Part Six;
*Revelation*

            Paato Shikkusu;
            *Bakuro*
 

The peace in outer space was not being destroyed by war. It was being hidden. While wars raged in it's midst, the peace had become an underlying theme, a foundation if you will. For all people are fighting for peace.

Was she the only one who saw this?

Was she the only one who saw that the fighting got them no closer? That it only led to more battles?

Rilina Peacecraft floated in space, how or why she was there was far from her mind. She drifted within the empty expanse between Chikyuu and the colonies. All around her, isolated battles raged. But these were not important, what was important was what was behind the battles.

The stars danced their eternal dance across the span of infinity.

Amidst this dance, somewhere near Chikyuu, a blue and white mobile suit turned and raised it's buster rifle, spewing golden fire into the darkness. Rilina gasped as the golden flame touched her heart.

To her left, Shinigami finished his battle with a great swoop of his scythe, and the very energy of Death continued on to cross paths with the golden flame at her heart. Rilina slumped forward as this Death gripped her soul.

Behind her and slightly to the left, an orange and white Gundam Mobile Suit concluded it's battle, showering the heavens with vibrant orange energy bullets. Some stray bullets hit Rilina at the back, joining with the golden flame and green energy. Rilina's back arched with the impact, throwing her head back so that she stared straight up into stars not affected by war.

Next to the third mobile suit, another lost it's scythe. The curved blade floated slowly over to join the other three in Rilina's heart, and the warmth of the heated metal filled her with Life after Death.

Finally, from her right, the battle god Nataku lent her a river of fire to fill her with the courage and strength to fight the battle she needed to fight to find peace. Rilina smiled as the fire reached her heart and connected with the other four powers there. The meeting enveloped Rilina in light, and flooded the cosmos.

Pain touched Rilina distantly, and she opened her eyes to watch as things fell apart while she stood by. Ryuusei... her mind told her with a note of sadness. With her tears becoming stars in her wake, Rilina descended towards the Earth.

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...
 

Rilina awoke with a gasp to find herself lying beside a pit of dim embers, shivering in a worn-out sleeping bag, with a cup of hot chocolate held out to her face.

" Thank you, " she said softly, and took the cup from Hiiro.

" Nightmare? " he asked monotonously, in that tone that should have sounded caring, but just didn't because he was him.

Rilina nodded and sipped her hot chocolate.

" Yeah, " commented Hiiro, and that was the end of the conversation.

  [##]

After Noin left to retrieve Rilina, Zechs laid awake for a very long time.

  [##]

The Gundams were a symbol.

They were created specifically to be symbolic.

Treize knew this to be true. As a symbol, the Gundams were important to everyone and everything. All in varying ways, of course, but important just the same. Important to the soldiers, for they gave them a tangible enemy to focus their rampant energy on. Important to the Romafellor Foundation for use as scapegoats. Important to the people wanting peace both on Chikyuu and in Uchuu, for them the Gundams were the force acting against the wars caused by Oz... and Treize.

Treize disliked that terminology. He did not cause wars, he orchestrated them. He was the smiling, charismatic master behind everyone's hopes and dreams. He was both the angel and the devil because he knew what people wanted, what they needed to get, and how to make them believe that what they needed was what they wanted.

Humanity needed war to find peace. While nobody wanted war, enlistments to Oz increased daily. Deaths in the same way increased daily.

Treize set down his papers and leaned back to allow these thoughts to sink in.

Lady Une was not present, he was free of distractions. The two canaries he kept twittered, but other than that it was silent.

Lady Une he had sent to space. It was for the best, that she learn to act without his constant approval of her actions. In space she would learn to be an elegant lady.

Uchuu had that effect on people.

The Gundams were elegant.

Treize wanted that elegance. He wanted that absolute beauty of battle. He envied Lady Une for going into space. He envied the Gundam pilots for their graceful mobile suits. He envied Zechs for his beautiful Talgeese.

