Heero arrived at his small apartment with a small smile on his lips. He had just had the best date with the love of his life. Nothing could go wrong with the rest of the night. As he fished in his pocket for his key something caught his attention. He grabbed the small slip of paper that was nailed to his door. His Persian blue eyes grew wide, his head snapped up and he ran into the night. The paper floated silently to the cement steps by the door.
"Your love is hidden in a 'peachy' place. Find her before dawn and she will live."
/I spent a day by the river
It was quiet and the wind stood still
I spent some time with nature
To remind me of all that's real
It's funny how silence speaks sometimes when you're alone
And remember that you feel/
The former pilot fled blindly into the peach orchard, fueled by rage that someone would hurt his love. He stopped abruptly attempting to collect his bearings. He looked around at the rows of trees, standing like immobile guards to the night. The soldier stood eyes closed listening, feeling the darkness around him. The chilled wind twisted around him. Princess where are you?
"Please find me…" Heero's eyes snapped open. Relena? He turned in time to see a translucent white figure dance between the trees then disappear. He took a few steps towards where the ghost had headed and stopped again waiting.
"I'm scared my prince…" Before him the spirit stood beckoning him forward, deeper into the orchard. "Please find me my prince…" The spirit pleaded again. She turned and ran, swallowed by the night. Without thinking Heero sprinted after her.
/Again I stand against the Faceless Man/
The perfect soldier stealthily made his way to the heart of the grove, dodging roots that protruded from the soil and low hanging branches, weighted down with ripe fruit. He ran, his only map being the flash of white between the trees beside him. Soon the spirit disappeared, leaving Heero flying blind. Again he stopped and gasped for breath. He frantically looked around for the ghost.
"Relena! Relena where are you?" the former pilot howled into the dark. He stood rigid in his despair and fear. What if I can't save her? Relena help me…
"Don't stop my prince…" Heero looked up to meet two sea blue orbs. A cloudy hand reached up and touched his face. Heero recoiled at the cold touch of the beautiful spirit. She swirled around him and once again floated into the night. The fighter followed behind filled with a renewed sense of fighting.
/I saw a face on the water
It looked humble but willing to fight
I saw the will of a warrior
His yoke was easy and His burden is light
He looked me right in the eyes
Direct and concise to remind me
To always do what's right/
The sky began its slow transformation from black to blue as the sun rose. Not much time, hold on my princess. He ran faster just steps from the spirit who was slowly fading as the sun came. Heero came to a dead halt as the ghost floated from the ground into the sky. His jaw dropped and he took in a sharp gasp and a step back from the scene before him.
/Again I stand against the Faceless Man/
The body of his princess hung from the trees. Arms spread wide, feet tied together with worn rope. Instead of the dress she wore during the date she was clothed in an almost sheer white cloth, tied around her like a toga. The spirit flew to the body and melted into it. Heero shook his head in disbelief. She can't be dead! "She can't die!" he screamed. He pulled a hunting knife from his boot and leaped up to cut the rope from her wrists and crouched to cut her legs free. He reached up and caught her in his arms. He gently lay her down on the floor of the orchard and leaned his ear to her mouth. To the soldier's relief he felt her breath; it was faint but still there.
From the shadows came the rustling of footsteps. The sound surrounded Heero as he sat crouched protectively over his princess. He looked around, fire raging inside showing in his eyes. The blackness around them began to advance forward. Slowly the creatures came into focus.
They crawled on knuckles and feet. Their bodies, colored like the night they thrive in, were like skeletons with skin stretched out over the bones. The demons had regular sized heads; they lacked, however, a face. Some held their heads low to the ground; others moved their faceless heads in circles silently sizing up their prey.
Directly in front of Heero a large upright figure stepped from beneath the dangling rope that once entrapped Relena. It wore a cloak that was the night sky. Like the creatures it seemed to have control over the figure was faceless. A rumbling laugh sliced through the still air pulling a snarl from the perfect soldier.
/'Cause if the face inside can't see the light I know
I'll have to walk alone
And if I walk alone to the other side I know
I might not make it home/
"So you haven't forgotten." The thundering voice came from the mind of the cloaked being.
"What do you want," Heero snapped, his words dripping with hatred.
"I want you Heero Yuy. For my uprising, for my army," the figure seethed. "I wanted to test you to see if you had the strength I needed. Come with me Heero, the will to fight still grows with in you. You cannot fight it, you were born with it."
The words cut though the soldier and struck home. "Never."
/Again I stand against the Faceless Man/
"You cannot fool me boy."
"I said never!" Heero stood and threw his knife into the heart of the creature.
"Ha! You think that can kill me?"
"No," replied the pilot with a smirk. A ray of sun cut through the trees landing on the knife still embedded in the demon. The hunched over minions screamed and scampered into the retreating shadows. The leader yelled as the area around the blade melted and made its way outward. The creature lifted his hands in protest but was gone into vapor within seconds.
Heero scooped up Relena and proceeded out of the hellish orchard, his path lit by the morning sun. The small girl stirred and her eyes fluttered open.
"Heero? Heero what happened?" He looked down at her and allowed a small smile creep across his lips. He leaned his head down to hers and caught her lips with his in a delicate kiss. The perfect soldier lifted his head again and kept on the trail. Relena content with the answer nestled deeper into his arms and gave herself to the mercy of her dreams.
/Next time I see this face
I'll say I choose to live for always
So won't you come inside
And never go away/
~*~*~*~
Wow that turned out weird, ah well. I hoped you guys liked it. I was thinking of doing a group of stories like this one with the other g-boys, but I'll leave that up to your reviews. R&R always!
-Lil ^-^
Disclaimers- no I don't own Gundam wing, and I don't own Creed. The song was Faceless Man by Creed (duh)