Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Gundam Wing: Next Generation ❯ Gundam Wing: Rise of Power p2 ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: I do not own gundam wing or anything associated with it. I do however own Cassidy 'Cassi' Noin, my friend BM owns Kaito Barton and Ryastarling owns Meg Maxwell, so please don't take them without permission.
Special notice: Thanks go out to BMK and Rya for helping me with this.
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closed his eyes for a minute or two. He knew exactly what Cassi intended to do and he was right behind her. He knew it was probably what Meg wanted anyway, the real Meg at least. She wouldn't want to be manipulated by someone like Kaiser. He opened his eyes and looked up at the face of his gundam before getting up and beginning to prepare Shadow Archer for takeoff. This was going to be one heck of a battle and there was no telling if they were coming back or not. He was surprised the adults hadn't tried to stop him when he walked out of the room. He supposed they understood by now that the three of them were capable gundam pilots and really did know what they were doing. He soon shook himself out of his thoughts as he and his gundam shot out of the hangar of the carrier and headed straight for colony 8940R66, checking all his systems over to make sure everything would be ready for the battle. He just hoped that Cassi hadn't done anything stupid by the time he got there. She'd already spent enough time in the medical wing of the Sanq kingdom as it was.
"I'm sorry Meg, but we all know this is how it's gotta be," Kaito muttered calmly as he shot through space.
at colony 8940R6, Cassi had already arrived. It was obvious that she had as there was a gaping hole in one of the entrance bays of the colony, and the air was spewing out into space. Cassi was safe in her gundam though, so she wasn't particularly worried about herself. She wasn't bothered about the residence of the colony either. They all seemed to be on OZ's side, she'd seen that by the amount of suits that had been mobilised to fight her arrival, not like they
stood a chance now that her gundam was brand new and now that her weapons were twice as strong as before.and get me you pesky insects!" she shouted. "That is...if you can width stand the power of an Amazon warrior!" She launched herself into the numerous suits surrounding her and drew out her beam sabre, whilst launching its shining blue blade. Her sabre went through the suits like a hot knife through butter, destroying three in one swing.
"Damn it!" one of the many men shouted. "This is NOT like the Gundam 01 we've seen in action!"
"I'm like nothing you've ever seen!" Cassi cried as if she'd heard them. "And now you'll never see anything like me again!"

As Cassi continued her battle with the suits, destroying unit after unit as she went through the colony, Miss. Relena was watching through a massive window in the room she was locked in. She could see the explosions and knew who'd arrived, although she didn't know whether it was Cassi or Kaito. No one can cause this much damage unless it's a gundam she thought as she saw more explosions light up the sky. Don't be afraid to bring the battle closer, it will be at your merit
"Sir!" a voice cried as a man ran into the office where Kazier and Meg were standing. "Sources confirm it's gundam 01, but it's changed!"
"Cassi," Meg whispered. She of course didn't know how much Cassi's gundam had changed since a new one had been built for her.
"Looks like the little bluebell has become quite the warrior," Kazier chuckled. "How many suits has she destroyed?"
"She's destroyed at least 5 or so units sir."
"Are you happy now?" Meg asked. "Now only one of us remains to arrive, then you have your set." Kazier just chuckled and turned to stare out of the window.

Cassi swung her gundams arm out and destroyed her 7th unit of enemy suits, she was on fire today. Her gundam was gaining more power as it fought, she was pleased with that. Well Amazon she thought to her suit. I am impressed by your skills, you've grown more than I could ever have imagined. This time we'll leave our mark on OZ. Suddenly a light flashed in her gundams cockpit, but she was well aware of what was coming and she whirled around to destroy the oncoming suit when something shot it from behind and it exploded in front of her.
"What the?" she asked startled and turned to see Kaito's suit looking in her direction.
"I see you weren't willing to leave some for me," Kaito chuckled as he opened a radio channel to her suit.
"You shouldn't take so long to turn up for a fight," Cassi responded emptily. "Never the less, thanks."
"Hey, you're welcome."

