In Everyone’s life, they try to hide things from the outside world. While some people succeed, others fail at it miserably. I’m not going to say that it’s not a way of life, because that would be a lie, and angels don’t lie, because if we do we will be thrown from heaven.

Sorry for getting off the subject, but the subject is masks, and everyone bares one sometime or other, some bare them forever, while others bare for only a short time. But to get my point across let me tell you a tale of two souls that have worn masks all their lives, they can’t get rid of them, but they can let them fall for a little while…at least.

           

            When I first saw them, I would have never thought that their souls were forever entwined together, that in any lifetime they would found one another. In some lifetimes, they might have met tragedy, while in others they might have died together in their sleep.

           

She was a young woman that hid behind a mask of politeness and wealth. She followed in the steps of her father’s and foster father’s ideals of total pacifism. When I saw into her eyes, I could tell that she didn’t really believe in what she preached. I know that she wanted peace for the world and the colonies. But I don’t think she actually believed in the idea of total pacifism. In her mind, she only saw a child’s idea that she told herself she would follow, in hopes of learning more of what her father and foster father strived to make a way of life.

 

He was a young man that hid behind of a mask of cheerfulness and poverty. He hid behind one so that his heart would not be broken again. He found out early in life, that when you lose someone that is in your heart, you feel as though you are dieing inside somewhere. So he put the mask up to protect only his heart and to hid it so he would never have to feel love again.

 

All masks are, are shields that souls use to protect themselves from the world around them. But let me tell you the tale before I forget.

 

Fallen Masks

 

“How are you doing, ojousan?” Duo asked.

“Pretty good and you.” Relena replied.

“Well the Sweeper business has gone down the drain, since Hilde got married last month.” Duo told her.

“That’s bad, so what brings you to Earth, besides Quatre and Dorothy’s wedding?” Relena asked.

“After the Mariemaia incident, Lady Une asked if I was willing to join the Preventers. I told her maybe in a couple of years. So since I don’t have no reason to stay on the Colony L2 cluster, now that my business has died and Hilde moved to the Colony L1 cluster with Heero.” Duo explained.

“So, you’ve joined the Preventers, that makes… 4 out of 6 that have joined.” Relena replied.

“Wait, I know Wufei joined, your brother, and me, who else?” Duo asked.

“Trowa.” Relena replied.

“Trowa joined, when?” Duo asked.

“Early last year.” Relena told him. “He joined after Catherine went back to college, I think he said that she was going to become a teacher.”

“So they both gave up the circus.” Duo laughed.

“Yep! I never thought that would happen.” Relena giggled.

“Me either.” Duo laughed.

“I have a proposition for you. Since I am the Vice-Foreign Minister, Lady Une will let me pick one Preventer for my personal bodyguard. This person will be with me at all times. I’m asking you to be my bodyguard. So what do you think?” Relena asked.

“I would like that, do I answer to you or Lady Une, ojousan?” Duo asked.

“Me, because you would be getting all orders directly from me.” Relena told him.

“As your personal bodyguard, what is my first act?” Duo asked

            “Accompany me to the up coming party that the Earth Sphere Alliance are throwing.” Relena replied.

            “Man, are you trying to torture me, ojousan, I hate wearing those suits. They make me feel like I’m at my own wedding.” Duo complained.

            “So get used to it. One day you will be at your own wedding.” Relena said as she walked out of the café.

            “I’d say that is a long way away.” Duo told her.

            “Don’t say that, Duo. One day you’ll find the perfect girl for you.” Relena replied as she walked off.

            “I already have.” Duo whispered. “Hey, wait up, ojousan. We can’t have the Vice-Foreign Minister wondering around without a body guard can we.”

            “Whatever, Duo.” Relena laughed.

            “Come on, least you can do, is humor me a little bit.” Duo said.

            “Fine, no we can’t have me wondering around with a bodyguard.” Relena giggled.

            “That’s the spirit.” Duo told her as they walked back to her office.

            As the weeks turned into months, and the months turned into a year. The two souls found themselves being pull by the force. Me, as an angel has never experienced that force. The force in which I speak is love. Love is the force that mortals have no control over, they can’t tell their hearts who to love and not to love.

 

            “The circus is in town, ojousan.” Duo told Relena as she worked at her desk.

            “Sorry, Duo. I don’t have time.” Relena replied.

            “Then make time, when was the last time you have any fun?” Duo asked.

            “I have an obligation to the Earth and the colonies.” Relena said.

            “Wrong, you always put the Earth Sphere Alliance before your own happiness, now its time for you and not them. They can wait, you don’t have forever.” Duo stated as he walked toward her.

            “Duo, what are you doing?” Relena asked.

            “Well, ojousan. I’m kidnapping you for the day.” He told her.

            “Where are you taking me?” Relena stammered not the least bit scared of him.

            “To the circus.” Duo said as he picked her up.

            “Can you at least take me home, to get changed first?” Relena asked.

            “Sure.” Duo replied as he carried her to her car.

 

~Relena’s House~

           

“Are you done yet, ojousan?” Duo asked.

            “Yeah,” Relena said as she walked out wearing a pair of kaki shorts, a baby blue tee with a turtle on the front, and a pair of sandals. Her hair was up in a ponytail.

            “So, how do I look?” Relena asked turning around.

            “Wonderful.” Duo replied while slightly drooling.

            “Thank you.” Relena said as she blushed.

            “Let’s go.” Duo told her.

            “Alright.” Relena replied as she followed behind him out the door.

 

~Next Day~

           

“So how was yesterday at the circus?” Milliardo asked when Relena and Duo walked in laughing.

            “Great.” Relena giggled. “So what brings you here?”

            “A marriage proposal.” Milliardo replied.

            “What?” Relena exclaimed.

            “Mr. Smith, the president of Smith Computer’s, believes that it would make the world and the colonies smile if you married his son.” Milliardo replied.

            “You better have told him that you don’t run my life, I do.” Relena shot at him.

            “I told him that I would run the idea by you.” Milliardo said.

            “I can’t believe you.” Relena spat.

            “He’s right. His son is a pacifist, and it looks good if two pacifists marry. It basically says, lets promote peace in the colonies and Earth.” Milliardo explained.

            “I don’t care, if it ‘looks good.’” Relena shot at him. “Tell him that, when I marry it’s going to be for love and not for what ‘looks good.’”

            “I will tell him that.” Milliardo said when he walked out of her office.

            “The nerve of that guy. Who does he like he is?” Relena asked.

            “Your brother.” Duo replied.

            “No more comments from the peanut gallery.” Relena grumbled.

            “Cool it, ojousan.” Duo told her.

            “Sorry, I’m just mad at the world.” Relena said.

            “It sounds like you need a break from the world.” Duo replied.

            “Whatcha got in mind?” Relena asked with a glint in her eyes.

            “A trip, somewhere.” Duo told her.

            “There’s a plan, are you coming, or are you going to leave a poor defenseless woman by herself.” Relena asked with her best puppy dog face on.

            “Wouldn’t miss it for the world?” Duo replied.

            “Great.” Relena giggled.

            “This will be fun.” Duo told her.

 

~Cancun, Mexico~

 

            “Duo, this place is amazing.” Relena exclaimed.

            “Yep, just don’t drink the water.” Duo replied.

            “Why?” Relena asked.

            “It’s not clean.” Duo told her. “So, ojousan, what do you want to do first?”

            “I’m up for…sleep.” Relena replied.

            “Sleep? Why that?” Duo asked.

            “Because, I’m tired. And it’s not everyday I runaway from my duties.” Relena stated.

            “Well, let’s go find the room.” Duo said.

            “That’s a good idea.” Relena replied.

            “Here it is.” Duo said a little while after walking.

            “Duo, there’s only one bed. And it’s a king size one.” Relena said as she looked at Duo.

            “They must have made a mistake.” Duo laughed.

            “I guess they did.” Relena replied innocently.

 

            More and more the mask that surrounded their hearts fell. They both found their souls and bodies wanting to be joined together forever. As their time together passed, things that were unexpected happened.

