Chapter Six: Festive Tears
"Dammit!" the young Chinese man shouted, his black eyes flashing. "How is it f**king possible for a SERIAL KILLER, and a sadistic one at that, to escape my notice?! There is no rhyme or reason to his killings...the only similarities I see between each victim are their f**king hair and eyes!"
"Wufei, calm down. There is no sense in shouting about it...you'll only get yourself more riled up. Yes, I know that it must infuriate you that the bastard got away, but--"
"But nothing, Sally. The pimp is up to something and it definitely isn't good. However, with no killings during the last couple months, his trail has gotten cold, leaving us with no evidence upon which to act on. All we can do is wait for his next victim but when that happens, it may be too late..."
***
Relena sighed. They were shouting again but this time, they made no effort to hide it. She just didn't get it. During all those times she'd seen them together, they seemed so happy and in love but lately...lately, something was wrong. Something, no someone, was tearing them apart and she had a sinking suspicion she KNEW the person behind it all.
**Flashback**
"Trowa, Quatre, Dorothy, I'd like you to meet one of my closest friends, Duo. Unfortunately, Heero and Rian weren't able to come so I can't introduce you to--" her voice ended abruptly when she saw Dorothy run up to Rian and throw herself into his arms. 'Whoa! How on earth do those two know each other?' Looking to Quatre for explanations, she could see that her cousin was just as bewildered as she was. Turning around, Relena examined the two people and was surprised to see them arguing about something? 'Hmmm, curiouser and curiouser...they barely see each other and already they're fighting. This is getting really weird...'
"Now that's strange," Trowa reflected, his deep brown eyes calmly taking in the quarrelling couple. "Dorothy seemed really happy to see that guy but as they started talking, all hell broke loose. Any comments, Quatre?"
Her normally cheerful cousin had a decidedly un-cheerful look on his face, Relena observed. Though there was no anger evident, Quatre stood so stiffly, it looked as if he would break into two at any given moment. Suddenly, as if the spell had been lifted, both Dorothy and Rian stopped arguing and headed towards two extremely curious people and one extraordinarily rigid fiancé.
As the two approached, Quatre stepped forward, a questioning look in his eyes. But instead of going to him, the blond-haired woman flushed and avoided his gaze. "Um, I'm so sorry about that but um, Rian and I were discussing something and things kind of got out of hand," Dorothy said apologetically, her pale blue eyes pleading for forgiveness. "It's just that I um, knew um, Rian before I met Quatre and we had some catching up to do. When Rian moved away a few months ago, he left no address behind and I thought I'd never see him again only to find out he was here! Suffice it to say, I was really happy to see him again..."
Feigning cheerfulness, Quatre spoke, a small smile forced to his slightly clenched lips. "That's all right, Dorothy. It's understandable that you and--Rian, was it?--had a lot of things to talk about. But, now that we're all together, shall we get going? After all, the reservations I made were for six."
**End of Flashback**
Except for the shaky start, dinner had been a pleasant affair, Relena recalled. Quatre had loosened up and eventually befriended Rian, despite the earlier tension between the two.
However, old habits die-hard and with Dorothy spending more and more time with Rian, Quatre's jealousy had flared up again; this time, with a vengeance. But because of his kind nature, he had continued to ignore it until it became too much for any mortal man to bear, resulting in an intense shouting match, similar to the one occurring now.
Feeling an intense need for some fresh air and pleasant company, Relena ran out the door, in search of Heero. On her way to his cottage, she was surprised yet pleased to see both Duo and Hilde walking together ahead of her. 'Hmmm, I wonder what's up with those two?' Grinning broadly, she snuck up behind them and jumped onto Duo's back, laughing hysterically at his feeble attempts to throw her off.
"What that--?! Lena, is that you? Where have you been hiding these past weeks? It's like you turned ghost or something!" Duo admonished, his head straining to catch a glimpse of his friend.
"Where have I been?! You mean, where have YOU been?!" Lowering her voice to a soft murmur, she whispered, "And what's with Hilde? Are you guys finally an item?"
Blushing faintly, Duo gave a sheepish nod, looking slightly chagrined at Relena's hoot of laughter. "Shhh, hush up, Lena! And get off, will ya? Jeez, you've gotten heavy!"
Ignoring her still red friend, Relena turned to a curious Hilde and chirped, "Hey Hilde, how have you been? Is Duo treating you right?"
Like her boyfriend, the dark-haired girl blushed profusely and nodded shyly. "Hi Relena. I've heard so much about you from Duo; it's nice to actually meet you."
"Same here," she said with a big grin, "Anyways, I better be going since I promised my friend that I'd meet up with him." Hesitating slightly, she tentatively asked if the couple cared to join her and was relieved when both replied no. Not that she'd mind of course, it's just that...Just what, exactly? Since when did she feel a desire to keep Heero all to herself? Not liking where her thoughts were heading, she shook her head, just in time to hear Duo and Hilde say their good-byes.
Watching them walk off together, holding hands, brought a small pang to her heart and for a short moment, Relena wished that she had that too. But there was no one there for her, at least, no one she wanted. Sighing softly, she turned and walked the rest of the way to Heero's cottage, wondering what the young sculptor was doing.
***
At that moment, Heero was finishing up the final touches to his latest masterpiece, an angel with wings posed in flight. Her delicate features caught and held his attention, making him wonder why she looked so familiar. Suddenly, surprisingly, he realized that she looked like Relena. Had he deliberately done it or was his subconscious trying to tell him something?
Before he could admit anything to himself, the sound the footsteps were heard outside his door. Grabbing a sheet, he quickly covered the sculpture and put it aside, well out of the way of any prying eyes. Taking a deep breath, Heero calmly walked over to the door and opened up to reveal a very flustered Relena.
"Took you long enough! What were you doing in there...daydreaming?! Or maybe you have someone there with you?" When he shook his head no, Relena let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and smiled broadly. "Awww, no company tonight? That's okay, I don't have any either. So, since that's the case, we should go out and do something. Sound good to you?"
Heero smiled inwardly at Lena's obvious discomfort and nodded in agreement. "What did you have in mind?"
"Hm? Oh! Um well, there's a festival going on tonight in celebration of Aphrodite and her son Eros. Do you wanna go to that?"
"...."
"Or we could always just catch a movie--"
"No, the festival sounds fine. When does it start?"
"Well, it's actually a week long thing. People from all over the Sanq Kingdom come to the capital so that they can set up booths and games. Also, couples visit a special shrine dedicated completely to the Goddess of Love and leave little mementos to honor their love."
"So it's a holiday dedicated to love?"
Completely embarrassed by now and wishing that she had never brought it up, Relena gulped and nodded, blushing as red as a tomato. "Yeah, but not everyone does it. Just old married couples, y'know, those who have already dedicated their entire lives to each other." Praying that he wouldn't push any further, she sighed in relief when Heero turned away, saying, "Okay. Just let me change out of these clothes and then we'll leave."
***
The air was alive with excitement as both children and grown-ups alike wandered up and down the streets, oohing and aahing at the fanciful sights that surrounded them. Garlands of flowers decorated the booths and brightly painted paper lanterns hung from wires strung above, adding to the romantic atmosphere.
Relena was amazed at all the couples she saw. Everywhere she looked, there were people laughing and touching, secure in their love for each other. Releasing a small sigh, she glanced up at her companion and wondered what he was thinking. Hopefully, he didn't take this as a sign. If he did... Shivering slightly at the thought, she noticed a small shadow from the corner of her eye. Turning completely around, she looked for the shadow again, only to find it gone. 'That was strange,' she thought, 'I could've sworn there was a person lurking around that corner. Hmmm, I guess not.'
"Is there anything wrong, Lena? You looked confused," Heero asked, concern evident in his voice.
"Wha-? Oh no, nothing wrong." Laughing nervously, she glanced around her, looking for something to distract him. "Oh look! There are some friends of mine! Let's go join them, okay?"
Not waiting for a response, she grabbed his hand and dragged him over to where Duo, Hilde, Rian, Dorothy, Quatre, and Trowa stood talking. "Hey guys! So you all decided to come and join in the festivities, huh? Us too! Is it okay if we join you?"
