Dimensional Warfare : Epyon vs Altron
by: Trio and Elf
rated: PG-13
finished: 2000
Disclaimer: We do not own Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon, or The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. We are only using the characters to devise out own special tale of lore. So don't sue us, we're both poor.
C and C: To send the authors comments you can e-mail us at Trio_no_baka@yahoo.com and Slaybrat@aye.net Trio's email is the first, Elf's is the second.
Author Site: Trio's Anime World
www.expage.com/triomain
Chapter Five
Duo smirked at the surprised expressions of the five girls' faces. He said, "Hello Ladies." Quatre looked nervous, but that was probably Athene's fault. Quatre had a crush, that was so not like Quatre. Especially a girl who seemed so wise, like Athene. Sure, he and Jennifer were a strange couple because of the fact that she was a genius with a knack for medicine.
Rei smiled and said, "Hi Duo, what are you doing here?"
Duo said, "Um, we've got some freaky new people back at the castle and we wanna see if you know them. Or something like that."
Quatre said, "They use magic too." A light blush tinted his cherubic face. Duo wanted to rib him, but that wouldn't be the best thing to do right now with the object of Quatre's affections five feet away from him.
The white cat, Artemis, Talking cats, that's just really freaky, said, "Well, what do you mean?"
"There's an elf guy who tried to kill Jennifer and myself with a sword that blocked Heero's bullet," Duo replied with a grin.
"Oh my gosh, are you two okay?" Serena asked, her dark blue eyes wide.
Duo nodded and said, "Jennifer's pissed though. She's like that though. She's got a short temper." My little spit fire with her dark green eyes. If anyone should try to hurt her, they'll answer to the God of Death, Duo thought with a grin. Hell, it would be horrible just to miss the fights between Jennifer and Relena.
Quatre asked, "Have you ever heard of someone named Link?"
The girls looked at each other and shook their heads in unison. Athene said, "No, is that who one of the other visitors are?"
"The one that tried to kill Jennifer and me. He's Psycho Elf Boy. But it was cool when he stopped the bullet with the sword, but damn, what does he think he is, some sort of medieval knight?" Duo answered as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Then he remembered the chick who looked like a fish. He added, "And there's a chick who looks like a fish."
"Freaky," Serena said as she looked around.
Quatre said, "We think they're from another dimension as well."
Ami looked around and suggested, "Then I think it would be a good idea for us to meet them."
"The fish lady and Psycho Elf Boy?" Serena asked nervously.
Rei pulled on her arm and snapped, "Come on, Scaredy Cat, it won't kill you." They began to walk to the palace.
******
Jennifer glared at the guy named Link. He had tried to kill her because she had been disrespectful to royalty. Hell, she was American! She didn't have a queen or a king, or whatever. She had the right for Liberty, Justice and the Pursuit of Happiness. Or something like that.
Relena and Link were talking, and so was the Zelda chick. She rubbed her throat. The sword had lightly nicked her there and the wound was stinging. She stood up and walked out of the study, with Heero watching her.
He walked out with her and caught her arm. He always went with the direct approach. He said, "That sword of his stopped a bullet."
"Oh, shit," she murmured as she looked back into the room. She had been close enough to that sword to notice it was unscrathed. She said, "It didn't even have a ding on it. What's it made out of, Gundanium?"
Heero shrugged and added, "It redirected the bullet's course."
"Deflected it?" Jennifer asked, her mind already working.
Heero nodded and said, "And he knew that the bullet was coming."
Jennifer stuffed her hands into her jeans' pockets and looked into Heero's intense dark blue eyes, so different from Duo's bright and cheerful ones. She licked her lips and said, "That's freaky."
"He tried to kill Duo," Heero stated calmly.
"WHAT!" She shouted as she looked back into the room. Hell, messing with her was one thing, trying to kill her boyfriend was another. She started to go back in when Heero grabbed her. She wasn't going anywhere unless he wanted her too.
She spun around to face the Wing ZERO pilot and asked, "Why?"
"He thought he was making a play at his girlfriend," Heero simply answered.
That got Jennifer even more pissed off. She asked, "Who's the bitch who was flirting with my Duo?"
"He just asked her to come with us, nothing more, nothing less," Heero simply answered.
"I'm gonna go in there and freaking shout my mind out," Jennifer grumbled as she looked at Heero.
He calmly said, "You're injured. Go take care of the wound and clear your head. You're no good to us like this."
Jennifer swallowed, which made the scratch burn. She lightly brushed it with her fingers and looked to see blood staining the tips. "Shit," she cursed, praying that she didn't need stitches. It was damn near impossible to give oneself stitches in that area. She said, "See you later Heero."
With that, the other pilot walked back into the study while Jennifer walked down the hall.
******
Duo said, "Maybe you guys should meet up with the new guys and see what the heck happened."
Serena studied him, he was pretty cute. Darien was in the palace, doing research on this time to get a grasp on everything. She couldn't believe that Athene was making them train. She couldn't handle all of this stress.
Quatre said, "Duo, don't be too hasty. They're our guests."
Duo grinned and replied, "That's why they should meet."
Ami asked, "So, how did you meet the new guests?"
"We found them in the woods of the Sanq Kingdom. Their leader threatened me because he thought I was after his 'romantic other'. He had a really big sword," Duo answered in his cheerful voice.
Rei asked, "But I thought you were with Jennifer?"
Duo nodded and answered, "I sure am Baby so, hands off. Trowa's free though."
Lita questioned, "The one with the really cool hair and intense eyes?"
Duo grinned and replied, "That could be any of us, Babe." Serena chuckled as he tugged on his braid and added, "But it's easy to see that I have the coolest hair."
Serena looked at Quatre. He looked really sweet, someone Serena would think of a brother more than anything else. She asked, "What about you Quatre, do you have a girlfriend?"
Quatre blushed a deep shade of crimson. Duo wrapped his arm around his friend and quipped, "Nope, I'm the only Gundam pilot who has a girlfriend. Though Heero and Relena have this strange relationship. He threatens to kill her and she follows him around Earth and Outer Space. It's freaky."
Athene asked, "Shouldn't we go see the new visitors?"
Luna said, "Maybe we could get some answers from them."
"Ummm... sure," Serena answered as everyone looked at her.
Rei said, "Well, she made that decision pretty quickly. Surprising for Serena."
"Bite me," Serena grumbled as she turned away from her.
Artemis said, "That's really good Serena, it will help you learn how to become a princess."
Serena felt her cheeks flame as she said, "I make a perfectly good princess, thank you very much. Mina, could you tell your cat to lay off or no tuna for him."
Mina chuckled and said, "He does have a point, Serena."
"Well, lets just go meet the other visitors, okay?" she asked as she turned away.
Then there was a rumbling in the sky. They looked up to see two armored robots doing battle. One was a rich, burgundy color with black trim. A large whip cracked out as the jade-green claw that resembled a dragon snaked out of the other machine. It blocked the claw. The other machine was white and jade green with red markings that looked vaguely Chinese. Flame blasted from the claw and the other robot flew out of the way, just barely avoiding it. The red one had a wing, the other wing had been ripped off at one time. Both looked battle worn.
