Started: February 12, 2001
Finished: February 13, 2001

Disclaimers: The G-boys doesn't belong to me, I'm just borrowing them for 
this story. Legal guardians and all- I'm just babysitting the characters. 
It's the babysitter. ^_^ No one else. Don't worry 'bout lil' ol' me... ^^;;

1+2/2+1. Not a lot. Barely any, actually. Wait till later. 

Comments! Feedback... onegai???????


Imminent Fate, part 7
Shamera
sitafire@hotmail.com

	"You see, dying in war is fine because you have passed though Death 
and now am living happily in either World. But when you die there- you 
disappear. Completely."

	Duo sucked in his breath silently. So there was actually life after 
war, then. Although he knew he shouldn't believe in such things, he couldn't 
help but hope. Besides, he had seen some very strange things that week. He 
could convince himself to believe in heaven and hell easily. Except, from 
what Zechs was saying, it wasn't actually hell but heaven both ways. As long 
as they're happy....

	"What's with the concept that we'll be happy after we die?" Duo asked
sarcastically. "You make it seem like we should be eager to die."

	"You shouldn't," Zechs said, shooting Duo an annoyed look that said he 
didn't like to be interrupted. "But yes, it is much happier after death. 
You can choose what makes you happy, but Earth is a trial. Some would call 
living on Earth the true Hell, because no one seems to want to come back here 
even though they have a chance to anytime that they want to. Rebirth is for 
the brave ones who are not afraid of pain and death. Either that or they are
so in love with someone else that they will do anything to try over again 
and maybe get a happier ending. Either way, there's no happy ending unless 
you will it to be one. You just keep going over and over again, while not 
making the same mistakes you made last time, but making new ones."

	"Thank you, Sherman," Duo murmured under his breath as he watched 
Zechs warily. "That makes us feel _so_ much better."

	Eypon's pilot frowned. "This isn't supposed to make you feel any 
better. This is to inform you so that you wouldn't be left out in the info-
mation share. There could be critical moments when you need to understand 
this structure in order to get through a trial. Who knows what you could be 
going through. I certainly don't."

	Duo grumbled for a little bit more before settling a glance at Heero. 
There was something more going on behind his partner's stoic facade, that 
much he knew for sure. But what? Heero had reacted about the reincarnation 
bit quite a bit startingly. 

	"What about alicorns?" Heero asked suddenly, startling not only Duo, 
but the rest of the audiance as well. "What is their involvement in this?"

	Zech quickly got over his startled expression. "Alicorns are rarely 
seen, although when they are seen, it would be in Elysian. They serve as 
replacement Guardian Angels, for the people whose Guadian has died already. 
They are rare and few in between, but they serve their cause and purpose 
even better than the actual Angels sometimes. It could be because they feel 
more, and therefore are easier to hurt. They might not have the powers that 
Angels have, but they have the ability to actually come to see their 
charges."

	"Charges?" Quatre questioned, almost hesitant to say the word, not 
really wanting to know what it meant. 

	"The people that they are assigned to. Each person in this world has 
a Guardian Angel. But those Angels are few, and there cannot be enough Angels
for all the people in this world. So sometimes where are replacements- the 
alicorns. Those who have alicorns to guide them are both blessed and cursed 
for they do not have the protection they should have when with a Guardian 
Angel. But they do have all the will to live- as much as an alicorn does. 
The alicorns would be the one to teach the child how to live, and when that
child grows up, they would be the one to live by that alicorn's example. 

	"Almost like having another parent along the way."

	"So what if you've seen an alicorn before?" Heero continued to 
question. 

	Zechs stared at the youth the a short time. "Seen an alicorn? So what
 if you've seen an alicorn before? Should you consider them a threat? I 
don't think so. Be blessed that you've seen such a mythical creature, because
they are usually very careful about who they let into their presense. It is 
because the whole world can see them that they are so careful. There used to 
be hunters who would hunt unicorns and kill them as sports. Now the unicorns 
are all but extinct. Alicorns have learned from that weakness. They will not 
be tempted into simple helping people. They must have a reason, and a strong 
one at that."

	Duo grit his teeth for a moment, now knowing exactly what Heero was 
asking about. The black alicorn at the Delos's party.... the one who had 
suddenly appeared to destroy the Dark Ones in their presense and then 
disappear as suddenly as she had come. 

	"Alright, enough of this," Wufei spoke up. "Alicorns or not, we don't 
know a thing that's useful about them. We need to know how to get a message
through the the Angels about the deaths of the Daejins. In order to do that,
we have to pass through Death. That's not an option I hope to attain. So 
is there anything else that we can do?"

