Akbar
Chapter 2 Usagi sighed in pleasure. Tapered hands ran up and down her back with practiced ease. "It's time to wake up Buns." Opening her mouth she let out a huge yawn. Blinking one eye open and then the other she stared into his eyes. They smiled at her, twinkling with light. "Far past time to wake up, as a matter of fact." He grumbled into her ear. Usagi laughed, "I know the feeling." Slowly, very slowly, she rolled out of his warm embrace and out of the bed. Looking around at what most would call a desert hovel, she felt a blissful glow enter her cheeks.
The rocky cliffs and mountains that peppered the Akbarian desert was literally all the shelter that the desert people had left to them. The desert inhabitants would carve away at their rocky surroundings to make their own, wind-proof homes. Many years of hard work had gone into shaping the room she stood in now. Odd chunks of rock still stuck out from the wall here and there but she wasn't bothered by those small imperfections. The striated walls were beautiful by themselves, not that they even had the money to buy anything to decorate it with anyway. Their crudely made bed was separated from the kitchen and children's beds by a simple, raggedy gray cloth that was hung onto rings in the ceiling. There was only one window and it was right above their bed. It hardly gave any light to the room however, since desert scrub had been planted right in front of it as a means of concealing the simple home. The door, which was in their room, was made of thick wood and creaked loudly whenever it was opened. But all of this didn't matter to Usagi. The only things that did, were the four sleeping children on the other side of the curtain, and the man beside her.
All five of them had made her joyously happy for the last four years.
Dressing quickly so she could avoid the morning chill she reached for the curtain's edge. Before her hands could draw the curtain aside, they were gently pulled away. Rolling her eyes, Usagi looked at him with annoyance. "If I want to get water for us to drink I have to go now before it gets too hot." When he still didn't let her go she tried to tug away, "C'mon Mamoru, let me go...or better yet, come with me." She said teasingly. Mamoru shook his head in exasperation, "You always were a teaser Bunny."
Usagi stuck her tongue out, "I don't mean to be." She pouted beautifully. Mamoru bent to kiss her full lips. Pulling her back to the bed he told her to sit, "It'll only be a second or two, I promise." He said. Usagi frowned as she waited; Mamoru had been acting strangely all week. Pulling something out from his pocket he handed it to Usagi. "Here you go Bunny."
Usagi gasped and then gasped again. "Mamoru!" She nearly squealed, "Where did you get this? Did you make this?" She asked in amazement. At the question Mamoru started to laugh, "Make that! Usagi, I couldn't whittle a stick if I wanted to." He said, still laughing. Usagi turned the beautifully polished, minute, red box over and over in her hands. The smoothly cut designs made Usagi 'oooh' and 'aaah' repeatedly as she examined all its six sides. The carvings were beyond magnificent.
On the box that was so small that it barely took up a third of Usagi's palm, there were clear pictures of a forest teeming with deer, birds, and other forest creatures on one of the boxes' six faces. On another side there were was an ocean filled with life, the next side had the sky full of all its powerful stirring winds and rains. Another face of the box held the steam and vibrancy of the jungle. And the side that Usagi kept returning to was a detailed picture of the vast emptiness of the desert. The lid of the small box, however, was the most beautiful side; the smooth lettering that rolled from one word to the next was perfect and beautiful. The words were written in the shape of a heart. The organ was crowned and radiating light on tiny people that were in the background.
Usagi's eyes were glowing in delight, "This is beautiful. Where'd you say you got this?"
"I didn't." Mamoru said simply, he had bent to one knee on front of her, "I stole it from OZ."
Usagi immediately stopped admiring the box, "You did what?"
Mamoru sighed, "How did you think I got that flour from town? It wasn't by begging, nobody has any extra food for beggars Bunny."
"Still...Do you know how dangerous they've become? I hear that they've begun enlisting all the desert wraiths as part of their army! Mamoru! What were you thinking! They could track it right back here and, and, kill us all in our sleep!" She said in a whisper, the ears next door were very sharp. Mamoru shook his head, "Do you remember that legion of OZ soldiers that came by here a few days ago?"
Usagi nodded her head, "I had thought you were up to something but when you returned empty handed I had assumed you hadn't done anything. You had told me your stealing days were over. I can't believe you did this."
Mamoru snorted, "I'm not letting you or those orphans die from hunger. We weren't going to get any food from sympathetic townspeople Bunny! They're all just has hungry as we are. No, I took from those damn OZ soldiers like they took from us. Taking our food and our homes, safety for our lives. No, this small token is something they can suffer." Mamoru said shortly, he was angry now, reliving all of the injustices that he had suffered.
"Mamoru, look at it! It's probably beyond any treasure they had, it's probably very precious to them and you stole it! Return it now!"
Mamoru snorted, "I'm not throwing my life away just yet. Besides, the box was thrown in with a bunch of glittering trinkets so that they won't even miss it, I promise you Usagi. Your safety was the first thing on my mind when I stole it."
Usagi had to laugh at the comment, "I'm sure it was..." Sighing she handed it to Mamoru, "What're you going to do with it though?"
Mamoru grinned impishly, opening the box so that Usagi couldn't see its contents, he took both her hands. Licking his lips hesitantly, he turned the box around and handed it to Usagi. "Bunny, will you marry me?"
Usagi's eyes filled with tears as she stared at the glittering jewel. "It's not even a ring." She said, trying to hold her crumbling composure. Mamoru gently squeezed Usagi's hands, "I was hoping it wouldn't matter." Usagi sniffed and smiled, "Oh Mamoru..." Her lips trembled with the words that were about to spill from them.
"I can't." She said finally. Mamoru looked as if he had been anticipating her answer, "Usagi," he said, no longer using her nick-name, "You once said to me, four years ago, that you were waiting for this man. This man, that you loved. But," Mamoru took a breath and tightened his hold on her hands, "He's been gone now for four years and I have loved you faithfully from the day that you came to me. If not for love Usagi, marry me because I am your only safety."
Usagi couldn't say no, if you weren't married in the great city of OZ-where the family had to go every few weeks to get food-then any OZ soldier could claim you as a loyal servant of OZ and take you away with him. That was why child marriages had started in the towns, and now, in the scattered villages.
"Mamoru, I will take this ring and marry you but please..." Usagi searched for the words, "Please understand that I'm trying to forget him, but it's hard." She searched his face for understanding, acknowledgement, and maybe even, some anger at her loyalty to Cat.
Mamoru couldn't understand how she could still be attached, or even remember, this man from four years ago but he obediently nodded his head. "I understand. Now, take the jewel out." He said with forced cheer. Usagi eagerly did so. When she tipped the box forwards and let the jewel fall into her hand, she was surprised by its weight. The diamond was like none she had ever seen. Cut in the shape of a rose bud that had just bloomed, it was resplendent, even in the dismal light of the room. The petals of the rose were clouded but in the very center of the rose was a clear crystal face. Small as it was, about the size of a decent-sized brooch, it was still an unimaginable fortune, even the box.
Mamoru took her hands and covered the crystal from both their eyes, "You mustn't tell anyone about this, I have a more modest ring for you to wear in town, but this is what I wanted your ring to really be like." He said softly to her.