It was then there radios crackled slightly as someone linked into their private line. Meg was the only one who knew the frequency besides them and their parents, but it wasn't Meg who spoke to them, it was Kazier.
"Hello you two, so glad you could join us, now I can get rid of you for good."
"Not if we get rid of you first," Kaito retorted.
"Oh I don't think you'll risk attacking," Kazier chuckled. "Not with your friend Meg here with me, or your precious Miss. Relena." Kaito had to admit the thought of attacking and killing Relena and Meg wasn't high on his list of things he wanted to do, but he knew from what he'd been told that Relena wasn't afraid to die and/or be killed and as for Meg? Did he care enough about her to spare her life? Even at the cost of his very own?
"Sorry Kazier," he heard Cassi tell him in an icy voice. "Your hostage situation won't work. I didn't come to rescue Miss. Relena or Meg and I didn't come to surrender to you, I came to make sure this place is obliterated. And if that means I have to take the life of a fellow pilot, the vice foreign minister or even my own, then I will."
"You wouldn't!" Kazier cried in shock as several more suits exploded at the hands of Cassi and Kaito's gundams. His face was a mixture of surprise and anger, it seemed like his plan wasn't going to work so perfectly after all.
had to smile at Cassi's confidence as he took out another mobile suit with his energy arrows. She knew exactly what she was doing and didn't seem bothered by the thoughts that were plaguing his mind at the moment. Could they really kill Relena and Meg? He sighed to himself. He'd do everything in his power to get Relena out of there if he could but he knew Meg wouldn't want any help. Relena was important to the peace of both the colonies and earth. If there was a possibility of getting her out of there, shouldn't they try? He backed up some as several mobile suits began to crowd around him. By this time they knew that his gundam was made for long range fighting. He growled as he sent out several missiles to push them back then sent a few more energy arrows at those that hadn't been destroyed. He did a flip with his gundam, noticing a red blip on his monitor and took out another mobile suit that had been sneaking up on him. After the ms was destroyed he finished the flip and took out another suit that had dared to get closer while his back was turned.
"Having fun yet?" he asked Cassi as he shot an energy arrow in her direction to rid her flank of another enemy suit.

A chuckle came over the other end, heard the lovely ladies answer to my query, but you still haven't answered Kaito. Are you going to let them both die for the sake of revenge?"
Damn it, he thought to himself. He was hoping he wouldn't have to answer. He still wasn't sure of what he'd do but sighed and replied, do what I have to protect the peace that our predecessors worked so hard to gain."
stood in the control docks, Miss Relena stood beside her and Kazier was furious that Cassi and Kaito were not following his plan.
"Meg why don't you talk to them?" Kazier said as a new plan rolled into his head.
"What?" Meg asked.
"You don't have to do this Meg please!" Relena cried. Meg slowly walked towards the pannel where she could communicate with her fellow gundam pilots. Slowly she pressed the red button.
"Kaito, Cassi can you read me?" she asked, "I repeat can you read meit's Meg I need to tell you something."

Kazier raised an eyebrow as she started to talk this way. Meg sighed as her fingers brushed over the control panel, as she waited for her fellow pilots to respond. They were still in the middle of a fight so they obviously had their hands full at the moment, so answering right now wasn't an option less they be distracted and hurt or worse. They had heard though, they'd heard her all too clearly, but it was Kaito who finally answered her.
"What is it Meg?" he asked, his voice gruff and to the point.
"Kaito, I understand that you and Cassi will do anything to keep others from getting hurt, that you want to keep the peace from being shattered, but don't you think doing this is going too far?"
"You brought this upon the peace," Kaito told her. "You were right Meg, it is your fault. It's your fault that the peace is close to being shattered, your fault that the war is underway as it is." Meg bit her bottom lip as she heard Kaito's words, it wasn't fully her fault but her fellow pilots had obviously already made up their minds about this whole situation. Kaito's voice still carried that air of uncertainty in it, but Cassi's voice was full of confidence, a confidence she'd never heard before. She could tell that just by what Cassi had told Kazier.

