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"…" talking
"…" thinking/ talking in flashbacks
Please forgive me if any of the Gundam Wing facts are wrong… I haven't watched it for 7 years, so I remember nearly nothing from it.
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A man with a long brown hair that was tied in a braid whistled happily as he walked through a dark alley that was to lead him to his friend's mansion. The moonlight was the only source of light in the black peacefulness of night. It's been 3 years after the war ended," he thought happily. "Everything is so peaceful and calm you'd think nothing ever happened. I guess I have to thank Relena… What am I thinking? Thanking Relena! Never!" He snickered at the thought of the blonde woman. "She still hasn't registered that Hee-man doesn't like her…" He shuddered at all the times Relena had pursued the cold brown-haired man. "She must've come to our house – Quatre's house, at least 4 times a week to butter up Heero, it's getting disgusting, though it is absolutely fun to tease Heero about it."
The man, named Duo Maxwell, was one of the five pilots that had fought for peace in the war. The others were Quatre Raberna Winner, Trowa Barton, Heero Yuy, and lastly Chang Wufei. They decided to stay at Quatre's mansion. It's hard to think that it was already 3 years since the war ended. The 5 of them had an awesome time together as friends, even if Heero would deny ever being a friend with each other.
Duo stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted something unusual at the side of the alley. Quickly deciding that he should check it out, he walked quietly towards the 'thing'. He crouched beside it and grimaced when he felt some kind of sticky substance soak his white pants. He touched it once to check out what it was. He brought his hand back, and grimaced when he saw the sticky red substance staining his finger. "It's blood…" He pulled the 'object' into the moonlight, and gasped when he saw that it was a teenage boy in a flight suit. "The war ended already; there shouldn't be anymore MS or Gundams left! There shouldn't be a reason for anybody to be dressed in a flight suit, or be this injured."
The boy looked to be around 16, though it was hard to tell with all the blood covering his face. He had messy brown hair that reminded Duo of Heero. Duo grimaced as he checked the boy's injuries. There were major burns all over his body and there were glass and plastic stuck to many parts of his torso and arms. A big piece of glass was inserted deep into the boy's left side. Another piece was inserted in the boy's right shoulder. There was a pool of blood under him, and Duo was kneeling right in it, though at the moment he was still checking if the boy was stukk alive.
Duo immediately checked the boy's pulse, and was shocked to feel a pulse. Any human would have died by now, he had lost too much blood. "But yet, he's still alive. I have to bring him back to the mansion right away!" Carefully picking up the boy, Duo ran quickly to the mansion.
Duo burst through the mansion's door in record time. Quatre looked up from his book in surprise. He was expecting Duo's happy and humorous voice, maybe tinted with a bit of drunkenness, but instead, his voice was panicky and urgent.
"Quatre! Get your doctors ready immediately!" Duo tore through the mansion towards the medical bay in the mansion.
Quatre was confused. "What!"
"I found somebody really injured in the alley! Come on already!" Duo's voice screeched.
The others, who were either reading or just plain sitting around in the living room, were already on their feet and jogged lightly to the medical bay. Quatre joined them a minute later. The doctors at the medical bay were rushing around searching for all the things they needed.
The pilots rushed to the bedside to see the injured teen. Heero raised an eyebrow at all the injuries the boy had. "He lost way too much blood to survive, especially for a boy his age."
Apparently Wufei was thinking the same thing. "Duo, you fool, there's no way he could be alive!" A doctor bumped Wufei out of the way to tear the glass piece stuck in the boy's shoulder.
"If you don't mind, Master Quatre, please step outside. This boy needs our full attention and you're in the way," the doctor asked politely while his hands worked expertly. Quatre nodded and motioned for the others to follow him outside.
Duo pouted at Wufei. "I felt a pulse back there, a very weak one though. If he was dead, the doctors wouldn't bother at fixing him up! So there, Wu-man!" Duo stuck out his tongue at the Chinese man. Wufei's eyebrows ticked in annoyance. Duo gulped and was about to run when Quatre's voice interrupted him.
"If I were you, I would change my pants," the blonde boy said. "It's covered with that boy's blood."
Wufei snorted. "Might as well take a shower, you reek of blood, Maxwell."
Duo rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, I got it." His eyes flashed towards the medical bay. "I might as well sleep now. Alert me when the kid awakes."
"It might take a while, considering his injuries," Trowa said quietly.
"The doctors will tell us when he's better," Quatre replied. "Why are you worried about him?"
"I don't know, something tells me he's this special guy and that I should protect him or something," Duo said, scratching his head. "Weird feeling, plus he's in a flight suit. It might mean that someone is trying to start another war." He headed upstairs to his room and closed the door.
"Hn, the braided baka has a point," Heero said. He turned and walked off. The rest of the pilots said goodnight to each other quietly before heading off to sleep as well.
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(GS dimension)
Athrun groaned as he forced his eyes open. Sunlight streamed from a window. He sat up with a bit of difficulty when a voice halted his actions.
"You're currently onboard an Orb Aircraft. We decided to take you in after we found you on the beach," the female voice of Cagalli told him.
"Orb? What does a neutral nation want with me? Or am I in the hands of the Earth Forces?" Athrun said in a weird tone. He felt dazed, as if the world he was living on was a hallucination. He wanted it to be a hallucination. He pulled the IV lined from his bandaged wrist.
"We were searching for the Strike's pilot. Do you know where he is? Did he escape like you did?" Cagalli asked her voice tinted with sadness.
Athrun's eyes went wide at the description of Kira. His best friend… the one he just killed. He let his head fall, his hair shadowing his sorrowful eyes. "He's dead, because I killed him." Cagalli let out a gasp. "It's true; I trapped the Strike with my Aegis and blew up."
Cagalli's eyes widened. Angry, she took out her gun, ran to the bedside and pointed the gun to Athrun's neck. Athrun's head tipped up from the pressure, and Cagalli was shocked to see crystalline tears running down his face. Athrun's dazed voice continued on, "It was the only choice I had… to finish him."
"Idiot!" Cagalli pushed Athrun back onto the bed. Athrun's face was pained, and it had tears streaming down his face. She pointed her gun at him, but her hand was shaking from the crying she was doing. She let Athrun go and instead pounded the wall. "Dammit!"
Athrun's voice was shaken with tears. "Why am I still alive… maybe it's because I got out just in time… or maybe you were destined to finish me." Cagalli had her gun pointed at Athrun again, who was sitting up.
"Kira … took too many risks, he never knew what he was doing, and always cried," Cagalli cried out. "But he was gentle and kind! He was a nice guy!"
"I know," Athrun responded, his voice still shaky. "Kira hasn't changed a bit. He's smart but he never thought things through, and he was a sentimental crybaby."
"You know Kira!" Cagalli asked, amazed. Athrun's eyes looked hollow and empty when he said the next line.
"Yes… we were childhood friends… we were the best of friends."
"That's crazy!" Cagalli ran back to Athrun and pushed him against the wall. "If you were such a great best friend, then why would you kill him!"
"I don't know…" Athrun's voice sounded lost and sad. "I don't know either!" He began sobbing his eyes out. "We used to live on the moon together… but I had to move to the PLANTs, we separated, still as the best friends we were. The next time I saw him, he was fighting against me, killing friends of mine… he became my enemy! Then… he killed Nicol!"
"So, you killed Kira because he killed your friend?" Cagalli asked in disbelief. "How could you come up with something so stupid?" Her eyes immediately filled with tears. "How could you end up doing something so terrible?"
"He killed Nicol right in front of my eyes!" Athrun defended himself. "Nicol was fifteen, he was gentle, and he played the piano. He only fought to protect the PLANTs, and Kira killed him!"
"Kira only fought to protect the people he loved!" Cagalli shrieked at him. "But it doesn't mean that he had to be killed… and in the hands of his best friend of all people!"
Athrun eyes widened and tears were quick to fill in when he heard the last line. Cagalli leaned against him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Someone is killed for killing another, then that guy is killed for killing the other person… How is that twisted kind of thinking supposed to end the war!" Cagalli screamed at him.
They spent about a half hour crying over that. Cagalli left sometime later muttering something inaudible. Athrun laid on his bed tears still streaming down his face. "Kira… Please… be alive somewhere… please. Don't die… I'm so sorry… Kira." Athrun started crying again as him mind flashed back to Cagalli's words. It doesn't mean that he had to be killed… and in the hands of his best friend of all people!
