Started: January 30, 2001
Finished: February 9, 2001

Disclaimer: God, I feel like I'm babysitting the boys everyday. Wait. *stops*
I AM babysitting them everyday! Oh.. I've better stop for a while after 
this, then, cause I've still got others to babysit. But anyway, I'm only
the babysitter. They're not mine, I'm just taking care of them.

1+2/2+1... not very obvious at the moment.

*crawls along* Feed.... back!


Imminent Fate, part 5
Shamera
sitafire@hotmail.com

	NightMare felt the hand rest tentatively on her flank and whinned 
softly, pushing into the hand and rubbing against it. Her charge would 
soon remember her, but she didn't want him to feel guilty that he had for-
getten her. He would feel guilty, she knew that. 

	Duo pulled back his hand slightly in shock when the alicorn rubbed up
against him, but did not completely pull away. There was a very familiar 
feeling about the creature that told him she would not hurt him. 

	Slowly running a hand down the black fur, Duo stared at the animal. 
"Who are you?" He said simply.

	NightMare didn't answer, but tossed her head slightly to indicate the 
people that were still in the building.

	Heero's eyes flickered at the movement, and saw some of the people that
had been under the shadow one's spell start to awake. He glared at the 
alicorn as if them falling unconcious had been her fault. "What are you and
why did you help us?" He asked flatly.

	^Because.^

	Both boys startled for a moment, eyes widening at the voice.

	^Because you needed help against the Dark Ones.^

	"What Dark Ones?" Heero pressed.

	The alicorn gave another look to the slowly wakening people and pressed
into Duo's touch again. Duo's expression remained the same as Heero's as the
alicorn didn't answer for a moment.

	^The ones that you had been fighting... they were taken over by the 
Dark Ones.^

	"I don't understand." said Duo.

	^Then I will explain it... but later. I cannot remain here while there
are too many who can see me.^

	With that, NightMare gave one last nuzzle to Duo's hand and spread her 
wings, backing up a few paces to gallop in the room. She took two steps 
before flapping those great wings of hers, and disappeared. 

	Heero's eyes narrowed as he saw the display, and he pulled Duo back 
as the other boy tried to step forward, to try to understand what had just 
happened.

	It was then that Quatre woke up.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

	"You know something."

	Duo blinked, then straightened as he turned from his window seat. Heero
was sitting on his bed, Prussian eyes accusing as he watched the pilot of 
DeathScythe carefully.

	"What makes you think that?" Duo countered, his voice sharper than he 
had intended it to be. Heero's eyes took on an edge as he heard Duo's tone, 
and he growled softly. 

	"That horse. She was familiar with you."

	Duo turned back towards the window. "Maybe she was."

	"...."

	The long-haired pilot leaned the top of his head against the glass, 
closing his eyes and smiling slightly. "I don't suppose you believe that 
someone has been looking out for you all your life."

	Heero frowned at the statement. What did that have to do with anything?
It wasn't as if there were much people who even knew that they existed, 
much less have those who watched out for them. Of course no one had been 
looking out for him. Who would do such a think anyway? Especially for a 
Gundam pilot?

	The smile grew yet the eyes did not open. "I still don't believe that
perhaps she had been there for me all my life. All I know is that I've seen
her before. Sometime early in my life... I saw a black alicorn and that 
image got lost in my memories."

	Heero looked at Duo curiously, wondering how Duo had enountered the 
alicorn he was talking about. Had something like this happened before? Was 
that why he could see things that other people could not? His mind refused 
to accept the concept that things like that existed, yet he worked his way
around that and focused on the problem at hand.

	"No, I don't know her." Duo spoke. "I don't know anything about 
what's going on except for the fact that I seem to see something different 
than you do."

	Heero clenched his jaw unconciously. "Quatre was talking about that."

	"Oh?" Duo asked, disinterested.

	"He saw it too."

	Duo opened his eyes slowly, looking at Heero gravely. "He did, did he?"
There was something about Duo's posture that radiated tension and weariness.

	"Yes."

	Duo sighed and shifted his position. "I take it he wants to talk to me,
right?"

	"Yes."

