Violet eyes snapped open and back to reality in record time. “NANDE KUSO?!” Musha shouted, yanking herself free of the man’s grasp. “What the HELL do you think you’re doing?!” she demanded angrily, hoping that her embarrassed blush would be mistaken for an angry flare.

Wufei sighed, his gaze going to the floor, “Gomen ne...” he apologized, then looked back up to her, “I shouldn’t have done that.”

“You’re damn right!” Musha confirmed, “Let me out of here, NOW!!!”

Wufei shook his head, “I’m sorry, but I’m not authorized to do that.”

Musha raised an eyebrow, “You’re lying....”

The Chinese pilot shrugged, “Maybe I am, but either way, I’m not letting you go. Not until you’ve come back to your senses.” he leaned back against the door and crossed his arms, blocking her only exit.

Well, not her ONLY exit...... Musha swiftly walked over to the window and opened it, peering down outside. The knot in her stomach was pulled tighter as she glanced at all fifteen stories below her. She had to do this though; she had to get out of here. After all, she had a mission to complete.

“I don’t know about you...” Wufei began, causing Musha to jump as he was now right next to her, peering down as well, “But that looks pretty steep to me.”

Musha growled and clenched her fists, “What do you care anyway?! If I die, I’ll be one less problem for you to worry about.”

Wufei gave her a thoughtful look, playing along, “True, but what would Tensei think?”

Musha’s eyes widened for one brief moment of remembrance, “Tensei?”

Wufei nodded, “Your best friend, your sister. She risked her life to save you. If you die right now, her work will have been in vain....”

“Sister...” Musha’s mind played the word over and over, a familiar feeling spreading through her body. It only took a moment, however for her to shake her head and glare at the man beside her. “I have no sister, kusoyaro! My family was killed!”

She immediately stepped up onto the window sill and prepared to jump when a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her back in. She was pulled up against Wufei’s chest before she felt his hot breath tickling the skin of her neck. “Your family may have been killed, Musha, but Tensei will always be your sister.” he turned her around to face him, keeping a strong grip on her struggling form, “Sometimes, just sometimes, two souls can share a link so strong that nothing and no one can ever break it. It can be weakened from time to time, but when it’s healed, that bond grows stronger and stronger until the two become inseparable.

“Not even death can separate the two, although it will cause the other pain beyond human comprehension. Musha...... you and Tensei share such a bond. For her to lose you would cause her that pain......” he closed his eyes before he continued, “And the pain that my heart would feel if I ever lost you would eventually eat away at me, driving me to insanity.”

Musha shook her head, “I don’t...understand what you’re telling me....”

Wufei sighed, gathering the courage that he never thought he would ever lose, “Musha... I haven’t known you for very long at all, but from the moment that I met you, I felt like I had known you forever; like you were a part of me. I can’t explain it, and I’m just as confused as you are, but I can’t deny what I feel. I’m scared, Musha.... terrified of losing you.... I love you, Musha....”

Jumping out of the window had never looked better to Musha. Never in her wildest dreams... no, always in her dreams, NO! She wouldn’t let herself believe it. How could he love her?! She was a soldier; a killer. Her soul had died long ago, she was now just a vessel, a tool used for killing.

Somehow, her mouth couldn’t come to say the words, all she wanted at that moment in time was to be held. She had fought for so very long. Her body was tired, and her soul was weary. She wanted it all to stop. So at that moment, out of what she thought was pure selfishness, she buried her face in his chest, and cried.

~*~*~*~*~

Free the dream within

The stars are crying a tear

~*~*~*~*~

Tensei blinked a couple of times, trying to let everything sink in. What had he just told her, that he would....... protect her? No.......

“No....” she said quietly, pushing his hand away, “Don’t say things like that, Quatre....” she moved her gaze off to the side, unable to look into his eyes., They were so full of sincerity - she had never seen such a thing from anyone but Musha. Up until now, she thought that Musha was the only person in the world who could care for her, a bloodstained soldier with nothing left to live for.

“I don’t understand....” Quatre trailed, giving her a curious look.

“Do not protect me...” she said coldly, “Once this mission is over, you have to forget that I ever existed.”

Quatre’s eyes widened, “What do you mean?! How could I?”

“I don’t know...”she crossed her arms over her chest, standing up and walking over to the window, gazing over the city, “But you’ll manage it. You’re a soldier. You must have been trained to forget....” her voice was so cold that it sent a chill down Quatre’s spine.

“You assume things.....” the blonde pilot sighed, shaking his head, “You speak as if you don’t even know what it’s like to be a soldier....”

He watched Tensei’s shoulders rise, she was obviously upset by this comment. She spun around and glared at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Are you saying that I’m not a real soldier?!”

Quatre shook his head, “What I’m saying is that you live in a dream world. You treat everything as if all will be fine, no matter how hopeless the situation is. You think that you can just pack up and move on, that nothing has damaged your soul...... I know better though, Tensei...” he stepped up to her, his eyes burning into hers, determined to break the barrier that didn’t keep harsh reality out, but trapped her inside with it, keeping her to suffer in her own hell.

“I said earlier that you’re strong, and I meant that, but there’s a difference between strength and hiding behind a facade. You put on a mask to hide what you feel, but by hiding it, you keep it inside and it slowly eats away at you.

“Tensei....” he took her hand into his own, “You’re not invincible....”

She stared at him with wide eyes, unsure of what to say or do. She knew that he was right, but she couldn’t bring herself to believe it. With a sigh, she turned her gaze back out to the setting sun.

~*~*~*~*~

A sigh escapes from heaven

And worlds end

~*~*~*~*~

“It’s not..... fair...” Hiiro Yuy’s usually monotone voice struggled. He looked down at Relena’s peaceful form once more, wondering what right he even had to merely be in her presence.

These visits had become a daily ritual for him. He spent each spare moment beside her, hoping against hope that a miracle would happen.

He had never felt this way about anyone before. He felt... different, somehow. He stared at her long and hard, his eyes narrowing in anger. What was he mad at? A hell of a lot, he knew that. He was mad at this situation. The person who shot her, and himself, for not protecting her. But moreover, he was mad at these new feeling stirring up inside of him. He couldn’t explain them, or understand them.

Hiiro was the kind of man who always liked, no, needed to be in control. There had to be a logical explanation for everything, and he always had to have the power to control it. But this feeling inside of him..... he felt as if he was suffering from some kind of disease, eating away at his soul.

Have you ever come in from a cold, winter day, when you’ve forgotten your gloves or something silly like that? Your hands are frozen numb, and you want nothing more than to warm them, but once you expose them to heat, it burns you so badly that you pull them back once more?

This is similar to what Hiiro was going through. His soul had been deprived of love for so long, that he became cold; numb. Now that he was experiencing it once more, it burned him.

He slammed his fist down on his leg in frustration. No matter where he ran to, where he hid, his torture would follow him. He couldn’t get it out; couldn’t make it stop.

“Damn you, Relena Peacecraft...” he whispered hoarsely, his eyes hardening, “This is your fault...... why do you have to be.... so..... gods, so everything?!”

He got down on the floor and knelt beside her hospital bed, taking her delicate, pale hand into his own rough, war calloused palm. “Relena...” he managed, “So many times, I have shut you out. Pushed you away. But again and again, you tried to break through me...... you wouldn’t give up... damn your persistence.....”

He shook his head, and closed his eyes, “You’d better wake up, Relena.....” his voice sounded threatening, though he would never truly mean her any kind of harm, “god damn you to hell if you don’t, because I won’t stand to go through that kind of pain.... Relena...... I love you....”

~*~*~*~*~

Breathe the dream within

The mystifying

~*~*~*~*~

Sally sighed before taking another sip of her chamomile tea. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Her days seemed to be getting longer and longer these days, especially since recently.

She had just about given up all hope for peace by now, or at least not to get her hopes up. But still, she couldn’t chase away the sick feeling that invaded her stomach every time she thought about all of the people who fought for peace in vain.

She shook her head and laughed slightly. It wasn’t much of a laughing moment, but it was just about all she could do to retain her sanity. besides, it was quite ironic. Fighting for peace.....

‘What fools we are...’ she thought to herself, setting her cup of now cold tea down. All this time that they had spent waiting for the enemy to reveal themselves left her with a lot of time to think. She was beginning to wonder now if the Preventers were even necessary, much less effective.

Relena Peacecraft had worked very hard to make sure that the Preventers had received sufficient funding to continue their work, but her title as Queen hardly made her a monarch. Now, with this turn of events, the Preventers had very little chance of survival. Relena, the executive branch of their democratic government was the only reason that the Preventers still existed.

