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Chapter 12:
Declaration of War

Quatre's head lifted as the man at the other end of the hallway got up to make his way forward. Even from within the boxed off curtain he and Mariemaia were sitting behind, he clearly recognized the lanky figure. A bright smile crossed his features as he sighed in relief. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the young girl stiffen in her place as she too recognized the messenger from Susano-o's camp.

The tall man knelt before the curtained off area, careful to keep his head low. "Is there a proper way that I should greet you two?" Trowa asked in plain English.

"You're alright!" Quatre nearly got up from his place.

"Heero and Duo told me to keep my head down while speaking to you," his abrupt statement kept the blonde in his place. "They said that if I look up at you two, I'd probably be killed for disrespecting 'gods'."

It took a moment to register, but Quatre finally understood. No one in the court could understand what they were saying. So the matter in which he spoke didn't matter as long as he acted and sounded accordingly.

"What are you doing here..?" Mariemaia was pensive. She had lived two months with Duo, who had appointed himself Susano-o and was backed by Quatre, and hated every moment of it. The two of them had fought constantly, like bickering siblings, wearing down Quatre's skills as peacekeeper and patience to the breaking point. She hoped that if he did stay, Trowa wouldn't be as much as a nuisance as Duo had been. She could always use another minion.

"I have a letter to deliver," Trowa reached into his kimono and produced a neatly folded piece of paper, holding it up towards the two with both hands.

A servant quickly took the paper from the messenger and opened it. He was about to read it for the two gods when he suddenly stopped, taken aback. A look of despair clouded his features as he turned the paper over in his hands again and again.

"It's written in French," Trowa informed.

"Duo knows French?" Mariemaia's face twisted a bit.

"Not really. He just wanted it written in French."

"Why?"

"Something about it being the 'language of love'. I don't know," Trowa confessed slightly annoyed. "I can't follow his logic. I just wrote it and am delivering it."

Quatre spoke something to the servant and he was handed the letter. He was about to read it when Mariemaia snatched it away from him. "That's quite rude," he sighed.

Mariemaia ignored him. Her eyes darting across each line as she read its contents to herself. "Are you serious?" She nearly shrieked angrily, getting to her feet.

Quatre took the letter from her and began reading it. It did indeed start off as a love letter, addressing the young girl lovingly and wishing for her wellbeing. The second paragraph, however, was anything but loving. It demanded that she step down from her position as goddess or suffer the consequences. The next paragraph changed both hand and language, demanding that she return with Trowa and Quatre, if not, an army of over a hundred thousand strong was ready to march into the capitol and remove her by force. The paper was signed by the remaining ex-gundam pilots.

A bright smile stretched across Quatre's lips. The others were all together and doing fine. He had been worrying about them all since their arrival in this land. His mind was finally at ease knowing that they were all safe.

"You're move, Mariemaia," Trowa's voice was deadpan as always, carrying a hint of iciness to it. A very serious warning that could only result in disaster if not heeded.

"Let's go, Mariemaia," Quatre agreed.

The young girl looked down at Quatre, clearly upset. "I will not!" she raised her voice.

Quatre's normally soft features hardened, his eyes narrowing on her. "We have to go now," he repeated. "You've had your time as ruler and you did unite this land. You did something great, but now we have to go. You promised you would."

"I did not!"

"Yes you did!" Quatre finally lost his cool. He rose to his feet and towered over the younger girl menacingly. "You said six months ago that if we found a way back, that you'd give up your title as goddess and ruler of this land! And now you're going back on your word!"

"Trowa!" she turned to face the slender brunette angrily, "do you guys have a way home?"

Trowa finally looked up, a bit confused about the line of question. "No," he finally answered, "but if we all-"

"I never agreed to giving up my title just because you've all managed to find each other and be one big happy family again!" she reputed. "If you don't recall correctly, I said I would give up being a goddess and go home quietly if you found a way back. But you haven't. No one has. Thus, I'm not going back on anything that I've said!"

Quatre's eyes widened. His mind raced to recall the young girl's words from months ago. Indeed, she had agreed to relinquish power only if they could get home. "What does it matter?" he blurted out frustrated. "Let's just go and work with everyone else to get back home!"

"NO!"

"Duo and the other will oust you if they have to! You know that!"

"Let them try!" She snapped before turning back to Trowa who had remained silent so far. "Go back to that misfit group of yours and tell them not to mess with me! I didn't fear you five years ago and I certainly don't fear you now!" With that, Mariemaia turned on her heels and exited the courtroom, leaving everyone present in stunned silence.

"I'm gonna kill her…" Quatre sighed under his breath as he brought his hand up to rub the bridge of his nose. "Duo was right in calling her an annoying brat, to put it lightly." The blond man turned to Susano-o's messenger with saddened, pleading eyes. "Whatever you guys do, please try to be subtle about it."

Trowa huffed with amusement as he got up from his place. "When have any of us ever been discreet during battles?"

###

Quatre brooded over the situation as he stared out into the garden. A late summer storm was heading towards the palace. Even from such a faraway distance, the scent of wet earth and warm air enveloped the young man.

"I won't let them win!" Mariemaia glided from one end of the room to the other, often looking down at the large map on the floor. She'd normally be sitting with her generals, looming over the map and coming up with strategies to ensure their success. This time however, she opted to ask Quatre for his opinion, being the strategist he is, and dismissed her generals for the day. Quatre, of course, had outright refused to help her fight against the other ex-gundam pilots. Now, the young girl was furious. "Why don't you just run along with the other pilots!" she steamed, turning towards him. "If you're not going to help, then you're obviously against me!"

Quatre had made sure to stay out of her way the whole evening. He had placed himself at the wide open shoji door and just watched over her from a distance. This, of course, didn't mean that she had ignored him. Every so often she would turn and vent her frustration out on him, as she did now. He sighed deeply, placing his tea down carefully beside him. "Because someone has to keep an eye on you," he informed.

She turned to look down at her map again. "I don't need spies in my camp!" she yelled.

"I'm not a spy," he corrected her. "I'm not reporting your actions to anyone. I have no way of getting in contact with Trowa or the others. I'm simply making sure you don't do something stupid!"

"Hump!"

And that was the end of that. Quatre turned his attention out the door again. He wished it didn't have to come to this. He knew deep down that somehow or another, his fellow pilots will find a way to overthrow her. He just hoped that said actions wouldn't spark an even bloodier war then what loomed on the horizon.

A/N: 1 self-imposed missed deadline and 3 failed chapter versions later and we can once again continue with the story! Yay! Any thoughts so far?