Into the Darkness
Written By: Lady Eclipse

Restless, that has been the prevalent emotion in my life for quite some time now. However, it has steadily grown worse over the last few months. With every moment the pressing need to leave burns with a greater and greater intensity. Lately the infectious desire has begun to spill into my work; documents are left unsigned, meetings unattended. Strangely enough it doesn't bother me like is used to when I was younger, the simple tasks of office no longer held the life and death urgency that it used to have. When I was fresh to this job such acts would be scandalous to me, but now I am different. My melancholy has started to repress even my guilt about laziness with my work. In the beginning it was never so, the work was fascinating and invigorating. Everyday presented a new challenge to me, it invoked a new vigor to fight with everything I had to preserve peace. But now....now there are no life or death threats of war and conquest. The countless squirmishes are easily contained by the Preventers and other politicians eagerly stride forward with bright eyes and sincere voices proclaiming my legacy of peace. In my restlessness they have stepped forward to encourage the masses in my absence. Strange, I am still invigorated by the pursuit of peace, my blood still boils at the news of those who would destroy it. Yet, I feel an unusual dislocation from it all as though I were some old matriarch no longer needed but still seated upon her throne as an eternal symbol to the wide eyed youth and weathered veterans alike. They call me a legend and let me get away with whatever inconsistencies listening eagerly to my 'pearls of wisdom' whenever I should choose to drop them upon their patient ears.

Yes, finally, the princess of peace has lost her use within this ever changing world. I am revered and respected but my passionate words and my heroic risks have long ago ceased to be needed. I sit upon my throne in a glass palace of peace that is no longer so fragile.

I smile vaguely as I stare out the window of my office at the softening hues of sunset. Those closest to me who knew me before I became famous know the cause of my restlessness. They know, as I have told them and they probably had already guessed, that my time withering in the blinding spotlight of the public is coming to an end.

Destiny calls.

The sun is setting scorching the sky and earth in brilliant, flaming hues as it slips below the horizon for its well earned rest. I smile as I watch the fading light knowing well its thoughts. I have been the dawn stretching forth the uncertain rays of my ideals across the darkened landscape. I have been the piercing mid-day sun blinding my enemies with my intensity and gathering increasing support from all those that I touch. And now....now I must become the inevitable; I must be the sunset. That time which I have secretly longed for for several years now as become a reality. The people have accepted peace and now work together to maintain it. I am not needed. Now, as the weary sun slips into its retirement, so may I finally rest from my toils and fade into the shadows. I may run into the darkness and into the waiting arms of my patient love who has waited for such a long time. We have loved in the blackest of night never daring to let the light see our passion. We have kissed in the shadows of our secrecy as the world looked on in ignorance. My soul has burned in the relentless flames of suppressed love as has his waiting for the day when I can stop being a symbol.

Taking in a deep breath I turn away from the window. The sun is gone leaving only a trace of its presence in the soft glow of the new, rising moon. A soft smile crosses my lips as I glance down on my neat, mahogany desk. It has been stripped of all personal items leaving only a plain, white envelope sitting squarely in the middle of its massive surface. I left no name on it of whom it should go to, anyone can read it. The letter's twin is now on its way to the office of the ESSUN president and that will be that. There will be no protest or admonishments for I will be gone when they find it. I can no longer deny my heart. I had closed off that part which is most vital to me in order to serve the people who I am ready to die for; I have played mother to the entire human race. But no longer, even the great 'Queen Relena' has needs and emotions. I have played my part in the ever- twisting web of fate and now I am ready for my rest, my own personal peace. I have fulfilled fate, now I must fulfill my destiny; the culmination of our sacred love. I am finally able to surrender myself, my soul, to him. I am finally free to give him all of myself. A love like ours is far too intense to be shared with the any other passion. Now that the world and space is at rest I may now dedicate myself to him, to us.

I swiftly exit my office, my precise clicking steps echoing on the tile floors. In mere moments I am gone from my confinement and am eagerly striding forward into the new night. Once again I am walking alone in the darkness with no one aware of my location....maybe one. I pause in my steps to glance up at the rising moon, its gentle light sprinkling down upon the pavement settling it aglow like star-studded sand. How many nights has it looked down upon our hidden love and shared our secret kisses? How long has it mournfully held our secret and cried with us when our longing for each other grew too intense? Oh Mistress Moon, you are the bearer of a million secrets; none to be ever spoken. But now you may release this one painful burden, this secret is no longer to be mournful, it is to be cherished. I am finally free to be swallowed by the darkness and disappear.

I reach my apartment building and waste no time in hurrying up to my little sanctuary. After entering my darkened apartment I shut the door securely behind me and carelessly drop my belongings on the nearest surface. I am about to turn on a light when I feel something brush the back of my exposed neck. I move my hand to casually brush the area and nearly cry out in surprise when it is firmly caught and held by something strong and warm. I feel fingers curl around my hand bringing it forward to my stomach; an excuse to wrap the arm attached around my waist. I smile and reach my other hand up to touch the face that rests on my shoulder.

"You're late." He murmurs in his usual deep voice that has been forever burned into my memory.

"I know." I whisper softly back to him, "I had a few things to finish up at work."

"Everything's settled?"

"Yes." My enthusiasm and relief had never shown so much as in that one word.

"Are you ready?" His lips delicately brush my ear sending a shiver through my spine.

"I've been ready for quite a long time now." I reply. I can feel him smiling as you feel when a cloud moves away from the sun to brighten the shadowed earth. His arm pulls me back against his solid form in a tight embrace.

"Let's go." Do you believe that there is a state of emotion that goes beyond all words or actions? Do you believe that there is a state of joy too intense to be described of vocalized even should you be give a poet's tongue and a thousand years to dwell on it. Have you ever had an emotion that causes you to cry as though your very soul has been pierced because should you try to hold in that emotion it would destroy you with his blazing intensity. An emotion such as that and more that can only be said as the highest level of happiness and love is what passed through my frail human body at that moment. I would have gladly burned in the heat of it for the rest of eternity, and I am amazed and awed by some subtle thought in the back of my mind that it gets better. As I begin to make the motions of gathering up the rest of my most treasured belongings to take with me he literally sweeps me off of my feet and into his arms. In the faint light of our confidant, the silver moon, I can see the barest of outlines of his face and am uncertain if the gleam I see in his eyes are his tears or my own.

"I've taken care of it." He says in reference to my things and with that we take our leave of the cozy apartment that has served me so well and of the blinding light of society. The velvet folds of the serene night swallows us never to be seen again. Only a choice few will ever know where the beloved sovereign of peace disappeared to with her shadowed soldier of space.

*

Well into the shinning light of the next morning Milliardo silently entered Relena's unlocked apartment. Although still furnished, that which was dear to his little sister was gone. He knew it well before he ever set foot into the building after hearing about her formal resignation. He smiled to himself as he laid eyes on a white envelope resting upon a picture frame accompanied by a single red rose. Milliardo carefully read the letter and his smile grew.

He fondly brushed his finger tips on the smooth glass protecting a faded photograph of Relena and himself as children hugging each other. The chaos her disappearance would cause would inevitably be a headache but it would be worth it knowing that she was well and that she was happy. He knew better than to worry that Relena would completely cut herself off from those she cared for and loved.

"Good luck." He whispered before shutting the door.

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A short ending, but to write more would have ruined it. This will be the end of this for Heero would kill me if I told you more. However, I have been toying with the notion of writing his point of view of the earlier events although that will be a long time coming. It is surprisingly hard to get into his head and accurately vocalize his thoughts. I must say that I am proud of myself on this one for I had feared that after all of the time and energy spent on the first chapter that this one would sound trite and repetitive. I flatter myself but I hope that it is as good as the first one.

Thanks you for reading,
Lady Eclipse
"To die in the heart of love is the greatest reward and treasure one could ever know."