She couldn't believe that Cassi hadn't said anything since that, she'd simply carried on destroying enemy suit after enemy suit without a second thought as to the amount of lives she was destroying. She was angry; no not angry, furious.
"Cassi, of all the people I seek an answer from the most, it's you," she told her friend. "Please. If you won't verbally answer, then do what you must to answer me, even if it means destroying me. Just do something to let me know." Cassi heard her as she swung her sabre around and into the cockpit of an attacking suit, killing the pilot before the suit exploded. She thought about what Meg had said, but it was too late for that. She'd already promised that she wouldn't be sorry this time, and she had meant it with all her heart. Meg's plea echoed in her ears, she desperately wanted an answer.
"You wanted war Meg," Cassi responded. "You were manipulated into ordering a war, into putting more lives at risk for someone else's selfish desires. War is nothing Meg, it's nothing but countless and meaningless battles that amount to nothing more than death, destruction and no end. It's a cycle that can't be broken, a cycle that will haunt us till the end of time. A proverbial living ghost."

Cassi stopped there and drew her glaive from her gundam's back, flicking it out with her gundam's hand. The glowing blue thermal energy beam lit up, casting weird and creepy shadows over her new gundam. Kaito had heard everything she'd said whilst he'd been fighting, Cassi wasn't as young as she looked. Her glaive destroyed several suits in one swing.
"Kaito," she told him quietly. "Cover me, i'm going to see what I can do about pretty boy in his strong hold."
"You got it, but be careful," he nodded quietly.
"Careful? Careful went out the window with the start of war. There is no careful," Cassi told him and activating her gundams engines, headed towards the main OZ base.
"I'm..." Meg began but stopped, nothing she could say could change their minds.
"Kaito, Cassi you were the best friend.I ever had," Meg said and slowly took a gun from her side, "I...I just wanted you both to know that."

Suddenly a shot was heard over the communicators.

In the communication room smoke rose from Kazier's gun and Meg slowly tried to raise her gun with her injured arm. A second shot rang out threw the communicator and all went silent.
had just taken her gundam down outside the main base when she'd heard the two shots. Her heart raced, what had just happened? After what seemed like forever she heard a voice, a male voice. Her gundams glaive was still raised towards the building, ready to strike it if need be.
"Now you only have to kill me and Miss. Relena here," she heard Kazier chuckle. "Your friend is dead."
"No," Kaito breathed as he stopped in the middle of destroying a suit, although it exploded anyway.
"You monster!" they heard a female voice cry and there was another shot over the radio.
"That was Miss. Relena," Kaito told Cassi as he opened an image shot to Cassi's suit, and the blue-haired teen nodded, before moving her hand to her radio.
"Miss. Relena?" she asked carefully. "What's going on?" She heard the woman begin to cry, before a thump followed. A gun landing on the ground, it had to be.
"It's me," Miss. Relena told her as she turned to the communication panel.
"Hold tight, i'll be right there," Cassi told her as she lowered her gundams arms and opened the cockpit door. She jumped to the ground and holstering her gun just in case, ran through the closest door and towards the main room.