Jacob Branson, her successor had voted against them in past proposals. If Relena didn’t wake up, then many people would soon be looking for jobs.

“How do I get myself into these things?” she wondered aloud.

~*~*~*~*~

We tremble and spin

Suspended within

~*~*~*~*~

Quatre raised his hand to knock on Musha’s door, giving the uncertain Tensei a reassuring smile. “Everything will be all right...” he soothed, “Wufei told me that she’s fine.”

Tensei nodded, and smiled weakly as the door opened. There stood Wufei, who just nodded and stepped aside to let them in.

Tensei hesitantly stepped inside and stared for a moment at her best friend. “Musha...?”

Musha nodded and smiled, walking up to the other girl and embracing her. “Gomen ne, Tensei-chan. I’m so sorry...”

Tensei shook her head, “No! Don’t be sorry, Musha! It wasn’t your fault! I should never have left!”

Musha put a thoughtful look on her face and paused before saying nonchalantly, “Well, you’re right. It IS your fault.” she kept a straight face, looking at the confusion on Tensei’s own face, before bursting out in laughter. “Just like always, ne, Tensei?!”

The shorter girl laughed, grateful to have her friend back. “Baka!” she playfully hit her arm and shook her head, “You almost gave me a heart attack, you know that?”

Musha smiled, “Of course! SOMEONE’S got to keep your life exciting, Tensei!” Musha was thankful that Tensei had finally come. She couldn’t be alone with Wufei anymore... While she was laughing on the outside, her very being was crying out for some kind of reason.

Quatre smiled, “Welcome back, Musha-san.”

Musha smiled, “Arigato.... it’s good to be back....”

~*~*~*~*~

Look beyond

Where hearts can see

~*~*~*~*~

“So Musha Eien is back with us, ne?” Sally questioned the uni-banged youth before her.

Trowa nodded, “She’s still in her room right now. Wufei, Quatre and Tensei are with her. Should she be held here for any longer or can she go home now?”

Sally thought for a moment, weighing her options. “Let her go home,” she said with a sigh, “The poor girl has been through enough already. I’m sure that she’ll be fine from now on. Just.... keep an eye on her.”

“Hai.” Trowa nodded before exiting the room to take the news to Musha.

Sally sat at her desk to finish filing her report. “The ability to read and write is a curse...” she mumbled bitterly, finding herself scribbling curls and spirals of nonsense on her paper.

She couldn’t concentrate. She had this feeling of dread that she just couldn’t shake. Of course, she had been feeling this way for a while now.

Sleep came rarely, and the little that she experienced was plagued with dark nightmares. She had tried so hard, so incredibly hard to keep her head held high amidst the chaos, but it was slowly wearing her down, physically and emotionally.

She cast a glance to a small picture frame on her desk. In it was a faded, wrinkled picture of a middle-aged couple. The husband was tall and broad. His thick black hair and neatly trimmed beard we combed perfectly into place. His aged and tired eyelids drooped slightly over his deep blue orbs. He wore a gruff statement, appearing to be the kind of man who is always in control.

The woman beside him wore a much softer statement, her gentle smile the only thing lightening the picture through the darkness of age. Her dark blonde hair was pulled neatly back as she reclined happily in her husband’s arms.

One of the woman’s arms descended to grasp the hand of a small girl. She possessed the likeness of her mother, but her eyes were sharp and hot, like those of her father’s. Just by looking at the picture, you could tell that the girl had her father’s personality. Confident and always in control.

Sally shook her head. “The perfect family...” she mused bitterly as she threw away her scrap paper and started again, “They had everything... until the war...”

Memories of the war haunted her. She recalled every detail of how her family was ripped away from her, leaving her to find her way on her own.

Ever since that day, she had sworn to avenge her parents. Not by killing, but by preventing. That’s why this war was so important to her.

“We will finish this...” she whispered to herself, setting the picture back down and leaning back in her chair, “We will win... or die trying.”

~*~*~*~*~

Dream in peace

Trust, love, believe

~*~*~*~*~

Duo sighed as he reclined in his sofa, potato chips and coke in hand, but he didn’t touch them. He just sat there.

“Duo?” Hilde asked, walking into the room, “Duo, what’s wrong with you?!”

“Nothing, babe!” Duo flashed one of his winning smiles and went back to staring at the ceiling.

Hilde raised an eyebrow. “Here you are with uneaten food, yet your mouth isn’t chewing?!”

Duo cocked his head to the side, giving Hilde a skeptical look. “You think you know me THAT well, huh? I’ll have you know that on occasion, I like to hold food, and just look at it.” he would have laughed at his own corny joke, had it not been for the fact that he was desperately trying to convince her that it was the truth.

Hilde frowned and sat beside him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“You’re stressed.”

“Are not.”

“Are too!”

“What?! Are you calling me a liar?!”

“Maybe.”

“Hey! I run, I hide, but I never-”

“Especially not to your girlfriend!” she made sure to emphasize the last word, “So tell me what’s wrong!”

Duo sighed. “Okay. Maybe I’m a teeny bit stressed.” he formed his fingers to show a space the size of a grain of rice.

Hilde raised an eyebrow, “Duo. Please tell me.” she moved her hand from his shoulder, taking his coke and setting it on the coffee table, then taking that same hand partially into her smaller one.’

Once again, Duo sighed. “It’s just all this gundam crap. I mean, for one thing, These chicks get to have all the fun-” he stopped when Hilde gave him a warning glance, and changed the subject slightly. “ALl right. it’s just that things are looking kinda gloomy for our side of this whole thing. I mean, Relena’s out cold, Musha’s gone wacky, and Tensei looks like she’s going to have a nervous breakdown at any moment! Not to mention the googly eyes that some of the others guys are showing. I mean, I might believe Quatre, but Wufei?! No way!!”

Hilde blinked, “What are you talking about?!”

Duo couldn’t help but smile, he loved tarnishing the reputations of poor, unsuspecting victims. “Wufei and Quatre. They’ve got THINGS for the new girls. Even though technically, they’re the bad guys... or they WERE at least. I don’t even know any more.”

Hilde laughed. “What about me? I was a bad guy!”

Duo smiled, “Yeah, but you’re a special exception. Besides,” he winked at her, “I like bad girls.”

“So you like the new girls too, ne?!” she exclaimed in mock surprise.

“NO!!” Duo shouted defensively, raising his arms, “That’s not what I meant at all!”

“Oh? Then what DID you mean?”

“Nothing!” Duo whined, “Can we just kiss and make up?”

Hilde laughed as she stood up, grabbing Duo’s chips and coke before he could even do anything about it, “Nope! I’m gonna have myself a snack and get to bed. I’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

“Too busy for me?” Duo made puppy eyes.

Hilde just laughed, “Good night, Duo!” she left the room and shouted back, “And thanks for the chips!”

Duo crossed his arms and pouted, mumbling, “Of all the....” he shook his head and placed his hands behind his neck, leaning back. “I’m getting too old for this job.”

~*~*~*~*~

Free the dream within

The voice is calling a song

~*~*~*~*~

“Trowa?”

“Hm.” was the only answer that poor Catherine could get out of her brother.

Her eyes narrowed in concern at the sight of him. He was sitting on a prop box, carefully examining his mask as if he had never seen anything like it before. Not that it was unusual for Trowa to be quiet and distant, but his eyes never looked so.... empty.

“Trowa.” she said softly, taking a seat beside him, “What’s wrong?”

Trowa just stared at her, his face impassive. “Nothing is wrong. What would give you that idea?”

“Womens’ intuition?” she smiles slightly at her own little joke, but Trowa didn’t even flinch. She just folded her hands in her lap and looked down at the floor. “It’s the war, isn’t it?”

“It’s not a war.” Trowa stated matter-of-factly. “Just a few corrupt people that need to be put in their place.”

Catherine sighed. “Trowa, I thought that you of all people could recognize a war when you see one. It’s not just the minds behind this that are fighting, it’s the people as well. When humans take sides in a controversy, it’s only a matter of time until people start dying.” she said it with sadness, “Trowa. I can see it all happening again.”

Trowa blinked. “Catherine. You’re getting yourself worried over nothing. The civilans aren’t even involved in this.”

Catherine’s eyes darkened slightly. “You’re wrong.” she watched as Trowa’s head quirked up in curiosity, “I hear people say things, Trowa. People are angry at that girl who shot Relena. They want her executed. In the meantime, others are getting themselves weapons, for their children even! They’re afraid. Afraid of all that’s going on. Without Relena, the people feel defenseless.”

