027
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing.
Rating: G
Warnings: None.
Characters: Dorothy, Treize, Zechs
Note: This takes place before the series, at this point Dorothy's seven, Zechs is ten, and Treize is fourteen. It's going to be a pretty big arc I think. This is chapter one.
Title: As The World Falls Down.
Chapter: One: Children's Games
Summary: In which Dorothy is reprimanded, Treize is provoked, and Zechs is a pacifier.
“Dorothy, sit up straight.” The seven year old instantly squared her small shoulders and straightened her back from her position on the piano bench. Lilla Catalonia sighed and turned to her older sister with a roll of her pale blue eyes. “Honestly Aria, the child has a mind of her own. Father’s right when he says they should be tamed quickly. I think she’s rebelling because of Alexander being away all the time.”
Aria laughs softly. “Oh, I know what you mean. When Landry’s gone I don’t know what to do with Treize.” She eyes her niece critically. “Come here child,” she calls. The music stops as the little girl approaches, staring up at her with the pale eyes of her sister. Her blonde hair is in a single, heavy plait down her back. Aria leans forward, turning Dorothy to the side and smiling. “I don’t know Lilla, she seems tame enough.”
“Only because she was reprimanded already,” Lilla responds. She takes a long sip from her iced tea and sighs appreciatively. “I fear she’s more at home in the land of war and politics than in music and art lessons.”
“She’ll come into her own, won’t you Dorothy?” The seven year old nods confidently and Aria smiles at her. She glances out the open French doors at the back gardens. “I think Treize and Zechs are outside, why don’t you join them? Get some fresh air.”
“She gets enough,” Lilla sighs.
“Ah, as long as she’s careful to stay out of the sun, keep that fair complexion of hers…there’s nothing wrong with fresh air. We were certainly out in it plenty.”
“Right, and freckled rotten,” Lilla laughs. “Go on then Thea, run off and play, but mind your clothes this once!” She laughs again as the child runs off, tossing her honey colored hair over her shoulder. “Oh, she’ll be a mess in minutes…”
--
“I’ve been thinking while you’ve been gone.” The blonde haired youth skipped pebbles idly across one of the reflecting ponds. He tilted his head back, allowing the sunlight to warm his face. Treize lifted his head; the light catching his dark hair and making it shine red. He raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “I think I want to join your Specials.”
“Oh?” He turned back to the rifle he was polishing. “Has my father finally succeeded in convincing you that the Alliance is righteous?”
“I saw her on TV.” The older boy stops polishing and sets the rifle down slowly. “I saw how much she resembles our mother and I realized how furious I am that she will never know her. I will never know her.” The pebble skipped and sank with a quiet displacement of widening ripples. “I want revenge against the Alliance. For everything they did.”
“A noble cause,” Treize agreed idly. He studied his friend carefully, watching the way the wind tugged at the pale blonde hair. Watched the way the slate colored eyes hardened in the young face. “Can you give up pacifism that easily?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. Just get me into OZ.”
“Of course, Lake Victoria is the best Academy for Alliance trainees and Specials so I’m sure Father or my uncle will want you there.” His lips twisted into a smile. They both knew of his plan for the Alliance and Specials. “You will need to take orders from me you realize,” he added as an afterthought.
“Why would he ever want to do something stupid like that?” Both boys looked up as the girl entered their quiet sanctuary. Her braid swayed with each step she took and Treize laughed when he saw her. “What?”
“Aunt Lilla will murder you when she sees what you’ve done to your clothes.” Dorothy glared at him and placed her hands on her hips, ignoring the mud on the hem of her blue sundress. “It’s good to see you Dorothy.”
“I’m sure.” She glanced over at the blonde boy and tilted her head. “Why would you want to take orders from Treize?” Her eyes fall to the rifle that is nearly as long as she is tall. “Skeet shooting later?”
“Of course,” Treize replies calmly. He watches his cousin as she sits down and stares at the two older boys expectantly. Of course she would, he knows she’s advanced for her age. They all are, growing up in a world of soldiers and politicians, aristocrats and royalty. Their childhood was stolen the moment they learned to reason. “Zechs is thinking of joining the Alliance.”
“It goes against your ideals,” she replies immediately. “You would never be able to live with yourself you realize?” She falls silent when he glares at her and she shrugs back unflustered. “Revenge is slightly melodramatic, but people seem to accept it readily enough. That’s why you’re doing it, right?” He nods tensely and she shrugs again. “I’ll be left alone while you two are off playing soldier.”
