*_*Chapter Twenty-three*_*

Hilde could not concentrate on her work. So Sally applied a sick leave for her. During lunchtime, she brought Hilde's lunch tray to her. Hilde was seated at her desk, a pen posed in mid-air. The paper on the table was clean.

" Stupid of me…" she told her roommate. " I thought of writing Trowa a letter and then I realise I'm in OZ and I don't know where he is."

Sally put down the tray and took the pen away from her. " Hilde –"

" Don't worry, I'm okay now. I'm sorry I have made you worried. I'm okay now. But my grief is nothing compared to Trowa's. We just got to inform him." She stood up. " I thought of telepathy but I'm afraid that I might give the game away for both of us. OZ has strong security magic."

Sally stood by her. " I agree with you. But her brother has to know what his sister has done for him."

" But I'm also scared how this will affect him."

" He'll only turn out two ways – weaker or stronger."

She thought for a while. " Let's risk it. I'll contact Duo."

Hilde closed her eyes and knitted her brows. She tried to get her message out, tried to get it out…Duo, it's Hilde. Can you hear me? Is Trowa with you? Duo!… Sweat trickled down. Duo, can you hear me? If you can. Please answer me, I need your help, I need to tell Trowa something. Duo!

" It's no use," Hilde said. " I just can't get it out. Maybe Duo's too far away, maybe I'm not strong enough."

" We'll try together." Sally held her hands.

" Ok."

" Concentrate, concentrate hard, don't let anything disturb you."

Duo…can you hear us? Is Trowa with you? We have something to tell him. Duo, answer us please! Duo…

Duo was bored. " Is chess really so fun?" He eyed Trowa and Wufei suspiciously. After five rounds, the two of them still remained a tie. Quatre observed the tournament with utmost interest.

Neither boy answered him. Relena and Sylvia were giggling. Girls… " You talking bad about me?" Duo asked.

" You don't have anything good for us to talk about," Sylvia retorted. Relena laughed.

Heero had fallen asleep on the couch. Duo crept up to him.

" Don't you dare," he warned.

" Hey! I thought you were asleep!"

" He's not sleeping," Wufei answered for him. " That's called meditating-cum-sleeping."

" You must be an expert in that since you do it so often," Duo scoffed. " I'm so B-O-R-E-D."

" Maybe you can go help Zechs and Noin," Heero suggested.

" I don't want to be a light bulb."

Duo…can…hear…important…

" Who's there?" Duo shouted.

" What is it?" Relena asked.

" I thought I heard someone call me."

Duo…me Hilde…you hear us?…

Duo realized Hilde was sending him telepathy. " It's Hilde! She's sending me telepathy!"

Everyone became alert.

Speak up Hilde! I can't hear you!

Duo?…

Hey, are there two of you?

What? Duo, can you hear us…It's us…Sally and Hilde…

What? What did you say? I can't hear you clearly!

" What did she say?" Heero asked.

" I don't know. It's too faint. Sally's with her I think."

" Use your tablet to amplify it."

" Oh, right. Stupid of me."

" Glad you know that."

" Do you always have to put me down?"

" Can the two of you please stop bickering?" Trowa chided.

Duo…

Duo clutched his tablet. It glowed softly. Yo Hilde! Sally! How are you doing?

Duo! I'm so glad to hear you!

Hey Hilde, what is it?

A pause.

What's wrong? Can just one of you tell me?

Sally's voice came through. This has to do with Trowa. We want you to tell him…

The two girls told me all about Catherine.

What?! This is impossible! This is…

Tell him that, Duo. Hilde seemed to be choking. We can't talk to you for long. We need to go now or we'll get caught. Good luck in whatever you are going to do next.

Their connection was cut off.

Heero and the rest were watching him, all impatient for the news. Duo's face told them that it was no good news. From a cheerful hi-old-friend face to an utterly shocked, crestfallen expression, the transformation was too great to be ignored.

Duo's tablet ceased its glow.

" What did Hilde say? Where is she? And Sally?" Relena asked him.

" Who are Hilde and Sally?" Sylvia asked.

" They are our friends. Sally used to be our principal," Relena elucidated.

" Duo?" Heero sensed something was wrong.

Duo's eyes fell on Trowa.

" Duo?" whispered Trowa. He was afraid to ask, scared to hear what his friend has to say. Duo's composure said it all…the news is not good.

For a moment, Duo could not find his voice, no, he did not think he has a voice. He swallowed heavily, cleared his throat and finally spoke in a raspy tone, " Trowa…Catherine, your sister…is dead."