Trowa’s eyes narrowed. “What the people have to learn is that it’s not a leader that makes a strong nation, but strong people, who will work together for the good of everyone. They are the hope of the future.”

“Well try explaining that to them.” Catherine shook her head, “I just don’t think that true peace can ever be achieved. It seems to be just a dream.”

~*~*~*~*~

A prayer from deep inside you

The light is shining

~*~*~*~*~

The ride home was a long one. Tensei drove, leaving Musha in the passenger seat, staring down at her folded hands. They put on a goofy show when Quatre and Wufei were with them, but now that they were alone, they withdrew slightly, each afraid to be the first to speak.

Musha blinked a couple of times. She didn’t know what to say. Guilt consumed her. ‘I can’t believe it..’ she thought to herself shamefully, ‘How could I have done that, how?!’ She was so angry, angry with herself. For what? For alot of things. For letting herself be captured, for turning on her only friend, for letting Wufei get close to her.

‘NO!’ her mind screamed desperately, ‘I didn’t get close to him at all!’ she refused to accept it. She tried her hardest to force the memory of that kiss out of her head, but it wouldn’t budge.

She had never been kissed like that before. Not EVER like THAT. It was... gods, it was so many things. Soft, caressing.... comforting. At the same time, forceful. Not the kind of forceful that another kiss would be. This was more.... like desperate. Desperate to get a message across to her that words just couldn’t find.

Then there was Tensei. Gods, they hadn’t talked much about their battle. Was it that it didn’t matter? It was in the past? Or was it that it was too painful to bring up? ‘Oh, she must feel so betrayed.’ Musha thought bitterly. ‘I can’t believe I let them get to me..... I just hope that Tensei can find it in her heart to forgive me.’

Tensei clenched her teeth, in order to keep from chewing on her lower lip. It was a bad habit that she would do whenever she was stressed, and Musha knew it. She couldn’t let her friend see her distress. Not now. She just kept her eyes on the road and concentrated on getting home.

‘Damn..’ she rarely said those words aloud, but under certain circumstances, her thoughts could get pretty vulgar. ‘Musha! I’m so sorry! Why can’t I bring myself to say it?!’ She glanced over to the girl beside her and sighed. ‘She looks aweful...’ Tensei thought sadly. ‘She must be horribly mad at me.’

‘You‘re a strong person....’ that voice again! Tensei would shut her eyes in frustration, had it not been a life or death matter with her behind the wheel. That voice.... she still couldn’t get it out of her head. All day, she contemplated those words, over and over, as if she didn’t know what they meant. Probably because she couldn’t associate such a remark with herself?

She had never thought of herself as strong. Musha was the strong one. She, however, was the one who constantly goofed off. The one who was so meticulous in her planning, but would somehow slip up and next, find herself responsible for a catastrophe.

She sighed faintly, finally turning onto their street. ‘I should talk to her.’ she thought reasonably. ‘But she’s mad at me. She’s just got to be.’

Musha sighed as well, looking over to Tensei, but missing her gaze. ‘I wonder if she’ll ever forgive me.’

You know, the biggest problem with people is that they never tell each other how they feel, when really, they’re thinking the same thing all along.

~*~*~*~*~

Be the dream within

The voice is calling a song

~*~*~*~*~

Strength. Justice. Honor.

To the man known as Chang Wufei, these were the elements of life’s very essence. In order to lead a respectful life, one must learn to practice these religiously, and that he did for the beginning of his life.

But soon, honor was lost. Strength fell weak and honor was forgotten. Mankind had surrendered to the chaos and injustice. Something had to be done.

Wufei knew that he, himself, was not strong, but he would never admit it. He convinced himself that it was his responsibility to bring justice back to the world.

That was where things such as unselfishness and humility were forgotten. But all for the better, he would reason. People found him ill-tempered and abrasive; they would tend to avoid him. But that was all right with him. He was, after all, the Solitary Dragon. And he liked it that way.

Or so he thought he did.

You never know that you’re lacking something until you experience it for a moment. You know, deep inside, that you need SOMETHING, but you don’t know what it is, therefore dismissing it into the nothingness of your forgotten memory.

Wufei had always thought that by killing Treize, and defeating OZ that his struggles would be over. That his work would be finished, and justice would be restored. He couldn’t have been more wrong. He soon found that he had spent so much time being bent on revenge, that he had forgotten how to live, how to love.

Love. No. Such a word did not belong in his vocabulary. He was a soldier, a fighter, a killer. There was no room in his heart for love. So why did he kiss her? Damnit! Why did he hold her, soothe her, comfort her?!

He knew why. The answer played itself over and over in his head until he felt like he would burst. His harsh, cruel self didn’t want to accept this loving invader.

But, gods..... how he did love her. He didn’t even know her that well, but there was something about her. Something so familiar and strange. He felt a connection to her that he had never felt before. Not even to Meiran.

Though, he did not love Meiran. He loved her as more of a sister, though she did infuriate him. Maybe that’s it? He was forced to marry Meiran, a girl that he did not love as a wife, but more as a sister. Maybe that’s why he was so confused about this. As if he wanted to love Musha, but didn’t know how.

Wufei’s eyes snapped open as he retreated from his meditative state. Shaking his head, he crossed his arms, as if to challenge his own emotions with his stubbornness.

He walked into his room and made his way to bed, finally falling into a fitful rest.

~*~*~*~*~

A flame on the wind

Salvation begins

~*~*~*~*~



“Master Quatre?” Rashid looked worriedly at his young friend, who was reclining on the sofa in the sitting room all alone. He knew that Quatre liked solitude, but he never seemed so... distant.

It took Quatre’s brain a moment to acknowledge Rahid’s presence. Smiling, he turned to face him, “Good evening, Rashid.” he said gently.

Rashi frowned, “More like good morning, you mean.” he said, pointing to the clock.

Quatre blinked in confusion and glanced up at the grandfather clock, then sighed. “Three A.M...” he said aloud, then laughed lightly, “I must have lost track of the time.”

The frown on Rashid’s face didn’t move. “Master Quatre,” he began as he took a seat opposite of the young man, “You’ve been distant lately. Are you all right?”

Quatre only smiled again, but not his usual warm, happy smile. This was more of a desperate to convince smile. “Of course, I’m all right. You needn’t worry at all.”

Rashid raised an eyebrow curiously, “Master Quatre, are you sure? Ever since these events began, you’ve been acting differently.”

Quatre just shook his head, “I’ve just.... I believe that I’m gaining a new perspective on things.”

“What kinds of things?” the older man inquired, sitting back in his chair as if he were expecting a long lecture.

Quatre shrugged, “Alot of things. Well, for one, I never knew that I’d find any more people like me. Those new gundam pilots... Not just that, but the fact that they’re so... secretive. I don’t know Musha very well, but I’ve gotten to know Tensei a bit, and she seems.....” he sighed once more, “Closed off, yet not.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well. It’s like she wants to tell me something.... she wants to tell ANYONE something, but she can’t. I don’t know much at all about her mission, but I do know that whatever it was, it was completely thrown off course.

Not just that, but she seems.... frightened. Which is uncharacteristic of any gundam pilot. She won’t show it, but I can see it in her eyes. I saw it that night that I caught her breaking into the Preventers’ base, and I saw it when she came begging for our help. Even now, that fear is still there.”

He shook his head. “Of course, maybe I’m reading too much into it. Maybe my space heart is growing sensitive? I just don’t know.”

Rashid couldn’t help but smile, but he had no intention of revealing to Quatre the reason for that smile. “Perhaps,” he began as he stood to his feet, “You’re not reading enough into it?”

Quatre blinked, “I don’t understand.”

“Maybe she needs someone to talk to, but no one has presented themselves.” with that, he left the room.

~*~*~*~*~

Look beyond

Where hearts can see

~*~*~*~*~

Hiiro sat in the hospital room, his head in his hands. He was not aware of the time, nor did he care. He couldn’t explain why he wanted to stay there, but he knew that he had to. Something had been tugging at him to remain by Relena’s side by the night. He was angry, both at the voice and himself for listening to it, but it was all he could do.

He sat there.

Then suddenly, another familiar voice made itself known in a barely audible whisper. “Hiiro.....”

~*~*~*~*~

Dream in peace

Trust, love, believe

~*~*~*~*~

The next morning, Tensei woke up and headed right for the kitchen. There, she found Musha, sitting at the table, cold cup of coffee in hand. Her normally fiery violet eyes were dull and bloodshot, dark circles clearly defined beneath them.

