Disclaimer: Neither Gundam Wing nor Sailor Moon belongs to me in any fashion. This idea does, however. :D And I'll do … something really, really ebil if you take it. ;

Minna-sama! Look how late I am! This was first put up at the end of January … which now seems like a pleasant dream away. Forgive me? 9.9 Lol isn't that face cute? :D Like me. JK. So just … enjoy and … please don't get angry! I promise to be more regular with my updates … and Angelight (chan :D) has promised to be my … ah … conscience. :D (after nagging quite considerably. JK. :D) Enjoy, enjoy! :D

()()()

Chapter 1: Crimson Waters

Kiwi-chan

10/17/04

In Paradise Lost, I had read that Satan was a Leviathan-like figure of mythic proportions and phenomenal ferocity. But Satan was a she and Satan was…

Wimpy.

Girly.

A she, damn it, a she.

But what was Satan truly? Was she able to change her appearance? Did she have copious masks behind which she hid? Was there a monster inside of her so immense that the most penetrating human word to depict it would be disgusting?

I shook my head – now was not the time to resort to paranoia or childhood nightmares, even if a slender, blonde, midget of a devil was undeserving of the title nightmare.

"Is everybody for this shift here yet?" The girl at the front of Circle Seven's meeting room looked almost ready to jump out of her seat and skip around the neighborhood, singing under her breath. She beamed at us, her blue eyes luminous in Hell's artificial brightness, and a few people smiled back. I scowled to myself. What was there to smile about? It was like standing at the guillotine, laughing as the blade came swooping down.

The blonde girl clapped her hands together and stood up. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, please find the headphones by your seats and put them on to ensure perfect comprehension of what I say for those who did not speak English in their lifetimes." She repeated this in several major languages, sounding very much like an excessively lively airline attendant. I identified French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Russian, and Hindi.

Was this Hell?

This was preposterous!

I entertained the idea that this was nothing but a strange nightmare stemmed from my eating too much of Duo's burnt chicken that evening. Duo's burnt chicken … I felt faintly nauseous – now that was a nightmare.

"Over the years, we have kept up with Earth's technology and now can boast T3 connections in every Circle. This is all thanks to Satan. Now, ladies and gentlemen, we shall proceed in our virtual tour of Hell." She pressed something on the remote and the image from the projector was replaced by another.

I wanted to die of laughter. This wasn't Hell! This was illogical! Who had ever heard of taking a virtual tour of Hell with a guide that couldn't stop smiling?

And here I had been waiting to endure everything, holding my breath for a Cerberus to rear in my view, for the demons of my dreams to envelop me in their arms, embracing me to tragedy. But when faced with the clement ambiance of what writers and preachers for centuries have shuddered to describe, I found myself helplessly looking around, greedy for even the slightest indication of enormity, of castigation, of Dante.

()()()

She bit her lip as she stared at the deep scratch etching itself on the inside of her arm. Blood was oozing out as if it had coagulated while inside of her.

"Usagi, I'll get you another towel," Ami offered, standing up to head to the linen closet.

She shook her head and took a deep breath. "Don't bother. I've dealt with this for almost eternity. Besides, we both know what will happen to the towel." Her hair flashed gold as she leaned forward to scrutinize her arm. "I remember this one. It came from one of the briars I landed on when I fell from…"

She didn't finish her sentence; she didn't need to. Ami nodded and looked away as Usagi blinked back tears.

"You know, Ami, I don't think these cuts were meant to cause me pain. I think that He realizes after an eternity, I would have grown used to them."

Ami pursed her lips and sniffled, shaking her head. "Don't be dense, Usagi. Of course not. They are there so that no one can ever touch you without hurting themselves. To be eternally lonely; it's so immensely painful that it's a punishment worthy of Satan. After all, He understood your compassion if not your goodness."

Usagi smiled bitterly. "Understood my compassion? Then why am I here? Why do the wounds I received from then reappear each day with blood hot as fire, poisonous as quicksilver, caustic as acid?"

Ami didn't say anything for a long time. When she did, her voice was heart wrenchingly soft. "I don't know, Usagi. You would have to ask Him."

Silence passed as Usagi watched crimson eat away bits of her clothing, staining and then burning.

"If only I could…"

()()()

"And lastly, unless you hope for a painful death, you will avoid Circle Nine and those who reside there. Only with official orders can you enter it … and you should pray never to get official orders to go there." Minako, the name the blonde had established for herself, shrugged and gave the roomful of people a wide smile. "Those who are ordered to visit Circle Nine never come back in one piece."

That was the first trace of something macabre he had seen in her – there was a glimmer in her eyes, and she almost squealed the last line as if everybody in that room should strive to visit Circle Nine and not come back in one piece.

