Miko no Chikyuu, Gejo no Nihon
AN: Well I know I'm slow with this stuff but I am trying. -.- Well beside my feeble attempts at this I have to thank all the reviewers of my last chapter: Firefly's Rebirth, Saiyagurl87, Hekate aka Bunni V, Dark Shaedow, TeNshI nO Hi, *Usagi Princess*, Sunshine Fia, Hikari_angel, Crystalmoon. Thanks all of you! ^_^v
Usagi: 19
Hotaru: 17
Duo/Quatre/Heero/Wufei: 19
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Hotaru was standing in her room as the dressmaker finished hemming her wedding kimono. It was pure white and in fact the only color on it was the pale blue crane about to take off on her kimono. As the dressmaker got up she put a white cloth over Hotaru's head, as was custom to hide the face of the bride-to-be. Hotaru then heard the door slide shut behind her and took the cloth off of her face.
'If it's true that Milliardo is to hire an assassin then I must do something to protect Wufei.' Hotaru then went searching under her futon for an unspecified object. 'Even if I do not love him I can't let him die, I would never be able to forgive myself if that happened.' Hotaru then smiled when her fingertips touched what she was looking for, a dagger. Heero had given it to her secretly just in case something were to happen to her, but she had never found any occasion to use it except for now. She surreptitiously hid it under her kimono making sure it wasn't noticeable, and quickly grabbed the cloth throwing it over her head as she heard footsteps approaching.
She heard the door open and immediately knew it was Mizurei because the servants only shut up around her since they feared punishment for disturbing her serene environment.
"It's time to leave for the palace let's go." Mizurei sternly spoke as two servants grabbed Hotaru's arms and led her out of the room towards the carriage awaiting them.
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Usagi was running towards the temple because she wanted to talk with Hotaru. She knew Hotaru believed her and hopefully she would be able to convince Wufei as well.
'I don't care what he says I won't let an all out civil war break out. I already know the pains of loss and no one else need experience that.' Usagi stopped running when she saw a carriage leave the Temple. "Dammit! I'm too late!" Usagi quietly said to herself as the carriage passed her by. 'Wait a minute! Duo! Hotaru has told me about him, I'm sure he'll help and he's got all those men waiting on his every word. I'll get him!' Usagi thought to herself smiling. There was one problem though, she didn't know where in the woods he was. She was told the general direction but other than that she knew nothing.
She had been had been running for what seemed like hours, until she finally noticed one thing, she was going in circles! She saw her previous footsteps right next to her current ones and on top of that she saw the same cave she had already ran by. "Dammit! I'll never find him! I'm going to be too late if I don't find Duo now!" Usagi let her head fall as she caught her breathe.
"You wanted to see me about something Blondie." Usagi quickly looked up and saw Duo standing there on top of a boulder.
"Duo!" He jumped down and walked up to her.
"I'm surprised you were able to find us, normally people just walk by and never figure it out." Duo smiled at her.
Actually I did run past this place I just accidentally stumbled upon this place." Usagi smiled and Duo couldn't help but sweat-drop.
"Well- I suppose that explains it." He put his hands behind his head.
"Duo please listen to me. Milliardo is planning on assassinating Wufei today, I need the help of you and your men!" Usagi almost pleaded to him in desperation.
"Well then just speak we'd love to hear your reasons." Duo held his arms out to either side of him and that's when Usagi saw dozens of men come out from their respected hiding places, all smiling down on her.
"Well- Um, I knew you to be a close friend of Hotaru's so I thought that maybe you would be willing to help save her and Wufei. She doesn't want him to die and I don't either but in order to save his life we need your help. Right now he's defenseless and I'm afraid he could be killed." Usagi quickly blurted out as Duo looked at her with what seemed like sympathy.
"He has guards why doesn't he just set them up all around him?" Usagi averted her gaze from him and softly spoke.
"He doesn't believe me." Duo stifled a laugh.
"Sounds like Wufei that's for sure. But why are you so desperate to save him? From what I've seen and heard he doesn't show much respect towards you." This took Usagi totally aback, she had no idea why she was so desperate to save his life. After several minutes and no answer Duo finally began shouting to his men.
"Did you hear her men? She wants to save the man she's in love with but who's already engaged to her sister. And on top of this he is the would-be-emperor of our country. Should we prevent his death?" Duo loudly shouted to his men whose response was slightly mixed. Usagi was just almost irate that he would say she was in love with Wufei, she wasn't or was that just her mind talking and not her heart? Then one of the men in the crowd decided to speak up.
