Twist of Fate

by

Iris

            There she was, at the edge of a cliff, ready to take the smallest of steps and plunge to her sure death on the sharp rocks below. A raging storm swarmed around her night-gown clad figure, soaking the pure white silk and plastering it to her lithe body. If she didn't step off the cliff this night, she would die anyway from hyperthermia. Not that she really noticed the numbness setting into her bones, she was numb already, emotionally hollow you could say. She felt nothing, nothing at all. Her heart twisted inside her, the only reminder of the love she had experienced so briefly.

            Wild winds whipped around her, tugging at her sodden, silvery-blonde tresses. Pushing her, as if it urged her on towards the stormy sea below her. But she remained solidly planted on the slippery rock as she reflected on the past hours. A single tear slid down from crystalline blue eyes as her heart wrenched deep in her chest.

            He was gone. They had taken him away again. Like they had every other time. It was always the same. She found him. She loved him. And then they took him away. And now she found herself about to commit suicide again.

            "Why?" she lifted her face to the heavens, voice filled with all the pain and anguish that tore through her soul, "Why me? What did I ever do wrong? Why can't you just let me be HAPPY for once?"

            She received no answer. Thunder continued to rumble. Lightening continued to trace jagged lines of light. Winds continued to blow. Icy sheets of rain continued to pour.

            She laughed weakly, almost hysterically, "What did you expect?" she choked on her words as more tears welled up in her eyes, "That the whole entire heaven would say, 'Okay. We'll let you have him for once.'? Who are you kidding? It's just a waste of time. What do they care? I have to follow my chosen path. I can never leave it. That's it. End of story."

            "It's for the good of the world. You cannot be allowed to love him. It would change everything." the cold words came from behind her and she turned to face the elegant, graceful lady who owned that voice.

            Cold, emerald green eyes met her own blue ones unflinchingly. A pocket of dry air surrounded her, keeping the rain from soaking her deep blue kimono. Her ebony black hair was tightly rolled into an Oriental style bun; each dark curl left to frame her face was meticulously placed. All in all, she looked and played the part of a noble lady reared in Ancient Japan. Had she been mortal, this lady would have been in her early twenties. Since she was quite the opposite of a mortal, she was a little over two millennia.

            "But what about me? That's all very nice, the whole 'for the good of the world' thing, but what about what's good for me? Being tied to that...that...guy is not exactly my idea of an ideal life." she cried, flinging her arms out extravagantly.

            "That cannot be helped. The tapestry of life cannot and will not just bend to any person's will." the icy lady would have continued if she had not been interrupted.

            "Destiny..." a soft voice whispered, behind the lady a soft blue shimmer began to take shape.

            It solidified moments later into a lady that had her soft black hair pulled back into two short pigtails, giving her a childish quality despite her age. Though she was younger than Destiny by a couple hundred years, her sapphire eyes were those of one that had seen things mankind would never wish to see. Her silk kimono was made out of a deep green fabric, the color was much like the emerald shade of Destiny's eyes but it was a much warmer version of that color.

            "Fate." Destiny's voice was hard as she barely acknowledged her younger sister's presence, "I will not allow it to be done."

            Fate cast a sad glance towards the shivering girl in front of them before looking at her older sister, "But..." Fate glanced once again at the girl, "But, you know what'll happen."

            "That is her choice. Her decision. We will just take him away again."

            The girl regarded the arguing sisters, head cocked to one side as if in contemplation. Finally, she turned around, wet skirts flapping against bare legs as she once again faced the stormy waters. Startled by the new sound, Fate's head jerked up and her eyes widened in horror as they landed on the girl.

            "No!"

            Fate lunged for the girl, only to hit an invisible barrier and get thrown back.

            Silent, the girl closed her eyes, shutting the world out and wishing it could be that easy to shut out the pain resounding in her soul. And then---

            ---she stepped. Off the cliff, floating for a second, before plummeting down to her sure death below. The wind whistled around her as she fell, piping an eerie tune that would have shook any other mortal to the bone. As the rocks came rushing up to meet her, she hugged herself tightly, knowing that she would never rise from this life again.

            "No..."

            Fate stared blankly at the spot where, moments ago, a girl had once stood. Behind her, Destiny turned and vanished in a shimmer of green sparks. At the same time, the storm dissipated. The clouds clearing up as the first tentative rays of sun touched the cliff rocks. Slowly, Fate got up and walked unsteadily to the edge of the cliff.

            "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." tears clouded her vision as she stared blindly at the hollow shell below her.

            And then she made a promise. A promise to herself and the girl whose body lay shattered on the rocks below.

            "Next time will be different. Next time you'll have a chance."

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon.