31-Oct-2002
It was my intention to have this story finished for posting by Halloween. However, life did not see fit to cooperate (when does it ever?) and so alas, I have only this first part to put before you. Nevertheless, I hope it pleases.
Title: House of Khushrenada
Author: bonnejeanne (bonnejeanne@yahoo.com) and von (sablexo1@yahoo.com)
Category: yaoi, AU, sequel, horror?
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: 1 + 2, 3 + 4, 5 + 6
Spoilers: None
WARNINGS: Weird premise, AU, possible lemon later, knowing us.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing characters and universe are the property of the copyright owners. Our stuff is ours. No money being made here.
Feedback: welcome.
NOTES: Another in the Classic Monster Series. Previous fics in the series are American Werewolf in Space, Bloodline, Broken (Silver) Arrow, and Name of the Pharaoh. All can be found at GWA.
The title is a nod to classic horror movies, 'House of Frankenstein' and 'House of Dracula'.
Prolog:
Noin watched in disbelief as General Treize Khushrenada resigned the position of OZ's supreme leader.
Her shock resonated with the same reaction around the large room. It was unexpected. It was unthinkable. Before that moment Noin would have sworn that the ceremony was the culmination of everything Treize had been working towards from the earliest days of the formation of the Specials. Why in the name of all that was holy would he take such irreversible action as to snub the honor and refuse the office?
His few words were almost a scold to the august and powerful organization. It seemed he was taking them to task for turning towards the increased deployment of the Mobile Dolls. They hadn't listened to his subtler protests, and they weren't going to listen to this.
In moments, the former general had made his exit from the gathering and then been placed in custody. She watched him being taken off still encased in disbelief.
His blue eyes seemed to find hers as he entered the archaic carriage to be sent to some forgotten facility in the country, and she could have sword she saw amusement in them. His lips moved and while she wasn't close enough to hear his voice, she understood the words without difficulty.
'I'll see you soon, Lieutenant.'
Only one person watching, on a private channel from the Moon Base, took the former general's reasons for the refusal at face value.
"Your Excellency," she whispered, feeling an incredible stab of loss. This was to have been the shining day. She'd put aside so many of her own dreams to see it come about. Now the dream was breaking apart. The sense of loss felt by Lady Une was so profound it seemed to shatter her into separate pieces.
The meaning of Treize's private message became clear shortly after Noin left the gathering. Noticing certain looks being directed her way by Romefeller higher-ups, she realized she was in a delicate, perhaps a compromised position as the former general's aide de camp. But before an arrest could be made, young officers whom she recognized from training classes as being members of the group once known as the Specials discretely surrounded her and got her out of the building.
"The General needs you, ma'am," one of the officers said respectfully as she was taken to fast transportation.
"But..." she started, and then closed her mouth over the protest and the questions that followed on its heels. With a curt nod, she allowed the young men to take her away. As they traveled through the countryside, she heard explosions, and the beginning of mobile suit weapons fire. Within hours, the real insurrection had started in earnest.
The next few weeks took on a slightly surreal flavor as Noin found herself in the middle of a civil war. On the one hand it was almost familiar - the bitter taste of troops fighting former comrades. On the other, increasingly, Romefeller's troops were being replaced by Mobile Dolls, as they were shipped down to Earth from space.
The political situation was just as volatile. Countries that had been apparently happy to be freed from the Alliance were now seeing Romefeller's "peace" as the replacement of one self-seeking authority for another.
Part One:
Somewhere in what had once been known as China, note was taken of the new conflict.
"I don't trust him," Wufei growled, glancing at his platinum-haired companion. "Once again men are sacrificing their lives for his sake, but where is he? What is he doing? He has some purpose in this, you may be certain of that."
The Lightning Count unfolded his arms across his chest and leaned forward as he filed the news stories away. Things were changing rapidly in the world he'd removed himself from. He frowned as Wufei finished his remarks. "I agree," he answered. "But this latest move makes no sense," he mused aloud. "This was what Treize was waiting for, yet, he gives it all up?"
"... And in other news, it seems that Relena Peacecraft, heir to the Sanc Kingdom has taken her place as that country's leader. She does so with the will and the love of the people," the announcer on the vid read.
Zechs stood. In his own mission from hell, he had almost forgotten about his little sister. Glancing at the screen, the pictures there reflected a somewhat older and graceful young woman. It caused immediate conflict within him. On one hand, he wanted to fly to her and hold her in his arms, clinging to the last remnant of his family, and on the other hand, he wanted to stay far from her, lest his taint stain her as well.
Observing Zechs' reaction, Wufei tilted his head. "What is it?" he asked. "That girl? It is said she espouses the pacifist beliefs of the former leaders of that country. It is an idealistic notion, but Romefeller will never let such a challenge go unanswered. They represent themselves as strong and benevolent, but it's obvious the only path to peace they will accept is one enforced by their armed might."
Wufei's words poured over Zechs, echoing his own thoughts. Picking up his jacket, he looked over at Wufei. "She's my sister," he said, simply.
Wufei's eyebrows lifted.
The sound of throatclearing warned them before the tent flap was lifted and Sally Po stepped inside. She carried a plate of food and a pot of coffee to the table and set them down. "Wufei, are you sure you don't want anything?" she asked, placing the items near Zechs. She shook her head in mild concern as he refused, then her eye was caught by the broadcast. The announcer had continued to talk, explaining that a school to study the philosophy of absolute pacifism had been set up in the new Sanc Kingdom.
"Oh! That girl!" Sally exclaimed. "I remember her. The daughter of Vice-Minister Dorlan... and I believe she was involved with that boy... the other Gundam pilot!"
"What Gundam pilot?" Zechs said, a little sharply.
Wufei seemed to be very interested as well.
"It was during my time as a medical officer in the Alliance," Sally explained. "I could never be certain... but two Gundams were seen in that area around the same time. 01 and 02... and someone helped the boy escaped from Alliance custody. He was an amazing young man. Not unlike another Gundam pilot I know," she said, with a slight smile as she glanced at Wufei.
"How was Relena involved? Did she assist him?" Zechs asked.
Sally shook her head. "I can't say that for sure. She just seemed very interested in him. And I have the feeling she didn't tell me everything she knew." She looked at Zechs questioningly. "It's an amazing coincidence that she turned out to be the only surviving member of the Peacecraft royal family."
"Amazing," Wufei said dryly, looking away from Zechs.
"Hn," Zechs remarked.
"Well, I didn't come to gossip, I'll leave you to eat," she said, turning to the tent entrance.
"Sally," Wufei said, and the young doctor stopped "After the last battle, our presence is starting to become conspicuous. I think we will be leaving before morning. "
Regret showed in her face but she nodded. "We wouldn't have been able to succeed as far as we have without your help," she said sincerely.
Wufei looked away. "Probably not," he muttered. "But our help may yet have a price, if they decide to send more OZ troops."
Sally shook her head. "I'm betting the civil conflict has them occupied for now. This country is too unimportant right now to draw that much attention. We'll be fine. Be careful."
"Thank you, Sally," Zechs said. "Take care."
With a nod, she left. There were a number of mysteries surrounding the odd pair, but they had appeared when her people needed them most and she would not forget what they owed the two.
"That country is not very far from where Treize escaped custody," Wufei said quietly after she'd gone. "I think perhaps it's time to find out what that man is up to...."
Zechs nodded.
Quatre sipped his tea, paying close attention to the vid-news. Orders were long overdue and things were happening in the world that caused him concern. "This makes no sense," he said, aloud. "If Treize Khushrenada was poised to take over leadership, then why did he resign? All he had to do was accept the position and Romefeller and OZ would have made an unbeatable alliance."
"Maybe he had something else in mind," Trowa said, looking up from the newspaper he'd been scanning. He'd found it was the easiest way to find occasional mentions of the performances of a circus troupe that was traveling around Europe, sandwiched between stories of conflict and politics in the back pages "What I want to know is why we haven't been contacted from the Colonies in so long. No new targets, no instructions to return, nothing." Shortly after OZ had subdued the remnants of the Alliance in space, the Colonies had almost unanimously embraced the Earth organization, as if blind to fact that they were probably only exchanging one oppressive presence for another.
Quatre sighed, placing his cup back in the saucer. "I've been wondering the same thing," he said. "I've been getting the strongest urge to go back to space to see what's going on. I just don't know." Standing, he walked over to the sofa and sat next to Trowa.
"I've also been monitoring this country called the Sanc Kingdom. The leader of the country supposedly believes in Pacifism and refuses to take part in the fighting. Of course, it would leave that nation vulnerable to the powers that be. I was thinking we might be of assistance somehow. What do you think?" Quatre said.
"You're a Gundam pilot, so why are you so interested in pacifism?" Trowa answered the question with one of his own. The truth was that he had been curious about it when he started hearing about the Sanc Kingdom in the news, but he couldn't see any way such an idea could be made practical in the same world that housed organizations like OZ and Romefeller.
Quatre leaned back against the sofa. "My father is a pacifist. He doesn't believe in fighting. He objected to me becoming a Gundam pilot. I also believe that we're fighting for peace and that this war will end someday. Maybe there should be more places like the Sanc Kingdom for people to come back home to," he said.
Trowa found the young Arabian's sentiments almost curious. "It would be nice if the strong forces in the world would leave them alone," he said, in apparent agreement. "But I'm afraid that probably won't happen, Quatre."
Quatre looked up into the fathomless green eyes and nodded. Trowa was so much more than anyone knew. "And that's why we're here," he said completing the circle. "So, would you care to go to Sanc with me and then space?" he asked, quietly. He didn't want to infringe on Trowa in any way. He already owed him a lot.
Something inside Trowa actually smiled at that - it sounded like Quatre had an agenda all worked out. His face remained impassive as he simply said, "Until I get other orders, I guess I might as well."
Quatre felt a wash of relief. He would get to have the benefit of Trowa's company for a while longer. It made him feel warm inside and filled a gap of loneliness in his heart that he was coming to realize he possessed from childhood.
"Good," he said, reaching out and squeezing Trowa's hand.
Trowa let his fingers curl around Quatre's hand. For the hundredth time, his brain tried to remind him that getting close to people was a big error. Soldiers couldn't afford to care about individuals, whether it was the people they were protecting, or even more ridiculous, another fighter. But the mental voice, while persistent, had lost its power - his emotions seemed to have found an independent life of their own since the incident in the desert. And the truth was, he never wanted to feel that dead-while-alive absence of feeling again. It seemed like it was probably already too late.
Leaning forward, he pressed his mouth to Quatre and kissed the blond thoroughly, before getting up to go and check HeavyArms for ammunition and supplies. If they were going to take a trip, it was best to be prepared.
Heero sat at his laptop sending the last secured message he intended to send. Orders were overdue. That was non-standard. To him, it meant that something was definitely going on in space aside from the reports on the vids. Taking a deep breath, he concluded his task and closed the computer.
"This is beyond weird," he said as he jumped onto the bed. Landing beside Duo, he reached out and wrapped the end of the long braid around his hand. Tugging carefully, he dragged Duo within range and kissed the violet-eyed pilot deeply. The action had a dual purpose. It dispelled some of the weirdness of the situation and it was quite pleasurable.
The American gave as good as he got, returning the kiss most thoroughly. Then he leaned back, taking a needed gulp of air and then scowled menacingly. "Hey, it's not a leash ya know!" He pushed his face closer to Heero's to make sure the other boy could get the full benefit of his ferocious expression. In fact he kept moving forward, forehead bumping Heero's until he pushed the other boy over and crawled right on top of him. Then he stopped trying not to grin.
"I know," Heero replied. "It's a tail. Not as enjoyable as this one," he added patting Duo on the rear. "But a nice substitute."
Duo rolled his eyes even as the pat brought forth a leer. "No, it's not a tail. It's a braid. Bray-duh! Why do I bother, you are hopeless." He planted his hands on his hips and shook his head. Then he smiled. His partner had changed so much in such a short time - in some ways. Not at all in others, he was still Mr. Business most of the time. But there was no denying he'd.... relaxed? Blossomed? The idea of using such a term for Heero Yuy was too much and Duo laughed at himself. "So what were you doing, as if I need to ask.... Heero, you know, when they want us, they'll get in touch with us...."
"Hn," Heero replied. "Yeah, I know. Of course, that's assuming that they're still around or able to do so. Things have been changing recently. The Colonies seem to have accepted OZ's offer. However, I don't think that we would just be left waiting like this," he added, stroking the bangs back away from Duo's face and watching them drop back.
Duo snorted. "Maybe you wouldn't. I wouldn't put anything past *my* 'contact'." He frowned as the thought reminded him of what Heero had confided not long ago. About having things... done to him. He had a private appointment with whoever it was at some point in the future. Something he planned to take care of as soon as the war was no longer first priority. "Well, I know what you mean, anyway. But it might be a long time before we get the order to destruct the Gundams and disappear."
Heero sighed and nodded. This level of comfort with someone surprised him. It was new and had not been apart of his life before. It wasn't that he had never considered it before, but it was always something the might happen way into the future... if any.
"You're right," he said to Duo, pausing for a moment. "Duo," he said. "When did you know about your abilities?"
Duo blinked. He'd expected the question or one like it much earlier, and had kind of forgotten that they hadn't actually talked about it. Part of him was reluctant - the story would make him sound crazy, but then what the hell, he didn't mind being thought of as crazy that much. And if he answered, he'd feel more comfortable asking a few pointed questions of his own.
Rubbing the tip of his nose with his thumb thoughtfully for a second, he answered. "Well, not till after I got to Earth," he said slowly, organizing his thoughts. "The first full moon, I felt... kind of weird. The moon in the sky fascinated me. It looks so different that from Space, you know? I couldn't sleep, stayed up all night watching it, feeling real restless. Almost like I was comin' down with something. After the moon wasn't so big in the sky. It sort of passed. Then the next month, I felt it again, only more. Lots more. I found myself wandering away from where I was staying, just staring up at the sky. I walked and walked, while my body kept feeling weirder and weirder. Then I.... I kinda had a dream. Weird one. Woke up in the morning, naked, in the woods." Duo grinned a little sheepishly.
"Things just sort of... progressed from there. The next time I was more aware. I understood that I was changing somehow. In time, I learned that I could make it happen, most of the time, if I tried. And come back when I wanted to. The dark of the moon is the only time I haven't been able to, recently." Absently, he rubbed his nose again. "It comes with a lot of stuff, not just the change of form. Sense of smell.... Most of the time I'm stronger, especially when the moon is up..." He looked inquiringly at Heero, inviting questions.
"Hn," Heero said, thinking about his own situation. "You seem comfortable with it. That means you've adapted well."
Duo shrugged. "Since it seems I don't have much choice, I figure I might as well be. I wish we'd had a chance to stay longer at the village. I had a lot of questions I wanted to ask."
"We'll get back there," Heero said, thinking of the other special people he and Duo had met there. They had saved his life and later Duo's life as well. He owed them. "I've known about my stuff for a long time. There are still some things I suspect that have been kept from me, but I figure I'll find out about them soon enough. In addition to the injections, I've had some behavior modification. Psyche. Some of it was helpful."
Duo frowned, reaching down to trace the contours of Heero's face lightly with his fingertips. He definitely didn't like the sound of that. And the way Heero said it so calmly. He'd... adapted, too. And Duo didn't like it much. "You should be pissed off," he muttered. "I would be. I am..."
"I'm not thrilled," Heero said, "But, I don't have time to stop and wonder about it." His head tilted and a small smile appeared on his face. "You're pissed off on my behalf," he said. "That's a first."
Duo bent and kissed Heero almost angrily, but the caress became tender. Lifting his head finally, he said, "It shouldn't be." Then he sighed.
Still perched on top of the other pilot, Duo groped on the bed for a remote control. "Well while you were sending queries to unavailable parties, I was watching some tube. Check this out." He rewound the recording he'd started when he spotted something he thought might interest the Japanese boy. Reaching the spot, he played it forward.
First the story about Ex-General Khushrenada and the insurgence. Followed by the story about the new leader of the Sanc Kingdom.
