Brave Souls

By: Quatre Raberba Winner (Quatre-Chan/Onna-Quatre)

It had almost been a year since we had that reunion on L2. But this past year's events had been nothing but trouble. True WuFei and I do have our daughter, but that was nothing compared to what happened two weeks ago.

We had been planning on getting together for the weekend, but that was postponed due to an urgent meeting Quatre had to attend.

A week prier to this, Relena Peacecraft had come to the colonies for a meeting, but then she became ill and simply vanished the next day. No one has seen her since.

Rumor has it that she had passed away due to the illness, but the others and I knew better than that. WuFei and I decided to leave Merin with Catherine, Sally and Hildie.

We had searched the entire colony and found nothing. We had stopped the search, but something inside of me knew that we would find her eventually.

The day of our get together was canceled because Quatre had vanished. Once we got word of this from Trowa, we started to search again.

Days had passed and we found nothing. And by no explanation at all, some of the colony citizens had become ill. Kawa had told us that a disease had begun to spread through the colony. At this rate, L4 would suffer the same way the people on L2 had.

I was sitting in my room at the Winner Estate with Heero and Midori, looking at Heero's laptop.

We had scanned the whole colony and found nothing. The only lead we had was when our blond comrade had disappeared. One of the security guards had seen three people take him into an alley, but when he got there they were gone. He had also told us that Quatre didn't look to good, which gave us a reason to believe that he had gotten the virus. The only thing we could do was sit back and wait for these people to appear again.

* * *

Kawa was walking down the alleyway to see if she could find any leads. When out of the blue she was dragged into a car.

"Where are you taking me?" she asked.

A woman in her 40's looked at her, "You are a doctor, correct?"

"Well yes, but.. ."

"Then you could be of some help to this colony. Just be patient, we won't harm you, I promise."

Within about ten minutes they made it to an underground hideout.

The woman helped Kawa out of the car and led her into one of the rooms. She walked her over to the bed, "We already lost one of them."

Kawa looked at the bed, "Quatre.. ." she looked at the woman, "You were the one who took him?"

"And Miss Relena. This virus is being caused by people left over from the war. They want to recreate the miss fortune that the people on L2 had suffered." She lowered her head, "Unfortunately, I was one of the people who caused the virus on L2."

"You did?"

She nodded, "I'm not proud of it, that's why I'm trying to correct that mistake. But I need you to help him for now. Until we are able to find a cure, you're the only one who can help. Miss Relena has already died, we can't let that happen to him."

Kawa smiled and looked at Quatre, "If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?"

"My name is Allison. What's yours?"

"Kawa.. ."

~~~

Duo paced back and fourth. Kawa had been gone for way too long and he had just about had it. Heero and Midori continued to look on the laptop, WuFei was trying to cheer Trowa up, but so far wasn't succeeding. I on the other hand got out of my seat and looked out the window.

"Guys," I broke the silence, "I think we should look for her."

"We know you're right, but what if she got killed in that alley?" Duo asked.

"Duo, I'm sure she's alive." I faced them, "But if you're not going to do something, I will." Not questioning it any farther, I walked out the door.

~~~

I went into the alley, It was dark, cold, every thing I felt while I was on L1, but that no longer bothers me. I must find Kawa before it's too late. Every second counts.

I walked farther down the dreary alleyway. I held out my right hand and lit a ball of light in my palm. Even with the spell I couldn't find anything.

"Scan.. ." This spell allowed me to scan the area without any difficulty.

It took a few minutes, but the scan spell revealed a secret passage deep within the dark alley. Not wanting to go in without any sort of plan, I retreated back to the estate.

~~~

Quatre tossed and turned in his bed. His fever had gone higher in the past few minutes, at the rate he was going he would end up dying before the day was over.

Kawa laid a damp washcloth over his forehead, "Please Quatre, hold on.. ."

"Trowa.. ."

"He'll be here, I promise." She walked over to Allison, "Find anything?"

"Not yet. How's Mr. Winner?"

Kawa shook her head slightly, "Not so good. We haven't found anyway of helping him. If we don't come up with something soon, we'll lose him for good."

~~~

I walked into the living room and filled my comrades in on what I had found.

"Let's go after her." Duo said, running for the door.

"Wait Duo!" I shouted, "We have to come up with a plan first. You don't know what might be in there. If I wanted to go in without a plan, I would have gone by myself."

Heero shut his laptop, "I think the best thing we can do is go in with our weapons ready. The way the base was hidden I'm sure they must not want to be disturbed, so we'll just go through quietly."

Midori glared at Duo, "Does that mean I can duck tape Duo's mouth shut?"

