20-Oct-2001
Title: In the Pale Moonlight
Series: A Matter of Heart
Arc: Dance of the Heart #3
By: Andrea Readwolf
Email: <andrea_readwolf@hotmail.com> or <andrea_readwolf@hotmail.com>
Rating: YA/PG-17
Archive: This Series can be found at these wonderful sites-- GWAddiction, P-chan's Heaven, and Eos's GW Page.
Warnings: The following story contain scenes that are AU with Incoherence and random POV switching. Original Characters are presented, all characters
are IC according to the author's interpretation of them.
Feedback: C&C is always welcomed and adored. Constructive Criticism is... digestible. ^_~
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters belong to Bandai, Sunrise and Sotsu Agency and are only being used for non-profit entertainment purposes.
References to printed texts, films, sitcoms, musical pieces, and/or other
fanfictions don't belong to the author either. Original Characters,
including but not limited too, the Behr Siblings are original and hence, the
author's own creation. See Preamble for details.
These fics and the ideas contained within are copyright of the author.
The blonde young woman led Quatre through the estate like one accustomed to the many corridors and turns. He followed, the loud throbbing of his space heart vibrating the very air around them.
"Where are we going?" he asked after what seemed like hours.
She turned a corner but didn't answer.
'Our legacy' she had told him. He wondered what she meant. 'The life stone of the Raberbas.' What riddles was she playing him with?
Blaire stopped suddenly, having come to the end off the hallway they were in and an opening into another one. Quatre looked around her and noticed the large ornate door at the end of the short corridor.
"Go in," she ordered, stepping aside to allow him passage. He looked at her, but her face was blank.
He took a deep breath, to reassure himself more than anything, and then moved passed her. He stood before the door, staring at it for several minutes.
It was a good eight feet tall, maybe ten or more. Rashid could pass through it easily, he thought. Across, it was another eight feet, he guessed. Such a large door-and it *shone*. Despite the darkness of the hallway, the door still glowed.
He reached out to touch it.
The door moved before his fingers even grazed it, breaking down the center into two doors and opening in for him.
Quatre started, his breaths coming quickly, his heart was racing. He stepped through. into total darkness.
The doors closed behind him.
Tingles raced up and down his body, every nerve standing on edge; he whirled around, facing the closed doors with wide eyes, but he couldn't see anything.
"Hello.?" he hesitated, his voice trembling.
"Why are you here?"
Quatre startled, turning around in the darkness, trying to locate where the voice had come from. But it didn't speak again.
"My name is Quatre," he said, stepping forward into the darkness. "I'm sorry if I'm intruding."
The room must be huge, he thought. He hadn't walked into anything. but his voice seemed to travel no farther than his lips.
And then he cried out in surprise, squinting against the sudden glare of sunshine. Children's gay laughter and the patter of small, running feet echoed in the corridors around him. Quatre stared at his surroundings, startled to find himself back at the foyer entrance. only. different.
The tiles lining the floor were polished to a bright luster, and the walls around him were gleaming. This was not the same foyer he'd entered. This entrance looked in prime condition.
"Give up, Kiell!" a girl's voice shouted before she came barreling around the corner, long blonde hair streaming out behind her like a banner. She halted her headlong flight dead in her tracks, those lively curls rushing forward to fall back against her shoulders. Wide sea-blue eyes stared up at him, filled with shock.
"NEVER!" a boy's voice laughed, taking the same corner seconds later, and almost running the stunned girl over. "Caught ya-" Arms wrapped around the girl's middle, pulling her back and into a semi-twirl before the boy noticed Quatre.
Instantly, he dropped the girl back onto her feet and turned to him, placing his body between Quatre and the girl.
"Who are you?" the boy asked, glaring at the stranger.
"Excuse me," Quatre began, a bit taken back. "I-"
"Kiell!" the girl hissed, tugging on the boy's shirt. "*Look* at *him*."
"My name is Quatre, and I-"
Both children gasped and took an involuntary step away from him.
Quatre frowned. "Perhaps you can help me? I seem to be lost."
Both children nodded. Quatre looked from one child to the other. Something was. odd. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. He would guess that the two were about the same age, and they looked strikingly similar enough to be siblings. But.
"May I ask your names?" he asked, bending his knees so he was more at their level.
The two pulled a hand's spread apart and stood up straight and proud before him. Quatre recognized the move instantly as one that had been ingrained upon himself at an early age. These children were of the aristocracy.
"I am called Kiell," the boy answered, adding a small nod of greeting.
