The Knights' Chronicles Part 28
Not about to be left out of the conversation between their riders and the gifted, Wing, Nataku, Ingier and Sand Rock perched themselves along the railing of the window balcony of the guest room to peer inside as the band of teenagers poured in through the door.
Closing themselves off from the rest of the castle, the knights-in-training turned towards Relena to find that she had all but collapsed into Quatre's arms. Her head buried in his shoulder, her whole body trembled as a sharp whimper was muffled against her husband. For his part, the empath appeared to be on the brink of tears.
Unable to stay back, Sand Rock stretched his long forward to push his massive head inside. Red eyes filled with panic, he gently nudged his human with the end of his snout. Swallowing roughly, Winner reached a shaking hand out to pat the muzzle with a brokenly whispered, "It is going to be okay, boy."
Stiff in panic at the state of their friends, the Terrible Trio held their breaths in tense silence. Finally, Heero dampened his throat before he breathed, "What is going on?"
It took a moment before the seer raised her head so that her damp eyes could lock on the trainees. "M-my gift is gone," she answered, her voice as frail as she appeared in that moment.
"Dear Creator," Anna managed, shoulders slumping heavily as the dread of what that announcement meant hit home. "It has already begun, then... the Keeper's messenger has begun to bring his influence into the world."
Terrifying as that thought was, the soldiers were ever bit as worried for the well being of Relena as her body was wracking in what seemed like an intense pain.
Quickly scooping his wife into his arms, Quatre lay her on the bed on the other side of the room and told her softly, "Rest, love. I will make sure that the pain is not so unbearable by the time you wake." There was no protest as his partner lay back against the pillows and mattress in a deep slumber with a sigh.
Clasping her hand, the empath sat at the edge of the bed and closed his eyes to work his gift into her while the others watched on. Anna bit her lip as tears filled her eyes with worry for her 'sister' and Wufei was at her side to wrap an arm around her waist.
After a brief moment that felt like a slow eternity, Winner's reddened eyes blinked open. Fighting his overwhelming emotions, he forced down the lump in his throat and leaned in to place a kiss on Relena's forehead. It was such a tender thing that the knights-in-training almost felt awkward in witnessing what seemed like such a private scene.
"I... I have never felt such an agonizing emptiness," Quatre stammered as he rose onto shaky legs. Shaking his head, he kept his gaze on his wife, frowning, "Thank the Creator all of the seers have their empaths to put a wall around their pain or it would be unbearable."
Wufei hesitated before he stepped ahead of his lover and questioned, "Is she going to be okay?" Sand Rock let out a small grunt as he practically shook in wanting to know the answer as well. The closest to him, Heero ran a hand over the golden scales of the steed's neck to calm him as best he could.
Finally turning towards his friends, the gifted young man reached up to wipe a lone tear that remained on his face. He nodded, "When she wakes, she will feel... different. However, she will not be overcome by the anguish of losing her ability." At that, the trio breathed sighs of relief and the tension in their frames eased.
Pacing the floor, Quatre ran a hand through his hair. Rambling his thoughts as they came, he shook his head, "This all came on so soon. We were so sure that there would be at least another year before this measure was taken by the Keeper's minion. That means any vision seen leading up to the war is in question with the exception of the prophecy that was declared."
There was more that he was not letting on. Heero and his family knew it.
With a deep breath, Yuy stated, "Relena saw something in the throne room before she lost her sight. What was it?"
Coming to a sudden halt in his tracks, the empath cast his enlarged eyes on the soldier. It was that look of fear that told the 'family' that their friend had not anticipated the question. Clearly, his mind was preoccupied with Relena and how to keep her from falling apart.
And the haunted look in his stunned stare ran a shiver up the knights' backs.
Raising a hand, Chang gave Winner a glare. "Do not even think of using your ability to make us forget that," he warned. "After the trust that we have displayed by keeping the future between us, I think that we deserve the right to not have our emotions or memories tampered with."
