Five

There were five of them.
Five pilots, five paths, five ways of being.

Back then, they weren't just characters.
They were us.

One for each of us.

I didn't understand it at the time, but I see it now.
I carried pieces of all of them with me.

One was focus.
One was balance.
One was conviction.
One was compassion.
One taught me to question, laugh, and still believe.

They were never just characters.

They became reflections.

Different parts of me.

Different ways to exist.

And somehow...
 they're all still growing with me.

(Expanded Thoughts Below)

5th place... 5th in line... Some might see that as being behind. I don't. I see it as something more. A stretch of possibility. A continuation of what came before or a chance to witness what I come after. My connection with numbers expands beyond math. Where I was in math league though I was terrible with numbers. Not knowing the possibility of nit knowing the answers always made me freeze. Math league became about pizza with my friends, then what i learned and saw became etched in my head. Then a show attached new meaning to them. Then a community leader told me the numbers had value to me. he was right. When I see number, they reflect what they represent to me. Each time it's different, but many times it's in connection to the Gundam Pilots. Of course, there are more numbers, and some times even these numbers mean other things... but this is the start of them all.

2 (Duo Maxwell)
He is charming, puts on that humorful face, has the personal struggle with Catholicism, claims to be the God of Death. His existence spurred Trio, who is BIG for me. Plays a key part in of Faith and Folly, the book series I'm working on. His independence and struggle for and embrace of self identity resonate with me. I guess this number is my centerpiece tying to:

identity

duality

connection

humor masking depth

faith vs questioning 

5 (Chang Wufei)
In the show? he is young and chauvinistic, but that's mainly cause of his upbringings. He loves and respects certain women. In the fandom version that I know, he has his morals and values, but he is capable of love. I've come to like the pairing of Duo and Wufei most of all, IF they had to be paired with anyone. The dedication to values is inspiring to me. For me this number is about values and a reminder of:

morals  

discipline

belief systems

justice (even when flawed)

convictions 

4 (Quatre Reberba Winner)
He is sweet, kind, gentle, but he will fight for his friends and loved ones as needed. He is also very smart. He also goes absolutely insane with the Zero system and destroys an entire colony under its influence. That just signifies something that I learned: the kindest of us can cause the most damage when pushed too far. My best friend in High School associated with this character the most. As I get older, I found myself leaning towards him, in part to be close to her vibe, and because I understand him more now. He tries, always, and chooses love in the face of war. I have high appreciation for that. To me, this can represent:

compassion

empathy

emotional power

hidden intensity

the damage caused when gentle people break

1 (Heero Yuy)
I used to like him a lot more than I do now. He-... I honestly think I was drawn to him being so focused and knowing what he wanted. It was always the mission, yes, but when people ended up entering his heart somehow, he showed it in certain ways. Like, not killing them, using their name, or rescuing them and... not killing them again. He stretched his will for people, and his non-caring attitude only revealed how deeply he DID care in small ways. I shipped him with Duo a lot. I think I would, but I think Wufei in the fiction ended up caring more consistently. Not sure, but I still respect Heero. Just not so much as a perfect romantic partner for Duo, IMHO. This number then reminds me of:

mission

restraint

controlled emotion

focus

quiet care

3 (Trowa Barton)
This one... very neutral about. I like the character enough. he has amnesia, so he doesn't remember much at some point. But still, he's a cool guy who follows his heart. He's a great partner (one way or another) with Quatre. I just don't know much about Nanashi ("No Name" as fans call him). Even though the number 3 is so amazingly significant to me for other reasons, regarding GW2, this character is indeed in the middle. Like solid land I guess. This number ultimately reminds me of:

neutrality

perspective

adaptability

balance

existing between extremes

Symbolism is more than what we see. It's also what resonates within. It wont always look the same, but it will always mean something to me. Thank you for reading. Thank you, Linden, for helping me understand this when I needed it most.