Hi Everyone! Here's the final chapter to Heero's Peace *sniff*, I'm sorry to see it end. Thank you so much to everyone who kept reading, and for all your really kind and encouraging reviews. I appreciate them more than you'll ever know- you're all wonderful! Kevin, thanks for all your input and suggestions!
Hope you all enjoy the story! - Stella
Author's note: Because I am the queen of useless facts and a sucker for symbolism, I just had to put this in here. Maybe you already know. The name Odin, as in Heero's "real" name, is based on the chief deity in ancient Norse Mythology. Odin was the god of war and the keeper of the dead, but he was also the god of art and culture, and according to legend, he was the one who gave life and hope to the people of the world, and also gave them their souls.
Disclaimer - I don't own Gundam Wing and you know it!
Heero's Peace - Part 7
Duo Maxwell looked at the surveillance screen inside the control tower of the resource satellite that he and the other pilots had just taken back from the Lowen Faction. He was pretty sure that his right arm was broken from a scuffle with the last of Tremen's men, and blood flowed freely from gash above his eyebrow, but what he saw on the screen made him forget about his injuries and freeze on the spot. Trowa entered the room, but Duo didn't turn around to acknowledge him, he just stared and stared at the monstrosity whose image was being transmitted by a security camera perched on the topmost point of the satellite. Trowa fixed his eyes on the screen as well and studied the mobile suit that was making its way to where the Wing Zero waited. The demon red eyes flashed as it began to swing a massive beam-spiked ball. Zechs, Noin and Quatre joined them in the tower, and became captivated by the image just like Trowa and Duo. The enemy suit was gaining ground and as Wing Zero came into full view, and it was obvious that this new gundam had been built on a larger scale than the others. The dark suit was one and a half of Heero's winged weapon, and the flail it swung was the size of Zero's head. No one could take their eyes of the Morning Star. "Will you get a load of that thing..." Duo mumbled, his voice trailing off as everyone in the room waited for the machines to make contact.
There was no question that Heero was in battle mode. He had given his thoughts to Relena for a few minutes, letting the memories of her kindness, warmth and love comfort and strengthen him. But now he pushed all those thoughts and emotions deep down inside, as he had done for so many years. The extra weapons he had installed on Wing Zero during the rebuilding process might help him a bit, he thought, but in the end it was going to come down to maneuvers with this enemy. The Morning Star was much larger than Zero, and it seemed to be moving rather quickly for something that size. Heero had never seen anything like the weapon it carried. Duo's scythe had been one thing, a massive swinging ball was quite another. His eyes moved to the circle of light it made as the gundam whirled it around and around, gaining momentum for a devastating blow. Heero raised the shield that he had added just weeks ago as an afterthought, and with Zero's beam saber blazing, he braced himself for impact as he launched himself toward the dark giant of an enemy.
The collision made Heero grit his teeth as he held fast to Zero's controls. The force pushed both mobile suits into a whirling tumble as they locked swords. They flew out of control through space, the distant stars blurring as the gundams spun. Heero pulled out of the spin and righted Zero before Tremen had managed to get his bearings. Seizing the opportunity, Heero pulled the buster rifle and aimed for Morning Star's flail. He fired but Tremen dodged the blazing light, his suit only having been grazed. The black gundam's shoulder sparked and spurted, but the arm was still operable and the flail began to swing.
Images of the battle flashed on the main square's giant news screen in colony L1's biggest city. The media had tapped into the surveillance cameras and queued up the fighting for all to see. Relena was infuriated, hoping that this would not incite mass hysteria among the growing crowd of citizens that had stopped to watch. She looked at the people who stood below in the street - no one seemed to be doing anything, they were all glued to screen. And it was no small wonder that what they saw had stopped them in their tracks. Relena forced herself to look at what was happening. She got weak in the knees at the sight of the evil looking gundam that was launching blow after powerful blow at the Wing Zero. Despite her best efforts, she could do nothing to prevent this fight. The Lowen Faction would not surrender so the Preventers had no choice, and neither did Heero. She watched as he parried successfully with his saber, dodging and blocking, darting his smaller machine artfully around the larger one. The size of the red-eyed mobile suit did not seem to greatly hamper its agility, though. It's shots and blocks were lightening quick, and Relena's heart jumped to her throat a few times as Morning Star's violent swipes almost hit home. She breathed deeply, closing her eyes and resting her head in her hands. She remembered when Heero had gone to fight Zechs to stop him from dropping the battleship Libra onto earth. What had he said to her? "Believe in me, Relena." She spoke her answer aloud as she looked back to the screen.
