Title: Desert Rose Part III: The Oath

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.

Note: I live on comments. Oh yeah, and the first part of this chapter begins with Harle's flashback.

*Start flashback*

"How has he been these few months, Harle?"

The jester replied casually, "He iz fine. However, hiz birthday iz arriving, and he wantz you to be with him."

The king's eyebrow knitted together as he frowned. Shaking his head, he answered, "As much as I have tried to keep my schedule free for next week, the chancellor does not agree to it. He is keeping me busy with many things. I'm afraid I can't make it."

Harle sighed. "King Trieze, it haz been nearly eight monthz since Duo saw you. He mizzez you terribly. Are you positive that you cannot make it? He will be very disappointed if you do not attend hiz birthday party."

Trieze smiled dejectedly. "I'm sorry to say this, but I really can't make it. Tell him that I send my most sincere apologies. I promise I'll visit soon. Maybe in November. But don't worry, Harle." He quickly added, as he noticed her frowning visage. "I've made arrangements for his present. Please take it with you when you return. But make sure you give it to him only on his birthday itself. Not earlier, not later." He instructed.

Harle merely nodded.

Then he reached into his side pocket, and fished out a small gem. "I heard that this gem is a really good lucky charm. I thought that its colour matches Zechs' eyes, so I bought it for him. Do me a favour and bring it to him. Place it inside his shrine."

She nodded again. "I understand." Although she had never openly admitted it to anyone, she was green with envy with Zechs. To have someone who loved you so deeply wasn't easy. And death never did them part; they were still together, in mind if not in body. This sort of true love was what she and Zechs had been looking out for the braided prince. And after eight long years, there had been no results of any kind. Quatre and Trowa seemed to be hooked together already, and Wufei… well, he once had a fiancée. So that meant that he preferred girls.

Suddenly, a knock interrupted her line of thoughts. "Come in." Trieze called. The door to Trieze's courtroom opened, and two young ladies stepped in cautiously. They bowed and spoke gently, "My lord."

He nodded. "Good morning, ladies. Are all preparations done?"

Hirde stepped forward. "Yes sir. The present for Prince Duo has already been wrapped up." She took it out and handed it to the king.

It was a small package, no bigger than his palm. Yet inside, Harle knew it would be something priceless to the prince. It never was awfully hard to guess what the young prince was thinking. The king handed it to her, and she accepted it with extra care. "I will give it to him personally on hiz birthday, King Trieze." She assured him. Then, she turned to face the two sorceresses. "Do you two want moi to take your presentz to Mon Duo?"

They snorted. "Why do *we* need your help? We can do it ourselves. But not this month. We are busy with the kingdom, unlike you. Tell him we'll visit him soon, somewhere next month." Relena spat mercilessly.

The jester merely smirked. "By asking moi to tell Duo zat, aren't I helping you two?"

"You!" Relena ground her teeth in anger. Hirde ignored her friend's antics. She spoke, "I appreciate your help, Harle, but I'll prefer to hand the gift to him myself. It's better that way. Besides, I want to see him to see how's he doing. I haven't seen him for a long time."

Harle grinned. "Affirmatively affirmative."

In an attempt to lighten the atmosphere, Trieze asked, "What are you giving Duo, ladies?"

Relena crossed her arms smugly. "I came across this top quality silk, and I have sent it to the best tailor in the country. I designed it though. The set of clothes is probably done, and I'm collecting it later this afternoon."

The king nodded. "Hmm, nice idea Relena. What about you, Hirde?"

The dark haired girl smiled. "I spent months on this present and I'm sure it'll good for him. It's a potion that I've just created. It will help his hair gain a shiner look and make the locks softer than quills. Besides that, it smells like durian[1] ! He'll love it!"

'Durian…?' Harle grimaced slightly and sweatdropped.

However, the king was oblivious to her response. Instead, he looked impressed. "That is clever of you, Hirde." Then he looked at Harle. "Harle? What about you?"

"Moi? Well, a surprise iz a surprise. I can't tell."

Trieze raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "Fine with me. I know I can trust you with this."

Relena's grin grew even wider, until Harle almost thought that her jaws were going to break off. "Trust her? I bet she hasn't prepared anything." She taunted.

The other sorceress hushed. "Relena." She shook her head disapprovingly. Sometimes, she just couldn't stand her friend. She was an adult, for goodness sake! So why can't she behave like one? Who in the world would be so stupid as to show their disdain for someone so clearly? It certainly makes backstabbing and plotting against the person a lot harder.

After all these years, one would think the two sorceresses would have already learnt to act innocent. However, one look at Hirde gave all her evil ploys away. Harle ignored Relena's crude remark. "May I be excuzed?"

