*The Bottom of the Sky*
Paato Fuochiitsuu;
*Sora no soko*
Part Forty-two;
*The Bottom of the Sky*
Paato Fuochiitsuu;
*Sora no soko*
I walked through a sandy city
searching for you in a withered sky;
when I left, the only thing not left behind
was a single scent
suna no machi aruiteta
kareta sora kimi o sagashite
nani hitotsu kaori sae
nokosazu ni satta ne
Tracing with a finger
the scar of an angel's feather on your pale back,
I've searched ever since then...
yubi de tadoru shiroi
anata no sono senaka ni
tenshi no hane sono kizu ato
boku ga mitsuketa kara
So, after descending from that sky,
can you see me now?
Can you hear me, I wonder? My voice
flies away on silver wings.
saa sono sora kara oiteoide
ima boku ga mierukai
kikoeru darou boku no koe ga
gin no tsubasa de tondeoide
The moon still is not asleep,
just like the time when I was with you.
Even though I cry out, there is no reply
from the blue bottom of the sky
tsuki wa mou nemuranai
kimi to ita ano toki no mama
sakende mo kotaenai
sora no soko aokute
After being pursued all the way from the country of the angels,
can you rest in my arms?
My wounded eyes
kimi wa tenshi no kuni
soko sae owareta kara
boku no ude ni nemutta no ka
kizutsuita hitomi de
In this world without you,
They only keep overflowing
If you can hear my voice,
make a star-shower fall like rain.
kono kimi no inai sekai
wa tada
koboritsuiteyuku dake
boku no koe ga kikoeta nara
hoshi no kakera furasete
[##]
" Prepare for impact!! " Howard shouted, bracing himself against the main controls.
Sally grabbed Rilina and held the girl close to her, turning her body to act as a sheild as Peacemillion careened past Deathscythe Hell, Vai-eight, and the mobile dolls to collide directly with Libra's left extension. The crash destroyed the forward hull, much of the controls, and the lights.
[##]
" What the hell was that?! " Hilde exclaimed, staring at the crash.
Duo twisted Deathscythe around and neatly sliced a Virgo in half. " Saa na, not my problem. Heads up Hildey. "
Hilde snarled and fired a round of shots at the Virgo coming at her head. They scattered and she snapped. " Not your problem? What if they were aiming for you? "
" They didn't hit me, so... not my problem, " came the answer offhandedly.
" Duo!! "
[##]
The machinery squealed in protest as Quatre again forced Sandrock Kai to do things unnaturally fast and abrupt. He ducked beneath the beam fired from WingZero's cannon and came back up again to grasp the other suit by the shoulders and hold on for dear life.
" Trowa! " he shouted, his voice breaking on a sob. Tears hung around him like a mini universe. " Trowa... onegai... " The Zero System shut down, leaving his universe without a sun to centre it. " Gomen nasai... " he whispered as the darkness enveloped him, the cool blue of the blank computer screens casting eerie shadows across the planes of his face. " I can't do it again. "
There was no movement from the other suit as the dance came out of a tight spiral and changed tones to a lazy melody.
" ... Quatre? "
[##]
Aquarius approached the Atlon and Talgeese II and slowed to a stop next to Wufei's Gundam.
" I'm going to get my suit back and take Trowa to get his. Do you want this one? " he offered to Nara. It was only logical. Better than letting it collect dust. He let the question hang.
Wufei looked at Nara. Nara looked at Wufei, then at Treize.
" Your Excellency, I hereby resign as your Special Lieutenant, " she said, saluting him smartly.
" It's been a pleasure, Nara. "
" You too, sir. " Nara let go of Wufei's shoulder and pushed off of Atlon's hand to float over to Aquarius. Seconds after she'd entered the cockpit with Hiiro, the Aquarius took off, leaving Wufei and Treize to themselves once again.
" What do you think now, Wufei? " Treize asked.
" I think, " Wufei said slowly, watching the other suit head for where Sandrock Kai and WingZero were above the Earth's atmosphere, " I think that I would like to believe in hope. " Without a further word, Wufei got back into Atlon and took off for Libra.
" Wouldn't we all... " Treize mused, following him.
[##]
He didn't move when the white suit landed behind him, only acknowledged her presence with a single word. " Noin. "
" I should hate you right now, Zechs, " she said grimly to the back of the Epyon, " but I don't, and I can't. So I'm doing the thing that feels the most comfortable. " She let the silence stretch for a moment. " Do you understand what I am saying? "
" You always did forgive me too easily. "
" I never said I forgave you. "
[##]
" ... Quatre. "
It took a moment to register... those syllables... dropped into his ears like the ringing prelude to the next movement. Slowly his head moved, delicate bangs twitching like white ghosts in his sight. Lips that tasted like brine pressed together, then parted slowly, drawing in a slow breath; while eyes dulled by existence itself gazed at the blue monitors, not daring to hope.
