Eternity In His Hand 2/?

[Goldberry]

Author?s Note: Ah, mass confusion abounds, I see. ^_~ For those of you who have not seen Utena, the first few chapters will be confusing, but never fear, the answers are coming. Also, I would again like to stress TRADITIONAL COUPLES. Those of you who have seen Utena, you might be getting a little nervous about the roles the GW characters are playing, but the plotline doesn?t the follow the series entirely and, in fact, the ending of this story is completely mine, so don?t get ahead of me. Everything?s going to be fine. *grins* Now relax and enjoy!





Eternity In His Hand
Chapter Two





The water welcomed him like an old friend and his hands propelled him through it like an arrow. Breathing only when he needed to, Heero kept his head underwater, feeling the silky liquid slide past him with a soothing caress. When an outstretched palm touched the wall, he did a well-practiced forward flip, twisting as he did so to kick off from the side, the movement so familiar he did it almost without thinking. Indeed, in the water he did not think, simply reacted. The calming rhythm of swimming helped to clear his mind and he found himself able to focus only on the next stroke, the next breath. Once in awhile he caught the flash of refracted light off the ring on his right hand but his arm would move out of sight as he kept moving forward and he pushed it out of his mind almost immediately. Only after a good half hour of exercise did he slow his propulsion and begin to tread water, pulling his goggles up over his head and shaking drenched dark locks out of his field of vision. When he got his bearings, he realized that others had entered the school?s pool, most of them not serious swimmers, just cooling off and having a little fun before the next class.

Realizing he would not have the water to himself for awhile, he swam to the ladder and pulled himself up, ignoring the female eyes that followed his every movement. It was the third day of the term and his giggling admirers had not given up though his cold attitude made it clear he would not welcome any advances. Hilde was the only girl he really talked to and so she had become a prime source of information for the others. He didn?t really mind since it left him free to do as he wished, but Hilde seemed to find it annoying as she was bombarded with questions every time he left her side.

Still, she was good-natured about the probing stuff the girls wanted to know, teasing him that she might start making stuff up if he didn?t agree to date someone soon. He had threatened her with a dunk in the pool which had sent her running off laughing but he saw her point. He would have to do something soon.

The thought was almost enough to make him cringe.

?You?re good at it.?

Heero paused in wiping his face with a towel and glanced up at a boy standing not far away, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed nonchalantly in front of his chest. Quite unusual was the long braid of brown hair that hung over his shoulder though everything else was the picture of conformity right down to the set of his uniform. Violet eyes watched as Heero continued to dry himself off.

?Good at what?? he asked after a moment, throwing his towel over his shoulder and heading for the locker room. Surprisingly, the other student fell in beside him.

?Swimming, of course!? The boy replied, slapping him on the shoulder with a grin. Heero arched an eyebrow at the contact but said nothing as he stopped in front of his locker. ?You should be on the swim team. I?m sure they?d love to have you.? When Heero didn?t reply, he continued, ?My name?s Duo, Duo Maxwell. I?ve been wanting to meet you. I heard about your run in with Wufei.?


Heero slammed the door of his locker with more force than necessary. Ever since that first morning of school, when he had confronted Wufei Chang in the rose garden, word had spread like wildfire that Heero Yuy was a man not to be reckoned with. So, of course, all the lower classman had taken to trying to pick fights with him just to say they had been beaten by him while the upper classman only looked at him with a new if wary respect.


After speaking with Hilde, he had learned that Wufei Chang was not well liked and his challenge of the Student Council member was making him a hero to anyone who had ever been snubbed by him. More attention he did not want or need.

?What do you want?? he asked sharply, slipping on his white button-up uniform shirt and starting on the buttons. Duo held up both hands and smiled.

?Whoa, buddy, didn?t I say I just wanted to meet you? A man who stands up to Wufei Chang has to be something.?

Heero grabbed his book satchel from the bench and began to walk away. ?Well, now you?ve met me. Congratulations.? He opened the locker room door and was almost through it when Duo?s voice halted him in his tracks.

?You have one, too.?

Water dripped from a faucet and echoed through the room. Muted laughter from the indoor pool made an almost eerie background in the deafening silence. Heero stood stock still for a moment before half turning back towards the other boy, the movement made with the wary grace of a cornered wolf.


Seeing his face, Duo raised his right hand, a ring with a ruby-colored rose on the surface. Heero felt himself go cold.

?Until now, only Student Council members have worn these rings,? Duo went on, ?but you come to this school wearing one openly, seeming oblivious to what it means.? He looked at his own ring as if seeing it for the first time before raising suddenly serious violet eyes to Heero?s cobalt. ?Have you come to duel for the end of the world, Heero Yuy??

Heero looked away. ?My mother died five years ago. I wear this ring only because she asked me to.? Find something eternal, Heero. ?I don?t know anything about any duel.?

Duo laughed. ?I find that hard to believe, buddy. No one comes to a Rose Seal by accident. You were meant to have it, which means you are meant to duel for the Bride.? The braided boy bowed suddenly, a grin on his face. ?Try to deny it if you want, but I look forward to the time when I can cross swords with you. See you around, Heero.?

And then he was gone, disappearing back into the pool room through the rising mist coming from the showers. Heero watched the space he had stood for a long moment before looking down at the ring on his finger, his mother?s ring. Duo had called it a Rose Seal and he had worn one exactly like it, meaning he was also on the Student Council. How could the Council all have rings like his? His mother had worn hers around her neck since she was very young, saying it was a token of good luck. When asked where she had gotten it, she had told his ten-year-old self that a prince had given it to her long ago after saving her life. The prince had asked her to keep it for someone who would need it, she would know who. She had given it to Heero on her death bed, whispering to him her final words. Find something eternal, Heero. Only then will you be free.

Looking back on that time, Heero knew the prince his mother had told him about was just a fairytale of a woman who saw her end in sight, but he now wished she had told him the truth. Had she spend time at the Academy? And why had she given the ring to him? Find something eternal.

So many mysteries and no answers.

Pushing his grief into the farthest corner of his heart, he stepped out of the locker room and into the hallway only to be almost pushed back by a crowd of students marking a close circle around the public bulletin board. Taking a deep breath, he pushed through, listening with only half an ear as he tried to make his way past towards his dorm room.


?I know that we haven?t known each other long, Duo, but I sometimes dream what it would be like to run my fingers through your hair and kiss you until you are breathless.? The crowd laughed. ?I know I?m probably being silly but I think I?m in love with you. Yours forever, Hilde.? More laughter. ?Well, if this letter is any indication, I wouldn?t mind meeting this Hilde myself. She sounds like a sure thing.? A confident smile crossed the face of the young man who had been reading aloud from a note tacked to the board but the grin was quickly wiped away by a punch that nearly shattered the boy?s glasses. Heero ignored the groaning student and didn?t stop to rub his knuckles as he ripped the note off the board.

?Why?d you do that for?? The young man whined, rubbing his jaw. ?We were only reading what Chang posted for everyone to see.?

Heero glared at the man. ?And what would Wufei be doing with a love letter meant for Duo??

?The guy shrugged. ?I don?t know but he posted it for a laugh.? A dangerous look crossed Heero?s face and the boy flinched. ?Geez, man , it?s just a note from some girl.?

Leaning down until he was only inches from the other student?s face, Heero spoke softly, ?If I ever see you within fifty feet of Hilde or if you so much as breathe her name in a way I don?t like, you can count on needing new glasses.? A glare over his shoulder told the crowd he meant the same for any of them. Deciding they were suddenly needed elsewhere, the circle of students dispersed under his stony gaze and when they were all gone, Heero stood clenching Hilde?s note in his fist.

Wufei Chang had crossed a line and he wasn?t the only one who knew how to fence.

Coiled anger in every step, Heero strode into the student fencing arena, his icy gaze picking out Wufei in a moment. He was the only one in the room and he looked up upon hearing Heero?s footfalls. Immediately, the Council member?s face clouded over, his black eyes angry before Heero said a word.