Trieze gave her the permission, and she strode away after bowing respectfully to the king, leaving the trio to discuss. Thinking back on what the two had said, she kept back a snigger. What presents they were giving. How *creative* those two could get. Looks like she's a step ahead of those two blockheads. The results of that one step ahead caused Duo's wardrobe to be full of silk shirts made by her personally, and his bathroom filled with potions of shampoo. Also courtesy of herself. Knowing how Relena is, Harle knew the silk shirt would surely be in a shade of baby pink, coincidentally one of those few colours Duo… well… And for Hirde, well, she rested the case. Didn't she know Duo well enough to know that he hated durian? She dismissed those thoughts and set for home. Her business in the castle was all done.

*End flashback*

*****

Harle lay down on her bed, totally zonked out. Propping herself with her elbows, she eyed the little gift box the king had prepared for Duo. Although she had said nothing about it, she was pretty curious about the contents. But she viewed it as a Pandora's Box; see, but no touch. She snickered as she recalled that day in the palace with the two sorceresses and the king. Having the two sorceresses as her opponents were hardly as challenging as she had wanted them to be. It wouldn't be terribly hard to knock them down. Relena was the easier one; at least she showed her hatred on her face. Unlike her friend, Hirde kept all evil thoughts concealed and always put on an act, as though she was the ultimate good guy. Harle felt pity for the girl; she should just give up sorcery and become an actress instead. She was absolutely sure that the dark-haired girl would win an Oscar.

Thinking of them made her remember the plans for next week. She made a mental note to discuss it with the rest. From what she heard from Shini, they had planned out the main gist, but they still needed some help from her.

"I guess kidz will alwayz be kidz. They'll never grow up." She teased gently. But in her mind, she knew that they had all matured through the years. Especially after that dreadful period of time when they had first arrived in this isolated castle. Being the prince's personal servants, they had to accompany Duo here. And so did herself. But her case was different.

And while the rest, including the prince himself, could never, ever leave the castle (or rather a prison in their case), she had the ability to leave as and when she fancied. Returning wasn't a problem either. That was the privilege of being the Queen's adopted daughter, and not the King's. Besides, her help was needed in Trieze's royal court. She had been granted the royal pendant from the King for this purpose. However, she knew that even if she didn't have the jewelry, she wouldn't have any problems either. The magic barrier those two dim-witted sorceresses cast weren't enough to hold her back. Not at all.

If they wanted to truly keep her inside, they'll have to do a lot better than this.

A lot better…

*****

"What have you people planned for monsieur Duo'z birthday party?" Harle interrogated the three boys and five horses in front of her. If they needed her help, then she would need to know what has already been planned.

Quatre replied effortlessly, as though prepared, "We did prepare, but now that Heero's here, we've got to change plans a little to accommodate him as well. As usual, we'll start the day by praying in the Queen's shrine. It will last until around early afternoon."

Sandrock picked up from his master. "And the celebrations will start in the evening…"

"Starting with a sumptuous dinner…" Heavyarms added.

"…with us doing the music." Nataku chirped in.

"Then, we'll let Heero and Duo dance…" Shini quipped.

"…while creating the atmosphere in the meantime…" Trowa continued.

"And viola! They'll get together!" Wing cheered gleefully. Then he gulped as he noticed everyone's eyes were on him. He did enjoy being in the limelight, but not this way. He smiled nervously as he squeaked, "…No?"

"Of course not. Things are not so easy." Wufei rebutted.

Harle nodded. "Exactement. We have to let ze two boyz get clozer zis few dayz first if we want zem to dance together."

Quatre agreed. "Sis' right. Things aren't that easy. We have to help them out a bit. Get them to know each other better, at the very least."

"But how?" Wing queried.

Shini rolled her eyes in frustration. "That's what we are gonna discuss, you dolt[2]!" As much as she loved him, there were times when she just couldn't stand him.

Her mate pouted sadly. It wasn't his fault that he didn't know a lot of things. Unlike other masters, Harle seldom talked to him about herself. Even though Wing was assigned to her to help her as a companion and provide another helping hand in times of need, he knew she never needed any. She was more capable than him, he admitted disappointedly. On the other hand, she seldom taught him anything either.

Harle sighed. "Zat waz a terribly terrible t'ing you said to Wing."

But she still protected him. It seems that their roles were reversed right from the start. She should be his guardian instead. He had no objections to that.

After a brief exchange of hugs and kisses between the two soul mates, they went back to the business at hand.

"Honestly, I have zis feeling zat they won't be needing much help from uz… But we're still going to carry out our planz." Harle stated clearly.

