Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Peace, Love, and Family: The Story of the Vanuli Three ❯ A Vision, a Change, and an Amenea ( Chapter 34 )

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I have decided, due to a couple of people expressing confusion, to date each chapter, starting with this one. At the beginning of every chapter, the day and date will be listed. If there is no date/day at the beginning of the chapter, then it is the same day as the previous chapter. Also, I would like to say that I doexcept concrit, so anyone wishing to criticize my fic can do so without fear of me flipping out.

Disclaimer: I do not own any things Harry Potter-the characters, setting, plot, everything belongs to the wonderful J. K. Rowling and whomever else she decides. I do not own anything Gundam Wing-the characters, setting, plot, everything belongs to (I think) Bandai and Sunrise.

Spoilers: This fic contains spoilers for books 1-5 of Harry Potter and all of the episodes of Gundam Wing. This fic does not include Endless Waltz.

Rating: NC17

Pairings: Neville/Harry, 2x1, Relena/OFC, OMCx4, some Zacharias/Harry

Category: crossover, fantasy, general

Author: Selune

Author's site: http://www.gundam-wing-universe.net/fanfiction/menu.php?id=113

Summary: Two years ago, the One Year War ended. At this time, the five heroes-the Gundam pilots-disappeared from the Muggle world. Three of them-pilots 02, 03, and 05-reappeared shortly after in the Wizarding world, as students at Hogwarts School of Witchraft and Wizardry. Now, twenty months after the fact, Heero Yuy and Quatre Winner are coming to Hogwarts, and they're bringing all of their secrets with them. The world-especially one Harry Potter-will never be the same.

Peace, Love, and Family:

The Story of the Vanuli Three

Chapter 34: A Vision, a Change, and an Amenea

December 2, AC 197, Monday

"Relena!" Heero whispered. In Harry's mind, he could almost feel the scream Heero wanted to let out, ricocheting through his head. But in all physical reality, Heero only whispered the word, and if Harry had not been so close, he would never have heard it.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked. Rather, what he meantto ask. Heero whirled around in his chair during the middle of the first word, effectively cutting off the rest of the question. Heero gave Harry a Look which said, in no uncertain terms, "Now is not the time to speak of this." Harry nodded his understanding, and began shuffling the parchments (last week's homework) around on his desk.

Harry didn't have to look up to feel the sneer on Professor Snape's face-sallow and greasy and hating all Gryffindors, but focusing, currently, on Neville and Harry, himself.

"That will be ten points-" Snape started, obviously remembering that there would be no House Cup this year, and thus no points to be given or taken away. "Meet with me after class, Mr. Longbottom, to discuss your detention for disrupting my class and reckless endangerment of a fellow student."

Harry snorted. It would take more than a little bump to seriously hurt Dorothy. It was like the girl was made of stone or something-which might not be too off course. After all, she had the Gift of Bones, and who knows how she manipulated her body.

"Is there something funny, Mr. Potter?" Snape asked, looming over Harry.

"No, sir," Harry said, doing his best not to laugh in Snape's face. When Snape looked away, Harry's thoughts turned to Heero once again. What had he seen?

"Very well," Snape sneered, swooping to the front of the room. "Today, as you should all know from the reading, you will be making an Anti-Seizure Potion. The main purpose of this potion is, of course, to prevent seizures from happening. However, it has another purpose as well. Can anyone tell me what it is? Mr. Potter?"

Startled, Harry looked up. "To decrease the effects of the Cruciatus Curse, Professor."

***

Harry chopped the narcissus as Neville waited off to the side, stirring the potion in a counter-clockwise motion. There were only two ingredients left after adding the narcissus-myrrh and dragon's blood-after which they could bottle the potion and go back to ignoring each other, as usual.

Since their breakup, Harry and Neville hadn't been alone together, which Harry counted as a Good Thing. Harry loved Neville with all of his heart, but they were over. Finished. Dead. Harry needed to get over it and move on. Which he was attempting to do with rebound-boy, Zacharias Smith. Of course, the "getting over it and moving on" plan didn't work too well when the object of your affection was close enough to touch.

Snape had to know what he was doing when he paired Harry with Neville. Most of the professors might put on horse blinders and sing "Kumbaya" rather than listen to the rumor mill about students' romantic lives (which, according to Remus, Professor McGonagall did with alarming frequency), but that didn't mean all of them did. Professor Snape (again, according to Remus) was especially fond of not only listening to the gossip, but using it to amuse himself during classes-and any other time he was around any amount of students. It must be like finding a bag of galleons for Snape, Harry's relationships with Neville, Zacharias, and (according to Gossip Queens Parvati and Lavender) both Fred and George Weasley.

