The Knights' Chronicles Part 24
Odin's Commander's quarters became the place where the Terrible Trio awaited their gifted friends' arrival for more details to the prophecy that still had their minds reeling long after their first hearing it.
The end of the world... that was what they were all potentially facing. And it would begin with the fall of their homeland.
Still coming to grips with it all, Heero, Wufei and Anna stared into the flickering flame of the candle at the center of the round table where they sat. Leaning against the wall beside the closed door, their Commander had his arms crossed and his head lowered as he silently dealt with the demons in his own way.
Biting his lip, Heero slowly peered up to his mentor and said sincerely, "We did not want to keep what had happened in Romefeller from you, sir. It is just... we had no idea what we were dealing with when Galon met with us." Wufei and Anna nodded their heads enthusiastically, at their leader.
With a soft chuckle, Lowe raised his hand and reassured, "There is no need for you to explain yourselves. I am sure that Galon would have wanted whatever he had to say kept to only you until the seers had their conference. I may be your Commander, but something of this magnitude must be protected."
As the knights-in-training eased at his words, they instantly tensed again when there came a knock to the door. Turning, Odin pulled back on the handle just enough to peek out. In finding Relena and Quatre on the other side, he opened the entrance fully and stepped aside so that they could enter.
The moment they set foot inside of the small space, the seer scanned it. Pleased that the walls were solid without a single window, she sighed and nodded to the Commander as she passed him. "I do wish that we were reuniting under better terms," she frowned deeply as she neared the trainees that were rising to their feet.
"It is not your fault," Anna smiled sadly as she accepted and returned her friend's tight embrace. "I am glad that it was the two of you that came to tell us of this news." Her head lowered as she pulled back, Relena cleared her throat with a nod while she moved to Heero and Wufei.
Swallowing roughly as Quatre passed, the tall man moved to head out of the room when the empath rested a hand on his arm and told him quietly, "You are welcome to stay for this. Knowing what you do, it would only be right that you know as much as we can share with you."
His eyes wide and hopeful, Odin looked to his students. Finding only smiles and nods of acceptance from the trio in response, he grinned as he took a seat at the table.
Quatre made his rounds to properly greet his friends with quiet words of both apology and sincere happiness in seeing them again. Finally, the lot sat on the chairs available as all attention fell on the gifted pair.
"If I spoke out of turn or harshly earlier, I do hope that you both forgive me for my behavior," Odin spoke up before either of his guests opened their mouths to speak.
Shaking her head, Relena replied, "It is all too understandable, Odin. We would have thought less of you if you had not challenged what we seers discovered. As I mentioned earlier, we punched as many holes in the vision as we could before deeming it a true prophecy." The officer swallowed past the lump that was already building in his throat and nodded.
Wufei reclined in his chair a bit as he sighed, "Ever since you had mentioned the darkness, we all were at odds at to whether or not we wanted to know what those unseen days held. Now..."
At the hitch in his voice, the swordsman cleared his throat and bowed his head with no desire to continue. Feeling Anna's hand fall over his where it lay on the table, he latched onto it tightly as Heero rubbed the back of his own neck in his rarely shown display of unease.
Her mouth opening and closing in a couple of attempts, Relena shifted in her seat and folded her hands in her lap. "About the darkness," she began almost hesitantly, "Not all of it was caused by the veil that Galon had placed over those visions. We can only see the events leading to the start of the war between good and evil with very little after that."
Tilting his head, Heero frowned, "Would that have anything to do with the Keeper's presence in our world?"
"In a way," the seer answered. Staring into the light of the candle on the table, she explained, "Magic is certainly involved in blocking our gift. We seers have come to the conclusion that it will be someone working for the Keeper who will find the power and the way to accomplish the feat. Because it is inevitable, we are completely blind and helpless in any attempt penetrate it."
Shoulders slumping, the Terrible Trio's eyes widened. For anyone to have that kind of power... well, they were going to be an incredibly daunting enemy to face. All at once, the air in their lungs rushed out and their brows began to dampen with sweat.
A realization coming over him, Wufei looked to Relena and stammered, "Y-your gift will be completely lost, then? What will that mean for you?"
