Disclaimer: I do not own or have any title, interest or right in either
Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon. This fanfiction is not being used for
commercial purposes. I own all other rights (to the extent legally
permissible) in connection with this writing.
The large chamber was uncomfortably quiet. King Tsukino Kenji was seated atop his throne, glaring at those before him. The four princesses of the Alliance Kingdom were kneeling immediately before him, with their heads lowered respectfully. Immediately behind the four princesses were all of the knights stationed at the castle. Several other guards and functionaries were positioned throughout the chamber.
The King was normally an absent-minded, nonchalant man that hardly raised his voice. But the disappearance of his daughter transformed him. His entire body was shaking with rage and his eyes were burning with anger and frustration. The King's overpowering fury permeated the entire chamber.
"All of you have failed me!" he roared. "And more importantly, you have failed my precious daughter, Princess Usagi! How can you all have been so incompetent?!"
Minako flinched. Part of her felt that this accusation was unfair. Upon their very arrival, the princesses of the Alliance Kingdoms were told by the King that their roles as protectors were unnecessary. His outrage almost seemed a hypocrisy. But she did realize that the duty to protect Princess Usagi belonged to all the princesses, regardless of any excuses.
"My knights!" he snarled with bitterness dripping from his voice. "Where were you when the fiend abducted my daughter?"
None of the knights dared raise their head or protest their failure. Instead, their heads remained bowed in silence.
The King stood up and glared at the princesses.
"My princesses! Are you concerned for your own kingdoms?" he demanded. "Shall they share the same fate as my daughter?!"
Minako's cheeks flushed heatedly, both in anger and embarrassment at the King's words. She wished that she had taken more of an effort to watch over the Princess. Now she felt that she had neglected her duty in the past few weeks with her idle lifestyle.
The King settled down in his throne, his face dark and forbidding. After a few moments, he steadied himself somewhat.
"I will give you one chance to save your kingdoms," the King told the princesses in a cold voice. "Bring my daughter back safely and your kingdoms shall remain safe. You have one month to return her to me."
A strong resolve began to grow within Minako's heart. She was prepared to sacrifice everything to save Princess Usagi and to protect her own kingdom. For some odd reason, she could almost feel the same sensation emanating from the other princesses around her.
The King's gaze returned to his knights. "Sir Heero! I place the task of returning my daughter in your hands. You shall accompany these princesses on their mission. Sir Duo, Sir Motoki, and Sir Yuuichirou shall be under your command. I want you to depart immediately! The rest of you may also take your leave now."
Minako slowly picked herself up off the ground. She quietly made her way out of the large chamber. Minako noticed that all the other knights were leaving the chamber, except for Wufei. Wufei remained kneeling before the King.
Minako stepped outside the chamber and inconspicuously stood behind the door, where she could hear any conversation within the chamber and still not be seen. Her curiosity had overcome her better judgment.
"What do you want, Sir Wufei?" the King asked in a weary voice.
"Your Majesty, I have never made a personal request before. But with all due humility and respect, I would pray that you will..." Wufei began.
"You want to go with the others on the mission," the King interrupted crisply.
"Yes, your Majesty," Wufei stated in a quiet voice.
"Do you wish to go on the mission to save my daughter? Or did you want to also save Princess Hotaru?" the King demanded.
Minako could hear Wufei choke at the King's words.
The King spoke up again, in a softer tone. "Do not be so surprised, Sir Wufei. This castle is full of rumors and idle talk. Unfortunately, the Queen feels it is her duty to educate me on all the gossip concerning my knights. I have been told that you have feelings for Princess Hotaru, is that not the case?"
After a moment of strained silence, Wufei answered, "Yes, your Majesty."
A small smile crept across Minako's face. How sweet, she thought. Wufei does like little Hotaru! And he even wants to rescue her!
"I understand your feelings of loss," the King commiserated. "You are one of my strongest and most loyal knights. But I do not want you to become involved with this mission, for fear that your emotions will lead you astray from your duty."
"I will always be loyal to you, your Majesty," Wufei insisted fervently.
"Then I will ask you one simple question," the King told him. "On your honor as a knight, can you promise me that if you are forced to choose between saving my daughter and Princess Hotaru...that you will save my daughter?"
There was a long pause. Minako eventually heard Wufei's strangled response, "Yes, your Majesty. I pledge to protect your daughter and to fulfill my duty above all else."
Minako's smile faded away at those words. She shook her head sadly and walked away.
* * * * *
Heero stared at the undisturbed patch of ground before him. The young knight was standing outside the central keep near a grassy area beneath the open windows of Princess Usagi's bedchamber. Heero's eyes gazed upwards and estimated that her window was at least a hundred yards above the ground. But there was no trace of any disturbance on the ground below her window.
Several of the King's best trackers were currently investigating the area carefully, but were puzzled. None of the trackers could find any traces of passage by either princess or their captors.
Heero's heard soft footsteps from behind. He turned around and saw the graceful figure of Princess Hino Rei walking towards him. Her beautiful face was somber and thoughtful. Heero kept his own face neutral as she drew close.
"Your highness," he greeted her formally and offered her a simple bow. "What brings you here?"
"I can sense them," Princess Rei stated in a detached voice. Her mysterious violet eyes staring off into the distance. "I can feel the residue of their magical energy. They were carried out this way and taken to the south."
Heero looked at her skeptically. "How can you be so certain? As you can tell, the grass here is untouched. Even our finest trackers cannot find any trace of their kidnapping."
Rei glanced at him with a frown. "They were not carried upon the ground, but taken by the winds. There is another strong magical power in the air...and it was this power that carried them off."
"I thought that only royalty from the Allied Kingdoms could use magic," Heero asserted tonelessly.
Rei shook her head. "Demons and certain other special beings have the ability to use powerful magic. But I must admit, there is something unusual about the nature of this magical power...something almost familiar."
"Can you lead us to them, Princess Hino Rei?" Heero requested as he looked into her dark eyes.
"Yes. The combined magical energies of Princess Usagi, Princess Hotaru and their captor creates a very strong trail that I can easily follow," Rei informed him. "But it is the very power of their captor that makes me concerned. I am not even sure if all of us will be strong enough to prevail."
* * * * *
The stables were buzzing with activity. Several horses were being brought up and saddled. Other packhorses were being laden with supplies and armor.
Heero had quickly taken command of the situation upon his arrival and was barking out terse orders.
Duo was sitting thoughtfully on a small barrel, watching the entire scene. He had already packed up his own horse with a few items and a squire was making sure his armor was secured to another packhorse.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Duo noticed that the princesses of the Alliance Kingdoms had silently gathered near the entrance of the stable. Without hesitation, Duo hopped up and made his way to the young princesses.
"Your highnesses," he greeted them with an elegant bow. "I am one of the knights that will accompany you. My name is Sir Duo. Please feel free to call me Duo!"
Minako smiled at the handsome, young man. "I hope you're as good a swordsman as you are a dancer!"
This remark produced some laughter from the other young princesses, despite the grim faces that each had been wearing a moment ago.
"I am so glad that you remember me, Princess Minako!" he winked at her. "I assure you that my swordsmanship surpasses my humble dancing abilities."
Minako could not help but smile at his light-hearted response. She quickly introduced each of the other princesses. Duo graciously flourished each of the princesses with a flamboyant bow.
"You see that knight over there? That is Sir Heero, he will be responsible for this mission," Duo informed the princesses. Duo quickly gestured over to the other end of the stables. "The tall, unshaven young man over there is Sir Kumada Yuuichirou. He gets a little worked up around beautiful women, but he's a nice guy. And the guy over there..."
Duo blinked for a moment to make sure that his sight was not playing tricks on him. He then called out, "Hey, Wufei! What in the world are you doing here?"
The serious, young knight strode over and folded his arms neatly across his chest. "I am here to help on this undertaking," he stated in a calm voice. "His Majesty changed his mind and decided that I should go in place of Sir Motoki."
Duo shrugged. The braided young man jabbed a thumb in Wufei's direction. "This is Sir Wufei. He's quite ill-tempered and sleeps with his sword. And if he yells at you, it probably means he likes you."
"Maxwell!" Wufei growled menacingly.
Duo skipped lightly and hid behind Minako. Minako giggled slightly when the braided youth pretended to use her as a shield to fend off Wufei.
"I was just kidding there, Wufei!" Duo apologized without much sincerity. He then turned to whisper to the princesses, "See what I mean about being ill-tempered?"
Wufei had apparently overheard Duo's remark. The young knight looked like he was going to retort, but held his tongue. Wufei stomped off angrily in quiet frustration. Duo watched his friend's departure with interest.
"Hmm...how unusual," Duo noted quietly to himself.
* * * * *
The main gates to the Castle Mensis were opened. Several heavily cloaked figures led their steeds and packhorses out of the castle. It was quite unusual for the castle to open its main gates so late at night.
A solitary figure was observing the departure from the concealment of a large cluster of trees atop a nearby hill. A magnificent, rust colored stallion was obediently waiting a few yards behind the shadowy figure.
The tall, silent figure unclenched his fist to reveal a pair of rose-shaped earrings in his left hand. His emerald eyes studied the delicate earrings before his gaze returned to watch the travelers leave the castle.
"I guess we should follow her," the figure murmured quietly to his steed.
The shadowy figure gracefully sprung onto the stallion. He nudged his mount to follow the travelers at a respectful distance.
* * * * *
"Rashid, how is every one doing?" Lord Quatre Raberba Winner inquired in a concerned voice. The young nobleman turned to look at his trusted companion and advisor.
The tall, powerful looking warrior scratched his beard. "The others seem to be fine, perhaps a little tired."
The Desert Prince and Rashid were leading a group of forty Maguanacs through dunes. The band of warriors were mounted on horses and camels as they made their way across the sands beneath the twinkling stars.
"We have been fighting constantly ever since we returned from the Kingdom of Luminaea," Quatre admitted sadly. "It is terribly unfortunate that they have not had a chance to rest."
"For the past few weeks, you hardly slept at all yourself, my lord," Rashid reminded the blue-eyed young man. "Do not forget your own health."
"I won't forget, Rashid. Thank you for your concern," Quatre acknowledged gratefully.
Quatre looked thoughtfully off into the clear night sky.
"Have you noticed something unusual about our new enemies?" he asked pensively.
"The Ghuls do not seem to value any one's life, even their own," Rashid grunted grimly.
The Desert Prince of Hadiya and his loyal Maguanacs had been constantly riding out to battle against a strange group of men for the past few weeks. Many of the smaller towns in the desert kingdom of Hadiya were being targeted in the attacks. The attacks were carefully orchestrated and displayed considerable military discipline. But it seemed unusual that these fighters did not bear any flag and did not claim to be loyal to any kingdom. It was almost tempting to call them outlaws, except that outlaws could never be so well organized and would never fight to the death like their new enemies. The local people had nicknamed these heartless men "Ghuls" or demons.
"But there's something else," Quatre persisted. "I am not sure what it is. But when I fought them and looked into their eyes, I got a strange feeling in my heart, as if..."
Quatre paused with some hesitation. His eyes seemed to cloud over.
"...as if you were staring into oblivion," Rashid finished quietly.
The Desert Prince's light, blue eyes widened in surprise. "Yes! You felt that same sensation too? There were no emotions on their faces when they fought against us or when they died at our hands. There were no screams or words, but only silence and death."
The young man sighed sadly and returned his attention to the desert before him. It was a breathtaking night and the desert was a vast sea of fine sand. It was terribly sad that the beautiful desert had to be stained with so much blood. Quatre morosely looked at his own hands and felt guilty about his part in the bloodshed. Even though he had only taken the lives of soldiers and killers, Quatre still felt remorse over his own actions. A part of him could almost understand his father's conviction of absolute pacifism. But the memories of innocent villagers massacred by the enemy still haunted Quatre and he knew that it took more than a principle to protect the people.
"Lord Quatre, one of our scouts is returning," Rashid informed the young prince.
Quatre looked up to see a rider and his horse swiftly approach from ahead. Within a matter of minutes, the scout pulled up in front of Quatre, his face streaked with dirt and sweat.
"My lord! The village up ahead is being attacked!" the scout cried.
Quatre's eyes widened. "Take us there immediately!"
The scout wheeled his horse around and darted off. Quatre spurred his own horse into a rapid gallop. Rashid turned around and gave the other Maguanacs a signal, and the band of warriors fell into formation and hurriedly followed the Desert Prince.
It was not long before they were able to see large plumes of smoke rising up from the distant village. The flames were devouring the buildings and cast the entire area in an unholy orange glow. Even from this distance, they could see villagers fleeing for the lives as they were cut down by dark horsemen. It was the Ghul warriors.
"NO!" Quatre shouted out in horror and drove his horse into a full tilt towards the village. The young prince drew his scimitar from its sheath. Quatre steered his horse on a path to intercept the Ghul horsemen bearing down on a small group of women and children.
Quatre let out at anguished cry when he realized that he would not be able to reach them in time.
Then he heard a soft whizzing sound and saw an arrow bury itself in the chest of the lead Ghul horseman. The Ghul warrior dropped to the ground. Several arrows were sent soaring into the air and thudded into the bodies of the other horsemen. The dead bodies of the Ghul warriors fell to the ground silently.
Quatre glanced gratefully over his shoulder. Rashid and several other Maguanacs waving at him with their long bows in hand. The young prince smiled in gratitude for the weapons they had received from the King of Luminaea.
"Take care of these villagers, Ahmed!" Quatre called out to one of the Maguanacs. The Desert Prince raised his scimitar and charged towards the villagers. The Maguanacs let out a collective roar and followed the young prince into the burning village.