"And I," the girl said, offering him a smile, "am Quatrina."
Quatre started again, but quickly recovered. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kiell, Q-Quatrina," he said pleasantly. "Will you be so kind as to tell me where I am?"
The children frowned at him.
"Don't you-"
"Know where-"
"You are?" they asked.
"After all-"
"You're-"
"Here."
Quatre was frowning, too. "Well, I was visiting the Raberba Family Estate, and then I entered this one room, and suddenly, I was here," he tried to explain.
The children looked at each other with wide eyes and then looked back at him.
"Then you *are*--"
"A Raberba."
"Are you-"
"*The* Raberba?"
"I-I don't know," Quatre stumbled. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by '*the* Raberba'."
The boy frowned at him. "You don't know if you're a Raberba or not?"
The girl tugged on his arm. "He *has* to be, Ki," she hissed.
"Well, there's only one way to find out," the boy announced.
The girl's eyes went wide. "You *know* what Daddy said the last time we went into the Crystal's room without permission!"
"We have him," Kiell told her, jerking his thumb at Quatre.
"But I can't *feel* him," Quatrina whispered, leaning in close to the boy.
The blond boy stared at Quatre, squinting. "You're right. "
"Then he's not really here!"
"But we can see him!"
"It doesn't make sense!"
"The only way we could see him, is-"
Again, the children were looking at each other with wide eyes. Quatre was utterly confused by the rapid exchange between the two, and what was worse, his head was beginning to pound with a terrible headache.
"Quatre.?"
He looked up at his name, meeting the girl's large blue eyes.
"How old are you?"
"I'm sixteen," he told them. "How old are you?"
"Eleven," the girl answered promptly.
He looked towards the boy who just grinned at him and said, "Nine minutes older than *her*."
Twins!
"Quatre.?" The girl caught his attention again. "I know this might sound a little. strange. but, what's the date?"
She was right. That did sound a little strange. What child didn't know it was two days away from Christmas? "December 23," he answered anyway.
"And the year?" she pressed, shooting a look towards her brother.
Quatre frowned. "196 After Colony."
The girl gasped; the boy straightened. One or the other reached for a hand, tangling their fingers together for support and comfort.
"We will show you the way back to the Crystal's room," Kiell said, turning half away.
"Thank you," Quatre replied, standing to follow them.
"Tell me. Quatre," the girl said, smiling at him. "How are your parents?"
"Well, I pray," he said, following the pair.
"You don't know?" the boy sounded curious.
"They are dead," Quatre explained.
"Dead?" The girl stopped, turning to face him. The hand clasped to her brother's prevented him from moving on as well.
Quatre nodded.
"When. did this happen?" she asked hesitantly.
"Trina," her brother warned.
"Well, my father. died during the war last year," Quatre answered, surprised that he didn't feel any pain or anger anymore at the man.
"He-he died bravely, then," Kiell affirmed with a proud nod.
Quatre only felt sadness he realized. "No. He refused to fight, to defend himself." Quatre looked away. "There was no honor in his death."
"He refused to fight?" Kiell frowned at him, and Quatre couldn't help but smile at the boy.
"My father was a pacifist-"
"Impossible!"
"It's the truth," Quatre laughed. "All Winners are pacifists," he explained.
"Winners! The Winners are cowards!" the girl snapped.
"No," Quatre defended, "They just live by different ideals." He looked away again. "I love peace as much as anyone, I would hope, but I am not a pacifist. I cannot just stand by while others are suffering and do nothing to help them." He looked down. "My father and I fought over it, before I left."
"You. left?" the girl queried gently.
Quatre nodded and smiled at her. "Yes. I went off to fight in the war my father was so against. I don't think he was very happy with me. No, I *know* he wasn't happy with me."
"You fought."
"But you're a kid!"
Quatre's chin notched a bit. "I was fourteen when I left. I was young, but I wasn't a child."
The girl's face wrinkled in a frown. "I can't imagine fighting in a war."
"You said. your. father, died?" Kiell asked, turning away and pulling his sister along with him. "And he was a Winner?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"What about your mother?" the boy continued. "She is dead as well?"
"Yes," Quatre answered. "She died when I was just a baby."
"I'm. I'm sorry to hear that," the girl whispered.
"We are here," the boy said, pulling up short at the end of a hallway.
Quatre looked, and sure enough, there was the door from before again. "Thank you for showing me the way."
"Thank you," the girl said, "for visiting us. We are honored."
