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.
* * * * *
Four riders were guiding their horses through the outskirts of the forest. The trees were becoming more openly spread across the landscape. The gorgeous afternoon sky was clear and warm. But despite the beautiful surroundings, there was a faint tension in the air.
"How much further?" Duo asked in an anxious voice.
Princess Ami glanced over her shoulder. "Not more than a mile or so," Ami informed him.
"Are you certain?" Minako pressed nervously. Her face seemed somewhat troubled.
"I'm fairly certain," Ami smiled gently.
"Good!" Duo grinned in satisfaction. He turned to look at Princess Minako. "I win our little wager."
Minako shook her head in protest. "She could still be wrong! Let's just wait and see."
"Your highness, I feel that I should warn you...I rarely lose on a bet," he advised her in his most sagacious voice.
"Warn me?" Minako nearly choked. "But we already made our wager! Shouldn't you have warned me before?"
Duo leaned back thoughtfully in his saddle. He nodded, "You're probably right. But then it wouldn't be any fun."
Minako rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless."
"And you're beautiful!" Duo replied with his best roguish smile.
Wufei looked to Ami for sympathy.
"How did we get stuck with the two most talkative ones?" he asked plaintively.
Ami giggled. "I think they're kind of cute."
"Aren't they worried at all?" Wufei grumbled.
"Both of them are concerned about the others," she assured him in an understanding voice. "But I think this is how they deal with their worries."
Wufei shook his head in resignation and attempted to ignore the constant flirting and bantering between Duo and Minako.
After another ten minutes, the group was less than a hundred yards away from the edge of the town of Leunire. It appeared to be a sizable town, with several large structures. Wufei suspected that there were at least a thousand or so residents.
Wufei turned to look meaningfully at the young princesses. "It might be wise for both of you to wear your hoods from now on. I don't want to attract unnecessary attention," Wufei told them.
"Why do you think we would attract attention?" Minako asked innocently. For good measure, she tossed her silky hair and batted her long eyelashes at him.
Wufei gave her a withering look. "You are perfectly aware of what I mean."
Duo smirked. "I think what Wufei wants to say is that both your highnesses are exceedingly beautiful, and that your mere presence would draw enormous amounts of unwanted interest from the local populace."
"Thanks for the translation, Maxwell," Wufei said dryly.
"I am quite flattered by your indirect compliment, Sir Wufei!" she grinned. Minako pulled her hood over her head. Ami also drew over her own hood.
Wufei looked around with a grim expression on his face.
"We don't know how long it will take the others to get here," Wufei pointed out. "And I certainly don't want to keep wandering around in the open. We should secure some rooms at the nearest inn."
"Leave that to me!" Duo declared.
As they entered the town, some of its citizens cast casual glances at the strangers. But the small group did not appear to generate any unusual amount of interest. Duo pulled his horse to one side and hopped off. After a quick discussion with one of the townsfolk, Duo was leading them cheerfully to the closest inn.
"Here we are!" Duo announced. "The Crown Inn! So who wants to share a room with me?"
The others simply rolled their eyes.
* * * * *
Princess Hino Rei was carefully making her way through the forest. She had a general sense as to the direction where the town of Leunire lay. Her deep violet eyes were alert and scanning her surroundings. There was something lurking in the forest that made her uneasy. A malevolent, dark sensation would creep into the woods, but it would just as quickly vanish once she tried to use her powers to locate it. This was an unfamiliar aura that she had not felt before. It was far more different and menacing than any aura she had felt recently.
The fact that she was alone was not terribly comforting.
"Princess..." a mysterious, dark voice floated out from the forest.
Rei reined in her horse in alarm. The chilling voice sent shivers down her spine. The raven-haired princess glanced around, but she could not localize the sound. Her horse snorted nervously.
"So beautiful..." murmured the ghostly voice. The words seemed to appear from all directions. There was a clearly sinister undertone to the ethereal voice.
Rei spurred her horse into a quick run to the south. The mare eagerly obliged, apparently frightened by the spectral presence. Her horse weaved its way through the woods. As the atmosphere became more oppressive, the mare anxiously picked up its gait.
"I have been watching you for some time now, your highness," came the hauntingly dark whisper in the wind.
Rei continued to urge her horse forward. But it seemed that she could not escape the evil presence surrounding her.