Usagi shook her head in exasperation at Mamoru's lack of understanding her, before she threw herself at Mamoru, "It doesn't matter...all that matters is that we're...married!" Usagi couldn't stop herself from grinning. She had been waiting for Cat for four years, and still had been waiting...that is until Mamoru had asked for her hand in marriage. She had stopped waiting then, it was time to move on.
The morning passed as a happy blur. Even as she trudged out to the well in the blazing heat she was smiling. Weeks, then months, and then a year passed like this. Usagi would now and then gaze at the crystal lovingly, but there were so many things that were more interesting to do than stare at the crystal. Cat, Quatre, had fallen into the past like he should have long ago. Soon, she expected, she and Mamoru were going to escape from their four adopted children and have a dream-like night together. The hope made her flush at the oddest of times, but it was a pleasant dream that tangled her and Mamoru closer together. On days were she would have to go to the city, she would carry the crystal inside it's box with her to the marketplace; she and Mamoru knew that someday a price would be too high for something that they would desperately need, and the crystal, or the box, would save them at that time. Usagi had just started to make routine errands to the city now that Mamoru was spending his time on widening their home to twice its size.
Walking into the thriving city she became refreshed from the desert's heat by the sound of hundred's of lively voices echoing on the white-washed walls. The merchants' and vender's shaded their stands with beautiful rugs and twined multicolored streamers on their stands. Each merchant knew that appearance, in business, meant everything. The shops were regularly perfumed in delicate scents, and sometimes, the richer shops were able to afford a street urchin to fan away the flies for a day or so. Usagi carried the steadily growing weight of her wicker baskets with renewed ease. Walking through the crowded street she became aware of a clamoring sound to her right.
The large crowd of people drew her attention almost instantly from all the other merchants. The crowd was different from the usual masses that she saw, they were really trying everything in their power to get to the front of the booth so that they could buy his goods. She was shocked when she saw one man punch another to get farther into the crowd. She, like a few others, hurried away from the thickening crowd. The mob swiftly slipped from her mind as she bargained for food, cloth, tools, and finally, a burro. Mamoru had decided to buy a wedding present for themselves with their collected money and get a burro. The burro would be more than handy on their little farm, it could virtually be a lifesaver, and they needed plenty of those. As Usagi was looking some burro's over she scolded herself for not listening to Mamoru more closely. The burro's all looked the same, how was she supposed to tell the difference between which one would be better suited for their needs.
"Excuse me Mrs., but is there a certain kind of mule you're looking for?"
Usagi smiled at the merchant, she knew that all merchant's were liars and she knew this one was no exception. "I want the best burro here." She said. The merchant looked her over before gesturing to a small, dinky beast standing in the corner of his corral. "This burro would most likely be best suited for you most beautiful lady. He would most certainly bless your generous home with wealth. He is a hard worker and will be bought for a mere 250 rupees."
Usagi wasn't astounded by the flowery language the merchant used, all of them did, but was staggered by the price, two hundred and fifty for a little animal that hardly reached to her shoulder! Her hand had, without her knowledge, snuck down to the pocket that held the crystal and the box. Gritting her teeth with determination she looked firmly at the merchant. "I am sorry most humble sir, but I am sure there is a better price for this most well-cared-for animal."
"Ah, but milady, this is the king of the corral and would be gentle with your children, yes? This animal, most humbly said milady, would be able to pull any plow and will waste away in my corral."
Usagi stiffened, stubborn merchant. "I will buy the burro for one hundred rupees most wise burro merchant." She said. The merchant sighed, "What a price for such a wonderful beast. You can buy, lucky mistress, my other Burro, Sanza for that price." Usagi glanced at the animal the merchant was pointing at and felt her cheeks redden. The burro's head just reached above her waist and it was obviously unfit to do any more work than carry a basket of flowers on its back. "Most wise merchant," Usagi said, smiling prettily, "I'm sure that the merchant across from you will give me a burro for half as much as you are asking for the burro you first showed me." Her face was pleasant but inside she was still annoyed at how stubborn the merchant was being.
The bearded merchant gave a very dirty look to the merchant across the street from him who was also selling burros, before he turned back to Usagi. "I will give you the burro I first pointed out to you o most lovely flower, for the small price of two hundred rupees."
"I will buy the burro for one hundred and fifty rupees and no more." Usagi said just as obstinately.
"Ah, most gracious lady, I will lower my price to one hundred and seventy five rupees but no less or else I am afraid you will have to go to the merchant across from me."
"Fine, I will!" Usagi snapped as she lost her temper. The merchant's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Surely, surely milady would like to buy, from this lowly merchant, the burro for the price of one hundred and fifty five rupees?"
Usagi knew the merchant had added on the extra five rupees just so he could annoy her but she was sure she wouldn't be able to lower the price anymore so she agreed; after she could check to make sure the burro was healthy. Given a roughly-made halter and lead rope she proceeded to make her way out of the market. Glancing back every now and then to the innocuous face of the burro she smiled, it was adorable. On her way out, she spotted the stand that everyone had formerly been fighting over. Because night was near, and nobody stayed in the marketplace nowadays when it was dark, the people had practically deserted the stand. Usagi hesitantly picked her way there; the stand still had people there but not so many now. She saw now, why everyone had been there.
Hanging from the beams of the vender's shop were fresh fish, fish that weren't in any way spoiled or diseased. There were also vegetables at his stand that were actually green, large, and healthy. The food made her mouth water, it had been such a long time since she had seen such large, vividly colored melons or such full shaped tomatoes. Her eyes fell to the shiny apples that lay in a basket on his counter. Without a single thought she waited in line to have some of those apples. She could imagine Mamoru's face upon seeing the crisp apples, something he loved.
By the time Usagi reached the merchant's stand, the sun, which resembled a blazing red eye, had touched the horizon. "Excuse me most generous merchant but I would like that basket of apples."
The merchant stared at Usagi with an intensity that made her nervous. He had a pair of stunning violet eyes that should have belonged to a royal of OZ. Smiling, the merchant reached for a burlap bag. "And, most lovely lady, how many would you like?"
Usagi was temporarily surprised by how audacious he was in flicking his eyes so tantalizingly at her when he said 'lovely'. Gripping the lead rope more tightly in her hands, she collected herself. "Oh most kind merchant, I would like twelve apples."
As the merchant began to gently place the apples in the bag he kept flicking his heavy eyes to her. Usagi decided to distract herself by taking the time to throw her two baskets over her burro's back. Her eyes flew open when the baskets, which were much heavier then she had thought them to be, made her tilt backwards much farther back then she thought humanly possible. On the brink of falling backwards and cracking her skull open, she was saved. The merchant had leaped over the counter and grabbed the baskets out of her hands.
Clutching the proffered hand to steady herself, she gasped when she saw the glinting edge of a weapon under the merchant's cloak. Snatching her hand away from him Usagi eyed the merchant with new eyes. "Excuse me." She said in alarm as she reached forwards to grab the baskets from him. Usagi became even more alarmed when the merchant threw the two wicker baskets over the burro's back. The burro didn't even stir when the pack was thrown over its sturdy back. Usagi gaped and then hastily bowed, "Thank you o most kind merchant for, for,"
"Keeping you from falling and cracking your brains open?" The merchant supplied.
