Title: Desert Rose Part I: Destiny Awaits

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairing: 1+2, 3+4, 5+M, 5+?, 13x6

Warnings: Shonen-ai, slight angst, evil Relena and Hirde, unsympathetic Trieze, OC

Archive: http://www.gwaddiction.com/levlair/index3.htm

Disclaimers: I may own a lot of things, but the GW guys aren't included. So yeah, the characters do not belong to me. I'm just borrowing them for a little fun.

It was morning. Prince Duo woke up as the sunshine shone brightly into his room. He stretched his body fully, and a jaw-splitting yawn formed on his handsome features. 'Another day's passed.' He thought. 'Time really flies. It's been five years since I've been here.' The young prince sighed. It had really been a long time. Of course, Duo had grown to like the place as time went by, but it didn't make him feel any happier. He still longed for the day where he could get away from this gigantic prison his father had built for him. For him, exclusively. 'I'm sooo flattered.' He rolled his eyes in disgust.

He wanted love; to love someone, and be loved by someone. Someone other than his father. But how was it possible, when he was trapped? In a place where the nearest civilization was… gods knows where it is. Ok, maybe Relena and Hirde knew, but there was absolutely no way of them telling him. Well, even if they did, Duo still had no chance of getting away, with the horrible spell on him. He felt like a caged bird, with broken wings that did not allow him to fly at all. No freedom, no nothing. He didn't even have a real playmate!

Except when Relena and Hirde managed to take some time off from their busy schedule. They visited him whenever they could, providing him with the things he wanted, physically and mentally. Supplies were brought in by them, and they entertained the prince with their magic spells. However, visits by Relena were occasional. Not that he minded all that much. Relena was the serious type when it came down to work. A little *too* serious, as Duo would say. *He*, was the complete opposite. Without a doubt, he could be diligent when he wanted to be, but he always preferred having fun to politics. She was even the minister of peace, self-appointed by the King. Not only because she was good at that type of things, but also because of the fact that she was Zechs' adopted sister, which makes her his aunt. However, Duo called her by her name and never treated her as his aunt, because Relena wanted to keep her relationship with Zechs a secret. Otherwise, her powers would seem to be a gift from him, rather than self-effort. However, when she did come, she would bring him the things he really wanted: letters from the King and less important things like the latest happenings in the kingdom. You could even say that she was Duo's newspapers.

Visits from the other sorceress were somewhat more frequent and enjoyable. The two teenagers shared the same interest, and often played games together. Sometimes, it was a simple game of chess, or even tag. Other times, she taught him some simple spells that enabled him to light up a fireplace. Hirde supplied him with everything he wanted and needed, be it toys, clothes or right down to a tiny toothbrush. Apart from that, she was his friend. Duo enjoyed himself very much every time she came. However, they were times when he felt pretty awkward around her. Those were the times when Duo felt that Hirde was drilling a hole in his back with her extremely conspicuous stares. The young sorceress seemed to have an interest in him, and he dreaded when she would say it. Not that he didn't like her or anything. It was just that she wasn't exactly what he wanted in a mate. Sister? Maybe. Lover? Forget it. Women are such fragile creatures. Both pride and body easily bruised.

The King visited as often as he could as well. However, his heavy chores made it rather difficult. So, Duo saw his father only about once every few months. Before, whenever he arrived, Duo resorted to everything, from whining to begging, in hopes that his father would release him. Everything. He even went down onto his knees once, and begged him whist crying. That was something the prince absolutely hated. Abandoning his pride and go onto his knees. That was so undignified. Unfortunately, the king was the kind of people who would not waver once they had their minds set on something. He was stubborn as a mule. Heck, even a mule would have to reign second with him around! Thus, nothing Duo did was successful. However, that was a long time ago. Even Duo had grown tired of his techniques and began to resign to his fate.