?I challenge you to a duel, today, right after class,? Heero said before Chang could interrupt. He threw Hilde?s crumbled note at the other man?s feet. Wufei looked at it for a moment before smiling harshly.

?Well, well, so you are a duelist after all.? A ring flickered on Wufie?s hand. ?I admit I didn?t think you had it in you but I?m glad I?ll get a chance to put you in your place. I accept your challenge and I will meet you at the Arena Forest this afternoon.? Heero frowned and Wufei read his look. ?Ah, yes, the Forest is off limits to regular students but not to duelists. This,? he held up his ring hand, ?is your key. Don?t forget.?

With a look that could have frozen lava, Heero turned on his heel and left, his fingers already curling around a sword he could all but feel. For Hilde, Chang would be defeated. For Hilde, he would see that he came out the victor, no matter what the cost.

* * * *

The sun hovered over the horizon as Heero approached the gate to the Arena Forest, the leafy tops of the trees beckoning from beyond the railed fence. The place was dead quiet and more than once Heero wondered if Chang had been telling the truth about those with a Rose Seal being allowed to enter. It didn?t seem possible that Wufei could be waiting for him somewhere inside. The gate to the Forest was firmly shut, a smooth hook of a handle jutting out from the fence a few feet away. He stepped over to it and pulled with his right hand, frowning when nothing happened. That was when he noticed the pool.

Except that whatever it was, it wasn?t a normal pool. A circle lay under the handle facing him, filled with something that looked like water except that that was impossible. If it had been water, being on its side like that it would have rushed out in a second. Imagine his surprise when the water began to ripple. Thin rings circled out from the center and then back again, pushing outwards until a single drop morphed from the surface, moving away from the pool in a straight line to splatter against the Rose Seal on the hand that still rested on the gate handle. He jerked his hand away as if seared by the cold drop of water but he had no time to absorb this incredibly odd experience as the gate in front of him began to rise. In fact, it was three gates, one that rose to the top and two that slid to the side. Beyond it lay a stone pathway into the trees and Heero stepped onto it slowly, wondering just exactly what was going on. He followed the pathway into the center of the forest where a winding staircase circled up into the sky, unsupported by anything except air. Heero titled his head back to get a good look at it and found that the stairs went around and around until they stopped at the edge of a circular platform that seemed almost as large as the Academy?s courtyard.

?You can?t see it from outside the Forest,? he murmured to himself. ?It doesn?t exist unless you open the gate.? Abruptly realizing what he was saying, he shook his head. Nothing could exist one moment and be gone the next, but the thought wouldn?t leave him. It really hadn?t been there before.

With nothing left to him besides going up, he started climbing the stairs, checking the wooden practice sword in his belt loop. After what seemed like hours, he finally crested the top and stepped through a rose-etched arch on the platform he had seen from below, but what he saw made him stop in his tracks.

?Relena,? he said, so shocked her name came out of its own accord. She was standing across from him on the other end of the platform, hands folded in front of her, her petite body clad in a dress that looked more appropriate for a ball. It was lavender in color with aqua trimmings that matched her eyes, the hem brushing the floor with a fullness that spoke of another layer beneath the one he saw. The top was sleeveless with a folded down collar and matching cuffs that circled her thin wrists. Sunshine hair spilled down her back bound only with a gold diadem that sat on top of her head, glittering in the sun. Her eyes looked back at him, reflecting only peace, and for a moment, he could believe she was some sort of angel come to earth. Then she turned her head to look at Chang and the spell was broken. Heero regarded the other man with no slight irritation.

?What is she doing here?? he asked coldly. Relena didn?t move.

?She?s the Rose Bride,? Chang answered in a superior tone, ?It?s her duty to be here.? He stepped forward a few paces and Heero noticed he didn?t have a weapon.

?Do you mean not to duel with me??

