Eternity In His Hand 11/?

[Goldberry]

Author?s Note: Oh, I?m going to be killed for this chapter, I know it! *bites nails nervously* ANGST OFF THE PORT BOW!



Eternity In His Hand
Chapter Eleven





His cell phone rang.

For a moment he simply looked at it, knowing instinctively who would be on the other end and knowing too that he would have nothing to tell. Things had gone wrong, terribly wrong, and secrets had been revealed. Not completely of course, but enough to be concerned about.

Seconds ticked by as he stared at the phone in his hand. It was the sixth ring before he answered it.

?Hello??

He let out a slow breath upon hearing the voice at the other end. ?Yes, Mr. Principal. Duo Maxwell lost his duel with the Champion yesterday.? He paused listening, frowning unconsciously. ?It appears that he learned some information that prompted him to try and take Heero Yuy?s place. It is unclear whether or not he really wanted Eternity.?

?

?I don?t know how it happened but I can assure you that the situation is contained. Knowing Maxwell, he will not try and duel again after being defeated. If that is truly the case, then we are at the end. It will soon be my turn.?

?

?Of course, Mr. Principal. I would do nothing less.?

?

?Thank you for your kindness. She is all that matters to me.?

?

?Yes. I will tell her. Good day, Mr. Principal.?

He snapped the phone shut with more force than strictly necessary and flung it into the cushions at the opposite end of the couch. It didn?t lessen any of his frustration but it felt good to do something instead of just waiting. Waiting is all he ever seemed to do, but no more. The time was fast approaching. His wish would be granted, it was all but guaranteed.

All he had to do was win a duel.

Brushing a hand through his light brown hair, he stood smoothly and made his way down the corridor, stopping before a slightly open door to peer inside with one green eye.

She was lying on her side, sleeping lightly, her chest rising and falling. It was the first thing he checked for, the movement of breathing that signified life. It did not escape him that one day he would look into her bedroom and find her lying as if dreaming, her chest as still as stone, but it would be no day soon. He had been assured of that as well.

?Trowa??

He blinked, erasing his thoughts as he meet his sister?s sleepy silver eyes. She smiled slightly and he pushed open the door to step inside, crossing the heavy carpet to sit on the edge of her bed. Gently he pushed a red curl from her eyes, his fingers resting against her cheek as he looked at her.

?How do you feel??

She reached up and covered his hand with hers, the movement slow and yet graceful. ?I?m fine. I had pleasant dreams.?

His lips twitched in a small smile. ?Good.? He paused, gazing at her, memorizing her. ?The time is coming, Cathy. It will all be over soon.?

Her fingers pressed into his. ?I know. Please be careful.?

?It?s alright. Everything is taken care of.? He looked away, his eyes focusing on something distant. ?Soon none of us will have to worry.?

* * * *

Hilde put down her pencil as the teacher called time and refrained from beating her head against the desk. She should have studied more! She couldn?t believe how blank her mind had gone at the very first question. Writing down answers had quickly become a game of mixing around letters and numbers until the result looked halfway decent. She swallowed a groan. She had definitely done no better on this exam which meant her algebra grade was going to be very poor indeed. It frustrated her but not as much as it had in the beginning. The reason she hadn?t been able to concentrate was due to the empty chair beside her, the one usually filled by a Mr. Duo Maxwell.

He hadn?t even bothered to show up for the exam and now she was beginning to worry. This couldn?t possibly be because he wanted to avoid her, could it? She was angry with him, yes, but she still loved him. A blush tinted her cheeks. She hadn?t exactly told him that yet, but he had been too busy running away from her for her to say anything. Especially something as important as that.

Running a hand through her short dark hair, she grabbed her messenger bag and stood, stretching her legs after sitting for so long. Perhaps she should go talk to Relena about the whole situation. The other girl was a great listener and though Hilde knew she was being kept in the dark about something, she still thought of Relena as a good friend. And a good friend was what she needed right then.

Nodding to herself, she hurried out of the room, her steps echoing against the tiles as she descended to the first floor and headed outside. Waving a last goodbye to other test takers, she pushed open the front door of the building with her hip without looking ahead and immediately ran into something firm as she emerged outside. Jerking backwards, she was suddenly caught by two strong hands on her upper arms, her bag falling to the sidewalk with a muffled thump. Blinking, she looked up into violet eyes and felt her heart quicken.

?Duo,? she whispered. He smiled gently.

?There?s something I have to tell you, Hilde.?

* * * *

She was sleeping.

She must have been dreaming as well, for once in awhile she would stir before lapsing back into deep sleep. Her features remained smooth and calm, revealing a lack of nightmares, and so he let her be and sat near the window, watching the dying sunlight highlight the golds in her hair and cover her in shadows.