At their knowing grins, Relena let go of Heero's hand, finally conscious that she had been holding it the entire time. Blushing faintly, she refused to look at Heero, afraid of what she might see lurking in the depths of his Prussian blue eyes. Instead, she was surprised and mortified when she heard Heero whisper softly in her ear, "Are you sure you want to hang out with them? We could just as easily go off on our own."
Turning her head slightly, she was caught off-guard at the closeness between the two of them and stood there, mesmerized by the intense look in his eyes. It was only when someone coughed loudly that her trance ended. Embarrassed beyond words, she spun around to face a grinning Duo, a sympathetic Hilde, a curious Trowa, a concerned Quatre and Dorothy, and an indifferent Rian.
Thankfully, no one said a word and the awkwardness quickly passed away. As more and more time passed, Relena found herself getting more into the whole spirit of the occasion and even joked around with Heero about their previous faux pas. An added bonus was the obvious contentment that radiated from a glowing Dorothy who was currently attached at the hip with Quatre.
"I'm glad to see that Dorothy and your cousin have reconciled. I was afraid that I had made a complete mess of things." Upon hearing Rian's voice, Relena glanced his way expectantly, waiting for him to continue.
Running a hand through tousled black hair, he forged on, his words running into themselves, turning them into a completely incoherent string of thoughts. "I thought that maybe we could still be friends, that maybe I could regain what I lost when I moved away. But I guess she saw it as something more. And I didn't know what to do. You've gotta believe me, Lena! You know I would never try to come between Quatre and Dorothy, they're too good for each other. Plus, there's someone else in my life right now. Someone I care for too much to risk having a simple fling with Dorothy. You do believe me, don't you, Lena?"
Sighing softly, she nodded in relief, saying, "I believe you, Rian. I'm just glad that things are better between Quatre and Dorothy. But just to be on the safe side, it may be better for you to keep a low profile around those two. Y'know, kinda as a safety precaution."
"Yeah, I agree. Plus, I heard that Quatre's pretty good with the sword. Wouldn't want to get on his bad side anytime soon." Rian grinned, then tried to suppress a yawn. "Man, am I tired. I think I'm gonna call it quits for the evening and head back to my place."
"Are you sure? I mean, the festival has barely started!"
"Nah, I'm really exhausted. Thanks for asking, though. Anyways, I'm gonna get going. Say bye to everyone for me, will ya? I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Thanks, Lena!" With that, he gave her a small wave and disappeared into the crowds of people still celebrating.
'I wonder what's up with Rian, he's normally not this mysterious.' Shrugging to herself, she rejoined her friends just in time to hear them laughing at something Heero had said. Curious, she asked, "Hey guys. What's so funny?" At their sheepish looks, her suspicion grew and she looked each person straight in the face before settling on Heero. However, his impassive stare revealed nothing and she threw up her hands in mock frustration. "Alright then, you don't have to tell me but just remember, I know where you live and I WILL get you back later on." Satisfied with his cornered look, she smiled brightly and linked her arm with his. "Shall we get moving, then?"
The rest of evening seemed to go by in a blur. Relena remembered laughing at Duo when he got tossed into the goldfish pond and teasing Hilde when the couple was caught kissing at the shrine. She also remembered Quatre and Dorothy offering a small dedication to the Goddess of love and Trowa winning a small clown toy for her at the dart booth. But what she remembered most was the delicately crafted glass rose that Heero gave her just as everyone left their own separate ways.
Yup, the night had indeed been a magical one, Relena thought. As she readied herself for bed, she hummed a soft tune then stopped when she heard a soft rustling sound outside. Chuckling at Dorothy and Quatre's form of "making up," she gently picked up the glass rose and sniffed it appreciatively, admiring its delicate scent of jasmine. A sharp cracking sound startled her out of her reverie, causing her to drop the rose onto the floor. Fortunately, it wasn't broken. However, before she could place the rose back onto the table, loud shouts filled the air and ended with a door slamming with such violence, it shook the entire house. Greatly concerned, she glanced out the window in time to see Dorothy driving off in her car and Quatre staring at her, sadness etched onto his face. Just as she was turning around, Relena caught his soft whisper, her heart almost breaking at the finality of his words.
"Goodbye, Dorothy."
***
Pale blond hair shimmered in the faint sunlight that filtered through the cracks in the cave's ceiling. "W-Where am I?" Dorothy asked groggily, her sleepy blue eyes unable to recognize her eerie surroundings.
The reddish-brown markings that stained the cave's interior flooded her senses, overpowering her with the scent of blood and fear. "What IS this place?" she whispered, horrified by the images that filled her head, "The last thing I remember is arguing with Quatre over Rian. Oh God, what a fool I've been, realizing too little too late that Quatre is the one I love, not Rian--" Tears filled her eyes but she refused to submit to the rising hysteria that threatened to overtake her and blinked back her tears. Suddenly, her fear-sharpened senses picked up the faint sounds of a person's footsteps. Her heart quickened with the hope that someone had found her and was coming to rescue her but when the person finally drew near, that little flicker of hope quickly died as her kidnapper's identity became more frighteningly clear.
"It's you!" she breathed, unable to believe her eyes. At his grim nod, she burst out laughing, the hysteria she had kept in check finally bubbling forth, tingeing every hate-filled word she spoke. "You...you FOOL! My God, after all this time, all this endless searching, it was you all along! What do you hope to accomplish by all this? Lena's love?! She will NEVER love you once she discovers your secret, H--"
"Shut up!!" he screamed, slapping her so hard, Dorothy's head snapped back. "You don't know what you're talking about. Relena will love me, won't you, Relena? Yesss, I knew that we'd be together, forever and always..."
The cave was soon filled with the sound of insane laughter and Dorothy closed her eyes, refusing to look at her executor, a man they had all trusted and admired. Sadness welled up within her and heart heavy with resignation, she succumbed to the tears she had refused to shed until now. Using her last breath, she struggled to say the words that had been hidden for so long, hoping against hope that he would somehow hear them. "I love you, Quatre. I'm so sorry for all I've put you through and I wish...I wish that I could take back everything I've said. Quatre..." the name slipped off lifeless lips as blood once again stained the cave's floor.
"Dammit!" the young Chinese man shouted, his black eyes flashing. "How is it f**king possible for a SERIAL KILLER, and a sadistic one at that, to escape my notice?! There is no rhyme or reason to his killings...the only similarities I see between each victim are their f**king hair and eyes!"
"Wufei, calm down. There is no sense in shouting about it...you'll only get yourself more riled up. Yes, I know that it must infuriate you that the bastard got away, but--"
"But nothing, Sally. The pimp is up to something and it definitely isn't good. However, with no killings during the last couple months, his trail has gotten cold, leaving us with no evidence upon which to act on. All we can do is wait for his next victim but when that happens, it may be too late..."
***
Relena sighed. They were shouting again but this time, they made no effort to hide it. She just didn't get it. During all those times she'd seen them together, they seemed so happy and in love but lately...lately, something was wrong. Something, no someone, was tearing them apart and she had a sinking suspicion she KNEW the person behind it all.
**Flashback**
"Trowa, Quatre, Dorothy, I'd like you to meet one of my closest friends, Duo. Unfortunately, Heero and Rian weren't able to come so I can't introduce you to--" her voice ended abruptly when she saw Dorothy run up to Rian and throw herself into his arms. 'Whoa! How on earth do those two know each other?' Looking to Quatre for explanations, she could see that her cousin was just as bewildered as she was. Turning around, Relena examined the two people and was surprised to see them arguing about something? 'Hmmm, curiouser and curiouser...they barely see each other and already they're fighting. This is getting really weird...'
"Now that's strange," Trowa reflected, his deep brown eyes calmly taking in the quarrelling couple. "Dorothy seemed really happy to see that guy but as they started talking, all hell broke loose. Any comments, Quatre?"
Her normally cheerful cousin had a decidedly un-cheerful look on his face, Relena observed. Though there was no anger evident, Quatre stood so stiffly, it looked as if he would break into two at any given moment. Suddenly, as if the spell had been lifted, both Dorothy and Rian stopped arguing and headed towards two extremely curious people and one extraordinarily rigid fiancé.
As the two approached, Quatre stepped forward, a questioning look in his eyes. But instead of going to him, the blond-haired woman flushed and avoided his gaze. "Um, I'm so sorry about that but um, Rian and I were discussing something and things kind of got out of hand," Dorothy said apologetically, her pale blue eyes pleading for forgiveness. "It's just that I um, knew um, Rian before I met Quatre and we had some catching up to do. When Rian moved away a few months ago, he left no address behind and I thought I'd never see him again only to find out he was here! Suffice it to say, I was really happy to see him again..."
Feigning cheerfulness, Quatre spoke, a small smile forced to his slightly clenched lips. "That's all right, Dorothy. It's understandable that you and--Rian, was it?--had a lot of things to talk about. But, now that we're all together, shall we get going? After all, the reservations I made were for six."
**End of Flashback**
Except for the shaky start, dinner had been a pleasant affair, Relena recalled. Quatre had loosened up and eventually befriended Rian, despite the earlier tension between the two.
However, old habits die-hard and with Dorothy spending more and more time with Rian, Quatre's jealousy had flared up again; this time, with a vengeance. But because of his kind nature, he had continued to ignore it until it became too much for any mortal man to bear, resulting in an intense shouting match, similar to the one occurring now.
Feeling an intense need for some fresh air and pleasant company, Relena ran out the door, in search of Heero. On her way to his cottage, she was surprised yet pleased to see both Duo and Hilde walking together ahead of her. 'Hmmm, I wonder what's up with those two?' Grinning broadly, she snuck up behind them and jumped onto Duo's back, laughing hysterically at his feeble attempts to throw her off.
"What that--?! Lena, is that you? Where have you been hiding these past weeks? It's like you turned ghost or something!" Duo admonished, his head straining to catch a glimpse of his friend.
"Where have I been?! You mean, where have YOU been?!" Lowering her voice to a soft murmur, she whispered, "And what's with Hilde? Are you guys finally an item?"
Blushing faintly, Duo gave a sheepish nod, looking slightly chagrined at Relena's hoot of laughter. "Shhh, hush up, Lena! And get off, will ya? Jeez, you've gotten heavy!"
Ignoring her still red friend, Relena turned to a curious Hilde and chirped, "Hey Hilde, how have you been? Is Duo treating you right?"
Like her boyfriend, the dark-haired girl blushed profusely and nodded shyly. "Hi Relena. I've heard so much about you from Duo; it's nice to actually meet you."
"Same here," she said with a big grin, "Anyways, I better be going since I promised my friend that I'd meet up with him." Hesitating slightly, she tentatively asked if the couple cared to join her and was relieved when both replied no. Not that she'd mind of course, it's just that...Just what, exactly? Since when did she feel a desire to keep Heero all to herself? Not liking where her thoughts were heading, she shook her head, just in time to hear Duo and Hilde say their good-byes.
Watching them walk off together, holding hands, brought a small pang to her heart and for a short moment, Relena wished that she had that too. But there was no one there for her, at least, no one she wanted. Sighing softly, she turned and walked the rest of the way to Heero's cottage, wondering what the young sculptor was doing.
***
At that moment, Heero was finishing up the final touches to his latest masterpiece, an angel with wings posed in flight. Her delicate features caught and held his attention, making him wonder why she looked so familiar. Suddenly, surprisingly, he realized that she looked like Relena. Had he deliberately done it or was his subconscious trying to tell him something?
Before he could admit anything to himself, the sound the footsteps were heard outside his door. Grabbing a sheet, he quickly covered the sculpture and put it aside, well out of the way of any prying eyes. Taking a deep breath, Heero calmly walked over to the door and opened up to reveal a very flustered Relena.
"Took you long enough! What were you doing in there...daydreaming?! Or maybe you have someone there with you?" When he shook his head no, Relena let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and smiled broadly. "Awww, no company tonight? That's okay, I don't have any either. So, since that's the case, we should go out and do something. Sound good to you?"
Heero smiled inwardly at Lena's obvious discomfort and nodded in agreement. "What did you have in mind?"
"Hm? Oh! Um well, there's a festival going on tonight in celebration of Aphrodite and her son Eros. Do you wanna go to that?"
