CHAPTER FIVE

BY LOYCE

The circle had been cast.

In the circle, Catherine felt her strongest, more stable and balanced with nature herself. On the tiny bloodstone alter in front of her lay two pendants; one silver cross with a small piece of cat's eye shells embedded in the metal and one slice of Apache tear. Her mouth lifted in a smile as she eyed the tiny prism of the famous witches' stone. Though Trowa had a standoff-ish attitude, he was still a softy at heart, when it came to Hilde. He'd been her 'big brother' in heaven and demanded that she be protected by the best she could provide. The powerful stone would be given to Hilde, hopefully sparking some memory of her past life, while the cross would be given to Duo, whom she had seen in her vision, was already beginning to remember things. Cats eye shells would help Duo in understand the situation with a clear head, and bring him good luck.

Her eyes turned a deep purple as the power of the Goddess began to hum inside her body. The first time she had called upon the power, she had been frightened, but with every encounter she learned more about her powers and herself. It amused her that Trowa, her brother, had become an angel in God's army. Centuries ago when they had lived in ancient times, her brother had protected her from attack by shielding her with his body. For his sacrifice, he had been taken to heaven and given the status of a high angel, never to be reborn again. Destiny was an odd creature that had her own mind about how things would be played.

It had been a hard fact to accept, that she would continue on living life after life without meeting her brother again. But he always managed to find a way to meet her, even if it was in a dream. And now, he needed her help; and she was not going to let him down.

A soft breeze stirred the leaves of the trees in the courtyard of the shop. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the white light that filled her mind. It was such a wonderful thing that too many people couldn't comprehend and feared. Her resolve wavered and she left the light slip as sad thoughts entered her mind at the ridicule she had endured over the years. Now was not the time to be thinking of such things, when everything depended on her.

Lifting her arms above her head, she began to chant in the old language; a dialect so old, only a few could still remember the words. Once the chant was complete, Catherine slowly brought her hands together. When her hands finally clasped together, time began to slow down. She opened her eyes and watched the busy wings of a bumblebee beat in rhythm with her heart. Releasing her hands, they drifted over the two necklaces that sat on the tiny altar. Her fingertips tingled as they came in contact with the smooth surfaces of the pendants.

"Fire, Earth, Wind and Air.

I call upon you to watch over this pair.

Help me to keep them safe from harm,

The power of protection within each charm.

As I will, so mote it be."

There was no blinding light, or puff of smoke that most people associate with witches and magic. No cackling, boiling cauldrons, nor any black pointy hats. Hollywood had made a mockery out of her religion and beliefs, causing tourists to gawk at her when they passed by her shop in the Quarter. The city of New Orleans had a wonderful power and at least the natives respected that power.

Slowly, time resumed its normal pace, allowing the bee to reach the flower it had been chasing after. It took a few more moments for Catherine to close the circle. One minor mistake, many lives ago, was forever etched in her mind. The time she didn't close the circle and was burned at the stake because of it.

Once the power of the Goddess had been returned it its rightful owner, Catherine gathered the two pendants in her soft hands, and pushed herself off her knees. She wasn't too surprised to find Trowa waiting in the doorway for her.

"Did you enjoy the show?" Her voice was filled with a playful tone.

He smiled. "Not much to see on my end, just you kneeling, lost in your own world. Actually, it was kind of disappointing." Trowa reached out and affectionately touched her nose, causing her to laugh.

Catherine pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. Though he would never come out right and ask her, she knew her brother was waiting for one of her, as he had deemed them, 'parlor tricks.' Stepping away from him, she held her hand up and opened her palm, revealing a small ball of blue light. It lifted into the air, followed by red and yellow ones. They danced around in the space between them, almost chasing after each other, like a game of tag. Finally, they formed perfect points of a triangle. Catherine titled her head slightly as Trowa began to mockingly applaud. "And for the encore."

