Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Goodbye To You ❯ It's Time To Let Go ( Chapter 1 )

Summary: At a graduation, a young woman says good-bye to a man she knew and a past she’s left behind.

Meiran woke up, the sun shining in her eyes. She lifted her hand to shield her face and sat up. Her room was a small place, the walls bare on her side. Her roommate was a messy girl though, the complete opposite of Meiran. A quiet girl who was a lot like Wufei, more interested in books and the past than what was going on.

At least she had been far from the fighting that struck the Earth and colonies. Every time she heard of the Gundam pilots and what was happening, it had made her itch to get away from this school. Even though fighting to protect her home had nearly gotten Nataku killed, she had still yearned to be out on the battlefield, serving justice to those who failed to see it’s path.

Her death had happened four years ago when she was only fourteen. Technically, she hadn’t died. But Nataku might as well have because she was sent to a hospital on Earth to receive the best medical treatment. The only one, who knew she had lived, though barely, was Master O. As she got better and was getting ready to go back home to L5, Meiran received word that her colony had been destroyed. Everyone was gone. She was alone in the world.

When she was healed, her plans had been to go back home, but that option was out of the question now. The only options that were left open for her now was to either join the military that had destroyed her home, or to get an education and try to survive in this crazy mixed up world. She chose the latter.

The next few years had been hard on her. She was all alone, though thankfully, her clan had money stored away in several banks in different colonies and on Earth. Still, on mail days when everyone received packages, Nataku felt left out, knowing she’d never receive a thing. This made her different. As if she didn’t already stick out, what with her being Oriental and all. So, she was often picked on. That is, until the first time she got sick of people laughing at her in which she swiftly kicked a boy in the gut. That shut everyone up.

Instead, they began to avoid her like the plague. The only class she really excelled in was Physical Education. She didn’t so well in her other classes, well, except Chinese, her chosen foreign language that was mandatory to take. But, after all her years at the school, she was almost out. Until the next fall at least.

Nataku had gotten a scholarship to attend a nearby college in the fall. And, she knew that the longer she received an education, the better a job she would be able to get. And then, who knows what would happen?

Lucky for her, it was her last day at the school. Her graduation would be in three days, so technically, she would be staying there for extra days, but who cared?

The day passed by quickly, none of the teachers doing anything but telling their pupils to have a good life and to make something of themselves. Of course, their words were not directed to Meiran who could become Queen of the World and still be looked down on. But, after so many years, it didn’t bother her so much. Besides, she wouldn’t have to deal with it for much longer. Just a few days, really.

Her roommate moved out the following day and many other students left, staying at hotels with their parents who came to see their precious darlings’ graduate. It was rumored that Relena Dorlian would be speaking at their school, having graduated from it just the year before. Also, Quatre Raberba Winner was showing up to see one of his niece’s graduate. So, security was definitely going to be high. The next day was uneventful as well as the next. But finally came Nataku’s graduation day.

Donned in the gown that signified she was graduating, Meiran stood in her assigned spot between Derek Chain and Melinda Churn. The students stood for a good long time, just waiting for everyone to arrive. Finally, the class officers stood at the podium and gave their speeches. Then came the valedictorian and then the principal. And finally, Relena Dorlian. Behind her and to the side, a man about the same age stood. Meiran figured he was probably Relena’s bodyguard.

She gave a lengthy speech that took well over an hour. Nataku was very bored to say the least. To give herself something to do, she began looking at the crowd, thinking up stories for the people she saw. So into her game, she didn’t realize her name had been called until Melinda hit her in the back.

“Chang Meiran,” called the principal again, agitated that she hadn’t been paying attention.

“It’s Nataku,” she told him when reaching the stage, just loud enough for people to in the first few rows to hear her.

Joining the others she took her seat on the other side of the stage. Knowing it would be a long time before she would have to do anything, Meiran started to play her game again. Finally, it was over and time for everyone to get ready for the reception. Meiran figured she’d go, if just to get a free meal. She had to go to her room and change though, it being formal dress and all.

Changing into the best clothes she had, an Oriental dress that had belonged to her mother and given to Meiran on her wedding day, though never worn by the young woman until now, she headed downstairs. The hall was crowded; everyone who had attended graduation seemed to have shown up. Taking a drink from one of the passing waiters, she sipped on it as she stood in the corner.

“Hey, why are you all alone back here?” A young man asked her. Meiran looked at him, wondering what he was doing, talking to her. It had been a long time someone had talked to her without insulting her.

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Replied Meiran, drinking the last of whatever had been in her glass.

“Well, it’s just that everyone else is off talking and having fun. You seem so alone back here, so I’d thought I’d see why,” he replied, brushing a few strands of hair out of his eyes. “By the way, my name’s Duo, Duo Maxwell.”

Having enough of he him, she began to walk away. She didn’t hear what he said next but stopped when she felt a hand on her arm. Turing, she saw it was Duo. He was starting to tick her off. Why couldn’t he leave her alone? “If you don’t have anyone here, why don’t you join my friends and me?”