A flashback suddenly popped in his head… they were still at the moon. They were both 6 at the time…
(Flashback)
"Come on Athrun! I got us a present!" A six year old Kira dragged his best friend Athrun towards the door. "Mommy! Can we go to the place where I bought the present?"
"Sure! But be careful! Remember to look both ways before crossing the road!" Mrs. Yamato replied.
"Mom! It's practically across the street!" Kira rolled his eyes but smiled anyways. "I'll be back soon!" He dragged Athrun out the door, with the blue-haired coordinator stumbling.
"Kira. Where are we going?" Athrun asked curiously. "What's the gift for?"
"Silly, don't you remember? Today is the exact date we met 2 years ago!" Kira chided him. Athrun blinked.
"Oh, right!"
Kira giggled. "Come on! I had our gift customized at the mechanic shop across the street." Kira skipped across the street happily with Athrun running after him.
"Aww… wait up, Kira!" Athrun wailed as he struggled to keep up with the ever-bouncing Kira.
"You're just slow!" Kira playfully stuck out his tongue out. "Come on! It's this shop!" Athrun followed his best friend into the small mechanic shop.
The man at the counter smiled softly as the two friends came into his shop. "Ah… Kira! Here for the customized gift, right?"
The little boy grinned happily. "Yup! You have them right!" Kira's voice was anxious.
"No worries! Here you go!" The man grinned at the two identical customized lockets he had made for them. The necklace was a simple silver chain. The locket was silver in the front, with the words 'Best friends forever' engraved on it in a blue colour. On the inside, both sides had a picture on them. Both were of the happy times they had together from the last 2 years.
"Wow! Kira! This is amazing!" Athrun fingered the locket, opening it, looking at the pictures and everything around it. He finally closed it and put it around his neck. He turned to Kira. "I'll never take this off! We'll be best friends forever and ever!"
Kira nodded. "Yeah, forever and ever!" They hooked pinkies and promised that they would be there for each other.
(Flashback ends)
Athrun's hand immediately went to his neck, wanting to feel the silver locket and remembered he had destroyed it when he found out Kira was fighting against them. Tears once again welled up in Athrun's eyes. "We were supposed to be there for each other… but I killed him… I promised I would never take off the locket… I promised we would always be friends… Kira…"
Athrun couldn't stop the tears from falling; his heart felt like it would explode from the sadness welling in his heart. His eyes were beginning to close, and he fell asleep before he knew it.
He opened his eyes and looked up. It looked to be around 5 in the night. Somebody was knocking urgently at his door. "ATHRUN! Are you in there?" Cagalli's voice was impatient.
"Yeah… come in," Athrun said. Cagalli walked in and stuffed an object in his hands. "Huh?" He looked in his palm and gasped in surprised. It was the locket. "How…?"
"We found it floating in the water near where the Strike disappeared. It does have the pictures of you and Kira… we thought it might be yours," Cagalli explained.
It was covered in dried blood… Kira's blood. "It…it was Kira's… when we were younger, he had bought two of these lockets. One for me, one for him; we promised to never take it off, and to be best friends forever. We promised that we would be there for each other…" Athrun clutched the locket tighter, and once again, tears streamed down his face. "I broke the promise… I destroyed my locket; I killed Kira… my best friend…"
"Athrun…" Cagalli sat down and hugged him comfortingly. Athrun looked at her surprised, and Cagalli jumped off the bed. "Uh… I'll be outside…"
"Thank you," Athrun said quietly. "For the hug… I needed it."
"No problem," Cagalli replied. "I'll find you when the ZAFT ship is here. We're not allowed to bring ZAFT soldiers into Orb territory," she explained to Athrun's confused face.
"Oh, alright," Athrun nodded. Cagalli left the room, hesitantly. Athrun looked at the blood-covered locket. "Kira…" He went to the washroom, and using the sink, he washed off all the blood. Without the blood, the locket wasn't damaged at all. It shined in the light, and the words, 'Best friends forever' gleamed. "I will never let anyone take this away from me." He put the locket around his neck. "I won't ever take this off… this I promise, Kira."
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End of Chapter 2
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