*A Nerve Rending Hot Night*
Paato Fuochiifuaiv;
*Shinkei ga wareru atsui yoru*
Part Forty-five;
*A Nerve Rending Hot Night*
Paato Fuochiifuaiv;
*Shinkei ga wareru
atsui yoru*
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
I have believed in Eternity
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
The look has not yet faded...
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
Eien wo shinjite 'ta
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
Manazashi ga kesenai mada...
Once feelings are suppressed the bend
Breaks the gears of destiny...
Let me hear the words "I love you"
Even if the sound of glass comes out when our lips
touch...
Kanjou wo oshikorosu
tabi hizumi ga
Unmei no haguruma wo kuruwasete yuku...
"Ai shite 'ru" no kotoba wo sore demo kikasete...
Fureau kuchibiru kara garasu no oto ga shite mo...
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
I have believed in eternity
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
The look has not yet faded...
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
Eien wo shinjite 'ta
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
Manazashi ga kesenai mada...
If not having met and the loneliness that slips into the freezing
night
Speeds up the mistakes of the past...
Gathering the scattered pieces of sadness
Let's return... To that certain future where the two
of us are there...
Aenakute kogoeru yoru
ni suberikomu kodoku ga
Ayamachi wo kasoku shite hikisaita nara...
Chirabaru kanashimi no hahen wo atsumete
Kaerou... Futari ga ita tashika na ano mirai e...
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
Leaving myself to the pain of
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
The warmth to forgive...
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
Yurushiau nukumori no
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
Setsunasa ni mi wo yudanete...
Embracing so as to forgive
It's the first time I felt it It's extreme
Hot... deep... strong... long
Intense exciting...
Itsukushimu you ni daite
Hajimete kanjita shigeki de
Atsuku... fukaku... tsuyoku... nagaku...
Kitsuku hageshiku...
[##]
Oh... the beauty of it all. How he loved it so. The stars, layers upon infinite layers of small points of light, all waltzing around him to a lazy melody he couldn't quite hear. It was like... he knew the music was there, but the more he strained to hear it the quieter it got. It was heart wrenching: because he knew it was beautiful and he couldn't be a part of it.
A wall of blood and remorse kept Zechs Marquis away from the stars. But that wall was beautiful itself. He stood before it and gazed at the maskless reflection of Milliardo Peacecraft before him. Reaching out with tentative fingers, he touched the wall and obscured that reflection and the unattainable stars with ripples. He watched his white gloves slowly stain red, as the ripples cleared and what he saw was the formidable face of Epyon.
The Mobile Suit crashed into Zech's world, through the wall and swallowed him up as it passed. It carried him far far away from the peaceful stars to the battle which had become his raison d'etre. As the green blade of the sabre descended on the pure white Gundanium of WingZero, all he could do was fight to die.
[##]
Hiiro raised his own sabre in defense, parrying the blow and then lunging in on the offense. They clashed many times, pushing at each other, testing defenses. This wasn't the real battle, oh no, this was merely a prelude, a practiced rehersal. It was a repeat of what had happened in Antarctica, of what had happened at their first battle even. This was one last warm-up for the main event.
[##]
Quatre and Trowa dashed down the corridors of the Libra, keeping close together in the darkness. They had just reached a place where the corridor branched off into five other directions when suddenly the whole fortress shuddered violently. Quatre stumbled one way and Trowa the other. As the lights went out, they lost each other completely.
[##]
Rilina grabbed on to the captain's chair as the Libra seemed to plunge downwards at an angle. " What was that?! "
" Some of Oz's forces have begun attacking the outward portions. The Virgo fleet has been diminished and is preoccupied with the Gundams. Lady Dorothy isn't paying attention to the Leos, " the tactical officer reported, sounding strained.
" Figures, " Quinze spat.
" I think we should start the evacuations now, any more complaints? " Sally remarked, shouldering her rifle and opening the door.
" No, " that same tactical officer got up and headed for her position. He was stopped by Quinze's hand on his chest.
" Nobody is going anywhere. Libra cannot be beaten. " The aquiline man snarled.
