DISCLAIMER: This is something of an experiment. We'll see how it does. And I own nothing.
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A rough calloused hand ran its fingers through the thick white blanket of dust. Taking a moment to pick some up and watch as it fell slowly back to its source.
Heero stood up and looked at the barren landscape of the Moon. Remembering a time ago when the Moon was alive with life. Like the Earth. Some twenty thousand years ago it was. Everyday he fought harder to keep that image in his mind. Everyday that he fought.
The war had been going on almost since before he was born. Alas that so few number of the Moon Kingdom still existed that few barely remembered the moon as it once was.
Dressed in black armor and a green tunic, he stood out like a patch of midnight against the blank whiteness of the Moon. Shaking his head, he rid himself thoughts of the past. That was not why he was here. The present was all that mattered, unless you spoke to Pluto.
The war. Always the war. That was why he was here. Soon it would fail to matter though. Soon the war would be over. The victor was yet to be decided. But end it would. "It will end here." He thought aloud.
Turning around, he looked at his companion who sat upon a Pegasus, watching him closely with a worried expression. Blue eyes became colder. "This is where the final battle will take place." He told him.
The blonde haired Ambassador of the Moon looked at him with sad eyes. He knew better than to question the instincts of his long time friend. But still he had to ask. Swallowing hard, he spoke. "Are you sure?" Quatre asked softly.
Heero looked at him with a blank expression. Answer enough for him.
Sighing heavily, Quatre motioned for his friends ride. "Come. Remember you have council with the Queen today." 'A terrible council it will be too.' He thought to himself.
Heero nodded and mounted his black Thestrel. The war horse made not a sound as velvet black wings extended from its back, taking soundlessly to the air with a deadly grace few could accomplish.
Quatre shook his head and gave a chuckle helplessly. "Ill never figure out just how he does that." He said to himself. Nary had a single person known the mystery that was Heero Yuy. Never more would there be.
Giving a nudge to his Pegasus, he too took to the air, following Heero into the expanse of space above them.
They passed many a military camp site. Set up recently with the coming of Ares. Security these days was always high with the ever expanse of enemies attacking. Though they were nearly at a stalemate with the enemy, the verse could no longer take any chances now.
Most especially with the impending wedding of Princess of the Moon to the Prince of the Earth. Princess Serenity and Prince Endimon. While the two were deeply in love, more important was the alliance it would forge with the Earth. The Earth magic might just be the edge they needed to turn the war in their favor.
Quickly the Moon Palace came into view. Stretching across nearly one eighth of the moons surface and a quarter mile into the terra. One million was all that was left of the population that had once covered all of the moon.
Heero landed at the front gates of the Kingdom and was promptly saluted by the thirty some sentries that stood guard. Nodding to each in turn as he passed them.
"Ares." And "General." Were the many greetings as he moved forward. Quatre landed and moved quickly to catch up to his friend.
"Do you remember the way?" He asked Heero as he stepped next to him through the large doors into the kingdom. Heero just glared at him. "Right. Stupid question." Quatre laughed. Heero after all was several thousand years older than him. Rumor was that Ares was born in battle, and fought since his first breath.
Still, Heero marched through the Kingdom to the Palace. Greeted and revered by all as he passed. Many bowing and speaking softly in his presence. He was legend. He truly was.
Moving swiftly through the crystal and white marble palace, they approached large double doors guarded by a single woman. Odd though it was that the woman was wearing a sailor fuku and a short skirt. Any visitor to the palace might have gotten the wrong impression.
As they approached, Quatre held back a fair distance while Heero walked forward to the woman, his pace steady as the woman pulled out a sword strapped to her side and held it in a ready stance.
He stopped two feet from her at the tip of her blade. His expression darkened and his fists closed as he glared at the boyish blonde haired woman. "Move." He growled.
The woman's expression grew darker as well as her face held that of contempt for the man before her. Her voice just as cold as his own and told him quite simply "No."
His fists unclenched slowly and a small smirk played across his face. "Good." He spoke in an approving tone. "Please inform the Queen that I have arrived for her council." He now spoke cordially to the Sailor Senshi.
She nodded and motioned to one of the servants who quickly scurried away to do as ordered. Slowly a smirk played across her own face as she sheathed her sword with practiced and silent ease.
Without word, the double doors swung inward. Heero stepped forward around her, Quatre running forward so not to be left behind.
"Good to see you again General." The Senshi whispered in a voice only he could hear and regained her stance in front of the door.
"You too Hakura." He spoke softly as the double doors began to close behind them.
"Hakaru! Damn it! Get my name right you-" SLAM! A loud outburst screamed before the doors closed, cutting off the long line of insults that was sure to follow. If anything, Heero's smirk seemed to grow.
When they had first stopped at the doors, and Quatre had held farther back from the planet guardian, he had nearly had a heart attack when Heero had ordered her to move. He half expected bloodshed from the emotions coming from Sailor Uranus. Likewise when Heero suddenly began to act cordial to her.
Followed by a severe chocking on his saliva when he heard the loud outburst before the doors closed. He had known Heero for seven-thousand five-hundred years. And just when you think you know someone… "I didn't know you knew Sailor Uranus." He stated unsurely to his friend.
Further talk stopped as they bowed before an older woman with silver hair down to her knees in the style of two ordangos on her head. Calm blue eyes shown down on them "My Queen, I have brought you the General as upon your request." Quatre stated, bringing his eyes up to greet hers. Heero kept his own down until he was addressed.
"Thank you Ambassador. You have my leave to go." She gave a small smile to him as he moved to leave the camber from the entrance. "Rise Ares, God of War."
Heero cringed at his full title but stood up to face the Queen without comment. As much as he hated the title, she was the only person he would allow to use it in such an informal meeting. "Queen Serenity." He addressed her in return.
"-ssed chauvinist sexist apathetic son of a bi-" SLAM! The doors closed again, stopping the line of insults in mid rant.
Heero smirked again while the Queen all out grinned. She wondered how many new words the Ambassador would be learning today.
Queen Serenity stepped forward and clasped her hands with his own. "Heero. It has been too long my old friend." She leaned in to give him a quick hug before stepping back again to look closer at him.
Heero' nodded his head. "Serenity. It has been a few years hasn't it?" He asked with half a hidden chuckle.
Serenity snorted softly. "Try a few hundred." She mumbled. "But it is good to see you again." She sighed and motioned him forward to a set of comfortable chairs next to a fireplace. These were her personal chambers. "So what brings you to my council?"
"The war." He stated. All traces of smirk gone from his face as they sat down to talk.
Serenity too lost her smile and her expresseion turned grim. "It always is." She shook her head and folded her hands on her lap. "But first…" She began with a small grin before she was cut off.
"Uncle Heero!" A young woman's voice chimed
Heero stood up and turned around in time to be embraced by a younger version of the Queen. Her daughter Princess Serenity. "I missed you!" She released him from the hug and stepped back.
Heero just used him trademark smirk. The closest thing anyone would ever see to a smile on him. He had since long ago buried all of his emotions. These were the only two people alive to see them.
These two were the only reason he currently allowed himself to continue living. They were his reasons for fighting. To save her innocence and people like her. To hope for a day in which people like him were no longer necessary.
"Princess." He stated, looking at her appraisingly. "It seems like only yesterday I was still taller than you." He gestured to the fact that they were both now even in height.
She smiled mischievously at him. "I could not stay young forever."
Heero shook his head in slight disagreement. "I'm sure you'll find a way." He told her in an only half joking manner.
Smiling warmly at him, she left the chamber. Knowing that he was currently busy in council with her mother that she should not intrude upon their discussions.
Serenity watched her daughter leave the room with a smile before turning back to Heero. "I always said you could be a great father if you wanted to be." She smiled at him.
Heero grunted but made no disagreement. Staring off into space for a moment, lost in his own thoughts. Serenity took this as an opportunity to continue in the topic of discussion.
"Actually, I heard that your engaged." She said with a small mischievious smile. "Someone special in your life you neglected to mention to me about? A secret love perhaps?" She watched his expression and quickly burst out laughing.
Heero's expression went from blanch to a glare. "Damn politics." He muttered while Serenity laughed. "The engagement was set only a century ago. Along with the other 12 signatures I also remember seeing yours on it." The glare intensified.
Her laughter subsided and she gave an apologetic look at him. "I tried to oppose it but it was a Senate ruling. It would have been passed anyway. With the war they want as many public relations as they can get."
Heero growled. "Public relations." He spat. "The Senators are not fighting this war. I am. I do not have time, patience, skill, or the emotion required for any relationship, let along a family. I have the fate of the system in my hands and now they give me this and expect me to take it like medicine."
Serenity's face lost the apologetic look. She could see his reasoning but disagreed that he had not the emotions required. He looked over her daughter Sere as if she were his own daughter. "While I agree timing is not the best, I believe this might be good for you." She gave her opinion pointedly. Taking a moment to calm down, she continued. "You deserve to live a normal life too, you know. You are still just a man."
Anger flashed briefly in his eyes as he stood up to loom over her. "I am not a man." His voice dropped to new levels of emotionless. "I am a soldier. A weapon." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You told me that."
