Part Three;
*A Matter of Time*

         Paato Surii;
         *Dokigoto*
 

Space was a wonderful place; both understated and majestic all at the same time. It seemed as though it was because of this dualism that no human seemed to appreciate it. Not even the Colonies fully revered the cold, harsh beauty that surrounded them.

To the people of the Colonies, and of Chikyuu, Outer Space was just another battlefield.

In the midst of all this, a white and orange Mobile Suit twisted itself around to face a row of enemy mobile suits. Lifting both arms it aimed large gatling guns and began firing. The small, short bursts of light glinted off the Mobile Suit's skin of Gundanium.

The enemy having been destroyed, stray energy bullets continued on to join another collision of energy directly above the Earth. The result of which drowned all in whiteness, and Outer Space disappeared.

The light of war had outshone the peaceful light of the stars. One by one five of them fell to the Earth in shame.

Never to return.

Never to feel the peace of space again.
 

Trowa Barton awoke and sat up. Much like Hiiro Yui, he wasn't one for showing much emotion, but something about that dream... that dream shared unbeknownst now by two other Gundam Pilots... something had shaken him up inside.

Blinking his green eyes through the tawny hair that cascaded over his face, Trowa gazed out the solitary window that broke the monotony of his cell, and contemplated the moon for the duration of the night.

  [##]

Quatre heard the alarm go up and prepared himself for battle.

  [##]

Wufei rounded a corner in the path, ignoring the protests of the girl. He couldn't stand his ground and fight, knowing his luck she'd be caught in the crossfire. Damn. That meant he had to run like a coward hoping futilely that he could escape. He couldn't even head for Shenlon, there was no way a girl who followed a path yelling for help would make it through the thick underbrush.

" Would you just-- " sounded the girl's voice in his ears. He didn't bother to pay attention to the rest, nor to the fact that she sounded more angry than frightened.

Another turn, and a bullet ricocheted off of a tree, showering the two with bark. Wufei raised an arm to shield, ignoring the pinpricks of blood that arose where the wood-projectiles had hit him. Another turn. Why was this path so damned winding?

Suddenly his ears were filled again by the girl's voice; of her gasping and hollering, " Matte! "

Wufei ignored her.

But this time she would not be ignored and reached up with her free hand to yank his wrist in an effort to make him stop. Wufei graced her with a venomous glare and jerked his arm back, dragging her with it. They grappled as such for a moment, still moving awkwardly down the path, until Wufei's ears were graced with another sound...

... of a snap, and a whir, and another snap after that...

... and Chang Wufei's world was suddenly turned upside down.

" Pf, " the girl muttered next to him, " terrific. "

  [##]

From the base in the sand, several Oz Leos and Aries arose and approached Quatre and his Maginak followers.

  [##]

At first... whiteness...

and then... blobs...

after that... colours... coloured blobs, but colours nonetheless...

then... some... semblance of form...

Completely oblivious to this string of events happening in the mind of Zechs Marquis, Lucretia Noin leaned over his medical bed and offered him a smile from behind her long indigo bangs.

Eventually the aforementioned events worked their way into clear vision and Zechs was able put a name to his 'nurse'.

" Noin, " he greeted, the word slurring through the drugs in his system.

Caring replaced the concern on her face as she leaned her forearms on the bed next to him and pleasantly demanded, " Zechs, what the hell have you been doing? "

Disregarding the question in favour of his own, Zechs asked, " What happened? "

Noin made an 'I was expecting that' sound in the back of her throat. " You collapsed. The medics can't figure out why. And you lied to me before you met the tarmac so I couldn't tell them anything. "

Zechs smiled faintly, his eyes closing beneath the metal mask that remained even in sickness. " I would never lie to you,  Lucretia. "

Dryly Noin remarked. " You did just there. Come on, Zechs. What were your symptoms? "

" You say the doctors can't find what's wrong? "

" You're avoiding the question. "

" Then there's nothing wrong. " Zechs ignored her comments. " I'd like to go to my quarters and rest, if that's okay. I need to sleep off the drugs. " Reaching over, Zechs removed the unnecessary IV in his arm and pushed back the sheets.

