Part Thirty-one;
*Bloodstained Fate*

         Paato Seruteiuan;
         *Chizome no shukumei*

The thick clouds part and the descending light
   Slowly melts the firmly damaged past
         Atsui kumo ga chigire oritekuru hikari ga
               Kataku kizutsuita kako wo sukoshizutsu tokasuyo

Because we live so swiftly
   It's so easy to crumble into pieces
         Katakunani ikiterukara
              Konagona ni kowareyasukute

I never thought I had anything to protect
   Never forgetting there is an endless love
   I'll attain it, I'll steal it
   Then embrace you with it
         Nanimo mamoru mono nado naito motteita
            Owaranai ai wo midoto wasurenai omoi wo
            Tsukami totte, ubai totte
            Kimi wo tsutsumu yo

Even if there comes a time
   When this planet will be destroyed
         Itsuka kono hoshi ga
              Kudake tobichiru toki ga kitemo

I won't be alone, I won't be in solitude
   I'll be embracing an eternal wind
         Kodoku janai, hitori janai
              Eien no kaze wo dakishimete

  [##]

Nara forced herself to stand when Treize entered the room. It took her awhile, and it was a successful attempt for only a few seconds; but it was what she could manage. As she slowly sank back down onto the sofa, her lungs heaved and she fell the rest of the way in the throes of a coughing fit.

Treize walked up to her quietly and waited until it had passed before he said softly and earnestly, " Let me take this opportunity to express my deepest sympathy for your loss. Good soldiers like your parents and brother should not have died in that regrettable incident. "

" A regrettable neccessity? " she rasped, more a statement than an inquiry. His face told her answer enough. " Had I my gun and my strength you would be a dead man right now, Treize Kush Renada. " Her fingers tightened over the wound in her side. " You think making me better and apologizing in that honest political tone of yours will appease the pain you caused me? " She drew a hissed breath through clenched teeth, glaring at him stubbornly even through a fever that kept her down and not standing like she so wanted to be. " You self-rightious bastard, I wouln't even be in this condition if not for you! "

Her tirade was cut short by another bout of coughing, allowing him a word in edgewise, " Nor would you have met our mutual friend. "

She didn't have to ask whom he was referring to. Her voice dropped considerably when she stated, " Wufei would not be a soldier, if not for you. "

... " Perhaps not. " Treize squared his shoulders and fixed his eyes on a far off distant corner of the room. " He would be an unhappy man, victimized by the Alliances militaristic grip on the colonies. He would have restricted freedom, no hope, and no one. "

" You don't really believe that. " Her head had sunk down to rest on her forearm on the sofa. She stayed hunched over like that, unable to summon the strength anymore to even sit straight. " There's no such thing... " her voice broke and faltered, but she continued regardless, " ... as no hope. "

  [##]

Treize watched her suffer in silence a moment, before quietly admitting, " Sou ne.. "

  [##]

Hiiro stood with his back to the door, his head right by the window. He had his arms crossed and his chin on his chest, waiting. He didn't have long to wait.

" How soon? " he asked when the footfalls halted outside his door.

" Not much longer, " Trowa's quiet voice answered him. " Things are careening out of control. Rilina's been made Queen of the World under the Romafellor Foundation. Wing Gundam is suspected to have been found and retained by Treize's followers. Zechs is in space as well, calling himself Milliardo Peacecraft; a diplomat from the Cinq Kingdom. "

" Sou... " Hiiro let the word fall from his lips, closing his eyes. " Anything else? "

There was an uncomfortable pause.

Duo looked up from his position on the cot and inquired, " Trowa? "

Trowa fixed hazel eyes on the corner at the distant end of the corridor. " Currently there is a battle going on between two Gundams out in space near where the L5 colony... used to be. "

" ...'used to be'? " Duo echoed, just as Hiiro inquired,

" Quatre and Wufei? "

" One of them is confirmed to be Wufei's Shenlon Gundam; but the other is an unknown. Sandrock was destroyed back on Chikyuu... but I've talked to the doctors. They don't know anything about this new Gundam. "

" They're not saying anything, anyway, " Hiiro ammended suspiciously.

" Wufei would never destroy his own colony... what happened to L5? " Duo asked meekly.

Trowa's words silenced the conversation for a long stretch. " The unknown Gundam. " Finally, Trowa broke the silence he'd caused, " As soon as the Aquarius is completed Hiiro, You, Private Hilde, and I will be going out to end the battle between Shenlon and the unknown. "

Duo piped up again. " What about me? "

" With that shoulder, you couldn't effectively pilot any mobile suit. Not to mention no one trusts you. " Trowa answered, a small smile accenting his words despite the fact that neither prisoners saw it.

Duo sulked. " Oh, but they trust Hiiro explicitly, " he commented sarcastically.

" Studies of past battles have elected Hiiro as the best pilot out of the five Gundams. Besides, he never called himself the 'God of Death.' Also, the self destruct switch for the Aquarius has been installed in my suit; the Mercurious. If Hiiro does anything to betray Oz... well, I will be forced to keep my cover. "

" Understood, " Hiiro agreed, silencing any remarks from Duo with a glare.