Quatre blinked in surprise. A sad, understanding smile spreading across his face, he bowed his head and replied, "Of course. You have my word to not have my gift used on you in such a way."
Waving a hand nonchalantly, he smirked, "There is nothing for you to be worried about with that in the first place. What Relena saw was a blurred image, so there is no guarantee that it would ever come about. It is nothing to be troubled by when we now know that the Keeper has a start on this world."
There was nothing in their friend's voice or posture that had the Terrible Trio thinking that he truly was unconcerned with the vision. Recalling how the seer had told them of the countless chain of circumstances that could change a blurred vision before it ever came about, the matter seemed a pointless one to dwell on.
In the end, Winner had been right in saying that the Keeper's presence was of a much greater issue to focus on.
"So there is no question that the attack will come before the next Red Moon," Anna stated quietly. "Some time in the next two years, Sanq is going to be under attack."
Quatre took a deep breath and replied in little more than a breath, "That is about the only thing of which we can be certain now, I am afraid."
* * * * * *
Time is a strange thing when you realize that there is not a lot of it.
Such was the thought of the knights-in-training as they spent the afternoon playing with Prince Duo in the nursery while their Commander returned to the encampment for the first time since they left for Romefeller. Solo and Sophia were off with their planners for the celebration that they were collaborating on for the arrival of the queen's family, leaving the trio to entertain their infant until they returned.
Nestled securely in a 'basket' that Nataku made by rounding her tail, the baby giggled as the green beast rocked him back and forth. A content smile on her face, the dragon purred in a variety of pitches like a soothing, hummed song as she craned her head around to watch her precious charge.
"You are a natural mother," Wufei snickered in amusement as he patted his steed's large claw by which he sat.
Ingier seemed inclined to agree, lying across from his female counterpart so that he could watch her. A wistful look in his large green eyes, he let out a quiet sigh with a content smile across his long face.
Catching her steed's behavior, Anna leaned closely to her lover and whispered in his ear, "I think that my Trouble has a crush on Nataku. Lately, I have noticed that he does everything he can to be around her."
"I have had my suspicions about that as well," the swordsman muttered back into the archer's ear, an amused grin on his face as he peered out of the corner of his eye to observe the blue-purple dragon. "As far as I can tell, Nataku has yet to pick up on his affections."
Fraise shrugged and replied under her breath, "Or she has and she is playing hard to get." She smiled, "Then again, they are our steeds. If they are anything like us, it will take years of them pining over each other before anything comes of it."
Unable to keep himself quiet at that, Wufei outright laughed along with his lover. Blinking, Nataku and Ingier tilted their heads at their riders in confusion.
The only one sitting close enough to have overheard the conversation between his 'siblings,' Heero snickered and shook his head. Never once did he break his hold on the baby blanket with which he played tug-of-war along with Prince Duo while the child was swung.
His head suddenly rising with a bright chirp, Sand Rock rose to his claws as Quatre and Relena entered the room. Breaths catching, the knights-in-training scrambled to their own feet and hurried to their friends.
Reaching the couple first, the golden-hued beast pressed his muzzle towards the seer. A warm smile on her face, Relena wrapped her arms around his muzzle in an embrace as she reassured, "No need to worry, dear friend. I am alright." Relieved, Sand Rock pulled back from their embrace and licked the side of her face.
Slowly facing the soldiers, the seer's grin saddened. "I am sorry that I scared you earlier," she sighed. "Had I seen what was about to happen..." Her voice trailed off and she shook her head in frustrated loss.
In little more than a whisper, she mused, "Now, I wonder if I will ever see again."
Not really knowing what words to offer, Anna bit her lip and opted to give her 'sister' a tight hug instead. Taken aback, Relena froze in surprise before her eyes shimmered with tears as she returned the embrace.
Moving in, Wufei patted her back while Heero squeezed her shoulder to give what support they could. Quatre stayed back to settle himself as well as Sand Rock, keeping an arm draped over his snout.
