Chapter Three: Clash of Fate
The empress of the A'rateken was beautiful. Even the humans said so, though that didn't count for much with her. She spent endless hours in front of a mirror, having one of her human servants brush out her floor length pale green hair and rub oil into her all ready glittery skin. Her eyes were a disconcerting mix of green and blue, with strange swirls and the slanted pupils. She had never had to work for a thing in her life. Her battle mages coordinated the assault on earth in her name and they were taking great strides in eradicating the rebel force that tried to resist her.
She snorted, and then quickly glanced around to make sure she was alone.
Those puny humans. They still tried to win against her. Didn't they know it was meaningless? She would soon by the empress of this world just like all the others. She held the loyalty of her Mages tightly in her fist and they would die for her if she but gave the word. She would have everything she wanted. She always did.
And now one of Ritara's endless experiments had worked and it would soon be taken to the battlefield and pitted against those useless rebels. Ah, yes, the victory would be sweet. She would soon have another world to add to her charm bracelet.
A knock at the door put an abrupt end to her reverie and the empress quickly smoothed a snarl from her face. "Come."
The door opened to reveal one of her servants, a human girl that was hideous in the empress's sight. The girl had the human's strange round gray eyes, the color of steel, and her hair was a ghastly shade of red and it was quite short compared with empress's own. Really, these humans were quite ugly to look upon.
The girl bowed to her in the A'rateken way and keep her outlandish eyes on the carpet as she had been taught years ago.
"I have brought Ritara to you, my empress." She said, quietly, her body still. The empress waved a dismissive hand.
"Send her in."
The girl bowed again and backed her way out of the room just as Ritara entered. The Battle Mage bowed to her formally before smiling at her like an idiot. The empress arched a delicate eyebrow in disapproval and Ritara wiped the smile from her face instantly.
"Forgive me, empress, it's just that-"
"I know, I know. Your little project is still alive." The empress interrupted, standing and going to the window. The earth was beautiful even if its inhabitants were not. "I trust you are going to send it to the front lines?"
Ritara nodded, barely concealing the smile. "Yes. I want to see if he can-"
Again, the empress cut her off. "Him? Him?" A frown crossed the beautiful face. "I do not know of this 'him'. I know only of a weapon that was created for my use. Do you know a 'him', Ritara?"
The Mage hurriedly shook her head. "No, empress, of course not. I meant to say 'it', yes, 'it'. I want to see if it can use the A'rateken energy I installed into it's genetic code. If it can it would be invaluable to us, empress, the first human ever to do so."
"Yes, yes." The empress said, looking out the window. "As long as it rids me of these rebels."
"It will, empress, I am sure. I will try it out today, if you command."
The empress made a motion with her hand and Ritara bowed. "As you wish, empress."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Quatre sighed.
"Look, Wufei, if I hear one more onna comment I'm going to-"
"Going to what, woman? We all know you all make idle threats."
* growl *
* scuffle *
* thump *
and then...
"Sally, please don't break any bones. He has to be able to walk." Rena commented from her place next to Quatre. She said it wryly but she did not smile. She hardly ever did.
Sally grumbled to herself and let Wufei up from where she had had him pinned. She shot him one more glare for good measure before going back to study the maps Quatre had dug up that morning.
"You know," Duo said, pointedly getting back to the subject at hand. "We still don't know what room the empress is in. I mean, it was pretty lucky she took over the Sank palace because we know the layout, but we still need someone on the inside."
"It would make sense for her to take over Rena's old rooms, since they were the most luxurious." Hilde put in from where she was sitting at Duo's feet.
"But we know the A'rateken sense of beauty is not the same as ours." Quatre said, "We've been through this so many times. She could be in any room."
"Hence the need for someone on the inside." Duo said again, with a smirk.
"The important part is that once we find out where she is in the building, we'll have a better chance of eliminating her." Sally said, from the table, her eyes still on the layout of the Sank palace.
Wufei grunted.
"I've got news."
The small group of rebels looked up as Trowa entered, half of his face covered in the clown mask he was never seen without. It was a part of him now, just like Relena's new name.
"What is it, Trowa?" Quatre asked, worriedly. The weapons specialist regarded him with an unwavering look.
"There's something going on at the front lines."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Rena watched angrily as her people were mowed down like trees in a tornado. The rebel army had engaged the A'rateken in battle early that morning and they were fast approaching the end of their strength. The three battle mages were there, proclaiming their whereabouts with white flashes of lightning from a clear sky and energy blasts that threw earth in the air. What enraged her the most was the dark figure at the head of it all. He wore a black cloak, the hood pulled up, and he was wielding twin swords that struck down everyone in his path. What was strange was that his blade never touched skin. It was as if the wind pressure alone from his swords was what was killing her rebels. She had seen the Mages do that before, but he was new to her and, for some reason, she didn't think he was A'rateken.
"Who is he?" She asked, quietly to the silent figure beside her.
"He appeared with one of the mages this afternoon." There was a pause. "He has been untouchable since."
"I see." And she went forward. Trowa reached out to pull her back but she leapt into a run, her people parting for her as she neared the dark figure. She pulled out her whip and sent it lashing out ahead of her, hoping to leave a slash across his face that would blind him. But it didn't make it anywhere near him. He reached out and grabbed her whip a foot from his face. She gasped and skidded to a halt, trying to peer into the dark hood that kept her enemy hidden from her. He stood calmly, holding the end of her whip. She jerked on it but he didn't budge and she felt her anger boiling.
"You have spilt much blood today, warrior." She said, trying to pretend he hadn't just foiled her attempt to kill him. "I am Rena Darkblade. Uncover your face so that I may know my enemy."
From behind the cloaked man, one of the Battle Mages moved as if to strike at Rena, but the man flung out a hand to stop her. He then released Rena's whip and reached up slowly for his hood.
"I am The Hand of the Empire." He said.
and the hood came down...
Rena heard a ragged wail and, a second later, realized it was her own. She couldn't seem to catch her breath and her heart was beating irregularly. Even as the world tilted around her, her silver-blue gaze was caught on the unruly dark hair and Prussian blue eyes she would have known in her sleep.
It couldn't be true, it just couldn't it.
It couldn't be...him.
The Hand of the Empire made a swift movement with her hand and she cried out as an unseen blow collided with her stomach. She doubled over, her eyes swimming as she looked back up at her enemy...the one who had slaughtered hundreds of her rebels just that afternoon.
"Heero?"
Trowa caught her as he fell, her slight weight nothing to a battle hardened soldier such as him. He lifted her up and met the gaze in that oh so familiar face. The two warriors fought a silent battle before The Hand of the Empire turned away, glaring at the Battle Mages until they too slunk away, uneasy about letting the rebels live.
"We will meet again." The dark man said, before starting to follow the Mages. Trowa watched him silently for a moment, wondering at this clash of fate.
"Yes we will."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Well? Don't worry, mysteries will be revealed in the next chapter and there will be some more 1xR moments coming up. I've gotta write all the technical stuff first so that the romance will make sense. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Next Chapter: Flickers of the Blade
The empress of the A'rateken was beautiful. Even the humans said so, though that didn't count for much with her. She spent endless hours in front of a mirror, having one of her human servants brush out her floor length pale green hair and rub oil into her all ready glittery skin. Her eyes were a disconcerting mix of green and blue, with strange swirls and the slanted pupils. She had never had to work for a thing in her life. Her battle mages coordinated the assault on earth in her name and they were taking great strides in eradicating the rebel force that tried to resist her.
She snorted, and then quickly glanced around to make sure she was alone.
Those puny humans. They still tried to win against her. Didn't they know it was meaningless? She would soon by the empress of this world just like all the others. She held the loyalty of her Mages tightly in her fist and they would die for her if she but gave the word. She would have everything she wanted. She always did.
And now one of Ritara's endless experiments had worked and it would soon be taken to the battlefield and pitted against those useless rebels. Ah, yes, the victory would be sweet. She would soon have another world to add to her charm bracelet.
A knock at the door put an abrupt end to her reverie and the empress quickly smoothed a snarl from her face. "Come."
The door opened to reveal one of her servants, a human girl that was hideous in the empress's sight. The girl had the human's strange round gray eyes, the color of steel, and her hair was a ghastly shade of red and it was quite short compared with empress's own. Really, these humans were quite ugly to look upon.
The girl bowed to her in the A'rateken way and keep her outlandish eyes on the carpet as she had been taught years ago.
"I have brought Ritara to you, my empress." She said, quietly, her body still. The empress waved a dismissive hand.
"Send her in."
The girl bowed again and backed her way out of the room just as Ritara entered. The Battle Mage bowed to her formally before smiling at her like an idiot. The empress arched a delicate eyebrow in disapproval and Ritara wiped the smile from her face instantly.
"Forgive me, empress, it's just that-"
"I know, I know. Your little project is still alive." The empress interrupted, standing and going to the window. The earth was beautiful even if its inhabitants were not. "I trust you are going to send it to the front lines?"
Ritara nodded, barely concealing the smile. "Yes. I want to see if he can-"
Again, the empress cut her off. "Him? Him?" A frown crossed the beautiful face. "I do not know of this 'him'. I know only of a weapon that was created for my use. Do you know a 'him', Ritara?"
The Mage hurriedly shook her head. "No, empress, of course not. I meant to say 'it', yes, 'it'. I want to see if it can use the A'rateken energy I installed into it's genetic code. If it can it would be invaluable to us, empress, the first human ever to do so."