	The long-haired boy peered at his partner. There sober atmosphere was 
destroyed instantly when a mischivous sparkle appeared in his eyes. "Saaa,
Heero," he said, a little of his usual cheer returning to him. "Is that all 
you can say? Really- you should talk more. It's unhealthy! But I guess you've
been talking for more in the last few days than you have in the last weeks. 
I shouldn't be one to complain, should I? I guess you've improved a lot 
compaired to when I first met you. You must have been SILENT before this 
year!"

	Heero sensed how Duo turned to conversation around, but allowed him to
as Duo dragged him downstairs to Quatre, talking all the while. It was just 
strange how Duo could change attitude within seconds. Uncanny.

	And Duo thought *Heero* was strange?

	Heero shook his head in mild amusement as Duo babbered on, switching 
subject within moments and litterally dragging him away.

	But then... this was Duo. He was already used to it.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

	Quatre looked up from where he was sitting on the table. Wufei and 
Trowa were already there, with grim expressions on their faces. Heero had 
been there also just a moment ago, and had left to pull Duo from their room.

	Giving in to a few thoughts, Quatre first thought about how to 
apologize to Duo for not believing him. If only he had not seen those 
creatures with in his own eyes... he would have never believed them to have 
existed. But now... he wasn't sure what he thought now. 

	Wufei was nursing a cup of tea on the other side of the table, mumbling
about strange phenomenons under his breath. He looked as worried as Quatre 
felt, for once not caring if his thoughts showed on his face. 

	Trowa, on the other hand, was the same as always. Quatre could not even
begin to phantom what the other boy was thinking. He was sitting in a perfect
posture worthy of Heero, and was sipping his coffee slowly. 

	Meawhile.... 

	Quatre figetted nervously. Those creatures... they reminded him of the
winged creatures that guarded the castle of Hades in Greek mythology. They 
were so dark... almost like shadows with wings. Except for the fact that 
maybe they had claws for hands and feet and a long rat's tail. 

	If that was what Duo had been seening lately... well, it was a horrible
sight. And to not have anyone, especially your closest friends, believe you
when you needed them to..

	He looked up to see Duo bounce into the room with his usual cheer, 
dragging Heero behind him. He looked to be his usual cheerful self- didn't 
look like one to see what Quatre had seen today. 

	"Hey Q-man! Whuzzup? Heero says you wanted to talk to me?" Letting go 
of his grasp on Heero, Duo grabbed the chair nearest to him (which happened 
to be the chair furthest to Quatre) and sat down. Heero took the seat next 
to him. 

	Quatre took a moment to see how he could start the conversation up, 
giving Trowa enough time to offer Duo coffee, then saying, "I saw those 
creatures you were talking about today, Duo."

	Duo flashed Trowa a smile for the coffee, then took a sip, making a 
face at the bitterness. His violet eyes glanced up Quatre for a brief moment,
before dropping back to his coffee. "I see."

	Quatre blinked. Well, that was not the comeback that he had expected.
He continued on, "I'm very sorry for not believing you, Duo. The others are, 
also. I'm not going to try and convice you that what you said had been 
unbelieveable, because I know that you already figured that out for yourself.
It's very hard to believe that there's such things running around."

	Duo gave a small smile. His eyes were unaffected by the words that 
Quatre had said, but there was an obvious struggle as to if he should tell 
his friends about the alicorn. 

	No. Not yet. 

	"That's alright, Quatre. I wouldn't believe you if you had told me. We
were all raised on conditions that weren't the best. But we still have to 
make the best out of it, ne?"

	Quatre shifted, the somber attitude Duo was displaying really getting 
to him. The others were tense, not expecting any real conversing with Duo 
there to always lighten up the mood. But Duo made no such effort as of the 
moment, and Quatre was almost unsure as to how to proceed.

	"Heero says that you've been seeing those creatures for a while 
already. That you didn't tell us before because we wouldn't believe you."

	Duo turned and glared at Heero. "Yeah. You know, for a guy as quiet as
Heero, you'd have thought that he wouldn't be such a bigmouth."