Noin verbally protested and met him as he stood. The taller soldier's legs gave way beneath him, and Noin balked as she tried to catch his weight. One muscled arm went around her shoulders and Zechs commented, " This'll do, " with a smile that hinted at much more.

What a flirt. Always professional until drunk, or alone, (or both) that was the Zechs Marquis she knew all too well. Noin permitted him a smile and headed for the corridor leading out of the medical bay.

  [##]

Sandrock's twin scythe blades glowed red as they sliced through a Leo each, heating the metal as if cauterizing the wound.

  [##]

Rilina sat bored at a computer console and idly tapped keys. Screen after screen of depressing news reports and military reports and free-lance reports passed by her eyes. Unseen, but for the fact that they lacked the one thing Rilina needed a dose of.

Hiiro... she thought with an inward sigh, Where are you...?

Suddenly something caught her eye, and Rilina straightened her posture. Scanning back a few frames, Rilina came across the status report from a former alliance base in Old Canada. [yay!] But it was not the report itself, or the place that caught her attention. It was that one line near the bottom, giving the report on just who was aiding the rebels trying to reclaim their base.

" Gundam Zero-one... " Rilina murmured, her finger trailing over the words on the screen, " ... Hiiro... "

  [##]

Quatre cried out as twin missiles connected with his back, and sent Sandrock crashing to the ground.

  [##]

Treize walked alone down one of the many cool hallways in his Luxembourg home. Still, in his solitude he was a soldier; dressed in full uniform, buttoned up, pressed neatly, his gloves pristine despite the breakfast he had just consumed. The black cape that accompanied his uniform fell gracefully over one shoulder, down to just below his knees. Even his sandy brown hair was combed back neatly into place, but for those two short pieces that flipped forward onto his forehead. Treize didn't mind those, they reminded him in a way of his fallibility.

Entering the library, Treize paused at the very centre of the room, and breathed deeply of the silence. This was his favorite room in the entire expansive palace. Here was where he spent most of his time.

It was in this room where he had his computer, his solitude, his time to just be a man. Not to be the Oz Representative, or 'his excellency' but just Treize Kush Renada.

The library was heavily adorned with shadows, turning all the books in the floor to ceiling shelves to dull shades that blended together into a whole new shadow themselves. Oh, he could turn the overhead lights on, illuminating it all with the rock-crystal chandeliers that hung above his head. But then the room would lose it's charm, and Treize would have lost his private place.

Sitting at his desk, Treize activated his computer and began to check in on what was happening in the outside world.

" So, " he commented softly as he read a report just sent by Dorothy from the Cinq Kingdom, " Rilina Peacecraft has left for Old Canada. " He folded his hands before his face and contemplated the space just past his desk. " Whyever would she do a silly thing like that? "

  [##]

" Quatresama! " came Rasid's concerned voice over the comlink. Sandrock wasn't moving. " Quatresama! Do you hear me?! "

  [##]

Hiiro squatted by the edge of the lake and dipped a pot into the murky green waters. It wasn't the best water in the world, but a little heat and it would keep him alive and well. Standing with the dripping pot in his hands, Hiiro considered the still-unspoiled beauty of the forest bordering the lake. If the Alliance's predictions went through, and Oz attacked them here, it would all be gone in an instant. Pity.

A soft breeze tousled Hiiro's bangs, and he narrowed his eyes at the lake. Oz... he would destroy it or die trying.

The water rose in a wave and splashed against Hiiro's sneakered feet. He looked down at them, dumfounded for a moment. The breeze was still light, barely there, and a boat hadn't passed by... Another wave broke against Hiiro's feet, this time catching his knees with cold northern waters. Hiiro stood there contemplating a minute longer, and a minute was all it took for it all to be answered for Hiiro.