"I have wanted you ever since I first saw you," the voice spoke longingly. "It is a shame that my Master desires your death above all the other princesses."
Rei had finally had enough. She forcibly reined in her horse and stared defiantly into the woods.
"Who are you?!" she demanded. The anger in her voice barely concealed the fear that was welling up inside.
A tall, shadowy figure materialized in the air several yards in front of her. The shadow was floating a few feet above the ground. The apparition grew more solid, revealing a man with curly, golden hair and dark blue eyes. A cold smirk marred his handsome features.
"I am Lord General Jadeite," the man introduced himself. A savage grin crept across his face. "It will be such a waste...to destroy such a beautiful creature such as yourself. But I must fulfill my Master's wishes."
He raised his hands above his head. A dark, sizzling energy began to gather around his fingertips.
Rei raised her hands towards the sky, seeking to summon her powers.
Lord General Jadeite launched a bolt of darkness at the young princess before she could utter any words. Rei threw herself off her mount and to the ground, as the bolt of energy narrowly missed her. The frightened mare shrieked out in terror as it dashed off into the woods.
The cold, dark blue eyes continued to admire the princess.
"Absolutely, lovely," he murmured to himself. Lord General Jadeite launched another bolt of black energy at the young princess.
Rei managed to dive behind a nearby tree to avoid the blast.
"Marseia Star Power!" she called out to the heavens with her outstretched hand. She felt the familiar, fiery energy surround her.
Rei's instincts warned her of danger. She spun around in time to see Lord General Jadeite materialize just a few feet away from her. He offered her a twisted smile before casting another blast at her with a flick of his wrists.
She felt the dark energy strike her in the chest. Her body convulsed as the darkness greedily consumed her life force. Rei struggled to hold onto her consciousness. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands tightly together.
Rei launched a blazing inferno at her enemy before she collapsed onto the ground.
* * * * *
It was the sounds of a quiet conversation that brought him back to consciousness. Yuuichirou carefully cracked open his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. The young man saw Princess Makoto on a log a few feet away. But there was another voice.
His eyes turned to look at a tall, handsome man with dark brown hair. The stranger was calmly writing something on a piece of parchment.
"As I told you before, I really don't think that's any of your business, Trowa," Makoto told the stranger.
The stranger, named Trowa, did not seem to pay any attention to her words. Instead, he rolled up the parchment and placed it carefully underneath the saddle of a midnight, black stallion. He patted the stallion and it ambled off into the woods on its own.
That was strange, Yuuichirou thought.
Trowa folded his arms. The young man's face was expressionless as he stared at Makoto.
"Is there anything else you can tell me?" he asked her in a quiet tenor. His soft voice seemed to have a musical quality to it.
Makoto shrugged indifferently. "Not particularly."
The young man leaned thoughtfully against a nearby tree.
There was several long moments of silence. Yuuichirou decided that he no longer wanted to lie around like an invalid. Cursing slightly under his breath, Yuuichirou slowly sat up.
Makoto hurried over and kneeled down next to Yuuichirou.
"Are you feeling all right?" she inquired with a concerned voice.
Yuuichirou gave her a lopsided grin. "I'm fine. My head hurts a bit, but I'm fine."
Makoto smiled, "Well, you did ram your head against a tree."
"Don't remind me," Yuuichirou groaned in a miserable voice. He glanced in Trowa's general direction. "Who is he?"
"His name is Trowa Barton," Makoto replied. "He's a......minstrel."
"A minstrel wandering out in the woods on his own?" Yuuichirou queried in a dubious voice.
"Yes," Makoto acknowledged. "He was travelling south. He helped save your life."
"Thank you for saving my life," Yuuichirou thanked the other man. "Oh, by the way. My name is Yuuichirou. It's nice to meet you."
Trowa gazed at him for a moment. "Likewise," he replied in that soft tenor.
Yuuichirou studied the other young man for a moment. Eventually, Yuuichirou turned to look at Makoto.
"Do you know what happened to the others?" he asked in a concerned voice.
Makoto sadly shook her head. "I'm not sure. But all we can do is head to Leunire and hope we meet up with them."
"Is he planning to come with us?" Yuuichirou asked skeptically, glancing in Trowa's direction.
Makoto nodded. "I believe so. Don't be so suspicious of him. He did help us, after all."
"I suppose," Yuuichirou conceded, though he didn't seem terribly convinced.