All three balls of light headed straight for the center of the shape, coming together and forming one ball of bright white light. Trowa squinted his eyes against the blinding light, but soon the light died away and from the once ball of light, emerged a butterfly. The corners of his mouth never lifted into a smile, but from the glint in his deep green eyes, Catherine knew that enjoyed her display.

"Is the protection spell complete?" He asked, his eyes darting down to the two necklaces clasped in her hand.

"Are you always this serious?" When he didn't respond, she gave up and answered his. "Yes, the protection spell has been cast. You need to make sure that they begin wearing these pendants as soon as possible. The stones may need to be recharged before the next new moon..."

"As far as I'm concerned this really isn't necessary."

Trowa and Catherine both turned around to find Heero stepping out of the shadows of a nearby corner. A grim expression marred his handsome features, and for the first time, Catherine was able to see met the famed captain of Hell's army.

"I won't have you insulting my sister like that, Yuy." Trowa's voice hummed with anger as he moved in front of his sister, in a protective manner.

Catherine couldn't help but giggle, drawing disbelieving looks from both Heero and her brother. "It isn't like I haven't heard it all before, brother. I hear it daily when I walk about town, do my grocery shopping, or pump my gas... 'Wicca is a bunch of rubbish' or 'Witchcraft is the work of the devil.'"

The last comment caused Heero falter with his look. Moving around her brother, Catherine walked over to Heero and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You believe in your God and I'll believe in my Goddess. Who knows, maybe your God and my Goddess are the same entity after all." With a swish of her skirt, Catherine let go of his shoulder and pushed passed the beaded curtain leading back into her shop.

Silence reigned for a few moments before Heero turned to Trowa and asked the simple question that had been left hanging in the air. "God could never be a woman, could he?"

Trowa's smile dropped. "I wouldn't know. I've never seen the face of God before." Clearing his throat, Trowa changed the subject. "You were almost too late, Heero. I was afraid that you had decided not to help us out after all."

Heero knew Trowa was right. He had nearly blown the entire mission. If he hadn't have saved Hilde in time, they wouldn't be having this conversation. After his run in with Relena, his mind had been a jumbled mess of emotions the entire time, distracting him from his goal. Right after Duo's banishment, he had promised himself that he would never follow the same path as his friend; but that was before he met Relena.

A demon was never meant to love. Love, the silly emotion had cost Duo everything; and to make matters worse, he actual gave it up, freely. The first time he saw her, he finally knew what Duo had been talking about with Hilde. Just the warm smile of her face seemed to cool the fires of Hell. However, Heero was well aware of the price a demon paid for love. So instead of walking to his 'death', like Duo had, he treated her with disdain whenever their paths had crossed.

When he had returned to Hell, planning to find out what Akmen's plans were for the girl, he knew something was wrong the minute he passed through the veil. Dorothy usually met him after his returns from the mortal world, begging to hear what type of chaos he had caused while gone. Only this time, Dorothy was nowhere to be found and he feared he had been too late.

"We can't have you falling behind because of personal distractions, Yuy." Trowa's voice pulled him out of his deep thoughts. "All of us have a personal stake in this, one way or another."

"Hn." Turning, Heero took a step forward to collect the pendant from Catherine he needed to deliver to Duo, when Trowa spoke out again.

"I heard he recognized you."

Heero glanced back over his shoulder and watched the angel pull a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and lit it. Hearing his once long time friend utter his name caused a knot to form in his stomach. By no stretch of the imagination was he a sentimental being, but the simple fact had caused him to smile.

"He did." Heero averted his face from Trowa's unwavering stare. "He's remembering the past. How about Hilde?"

Trowa took a drag of the cigarette, blowing smoke into the muggy air. "She feels the attraction, but she hasn't had the flashes of memories that Duo's been experiencing. I'm hoping the visit I'm paying her tonight will help speed things along." He tossed the cigarette to the ground and crushed the burning end under his foot. "Don't worry, Yuy. He'll remember you weren't the one who ratted him out."

Brushing past him, the angel headed into the store leaving Heero standing out in the courtyard. Overhead the sun was beginning to set, leaving the half moon hanging in the eastern sky. Time was running out, something had to be done soon. Sighing, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his trench coat.

The sight that caught him when he entered the store was something he'd never witnessed before. Catherine stood in the common area of her store, her eyes closed, her lips moving in some sort of silent chant. From the entryway, they watched as her hair began to shift, like it was being tossed by a strong wind. Heero felt Trowa shift beside him, stilling himself from racing out to his sister.

"She's caught in a vision." Trowa answered the question that hung on Heero's lips before it could even be spoken.

Another minute passed before the vision left her, leaving the room filled with an eerie feeling. Catherine turned around to face them, her face almost transparent in color. Trowa ran out to catch her as she began to collapse. She fell like dead weight into his outstretched arms, completely drained from the vision she had just experienced.

Pushing a few wayward strands of hair out of her face, Trowa checked over her to make sure no physical damage had been done. "Catherine? Catherine, are you all right?"

Her eyes fluttered open. This time the vision wasn't pictures or images; it was all sensations. Some were pleasurable, some were painful, but over all the tone of the vision had been set in one of sadness and despair. Tears began to form as the emotions wash over her again. Catherine shuddered in Trowa's arms as a chill crawled deep into her spine. In all the times she had been taken into her visions, none of them caused this strong of a reaction.

"What did you see?"

"Nothing. I saw nothing." Her voice was flat, devoid of all the emotions coursing through her. Placing her hand on Trowa's face, she ran her fingers across his cool skin. "It was more of a feeling than anything else. Something's wrong. I don't know what, but..." Catherine's eyes trailed over to Heero. "You're in danger and so are the others. You must get the pendants to them."

With help, Catherine gained her feet and stumbled over to the counter. The velvet boxes held the magical pendants, keeping them safe from any outside evils that would try to break the spell of protection. Holding onto the counter for extra support, she whirled around with the two boxes grasped tightly in one hand. The boxes slipped from her grasp and fell to the floor, the sound echoing throughout the small building.

Heero rushed forward and picked up the discarded boxes, flipping open the tops and pocketing the one holding with cross. The Apache tear pendant was tossed to Trowa, who caught the box easily with one hand. He touched Catherine's shoulder.

"I'll be okay, honest." A weak smile lifted her mouth but the smile never reached her eyes. "Go."

Before her eyes, both the angel and the demon faded into the background, setting off to complete their tasks. Catherine's legs gave out from underneath of her. Dropping to her knees, she turned her face upward and pleaded with the Mother Goddess to protect them all.

****************

From the plush interior of the red Camry, Hilde stared out the passenger window as the rod iron fencing, the made New Orleans famous, moved past her in a blur. Not that she was paying too much attention to her surroundings. Her mind was elsewhere, in another place, another time and with someone else.

Duo Maxwell.

What had made her do it? Why had she wrapped her hand around his neck and started to draw him closer to her? Why had his subtle scent been able to send desire shooting through her body? Better yet, what would have happened between them if Father Thomas hadn't come running down to the room, with his feet giving him way long before he appeared?

She was going to have to get her head examined. There was no viable reason for it; this attraction that they shared. Hilde knew he felt it too, with the way his eyes darkened and the quickening of his breath. All she had wanted to do was lean closer and capture his lips with her own. To forget that he was a servant of God, and lose herself in the man that looked at her with the same burning desire that raged inside of her.

The first time she experienced it was just the other night, and now she felt if she wasn't with him, the air wasn't worth breathing. It was growing deeper and deeper, consuming her. If she closed her eyes, she could just imagine the feel of his hands skimming across her body, imagine being tucked inside his warm embrace; almost remember...

"Hilde? Hilde, did you just hear I thing I just said?"

