FACING FATE By: Alithiel

Disclaimer: Yay! New update! It took me a while to think of this one, too, so I would like to apologize for the long wait. Sessha is sorry!!! Finally, some questions are answered. I'd like to thank KaT aka Mistress Shinigami for reviewing this story! Arigato!

Anyway, my humble self does not own GW, tho Brynn is mine.I think she probably would have fitted well into the actual series.If you want to borrow her, that's fine, but please ask first! Oh, and she doesn't like doing dishes either.

Loves!

Alithiel

Chapter 11: Truth and Consequences

"What's going on here?" Relena asked dazedly, looking up at the brightly glowing, golden haired girl standing before her.

Brynn merely gazed at the others in the room. Heero, Relena, Duo, Trowa, and Catherine were seated at the library table, their eyes fixed on the glowing white figure standing beside the fireplace. "Have you ever heard of the legend of Zero?"

Duo crossed himself. "It's about evil magic!" He said piously.

"Nonsense!" Catherine scoffed. "It's good magic!"

Brynn smiled. "The legend of Zero starts with a great war. Many thousands of years ago, an empire learned to wield evil magic to great effect. They used their ability to conquer the neighboring nations, forcing them to accept the rulership of this evil place. However, there was born nine children, each with great magical power. This power was called Zero."

Heero interrupted. "How do you know all this.?"

"It's my Legacy." Brynn replied simply, moving toward the window. "It has been the responsibility of my ancestors to guard the tale." She cleared her throat. "Of course, the nine families were scattered, one not knowing about the other. That's when the Illiaria was born, the youngest."

"Illiaria?" Trowa murmured to himself.

"One who searches for light. You see, each Zero has it's own element, and when combined they create the spectrum, or white light. For example."

Brynn pointed to Catherine and Trowa.

"You Catherine, posses the Zero of Nature, showing power over plants and living creatures, with the ability to be very resilient. Your color is deep green. Trowa, you posses the Zero of Water, which means power over liquid water and the tide. Water gives you compassion, and you're color is light blue."

She turned her attention to Duo. "Whether you like it or not, you posses the Zero of Wind, the swiftest of the elements. You're color is light green, and your speed is your attribute."

Her attention shifted to the two remaining occupants. "Heero, you are the Zero of Earth. You posses power over the very stones, and the compulsion to protect everyone around you. Orange is your color. Relena.you posses the Zero of Love."

"Love?" The princess said in surprise.

"Love is not an element as much as a state of mind. Compassion, mercy, this is all part of it.very strong indeed. The very spirit of human gentleness. You're color is pink."

Relena made a face. "Figures."

Everyone laughed at that. Even Brynn laughed. Then, her face turned somber as she took up her tale again.

"The original nine were brought together by the Illiaria, and were able to defeat the great evil, or seal it away. The time has come again, for the children of Zero to walk again. Another evil emerges."

Duo looked very pale. "So.who are we missing?"

"Fire, Ice, Thunder, and Light."

Heero stood and looked Brynn straight in the eye. The chilling, glacial blue of his eyes trapped her golden gaze. "That's nine. Which one are you, Illiaria?"

She couldn't help but smile at his keen observance. "Very good. Actually, I'm the Zero of Ether. (A: Ether Bunny! Hahaha!!) Ether is the element of the stars, and its color is white. And my ability."

Brynn smirked.

"Well, you could say pure power.anyway, since my element encompasses all elements, that's why I was able to find everyone."

"But that doesn't explain why we weren't able to see this aura before." Relena murmured half to herself.

"That's because there was not enough in one place. Just wait until the other three get here. Then you'll be able to see your spirit forms as well."

Duo groaned, smacking his head. "Wonderful."

Trowa spoke for the first time. "So.is this passed down through blood, this Zero.?"

Brynn shook her head. "Nay. It is a random occurrence. Though.." She paused. "The Illiaria is passed down, and with it the power of Ether."

"So you're the exception?" Catherine piped.

"Aye, I am."

Relena made a wry face. "Dear Catherine, there's ALWAYS an exception."

* * * * *

The tent was dimly lit as Wufei and Sally entered it. Their host was in the lead, bearing a small torch made of sweet smelling wood. Quatre indicated a plain, collapsible wooden table in the middle of the small tent, on which something large rested, covered in a rough wool blanket.

Quatre placed his torch in an iron bracket attached to the tentpost. "Under that blanket is one of the men we fought. Though it was a while ago, his body shows no sign of decay."

Sally placed her hand on the cover, pulling it away. Wufei stared at the body beneath, the body of a tall man, not too old, looking as if he were sleeping. He shuddered, making a sign against evil.

"The very air hangs thick with evil magic.be careful!" He instructed Sally. The Chinese woman was already deep in her investigation of his body. When she rolled his eye open with her finger, she let out a gasp of horror.

"Look at this!"

Wufei and Quatre moved closer. Even in the dimness of the tent, it could be seen that the white of the dead man's eye had turned a brilliant green color. Since the man had had blue eyes, the effect as rather eerie. Sally shuddered as she shut the eye again, then turned toward their host.

"You said that once their leader was killed, they all died?" She asked shakily. Wufei laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder and was rewarded with a smile. At Quatres' nod, she continued. 'There is obviously something magical at work here. Nothing in my experience is like this! I've never seen anything like it."

Wufei was staring at the body. "What's that?"

