Standard Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Sailor Moon or Gundam Wing characters, although really, in the spirit of giving, love and peace, I think I should get to own Heero just for a day, ne?
Author's Notes: Hey minna-chan! Oh my gosh, this has to be a record for me. I don't think I've ever written so much in the past little while. I've made considerable progress with Unexpected Destiny so I decided to share parts of what I have so far. And I know that a lot of the GW guys are acting out of character for the moment, but I felt I had to take a bit of artistic liberty here. Makes for a funnier story if I have some sort of competition and interaction between the boys, right? Or I could be just delusional.
Italics, as usual, denote thoughts!
On with the story!
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Chapter 7: Truths Revealed
Heero let out a string of curses as he punched a tree (AN: Gomen! I really have nothing personal against trees! It just happens…) in frustration. To his imminent surprise, the tree fell over. He jumped back in shock as his emotions ran awry. A tingling in his blood, something akin to an adrenaline surge, blazed through his body. Dimly he thought, This must be what Usagi meant. Unable to control anything, he just stood there in shock. Suddenly, a blinding light flashed. Not again, was all he could think although this time, his reflexes were quick enough to allow him to close his eyes. Sensing that the light had passed, he opened his eyes slowly and warily. In front of him stood a man with an omnipotent presence. The stranger looked at him with an odd expression on his face.
"I almost forgot he had her eyes," he muttered with a sigh and glared at Heero.
"Who the hell are you?" Heero demanded, as he reached for his gun.
Much to Heero's surprise, the gun floated out of his back pocket towards the stranger.
"Much too predictable. You're really going to have to work on your other powers. Although to be fair to you, you didn't discover you had any until today, son."
"Nande kuso?!" Heero yelled out.
The stranger chuckled indulgently. "Is that any way for a son to speak to his father?"
"Masaka. It can't be. I'm an orphan."
"Even orphans have to come from somewhere you know, although your particular circumstance is a bit different. I suppose having me for a father doesn't help either."
"Who the hell are you anyway?" Heero demanded rudely.
"There are those who call me the god of War. Others know me as Ares."
Heero let out a snort. "Riiight," he remarked, sounding somewhat like Duo at the moment.
Ares' eyes flashed for a moment. "You doubt the word of a god?" He asked in a chilling tone, all amusement having faded from his voice.
Heero merely looked at him. "You're as much of a god as Shinigami is." He then had the nerve to smirk after that.
Ares' face burned with a cold anger that reminded Heero of somebody. The wind stirred suddenly as an enormous ball of fire formed in the palm of Ares' right hand. Heero caught a sudden glint in Ares' eyes before the fireball came right for him. In the next moment, his body merely reacted. Narrowing his dark blue eyes, he placed his hands in front of him and an unknown burst of energy came out of him, forming a shield. The fireball deflected harmlessly off into the skies. Ares smiled at him knowingly.
"That would've killed a lesser person. This only proves what I'm saying. Only the son of a god would possess such power."
Heero stood there mutely, as he stared at his own hands. Memories unbidden flooded his mind.
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"Mama!" A child's voice cried out in pain.
A woman, slender in stature, with glossy black hair rushed over to pick up the slightly injured child. Her Prussian blue eyes took in the cut on the knee as he bawled his eyes out.
"Shhh… don't cry, honey. It'll get better soon. Don't worry." She murmured, trying to console the hurt little boy.
His big dark blue eyes, a mirror of her own, stared back as he sniffled. "You promise, Mama?"
A flash of light appeared and a man stepped out from something resembling a portal.
"Are you spoiling my son again? He can never learn to be a man if you coddle him at the slightest injury."
Two pairs of dark blue eyes stared at him, both slightly belligerent but neither surprised by the man's sudden entrance.
"Ares…" The woman chided, slightly annoyed.
"Papa mean," the little boy announced, his stance unconsciously mimicking his father's.
The god of war looked on his family indulgently. When he was with them, he could be himself. He chuckled at his son's angry expression.