Yuuichirou slowly stood up, and in the process, banged his head against a nearby tree branch.
Makoto giggled and quickly covered her mouth.
Yuuichirou glanced suspiciously at the tall stranger. For a brief instant, he thought he could detect a look of amusement flicker across Trowa's face.
* * * * *
"Disband the Maguanacs?" Quatre's eyes widened in disbelief. "Lord General Zoisite, you can't seriously think that I would disband the Maguanacs while your men keep attacking our villagers."
Zoisite raised an eyebrow. "I have already explained that our forces were simply defending themselves against bandits disguised as villagers. But your men attacked my forces without provocation."
"We were defending innocent civilians!" Quatre protested.
"You were defending murderous bandits," Zoisite replied smoothly. "It is unfortunate that you and your men did not take the time to learn the full facts."
"Those are lies!" Quatre fumed.
"That's enough!" King Raberba Winner silenced his son. He turned to glare at Quatre. "This is the reason that I did not wish for your band of Maguanacs to patrol the deserts. You act impulsively and now you have threatened the peace that we cherish."
The blood drained from Quatre's face. He could not believe what he was hearing. He had seen the soldiers murder innocent women and children, not bandits. How could his father listen to these lies? This was unbearable.
"My son, Lord General Zoisite has offered to show us proof that his words are true," King Raberba Winner. "Will you not even consider the possibility that you and your men were wrong?"
"Proof?" Quatre was incredulous. "What proof can this man offer?"
Zoisite smirked. "I will take you to the scene of a terrible massacre...where many innocents died at the hands of your men. A place where I saw you murder innocent men!"
* * * * *
Sir Heero carefully studied the ground before him. He was walking on foot to make sure that he could follow the tracks on the ground. His left hand led his horse by the reins. The young knight was making careful progress through the forest.
The faint smell of smoke and ashes greeted his senses. He could guess that it was coming in the same direction that the tracks were headed towards. Heero leaped onto his horse and spurred it towards the burning smell.
As he drew closer to the source of the smell, he could see faint traces of smoke drifting up into the forest canopy. His alert eyes were diligently scanning the forest around him. It was only a matter of moments before he came upon the source of the smoke.
A charred pile of smoking ashes marked the forest floor. Then his eyes widened in alarm when he saw the body lying next to the ashes.
Heero leaped off his horse and ran up to the prone figure of Princess Hino Rei. The beautiful, raven-haired princess was not moving. He kneeled down next to her and anxiously pressed a hand to her wrist. A faint pulse indicated that she was barely alive. Her body seemed almost lifeless.
The young knight carefully picked up the princess. It took him a few awkward moments to pull the princess and himself onto his steed.
Heero cradled the motionless Princess Rei in his arms. He fought back the feelings of despair and failure that began to build up inside. Heero realized that he had little time to save the princess' life, and that he would need to get her to a healer soon.
As they rode quickly towards the town of Leunire, he glanced down at her.
"I will not fail you, your highness," he promised in a heartrending voice.
* * * * *
Wufei was standing quietly near the entrance of the town. He had decided that someone needed to keep an eye open for the others, and he nominated himself for that task. He figured that Duo would get too easily distracted or bored with such a duty. Besides, Wufei suspected that the princesses preferred Duo's friendly company. Wufei grudgingly had to admit that Duo was quite popular with women.
He absently fingered the golden ring that hung from the chain around his neck. His dark, brown eyes studied the horizon. The sun was slowly setting and night would be upon them.
Wufei heard soft footsteps behind him. He spun around, his hand on his sword. He recognized a familiar face.
"You shouldn't be here, your highness," he grunted, returning to gaze at the horizon.
Princess Minako frowned.
"You need to be more polite, Sir Wufei," she told him primly. She walked up next to him and deposited a small basket near his feet. "I just came to drop off your dinner."
Wufei glanced at her. His face softened somewhat. "Thank you, your highness."
"Your welcome, Sir Wufei," Minako replied. Her eyes caught the glint of the gold ring dangling from the chain. "What's that?"
Wufei glanced down at his hand and realized that he had been holding the ring the entire time.
"A ring," he said simply.
"I figured out that much already. You don't strike me as the type of man who casually wears jewelry."
"There's nothing casual about this ring," he responded stiffly.
"Is it a secret?" she inquired.
"No," he answered without thinking.
