Specters: Prologue-chapter 2 (GW/Esca)
Posted: Thu Sep 09, 2004 6:16 pm
~ This fic is in response to a challenge, so please just bear with me. This is only the prologue. I know it's short, but I'm not sure how long this fic is going to be. Heero and Relena are around 17, and this takes place around Christmastime. I finally started writing in this again, so I'm going to start posting it here. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own neither Escaflowne or Gundam Wing. None of the characters are mine.
Specters
Prologue
By: Penybright
"NO!" Hitomi screamed as she helplessly watched her infant son being taken from her. Soft feathers rained down on her as Van tried to reach their son. It was an attempt made in vain. The blinding luminescent column disappeared, along with their first-born.
Van landed softly beside his sobbing wife. Kneeling down, he gathered her into his arms, wrapping his downy wings to shelter them.
"I'm sorry..." Van murmured, trying to hold back his own tears. Hitomi hugged her husband tighter.
"Don't you dare blame this on yourself," she whispered harshly. "Don't you dare!"
Van nodded, burying his face into her soft sandy locks as his own tears began to fall.
"He has the pendant... Maybe one day he will return to us," Hitomi choked out in desperate hope.
"One day," Van echoed.
++++++++++++++++++++
Heero Yuy, one of the most dangerous men alive, was staring blankly at a young woman with blond hair and aquamarine eyes.
"No."
"Please Heero?"
"Relena..."
"Everyone else is busy. Millardo is on Mars, Duo has Hilde, Trowa has a show, Quatre is tied up in family business affairs and Wufei is on duty that night! If you won't do this willingly, as a friend, then I'll go to Lady Une."
Heero glared at the young woman across from him.
"You know how much I detest social events."
"I know," Relena sighed. "I wouldn't ask, except... I just need someone to watch my back and save from the vultures every one in a while."
Heero allowed himself a small smirk.
"Vultures, huh?"
"Does that mean you'll do it?"
"As a friend, and only this once," Heero replied coldly. Relena seemed to relax visibly.
"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"Hn."
"You do have a tuxedo, don't you?"
Relena received a glare for a response.
"Thought so," she mumbled under her breath while jotting something down.
"Go here, and tell them I sent you," Relena said, handing him a slip of paper. "You know where I live. The ball starts at seven, be in the foyer by six."
"Why so early?"
Relena gave Heero a pointed look. Heero sighed and stood up to leave. Relena watched his back as he left her office, hoping this wouldn't turn into a disaster.
"Speaking of disasters... What am I going to get Heero for Christmas?" she wondered aloud, before turning back to her pressing paperwork.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for the characters. Any legal matters should be taken up with their owners ( which means someone besides me).
Specters
Chapter 1
By: Penybright
Heero shifted, surveying his surroundings. He looked to the watch on his wrist, checking the time. It was 6 p.m., exactly. He glanced around the foyer again, letting out a sigh. Relena was going to keep him waiting. Figuring she would be a while longer, Heero reached into the right pocket of his tuxedo jacket. He pulled out a small, sparkling object, holding it delicately in his palm. He treated the article as if it were extremely breakable or important.
Relena quietly descended the stairs, seeing Heero intently studying something in his hand. She crept forward, curious as to what was holding his attention so closely. Peering over his shoulder, she saw a shimmering pink gem attached to a gold chain.
"Heero."
Heero quickly closed his hand, shoving the pendant back into his pocket. Relena looked at him strangely.
"You mind telling me what that was all about?" she asked.
Heero paused, contemplating whether or not to tell her. If he couldn't trust her, then who could he trust? Relena was one of the few people that had always believed in him.
"I received a package in the mail today. It was from Doctor J. This was in it, along with a letter," Heero explained, pulling the necklace out from his pocket once more. "Apparently, it was found on me by the people that discovered me, alone in an alley all those years ago..."
"I bet it belonged to your mother," Relena whispered, gently picking the pendant up by it's glittering chain.
"You should wear it," Relena declared, stepping up to Heero. Heero pulled back from her.
"I don't think..."
"Wear it Heero. I'm sure your mother would want you to."
The stoic young man relented, allowing Relena to clasp the necklace around his neck and adjust it.
"It looks wonderful on you," she giggled. Heero frowned at the smiling blond. After her giggle fit, Relena became serious once more.
"Okay, down to business. Hand over the gun," she said, holding out her hand, palm up. Heero blinked, looking blankly at her.
"Heero," she warned, tapping her foot. "You are not escorting me to this party as a guard. You are a guest, and guests do not carry loaded weapons into parties."
Reluctantly, very reluctantly, Heero reached into his tuxedo jacket, pulling out the aforementioned weapon.
"Try to relax... just a little?" Relena implored. Heero shrugged and tugged on his jacket.
"How do expect anyone to relax in one of these? It's like a straight-jacket," Heero deadpanned.
"No one ever said looking formal was comfortable. Speaking of which..." Relena pulled a small black strip of cloth from seemingly nowhere.
"Thought you could get away without a bow-tie, did you?"
"You don't seriously expect me to wear one of those?"
"The dress code is formal. You are wearing a bow-tie," Relena said firmly, stepping up to Heero. Reaching up, she buttoned the top button of his crisp white tuxedo shirt. She then tucked the tie under his shirt collar, tying the bow in a matter of seconds.
"Now you know why I asked you to come so early," Relena explained, giving a meaningful glance at the clock. Heero glanced at his watch to discover that it read 6:37 p.m.
"Shall we go?" Relena asked, linking her arm through Heero's. Heero grimaced, tugging at his collar.
"Did she have to tie it so tight?" he mumbled under his breath as they walked to the waiting limo outside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Festive Christmas music floated on the air, mingling with the soft chatter of the guests. The occasional flash would go off as a new guest arrived, signaling the presence of the media. As Heero and Relena entered through the large oak doors, it was like strobe lighting. Flashes went off like a light storm, capturing the entrance of the Vice Foreign Minister, not to mention, her darkly mysterious escort. Relena smiled for the cameras, turning on the charm. Once she "ran the gauntlet", Relena let her smile disappear. Letting out a soft sigh, wiped a hand over her eyes, trying to clear them of the dancing spots.
"I think I need to sit down," Relena informed Heero. He immediately steered her towards the tables set up on the left side of the vast room.
Once all the guests of importance had arrived, dinner was served. After dinner, there was the obligatory speech by the host. Heero spent most of his time studying the decorations during the long and rather dry speech. Garlands of evergreen were strung along the walls, accented by large red bows. Strings of multicolored Christmas lights hung from the ceiling in an intricate pattern. A large and ornately decorated tree was situated behind the stage the orchestra was on. Various other red bows in varying size ornamented the room.
Heero was so bored, he even began to study the gown Relena was wearing. The dress was a deep forest green. The gown hung off the shoulders flowing down to a tight fitting bodice then flaring out at the waist. The material was a soft velvet material that shimmered in the dim lighting.
Heero's conscious finally kicked in, and he realized what he was doing. He immediately turned his attention elsewhere, hoping no one had noticed his little slip. He certainly hopped Relena hadn't noticed. He'd never hear the end of it if she did...
Finally the speech was over, and everyone was free to mingle and dance. Mingling was something Heero never participated in... except when Relena forcefully dragged him around the room to meet various acquaintances and friends. Of course she did most of the talking. Heero only seemed to scare people off.
"Stop glaring so much," Relena hissed under her breath as a couple skirted wide of the two. Heero blinked, not even aware that he was glaring. The rest of the evening went smoothly, Heero rescuing Relena from stuffy diplomats by sweeping her off to the dance floor. In return, Relena remained by Heero's side to ward off the rather overeager single women. The evening was coming to a close as the hours stretched by.
Heero and Relena were seated at their table, taking a breather after several rounds of dancing. After catching their breath, the two stood up. As they were heading back to the dance floor, chaos erupted. The large doors burst open, armed soldiers pouring in through the doors. Shots were fired, and screams of terror filled the room. Heero reacted quickly, pulling Relena with him as several shots whizzed their way. Heero shoved Relena behind a large marble pillar before diving behind after her. As Heero picked himself up, Relena gasped.
"You're bleeding!"
"It's just a scratch," Heero assured her, inspecting the wound before turning his attention back to the terrorists.
"Hand over Vice Foreign Minister Dorlain, and no one will get hurt," one of the armed men shouted.
Heero turned his gaze back on Relena, studying her worried face. He knew that she'd willingly give herself up if they started threatening innocents. In that moment, he fervently wished that he could take her away from all this. She was constantly hounded by the media and harassed by terrorists and assassins. She deserved to be taken away to somewhere she could have peace. He just wished he knew where that was.
Heero took a step away from the pillar and froze. Beams of light shot up from the floor, surrounding Relena and him. The thin beams merged to form a column of light. Relena gasped as she was lifted into the air with Heero.
"Heero, what's going on?" Relena asked, near panicking. Heero remained silent because he had no answer.
The brilliant light drew the attention of the terrorists. A large group of them migrated over to the area. When they saw who was in the luminescent cylinder of light, several took aim. Heero saw them and pulled Relena against him, shielding her with his body. Several shots were fired, and Relena felt Heero stiffen as a bullet pierced his flesh. Then everything exploded in dizzying colors of blinding light that faded into darkness.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: They're not mine. Now go away and leave me in peace. My conscience is clean!
Specters
Chapter 2
By: Penybright
Relena slowly cracked open bleary eyes. With a groan she pulled herself to her feet, wincing at the dull ache in her head. Once on her feet, she fully took in the view of her surroundings. Almost everything in her vision was white. Soft chalky flakes drifted through the air, landing on the thoroughly snow covered ground.
"God, what happened?" Relena mumbled, rubbing her temples. Everything was so fuzzy...
"Heero!" Relena exclaimed aloud. She frantically searched around her, but found he wasn't there. She figured he couldn't have gone far and began to search for him. Wrapping numb arms around herself, Relena began to trudge through the calf high snow.
As she searched, Relena became increasingly worried. Heero was out there somewhere alone and hurt. If he was conscious, he surely would have found her by now. She had no idea how bad he was hurt, and could only hope it wasn't anything to serious. From her experience, though, Heero was awful hard to get rid of. He had a habit of cheating death.
Squinting against the glare the dull sun cast off the pristine snow, Relena's breath quickened. In the distance, she thought she saw a lump of black. Fisting numb fingers into the skirt of her gown, Relena hoisted the heavy material up so she could run. When she was close enough to clearly identify the object, she stumbled to a stop. What she had hoped would be Heero, was only a dead tree stump.
Dropping her skirt, Relena sucked in ragged breaths. Each pant was accented by white clouds puffing into the frigid air. Sitting down on the stump, Relena tried to catch her breath and pull herself together. She couldn't give up yet. Heero was out there somewhere, and she was going to find him. Alive.
Once on her feet again, Relena continued to scan the horizon for any signs of Heero. As time wore on, she realized that she would have to find him soon. If he didn't die from his injuries, he would surely die of hypothermia. When Relena's thoughts were beginning to border on hopelessness, she tripped over something. Picking herself up, Relena searched for what had tripped her.
A limp frozen hand stuck out in the snow. The rest of the body was covered in a light dusting of snow, camouflaging it. Dropping to her knees, Relena scrambled over to the prone form, dusting snow from the figure's face. She almost cried for joy when she recognized Heero's familiar features.
"Heero," Relena said, shaking him lightly. "Please wake up. I know you've made it through worse than this."
She received no response from the still and quite form. Studying his face with sad eyes, something caught her eyes. Covered thinly in snow, a vibrant red stain marred the placid white. With shaking hands, Relena turned Heero on his side to view his wounds. She choked back a sob when she saw the blood soaked jacket plastered to Heero's back. Two bullet holes were ripped in the fabric, one on the right shoulder, and the other on the left side at about the middle of his back.
"Heero, please..." Relena cried, shaking him with a bit more force.
"Relena..." Heero groaned softly, opening hazy and disoriented eyes.
"I'm here," Relena confirmed.
Heero looked up at the young woman above him and had to blink several times to clear his vision. For a moment, he had thought she had wings... Giving his head a slight shake, Heero tried to organize his thoughts. As he tried to orient himself, Heero levered himself to a sitting position. As the world came into focus, he noted something odd. There was snow everywhere. The last thing he remembered, Relena and he were in a ballroom. How did they end up outside, and in the middle of nowhere for that matter?
"I'm so glad I found you," Relena intoned, her teeth chattering as she shivered uncontrollably. Heero grunted in response and painfully lurched to his feet, biting back the urge to cry out. Relena stood up after him, expectantly waiting.
The first thing that caught Heero's eye, was a plume of sooty gray smoke. It originated from somewhere inside the forest on their right.
"We should head there," Heero explained, pointing to the rising smoke plume.
"It looks a little far," Relena commented.
"It's the only option we have," Heero replied bluntly.
"All right," Relena nodded, rubbing her arms to generate some heat. Her ball gown was definitely not made for warmth.
Heero noticed Relena's shivering and her attempts to stay warm. Silently, he walked over to her. Relena gasped when Heero looped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She didn't complain, but she was surprised.
"We should get going," Heero uttered.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#
It seemed like hours before they spotted the cottage. It was a small dwelling, settled cozily in the dense forest the two found themselves trudging through. The large, barren tress loomed overhead, their branches clacking in the wind.
"Not much further," Heero murmured somnolently.
Relena glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. He was growing increasingly tired and weak. There was no telling how much blood he had lost, but it had been significant. For the past fifteen minutes or so, he had been pushing himself. He was on the brink of exhaustion, and she only hoped he would make it to the door.
"I wanted to thank you, Heero..."
"Hn."
"No, I really mean it. You've always put yourself in harms way for my benefit. And don't try to write it off by saying your life's cheap," Relena said quickly, before he could interrupt.
"I just wanted you to know I really appreciate all you've done."
"I promised I would protect you..."
Relena continued her mostly one sided conversation. It was something to keep Heero's attention, and to prevent him from falling unconscious. Every now and then he would lapse in and out of consciousness, drowsily trudging through the snow.
By the time they reached the cottage door, Heero was beginning to drift off, murmuring incoherently under his breath. Relena raised her hand to knock loudly. She waited a few minutes, but no one answered. She tried again, pounding forcefully on the wood. Still there was no answer. Beginning to panic, Relena furiously pounded on the door, calling out.
"Is anyone there? My friend needs help. Please..."
She was answered with silence and the mocking whisper of the wind.
Disclaimer: I own neither Escaflowne or Gundam Wing. None of the characters are mine.
Specters
Prologue
By: Penybright
"NO!" Hitomi screamed as she helplessly watched her infant son being taken from her. Soft feathers rained down on her as Van tried to reach their son. It was an attempt made in vain. The blinding luminescent column disappeared, along with their first-born.
Van landed softly beside his sobbing wife. Kneeling down, he gathered her into his arms, wrapping his downy wings to shelter them.
"I'm sorry..." Van murmured, trying to hold back his own tears. Hitomi hugged her husband tighter.
"Don't you dare blame this on yourself," she whispered harshly. "Don't you dare!"
Van nodded, burying his face into her soft sandy locks as his own tears began to fall.
"He has the pendant... Maybe one day he will return to us," Hitomi choked out in desperate hope.
"One day," Van echoed.
++++++++++++++++++++
Heero Yuy, one of the most dangerous men alive, was staring blankly at a young woman with blond hair and aquamarine eyes.
"No."
"Please Heero?"
"Relena..."
"Everyone else is busy. Millardo is on Mars, Duo has Hilde, Trowa has a show, Quatre is tied up in family business affairs and Wufei is on duty that night! If you won't do this willingly, as a friend, then I'll go to Lady Une."
Heero glared at the young woman across from him.
"You know how much I detest social events."
"I know," Relena sighed. "I wouldn't ask, except... I just need someone to watch my back and save from the vultures every one in a while."
Heero allowed himself a small smirk.
"Vultures, huh?"
"Does that mean you'll do it?"
"As a friend, and only this once," Heero replied coldly. Relena seemed to relax visibly.
"Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."
"Hn."
"You do have a tuxedo, don't you?"
Relena received a glare for a response.
"Thought so," she mumbled under her breath while jotting something down.
"Go here, and tell them I sent you," Relena said, handing him a slip of paper. "You know where I live. The ball starts at seven, be in the foyer by six."
"Why so early?"
Relena gave Heero a pointed look. Heero sighed and stood up to leave. Relena watched his back as he left her office, hoping this wouldn't turn into a disaster.
"Speaking of disasters... What am I going to get Heero for Christmas?" she wondered aloud, before turning back to her pressing paperwork.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: I am not responsible for the characters. Any legal matters should be taken up with their owners ( which means someone besides me).
Specters
Chapter 1
By: Penybright
Heero shifted, surveying his surroundings. He looked to the watch on his wrist, checking the time. It was 6 p.m., exactly. He glanced around the foyer again, letting out a sigh. Relena was going to keep him waiting. Figuring she would be a while longer, Heero reached into the right pocket of his tuxedo jacket. He pulled out a small, sparkling object, holding it delicately in his palm. He treated the article as if it were extremely breakable or important.
Relena quietly descended the stairs, seeing Heero intently studying something in his hand. She crept forward, curious as to what was holding his attention so closely. Peering over his shoulder, she saw a shimmering pink gem attached to a gold chain.
"Heero."
Heero quickly closed his hand, shoving the pendant back into his pocket. Relena looked at him strangely.
"You mind telling me what that was all about?" she asked.
Heero paused, contemplating whether or not to tell her. If he couldn't trust her, then who could he trust? Relena was one of the few people that had always believed in him.
"I received a package in the mail today. It was from Doctor J. This was in it, along with a letter," Heero explained, pulling the necklace out from his pocket once more. "Apparently, it was found on me by the people that discovered me, alone in an alley all those years ago..."
"I bet it belonged to your mother," Relena whispered, gently picking the pendant up by it's glittering chain.
"You should wear it," Relena declared, stepping up to Heero. Heero pulled back from her.
"I don't think..."
"Wear it Heero. I'm sure your mother would want you to."
The stoic young man relented, allowing Relena to clasp the necklace around his neck and adjust it.
"It looks wonderful on you," she giggled. Heero frowned at the smiling blond. After her giggle fit, Relena became serious once more.
"Okay, down to business. Hand over the gun," she said, holding out her hand, palm up. Heero blinked, looking blankly at her.
"Heero," she warned, tapping her foot. "You are not escorting me to this party as a guard. You are a guest, and guests do not carry loaded weapons into parties."
Reluctantly, very reluctantly, Heero reached into his tuxedo jacket, pulling out the aforementioned weapon.
"Try to relax... just a little?" Relena implored. Heero shrugged and tugged on his jacket.
"How do expect anyone to relax in one of these? It's like a straight-jacket," Heero deadpanned.
"No one ever said looking formal was comfortable. Speaking of which..." Relena pulled a small black strip of cloth from seemingly nowhere.
"Thought you could get away without a bow-tie, did you?"
"You don't seriously expect me to wear one of those?"
"The dress code is formal. You are wearing a bow-tie," Relena said firmly, stepping up to Heero. Reaching up, she buttoned the top button of his crisp white tuxedo shirt. She then tucked the tie under his shirt collar, tying the bow in a matter of seconds.
"Now you know why I asked you to come so early," Relena explained, giving a meaningful glance at the clock. Heero glanced at his watch to discover that it read 6:37 p.m.
"Shall we go?" Relena asked, linking her arm through Heero's. Heero grimaced, tugging at his collar.
"Did she have to tie it so tight?" he mumbled under his breath as they walked to the waiting limo outside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Festive Christmas music floated on the air, mingling with the soft chatter of the guests. The occasional flash would go off as a new guest arrived, signaling the presence of the media. As Heero and Relena entered through the large oak doors, it was like strobe lighting. Flashes went off like a light storm, capturing the entrance of the Vice Foreign Minister, not to mention, her darkly mysterious escort. Relena smiled for the cameras, turning on the charm. Once she "ran the gauntlet", Relena let her smile disappear. Letting out a soft sigh, wiped a hand over her eyes, trying to clear them of the dancing spots.
"I think I need to sit down," Relena informed Heero. He immediately steered her towards the tables set up on the left side of the vast room.
Once all the guests of importance had arrived, dinner was served. After dinner, there was the obligatory speech by the host. Heero spent most of his time studying the decorations during the long and rather dry speech. Garlands of evergreen were strung along the walls, accented by large red bows. Strings of multicolored Christmas lights hung from the ceiling in an intricate pattern. A large and ornately decorated tree was situated behind the stage the orchestra was on. Various other red bows in varying size ornamented the room.
Heero was so bored, he even began to study the gown Relena was wearing. The dress was a deep forest green. The gown hung off the shoulders flowing down to a tight fitting bodice then flaring out at the waist. The material was a soft velvet material that shimmered in the dim lighting.
Heero's conscious finally kicked in, and he realized what he was doing. He immediately turned his attention elsewhere, hoping no one had noticed his little slip. He certainly hopped Relena hadn't noticed. He'd never hear the end of it if she did...
Finally the speech was over, and everyone was free to mingle and dance. Mingling was something Heero never participated in... except when Relena forcefully dragged him around the room to meet various acquaintances and friends. Of course she did most of the talking. Heero only seemed to scare people off.
"Stop glaring so much," Relena hissed under her breath as a couple skirted wide of the two. Heero blinked, not even aware that he was glaring. The rest of the evening went smoothly, Heero rescuing Relena from stuffy diplomats by sweeping her off to the dance floor. In return, Relena remained by Heero's side to ward off the rather overeager single women. The evening was coming to a close as the hours stretched by.
Heero and Relena were seated at their table, taking a breather after several rounds of dancing. After catching their breath, the two stood up. As they were heading back to the dance floor, chaos erupted. The large doors burst open, armed soldiers pouring in through the doors. Shots were fired, and screams of terror filled the room. Heero reacted quickly, pulling Relena with him as several shots whizzed their way. Heero shoved Relena behind a large marble pillar before diving behind after her. As Heero picked himself up, Relena gasped.
"You're bleeding!"
"It's just a scratch," Heero assured her, inspecting the wound before turning his attention back to the terrorists.
"Hand over Vice Foreign Minister Dorlain, and no one will get hurt," one of the armed men shouted.
Heero turned his gaze back on Relena, studying her worried face. He knew that she'd willingly give herself up if they started threatening innocents. In that moment, he fervently wished that he could take her away from all this. She was constantly hounded by the media and harassed by terrorists and assassins. She deserved to be taken away to somewhere she could have peace. He just wished he knew where that was.
Heero took a step away from the pillar and froze. Beams of light shot up from the floor, surrounding Relena and him. The thin beams merged to form a column of light. Relena gasped as she was lifted into the air with Heero.
"Heero, what's going on?" Relena asked, near panicking. Heero remained silent because he had no answer.
The brilliant light drew the attention of the terrorists. A large group of them migrated over to the area. When they saw who was in the luminescent cylinder of light, several took aim. Heero saw them and pulled Relena against him, shielding her with his body. Several shots were fired, and Relena felt Heero stiffen as a bullet pierced his flesh. Then everything exploded in dizzying colors of blinding light that faded into darkness.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Disclaimer: They're not mine. Now go away and leave me in peace. My conscience is clean!
Specters
Chapter 2
By: Penybright
Relena slowly cracked open bleary eyes. With a groan she pulled herself to her feet, wincing at the dull ache in her head. Once on her feet, she fully took in the view of her surroundings. Almost everything in her vision was white. Soft chalky flakes drifted through the air, landing on the thoroughly snow covered ground.
"God, what happened?" Relena mumbled, rubbing her temples. Everything was so fuzzy...
"Heero!" Relena exclaimed aloud. She frantically searched around her, but found he wasn't there. She figured he couldn't have gone far and began to search for him. Wrapping numb arms around herself, Relena began to trudge through the calf high snow.
As she searched, Relena became increasingly worried. Heero was out there somewhere alone and hurt. If he was conscious, he surely would have found her by now. She had no idea how bad he was hurt, and could only hope it wasn't anything to serious. From her experience, though, Heero was awful hard to get rid of. He had a habit of cheating death.
Squinting against the glare the dull sun cast off the pristine snow, Relena's breath quickened. In the distance, she thought she saw a lump of black. Fisting numb fingers into the skirt of her gown, Relena hoisted the heavy material up so she could run. When she was close enough to clearly identify the object, she stumbled to a stop. What she had hoped would be Heero, was only a dead tree stump.
