Title: Desert Rose Part II: Harle's Debut

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

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

Warnings: Slight angst, evil Relena and Hirde, unsympathetic Trieze, OC, slight crossover (just borrowing one chara from Chrono Cross)

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. Harle is a character taken from Squaresoft's Chrono Cross. She does not belong to me either.

"Who is he?" Duo asked Quatre, in his soft tenor voice. He scanned the new boy suspiciously, like some housewife choosing and fussing over a fish in a wet market.

A wild, unruly mop of dark brown hair covered his eyes. As though responding to his silent question, a tiny shiver of breeze blew those bangs up, allowing him to catch a glimpse of those magnificent orbs. The endless cobalt depths drew him in, dismantled his defenses, and then he was falling into the starry depths that knew no limits... He just kept falling, falling, falling… Faintly, Duo recalled some friends with beautiful eyes he had ever seen in his short existence; Quatre's cerulean eyes glowed aquamarine with a faint green sheen, and Trowa's had been even brighter, but they were mere fireflies compared to the searing starfire of this boy's eyes. They burned brilliantly with passion, and unbeknownst to the prince, he was the fuel that allowed the continuous blazing. Eyes were the windows to one's soul, and Duo was gazing into the most beautiful soul he had ever beheld. Of course, he had always been wary of strangers, but this boy created a new type of impact on the young prince. Something about him made Duo willing to believe him.

'It's been too long since I've seen a new face.' He reasoned silently, as he recalled why his mind was making such a big fuzz over a small thing like this. 'Is it just me, or is he really upset?' He silently debated in his mind. Of course he was, his mind snapped hastily like a Venus flytrap. Who in the right mind could laugh in a situation like this? Trapped in the middle of a desert and far away from home? Duo agreed wholeheartedly, and felt a sudden twinge of sadness he thought he had long forgotten. Heero's current situation reminded him of himself. Trapped in the middle of a vast desert, not able to return home again. Wasn't he the same? Shrugging off the pessimistic thought, he made a mental note to introduce him to Harle. The girl always had a way of provoking laughter from anyone even in their bluest days, and did so often. It was hard to not feel happy with her around. She had 'cured' Duo when he first arrived five years ago. Surely she could do the same for Heero.

Then he took out his mind scheduler and made another mental note there. Hide him from Hirde and Relena. They would certainly be hopping mad if they found out that a stranger had barged into the castle, and incurring their wrath had never been the smartest thing to do. In Hirde's case, it might not be *too* bad, but for Relena… Well, if Lady Luck laughed at you, smiling isn't enough, you might be able to get away with a few burns from the bolts hurled at you. If Lady Luck turned her back on you, you might end up in the fireplace as a piece of black charcoal. Ok, maybe he's exaggerating, but it wasn't far from the margin. What an aunt he had. Sure, she may look weak and feeble, fragile even, but she definitely wasn't. Boy, was she *far* from that description. A very annoyed Relena = Devil. Perfect equation. But even so, he still didn't have the heart to abandon the poor boy in his current woeful situation and let him roam the dry desert sands alone; he wouldn't survive for more than a few days. From hunger or dehydration he didn't know, and he should give him a few shakers of pepper and salt, maybe even sugar to go with; who can say for sure that he wouldn't end up on the dining table of some monster out there? One thing's for sure, though. The boy has absolutely no chance of survival. There wasn't much of a choice, was there?

Quatre beamed in delight. He had been doubtful of whether a friendship could blossom between them, but now all doubts were cleared. He was very certain the two would make excellent friends, judging from their facial expressions. Besides, he could feel the current of electricity that run through their bodies with his uchuu no kokoro. Duo had never been very good at hiding his emotions. He was one of those people who wore their hearts on their sleeves. Of course, he himself wouldn't know… yet.

"My prince," The blonde boy replied in all politeness. "He is Heero, a wanderer of the lush Dark Woods. He stumbled upon Wing some time ago, and has managed to bring him back to our realm."

