A World Torn by Fate
"Many years ago, when the space colonies were still young, Germany annexed some Mediterranean territory that was then known as La Costa del Corozón, from the days that it was occupied by Spain. It consisted of two regions, the cool and rainy Zolia to the north, and the warm and sunny Djuuji to the South. It was also occupied by two major ethnic groups, the Zoli and the Djuujiana. However, the people of La Costa del Corozón had been oppressed for years, and while there was much enmity between the Djuujiana and the Zoli, they united together to break themselves free after only three years of German ownership.
The revolution was successful, and La Costa del Corozón renamed itself Libertidad to celebrate its freedom. However, there was a large question concerning government. For many years, the Zoli had been a sort of a democracy, but the Djuujiana had always had a monarchy, in which the ruler would serve for a lifetime, unless the people decided to dethrone him, and before his death would name any person in the entire world his successor. It was a little odd in the eyes of other people, but it worked well for the Djuujiana.
After only one year, they decided that they could not live with the anarchy, and Libertidad split into Djuuji and Zolia. King Talru ruled in Djuuji, and a German man named Magnus Kushrenada was the king of Zolia. However, no one was elected after Magnus' rule, rather, his son Roni Kushrenada took over, and the tradition continued today, until during the reign of Fatima Kushrenada, Zolia became known as Kushrenada, and the Zoli transformed into Kushrenadi. In this way, Zolia succumbed to the traditions that it so despised in Djuuji government.
After Fatima Kushrenada changed the country's name, she realized the change that occurred in Zolia, and wanted to reunite with Djuuji. However, she wanted to keep both countries under Kushrenadi rule, and as a result, Djuuji politely declined. But Djuuji was a land rich in resources that Kushrenada lacked, and she was determined to get the territory. However, Kushrenada and Djuuji were peers as far as military strength went, so they had to turn to allies. Kushrenada joined the Earth Sphere Alliance in hopes that it could get support form the large, powerful countries in it, while Djuuji made alliances of its own with smaller countries with a large sense of freedom that had yet to join the Alliance.
Then yet another force came into play. A strange organization that seemed to be allied with the Alliance started building research bases in various countries... one in each developed country, to be exact. They seemed to do guerilla research, but were more than willing to do political favors such as assassination, disappearances, cover-ups..."
"Fate," said Heero.
"Exactly. They aided both Djuuji and Kushrenada in this battle, although no one knew-or knows today- why.
The war didn't really go anywhere until Fatima's son, Janus Kushrenada, ascended to the throne. He then had what he considered a brilliant idea- He wanted to use the space colonies against Djuuji. Naturally, the colonies refused. They had been watching the war closely, and having been subjects of oppression themselves, sympathized with Djuuji, although they decided to maintain a neutral position in the conflict. Janus complained to his buddies in the Alliance, and they decided to help him force the colonies into helping him. As a protest, the extremely influential Cinq Kingdom pulled out of the Alliance, causing more enmity among the countries.
The ruler of the Cinq Kingdom wasn't the only one opposed to the actions, however. Janus' son, Treize, was heavily against the actions of his father and the Alliance. He then created a secret organization called OZ with the intent of dissolving the Alliance. With the help of his three top officers, Milliard Peacecraft, the young abdicator of the Cinq throne, Lady Une, the former heir to the rule of colony L-5, and Lucrezia Noin, the illegitimate daughter of a Kushrenadi senator and a Djuuji ambassador, he quietly coaxed several other nations and organizations to join him behind the unaware backs of the Alliance members."
"How do you know all this?" Heero asked.
"Because Treize and his subordinates came to me and invited me to join. He came to me personally and asked me to join OZ and bring all of Djuuji with me. He really wanted it; he offered everything he had, even himself."
"What do you mean?" Heero asked.
"...Never mind... Fate has kept you from knowing that also, apparently. But that isn't important right now. Just remember that if you hear that Treize sleeps with all the national leaders, it isn't true. Just the important ones," Delphiniel said with a wicked-looking smile that puzzled Heero.
"...All right."
"Anyway... oh, Heero, you got me off track. I'll get back to Treize's invitation in a minute. While Kushrenada and Djuuji were warring and OZ was plotting behind their backs, I was living with my family in Oaschaal. My father was a Kushrenadi senator, and I lived a rich life full of politics. One day, my friend Lucrezia, who I mentioned earlier, told me about a friend of her father's. This was when I was about twelve or thirteen. Can you guess who he was?"
"Janus Kushrenada?"
"Well, no, it was actually Professor I. I was fascinated by Lucrezia's description of him, like a jolly Santa Clause who supposedly delivered people their futures. I knew that I had no future in Kushrenada. Even at that young age, I wasn't blind to the sheer malice of Janus' actions against Djuuji.
So I went to the Fate building- the very same one that you probably live in- and asked to speak with Professor I.
Although he was strongly anti-Djuujiana, he was also against Janus' actions. While he hated Djuuji due to the murder of his parents by a Djuujiana during his childhood, he still only wanted peace with them. I remember him saying something like 'Why can't we just leave the stupid bastards alone? I know I don't want to have to live in the same country as them if we win this war'.
