Lucrezia Noin, Zechs Merquise
Tonight And The Rest Of My Life
Lake Victoria Academy, AC 191
21:58
Noin looked down the empty hall. It was still a few minutes before they were scheduled for practice. Zechs could still show up in the next few minutes. Zechs was always early. They showed up early just for the times the people before them finished early.
21:59
The door opened and a few older students left, fully ignoring her and loudly discussing the results of a wager just settled. Still no Zechs. She could have gone in, but she waited in the hall for him, so she'd be able to see him coming. The voices faded into the distance.
22:00
Noin looked back and forth between her watch and down the hall. Maybe he'd been delayed by someone in the hall. Maybe he forgot they had practice tonight. Maybe he had to go back to his room for something. Zechs would show up. He always did. She just had to be patient.
22:07
Noin looked up when she heard footsteps, but it was just a first year student who'd gotten lost. Face it. For whatever reason, he's not going to be here. She couldn't imagine why he would miss an extra practice, though, especially so close to finals. It wasn't like him. Something had to be wrong. She decided to go find out what it was.
The men's and women's dorms at LVA were on different floors, and generally students shouldn't go into the other gender's dorm area. Fortunately, Zechs' room wasn't too far into 'enemy territory.' She could just imagine the rumors that would be started by morning, from her going to his room at twenty-two hundred hours.
Noin tapped softly on the door to Zechs' quarters, no response. She tapped again. And again, no response. It was unusual to say the least. He was in there, he must have been and Noin continued to wonder why he hadn't answered. And then, as if by cue, the door slid open to reveal a dark room. She walked in and softly tapped the keypad and the door closed. She continued into the dark room to where she heard loud noises that she couldn't make out. "Zechs?" she called.
"In here." Came a reply from the adjacent room. Noin followed through a second door and found Zechs, sitting on the cold carpeted floor, with his mask intact, no shirt and a bottle of Whiskey clenched in his hand and positioned in front of a television. Several cassettes littered his dorm. Noin looked at the screen, they were video records of Zechs' training sessions.
"Zechs, what is going on?"
The young cadet raised the bottle to his lips and took a sip. "I'm looking over the training records. I want to know where I went wrong."
Noin looked over at the monitor, the record playing was Zechs' Cancer dive test. "Zechs, you know what I'm talking about."
He looked at the bottle in his hand, and then back to her. "I see. That is much more complicated."
Noin crouched down and sat next to her classmate. "Zechs, we've been partners in this academy for four years. If there's anyone you can trust, I ask that you let it be me."
Zechs looked up from the monitor, and over to Noin. Although his expression wasn't visible behind his mask, Noin could tell he was comforted by her words. "Thank you, Noin." Zechs took another gaze at the bottle. "Noin, I've mastered the Leo and Aries suits. The Cancer suits operations are a little too slow, I can't seem to pilot it correctly. How do you do so well?"
"What do you mean, Zechs? I've seen your test results. They are in the top 5 of our class-"
"-I should be able to do better. I can do better."
Noin looked away, noting clearly where this conversation was going. "Does this have to do with the fact your test marks aren't the highest, or the fact that mine are higher than yours?"
Zechs went silent, looking neither at Noin, nor the monitor. It was as if his eyes became transfixed on the liquor bottle. "Heh, your observation merely confirms that I am indeed inferior." He said, lifting the bottle to his lips and sipping once again.
"Zechs, you shouldn't talk like that. It's not a wise attitude for a member of OZ..."
"Noin... You are a kind woman. I also appreciate having you as my friend."
Noin felt her face begin to tense up as she fought back a blush. "Thank you, Zechs. But... I don't understand what drives you to be so judgmental of yourself."
Zechs curled his lip and threw the empty bottle hard against the nearby wall.
Noin backed off at his sudden outburst. "Zechs..."
"Don't concern yourself, I'm not drunk. It seems that alcohol doesn't effect me at all. Figures."
"Zechs... is something else wrong? It seems deeper than just your dive exam."
Zechs turned to her and displayed a half grin which quickly faded to a frown. "I'll tell you... but please understand that this is my most closely guarded secret; nobody is to know about it."
