Once Upon a Gundam
A Tale as Old as Time

Chapter I: Little Town

Miriallia walked down the street of the little town she grew up in. It was such a quiet village. Everyday seemed to be just like the one before. Nothing seemed to ever change. Everyday she would leave her house, walk into town and be greeted by the many villagers saying 'Good Morning', almost like it was rehearsed. Every morning she watched the baker set his tray of rolls out to sell.

"Morning Mir!" The baker said as he placed his fresh tray of goodies down.

"Good morning Uzumi"

"Where you off to so early?" He asked curious.

"The bookshop" She said excited. "I just finished an amazing story about feuding families and star-crossed lovers that…" She noticed that he seemed to be ignoring her. It was annoying but certainly not the first time someone had passed her over.

"That's nice… Erica, the bread! Hurry up!"

Miriallia just smiled and walked away. She could hear everyone talking about her as she made her way to her favorite place in town… the bookstore. Everyone seemed to think she didn't fit in. They thought she didn't belong, of course she felt that way too sometimes. She wasn't like the rest of them. They were all happy being just where they were. But she couldn't help but want more. She craved adventure… or at least something other than this.

She looked up at the sign above her. She couldn't help but get giddy with excitement. She was finally here. Her favorite place in town. "Good morning Andrew!" She said greeting the bookseller. "I've brought back the book I signed out." She placed the book in it's proper place on the shelf and turned to face the man.

He laughed a bit at her "Finished already?"

"I guess I just couldn't put it down." She admitted.

"Like a good cup of coffee." He said raising his cup to her before taking a sip.

She smiled at him knowing he loved his coffee as much as she loved her books. "Did you get in anything new?" She asked.

He laughed at her again, a polite laugh "Nothing since you were here last I'm afraid"

"Well that's ok" She said climbing up the ladder. "I'll just borrow this one." she reached out and pulled a book off the shelf. She smiled looking at the cover. It was one of her favorites.

"Really? Aren't you sick of reading it yet?"

Miriallia climbed down the ladder before answering "No, it's hard to get sick of. A great war, a fight between two societies of mankind, all swirled up around great love stories. I can't get enough"

"Oh Miriallia" He chuckled "If you love it that much you should keep it"

"What? You can't be serious!" She exclaimed both excited and surprised.

"I don't joke about books"

"Thank you!" She yelled as she exited the shop. She couldn't even wait. As soon as she walked out of the store she cracked the book open. She headed over to the fountain and sat down on the edge. She flipped through page after page absorbing the amazing story. Soon she was surrounded by sheep. But it didn't seem to bother her any. Instead she couldn't help but speak to them as if they knew what she was saying. "I love this part!" She squealed "This is where they capture the man she falls for, but of course that won't happen until chapter eight!"

A gunshot rang out in the air but it didn't seem to break Mir's concentration. Soon a goose fell from the sky and was caught in a bag below. "Another great shot Tolle. At this rate you're going to become the greatest hunter in the world!"

"I know"

"No creature alive stand a chance against an ace like you!" He looked over at his friend and could see he was staring across the street at the girl sitting on the fountain. He jabbed Tolle in the ribs a couple of times with his elbow before saying "and no girl stands a chance either"

"True Sai, but I've only have eyes for one" he said point over in the girl's direction.

"You know she is the inventor's sister right?"

"I know but she is still the one. She's definitely the girl I'm going to marry!"

"But she's… "

"The most gorgeous girl in town" he interrupted.

"I guess"

"So that makes her the best, and a guy like me deserves the best" He watched as the girl stood up and started to walk out of town. He smirked at Sai before starting to pursue her. She seemed to move about the crowd with ease while he and his friend struggled. She stood out in the crowd and they seemed to part ways for her. As for him he was not much different from the rest of the townsfolk. Maybe that is why he practically had to push his way through. Finally after what seemed to be too much effort he made his way in front of his dream girl. "Hey Miriallia" He said trying to get her to looked him in the eyes.

"Hey Tolle" She replied never looking up from her book. Noticing this he pulled the book out of her hands. "Excuse me?" She said putting her hands on her hips and raising an eyebrow. "Can I have my book back?"

He flipped through the book quickly looking confused. "You read this? Really? There's not even any pictures."

"It's called imagination."

He shook his head at the silly girl. "You should get your head out of this stuff." He said tossing it back to her. "You should be doing better things than reading. It's not right for woman to read… it just gives them… ideas" He said almost disgusted when saying 'ideas'.

"Tolle, don't be so clinical"

Ignoring her words he continued his pursuit. "So… why don't you and I pop over to the bar to see my trophies?" He asked seductively with confidence.

"No thank you… maybe some other time."

Over not far from them the three bimbettes leaned against the wall of a building fuming. They were all so jealous of the attention Mir was receiving. "What is wrong with her?" The youngest Meyrin asked.

"She's crazy that's what" Flay snapped back.

"All I know is he's gorgeous!" The third Lunamaria sighed.

Tolle continued to plead with Mir for her to join him. But she just brushed him off. "I can't. I need to help my brother and his wife."