Complete silence.

" W-what did you say?" Trowa hands trembled uncontrollably. He felt as if his maker had forgotten to give him lungs. Either that or there was lack of oxygen in the air.

" OZ soldiers…" Duo forced himself to break the news. " …Killed her. She was trying to protect you and us. They wanted to know our whereabouts and everything about us. Catherine fought with them. She couldn't fight so many of them. And they killed her…Sally had gone back to Magic Town and found out about it. Three of her friends had buried her outside of town."

" No…" Relena shook her head in disbelief. " She's still so young…"

It was a shock to all of them. None of the boys say a word. Quatre placed a fist on his heart. It hurts…He looked at Trowa. Half of the boy's face was covered by his long fringe. He spun around abruptly and left the group silently, face down.

" Trowa…" Sylvia started to go after him.

Wufei stopped her. " He wants to be alone."

" How do you know?"

" I would want to be alone too if my sister died."

" I'll kill them… I swear I'll kill them!" Duo cursed them under his breath.

" Please excuse me," Relena said and she left the room too. Sylvia and Heero went after her.

The three boys looked at one another.

" Those demons won't even spare a woman. Too much…" Wufei said to no one in particular.

" I wonder how Trowa will take it," Duo said.

Silence.

Zechs caught Relena as she knocked into him. " What's wrong, Relena? Why are you crying?"

" Brother…" She choked on her tears. Noin took out a handkerchief and helped wiped away her tears.

Heero came up from behind her. " Catherine, Trowa's sister, was killed by OZ."

" Oh my god." Noin glanced up at Zechs.

" Do you know something that we don't?" Heero asked suspiciously.

Zechs nodded at Noin. " If you still remember, we were initially sent to kill you five boys, Relena, Hilde Schbeiker and Catherine Bloom," she said. " But later on, we were ordered not to go after Hilde Schbeiker and Catherine Bloom because they'll…died. That monster had dreamt about it. But Catherine being killed, it could just be a coincidence."

" You mean that – man can see into the future?" said Sylvia.

Zechs nodded his head. " Yes, I believe so. He's afraid that you people will defeat him."

" Which means we can kill him and avenge for Catherine," Heero answered. A small smile crept onto his lips. " Just you wait OZ. You'll pay for what you have done."

" I wonder how Trowa feels," Relena muttered.

*************************************************************

Trowa simply walked and walked. There was nothing in front of him; everything around him was dark and cloudy. He had never felt so terrified in his life before, so alone, so lost…Sister, I have no idea I depended on you so much for my strength.

Images of their last meeting flashed back to him.

What are you doing here? You shan't be here.

I just want to see you. You know, I'm so afraid for you. I'm scared I won't see you again…I know I am only distracting you but I just can't help it. I just need to see you. It's as if…as if…I know something bad is going to happen……

As if I know something bad is going to happen…Trowa shut his eyes for a few seconds. He thought about what Heero had said some days before.

Catherine had always emerged top in her class for her intuitive magic. Which means, her ability to predict danger is seldom wrong….

He had no idea Catherine could actually predict her own death, though she did not realise it herself either. So that was what you mean, what you mean about not seeing me again. That meeting was supposed to be our last farewell. If only I had done my part better as a brother, if only I had taken you with me, if only I had said I love you, if only…

His footsteps ceased. But it is all too late now, too late now. Why? Why? He stared at his own feet, willing himself not to cry. But a deluge threatened him. I am not ready, I am not ready to let you go. Not ready…Sister… This feeling is so painful, this farewell.

He started to run. And his tears inundated his soul.

*************************************************************

Quatre was behind him, watching him, feeling him. He can understand his pains, this overwhelming and unbearable, sudden and violent loss. Trowa…

Quatre cannot bear to see anyone so depressed. This seems like my fault. They would tell me I have nothing to do with it but no, I just can't shake off this feeling. If only, if only I have my memories back, if only I can remember, then perhaps I can help.

He froze. Is that how you feel, Trowa? The regrets, the thousands of apologies and I-love-you you wish you had said to her but can never do it now? Is that how I feel? The things I should have done to prevent something but I didn't because I'm too weak and powerless? Or…Quatre bit his lower lip. He took out his Sandrock tablet, which had not glowed once since he lost himself.

" Or I should have given you away to someone better than me," he said.

And the tablet remained a deep yellow.

