Chapter Six: The Return
The morning dawned a golden blue and the first gentle rays fell on two figures walking slowly through the just stirring streets. The man was tall and handsome, with the hilts of two swords rising over his back. He was dressed like any other man but there was a dark aura that pulsated from him, a hidden power that was always on the verge of being unleashed. The woman that walked beside him was different. She was sun haired and petite, with eyes the color of the moon's reflection on the ocean. She walked gracefully and lightly, as if every movement was the prelude to flying, and the man often shortened his stride to match hers. They walked closely, talking softly to each other in the early hours. She would often point out things to him and he would nod thoughtfully as if seeing it for the first time. They seemed to have no destination, nowhere to be except with each other.
And they were obviously in love.
There were a million little signs that proclaimed it, some noticeable only by those who had known the effects themselves. He would guide her through small crowds by placing a light hand on the small of her back, a protective touch that spelled trouble for anyone trying to separate them, and she would look up at him with eyes brimming with love and renewal. Everything was new for them.
"Heero," Rena began, then stopped suddenly, a uneasy look flashing across her face. "Is it all right to call you that?"
He turned to look at her, "Part of me is the A'rateken Mage known as Gharial, but an even older part is still Heero. That part belongs to you."
She smiled brightly at him and he felt his heart stir. He remembered her now, everything about the life he had once lived. It was causing something of a war between him. Gharial was A'rateken and he had been born as a weapon, to kill the rebel humans and pave the way for the Empress's dominion of all the Earth. Heero, on the other hand, wanted only to protect Relena, fight alongside her and drive the Imperial Order back to their fleet. The two sides conflicted and he wondered if, someday soon, he would have to make a choice that would affect the rest of his life.
"Heero," Rena began again. "I want you to come with me tonight."
He blinked at her, unsure of what she was asking. "Hn?"
She went on. "There is a festival tonight, just outside the city. I would like you to come with me." She looked up at him with a hopeful look.
He hesitated. "This is a human event?"
She snorted. "You may have the power of an A'rateken Mage but your heart and soul is human." She paused and laid a hand on his arm. "Please?"
"Relena, I would be exposed. I am a danger to you. If the A'rateken found out that I was there they would be down on us with the fury of a storm, and even I am not strong enough to save everyone. " He hesitated again, and she caught it.
"There's something else you're not telling me."
"Relena, I am Heero, I know that now, but I am still Gharial, too. Ritara IS my mother, she brought me back to life. I cannot leave her to fend for herself, not yet."
"Are you telling me that you will continue to fight for the A'rateken?" She asked, quietly, an almost dangerous quiet. Her eyes flashed silver at him and he knew that Rena Bladeheart was coming to the surface.
"I am with you in all things, Relena, you know that." He replied, just as softly. "I cannot fight against you now, but I am still a weapon. The Empire will not let me go easily."
She sighed and leaned her forehead against his chest and he stroked her hair gently.
"I guess we are both two people now." She whispered. "But I still want you to come. Duo and the others will want to see you, and I...Now that I have you back I don't want you to leave me."
He smiled slightly and kissed the top of her head as she leaned back again. "I will come." He said, and was glad he did when Relena threw her arms around his neck.
"Thank you, Heero. Thank you."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"I can't believe this!" Duo ranted, on the verge of throwing something. "I can't believe she would run off alone and not say anything about where she's going!"
"Relax, baka, Rena can take care of herself."
Duo swung to face Wufei, surprise painted clearly across his face. "Well, Wufei, I never expected you to say something like that about a woman."
The Chinese ex-pilot shrugged. "She's not Relena anymore." As if that explained everything.
Duo sighed. "Well, she'd better not get into any trouble with this new guy, Heero or not."
"Relax, Duo." Quatre said, from where he was sitting amidst piles of spy reports. "She'll be all right. And don't tell me you still don't believe Trowa saw Heero."
The braided general shook his head. "I don't know. I honestly don't know, but if he harms Rena in anyway, he will wish he had stayed dead."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The empress traced a slender finger along the table's smooth surface, an idle look on her face. She didn't like having things on her mind, that was what her Mages were for. She was there to collect galaxies and put them all under Imperial rule. This planet was almost taken and yet, at the very climax of her conquest, she was still missing the key.
She couldn't understand why, either. The Mages had always been able to find it before, on other worlds. It had been simple, a simple harnessing of energy and the key would shine like a beacon. Simple.
But not this time. This time the Earth seemed hell bent on hiding it from her. Her Mages continued to sap the blue-green planets' magnetic and heat energy but it did not reveal the key, and time was running out. Soon the rebels would renew their assault on her forces, running the chance that her army would destroy the key without even knowing it. It was a problem, and one she shouldn't have had to be thinking about.
"Explain to me again, Takuya, why we do not have the key in our possession." She said, evenly, looking up at the Battle Mage. He didn't let even a flicker of surprise cross his face, even through he had all ready gone through it once.
"It is hidden here, Empress. This world has never had to use the key. These...humans..." He grimaced. "...rely only on themselves. It is possible that they do not even know the power of the key. It is also why it has been difficult for us to find it. Ritara thought her little experiment would bring us the key, and though Gharial does have the A'rateken power, he is not the key. It lies out there still, eluding us."
She arched an eloquent eyebrow at him. "You sound defeated, Takuya. Do I sense some resentment concerning Gharial?"
"No, empress." He replied, but she knew the truth. She let it go anyway. She had other problems to solve than his petty jealousy.
"Takuya, must I remind you that without the key I will never gain complete control over this planet?" She said, her voice low, almost thoughtful. It was her at her most her dangerous. "And that without this planet my chain of galaxies will not be complete?" She suddenly held his gaze, her green-blue eyes blazing with the power of her bloodlines.
"I must have the key to this sphere, Takuya. I will have it. There is no failure."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Mother?"
Ritara looked up tiredly as her son entered her chambers quietly. She managed a small smile for him. He stood there, her ugly, beautiful son, looking at her as if he were trying to decide something. She waited and after a few moments, he spoke again.
"Mother." He said it firmly this time, decision made. Her smile widened.
"Yes?"
He hesitated and she became instantly alert. He never hesitated. He was a weapon.
"I just wanted you to know that no matter what happens, you will always be my mother."
She relaxed, feeling her heartbeat slow. "Thank you, Gharial." She held out her arms for him and he hugged her gently, keeping back his true strength so as not to hurt her.
She knew she shouldn't get attached to him. He was a weapon to destroy the enemies of the Empire, but she couldn't help feeling something for the man she had given a new life to. The A'rateken did not have the human feeling called 'love', but whatever she felt, she couldn't let the other Mages or the empress know. She had to protect herself.
She had to protect him.
tbc
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Author's Note: All right, I know there wasn't alot of sap in this one. Sorry, had to get some plot twisters in there! I'll have some mush in the next one with the festival, k?
so, I'll bet you're wondering why the key is aren't ya? aren't ya? * pokes you in the stomach * tee hee. Guess you'll just have to check back! *giggles behind her hand*
Also got that meeting between Trowa and Catherine coming up too! So there's some goodies for people who like that pairing! If you don't like them together don't worry, I'll put a warning before you get to it so you don't have to suffer. See? I play fair. * smiles *
Hope you all enjoyed this part, it was all for you!
Stay tuned for the next chapter: A Kiss of Stardust
please review! *hugs*
The morning dawned a golden blue and the first gentle rays fell on two figures walking slowly through the just stirring streets. The man was tall and handsome, with the hilts of two swords rising over his back. He was dressed like any other man but there was a dark aura that pulsated from him, a hidden power that was always on the verge of being unleashed. The woman that walked beside him was different. She was sun haired and petite, with eyes the color of the moon's reflection on the ocean. She walked gracefully and lightly, as if every movement was the prelude to flying, and the man often shortened his stride to match hers. They walked closely, talking softly to each other in the early hours. She would often point out things to him and he would nod thoughtfully as if seeing it for the first time. They seemed to have no destination, nowhere to be except with each other.
And they were obviously in love.
There were a million little signs that proclaimed it, some noticeable only by those who had known the effects themselves. He would guide her through small crowds by placing a light hand on the small of her back, a protective touch that spelled trouble for anyone trying to separate them, and she would look up at him with eyes brimming with love and renewal. Everything was new for them.
"Heero," Rena began, then stopped suddenly, a uneasy look flashing across her face. "Is it all right to call you that?"
He turned to look at her, "Part of me is the A'rateken Mage known as Gharial, but an even older part is still Heero. That part belongs to you."
She smiled brightly at him and he felt his heart stir. He remembered her now, everything about the life he had once lived. It was causing something of a war between him. Gharial was A'rateken and he had been born as a weapon, to kill the rebel humans and pave the way for the Empress's dominion of all the Earth. Heero, on the other hand, wanted only to protect Relena, fight alongside her and drive the Imperial Order back to their fleet. The two sides conflicted and he wondered if, someday soon, he would have to make a choice that would affect the rest of his life.
"Heero," Rena began again. "I want you to come with me tonight."
He blinked at her, unsure of what she was asking. "Hn?"
She went on. "There is a festival tonight, just outside the city. I would like you to come with me." She looked up at him with a hopeful look.
He hesitated. "This is a human event?"
She snorted. "You may have the power of an A'rateken Mage but your heart and soul is human." She paused and laid a hand on his arm. "Please?"
"Relena, I would be exposed. I am a danger to you. If the A'rateken found out that I was there they would be down on us with the fury of a storm, and even I am not strong enough to save everyone. " He hesitated again, and she caught it.
"There's something else you're not telling me."
"Relena, I am Heero, I know that now, but I am still Gharial, too. Ritara IS my mother, she brought me back to life. I cannot leave her to fend for herself, not yet."