"I believe in you, Heero." She clenched her fists, willing herself to be strong. "I do."
Tremen's face appeared on his monitor. "You fight well, boy. Ahhh, truly Odin's son, 'The God of War,'" he smirked. If this man was trying to toy with Heero Yuy's mind, it wouldn't work, but he kept going. Heero could see that the older man was looking taxed and tired. Tremen's gundam lunged forward; Heero evaded the swinging ball and landed a blow to Morning Star's torso. He saw the cockpit circuits sizzle as the black-haired general continued addressing him, appearing unshaken. "Yes, he was a fighter, your father, till your mother got a hold of him. She was much like the Peacecraft girl. She didn't understand war." Tremen was searching Heero for some type of reaction. Getting none, he kept going. "He decided to fight anyway, but good as he was he was nothing compared to my army. And after I killed him, your mother gave her own life to save you. Told everyone that you were with her and took off in a shuttle. Naturally I had to shoot it down, you see."
Heero listened to the general's words, trying to let himself be untouched. He wanted Tremen to stop talking more than anything. "I have no memory of my mother or father," he replied emotionlessly, smashing Zero's shield into Morning Star's shoulder. Tremen only smiled as the screen flickered.
"So you live in the here and now, do you Odin's son?" he drawled. "Well, then, it might interest you to know that since I've lost my satellite to your comrades, I'll have no choice but to get rid of it."
Heero eyes grew wide. "What do you mean?"
"I'm afraid that satellite's going to detonate in a few minutes. Oh, do you have friends there?" Tremen grinned. 'Finally, a reaction from the boy.' The general went on. "And I think that there may be just enough explosives there to blow that pesky little colony right out of space as well."
Heero felt himself panic for just a split second. "Relena..." he whispered. Tremen was still watching him, and moving quickly, he took advantage of Heero's brief moment of distraction.
"Oh, is the lovely Vice-Foreign Minister there as well? I dare say this couldn't have worked out better." With that he swung the gigantic flail, the ball sharply hitting the side of Zero's head with a deafening CRACK! The winged gundam sailed backwards as its pilot fought to stay conscious. The Morning Star sent Zero flying again with yet another mighty blow. Heero could now hear nothing but a faint ringing in his ears. There was a fuzzy black haze closing in on his field of vision and he couldn't make his hands move or even feel his body. His eyes darkened completely, and out of the what seemed to be an endless night, a man and a woman walked towards him, smiling, hand in hand. That man, so familiar - his father - his own eyes. The woman. His mother with her long dark hair and pretty hands. She held a red rose... a red rose... a red... "Relena!" He felt as though he were falling through space, faster and faster till he hit... With what felt like a slap in the face he opened his eyes and the sight of the cockpit flew up to meet him. He was still alive. He instantly saw the Morning Star headed straight for him. Without hesitation Heero gripped the controls with all his strength and fired the buster rifle. The roaring beam sliced through the left side of the giant black gundam, completely destroying the half of the suit which carried the deadly glowing ball. Morning Star sparked and fizzed until the glowing red eyes went dim. They were close to the resource satellite now, and Heero could see the mobile suits that the other pilots had used standing on the surface. He turned away from the defeated Morning Star and franticly hailed the control tower. He was met with Duo's bloody but smiling face.
"Whew! Glad to see you, man! That was some great..."
Heero cut him off. "You've got to get off of that satellite. Tremen has it rigged to explode. Enough to take out the colony, too." For once, he noted, Duo Maxwell was speechless. "Duo, listen to me. You need to start the rocket thrusters to start getting that satellite as far away from the colony as possible. Then get the hell out of there."
Duo's eyes widened and he moved towards the controls. "They won't start, Heero. Tremen must have cut the circuits to the engine room." Heero had already landed the Zero on the satellite.
"I'll be right there. Duo leave! All of you! Now!" He rushed towards the satellite's engine room. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the other pilots, Preventers and even prisoners running for their ships and mobile suits.
"Quatre, are you there? Milliardo? Heero? Anyone?" Relena had seen the Zero blast away half of the Morning Star and then land on the satellite. After that the main square's giant screen had switched to images from the colony's own space cameras, and she saw all the Preventers leaving the satellite while Wing Zero stood motionless. Luna and Hilde stood by her side as Hilde tried this time to get an answer.
"Duo. Please talk to me, Duo! What is going on?" It was Quatre who ended up answering finally. Upon hearing his voice Luna breathed a sigh of relief, but not for too long.