Visibly shaking her head, Hilde cleared her thoughts and turned to the driver of the car. Murphy's gray eyes seemed focused on the evening traffic as he made his way through the town, but she knew he was casting her sideways glances in her direction. She pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead. "I'm sorry, Murphy. What did you say?"

His exasperated sigh was heard over the jazz blasting over the radio speakers. From her seat, she watched Murphy lean over and turned the radio down. "I asked, are you sure you're all right? Do you want me to take you to the hospital, to have you checked out? Want me to take you back to the station..."

"I'm fine!" She pushed her face deeper into her hand. "I'm sorry Murphy, I'm not in the best of moods today. I nearly get run over, spend three hours at the station, filling out reports, retelling the sordid tale about fifteen times and after that, I had to catalogue all the extra evidence I pulled from our crime scene." Hilde dropped her hands in lap and let her head fall against the headrest. "And if I hear one more person ask me if I'm okay, I swear I'm going to punch them."

"Point taken." Reluctantly, Murphy went back to driving, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel in time with the music.

The muted sound of a soulful sax drifted around in the heavy silence that hung in the car. Unable to breath the thick stale air another minute, Hilde pushed the button for the automatic window and was assaulted by all the sounds, smells and lights that defined New Orleans. Turning halfway in her seat, Hilde propped her chin on the door and watched a group of semi-drunk college students walk across the street at one of the red stoplights. That's what she needed, a night out on the town. The last time she had been out was... Inwardly, she cringed. When it takes more than a second to think about the last time you went out, it had been way to long.

A impish smiled played with the corner of her lips as she could nearly taste one of Pat O'Brien's famous Hurricanes and the singing karaoke at the 'Cat's Meow.' Mentally going through her closet, she had picked out her black leather pants and red tube top. Maybe she could get a hold of some old Mardi Gras beads, to add to the affect. There was some mad money stashed in one of the flowerpots and the SUV still had about half a tank...

"Shit! Damn! Fuck!"

Murphy chuckled from the driver's side of the car. "I think you forgot 'Bitch' and 'Ass.'" The light turned green and the car lurched forward. "What's wrong, boss?"

"My vehicle, is it still outside St. Catherine's?"

"Nope. It's been impounded."

Hilde shot forward against her seatbelt. "What do you mean 'impounded'?"

"A couple of uniforms picked it up and towed it in. They wanted to check it for any explosive devices." He took a quick look at her. "Everyone knows that someone's gunning for you, we're just making sure all of the bases are covered. You know it's standard procedure."

Crossing her arms against her chest, she sunk back into the upholstery. "Well that shoots my night to Hell."

The rest of the trip was filled with an occasional off hand comment, both of them skirting around the issue of what had happened earlier in the day. Rounding the final turn, Murphy slowed the car to a halt, placing the car in park and turning off the ignition. Hilde had just reached for the door handle when Murphy covered her other hand with his.

"Hilde, I'm really worried about you. Things have gone nuts in the past four weeks and somehow you've managed to get dragged into the middle of it." His other hand moved forward and brushed at a loose strand of her hair. "Take care of yourself, Hilde. I couldn't handle it if anything ever happened to you."

She knew what he was going to do, and Hilde bit her bottom lip. As much as she liked Murphy, she couldn't do this because...because he wasn't Duo. Bringing her hands up between them, she stopped his advance. "I'm sorry, Murphy. I can't do this." The seat squeaked as she spun around, opened the door and climbed out of the vehicle.

"There's someone else, isn't there?" He called to her through the opened window of the car after she had shut the door.

"I...Yes, there is someone else." Without taking a backward glance, Hilde ran up the stairs to her apartment building and disappeared behind the iron rod door.

****************

"He's the most arrogant, insufferable, egotistical..."

