AN: Here we are at Chapter 15! It's unbelievable how quickly I have started to punch out this fic! Amazing all that free time one has when school gets out for the summer. I am really enjoying writing this fic and I assure you all that it will be completed. I try not to start on something I don't intend to finish. If I did, I wouldn't keep the thing posted for so long. Anyways enough mindless talk let's just start!
I do not own Gundam Wing or any of its characters.
{-}
Treize had left with Lady Une three days ago. They had taken with them only a few of their most trusted guards, some supplies, and a map. They were finally nearing their destination: The Swamps of Ardor.
It was a fire swamp, with occasional geysers shooting off burst of fire. Dark and dreary, the stinking water lay deep within the Forest of Despair. It was said to be haunted by spirits, but Lady Une had made charms for each man to wear around his neck for protection.
At the edge of the swamp, they dismounted from their horses. It was here that they would continue on foot. Leaving one lucky guard to tend to the animals and supplies, Treize ordered the rest of the frightened men to follow him. Lady Une walked by his side silently as they made their way through the muck.
A black hawk flew in front of their path; a sign of bad luck. The guards were growing more frightened by the minute. Treize, however, did not pay any heed to his surroundings. His heart was set on reaching the Island of Desolation; the one place where he could achieve the Powers of Dire.
The resting pace of the Powers had been unknown for many centuries. Heero Yuy had done his work well, when he cast them into hiding. It was no wonder he had picked such a desolate place. No man would ever dare to enter the Swamp, not unless they were Lord Treize. For years, the Warlord searched for the hiding place of the Powers. No written record of where they lay as in existence. It was only by chance that Lady Une stumbled across the Island of Desolation in one of her visions. She had seen Treize obtaining the Powers for himself.
Time passed slowly. A general silence filled the air which was only broken by the fire geysers occasional shootout. Treize looked at the map, then ahead of him. There was a thick, red fog. He looked at Lady Une in question. She simply nodded in response. Treize reached out his hand and touched the fog with his finger tips. He shot them back, quickly, for they burned as if they were on fire.
"The fog contains fire," he stated.
"Do not let your exposed skin touch it!" warned Lady Une as she studied it more closely.
"Quickly," shouted Treize to his men, "put on your riding gloves and cover every inch of your face with your cloaks! Do not let your skin touch the air. Hold on to the person in front of you and follow me!"
They all silently did as they were told, fear growing in their hearts. Was this going to be the way they died?
Covering up, each member of the party held onto each other and stepped into the red mist. Blindly, Treize walked in what he deemed to be a straight line. His skin was growing hotter by the minute. His forehead began to form beads of sweat. Just a little further, he thought to himself. He could hear the whimpering of his men behind him. It had to be over soon, when in the world would this blasted fog clear? Finally, after what seemed like hours, Treize could feel a cool breeze settles upon his burning body. Cautiously, he uncovered his face and peered around. The air was clear. Behind him, Treize could see the fiery, red fog.
Lady Une uncovered herself, seeming to be completely unphased by the heat. She looked behind her. They were one man short.
"What happened?" asked Treize.
"He fell, sir, the heat was too much for him," replied one exhausted soldier.
"Leave him," said Treize as he pushed forward.
The swamp was thick. Treize struggled to lift his feet through the muck. Lady Une held tightly onto his soldier so as not to fall. The soldiers stumbled and nearly got stuck. Suddenly, two men screamed. Turning around, Treize sought to see the source of all the commotion. Two of his men had fallen into a deep bog of quicksand. They were sinking quickly.
The remaining soldiers struggled to pull their comrades out. They broken tree branches and held them out to the fallen men. The quicksand was up to their ears and they struggled to keep their faces above the surface. However, despite the efforts of their valiant comrades, the two men slowly sank beneath the surface while Treize and Lady Une looked on.
One soldier looked at the bog in dismay, "Gone…we lost them."
"An unfortunate incident," said Treize with little sympathy. "We must move on."