"Tremen's set explosives on the satellite. Heero's trying to get the engines to work so he can move the satellite away from the colony. We don't know how much time we have left."
Relena felt a cry rise in her throat but she swallowed it down as Hilde and Luna stared at her, and then at the satellite on the giant screen, in stark disbelief. Relena watched it as well. 'Heero,' she thought, 'I can't lose you now. Not just when you've come back to me.' She felt a tear slip down her cheek. 'I believe in you.' She repeated the thought over and over in her mind. Just then screen showed the satellite's giant rocket engines fire up and it began to move out to space, picking up speed. It moved farther and farther away, but the Wing Zero remained standing motionless on the surface. Quatre, Trowa, Duo, Sally, Wufei, Zechs and Noin burst in the room, having just returned, and immediately stopped to watch the satellite. Everyone saw a small figure rushing towards the lone mobile suit on the surface. He was nearly there when a great burst of flame shot up around the engines, followed by another on the far corner of satellite, sending shock waves that shook the colony. The screen flickered and Relena was thrown to floor as glass and debris flew around her. L1 lurched again as another blast emanated from the satellite. The lights went out as lamps and windows crashed. She heard cries of surprise and pain echo from the streets below as one last tremor passed through the colony. Suddenly everything seemed so still, so quiet. Relena picked herself up off the floor, looking toward the screen which held the grainy, snowy image of a massive flaming fireball. "Heero." It started out as a whisper, but her voice rose as she called out his name. "HEERO!" She could not remove her eyes from the furious fire of the satellite; waiting for some sign of him. Nothing. She began to feel dizzy as she let out a shrill and painful scream. "HEEERROOO!" The sobs were choking her, but she still tried to call for him as Trowa ran to catch her. She collapsed in his arms as everyone else hurried to her side. Relena kept her eyes on the screen, still shaking her head. The seconds drug on like hours as she watched and watched, they all did, but she was the first to see it.
Wing Zero rose from the satellite, angel wings spread out, the fire and flames dancing and lapping at them wildly. Relena let out gasp, watching the gundam soar up from the smoke and ash like a phoenix reborn. He was alive! He was coming back to her! Somewhere beside her Duo let out a whoop which grew into a chorus of howls and excited cheers from the others.
Weak as she was, Relena ran with the group to the shuttle bay just in time to see the doors open to welcome the Wing Zero inside. Zechs and Noin stood beside her as Duo took a running leap, propelling himself toward the Zero's hatch. Heero emerged, supported by Duo's good arm, looking barely conscious. Duo eased his friend to the floor, and in a flash Relena was kneeling by his side. "Heero," she held his face in her hands. "Heero, answer me, please." His eyes blinked furiously as though he were trying to will them to stay open. Finally they obeyed and the brilliant blue orbs focussed on her face.
"Relena," he whispered, smiling weakly at her. Heero raised his hand and rested it on the back of her neck, pulling her closer and closer until their lips finally met in a tender first kiss. They broke apart to the sound of Duo's whistling, Relena embraced him and rested her cheek against his. Heero sighed and nuzzled her neck but quite suddenly, he stopped and his whole body stiffened. Sitting up rigidly he pulled his gun from behind his back and pointed it straight ahead.
Everyone turned around to see a battered looking dark-haired man walking towards them, also with a gun in his hand. "Just like your father," he said, shaking his head. "He foolishly thought he'd defeated me, too, but then... I killed him. Are you ready to meet him, boy?" Heero moved shakily to his feet, never taking his eyes off Tremen. Relena rose at his side, but he pushed her behind him, shielding her with his own body. "Before you die, answer me one question, Odin Lowe, Jr. Why didn't you kill me out there? You had every right, and the opportunity. Why?"
Heero took his time answering, selecting his words carefully. "I've done enough killing," he said flatly. "Because of the events you set in motion, I became a machine. I was less than human in the eyes of the men who raised me and made me into their weapon. But now..." he paused, finding Relena's hand, "that's the past. I've learned that wars and conflict only breed pain. I don't have to kill anymore." As Heero spoke, a team of Preventers surrounded Tremen, seizing him by the arms from behind. They began to drag him away, kicking and struggling. With this, Heero put down his gun and wrapped his arms around Relena as they walked over to where the other pilots stood with Luna, Hilde, and Sally. What occurred next happened so quickly, that no one realized what was going on until it was over. As Tremen fought at his captors, he managed to break free. Snatching up his gun, he rushed toward Heero and Relena, aiming right at them. He smiled madly as Heero threw himself in front of Relena and reached for his own gun. Tremen seemed to revel in the look of shock on everyone's faces as he cocked the weapon and began to squeeze the trigger. An ear-shattering "BANG!" resonated through the shuttle bay, startling all those standing by. Tremen stood frozen as he looked down at the patch of red that was oozing through his clothing. His gaze went first back to Heero, but then shifted to the tall, blue-eyed man with the waist-length blond hair who had just shot him. Zechs glared at him coldly, still aiming his gun.
