Finished: 9-20-08
Disclaimer: I SOOOOO don’t own GW. Do you know how many fanfics I’d turn into movies if I did?
Heero Yuy, former hero of two wars, watched with a soft smile as his friend and love, Duo Maxwell, maneuvered through the Halloween party with grace and laughter. This year, the life-loving brunet had donned a very interesting white and gold robe and bleached his lovely hair blond to emulate a character from an old TV show. The character’s name was Koumyou Sanzo(1). He’d paid attention this year.
He almost visibly winced as Duo looked through and around him, as if he were invisible. It made his heart ache, but he knew it was his fault. He’d made his decision and couldn’t back down, now. It had been a mistake, he now knew, but it had seemed the right thing to do at the time. Hindsight was 20/20, as they said.
Unable to bear the sight of Duo, he turned his attention elsewhere, to the rest of his comrades, to friends who’d been made in the course of war. And peace. Relena was the first his eyes landed on. Even though this was clearly Duo’s party, they were using her home. The blond woman had surprised everyone by showing up in a beautiful and absurdly frilly dress that made her look much like a fairy princess. In spite of the fluffiness of her pale blue dress, she looked every inch the beautiful and strong woman he’d known she’d become in the years since the end of the wars. He was proud of her and pleased by the role he’d played in her ascent.
His gaze shifted to the pair she was talking to: her brother, Milliardo, and his friend, Noin. Milliardo, formerly known as both Zechs Merquise of the long-defeated Oz and prince of Sank, had come as a rock star, inciting much laughter and good-natured ribbing, while Noin, also a former member of Oz had, somewhat appropriately, arrived as a zombie groupie. The pair had made an effort at a relationship, but fundamental differences in their views of one another had precluded any serious relationship. The fact that the pair had independently arrived at their respective costumes did nothing to detract from the humor.
Since the war’s end, something in Millardo had softened, allowing him to be the brother to Relena he’d never had the chance to be when they were young. Even though he’d softened, he’d also hardened, in other ways, to become one of the most trusted politicians in the Earth Sphere and the most determined lobbyist for the rights and trade options of those immigrating to Mars.
Milliardo shifted away from the women with a smile, then went to join his wife, Une, also a former member of Oz and also currently the leader of the new paramilitary organization, Preventers. Une had come as a vampire and the intense costume complimented her tall stature and regal bearing. Her eyes had been idly scanning the crowd and they lit up when she saw Milliardo. Instead of embracing enthusiastically, as some couples were prone to do, she seemed content when he simply joined her side, brushing his fingers against her own. It was a subtle, but very deep relationship they had. At least part of it came from both having worked closely with each other and the leader of Oz, Treize Khushrenada, until his demise. Une lifted her glass to point in response to something Milliardo said, causing two pairs of blue eyes to follow.
Heero found that she’d been pointing at the pair’s adopted daughter, Mariemeia. The young woman was chatting with a suspiciously blond young Frankenstein he suspected was related to the Winner family. Gods…how old was she now? 15? 16? This teenager, daringly dressed as a Playboy bunny, was far removed from the sharp, but misguided little girl who’d led the Earth Sphere to war on behalf of the deceased father she’d never had the chance to know. As if aware of her adopted father’s scrutiny, her gaze flashed around and she grinned at him, flashing him a peace sign before turning back to her conversation. If her companion was a Winner, as he surely must be, the conversation was probably a little less harmless than typical teenaged gossip. Winners appreciated the value of teaching their children as much as they were able to hold and Mariemeia hadn’t ceased to be sharp enough to cut herself as she aged. In fact, it was often her very pointed questions that lead to discreet reforms in law and other matters, although most of her questions never reached the public ear.
Thinking about the Winner family and their teaching methods lead his attention to the only Winner with whom he was personally acquainted, Quatre. Like himself and Duo, Quatre had been a part of the very small and absurdly elite group commonly known as Gundam pilots. The group was so small because only five of the mobile suits named Gundam had been created, if one did not include the prototype, Tallgeese, the insanity-inducing Epyon, or any upgrades and reincarnations of the basic gundams.
Quatre was currently engaged in conversation with two of his numerous sisters, although these two were so much older than him that he might have been their son, rather than their brother. He was dressed rather casually with a black jacket bearing a furred collar over the outfit and wore a rather cute, but somewhat unbecoming hat. He’d overheard the young man repeatedly answer the question of what he was with “Tohma Seguchi.”(2) He had no idea who that was, but the costume amused Quatre to no end. He was certain Duo was to blame.
He was distracted from looking for the rest of his friends by the tinkling of silverware against glass as Duo called for everyone’s attention. He held up his glass and spoke into the mic, “I would like to say a few things, if no one minds. First of all,” he tipped his glass at Quatre, “Quit socializing and spend some time with your new wife, blondie.” There was laughter and he grinned, then tipped his glass at Relena, “I’d say ‘same for you,’ but then Quatre’d turn ME into a woman, so I’ll say quit socializing and go pester that man of yours, doll.” His words got more laughter, then warm smiles as he added, “Congratulations.” The happy couple willingly obeyed his instructions, joining one another and he watched as Quatre clasped her hand, kissing its back. She returned the gesture, leaving glittering lipstick on his hand, but he didn’t seem to mind. It had been a three-year courtship, made more difficult by the demands of their respective careers, but they’d eventually managed it.
Duo continued, turning his attention to Millardo, “And what were you two thinking when you let Mariemeia dress up like that? If I thought I could escape your wife, I’d skin you alive!” He got more laughter, which was obviously his intention, and Mariemeia looked reasonably embarrassed. Duo then proceeded to address the crowd in general, “Also, has anyone seen a Chinese guy, about so tall, dressed kinda like me? I’m pretty sure he’s making out with some pretty girl in the coat room and I’m jealous as fuck, because I’m stuck up here entertaining you all.” The man in question, Wufei, had the misfortune to enter just then with his co-worker, Sally, who had come in her Preventers uniform, instead of bothering with an actual costume. Duo pointed, “AHA! I KNEW it! Fifty lashes with a wet noodle, both of you!” Wufei, who’d spiked his long black hair and added a pair of glasses for his costume, in addition to the outfit Duo mentioned(3), looked down his nose and his voice rang out as he replied, deadpan, “Only if you administer them.” His words had the amusing effect of throwing Duo off, but the brunet quickly regained his equilibrium to wink at the other man.
His stance changed now and his demeanor sobered as he continued, “And now for what I really came up here to say. In Japan, they celebrate a holiday called O-bon(4), which is the day they honor the dead. It’s not the same day as Halloween, but it serves the similar purpose of reminding people to think about those who have passed. I’m sure you’ve all noticed the cordoned off table with three place settings. After some conversation, we the hosts decided that even though it’s been some years since the people those settings are placed for have passed, it seems very appropriate for this year to honor them by doing as the Japanese do and offering them gifts of our own design, instead of the common gift of food. Mariemeia, Quatre?”
Clearly understanding their roles, the pair made their way over to Duo, who smiled warmly at Wufei as the man handed him a box. Mariemeia solemnly withdrew a porcelain couple, who danced together. Oddly enough, the red-haired female was much smaller than her ginger-haired companion. Quatre removed a beautifully-done rendition of the laughing/crying mask that represented the theater. The laughing mask had a fall of brown hair to one side of its face and the crying mask was blond.
Duo was the last to remove something from the box and he handed it back to Wufei, cradling his memento from the box in his hands. Heero couldn’t see it until he moved, with Quatre and Mariemeia, to the table and set it beside one of the settings. It was a heart, but it was pierced, instead of by cupid’s arrow, by the scythe representative of death.
He gave the mic to Mariemeia, “You go first.”
She took the mic with a nod and looked at the porcelain couple before murmuring, “May this be the only waltz you perform anymore, Father.(5)” She bowed her head and passed the microphone to Quatre.
Quatre was silent a moment before adding, “My friend, I hope your laughter, your best feature, graces the ears of many in heaven.”
Duo accepted the mic as it was passed to him, “I’ll grant you your last wish and give you the curse that has haunted me since my youth. Because of you, my love ceases to be fatal.”
The trio silently stood at the table for a moment, then moved away, the moment passing as Duo declared that now they’d gotten the depressing stuff out of the way, they could all party.
No one noticed the three men moving to the table. Heero gently caressed the heart next to the place setting with his name. A surprised murmur made him look up as Treize declared, with a wondering look on his face as he touched the dancing couple, “I certainly didn’t expect this on this particular day. It’s been nine years, after all. I’m surprised she remembers me at all…”
Trowa made a sound of agreement, “Only five for me, but I’m glad he’s happy. Maybe he knew we’d all be here this day. Perhaps one of his sisters. Strange powers like that run in the family.”
Heero searched the crowd for Duo and sadly added his two cents, “It’s only been a year since my accident at work….I’m worried about him.” He watched as Wufei joined Duo and the two spoke together, then Duo laughed loudly about something. He felt a hand on his shoulder and Trowa informed him, “Wufei will take care of him. You know he will.” He merely nodded in reply.
The three spirits departed for the afterworld together.
As for the people they left behind, Une and Relena became pregnant within weeks of one another, a little less than a year later. At about the same time, Wufei and Duo were ousted as a couple by their declaration that they were adopting a boy and had begun the lengthy process.
Une gave birth to a blond(6) little boy with sharp blue eyes and Mariemeia surprised her by being an enthusiastic older sister. The boy proved to have quite the affinity for both dancing and strategy as he aged, although he preferred dancing. Sometimes, he looked at Mariemeia with approval much too old for him.
Relena also had a boy, this one with hair such an unexpectedly dark shade of blond so often mistaken for brown that she stopped correcting people. He also had changeable eyes that eventually settled to green and a ready laugh that enchanted those who heard him. The boy seemed to have a special affinity for his father and often attempted to entertain the man, although he most often ended up in a mess that left both parents fondly amused.
Wufei and Duo, unlike the other two couples, knew very well why they were adopting their son. It was because neither could escape the feeling they knew those piercing blue eyes and that messy fall of hair. This boy, however, was raised with love and laughter. Although his nature proved to be somewhat reserved, he smiled often and loved deeply.
~o~End~o~
1) Koumyou Sanzo is a supporting character from Saiyuki and I think Duo would look pretty darned cool dressed as him.
2) Tohma Seguchi is a supporting character from Gravitation and due to the magic of clicheable appearances, he and Quatre look exactly alike, with the exception of typical clothing choice.
3) Wufei is Ukoku Sanzo, a supporting character early in the anime/manga’s timeline who makes his initial appearance as the unscrupulous scientist Ni Jyanyi.
4) I’m not really very sure on O-bon traditions, but it seemed like a good enough excuse, so please forgive me if I screwed it up.
5) Mariemeia’s comment is a reference to her words in Endless Waltz about war being one of the three beats of the waltz of life. It’s not unreasonable that a smart young woman would go looking for information on herself when she was younger.
6) Treize was supposed to be blond. According to a GW art book, Treize was supposed to have blond hair, but he ended up a redhead in the anime. Go figure.