The Legacy of the Rose

By: Ammendiana

Epilouge

The hot, humid summer air lay heavy on the shoulders of Mariemaia and her comrades as they lounged in the evening's setting sun. Only a little breeze flitted through the air, mocking them with its sweet relief for only precious seconds before departing to leave them at the mercy of the ruthless heat.

"I cannot believe you locked the dorm room and left the keys in there! Alex, as soon as we get back into the dormitory I'm going to kill you!" Mariemaia would have had a look of murder in her eyes if not for the fact that all her energy was being used to tell her boyfriend what a stupid thing he had done.

Alex tried to hit her, but it took so much energy that he stopped midway and groaned, "It's not my fault! You were all urging me to come on, and I forgot the keys. By the way, why are we waiting out here when the lobby's still open?" He opened his water bottle and poured on top of his sweaty hair.

Milan looked at him and snapped, "The reason we're not in there, genius, is that the air conditioner's broken and it's even hotter in there than it is out here. Now shut up; I'm wasting precious saliva talking to you."

Marcus moaned like a beached whale as he asked, "Why don't we all just go swim in the fake ocean?"

"Because being eaten by a shark is irreversible, unlike minor hear stroke," Octavia groaned as she rubbed an ice cube up and down her flushed cheeks.

"Oh, but Tavvy, what a wonderful way to die." Rick moaned.

Rick was sweating so profusely that his shirt was sticking to his back like glitter to kindergarten paste. Antonia's look was almost demeaning as she snapped, "Oh, just take your Goddamn shirt off, Rick. Sweating away all your water isn't going to do any good. We can at least put aloe vera on a stupid sunburn."

Rick sighed and stripped his second skin away; joining the other men in shirtless-ness. Sweat still dripped down his back, and he was mumbling something about sweat and nasty germs to himself in his heat delirium.

But, then, something good happened. The sprinklers came on. Cool jets of fresh water poured over their bodies and they cheered. Then, like small children, they ran through the sprinklers, laughing and playing.

Alex grabbed Mariemaia as she ran past him, spinning her around so fast that the momentum caused them both to fall on the slick grass. She laughed with joy as he asked, "Why aren't we trying to find someone to unlock the door?"

Mariemaia pulled his braid playfully and declared, "Because it's a Saturday during summer break, we were supposed to be gone yesterday, and no one is here. We're waiting for Heero to bring us his key."

Milan sat in her wheelchair in the path of a steady stream of water from a broken sprinkler. The metal on her wheelchair steamed as the water hit it. Suddenly she shouted, "There he is! Our savior! Our messiah! Let the world rejoice, for Heero has come with the key!"

Rick was puzzled, "Why does Heero have the keys to their dorm?" He asked his sister.

"Because he doesn't lose things like everyone else. He considers it a mission." Octavia shook her red-gold curls, sending water everywhere. "Hell, I don't know."

"Alex, why don't you get ready to run?" Rick suggested.

"Why?" Alex inquired, confused.

"Because you're girlfriend never rescinded her threat to kick your ass. And we all know she could."

Alex's head darted from side to side worriedly and he caught Mariemaia's eyes in a almost panicked glance. She gave him a demonic smile and waved pleasantly. His legs took off almost faster than his torso, and he was nearly pulled off his feet entirely by Rick yanking his braid. Heero got out his slick black car and gave them a questioning look. Then, with a shrug to himself, threw the keys at them. Then he asked, "Why do I have your keys again, Milan?"

Milan caught the keys smoothly in one hand and answered, "Because you won't look through my stuff."

Heero looked at her and shrugged, "Hn."

Mariemaia walked up to Heero and punched him in the shoulder. He looked at her and she asked politely, "Do you want to help me kill Alex for locking me out of my dorm?"

Heero looked at his 'nephew' and gave a mock-regretful sigh, "Can't. Would love to, though. Maybe some other time, when he does some other stupid thing his father would do."

Alex took on the visage of someone highly offended and blew a raspberry at Heero and Mariemaia. Then he pointed out, "Hey, my dad is your best friend!"

Heero shrugged, "Just because he is my friend doesn't mean he doesn't do stupid things. Though I wonder why they haven't decreased over the years." This comment incited another rude sound from Alex.