"I'm not mean. You're a big boy now. You can't cry all the time, son."
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The words repeated themselves in Heero's mind.
"Papa," he whispered, shock evident in his voice.
Ares nodded, his eyes taking a strange glint as he heard his son utter the words he had longed to hear for over 1000 years. Both men looked at each other awkwardly, unsure of what to do next.
"The memories you keep having are from a different life time. I thought you should know that."
"Nani?!"
"They're from over 1000 years ago. You were my son back then, just as you are now. You died saving the life of the woman you loved." He told Heero sadly.
"Masaka!" Heero exclaimed.
"You wish to aggravate me? You may be my son, but I have little patience for people who doubt my word."
"Iie, but how can this be?" Heero remarked slowly.
"Over a thousand years ago, I met a beautiful mortal woman. She smacked me on the head with a barrel as I was trying to start up a war." He chuckled fondly in memory before continuing. "I was angry of course. I wanted to kill her. But she looked me straight in the eye, and showed me no fear. At that moment, I knew I was in love. In time, Irulian fell in love with me too. You were conceived, but marriages between mortals and gods were forbidden. I visited as often as I could, without arousing suspicion. You grew up to be a strong, brave warrior. It wasn't long before you attracted the attention of the other gods. Much to my dismay, you fell in love with a young girl, a non-mortal at least. But nevertheless, it created problems. She was already promised to another man. The other gods, jealous of your abilities, kidnapped the one you loved, and led you to your ultimate death. After that, the girl's mother intervened and successfully saved her child. But I lost mine." His eyes took on a look of sadness.
"A non-mortal?" Heero was curious, wondering about what it was like to be in love.
"As a god, I have the ability to see the future, and I knew what would happen if you ever fell in love with her. But I should've known better than to mess with the lines of fate."
"Tell me about the girl," Heero prompted again.
"I think you already know who she is."
Heero stared in open-mouth astonishment at his father.
"My time here is short. The guardian of Time gets really annoyed when other beings enter a world they don't belong to." He stopped as he stared at his son. "I know what you've been doing. I am proud of you, son. You are the same great warrior I remember, with one difference."
"What's that?"
"You used to fight with your heart." Ares glanced behind him, as if expecting someone. He chuckled wryly. "I may be god of War, but when Setsuna gets mad, she sure can do some damage. Take care, son."
"But… there's so much more I want to know!"
"There's no more time. Everything will reveal itself in due time."
Ares took a step backwards as a portal opened up behind him, and closed as he passed through.
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Heero stared blankly at where his father disappeared. He struggled to regain some semblance of control. Kuso, what the hell has been happening lately??? It all started with that Usagi girl, he thought angrily. First, I get back emotions. Then, I find out my father is the god of War. What ever happened to normal? He cursed heartily as he began pacing back and forth. Where's my normal unemotional self? Where's my ability to stay detached and unaffected?
Another flash of light appeared. And why the hell can't I have a few moments to myself?! He glared at the strange woman who stepped out from a portal.
"You people have to stop it with the flash of lights. It's getting repetitive."
The woman laughed softly, her strange black hair with green highlights gleaming in the sunlight. Her deep red eyes gazed at him fondly.
"Ah, child. You have not changed much since I last saw you."
"Child?!" He remarked indignantly.
"Iie. As the guardian of Time, you tend to forget these things." She smiled.
"You must be Setsuna."
"Hai, Heero. I must've just missed your father, ne?"
He nodded in response as she grinned.
"He is wise. He knows the consequences of playing with the timelines, although we did make an exception once." She looked sadly at him.
"Are you going to tell me more, or are you going to just stand there, make cryptic remarks and then disappear?"
She took in a deep breath and said, "I think it's time you knew the truth. I will tell you the story as I know it, and as much as I am permitted to tell."
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Usagi, with her four other escorts, ended up at a nearby park. She knew Heero would be gone for a little while, and being back at his place would be too much for her.
