The stars look so bright tonight, she thought to
herself. The constellations
twinkled down at her from their heavenly perch and, for a moment, her mind
whirled. She closed her eyes and
rested it against the windowpane. I
remember, she thought to herself, a time when I flew among those stars. They floated around me with the depth and gravity only
millions of years of existence can give you.
Up close, they seemed muted; less bright, less brilliant, more flawed.
But from afar, they are like sirens, captivating all onlookers with their
luminescence. Relena looked at her
reflection in the windowpane and smiled at herself, a smile edged with pain and
just a little bit of cynicism. Of
course, she thought, things always look better and stronger from afar.
She turned around and walked to her desk, idly fingering a few items upon it: a pen that had been her fatherís, some official documents for another upcoming government function, and a frame with a picture of her mother and father. Carefully placed in the lower right hand corner of the picture was a newspaper photo of her brother Milliardo. She picked up the silver frame and stared at the cold metal of her brotherís helmet. Just a regular family portrait, she thought to herself cynically. The family next door.
She put the picture down and picked up a smaller frame sitting next to it. She had drawn a picture of him from memory and framed it, one last overt concession to an unfulfilled desire. Do you ever think of me, Heero? she thought to herself. At all? She smiled sadly and put the frame down. It was all foolish nonsense, really, she thought to herself. I was merely a footnote in his mission to provide ultimate peace. She closed her eyes and smiled softly at the small flare of pain that sprang into her heart. It will always be there, she thought to herself, a constant reminder of my one true weak spot. Once more she fruitlessly consoled herself with the thought that it never would have worked out anyway. She opened her eyes and looked around her office at the pictures of dignitaries on the wallÖat the paperwork on her deskÖand finally at the Earth Sphere Unified Nation insignia hanging on her wall. She picked up her family picture once more and looked silently at the small part of her brotherís countenance left uncovered by his mask. His mouth was grim. ìTrue dedication calls for total devotion,î she said aloud, breaking the stillness. Her soft declaration carried across the room and reverberated off the portraits of the dignified poses and stern handshakes of the millions of delegates sheíd met. ìThe truly strong ones are always alone.î She put the frame down and stared hard at the picture of Heero Yuy once more before turning away and walking out of her office into the solitary darkness of the hall.