	"No." The simplicity of the answer gave a shocking effect. "The only 
way to figure out why those beings are dying are to directly as the Angels 
themselves. They are the ones who maintain what goes on, and they are the 
only ones who might be able to put a stop to this. The Dark Ones do not 
spare anyone. If there is anyone in this group who had never felt the 
presense of Despair and Doubt leaning over their shoulder before, then I 
would suggest that perhaps they _are_ a Guardian Angel in disguise."

	There were well-known looks passed throughout the group. In the hard 
lives that they had led, all of them had felt despair at one time or another.
And with the lives they currantly led- well, they would be narcissic not to 
have felt doubt during the war. Doubt was something they needed to remind 
them to make sure and double-check. It wasn't always a bad thing.

	"I know what you're thinking," Zechs said. "Despair might fall in the 
catagory of 'bad', but Doubt keeps you on your toes. It's not always a bad 
thing to have doubt, but when in the Barriers in-between the worlds, Doubt 
is even worse than Despair because it will sooner tear you apart then let 
you through to the other World. You can NOT Doubt yourself in the worlds 
beyond, especially not in the Barriers. If you do, it'll be all the easier 
for you to fall into the Void. That's something you don't want to do."

	"If that's it, how the hell do you expect anyone to cross the barriers
to get into Elysian, anyway?" Wufei groused. "Those Angels that you talk 
about- if you're the boss of the planes, then why would they not know about
what's happening to those souls?"

	"That's what we're trying to figure out. The Angels should know about 
this, but they don't seem to. We have to have someone from the other World 
to guide someone through the Barrier. There's no way that any of us can 
pass through Death without being able to come back again for long."

	"Would an alicorn help guide?" 

	Zechs glared at Duo. "A mythical creature? Well, yes, but unless you 
can somehow come up with one and make them stay as well as convice them to 
help you, I don't really see a possibility in that."

	Ahh. So an alicorn would be able to get the message through.

	Duo's eyes glazed over as he thought once again about the black 
creature that had helped him at the party, and he wondered what he had to 
do to convice her to help him. 

	He really didn't want to use that alicorn as a way to get through 
Barriers. He really didn't. 

	But then he would remembered the cries for help and the pleas for 
redemption if only they would be allowed another chance. 

	And then he would shudder.

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

	The door opened to the large house in construction and eyes were 
narrowed suspiciously. The scene is almost exactly the same as before, only
this time with different people and at a different place. 

	"What do you want?" asked the voice of Diana Delos, glaring out at 
her visitor who was staring back at her calmly. "What is it this time?"

	Her visitor's coat completely covered him, almost obscuring who he was,
except for the pale blue eyes that glared at her. "I need a message." He said
quietly, not at all concerned about the way she was scowling about him.

	"We don't 'do' messages." Diana snapped, her hands still on the door. 
"You'll have to find someone else."

	"Wait."

	Before the door could close, the man already stepped in, heedless of 
the anger and wrath of the girl behind him. "There's been a problem. I need 
to get a message past the Barrier."

	"We already know that there's been a problem," the girl growled. "And 
we also know that you can get a message through the Barrier easily enough. 
Why come here to have us do the dirty work?"

	"Because I need to get a message to Elysian."

	The girl opened the door wider. "Get out. That's an impossible thing 
to do."

	Trieze turned to face the girl he had been talking to, and stared at 
her coldly. "You already know about what's been happening, yet you refuse 
to acknowladge it? Have the Delos's really grown that cold?"

	"Cold is not how to describe it." Diana said. "But we know when to 
back off because it is out of our league. Magic is not something to be toyed
with so easily. Anything gone wrong and whatever message that you wanted will
be intersected by the Void. Then they will go after the sender. When we're 
the ones who will be targetted. I can't let that happen."

	"You will risk the souls of everyone in Daejin to preserve your line?
I have never known the Delos' to be that heartless."

	Diana winced. "It's not our line that we're trying to preserve."

	"But you've seen what happens. I bet that your house is in this 
condition because of what happened. Is that not correct?"

	Diana's wince grew visibily bigger. "Yes."

	"As in it is correct?"

	"That's none of your business."

	Trieze gave the girl a cold stare before heading out the door once 
again. "Think about it. When you change your mind, you know where to find 
me." With that, he left Diana well enough alone.

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

	"Any luck so far?"

	"No. The witches refuse to work with us. We'll have to find some other 
form of magic to help us through the Barrier."

	"The demons are more than ready to give their help-"

	"They can't reach Elysian no matter what they try. The only way to get
through to the Angels is from their own World or with magic powerful enough
to pierce through not only one, but two Barriers. The only magic strong 
enough to do so is the Greek Witches."

	"Aa."

	"...so have they agreed to help?"

