A Matter of Heart: Heirs to the Legacy 2 (The Second Set)
A Gundam Wing Fanfiction By: Andrea Readwolf
Email: andrea_readwolf @hotmail.com
Rating: YA/Mature
Families: First Generation
YMC Fam (Yuy-Maxwell-Chang Family: Trinity, Mara Jade,
and Dylan);
Winner Fam (Quatre + Trowa, Triton&Tristan, and little sis
Calista)
Peacecraft Family (Zechs Marquise/Milliard + Lucrezia/Noin
Peacecraft, Kit/Katarynna, Adrian, and Nicolette/Nicole)
Mazzolla Family (Mariemeia + Jake Mazzolla {OC}, Julian)
Catalonia-Dorian Family (Dorothy Catalonia + Relena Dorian,
Regina)
Une-Po Family (Lady Une + Sally Po, Marie Une*, Michael Braddocks,
Mark Braddocks, Matthew Braddocks)
Families: Second Generation
The Royal Peacecraft Family: King Adrian, Queen Trinity, twins Yuy (10-f)
and Maxwell (10-m)
The Winner Family (#1): Tristan + Mara Jade = Meiran (14-f), Dakota (12-f),
Jasmine (11-f), Galen (8-m), Bryce (5-m), Adrianna (4-f), Fletcher (2-m),
Hakeem (8 1/2 PN-m) *(a lot ^__^'')
The Winner Family (#2): Triton + Katarynna (Kit/Kat ^__^v) = Gabriel (6-m)
Pairings: Dylan Maxwell + Nicole Peacecraft (hoped for by Nikki); Julian
Mazzolla + Calista Winner (hoped for by Julian) [AN: has anyone else
noticed that really on Trinity and Adrian *wanted* each other from the
first? None of this 'hoped for' business...]
Archive: Yes-- www.gwaddiction.com
Warnings: The following story contains scenes that are humorous,
sappy,fluff, with rampant Incoherence, random PoV switching, and
Sexual innuendoes abound.
Original Characters are presented; all characters are IC according to
the author's interpretation of them. Mainly heterosexual
situations, with hints of YAOI and YURI (from the "older" crowd... and
*some* references to Dylan's past).
Spoilers: None to the original Gundam Wing Series at first; However, once
Julian has been commissioned by Calista for a special project, expect a lot
of rehashing of the series. It would be a plus to have read the previous
Matter of Heart Series Arc stories: "Dance of the Heart" Arc and "Oh Baby,
Baby" Arc. "Heirs to the Legacy" is built off of the stories forming
"Traditions".
Feedback: C&C is always welcomed and adored.
Acknowledgements: It's been three years... Three long bloody years. Hn.
And this damn story *still* isn't finished! Acknowledgements go out to all
the people who have helped me throughout this incredibly long Series--it
ain't over yet! Special Thanks go out to Zan, who must be my longest-kept
beta-reader to date! (And also a very good friend.... "How many more days
till A-kon?" "AW-what?" "What to you mean it's pronounced 'yeowie'? It's
spelt like 'ya-o-ee'." "Okay, now, seriously here; how squicked out do you
think people will be if I happen to mention the sexual relationship between
the twins? I mean, Triton and Tristan are very affectionate and all,
but...." ^___^)
Notes: This is the story of the children, the nine children of the 6
gundam pilots (Heero--Zechs) plus the grandchild of Treize
Khushrenada. This story will not focus primarily on the characters
from the series, but rather, the generation after them. This story is
not for all die-hard fans, but runs along the lines of a more
original piece.
Additional Note: 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 often times refer to each other as
"husband" [and thus the grandchildren might at one point refer to all five
men (six in Zech's case) as "grandfather"]; please refer back to "Promise of
the Rings" Part 13 if this causes confusion.
Additional Note 2: The chibis often times refer to their parents'
friends and partners as "Uncle" or "Aunt"--in this case, the
term is used simply as one of respect since, with the exception
of Kit & Adrian's relation to Relena, all of Quatre's sisters, and
Trowa's Catherine, none of the parents really have siblings.
Additional Note 3: As hinted at in Heirs to the Legacy #1, Zechs and Noin
have separated. Zechs has somehow been coerced into living with our boys at
Emerald Gardens (we've had the 5-somes; anyone up to a 6-some?)
Translation Note: Tousan/Otousan, father, represents Heero. Chichi is often
times used for Wufei. Daddy, Duo.
***These stories and the ideas contained within are copyright of the author. No reprinting or posting without permission of said author. ***
~New York, New York July AC 242 ~
With Preventer Stone's help, Dylan had set up surveillance of the theaters where Nicole was performing. It wasn't easy, and so far, it hadn't paid off. It was frustrating beyond hell, Dylan thought as he toweled off his hair and stepped out into the hotel room, only to hear Nikki was on the phone.
"It can't be that bad, Daddy," the blonde young woman was saying cheerfully.
"You have no idea," Zechs Marquise groaned.
"I think it's a great idea that you're writing a book about your war life," his daughter went on. "After all, wasn't the whole point of that war to prove that war is bad? Telling your side of the story would help others understand how horrible war is."
"Well, it's not as if Julian's giving any of us a choice of backing out of this book," the elder Peacecraft moaned. "But, anyway. When you coming home, baby?"
Nikki smiled, propping her chin up in her hands. "Well, I was thinking of stopping by after my tour. But if you're going to be busy with your book...."
"None of that!" Zechs chastised. "I'd have you here tonight if it was possible."
"But it's not," she reminded her father. "Don't worry. I promise to stop by after my tour is over." By chance, she glanced over and saw Dylan watching. "I gotta get going, Dadddy, but I love you, and it was good to hear your voice. Give my love to everyone."
"Same here, baby. You take care of yourself. You look tired; don't over do it, now."
"I won't, I promise. Love you, bye bye."
"Love you, too."
And then the line was cut off.
"You could've stayed on longer," Dylan grinned, watching her pounce back onto the bed.
Nikki shook her head, though. "He already had me on for fifteen minutes, and it's bad enough he called me this early..." She groaned and buried her head against the pillows.
Dylan sighed and climbed back into bed with her, wrapping her up in his arms before whispering in her ear, "Poor baby," and dragging her back out of bed again despite her shrieking laughter.
Zechs sighed as he hung up the phone with his youngest, staring back at the closed door that led to the smallest sitting room. Behind that closed door was Julian Mazzolla and his recorder and questions.
Somehow, despite all their misgivings, Julian had persuaded them to take this painful trip down memory lane. Not all of it was painful, true... but so much of it... He and the others had spent forty years trying to forget and get past what happened during those two years and before them. But maybe there was some good in it, like Nicole had suggested. Not just for others, but for themselves, too. Even though it was painful, maybe it was like pouring alcohol over a wound--it stung, but it helped the wound to heal, too.
Zechs looked back at the vid phone and contemplated calling Marie to let her know what her son was up to, but then he changed his mind, grinning, and put in a call to Preventers. Better to let Anne and Sally receive a share of the fame.
A routine was quickly established between the seven men. Not even Mara Jade's labor interrupted Julian's cycle of eat, sleep, breathe Gundam.
In the mornings, Julian would sit with Wufei and converse over different subjects, jumping around the time line with random abandon. Some time around eleven or noon, Trowa would chase Wufei out so the older man could eat something, and he would sit with Julian for approximately an hour and a half answering whatever question was asked of him, but never offering anything else. A little after noon, Quatre would come in, sit down, and chat easily enough with the younger man until Heero showed up to answer questions. After an hour break which was dinner, Zechs and then Duo would take their turns.
Questions and conversations came from the notes that Julian had arranged or from something someone else had said. One day it was about the special functions each Gundam possessed, another it was reasons for entering the war. Relentlessly, Julian pursued and gobbled up their story.
"Wait a minute," Julian frowned, staring at the man sitting across from him. "You would have been thirteen or fourteen then when you were chosen to fly the Gundam then."
Wufei nodded. "That is correct," he answered with calm patience. "I believe Duo and Heero were younger when they started training, though Quatre and Trowa were more of a last minute choice."
"That's... that's... " Julian sputtered, searching for a word. He had believed, like many others he was sure, that the persons who piloted the Gundam mobile suits were soldiers... seasoned fighters.... "And your parents agreed to it? Your mother and father just let you go out and fight in a war?"