Fortunately, the guards in the castle provided another form of company. Well, when he wanted to listen to some music, there would always be musically-inclined Quatre. His violin or piano had proved to an excellent entertainment, and sometimes, a great cure for his insomnia. For aerobics, there was always Trowa. His dexterous skills never failed to enthrall Duo. And sometimes, Duo had his shared of fun when he engaged himself in a debate of justice with Wufei. He had his 'guardian' too, although she was better known as his elder sister who took care of him in ways others could not. There were his horses too. Five of them, in total. But they were always so involved with each other that Duo felt uneasy with them in the same room. Sometimes, he wondered if his friends considered him to be a lone wolf.

The rest of the time he spent them alone. He hated the silence, as though it were eating him from the inside. Slowly, to get rid of the problem, he started to talk to himself, or to nobody in particular. He just spoke to the walls that surrounded him. Duo hated the ennui.

As Duo walked to the bathroom to wash up, he silently mused. Would he ever get out, or would he remain in the castle until the day he died?

*****

Heero cursed the world for his bad luck. Curses he had never thought one could conjure came fluently now. If he had a grain of sand for every curse he uttered, the desert would most certainly double in size. He briefly recalled the incident that led to his troubled, pathetic state now.

*****

*Flashback*

His eyes widened at the find, ecstatic that he had found a pure white stallion in the woods. When the animal turned to face him, Heero could see the silent power in its eyes. So full of vigor and strength. It would surely make an excellent mount. If he could managed to tame it… Heero walked up to it gingerly and attempted to stroke its long mane. He made it a point to come from it at its side, so as to avoid a killer kick if the action were to anger the animal. However, it did not resist or object to the show of affection at all. Instead, it nuzzled Heero's head playfully and neighed softly. It was love at first sight.

Heero immediately led it home, near the woods. And it followed in his trail obediently like a perfectly tamed horse. Heero didn't even have to pull it. Its pace was slow as it trotted alongside Heero. Reaching home was quick; it took less than ten minutes of walk. There, the horse was put into a stable made of the shabbiest of wood that looked as though it would tumble down at the slightest provocation. Heck, even a sneeze could bring it down.

"It's a little cramp here, but it'll have to do, little fella." He smirked at it. He was right. It had to do. He didn't have the money to enlarge it or anything. Heero wasn't a rich man; in fact, he was merely a poor woodcutter's son who was now alone, having mourned for his father's demise a few weeks ago.

As a result of isolation, Heero didn't have any friends at all. Not one. Yet, he still had that emptiness in his heart that yearned to be filled by company. And now, the creature in the woods filled that empty void. A name was given to it: Wing.

Heero spent all his time with Wing, after he finished his everyday chores. The two grew closer by each passing day. Heero told Wing everything about himself, his dreams, desires and hopes for his future. He poured his heart and soul in taking care of the beautiful snow-white animal. Heero was contented and happy, for he had finally found a friend, and he was pretty sure that Wing felt the same. However, one particular sighting caused him to doubt his assumption.

Wing had been standing alone on the open area in front of Heero's small wooden cabin. Its eyes were distant, as though looking for something. It gazed out to the sunset, eyes glimmering brightly. If Heero didn't know better, he could have sworn he saw Wing shed a single tear. But horses didn't cry. Or… did they?

Soon, it became customary for Wing to do the same every evening. It would just stand at the same spot, swing its tail mournfully, staring at a place far, far away. So far that it was out of reach.

Heero felt his heart bled. There wasn't any way that he could help his only friend. Well, there was *one* way. Let Wing go. But he hated the idea, because it would mean losing his one and only companion and it was highly impossible that he would meet another horse as intelligent and humane as Wing. Or even another animal. Most probably the other animals would serve to be his food, or kill him for food. It was a vicious cycle.

As days went by, Wing's condition worsened. Sometimes, he refused to eat anything, even though Heero had fed him with his favourite food. Other times, it would neigh loudly, and trash wildly. Not even Heero could stop him, calm him down. Slowly, Heero realised that he was hurting Wing by keeping him. As much as he hated to admit that, he *had* to let him go. This, he fathomed well.

For the next few days, he treated Wing the best he could. He gave him the best of food, the cleanest of water, the most comfortable bath among many other things. Heero wanted to spend as much time with Wing as possible before he let it go, for it was unlikely that they would meet again.

Finally, the day arrived. The day to let Wing go. Heero sat himself carefully on the horse, and leaned to whisper in his ear, "Wing, I'm letting you go. Go home, back to where you really belong. You have to, for your own sake. But let me ride you one last time. Please." Then he sat straight and tightened his grasp of the reins. He spoke again, "C'mon Wing, let's go." Wing, having heard the command, started to move slowly.

At first, the ride was slow-paced and relaxing. However, when a neigh was heard in the distance, the ride became frightening. Wing dashed so fast that Heero was hanging on for his dear life. He wrapped his arms around his mount's neck, having abandoned the reins a long time ago as they weren't strong and securing enough to ease Heero's throbbing heart. It wasn't long before they ended up in a place Heero had never seen before. A desert. And he had come from the woods. To the best of his knowledge, Heero was very certain that there weren't any deserts within a hundred kilometers from his cabin. Just how far had Wing brought him? Only God himself knows.

*End of flashback*

***

Heero sighed tiredly. What was he going to do now? He leaned forward to Wing's ear and whispered, "Wing? What's wrong with you today? C'mon, take me home."

However, the creature ignored him completely, as though he had not heard Heero's words. He continued to trudge on in the endless desert that seemed to be white as a result of the sun's glare. A lost traveler in the midst of a huge white desert.

The Wing today was not the Wing he knew. The… creature he was riding on now was a complete stranger. Wing would never ignore him. For the umpteenth time for the past three hours, Heero sighed tiredly.

As he did so, Wing suddenly started to speed up. Heero could almost hear the warning: "Fasten your seatbelts, everyone! Or you'll end up as meat sauce somewhere on the road! Best of luck to you, mister!" His speed increased steadily, then finally broke into a run. Heero vaguely wondered if he had bought any life insurance. And just where are those damn uniformed creatures when you need them? As before, Heero clung onto Wing's neck for his dear life. For what seemed like hours, Wing finally started to decelerate. He then stopped all of a sudden, almost enough to throw Heero overboard.

Still dizzy from the ride, Heero tumbled down. "Others get car-sick, I get horse-sick." He uttered, rather amused by himself. He shook his head vigorously to rid himself of his dizzy spell and clear his mind, then he got to his feet slowly. "Where am I?"

As if to answer his question, a majestic castle appeared before him. It looked arcane, and even a little archaic. A mysterious and magical aura surrounded the stone structure. He could feel knowledge and wisdom swirl around the place. It was the results of utmost hard work and technology, Heero was adamant.

Heero stared in awe. He rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe it. Civilization was just in front of him?! In the middle of a desert?! Crap, his eyes were beginning to play tricks on him. Opening his eyes, he expected to see nothing but sand in front of him, or even his own wooden cabin. The castle was there. He rubbed his eyes again, with increasing force. The castle was still there.

Just as he was pondering what to do next, Wing trotted beside him and neighed softly. Gazing into Heero's cobalt blue orbs, he seemed to know how to go on. He slipped behind his friend and started to nudge Heero, pushing him forwards. Heero resisted, "Hey, careful little fella. We can't just barge into some strange buildings we see in a desert… Well, we could, provided if I have my bag of explosives right now…"

Hearing that, Wing sweatdropped. Regaining his senses, he pushed harder and Heero began to slide forwards. "Hey, watch it, Wing."

At that, Wing got fed up with Heero, "Shut up! We're going in and that's the end of the story."

Heero's jaws fell apart and his eyes widened as though they were saucers. "You… you… you… can… ta… talk?!" He stammered.

"I'll talk more later when we can afford it, mister. Let's just get into the castle now."

***

Heero stared in awe at the exquisite and exotic decorations. He had never seen such a beautiful place in his entire existence! Plain white candles lit up the otherwise dark hallways, and while they were simple in design, the candlestick holders were anything but that. They had the most complicated and delicate carvings around their sides. Wing had just led him through a garden that housed a remarkable myriad of flowers. It was only a garden, but it was even larger than Heero's hut and the stables put together. "Oh my god…" He kept mumbling. "Are you sure we can come in here, Wing? This doesn't seem to be some…"

Suddenly, as if on cue to answer his question, a dark shadow appeared at the corner of the corridor. And before he knew what was happening, a hideous monster materialized and whizzed passed them, before the darkness enveloped it once again.

…ordinary place." Heero finished with something that sounded vaguely like a squeak.

Wing let out an exasperated huff of air and assured him, "Don't you worry. Since I got you here, I will most certainly take full responsibility for your safety. If you die, I'll die with you. And right now, I have a very strong desire to live. Satisfied?"

Heero nodded grimly. He finally understood the dangers that lurked in here, and that leaving his mount would probably lead to his ultimate demise. But he knew he could trust Wing. *Knew*, being the operative word here. He wasn't so sure of him now.

Seeing his response, Wing added, "This is…"

"Wing!" A voice rudely interrupted his words. The white stallion whipped his head around to see who was approaching. He bellowed menacingly, in case of an attack. Suddenly, a blonde boy materialized out of nowhere and landed gracefully in front of them.

A grin - if that were possible for a horse- broke over Wing's face. He cried, "Quatre!" Trotting gingerly, he pulled Heero with him to his friend.

The boy smiled angelically in reply. "It's been long time, Wing. Where did you run off to? All of us missed you so much, especially you-know-who!" He teased with mock anger, standing arms akimbo.

Wing answered, a little sheepishly, "Gomen. I just carried out our ultimate plan for Duo."

"By Allah... You mean you actually did it?" He asked in surprise. Then he eyed Heero suspiciously. "So that," He pointed a finger at the boy, "is your result for almost half a year?"

Heero felt anger at those words. It made him feel as though he were some… some piece of experimental guinea pig. Well, maybe he was. He didn't know.

Then to his surprise, Quatre spoke again, "I think he looks fine. Personality wise, well, I don't know about that. You do have the weirdest of taste, and I don't always agree with you on such things. I just hope you know what you are doing."

Wing gave a triumph laugh and answered, "C'mon. Trust me. Duo is our master, and a kind one at that. I won't do anything stupid or hurting to him." Then, he neighed a little and stomped on the stone floor, his hooves crashed loudly, as though his cue to stop the conversation. "Enough of this Quatre. I want to present him to Duo now."

Before Quatre could reply, Heero butted in rudely. "Matte. Prince Duo? You mean the prince who was locked up in a mystical castle five years ago? The son of King Treize and the deceased Queen Zechs?" His voice dripped clearly with shock and amazement.

Wing turned to look at him. "Yea, that's right. You know him?"

Heero nodded. "Who doesn't? Everyone in the kingdom has heard about him and his imprisonment." He blinked. "Why did you bring me here, Wing? It's illegal! I can get executed for this!"

The stallion let out an exasperated huff. "To let you befriend him. Prince Duo is very bored and he is in dire needs of some company. The thing is, he wants new friends. Seeing our faces *only*, for full five consecutive years is kinda boring and it's getting on his nerves." He sighed, tail whishing dejectedly. "So I took it upon myself to go out and help him to find a suitable friend, since he can't do so himself. I was resting in the forest that day, when you stumbled upon me. After I found out that you actually have a knack for taking care of horses, I decided to give you a try, since our prince loves horses too. The rest is pretty much history."

The blonde boy shook his head mentally in disapproval. That wasn't exactly the truth. He never liked lying a lot, and certainly not to an innocent boy. But in his mind, he fathoms the need for it. 'A white lie, that's all. It won't hurt anybody. We'll tell him the truth one day, when the time is ripe.'

Wing's voice brought him back. He was explaining something to Heero again.

"So you see, I want you to meet my true master now. Come with me." He then proceeded to drag Heero along with him.

Heero shook him off, his temper flaring. "Chotto matte. You mean I can't even choose for myself?" Heero growled. He felt like some idiot that was being led into some trap. He hated the fact that he was fooled by Wing, supposedly his only friend. He also resented the fact that he wasn't given a choice. It was as though he was a piece of chess in a game, and he wasn't given the freedom to move where he wanted to. His route had been pre-decided by someone else.

Quatre frowned, stepping forward. "That's not possible, you know. This castle itself is fraught with dangers that no human, with the exception of the prince and us, his servants, can survive. Monsters, mazes, magical creatures and mystical powers will prevent you from wandering far and escaping. Even if you do, by chance, get out of the castle, you will have to face the harsh elements outside alone. Do not forget the fact that we are, after all, in the middle of a vast desert." He reminded sympathetically. "And since you know Prince Duo's tale, you probably know that the castle appears only in random spots of this desert. Considering the size, I won't be surprised if you end up in another country."

Wing consoled the poor boy. "C'mon. This place ain't not all that bad. Besides, you don't have any other family 'cept me. Stay with me here, along with my other friends. I promise you that you will enjoy our company." Then he slapped a hoof on the cold stony ground to emphasize his point, and also a cue to let Heero stop asking such questions.

Heero almost pouted. "I take that as a 'no'."

Wing and Quatre promptly nodded. Silence reigned as the cobalt-eyed boy contemplated his current state. The blonde boy broke the uneasy cessation of sound finally, after what seemed like hours. "Erm, I think it's better to let Heero meet the others first before we present him to Prince Duo. We should gather their opinions and then decide whether to let them meet."

Wing shrugged. "It's fine with me. Besides, I wanna see the guys too. It's been some time."

"Glad you know that." Quatre said with pseudo-annoyance. "Alright, let's go to the stables. They are most probably there now."

***

The ride to the stables was short, but it was enough to let Heero consider several issues. 'The stables? Are there more horses like Wing? Horses that can actually outtalk humans? Supposedly the cleverest being on earth? That is amazing…'

An acrimonious neigh broke him out of his stupor. It sounded like Wing, but more delicate and sharp. Suddenly, a pure black horse flashed out from nowhere. Landing right in front of him, who was currently riding on Wing, it turned on fierce eyes at them. However, after taking a closer look, he noticed that it was focusing on Wing instead of him. And those eyes looked as though they were hurt and wistful. Heero found himself involuntarily cringing at the diamond-hard gaze. Wing cleverly took a step back as well.

The black horse advanced, and its hooves made deafening sound as they clattered with the ground. Then it burst out like a volcano, "WING! What did you think you were doing? Leaving me behind? You heartless creature!" From its voice, it wasn't hard to guess that it was a female. And from her words, she probably had *a lot* to do with the white stallion.

Wing squeaked, his voice strangled, "Shini."

She countered, venom dripping from her voice, "You still remember me?" From the looks of it, she was *really* mad. If looks could kill, Wing was sure that he would be sporting some fairly serious injuries by now. He gulped.

"Course I do. I'll never forget you, Shini." Wing replied nervously. He knew that her wild mood swings were scary. "Simmer down. I just went out for a while to fulfill our plan for Prince Duo. It's your idea anyway."

At this, the black horse seemed to cool down a little. "Plan?" With a critical eye, she observed Heero warily. "Is he the one? Are you sure about that?"

Wing shrugged. "I dunno 'bout that. I just know that Heero here has what Prince Duo likes in a friend. I was just going to bring him to see him, but Quatre suggested coming to see you guys first."

Quatre took that as a cue to step forward and end the charade. "Right. C'mon Shinigami, let's proceed to the stables."

She nodded, and turned away. Wing quickly shoved Heero off his back and went after her. However, she seemed to enjoy giving him the cold shoulders.

Quatre placed an arm on Heero's shoulder and sighed amusedly, "Don't mind them, they're always like that. That black horse is Shinigami, Prince Duo's personal and favourite mount. By now, you should be able to guess her relationship with Wing."

"Lovers?"

He merely nodded. "Enough talk about this. I'll tell you more when we see the rest."

***

When they got to the stables, Heero almost died of a heart attack. The stables were crafted beautifully and skillfully. Suddenly, he felt as though the stable he owned was like the results of a kid's futile attempt at Lego. Out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted Wing tagging behind Shinigami, looking somewhat desperate as he tried and failed to get her to talk with him. The female black horse snorted, and kept walking around in circles, determined to frustrate her mate for abandoning her all those months ago. Heero could see that she was rather successful.

"C'mon Shini~! I sprinted back as soon as I heard you call outside! You should ask Heero just how fast I went! Man, I'm sure I beat some really good records!" He whined. Shinigami merely ignored him, but Heero could almost see the slight twitch at the corners of her mouth.

Just then, another horse came into the scene. It appeared to be yellowish, and intelligence shone within his eyes. "It's ok, Shini. Stop being so mean to Wing. He's just trying to please you, that's all! Didn't you miss him a lot? You kept chanting his name in our ears until we almost had to restrain you. Now that he's back, you start pushing him away?"

Shinigami hissed, "Sandrock!"

Wing snickered, then walked up to his mate and nuzzled her neck lovingly. "Suminasen. I won't do it again. I promise."

Quatre smiled at the lovey dovey. Those two horses seemed to have made kiss-and-makeup into an art. "You two get into the stables later, ok? Now's not the time. Get the others here first."

The two horses blushed furiously. Then the ebon animal pouted while Wing galloped off to find the rest of his friends. After a brief moment, they were all gathered in front of Heero.

"This is Heavyarms." Quatre introduced, pointing to a mount with reddish-orange fur. It had an air of a mustang of the wild lands, the epitome of freedom and wildness. At the mention of its name, it gave a curt nod. "And that is Trowa, his master." The brown banged boy took a careful step forward, and like his horse, merely nodded.

"And that is Shenlong with his master, Wufei." A boy with ebony hair stroked the mane of his fiery-red horse, protesting weakly, "Quatre, how many times must I remind you. It's not Shenlong. It's Nataku." The mount nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Fine. Gomen, Wufei." Quatre apologized. Then he whirled around. "This horse right here is mine. His name is Sandrock."

The horse smiled a little. "Nice to meet you." Heero nodded in reply, then he was gently led away by Sandrock as the rest began their discussion.

"Can he do it? He's so… quiet. You know how Duo hates that." Wufei reminded. It was a well-known fact that the prince, a lively and active person, despised silence most of the time. That was the reason for their presence. To entertain him.

"I beg to differ. He may not talk much, but he's got a way of communicating without words. His actions speak louder than any words you may have." Wing countered effortlessly. He had, after all, known Heero for a few months already. And being the boy's one and only friend, he became the sole receiver of those feelings lavished. Even then, he never spoke much because as he himself had said before, Heero's actions spoke louder than any words. Love was in the little things.

"I think it might work out. You see, since Duo is the active and loud one, and Heero is the quiet and more reserved one, they make up for what the other lacks. Take magnets, for instance. Like poles repel but different poles attract. They balance each other." Shinigami rationalized.

Nataku nodded thoughtfully. "I understand what you're worried about, Wufei. But Shini's right. It's possible."

