Eternity In His Hand 15/?
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2003 10:56 am
Argh! This chapter couldn't have given me more problems but finally, here it is. Only one more chapter I think as I haven't decided if there will be a seperate epilogue or not. We'll see, I guess. Otherwise, please enjoy for the end is near! ^_^
GBerry
Eternity In His Hand
Chapter Fifteen
Completely opposite of how he felt, the next day dawned with a storm. Hearing the rain against the roof, he lay quietly on his back in the cramped bed, the back of one arm thrown across his forehead as he stared up at the ceiling. The weight of Relena?s sleeping body halfway over his made him feel warm and lethargic, unwilling to move in case he disturbed her. She was dreaming soundly, locks of her gold hair pooling around his throat and curling over his arms like chains of sunshine. The thought made him smile in the pre-dawn darkness of their room. If he was her prisoner now he certainly had no objections.
Memories of the night before drifted through his mind but he did not examine them, simply basked in everything they had shared. He hadn?t wanted the day to come but now that it had he realized there was a lot he had to do, some of which would be difficult. Furthermore, despite his resistance to movement, there was a feeling in the air, a shifting of currents that told him the serenity he felt would not last. Indeed, it could not.
There were no more duelists.
He had defeated them all, but the last match still lay before him holding the answers to every question he had voiced since coming to the Academy. When it was finally over, he would know the truth, and Relena would be free.
He slipped out of bed with regret, careful not to wake her as he slipped on a white shirt and the pants of his uniform. He raked his fingers through his messy locks a few times before giving up and turning towards the door, intending to go down to the kitchen and make them breakfast. It was a surprise to find a letter slipped into the crack of the doorframe, the ivory envelope engraved with a silver rose, the symbol of the Academy. On the front of it Heero?s name was written in elegant script.
He stared at it for only a moment before breaking the old fashioned seal and taking out the letter, his eyes moving from left to right as he took in the contents.
?What is it?? Relena?s voice was soft as she sat up in bed, pulling the sheet up to cover herself.
?It?s an invitation,? he told her finally, glancing at her over his shoulder, ?to the End of the World.?
* * * *
Duo stood silently on the Council balcony, gazing at the Arena Forest as though he would be able to pierce the magic that protected that place and rendered the Dueling Platform invisible when there were no duels scheduled. To him, the sky almost seemed empty without the mystical upside down Castle, without a physical representation of all their dreams and wishes.
?It?s all about to end, one way or another,? he said quietly and was not surprised to receive an answer.
?Yes, it is. The question is, who will prevail??
He didn?t move as Dorothy came to stand beside him, her gaze also focused on something out of sight.
?You know?? he questioned after a moment.
?Yes,? she said flatly and he arched an eyebrow at the dead look in her eyes.
?I would have thought you would be happy. After all, he?s your cousin.?
Dorothy shook her head, the ends of her long sunflower hair swinging as she moved. ?I love dueling and he was the one who gave me my Seal. I owe him for that but I would not have him win Eternity.?
He looked at her in complete surprise. ?Really? You would lay your hopes on Heero, then??
She smirked slightly. ?I would lay my hopes on the true Champion.?
?Then you think he has a chance??
It was a moment before she answered.
?Heero by himself will not win, but perhaps, with the power of Peacecraft?? She trailed off and he sighed.
?If he can hold on to it.?
?If he can hold on to it,? she repeated and they stood there together for a long time, creating dreams and wishes of their own and pinning them on the shoulders of a man who would soon become both friend and enemy, savior and destroyer.
* * * *
Trowa Barton also received a letter that day, this one abrupt and written in a scrawled handwriting he recognized. It had been slipped underneath his door, the lined paper folded simply. The single line made him catch his breath and fumble backwards to take a seat at the table, his hands shaking.
<i>I will take care of it. </i>
?Trowa, is anything wrong??
He looked up to find Catherine in the doorway, watching him with mild concern. There were dark circles under her eyes and for a moment tears prickled at the back of his own.
?No,? he said when he could manage words, ?No, everything is going to be alright. Heero says he?s going to take care of it.?
Catherine paled and her lips trembled before she came to him quickly, slipping into his lap and hugging him with as much strength as she still had. He let the letter drop to the floor so he could wrap his arms around her and rest his forehead against her shoulder.
For so long he had been afraid to hope but if Heero managed to win?
Please, Heero, he prayed, don?t let me down.
* * * *
Heero and Hilde stood together before the triple gates of the Arena Forest, Hilde?s navy eyes at their widest as she gazed upwards. He had already told her she would not be able to see the Dueling Platform nor the upside down castle but that didn?t stop her from looking. She seemed reluctant to let him go and yet excited that this was the final duel, the last obstacle to a game he had started innocently. Duo had said he had explained everything and Hilde did seem to understand what was going on but he wondered what she thought about it, deep down inside. Did she think the whole thing silly? Or did she realize that despite the surreal things that happened on the Platform, in the end the goal was what mattered?
?Heero, after this everything will be over, right? You?ll just be a normal student again??
A muscle in his jaw moved as he reached out to the gate handle, a drop of water zinging from the sideways pool to splash against the engraved rose on his ring. The gates hummed and pulled apart.