Wufei laughed to cover up what would have been a wince. "My parents? My father was proud to have such an honour bestowed upon the family when I was chosen to marry my wife, Meiran. Once married, I was no longer considered a child of my father's family, but a young man of my wife's family, and when Meiran was killed in an Alliance attack it was expected of me to go out and take revenge upon her murderers on behalf of our family."
A bead of perspiration slid down the tall glass of tea to puddle at the base.
"It was the honourable thing to do... but I wasn't thinking much of honour when I agreed to pilot the Gundam," Wufei admitted softly.
Julian held his tongue but looked eager to ask.
"I was... you see, not much of a warrior," the Chinese man continued in a low voice, as if to speak any louder would bring shame to him. "I was content to sit under a tree or out in a field of flowers with a book and read the whole day.
"I understood I had a duty to my clan, to be a strong warrior, to marry and produce children, to provide for my family... I understood this, and I did study, but... I was not a warrior. At least, not before the war, not before my wife was killed. My wife... she was a warrior. After we were married she used to yell at me for sitting and reading for hours instead of training for the war. She would accuse me of not caring for our clan, not wanting to bring justice to those who would oppress our people. She would pray out loud to Nataku, the God of Justice, so I would hear her begging him to make me understand."
Wufei smiled, but it was not a happy smile.
"I was out in our field, reading, when the Alliance attacked. I was too far away from the hangar where Shenlong, my gundam, was hidden. But Meiran... she ran in and climbed into the suit... she went out to fight the Alliance ships, but she couldn't control the Gundam. It was too much for her. Even though I went after her in another suit, I was too late to help her, to save her.... She died in my arms, in our field of flowers. That was when I made the choice to fight.
"Even though my family, my clan had made the choice previously, that was when my choice was made."
Wufei stopped now, reaching out the glass of tea and sipping. When the glass was replaced, he continued his story.
"From that day on, I trained seriously. I had determined to fight in my wife's place and rain Nataku's justice upon the Alliance. I renamed my gundam Nataku, and on December 24, After Colony 194, I climbed into Nataku's cockpit and fell to Earth to destroy the Alliance."
"Why did you rebuild the Gundam even though you knew Romefeller wanted it destroyed?"
Zechs smiled. "I was convinced that the pilot was not dead, to begin with, and I was desperate to pit my skills as a pilot against his, this famous gundam pilot who was willing to sacrifice himself in order to protect the colonies. That really was the main reason, but as to Romefeller, even though I was a member of the organization, I hated it. I despised Romefeller. They were behind my parents' murder and the fall of Sank, even though the Alliance was primarily to blame.
"I killed the person who was in charge of the Alliance operation that killed my parents, and I was already planning to break away from OZ now that my revenge was accomplished. Treize knew this, and he knew I was rebuilding the gundam. He helped me as much as possible without risking his own career...." Zechs trailed off, looking at the fireplace.
"Did you love Treize Kushrenada?" Julian asked gently.
Zechs startled, as if he had forgotten Julian was in the same room. He debated answering the question before nodding. "Yes. Treize and I were lovers."
*
"Why did you press that self-destruct button?"
"..."
"What were you thinking when you pressed it?"
"...."
"Did you have any second thoughts?"
"..."
Julian sighed, replacing his pen behind his ear and massaging the bridge of his nose beneath his glasses.
"Uncle Heero, you said you'd cooperate. Now, that cooperation involves you *talking* about what happened before, during, and *after* the war. Now, if I have to call Uncle Duo or Quatre in here just to get you to talk...."
He left the threat unfinished, watching the older, stubborn man closely.
"My mission was to protect the colonies," Heero finally answered.
"And if you were dead, you could protect the colonies?"
"If my gundam was destroyed it couldn't be used to hurt the colonies."
"But Zechs was able to reconstruct the gundam."
"...."
"How did you survive the self destruction of Wing?"
"I just did."
"What happened to you after that?"
"I was unconscious."
"Where did you stay while you were unconscious?"
"At the circus."
"Where Trowa worked?"
Heero nodded.
"So Trowa carried you back to his circus where...where he was hiding from OZ and... nursed you back to health there?"
Heero nodded.
Julian sighed.
"Why did you take Heero back to the circus with you?"
"I thought he was dead."