Unwillingly, the soldiers followed their leader through the mucky waters. Time passed slowly. It was no longer possible to tell what part of the day it was. The swamp was dark and they had been walking for hours. Would they ever reach their destination?
Treize was growing impatient. He ordered a halt and for Lady Une to foresee their destination through one of her visions. Perhaps they were not in the correct place. After ten minutes, Lady Une opened her eyes, smiling,
"Straight ahead only twenty paces."
Running now through the grime, Treize anxiously continued his journey. He was so close now to achieving the most ultimate power! Then, he saw it.
The Island of Desolation loomed before him. It was tiny, only big enough to hold twenty or so people. It stood alone in the swamp, with only a solitary tree to keep it company. But Treize was not paying attention to the tree or the tiny island. His eyes were fixed on the black, glowing orb balanced on a podium in the middle of it.
"The Powers of Dire…" he whispered to himself. Slowly he climbed out of the murky waters and onto the dry land. The black orb called his name. Reaching out a cautious hand, Treize sought to touch it.
"Stop!" cried Lady Une a she snatched his arm back. Treize looked at her sharply. She explained, "Heero Yuy was no fool. He would not leave such a powerful thing unprotected."
"What should I do?"
The sorceress smiled wickedly and looked back at the stumbling soldiers behind her. They had only just made it to the island, weary and beaten. Treize nodded his head in agreement,
"You there," he said pointing to one of them, "fetch me that jewel!"
"Yes sir!" bumbled the poor man as he climbed onto the island. He quickly ran over to the stone podium and stretched out his arms. But, as soon as he touched the black orb, a flash of lightning struck him dead. His cries were silenced quickly.
The other soldiers cried out in fear. Treize cursed out loud, trying to decipher a plan. How could he get to the orb?
Frustration grew in his dark heart. There had to be a way to obtain the Powers of Dire. Heero Yuy had guarded them well for years, but it was time for them to be released into the world once more.
Treize studied the podium upon which the orb floated. Ancient writings were inscribed upon the stone.
"Anne, read the writing to me, quickly!" he ordered.
"Touch not this black jewel
For death it shall bring,
Thou shall be struck down
Through the light of the sky,
Or the sword of the High King."
Treize sniffed angrily. The inscription did not help him at all. The Great Heero Yuy had a malicious sense of humor. Peacecraft was dead, no longer capable of killing Treize. He decided to take his chances with the lightning. He turned to Lady Une.
"How did you see me, gaining the Powers?"
"You simply picked up the bauble, my Lord, unharmed."
"How in the gods…" started Treize.
"I am glad that you asked," replied a deep voice from behind him.
All in the party, stopped, and turned around. A purely spiritual being stood before them. He was dark, clad in clothes blacker than the darkest night. A smirk was on his face which contained godlike features.
"Who are you?" asked Treize.
"A visitor from the underworld; you may call me Rhapsody."
Eyes wide, all stared at the god. It was rare that the gods appeared to mortal men. Now, Rhapsody appeared before Lord Treize. Treize bowed in respect, the others followed suit.
"I can help you gain the Powers of Dire," said the god as he walked towards Treize. The warlord watched him carefully. Treize was suspicious,
"Why do you seek to help me when you desire the Power for yourself? Can you not just as easily take the powers?"
Rhapsody smiled, "You are clever Treize, and I have always thought so about you. To answer your question, no, I do not wish to gain the powers for myself."
"Again, why should you help me?"
"Because if you were to gain the powers, you would be doing me a huge favor," smirked the god.
"I do not understand…" replied Treize.
"Let me explain, should you obtain the Powers of Dire, you would surely defeat the last defending forces of Mythica. You would take over the land in all your power, no happiness, no life, just an almighty power for you to control."
"Go on," muttered Treize.
"The Guardians will die if this happens, which also means that you would have eliminated the only beings that could ever pose a threat to you. I particularly hate them myself."
"That is the favor I am doing for you, destroying the Guardians?"
"Yes, quite simple actually!" exclaimed Rhapsody clapping his hands together. "And I shall ask for nothing in return from you. Just of course that you should make occasional sacrifices to me perhaps. Do we have a deal?"
Treize looked at the god's outstretched hand. He contemplated the situation for a moment. He was willing to do anything to receive the Powers of Dire, if this was the only way, then so be it. Treize shook his hand.
"Splendid!" cried the god of the underworld. "Now, I give to you the Powers of Dire!" The god pointed towards the glowing black orb. "Go ahead and touch it, you will be unharmed."
Questioningly, Treize looked at the god in distrust, "Why do you not obtain the powers for yourself?"
"Because the Powers were created to be used by a mortal man, not by the gods. Go ahead! I assure you the bauble is perfectly safe! You are under my protection!"
Treize began to slowly walk towards the stone podium. Doubt soared through his head, but will and determination drove him onward. He was within an arms reach. Cautiously, Treize stretched out his hands and touched the bauble with closed eyes. A moment passed as held picked up the glowing orb. In that moment, Treize was transformed. A bright dark light flashed and his body was enclosed in it. Lady Une started forward, fearful for her Lord's safety. The other soldiers cowered back in fear. Then, the light was gone.
Treize stood there with the now, blank orb in his hands. His clothing was now the black color that had once belonged to the bauble. He smiled wickedly and Lady Une breathed a sigh of relief. Rhapsody smiled viciously, then, disappeared into thin air.
{-}
Relena had just spent two enchanting days at Martin's cottage. Having never been outside the kingdom before, the young woman found herself seeking out new adventures each day. She threw aside all thoughts of royalty and manners, enjoying her new found freedom. It was almost as if she had just decided to take a holiday instead of fleeing the city for her own safety.
Relena quickly made friends with the girl Hilde. The two spent the majority of their time together while the men trained for battle. Hilde taught Relena how to do all the chores involved in a cottage. After Martin's return to the city to help Quatre and Wufei, the two girls took it upon themselves to keep his little cottage nice and neat. They dusted, washed the dishes, swept the floors, and even scrubbed the walls. Relena organized the Wizard's herbs in a more orderly fashion, while Hilde tended to his vegetable garden. Hilde had also taught Relena how to milk a cow! It was now Relena's favorite task. She sat in the small stable and leaned her head against the cow's warm belly. For a while, she felt as if she was just a simple dairy maid, no worries at all.
At night, the three women remained in the cottage while the men slept outside under the canopy of the trees. Relena would lay awake listening to the sounds of the forest. It was the most wonderful thing in the world to her. She was close to nature, closer to the earth. She liked it that way.
Before she knew it, five days had passed. When Noin finally made stated this fact in front of her, Relena felt ashamed for having so quickly forgotten the duties she was meant to uphold. Ashamed, she went for a walk. Of course she was not allowed to journey out by herself so Heero had to accompany her. He was a silent companion, which was what Relena needed. She had to have time to think over the next step and what was to be done. After a while, she sat on a rock to contemplate her decisions. Heero leaned on a nearby tree, watching her every move.
She was quite aware of his silent presence. It made her somewhat nervous to be with him alone, but given the situation she had no choice. Part of her was beginning to secretly long for more time to be alone with him. Heero was such a mystery to her. Quiet and attentive, but never choosing to speak out or perform any unnecessary actions. Again, question that lingered in the back of her mind distracted her from what she had really come here to think about. Discovering that there was no point to sit in silence with him, Relena tried to strike up a conversation,
"Heero, does Martin know who the High King is?"
"Only what information he was given by the Lady of the Spring."
"The Lady of the Spring? Do you mean the Guardian of Water?" Relena asked amazed.
"Yes, it was she who sent us on this mission," stated Heero solemnly.
"Did she give you all the armor? It must be magical for I have never seen anything like it."
"Yes, she did."
"Did she teach you how to fight? Or for that matter, did the gods teach you how to fight?"
Heero looked at her quizzically, "The gods? Relena, this is not some kind of fairy tale. We are but ordinary men."
She looked down, somewhat embarrassed by her curiosity, "I am sorry. I guess I just always imagined things like this happening in the stories I used to read. Never in my life did I ever think they would really happen. I know this is not a fairy tale, Heero."
She smiled slightly then continued, "Of course, you have to admit that there are certain elements that are extremely fantastical."
"Hn," was his only reply.
For a long while they were silent. Again, the questions danced around in her head.
"Heero, where did you get your name?"
He did not answer her. He simply remained silent as a stone leaning against the tree. Relena sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. Why was he so offended by his past? Was it so shameful?
"Martin named me."
Relena turned around sharply. Had he just answered her? Yes, he did and he was still speaking,
"Martin found me and named me. He said Heero Yuy was a suitable name."
"It is a wonderful name," said Relena shyly. "What do you mean when you say Martin found you? Were you orphaned?"
"I was injured, shot by a poisonous arrow. Martin healed me and saved my life. I am forever in his debt."
"I see," she replied, still puzzled over his answers. He jumped over the majority of her questions as if she had never asked them. She continued though wishing to find out more, "Before you met Martin, who were you?"
Heero's eyes grew distant and he glared at her, "I was no one." He walked away. Flustering slightly, Relena followed.
{-}
Martin sat in the study along with Wufei and Quatre. He had just arrived back after seeing to Relena's safe journey. While at home, the wizard collected a few personal items to aid him in his quest.
"What do you have to report young Master Winner?"
"Everything is fine. The people believe Relena is here and well. It is just thought that she has secluded herself somewhere in the palace to avoid any more assassination attempts. Even members of the royal court believe our story," said the young blonde haired man cheerfully.
"Very well, I am glad to here at least a little bit of good news, now, onto business. It is my belief that Treize wishes to lead an open assault upon the last rebel city in Mythica. When this attack will be, I do not know. It could be a matter of days; it could be a matter of weeks. We have little time. The men in the army are weary and the farmers and peasants who have volunteered are weak. Most have absolutely no training as soldier's whatsoever. This being the case, we will not last long against Treize's trained warriors."
"What do you suggest we do?" asked Wufei.
"I suggest that we dispatch some sort of training program. Everyday there will be exercises. Every man or boy who has chosen to take up arms will report to the soldier's barracks to be properly equipped and trained. We will not send out our men to be slaughtered like animals. They want to fight to defend their lives so we shall teach them to fight."
The two men nodded their heads in agreement. Martin continued,
"Wufei, I know the ways of your people and I know their methods of fighting. In my mind, it will be the quickest way to train the men. If you will, I am asking you to take charge in the training. The ancient ways of your people will be useful and I assure you that the men will honor them on the battlefield."
Wufei bowed in deep respect, "It would be an honor to serve my people so justly. I only wish to do a job well done. However, I assure you that I will need much time and much concentration to uphold such a task…it is not easy."
"I will do the best I can to help you," piped in Quatre.
Wufei nodded in acknowledgement. Martin also agreed.
"In time," said the wizard, "we will know more of Treize's plans. But until then, Relena remains safe at my home under Heero, Duo, and Trowa's protection."
{-}
Hilde screamed as Duo lunged at her. He grabbed tightly onto her waist and lifted her up into the air.
"Hilde, you're supposed to do it now!"
"Now?" she cried as she struggled with him.
"Yes! What if some attacker took hold of you and you just let them carry you off or kill you?"
Without further word, Hilde swung her elbow sharply into Duo's ribs. He grunted slightly, clutching his side and dropping her to the ground. Hilde looked at him, somewhat shocked at herself.
"Was that correct? Did I do it right?"
"Yeah," gasped Duo as he held his side breathing heavily. "You…you have…perfect technique."
Relena laughed and Trowa grinned slightly. Heero watched with a smirk while Noin smiled. For the past few minutes, Duo had decided it was important for Relena to learn some self-defense moves; given the number of times she had been attacked. Hilde had willingly agreed to volunteer when the princess was reluctant.
"See, Relena, it's not so bad. It's actually kind of fun beating Duo up! You should try it!" cried Hilde enthusiastically.
"I'm not so sure…" said Relena.
"Relena, it's important for you to know how to defend yourself," stated Heero.
"Heero's right," said Trowa, "if we should not be able to come to your aid right away, you will need to at least put up a fight."
"Take the move I just showed Hilde," said Duo proudly, "any one who tries to attack her now will at least go away with a few bruised ribs."
"I don't know," said Relena. "I'm really not all that strong."
"Strength has nothing to do with it," stated Noin. She walked over to stand in front of the young woman. "Physical strength may be a factor, but there is also strength in your blood. Once your heart starts beating, you can do anything you want to. Observe," said the woman as she stood in front of Duo. She nodded her head. Duo grabbed her waist and picked her up in the same manner he had with Hilde. However, much to Duo's dismay, he received more than a small blow to the ribs. In a quick motion, Noin grabbed Duo's left arm with both hands, twisted it tightly, lifted him up into the air, where he flipped, and managed to land roughly on his back.
The braided haired man looked up blankly. Hilde rushed over to kneel by his side, while the others stared dumbfounded. Noin dusted off her hands and walked over to Relena.
"That, Relena, is how a woman defends herself." Noin walked away into the cottage.
"By the gods," said Duo as he struggled to get up. "Where did she learn that?"
Relena simply shrugged her shoulders. Heero got a suspicious look in his eyes after Noin had walked into the cottage.
"Well," continued Duo as Hilde helped him to his feet, "Relena, I think it's your turn."
"I really don't think I could do what Lucrezia just did."
"Just do what I taught Hilde then. Come on, you have to learn sometime!"
"I'll help you," said Heero as he got up from his seat next to Trowa.
Relena stared after him for a moment, unsure of what to do next. Heero looked at her, his gaze demanding that she get up and stand next to him. So she did so and walked directly in front of him.
"Now," he said quietly. "When I grab you, hold your left wrist with your right hand…like this,' he said as he showed her. She imitated his gesture, watching carefully. "Next, bring your left arm forward and then quickly draw it backwards as hard as you can." They practiced the motion a couple of times until she had gotten the hang of it. "Good," said Heero. "Now let's try it."
He gently spun her around and grabbed her waist. Relena blushed slightly upon the position of his hands. She certainly did not feel ay danger, she just felt, well, safe. He picked her up slightly and began to walk backwards, just as if he were abducting her. "Now!" shouted Duo. Relena did as she was told, and completed the elbowing motion in a swift hit. Heero grunted slightly and dropped her.
Relena turned around sharply and looked at him. He was still standing, unlike Duo who had fallen to the ground. Had she done it incorrectly?
"Heero, what did I do wrong?" she asked in dismay.
"Nothing!" replied Duo cheerfully, "You did everything perfectly. It's just that Heero can take more of a punch than I can!"
"I didn't hurt you did I?" she asked.
He simply shook his head no.
The rest of the afternoon was spent on giving self-defense lessons to Relena. The more they taught her, the more the princess decided that it really was necessary. Heero taught her several kicks and punches, Duo taught her and Hilde a little bit of swordplay, while Trowa gave them a few lessons a knife throwing. The three young men were about to go into shooting the crossbow, but Relena made it well known when she hit the center of the bull's-eye each time, that she had already had many lessons in the subject.
"Where did you learn that!" exclaimed Duo.
"I saw a picture of it in one of the stories father was reading to me when I was younger. I made him let me take lessons with the master archer ever since."
She looked at the expressions on the three young men's faces and laughed.
AN: How did you like it? Pretty eventful chapter; please pay attention to some of the tings that were said. Next chapter will be out shortly. I promise once more, more Heero and Relena interaction, along with a perhaps somewhat complicated twist. You never know with me behind the keyboard! Please send comments! Email: Wildrose1404earthlink.net