AN: Well, here it is, the first chapter of Twist of Fate. Good gods, it's one of the longest chapters I've ever written. ^^; About 7 pages I think. Which isn't very long I guess. I'll try and make them longer but I can't guarantee anything. Dedications? Well, this chapter is dedicated to angel, the very FIRST REVIEWER of this story. So, CONGRATS angel, this chapter's for you!
to SailorKagome: hey! Looks like you found my fic again! …I know, I've restarted it again…but glad you reviewed again, arigatou!
to Sadie Joyce – Myst Lady: ano…what's a Usagifreak?
Twist of Fate
by
Iris
Silent, she drove determinedly down the shadowed road, running one blue-gloved hand briefly through her silvery-blonde locks. Outside of her comfortably warm car, snow fell thickly, rapidly covering the road in a smooth, unblemished layer of white. Unblemished that is, until her car flattened it and left behind matching tracks of crushed snow crystals. Crystal blue eyes misted over as her mind recalled a certain loud-mouthed, violet-eyed, braided baka. The same person she was driving through a storm to, hopefully, meet again.
**I can feel the magic floating in the air**
**Being with you gets me that way**
She had met him almost exactly a year ago, during her first venture out of the hospital since the murder. The murder that had left her whole family (she learned later on that it was actually just her foster family, she had been found on the streets by the Tsukinos) dead. The doctors had hastened to assure her that it was very common to have amnesia when one had seen their family murdered right before their eyes. They had filled her in on all the essentials, her name, age, and, approximately, her date of birth. The last thing she remembered was being picked up by a police car along the highway before blacking out.
And so, the doctors had suggested a small vacation. Something to calm her mind, relax it before she started a new life or picked up the threads of her old one. And, having nothing better to do, she had complied. The doctors had helped her choose a small, isolated ski resort on the slopes of Mt. Fuji. A nice and quiet place to rejuvenate. And it was there that she had met the love of her life.
**I watch the sunlight dance across your face and I've**
**Never been this swept away**
Love came in the form of a smiling, cheeky, annoying, 16-year-old boy named Duo Maxwell. Their very abrupt meeting occurred during her last days at the resort when he came running down the hallway screaming bloody murder. She had been walking the opposite way when he crashed into her. And, since their meeting, he had followed her around, babbling about all sorts of things. Every passing minute, he seemed to pry away another layer that she had placed around her heart.
In the end, they had fallen in love.
But then he had had to leave in the middle of the night for some unknown reason. Only stopping long enough to kiss good-bye.
**All my thoughts seem to settle on the breeze**
**When I'm lying wrapped up in your arms**
She was jerked out of her memories when she was forced to slam on the brakes as a deer hopped across the road. It froze in her headlights and she cursed extravagantly. Honking her horn aggressively, she managed to startle away the poor thing; she probably scarred it for life too.
Just around a turn, she spotted the lights of the mansion she was looking for. Rumor had it that there were now five cute guys living there. Apparently, they had been there for short periods in the past but they always left after a couple weeks or even days.
She bit her lip nervously as she pulled into the driveway. What would she do if this wasn't the group she was looking for? She could hardly say, "Oops, wrong house."
Her thoughts were once again brought to a stop as she turned off the engine of her car and stepped out. Nervously, she made her way along the walkway. Pausing with each step as she considered turning around and running away. She paused at the front door and took a deep breath. She was just about to ring the doorbell when someone from inside pulled the door open. Blinking owlishly in the bright light that had just flooded the doorstep, she tried to make out just who had opened the door.
"Ne, Q-man, I think you're wrong." a hauntingly familiar voice spoke, its owner's head turned to look over their shoulder, "I highly doubt that those fakes would be out in this type of weather. They would be too busy painting their nails in the safety of. their. ho. us. e..."
The speaker finished haltingly as dark violet eyes met with crystalline blue ones and finally took in exactly who was standing outside in the ankle-deep snow. He blinked once. Twice. Three times.
"U-Usagi?" he choked out, eyes wide with surprise.
"Long time no see, ne, Duo?" Usagi whispered softly, smiling timidly.
"Y-y-yeah..." Duo answered shakily, gripping the doorframe so hard that his knuckles turned white, "Long time no see..."
Silence settled around the two as they stood there, simply taking in each others appearance. Suddenly, Duo stepped out of the doorway and enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug that Usagi tentatively returned, burying her head into his chest and just simply listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart.
**The whole world just fades away**
**The only thing I hear**
**Is the beating of your heart**
"I missed you." Usagi breathed, her voice muffled against his shirt.