Once she had her bearings again, the seer righted herself and reached up to dry her face with a small laugh. "Thank you," she said sincerely to her friends. "This is all very... strange to me, but I will get through it. What is most important is keeping up the pretense that everything is fine for Solo and Sophia."
Since that meant making sure that they did not catch onto the fact that Relena had lost her ability, that only meant one thing.
"This is going to be your last visit to Sanq," Wufei realized aloud, a deep frown etched along his face.
At the whimper that broke from his wife, Quatre stepped up to hold her against his side. Drawing a deep breath, he nodded solemnly, "Yes, it is. Now that we know the Keeper's chosen is already at work, we have much to prepare our kind as well as the world for what is nearly upon us. It is our responsibility to see that we can save as many as we can leading to Prince Duo's return."
Reluctantly allowing that information to sink in, the Terrible Trio realized that they would truly be alone soon. Along with missing the gifted couple for their friendship, they were terrified in knowing that they had anywhere within the next two years left to face the dark army without their guidance. It was such an easier thing to deal with when there were others that they could talk to.
Yes, there was Odin. But they could not risk discussing the approaching war with their Commander when they were in the encampment. Already, many of their fellow trainees were wondering why their threesome was pulled away by Lowe more than any others. There would be ears around wherever they went.
More than that... there could be ears all around if the Keeper was seeping into the world.
That chilling thought was enough to shake them to the core of their beings. Really, no one knew the extent of the Lord of the Damn's influence. Come the war, there would be no telling who they could trust beyond their tight unit.
And there was still that other matter that was still troubling them as well.
Heero suddenly changed the subject to that issue when he looked to the seer and asked, "What was the vision that you saw in the throne room?"
Gasping sharply, Relena's back straightened in a rigid snap. Even her quick recovery was not enough to settle the worry that had built up in her friends as she smiled, "I thought that Quatre told all of you that it was an uncertain vision. The clouded picture of it means that there is likelihood that it will never-"
"We will take that into consideration when you tell us what you saw," Anna nodded firmly when she cut the other girl off. "In the event that it does come about, it is only right that we hear it so that we can prepare ourselves."
At that, Wufei folded his arms and smirked, "Anna makes a good point. We heard of the war and the fall of our homeland. I highly doubt that there is anything else you could share that would be as difficult to cope with, especially knowing that it may not even happen."
Biting her lip, Relena muttered under her breath, "Be careful not to assume such a thing." She cast her husband a pleading expression, but found Quatre to be just at odds over the situation.
In the end, it was only fair that the knights learn of what the vision held. What with all of their sacrifices and their loyalty in knowing the fate of the world, they deserved to know it all...
...no matter how terrible it may be.
Before she could argue with herself any longer, Relena looked to Heero. "I saw you joining forces with the Keeper's men and betraying Prince Duo during a pivotal part of the war," she announced in the ghost of a breath.
Cobalt eyes grew as sharp catches of air including his own filled the room. Instantly, he snapped his head over to the baby still secure in the coil of Nataku's tail. Completely unaware of the tension that had fallen over the room, the infant sucked on the end of his blanket.
Wing's eyes narrowed on the gifted couple when he hurried to his rider's side and gave them a deep growl. Coming out of her stunned daze when a snarling Ingier walked up behind her, Anna glared as heatedly as the dragon as she hissed, "It is not true. That is impossible."
"It has to be some kind of a trick," Wufei suggested calmly, though his face burned with anger over the very thought that anyone would say such a thing about his 'brother,' supposed vision or not. Shaking his head, he stated, "For all we know, the Keeper's chosen may know of his role in carrying Duo to the portal and want to cast doubt in us."
Relena's hands wrung at her waist and her head lowered. "What I saw happens well after the prince's return," she frowned.
The whole room seemed to disappear before Heero as everything sunk into the deep recesses of his mind. He was going to betray his friends... their prince and only hope in the war... and therefore their whole world.
No! Wufei and Anna were right, there was nothing that would make him side with the Keeper. To destroy what he would rather die for to defend.
Coming to his wife's aid, Quatre rested a hand on her shoulder and his gaze fell on the soldiers as he pleaded, "You must know that neither of us believe in what was shown."
All of his attention fell on Yuy as he continued, "Aside from the fact that the vision was an uncertain one, we trust Heero as well and know that he would never commit such an act. This is the very reason why we did not want to bring up what was shown in the first place."
Slowly, the deemed Sword and Shield to the Prince eased along with their steeds.
Reassuring as the sentiment was, however, Heero was not completely settled. Anna walked up to placer her hands on his shoulders to force him to look at her. "I know you, brother. You are going to dwell on this, but I do not want you to take another moment thinking about it any longer than you already have," she ordered quietly.
"Listen to her, Heero," Quatre urged. "Relena and I are in agreement with Wufei's suggestion that there is something foul about this vision as it is a little ironic that it came right before her sight was taken."
The seer brightened as she nodded, "My kind had been blocked out of all events of the war following the fall of Sanq. Though I have been working for years to be shown anything that could be used to help or warn us, I highly doubt that my gift was strong enough to break through the barrier that had been placed for that one moment."
All of those things made sense to Heero. There was not a chance that he would ever dream of working with the Keeper.
Forcing himself to put those dark thoughts behind him, he smiled to his 'sister,' "I will not give it another thought." A scowl crossed the archer's face and she raised an eyebrow. Laughing, Yuy rested his hands over hers and said, "Alright, I will not obsess or hold any weight to it."
Satisfied with that, Fraise relented and released him so that she could step back to give him his space back.
Relief flooded over the gifted as they sighed deeply. Determined that there would be no further discussion over something that need not be brought up ever again, Quatre grinned, "It is a lovely afternoon outside. We should enjoy it in the courtyard garden with Duo."
Hearing his name, the child removed the blanket from his mouth with a happy squeal as though he understood the suggestion. A warm smile on her face as she watched the little one, Nataku raised her tail towards Heero in a showing of her ever-devout trust in him.
"I see we have a vote of agreement," Heero snickered. As he took the child into his arms, he did his best to ignore the slight slab of worry that pierced his heart.
Once again, he convinced himself to there would be nothing that could turn him against Duo... not now when he was so helpless and not in the future when he would be a young man raging against the darkness alongside the survivors of the war.
The vision would never come to be. It was as simple as that.
* * * * * *
Unlocking her tight arms from their grip around Quatre, Anna fought the urge to cry the following morning. Packed and ready to leave Sanq, Winner and Relena were saying what the knights-in-training knew might very well be their final farewells.
Fortunately for them, the stable area was clear of any other people that they may be able to have their last moments alone.
Relena allowed her tears to fall as she pulled away from Wufei to embrace Heero before moving to the three dragons that she had grown so fond of after Sand Rock had his time to part with his scaly friends. Puffing out a breath of air that he had been holding, Quatre cleared his throat of the lump that had formed and gave the swordsmen a one-armed hug.
As his wife and Anna hugged, the empath brushed away a stray tear and informed, "We will be staying in Romefeller well into the war since we predict many will try to take refuge there for the protection of the gifted. If there is ever a time that you need our help, we will stay there until you find us after Prince Duo has returned safely back into this world."
Nodding, the knights-in-training muttered their words of appreciation for the offer. Of course, there were a great deal of variables that needed to happen for them to ever have that reunion... such as their survival.
"Be sure that you do whatever you must to live these next years of the start of the war," Relena beseeched, as though she had her husband's empathic ability and felt their growing dread for their lives.
Her eyes drying as they scanned the trio, she said, "You are all vital players in this, not to mention how dear you all are to us." Bowing his head at that, Winner gave a shallow nod and fought the new shimmer in his eyes.
Reluctantly, the seer turned to her partner with a whispered, "We should go before I cannot leave here."
Sand Rock lowered himself onto his stomach, a deeply saddened expression on his face as his riders climbed up his side. Leaning his head close to the Trio, he nuzzled each of them and licked the sides of their faces to their quiet chuckles.
