Twist of Fate
by
Iris
Panting, Fate drew back from the loom, beads of sweat shining on her forehead. Before her, threads were rapidly re-shuttling themselves. Weaving together in an almost hypnotic dance as they changed the very future of the girl whose loom this was. Sitting back on her knees, Fate pondered the past of this girl. There had been flashes. Brilliant silver flashes that had kept even her from seeing what had really happened then. Three right? Three flashes in the girl's life before it changed drastically.
Suddenly apprehensive, Fate glanced behind herself and towards the door, sapphire eyes frantically skimming the shadows. She paled when one blotch of shadow separated from the rest and moved towards her.
"Fate." Destiny whispered, emerald eyes narrowed, "Do you know what you have done?" she hissed.
"It's just that...I mean...he's dead and...there's no harm in..." Fate stuttered, eyes quickly fastening again on the loom as her heart pounded loudly in her ears.
Destiny stopped right behind her and bent down so that her mouth was by Fate's ear as she continued to talk in soft tones, "No harm? You believe that there's no harm done?" Destiny breathed, eyes dark, "No harm in changing her future? No harm in moving her to a path not destined to be hers? Oh, of course there is no harm, right, Fate? Is that what you really believe?" Destiny spat venomously.
"I made a promise." Fate whispered shakily.
"What did you say?" Destiny spat, straightening up, "Repeat what you just said, imouto-chan."
"I made a promise." Fate said steadily, gaining more confidence, "I made a promise and I am honor-bound to keep that promise."
"Yes. You are." Destiny said circling Fate like she was the hunter and Fate, the prey, "Honor-bound to keep promises. For if people like us don't do it, who will? No one. That's who. But your promise was quite a foolish one, no? A promise made through emotion. Our job is too important to be influenced so easily by emotion."
Silence reigned for a few moments before Destiny continued.
"And because of that emotion, you did not see the greater plan. If you had looked closely, like I had, you would not have acted so rashly." Destiny knelt in front of the loom, next to Fate; carefully, she drew a black thread out of the air, a thread of shadow, "With each birth of one like us, a new seat is created. Or one of us gives up our seat or one of us dies. Six seats remain empty Fate. And six lives have just been changed because of you."
Fate's eyes widened in horror as Destiny leaned forward and inserted the shadow thread into the swarming mass of multi-colored ones, "No..."
"Yes." Destiny ground out, "Seeing how you've managed to destroy the best laid plans, this will have to do. Not even you or I will be able to read the test set out for them. And now that we've settled that, we have to settle you."
Fate stiffened and closed her eyes as the room began to shift and blend to show a different room altogether.
"You cannot be allowed to meddle anymore." Destiny said softly as the room around them settled to reveal a sort of metal cell, "You will remain suspended in space, in between worlds, until someone decides to release you. And that will not be anytime soon."
Coldness began to spread through Fate's veins and she began to fall forward but not before Destiny caught her. As her world began to fade, Fate could hear Destiny's last words to her.
"This is how it has to be, imouto-chan."
And the last words were spoken with love, not the bitterness from before.
o.O
Violet eyes flew open, squinting to adjust to the brilliant sun beams filling the room. Groaning, Duo sat up and glanced at his alarm clock. 9:47 AM. He blinked rapidly and looked at the red numbers again. 9:48 AM.
"Shit." Duo smacked his forehead with one hand, "I overslept! How come no one came to wake me up for the mission?!"
As his sleep-ridden mind processed what was going on, he jerked fully awake.
"No one came to wake me up..." Duo muttered as he blindly searched under his pillow for the gun he always kept there, "So, therefore, something must have happened."
He quickly checked the gun for bullets before slipping off of the bed, wincing as the bedsprings creaked loudly. He was halfway to his bedroom door when a small whimper froze him in mid-step. Spinning around, Duo searched for the source of the sound.
Usagi. And she seemed to be searching blindly, with her hand, for the source of warmth that had suddenly left the bed.
"Damn. I forgot. I'm not going this time." Duo sighed and moved back towards the bed with a groan.
