The Taki and Wufei Story

Companion to The Perfect Soldier

A Gundam Wing Fan Fiction

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Author's Note:  This fan fiction takes place during The Perfect Soldier after Chapter 19.  Please read The Perfect Soldier first!  This story is rather tame: although it's got some harsh language and angst in it.  But, overall, it's a mellow romance.  The main characters are Wufei Chang, Duo Maxwell, Taki Daemon (original character), and Bisho (original character), with a cameo appearance from Heero Yuy.

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Chapter 1: The Funeral

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            "Go away."

            Blessed silence follows the growled command.  Taki doesn't concern herself with listening for departing footsteps.  She simply lays, eyes closed and arms flung out across the wrinkled hotel bedspread.  She doesn't even bother to wonder what time it is.  She thinks it's Thursday, but she's not one hundred percent sure.  Not that she really cares . . .

            Knock.  Knock.

            Taki sighs and opens her eyes.  Did the schmuck not hear her the first time?

            "Go away, God dammit!"

            This time she listens for departing footsteps.  And it's a good thing she does, too.  Otherwise she might have missed the slight sound of something grinding against the lock.  She sighs.  Looks like this one's not going to leave her be.  Maybe it's the hotel manager trying to evict her.

            Reluctantly, she rolls out of bed and stumbles to the door.  She blinks away the vague, light-headed spell that accompanies her.  Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to spend the last... what, day?  Two days? staring at the ceiling.  Scowling darkly, Taki yanks open the door and stares down at the intruder.

            In all honesty, if she'd thought about it, she would have expected to see Duo kneeling on the other side of the door, lock pick in hand.  He seems the only likely candidate, anyway.  Instead she finds herself confronted by...

            "Heero?"

            The young man stands, tucking the tool back into his jeans pocket.  He grunts softly in affirmative reply.

            "What are you doing here?" she asks, mildly curious but mostly annoyed.

            He stares at her for a moment and his silence is painfully familiar.  She's a millisecond away from slamming the door in his face when he speaks.

            "I need to ask you for a favor."

            Taki tilts her head to the side, moderately intrigued.  Heero hadn't spoken two words to her since she'd mistaken him for her friend in Salzburg.  "What?"

            "Draw something."

            "Draw what, exactly?" she replies skeptically.

            He glances away and Taki gets the impression that he's nervous.  But then his attention returns to her and his eyes harden with determination.  He tells her, "Me."

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            It's a beautiful day.

            Taki watches the crowd in the distance.  She easily identifies George and Kathy, Trowa and Quatre, Duo and Bisho, Wufei and Heero.  There's also a few others... and the preacher, of course.  It's a good-sized crowd.  She doubts she'll get such a good turnout at her own funeral.

            Eyes stinging, Taki looks away from the group and blindly studies the L1 cityscape.  It's a shame that Heero, no, Yokaze is being laid to rest here, so near the shadow of the organization that had taken her childhood.  Yokaze's remains should have been laid to rest somewhere—anywhere—else.

            Taking a deep breath, Taki turns back to the cemetery.  The services have finished.  She shrinks further back into the shadows as the gathering begins to dissipate.  Taki's a little surprised by her own actions.  It's been years since she's hidden from the world.  But then, it's been years since she's felt this much pain.  She sighs.  Street habits are hard to break.

            She watches as George retreats from the grave with Kathy.  Hand in hand.  Taki blinks back tears as her last remaining friend walks away with someone else.

            George, you bastard.  You're supposed to be my friend.

            She knows she's being unfair to him.  He's hurting too.  Hurting and in love.  Of course he'd turn to Kathy.  Taki indulges in a moment of self-pity wishing she had someone like that.

            But she doesn't.  She's alone.

            Again.

            Damn you to hell for dying on me, Heero.

            Taki huddles in the shadows, for how long she doesn't know.  Slowly, the mourners make their way back to their warm, comfortable retreats.  And she watches them.  Heero is the last to turn away.  As he does so, he withdraws something from inside his jacket and allows it to tumble from his fingers and flutter down into the grave.  Still, although he's the last to leave, he's not alone.  The others wait for him at a distance.

            That's more than Taki has.

            She waits until they're out of range then slowly approaches the opened earth.  She doesn't have anything to give her friend, can think of nothing to say, feels ill at the very thought that this is good-bye.  Taki trembles as she steps closer to the upturned soil.  She's numb and weak... and somehow cold on this carefully regulated, pleasant day.

            I hate the colonies.

            She closes her eyes before taking that last step which will allow her to gaze down into her best friend's resting place.  She hates this.

            I want to go home.

            But the only home she's ever had had been with Heero.

            Time to get on with it.

            But she doesn't want to.  She wants her friend back.

            Taki opens her eyes and looks down.  For a moment, she doesn't comprehend what she sees.  Splashes of color.  Blurred shapes.  And...

            No, can't be.

            But it is.

            Taki stares silently down into the grave and at a very familiar face.  Her head jerks up and her eyes narrow as she catches one last glimpse of Heero Yuy.  Then she turns back to the drawing in the grave.  The drawing—the portrait—of Heero Yuy she'd composed for him yesterday.  The drawing he'd been willing to break into her room to request.  Why would he go through all that trouble just to—?

            But maybe she knows.  She stares down into the face of a young soldier being laid to rest with the woman who'd given her life to free him from the cycle of war that has been his life.

            Very softly, she whispers, "I know how you feel."

            And although Taki has no souvenirs to offer, a part of herself is cast into that hole nonetheless.

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~End of Chapter 1~