"So if he wasn't dead you would have left him?"
"No."
"Then why did you take Heero's body?"
"....I... admired him."
"Why?"
"He possessed a self-determination and soldier's attitude that I felt I lacked."
"Did you lack that attitude?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I didn't care about what happened to the colonies. I really wasn't fighting for them. I was fighting because that was the only thing I knew how to do, and I was good at it."
"Because that's how you grew up, right? Fighting with the mercenaries."
Trowa nodded, and Julian sighed. At least he didn't have to threaten Trowa to talk...
"So you and Heero met each other first?"
Duo nodded. "And Quatre and Tro met each other first, too. Wu, you know, he kinda kept to himself a lot, but we all met up at that one air field. 'Fei was trying to warn us that it was a set up but we weren't listening."
"That's when the Peaceful Doves died?" Julian clarified.
"Yeah, well, shortly after that's when Heero, you know, s-d-ed himself, and I hooked up with Quatre and we took off for his place in the desert to hide out until we got word from our contacts in the colonies that they were all right."
"Because Colonel Une had threatened to destroy a colony if the gundam pilots didn't surrender?"
Duo nodded. "Yeah, that's right. You know, she was really psycho back then. There were some people who said she had a split personality, you know? Colonel Une was the real bad guy, the super-bitch, you might say. And then, there was her alter ego, Lady Anne, she's the one who went to the colonies on behalf of OZ. But Tro can tell you more about the many wonderful personalities of Lady Anne Middi Une."
"I'll remember that, thanks," Julian smiled.
"The sand retreat, yes... the Maganuacs had many bases in Africa. That was just one of them. There was another that Trowa and I stayed at soon after we arrived on Earth."
"What made you decide to go back to space?" Julian asked carefully.
Quatre sipped his tea. "The colonies were in danger of making a terrible mistake," he replied softly. "Lady Anne had already traveled to the colonies and was persuading them that in order to protect themselves, they must take up arms. Well, of course, that was completely silly. After all, that's why we were there. So the colonies *wouldn't* have to arm themselves with weapons. We were their weapons. But not all of the colonies saw it that way.
"We were all separated again once we got back into space, and had very little contact with one another."
"I made my own decision to go to space," Zechs answered. "I saw what OZ was trying to do and I thought, foolishly, that if I was there I could help stop them."
"Only Quatre and myself managed to stay out of an OZ prision."
"How did you manage to do that?"
"Well, I worked for OZ. I gained Colonel Une's favour by being one of OZ's best pilots and even destroying DeathScythe during a test."
"I bet Duo wasn't happy about that."
"No, he wasn't. But it was his own fault for allowing his gundam to be captured. It was better for it to have been destroyed, rather than let OZ use it."
"So Heero, Duo, and Wufei were all captured by OZ at some point?"
Trowa nodded.
"Ever together?"
Again, he nodded.
"When?"
"On the Lunar Base where, conveniently, I was working."
"Why was that convenient?"
"I could keep an eye on them."
"Did anything happen?"
"The scientists who created Gundam were there. They had created two new mobile suits. Both Heero and I piloted them."
"I have no records of two other gundam suits. What happened to them?"
"Quatre destroyed one with Wing Zero, and then Duo destroyed both later during nearly the last battle with DeathScythe Hell."
"His gundam was rebuilt then?"
"All of our suits were updated at some point during the war with the exception of Heero's. He just received a new suit."
"The suit Quatre built, correct? Wing Zero?"
"Hai."
"The next time everyone was together, then, was in the Moon Base prison?"
"Yeah, almost. I mean, I was caught by OZ when Q-man and me split up in space, but Heero, he came and busted me out, you know? I thought he was going to kill me, but he didn't. I guess he was starting to break away from his 'the mission is everything' attitude by then.
"But Trowa got to the Moon Base first--he won OZ's trust by blowing up *my* gundam--and then Heero tried to infiltrate, but he got caught by Trowa, go fig, and then I went after Heero--that's when I met Hilde--but I got caught--by Hilde, who later tried to help me get to the Moon Base, but I still got caught and thrown in with Heero--and not too much later after that, Wufei showed up, but he wouldn't tell us why or how he got there. Still won't, 'sa matter a fact."
Duo yawned and stretched, before continuing.