Anger flashed in Wufei?s black eyes. ?A bit impatient to lose, aren?t we? No matter, I?m ready. Relena, prepare us!? he barked and Relena stepped forward, two roses, one white and one blood red, held in her fingers. She walked sedately to Chang and stood on tiptoe to slip the ruby red rose into the breast pocket of his uniform while Heero watched with absolutely no comprehension of what was going on. By the time she got to him he was too confused to say anything as she slipped the white rose into his breast pocket, lifting her aquamarine eyes to his when she finished. For a moment, he thought she would walk away without saying a word but then her lips parted and she spoke so softly he had to strain to hear.

?If the rose is knocked from your breast you lose the duel.? A sparkle entered her eyes and a small, kind smile made her seem more alive than he had ever seen her. ?I wish you luck, Heero Yuy.? He blinked, distantly surprised that she knew his name and then reached out to catch her as Wufei?s full-fledge slap snapped her head around and she crumbled to the pearly floor, a hand against her cheek and only his arm against her back keeping her from falling backwards.

He looked up at the other man with barely concealed fury. ?Wufei? ?

Chang cut him off. ?How dare you! You are the Rose Bride and I am the current Champion. What is the meaning of you wishing another man luck??

Relena straightened, moving away from Heero as she did so, her eyes demurely downcast. ?Forgive me, my Master.?

Chang nodded grudgingly and motioned for her to come stand in front of him. She did so and Heero watched her unbelievingly. Master? What was going on here? Wasn?t she his girlfriend? Who was she?

?Relena,? Wufei said, and there was a note of command in his voice. The girl in front of him closed her eyes and spread her hands about a foot apart, a wind rising about her that seemed to pull at Heero even as she spoke.

?Rose of the noble castle.? A sphere of light blossomed between her hands. ?Power of Peace that sleeps within me.? The blinding globe grew until it touched her palms. Heero shielded his eyes. ?Heed your master and come forth!? Light exploded into a thousand shining rays and Relena suddenly bent backwards, her spine a graceful arc as Wufei?s arm caught her around the waist. Wind whirling through her heavy skirts and glossy hair, Relena continued to curve over his arm, a fist-sized ball of light concentrating just under her breasts that suddenly formed into the ornate hilt of a sword. Seemingly unperturbed, Chang raised his free hand and grabbed the hilt, pulling free of the girl?s body a gleaming sword, light racing up the length of the steel as Wufei pointed it towards the sky.

Above the raging winds he shouted, ?Give me the power to bring the world Revolution!?

Light died and Relena was suddenly standing to one side as Heero lowered his arm, no wound on her anywhere as far as he could see, the trick sword Chang had pulled from her chest seeming to have left not a mark on her.

?What is the meaning of this?? Heero asked, a hand on the wooden handle of his own sword. ?What is that sword??

Chang held the blade horizontally in front of him. ?You mean to tell me you don?t know this sword??

Heero clenched his jaw, his voice frigid. ?I came to duel with you, not to watch your illusions.? Pulling free his practice sword he leveled it at the other man. Chang laughed.

?I?m afraid you?ll soon find that the bite of this steel is anything but an illusion.? With a quick movement, Wufei lunged, Heero?s sword blocking the blow and the duel had begun. Back and forth they moved across the Dueling Platform, Heero giving a lot more ground than he took. The sword in Wufei?s hand seemed to move with a life of its own, the pure strength of it chipping away at Heero?s sword until a strong attack from Chang split the greater part of it and sent it spinning into the air, knocking Heero onto his back. Instead of finishing him and knocking the rose from his chest, Wufei stepped back, a shocked look on his face.

?You dare challenge the Sword of Peacecraft with only a puny practice sword??

Heero growled and lifted the hilt of his sword, adjusting for the lack of anything resembling a blade. ?I came here because of Hilde. I mean to win this fight and I care nothing for your Sword of Peacecraft.? With a surge of speed and strength, he lunged at Wufei, the hilt in his hand aiming directly for the other man?s chest. Wufei turned to meet him and the two duelists passed each other, a certain finality settling in the air as the bells of the bell tower began to peal.

