Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Wind Beneath My Wings ❯ One-Shot

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

The Wind Beneath My Wings

*Disclaimer* Once again, I DO NOT own Gundam Wing or any of its characters. If I did, this stupid thing wouldn't BE here...*grumble grumble* I also DO NOT own the song, "The Wind Beneath My Wings," by Bette Midler.

*Warnings* DEATH FIC. Uh, that's pretty much it. It not so much about the deaths, it actually takes place at the funeral. This is my first song-fic guys, be warned. I usually don't like them too much, but I LOVE this song. If you've never heard it before, then go download it because it's AWESOME. The lyrics without the music really don't do the song justice.




It was horrible.

A disgustingly sick trap.

And they had walked straight into it.

Set up by a remote group of people who held a grudge against the Peacecraft family, for reasons that Relena and Zechs would never know. They'd been vowing to get revenge for something since before the kingdom had burned down. Back before Relena was even born.

But because both the King and Queen died before they could do anything, they took it out on their children.

Forget the fact that they could have been satisfied with the leaders' untimely deaths. That wasn't good enough. It wasn't something THEY had caused. And then the war came, and then Zechs went to Mars. But...but finally, almost too late, Zechs came back. And he came back for a good reason. His little sister's marriage.

And who did he bring with him?

His wife.

Lucretzia Noin.

And who was Relena marrying?

Heero Yuy.

It was all too perfect. There was no way they could pass it up. Especially since they were growing old. Whatever they were going to do had to be done NOW. So, the plan was set into action. And it was very precise. Down to the second, the timing was perfect.

Both wives, Noin and Relena, captured. Noin in one building, Relena in another.

Heero? He tracked down Relena, and went to the building she SHOULD have been at.

Zechs? The same, except for Noin. Only, he found Relena. And he found her before Heero found Noin. As fast as they could, the two Peacecraft siblings made their way to the other building.

The building in which Heero was just now rescuing Noin. The building that had a single other person there, standing on the roof...with a detonator in his hand. A detonator that would set off bombs that had been implanted years earlier, for when the time came. Bombs, that hadn't been found in the search that had been conducted.

Down to the second, it was perfect. As soon as Zechs pulled up with Relena, gun in hand, the person on the roof committed suicide, taking just two other lives with him. Before their eyes, the building exploded. The flames jumped up, curling and intertwining with the smoke, standing out painfully against the darkening night sky. But the person on the roof died with a smile.

A dark, sinister smile. He'd accomplished the one thing he'd set out in his life to do.

The Peacecraft family would suffer.

* * *

Clenching his teeth together, Zechs stared straight ahead, though he saw nothing. Nothing but rain and a bunch of black. Who had decided BLACK would be the color to wear to a funeral? It was too depressing...oh yes, that's why it was the perfect color, wasn't it?

He couldn't believe it. It was too difficult a concept to grasp, and his mind seemed numb with the thought. Was she really gone? It'd only been five years since the end of the wars. They'd only been married for three.

He could remember how excited she had been when they got word of Relena's marriage. It was an opportunity to go back to earth, to see all her friends. He and Noin had just decided to try for children now, too. It didn't seem as if any fighting would break out anytime soon.

Noin's death hadn't got as much attention as Heero's. Heero was the infamous Gundam pilot, the new husband of former Queen Relena. Noin was...just that. Noin. She had no important role during the war according to members of the United Earth Sphere. She'd switched sides far too easily and far too much. If anything, she could be viewed as a traitor. And Zechs? What was he, other than the original heir to the Peacecraft throne?

Wait, that's right...he was the Lightening Count. Favorite fighter in the war to many of the younger soldiers, especially since he was number one in his class...though that was only because she'd let him. Noin had always made sure he was one step ahead. She'd always been by his side, through any hardships, but she never got any of the recognition she'd deserved. But that was ok with her, as long as she could be with him. She'd loved him with her whole heart, and even before they'd graduated, Zechs had known...

He'd known that one day he would come to his senses, and marry her.

He'd loved her as well...



~*~ It must have been cold there in my shadow, ~*~

To never have sunlight on your face.

You were content to let me shine, that's your way.

~*~ You always walked a step behind. ~*~



Sometimes, he couldn't stand the fact that he was always in the spotlight. Noin had deserved so much more! It wasn't fair! And to think, she had been thought of as a TRAITOR by some! It was maddening...

Before he knew it, Zechs was seething, bringing in gasping breaths that could only be distinguished as sobs. He wrapped his arm tighter around Relena, who was standing at his side. He hugged her tight, to the point where she almost couldn't breathe. But Relena only reveled in the comfort and leaned in closer. She went unnoticed by Zechs, however, as his slightly glazed over eyes watched memories fly past, as if he was watching an old reel of home movies. He saw his and Noin's graduation, Noin being second in the class, and he first, Noin training the soldiers at Lake Victoria. She had been so proud of them, yet he had almost lost her there.

The visions soon began to blur, along with everything around him. Blinking rapidly, he barely noticed the twin streams that ran down his face, blending with the rain.



~*~ So I was the one with all the glory, ~*~

While you were the one with all the strain.

A beautiful face without a name for so long.

~*~ A beautiful smile to hide the pain. ~*~




He glanced around, noting that all of their friends were there. Well, friends now, enemies before. But his main enemy, the one who he had only just begun to know, was gone as well. Being buried beside his wife. The two caskets were being lowered into their graves now. Noin had always wanted to be buried beside Zechs, so that their bodies could live on forever next to each other. Unfortunately not much could be found of the two after the building's remains had been removed.

It was sad. As much as he had tried not to, Zechs always found himself living in the past. He and Heero should have been able to resolve their differences years ago, but it had never happened. And now they would never have the chance to. Zechs should have been proud to know the Gundam pilots. Instead, he had only scorned them most of his life.



~*~ Did you ever know that you're my hero? ~*~

And everything I would like to be?

I can fly higher than an eagle,

~*~ For you are the wind beneath my wings. ~*~



Relena was trying her best not to break down into tears right there. She couldn't afford to have the members of the United Earth Sphere think she was mentally unstable right now. As it was, some members were worried that she wouldn't be able to carry on in her position. Others were even afraid that war was going to break out again. If only they realized that there was no one to go to war WITH. The person had killed himself.

She would have given anything right then to have a normal funeral. At the moment it seemed anything like the mourning event it was supposed to be. There were reporters crowded outside the gates, their cameras flashing rapidly, as if this were just another press conference.

Of course, it WAS a big deal. Both Peacecraft siblings' spouses had been murdered. Any reporter would be crazy not to try and get some info. But still, Relena would have been comforted somewhat if she had know she could cry freely as were the others around her. But no. She had to remain strong.

The thought only upset her more. How was she supposed to be strong? Heero had been her right leg. Surely she would just topple over now. Without him, she wouldn't have the strength to go on. All of a sudden, Relena felt as if her mind had completely blanked out. How could she do it? She had no idea what decisions to make, what answers would be the right ones. Heero had always been there to give her help. No one realized it; he was always in the background. Silently brooding and protecting. Except this time, he'd given his life in an attempt to save her. But he'd been the solid wall behind her. The...wind under her wings, so to speak. Ever since she'd met him.



~*~ It might have appeared to go unnoticed, ~*~

But I've got it all here in my heart.

I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it.

~*~ I would be nothing without you. ~*~



Before she even realized what she was doing, Relena sank to the ground. Tears were beginning to stream from her own eyes and her breath was coming in sobbing gasps, but she found that she didn't care anymore. She didn't care what the United Earth Sphere would think, and she certainly didn't care that her dress was now muddy beyond belief.

Gradually, Zechs followed her descent to the ground and wearily wrapped his arms around her, gently rocking back and forth. Relena immediately collapsed backwards into the warmth, her head thrown back to allow the anguished cries to rip from her throat.