She cleared her throat and clicked the projector off. "Oh, and one more thing. Unless you enjoy pain, you will avoid touching Satan because she is covered in acidic blood." Minako grinned. "Speaking to her, if you're willing to brave it, is actually quite pleasant. She's a very sociable person."

Mutters arose around the room. I was confident that they were all mordant.

"Now, we're going to play a game."

I started feeling queasy.

"We're going to go around the room and introduce ourselves and say one thing that we like that begins with the same letter as our names. I'll start." She tapped her chin in thought and then beamed. "I'm Minako Aino and I like mangos."

The nauseous feeling at the pit of my stomach intensified. At that moment, I decided that I would rather visit Circle Nine and risk not returning in one piece than search for an article of food that began with H.

Hi, my name is Hiiro Yui and I like jalapeños.

Even the thought made me blanch.

Hi, my name is Hiiro Yui and I like H-bombs.

That made me recoil, too.

Then it hit me. This was it. This was our expiation. In a room of unparalleled elites with insuperable murdering and self-injury proficiency, this was agony.

And the blonde girl Minako, no matter how ingenuous and cheery she looked, has evidently had much experience, playing her cards circumspectly and shrewdly, watching, waiting, and smiling.

()()()

I stood coolly, tolerantly as she moved down the list, past the B's and I's and Q's, dividing us, conquering us, smiling like Dr. J would whenever somebody mentioned my name and the word fear in the same sentence.

They were like Alexanders, like Timurs, like Khans, sweeping in, barbaric, revolting, while I stood, helpless. Helpless. It was such a bitter word that spoke of defeat, of cowardice.

Of Failure.

And Failure was a greater demon than Satan. Failure was what I had seen within myself when I had looked up into Relena's glassy eyes and saw all the things I should have said. Failure was what I had seen when I looked around and saw Trowa cringing as he drew in air, Quatre's face blushing blue as he tried to avoid looking at his lacerated abdomen, Duo and Wufei trying to help despite their contradictory personalities.

It seemed that at that moment, when Failure had welcomed all six of us into its clench, that we had finally realized that this was it, that from now on we were not going to be a group of five any longer, that we were not going to be that unit of heart, soul, honor, humor, and calm. After all, the calm had shattered, the heart had broken, and the soul had drifted away in mourning.

But where were Trowa and Quatre? Had they been good enough? Had they made it…? Were they up there right now, exulting and sighing about what a pitiable, hapless soul Hiiro Yui was? My mouth tasted of umbrage and my chest burned with remorse and something akin to envy. Because however indifferent I was to compassion, I wanted to be in Heaven, to see the four of them and her – Relena – again.

Again.

Please, let me try it just once again.

()()()

Circle Seven was subdivided into three rings; the first was home to those who injured others, the second to those who injured themselves, and the third to those who injured Him.

Quatre and Trowa stood by me gravely. They were there, patched up as if impeccably healthy, the exact replicas of the days they – we – had died.

I had been so lost in my thoughts that the name Triton Bloom had completely passed me by, but when the girl had called out Quatre Winner, I had started and looked up, meeting those pellucid eyes that used to haunt me with their innocence.

To the first ring, we were supposed to go. To the river of blood, guarded by the Minotaur and centaurs, both species of bestial rage.

The girl Minako had explained it fastidiously to us – there were shifts in a day – shifts of punishment and shifts of rest, alternating every six hours. There would be a bell to signal the end and beginning of each shift as eternity was absolute and we would not feel the passage of time as we were accustomed to.

In Ring One, for those who had harmed others, we were brought to the banks of that scarlet river by a girl who had rushed in and starkly introduced herself as Ami after smiling a little at Minako who'd beamed back.

It was a paranormal river of varying depths, filled to the brim, splashing and rolling at times and silent and stagnant at others.

I saw several people shy away. Quatre was looking down with a mute kind of horror as if this scene was what had played in his mind again and again during nightmares and realities. Trowa looked away, gazing toward some far off point. I remained aloof, without outward inflection, looking inward and practicing controlling the rate of my heart.

The girl Ami gently led each sinner to the banks and into the river, noting their locations and making checkmarks. Each person, based on how vindictive the crime, was at a different depth, some with blood up to their ankles, some to their waist, and some to their armpits. Trowa had blood up to his shoulders, Quatre to his chest, me to my chin.

When Ami finished, she backed away and offered all of us one last, very diminutive, very poignant smile and left.

And that was when the six hours started. Each and every one of us stood there, solemn, close-mouthed to mitigate the occasional waves of crimson that left our skin wet, sticky, and corrupt. The centaurs paraded along the banks, not meeting our eyes but, with great zeal, shooting arrows at anybody who moved or made a sound. So in no time, even those who had been screaming in anguish and shame fell silent as arrow after arrow pierced them, fell away as ash, and the wounds closed over leaving perfect, crescent-shaped scars.

The blood was dark, muddy, sluggish, but I kept my expression blank despite the abhorrent feeling of the surrounding burgundy, a feeling that inspired a crawling sensation at the base of my spine and caused the hair on my neck to stand on end.

And in those six hours, what was there to do but envisage one's life? One's sins?

This was the definition of Regret.

This was the definition of Sin.

This was the definition of Hell.

()()()

Again, I apologize severely for taking so long! :O Or am I arrogant to think anybody cared. ; But I just wanted to say … thank you so much to all of you! Because you guys were awesome with your response and I feel very loved. :D I also wanted to thank Angelight-chan for helping beta-read and being … motivational. Lol. (in not-so-kind ways. JK) And … just … this will be more regular, I promise! :D And … I hope to finish this entirely before pursuing any other fics. :O Because it's so hard to manage so many at once, I'm sure. And … one last thing! I tried to be more … Hiiro-like, I suppose, in my … ah … writing. Lol. So I tried to expand my vocabulary a bit. :O Of course it's nowhere as good as the imagery Gackt Camui-sama invokes but … tell me what you thought? :) It's strange being in Hiiro's mind. Lol.

So … without further ado…!

Whitesiren

Thank you! :D I hoped people would like it … it was just … however much a pain it was to read Dante, the content was so morbid as to be fascinating. ;

Kail Ceannai

Lol thank you! I'm so nervous about it. :O In general first-person in fanfiction makes me nervous because people tend to make themselves the character … or incorporate a number of their traits and the characters'. ;; I hope I don't do that. Lol. Hiiro Yui is … difficult. Wouldn't you agree? :)

Hikari Cosmos

I'm sorry for not updating! ;; And … thank you so much for adding me to your favorites. I'd … kiss your feet or something like that. :D

Luinfirith

:O You're in awe? Awe is such a strong word. Lol. I'm very flattered. :D Thank you!

Tink

I didn't quit! Lol. Though I am very interested in what you had thought it'd be like. O.o; Because that would be … interesting. :D And possibly would spawn ideas. So … tellmeplease? :D

Angelight

:D!! Don't compare me to Gackt-sama. Lol. She's just … wow. And I'm talking about her behind her back. Lol. But thank you! For all your motivation and prodding. :D And … ah … help. Lol. I 3 you. :D

Angelwings6117

Thank you! :D And finally, after months and months, you will see. ;

Heero's Bunny

Lol I'm sorry for not updating soon! ; Thank you so much! Your one word (can you tell which one? :D) completely made my week. ;

Liquid Ice

You're not retarded! :O I feel so inadequate and inexperienced next to you. ; And I'm so happy that you took the time to think this through that much. ; Though I suppose I disappointed you with a somewhat lack of the sinister in this chapter … the beginning was quite frivolous, I think. O.o; I'm still not sure if this is going to be just … horror/angst. Lol. But … I'll figure it out by the time I'm through. :)

Ame

Sorry for taking so long! ; Thank you for the good luck. :D I'll need it.

Angel313

Thank you! I'm sorry to have taken so long! ;;

Shadowsfaith

Thank you! I feel so special. :D

Silverwing1

Thank you! Sorry to have taken so long and … ah … not cleared up my intentions. ;

Gackt Camui is sad

Lol! Don't be said Gackt-san. :D Think of all the people who envy your talent … ! And … ah … laugh! Lol. Thank youuuuu!! I feel so bubbly inside after what you said. O.o; And with your writing just … wow. I aspire to be like you. Lol. Yes, when I grow up, I'm going to be just like you. It'll be freaky, I promise. :D I like you interpretation/explanation of Satan's reason for falling. :O So much that … I might use it. :D It sounds intriguing. ; And … I do too need the good luck. :) And I thank you for it. :D

Hikari Yume

Thank you! Lol, yes, I'm another crazed Usagi fan. ; There are too many of us. Lol. But yes, I've seen PotC and yes it was alluding to Dante. ;

Xixi

Nope, no all-knowing guide to help Hiiro. O.o; That'd be giving Hiiro an unfair advantage … and we can't have that. Lol. But at least Hiiro does have Trowa and Quatre with him. I think, in a cinch, I'd want to have those two with me too. It's kind of comforting having those two around … it'd be safer, I suppose. And safer is good. :D Plus, you have people you know. I think if I were Hiiro, I'd be ecstatic that Trowa and Quatre were there with me … to be utterly selfish, of course. ;

LilOleMe

Thank you! Lol, I will finish this, I promise! But … no new fics until I finish this one. :D So … wish me luck! :D

Thank you everybody for reading, for reviewing, and for sticking with me. :D