“What makes you think that?” Nataku curtly responded. “The fact that you’re standing here in the corner, alone,” Duo told her. “Well?”

She sighed, “Fine, but only if you promise to leave me alone afterwards.”

Duo smiled and began to lead Meiran over to a table full of guys and a few girls. As she got closer, Meiran recognized the guy who had been standing on stage with Relena Dorlian. She also noticed Alona Winner and her boyfriend at the table.

“Hello, Meiran,” Alona mockingly said to her.

“Alona,” the young man with blond hair across from her told her warningly. “Be nice.” He turned to Meiran and said, “I’m sorry for my nice. She’s somewhat of a brat.” It was then that it dawned on Meiran that the man was Quatre Winner.

“I’m used to it,” Meiran replied. “Here, take a seat,” Duo held a chair for her, leaving an empty space between Alona and Meiran. She took it and Duo sat next to her on the other side, leaving the space between the two girls empty.

“Miss, what was your name again?” Quatre Winner turned and asked her. Meiran was just about to tell him when Duo yelled out, “‘Fei, we’re over here!”

Meiran noticed out of the corner of her eye a man taking the seat between her and Alona. Looking at him, he seemed familiar.

“Miss, you were saying?” Quatre prompted.

“Uncle Quatre, her name’s Meiran,” Alona said for her.

“Nataku,” Meiran opened her mouth to correct her classmate. But, she wasn’t the one who had said it. It was the guy next to her. Nataku looked at him oddly, just like everyone else.

“Yes, I am Nataku,” Meiran told them. “How did you know that?”

He didn’t reply, just looked at his empty plate. Man, he seemed too familiar. But she couldn’t place where.

“Can I take your orders?” A waitress asked them, breaking the awkwardness at the table. She went around the table, getting everyone’s orders, noting that the man next to her ordered Chinese as well.

“So, Nataku, why isn’t any of your family here?” Duo asked. Meiran turned to him and replied, “They died when my colony was destroyed. It was the devil’s luck I was here on Earth recovering from some serious injuries.”

“What kind of injuries?” Inquired Duo.

“One’s that I’d prefer not to talk about,” Nataku answered him. He nodded.

“A bad past. I know what one of those is like.”

“We all do,” the man who had stood on stage with Relena spoke up. “Heero Yuy,” he told her. Before Meiran could say anything, the waitress and a few others came over, the group’s food with them. No one really talked as they ate, conversation dying. After the meal was done, Meiran began to stand up.

“I must be on my way,” she told them. Duo opened his mouth to say something but stopped. “See ya around,” he told her instead.

“Will do.” Nataku walked outside, standing on the balcony next to the roses. She stood there for a long time. Couples came out occasionally but no one talked to her. Which was perfectly fine with Meiran. She’d had enough conversation at that table. She just gazed at the stars, smelling the sweet scent of roses.

“Cold?” A voice asked, making her jump. She looked over; it was the Oriental man from earlier. She opened her mouth to tell him no but realized that he was right. She was cold.

“So, how did you know I prefer to be called Nataku?” She questioned him, changing the subject. His face got a sad look.

“I knew a girl who was like that. She always wanted to be called Nataku, yet I never did call her that until she died,” he told Meiran.

“But, what if she hadn’t died?” Meiran asked, the story sounding quite like her own.

“That’s something I’m not sure I want to know,” he replied.

“Still a scholar?”

“No. Do you still fight for justice?”

“Yes. Do you?”

“Yes.”

“Why? It’s not your way.”

“I changed. To honor the one, who died that day, I changed and fought for justice, for those who could not.”

“A false justice then?”

“No less false than your own, Nataku.”

“Are you so sure about that?”

“Absolutely.”

“You know who I am. And I know who you are.”

“Yes.”

“Do we go our separate ways? Or no?”

“I don’t know.”

“You think that if we just walked away from now, that it would really affect us in a profound way?”

“Big words for someone who once thought learning was a waste of time.”

“Answer the question.”

“Fine. I’ll answer you. To me, you’ve been dead for years.”

“And I the same about you.”

“Then, why don’t we just continue with our lives, dead to each other?”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Good-bye, Nataku.”

He walked away, leaving Meiran alone. She gazed at the sky and knew that they probably wouldn’t meet again. It was just like he had said; they had been dead to each other for years. Each was settled in a new life, different from each other’s. The only thing that tied the two together was their pasts.

Looking at the stars, she looked up and whispered to herself, “Good-bye Wufei.”

A/N: I’ve wanted to write a fic where Meiran lived since, well, I read Wufei’s Episode Zero. For those who don’t know, Meiran and Wufei were married before the start of Gundam Wing. They were married for roughly a year before their colony, L5, was attacked. Meiran died protecting the colony and a field of flowers that meant a lot to her and Wufei. Just as a note, she and Wufei didn’t get along well. He was a scholar that didn’t really like to fight, though he was strong, and she fought for justice, the strongest in her clan.

I guess that’s Wufei’s EZ summed up. I strongly suggest you go and find it and read it for yourselves. Gundam wing.net has got a text version.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything is this fic.