The boy stepped forward and held out his hand towards Quatre. "You are a brave man. I am proud to know you are a Raberba."
Quatre clasped hands with the boy. "It was a pleasure," he replied. "Thank you."
The girl pressed forward, nudging her brother aside. She raised up on her tip-toes to place a kiss on Quatre's cheek. "I'm sure your mother and father are very proud of you and love you very much," she told him.
"Thank you," Quatre answered, at a loss as what else to say. He turned away, to face the door.
It was already opening for him.
"Don't worry," Kiell called after him.
"I am sure we will meet again, Quatre Raberba Winner!" Quatrina added.
The darkness enfolded him.
"Why are you here?"
"I don't know," Quatre answered, turning in the darkness.
"Don't tempt me," a woman laughed.
Quatre turned and realized he was in a bedroom.
"I think you're *crazy*, Trina," another young woman answered.
The first woman laughed. "I think you're right!"
Quatrina was sitting at an ornate vanity, arranging her long, sunray-bright golden hair with a string of blue turquoise shells set in silver dolphins and starfish. Her white and sky-blue robes were much like the ones Quatre wore.
"Then *why* are you going through with this, Trina?" the other woman cried, coming off the bed and squeezing her friend's shoulders.
"Amaria." Trina sighed, reaching up to clasp her friend's hands. She looked straight in the mirror. Quatre gasped when those startling sea-blue eyes met and held his. "My reasons are ones you could not understand at this time."
There was a knock at the door. Trina and Quatre looked away as the door opened and a dark haired six-year old boy came running in, latching on to the two woman.
Girls, really, Quatre realized. They looked and sounded older, but he didn' t think they could be much older than himself.
"Ria! Trina!" the boy cried. "Kiell and your father sent me to tell you it 's time!"
Quatrina pulled away from her friend and smiled down at the boy, placing a gentle hand on the dark head. "Thank you, Rashid. Please tell them I will be there shortly."
The boy raced off. Quatre almost followed him. Rashid.?
"You are lucky to have such an adorable brother," Trina said, smiling back at her friend.
"I'd rather have *yours*," the dark haired girl teased. And then she sighed. "Really, I don't know who is more upset about you marrying Winner. Kiell, Rashid, or me."
Quatrina Raberba turned around on her stool, her hands holding her friend's in her lap. "Amaria." She smiled, a little bit sadly. "I won't stay away forever. I couldn't. The Sands are too much apart of me for me to stay amongst the stars forever."
"I know." The dark haired girl looked pitiful, crushed. She thought she was losing her best friend, Quatre realized.
"Why don't you go on ahead," Trina suggested. "I'll be with you in a moment."
"If you're-"
"Yes, please," the blonde woman smiled, watching as her friend left, clicking the door shut behind her. "You have some timing."
Quatre started, unaware there was anyone else in the room. "Excuse me?"
She stood and fluffed at her robes around her, settling them in a more pleasing fashion to her tastes. "Well?" she asked, looking directly at him. "How do I look?"
Quatre stared for a moment, before an adoring smile crept over his face. "Like a goddess," he answered.
She laughed and turned back to her mirror. "Thank you. It's always good luck to compliment the bride on her wedding day, and I think that's just about the best compliment I'll receive today."
"You're getting married?" He didn't know why he was surprised.
Her reflection smiled at him as she applied some gloss to her rosé lips. "That's the idea, yes," she teased.
Quatre frowned, realizing something. "You know who I am."
She turned and smiled at him. "Yes, Quatre. I know exactly who you are. Do you?"
"I-"
A knock on the door interrupted him.
"Trin.?"
"Ki.?"
The two siblings meet each other and then turned towards Quatre. Kiell looked back at his sister. "Are you sure about this?"
Quatrina smiled and reached up to hugged her brother close. "Yes. I will be fine."
Kiell didn't want to let go. "If he ever hurts you."
"Shh." his sister hushed him, placing a finger against his lips. "He won' t."
Kiell finally nodded and released her. "You have returned," he said turning towards Quatre.
"Hello," Quatre replied, nodding his head in a small greeting.
Kiell grinned and reached over and clasped hands with the other teen. "I spoke to your son the other day. A fine man he is."
"Uh," Quatre almost pulled away. "That's good. I . wasn't aware I had a son."
"Kiell, stop teasing him," his sister admonished, playfully shoving her brother aside. "It's obvious he hasn't learned of the crystal yet."
"The crystal?" Yes. the crystal. Hadn't Blaire mentioned something about a crystal?
"Why are you here?"
Quatre looked up, startled. He was in another room, a. covered patio of sorts, with palm trees and flowering bushes in pots. The woman-a little older than just a moment ago-was staring at him, smiling.
"It's a question we all must ask ourselves," she said twirling the ice cubes in her glass of iced tea with a long straw.
Quatre turned towards her, where she sat at a glass table. She motioned to one of the chairs that was pushed slightly away from the table. He sat.
"I have been married for six years," she continued, staring off into the surrounding bushes. "I am a mother *eight* times over, and there are two more on the way."
She looked at him, removing her hand from the condensing glass to her lap. "I ask myself that question, every day. 'Why am I here?'" She smiled. "Once you know the answer, the road before you becomes clear."
"I don't know the answer," Quatre said, apologetically.
"Yes, you do."
Quatre turned around, to find himself standing again, in another room.
"The answer is inside of you," Kiell said. "You have only to realize it." The blond man aimed his pool stick towards the little white ball. "Right pocket," he called before shooting. The black ball sank as predicted.
Kiell turned towards Quatre, smiling at the young man. " 'Why am I here?'" He set the stick aside. "Have you ever asked yourself that question?" He approached him. "What is my purpose?"
"I'm-I'm not sure," Quatre replied, taking a step back.
"What would you guess then?"
He turned again. Quatrina stood in her nightdress, standing in a nursery. There were two beds and three cribs in the room. She looked over to him. "Sometimes, I think it is to be a pseudo-mother to these girls. Nineteen." She turned away from him. "Nineteen daughters and he's not satisfied."
"Sometimes." Quatre turned and saw Kiell standing in a study window, looking out. "Sometimes I think I am here merely to fill an empty space."
"Sometimes," Quatrina said, staring out of a colony port window. "I think I am here merely to influence someone's life. A smile or a kind word."
"Sometimes," Kiell said, standing on a desert dune, squinting into the sunlight. "I think it's just to be a friend and supporter."
"Sometimes," Quatrina whispered, holding her sobbing dark-haired friend. "I think there is no reason, and I feel helpless."
"And sometimes," Kiell whispered, staring at the infant in his arms, "I think it is to help be part of a miracle."
"But no matter what-"
"No matter what-"
Kiell and Quatrina Raberba stood before him in the darkness, staring at him.
"I am always sure of one thing," they said in unison.
"I am here to protect-"
"-To protect the innocent-"
"-And those who cannot fight-"
"-Cannot fight for themselves."
They stood to either side of him. "That is the reason the Raberba exists."
"That is the purpose in life for the Raberba."
~~~ "I love peace as much as anyone, I would hope, but I am not a pacifist. I cannot just stand by while others are suffering and do nothing to help them."~~~
The words floated on the air, stretched out between them, pulling at him.
"Why are you here, Quatre Raberba Winner?"
"Because." His head hurt; everything seemed to be swimming before him, around him, suffocating him, drowning him.
~~~I went off to fight in the war. I couldn't stand by while others were suffering.~~~
"What is your purpose, Quatre?"
"To. protect." Quatre gasped.
And then he heard it-the loud pulsating throb of a heartbeat.
"What is it?" he asked, staring into the darkness around him.
"It is the life stone of the Raberbas," a woman answered.
"The Tellurium Crystal," a man identified.
"The life stone.?"
A light glowed in the darkness, pulsating with the throb. Quatre went to it. It looked like a tiny golf ball, but it was clear. and. glowed bright amber.
"The spiritual image of every Raberba who has ever lived," Quatrina began.
"-Has touched this stone," Kiell finished. The three of them stood around the pillar in the center of the darkness, staring at the stone that sat on a blue velvet pillow. "Some say it is the power of the Raberbas."
"But it isn't," Quatrina continued. "It is only a representation of that which cannot be understood." She moved behind Quatre and wrapped her arms around him, covering his chest with her hands. "The true power rests here."
"It is our Spirit," Kiell said, moving before him. "Our desire to protect those we love."
"Our willingness to love those we've never even met before," Quatrina added, resting her chin on Quatre's shoulder.
Kiell held Quatre's shoulders, staring down into his face. "Its power does not die just because our bodies do."
"I have waited a lifetime to say 'hello' to you," she whispered, hugging him tightly to her.
Quatre's eyes shut tight and he took in a deep breath. "Mother."
The End
Andrea Readwolf
Please send comments to: andrea_readwolf@hotmail.com