Chapter 5
 

    Zanto moved quietly as he walked onto the balcony portion of the auditorium. He didn't want to disturb the people who were listening to the Vice Foreign Minister's speech. But he couldn't concentrate on the strange memory flashes that filled his mind when he was sitting next to Kira - her hand gripping his so tightly he thought his fingers would break.

    He slipped into an empty seat and watched the young woman below him. He hadn't been able to keep his eyes off of her since he spotted her on stage; it was like he was drawn to her. He'd always heard that she had that effect on people, but this was different, personal. He could feel it deep within his heart, which was flipping in his chest, that he knew her. He had never felt that way before when it came to a woman. What was it about her that made him want to take her into his arms and just hold her? He didn't feel that way toward Kira, and yet she was his girlfriend.

    He closed his eyes briefly; a memory of the young diplomat filled his mind of her giving a speech to another crowd. Her long hair was swept back into a bow, her eyes trained on the people before her. After the accident, the doctors told him he may never remember everything from before. That it would take time, and patience – on both his part and his family's. But the people in the scenes he saw were never ones he could associate with people he knew now. 

    Zanto placed his hands on either side of his head.  It was like… a locked chest in his mind, and he was holding a ring with an endless number of keys. But no matter how hard he tried, none would open it.

    Her speech came to an end; he remained seated as she left the stage. It took every ounce of willpower to keep himself in his seat while she walked away. He knew he had to see her and he would do anything it took to look her in the eye and ask her the questions that were starting to drive him mad: why are you in my memories?
 

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    "I can't express how much we appreciate you stopping here." Dean Julian Baker continued shaking Relena's hand until she was finally able to untangle it.

    "I was more than happy to. You have a wonderful campus."

    "Thank you, Miss Relena. And one that would be more than willing to accept your application if you should ever feel the desire to do continue your education."

    Relena smiled at the Dean then glanced at Wufei. He was leaning against the doorway of the dressing room, and snorted at the comment. She knew what he was thinking, it was only the ninth time she had been offered the same thing in the past year and she had politely turned them all down. She would be married soon and with her schedule, school just wasn't a possibility.

    "Well, I'm sure that you must be anxious to return to Earth. If there is anything that you need before you leave, feel free to contact me. And we hope to see you again."

    "I will. Thank you, Dean Baker." Relena waited for him to leave before she pulled Wufei into the room and closed the door. She removed a piece of paper from her jacket pocket and handed it to him. "I need you to arrange transportation to this address as soon as possible."

    "What is this?" Wufei snapped. "I've told you before not to pull anything like this. I know that Yuy....." Wufei caught himself and lowered his eyes from hers. It had been a long time since he had spoken the name of the man whose job he had taken over. "I meant no disrespect."

    "I know." Relena took a seat. She hadn't thought about Heero in awhile – not willingly let her mind travel down that road and dwell on 'what might have been'. The thought still brought pain to her heart.

    Her eyes glanced down at her left hand resting in her lap. Her ring finger now sported a large, exquisite diamond. There were times that she would find herself daydreaming about that ring, and it being given to her by a man who was no longer in her life. She didn't want to hurt David, she loved him; he was a good man. It was time to let Heero go, but she wouldn't want to forget him.

    "It's important that I go there. There's something that I need to take care of. Please understand."

    Wufei looked into her eyes, and she pleaded for him to understand. His mouth curved up into a wry smile, and his shoulder slumped. Wufei studied the paper, going over the address that was written on it and then handed it back.

    "I'll see what I can do. But I make no guarantees."

    "Thank you, Wufei."

    "Wait here until I return; you should be safe."

    She stared at the paper in her hand and traced a finger over the surface. A feeling like a metal band clamped down over her ribcage and made it difficult to breathe. The address, she had been told, was the location of Heero's father and brother on the L2 colony. She had been waiting for three long years to find anyone that was tied to him. And now that she had found them, she couldn't wait to meet Heero's family.

    What would his father be like? Would his brother have any memory of Heero? Would she see any resemblance to the man that she had loved in either of them?

    She had no plans to push Mr. Yoshida about what had happened to his son, or how Heero came to be on his own at such a young age. All she cared about was letting him know that his son had been a wonderful man. He had had a home amongst his friends and made himself a true hero by sacrificing his life to save the lives of others.

    Relena rose from her chair and stepped out into the hallway. The walls were lined with pictures of students from plays that had been performed; she had been curious as she passed by them earlier. She looked at photographs of young, smiling features – faces of people her age - and wondered for not the first time what life would have been like if she had been a normal person.

    A pair of shoes scuffed the floor behind her. She whirled around. She had expected to find Wufei returning to let her know that he had arranged transportation for her in the morning. But instead of seeing the former Shenlong pilot, she came face to face with a ghost.

    Her left hand quickly flew to cover the gasp that tried to escape her lips. "No, this can't be." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'm seeing things." She slowly opened her eyes expecting to find the hallway empty. But the apparition was just as stubborn as the man she remembered.

    "Heero." A loud sob escaped her trembling lips. One hand reached out to see if he was solid, only to freeze in midair. She quickly retracted it and pressed it against her collarbone.

    "No.... it can't be. You're… You're dead." Her whole body started to tremble as he approached. This man, if he were really here, couldn't possibly be Heero. Her hand sought the pendant through her shirt. Someone must be playing a cruel, cruel joke.

    "Who are you?" His voice was deep, just like Heero's used to….

    Relena backed away; the bones of her spine bumped against the wall. The apparition continued to approach. His deep blue eyes flashed – one second he seemed to recognize her, the next he looked angry.

    "You haunt me, my thoughts, like I know you. It's making me crazy. I've never met you before and yet I feel like I have." He stopped, near enough to reach out and touch him. But she couldn't… If he dissipated beneath her fingertips, she might break.

    "Why are you in my head?"  He stared down at her, his eyes asking a thousand questions she didn't understand.

    He held her mesmerized; Relena tried, but couldn't look away. She used to know every line, every crease, every mark that made up Heero's striking face. The man before her bore such a resemblance that he could easily pass as his twin.

    And his eyes…. They were the same color as Heero's, his hair was much shorter, but still the same color. It was easy to imagine his hair long and unruly. Relena sniffed as she studied his face and her heart sped up in her chest.  'What if..'

    "Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

    "You…. you look exactly like a dear friend of mine that lost his life a few years ago."

    One finger combed loosely through a lock of her hair.

    "Wha....."

    He didn't disappear!  He was solid. And real. And so much like….

    'What if he--?'

    "Heero…."

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    Zanto let her blond tresses slip through his fingers and he stared into her eyes. Such a familiar shade….

"Heero, there's something I think you should have.  Something I—" He turned to face her in time to feel the girl press a small box into the palm of his hand.

"I'm not even sure if you'll accept this." Her smile wavered slightly, but she kept her focus directly on him.

"I can't…"

    His eyes landed on the gold chain that rested around her neck, the rest was hidden under her shirt. He reached out to touch the metal, causing the woman to gasp, then slowly pulled the chain out from under her shirt. At last, a gold medallion toppled into his hand. It had been trodden, by what he could only guess. And he wondered why she wore the damaged jewelry as though it meant something of great importance to her. His hand started to tremble as a vision, perhaps a memory, played out in his mind.

"I'm not even sure if you'll accept this."

He slowly opened the small box that he held in his hand. Inside laid a small, gold medallion, it bore the symbol of peace, the same symbol that most considered the girl that stood before him.

"Relena, I can't." He shook his head and extended his hand to return it right away.  “They gave this to you."

She smiled warmly at him. "Turn it over."

He turned it over to find an inscription. --To the one that truly brought us peace--. He closed the box and again tried to hand it back to her. He could see the sincerity in her eyes as her palms came up and covered his.

"I want you to have it. It would mean a lot...."

"Relena." His mind searched for things to say, and his mouth moved with words that expressed his gratitude and emotions.  But somehow all that came out was: "Thank you." 

    Zanto snatched away as if the metal burned him. The dreams, the medallion, the faces that had no names…. They came crashing over him. He took a step back; his eyes locked with hers. "Relena…."

    Her name no longer sounded foreign like the times he had spoken it in the classroom. This time it felt right, like her name was only meant to be spoken by him.

    "Are you all right?" She stepped forward when he started to back away from her; his eyes darted to the hall behind her. What if someone saw him bothering her? She had security, didn't she?

    "I should go. I didn't mean to bother you."

    "Wait!" Her hand grasped a hold of his arm; he stopped in his tracks. "Who are you?"

    "Zan." As he spoke his name, her hand dropped and he took off down the hallway.
 

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    Relena stared at the point where Zan had disappeared around the corner. 'Was that…Zanto? That was the name of—'

    "I arranged your ride. Are you ready to leave?"

    "Wufei," She shook her head to try and clear the image of him from her mind. She pivoted to look at her guard. "Did you see..." She trailed off when she saw the confusion in his eyes.

    "Did I see what?"

    "Nothing." She turned back and smiled in the direction the mysterious Zan had went.
 

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    Zanto returned to his dorm room to collect a few belongings. He stomped around, stuffing things in a gym bag while ignoring the questions that his roommates threw at him. He had no time for them.

    "Zanto, what's wrong? Kira was in tears after you left…"

    "Where're you goin, Zanto?

    "Home." He zipped his duffel bag shut and stalked toward the door. He had some 'questions' for his father.

    "Home? You can't go home!"

    Zanto stormed out of his room to the parking lot.  

    "The doctors said your memory… It will take some time."

    Zanto scowled and threw his bag into the passenger seat before sliding in behind the wheel.

    'You have some explaining to do, father.'

    He jammed the keys into the ignition and started the car. A knock sounded on the driver’s side window. He glared at the girl standing outside but rolled the window down just a bit. "What?"

    "Zan, is everything ok?" 

    "Mind your own business." He put the car in gear to drive away. 

    Kira grabbed the top of the glass. "I don't understand what is going on with you, Zan. Why are you acting like this?"

    He didn't say a word. What could he say to her?

    "Zan, please don't drive off."

    He didn't even look at her as he spoke. "Forget about me."