"Honto ni? Wing is back?" Duo broke into a wide grin. "Finally! So I guess Shini has found the best medicine to her loneliness, ne?"

"Of course, Duo-sama."

At that, Duo puckered up his lips in a frown and rolled his eyes in mock anger. "There you go again! Calling me Duo-kun, Duo-san, Duo-sama or what have you!" He crossed his arms in a taunting manner. "I've told you this so many times that I've lost count already! Don't call me that! I don't like it. Remember, Quatre. In my palace, there is no prince, no servants. All I have here, are friends who call each other by their names only. Get it?" The prince stated his point with wild hand gestures for emphasis.

Quatre shook his head, amused. "Hai." What a kawaii prince to serve.

Heero's thoughts were pretty much on the same track as Quatre's. Somehow, he had always had the feeling that royalty were snobs, with an air of arrogance and superiority around them. And because of that, hard to get acquainted with. From what he had previously heard, some members of the royal court abused their powers and did a lot of horrible things. For example, selling some poor souls to become maids or slaves even. And those were the lucky ones. The really unfortunate ones may be sold to brothels, or slain so as to act as a threat to his or her family. Oh, he had seen too much of those. After seeing and hearing so much, Heero started to despise the royalties or nobles very much, and learnt to steer clear of their paths. That was one of those reasons his family moved to live in the Dark Woods. However, this prince… this Duo was… different. He was such a huge contrast to those brutes, who thought that power and wealth was everything. Like a beautiful lotus, who sprouted in the murky waters of the muddy pond, grew out of the dirty mud untainted. He was still as clean as the day he was born.

Quatre ushered him forward with a little nudge, and motioned for Duo to do the same. The latter understood his meaning, and held out a friendly hand. "Konnichiwa, Heero. Just call me Duo. Glad to meet you." Too glad, he mused silently. It was time Duo got a new companion. Not that the others were boring, but they just aren't his cup of tea sometimes.

Heero took his hand, a little hesitantly. He wasn't sure how would he react when their flesh contacted. Slowly, their hands touched, and wrapped firmly around the other. The skin was smooth to his touch, and it was… addictive. Heero didn't want to let go, but still parted reluctantly.

Duo merely grinned widely, his gesture of welcome. Then he dragged the blonde to the side, leaving Heero standing there with Heavyarms and Sandrock. "So, what are we gonna do with him, Quatre? There's absolutely no way we can let Relena or Hirde or even my father find him here! They'll probably toast him alive! But we can't let him go either! He'll die in the desert heat and I don't want his death to be on my conscience."

Quatre smiled, assuring his worrisome heart, "Relax, Duo. Don't get so agitated; the day's hot enough as it is! They won't be coming so soon. We'll think of something by the time they come. And besides, Harle is coming back soon, isn't she? She can most certainly help solve this dilemma. In the meantime, why don't we just let him stay here for the time being? You could get used to a new friend too."

Duo nodded thoughtfully as he listened. What Quatre said does make sense. Since there really wasn't much he could do about, he might as well just deal with the situation step by step. Decision made, he bounced over to Heero and wrapped a playful arm around his and proceeded to drag him off. "C'mon! Let's go somewhere quiet and tranquil to talk!"

Heero looked positively surprised at the turn of events, but also rather satisfied. In fact, he reminded Quatre of a cat who had polished off several plates of cream.

Quatre and the two horses grinned widely, and made a discreet exit. All of them knew what was going between the two, and neither of them wanted to play gooseberry. Besides, they had a report to make to their friends.

*****

As they stepped into a small pavilion, Duo started talking. Actually, he had never stopped talking ever since he slung his arm around Heero's. Directing him to sit on one of the marble seats, Duo took the seat opposite to his.

"Heero? How did you arrive here? I know Quatre said that you took Wing back, but I have this sneaky suspicion that it was the other way round. Wing has always had the ability of getting into sticky situations and bailing himself out with his orthodox ways. Did he get you into trouble? Gomen nasai."