Usagi nodded her head enthusiastically, "Yes, yes. Thank you very much." Reaching into her pocket she was about to give him some rupees when he waved them back.
"If you haven't noticed, I am doing quite fine money wise, milady." He said smoothly. Usagi's cheeks flushed, what was it that made her blush so much around this merchant? He was just fooling with her. With the realization, Usagi huffily took the apples and nearly threw the rupees at him. Firmly pulling her burro along, she ignored the cheeky goodbye from the merchant. Usagi glanced back just as she was about to leave the market and still found him staring at her. Her cheeks filled with blood yet again. Once out of the protective walls that surrounded the citadel she felt the dry wind sear her face with its harshness. The sand was cool under her feet now that the sun had closed its burning eye to the Akbarian desert. Digging her feet into the sand, Usagi relished the unfamiliar cool that seeped through her toes. When her dusty brown burro butted her in the back, she knew it was time to head home.
With a heavy sigh she threw her hood over her head and began her journey home. The burro proved no trouble for her as it pluckily trod along beside her. The stars had been in the sky for no more than an hour or so when Usagi first saw her home. The shifting sands beneath her began to turn to hard ground. In the full light of the moon Usagi could see the shadow of the desert scrub stretching to meet her. Leaving the burro tied to a post outside the door she ran inside, leaving the baskets full of food, behind. "I'm home!" She chimed. The broad smile on her face faded, the cracking of burning logs was her only answer.
"Hello? Anyone home?" She called, as she threw off her dusty cloak. From behind the cloth partition Usagi could see the shifting light of the fire in the next room. Pushing aside the gray curtain she turned her eyes to the fireplace. Her lips fell open and she cried out in horror. Running forwards, she sank to the floor, next to Mamoru. Her hands had barely touched his iced skin before she pulled them away. Covering her face she wept from the terrific pain that was clutching her. Staggering away from his body that was framed by blood, her misted eyes turned to the children's bed. Moaning she went to them. She touched each of their soft, chilled cheeks. She would never again hear their sweet voices or feel their puffing breathes against her neck.
Uttering another soft sob she lifted the blankets to cover their faces, they had been slaughtered in their sleep. Clutching her shoulders she stared at Mamoru, "What am I supposed to do without all of you?" She said to him, shedding more tears. Tearing aside the curtain she threw it over her lifeless husband's body. Stumbling to her cloak she fell on top of it. Sobbing and screaming into the bed where she had lain with Mamoru just that morning, she felt the hard lump of the box. Her eyes grew hard and she was seized with a fit of anger. "It's because of that cursed diamond!" She hissed. Swiping the tears from her face she dove into the cloak pocket and snatched the box up. Usagi unrolled the cloth that held the box with itching fingers. Opening it, she stared at the crystal, which lay glittering in its case, with such hatred that her body trembled with it. Walking to the fire she hurled the box and gem into it.
"Damn you and whoever made you!" She screamed in rage. Her mind had time to thrill at the pink hue that had consumed the fire before she was thrown backwards by a wave of magic. Usagi scrambled to her feet and screamed even louder in rage, "Melt and perish like everyone else has!" Opening her turbulent eyes to the blinding light she saw the diamond hurtling towards her. Usagi flung her arms up in protection; her anger had left her and was replaced by an unnerving fear. The gem disappeared in an orb of light that struck Usagi full in the chest. Her breath left her when the burning began in her lungs. Her hand touched the rock wall for support as the fire spread through her body. Feeling the sweat running down her face she panted for breath. Voices and memories were swirling through her mind without control. Mamoru's face flicked in and out of her head. Her heart's erratic beating came to a sudden halt. With a final sigh, she slumped to the floor.
When her azure eyes had rolled back in their sockets, and her body had ceased living, a spear of light burst from her chest. Air swooped into her lungs and her heart began to pump her rich red blood through her veins once more. Her eyelashes fluttered but she remained asleep; even as the stars began to dim out, one by one.
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"I saw you looking at that girl this evening." The Hurda said disgustedly. His partner smirked, "You obviously didn't get a good look at her then. She was a natural beauty."
"A married one, and if you didn't notice, she saw your blade. Why don't you put that damn thing away?"
The man he was speaking to, threw off his merchant garb and let his gleaming brown hair loose. "Listen, I didn't touch the girl, just looked at her. There's no harm in that. Shinigami has no problem with it anyway."
"And I fail to see why you would worship a god of death."
"Because chastity and morality have nothing to do with it Wufei." The man declared happily.
Wufei's narrow eyes slid to his partner once again, "Those two things have much to do with death. If I were back on my throne I would order you executed to see how much you liked death, since you worship it so...Duo, what're you doing?" Wufei snapped.
Duo stuck his tongue out at the prince and pulled out his ivory-handled sickle. "Nothing. Jeez, would you watch the damn road instead of me all the time?"
Wufei hissed, Duo immediately reached for his weapon, "Don't do that!"
A forked tongue slipped from between Wufei's white teeth and his two fangs came into full view for Duo. "You can't tell me what to do commoner."
Duo glared at Wufei, "Just because you have a dragon and just because you're a prince and just because you have some dragon blood in you, you think you're the most amazing thing to walk this side of the Earth. Well guess what, I've seen a lot of better things then you walking down these streets and they certainly don't have fangs." He barked back.
Wufei smiled thinly, "I suppose that girl was one of them."
Duo lifted his sickle threateningly.
"Enough. Stop fighting."
The two of them turned their attention to the boy who was crouched in the window. Duo instantly straightened and set his weapon down, "Trowa! It's so nice to have another normal human with me!" Duo said as he shot a look at Wufei. Trowa landed on the floor of the room without a noise, "OZ soldiers headed out of here last night, have they returned yet?"
Wufei shook his head, "No, not yet."
Trowa's eloquent green eyes burned into Duo, "Any word from,"
"No," Duo said, interrupting Trowa, "No word from him yet. But no matter, the three of us can handle matters fine."
"I doubt that."
Duo jumped, "Man, can't you give us any warning before you creep up on us like that Heero?" Heero's terrific midnight-blue eyes stared cynically at Duo, silencing him. Heero turned to Trowa. "Has your family received any word on the crystal?"
"No, my father's doing everything he can to get it back though." Trowa would know, he was second son to the desert's unsympathetic ruler.
"Until Quatre gets back we'll wait it out here. The soldiers have begun to suspect that our attacks are more then just random. We can't let them know we've organized ourselves." Heero said, his husky voice filling the room. "We must, at all costs, remain secret." They all knew that it was a big gamble just to establish themselves as a connected group of Hurda's- warriors of the people. Before the five had met, through Quatre, they had all been loyal to their regions. None of them had cared about the others problems even if the other Hurda's problem happened to be the same as theirs. But times were different now. The habitually reclusive desert people were becoming closer together. They were banding together for support, food, trade, and, to be against OZ. The new OZ-the preceding ones being of a milder sort of government-had grown into more than a pestering regime change, it had become a moving threat.
Wufei nodded his head, his bronze skin reflecting in the moonlight as he sat at the window seat. Duo, who had been nonchalantly braiding his hair the entire time, was finally done. Putting on his black cloak he hooked his sickle back onto his belt. "Well, I'm ready to go for midnight rounds, who wants to come with me?"
Heero silently stripped of his OZ uniform and quickly buttoned on the characteristic black Hurda uniform in its stead. He nodded to the other two Hurda, "We'll be back by dawn."
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The OZ general shook the girl with a rough sort of urgency, "Wake up!"
When Usagi's blue eyes landed on the general she immediately scrambled away. "Stay away from me." She said warningly.
"Heh, general Zechs, it seems that this commoner thinks she can just speak back to you however she wants." Someone said with a sneer. Usagi was promptly dragged to her feet and forced to bow to Zechs.
"Tell me, commoner, where is the diamond? We know you stole it." Zechs's sharp nose and eagle eyes demanded attention and caused his pale features to look harsh.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Usagi replied, something new was inside her. A courage and strength that she had never had was burning inside her, pumping through her veins. She didn't tremble or flinch as she spoke the next words, "Only a dog of OZ would slaughter children."
"Well, then I wouldn't be the dog. It certainly wasn't me that laid a hand on your...children." The general said calmly. Usagi's head snapped up, "But you gave the order! You were the one who ordered the death of my family!" She struggled against the man who held her, "And it's you who should be lying dead on the ground right now!"
She was slapped by a nearby soldier. The hand that had been gloved in silver armor, made her cheek bleed where his knuckles had struck her. Her anger blazed into life. Zechs's eyes opened in wonder when he saw a crescent begin to smolder into light on her forehead.
"Magus!" He called. The soldiers around him began to fidget from their anxiety; the commoner had magic in her. The soldier's grip on her arms had loosened in his amazement of the glow of light that was radiating from her body. Wind tore through the room and the homely clothes that had hung on Usagi were transformed into fine silk and linen. Wings broke through her back and thrust the soldier away from her. She held the glorious limbs threateningly aloft. "You'll pay for what you did to them!" She said darkly. With a single beat of her wings she was lifted into the air, "You'll pay for all the black things that you ever did!" Usagi cried as she rushed at Zechs. Just then, a purple shield encased the general and Usagi bounced off of it without even sending a crack through it.
The light that had given her a lazy glow, roared upwards into a flame of light as it felt the conflicting magic in front of it. The magus had arrived. Raising a single finger he blew out the blazing magic that surrounded Usagi, with a single word he had put her to sleep. "You called, General?" The magus said with impressive composure, bowing to the general. Zechs snorted, "There's no need for you to bow. This girl, how did a commoner like her get such power? And her wings, is she some sort of desert wraith?"
The magus approached Usagi's sleeping body warily, "Her power is beyond what I could have ever imagined, you are lucky that I was here to save you." The magus bent and caressed the silken wings. The feathers that he touched wilted instantly. The magus was caught by surprise when the wings began to grow to an enormous size. He snapped his fingers but the growth didn't stop. Stepping back he raised his hands and uttered words of power, just in time. The cocoon of overlapping wings that now shielded Usagi, had lifted from the ground and would have transported her to safety, if the magus hadn't interfered.
"What just happened?" Zechs asked curiously, his sword was drawn and his placid cerulean eyes held no fear as he stretched his sword forwards.
"I wouldn't touch it General." The magus said delicately as he circled the wings which had completely wrapped Usagi and was now hovering in the air. "She has some kind of wild magic, without her needing to say a word or a spell, her magic rose up to protect her..." The magus's eyes were filled with something unreadable, something dangerous was lurking in them. "We should take her back to Treize. He would more then enjoy this new...weapon in his army." He said slowly, contemplating his words.
Zechs thought carefully, "Will she join our side? We did after all, kill her only family it seems."
"If we wipe her memory, I'm sure we can manage it." The magus drew himself up and brushed back his stray hairs.
"But will you be able to? She obviously has power beyond what we first thought."
The magus shrugged, "Either way, it's safer having her under our thumb then running loose to cause trouble."
Zechs nodded his head, "Now the question is, how we get to the castle without everyone seeing this."
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Heero put a finger to his lips and pointed to the road below. Duo looked down and gasped, "Good lord, what is it?" Heero slapped a hand over Duo's mouth and continued to watch the silent procession. The two had stumbled upon a strange scene. The royal magus was walking with his hands thrust forwards. He forced, using his magic, the cloaked object in front of him to continue forwards. From their close perch the two could see the obvious trouble the man was having.
"That's the royal magus!" Duo whispered in surprise, "What's he having so much trouble doing?" The Hurda's could see the beads of sweat rolling down the man's forehead as he continued to shoo the object forwards. Quite randomly, the oval object began to shiver and shake. The magus yelled something to the soldiers and they immediately surrounded the object. With a violent, almost explosive, shudder, the cloak fell away from the object. Duo gaped, "What is it?" He murmured. The perfect oval of white was really two wings, folded together into a perfect shield. Drops of pearl that hung on the wings, glimmered in the night, drawing the Hurda's eyes to it. Heero's luminous eyes were wide, "That must be it." Without a pause, Zechs leaned down and then threw the cloak back over the cocoon. Its movement stopped and it continued on in front of the magus without further trouble. Heero and Duo were leaping from rooftop to rooftop with urgency, Trowa had to return to the castle and find out what this object was.
When they had reached the shady building that housed them it was only a moment later that a shadow slipped from the doorway and briskly made its way to the looming castle.
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"I would keep back Prince Barton." The magus warned.
Trowa paid no attention to his teacher and continued forwards. The cocoon trembled and began to glow furiously with light as Trowa neared it. Trowa stopped a few feet from the cocoon, "What's inside it?" He asked, his eyes were absorbed by the marvel in front of him.
The magus smirked, "A girl. We caught a girl with magical powers that are nearly beyond me."
"Nearly beyond?" Trowa said scathingly. The magus grinned haughtily back, "Yes, nearly beyond mine, dear pupil."
Trowa's fine eyes ran over the cocoon as it hovered. It was magnificent. A door slammed open and the soldiers around the room straightened themselves. The magus stood up regally, "My lord, here is the girl."
Treize let his eyes lazily wander over his handsomely dressed soldiers before they swept up to the cocoon. His boots made a sharp tap-tap as he made his way to the cocoon. Paying no mind to his second son, Treize turned to the magus. "Get the girl out." Treize said curtly.
The magus sucked in a breath, "As you wish, my lord." Lifting both his hands he spoke several words, none of which worked. With an annoyed look on his face he made a sweeping gesture and the cocoon burst into a million feathers. The sleeping girl hovered momentarily in the air before sinking to the ground. Treize was astounded by the sight, "This is the desert commoner you were speaking of?" He said incredulously, "Are you sure she wasn't stolen away from some rich rajah's palace?"
The magus nodded his head, smiling, "Though she doesn't look like it, she is most certainly a commoner."
Trowa's green eyes were riveted to this newfound treasure of the OZ family. The girl was made of nothing but soft lines and curves with a head of long, lustrous, golden hair. Her skin was tinged with a faint tan but had somehow, through a lifetime under a beating sun, retained most of its ivory hue. "She's fair enough to be a queen." He said quietly.
His father, upon hearing the remark, nodded his head in agreement. "Put her in one of our formal rooms. We'll come up with some use for her."
