"Why are you still here?" a deep voice greeted as she laid her mobile suit's feet on the ground.
"Zechs...Tell me...I know you have a reason for this." Lucrezia Noin whispered to the mouthpiece. She, in her white Taurus, stood there, behind his Gundam Epyon. A few moments had only passed since they confronted each other…A feeling of guilt and fear still engulfed them both. The desire to reunite like the old times but then, the obligation to do their own tasks.
"Noin, I've already told you." Zechs Merquise said silently as his image appeared on the vid screen; face covered by the white helmet.
"Could you please remove that mask?" Noin demanded harshly.
Zechs lifted his hands in acknowledgement and laid them carefully at the sides of the mask. He lifted it from his face and looked at her straight in the eyes, his icy eyes as demanding as ever.
"Is this what you want?"
Noin nodded silently in hesitance.
"But what you told me was a lie." Noin snapped, tears starting to form in her eyes which she successfully banished. She wouldn't be weak now. "It was, right?"
The heir to the Peacecraft throne, plotting revenge that would put all mankind in the line? It doesn't make sense.
"If that's what you think it is." Zechs replied as he continued to turn his back at her.
Noin closed her eyes. Damn, Zechs! Please don't be like this now. You have to tell me. I can't understand...
And as if he read her mind, Zechs spoke, "Noin, forgive me."
"Forgive what, Zechs? What do I have to forgive?" Noin asked as she held on tightly to the console as if it was her life line.
"Because I betrayed you. I betrayed your trust. I betrayed my family. I betrayed everyone who was counting on me." Zechs replied, his voice somewhat shaking but his expression stayed cold.
"You didn't betray me." Noin replied, looking down at her feet.
"I did. You trusted me. You helped me to greatness---But look what I did!" Zechs half-shouted, his mobile suit's arm rising and pointing at the wrecks floating in space.
"It's what you want, right? Why do you feel ashamed?"
"I'm not ashamed."
"But, why?"
The Gundam turned to face her. "Why do you ask so much, Noin?" Zechs asked.
"Because I have so much to understand." Noin replied stiffly. She couldn't go on like this...Standing up to him and opposing him. She always agreed to what he wanted, she never went against him.
"You're wasting time." Zechs said, looking away.
"I don't care. All I want is to talk to you."
"Noin, go away. Don't make this more complicated as it is." Zechs said, making as if to go away.
"No. If that's the only way to knock some sense into you---I won't." Noin replied, grabbing hold of the Gundam's right arm. She's determined not let go this time.
"Noin..."
"Zechs, I know, you don't really want this. I know you're good."
"Noin, you're a fool."
"Yes, I am! And know what? I don't care. Because I'd be with you no matter what." Noin retorted, forcing a laugh.
"Why?"
Noin looked at him incredulously. Feeling like a big oaf for letting those words slip from her tongue; now she can't escape. Why does he have to be so clueless? So, aloof...Why does he have to ask so many questions that she can't answer? Why can't he see how obvious her dedication to him is her expression of her love?
"Because---I swore. To you and your sister that I will remain faithful no matter what." She replied silently after a minute of utter silence. A lie, in a way, it was. That wasn't what she meant.
"Noin," Zechs breathed. His voice full of affection. She was there for him through the toughest times he had in the army. She was there when he rose to fame...when he needed her the most to look after his sister---Whenever he needed her---She was there.
She was there.
Noin was there.
Why?
"Look, Noin, you can't do anything now. You can't stop what's happening." Zechs said, looking up at her dark, blue eyes.
"But you can." She replied plaintively.
Zechs shook his head and merely smiled. "I can't. It had all started...I can't just stop that."
"Zechs,"
"Noin, please. This war would end all war...This will be the final, the one to determine those who are worthy."
"Are you?"
"I'm not. That's why I have to sacrifice my life."
Noin stared at him for a while. Why can't he subdue his pride for once and save his neck? Or even just care about those who loves him? "This is stupid, Zechs. Even if you die, that wouldn't change anything."
"Would it?" Zechs questioned her.
"No."
"Even if," Zechs started hesitantly.
"Even if?"
"Even if I tell you I'm doing this for you and my sister?"
And for a moment, Noin felt like she couldn't speak. Her breath had immediately left her, her heart stuck in her throat. Forcing a laugh, Noin, went "Yeah, right. That should be the lamest thing I've ever heard from you. You may be really doing this for your sister...but not for me."
"How can you say that?" Zechs asked. His puzzled and disappointed expression was very obvious.
"I don't know. I just seem to know." She replied deadpanned. She watched him heave a sigh and close his eyes. But what if he really is saying the truth?
"And know what, Zechs? I don't even know why we came to this kind of conversion. You haven't even answered my question." She added quickly as if to escape the intimacy of the conversation.
"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm doing this to end the war. For Relena and you."
"Why me, Zechs?"
Zechs looked straight at her dark eyes. "Because you're my best friend, why else?"
"Oh." Noin nodded absent-mindedly. Sure she was expecting so much more from him.
From the screen, Noin watched Zechs stand up and place his mask on his face again. "What are you doing?" she asked, her heart pounding slightly on her chest. What's going on?
Then just then, the passage through the cockpit of her Taurus opened and Zechs, in his red space suit, went in.
"What the---!" Noin exclaimed as the hatch close and they were both compressed in the room.
"Noin, I have no more time." he said as he took of his helmet.
"I know." she swallowed.
Taking her hand, Zechs spoke softly, "Noin, when I'm gone," he paused as he looked at her darkened expression, "I want you to take care of Relena for me. I want you to stand as her older sister."
"Zechs..."
"I trust you, Noin." he whispered before he lifted her chin and let his lips touch hers. A small, sweet kiss for the one he loves before he fulfil his mission and...Die? Hopefully not. His arms encircled around her waist, her hands pulling him closer to her...
Closer...
"Noin," Zechs sighed before he pulled away with another kiss on the corner of her lush lips. "Zechs," she sighed in reply.
"Do you understand now?" Zechs asked as he brought his gloved hand to touch her cheek. Noin close her eyes and nodded, giving into the moment. "Why does it have to end so soon?" she asked as she looked at him with teary eyes. She may be a soldier, a fighter, but she's still a woman after all.
"It all has to. Promise me, Noin, you'd live for my sister---for me." Zechs said, staring down at his feet.
"If you promise you'd come back to me." She said resolutely, not minding his never-ending request for her to look after Relena. "To your sister, even if not for me."
Zechs merely smiled at that as he looked at her. "That's a hard one, but, all right. I'll be back. For Relena. And for you, of all people, because I know that even if the whole world turned its back on me, you'd always be the one to stick with me through it all."
"I love you, Lucrezia."
A couple more moments...
Noin looked up at him and bit her lower lip. "So, I guess this is it. Right? This is where we part and just pray for the better result."
Zechs nodded grimly as he shifted to give her space. "Noin?"
"Hmmm?"
"Stay with me."
"Until he comes?"
"Yes. Would you?"
Noin smiled thinly as she leaned over to kiss Zechs' forehead, her hands brushing away loose strands of his long platinum blonde hair that frames his face. "I have failed my mission as the pilots' guardian. You know the answer."
"Thank you." he replied silently, looking at the dark space outside.
"I should go, now." Zechs said as he reached for his mask.
Noin understood. If they stay close together, they won't be able to part. Not anymore when she knew. When both of them knew already their feelings for each other...
"Zechs," Noin said as she held onto Zechs' wrist.
"What is it?"
And just as fast as he replied, Noin's palm marked an aching red spot on his face. Zechs hand flew to his left cheek. "What the---?"
"Take care." Noin replied with an unsure smile.
With a small smile in return, Zechs reached for the hatch, it opened and he went out back into his Gundam.
"Goodbye, my love..."
And the tears started to fall.