"Usagi, would you like to see a juggling trick?"
Duo snorted at Trowa.
"Using cheap tactics to try to impress the girl huh?" Wufei remarked.
And with that, another bicker-fest commenced, which amused the girl beside them to no end. It even brought a slight smile to her face. She looked up and saw a group of three people walking towards them. She stopped and quirked her head to one side, staring at the three faces that she somehow knew in the back of her mind was familiar. A tall blond man stood beside a beautiful woman with teal hair. Between them stood a girl of about ten years old, with black hair and purple eyes.
"Koneko-chan?"
Usagi felt as if her brain were being hammered with memories as she fell to the ground. The words "koneko-chan" kept ringing in her head. She gasped in pain, dimly aware of a circle of concerned people surrounding her. Taking in deep breaths, she managed to control the pain as she slowly stood up. She stared at the three strangers in front of her in confusion.
"Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama, she doesn't remember us," the young girl observed.
"How can she not remember us?" The blond haired man exclaimed angrily.
"Haruka, remember, the Inner senshi and Mamoru hurt her really badly. She may have done something foolish."
"The ginzuishou is not on her either," the child once again spoke up.
Compelled by a strange force, she walked up to them, much to the dismay of the Gundam pilots. Ignoring their yells, she moved forward, despite their hands trying to pull her back. What ensued was a relatively comical scene of Usagi marching towards the three strangers, with four boys being dragged behind her. Unbeknownst to her, Haruka and Michiru gasped in shock. When had Usagi-chan gotten so strong??? They wondered.
"Usagi-san is just discovering her powers," the young one threw in, exasperating and amusing her "parents" at the same time.
"Hota-chan, you have to stop tormenting us like that." Haruka remarked wryly.
Usagi came to a halt in front of the newcomers, and knelt down in front of the young girl, who looked at her quizzically.
"Hai, Usagi-san?"
She gasped softly. The child knew her name. She had stopped in front of the young girl because she believed that children were innocent, and could never lie. You could always see the truth in the eyes of a child. It had not learned deception. She reached out and grasped the young girl's hand. The contact was electric. She dropped the younger girl's hand immediately and stood up.
"You're no ordinary child," Usagi observed.
"You don't remember us," the young girl said, more of a statement than a question.
The men released Usagi to glare at the newcomers. They all took a protective stance in front of her.
"Who are you people?" Quatre asked.
"How do you know her name?" Trowa questioned.
"How do you know her?" Duo demanded.
"Why are you weak onnas dressed so strangely?"
The questions burst forth at the same time and Usagi suddenly giggled in amusement as Haruka tensed in anger. Her fists were in front of her, ready to attack the Chinese man who had dared to make such a remark. Michiru wisely placed a restraining hand on Haruka's arm. Usagi whirled around in a speed that amazed the three newcomers. She poked the Chinese man in the chest and exclaimed, "Wufei-baka! I told you…"
"You said I couldn't call you that but you said nothing about calling the other women weak," Wufei retorted, embarassed at being shown up in front of the other pilots.
"You stop insulting these ladies! Or I'll blow you up!" She threatened, not really meaning it though she saw that Wufei took it seriously enough to shut up. She looked at the three in front of her as her eyes and senses quickly assessed their kis. She smiled suddenly, and spoke out. "I apologize for my friend there. He's unused to strong women. You know me I take it?"
The blond man leaned in closer and stared into her eyes. "She doesn't remember," he said to her aquamarine-haired companion. "It is okay for now, Haruka-papa. We still have time," the little girl piped up. Both grinned at their child.
"I am Tenoh Haruka." He remarked.
"I am Keiou Michiru," the woman said with a gentle smile. "And this is Tomoe Hotaru."
"Konnichi wa," Hotaru called out.
Usagi bowed slightly to them in greeting, missing the slight tensing of the three's bodies.
"You obviously know me. Guys, won't you please introduce yourself?"