Heero looked at his watch and stated, "Well, I have to go. I'll talk to you all some time."

There was a chorus of mixed farewells and even a few attempts at hugging (some of which succeeded). Then Heero ducked into his sleek black car and drove off.

Mariemaia, Alex, Rick, Marcus, Octavia, Milan, and Antonia all ran into the building and for Mariemaia and Milan's dorm, eager to leave the academy. Although Antonia had already graduated and Rick and Octavia had just graduated, they still were enthusiastic to leave for their respective vacation spots. Rick and Antonia were planning to spend their summer at Quatre's estate in the Middle East, and Octavia was planning to stay with her uncle, Trowa, and work on her moves. She claimed she didn't have enough stamina to keep up with an internship at the top off-planet medical hospital and needed to get back into shape. Alex, Milan, Mariemaia, and Marcus were going to stay at the Khushrenada estate for the first half of summer break and with Hilde and Duo for the second.

After everyone had grabbed his/her/their keys and whatever belongings they had left in the room, they all headed downstairs again, slowly. It is strange how people think they are so eager to leave places like this and yet seem heartbroken when they do. Mariemaia's thoughts were wistful and reminiscing.

"Why was your stuff in our room again?" Milan asked as she locked the door.

"Because we were going to go to breakfast and come back for it. They wanted to clean our rooms."

They all exited the building after they dropped off their keys. Antonia, Rick, and Octavia all had keys because they had stayed at the academy in abandoned dorm rooms for the last three weeks. Milan and Mariemaia dropped their keys off almost regretfully, realizing that they were never going to come back here to sleep, eat, and play again.

They walked down a long corridor towards the main parking lot. As they strolled, they passed by a succession of plaques, most of them new. Alex stopped short in his tracks and motioned for Mariemaia to come to him. She sighed exasperatedly and came, looking at the plaque that Alex was pointing at. Her name was printed on it, and she looked up to find that it was the school's sports' records plaque. It said, FASTEST 'GAUNTLET' TIME: MARIEMAIA KHUSHRENADA 5:01:54. Alex asked, "Why didn't you know about this plaque?"

Mariemaia shrugged, "I don't know."

They all gawked at the plaque and walked on.

As they often are, the goodbyes were sorrowful and wracked with emotion. The young women hugged each other and cried, and the young men shook hands, gave masculine hugs, and soon found themselves hugging crying women.

Antonia and Rick waved as they walked across the parking lot to Antonia's rented car. Octavia waved and gave everyone one more embrace before she went to drive away in her own car. Marcus, Milan, Alex, and Mariemaia all stood alone in the almost empty parking lot. Then, on a whim,

Mariemaia began to sing.

All my bags are packed,

I'm ready to go

I'm standing here outside your door

I hate to wake you up to say goodbye

But the dawn is breaking

it's early morn

The taxi's waiting he's blowin' his horn.

Already I'm so lonesome I could die.

So kiss me and smile for me,

tell me that you'll wait for me.

Hold me like you'll never let me go.

'Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane

don't know when I'll be back again.

Oh, babe, I hate to go.

There's so many times I let you down,

so many times I 've played around

but I'll tell you now they don't mean a thing.

Every place I go I'll think of you,

every song I sing I'll sing for you.

When I come back I'll wear your wedding ring.

So kiss me and smile for me,

tell me that you'll wait for me.

Hold me like you'll never let me go.

'Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane

don't know when I'll be back again.

Oh, babe, I hate to go.

And now the time has come to leave you,

one more time let me kiss you

then close your eyes and I'll be on my way.

Dream about the days to come

when I won't have to leave alone.

About the times when I won't have to say...

So kiss me and smile for me,

tell me that you'll wait for me.

Hold me like you'll never let me go.

'Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane

don't know when I'll be back again.

Oh, babe, I hate to go.

I'm leavin' on a jet place,

I don't know when I'll be back again.

Oh babe, I hate to go.

But I'm leaving on a jet plane...

And as they drove away, a wind sailed through the trees and the sun set over the huge, hulking mass of the Preventer Academy, to rest for the days ahead.