Heero thought bullets were whizzing pass him. The boy was talking way too fast. He held up an arm to stop the prince as he shook his head. "Prince Duo-"

Duo shook his head vigorously. "Duo. Call me by my name; it's fine, I assure you. And I shall call you Heero. *Just* Heero."

Heero nodded. "Duo." He paused, waiting for Duo's affirmation. He took Duo's nod as his cue to continue. "I found Wing in the forest weeks ago. I took him in because I thought he was some wild animal. He stayed with me for quite some time. Then I decided to release him when I discovered his longing to return to the place where he truly belonged. But before that, I wanted one last ride on him. However, he suddenly picked up speed, so fast that I almost couldn't hang on anymore. The next thing I know, here I am."

"Ohhh~!" Duo looked thoughtful. "I see." He put an arm on Heero's shoulder, "Trust me when I say I'm going to give Wing lessons about speed limits. Not to mention safety lessons too." Then he snapped his fingers as he recalled something. "How did you know his real name? Was it by luck? Or sheer coincidence?"

Before Heero could say a word, Duo butted in again. "Let me guess. The word just came into your mind when you wanted to name him?"

Heero nodded mutely, faintly surprised, even though something in his mind told him he shouldn't be. After all, what can you expect when horses can actually speak in the human language?

Duo blew his jagged bangs with an exasperated huff of air. "That Wing! Trust him to use his powers like this. Just wait till I get my hands on him. I'm gonna teach him another lesson on top of those two."

*****

*Back at the stables*

AAHHH- CHOOOOO!

Shinigami asked gently. "Flu?"

Her mate shrugged. "Who's talking bad about me?"

*****

*Back at the pavilion*

"Powers?" Heero echoed.

"Oh! I guess I should've told you 'bout this. Everyone in this castle has some sort of magic. This is, after all, a magically enchanted palace. For example, you know Quatre? He has a very powerful sixth sense that enables him to know if something bad will happen. To him, everyone is a book to read. He can feel the deepest of emotions of someone, even if his face is impassive. Quatre calls it his 'uchuu no kokoro'. And well, Wing is some sort of telepath. He can send messages to someone else within a twenty-meter radius through his mind. Then the receiving party hears it in his mind." Duo explained patiently. "I'll tell you one by one some other time." Suddenly, Duo looked thoughtful. "So, you're staying here right?" Duo asked, then immediately berated himself for asking such a stupid question. The answer was so obvious like a flea on a bald man's head. Heck, even the blind could see that it was impossible to leave. But then, he felt that he needed a reassurance that his new friend wouldn't leave. It wasn't as though he could meet someone new everyday.

Heero nodded. "I have no means of leaving here. I'd probably just die on the way." Not that he wanted to leave, anyway. Leaving the most beautiful angel just for the wooden walls of his house? That sounded downright idiotic.

"So, you wanna take a tour around the castle? It's huge, so it might take us the better part of the day. If you want to, we should leave now. I'll show you around." Duo offered helpfully. "And I can also find a room for you in the meantime."

Before Heero could speak, he was already dragged off again by an overly enthusiastic prince.

"Silence means consent!" Duo quipped gleefully.

*****

After a trip to the kitchen, the dining hall and other areas, Duo led Heero into the main hall. The place was luxuriously and tastefully designed. Milky white pillars stretched high above their heads, providing a firm support. An enchanting picture of stars and planets adorned the large ceiling. If one lay down on the ground, one would think one was staring into the night skies. And what was a palace without a royal seat? Two exquisite thrones sat peacefully at the other side of the room. The seat was made from some of the best wood Heero had ever had the chance of seeing in his entire career as a woodcutter. Velvet cushions apparently made the thrones very comfortable.

Duo stood behind him, and gestured for him to explore the place as he liked. Heero wandered around the room to see to his heart's content. Silently, he wondered how would it feel to live here? From what he had already seen, living here was probably rather comfortable, but also rather restricted. He wouldn't be able to wander too far out. His musing was suddenly interrupted by a melodious voice.

"Salut, Duo. Did you miss moi?"

Duo snapped his head back. Upon seeing the figure, he allowed a wide grin to break forth. Actually, he already knew who it was before he turned. Only one person in the entire palace would speak like that. And who else had that enthusiasm and life in their voice?

"Harle!" Duo chirped gleefully. It was a big relief that she was back. Life was getting a little boring without her.

The girl made an exaggerating curtsey, causing the bells on her hat to tinkle wildly. "Good day." She greeted respectfully. Duo played along, and gave her a just as exaggerating bow laughingly. As she rose, she noted the presence of a stranger standing beside the prince. She raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"Ooh-la-la! I see zat we have a stranger here, monsieur Duo." She looked only faintly surprised, as though she had expected this to happen. However, Duo failed to notice the strange behavior in his friend.

"Indeed we have." He ushered Heero forward. "Harle, I'd like you to meet Heero. And Heero, meet Harle." He turned back to her. "He took Wing back here, but now he's stuck with us." Then he went on to explain the whole situation in detail. Heero never knew one could talk this long. But Harle listened on attentively, and nodded at certain points in the long speech to show it. It was as though she was used to this.

As they spoke, or rather, Duo spoke, Heero took the opportunity to take a long good look at the girl. She was… well, in his opinion dressed in the weirdest of clothes with extremely striking colours. Her top was mostly scarlet, with a bit of gold and purple here and there. At the bottom of her purple skin-tight sleeves were two comically big red gloves that were too big for her small, delicate hands. Translucent material allowed one to see the outline of her long, slender legs that were covered in a soft and filmy azure blue silk, and the fabric was slightly flared for a loose look, but gathered at the delicate ankles. Her scarlet shoes curled up at the front, and the mouths were fringed with snowy white fluff. Two flaps of flowing red cloth, also each with a dangling bell at their edges, rested behind her back. She was also wearing a typical jester cap, with jingling bells and two fluff balls at the side. To top all of that, she also wore an incredibly thick makeup. It was as though her face was the canvas of a wild artist. Her face was white like a sheet, with black bringing out her beautiful eyes. Captivating ruby eyes that were deep, so endless, so full of secrets, and sparkling with intelligence far surpassing her age. Her eyebrows were also emphasized with a dark shade of ebony. A blue slash was drawn over one eye, and a red teardrop was drawn under her other. Her full lips were in an enchanting shade of royal purple.

Harle nodded thoughtfully once more as Duo finished, then eyed Heero like he was a piece of choice meat to be auctioned out. Circling the boy like a fierce predator about to pounce, she put in all her observation skills as though she were a scientist. Finally, she broke the silence. "Hmm, I suppose he'z staying here? Have you allocated a room for him? If you haven't, let moi help."

"It's ok, Harle. You need rest. After all, you just came back from father's. Oh yea." He snapped his fingers as he suddenly remembered something. "By the way, anything new?"

She shook her head dejectedly. "Sadly, non of note. However, I do gat'er zat Miss Hirde iz coming not this month but rather ze next, somewhere in ze middle. Miss Relena won't be here anytime soon eit'er. And so iz your father. I've asked zem about ze matter, and both admits zat it shall be at least two, three monthz before zey can come visit."

"Is that so?" Duo asked, not bothering to hide his gloominess. He missed his father deeply, and didn't he remember what day next Friday was? Maybe he didn't matter that much to his father after all…

Harle noticed the change in Duo's mood immediately, and tried her best to console him. "I shall be here, and so will ze otherz. We know w'at occasion iz coming. Do not worry, monsieur Duo."

The braided prince nodded mutely.

Blankly, Heero wondered what occasion were they referring to. New Year? Nah, that was a long time ago. Christmas? Nah, still a long way to go. Easter? No, that was just over. What could it be? Catching the knowing look Harle threw him, he knew he would be briefed about it later.

"That's settled, then. Well, let's get back to our little tour shall we?" Duo smirked at Heero. As usual, Heero was dragged off before he could voice his opinions.

Harle shook her head in amusement. The prince was always so forceful. A trait that ran in his family, she recalled. "It'z in hiz genez, I guezz." She remarked casually. As the two figures disappeared into the corridor, she stood akimbo and watched them leave. Huffing a sigh, she mused, 'Ze show iz finally on… And everyt'ing iz going according to expectationz, my friend…' With that last thought in mind, Harle turned away from the throne room and marched off in the opposite direction that Duo and Heero took.

Harle went back to her room immediately, but instead of taking a well-deserved rest, she walked up to a stonewall. She had far more important things to handle right now. Sleep could wait. After making sure she was alone, her hands searched the wall for a familiar button. Locating it, she pushed a well-disguised brick firmly, and a doorway suddenly opened beside the button she had pushed. Eyeing the entrance cautiously for a brief moment, she stepped inside the cold and damp passage. Gingerly, she made her way through effortlessly. Soon, she was at the other end of the secret passageway. She waited for a while, listening to the surroundings outside, before she decided that no one was present at the moment. Making sure one last time, she pushed another brick in and the door opened to let her out. Quickly, she sneaked into the shrine. In her mind, she knew she had to be quick for Duo was coming here as well, but had taken a longer way. The shorter route was only known to Harle, for she had been the one who created it. And she had made absolute sure that no one could detect its presence.

Scampering across the room, she anxiously made her way to a body-length mirror that had been the queen's favourite possession when he had been alive. Framed by a golden border, the round object hung peacefully from the wall. Reciting a spell, she placed one hand gently over the mirror. As the spell progressed, the object's surface started to ripple, originating from the contact of her hand and the mirror. When the spell was done, Harle leaped into the disrupted surface silently. Her figure soon disappeared, and the mirror's rippling stopped and assumed its usual tranquility, as though the event had been nothing more than sheer imagination.

*****

As soon as Harle vanished from sight, Duo came in, dragging in a more-than-happy-to-follow-but-pretending-not-to-be-Heero in with him. Once more, Heero was astounded by the beauty and luxurious place. Not to mention holiness too.

The room was wide, and the ceiling very high. Heero had a sneaky suspicion that Michaelangelo had visited this room and did the decoration for this room. The fascinating angels' painting on the ceiling, the skillfully done sculptures which seemed to be alive, and the archaic atmosphere. Out of the many beautiful sculptures, one was especially seraphic. The marble statue stood tall on an altar in the end of the room in all holiness. Cascades of waist-length tresses wrapped around his body, and his hands were held together at his chest as though he were praying. The figure also had a pair of seemingly soft wings. At its side were two other statues that portrayed the cupids.

"Wow…" Heero breathed out in awe.

"Beautiful, huh?" Duo asked. Heero could only nod in response.

"This shrine is dedicated to my mother, the deceased Queen Zechs."

At this, Heero turned to look at him. Taking this to be his cue, Duo further explained, "Maybe it's hard to believe, but Harle was the one who designed this place. The end results were really satisfying. She truly has the flair for interior design, eh? But actually, all of us were surprised when we first saw this place. It was like… mother had done up the place himself. Everything here was done according to my mother's preference and taste. For some reasons, Harle knew exactly what my mother would have done. She is really amazing, I tell ya. But honestly, none of us knows where Harle came from. Everything about her is a mystery. The only thing we know is her name and age."

"Then how did you find her?"

"We didn't find her. Mother did. He had gone to the mountains alone to mediate, only with his favourite mount Tallgeese. When he arrived back in the palace, he had taken her along and took her in. Despite father's repeated queries, mother refused to say anything about her, except that she can be trusted wholeheartedly. And he insisted that Harle should be with me anytime, anywhere. Eventually, mother bestowed the title of Princess Harlequin upon Harle. And that's where Harle got her name from. It's short for Harlequin. We don't know her real name either. Harle wields a lot of power in the court. That's the reason she has to make occasional visits to the court to help out. According to mother, the title she gave Harle makes her status on the same level as mine. She's sorta like my guardian. In this castle alone, she has the highest status besides me. But honestly, I have to listen to her as well. Even on his deathbed, mother instructed father that Harle should settle everything in my future castle, which turned out to be here. So as you can see, everything here was done up by Harle. She decided on the materials, the décor, the furniture and whatnot. That's why she knows the castle better than any of the others."

Heero looked thoughtful. "But don't you find it weird? That Queen Zechs would just take a child in so suddenly?"

Duo nodded vigorously. "I've asked mother so many times I've lost count, but he never says anything about the issue. He just told me to listen to Harle, and do whatever she says. Especially after he dies. Mother made it sound as though he *knew* he was gonna die soon. Harle came into the palace when she was nine, and I was only seven. She's been with me ever since."

"Have you seen her without the makeup?"

Duo shrugged. "Nope. She's been wearing the makeup since the day mother took her back to the palace. Harle has never, ever let anyone seen her without the makeup. It's her rule, no one's supposed to question her about that."

"That is… so… so…" Heero struggled to find the appropriate word.

"Strange? Mysterious? Bizarre?" Duo offered helpfully.

"Somewhere there. Don't you ever ask her about her heritage?"

"Used to. But she doesn't say anything helpful either. She always a way to get out of that. I've grown used to that. Don't worry about her. Harle's a nice person. You can trust her with anything. Really." Duo assured. "Everyone's got to have their secrets, if you know what I mean."

Heero nodded. "I understand."

"Enough said about that! Go on and see the room yourself. Harle did a really good job for this one."

After a few minutes, Heero noticed the presence of a fairly large mirror, the very same one Harle had gone into. "Your mother's?"

Duo grinned widely. "Yep. Mother loved this mirror a lot when he was alive, that's why he instructed Harle to put it in here. So there."

"I see." Heero responded, then went back to view the mirror. Somehow, he felt that mirror was special, and that it was more than just a mirror. However, he couldn't put his finger on what was that. It wasn't prediction, nor was it foretelling. It was a feeling of foreboding. It is something mystical, something magical. No matter what, Heero knew that the object was more than just an ornament.

Before long, he was dragged off again by the over enthusiastic prince. As he was pulled along, Heero threw a backward glance at the mirror then marched off with Duo.

Once they had cleared the room, the mirror's surface rippled again. Suddenly, Harle jumped out and landed gracefully on her feet. Gaining full balance, she turned towards the doorway which Duo and Heero had just left from mere seconds ago. Crossing her arms confidently, a cool smirk cracked onto her face.

"… …Pretty sensitive." Then she glanced back at the mirror. "Am I right, Zechs?"

The mirror emitted a cold glow.

*****

After an incredibly long tour, Heero was finally shown to his room. Although plain, the room was well furnished. He had everything he needed. A couch, a wardrobe, a desk, two cushioned chairs, and even a bathroom to himself! He hadn't had the energy to check it out yet, and he wouldn't be surprised if there was a Jacuzzi bath inside. But the best of all was the deluxe bed. Heero thought he could hibernate on that comfortably for a couple of years. Never had he seen such a beautiful and snug bed.

Lying lazily on the bed, he stretched himself to full length. What a traumatic day he had gone through, and now was high time for him to take a little rest… or so he thought. A knock on his door told him that his sleep would have to wait a while more.

"Coming!" He called grouchily. Then he trudged over. Pulling the door open, a familiar face greeted him.

Before he could say anything, the girl spoke, "Are you not going to let moi in?"

Dumbly, Heero stood aside and held the door to let the girl brush past. As she sat herself down in one of the chairs, Heero closed the entrance to his room. Then he sat down in the other chair as she motioned for him to sit as well.

"Shall I call you monsieur Heero? Or doez Heero sound better?"

"Heero is fine."

She gave a soft nod, and spoke her mind before he could. "Perhapz you are wondering why am I here. Or perhapz you already know. W'atever it iz, I want you to listen carefully to w'at I am going to say."

That got a nod from Heero. She continued.