"No."

"Merin is with Catherine, so we don't need to worry about her."

I nodded, "Then lets be on our way.. ."

We made it to the alley in no time at all. I recast the light orb spell and led the way through the secret passage.

We continued through the passage and then stopped dead in our tracks.

I looked at the others over my shoulder, "Did you hear that?"

"Trowa.. ." there it was again.

"Duo that's not funny." Trowa glared at the pilot of Deathscythe.

"That's not me.. ."

"Tro.. .wa.. ." there it was a third time, but it seemed to be fading quickly.

This couldn't be.. . or can it? "Scan." The spelled searched the entire area, am I right?

"Trowa!" the voice sounded panicked and filled with pain.

The blue haired girl moved closer to Heero and wrapped her arms around him, "Heero, something doesn't feel right."

"Get off him!" Duo pried her off, "He's mine, remember?"

"Well excuse me for being a little scared."

"That's no excuse!"

"ENOUGH!" WuFei shouted and stood in between the two feuding pilots. "Lina is trying to concentrate, so could both of you shut up?!"

"That voice is Quatre.. ." I gasped.

"What?" Trowa looked at me in confusion.

"Kawa's with him and from the look of it, he's not doing to well.. ."

"Then lets go."

We nodded in agreement with Trowa and ran the rest of the way.

Once we reached the entrance we were greeted by a woman who seemed to be in her 40's.

Heero pulled his gun on her, "Where are Quatre and Kawa?"

She turned around and faced him. She looked him over a bit and when her gaze landed on his face her eyes widened, "Alden?" she gasped.

Heero's own eyes became bigger as he looked at the woman. His hand started to tremble and his gun dropped to the floor, "Mother.. .?"

I couldn't believe my eyes. Heero's mother was alive. I often heard Dr. J telling him that she was dead and he always replied "I know." The only thing bothering me about this is that she didn't come after him when he went with that evil man.

"Alden," she walked closer to him, "you've grown up so much."

"Where have you been?" he managed.

"Here and there."

Duo glared at the woman, "Hey listen lady, if you really are his mother then you'll answer him truthfully."

"Duo," I looked at him as well as the others, "I think we should leave them alone."

"Lina, is that you?"

I turned around to see Kawa running towards us, "What's wrong?"

She stopped before me, "I need your help. And if you don't help me Quatre's going to die.. ."

I nodded and looked at the Latin pilot, "Come with me."

He nodded and we followed Kawa to the back room.

"Alden, do you really want to know?"

"Hai."

She sighed, "Before I explain, who was that person who called me 'lady'?"

"That was Duo. He's my.. ." he blushed a little.

"Your what?"

"My kobito.. ."

She smiled, "That's nice.. ." her smiled faded and she looked at the ground, "I left because of some wrong doing that I had done. I was part of an organization and we had done some terrible things. We were the cause of the virus on L2 and.. ."

Heero looked at Duo, than at his mother again, "Please don't say it.. ."

"The destruction of the Maxwell Church. I didn't know it back then, but that organization were a bunch of terrorists. I left because I didn't want to cause you or your father any more pain."

"So you decided to cause other people pain?!" The longhaired pilot of Deathscythe walked over to them and stood next to Heero, "You took everything that was important to me. Your son went through a lot to get to where he is now. When I asked him some things about his past he always said to me; 'there are things you're better off not knowing.' I've wondered all this time who would have done such a thing and now I've got my answer.. ." his violet eyes quivered as tears started to fall.