Sally continued to watch Relena pace back and forth in front of her, her feathered wings ruffled in frustration as the thumped against her body with every heavy step she took. Leaning forward, she picked up her cup of tea and continued to watch her friend vent all of her emotions. If this had been any other being Relena was taking about, Sally would have felt compelled to smile behind the safety of the rim of her cup. But she wasn't talking about another angel; she was talking about Heero Yuy.

The same Heero Yuy who was a captain in Hell's army, the same demon that was friends with... She wasn't going to think about him, not now not ever. But Sally was unable to stop the memories that attacked her as Relena's voice faded into the backdrop.

Long before the raven-haired angel and her violet-eyed demon lover were banished from the realm, she was ready and willing to sacrifice everything in the name of love for him. All he needed to do was say the words and she would have turned her back on everything; just for him, just for love. Instead, he turned his back on her. After witnessing what happened years later, Sally was happy that she hadn't thrown caution to the wind and followed her 'heart'. It would have lead her down the same path of destruction, because the one she had loved was a demon with piercing black eyes and jet black hair. Love wasn't worth the pain and trouble it caused. Taking a quick drink, she tried to rid the bitter taste that rose in her mouth at the mere thought of the word.

"Pigheaded fool." She muttered under her breath, not sure if she was cursing herself or him.

"What did you say, Sally?"

Sally looked up from the light brown liquid in her cup to stare into a pair of questioning aquamarine eyes. "Nothing. Now what were you telling me, about what he said outside of the police station?"

Moving around the table, Relena knelt down onto the floor next to Sally's chair. "He asked me *whose* will was I supposedly fulfilling, God's or Gabriel's."

"And what did you tell him?"

Relena looked up at her. "Nothing. I told him nothing, because I wasn't sure of the answer."

"What do you mean, you didn't know the answer? Of course you knew the answer. God's will. That's what we do; it's whom we follow. Are you beginning to question your duties, Relena?" Sally hissed through her teeth.

"No! I would never do that. Honest, Sally."

There was a hesitation in Relena's voice when she answered the question. Sally's anger only grew at the catch in the younger angel’s voice. Trying to hide her agitation, she reached out and ran a comforting hand over Relena's hair. "Times are difficult, child, and alliances are being formed as we prepare to battle the forces of Hell. Some angels are siding with them, and we need to make sure that you aren't one of them." She sighed and cupped Relena's chin in her hand, tilting the young girls face up toward her own. "Gabriel has high expectations for you, my dear. One day, you'll take your seat at the Council. You need to stay away from Heero, he can only cause you misfortune."

"But what if he searches me out? Heero always seems to be one step ahead of me, taunting me. In every mission I've done, he's always been there, watching me from the shadows. He's been doing it ever since the first time we crossed paths, centuries ago. Early today after I failed my mission, he dared to step onto holy ground and confront me!"

As Relena continued on, Sally's sky blue eyes narrowed. So Gabriel was right, the demon had some sort of infatuation with Relena. And by the sounds of it, Heero was trying to keep Relena from fulfilling her missions, making her question her beliefs. What was his game? Was he trying to turn her against them? Or was he trying to lure her into a situation that would bring about the downfall of Gabriel's protégée?

Restraint was the only thing that kept Sally from fisting her hands in Relena's hair. Thanks to Heero, Relena was now worthless to them. If she couldn't follow orders without second guessing them, it was better if she was pulled from her task altogether. Heaven and Hell would neither fall apart of join together; she would make sure of it herself.

Sally lifted Relena's head off her lap and sent her a fake smile. "You need your rest, Relena. Go and pray in the garden for a while, it will help ease your troubled mind."

"Thank you, Sally." Relena said as she leaned forward and crushed her in a hug. Pushing off her knees, the young angel sent Sally a blinding bright smile, spread her wings and set off in the direction of Eden.

Smoothing the wrinkles out of her tunic, Sally stood up and went in search of Gabriel.

****************

A sense of deju vu hit Hilde as she unlocked her door, stepped inside and tossed her keys onto the small table. It had been the same routine she had performed for nearly four weeks. Next she would walk into the kitchen, give Isis her milk and then head straight for bed. Her mouth turned up into a sad smile.