"Then you can tell me what the ring is for," she smiled sweetly.
He turned to look at her in surprise. She had quite cleverly taken away an excuse for not answering her question. Wufei realized that Minako was one of the most persistent people that he had ever known, and he might as well get this over with.
"This ring belongs to a woman named Meiran," he sighed softly. "Meiran and I were married when we were fourteen. But she died shortly afterwards."
Minako's face fell and she looked to the ground.
"I...I'm sorry, Wufei. I shouldn't have asked," she apologized. It was obvious that she felt terrible for forcing him to bring up the subject, even though she couldn't have possibly known about his past.
Wufei drew in a deep breath.
"It's all right, your highness," Wufei assured her. "I appreciate your kind words. Do not trouble yourself over this."
"I always seem to ask you the wrong questions," Minako observed ruefully. "Perhaps I should be more careful."
Wufei offered her a rare smile. "Perhaps I should be less ill-tempered."
Minako could only shake her head.
"Well, I'm going to head back to the inn. It's not too far, so don't worry about me," she smiled at him. She began to walk away.
"Princess Minako!" Wufei called out after her.
She paused and turned around to look at the young knight.
"Your highness, I have one important question to ask you, before you leave," he informed her in a grave voice.
Minako nodded. "What is it, Sir Wufei?"
"Do you know if Sir Duo was ever near this food?"
* * * * *
Author's Notes: I just figured out (yeah, I'm lame) how to respond to my reviewers. So here are some of my comments/responses to the reviewers of the last chapter...
Faith-Chan A.K.A. Myst Lady - Thanks for your wonderful review (they always brighten my day)! After reading your review, I decided to give Duo another chance to flirt with Minako.
Kaiya - Hopefully I answered one of the questions (i.e., which princess the Master really wanted to get rid of...sorry it took me several chapters to get there)! And I will try to make sure Zoisite lives up to his character...the villain many people love to hate.
thescientist - Glad you liked the chapter. As far as Duo's poetry exchange, it wasn't too hard to find inspiration (I just had to think about some of the cheesy pick-up lines my friends use at bars...and there you go)!
Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please read and review, thanks!
* * * * *
Four riders were guiding their horses through the outskirts of the forest. The trees were becoming more openly spread across the landscape. The gorgeous afternoon sky was clear and warm. But despite the beautiful surroundings, there was a faint tension in the air.
"How much further?" Duo asked in an anxious voice.
Princess Ami glanced over her shoulder. "Not more than a mile or so," Ami informed him.
"Are you certain?" Minako pressed nervously. Her face seemed somewhat troubled.
"I'm fairly certain," Ami smiled gently.
"Good!" Duo grinned in satisfaction. He turned to look at Princess Minako. "I win our little wager."
Minako shook her head in protest. "She could still be wrong! Let's just wait and see."
"Your highness, I feel that I should warn you...I rarely lose on a bet," he advised her in his most sagacious voice.
"Warn me?" Minako nearly choked. "But we already made our wager! Shouldn't you have warned me before?"
Duo leaned back thoughtfully in his saddle. He nodded, "You're probably right. But then it wouldn't be any fun."
Minako rolled her eyes. "You're hopeless."
"And you're beautiful!" Duo replied with his best roguish smile.
Wufei looked to Ami for sympathy.
"How did we get stuck with the two most talkative ones?" he asked plaintively.
Ami giggled. "I think they're kind of cute."
"Aren't they worried at all?" Wufei grumbled.
"Both of them are concerned about the others," she assured him in an understanding voice. "But I think this is how they deal with their worries."
Wufei shook his head in resignation and attempted to ignore the constant flirting and bantering between Duo and Minako.
After another ten minutes, the group was less than a hundred yards away from the edge of the town of Leunire. It appeared to be a sizable town, with several large structures. Wufei suspected that there were at least a thousand or so residents.
Wufei turned to look meaningfully at the young princesses. "It might be wise for both of you to wear your hoods from now on. I don't want to attract unnecessary attention," Wufei told them.
"Why do you think we would attract attention?" Minako asked innocently. For good measure, she tossed her silky hair and batted her long eyelashes at him.
Wufei gave her a withering look. "You are perfectly aware of what I mean."
Duo smirked. "I think what Wufei wants to say is that both your highnesses are exceedingly beautiful, and that your mere presence would draw enormous amounts of unwanted interest from the local populace."