He wasn't a very nice person. But to help end the war, he promised to put me in the Kushrenadi senate, where I would have influence over the battles. He educated me on politics day in and day out while my parents thought I was taking piano lessons. Soon, when I was only about your age, I started speaking in public, and speaking before the Senate, advising them and the rest of the world.
However, the more I learned about the war, the more strongly I became against it. I spoke out against it and gave demonstrations before the Kushrenada Senate building. Finally, the king of the Cinq Kingdom even asked me to help him give a speech to the World Nation regarding the war.
And then, King Zephyr of Djuuji passed away, naming me his successor. I was very shocked; I had never even met the man, but all of Djuuji cheered when he proclaimed me as his heir. I had the opportunity to decline... but I couldn't. This was way more power than I could have as a Senator, and a chance for me to finally make a difference.
Professor I was furious. He completely disowned me, and hasn't spoken to me since. I can understand his feeling of betrayal... but I had to but the world before him."
"And this is why he sent me to kill you?" the assassin asked.
Delphiniel sighed. "No. If he was capable of bringing himself to kill me without a reason, he would have done it long ago. The only reason he did it now is because Janus probably hired him to. Professor I never turns down a client. Maybe he just wanted to get it over with once and for all.
Anyway, he was so enraged that he started sowing discord in the Alliance... and all towards me. He sent assassins in Djuuji uniforms to kill delegates of all countries; even those not affiliated with Kushrenada. Of course, that only made things worse. The final crushing blow was when Prime Minister Talazid of the Cinq Kingdom was assassinated during a quiet vacation in Ründara. Now, I have no allies save the colonies, who don't even have any weapons. And soon Fate will take them away form me too.
I don't want to fight this war. But I don't have a choice. This country chose me to lead it, and I can't give it up... are you quite all right?" she asked, noting Heero's dizzy expression.
"I... I don't know. The world's spinning so quickly!" he said. He saw Delphiniel try to say something as she stood up, but she fell onto the floor seconds later. The colors of everything in the room seemed to melt together, transforming the palace into an oil painting. Delphiniel- or at least a smudge of color that resembled her- crawled over to him. She seemed to embrace him, although neither of them could feel it.
"Heero," she said, her words seeming to drag out for an eternity. "It's happening..."
And then they both succumbed to the invading darkness.
~
Heero woke up in a room with bright white walls and lights that hurt his eyes. Several people in white uniforms scurried around him, and then one noticed that he was awake.
"Hey!" she yelled loudly to someone Heero couldn't see. "The boy's awake!" She then turned to him, and said in a sweeter voice "How are you feeling?"
"I... I don't know. Where's Delphiniel?" he asked.
The woman didn't reply for a moment. "Dr. Baoloa is here to see you." A tall man in a similar white robe appeared within Heero's line of vision.
"How do you feel, son?" he asked.
"Where is Delphiniel?" Heero repeated. "What happened to us?"
"Heero, you're an assassin from Kushrenada, aren't you?"
"What? How-"
The doctor closed his eyes and shook his head as if what he was saying pained him. "Her Majesty told us you were an ally, and that we were not to harm you. She ordered us to treat you as if you were Djuujiana. But we found the gun in the room, and we found the dead guard. But she days you were brainwashed, and I can't go against her."
"Where is Delphiniel?" the patient asked one more time.
"The tea was poisoned, Heero. Her Majesty is dead," Dr. Baoloa said.
"What?" Heero exclaimed. "What do you me- oh. Oh. Oh," he kept repeating. He looked up after a minute and asked "What happened to Djuuji's throne?"
Dr. Baoloa wordlessly handed Heero a newspaper. He was apparently disgusted by the headlines
"QUEEN DELPHINIEL DIES, NAMES TREIZE KUSHRENADA SUCCESSOR"
"What? Why?" demanded Heero.
"Hell if I know," Dr. Baoloa said. "I don't know anything anymore. I don't think anyone does."
After an awkward moment of silence, the doctor handed Heero an envelope. "Her Majesty wrote this before she- well, she said that you aren't to open it until you leave Fate. She said if you do it before then, disaster may strike. You're free to go."
"...Wait, Doctor!" Heero called.
"What?"
"Delphiniel mentioned a word called... 'love' or something... what does it mean?"
The doctor only said. "No one knows."
Heero walked out. It was softly raining, as if the heavens were mourning. He called a cab over, and went home.
Home.
What was it?
~
That's it for Chapter Six. ZP brought up a couple good points in her reviews. I probably should have mentioned this somewhere near the beginning like a normal person would, but yes, this is an AU fic, in case my reckless butchering of the GW timeline didn't make that apparent already. *cough* Also, I'm not sure how Djuuji should be pronounced, but I say it as "JOO-JEE" with a slight 'D' sound on the first 'J'. Or something. Oh well. More chapters to come, and more explanations to follow (God knows they're needed).
~Merky