Serena shouted and began to run. "Serena!" Luna called after her, but Sailor Moon was afraid.
"Shit, that's Altron and Eypon," Duo cursed.
"Wufei's trying to kill Milliardo," Quatre said softly.
Lita asked, "What the hell is going on?"
Duo said, "A battle to the death, our style."
Quatre asked, "How can we stop them?"
Duo shrugged and said, "I don't know Q-Man, but I don't think we could get to . . ."
"Shush," Quatre said gently, placing his hand on Duo's arm.
Duo's wide violet-blue eyes dawned with understanding. Serena stood there, screaming in fear. She couldn't help it. She didn't want to die.
Rei slapped her and said, "Serena, cut it out! It's gonna be okay!"
******
Duo watched the two Gundams duel. Wufei was going in for a kill shot and Zechs was only defending himself. Maybe we should let the bastard die, after all he's done, Duo thought as he watched Eypon fly up into the air and use its beam saber to catch Altron's trident. A static hiss filled the air as they flew back from each other and as Wufei barreled his Gundam at Zechs.
He turned around to see Relena, Darien, Link (with his freaking sword), Noin, Heero, Trowa, Malon, and Darunia run to where they were standing. Duo was surprised to find Heero and Trowa here. As well as Noin. They should have been getting in their mobile suits and trying to stop this. Mainly Noin anyway. She had the hots for Zechs if he could remember right.
Duo grabbed Quatre's arm and said, "Excuse me." He drug his friend to the other two pilots and Noin. Noin's purple eyes were flashing in anger as she looked up at the duel.
She whispered, "Zechs."
"Yeah, why aren't any of you in your Gundams stopping it?" Duo asked, just a little cross.
Heero grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the new comers. He hissed, "We can't have them finding out about the Gundams."
"Well, they're sort of watching a battle going on right now," Duo sarcastically commented, noticing that Athene was watching with her serene blue eyes. "And, damn it, she's watching us."
Then, there was a hiss of the drive of another mobile suit. One of the custom Taurus's flew out into the open, positioning itself between the two Gundams. Duo recognized the pilot's style immediately. He shouted, "Shit, you let Jennifer go between them by herself?"
Trowa said, "She can handle it. Besides, no one even knew she was anywhere near the hanger."
"She was responsible enough not to use her Gundam," Heero said.
Noin added, "And Zechs won't attack her either. He'll think it's me, and when he finds out that it's Jennifer, he won't make a move."
Altron's Dragon Fang immediately snaked out toward the Taurus. Duo watched in fascinated horror as the mobile suit spun out of the way. Jennifer's signature move, that spin. She aimed her beam cannon strait up at the sky. It shot out its burst of powerful energy strait up.
Then she pointed it at both suits simultaneously. Duo started to prey, hoping that she and Wufei wouldn't get into a fight. If she was in the Darkfall, they would both walk away from the fight, but the Taurus was severely less powerful than the Gundam. Eypon began to land, and Duo sighed in relief as Altron put up its armaments and landed as well. The Taurus touched the ground next to them. Everyone was staring at the three suits.
Serena asked, "What the heck are those things?"
Darien answered, "Gundams, Altron and Eypon. I was reading up on them in the library. The white one is a custom Taurus suit, built for space battle, and even more effective on land."
Duo looked up at the other pilots and said, "Uhoh, he knows."
Heero placed his index finger on his lips and hissed. He said, "Don't say a word."
"Who, me, Heero?" Duo asked suddenly.
Relena rolled her eyes and said, "I already told them about the Gundams."
"WHAT!" Duo shouted as the Taurus suit came open. Jennifer's long, golden braid was seen before she was. Duo glared at Relena before he ran over to the other mobile suit. Jennifer used the gatling line to get down to the ground.
He traced her features in his fingers and she smiled. She said, "I was closer to the hanger and I . . ." He silenced her with a kiss. She sighed and pressed up against him, kissing him back.
"Well, well, we know what you two do in your free time," Serena giggled.
Duo groaned and Jennifer backed away like she was shot. She turned a bright shade of crimson as she said, "Um, he was just worried about me and . . ."
"It's okay, Babe," Duo replied, keeping hold of her hand. He wanted her, really badly. Just being around her was a test of his self-control. Then he glared, "What made you think to take the Taurus out?"
Jennifer said, "You know." She looked at the two Gundams.
Relena asked, "Did you already forget that I told them about the six Gundam pilots?"
Jennifer rubbed the back of her neck and said, "Oh, yeah, 'You have the friendship of dick.' I remember now."
The two suits opened. Wufei landed gracefully beside them. The Chinese pilot's black eyes took in the spectacle around him. He asked, "What's going on here? Who are these women?"
Duo answered, "It's a long story."
"Well, I wanna hear it," Wufei replied.
******
"So, all of the people here are from another dimension?" Zechs asked. Heero watched as Jennifer nodded. She had made him come to the infirmary after they had stored the suits in the hanger. In the infirmary was Heero, Duo, Jennifer and Zechs.
Jennifer lightly pushed on Zechs' well-toned chest with gloved hands. She placed a stethoscope on his heart and listened. Zechs said, "I'm fine, Jennifer."
"I'll be the judge of that," Jennifer added, standing away from him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Duo asked crossly.
Heero knew the answer. He knew Zechs. They thought too much alike. He answered, "He heard it too."
"Yeah, the screams in my head. Besides, I had to see Noin," Zechs added darkly.
Jennifer's grin was barely readable as her face turned to its focused expression. Duo sarcastically said, "Well, you almost destroy the earth and you come waltzing back to the Sanq kingdom to see your little sister and your girlfriend."
"Noin is not my girlfriend. She is a comrade," Zechs snapped, his icy blue eyes even colder than normal. He ran his fingers through his long, platinum blond hair in a gesture of impatience. Duo glared, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You're suppose to be dead," Duo sneered. Heero looked at his best friend and Jennifer glared at him. Heero didn't say anything, and wisely enough, neither did Jennifer.
Zechs smiled just a bit and answered, "I didn't die. I decided to hide for a while, let the world forget about me before I came back."
"Smart move," Heero commented as he watched Zechs slip back into his shirt.
"Whatever," Duo grumbled. Heero knew that massive murder was one way to piss Duo off. Heero watched as Jennifer walked to the stainless steel counter and picked up a syringe.
Zechs asked, "What are you going to do now?"
She picked up a rubber strap and answered, "Take a blood sample."
"Is that really necessary?" Zechs asked her crossly.
Jennifer shrugged and replied, "I just want to be sure."
Suddenly the door opened. Heero was instantly on guard with his gun pulled out, right at Serena's head.
The girl screamed and shrank back. Jennifer spun around, needle in her hand like a weapon. Heero asked calmly, "What are you doing here?"
"You're pointing a gun at me!" Serena cried out, whimpering.
"Heero, I really don't think that's necessary," Zechs told him as he slipped into his shirt.
Heero slipped the gun away and looked at the girl. He asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I got lost and I heard voices, so I just came in," Serena answered nervously.
Jennifer said, "You could have knocked first." She sounded cross and she was glaring at the other blond girl. She put the needle down and took off her gloves. She said, "That's what an intelligent person would do."
