[A.N.] Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter and i apologize for the time it took to get it out! -_-' Read it with gusto and please review! Questions comments and concerns are always welcome! Also, be sure to check out my other stories and two that i have co-written with a dear friend of mine under the name Shadow Gals! You won't be sorry! I don't own our beloved GW but i wish i did! That said, ENJOY!

~Serene


Dorothy smiled to herself as she swirled the wine in her glass. It had been a rather fun game keeping the young lovers' rendezvous a secret from her grandfather. The challenge of masking their meetings from his magic by using her own had been one she'd relished fully. She fought an overwhelming sense of disappointment knowing that this was the final night. Tonight, the young Princess would be reunited with her Prince in front of God and everyone to declare their undying love. It was, to her, as nauseating as it was endearing. There was a sense of pride that swelled within her knowing that their happiness would owe something to her intervention and yet, the shadow of sadness lingered. Despite the strange relationship between them over the years, Relena was the closest thing she'd ever had to a friend. Watching her and her bevy of swans flocking together, laughing, crying, and entertaining one another had made her long for something she had long been told she would never need.

"Power, Dorothy…" Her Grandfather would say, "Is the only thing that truly matters in this world. You can do as you wish if you have the power to back it up."

This had been her mantra: her personal motto most of her life. Her Grandfather had raised her and taught her everything she knew about the Dark Arts. In meeting and spending time with Relena, however, she had seen a form of strength and power that went beyond magic. No matter what her grandfather said or did, the princess stood strong, defying him at every turn in any way possible. Perhaps some of that fire and tenacity had rubbed off on her causing her change in outlooks. In spite of everything, she found herself rooting for the young woman, hoping beyond hope that somehow she could find the ending to her story she deserved.

It would be time soon. The moon would be cresting in the sky over the lake and the princess would be waiting for her arrival. Living by the lake for over a decade was hardly a good way to keep a dress clean and fashionable. She sighed, making the goblet disappear, and stroked her eyebrow in contemplation. What was the current style in ladies' fashion? She did not have long to contemplate that, however. The door to her tower bedroom blew open seemingly of its own accord. The disgruntled form of her grandfather soon loomed in its place. This was not good.

"You disappoint me, Dorothy."

"And what, pray tell, are you on about this time, Grandfather?" He crossed his arms. Her grandfather was an imposing figure: tall, well built for his age with eyes as cold as frozen steel. The look in those frosty orbs told her he was angry and even more so than she'd seen before.

"I took you in. I taught you everything you know. I showed you how to be powerful, how to use the Dark Arts with a skill that nearly rivaled my own and you repay me by helping my enemies." A molten lump of dread slammed into the pit of her stomach. He knew. He knew she'd been helping the Princess and now the heavens only knew what sort of wrathful plans he had in store.

"Grandfather… what are you…?"

"Do NOT insult my intelligence by furthering your lies. I know about everything." Dorothy felt her heartbeat begin to race. She had never known where she stood with the old man. He had never been warm and loving in the traditional sense but neither had he neglected her. In his fury, there was a chance that his range of fondness for her could be extinguished in a deadly second. The only thing left to do was to confront the problem and hope that nothing detrimental resulted.

"Very well, Grandfather, I admit it. I have been aiding the Princess in her quest for freedom." She squared her stance and shrugged. "I was bored with your plan because-let's face it-it wasn't going anywhere. He little romance with the Prince was just the exciting challenge I needed. Surely you can understand that?" She stroked her eyebrow again.

"I see. You are as two-faced as I ever was. For that, I feel a modicum of pride." He paused and she felt the tension in the air as thick as an autumn fog, "However, this betrayal cannot go overlooked or unpunished." He turned from her then and she felt all hope dissipate. "Your efforts to overcome my magic with your own, while admirable failed. I know everything you and that little wretch had planned and I intend to thoroughly crush her hopes and dreams and make her wish she'd taken me up on my offer when he had the chance."

"What are you going to do?"

"You will stay here. I have cast a spell that will prevent you from leaving the confines of the fortress and from using your magic to interfere."

"Interfere in what?"

"My putting an end to this troublesome prophesy once and for all."


The days leading up to the ball were full of tension and overly-tested patience. To err on the side of caution, Heero stayed away and there was no further discussion about the event aside from the concealed whispers of excitement between the girls. Relena counted the days to the minute. Each transformation seemed more and more bearable with the knowledge that it would all be over soon. Most of all, she heard his words repeating over and over again in her mind. He loved her. Even without her wings she felt as though she could soar through the clouds. She enjoyed the feel of the sun on her feathers as the updrafts took her higher and higher.

She heard the warning of her fellow swans behind her. She knew they were right. Her sudden mirth and burst of spirit would be too obvious to her captor. Regrettably, she agreed to fly back down and allow the cool of the water to sooth her muscles. Perhaps she had pushed herself a little hard so soon after her week's long punishment. Her wing muscles, though thoroughly stretched, still ached in protest as did every other muscle in her body. She craned her neck to preen each wing carefully before glancing around at her friends. To the regular human, it would appear as though the bevy of swans was unusually quiet but the silent communication between them consisted of her fellow maidens gossiping about the handsomeness of Heero's many companions and their desire to join in the festivities once more as free humans. They had no evidence that Dermail was able to understand them in their feathered form and therefore the communication was safer from open bills than sealed lips.

However, the lack of visitations from the old sorcerer made her wary. He had sworn his visits would increase but had visited less than twice since his threat had been given. Despite (or perhaps because of) Dorothy's reassurances to the contrary, Relena could not shake the feeling that the old sorcerer knew may be on to their plans.

As if echoing her fears, the bevy seemed rather on edge. With the ball merely hours away, Dorothy had yet to make her appearance. The older woman had assured Relena that she would show up upon the rising of the moon and provide the Princess with customized dress and hair style meant to appropriately-as she phrased it- 'wow the visiting royals'. However, as the minutes turned to hours, it became increasingly evident that something was horribly wrong.

The sky darkened beyond what the night ever should Thunder cracked and lightning spit the sky. The other swans gathered near her, eyes searching the sky. In an instant, the pain of a forced transformation surged through her body. Every muscle protested painfully as sinews and bones reshaped and formed, blood re-circulated and feathers tore away from flesh. Every fiber of her physical being burned as her human form settled into place. She fell to the ground, gasping for air.

"Relena…?"

"What… what was that?"

"I… I don't…know…" She struggled to make it to her feet only to see the source of her torment standing before her.

"Hello, Princess." In that instant, those two short words made her blood turn to ice. He knew. "Isn't it a lovely night?"

"Dermail."

"Dorothy will not be able to make it tonight. You shall have to settle for me."

"What did you do to her?!" Relena stood now as strong as she could; each muscle still screaming at her.

"Your concern for her is touching, however unwarranted." He smirked. "She is being properly punished for her interference." His lips curved up into a sinister smile. "You have disappointed me, my little swan. I had such plans for us, but now I feel the time has come for this game to come to an end."

"What do you mean?" His smile widened and Relena felt the overwhelming sense of dread go stronger.

"You will not be going to the ball tonight, my dear." Relena clutched her heart over her chest and stood up as tall as her sore muscles would allow.

"You cannot keep me from him! And even if you try, Heero will come for me and we will defeat you together!" his response to her words was a low, slow chuckle.

"Such brave words for someone trapped in an enchanted forest." He gestured to the area around him. "Did you forget? The forest is spelled to keep you and you feathered friends in at all times. You do remember what happened the first time you tried to flee, do you not?" She had nearly been killed by the harsh kickback from the barrier. Still, it would be worth the risk to escape.

"Your barrier doesn't scare me!"

"Oh, no? Well, perhaps I should inform you then that I have magnified the strength of the spell exponentially. Any one of you that makes contact with the barrier for longer than a minute will surely parish under the strain."

"Even that won't be enough! You cannot stop us from being together!" She felt her heart racing faster. The severity of the situation did not elude her but she could not back down now.

"If you are concerned that your little prince will be lonely, then worry not. I have taken that into consideration."

"What do you mean?"

"Better to show you, my dear." He walked towards her with a speed she hadn't know he possessed, ceased her wrist in his hand and squeezed causing pain once more to rush through her from her frazzled nerves. Before she could say a word, a blade flashed across her palm creating a deep gash. He pulled out an orb from his coat and allowed the crimson stream the drip almost ceremoniously onto the orb while chanting a few quick words. The orb began to glow an almost violent purple before fading to a dull violet.

"Come for, Gemini Golem! Do your master's bidding!" Out of the water and the sand of the lake bubbles began to form and merge together into a figure. Flesh and bone clothed in the finest dress formed to be topped by aqua eyes and honey-colored hair. As Dermail released her wrist, she gasped at the figure before her: a mirror image of herself.

"What do you think, hm? Is she not the perfect doppelganger?" I have had this little spell reserved for just such an occasion although I had hoped it would not come to this."

"What sorcery is this?" She stared at the clay copy fighting the urge to reach out to touch it. The lifeless blue eyes stared back at her unblinking.

"This is how I am going to get your little prince-ling out of the picture, my dear. She shall go to the ball in your place. When the Prince declares his love for her, the spell will kill you and I will finally be rid of the one threat to my power!"

"Heero will never believe that thing is me!"

"OH, BUT HE WILL. HE WILL NEVER KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US." These words, her voice, came from golem but were said at the same time by Dermail.

"Face it, my dear. You have lost. By dawn tomorrow, you will be no more and I will be free to wreak me vengeance upon all who ever crossed me!"

"He won't believe it! He can't!"

"Well, if you are correct and he sees through the illusion, I suppose plan 'B' should be just as effective. I'll have her stab him in the heart with the dagger I have placed in her bodice. It will be messier than I intended but I will do what I must to keep you from having any chance of victory."

"You truly are a monster." She looked at him, feeling a fire in her veins as never before. Heero and I WILL stop you. We WILL be together and you will be the one that meets their end!" Dermail's uproarious laugh echoed through the glen as he turned from her.

"Believe as you will with the time you have left in this world. I have a party to crash and a world to conquer." He paused and looked back at her. "Oh, and one more thing: to add further impediment to any attempt you might make…"

She felt the pull on her muscles and bones once more as the transformation was once more forced onto her and her alone. "Perhaps when I return I shall have myself a new feather pillow." She heard the squawk of pain tear out from her throat as her entire body burned from the effort. With those last cruel words, Dermail and his golem disappeared into the night, leaving Relena and her bevy of friends to wait in despair…

But she wasn't going to. She wouldn't give up. Her body ached, her muscles burned, but she stood once more, webbed feet shaky beneath her. She pointed her beak to the sky. She knew her chances we few. She knew that the risk would be great, but she had to try. It wasn't just her life at stake. She had to get to Heero before that Golem could do Dermail's dirty work.

"Relena… don't!"

"You know what will happen!"

"Relena, you'll die!"

Die from the curse or die trying to escape it. Either way, without Heero, she would be dead anyway. She had to take the risk.

'Forgive me, my friends… I MUST do this… I cannot stay here and let him win!"Her connection with her friends still remained. She could feel the hesitancy and concern in their minds, but received a feeling of an affirmative decision.

"We are with you, Relena. We will help you get out of here or die trying." Relena shook her head.

'I cannot let you do that."

"It is our choice to make. Tell us what to do and we will follow."

"I may have an idea."

'Dorothy…?'

"I am using what little magic I can at the moment to get my message through, so I'll be brief. I have a plan to break the barrier and get you out, but you cannot hesitate. It is now or never."

Relena had no time to think about it. Dorothy had proven herself on their side. She would have nothing to gain from helping them and even less to lose. With so much on the line, Relena threw all of her concentration toward Dorothy's mental energy.

'Tell me what to do…'