Cautiously, he slid the gun back to its former place underneath his pillow, keeping one eye trained on Usagi in case she woke up and caught him with a weapon. But he needn't have worried, she was fast asleep and tossing fitfully as some dream or another clutched her in its grasp. Frowning, Duo noticed beads of sweat gathering on her forehead as she tossed and turned. His frown turned into a look of worry as she cried out in her sleep, her voice filled with distress.
"Hey, Usa-chan, wake up." Duo shook her prone form gently, but all he got was another distraught cry as she thrashed in his grip, "Usa-chan, wake up!"
~dream sequence~
Usagi shivered as an invisible breeze sent chills down her spine. She was surrounded by fog. Thick, damp, grey fog. It was everywhere. She couldn't get away from it. There was nothing around her but fog. Where was she?
"Hello?" she called, cursing herself when she noticed how shaky her voice was, "Hello? Is anyone here?"
There was no answer and she frowned before scanning the bleak landscape again. Her eyes filled with relief when she spotted a ghostly figure making its way through the fog. It was obviously a priestess, she could tell from the robes the raven-haired girl wore. And priestess' were supposed to help you, right?
"Excuse me?" Usagi waved frantically at the priestess as she made her way towards her, "Excuse me, but could you tell me where I am?"
Usagi's brow furrowed as she still received no reply from the figure that was moving steadily away from her. Sighing, she put on a burst of speed to reach the teenage girl.
"Hey, you," Usagi placed a hand on the girl's shoulder and pulled back sharply when she realized that her hand went straight through the priestess's body.
The figure appeared to have not noticed and, as Usagi watched, began to fade away until all that was left were a few wisps of grey mist.
"Oh. my. god." Usagi whispered, eyes wide with fright.
And as she whirled away, her eyes landed on another teenage girl. This time with short blue hair and carrying a bunch of books. She too seemed to be ignorant of Usagi's existence. A sudden breeze blew a patch of fog in front of her, obscuring the girl from view. Moments later, when the fog had cleared, the girl was gone.
"Oh. god. Ohgodohgodohgodohgod..."
Everywhere Usagi looked there were ghostly figures. Walking around. Seemingly unaware of Usagi as they walked around her. Her eyes darted over the landscape as more and more figures appeared.
"I think I liked it better when I was all alone." Usagi mumbled as she stood frozen on her spot.
Then an eerie whistling sound echoed throughout the 'world' and all the figures disappeared in patches of mist. Usagi paled as the whistling sound continued to echo around her. And then it stopped just as suddenly as it had started.
That's when the voices started.
"Serenity-"
"Bunny-"
"Princess-"
The names continued to sound around her as Usagi glanced around frantically. But there was no one. It was just her. And all the names...they were hers...from somewhere...a long time ago...
"Beloved-"
That scared her. That voice. Male. Uncaring. Insane.
And she jerked out of the trance she had previously been in. Acting on instinct alone, she flung her hands over her ears and began to run. Run as she never had before. But it didn't take long for her to realize that covering her ears was useless. The names continued to echo around her. In her head. In her mind.
'I'm going insane...'
She ran. And ran. And ran. She ran forever, it seemed. But then she slammed into something. A glasslike surface that wouldn't give. Apparently a transparent wall.
But she continued to run, parallel to the wall, there must be a door. Yes, there had to be a door. A door out of this realm of fog and shadow. Of course there was a door. Of course there was a way out.
Soon, however, too soon, she crashed into another wall. Now she was backed into a corner. She could hear them. The voices. They were getting closer. Along with the sounds of several footsteps. Pattering after her. Pattering towards her.
And then forms began to materialize in front of her. From the mist that had been there just moments before, came the ghostly figures from before. And now they saw her. There vacant eyes bore into hers as they called out to her. Each figure calling her by a different name. They reached towards her as she pressed herself as close as she could to the two walls behind her. She had to escape. Escape those grasping fingers. Pale, thin white fingers. Stretching towards her. Coming closer. Ever closer.
"No!" Usagi cried, more of a whimper actually, "Go away! Get away from me!"
