Well,
hope you like this, and this wets your appetite for the WHOLE story. Note, I'm
obviously a Non-Yaoi writer, and a person who tends to write sappy stories, so
if you don't like this kind of story, then GET OUT NOW!!! Please note that I
don't any of the characters, except Nova and the villains. This does have a
Sailor Moon crossover in it. This is a chapter that's about the origin of
Flamethrower. Now, enjoy.
Gundam Wing: Raptures of Paradise
Chapter 16---------- Lady Dragon Sky Fire and Tsunami god
By Sailor Celaeno
I was born in a small seaside village. True, I lived on a colony and the sea is
an artificially made sea, but it is still a sea. It fits the definition of a
sea. I was born A.C. 175, in the village of Ping Long of cluster L5. My name is
Sky Fire, or that's what it means in English. Miss Dragon is what I would be
called. Lung Teen Faw. 'A beautiful name' my mother said. Dragon is the name of
great strength. I never forgot the words she said to me. I never forgot the
words my father said. "Daughter, you are a child of the Dragon family. An
ancient lineage that goes back many generations. Blest by the great Dragon, our
ancestors were born and we have their name to live up to. Do all with honor and
pride of your name. We were emperors and great leaders. We shall be great
again." And that is the vow I kept. Even when I died, I kept the vow of
greatness, the vow of power.
"Flamethrower! Flamethrower!" said Quint.
"Ugghhh!" groaned Flamethrower as she regained consciousness.
"Good, you're awake. We were afraid, we'd have to take you to the
hospital," sighed Cat.
"An ocean couldn't kill me. A mere tidal wave won't stop me," scoffed
Flamethrower.
Quint only shook her head. Cat looked sadly at the whole scene. Avatar remained
silent until Midii entered the room. "What did you learn?"
"The senshi and the pilots are uniting to stop us," she reported.
"Shit!" cried Quint in disgust. "We have those damn pilots at
our asses!" Quint paced the room nervously. "What are we gonna do
Avatar?"
Avatar only looked at her for a moment. "We will need to take advantage of
the situation."
"How? How the fuck are we going to do that????!!!" shouted Quint.
"Calm yourself Quint. You should know by now that I always have a plan up
my sleeve. Never has there been a time, where I didn't have a backup plan in
case things get screwed up."
"What exactly do you have in mind?" asked Flamethrower.
"Next week, the representative of Pleiades will be speaking at a
convention center. She will be trying to get the representatives of the colonies
to band together with their resources for the sake of scientific expansion of
the universe."
"So?" asked Quint.
"Many important dignitaries will be there. Including Miss Relena
Peacecraft."
"I'm lost. Relena is not important in the mission. Our mission isn't to
kill people," replied Cat.
"AH, but the pilots don't know that. We're going to have attempted
assassinations on those people. It will throw them off to the real purpose of
our mission. They'll assume that our mission is kill off politicians that could
prevent the Negaverse from taking over. Little do they realize, our real
mission is to capture energy released from anger and fear. The fear and panic
we cause at that seminar shall be a great deal more energy than tonight,"
Avatar's eyes shined with the excitement of anticipated success.
"That is a pretty good plan. How much energy have we collected?"
asked Cat.
"According to my last count, including the juice we got tonight, Tempest
is at 15 percent strength capacity. We've only given her a boost of 5 percent
tonight," said Quint.
"What? After all we went through tonight, that's all we got?" groaned
Cat. "We've attacked huge groups like two times, and that's still not
enough energy?"
"Nope. It seems that we didn't generate enough fear," answered Avatar.
"You bet your pretty little asses you didn't," laughed Hecate.
Avatar glowered at her. "What do you want?"
"I'm just trying to help you girls out. I can give you another army. AND a
daimon. They'll scare people, keep those do-gooders distracted, and you can
take all the energy you guys can carry out."
"Why are you helping us?" asked Midii. She had no direct quarrels
with Hecate, but she didn't trust her.
"Look, in spite of how we personally about each other, I'm sure we are
civilized enough to put differences aside for at least a few months. Long
enough to get the mission done and completed. My proposition is that we put
personal squabbles in the back burner until the mission is done. Truce?"