Quatre and his white steed raced through the burning village, desperately searching for survivors. Flames were consuming the tents and other buildings around them. A heavy, black smoke and searing heat permeated the air. He could hear the Maguanacs calling out for survivors.
The dark smoke obscured his vision and forced him to slow his horse down to a cautious trot. His light blue eyes intently scanning the chaotic surroundings around him. Then something caught his attention.
A lone horseman was sitting silently on a dark stallion. He was shrouded in dark clothing. Neither the man nor his horse seemed disturbed by the flames surrounding him. Quatre suspected that he was a Ghul warrior.
Quatre cautiously headed towards the solitary horseman. The blond prince held his scimitar with a firm grip as he drew closer. Quatre continued to move closer to the rider until he was only a few yards away.
"Greetings, Desert Prince," the horseman spoke in a toneless voice. Quatre's mount reared up nervously. The voice had almost an ethereal quality to it. The words did not seem to originate from the figure before him. Instead, the voice sounded as if it were coming at him from all directions.
"Who are you?" Quatre demanded. "Are you their leader?"
"No," the horseman replied emotionlessly. "I am simply an instrument of my Master."
Quatre felt his skin crawl as the horseman spoke. He felt as if he was speaking to something that was not entirely human or even alive. Even from this distance, he could tell that the horseman's mouth did not move when he uttered those last words.
"Who is your Master and why is he doing this?" Quatre asked with clenched teeth. An unnatural fear was beginning to gnaw at him. His grip on the scimitar grew tighter.
"My Master shall cease these attacks, as long as you are willing to comply with one simple condition," the horseman stated.
"What condition?" Quatre questioned, his suspicion aroused.
"You can save the lives of hundreds of thousands in the desert as long...as long as you are willing to sacrifice the life of one person," the horseman answered in an icy voice. "My Master demands the life of one of the Princesses of the Allied Kingdoms."
"What kind of monster would demand such a trade!" Quatre roared indignantly. "All human life is precious...they are not simply things to be bargained with!"
The horseman's demeanor did not change. The eerie voice responded, "This is your choice, and your choice alone. You do not have to accept it. But are you willing to sacrifice the lives of innocents for your principle? Is the life of one of greater than the lives of an entire people?
Quatre was about to speak, but was interrupted by the shouts of his loyal Maguanacs approaching. His eyes narrowed when he noticed that the horseman's outline began to blur. The insidious figure seemed to stare at him without emotion as it faded into the darkness.
"This is your choice...and your choice alone..." the horseman's voice echoed faintly in Quatre's ears.
Quatre let out a cry of frustration and impotently swung his scimitar in the air.
Rashid and several other Maguanacs rushed to the side of their master.
"Lord Quatre, are you all right?" Rashid inquired with concern in his voice.
Quatre gritted his teeth and nodded. "Thank you, Rashid. I am fine."
"We found some survivors," Rashid informed him. "It appears that there were only a handful of Ghul warriors that caused all this destruction. But we were able to slay them without any losses of our own. We have taken the survivors to the outskirts of the village."
Quatre looked up at Rashid with sadness in his eyes. "How many survived?" he asked weakly.
"We could only find a sixty or so villagers," Rashid responded grimly. "This used to be a village with almost two hundred men, women and children."
"I see," Quatre choked, tears welling up in his eyes. He rubbed his face with one of his sleeves.
Quatre, Rashid and the other Maguanacs made their way out of the village and headed towards the small, makeshift camp several hundred yards away from the burning village. Ahmed and several other Maguanacs were helping the surviving villagers tend to their wounds and to comfort them.
Quatre wearily pulled himself off his horse and quickly went to help the others attend to the survivors.
Quatre noticed a small girl huddled in a woman's arms. The young prince kneeled down and uncorked his flask of water.
"Here," he offered to the child.
The woman gratefully took the flask and let the child take a few gulps of water before returning it to the young man.
"Thank you," the woman told him. Quatre's heart ached when he heard the sadness and loss in the woman's voice.
"Mommy, who is that man?" the little child asked, pointing at Quatre.
The mother smiled gently at her child. "He is the great Desert Prince Quatre Raberba Winner. He has come to save our lives and to protect us. We must thank him for all that he has done for us."
"Thank you, your highness," the little girl piped up.
Quatre could not hear the small child's words of appreciation. Instead, the only thing that echoed in his mind were dark and forbidding.
"This is your choice...your choice alone...."
* * * * *
Author's Notes: I wanted to thank all the reviewers for their kind words and comments. I really appreciate having such a nice audience. Please feel free to review this chapter! Thanks! Hopefully, I will be able to write more soon.
The large chamber was uncomfortably quiet. King Tsukino Kenji was seated atop his throne, glaring at those before him. The four princesses of the Alliance Kingdom were kneeling immediately before him, with their heads lowered respectfully. Immediately behind the four princesses were all of the knights stationed at the castle. Several other guards and functionaries were positioned throughout the chamber.
The King was normally an absent-minded, nonchalant man that hardly raised his voice. But the disappearance of his daughter transformed him. His entire body was shaking with rage and his eyes were burning with anger and frustration. The King's overpowering fury permeated the entire chamber.
"All of you have failed me!" he roared. "And more importantly, you have failed my precious daughter, Princess Usagi! How can you all have been so incompetent?!"
Minako flinched. Part of her felt that this accusation was unfair. Upon their very arrival, the princesses of the Alliance Kingdoms were told by the King that their roles as protectors were unnecessary. His outrage almost seemed a hypocrisy. But she did realize that the duty to protect Princess Usagi belonged to all the princesses, regardless of any excuses.
"My knights!" he snarled with bitterness dripping from his voice. "Where were you when the fiend abducted my daughter?"
None of the knights dared raise their head or protest their failure. Instead, their heads remained bowed in silence.
The King stood up and glared at the princesses.
"My princesses! Are you concerned for your own kingdoms?" he demanded. "Shall they share the same fate as my daughter?!"
Minako's cheeks flushed heatedly, both in anger and embarrassment at the King's words. She wished that she had taken more of an effort to watch over the Princess. Now she felt that she had neglected her duty in the past few weeks with her idle lifestyle.
The King settled down in his throne, his face dark and forbidding. After a few moments, he steadied himself somewhat.
"I will give you one chance to save your kingdoms," the King told the princesses in a cold voice. "Bring my daughter back safely and your kingdoms shall remain safe. You have one month to return her to me."
A strong resolve began to grow within Minako's heart. She was prepared to sacrifice everything to save Princess Usagi and to protect her own kingdom. For some odd reason, she could almost feel the same sensation emanating from the other princesses around her.
The King's gaze returned to his knights. "Sir Heero! I place the task of returning my daughter in your hands. You shall accompany these princesses on their mission. Sir Duo, Sir Motoki, and Sir Yuuichirou shall be under your command. I want you to depart immediately! The rest of you may also take your leave now."
Minako slowly picked herself up off the ground. She quietly made her way out of the large chamber. Minako noticed that all the other knights were leaving the chamber, except for Wufei. Wufei remained kneeling before the King.
Minako stepped outside the chamber and inconspicuously stood behind the door, where she could hear any conversation within the chamber and still not be seen. Her curiosity had overcome her better judgment.
"What do you want, Sir Wufei?" the King asked in a weary voice.
"Your Majesty, I have never made a personal request before. But with all due humility and respect, I would pray that you will..." Wufei began.
"You want to go with the others on the mission," the King interrupted crisply.
"Yes, your Majesty," Wufei stated in a quiet voice.
"Do you wish to go on the mission to save my daughter? Or did you want to also save Princess Hotaru?" the King demanded.
Minako could hear Wufei choke at the King's words.
The King spoke up again, in a softer tone. "Do not be so surprised, Sir Wufei. This castle is full of rumors and idle talk. Unfortunately, the Queen feels it is her duty to educate me on all the gossip concerning my knights. I have been told that you have feelings for Princess Hotaru, is that not the case?"
After a moment of strained silence, Wufei answered, "Yes, your Majesty."
A small smile crept across Minako's face. How sweet, she thought. Wufei does like little Hotaru! And he even wants to rescue her!
"I understand your feelings of loss," the King commiserated. "You are one of my strongest and most loyal knights. But I do not want you to become involved with this mission, for fear that your emotions will lead you astray from your duty."
"I will always be loyal to you, your Majesty," Wufei insisted fervently.
"Then I will ask you one simple question," the King told him. "On your honor as a knight, can you promise me that if you are forced to choose between saving my daughter and Princess Hotaru...that you will save my daughter?"
There was a long pause. Minako eventually heard Wufei's strangled response, "Yes, your Majesty. I pledge to protect your daughter and to fulfill my duty above all else."
Minako's smile faded away at those words. She shook her head sadly and walked away.
* * * * *
Heero stared at the undisturbed patch of ground before him. The young knight was standing outside the central keep near a grassy area beneath the open windows of Princess Usagi's bedchamber. Heero's eyes gazed upwards and estimated that her window was at least a hundred yards above the ground. But there was no trace of any disturbance on the ground below her window.