"Wufei's worries are right. We should be more careful when handling Duo. If we should hurt his feelings accidentally, it might scar him for life. After all, his heart has been weak and fragile since his imprisonment. He can't withstand any more pain." Trowa remarked.

Quatre sighed wistfully as he recalled the first year of Duo's life here. He was like a porcupine that hurt everyone within his reach with his invisible quills, regardless of friend or foe. He barked, snapped and chided anyone who tried to talk to him. At the peak of his anger, he fought with the monsters that roamed the castle. Since they were designed to protect and not hurt the young prince, they were unable to fight back and many died, from the merciless punches and kicks delivered to their bodies. Sometimes, Duo would zap them with his magic. There had been a period where he got so agitated that he tried to kill himself with his magic, which was, quite fortunately, very weak. Ultimately, the sorceresses had to suppress his powers, rendering them quite useless. It wasn't even enough to kill a rat now. Everyone soon learnt to give in even more, understanding his bitterness. Eventually, Duo got tired of living his life that way, and made a change for the better. "I know that. But if we don't do something soon, I'm afraid worse things will happen. It was by a quirk of fate, and pure luck that Wing found someone. Usually the castle never appears near civilization. He was able to come back safe and sound too, a feat where no one else has ever achieved. This castle is isolated, Trowa. It's almost impossible to come back after you leave, unless you have a entry charm."

"I heard Shini's voice, and she guided me back here." Wing admitted sheepishly. The black mount smiled slightly, and leaned in close to snuggle against her mate tenderly.

"Minna-san!" Wufei cleared his throat to get everyone's attention back at him. "But he's a male! Are you trying to imply that Duo is homosexual?" He retorted again. He suddenly felt a possessive anger over his prince. Over the years, the Chinese boy had learnt to accept Duo as the brother he never had, and he was determined to protect and shield his otouto from all unnecessary dangers.

"Tell me then, Wufei. Just what is wrong with that? How is it wrong? Against your religion? Or against society's perception? Who decides what is wrong and right anyway? Humans are different from animals because they have emotions and feelings. They live according to their feelings and emotions. And if their feelings and emotions lead them to each other, then why fight it? Besides, isn't God about love? He chose to love every being in the universe back then, I don't believe that will change. God loves us. He won't condemn them for loving." Shinigami replied earnestly. "And don't you get it? He is Duo's only hope."

Heavyarms cocked his head slightly. "So what's your point, Shini? Accept him? Let him befriend Duo?"

The ebony horse nodded confidently. "Since we got him here, we must at least be responsible for him. It's impossible to let him go now. He'll die out there. The only thing we can do now is to let him meet Duo and pray that they'll become friends."

Wufei almost sulked as he crossed his arms. "But what if they don't?"

"We'll let them, no matter what the cost." Quatre answered coolly.

"We're choosing the tough road, eh?" Trowa commented casually, as he swept his bangs behind.

Nataku shook his head. "No. It's the only road."

"And what about princess? Who's gonna deal with her? You guys know that she's the one who runs the castle!" Wufei reminded.

"Don't worry about that. I've already got that covered. She has already given her word for this. We can just go ahead with our plan." Quatre assured.

Finally, all problems settled, the group of seven nodded to each other.

*****

"What's taking them so long?" Heero growled for the umpteenth time in the past few minutes.

Sandrock shook his head silently. 'Impatient.' He noted. It had been barely ten minutes! Diverting his attention to something else seemed like a good idea. "Where do you come from, Heero?"

The cobalt-eyed boy answered wearily, "The Dark Woods. I live there alone."

"Oh, I see."

Before he could ask anything else, Heero interrupted, "Why did Wing bring me here? Why me?"

Sandrock knitted his brows together and frowned. "Because…" He started, voice solemn. "You are the *only* person he can reach. This is unmei. Duo he… he is in dire needs of having a friend he can truly talk to." A call prevented him from elaborating. Not that he wanted to anyway.

