*....* indicates internal thought
~~~~ used to break scenes
Gundam Forest Book 2 Part 1
The chamber was dark, illuminated by a softly glowing oil lamp. Despite the fact that the estate was thoroughly modernized, complete with the most technologically advanced security and electrical system this side of the sun, the estate's owner quite preferred old-fashioned candlelight to the harsh glow of fluorescent lighting.
It reminded her of her home... from a time long lost.
The girl currently occupying the bedchamber sighed, a somewhat high-pitched breath of air that escaped unchecked. She glanced around her current abode, surrounded by objects of material wealth and power. The room did not reflect the occupant very well, the furnishings more suited to an adult than a young child. "But then again, the child was not exactly a child.
The girl slumped down into one of the plush chairs provided, her thoughts scattering on the winds of memory. Her thick, wavy hair had been released from her ponytail, falling down her back in a simple waterfall of silk. She grasped a thin clump of hair and pulled it back over her shoulder, twirling her small fingers in it.
The world used to be such a simple place; life used to be so simple. But with the dawn of new eras, and the introduction of more technological advances, life had turned exciting but complicated. The girl missed the simple days of before.
A sudden rapping upon her chamber door caused her attention to slide away from her musings. Her eyes flicked in the vague direction of the doorway, even as she said in an imperious voice, "Enter."
The door opened silently on its well-oiled hinges, permitting the entrance of two of her personal guards. They were laboring to bring in one of her trunks, setting the heavy object down carefully before straightening to a full salute.
"Miss Akurei," the higher-ranking officer said, his tone full of respect and obedience.
Again the girl's eyes flicked towards the door and the speaker before they once more resumed to stare straight ahead. "Yes?"
"This is the last of your trunks. Where shall we place this one?"
"Just leave it by the closet. I'll take care of it," she ordered. In a haughty voice, she dismissed them after issuing one last order. "You may leave for your duties now, but send my mother to me."
The two men lifted the trunk and carried it over the closet. After setting it down, the two officers saluted smartly, any resentment at taking orders from one so young and small well hidden. With two sharp bows, they turned around and departed the room, closing the doors behind them.
After the two soldiers had departed, Akurei stood up from the chair and padded over to the large trunk. Lifting a key from around her neck, she kneeled by the padlock that secured the trunk's secrets. She glanced once at the key that she clutched in her tiny fist, the golden chain snaking free and trailing down to the ground. With a shake of her head, she inserted the key into the lock and released it.
After ensuring that the key was around her neck once more, she carefully removed the padlock and opened the trunk. The storage container was only half-filled, full of old and musty objects that once may have been beautiful and grand. The girl looked through the objects, faint interest flickering to life in her cold eyes.
Suddenly, a tattered and torn object lodged in the corner caught her eye. Reaching forward, she grasped the torn end and pulled it free. She glanced down at what she now held in her hand, a faint smile worming its way across her small lips.
A ripped and old hat, that had obviously seen better days, lay in her grip, a sad memory of the past. The girl gently fingered the torn yellow ribbon that still encircled the base of the bonnet, a scraggly bow still in place at the rear. The original color of the hat may have at one time or another been white, but age and dirt had discolored the material.
*The last time I was truly happy,* she thought to herself.
A sudden flash of memory streaked through her mind; visions of a grassy hill, a solitary flower given in innocent friendship, and a warm bundle of loyal, furry love.
The girl gritted her teeth and forced those memories back to the haze of forgetfulness. She didn't want to remember that time, not so long ago, when she had been happy for the first time in years. It had been so tranquil and innocent, a peace that ended in horrible bloodshed and pain.
Throwing the hat away from her, back into the depths of the trunk, the girl reached up and slammed the lid down. She rose from her position on the floor and padded over to the small vanity that was placed by the room's window. She climbed onto the vanity's chair and gazed at her reflection in the well-polished mirror.
A child's face reflected out at her, a face of innocence, promise, and youth. However, one only had to look into her eyes, pale in color and large, to know that someone was off with the girl. Her eyes were far too old to belong in a face so deceptively young. Ancient hurt, pain, despair, fury, and fear were all rolled up into one and lurked in her jeweled depths. They had long ago lost the innocence of childhood and now burned with the fire of one who had seen the passing of more than 800 years.
*Soon, soon this will all be over,* she thought to herself as she stared at her image. In a typically abrupt change of persona, she suddenly smiled at her reflection. Giggling softly to herself, she began to play with her bangs, fluffing them out in a rare display of vanity. *I wonder if he'll recognize me?*
A gentle knock sounded at her door and she called out, "Come in."
The door opened and admitted a tall woman wearing a beautiful kimono, her hair falling before her face and hiding half of her features. One Prussian blue eye escaped concealment and focused upon Akurei.
"You called for me?" murmured the gentle voice as she closed the door behind her, concealing their conversation from prying ears.
"Yes, Mother," Akurei sneered, her voice dripping with false respect as she emphasized the title.
A visible shudder racked the woman's shoulders before she regained her composure. Her voice dropped the gentle tone and became a thin band of steel. "I am not your mother," she said quietly.
The girl gave a soft giggle before she replied, "Not yet, anyway." The girl fell silent, giving her companion an appraising look.
The woman sighed before she dropped the subject and asked, "What did you want to see me about?"
The girl's face fell back into a mask of indifference, dropping all childish impulses. Once more the cold person she had become was in control and ready to discuss matters. "My network of spies tell me that our target is leaving the millionaire's estate and heading up to the colonies."
"And his present companion?"
"Coming along, of course, not that it changes our plans in the least," came the answer. "We shall be moving out tomorrow and head for the colonies. We shall shadow them carefully until an opportunity presents itself and then we will strike. Teishu shall be accompanying us."
The older woman's mouth thinned in a disapproving line. In a curt voice, she said, "I don't like him. I don't like what he's done or what he represents. We should just get rid of the trash."
"In due time, we will. But for now, I still have use for him. After he has done the task, we will eliminate him from the playing field," the girl said indifferently.
The woman nodded once, in deference to her young companion.
"Now," continued Akurei, "what about the laboratory?"
"Completely destroyed. She was thorough, as usual."
"And J?"
"He's missing in action, presumably dead."
"Hmph. I see." The girl frowned, her young features pulled downwards in a thunderous expression. Her eyes narrowed, revealing the true depths of her displeasure as they darkened considerably. With a sneer, she said, "That Peacecraft girl is getting on my nerves. That's the fourth lab in as many months she's managed to track down and destroy. I want her eliminated."
"She's not exactly going to roll over and die for us. She seeks vengeance and a rolling head." The woman paused here before she added snidely, "Your head."
"Don't you think I know that?!" the girl hissed. "She's been hunting me for decades."
"Yes, who would have imagined that the little pacifist would become such a proficient fighter? But then again, I suppose she would have learned how to fight, especially after what happened to her loved ones."
"It still irks me that she managed to gain full immortality, especially after what the flesh did to her older brother and her lover."
"She won't rest until one of you is destroyed."
Akurei smirked, evil glinting in her young eyes. A cruel smile, promising pain and death, spread across her face, destroying the illusion of youth and innocence. "Well then, I'll just have to make sure that she dies first, won't I?" The girl began to laugh, a disturbing giggle that carried just the barest hint of insanity.
~ ~ ~ ~
Pale, gray eyes stared straight ahead, focusing on nothing. No signs of awareness or thought lurked in the light depths, no signs of life at all. The blank eyes were set in a face that was devoid of any emotion or expression; a mask to the outside world. Forked eyebrows arched gently over the staring orbs, frozen into place. The only change was the blinking of said eyes, every so often, accompanied by a slight breath. These were the only signs of life that existed within the doll.
The owner of the eyes was a young woman, one who had been lovely and fiery in her life. Yet that fire had been smothered in one cruel act that had been concealed behind false friendship. Long, pale blonde hair flowed down the woman's still back, spilling over the seat of the chair upon which she sat. A simple headband restrained the woman's hair, keeping it off of her still face.
Her hands were clasped primly in her lap, the back of the chair supporting her upright position. She was dressed in a simple sleeveless shirt, and a long flowing skirt. The chair was placed near a set of large windows, allowing the day's sunlight to warm her cold flesh. For all intents and purposes, she looked like a young woman simply enjoying the benefits of a sunny day, but she wasn't.
The door to the solar opened, admitting the woman in black. The seated woman did not turn to greet her new companion, nor did her voice rise in welcome. She continued to sit placidly in the chair, her gaze still straightforward.
The woman in black quietly walked over to the table that was set up in the middle of the room, laying her facemask and sheathed blade on the oak surface. Although still clothed in her tattered and bloody outfit, her gloves had long since been abandoned, the flesh of her hand cleansed of any remaining blood.
The woman's golden honey hair was still caught up in her bun, although tendrils had escaped confinement, falling to gently frame her slender face. Cold blue eyes brightened considerably as she gazed at the seated woman, though sadness and despair also moved in to cloud the jeweled depths.
Coming to a stop in front of the seated woman, she eased down to kneel on the plush carpet, her gaze fixed on the silent one. Taking the woman's clasped hands in her own, the woman placed a simple kiss on the still flesh. Keeping one hand on the two, she reached up with the other to gently caress the still cheek of her companion.
As always, tears threatened and were only held back by supreme will. Softly murmuring, she admitted her failure. "Oh Dorothy, she got away again. But it was close this time. I will chase her to the ends of the Earth and space and make her pay for what she has done. And if she doesn't have the cure to your condition, I will release you myself."
With that, the woman rose from her knees and bent over the still woman to place a gentle kiss on her temple. With a whisper, she promised, "And then I will join you. Immortality has no appeal when it cannot be shared."
The seated woman gave no outward sign that she understood the heartfelt speech, no reaction to the kiss. In fact, it was only the slow blinking of her eyes and a shallow breath that told the other her love was still alive, if you could call her condition life.
A gentle knock and a low clearing of a throat told the woman she wasn't alone. She turned around to face the doors and the intruder. Her gaze fell upon a tall, slender young man, his brown bangs falling over half of his face. "Yes, Trowa?"
"I'm sorry to intrude, Relena, but Noin has a report on Akurei's activities. She awaits you in the council room."
"Of course." With one last kiss to Dorothy's temple, Relena Peacecraft departed from her unaware lover, pausing to pick up her discarded facemask and weapon.
As she and her tall companion made their way to Noin, Relena gave Trowa a sideways glance. "Why did you come back, Trowa?" she questioned. "Why now, after all this time?"
"I promised I would. And I always keep my promises."
Relena smiled, a sad acceptance. "Okay, Trowa. But maybe one day you'll trust me with the truth."
~ ~ ~ ~
Duo sat back in the plush chair of the private shuttle. It sure was nice to know people with money. If he had a fortune like the Winner family, his life would be very comfortable.
Comfortable, but not complete.
Duo shifted his gaze to his left peripheral vision, quietly observing his silent companion. Heero was sitting in the window seat, his gaze focused on the buzz of last-minute activity before departure. His hands were lightly clasped together in his lap, his elbows held close to his torso. His entire body was still and contained, moreso than usual. Withdrawn inwards, it almost appeared that he was trying to disappear within the seat, to remain underneath the notice of all.
Embodied within this deceptively fragile appearing man was the missing link in Duo's life. He and he alone could complete Duo's life, could grant it some meaning and reason to live. Granted, it was only upon losing him that Duo discovered just how important and vital the Japanese man was to him. Of course, hindsight was 20/20, but now Duo could try and make up for his lack of faith.
Giving a brief prayer of thanks, Duo noticed that the shuttle was getting ready to depart. The whine of the engines was increasing in pitch and the shuttle crews were moving away from the launch pad.
Duo glanced over at Heero, noticing that the other man was still watching the scenery outside the window. Biting his lip, Duo made a move, a bold one considering how Heero was shying away from human touch.
Snaking his arm over the armrest that separated their seats, Duo slid his hand in between Heero's clasped ones, his fingers twining with one limp hand and holding firm. Duo rested his head on his headrest, giving off a nonchalant posture, even though his heart was racing in his chest. His eyes were closed to slits, barely open, but he could still observe Heero's actions.
He saw Heero's head whip down to look at their entwined hands, even as he instinctively tried to tug his hand away. Duo's grip was tight, securing their clasped hands and showing Heero he wasn't going to let go. After the initial reaction, Duo could tell Heero was forcing himself to calm, to not jerk away again.
After a few motionless moments, Duo gave Heero's hand one steady squeeze, wordlessly conveying his love and presence. After a heartbeat, Duo felt answering pressure on his own hand as Heero returned the gesture. "The act was simple in itself, no meaning or message truly apparent in the gesture, but nonetheless, Duo's heart began to sing. As he noticed Heero returning his gaze to the window, Duo relaxed his grip, letting Heero know he could withdraw his hand at any time. However, Duo's heart soared as Heero not only kept his hand entwined with Duo's, but settled his free hand on top of their joined ones.
*It's going to be slow, Heero, but we'll make it through this and eventually be stronger. Everything's gonna be okay. We'll take it one step at a time,* Duo thought, making a wordless promise.
As the captain's voice came over the P.A. system announcing their launch clearance, Duo closed his eyes fully and started to drift off. As their shuttle began its ascent to the stars above, he began to dream of a glorious and bright future, with Heero by his side.
TBC...
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