Quatre closed the small gap between himself and his wife to loop his arms around her waist as she shivered. "It will be as though a part of me has died," the girl responded, her voice empty, but the fear of losing that which made her who she was, was clear on her face.
Just as the other were about to come to her aid, Relena put on a smile and said, "I will be fine. It is a small price compared to the sacrifices that countless others will make over the course of the war." Calming as she tried to sound, her friends still could not help their heartache over the loss she would endure.
The empath placed a soft kiss on his bride's temple and lowered his arms to fold his hands on the table. Leaning towards the knights-in-training, he questioned, "What happened when you met with Galon before he passed? There are a few details in the prophecy that the seers have been looking to clear up that perhaps you will be able to assist in."
Each looking to one another, the 'family' silently discussed who would speak up for them. In the end, it was Heero to take a deep breath and answered, "Galon gave us each gifts with his powers, saying that somehow we are going to play roles in defending our one chance in Prince Duo."
"Prince," Lowe repeated in a breath. A wide smile lighting his face, he whispered, "So our queen has been right in her premonition that she is having a son."
Chewing in the inside of his cheek, Heero turned to Anna. Nervously playing with the end of the ponytail that her long hair was pulled back in, the archer continued, "Galon passed his magic into my quiver that will give me limitless arrows. He made Wufei's sword unbreakable and unable to melt." Her head turning to her brother beside her, she squeezed his arm and concluded, "Then he passed the map to the portal onto Heero."
Relena brightened considerably in hearing the account as she looked to Wufei and Anna to inquire, "He referred to you as the Sword and Shield, then?"
Briefly recalling the elder's words, the lovers' eyes widened anew and Chang nodded, "Yes, he did. At the time, we never really gave it much thought." The redhead hummed in agreement.
When the seer began to laugh suddenly, the sound was so foreign from the somber mood that had fallen over the group that the knights-in-training nearly jumped from their seats.
Clapping her hands, Relena exclaimed excitedly, "Then you are the ones that we have envisioned! Before, there was a cloud over the two primary protectors of the prince. You only appeared as a literal blade in his hand and a shield in the other, but we knew that there was a deeper meaning behind that!"
A gasp broke from the gifted girl and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. "The Creator," she realized aloud, her voice hushed and thick with reverence. "Just as the Keeper is protecting his messengers, so is the Creator watching His. That is why no one can see your true forms, so that you can live to protect Prince Duo."
Raising a finger before her face, Relena warned, "You must be careful as there is no guarantee that both, or either of you, will survive the fall of Sanq. We have seen visions where one or both of you are not with the prince when he returns. He will struggle greatly without the presence of the both of you. No warrior is prepared for battle without both their sword and their shield."
Taken aback, Wufei and Anna slumped in their chairs as the color in their faces drained away. Just when they had thought that there was enough of a burden over them in having to bear the knowledge of the impending struggle to come... now there was the added responsibility of this.
"I-I will not sit back when the attack befalls our land," Fraise whispered. Her face burned with pent up rage that began to come to the surface as her hands clenched into tight fists. "My place is in the battle to protect as many as I can when those demons come," she hissed.
Physically shaking with every bit as much frustration and anger, Chang gritted, "As is mine. We took an oath to do all that we can to defend Sanq and its citizens. It would go against everything that we have worked for to turn our backs on that."
Odin's jaw fell open at the brave stoutness of the pair. He was so caught up in their devotion that his eyes began to shimmer.
Quick to retort, Quatre held a hand up and reassured, "We would expect no less from either of you, nor are we suggesting that you go against your promise. All that we wish you to know is that you take care in your actions as you have another calling."
Satisfied with that, the couple relaxed as their shoulders drooped heavily. Taking everything into consideration, they could not argue the kind request to not be reckless and so they nodded firmly in silent vows to heed it as best they could. Their eyes meeting, their hands also locked together once again.
Reluctant as he was in hearing the answer, Heero swallowed roughly and resigned himself to asking, "And what of the map that Galon passed onto me?"
The gifted exchanged a worried look before Relena focused back on the trainee to say, "He entrusted the most important duty of all to you... You are the one most fit to see that Prince Duo is carried safely to the portal to cross over into the next universe."
"And leave Sanq behind entirely!?" Yuy cried in protest. Looking to his 'siblings,' he held a hand out and snapped, "My place is by their sides in battle! I took the same oath as they did and I will not walk away from that responsibility!"
What was more to that sincere sentiment, Heero was also scared to death that he might somehow fail his heir... fail their world for that matter if he was not successful in the task.
Running a hand through his unruly hair, he shook his head, "Galon knew nothing of me before he passed. How could he be so certain that I was the right one to be entrusted with this? There must have been a mistake."
Quatre replied softly, "There was no mistake in you, Heero. Galon saw the same as all the seers had in the vision. The one shown the way to the portal is the one to deliver the prince to safety." He paused to look pointedly at his wife as he frowned, "Though... the way could always be shown to another. You had said that there was not a clear picture of the deliverer."
The seer bit her lip as she gazed over her friends' heads. "True enough," she agreed. "It would be up to him whether or not he would rather share the map with another to make the flight from harm."
Instantly, Yuy faced his Commander with a hopeful expression. Sucking in a sharp breath of air, Odin rested a hand on his student's shoulder and told him, "If you truly do not feel comfortable with any of this, son, I would be fine in you passing the information to me."
As Heero eased, Lowe quickly threw in, "However, there are many reasons to why you would be the best fit for the job. Wing is easily the fastest dragon of all the steeds in the encampment and you have more worldly exposure than most of the other knights-in-training. Another reason, and perhaps the most important, you are never one to settle for anything but success in any mission you are assigned, whatever the cost."
Shrugging, the officer questioned, "And what mission could possibly be more important than this- the safe passage the one who could possibly keep and restore all that is good in our world?"
Mentally knocked back, Heero's cobalt eyes widened. It was an impossible position for him to be in- abandoning all of his beliefs as well as his friends and homeland or let down an heir who would be too young to know the difference of who carried him and the good spirit of a gifted elder.
From the very core of his being to the fibers of his skin, Yuy felt as though he were being ripped in two. His arms wrapping around his torso, he bent forward when the sudden urge to wretch came on him. Nearly as quickly as that sickening feeling fell upon him, the wave recoiled back.
With his face drenched in sweat, the knight-in-training slowly straightened himself to find a concerned look on the faces around. Centering on Quatre, he managed, "Thank you." The empath smiled sadly and gave a shallow nod.
Reaching up to wipe at his face, Heero scanned the others and announced in complete exasperation, "I... I need time. This is a lot to have to take in."
"Of course," Winner replied. "We have a couple of years before the next red moon returns, as we are assuming that to be the time of the attack. So, there is time for you to decide what you want to do."
Before his friend could become too comfortable with that, the empath stated, "However, do take into consideration that Galon did summon you by name. If he truly thought there to be a better person to use the last of his gift on in such a way, he would have called upon them."
Swallowing roughly, Yuy gave a short nod of understanding. A couple of years... that was time enough to really weigh how he felt over the situation.
Heavily slumping in her seat, Relena looked between the knights' faces as she sighed deeply, "I do so wish that we could spare you all the knowledge of the nightmares to come as he had for Solo and Sophia. But it is all too important for you to always know, to always be at the ready so that you do what you must when the time comes."
"We understand," Wufei volunteered on the others' behalves to put their gifted friends' minds at ease. "And thank you for trusting us with this." His words were backed with the sad smiles and firm nods from his fellow soldiers.
Anna tilted her head and asked, "What will the seers and other gifted in Romefeller be doing in preparation for the war?"
Letting out a short puff of air, Relena responded, "First will be the official writing of the prophecy. I do hope that you will all come to Romefeller for that day, so that you may be the first to hear it. We still have a few months before that time as the wording must be agreed upon by every seer before it may be spread to the rest of the world."
The fatigue that she had been fighting crept back into her bones and marred her face as she shook her head, "I will have my work cut out for me as I am one of the council leaders now."
Blinking in surprise at the announcement, Heero grinned, "A council leader. Since she was your mentor, Dallion must be proud that you reached a goal at such a young age." When the girl's skin paled and her entire body suddenly stiffened, his immediate reaction was to regret his comment.
What few shreds of strength Relena had left in her up to that moment crumbled in a blink and she all but collapsed into her husband's opening arms. Burying her head into his shoulder, her body shook with uncontrollable sobs.