“It isn’t a game Dorothy,” Treize admonishes. He runs a hand through his hair idly and stretches his legs before standing. He dusts off his trousers and glances behind them, toward the house and the oversized veranda with the marble columns. “Nothing in life is a game Dorothy.”
“Life is like a giant chessboard Treize, just like Grandfather says.” She laughs at his annoyed look. “Don’t be upset that I’m his favorite and you are not.” Her small hand finds Zechs’. “Can we go shooting now?”
“Of course,” Zechs replies effortlessly. He is used to diffusing the arguments between the two cousins.
--
“Dorothy Marie Gabrielle Rayne Catalonia, what are you doing?” She winced and ducked her head. It had always amazed her that Lilla was able to get her full name out in a single breath. Then again, she’d had lots of practice the past seven years. Her mother set the parasol tip-down and glared at her daughter. “Honestly child, if your grandfather could only see you now, running around covered in mud and all other sorts of filth, what would he say?” It was also quite amazing how shrill Lilla’s voice could get when she was furious.
“I’m sure he would say she was a brute of a child and needed to be brought up short straight away.” Dorothy’s head snapped up and Treize leapt to catch the rifle as she dropped it. “Hello Dorothy, Treize. Ah, Zechs, looking well I see.”
“Grandfather!” Dorothy yelled. She tore off across the shooting field to where the adults were standing. He caught her easily, lifting her up and smiling. “I didn’t know you would be coming for a visit.”
“Just a short one this time Dorothy,” he says, chucking her lightly under the chin. He sets her down on the grass and looks at the two women. “Ah, Aria my dear, lovely as always.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead as she smiled. “Lilla, you look radiant, still hoping for a boy?” he asks, checking her blossoming stomach.
“Of course Father.” He nods gravely and she frowns. “What is it?”
“Come along, let’s walk and not bother the children. They’ll want to get back to their shooting.” He turned to Treize and eyed him. “We’ll have a talk after dinner young man.” Treize nodded solemnly as the old man walked off, a daughter on each arm.
“What do you suppose that was about?” Zechs asked mildly. Dorothy trudged back and Treize furrowed his brow at her, glancing pointedly at his rifle. “Get off it Treize, she’s a child, forget about it.”
“I’m sorry I dropped it.”
He eyed his cousin carefully and Dorothy met his gaze, not shying away from the bluntness of it. “I doubt that, but you are sincere.” He handed her the rifle back and she took aim at the target, waiting until Zechs hit the button and one of the clay discs were released into the air. She aimed and released the trigger. The clay pigeon exploded into little bits and she grinned as the rifle was lowered. “Good aim.”
“Of course,” she replied, off handed. “Do you think Father will let me go to Lake Victoria as well? He always says I’m excellent at tact…at plotting since I beat him at chess constantly, and you know I’m a good shot.”
“You’re too young Thea,” Treize answered immediately. She glared at him and he shrugged. “Zechs just makes the age requirement now. You know they don’t allow you into Lake Victoria until you’re ten, and then you have to be excellent. The best there is since it’s the most prestigious of the military schools.”
“I know that Treize, you go on about it all the time.” She hit the next pigeon that Zechs released without hesitation and frowned. “I’m bored with this, can’t we do something else? How about fencing? I know you’ve gotten that new epée, don’t deny it Treize, Aunt Aria was telling me about it earlier.” He frowned and she smiled at him sweetly. “Surely you aren’t afraid to lose to a little girl?”
“I’ll fight you Dorothy,” Zechs stated. He wound the controller and placed it back on the machine. “Can I use one of your swords Treize?”
Treize turned to regard them and nodded absently. “I only have one epée, if you want to fight with those you’ll have to use Father’s. Come on, let’s go. And Dorothy, fight fair this time.”
She turns to him and glares. He half expects her to stick her tongue out at him but she gave that habit up two years back when Lilla got on her case. “I always fight fair Treize. It’s really not my fault you can’t keep up.” She grabbed Zechs’ hand, tugging him lightly. “Come on, I can’t wait to try it out.”
They entered the old house and Treize followed slowly, watching the girl pulling his best friend down the halls, past tittering maids and stoic man servants. They each nod to him as he passes and he frowns, losing himself even more to his thoughts that he doesn’t notice Dorothy’s incessant childish prattle until it stops and she’s peering up into his face.
“I thought it was only girls who were supposed to go moody when they hit puberty,” she exclaimed. He glared at her and she smiled back. “Zechs and I are ready if you would care to judge?”
“Fine, fine.” He took a seat and watched as they saluted each other. Dorothy was nearly as tall as Zechs and it was nearly impossible to tell them apart once they were in their fencing attire. Her hair had long ago come unbound and was just a bit longer than Zechs’ own fair hair. He found it amusing that his cousin looked more like his friend’s younger sister than Relena ever did. “En garde. Begin.”
They circled each other slowly, striking and defending once in awhile without malice, only to judge the other’s strengths. The sound of the clashing metal was monotonous after a few minutes as his eyes darted back and forth, watching the match. For a moment he thought he heard a distant scream but brushed it off as imagination. Suddenly, with a burst of aggression and speed Dorothy lunged, ducking under the boy’s parry and getting first blood. She danced back and he could just imagine the smirk on her face. He smiled secretly to himself as well.
Zechs lunged at her and she twirled away, just missing his blade by a quarter of an inch at most, hitting him in the back with her own. He growled, lunged again and caught her off guard on her left shoulder. He saw the set to her shoulders, her fingers tighten around the hilt of the sword, and then she was lunging again, feinting and catching his throat with the point of the sword. Zechs stood very still, eyeing her through the mask, and she stood there for a moment before stepping back and removing her mask with deliberate grace.
“I win.” She turned to the older boy and tilted her head to escape pale bangs. “Are you going to fight me or am I too brilliant?”
“You’re too confident definitely,” Treize replied easily. “You forget your manners Thea salute each other and shake hands.” She rolls her eyes but salutes and then holds out a hand for him to shake. Both boys share a small smile when she winces at the grip and she glares back.
“Oh…” she’s interrupted by the appearance of the Khushrenada’s butler. Her eyebrows draw together as she stares at him. He ignores her, looking instead at Treize.
“Lady Lilla wishes your presences in Madame’s quarters. She’ll be there with Madame and the Doctor.” He nods to the three of them while Treize frowns. “Would you like me to accompany you?”
“No, that won’t be necessary James.”
“Very well young Master.” He bowed to each of them before backing into the hall and disappearing into the evening shadows.
Rating: G
Warnings: None.
Characters: Dorothy, Treize, Zechs
Note: This takes place before the series, at this point Dorothy's seven, Zechs is ten, and Treize is fourteen. It's going to be a pretty big arc I think. This is chapter one.
Title: As The World Falls Down.
Chapter: One: Children's Games
Summary: In which Dorothy is reprimanded, Treize is provoked, and Zechs is a pacifier.
“Dorothy, sit up straight.” The seven year old instantly squared her small shoulders and straightened her back from her position on the piano bench. Lilla Catalonia sighed and turned to her older sister with a roll of her pale blue eyes. “Honestly Aria, the child has a mind of her own. Father’s right when he says they should be tamed quickly. I think she’s rebelling because of Alexander being away all the time.”
Aria laughs softly. “Oh, I know what you mean. When Landry’s gone I don’t know what to do with Treize.” She eyes her niece critically. “Come here child,” she calls. The music stops as the little girl approaches, staring up at her with the pale eyes of her sister. Her blonde hair is in a single, heavy plait down her back. Aria leans forward, turning Dorothy to the side and smiling. “I don’t know Lilla, she seems tame enough.”
“Only because she was reprimanded already,” Lilla responds. She takes a long sip from her iced tea and sighs appreciatively. “I fear she’s more at home in the land of war and politics than in music and art lessons.”
“She’ll come into her own, won’t you Dorothy?” The seven year old nods confidently and Aria smiles at her. She glances out the open French doors at the back gardens. “I think Treize and Zechs are outside, why don’t you join them? Get some fresh air.”
“She gets enough,” Lilla sighs.
“Ah, as long as she’s careful to stay out of the sun, keep that fair complexion of hers…there’s nothing wrong with fresh air. We were certainly out in it plenty.”
“Right, and freckled rotten,” Lilla laughs. “Go on then Thea, run off and play, but mind your clothes this once!” She laughs again as the child runs off, tossing her honey colored hair over her shoulder. “Oh, she’ll be a mess in minutes…”
--
“I’ve been thinking while you’ve been gone.” The blonde haired youth skipped pebbles idly across one of the reflecting ponds. He tilted his head back, allowing the sunlight to warm his face. Treize lifted his head; the light catching his dark hair and making it shine red. He raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. “I think I want to join your Specials.”