" T- "
Though the monitors never showed it, WingZero shifted, moving back and out of Sanrock Kai's grasp. The two suits hung above the Earth they were sent to... it seemed so long ago now. They had been sent to destroy? To protect? What was it? What were they supposed to be doing? and why did it matter?
" Quatre. " It was a soft whisper, but also a stark confession, an apology, and an expression beyond all other words.
" Trowa! " The answer came in the form of a choked sob, it too everything of the former, but also a mixed release of relief and sorrow.
" Everything settled over here? " Hiiro's voice interjected upon them.
" Ah- " Quatre stopped short, unable to speak as he busied himself with resetting his monitors.
" Aah, " Trowa answered. Though he sounded calm, Quatre could hear that shaky undertone to his words. " Suman. But I know what I have to do now. "
" Good. Come with me, we'll get HeavyArms Kai for you, then I can take WingZero back and Sorou can have Aquarius. " Hiiro outlined.
Quatre blinked, just as the videolink to the outside came up. " Sorou? " All he saw were Trowa and Hiiro's suits. " Dare? "
" Maa... " a female voice came from out of nowhere on the com. A smaller vidlink overlaid itself over the picture of outside, showing a young woman in an Oz issue spacesuit crammed in next to Hiiro. " You were busy when I arrived in Outer Space. Sorou Nara desu. "
" Aah- yoroshiku. "
Nara blinked at him, noting the confused expression. " Ah- I'm Wufei's- er... " she thought a moment, " Wufei's nakama. "
[Nakama = something like a close aquaintance or companion. Something like 'tomodachi' but not as close]
" You were who he was looking for when I found him, " Hiiro commented.
" He looked? "
Hiiro turned back to Quatre. " Quatre, think you're alright to go help Duo, Hilde, and Wufei with the Mobile Dolls? " He watched Quatre nod. " Alright. We won't be long. Come on Trowa. "
Aquarius turned and headed back to MOIII with WingZero following in close behind it. Slowly, Sanrock Kai turned and headed in the other direction.
[##]
" So fill me in, I was dealing with everything Oz-side and I don't know what's really going on out here. Zechs and White Fang have the Libra, but how did the Libra miss Chikyuu that last time? "
" An unidentified craft crashed into it's left module and knocked it off target. "
" Wasn't Dermail's ship, it reached Libra okay, so... it must be that other unauthorized launch we had. Okay so! What's up with who's following us and that other boy? "
" They were on the Zero System. It's-- "
" Ohhhh okay, now it makes sense. Yeah. Dangerous program that, I was glad when Treize decided to keep it out of the Talgeese II. " Nara shook her head. " Treize and Zechs thought it showed them the future. Kf. What a foolish thing. "
Hiiro quirked an eyebrow at her. " It doesn't? "
She met his gaze in disbelief a moment. " Uh- no. No, it doesn't. What it does is use the pilot's mind to create a scenario that encourages perfect combat. Whatever the pilot is thinking about is amplified by the computer and fed back as strategic data... so... basically, what ever you're thinking about most strongly at the moment, will be registered in the computer as being your enemy. As for the future bit, " she continued, antisipating Hiiro's question, " the computer is too strong for a mind that's not balanced, and it causes hallucinations. "
" That's why Quatre went crazy when he built it into WingZero. "
" He was thinking about how unfair humanity was, and therefore humanity became his enemy. "
Hiiro looked at her.
Nara grinned. " I had the priviledge of reading the reports on that particular incident. Spending three months with Treize was remarkably good for me. Not that I think I want to try out the Zero System or anything. No no. Judging from what I've heard and observed on my own... well, seems Zechs and you might be the only people suitable to use it. " She looked ahead as MOIII disappeared in a rush beneath them. " Hiirosan... the Earth Sphere might as well be resting in your hands. "
Hiiro slowed the suit and adjusted the controls, landing in the docking bay of their hideout. " I know. " He opened the cockpit and dropped to the ground as Trowa landed behind them. As he ran to release HeavyArms Kai from it's storage space he promised, Zechs... I will kill you.
[##]
After descending from that sky,
can you see me now?
Can you hear me, I wonder? My voice
flies away on silver wings.
kono sora kara oiteoide
ima boku ga mierukai
kikoeru darou boku no koe ga
gin no tsubasa de tondeoide
**
[This chapter's a little short, but I had a heck of a time writing it and I don't know why. Anyway! Trowa's not crazy anymore! woohoo!! Next chapter: Will the end-all fight between Hiiro and Zechs begin? How will Nara fare in actual combat? Will Treize end up helping the Gundams? Speaking of Treize, what the hell happened to that Oz army a few chapters back? Ahh so many questions... see you in Chapter 43!]
[Written by Inseiko, 2001]
[Song: "Sora no Soko" by Koyasu Takehito
Lyrics taken from http://www.animelyrics.com]
Notes on Lyrics;
1) Some of the translation has been altered slightly to make it match
the romanji better
2) Hey look! It's the first instance where the chapter is named after
the song!