Quatre gripped the handhold of the saddle once he and Relena were harnessed in. Staring down at their friends, huddled together closely on the stable floor, their hearts sank all the further into their chests as the dragon beneath them stood up.
At the feel of the arms around his waist tightening, the empath kept his gaze on the knights and urged, "Enjoy these next two years as best you possibly can."
Those spelled words washed over the soldiers and unbearable weight of their grief suddenly lightened a bit.
* * * * * *
Such was the way for Heero, Wufei and Anna over the roll of the seasons following. Never forgetting their responsibility or the fact that their world was about to come crashing down around them, those thoughts were a little easier to cope with.
At times, they even had days where those reminders of reality catching up with them were not at the forefront of their minds. Quatre had gifted them in being able to have some enjoyment in the present as they knew it and for that they had to thank him for the influence of his gift.
There would be times of struggle, bloodshed, pain and heartache to come. What with their roles in the war, there was not a way that they could be freed of all of those realizations. But until then, at the very least, they could take in the simple joys while they had them in the world as they still knew it.
For Heero especially, the thought of the uncertain vision did not haunt him as it would have were it not for Winner's influence. He knew who he was, and therefore understood that the very notion of him siding with the Keeper was laughable. So, along with his 'siblings,' he put the whole matter to rest.
And as far as Odin was concerned, he was just content to see that his elite trio was actually happy... truly happy for the first time in quite a while.
Keeping up with their intense training, the Commander saw their motivation in improving themselves only grow all the more. Quickly, they were becoming faster, stronger and had better stamina than even his highest ranking officers. And dutifully, they made the time to take shifts to have one of them around their young prince at all times.
"I do hope that you have the pleasure of knowing my Terrible Trio as I have," Lowe smiled as he carefully lowered Prince Duo into his crib and pulled the yawning infant's blanket around him. Peacemillion's tail flapped lazily in its coil around the crib as she looked down on the baby with a warm fondness in her gold eyes.
Sighing deeply in relief when the tired violet eyes on him drifted closed, Odin whispered, "No more nightmares now, little one." Bathed in the light of the near full moon that filled the nursery, he leaned down to lightly run his hand over the boy's soft head of chestnut hair.
Content that the prince was sleeping soundly after his light-night stirring, the knight chuckled and patted his steed's head. "Seems as though I have become quite the good babysitter, huh, girl?" Leaning into his touch, the orange-red snorted, a smirk curling her lips.
At the yawn that broke from him, the Commander lay back down onto the mattress and reached for his blankets when Peacemillion's head suddenly shot up without warning. That single movement had her rider freezing, eyes growing in fear when he watched her nostrils flare to sniff the air.
Springing to his feet, Odin ran around the crib just as his steed was rounding herself to peer out through the window balcony that she was perched on.
"What is it, girl?" he whispered. Slowly creeping up beside the dragon, he followed her sight and the hairs on his arms stood on their ends.
In the empty courtyard far below them, a lone person stood before the steps of the castle. Clothed in a black robe that touched the ground, the hooded visitor raised his head and folded their long-sleeved arms across their chest. In the light of the moon and stars of the clear sky overhead, the scene was painted in an array of whites and blues to complete the eerie, chilling portrait.
What was even more unsettling than the presence of the stranger was the quiet. There was not a sound for miles. No guards were shouting. In fact, there was no armor clanging, no feet running or voices demanding the identity of the hooded individual.
There was not a single cricket chirp. Even the wind seemed to hold its own breath, the absence of the slightest breeze making the warm night air almost chilling in its stillness.
Her teeth gnashing, Peacemillion let out a low, threatening growl at the mysterious being. Snapping a 'Shh,' Odin kept his gaze on the dark-clad figure. Slowly raising their head, a deep voice announced loud enough that it echoed off the cobblestone surroundings, "I demand an audience with King Solo and Queen Sophia."
Jaw falling open, Odin let out a sharp puff of air that his lungs had clung to.
This was it. The start to the rise of the Keeper that had the seers had envisioned.
His chosen had arrived.
...It had begun.
TBC...
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