" Kid! Hey Kid! " hollered one of the Alliance soldiers behind him. Hiiro turned his back on the lake and stared at the soldier without even a sign of an expression change. He knew what was about to be said. The soldier stopped a few metres away and huffed a bit. He was frightened. He would not survive. " Kid! Gundam Pilot! " No one ever bothered to ask his name, and Hiiro never gave it. " They-- " the soldier gasped, " They're coming! "

" They're here. " stated Hiiro.

As if on cue, a Pisces in battle mode rose up out of the lake and leveled it's thermal rifle at the back of Hiiro's head.

  [##]

" Quatresa--! " Rasid was cut off as his Mobile Suit too was thrown to the ground.

  [##]

Duo left the little cabin he'd claimed as his own and stretched exaggeratedly. Even when alone he liked to show off. Exhaling noisily he bounded over to Deathscythe, his long brown braid swinging to and fro. He hummed a chipper tune that sounded suspiciously like the Darth Vader theme from Star Wars and scrabbled his way up Deathscythe to the very apex of it's left shoulder and sat cross-legged upon the gleaming Gundanium.

Taking a deep breath of the sunny air, the God of Death contemplated the landscape.

" Y'know, Shinigami, " Duo commented, crossing his arms behind his head, " I could get used to this. Yeh, so I'm stuck in a war against Oz, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy it here! What I gotta do is find a city to hide in. That'll be harder, but a lot more exciting stuff happens in a city. " As usual, Duo's thoughts turned to Hiiro, " I wonder if That Guy likes cities. " Even though Duo now knew Hiiro's name, the boy would be 'That Guy' for quite a while. He gave a derisive snort,  " Probably not. He'll be out in battle in the middle of nowhere, fighting to die, threatening others to die, Like Usual. Boy, " Duo grumbled, somehow Hiiro always seemed to bring his mood down a notch and a half, " what a guy. "

An urgent beeping caught Duo's attention, and he climbed quickly down to the cockpit and bounced back into the seat. Bad news, he hoped. Bad news meant good news in his line of work. Bad news meant that he was about to do his job.

" Well, well, " Duo leaned back and grinned widely at the console. " Looks like trouble down south. " The console beeped again, and Duo wavered it away as he stood, " Yeah, yeah! I hear ya'! " He assured. " But before I go anywhere I'm grabbing a snack and-- ahhh! " Duo yelped and threw himself at something he'd just noticed. " A Scratch! " he wailed, then stepped back and scratched his head in contemplation at the half metre long groove in Deathscythe's black paint. " How could I have missed that? " A shrug. " Ah well, we'll touch that up in no time and then go kick some Oz ass! Can't have Shinigami going into battle without looking his best, now can we? "

  [##]

The wind swept across the sands, building dunes around the Gundam Sandrock. The Suit was battered beyond retreat, it's pilot unresponsive to his fellow soldiers, the Maginak. But it was not from his wounds that had Quatre Rababa Winner silent, it was that part of himself attuned to the rest of the worlds around him; the Uchuu no Kokoro.

He was slumped forward across the safety straps holding him to his seat, his head lolled forward onto the front screen that was hazy with static. His pale blonde bangs were stained by the puddle of something... something... blood. His blood. Quatre was bleeding.

Quatre was dying.

People were dying. Chikyuu was dying...

... and at the moment, there didn't seem to be anything Quatre could do about any of it.

To be continued...
 Tsuzuku...

**

[Cliffhangers. Cliffhangers. Cliffhangers... wai! I just finished watching episode 47! For a moment there I had to keep reminding myself, 'I'm not gonna die. I'm not gonna die. Zechs does not kill me. I'm not gonna die.' But that's beside the point. Whatever will happen to our beloved Gundam pilots in this story? ~laments~ I wish I knew! Be here next time for a marginal round of answers! Till then, I'll be off writing it... ~drags herself off to start part four~]

Translation Notes for this Chapter

[Written by Inseiko, 2000]
 

Go to Part Four