Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?
...Have you ever wished for an endless night?
Lassoed the moon and the stars and pulled that rope tight?
Have you ever held your breath and asked yourself 'Will it ever get better than tonight?'
-Lyrics to 'Glitter In the Air' performed by Pink
Elements of Great Design Part 47
"Another fun-filled day in paradise," Alex smirked as he and his brothers-in-arms readied themselves to be the barrier between the Mariemaia army and the members of the White Fang that needed time to retreat. A few voices from the other soldiers in earshot snickered in amusement, but there was little real humor in the sound.
No one looked forward to having to face the storm that was certain to come. And yet at the same time, not one of the Fighters who were still fit to stand against the demons requested to flee along with the wounded and defenseless. It was what made them into the warriors that they had been raised to be from their early years of training from the time they could carry a weapon.
His new blade hissing as it was slipped into its sheath at his side, Trent smiled to the blonde, "Just try not get yourself nearly killed like the last time if you can help it. You really slowed me down by making me have to come to your rescue the way I did." Tapping the three cords of fangs that he wore, he commented, "Though the rewards that came from it had been worth the effort."
The Peacemillion soldier snorted, "Yea, well, you had a few close calls yourself, friend. Make sure to always keep your head up lest I have to step in to keep it from being cleaved off that neck of yours."
Mueller shook his head, "I will be sure to be in shouting distance for the both of you boys for when you need my backup. "I still have a whole necklace more than the pair of you to show how much more apt I am in battle." Their eyes meeting, the three Fighters laughed and shook their heads as they focused back on their own preparations.
"Trent!" a voice cried in the distance. Eyes growing, the Paramecian officer blinked at the sight of none other than the object of his affections and her Oracle running up while a path through the soldiers was cleared for them in their wake.
In noting the expression of distress on the nearing Queen's face, Quinze frowned deeply, "Relena?" Gently gripping her shoulders when she came to stop before him, he urged, "What is wrong?"
Biting her lip, Peacecraft's own eyes were red and shimmering as she whimpered, "I do not want you to stay behind. I need-" Her face flushing, she corrected quickly, "We need you to help move the injured as soon as we can be away from here."
Taken aback, Trent's jaw fell open. Regaining his composure, he took the Sovereign's hand and led her off to where they could have some measure of privacy in the thicker cover of tall bushes.
"Relena, you know that I cannot do that when I am perfectly well enough to fight," he replied in a breath. "You can ask anything... anything else of me in the world and I would gladly see to it, but not that. I would never be able to live with myself if I left my fellow soldiers behind. Many of them look to me for leadership if Firion is not in our midst."
Finally allowing her tears to fall freely, the young woman felt her heart drop heavily in her chest. Giving in to speak her feelings through, she breathed, "But I cannot bear the thought of anything happening to you. If you were injured... or worse... I..." At a loss for words at the cracking of her voice, she shook her head.
Once again mentally knocked back in surprise, Quinze stared openly in shock at the Queen. Suddenly finding the courage to do something that he had wanted to do for a long time, the Fighter swooped in before he lost his nerve to wrap his arms tightly around her and leaned in to press their lips together in a fierce kiss.
Gasping, Relena's eyes widened for a heartbeat before they closed at the return of her senses enough for her to reciprocate the gesture in kind while gripping onto the armored young man as best she could.
With a sigh, Trent gently maneuvered their mouths to part so that their tongues could chance a slight brush before they moved in a much more daring and needing dance. Years of hidden emotions came to head for the two as they poured everything into their first kiss, that while new, also felt so comfortable that it was almost familiar.
Basking in the warmth that flooded her from head to toe, the Queen would have happily drowned in that moment even when she felt the need for air.
The soldier was the one to save her by reluctantly breaking the intense exchange, leaving a sob of disappointment in his wake. Panting heavily as their eyes opened to stare deeply into one another's, Peacecraft was completely unaware of the fresh tears that had fallen down her face until the Fighter cupped either side of her face and lovingly dried their trails with the pads of his thumbs.
"How long?" she whispered breathlessly, her gaze filled with the wonder that had wracked her. "How long have you had these feelings? You have wanted that kiss, a could tell."
A slight blush coloring his cheeks, Trent smiled in admission, "Oh, for most of the time we spent growing up together. It had killed me to be separated from you, but I could not turn my back on my responsibility to Zechs when I had been chosen of the few to join him in Paramecia." Bending down a bit to rest their foreheads together, he added, "But I have to say that it has been more than worth the wait for that."