"Wonder what he's up to," Duo commented. Then, "Remember her? Is that weird or what?"
"Hn," Heero said as a deep scowl appeared on his face. "I'd like to find out and yes, that's very weird," he said, answering both questions. "I think we might want to check it out," he added.
Duo's grin was wicked. "Definitely."
"Miss Relena, what do you make of the reports that have been coming in?" the young blond woman seemed to be even more smugly pleased than usual.
"I'm sorry, Dorothy. Of which reports are you speaking?" Relena replied, feeling a slight headache approaching.
"That's right, you have a lot on your mind right now, don't you?" Dorothy said. "What with the requests by Romefeller to send a peacekeeping force into the country to protect you... and some of the leaders of the other countries that supported you now wanting to call their daughters back home to keep them out of the conflict... I meant the reports of a mysterious force that has appeared on the borders of Sanc, only when the fighting from other forces seems about to spill into the country. Something seems to be preventing them. Something that fights like a mobile suit... or two. Isn't it exciting?"
"Mobile suit?" Relena said, almost in spite of herself. A handsome face, dark eyes and the threat of her own demise loomed in front of her. The mysterious young man, Heero, a falling star from the space colonies had set in motion events which would change her life entirely.
He was dangerous and a fighter, but somehow she simply could not accept him as the enemy. After her father had died in her arms, she looked to the mobile suit pilot for motivation and strength. Relena had not confided her feelings or actions in anyone, but she suspected Dorothy had somehow found out.
Dorothy Catalonia had been both a blessing in disguise and a curse since she appeared at the school Relena had begun. The aim of the school had been to educate others of her age and social standing in the tenets of Pacifism. After learning the shocking truth of her heritage and with war breaking out, Relena dedicated herself to the preservation of her nation and both of her fathers' beliefs. Sanc would be the one example in the world where peace would be maintained as an example of the alternative to military solutions.
Most of the young women attending the college listened quietly and asked some questions, but none had challenged her quite like the young woman from Romefeller. Relena knew Dorothy as sharp, intelligent and quite aggressive in her seeming obsession with war.
This recent news and more importantly, the mention of the mobile suit, brought a sudden leap to Relena's heart as well as a sickening dread.
Setting her shoulders, she looked up at Dorothy again. "What I meant was that I have ordered no such protection nor do I think it necessary. Certainly, fighting is forbidden in the Sanc Kingdom. We need neither a peacekeeping force from Romefeller, nor mobile suits to fight for us," she said.
"Hmmm," Dorothy said, her keen eyes refusing to allow Relena any leeway. "Someone seems to think otherwise. Perhaps it's a knight who wants to protect the princess... which reminds me. Pargan says you have two new candidates for students waiting to see you." For some reason this seemed to give the young blond what seemed an unwarranted amount of amusement.
Relena took a deep breath to settle herself again. "Students?" she said, choosing to bypass the knight issue. "Thank you, Dorothy. I shall see them at once."
"Very well, Miss Relena," Dorothy said, with a slight nod. Still smiling, she left the room to go down the hall where the two would-be 'students' waited. She'd neglected to mention the most interesting fact that they were the first males ever to show up at the school. And, she suspected, something more.
Almost as soon as the door closed behind her, another door opened and a slim figure stopped into the room.
"I apologize for intruding this way, Miss Relena Peacecraft," Noin said quietly. "But I have an urgent invitation for you from someone who can't afford to stand on ceremony. "
"Excuse me, but you are?" Relena asked, a little startled by the woman. She was of some military, by her dress, but other than that Relena did not know.
"My name is Lucrezia Noin," the young officer answered. "And I have very little time to persuade you to come with me to meet someone who has been watching your work, and desires very urgently to speak with you."
"I understand, Miss Noin. But you, too must understand that if this concerns my acceptance of military forces within the Sanc Kingdom's borders, it cannot be allowed," Relena said. "Give me a moment and I will accompany you. I have people waiting."
Noin inclined her head respectfully, but said, "The person who sent me has no desire to see your country embroiled in the conflict. He hopes that your brave stand will be an example to others. However I don't have the moment. You must come with me now. Miss Relena... I understand you have some... private interest in finding the Gundam pilots..."
Relena felt suddenly guarded. This request was turning into something deeper than she had first imagined.
"Miss Noin," she said, looking up at the woman, "I will come with you, but as leader of my nation I cannot leave without at least letting someone know that I have gone. I'm sure you can appreciate my position."
Without a word, Noin walked to Relena's desk and picked up a piece of stationary and a pen, and offered it to the princess.
Relena frowned deeply, but took the offered paper and pen. She quickly scrawled a note to Pargan explaining that she had stepped out with an Officer Noin and would be back shortly.
"So, tell me, Miss Noin. Who wants to see me so badly that protocol or at the least, good manners can be sacrificed?" Relena asked, as she opened her desk drawer.
"That hardly suits a pacifist, Miss Relena," Noin said, her sharp eyes on Relena's action. Pulling back her uniform jacket, she placed a hand on her sidearm. "You won't need a weapon. As long as you are with me, you'll be completely safe." The gesture was more than a simple reassurance. It was a barely veiled warning.
"I see," Relena said, taking her hand off of the ornate gun in the drawer. "This is more an abduction than a voluntary visit." Standing, she pushed her chair under her desk and looked up at Noin. "Lead on, then."
"I hope you won't feel that way when we arrive at our destination," Noin said, her tone more practical than regretful.
When Dorothy returned to the room, followed by two young men, Relena was nowhere to be found.
Noticing the note left on the desk, she opened it without hesitation and read the lines quickly. Her remarkable eyebrows rose.
Turning to the two young men, she shrugged slightly to the blond and the brown haired visitor.
"I'm afraid Miss Relena seems to have had a sudden change of plans. She's gone on a courtesy call with someone named Noin. How interesting, if disappointing for you. I seem to recall a Lt. Noin recently working as aide de camp for the former General Treize Khushrenada. However, like the General, it was thought that she's disappeared."
Teal blue eyes widened. "Excuse me, Miss Catalonia, but I think that Miss Peacecraft is in serious danger," he said, feeling a sudden sense of anxiety pour over him.
Beside him, Trowa scowled.
Dorothy's eyes widened in pleasure. "Do you really think so? How exciting! But what can be done about it? There's no one here who can rescue her, we are all simply female students! It would be so perfect if some handsome prince happened to appear just in time to save her. Don't you think, Quatre Reberba Winner?"
"Hn?" Quatre replied, not quite following the young woman's logic. Frowning, he walked quickly to the window of Relena's office and looked out.
"Of course a prince might be out of date," Dorothy added thoughtfully. "Perhaps a dashing Gundam pilot would be more appropriate to the times. Well at any rate, I'm afraid you can't speak with her just now."
"Excuse me," Quatre said, "Does Miss Peacecraft have a guard or someone who can be notified?"
"Only her old servant, Pargan," Dorothy answered. "There are no soldiers in pacifist Sanc Kingdom you know. Unless you count those mysterious rumors about the guardians on the borders, but even Miss Relena didn't know if they were true. Well I'm sorry, but you have to leave now."
Trowa went to where Quatre stood by the window and touched his arm. "Let's go."
Quatre nodded.
Watching them leave, Dorothy smiled with satisfaction. Now, let's see. A call to Romefeller was in order. They certainly would want to know about this. Well maybe she wouldn't tell them *everything*. And maybe she'd use a frequency that someone else might be monitoring. How else would the knights find out about the princess's peril?
The two pilots had little choice but to return to the temporary rooms they had been assigned. Avoiding the curious looks of the girls in prim school uniforms, Trowa slipped into Quatre's room immediately. He had a strong desire to leave this place right away. Truth to be told, he was less concerned about the Sanc kingdom's young leader than about his Gundam and Quatre's, stashed in concealment in the potentially volatile countryside.
"We might as well go," he said, coming to the point.
Quatre moved closer to Trowa. "Yes, I think so too," he said, concerned, "But, Trowa. I just feel something... something's not right here. If something should happen to their leader, this country will be conquered in no time. People are going to get hurt. It's so unnecessary."
Trowa looked sharply at the blond. It wasn't the first time he'd heard such sentiments from Quatre, but he was more interested in the first thing he'd said. "You... feel something? Is it just your fears, or is it something... more?"
Quatre opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. He'd always had certain intuitions and unexplainable feelings that passed over him and guided him. The Maganacs had accepted these things about him without question. In the desert, during Trowa's ordeal, Quatre had felt himself blend so completely with ancient cities and atmosphere that he felt completely at home.
"It's more than fear," he said, still feeling dangerously close to spooking Trowa away.
"How much more?" Trowa moved closer, one hand closing on Quatre's arm. The contact transmitted something to him. "I've learned to take your feelings seriously, Quatre."
Quatre felt relieved. Looking into Trowa's green eyes, he reached up and touched his smooth face. "Thank you," he said. "That means the world to me." Taking a deep breath, Quatre stepped even closer to Trowa, making contact with the taller pilot's body. "There was something about the note. Too short. Explained nothing. There was a deliberate mention of a name and something familiar in the room to me." Closing his eyes, Quatre extended his awareness.
Instead of the answer he half expected, Quatre was surprised by a feeling that was startlingly familiar. Familiar, and something he never expected to feel again. A presence... and it seemed far closer than it could have. In the wrong direction entirely. And the moment he felt it, it answered with a warning.
Quatre's eyes flew open. He swallowed hard as he looked up to Trowa. "It's here," he said. "But, that's impossible."
The grip on Quatre's arm tightened. "What's..." then Trowa's green eyes widened, and seemed to burn with a sudden intensity. Unfocused, they seemed to be looking *through* Quatre.
"No," he said, but the word wasn't meant for the blond pilot.
Reaching up, Quatre placed his hand over Trowa's eyes. "Trowa come back," he said, distinctly. "It's not in this room."
Trowa blinked, and his grip, which had become near-bruising, relaxed abruptly. He started to back up a step, then stopped himself. Looking down at Quatre, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "Not... this room. But close. How... how is that possible?"
"I don't know," Quatre said. "But we're going to face it again," he added, as his hand slid over his heart.
The pulse of that familiar presence came again, seeming to strengthen at the beat of his heart. The warning came clearer.
*Don't... come.*
It felt like the presence... was trying to protect him.
Quatre took Trowa's hand and pulled him to the bed. Sitting him down, he collected his thoughts. "Whatever is happening, it's coming from the North. We must go. I think the Princess is involved in this as well. The Pharaoh was trying to warn us away."
Trowa's voice was low and almost inflexionless. "How could he be here?"
Quatre shook his head, trying to come up with answers. "I don't know. We left him in the desert," he said. A sudden realization came to him and he gasped. "Unless... unless he was moved," Quatre finished.
Trowa stiffened. Something vague tickled at his recollection, a memory from a time that was still more like a dark dream than a real event. It wouldn't come clear. But...
"That... would be desecration," he said, emotion finally finding it's way into his voice. It was anger. A cold anger.
It seemed to free him of the paralyzing effect of shock. "Good," he said, looking at Quatre. A very slight smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. "We can use this, to find Khushrenada."
"Yes," Quatre said recognizing resolve in his lover's face.
On the northern border of the tiny Sanc kingdom, a large force of mobile dolls was pursuing the route of a shrinking group of Treize faction loyalists. Once they crossed the border into the pacifist country, they would provide Romefeller with an excuse to cross as well, but the truth was the Dolls had never been programmed to respect those borders to begin with. The Treize faction soldiers would provide adequate excuse after the fact.
To give them credit, the soldiers resisted being herded with admirable tenacity but they weren't being allowed to have a choice.
The only flaw in the plan was the presence of two warriors who owed allegiance neither to Treize nor to Romefeller.
Fighting Dolls brought Wufei no satisfaction at all. But it was easier to face Nataku knowing it was the only way to destroy such soulless weapons. He was a little late to the fight, forced to wait until after sundown to pilot the Gundam. Fortunately Zechs had no such handicap. For the hundredth time Wufei cursed Treize, the epithets seasoned with an angry demand to no one why the rebel General seemed to have no weakness in daylight such as persistently plagued him.
Once the Dolls were destroyed, he contacted Zechs via a private comm channel they'd rigged between them.
"Someone needs to go down and tell the soldiers that they'd better not think of crossing the border," he told the Lightning Count.
"I'm on my way," Zechs replied and aimed Tallgeese towards the border of his homeland.
He pushed aside all feelings of unworthiness to even be in Sanc again. Setting his machine down in front of the contingent, Zechs opened the cockpit.
A short while later brought him into the camp of the Treize Faction.
Several startled soldiers looked up, but were too afraid to say anything. The Lightning Count had simply appeared like an apparition.
"Zechs Merquise!" the wounded commander said, glancing up. "We hardly dared to hope it was really you, even when we recognized the Tallgeese."
The second in command of the group, standing nearby, added, "We should have had more faith in His Excellency's prediction."
"Prediction?" Zechs said, curiously.
"His Excellency said the Lightning Count would come," one of the other soldiers said simply. "He never said when, or under what circumstances, but he said you would come to help us fight the Dolls."
"Hn," Zechs replied. He found himself smiling slightly at not being labeled a traitor. 'Perhaps Treize will save that one for later,' he thought.
"Commander, you are within range of the Sanc kingdom. If you cross the border, you place that undefended nation in peril," he said.
The commander nodded. "Our orders are to die to a man before letting ourselves be used in such a way. So you are defending the Sanc Kingdom...?"
"Yes, Commander. You and your men rest for a while. We'll take care of the Dolls. Join us when you can," Zechs offered.
The commander started to answer, but was interrupted by one of his men. "Sir... we've intercepted a communication aimed at Romefeller, and coming from within the Sanc Kingdom. The code is an old one, decipherable."
Glancing at Zechs, the commander said, "What are you talking about, Jennings?"
"I'm trying to tell you, sir. It's a report about the Princess. Someone inside the school is reporting to Romefeller that she's apparently left the country."
Zechs clenched his fists unconsciously. 'But, she would not abandon...' he thought, then let the thought go. Perhaps she was not as strong as he'd hoped. "Does the message give a destination?" Zechs asked.
The soldier shook his head. "No, it simply says she left with..." the soldier's expression shifted to relief. "Oh, sir, she's with Lt. Noin, it's all right. I'm sure His Excellency must be giving her his protection."
Before the words could completely sink in, or make sense, several of the men in the small camp looked up and past Zechs, their expressions startled.
"What the hell is that?" a man near Zechs murmured, as some of the darkness under the trees seemed to detach itself and move forward, showing two flickers of red flame. The darkness resolved into a human shape and the flames into a pair of eyes, just about the level of Zech's shoulder.
"What the hell is taking so long?" Wufei growled.
"Wufei," Zechs said, choosing not to answer the soldier's query. "Apparently, the Princess has left Sanc with Lt. Noin. Noin's a friend of mine and a loyal soldier," he said.
Wufei's expression was skeptical. "Loyal to who?"
"Lightning Count, this man is with you?" the wounded commander asked just as skeptically.
"Man, looks more like a boy," one of the soldiers muttered to another.
"Yeah, well seems like he gave you a scare just a minute ago," his friend answered in the same tone.
"He is with me, Commander," Zechs answered. 'Or I'm with him, more like,' he thought, remembering the phenomenal power he had seen his companion release first hand. Images of blood and gore as he stood on a rooftop watching Wufei Chang's approach still trilled through his dreams.
A second later, ice-blue eyes looked into dark Asian ones. "Treize," he answered Wufei's question softly as every muscle in his body tensed.
"Quite right," the second in command answered. "Stood by His Excellency even when Romefeller put him under arrest." A thought struck him and he added, "I dare say she'd be interested in knowing you are in the area, sir."
"I dare say," Zechs said. "But since I came her on my own and not officially, I would appreciate the opportunity to surprise her, Commander. You understand," Zechs added.
The commander nodded automatically, but certain of the wilder rumors from months ago were starting to come back to him. He couldn't help glancing at the Chinese youth in spite of himself, only to find the boy's black eyes looking directly, almost ironically, back. He looked away quickly.
"Of course," he mumbled.
"The Dolls are taken care of, for the moment," Wufei said, as if talking to Zechs and allowing the others to hear by accident. "These should get out of here fast if they no longer plan to hide in the Sanc kingdom."
Zechs nodded in agreement. "He is right Commander. You and your men have a small window of opportunity. Take care," he said, moving out of the tent.
"They should find a real cause worth fighting for, or give it up," Wufei snapped, aloud, but not loudly as retreated alongside Zechs.
Once out of the light and under the trees, he wrapped them both in darkness to prevent any of the soldiers from following them back to their mobile suits.
Zechs stopped and turned to Wufei. "Noin is with Treize," he said, evenly. "We were... close. I'm not sure he's shown himself to her fully, but he might have altered her as well. Hopefully not, but he might have gotten to Relena..." Just uttering the words himself, Zechs felt a cold chill down his spine. He was not frightened often, but these thoughts, coupled with what he might have to do brought forth emotions he thought long buried.
Wufei watched Zechs closely. His temper, volatile since the change, was flaring on behalf of his lover's family.
"He wants you to think that way," he said, his voice cutting through Zechs' thoughts. "It's more of his stupid chess game. Maybe he's getting bored without a world to manipulate."
Zechs looked down, expelling air in a relieved sigh. His long, platinum hair fell over his shoulders like a curtain. "You're right," he said, looking back at Wufei. "Let's pay a visit to Luxembourg and see if he is in residence."
The Chinese pilot did not answer, but his features took on a feral cast with which Zechs was now quite familiar.
The look broke the spell and caused Zechs to smile.
Heero frowned down at the console. The intercepted message seemed straightforward enough, but there was something off about it. He thought about the young woman who had both looked down the barrel of his gun and faced his Gundam in the midst of an attack unafraid. Whatever Relena Dorlan was, she was not a coward. She also was not the type to simply stroll off to parts unknown in the midst of turmoil outside her country's borders without a good explanation.
Furthermore, the frequency used to transmit the message was one that was uncommon for civilians to use.
"Duo," he said, accessing his comm. "Something isn't adding up."
The pilot of Deathscythe snorted softly. "Maybe you're just not using the 'new math'... you know, girls plus anything equals weird? Oh well. I have some more pressing news for ya. Check your scanner. We're about to be in the middle of a whole lotta Mobile Dolls in about... well ten seconds?"
"Roger, that," Heero replied, turning his attention to the task at hand.
The Mobile Dolls had been headed for a small contingent of Treize Faction soldiers, but Duo didn't see any reason why he couldn't just cut in, so to speak. It wasn't that he favored the Treize Faction soldiers, more that he found the whole idea of the Mobile Dolls and Romefeller's use of them... offensive.
Heero moved his Gundam with a fine tuned precision as he and Duo cut down doll after doll. To Heero, the Mobile Dolls were nothing more than target practice. He derived the same kind of pleasure in their destruction as he did in playing wargames on the sims or vid-games. Feeling the impact of the explosions sent electric tingles through his fingertips, a sensation that he liked.
A communication was directed at them from the group of soldiers. "Unidentified mobile suits! Who are you? What side are you on?"
Wading through the Dolls, Duo answered impatiently. "We're not on any side, so stay out of our way."
At the same moment, a dark communication window opened on Heero's console. Only a shadowed face was visible. "Your companion fights with the same purity of all you Gundam pilots. How encouraging to find that he survived that little setback in the mountains."
Heero frowned deeply. His mind raced to figure out who this was on the comm. He took a chance.
"I have your arrow," he said, coolly.
"I'm touched," the cultured voice answered with cool amusement. "Perhaps you'll return it to me."
"Name the place, time and part of the body," Heero replied.
He was answered with a soft chuckle. "I'll give you your pick," the General answered. "Find me. You aren't far away. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and properly greet another guest who has preceded you - the young princess of a neighboring kingdom."
The window disappeared.
"Count on it," Heero said to the now blank screen. He signaled Duo.
"Oh, *now* he answers me!" Duo grumbled. "This group of Dolls are history, but there's more coming. The soldiers have retreated - maybe we should do the same?"
Heero's fingers flew over his console. "Yeah," he said. "I just got an interesting transmission from the guy who shot you. He's got the Princess. Let's go find him and return his arrow," the Japanese pilot said.
A glimmer of feral light seemed to kindle in Duo's wide eyes, giving his features a dangerous cast. "That sounds like fun. I'm in."
Noin found herself watching Relena during the short trip, trying to discern any resemblance to the brother she didn't even know she still had. Zechs, of course, didn't know Noin had guessed his secret, and she'd more than once wanted to tell him. But more than that, she wanted him to confide it to her of his own choice.
I will find you, Zechs, she thought, repeating her silent mantra.
Of course, Relena now thought of her as a sort of kidnapper. Noin found herself regretting that fact. She wished things could have been different. Under other circumstances, she could imagine herself in quite a different role - protecting the girl, supporting her... well she could still do that, couldn't she? It didn't matter what Relena thought of her. She was certain Treize meant her no harm. The man was weird, but the idea of His Excellency stooping so low as to harm an innocent teen-aged girl... no, no, it simply wasn't his style. He seemed different lately. Before, she'd always had the impression that politics had been his life's ambition. But since his resignation, she thought she saw a changed man, someone who no longer looked upon the ambitions of the powerful as the be-all and end-all. He seemed to have something quite different on his mind now. What, she couldn't really make a guess.
Arriving at the House, Noin escorted Relena through the dark hallways. Funny, she hadn't thought of it until this moment, but the House was always dark, at least most of it seemed to be in shadows at all times. He seemed to like it that way.
For Relena, the trip was like stepping into another world, one far removed from the tension and brightness of Sanc. It really wasn't so far away... but it was as if she had stepped into another era, painted with twilight, where things might look solid one minute, and dissolve under your fingertips the next...
Swallowing unconsciously, Relena looked to Noin. "So, do I get the name of the person I'm supposed to meet?" she asked, then realized how muted her voice seemed in the dark house. The small defiant tone boosted her confidence slightly. It was all erased as she felt the walls of the building absorb her words.
Noin turned, a reassuring smile curving her lips. "I know this seems very strange to you, Miss Relena. But there are good reasons why I couldn't take certain chances while in your country. Romefeller has spies everywhere. And they wouldn't have allowed you two to meet - I'm pretty sure they'd do just about anything to prevent it."
Stopping at a door, Noin tapped once, then opened it for Relena to enter. "Miss Relena, the person who wanted to meet you - is Treize Khushrenada."
Inside the large, sparsely furnished room, a figure stood silhouetted in the red glow of the setting sun through a tall window. He turned at the introduction, the light across his features giving them a classical beauty. An undisguised smile curved his well-shaped lips as he bowed, placing his hand over his heart.
"Thank you for coming," he said, his voice sinking deeply into her senses. "I hope you will forgive me. But I simply had to meet the person who is going to bring our world into its new future."
Relena clenched her fists in order to still her nerves. Treize Khushrenada was imposing in stature and manner. There was something about him that rocked her foundations and she had the definite feeling that she needed to be strong in his presence or risk being swept away. "I don't understand, Mr. Khushrenada. My country is a small one and my beliefs are not popular at the moment. As for me coming here, I assure you, it was more coercion than anything. What do you want of me?" she said.
"I have already answered your question," Treize answered, his eyes holding hers, seeming to see deeply into her mind, perhaps even her soul. "I apologize for Lt. Noin's methods, but I did tell her it was a very urgent mission. " He stopped closer to Relena and then held out his hand, waiting for her to place hers in it.
"We were not destined to meet in this way," he said, his voice sliding easily around her senses. "It should have been later... or never. But destiny can be incredibly boring, do you know that? Unbearably, deadeningly wearisome. " She found herself placing her hand in his, and walking beside him to the window. "Your country is small, but pivotal. Your beliefs... are impractical. They fly in the face of all human nature, and history. However, don't disappoint me by not realizing what an important role you are going to play in what is to come."
At the touch of his hand, Relena felt tension drain from her body. "My beliefs work," she said, feeling something that had been missing for some time. Incredible as it seemed, Relena felt safe talking to Treize Khushrenada. "We are reasoning human beings. War destroys. Peace builds. I didn't come to rule Sanc Kingdom for myself or for any recognition. If there is something I can do while I'm there to forward peace, then I'll do it."
"You make a charming spokeswoman," Treize said. "Are you aware that not far beyond these walls, men and machines are fighting, some of them, by their own choice entirely, in my name? In the name of this peace, which you believe in so faithfully, stay with me, if only for a short time. As I wait for the outcome of the battle, I spend my time in contemplation of the meaning of these events. I do not think I have a great deal of time before things resolve themselves one way or the other. Don't deprive me of the illumination you can provide. Can't the Sanc Kingdom spare me such a small measure of your time? Or do you shun a man of war, such as myself so completely?"
Relena looked up into Treize's eyes, feeling herself sink into some other space and time. She wanted to agree, feeling the timbre of his voice draw her in. A voice cut into her thoughts. "Don't trust OZ," her father had said. Suddenly, she found it hard to breathe. Something in what he said sounded wrong to her. Looking back up, she found her voice again. "No," she said, softly. "People are dying for you. You must stop the battles. Do what you can so that more won't be lost. I... I beg of you. It's within your power. They will listen to you," she added, urgently. If I can just convince him, Relena thought.
Treize smiled. "They won't listen if I tell them something they do not want to hear, kind lady. Please don't beg. But stay a while - long enough to give me time to think about what you are saying."
Relena blinked. Everything within her said that this was not right. "Alright," she said finally. "I will stay for a short time. However, I need to let someone know where I am... that I am safe." Impulsively, she reached up and touched Treize's cheek. "I do not shun men of war," she said. "I just don't understand what makes men fight. I urge you to think about what I've said and make a decision quickly. Delays take life."
Treize turned, and guided her back across the room towards the door, where Noin waited.
"You give me credit for having a great deal of power over those who have their own reasons for wishing to fight," he said. Releasing her hand, he bowed, and then leaned closer, brushing her forehead with his lips. "Though I have few resources here, your messenger will arrive shortly enough, I think. Until then, perhaps you'll want to rest."
As his lips touched her skin, Relena felt a soft fog begin to surround her. Rest, yes.
Noin frowned slightly, then found herself centered in the regard of Treize's intense blue eyes. For a moment the veil was lifted and they slipped deep inside of her. She heard his voice as if from far away.
"Please take the princess to her room, and then... then I would very much like to see you attired in something besides that uniform, when you return to me."
End of Part One
TBC
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sablexo1@yahoo.com,
bonnejeanne@yahoo.com.