Dropping her skirt, Relena sucked in ragged breaths. Each pant was accented by white clouds puffing into the frigid air. Sitting down on the stump, Relena tried to catch her breath and pull herself together. She couldn't give up yet. Heero was out there somewhere, and she was going to find him. Alive.
Once on her feet again, Relena continued to scan the horizon for any signs of Heero. As time wore on, she realized that she would have to find him soon. If he didn't die from his injuries, he would surely die of hypothermia. When Relena's thoughts were beginning to border on hopelessness, she tripped over something. Picking herself up, Relena searched for what had tripped her.
A limp frozen hand stuck out in the snow. The rest of the body was covered in a light dusting of snow, camouflaging it. Dropping to her knees, Relena scrambled over to the prone form, dusting snow from the figure's face. She almost cried for joy when she recognized Heero's familiar features.
"Heero," Relena said, shaking him lightly. "Please wake up. I know you've made it through worse than this."
She received no response from the still and quite form. Studying his face with sad eyes, something caught her eyes. Covered thinly in snow, a vibrant red stain marred the placid white. With shaking hands, Relena turned Heero on his side to view his wounds. She choked back a sob when she saw the blood soaked jacket plastered to Heero's back. Two bullet holes were ripped in the fabric, one on the right shoulder, and the other on the left side at about the middle of his back.
"Heero, please..." Relena cried, shaking him with a bit more force.
"Relena..." Heero groaned softly, opening hazy and disoriented eyes.
"I'm here," Relena confirmed.
Heero looked up at the young woman above him and had to blink several times to clear his vision. For a moment, he had thought she had wings... Giving his head a slight shake, Heero tried to organize his thoughts. As he tried to orient himself, Heero levered himself to a sitting position. As the world came into focus, he noted something odd. There was snow everywhere. The last thing he remembered, Relena and he were in a ballroom. How did they end up outside, and in the middle of nowhere for that matter?
"I'm so glad I found you," Relena intoned, her teeth chattering as she shivered uncontrollably. Heero grunted in response and painfully lurched to his feet, biting back the urge to cry out. Relena stood up after him, expectantly waiting.
The first thing that caught Heero's eye, was a plume of sooty gray smoke. It originated from somewhere inside the forest on their right.
"We should head there," Heero explained, pointing to the rising smoke plume.
"It looks a little far," Relena commented.
"It's the only option we have," Heero replied bluntly.
"All right," Relena nodded, rubbing her arms to generate some heat. Her ball gown was definitely not made for warmth.
Heero noticed Relena's shivering and her attempts to stay warm. Silently, he walked over to her. Relena gasped when Heero looped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. She didn't complain, but she was surprised.
"We should get going," Heero uttered.
#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#
It seemed like hours before they spotted the cottage. It was a small dwelling, settled cozily in the dense forest the two found themselves trudging through. The large, barren tress loomed overhead, their branches clacking in the wind.
"Not much further," Heero murmured somnolently.
Relena glanced at him from the corner of her eyes. He was growing increasingly tired and weak. There was no telling how much blood he had lost, but it had been significant. For the past fifteen minutes or so, he had been pushing himself. He was on the brink of exhaustion, and she only hoped he would make it to the door.
"I wanted to thank you, Heero..."
"Hn."
"No, I really mean it. You've always put yourself in harms way for my benefit. And don't try to write it off by saying your life's cheap," Relena said quickly, before he could interrupt.
"I just wanted you to know I really appreciate all you've done."
"I promised I would protect you..."
Relena continued her mostly one sided conversation. It was something to keep Heero's attention, and to prevent him from falling unconscious. Every now and then he would lapse in and out of consciousness, drowsily trudging through the snow.
By the time they reached the cottage door, Heero was beginning to drift off, murmuring incoherently under his breath. Relena raised her hand to knock loudly. She waited a few minutes, but no one answered. She tried again, pounding forcefully on the wood. Still there was no answer. Beginning to panic, Relena furiously pounded on the door, calling out.
"Is anyone there? My friend needs help. Please..."
She was answered with silence and the mocking whisper of the wind.