"I missed you too." Duo whispered, kissing the top of her head as he inhaled the scent of shampoo and flowers that always seemed to hang around her.
"But I missed you more." Usagi mumbled as she commited the sweet smell of chocolate, which was definitely Duo, to memory.
And they just stood like that in the snow. Hugging each other so tightly that they were practically melded together. Two lovers under the cloudy, snow-filled sky. Like a fairy tale.
**'Cause I can feel you breathe**
**It's washing over me**
**Suddenly I'm melting into you**
A light cough from inside the house startled the two lovebirds and they simultaneously turned to see who was there. Duo cocked an eyebrow as he spotted the furiously blushing Arabian boy. Usagi smiled brightly and stepped out of Duo's embrace to greet the new comer.
"It's nice to see you again, Quatre." Usagi said cheerfully, crystal blue eyes sparkling with delight.
"And it's nice to see you again too, Usagi-san." Quatre said, stepping out of her way and gesturing towards the house behind him, "You're welcome to come in any time you like. Unless you prefer to stand outside in the snow."
Usagi laughed delightedly, a sweet tinkling sound that swept through the entrance as she stepped inside, "I think I'll accept your offer. Although the latter is very tempting."
She shed her light blue winter coat and hung it on the coat rack by the door. Underneath she wore a pale silver turtle neck with silky black pants. And, for the very first time, Duo glimpsed a silver, heart-shaped locket suspended from her neck by a delicate, silver chain.
She turned around, knee-length hair swirling around her legs. Frowning, she tugged a hair-tie off of her wrist; with a few quick movements, she fastened her hair into a ponytail. Smiling, she beckoned for Duo to hurry up and enter before shutting the front door after him.
"I see you haven't changed a bit." Usagi said, giving him the once over, eyes sparkling.
Duo shrugged, "What can I say? I'm not a changeable kind of guy."
He still wore his predominately black outfit. Only now, Usagi noted with narrowed eyes, he also wore a silver cross from his neck.
"Ne, D-chan, where did you get that?" Usagi questioned, her mind running around in circles as it panicked, could he have moved on?
Duo's smile was sad, but his violet eyes were troubled when he answered, "It opens something I gave away a long time ago. A locket I gave to a friend."
Usagi nodded, somewhat relieved, but there was something about that cross that just sparked something in her head, giving up on that particular train of thought, she spoke, "How's your friend?"
"Dead."
Usagi froze, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to..."
Duo shrugged for the second time in five minutes, "You didn't know. It's not your fault. Let's get going."
**There's nothing left to prove**
**Baby all we need is just to be**
"So, where to?" Usagi questioned, dropping the subject without questioning further.
"We just...uh...go right. No wait, it's left and then right. Or is it right and then left?" Duo muttered.
"Well we could just, you know, follow Quatre." Usagi said, as she spotted the blonde boy coming back towards them, obviously realizing that they hadn't been following him.
"Yeah! Let's do that." Duo said cheerfully, running up to Quatre and slapping him on the back, "How ya been, Q-man?"
In the background, Usagi sweat dropped.
o.O
Half an hour later found Usagi sitting with Duo on a plush red loveseat in one of the many rooms in Quatre's mansion. She was curled up next to him, snuggling into the loveseat while Duo threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Pausing in the rapid stream of words flowing out of her mouth, she looked up at him and smiled brilliantly. Duo decided then and there that he couldn't get enough of that smile.
"So, enough about what I've been up to, what have you been doing this past year?" Usagi questioned, looking at Duo expectantly.
Duo froze and the room suddenly grew tense as even Hiiro looked up from his laptop to gaze steadily at the couple sitting in front of the fire. Silence reigned for a few brief moments as Usagi waited for her answer.
"Ne, D-chan? Is there something wrong?" Usagi pressed, unknowingly, she had touched a very sensitive subject to the five warriors.
"Eh, no. There's nothing wrong." Duo forced his body to relax and some of the tension dissipated from the atmosphere, "We've been, you know, just wandering around the globe. Been to the colonies and back. Visiting some of Quatre's mansions, you know. We have to check how they're doing every once in a while. Really, we haven't been up to much."
Usagi nodded, mentally frowning at Duo's odd behavior. Shrugging and deciding to worry about it later, she rested her head on his chest and yawned.
Quatre exchanged an uneasy glance with Duo before picking up the thread of conversation that seemed to have died out, "Ano, Usagi-chan, it's getting late. Rather then having you drive all the way back, why don't you just stay here tonight? I'm sure Duo wouldn't mind."
