Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Tell Me a Fable ❯ Tell Me a Fable ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Vixen
AU: In response to Dawn Light's fanfic challenge: It's got it all: angels, Gods, belly dancers, mermaids, and it's a crossover!
An Angel of Peace and Love is cast from her home. A Prince of Perfection helps her to feel welcome again.

Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 08.29.2001 | Pages: 42 | Words: 22.2K | Visits: 742 | Status: Completed








~*~ This is a fic in response to Dawn Light's Challenge


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~*~ This is a fic in response to Dawn Light's Challenge. I'm
pretty sure I've got it all here… angels, belly dancers, mermaids, a Goddess
(many in fact), as well as an x-over. As usual, it's a HY/Moon pairing and,
surprise surprise, I DO NOT BELIEVE IN DISCLAIMERS! Now on with the show



Tell Me a Fable by Vixen

Rating: Pg/ Pg-13 - beware of lime!



Prologue: Falling
Feathers Litter the Sky



*"Grandmother, tell us how your
mother and father met?" Asked four little children.

"Do you
really want to hear the tale?" Asked an older woman with sparkling blue eyes
and long golden hair.

"Yes, Yes!"
Cried the children.

"Well,
then, it all began one day in mid air…"

~*~

It rushed so swiftly, so completely
intense that it was hard to enjoy. Who was she kidding? It wasn't just hard to
enjoy. Under the circumstances, it was a nightmare. Baring the full brunt of
the wind, the poor falling girl child hardly had anytime to say her prayers.

"Selene, I
know you must here me. Oh, please, Artimis, Goddess of the White Moon and night
skies, here my prayer. Protect those who cross my path, let no harm come to
them for my treasons crimes." She begged and pleaded. Falling, falling. Quicker
now, and quicker still. It wouldn't be long before the reality of the depths of
the underworld loomed over her.

~*~



Was he
lost? Or was he on the correct path? He could never tell when he entered the
forest It always seemed to swallow up his ideals, twist them, change them, and
spit them back out when he left it's confines. Today more so than ever. As he
stepped into the clearing, he sat on the green rock. It was not covered in
moss, nor was it painted. This rock glowed with a strange aura. It always drew
him, called to him. Everyday he came, and everyday he learned. There was so
much more to life than his father taught him. So much more than his mother had
been able to show him when she was alive, and so much more than his friends
were willing to accept. So he came alone to the forest.

Once inside and on the rock, a
strange conversation would ensue between him and an old man who constantly
passed through his clearing. This old
man never gave his name, but then, nor did he. What puzzled him the most was
the fact that the old man knew so much and gave away so little. Why not share
the knowledge of the world if he had already learned it? Apparently the old man
was right in the mind, but as he had seen often, just being in the right mind
often makes one go insane. As he waited on the rock for his teacher, his eyes
glazed over the surroundings.

Beautiful green trees, lush with
both life and creatures surrounded him. The ground around the rock was covered
in a light dust, no weeds or grass grew in such a place. A small circular pool
of crystalline water shimmered in the cool morning sun, and the rays of Apollo
began to melt away the dew that covered the foliage. He knew that if he
continued straight through the clearing, he would reach the ocean, but he had
no desire for the raging swells of the salty waves today. He had come for a
purpose, and he was not to be distracted.

"Back for more dear boy?" A raspy
voice called from the edge of the clearing.

"I seek an
answer. Provide me with one old man?" It was a typical conversation between the
two, it always began the same.

"Ask. No
telling what I will provide you though. You provide for yourself, do you not?"

"Do not
play mind games today old man. My father has certainly tried, but I am in no
mood for them."

"And you
take to them so well, the sarcasm in your voice always assures the well being of
your state of mind."

"Old man. I
ask you once: What is my purpose?"

"To live.
That is all life's purpose."

"No. All
life has a niche, a place in the web of a spider. In this case, the Gods and
Goddess' play games with us, them being the spiders, the animals and nature
being their web, and we humans being their prey. Tell me. As a worthless bug,
what is my purpose. I feel there is more to it
than just to live. You know. Speak."

"you think
you know. The question is, are you ready to cast away what you think you know
and learn the truth?"

"I am
always ready."

"Wrong
answer my lad. Come back tomorrow and maybe your mind will have had a change of
heart."

"Hnn." He
grunted. The old man had shared his daily pear; of wisdom and would speak no
more today, of this he was sure. Instead of fighting, he put on an
expressionless mask and turned away from the old man and the green stone. Then,
he dawned a new question in his mind. Turning back, he looked over the old man.
Was it worth pushing his luck to ask the old man? The only time he had ever
done so was the first time they had met. Since then, he had learned the hard
way not to pressure information and advice out of him. He decided he would, he had nothing to lose
at the moment.

"Old man,
why do you wait for me?"

"Because.
You have a great destiny, far greater than anyone, save the fates, can
perceive. You must be ready to fulfill it, or the outcome will have effects
cataclysmic to the end of existence. No more." Pondering the new answer, the
young man turned and walked purposefully out of the clearing. If he didn't
hurry, he would be late, and the penalties from his father for being late were
nothing short of more yelling and screaming he did not wish to endure today.

~*~



Why was she
so cold? Where were the fiery underworld depths of which she had heard so much
about? She sat up and looked around, trying to decipher her surroundings. All
around her great caverns and giant stone formations dripped. A pool of blue
water collected beside her, and the dark walls were lit by a soft,
ethereal glow.

"Hello?
Hello? Is anyone here?" She called.

"We are
here." Wailed three loud voices. She covered her ears, trying to protect them
from the horrific moaning that filled the once silent caves. Gathering her
courage, she responded to the voices.

"Where are
you?"

"We are
here, all around you. You have fallen into the Caves of Chance dear lost soul."

"If you please, may I see you?"

"We are the
three fates. We need not be seen, only heard."

"The three
fates?"

"Fallen
angel, we could not permit you to be sent to Hades, not yet. Destiny needs you
before he."

"If you are
the fates, you must know of my treasonous crimes. Why would the destiny of anything rest upon me?"

"You are
she. The savior. You will be the savior needed to stop the end."

"The end of
what? I do not understand."

"You need
not. Not yet. In time, you will know, in time…" the voices faded down to one,
faint one.

"Please, do
not leave me!" Cried the uncertain and frightened girl child.

"Angel Seraphin,
Angel of Peace, Truth, and Compassion, you are stripped of your name and
titles. This is your punishment until death brings you to Hades. You will be
forever marked by the Fates as our child. Angel, this upturned crescent moon
upon your forehead ties you to us and your roots. Go." The voice faded into
nothingness, and the small former Angel of Peace, Truth and Compassion sat
alone, crying for the new fate that had just been foretold for her.*



Chapter One: Circle of Responsibility



*"There you are. I thought you'd gone into the
forest early today. Your father is looking for you, Hiiro."

"Hnn."

"Oh Athena, why me? Of all the
people to get stuck with as a friend, why did I have to get stuck with him?"

"Because you volunteered, remember
Maxwell?"

"Wufei, can't you show just little more sympathy? Just because you're as
rotten as he is and you talk more doesn't give you the right to make fun of
me."

"Baka."

"Not today guys, alright? Hiiro
looked upset when he rode in. Even more than usual. Any ideas?"

"Quatre, you're too observant. You
can actually tell when he's really upset as apposed to the normal amount of
upset-ness?"

"Well Duo, that is our job. We are
his friends after all."

"Quatre's right. Duo, Wufei, get it
together, we need to go see what Hiiro was so upset over."

"Not you too Trowa!" Duo sighed. It
was going to be one of those days, he could feel it in his bones. "Well, his
father should just about be finished with him. Let's go see what our friend the
Prince of the Living Elysian has to say for himself."

"Duo, you shouldn't play on words
such as you do. One day Hades will over hear your use of his death dream land
and put you in it, permanently." Chided Quatre.

"I look forward to meeting him when
he does."

"Duo!" Quatre practically screamed
at him. "It's not something to joke about."

"Sorry Quatre. Hey, look! There
Hiiro is!" With that, Duo waltzed down the hall towards his friend.

~*~

"And
further more, you shirk your responsibilities as the Prince of the Western
Lands. You spar with those mongrel guards of yours and you leave for walks into
the forest daily. When are you going to take your role seriously? Hiiro? Hiiro?
Are you even listening to me?"

"I heard
you."

"See? You
don't even respond to me, your own father. And another thing: marriage. No
woman will ever want you, no matter how powerful you are, if you don't begin
acting like you care about them. Now, I can see how you still have fanciful
ideals about marriage being for love, but…"

"No."

"No? what
do you mean, no?"

"I have no
ideals of love. I will not marry."

"What? This
is blasphemy! Treasonous talk! Coming from my son's own mouth! How could you?
Get out of my sight!" Cried the red faced older man. Hiiro sighed inwardly, but
kept his blank expression and stormed out of the room.

His father
was crazy, expecting things of him that he did not care about himself. His
father was more worried about keeping the crown in the family name more than
about the greater things in the universe. Frankly, Hiiro was surprised the Gods
had not yet punished his father for being so vain over his land and power.
Well, whatever the case, he did not need to listen to the screaming any more,
and for that he was glad. Until he saw a boy with violet eyes and a long brown
braid swinging around behind him coming down the hall toward him. Duo. 'Damn.'
He thought to himself. Just then, three other boys, one with short blonde hair
and blue eyes, one with shorted brown hair and green eyes, and one with black
eyes and black hair tied tightly at his neck in a short pony tail, rounded the
corner following the first boy in suit. 'Damn. Quatre, Trowa and Wufei are
coming too.'

"Hiiro! So
what did your father say? Was he mad that you were out in the forest again?"
Asked Duo.

"Hnn."

"Hiiro, is
something wrong?" Asked Quatre.

"No."

"Aw,
Quatre. He's just upset because his father gave him the old marriage speech
again, aren't you Hiiro?" laughed Duo.

"No.
Leave."

"We were
going to spar. Join us." Said Trowa, handing Hiiro a sword. Hiiro looked over
the sword and gave a half smirk. This was understood by the other boys as a
yes, so they all took off walking down the corridor towards the training and
practice rooms.

~*~

Stepping
out of the cool caves, the small winged girl looked over her surroundings. She
was greeted by swirls of sand and dust stinging her face and making her eyes
water. She did not know where she was, only that she would probably die before
she could fulfill the prophecy the Fates had spoken of. Stretching her wings,
the fallen angel thought the better of leaving them visible to the human eye.
Quickly concealing them, she then turned back to the problem at hand. With no
food and no clean water in the caves, she wouldn't last for very long. But the
desert did not look like the most inviting place for her to start her new life.
She decided that anything was better than being stranded near the caves, so she
put one foot forward and began walking into the hot, sandy dunes.

Just as she thought she could walk
no farther, she heard voices in the distance. Unable to call out, she waved both her arms, hoping
they would be seen. Soon the voices sounded closer and closer, as if they were
coming toward her. She sighed and a wave of relief washed over her. Just as the
caravan came into her sight, her eyelids dropped wearily and she slipped into
the black unconsciousness.

~*~

Sitting up,
she carefully rubbed the sleep away from her eyes and blinked. She was in what
appeared to be a room, only the walls were flapping about wildly, as if they
were unstable. Suddenly, a gruff voice shocked her into being completely awake.

"So, you're
up. Hnn. Thought I was going to have to waste energy and try to wake you up.
Here, eat." The gruff, fat man roughly
shoved a bowl of something at the little girl, and she barley had enough time
to catch it before it spilled. It was a cold hard gruel, but she was hungry
enough to begin to eat it.

"Thank you
for rescuing me from the desert sir. It was very kind of you. Would you be as
kind as to tell me where I am now?" She asked him.

"Kind?
You'll soon think otherwise. I am not kind, but if you think so little girl,
don't hesitate to tell me again." He laughed a huge booming laugh, then
narrowed his eyes at her. "As for where you are, it makes little difference
now. I found you, you are in my tent, making you mine. You won't be going
anywhere unless I say, so it makes no difference."

"But sir, I
must…."

"Stand up."
She stayed still, afraid to move. "I said stand up!" He screamed, this time
twice as loudly as before. When she still made no move to stand, he grabbed her
arm and pulled her to a standing position. Holding her by the wrists in one
hand, he used the other to run it over her body. He checked her legs, arms,
stomach, back, neck, face, and chest. Then he squeezed her jaw on the sides,
causing her mouth to open. When he was satisfied, he threw her roughly aside.

"You'll
do." He said with a gleam in his eye. "you'll do very nicely." She shivered at
the tone in his voice, but could do nothing, he was too strong, and she still
too weak. "What's your name, girl?"

"My name?"

"You heard
me!" He bellowed.

"It's
Seraphin."

"Too long.
From now on, you are Serena, one of Lord Raoul's Dancing Gypsy Girls." She
shied back in fear. What had she gotten herself into this time?*



Chapter One: Plans are Created and Hated



*He didn't
want to go, and it was bothering him that he couldn't get out of it. Of all the
times he was supposed to leave the castle to go anywhere longer than two days,
Hiiro had avoided it. He had once been 'sick', and another time the stables had
caught fire and he was needed to oversee things being fixed. This was the first
time he could not get out of the visit he was to take with his father to meet
King Richard of the Eastern Lands and his son, Prince Darien.

As he packed
for the trip he was to embark upon tomorrow, he thought of how foolish the trip
was. The two kingdoms rarely had anything to do with each other, except for
maybe a rouge trader here and there offering the goods of the opposite kingdom.
They had semi decent relations, there were no wars or blood feuds, no quarrels
with the Gods, no famines, floods, or plagues, and still they had to go once
every three years. He disliked the Prince, who was roughly his own age, maybe a
little older. He disliked the King, who shared his father's views on land,
power, and marriage. And most of all, he disliked the general lifestyle of
those that lived in the East. While the Westerners believed in hard work and
fulfilling debts honestly, the Easterners were more of the steal it or pay it
off type of people. Yes, Hiiro could hardly wait until tomorrow morning when he
and his four friends and his father and his four guards were set to leave.

"Hiiro, are
you packed yet?" Came a voice through the door. The door was locked, but that
didn't mean it would stop his four guards from coming in. He heard the slight
click of the metal locks being cracked and knew what was coming.

"Hello
Hiiro." Said Quatre as he and the other three boys walked into the room.

"You need a
new lock." Said Trowa smirking and tossing the old one to Hiiro

"Thanks."

"Do you
have everything ready for tomorrow?" Asked Wufei. He too, did not want to
leave. In fact, none of the boys wanted to leave. Each had confided in the
others the night before why they did not wish to leave. It was funny, Hiiro
thought. His guards, who were really his only friends, were so very different,
yet they were so much alike.

Duo, his
'best friend', was a loudmouthed joker. He was great in a fight, and was loyal
to the end. Quatre was too nice and polite, but at the same time, he was able
to pull off amazing feats when pressured in battles. Trowa was probably the
most like himself; stoic and secretive, yet he still came out of his shell more
than he, especially regarding fighting situations. As for Wufei, he was a hot
-tempered boy full of a deep sense of justice and strength.

The thing was all four did not want to leave for the same reason:
they had a girl they were leaving behind. Duo had Hilde, a girl to fit his
personality to the core. Quatre had Dorothy, and to the surprise of everyone,
while the two were as different as night and day, they complimented each other
perfectly. Trowa had Catherine, a strong willed yet quiet girl who was able to
make him laugh, and Wufei had Sally, the only woman who could stand up to him
and deal with his proud attitude without backing down when he was at his worst
in temperament.

"How long is this trip for again?"
Asked Duo.

"You know how long Maxwell. We've
told you four times already." Answered Wufei.

"Yeah, but I just can't believe I
have to leave Hilde for that long. It doesn't seem real. Hiiro, I can't believe
you couldn't get out of this trip this year. You're losing your touch."

"He tried. It's not his fault."
Said Quatre.

"We leave tomorrow. Go sleep." Said
Hiiro.

"Night then
Hiiro." Said Quatre. As he left, the others, save Trowa.

"Your
father wants you to become friends with Prince Darien. He thinks that if we,
your guards," Trowa took a slight pause and smirked at the title of 'Hiiro's Guards'.
He pondered his friend. Hiiro didn't need guards, he would probably be better
off alone. He was deadly, and the worst part of him was the fact that he showed
no mercy for his enemies. He had seen it when they had fought in the Battle of
Triggoron two and a half years ago. He was probably more effective than all
four of his guards put together. 'Too bad he wasn't born a general, not a
Prince.' "Anyway, he thinks that if you see us, your guards befriending his
guards, then you'll befriend him. I'm just dropping the warning."

"Thanks.
I'll keep that in mind."

"Night."
With that, Trowa left his friend, after all, he had a few goodbyes to say to Catherine that night too.

Hiiro lay
on his bed and thought of what Trowa ha said. He would just need to learn to
act as if he was friends with the Prince, because he sure as hell wasn't going to actually do it. He rolled over
and fell into a deep sleep, unknowing what the future held for him.

~*~

"You're too
kind your Royal Highness. My girls
would be glad to dance for you this next week. I had hoped you had liked their
performance last night."

"I enjoyed
it very much, especially the new girl in your bunch, the one whom you told me
was Serena. Body like Aphrodite herself, and beauty to match. She was most intriguing.
Where ever did you find her Raoul?"

"Oh, she
came out of the desert like an angel falls from heaven. She was in mere rags
and passed out. I've given her a life."

"Yes, well,
we are having important guests this week; King Odin and his son, Prince Hiiro
of the Western Lands and their guards. It is important that it go well, and I
believe your 'entertainment' will impress them. They have no such harems of
dancers in their lands."

"Such a
loss then."

"Yes. You
are dismissed." The King of the Eastern Lands waved his hand and the fat, gruff
man left his sight, grasping in his hand a heavy brown leather bag. As he left
the throne room, he emptied the bag of it's contents, happy to find twenty gold
coins. Putting the coins back into the bag, he tied it at his waist and took a
key out of his pocket. Opening the door he had stopped at, he smirked.

Seraphin
heard the door being unlocked and the knob being turned and swallowed hard.
Hiding her wings from human eyes, she cringed in fear as her owner, Lord Raoul,
entered the room. She watched him smile deviously at her, and shied away from
him even farther. He grabbed for her arm, and being that she was too slow to
escape him, he caught it and squeezed tightly.

"You've
made quite an impression upon the King. He was quite entertained and intrigued
by you." He saw the look of mixed determination and hatred in her eyes and
smirked. "Still unbroken, are you? Don't worry, you won't be for long. I've
only had you for two years. After the King is done with you, I will make sure
you forget what freedom is." He caressed her cheek, then lowered his hand to
run it over the contour of her breasts. "Yes. I will make you forget everything
but me." Not being able to bare it any longer, she spat in his eye. He let her
go and wiped his eye. "You will regret that one day! Mark my words, you will
regret it!" With that, he stormed out of the room, locking her in alone once
more.

Seraphin
could not go on like this. She knew she couldn't hold Raoul off for much
longer, he was so powerful and she so little. She unveiled her wings and sat at
a table covered in make- ups and perfumes. Looking at herself in the mirror,
she wanted to cry. Her once white, lustrous wings drooped and had a yellowish
color to them. Her azure blue eyes were now water color blue, and her once long
golden hair with silver highlights was no longer shiny, but dull and dirty
looking. She was covered in pretty perfumes, but she felt she smelled dirty and
unclean. Her once white skin was covered in a thin film of gritty sand dust,
giving her a more tan appearance. She looked like one of the other girls now;
broken and used. She dropped her head into her arms atop the table and began to
weep. Eventually, she was able to stand and drag herself to her bed. Curling up
into as small a ball as she could make herself, she slipped into a dreamless
state of sleep.*



Chapter Two: We are Out There in the Dark



*It was
late. Too late. Hiiro could see his friend's eyelids dripping and melting
closed as they kept riding. He himself was wide -awake, ready for anything that
they may encounter in the late cool of the night. He looked back to see his
father's carriage following him and his comrades at a much slower pace than
before. 'No doubt he's asleep and one of the guards told the driver to slow
down so that he isn't awakened.' It bothered him that his father insisted upon
riding in a carriage and not riding like a normal traveler. It just made them
more susceptible to being hit by bandits, not to mention slowed them down. Well,
it was too late, and he couldn't do anything about it now. Sometime over the
last hour they had left the foliage of the trees and stepped into the sand
dunes of the desert. They would probably reach the Eastern Palace before noon.
He could care less. After all, he really wasn't looking forward to anything.
All he wanted was for his father to for once act like a normal person and use
is head while they were at the palace. He looked back at the carriage again.
'It'll never happen.' He told himself. Turning his attention back to the road,
he saw the first rays of Apollo's chariot racing across the sky. Dawn had
arrived, perhaps it wasn't quite as late as he had thought it was, perhaps it
was earlier.

"Odin!"

"Richard!"
The two men embraced in a manly handshake,
then hugged. Both smiling like fools, they began the introductions.

"Odin, I do
hope you remember my son and heir, Prince Darien."

"Yes. My
how he's grown." The King of the Western Lands extended a hand towards the
Prince of the Eastern.

"And these
are his guards, Malachite, Nephlite, Jedite, and Zoicite." Each bowed deeply at
Hiiro and his father.

"Yes, yes,
I do recall all of them. How have you been?"

"Well in
health, both physical and mental sire." Spoke Darien for all of them.

"And who
are your companions, Odin?"

"Why, my I
present to you my son, Prince Hiiro, and his guards, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and
Wufei."

"My Gods,
how your son has grown. Last time I saw him was roughly seven years old, and
now he's sixteen, nearly seventeen! My how the times have flown by. You all
must be tired from your journey, please, allow one of my servants to show you
to your rooms."

"Thank you.
Come Hiiro." With that, King Odin left
the room, his four guards trailing behind him. Hiiro sighed inwardly and
followed his father. It would make little difference if he argued, and besides.
If he was going to act like he liked Prince Darien, he would need a good
night's rest. Turning on his heels, he stomped off in the direction his father
had gone, his guard following him.

~*~

She ran
down the hall as fast as she could, looking and praying she would find a place
to hide. Seraphin had just given Raoul the slip, but he was hot on her trail.
The jerk had come into her room and tried once again to get her to sleep with
him. He had promised her everything: gold, jewels, freedom; but when she knew
that if she gave in to him, he would never follow through with his promises.
Seraphin, the Angel of Peace, Truth and Compassion, had kneed the evil man in
the groin and run. Now she was lost within the palace, and needed a place to
hide, and fast. Trying all of the knobs, she finally found one that was
unlocked. Opening it and diving in, she never took notice of where she had
landed.

She felt
something warm and soft beneath her, and tried to sit up and run, only to be
caught by the hand so that she couldn't. Her eyes gazed up and clashed with the
prussian blue eyes of another person.

"Serena!"
Roared Raoul. He was coming closer. Frantic, she whimpered and looked around
the room for a place to hide. Ignoring the five boys, including the one she had
just made eye contact with, she scanned the room. Seeing the window to the
balcony open, she quickly ran to it.

"Serena!"
came another scream. This time, following the scream of rage, the door was
flung open, revealing a fat man who was huffing and puffing trying to catch his
breath. Ignoring the five boys in the room, he quickly and efficiently ran a
search for the missing 'Serena'. Seeing no one, he turned to the boys to ask
them. "have you seen anything suspicious lately? Namely a blonde girl child
running around?"

"No." Was
the cold reply the man received.

"No? I
could have sworn I saw her come in here."

"The only
intruder that is in this room at the moment is you. Now leave."

"Do you
know who I am? I am Lord Raoul, owner of the best gypsy dancers in the Eastern
Lands."

"And I am
Prince Hiiro of the Western Lands. Now leave before I draw my sword and your
blood."

"Prince
Hiiro? Oh no! I'm sorry your highness, I never meant…"

"He said
leave, so I suggest you do so." Added in the boy with the brown hair and green
eyes.

"Of course.
Right away my liege. But if you see a little girl with blonde hair, catch her
and send her back to me would you? After all, she is mine."

"Leave."
Echoed the black haired and black -eyed boy. Drawing back in fear, Raoul
swiftly left the room.

"That was
weird." Remarked Quatre.

"Where did
that lovely girl go?" Asked Duo.

"She
stepped onto the balcony." Answered Trowa. "Let's check it out." He and the other
boys, including Hiiro, went to see if they could find the girl. When they had
searched every nook and cranny and were sure there was no girl, they sighed in
defeat and entered the room again.

"She had to
have scaled the wall. How else would she have gotten away?" Said Wufei. "it's
not like she could fly."

"Well,
whoever she was and however she escaped, I'm glad she did. There was something
wrong with that Lord Raoul fellow. Come on, it's been a long day and night,
let's finally get some sleep." Said Quatre, leaving for his own room. The other
boys left as well, leaving Hiiro alone to think.*



Chapter Three: Sugar Plum Faeries Danced in His Head



*It was
well after noon when Hiiro was awoken by the sound of constant pounding on his
door. Getting up off of the bed, he opened the door to reveal his friends all
standing in their dressiest attire.

"Have a
nice sleep baby Hiiro?" Teased Duo. Hiiro shrugged, then softly punched Duo in
the stomach. Even though it was a slight tap to Hiiro, it made Duo cringe back
in fear.

"Hiiro,
it's near dinner time, and your father wants you to join him and the king and
his son at their table. He says to get dressed in proper clothing and come down
at once." Said Trowa.

" Hnn."

"Your
father was serious. If you don't, it'll be us that have to hear him moan about
you. Come on." Pestered Wufei.

"Fine. I'll
be down in a minute." Hiiro hated these social functions, but to appease his
father he went. As his friends left, he tried to decide what his father meant
by proper clothing. 'Probably a nicer and more royal outfit than my riding
gear.' He thought, smirking to himself. He was well known for wearing his
riding clothes to everything. Digging out a nicer outfit, he found someone had
slipped in his favorite blue shirt and black breeches. He decided to go with
that, he then added his favorite black boots. Quickly exiting the chamber he
had been given, he found his friends waiting outside to escort him to the
dining hall.

When they
arrived, they sat on the floor with giant cushions as a back support. The low
table held a variety of foods native to the Eastern Lands. What made him lose
what appetite he had was the person who sat to his right. Prince Darien. Just
thinking the boy's name made Hiiro's blood curdle and spine tingle.

"So Hiiro.
It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Hnn."
Hiiro saw his father glare at him from across and up the table and swallowed
back any and all hatred. If he was going to make it look like he was genuinely
making an effort, he needed to begin right now under his father's watchful eye.
"It's been a very long time, Darien."

"Yes, about
nine years. What happened, run out of excuses to get out of coming to visit
me?"

"I never
had to think of them in the first place, they always just arose the other times
before."

"Yes. Tell
me, how did that stable fire start? Your friend and head of your guard knocked
over a lantern?"

"Hnn." This
acting business was harder than it looked.

"Don't
worry, you needn't speak with me anymore for a while. The dancing is about to
begin. I'm sure if you're a healthy sort of guy you'll enjoy it." Darien
smirked, making Hiiro wonder what he was up to. Then, the music cued in, and
just as Darien had said, the dancing commenced.

Hiiro
watched as four girls came out, two girls from each side and began a sultry
dance around the room. It was interesting, he had to agree. The way the women's
movements fit the mood of the music rather than the beat was different from the
way they danced back home. Finally, the girls ended their dancing and a new
song came on. Hiiro turned away from the dancing to speak to his friends, but
when he saw their attention was elsewhere, he had to turn back and look at the
dancing again.

A lone woman graced the floor, and yet her
presence seemed to fill the entire room with an invisible tension. Hiiro let
out a breath he didn't know he had been
holding as the petite girl crossed the floor towards him and the rest of the
table. Standing on the table, she began an intricate design and pattern using
her body to weave a story. He recognized the face from somewhere, but couldn't
place it. Where had he seen that face and those eyes before. Those sad blue
eyes that held such fire. Then it dawned upon him. It was the escapee from
earlier, the one who had used his room as a hideout and then disappeared. When
the dance was over, she took a bow and left the room as quickly and quietly as
she had entered.

"So what
did you think?"

"About…?"

"About the
girls and their dancing? It's called belly dancing. Beautiful, weren't they? I
like the blonde soloist enough, but the raven haired beauty in the group of
girls is the best lover of them all." Bragged Darien.

"You've
slept with all of them?" Hiiro asked in disgust.

"All but
that blonde soloist. She's new. But I was thinking of tonight with her. Of
course, it will all depend upon how Raoul rates her."

"Lord
Raoul?"

"Yes.
You've met him?"

"Earlier
today he was looking for a runaway girl and queried me."

" Did he? I
had heard he was looking for a runaway, but all of his girls danced tonight, so
he must have found her. I wonder which one it was. I thought all of his girls
were broken for the most part of that bad habit."

"You speak
of it as though the girls are dogs that have been trained to mess outside
instead of in."

"Yes. In a
way, that is exactly what they are: lost puppies that have been adopted and
raised properly." Each word that befell of Darien's mouth sickened Hiiro more
and more. He couldn't wait until dinner was finished.

~*~

Seraphin
sat in her room once again. The door was closed and locked tightly from the
outside, and the windows had been sealed form the outside as well. Though she
had danced with all of her heart and soul that night, she did not feel
exhilarated as she normally did. She felt used and worthless, as though she had
just reached her all time lowest. Revealing her wings, she brushed her hair
aside and stared at the golden upturned crescent moon symbol upon her forehead.
Although her bangs his it, she knew it was there, and it was a constant
reminder of her crimes of being too nice. She hadn't thought it possible, but
apparently Aphrodite felt differently. Thinking over her life as an angel, she
tried not to cry at the memories. It was too much tonight, just too much. Then
she heard the door being unlocked and stared at it in a state of frozen panic.
As the door opened, her fear rose. In stepped the Prince of the Eastern Lands,
Prince Darien. How had he gotten the key to her room?

"Hello
sweet dancing maiden. I am Prince Darien of the Eastern Lands. I've waited a
great deal of time to meet you."

"Hello.
Please leave, I was about to go to sleep."

"Leave? I
have a better idea. I'll sleep with
you." He smirked. Just then, Lord Raoul strolled in from the corridor.

"Do
whatever he wants Serena. It will only lead to more trouble and pain if you
don't."

"So Raoul,
how is she?"

"I do not
know as of yet my liege. I have yet to break that part of her, though you are
most certainly allowed to do so." Both men smirked at one another.

"Unbroken,
huh? Then this must be the angel who ran earlier."

"Yes. She
gave me quite then run for my breath as well. I just caught her as she was
escaping the place gardens."

"She got
that far? How?"

"I do not
know. But you are certainly invited to try to find out for me."

"Maybe I'll
do just that."

"Have fun,
your highness."

"Dismissed
Raoul." With that, the prince shut the door behind the leaving man and turned
his full attention back towards the girl. As he advanced towards her, she
backed away until finally she had backed herself into a wall. "Now the real fun
begins." As he kissed her, she screamed into his mouth. Pushing her away, he
coughed and she could see the blood rising to his face. The more he tried to
kiss her, touch her, and pleasure her and himself the worse she became. Finally
Darien stopped his advances and threw her onto the bed.

"Brat! How
dare you reject me! I am Prince Darien, and no one refuses me!" that, he
stormed out of the room. Seraphin picked her self up off of the bed and tried
to rinse her tear stricken face. Once she had done so, she crawled back onto
her bed and tried to sleep.*



Chapter Four: Parting is Such Sweet Bliss



*The whole
week had gone by. Hiiro was elated that the entire week had finally ended and
that he was leaving in five hour's time. Though he had tried thoroughly to make
'friends' with Prince Darien, he couldn't. After what Darien had said to him
about women being puppies he had been so disgusted that he could hardly look at
Darien without wanting to punch him in the smirking jaw line of his.

"Hiiro,
hurry it up or we'll be late. The King of the Eastern Lands wanted to present
you with a present of some sort before you left." Duo chattered.

"Coming."
Was Hiiro's stoic reply. He did speed up too. He figured that if he got this
whole presenting of a gift over with, they would be able to leave sooner. As he
rushed out into the corridor, he snagged Duo and quickly marched towards the
throne room.

When they
reached the throne room, Hiiro entered and was announced. He saw his father
standing and speaking to both King Richard and Lord Raoul. Suddenly he felt
slightly sick. He turned to leave before he was spotted, but it was too late.

"There he
is. Hiiro, son, some here." Hiiro dragged himself to where his father stood.

"Hiiro, my
boy. As a gift to you form the Eastern
Lands, I wish to present you with any choice of these fine five women."
Announced the proud King of the Eastern Lands. Hiiro faced the direction the
King's finger was pointing and stood in horror. Before him stood the dancing
women he had seen at dinners in this palace. "My son, Darien, told me you were
quite interested in them, and I thought that Raoul would not mind sparing one
of his beauties. After all, he can always find more; he has a certain knack for
it you might say."

"I was
interested by their dancing in general, not them as a gift your highness.
Please, keep your women. I have no use for one."

"Hiiro,
son, accept the gift. It is only polite, after all." Whispered his father in
his ear. Hiiro sighed inwardly. He knew his father was right, and he certainly
did not want the Eastern Lands mad at him or his kingdom. Plus, he figured he
could help save one of the poor pathetic women the creep Raoul kept. Looking
the girls over, he spotted the small blonde he had seen the day he had arrived
at the palace.

"Very well.
I would like the blonde."

"You mean
this one, Mina?" Raoul pointed at a different blonde.

"No, the
other one." He saw both Darien and Raoul face vault at the mention of Serena,
at least, that's what he thought her name was. He had heard the stories of how
She had scared Darien away and made a good guess why they had reacted so
strongly to her.

"Are you
sure? She can be a lot to handle." Responded Raoul.

"Positive."

"Alright
then, she's yours." Raoul roughly grabbed the girl's arm and waved her around
in front of Hiiro.

"Now that
this is all settled, we leave in one hour." Said Hiiro's father, obviously
pleased at his son's decision to accept the gift.

"Very
well." With that, Hiiro, lead his guards out of the throne room and in the
hallway. He watched as Raoul exited the
throne room soon after he, and spoke to his newest 'addition'.

"Brat. I
never should have put you up for sale. You're not worthy of kissing the dirt I
walk on, let alone the Prince of the Western Lands. You would have been fun to
break; now you've gone and spoiled it for me. Don't just stand there, come on!"
He tightened his hold on her arm and began pulling her in the direction he was
walking. "You need to pack your things for your trip." Raoul looked up and saw
Hiiro and the other four boys looking directly at him and Serena. "I honestly
don't know why you picked one of Hades' children for your toy, but that's your
choice your highness." He grinned, and Hiiro balked at the sight of his devious
face.

~*~

They had
been on the road for only three hours, but already Seraphin was beginning to
feel the heat. While she was most definitely glad she would not have to see
Raoul ever again, she could not help but wonder if her new 'master' would treat
her just as poorly if not worse. Being on Earth was a lot different from being
on Mount Olympus with the rest of the Gods and Goddesses. For instance, the
weather was so fickle that she could never anticipate what was to come next.
Her thoughts drifted back to the weather as the wind picked up the sand and
began to sting and scratch her delicate skin. That, plus the added bonus of the
heat was almost unbearable.

Hiiro
relaxed upon his mount when they had exited the city kingdom limits, but now as
the sand and wind picked up, he wished they had picked a different day to
leave. This was the beginning of a sand storm, and if they were not careful,
they would end up getting caught in it and eventually lost in the desert forever.
He looked over his friends. They showed grim smiles as they rode into the ever-
strengthening wind. He looked over his father's carriage, and all seemed to be
in order there. Then he turned his head around to the other side and looked
behind him to check on Serena. He saw something not unlike pain and discomfort.
Not that he cared, of course. Just that he wanted her to keep up or she would
get lost, and his father would be displeased. That was all. As he saw her go
from her straight and proper position on her horse to somewhat of a slumped
position, he caught a look at her pale face and knew what was coming. Dropping
back silently, he took hold of her horse's reins just as she fainted. Seeing
that she was staying on the horse even in her unconscious state, he tied the
horse to the back of his saddle and continued forward into the desert. The only
thing he hated more than Darien was the desert, and if he had had any doubts of
which was worse while he was leaving, he had no doubts now.

When
Seraphin awoke, she found that she was lay on lush green grounds. Looking
around her, she saw no one. In fact, the only things she did see were trees and
bushes and shrubs. And of course, a renegade flower here and there. Where was
she? She didn't remember leaving the desert, ever. Then again, she had been
passed out. Suddenly, the shrubs rattled and from behind them came five boys,
one of which she knew was the Prince and the other four his guards.

"She's
awake! Hiiro, she's up!" Cried out the boy with the long braid.

"He can see
it for himself Maxwell." Was the cross answer given by the boy with the black
hair in the short pony tail

"Stop it."
Said the other with the short reddish brown hair.

"Yes, not
now Duo, Wufei." Echoed the blonde

"Who asked
you two?" Smirked the black haired boy.

"Yeah! This
is between Wuffie and me so back off!" Added the boy with the braid.

"Maxwell!
Refrain from calling me that or you won't have a tongue to use ever again!"

"You two
need to stop, now." Said the boy with the shorter reddish brown hair.

"Please
stop?" Asked the blonde. Through the entire scene, only two stayed out of the
fight. Hiiro stayed out because he didn't feel like drawing his sword to make
his point, and Seraphin because she couldn't decide what to do in the situation.
Finally, she came to a decision.

All four of
the fighting boys were suddenly silenced by a slight giggle, then a full laugh
from the tiny girl. The funny thing was, they actually stopped fighting all
together and smiled sheepishly. Finally, Seraphin stopped laughing and stared
back at the boys who were so focused upon her.

"Enough."
Hiiro broke the uncomfortable silence. " Duo, Trowa, go get some water. If you
can't find a fresh water spring, take the seawater and boil it. Quatre, see about some warmer clothes, and
Wufei, set up a decent camp, we'll probably be staying the night. Go." He
watched as all four of his friends split (except Duo and Trowa) to perform
their given tasks. Turning back to Serena, he saw a hint of fear in her dull
eyes. Trying to decide how to vanquish it, he looked her over. What he saw
wasn't what he had hoped for. She was pretty, but he saw sleep deprived eyes,
dirt smudged across her arm, legs, stomach and face, and malnourishment. Well,
he could definitely help with the last one. Standing up, he grabbed his pack
and offered her some dried jerky. He watched as she accepted it with amazement
written all over her face.

Seraphin
couldn't believe how nice this guy was. He was not only stopping for her, and
she was sure the reason they had stopped was her, but he was offering her food
as well. She hadn't eaten anything this good since before she had been cast out
of Mount Olympus. She ate and as she did, she watched as the boy with the black
hair came back into the clearing with wood. She assumed he was going to make a
fire. Then the blonde came back with a pair of tan breeches and a loose white
shirt. He placed the clothes next to her, then smiled at her and walked back
off. Soon enough, the ebony haired boy and the boy who had given her the food
were setting up what looked to be sleeping places. They were laying out
blankets and leaving rolled up packs at one end. She assumed that she and the
boys were sleeping outdoors tonight.

Hiiro
helped Wufei as he set up their camp. The entire time he was up, he felt eyes
on him and Wufei. At one point, he caught Serena's eyes watching him and Wufei.
He was confused. Why would she watch him and Wufei like a hawk watches a mouse.
They weren't doing anything interesting, just setting up camp. When he saw Duo
and Trowa coming up the hill with a bucket of water, he sighed in relief. If he
could quench his thirst with some decent forest water, it would make surviving
the sandstorm worth it. Besides, it was nice to celebrate being away from his father
for the first time in an entire week. Though his father had requested Hiiro and
the boys not stop the night, he had used Serena's condition as an excuse to
stop anyway, and then sent his father packing on his way. Taking his hands and
forming a make shift cup with them, he gulped down the refreshing cool water
and let the calm feeling wash over him.

