FACING FATE
By: Alithiel
Disclaimer: Hi, and here I am again, updating my story! YAY! Anyway, sorry for the long wait, but I've been thinking about other anime lately and haven't much been working on this story.gomen nasai! Super Thanx to Mlaine, KaT aka Mistress Shinigami, and GoldenRat for reviewing. I love you guys! And I hope more of you read this...I like this story and hope you do to!
NOTE: I realized (after I updated) that I had left out an important plot point of this chapter that I had planned on putting in, so I'm going to repost it. I'd like to thank GoldenRat again for pointing it out. (lots of p-p's in that last bit...)
Thanx again!
Alithiel
Chapter 13: The True War
He was running after her. She could feel the breeze of his aura.
Hilde ran through the winding halls of the castle, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and the impossibly gorgeous man pursuing her. People looked at her curiously as she ran, as if she were running for her very life. Rounding a corner, she found herself faced with a massive suit of ancient armor.
A dead-end.
She whirled around just as Duo rounded the corner himself. His aura blazed bright green as he walked slowly toward her, the violet of his eyes snapping with frustration.
"Who are you?" He demanded. "Why did you run?"
"I..." Hilde stammered, unable to answer for lack of breath.
Duo grabbed her arm, giving her a slight shake. A tiny bag dropped from beneath her skirt to land with a clatter on the stone floor.
"Oh, I see." He said, bending down but not letting go of her arm, retrieving the black velvet pouch from the ground. The accusatory tone of his voice made her wince. "So you are a thief."
"Let me go!" Hilde pleaded, tears in her eyes. "Please, don't open it!"
"Why should I not?" Duo asked, letting go of her just for a moment so he could open the bag. Glancing inside, his eyes widened, and he looked up at her with a strangely fearful expression.
"What...is this?" He asked as he pulled out a piece of blue and white swirled glass. With a sigh, Hilde slumped to the floor. There was no use to hiding now...
"Duo. It is exactly what you think it is. It is a piece from the monastery window, the piece you gave me." She gazed up at him with pained eyes. "I am Hildain. Your traveling companion."
"No." He said as he backed away. But it explained so many things. Hildain's compulsion to bathe alone, the faraway expression. Duo's feeling of want. Tears ran down Hilde's face, the pain in her causing her aura to crackle. He could see the truth, and unbelievable despair, in her eyes.
Duo dropped to the floor. Betrayal stung his eyes with bitter tears, but at the same time he felt relieved. To think he had been traveling this whole time with a woman and had never noticed... "So you...Hilde Shbeiker, are one in the same as Hildain? The young man I traveled with for so long?"
She nodded.
Duo reached out slowly, brushing callused fingers against the side of her face, watching as her eyes fluttered shut. Some part of him should have been suspicious, but in his heart he knew her words were true, that she was indeed Hildain.
A sudden thought occurred to him. "Brynn knew."
A nod. "She did. Only she could see through my disguise. She wanted me to tell you myself but..."
Duo rose to his feet, offering his hand to the dark haired young woman on the floor. "Come, let us go speak to her."
"You're not angry?" Hilde asked uncertainly as she timidly took his hand.
"Not as angry as I thought I would be." He laughed a little, wondering WHY he wasn't mad, leading her toward the great hall.
* * * * *
Zechs dismounted just outside the city gates, pausing long enough to help Noin down from her nearly spent horse. They took just a short moment to gulp lungfuls of cold air, before blending in with the milling crowd entering the walled city, passing by the guards unnoticed. They made their way down the busy street, leading their horses, till they arrived at 'The Peacemillion' tavern. Run by the Taurus Knights of Cinq, the establishment was often used as a resting-place for those on the run. Zechs pounded on the heavy wooden gate twice, paused, then pounded four more times. A small eyehole in the gate snapped open.
"Who begs entrance?" A voice, roughened by ale, demanded.
"Those who flee the balance." He responded, giving the proper countersign. Immediately the gate opened, and the pair was ushered inside the courtyard. The gatekeeper nodded at them before returning to his shack by the gates.
A stableboy of about fifteen took the reins of their tired beasts, earning a silver piece for his trouble. Moments later the proprietor of the tavern approached them.
"I like to see the faces of those in my tavern." He said shortly, looking pointedly at Zechs' mask.
"As is only reasonable, Howard." He replied with a slight laugh as he took off his silver mask. Howard blinked for a moment, and he heard Noin begin to snicker.
"Milliardo? It can't be. But there's no mistaking those eyes. It really is you!" Howard grinned widely, clapping Zechs on the shoulder. He nodded to Noin, then began to lead the two toward the building. "I see that the pair of you have survived the wrath of the Shadow Queen. Tell me, what news?"
"Ill news." Noin replied as they entered the building. Significantly cleaner and far less crowded than the normal public taverns, The Peacemillion served a far more exclusive clientele. "She's armed her soldiers with some strange stone the likes of which I've never seen. We fought a few of the soldiers on our way here."
Zechs took a seat on one of the rough wooden chairs, stretching his long legs beneath the table. "They fight like men possessed, soundless. Their strength is formidable."
Howard looked thoughtfully toward the fire blazing in the large hearth. "I see. So, is their any hope for us?"
"Perhaps...tell me, what news of my younger sister?"
"Relena ruled with a kind hand, Milliardo. She's gathering allies even as we speak."
"Truly?" Noin said. "That is a relief."
Howard sat at the only remaining place at the small table, resting his elbows on the countertop. "One of my soldiers, Ken Hidaka, has been watching the gates. A large group of desert warriors have joined her contingent only today."
"Ah, tat would be the Maguanac." Zechs said with a slight smile. "I had the supreme honor of fighting with them not to long ago, and was properly schooled in the art of accepting defeat."
"I see." Howard rose from where he had been sitting. 'Well, I suppose I should be getting you some food, correct?"
"Yes!" Noin and Zechs said in unison, eliciting a laugh from the proprietor.
"Just wait here, then. I will be back."
* * * * *
The doors to the council chamber opened.
Brynn, Quatre, Wufei and Sally entered the large room, drawing the immediate attention of the other four people within. As they made eye contact, a side door opened, and two additional people entered.
All hell broke loose. Colorful, flashing lights laced with electricity exploded around the room, and the potted tree in the corner sprouted into flower out of season, turned the colors of fall, dropped its leaves and began again. The shuttered windows slammed open, freezing wind and snow roaring inside. The fire in the hearth exploded into brighter flame, as the stone floor began to tremble, and the small fountain in one corner of the room began to overflow.
"STOP!" A commanding voice yelled over the elemental din and screams.
Silence fell. As the dust began to settle, Quatre could see Brynn standing calmly in the center of the room. Her white aura blazed calmly in the midst of the chaos. He swept his aqua eyes over the other people in the room. Multicolored auras filled his sight.
"What the Hell just happened?" A braided man glowing bright green demanded.
"The Meeting of Elements." Brynn replied quietly. A young woman with golden hair, shining with rosy light, approached the group by the door. Her pale blue eyes took them in calmly.
"You must be the other three Zeros, am I correct?" She curtsied. "I am Princess Relena Dorlain-Peacecraft. I welcome you to Cinq Kingdom." Then, Relena turned to Brynn. "As our good Sir Duo inquired before, what the Hell is going on?"
Stunned silence filled the room for a moment, then exploded with laughter. Wufei and Sally looked around with slightly fearful expressions on their faces as one of the women, glowing dark green, approached them. She smiled comfortingly as she took Sally's arm, gently pulling her into the room.
"We have much to discuss." Catherine said quietly to Sally as she led her to the large table. "Do not fear anything you hear."
Meanwhile, Duo walked up to Brynn. "Why didn't you tell me...?" He demanded, hurt apparent in his eyes.