Knees shaking a bit at both the sentiments and the depth of the adoration that she now clearly saw in the soldier's gaze, Relena sighed, "Dear Creator, I have been such a blind fool. If I hadn't been so afraid to chance being hurt..." She shook her head when Quinze frowned in confusion and grinned sadly, "Well, that is all in the past now and I fully intend to make up for the lost time."
Still reeling over having his long-unrequited affections returned at last, the soldier beamed with excitement. "I do hope that you do not think I would ever allow anything to happen to me that would jeopardize your opportunity to do just that," he chuckled deeply.
Faltering, Relena felt a lump lodge in her throat at the reminder of what was awaiting the brave Fighter. Slowly drawing a deep breath, she all but begged in a whisper, "Please swear that you will do everything you can to return to me."
Without a moment's hesitation, Quinze vowed, "I swear it with all that I am." To seal the pact, he kissed her softly.
Despite how much she hated the chance that the officer was taking with his life, Relena was well aware that there was no point in arguing with him to remain at her side. She would just have to trust that he would keep his word as best he could. And she knew he was not about to break that.
Sniffling, the Queen reached into the confines of her deep trouser pockets to retrieve her gold-trimmed handkerchief of white silk.
Carefully tying the material just inside the metallic cuff of Quinze's left wrist, she stated, "So that I can still be with you in some way." The grateful expression she was rewarded with was enough to steal her heart all over again and she all but sprang forward to close the distance between their lips once more for a much more searing kiss than the last.
From back in the clearing, Alex's voice called, "Trent! Firion is calling us into formation!"
Both sighing in frustration, the Sovereign and the Fighter broke apart. Forcing a brave smile, Trent reached out and held onto Relena's hand as he turned to lead them back to the others. At their arrival, the growing eyes of their friends fell onto the peak of the silken tie around the Paramecian soldier's wrist then to the pair's laced fingers.
Dorothy and Meiran smiled widely. Alex and Mueller openly gaped in shock.
Regardless of their initial feelings in reaction, the lot held their tongues as the newly established couple neared. Taking the last bit of time that they had, the Peacemillion Fighters turned to their female companions.
"Do not even think of showing your face to me again without coming back with at least eight new fangs to add to your necklace," Catalonia told her future mate in a deadpan when he opened his arms to her with a shrug.
Sputtering, Mueller regained his shocked senses together enough to salute and laugh, "Yes, ma'am!" A splitting smile on his face, he spun to his amused fellow soldiers with a look that screamed how happy he was to have a possible shot with the Oracle.
Under her breath, Peacecraft giggled, knowing fully well that the gifted had used her order as a means of motivation that would keep her destined lover safe.
Once she'd had her chance to kiss Alex and exchange a few whispered words with him, Meiran slipped beside the Queen and rested an arm over her shoulders. "Do not worry about Relena," the rebel reassured Trent with a small smile, "Dorothy and I will make sure she does not worry herself to death.
Chuckling, Trent mouthed a 'thank you,' to the beauty before he grinned and winked to the Sovereign. Their hands slipping away, their complete separation could no longer be put off when the deep the air was pierced with the deep bellow of horns calling for the last of the troops to gather.
Not risking the loss of their abilities to leave the young women, the armored warriors hurried off into the deep recesses of the forest to join the remainder of the recruits rushing to fall into their ranks.
Gently squeezing the distraught Sovereign's shoulders, Meiran grinned to her, "Come now. We have much to do in packing what we can carry. The work will be a welcome distraction leading into the next that we come up with until we are reunited with our brave men."
As dreary as she felt, Relena was still able to give a sincere smile back in appreciation. Though she had not known the White Fang girl for very long, the royal could not help but feel that they were going to become very good friends.
Stepping down from her leadership position, she allowed herself to be led away from the clearing to partake in the much-needed distractions to come.
* * * * * *
Heero and Duo emerged from their tent early the following morning to gaze upon their frozen surroundings. They still had a whole day to ride before they moved past the Ice Lands. Even though winter was in full effect for the remainder of Gaia, the progression north would still make the conditions far more pleasant.
One could only stand to see nothing but snow, ice and more snow and ice for as far as they could see for so long.
Though the air was still warmer for their benefit thanks to Trowa, Yuy still shivered and pulled his fur cloak fast around himself. "I look forward to seeing grass and trees once again," he half-grumbled-half-sighed. "Nothing against the beautiful realms in this part of the world, but I would only be able to stand short visits back here every now and again. There is not a great deal of life to find in these parts."
"Which is probably why I am not as uncomfortable here," Duo snickered. Shrugging, he grinned, "I suppose it is only to be expected given our roles that the Creator had mapped out for us." He raised his braided head to the consistently overcast sky and said quietly, "Being of Death, the darkness and chill have little to no effect on me."
A sultry grin tugging his lips, the Fighter leaned close to his lover and whispered huskily by his ear, "And yet you were so warm and brilliant when we were joined but a brief moment ago."
Swallowing roughly, the son of Shinigami flushed at both the words and the reminder of their passionate bonding. With a half-hearted glare, he swatted the arm of his chuckling counterpart.
"Good morning," Quatre greeted cheerfully as the pair neared the small campfire where a pot of oats and grains was boiling. Rising from his crouch by the flames, the Water Keeper smiled, "Trowa will be back from the last watch any moment. I do hope that you both slept well."
Under his breath, Heero murmured low enough that only his partner could hear, "The waking up was even better."
It took every bit of resolve in him to not laugh at the tiny whimper that came from Maxwell. "We did," the soldier grinned back to their blonde friend, "thank you." Glancing around, he noted that one of the three tents had already been lowered and packed away without the occupants anywhere in sight.
Already onto the same discovery, Duo searched the freshly snow-covered grounds as he asked, "Where are Wufei and Anna?"
Lowering the wooden spoon that he had taken up to stir their breakfast, Winner replied, "They went walking off together right around the time when I woke up. Our sister mentioned something about wanting to take some time to meditate as she wants to be ready for when we go to collect the Fire Stone."
Off in the distance where the White Mage had gestured, the couple was able to make out the darkened outlines of the two Keepers by a short hill.
Curled up at the base of the slight rise, Wufei kept his silent vigil over his wife as she sat at the zenith with her legs crossed and upturned arms resting on either of her bent knees. Her straightened back to the camp, the thief's face was completely hidden but there was no question to her brothers that her eyes would be closed as she lost herself to her internal mantra.
Not long after her joining the Alliance, Anna had told the others of how Wufei had taught her the importance and skill of meditation. Over the course of their spell, it had been both her reprieve and her salvation in keeping on the right course to have the cursed spell on them removed.
Though there were not many chances for her to indulge in what had once been a daily ritual of hers, the remainder of the team knew her to completely delve into her escape from the world when she was able to enjoy some alone time.
Leaning close to his soul mate, Duo questioned softly, "What do you suppose she is meditating over?"
Without even having to consider his answer, Heero kept his own eyes on the redhead as he said, "The same thing that I would be if I was in her place... happier times with the one loved above all others."
No longer aware of her actual surroundings, Anna kept her eyes closed and breathing slow while she kept her mind focused to simply feeling the power that consistently brewed beneath the surface of her consciousness. Every sound that attempted to fill her mind was blocked out as she trained herself to the task she had set for herself...
...and then, against her mouth, she felt the brush a pair of soft lips that she recognized in an instant, even in the depth of her meditation.
Sighing, she leaned into the touch and kissed back with a bit more intensity. When mouths parted and tongues slid together, a deep chuckle from the other partaker added into the warm sensations that flooded her just before her evader pulled away.
As she opened her eyes, the thief found herself lost in one of her favorite memories with Wufei's handsome face the first thing to greet her. "You broke your focus," the Monk smirked, shaking his head.
The pair sat beneath a tall tree of full, pink blossoms of a spring bloom in Eblan just as the sun was beginning to set. It had been a long day of training for Chang, but he was not about to let that keep him away from his lover for the evening. Fraise had expressed interest in learning meditation and he was more than happy to teach her in its ways.
Giving him a half-hearted glare, the redhead lightly slapped her partner's arm, snorting, "Only because you distracted me." Her arms slipping behind her, she kept her legs crossed as she leaned back and commented, "You know that I am powerless when it comes to you."
Whatever further teasing Wufei had intended was completely pushed aside at the sweet sentiment. A warm smile lighting his face, he winked and replied softly, "Just as I am with you, love. But teaching you this will only help you in understanding and calling upon your gift for the times you may need it."
"One needs to have patience to master this," Anna sighed in defeat. "I have little of that." The corner of her mouth sliding up, she added, "And it is not as if meditating will make me a stronger elemental than you... not when you have had so much more time to work with your abilities. I am beginning to think that I made a mistake in thinking I could ever be good at this."
Chang tilted his head and frowned, "I would not say that. There have been quite a few times when you came close to breaking through what you believed to be the end of your powers, so there is no need for you to be so hard on yourself and to quit now."
Grinning, he stated, "Besides, patience, like anything else in life comes with practice." As he rose to his feet, the long hem of his white-and-red robes brushed against the ground. "Now," he began, folding his arms across his chest with his gaze boring down on his student, "I am not about to let you give up on this and I suggest another try before we retire for the night.
Unable to deny him anything, Anna let out a throaty laugh and replied, "Alright. Alright." Pushing herself upright again, she turned her arms upward while resting them atop her bent knees.
Softly, Wufei told her, "Close your eyes." Drawing a deep breath, the thief released it slowly through her nose as her eyelids drifted shut. "The longer I speak, the more my voice should drift away as you go deeper into the recesses of your mind," the raven-haired young man continued as he began to pace around his lover.
Like every other time, Fraise could feel her surroundings begin to slip away along with the quiet murmurings from her mentor. Working her way around slowly but surely to the quieter and darker corners of her being, she centered her search to homing in on the tingling of her ability that was always present inside of her.
Already well aware of the instruction that the Monk would be offering without having to actually hear the words, the Fire Keeper dove as far as she could into the sensation of every possibility that her gift wielded. Pushing beyond the furthest reaches that she had managed to breach in the past, she forced herself beyond that point to find herself completely overwhelmed by the strength she found there.
Mesmerized by the intensity that she had never believed to be present at her whim, Anna continued on, allowing her consciousness to be absorbed by what should have been a frightening prospect of being consumed by the energy surging through her. Instead, she found a way to control and wield it.
Then... when she managed to get the better of what had tried to undo her, she sent it beyond her body in a forceful blast.
Gasping, the redhead's eyes flew open and she panted for her breath as sweat ran down her face. There were a few things that she noted when the world returned to her. It was nearly dark, telling her that she had been away for much longer than what had felt like mere minutes.
Secondly, Anna took in a wide-eyed, stricken Wufei as he stared up at something behind her that was illuminating him. Biting her lip, she turned her head over her shoulder and froze in the same surprise with another sharp gasp.
From the tall branches and blossoms of the tree behind her, thousands of tiny sparks rained down around them like falling, burning stars. It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight that could only have come from a particularly trained burst of flame that went on without harming the plant life or the grass that it touched.
Laughing, Fraise allowed a couple tears to flow from her eyes in her continued reeling from having found something within herself that she had never imagined possible before. "I knew that you had it in you," Wufei all but whispered, a proud smile on his face as he lowered himself down to crawl towards his partner.
Their gazes meeting, the young couple leaned in and pressed their lips together in a scorching kiss as the twinkling lights continued to fall. Clothes were removed and a desperate round of lovemaking ensued to release the excitement and energy that had built up to that moment.
Finally, their tired bodies collapsed in a heap of tangles as the last drop of burning 'glitter' faded. While they made themselves comfortable in their entwining, Chang snickered, "It is a good thing that we are far from the city. It would have been hard to explain that display away"
Humming, Fraise rested her head on a strong shoulder and lightly ran a hand over the smooth skin of her partner's bare chest. After a long and comfortable silence, she peered up to the onyx eyes watching her in the full moon's light and breathed, "Wufei, I... I do not know how l was able to survive in this world without you before we met. But I do know that I would never survive if I ever lost you."
A lump forming in his throat at that, Wufei swallowed roughly and pressed a kiss against the thief's forehead. "I swear that I will find a way to always be with you, Anna," he promised solemnly.
'I love you's' were exchanged and the Keepers remained locked in their sated hold as they drifted off to sleep, certain that they would have countless more such nights together.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Slowly blinking her eyes open, Anna blinked widely in finding that what was to remain the last stretch of Ice Lands was a warm and dry stretch of land for as far as she could see. Warmed by her memory, her gift had managed to melt the snow and ice from the ground even as cool tears that had fallen during her mediation rolled down her face.
And just as he had vowed, Wufei was close at hand as he climbed up onto all fours at the base of the hill where she sat. Not even a curse was about to break what they shared.
TBC...
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