"You were the only survivor from the church's destruction.. . I'm sorry. I can't undo my mistake, but I'm trying to make up for it by helping this colony overcome the virus that has started here."

~~~

As we entered the back room I knew something had gone wrong. The smell of death lingered in the air. We followed Kawa until we reached Quatre's bedside.

Trowa knelt down next to the bed and took his hand, "I'm here.. ."

"Trowa?" he opened his blue eyes and looked at his lover, but his vision started to blur, "I'm going to die, aren't I?"

I went on the other side of the bed and put my hands on the blonde's chest, "Just relax, I'm going to try to heal you." I closed my eyes. My hands started to have that white glow around them, "Purify.. ." I whispered.

I opened my eyes to see Quatre breathing normally. I took off my glove and put my hand to his forehead, "Your fever's gone too."

"Thank you."

We walked back out to the main part of the base. Kawa ran up to Allison, "I think I might have a solution to our problem."

She filled her in on my abilities. She looked at Kawa, then at me, "With your skill, we'll be able to cure the colony."

"Hold on! We don't even know how the virus got started, not to mention who many people have been effected."

Allison sighed, "The last time I checked they said that almost half the colony had been effected."

This was bad. If I didn't do something this whole colony would be annihilated and if I do, I risk my own destruction. I looked at Quatre, "Quatre, what were you doing when you got sick?"

"I was talking with some of my colleagues and drinking some tea."

"Tea.. . what kind?"

"That new brand that came out a week ago."

I looked into Allison's Prussian blue eyes, "Do have any of that here?"

She nodded and walked into the kitchen.

WuFei looked at me, "Lina, now's not the time to think about drinking tea."

Allison gave me the box of tea bags. I set it on the table and put my hands over it, "Status scan.. ." my eyes widened, "It's the tea. They put something into the tea."

"Then you'll need to heal them quickly." She said.

"Hang on lady. Are you going to put her in danger just so you can succeed?" Duo asked, "Who many more people have to suffer because of you?!"

"Duo.. ." Heero put his arms around him, "don't blame her.. ."

"I told you I was sorry for what I have done on L2, but now we must do something before L4 meets the same fate."

"She's not going to do it!" Duo yelled.

I looked at them, "Mission accepted."

Everyone looked at me. Midori walked up to me and shook me by the shoulders, "Are you crazy Lina?! If you over cast your spells it means destruction for you."

"I know. Just like when I cast an all powerful spell in a weakened state, but thousands will die if I don't do something. At this point, my life is insignificant."

WuFei walked over to me and took me into his arms, "As your husband I don't want you to do this, but as a man of honor I believe you are doing the right thing."

* * *

An hour had passed and the plan was almost complete. Kawa unrolled the blueprint, "Alright, this is how it works. We build this platform and two magic enhancing devices. Lina, you'll put your hands on the two devices and then begin casting. As your energy is going through devices, four more will be activated at different points of the colony. There will also be four electrorods at the base of the platform forming an electrical barrier around you. So no one and I mean you WuFei, can not interfere."

"I understand." I looked at the Chinese pilot, "I'll be okay."

"I know.. ."

Now that the plan is set they began to work on the platform. This was going to be the moment of truth, will I be able to save the colony or will it end up in my self-destruction.. .?

I sat in the kitchen with WuFei, Heero and Duo. Midori had decided to help build the machine.

"Heero," I looked at the Japanese pilot, "Are you going to try to stop me?"

He shook his head as he held Duo in place, "I know your limitations. And you know what will happen if you're not careful. I just hope you'll come out of this alive.. ."

"Hey, I've been through worse." I laughed. I then stood up to check and see how far they had gotten.

Midori walked up to me as I entered the room, "Lina, I just want to say good luck. I know I can't stop you."

"Why would you want to?"

"Well you're my friend. I don't want you to die or anything."

I looked into her green eyes with a small smirk on my face, "You didn't do anything back then to help me. You kept saying you were going to, but you left. You left me with those mad men. You didn't do anything back then and you're not doing anything now. I'm beginning wonder if you want me dead.. ." I walked away from her.

"She's right.. . I didn't do anything. But how could she say that I don't care.. ." she sighed and went back to work on the platform.

I walked into the back room and saw Quatre asleep in Trowa's arms. I approached the Heavyarms pilot, "How is he?" I whispered.

"He's fine. He just needs sleep."

I nodded and headed for the exit.

"You'll come out this alive, right?"

I stopped and turned around to face him, "What?"

"Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine. I just hope I'll be able to help the colony." With that said I left the room.

* * *

The next morning, everyone had gathered before the platform.

Kawa looked at us, "This is how it works. Lina, you'll be standing on the platform with your hands on the enhancing orbs then we'll raise it to the upper level. The rest of us will exit the base go into the alley. It is there that Allison will input the password to activate the barrier."

"How close will we be?" Heero asked.

