I AM SO SORRY! I know, this is so late! But...I have excuses! Firstly, I had exams. A whole week of torture and revision. Then, a friend of mine, his mum died. It was totally out of the blue and it was just a little close to home, you know? It made me think, but, not on that, my beta also hasn't been in touch, so half of this is unbeta'd. Hope it isn't too bad...

I apologise for any religious offense this fic might cause, throughout any chapter. It was unintentional. Gomen. :Bow:

Many, many thanks to my new beta, without her this chapter would be a mess of stupid spelling mistakes and terrible typos:grin:

Everyone wave and say THANKS! Oh, and I re-read all my reviews for inspiration, and I love you all. :sniff: There are some really sweet ones.

Misjudged Fates

Chapter 17

By Forgetful

Duo was immediately enveloped in a hug as he launched himself at the blond. The others watched in amusement.

"It seems as though you have stranger friends than the ones I've already met, Zechs." Treize smiled in a disarming way, hand clamped tightly around Wufei's.

"Indeed I do, meet Duo, the leech currently creasing my council dress, and the silent one is Trowa Barton. They're quite as odd as you. I'm sure you'll all get along like a house on fire." He motioned for Trowa to come forward; which he did, though not before sending an apologetic look to Quatre, who was still nervous despite the friendly faces. Finally peeling off Duo, who was then content just to grin at his side, Zechs took Trowa's outstretched hand with distaste.

" I haven't seen you in months, and you greet me with a handshake? I think not." He used the arm to pull Trowa into a bearhug, where the tall boy was oddly dwarfed by the even taller archangel. "There now."

" I had almost forgotten how tall you are Zechs. And who can forget that wonderful way you bend people to your will." Trowa smiled.

" It's an amazingly useful skill to have, and you should learn it some day." Zechs playfully cuffed the side of Trowa's head, and then sighed. "I've missed you both more than I should, I'm glad you're both back safe. And with the boys I've heard so much about!" He gushed, moving toward the rest of the group.

" 'Heard about'?" Heero queried, raising an eyebrow in Duo's direction. The angel just shrugged.

" Yes, I'm afraid I was unable to overlook your joining our group, Zechs knows...almost everything I suppose." Trowa toyed with a loose thread on his trousers apologetically, and Heero dismissed it with a nod. Zechs though, felt some explanation was in order.

" I didn't tell them you were with my boys though. I would never put any of you in that dangerous a position, not when the council are still against it so absolutely. They found out by tapping into Trowa's report after a tip off from an disloyal servant of mine. I apologise."

" It's fine. None of us would ever blame you, you've been nothing but warm and hospitable towards us." Quatre's sympathetic side came out, and he soothed the older man with it. Trowa thanked God for the little blond once more.

" It's not come to anything bad as of yet." Heero agreed. "We're safe until the trial."

" Thank you, but to completely clear the plate I shall offer you comfort and luxury until that time arrives. Time to go home boys." Zechs moved gracefully up the marble steps to place his hand on the moonstone gate, which glowed with his handprint even after he had removed his hand. They both swung open slowly, making a bigger gap than just the one open door had. Beyond was no longer just an obscure light, but a clear, white, pillared walkway. Beyond the pillars stretched lush pastures and meadows filled with spring-flowers, and there was no roof but the blue, blue sky, dotted with white clouds. As they all descended the steps on the other side of the gate, it swiftly closed behind them without a sound.

They soon found that in between the pillars were crystal clear pools filled with flying fish of vibrant colours that jumped out with jets of water as they passed. The marble gleamed in the sun, the birds twittered in the hedges far beyond them in the meadows, and it was...Heaven. (Heh, say thank you to LadyDragonWolfKnight for the pun there.)

The sound of rapid running water came swiftly to them, and Duo grinned once again. He shared a knowing glance with Trowa, and Heero decided it was most likely something he wasn't going to enjoy.

" Did you bring it Zechs?" Duo asked.

" Of course, how else would we get there?" Duo whooped and Trowa smiled, a rare thing considering their situation.

" What?" Quatre asked curiously. Duo just tapped the side of his nose and laughed.

" You'll find out soon Q!" Only Wufei seemed to mind the new nicknames Duo had suddenly sprung upon them, but it was still a sight to see Quatre's disappointed face turn to one of confusion. It was the second time he'd been called that.

