THANK YOU GUARDIAN OF LIGHT LIGHTUS AND BERRY DOYLE FOR REVIEWING ON THE STORY!

enjoy and do review please.

DISCLAIMER: i do not own GBF. the plot and the original characters are mine

just noticed that my story goes really, really, fast. should i slow it...? but it's too late. oh well, who cares? *shrugs*

note: sei and china use japanese honorifics while arian people use english honorifics. just to emphasize that despite both places speak japanese, that there is a difference.


Last on 'When Innocence Dies':

"I'm sorry," Sei said.

"Nah, it has been years since then. I guess your mom just reminded me of her."

"She misses you, you know? Goes on rants on how you are the only one who appreciates her cooking." Reiji chuckled. "We miss you at home. It's too quiet."

"Then I promise to find a way back home." Reiji grinned widely.

And with that, they went to sleep with serene smiles.


Chapter 4 - Gundam - coincidence or not?


"Listen to what Dr. Chusuke says, okay?" China fussed over a very bemused blunet. Reiji and Aila were holding back laughter while Sei's face turned to a near purplish red color.

The trio was about to head out to the Gundam hideout in secret. They didn't want people finding out about the Gundam if they follow them so they would take a cart to the place where Baker and Mashita live and then trek the way to the dune. Gabriel (who was happy to hear that they are well) would escort them to the outskirts of the kingdom and then await their return by the wall.

They were the ones traveling but China was more worried about the safety of Sei, which resulted in this particular scene.

"For the last time, China, I'm not going out of my bed today nor tomorrow so relax! I have one mom already, I don't need another one. I only ask you to get Cosmos, okay?"

China huffed but released him, much to his relief.

Sei waved them goodbye and lied back on the bed, eyeing the doctor. The man smiled and inserted a liquid into his infusion. A moment later he dozed off, the pain subsiding.


Later in the afternoon he woke up to a knock on the door. He yawned and called 'come on in'. The door opened to reveal a man in his early forties with a shock of long dark red hair paired with sharp golden eyes. Right away Sei knew who this man was and straightened up, bowing his head to him.

"Please don't." The man had a low baritone tone but it was light and friendly. "You're my son's friend, no need for formalities." Sei looked up at the smiling man and shrugged. Reiji's father sat by his bed and extended his hand. The blunet smiled and shook the firm calloused hand.

"I'm Iori Sei. It is a pleasure to meet you, Reiji's father."

"You can call me Amon. I'm so happy to finally meet the boy my son had been talking about for the past two years." Gold eyes sparkled in interest and Sei chuckled at the similarity between the father and son. "I have to admit – how do you handle my son without going insane I will never know. Teach me your secret."

"I'm asking myself that same question every single day, Amon-san," Sei smirked and the man laughed a deep laugh.

"I knew my son had a reason for befriending you."

"Actually, it was because of a very angry salesman."

"Oh?" His thick dark red brows rose high. "I'm curious to know." Sei nodded mischievously and told him everything that had happened from his point of view. Amon laughed a lot but otherwise kept his quiet, the complete opposite of Reiji.

At the end they ate lunch together while Amon told the teen many stories about Reiji's childhood and the two years period after the world tournament. It was clear how he was proud of his son even when he made jokes about him and teasing the fact that a marriage will be held soon. Sei laughed and remembered the one time he came back to see his mom and best friend laughing over open albums.

Payback, he thought evilly.

When the pain came back Amon left and let Dr. Chusuke clean his stitches and inject more morphine. Sei slipped under shortly after, satisfied.


He woke up in the middle of the night with a distinct feeling that something was calling him. He sat up and scanned the room for the intruder.

Orbs of blue light floated around him, jumping occasionally and flickering as if in a dance. Sei watched them, transfixed and his body buzzed in excitement, wanting to join the ethereal dance.

He removed the blankets and carefully placed his feet o the floor. Two lights went behind him and suddenly he felt something push him upright. He stumbled and leaned on the wall for support but for some reason he felt like he was floating. He didn't feel any pain.

The lights kept pushing him and he allowed them to lead him out of the room and across the halls until they came to a bottom of a staircase. They stopped and he looked up to see big familiar doors in front of him.

Why am I in front of the main entrance? Are we going out? His attention returned to the lights as they flew to the knob and circled around it, their color slightly darker blue than before.

Sei rolled his eyes at their enthusiasm and suddenly as if snapping from a daydream he realized that he was back in his bed, hand reaching for the ceiling.

Was that a dream? Am I going insane? Sei shook his head. Probably am going crazy from being cooped up in bed for so long. He closed his eyes and fell back asleep.

Unnoticed by him a soft golden yellow aura glowed around his body.


"This is the place." China pointed at a dune, from which a half concealed bloodied rag fluttered. The wind had swept the sand around so it took more time than planned to find the correct place.

"I don't like the fact that Sei's blood helped us," Reiji grumbled as they removed the sand. His bad mood vanished the moment they had uncovered the Gundam.

It was the Build Strike! And the first version, none the less. It was the one he held for his first fight on the wish of Sei. The one that brought him into the amazing world of Gunpla. The one Sei worked on and upgraded so they could go against Yuuki Tatsuya and enter the world tournament.

It was one that was filled with many memories and adventures.

"It looks an awful lot like Star Build Strike, only much plainer," Aila pointed out.

"Well… it is the first version of Build Strike."

"I see… but isn't that Sei's invention? What is it doing here? Not to mention that we never heard of life-size Gundam in Arian—"

"You have a point," China muttered to herself.

"—besides," The Finnish placed a hand on the white metal surface, "I think that there are too many 'coincidences' for it to not be connected."

"You mean that somebody out there brought us here." Someone that has no regards on hurting Sei. Someone that wanted them to find and use that Gundam.

So it wasn't luck that it had liquid water and a nearly fully packed first-aid kit (she had a bad feeling that the cleansing alcohol was intentionally misplaced).

She clenched her fists, someone had the nerve to rip them away from their world and drag them here for no apparent reason.

"Where is that bastard so I can rip him apart?" It seems that Reiji and she had the same train of thought.

But the most important question is why? Aila pondered about China's deduction as she tracked the dent and opened the cockpit. Then she crawled inside and started searching for anything amiss, not noticing a suspicious looking bulge on the corner.

"Anything yet?" Reiji called, still a bit angry. "We need to find Cosmos."

"Don't rush me!" She snapped and slipped, hitting her shoulder on the bulge. The panels slid close and she was plunged into darkness.

"Aila!" Reiji cried and she could hear him banging on the metal. "Damn it, it's not opening. Aila!"

The silver-head groaned, rubbing her sore shoulder. "I'm fine! But it's too dark to see anything."

"Try taking out the keyboard and place your hand on it like I told you before. It should be in a hole on the left."

"Okay." Aila climbed carefully into the chair and probed the left-side space. She found the socket and slid out the board, but nothing happened when she touched it – no light or anything else.

"Are you sure it is supposed to work like that?"

"Positive! Screens are supposed to pop up. It's not working?" China sounded worried. Aila couldn't blame her – why something that Sei apparently could activate so easily wouldn't respond her?

A familiar flow of blue particles caught her eye and she turned her attention to the empty panel, which suddenly was lit with the particles as they fell like snow on it.

Slowly the particles formed a sentence, but she had to squint to understand what it said.

Then a loud gasp left her jaw slack mouth.

"What's wrong?" The bangs returned with vigor. Aila was too preoccupied to get angry.

"We have to go back! They're after Sei!" She called. Then everything lit up all of the sudden and she saw the light flow circle a belt with a box attached to it, Sei's Cosmos!

She snatched it and the panels opened again to reveal two pale faces.

They took off after reburying the Gundam in sand, their hearts beating frantically in their chests.

They have to see Sei.


"Where is Sei!?" Reiji demanded the minute his foot passed the palace's door.

Even though it was after sunset when they trio arrived back at the town, they only allowed themselves three hours of sleep and a hurried meal before Gabriel drove them back on the cart to the palace. It was no wonder then that they were restless and irritated.

The doctor could easily see that the prince was not in the mood for any more delays.

"He's at his room, your highness. I was just about to check on him myself," He said calmly as they walked toward Sei's room. Well… he was walking. The others were running ahead of him, too anxious to wait for him.

"That reminds me," He tapped his finger on his chin calmly when they arrived at the door. "He was talking to his Majesty all day. It seems that they became really close."

Despite himself, Reiji groaned and hid his burning face, worry momentarily gone. His father loved telling embarrassing stories about him and it always ended up in him being giggled at for the rest of his life.

The doctor smiled and opened the door to reveal a still sleeping Sei with a smile dancing on his lips.

The trio sighed in relief. Sei was safe. Dr. Chusuke chuckled and gently shook the sleeping patient.

"Mr. Sei, your friends are here." Sei frowned and whined sleepily as he weakly slapped the hand away and buried himself deeper into the covers. China and Aila snorted while Reiji laughed loudly.

Sei jumped at the outburst and sat up, looking with half-lidded eyes around him. Reiji held his stomach as the laughs grew in volume. Finally the blue eyes focused on the redhead and widened.

"Reiji!" He called happily, his face slightly flushed. "You're back!"

The slightly slurred voice shut Reiji up and he raised a brow. "Are you okay?"

Sei blinked and started giggling. "Of course I am, silly Reiji. You've no idea how much blackmail your father gave me." He spread his arms as wide as he could. "Thi~s much!"

Now the trio looked at the bewildered doctor.

"What did my dad made him drink?"

"N-nothing! He was fine when he went to sleep. His Majesty wasn't allowed to bring any wine into the room. Perhaps the painkillers? But he didn't react to them like that before…"

"Hey, don't talk like I'm not here~" Sei drawled and flung the covers to the floor, his face completely red now. "Let me in too~"

"Sei, what are you doing?" China grabbed the blankets and made to put them back on his. Sei shook his head and pushed the blankets away from him.

"It's hot~! And I've been cooped up in here for… for…" He paused and tried to count on his fingers but ended up with swirling eyes as he comically fell back to the bed.

China placed a hand on his cheek and deflated – it was burning hot.

"You're burning up!"

"Your hand is so cool." Sei snuggled into her hand and then looked at her face and smiled widely. "You're so beautiful~ I'm so lucky… marry me?"

China turned beet red from head to toe and smoke rose from her face. Reiji was nearly on the floor in hysterics.

"Sei! What did you drink last night?"

Sei grinned innocently. "Water~ Amon said that I need water or else Reiji would kill him."

"Amon?"

Reiji groaned. "My old man."

"He's so nice~" Sei continued. "When the pain came back he left so I could go to sleep." Then he clasped his hands as if he remembered something. "I woke up from a light show, it was really pretty~"

"Light show?" Aila asked and looked at Dr. Chusuke, who was at loss as much as them.

"Yep! Small balls of light led me to the big doors. Guess they wanted to go on a walk."

"You went out of your bed?!"

"No. silly, it was a dream." The others sweatdropped at the cheery aura around the drunk teen. Reiji was reminded of Rinko and felt a shudder. Drunk Sei was freaking him out.

"You're not making any sense. What made you drunk?" China called in exasperation.

"Oh, you should have just asked." Sei shrugged, still smiling.

"Then?"

"I have absolutely no idea." The drunken blunet was reduced to a fit of giggles.

Reiji was really starting to hate Drunk Sei. Aila had to leave the room in fear of hitting something and China simply stared helplessly into space.

"Ooh~!" In a blink of an eye Sei jumped from the bed and crouched in front of the forgotten belt and container. "Is that my Cosmos?"

"You shouldn't be out of the bed," The doctor was a bit frantic. Sei simply looked at him in a deadpan before he returned to the container and fished out the Gunpla.

"Ah… my Gunpla…" No one noticed it, but the model started glowing up and Sei's eyes cleared.

But he had one moment of clarity before Reiji sighed and plucked it from his hands, probably out of worry that he would ruin it. But the second Cosmos left his hands, Sei's eyes closed and he collapsed onto the floor.

"Sei!" Reiji turned the boy on his back only to back off when some of his hair was once again painted golden yellow. But this time the painted hair locks were glowing and thin lines stretched over the teen's left face.

"What the—?"

China swiped her fingers over one of the lines and felt a strong electrifying buzz go through her. She held her head and leaned back on the wall, head swirling. "I-I can see why he was acting so strange. My head feel dizzy. What is this?"

The doctor helped her to the bed, eyes calculating and speculating. She stared from her place at Sei worriedly.

"Call Aila in and then leave us." Reiji ordered Dr. Chusuke, eyes not straying away from the teen as he picked him up and placed him back on the bed.

Aila walked inside and he beckoned her to his side. She approached them with wariness.

"What is it?"

"Can you tell me what is this?" He pointed at Sei's face. Aila scanned the glowing hair and lines and after a moment asked for the Gunpla. Confused, he complied and she placed it on Sei's chest. Suddenly the lines and the color slithered to where the Gunpla rested and covered it, slowly soaking into it.

Then the model twitched and begun moving until it was standing on its own.

What just happened? Is it a dream? "Aila, what the hell did you do?"

"The light is an active stream of active particles. I guess that being filled with them caused him to get drunk on it."

"Let me rephrase my question – what the hell are they doing inside Sei!?"

"Remember when his hair turned the same color before? I told you then that it was as if he generates them."

"Right…" I didn't believe you then and I still don't, Reiji frowned at the Gunpla. It was a beautiful piece, he had to admit, but it unnerved him to see it moving without any machine's help.

China spoke up, which made the two jump since they had forgotten about her. "Is that why we were brought here?"

"Huh?"

She looked a bit bemused. "I asked if that's why we were brought here."

"…It's possible. But I don't like this possibility."

None of us, she thought, but that's the only logical explanation as to why they are here. I sure hope that we'll be able to solve this safely and quickly, I really want to go home now…

"I really, really wish it was only a dream…"

"Yeah…"

Aila had enough of the somber atmosphere and placed her hands on her hips. "Okay, stop it!" Two blank faces faced her. "You guys need to stop thinking so pessimistically. Sei is the one who is most affected by it. Not to mention that he is currently being targeted, so he needs our focus. If we won't protect him, who will? And on that note – we need to eat something."

Reiji's face lit up at the mention of food. China just sighed and nodded, smiling faintly. Aila nodded in satisfaction and went to get food.


One messy meal later the trio separated to go sleep since they were exhausted from their trip. Aila and China went to their room while Reiji stayed in Sei's.

They were not looking forward to tomorrow.


Sei woke up at sunset to his best friend snoring on the second bed. He blinked in surprise – he didn't know they had arrived back. He smiled but then held his head when a spike of pain hit him. Why does it feel like he had hit his head or something?

He cursed his bad luck and looked at Reiji again to make sure he was sleeping before he removed his blankets, noticing too late the Gunpla as it fell to the floor. Sei's eyes widened in surprise and he bent down to retrieve the little model, cupping it gently and bringing it close to him.

He fought back tears as he held the only connection to his world. Build Strike Cosmos was his last line of sanity. He gently placed it on his desk and pushed himself up, happy to notice that he didn't need the wall for support.

Actually, he felt much stronger than before. He didn't question it as he slowly padded to the door and quietly snuck outside.

He felt like he should return to his bed, but a small trail of dark blue glowing dust formed from where he stood to someplace away from him, twisting until it disappeared around the corner. He quickly gave chase to it, not giving second thoughts to how he could run with his injury, until he reached the main doors like in his dream.

He stopped to regain his breath, his body suddenly feeling sluggish. But the blue light continued beyond the door – he must find its source.

He reached out for the door when a hand clasped over his shoulder. Sei let out a loud shriek, and the hand retracted away immediately.

"Ouch! Are you trying to scream my ear off?" It was Reiji. Sei breathed in relief, placing his hand over his racing heart as he turned to glare at the redhead who was clutching his ears.

"You gave me a heart attack!"

"You gave me a heart attack when I woke up to see you exiting the room. You need to be in bed, resting. Not going outside. Especially after that drunk fit you had."

"…I…"

"You?"