Serena, over her initial fright, walked in the room. She looked around the med-lab and asked, "So, what cha' doing in here?"
"Medical stuff," Duo answered with a grin. "With needles," the boy added, nodding at Jennifer's table.
"Ewww," Serena groaned looking at the needles, "That's just really gross."
Zechs asked, "So, are you truly from another dimension?"
Serena nodded and answered, "Yeah, this place is really strange. And what was up with the Gundams or whatever the hell you call them?"
"That's a long story . . ." Zechs paused not knowing Serena's name.
"Serena," she replied, moving around the room. Heero watched her, wondering what the girl was going to do next.
"Serena. Do you know how you got here?" Zechs asked.
Serena nodded and answered, "We were fighting Queen Beryl, this really nasty chick who wanted my Darien, anyway we beat her but somehow before she died she sent us here. Like some joke or something."
Zechs asked, "Who is this Queen Beryl?"
"Sounds like a mineral," Duo quipped. Jennifer chuckled behind her hand. Heero glared at them both. Duo grinned and Jennifer's expression became deadly serious.
Serena shivered and said, "She's really evil. She sucked the life force out of people and destroyed the Silver Millennium and my home. Or something like that."
"What do you mean?" Heero was intrigued despite himself. He kept his face impassive as always as he looked at the blond girl who reminded him a bit of Relena.
Serena shrugged and said, "Let Luna or Artemis tell the story because I'm not really sure of it."
"The talking cats, right?" Duo asked with a grin.
Serena nodded and answered, "Unhuna, yeah, the talking cats. They told me all of this stuff and I'm not too sure of it myself. So just go ask them and you'll be okay." She looked around and said, "I think I should leave you guys alone now. Bye." She waved as she exited the room.
Zechs asked, "Do you know what's going on?"
Heero shook his head and answered, "No, but I don't trust it. Especially Link. I shot him and he stopped the bullet with a sword. The sword didn't even have a dint in it."
"Gundanium?" Zechs asked.
Jennifer shrugged and answered, "I'm not sure. If I could study the blade, maybe I could figure something out."
Duo rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Well, Link's pretty protective of that sword." He looked around and said, "Well, I think I'd better be going." He leaned over and gave Jennifer a swift kiss on the cheek. He added, "See ya later, Heero." He winked at Jennifer before he strolled out of the room, whistling.
Heero thought of what it would be like to be able to do that with Relena. Zechs said, "Well, I think I'm gonna find out some things for myself."
Heero looked at Jennifer. She shrugged and said, "I've gotta close up shop here." Heero shrugged as he walked out of the room. He found himself walking to Relena's study.
Relena was bent over some papers. Some of the strands of her dark blond hair had spilled from their pony tail, framing her angelic features. She pushed strands of hair behind her ears as she trailed her fingers along a sheet of paper. Heero watched her, utterly fascinated. She sighed and stood up strait, arching her back as she stretched.
She looked him directly in the eye. She said, "Heero, what are you doing here?"
He shrugged and answered, "This place seems to be as good as any to be right now."
Relena sighed and replied, "What do you think of the new guests?"
Heero thought for a moment. There was something not right about this situation, something slightly sinister. It had nothing to do with the Sailor Scouts. They seemed harmless. Besides, Serena was too flighty to be any threat.
He answered, "I'm not sure. The Scouts seem harmless, but I'm not sure about Link and his group."
Relena rubbed the back of her neck and said, "Zelda was telling me about how Link was this great Hero Of Time and how he saved their world. I think she may be in love with him."
"Himm," Heero murmured in reply. He said, "Jennifer's not too happy that he attacked her."
A smile flickered across Relena's delicate features, lighting up her whole face. Damn, she's beautiful. What am I thinking? Heero thought as he watched as she tucked strands of hair behind her ears.
She said, "Well, it serves her right. Even if I don't approve of Link's methods, Jennifer Darkfall was getting what she deserved."
Heero's lips tugged upward despite themselves. Relena smiled and asked, "Is that a smile, Heero Yuy?"
Heero was surprised. He didn't know how to answer her. His mind strayed back to the time where he was about to go to battle with Zechs in ZERO and she was trying to stop him. She had been so pleading, so beautiful and gentle. It had felt good to hold her in his arms for those fleeting moments.
He didn't know what to think. It was too early for him. He was beginning to regain his humanity, dealing with things he had forgotten, mainly how to feel. He said, "I'm going to go find Wufei, ask him how he found Zechs."
"Okay," Relena sighed as she bent over her papers again. Heero took one last look at her before he left the room.
******
Trowa smelled something awfully good coming from the kitchen. He walked to the room to see the tall girl, the one with auburn hair pulled back into a pony tail, whisking something in a bowl. She was humming softly to herself, obviously enjoying her work, as she cooked.
The smell was delicious. She was making some sort of desert because he could detect the sweet smell of sugar and cinnamon in the air, as well as some sort of fruit. Apple. She was cooking something with apples in it. The smell was making his mouth water.
The girl spun around and gasped when she saw Trowa, dropping her bowl. Trowa, using his incredibly quick reflexes, caught the bowl before it spilled any of its contents and hit the ground. He stood up and handed the bowl to the girl. She blushed, turning her pale cheeks pink and lending a sparkle to her dark green eyes. He found himself thinking that she was quite charming.
She said, "Thanks for catching it. How did you do that?"
"Extensive training," Trowa answered her truthfully.
She laughed and said, "That's pretty funny. I'm Lita."
She held out her hand to shake. He took it. Her grip was firm, like a man's. He liked her even more. He replied, "I'm Trowa."
She nodded and said, "Yeah, I remember you. You're the quiet one. Wanna help me eat this pie?" Trowa watched as Lita put on oven mitts and pulled the bubbling, golden brown pie from the oven.
Trowa nodded and asked, "What made you bake the pie?"
She blushed again. She's really pretty when she does that, he thought. Lita answered, "Well, whenever I'm nervous, or upset, or whatever, cooking helps me feel better."
Trowa nodded as she began to cut the pie. He watched her graceful movements as she handed him a slice of pie. He said, "Thank you." He didn't smile on the outside, but inside he was grinning like a fool. Who was he, Duo Maxwell?
******
Rei sat on the soft green grass. The wind played with her long, midnight hair as she meditated. She tried to focus, tried to see how she got here. She whispered, "Earth, Air, Water, Fire, please tell me how we find ourselves in this strange place."
She felt a rush of hot energy rise up through her body and her mind separated from it. She found herself standing in a bunch of fog with a large gate looming before her. Rei recognized it to be the Gate of Time. Sailor Pluto materialized from the fog; her long, dark green hair swirling behind her. She held the staff in her hand proudly as she walked up to Rei.
She said in her singsong voice, "Sailor Mars, you are the only one I can contact here."
"Pluto, what happened to us, why are we here?" Rei asked.
