Wings.
Soft, warm wings with splotches of blood on the feathers near his shoulder blades where ripped skin was from where they had sprouted.
He fell to the ground, wondering how he even got here in the first place. Despite feeling lightheaded and somehow drunk, though he had never had a drink in his life, he managed to open his eyes and get a glimpse at the surroundings he found himself stuck in.
From what he could assume, he was in a forest. A forest that was desolate for the looks of it he had caught. Birds merrily chirped along to songs and animal's continued on their daily life as if they had never seen a person—with wings coming out of his back might he add—before. The distant sound of gurgling and trickling were telltale signs of a stream, or some source of water nearby. Wood surrounded him and he sighed heavily.
What happened to the room, the funeral where Relena had been? Why…why was he here in some strange place. He clenched his eyes closed as he attempted to right himself to at least a sitting position and winced when he strained a muscle.
Managing to at least lean against a tree in a slumped upright position, he closed his eyes to wrack his mind of every piece of information he could summon from what happened.
He remembered how, he took a deep breath as he remembered the news from that fateful day. How he had walked into the room with the television on and the many cameras light's flashing all around on the screen.
They had found out. Somehow he assumed they would, but not so quickly. Maybe there was a leak, or one of the people that had seen him there with her in his arms had told…?
Relena Darlian had been pronounced dead on arrival to the hospital.
His heart clenched at the memory of feeling her cold skin against his warm hands, her blank aquamarine eyes that were once so full of life were now dead and void as they stared into his own emotionally distressed eyes. He was with her, with her when everything happened until the very end…
"Relena, are you sure you don't want to go?" His usual emotionless face showed concern as Relena took a seat and slumped into the cushions of the chair.
She looked up, face somewhat pale in the dimmed lights and smiled at him as she masked whatever she was feeling. "Oh no," she brushed off the idea like a fly, "I'm just a little nervous that's all!"
"Why?" He questioned as he sipped at his drink and stared at the dancing going on and loud music filling the place. People were meshed together in some parts of the dance floor where flashing lights were going on, techno beats setting a strong pulse for the heart and pulse.
Relena had decided that the best place to go would be a nearby club. And with a little makeup and some somewhat revealing clothes, no one would ever think they even glimpsed Relena Darlain, the Vice Foreign Minister at a club.
Relena laughed and leaned in, "Well…" she had a sparkle in her eyes as she stared at Heero, "This is our first date, is it not." Heero shrugged and turned away to hide the faint blush tinting his cheeks. Relena didn't miss it and laughed.
Getting up from her seat and hiding a small stumble in her steps from Heero, she grabbed his hand in her own and felt how warm his skin was against hers. She shrugged off the feeling of sickness that washed over her and continued her way with Heero in tow to the dance floor.
The night continued on, some people leaving and the some more people entering the club as the moon danced in the dark colored sky above. Relena stepped out into the fresh air with Heero by her side.
Her head was pounding and she licked her lips to taste the salty sweat covered it and her skin. She breathed deep to cool her flushed body, not noting how cold her skin really was. Her vision swayed for the moment but it cleared easily when she blinked.
"Relena?" Heero turned to Relena who stared ahead at the night sky and didn't respond to him. He still looked worried, wondering if the girl truly was all right or masking something that was wrong like he would do.
She heard his voice, calling her name and she caught it in her ears. Why did it sound like she was six feet under water? Her breath caught again, hitching as she tried to take in as much of the cool air that she could. Why was she so hot?
"Relena!" Heero grabbed Relena's body as he gently laid her onto the ground and tried asking her questions, none of which she responded.
"Please!" He begged on his knees, fumbling as he reached for her purse and pulled out her cell phone to call the ambulance, and page the former pilots as well as Milliardo and Noin. "Relena, hold on!" He urged while he threw the phone back into the purse.
Sirens sounded in the distance and Heero grabbed her hand while trying to figure out what was wrong with her.
"He…ero…" She opened her eyes as much as she could, getting only a slated vision of Heero's concerned face hovering over her stilling body. Her voice was raspy, dry and needing water. Her stomach churned at the thought of food and drink, thinking other wise.
He was holding her hand and he felt hers hold onto his when she felt his touch and he smiled at her, hoping she would make it.
Why did her chest hurt when it moved up and down? Why did her heart hurt when she saw Heero's face? Why was the darkness closing in around him and her, calling her towards a light floating in the dark blanket covering her and everything else? She knew somehow that she was going to die.
To try and fight something so expectant was unthinkable. She used her strength to open her eyes slowly and look at Heero once more. She lifted her hand and gently cupped the side of his face in her hand and smiled slowly despite the shocked look crossing his features. "L-Love…" She whispered, managing only one word as he face fell the other way limply, hand falling and the smile fading from her still features.
That was the day that Relena died. She had died in his arms on their first date, refusing to think that something was wrong when she went to the bathroom and threw up blood at the club. She hid everything from Heero, Milliardo, her friends, and her family.
She wasn't the only one to die either, for when her heart stopped and she would never open her eyes and smile at anyone anymore, Heero died as well.
A single tear escaped his eyes as he remembered the incident, the first tear he cried since Relena had left the world, and him with it, in his arms.
Noin had stopped Milliardo from pointing the blame at him when she saw how distressed he was. Quatre was the one to make sure he ate at least one meal a day, much to his dislike. Trowa silently watched over him when he could as well as Wufei leading up to the funeral. Duo make sure he didn't do anything stupid like take his own life.
He sighed and lifted a hand up to run his fingers through his messy hair and stopped to see a scar lining his wrist and he stared at it.
Everything hit him like a bullet, so sudden and fast. From the kinfe to the thoughts of seeing his angel drenched in his blood. That pure white dress had been tainted by him, as well as her.
The last thing he remembered, before and even in the sea of darkness that hugged him tightly was a scream reaching his ears that tried to pull him away from his comfort.
And it was Relena that screamed his name. Blood still flowed from his back, painting the tree trunk and now the grass a darker shade and some crimson when the sun hit a blade or two through the canopy of leaves.
He put his hands on the ground, making to get up and look around to assess his situation with the cumbersome angel wings moving with each muscle on his back like they belonged there.
He fell back and gasped at the pain that rocked through his lithe body and bit his tongue to keep from crying out. Bruises on his chest and torso showed he had fallen in whatever place he was now in.
He closed his eyes and ignored the time flying past his strained body, passing quickly enough in his groggy state of mind when he awoke with still no energy. He couldn't feel the sun's warm rays shining above him anymore yet knew that the nightlife had yet to come out. It must have been dusk he presumed after ruling out all other options without wasting energy to open his eyes.
Sounds reached his ears and he groaned and struggled to respond by opening his eyes and at least seeing what all the commotion was about.
His prussian eyes slowly opened with sleep and the continual blood loss affecting his vision. Blurry images of people wearing some odd clothing fighting with more people wearing odd clothing also, like armor and such. Odd.
Then swords were out clashing, people rushing around with great speed and light as they felled each foe and slaughtered nearing opponents. A girl stood off from the group, wearing what looked like a Japanese standard school uniform. Very odd.
"EEK!" A Person—or what looked to be like it except for the ears and skin…and the tail—screamed, running around as another person dodged attacks thrown at him from the enemy he could assume. A flash of light appeared again and some sort of invisible force tried to push him back, people beginning to yell odd names to one another.
The one he assumed to be the leader continued fighting and a blast of blue shot from his forehead, finishing off the enemies with one final blow. Very odd indeed.
Heero closed his eyes, letting a sigh escape from his lips as his body relaxed into the ground. His torso felt wet in some parts, sticky warm blood dripping on him from the feathers of a wing bent over to protect him.
The necklace around his neck brushed against his bare chest in a rhythmic pattern as he collapsed in an unconscious heap, getting odd looks from people who started to walk towards him with cautious steps, slowly yet steadily.
His thoughts strayed in the sea of darkness he found himself in yet again and the flashing image of his smiling angel hit him with a small pang of loneliness. He wondered where she was and if she was all right.
'Relena…' it came out only in a whisper, echoing in his mind. Then everything shut down, fading to black and an eternal plane of nothing swallowing him in a single sweep and gulp.
TBC
Author's note: Eh heh. Sorry for the long wait for this story's update. I've been kind of busy yet somehow found time while recovering from a bad sinus infection (X.X). Yeah, I made a 'Wings of Eternity' drawing for all of you people who were nice enough to bother reading my story and (or) reviewing it. If you wanna see it, go to my website (click on the homepage button for my userlook up) and scroll down on the homepage until you see it. Or you can visit the art section.
Love y'all and hope everyone has a great spring break! Feedback is always loved and welcomed!
Red Tail
PS- Those of you who like X-Men and Gundam Wing, Lif, my sister (made the nickname myself v) Uplifted has a new story and it's awesome. I love it Plus, since she's my sister I can poke her into updating :poke poke: Check it out if you want! It's called 'Passions' and is in the GW/AC section.
Lockea: I made you a fanart piece for your GW story because of the braid It's under my deviant art account lost-remembrance (same as username for FFN) under 'Duo'
