Tears of Despair

The Sequel to Shattered Hearts Type-Two

Chapter 8b: But you’re dead! Aren’t you?

By: Liewe

Standard disclaimers apply… I only own the colorful personalities of LeFave, Christof and Damien, the rest belong to Sunrise and Bandai, I have only borrowed them for the use of this fan fiction.

Authors Notes: The second half of Chapter 8, please don’t hurt me…

~*~*~*~*~*~

Trowa walked along the halls his duffel in hand as he thought over Sally’s words. Was he truly dishonoring Midii’s memory with the way he acted? The reason for his continued life was gone. She had been his all, and then suddenly she was gone. But was she truly gone, he asked himself again. He knew she was still alive, he knew it in his blood, but his resolution always wavered when Quatre and Cathy assaulted his senses with their logical words.

That sense though, that she was still alive, it was growing stronger with each passing minute. He ran a hand through his harried bangs as he knocked gently on the door to Lady Une’s office.

“Come in.”

“Lady Une,” Trowa said softly as he lowered himself into the plush leather seat, which sat, directly opposite his superior’s desk.

“You came, I didn’t expect you would. Did Sally accompany you?”

“Yes, she did, but she prefers to be called Crimson now,” Trowa said emotionlessly as his long legs sprawled in front of him as he left out a deep and heavy sigh.

“I see,” Lady Une, said steepling her fingers as she leaned her elbows forward on the desk, her doe brown eyes watching Trowa as he sat and stared at her.

“No you don’t see, but that doesn’t matter. Why am I here?” Trowa asked with irritation.

“I am still your superior officer, yet I cannot answer that question, only you know why you’re here, but I can tell you why you were called,” Lady Une said with a detached smile. She had regained her grace with words, unlike when she had spoken with Quatre she no longer tripped and fell over the simple verbal game she played with the usually silent Preventer.

“Don’t keep me in suspense then commander,” Trowa spat back with contempt as he shifted in the cushioning seat.

“Until the rest of the team arrives you will have to wait Barton. I do not wish to have to repeat myself several times when one explanation will be sufficient.,” Lady Une said softly, her voice firm yet soft as she returned the glare the Preventer had leveled at her.

“I am not a child, Lady Une,” Trowa said his voice holding the edge of danger as he shifted under her hard stare.

“At times I am hard pressed to not believe that Barton. When Midii was killed you shut down, and you threw a tantrum, one that lasted several days. When the outburst finally ended you were to the point of starvation and it took a week’s stay in the Preventer medical facilities for you to return to partial health. Then if that was not good enough you became a danger in the field until I had to remove you from active duty, and when that happened you threw yet another tantrum. Now I think I’ve been lenient with you about this, and words of this has not leaked to the press. You are still one of the Gundam pilots and a hero to the public,” Lady Une said, stopping to take a breath in her long-winded explanation.

“Don’t interrupt me, I’m not finished yet,” Lady Une said holding up a hand to stop the protest which was about to issue forth from Trowa’s lips. “I did not expect that behavior from you, yet I understand that Midii was your reason for living. But still, I think I am justified by treating you as a child. You were a disciplined soldier who fell apart. Now normally it wouldn’t be so bad for someone to let go this completely, but you are a soldier, and highly trained. You became a danger. A danger to yourself and others,” Lady Une continued, moving from her chair to stare into the blue sky.

“That was some time ago, Lady Une,” Trowa began watching her as she lifted a gloved hand to touch the cooling glass.

“Time is of no consequence, can you be trusted?”

“Yes, I can Lady Une, you can rely on me once more, but when this is over I would like to retreat into the woodwork,” Trowa said standing from his seat, the bitterness put aside for another day, another time.

“We will see, I don’t think it will be a problem but it all depends on the out come of this latest venture,” she said softly, not turning to face the tortured soul standing behind her. She could see his reflection in the glass and it bit at her heart. “Thank you for coming this time, I am sorry this meeting could not be on better terms.”

“They never are Lady Une, and thank you,” Trowa replied moving towards the door his duffle in hand.

“Don’t thank me yet, you are dismissed for now,” Lady Une said her melodic voice filtering through the room as she watched the tall young man begin leave her office his back straight, as he halted mid-stride her last words catching his already wondering attention.

“For now, Lady Une?”

“Yes, for now, until the others arrive I would like to re-familiarize yourself with our procedures, return here in an hour. That is all,” Lady Une said by way of dismissal as she continued to watch the Paris sky, only nodding in approval as she heard the faint click of her office door closing.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Ariane and Wufei walked through the halls heavy bags hampering their progress.

“Who is it we are to meet,” Ariane asked with a grunt as she hefted her bag over a slim shoulder, her eyes turning to glance at Wufei’s silhouette once more.

“We are going to meet my superior officer, Lady Une, commander of the Preventers,” Wufei answered succinctly as he marched through the maze like halls.

“The Lady Une?”

“Yes the Lady Une, why does it matter?” Wufei asked, not looking at Ariane as he pushed past uniformed bodies in his quest for Lady Une’s office.

“I have heard many things about her. She was a great colonel; many feared her strength, yet they never questioned her ability to command even though she was a woman. Her battle record is astounding, and her grace is rumored to be that worthy of the highest rank a lady can achieve. She is noble, yet she is strong,” Ariane said her voice matter of fact as they continued down the hall, their sound of their footfalls mixing with the sounds of the hectic office.

“You sound as if you have studied her,” Wufei said shocked.

“I have,” Ariane replied turning to gaze calmly into Wufei’s shocked face. “I have studied the history of the war of A.C. 195, and the Mariemaia coup, I have also studied the Gundam pilots and other influential personalities from that period of time,” Ariane answered as she turned to move ahead. “Now which way, left or right?”

“Right,” was the dazed reply as Wufei followed her down the winding corridor to bump into one of his closest comrades.

“Excuse me,” came the irritated and lilting voice of Trowa Barton as he rose from the floor his emerald gaze taking in the sprawled form of Chang Wufei.

“Trowa?” Wufei asked softly as he brushed pieces of lint from his crisp uniform jacket.

“Wufei, long time no see,” Trowa replied his voice bitter as he moved to past his sometime friend.

“Trowa, wait a minute I want to introduce you to someone. Ariane Rougier meet Trowa Barton,” Wufei said pulling Ariane forward and pushing her into Trowa’s arms.

“Midii…” Trowa whispered gazing into Ariane’s gray-blue eyes.

“Why do people call me by that name, my name is Ariane,” she said softly, pulling herself from his embrace and returning his gaze. “Is this a common occurrence Wufei?”

“But you’re dead, aren’t you?” Trowa asked, dropping to his knees.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Crimson leaned against the cool tile of the stair well wall her head in her hands as the memories assaulted her. Her mind was wandering into territory she thought she had forever escaped.

“Why am I so weak,” she asked the empty stairwell her eyes filled with pain.

“Why must I always be tested like this,” she asked plaintively.

“Why do I keep running?”

She smirked at the last question; she knew why she kept running. The reason had a name, and the name was Chang Wufei.

“Can I ever escape you Wufei,” was the rueful question as Crimson pushed herself from the wall and continued up the endless flights of stairs her mind traveling down dusty corridors of torment.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Wufei, answer me,” Quatre heard a familiar voice ask as he moved through the halls Auda at his side.

“You remind us of that person that’s all,” Wufei answered bending down to help Trowa to his feet once more, ignoring the angry emerald gaze.

“This Midii?”

“Yes, you look exactly like her except for the scar,” Wufei replied again, snorting as Ariane latched herself onto his arm. He was not used to such open emotions, and this woman, this pest was attaching herself to him, it was unexpected.

“Master Quatre, before I forget, here are the papers Mistress Catherine was going to give you,” Auda said as they rounded the corner and took in the scene before them.

“Thank you…” Quatre said, limp fingers taking the leaf of papers from his chosen bodyguard for the day. “Wufei? Trowa? Midii?” Quatre continued, his aqua eyes roving from the troubled and pained expressions of his friends to the startled young woman.

“My name is Ariane Rougier, Mr. Winner,” Ariane said extending a pale hand while retaining her grip on Wufei. He was the only person with who she felt comfortable, and there were so many new people around her at that point.

“Ariane Rougier?” Trowa questioned, finally breaking through the spell the woman’s likeness to his dead fiancée had woven over his senses.

Ariane sighed as she leaned in closer to Wufei’s form, her long golden hair brushing his bronzed skin as she shook her head in exasperation. Everyone was so strange.

“I believe we have met before, Ariane, at the Intelicorp ball two years ago,” Quatre said stepping forward, taking Ariane’s extended hand and brushing a light kiss across her skin.

“I believe so,” Ariane said hastily pulling her hand from Quatre’s caress and placing it on Wufei’s arm, turning ever so slightly into the other man, eliciting a slight blush from the stoic Chinese. She lifted herself slightly to brush a soft kiss across Wufei’s clean-shaven cheek. “You called me by that name at that time as well, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Yes, I did I’m afraid, it was only the scar which told me you weren’t Midii,” Quatre said smoothly placing a restraining hand on Trowa’s shoulder. “You seemed friendly with my wife at the time, were you not,” Quatre asked.

“Yes, a pleasant young woman with fiery red hair. She spoke of her brother,” Ariane said softly, her blue-gray eyes taking in the fiery gaze of the tall emerald-eyed man who had seemed most affected by her appearance.

“Yes, well you’ve met her brother now,” Quatre said, his grip tightening on Trowa’s arm.

“I have?”

“Yes, her brother is Trowa Barton,” Quatre explained softly, his aqua eyes taking in the shocked form of another familiar figure.

“Would Trowa Barton, Chang Wufei, Quatre Raberba Winner, Duo Maxwell, Heero Yuy, Lucrezia Noin Marquise and Sally Po, please report to Lady Une’s office immediately,” came the tired voice of a nameless female Preventer.

“Come with us, Ariane,” Wufei said as he moved forward his movements purposeful, Ariane only nodded as she hurried to retain her position at his side.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Lady Une turned and surveyed the tired combatants, who entered her office, their weary visages readying for battle once more.

“It seems that there will always be someone ready to try and take over the world it seems. We must constantly be on guard for this peace,” Lady Une said softly, a single tear welling in the corner of her eye as she watched the children of the future take up the reins once more. Even though they were no longer children in the strictest manner of age, their childhood had been stolen and for that reason they would forever retain some of the childhood characteristics.

“That’s why we’re here,” Quatre said softly taking up a position on the far wall and smiling reassuringly at his commanding officer.

“We are the soldiers that others don’t have to fight, that they don’t have to feel the pain of war,” Duo continued, his violet eyes understanding.

“Trust in us, we will not fail, for honor and justice we will fight,” Wufei said softly, the form of Ariane still latched onto his arm. Lady Une looked startled for a moment, the young woman looked like another from a long time ago, looked like her lost niece.

“That’s why I’m not scared about our world disappearing in these times, not with you all protecting us. Please make yourselves comfortable, Wufei, I think you should begin.”

“Ariane is the one you want to speak, she’s the leak I found,” Wufei said with a shake of his head.

“I worked for Monsieur LeFave, he is intent on crushing the Preventers Organization and returning the world to the chaos of the old order. More chaos, and more opportunity to line his pockets, but I don’t believe that was the only reason. All throughout my associations with him it seemed as though he was pursuing a personal vendetta as well, I heard him mention the name Midii Une several times. Maybe that’s why I’m so shocked when I keep hearing people call me by that name.”

“You do know that you look like this woman, don’t you?” Lady Une asked, daring to hope.

“That’s what I’ve been told, but my memory is hazy, all I truly remember is the hospital, and then my life continues from there,” Ariane said with a shrug.

“It is possible that Midii did something to him, and he wanted revenge, and it is also possible that you are Midii, the resemblance is too uncanny, so is the personality,” Lady Une said moving forward to brush a pale strand of gold from Ariane’s cheek, and gasping at the pale white scar which curved over the delicate cheekbone.

“That doesn’t seem as important as this threat though ma’am, my past will remain for another day, LeFave must surely know I’m gone by now, he’s not going to be happy and he’s liable to become unpredictable when crossed,” Ariane said stepping slightly from Wufei’s sheltering form.

“From what you’ve said, I would have to agree, all my years as an alliance soldier, and then a rebel and finally a Preventer go with that vein of thought,” a voice piped up from the background as the owner stepped forward. “I would also have someone check into your background, it may be important to defeating this foe.

“I’ll ask Iria,” Quatre said with a smile.

“Sally so good of you to return, I was afraid Lucrezia would not be able to convince you to come out of hiding,” Lady Une said, a smile softening her features. “I’m sorry, Crimson, it will take time for me to adjust to the name.”

“I was needed, and Sally will do just fine,” the other woman said sighing as she bowed her head.

“Sally?” Wufei asked turning and blanching as the woman from before appeared before him. “It was you?”

“Of course,” Sally said with a smirk.

~*~*~*~*~*~

-To Be Continued…

Next on Tears of Despair Chapter 9: Things start to heat up…. Quatre talks with Iria, and he examines those papers….Iria faces her part in Ariane’s plight…