She stopped when she got there. Miss. Relena was cradling Meg's bleeding body in her arms, and Kazier was unconscious on the ground, that or he was dead. Slowly she approached and knelt down beside him, placing her fingers on his neck. After a few minutes of silence she turned his body over and stared at the shot to his body.
"Cassi?" a voice asked over the radio. "What the hell was that?" Cassi holstered her gun as she got up and walked over to the radio, side stepping Meg and Miss. Relena.
"It's ok Kaito," she told him. "Miss. Relena shot Kazier, he's dead."
"Go Miss. Relena," Kaito chuckled weakly. "What about Meg?" Cassi turned back to look at Miss. Relena.
"She's alive, barely," she told her. Nodding Cassi replayed the message. By then Kaito had finished off the remaining suits, now only debris lay in his wake.
slowly opened her eyes and pain shot threw her body.
"Cassi," she whispered, "The...the vile." Cassi looked over to where Kaizer lay and to where Meg was ponting. She suddenly saw a vile of green liquid the same type of vile she had found in the gift Meg had given her.
"Those are the things Kaizer give her," Relena told Cassi. Cassi pried the top in the vile out and went over to Meg and began to pour it into her mouth. Slowly her body glowed for a moment and then Meg closed her eyes in pain and drifted to sleep.
closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He couldn't believe that their worst enemy was finally gone. Something bothered him, however. It seemed too easy. After everything that man had done, how could he let someone shoot him so easily?
"I'm on my way," he said quietly as he headed into the colony the same way Cassi had. He turned back for a moment to look at all the mobile suits that floated, dead in space, from the battle that had only just ended. He couldn't believe how many suits he could see. There must have been over two hundred of them. And every one of them had to have had a pilot... a pilot that they'd killed. He turned away and had soon left his gundam behind and was headed towards the room where Cassi, Miss Relena and Meg were. He walked in quietly and knelt down beside Cassi who was holding Meg closely and trying not to cry though it didn't seem to be helping any. They might have believed it was the right thing but that didn't make them feel any better about it.
"Meg," he whispered as he brushed a hand through her red hair. He sighed and then got up, "We need to get out of here before someone besides they want to avenge their leaders death. I'll take her in Shadow Archer, you take care of Miss Relena."nodded quietly as she allowed Kaito to take Meg from her arms, and carry her out of the building. Turning she blinked her un-fallen tears away and looked towards Miss. Relena.
"Come on, I'll give you a ride to Earth," she told her. Miss. Relena stood and dusting off her skirt, nodded quietly as Cassi led the way to her waiting gundam.

Kaito was waiting for her, his gundam standing ready to leave with it's back to her. Sighing she called down her suits hoisting stirrup and helped Miss. Relena to her gundam's cockpit.
"Just hold on tight," she told her as she slid her into the back of the suit and sat down in the pilot's seat and fastened her safety harness. "Ok Kaito, let's go." Kaito nodded and activated his engines, as she did and both took off, leaving the colony as quickly as they could. They'd done a number on the place as it was, so they weren't too worried about any trouble just yet. As they passed through the mass of destroyed suits that were floating in space, both pilots felt pain. They'd killed so many in such a short time, and how many of them were only of their own age? Cassi was quiet through the whole journey, despite Miss. Relena making pleasant conversation with her. Slowly they entered the Earths atmosphere so as not to damage their suits because of the heat, and headed down towards the Sanq Kingdom. They arrived and took their suits down into the open hanger bays in the ground, where metal supports snapped around them to keep them standing. Opening her cockpit Cassi stepped out first and offered Miss. Relena a hand out, just as Heero and Miss. Noin came up the gantry steps.
"Are you all right Miss. Relena?" Heero asked as she greeted them.
"I am fine, thank you," she responded as Cassi walked around and past them. Kaito lifted Meg out of his gundam and passed her onto Rashid and Howard who took her straight to the medical wing. He then turned his attention to the gantry, he'd seen Cassi leave her suit, but where had she gone?
"Miss. Noin, did Cassi go by you?" he asked.
"Yes, she went down the steps a moment ago," Cassi's mom responded. Kaito nodded a thank you and made his way down the steps. After asking a technician he found that Cassi had gone out into the grounds, not looking overly happy.

Kaito left the hanger and walked into the open, it was a warm summers day and the sun blinded him as he walked around. Where could she have got to in such a short time? he wandered. Cassi had disappeared to the forest and had found herself a tree stump to sit on. She was sitting with her head buried in her hands, as tears streamed down her face and made it and her palms wet. The salty tears fell onto her lips, so she gently brushed them away with her thumb. It happened again dad she thought as she sobbed quietly. Someone I love got hurt, Gods I hate my life
Meg lay in bed and Sally shook her head, Meg's condition was worsening every hour.
"Noin are you sure there isn't anything else?" Sally asked, "The bullet wound is healing fine but her condition it's just getting worst fever, sweating, shaking, erratic breathing, is there anything about Meg you could tell me?"