Chang turned, a ready smile on his face, sure of his victory as he looked to Heero?s breast pocket only to find a pristine blossom in tack with every petal. Glancing down at his own flower, a few crimson petals drifted away on the wind, the blossom destroyed by Heero?s final blow. In his hand, the Sword of Peacecraft disappeared slowly into golden light and he looked to Relena, unsure of what had just happened.

?Relena?? he questioned, no longer so sure of himself. The Rose Bride smiled at him.

?You look upset, Wufei,? she paused and her smile grew more brilliant, ?classmate.?

The bells in the tower rang with triumph.

* * * *

?So, Heero Yuy becomes the Bride?s Champion,? Quatre said, lowering the binoculars from his eyes. From where he stood on the Student Council?s terrace, he had had a good view of the duel. ?And all because of a girl.?

?Wufei shouldn?t have stolen that note,? Duo grumbled from his leaning position against the railing of the balcony. ?I had barely read it before he snatched it out of my hand and gave it to Relena knowing I wouldn?t dare take it from her while she remained Engaged to him.?

?But her Engagement to Wufei Chang has ended,? Trowa commented lightly, his eyes still trained on the far away Dueling Platform. ?She belongs to Heero Yuy now and what will he do with the power of Peacecraft? He barely seems to know what the Rose Seal is for and little or nothing about the Bride herself.?

?Does it matter?? Duo quipped, ?As long as Wufei is not the Champion I can take just about anyone, even this newcomer.?

?I agree, Duo,? Quatre said sincerely, ?He was not worthy of the Bride.?

Trowa shook his head. ?Though I might agree with you, Quatre, the Bride is bound to do whatever her Champion wishes and he is free to treat her however he wants. Who is to say what kind of Champion Heero Yuy will be??

?A few days and it will be clear,? Duo said with a grin. ?A few days and we shall see what the newest duelist makes of the delicate Rose Bride.?

* * * *

Heero entered his dorm building with a tired step, his book satchel in one hand as he climbed the stairs to his room. He met no one on the way up and was suddenly glad he had been assigned to one of the older dorms which housed very few students, giving him a room to himself. He was never one for making idle conversation and a roommate would have tested the limits of his patience. Turning the knob of his door, he looked forward to throwing himself into bed and forgetting about the unnatural duel he had fought within the forbidden Arena Forest. He almost wished he had never heard of the Academy or Rose Seals or Brides. It all jumbled together in his head and no matter how hard he tried to make sense of what he had seen, it all still remained a mystery. A good night?s sleep and perhaps he could get back to being only a student.

He pushed the room door open and felt his eyes widen at the sight that greeted him.

?Hello, Master Heero,? Relena said, inclining her head towards him. A suitcase lay at her feet and she was once again dressed in her school uniform.

?Relena, what???

Her smile warmed him against his will. ?I?ve been waiting for you. I am the Rose Bride and from now on, I am your flower.?





TBC

[ice princess]

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!!! This story is FABULOUS!!!! I..like almost everyone who's posted a reply to the first chapter...have never seen Utena, but I can tell you that I'm gonna have to if it even barely resembles this story...WOW!!!! Keep this up!! Wow...WOW!!!!!

~ice princess

[wicked]

Yipee! Chapter 2 is up! Yes, I have now found a new fic to be addicted to. Agh! I can't wait until Chapter 3!!! Weeeeeee! You musn't make us wait! Please don't make us wait! Must...have...more!

Trowa in unifrom *drool*

Oh and that's where Duo's been hiding!

Trowa in uniform *drool*

~Wicked

[Sissi]

Oh Gosh, this story is wonderful. I also haven't watched Utena. buit after reading this story, I will certainly search this anime. It sounds great! And...I loved the end of this chapter, specially Relena's last words, "...and I am your flower". It was so romantic and meaningful!!!

You can't imagine what I am doing to keep myself restrained here, but I'll try my best and wait for the next chapter. This story is addictive!!

Sissi

[Tomorrow]

Oh gosh, this is going to be SOOOOOOO romantic. You're a genius, Goldberry. I've never seen the series, but I can tell I'm going to love this story. Awesome, just awesome. I just can't wait for the next part!