Everyone nodded knowingly.

"So zis iz w'at we are going to do… … ... …" Harle kept the plan concise and brief. That kept everyone focused more easily. But she knew it wasn't really necessary, because all of them were serious about this. All of them were just as protective towards Duo as she was.

"Is Heero going to be badly injured?"

"Of courze not. I'll make sure he won't."

"Sis, are you sure the plan won't backfire?"

"Let'z just pray it won't." She finished quite simply. If it did backfire, it would prove that Heero wasn't cut up for the role, and she would send him away right away.

*****

Heero laid flat against the stonewall of the corridor, breathing heavily. Cautiously, he took a brief peek at the other side of the corridor. All clear. Nobody was present. Specifically, Duo the prince. The over enthusiastic, hyper active, super vivacious young prince. One more moment spent with him was going to cost his life, Heero thought.

'Coast's clear.' He observed. After making absolute sure that no one was at the other corridor, he snucked over gingerly. This process was repeated several times. Walk along a corridor while sticking close to the wall, peek at the other side, then sneak over. It was a good ten minutes later when Heero finally reached his destination.

It was a quiet end in the massive garden. He was pretty sure that Duo wouldn't find him here. The cobalt-eyed boy leaned against the wall for a moment, then sank down heavily onto the ground. Breathing heavily, not because of fatigue, but instead because of the clingy prince. Was he some kinda parasite?

Maybe, Heero felt as though his lifeblood was being sucked out bit by bit. So exhausted was he that he just wanted a moment of peace to rest. Not that he really minded the liveliness clearly shown in the braided boy, but… didn't he need a rest? Even if he didn't, Heero did. After all, Heero had never had much human contact ever since he moved into the Dark Woods. And now, this ultra-active prince was a little too over the edge. Too much contrast in their personalities was proving to be something kinda… wretched. He never was exactly very gregarious.

However, Duo's outgoing personality led him to think about his past life in the woods. True, life was simple and free back there, no constrictions, no rules to abide. Neither did he have to pay income tax. However, the feelings he had there were dark and lonely. This place was different. A lot livelier, brighter, friendlier. Also, something in him told him that he would have missed out a lot in life if he had not arrived here. A feeling so profound he could feel it in his veins.

He guessed he would.

After a good bath of sunlight, Heero stood up and stretched himself fully, reveling in the comfort of the action. Perhaps a change of scenery would do him some good. Still in deep contemplation, he walked away.

From a dark corner of the garden, a pair of carmine irises glowed slyly as they followed Heero's departure. A ray of sunlight shone onto the silver pendant the stranger held tightly. The plan was in full swing.

*****

Heero wove through his way through the myriad of plants, and succumbed to the cool comfort of the shade the pavilion provided. He slid into the wooden benches with ease. It was only on second glance did he realise that this was the same pavilion he and Duo had had their first conversation. Was that barely three days ago?

After that conversation, the braided boy had been clinging onto him every day, every hour, every minute, every second. Didn't he get bored? Apparently not, Heero mused.

A low growl interrupted his reverie. Heero immediately whipped his head around, and widening cobalt blue met gleaming obsidian. The dragon stepped forwards menacingly, and was soon joined by two more. They snarled threateningly, advancing. Heero took a careful step back, and clutched at the silver pendant Harle had handed him. Silently, he wondered if it was really that useful. Keep the monsters in the palace away from him. Ha, explain this situation please. However, to his sheer amazement, the pendant wasn't in its usual spot hanging at his neck. Now he understood why he was caught in this sticky situation. Obviously, he had dropped it somewhere in the palace. 'Kuso…' He cursed. Quietly, he thanked all the gods he could think of that he had learnt some self-defense before. Perhaps those lessons would save his skin this time. Or at least, he hoped they would.

Without warning, they lunged at Heero. He immediately dived for the sides, missing the dragons' powerful claws by barely an inch. Not giving him a chance to catch his breath, one of the dragons turned around, sweeping its potent tail at the area behind him blindly. Heero was caught by surprise and was unable to duck. The great force of the tail sent him flying into the air, crashing into the walls. Falling onto the terra firma, he groaned in agony and pain. Shakily, he stood up again. He managed to stagger a few steps, then cleared his head quickly. He would need all the concentration he could afford.

