***Part 11***

<><>The next day, at Relena's Welcome Back Ball<><>

The palace was overflowing with people at the ball held in honor of Princess Relena's return. All of the Gundam pilots were there, as well as Hilde, Catherine, Dorothy, Sally, and Lady Une. Milliardo and Noin were hosting the party, while Relena was in her room, still getting ready. Heero stood leaning on a balcony outside, away from all of the action. He still had a perfect view of the ballroom however, which was connected to the balcony, separated by only a few large marble columns. Heero was now growing bored with the formal celebration. He sighed and was about to go for a walk when he noticed a silence had spread over all of the guests. He looked up as Relena Peacecraft emerged at the top of the stairs into the ballroom.

Relena looked like a goddess as her golden dress sparkled from the light of the giant chandelier. Her gown matched beautifully with the flaxen color of her hair, which was in its usual braided style, but adorned with delicate white primroses. Her bronzed skin glowed and her eyelids, cheeks and shoulders had been dusted with glitter. In all of her golden glory, it looked as if she stole away the beauty of the sun.

Heero stood with his mouth open in awe. "God...she's beautiful."

"Why don't you tell her that?" came a quiet voice next to him.

"Did I actually say that out loud?" Heero thought in embarrassment as he turned to see who had heard him. He was relieved to see Trowa, who was leaning on the balcony next to him as everyone in the adjoining room stopped to watch the princess descend the staircase into the ballroom.

"You should tell her what you just said," Trowa repeated when he received no answer from Heero.

"What's the point," Heero said in his usual tone. "I don't deserve her. I am nothing compared to her."

"She is a strong woman, I know," said Trowa, "but even the strong need someone to depend on. She needs you Heero, just as you need her."

Heero looked at Trowa, whom he respected greatly. Out of all the pilots, Trowa seemed to be the wisest, perhaps because he was the best listener. Trowa always had a cool and collective manner about him, in his actions and his style. Anyone at the ball could have understood why the word 'grace' was often associated with the young man. As Trowa stood next to Heero, his hair swept gently over a portion of his calm face, mysteriously revealing only one sparkling green eye. The way he wore his classic black tux made the formal wear look almost casual, as it hung loose on his lean frame, his collar left unbuttoned without a tie. Everything about Trowa seemed to be flowing; each one of his words pouring like water, each one of his actions a fluid movement.

Trowa fixed his gaze forward towards the dance floor, yet continued talking to Heero. "It's just too bad you can't see that you and Relena are perfect for each other."

Trowa's eyes flashed like a lion's. "If you do eventually figure out that obvious fact, do me a favor and follow the advice that a friend once told me: act on your emotions."

"What are my emotions?" Heero wondered aloud. "I don't even know anymore, I've forgotten," he answered his own question.

"You may have forgotten," said Trowa, "but your heart has not." The Heavyarms' pilot continued, "I know you're human, Heero Yuy. I know you feel. I knew that ever since the end of the One Year War, when you went to protect Relena after you found out she was on Libra."

"But I don't feel like I'm alive," said Heero.

"The only way to truly feel alive, is to have loved," Trowa stated stoically.

"But do I want to join the rest of humanity and be guided blindly by love? What if I lose my edge as a soldier?" Heero asked.

"It's a risk worth taking, Heero, believe me," the circus performer told him. "To err is human, but to pass up that" Trowa said referring to Relena as both boys gazed at the princess, "well, that's just plain stupidity."

Just then a cheery young woman ran up to the pair. "Trowa, there you are!" the girl exclaimed.

"Cathy," the Zero Three pilot said with a light-hearted expression and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Trowa, where is your tie?" Catherine asked him.

"Oh yeah," Trowa said as he took a rolled up tie out of his pocket. "I was never really good with ties," he added sheepishly.

Catherine only let out an "Oh, Trowa" and began tying the tie for him. By this time Heero had mumbled a small "thank you" to the wise pilot for his advice and was already disappearing into the crowd of people who filled the ballroom. Trowa stared at the dark pilot's fading form. "Tell her, Heero. Go ahead, tell her she's beautiful," he whispered.

Relena sat at a table with Noin, Milliardo and Quatre. The Sandrock pilot noticed Heero watching Relena from afar. Quatre excused himself from the table, then went over to the orchestra and whispered something to the conductor. Smiling, Quatre then approached the mesmerized Heero. "Now's your chance," was all kind-hearted pilot said, as he gave a nod to the orchestra and they began playing a beautiful slow song. Quatre then hurried off to find Dorothy, whom he had been dying to dance with the entire evening.

Heero waited until Milliardo and Noin left the table to dance, then walked up to the princess, who was now sitting all alone. He stood before her and held out his hand. Relena looked up at him curiously, then placed her hand in his. Without words, Heero led her to the dance floor and the two embraced for the slow dance.

"Relena, I'm sorry," Heero said suddenly.

"What do you mean, Heero?" the princess asked.

"We were there, in North America, when you were captured," he managed to get out. "I saw you giving a lesson. We could have taken you home, but we waited. You looked so happy. We were too late to save you when the Dolls came. You would have been safe if we had just brought you back right when we found you. I'm sorry I let them kidnap you."

"It's alright, Heero," Relena said trying to comfort him. She knew that he was upset because for once in his life, he had failed to protect her.

"After I defeated Jasper," Heero said in a serious tone, "he told me he had still won. I didn't think anything of it then, but I realize now what he meant. If that maid hadn't told me where you were, you would have died in the explosion of the base. Without you, the peace of the world would been disrupted, just as Hollowfax had wanted."

"Everything's over now," Relena assured him, "You saved us all in the end, that's the only thing that matters."

"What did you say to the horse?" Heero asked after a moment of silence. Relena looked puzzled at his random question. "When I saw you that day," he explained, "you whispered something to the horse and then started laughing your head off."

"Hmmm, let me see," Relena thought back and then giggled as she remembered. "That's funny," she said, "While you were watching me, I said to my horse, Silverstreak, 'I wonder what Heero would say if he saw me now?' So..what did you say, Heero? Anything?"

Heero looked at the princess. "I said....I said you were perfect." Mustering up all of the courage he had-talking to girls was sometimes harder than fighting Mobile Dolls-Heero continued, "Just like tonight I'm going to say that you're beautiful."

Relena couldn't hide a look of surprise at his sweet comment. The handsome pilot then brought his hand up to the girl's face and gently lifted her chin so that he could look into her eyes, "Relena, you look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you, Heero," Relena barely whispered the words. She was spellbound. The princess was still wondering if she had imagined a hint of kindness in his usual monotone voice, or if it had really been there, when Milliardo interrupted her thoughts. "Sorry to have to steal your dancing partner, Heero. Relena, it's time for your speech," her brother said as he escorted her away.

In her speech, Relena finally revealed to the people what had happened regarding her disappearance. She also told them about the war that had taken place, which had been kept from most of the public's knowledge. She called the battle that had been fought between the Gundams and Dark Storm the 'Battle of Final Peace' in hope that there would be no more wars, although to the people, it was later referred to as the 'War That Never Was'. Relena then presented each of the Gundam pilots with a Medal of Honor, on which was inscribed 'Protector of Peace'.

After her speech, Relena searched the ballroom for Heero, but could not find her mysterious pilot anywhere. Running up to Duo and Hilde, Relena asked them, out of breath, "Have you seen Heero? I've looked for him everywhere."

"Oh, yeah, he said something about taking a walk in some rose garden, the one sort of hidden in the forest," Duo replied.

"Thanks!" said Relena, then scurried away. She put on her golden cape and ran out the door to look for Heero.

"Awww, ain't they the cutest?" said Duo as he and Hilde watched Relena hurry away to the rose garden.

"Yeah," said Hilde, leaning up against Duo's arm.

Duo looked down at the girl peacefully resting on him. "Alright, you can do this," he thought to himself.

"Hilde?" said Duo.

"Yes?"

"I know I can be a pain sometimes, and a flirt too. But, I just wanted you to know that you're the one I've always wanted. No matter how hard I try, I can't even begin to describe how much you mean to me. God, I love you so much."

"Oh, Duo," Hilde said as she gently touched his cheek.

"Marry me?"

"You mean it?" Hilde's eyes grew wide as he nodded yes and she jumped into his arms. "Of course I will! I love you, my Shinigami," said Hilde as Duo held her tight, tears now streaming down both of their faces.