It just wasn't fair! Relena cursed whatever higher being were up there, cursed them for putting her through this misery. Hadn't she been through enough? She pounded her fists into the muddy ground just as the wet earth was being shoveled on top of the graves. First she lost both of her parents, then her foster father, then supposedly her brother, though that was only for a year, and now her sister-and-law and husband! It was unbearable. Everyone close to her...

Not knowing what to do anymore, Relena could only whisper raggedly to her brother something that she had never even gotten the chance to tell Heero.



~*~ Did you ever know that you're my hero? ~*~

You're everything I wish I could be.

I can fly higher than an eagle,

~*~ For you are the wind beneath my wings. ~*~



Zechs' eyes widened slightly as his grasp on his sister tightened. He relaxed almost immediately, trying to reassure her that he and Noin would stay to help, when it came slamming back to him that Noin was no longer there. It was up to Zechs, and Zechs alone to stand by his baby sister in her time of need. With a child on the way, and in her state of distress, there was no way she would be able to handle the load of work, that in all senses should have been his to begin with.

He'd been running from it long enough. Mars was doing well enough now, they wouldn't need him. He was needed here. Due to his legacy, he should have been the heir anyway.


~*~ Did I ever tell you you're my hero? ~*~

You're everything, everything I wish I could be.

Oh, and I, I could fly higher than an eagle,

For you are the wind beneath my wings.

~*~ Cause you are the wind beneath my wings. ~*~



Perhaps, in a while, something good would come out of all this. Maybe Noin, Heero, and all the others would finally get the recognition they deserved. The world needed to know just what, exactly, they had sacrificed for the well-being of the people. They were accused of killing...well doesn't EVERYONE kill in war?!

Eventually, Relena came back to herself. Zechs was still with her, and she couldn't express in any words the gratitude she felt towards him when he'd said he wouldn't be going back to Mars. She needed him here now, and he realized that. The two needed work on their brother/sister relationship anyway. They'd been apart for so long, and they'd never even tried to get back what they'd lost.

Relena gave her brother a watery, sad smile as they stood up. The cameras flashed frantically around them as the reporters tried to get a picture of the two siblings for the covers of whatever newspapers they worked for, but she ignored them. Heero wouldn't have wanted her to be in a crying heap on the ground because of him.

And besides, she knew that he would always be holding her up in spirit. Despite the stoic appearance he always had, he'd loved her fully, and she's loved him in return.



~*~ Oh, the wind beneath my wings. ~*~

You, you, you, you are the wind beneath my wings.

Fly, fly, fly away. You let me fly so high.

Oh you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings.

~*~ Oh you, you, you, the wind beneath my wings. ~*~



It hurt, Zechs realized as the two walked out of the cemetery. It hurt more than any battle wound could possibly of. But he managed to leave with his head held high, as Relena did. She was strong, he would be too. They'd each lost a leg to stand on, but they could use each other as a crutch.

Anyway, they had a job to do. Noin and Heero, though they'd lived a very prolific life, they needed more. Zechs and Relena had to live on for them. To keep the fragile peace they'd each had a major part in finding. They had to live on.

For ANYONE that had died helping fight for that peace, these two had to live.



~*~ Fly, fly, fly high against the sky, ~*~

So high I almost tough the sky.

Thank you, thank you,

~*~ Thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings. ~*~




(Urgh, I had another version, but I pressed the save button and then accidentally copy right afterwards, and I guess it was too fast for my fifty-million year old computer, and it did one of those "this program has performed an illegal operation" things and I had to close it, therefore losing about half of what I wrote. Since it's about two it the morning, I can't really remember what I had before...grrrrrr...so annoying...)

Ok, I was listening to the song one day, and I just got this picture in my head and it wouldn't leave!! I HAD to write it down. My fellow authors know how that is, right? ^__^ Well, it could have been worse. Don't expect too many more song-fics. Review and tell me what you thought! Ciao!!

*~Maxine~*

P.S . I'm leaving on the 11th, and I won't be back until the 18th, ok? Just so that y'all know.