Harry scowled, wishing everyone would just say out of his business. But he was Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived-Not-Because-Of-His-Mother-But-His-Connection-To-His-Brothers, and as long as he was alive, people would talk about him. Harry didn't even think death would shut up half of the rumor-mongers-his or their own.

Harry added the myrrh to the cauldron and indicated to Neville to stir in a figure-eight pattern. The two hadn't spoken one word to each other, automatically slipping back into their former roles-Harry doing most of the work while Neville tried not to blow anything up, both of them, at times, consulting their notes to make sure they were doing it right.

On cue, Harry added three drops of dragon's blood to the mixture, completing the potion. It turned milky white-just as it was supposed to-and Harry let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. In earlier years, if you messed up your potions, you just got a failure for that day's work. Now, due to Professor Dumbledore's meddling with the NEWT level classes, you not only failed but you had to remake the potion that night in detention. Not only did Harry already have his "tutoring" with Remus that night, there was no way on Earth or her colonies that Harry was going to spend an evening hanging out with his ex-boyfriend and his most hated teacher.

Harry filled two vials with the potion-one with his name on it, the other with Neville's-and took them to Snape's desk. Fortunately (or maybe fortune had nothing to do with it), Harry got the vials to the desk without incident.

Formerly, Malfoy or one of the other Slytherins would try to trip him up on his way, resulting in too many cracked vials (and more failures) than could be counted. But since Harry's little display of power the day after Halloween, Malfoy had become very subdued, and the rest of the original Slytherins (those who had been at Hogwart since first year) followed Malfoy's lead.

Harry made it back to his seat-again, without incident-and pulled his Care of Magical Creatures text out of his bag. Thankfully, it wasn't the biting kind. Harry began reading the assignment for after lunch, completely ignoring Neville's staring.

***

As soon as Professor Snape dismissed them, Heero flew out of there like a bat out of Hell. Looking behind him to make sure the others were following him, he practically ran to an empty corridor that used to house the other Potions classroom, back when two or even three professors were needed to teach all of the young witches and wizards.

Heero stopped and turned around, causing Duo to smack right into him. "Ow," they said in tandem, each rubbing their foreheads. The others-Dorothy, Daemon, Quatre, and Harry-arrived as Heero was making his headache go away.

Dorothy glared at Duo as soon as she saw him. "What's he doing here, Heero?" she spat. Heero's family still wasn't too happy-on the whole-about his decision to be with Duo again.

"He was just leaving," Heero said. At Duo's widened eyes, Heero took Duo aside. "This has nothing to do with us," Heero whispered, so the others couldn't hear. "This is...family business. They don't-"

"It's okay," Duo said. He wrapped his hands around Heero's biceps and leaned down for a kiss. "I love you. I'll see you in Care of Magical Creatures."

"Okay," Heero said, returning Duo's kiss. "I'll see you. I love you."

Duo walked back down to the main Potions corridor. After he was out of sight, Heero's family crowded around him.

"What did you See from that disk?" Dorothy asked.

"What's going to happen to Relena?" Quatre asked.

"Is she okay?" Harry asked.

Heero walked away from the huddle, trying to get his thoughts in order. True, that's all he had done during Potions, but his vision deserved a little thinking about. "I'm not completely sure what's going to happen." He sat down on a dais which once housed a knight statue. "It all felt weird, like it wasn't real. The vision was pretty straightfoward-their wasn't any symbolism or anything. But it just-it flipped back and forth, between Relena and Tashpi and Haven and Sank. It was-they were.... They were caught."

All but Daemon gasped at the statement.

"No," Dorothy insisted, her jaw hanging open.

"It can't be!" Harry protested.

"They only have to last another month!" Quatre said.

Silence reigned over the Vanuli and Vanuli-to-be. No one seemed to want to say anything. Not that Heero blamed them. He didn't much want to talk, either. Truth be told, he would rather he hadn't Seen what he had. Tashpi, dead, dripping with blood. Relena, screaming, clawing at her captor. Queen Aravu, declaring the sentence. Death and banishment.

"It can't be true," Quatre said, misty-eyed. "Who caught-catches them?"

"I don't know," Heero said. "I didn't See that."

"When?" Dorothy asked.

"I don't know."

"Where? How? Why?" Quatre demanded.

"I don't know! I don't know! I don't know!" Heero screamed, jumping up from the dais. "All I saw was Tashpi dying, Relena screaming, and Queen Aravu. I don't know anything else."

Silence, once more.