	"Yes, actually. It didn't take much to convince them. Pilot 01's been
asking about alicorns, though."

	"Has he? You don't suppose that he knows an alicorn?"

	"Heero Yuy?" There was a snort on the other line. "I doubt that. Those
raised by alicorns are full of emotions, and feel too much. I wouldn't put 
it past pilot 04 to have seen an alicorn, though."

	"I see. I never expected them to help."

	"They will better our chances at getting through to the Angels."

	"Perhaps. We'll see, won't we?"

	"Aa. We'll see."

	*click*

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

	Wufei sighed heavily as Zechs left the room to make a phone call. Most
of the other pilots had already left, with the single exception of Duo, who 
had said that he needed to talk to him.

	Duo was currently sulking at the table, not even trying to hide his 
bad mood. His thick bangs hid his eyes, making it seem more more like he was
pouting at the table with his lips pearced so. 

	Wufei was silent, waiting for the normally loud American pilot to start
the conversation. He felt uncomfortable considering that he was going to 
actually have a serious conversation with Duo. Sure, Duo was his friend and 
they got along just well together (he considered their arguements like how 
normal people converse... ^^;;) and they both liked each other well enough,
but having a serious conversation with Duo... well, he'd have to hold out 
on whatever insults that he had at the moment. Duo, too. He hoped that they 
could both do that. 

	"Do you believe him, Wu-man?"

	Wait. Duo was looking up at him. Wufei stopped pacing and gave the 
DeathScythe pilot a strange look. "Believe him? He's speaking nonsense."

	There was a quiet, "Oh."

	Wufei sighed again and sat himself down across from Duo. "But then, I 
suppose I should with all that has been going on. I still don't know much 
about Guardian Angels, though." He gave a hoarse laugh. "If everyone has 
Guardian Angels, why is there this war in the first place? Why do people die
the way they do? Why is there all this pain?"

	Meiran... she never believed in Guardian Angels, Wufei didn't add. 

	Duo looked at his comrade warily, and then propped his head onto an 
elbow, twisting his arm in an unnatural angle that made Wufei wince looking 
at it(1). "I don't know... it would sure explain why Heero's so damn hard to
kill." There was a familiar grin on his lips. 

	Wufei snorted, relieved that Duo was actually behaving as he should be
now. "Perhaps... what was that weird stuff Yuy was sprouting out eariler, 
anyway? Alicorns?"

	Duo swallowed nervously. 

	"Zechs... well, we can't exactly say that we've been on the best of 
terms with him. I'm surprised they've kept so much from us." Wufei didn't 
need to point out who 'they' were. All five Gundam pilots were excellent at
what they did, and had been able to go up against the biggest organization 
for a while. It was hard to be told that you were where you were at only 
because someone managed to spare you and give a blind eye to your weaknesses.

	"But do you believe what he said?" Duo pressed.

	Wufei hesitated, staring at the wooden table intently and running his 
eyes along the dim scratches of the table being recently used. "Do I believe
what he said?" He echoed, almost numbly. 

	After a minute, he looked into Duo's eyes, seeing a desperate need for
an answer there. "Yes. Even if it goes against everything I believe and have
been taught, yes. I'll question myself why later."

	Duo visibly relaxed, and he gave a sincere smile. "Thank you, Wufei. 
Your answer means a lot to me."

	Wufei nodded slowly, and made no move when Duo pushed himself away from
the table, and stood, the chair scraping loudly against the smooth floor. 

	"I guess we both believe in something that perhaps we both can't 
prove?"

	"Aa."

	There was a moment of silence between the two before Duo moved for 
the door. 

	"Maxwell?"

	Duo paused. "Yeah?"

	"Do you believe in what he said? Really believe?"

	There was a small chuckle from where Duo was standing. Never turning 
to face his friend, he replied, "Yes." And left the room.

	Wufei watched his friend go, making no move to stop him. 

	Liar.



1.) I do that twisted elbow thing all the time when I write, and every time 
I do that, my friends make a choked gurgle in front of me. I find it really
relaxing, though, like burying your face in the crook of your arm- only 
twisting the arm the other way to lift your head high enough so you can see
what's on the table. That's a good thing when I write. 


End part 7.

Okay, this is *not* turning into a 2+5. I really do like to think that Duo 
and Wufei are best friends, despite their differences. 1+2 part isn't here 
yet, although it's coming. ^_^ Grave writing, ne? This is what I get when I 
listen to Ginny Owens for too long. Don't get me wrong, I'm not Christian, 
but I just like her songs. Besides, I wrote half of this at 1 in the morning 
on a sleepover. It doesn't make sense because I don't make sense at a time 
like that.