Brynn smiled gently at Duo, sadness in her golden eyes as she rested her hand on his shoulder. "She needed to tell you herself. I know it hurts you, but you must trust her, throughout everything. Think of the pain she endured by hiding this secret from you."
"But liars and decievers do not sit well with me.why is it that I feel anger, but not hatred toward her?" The seeress smiled in answer, squeezing his shoulder in reassurance.
"That is because, wether you like it or not, the two of you are irrevocably bonded to each other. That is a bond not even deception can break."
Duo pondered this for a moment. Bonded...that he could understand. But did the seeress mean the bond created by the elemental Zeros, or a bond of a completely different origin? The braided man nodded in understanding, walking back over to the other side of the room, where Hilde stood waiting.
He cleared his throat before beginning. "I can't say that I am not angry. Deception does not sit well with me." Hilde's face fell. "But, I am willing to start over, thought you must realize that I am doing this for everyone's benefit, not yours or mine only. You understand that you are going to have to re-earn my trust, don't you?"
Hilde bit her lip and nodded. "So you are still angry."
"Angry or not, for the good of all we must get past this. And the best way to do so is to begin again." He held out his hand, a carefree grin spreading across his face. "I'm Duo Maxwell. What's your name?"
Hilde took a deep breath as she placed her hand in his. "I am Hilde Shbeiker. It is an honor to meet you at last."
Duo laughed as he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. 'The pleasure is mine."
* * * * *
Alithiel~ Yay! Another chapter complete.
Duo~ I can't believe you're not done! You've been working on this story for over a year!
Wufei~ And it still doesn't have a plot.
Alithiel~ *catches Wufei's shoes on fire*
Wufei~ Hothothothothothotothothot!!!!!!!!!!
Sally~ *watches Wufei dance around* She's learned a new trick, I see.
Relena~ Sheesh. :P
Quatre~ Remind me not to piss her off...
Alithiel~ ANYWAY...read and review, please. I hope you like this chapter! Ja-ne!
Trowa~ ///.- *puts out Wufei's shoes with fire extinguisher*
By: Alithiel
Disclaimer: Hi, and here I am again, updating my story! YAY! Anyway, sorry for the long wait, but I've been thinking about other anime lately and haven't much been working on this story.gomen nasai! Super Thanx to Mlaine, KaT aka Mistress Shinigami, and GoldenRat for reviewing. I love you guys! And I hope more of you read this...I like this story and hope you do to!
NOTE: I realized (after I updated) that I had left out an important plot point of this chapter that I had planned on putting in, so I'm going to repost it. I'd like to thank GoldenRat again for pointing it out. (lots of p-p's in that last bit...)
Thanx again!
Alithiel
Chapter 13: The True War
He was running after her. She could feel the breeze of his aura.
Hilde ran through the winding halls of the castle, trying to put as much distance as possible between herself and the impossibly gorgeous man pursuing her. People looked at her curiously as she ran, as if she were running for her very life. Rounding a corner, she found herself faced with a massive suit of ancient armor.
A dead-end.
She whirled around just as Duo rounded the corner himself. His aura blazed bright green as he walked slowly toward her, the violet of his eyes snapping with frustration.
"Who are you?" He demanded. "Why did you run?"
"I..." Hilde stammered, unable to answer for lack of breath.
Duo grabbed her arm, giving her a slight shake. A tiny bag dropped from beneath her skirt to land with a clatter on the stone floor.
"Oh, I see." He said, bending down but not letting go of her arm, retrieving the black velvet pouch from the ground. The accusatory tone of his voice made her wince. "So you are a thief."
"Let me go!" Hilde pleaded, tears in her eyes. "Please, don't open it!"
"Why should I not?" Duo asked, letting go of her just for a moment so he could open the bag. Glancing inside, his eyes widened, and he looked up at her with a strangely fearful expression.
"What...is this?" He asked as he pulled out a piece of blue and white swirled glass. With a sigh, Hilde slumped to the floor. There was no use to hiding now...