But Treize had a way to grasp some of that elegance for himself while still being the Oz Representative. He had even given it a graceful name, that brought a smile to his lips every time he said it out loud.

" Epyon. "

  [##]

Bored with the ceiling, Zechs turned his head to the side, to look past the chair Noin had occupied, out the window to where the stars scattered the velvet darkness.

  [##]

Lady Une looked out the window as the shuttle took off for Outer Space. Dressed in a blue business suit that had been a gift from Treize, with her hair out and falling over her shoulders, she watched the Earth spiral out and spread like a canopy beneath her.

Lady Une smiled truly for the first time in what could conceivably be her existence.

  [##]

Zechs wanted to go to those stars.

  [##]

Lucretia Noin sat within the cockpit of her Taurus Suit and sighed, stealing a moment of solitude before starting the Mobile Suit up and setting out for Old Canada.

What was it about the Peacecraft family that made it's members so damned hard to keep track of?

  [##]

Those stars that were so out of reach...

  [##]

Hiiro didn't like it.

He didn't like having Rilina here.

Why? Why did she have to come all the way out here? He could kill her! He sure as hell wanted to! But something constantly stayed his hand. Fate? Destiny perhaps? Or did he, the ruthless killer... like... her...?

Hiiro snorted despite himself at the thought and poked the fire with a stick. He didn't like Rilina. She was annoying. She knew all about him somehow, and he knew all about her. He knew her type, she was the kind of person who accepted everyone and everything for the way they were. She was a pacifist and he hated her for it.

He hated her for being his namesake.

Sometimes...

Sometimes he wondered what might have been...

" Hiiro, " Rilina's voice broke into his now repetitive thoughts, " I want to find the other Gundam pilots and bring them to the Cinq Kingdom. "

" Why? "

" Because I feel we can do more good from my home country. Oz feels that I am a threat. " She edged closer, scooting around the campfire so close that their shoulders touched. " I want you near me. But you can't protect my kingdom alone. "

Hiiro said nothing.

" The colonies have disowned you. They're afraid of Oz. You have to show to them that they are not as weak as they think they are. "

" But they are as weak as they think they are. " Hiiro stood and headed for Wing. " I'll take you home, Rilina, but I won't stay with you. I have a war to fight that cannot involve the pacifist nation of the Cinq Kingdom. "

" Hiiro... " whispered Rilina wistfully, trailing off as she had nothing to say.

  [##]

Zechs needed to go to those stars.

  [##]

Cursing and swearing and cussing and raging, Duo edged his way up Deathscythe's leg in an effort to reach the cockpit. His dislocated shoulder burned beneath his skin. He might have been causing permanent damage, but he didn't give a damn.

There was no way in Hell that Oz was going to get his Mobile Suit.

Finally, he reached the cockpit. Crawling into the seat, he slumped down and tentatively touched his shoulder.

" Ahh! " he screamed, stuttering a bit through, " I-i-i-t-t-taiiiiiii! " (Just a bit ^^)

For some reason, all the OZ M.S. had just hung in the air watching him. It had been an excruciatingly long climb even for him, it had to have been for them... why hadn't they shot him down?

Who cared?

" All right, you bastards! Prepare to meet your maker! " Duo yelled and closed the cockpit.

Why? The question still persisted. Why? Why the hell weren't they firing? Moving? ANYTHING?!

Then it hit him.

Duo gasped and turned, realizing the awful truth.

Shinigami put his back to the Aries suits to face the literal wall of Taurus Mobile Dolls heading his way.

Flicking the comlink onto a frequency used by Oz, Duo activated his scythe and hollered, " You COWARDS!! " and powered towards the Tauruses head on.

Just for that, he wasn't going to lose.

  [##]

Zechs pushed back the covers and went to the window; placing his fingers on the cool glass to touch the frozen outreaches of space.

  [##]

Hitori Yuu stood up.

Trowa watched him rise without expression.

