Esca/GW Crossover Preview

Post by **blackrose** » Sat Mar 09, 2002 1:57 pm

Okay, in order to start this forum off...
This fic is something Stella and I have been thinking about for quite some time. Stella doesn't know I'm posting this, so, ummmm, don't tell her, k? *lol* It's the only semi-Esca fic I have to offer (besides Love's Labours Lost, which also includes a Weiss Kreuz and Trigun crossover...).

Title: Currently Not Titled
Rating: PG-13 (some violence)
Major Pairings: Heero x Relena (1xR/HYxRP) and Van x Hitomi (VxH)
Genre: Alternate Universe. Action. Romance.

PREVIEW to chapter 1:

The confused and darkened summer sky rained mud and dirt and blood from above as the earth shook beneath his feet. But it no longer fazed him, the dying, the screams of the wounded, the thunder of the cannon firing across a grassy field. The sounds continued long after the battles stopped, ringing in his ears at night, blending with visions of nightmarish scenes that never ended; he saw them still when he opened his eyes.

?Colonel! Colonel!? The private serving as messenger called out to the dark suited figure atop his horse. The man turned at the sound of his name being called. ?Colonel! General Meade sends his orders for you to move your men left, sir! The Rebs are going to charge the ridge, and there?s a gap in our left flank. He says you are to fill the gap and repel their advance,? the young private shouted, and held up the paper with the General?s orders to the Colonel.

The Union Colonel of the Pennsylvania 69th regiment nodded slowly, his dark blue eyes piercing through black clouds of smoke that still hung low in the air of Cemetery Ridge just outside of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on the afternoon of July 3, 1863. His uniform was blackened with soot and gunpowder from the now three-day-long battle; the crimson blood of fallen comrades stained him. Unconsciously, his hand crumpled the paper with his unit?s orders that had somehow found itself in his possession. ?Understood,? he said in a voice that was hoarse and labored from yelling orders over the sound of gunfire and cannons. The messenger quickly ran back the direction from which he came, leaving Colonel Heero Yuy to carry out his orders.

He strained to take in the landscape below as the men moved along the crest of the hill ? anything other than a few trees were difficult to discern through the fog of smoke that seemed to block out the very sun. The humid air kept the suffocating haze clinging lowly to the earth, making it a challenge just to breathe.

A few feet away, out of the corner of his eye, Heero caught sight of a mounted figure on horseback moving towards him. One of the commanding officers? More last-minute orders perhaps? Heero tugged on the reins and rode out to meet the man, and as he neared, a small grin tugged at his lips. Through all this hell rode one of his oldest friends.
?Trowa??

Emerald green eyes turned to meet his, though they were difficult to see covered by the other man?s unruly locks of light brown hair.

?Heero. It?s good to see that you are still alive, my friend,? Trowa said as his horse fell into stride beside Heero?s. ?We?ve just arrived to reinforce the line,? offered the Lieutenant Colonel of the 72nd Pennsylvania, ?Marched here double-time. I see there?s still plenty of work to do.?

?They?re going to try to take this hill, ? Heero explained as his men arrived in place. ?We have to hold the line ? those are my orders.?

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

?Yee-haw! Boys see that ridge over yonder? That?s where we?re going to break through the Yankee line and send 'em running!? Major General George Pickett pointed across the wide-open field at the elevated position of the Union army on Cemetery Ridge.

It was suicide, plain and simple. There was nothing to shield the Confederate men?s war-weary, half-starved bodies from the onslaught of artillery shells and bullets that would be fired at them from the soldiers in blue that so greatly outnumbered them.

The field had been used by local farmers, located near a peach orchard and not far from other wide expanses of land growing wheat and corn. The earth underfoot was used to giving life, to nurturing seeds and parenting sustenance, but today and for the last two days it had seen nothing but death. Death and blood and gore, and brother killing brother atop its tender soil. The tall reeds of grass had borne witness at night to the screams of the wounded and dying, many were sadly stained with the remnants of human life. They whistled in the wind a quiet funereal tune in tribute to those brave souls whose final resting place was amongst them.

Major Van Fanel made the sign of the cross and dismounted his horse. The orders from General Pickett had instructed that no one was to ride; they were all to march across that field in one last glorious charge. It was a gamble, and a brilliant one at that, fitting tribute to the pride and courage of the Confederacy, he reasoned. It was all or nothing today. If they could take that ridge, and sweep the Union?s Army of the Potomac off the high ground, they would win this battle, and maybe put a stop to this seemingly endless war.

Up ahead, he saw the front line hoist their colors, and that feeling of pride washed over him once again. Something about their regimental flag never failed to swell that tumult of emotion inside his breast. He took a deep breath and picked up the rifle that had been resting on the ground, leaning against his body. It was almost time?time to charge that hill, time to win this war, time to defy death one more time and live to see victory.

"Up, men, up! And let no man forget today that you are from old Virginia!" Pickett called out to his men, inciting a cheer to rise up from the division.

Van heard the battle cry, and his own voice joined those of his brethren - well, the brothers of war and battle. As he heard the final order being screamed above the swelling voices, he consciously blocked out all thoughts of his real brother possibly being up on that ridge.

?CHARGE!?

AncientLady · Post by **AncientLady** » Sat Mar 09, 2002 3:11 pm

I have a feeling I can see where this is going... And that last paragraph pretty much confirmed it.

It's interesting actually, but I have this fear that it's going to tear my heart out. I'm curious to see where it's going, but if there ever was a setting for angst, it's the american civil war.

You've done a good job setting the mood and establishing the characters. Heero's response to the orders (crumpling them in his fist without realizing he even took them) is an excellent example of "showing" instead of "telling".

Ancient Lady

aisuru113 · Post by **aisuru113** » Sat Mar 09, 2002 8:36 pm

that was evil Rose. but now i have a new peice to harass you with. you only bring it on your self

miyuki_no_nemutai · Post by **miyuki_no_nemutai** » Sat Mar 09, 2002 10:59 pm

Lookin' good, Rose!

Your crossovers with Stella can be safely deemed as 'addicting'. Yes, "LLL" is included, too!

SusieQ · Post by **SusieQ** » Sun Mar 10, 2002 8:16 pm

This fic is great! But you need to CONTINUE it, and post another chapter soon. Stella and you work really well together on LLL and this.

bookworm · Post by **bookworm** » Mon Mar 11, 2002 9:23 pm

I might say, I want to make a guess on whose side Relena and Hitomi are. I'm pretty positive that Relena is from the South, since she is so ladylike. And Hitomi is from the North. More likely from the city. And that would definitely have a lot of interactions between each significant couple.
But, the preview is definitely worth waiting for the real chapter. I hope to read it whenever the story is ready.

Post by **blackrose** » Tue Mar 12, 2002 11:31 am

***I have a feeling I can see where this is going... And that last paragraph pretty much confirmed it.***

I'm sure it did.

It's a bit of an interesting complication we've given ourselves, I think, but one that does explain the distinct physical similarity between Heero and Van. **grins**

***It's interesting actually, but I have this fear that it's going to tear my heart out.***

Eh, it could... Haven't written that far in it, yet. We're still deciding what is going to be the major issue woven in between the war and romance. Which is why that's just a preview. *sigh*

***I'm curious to see where it's going, but if there ever was a setting for angst, it's the american civil war.***

Oh yes. Most definitely. One of the cruelest, most heart breaking times in this country's history. I've always been terribly fascinated with it.

***You've done a good job setting the mood and establishing the characters. Heero's response to the orders (crumpling them in his fist without realizing he even took them) is an excellent example of "showing" instead of "telling".***

Thanks, AL! That's high praise indeed coming from you. And hurray, I showed and didn't tell!!!!

**hugs** Thanks for visiting, AL.

Love,
Rose

Post by **blackrose** » Tue Mar 12, 2002 11:33 am

***This fic is great! But you need to CONTINUE it, and post another chapter soon. ***

you make it sound like I routinely neglect or don't finish stuff! **pouts** I get there...eventually... :razz:

***Stella and you work really well together on LLL and this.***

Thanks so much Susie! Stella and I really enjoy working on these fics together. ^__^

Thanks for reading!

Love,
Rose

Post by **blackrose** » Tue Mar 12, 2002 11:40 am

***I might say, I want to make a guess on whose side Relena and Hitomi are.***

^__^ The ladies are introduced in the latter part of this chapter. I'm just fighting with dialogue that sounds, in my opinion, too contrived. *sigh* But yes, you are MOSTLY correct in who the girls are. There is something else you may or may not suspect, but you are right in which 'side' they are on.

***I hope to read it whenever the story is ready.***

Thank you! We've had it in mind for some time, we've just had other projects take precedence right now... But we're both really excited about this fic (we took a trip to Gettysburg - twice actually) and can't wait to get to the point where it's actually far enough along to start posting.

^__^

Thanks again for reading - and the kind comments.

Love,
Rose

Post by **blackrose** » Tue Mar 12, 2002 11:43 am

Mandy and Miyuki,

not to leave you guys out... :razz: to you Mandy for keeping like a running list of fics to torture me with. I think it's you that's been feeding info to the angry mob... ADMIT IT!

Mandy: Whoooooo me? **tries to look innocent**

And thanks, Miyuki!

I was never a big crossover fan myself, but Stella and I had been wanting to write an Esca fic,and so we started this fic, and then LLL just...happened. Thanks for trying it out.

Love,
Rose

Blissful Ignorance

A Heero and Relena Dedication site