"...."
"Or we could always just catch a movie--"
"No, the festival sounds fine. When does it start?"
"Well, it's actually a week long thing. People from all over the Sanq Kingdom come to the capital so that they can set up booths and games. Also, couples visit a special shrine dedicated completely to the Goddess of Love and leave little mementos to honor their love."
"So it's a holiday dedicated to love?"
Completely embarrassed by now and wishing that she had never brought it up, Relena gulped and nodded, blushing as red as a tomato. "Yeah, but not everyone does it. Just old married couples, y'know, those who have already dedicated their entire lives to each other." Praying that he wouldn't push any further, she sighed in relief when Heero turned away, saying, "Okay. Just let me change out of these clothes and then we'll leave."
***
The air was alive with excitement as both children and grown-ups alike wandered up and down the streets, oohing and aahing at the fanciful sights that surrounded them. Garlands of flowers decorated the booths and brightly painted paper lanterns hung from wires strung above, adding to the romantic atmosphere.
Relena was amazed at all the couples she saw. Everywhere she looked, there were people laughing and touching, secure in their love for each other. Releasing a small sigh, she glanced up at her companion and wondered what he was thinking. Hopefully, he didn't take this as a sign. If he did... Shivering slightly at the thought, she noticed a small shadow from the corner of her eye. Turning completely around, she looked for the shadow again, only to find it gone. 'That was strange,' she thought, 'I could've sworn there was a person lurking around that corner. Hmmm, I guess not.'
"Is there anything wrong, Lena? You looked confused," Heero asked, concern evident in his voice.
"Wha-? Oh no, nothing wrong." Laughing nervously, she glanced around her, looking for something to distract him. "Oh look! There are some friends of mine! Let's go join them, okay?"
Not waiting for a response, she grabbed his hand and dragged him over to where Duo, Hilde, Rian, Dorothy, Quatre, and Trowa stood talking. "Hey guys! So you all decided to come and join in the festivities, huh? Us too! Is it okay if we join you?"
At their knowing grins, Relena let go of Heero's hand, finally conscious that she had been holding it the entire time. Blushing faintly, she refused to look at Heero, afraid of what she might see lurking in the depths of his Prussian blue eyes. Instead, she was surprised and mortified when she heard Heero whisper softly in her ear, "Are you sure you want to hang out with them? We could just as easily go off on our own."
Turning her head slightly, she was caught off-guard at the closeness between the two of them and stood there, mesmerized by the intense look in his eyes. It was only when someone coughed loudly that her trance ended. Embarrassed beyond words, she spun around to face a grinning Duo, a sympathetic Hilde, a curious Trowa, a concerned Quatre and Dorothy, and an indifferent Rian.
Thankfully, no one said a word and the awkwardness quickly passed away. As more and more time passed, Relena found herself getting more into the whole spirit of the occasion and even joked around with Heero about their previous faux pas. An added bonus was the obvious contentment that radiated from a glowing Dorothy who was currently attached at the hip with Quatre.
"I'm glad to see that Dorothy and your cousin have reconciled. I was afraid that I had made a complete mess of things." Upon hearing Rian's voice, Relena glanced his way expectantly, waiting for him to continue.
Running a hand through tousled black hair, he forged on, his words running into themselves, turning them into a completely incoherent string of thoughts. "I thought that maybe we could still be friends, that maybe I could regain what I lost when I moved away. But I guess she saw it as something more. And I didn't know what to do. You've gotta believe me, Lena! You know I would never try to come between Quatre and Dorothy, they're too good for each other. Plus, there's someone else in my life right now. Someone I care for too much to risk having a simple fling with Dorothy. You do believe me, don't you, Lena?"
Sighing softly, she nodded in relief, saying, "I believe you, Rian. I'm just glad that things are better between Quatre and Dorothy. But just to be on the safe side, it may be better for you to keep a low profile around those two. Y'know, kinda as a safety precaution."
"Yeah, I agree. Plus, I heard that Quatre's pretty good with the sword. Wouldn't want to get on his bad side anytime soon." Rian grinned, then tried to suppress a yawn. "Man, am I tired. I think I'm gonna call it quits for the evening and head back to my place."
"Are you sure? I mean, the festival has barely started!"
"Nah, I'm really exhausted. Thanks for asking, though. Anyways, I'm gonna get going. Say bye to everyone for me, will ya? I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? Thanks, Lena!" With that, he gave her a small wave and disappeared into the crowds of people still celebrating.
'I wonder what's up with Rian, he's normally not this mysterious.' Shrugging to herself, she rejoined her friends just in time to hear them laughing at something Heero had said. Curious, she asked, "Hey guys. What's so funny?" At their sheepish looks, her suspicion grew and she looked each person straight in the face before settling on Heero. However, his impassive stare revealed nothing and she threw up her hands in mock frustration. "Alright then, you don't have to tell me but just remember, I know where you live and I WILL get you back later on." Satisfied with his cornered look, she smiled brightly and linked her arm with his. "Shall we get moving, then?"
The rest of evening seemed to go by in a blur. Relena remembered laughing at Duo when he got tossed into the goldfish pond and teasing Hilde when the couple was caught kissing at the shrine. She also remembered Quatre and Dorothy offering a small dedication to the Goddess of love and Trowa winning a small clown toy for her at the dart booth. But what she remembered most was the delicately crafted glass rose that Heero gave her just as everyone left their own separate ways.
Yup, the night had indeed been a magical one, Relena thought. As she readied herself for bed, she hummed a soft tune then stopped when she heard a soft rustling sound outside. Chuckling at Dorothy and Quatre's form of "making up," she gently picked up the glass rose and sniffed it appreciatively, admiring its delicate scent of jasmine. A sharp cracking sound startled her out of her reverie, causing her to drop the rose onto the floor. Fortunately, it wasn't broken. However, before she could place the rose back onto the table, loud shouts filled the air and ended with a door slamming with such violence, it shook the entire house. Greatly concerned, she glanced out the window in time to see Dorothy driving off in her car and Quatre staring at her, sadness etched onto his face. Just as she was turning around, Relena caught his soft whisper, her heart almost breaking at the finality of his words.
"Goodbye, Dorothy."
***
Pale blond hair shimmered in the faint sunlight that filtered through the cracks in the cave's ceiling. "W-Where am I?" Dorothy asked groggily, her sleepy blue eyes unable to recognize her eerie surroundings.
The reddish-brown markings that stained the cave's interior flooded her senses, overpowering her with the scent of blood and fear. "What IS this place?" she whispered, horrified by the images that filled her head, "The last thing I remember is arguing with Quatre over Rian. Oh God, what a fool I've been, realizing too little too late that Quatre is the one I love, not Rian--" Tears filled her eyes but she refused to submit to the rising hysteria that threatened to overtake her and blinked back her tears. Suddenly, her fear-sharpened senses picked up the faint sounds of a person's footsteps. Her heart quickened with the hope that someone had found her and was coming to rescue her but when the person finally drew near, that little flicker of hope quickly died as her kidnapper's identity became more frighteningly clear.
"It's you!" she breathed, unable to believe her eyes. At his grim nod, she burst out laughing, the hysteria she had kept in check finally bubbling forth, tingeing every hate-filled word she spoke. "You...you FOOL! My God, after all this time, all this endless searching, it was you all along! What do you hope to accomplish by all this? Lena's love?! She will NEVER love you once she discovers your secret, H--"
"Shut up!!" he screamed, slapping her so hard, Dorothy's head snapped back. "You don't know what you're talking about. Relena will love me, won't you, Relena? Yesss, I knew that we'd be together, forever and always..."
The cave was soon filled with the sound of insane laughter and Dorothy closed her eyes, refusing to look at her executor, a man they had all trusted and admired. Sadness welled up within her and heart heavy with resignation, she succumbed to the tears she had refused to shed until now. Using her last breath, she struggled to say the words that had been hidden for so long, hoping against hope that he would somehow hear them. "I love you, Quatre. I'm so sorry for all I've put you through and I wish...I wish that I could take back everything I've said. Quatre..." the name slipped off lifeless lips as blood once again stained the cave's floor.