"Thanks for the translation, Maxwell," Wufei said dryly.
"I am quite flattered by your indirect compliment, Sir Wufei!" she grinned. Minako pulled her hood over her head. Ami also drew over her own hood.
Wufei looked around with a grim expression on his face.
"We don't know how long it will take the others to get here," Wufei pointed out. "And I certainly don't want to keep wandering around in the open. We should secure some rooms at the nearest inn."
"Leave that to me!" Duo declared.
As they entered the town, some of its citizens cast casual glances at the strangers. But the small group did not appear to generate any unusual amount of interest. Duo pulled his horse to one side and hopped off. After a quick discussion with one of the townsfolk, Duo was leading them cheerfully to the closest inn.
"Here we are!" Duo announced. "The Crown Inn! So who wants to share a room with me?"
The others simply rolled their eyes.
* * * * *
Princess Hino Rei was carefully making her way through the forest. She had a general sense as to the direction where the town of Leunire lay. Her deep violet eyes were alert and scanning her surroundings. There was something lurking in the forest that made her uneasy. A malevolent, dark sensation would creep into the woods, but it would just as quickly vanish once she tried to use her powers to locate it. This was an unfamiliar aura that she had not felt before. It was far more different and menacing than any aura she had felt recently.
The fact that she was alone was not terribly comforting.
"Princess..." a mysterious, dark voice floated out from the forest.
Rei reined in her horse in alarm. The chilling voice sent shivers down her spine. The raven-haired princess glanced around, but she could not localize the sound. Her horse snorted nervously.
"So beautiful..." murmured the ghostly voice. The words seemed to appear from all directions. There was a clearly sinister undertone to the ethereal voice.
Rei spurred her horse into a quick run to the south. The mare eagerly obliged, apparently frightened by the spectral presence. Her horse weaved its way through the woods. As the atmosphere became more oppressive, the mare anxiously picked up its gait.
"I have been watching you for some time now, your highness," came the hauntingly dark whisper in the wind.
Rei continued to urge her horse forward. But it seemed that she could not escape the evil presence surrounding her.
"I have wanted you ever since I first saw you," the voice spoke longingly. "It is a shame that my Master desires your death above all the other princesses."
Rei had finally had enough. She forcibly reined in her horse and stared defiantly into the woods.
"Who are you?!" she demanded. The anger in her voice barely concealed the fear that was welling up inside.
A tall, shadowy figure materialized in the air several yards in front of her. The shadow was floating a few feet above the ground. The apparition grew more solid, revealing a man with curly, golden hair and dark blue eyes. A cold smirk marred his handsome features.
"I am Lord General Jadeite," the man introduced himself. A savage grin crept across his face. "It will be such a waste...to destroy such a beautiful creature such as yourself. But I must fulfill my Master's wishes."
He raised his hands above his head. A dark, sizzling energy began to gather around his fingertips.
Rei raised her hands towards the sky, seeking to summon her powers.
Lord General Jadeite launched a bolt of darkness at the young princess before she could utter any words. Rei threw herself off her mount and to the ground, as the bolt of energy narrowly missed her. The frightened mare shrieked out in terror as it dashed off into the woods.
The cold, dark blue eyes continued to admire the princess.
"Absolutely, lovely," he murmured to himself. Lord General Jadeite launched another bolt of black energy at the young princess.
Rei managed to dive behind a nearby tree to avoid the blast.
"Marseia Star Power!" she called out to the heavens with her outstretched hand. She felt the familiar, fiery energy surround her.
Rei's instincts warned her of danger. She spun around in time to see Lord General Jadeite materialize just a few feet away from her. He offered her a twisted smile before casting another blast at her with a flick of his wrists.
She felt the dark energy strike her in the chest. Her body convulsed as the darkness greedily consumed her life force. Rei struggled to hold onto her consciousness. She gritted her teeth and clenched her hands tightly together.
Rei launched a blazing inferno at her enemy before she collapsed onto the ground.
* * * * *
It was the sounds of a quiet conversation that brought him back to consciousness. Yuuichirou carefully cracked open his eyes and surveyed his surroundings. The young man saw Princess Makoto on a log a few feet away. But there was another voice.
His eyes turned to look at a tall, handsome man with dark brown hair. The stranger was calmly writing something on a piece of parchment.
