A Childhood Promise
Chapter 12
The most obvious
things are recognized only by looking at a completely different angle to some…
"A mobile suit? Why would you need
that?" Heero stepped forward and felt her forehead. It seemed normal enough. Her
dainty hand swatted it away, and she looked a bit offended.
"I am not sick!" Relena looked away and took a deep breath, calming
herself. "Look out there." She pointed out the window, to the abandoned
playground. The wind blew and a lone swing creaked.
"So?"
"So?? Heero, did you never play on one
before? I used to spend hours in a playground like that, but now, because of
the war, this town is abandoned, and half the children probably can't even go
outside!" He watched her still, old memories resurfacing of his own time on the
swings or slides.
"I used to love it so much Heero… but I
can't do that anymore; I have too much responsibility." Her eyes were
shimmering with tears, yet none actually fell, he noticed. "There must be
millions who are staring at a playground right now, wishing they could try it
out, at least once in their life.
Children who have never felt what it was like to slide down a slide.
Heero, this war is pointless. Mars and
Earth are separate identities, they should be allowed to choose where they want
to go. And the people should decide if they wanted to live with politics or
royal families; Mars or Earth."
"But what if people still wanted to live
on Earth?" He countered, although without reason. His emotions were telling him
to make sure she had thought this through and she was making the right choice.
"We can figure that out, but what's
important is that the war is stopped, now, so that people will be able to live
their lives again, and children are allowed to be children without the danger
of being killed by falling debris." She twisted again and laid a hand on his
shoulder. "Please Heero, if you know how I could get up into space and stop
that battle, tell me now!"
"Battle?"
That wasn't right. With the headquarters blown apart, Mars should've won by
now.
"Don't play dumb with me. I can see the
explosions. Earth headquarters never blew up, and the war is still going on. I
need to get up there and stop them though!" Relena's golden head whipped up she
looked at the lights that resembled twinkling stars.
"Heero, this is important. You are my
guard, but if you won't help me, I will have to relieve you of your duty,
soldier." He didn't know what to do; she was supposed to be dead… and now she
was practically asking to die.
"Very well, if you wish to end your
life…" There was the sound of the safety being switched off. "At least let me
do my job."
In no time flat, Relena Peacecraft was
staring down the wrong end of a gun.
"Miss Hilde! Miss Hilde!" One of
the many children ran up to her, the young woman being the only adult around. "Sankuu and I… we… found something!" The child huffed the words out slowly.
"Calm down Hanna," Hilde gripped the child's shoulders, forcing her to stay in place, "now tell me, what happened?"
"Well, Sankuu and I were playing by the River, when we saw a huge lump thing! When we got close, it was actually metal, but it lloked like a... a... a man of sorts, but really big!!" Hanna made gestures with her hands to explain, which Hilde admittedly thought was pretty cute.
"A man? Are you sure?" The little brunette nodded and jumped a little. In the distance, the second child came running.
"Hanna! Hanna! I figured out what it is!! It's one of those things people in the army use to move!" This girl, an onyx haired angel, announced it while skipping.
"A mobile
suit...?" Hilde stood, considering it for a moment before deciding to
check it out. "Could you two show me the way?" The girls nodded and cheerfully pulled her
towards the ravine. Sure enough, the large head of a mobile suit stuck out from
heavy shrubbery, and what looked like it's body hidden
beneath more roots. This was just too lucky to be true…
She was led over the stone bridge and
the girls stopped and pointed directly to the giant mass, as if they did expect
her to see it. Hilde walked forward and looked over the hunking
heap of metal. It looked pretty bruised and bumped, but it probably could still
fly some. Just enough to complete her mission, she hoped.
"You two run on home now, okay? I bet it's
almost dinner now."
"What about you Miss Hilde?" Sankuu asked in her sweet little voice. All the more reason
to stop this damned war…
"I'm going to stay behind and figure out
what this thing can do." And, if it's good, you won't see me when sunrise comes,
she thought in her head. Her mind was set on this; there was no way of changing
her mind unless the old couple, Icari and Yasuo came and begged her. She could
never turn down the lovely couple that had taken her in without knowledge of
her past or person.
"Okay!" the angels chimed together, and
skipped off. Hilde waited until they were out of sight before climbing in and
starting up the engine. The suit hummed and beeped as it's
controls lit up, and Hilde leaned back against the half destroyed chair. The
last pilot must've been thrown out or something…
"Hilde, girl, we're back in business."
He would never understand the woman in
front of him. First, she had wanted to practically commit suicide, and now they
standing two arm lengths apart, her looking down the barrel of the gun, yet he
was the one that was afraid.