The winged creatures gnarled wildly, and dived once more. With amazing speed, Heero rolled away to the side dexterously. Summoning up all his strength, he begun to dash to the safe recesses of the castle. Perhaps he would meet someone inside. No matter how much his pride wouldn't allow him to scream for help, he fathomed he needed some right now or risk losing his life. Dying now wasn't worth it. As he scampered across the garden, one of the mythical beasts roared ferociously and flapped its wing powerfully, lifting itself into the cerulean skies. It soared mightily, its gigantic shadow casting an ebony veil across the ground. For one moment, Heero thought it was about to rain. The next thing he knew, the beast had swooped down and attempted to make meat paste out of him. Fortunately, the dragon had not aimed accurately, and stomped onto the terra firma beside his target instead. However, that impact created was enough to make the ground shake and for Heero to lose his balance. The cobalt-eyed boy stumbled and fell face first onto the ground. He writhed painfully. By then, the other two creatures had arrived. One dragon decided to end this little charade. Fiery red flames of hell gathered at its mouth. It leaned forward, and spat hot burning flames. The intense scorching flames licked Heero's body. He almost cried as he suffered in the tormenting inferno blazing.

Heero struggled to survive, then his father's words rang through his mind. 'Death is the road God gives you that will lead you to heaven.' Perhaps by dying, God would be bringing him to a 'better' world. But had he chosen it? No, he wanted to live. It's just not fair. There were so many things he wanted to do. He wanted to understand Duo; he wanted to talk to him, he wanted to hear him laugh, cry, get angry, to find that piece of himself within Duo… Just as Heero thought he was going to die at the mercy of these beasts, a desperate voice called out to him.

"HEERO!"

In his dazed stupor, Heero thought he saw an angel coming to his rescue. An angel with violet eyes and a chestnut braid.

Then he blacked out.

*****

'Li…ght… Light…' Heero blinked a few times, before his vision finally focused on the worried-stricken face hovering above him. 'Am I dead?' He asked himself. Gazing into those magical purple orbs, he thought he had died, and was received by the Lord's finest angel.

The angel exclaimed, "Oh god! You're finally awake! You're been out for almost the whole day!" He let out a sigh of relief, and his features relaxed considerably.

"Duo?" Heero rasped, surprised at how dry his lips were.

The braided boy hushed, "No, don't speak now." Then he took an ice cube and softly rubbed it on the injured boy's lips. Heero reveled in the gentle act.

After much of the ice had melted, Duo let Heero swallow it. He dipped a small piece of towel into the cool water basin beside him, then wrung it dry before folding it into a small rectangle. Gingerly, Duo wiped away the beads of perspiration on Heero's face. Then with a soft voice, Duo started to talk.

"I'm really sorry that this happened. You see, the dragons didn't recognise you at all. And you weren't wearing the protective pendant Harle gave you. They mistook you for an intruder. I'm really, really sorry." Duo apologized, clasping his hands in front of him and his eyes shut. It was as though he was praying to the now injured Heero.

Heero shook his hand slightly. "If you continue to pray like that, you might as well burn some incense paper to go with it. You're making me feel as though I'm already dead."

Duo stuck out a tongue sheepishly. "Oops, sorry if I offended you." As if he hadn't in the past few days.

"'S ok." Heero answered softly. 'What's wrong with him now? He's so gentle and considerate. Normally, he's noisy and nosy like nothing else matters.' He was about to say something more, when Duo butted in.

"Take this." A silvery pendant fell from his loosely curled fist, but he still held the chain. "I guess you dropped it cuz' Harle found it in the garden[3] after we carried you here." As he spoke, he placed the object in question on the table next to Heero's bed. "I'll put it here first. Remember to put it on first thing in the morning, 'k?"

The cobalt-eyed youth nodded in affirmation. There were other things in his mind that he wanted to ask Duo, but he felt as though a herd of elephants had trampled over him and a tornado swirling in his mind. It boiled down to one thing. His injuries hurt. A lot. Wincing, he released a small groan of agony.

Duo took it as a cue. "We'll talk when you're better. Go to sleep now. I'll be staying here to keep you company. Besides, you need someone to nurse you. The guys are busy tonight." He explained.

Heero nodded mutely before dozing off.

Duo smiled resignedly. He would have to lose sleep tonight. With his slender fingers, he brushed Heero's unruly bangs aside. 'He looks so much like a child when he's asleep.' He thought to himself as he studied his face. The fire standing on the little table beside Heero's bed flickered, its glow shining onto Heero's face.

Removing the towel from his friend's forehead, he wet it again with cool water. Wringing it dry, he folded it and placed it back onto Heero's face. Leaning back into his chair, he mused.

'How interesting. Most would have shrieked out in horror if confronted by a creature thrice his size, but not this guy. A creature? I make it three. Although he didn't fight back, at least he managed to survive long enough for help to arrive.' He made a mental note to teach Heero some weaker magic for self-defense. 'A brave person, I would say the least. Is it because he's a commoner?' Now that he thought about it, Heero was the first person he had ever met that wasn't related to the royalty one way or another. Even Harle was considered to be part of royalty. Heck, she was his adopted sister!

Making up his mind, Duo was determined to find out how the peasants lived, and Heero would serve to be his storyteller. With that thought in mind, he continued to nurse Heero throughout the night. He changed the towel repeatedly, and wiped away his perspire. On some occasions, he would whisper words of comfort into his eyes when Heero starting to whimper in his dreams. Other times, he would fan him back to sleep when he got a little restless.

After making sure that Heero fast asleep and comfortable, he slipped out of the room. He knew he had promised to stay with Heero, but he had things on his mind that he needed to consult a friend.

*****

Duo flew down the steps and dashed his way to Harle's bedroom. He wanted to return to Heero's side as soon as possible. Out of sheer responsibility or purely concern he didn't know. But he just wanted to get back to him fast.

Knocking -or pounding in his case- on the door, he called, "Sis! Are you awake?"

After a brief shuffling of sound, the door opened. Duo quickly stepped in, noticing that Harle was seated on her bed. However, she was still with her makeup and her jester clothing. Apparently, she had just arrived back in her room.

"Even if I were, I would have woken up from your poundingz." She answered resignedly, but with a hint of teasing.

Duo smiled sheepishly. It wasn't really his fault for being impatient sometimes. "Erm, am I disturbing you, sis?"

She shook her head. "No. I just came back from ze cages. We've locked ze t'ree dragonz up; Trowa will deal wit' zem first t'ing in ze morning. Zose creatures will be disciplined accordingly." She assured her brother. Then, seeing the worried frown on his face, she asked, "Anyt'ing'z ze matter?"

Duo started, "Well… I'm worried for Heero."

"Worried?" She echoed, frowning.

He nodded. "I know this attack was just an accident, but will it happen again? Sure, we can save him, but if we had arrived there any later… It may happen a second time, or even a third. Can we always rescue him on time?"

"Do not worry. I will make sure zat he will get a more powerful pendant, one zat he will not lose. In addition, we can also teach him some weaker spellz to let him defend himself. Zis iz not a difficult probleme."

"What about Relena and Hirde? And my father? They'll skin him alive if they find him here!"

Harle gazed at him seriously. "Duo, do you enjoy hiz companionship?"

"Huh?" Duo exclaimed, puzzled. Why would she ask something like this?

Seeing the confused expression, she added, "If you enjoy hiz company, zen go ahead. Let him stay. Place all your worriez and prohibitionz on my tab, and also the consequencez; I'll take care of everything. Trust moi, Duo."

He hesitated for a brief moment, then nodded. "Thanks a million, sis. I love ya."

"I know."

*****

Just as quietly as he had minutes ago when he left the room, Duo slid back into the darkness of Heero's bedroom. Panting a little from dashing all the way back here, he slumped into the chair by the bed.

After a few more changing of towels and whatnot, Duo decided it was enough. Heero should be fine by now. Finally, he gave in to exhaustion and blew out the candle. Putting his head on Heero's bed, he left for dreamland, but not before muttering a faint 'Oyasumi'.

Unbeknownst to him, Heero was awake. After hearing the soft snores that came from the braided boy, he snapped open his eyes. Smiling down at the sleeping figure, he patted his head lovingly. He knew Duo had left the room some time ago, but he didn't blame him. Duo had already done a lot for him. Tonight, he had seen the gentle and special side of the prince, and he wanted to see it more often. But he knew. They would get closer in the days to come.

One thing he didn't understand was his last thoughts before he slipped into unconsciousness after the dragons' attacks. Why did everything revolve around the braided prince? Even brainstorming didn't do him any good. But it was okay. There would be time for him to understand. Somehow, something inside of him told him that they would be together for a long, long time.

Yawning, he whispered, "Thank you for tonight. Oyasumi." Then slipped back into oblivion.

*****

Quatre gazed sadly at the enormous cage that currently held the three massive brutes responsible for Heero's wounded condition now. They emitted a soft growl to indicate their displeasure and confusion as to why they were locked up. Theoretically, they had done nothing wrong. There had been an intruder and it was their duty to kill him. As to why they were caged up here now was a mystery for them to solve.

The blonde Arabian sighed. He shut his eyes, and concentrated[4] . 'I'm sorry you three became our scapegoats. We'll let you out tomorrow. We had to put up a show for Duo.'

The huge winged lizards seemed satisfied with the answer, and started to quiet down much more. Knowing they would have nothing to do before they could go, they started to curl up against one another snuggly and get some shut-eye.

Trowa walked up to him and placed a reassuring arm on his shoulder. "They'll be fine. Duo's magic isn't that powerful anymore. There's a limit as to how much damage he can inflict on them."

Quatre nodded, understanding. "I know, but it still hurts, even if just a little. He paused slightly, then continued. "Do you think we're doing the right thing? Have we gone too far?"

"As far as I know, Heero is fine. A little scorched by the flames, and some bruises, but they'll heal. Duo is taking excellent care of him. Sis had cast a protective barrier over him before the attack, so the blows didn't hit Heero in full force. As for the too far part…" He trailed off.

"Of course not. As they say, no pain, no gain. And in this case, I think the pain's worth every bit of it. Duo has never taken care of anyone like this before; it's a first. He should consider it an honour. Besides, this is something that will benefit both he and Duo." Wufei picked up.

Nataku trotted to his master's side. "I hate to admit this, but this is a pretty ingenious plan. As the Chinese says, you'll only discover who's truly good to you in times of disaster [5]. Some will only value the other in times like this." Then he pouted. "But it doesn't keep me from saying this is unjustified."

"Well, I do pity the dragons." Sandrock confessed.

"But it had to be done, and someone had to be the scapegoat. It's just their luck for running into a pendant-less Heero at that time." Heavyarms declared, not the least apologetic.

Just then, two very thrilled horses galloped in. They could hardly contain their excitement as they arrived, giggling like some young children.

"Oh gosh! You guys should have seen or heard what went on in Heero's chambers!" Wing exclaimed.

Seeing everyone's perplexed expressions, Shini explained, "Well, Wing and I took a slight peek inside, and what we saw was kind of… sweet." No one bothered to ask how did they peek into a room that was on the fourth level because they knew it was just part of Shini's inventory. Most probably, she teleported outside the window to catch a glimpse of the two inside.

"Sweet? What do you mean?" Wufei demanded, feeling his goosebumps rising and shuddered. He was grossed out by Shini's choice of words. Sweet? That sounded downright disgusting.

"I've never seen Duo so caring towards someone. Sure, he's caring towards all of us, but hey! That kid's a stranger. 'Sides, he was especially caring towards Heero. And he had this really tender and adorable look in his eyes that spelt volumes! I think he likes Heero a lot." Shini almost swooned.

"What about Heero? What's his reaction?" Quatre asked.

"He was quiet as usual. But he looked really grateful that it was Duo who was tending to his injuries and not anybody else. And most importantly, he smiled! For Duo! Oh god, you won't believe how good he looks when he smiles!" She exclaimed.

Wing almost grunted, but Shini noticed his displeasure and moved towards him. Lovingly nuzzling against his neck, she murmured, "Heero may look cute when he smiles, but he can't hold a candle to you, sugar. 'Sides, he's gonna be with Duo."

Her white mate grinned. "That's better." Then he looked up at the others. Seeing their dying-for-information look, he decided it was better to finish the story. "And I heard Heero saying 'Thank you for tonight'. He sounded really sincere."

Everyone was impressed. From what they knew about the brown haired boy in the few days since his arrival, Heero wasn't one who knew his manners very well, having the irritating habit of always answering queries with a 'hn'.

"And he joked with Duo!" Neither was he humourous.

"Does this mean the plan worked?" Sandrock asked innocently.

"Of course it worked, baka!" Heavyarms reprimanded mildly.

Then, everyone started to smile, or grin slightly in Wufei and Trowa's case. Finally, their hard work was showing some results. Now that's something worth celebrating.

"Phase A finished with satisfying results. Phase B starting soon." Shini announced.

Everyone nodded.

*****

Back in Harle's room, she smiled faintly at the turn of events, then settled down at her writing desk. Reaching for her embossed diary, she recalled the happenings of the day. So much had happened, but few were of any import. She was instead bothered by the date.

'29th August? Has it really been that long since I've left?'

Then, she got up and walked over to the body-length mirror. Feeling like a super-model, she made several cute poses and spun around. Suddenly, she stopped and sighed deeply. Staring at her reflection, she knew she had changed a lot. So much that she almost couldn't recognise herself anymore.

Gently touching the sapphire gem on her forehead, she made her decision. She had never taken it off ever since she entered the palace with Zechs. After making sure that the door to her room was locked, she carefully removed the gem. A spiral of cerise energy glowered at her feet, and slowly rose up to encircle her. Soon, her entire being was blanketed by the sparkling swirls of energy. Within seconds, the energy was fading away.