"As I told you before, I really don't think that's any of your business, Trowa," Makoto told the stranger.
The stranger, named Trowa, did not seem to pay any attention to her words. Instead, he rolled up the parchment and placed it carefully underneath the saddle of a midnight, black stallion. He patted the stallion and it ambled off into the woods on its own.
That was strange, Yuuichirou thought.
Trowa folded his arms. The young man's face was expressionless as he stared at Makoto.
"Is there anything else you can tell me?" he asked her in a quiet tenor. His soft voice seemed to have a musical quality to it.
Makoto shrugged indifferently. "Not particularly."
The young man leaned thoughtfully against a nearby tree.
There was several long moments of silence. Yuuichirou decided that he no longer wanted to lie around like an invalid. Cursing slightly under his breath, Yuuichirou slowly sat up.
Makoto hurried over and kneeled down next to Yuuichirou.
"Are you feeling all right?" she inquired with a concerned voice.
Yuuichirou gave her a lopsided grin. "I'm fine. My head hurts a bit, but I'm fine."
Makoto smiled, "Well, you did ram your head against a tree."
"Don't remind me," Yuuichirou groaned in a miserable voice. He glanced in Trowa's general direction. "Who is he?"
"His name is Trowa Barton," Makoto replied. "He's a......minstrel."
"A minstrel wandering out in the woods on his own?" Yuuichirou queried in a dubious voice.
"Yes," Makoto acknowledged. "He was travelling south. He helped save your life."
"Thank you for saving my life," Yuuichirou thanked the other man. "Oh, by the way. My name is Yuuichirou. It's nice to meet you."
Trowa gazed at him for a moment. "Likewise," he replied in that soft tenor.
Yuuichirou studied the other young man for a moment. Eventually, Yuuichirou turned to look at Makoto.
"Do you know what happened to the others?" he asked in a concerned voice.
Makoto sadly shook her head. "I'm not sure. But all we can do is head to Leunire and hope we meet up with them."
"Is he planning to come with us?" Yuuichirou asked skeptically, glancing in Trowa's direction.
Makoto nodded. "I believe so. Don't be so suspicious of him. He did help us, after all."
"I suppose," Yuuichirou conceded, though he didn't seem terribly convinced.
Yuuichirou slowly stood up, and in the process, banged his head against a nearby tree branch.
Makoto giggled and quickly covered her mouth.
Yuuichirou glanced suspiciously at the tall stranger. For a brief instant, he thought he could detect a look of amusement flicker across Trowa's face.
* * * * *
"Disband the Maguanacs?" Quatre's eyes widened in disbelief. "Lord General Zoisite, you can't seriously think that I would disband the Maguanacs while your men keep attacking our villagers."
Zoisite raised an eyebrow. "I have already explained that our forces were simply defending themselves against bandits disguised as villagers. But your men attacked my forces without provocation."
"We were defending innocent civilians!" Quatre protested.
"You were defending murderous bandits," Zoisite replied smoothly. "It is unfortunate that you and your men did not take the time to learn the full facts."
"Those are lies!" Quatre fumed.
"That's enough!" King Raberba Winner silenced his son. He turned to glare at Quatre. "This is the reason that I did not wish for your band of Maguanacs to patrol the deserts. You act impulsively and now you have threatened the peace that we cherish."
The blood drained from Quatre's face. He could not believe what he was hearing. He had seen the soldiers murder innocent women and children, not bandits. How could his father listen to these lies? This was unbearable.
"My son, Lord General Zoisite has offered to show us proof that his words are true," King Raberba Winner. "Will you not even consider the possibility that you and your men were wrong?"
"Proof?" Quatre was incredulous. "What proof can this man offer?"
Zoisite smirked. "I will take you to the scene of a terrible massacre...where many innocents died at the hands of your men. A place where I saw you murder innocent men!"
* * * * *
Sir Heero carefully studied the ground before him. He was walking on foot to make sure that he could follow the tracks on the ground. His left hand led his horse by the reins. The young knight was making careful progress through the forest.
The faint smell of smoke and ashes greeted his senses. He could guess that it was coming in the same direction that the tracks were headed towards. Heero leaped onto his horse and spurred it towards the burning smell.
As he drew closer to the source of the smell, he could see faint traces of smoke drifting up into the forest canopy. His alert eyes were diligently scanning the forest around him. It was only a matter of moments before he came upon the source of the smoke.