	Heero gave no indication that the glare bothered him, and even went as 
far as to returning the glare with one that was even harsher.

	"He spoke out of concern. These things are important. We were worried-"

	"I already know. I sounded like a madman when I had been ranting like
that." The corners of his lips turned slightly higher. "Kinda like Wufei."

	"Kisama!" Wufei growled, glaring at Duo. "Can't you make a serious 
conversation for once?"

	"Oh? Like you being serious? I can do that... But then you'd yell at me
for trying to shame and embarress you!" Duo said, then stuck his tongue out 
at Wufei for good measure.

	Wufei sputtered, then cursed at the American, pulling the serious 
conversation that they had going onto a war of name-calling and face-pulling.
Well, Duo was making the faces anyway.

	Quatre opened his mouth to try and continue the conversation that he 
had started with Duo, but then realized that the others weren't listening 
anymore. The tension was already broken, and there was no chance at getting
it back together at the moment. 

	Just how did Duo manage to always do that? Of course, Wufei would be
the first one distracted when it came to Duo (Quatre didn't understand why 
Wufei was so touchy about the things Duo said) and the others would soon 
follow to make sure that no serious fighting would break out. 

	Settling himself back in his seat, Quatre waited for the arguement to 
get through. He would wait until later to talk to Duo. He could wait.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

	"That's over a hundred in one week."

	General Trieze, leader of OZ, didn't blink as he looked over the 
casualties. One who looked at him might have thought that he didn't care 
about what was being said to him, but a deeper look would confirm a small 
amount of worry slipping though the blank expression. 

	The dark, shadowy figure hopped from one foot to another. He was a 
young one, which was why he was there in the first place, but he really did
want to get back home. This place was just so... different.

	"There's been sightings all over the world." the figure continued, 
somewhat nervously. "People are starting to get suspicious. Usually there's 
no more than one person in the area who saw, but with the appearances coming
faster and faster, the ones with gifts can do nothing but watch."

	Trieze nodded, jaw tightening as he flipped over a paper to see more 
numbers and names on the back. 

	"They're dying, Trieze-sama. Every single time. And if the gap gets 
any bigger..."

	"I know." Trieze put the papers down on his table. "You should go on
home, young one." He eyed the person sadly. "I'll do what I can for you."

	The person jelted up, then cried, "Thank you! We knew that you would 
help us, Trieze-sama. I know you can stop those appearances!"

	Trieze offered a small smile as the young one retreated, thinking over
the matter at hand. It was that he had friends who were there also. It was 
that those who appear did not deserve deaths like that. 

	But from what he knew, there was only one thing that he could do to 
bring a stop to those deaths. One thing that he was not ready to do yet. But 
if it meant to stop those who do not deserve such fates, then he would halt 
the war for them. Just... a small break in battle until there was another 
way that could be found to prevent those killings. 

	Because true death was nothing but an endless void that was nothing 
and everything at the same time. It was but horror and numbed senses that 
made you think that you were alive, but could not see nor feel. Could not 
phantom why those you loved put you in the ground and what was happening to
you. There was nothing worse in the world than that.

	Giving into a deep sigh, he called Lady Une on the comm. Order a treaty
and cease-fire as of the moment. He had things to attend to and could not 
afford to have battles following him where he went.

	Lady Une sounded deeply surprised and asked where he was going, and 
what he was going to be doing.

	"Helping out an old friend. Just... helping out an old friend."

	With that said, Trieze switched off the comm, and leaned heavily into
the back of his chair. There was almost no one in this world that would be 
able to do what he wanted them to. Almost no one. But there, however, a few
youths at a location he had not been able to find yet that could help him. 
Maybe. But perhaps even the Gundam pilots could not help him in this task.

	Who had any contacts with actual Angels, wayway?


End part 5


Man! I started this part before Finals, and then did not TOUCH my laptop for
the duration of tests, and then went through a week of hell adjusting to my
second semester classes. But no fear, Shammy has re-TURned!!! I might be 
going a little slower now due to more projects and reports from school... 
*grumble, grumble* But now I'm actually into this story 'cause I'm finally 
starting to _explain_ it. And no worries, more will be explained in part 6.