Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ When the World Ends ❯ Dragon Slave ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
A/N: I don't own them, you don't sue! I own Talia, and Lee, and the plotline for this little flick! I also own ALL the kisses!!! And the Shounin ai scenes! And all the words in here! And a computer with Notepad and Microsoft Word on it! You sue; all you get is a $5 mechanical pencil!!! ONE MORE THING!!! THIS IS NOT, I REPEAT, NOT A SELF-INSERTION FIC!!! TALIA IS NOT ME!!! SHE IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PERSON!!! If she were me, she would be very, very hyper all of the time. Hee!!!

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Dragon Slave

"Everyone says dragons can't cry, but everyone's wrong. A dragon's tears make up the rivers and the oceans, and every one of them is filled with the dragon's hidden emotion."
~ Stone Tablets of the Prophecy

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[A.C. 195]

Wufei looked at the blinking message on the screen of his laptop. He had been given a new mission. He was to enter a prestigious academy in the wilderness of China under his real name, as he was already well known there. He had attended Chung Jaw-long before he had been married off, and was looking forward to relaxing back into that familiar schedule. The other four pilots were going to meet him there, enrolling to learn more about the history of their next target, buried deep in some ancient Chinese ruins. They needed to destroy the underground base without harming the ruins, and even Wufei had no clue as to how they were going to succeed.

Wufei packed everything he needed into a duffle bag, a small smile gracing his lips. He sighed heavily. He was going to be able to be himself again for a little while. The young and peaceful scholar he used to be, passing out his wise advice to the many questioners he knew would come to him. He could do a few of his elegant paintings, donating them to the school, so they could adorn their walls with the beauty of nature. He looked at the small apartment he had been staying in over his shoulder as he stepped out of the doorway, breathing the musky scent in one last time before he left. Wufei's mouth grew into a full smile as he walked carelessly down the street, showing his true self for the first time in years. He took in the heavy scent of fresh Sakura blossoms in the humid spring air, appreciating them for all they were worth. He took a bus to the nearby Kyoto airport and got on his plane to China, to his home.

He had several layovers on his way, during which he met up with all the other pilots. At the final layover, they found Duo, standing at the security desk, showing the woman behind the desk some papers angrily. Wufei sighed with a smile and walked up to Duo.

"What's wrong this time, Duo?" Wufei asked.

"Wufei! Finally, someone reasonable! This woman says that I can't carry my gun onto the plane! She says it has to go in some special carrying case!" Duo replied, flailing his arms, nearly hitting both Wufei and Jenny, the woman behind the desk.

"Wufei? *Chang* Wufei?" Jenny asked.

"Yes." Wufei replied, looking closely at the woman for the first time, instantly recognizing her, "Jenny Mak? Is that you?" Wufei asked, a slight blush rising on his cheeks.

"Wufei! It's been so long! Your brother will be happy to hear of you!" Jenny said ecstatically.

"No, Jenny. Don't tell him you saw me. I don't know if I'll live through this war yet. You know why, so don't tell him. Even if he commands you." Wufei replied, looking deep into Jenny's eyes. Jenny nodded slightly.

"Alright, I won't tell him, but we miss you, Wufei. Maybe someday you can come home." Jenny replied with a small smile and a sigh.

"Hello? What am I? Nothing to you people?" Duo asked, offended by the lack of attention being given to him.

"Duo, just let them put it into the case, it's not that big of a deal. I'm not carrying my gun, ether." Wufei said, then walked away after flashing Jenny a smile. Duo gave him a curious look, then turned around and allowed his gun to be put in the case. He ran to catch up with the rest of the pilots.

"Hey, Wufei, what's up with you? I've never seen you smile at a woman before!
Let alone in public!" Duo said, looking at his fellow pilot with one narrow eye, "Who are you and what did you do with the real Chang Wufei?" Wufei narrowed his eyes at the comment.

"I *am* the real Chang Wufei, baka. And that woman was my sister in law." Wufei replied, walking past Duo. Duo's eyes went wide, then turned to follow the others in a state of shock.

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When they finally arrived at the Chung Jaw-Long academy, Wufei laughed out loud when he saw the familiar dragon statues. He remembered having to scrub them clean when he had gotten involved in a food fight during his first month at the academy. He jogged the rest of the way into the school, and slowed to a walk when he entered the admissions office, the other pilots trailing not far behind. When Wufei saw his old headmaster was behind the same old desk, he knocked and entered the office quietly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Yu!" Wufei said brightly. Mr. Yu looked up from his paperwork, his eyes wide.

"Chang Wufei? What are you doing here? Did you get in trouble again?" Mr. Yu asked, a small smile spreading across his face, "I received word of your arrival, and that of your... Comrades. I was a friend to one of the scientists and I know of your present occupations. I will be assisting you and your friends in any way possible. I'll you give them the grand tour. You'll be staying in the G wing."

(A/N: Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

"Thanks, Mr. Yu!" Wufei replied, and then returned to his fellow pilots,

"Everything's settled, we'll be staying in the G wing." Wufei said, he looked over the group with a sigh and a shake of the head, "But first, we must do something about those clothes or you'll be the laughing stock of the school."

Duo looked down at his usual black priest's outfit, "What's wrong with my clothes?"

Wufei cocked an eyebrow at this remark. "You're in traditional China, Duo, not America, and certainly not the colonies." Wufei replied in an annoyed tone. He turned away and began walking, the other pilots following behind, complete with a pouting Duo.

The next morning, when the pilots emerged from their new rooms, they were each wearing a robe, tied round the waist in varying colors and patterns. Duo stretched out, his braid brushing on the ground as he bent backwards. Wufei looked at Duo and sighed. Wufei had his hair down, something he almost never did around the other pilots.

"Duo, you need to take out your braid. It's part of the school rules, boys may not wear their hair up." Wufei said to the braided boy. Duo narrowed his eyes at Wufei as he slowly took out his braid. The five pilots then walked to class together, many of the students calling out greetings to Wufei.

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They strolled along at a slow pace together between their classes, when Wufei suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. When Duo bumped into him, Wufei glanced back at the other pilot, the signaled them to stay there. He slowly walked over to another boy across the small courtyard area. Wufei swallowed heavily as he stopped a few feet behind the other person. Wufei stood back respectfully until the other boy had finished the conversation he was holding. When he was done, the boy turned around to leave, and stopped suddenly. Wufei swallowed as they both searched the other's eyes.

"Master Lee, my marriage has ended. What is your command?" Wufei asked in a shaky voice, his hands quivering slightly.

"Wufei, it really is you. I'm so sorry about Nataku I heard what happened. Just finish your day at school and find me after the final gong." Lee replied, resting his hand on Wufei's shoulder.

"Yes, Master Lee." Wufei replied with a deep bow, then turned and returned to the other pilots, "Let's go." He said, and then began walking toward their next class. The others followed, casting curious glances at their comrade and each other. He had put back up his mask of honor and pride. The Dragon was full of surprises lately.

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When the final gong rang that day, Wufei left the other pilots to their own devices, and set off to find Lee. He walked through the sakura garden and found him lying lazily in one of the trees.

"I have returned, Master Lee." Wufei said, announcing his arrival, "What are your commands?"

"Don't be so formal, Wufei. I know you don't want to be my slave, but honor requires it. Your father promised you to me, should your marriage ever end. I cannot free you until there's been at least five years of good behavior on your part. If my honor would allow me to free you, I would and you know it. Until then, I'll try to soften the blow at least a little. Just call me Lee. Plus, if you're luckier than me, you'll be free sooner than that. This war just keeps getting closer and closer." Lee said with a sigh as he looked down upon Wufei, taking in the sweet scent of the sakura blossoms surrounding him,

'You have no idea' Wufei thought as he looked up at Lee with a sigh.

'If he only knew we were both Gundam Pilots, it would all be so different.' Lee thought, taking a deep breath. He looked down at the base of the tree and spoke aloud, "Sit down and relax a little, Wufei. The world isn't ending." Lee said as he pointed at the base of the tree, silently he added, 'At least not yet.' Wufei obeyed his master, leaning back against the strong tree and closing his eyes.

"Tell me something, Wufei. What do you fear? Why are you frightened of those things?" Lee asked. Wufei opened his eyes, glancing up at Lee.

