Hidden Meanings

Mukuro [PP: Dangan Ronpa]

One shot: Princess, Princess.
I really liked the idea of bringing in/introducing Mukuro (and Junko too, I guess) like this.

Sonia. I cannot sent letters anymore. Please forgive me, but it must be done.
-Gundam

Those two (technically three) sentences sent my heart crawling up my throat.

I reread once. Twice. A third time before my eyes felt like they were spilling over with tears. It wasn't long before they did begin to fall, splattering Gundam's neat handwriting and causing the ink to bleed.

"Sonia?"

"I'm fine," I whispered, touching a finger to my eye to wipe away the tears. The movement didn't stop them, and I hastily did it again. "Really."

Sending me another doubtful look, Chiaki shuffled her feet. "If you say so..."

"It's just..."

Leaning over my shoulder, Fuyuhiko cocked his head. "Whose's...Gundam?"

His voice held a little uncertainty, along with something else I couldn't detect.

"A...friend of mine."

Friend. It was a word I had grown to dislike, and that very reason for it was Gundam.

How many letters had we exchanged over these past few months? Dozens?

The number was large enough to like Gundam more then a friend. Through his handwriting, I mentally bonded with him. I learned his quirks, his fears, his family members.

Was he really that willing to stop.

"-nia?"

Shaking myself out of my daze, I caught Fuyuhiko's hand before he bopped me on the nose. "Pardon me, I was thinking. What do you need?"

Not having noticed that Fuyuhiko had snatched up the letter, I stiffened as he waved it in the air.

"It's clear Gundam was instructed by someone, by the way he says 'it must be done'," Chiaki mused. "He even sounds a bit depressed at this..."

"I'm sure caring for Peko and Nekomaru are draining him. Nekomaru's arm and leg had to be replaced with automail, and Gundam has to supply that money."

Fuyuhiko's gaze drifted over to me, concern lurking behind his one eye. It was rare when he expressed such emotion, so I lifted my head higher to show I was paying attention.

"...Peko?"

"Yes, Peko," I nodded. "Does the name strike a memory?"

His lips pressed into a thin line as he studied me for a moment. "No, it's nothing."

"You want to see Gundam again, right?" Chiaki asked.

Cocking my head, I stared at her for a moment, considering the truth in her words.

Then I laced my fingers together and brought them to my chest as if in a prayer. "Yes."

Princess, Princess

"Sonia, can you see Fuyuhiko's light?"

I stopped pressing my ear to the crack in the door to hear Chiaki, and instead turned towards the window. Several flickers of light appeared in the darkness.

"Yes."

"Good...you know Morse Code, right? Fuyuhiko's sending signals to you by Morse Code."