Serenity winced visibly at that. Knowing that she could in no way deny it. Back when the war had first began, she had been desperate. They all had been. None of them could have predicted the situations they now found themselves in. Not even Setsuna.
She sighed, knowing that she would not be able to argue the matter right now. She rolled her eyes mentally, knowing he was more stubborn that she was. Also knowing that she was partly responsible for it. Gesturing to one of her servants, a tray of tea was brought over. "So, have you figured out who she is yet?"
Heero shook his head. "The tradition of her family laws state we are not to meet until her 1200 birthday. While that information narrows down the possibilities, I'm still unsure. Nor am I allowed to find out before." He gave an out of character sigh. "But back to the war."
Serenity nodded. Fixing two cups of tea, she handed Heero one and took a sip before continuing the conversation. No doubt she was going to need it to sooth her nerves. Despite the rumor mill, he was the one that sought council with her. Not the other way around. "How are the lines holding on the edges of the system?"
"The same as they have for the past five hundred years. Which is why I'm inclined to believe something will come soon." He paused, almost not wanting to accept his deductions himself. "The final battle will be here, soon, on this Moon."
She gave a heavy sigh. "Are we ready for it?"
"Always." Heero spoke with certainty.
"Very well." Serenity nodded. "Give me further updates on the war and advancements every other day during the remainder of your stay here on the Moon. Setsuna may later be brought in to coordinate with you in the war effort."
Heero nodded his head in agreement. Such things were only expected if his assumptions were right about the final battle being on the Moon. And they both knew he was.
"A Ball will be held in celebration on the uniting of the Moon Kingdom and the Earth Kingdom one month prior to the Wedding. The security extended from the palace will be at your discretion." She waited for him to nod his head before dropping the final blow. "Furthermore you will be attending both of them as a formal party member." She waited for it.
Heero stood up and glared at her. "Why?" He asked in a blow zero tone of voice
"GENERAL YUY!" A shrill voice yelled at him in anger from across the hall.
Heero turned around and watched as a black Moon Cat stalked across the hall toward him. The fur on her back standing strait up and glaring dagger at him. "Stand down, Advisor." He growled at her. His voice even rising a degree.
"LUNA!" The black Moon cat cringed slightly at the order. More so when she saw it was the her the Queen was glaring at and not the General. With a nod of her head, she moved to sit next to the Queen.
Serenity looked apologetic at Heero before looking down at Luna momentarily. "Please Heero. Just come to the Ball. As a favor to me. I know with your duties and your status they are not mandatory but I will explain later."
Heero grunted and moved to excuse himself from the room without permission. A punishable offence in many a case. Serenity however only sighed plopped into her chair.
As the doors swung softly to a close, Luna looked up at the Queen. "I apologize my Queen. But I simply do not understand why you allow him to speak to you in such a manner?"
Serenity took a long and calming breath. Half tempted as she was to kick her glass footed slipper up a particular cat's rear end. "For several reasons, Luna. None of which concern you." She glared at her again, making the cat squirm. "You are the Moon's court advisor. Not the war advisor. As such you had no part in that council what so ever."
She waited a moment, letting Luna gulp rather loudly. Just enough to let her know the lever or her annoyance at her at the moment. Giving a sigh, she spoke apologetically. "Luna, we have been friends for thousands of year. You know that I trust you with my life."
Luna beamed at her. "Thank you your highness."
"But know this now, I trust him much, much more. I trust him not only with my life, but with the life of my daughter, and the Kingdom, and the armies, and every life in this system."
Luna nodded her head in concent. She didn't understand why, but she supposed it was not her job to understand. The guy just annoyed her so much it was easy for her to forget that he was not only senior to her in age, but in rank and status as well.
Serenity poured herself a cup of tea from the set sitting forgotten next to her. Taking the time to pour some into a saucer and set it down on the floor next to her.
The Moon Court advisor lapped it up in silence while thinking on what she overhead before stepping into the chamber. "Queen Serenity? Did I hear correctly that the General is engaged?"
Serenity nodded. "In an arranged marriage, yes."
Luna shook her head sadly. "Oh, that poor, poor girl."
This time the Queen smiled. "Now Luna, you're not giving the General enough credit. If you knew the man behind the mask. Before he had been General…" She trailed off, lost momentarily in her own thoughts.
Luna didn't say anything. While she might disagree, she did not know him as well. Nor was she in a position to say so.
Serenity suddenly grew a wicked grin. "If he were ten thousand years older I might have taken a shot at him myself."
Luna picked up her dislocated jaw from the floor. "Queen Serenity!"
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