She tried to get herself to think of anything else than what had just happened on the street below, but the hurt look in Murphy's gray eyes seemed to follow her into her apartment. Things would be tense between them now, and she regretted the fact that their friendship would never be the same. The door caught her as she leaned against it, rubbing her temples. What a day.

Turning the last deadbolt into place, Hilde kicked off her tennis shoes, leaving them scattered in the walkway and moved into the living room. Her entire body seemed to be one big dull ache, the entire case and events of the day finally catching up with her. Maybe it was a good thing that her vehicle had been impounded. She could fill up her tub with the hottest water possible and sink into a mountain of bubbles, hoping all of the stress and confusion would flow down the drain with the water when she was done.

Hilde had made it about half way to the kitchen when she stopped in mid stride. Something was wrong; the tiny hairs on the back of her neck didn't need to rise for her to realize that someone was in her apartment. Hilde pulled the gun out of her belt and flipped off the safety. Her fingers were halfway to the light switch when she decided against alerting the intruder to her presence. Dim moonlight streaming through the lacy curtains would be enough for her to recognize any unfamiliar shadows.

The curse of threes. What else could possibly go wrong today?

As she moved through the living room and kitchen areas of her apartment, Hilde made sure to avoid the creaking floorboards. Though her heart was racing, she tried to keep her breathing calm and even. Both of those two room were clear and swallowing hard, she moved down the hallway. Leaning against the wall, she ducked picture frames and other nick-knacks as she crept closer to her bedroom.

Movement from her bathroom caught her attention. Hilde brought the gun up and trained it on the exposed doorway. Air seemed to grow thicker as she waited, droplets of sweat forming along her forehead as she tried to keep herself calm. A CSI had to go through courses at the academy like most police officers, but without having the daily on-the-job training the uniforms had, she was worried that she had lost her edge. Again a thud came from her bathroom and with baited breath, she watched as a familiar shadow came casually strolling out of the room.

Isis! Stupid cat, very stupid cat.

Lowering her gun slightly, Hilde watched Isis tilt her head to the side, sending her a mischievous wink with her large green eyes before bounding into her bedroom. Why didn't she feel it? Why didn't Isis sense the other alarming presence in the apartment? Hilde brought up her right hand, still holding the gun, and wiped away the thin sheen of sweat that had formed. Had she finally lost her mind? Obsessions with priests, unsolved murders, a serial killer on the loose, attempts on her life; maybe she had been pushed beyond the breaking point.

She let her head fall against the wall. The only room left to check was her bedroom. Mentally counting to three, she adjusted the hold on her service revolver and spun into the room.

"What the fuck?"

Lying on her bed was a man with green eyes that glowed as brightly as the pair owned by the black cat, whose fur he was tenderly stroking. Hilde reached over with a free hand and flipped the switch, refusing to let her eyes blink to adjust to the light. The man was clothed in a pair of black pants, a few of the top buttons on his white shirt were undone, exposing part of his muscled chest and he was barefoot. Tossing his head, his dark brown hair hid over one eye, concealing it from her gaze, but not before she noticed the scar that ran diagonally across the orb.

"It's hard to believe with the mouth you have now, that you were ever an angel."

Hilde pulled back the hammer on her gun, the chill dancing along her spine brought on by the sound of his voice. "Who the hell are you and what do you want?"

The corner of his mouth that had been turned into a half smile disappeared and a solemn expression appeared on his face. "I thought you'd recognize me right off the bat. But apparently, you've suppressed your memories deeper than Duo."

"Duo?" She tightened her slack hold on the gun at the mention of his name. "What do you know about Duo?"

He sighed as he sat upright on her bed. With a quick move of his hand, the gun was pulled out her grasp and floated through the air, landing on the dresser on the other side of the room. "I know more about the both of you then you could even begin to imagine. Sit down, Hilde."

Unaware that she was following his command as she flopped down onto the vanity stool. "Who...Better yet, what are you?"

"You know who I am, Hilde." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small black box and tossed it to her.

Hilde gave him a curious look before she opened the hinged box. On a bed of crushed velvet, lay a pendant, on what type she wasn't sure. The mysterious stone seemed to call to her and her fingers itched to touch it; something was special about the stone, she could feel it.

"Go ahead. Touch it. It won't bite, I promise."

Pulling her gaze from the pendant, she found him sitting on the edge of her bed, his face only a few inches from her own. His face impassive of any emotions. Her shoulders shook with a quick chuckle. There was a strange man in her bedroom, sitting on the edge of her bed, giving her presents. What in the hell was she thinking? She should be calling the cops, but instead of using her better judgment, Hilde reached out and touched the pendant with shaky fingers.

..."How many times have I told you to lead with your right instead of your left?"

She shrugged and blew a loose strand of her hair out of her face. "More times that I can count." Dropping her sword at her side, she rolled her shoulders, spreading her wings out in exhaustion before tucking them back against her. "How much longer are we going to practice, Trowa?"

Amusement danced in his green eyes. "Until you get it right, Hilde."

Sticking her tongue out at him, she moved back to her position opposite of him. With a heavy sigh, she lifted her broad sword in front of her face and saluted him. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Michael as he sat down on a hill nearby, ready to watch her. The idea of her guardian there to witness how bad she really was shamed Hilde. She was determined display her best for Michael.

Once Trowa saluted her back, the training game began. Just like times before, Trowa waited for her to make the first move. The sounds of metal striking against metal filled the air as the two continued to face off against each other. Trowa took a swing at her with his sword, followed by a punch, but she was able to duck both attacks. His advances came faster, giving her no time to think as he pushed her back further. The edge of the training circle was only a few backward steps away, and Hilde had a feeling she was going to lose another battle.

Glancing over her shoulder to gauge how many more steps she had until the fight was over, Hilde left herself open for an attack. Trowa's fist connected with her cheek, causing fire rising to the surface of her skin. Without a second thought, she screamed and lifted her sword, dragging the razor sharp tip against his skin in an upward arc across his eye.

Blood seeped to the surface of the wound before pouring down his face in red rivulets. Hilde dropped her sword and covered her opened mouth with both hands, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Trowa...Trowa, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Tears pooled in her eyes and fell down her cheeks, strangling her voice.

Michael appeared by their sides and started to tend to Trowa's injury. Through the pain, he managed to smile. "At least you finally lead with your right."...

Her mind whirled from the mental onslaught she had just experienced. It was just a dream, wasn't it? Something like that couldn't have been a long repressed memory, could it? Lifting her head, Hilde looked into the unfaltering stare of the young man at the edge of her bed.

"Trowa?"

Without a conscience thought, she leaned forward and brushed the strands of hair from his face. Her finger ran across the puckered white skin, tears falling down her face as she traced the entire length of the scar. A cool hand encircled her wrist, gently prying it away from his face, allowing his hair to fall back into place.

Taking the box hold of the box, Trowa removed the pendant and clasped it around Hilde's neck. "Wear this always, Hilde. It will help protect you."

Hilde's eyes drifted closed as the power of the pendant washed over her. "Protect me from what?"

Silence.

Opening her eyes, Hilde found herself alone. There was no trace of the man that had sat on the edge of her bed, except the pendant hanging around her neck. Pulling her knees up to her chest, Hilde wrapped her arms around her leg, hugging them tightly against her.

Confused, she whispered. "What's going on?" Her voice heavy with fresh tears.

Again, only silence answered her question.

****************

Gabriel stared into the pool, looking down into the mortal realm. Right now, he had the looking glass focused on Duo. Those two had come too close to beginning the collapse of heaven and hell. The foundations would begin to blur with a simple kiss, but they would topple if they were to...