Harry snapped his fingers. "We could warn them! Send them an owl or something!"

"No!" Heero roared. "What if that's how they're caught? We would be playing right into the hands of Fate!"

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Harry said, throwing his arms out wide. "We can't just sit here and do nothing. We have to help them!"

"They cannot be helped," Heero said quietly. "What I See cannot be changed. The before and after can, but not anything I See. It's already to late to help them."

"You don't know that!" Harry said, pacing back and forth in front of Heero.

"Yes, I do," Heero said. "I've tried before, to change what I See. It can't be done."

"Maybe it can," Daemon spoke up from the shadows. "Heero, you, yourself, said that the vision felt weird. You don't know all of these things that you usually do. You told me that, with your Sight, you can pin down your visions to the second. You don't even know an approximate time-only that, most likely, it's sometime within a month. And most importantly, you aren't back up to full power."

"You're right," Harry said, his eyes lighting up.

"What?" Heero asked. "What's he on about?"

"Oh!" Dorothy yelled, apparently figuring it out.

"What?" Heero asked, again, getting annoyed.

"If you're not back to full power," Daemon began, "then maybe-just maybe-your vision was not the vision of an Oracle, but the lesser vision of a Seer or Prophet."

"Oh, Mother," Heero whispered, finally figuring it out. "That means that there's a chance to help them. We could save them."

"But how?" Quatre asked. "How do we help them without anyone figuring out what we're doing-and why."

Silence once more reigned supreme as the five thought about how to save Relena and Tashpi.

Heero jumped up, snapping his fingers to get the others' attention. "I've got it," he said, turning to Daemon. "How would you feel about stepping up our contract about a week?"

***

"Just think about what you want to be," Heero told Harry. "I'll hold onto you, and at as a catalyst. It'll make the first change easier." Heero demonstrated the Change before holding onto Harry, turning into a butterfly, and owl, a fairling, and eventually back to a human. Heero stepped back into his clothes. "We can go whenever you feel ready."

Dorothy took her attention away from them and gave it back to Quatre. As usual, Quatre was refusing to even think about Changing. Of course, after his first attempt, when he didn't think clearly about what he wanted to Change into (and ended up being the equivalent of self-aware air), she didn't much blame him. For most Vanuli, the first Change or two is done with the help of an older Vanuli, sometimes with the Naiyama. Quatre's first attempt was done with his sister Allegara, and though she was a nice girl, she was not the most attentive.

As Quatre steadfastly refused to Change, Dorothy let her mind wander back to their new problem. Heero's solution was nothing short of genius. After touching the disk again, Heero had been able to pinpoint the time of the visions to sometime within the next two week. It had been night in the vision, but that didn't mean much if it took place in Haven, which it most likely did. Time was different to Vanuli-days, weeks, months could take seconds or years. There was no constant measurement.

Heero's first prong of attack was to let Tashpi and Relena know something was going down, without giving away the big secret should the message be intercepted. Dorothy had helped her boys write a carefully worded message to Relena and Tashpi that hinted at the danger, which Tashpi was sure to pick up on. Along with the letter, they sent a hairpin and a brooch, both Portkeys made to transport the girls right outside the Hogwarts' gate when they said the code word. They, obviously, would not be able to travel their normal way, which was going through Haven. In the letter, the boys specified a time and place for a fire-call, so Dorothy could give out both the code word and other information.

Heero and Daemon modified their contract to read "three weeks" instead of "one month," and Quatre and Harry gave their permission (though reluctantly), through a much shortened ceremony, for Daemon to join the family. Hopefully, the extra manpower would help stave off the Vanuli army, which would no doubt be out for blood-Tashpi's and her helpers'. But this also meant Heero would have have his work cut out for him-not just making a garland for both Daemon and Tashpi, but also coming up with an appropriate Vanuli name for Daemon.

The last part of Heero's plan was the most important and-in accordance with Murphy's Law-subject to the most problems. It wasn't just that it would be a "shotgun" wedding, of sorts, but that it would be in such a human-heavy environment. After the wedding, Relena would need to get Tashpi pregnant, to solidify their marriage and put Tashpi out of the line of fire. At least, for four and a half months. By then, of course, the triplets would already be King and would give Tashpi immunity from her crime-and that was if they didn't just rescind the law completely.

"Come on, Quatre," Dorothy said kindly. She was always kind to her baby boys. She reached out to grab his hand. "We'll do it together."

Quatre looked at Heero and Harry, chewing on his bottom lip. Harry was trying-Dorothy knew it would be very embarrassing for him if Harry Changed before he did, seeing as how he had almost two years more to practice it-and Professor Lupin sat off to the side, ready to untangle anyone if they messed up. Quatre nodded his consent. "Okay. But you're going to be my catalyst."

