Broken Wing
A Sailor Moon / Gundam Wing crossover
Part 3
By Sailorcelestial
Author�s Note: Aren�t you guys proud of me? I didn�t make y�all wait so long this time! I think this is a record for me! Anyways, serious author�s note this time. BW readers will notice, beginning with this chapter, a lot of religious themes in the story, especially in parts concerning Duo and Usagi. First of all, there are religious themes in Sailormoon that Takeuchi Naoko purposefully put there, and I am merely following her creation. As for Duo, those of you who know about his past might understand this more than others. Those of you who don�t know about his past, feel free to email me and ask. I just felt a need to examine Duo�s spirituality in this fanfic. And I do believe, no matter what he may have said when he was seven (::wink::) that he does have a spiritual side other than simply saying that he�s Shinigami. My point in all of this rambling is this: please don�t be offended. I�m not doing it to offend anyone. I�m doing it . . . well . . . because I want to.
DISCLAIMER: You all know that neither Sailormoon nor Gundam Wing belong to me. ::sigh:: So just go on and read already.
The girl called him Trowa. She said that she was his sister, that he belonged with her in the circus, and his name was Trowa. He didn�t know whether she was right or not. The name meant nothing to him. It was merely something to call himself so that he wouldn�t be Nanashi: No Name. Yet . . . somehow Nanashi sounded right. More so than Trowa. The girl, Katherine was her own name, was kind and loving but there was a fierceness to her love that almost frightened him.
The boy called Trowa paused for a moment to remember that night nearly a week ago. It had been raining, and he�d been cold and wet and confused. She�d called him by that name, speaking to him cheerfully, not realizing that he didn�t know her. He didn�t even know himself. When at last she�d discovered his amnesia she took him home with her to the circus. Everyone here knew him as Trowa, so he had to believe that he�d been here before.
�Katherine,� he called, walking from the tent with clown costume in hand.
�Yes, Trowa?� Her voice was odd: sharper, angry. Trowa recognized the voice she used when protecting him. He stepped from the tent to look on at his sister and the person she was speaking to.
He saw a tall woman with a long cascade of green black hair and dark skin. When she saw him she smiled, and her maroon eyes flashed in a manner that made him want to move away from her. She wasn�t normal; he knew that much. She was something so much more than normal.
�Trowa Barton,� she said and took a step towards him. Katherine moved in front of her to block her way.
�Stop it! He�s been through enough! He doesn�t need you coming here and taking him into more danger, and I won�t let you do it!� Katherine glared angrily at the stranger, who didn�t even look at her, but straight at Trowa. He stared into those maroon eyes and knew beyond a doubt that this woman was not here to harm him. Not only that, but if she planned to take him away then he would go. He had to. �Did you hear me?!?�
Trowa blinked when Katherine�s voice interrupted his reverie. Looking again at the stranger he saw nothing special about her. Her pale blue dress pants and lavender blouse were both quite ordinary, as were her maroon-black shoes. She gave a large smile and extended a hand towards him.
�It�s a pleasure to meet you, Trowa.�
�I . . . um . . .� he stopped, unable to complete the thought and angry because of it. A feeling of inadequacy fell over him and the sense that he had never been at a loss of words before. He should have known what to say. He always knew what to say. So he lifted his hand to take hers in amends for being so verbally clumsy and was aware of Katherine�s steely eyes on him.
�If it would be alright, I would like to speak to you alone��
�No!� Trowa�s sister, who was tall but not quite as tall as this stranger, charged forward and batted the woman�s hand from his in fury. �I know that if you talk to him you�ll try to convince him to leave! He shouldn�t go anywhere, he needs to stay right here! Hasn�t he suffered enough for one so young? Isn�t he in enough pain as it is?�
Observing the stranger, Trowa saw anger and annoyance spark in her maroon eyes. She wanted to do something. There was some act that she wanted to do that would affect Katherine. But she stopped herself, as he saw in the taming of that spark.
�I�m sorry,� he began in a voice that he wasn�t certain was really his, for it sounded too emotional, �but you�ve upset my sister. I won�t speak with you.�
But I will . . .
Somehow he knew that no matter how much Katherine raged, and how he might try to pacify her by saying he wouldn�t go . . . he would. He would speak with this woman and where ever she wanted to take him he would go. He had nothing to lose. The circus was quiet and safe, but there was nothing to learn here. He loved Katherine, but she was not enough. He needed to know who he truly was, what had happened to him, and why he felt himself drawn to something that was far away from himself. This woman could tell him, or take him to a place where he would know.
Trowa turned away from her, but not before he saw the knowing glitter in her maroon orbs. She knew just as well as he did that this would not be their last meeting.
Quatre�s eyes were dull as he stared through the dirty window. Surrounding him, placed on the walls, were photographs of the various skylines and landscapes of Earth. Not long ago he had found them all so beautiful, so intriguing. Whoever had built this base had known that, for these things were here when he arrived, along with the intricately decorated teacups that he so loved to drink from. He paid them no mind, however, merely watched the horizon outside as if any moment he might be able to see the silhouette of a tall boy walking towards the base. At that thought new tears sprang into his eyes and he lowered his head to nestle in his crossed arms.
Duo, who stood just outside the slightly opened door, frowned and backed away silently. He knew something was wrong with Quatre, but the boy had refused to speak to anyone for the past week. The young Winner sat and stared and ate when he really had to then sat and stared some more.
Come on, Quatre, what is it? Why won�t you talk at least to me?
Out of the four boys, two groups had formed. Hiiro and Wufei were more concerned about seeing what they could get from this place before the woman came, because they were convinced that once that happened they would have to run or kill her or both. Duo and Quatre were less concerned with the woman and more concerned with trying to form friendships, or at least shaky alliances, with their fellow pilots. Well . . . Quatre would be if he weren�t so depressed.
Duo sighed and scratched his head, trying to decide what he needed to do about his sullen companion. He had a feeling that if a fight should break out between the four of them it would be the other two against him and the blonde. They were just too stoic and battle driven. Duo liked a good battle himself, but only when it was necessary. He felt that the Gundam pilots really were fighting to obtain peace and that they needed to band together, not separate according to which people thought alike.
Quietly, so as not to disturb Quatre and whatever thoughts he may have been contemplating, Duo walked away from the doorway and into his own room.
Inside were bookshelves filled with books of mythology, and even a Bible. He knew that most people wouldn�t consider him the literary type, and normally he wasn�t. But mythology had always interested him. He was, after all, Shinigami, God of Death. Somehow the builder had known about this interest. But what really disturbed him was that the person had also known about his past, or the Bible would not have been there.
Gently he ran a hand down the selection of books, his finger lingering on the black bound book of the Christian faith.
Father . . . Sister Helen . . . you tried so very hard to make me believe in your God of mercy and love. Where was He when you were killed?
He remembered only one of the Bible verses they had taught him so many years ago. �For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.�
Everlasting life my ass.
Duo smirked and pulled out the book of Greek myths, leaving the Bible neglected on the shelf.
Setsuna waited with crossed arms outside of the circus tent. She debated with herself whether to wait for him in her civilian clothing, or to transform and greet Trowa as Sailorpluto. In normal dress she wouldn�t unnerve him as much as she might in her fuku, but as Sailorpluto she at least would not have to give him her real name. She sighed and tilted her head upwards, fully expecting to see a sky full of stars. Instead there was only the cold steel ceiling of the colony, its lights dimmed to simulate nighttime. She sighed. Such a sight was depressing. How did these people live without ever seeing the stars?
�You�re here.�
Setsuna turned, a small gasp issuing from her throat. Trowa was standing there, and she had not heard him approach. His natural feline silence was one thing that had not been lost with his memories.
�Yes,� she replied simply, turning to face him completely. Over his shoulder was a pack, apparently filled with things needed for travel.
�I know that you�ve come to take me away from here. Katherine won�t be happy, but I have to go with you. You know who I really am, don�t you?�
�Yes, I know.�
�Will you tell me?�
�No. Not yet.�
�Then we should get going.�
Setsuna nodded and turned away. She walked and he followed. It was going to be a long, silent trip.
Usagi watched the television intently as the news crew attempted to get closer to the fight. For the past ten minutes she had been glued to the television, watching her friends and her love battle the youma on their own. At first the Senshi had been winning, but then the youma got the upper hand. Every few minutes the tide would turn and one side or the other would seem to be victorious only to be caught off guard. This uncertainty was driving Usagi crazy with fear and worry.
�Usagi, when did you become so interested in the news?� asked her mother as she sat down. The older woman smiled good-naturedly at her daughter, completely oblivious to the worry in the girl�s blue eyes.
�Huh? Oh . . . I . . . I�m not. It�s just that this is the Sailor Senshi. And look,� she pointed to the screen in an attempt to draw her mother�s attention away from the tears that were beginning to form in her eyes, �Sailormoon isn�t with them.�
�She isn�t?� Ikuko turned her curious gaze to the television and looked on in quiet confusion, giving Usagi time to think.
A week had passed since her abdicating of her position as Sailormoon. A week in which the Senshi had fought three battles, this one being the third, without her. The previous two had been closer than Usagi would have liked, ending with Sailorvenus nearly breaking an arm. This one looked no better. Oh, what had she been thinking? What on Earth or the Moon had caused her to utter those words? Oddly enough she didn�t remember now.
�Look, it�s over,� said her mother, and Usagi broke from her thoughts to sigh in relief. The Senshi had won. Sailorvenus was holding her still tender arm and Tuxedokamen was limping but they were all alive and that was all that Usagi cared about.
�This is the third battle in a week that you�ve fought without Sailormoon,� shouted one of the reporters, shoving a microphone into Sailormars� face, �Is there any truth to the rumor that Sailormoon is no longer fighting?�
�No,� replied Mars, her teeth clenched, �Rumors are rarely true, and the media would do well to remember that!� Tuxedokamen stepped forward and put an arm out before Sailormars to keep her from punching the reporter.
�Sailormoon is taking a much needed rest,� he spoke into the mikes, �until she is ready again for battle the rest of the Senshi and I will protect Tokyo. That�s all.� With that statement he and the four girls walked away, ignoring the probing questions that were being thrown at them.
Usagi sighed and flopped back onto the couch, emotionally exhausted from the strain of watching her friends fight without her.
�Usagi, are you alright?� She glanced up to see her mother looking at her with worried eyes. With much effort Usagi sat up and put on her usual smile.
�Yup, mom, I�m fine! Completely and totally fine, nothing at all wrong with me! I think I�ll go to Rei-chan�s for a while. BYYYIIIIEEEE!!�
�Good�� Ikuko was cut off as her daughter dashed from the couch and out the door.
I�m sorry guys, Usagi thought as she darted down the street, I don�t know why I�m doing this anymore . . . all I know is that I have to do this.
�Dammit, where the hell is she?�
Hiiro didn�t even glance up from his laptop as Duo stormed into the room, braid swishing behind him as he stomped. Duo angrily kicked one of the tall bookshelves that lined three of the walls in the large living room. There was also a fireplace, but he had already kicked a brick and found that it was not a pleasant sensation. The wood was a bit softer, but not by much. He cursed loudly as his toe throbbed.
�It�s been a week,� he continued, �and she hasn�t come back! She told us she�d be here and she�d bring help!�
�It was a lie,� Hiiro commented, still tapping away on the keys, �She�s not coming.�
�I don�t think so, Hiiro. If it were a lie, why would she bother to free us? It would be a complete waste of her time to break Wufei and I out of Lunar Base and bring you and Quatre here if she doesn�t have some sort of plan for us.�
Hiiro paused, then looked up at Duo with an eyebrow raised, as if surprised that the long haired boy could come up with such a logical and well thought out statement. Then the moment passed as without further comment Hiiro dipped his head again and focused on the laptop. Duo sighed.
Wufei appeared suddenly in the doorway, arms crossed, mouth formed into that ever- familiar frown they all had become accustomed to. He was unhappy about something.
�I just discovered a sixth bedroom.�
�Oh?� Duo asked, not even attempting to feign interest in anything other than his throbbing toe.
�It�s in another part of the base than ours, that�s why I didn�t find it before.�
�So? What�s the big deal? It�s probably for that woman; she most likely will stay here with us.�
�I don�t think so,� Wufei grumbled, �she doesn�t seem like fuzzy white bunnies and pink sheets type to me.�
Duo blinked when he realized what the boy said, and then lifted his head. Hiiro also stared at Wufei in a stoic sort of disbelief. Fuzzy white bunnies and pink sheets? Duo glanced to Hiiro, who in turn passed the look on to Wufei, and he merely shrugged.
In a few moments the three of them, thanks to Duo�s insistence, were standing outside of the bedroom. This was the most well kept of the six, and it was unquestionably a room for a young girl, probably around the age of seven or eight from the looks of it, possibly even as old as ten. But no self-respecting teenage girl would like a room that looked like it had been drenched in Pepto Bismal. At least Duo hoped not. Hiiro stood in the center of the floor, indifferent eyes taking in all of the girly details.
�It�s a room for a girl,� he finally declared. Duo groaned.
�Thank you, Captain Obvious,� he commented sarcastically, �Of course it�s a room for a girl! Unless you wear pink pajamas to bed, Hiiro.� Duo gestured towards said pink pajamas which rested comfortably on the edge of the bed as if waiting patiently for their owner. Hiiro looked as if a scowl were attempting to curl his lips. Duo grinned. �Hey, maybe she�s gonna bring Relena here!�
Hiiro stopped dead at the mention of Relena Darlian/Peacecraft. Duo swore later that the boy even paled by a couple of shades. Either way there was a flash of something akin to fear in Hiiro�s eyes, and bordering on another emotion. Remembering how it had been Relena�s voice that stopped Hiiro�s attempted suicide at the Alliance military hospital, Duo was suddenly sorry that he had brought her name into the conversation. He didn�t know what went on between those two, but whatever it was it was strong, and secret.
�I don�t think this is Relena�s style either,� Hiiro finally said. His voice was as monotone and apathetic as usual, but there was the sense that this time he had to fight to maintain that unemotional tone. Another moment passed where he seemed to be staring past the objects in the room and into a memory, but soon it was gone and Hiiro proceeded out of the room without another word.
�Who is Relena?� Wufei inquired.
�Don�t ask, my friend, just don�t ask.�
Usagi stopped when she reached the doorway of Rei�s bedroom and peered inside. Her friends sat within nursing wounds and talking about battle strategies and how best to catch the enemy next time. Her blue eyes filled with tears at the sight and she fought down a guilty sob.
�Usagi-chan!� Ami waved, seeing her friend and princess standing in the door, �Come inside, Mako-chan brought cookies earlier.�
�Yeah,� Makoto grinned and flushed, �They�re a new experiment of mine, so they might not taste as good as usual.�
�What are you talking about?� Minako asked, stuffing a cookie in her mouth even as Ami rebandaged her arm, �They�re great!�
�How would we know?� Rei asked grumpily, whacking Minako on the back of the head with a random manga, �You�ve eaten almost all of them!�
Usagi said nothing, grateful and guilty at the same time that they were trying to act normal for her benefit, so she wouldn�t feel responsible for their near defeat.
�Come on in, Usako,� Mamoru smiled gently at her and motioned for her to sit beside him. Usagi took a few steps inside before she fell to her knees and released the sobs that had been fighting their way up since she left her home. Immediately two sets of arms went around her: Mamoru�s and Rei�s.
�Usagi!�
�Usako!�
Usagi tried to speak, to tell them she knew it was all her fault, that she shouldn�t have been so rash, and she would fight with them next time. No words came out, however. She could not tell them what she wanted to. It was as if some force had reached into her throat and tightened its hand to prevent her speech. All that she managed to say was a choked, �Gomen nasai.� For a long five minutes there was silence in the group as all took a turn at comforting their princess. But none really knew what to say, for her grief was obviously over their injuries, and her guilt, but she would say nothing. She would not take back her words and be their leader again. She would not fight. How could they comfort her when she would not do what they all felt she needed to do?
At long last Usagi stood on shaking legs and turned away from them, running from the temple. All shot about a look that said �Leave her alone, she needs time to think.�
Outside it was misting pleasantly, just enough rain to make the day seem mysterious but not dismal. The concrete was not even completely covered yet as Usagi ran over the grey surface. Tears trailed the expanse of her cheeks, but still she found she could not say the words she wanted out loud, even though she was far from her friends. She ran with her head down, eyes closed to fight back the tears.
Inevitably, she ran into someone. The force of the impact knocked her back and to the ground. She mumbled her apologies under her breath, not looking up to see who she was speaking to.
�It�s alright, Usako.�
Her breath caught instantly in her throat at the voice. She knew it, and she knew the nickname, but Mamoru was in the temple in the other direction. This person could not be Mamoru, yet it sounded like him and not only had he known her name, but the name that only Mamoru called her. Slowly she lifted her eyes to take in first the man�s sneakers, then his blue jeans, then his deep, royal purple dress shirt. At last her eyes found his face and she gasped.
It was indeed Mamoru, only older and world wizened. The face she so loved looked back on her with the familiar kindness from eyes that had seen much, much more than her Mamoru could ever have imagined.
�NeoKing Endymion . . .�
He nodded, a small, amused smile curling his lips upward. Silently he bent down and offered her a hand. Equally silent, Usagi took the hand and allowed him to help her up. They stood there a moment, neither of them speaking, until both spoke at the same time.
�What are you��
�It�s good to��
They stopped again, and Endymion motioned for her to speak first.
�What are you doing here?�
�Setsuna sent me,� he answered, and she noticed the tint of purple in his once black hair. She wondered to herself if she would ever get used to that when her own Mamoru�s hair changed. He seemed to follow her gaze, for he gave a small laugh.
�It took me awhile to get used to Serenity�s silver hair,� he said in a round about answer to her unspoken question. She smiled, then stood up straight.
�Why did Setsuna send you here? Why didn�t she come herself?�
He sighed and gestured for her to follow him as he turned away and began walking. Usagi paused, then nearly hopped forward in order to catch up with the older man.
�Setsuna is . . . busy . . . with other things. She will need you soon, but she cannot come to get you herself. She thought that sending your future self would be not only too awkward, but too dangerous. She�s afraid that Serenity will talk too much about the events that will take place. So she asked me to come and take you to Crystal Tokyo to wait for her.�
�You don�t know about what�s going to happen?�
�I know. You�Serenity�told me about them long ago. Setsuna just trusts me not to tell you about them.�
�Oh.�
The two walked on a while in silence. Endymion apparently knew, perhaps warned by his wife, that her questions were not over, for he didn�t suggest that they leave quite yet. Usagi tilted her head back and looked up into the sky before asking her next carefully formulated question.
�I�m not staying in Crystal Tokyo, am I?�
Endymion blinked and looked down at her, as if shocked that she was capable of forming such a coherent and sensible question. Or perhaps he was surprised that she knew the truth.
�No, you aren�t. You�ll be waiting there until Setsuna comes to take you to your final destination.�
�She sent you from Crystal Tokyo instead of the actual time she needs me in so that I won�t learn too much about my future.� Usagi grinned as Endymion stared at her in speechless, stunned silence. She acted as if she were buffing her nails on her shirt with a confident expression. His shock melted away into laughter as he nodded.
�True. You know more about Setsuna than she thinks. She�ll have to be careful or you may learn all of her secrets.�
�Who says I don�t?� she asked with a smirk. Endymion laughed again and the setting sun glanced off of his hair, turning it even more purple than before. Usagi decided that she could get to like the hair if she had to.
�Well, Usako, it�s time to go.�
�I figured as much,� she sighed as Endymion brought out the little golden time key and her world fell out from beneath her.
Hiiro stared at the flashing screen. There were words there, instructions, news, junk mail, he didn�t know. He didn�t see the words. He saw kind sea blue eyes smiling at him and silken shining hair that was so light a brown to almost be blonde.
Hiiro . . .
Her voice invaded his thoughts without permission, blocking out all conviction he had to do what he knew he must. He had to kill her, that was obvious. She knew too much about him and his mission.
His mission.
Hiiro frowned.
What was his mission now? OZ was in control in space and in almost all places on Earth, save for Sanch Kingdom. That was why this base was safe from OZ. It was so close to Sanch and so buried in forest that it would never be discovered unless someone had knowledge of its existence. So the four pilots waited not so complacently for their mysterious benefactor to decide her presence was necessary and finally show up. They waited, missionless.
It made Hiiro uneasy.
Without a specific task, a purpose, Hiiro didn�t know what to do with himself. Since childhood he�d always known what his purpose was, he�d always had something to do, to occupy his mind, to keep himself from feeling the full extent of the emotions he claimed were so important. Now, he had nothing. Only the laptop, which gave him only thin comfort in its electronic depths. It had nothing to give him in the way of direction or duty. It had no lips with which to speak, or ears to hear his complaints, or arms to wrap around him in solace . . .
He snapped the laptop shut with a suddenness that frightened even himself. What was he thinking? Wanting someone to talk to, to listen, to hug? Those thoughts were silly and without purpose. Hiiro would have sighed if it were within his power. Instead he merely rose from his seat and walked over to the door, taking a step into the main hallway.
There was no warning.
Quatre shot past the doorway, nearly knocking Hiiro over on his way out. Behind the blonde boy ran Duo, who looked as puzzled as Hiiro felt. Not far after was Wufei, whose face was locked into that serious expression that Hiiro appreciated. One could only stand so much of Duo�s cheerfulness, after all, without another sedate person around to balance things out.
�What�s happened,� he asked Wufei as he fell into line behind the dark haired boy.
�I don�t really know. Quatre suddenly ran from his room exclaiming something about Trowa.�
Hiiro lifted an eyebrow in what for him translated as shock. Trowa? The tall boy who�d been hiding in OZ? The one whom Quatre had killed? Of course Hiiro had known the entire time what was bothering Quatre. He might have told Duo, had the braided one asked. Then again, maybe he wouldn�t have. He did like to see Duo annoyed.
Outside Duo, Wufei, and Hiiro successively stopped as Quatre halted, staring into the distance. At first there was nothing to be seen and Hiiro wondered if the boy�s imagination might have been playing tricks on his tired mind.
�TROWA!� Quatre exclaimed, thrusting a hand into the air in an exultant wave. Tears pooled on his bottom eyelids, quivering as they prepared to fall. Hiiro turned his own gaze to the horizon, where just then a figure appeared walking towards them. Then another frame followed it, this one taller with long hair. He knew who that one was, though he kept silent about that knowledge.
Duo reached forward to try and stop Quatre, but the blonde moved too quickly and was too determined. He launched towards the two people, the other three following close behind. It took only a few moments for them to reach their guests, and Quatre immediately threw his arms around Trowa�s waist and hugged the tall boy, sobbing into the dark sweater.
�I thought I�d killed you! I�m sorry, Trowa! I�m so sorry!�
Trowa was quiet for a moment, looking down at the weeping younger boy. He didn�t raise his arms to wrap them about Quatre, or offer any sort of consolation. Hiiro was about to speak when Trowa looked up at the woman who they all recognized as the woman who�d sent them here, and spoke.
�Who is he? Do I know him?�
Quatre�s slowing, hiccuping sobs were the only thing that broke the silence that followed. Gradually Quatre�s thin arms fell from around Trowa and he backed up, wide, hurting blue eyes staring into the tall boy�s face.
�What? Trowa?�
�Yes, Trowa,� the woman answered the long passed question, �you know him. This is Quatre. You met him not long ago. Don�t worry, you�ll remember soon enough.� She turned to the waiting four, �Trowa lost his memories in the explosion of the Va8. It�s only temporary, but he will need your help for a while. Especially you, Quatre,� she smiled kindly, �You�ve got to be strong for him.� Quatre nodded, not even noticing the condescending tone she was using, as if he were a small boy she must make understand a complicated issue. His eyes, now overflowing with tears, were locked on the confused Trowa, who stared at the four of them from beneath his reddish-brown bangs. The woman gently pushed him forward, towards his fellow pilots. The five tossed glances about the group, and it felt once more as if they were all meeting for the first time. The group dynamics had just been changed and none of them could say that they really liked the feeling. Except for perhaps Quatre. �Will you be staying?� Wufei asked, doubtless with the sixth room in mind. �No,� she answered, and Wufei glanced in Hiiro�s direction, �I must go and find the last person who will join you. It will be another week or so before I�ll be able to return. Until then I suggest you five get to know each other well. You will be counting on each other more than you ever dreamed you�d rely on anyone.� Quatre nodded again, this time with a bright smile on his young face. He grabbed Trowa by the hand and led the boy towards the base. Duo shrugged towards Wufei and Hiiro, then turned and followed, beginning to chatter about something or another. Hiiro stepped forward. �What are you planning for us?� The woman paused then sighed. Her maroon eyes, burdened with a sadness centuries older than she could possibly be, unnerved him. �I plan nothing for you except a future, Hiiro.� With that cryptic answer she turned and walked away, her long hair swishing behind her. Hiiro looked to Wufei and the two shared in that moment the same thought.I don�t like this.
End Chapter Three
Broken Wing
A Sailor Moon / Gundam Wing crossover
Part 4
By Sailorcelestial
Author�s Note: Chapter four was originally intended to be a comedy chapter. But there were a few things in the plotline (rather important I might add) that I had forgotten about and had to add to chapter four, therefore pushing back the humor until chapter five. I�m sorry; I know a lot of you are wondering if there�s going to be anything but death, sorrow, and destruction in this fanfic. Don�t worry! Humor is coming! Chapter five, don�t miss it! Also, the myth that Duo talks about in this chapter is a real myth of ancient Greece. The part about the new moon I added myself, but I wouldn�t be surprised to learn that it was really part of the myth as well. Anyway, I�ll be quiet now. Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: Um� Sailormoon isn�t mine. Sailormoon is Takeuchi Naoko-sama�s. Gundam Wing isn�t mine. Um� I don�t know who owns GW, but it isn�t me. Please don�t sue me.
Usagi knitted her eyebrows in puzzlement. Crystal Tokyo looked as if in the middle of being rebuilt. She had assumed that she would be taken to a peaceful time of Crystal Tokyo further in the future than the last time they visited. Apparently that assumption was very wrong. She turned to Endymion to see that his civilian clothing was gone, replaced by the light violet tuxedo that marked him as the king of this kingdom. In his hand he held the scepter that matched NeoQueen Serenity�s eternal tier scepter.
�Why are we here?� she asked him, �Why did you bring me to this time?�
�You�ll have to ask Setsuna-san that,� he replied, a smile creeping onto his face as he looked ahead, �she�s the one who came to me in this time.� Usagi followed his gaze and saw herself, Serenity, standing in the doorway of Crystal Keep. Usagi felt the oddest sense of d�j� vu when she studied the woman, seeing so much of herself in the older visage. Endymion stepped forward and into the arms of his wife and they shared a tight embrace, as if they had been separated an eternity.
�Usagi-chan no baka!�
She was knocked down by a pink blur that shot out from behind Serenity. This blur had flashing crimson eyes and a shrill, child-like voice.
�Chibiusa-chan!� Usagi giggled as the child threw her stubby little arms about her neck.
�It�s been a whole month since we defeated the Death Phantom! What have you done without me? Hey, you look older than I remember!� Chibiusa leaned back, studying the younger version of her mother intently.
�It�s been two years since then, in the time that I come from,� Usagi smiled.
�We�ve actually been thinking about sending Small Lady back into the past,� Serenity said lovingly, looking down on her daughter and past self, �For training and . . . social interaction.� The last was said with a special emphasis, and Usagi understood. When they sent Chibiusa back in time she met � or would meet- the girl Tomoe Hotaru and set in motion an important chain of events.
�I can�t wait to go!� Chibiusa exclaimed excitedly, then catching herself, folded her arms and stuck her nose in the air, �But not to see you! I want more of Mako-chan�s cookies!�
Laughter was shared about the group as Chibiusa looked on in ignorant confusion. All but the child knew how much she and Usagi would come to care for each other and depend on each other. Then Endymion and Serenity led her inside to wait for Setsuna and whatever destiny the Guardian might bring with her.
In the limbo of the realms between Times, Setsuna sighed and set her Time Staff beside the Gate. She was exhausted from her efforts. Finally, all five Gundam pilots were safe on Earth, for the time being at least. All that was left was to bring Usagi into the game.
Setsuna frowned.
She knew that Usagi had been hiding a secret from her friends and even Mamoru. It was this secret that caused Setsuna to choose this particular version of Tsukino Usagi over any other. It was to be a valuable commodity in the coming battles, but Setsuna worried that Usagi would hesitate to reveal this secret even to her. She did not want to pry the mystery from the girl, even though she already knew what it was; she wanted Usagi to tell her on her own. When the princess managed that step of trust, then the real tests and battles could begin.
She opened a small seeing portal on the base outside of Sanch Kingdom. There she beheld a sight that saddened her.
Hiiro sat silently in the living room, staring at his laptop screen. Duo was in his room, pretending to read a book of Roman mythology while he pointedly ignored the Bible. Wufei was in his own room meditating quietly. Only Quatre and Trowa were together. The blonde boy was showing his taller companion around, talking in a tone of relief. Trowa, for the most part, seemed to be enjoying Quatre�s company, even if in the manner of the confused. It seemed that the only hope were these two boys. Setsuna prayed that Usagi would be able to join all five of them together.
Only one way to find out.
Usagi was awakened with a jolt by a hard object prodding her in the back. She sat up quickly, yawning.
�Whaaaaaaaaat?� she grumbled sleepily.
�It�s time to go, Usagi-chan.�
Usagi straightened.
�Setsuna-san?�
�Hai, now get up and get dressed. Quickly!� Setsuna spoke from the darkness, urgency lacing her stern voice. Usagi nodded dumbly and rose, rushing over to the dresser the best she could in the dark. She paused a moment, then decided that it didn�t matter whether she changed in front of Setsuna. It was dark, and Setsuna wasn�t interested in that anyway. Years of practice getting dressed quickly paid off, for she was ready in less than thirty seconds.
�Shouldn�t we tell the king and queen?�
�They will know. Don�t forget, she is you. She�s lived this and knows exactly when you�re leaving, where you�re going, and what will happen to you.�
�Oh, yeah. Well at least I know I�m gonna live through this!� Usagi gave a nervous laugh, which trailed off when Setsuna didn�t respond.
�I�ve told you many times, Usagi-chan, the future is never set in stone.�
Usagi gulped.
The princess stared down at the ruins of her once beautiful kingdom. Tears filled her iridescent blue eyes as she realized that her entire life had been destroyed in a matter of moments. All of her friends were dead; so was her love. She felt the angry eyes of the prince�s four royal guards fixed on her even as she sobbed her own grief. They blamed her for his death; she knew they did. She only vaguely saw the silver-white pools of her hair that lay across the body of her slain prince. All she could see were the dull holes of dark blue that once were so alive, and the paling death-grey of his skin. The wound still bled; the pool of black-red blood that marked his fall was steadily growing larger, even though he had long passed beyond needing it for life.
�Endymion . . .�
Her voice was quiet, a strangled bird that tried to fight itself free of her throat. Behind her lay the body of Endymion�s murderer, whom the princess's main protector had cut down before the four of them were killed. But she cared not for that carcass. It meant nothing to her.
�Endymion . . .� this time the word was louder, clearer, as the only course of action became apparent to her. She let her slender white hand caress his pale cheek for only a moment, and then lowered it to his still sheathed sword. Her hesitation lasted a second at most, then she jerked the sword free of its earthly sheath. One last look at his body, and she turned the blade in on herself.
�SERENITY!�
The voice of her mother calling her name. It was enough to make her pause again, but not enough to stop the grieving princess.
�I�m sorry, Mother,� she murmured, then braced herself for the final act . . .
At the moment the princess drove her dead fianc�e�s sword into her own body, Quatre shot straight up in bed. His blue eyes were wide, as if he had seen the suicide with them and not his mind�s eye. For a moment he looked about the room, not quite certain where exactly he was. When the memory came back to him of the base he and the other pilots shared, Quatre released a sigh and lifted a hand to his forehead. Sweat soaked his skin and his hair clung to his damp forehead.
�Serenity . . . Endymion . . .� he rolled the uncomfortable names around his mouth and let them spill from his lips. What an odd dream, with such strange names. He didn�t recall any incident in history that he might have taken the scene from, although that must have been what happened. His mind simply could not create such a dream episode from nothing. Could it?
Quatre tossed the blankets back and rose, moving over to the window. He looked out and up, into the night sky where the moon hung bright and serenely against the velvet black. For no reason that he could comprehend, the sight filled him with a powerful sense of sorrow and loss. To him the moon should have meant nothing more than a place to go, an OZ base to destroy. But from Earth, with the clouds hanging in the sky beside it, a soft glow paintbrushed out from its edges, the moon was the most divinely beautiful thing he had ever laid his mortal eyes on. Tears spontaneously swelled from his eyes, threatening to spill before he wiped them away.
With a sudden restlessness moving his heart, Quatre turned and walked silently out of his room down the hall and knocked on Duo�s door.
�Yeah?�
He opened the door and peered inside.
�I hope I�m not disturbing you . . .�
�Nah, just doing some reading.� Duo held up one of the mythology books that lined his bookshelves. Quatre stepped inside and closed the door.
�I just wanted to ask you something.�
�Ask away.�
�Well . . . who is the goddess of the moon?�
�Huh?� Duo lifted a chestnut eyebrow at the question, quite unexpected, �Where�d you come up with a question like that, huh Quatre?�
�Oh . . . um . . . I don�t know. I was just curious.�
Duo glanced at him askance again, then sighed and motioned to the shelves.
�Depends on what culture you mean. Every ancient culture had its own moon deity. Some even had several. Isis was one of them in ancient Egypt. There was Diana in Rome, Artemis and Hecate were the newer moon goddesses of ancient Greece, but before them there was Selene��
�What?� Quatre stopped his friend, �What was the last one?�
�Selene. She was the older moon goddess of Greece.� Quatre sat down on the floor in front of Duo, his eyes glued onto the braided boy.
�Tell me more about her.�
�Well . . . there�s one story about Selene where she fell in love with a human shepherd. It�s said that she was so in love with this human that she forgot her duties as the moon goddess, so Zeus, the king of the gods, decided that something had to be done. So he offered the shepherd two choices: to either die, or spend the rest of eternity in a deep sleep.�
�What did he choose?� Quatre asked, held rapt by the myth of the moon goddess and the Earth man.
�To sleep of course! What idiot would choose to die? Anyway, the myth says that the shepherd still sleeps somewhere in a cave on Earth, where Selene visits him every month. That�s the origin of the new moon, the time when the moon can�t be seen. It�s because Selene is visiting her love.�
�This shepherd . . . did he have a name?�
�Yeah, let me see . . .� Duo plucked the proper book from the shelf and flipped through it until he came to the right page, �Endymion. His name was Endymion.�
Quatre was silent. Endymion . . . It was simply too much of a coincidence. To hear a name similar to that of the princess in his dream, and then the exact name of the prince, both in connection with the moon that moved him to tears had to be significant.
�Quatre, you okay?�
�Duo, is there any mention of why the other goddesses took Selene�s place?�
Duo shrugged.
�Not really. It�s possible that the Greeks created Artemis and Hecate, or gave them Selene�s place, just to satisfy a question about nature that they couldn�t answer otherwise. There may be no other reason than that.�
�Is it . . . possible . . .� Quatre slowed, forming his question carefully before continuing, �Is it possible that Selene died? From the loss of Endymion?�
�I guess so,� Duo paused, considering, �Most cultures made their gods immortal, able to be killed by only certain people, things, or animals. The Norse gods were different, immortal only so long as they weren�t killed. But as far as I know the only Greek god who was ever killed was Pan.�
�Oh . . .� Quatre fell into silence, attempting to work out this incongruent detail.
�Is there any point to all of this?� Duo asked, sliding the book back into place.
�Not really,� Quatre replied, standing up and giving a small smile, �I was just curious. Thanks, Duo.�
�No problem.�
The blonde boy turned and walked to the door, but before leaving he paused and decided to speak.
�Duo . . . if you pray to any deities at all, pray to Selene. I think that she�s watching over us, and of all the gods she�s most likely to answer.�
Usagi stood before the great white doors of the Time Gate for the second time in her most recent lifetime. They hadn�t changed at all, but she got the impression from Setsuna�s ever-static personality that not much ever changed in this place.
�You remember how to travel the Time warp, don�t you, Usagi-chan?� Setsuna was saying.
�Yes, I remember. I have to hold your hand and focus on my destination the entire time, otherwise I could get lost anywhere in Time and Space.� Usagi paused, then giggled nervously, �Oh yeah, what IS my destination anyway?�
�You wouldn�t recognize the date,� Setsuna replied cryptically, �Just know that it�s three thousand years after Crystal Tokyo.�
Three thousand . . . that means it�s four thousand years from my time!!
�Wow,� she said aloud, linking her hand with the older woman�s. She watched as Setsuna tapped the end of her Time Staff against the floor and the Gate opened wide. Before them stretched the oddly colored expanse of the Time warp, also no different than that day two years ago when the Senshi traveled to Crystal Tokyo.
�Ready?�
Usagi nodded silently as Setsuna stepped forward, pulling her along.
The sudden sense of vertigo was no easier to cope with this second time around. Colors, mostly red, orange, and violet, washed around her in a myriad of tie-dyed designs. Immediately Usagi felt sick. She felt the gentle squeeze of Setsuna�s hand, an encouraging gesture. Then the Guardian began to speak.
�This is something very important, Usagi-chan. I�m not exactly the Setsuna you know, and when you are finally returned to your own time, you must never mention this to me. I�m the Setsuna from four thousand years in your future. That is the present for me, and I�m bringing you from my past. Do you understand?� Usagi gave a slow nod, letting this information sink in.
�This future is vastly different than anything you may have imagined when you first saw Crystal Tokyo. The magic that you and the Senshi brought into the world is all but vanished. Science and technology rule here, mostly in the form of military weapons,� Setsuna frowned, and the expression revealed only a speckled view of her true age, �There is a war in this time, Usagi-chan. It�s a war between an organization called OZ, which controls nearly everything now, and five boys who pilot machines called Gundams. Don�t worry that you don�t know anything about this future, you�ll learn very quickly, I�m certain.�
�But how am I supposed to do any good when I don�t even know what a Gundam looks like, let alone what it does?�
�Don�t ask questions, Usagi-chan!� Setsuna�s voice was laced with an uncharacteristic desperation that silenced the inquisitive girl, �I�m bringing you here to help these five Gundam pilots. Their names are Hiiro, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei. All of them are important but pay special attention to Hiiro. He�s the most vital person in this point of the Timeline.
�And Usagi-chan, remember this above all things: All five of these boys, no matter how kind they may seem, are trained killers. Two of them were raised since childhood knowing how to fight and kill and the other three were quick studies. They are kind underneath, but all are very dangerous. Until you know for certain that you have gained their trust, and that they deserve yours, never turn you back on them.�
Usagi stared ahead into the Time warp, considering the words of the Guardian as they continued. Five boys, all trained killers, and she was supposed to help them somehow? Had Setsuna gone completely crazy?
�We�re almost there,� Setsuna gestured ahead with the hand that held her Time Staff, �there�s the door�� She was cut off as an unexpected wind buffeted the two of them. Usagi felt her hand slipping from Setsuna�s grasp and tightened her hold franticly, trying to keep at least the older woman� fingers in hold. But the wind was so strong, and her hair whipped at her face violently, blocking her view. She couldn�t even see Setsuna anymore through the wild strands of gold.
Then, without warning, her hand was empty.
�SETSUNA!!�
If there was an answer it could not be heard for the wind.
Usagi tumbled through the air, confused, disoriented; she couldn�t tell which way was up and which was down. Now she fully understood why the Time Guardian insisted that they hold hands . . . this was a thousand times worse than when the youma had trapped them within the Warp. She had no choice in her destination now, only a sinking hope that she might not be killed in the journey.
Minna . . . Mamo-chan . . . gomen nasai . . .
Then the tumbling ceased.
Usagi lowered her arms, which had been crossed before her face, and took a look at her surroundings. She was inside a building, the walls made out of a dull grey material. They were smooth, with no shelves or anything projecting from them. The walls were quite boring actually. The space stretched out long before her and behind her. She was in a hallway.
Usagi slowly pushed herself to her feet and smoothed out her blue school skirt, then tried to press down her hair. She found that her buns were in disarray, nearly completely undone. She sighed, but left them as they were. It might look horrible, but at least she wouldn�t be tripping over her hair like she would if it were down. Maybe she could find a bathroom or somewhere with a mirror.
Her shoes made hesitant clicks on the metal floor as she walked, as if they too were unsure of this place. She could find no doors, only continuing hallways that looped in and on each other. This place was a maze, and if she weren�t careful she�d find herself lost forever.
�Halt! Identify yourself!�
Usagi turned in the direction of the voice to find two soldiers, both with very dangerous looking guns pointed at her. She stuttered before finally managing a shaky question.
�W-what?�
�I said identify yourself!� the lead soldier shouted, annoyed at her for being so slow.
�I . . . uh . . .� she stalled, suddenly quite certain that she didn�t want to tell this person her name, �I�m . . . Hino Rei!�
�Hino Rei?�
The two soldiers glanced at each other, obviously wondering about the name.
�Yup, that�s me, Hino Rei,� Usagi grinned and waved at them cheerfully, �Now, if it�s okay with you, I�ll just be going somewhere where no one points guns at me.�
�Stop!�
Usagi paused, her heart sinking as they pointed their weapons at her, seemingly more determined to shoot her than before.
�You aren�t going anywhere until you�ve had a talk with our commander.�
�Is there a problem here?�
Usagi turned, as did the soldiers, to face the person who�d spoken. The girl nearly shouted aloud when she saw Setsuna, dressed in a uniform similar to that of these men, only fancier.
�Yes, Lieutenant Meioh, there is a problem,� the leader said, gazing at her with a mixture of fear and hatred, �We�ve got an intruder who seems to think that this is all a joke.�
�Don�t worry about it, I�ll take care of her.�
�But��
�I said don�t worry about it,� Setsuna�s eyes flashed maroon as she looked at the soldier, and he slowly lowered his gun, seemingly in accordance with her order. But as she moved closer to Usagi he suddenly snapped the weapon up again, pointing it at Setsuna this time.
�I don�t know what you�re trying to pull, but it�s not going to work. I take my orders only from the top, not from some transferred Lieutenant. Now, I�ll be taking the intruder to the commander, as my prisoner.�
Usagi saw Setsuna grimace, and reach for her transformation pen. No! she thought, knowing that if Setsuna transformed now she�d be giving away her cover. Usagi wasn�t sure about what was going on, but she did know that her older friend was trying to hide herself within these people. So she did the only thing she could think of.
She called up the power of the Silver Crystal.
Doing this had become easier in the past few months, ever since her sixteenth birthday. One day the Silver Crystal started answering all of her wishes, which caused a few accidents and hooplas, but nothing that she couldn�t handle. Usagi didn�t know if she had matured enough to use the Crystal in the two years since she�d discovered her true identity, or if there was just something about the age of sixteen that allowed her to access its power. All she knew was that it was more trouble than it was worth.
�What�s that?� the soldier asked, stepping backwards from the light that began to grow between Usagi�s outstretched hands. She didn�t answer, and in a moment the Silver Crystal was floating serenely in the air before her.
�Gomen ne,� she said, then released a large blast of white power. This blast knocked the two soldiers back and against the wall. The leader tried to get up, but another blast pushed him back and knocked him out. Usagi looked up to see Setsuna smiling at her.
�Very good, Usagi-chan.�
�Well . . . yeah . . .� She didn�t know whether she should explain her actions or not. Then Usagi realized that this Setsuna probably already knew about her newfound control of the Crystal. �It�s getting easier.�
�I know,� said the older woman, then she extended her hand towards Usagi, �Usagi-chan, you have to give me the Crystal.�
�WHAT?!?� Usagi hugged the Crystal close to her, partially turning away. �I can�t do that! Setsuna-san, without the Crystal I�ll be powerless!�
�Usagi-chan, the fewer people in this Time who know about your true identity and your powers, the better. Especially now that OZ will know about you. They�ll be looking for you and they won�t be kind if they find you.�
The girl paused, considering. She glanced at the two fallen soldiers, and knew that the leader would not let this go. From his personality she could tell that he would consider this a personal slight against him. At last she sighed and reluctantly handed over the Crystal, now again nestled in its safe position in the brooch.
�Don�t worry, you�ll get it back when it�s time.� Usagi eyed Setsuna warily, distrusting the Senshi with her most priceless treasure. Without the Silver Crystal she felt naked, defenseless.
�Come on, Usagi-chan. Luckily you fell in the right Time, just the wrong place.� Setsuna extended her hand to her young companion again, �I can only transport us so far. We�ll have to take a shuttle to Earth.�
�You mean . . . we�re NOT on Earth???�
Setsuna laughed a little, the expression of amusement slightly breaking away her mask of sternness. For a moment Usagi could almost believe that this woman had been a friend for far longer than she had.
�No, we�re on a ship in space. It�s called Barge and it belongs to OZ. That's why we have to get off of it now.�
Usagi sighed and took Setsuna's offered hand and in moments they were standing in a completely different place. She shook her head and blinked, trying to get used to the sudden change.
�I didn�t know you could do that.�
�I can do a lot that you don't know about.�
�Oh . . .� Usagi looked about, seeing what looked like a normal park setting. There were children playing on swing sets; fortunately it seemed that none of them had paid any attention to the sudden appearance of two strangers in their midst. She was about to ask Setsuna if the woman was absolutely certain that they weren't on Earth when her eyes happened to wander upwards. There she saw, instead of blue sky and the sun, a ceiling of dull grey metal and bright spotlights that apparently simulated sunlight. She swallowed hard.
�I know, Usagi-chan. It's odd isn't it?� Setsuna looked out on the children and the adults who hovered in the background, talking amongst themselves, �Most of these people have never really seen the sky. They don�t know what the sun looks like, or how it feels to gaze up into the night sky and see the vast blanket of stars stretching into forever. These children will grow up the same way for the most part. Save for one,� she pointed to a little blonde-haired boy who looked to be about four or five, �that boy will grow up to be a great leader, and he will be the only one of his generation to ever travel to the Earth.�
�But why, Setsuna-san?� Usagi breathed in pained disbelief, �Why don't these people go to Earth? Don't they know how beautiful and wonderful it is?� Setsuna shook her head sadly.
�No, they don't. They've been told lies about the Earth, lies that tell them the Earth is corrupt, dirty, and dangerous. It's true to a point, because one can't be completely safe where ever they go, but the problem is not nearly as bad as they've been lead to believe. And since these common people have no contact with Earth they don't know not to believe what they've heard.�
Usagi gazed in silence on the group of children, her eyes wavering as she thought of how deprived they were, and would be for their entire lives. Then the little boy skipped over to her, and she looked down at him in bewilderment. He smiled.
�You're from the Earth, aren't you?� he asked innocently, and Usagi blinked.
�H-hai. How did you know?�
�All people from Earth look as confused as you. You all have the same look on your face, like you've lost something.�
�No . . . I haven't lost anything,� she smiled after a moment, �I think it's the people who live here that suffer the greatest loss.�
The boy tilted his head to the side and stared at her in confusion. He didn't yet understand what she meant, but she knew that he would one day. She patted him on the head gently, earning a suspicious glance from his mother. Usagi smiled at her, and that smile alone was enough to put the woman's fears to rest. When she finally looked back up at Setsuna, the Guardian was smiling and seemed satisfied somehow.
�Let's go and register a shuttle,� she said and walked off, Usagi skipping behind her in order to keep up.
Two days later, one day of rest and one of travel, Usagi stood in the middle of a forest. Her newly cleaned school uniform and her neatly bunned hair were disturbed only by a slight wind. Setsuna lifted her face to the sky and smiled.
�Good to be on Earth again, ne, Usagi-chan?�
�Hai, Setsuna-san.�
Setsuna breathed in the fresh air deeply then released the breath in a contented sigh.
�The base is just over that hill there,� she pointed to a small rise in the ground just ahead of them, �I'm sure at least Quatre will be waiting for us. He tends to know when I'm coming.�
The trek was a short one but vastly too much work for Usagi, whose idea of exercise was racing to school every morning. It was a good twenty minutes before she joined a silent Setsuna at the top of the hill. Usagi crouched over, panting in exhaustion and clinging to her companion's arm for support. When at last she'd gotten her breath, Usagi realized that Setsuna had said nothing in the past few minutes. She looked up and saw the oddest expression on the Guardian's face, one of mixed shock, fear, and amusement. In order to see just what it was that shocked Setsuna so, Usagi looked down the hill towards the base.
In the little valley which nestled a run down looking building, chaos was in the process of wrecking havoc, in that way it tends to do.
Five boys were either standing or running. The one with long, braided hair was laughing maniacally as he ran, what looked like a black marker clutched in one hand. Not far behind him was a dark haired Oriental boy, who waved a menacing katana in the air and screamed incoherently in the general direction of his prey. In the background stood a tall, lanky boy with amazingly buoyant red-brown bangs. His face was flushed a bright, embarrassed red, probably because behind him cowered another boy. At first Usagi thought his hair was blonde, but upon closer inspection she saw that it was actually a light shade of pink. This one followed the movements of the black-haired boy as if afraid that he would be the next victim of the katana�s wrath. And behind them all stood an inexpressive boy with crossed arms, dripping wet and wearing nothing but a towel.
Usagi looked up at Setsuna, one golden eyebrow arched.
�These are your trained killers?�
End Chapter Four
Broken Wing
A Sailor Moon / Gundam Wing crossover
Part 5
By Sailorcelestial
Duo sighed. He turned the other direction in the chair. He blew at a strand of hair invading his eyes. Then he sighed again, turned upside down in the chair, and turned the book sideways. Nothing he did made sitting there and waiting any easier or less boring. Finally he laid the book on his stomach and stared up at the ceiling, for lack of anything better to do. Unfortunately he didn�t notice that he was sliding from the leather chair and in a moment there was a loud THUD as the braided boy hit the ground headfirst.
�DUO! I TOLD YOU TO KEEP QUIET!�
Duo winced even though Wufei wasn�t physically in the room. Somehow the Chinese boy was more intimidating than even Hiiro.
After waiting for a few minutes to be absolutely certain that Wufei wasn�t about to storm through the door, Duo finally tilted over onto his side on the floor, then rolled completely onto his stomach. A few more minutes passed with him simply lying facedown on the carpet, unmoving and quiet as a mouse. This brief moment of calm was quickly followed by the flurry of Duo launching himself into a cross-legged sitting position.
�Man, this place is so dead! I�m bored out of my mind!� Indigo eyes, filled with the desperation of the chronically bored, flashed across the room looking for something, anything that might be even remotely interesting.
Nothing.
Duo groaned and pushed himself up, walking over to the closet. Earlier he�d seen a large shoebox sitting on the floor there, but he�d ignored it. Right now, however, he was willing to look into anything to keep himself sane.