He hissed, unable to complete the thought. The idea of that demon and angel, even their spirits, locked in a passionate embrace as they shared each other's bodies was too sickening. His skin still crawled at the mockery of Duo trying to become a priest. The thought made him want to draw his sword every time and run it the demons stomach. It was bad enough that Hilde still walked the face of the Earth.

Sighing with a heavy heart, Gabriel held onto the edge of the pond and hung his head. His ward not only failed in her mission, but Heero Yuy was somehow corrupting her thoughts with his lies. There was some consolation in the fact that other forces were opposed to the union of this pair, even though they had also failed in their mission.

Another presence entered the hall and without turning around Gabriel knew who stood behind him.

"Is it true, Sally?"

"I'm afraid so Gabriel. It seems that he's been tracking her, if you will, for a long time now. Though I'm still not sure what his purpose is yet, and neither does Relena."

He turned around, taking in the beautiful angel before him. Her sky blue eyes usually shone with happiness, but instead they were dull and troubled. Two braids of her blonde hair hung over her shoulders, setting off the dark hue of her tunic. Sally still shone with all the brilliance of the day she was created.

He knew in his heart that he held more than just simple affection from her, but he was not about to let the feelings known to her. Not once had Sally shown the least bit of interest in him, other than that of a friend. And for now, that was enough for him.

Sally spoke in a cool tone as she folded her hands in front of her. "Time is running out, Gabriel. Each moment we delay means one more moment that strengths the bond between those two. Relena can't be used anymore; she's become a liability. I have a suggestion that may solve your problems, Gabriel."

"Please, I'm open to any suggestions at this point."

"Send me in her place." Her eyes flared with emotion. "I will not fail, Gabriel. The mission will be completed and we can stop this war before it even begins."

Gabriel closed the space between them. "No I can't do that, Sally. I've changed my mind about the target. Duo has begun to remember more about his past life, he's becoming a more dangerous part of the equation. If he remembers everything, then he'll do everything to make the girl remember too. He has to be the one eliminated."

Taking her chin into his hand, he looked down into her face. "I will allow you to do this, Sally, but promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise." She took hold of his hand and gave it a quick squeeze before she moved it away from her chin. "Be blessed, Gabriel."

"Go with God, Sally."

He watched her move to the far wall and part the veil between the two realms. The fog seemed to swallow her whole as it transported her to Earth. Standing there for a few moments, Gabriel weighed his options. If Sally failed, he wasn't exactly sure what was to be done. The only person left he could count on would be himself.

Ueli waited for the sound of Gabriel's footsteps to recede from the room before opening his eyes. Moving away from the wall, he dusted off the copious amounts of white powder Odysseus had given him earlier in the day. Being able to blend into the wall had given him a chance to observe Gabriel without being noticed. His bare feet floated just above the ground as he made his way to the looking glass and peered into the silver waters, seeing for the first time an image of the other mortal. Ueli had a ton of information to pass on to Michael. The only good news that he could give was that Gabriel wasn't set on destroying the girl known as Hilde, at this point. He seemed consumed with getting rid of the priest Duo.

Maybe Michael was right in his thinking; maybe Gabriel was letting his greed control his actions, more than God's will.

A muffled sound reached his ears. Spinning around he came face to face with his twin sister. Ueli clamped both of his hands over his mouth to keep from altering anyone to his presence. His brow came together in a frown. "What are you doing here?" He whispered.

His sister smiled sweetly, tossing her short cap of red hair. "I should be asking you the same question, little brother." She answered him in hushed tones.

"Michael sent me to retrieve something from the Council's chambers." Ueli sent a prayer out to God, to forgive him for lying. Well it wasn't an out right lie, but it wasn't the whole truth. "I must be going now." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Watch your back, Mariemaia. I have a feeling things will be getting a whole lot worse before they get better."

"Don't worry, Ueli. I can handle anything that comes my way."