Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Shadow Lands ❯ Chapter Five ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer: Don't own….damn…

Rating: R

Pairings: Relena + Heero, Duo x Heero, Relena x Dorothy, Solo x Lily

Warnings: Relena Bashing, AU, Yaoi, Yuri, Magic

Summary: Heero, Emperor of the Yuy Empire, has his own share of problems, the neighboring country of Sanq is declaring war, his wife is having affairs, and worse of all, his fifteen year old daughter and heir to the throne is kidnapped. Soon a thief enters the picture and promises to lead Heero to his daughter, but love is blossoming and soon, everything will make sense…

Please Read & Review! Flames Are Welcomed!

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Chapter Five

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Begin Flashback/Dream Sequence

Prince Heero's twentieth birthday festival was, in other words, unreal. Bubbles had been bewitched to give surreal glows of pale blues, greens, and yellows. A band of bards played soft music on harps, violins, flutes, and various stringed and wood instruments.

Although the actual stretch of the country was called the Imperial Empire, it was divided into small states. The very heart of the country, was were the Imperial Family resided in. This was called the Yuy Empire, and here it was, that nobles across the land, and from other countries had come to celebrate the future Emperor's birthday.

Gifts of beautiful silks, perfumes, fowls, weapons, and animals were given. Out of all the gifts he had received, the one Heero had favored the most, was the present from the Maxwell Dynasty. It was a beautiful white mare. Her coat was of silky white that made the freshly fallen snow look dull and gray. She had soft dark brown eyes that sparkled brightly in the floating yellow bubbles. Heero had decided to name her Wing as honoring her as his reincarnated mother that had died years ago because of an illness.

The festival continued well into the night. Many exotic foods and wines were served by brownies. Brownies were benign male fairies that stood no more than three feet high. Two holes in the center of their face served as their noses and wide bright blue eyes gazed upon people. They were tan colored and often wore shabby brown clothes, but today they were dressed in emerald green tunics and brown shoes. Their shaggy mops of brown hair had been combed nicely to frame their long elfish ears. Normally, Brownies never served many people, but rather attached themselves to one person and served them until that person was gone from the world. Although there were a few Brownies that served the Imperial Family, others had been called to the darkest depths of the Old Forest by playing a simple tune on a pan pipe.

Gypsies had arrived in covered wagons and were performing stunts that involved fire twirling and dagger throwing. Fireworks were set off when the moon had begun to shine high above their heads. It wasn't until dawn stretched her red and yellow fingers over the sky that the party ended, signaling everyone to leave…

*******

Duo stirred in his sleep, rustling the wool covers under which he slept. A small snore issued from his mouth, causing those that were awake, to snigger.

*******

It was ten days before the Maxwell family had returned to their home. The castle stood high above the plains, it's gray towers peering over the tallest apple trees. Peasants bustled around as they saw the Lord Damien and his family enter inside the castle's walls. Duo and Solo both rode their prized horses. Solo, being the oldest of the two got his first choice of a cream colored stud with a black sock on his left front leg, he was dubbed "Oats" for his uncanny ability to run after anyone who had a bucket of oats and grain.

Duo's horse was a pure black mare that blended well into the midnight sky when Duo & Solo took nighttime strolls. Although the mare was a gentle creature, she would get quite protective if anyone posed a threat to her master, earning her the name "Shinigami".

Lady Helena waved an elegant hand out the carriage window as children ran by, welcoming them home. The carriage pulled smoothly into the square. Coachmen quickly approached the carriage and bowed the Family inside.

It wasn't till that night when all hell broke loose…

Duo awoke abruptly to someone shaking him. His amethyst eyes flew open as he heard Solo's voice screaming at him.

"We've got to get out of here," Solo dragged Duo from his bed, and that's when Duo saw it.

Flames licked the closed wooden door, dancing higher and higher as its terror spread. Solo's face was drenched in sweat. Soot and grime were crusted on his cheeks, hands, and clothes as he made to pulling Duo out of the window.

The two brothers stood on the ledge. Duo had always had a fantastic view of the harbor. The crystal blue waters always showed pools of fish swimming in the waves, but tonight, the water was black and reflected the red fire with foreboding. Duo knew that his brother wanted him to jump, but it wasn't guaranteed that they would live. Jumping from this height could possibly mean death or a broken leg.

A sudden explosion caused the two brothers to look back through the window. The fire had caused the door to collapse and was no inching it's deadly fingers towards the window.

"We've got to jump," Solo informed Duo, looking over the ledge.

"All right," Duo replied, taking hold of his brother's arm. "On the count of three…one…two…THREE!"

They both jumped on three just as the fire had reached Duo's bed. In midair their arms came loose, slapping the surface of the water as they landed in the icy depths. Underneath the water, Duo could see the flames dancing high above through his window.

Solo was surfacing the water, thankfully they had landed in one of the deep pits and nothing was broken. The two brothers swam to the shore, each coughing water as they walked up the sandy beach. A shrill scream came from inside the walls, alerting both boys as they watched masked riders ride on stallions threw the gates.

The riders formed a wide arch around the two. Twenty arrows from well carved bows were aimed at the two unarmed boys. Two figures approached from the circle, each figures were riding brown horses, slowly, the tallest figure removed his mask causing a hiss from the two brothers.

"Milliardo," Duo hissed. Milliardo reached behind him and pulled out behind him, a head and tossed it at the boys feet. It wasn't just any head, no, it was Lord Damien's severed head. Lord Damien's handsome face was twisted into pure agony as his lifeless eyes gazed upon his sons.

"I'll kill you for what you've done!" Duo heard his brother scream, advancing forward. The figure standing next to Milliardo led out a shrill laugh, causing Solo to stop in his tracks.

"Relena," Duo muttered to Solo. Relena pulled the silver mask from her face, shaking her head to allow her hair to fall down her shoulders.

"I think not, dear Solo," Relena's eyes had turned a stone blue as the blazing castle reflected in her eyes. "For you and your brother are standing in my way of becoming Empress and marrying dear Prince Heero…"

"I'll make sure you never become an Empress," Duo spat, hatred in his eyes.

"Tsk, tsk," Relena began, "I think not." She waved a finger in a menacing way before turning to the raiders.

"Kill them," she said.

If there was one thing the two brothers prided themselves in, it was their shape shifting abilities. With cat like grace, Duo grabbed his brother and sprung high into the air just as a shower of arrows fell. Solo, realizing what his brother was about to do, quickly shifted in mid flight, taking the form of a pure golden tailed phoenix. Duo landed and ran the length of the square, all the while changing into a black panther and bounding over the castle walls. Relena's shrill screams were heard over the cackling of the fire roaring high into the sky…

*******

Duo woke from his dream, a cold sweat trickling down his face, drenching his long bangs. He clutched his hand to his throbbing headache. He had remembered like it was yesterday:

The news had quickly spread that all of the people belonging to the Maxwell Dynasty were burnt to death. Skeletons were found among the castle's ashes and quickly buried. The head of Lord Damien was found and buried next to the skeleton of what was assumed his wife, as her skeleton wore a charred royal emblem of a panther clenched in her hand. The bodies of the two sons were never found, it was assumed that they too, had been killed.

It was said that the Emperor Odin went into a deep grief after losing one of his beloved friends. Soon, he died, of a illness that was only caused by deep grief. His finally wish, to his only son, who now had found no way to continue living now that the love of his life was presumed dead, answered his father's last wish: Marry the Princess Relena of Sanq and restore peace among the countries.

Duo and Solo joined a band of thieves, learning the skills needed to survive the real world and the proper way to see a dishonest trade or foe.

Soon it was known that the new Emperor was to be married to Relena of Sanq. This great news pushed the Maxwell Dynasty out of their minds and into the history pages and would be further known as the Maxwell Massacre.

It caused Duo to sink into a depression every time he remembered it. But now, instead of his father's bodiless head at his feet, it was now his brother's.

It was two years ago when the band of thieves had made it back into the Imperial Empire and were traveling though the small state of Sanq when the King and his masked riders arrived.

At first they had mistaken Solo's son as him and were advancing upon him quickly when the band's close knit bonds vibrated danger, drawing them toward Solo Jr.. The real Solo had dove in front of Milliardo, his long fangs barred as he slowly began to transform into a silver wolf, stopping the blade that had nearly fell upon his son's head.

Thunder echoed across the grounds, lighting illuminated the sky, and soon the rain was pouring down hard, turning the land into a swampy battlefield. Swords clashed, sparks flying from the contact from the metals. Spells, friendly and some healing, flew towards the caster's opponent, often times hitting the wrong person.

Soon arrows fell upon the round, mixing with the pounding rain. The band of thieves, which had been named "Night Wing" for than uncanny abilities to appear and leave in the blink of an eye and travel solely by night as if on wings to places near and far, had begun to retaliate. Each member fought as hard as they could against the pelting rain which had begun to hail. It wasn't until Duo's screams had stopped all fighting.

Glancing across the field, to where Milliardo and Solo were engaged in a battle, lighting struck the tree not twenty paces from them. A sickening split informed them that the tree was being uplifted, giving them no time to run. Quickly Milliardo stabbed Solo in his shock of the tree falling. He fell to the ground spread eagle and Milliardo darted clear out of reach of the falling tree, stopping when for sure, that the tree's mighty limbs had pinned the oldest heir to the ground.

"Now you die," Duo heard Milliardo hiss. Milliardo's sword was held high above Solo's head in a menacing manner. Duo quickly knocked an approaching man to the ground and started towards his brother, his screams being blended in with the booming thunder.

"Solo!" Duo screamed. But it was too late. At that very instant, Milliardo had brought his sword down upon Solo's head, beheading him in one quick movement.

Duo drew a dagger and quickly made to run at Milliardo. Milliardo sensed what the angry sibling was about to do and smirking at the approaching man, sheathed his sword and with a sickening CRACK both Milliardo and his men were gone.

It was a sad night. Fourteen of their men lay dead, strewn across the murky land. Duo looked around at the other men. Each person was cast in thick spots of mud and were either bruised and heavily bleeding in some way. Duo cast a weary eye over at his nephew. Jr. was shaking so violently that Duo swore he was going to begin to have convulsions. Duo made a start for him but regretted it later.

"Leave me alone!" his nephew screamed and spun on his heels, disappearing into the thick brush of the forest. No one made a notion to follow him, understanding that this was his way for dealing with the grief.

Solo Jr. now had two remaining relatives ¾ his uncle Duo from his father's side, and from his mother's, his uncle Trowa. Solo's mother had died during labor bring him into the world. Her name was Catherine Bloom. She was a gypsy that had traveled with the band for quite some time. She met Solo Sr. at a bar and after that, had followed Solo to the end of her days.

Catherine, or Cathy, as they liked to call her, soon met up with her half brother ¾ Trowa Barton ¾ when Night Wing had traveled across the land of Arabia. Trowa was an odd sort of fellow. He was known for his silent nature and logic. He spoke only of once of the time he was banished.

Trowa had been serving as a wizard to the Sultan of Arabia, when the Sultan's son, Prince Quatre, had come to him in a time of grief of his closest sister's death. It wasn't long till the two had fallen in love and were soon sneaking off to see each other.

The two had secretly married, against all odds, and Quatre fearing the worst, begged of Trowa to cast a spell, sealing their love. The Sultan's army had barged in on the two lovers, forever separating them. Trowa was cast out of the Palace and spent his time wondering till his sister Cathy had recognized him as her brother at an inn not to far from Arabia. And so, Trowa joined the Night Wing, serving as a wizard and teaching them how to control their magic and use it to their greatest abilities.

Duo awoke from his musings as dawn's fingers stretched across the blacken sky, creating inky blotches of blues, purples, and pinks. Everything was all right now, Duo assured himself. His godson, Solo Jr. (who was now simply called Solo), was safe and well. No threats from Milliardo had been made when they had passed through Sanq and the band of thieves were in their best state of mental and physical health than they every had been before.

But Duo couldn't help feel that something was missing…