" It already has Quinze, sir. I'd rather live and see peace than die and never know. "
Sally nodded, stepping into the doorway to make sure the door remained open. " Come on, come on. You know where the escape modules are. Quickly now. " She pulled a communication device from her pocket and flicked it on. " Howard, do you read? "
" Yeah? We're allllmost done here. "
" Good. You wanna contact your man on the outside and let him know what's going on? We're getting White Fang out right now, " she informed him.
" Good job, Sally, " Howard complimented. " I'll do just that. Howard out. "
Sally turned to Quinze just as Rilina followed the White Fang officers out. " Are you coming? "
" With Alliance scum like you? Never. "
" Suit yourself. "
[##]
Duo blinked in surprise as his monitors suddenly shifted out of phase and the outside view was replaced by...
" Howard?! "
The man in question gave a wide grin and the peace sign. " Heya Duo, how are things going out there? "
Duo's mind raced through a number of possible things. " That was you that crashed that ship into Libra!! "
" Right you are, and we just finished setting charges to get rid of it. We're evacuating White Fang, but we need you to relay to everyone not to attack the escape pods, and also go get away, there's gonna be some great fireworks, suitable to mark the end of an era, dontcha think? " Howard grinned yet again.
" Howard you old dog! " Duo crowed. " I'll be sure to relay the message. You make sure you get out of that alive and I'll treat you to a drink later, ah? "
" I'll hold you to that. "
Duo watched Howard disappear from the monitor and switched frequencies. " Alright everyone, here's the deal. That ship that crashed earlier, that was my bud Howard, he and his crew have set charges in Libra, so we got a little bit of time to get clear before the whole thing blows. White Fang is evacuating, peacefully by the sounds of things, so do not fire. You read? "
" Roukai, " came several responses.
" Wait!! " Hilde interjected. " Quatre and Trowa are still in there!! "
Duo winced. " Shit. "
[##]
Zechs charged Hiiro and slashed erratically, trying to get through the other pilot's defense. The thermo whip came around and added to the attack, cutting dark paths across WingZero. Hiiro grit his teeth and beared it, twisting the suit and powering upwards to come in with one forceful lunge over Zechs' defenses. He turned the blade down and then upwards at a diagonal, slashing the face of the other suit as he went over it's head and then spun on the other side to aim a slash at Epyon's back.
Zechs turned and caught the blade with his own. He pushed Hiiro back and then away with a push. The blades clashed again as they moved apart, and when the blades could no longer touch, engines thrusted to bring them together again.
They turned as they spun, rotating around a centre of combat, a little galaxy of only them. Sometimes the fighting was fast, sometimes it was slower, more calculated, but it was alwasy furious, always beautiful. It never went one way or the other, it was always balanced, perfect. There was not extreanneous movements, no mistakes, nothing to make it uneven.
But that in itself, was a mistake.
[##]
Quatre had hit his head in his fall and now had a searing headache. His ears were ringing so loud he couldn't hear anything but the hollow echoing of his own breath and heartbeat. He staggered down a hallway, he didn't know which one or even in what direction he was headed. His hand trailed across the wall with fingers that barely registered when the wall was suddenly no longer there. Turning slowly, he gazed dully into the room he'd stumbled across.
In the centre of what looked like a vast collection of computers, Dorothy stood with the helmet that controlled the Virgo in both slender hands. She smiled at him with the look of a predator in her violet eyes.
" Quatre Rababa Winner. " She enounciated his name slowly, deliberately, relishing in the sound. " You see this room? It controls the Virgo Mobile Dolls by remote. Destroy this room and win the war. " She crouched, setting the helmet down and picking up two rapiers from where they sat at her feet. " But, " her full lips spread out into a dangerous smile, " you'll have to get through me first. "
[##]
Hilde threw the thrust forward and headed for the Libra. " Trowa!! Quatre!! "
" Hildey!! " Duo leaped after her, racing to catch up with the Vai-eight.
In a rush, Duo was suddenly surpassed by a mass of tan Mobile Suits. He gave a start and his eyes widened in disbelief. " Maginak?! Oi! Is that you Rasid?! "
" Quatresama is in there? " the booming voice of the Maginak leader came, all business when it came to their little prince.