" 'Q'?"

" Yeah, your new name. Like it?" Duo bounced along beside him.

" I've never had a nickname, and I do like it. It makes me feel...part of something." Quatre looked slightly distant for a moment.

" That's exactly how you should feel!" Duo agreed. "Because you are part of something. If only some OTHER people could understand that." He mock glared at Wufei who rolled his eyes back.

" My, aren't we a happy crowd?" Zechs mocked.

" Oh, we're happy. It's just Wufei has some issues." Duo laughed when Wufei's expression turned dark.

" Maxwell..."

" Now love, you do have issues, we all do. And anyway...-" He lent down and whispered something in Wufei's ear, inaudible to all others there. Duo only laughed harder when Wufei blushed an intense red.

" No. Way." Heero's loud refusal brought them all away from the situation. Their eyes fell upon a new scene; before them, the river, crashing as a powerful force against the Earth's rocks. It led to a waterfall not far away, which also crashed, and nothing could fight the waters to avoid its fatal pull. And there, further up the bank, was an interesting contraption. A thing of paper and wood, a work of art was the only way to describe its paintwork, and it had an air of majesty about it. It appeared to be an ornate fkying machine.

Now, I call it a 'flying machine' not because it was old fashioned, but because it could never be mistaken for an aeroplane. It resembled a boat with wings and patterns of the earth flashed across its side to guide its flight. Zechs, who was most obviously its owner, laughed at Heero's obstinate refusal to ride it.

" Why not? Don't tell me Satan's heir has vertigo?" Heero grimaced.

" I do, and with that admission I repeat; 'No. Way.'" Duo latched onto the boy's arm, and dragged his finger down his chest.

" But it's the only way to get there Heero, and I really want to show you around. Please?" Heero let out an uncharacteristic sigh-slash-gulp, then set his jaw.

" If it's the only method of transport then...I suppose I shall have to. It's that, getting lost in a hostile realm, or going back down thousands of steps..." Heero glanced toward Quatre who didn't seem too opposed. But then, even his gentle brother didn't have a problem with heights. Hanging his head out of sheer reluctance, he allowed himself to be led by the now babbling Duo.

" Seriously Heero, you'll like it here. It's a lot like that place in your garden, only different, and it's really worth the ride. Besides, it can't be that bad..."

As the two had their voices drowned out by the river, Trowa turrned to the blond beside him.

" I trust you don't have the same problem?" He asked. Quatre smiled sweetly.

" Not at all, I was just wondering how it flew, that's all." They followed the others to the deceptively flimsy-looking conraption. The paintwork afore mentioned seemed to have a life of its own, and the numerous eyes followed them from its hull.

" It uses a complex system to utelise sound waves, it then uses them to modify and re-route the winds. The sound waves are laced with magic and contort the wind and the water vapour from the waterfall so that it suspends the ship, effectively, in midair. Although really we're riding more on water than air." Trowa' voice remained monotonous throughout the explanation, like a teacher, and Quatre couldn't help but wonder if he'd be a teacher who taught impeccibly or one who was completely ignored and disregarded by the class.

" In english that means you get this little fairy chick to sing and her fancy voice gets the wind to give us a piggy-back." Duo supplied, popping his head over the railings on the deck above them.

" It isn't a fairy, Duo. It's a Midante."

" I still say it's a fairy." Duo grumbled, pulling his head back into the ship. He turned to Heero in hopes to ease his fears. "Do you wanna' see how it works? It's a really secure system, so if you see it maybe you'll realise we're perfectly safe." Duo offered. Heero nodded uncertainly. Surely the system would prove its worth?

Duo lead him through the deck area to a small room. Its ceiling was low, and if he'd been just a centimeter taller he would have had to stoop. Candles flickered, their shadows dancing on the walls, and the bright warmth of the sun's first setting rays filtered through a small window.

Opening a hatch in the wooden wall, Duo reached in and pulled out an ornate golden bird cage covered by shimmering silk. As he swung it from its resting place, an undignified squeek was heard and Duo rolled his eyes.