"Did you forget about me, Tremen?" he hissed. Everyone in the hanger held their as they watched Zechs, waiting for him to shoot again. Tremen again raised the gun, but Zechs was too quick. "This is the last time you hurt my family," Zechs spat as his next shot left Tremen crumpled to the floor.
"Milliardo Peacecraft," the old general rasped with a smirk, taking in his dying breath. Heero, with Relena holding onto him, walked to the motionless body of the man who had forever changed their lives. Joined by Zechs, the three of them stared down as Tremen's life left him.
SIX MONTHS LATER
Heero heard the wavering of his own voice as he spoke in front of everyone, stealing a glance at all the spectators. 'I've never seen so many people at once that weren't an army,' he thought to himself. The crowd was gathered across the flower-covered grounds of Lowen Palace. A sea of faces looked up to where he stood flanked by the four other finely dressed gundam pilots. The fact that all those people watching didn't really matter, though, because he could scarcely concentrate on anything else but her. He had never seen anyone so beautiful in his entire life. The finely woven veil floated around her cascading golden hair, bedecked with pearls and small white flowers. The delicate silk of her long white dress gently billowed in the light breeze, rustling slightly every time she moved. And her face... she was smiling radiantly at him, trying to fight the tears of joy. As he finished his part of the vows, he watched the way she bit her bottom lip nervously, about to take her turn. The chaplain focussed his attention on her as well, and bade her to repeat after him. "I, Relena Darlian Peacecraft, take you, Heero Yuy, rightfully Odin Lowe, Jr., as my husband, pledging to you my love and eternal faithfulness for all the days of my life. This oath unites both ourselves and our kingdoms, which I swear to honor and defend." Zechs, who had walked Relena down the aisle, smiled and squeezed Noin's hand as the vows were finished.
The chaplain looked up from book he held in front of him. "The rings, please!" Everyone watched as Duo made a series of frantic, exaggerated gestures, implying he had misplaced them, until an icy glare from Hilde, who stood by Relena, convinced him to hand them over.
"With this ring, I thee wed," Relena said softly, slipping a band of gold onto Heero's finger. He repeated the same words as he fitted a gleaming deep blue sapphire ring to Relena's. Heero's mother had given Hydek her wedding ring before she died, hoping that her son might someday give it to his own princess. Her wish had come true. The chaplain pronounced them husband and wife, and the crowd roared their approval as Heero kissed the bride.
The reception lasted into the wee hours of the morning with Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and even Wufei taking turns dancing with Relena. Hilde swore that Duo ate half the wedding cake, and Luna had a little announcement of her own. Quatre was going to be a father. Zechs, with Noin at his side, made a speech welcoming Heero to the family during the toasts.
As he walked around the reception, Heero surveyed his guests, feeling how wonderful it was to be surrounded by happy people. 'Wufei and Sally appeared to be an item,' Heero thought as he noticed Wufei giving Sally a kiss on the cheek. Trowa and Catherine were present as well, and dancing. Trowa and Duo had agreed to serve on the Sank/Lowen council that Heero and Relena had organized upon the unification of their kingdoms, so Heero knew that he would be seeing quite a lot of the two of them. He found his bride and, stealing her away from her brother, whisked her onto the dance floor, watching her eyes sparkle as he held her close.
The next day the music had ceased and the palace was still quiet as everyone slept well into the afternoon. Heero awoke to the rays of sunlight shining through the gauzy white curtains of the open window. A rustling noise beside him reminded him that he was not alone. He lay there just watching her sleep for the longest time, replaying all the events in his head that had led up to this moment. He wanted to burn them into his memory so that he would never forget. As he sat there immersed in his thoughts, her eyes fluttered open and after a little while, focussed on him. Relena looked up and smiled, blushing as he watched her. "What are you thinking of, Heero? she asked. He answered with simple smile. He was no longer angry and empty. The ghosts that haunted him had taken flight. Odin Lowe, Jr. would be no god of war, but the giver of hope and the one who returns what is lost, as Relena had done for him. At last he saw himself in her eyes, where all the goodness in his soul reflected back at him. Finally, Heero had found his peace.