"What do we get out of this?" Usagi looked over towards the man, she had expected this from them.
"The Emperor shall forgive all past wrongdoings." Hopefully that would get them but unfortunately they were more demanding than that.
"Anything else? We want to have a secure future as well!" Another man vociferated from way in the back of the congregation.
"Then it shall be done. But you will have to speak with him yourselves to decide what you get." The men started muttering things to each other until Duo finally took Usagi's hands into his own.
"Well I don't know about my men but I shall assist you in this endeavor." She smiled at him thankful she at least got someone to aid her.
"Well now we're not that heartless as to not help such a beautiful lady as you. What do you saw men should we help this young lady?" An older man spoke out and took his side by Duo.
"Aye!" All the men shouted in unison raising their fists into the air.
"Then follow me for the wedding is very soon and we must get there in time." The men all scattered grabbing various weapons they had nearby. "Duo I need you to come into the Temple with me and tell your men to wait outside till you call for them, make sure they remain inconspicuous or else they will be arrested."
"Of course." Duo smiled running into the cave for his own weapon of choice.
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All the people were gathering into the small Temple only used for the most sacred of celebrations by the royal family and this was one of them. Quatre was patiently waiting outside for Usagi since he was her only way into the Temple no matter what her relationship was with Hotaru. Just then Usagi came tearing around the corner, with Duo by her side in rather classy attire.
"Usagi where did you-" Usagi unfortunately cut him off.
"Sorry but I had to give Duo a pair of your clothes if he was to fit into the crowd. You don't mind do you?"
"Of course not, just make sure they're washed after you give them back." Quatre held his arm out to Usagi.
"Hey what do you mean by that?" Duo was tapping his foot with a grimaced look on his face.
"Nothing Duo." Usagi answered for Quatre as they were both led into the Temple.
After Quatre had brought both of them in Heero showed up in his most expensive clothing he owned. It was military attire but he wasn't allowed to wear anything else most of the time anyway. Just as he approached the door to enter Mizurei came out of the crowd with two guards and stopped him.
"I'm sorry but you are not allowed into the Temple." Mizurei stated as the guards backed her up.
"What are you talking about? I'm Wufei's own personal royal guard I'm to be at his side at all times. It's for his best safety now you had better let me in" He glowered at the guards and especially Mizurei for blocking his entrance to the Temple.
"Of course you are except when it comes to Hotaru!" Heero's angry glare slightly faded as he lowered his fists. "Don't think I haven't noticed after all these years you following her everywhere she goes leaving Wufei by himself. I know you two have become close and I suspect that you're the one who I was told she ran off with one night."
"That's preposterous, I never snuck away with-" He stopped himself when he remembered all those times he tried to get Hotaru alone with him and especially that one deep kiss she allowed him the other day.
"Well that answers it. Guards make sure he never enters this Temple until the ceremony is all over." Mizurei then disappeared into the Temple leaving a fuming Heero outside.
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Wufei was waiting in front of the Temple waiting for everyone to finish entering so he could get this over with. He had no desire to marry Hotaru, he more felt like an older brother toward her rather than a love interest, but in order to please his deceased father's wishes he decided to go through with it.
He searched around for Heero, he was supposed to be by his side but he was nowhere to be found. He would never admit it to anyone else but he did believe Usagi somewhat since he knew how deceitful his brother could be. Hopefully nothing had happened to his most trusted guard and friend.
Just then he spotted Usagi and Quatre with that less than tolerable Duo Maxwell sitting to the other side of Usagi. He had to admit Duo annoyed him with his immature ways but he always gave him a little bit of amusement at the same time, he just never showed it. His eyes then slowly traveled over to the blonde goddess whose beauty he believed to be unrivaled by any woman he had been attracted to. With her pale ivory skin, blonde hair and baby blue eyes he had to admit that even though he treated her harshly he secretly admired her from afar. But he never let his emotions get to him and he kept it to himself and planned on taking it to the grave with him especially since she seemed to be connected with Quatre.
Breaking him from his thoughts he heard gongs being banged from around the room and the crowd twisted their heads to see Hotaru, head covered, being led through the crowd towards Wufei. The servants released her arms, bowed to the Emperor and disappeared into the crowd. As they left Wufei spotted his brother in a corner smirking. Wufei furrowed his eyebrows at him. 'What was he smiling at?' Wufei asked himself.
A priest came in front of then and took a red cloth made to look like a rose, with two dangling strands, and handed it to Wufei and he took one strand while Hotaru was handed the other. The priest began speaking and about their union as husband and wife when a man slowly unsheathed a dagger and was slowly making his way towards the front. Usagi saw this from the opposite end of the Temple and began to run towards Wufei so as to tackle him. The man took his dagger up, aiming it at Wufei's back, and tossed it at him. Just before it hit him Usagi tackled both he and Hotaru and stopped either of them from being hit by the dagger. It unfortunately scathed Usagi's back, if ever so slightly, but it still caused her pain.
The assassin seeing he had failed was preparing to run away but Hotaru immediately sat up and opened up her kimono, revealing a dagger, and threw it at the man whom was hit in the back by it. Everyone in the room began screaming and guards rushed up to the man to make sure he was truly dead. Amidst the chaos Heero bolted in, pushing the fleeing people out of his way and made his way up to Wufei and Hotaru.
"Are you all right?" He asked looking up to see a dead man being dragged away by military officers.
"Of course but Usagi seems to have been hit in her back." Hotaru commented, not noticed her kimono top was still open, pointing to Usagi scratched back.
"Hakkou! (Remember this was the name Mizurei gave Hotaru.) How dare you bare so much flesh at you wedding ceremony. You should be working in the brothels as far as I'm concerned!" Hotaru immediately got up in front of Mizurei and promptly slapped her across the face.
"Do you not see? If I hadn't done that the assassin would have gotten away and possibly tried taking Wufei's life in the future!" Heero was shocked by Hotaru's bold outbreak, he'd never seen her acting like this before. Obviously Mizurei never had either since she too had a look of disbelief.
"She's right Mizurei I'm proud of what she and Usagi did. If it were not for them I might be dead right now. You should thank them for what they did." He glared at Mizurei angrily as she began to break down in front of them.
"I was only trying to protect Hotaru to turn her into a perfect Queen like I had been trained to do."
"What do you mean?" Wufei asked as Quatre finally came pushing through the crowd.
"Your father and I were once engaged, it was arranged by my mentor as well. The only problem was we had no desire to marry, we only wanted to remain friends. To fight it your father secretly went away and married the woman he had always loved since childhood, your mother. His parents were furious but learned to accept her and as for me I feel in love with one of Trieze's royal guards. We too wished to wed but my mentor forbade it and moved us away from him so we could never be together. Sometime later I heard he died in a battle, I never fell in love again." Mizurei sat on the floor opening her heart for the first time since Trieze.
"So years later you and Wufei's father try putting him and Hotaru through the same pain. You two should be ashamed in yourselves." Usagi said being helped up by Wufei. She looked up into all their faces when Duo came crashing through the temple doors with dozens of men in tow.
"Did you miss me?" Duo joked as he stopped in front of them.
"Stop joking Maxwell!" Wufei shouted.
"Jeez! Some gratitude!" The men just laughed at their leader's attitude, which was what they loved best about him.
Wufei ignored Duo and turned towards Quatre.
"Quatre that army you promised me better be ready now because we can wait no longer, it's time to attack!" Wufei boldly stated.
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Milliardo was absolutely pissed off. Not only did his plan for Wufei's death go up in flames but the only reason it did was because that blonde haired goddess was the one that foiled all his plans.
"Damn her!" He shouted entering his war room with several generals of his. "To think I trusted her!" He berated himself.
"Sire you did what you could and since your brother now knows of your plans to have him killed I'm sure he rise up against you. It would be wisest to launch an assault on your brother now so he won't be a thorn in our side in the future." His oldest general told him.
"Of course but I have a request of all of you. Make sure to kill that Hotaru girl, Quatre and Heero then bring Wufei and Usagi to me so I may be the one to enjoy their deaths." He coldly said to them as they slowly bowed to him.
"It's time to attack." He said in a vitriolic tone.
TBC…………….
AN: Don't hurt me for ending it there! *hides behind computer* I just love cliffhangers that's all! =P Anyway I hope you'll all review in order to see what's going to happen in the big battle that will occur in the next chapter. Remember reviews motivate all fanfiction authors! ^_-v