"I fear a lot of things, but mostly I fear my secrets. I fear of what would happen if certain people knew them, what could happen, the different reactions. Sometimes I get so scared that I wake up crying in the middle of the night because I dreamed about what could happen. I just wish I could tell more people than already know, but it's not possible. Some of my secrets could get me killed." Wufei replied with a sigh.

"I have the exact same problem, but there's only one person I can ever tell what's going on, and one's just not enough. Tell you what. If you tell me one of your secrets, I'll tell you one of mine. You know I'm true to my word, and I give you my word that what you tell me will never reach another's ears from my lips." Lee said, closing his eyes.

"Fair enough. One of my secrets is the fact that I'm bi. I haven't told anyone else this at all, you're the first person I've told." Wufei replied.

"Well, it seems that our first secrets are the same. I am also bi, although I haven't met anyone I've been interested in yet, I know that I could care less about their gender. I'm physically attracted to both." Lee replied, true to his word. Wufei sighed, debating about whether to let his biggest secret out.

"Alright. I will tell you my biggest and most dangerous secret. You must not tell anyone, my life depends upon it," Wufei said, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, "I am the pilot of Shenlong, one of the five Gundams that have been destroying various OZ facilities."

"So you are. I already knew that. The scientists told me. I work for them, but I do surveillance and infiltration only. I access classified information on us, and delete it. I've never been caught like your friend Heero, who seems to kill people every time he infiltrates a building of any kind, so long as he is on a mission. He's a bit reckless, although that Duo is admirable for his stealth techniques. Technically, I'm a Gundam pilot, if you're wondering. I could pilot any one of the Gundams with deadly efficiently, if need be." Lee responded with a pause and sigh, "I hate this war. Nothing but death and destruction is achieved. Sometimes I wonder if peace is even possible in this world. There's so much anger and hate. Wufei, when this war is over, don't come looking for me. That's an order. I want you to go on with your life like I never existed, because the end of the war will erase me from the memory of humankind. I will have never existed, and that's the way I want it. Promise me, Wufei, that you'll forget about me and move on, be happy, and live your new life to the fullest."

"I can't promise you'll I'll forget you, but I promise you I will move on, be happy, and live my new life after the wars to the fullest, if I live that long." Wufei swore solemnly, "I swear this upon the grave of my wife, Nataku, Living Justice."

"Good. You'll be leaving tomorrow, correct? I know you have accessed the required information." Lee asked.

"Yes, the information was easy enough to come by." Wufei replied, "I just wish I didn't have to leave so soon. I feel real here, like a real person, not some trained weapon used for genocide. That's what it is, really. Genocide against those working for OZ, and nothing more, we're as bad as the Nazis." Wufei replied, remembering things from his ancient history class. That had been over a thousand years ago now, but humankind still remembered.

"I won't see you again before you leave, I have a mission as well. I guess the only thing left now is to say goodbye. We know each other's secrets, and maybe they'll lead us to each other again someday. Farewell, Dragon, and try not to get yourself get killed. Meiren would be cross if you did." Lee said as he jumped gracefully out of the tree.

"Goodbye, my friend. I hope on day our fates will bring us together again. Until then, take care, and don't make me rescue you. I will be cross if you do." Wufei said with a playful smile, hiding the water welling up in his eyes. Lee smiled slightly in return, the walked out of the sakura garden, seeming to fade away onto the falling blossom petals.

Wufei quickly turned and walked quickly away in the other direction. When he reached the room he shared with the other pilots, he settled into one of the corners as they played truth or dare, letting himself silently cry into his arms.

TBC...

TM:: So..... How was it???? Tell me tell me tell me tellmetellmetellmetellmetellme!!!!!!!!!

Duo:: CALM DOWN! How much caffeine have you had today?

TM:: Couple a' liters. Not too much.

Duo:: *Sweat drop*

Wufei:: She doesn't own us. Don't sue because the weakling onna has no money.

TM and Duo:: HEY!!!

Duo:: That's my SISTER you're talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TM:: Yeah! His sister! *Hic*

Duo:: Oh, Lord. Who spiked her soda *this* time?