"Well, the old foggies who made our gundams were captured by OZ and were commissioned to build new gundams--that would be Vaye-Eight and the Mercurius that I destroyed by myself with DeathScythe, thank you very much--and OZ used Trowa and Heero to test pilot the suits, but they met up with Quatre one day, and well.... Hn."
"What?"
Duo winced. "I don't want you going and asking Q about this, okay, because it was a very rough time for him, but..." He sighed. "See, he went a little, well, crazy, I guess. Saw his old man murdered by his colony, and Quatre just, well, snapped. He went and built Wing Zero, which had this mind-tripping program in it that would make just about anyone go crazy, and he went off blowing up any colony that had chosen to arm itself. Well, of course the colonies couldn't protect themselves from a gundam, and they called on OZ to protected them... well, OZ sent Trowa and Heero to go save the colonies, but... well, I think Tro and Cat had already hooked up, if you know what I mean, and from what I could get Heero to tell me, Trowa tried to reason with Quatre, but he wouldn't listen and ended up blowing up the suit Trowa was in....''
Duo cleared his throat, unconscious of his knee jittering nervously.
"We... we thought we lost Tro for good.... I mean.... it brought Quatre back to his senses, but he was going crazy now with grief over what he had done. Sort of from one extreme to another, you know? Well, it was sometime after that when 'Fei and me busted out of there, and we all didn't meet back up until just about the end."
Julian sat, awe-struck.
"Why did you build Wing Zero?"
The Winner Patriarch did not answer.
Julian, who was used to Quatre's easy conversational tone or at the very least, serious discussion, was uneasy with his silence and he looked up from his notes, nervously.
"Perhaps," Quatre said finally, his voice little more than a ghostly whisper, "It would be better to show you rather than tell you our story, and then, if you have any questions..." He nodded to himself and stood. "hen you can ask them."
Quatre walked out of the room, leaving Julian to either follow or be left behind.
Julian stared after him with surprise, and then, snatching up his bag, followed after. Quatre led him down to the ground floor and back towards the kitchens, but before they could enter that section of the house, the blond man stopped in front of what looked like a linen closet.
Quatre looked back at him, as if to make sure the other had followed, and then placed his palm flat against the wall beside the door.
"Quatre Rabarba Winner."
The door unlocked and Quatre walked into what looked like pitch blackness. Julian hesitated, but managed to dip past the door before it resealed itself.
Inside, it was not as dark as it had appeared from the outside, but then again, it wasn't a closet, either. Some people had a trophy room or show room in their homes. Quatre Winner had a memorial room in his.
Four weeks.
Yes, Dylan was counting the days left until this blasted tour would be over. He would be a lot happier if he could finally stop whoever the person was trying to hurt Nikki, truthfully, but Mike had made an interesting point during their last conversation.
Whoever it was who was sending those letters to Nikki and setting the bombs seemed to be after Zechs, not Nikki. So, maybe when Zechs still didn't show up, the person, whoever he or she was, would give up, lose interest in Nicole and find another way to get at Zechs.
Dylan had another thought on the matter, however, one neither man particularly liked. Or, whoever the person was, after being frustrated that Zechs hadn't shown, would hurt Nikki anyway, just to get back at him.
Dylan actually considered warning his fathers, if not about Nikki, then at least he could give them a heads up about Zechs' possible danger...at least one of his fathers. But who could he trust to keep secret his nearby presence, still warn and protect Zechs, without taking Dylan's head off?
Trowa.
The Memorial room was actually two rooms. The first was concerned mainly with the war itself, and displayed the same picture Julian had seen in his grandmother's office at Preventers' Headquarters. File after file about the war, from newscasters, to newspapers, and commentaries were in the first room. In the second room was everything and anything left over from the gundams minus the mobile suits themselves, including mission reports and correspondence between the pilots.
For two weeks, no one saw or heard from Julian Mazzolla.
End Part 10
Again, a heavy bit of revision went into this piece before sending, and this
chapter was posting without beta-approval first. (Eep! Zan's going to kill
me if I keep this up! But almost all the revisions were based on your
comments! Honest!)
Hope you're enjoying the read--this story's almost over, believe it or not!
Andrea Readwolf
Please send comments to: andrea_readwolf@hotmail.com