"I understand, Zechs."
"Very well... are you familiar with the Sanc Kingdom?"
"The Sanc Kingdom? Why, wasn't it destroyed for aiding anti-Alliance extremists a few years ago?"
Zechs snickered, he wasn't surprised that was their cover story. "Not exactly. Back when the alliance was still young, they proposed to the Earth nations their intentions to unify the countries of the planet to bring in an era of peace. King Peacecraft; the leader of the Sanc Kingdom was known throughout the Earth and space colonies for his ideal of a perfect world. With this ideal, he enforced his law of total pacifism and believed that all disputes and conflicts could be resolved without the use of armies and weapons."
"But Zechs... what does this have to do with you?"
"As far as King Peacecraft was concerned, the Allied forces were using weapons and mobile suits to persuade countries to follow them. As a result, he rejected the Alliance and continued to denounce their methods. Other countries who agreed with King Peacecraft also rejected the Alliance; as you can guess, it angered them greatly. As their resolution to the problem, they had King Peacecraft and his family executed."
Noin knew all of this. It had been a topic covered in last year's Modern History course, in one class period. But what on earth could this have to do with Zechs?
"When the Alliance attacked, someone set fire to the palace. It was too chaotic for anyone to be certain of who had been executed. They were sure to kill the King and Queen, and tried to kill everyone else they found. But there were survivors..." He stopped speaking then and made a sort of strangled sound.
He's... crying? Noin realized. She'd never seen him so exposed, in all of three years. She drew him into her arms and held him while he finally allowed himself to cry. A survivor of a war-torn country of pacifists - he had every right to cry. He'd probably kept it bottled up inside for all those years... She would stay for as long as it took, to make sure he had that chance.
"You're not alone," she whispered.
Morning came with an unfamiliar beeping sound. Noin opened her eyes and took in her surroundings with some confusion. This wasn't her room, but it was the same general layout... And she didn't usually fall asleep sitting up. She then noticed a weight on her chest and looked down. Zechs was asleep with his head resting upon her chest. That's right, last night... So this was Zechs' room.
"Zechs, wake up," she said, easing him off of her.
He slowly opened his eyes, and winced at the light coming in through the window. "Ugh, my head..." Being an OZ cadet has it's advantages, including having a bathroom attached to each dorm room. As soon as he got to his feet, Zechs was on his way to that very room.
Noin then did something she hoped never to have to do again. She held back Zechs' hair while he emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet. Once he was finished and had rinsed out his mouth, he muttered, "Figures. I can't get drunk, but I still get the hangover."
The alarm clock read 6:13. Classes started at 7:30. "I should probably sneak back to my room before everybody's awake," she said, watching him. He didn't respond. Maybe he regrets telling me, she wondered. She started towards the door.
"Noin," he said as she reached the door. "Thank you."
She smiled back at him before hurrying upstairs to the women's dorm.
The academy cafeteria was a bustle that afternoon. It hadn't taken long at all for word to get around that Cadet Noin spent the night in Cadet Zechs' dorm. After all, all it would have taken was one person restless in the morning to see her make a hasty escape from Zechs' room and the rest would unfold soon after. It's a small world...
"Did you hear what happened to that Noin girl?" a student giggled.
"Yeah, heard she spent the night in Zechs' dorm last night!" the other cackled.
"I never thought she'd be the one to do anything like that."
"Heh, I didn't think Zechs was the type either."
"I'll bet he doesn't even take of the mask," speculated another student.
The cafeteria suddenly went silent as a certain senior cadet entered. He took a quick look around and continued in. The cafeteria remained silent; the sounds of Zechs' footfalls were the only sound escaping the silence. When he first enrolled in LVA, he almost never walked into a room with so many people, and when he did, he would usually catch the gaze of everyone. The main portion of the students eventually adjusted to the rather odd mask that covered his face. But now, he managed to catch the gaze of an uncountable set of eyes.
Another thing odd about the encounter was that he usually displayed his marble like expression, but now he was almost acting casual. His hands were placed in his pockets and he had an odd and very uncharacteristic tilt to his head.