 

            “I’m not drunk.” Relena slurred.

            “And either am I.” Duo slurred back at her.

            “Well, it agreed, either one of us are drunk.” Relena said.

            “Even drunk, you talk proper.” Duo hiccupped.

            “Thank you.” Relena replied.

            “No, thank you.” Duo said as he captured her lips with his.

            “I love you, Duo.” Relena moaned after she broke off the kiss.

            “I love you, too, ojousan.” Duo replied.

            “If you love me, than show me that you love me.” Relena groaned as Duo’s hands slide under her dress.

            “I will.” Duo told her as he picked her up and carried her to the bed.

 

~Next Morning~

           

            “I feel like I’ve been hit by a Gundam.” Relena groaned as she stumbled toward the shower.

            “What happened?” Duo asked as he sat up and realized that he was naked. “Oh, man.”

            “’Oh, man’ what?” Relena asked as she walked out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel that went only about mid thigh.

            “What happened?” Duo asked again.

            “I can’t remember that much.” Relena told him.

            “Blood.” Duo said as he began to stand up and wrap the sheet around his waist.

            “Oh, my god.” Relena gasped as the events of the night flooded back to her. “Please tell me that you meant what you said last night?”

            “I can’t believe that you’re first time was while you were drunk.” Duo said.

            “Answer me, Duo.” Relena demanded.

            “Yes, I love you, ojousan. I wanted this to be under better circumstances.” Duo replied.

            “I love you, too.” Relena told him as she jumped into his arms and the towel fell. “Don’t worry, you have forever to make that up to me.”

            “When should I start the ‘forever part’?” Duo grinned.

            “How about right now.” Relena said than kissed him, which sent them both falling back onto the bed.

 

            Well, the tale is almost over. There is still one part left. They have joined their souls and their bodies, and also let their mask fall a little way. They must now let their masks fall completely. As I said in the beginning, they can’t get rid of them, but they can let them fall for a little while…at least.

 

~Sanc Kingdom

     August 08, AC 202~

 

            “Duo, we need to talk about this.” Relena screamed.

            “I don’t want to talk about it.” Duo told her.

            “Can your past be that bad?” Relena asked him.

            “Ojousan, the whole world knows your past, I don’t want anybody to know mine.” Duo said.

            “Please, Duo. I love you. I told you my past, now it’s your turn.” Relena pleaded with him.

            “I grew up on the Colony L2 cluster. I lived in an orphanage and than it was destroyed. I lost the only two people I felt ever really loved me, Father Maxwell and Sister Helen.” Duo explained. “After that I joined the Sweepers and got involved with the scientist on Colony L2. The rest, unfortunately, is history.”

            “I’m so sorry.” Relena sobbed.

            “Shh…don’t cry, ojousan, Hilde will kill you if you mess up your make-up.” Duo told her.

            “I’d better go. It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.” Relena giggled as she walked out of the study.

           

            They finally let their masks fall completely. They bared their scared souls to one another. Each accepted the other with love in their hearts. But let me, let you finish this tale.

   

            “All I have to say is this, Duo, you hurt my sister in anyway, I will kill you.” Milliardo announced at the reception.

            “Ignore him. He’s drunk.” Noin slurred toward the couple

            “Who isn’t?” Wufei hiccupped.

            “Sally.” Quatre yelled. “That’s one.”

            “She pregnant.” Dorothy slurred.

            Sally just smiled at the drunk people thinking, ‘Where’s a camera when you need one.’

            “So who are we making jealous?” Relena giggled.

            “Everyone.” Duo replied as he dripped her.

 

            Well that’s my tale of two souls that wore masks to hid themselves from the world around them.

            They fell in love and when they were alone, they let them fall, but when they weren’t, they can up as a defense mechanism. Masks can not be gotten rid of.

            When I said, some only bare them for a short time, I meant that they will only wear them for certain people.

            These two souls, they wore them for everybody except themselves.

 

~Standard disclaimer applies~

Mika Yuy