Tensei just sat in the chair across from her friend, and gave her a sympathetic look. “Musha...” she reached out to place her hand over the other girl’s as she bowed her own head slightly, “Musha... I’m so sorry.”

Musha’s eyes seemed to snap open. “Nani?”

Tensei just shook her head, “I... I didn’t know what I was doing... all this time. I threw aside my common sense and got careless... and then...” she trailed.

Musha shook her head. “I.. don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Tensei blinked and looked up at her, “Musha. I apologize... for everything. I screwed up... so bad-”

Musha gasped frantically and interrupted her. “No! Tensei! What are you talking about?! It wasn’t your fault!”

“Oh, but it was! If I had never gone on that mission without you in the first place..... none of this mess never would have happened.” the other girl shouted, her voice weighed down with regret.

Musha could hardly believe her ears. “Tensei! That has nothing to do with it! I was the one who betrayed you!” the last couple of words were distorted by a sob, but Tensei still heard.

“NO!! You couldn’t help it! You were under Akki’s control-”

“Are these tears?” a rude voice interrupted, Master U’s face appearing once more on the vid-screen. “Soldiers don’t cry.”

Musha just bowed her head, forcing the tears to stop as Tensei’s eyes widened in utter shock.

“How dare you?!” she demanded angrily, “She may be a soldier, but she’s also human!”

Master U scowled, “Humanity is a weakness, which is why you must rid yourself of it.”

Tensei couldn’t believe her ears. He had told them this over and over as they grew up, however, they weren’t expecting to have to fight. They had gotten too comfortable after the wars ended.

“What do you want?” Tensei asked quietly.

Master U narrowed his eyes. “You have another mission. This one will be different though.”

“Different?” Tensei questioned, “How?”

“All of your missions have been on the defensive side of the battles. This time, however, I want you two to be the first to strike.”

Musha’s eyes went wide. “But.. I thought that we were never to be on the offense!”

Tensei nodded, in just as much shock as her friend, “Master U! The only reason that we agreed to all of this is because you told us that we would only be defending!”

Master U narrowed his eyes, “Let me make it clear right here and now that you did not have to agree to anything. You were raised for this purpose. Don’t forget, I took you in. You owe me a great deal.”

“But, Master U!”

“But nothing! I am transmitting your instructions right now! It will begin at 0200 tomorrow morning.” That was the last that he said before his image disappeared.

Musha sighed angrily as Tensei looked as if she would cry. Hearing a beep, she walked over to her laptop and read over the orders. “He’s located Akki’s mobile suit manufacturer!” she shouted in disbelief.

Musha shook her head, “How is that possible? We’ve been trying for years, and nothing! I thought that he had given up on that search.”

Tensei just bit her lower lip and continued to read. “Our mission is to destroy the entire area, but... no!”

Musha looked right up, “What’s wrong?” she got up and stood beside her friend.

“The factory is located in South America, right inside of a civilian town!”

Musha’s eyes went wide. “Kamisama! How could they keep that a secret?!”

Tensei shook her head, “I don’t know, but they were expecting an attack at one point or another. They placed themselves at this location to prevent being attacked easily.” she quickly typed some keys and shook her head, “Musha! There’s no way that we can do this without killing civilians!”

Musha slammed her hand down hard on the table, “Shimatta! How could he assign such a mission?! That coward! He won’t put the time into researching an alternative!”

Before either one of them had a chance to say anything else, another came up on the screen.

“I know what you two are thinking. You don’t want to risk the lives of innocent people, but if you do not take this precautionary measure, even more innocents will die. I expect your talents to be used to their full potential tonight.” Tensei shook her head as she finished reading the message.

“This isn’t right. I mean... there must be some other way!”

Musha just sighed. “The bastard has us cornered.” she clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white. “We have no choice.”

“Fine.” Tensei stood and headed back towards her room. “I’d better go get ready. I have to meet with Sally today.”

“I’ll go as well.” Musha stood up, but Tensei almost glared at her, causing her to stop dead in her tracks.

“Don’t. You have to stay here and rest, Musha.”

“But -”

“You need your strength for tonight, Musha. Onegai, we’re already going to have enough to worry about as it is. Don’t make me worry about you too.” Tensei pleaded.

Musha just nodded, “Fine. But I’m only doing this for you.”

Tensei smiled half-heartedly. “Thank you.”