A very ambitious student decided to break the awkward silence and whispered to his companion, "I guess it's safe to say it's true - Zechs definitely got some last night."
The other swiftly elbowed her counterpart in the ribs. "Shush! I want to see what happens."
Much to the voyeur's malcontent, Zechs made no move to comment, suggest or even brag about what had transpired the previous night in his dorm. That was just like him, too. And although no one else heard, he snickered at the thought.
The calm, composed and demanding demeanor of Instructor Ashenhurst was enough to make any man (or woman for that matter) feel self-conscious. He stood infront of his students, sizing them up one list time before they would take their final test. The following test would decide their fate for the next year and onward. Failure would mean them continuing in the academy whereas completion would secure them a position of being elite members of the Allied forces; a member of OZ.
"It's an instructor's finest pleasure to see his best students graduate. I have faith that all of you will complete this," he lied. In truth, it was rare for any amount over sixty percent to pass. "Good luck, that is all," he saluted.
The other students hurried to their respective simulators. Noin, however, stayed behind to personally wish Zechs luck.
The comm interface blared to life. "Your simulators have been programmed with the specifics of your mobile suit of choice. Keep in mind that this just isn't testing your piloting skills but your ability to follow each of your respective squadron leaders. The first squadron will be lead by Cadet Noin, the second; Cadet Zechs Merquise."
Great, Noin muttered silently. "Unit two and four, follow me. One and three will run parallel on the left."
"Ma'am, what are we to do afterwards?"
"We are meeting up with Zechs' unit at the end of this wooded clearing. I'll relay our orders once we meet up."
The second cadet nodded his acknowledgment and proceeded to follow behind Noin's Aries.
Zechs...
The students waited for Instructor Ashenhurst to arrive and declare the end of the test. Even though the mission was completed and they were no longer in their mobile suits, points could be deducted for conduct. Zechs had heard of cadets, even some who had tested today, who were not permitted to graduate because of misconduct after the mission itself. As a squadron leader, he would have points deducted for the misbehavior of his squad, but it wasn't the first thing on Zechs' mind.
During the course of the mission, Zechs' unit had met up with Noin's to escort a convoy carrying unmanned mobile suit prototypes. The escort mission went relatively well, though many of the pilots had difficulty keeping formation, due to nervousness and tension. Hopefully it wouldn't hurt their scores too much.
Zechs saw Noin's eyes shift to a point behind him and her posture quickly straightened. That was the only indication for those who were not facing that direction that Instructor Ashenhurst was approaching, for he had a habit of walking completely silently. Zechs turned and stood at attention.
Instructor Ashenhurst surveyed the group with scrutinizing eyes. Final calculations to our grades, no doubt. After a silence just long enough to make them nervous, he spoke. "I am proud of all of you for your performance in this test." Before anyone could breath a sigh of relief, he held up his hand for silence, "However, this institution has a reputation for producing the most skilled soldiers and pilots in the Alliance. Not all of you will be posted to a new location in the coming days. Scores will be posted this evening in the main hall. For the moment, I will list the names of those who passed." He began to recite the name of each cadet who had passed, in alphabetical order.
As he passed their part of the alphabet without saying their names, cadets had different reactions. Many stormed off, some cursed, and the only female who had tested other than Noin appeared to be crying as she ran off the field.
"Zechs Merquise. Lucrezia Noin. Hammon Phillips."
Zechs couldn't sigh in relief like many had, because he had never a reason to question his passing the test. But when he went to the list later that evening, he was certain that his name would be second, or lower. Noin's passing was even less surprising. He waited until Instructor Ashenhurst finished his list before turning to return to the school.
"Miss Noin," said Instructor Ashenhurst once he was done, "I would like you to remain a few moments longer. I wish to discuss something with you."
Zechs took that as a confirmation that she had exceeded his abilities once again as he walked away, not looking back at her.
Noin matched Instructor Ashenhurst's step as he began walking towards the school - a slightly different direction than any of the students because he was walking towards the main entrance rather than the entrance to the dorm hall.