THE END
Ok, might have been a little sappy, but I couldn't help myself! Hope you all liked the ending - please review!!! I'm thinking of writing another fic series based on this one, let me know if you'd like it to continue. - Stella
Hope you all enjoy the story! - Stella
Author's note: Because I am the queen of useless facts and a sucker for symbolism, I just had to put this in here. Maybe you already know. The name Odin, as in Heero's "real" name, is based on the chief deity in ancient Norse Mythology. Odin was the god of war and the keeper of the dead, but he was also the god of art and culture, and according to legend, he was the one who gave life and hope to the people of the world, and also gave them their souls.
Disclaimer - I don't own Gundam Wing and you know it!
Heero's Peace - Part 7
Duo Maxwell looked at the surveillance screen inside the control tower of the resource satellite that he and the other pilots had just taken back from the Lowen Faction. He was pretty sure that his right arm was broken from a scuffle with the last of Tremen's men, and blood flowed freely from gash above his eyebrow, but what he saw on the screen made him forget about his injuries and freeze on the spot. Trowa entered the room, but Duo didn't turn around to acknowledge him, he just stared and stared at the monstrosity whose image was being transmitted by a security camera perched on the topmost point of the satellite. Trowa fixed his eyes on the screen as well and studied the mobile suit that was making its way to where the Wing Zero waited. The demon red eyes flashed as it began to swing a massive beam-spiked ball. Zechs, Noin and Quatre joined them in the tower, and became captivated by the image just like Trowa and Duo. The enemy suit was gaining ground and as Wing Zero came into full view, and it was obvious that this new gundam had been built on a larger scale than the others. The dark suit was one and a half of Heero's winged weapon, and the flail it swung was the size of Zero's head. No one could take their eyes of the Morning Star. "Will you get a load of that thing..." Duo mumbled, his voice trailing off as everyone in the room waited for the machines to make contact.
There was no question that Heero was in battle mode. He had given his thoughts to Relena for a few minutes, letting the memories of her kindness, warmth and love comfort and strengthen him. But now he pushed all those thoughts and emotions deep down inside, as he had done for so many years. The extra weapons he had installed on Wing Zero during the rebuilding process might help him a bit, he thought, but in the end it was going to come down to maneuvers with this enemy. The Morning Star was much larger than Zero, and it seemed to be moving rather quickly for something that size. Heero had never seen anything like the weapon it carried. Duo's scythe had been one thing, a massive swinging ball was quite another. His eyes moved to the circle of light it made as the gundam whirled it around and around, gaining momentum for a devastating blow. Heero raised the shield that he had added just weeks ago as an afterthought, and with Zero's beam saber blazing, he braced himself for impact as he launched himself toward the dark giant of an enemy.
The collision made Heero grit his teeth as he held fast to Zero's controls. The force pushed both mobile suits into a whirling tumble as they locked swords. They flew out of control through space, the distant stars blurring as the gundams spun. Heero pulled out of the spin and righted Zero before Tremen had managed to get his bearings. Seizing the opportunity, Heero pulled the buster rifle and aimed for Morning Star's flail. He fired but Tremen dodged the blazing light, his suit only having been grazed. The black gundam's shoulder sparked and spurted, but the arm was still operable and the flail began to swing.
Images of the battle flashed on the main square's giant news screen in colony L1's biggest city. The media had tapped into the surveillance cameras and queued up the fighting for all to see. Relena was infuriated, hoping that this would not incite mass hysteria among the growing crowd of citizens that had stopped to watch. She looked at the people who stood below in the street - no one seemed to be doing anything, they were all glued to screen. And it was no small wonder that what they saw had stopped them in their tracks. Relena forced herself to look at what was happening. She got weak in the knees at the sight of the evil looking gundam that was launching blow after powerful blow at the Wing Zero. Despite her best efforts, she could do nothing to prevent this fight. The Lowen Faction would not surrender so the Preventers had no choice, and neither did Heero. She watched as he parried successfully with his saber, dodging and blocking, darting his smaller machine artfully around the larger one. The size of the red-eyed mobile suit did not seem to greatly hamper its agility, though. It's shots and blocks were lightening quick, and Relena's heart jumped to her throat a few times as Morning Star's violent swipes almost hit home. She breathed deeply, closing her eyes and resting her head in her hands. She remembered when Heero had gone to fight Zechs to stop him from dropping the battleship Libra onto earth. What had he said to her? "Believe in me, Relena." She spoke her answer aloud as she looked back to the screen.
"I believe in you, Heero." She clenched her fists, willing herself to be strong. "I do."