" I used to be like you, " stated Yuu, seemingly out of nowhere, " Just like you. I thought I knew what my path in life was. Humans only find peace through battle, right? I've heard those words from the mouth of Treize Kush Renada himself. " Yuu paused. Finally he looked Trowa in the eyes, his own glistening and pleading for an answer. " You're a Gundam pilot... how much peace have you found? "

  [##]

Uchuu...

  [##]

The ticking of the clock was the only sound, droning on continuously, keeping time in tribute to the blonde haired boy who was the world to so many people. Perhaps moreso than words can say because he felt the same way about each and every one of those people.

But while Quatre was unconscious... he still dreamed...

... and sometimes...

Sometimes he wondered what might have been...

  [##]

Futily, the alarm went up as the Talgeese burst out of the hanger... literally.

  [##]

" Ohayou, " greeted the girl absently as Wufei opened his eyes. She wasn't even looking at him, how had she known he was awake?

Wufei did not return her greeting. He instead sat up and poked the fire, trying to revive some life into it. When that didn't work he moved on to other methods.

A smirk came from the girl. " Typical. "

Wufei glared at her. " What? "

" You can't even say good morning? Figures. " She muttered in disgust, " Men... "

" Only a woman would concern herself with pleasantries at a time like this, " Wufei pointed out with much the same amount of disgust.

She glared back at him then. " Pardon me for being courteous to the one who attempted rescuing me. I didn't need it and it was a poor attempt, but at least I had the upbringing to accept what was offered. "

" Silence onna, your upbringing obviously wasn't good enough to teach you your place. " Wufei crossly threw matches into the pile of embers, timber, and dried leaves.

Now she was standing. " At least I had an upbringing! You have the mannerisms of a Oz Soldier! "

Not to be outdone, Wufei stood as well. " I had a very good upbringing, " he sniffed.

The girl crossed her arms and eyed him appraisingly, " Clearly in a family with no sense of honor. "

" Damn you! " shouted Wufei in her face.

" Just like a man to fall back on petty outbursts, " she commented offhandedly and walked away from him. Wufei burned with rage behind her. Stepping into the trees opposite Shenlon Gundam, she called back, " Arigatou to Sayounara. "

Wufei snorted derisively in response and returned attention to his failing fire.

" By the way, " sounded the girl's voice in his ear mere minutes later.

Wufei was so surprised he fell over. Glaring up at her, he snapped, " I thought you were gone. "

The girl crouched and looked up behind him. " What model Mobile Suit is that you have? "

" What? What the hell does that have to do with anything onna? Go away! "

" Answer the question and then I'll go! " She yelled back at him.

Wufei picked himself up and answered, " Shenlon Gundam. Now be off! "

" Hn. " The girl stood and disappeared once more into the trees, leaving Wufei with nothing but his 'fire', his Gundam, and a well of confusion.

  [##]

Noin was going to kill him.

But she wasn't there at the moment, so Zechs didn't have to worry about avoiding her rage.
Something was giving him the intense drive to be on the move: and to move towards Outer Space. It beckoned him with it's winking stars in the sea of blackness.

The Talgeese disappeared into the night, carrying it's pilot to the solitude he required to try and figure this out. However, whatever destination this was, Zechs never reached.

Another wave of sickness swept over him, and another blackout gripped his mind.

The Talgeese crashed into the side of a snow covered mountain, and silence gripped the barren area of Chikyuu Zechs had stumbled into.

Regardless, the Aurora Borealis tiptoed across the sky.
 

To be continued...
 Tsuzuku...

**

[Well, we've reached the end of part six and I still don't know what's going on. Well! What the hell is wrong with Zechs? Will Rilina convince Hiiro to stay in the Cinq Kingdom with her? What's that girl up to? Asking Wufei about his Gundam like that? Um... what's Hitori Yuu trying to pull with Trowa? Is Quatre going to die? Is Duo? Do I have any other pressing questions? Well, yeah, but these are all I'm going to ask. Join me next time in Part Seven as we search for a plot! Ja ne!]

[Written by Inseiko, 2000]
 

Go to Part Seven