"What?" Sally asked, looking where he indicated. "There seems to be something lodged in his neck."

Quatre produced a wickedly sharp dagger from the top of his boot, handing it across his arm to Sally. She took it gladly, careful not to slice herself, then knelt beside the table, carefully turning the corpse's head. She scraped away at the skin, then removed something from the flesh of his neck.

"It's a.Woah!"

Instantly, a horrifying stench filled the tent. With a yelp of surprise, she leaped back from the table, watching in awe as the body dissolved instantly into dust.

"What.happened?" Quatre murmured under his breath, shocked eyes looking at where the body once was. Wufei did not answer, instead turning to his companion. "What did you pull out, onna?"

Sally held her hand out, disgust crossing her face. On her palm rested a tiny sliver of green stone.

* * * * * Relena sat in her room, brushing out her long honey-colored hair. The candlelight shimmered on the golden strands and on her silken nightgown. In light of recent developments, she and Heero ad agreed not t see one another for tonight. She lay the brush down with a sigh, looking in her mirror at her reflection. Even in the mirror she could see the faint glow of pink light surrounding herself, faint but present. She sighed again. Even though Brynn had disguised their auras a little, she had also said that there was no way to hide it completely.

Brynn had pulled her to the side after answering more questions. 'Relena,' she had began, looking incredibly serious, "I feel you should know that it's normal to hold feeling for Heero. The Zero has always come in pairs, and Earth and Love have always been together."

Relena blushed, rising from the vanity. Of course she had feelings for Heero! They.

A loud knock sounded in her room. Startled, she looked at the bookshelf, where the noise had come from. There were two more knocks, then one, and then three. Relena knew there was a secret passage behind the shelf, so she approached it.

"Who's there?" She whispered.

A muffled voice replied. "The violet that flowers underwater. And you?"

Recognition dawned. Relena couldn't help but laugh as she gave the countersign and slid the bookcase open. "The rose that blooms in winter!"

A short, cloaked figure stepped out from the dark passage. Short black hair stuck out in all directions from beneath a slouch cap. Relena joyously embraced her friend.

"Hilde!"

Hilde grinned as she swept her cape off and gave he longtime friend a fierce hug. "Glad you remembered the." she stopped speaking suddenly, arching a brow at her. "Relena? Are you GLOWING?"

Relena gasped, taking a closer look at Hilde. She was glowing purple!

"Oh, no."

~~~~

"I see." Hilde murmured, looking into the fireplace.

She and Relena had been speaking for about an hour. Her friend had tried her best to explain what was going on, and was doing a very good job of it, but for every answer a thousand more would arise.

"So.I am one of these Zeros you're talking about.?" Hilde asked quietly, looking down at her hands folded in her lap. Even she could see the glow now.

Relena nodded. "Apparently.otherwise, why would you be glowing?"

"I understand what you're saying.but which one am I?"

"Thunder." A voice from the doorway replied. Both Relena and Hilde spun around in their chairs.

"Possessed of great strength and the quality of quick thinking. Color, purple." Brynn walked further into Relena's bedroom, her hair down from its usual braid and dressed in a white cloth nightgown.

"You!" Hilde gasped.

"So we meet again." Brynn smiled benignly.

"You.know one another?" Relena asked.

"Yes, however, Miss Hilde had to leave us."

'Us? You mean.Duo's here?" She jumped up from her seat anxiously, a look of anticipation in her eyes. "In this castle?"

"Yes.he came in with me: He's a Zero too."

"Which one??"

Brynn smiled. "Wind!"

Relena finally had enough. "What the HELL are you two talking about?!" She yelled. Brynn and Hilde looked at her in surprise. Then, to her utter shock and amazement, they began to laugh.

"Ah, Relena, such language!" Hilde laughed. "You're terrifying when you are angry!"

"Hilde, Duo and I traveled together for some time." Brynn offered in way of explanation. "However, Hilde was in disguise the whole time as a boy."

"Really." Relena murmured, arching a brow, anger subsiding. "This tale needs telling!"

~~~~

More time passed as the three women talked.

"I'm just happy I will be able to see Duo again.but I will not be able to tell him that it was I who traveled with him for so long." Hilde said quietly.

"At least you two will be able to work together, seeing as he's a Zero as well." Relena pointed out.

"That's correct, Hilde. But, maybe one day you will be able to tell him the story." Brynn said reassuringly. She then turned her attention to Relena. "Just so you know, the eventual relationship between Thunder and Wind is.the same as Earth and Love."

"Really? Are they all like that?" Relena asked.

"No. Light and Ether are always separate." A look of intense sadness passed over the Celtic woman's face, and then was gone.

Hilde looked puzzled. "What relationship?"

* * * * *

Alithiel~ Saa, all done!

Duo~ Whadaya mean, all done?! The guys were hardly in it!!!

Guys~ Yeah!

Alithiel~ Sorry, but I've been very depressed lately, and haven't had much motivation to write anything. You should be happy I wrote even this much.

Quatre~ But.

Trowa~ It's.

Wufei~ So.

Guys~ LITTLE!!!

Girls~ LAY OFF!!!

Alithiel~ Maa, maa, de gozaru yo! Please! I do not need the battle of the sexes here! This is a tiny fic!

All~ Gomen, Depressed One. *everyone bows*

Alithiel~ @.@x Oro..

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Alithiel