?Yes, after this everything will be over.?
She frowned pointedly at him, realizing he hadn?t answered her second question but said nothing as he stepped forward, glancing back at her before he stepped inside the forest. She stood there, arms clasped in front of her school uniform, his best friend since before he could remember, and the reason he had dueled in the first place. He graced her with one of his rare half-smiles.
?Don?t worry. I won?t lose.?
She nodded bravely but he could see the beginnings of tears in her eyes, as if the seriousness of the situation had just hit her. ?Just be careful, okay? Neither Relena nor I will thank you if you get yourself hurt.?
He nodded and let the gates wipe her image her away as he stepped onto the path that would lead him to the spiral stairs. They appeared before him sooner than he was ready and he started his ascent, beginning the technique of clearing his mind and readying himself for the duel.
As he reached the summit of the Platform he saw Relena waiting for him, her lavender gown rippling around her ankles in the wind. Her long hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back in a cascade of gold and aqua eyes softened as she spotted him. He stopped when he reached her, standing besides her in silence. The Platform was empty.
Then Relena moved into the center and he followed her, the immensity of the revolving castle overshadowing him as they stopped in the middle. He looked up at the downwards turrets and banners and wondered how it had all came to be. Perhaps he would know sooner than he thought.
?Are you ready?? Relena asked him and he nodded once, bringing his eyes back down to her face. She was looking at him with an unreadable expression and suddenly her hand gripped his, her fingers interlocking with his own. Her expression was serious and for an instant he thought perhaps she had wanted him to say something else but then she tilted her head back and closed her eyes.
A beam of light shot from the closest tower and enveloped in warmth. Heero felt his body disintegrate, merging with the light particles as a rush of movement bore him upwards. Strangely though, he never lost the feel of Relena?s hand in his.
And then they were in a large hall, the arched ceiling spinning as he stumbled backwards disorientated. Stained glass windows threw rainbow patterns across the floor and walls, the musty darkness so thick it was almost tangible. He breathed in heavily, trying to focus, and realized Relena was no longer beside him.
Blinking, he brushed the back of his sleeve across his eyes to clear them and looked around, his vision resolving as two figures became sharp. Relena stood across the great expanse of the marble hall, her posture one of submission as the man behind her laid a hand on her shoulder. He pushed her forward gently and she began to walk until they were both only twenty feet away. Heero?s body had gone taut by then and he struggled to keep his anger in check, hands fisted at his sides. When he spoke, his voice was rough.
?So it?s you, Mr. Principal.?
Treize Kushranada smiled.
TBC?
GBerry
Eternity In His Hand
Chapter Fifteen
Completely opposite of how he felt, the next day dawned with a storm. Hearing the rain against the roof, he lay quietly on his back in the cramped bed, the back of one arm thrown across his forehead as he stared up at the ceiling. The weight of Relena?s sleeping body halfway over his made him feel warm and lethargic, unwilling to move in case he disturbed her. She was dreaming soundly, locks of her gold hair pooling around his throat and curling over his arms like chains of sunshine. The thought made him smile in the pre-dawn darkness of their room. If he was her prisoner now he certainly had no objections.
Memories of the night before drifted through his mind but he did not examine them, simply basked in everything they had shared. He hadn?t wanted the day to come but now that it had he realized there was a lot he had to do, some of which would be difficult. Furthermore, despite his resistance to movement, there was a feeling in the air, a shifting of currents that told him the serenity he felt would not last. Indeed, it could not.
There were no more duelists.
He had defeated them all, but the last match still lay before him holding the answers to every question he had voiced since coming to the Academy. When it was finally over, he would know the truth, and Relena would be free.
He slipped out of bed with regret, careful not to wake her as he slipped on a white shirt and the pants of his uniform. He raked his fingers through his messy locks a few times before giving up and turning towards the door, intending to go down to the kitchen and make them breakfast. It was a surprise to find a letter slipped into the crack of the doorframe, the ivory envelope engraved with a silver rose, the symbol of the Academy. On the front of it Heero?s name was written in elegant script.
He stared at it for only a moment before breaking the old fashioned seal and taking out the letter, his eyes moving from left to right as he took in the contents.
?What is it?? Relena?s voice was soft as she sat up in bed, pulling the sheet up to cover herself.
?It?s an invitation,? he told her finally, glancing at her over his shoulder, ?to the End of the World.?
* * * *
Duo stood silently on the Council balcony, gazing at the Arena Forest as though he would be able to pierce the magic that protected that place and rendered the Dueling Platform invisible when there were no duels scheduled. To him, the sky almost seemed empty without the mystical upside down Castle, without a physical representation of all their dreams and wishes.
?It?s all about to end, one way or another,? he said quietly and was not surprised to receive an answer.
?Yes, it is. The question is, who will prevail??
He didn?t move as Dorothy came to stand beside him, her gaze also focused on something out of sight.
?You know?? he questioned after a moment.
?Yes,? she said flatly and he arched an eyebrow at the dead look in her eyes.
?I would have thought you would be happy. After all, he?s your cousin.?
Dorothy shook her head, the ends of her long sunflower hair swinging as she moved. ?I love dueling and he was the one who gave me my Seal. I owe him for that but I would not have him win Eternity.?
He looked at her in complete surprise. ?Really? You would lay your hopes on Heero, then??
She smirked slightly. ?I would lay my hopes on the true Champion.?
?Then you think he has a chance??
It was a moment before she answered.
?Heero by himself will not win, but perhaps, with the power of Peacecraft?? She trailed off and he sighed.
?If he can hold on to it.?
?If he can hold on to it,? she repeated and they stood there together for a long time, creating dreams and wishes of their own and pinning them on the shoulders of a man who would soon become both friend and enemy, savior and destroyer.
* * * *
Trowa Barton also received a letter that day, this one abrupt and written in a scrawled handwriting he recognized. It had been slipped underneath his door, the lined paper folded simply. The single line made him catch his breath and fumble backwards to take a seat at the table, his hands shaking.
<i>I will take care of it. </i>
?Trowa, is anything wrong??
He looked up to find Catherine in the doorway, watching him with mild concern. There were dark circles under her eyes and for a moment tears prickled at the back of his own.
?No,? he said when he could manage words, ?No, everything is going to be alright. Heero says he?s going to take care of it.?
Catherine paled and her lips trembled before she came to him quickly, slipping into his lap and hugging him with as much strength as she still had. He let the letter drop to the floor so he could wrap his arms around her and rest his forehead against her shoulder.
For so long he had been afraid to hope but if Heero managed to win?
Please, Heero, he prayed, don?t let me down.
* * * *
Heero and Hilde stood together before the triple gates of the Arena Forest, Hilde?s navy eyes at their widest as she gazed upwards. He had already told her she would not be able to see the Dueling Platform nor the upside down castle but that didn?t stop her from looking. She seemed reluctant to let him go and yet excited that this was the final duel, the last obstacle to a game he had started innocently. Duo had said he had explained everything and Hilde did seem to understand what was going on but he wondered what she thought about it, deep down inside. Did she think the whole thing silly? Or did she realize that despite the surreal things that happened on the Platform, in the end the goal was what mattered?
?Heero, after this everything will be over, right? You?ll just be a normal student again??
A muscle in his jaw moved as he reached out to the gate handle, a drop of water zinging from the sideways pool to splash against the engraved rose on his ring. The gates hummed and pulled apart.
?Yes, after this everything will be over.?
She frowned pointedly at him, realizing he hadn?t answered her second question but said nothing as he stepped forward, glancing back at her before he stepped inside the forest. She stood there, arms clasped in front of her school uniform, his best friend since before he could remember, and the reason he had dueled in the first place. He graced her with one of his rare half-smiles.
?Don?t worry. I won?t lose.?
She nodded bravely but he could see the beginnings of tears in her eyes, as if the seriousness of the situation had just hit her. ?Just be careful, okay? Neither Relena nor I will thank you if you get yourself hurt.?
He nodded and let the gates wipe her image her away as he stepped onto the path that would lead him to the spiral stairs. They appeared before him sooner than he was ready and he started his ascent, beginning the technique of clearing his mind and readying himself for the duel.
As he reached the summit of the Platform he saw Relena waiting for him, her lavender gown rippling around her ankles in the wind. Her long hair flowed over her shoulders and down her back in a cascade of gold and aqua eyes softened as she spotted him. He stopped when he reached her, standing besides her in silence. The Platform was empty.
Then Relena moved into the center and he followed her, the immensity of the revolving castle overshadowing him as they stopped in the middle. He looked up at the downwards turrets and banners and wondered how it had all came to be. Perhaps he would know sooner than he thought.
?Are you ready?? Relena asked him and he nodded once, bringing his eyes back down to her face. She was looking at him with an unreadable expression and suddenly her hand gripped his, her fingers interlocking with his own. Her expression was serious and for an instant he thought perhaps she had wanted him to say something else but then she tilted her head back and closed her eyes.
A beam of light shot from the closest tower and enveloped in warmth. Heero felt his body disintegrate, merging with the light particles as a rush of movement bore him upwards. Strangely though, he never lost the feel of Relena?s hand in his.
And then they were in a large hall, the arched ceiling spinning as he stumbled backwards disorientated. Stained glass windows threw rainbow patterns across the floor and walls, the musty darkness so thick it was almost tangible. He breathed in heavily, trying to focus, and realized Relena was no longer beside him.
Blinking, he brushed the back of his sleeve across his eyes to clear them and looked around, his vision resolving as two figures became sharp. Relena stood across the great expanse of the marble hall, her posture one of submission as the man behind her laid a hand on her shoulder. He pushed her forward gently and she began to walk until they were both only twenty feet away. Heero?s body had gone taut by then and he struggled to keep his anger in check, hands fisted at his sides. When he spoke, his voice was rough.
?So it?s you, Mr. Principal.?
Treize Kushranada smiled.
TBC?
More more more more!!!!!! I can't wait to read more.....especially with the the final battle. We all can pretty much figure out what's gonna happen but still..... 