Slowly Sally looked out the window.
"And Duo's not doing so good ether that heart attack almost killed Shinigami himself and urg this situation is confusing."
"Not from her medical records," Noin said eventually. "I'll go find Cassi maybe she'll know."
walked through the grounds for a bit searching for Cassi. It seemed she could be very illusive when she wanted to be alone. He couldn't blame her. He felt terrible for what they'd just done. He sighed as he decided to check the wooded area nearby.
"Kaito!" Noin called and rushed towards him, "Have you seen Cassi?"
"No I'm looking for her," Kaito informed her. 'Why?"
"Well maybe you can tell me," Noin responded. "Meg's condition it's worsening, is there anything we don't know about her health...because she's gonna die if Sally doesn't figure out what's wrong with her."
stopped and looked at her for a moment, thinking. He then remembered the green vile, think it has to do with that green liquid that Cassi had when we got to the two of them. I'm not sure though. So, there's no improvement at all then?" He asked biting his lip.
"No" Noin replied shaking her head. "What green liquid? We have to find Cassi and ask her right away"
was still sitting by herself on the tree stump she'd found, and was still sobbing into her hands. Her hands were soaked as was her handkerchief, she must've used it to wipe her face that many times that she'd lost count. She'd muttered several things to herself, all through choked sobs and a strained voice.
"Papa," she called softly to her father. "Why is it that Gundam pilots are doomed to a life of loneliness. I can't live with my friends without something bad happening. God I feel like a lost cause." Wiping her face again, Cassi went to place her handkerchief in her pocket and something touched her hand, something cold and made of glass. Curious as to what it was, she placed her handkerchief in her lap and pulled the item out. It was the vile of green liquid Meg had hidden in the present she'd given to her, for her birthday.
'It keeps me alive' she remembered. That was what Meg's note had said, was she in need of it now? Cassi could feel a strain on her heart, was Meg in bad shape? Did she need this vile at that very moment?

Just as she was turning the vile over in her hands, she heard her name being called, but it currently sounded distant to her. It was only when she felt a hand rest on ehr shoulder, and saw a pair of kind green eyes staring at her that she realised it was Kaito. He'd seen her sitting there and had called her name, but she'd been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't heard him.
"Cassi, Meg's really ill and you may know something that can help her," he stated urgency in his voice.
"Yes, it's this," Cassi nodded as she placed the vile in his hand. "Take it, she needs it very soon or she won't make it." Kaito was about to go, but seeing Cassi was distressed and that her face was wet and her eyes were red, he handed it to Miss. Noin and told her to give it to Meg. Miss. Noin nodded and although her motherly instinct told her to stay with Cassi, she had to get back to Meg.
quickly poured the substence into Meg's mouth and slowly her vitals went down to normal.
"Hmm what is this stuff?" Sally asked looking at a few drops that hadn't been swallowed by Meg.
"No clue," Noin replied.
"I'll run some tests whatever it is it's helping her," Sally informed her.
"DOCTOR!" a voice cried.
"What is it?" Sally asked as the nurse rushed into the room.
"Mister Maxwell...his vitals are going insane!" the nurse cried, "He's stopped breathing!!" Sally rushed out of the room and into the next section of the medical wing to try and help Duo. He couldn't die now, that would leave Meg without any family whatsoever; any she knew about anyway.

Back outside, Cassi was talking to Kaito, well it was more like Kaito ewas doing all the talking. He was trying to talk the blue-haired girl around from her distressed state, and thankfully she had stopped crying. Kaito couldn't handle crying girls, he felt better when they could be strong, although he doubted that his two female companions could be strong all the time. She was still not listening to him though, something was keeping her from listening properly. Possibly the fact that she felt guilty the most as she'd been all TOO willing to kill Meg to protect the earth and the people she loved so much.
"Cassi," he soothed softly. "You can't be held responsible, you know we had to do it, no matter what. It was inevitable."
"I know, but why Meg? Why not you or me?"
"I don't know," Kaito responded as he moved to sitting completely on the ground rather than squatting down in front of her. "I honestly don't know."

It was then that Cassi's eyes glistened with what seemed like a light of their own, and she took a sharp intake of breath and grabbed her chest or rather her top. Unbeknownst to her, Quatre had just done the same thing from elsewhere in the base.

"Cassi, what is it?" Kaito enquired as the girl double over and tried to calm her throbbing heart.
"Duo," she whispered through clenched teeth. "He's...he's hurt...he's dying..."
to anyone Meg was slowly opening her eyes, she could hear the beeping of her heart monitor and dripping of her IV. Memories ran threw her head of the battle, Cassi and Kaito, Kazier being shot, herself being shot and slowly as she slowly sat up. Suddenly she started to cry and something made her feel pain in her chest and slowly she knew.
"Daddy," She whispered and ripped the IV drip out of her arm and tore off the heart monitor cups and wearing nothing but a hospital gown she started down the hall.
and Kaito had since made their way to the medical wing where Sally was trying to treat Duo, but nothing seemed to be working. Kaito leant back against the door frame, although the look on his face suggested that his mood was anything but calm. Cassi was leaning against the wall outside with Quatre standing by her side, trying to talk her into calming down. He had more experience with this sort of thing than she did, although he'd only felt it every once in a while. Cassi he noticed felt it often and felt it hard, and he figured it may be because she's female and was more sensitive to things.
"Just take a deep breath," he urged her softly. "Let your heart slow a bit."
"Slow a bit?" she asked arching an eyebrow. "Is that possible?"
"In time it will be," he told her. "You just have to learn how to handle it." Cassi nodded and lowered her head to take some deep breaths.
was Kaito who noticed Meg walk up to them, as he had his head turned to the corridor rather than towards the room.
"Meg, stay there," he warned.
"I can't," Meg whispered as she moved closer. "I have to stay." She walked up to the door and leant against him, whilst peering into the room. Kaito supported her, but held her back. Sally wouldn't be able to work if she got in the way. Cassi barely looked at Meg, probably because she couldn't really look at anything right now. Her head wasn't up to it right now.
sighed slightly as Meg began to sob as she watched Sally desperately trying to revive her father. He slowly slipped his arms around her to both comfort her and keep her from charging into the room. He turned his gaze away from her and back to the dying ex-pilot as tears began to form in the redhead's eyes. He couldn't even dream of understanding how hard this had to be for her as he'd never lost a family member. Meg had already lost her mother and loosing her father would most likely throw his friend into a depression worse then she already was.

He glanced over at Cassi, who didn't seem to be fairing all that well either. Cassi had also lost a parent and if she wasn't in such a terrible state she might have been better at comforting their companion. He could see tears well up in the blue haired teens eyes as well and narrowed his eyes slightly. All of this was because of that conceited Oz leader. It was all happening because of Kaizer. If only Kaizer had survived. Then he would be able to make that man pay for what he'd done. He'd gotten off easy when Relena took his life. All he could think of at that moment was how much he wanted to make that man pay and the fact that he couldn't because he was now dead.

He heard a slight yelp from Meg just as the sound of glass smashing came from the other room. He quickly let Meg go as he realized he'd been squeezing her too hard. He glanced over into the room again, where Sally had suddenly stopped working on Duo and looked slightly stunned at a glass on the counter on the other side of the room that had, before her eyes, just exploded.
who'd been trying to wipe her tears away just a second ago, jumped at hearing the sound of the glass smash. What WAS that? She thought as she turned and walked over to the door. She peered inside and there were the shards of glass all over the counter top and even some on the floor, what had happened?
quickly snapped out of it and went back to trying to revive Duo. Cassi steadied herself on the door frame, having managed to blink her tears away, but her heart was still throbbing in response to the current critical situation near by. She cast a side long glance at Kaito and Meg, and noticed that they both looked as shocked as anyone else who'd just seen or heard that. It was then she felt something else, almost like a rhythmic heartbeat that wasn't her own. Looking around her eyes settled back on Meg, it was her heart she could feel it.
"Kaito," she managed to say softly. The taller teen turned his startled gaze on her, staring back into her mellow blue eyes.
"Let Meg through," she told him.
"What for?" he asked, as he managed to find his voice.
"Just let her go to her dad." Kaito nodded and stepped backwards, allowing Meg entrance to the room where Sally was working.
sidled up to Duo's side and slid her hand into one of his, tightening her grip on it as best she could. Tears slid down her face, sparkling in the phosphorescent light of the medical room that sat above her head.
"Daddy," she whispered. "Please don't leave me, please." Cassi turned her attention to Meg's words, listening to them intently and slowly she felt her heartbeat slowing.
"I don't believe it," Sally muttered as Duo's heart monitor began to bleep steadily. "He's fighting on his own."
"You can't kill death," Quatre muttered with a slight smile on his face. Then he turned to Cassi and looked the blue-haired girl in the eye as she leant against the door.
"You knew didn't you?" he stated. Cassi lifted her head and nodded.
"How could she have known?" Sally asked. "That defies all medical and scientific reasoning."
"Glasses breaking on their own does to," Kaito told her quietly, and smirked slightly.
"Daddy!!" Meg cried and threw her arms around her father's neck as he opened his eyes.
"Ay not so tight," Duo whispered and chuckled slightly. "What...Meg what are you doing here?"
"It doesn't matter" she responded, "Because i'm staying with you from now on...if it wasn't for me none of this would have happened."
"Oh Angel," Duo said and slowly Cassi came up behind her.
"Meg," she said softly, "None of this is your fault."
"Yes it is," Meg told her. "Wait...the vile..."

Suddenly Noin came in with a folder in her hands.
"Let's leave them alone for awhile," Sally said and pushed everyone out of the room. Once out she looked at Noin "Well?"
"It's amazing," Noin responded.
"What's amazing?" Kaito asked.
"The ingredients in the liquid you gave Meg," Noin responded. "But the one substance I don't understand...it's incredible almost impossible to make into a liquid."
"What is it?" Quatre asked.
"Gundanium."
"What?"
"Hang on a minute," Cassi said as she leant against the wall behind her so she could keep from collapsing from exhaustion.
"You're telling us that the same stuff that makes our mobile suits so strong and versatile is part of that green stuff?"
"Yes dear," her mom responded. "I didn't think it was even possible. It's hard enough to damage never mind liquefy." Cassi closed her eyes and rested her head against the wall this had to be something new for the history books, Gundanium being useful for something other than machine parts.
was then that Heero and Wufei appeared, they'd recently returned from a short trip into town and were wandering what was going on. It didn't take long for Sally, Miss. Noin and Quatre to explain what had happened. Needless to say they were both thankful that Duo was still alive, and were both surprised by what was in the stuff that kept Meg alive. It was then that Sally turned to the two teens in the hall with them. Cassi had her eyes closed and her head was leaning back against the wall, and she wandered if she'd fallen asleep on her feet or something. Kaito was standing quietly next to her; his eyes were closed to but there was a thoughtful look on his face despite that.
"Are you two asleep or just thinking?" she asked with a light chuckle. Kaito opened both eyes and stared at her as Cassi opened her eyes, so they were only open half way.
"Believe me, I'd be able to fall asleep anywhere right now," Cassi responded dryly.
"I was thinking," Kaito responded.
"Well cease those activities for a moment," Sally told them. "And tell me thiswhat is happening with you three?"
"Be more specific," Cassi responded stifling a yawn.
"You three, have OZ put you through something that has caused you to act the way you do?"
pilots looked at each other, they had no idea what she was getting at until it dawned on Cassi that she meant the reasons as to why things had gone the way they had over the last year. Lifting her hand she pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed.
"I can't explain it any better than to say that OZ have had nothing to do with it, at least not where Meg and I are concerned."
"Where you and Meg are concerned?" Heero questioned.
"I'll let Meg explain for herself," Cassi responded as she crossed her hands behind her back. "Now I have no idea why, but for some reason I feel anything and everything that goes on around me. I felt Duo's near death experience, I felt Meg's pain and sadness and I just know who's suffering or who's happy. If I could explain it any better I would." She turned her head as Meg left the other medical room and stopped beside her two fellow pilots.
"How's your dad?" Kaito asked.
"Sleeping," she responded and then she looked at them.
"What's up?" she asked.
"Our parents have become concerned that OZ have done something to cause things to happen to us," Kaito told her. "It's because of all the strange things that have been happening to us. Cassi, you and me."

"Yes, please explain," Wufei confirmed. "Cassi told us about her feelings, so it's your turn."
"It's called Empathy," Quatre told him matter-of-factly. "The ability to feel and know when someone is hurt or needs help. I've got a small touch of it, but Cassi's seems to have grown somewhat."
"Grown?"
"I can't give you anything better than that."
"I can see things" Meg said, "In my dreams.....they're frightening and very vivid."

Meg slowly sighed remembering the burning fire and Wing 0 rising from the ashes of battle. She was tired both mentally and physically.
"I have dreams of a great battle, where fire and our gundams are burning," she told them. "Then wing 0 rises from the fire and there's a burst of white light...I wake up usually screaming or in a cold sweat."
stayed quiet. He really had nothing to say as he hadn't had any experiences like those of the girls. He half wondered what it would be like to be able to sense the emotions of those close to you, both physically close and mentally close. He sighed slightly as Wufei glanced at him obviously wanting to know if he too had these kinds of abilities. He boy just shook his head slightly and the ex-pilot nodded and turned back to the girls, this sounds like something out of a children's book. Frankly, I don't believe a word of it."
while later Kaito was heading down to see if he could do anything to spice up his gundam's performance, slowly as he opened the door and headed down the stairs he saw Meg standing there leaning against the Wing 0.
"I wonder what's it called when you start to talk to machines?" Meg asked and chuckled, not seeming to take notice of Kaito who quickly hid in the shadows.
"It's like I can hear you." Meg told it. "In my dream, what are you trying to tell me? Why show me the burning battle? Why me? Why not Heero or someone else? why me? Huh look at me talking to Wing 0 like this....probably going crazy, huh yeah that's probably it i'm going nuts."

Slowly Meg turned to the Wing 0 and looked up at its head as its large blank eyes stared back down upon her.
"It's like your trying to warn me...but who's piloting you? It cant be my father...or us I can't control you...I wonder maybe Heero?"
at this point left the shadows and slowly walked up to the red-haired pilot, making her jump as he appeared in front of her.
"Maybe it's because you're esper," he offered, using the phrase Cassi had mentioned earlier. She'd said that was what Meg had told her, and it seemed right enough.
"Maybe because you can see things in your dreams or premonitions I believe they're called, Wing 0 has managed to link up with you better than it can anyone else."
"You think so?" she asked.
"I do. You know, I can't even begin to imagine what's it like to have premonitory dreams or Empathy. I wish I had something similar to yours and Cassi's gifts, but I don't."
"More like a curse," Meg muttered. "Speaking of Cassi, where is she?"
"Up in her room, sleeping," Kaito responded. "She said she had a throbbing headache and walked off." Meg nodded in understanding and the two continued to talk about what had happened, including telling her that Cassi wasn't angry with her, which made Meg feel slightly better.
in her room in the Sanq Palace, Cassi had indeed fallen asleep. Her head had been throbbing like there was no tomorrow and the whole scenario from her leaving for battle just the day before, right up to when Sally had asked about their strange abilities had left her exhausted. She WOULD have fallen asleep against the wall, if Sally hadn't of spoken there and then and that would've been embarrassing. Lying on her bed, her hand tucked under her pillow and her breathing slow and rhythmic, her dreams carried her to places where she was safe and free from harm.

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