"Duo. It is exactly what you think it is. It is a piece from the monastery window, the piece you gave me." She gazed up at him with pained eyes. "I am Hildain. Your traveling companion."
"No." He said as he backed away. But it explained so many things. Hildain's compulsion to bathe alone, the faraway expression. Duo's feeling of want. Tears ran down Hilde's face, the pain in her causing her aura to crackle. He could see the truth, and unbelievable despair, in her eyes.
Duo dropped to the floor. Betrayal stung his eyes with bitter tears, but at the same time he felt relieved. To think he had been traveling this whole time with a woman and had never noticed... "So you...Hilde Shbeiker, are one in the same as Hildain? The young man I traveled with for so long?"
She nodded.
Duo reached out slowly, brushing callused fingers against the side of her face, watching as her eyes fluttered shut. Some part of him should have been suspicious, but in his heart he knew her words were true, that she was indeed Hildain.
A sudden thought occurred to him. "Brynn knew."
A nod. "She did. Only she could see through my disguise. She wanted me to tell you myself but..."
Duo rose to his feet, offering his hand to the dark haired young woman on the floor. "Come, let us go speak to her."
"You're not angry?" Hilde asked uncertainly as she timidly took his hand.
"Not as angry as I thought I would be." He laughed a little, wondering WHY he wasn't mad, leading her toward the great hall.
* * * * *
Zechs dismounted just outside the city gates, pausing long enough to help Noin down from her nearly spent horse. They took just a short moment to gulp lungfuls of cold air, before blending in with the milling crowd entering the walled city, passing by the guards unnoticed. They made their way down the busy street, leading their horses, till they arrived at 'The Peacemillion' tavern. Run by the Taurus Knights of Cinq, the establishment was often used as a resting-place for those on the run. Zechs pounded on the heavy wooden gate twice, paused, then pounded four more times. A small eyehole in the gate snapped open.
"Who begs entrance?" A voice, roughened by ale, demanded.
"Those who flee the balance." He responded, giving the proper countersign. Immediately the gate opened, and the pair was ushered inside the courtyard. The gatekeeper nodded at them before returning to his shack by the gates.
A stableboy of about fifteen took the reins of their tired beasts, earning a silver piece for his trouble. Moments later the proprietor of the tavern approached them.
"I like to see the faces of those in my tavern." He said shortly, looking pointedly at Zechs' mask.
"As is only reasonable, Howard." He replied with a slight laugh as he took off his silver mask. Howard blinked for a moment, and he heard Noin begin to snicker.
"Milliardo? It can't be. But there's no mistaking those eyes. It really is you!" Howard grinned widely, clapping Zechs on the shoulder. He nodded to Noin, then began to lead the two toward the building. "I see that the pair of you have survived the wrath of the Shadow Queen. Tell me, what news?"
"Ill news." Noin replied as they entered the building. Significantly cleaner and far less crowded than the normal public taverns, The Peacemillion served a far more exclusive clientele. "She's armed her soldiers with some strange stone the likes of which I've never seen. We fought a few of the soldiers on our way here."
Zechs took a seat on one of the rough wooden chairs, stretching his long legs beneath the table. "They fight like men possessed, soundless. Their strength is formidable."
Howard looked thoughtfully toward the fire blazing in the large hearth. "I see. So, is their any hope for us?"
"Perhaps...tell me, what news of my younger sister?"
"Relena ruled with a kind hand, Milliardo. She's gathering allies even as we speak."
"Truly?" Noin said. "That is a relief."
Howard sat at the only remaining place at the small table, resting his elbows on the countertop. "One of my soldiers, Ken Hidaka, has been watching the gates. A large group of desert warriors have joined her contingent only today."
"Ah, tat would be the Maguanac." Zechs said with a slight smile. "I had the supreme honor of fighting with them not to long ago, and was properly schooled in the art of accepting defeat."
"I see." Howard rose from where he had been sitting. 'Well, I suppose I should be getting you some food, correct?"
"Yes!" Noin and Zechs said in unison, eliciting a laugh from the proprietor.