Sai laughed slightly. "Really? Hate to break it to you but there is no helping that loon!" Tolle started laughing too now.

"Don't talk about my brother that way!" She yelled.

"Yeah Sai, cut it out!" He said seriously stopping his own laughter.

"My brother is not crazy, he smarter than anyone in this entire town!"

"Like I said he's a crazy loon!" Sai said again. "Anyone who boasts about being able to make the impossible possible is just one slip up from being sent to the nut house."

Miriallia was about to argue when an explosion went off in the direction of her house. She looked over to see smoke exiting the basement window. She gasped in horror and ran off leaving Tolle and Sai laughing behind her. She ran into the house and down into the basement to check on her family.

"Mwu!" She yelled

"Dammit, how the heck did that happen?" He said waving a cloth in front of his machine to blow the smoke away from it.

"You ok Mwu?" She asked stifling a laugh.

"He's fine, just a bruised ego at this point I think" His pregnant wife Murrue said from across the room. Miriallia laughed and walked over to sit beside her.

"That and I'm about to give up on this hunk of junk" he exclaimed in frustration before kicking the machine as hard as he could.

"I thought you could make the impossible possible" Mir said slyly.

"Yeah yeah!" He waved his hand in her direction. "But this time things just don't seem to be falling into place! I might never get it to work"

"Yes you will darling" Murrue tried to encourage him "I promise. And you'll win first prize at that fair tomorrow."

"Hmmmph!"

"And you'll be a world famous inventor" Miriallia added.

"You guys really believe that?"

"Of course we do" Murrue stood up and walked over to him. She kissed him tenderly on the lips and smiled. "I always have, and I always will."

He looked down at his wife's plump round belly and smiled. "Well, what am I waiting for then? I'll have it fixed in no time!" He boasted as he rolled under the machine. "Hey Mir do you mind handing me the wrench? It's over there in the toolbox" listening to her brother's request she walked over to get his tool. She handed it to him and he started to work.

"How walk your walk through town today?" Her sister-in-law asked politely.

"Well I got a new book... Hey... Do you guys think I'm odd?"

Mwu came out from under the machine and raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "My sister odd? What makes you think that?" Mir couldn't help but snicker at him seeing the strange magnifying contraption on his head. She walked over to Murrue and sat back down beside her.

"It's just... I don't really seem to fit in this town. I always feel so out of place. The only people I can really talk to are you guys."

"What about Tolle?" He asked.

"He is handsome" Murrue added getting a jealous glare from her husband before he slid back under the machine to work.

"Yeah maybe... But he's also rude and completely full of himself. Definitely not a guy I could ever see myself being with."

"Well don't worry about it. Once I get this thing working it will be the start of a new life for the three of us"

"You mean the four of us" Murrue corrected as she caressed her stomach.

He laughed "Yeah the four of us. We can find a new home. Somewhere 'odd' people like us will fit in" he made a few final adjustments and stood up. He looked the machine over and with a satisfied smile he said "I think that should do it." He leaned down towards the machine ready to pull the lever "Let's give it a shot, shall we"

With one swift pull of the lever the machine began whirling around chopping wood at a steady pace. "It works!" Mir yelled excitedly.

Mwu took of his magnifier wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Well would you look there… I guess it does" He smirked satisfied.

"You did it darling! You really did it"

He looked at Miriallia, his eyes beaming with pride "Looks like you better go get Endymion ready, your brothers off to the fair!" he said with a big smile before a log went astray and smacked him in the head knocking him down. The girls couldn't help but laugh before lending him a hand to get up.

Later that day they finished packing Mwu's horse Endymion. They hitched the machine he invented on the back and he was ready to go. He gave both his sister and his wife big hugs before climbing up onto the horse.

"Goodbye brother. Good luck tomorrow, not that you'll need it" She said winking.

"Bye sis, take care of my girl when I'm gone." He replied eying his pregnant wife.

"I'll be fine" She assured him. "This baby isn't coming until then end of winter, and there still hasn't been a single flake yet."

He breathed in deep, inhaling the cool air. "Maybe not yet but you can feel it in the air… winter is coming" He said placing his brown fedora on his head.

"As it always does, and always has. Which is why you should make sure to cover up. I wouldn't want you getting sick out there"

"I'll be fine Murrue" Their banter back and forth was interrupted by the small snickers of Miriallia. "What's so funny?" He asked.

"Nothing, It's just… I think it's sweet how you two worry about each other like this… I hope someday I can have something like that with someone" She admitted.

"You will little sister, I'm sure of it" He looked up at the sky. Part of him wanted to stay, he hated leaving his girls, but he knew that going to that fair could ultimately give him the opportunity to give them a better life. "It's time. I should get going." They nodded and off he went.

They waved goodbye to him until he was finally completely out of sight. "We should go in Murrue, he was right… you can really feel the chill in the air."

"Yeah…" She was sad seeing her husband leave. She had a strange unsettling feeling that their lives were about to change forever. Ignoring this she turned around and followed Mir into the house.