It had been a lazy day, extraordinary only in its ordinariness. He had accompanied Relena to her rose garden and the vase of pure white roses on the low table was the fruit of their efforts, every blossom pristine, every petal pure. He felt almost content sitting there in the light, the smell of flowers in the air and the vision of Relena resting peacefully. He had the immediate feeling that all the pieces of his life had come together to create this moment, this instant of serenity. Ever since coming to the Academy, his life had been turned upside down and inside out. Only now, after all the duels, did he feel full, complete. It was a quiet feeling but expressed by the light brush of his gaze across the dreaming girl that he had come to think of as his. It wasn?t an obsessive emotion, nothing so ill as that for him. Just that?she was a part of him now. She had somehow infiltrated him, seeping into his skin, his very essence until he wasn?t sure what he would do with her. Had there really been a time when he had not known her? When he had never seen her smile nor heard her laugh? How had he lived?

It seemed impossible to him.

Turning his eyes to the window pane, he watched the setting sun, curiously suspended with himself, his mind blank. It was enough just to be there, with her. Nothing had to be said or done, he just?

A cold shiver worked it?s way down his spine and he stiffened just as Relena jerked and sat upright, completely awake, a hand pressed against her heart. Wide aqua eyes found him.

?Heero??

The door swung open and Trowa Barton stepped into the room without so much as a knock.

The Student Council President nodded politely.

?Hello, Heero. It?s time.?

* * * *

?There?s something wrong.?

Quatre Winner stopped three feet short of his dorm room, a fist pressed against his chest, his eyes closing as he opened himself and simply <i>felt</i>. His lips moved with words he almost chanted. ?Something?s wrong, something?s wrong, something?s wrong.?

Awkwardly, Dorothy Catalonia hesitated before laying a hand on his arm and he jerked, snapping out of whatever trance had taken a hold of him. Blinking, he looked into his companion?s eyes and repeated himself. ?Something?s wrong.?

?Yes. We have to get to the Council balcony. Hurry.?

* * * *

?Rose of the noble castle.?

* * * *

Hilde?s eyes widened. ?I don?t believe it.?

* * * *

?Power of Peace that sleeps within me.?

* * * *

?Hurry, Dorothy, hurry.? Quatre raced down the hallway. ?Something?s wrong!?

* * * *

?Heed your master and come forth.?

* * * *

Catherine Barton pressed her hands together in prayer. ?Please.?

* * * *

?Grant me the power to bring the world Revolution.?

Zing.

Both combatants regarded each other evenly.

?All my life I?ve only wanted one thing: to keep her safe,? Trowa said calmly, adjusting the hilt of his sword. Heero turned the Sword of Peacecraft over, the razor edge refracting the light. ?This duel isn?t about you, or even her.? His one visible green eye flicked to the Bride. ?It?s only about me.?

Heero?s voice was ice cold. ?Then come to me.?

Steel clashed while above them, the silent Castle turned. The Rose Bride watched passively, hands folded in front of the lavender fall of her dress. A breeze rose.

?You?ve come very far, Heero Yuy. Much farther than I thought you would.? Trowa did a mid air back flip, letting Heero?s Sword slice through empty air. The Champion took ground. ?In the beginning, I wasn?t even sure you would fight but now I see that the Rose Seal does indeed suit you.? Heero parried a blow meant for his shoulder and Trowa took a step back, a slight smile on his face. ?You?re very good, Yuy. You?ve beaten all of my duelists so you?d have to be. What is it you?re fighting for, Heero? Is it honor, integrity?? Trowa lunged and Heero whirled to the side, evasive. ?What about your Seal? Your mother gave it to you, didn?t she?? Heero?s eyes widened a fraction and Trowa pressed forward, slicing a gash down the other man?s arm. The Champion growled, rolled to the side, and came up standing. Blood dripped steadily onto the white tiles of the Platform. Coolly, Trowa pressed him, sparks flying. ?What do you think your mother wanted you to do here, Heero? Fight duels for a cause you aren?t even sure of? Defend a girl you?ve only known for a month??

Trowa grunted as the Peacecraft Sword drew a line down his thigh. The Champion regarded him furiously.

?Wrong move, Barton.?

Trowa inclined his head. ?So noted.? He switched gears.

?Fight me, Heero, with all of your strength.? A white mirage drifted down from the Castle. The Champion lunged angrily. Trowa closed his eyes and let his sword arm fall, the hilt of his sword loose in his hand. ?Strike me down and you will have finally erased your mother?s memory forever.?

The blow never came.

?What?? Heero?s voice was harsh and Trowa opened his eyes, feeling the adrenaline running through his body. He could do this. He had to. He nodded towards the blade that was leveled at his breast pocket, a hairsbreadth from the hunter green rose pinned there.

?You use that Sword well, but do you even know it?s power? Do you know who?s it is?? Heero?s pupils contracted and Trowa tightened his fingers around the hilt of his weapon slowly. ?It?s the Sword of the man that saved your mother when she was a little girl.? He saw air leave the other man?s lungs. ?And now you use it to draw the blood of another human being.?

Heero jerked as if struck. He was wild-eyed, as if everything he held dear was being unraveled before him. Trowa crushed the inner voice that told him this was wrong. It was all for Cathy. He had to do it. It was necessary.

?But I?m sure your mother will understand.?