Several of the King's best trackers were currently investigating the area carefully, but were puzzled. None of the trackers could find any traces of passage by either princess or their captors.
Heero's heard soft footsteps from behind. He turned around and saw the graceful figure of Princess Hino Rei walking towards him. Her beautiful face was somber and thoughtful. Heero kept his own face neutral as she drew close.
"Your highness," he greeted her formally and offered her a simple bow. "What brings you here?"
"I can sense them," Princess Rei stated in a detached voice. Her mysterious violet eyes staring off into the distance. "I can feel the residue of their magical energy. They were carried out this way and taken to the south."
Heero looked at her skeptically. "How can you be so certain? As you can tell, the grass here is untouched. Even our finest trackers cannot find any trace of their kidnapping."
Rei glanced at him with a frown. "They were not carried upon the ground, but taken by the winds. There is another strong magical power in the air...and it was this power that carried them off."
"I thought that only royalty from the Allied Kingdoms could use magic," Heero asserted tonelessly.
Rei shook her head. "Demons and certain other special beings have the ability to use powerful magic. But I must admit, there is something unusual about the nature of this magical power...something almost familiar."
"Can you lead us to them, Princess Hino Rei?" Heero requested as he looked into her dark eyes.
"Yes. The combined magical energies of Princess Usagi, Princess Hotaru and their captor creates a very strong trail that I can easily follow," Rei informed him. "But it is the very power of their captor that makes me concerned. I am not even sure if all of us will be strong enough to prevail."
* * * * *
The stables were buzzing with activity. Several horses were being brought up and saddled. Other packhorses were being laden with supplies and armor.
Heero had quickly taken command of the situation upon his arrival and was barking out terse orders.
Duo was sitting thoughtfully on a small barrel, watching the entire scene. He had already packed up his own horse with a few items and a squire was making sure his armor was secured to another packhorse.
Out of the corner of his eyes, Duo noticed that the princesses of the Alliance Kingdoms had silently gathered near the entrance of the stable. Without hesitation, Duo hopped up and made his way to the young princesses.
"Your highnesses," he greeted them with an elegant bow. "I am one of the knights that will accompany you. My name is Sir Duo. Please feel free to call me Duo!"
Minako smiled at the handsome, young man. "I hope you're as good a swordsman as you are a dancer!"
This remark produced some laughter from the other young princesses, despite the grim faces that each had been wearing a moment ago.
"I am so glad that you remember me, Princess Minako!" he winked at her. "I assure you that my swordsmanship surpasses my humble dancing abilities."
Minako could not help but smile at his light-hearted response. She quickly introduced each of the other princesses. Duo graciously flourished each of the princesses with a flamboyant bow.
"You see that knight over there? That is Sir Heero, he will be responsible for this mission," Duo informed the princesses. Duo quickly gestured over to the other end of the stables. "The tall, unshaven young man over there is Sir Kumada Yuuichirou. He gets a little worked up around beautiful women, but he's a nice guy. And the guy over there..."
Duo blinked for a moment to make sure that his sight was not playing tricks on him. He then called out, "Hey, Wufei! What in the world are you doing here?"
The serious, young knight strode over and folded his arms neatly across his chest. "I am here to help on this undertaking," he stated in a calm voice. "His Majesty changed his mind and decided that I should go in place of Sir Motoki."
Duo shrugged. The braided young man jabbed a thumb in Wufei's direction. "This is Sir Wufei. He's quite ill-tempered and sleeps with his sword. And if he yells at you, it probably means he likes you."
"Maxwell!" Wufei growled menacingly.
Duo skipped lightly and hid behind Minako. Minako giggled slightly when the braided youth pretended to use her as a shield to fend off Wufei.
"I was just kidding there, Wufei!" Duo apologized without much sincerity. He then turned to whisper to the princesses, "See what I mean about being ill-tempered?"
Wufei had apparently overheard Duo's remark. The young knight looked like he was going to retort, but held his tongue. Wufei stomped off angrily in quiet frustration. Duo watched his friend's departure with interest.
"Hmm...how unusual," Duo noted quietly to himself.
* * * * *
The main gates to the Castle Mensis were opened. Several heavily cloaked figures led their steeds and packhorses out of the castle. It was quite unusual for the castle to open its main gates so late at night.
A solitary figure was observing the departure from the concealment of a large cluster of trees atop a nearby hill. A magnificent, rust colored stallion was obediently waiting a few yards behind the shadowy figure.
The tall, silent figure unclenched his fist to reveal a pair of rose-shaped earrings in his left hand. His emerald eyes studied the delicate earrings before his gaze returned to watch the travelers leave the castle.
"I guess we should follow her," the figure murmured quietly to his steed.
The shadowy figure gracefully sprung onto the stallion. He nudged his mount to follow the travelers at a respectful distance.
* * * * *
"Rashid, how is every one doing?" Lord Quatre Raberba Winner inquired in a concerned voice. The young nobleman turned to look at his trusted companion and advisor.
The tall, powerful looking warrior scratched his beard. "The others seem to be fine, perhaps a little tired."
The Desert Prince and Rashid were leading a group of forty Maguanacs through dunes. The band of warriors were mounted on horses and camels as they made their way across the sands beneath the twinkling stars.
"We have been fighting constantly ever since we returned from the Kingdom of Luminaea," Quatre admitted sadly. "It is terribly unfortunate that they have not had a chance to rest."
"For the past few weeks, you hardly slept at all yourself, my lord," Rashid reminded the blue-eyed young man. "Do not forget your own health."
"I won't forget, Rashid. Thank you for your concern," Quatre acknowledged gratefully.
Quatre looked thoughtfully off into the clear night sky.
"Have you noticed something unusual about our new enemies?" he asked pensively.
"The Ghuls do not seem to value any one's life, even their own," Rashid grunted grimly.
The Desert Prince of Hadiya and his loyal Maguanacs had been constantly riding out to battle against a strange group of men for the past few weeks. Many of the smaller towns in the desert kingdom of Hadiya were being targeted in the attacks. The attacks were carefully orchestrated and displayed considerable military discipline. But it seemed unusual that these fighters did not bear any flag and did not claim to be loyal to any kingdom. It was almost tempting to call them outlaws, except that outlaws could never be so well organized and would never fight to the death like their new enemies. The local people had nicknamed these heartless men "Ghuls" or demons.
"But there's something else," Quatre persisted. "I am not sure what it is. But when I fought them and looked into their eyes, I got a strange feeling in my heart, as if..."
Quatre paused with some hesitation. His eyes seemed to cloud over.
"...as if you were staring into oblivion," Rashid finished quietly.
The Desert Prince's light, blue eyes widened in surprise. "Yes! You felt that same sensation too? There were no emotions on their faces when they fought against us or when they died at our hands. There were no screams or words, but only silence and death."
The young man sighed sadly and returned his attention to the desert before him. It was a breathtaking night and the desert was a vast sea of fine sand. It was terribly sad that the beautiful desert had to be stained with so much blood. Quatre morosely looked at his own hands and felt guilty about his part in the bloodshed. Even though he had only taken the lives of soldiers and killers, Quatre still felt remorse over his own actions. A part of him could almost understand his father's conviction of absolute pacifism. But the memories of innocent villagers massacred by the enemy still haunted Quatre and he knew that it took more than a principle to protect the people.
"Lord Quatre, one of our scouts is returning," Rashid informed the young prince.
Quatre looked up to see a rider and his horse swiftly approach from ahead. Within a matter of minutes, the scout pulled up in front of Quatre, his face streaked with dirt and sweat.
"My lord! The village up ahead is being attacked!" the scout cried.
Quatre's eyes widened. "Take us there immediately!"
The scout wheeled his horse around and darted off. Quatre spurred his own horse into a rapid gallop. Rashid turned around and gave the other Maguanacs a signal, and the band of warriors fell into formation and hurriedly followed the Desert Prince.
It was not long before they were able to see large plumes of smoke rising up from the distant village. The flames were devouring the buildings and cast the entire area in an unholy orange glow. Even from this distance, they could see villagers fleeing for the lives as they were cut down by dark horsemen. It was the Ghul warriors.
"NO!" Quatre shouted out in horror and drove his horse into a full tilt towards the village. The young prince drew his scimitar from its sheath. Quatre steered his horse on a path to intercept the Ghul horsemen bearing down on a small group of women and children.
Quatre let out at anguished cry when he realized that he would not be able to reach them in time.
Then he heard a soft whizzing sound and saw an arrow bury itself in the chest of the lead Ghul horseman. The Ghul warrior dropped to the ground. Several arrows were sent soaring into the air and thudded into the bodies of the other horsemen. The dead bodies of the Ghul warriors fell to the ground silently.
Quatre glanced gratefully over his shoulder. Rashid and several other Maguanacs waving at him with their long bows in hand. The young prince smiled in gratitude for the weapons they had received from the King of Luminaea.
"Take care of these villagers, Ahmed!" Quatre called out to one of the Maguanacs. The Desert Prince raised his scimitar and charged towards the villagers. The Maguanacs let out a collective roar and followed the young prince into the burning village.
Quatre and his white steed raced through the burning village, desperately searching for survivors. Flames were consuming the tents and other buildings around them. A heavy, black smoke and searing heat permeated the air. He could hear the Maguanacs calling out for survivors.
The dark smoke obscured his vision and forced him to slow his horse down to a cautious trot. His light blue eyes intently scanning the chaotic surroundings around him. Then something caught his attention.
A lone horseman was sitting silently on a dark stallion. He was shrouded in dark clothing. Neither the man nor his horse seemed disturbed by the flames surrounding him. Quatre suspected that he was a Ghul warrior.
Quatre cautiously headed towards the solitary horseman. The blond prince held his scimitar with a firm grip as he drew closer. Quatre continued to move closer to the rider until he was only a few yards away.
"Greetings, Desert Prince," the horseman spoke in a toneless voice. Quatre's mount reared up nervously. The voice had almost an ethereal quality to it. The words did not seem to originate from the figure before him. Instead, the voice sounded as if it were coming at him from all directions.
"Who are you?" Quatre demanded. "Are you their leader?"
"No," the horseman replied emotionlessly. "I am simply an instrument of my Master."
Quatre felt his skin crawl as the horseman spoke. He felt as if he was speaking to something that was not entirely human or even alive. Even from this distance, he could tell that the horseman's mouth did not move when he uttered those last words.
"Who is your Master and why is he doing this?" Quatre asked with clenched teeth. An unnatural fear was beginning to gnaw at him. His grip on the scimitar grew tighter.
"My Master shall cease these attacks, as long as you are willing to comply with one simple condition," the horseman stated.
"What condition?" Quatre questioned, his suspicion aroused.
"You can save the lives of hundreds of thousands in the desert as long...as long as you are willing to sacrifice the life of one person," the horseman answered in an icy voice. "My Master demands the life of one of the Princesses of the Allied Kingdoms."
"What kind of monster would demand such a trade!" Quatre roared indignantly. "All human life is precious...they are not simply things to be bargained with!"
The horseman's demeanor did not change. The eerie voice responded, "This is your choice, and your choice alone. You do not have to accept it. But are you willing to sacrifice the lives of innocents for your principle? Is the life of one of greater than the lives of an entire people?
Quatre was about to speak, but was interrupted by the shouts of his loyal Maguanacs approaching. His eyes narrowed when he noticed that the horseman's outline began to blur. The insidious figure seemed to stare at him without emotion as it faded into the darkness.
"This is your choice...and your choice alone..." the horseman's voice echoed faintly in Quatre's ears.
Quatre let out a cry of frustration and impotently swung his scimitar in the air.
Rashid and several other Maguanacs rushed to the side of their master.
"Lord Quatre, are you all right?" Rashid inquired with concern in his voice.
Quatre gritted his teeth and nodded. "Thank you, Rashid. I am fine."
"We found some survivors," Rashid informed him. "It appears that there were only a handful of Ghul warriors that caused all this destruction. But we were able to slay them without any losses of our own. We have taken the survivors to the outskirts of the village."
Quatre looked up at Rashid with sadness in his eyes. "How many survived?" he asked weakly.
"We could only find a sixty or so villagers," Rashid responded grimly. "This used to be a village with almost two hundred men, women and children."
"I see," Quatre choked, tears welling up in his eyes. He rubbed his face with one of his sleeves.
Quatre, Rashid and the other Maguanacs made their way out of the village and headed towards the small, makeshift camp several hundred yards away from the burning village. Ahmed and several other Maguanacs were helping the surviving villagers tend to their wounds and to comfort them.
Quatre wearily pulled himself off his horse and quickly went to help the others attend to the survivors.
Quatre noticed a small girl huddled in a woman's arms. The young prince kneeled down and uncorked his flask of water.
"Here," he offered to the child.
The woman gratefully took the flask and let the child take a few gulps of water before returning it to the young man.
"Thank you," the woman told him. Quatre's heart ached when he heard the sadness and loss in the woman's voice.
"Mommy, who is that man?" the little child asked, pointing at Quatre.
The mother smiled gently at her child. "He is the great Desert Prince Quatre Raberba Winner. He has come to save our lives and to protect us. We must thank him for all that he has done for us."
"Thank you, your highness," the little girl piped up.
Quatre could not hear the small child's words of appreciation. Instead, the only thing that echoed in his mind were dark and forbidding.
"This is your choice...your choice alone...."
* * * * *
Author's Notes: I wanted to thank all the reviewers for their kind words and comments. I really appreciate having such a nice audience. Please feel free to review this chapter! Thanks! Hopefully, I will be able to write more soon.