Pluto sighed and answered, "Beryl's last act of vengeance was to strip away your powers. You will get them back, I just don't know when. As for finding your way home, you'll just have to do that on your own as well. Ask for the aid of the Protectors of this World, the Gundam Pilots and Princess Relena. They are sort of the Sailor Counterparts for this world. Heero is their Leader. Duo is their Dark One. Trowa is the Silent Warrior. Quatre is the Peacemaker. Wufei is the Bringer of Justice. And Jennifer is the Healer. Relena is their Ruler, and Zechs is the Knight. Ask for their aid and they will grudgingly give it to you. Earn their trust and friendship."
"Okay, how?" Rei asked. The Gundam pilots seemed pretty unapproachable except for Duo and Quatre. Even though Rei thought she connected with Jennifer for a moment over a 'Serena Ditz Moment.'
Pluto smiled and answered, "They may not like to think it, but they have hearts and feelings just as everyone else. They hurt. They need love and understanding. Some of them just need a friend on their level. Only Quatre has a family, but his father died recently and his mother died in birth. Heero, Duo, and Trowa never knew theirs, Wufei's whole colony was destroyed, and Jennifer's parents were killed for the sake of war.
"They've lived hard lives, Mars, all of them. Connect with the one you feel drawn toward. Give this advice to your other scouts as well. Even as we speak, Lita is making the beginning contacts. Guard yourselves though, because you will go home and make the risk of never seeing them again."
Rei sighed and said, "But you know Serena's gonna mess everything up, she always does."
Pluto smiled and said, "Give the princess more credit. Besides, Darien is with her. He is her balance. Go now, Young Mars, you have a home to get to." She spun her staff. As Rei felt a cold wind whip at her, Pluto shouted, "And tell my sister to guide you all!"
Rei gasped air, back in her own body. The warm breeze was playing with her hair, and the grass was warm beneath her. She felt hands leave her body. She opened her eyes to see Jennifer Darkfall standing over her, her dark green eyes wide with concern and surprise. The elfin girl said, "Damn, what happened?"
Rei smiled as she stood up and said, "I was meditating."
Jennifer slowly shook her head and replied, "You dropped your heart rate and biorhythms really low. How did you do that?"
Rei grinned as she dusted herself off and answered, "Well, it was something my Grandpa taught me when I was a young girl."
Jennifer shook her head and replied, "There are only two people I know who can do something even remotely close to that. Heero and Wufei."
"Heero, the really good looking one with the intense, dark blue eyes?" Rei asked, an image of the brooding young man coming to mind.
Jennifer nodded and replied, "Yeah, that's Heero Yuy. Wufei is the Chinese boy."
Rei smiled and asked, "And your Duo's girlfriend, right?"
Jennifer chuckled, blushing just a little bit. She answered, "Yeah, I am."
"So, what's the scoop on you two?" Rei asked as they began to walk down the knoll.
Jennifer chuckled again. Her green eyes lit up as she answered, "He's Duo. I mean, he was there for me when I sort of lost hope on everything." She looked away and asked, "Why the hell am I even telling you this?" Connect with the one who you are drawn too.
Rei shrugged and smoothed strands of her raven hair behind her ears. She replied, "I don't know."
"That's what I'm asking," Jennifer replied.
As they were walking, Rei noticed a lithe Chinese boy practicing Martial Arts meditation techniques. He was handsome with endless black eyes, black hair tied severely back in a pony tail, and golden skin. His body moved with careful ease, each movement thought out. He looked up at them, and his already glower expression darkened.
Whoa, grumpy guy, Rei thought as she watched him.
Jennifer pointed and said, "That's Wufei. He's not really fond of girls." Her dark green eyes narrowed in anger as they walked past him.
He asked, "How did you get to be here?"
Rei stopped, shocked at his question. Jennifer stopped as well, her braid still moving behind her. Rei shrugged and answered, "I'm not really sure. We were fighting, we beat her, and POOF, we're here."
Wufei nodded and said, "Darkfall, can I talk to you for a moment?" Jennifer slowly nodded. The look on her delicate features was pure confusion.
She looked at Rei and said, "I'll catch up with you later."
Rei walked about twenty feet away and waited. They thought that she couldn't really hear them, but with her training, she could. She heard Wufei asked, "Why are you trusting that woman?"
Jennifer shrugged and replied, "Because she seems trust worthy."
Wufei told her, "If she was brought here against her will, she is weak."
Jennifer snapped, "I don't think she's weak. She was meditating at levels that you couldn't reach, Chang."
Rei's cheeks burned with shame. He was calling her weak. She was touched that Jennifer was defending her, but Wufei went on with his triad, "They're weak. Especially the little blond girl, Serena. If they were brought here during battle and have not tried to find their way back, then they have no honor. They're cowards."
Rei became furious. She stormed over to the Chinese man and the American girl. She sneered, "You have really no idea what you're talking about, do you?"
"You're weak and you have no honor. A true warrior would try to get back to battle. What are you and your friends doing?" Wufei asked smugly.
Rei went off. She snapped, "Listen here you Pony Tailed Freak, we're trying to get home as soon as we can. As for being weak, I can take you on any day!"
"Really?" Wufei asked, his tone amused.
"YES!" Rei answered, shouting.
"Prove it," Wufei replied, standing with his hands on his hips, a mocking smile gracing his handsome features.
Rei took up a stance. She spun gracefully, her heel trying to catch his chin. He blocked the kick and snapped her leg down. She lost balance and Wufei took advantage of the situation. He took her arm and spun her around, sending her crashing to the ground. She landed with a soft cry.
Jennifer glared at him and said, "You little bastard."
Wufei said, "She may be weak, but she's not a coward. You have honor, Girl." He chuckled as he walked away.
Rei sat on the ground, angry beyond belief. She wanted to run and tell Lita what he did and let Lita take care of him. "Bastard," she grumbled as she stood up.
"You got it," Jennifer said grimly as she helped Rei stand up.
Rei asked, "Is he always like that?"
Jennifer nodded and answered, "Yeah, a sexist pig."
"Great," Rei said ironically.
******
Quatre was watching Athene doing some sort of Kata. Each of her movements were graceful and well thought out. Her honey brown hair drifted around her face as she moved, her delicate features were etched in concentration, and her body moved like water. She was breathtaking. He could watch her for hours.
He sighed as he leaned against a tree. The warm breeze would be gone soon and fall would be set upon the land. He wondered how long they were going to be here and if he and Athene would ever be anything. If Athene cared for him as well.
He wished he could talk to someone. But who? Duo would tease him endlessly. Trowa and Heero wouldn't understand and wouldn't be any help at all. Noin was probably too caught up in Zechs' mysterious return to care. Wufei would snort and tell him that women were weak. Relena would be kind, but she couldn't really give him any advice.
Jennifer would though. Despite her sharp barbs, she was a really compassionate person. She gave helpful advice and was very insightful. She was also very observant. She would probably find out anyway. It was just a question of how he would bring the subject up to her.
He sighed again. How was he going to handle this torment? Hell, how could he? "Crap," he quietly cursed as he walked back to the castle.
As he entered the castle, Paygan approached him. The elderly man told him, "Miss Relena requests the presence of everyone for dinner, Mr. Winner."
"Thank you very much, Paygan," he replied as he headed to the dining room.
******
Relena watched as everyone entered the dining room. The long table was full. As she looked at everyone, she thought, This should be interesting.
by: Trio and Elf
rated: PG-13
finished: 2000
Disclaimer: We do not own Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon, or The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. We are only using the characters to devise out own special tale of lore. So don't sue us, we're both poor.
C and C: To send the authors comments you can e-mail us at Trio_no_baka@yahoo.com and Slaybrat@aye.net Trio's email is the first, Elf's is the second.
Author Site: Trio's Anime World
www.expage.com/triomain
Chapter Five
Duo smirked at the surprised expressions of the five girls' faces. He said, "Hello Ladies." Quatre looked nervous, but that was probably Athene's fault. Quatre had a crush, that was so not like Quatre. Especially a girl who seemed so wise, like Athene. Sure, he and Jennifer were a strange couple because of the fact that she was a genius with a knack for medicine.
Rei smiled and said, "Hi Duo, what are you doing here?"
Duo said, "Um, we've got some freaky new people back at the castle and we wanna see if you know them. Or something like that."
Quatre said, "They use magic too." A light blush tinted his cherubic face. Duo wanted to rib him, but that wouldn't be the best thing to do right now with the object of Quatre's affections five feet away from him.
The white cat, Artemis, Talking cats, that's just really freaky, said, "Well, what do you mean?"
"There's an elf guy who tried to kill Jennifer and myself with a sword that blocked Heero's bullet," Duo replied with a grin.
"Oh my gosh, are you two okay?" Serena asked, her dark blue eyes wide.
Duo nodded and said, "Jennifer's pissed though. She's like that though. She's got a short temper." My little spit fire with her dark green eyes. If anyone should try to hurt her, they'll answer to the God of Death, Duo thought with a grin. Hell, it would be horrible just to miss the fights between Jennifer and Relena.
Quatre asked, "Have you ever heard of someone named Link?"
The girls looked at each other and shook their heads in unison. Athene said, "No, is that who one of the other visitors are?"
"The one that tried to kill Jennifer and me. He's Psycho Elf Boy. But it was cool when he stopped the bullet with the sword, but damn, what does he think he is, some sort of medieval knight?" Duo answered as he shoved his hands into his pockets. Then he remembered the chick who looked like a fish. He added, "And there's a chick who looks like a fish."
"Freaky," Serena said as she looked around.
Quatre said, "We think they're from another dimension as well."
Ami looked around and suggested, "Then I think it would be a good idea for us to meet them."
"The fish lady and Psycho Elf Boy?" Serena asked nervously.
Rei pulled on her arm and snapped, "Come on, Scaredy Cat, it won't kill you." They began to walk to the palace.
******
Jennifer glared at the guy named Link. He had tried to kill her because she had been disrespectful to royalty. Hell, she was American! She didn't have a queen or a king, or whatever. She had the right for Liberty, Justice and the Pursuit of Happiness. Or something like that.
Relena and Link were talking, and so was the Zelda chick. She rubbed her throat. The sword had lightly nicked her there and the wound was stinging. She stood up and walked out of the study, with Heero watching her.
He walked out with her and caught her arm. He always went with the direct approach. He said, "That sword of his stopped a bullet."
"Oh, shit," she murmured as she looked back into the room. She had been close enough to that sword to notice it was unscrathed. She said, "It didn't even have a ding on it. What's it made out of, Gundanium?"
Heero shrugged and added, "It redirected the bullet's course."
"Deflected it?" Jennifer asked, her mind already working.
Heero nodded and said, "And he knew that the bullet was coming."
Jennifer stuffed her hands into her jeans' pockets and looked into Heero's intense dark blue eyes, so different from Duo's bright and cheerful ones. She licked her lips and said, "That's freaky."
"He tried to kill Duo," Heero stated calmly.
"WHAT!" She shouted as she looked back into the room. Hell, messing with her was one thing, trying to kill her boyfriend was another. She started to go back in when Heero grabbed her. She wasn't going anywhere unless he wanted her too.
She spun around to face the Wing ZERO pilot and asked, "Why?"
"He thought he was making a play at his girlfriend," Heero simply answered.
That got Jennifer even more pissed off. She asked, "Who's the bitch who was flirting with my Duo?"
"He just asked her to come with us, nothing more, nothing less," Heero simply answered.
"I'm gonna go in there and freaking shout my mind out," Jennifer grumbled as she looked at Heero.
He calmly said, "You're injured. Go take care of the wound and clear your head. You're no good to us like this."
Jennifer swallowed, which made the scratch burn. She lightly brushed it with her fingers and looked to see blood staining the tips. "Shit," she cursed, praying that she didn't need stitches. It was damn near impossible to give oneself stitches in that area. She said, "See you later Heero."
With that, the other pilot walked back into the study while Jennifer walked down the hall.
******
Duo said, "Maybe you guys should meet up with the new guys and see what the heck happened."
Serena studied him, he was pretty cute. Darien was in the palace, doing research on this time to get a grasp on everything. She couldn't believe that Athene was making them train. She couldn't handle all of this stress.
Quatre said, "Duo, don't be too hasty. They're our guests."
Duo grinned and replied, "That's why they should meet."
Ami asked, "So, how did you meet the new guests?"
"We found them in the woods of the Sanq Kingdom. Their leader threatened me because he thought I was after his 'romantic other'. He had a really big sword," Duo answered in his cheerful voice.
Rei asked, "But I thought you were with Jennifer?"
Duo nodded and answered, "I sure am Baby so, hands off. Trowa's free though."
Lita questioned, "The one with the really cool hair and intense eyes?"
Duo grinned and replied, "That could be any of us, Babe." Serena chuckled as he tugged on his braid and added, "But it's easy to see that I have the coolest hair."
Serena looked at Quatre. He looked really sweet, someone Serena would think of a brother more than anything else. She asked, "What about you Quatre, do you have a girlfriend?"
Quatre blushed a deep shade of crimson. Duo wrapped his arm around his friend and quipped, "Nope, I'm the only Gundam pilot who has a girlfriend. Though Heero and Relena have this strange relationship. He threatens to kill her and she follows him around Earth and Outer Space. It's freaky."
Athene asked, "Shouldn't we go see the new visitors?"
Luna said, "Maybe we could get some answers from them."
"Ummm... sure," Serena answered as everyone looked at her.
Rei said, "Well, she made that decision pretty quickly. Surprising for Serena."
"Bite me," Serena grumbled as she turned away from her.
Artemis said, "That's really good Serena, it will help you learn how to become a princess."
Serena felt her cheeks flame as she said, "I make a perfectly good princess, thank you very much. Mina, could you tell your cat to lay off or no tuna for him."
Mina chuckled and said, "He does have a point, Serena."
"Well, lets just go meet the other visitors, okay?" she asked as she turned away.
Then there was a rumbling in the sky. They looked up to see two armored robots doing battle. One was a rich, burgundy color with black trim. A large whip cracked out as the jade-green claw that resembled a dragon snaked out of the other machine. It blocked the claw. The other machine was white and jade green with red markings that looked vaguely Chinese. Flame blasted from the claw and the other robot flew out of the way, just barely avoiding it. The red one had a wing, the other wing had been ripped off at one time. Both looked battle worn.
Serena shouted and began to run. "Serena!" Luna called after her, but Sailor Moon was afraid.
"Shit, that's Altron and Eypon," Duo cursed.
"Wufei's trying to kill Milliardo," Quatre said softly.
Lita asked, "What the hell is going on?"
Duo said, "A battle to the death, our style."
Quatre asked, "How can we stop them?"
Duo shrugged and said, "I don't know Q-Man, but I don't think we could get to . . ."
"Shush," Quatre said gently, placing his hand on Duo's arm.
Duo's wide violet-blue eyes dawned with understanding. Serena stood there, screaming in fear. She couldn't help it. She didn't want to die.
Rei slapped her and said, "Serena, cut it out! It's gonna be okay!"
******
Duo watched the two Gundams duel. Wufei was going in for a kill shot and Zechs was only defending himself. Maybe we should let the bastard die, after all he's done, Duo thought as he watched Eypon fly up into the air and use its beam saber to catch Altron's trident. A static hiss filled the air as they flew back from each other and as Wufei barreled his Gundam at Zechs.
He turned around to see Relena, Darien, Link (with his freaking sword), Noin, Heero, Trowa, Malon, and Darunia run to where they were standing. Duo was surprised to find Heero and Trowa here. As well as Noin. They should have been getting in their mobile suits and trying to stop this. Mainly Noin anyway. She had the hots for Zechs if he could remember right.
Duo grabbed Quatre's arm and said, "Excuse me." He drug his friend to the other two pilots and Noin. Noin's purple eyes were flashing in anger as she looked up at the duel.
She whispered, "Zechs."
"Yeah, why aren't any of you in your Gundams stopping it?" Duo asked, just a little cross.
Heero grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the new comers. He hissed, "We can't have them finding out about the Gundams."
"Well, they're sort of watching a battle going on right now," Duo sarcastically commented, noticing that Athene was watching with her serene blue eyes. "And, damn it, she's watching us."
Then, there was a hiss of the drive of another mobile suit. One of the custom Taurus's flew out into the open, positioning itself between the two Gundams. Duo recognized the pilot's style immediately. He shouted, "Shit, you let Jennifer go between them by herself?"
Trowa said, "She can handle it. Besides, no one even knew she was anywhere near the hanger."
"She was responsible enough not to use her Gundam," Heero said.
Noin added, "And Zechs won't attack her either. He'll think it's me, and when he finds out that it's Jennifer, he won't make a move."
Altron's Dragon Fang immediately snaked out toward the Taurus. Duo watched in fascinated horror as the mobile suit spun out of the way. Jennifer's signature move, that spin. She aimed her beam cannon strait up at the sky. It shot out its burst of powerful energy strait up.
Then she pointed it at both suits simultaneously. Duo started to prey, hoping that she and Wufei wouldn't get into a fight. If she was in the Darkfall, they would both walk away from the fight, but the Taurus was severely less powerful than the Gundam. Eypon began to land, and Duo sighed in relief as Altron put up its armaments and landed as well. The Taurus touched the ground next to them. Everyone was staring at the three suits.
Serena asked, "What the heck are those things?"
Darien answered, "Gundams, Altron and Eypon. I was reading up on them in the library. The white one is a custom Taurus suit, built for space battle, and even more effective on land."
Duo looked up at the other pilots and said, "Uhoh, he knows."
Heero placed his index finger on his lips and hissed. He said, "Don't say a word."
"Who, me, Heero?" Duo asked suddenly.
Relena rolled her eyes and said, "I already told them about the Gundams."
"WHAT!" Duo shouted as the Taurus suit came open. Jennifer's long, golden braid was seen before she was. Duo glared at Relena before he ran over to the other mobile suit. Jennifer used the gatling line to get down to the ground.
He traced her features in his fingers and she smiled. She said, "I was closer to the hanger and I . . ." He silenced her with a kiss. She sighed and pressed up against him, kissing him back.
"Well, well, we know what you two do in your free time," Serena giggled.
Duo groaned and Jennifer backed away like she was shot. She turned a bright shade of crimson as she said, "Um, he was just worried about me and . . ."
"It's okay, Babe," Duo replied, keeping hold of her hand. He wanted her, really badly. Just being around her was a test of his self-control. Then he glared, "What made you think to take the Taurus out?"
Jennifer said, "You know." She looked at the two Gundams.
Relena asked, "Did you already forget that I told them about the six Gundam pilots?"
Jennifer rubbed the back of her neck and said, "Oh, yeah, 'You have the friendship of dick.' I remember now."
The two suits opened. Wufei landed gracefully beside them. The Chinese pilot's black eyes took in the spectacle around him. He asked, "What's going on here? Who are these women?"
Duo answered, "It's a long story."
"Well, I wanna hear it," Wufei replied.
******
"So, all of the people here are from another dimension?" Zechs asked. Heero watched as Jennifer nodded. She had made him come to the infirmary after they had stored the suits in the hanger. In the infirmary was Heero, Duo, Jennifer and Zechs.
Jennifer lightly pushed on Zechs' well-toned chest with gloved hands. She placed a stethoscope on his heart and listened. Zechs said, "I'm fine, Jennifer."
"I'll be the judge of that," Jennifer added, standing away from him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Duo asked crossly.
Heero knew the answer. He knew Zechs. They thought too much alike. He answered, "He heard it too."
"Yeah, the screams in my head. Besides, I had to see Noin," Zechs added darkly.
Jennifer's grin was barely readable as her face turned to its focused expression. Duo sarcastically said, "Well, you almost destroy the earth and you come waltzing back to the Sanq kingdom to see your little sister and your girlfriend."
"Noin is not my girlfriend. She is a comrade," Zechs snapped, his icy blue eyes even colder than normal. He ran his fingers through his long, platinum blond hair in a gesture of impatience. Duo glared, his arms crossed over his chest.
"You're suppose to be dead," Duo sneered. Heero looked at his best friend and Jennifer glared at him. Heero didn't say anything, and wisely enough, neither did Jennifer.
Zechs smiled just a bit and answered, "I didn't die. I decided to hide for a while, let the world forget about me before I came back."
"Smart move," Heero commented as he watched Zechs slip back into his shirt.
"Whatever," Duo grumbled. Heero knew that massive murder was one way to piss Duo off. Heero watched as Jennifer walked to the stainless steel counter and picked up a syringe.
Zechs asked, "What are you going to do now?"
She picked up a rubber strap and answered, "Take a blood sample."
"Is that really necessary?" Zechs asked her crossly.
Jennifer shrugged and replied, "I just want to be sure."
Suddenly the door opened. Heero was instantly on guard with his gun pulled out, right at Serena's head.
The girl screamed and shrank back. Jennifer spun around, needle in her hand like a weapon. Heero asked calmly, "What are you doing here?"
"You're pointing a gun at me!" Serena cried out, whimpering.
"Heero, I really don't think that's necessary," Zechs told him as he slipped into his shirt.
Heero slipped the gun away and looked at the girl. He asked, "What are you doing here?"
"I got lost and I heard voices, so I just came in," Serena answered nervously.
Jennifer said, "You could have knocked first." She sounded cross and she was glaring at the other blond girl. She put the needle down and took off her gloves. She said, "That's what an intelligent person would do."