Tremen's face appeared on his monitor. "You fight well, boy. Ahhh, truly Odin's son, 'The God of War,'" he smirked. If this man was trying to toy with Heero Yuy's mind, it wouldn't work, but he kept going. Heero could see that the older man was looking taxed and tired. Tremen's gundam lunged forward; Heero evaded the swinging ball and landed a blow to Morning Star's torso. He saw the cockpit circuits sizzle as the black-haired general continued addressing him, appearing unshaken. "Yes, he was a fighter, your father, till your mother got a hold of him. She was much like the Peacecraft girl. She didn't understand war." Tremen was searching Heero for some type of reaction. Getting none, he kept going. "He decided to fight anyway, but good as he was he was nothing compared to my army. And after I killed him, your mother gave her own life to save you. Told everyone that you were with her and took off in a shuttle. Naturally I had to shoot it down, you see."
Heero listened to the general's words, trying to let himself be untouched. He wanted Tremen to stop talking more than anything. "I have no memory of my mother or father," he replied emotionlessly, smashing Zero's shield into Morning Star's shoulder. Tremen only smiled as the screen flickered.
"So you live in the here and now, do you Odin's son?" he drawled. "Well, then, it might interest you to know that since I've lost my satellite to your comrades, I'll have no choice but to get rid of it."
Heero eyes grew wide. "What do you mean?"
"I'm afraid that satellite's going to detonate in a few minutes. Oh, do you have friends there?" Tremen grinned. 'Finally, a reaction from the boy.' The general went on. "And I think that there may be just enough explosives there to blow that pesky little colony right out of space as well."
Heero felt himself panic for just a split second. "Relena..." he whispered. Tremen was still watching him, and moving quickly, he took advantage of Heero's brief moment of distraction.
"Oh, is the lovely Vice-Foreign Minister there as well? I dare say this couldn't have worked out better." With that he swung the gigantic flail, the ball sharply hitting the side of Zero's head with a deafening CRACK! The winged gundam sailed backwards as its pilot fought to stay conscious. The Morning Star sent Zero flying again with yet another mighty blow. Heero could now hear nothing but a faint ringing in his ears. There was a fuzzy black haze closing in on his field of vision and he couldn't make his hands move or even feel his body. His eyes darkened completely, and out of the what seemed to be an endless night, a man and a woman walked towards him, smiling, hand in hand. That man, so familiar - his father - his own eyes. The woman. His mother with her long dark hair and pretty hands. She held a red rose... a red rose... a red... "Relena!" He felt as though he were falling through space, faster and faster till he hit... With what felt like a slap in the face he opened his eyes and the sight of the cockpit flew up to meet him. He was still alive. He instantly saw the Morning Star headed straight for him. Without hesitation Heero gripped the controls with all his strength and fired the buster rifle. The roaring beam sliced through the left side of the giant black gundam, completely destroying the half of the suit which carried the deadly glowing ball. Morning Star sparked and fizzed until the glowing red eyes went dim. They were close to the resource satellite now, and Heero could see the mobile suits that the other pilots had used standing on the surface. He turned away from the defeated Morning Star and franticly hailed the control tower. He was met with Duo's bloody but smiling face.
"Whew! Glad to see you, man! That was some great..."
Heero cut him off. "You've got to get off of that satellite. Tremen has it rigged to explode. Enough to take out the colony, too." For once, he noted, Duo Maxwell was speechless. "Duo, listen to me. You need to start the rocket thrusters to start getting that satellite as far away from the colony as possible. Then get the hell out of there."
Duo's eyes widened and he moved towards the controls. "They won't start, Heero. Tremen must have cut the circuits to the engine room." Heero had already landed the Zero on the satellite.
"I'll be right there. Duo leave! All of you! Now!" He rushed towards the satellite's engine room. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the other pilots, Preventers and even prisoners running for their ships and mobile suits.
"Quatre, are you there? Milliardo? Heero? Anyone?" Relena had seen the Zero blast away half of the Morning Star and then land on the satellite. After that the main square's giant screen had switched to images from the colony's own space cameras, and she saw all the Preventers leaving the satellite while Wing Zero stood motionless. Luna and Hilde stood by her side as Hilde tried this time to get an answer.
"Duo. Please talk to me, Duo! What is going on?" It was Quatre who ended up answering finally. Upon hearing his voice Luna breathed a sigh of relief, but not for too long.
"Tremen's set explosives on the satellite. Heero's trying to get the engines to work so he can move the satellite away from the colony. We don't know how much time we have left."