"I have been teaching at this school for nearly fifty years," he said. "Quite a few people in high places have suggested that I'm getting too old for the job, and frankly I'm inclined to agree. You young people are enough to wear anyone out."
"I've put it off for several years, because I didn't want to see my job taken over by anyone who wouldn't teach the students what they need to survive," he continued. "But I've decided it's finally time. This school year is my grand finale, breaking school records not just once, but twice for the highest testing scores."
Noin's eyes were wide. "You're.. retiring?" She couldn't imagine the school without him. He was the one teacher she had known through all of her years at Lake Victoria Academy, and the only one she had truly liked despite his being a teacher.
"Oh, I'll stay on one more year to show my successor the ropes, but after that I'll leave to live out my days as a useless member of society." His eyes twinkled when he said that.
"But, if I may say it frankly, sir.."
He nodded.
"Why are you telling me this?"
He stopped walking and turned to her. "Lucrezia Noin, you are possibly the most talented student I have ever had the luxury of teaching. Not just in the use of mobile suits and other skills taught to all the students here. You showed the initiative to learn how to use the simulator, even before I helped you along. You are a very fast learner. And you are able to make others feel at ease around you."
Noin blinked, not sure if she was understanding what he was getting at correctly.
"If you agree, I will submit a request that you remain at the Lake Victoria Base rather than being sent out, to be my replacement when I leave."
This was one of those situations where people were supposed to faint, Noin was pretty sure. She was certainly feeling a bit lightheaded, and was having difficulty finding her voice.
"I understand this is a shock," Instructor Ashenhurst said, "And this is not the sort of decision to be made in a hurry. I'll leave you to think about it. Come talk to me within the next few days, before posts are listed." He continued walking towards the school, leaving Noin wondering if she had just dreamt the entire conversation.
The wall where scores were posted was surrounded by a massive crowd of students. Zechs had intended to wait until later, after dinner maybe, to bother looking, but he couldn't resist going to see. There was little else to fill the time, since classes had ended and the last final had been the one that morning. It was several minutes before he could get close enough to read the names. His eyes immediately went to the first one, knowing it would be Noin's.
Merquise, Zechs 1784He looked at the next line.
Noin, Lucrezia 1781He reread it several times, just to make sure. A difference of three points... He frowned and pushed his way out of the crowd and went looking for her.
He found her in the nearly empty cafeteria, sitting alone with a pen in her hand. As he got closer, he noticed that the paper in front of her was covered with random scribbles. If any of it had ever been meaningful, it wasn't anymore, since she had scribbled over it so many times. When he was standing right in front of her, she finally noticed him and looked up.
"Hi, Zechs," she said distractedly.
He leaned forward, his hands resting on the table, looking her right in the eyes. "I don't need your pity," he growled.
"Wha-"
"You held back on that test because you felt sorry for me. I don't want your pity, and I don't need it." With those words, he stalked away, leaving a very confused Noin staring at him.
Zechs had been avoiding her. When she spotted him in the halls and tried to approach, he turned and walked away from her. He had stopped going to meals as far as she could tell, either eating in his room or going off-campus. She hadn't been able to tell him when she accepted Instructor Ashenhurst's offer; she hadn't even been able to tell him about the offer in the first place. Notices had been given out of where everyone would be going in a few days, and she worried that he wouldn't even speak to her before he left.
Some other students had come up to her, saying how it was natural for people to drift apart once school was over, and that she would find someone new. Noin was pretty sure they had the wrong idea about her and Zechs, but she did wonder if the next time she spoke to him would be at a reunion in ten years or so. I really hope not...
As for the reason why he wasn't speaking to her... I didn't! I didn't let him win. I just... She couldn't explain why she had gotten a lower score for that exam but not others before it. But it wasn't because of feeling sorry for him! If only he would believe her.
"Ah, Miss Noin," said Instructor Ashenhurst as he passed her in the hall. "Are you off to the fencing room? I'm sure you would be able to find an opponent of equal skill to practice against."
Noin stared at him for a moment before comprehending his true meaning. She ran down the hall towards the fencing room as fast as her legs could carry her.