"We will be fairly close, but the alley is big enough to fight in, just incase we are attacked. Now listen carefully Lina, the barrier will only be deactivated if you take your hands off the orbs or if Allison types the password in again. Is that clear?"

I nodded and looked at Midori. I walked over to the blue haired girl, "I know you are worried me and I don't blame you for what happened back then. I just have one favor to ask."

"What's that?"

"If I don't come back, please take care of WuFei and Merin for me.. ." I whispered. Not waiting for her answer, I walked away and climbed onto the platform.

"Oh Lina, I forgot to mention that if anyone or anything is thrown into the barrier it's going to harm you as well, so be careful!" Kawa yelled as she retreated for the exit.

Great, she couldn't have told me that before.. .

The platform had begun to rise. I placed my hands on the respective orbs. This was it.

The others made it into the alley. Duo looked at the sky, "There it is.. ."

Heero looked at his mother, "Now."

She nodded and typed in the password and the handheld control panel.

The barrier was in place. I looked down at the ground. I could see my friends and I hope this wasn't going to be the last. I took a deep breath and shut my eyes, "Purify.. ."

Things started off smoothly until Duo gripped his shoulder and fell to his knees.

"One more move and I'll kill all of you."

Allison turned around, "John.. ."

"So you do remember me from L2." He looked at Duo, "I'm just going to kill you first, then I'm going to blast that sorceress to kingdom come."

Heero pulled his injured kobito into his arms. He was to close to Duo to risk any thing.

Midori fired her gun and the bullet raked across the man's arm. He looked at her and approached, "Now, now if you wanted to die first you could have said something."

Allison pushed the man out of the way and was heading for the barrier, "I will not allow you to harm these people. Especially the people my son care about.. ." she dove into the barrier.

Electricity surged through the orbs. I screamed out in pain, but I couldn't let go, these people needed my help and I wasn't about give up on them.

Heero started to tremble at the sound of the screams. Duo had tried calming him down, Kawa was looking at his shoulder, and Quatre had buried his face into Trowa's chest and sobbed.

Midori ran forward a little ways, "Don't give up Lina! You can do this.. ."

I couldn't take it any longer. I let my hands slip away from the orbs and I fell off the platform.

WuFei ran forward and caught me in his arms, "Lina, can you hear me?"

I opened my eyes half way, "Just let me sleep.. ." I shut my eyes again and laid my head against my husband's chest.

And that brings us to the present. I'm driving in a car with Duo. It was Christmas Eve and I had taken Duo to pick up his present for Heero.

Duo looked out the window as we passed a graveyard, "Lina, could you pull in there for a sec?"

"Sure." We drove into the graveyard.

This must have been his intention the whole time with the flowers he bought in town.

He knelt down in front of a grave and laid the flowers down, "I forgive you.. ." he stood up and looked at me, "Do you think we'll fight again?"

"I don't think evil will ever be gone so I'm sure we will, but I don't think it will happen for a very long time."

* * *

We arrived at the Winner Estate about 20 minutes later. We were spending the holidays together. The pilot of Deathscythe and I walked into the living room.

Heero climbed onto a stepladder with Merin in his arms, "Okay, put the star on top the tree.. ." he raised her up a little and she put the star in place.

He climbed down the ladder and handed her back to WuFei. She looked at Heero and sneezed as WuFei sat on the floor and set her in his lap.

"Is she okay?" I asked.

The Chinese pilot nodded, "Yeah it's just her cold."

"I think this will make her feel better." Quatre walked over to WuFei and Merin and handed him a small gift, "We'll let her open one early."

"Wait." Duo walked over to Heero and gave him a small box, "I want Heero to open this first."

Heero nodded and opened it. Inside the box was a necklace. There were four charms on it as well; two angel wings and two bat wings. He smiled at him, "Thank you, Duo."

Duo smiled also and put it around Heero's neck.

"Okay Merin, you can open yours now." I said.

WuFei helped her un-wrap the gift. He took one of the objects out of the box.

"It's a chibi Gundam.. ." I laughed a little.

Trowa nodded, "Yeah and Rain's in there too. We had those specially made for her. And," he handed a box to Midori, "this was specially made for you."

She opened the box, "It's a chibi Al.. ."

"You can call me by my real name."

"Thanks Alden.. ."

Merin hugged one of the stuffed Gundams, "Nataku."

"She said her first word.. ." Kawa smiled.

WuFei looked at our daughter, "Can you say anything else?"

She looked at the blond. She got out of WuFei's lap and crawled over to him, "Quatre."

The Arabian picked her up, "Trowa?"

"Hm?"

"I still want one.. ."

The End

Quatre-Chan: "Well that's the end. Except for a side story I'm going to do about Lina's past."

Duo: "So if you really want to know what happened, I suggest you read it."

Quatre-Chan: *turns on a karyoke set and starts singing the ending theme to Xenogears*

Heero: *sweat drop*

Quatre-Chan: *pauses* "Do the disclaimer!" *continues singing*

WuFei: "All right. She doesn't own GW, Slayers, Rayearth, Breath of Fire, Xenogears or any thing that other people own."

Quatre: "And don't forget to send her feedback at ."

Quatre-Chan: *pauses again and glares at the G-boys* "Sing with me!"

G-boys and Quatre-Chan: *Sing the rest of the song*

Heero: *when finished* "We'll see you next time."

Duo: "Right. Same time, same author!"

Quatre-Chan: "And people think I'm weird.. ."