He lifted the top from the box and frowned in confusion.
Inside there lay a black marker, a bottle of pink hair dye, a bottle of Tabasco sauce, a can of cayenne pepper, a jar of jalapenos, a screwdriver, and a pair of scissors.
�What the . . .?�
A slow, wicked grin spread across his face as the possibilities for these random items flashed through his evil little mind. A low cackle escaped from his mouth before he clapped his hands over it to stop the sound.
This is going to be priceless!!
�DUO! HEY DUO! FOOD!�
Wufei stood at the entrance of the dining room, silent and expectant. Hiiro, Trowa, and Quatre sat at the table, glancing among themselves as no answer came from upstairs. One minute passed, then two, and still no Duo.
�He�s up to something,� Wufei growled, �When Duo�s this quiet it means trouble.�
�Maybe he�s just asleep,� Quatre offered with a good-natured smile. He�d been very happy and cheerful since the safe return of Trowa to their ranks.
�Even if he were asleep, he would have woken up the instant he heard the word �food.� I don�t like this.�
�Neither do��
Before Hiiro could finish his statement, Duo slammed into Wufei, who had turned around to speak to Quatre, from behind. The two went sprawling across the floor, Duo tumbling heel over braid until he hit the far wall with legs in the air. A low growl issued from Wufei, who was lying facedown on the marble floor and no doubt feeling ready to kill a specific someone. Quatre gulped and leaned closer to Trowa, who stared impassively at the goings on. Hiiro reached across the table with a fork and speared a piece of ham.
�Sorry!� Duo cried, a little too cheerfully to be reassuring, as he bolted up from the floor and into his chair. Wufei grumbled something that no one could understand.
�We were getting worried about you, Duo,� Quatre smiled nervously towards the hyperactive pilot.
�Worried? About me? HAH! You shouldn�t have!�
Wufei, who had just sat down next to Hiiro, leaned towards the stoic boy, who was already eating, �He�s definitely up to something.�
�You�re too paranoid, Wufei!� Duo exclaimed, ruthlessly stabbing a roll with his fork and shoving it into his mouth. He grinned at Quatre and gave a muffled, �This is great!�
�Thank you, Duo,� the blonde smiled again, and no one noticed Trowa looking away as if suddenly embarrassed.
After that the meal proceeded and was insidiously uneventful. Everyone, save for Hiiro, complimented Quatre on his cooking, which he claimed to have learned from one of twenty-nine sisters. At the mention of the female siblings, Wufei choked, no doubt imagining what it would be like to have grown up with that many women around. Even Trowa laughed at that. The five pilots spent a good hour and a half at the dinner table, most of them sharing stories and getting to know each other. If only Setsuna could have seen them, she would have been proud.
At last Quatre pushed back his chair and stood.
�Well, I should go take a shower now. I�ll see you all in the morning.�
�Have fun, Quatre!� Duo waved, grinning in that annoyingly cheerful way he�d had about him the entire meal. Wufei scowled, still certain that the braided one was conspiring in some manner, just not sure exactly what it was yet. Hiiro sat with arms crossed, looking down at the table, most likely waiting for the rest of them to leave until he went along his business.
When Quatre, after throwing a confused look at Duo, was gone from the room, Trowa stood and began collecting the plates. Duo instantly disappeared the moment Wufei looked away for the merest of moments, and the dark-haired boy vanished in an attempt to find him. After about ten minutes, Hiiro finally rose and made his way into the living room, where his laptop waited patiently for him.
All was quiet.
For about five seconds.
A high pitched screech issued from the upstairs bathroom. Hiiro, assured that it was an OZ attack, bolted from his chair and flew up the stairs in the direction of the sound. Wufei was right behind him, and he could see Trowa standing in the hallway up ahead. Duo was conspicuously absent.
�Trowa, what�s�� Hiiro stopped when he saw the expression on Trowa�s face. The tall boy�s eyes were wide, and his lips twitched slightly, as if trying to form a smile or even a grin. As Hiiro stood there, Trowa lifted a hand to his mouth and nose to unsuccessfully attempt to muffle the snort that issued forth. Hiiro blinked. What on Earth or the colonies was funny enough to make Trowa snort?
Only one way to find out. Hiiro, with a confused Wufei standing behind him, stepped forward and peered curiously into the bathroom.
There, nearly lost in the after shower mist that floated through the room, stood Quatre with a horrified . . . no . . . vandalized expression on his childish face. The reason for his horror was evident, as his newly dried hair- he still held the hair dryer in one hand- was a darker shade of hot pink.
Hiiro caught Trowa�s lip twitch.
Wufei, seeing the spread of that facial spasm, pushed Hiiro out of the way in order to see just what was so amusing.
Lip twitches seem to be extremely contagious.
The three pilots most difficult to make laugh stood in the hallway, snickering like five year olds. Trowa leaned against the wall as his amusement turned into full out laughter, and soon his legs gave out beneath him causing him to slide to the floor. Wufei was doubled over in his jollity and Hiiro . . . well . . . Hiiro was highly entertained.
�WHO WAS IT?!?� Quatre demanded, standing in the doorway, towel wrapped around his waist, blue eyes wild and deranged, �WHICH ONE OF YOU DID IT?!?�
�D-Did . . . w-wha-at?� Wufei barely managed to choke out. At that, Trowa burst into a new fit and Hiiro turned away to hide his grin.
�I know . . . it was DUO!!! DUO DID IT!!!�
In the next second the three were alone in the hallway, as Quatre had gone to seek his revenge on the braided one.
Duo, the culprit of what would come to be known as The Great Pink Hair Dye Incident, was lurking around the base with a video camera, poised to catch his unwitting victim, pink hair and all, on tape. Little did he know that he was soon to go from hunter to hunted.
As he turned a corner, the camera�s view screen was abruptly filled with the image of Quatre, hot pink hair spiked, eyes wide, and just the barest hint of foam brewing at the corner of his mouth. Duo, of course, was too dense to realize that his life was in danger and likely to end at the fragile age of fifteen. So he merely grinned and proceeded to film the incensed former blonde in all of his half-naked, dyed hair glory.
�Quatre Raberba Winner, how does it feel to be a new man with a new look?�
No answer. And still Duo didn�t have a clue.
�I hear that pink is very posh this year in the upper circles,� he continued, �all of the ladies- and some of the guys too- will be flocking to you!�
Quatre reached out and snatched the camera from Duo�s hands, crushing it in his grip. The judges give him four points for adrenaline. Duo, who only gets two points for being the densest person on the face of the planet, stood there with his hands still in position as if clutching the camera. Seconds passed before he finally straightened and looked at his empty hands in confusion. Then he looked to the shattered pieces of the machine that lay scattered on the floor at Quatre�s feet. At last he turned his gaze upwards to the dark- souled person who had dared to steal his toy.
�You broke my camera!�
�I�M GONNA BREAK MORE THAN THAT!�
Duo blinked, finally getting some sort of sense of his peril, as Quatre barreled straight towards him, fingers clenching and unclenching as they anticipated wrapping around the enemies throat. The three who had been deserted upstairs had at last managed to make it downstairs and were watching the events. Hiiro bet Trowa that Duo would be able to outrun Quatre, but Trowa bet both Hiiro and Wufei that Quatre would tackle the braided one in less than thirty seconds. The terms of the bet were never disclosed to outside sources, but neither Hiiro nor Wufei ever bet against Trowa again.
At precisely twenty-seven point two five seconds Quatre took a flying leap and knocked Duo to the ground. For a boy who apologizes every time he has to kill someone, Quatre managed to pull off the insane-with-anger-I�m-gonna-kill-you-with-my-bare-hands personality quite well. In fact, he receives eight more points just for his strangling technique.
�I give up! I give up!� Duo somehow succeeded in saying, �I�m sorry! Just let me go!�
His only response was the choked, gleefully insane laughter that marked Quatre�s lunacy. In fact, Quatre�s eyes had to them a yellow glow that was suspiciously similar to the glow of the Wing Zero. Somewhere in his befuddled mind, Trowa recognized that while in this state, the normally good-natured boy was not to be messed with. In fact . . . Trowa gets three healthy points for being the first to flee the room. Hiiro gets one lousy point for screaming at the top of his lungs: �HE�S HAVING A RELAPSE!!!� Wufei gets five points for being so amusing as he stood there, now alone, with absolutely no clue as to what the other two were screaming about.
�Huh?� was the only word that stumbled from his mouth.
�Help . . .� Duo pleaded in a strangled yelp.