Relena felt a cry rise in her throat but she swallowed it down as Hilde and Luna stared at her, and then at the satellite on the giant screen, in stark disbelief. Relena watched it as well. 'Heero,' she thought, 'I can't lose you now. Not just when you've come back to me.' She felt a tear slip down her cheek. 'I believe in you.' She repeated the thought over and over in her mind. Just then screen showed the satellite's giant rocket engines fire up and it began to move out to space, picking up speed. It moved farther and farther away, but the Wing Zero remained standing motionless on the surface. Quatre, Trowa, Duo, Sally, Wufei, Zechs and Noin burst in the room, having just returned, and immediately stopped to watch the satellite. Everyone saw a small figure rushing towards the lone mobile suit on the surface. He was nearly there when a great burst of flame shot up around the engines, followed by another on the far corner of satellite, sending shock waves that shook the colony. The screen flickered and Relena was thrown to floor as glass and debris flew around her. L1 lurched again as another blast emanated from the satellite. The lights went out as lamps and windows crashed. She heard cries of surprise and pain echo from the streets below as one last tremor passed through the colony. Suddenly everything seemed so still, so quiet. Relena picked herself up off the floor, looking toward the screen which held the grainy, snowy image of a massive flaming fireball. "Heero." It started out as a whisper, but her voice rose as she called out his name. "HEERO!" She could not remove her eyes from the furious fire of the satellite; waiting for some sign of him. Nothing. She began to feel dizzy as she let out a shrill and painful scream. "HEEERROOO!" The sobs were choking her, but she still tried to call for him as Trowa ran to catch her. She collapsed in his arms as everyone else hurried to her side. Relena kept her eyes on the screen, still shaking her head. The seconds drug on like hours as she watched and watched, they all did, but she was the first to see it.
Wing Zero rose from the satellite, angel wings spread out, the fire and flames dancing and lapping at them wildly. Relena let out gasp, watching the gundam soar up from the smoke and ash like a phoenix reborn. He was alive! He was coming back to her! Somewhere beside her Duo let out a whoop which grew into a chorus of howls and excited cheers from the others.
Weak as she was, Relena ran with the group to the shuttle bay just in time to see the doors open to welcome the Wing Zero inside. Zechs and Noin stood beside her as Duo took a running leap, propelling himself toward the Zero's hatch. Heero emerged, supported by Duo's good arm, looking barely conscious. Duo eased his friend to the floor, and in a flash Relena was kneeling by his side. "Heero," she held his face in her hands. "Heero, answer me, please." His eyes blinked furiously as though he were trying to will them to stay open. Finally they obeyed and the brilliant blue orbs focussed on her face.
"Relena," he whispered, smiling weakly at her. Heero raised his hand and rested it on the back of her neck, pulling her closer and closer until their lips finally met in a tender first kiss. They broke apart to the sound of Duo's whistling, Relena embraced him and rested her cheek against his. Heero sighed and nuzzled her neck but quite suddenly, he stopped and his whole body stiffened. Sitting up rigidly he pulled his gun from behind his back and pointed it straight ahead.
Everyone turned around to see a battered looking dark-haired man walking towards them, also with a gun in his hand. "Just like your father," he said, shaking his head. "He foolishly thought he'd defeated me, too, but then... I killed him. Are you ready to meet him, boy?" Heero moved shakily to his feet, never taking his eyes off Tremen. Relena rose at his side, but he pushed her behind him, shielding her with his own body. "Before you die, answer me one question, Odin Lowe, Jr. Why didn't you kill me out there? You had every right, and the opportunity. Why?"
Heero took his time answering, selecting his words carefully. "I've done enough killing," he said flatly. "Because of the events you set in motion, I became a machine. I was less than human in the eyes of the men who raised me and made me into their weapon. But now..." he paused, finding Relena's hand, "that's the past. I've learned that wars and conflict only breed pain. I don't have to kill anymore." As Heero spoke, a team of Preventers surrounded Tremen, seizing him by the arms from behind. They began to drag him away, kicking and struggling. With this, Heero put down his gun and wrapped his arms around Relena as they walked over to where the other pilots stood with Luna, Hilde, and Sally. What occurred next happened so quickly, that no one realized what was going on until it was over. As Tremen fought at his captors, he managed to break free. Snatching up his gun, he rushed toward Heero and Relena, aiming right at them. He smiled madly as Heero threw himself in front of Relena and reached for his own gun. Tremen seemed to revel in the look of shock on everyone's faces as he cocked the weapon and began to squeeze the trigger. An ear-shattering "BANG!" resonated through the shuttle bay, startling all those standing by. Tremen stood frozen as he looked down at the patch of red that was oozing through his clothing. His gaze went first back to Heero, but then shifted to the tall, blue-eyed man with the waist-length blond hair who had just shot him. Zechs glared at him coldly, still aiming his gun.