" Yeah. We can't get ahold of him, I don't think he took a communications device. Trowa's in there too! " Duo filled him in. " Howard never said how much time we have before Libra blows. "
" That's because there's no timer, " Howard inputted, overlaying his image onto Duo's conversation. " I hold the switch. Rilinasama didn't want anyone to get hurt in the blast. So go and get your friends out while you still can. Sally just informed me that Quinze refused to leave: no tellin' what he'll do in there. "
" Posan? " Nara said in shock.
Treize started heading for the Libra. " There's no time right now to wait around and figure this out. Let's just get to Libra and go from there. "
" Why should we listen to you?! "
" Don't be an ass, Wufei, he knows what he's doing. " Nara interjected, following Treize and Hilde with the Aquarius. Catching up to Talgeese II she queried, " Do you actually have a plan or are you winging it? "
" I always have a plan, my dear. "
[##]
" ...you'll have to get through me first. "
Quatre stared dumbly as she tossed him one of the rapiers. The floor beneath him shuddered and then suddenly his feet weren't on it anymore. Squeezing his eyes shut, he shook his head vehemently and then blinked at Dorothy again.
The girls long blonde hair was flowing behind her in great waves with the loss of gravity. She crouched slightly into opening stance and commented, " Zero G isn't going to hinder me, Quatre. " She lunged.
Quatre gave an outcry and blocked. The rapiers clanged together and then moved apart, coming together in a battle more clumsy than the one going on outside. Quatre never attacked, only fought to defend himself, and eventually found himself with his back against the wall.
Dorothy laughed liltingly and placed her sword blade in her free hand. " What's the matter? Where's that fire you showed when you destroyed that colony, Quatre? Where's the energy you display when you're in your Gundam? Are you all computer and no heart? "
" How can you say that? " Quatre cried weakly. " You think fighting is a good thing? "
" Yes, because it is. It's a beautiful thing! " She attacked again, punctuating her blows with words as she drove Quatre to the side and away from the wall towards the other side of the room. " Because it's the most beautiful way to live. There's no better way to feel alive! Humans are fighting animals! They can only find fulfillment through battle. Through fighting! Through killing! You can't tell me I'm wrong, Quatre. You've felt it too! Didn't it make it feel so much better about your father when you were taking action, getting revenge? "
" No! " Quatre protested, trying to keep up to her attacks despite his headache. " No! You're wrong! That's not true!! "
" You can't lie to yourself forever! " She countered, getting through his defences, her blade penetrating flesh and muscle just below the ribs. She watched as Quatre choked, and a stream of blood escaped around the blade to curl lazily in the air and float towards Dorothy. Her eyes widened as she withdrew her rapier and stared at Quatre in disbelief. " You... weren't supposed to lose... "
" Quatre! " Trowa entered the room, pushing off the walls to rush to Quatre's side.
" T-Trowa... " the smaller boy whispered his name, resting his head on his shoulder weakly. " I'm bleeding... "
" Yeah, " Trowa pulled Quatre's arm over his shoulder and supported him. " Come on, I'll get you out of here. " He looked at Dorothy grimly.
Dorothy had made her way to the floor and picked up the helmet. Small beads of tears surrounded her. " He wasn't supposed to lose... " She looked back up at Trowa and cried, " What am I?! "
" Sad, " Trowa responded simply, then left the room with Quatre.
[##]
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
I have believed in eternity
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
The look has not yet faded!!
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
Eien wo shinjite 'ta
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
Manazashi ga kesenai!!
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
Leaving myself to the pain of
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
The warmth to forgive...
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
Yurushiau nukumori no
Time and Time Again
Time for Love Again
Setsunasa ni mi wo yudanete...
**
[One more chapter to go!! Yousha!! How will it all end?! Will Dorothy make it off the Libra before it blows? What dastardly plan will Quinze pull in his last moments? How will the battle between Hiiro and Zechs turn out? Find out in Chapter 46!!]
[Written by Inseiko, 2001]
[Lyrics: "Time Distortion" by Two-Mix
Lyrics taken from http://www.animelyrics.com]