"Sandrock!" The reddish-orange mount trotted to their side. "We've come to a conclusion. Bring him to Duo now."

The yellow horse nodded. "I understand. Come with me, Heero."

Quatre sprinted over to them. "I'm coming too." He stated flatly, then hopped onto his mount's back.

Heavyarms gestured for Heero to get onto his back. Heero complied, then the two horses shot out like bullets, in search of their prince.

*****

The beauteous sight of a vast garden greeted Heero. An endless waltz of colours dominated the area. The sun-kissed flowers bloomed gorgeously, swaying gently with the smoothing afternoon breeze. Roses, tulips, lilies, carnations, orchids, and so many other different breeds that Heero had never seen before. He felt like a puny ant, lost in a labyrinth of exquisite loveliness and luxurious extravaganza. Their sweet aroma spread far and wide, mesmerizing. Butterflies with wings so large and other attractive insects danced around as though the petals were their stage, and they were performing a musical of the highest standard. They dived into the thick bushes, then pounced onto their friends as though they were engaged in a playful game of tag. Birds landed themselves delicately onto the branches and sang melodiously. Their voices merged, forming a band of the best choir. Some flew to the edges for a cool, refreshing drink. Others soared into the skies, then swoop down onto the peaceful lakes for food. The fishes swam into the warm depths of their homes, safe from their predators. Every once in a while, they would rise to the surface and squirt a stream of water into the air, as though teasing the winged creatures of their inability. The more timid ones merely rose to the top for a glimpse of the outside world, then plunge back immediately, causing ripples on the otherwise tranquil lake. A fountain stood alone in the center, water spilling down in smooth cascades. Heero felt that he was in Eden, a garden of pure celestial magnificence and purity. A marvel of ancient construction, its brilliance shone with archaic illuminance.

In the center of the fascinating garden that stood before them, held a beautiful angel, shining with glorious luminance. The figure stood alone, in the epicenter of the magnificence, his angelic radiance far outshining the garden surrounding.

Heero was spellbound by the enchanting captivation. It was picturesque, and he didn't have the heart to break the magic. He paused to admire the scene that presently adorned his field of vision.

His chestnut tresses, more delicate than silkworms' prized asset, softer than any quills, hung down to his waist in a perfectly neat braid. Every strand glowered magically. His bewitching endless pools of amethyst sparkled with intelligence far surpassing his age; the violet irises twinkled with emotions, so expressive as though they had a life of their own. They shone with the glory of god, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. He had a pale, ethereal beauty, accented by long lashes and an elegant bone structure. Full, cherry pink lips adorn his heart-shaped face like garnish in a sumptuous dish. Heero was sure that even if he were wearing the shabbiest of rags, he could turn them into the rarest silk just with his charm. Not even the best artists could capture his glamour and radiance; no still picture can let anyone relieve his smiles. He was beautiful. No, beautiful couldn't do him justice. He was seraphic, angelic. And when he opened his mouth, Heero knew he was lost forever as torrents of emotions wash over him.

Sorceress Fantasia @ July 2000

Last revised 4th September 2000

Author's Note: Ok, so I've revised this chapter a little. Not much difference, but just a few changes here and there. The most important feature I've added is the hints of a new character. Throughout the chapter, you may have encountered the characters talking about a 'her' and 'princess'. I won't say much about her yet. She will make her debut in the next chapter. But I assure you that she has a big role to play in the next part of the fic.

And observant readers may notice that the portrayal of Hirde changed a little as well. She's more obsessive, I guess. The change here was to make way for the appearance of the new character. And Relena becomes Zechs' adopted sister for the same reason. So maybe from here, you can guess that Zechs is a *fairly* important character as well.

Lastly, thanks for the encouragement you readers gave me! I almost wanted to give up on this fanfic once, but I've passed that stage because of your encouragement! Arigatou minna-san! ^_^