The men grudgingly spoke up.
"Duo Maxwell."
"Quatre Winner."
"Trowa Barton."
"Wufei Chang."
Usagi was perplexed as to how little Hotaru got her colouring. She bore no resemblance to either Haruka or Michiru. Haruka looked over at her suddenly and smiled.
"Go ahead, koneko-chan. You're obviously dying to ask us something."
"How… how did you know?" Usagi asked, somewhat taken aback.
"All three of us know you pretty well," was all she said.
"How is it that Hotaru doesn't look like either one of you? How can she be your child??" She blurted out and watched in amazement as Haruka and Michiru blushed.
"It's impossible for two girls to have a child," Hotaru explained in all seriousness.
"Nani?!!?!"
"But … but…" Duo sputtered.
"Hotaru-chan, you said…" Wufei exclaimed in a strangled voice.
"You called Haruka…" Quatre managed to blurt out.
"… papa!" Trowa finished.
Haruka and Michiru laughed in amusement as Hotaru smiled at them.
"I assure you that Haruka is most definitely female," Michiru said gently.
Usagi and the four men just stared in open-mouthed shock.
"Michiru-mama, isn't it rude to stare like that?" Hotaru asked in innocence.
They immediately closed their mouths and looked elsewhere. Usagi glanced at them and she observed that there was something in all three women's expressions that resembled fondness.
"Please, you have to tell me how you know me. I … I remember nothing," she finished sadly.
The three Outer Senshi told her as much as they could, without revealing the truth about Usagi being Sailor Moon. They deliberately withheld the part about the Inners and Mamoru hurting her.
"I see…" Her voice trailed off as a look came over her face.
Looking at their kis, Usagi quickly determined one simple fact. They were holding back a lot of information. However, judging by their auras, they also were good people. She sensed nothing evil about them though she sensed an amazing amount of power stored in all of them, especially in the young child.
"You're not telling me everything, but I'll let it go for now. Perhaps some things are better left untold for the moment," Usagi announced matter-of-factly.
The three Outer Senshi were stunned by her observations. They all stared at her, shock apparent on their faces.
"Koneko-chan, how do you know that??" Haruka remarked incredulously.
"I just do," was her reply as she shrugged.
"You're no longer as I remembered," Michiru said simply.
"She has begun to realise the full potential of her powers," Hotaru observed.
This time, the Gundam pilots and Usagi looked at her in shock.
"How… what…?!" Wufei muttered.
"This just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Duo commented.
The young girl's lips curved into a gentle, knowing smile.
"The best is yet to come."
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Well minna-chan? Interesting so far? Love it? Hate it? Tell me what you would like to see more of, or less of, and I'll try to accommodate as best as I can! I figured out it was high time I brought in some of the Senshi, ne? And before anyone comments, I *know* that Ares is extremely out of character. For a god of War, he is a tad bit too… personable. But I tried to add a bit of a temper to his nature, and remember, he acts differently when he's around family. He doesn't have to be mean, grouchy, and war-crazy around his son! Also, I know Heero is acting OOC as well, but hey, if I found out what he did, I find it pretty hard pressed to remain unemotional. Just my take on things, but I want to explain where I'm coming from.
What else? If you have any suggestions at all, do not hesitate to contact me at all! Now that finals are done, I can concentrate for the next little while on my fics! And to all the reviewers, thank you soooooo very much!!! The reviews do keep me going :)
And a last bit, cheap shameless plug for myself, don't forget to read and review my two other holiday fics, Forever Afters, and His Touch. Warning, His Touch is a really really long story that I wrote in one sitting (and I have the stiff neck to prove it). I'm relatively proud of those fics and I'd love to hear feedback about those as well!
Again, thank you all minna-chan, my readers and especially my reviewers! Merry Christmas and happy holidays to everyone!
More reviews = Christmas presents to Chibi Tenshi = More chapters to come!
Ja ne!