"Yes, yes." The empress said, looking out the window. "As long as it rids me of these rebels."
"It will, empress, I am sure. I will try it out today, if you command."
The empress made a motion with her hand and Ritara bowed. "As you wish, empress."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Quatre sighed.
"Look, Wufei, if I hear one more onna comment I'm going to-"
"Going to what, woman? We all know you all make idle threats."
* growl *
* scuffle *
* thump *
and then...
"Sally, please don't break any bones. He has to be able to walk." Rena commented from her place next to Quatre. She said it wryly but she did not smile. She hardly ever did.
Sally grumbled to herself and let Wufei up from where she had had him pinned. She shot him one more glare for good measure before going back to study the maps Quatre had dug up that morning.
"You know," Duo said, pointedly getting back to the subject at hand. "We still don't know what room the empress is in. I mean, it was pretty lucky she took over the Sank palace because we know the layout, but we still need someone on the inside."
"It would make sense for her to take over Rena's old rooms, since they were the most luxurious." Hilde put in from where she was sitting at Duo's feet.
"But we know the A'rateken sense of beauty is not the same as ours." Quatre said, "We've been through this so many times. She could be in any room."
"Hence the need for someone on the inside." Duo said again, with a smirk.
"The important part is that once we find out where she is in the building, we'll have a better chance of eliminating her." Sally said, from the table, her eyes still on the layout of the Sank palace.
Wufei grunted.
"I've got news."
The small group of rebels looked up as Trowa entered, half of his face covered in the clown mask he was never seen without. It was a part of him now, just like Relena's new name.
"What is it, Trowa?" Quatre asked, worriedly. The weapons specialist regarded him with an unwavering look.
"There's something going on at the front lines."
* * * * * * * * * * *
Rena watched angrily as her people were mowed down like trees in a tornado. The rebel army had engaged the A'rateken in battle early that morning and they were fast approaching the end of their strength. The three battle mages were there, proclaiming their whereabouts with white flashes of lightning from a clear sky and energy blasts that threw earth in the air. What enraged her the most was the dark figure at the head of it all. He wore a black cloak, the hood pulled up, and he was wielding twin swords that struck down everyone in his path. What was strange was that his blade never touched skin. It was as if the wind pressure alone from his swords was what was killing her rebels. She had seen the Mages do that before, but he was new to her and, for some reason, she didn't think he was A'rateken.
"Who is he?" She asked, quietly to the silent figure beside her.
"He appeared with one of the mages this afternoon." There was a pause. "He has been untouchable since."
"I see." And she went forward. Trowa reached out to pull her back but she leapt into a run, her people parting for her as she neared the dark figure. She pulled out her whip and sent it lashing out ahead of her, hoping to leave a slash across his face that would blind him. But it didn't make it anywhere near him. He reached out and grabbed her whip a foot from his face. She gasped and skidded to a halt, trying to peer into the dark hood that kept her enemy hidden from her. He stood calmly, holding the end of her whip. She jerked on it but he didn't budge and she felt her anger boiling.
"You have spilt much blood today, warrior." She said, trying to pretend he hadn't just foiled her attempt to kill him. "I am Rena Darkblade. Uncover your face so that I may know my enemy."
From behind the cloaked man, one of the Battle Mages moved as if to strike at Rena, but the man flung out a hand to stop her. He then released Rena's whip and reached up slowly for his hood.
"I am The Hand of the Empire." He said.
and the hood came down...
Rena heard a ragged wail and, a second later, realized it was her own. She couldn't seem to catch her breath and her heart was beating irregularly. Even as the world tilted around her, her silver-blue gaze was caught on the unruly dark hair and Prussian blue eyes she would have known in her sleep.
It couldn't be true, it just couldn't it.
It couldn't be...him.
The Hand of the Empire made a swift movement with her hand and she cried out as an unseen blow collided with her stomach. She doubled over, her eyes swimming as she looked back up at her enemy...the one who had slaughtered hundreds of her rebels just that afternoon.
"Heero?"
Trowa caught her as he fell, her slight weight nothing to a battle hardened soldier such as him. He lifted her up and met the gaze in that oh so familiar face. The two warriors fought a silent battle before The Hand of the Empire turned away, glaring at the Battle Mages until they too slunk away, uneasy about letting the rebels live.
"We will meet again." The dark man said, before starting to follow the Mages. Trowa watched him silently for a moment, wondering at this clash of fate.
"Yes we will."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Well? Don't worry, mysteries will be revealed in the next chapter and there will be some more 1xR moments coming up. I've gotta write all the technical stuff first so that the romance will make sense. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
Next Chapter: Flickers of the Blade