Relena stood calmly, after the initial
shock of mutiny… with one man. Not exactly accurate, but did that matter? She
didn't flinch, but instead looked straight into his eyes, daring him to shoot
her. It had been a full fifteen minutes they were standing there, in that exact
position, and with every second, Relena grew braver.
"You won't shoot me. You would've by now
if you could." She took her hand and guided his gun to his side, then the
floor. All the time, her eyes never left his.
He was so fucked.
"Why…? Why can't I kill you?" His hands
went up to push her backwards, into the wall, but found himself stopping before
he had touched her. She never moved, her hands didn't
even attempt to stop him.
"You're lying to yourself about
something… something about me." She stepped closer still, staring at him with
those eyes that were stripping him of everything. They were so close now, he
could feel her breaths against his neck and he was sure he was breathing on
her. "What aren't you letting yourself acknowledge?"
What won't I let myself know? He
questioned himself. He closed his eyes, hoping to find his answer deep in his
mind, but instead could only think of her cool yet warm breath on his throat,
and the heat radiating off her body and onto his. What was wrong with him?
Suddenly, his head fell downwards and
his lips caught her in a gentle yet swift kiss, although the both of them could've
gone for longer. When he next opened his eyes, he found that their roles had
changed. Her eyes now held the quivering fear while he felt calm, content even.
"Re-" a slender finger touched his lips
as she turned her eyes downward.
"Don't say it Heero. Don't ever say it."
With that, she brushed past Heero and
walked out the door.
What had
happened there? How had that had happen to her? How did a boy… or man ever fall
in love with her? She had never thought of the possibilities of a romantic life
like that.
"Relena… what have you gotten yourself
into?" She continued to walk, leaving behind the chocolate haired boy, and the
house they had lived in for weeks, hoping that they would never meet again.
This wasn't what she needed; she had a life to lead for now.
It was hours before she came across
other people. It was a military base… with hundreds of mobile suits lined up
and ready to leave. Relena knew that she would not be recognized as their
mistress, but Heero's Earthen Forces jacket still hung on her thin shoulders.
The strap that went around the mid waist was nowhere to be seen on the men's
uniform though.
"Soldier reporting for assignment sir." She
approached the general and saluted, mimicking the pose that many soldiers had addressed
her in more than once. The General was an older man with few gray hairs. His
brown eyes twinkled with amusement at her discipline,
obviously thinking on of the other generals had picked her.
"Before you board the mobile suit for
tonight's attack, you will be change into a proper uniform out back,
understood?"
"Yes sir!" He grinned and flipped his
hair to the tent beside him. Obediently she climbed into the large tarp and
grabbed a spare uniform, most likely from a woman that had been killed and the
uniform was unscathed enough to bring back. Relena hated following orders like
this, but it was needed for this plan, this mission of hers and hers alone.
To stop this war, once and for all.
As the elderly
couple were helped into bed, Hilde gathered her old clothing and left the
donated ones to go back to the donors. A scrap of paper sat on top of the pile
with a single phrase on it.
Thank you.
She managed to get the suit working and
going at top notch, it was as if the thing had never even been damaged at all. It
was too good to be true, almost. She rubbed sleep from her eyes and splashed
some water from the well on her face. She then climbed out the window to avoid
creaking noises made by the wooden boards. This would've been the absolute
worst time to be caught.
Hilde was already emotionally attached
to these people, she didn't need them to start asking
her to stay. The river was a ten minute walk today as she was almost wishing
that the kind people of this town would stop her and she could stay instead of
going through this alone. It was a frightening thought; knowing that is was all
win or lose today, she could convince them to stop, which was highly unlikely,
or she could be killed on the spot. Hilde shivered as she looked up at the
Earth, hanging with the moon in the reddish sky.
"Relena…. Why can't you be here, at the
one time I need somebody most? I need someone beside me for this…" Hilde choked
back lonely tears as she climbed into the mobile suit. It started up again, and
she trailed her long fingers over the many buttons and handles. The three
screens all held pictures of the beautiful scenery, and Hilde looked back at
the elderly couple and her home for many weeks one last time before making to
mobile suit stand up.
This was is…
Lacking… again… ;;
it's so hard to write five pages of chapters though Sorry for missing
last weeks update, I was busy with this report. I nearly missed this week's
too.
Anyways, as you can probably tell, a
childhood promise is coming to an end. :-( Oh well, this wasn't attracting too
many people anyways… I swear my next ones are going to be better! I've got
ideas for one Gundam Wing Fanfiction and one Inuyasha
Fanfiction and One Original. I think I'm going to do
three stories at a time, although updates are going to go, two weeks, then no
update for one week, two more weeks, one without, you know, like that
Thanks for the reviews you all! I
appreciate them so much! Gotta go to sleep now… lol.