�Um . . .� muttered Wufei, who had no love for the braided one, but did not condone unnecessary slaughter, �Shouldn�t we do something?�
�DO something?!?� Hiiro shouted from behind a table that had been knocked on its side, �Do WHAT?!? You didn�t see Quatre when he was actually piloting the Wing Zero! He�s a madman! He�s INSANE!�
Trowa was silent.
�But . . .� Wufei paused, pondering, �If he�s insane like he was in Wing Zero . . . then shouldn�t we try to make him sane again before he tries to kill us all?�
Hiiro and Trowa exchanged a glance over the table. Damn, said the glance, he�s right . . .
With a pair of sighs and wary looks, the three inched over to Quatre and Duo, the latter of which was turning a rather pretty shade of royal blue. It took all of the strength between the three of them to pry Quatre�s fingers from Duo�s throat and then to lift him up and away so that the braided boy could stand and dart a healthy distance away.
�Er . . .� Wufei mused as they held the kicking, writhing, screaming former blonde, �Now what? How do we snap him out of it?�
�I know!� Duo cried, and the three gulped, turning a pale shade of grey. He rushed off only to return a few moments later with a bucket of water. Without hesitation Duo proceeded to fling the water in their general direction. While the water, very cold water indeed, splashed not only Quatre but Trowa and Hiiro as well, the bucket slipped from Duo�s grasp and flew through the air, making a gorgeous three point landing right on Wufei�s head.
�Baka . . .� came the metallic grumbling from beneath the pail.
�Oops . . .�
�You weren�t supposed to splash US.�
�Sorry, Hiiro!�
Trowa�s bangs somehow managed to stay poised in the air, despite the weight of the water.
� . . .�
�Sorry, Trowa!�
�Wha happuned?� came Quatre�s plaintive plea from Hiiro and Trowa�s iron grip. The four pilots looked down at him, pitiful in his soaked and near naked confusion. His eyes were once more the soft blue they were all used to, and so filled with gentle bewilderment that his companions knew that he was no longer insane. For the time being at least.
�You . . . er . . . ate too much sugar before taking your shower,� Duo offered with a lopsided grin. Although they knew that the excuse was weak at best, the other three nodded in agreement, for none of them had any better explanations and no one wanted to clarify exactly what had occurred. Quatre blinked at them all, then sighed.
�Well, I�ll have to remember not to do that next time then,� he said trustingly, �Um . . . Hiiro . . . Trowa . . .�
�Yes?�
�Hn?�
�Do you think you could let me go now? I think my arms are bruised . . .�
Duo leaned against the inside of his door, head banging rhythmically against the wood. For the past five hours he had been locked inside the small space that dared to call itself a bedroom, involuntarily confined to quarters by the three objective pilots. Hiiro, Trowa, and Wufei had decided that the best course of action for keeping Quatre safe from any more pranks was to keep Duo under house arrest. Only the house was defined by his room.
�C�mon! I was only trying to have a little fun! You guys gotta be bored here too! You understand, don�t you?�
No answer.
�PLEASE LET ME OUT!� the braided one whined pathetically, �I�VE LEARNED MY LESSON!!! I PROMISE!!! PLEASE!!!�
Still no answer.
Duo returned to banging his head and waiting for his jailers to rediscover the lost parts of themselves that were human.
Outside, Wufei grinned stupidly as he kept guard over his nemesis.
Quatre stood in the bathroom, pale blue pajamas clinging to his skin, which was still somewhat wet from Duo�s mishap with the bucket. From the mirror before him stared back a pink-haired version of himself. His blue eyes got ever so big and wide and filled with tears just ready to spill. Oh the horror! The humanity! His DIGNITY! However was it to be saved???
Quatre leaned his face forward into his hands and wept.
A hand, its touch tentative, lighted briefly on his shoulder. The boy looked up to see Trowa standing behind him, looking downwards, expression just as guarded as when they had first met, but with a tint of something else to it. The hand that had been on his shoulder hovered just slightly behind it now, as if wondering if it should attempt the contact again. A few tight moments passed in silence as Quatre gazed upwards, and Trowa stared at the floor in an attempt to avoid his gentle companions eyes.
�It�s not that bad,� he finally murmured, the barest hint of a flush coloring his cheeks. Quatre blinked, whether from surprise or to push back the tears it is unknown.
�Yes it is,� he whispered, �No one took me seriously as a fighter before,� his eyes trailed to the mirror once more, �Now it will be even worse.�
�I . . .� Trowa paused to collect his jumbled, tumbled, and utterly befooozled thoughts before continuing, �I don�t remember much. But I�m sure that I took you seriously. And I take what you just did to Duo very seriously.�
Quatre blinked again, this time most definitely from surprise at hearing Trowa speak so much in one sitting. Then, as he lowered his gaze to the sink, the meaning of the tall boy�s words finally hit him and he turned back.
Only to find Trowa gone.
He sighed.
One day . . . one day I�m going to find out what is going on in your head, Trowa.
A few days later, Duo wasn�t sure exactly how many, he was finally released from involuntary confinement. His captors assumed that his time in prison had straightened him out, made him think about his actions, and think twice before attempting something along those lines again.
They don�t know Duo very well, do they?
Unbeknownst to his helpless fort-mates, Duo had managed to smuggle the black magic marker out of his room in his back pocket.
And now . . . he was looking about to make certain no one was around to see him slip into the Gundam hanger . . .
Hiiro had just slipped into a hot shower when he heard a blood-curdling scream issue from outside. He blinked. From the pitch of it, quite high, it sounded like Quatre. But the content did not.
�KISAMA!!!!�
Hiiro, after weeks of living with his fellow pilots, had finally found it within himself to sigh. And he did. After a moment he decided that his curiosity, what little of it there was, had won over his need to stay in the shower. He stepped out and wrapped a towel around himself, then headed outside to see just what all the commotion was about.
Duo was running about, laughing maniacally. Nothing so new about that. Duo always ran about laughing maniacally. Behind him, Wufei wielded his katana, screaming �KISAMA!� and other less mentionable words in Duo�s general direction. Nothing odd about that either. And, as usual when they were around, Quatre hid in barely disguised fear behind Trowa. Luckily for the boy a few days of showers had lightened his hair to a more bearable shade of pink than its original bright hue. Hiiro leaned in and murmured to him.
�What is going on?�
�I don�t know exactly . . .� Quatre managed somehow to mumble back amid his shaking in fear, �apparently Duo did something to Shenlong . . .�
Hiiro�s eyes widened. They all knew how protective Wufei was of his Gundam. Duo had to have been insane to do anything to the dragon pilot�s Gundam. Even Hiiro himself would never have been brave enough to mar the �perfect beauty that is Nataku.�
�How DARE you,� Wufei was screaming, �ruin the perfect beauty that is Nataku!�
Hiiro crossed his arms and prepared to turn away when a high pitched, even more so than Wufei�s original scream, laugh reached his ears. Hiiro blinked. Wufei stopped running and lowered his katana to follow the sound of the laugh. Quatre and Trowa looked at each other. Then, deciding that the knife show was over for the day, they backed away from each other just enough to still be within arms reach, and allowed their eyes to also find the perpetrator of the laugh. Duo still ran, laughing maniacally.
From the hill overlooking the valley where she normally made a showy and mysterious entrance came the woman who had brought them all here. She looked much less than mysterious now as she walked towards them, the shadow of embarrassment covering her tanned face. Her entire frame professed mortification, but they couldn�t decide whether she was ashamed of them, or of the figure beside her.
That was the source of the demonic laughter that threatened to tear apart their eardrums. It was a girl, who looked no older than they were, somewhat younger even. Her hair was done in an unusual style none of them had ever seen before, and was amazingly long. She might have been a very lovely young woman, but none of them could tell for the simple fact that her mouth was taking up a large portion of her face as she cackled. Their mysterious benefactor growled something to the hyena that none of them could hear for the noise. As suddenly as it had come upon them, however, the laughing ceased as the girl heard whatever it was the woman had said to her.
�But . . . but Setsuna-san! You CAN�T be serious! I�ve seen killers! I�ve seen generations of killer youma, and trust me, these boys��
�For the last time, Usagi-chan, BE QUIET!�
None of the pilots had ever seen or heard the woman yell before, and it took them all off guard.
Apparently the same held true for this girl, Usagi-chan, for she immediately fell silent. A moment passed where the woman appeared to be gathering her thoughts and whatever shreds of her patience were left. At long last she opened her eyes and looked at them.
�I am Setsuna,� she announced, �and I have brought you someone to help you save the Earth and the colonies.�
A pause.
Then Duo, who had yet to cease running, slammed into the blonde girl and they both tumbled to the ground.
�BAKA!� she screamed at him.
�I like her,� Wufei said to Hiiro.
End Chapter Five