“Oh?” He turned back to the rifle he was polishing. “Has my father finally succeeded in convincing you that the Alliance is righteous?”
“I saw her on TV.” The older boy stops polishing and sets the rifle down slowly. “I saw how much she resembles our mother and I realized how furious I am that she will never know her. I will never know her.” The pebble skipped and sank with a quiet displacement of widening ripples. “I want revenge against the Alliance. For everything they did.”
“A noble cause,” Treize agreed idly. He studied his friend carefully, watching the way the wind tugged at the pale blonde hair. Watched the way the slate colored eyes hardened in the young face. “Can you give up pacifism that easily?”
“It doesn’t matter anymore. Just get me into OZ.”
“Of course, Lake Victoria is the best Academy for Alliance trainees and Specials so I’m sure Father or my uncle will want you there.” His lips twisted into a smile. They both knew of his plan for the Alliance and Specials. “You will need to take orders from me you realize,” he added as an afterthought.
“Why would he ever want to do something stupid like that?” Both boys looked up as the girl entered their quiet sanctuary. Her braid swayed with each step she took and Treize laughed when he saw her. “What?”
“Aunt Lilla will murder you when she sees what you’ve done to your clothes.” Dorothy glared at him and placed her hands on her hips, ignoring the mud on the hem of her blue sundress. “It’s good to see you Dorothy.”
“I’m sure.” She glanced over at the blonde boy and tilted her head. “Why would you want to take orders from Treize?” Her eyes fall to the rifle that is nearly as long as she is tall. “Skeet shooting later?”
“Of course,” Treize replies calmly. He watches his cousin as she sits down and stares at the two older boys expectantly. Of course she would, he knows she’s advanced for her age. They all are, growing up in a world of soldiers and politicians, aristocrats and royalty. Their childhood was stolen the moment they learned to reason. “Zechs is thinking of joining the Alliance.”
“It goes against your ideals,” she replies immediately. “You would never be able to live with yourself you realize?” She falls silent when he glares at her and she shrugs back unflustered. “Revenge is slightly melodramatic, but people seem to accept it readily enough. That’s why you’re doing it, right?” He nods tensely and she shrugs again. “I’ll be left alone while you two are off playing soldier.”
“It isn’t a game Dorothy,” Treize admonishes. He runs a hand through his hair idly and stretches his legs before standing. He dusts off his trousers and glances behind them, toward the house and the oversized veranda with the marble columns. “Nothing in life is a game Dorothy.”
“Life is like a giant chessboard Treize, just like Grandfather says.” She laughs at his annoyed look. “Don’t be upset that I’m his favorite and you are not.” Her small hand finds Zechs’. “Can we go shooting now?”
“Of course,” Zechs replies effortlessly. He is used to diffusing the arguments between the two cousins.
--
“Dorothy Marie Gabrielle Rayne Catalonia, what are you doing?” She winced and ducked her head. It had always amazed her that Lilla was able to get her full name out in a single breath. Then again, she’d had lots of practice the past seven years. Her mother set the parasol tip-down and glared at her daughter. “Honestly child, if your grandfather could only see you now, running around covered in mud and all other sorts of filth, what would he say?” It was also quite amazing how shrill Lilla’s voice could get when she was furious.
“I’m sure he would say she was a brute of a child and needed to be brought up short straight away.” Dorothy’s head snapped up and Treize leapt to catch the rifle as she dropped it. “Hello Dorothy, Treize. Ah, Zechs, looking well I see.”
“Grandfather!” Dorothy yelled. She tore off across the shooting field to where the adults were standing. He caught her easily, lifting her up and smiling. “I didn’t know you would be coming for a visit.”
“Just a short one this time Dorothy,” he says, chucking her lightly under the chin. He sets her down on the grass and looks at the two women. “Ah, Aria my dear, lovely as always.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead as she smiled. “Lilla, you look radiant, still hoping for a boy?” he asks, checking her blossoming stomach.
“Of course Father.” He nods gravely and she frowns. “What is it?”
“Come along, let’s walk and not bother the children. They’ll want to get back to their shooting.” He turned to Treize and eyed him. “We’ll have a talk after dinner young man.” Treize nodded solemnly as the old man walked off, a daughter on each arm.
“What do you suppose that was about?” Zechs asked mildly. Dorothy trudged back and Treize furrowed his brow at her, glancing pointedly at his rifle. “Get off it Treize, she’s a child, forget about it.”
“I’m sorry I dropped it.”
He eyed his cousin carefully and Dorothy met his gaze, not shying away from the bluntness of it. “I doubt that, but you are sincere.” He handed her the rifle back and she took aim at the target, waiting until Zechs hit the button and one of the clay discs were released into the air. She aimed and released the trigger. The clay pigeon exploded into little bits and she grinned as the rifle was lowered. “Good aim.”
“Of course,” she replied, off handed. “Do you think Father will let me go to Lake Victoria as well? He always says I’m excellent at tact…at plotting since I beat him at chess constantly, and you know I’m a good shot.”
“You’re too young Thea,” Treize answered immediately. She glared at him and he shrugged. “Zechs just makes the age requirement now. You know they don’t allow you into Lake Victoria until you’re ten, and then you have to be excellent. The best there is since it’s the most prestigious of the military schools.”
“I know that Treize, you go on about it all the time.” She hit the next pigeon that Zechs released without hesitation and frowned. “I’m bored with this, can’t we do something else? How about fencing? I know you’ve gotten that new epée, don’t deny it Treize, Aunt Aria was telling me about it earlier.” He frowned and she smiled at him sweetly. “Surely you aren’t afraid to lose to a little girl?”
“I’ll fight you Dorothy,” Zechs stated. He wound the controller and placed it back on the machine. “Can I use one of your swords Treize?”
Treize turned to regard them and nodded absently. “I only have one epée, if you want to fight with those you’ll have to use Father’s. Come on, let’s go. And Dorothy, fight fair this time.”
She turns to him and glares. He half expects her to stick her tongue out at him but she gave that habit up two years back when Lilla got on her case. “I always fight fair Treize. It’s really not my fault you can’t keep up.” She grabbed Zechs’ hand, tugging him lightly. “Come on, I can’t wait to try it out.”
They entered the old house and Treize followed slowly, watching the girl pulling his best friend down the halls, past tittering maids and stoic man servants. They each nod to him as he passes and he frowns, losing himself even more to his thoughts that he doesn’t notice Dorothy’s incessant childish prattle until it stops and she’s peering up into his face.
“I thought it was only girls who were supposed to go moody when they hit puberty,” she exclaimed. He glared at her and she smiled back. “Zechs and I are ready if you would care to judge?”
“Fine, fine.” He took a seat and watched as they saluted each other. Dorothy was nearly as tall as Zechs and it was nearly impossible to tell them apart once they were in their fencing attire. Her hair had long ago come unbound and was just a bit longer than Zechs’ own fair hair. He found it amusing that his cousin looked more like his friend’s younger sister than Relena ever did. “En garde. Begin.”
They circled each other slowly, striking and defending once in awhile without malice, only to judge the other’s strengths. The sound of the clashing metal was monotonous after a few minutes as his eyes darted back and forth, watching the match. For a moment he thought he heard a distant scream but brushed it off as imagination. Suddenly, with a burst of aggression and speed Dorothy lunged, ducking under the boy’s parry and getting first blood. She danced back and he could just imagine the smirk on her face. He smiled secretly to himself as well.
Zechs lunged at her and she twirled away, just missing his blade by a quarter of an inch at most, hitting him in the back with her own. He growled, lunged again and caught her off guard on her left shoulder. He saw the set to her shoulders, her fingers tighten around the hilt of the sword, and then she was lunging again, feinting and catching his throat with the point of the sword. Zechs stood very still, eyeing her through the mask, and she stood there for a moment before stepping back and removing her mask with deliberate grace.
“I win.” She turned to the older boy and tilted her head to escape pale bangs. “Are you going to fight me or am I too brilliant?”
“You’re too confident definitely,” Treize replied easily. “You forget your manners Thea salute each other and shake hands.” She rolls her eyes but salutes and then holds out a hand for him to shake. Both boys share a small smile when she winces at the grip and she glares back.
“Oh…” she’s interrupted by the appearance of the Khushrenada’s butler. Her eyebrows draw together as she stares at him. He ignores her, looking instead at Treize.
“Lady Lilla wishes your presences in Madame’s quarters. She’ll be there with Madame and the Doctor.” He nods to the three of them while Treize frowns. “Would you like me to accompany you?”
“No, that won’t be necessary James.”
“Very well young Master.” He bowed to each of them before backing into the hall and disappearing into the evening shadows.