilly changed the subject.
Duo held up a blanket; "I brought you a blanket."
"I know." Gilly starred at the plain white wall.
"I know you know." Duo replied.
"Than why say it, when I know it?"
"Do you know all?"
"I just know."
"Enough?"
"Do we ever know enough, or for that matter, anything?"
"I know not."
"Of course little mongoose, know yourself well first, than ask can we truly know each other? Can we even truly know ourselves?"
"I don't know." Duo was puzzled with this silly conversation.
"How much can we actually know bout each other, before it's too late?"
"I still don't know."
"Than I'd suggest you learn."
"Here's you r blanket." Duo said abruptly as he wrapped it around Gilly's shoulders.
"Thanks." Gilly said with due politeness.
Duo sat down on the bed, on Gilly's right. He put his right arm around her and pulled her to him. To him, she seemed very cold, so he also held her hands in his.
"Know your enemy." Gilly said bluntly.
"Huh?"
"Know your enemy." She repeated.
"I like that."
"Do you know yours?"
"Are back to the 'know conversation'?"
"Are we? I don't know." She paused, "Have you learned from it, yet?"
"No, but I will."
"I know."
"Augh!" Duo howled.
* * * * *
The scream Duo heard was unreal. He awoke from his peaceful sleep with a start. After hearing silence once more, Duo began to get up and investigate. When he slowly crawled out of his bed, another scream filled the air. Without another moment's hesitation, Duo shot out of his room, and down the hall towards Gilly's.
"Why? Why? Why?" Gilly asked again and again.
"Gilly!" Duo called as he burst through the door.
He raced over to Gilly's bed, and once he was there, he could see Gilly thrashing around. This was just like last time. Duo starred for only one second, and suddenly, she stopped. Her body became still and quiet. Duo almost released a sigh of relief, when he realized that Gilly had stopped breathing.
Without another second's time, he scooped Gilly up in his arms, and shook her gently. When nothing happened, Duo began to panic. He wished so badly to kiss her, but it wasn't worth a thing if she wasn't awake to return the gesture, or even to allow it. With grave sadness, he embraced her fiercely.
Gilly began to cough, and more importantly, breath. But, before Gilly could open her eyes, Duo was hit over the head. He helplessly fell, and dropped Gilly. Her eyes snapped open just as a hand covered her mouth. Still out of breath, Gilly fainted into the strange arms of someone from a lifetime ago.
* * * * *
Duo groaned as he opened his eyes from an unusual sleep. He felt his head, and the bump that sat upon it. Than he realized that Gilly was nowhere to be seen. What had happened exactly the night before was unsure, but he had a pretty good idea. It seemed that Gilly had been kidnapped, but the purpose was unclear to him.
Even once Duo found the note, he still didn't understand. It read:
Most annoying rival-
The one you call Gilly is in my hands at this time. If you wish to retrieve her, you may travel to Colony LX/1823 at the La Grange point. Be there at 2:30 today, or she may find herself being very uncomfortable. Prepare for the fight of your life.
Hatefully,
S.W.
"Well, he's a very unpleasant loser." Duo sneered, "2:30, eh?" He checked his watch, "I'd better get moving."
Duo grabbed his gun and hat. He ran for the door and out it very quickly. He was outside and on his way to Deathscythe Hell, when a young girl walked up to him. She was his own age, only shorter. There was something very familiar about her.
"Hey, Duo." She said cheerily.
"Hilde?" Duo said suddenly.
"You remember me."
"Hilde Schbieker. What in the Hell are you doing here?"
"I came to see you. I found out that you were back in space, and I figured I'd stop by, and we could catch up on some stuff."
"Hilde, I can't talk right now, I have to take care of something." Duo said as he continued to walk.
"Duo..."
"I'll see you around!" He called, but didn't look back.
"Later than, Duo." Hilde sighed blissfully as she watched him go.
Duo sighed. Hilde had always been a flirt, but than again, so was he. Gilly would flip if she knew about this, but that was irrelevant right now. Now, he had to once again save Gilly's ass.