"I just needed some air, okay? And what do you mean by 'drunk'?" Sei grumbled and leaned against the wall, feeling very fatigued all of the sudden. Reiji noticed his weariness and sighed, running a hand in his hair and sticking his other in his pocket.

"Look, I'm not going to ask why you did that—" Too late for that "—but I am going to bring you to bed and I'll ask the Doc tomorrow if you can go outside. Please don't wander off by yourself, you're in danger."

So I've been told. By strange blue particles nonetheless, Sei thought glumly. "I don't know what came over me, but I felt compelled to go out…"

Reiji eyed him. "To gain freedom?"

Sei shook his head and all of the sudden his body started shivering as he recalled how the light danced, lulling him away from his bed to the outside. What would have happened if had opened the door?

"Sei?" Warm arms supported him and he gritted his teeth. What a fool he was! He could have walked into a trap and get himself hurt or worse, the others. The particles from before were warning him from being hunted. Did he really think that it was only going to be aggressive hunting?

"I had a dream last night…" Reiji blinked and opened his mouth to say something, but then decided against it and closed it. Sei was grateful for that – he didn't want to be interrupted.

"I went to sleep after I talked to Amon and woke up with a feeling that someone was calling me. So I opened my eyes to see those balls of light dancing around in this elegant dance. It was so beautiful and I really wanted to be part of it so I stood up with the help of two of those spheres and suddenly I was walking all the way to here in a kind of daze?

Anyways… I stood here and the lights circled around the knob, almost eagerly. I rolled my eyes and all of the sudden found myself back in my bed with my hand reaching the ceiling."

Reiji's hold tightened and Sei looked up to see golden eyes narrowed in rage. He lowered his head in shame. "I'm sorry. I guess I was curious and it really reminded me of my dream."

"I'm not angry at you, Sei." Reiji sighed and left it at that. His arms pulled the Blunet across the halls back to their shared room.

Back in the room, Sei sat on the bed and stared at Reiji as he flopped on his bed. After a long awkward minute, the redhead growled and rubbed his sleepy eyes.

"Look, Sei, as I said – I'm not angry. I'm worried about you, that's all."

"I know…"

"You do realize that finding Build Strike wasn't a miracle but someone's plan?" Blue eyes widened and Sei gritted his teeth.

"I wasn't really thinking at that time."

"True. But then again, when do you?" Reiji grinned at him.

"Talking from experience?" Sei retorted back, grinning back.

"Touché." They laughed. Sei lied back on the bed and inhaled deeply.

"Hey, Reiji?"

"Yeah?"

"Am I… normal?"

"What do you mean?" Gold eyes looked up in surprise at the unusual question.

"I mean… am I still… human?"

"Of course you are. What the hell has gotten into you?" The older teen huffed. "You just happened to have Plavsky Particles radiator inside of you."

Sei chuckled. "When you put it that way it does sound somewhat silly."

"It is silly. All we need to do is find out why you have particles flowing out of you and then who brought you here." Reiji sighed. "I feel ashamed to admit that I'm kind of glad that you have this ability."

"Why?" It wasn't of any use for him; unless he wanted another Gunpla battle, which would be impossible.

"Because it gave me a chance to see you again." Sei snorted and Reiji pouted, cheeks coloring deep red. "I'm serious!"

"Sorry, sorry," Sei chuckled. "I'm glad to see you again as well, but don't feel ashamed. It's not like you wanted me to get injured or for China to hit her head."

"She hit her head? No wonder she was batshit insane."

"Hey!" Protectiveness flared inside of him. "Don't you dare call China names. She went through a lot because of me and she almost killed herself because she thought of me first."

"Okay, okay, sorry! I didn't mean to insult your girlfriend!" Reiji flailed his hands as blue eyes shot daggers at him, ready to kill. Sei could be really scary when he wanted to be, Reiji thought as the blunet simply stared him down until he was satisfied and looked away, letting him exhale a relieved breath.
"Apologize to China tomorrow." Oh, for goodness' sake! I thought we were over that!

"Okay, okay, just don't bite my head off!" Reiji grumbled.

Sei nodded in satisfaction and turned around to go to sleep. Reiji rolled his eyes and went to sleep as well.