"Are you telling me that you will continue to fight for the A'rateken?" She asked, quietly, an almost dangerous quiet. Her eyes flashed silver at him and he knew that Rena Bladeheart was coming to the surface.
"I am with you in all things, Relena, you know that." He replied, just as softly. "I cannot fight against you now, but I am still a weapon. The Empire will not let me go easily."
She sighed and leaned her forehead against his chest and he stroked her hair gently.
"I guess we are both two people now." She whispered. "But I still want you to come. Duo and the others will want to see you, and I...Now that I have you back I don't want you to leave me."
He smiled slightly and kissed the top of her head as she leaned back again. "I will come." He said, and was glad he did when Relena threw her arms around his neck.
"Thank you, Heero. Thank you."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"I can't believe this!" Duo ranted, on the verge of throwing something. "I can't believe she would run off alone and not say anything about where she's going!"
"Relax, baka, Rena can take care of herself."
Duo swung to face Wufei, surprise painted clearly across his face. "Well, Wufei, I never expected you to say something like that about a woman."
The Chinese ex-pilot shrugged. "She's not Relena anymore." As if that explained everything.
Duo sighed. "Well, she'd better not get into any trouble with this new guy, Heero or not."
"Relax, Duo." Quatre said, from where he was sitting amidst piles of spy reports. "She'll be all right. And don't tell me you still don't believe Trowa saw Heero."
The braided general shook his head. "I don't know. I honestly don't know, but if he harms Rena in anyway, he will wish he had stayed dead."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The empress traced a slender finger along the table's smooth surface, an idle look on her face. She didn't like having things on her mind, that was what her Mages were for. She was there to collect galaxies and put them all under Imperial rule. This planet was almost taken and yet, at the very climax of her conquest, she was still missing the key.
She couldn't understand why, either. The Mages had always been able to find it before, on other worlds. It had been simple, a simple harnessing of energy and the key would shine like a beacon. Simple.
But not this time. This time the Earth seemed hell bent on hiding it from her. Her Mages continued to sap the blue-green planets' magnetic and heat energy but it did not reveal the key, and time was running out. Soon the rebels would renew their assault on her forces, running the chance that her army would destroy the key without even knowing it. It was a problem, and one she shouldn't have had to be thinking about.
"Explain to me again, Takuya, why we do not have the key in our possession." She said, evenly, looking up at the Battle Mage. He didn't let even a flicker of surprise cross his face, even through he had all ready gone through it once.
"It is hidden here, Empress. This world has never had to use the key. These...humans..." He grimaced. "...rely only on themselves. It is possible that they do not even know the power of the key. It is also why it has been difficult for us to find it. Ritara thought her little experiment would bring us the key, and though Gharial does have the A'rateken power, he is not the key. It lies out there still, eluding us."
She arched an eloquent eyebrow at him. "You sound defeated, Takuya. Do I sense some resentment concerning Gharial?"
"No, empress." He replied, but she knew the truth. She let it go anyway. She had other problems to solve than his petty jealousy.
"Takuya, must I remind you that without the key I will never gain complete control over this planet?" She said, her voice low, almost thoughtful. It was her at her most her dangerous. "And that without this planet my chain of galaxies will not be complete?" She suddenly held his gaze, her green-blue eyes blazing with the power of her bloodlines.
"I must have the key to this sphere, Takuya. I will have it. There is no failure."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Mother?"
Ritara looked up tiredly as her son entered her chambers quietly. She managed a small smile for him. He stood there, her ugly, beautiful son, looking at her as if he were trying to decide something. She waited and after a few moments, he spoke again.
"Mother." He said it firmly this time, decision made. Her smile widened.
"Yes?"
He hesitated and she became instantly alert. He never hesitated. He was a weapon.
"I just wanted you to know that no matter what happens, you will always be my mother."
She relaxed, feeling her heartbeat slow. "Thank you, Gharial." She held out her arms for him and he hugged her gently, keeping back his true strength so as not to hurt her.
She knew she shouldn't get attached to him. He was a weapon to destroy the enemies of the Empire, but she couldn't help feeling something for the man she had given a new life to. The A'rateken did not have the human feeling called 'love', but whatever she felt, she couldn't let the other Mages or the empress know. She had to protect herself.
She had to protect him.
tbc
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Author's Note: All right, I know there wasn't alot of sap in this one. Sorry, had to get some plot twisters in there! I'll have some mush in the next one with the festival, k?
so, I'll bet you're wondering why the key is aren't ya? aren't ya? * pokes you in the stomach * tee hee. Guess you'll just have to check back! *giggles behind her hand*
Also got that meeting between Trowa and Catherine coming up too! So there's some goodies for people who like that pairing! If you don't like them together don't worry, I'll put a warning before you get to it so you don't have to suffer. See? I play fair. * smiles *
Hope you all enjoyed this part, it was all for you!
Stay tuned for the next chapter: A Kiss of Stardust
please review! *hugs*