[A.N.] Not really much to say. i hope you like it. there will be more soon. please review and let me know what you think! Enjoy!
**"Princess…" A voice broke softly through the haze, distant as a whisper. "Princess… can you hear me?" The voice came again, louder this time. A small light began to form in her subconscious.
"Who's there?" she felt her mind answer back, or at least, she thought she did.
"Who I am does not matter as of yet," he began, cryptically. Relena felt her subconscious prickle slightly with what seemed like curiosity. As if in answer to her inquiry, he continued: "but for the sake of reason, you may know me for now as Mirror.**
Zechs paced inside his tent. He was unsure of his new army and even less sure of himself. How could he ask them to fight and possibly die under his command when the chance that Une might control him again still lingered. He looked at his newest allies sitting around the map and ran a hand through his platinum bangs. He wasn't sure a circus performer, an oriental master of something-or-other, a former thief and the disinherited son of a lord would be much help in the monumental task ahead, but their leader was another story entirely.
The young man with the dark hair introduced himself as Heero Yuy of the Yuy Clan. Zechs knew that name. The Yuy Clan was once the strongest of all holdings within the northern territories. Warriors born and bred, they had known no equal in battle, weapons skill, or overall military might. Their downfall came only due to treachery from someone they once held as their greatest strategist and friend. It was thought that all of the clan had been wiped out under the rule of the Bartons, but-if what the youth said was true-then he was the soul-survivor of his clan and could prove useful. However, being the son of a fallen warlord hardly made him a shoe-in for their greatest asset and it was still unclear to Zechs what exactly this boy wanted in regards to his younger sister.
"I'm telling you, I don't like it." The one called Duo spoke up, jarring him out of his thoughts. "Using Zechs as bait could put us right back at square one, and I, for one, don't like creating a bigger mess than we already have."
"We're not using him as bait, Duo." Quatre interjected. "He is merely a decoy; a way to get our disguised troops in to lower the castle's defenses. Once they are in, we proceed to attack from the rear. When they pull their defenses, we attack with the rest of our forces from the front and overwhelm them. Caged men become desperate and prone to panic. Therein lies our greatest advantage."
"Yes," Noin interrupted, "however you must also remember that many of those men are either bewitched or are being forced to fight for her. Some may even turn on her once they see Zechs is himself again."
"Noin is right." Zechs stood up and walked to the map. "Enough blood has been shed on that woman's account. We must limit the casualties as much as possible."
"Alright." Duo said. "But I'm still kind of confused. How are we going to outwit a sorceress? Isn't her power going to be a problem? Assuming Relena is still alive-and I really hope she is-how can we even get close enough to rescue her?"
"Leave that to me." Heero said. Zechs felt his heckles rise. He be damned if Yuy was going to go rescue his sister alone.
"What Heero means to say," began the one named Trowa, "Is that he, Wufei and I shall infiltrate the castle and make our way through the chaos into the witch's chambers where she is most likely keeping Relena."
"Then what will I be doing?" Duo asked, indignantly.
"With that pretty long hair of yours we thought you'd blend in perfectly to help the women out with their part of the plan."
"Hey! Wait just a minute!" Duo protested. Trowa grinned.
"Unless you want to leave Hilde unprotected in the midst of hundreds of men that might not be exactly gentlemanly to women visitors."
"Alright, already. You had me at unprotected."
"We can handle ourselves!" Hilde's voice came from outside the tent.
"It is cowardly to listen in on meetings you are not invited to, woman." Wufei said.
"Is that so?" Sally answered, stepping through the tent flap. "How else are we supposed to know the plan? Or were you just going to tell us after we've been thrown to the dogs?"
"No insult was meant by leaving you out." Noin said. "I was going to talk to you in private about my exact strategy for getting us women into the fortifications."
"Go, Noin." Zechs said. "You already know our plans. It's time we begin puting things in progress and the first step largely has to do with the women." Zechs said. "Let's conclude this meeting and begin. Time is of the essence, my friends. We haven't a moment to lose." With those words, the men walked out, obviously trying to calm their female counterparts.
"Zechs." He turned to face her, her violet eyes ripe with concern. "I don't need to tell you how I feel about this plan, but I know that it is best course of action. Still, I wish I could be with you."
"You will be. Once all of this is over, I promise I will put everything to rights. Everything will be as it should have a long time ago."
"Zechs?" She asked. He wanted to tell her, or rather to ask her but not now; not yet. Right now too much was at stake.
"Noin, I have to rescue my sister. I can't help but feel at fault for this whole situation. Once she is safe, we will discuss things more in depth."
"Very well."
"I'm just not sure what to think of our new friends. Can we really trust Yuy? His clan was famous for conquering other lands."
"Oh, Zechs," She sighed humorously. "It isn't the king in you that distrusts him. It's the brother."
"What?"
"You don't have to worry about Heero's intentions. He wants Relena back safely perhaps more than you."
"How can you possibly know that?"
"Because I would do anything for the one I love too." She squeezed his hand and kissed his cheek.
"What? Love? Noin—" She turned and left, chuckling softly. Zechs was left to ponder her words in the silence of his tent.
"Mirror?" Relena asked, her voice still a distant echo.
"Yes." The voice continued. Slowly, the fog continued to dissipate until Relena found herself staring at a clearing. Rose bushes surrounded an intricate stone bench. A gentleman in a blue waistcoat and doublet sat on the bench, his chestnut colored hair smoothed back impeccably. He held himself with a noble air and Relena couldn't help but wonder who this man was.
"Long ago, I was a lord in a land far from this one. I had wealth and power but also the respect and love of my people; but none more so than of my darling Ann. She was as beautiful as the night was long and I doted on her as any admiring suitor would. One day, however, on the week that we were to wed, Ann saw me talking with a young woman whose beauty rivaled even hers. The young woman had apparently been someone from my youth before I met Ann. She wasted no time telling me that in my foolish years of adolescence, I had fathered her child. Ann had overheard the exchange and her heart broke. Seeking a way to rid herself of the pain, she vanished for weeks." Relena could feel his sadness radiate off of him as though it were her own.
"We searched for her day and night. I had just about gone out of my mind with worry. Soon, however, she re-emerged from her self-inflicted exile and all seemed well. There was, however, something amiss. An amulet with a harsh red glow hung around my lady's neck. One look into Ann's eyes and I knew a startling truth: the woman before me- though Ann in body-was not my beloved. In a jealous rage she cursed the kingdom, reducing it to ruin and to ensure that I never strayed from her side, she imprisoned me in a mirror where I could see everything but touch nothing"
"That's terrible." Relena felt herself say. His only response was a nod of his head.
"The years passed by, and Ann became weaker until at last she began doing the unspeakable. She sought out of one maiden of great youth and beauty every eighteen years to sacrifice to the darkness in return for her continued youth and power. That, my dear princess, is where you come in."
"Me?"
"Yes," His eyes saddened, "and here is where I must apologize." Relena felt her curiosity urge him on. "I used the powers awarded to me by the spell to foresee a young woman pure enough in spirit and strong enough of heart to destroy the amulet and break the spell on my beloved. My plan worked all too well and soon she found you and your kingdom. She arranged for the misfortunes to befall your family and bewitched your brother into taking her as his queen. It broke my heart to see them wed but it was a necessary evil. I hoped to save my Ann from whatever power possessed her but in doing so I forced more hardship on you than one so young should ever have to bear. I will not expect your forgiveness, but please believe I only did what I must for the good of the future as well as for Ann."
"There is nothing to forgive."
"A generous answer from one so pure. It is indeed you who will put an end to this madness."
"But how? I am but one girl. What can I do?"
"That, princess, I am afraid you must find out for yourself."
"I don't understand."
"You will." Suddenly, his image began to fade form her consciousness. "She is calling me. Remember, dear princess, you are so much stronger than you will ever truly know. Trust in your heart." And with those last words, he was gone and her world, once more returned to darkness.