Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, I'm a student, what more can I say?

Author: Millenia

Email: Web_Witch@Btinternet.com

By the way, This story is set after the series, but Endless Waltz didn't happen...I've just gone off on my own from there on

She couldn't believe it. Only a couple of weeks ago, she had the entire Earth at her feet. She was the people's hope, 'Queen of the World' they called her, 'The Dove of Peace'. Granted, she admitted, she was Romefeller's puppet, used and abused for her caring gift for the nation, her rousing passionate speeches and her naivety, (or so the press told her). She saw this now. She could believe this.

What Relena couldn't believe was that she was stuck on a blistering hot, sweaty, sticky coach, filled to the brim with obnoxious, snooty adolescent teenagers, whose entire life was devoted to whether or not their hair colour really did clash with their clothes. What Relena also couldn't understand, (she could tell it was going to be one of those 'days') was why all the teenagers kept looking at her, staring at her, as if she was some sort of object. A vessel, a chalice. She presumed it was because of her resent status within the world, what hierarchical loving, superficial popular wannabe, wouldn't want to talk to the resent Queen of the World, in order to improve their social status within the microcosm that is school? In order to gain something from her, just like everyone else she had ever met

She could hear the people behind her talking, two girls, she didn't know their names.

"...And apparently she was sat on her own again! Look just like now! I'm telling you, if I had all that history, I would defiantly use it to my advantage. I mean, I maybe out of place in saying this,"

*Maybe? That was an understatement* Relena commented dryly in her mind, no one could touch her there...Her mind was her own.

She continued to listen.

"...but she doesn't even look happy with how people treat her here. I mean take for example the other day, Sarah Bettens went to introduce herself to Relena-"

"You mean Sarah, as in the one with all the parties? People kill for an introduction with her, your set up for the rest of your school life if all goes according to plan and talking of which, are you going on Friday? I'm not sure if I'm wearing the-"

Relena remembered her 'introduction for life', it was complete agony. The conversation revolved around a small test, its main purpose; to test Relena's 'coolness factor', apparently her former regal status was "unimportant" to Sarah, yet the question; "Is vamp nail vanish in or out?" was. Relena couldn't remember her exact response to the question, but it defiantly included a sigh. *If I could only just perfect that Heero Yuy death glare-*

Relena jumped slightly, startled by a suddenly agitated screech, which in fact ended up to be the 'ever so cool' girl's voice behind her. She was glad for the interruption, thoughts about Heero usually ended up painful.

"I'm sure the pink will be fine-"

*It sounds as if Pastel is in. Vamp must be out *

"Anyway...as I was saying...In the end, Sarah just walked off, apparently Relena was so unresponsive and in her 'own little world' Sarah just gave up, and thank God she did, just imagine what would have happened if..."

Relena stopped listening. No longer was she admired for her 'reserved' and 'intense' behaviour, no more was it thought 'marvellous', the new Relena, the future Relena was perceived as passive, cold and uncaring.

In all honesty Relena preferred it that way. The more she distanced herself from superficial sycophants and people who used people as a means to an end, the better. After all she had been through; the death of her 'father', her 'father's' confession, the betrayal of Milliardo, her ever changing status, the fall of her countrythe Gundam Pilots, this adaptation to normal school life was impossible.

There was no mental or physical stimulus to make it worth the struggle that it was becoming. She was stuck in a Cave, chained to the walls with everyone else. All she saw of the outside world was the shadows that were cast upon the cold, granite rock wall. No colour, no vivid, pictorial images, just grey shadowsunlike everyone else, Relena wasn't satisfied with the shades of grey.

She looked out of the coach window. Everything was passing her buy so quickly...green and grey blurs, she couldn't see the detail of the fleeting objects even though she thought she should. When would she ever see them again? These blurs, however insignificant, could change the way she thought, and here she was on a coach not paying any attention to them at all...they were going to fast.

Just as the thoughts had left her mind so to speak, the coach screeched on its breaks. The coach's tyres screamed in their unwanted and forced use. Relena's body was thrown forward, until it met its inevitable stop with the seat in front of her. Her forehead collided with the small ashtray located in the seat's headrest rapidly. Relena ended up on the piece of floor allocated between her seat and the one previously in front of her, where she would have put her feet, which were now sprawled towards the gangway. She lifted her fingers to her forehead, and as the fingers made contact with open skin, her forehead stung. Relena moved her hand in front of her to inspect her probing fingers, they were covered in blood.

*Well Relena, it makes a change from the shades of grey...*

Relena heard a voice through a speaker;

"Is everyone alright? Sorry class, apologies from the driver, a car just pulled right in front of us, we had to stop quite swiftly!" she gave a nervous laugh. Relena rolled her eyes.

"So no ones injured?"

Relena heard her fellow 'classmates' call back, apparently they were all fine.

Relena didn't say anything, firstly she didn't want to act like the martyr and secondly she didn't want to bring unwanted attention to herself.

*That's all I need*

*Guess I'm going to have to clean this up on my own, just like the good 'old' days*

Relena had learnt basic first aid during her time at her old school, St. Gabriels, before all the chaos in her life. Not a lot but 'just enough to survive'. Relena remembered the times she had used her 'ingrained' knowledge on Heero. Once when he was shot by Duo, and then onboard Libra. However on both occasions Heero seemed less then impressed. Relena smiled inwardly.

*He's probably almost as educated as a doctor in that field, why would my knowledge impress him?*

Relena's attention was caught by another announcement from the font of the coach.

"Sorry class, I can't stop chatting today!" The teacher laughed "Just to announce we'll be taking a 15 minute break at the service station, which we'll arrive at in about-" She stopped to look at her watch "ooh, I'd say about 5 or so minutes".

A cheer came from the other passengers onboard the coach. Service stations meant food, mirrors and no chaperones. All a student could possibly want. Relena concluded that because of the mirrors in the rest rooms, she could clean her cut there; all she had to do on the coach was stop the bleeding.

Relena resumed her natural place on the chair; she lifted herself up from the ground.

*If only Heero could see me now*

Relena unzipped her backpack; it was an olive green colour, nothing extravagant. She reached in and searched through the reams of paper and pens, she grabbed what she was looking for. She pulled out a silk handkerchief, it was ivory coloured, with dark emerald green stitching around all four sides, and in one of the corners on a 45 degree angle, was her initials also in an emerald green colour, 'R.P'. It was from the past when she was Princess of the Sanc Kingdom, It had been issued to her from some of the students at the Sanc School, where she gave a few lectures, she inwardly cringed.

Relena took the handkerchief and put it over where the cut was, it hadn't clotted yet, so she was still in need of some pressure. It stung still, but now throbbed, she could feel her pulse through her cut on her skin. She waited a few minutes, and heard the final announcement,

"Okay everybody back here in 15 minutes, Hot food won't be allowed back on the coach afterwards so just eat quickly!"

*Like the gluttons you are. Damn, where did that come from?*

A stampede of students crazed through and out of the cage. The two girls who had been talking earlier walked past her seat, giving, what Relena could only assume, was their 'disgusted' faces. She was the last one left on the coach. She increased the pressure on her cut for a few seconds, and then pulled the handkerchief away.

She stared down at her once ivory coloured silken handkerchief, given to her as a symbol of her students' appreciation for her pacifist ideal. The handkerchief was now stained dark red, only glints of ivory shimmering.

Her initials that were wrought on the handkerchief, were now drowned in blood.

Well thats Part 1. Hope you enjoyed, feedback is always appreciated, makes me happy.