Chapter 7

Lily was bundled, the cold air still biting at her face. Today there was a terrible snow storm outside, and she hated the cold. A little while ago everyone had been gathered at the gundam base to plan for their next mission, but they got nothing. Sighing, Lily recalled the meeting.

"Relena is on this floor in room 628B." Lily had pointed to a certain location on the map that she had received from Amelia. "Here, here and here there are some laser cannons. Three gundams can take those out while the other four enter the base to get Relena."

"How do we get inside?" Quatre asked.

"And what about the OZ MS guarding the base?" Trowa added.

Sighing, Lily threw a folder onto the table. "Why don't all of you plan your own mission then? Has anyone even considered that maybe I don't want to go?"

"Alright everyone. I think it's time we take a break," Suggested Nikki.

Lily shook her head clear of that thought, but not of the others that swarmed around in her head. Screams echoed in her mind as past wars flashed from one to another. Lily looked down at her hands and noticed that they were shaking. Sighing, she pulled out some candy and popped it into her mouth. Slowly, the shaking eased and she stopped to lean against a wall.

"I don't think I can do this anymore Kami-sama. These wars, they aren't for me to fight. I want peace for these people, but it seems impossible. What should I do?"

Nikki looked at the clock and sighed. Lily should be back by now. Nikki had wanted to walk back home with Lily, but Lily had insisted she walk by herself. Nikki was worried about her friend.

The phone rung, bringing Nikki out of her thoughts. She picked up the receiver and placed it against her ear. "Moshi moshi?"

Nikki nearly dropped the phone upon hearing the voice on the other line.

"Is Lily there? I need to speak to my daughter."

"Rei-sama?"

"Is this Nikki?"

"Hai. Ano, Lily-chan isn't home right now. Would you like me to let her know that you called?"

"Hai, if you don't mind."

"No problem." Nikki hung up with Rei. She couldn't believe it. Rei wouldn't call unless…

Nikki heard the door open and looked over at Lily. "Lily-chan." Lily blinked and looked up at her friend. Something was wrong and she could sense it.

"Nikki-chan, Daijoubu ka?"

"Oh, um, your mom just called."

"Okaasan?"

It was a while before Lily had gotten off the phone with her mom, and judging by the looks of things, Lily wasn't happy. Of course though, lately Nikki has sensed that Lily's been a little upset about something. Lily had been a bit withdrawn from the group and her temper was triggered easier as well. It was always as if she had retreated back to her old self, only this time it was from depression, not anger.

"Lily-chan, what…"

"I'm going home."

"Lily, look at me!" Duo ordered her. Lily hadn't said a word to anyone, and it frustrated Duo. Lily was packing stuff into her gundam, her back to all her friends. She wanted to say something. She wanted to let them know that this was against her will. It's not like she wanted to leave. She loved all her friends. She tried talking to them, but knew immediately that if she did, she'd start crying and most likely wouldn't go home.

"Please Lily, talk to me," Duo begged her. "At least explain to us why you have to go." Lily couldn't bare it. Why couldn't Duo just leave her alone? Everyone else had backed off.

The group watched Duo. They didn't blame him, thought they all knew it was hopeless. Lily was stubborn. In the time that Lily had been here, she had grown closest to Duo. It was duo who had opened her up and he who had taken care of her when she was in need of it. No one knew Lily as well as Duo did.

"Lily!" Duo grabbed Lily and spun her around. He was shocked when Lily pushed him away and started shouting at him while tears streamed down her face.

"What is wrong with you? Why can't you just let me go? What? You think this is easy for me? Damn it Duo!" Lily pounded against his chest. Gradually she calmed down as was eventually leaning into him, sobbing heavily. "I don't want to go, but I have to." Duo held onto Lily tightly, not wanting to let go.

The g-boys and Nikki watched the two. Once again, Duo had managed to surprise them with his ability to get Lily to open up. It wasn't an easy task and yet Duo somehow always managed to do so.

"Lily, don't go. Please?"

"I have to Duo. They need me. I've already delayed my return home long enough." Slowly she pushed away from Duo and climbed into her gundam.

"Lily, we need you!" Nikki finally got up the courage to speak. "You can't go. What will we do without you?"

"I'm counting on you Nikki. Sayonara minna." With that Lily's gundam flew off and she was out of sight. Everyone stood there in silence for awhile. Eventually, one by one everyone left the base, Duo the only remaining person.

"Lily…"

It was two days since Lily had left, and the base had grown quiet. There was less training and no communication between the gundam pilots.

"Come on everyone. Get yourselves together," Sally spoke up. "It's not the end of the world… yet that is. Though it might be if you don't get moving for this next mission."

"We don't have a leader," Nikki simply explained.

"If I recall this correctly, Lily left you in charge," Noin said.

"We have no leader," Nikki repeated.

"I give up." Both Noin and Sally left the pilots to sulk on their own.

"Lily, I'm glad you're home." Rei was walking through the garden with Lily. Lily looked up at the sky. In front of her family she smiled. She didn't let them know how upset she was. She loved it here. Really she did, but she felt trapped. She wanted to be out with her friends, moving around.

Her friends. Lily sighed and thought back to all the fun they had. There were so many memories. Happy ones, sad ones, angry ones, but all memories. She looked around Mars. Why did it feel so foreign? This was her home. Or so she thought, but then she shook her head. Home was where the heart was. Her heart wasn't here. It was on Earth with her friends. Duo. She missed Duo.

"What do you want to do on Christmas?" Duo had kindly asked her as they strolled through the park. "It's only a month away."

"Anything, as long as you're there," Lily had answered. "Let's have a party with the group."

"Sounds good to me. Any party is good with you around." Lily felt herself blush and tried to hide it. Duo only laughed.

That laugh. Lily couldn't get it out of her head. She couldn't stop thinking about Duo. She missed him so much.

"Lily?" Rei looked at her daughter, and though she knew Lily wasn't listening, she could tell that Lily missed Earth. "Who is it that you miss so much? I know you miss Earth, but it's a particular person as well."

Lily blinked and looked at her mother. Suddenly she found herself laughing, but then the laughs turned into tears. "I want to go back Okaasan. I miss them. My friends… my family.

"Rei, you have to send her back. She's been here for over a day and already she's miserable," Jadeite explained to his wife. "Lily has suffered enough in life. Don't make her suffer here as well."

"But Jadeite, it's her duty to be here and protect the future heir to the throne. Everyone but her has returned. I would call Umi back, but she won't survive here."

"I think she would. We just never give her a chance. Rei, your children are stronger than you think." Jadeite massaged his wife's back. They all missed Lily, but this was like a prison to her.

"I can't Jadeite. I haven't seen my daughter since she was five. I can't just let her go again."

Jadeite sighed and moved away from Rei. He understood how she felt, but Rei's actions were spoiled.

"The colonies are out of control." Dorthy sat as she watched the news. Quatre sat next to her. "I heard OZ is planning on attacking the Planets."

"What?" Quatre was surprised. "Not only do they want Earth and the colonies, so they want the Planets now."

"OZ is just power hungry. They'll do anything. The Planets are at peace. They have nothing to do with this war and yet OZ still wants to attack. It's because people of the Planets fight to protect Earth and the colonies. And it's rumored that the Planets hold dear secrets to them. They want to know what those secrets are."

"We really are in a tight situation now." Quatre sighed. "Everyone's at war, Lily's gone, they've kidnapped Relena, and us gundam pilots can't even get along at the moment.

"Do it for Lily. If not with, then do it for her."