"Bunny-"
"Hime-"
"Serenity-"
"Koibito-"
That voice again. The unloving one that called her using names reserved for lovers.
"Leave me alone!" Usagi was deathly pale now and she sunk slowly to the floor as the figures moved closer.
Fingers were now brushing her upturned face. Each touch sent shivers down her back.
"Buns-"
"Princess-"
"Bunn-"
"USA-CHAN!"
The name resounded through the shadowy realm and a golden light pierced through the grey sky. Life in this dark, dreary world. She-she knew that voice...
"D-Duo?" her eyes were trained on that beam of light, that beam of hope.
"USA-CHAN!"
It was him. Again. And everything was beginning to fade. The figures. The voices. The mist. Until all that was left was that light. That welcome, warm, comforting light.
"A-Arigato, D-chan." Usagi murmured as her eye lids slid close, "Doomo arigatou..."
~end dream sequence~
Her eyes flew open and she found herself staring into deep violet orbs filled with worry, "Duo?"
Duo hugged her fiercely, cradling her in his arms as he captured her lips briefly in his before breaking off the kiss a few moments later, "Don't you ever do that again, Usagi! Don't you ever scare me like that again! I-you didn't wake up. I couldn't wake you up. I thought, for a moment there, I thought-I thought I lost you."
Usagi burrowed deeper into his welcoming embrace, "I'm sorry." she murmured against the hollow of his throat, "I didn't mean to worry you."
"Just-just don't do it again, 'kay, Usa-chan?" Duo mumbled, kissing her one last time before releasing her.
By the time Usagi managed to banish the dream from her mind, she realized that Duo wasn't with her in the room. She glanced around frantically until she heard the sound of his shower running in the adjoining bathroom. Eyeing her surroundings nervously, she quietly padded towards the wooden desk in the corner of the bedroom and the pile of papers on it. Glancing around cautiously once more, she began to sift through the neatly stacked papers.
'Gundam pilot...' she thought as she rummaged through the papers, 'If he's really a Gundam pilot...then...then what will I do?'
She shoved that question away, she didn't have any proof...Duo's odd confession could have just been a hallucination. There was no way that the Duo she knew and loved was one of the most wanted people by Oz. The Gundam pilots killed ruthlessly in an attempt to ruin the peace that Oz had so painstakingly attained. Duo wasn't like that. Was he?
'Oh gods, please don't let it be true...'
Usagi was almost to the bottom of the pile when she found it. The picture. Duo had obviously taken it since he wasn't in the picture. But the rest of them were. Hiiro. Trowa. Quatre. Wufei. All of them were there...along with four Gundams.
"Oh. my. god." she whispered, her hand shaking, "He is...they are...Gundam pilots."
Just then, she heard the shower stop. Panicking, she stuffed the picture into her pocket and quickly placed the papers back. Then, she moved back towards the bed and was in the process of making it when Duo came out, dressed but still toweling his cascade of coppery hair. He grinned lopsidedly at her before turning to rummage through his closet. She had just finished when he turned around and handed her a dry towel and a set of clothes that, surprisingly, weren't his usual black outfit.
"Here, you can wear these until we get you some of Quatre's sisters' clothes." Duo explained as he gave her a gentle shove towards the bathroom, "Go on, I didn't use all the hot water."
Duo watched as Usagi closed the bathroom door behind her and locked it. He then pulled a black, elastic band from his pocket and began braiding his hair. A few minutes later, he finished and got off of the bed. He gave the room a once over, frowning when he saw the pile of papers on his desk slightly out of place. Glancing at the closed bathroom door, Duo shook his head. It couldn't have been Usagi. She wouldn't pry into things that she knew he didn't want her to.
Shrugging, he sauntered over the desk and went through the papers quickly. Placing some in front of others and taking some of them out and feeding them to the paper shredder. Once he reached the bottom, he frowned and went through them once more. He could have sworn he had a picture of the rest of the gang in there somewhere. Once again, he did not find it.
'That's odd.'
Frowning, he set the papers back on the desk, oh well, he would just have to look for it later. Maybe he had placed it somewhere else or Hiiro had found it and tossed it since it could 'give away their identities'. Duo snorted as he sat down in front of his laptop and rebooted it, Hiiro was so paranoid.
A few moments later, a small screen popped up requesting his name. Grinning, he typed in Shinigami and bent over so the computer could scan his retina.
-retina scan complete. loading personal settings for shinigami. loading...loading...loading...done. access granted.-
"Gotta love technology these days." Duo murmured as he opened up his Internet browser.
He had just logged in to his e-mail account when the bathroom door opened and Usagi trotted out, drying her hair in a manner that was similar to Duo's. Usagi smiled and pecked him on the cheek before turning to see what he was doing.
"Death threats from Wufei, D-chan?" Usagi eyed the screen, "Kisama, Maxwell. Shi ne, Maxwell. Injustice, Maxwell. Ne, Duo, how many pranks do you play on the poor guy?"
"Several over the course of the week." Duo looked up at her as she straightened.
Usagi's stomach growled and she looked at him sheepishly, "Ano..."
Duo smiled, "Let's eat breakfast."
Usagi blushed but obediently followed him out of the room.
o.O
Half an hour later in the kitchen found Usagi shoving Duo in a seat.
"Stay there and don't try to help this time, please."
Duo pouted, "I was just trying to help..."
"I know, but your help does more harm than good when it comes to cooking." Usagi said, amused, before she turned back to the stove.
For the fifth time that morning, she cracked eggs and poured the egg whites and yolk into a pan. She heard the chair scrape against the floor as Duo got up once more.
"Duo..." she warned.
"I know! I know!" Duo defended, "I'm just going to pour the orange juice. I can do that very well."
Usagi smiled as she set down two plates of scrambled eggs and toast. She took off the apron and tossed it onto the kitchen counter before sitting down. Duo set down a glass of juice in front of her and sat down himself.
Usagi watched him closely as he sampled the food in front of him. Finding it to his liking, he immediately shoveled it into his mouth in large quantities. She shook her head at his childish antics before starting her own meal.
"So, Duo, where's everyone else?" Usagi questioned curiously.
Duo choked and Usagi had to rush over to him and pound his back until the piece of food dislodged.
"Went out for something." Duo gasped out.
Usagi nodded and sat back down, "Sorry, I forgot how much you concentrate on food. My question must have caught you off guard or something."
Duo nodded as he quickly finished up, "You going to be done anytime soon? Q-man gave me a map and said I could show you around the place while they're out.
Usagi didn't even look up, "Yeah, sure, just a sec."
"One Mississippi." Duo closed his eyes, "Second's up."
"And I'm done." Usagi smiled at his shocked expression as he saw the sparkling clean plate, "You shouldn't have closed your eyes. Maybe next time you'll actually see me do it."
Duo gaped at her as she calmly washed the dishes and walked out the door.
"Well are you coming?"
"Oh, yeah." Duo scrambled out of his chair and hurried towards the hallway where Usagi was waiting for him.
Hours later, Usagi paused in front of a door. She opened the door and peered inside.
"Ne, D-chan, what's in here?"
Duo paled and quickly walked over, "Oh it's just emergency equipment and stuff. You know, in case of a blizzard."
Usagi stared wide-eyed at all the cardboard boxes. Blizzard huh?
"Well, moving on," Duo said briskly, moving towards another door further down, "Here's one of my personal favorites. The arcade. Q-man's got the newest games that haven't even been released into normal arcades. It's way cool."
"Yeah." Usagi closed the door and hurried towards him, Duo was obviously trying to distract her. Might as well play along.
An hour later, Usagi and Duo were once again in his room.
"I should really get going." Usagi murmured, turning away from the window she had been looking out of, "I've got to get to work tomorrow and I've still got a report I have to do."
Duo started, work? Leave? "You have to go?"
Usagi looked at him, amused by the lost expression he had on his face, "Yes, D-chan. I've got work. Not all of us have rich friends like Quatre. I have to leave. If I don't finish the report I'll probably get fired."
"But we just got together again!" Duo protested.
"Yes, but I need the money. I'll visit though." Usagi kissed him lightly, "It's not like I can stay forever."