Serena, over her initial fright, walked in the room. She looked around the med-lab and asked, "So, what cha' doing in here?"
"Medical stuff," Duo answered with a grin. "With needles," the boy added, nodding at Jennifer's table.
"Ewww," Serena groaned looking at the needles, "That's just really gross."
Zechs asked, "So, are you truly from another dimension?"
Serena nodded and answered, "Yeah, this place is really strange. And what was up with the Gundams or whatever the hell you call them?"
"That's a long story . . ." Zechs paused not knowing Serena's name.
"Serena," she replied, moving around the room. Heero watched her, wondering what the girl was going to do next.
"Serena. Do you know how you got here?" Zechs asked.
Serena nodded and answered, "We were fighting Queen Beryl, this really nasty chick who wanted my Darien, anyway we beat her but somehow before she died she sent us here. Like some joke or something."
Zechs asked, "Who is this Queen Beryl?"
"Sounds like a mineral," Duo quipped. Jennifer chuckled behind her hand. Heero glared at them both. Duo grinned and Jennifer's expression became deadly serious.
Serena shivered and said, "She's really evil. She sucked the life force out of people and destroyed the Silver Millennium and my home. Or something like that."
"What do you mean?" Heero was intrigued despite himself. He kept his face impassive as always as he looked at the blond girl who reminded him a bit of Relena.
Serena shrugged and said, "Let Luna or Artemis tell the story because I'm not really sure of it."
"The talking cats, right?" Duo asked with a grin.
Serena nodded and answered, "Unhuna, yeah, the talking cats. They told me all of this stuff and I'm not too sure of it myself. So just go ask them and you'll be okay." She looked around and said, "I think I should leave you guys alone now. Bye." She waved as she exited the room.
Zechs asked, "Do you know what's going on?"
Heero shook his head and answered, "No, but I don't trust it. Especially Link. I shot him and he stopped the bullet with a sword. The sword didn't even have a dint in it."
"Gundanium?" Zechs asked.
Jennifer shrugged and answered, "I'm not sure. If I could study the blade, maybe I could figure something out."
Duo rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Well, Link's pretty protective of that sword." He looked around and said, "Well, I think I'd better be going." He leaned over and gave Jennifer a swift kiss on the cheek. He added, "See ya later, Heero." He winked at Jennifer before he strolled out of the room, whistling.
Heero thought of what it would be like to be able to do that with Relena. Zechs said, "Well, I think I'm gonna find out some things for myself."
Heero looked at Jennifer. She shrugged and said, "I've gotta close up shop here." Heero shrugged as he walked out of the room. He found himself walking to Relena's study.
Relena was bent over some papers. Some of the strands of her dark blond hair had spilled from their pony tail, framing her angelic features. She pushed strands of hair behind her ears as she trailed her fingers along a sheet of paper. Heero watched her, utterly fascinated. She sighed and stood up strait, arching her back as she stretched.
She looked him directly in the eye. She said, "Heero, what are you doing here?"
He shrugged and answered, "This place seems to be as good as any to be right now."
Relena sighed and replied, "What do you think of the new guests?"
Heero thought for a moment. There was something not right about this situation, something slightly sinister. It had nothing to do with the Sailor Scouts. They seemed harmless. Besides, Serena was too flighty to be any threat.
He answered, "I'm not sure. The Scouts seem harmless, but I'm not sure about Link and his group."
Relena rubbed the back of her neck and said, "Zelda was telling me about how Link was this great Hero Of Time and how he saved their world. I think she may be in love with him."
"Himm," Heero murmured in reply. He said, "Jennifer's not too happy that he attacked her."
A smile flickered across Relena's delicate features, lighting up her whole face. Damn, she's beautiful. What am I thinking? Heero thought as he watched as she tucked strands of hair behind her ears.
She said, "Well, it serves her right. Even if I don't approve of Link's methods, Jennifer Darkfall was getting what she deserved."
Heero's lips tugged upward despite themselves. Relena smiled and asked, "Is that a smile, Heero Yuy?"
Heero was surprised. He didn't know how to answer her. His mind strayed back to the time where he was about to go to battle with Zechs in ZERO and she was trying to stop him. She had been so pleading, so beautiful and gentle. It had felt good to hold her in his arms for those fleeting moments.
He didn't know what to think. It was too early for him. He was beginning to regain his humanity, dealing with things he had forgotten, mainly how to feel. He said, "I'm going to go find Wufei, ask him how he found Zechs."
"Okay," Relena sighed as she bent over her papers again. Heero took one last look at her before he left the room.
******
Trowa smelled something awfully good coming from the kitchen. He walked to the room to see the tall girl, the one with auburn hair pulled back into a pony tail, whisking something in a bowl. She was humming softly to herself, obviously enjoying her work, as she cooked.
The smell was delicious. She was making some sort of desert because he could detect the sweet smell of sugar and cinnamon in the air, as well as some sort of fruit. Apple. She was cooking something with apples in it. The smell was making his mouth water.
The girl spun around and gasped when she saw Trowa, dropping her bowl. Trowa, using his incredibly quick reflexes, caught the bowl before it spilled any of its contents and hit the ground. He stood up and handed the bowl to the girl. She blushed, turning her pale cheeks pink and lending a sparkle to her dark green eyes. He found himself thinking that she was quite charming.
She said, "Thanks for catching it. How did you do that?"
"Extensive training," Trowa answered her truthfully.
She laughed and said, "That's pretty funny. I'm Lita."
She held out her hand to shake. He took it. Her grip was firm, like a man's. He liked her even more. He replied, "I'm Trowa."
She nodded and said, "Yeah, I remember you. You're the quiet one. Wanna help me eat this pie?" Trowa watched as Lita put on oven mitts and pulled the bubbling, golden brown pie from the oven.
Trowa nodded and asked, "What made you bake the pie?"
She blushed again. She's really pretty when she does that, he thought. Lita answered, "Well, whenever I'm nervous, or upset, or whatever, cooking helps me feel better."
Trowa nodded as she began to cut the pie. He watched her graceful movements as she handed him a slice of pie. He said, "Thank you." He didn't smile on the outside, but inside he was grinning like a fool. Who was he, Duo Maxwell?
******
Rei sat on the soft green grass. The wind played with her long, midnight hair as she meditated. She tried to focus, tried to see how she got here. She whispered, "Earth, Air, Water, Fire, please tell me how we find ourselves in this strange place."
She felt a rush of hot energy rise up through her body and her mind separated from it. She found herself standing in a bunch of fog with a large gate looming before her. Rei recognized it to be the Gate of Time. Sailor Pluto materialized from the fog; her long, dark green hair swirling behind her. She held the staff in her hand proudly as she walked up to Rei.
She said in her singsong voice, "Sailor Mars, you are the only one I can contact here."
"Pluto, what happened to us, why are we here?" Rei asked.