"Did you forget about me, Tremen?" he hissed. Everyone in the hanger held their as they watched Zechs, waiting for him to shoot again. Tremen again raised the gun, but Zechs was too quick. "This is the last time you hurt my family," Zechs spat as his next shot left Tremen crumpled to the floor.
"Milliardo Peacecraft," the old general rasped with a smirk, taking in his dying breath. Heero, with Relena holding onto him, walked to the motionless body of the man who had forever changed their lives. Joined by Zechs, the three of them stared down as Tremen's life left him.
SIX MONTHS LATER
Heero heard the wavering of his own voice as he spoke in front of everyone, stealing a glance at all the spectators. 'I've never seen so many people at once that weren't an army,' he thought to himself. The crowd was gathered across the flower-covered grounds of Lowen Palace. A sea of faces looked up to where he stood flanked by the four other finely dressed gundam pilots. The fact that all those people watching didn't really matter, though, because he could scarcely concentrate on anything else but her. He had never seen anyone so beautiful in his entire life. The finely woven veil floated around her cascading golden hair, bedecked with pearls and small white flowers. The delicate silk of her long white dress gently billowed in the light breeze, rustling slightly every time she moved. And her face... she was smiling radiantly at him, trying to fight the tears of joy. As he finished his part of the vows, he watched the way she bit her bottom lip nervously, about to take her turn. The chaplain focussed his attention on her as well, and bade her to repeat after him. "I, Relena Darlian Peacecraft, take you, Heero Yuy, rightfully Odin Lowe, Jr., as my husband, pledging to you my love and eternal faithfulness for all the days of my life. This oath unites both ourselves and our kingdoms, which I swear to honor and defend." Zechs, who had walked Relena down the aisle, smiled and squeezed Noin's hand as the vows were finished.
The chaplain looked up from book he held in front of him. "The rings, please!" Everyone watched as Duo made a series of frantic, exaggerated gestures, implying he had misplaced them, until an icy glare from Hilde, who stood by Relena, convinced him to hand them over.
"With this ring, I thee wed," Relena said softly, slipping a band of gold onto Heero's finger. He repeated the same words as he fitted a gleaming deep blue sapphire ring to Relena's. Heero's mother had given Hydek her wedding ring before she died, hoping that her son might someday give it to his own princess. Her wish had come true. The chaplain pronounced them husband and wife, and the crowd roared their approval as Heero kissed the bride.
The reception lasted into the wee hours of the morning with Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and even Wufei taking turns dancing with Relena. Hilde swore that Duo ate half the wedding cake, and Luna had a little announcement of her own. Quatre was going to be a father. Zechs, with Noin at his side, made a speech welcoming Heero to the family during the toasts.
As he walked around the reception, Heero surveyed his guests, feeling how wonderful it was to be surrounded by happy people. 'Wufei and Sally appeared to be an item,' Heero thought as he noticed Wufei giving Sally a kiss on the cheek. Trowa and Catherine were present as well, and dancing. Trowa and Duo had agreed to serve on the Sank/Lowen council that Heero and Relena had organized upon the unification of their kingdoms, so Heero knew that he would be seeing quite a lot of the two of them. He found his bride and, stealing her away from her brother, whisked her onto the dance floor, watching her eyes sparkle as he held her close.
The next day the music had ceased and the palace was still quiet as everyone slept well into the afternoon. Heero awoke to the rays of sunlight shining through the gauzy white curtains of the open window. A rustling noise beside him reminded him that he was not alone. He lay there just watching her sleep for the longest time, replaying all the events in his head that had led up to this moment. He wanted to burn them into his memory so that he would never forget. As he sat there immersed in his thoughts, her eyes fluttered open and after a little while, focussed on him. Relena looked up and smiled, blushing as he watched her. "What are you thinking of, Heero? she asked. He answered with simple smile. He was no longer angry and empty. The ghosts that haunted him had taken flight. Odin Lowe, Jr. would be no god of war, but the giver of hope and the one who returns what is lost, as Relena had done for him. At last he saw himself in her eyes, where all the goodness in his soul reflected back at him. Finally, Heero had found his peace.
THE END
Ok, might have been a little sappy, but I couldn't help myself! Hope you all liked the ending - please review!!! I'm thinking of writing another fic series based on this one, let me know if you'd like it to continue. - Stella