"Actually, that could be easily arranged." a calm voice said from behind the couple.
Usagi shrieked as she spun around, eyes wide. When she saw it was just Quatre, she glared at him, one hand over her heart.
"Gods, Quatre, don't do that!" Usagi scolded, "You'll give someone a heart attack one day!"
"Sorry." Quatre actually looked a little sheepish, "Anyway, as I was saying, you could stay here. With us, for as long as we're here."
Duo glanced at Quatre and Quatre's slightly guilty look in his eyes said it all. The Arabian blonde was trying to do the best he could to let Usagi and Duo stay together for as long as they could. He smiled gratefully and the Quatre smiled back.
"What's this I hear about this weak onna moving in?" an annoyed voice said from the doorway.
Everyone turned to Wufei and Usagi raised an eyebrow.
"Weak onna?" she questioned, softly and dangerously.
"Yes, weak onna!" Wufei replied triumphantly, unaware of what he was getting himself into.
Something in Usagi just snapped and she grabbed the gun she had found earlier under Duo's pillow (remember she made the bed). Once it was in her hand, she aimed it right in between Wufei's eyes and clicked off the safety.
"Care to repeat that?"
Beside her, Duo paled. She had moved so quickly and gracefully just then, her grabbing of the gun and aiming it a blur. Outside of the room, Hiiro's eyes widened as her movement caught even him off guard. Moving forward ever so slightly, he pulled out his own gun, ready to shoot from the shadows if she decided to carry out her threat.
Wufei gulped and attempted to move out of the gun's range. But the gun followed him, always centering itself on his forehead. Duo's eyes darted towards the shadows outside of the door, knowing that Hiiro was there, ready to shoot.
"Ano, Usa-chan..." Duo said cautiously, "You don't really mean to shoot Wu-man do you?"
Usagi seemed to jerk out of some trance and her eyes widened ever so slightly. No one would have been able to pick up the shock that coursed through her since she hid it so quickly. No one but those trained to pick up even the smallest of signs.
Quickly she lowered the gun and flicked the safety back on, "Nah, I was just kidding."
Wufei heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed. However, the atmosphere still remained tense. Quatre made a hasty exit, along with Wufei. Hiiro left as silently as he had come, leaving just Usagi and Duo standing in the room.
In an attempt to make everything seem like it had just been a joke, Usagi smiled and handed Duo the gun, "I wish I had had a camera." she said lightly, "The look on Wufei's face was absolutely priceless."
"Yeah. Priceless." Duo replied just as lightly as he placed the gun by his alarm clock.
When he turned back around, Usagi was looking at him, tears in her eyes, "I was going to do it."
She trembled and sat down gingerly on the edge of his bed. Duo hurried over to sit down and pull her close, trying to comfort her. She turned towards him and buried her face in his chest.
"I was, Duo. I really was going to." she murmured brokenly, "If you hadn't stopped me, Wufei would be dead. Very dead."
"Shh...it's okay..." Duo kissed the top of her head, "You didn't and that's what counts."
"But I was going to." Usagi whispered softly as tears streamed down her face, soaking Duo's shirt.
And they just sat like that, Duo whispering reassurances as she cried herself to sleep.
o.O
Hiiro locked the door behind him as he moved towards his laptop. He opened the screen and flickering computer light filled the otherwise pitch black room. His fingers flew across the keyboard and moments later a rotating, 3-D figure appeared along with the data on that person.
n a m e: Tsukino Usagi
d o b: unknown
s i g n: unknown
a g e: approx. 17 years
p a r e n t s: Tsukino Kenji(d) and Tsukino Ikuko(d)
s i b l i n g s: Tsukino Shingo(d)
n o t e s: Usagi was found wandering along the streets of Tokyo by her foster parents, Kenji and Tsukino. She apparently had no knowledge of who she was.
Hiiro sent an e-mail to Dr. J about his findings. It was her. He had found her at last.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon.
AN: Finally, I finished this chapter. :P Feel free to ask questions in your reviews. I'll try to answer them unless they are critical to future chapters.