" Drama queen." He uttered, and motioned for Heero to follow him out onto deck and to be quiet. The deck was deserted, and they quickly crossed the area - small compared to the deck of a real ship - to enter another room. However it was less of a room, and more of a command centre. The walls were glass set in dark steel, and the sunset was seen easilly ahead of them. There was a large wheel for steering, and gages and clock-like things set into the table next to it, each whirring with little hands spinning. Across the glass room was an alcove; one which jutted out at the very front of the ship and had a gate across it, it was about big enough to hold a bowling ball. Duo dropped the cage onto a table and grinned at Heero.

" Go open the hatch over that cupboard over there." He ordered quietly. Heero did as he was told, opening the gate across the alcove and turning to see Duo peering under the silk cover on the cage.

" Duo?" He asked.

" Alrighty, done. Let's get this baby started!" He placed the cage's door against the open gate, and shook it a little. A small figure floated, dejeted, out and into the sunlight. It was female, from what Heero could see. Long blonde hair, ivory skin, big blue eyes...It was like a tiny, girl version of his brother really. Only, where he had once seen angel wings on him there were bluey-green dragonfly wings on this creature. 'Hmph'-ing, she sat down in the middle of the alcove and protested silently to being woken up. "That, Heero, is what we call a Midante. She'll be powering the ship." Heero felt his heart flutter. There was no way they were going to put their lives in the hands of this...fairy? She didn't look very happy with the situation, it was very possible that she would get tired or fed up and just stop, and then the ship would plummet down and into the churning, crushing river below...

" Heero?" Duo's voice brought him back to the present. "You okay? You looked a little green."

" I'm fine, it's just...what if it stops? Singing I mean." He asked, voicing his fears.

" Really?" Duo laughed. " Nah. she doesn't want to die any more than the rest of us do. Besides, once she starts singing it's harder to get her to stop than to keep her going. She gets lost in the music, you'll see." Giving a reassuring smile, Duo turned and yelled out of the open door from the cockpit area. "Zechs! We're ready!"

Within minutes Zechs' form darkened the doorway and he strode over to the hatch where the Midante sat.

" Thanks Duo." He nodded, and then he began. Heero wasn't sure quite what he did. Over the top of the little gate, Zechs touched the wood and symbols burst into life. They were all shades of purple, blue, turquoise, pink, green, gold and silver, but he couldn't count the number. They all faded after the first fingertip grazed them and their firey appearance dimmed.

Inside, the Midante had stood up, and her head snapped this way and that. She took uncertain steps toward the gate, and jumped suddenly when she came into contact with it.

" Midante are blind." Duo supplied, seeing Heero's confused face. Heero just nodded at him. It was beautiful, Duo thought, Heero's expression of awe. He was completely enthralled and looked stunning.

Suddenly, the Midante burst into shrill song. Her voice was clear and true, and it vibrated through the ship's very being. A feeling of weightlessness took them all, and Zechs took hold of the wheel.

" Let's fly."

Outside, Trowa had helped Quatre over the top of the ropeladder and both now looked out over the rails toward the water. With a slight judder, they began to move, and Trowa smiled at Quatre's jump.

" It's meant to happen." He assured.

" How high does it go?" Quatre asked in wonderment, watching the ground become a green and brown blurr beneath them.

" So high that people below look like ants." It took off with a whoosh and Quatre both clutched Trowa for support and was thrown against him. Air rushed past, loud and cool, buffetting the two figures that clung together.

Finally it levelled out, and the wind died to only a minor roar. Quatre unwound his arms from their fixed position around Trowa's waist and let them simply hang around it instead. Daring to look out beyond the ship's railings, he saw forests and fields below them. Lakes and rivers dotted the surrounding landscape, and directly beneath was the higely wide, white-rapid river and waterfall. Specks of spray, like diamonds, were flung up from where the water plumetted over the edge, and it went down amazingly far. Beyond was a landscape entirely different; one side of the river was thick, deep forest. The other side was a huge city of silver, gold and cream. It shone, surrounded by clouds even though it was on the ground. Spires reached out towards the sky, and domed roofs glistened in the sun.

Taking a deep breath of Quatre's scent and the musky air of dusk, Trowa uttered the word which came to mind.

" Home."

WHOHOO! You have no idea how long this chapter just sat here half finished. Gah. Well, done now. And I started a new fic too called Pure. I'm proud, I'm also proud because I did the race for life! (A huge marathon that's run by women in England - and beyond? - for cancer research.) We're doing it again next year dressed up as pink fairies! Pink's the theme y'see. I'm very happy with myself. :kisses medal:

Please review!