Pluto sighed and answered, "Beryl's last act of vengeance was to strip away your powers. You will get them back, I just don't know when. As for finding your way home, you'll just have to do that on your own as well. Ask for the aid of the Protectors of this World, the Gundam Pilots and Princess Relena. They are sort of the Sailor Counterparts for this world. Heero is their Leader. Duo is their Dark One. Trowa is the Silent Warrior. Quatre is the Peacemaker. Wufei is the Bringer of Justice. And Jennifer is the Healer. Relena is their Ruler, and Zechs is the Knight. Ask for their aid and they will grudgingly give it to you. Earn their trust and friendship."
"Okay, how?" Rei asked. The Gundam pilots seemed pretty unapproachable except for Duo and Quatre. Even though Rei thought she connected with Jennifer for a moment over a 'Serena Ditz Moment.'
Pluto smiled and answered, "They may not like to think it, but they have hearts and feelings just as everyone else. They hurt. They need love and understanding. Some of them just need a friend on their level. Only Quatre has a family, but his father died recently and his mother died in birth. Heero, Duo, and Trowa never knew theirs, Wufei's whole colony was destroyed, and Jennifer's parents were killed for the sake of war.
"They've lived hard lives, Mars, all of them. Connect with the one you feel drawn toward. Give this advice to your other scouts as well. Even as we speak, Lita is making the beginning contacts. Guard yourselves though, because you will go home and make the risk of never seeing them again."
Rei sighed and said, "But you know Serena's gonna mess everything up, she always does."
Pluto smiled and said, "Give the princess more credit. Besides, Darien is with her. He is her balance. Go now, Young Mars, you have a home to get to." She spun her staff. As Rei felt a cold wind whip at her, Pluto shouted, "And tell my sister to guide you all!"
Rei gasped air, back in her own body. The warm breeze was playing with her hair, and the grass was warm beneath her. She felt hands leave her body. She opened her eyes to see Jennifer Darkfall standing over her, her dark green eyes wide with concern and surprise. The elfin girl said, "Damn, what happened?"
Rei smiled as she stood up and said, "I was meditating."
Jennifer slowly shook her head and replied, "You dropped your heart rate and biorhythms really low. How did you do that?"
Rei grinned as she dusted herself off and answered, "Well, it was something my Grandpa taught me when I was a young girl."
Jennifer shook her head and replied, "There are only two people I know who can do something even remotely close to that. Heero and Wufei."
"Heero, the really good looking one with the intense, dark blue eyes?" Rei asked, an image of the brooding young man coming to mind.
Jennifer nodded and replied, "Yeah, that's Heero Yuy. Wufei is the Chinese boy."
Rei smiled and asked, "And your Duo's girlfriend, right?"
Jennifer chuckled, blushing just a little bit. She answered, "Yeah, I am."
"So, what's the scoop on you two?" Rei asked as they began to walk down the knoll.
Jennifer chuckled again. Her green eyes lit up as she answered, "He's Duo. I mean, he was there for me when I sort of lost hope on everything." She looked away and asked, "Why the hell am I even telling you this?" Connect with the one who you are drawn too.
Rei shrugged and smoothed strands of her raven hair behind her ears. She replied, "I don't know."
"That's what I'm asking," Jennifer replied.
As they were walking, Rei noticed a lithe Chinese boy practicing Martial Arts meditation techniques. He was handsome with endless black eyes, black hair tied severely back in a pony tail, and golden skin. His body moved with careful ease, each movement thought out. He looked up at them, and his already glower expression darkened.
Whoa, grumpy guy, Rei thought as she watched him.
Jennifer pointed and said, "That's Wufei. He's not really fond of girls." Her dark green eyes narrowed in anger as they walked past him.
He asked, "How did you get to be here?"
Rei stopped, shocked at his question. Jennifer stopped as well, her braid still moving behind her. Rei shrugged and answered, "I'm not really sure. We were fighting, we beat her, and POOF, we're here."
Wufei nodded and said, "Darkfall, can I talk to you for a moment?" Jennifer slowly nodded. The look on her delicate features was pure confusion.
She looked at Rei and said, "I'll catch up with you later."
Rei walked about twenty feet away and waited. They thought that she couldn't really hear them, but with her training, she could. She heard Wufei asked, "Why are you trusting that woman?"
Jennifer shrugged and replied, "Because she seems trust worthy."
Wufei told her, "If she was brought here against her will, she is weak."
Jennifer snapped, "I don't think she's weak. She was meditating at levels that you couldn't reach, Chang."
Rei's cheeks burned with shame. He was calling her weak. She was touched that Jennifer was defending her, but Wufei went on with his triad, "They're weak. Especially the little blond girl, Serena. If they were brought here during battle and have not tried to find their way back, then they have no honor. They're cowards."
Rei became furious. She stormed over to the Chinese man and the American girl. She sneered, "You have really no idea what you're talking about, do you?"
"You're weak and you have no honor. A true warrior would try to get back to battle. What are you and your friends doing?" Wufei asked smugly.
Rei went off. She snapped, "Listen here you Pony Tailed Freak, we're trying to get home as soon as we can. As for being weak, I can take you on any day!"
"Really?" Wufei asked, his tone amused.
"YES!" Rei answered, shouting.
"Prove it," Wufei replied, standing with his hands on his hips, a mocking smile gracing his handsome features.
Rei took up a stance. She spun gracefully, her heel trying to catch his chin. He blocked the kick and snapped her leg down. She lost balance and Wufei took advantage of the situation. He took her arm and spun her around, sending her crashing to the ground. She landed with a soft cry.
Jennifer glared at him and said, "You little bastard."
Wufei said, "She may be weak, but she's not a coward. You have honor, Girl." He chuckled as he walked away.
Rei sat on the ground, angry beyond belief. She wanted to run and tell Lita what he did and let Lita take care of him. "Bastard," she grumbled as she stood up.
"You got it," Jennifer said grimly as she helped Rei stand up.
Rei asked, "Is he always like that?"
Jennifer nodded and answered, "Yeah, a sexist pig."
"Great," Rei said ironically.
******
Quatre was watching Athene doing some sort of Kata. Each of her movements were graceful and well thought out. Her honey brown hair drifted around her face as she moved, her delicate features were etched in concentration, and her body moved like water. She was breathtaking. He could watch her for hours.
He sighed as he leaned against a tree. The warm breeze would be gone soon and fall would be set upon the land. He wondered how long they were going to be here and if he and Athene would ever be anything. If Athene cared for him as well.
He wished he could talk to someone. But who? Duo would tease him endlessly. Trowa and Heero wouldn't understand and wouldn't be any help at all. Noin was probably too caught up in Zechs' mysterious return to care. Wufei would snort and tell him that women were weak. Relena would be kind, but she couldn't really give him any advice.
Jennifer would though. Despite her sharp barbs, she was a really compassionate person. She gave helpful advice and was very insightful. She was also very observant. She would probably find out anyway. It was just a question of how he would bring the subject up to her.
He sighed again. How was he going to handle this torment? Hell, how could he? "Crap," he quietly cursed as he walked back to the castle.
As he entered the castle, Paygan approached him. The elderly man told him, "Miss Relena requests the presence of everyone for dinner, Mr. Winner."
"Thank you very much, Paygan," he replied as he headed to the dining room.
******
Relena watched as everyone entered the dining room. The long table was full. As she looked at everyone, she thought, This should be interesting.