Tuesday, February 15, 2005

   A Gundam Wing Fanfic--The Death War
A post! Okay, people, this is actually a story being written by Adain and myself. Please tell us if you want more! Also, please tell us if you get a better idea for a title than what we have. ^/^

Basic disclaimers apply, including the claiming of original characters like Takai, Kameko, and Marlena.

Chapter 1

Cold Wind on a Summer Day

---

Duo shook his braid. “Stupid humidity,” he muttered.

“It was your choice to come to this town,” Heero said.

Duo glared at the somber boy, then shrugged. “What can I say? They have great ice cream.”

“It’s a Dairy Queen,” Trowa said.

“So?” Duo turned and spread his hands before him, being careful not to drop his ice cream. “Actually, you have to admit, it’s nice in its own big town sort of way.”

“Why did you bring us here?” Quatre asked.

“Because I have connections to this town.”

Main Street was busy with both cars and pedestrians. The Gundam pilots had positioned themselves safely on the steps of a church, out of the way of the crowd. And they were all holding chocolate-dipped vanilla cones, courtesy of Duo. Well, actually, by his recommendation; he’d made them all pay for themselves.

Duo sucked on the ice cream through a break in the soft chocolate shell, his eyes going past the brick buildings to the blue sky. He smiled. Father Maxwell would be pleased. He’d never had the chance to bring Duo here himself, but the kind elder had often wished he could as he told stories of his hometown to the boy.

Duo broke from his thoughts as something passed by.

He turned; a tall woman walked below them, her black hair flowing down to her knees. But there was something... Duo started after the woman. “Duo?” Quatre called. He didn’t bother to respond.

The woman’s pace quickened, her long stride carrying her past the other people on the sidewalk. “Hey, you. Wait.” Duo struggled between a pair of thickly-muscled guys. “Hey!”

The woman rounded the corner, and Duo glimpsed a violet eye looking straight at him. He ran after her. He skidded around the corner; the woman had vanished.

Duo stared at the sea of blond, red, brown, even green and blue hair. There were some people with black hair, but none sporting it as long as that woman had. No one was even wearing a similar outfit of black jeans and dark purple t-shirt under the searing summer sun. Duo frowned. “Where could she have gone?” He looked at the closest store front; a “Closed for Lunch” sign hung on the door. Duo sighed, and he raised his cone to eat. The ice cream was gone.

Duo turned; the vanilla and chocolate lay in a spreading puddle on the sidewalk. His shoulders slumped. “Bummer.”

- - -

Takai released the spirit’s hand. The elderly woman turned to her with a smile, then stepped onto the waiting, shallow boat. The boatman pushed off the bank and started punting across the river, and Takai sat down on the grass.

“How did your mission go?”

Takai glanced at her sister. “Fine.” Takai turned back at the spirit, which now looked to be in her mid-thirties. “Her body was so tired, but her spirit wasn’t completely ready to leave. She really didn’t want to go.”

Kameko sat down next to Takai and gathered the hem of her long, white dress around her ankles. Her white phoenix trilled, and she stroked its feathers. “It’s that hard for you,” she said quietly.

“Let’s put it this way: there’s a reason I have this job, not you.”

Kameko put a hand on Takai’s shoulder. “You have a strength I never could.”

“Yet for my...abilities, you have more strength than I,” Takai said. Kameko opened her mouth to respond, and Takai continued. “Something odd happened today. A mortal saw me.”

“Other than your mission?”

“Yes. It was Duo Maxwell.”

Kameko frowned as she rubbed her phoenix’s head. “Who—Oh, the Gundam fighter.”

Takai nodded. “I was in mortal form to help sister Akifa prepare. I certainly didn’t expect the Gundam pilots to be there, but they were. After I passed, Duo started following me. I disguised myself and became part of the crowd, but still...”

“Only seers and other spiritually attuned have ever been able to see us when we’re in mortal form, but if necessary, we could hide ourselves even from them.”

“I know.” Takai ran a hand through her bangs. “I don’t understand why. If it hadn’t been the lunch hour, it would have been harder to get away, but it shouldn’t have even happened.”

Kameko held up a lock of pearl-hued hair in her free hand. “Has he ever seen you on the battlefield?” she asked.

“I don’t show myself to living soldiers during combat.”

“Hm.”

Takai stood, tossing her long hair behind her shoulders. “Not that it matters.”

“It’s odd, though, and there has to be a reason,” Kameko said.

“Don’t worry yourself about it.” Takai tucked her fingers into her pockets and started away.

“Even if it happens to me, as well?” Takai’s older sister smiled knowingly, and even her phoenix was watching Takai steadily.

Takai bowed her head in response and smiled to herself. ‘No, Kameko. Though you are the elder, I will protect you. As will our Lord.’ She looked at Kameko. “People don’t tend to be as afraid of you.” She walked off.

- - -

“What was that about?”

Duo shrugged in response to Quatre’s question and started eating his new ice cream. “I just had a feeling.”

“What sort of feeling?” Heero asked.

“Ah, forget it.”

“About that black-haired woman?” Quatre asked.

Duo stared at the blond pilot. Then he laughed; he hadn’t exactly been subtle about it. He nodded.

“Because...I felt something, too. I don’t know what, but I felt cold. And warm at the same time. I don’t understand it.”

“Well, that’s not what I was thinking, but yeah, I definitely didn’t understand it.” Duo stared through the cement sidewalk, his brow furrowed in concentration.

“What did it feel like?” Quatre asked.

“Like...there was something familiar about her. There was a strong feeling. No, intense, concentrated. Like a laser. It was a lot of something for a very small area. If that makes any sense.”

“Perhaps you should drink less coffee,” Heero said.

“I didn’t imagine it, Heero.”

“He didn’t say you did,” Quatre soothed.

“He sure meant it.” Duo cocked a grin at Heero. Now that the war was over, life would be boring if he couldn’t tease his friends and get it back.

“Do you think it’s important to figure this out?” Trowa asked quietly.

Duo shrugged. “I just know I want to. It was weird.” He looked up at the sky. ‘But it felt like I knew her.’
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