A Childhood Promise
Chapter 5

 The key to surviving is growing up quickly…

 She could see the ships approaching, each probably carrying approximately fifty mobile suits in case of a battle. There were at least ten of them. Each one bore the symbols of the Earth's Forces symbol on the side. Hilde knew that the three suits they were sending out that day would destroy quite a few, but she worried that the enemy would get their hands on the last two; the ones without pilots.

 Earth approached them, and Hilde nearly gasped in awe at the sheer beauty of it. It looked majestic with its green lands, blue waters, and white, wispy clouds. It even had its own atmosphere; something Mars lacked. The air that was being kept in was tinged red, and the waters looked brown, though they were as clear as anything. The oceans were still to be made, somewhat. Still, her planet was almost all red, while this one was filled with so many colors. Any green of plants were dark, affected by the odd soil on the planet. The toxics in the air had been cleared out some time ago, which cleared it a bit.

 "Hilde?" It was Noin. She approached her, looking through another porthole of the camouflaged airship, the one approaching Earth. Sure enough, there had been a hole in the Earthling's plans; they had left one part of the Earth unprotected, which allowed them passage.

 "Yes Noin?" She hesitated. Hilde knew she knew about Relena and her relationship from before the move, and she knew everything there was about her leader as well, Zechs. There was something about him that she didn't quite trust, for some peculiar reason.

 "Are you sure you want to do this?" She nodded. "Alright, Hilde…. I just hope you know what you're doing…"

 "Of course…" She knew exactly what she was doing… she just wasn't sure this was the right choice. Of course, Noin knew that without her saying it. She knew everything about those few she held precious.

 "Attention everyone," Zech's voice crackled over the intercom, turning the forty or so heads inside the craft, "we will be entering the atmosphere any moment now. Please return to your seats."

 With a sigh, Hilde clipped her helmet back on and proceeded to the room where she had been assigned. They weren't allowed to roam anymore; entering atmosphere's had never gotten easier. She shifted in her slightly uncomfortable spacesuit. This being a sneak attack, they had had to use an older model, one that couldn't be detected anymore. Sometimes… it was better to go back to the older things than waste time inventing new ones. Even if it took a little bit of patience.

 The room began to heat up and met with turbulence as she strapped herself in. This was it. This mission was going to change her life. Or lack of.

*~*~*~*~*

 "Have negotiations started yet?" Relena spoke into the video cam, with a coolness that had obviously shaken the new girl. She couldn't of been more than a year younger than the blonde.

 "No, not yet, Ma'am, but they shall soon. Would you like me to inform you?" She was a little redhead Relena had seen neither head nor toe of before. She shook her head.

 "No, soldier, it'll be fine." The picture blipped shut and Relena assumed the other girl had turned off her vidcom. She sat back down with Sylvia to continue her studies.

 It had nearly been ten minutes before she heard footsteps down the hall, rapid, like they were in danger. But maybe it was nothing. Had it been important, they could've simply phoned her… Sylvia stood up to see what was going on.

 Before she could touch the door knob though, there were two grunts outside, and sickly thuds as bodies no doubt fell to the floor. That had caught Relena's attention, and she stood, with a dagger in a hand and a gun in her boots. Sylvia opened the door, in a very commanding posture… until she had seen something on the other side. There was a gasp as she fell to her knees and crouched over something big.

 Relena ran out to see what was going on. She looked over her counselor's shoulder- to see Trowa and Quatre, knocked out on the ground. Sylvia checked them over, before sighing in relief. Relena waited expectantly.

 "They're alright, but… they've been knocked out, hard." The younger of the two nodded curtly, looking around, from the walls and floor to the ceiling, both ways for a sign of someone being there.

 "Rest them on my bed. No time for dignities, Sylvia, this is a battle now. Everyone's as important as another." Relena felt the floor where it seem a little dirty, testing to see what kind of dirt she saw. Mars Soil… They had managed a few soldiers to attack… now. "Take care of them, I'm going to settle this."

 "Yes, Relena."

 With that she took off running, stopping every now and then to make sure she was on the right track. Relena frowned. This was only going to let them get farther. And the trail was getting thinner; the padded soil was wearing off. She ran a few more feet, before her hand was forcibly taken, and she was pulled into her sparing room.

 "Relena..." She recognized that voice, but it couldn't be… could it? Only then did her senses clarify all the things surrounding her, and recognized the feel of cold steel to her neck. Up on the wall, one of her swords was missing. And it was a good one too.