*****Did I mention that I don't even know what I'm going to write about when I begin the chapters?**Please review. ~Toodles, Qt~chan
Chapter 2 Usagi sighed in pleasure. Tapered hands ran up and down her back with practiced ease. "It's time to wake up Buns." Opening her mouth she let out a huge yawn. Blinking one eye open and then the other she stared into his eyes. They smiled at her, twinkling with light. "Far past time to wake up, as a matter of fact." He grumbled into her ear. Usagi laughed, "I know the feeling." Slowly, very slowly, she rolled out of his warm embrace and out of the bed. Looking around at what most would call a desert hovel, she felt a blissful glow enter her cheeks.
The rocky cliffs and mountains that peppered the Akbarian desert was literally all the shelter that the desert people had left to them. The desert inhabitants would carve away at their rocky surroundings to make their own, wind-proof homes. Many years of hard work had gone into shaping the room she stood in now. Odd chunks of rock still stuck out from the wall here and there but she wasn't bothered by those small imperfections. The striated walls were beautiful by themselves, not that they even had the money to buy anything to decorate it with anyway. Their crudely made bed was separated from the kitchen and children's beds by a simple, raggedy gray cloth that was hung onto rings in the ceiling. There was only one window and it was right above their bed. It hardly gave any light to the room however, since desert scrub had been planted right in front of it as a means of concealing the simple home. The door, which was in their room, was made of thick wood and creaked loudly whenever it was opened. But all of this didn't matter to Usagi. The only things that did, were the four sleeping children on the other side of the curtain, and the man beside her.
All five of them had made her joyously happy for the last four years.
Dressing quickly so she could avoid the morning chill she reached for the curtain's edge. Before her hands could draw the curtain aside, they were gently pulled away. Rolling her eyes, Usagi looked at him with annoyance. "If I want to get water for us to drink I have to go now before it gets too hot." When he still didn't let her go she tried to tug away, "C'mon Mamoru, let me go...or better yet, come with me." She said teasingly. Mamoru shook his head in exasperation, "You always were a teaser Bunny."
Usagi stuck her tongue out, "I don't mean to be." She pouted beautifully. Mamoru bent to kiss her full lips. Pulling her back to the bed he told her to sit, "It'll only be a second or two, I promise." He said. Usagi frowned as she waited; Mamoru had been acting strangely all week. Pulling something out from his pocket he handed it to Usagi. "Here you go Bunny."
Usagi gasped and then gasped again. "Mamoru!" She nearly squealed, "Where did you get this? Did you make this?" She asked in amazement. At the question Mamoru started to laugh, "Make that! Usagi, I couldn't whittle a stick if I wanted to." He said, still laughing. Usagi turned the beautifully polished, minute, red box over and over in her hands. The smoothly cut designs made Usagi 'oooh' and 'aaah' repeatedly as she examined all its six sides. The carvings were beyond magnificent.
On the box that was so small that it barely took up a third of Usagi's palm, there were clear pictures of a forest teeming with deer, birds, and other forest creatures on one of the boxes' six faces. On another side there were was an ocean filled with life, the next side had the sky full of all its powerful stirring winds and rains. Another face of the box held the steam and vibrancy of the jungle. And the side that Usagi kept returning to was a detailed picture of the vast emptiness of the desert. The lid of the small box, however, was the most beautiful side; the smooth lettering that rolled from one word to the next was perfect and beautiful. The words were written in the shape of a heart. The organ was crowned and radiating light on tiny people that were in the background.
Usagi's eyes were glowing in delight, "This is beautiful. Where'd you say you got this?"
"I didn't." Mamoru said simply, he had bent to one knee on front of her, "I stole it from OZ."
Usagi immediately stopped admiring the box, "You did what?"
Mamoru sighed, "How did you think I got that flour from town? It wasn't by begging, nobody has any extra food for beggars Bunny."
"Still...Do you know how dangerous they've become? I hear that they've begun enlisting all the desert wraiths as part of their army! Mamoru! What were you thinking! They could track it right back here and, and, kill us all in our sleep!" She said in a whisper, the ears next door were very sharp. Mamoru shook his head, "Do you remember that legion of OZ soldiers that came by here a few days ago?"
Usagi nodded her head, "I had thought you were up to something but when you returned empty handed I had assumed you hadn't done anything. You had told me your stealing days were over. I can't believe you did this."
Mamoru snorted, "I'm not letting you or those orphans die from hunger. We weren't going to get any food from sympathetic townspeople Bunny! They're all just has hungry as we are. No, I took from those damn OZ soldiers like they took from us. Taking our food and our homes, safety for our lives. No, this small token is something they can suffer." Mamoru said shortly, he was angry now, reliving all of the injustices that he had suffered.
"Mamoru, look at it! It's probably beyond any treasure they had, it's probably very precious to them and you stole it! Return it now!"
Mamoru snorted, "I'm not throwing my life away just yet. Besides, the box was thrown in with a bunch of glittering trinkets so that they won't even miss it, I promise you Usagi. Your safety was the first thing on my mind when I stole it."
Usagi had to laugh at the comment, "I'm sure it was..." Sighing she handed it to Mamoru, "What're you going to do with it though?"
Mamoru grinned impishly, opening the box so that Usagi couldn't see its contents, he took both her hands. Licking his lips hesitantly, he turned the box around and handed it to Usagi. "Bunny, will you marry me?"
Usagi's eyes filled with tears as she stared at the glittering jewel. "It's not even a ring." She said, trying to hold her crumbling composure. Mamoru gently squeezed Usagi's hands, "I was hoping it wouldn't matter." Usagi sniffed and smiled, "Oh Mamoru..." Her lips trembled with the words that were about to spill from them.
"I can't." She said finally. Mamoru looked as if he had been anticipating her answer, "Usagi," he said, no longer using her nick-name, "You once said to me, four years ago, that you were waiting for this man. This man, that you loved. But," Mamoru took a breath and tightened his hold on her hands, "He's been gone now for four years and I have loved you faithfully from the day that you came to me. If not for love Usagi, marry me because I am your only safety."
Usagi couldn't say no, if you weren't married in the great city of OZ-where the family had to go every few weeks to get food-then any OZ soldier could claim you as a loyal servant of OZ and take you away with him. That was why child marriages had started in the towns, and now, in the scattered villages.
"Mamoru, I will take this ring and marry you but please..." Usagi searched for the words, "Please understand that I'm trying to forget him, but it's hard." She searched his face for understanding, acknowledgement, and maybe even, some anger at her loyalty to Cat.
Mamoru couldn't understand how she could still be attached, or even remember, this man from four years ago but he obediently nodded his head. "I understand. Now, take the jewel out." He said with forced cheer. Usagi eagerly did so. When she tipped the box forwards and let the jewel fall into her hand, she was surprised by its weight. The diamond was like none she had ever seen. Cut in the shape of a rose bud that had just bloomed, it was resplendent, even in the dismal light of the room. The petals of the rose were clouded but in the very center of the rose was a clear crystal face. Small as it was, about the size of a decent-sized brooch, it was still an unimaginable fortune, even the box.
Mamoru took her hands and covered the crystal from both their eyes, "You mustn't tell anyone about this, I have a more modest ring for you to wear in town, but this is what I wanted your ring to really be like." He said softly to her.
Usagi shook her head in exasperation at Mamoru's lack of understanding her, before she threw herself at Mamoru, "It doesn't matter...all that matters is that we're...married!" Usagi couldn't stop herself from grinning. She had been waiting for Cat for four years, and still had been waiting...that is until Mamoru had asked for her hand in marriage. She had stopped waiting then, it was time to move on.
The morning passed as a happy blur. Even as she trudged out to the well in the blazing heat she was smiling. Weeks, then months, and then a year passed like this. Usagi would now and then gaze at the crystal lovingly, but there were so many things that were more interesting to do than stare at the crystal. Cat, Quatre, had fallen into the past like he should have long ago. Soon, she expected, she and Mamoru were going to escape from their four adopted children and have a dream-like night together. The hope made her flush at the oddest of times, but it was a pleasant dream that tangled her and Mamoru closer together. On days were she would have to go to the city, she would carry the crystal inside it's box with her to the marketplace; she and Mamoru knew that someday a price would be too high for something that they would desperately need, and the crystal, or the box, would save them at that time. Usagi had just started to make routine errands to the city now that Mamoru was spending his time on widening their home to twice its size.
Walking into the thriving city she became refreshed from the desert's heat by the sound of hundred's of lively voices echoing on the white-washed walls. The merchants' and vender's shaded their stands with beautiful rugs and twined multicolored streamers on their stands. Each merchant knew that appearance, in business, meant everything. The shops were regularly perfumed in delicate scents, and sometimes, the richer shops were able to afford a street urchin to fan away the flies for a day or so. Usagi carried the steadily growing weight of her wicker baskets with renewed ease. Walking through the crowded street she became aware of a clamoring sound to her right.
The large crowd of people drew her attention almost instantly from all the other merchants. The crowd was different from the usual masses that she saw, they were really trying everything in their power to get to the front of the booth so that they could buy his goods. She was shocked when she saw one man punch another to get farther into the crowd. She, like a few others, hurried away from the thickening crowd. The mob swiftly slipped from her mind as she bargained for food, cloth, tools, and finally, a burro. Mamoru had decided to buy a wedding present for themselves with their collected money and get a burro. The burro would be more than handy on their little farm, it could virtually be a lifesaver, and they needed plenty of those. As Usagi was looking some burro's over she scolded herself for not listening to Mamoru more closely. The burro's all looked the same, how was she supposed to tell the difference between which one would be better suited for their needs.
"Excuse me Mrs., but is there a certain kind of mule you're looking for?"
Usagi smiled at the merchant, she knew that all merchant's were liars and she knew this one was no exception. "I want the best burro here." She said. The merchant looked her over before gesturing to a small, dinky beast standing in the corner of his corral. "This burro would most likely be best suited for you most beautiful lady. He would most certainly bless your generous home with wealth. He is a hard worker and will be bought for a mere 250 rupees."
Usagi wasn't astounded by the flowery language the merchant used, all of them did, but was staggered by the price, two hundred and fifty for a little animal that hardly reached to her shoulder! Her hand had, without her knowledge, snuck down to the pocket that held the crystal and the box. Gritting her teeth with determination she looked firmly at the merchant. "I am sorry most humble sir, but I am sure there is a better price for this most well-cared-for animal."
"Ah, but milady, this is the king of the corral and would be gentle with your children, yes? This animal, most humbly said milady, would be able to pull any plow and will waste away in my corral."
Usagi stiffened, stubborn merchant. "I will buy the burro for one hundred rupees most wise burro merchant." She said. The merchant sighed, "What a price for such a wonderful beast. You can buy, lucky mistress, my other Burro, Sanza for that price." Usagi glanced at the animal the merchant was pointing at and felt her cheeks redden. The burro's head just reached above her waist and it was obviously unfit to do any more work than carry a basket of flowers on its back. "Most wise merchant," Usagi said, smiling prettily, "I'm sure that the merchant across from you will give me a burro for half as much as you are asking for the burro you first showed me." Her face was pleasant but inside she was still annoyed at how stubborn the merchant was being.
The bearded merchant gave a very dirty look to the merchant across the street from him who was also selling burros, before he turned back to Usagi. "I will give you the burro I first pointed out to you o most lovely flower, for the small price of two hundred rupees."
"I will buy the burro for one hundred and fifty rupees and no more." Usagi said just as obstinately.
"Ah, most gracious lady, I will lower my price to one hundred and seventy five rupees but no less or else I am afraid you will have to go to the merchant across from me."
"Fine, I will!" Usagi snapped as she lost her temper. The merchant's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "Surely, surely milady would like to buy, from this lowly merchant, the burro for the price of one hundred and fifty five rupees?"
Usagi knew the merchant had added on the extra five rupees just so he could annoy her but she was sure she wouldn't be able to lower the price anymore so she agreed; after she could check to make sure the burro was healthy. Given a roughly-made halter and lead rope she proceeded to make her way out of the market. Glancing back every now and then to the innocuous face of the burro she smiled, it was adorable. On her way out, she spotted the stand that everyone had formerly been fighting over. Because night was near, and nobody stayed in the marketplace nowadays when it was dark, the people had practically deserted the stand. Usagi hesitantly picked her way there; the stand still had people there but not so many now. She saw now, why everyone had been there.
Hanging from the beams of the vender's shop were fresh fish, fish that weren't in any way spoiled or diseased. There were also vegetables at his stand that were actually green, large, and healthy. The food made her mouth water, it had been such a long time since she had seen such large, vividly colored melons or such full shaped tomatoes. Her eyes fell to the shiny apples that lay in a basket on his counter. Without a single thought she waited in line to have some of those apples. She could imagine Mamoru's face upon seeing the crisp apples, something he loved.
By the time Usagi reached the merchant's stand, the sun, which resembled a blazing red eye, had touched the horizon. "Excuse me most generous merchant but I would like that basket of apples."
The merchant stared at Usagi with an intensity that made her nervous. He had a pair of stunning violet eyes that should have belonged to a royal of OZ. Smiling, the merchant reached for a burlap bag. "And, most lovely lady, how many would you like?"
Usagi was temporarily surprised by how audacious he was in flicking his eyes so tantalizingly at her when he said 'lovely'. Gripping the lead rope more tightly in her hands, she collected herself. "Oh most kind merchant, I would like twelve apples."
As the merchant began to gently place the apples in the bag he kept flicking his heavy eyes to her. Usagi decided to distract herself by taking the time to throw her two baskets over her burro's back. Her eyes flew open when the baskets, which were much heavier then she had thought them to be, made her tilt backwards much farther back then she thought humanly possible. On the brink of falling backwards and cracking her skull open, she was saved. The merchant had leaped over the counter and grabbed the baskets out of her hands.
Clutching the proffered hand to steady herself, she gasped when she saw the glinting edge of a weapon under the merchant's cloak. Snatching her hand away from him Usagi eyed the merchant with new eyes. "Excuse me." She said in alarm as she reached forwards to grab the baskets from him. Usagi became even more alarmed when the merchant threw the two wicker baskets over the burro's back. The burro didn't even stir when the pack was thrown over its sturdy back. Usagi gaped and then hastily bowed, "Thank you o most kind merchant for, for,"
"Keeping you from falling and cracking your brains open?" The merchant supplied.