Dorothy gave him her thousand kilowatt smile (reserved only for her boys). "Great," she said. She grabbed his hand, and told him into what they were going to turn. They, like Harry and Heero, were going to Change into butterflies.

"One," she began counting. Quatre steadied himself beside her. "Two." Dorothy squeezed Quatre's hand, reasurring him without words. "Three."

On the count of three, all four Vanuli leapt into the air as butterflies, their clothes fluttering to the floor.

***

"Oh, come on, Harry. You promised," Hermione said, reminding Harry of how much she wished to just take him apart, bit by bit, and learn what made him tick. "Please?"

It was midnight and, once again, all of the Gryffindor seventh years were down in the Common Room, everyone else having long gone to bed. The only seventh year not there was Neville, who had gone to bed when the sixth years did.

"If Quatre and Heero agree, we'll do it," Harry said, effectively giving away any responsibility for the decision. The truth was, Harry would love to show Hermione an Amenea. It was the others he was worried about. Lavender and Parvati-finally over their crushes on Quatre and Heero-would most likely squeal on and on about it for hours. Dean and Seamus would, like as not, be uncomfortable about it. Ron-dear, sweet Ron-would miss half of the Amenea trying not to laugh at Harry's attire.

"I'll do it," Heero volunteered. He was squirming in his seat, and Harry could tell he was still trying to work off the nervous energy that came from worrying about Relena and Tashpi. An hour and a half of Changing back and forth to whatever animal suited his fancy hadn't been able to do the job, but maybe this would.

"I'm in," Quatre said. Harry knew he wasn't doing this solely for the dancing, but more for the music. Quatre hadn't so much as picked up an instrument since coming to Hogwarts-at least, not that Harry had seen-and he was anxious to get back in practice. The wedding was going to need music, after all.

"Well, Hermione, I guess that's your answer, then," Harry said, getting up from his chair and stretching. "We'll be back down in a minute."

Without waiting for her to answer, Harry started up the stairs, Quatre and Heero following after. Putting a Silencing Spell around Neville's bed, so they wouldn't wake him, the triplets went about their business of changing into their Amenea robes and putting on a ton of clinky jewelry. Quatre grabbed his violin, and triplets walked back down to the Common Room, barefoot and wandless.

***

Quatre cast a Silencing Charm around the Common Room and perched on the end of a work table. This would be the perfect thing to get rid of the shakes the Changes had left him in. Even with a catalyst, it was still difficult for him to do. Hopefully, one day he would get over his irrational fear and be able to Change at will, like Heero.

Harry explained their dress and what exactly an Amenea was to the humans. Heero-already beginning to get in the dancing mood-cast a spell upon himself, Quatre, and Heero, which would allow the others to see, in a misty fog which trailed after them, the words to each movement.

The triplets had decided that, to begin, Quatre would play his violin while Heero danced. Then, Harry would join in, and eventually, Quatre would leave his instrument to play by itself-Charmed, of course-and would begin to dance.

Heero had chosen which Amenea to show the others first: the Amenea of the First Mother. Quatre put bow to string and began to churn out a slow, haunting melody. Heero moved to the beat, and the fog swirled behind him.

Once upon a time, when Earth was young, She was created from the elements. Thewind was Her mother, the water Her father. The earth bore Her and the fire strengthened Her. A soul was added, most precious of all, and She was made whole. She was nothing and everything. The Alpha, the Omega, and everything in between.

She lived for billions of years, floating through the air, the water, and the fire. She was alone but not lonely, for She knew not what that meant.

As Quatre played, the melody getting faster, Harry joined it.

One day, the First Mother spotted a man in the fairy world. He was blue-skinned and radiant. Though She had never experienced it before, She fell in love with him. Hard, deep, and fast.

The First Mother did not know what She felt, but She knew She wanted the man to be happy-and be Hers. For weeks, She watched the man, learning his likes, his dislikes, and his needs. Never once in all that time did She come across another like him. He-like She-was completely alone.

One day, She became frustrated with watching the man. She wanted to touch him, to hold him, to...kiss him, as She had seen others do with their beloveds. However, She had a problem. Though She was made of all of the elements, She had never spent time within Earth. All of Her playings had been with the others, and She didn't know how to make Herself like him-solid, so She could caress and hold him to Her heart's content.

"Mother Earth!" the First Mother cried. "How do I Change, to be with my beloved?" The First Mother waited and waited and waited, but Mother Earth did not respond. The First Mother despaired and cried out, letting sorrow overtake Her.

Quatre put down his violin, and it continued to play. He joined his brothers in the fast paced Amenea.

Just as She was without hope, Mother Earth roused and answered Her. "You must wish it so, more than anything you've ever wished. But beware, my Daughter, to Change is to die. You will no longer be immortal, as you are now. You will be mortal, and mortals die."

"What is 'die'?" the First Mother asked, for it was a funny word-one she had never heard before.

"Death is when you're body dies, setting your soul loose to where it must go," Mother Earth answered.

"Oh," the First Mother said. "So I will come to be as I am now once I die?"

"No," Mother Earth answered. "When you die, you will go to a place different from any you've ever been to. You will go to the Afterlife, where all mortals must go when they die."

"What is it like there?" the First Mother asked, scared of this death and mortals and Afterlives. "Will it hurt to get there?"

"I know not what you will find in the Afterlife," Mother Earth answered, "as I am immortal, and can never know the beauties of life after death."

The First Mother thought on this awhile. Yes, She was scared of dying. Yes, She would be giving up everything She had ever known. She didn't even know if Her beloved would love Her. Eventually, the First Mother decided.

"I will die," She announced to Mother Earth. "I will live with my beloved, and I will die for him." The First Mother gathered Her will and desperately wished to be a mortal, like Her beloved. With a jolt, She fell from the sky-straight into the arms of Her beloved. He fell in love with Her on sight, and from them the first Vanuli were born.

***

Heero stopped dancing, panting and more energized then he'd been in weeks. The story of the First Mother (and Father) had always been one of Heero's favorites, mainly because it was one of the few famous ones with a happy ending. The story of Allurna and Vierry-Heero's second favorite-ended about as happily as Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. His and his brothers would most likely be as tragic. To the eyes of a human, anyway. To other Vanuli, the triplets' fate would be seen as a very happy ending.

Heero came out of his thoughts to applause. The girls-Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati-all stood clapping, giving the triplets a standing ovation. The guys were clapping, too, but not as enthusiastically as the girls.

"Merlin, that was amazing!" Hermione said, raising her voice in an emotion other than anger-which Heero had yet to see.

Heero felt himself begin to blush as Lavender began to whistle. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Harry doing the same.

"Thank you," Quatre said, bowing with his violin in hand. "But I believe we must all get to bed now."

Hermione checked her watch and paled. "Quatre's right. Up to bed, everyone! It's almost 1:30."

Heero allowed himself to be shooed up to bed, crawling in after Harry, who got the coveted middle spot that night.

***

Dorothy walked back and forth up the corridor Harry had told her to, focusing on her need to speak with her sister and Relena. Finally, a door appeared which hadn't been there before, and Dorothy opened it and went in.

The room was exactly as she imagined it. Small but not constricting, the only furniture was a plush red chair in front of the crackling fireplace. Dorothy grabbed a handful of the powder on the mantel and threw it in the fireplace, calling out "Natasha's room, Sank Palace." Due to safety constraints, Tashpi's and Relena's rooms couldn't be Flooed into, only out of, but they still allowed fire calls in both directions.

"Donai Maya," Dorothy said upon sight of her cousin and sister. She noted the pin in Tashpi's hair and the brooch on Relena's pajamas. "I see you received our gifts."

"Yes," Relena said, nervously toying with the brooch. "What is this about? Your letter didn't say much."

"Is your room secure?" Dorothy asked, unwilling to say anything more until that was confirmed.

"Of course," Tashpi said, no doubt insulted. "I check these rooms every day. They're clean?"

"When did you last check it?" Dorothy asked.

"Noon," Tashpi answered. "It was-"

"Check it again," Dorothy interrupted. "You never know who's been there since then."

"I'll have you know, Ismea, that Relena and I are the only persons capable of entering into these chambers," Tashpi said.

"So it won't matter if you just check it once more, now will it?" Dorothy said, smiling and gritting her teeth at the same time.

"No, I guess not," Tashpi said, the exact same expression on her face. Tashpi got up and began the complicated spells to detect anything amiss. After she was done, she sat back in her seat. "There. It's done. Now, what's so urgent?"

Dorothy sighed. "At approximately 10:15 this morning, Heero had a vision about the two of you."

Relena and Tashpi straightened in their chairs.

"Before I go on," Dorothy said, "I must say that we have determined the vision to be that of a Prophet's or Seer's, not that of an Oracle's. This, obviously, means that the outcome can be different.

"Now, as for what he saw, and what we plan to do about it..."

Selune