*************************************************************

Heero and Wufei were there at the back gate when Trowa returned two days later, drenched from the rain he was caught in just now. His face was pale and visibly subdued. None of the boys had ever seen him like this before, so lost and agonized. He dragged his feet as the two led him back to his room where Noin and Relena had gotten ready a bath and clean clothes for him.

" Please leave me alone," he told them, after refusing help from them.

" You'll catch a cold," Noin insisted.

" Trowa," Heero began to say but stopped himself to rephrase his words. " I'm sure you understand your sister can never come back to life. Think about what she had taught you. Do you think she wants to see you like this? Cry if you must but remember what she wants you to do. If not, she would have died for nothing."

Without a backward glance, he went out of the room. Wufei squeezed his shoulder and left him too. The girls followed without another word. Noin closed the door. Outside, Zechs, Duo and Quatre were waiting.

" How is he?" Duo asked.

" Still the same," Noin answered.

" It takes time," Quatre said. " The wound takes a long time to heal."

Heero looked at him. " Instead of waiting for it to heal, make it heal."

Zechs' head turned towards the closed door. " He'll be fine, he'll be."

Sylvia peeked out from the corner. She wore no expression at all.

Trowa slumped down to the floor, back against the hard wall. He drew his knees to his forehead and closed his eyes. He was wet. He did not care. Soon, he found himself drifting away into a familiar state of unconsciousness, into the land of dreams.

He saw her. He saw his sister. She was just in front of him, dressed in a white-coloured garb, ever so beautiful and benign. Her arms stretched out to him. " Trowa," she called.

He ran to her as fast as he can but before he can reach her, she stopped him. " Cry if you must but remember what I want you to do. A wound takes time to heal, but instead of waiting for it to heal, make it heal…Make it heal…" She vanished into the darkness.

" Sister!" he cried. " Sister!"

There was no response. Left alone, he sank down to the floor again. Heero had just said those words too. Sister, I'll remember that. Thank you. Heaven is a wonderful place isn't it?

Trowa touched his heart gently. The pain will always be there but no matter what, you just have to live with it. Time does not stop for you; the sand in an hourglass will flow and flow until one of its glass compartments is empty. But then, it can be turned around and the sand will flow again. This everlasting circle of life, like an endless waltz; the three beats of heaven, earth and hell will always be there. It has always been there. You just choose what you want to live like.

Trowa opened his eyes. He stood up straight, walked to the bed, and picked up his dry clothes.

*************************************************************

Zechs convened a meeting next morning. Everyone sat with grim faces. Quatre joined them at the last minute, though they had told him he need not do it. Trowa was not there. Quatre stared at the empty seat opposite him.

Zechs said in a commanding voice, " We will be setting off to EverlastVille three days later. We must win back at least half of EverlastVille. This is not only for the people and for justice, it is also for Catherine and everyone who has died in innocence." He placed a letter on the table. " I'll be sending this challenge letter to Treize. He will receive it latest by tomorrow evening."

Noin reported, " Up till now, we have only about three thousand soldiers. I have sent letters to the other realms for help, and hopefully, there will be answers soon. But for now, three thousand soldiers against half of EverlastVille is more than enough. They are all good soldiers who do not died easily."

" You have worked hard," said Relena.

" This is nothing compared to the sufferings of the people," Zechs said.

There was a knock on the door. Everyone sat up. The person who came in was none other than Trowa.

" Trowa!" Duo said. Everyone was surprised to see him.

" I hope I'm not too late to join all of you," he said, sitting down opposite Quatre.

" You are more than welcome," Zechs told him. Smiles were passed round the table.

" Are you okay?" Duo asked.

" Thanks to all of you, I can now put my misery behind and look ahead."

" All right!!!" Duo thumped him on the back. Trowa coughed.

" He'll suffer internal injuries if you continue doing that," Heero said.

" Worse, he'll kill him with his elation," Wufei said.

The two shared grins.

" You two are so bad," Duo stuck out his tongue. " You are always picking on me."

" Welcome back," Quatre said with a smile.

" Thanks." He gave him a little, tired smile.

" Shall we proceed?" Zechs raised his voice.

Noin settled back with a contented sigh. Good, things are going back on track again.

*************************************************************

Treize read the letter. Lady Une lay on the bed beside him. He folded the letter neatly and put it back into the envelope. " Tell me what to do, Une," he said to her, stroking her silky brown hair. 

He had never felt so lost in his life before. " I need you, Une. I really do need you."