"I know why you are here. It'z not very surprising t'at Wing would do somet'ing like zat. I had expected it to happen sooner or later. Zerefore, I am prepared to help you adjust to ze life here. I do wish you will cooperate wit' moi." She paused, waiting for a response.

Getting another nod, she added, "First off, although zis iz a palace, monsieur Duo doez not like lawz or whatzoever. Zus, you are free to do what you like. Zere iz no need to bow, or to kneel. However, I do hope you will know your limitz and not go overboard. Second, ze palace is filled with monsterz. It does not attack uz, but you *are* a new face." Handing Heero a chain, she explained, "Zis will keep the monsterz off you. W'atever you do, be cautious. You are fully responsible for your own safety."

Taking the chain, Heero noted the presence of a silver pendant hanging on the chain. Nodding, he fastened it around his neck silently. Of course, he had his queries, but he wanted to wait till she had finished.

"Next. Since you are not suppozed to be here, you have to hide yourself when visitorz arrive. Best to stay here. Getting seen by anyone other than uz can cost you your darling little life. Understand?"

Once she had gotten her usual response, she stood up and headed for the window. Turning around, she faced Heero once more, her back now facing the opening. "Laztly, take note zat hurting monsieur Duo will definitely cost you your life. All of us are sure of zat, and I will be ze first to do so. When I say 'hurt', zat includes both physically and mentally."

For the first time, Heero spoke, "I won't. I promise."

Seeming satisfied with the answer, she walked past him to the door. Before opening it, she looked back. "By ze way, monsieur Duo will be celebrating hiz sixteenth birthday next Friday. You may want to prepare somet'ing for him. Anyt'ing will do. I will keep you updated about our planz for zat day." As she finished, she opened the wooden door.

However, before she could leave, Heero stopped her. "Wait. I want to know something."

Harle gestured for him to go on.

"Where do you hail from?"

Harle looked faintly surprised, but managed to maintain her composure. "I see zat monsieur Duo haz told you quite a bit about moi. Ze place where I hail from? Let'z just say it'z where you will one day go."

Heero didn't quite understand, but decided that Harle wouldn't reveal anything more, so he moved on, "What do you mean by you aren't surprised by Wing's actions? And that you had expected my arrival?"

With her arms crossed, she wriggled a finger, "Sorewa… himitsu desu."

"I want to know." Heero stated plainly.

Standing akimbo, she grinned slyly. "Ziz iz how human'z are. Zey dislike being kept in ze dark. But it seemz zat you don't understand. Sometimez, it'z better to not know anyt'ing. A secret iz a secret because it shouldn't be known. It iz dangerouz, yet wit' a certain amount of excitement. Zat iz why humans wish to know other'z secretz. Secretz are dangerouz, and so are ze people who hold ze secretz."

Heero had a hell of time trying to keep a straight face. The fact that Harle resembled an epitome of darkness didn't make the task any easier.

Suddenly, she chuckled. "Now you know." Then, smiling wistfully, she replied. "Zere are some t'ings better left unsaid… for now…" The last word was barely a whisper. With that, the door slammed shut.

Sorceress Fantasia @ 29th August 2000

Last revised 4th September 2000

Author's notes:Gomen for taking so long! So how was it? I accept all comments, but no flames. Flames will be used to feed my fireplace.

What do you people think of the new character here? Harle is a character I borrowed from the game 'Chrono Cross', which I am currently addicted to. I have to explain a little about her. Basically, I'm just borrowing her only, but this fic has absolutely no connection to the game. It's just that I like Harle too much and couldn't resist the idea of putting her here. Besides, thought I might need a court jester, so… ^_^;;; Oh yea, I'm not trying to be funny with Harle's French accent, I took it right out from the game itself! BTW, her name is actually short for 'harlequin'.

Lastly, take note that I will be taking a break from my fanfic writing because I'm having my major examinations soon and a lot of mini tests here and there. Sumimasen. I will resume in around mid October to December. That depends on how much you guys write to me! Kidding! ^_^