Usagi nodded sleepily, "Yeah, sure why not..." she yawned again.
Duo grinned charmingly as he stood up, "May I have the pleasure of showing such a beautiful lady to the best room we have to offer?"
Usagi smiled in return, although hers was sleep-filled, "Flatterer." she giggled and allowed Duo to pick her up bridal style.
She snuggled into his chest as he strode out of the room, closing the door behind him.
**Caught up in the touch**
**The slow and steady rush**
**Baby, isn't that the way that love's supposed to be**
By the time Duo reached his room (he had decided to keep Usagi in sight for fear that she would disappear in the middle of the night), she was fast asleep. Resembling the picture of perfect innocence as she slept, oblivious to the world. Gently, he placed his precious burden on the king-size bed that took up almost half his room. She muttered something incoherent in her sleep as she squirmed around to get comfortable.
Duo observed the blonde lightly snoring on his bed. She looked so small, so pale against the stark black sheets of his bed. She really didn't even know who he really was. Duo Maxwell, Pilot 02, Gundam pilot of Deathscythe Hell, self-proclaimed Shinigami. She was his only real weakness. If Oz found out about their relationship...
Duo shook his head to clear out those thoughts, on the bed, Usagi shifted once again. And once more her silver locket was brought to his attention. The bed squeaked as he rested one knee on it and leaned over Usagi's prone form to catch a hold of the swinging locket. Heart pounding, he fumbled with the cross hanging from his neck, taking it off after a few unsuccesful attempts. He gently ran a fingernail over the sides of the locket and found the small irregularity he had been looking for. Mouth dry, he inserted the cross into the barely noticeable key hole. Immediately, the locket fell open to reveal a small picture.
A picture of a younger him hugging a younger Usagi from behind. In the background, he could clearly make out the Maxwell Church.
Beneath him, Usagi continued to sleep, unknowing.
**I can feel you breathe**
**Just breathe**
--flashback--
"Hello?" a soft voice questioned, "Anyone under there?"
A rustling of leaves and a small girl emerged in the small shelter of the weeping willow. Leaning against the tree trunk was a five-year-old boy by the name of Duo, just Duo. He glared at the intrusion, all defenses snapping in place in an instant.
"What do you want?" he snarled.
The blue-eyed girl glared right back, "You don't have to be so rude. I just wanted to know your name since you're obviously new around here and I've never seen you before."
His name? Whatever did she want that for? No one else bothered to learn his name. Instead, they picked on him, his chestnut braid, his weird priests' clothes, his strange eye color, the lack of a last name, anything they deemed picking-on-worthy. His eyes narrowed, was this a new trick that they had thought up?
"Why do you want to know?" Duo growled.
The strange girl frowned at him, "I know the other kids have been picking on you but that gives you no reason to be so mean. My name's Usagi. Usagi Aiko."
Duo sighed inwardly, there's was nothing to lose, so why not?
"Duo. Just Duo."
Usagi smiled warmly, "Hi, Duo. Would you mind if I just called you D-chan?"
**In a way I know my heart is waking up**
**As all the walls come tumbling down**
"Whatever suits you." Duo answered, shrugging as he turned to look in the opposite direction.
--flash--
"D-chan, guess what?! Guess what?!" Usagi shrieked bouncing into the small garden behind the Maxwell Church.
"What?" Duo asked, hopping down from the tree he had been sitting in.
"I'm five! I'm five today!" Usagi bubbled, plopping herself down next to the braided boy.
Duo grinned and produced a small, wrapped box, "I know you're five. That's why I got you a present."
Usagi's crystal blue eyes lit up as she pounced on the present and tore off the wrapping paper. Inside was a small white box that she quickly opened. Her eyes shone with childish delight as she carefully lifted a silver locket out of the box.
"Wow, it's so pretty." she breathed, holding it up to admire it in the sun.
"Yeah, it is isn't it? And look," Duo took a silver cross off of his neck and took the locket from Usagi's hands, "if I insert this here, it opens up and reveals a picture of me and you. Cool, huh?"
Usagi nodded enthusiastically as she examined the miniscule picture inside the locket, "This is the best birthday present ever."
Duo smiled, "And I'll always wear this cross so we'll always be connected. No matter what."
**I'm closer than I've ever felt before**
**And I know**
**And you know**
**There's no need for words right now**
Usagi brushed away the hair from her neck and fastened the necklace on her neck, her eyes glowing with happiness.