A charred pile of smoking ashes marked the forest floor. Then his eyes widened in alarm when he saw the body lying next to the ashes.
Heero leaped off his horse and ran up to the prone figure of Princess Hino Rei. The beautiful, raven-haired princess was not moving. He kneeled down next to her and anxiously pressed a hand to her wrist. A faint pulse indicated that she was barely alive. Her body seemed almost lifeless.
The young knight carefully picked up the princess. It took him a few awkward moments to pull the princess and himself onto his steed.
Heero cradled the motionless Princess Rei in his arms. He fought back the feelings of despair and failure that began to build up inside. Heero realized that he had little time to save the princess' life, and that he would need to get her to a healer soon.
As they rode quickly towards the town of Leunire, he glanced down at her.
"I will not fail you, your highness," he promised in a heartrending voice.
* * * * *
Wufei was standing quietly near the entrance of the town. He had decided that someone needed to keep an eye open for the others, and he nominated himself for that task. He figured that Duo would get too easily distracted or bored with such a duty. Besides, Wufei suspected that the princesses preferred Duo's friendly company. Wufei grudgingly had to admit that Duo was quite popular with women.
He absently fingered the golden ring that hung from the chain around his neck. His dark, brown eyes studied the horizon. The sun was slowly setting and night would be upon them.
Wufei heard soft footsteps behind him. He spun around, his hand on his sword. He recognized a familiar face.
"You shouldn't be here, your highness," he grunted, returning to gaze at the horizon.
Princess Minako frowned.
"You need to be more polite, Sir Wufei," she told him primly. She walked up next to him and deposited a small basket near his feet. "I just came to drop off your dinner."
Wufei glanced at her. His face softened somewhat. "Thank you, your highness."
"Your welcome, Sir Wufei," Minako replied. Her eyes caught the glint of the gold ring dangling from the chain. "What's that?"
Wufei glanced down at his hand and realized that he had been holding the ring the entire time.
"A ring," he said simply.
"I figured out that much already. You don't strike me as the type of man who casually wears jewelry."
"There's nothing casual about this ring," he responded stiffly.
"Is it a secret?" she inquired.
"No," he answered without thinking.
"Then you can tell me what the ring is for," she smiled sweetly.
He turned to look at her in surprise. She had quite cleverly taken away an excuse for not answering her question. Wufei realized that Minako was one of the most persistent people that he had ever known, and he might as well get this over with.
"This ring belongs to a woman named Meiran," he sighed softly. "Meiran and I were married when we were fourteen. But she died shortly afterwards."
Minako's face fell and she looked to the ground.
"I...I'm sorry, Wufei. I shouldn't have asked," she apologized. It was obvious that she felt terrible for forcing him to bring up the subject, even though she couldn't have possibly known about his past.
Wufei drew in a deep breath.
"It's all right, your highness," Wufei assured her. "I appreciate your kind words. Do not trouble yourself over this."
"I always seem to ask you the wrong questions," Minako observed ruefully. "Perhaps I should be more careful."
Wufei offered her a rare smile. "Perhaps I should be less ill-tempered."
Minako could only shake her head.
"Well, I'm going to head back to the inn. It's not too far, so don't worry about me," she smiled at him. She began to walk away.
"Princess Minako!" Wufei called out after her.
She paused and turned around to look at the young knight.
"Your highness, I have one important question to ask you, before you leave," he informed her in a grave voice.
Minako nodded. "What is it, Sir Wufei?"
"Do you know if Sir Duo was ever near this food?"
* * * * *
Author's Notes: I just figured out (yeah, I'm lame) how to respond to my reviewers. So here are some of my comments/responses to the reviewers of the last chapter...
Faith-Chan A.K.A. Myst Lady - Thanks for your wonderful review (they always brighten my day)! After reading your review, I decided to give Duo another chance to flirt with Minako.
Kaiya - Hopefully I answered one of the questions (i.e., which princess the Master really wanted to get rid of...sorry it took me several chapters to get there)! And I will try to make sure Zoisite lives up to his character...the villain many people love to hate.
thescientist - Glad you liked the chapter. As far as Duo's poetry exchange, it wasn't too hard to find inspiration (I just had to think about some of the cheesy pick-up lines my friends use at bars...and there you go)!
Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Please read and review, thanks!