With the gem in her hand, she stared back into the mirror. Now that she had removed the sometimes ridiculous jester clothing and her thick makeup, the differences were even more obvious. Her ebony tresses were now at her thighs; they used to be at her shoulders only. Her features had matured; she used to look like a lot more childish. The texture of her skin was no longer as smooth as it had been. She had grown a lot taller; she used to be only half the height she is now. Her limbs were much more slender too. She also had a sleeker figure to top it all.

All these were not normal for her. They should not have happened. She should just be like Peter Pan, living in Never Never Land[6] and never aging. But she was. Wistfully, she placed the cerulean jewel back at her forehead. Her eyes fluttered close, as beams of cerise energy spilled out from the precious stone. Soon, she had reverted back to her jester clothing and makeup. Harle wasn't about to take a chance and let others see how she really looked like. Sighing, she sat back down at the desk. Flipped open her diary, she started to write.

29th August 600 A.D.

Sunny (Same thing again. But I am in a desert, remember? ^_^)

Dear Diary,

Time is truly merciless. It doesn't wait for anyone, not even me. It's been eight years since Zechs found me, and five years since I've arrived in this desert castle. Sometimes I wonder what would have happened to me if I had not agreed to go with Zechs. I wouldn't be aging, I wouldn't be serving in the foolish royal court, I wouldn't be babysitting anyone. Leaving my homeland did have its problems. But neither would I be happy.

Duo has brought lots of joy and laughter into my life, even if he doesn't realise it. He is optimistic, witty, loving, adorable, joyous… rambunctious even. These traits are drilled into him permanently; and he still is so. How could one not love Duo? This is a child who is unbelievably strong and smart and caring. Duo in some ways has grown up too fast, and parts of his youth are empty holes, waiting to be filled. He is near fifteen years of age, but he far surpasses his years. The little bratty, taunting boy is a grown, serious, refined young gentleman. I mean, it really is a shock to me. One would hardly recognize him. Almost fifteen and he is as mature as his father. Maybe it was his mother's death, or his imprisonment here, but Duo is definitely another person. Although he chooses to hide that side of himself to most, it has not escaped my eyes. Just some time ago, he was still bitter for the loss of his freedom. I still recall the time when he hated his father's guts for caging him up here. Time is indeed the best medicine. It doesn't ease the pain; it just lets you get used to it. And Duo doesn't care about it anymore. Whether it's because he's too tired to, or he's grown to like this place, I don't know. I do respect his privacy, although I may be his guardian. But even so, we resemble siblings more than anything else. He is the greatest brother one could ask for, and I ask for no one greater.

The others too, have changed since that dreadful time. Quatre, the cute little blonde who used to ask me questions like which came first? Egg or chicken? I couldn't help but smile at him back then. His naiveté is starting to wear off, but he is still innocent. Seeing the world with a wider scope and perspective is a good thing. His demure nature has caused him to pick up music, and he now entertains us with his splendid talents. When he was younger, he occasionally struck a bad note. And that resulted in several days of depression for the poor child. However hard I tried, nothing seemed to cheer him up. Not even the sight of his favourite food. But then, Trowa always knew exactly what to do. Just let him handle it and everything will turn out fine. I don't know how he does it, but I don't intend on finding out, because the secret they share is most probably too private to share.

His best friend (or something more? ^_^) Trowa, has matured a lot as well. Where is that little doe-eye child that always went around calling for neesan with his teddy bear? Me, their big sister? Heh, now he doesn't do it anymore and I miss it. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it. Now he doesn't even like to talk. Even so, he is still pure at heart and his innocence lies beneath his forbidding exterior. And he has taken a liking to circus acts. Many a times I have seen him doing back-flips and somersaults. He truly has the flair for it, but his skills were not gained overnight. I still have the habit of putting a bottle of ointment in his room even though I'm sure he doesn't need them anymore. I guess old habits are just hard to kill.

The just as quiet Wufei has given the term 'scholar' an entirely different meaning. He's put down his books and focused on martial arts ever since that fateful day. His ex-fiancée, Meiran's death has caused him much pain in his fragile heart, and he has since decided on improving himself so as to protect those he loves. The day those murderers meet Wufei is the day 'justice would be served', as he would say. Her parting has left a great wound in Wufei, and I sincerely hope he will be healed one day. But even so, he still runs around calling 'Onna! Onna!' Some things just don't change. I'm just glad I'm an exception. All of them call me sis. Even Duo too, but sometimes he still calls me by my name.

Apart from Duo's occasional slips, there are the horses. For some reasons, they think they're older than me. I don't know why though. Zechs and I had found them in the forest one day, and thought that they were excellent mounts. With a bit of effort, we brought, or rather, dragged them back with us. After a *little* display of magic, we let them each look after one child as their personal mounts. Shingami was given to Duo, Sandrock to Quatre, Heavyarms to Trowa, Shenlong- or rather Nataku to Wufei, and Wing to me. They've taken excellent care of the children, and I'm thankful for that. I'm just relieved that none of them has taken the liberty of asking me why the horses can talk. Innocence is a good thing, eh?

Even so, none of the horses know who I really am. That part of their memory was taken away by Zechs. They'll never remember why they are able to talk and communicate with humans, nor will they know my true identity. At least not until I'm done in this world. Or perhaps, they'll leave with me. I don't know. After all, they no longer belong to this 'normal' world. They have been blessed with special abilities, and with that came specific duties and obligations. After all that, maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to go home and reunite with him. When this masquerade is done with, and the red curtains drape over the stage once more, will I be able to return.

But before that, our plan will have to go into full-fledged action. I'm glad that Wing has done his part in the show. However, I'm worried about the royal court. Those two sorceresses have always despised me. The feeling's mutual and they are aware of that. I do know why they hate me. Relena thinks that Zechs neglected her ever since he found me, and Hirde thinks that I'm stealing Duo away from her. Both are obsessively obsessive with the things they want. It is a blessing that Duo doesn't like Hirde the way she would want him to. And sometimes, I wonder where did Zechs' eyes go to when he adopted Relena. What a pest she is. Maybe I should get a gigantic bottle of pesticide. Perhaps in order to continue, I will have to dispose of them. But doing so will trigger chaos in the kingdom, and Trieze may get wary about me. After all, he has been since I appeared. He never knew why Zechs adopted me, and never will he know. At least not for a long, long time. By the time he does know, I may already be gone. But at least he trusts me with some things as well, courtesy of Zechs. However, he doesn't when the issue concerns his son. The spell on Duo is cast partly because of me. He believes by doing so, I won't be able to let Duo go. He is right, to a certain extent. I never thought Relena and Hirde could cast a spell so strong, one that not even I can break alone.

Apart from all those headache-causing problems, I have to deal with another kid. I used to think four children were enough for me to handle, and now there's a new comer. His name is Heero Yuy. Strange name, I suppose. Not only is his name strange, but so is his character. He appears to be colder than the freezing snow, and yet, his heart is warmer and more passionate than the burning flame. A heart is buried deep within him, but he won't show it easily. I don't know if he is up to our expectations yet, but time will tell. I intend on finding out everything there is about him in the meantime. If he is the one we've been waiting for, then our plans will finally start. If he isn't, then I will banish him and let him return to where he belongs. No one will stand in our way, my dear friend. I have given you my word, and I intend on carrying it out, no matter what I have to do. Rest assured that I will let Duo live happily ever after.

Harle

Sorceress Fantasia @ 30th September 2000

Last Revised 25th October 2000

Author's Notes: How is it? Is Harle too in the limelight? Is she kawaii? I hope so. I do so love her! Yeah! Have any of you found out her connection to Zechs? If you have, mail me and see if ya're right. The next chapter will come out soon, I guess. It will be faster if you comment on my fanfic! ^_^ And it will focus more on the growing relation between Heero and Duo more than anything else. By the way, I called this chapter 'The Oath' because of the promise Harle makes. To whom? I leave it up to your imaginations. ^_^ I will reveal the startling truth in a few more chapters.

And the long-awaited glossary for this chapter:

[1] Durian. For those of you who live in somewhere out of Asia, you may not know what this is. It is a fruit, with a green spiky shell, and yellow flesh. It grows exclusively in the tropical countries and is supposedly called the 'king of the fruits'. Some people say that it stinks like crap, but others think that it is a delicacy. I guess it depends on the individual.

[2] Well, usually it's Heero who bullies poor Duo-chan. So this time around, Shinigami turns the table against Wing. ^_^ Kinda like Duo bullying Heero instead.

[3] So do you know who took Heero's pendant and what was the gang's plans? ^_^

[4] I'm assuming here that Quatre's 'Uchuu no kokoro' enables him to communicate through the mind too.

[5] I translated this from a Chinese proverb. The real thing is 'Huan nan jian zhen qin'. It means that people will only value the other person when they're in trouble or some kinda sticky situation, but not necessary together. For example, someone close to you is involved in an accident. You will then understand how much he/she means to you because you think he's dying. I let Nataku say this because I think it adds a bit of Chinese flavour. After all, Wufei does come from China and Nataku is his mount.

[6] Who says I can't incorporate a fairy tale reference? *whistles innocently*