 "Hilde?" There was more surprise in her voice than she had wanted, and her voice had nearly cracked too. She was quick to regain her composure though. It was like a second nature to her now; to keep a cold, calm image. "Hilde, you wouldn't hurt me, would you? I at least deserve an honorable death." The sword fell from her throat, and Relena wasted no time on marching up to a Family Crest and pulling a sword from there. It was a broadsword. Actually, the both of them were.

 "Relena, I'm sorry I have to do this." They were facing each other now, in dueling positions.

 "You should only be if you succeed…" She stepped closer, eyeing her estranged friend's face to watch for an attack. She stepped forward too, although it was that obvious from her expression. She knew how to keep a straight face as well.

 "No, I shouldn't… But…" Her chest heaved, and Hilde looked distraught, even as she was stepping forward still to be in strike position. "Relena, we used to be friends once, and I still want that… but I can't go against my side…" She stroke, and Relena blocked, a hand holding the flat side of the blade as Hilde's edge hit dead center of hers.

 "Neither do I, but it seems that we have to make some sacrifices." Had someone walked in right then, they would've sworn that the two were simply talking, and not have seen the seriousness in the fight. Hilde's sword drew away, and Relena pulled hers into a graceful arc, aiming for the dark haired girl's side.

 "Do we must Relena? I want there to be another way." The fighting picked up pace, and they began to lunge at each other, using every fighting move they knew to bring the other down, yet they still spoke between breaths.

 "Yes, we must… but Hilde, should I die today, you should know that I'm glad it was by your hand." Their swords pushed them apart, and Hilde turned in a full circle, striking again as her second foot hit the ground. Relena managed to knock her arm away with the flat of her sword, even though she had been aiming to draw blood.

 "As I…" Hilde trailed off as she thrust, her entire being leaning forward for a stronger strike. "But you know… maybe we don't have to lose our friendship in the war. Can we not still support each other for our decisions, even if we are on opposite sides?" Relena considered this, while still managing to counter her blow after blow. She switched feet and began to assault, slightly faster than Hilde had before, and the fighting made her begin to sweat.

 "Perhaps… actually, we may." Both swords clashed, in the traditional "x" and the spoke through the angle the swords made. "Alright than Hilde. Let you know that one of  us shall die today. Don't hold anything back. We will support each other no matter what, even in death.  At least, I will support you."

 "As I you, mistress." A playful smirk flitted across both girl's faces, and all their attention was brought to the fight at hand. They pulled away, stepping back a couple paces, ready to charge.

 "In death or in life, my friend."

 "In death or in life."

 They lunged, both twisted to avoid the other's hit while trying to hit them. They skidded across the carpet, hair blowing and tried again. This time, Relena's shoulder was scratched, a tiny bit of blood staining Hilde's broadsword. She clutched it, with Hilde standing a few feet away from her, smirking. She smirked back, finding it hard to smile much anymore.

 Footsteps approached, and the double doors burst open, revealing a tall, blonde man and a slightly small woman who looked remarkably like Hilde. The blonde man stopped and stared at her for a second, eyeing the blood that ran down her cut. He then looked at Hilde. A silent question was passed between them as Relena ignored the tremble inside her sub conscience that told her she knew them. All of them.

 Hilde caught her eye, and Relena notice that the other woman was watching them very intently, her eyes flitting back to the man in blonde every now and then. Relena finally let herself note that he was wearing a peculiar mask. Eyes… that was the reason. He couldn't control what emotions that showed in his eyes, and her wore a mask now, to keep people from reading him like a book. Wise.

 Hilde's arm crossed her chest, still holding the sword, and then she whipped it haphazardly towards the one window that she still had intact in the room. It shattered into a million pieces, yet their eyes never left each others.

 "We shall meet again. And next time, we will finish this."

 With that, her long lost friend of nine years disappeared into a nearby tree, along with the woman and man. Relena threw her sword, the way Catherine had taught her, and it stuck out of a branch, though it had made a sound very much like hitting meadow. Had she really gotten it?

 Relena waited for a few minutes before looking out the window, mindful of the few pieces of glass that stayed. The sword was still far in. With one leap, she crossed over to the tree, mildly taking note of the mars soldiers that were currently running towards a large ship. The sword held onto the tip of something...

 A piece of metal, part of the mask that the man had worn. It was slightly bloody, which Relena had known it would be, as the makl didn't leave much room for her to clutch onto.

 She smirked. As a parting gift, she had taken his mask, to leave his eyes for all to see. Then, next time they met, should there be a battle, she'd be ready. The ship took off, the wind taking several minutes to tangle itself in her hair, and she smiled, for the first time in a long time.

 Until next time.

*~*~*~*~*

If any of you are confused, please tell me so I know to explain it next chapter ^^ Again, there are a lot of things in here that I don't really know are true, so please don't mind the mistakes too much.