Unable to hold back his own overwhelming emotions, Quatre clung on tightly to the seer and ran a hand over her trembling back while tears streamed down his face. Around the remainder of the table, the soldiers looked on in a mix of shock and concern.
After a few tense heartbeats, Anna's frightened eyes locked with the empath's as she breathed, "W-what is it?"
It took a moment for Winner to whisper brokenly, "Seeing the visions of what is to come for a second time was too much..." Clearing his throat, when his voice failed him, he could only manage, "Dallion threw herself from the highest balcony of the palace."
* * * * * *
By first light the following morning, tearful farewells and tight embraces were exchanged between the gifted and their friends before they had to part ways. The time allotted to Relena and Quatre to ready the knights-in-training was nearly up before the seers commenced their council to pull every last detail that they could envision surrounding the prophecy.
Waving off the couple alongside his pupils until Sandrock soared out of their sight, Odin turned towards the Terrible Trio. As Heero, Wufei and Anna met his gaze, the Commander took a deep breath and told them huskily, "I just want you all to know how... damned proud I am of all of you."
Their heads and eyes lowering or glancing away, the trainees nodded and bit back their own rising waves of emotions. Swallowing roughly, the tall man straightened himself to give them a smart salute with his hand over his chest before he walked off silently.
In the end, there really were no other words that could have been said. And so the events of that evening were never brought up again.
* * * * * *
Over the course of the next month, the Terrible Trio conducted themselves as they always had. Not one of their peers could tell that their smiles and laughter were put on and their performances in both their classes and in the field never waivered.
If anything, the officers of the encampment were a little concerned that the small 'family' might burn themselves out.
Were there an opportunity to take a longer shift in a watch or where limits could be pushed for endurance, Heero, Wufei and Anna were always the first to volunteer. Their superiors had no idea that there was a need to be buried in such work to have it serve as a distraction.
The times that they were together on their own, there was no mention of the prophecy. There was no talk about Quatre or Relena as that would only bring on an association to the nightmare that was steadily approaching.
And it was far too painful to recall Dallion's death and the resulting wiping of Virgil's mind to spare him the tormenting grief over her loss.
No, they were not about to bring up any of those things when they had to hold themselves together the only way that they knew how.
But one can only hide from reality for so long. Despite their best efforts, the gravity of their situation eventually caught up with them one fateful morning.
* * * * * *
It was a weary certain trio of knights-in-training that practically sleep-walked into the stables area following their third straight night watch over the encampment. With their shoulders sagging heavily, they dragged their feet along the straw beneath them as they headed for their dragons' stalls.
As their riders neared, Wing, Nataku and Ingier watched them with worried eyes. Using their tails, they undid unlatches their doors to the exhausted teenagers then stepped back to give them space to remove their weapons.
Lazily slipping her quiver over her head, Anna let it drop along with her bow to the ground. Her blue eyes heavy-lidded, she leaned heavily against the muzzle that pressed against her as she mumbled, "'Hello, 'ngier."
In the next stall, Wufei he sank onto a pile of hay. Chirping, his steed lowered her head beside him while her tail draped his blanket over him. "Thank you, Nataku," the swordsman sighed deeply, eyes closed as he reached out to pat the end of her snout when it lowered close beside him.
Already curled on his side beneath his own blanket, Heero leaned his head against the tail that curled around his body protectively. Pulling the covers tightly around himself and allowing his eyes to shut, his entire body ached for the sleep that it had been deprived of.
Just as the rays of the day's first light brightened the dark stable, he murmured, "I think that we might need to slow down on these volunteer shifts," he commented quietly.
Wufei and Anna chorused without a moment's hesitation, "Agreed."
Sleep beckoned, its grip pulling the knights-in-training into their long-overdue sleep when the hustle and bustle that came with the squires beginning their morning chores rose up.
In the midst of that activity, there came the sound of feet running into the entrance of the facility with a cry that rose over all other noise, "I have news from the city! The queen is in labor! Our heir is to be born soon!"
As though they had been doused by cold water, the wide-eyed Terrible Trio shot up in their beds to gaze on gaze on each other in disbelief.
They had run hard and fast from the reality... it finally caught up with them. And it was not going to leave them again now.
TBC...
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