The other Raptures stared at each other. "I suppose so," grumbled
Flamethrower.
"Agreed," smiled Hecate. "Now, my monster is called Phantos.
It's an especially nasty daimon. It's difficult to kill because it's a shape
shifter."
"What does it do?" asked Midii.
"It can turn into your greatest fear."
Flamethrower was impressed, yet slightly frightened of such a creature. If
anyone knew she was so weak and vulnerable, she'd never live down the shame.
"I hope it works better than your other monsters."
Hecate stared at Flamethrower. "Of course. Have a little more faith in me.
Despite the fact that the Peacecraft wedding was a failure, you still took home
some energy."
Flamethrower reluctantly conceded.
Flamethrower entered her room. It was a simply furnished room. It had a bed
that was just comfortable enough for decent sleep. The bed had plain white
sheets, and a thin blue blanket that sufficiently kept her warm at night. Her
pillow was thick and firm, as she liked it. Her dresser didn't have make-up of
great color, but of simple basic things. Moisturizing lotion, tiger balm, clear
lip gloss, and a few jade bracelets. Ivory hair clips, and lace adorned the
black lacquer dresser. There was a mirror with fake gold edges that was propped
onto the wall in front. A simple wood chair was placed before the dresser so
Flamethrower could look at herself. She liked to look neat and clean. It shows
discipline and cleanliness, yet the lack of showy makeup showed her simplicity
and awareness of natural beauty within a woman.
She sat in the dimly lit room. On the table was a white candle that she lit
every night. She untied her bun, and her four feet of shimmery, black silk
flowed over her left shoulder. She grabbed her hair brush and made a hundred
strokes to even out the curled locks. As she did so, she stared at her image in
the mirror. She gasped suddenly and looked at herself more intently. For the
first time in ten years, she realized that she was actually pretty.
There were few flaws in her skin. Her eyes were the color and shape of almonds.
They had a dreamy, attractive look as she stared at herself. Her face was
rounded, but more oval like about her chin. Her cheek bones weren't so
prominent, but they were clearly seen. "Tam was right. I guess I am
pretty," she said silently to herself. Flamethrower never paid much attention
to whether she was pretty or not. She was more concerned that her skin had no
blemishes because it was a sign that she was not taking proper care of her
body. Lack of discipline, her father would call it.
A.C. 185
Sky Fire was only ten in her quiet village by the great, blue sea. She skipped
along the sea shore, with her butterfly kite, painted in red, blue, yellow, and
purple. True Mountain and Gold Flower were her sisters. Small Tiger was their
big brother. He was 19 and the pride of the Dragon clan of Ping Long. A brave
warrior trained by their father, who was a renowned master throughout the
colony cluster.
Small Tiger was married a few months later, and his bride was a girl only six
years older than Sky Fire herself. "She will be your brother's wife, and
perhaps playmates for you and your sisters," her father scoffed.
White Jade was a skinny girl, who was not terrible looking, but she was not
particularly beautiful in any way. She was very obedient, however, which made
up for her lack of great beauty. Small Tiger was a good husband, who respected
his wife greatly. However, White Jade never seemed to be happy, even when Small
Tiger gave her flowers or simple gifts that many other women would LOVE to get
from their true love husbands. Sky Fire felt sorry, but was not happy that
White Jade would be so ungrateful. "Why are you so foolish? My brother
cares about you deeply. Why aren't you grateful? Many other husbands wouldn't
care what happens to you. Just as long as you give them their sons and their
dinner plates."
White Jade only looked sadly at her youngest sister-in-law. "I miss my
true love."
"You love someone else?"
"Silly child," said White Jade as she shook her head. "You are
only ten and you only know of true love. Life is not always so good. Some are
lucky to be in love with their spouse. Though your brother has been VERY good
to me, I cannot love him. Not really. I love him, as a dutiful to her husband,
but I can never love him like I love another."
Sky Fire was curious about this other man that sister-in-law was in love with.
"Who is this man that has your heart in his hands?"
White Jade only smiled. "It doesn't matter what his name is. What matters
is, is that I cannot be with him. I am married, and he is dead now."
"Dead?" Sky Fire almost began to regret ever bringing up the subject.
White Jade stared out of the window. She could see the quietly, churning sea.
"He is in the sea now. He was defeated by Tsunami god."
"Tsunami god?"
"There was a story my mother told me. There was once a maiden who walked along
the beach. She didn't see that a sea god, Tsunami, was watching her, who fell
in love with her. He turned himself into a human man and appeared before her.
She was in love with him and they pledged their love. The sea god left to ask
for permission to marry her from the other gods of Heaven. While he was gone,
another man came along and she married him, thinking that the sea god had
abandoned her. It took him many months before the other heaven gods agreed to
the marriage. When he returned to the beach, he saw that the girl was there
marrying another man. In his anger, he revealed that he was a sea god and that
she betrayed a heavenly being. In revenge for the girl and her new husband, he
turned back into a god, and ran into the sea. His was SO angry, that he made
the sea churn and bubble. He jumped up and down in fury and made the earth
shake. His shouts of anger and frustration made the winds howl. And in his
rage, he created a tsunami that killed the people at the wedding, and the town
that the girl lived in. To this day, people say that tsunamis occur because
Tsunami sees another beautiful maiden and she marries another man. In a fit of
anger, he creates the storm to punish them."
"What a sad story," said Sky Fire.
"Yes. I think that is what happened to me. Tsunami god was jealous that I
was happy, and took revenge on my true love. Now, I must live the rest of my
life with a husband that I can only be loyal to."
"I am sorry, but you must see what is good in my brother. Maybe things
will be easier for you," said Sky Fire.
White Jade smiled at Sky Fire. "I'm glad to see that you are so
nice."
A.C. 190
Fifteen and Sky Fire was getting ready to find a husband. There were few
families that Master Dragon would approve a union with. However, the Lam family
were a decent family of respectable position in the colony. They were a
merchant family that worked hard and were honorable. Their son, Tam, seemed to
like Sky Fire so the marriage between them would not be a difficult transition.
Tam and Sky Fire were playmates, and Tam seemed to have a little crush on her.
Meanwhile, Sky Fire was more independent. More like a boy, said her father.
"Ah if you were only born a boy. You'd be even better."
"You know what?"
"What Tam?"
"You are pretty."
"Stop teasing."
"I'm not. You are kinda pretty." Then there was silence as the two
betrotheds walked along the sea shore. "What do you think about marrying
me?"
"It's alright I suppose. I guess it's better that I marry someone I know
and not some stranger whose probably a snot-nosed brat."
Tam laughed. "That's true. You're my friend, and I'm glad my wife will be
my friend at least." He looked at her again.
She turned to face him. They both leaned towards each other until their lips
met and they kissed each other for the first time. The sky grew dark and the
ground began to shake. When they separated, they quickly ran back to Sky Fire's
house. "Ma-ma! Ba-ba! There's an earthquake!"
"Quick, we must hide!" shouted Master Dragon. Everyone hid under
tables and beds. True Mountain was no longer living with the family since she
was already married and lived in the village two miles away. And Gold Flower
left the Colony to marry into another family. All that was left was Small
Tiger, White Jade, and their little boy, Silent Wind.
The shaking was intense. The earth below their feet felt like the rumble of a
sleeping dragon who was seriously angry. The trees fell from their roots and
fell this way and that. Sky Fire hid under a bed with Tam. Her parents hid
under the kitchen table. Small Tiger and his family squatted into the large
bathtub and placed a large board over their heads. Silent Wind cried in the
confusion. White Jade hugged her boy closely to calm him. Master Dragon and his
wife huddled under the table as pots and dishes crashed on top of them.
Tam and Sky Fire were flat on their stomachs under the bed. "I hope this
ends soon," said Sky Fire.
"Don't worry. It shouldn't be for too much longer," reassured Tam,
who was well versed in science.
The earth was soon silent. Sky Fire and her family emerged from their hiding
places after they were certain the aftershocks were gone. "I'm glad that's
over," sighed Small Tiger.
"What's that?" asked White Jade. They were silent and heard a loud
roar.
"Oh my god!" screamed Master Dragon's wife. She looked out of the
window and saw a huge tidal wave coming straight towards them.
Sky Fire's heart pounded because they lived only a mile from the beach and such
a huge wave would surely crash against their simple house. They quickly ducked
as the wave lumbered over the house, leaving the house into nothing more than
mere shambles of a once proud, standing sanctuary.
It wasn't until nearly two days later that Sky Fire woke up. She could see that
she was in a hospital room. Gold Flower and True Mountain were in her room
looking over her. "Sky Fire!"
She tried to sit up. Gold Flower reached over to help her up. "We're glad
you're alright."
"What happened?" Sky Fire was bandaged all over.
The two older sisters looked at each other. Then True Mountain decided to speak.
"You're the only one left."
"What?"
"There was a huge tsunami that hit the house. Somehow you survived.
Mother, father, brother, sister-in-law, nephew, and your fiancée..." She
paused as she saw the dawning realization sweep over Sky Fire's face.
"They're dead aren't they?"
The sisters only nodded as they cried. Sky Fire only looked at them without a
single tear on her face. "I am the last Dragon of Ping Long. I must keep
our family honor."
"How can you think of such things at a time like this?" asked Gold
Flower.
Sky Fire only looked at her sister. "It's the only thing left living for.
Our family has survived centuries of struggle. Do you think that stupid tsunami
god will stop me?"
The sisters looked at each other. They had a silent conversation of 'Sister has
lost her mind.'
From that day onward, Sky Fire vowed to prove herself and her family were
powerful. A force to be feared.
Three years passed since her family was dead. Sky Fire made it clear that she
had intention of EVER marrying. She spent her time dedicating her life to learn
the art of fire. To control the power and destruction of fire. "I will
create such a fire that NO tsunami god can put out. Not even if he tried for a
thousand years!"
"You!" said a voice.
"What? Who do YOU think you are?" Sky Fire glared at the girl who
appeared. She looked no older than White Jade did when Small Tiger married her.
"I know that you seek something. Power!"
"Doesn't everyone? What do you want?"
"I know that you possess great abilities, but you have much more to learn.
Much more to know before you can get what you want."
"Such as?"
"Join me on my quest and I can make sure you become the Dragon Empress and
your clan will live for 10000 years. All will fear your wrath and you will be a
force to be reckoned with," smiled the girl.
"And I'm supposed to believe that YOU can give me things that I have
worked almost my entire life to achieve?"
"Of course, Lady Sky Fire."
Sky Fire glared at the girl who knew her name. "I don't know how you know
my name, but I intend to destroy you!" She ran to attack her with her arms
flailing to punch her, and her legs flying to knock her over. The other girl
proved to be a worthy opponent as she dodged Sky Fire's attacks.
"My turn," she smiled as she landed a punch into Sky Fire's face.
With a spin kick, she knocked Sky Fire to the ground.
Sky Fire panted heavily from the exercise. "You have defeated me. What do
you want from me exactly?"
"I just want you to join me."
Sky Fire saw that this girl was no ordinary girl and there was something about
her that would prove to be useful for her. "Very well." She offered
her hand.
"Good," the girl said as she pulled Sky Fire to her feet.
"You never said what your name is," Sky Fire replied as they walked
together.
"You only need to call me, Avatar."
Since that fight, they became loyal friends. Sky Fire was dedicated to the
mission that Avatar took upon herself. They were partners in crime. Sky Fire
trusted Avatar's instincts, and Avatar could count on Sky Fire to support her.
Soon afterwards, Sky Fire became Flamethrower to leave the life of her past.
But now, Flamethrower wondered what was in stored for them. They were ready to
attack the convention.
Author's Notes:
Will they steal enough energy to free Tempest into the Gundam Universe, or will
the Senshi be able to help the pilots stop the Raptures? And what IS Relena's
secret? Check out Chapter 17!