Chapter 5: The Long Journey Ahead

Another erstwhile passenger whose only company was her own luggage (Other than you, of course, my dear Pagan), Relena Darlian's eyes smile at the white-haired elderly man who was her family's lifelong chauffeur/butler/manservant/any-other-household-duty/Relena's babysitter/escort/chaperone, and most of all--her loyal friend.

Oh, Pagan what would I ever do without you? Relena's blue eyes crinkle in a smile at her continual companion's presence at her side wherever the road may take her. And it has taken her on quite a long and tumultuous journey. Since the days she was the tiny little princess of the noble, loyal house of Peacecraft, she'd look up at her father's faithful servant with wonderment in those gigantic baby blue eyes.

Yes, a long journey indeed.

Each time Pagan gazed into his rear-view mirror back into her youthful eyes that were now wizened with the times, he couldn't help but feel proud. The pride that his beloved Master, King Peacecraft, could not have wished for an heir of his bloodline to achieve the respect and unity of the kingdom's, no, of the people of the world, as this young woman has already accomplished in the past few years she has come to have been recognized on the world scene. She had made her mark as a Peacecraft pacifist with the high ideals of peace riding on this Princess's noble brow and outstretched hand.

Now reborn, so to say, yet again, as the Darlian Minister who has come to the conclusion that peace could not possibly be brought about by the hopes of a single individual. Instead, it was by every single person's individual hope for peace.

Peace is something that cannot be given to you. There are times one must make a stand for peace if we are ever to obtain it. Even if it means we have to fight for our right to live in this world in peace. Then, so be it.

Relena's serious eyes open from her inner thoughts with a tinge of astonishment.

I used to believe, not so long ago, in total pacifism, didn't I? What has changed in me? Relena gazes at her own reflection in the pink Cadillac's glass window. She cocks her head at the changed self she saw behind her eyes.

I suppose, on that day...in that moment, I realized that total pacifism was nothing more than an innocent girl's dream that I believed in. '

I don't have to anymore'

In her mind's eye, Relena hears HIS voice echoing from the past to her own thoughts of today. Or was she echoing his? She remembers her own words that day, so clearly, as if the whole scene of that New Year's Eve was being replayed in her head.

'I've been running....I've been running from the truth.'

Yes, Heero. I was running then. My ideal world of total pacifism was where I ran to when things got tough. But not anymore. If things get tough again, I'll be tough too. I'll be strong enough to make sure that next time, true peace--not just talk--is here and here to stay. Just as I will be too, through thick and thin. I'm not running, anymore, Heero. Never again. My journey has found its true course. I'm not ever gonna run again.

Relena's thoughts conclude just as the automobile stops. As if on cue, Pagan exits the car and opens the door for her at the newly built convention center for the incoming dignitaries attending the Accords.

"Foreign Minister Darlian!"

"Foreign Minister!"

"Ms. Darlian!"

A blinding flash of lightbulbs, a sea of microphones being shoved in her face, as the gaggle of reporters and photographers crowd about the most awaited diplomat's car. All were anxious for a cover story on this particular event.

After all, the nations of the world were sending each leader and representative of their respective country to join in unity and pledge their each individually ruled nation's support for the continued peace in the coming era.

Accords had been signed, nation by nation before, but never this many, nor to this degree. For beyond the countless countries, representatives, rulers and senators gracing the ceremony, it was also to be attended by the leaders of each space Colony. To join each as a nation, recognized just as any other country of the each, with the same rights and respect as such. This was to be a triumph for the Colonies. The population of each wanted nothing more than to be seen as connected to the Earth they originated from yet still properly recognized as the individual nations they had become. They were focused on good relations to the Earth, each other and above all--Peace.

Yes, Peace.

Foreign Minister Darlian takes a deep breath, sticking to her resolve and puts on her best face to the crowd of media as she takes questions and then welcomes the foreign diplomats arriving from both Earth and Space to this historical event.

See? I'm not running, Heero.

She smiles, as she steps out of her limo.

How about you?

Her mind allows one tiny second to wander to the depths of space, wondering of him and where he was now.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. When mankind first looked up to the Earth's sky to the stars, he no doubt dreamt of one day traveling amongst them, of seeking out freedom beyond his own atmosphere's limits, of reaching out to new frontiers--yet holding this world's hand out still in a beautiful friendship to those adventurous humans who have faced the unknown--to pioneer a path into the future. Earth's path into space--it is the same sky we're looking at. The same stars twinkling as if they were smiling each night to us in welcome. A beautiful greeting in each new sky. A beautiful promise and a beautiful light.

"Have you looked up to the starry night sky lately? The stars were glimmering at you on Earth are the sames ones glimmering at me on my Colony--on my home. It doesn't matter whether my home is two blocks down this beautiful city's streets or if it is thousands of miles above from where we sit now. We are all brothers and sisters in humanity. No matter where we live. We all originated from this green planet of life, we are the same.

"And so, we here, on behalf of the Colonies of Outer Space, are gratefully accepting the Peace Accords the learned committee of representatives gathered here have presented to the Colonies. We truly believe that each Colony, being individually recognized as a nation will bring forth a beautiful future's path to a lasting peace. Thank you, fellow citizens of the Unified World. Thank you."

CLAP CLAP...CLAP....

She raises one eyebrow along with an amused grin. The sparse applause (along with that piercing look down upon him although he was the one standing and she sitting) causes Quatre to shrink back from his "audience's" disconcerting eye lock with him.

After representing Colony L4's interests on many a political and social occasion, after making countless speeches to crowds of hundreds, televised and watched by millions, Quatre finds his single audience of one, one that he could not face.

He fidgets and loses eye contact, and for some reason, all composure with this particular "audience."

This audience of one mere woman.

No, scratch that---one CERTAIN woman.

GULP.

"Was it...gulp...all right? Gulp...ummm...Miss...Dorothy...?"

Quatre finally manages to find his voice box (a small, squeaky version of it anyway).

"Hmmmm." Comes her simple reply. Dorothy Catalonia alights from her perch in the windowbox where she had sat listening (almost nonchalantly as she checked her freshly manicured fingernails all the while) to the speech that Quatre had prepared for this afternoon's summit.

From the moment the pair had arrived at the convention center in Dorothy's gold plated limousine, she had deftly whisked herself and her noted companion past the sea of reporters. All sniffed a gossip-column romance, but changed their minds at one frighted, feeble look on ladies man Quatre Winner's white-as-a-ghost face to Senator Catalonia's overpowering, evil glare at any photographer who dared snapshot her bad side--not that she had one. So none but one stiff-hearted rebel reporter had the nerve to ask the Senator who her "date" was. He got the evil eye from beneath those well-groomed brows that would turn Medusa herself into stone. However, Quatre himself received a similar death glare for his weak kindness when he smiled kindly at the newshound.

And consequently, not knowing what had happened after that, his blood frozen in his veins, he was sure he was about to faint.

But...she might not like that either in front of all these photographers. It might embarrass her, so....

Stiff upper lip and next thing he knows, Quatre was spirited away to a cozy office. He had followed Dorothy like the little lost puppy he was.

Once in, he was seated in a chair and seconds before he had a chance to catch his breath, was TOLD to practice his speech in front of her.

"TOLD" to, as in "ordered". Not asked, nor requested kindly. Simply ordered.

Kind? That was not a word in Dorothy's vocabulary. So, stalking stealthily around the room, she seemed a vicious cat circling her prey.

Quatre sits perfectly still, his hands together on his lap. But he couldn't feel them. In fact, Quatre was sure that he couldn't feel anything down from his chest to his stone-cold feet--a sort of strange paralyzation had come over him.

"Yes, well...." Dorothy finally lets a word out. She was now hovering directly over where Quatre was sitting. His speech paper was beginning to quiver in his hands as she circles.

RRIIPPPP

The paper is seized and with a deft pen, golden tipped of course, "magically" appearing in her hand, Dorothy takes his speech paper and begins scribbling all over it.

Gulp, gulp, gulp.

In a flash of a second, before Quatre knew what was happening, it was back in his trembling hands.

"Just a few minor, very minor, changes." She smirks, going to the door upon a glance at the clock on the wall. "Shall we go?"

Without waiting, she leaves the room. Quatre scrambles to his feet to follow her. His eyes glance down to the speech as he runs to catch up. To his utter surprise, everything was left the same except wherever the word "beautiful" once was, it was crossed out and filled in over each, in perfect angular and elegant handwriting, the term "golden."

'A golden future of Peace.' Yes, I agree.

Quatre smiles, his first true soft smile of the day at the golden blonde hair streaming in the lead before him, just like sunshine.

Just like sunshine....