Usagi nodded her head enthusiastically, "Yes, yes. Thank you very much." Reaching into her pocket she was about to give him some rupees when he waved them back.
"If you haven't noticed, I am doing quite fine money wise, milady." He said smoothly. Usagi's cheeks flushed, what was it that made her blush so much around this merchant? He was just fooling with her. With the realization, Usagi huffily took the apples and nearly threw the rupees at him. Firmly pulling her burro along, she ignored the cheeky goodbye from the merchant. Usagi glanced back just as she was about to leave the market and still found him staring at her. Her cheeks filled with blood yet again. Once out of the protective walls that surrounded the citadel she felt the dry wind sear her face with its harshness. The sand was cool under her feet now that the sun had closed its burning eye to the Akbarian desert. Digging her feet into the sand, Usagi relished the unfamiliar cool that seeped through her toes. When her dusty brown burro butted her in the back, she knew it was time to head home.
With a heavy sigh she threw her hood over her head and began her journey home. The burro proved no trouble for her as it pluckily trod along beside her. The stars had been in the sky for no more than an hour or so when Usagi first saw her home. The shifting sands beneath her began to turn to hard ground. In the full light of the moon Usagi could see the shadow of the desert scrub stretching to meet her. Leaving the burro tied to a post outside the door she ran inside, leaving the baskets full of food, behind. "I'm home!" She chimed. The broad smile on her face faded, the cracking of burning logs was her only answer.
"Hello? Anyone home?" She called, as she threw off her dusty cloak. From behind the cloth partition Usagi could see the shifting light of the fire in the next room. Pushing aside the gray curtain she turned her eyes to the fireplace. Her lips fell open and she cried out in horror. Running forwards, she sank to the floor, next to Mamoru. Her hands had barely touched his iced skin before she pulled them away. Covering her face she wept from the terrific pain that was clutching her. Staggering away from his body that was framed by blood, her misted eyes turned to the children's bed. Moaning she went to them. She touched each of their soft, chilled cheeks. She would never again hear their sweet voices or feel their puffing breathes against her neck.
Uttering another soft sob she lifted the blankets to cover their faces, they had been slaughtered in their sleep. Clutching her shoulders she stared at Mamoru, "What am I supposed to do without all of you?" She said to him, shedding more tears. Tearing aside the curtain she threw it over her lifeless husband's body. Stumbling to her cloak she fell on top of it. Sobbing and screaming into the bed where she had lain with Mamoru just that morning, she felt the hard lump of the box. Her eyes grew hard and she was seized with a fit of anger. "It's because of that cursed diamond!" She hissed. Swiping the tears from her face she dove into the cloak pocket and snatched the box up. Usagi unrolled the cloth that held the box with itching fingers. Opening it, she stared at the crystal, which lay glittering in its case, with such hatred that her body trembled with it. Walking to the fire she hurled the box and gem into it.
"Damn you and whoever made you!" She screamed in rage. Her mind had time to thrill at the pink hue that had consumed the fire before she was thrown backwards by a wave of magic. Usagi scrambled to her feet and screamed even louder in rage, "Melt and perish like everyone else has!" Opening her turbulent eyes to the blinding light she saw the diamond hurtling towards her. Usagi flung her arms up in protection; her anger had left her and was replaced by an unnerving fear. The gem disappeared in an orb of light that struck Usagi full in the chest. Her breath left her when the burning began in her lungs. Her hand touched the rock wall for support as the fire spread through her body. Feeling the sweat running down her face she panted for breath. Voices and memories were swirling through her mind without control. Mamoru's face flicked in and out of her head. Her heart's erratic beating came to a sudden halt. With a final sigh, she slumped to the floor.
When her azure eyes had rolled back in their sockets, and her body had ceased living, a spear of light burst from her chest. Air swooped into her lungs and her heart began to pump her rich red blood through her veins once more. Her eyelashes fluttered but she remained asleep; even as the stars began to dim out, one by one.
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"I saw you looking at that girl this evening." The Hurda said disgustedly. His partner smirked, "You obviously didn't get a good look at her then. She was a natural beauty."
"A married one, and if you didn't notice, she saw your blade. Why don't you put that damn thing away?"
The man he was speaking to, threw off his merchant garb and let his gleaming brown hair loose. "Listen, I didn't touch the girl, just looked at her. There's no harm in that. Shinigami has no problem with it anyway."
"And I fail to see why you would worship a god of death."
"Because chastity and morality have nothing to do with it Wufei." The man declared happily.
Wufei's narrow eyes slid to his partner once again, "Those two things have much to do with death. If I were back on my throne I would order you executed to see how much you liked death, since you worship it so...Duo, what're you doing?" Wufei snapped.
Duo stuck his tongue out at the prince and pulled out his ivory-handled sickle. "Nothing. Jeez, would you watch the damn road instead of me all the time?"
Wufei hissed, Duo immediately reached for his weapon, "Don't do that!"
A forked tongue slipped from between Wufei's white teeth and his two fangs came into full view for Duo. "You can't tell me what to do commoner."
Duo glared at Wufei, "Just because you have a dragon and just because you're a prince and just because you have some dragon blood in you, you think you're the most amazing thing to walk this side of the Earth. Well guess what, I've seen a lot of better things then you walking down these streets and they certainly don't have fangs." He barked back.
Wufei smiled thinly, "I suppose that girl was one of them."
Duo lifted his sickle threateningly.
"Enough. Stop fighting."
The two of them turned their attention to the boy who was crouched in the window. Duo instantly straightened and set his weapon down, "Trowa! It's so nice to have another normal human with me!" Duo said as he shot a look at Wufei. Trowa landed on the floor of the room without a noise, "OZ soldiers headed out of here last night, have they returned yet?"
Wufei shook his head, "No, not yet."
Trowa's eloquent green eyes burned into Duo, "Any word from,"
"No," Duo said, interrupting Trowa, "No word from him yet. But no matter, the three of us can handle matters fine."
"I doubt that."
Duo jumped, "Man, can't you give us any warning before you creep up on us like that Heero?" Heero's terrific midnight-blue eyes stared cynically at Duo, silencing him. Heero turned to Trowa. "Has your family received any word on the crystal?"
"No, my father's doing everything he can to get it back though." Trowa would know, he was second son to the desert's unsympathetic ruler.
"Until Quatre gets back we'll wait it out here. The soldiers have begun to suspect that our attacks are more then just random. We can't let them know we've organized ourselves." Heero said, his husky voice filling the room. "We must, at all costs, remain secret." They all knew that it was a big gamble just to establish themselves as a connected group of Hurda's- warriors of the people. Before the five had met, through Quatre, they had all been loyal to their regions. None of them had cared about the others problems even if the other Hurda's problem happened to be the same as theirs. But times were different now. The habitually reclusive desert people were becoming closer together. They were banding together for support, food, trade, and, to be against OZ. The new OZ-the preceding ones being of a milder sort of government-had grown into more than a pestering regime change, it had become a moving threat.
Wufei nodded his head, his bronze skin reflecting in the moonlight as he sat at the window seat. Duo, who had been nonchalantly braiding his hair the entire time, was finally done. Putting on his black cloak he hooked his sickle back onto his belt. "Well, I'm ready to go for midnight rounds, who wants to come with me?"
Heero silently stripped of his OZ uniform and quickly buttoned on the characteristic black Hurda uniform in its stead. He nodded to the other two Hurda, "We'll be back by dawn."
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The OZ general shook the girl with a rough sort of urgency, "Wake up!"
When Usagi's blue eyes landed on the general she immediately scrambled away. "Stay away from me." She said warningly.
"Heh, general Zechs, it seems that this commoner thinks she can just speak back to you however she wants." Someone said with a sneer. Usagi was promptly dragged to her feet and forced to bow to Zechs.
"Tell me, commoner, where is the diamond? We know you stole it." Zechs's sharp nose and eagle eyes demanded attention and caused his pale features to look harsh.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Usagi replied, something new was inside her. A courage and strength that she had never had was burning inside her, pumping through her veins. She didn't tremble or flinch as she spoke the next words, "Only a dog of OZ would slaughter children."
"Well, then I wouldn't be the dog. It certainly wasn't me that laid a hand on your...children." The general said calmly. Usagi's head snapped up, "But you gave the order! You were the one who ordered the death of my family!" She struggled against the man who held her, "And it's you who should be lying dead on the ground right now!"
She was slapped by a nearby soldier. The hand that had been gloved in silver armor, made her cheek bleed where his knuckles had struck her. Her anger blazed into life. Zechs's eyes opened in wonder when he saw a crescent begin to smolder into light on her forehead.
"Magus!" He called. The soldiers around him began to fidget from their anxiety; the commoner had magic in her. The soldier's grip on her arms had loosened in his amazement of the glow of light that was radiating from her body. Wind tore through the room and the homely clothes that had hung on Usagi were transformed into fine silk and linen. Wings broke through her back and thrust the soldier away from her. She held the glorious limbs threateningly aloft. "You'll pay for what you did to them!" She said darkly. With a single beat of her wings she was lifted into the air, "You'll pay for all the black things that you ever did!" Usagi cried as she rushed at Zechs. Just then, a purple shield encased the general and Usagi bounced off of it without even sending a crack through it.
The light that had given her a lazy glow, roared upwards into a flame of light as it felt the conflicting magic in front of it. The magus had arrived. Raising a single finger he blew out the blazing magic that surrounded Usagi, with a single word he had put her to sleep. "You called, General?" The magus said with impressive composure, bowing to the general. Zechs snorted, "There's no need for you to bow. This girl, how did a commoner like her get such power? And her wings, is she some sort of desert wraith?"
The magus approached Usagi's sleeping body warily, "Her power is beyond what I could have ever imagined, you are lucky that I was here to save you." The magus bent and caressed the silken wings. The feathers that he touched wilted instantly. The magus was caught by surprise when the wings began to grow to an enormous size. He snapped his fingers but the growth didn't stop. Stepping back he raised his hands and uttered words of power, just in time. The cocoon of overlapping wings that now shielded Usagi, had lifted from the ground and would have transported her to safety, if the magus hadn't interfered.
"What just happened?" Zechs asked curiously, his sword was drawn and his placid cerulean eyes held no fear as he stretched his sword forwards.
"I wouldn't touch it General." The magus said delicately as he circled the wings which had completely wrapped Usagi and was now hovering in the air. "She has some kind of wild magic, without her needing to say a word or a spell, her magic rose up to protect her..." The magus's eyes were filled with something unreadable, something dangerous was lurking in them. "We should take her back to Treize. He would more then enjoy this new...weapon in his army." He said slowly, contemplating his words.
Zechs thought carefully, "Will she join our side? We did after all, kill her only family it seems."
"If we wipe her memory, I'm sure we can manage it." The magus drew himself up and brushed back his stray hairs.
"But will you be able to? She obviously has power beyond what we first thought."
The magus shrugged, "Either way, it's safer having her under our thumb then running loose to cause trouble."
Zechs nodded his head, "Now the question is, how we get to the castle without everyone seeing this."
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Heero put a finger to his lips and pointed to the road below. Duo looked down and gasped, "Good lord, what is it?" Heero slapped a hand over Duo's mouth and continued to watch the silent procession. The two had stumbled upon a strange scene. The royal magus was walking with his hands thrust forwards. He forced, using his magic, the cloaked object in front of him to continue forwards. From their close perch the two could see the obvious trouble the man was having.
"That's the royal magus!" Duo whispered in surprise, "What's he having so much trouble doing?" The Hurda's could see the beads of sweat rolling down the man's forehead as he continued to shoo the object forwards. Quite randomly, the oval object began to shiver and shake. The magus yelled something to the soldiers and they immediately surrounded the object. With a violent, almost explosive, shudder, the cloak fell away from the object. Duo gaped, "What is it?" He murmured. The perfect oval of white was really two wings, folded together into a perfect shield. Drops of pearl that hung on the wings, glimmered in the night, drawing the Hurda's eyes to it. Heero's luminous eyes were wide, "That must be it." Without a pause, Zechs leaned down and then threw the cloak back over the cocoon. Its movement stopped and it continued on in front of the magus without further trouble. Heero and Duo were leaping from rooftop to rooftop with urgency, Trowa had to return to the castle and find out what this object was.
When they had reached the shady building that housed them it was only a moment later that a shadow slipped from the doorway and briskly made its way to the looming castle.
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"I would keep back Prince Barton." The magus warned.
Trowa paid no attention to his teacher and continued forwards. The cocoon trembled and began to glow furiously with light as Trowa neared it. Trowa stopped a few feet from the cocoon, "What's inside it?" He asked, his eyes were absorbed by the marvel in front of him.
The magus smirked, "A girl. We caught a girl with magical powers that are nearly beyond me."
"Nearly beyond?" Trowa said scathingly. The magus grinned haughtily back, "Yes, nearly beyond mine, dear pupil."
Trowa's fine eyes ran over the cocoon as it hovered. It was magnificent. A door slammed open and the soldiers around the room straightened themselves. The magus stood up regally, "My lord, here is the girl."
Treize let his eyes lazily wander over his handsomely dressed soldiers before they swept up to the cocoon. His boots made a sharp tap-tap as he made his way to the cocoon. Paying no mind to his second son, Treize turned to the magus. "Get the girl out." Treize said curtly.
The magus sucked in a breath, "As you wish, my lord." Lifting both his hands he spoke several words, none of which worked. With an annoyed look on his face he made a sweeping gesture and the cocoon burst into a million feathers. The sleeping girl hovered momentarily in the air before sinking to the ground. Treize was astounded by the sight, "This is the desert commoner you were speaking of?" He said incredulously, "Are you sure she wasn't stolen away from some rich rajah's palace?"
The magus nodded his head, smiling, "Though she doesn't look like it, she is most certainly a commoner."
Trowa's green eyes were riveted to this newfound treasure of the OZ family. The girl was made of nothing but soft lines and curves with a head of long, lustrous, golden hair. Her skin was tinged with a faint tan but had somehow, through a lifetime under a beating sun, retained most of its ivory hue. "She's fair enough to be a queen." He said quietly.
His father, upon hearing the remark, nodded his head in agreement. "Put her in one of our formal rooms. We'll come up with some use for her."
*****Did I mention that I don't even know what I'm going to write about when I begin the chapters?**Please review. ~Toodles, Qt~chan