Tap tap
Zechs hadn't even realized anyone else was in the room until he heard that sound, of someone's foil tapping against his own. He turned and -
"Noin."
She tossed him a mask, hers already on. "Care for a duel?" she said, challenging.
Still frowning, Zechs donned the mask and drew his sword. He couldn't avoid her this time, and if she wished to prove he could beat her by loosing on purpose, he wouldn't stop her, but he would know that she had done so. There is a level of emotion and intimacy between two people dueling - if she chose to hold back, he would know it instantly. That relationship existed when dueling with mobile suits, but to a lesser extent. The less personal a battle became, the less people felt for it.
With a salute, the duel began, the two combatants circling each other slowly. Occasionally, one would strike and the other parried - testing each other's defenses. Then, with a lunge, Noin began the real battle. Zechs parried and returned the strike with precision. Noin barely parried in time, still recovering her position after her lunge. As their movements grew more rapid, it grew impossible for anyone other than the two combatants to keep track of what was happening.
They had actually, unwittingly drawn a somewhat large crowd who crowded around the door, watching the match through the windows in amazement. No one had seen a duel so intense before, even when Zechs and Noin were paired up in class.
It was a very long match, with moments when they returned to just circling, searching for any weaknesses made by weariness. Finally it ended when Zechs struck Noin's foil so soundly that it was knocked out of her hand and flew across the room. Noin watched it come to a stop on the floor, and turned back to Zechs, both of them breathing heavily. She removed her mask and Zechs could easily see that she had not been holding back in the least, had he any doubt.
He knew he was sweating just as hard from the exertion, maybe harder because of his mask under the fencing mask holding in heat even more. He removed his fencing mask and went to put the equipment away, as Noin picked up her foil and did likewise.
Later that evening, Noin went downstairs to the men's dorm again, and knocked on Zechs' door. This time around, her knock was answered. "Come in," she heard Zechs say, and she did so, closing the door behind her.
He was standing at the window, looking out. It was one of the rare times Noin saw him in casual dress. The school required cadets to wear their uniforms at almost all times, and for a man so well guarded as Zechs, that became even more constant. What truly caught Noin's attention was that he was not wearing his mask. It sat upon the nightstand to his left.
She walked to his side and looked at him for the first time without his mask. His bangs fell past his eyes in a way that somehow failed to obscure sight, either for him or for her to see his eyes. He turned gaze from looking out the window to meeting her eyes. He had the most beautiful eyes...
"For six years, I wore that mask to hide who I was. You're the first person to see me without it in that time," he said. "I've been living the past six years as someone who was never even born."
Noin felt a certain kinship to him in that. The moment she came to the Academy all those years ago, she had ceased being Lucrezia Vieri and became someone who had never existed before that.
"My real name is Milliardo Peacecraft," he stated quietly.
Noin's eyes widened. He was.. one of the children of the Peacecrafts. He would be a prince, had his country not been destroyed by the Alliance. No wonder he wanted revenge so badly against the Alliance. His family murdered and his country, which was cared for and protected by his family, destroyed for the sake of putting down the ideals of pacifism.
"Zechs," she said after taking that in, "You drive yourself to be better than all of your enemies so you can get your revenge. When I spoke to Instructor Ashenhurst after the exam, he told me that the Academy record for highest score had been broken twice that day. Zechs, you are better than all of your enemies. I have no desire to be your enemy."
He searched her eyes for the sincerity of her words, and when he found it, she saw the hint of a smile in his. "You aren't."
Noin smiled.
"Zechs... where are you being stationed?" she asked.
"I don't know yet. I'm being sent to the OZ Headquarters to receive orders from General Catalonia," he replied. "And you?"
"Here. Instructor Ashenhurst asked me to stay here as his successor," she answered. "In two years, he is going to retire, and I will be the new teacher of the mobile suit classes."
"Instructor Noin, hmm? It has a nice ring to it."
In silence they looked out the window at the stars sparkling in the sky. Some people might drift apart after this part of their lives, but Noin felt sure that the same would not be true of she and Zechs. However many miles apart we are, we'll still be as close as tonight. I'll be there for him.. Tonight... and the rest of my life...