Heero?s gaze no longer saw him. ?Mother?? The tip of the Sword wavered and Trowa made his move. He brought his own sword straight up in an arc, turning away the Sword of Peacecraft and slicing through the other man?s coat pocket.

White rose petals floated away on the wind.

The bells in the tower began to chime.

In Heero?s hand, the Sword turned bright gold and began to melt away, dissolving bit by bit. The ghost disappeared. Across from them, the Rose Bride stiffened. Trowa sheathed his blade.

?No,? Heero said, but his voice held no strength. He lifted dark eyes to Relena as she walked towards them and stopped next to Trowa, her expression tranquil, a doll?s face. ?Relena.?

?You?ve lost, Heero,? Trowa said and forced himself to watch as the other man was hit with the full force of what had happened. Heero?s whole body shuddered and his fingers moved around a hilt that was no longer there. His broken gaze sought Relena?s and she looked back at him emotionlessly.

?Relena,? he whispered, ?You?ve got to fight for yourself. If you leave with him, you?ll never be free. You?ll be a slave for the rest of your life.?

Trowa shook his head. ?You really don?t get it, do you. The Rose Bride?s purpose is to serve her Champion. She has no feelings of her own, no emotions. She?s just a puppet born to fulfill a single role. She no longer obeys you, Yuy. I am her Master now.?

Heero swallowed, his eyes locked on Relena?s. ?You?ve got to tell him. Tell him you don?t like being the Rose Bride. Tell him you don?t want to do this.?

Trowa reached out and laid a hand on the Bride?s waist. ?Relena, you love being the Rose Bride, don?t you? It?s what you were meant to do, isn?t it?? For a split second, he felt a lance of fear as the Bride shivered, her mouth opening and then closing without sound, but then ingrained obedience settled in and she nodded, knowing it was his will.

?Yes, I love being the Rose Bride. It?s what I was destined to be.? She smiled kindly at Heero, eyes vacant. ?Don?t be sad, Mr. Yuy. This is who I am.?

Heero fell to his knees and Trowa turned away, taking Relena with him by a hand on the small of her back.

?You fought well, Heero,? he called back over his shoulder, ?but perhaps you should decide whether you really want to be a duelist. Perhaps the Rose Seal doesn?t suit you after all.?

And then he was gone.

And Heero stayed, all alone, blood and white petals scattered in his lap.





TBC?

[RyanEX2000]

............................
Note to self.....one more reason to castrate Trowa Barton slowly and with a very dull knife.
:evil:

Was he lying or was he telling the truth that is the question.

Well Berry.Don't keep us waiting.

[Melville's Best Friend]

G-Berry.

*glares*

Yes, you.


You are on my hit list. *glares more*

You will finish this NOW or I will beat you with a spoon, lock you in a closet, and sick rabid horny nekkit Dr. J's on you.

Note that: PLURAL. More than one Dr.

*snickers*

But, *sigh* Well written...I loved it, as always....


But what's with Trowa? And,.....and doesn't Hee-chan REALISE what he's done to Lena!?!?!?!?!


I'm sorry, I can't...*runs off crying*

[wicked]

There will be NO castration of my darling. None whatsoever! A good beating however, I will allow. Just don't hurt the face too much k Ryan?

You weren't kidding about angst Berry! Superbly done! *grins sheepishly* I'm happy in that sick sort of obsessive way that Trowa beat Mr. Yuy. Although I'm going to shake my head and say, "You brought this upon yourself Barton. You made your bed, now lie in it." I'm sure that in some way or another he too will get his in the end and no I will not be completely upset over it.

I'm just wondering if Mr. Principal will show up anytime soon. And I too wonder if Trowa was just feeding Heero lies about his mother or if there was some semblance of truth behind it all. We shall see, we shall see.

All of a sudden I have a 4xD vibe going on or rather budding. *shrugs* Maybe it's just me.

Excellent job Berry! *hugs* I just hope Trowa isn't too much of a jerk while being the Bride's "Master."

*applauds G-Berry enthusiastically*

~Wicked

[The Engrish Spy]

Very well done can't wait for the next chapter... :razz:

[Kiyoko]

Oh man, where is that damn stick! A good beating is in order! Where is the rest hm? How dare you leave us hangin like this! You shall be punished inless we recieve another chapter soon! Anyway wonderful job as always and I can't wait for the next chapter. Well... what are you waiting for? Get moving and start typing!

[lilac310]

NOOOOO!!!!!! What do you think you're doing Heero????.....why'd you let Trowa take hold of the Rose Bride???....WAHHHH!!!!!

[aku_ryo]

hot damn your a good writer gold-chan!!!!

i dotn evern know where to start except to say this was brilliant from start to finish, looking forward to heero's revenge...

akuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[Tomorrow]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO ::pauses to take a few breaths:: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! How could Heero let that happen?!?!?!?! How?!?!?!? Please, PLEASE hurry, Goldberry. Please!!!!! This is just too good to stop here.

[shadowcat]

he........lost........................

oh.....my..........god....................

Heero............lost.......................

whats gonna happen Berry???
Oh my....

i'm in a state of shock here....
-Shadow

GREAT CHAPTER!!!!!!!!