"Just wait here, then. I will be back."
* * * * *
The doors to the council chamber opened.
Brynn, Quatre, Wufei and Sally entered the large room, drawing the immediate attention of the other four people within. As they made eye contact, a side door opened, and two additional people entered.
All hell broke loose. Colorful, flashing lights laced with electricity exploded around the room, and the potted tree in the corner sprouted into flower out of season, turned the colors of fall, dropped its leaves and began again. The shuttered windows slammed open, freezing wind and snow roaring inside. The fire in the hearth exploded into brighter flame, as the stone floor began to tremble, and the small fountain in one corner of the room began to overflow.
"STOP!" A commanding voice yelled over the elemental din and screams.
Silence fell. As the dust began to settle, Quatre could see Brynn standing calmly in the center of the room. Her white aura blazed calmly in the midst of the chaos. He swept his aqua eyes over the other people in the room. Multicolored auras filled his sight.
"What the Hell just happened?" A braided man glowing bright green demanded.
"The Meeting of Elements." Brynn replied quietly. A young woman with golden hair, shining with rosy light, approached the group by the door. Her pale blue eyes took them in calmly.
"You must be the other three Zeros, am I correct?" She curtsied. "I am Princess Relena Dorlain-Peacecraft. I welcome you to Cinq Kingdom." Then, Relena turned to Brynn. "As our good Sir Duo inquired before, what the Hell is going on?"
Stunned silence filled the room for a moment, then exploded with laughter. Wufei and Sally looked around with slightly fearful expressions on their faces as one of the women, glowing dark green, approached them. She smiled comfortingly as she took Sally's arm, gently pulling her into the room.
"We have much to discuss." Catherine said quietly to Sally as she led her to the large table. "Do not fear anything you hear."
Meanwhile, Duo walked up to Brynn. "Why didn't you tell me...?" He demanded, hurt apparent in his eyes.
Brynn smiled gently at Duo, sadness in her golden eyes as she rested her hand on his shoulder. "She needed to tell you herself. I know it hurts you, but you must trust her, throughout everything. Think of the pain she endured by hiding this secret from you."
"But liars and decievers do not sit well with me.why is it that I feel anger, but not hatred toward her?" The seeress smiled in answer, squeezing his shoulder in reassurance.
"That is because, wether you like it or not, the two of you are irrevocably bonded to each other. That is a bond not even deception can break."
Duo pondered this for a moment. Bonded...that he could understand. But did the seeress mean the bond created by the elemental Zeros, or a bond of a completely different origin? The braided man nodded in understanding, walking back over to the other side of the room, where Hilde stood waiting.
He cleared his throat before beginning. "I can't say that I am not angry. Deception does not sit well with me." Hilde's face fell. "But, I am willing to start over, thought you must realize that I am doing this for everyone's benefit, not yours or mine only. You understand that you are going to have to re-earn my trust, don't you?"
Hilde bit her lip and nodded. "So you are still angry."
"Angry or not, for the good of all we must get past this. And the best way to do so is to begin again." He held out his hand, a carefree grin spreading across his face. "I'm Duo Maxwell. What's your name?"
Hilde took a deep breath as she placed her hand in his. "I am Hilde Shbeiker. It is an honor to meet you at last."
Duo laughed as he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow. 'The pleasure is mine."
* * * * *
Alithiel~ Yay! Another chapter complete.
Duo~ I can't believe you're not done! You've been working on this story for over a year!
Wufei~ And it still doesn't have a plot.
Alithiel~ *catches Wufei's shoes on fire*
Wufei~ Hothothothothothotothothot!!!!!!!!!!
Sally~ *watches Wufei dance around* She's learned a new trick, I see.
Relena~ Sheesh. :P
Quatre~ Remind me not to piss her off...
Alithiel~ ANYWAY...read and review, please. I hope you like this chapter! Ja-ne!
Trowa~ ///.- *puts out Wufei's shoes with fire extinguisher*