"We found a
nice spring. It has a deep little pond connected to a slightly larger one, then
it turns into a river that contributes to the delta, and finally dumps into the
ocean." Said Trowa.

"Yeah. We
went swimming in the bigger pond before
we came back. It was nice and chilly, but fun." Said Duo.

"Duo,
strike the word 'fun' from your vocabulary, would you? It's too Duo-ish."

"Oh don't
be such a sore loser Wuffie. Just because I got to go swimming and you didn't
doesn't mean you have to go getting all sore on me." Grinned Duo as he
initiated yet another fight with Wufei.

"Why I
ought to…"

"Wufei.
Camp is set up. Go swimming." Hiiro
said, trying to end the argument before it got really heated.

"Hey! No! I
was only in it for a few seconds!" Cried Duo in protest.

"Then you
go too."

"Why don't
we all go? Besides, won't it feel good to get the grit off?" Suggested Quatre.

"Fine."
Agreed Hiiro.

"May I join
you?" Said a small voice from below all of them. Looking down, they found that
somehow, they had all come to gather around the sitting girl who was the reason
they had stopped in the first place. Suddenly feeling guilty about ignoring her
and about forgetting about her, their faces became slightly tinged red.

"Woman, you
should not be present while we bathe." Answered Wufei, quickly disregarding his
guilt.

"He's
right. Why would you want to join us?" Added Trowa.

"Well, I
know I shouldn't have asked, but…"

"If you
knew you shouldn't have asked, then why did you?" Smirked Wufei.

"Never
mind." She said softly.

"Good,
let's go." Said Wufei as he turned on his heels and stormed off towards the
ponds. The other followed him reluctantly.*



Chapter Five: A Forest and Ocean of Troubles



*The boys tramped carefully through
the woods back to their camp. They weren't sure if they were going the exact
way they had come, but they could see the smoke from the fire they had started
earlier, so they knew that they would eventually reach their camp. As quietly
as they could, they moved through the underbrush until they finally spotted the
warm and inviting fire.

When they finally stepped into the
clearing, they began to laugh and joke about as if they had never left. Digging in their pack, they
rusted up some jerky and other dried foods that they had put away incase they
had gotten hungry on the trail. As they ate and drank, a small figure rose from
the ground next to the fire. The boys jumped back in surprise at the fact that
there was a girl in their camp.

Hiiro watched as Serena sat up from
the bare ground and mentally kicked himself. Not only had he allowed himself
and his friends to ditch the girl earlier, but he had allowed them to come back
near midnight, some four and a half hours after they had left, and made a huge
ruckus when they did return. Not to mention he had made the poor girl sleep on
the dirty ground on the cold without so much as a blanket and meal before she
went to sleep. He felt as low as he could possibly get. Then he thought to
himself 'she's my girl, I don't have to treat her like some Princess. It's not
like she should expect anything extra because I own her now and not Raoul.'
Somehow, his inner reasoning didn't make him feel any better. He looked over
his comrade's faces and knew they were thinking along the same lines.

"You're back! Oh I was so worried!"
Cried Seraphin as she threw herself into Hiiro's arms and hugged him as hard as
she could, and seeing as how she was so little, it wasn't very hard. She had
truly been scared for the boy's lives.

" Why were you worried about us?
You knew we were at the swimming hole." Said Wufei.

"I thought some terrible creature
had gotten to you! I thought maybe you had fallen down a deep ravine and were
stuck, or perhaps lost in the woods. I thought that was why you were gone so
long." She realized her position against Hiiro's chest and let go of him and
backed off sheepishly.

Hiiro, who,
much to his own surprise, had rather enjoyed the warmth she had radiated to him
while she was hugging him, looked at Serena's face. He saw streaks down it and
once again kicked himself. She had been crying. Now he really felt like dirt.

"I'm very
sorry to have worried you, Miss Serena." He said, hoping that would help her
feel a little better. He saw her eyes lighten two degrees and sighed in relief.
It was working.

"Hiiro?
Apologizing? There's a huge first!" Laughed Duo.

"Maxwell
has a point. I thought I'd never see the day Hiiro apologized to anyone, let
alone a woman." Added Wufei in shock.

"I think
Hiiro has a point. I am truly sorry we did not return sooner Serena." Said
Quatre, feeling incredibly guilty.

"I am sorry
as well, Serena." Said Trowa. Soon enough the other two had added in their own
apologies.

"Don't
apologize. I'm sure I just overreacted. It was just so dark and there were so
many noises and it was very hard to sit here all alone. There isn't even a moon
out tonight." She tried to give them her best smile, but it failed. Slowly,
drip by drop, tears began to over flow from her shimmering orbs. Trying to hide
them, she wiped her face and turned away from their vision. "Well, I'm glad
you're all alright. I'll go back to sleep now. Selene bless you all with
fortune and luck in the hot light of the day tomorrow. Good night."

"You know,
you don' have to lay there on the ground…" Started Quatre, but it was too late,
she was already sound asleep.

"Anyone
else feel rotten for leaving her behind?" Asked Duo. All of them, even Wufei,
dropped their heads to their chest and nodded.

"Look. She
didn't even put on the warmer clothes I put out for her. No wonder she's
shivering." Said Quatre, eyeing the clothes he had placed nest to her earlier.
She had picked them up and placed them upon his bed roll so they wouldn't get
dirty.

"She looked
hungry, even after she finished the jerky Hiiro gave her earlier." Observed
Trowa.

"She
cried." Hiiro stated. When his friends looked at him strangely, he felt the
need the explain. "Her face was tear streaked, and just now before she prayed
for us, she cried."

"She prayed
for us." Said Duo. Religion had always been very important to him, so her
prayer for them and their luck hit him straight through the heart.

"You're all
going soft of a little girl." Snickered Wufei. "I'm going to bed." With that,
he climbed into his bed roll and went shut his eyes. Reluctantly, the others
drifted to sleep after him until only Hiiro was up. Taking his blanket, he lay
it atop the sleeping girl and then fell into a deep sleep of his own.

~*~

"Good
morning!" Hiiro opened his eyes to find a smile greeting his eyes. Sitting up,
he realized it was, indeed, morning. Looking at the girl who had awoken him, he
found that the tears of last night had been replaced with a genuine smile.

"Good
morning. Are you cooking breakfast?" he asked, smelling food being cooked.

"No. I
would have, but I don't know how to cook. Your blonde friend was going to show
me a little, but he had to go fetch some more water."

"Water?"

"Yes." She
nodded in emphasis to her comment. "I tried, but I couldn't carry the bucket
and I kept dropping it and spilling it, so I had to go get him to help me. I
got all wet for nothing!" Eyeing her up
and down, he noted that indeed, a good portion of her skimpy clothing was wet.

Seraphin
watched his eyes drop to examine her clothing. She too, examined it. It was
nothing like what she used to wear, this light cloth they called shear silk.
She wore slightly baggy red pants that were trimmed with gold seeming and ended
just below her belly button. Her top was of the same red cloth, but had a few
more layers to hide more things. The arms were long and baggy, much like her
pants, and the rims were trimmed with gold in the same fashion as well. Her
jewelry was simply, one long necklace with a golden crescent moon, and one
short choker made of gold medals. Her hair was pulled into a full bun, but it
was beginning to fall out in places. Just as her eyes met those of Hiiro's,
whose eyes had since traveled back up to her face, Quatre came back into the
clearing with his bucket of water. Seraphin quickly looked away and went o help
Quatre as Hiiro stood and stretched.

Soon
enough, all of the boys were up and fed, and their possessions packed back on their horses. Seraphin watched as
they all mounted their horses with ease, then stood by her own horse, quite
unsure as of what to do. It was not that she didn't know how to ride the
animal, it was just that she couldn't get on it without help. She was just too
short for it. Clearing her throat to get attention, Duo noticed her problem,
got off of his own mount, and with the other boys looking on, help her get on
her horse.

As they
traveled, it became common place for Seraphin to ride besides each other boys
and speak with them. Earlier that morning while packing, they realized she
didn't know their names, so they introduced themselves and told her that it
would be fine for her to call them by their first names, and not sir or some
such nonsense. Now she found herself riding next to Hiiro. She had taken the
earlier hints dropped and figured out that he was not one for speaking much.
Instead, he asked her to describe her home and family. Seeing as how she could
not remember her family, she told him of the Gods and Goddesses, without
mentioning their names of course. Soon they came to a place where the trees
ended and the ground became sandy once more. Seraphin, thinking they were going
back to the desert, panicked slightly.

Hiiro
watched as his riding companion's eyes clouded and fear overtook them. He knew
she thought they were going back to the desert, but he remained calm knowing
the truth.

"Serena,
look out there." He told her. When she did, she saw a vast body of blues,
grays, and whites splashing and crashing upon the sand and the rocks on it.

"What is
it?" She asked, her eyes full of wonder.

"It's the
ocean."

"What is an
ocean?"

"What is
an… it's a giant body of salt water where there are fish and plants and other
animals all living. It goes on for a great way. People have built giant boats
to sail over it. When you go far enough, you reach another piece of land." He
described, somewhat taken back that she had never seen or heard of an ocean
before. Suddenly, singing was heard. All around them, beautiful voices of
melodious tunes filled the air.

"Hiiro!
Mermaids!" Cried Duo.

"What is a
mermaid?" Asked Seraphin.

"An
immortal creature that is half fish and half human." Answered Hiiro, almost as
if he were in a trance.

"You mean
like a sprite?"

"No. Like a
mermaid. Sprites don't hurt anyone. Mermaids…"

"Hiiro?
Hiiro? Duo? Quatre? Trowa! Wufei!" She cried. All five of them seemed to ignore
her calls and keep riding towards the ocean, towards the rocks upon which sat
the mermaids. Suddenly she remembered Athena describing to her the God of the
Sea, Poseidon. He created creatures to stop the men from destroying his waters,
and mermaids had been one of them that he created. They supposedly hypnotized
men with their voices, much like the sirens. Then they ate them alive, bones
and all. The difference between the mermaids and sirens as that the sirens had
the body of a bird and a mermaid that of a fish. Frantic to stop the mermaids
from eating her newest friends and saviors alive, she jumped off of her horse
and ran towards them.

"Please!
Stop!" She called to them. They did not recognize her existence. Seeing that
yelling would not be of much help, she revealed her wings and flew to the
mermaids. "Please! Stop! Do not eat my friends! They have done nor you or the
ocean any harm!" Tears began to fall. One of the mermaids looked up at her and
poked the one next to her.

"It does
not matter what they have done, only that we are hungry. Why should we postpone
our feats to listen to you winged child?"

"I have no
reason, only a belief that my friends cannot be as important to you as a fish.
Can you not fill your bellies with them instead?"

"Perhaps.
Give us your name winged child. Then we shall see."

"My titles
have been stripped from me, which is why I walk this mortal plain. My name
would make little difference to you."

"On the
contrary. We are inquisitive creatures. Tell us anyway."

"I was once
known as Seraphin, the Angel of Peace, Truth, and Compassion. Now I am known as
Serena, the mere mortal dancer."

"Seraphin?
Then you are she that we seek."

"Why seek
me, immortal sisters?"

"The Fates
have passed a prophecy down through the ages. It is as follows: 'Chaos breaks
her fretters, Chaos breaks the glass. Only the Crystal is through which she
cannot pass.' The crystal, we have been told, is to be given to you. Here. We
are sorry, Angel of Goodness. We will indeed allow you and your man-friends
passage always in the seas."

"Thank
you!" Seraphin beamed a smile at the mermaids. As they tossed a shiny object to
her in the sky, he caught it and held it tightly.

"Serena!
What are you doing?" Called Quatre. Seraphin found herself standing in the
place where the mermaids had been, her wings hidden from sight and crystal in
hand.

"Nothing!
Are you alright?" She asked as the boys helped her down from her perch amongst
the gagged rocks.

"A bit
confused. How did we get all the way down on the beach?" Asked Trowa.

"The
mermaids called you, but I spoke to them and they went away. They said they
won't bother you anymore."

"Mermaids?
And you got them to back away from us? How?" Questioned Wufei.

"I asked
them and added in an extra please of course." She answered. After all, it was
partly true, and she had said please twice.

"Well,
however you did it, I'm glad. Come on, let's get out of here." Said Duo.



Chapter Six:
Unwelcome Homecoming or Welcome Homecoming



*High above
the lush valleys of the west, the hot deserts of the east, the cold northern
tundra, and the wet oceans of the south three women confronted a large group.

"It has
begun." Shrieked one of the haggard old women.

"Surely you
cannot mean?" Cried a large man with a long white beard and a lightening staff
within one hand.

"Your lost
sister has awoken from her great sleep and travels here as we speak." Spoke the
second old hag.

"She is
only able to rise when the greatest wrong of all has been committed. We have
done nothing wrong, and the humans have done nothing drastic enough to upset
the balance of nature as of yet." Answered back a younger woman who carried a
sword.

"Great Gods
and Goddesses of Mount Olympus, do you honestly think a mere mortal could have
given rise to this? It was the doing of your own kind."

"Impossible!"
Cried a beautiful woman, this one in complete denial.

"Us fates
never allow the word impossible in our midst, for only we truly know what the
impossible is. When your father Coronus trapped your oldest sister in her own
dimension, it was because of the chaos she created and havoc she raised in the
lives of those not divine. He named her Chaos, and decreed that only a deed
that brought as much imbalance to the circle of life could give her enough
strength to break free of her binds." Finished the three Fates in a loud wail.

"What was
the event that brought upon this cataclysmic event? I command you as Zeus, King
of the Gods."

"The
banishment of peace, truth and compassion within the hearts of the mortals has
lead to the negative energy from which Chaos feeds." As the Fates answered
Zeus's question, they began to disappear.

"Finish!"
Cried Zeus, but it was too late, the Fates were gone. Well, they had given them
more information than he had thought, so at least they knew what they were
dealing with.

"My dear,"
started Hera, "how do you banish peace, truth, and compassion from mortal
hearts?"

"You can't.
It isn't possible." Answered Athena, sword still in hand.

"Remember,
the Fates said nothing was impossible." Whispered Aphrodite quietly to herself.


"Well,
however it was done, we must find out and undo it before Chaos is able to
spread fear and panic into the very core of the souls of the mortals." Said
Zeus decidedly. He looked around the room at the other high Gods and Goddesses
that stood or sat before him. Stopping Chaos was going to take a lot of effort,
he just hoped they could all get along for long enough to do so.

~*~

"Is that
your home?" Gasped the tiny girl in wonder and amazement. Hiiro watched her as
her eyes became large round saucers and she practically seemed to radiate
warmth and amazement at the sight of the palace. He unconsciously smiled as he
watched her basking in the after glow of her happiness. It made him feel good,
warm and fulfilled deep inside when he watched her. Looking her over, he
decided that he would never do anything to bring harm to her if he could help
it. He would always treat her with the respect and honor she had been withheld
while owned by Raoul. Just the thought of that man's name cooled him off enough
to shiver involuntarily.

"Yes,
that's my home, and now it is yours as well." With that, he urged his horse to
go faster, and motioned for his friends to do the same. With Duo whooping and
the others screaming words of encouragement towards their horses, they speed up
the pace and reached the palace drawbridge within no time. As they entered,
Seraphin watched as four ladies, all just barely older than herself ran out of
the palace, hiking their dress skirts up as high as they properly could to run.
Each ran to a certain one of Hiiro's guards, she noticed.

A woman
with short blue hair and a dark purple dress greeted Duo. She jumped at him,
and he caught her in mid air and spun her around, laughing all the while.
Quatre was holding the hands of a lovely woman dressed in yellowish dress with
long blonde hair, so blonde that it was almost white. They were both smiling
idiotically at each other. Trowa had been swept up into the arms of a woman
with mid length reddish hair and a maroon dress. Sneaking a quick and quiet
kiss, they hugged again and looked into each other's eyes. Even cold Wufei was
greeted by a woman with dirty blonde hair who was dressed in a green frock. She
stood opposite him and looked solemnly into his eyes. Rolling his eyes, Wufei
stepped forward to hug the woman, who in turn hugged him back and pecked him on
the cheek. Seeing it all made Seraphin break into a joyous laughter. She loved
seeing how much people truly cared for each other. 'They must have missed each
terribly' She thought to herself. 'After all,
they were separated for an entire week!' Noting Hiiro's sad expression,
she moved closer to him and pecked his cheek.

Hiiro had
been watching his friends greet their loves. He knew how much each of the boys
had missed the girls, and was willing to postpone his hot bath a little longer
so that they could have a moment of bliss with their girls. He saw Duo and Hilde
laughing, the polite Quatre and the daring Dorothy holding hands, Trowa being
kissed by Catherine, and Wufei getting pecked on the cheek by Sally. Yes, he
saw it all. It almost made him lonely, knowing that he had no one to come back
to, no one to care about his well being while he was away on a trip or at a
battle. Almost. Then he felt something warm and soft touch his cheek ever so
lightly and turned to see Serena standing beside him, smiling gently. Had she
just kissed him?

"You seemed
so lonely that I thought I would welcome you home." His face dropped the cold
mask it normally ore and he let her see a flash of thanks and happiness. She
wondered how long it had been since anyone had hugged or kissed him, even if it
was just a goodnight from his mother. She felt a tugging at her heart as it
went out to the poor lonely prince; he always surrounded himself with his
friends, but she wondered if at night he didn't cry because he was so lonely.
Then, as quickly as the mask had been taken off, he put it back on.

"I did not
need to be welcomed." He said gruffly, trying to lie. He saw her expression and
knew that she knew he was not telling the truth, however, when she didn't
comment upon it, he felt bad. "Thank you, though." He watched as she perked up.
"Well, let's be getting inside." With that, he dismounted his horse and handed
it to the stable hand. When his horse was taken care of and his friends, their
respective girls on their arms, were ready,
they entered the palace.

~*~

"This will
be your room." Said Hiiro as he showed her into a room down the hall from his
own. His room was at the very end of the hall, and on the two sides next to it
were the four other by's rooms. When he found that the room was vacated, he
thought it would be the perfect place to put Serena. After all, he and the boys
were right down the hall incase she should need their assistance in handling a
matter, and the four girl's rooms were right next door. He often saw the four
girls running across the hall to see each other on the nights there were balls
or they had dates with his guards, so he figured they would help Serena get
used to her new home.

"Oh, it's
lovely, but it's too much! I would
destroy everything in here!"

"Nonsense.
And even if you do, it will be replaced and as perfect as it is now the next
day."

"Aren't you
afraid to put me in a room with windows?"

"Why would
I be?"

"Raoul was.
He said that I shouldn't be privy to such things as the sun and moonlight, let
alone the fresh air. He sad it was too risky, and that I would probably run
away."

"First of
all, everyone deserves to see the sun and moonlight and the fresh air as well.
Secondly, you did run away."

"Then why
are you trusting me?"

"Why did
you run away?"

"Because
Raoul… never mind."

"Raoul
what?"

"Wanted me
to sleep with him. I wouldn't. He was so mad at me that he tried to hit me. I
kicked him and ran. That's when I fell onto you in your room." She blushed, not
liking the direction the conversation was heading.

"I'm not
Raoul."

"I know
that. So why trust me with the
windows?"

"Because I
will not give you a reason to leave. Besides. If you were going to leave, you
would have last night in the woods when the boys and I left for the swimming
hole."

"And I am
glad I did not. Otherwise, you would have been eaten by mermaids!" She laughed
nervously.

"I will
send a maid in to draw your bath."

"A maid?
For me? Oh no! I can do it all on my own!"

"Really?"
He smirked. She had no idea what she was getting into.

"Yes, I'm
sure!"

"Show me
then. The tub is right through there."

"Alright, I
will!" Turning on her heels, she entered the powder room determined to prove
him wrong. She was faced with two knobs and a pump. "Alright, no worries. I'll
have it done in no time!" She smiled and started twisting the knobs. When she
decided she liked the temperature they read, she grabbed hold of the pump,
which was above her head, and began trying to pump the water into the tub. No
matter how hard she tried, she could not budge the pump. Stepping back in
embarrassment, she hung her head in defeat.

"I suppose
I do need little help after all."

" I'll send
someone up." He smirked. As he left the room, he heard her call out another
faint 'thank you, Hiiro!' and smiled again. What was with him? Suddenly he was
all smiles and happiness. He needed to shake this phase he was going through,
or he would end up as idiotic and ridiculous looking as his father appeared to
him now.

Seraphin
settled into her bath. It was the first time she had been able to bathe in
nearly a month. She watched as the grit and dirt practically oozed off of her
arms, legs, and face. Not only was she
lucky to be able to bathe, but it was with warm water and soap no less! It was
an amazing feeling. She washed her hair, and when she finally convinced the maids
that she would be alright on her own or a few moments, she washed and rinsed
out her wings as well. Everything felt so delicious and relaxing that when the
maid told her that dinner was waiting for her on the table in her room, she
almost didn't want to get out. Then again, she was hungry too, and eager to
find out what all of the delicious smells were. Drying off, she was offered a
soft silky nightgown and left in peace to enjoy her meal.

There were
so many choices to choose from she hardly knew what she would eat first. She
tried some greens, three different kinds of fruit, a piece of chicken, and
drank cool rich milk. She passed over the wines and beers that were on the
table, she smelled them and decided that she did not care to smell like Raoul used
to. Finally, after a long and weary day, she crawled in beneath her bed
sheets and fell into a peaceful and
dreamless sleep with the moonlight highlighting her delicate face in the dark.

Hiiro was
glad to finally get his bath. As he let the water wash over him, he drifted off
into a slight trance. His thoughts drifted and fell back onto Serena. What was
it about her? He knew she was different from others, but it wasn't just that.
She acted different. She was always happy for others, she never thought of
herself. Even when he had left her, all she could think about was his
well-being. She had defended him from mermaids, and, more importantly, chased
away the enemy known as lonesomeness. He couldn't figure out what it was about
her. She was just irresistible, like an angel that was lost upon the mortal
plains. She was weak, yet she still tried to exhibit strength that both he and
she knew she didn't have. Whoever she was, he wanted to find out more about
her.

He was
broken form his reverie when a knock on the door alerted him to his dinner
being ready. He sat to eat. It had been a while since he had had a normal meal.
Usually he ate on the road and didn't get back from hunting until too late for
a proper dinner. Then, of course, the last week he had been served food from a
land in which they considered lizards, monkey brains, snakes, and bugs
delicacies. It was nice to taste the tender chicken and green beans form the
place gardens. As he drowned a demitasse of wine, he decided he really didn't
feel like becoming drunk tonight and instead reached for the water. As he
opened his window to get a breath of fresh air, he thought of something. He had
forgotten to explain to Serena what his intentions with her were. Feeling
guilty, he decided he would tell her now. Dressing himself in black britches
and a loose white peasant shirt, he left his room and headed for hers.

Finding her
door unlocked, he entered the darkened room. Looking around for a candle to
light, his eyes landed upon her bed. She was asleep, her covers thrown to the
side and her body bathed in the moonlight. Her hair was down and fanned around
her body, making it seem like she lay on a golden sheet. He could see a strange
upturned golden crescent moon marked her forehead, well hidden beneath her long
golden bangs. A peaceful look donned her visage and as she dreamed, the corners
of her mouth upturned in a satisfied smile. He couldn't wake her, it would be
too cruel. He would just explain it to her in the morning. As quietly as he
possibly could, he tip toed out of her room and shut the door behind him on the
beauty within.

Reaching
his room again, he collapsed upon the bed and tried breathing deeply to see if
it would help to calm his racing heart. She was absolutely perfect, why hadn't
he seen it before? 'She's practically divine, she's a mortal Aphrodite.' He
thought. As he slowly drifted off t sleep, thoughts and visions of Serena clouded his mind and dreams. What
was wrong with him?



Chapter Seven: On Common Grounds



"We have
been searching for a full day and night, and still we have found no reason for
people to lose their peace, truth, and compassion for each other. None at all."
Said Hermes.

"There has
to be some reason. After all, people are already becoming more irritable!
Including myself because of your incompetence!" Screamed Zeus.

"Brother!
One of my creatures from the deep believes she holds the answer." Spoke
Poseidon. It wasn't often that he left his water home, but this was an
emergency after all. "They are called mermaids. I created them so that the
sailors near the shore that always manage to harm my precious…"

"Get on
with it Poseidon! We haven't all day!" Raged Zeus.

"Right. As
I was saying, the mermaids have an old prophecy passed down through the
generations that was given to them by the Fates. It goes something like this:
'Chaos breaks her fretters, Chaos breaks the glass. Only the Crystal is through
which she cannot pass.'"

"And?" Said
Zeus, a little quieter.

"Well, they
believe that only one person an wield the Crystal in the prophecy: Seraphin,
the Angel of Peace, Truth, and Compassion. Now do you see why this is
important? The Angel, meaning she's immortal, of Peace, Truth, and Compassion,
and those are all of things mankind is said to lose." Finished Poseidon, taking
in a long breath afterwards.

"Gather all
of the Gods and Goddesses upon Mount Olympus immediately, and bring the Angel
Seraphin with them!" Called out Zeus. Hermes nodded and left instantly to find
the Gods and Goddesses.

"I'm afraid
that's impossible." Said Poseidon sadly.

"Why?"
Rumbled Zeus.

"My
mermaids saw her on Earth not long ago. That means she can't be found here."

"How did an
Angel get on Earth? I thought they were confined to these Mountains."
Questioned Zeus.

"I don't
know brother Zeus."

"Find out
who does! And find me that Angel! Now!"

~*~

Seraphin
strolled through the forest. Completely content. Earlier that morning, she had
awoken to find the four ladies whom she had seen greet Hiiro's guards
yesterday. They had brought in a couple of maids as well, and began her day by
teaching her how a proper Western Lands woman dressed. They gave her dresses
that had once fit them that they had now grown out of, and brought her up to
date with the goings on in the palace. As she spoke to them, she realized just
why each of them made the perfect match for their lovers. Either they countered
them perfectly, or they were two peas in a pod. They were all very nice about
helping her adjust, and she wondered why they had taken to her so easily.

After they
had dressed her like children do a doll, she was left alone in her room. As she
was about to turn the knob on the door, it
turned it's self and revealed Prince Hiiro, her new master, standing at
the door. Though he had looked slightly flustered, he had asked her to join him
for breakfast. He escorted her to his room, where they were waited upon. He had
proceeded to explain to her her duties as his newest slave. She was to stay out
of trouble and do as she was told. Other than that, she was completely free to
come and go as she pleased, as long as she always returned by midnight. When he
finished telling her this, she had
jumped up and given him a hug, and must have spat out the words 'thank
you' so much that it made him sick. She had planned on asking him to give her a
tour of his home, but he was then called away to his father's study, so she
scratched that idea.

Now she
waltzed about the forest. She had found a path that lead into it from the
gardens. Seraphin didn't know where she was going or why, but she felt compelled to go somewhere. She
let her feet be her guide and take her wherever the Fates deemed her presence
necessary. As she stepped into a clearing, she found a most peculiar thing: a
green rock. Stepping over to examine it, she saw that it glowed green, and was natural in every other possible way.
She decided that it was safe, and tired from her hiking, she sat upon it to
rest.

Checking to
see if anyone was near, she decided it was safe and revealed her wings,
stretching them to their full extent. She also let down her hair from it's bun.
She laughed and tucked her ocean blue skirts up and gently placed her feet into
the cold little pool of water that the rock rested besides. Growing more
comfortable in her position, she began to relax and reflect on the twists and
turns Fate created Destiny with.

"I don't
believe there's ever been a water sprite in that pool before, and I should
know." Said a raspy voice from behind her. Turning around in shock at being
discovered, she gasped. " Don't be afraid my dear, I'm far too old to cause you
much harm. Why, your no sprite at all."

"No sire.
Oh, please do not tell on me!" She was so afraid of being discovered.

"As I said,
I am far too old for such things. What are you, precisely?"

"An angel
sire." She breathed sharply, hoping this man would stay true to his word.
However, she had a good feeling that he would for some strange reason.

"An angel.
Of all that I've seen in the many years the Gods have blessed me with, I've
never dreamt I would see such an elusive creature." He chuckled. She liked his
laugh.

"We are not
purposefully elusive sire, we are confined to Mount Olympus and the surrounding
peaks. So few people scale those mountains that we are never seen. That is all.
I am glad I've fulfilled a dream of yours, however."

"If you are
confined to the mountains, dear, why are you here?"

"Oh." He
saw her melancholy glance and sighed.

"Never
mind, some things are better left to the imagination. How did you find this
clearing? It is protected very well."

"Protected?
I see no guards or traps. How is it guarded then?" She asked him, her mood
changing so suddenly that it nearly knocked him flat back. He watched her as
she lay on her stomach on the green rock and propped her chin within her hands.
Her legs, shoeless and stockingless, went back and forth, as if she were a
small child waiting to hear a story. She had now hidden her wings from his
sight, but he knew they still existed.

"It is
surrounded by spells. That is an enchanted rock which you lay upon."

"Spells?
Are you a sorcerer then? I thought that they had all become priests and
priestesses and soothsayers for the Gods."

" Yes, I am
a sorcerer, and most have. I myself and a few more, have kept to the old ways.
How did you find this clearing?"

"I don't
know. I started in the palace gardens and let my feet carry me where they may.
Tell me, what shall I call you?"

"J. Just
refer to me as J. And your name?"

"Well,
Prince Hiiro and his friends all me Serena, but my real name is Ser…"

"Prince
Hiiro? You know him?"

"Yes, he
owns me."

"I can
hardly believe that. He doesn't just purchase a lovely lady on a whim."

"Actually,
Serena was given to me as a gift from the Prince of the Eastern Lands, Prince
Darien." Said Hiiro, stepping into the clearing.

"How long
have you been there?" Asked J, narrowing his eyes.

"From the
time you introduced your names to each other."

"Prince
Hiiro! Are you angry with me for coming this far into the forest and speaking
with your friend?" Asked Seraphin, scared he would be furious at her.

"I told you
as long as you stayed out of trouble and do as your told you're fine. I'm
shocked you made it this far, though. Most people hate coming into the forest
this deep."

"Oh, I'm
glad you're not upset with me. I don't know what I would do if you were." She
laughed and sat up on the rock. Hiiro sat nest to her and proceeded with the
usual conversation.

"I seek an
answer. Provide me with one old man?"

"Ask. No
telling what I will provide you though. You provide for yourself, do you not?"

"Yes old
man, I always do."

"Then ask."

"Who is
Chaos?"

"Why?"

"I dreamt
about a woman named Chaos. She destroyed all in her path, and when she reached
the palace, she fled."

"Chaos is a
Goddess. Zeus's father Coronus imprisoned her for her crimes against humanity.
The Fates have a prophecy about her, but mortals such as ourselves are not
privy to the information."

"Chaos?
I've never heard of her, not ever." Quipped Seraphin.

"Really my
dear? I would think you had." Said J.

"No. I
wasn't born when it happened." Seraphin replied simply.

"None of us
were, Serena." Hiiro added, confused.

"Never
mind. Prince Hiiro? I have a request to make of you." She answered him, evading
the subject.

"Just
Hiiro. What?"

"Will you
name something for me? It's a flower, and I saw it in your gardens earlier."

"What did
it look like?"

"Well,
there were white ones, pink ones, yellow ones and orange ones. Oh, and the
prettiest red ones! They were my favorite. But when I went to smell one, I
touched the stem and it bit me." She held out her finger, which had a small red
cut on the finger tip.

"You
describe a rose. Let me see your cut." She took her hand gently and examined
the tiny scratch. As they became immersed with each other, J quietly slipped into
the nearby brush to watch the event unfold.

"Ouch!"
Tears filled the little girl's eyes when Hiiro accidentally brushed against the
cut.

"I'm
sorry." He brought her finger to his lips and kissed the small wound. Then he
looked up and blue met blue.

Seraphin
couldn't believe the feelings that were racing through her. In all of her years
as the Angel of Peace, Truth, and Compassion her hand had been kissed many
times. The difference now was that small jolts of electricity were shooting up
her arm and going straight through to her heart making it speed up rapidly. Her
breath quickened and for some reason, she felt her blood rushing to her face.
For the first time ever, she truly studied her owner. He was tall, much taller
than her, with an extremely well toned body. He wore black boots and pants and
a loose green shirt. His wild chocolate colored hair made him look dangerous,
and his dark prussian blue eyes made him look both innocent and evil all at the
same time.

Hiiro
couldn't figure it out. How could one peck on her finger make him feel so, so,
elated? He felt like he could float. Now that he got a good look at her in the
sunlight, she seemed so innocent and pure. She had on one of Hilde's old
dresses, a blue skirt and blue bodice with a white peasant blouse beneath it.
What skin he did see was not the dirty tan it had been, but was instead a
creamy white. Her hair was let down, and her saw that the locks that had been a
dull yellow when he had met her were now brilliant gold with silver highlights.
Her eyes that had held so much fear and fire now held surprise and happiness.
She was doing things o him that he promised himself he would never let any girl
do, yet he couldn't stop it, and certainly didn't want to. Suddenly, Serena
tore her eyes from his and pulled her hand back into her chest.

"I'm, I'm
sorry." A single tear spilled over and she stood and ran away, leaning behind a
very confused Prince Hiiro.

"What did I
do wrong?" He asked himself, not really expecting anyone to hear and respond.

"Nothing my
boy, you did nothing wrong." He turned to see that J was back.

"Then why
did she leave?" Hiiro asked, for the first time in his life wholly and
completely lost.

"She left
because she's afraid."

"Of me?"

"Of
herself. She doesn't want you to get to close to her. Perhaps she is right.
You're too different, it would never work."

"How? How
is she different? I knew there was something strange about her. Everything
about her, her entire demeanor is completely different from anything I've ever
seen; her attitude so, mind boggling."

"Not
really. When you kissed her finger, did your heart beat faster?"

"Maybe."

"And your
breathing cut short and you felt weak in the knees not to mention like you
could fly?"

"Maybe."

"If yes,
then she really isn't as complicated as you think. Love can play tricks on the
mind."

"Love can
play… no. I do not love her. I will never love. I can't love her."

"Because?"

"Because
I'll end up like my father, a love stricken fool who still grieves over the
loss of his wife, even though it happened seven years ago."

"And she
cannot love you because she believes you are two are too different."

"Once
again, how is she different old man?"

"Are you
ready to except the answer?"

"I am
always ready."

"Wrong
answer. Come back tomorrow to try again."

"Every time
I say I'm ready, you tell me tomorrow. Today old man!"

"Are you
ready!"

"There is
no ready!"

"Correct."

"Huh? I'm
right?" Asked Hiiro on disbelief.

"For a
change, yes. She is not like you and I. She is too perfect, she is untouchable
to any who may try." The old man began disappearing.

"Finish!
Why is she untoucha… Damn, he's gone." Hiiro stood, thinking over what the old
man J had said. Was any of it true, or was part of it true, or was it all a
lie? 'Well, on one and, he's never lied to me before.' Hiiro reasoned. 'On the
other hand, he never tells the whole story, making the rest questionable.
Damn!'

" Why can't anyone just tell me the
answer?" He cried out in anguish to the empty forest. "Why can't I find
happiness? I was so close. Why is it always taken away?" he said, this time in
a lower and more clam voice. Hearing no response, he hung his head and let a
solitary tear drip from his eye.*



Chapter Eight: Do You Trust Me?



*Upon Mount
Olympus the heated worry over Chaos was beginning to tear the Gods and
Goddesses apart. All but one Goddess that is. Aphrodite sat as calmly as she
could. Looking beautiful was so very tiring for her. She sighed and once again
checked her appearance in the mirror.

"Aphrodite!"
Called out a voice from her door.

"Yes,
Hermes?" She drawled.

"Zeus has
requested you personally."

"Tell him
I'm busy."

"He will
not take no for an answer."

"Oh, very
well, I'm coming." She stood and began on her journey to her brother's home.

"Aphrodite!
You were the last person known to have made contact with that Angel Seraphin.
Where has she gone?"

"Oh, that
angel? Why, I sent her to Hades."

"Hades? You
sent a very important angel to hell? What is the meaning of this?"

"Why, she
committed treason against me of course."

"An angel?
The Angel of Peace, Truth, and Compassion committed treason against you? In
what way?"

"Oh. She
tried to free Medusa of the curse I set upon her. I caught her speaking to her
though my own mirror. Besides, she was beginning to have the title most
beautiful, that little vain brat. So, naturally, I sent her away." Aphrodite
waved her hand carelessly, as if she
had not a worry in the world.

"If you
sent her to Hades, why is she walking upon the mortal plain with the humans?"

"Hmm? I
really don't know Zeus brother dear. Someone must have interfered with her
destiny."

"Aphrodite,
you are a very trying woman." Zeus roared at her. She simply smiled and ignored
his mood.

"I really
must be leaving, good day, Zeus dearest." With that, she left as quickly as she
appeared. Zeus shook his head. Chaos was growing stronger by the minute, and
with no way to counter her attacks, they were sitting ducks.

~*~

Seraphin raced through the palace. As she climbed the
steps, she passed Hiiro's four guards.

"Hey,
Serena, have your seen Hiiro? He's late for our meeting?" asked Quatre.

"He was in
the forest." She said quietly, trying to hide her face with her hair. It was no
use.

"What
happened? Who did this to you?" Asked Trowa with fire in his eyes.

"I did it
to myself. Excuse me." With that she rushed on leaving four very confused boys.

"How did
she manage to make herself cry?" Asked Duo. He was rewarded with a smack upside
the head courtesy of Wufei.

Seraphin
found her room and quickly ran in and shut the door. Throwing herself onto her
bed, she began to sob harder. 'Why?' She asked herself. 'I feel so much for
him, yet it cannot be. Why? Who decided to give me such a cruel Destiny? That I
have to hide my identity is one thing. That I have to hide my love is quite
something else all together. Is it love? Is that what this strange feeling I
feel for him is? Oh why?' She eventually fell asleep and slept throughout the
rest of the day.

~*~

Hiiro
pulled himself back to the palace feeling hurt, rejected, and most of all,
confused. He had spent nearly the entire day pondering what had happened in the
clearing and what the old man J had said to him about Serena. He still could
not make any sense of it.

"Hiiro!
There you are! We were beginning to think you had drowned yourself." Cried out
Duo from down the hall. He had forgotten about his sparing practice with his friends that afternoon. Oh well, they
wouldn't suffer too much because he decided to do some soul searching.

"Hiiro?
Reality to Hiiro, please respond?" Asked Duo.

"Stop."
Hiiro said annoyed, and pushed aside Duo's hand, which was waving in front of
his face.

"Hiiro?
What's wrong?" Asked Quatre, picking up on Hiiro's blue mood.

"Go away."
Said Hiiro, giving them his best and most threatening glare ever.

"Hiiro? Did
you know Serena was crying earlier? She came running in here in tears. We asked
her what was wrong, and she said she had done it to herself. Hiiro?" Said
Trowa.

"Leave.
Now." When the boys saw Hiiro's bloodshot eyes, they knew something had
happened. They just didn't know what. The other thing they did know was that
when Hiiro was in a mood like this, he needed to be left alone. They watched as
Hiiro walked up the steps and turned to enter his room. As soon as he entered it,
he tried to relax upon his bed. Soon he was fast asleep.

~*~

When
Seraphin awoke form her sleep, it was almost midnight. Rising from the bed, she
checked to made sure her door was locked. When she was positive it was secure,
she allowed her wings to show and began walking about. As she traced over the
expensive furniture and imported tapestries on the walls, she began to feel
more confined. Soon, she felt she could hardly breathe in the room. Opening the
balcony doors, she stepped into the frozen night air in her white nightgown,
wings at full, and stared at the moon.

"Artemis,
here my prayer, please…"

Hiiro sat
up in his bed around midnight. He felt the sudden urge for fresh air. As he
opened the balcony doors and stepped out of the room, his eye caught sight of
something white. Turning to check it out, he saw the most incredible sight he
had ever beheld.

Standing on her balcony in the
moonlight was Serena, in a long white nightdress and her long golden silver
hair completely down. On her forehead he could see the crescent moon he had
noticed the other night. Her hands were together in an angelic stance of
prayer. The thing that made it the most incredible was the fact that protruding
from her creamy white back were two giant white wings.

"She's an angel.'
He whispered to himself. "Literally. No wonder she thought we were too
different. She's divine, and I am nothing but a mere mortal." He stood in awe
as he watched her turn her head up to look directly at the moon. Jumping over
to Duo's balcony and then Quatre's so he could get a closer look and hear what
she was saying.

"Artemis,
here my prayer, please. Mother, I miss you. Oh Mother, what shall I do? I'm
nothing but a lost angel, and yet… I don't know. I never understood why I felt
so lonely before, but now that I've found this place, and, well, Hiiro, I
guess, I feel happy. I just wish he would understand me. He would probably hate
me if he ever found out what I truly am and why I'm here…" She left off and let
a moment of silence pass through the night. Then he decided to break the
silence.

"Serena."
He heard her gasp and turn around to face him.

"Prince
Hiiro! Oh no! You, you shouldn't be here, you shouldn't have seen anything! Oh
no! Please…" He watched as she closed her eyes tightly, as if trying to wish
him away, He frowned, then smirked and jumped the balcony to reach hers.

"Serena."

"Seraphin."

"Huh?"

"My real
name is Seraphin." She blinked back tears, but knew she had to face the music
sooner or later, and decided sooner was better. " I tried to tell Raoul that,
but he said it was too long, so he used Serena instead. Please, now that you
know, please use Seraphin."

"Then,
Seraphin. How can you think I could ever hate you for being what you are? I
care for you, not your wings or divinity."

"But I'm
not like you. I'm too different, and besides…"

"Seraphin.
You're an angel. You're not all that different." A burst of guilt ran through
his veins for making her feel unwanted.

"How can
you say something like that? I'm not even all human."

"But you're
an angel. How can you not be human?" Suddenly things were taking a new twist,
not that he minded.

"I… I… if I
tell you, you'll only hate me even more." She was trying so hard, but she
couldn't help it. A solitary tear began to trickle down her porcelain face.

"Seraphin.
Even if you had committed a crime beyond all sins, I could never hate you." He
was failing at keeping at keeping his blank expression on his face. Then again,
maybe he didn't want to tonight.

"No. I just
can't." He stepped close to her and took hold of her two hands. He noted they
were icy, so he held them closer to his chest and ran his hands up and down her
cold arms.

"Just tell
me."

"I, well, I
was born a mix, half God and half human. You see, my mother seduced my father,
and I was one of their 'mistakes'. All of their children, there were seven of
us, are half human and half immortal. The difference is that I was the only one
of their children who resembled a human. I was granted the title of angel when
my mother petitioned to Zeus for me." More tears began to fall.

"Who were
your parents?"

"My father
was a shepherd named Endymon, and my mother is the Goddess of the moon,
Artemis. Well, that is the name humans have deemed her. Her real name is
Serenity."

"Serenity
and Endymon? But the only child of theirs that is an angel is… Seraphin, the
Angel of Peace, Truth, and Compassion. That's you, you're that Seraphin." He
stared at her in shock. Right in front of him was not only the most perfect
woman he had ever met, but she was telling him secrets he never expected anyone
spill.

"Yes, I'm
afraid that's right." She hung her head lower as she admitted her true
identity.

"And you
think that because you're only part human that no one can care for you?
Seraphin, you're so wrong. I care for you, and so do the others. We all do." He
shuddered inwardly. He didn't like how vulnerable she made him feel.

"How could you possibly care for me? How
could anyone care for me?"

"Because
Seraphin. You bring happiness. Even while you sleep, somewhere someone, is
happy because of you." His hand drifted to caress her cheek, and she looked up
to stare him in the eye.

"Do I bring
you happiness Hiiro?" He met her gaze and he felt compelled to move in closer
towards her.

"Every time
I look at you, even while I sleep and I dream of you, I feel happy, fulfilled.
I never wanted to believe it, never wanted to accept the fact that I might
begin to feel something for someone one day, but now… you've changed all of
that."

"Really?"
She stepped in closer to him, and now she could feel his warm breath upon her
chilled face.

"Of course,
no one can lie in the presence of the Angel of Truth." His heart speed up as he
decided to close the distance between them. Their lips met in sweet bliss.
Seraphin's hands worked their way up his chest and around his neck. Hiiro,
losing himself in the ecstasy of Seraphin's lips, wrapped his arms around her
petite waist and pulled her in closer. Each felt fire running through their
veins in place of their blood. It was as if a circle that had been broken was
suddenly reunited with it's missing half. Hiiro deepened the kiss, and Seraphin
welcomed his bruising intrusion. When they finally broke from lack of air, they
rested their foreheads against each other. Seraphin smiled, and Hiiro simply smirked.

"Does that
shed light upon any doubts you had that I care for you?"

"Yes." She
smiled. He truly was incredible. " I
suppose then, that this is good night, Prince Hiiro." As she turned, he grabbed for her hand one last time.

"Angel,
tonight we started something. And what I start, I always finish." At his
comment, she blushed and pulled her hand from is hold.

"Good
night." With that, she entered her room and shut the balcony doors behind her.
Tomorrow would be interesting, and if she was going to be up early, she needed
a good night's rest. Climbing back upon her bed, she hid her wings from prying
eyes and slipped into the dark world of endless dreams.

Hiiro
watched her as she closed her eyes. When he was sure she was asleep, he turned
and jumped the balconies again to get to his own. He too, knew that tomorrow
would be a big day, and he intended upon using it to his full advantage. As he
got under his covers, he whispered a soft
"Good night Seraphin, my Angel.", and quickly fell under the sleep God's
spell.*



Chapter Nine: Quaking Reveals Secrets



*" Zeus!
We've found the Angel Seraphin! She's in the kingdom of the Western Lands, safe
and sound within the palace." Called out Athena.

"How did
she get there? Never mind! Bring her here to Mount Olympus immediately!"

"Zeus! It's
too late! Chaos has broken free of the last of her restraints! She's already
headed toward the cities and towns of the mortal plains!" Cried Apollo.

"Apollo, is
this true?"

"Of
course!"

"How will
we ever defeat her?" Asked Aries.

"You are
the God of War, you should know!" countered Athena.

"And you're
the Goddess of strategies, shouldn't you know how?" Aries shot back.

"Enough! We
cannot let Chaos gain a hold upon us as well! We would be no better than the
silly humans who dare not worship us!" Called out Hera.

"She is
right! Stop this insanity at once! We must warn Seraphin that she must battle
Chaos. That is the prophecy, and the only way we will stop the total
apocalypse!" Said Zeus decidedly. "Hermes, go deliver the message at once!"

"Already
leaving brother."

~*~

"What was
that!?" Yelped Duo as he fell out of bed. He felt the Earth trembling as if
there were an earthquake. Sitting up, he saw his door fly open and barely had
time to compose himself before a blue haired whirlwind pounced upon him.

"Duo! What
was that? An earthquake? What have we done to make the Gods angry?"

"Hilde,
don't worry so much. You know I'd never let anyone do anything to hurt you,
love."

"I know,
but…"

"It'll be alright."
He hugged her tightly as they sat on his floor. "I promise, everything will be
alright."

~*~

"Trowa!"
Catherine sat up in bed, shaking her lover awake. "Trowa! What was that? One of
the Gods gave us a shake!"

"Calm down
Catherine."

"One of the
Gods is mad at us and you say to calm down?" She huffed.

"Everything
always turns out alright in the end, doesn't it? I'll go find out what
happened, stay here."

"No, don't
leave me alone!"

"Then come
with me." HE helped her out of bed and they each donned a robe.

~*~

"Dorothy!
Are you alright?" Cried Quatre as he burst into her room. He found her sitting
straight up in bed, looking surprised at his entrance.

"Yes, why
wouldn't I be? Quatre?"

"There was
an earthquake. Didn't you feel it?" He asked her, somehow not very surprised
she didn't know.

"No. you
just woke me up, I must have slept through it. Damn!"

"Dorothy,"
Quatre sighed in relief she was alright and in annoyance at her calm behavior.
"Let's go find out how everyone else faired."

"Right
behind you Quatre dearest."

"Dorothy!"
Quatre was now two shades redder in the face from the time he had walked into
the room.

~*~

"Oh Wufei!
Oh Wufei! Yes! Yes!'

"Sally, Oh
Gods, Sally!"

Just as
they reached their climax, the door was thrown wide open to reveal Trowa and
Catherine.

"Wufei, did
you feel…err…" Stuttered Trowa when he realized what he had just walked in
upon. "Sorry." He blushed. Catherine covered her eyes in modesty, and Wufei and
Sally scrambled for their sheets that had been ~somehow~ thrown to the floor.

"What can
you possibly want at this hour Barton?" Wufei screamed at him in a full-out
bloody rage.

"He was
going to ask if you were ok from the earthquake, but it looks like you didn't
even notice it." Said Catherine behind the still red Trowa.

"Earthquake?
I thought that was just us…" Realizing what she had just said, Sally blushed,
but continued on. "Is everyone else alright?"

" We don't
know. Since you're across the hall from us, we came to check on you two first.
Sorry." Said Trowa, finally regaining his poise.

"Well, let
us dress and we'll join you in checking damage control." Said Wufei, still
somewhat gruffly.

~*~

Seraphin
was awoken for the second time that night by a harsh shudder that passed
through her bed and on through her. Completely taken by surprise and in total
shock and fear, she almost panicked. When the rough shaking subsided, she threw
off her covers and grabbed the shear
white robe that matched her night clothes. Running into the hall, she ran
directly for Hiiro's room. Just as she reached it, his door flung open and she
saw him in much of the same shock she was in.

Hiiro had
been jolted thoroughly by the heavy shaking and when it had finally stopped,
the first thing he had thought of was Seraphin. Stopping only to pull on his
breeches, he threw open his door in time to see Seraphin heading down the hall
to him. He caught her in a tight embrace, one that they both drew strength and
courage from.

"Are you
alright?" He finally asked her, breaking their silent moment of peace.

"Yes. And
you?"

"In one
piece."

"Oh no!
Hiiro, the others?"

"Come on,
there are Trowa and Catherine standing at Wufei's door. Sally is probably with Wufei."

"And look!
Here come both Quatre and Dorothy, and behind them are Duo and Hilde. Everyone
looks alright!" She smiled joyously and Hiiro wondered if she really was
alright. After all, that jolt had shocked him clear to the bone, and here she
was smiling like one of her life long wishes had just been granted.

"It looks
like all of us came out in one piece." Said Quatre.

"What was
it?" Asked Hilde.

"It was
Chaos." Said an entirely new voice in the group.

"Hermes!"
Seraphin cried out, running and embracing the Messenger God.

"Hello
Sera." Said the new comer. The group of soldiers and their girlfriends, with
the exception of Hiiro stood with their eyes open wide and mouths agape at the
scene they were witnessing. "I bring you news from two of you uncles and aunts, not to mention your mother."

"Thank you
Uncle Hermes. Will you stay and sit?"

"Sadly, no.
There is total lack of all leadership back home upon Olympus, and I am
needed. The first message is from you
mother, Serenity. She says simply this: 'If she can love your father, you can
love whom you choose, it is all your choice and your choice alone.'" Seraphin
smiled at this piece of advice from her mother, and noticed out of the corner
of her eye Hiiro gave his trademark smirk. "The second message is from
Aphrodite. She states the following: ' Though you plotted against her curse
upon Medusa and the fact that you are said to be more beautiful than she, she
repents her punishment and restores your titles and name.'" At this, Seraphin
practically jumped for joy. Instead of doing a victory dance, she simply
revealed her wings and spread them to their fullest, then fluttered them about
happily.

"Thank you
for bringing me such wonderful news, dear Uncle Hermes. You said Uncle Zeus
also had something he wished me to know?"

"Yes, and I
regret to tell you, this news will bring a frown to your lovely face instead of
a smile. Chaos has been freed from her confines."

"Chaos? The
same Goddess whom Coronus imprisoned before Zeus killed him?" Hiiro asked, just
making sure they were speaking of the same Goddess.

"Why, yes,
the very same. How did you know that, mortal?"

"Seraphin
told me." He said, hoping it would appease the Messenger God's thirst for the
answer.

"Well… that
is not all. Chaos was who caused the Earth to tremble. As we speak she is
making her way here, destroying everything she can in her path. Zeus said
Poseidon said the mermaids said you knew how to stop her. Zeus wishes you to
re-imprison Chaos, and as fast as you possibly can. I must leave dear niece,
but please help us. Even us Gods and Goddesses cannot last much longer under
Chaos' reign of utter terror." With that, the Messenger God took off into the
night sky, leaving behind some very shocked and confused people.

"What was
that all about?" Asked Duo as soon as the God had completely left their sight.

"And what
are you really woman?" Asked Wufei. Hiiro stepped beside Seraphin and out his
arm around her waist.

"We knew we
would have to explain it sometime, you can't keep your wings hidden forever."
He whispered in her ear.

"I know.
I'm just a bit nervous." She whispered back.

"Just tell
them. They'll understand."

"Here goes
nothing." She turned to the small group and began her tale. " I am not a
mortal, but an Angel. I am the Angel Seraphin. My mother is Artemis, the
Goddess of the Moon, and my father, a shepherd she seduced who was named
Endymon. When I was born looking mortal, my mother petitioned to my
Grandfather, Zeus, for me to be granted the status of an Angel because I was
a demi -goddess. It was granted. About
two years ago, Aphrodite saw me speaking to Medusa in her magic mirror and
thought I was plotting against her. Then she heard a rumor that I was more
beautiful, which is complete nonsense. However, she took it to heart and
stripped me of my titles as Seraphin, Angel of Peace, Truth, and Compassion. I
was supposed to be sent to Hades, but I was saved by the Fates. They set me in
the desert, where Raoul found me. I became his, and then I met you all at the palace when I danced there.
And that is the entire story." She took in a deep breath and waited for their
shocked and hated reactions of her to come. They never came.

"That's,
interesting. So you're an angel?" Asked
Catherine with a broad grin.

"And Hermes
said that now your tittles have been restored because Aphrodite forgave you.
That's wonderful news for you!" Said Quatre.

"So tell
us, when did you get Hiiro to put his arm around you?" Asked Duo.

"Braided
fool." Hiiro stated as simply as if he were stating a number or letter.

"What about
this Goddess Chaos?" Asked Wufei.

"Yes, what
did those mermaids tell you?" Asked
Trowa.

"Well,
while you were all in your trances, I revealed my wings and spoke to the, When
I told them my name was Seraphin, they old me a small prophecy, something about
Chaos breaking free and not being able to break through the crystal. Then they
threw a crystal to me and promised never to eat you. That was when you all woke
up from your trances and helped me off of the rocks."

"Where's
the crystal?" Asked Hiiro.

"Right
here." As she spoke, she pulled a large round crystal from her pocket and
showed it to the group.

"So we know
what to use against Chaos, and we know she'll be ere any second. The question
is: how do you use a crystal to stop a
Goddess?" Asked Sally.

"I don't
know, I just don't know." Said Seraphin sadly.*



Chapter Ten: Chaos Erupts



*" I have
just delivered the message to her, and any time now she should begin fighting
Chaos." Said Hermes.

"She's the
Angel of Peace, Truth and Compassion. How is she going to fight a monster like
Chaos? She brings peace, she doesn't fight and destroy it! This is ludicrous!"
Called out Aries in a fit of rage. "We are the Gods, we should be fighting our
sister, not some measly little demi-Goddess angel girl!" He continued ranting.
Just then, a burst of cool air raced through the Mount Olympus throne room.
Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt and Moon, stepped into the room and gave a
deep bow before Zeus, Hera, and the rest of her collected brothers and sisters.


"What is
this I hear about my Seraphin fighting Chaos?" She demanded of them all.

"You know
what they say." Said Hades. "Hell hath no fury worse than a mother trying to
protect her children." Half of the room snickered with Hades at his joke, and
Artemis' face became more red.

"Zeus,
father, is this true? Is my only
daughter to be lost within the cold and uncaring clutches of none other than
Chaos herself?"

"Yes. Only
she can stop her, or so the prophecy reads."

"You're
letting a prophecy decide my daughter's destiny? Why not let the Fates rule
over the matter?"

"Because it
was they who originally gave the prophecy. As long as Seraphin knows what the
mermaid's prophecy meant, we should be fine, as should she."

"Mermaids?"

"Yes, they
told her of…"

"She has
spoken to the merfolk?"

"She did so
roughly three days ago, Artemis." Answered Poseidon.

"And they
gave her the crystal?"

"How did
you know about…"

"Did they?"

"Yes." A
that one word, Artemis sat down upon her throne and relaxed, the built up
tension that had resided in her shoulders slowly melting away.

"Then maybe
we do stand a chance."

"What is
the crystal?" Asked Zeus. "You seem to know a lot about it."

"I should,
I created it. Within it is the harnessed power of the moonlight. It was
originally just a moon rock, however, I transformed it into a crystal when I
filled it with it's power. As long as she fights Chaos in the moonlight, Chaos
can't possibly stand a chance. The power of the Moon would become too much too
fast and it would beat down upon her intolerably."

"well then,
let's hope she fights soon, in four hours I will have to begin the chariot
drive across the sky, blocking out the moonlight." Said Apollo.

"I know
brother, I know."

~*~

"I am
Chaos! And Chaos is hungry! I must have more destruction! More death! More,
More, More! More fear and panic! I am hungry! I am Chaos!" Screamed a woman
with reddish curly hair and evil black, empty eyes. Chaos was getting hungry,
and when she saw the palace, she knew it would be the perfect place to strike,
for without a leader, people went haywire, and she fed off of that fear. She
headed towards the palace at a breakneck speed. "Hungry!"

~*~

"She's
coming! I can hear the people in their stalls screaming!" Cried Catherine.

"Seraphin,
please figure out how to use that crystal soon, otherwise, we're all Chaos
bait! Please!" Begged Duo.

"I'm
trying! I just don't know how a crystal could stop a Goddess." Seraphin was
beyond fear now. All her emotions had been transferred into one larger, more
domineering emotion: sheer determination to survive. And even if she didn't, at
least Hiiro and his friends could. It was like watching a sponge, all of the
color and goodness was being sucked from the air like water to the sponge, and
of course it was all courtesy of Chaos.

A sponge
soaking up water! That was it! Seraphin examined the crystal. She saw that it
took, was acting as a sponge and soaking something up. Only it wasn't water, it
was the moonlight. ' If the crystal is soaking up the moonlight, and it isn't
coming back out, chances are it is storing it's power!' That meant all she had
to do was figure out how to release the crystal's pent up power.

"Seraphin,
you're out of time!" Called out Hiiro's voice. "Chaos is here! Do something,
anything."

"But I
don't know what to do!" She cried. He spun her around and looked her squarely in the eye.

"Seraphin.
I know you can do this. Just will the crystal to do what you want. The rest
will follow. I believe in you, I know you can do this and succeed." As she
returned his gaze, her fear once again took a backburner.

"Alright.
If you think I can do it, then I will." She said determinedly.

"I don't
just think you can do it, I know you can." He kissed her softly upon the cheek,
then pulled back and drew his sword, just incase. He noted that his friends had done the same, each
ready to defend their respective woman to the death if need be. Now he knew
what it felt like, to be love, and to feel love, and was sure that he too,
would defend Seraphin to the death if need be.

As Chaos
approached the palace, she spotted a lone girl with giant white wings perched
upon a balcony watching her. 'I'll just show that little girl a thing or two
about Chaos and fear!' She thought, and took off, right in Seraphin's
direction.

Seraphin,
seeing Chaos coming directly her way, held the crystal out in front of her.
Closing her eyes tightly, she began to wish and hope and pray that the crystal
would light and perform a miracle. Nothing happened. She saw Chaos edging
closer, and still she hoped, wished, and prayed harder. Still nothing.

"Little
girl, why do you stand to face me, Goddess of Chaos? Not even the Gods stand
against me, and yet you think you can stop me?" Seraphin heard Chaos laugh, and
it was the last draw.

"I am no
little girl. I am the Angel Seraphin, the Angel of Peace, Truth, and
Compassion. You, Goddess Chaos, are destroying all of my hard work. Instead of
helping me to set people on the right track and helping them to become happy,
you feed off of the panic and fear you cause within their souls. I cannot allow
you to do so any longer!" Raising the crystal above her head, Seraphin now
commanded the crystal to work.

Suddenly a
bright streak of light was emitted from the crystal. Then another, an still yet
another joined the first, until the entire crystal was lighting up the pitch
black night. Seraphin aimed at Chaos and shot a blast of moonlight energy
directly at her. It threw her back against a tree. As Chaos tried to stand once
again, Seraphin never gave her the chance to counter attack. Silently willing
the crystal, it opened a bright port hole within in the sky right in front of
her. As Chaos drove for Seraphin, she missed and instead dove directly into the
rift. Sealing the hole up, Seraphin gave a slight nod and smile, then, all of
her energy spent, she fainted to the floor.

"Seraphin!"
Hiiro cried as he rushed to her limp body. Holding hr close to his hest, he
carried he back into the hallway where his guards and best friends, and their
women were waiting for him. He slightly acknowledged them, then without so much
as an "it's over, we won", he turned down the hall towards his bedroom and
entered the room. After he placed Seraphin upon the bed, he walked over to the
door, where all of his friends were gathering, and slammed it in their faces.*



Epilogue: Faith, Hope and Glory Keep Dreams Alive



*Some
number of hours later, Seraphin awoke to find herself warm and comfortable. She
snuggled into the sheets and pillows more, and tried to go back to sleep. Then
she remembered what had happened only the night before and sat up. Yawning and
stretching both her arms and her wings, she looked around the room. This was
not the room Hiiro had given her, this was his room! She looked around for him,
and found him curled up in a giant armchair watching her.

"How do you
feel?" He asked her. Hiiro had never been able to get back to sleep that night.
He had been too worried about Seraphin to even try to sleep, so instead, he had
sat up and just watched his angel sleep.

"Very well,
thank you. I think I was just tired after using that crystal. It does strange
things to a person."

"Does it?"
He asked her, giving her a smirk.

"Yes. By
the way, I'm sorry for taking up your bed. I'll leave now so you can have your
room back to yourse…"

"No."

"What?"

" I said
no. I put you there, and there you will stay."

"Did you
even sleep at all last night?"

"No."

"Please
Hiiro?" She wasn't sure what she was asking him, but she knew he would
understand. She watched as he stood and crossed the room over to her. Then he
removed his boots and climbed into the bed with her. Forcing her to lay down,
he encircled her with his arms and held her. She snuggled up to him, and both
fell into a peaceful world of happy dreams.

~*~

Hiiro
groaned as the continuous pounding on the door would not stop. He really didn't
want to get up, but he knew that if he didn't, the lock would eventually be
picked and then whoever was on the other side of the door would see the
position he and Seraphin were in. Getting up carefully so as not to disturb
Seraphin, he walked to the door, unlocked it, and opened it. It revealed his
five guards and best friends. With them was the Messenger God Hermes.

"About time
Hiiro! We were wondering if you had
died or something it took so long." Sad Duo.

"Well? You
woke me up, and you could have woken Seraphin as well. I was right to make you
wait."

"Hiiro,
Hermes would like to speak with Seraphin." Said Quatre, tying to dispel a fight
before it began.

"As I said,
she's asleep." He said.

"Well, I
don't think she'll mind if we wake her up." Said Hermes. "She'll want to hear
this news." With that, all six of the boys entered Hiiro's room and commenced
in waking up the sleeping Seraphin.

"Oh, good
morning to you all." She said in a cheery but dreamy state. retr

"It's good
afternoon." Said Trowa.

"Hermes is
here to speak with you Seraphin." Said Quatre.

"Oh, hello
cousin! What brings you back to me so soon?" She asked him.

"Well, on
behalf of all of the Gods and Goddesses, we wish to thank you for imprisoning
Chaos once more. We also wish to tell you that your bar has been lifted."

"My bar?"
She asked confusedly.

"Yes. In
return for your help, Zeus has decided that instead of being barred to only the
mountains around Mount Olympus, you may o where ever you would like for how
ever long you would like."

"Oh,
Hermes!" She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you for
bringing me such wonderful news!"

"It was my
pleasure sweet angel. I hope I am able to visit you soon, but
unfortunately, I have other business to
attend to at the moment. Good day, Seraphin."

"Good bye
Hermes!" As soon as he was gone, she turned to Hiiro.

"Did you
here that Hiiro? I can stay where ever I wish for as long as I wish!"

"Where will
you go?" He asked he coldly. How could he have possibly expected her to stay
anyway? She was perfect, and now she was free to go as she wished.

"Go? No
where! I had hoped you would let me stay here, with you."

"You, you
mean you would stay her, with me, even though you can go anywhere you wish?"

"Of course.
Incase you have yet to notice, I love you Hiiro. I would go anywhere and do
anything just to be near you. Please say you'll let me stay?" His heart nearly
burst with happiness. She really did care… more than that… she loved him!

"Of course
you can stay Seraphin. Incase you have yet to realize, I love you as well.
Nothing would make me happier than having you here, near me."

"Oh Hiiro!"
With that, he pulled her close and sealed his promise of love with a kiss that
would light an eternal flame of passion, desire, and love between the two for
all eternity.

~*~

"And that,
my children, is how you're great grand mother and great grandfather met."

"Grandma,
that's just a silly fable."

"Is it
now?"

"Of course!
Angels and Gods and Goddesses and mermaids don't exist!" The children told her.

"Children,
time to leave now!"

"Coming
mother!" Cried the children as they ran off.

"Too bad
they don't believe you." Said a deep voice from behind her.

"I know. I
only wish they could remember…" She spread her wings out fully.

"Seraphin."

"Hiiro."

"I love
you."

"And I you
my Prince."*



The End