  [##]

" I have a proposition for you, Sorousan, " Treize offered. " Granted, it is a selfish request; but it should allow both of us to resolve the past for a better future. "

  [##]

" You know, " Duo commented, after Trowa and the trademark Hiiro Death Glare had left him, " When I saw that guy with Quatre I thought he was a nice guy. Up here, only one word comes to mind -- bastard. "

" Trowa is doing what he can to defeat Oz. " Hiiro walked over and gently pushed Duo down on the cot. " His methods just aren't as brazen as yours. "

Duo winced as his shoulder met the cold metal of the cot. " Oi, Hiiro... "

" Hn? "

" We're friends right? "

" Hn, " was his response.

Duo smiled weakly at that. " 'Cause you know, I'd kinda like that. I've never really had friends my whole life. Seemed everyone I ever met died. Kinda makes me wonder what happened to San'nin... I still have to fulfill my promise to her... " Duo's voice dropped as he steadily fell asleep.

When all words were replaced by the steady breathing of a sleeping shinigami, Hiiro sat on the other cot and drew his knees up to his chest. " Hn... "

  [##]

" I'm listening, " he was pleased to hear Nara respond.

  [##]

Trowa stood at the base of the scaffolding, watching the final finishes being completed on the Aquarius. The doctors stood clumped around a computer console to his far right, studying the information on the new Gundam intently. Occasionally he could hear murmured comments of professional interest; but nothing that could really help him.

Instead he focused his attention on the Aquarius before him. It was a perfect match with the Mercurious and the Vai-eight. It was painted a deep teal green to play off its name, with a bright blue faceplate standing out in the Leo-style head. They'd given it weapons to match Hiiro's forté; a beam sabre in the right hand, and a beam rifle like that of Mercurious' in the left. Two large vernier/space boosters on the back and a thinner body than the other two gave it an advantage in speed. Tests and computer simulations had proved satisfactory, and as soon as the finalizations were completed, they would depart.

Trowa looked to the side, in the direction he knew the battle was taking place in. He wondered... how Wufei was faring. He wished Quatre was here; if only to solidify his belief that the pilot of the unknown suit wasn't the kind Arabian boy.

It just couldn't be.

" Private Barton. "

Trowa was startled from his thoughts by Hilde's crisp voice echoing around the Aquarius.

" Yes? " he asked.

" You're the one in charge of the Gundam Pilots. I would like to request an interview with the pilot of Zero-Two. "

In charge of the Gundam Pilots. It was almost ironic how much faith Lady Une had put in him.

" Why? " he asked Hilde.

" I'm afraid it is a personal matter, Barton. " The look on his face told her she wouldn't get away with only that for an answer. Quietly she elaborated, " My mother was a Sergent. But when that pilot attacked the Romafellor Foundation, she risked her life and her career to allow him to escape.

" My mother is very persuasive. She's saved her career by the fact that she in the end saved the Romafellor Foundation from the attack and didn't have sufficient backup to pursue. This is all true, but nonetheless... "

" She'd met him on one occasion prior. Something he said or did turned my mother into a traitor. I want to know what. "

Trowa studied the ice blue eyes of his fellow pilot. " Granted. "

  [##]

The proposition itself was enough to give Nara the strength to sit up and look at him in incredulity. " Uso...! "

  [##]

Sparks flew, and left patterns on his cheek. One particularly hard knock had sliced his arm on the panel to his right. The cockpit smelled of soldering metal and blood, making him slightly queasy. Slowly the reality was sinking in that he couldn't win. But he wouldn't give up, he wouldn't die, he wouldn't back down. Shoving the controls violently, Wufei spun the thermo-halbard and careened towards the other suit.

[thermo-halbard sounds awkward, but it's better than 'thermo-spear' and 'halbard' alone doesn't work. ~sighs~]

  [##]

Zechs stood at the large window and gazed at the Earth. A beautiful mixture of blues standing out against the darkness of space. In that sphere he saw two prominant shades of blue; whether they were really there or not didn't matter. In that swirling blue he saw the eyes of both Treize and Hiiro. Antagonistic tentative-friends they were both. Both of them he had to defeat in order to bring that sphere reflected in both their eyes to a new understanding.

Chikyuu and the Uchuu could co-exist. Freely. Seperately. Together.

Milliardo Peacecraft was no longer a diplomat. He couldn't find peace anymore. It had been striken from his soul by the blood on his hands. He was a soldier. He would free the Earth Sphere from the past as a soldier.

Only through war, could people find peace.

  [##]

" It's not a lie, " Treize contradicted. " Do you accept? "

Nara stared into his eyes, searching for deception, and finding none. " I accept. "

That said; a fallen angel shook hands with the devil and agreed to the end of the world.

**

[Snort. I think I've been watching too much Utena. Well! Here I am again, setting things up to which I know no resolve. Although I do know the deal Nara made with Treize. XD Finally! At chapter 31 I actually KNOW something!! ~does a little 'shiteru' happy dance~ Please come back for the next chapter in which Hiiro gets to try out the Aquarius and other stuff happens. Ja na!]

[Written by Inseiko, 2001]

[Song: "Til the End" by Hibiki - Second ending theme from Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne Lyrics taken directly from fansub]

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