*************************************************************

The five boys, Rasid, Zechs, Noin and five hundred soldiers reached EverlastVille. " Are you sure we can beat them?" Rasid asked.

" We have the best here," Zechs answered, smiling at the five boys. " It doesn't matter if there are only a few of us. Quatre, are you sure you want to join us?"

" Please, I really want to do it," Quatre said.

" I'll look out for him," Noin volunteered.

" This is a war, Quatre. Remember that," Wufei said. " Don't force yourself if you can't."

" I'll be here for you, Master Quatre," Rasid said firmly.

" Don't worry, I can do it. You have been coaching me." Quatre replied.

" We were not coaching you, we were only helping you to recall your skills," Trowa corrected him.

" All right," Zechs straightened to his full height. " Let's go!"

They marched forward.

It took the group merely two days to get half of EverlastVille back from OZ. A quarter of the soldiers stationed there fled upon seeing them. Those that were courageous enough to stay and fight were all beaten. With Zechs and Heero as their capable leaders, the group was greatly motivated. Quatre had a little trouble at first – his benevolent heart could not bear to see anyone getting hurt.  But as the battle wore on, he soon got over it. Rasid, Noin and the rest kept a lookout for him.

Towards the end of the second day, as the battle drew to an end, everyone was in high spirits. Duo capered about jubilantly, pulling Quatre into a victory dance. Zechs' army joined in Duo's dance too. Wufei and Heero engaged themselves in small talks while Trowa kept his silence. Noin came over to him.

" Still thinking about your sister?"

He nodded once.

" It isn't easy. You are not from here, are you?"

" How do you know?"

" Woman's instinct."

Trowa stared into the horizon. " A mysterious lady in white brought us here. Actually, she only wanted to bring me here but I begged her to let Catherine come along with me. I couldn't bear to see her in tears. The lady agreed, on one condition."

" What condition?"

" She didn't tell me. She said I'd know when the time comes. It's a price both of us have to pay. My destiny is here, hers is back on planet earth. But we violated that law. If I had known she would have to die early, I would have left her on earth."

Noin closed her eyes briefly. " Don't you think humans are funny? That even if we know something is wrong, we still do it because our heart says so? Someone once told me that the only way to live is to act on your emotions. How true does this statement go? If we go on believe our feelings, I'm sure someday we will be rewarded. But remember not to ignore your mind, it keeps you on the ground."

" What are you trying to say?"

" You are an intelligent person, you know what I'm talking about. Don't grieve too much, you still have a life. Show that big man up there what you can do." She pointed up at heaven, gave him a smile and walked away. " Your friends are waiting."

He gazed after her and smiled ever so slightly. Catherine, I, we have won back half of EverlastVille for you. And we will keep on winning.

Duo waved to him. He waved back and strolled over to the other four boys.

*************************************************************

Trowa placed the bouquet of cream-coloured lilies on Catherine's grave. His friends took their turns to convey their respects before her. Zechs and Noin offered their apologies by craving Catherine's face on top of her name.

" We're sorry we tried to kill you. Please accept our sincerest apologies," said Noin and the two of them bowed.

" Thank you. You did an excellent job," said Trowa. He touched the craving.

The wind howled its song in their ears, mournful and lonesome. A tear dropped from his eyes and that was all. He will not forget her. For her, he will stand up and like a grass, will sway with the wind and not be blown off.

And that is the power of love.

*************************************************************

Lady Une opened her eyes in a tentative manner, blinking at the bright lights. Trieze was not there. She shifted into a sitting position, bones creaking from hours and hours of sleep. The second person that came into her mind's eyes was Relena Peacecraft.

We all loved you. Come back, Miss Une.

She was too exhausted to think about it anymore. She slumped back, mouth forming a small O shape. " Come back…"

All of a sudden, it all came back. The images were vague and much too fast for her to capture all. It was like a train ride gone wild, everything goes speeding by. This ephemeral evidence, this acute realization, her true memories…Her hands flew to her heart. What have I done? Oh Treize…

She looked at the pair of glasses on the table beside her. With a swift motion, she swept it off, along with a pair of gloves and an empty glass. Une squeezed her fists. OZ…

A question came into her mind, a question that a cheeky girl in school had once asked her. " Principal Une, why do you have to wear those ugly glasses and tie your hair like that? Does it have something to do with your temper?"

She had took off her glasses and pretended to inspect her with a mock, stern look. " Because if I don't wear the glasses, I can't see your prettiness."

 Lady Une made a vow never to wear those glasses again.