And that happiness made all the trouble getting this locket for her worth it. Just so he could see that glow in her eyes. His very first friend since Solo died.
We'll always be connected. No matter what.
--end flashback--
Duo clicked the locket close and stood up. He had thought she died that day back in the year AC 188. The day she had had the misfortune of coming into the church when soldiers were there. The day soldiers broke their promise and blew up the church even though he had stolen the mobile suit they wanted. The day OZ soldiers broke their promise. The day that had changed his life.
Yet here she was, alive. In the flesh. And right in front of him, sleeping on unawares. He would probably never know how she survived but he was glad that she did. He had counted her dead that day, along with the rest of the people in the Maxwell Church.
He clenched his fist, his nails biting into skin and leaving small crescent shaped marks. He would get revenge on Oz for doing that. For destroying his life.
Usagi stirred and cracked open one sleep-filled eye, "D-chan?"
Duo looked down at her and smiled, "Go back to sleep, Usa-chan. It's late."
Usagi nodded, already drifting off again, "You should get some...sleep...too..."
**'Cause I can feel you breathe**
**It's washing over me**
By the time she had fully fallen asleep again, Duo had calmed down. She had always had that effect on him. No matter how riled up he was, she would manage to calm him down.
As he left the room, he smiled sadly at her slumbering form. She didn't deserve to be mixed up in all of this. With Oz. With Gundams. With Gundam pilots. It just spelled trouble. For them both.
He closed the door gently behind him and almost bumped into Quatre.
"Duo, we have a mission tomorrow morning." Quatre said softly, glancing at the closed door, "We've decided that the best course of action is for you to stay behind while we go shopping for, uh, supplies. So she won't get to suspicious."
Duo shrugged, "Sure, I'm cool with that." his voice was flat and Quatre frowned at him.
"Okay then. Good night." Quatre turned to leave.
"She'll have to leave, won't she?" Duo's voice was barely hearable in the hallway but Quatre froze and then half-turned to face his friend.
"Hiiro's running it by the doctors." Quatre said hesitantly, "But yes, most likely she'll have to leave. I'm sorry, Duo."
Duo shrugged again, turning to enter his room, "You don't have to be sorry. It's fine. Being a Gundam pilot means no attachments. I understand that."
Duo ignored the sympathetic gaze that Quatre sent him. Instead, he entered his bedroom and closed the door firmly behind him. Once inside, he slowly made his way towards the bed and crawled in next to Usagi. She huddled closer to him, instinctively seeking him out in her sleep.
Duo wrapped his arms around the petite girl and closed his eyes, waiting for the sweet oblivion of sleep to overtake him.
**Suddenly I'm melting into you**
**There's nothing left to prove**
**Baby all we need is just to be**
"Gomen ne, Usa-chan." Duo whispered sadly, "You deserve so much better."
Usagi grunted in her sleep and turned over.
"You don't even know half of what you've gotten into." Duo continued, violet eyes opening to stare at the ceiling in the dark, "But I guess Hiiro would have to kill the both of us if you found out who we really were. You for just knowing and me for telling you. Hell, war ain't fair. Especially to the people fighting it and the people left behind."
Usagi mumbled something and curled into a ball next to him. Duo glanced down to make sure she was still asleep. He smiled affectionately and brushed away a tendril of hair that had fallen into her face.
**Caught up in the touch**
**The slow and steady rush**
**Baby, isn't that the way that love's supposed to be**
"And I hate it. I hate the war. Hate Oz. Hate mobile suits. And, at times, I hate being a Gundam pilot. Not all the time, but at the moment, I do, more than anything because I'll have to leave you because of it. Like I told Quatre, being a Gundam pilot means no attachments. Attachments like you can get a soldier killed. They say all's fair in love and war. And it's true. Men talk about honor and all the crap, but being a soldier means having next to no honor. You have to do anything and everything to survive. And Oz'll do anything to get at us pilots. Anything. Even torturing innocents. Like you."
Duo sighed and closed his eyes again, "And that's why I'll have to leave you. And I'll have to do it like I did last time on Mt. Fuji. No explanations, just a quick good-bye, and maybe not even that this time. And it'll break your heart. And doing that will break mine."
**I can feel you breathe**
**Just breathe**
And then the thoughtless oblivion of sleep claimed him, evening out his breathing and heartbeat.
**I can feel the magic floating in the air**
**Being with you gets me that way**
Next to him, crystal blue eyes snapped open.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon.