AN: I just love the way this story is going so I'm going to continue it! I can't believe I actually have free time! Okay, here we go!
Heero watched the dancers from the corner of the grand ballroom. It had never occurred to him how long he had been out of society, but now he fully realized his alienation. He nearly cowered back at the stares and advances of the women of the court who were throwing themselves at the five warriors every chance they could get.
Heero smirked grimly; at least Duo and Quatre didn't seem to mind. The cocky Duo flirted with every woman he came into contact with, and the suave Quatre guided his partners on the dance floor with grace and agility. Even Trowa occasionally let one of the young ladies dance with him.
Wufei moved next to Heero and grunted, "I have no taste for formalities such as these."
"We have been gone far too long, Wufei," replied Heero grimly. "We do not even know how to act in society anymore."
"Not all of us," Wufei smirked as he watched Duo make a fool of himself.
Just then Trowa and Quatre approached them. Quatre was smiling; satisfied with the way the day had turned out. "The night is young and the two of you are standing over here as stoic as statues. Come and celebrate with us!"
"Hn," Heero smirked.
"Heero and Wufei have no desire for dancing," Trowa said smiling slightly. His green eyes twinkled and Quatre smiled at him.
Just then Duo pranced over and clapped Wufei on the shoulders. "Come, my friends! There is still very much to experience!" He grabbed Quatre and Wufei's hands and started pulling them towards the doorway.
"Stop, you braided baka! What do you think you're doing?" exclaimed Wufei.
"We're going out!" Duo said excitedly.
"What?" exclaimed Quatre.
"I said we are going out! Now, come on!" he pulled them once again.
"We cannot leave and insult their Majesties," Trowa said quietly.
"There are hundreds of people in this castle! Do you really think we will be missed?"
"Considering we are the guests of honor I would have to deem it quite possible," Trowa remarked sarcastically.
"Listen," Duo said. "None of us are accustomed to formalities and these sorts of parties anymore. I mean, they are enjoyable, but one can only take so much of them. Now, the real party is out there," he pointed to the city. "The people of the Imperial City wait to celebrate with us! It will be nothing but fun and dancing with those who really matter most. Those people honor us and treat us like gods, the least we can do is celebrate with them as a sign of thanks!"
They looked at their companion stunned by his heroic speech. Duo straightened his jerkin and shrugged his shoulders, "What?"
"We didn't know you had any sense left in you," Heero smirked. The others laughed. It was rare for Duo to make such a speech and it was even rarer for Heero to joke.
"I'm not as dimwitted as you all think I am," he looked at each of them, "What? I'm not!" His face fell, "Well I'm going out there with or without you!" he marched out the doors.
"Someone needs to make sure he stays out of trouble," said Trowa quietly.
Wufei rolled his eyes, Quatre laughed, and Heero frowned as they followed the braided man into the city for the night.
0000
They hated to admit it, but Duo was righter than he had ever been in his entire life. The city life was much more alive than the pomp and circumstance of the palace. Instead of waltzing around daintily, the men whirled the women around the dance floor with speed and vigor. Their faces lit up with joy and laughter.
Every plaza was filled with a different party or feast. They went one by one and visited the citizens who embraced them as one of their own. They offered them food and drink and accepted the warriors with open arms. The best was that, although they were regarded with the utmost respect, they were treated as equals, something the warriors had not experienced in a long time.
The dancing was invigorating. A merry band struck up energetic tunes one could not help but fall into step with. Even Heero found himself being drawn to the music as he watched his comrades whirl partners in a circle around a blazing bonfire under the stars.
He smirked at Duo who chatted gaily with a young lady with blue hair. He cracked jokes while they danced, making her laugh, while she, would fire right back at him taking the man by surprise. It appeared he may have met someone of equal wit.
His dark gaze swept over the crowd. Though he was not inclined to join in on the festivities, he had to admit he was enjoying himself slightly. Then, in one quick glance with his Prussian eyes, everything changed.
He saw her in the crowd weaving in and out as if looking for someone. She looked more like a celestial creature dressed in her white gown, rather than an ordinary girl from the city. She was small and delicate, her skin pale, her cheeks flushed rosy pink. Her face was serene, her lips were parted open ever so slightly, and her striking sapphire eyes dared to stand up to his cold Prussian ones. Heero Yuy did not look at women that way. He did not dare say a woman was beautiful even if it was quite obvious to the eye of the beholder. But this girl was not beautiful, she was captivating.
He felt himself being drawn towards her and she searched through the crowd. She was definitely looking for someone, but whom? Heero was indifferent. He was more fascinated by her expedition than anything.
She went to the outskirts of the party circle and fell back into the shadows watching the other couples dance. She sighed and smiled to herself as she watched the girl with the blue hair and Duo strut around the bonfire. Heero watched her with a curious expression in his eyes.
Relena, meanwhile, was unaware of anyone's presence but her own. She smiled lovingly at Hilde as she watched her dance with the braided haired man. Hilde, dancing with one of the Five. As a matter of fact, the entire company of warriors had joined their party, much to everyone's surprise and delight. Relena had taken note of each of the warriors, and had four accounted for, but she was still seeking out the fifth: her blue eyed man.
She was almost certain that she had seen him shrink back into the shadows after the others had started dancing, but when she began to search for him she gave up. She did not see him anywhere. She guessed that he, unlike the others, had made his way back to the palace. She sighed not knowing what she expected even if she did happen to come across him. But her vision had been so clear, she had looked right into his eyes…
A rough hand grabbed her around the waist. Relena, startled, looked to see a much disheveled man, who reeked of ale, but also stank of much worse things. His teeth were rotted and his hair was greasy. He grinned at Relena and began to pull her closer to him, which was also away from the bonfire. Relena cursed herself from wandering too far from the inner circle. The city had its dangers for a young vulnerable woman.
"Sir!" she exclaimed. "Please, remove your hands at once!"
"Nice night for a reel, wouldn't you say love?" he sneered at her. Relena had to control her facial reactions. The man was positively drunk.
"Yes, sir, but I am inclined to stay by the fire…" she stepped out of his grip but he grabbed her roughly and began to pull her back into the shadows.
"None of that love, you wouldn't want anyone to hear you," he said viciously.
Relena gasped a his response and struggled to get away from him, She started to cry out for help but the man's hand came down over her mouth, muting her cries over the already loud music. She kicked and struggled with all her life, terrified at what would happen to her. Then, suddenly, she fell to the ground.
She landed roughly. She lay there, dazed for a moment, her head swimming. She heard a thud and felt a body lying next to hers. She looked over to see the drunken man, unconscious.
Shocked, Relena stared wide-eyed then dared to look up above her. He stood there looking down at the form of the man, his unruly brown hair covering his face, but his Prussian blue eyes blazing. He knelt down and looked directly into her eyes and at that moment she saw him. It was clear, just like her vision. She saw all the hurt and all the pain that he had ever suffered in his life. She saw his triumphs and his tragedies all in one glance.
He was holding out his hand to help her up. Carefully she took it and she found herself standing face to face with him.
"You should be more careful, the city is no place for carelessness." His voice was deep and monotonous.
"Thank you, sir…I am afraid you have rescued me from a most unfortunate experience," she bowed to him in gratitude.
Heero wondered at the sound of her voice. It was like music, so unique, unlike anything he had ever heard before.
Relena struggled to remain eye contact. He was just gazing at her. There was no emotion on his face, just a blank expression that she couldn't make out. She struggled to find out what he was thinking, but he was just silent.
She decided to speak first, "Do you dance, sir?"
"Not if I can help it," was his simple reply.
Relena was shocked and taken quite aback at his response. It was the coldness of his tone. She felt slightly wounded and was about to turn at least five shades of red when her name was being called, "Relena!"
She spun around at the sound of Susannah's voice, and saw her mentor walking towards her. Relena turned back at took one last look at her rescuer, dropped a quick curtsy, spun around and left before the woman calling her could come over.
Heero watched her go with an indifferent expression on his face. A strange girl, he decided. He knew she carried secrets; they were hidden deep within her eyes. He was still curious, but now he knew her name…Relena.
0000
"Relena, what were you doing over there back in the shadows? And with a young man no doubt! A respectable young woman such as you should never place herself in a situation like that!" scolded Susannah.
"Relax, Susannah, he is one of the Five. He would not harm me, only help me."
"One of the Five or not, he is still a man! Men, they all think alike…"
"Susannah!" Relena cried, slightly horrified. She did not need to be reminded of how men really thought.
"Well I am just saying, child! I was once a young girl like you! I couldn't keep their hands off me…"
Relena smiled and sighed as Susannah went on and on about her younger years. They were back inside the party now, and Relena watched Hilde and her partner dance around and around, his long braid flowing.
"Excuse me miss?" asked a voice.
Relena turned to see the man with the golden hair and bright smile standing before her.
"May I have the honor of asking you for a dance?"
"Of course," smiled Relena as she took his hand.
He grinned and took her around the waist and as the music struck up she found herself dancing with one of the Five. She now knew how Hilde was feeling, looking into such a handsome face.
"Might I ask whom I have the honor of dancing with?" he said to her.
"Relena Darlian. And you are?"
"Quatre Winner, at your service!" he nodded to her deeply and Relena stood shocked at the name.
"Winner, as in the son of Lord Winner of Anion?"
"Well Winner, of the Winner family. My past is difficult to recall."
"Oh I see. But you are one of the Five?"
Quatre was slightly taken aback at her straightforwardness, but he smiled, "Yes, I am here with my comrades. You see that man with the extraordinarily long braid? That is Duo Maxwell." He took his hand at pointed to the tall man. "That over there is Trowa Barton, next to him is Chang Wufei, and lurking around here somewhere, I'm sure, is Heero Yuy."
She paused upon hearing the young man's name. Heero Yuy.
Heero watched as Relena danced with Quatre. She definitely stood out amongst everyone else in her white gown. Her hair sparkled in waves of gold and her eyes twinkled in the firelight. Had he been one to dance, he might have asked for a reel.
While Quatre spun Relena about, she caught sight of Heero staring at her from the crowd, his Prussian blue eyes fixated on her small form. She caught her breath. Never had she been so curious about a man in all her life.
Her shoulder blade started to burn. She tried to ignore it, but she could not control the Sight when it called to her. Relena stopped dancing abruptly with Quatre and gasped at a fiery sensation that scorched her skin.
"Ms. Relena? Are you okay?" asked Quatre with concerned eyes.
"Yes…" she gasped. "Please excuse me…"
She struggled away from the crowd searching desperately for her father. She had never experienced so much pain before when the Sight came to her. Something was terribly wrong. She needed to get home.
Quatre walked over to a frowning Heero. The two of them watched as the young woman disappeared into the crowd.
"Did you see that Heero?"
He nodded. He started to follow Relena, Quatre closely trailing at his heels.
Relena, on the other hand, was growing frantic. She was in agonizing pain and she struggled to desperately hide her discomfort, but the tears were threatening to spill from her eyes. She walked outside the party circle and over to the shadows where she could suffer in silence.
Collapsing to her knees, Relena grabbed at her left shoulder blade in a desperate attempt to make the pain stop. But that was when the vision came to her…
A shadow, a dark ravenous creature, swept over the city, his eyes red and looming, and the very sight terrified her to death. He was killing the good people with no mercy. It seemed all they had to do was look at him, look briefly into those red eyes and the only thing left was a blood curdling scream followed by a sick laughter that filled Relena's ears.
Relena found herself running through the streets. The city was on fire. Bodies lay still on the ground, and people were running towards her as if trying to escape. But, she was running in the opposite direction. It was as if she was running towards the danger they were fleeing from.
Then he as right before her: the Shadow. His red eyes examined her closely and she froze. Her body was immobilized, she could not move, she felt like she was being lifted into the air, but had no control. He smiled at her sinisterly, she screamed in terror…
"Relena!" cried her father.
Relena gasped and came back to reality. Her shoulder blade ached, but she was more aware of the small crowd that had gathered around her: her father, Susannah, Hilde, Quatre Winner, and Heero Yuy.
Her father gathered her up in his arms, hugging her tightly. "I want to go home," was all she managed to choke.
He nodded and helped her to stand. She struggled to her feet, but her knees buckled underneath of her. Heero Yuy caught her before she fell to the ground again. She looked weakly into his eyes, not caring whether or not she looked like a helpless damsel, she could hardly breathe.
Mr. Darlian took Relena into his arms and nodded to Susannah and Hilde. "Thank you, my lords, but my daughter is very ill, I shall be taking her home at once."
"Can we offer you an escort, sir?" Quatre asked politely.
"No…no we can manage. I shall carry her," her turned around with his daughter's frail body limp in his arms and left with the other two women.
Quatre looked at Heero questioningly. "What do you think?"
Heero did not move. He was thinking about the girl's sudden illness; how she had suddenly collapsed and the terrified look in her eyes after he had held her. In all his years of traveling he had seen it before.
"She is not ill, she has the Sight," he said coldly.
0000
Mr. Darlian and Susannah watched over Relena as she finally slept peacefully in her bed.
"What do you think?" asked Susannah.
"I do not know, the Sight has never been so punishing to her before," replied Mr. Darlian gravely.
"Aye, the poor child was in anguish."
"Yes…she was." Mr. Darlian was quiet. He was a troubled man to begin with, always worrying about Relena's gift being discovered. Tonight had been close. It was a good thing that Relena had made her way away from the party or she would have been ousted. The only unfortunate thing had been the two of the Five had found her lying in a limp pile on the ground before coming to seek him out. He prayed they did not notice anything strange.
"What shall we do sir?" asked Susannah fearfully.
Mr. Darlian looked at her sharply. Relena had told them both of the frightening vision she had experienced.
"Tell no one Susannah, I cannot let Relena suffer anymore than she already has. If we speak of visions and demons, she will be burned for a witch."
"It is a gift from the gods that she has, not a gift from the devil. If only it were that easy to make others understand." She was thoughtful for a moment before she added, "Should we wake her?"
"No…let her sleep and pray that no one comes knocking on our door in the middle of the night."
AN: Thank you for all the comments and response. I went through the first chapter and tried to correct my spelling mistakes. Thank you for those of you who pointed them out! Sometimes, no matter how many times I read over a document, I still manage to overlook things. Keep the good responses coming! Email: