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"Sensus Divinitatis"Written By: The Plotting Housewife Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sotsu
and associated Parties. This work is written for pleasure not profit. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements,
Ghosts, Demons, Apocalypse, Major character death, blood, gore, violence Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5x6 Summary: It begins with a prophecy and ends with
Judgement Day. What happens in between will determine the fate of
the human race. The murders of the Gundam Pilots was only the catalyst.
The beginning of the end. " Sensus Divinitatis" Chapter 16: June 23rd, AC 206, 6:20pm, Part TwoVoices swirled and ebbed in Relena's ears. Or was it her head? They started out unintelligible, but as Relena's confused mind tried to focus, she was able to pick up a few words here and there. She found the more she listened, the more she could make out. Voices, obviously male, a conversation then, not directed at her. They were muted slightly, as if they were trying to conceal the discussion from her. It was dark, or were her eyes closed? She wasn't sure. A vehement hiss startled her out of her fog. A voice raised in agitation, and she strained her ears - mind? - to eavesdrop. You weren't supposed to interfere, Heero. You know that. Heero. She knew that name. The voice was familiar. She knew it, but couldn't pinpoint it. Deep, rough, but young. She shook her head in frustration as she struggled to recall the name, the face, behind the voice. It came back to her in bits and pieces. Black hair, Asian descent, staunch personality. Friend. The word slipped through her mind like a soft breeze. Technically, we've been interfering this whole time. Why should this time be any different? Another voice spoke up. Soft-spoken, calm, but she knew it didn't belong to the name written across her eyelids. Not Heero, but another friend. Yes, and we're already in deep shit because of that as it is. The first, emphatic voice countered. C'mon, Fei. Since when were you one to follow the rules? Imagery was returning, despite the darkness. Jovial blue eyes, long hair. A feeling of guilty resentment, jealousy, throbbed in her heart. That voice, that person, had been the bane of her existence for a time. In an instant, awareness slammed down with vernacular intensity and it took Relena's breath away for a few seconds. Her eyes popped open...or did they? She honestly couldn't feel much of anything, but now, there was something besides darkness. Blurry figures standing a few feet away. She blinked repeatedly, but it did nothing to clear her vision. There was a white blob off to her left, frantically waving its arms as it ranted and raved about something Relena couldn't understand, nor had the energy to try to figure out. She attached the figure to the first voice she heard and this time, the name came back with singular clarity. Without thinking, she blurted it out, startling the fuzzy congregation out of their argument. "Chang Wufei." The figures were silent, turning slowly to face her, though she couldn't be sure if that were true because she still couldn't see them that well. She figured it was a safe assumption, though. One figure wavered, then stepped forward. A blur of brown, and white, and black, and green. She immediately knew who it was. "Heero." With every step forward, his visage became clearer until he was directly in front of her, all sharp lines and angles. This was different somehow, than seeing him in her visions. She was seeing him now, the Heero she'd known and loved, but enhanced. There wasn't anything obvious that she could put her finger on, but she also couldn't call it subtle. He glowed, but that seemed too simple a word, an understatement. There was an ethereal beauty, an aura that she couldn't see, but she could sense. Either way, she was awed. Hello, Relena. His voice was also different, almost harmonic, though she could still pick out the slightly nasally tone. It was like music to her ears, not just because it was Heero, but there was an unearthly quality to it that she'd never heard before. I'm sorry that all this is happening. Confused, she stuttered, "What - what is happening? I don't understand. Where are we? Why are you here?" Whoa, sweetheart. One question at a time. A second figure came into focus and Relena would recognize that smirk anywhere. Like Heero, his voice was also different. Relena wondered if everyone sounded that way after they died. No longer bogged down by physical bodies, by human vocal chords, their essences guided by the spirit that resided within them. Though Duo tried, as he always did, to put a cheerful spin on any situation, she could see the worry behind his eyes. They were soft, caring, as he draped an arm over Heero, chin resting on the other man's shoulder. I'm afraid we don't have any good news for you, sweetheart. But, we're here to help any way we can. There was a scoff as the other three figures came closer. Though they remained slightly blurry as they were further away, Relena could clearly make out their features. Wufei stood, as he often did in life, scowling, arms crossed over his chest, and Relena felt a warm, but sorrowful affection for the strict young man who was cut down in the prime of his life. A wave of uneasiness moved through her at the thought that her own brother may have been responsible. She watched the other two closely. They stayed close together as they so often did when they were alive. Trowa towered over Quatre, stance poised in a protective manner, while Quatre stood, authoritative, despite his small stature. Even in death, he was accustomed to calling the shots. Relena suspected that this so-called "interference" was happening because Quatre had given them the green light to do so. There were so many questions. So many things she wanted to say, but now, much of it seemed trivial when her dearest friends were right in front of her. She cleared her throat, determined to stay on task. "Where am I? Am I dead?" Heero looked over his shoulder at Quatre, and Relena's suspicions were confirmed. After a brief nod from the blond, Heero turned back to face her. No, you're not dead. You're in a transitional realm. A midway point between life and death. It's usually where people go when they are facing the choice to return to their lives, or continuing on into the light. "Is that why I'm here?" Heero shook his head. No, you will go back. Of that, you have no choice. We brought you here because it's the safest place to meet you face to face and relay information. Duo piped up. In other words, we need to talk. Relena nodded. Her need to know what was going on at the forefront of her priorities. "Okay, I'm listening." Heero reached down, took her hand in his. Relena was surprised to find it solid, warm, pulsing with life. His eyes shone with grave intensity. I need you to listen to me very carefully. She nodded again, almost hypnotized. You are in danger. All of humanity is in danger. There is a war on the horizon. It's a war of such magnitude, that there has never been one like it in our history. Ever. If humanity does not win it, it will be the end of everything you know. "Who's waging this war?" Heero dropped her hand, his eyes communicated the seriousness of situation that his voice did not. The Devil. Relena almost choked on a laugh. "The Devil? Are you serious? There's no such thing!" It was preposterous. Duo leaned forward, one side of his mouth curled up. You do realize you're talking to ghosts right now, don't you? She paused. He had her there. But...the Devil? "Yeah...but -" Miss Relena, Quatre stepped forward, his eyes reflecting a wealth of knowledge Relena couldn't possibly imagine. You are going to have to abandon everything you thought you knew about the world. You are going to have to let go of your beliefs and prejudices and consider every possibility. Because what you once thought was impossible, is wrong, and your refusal to believe in certain things is going to get you killed. Stunned, she could only stare at the small blond. His voice was not that of the friend she knew him as. It was the voice of a man who commanded entire armies at the tender young age of fifteen. It was the voice of the CEO who pulled out all the stops and resurrected his family's business from near ruin, seeing it through a golden age, all before he was nineteen. It was the voice of the colony representative who rallied political adversaries, joining them in unified support. The voice of the man who led the charge in rebuilding the Earth Sphere after years of war and destruction. How, in any possible world, could she not take him seriously? But, still. "You expect me to believe there's a little red guy with a forked tail waging a war on humanity?" She jumped when Duo threw his head back, cackling like a mad man. He turned to the others, derisive grin in place, and jerked a thumb in her direction. This girl's been watching too many horror flicks. Relena huffed, slightly offended. "Well?" Quatre side-eyed the still chuckling Duo. No. Again, abandon all of what you think you know. The fact is, no human being is truly capable of understanding what the Devil really is. Some of them have a concept and some of those concepts have some similarities. The Devil is really only a name for something we really don't understand. The reality is far worse, and far more terrifying. We are incapable of understanding it because it exists, not only in our four dimensions of time and space, but also in higher dimensions that humans cannot possibly detect, or even fathom. Relena was beyond confused. Her face must have showed it because even Wufei laughed under his breath at her expression. Duo spoke up, Alright, lemme break it down for you in Layman's terms. Think of our universe as a checkerboard. You with me so far? She nodded. Okay, good. And the checker pieces are us. Earth, stars, planets, all the matter in the universe. Got it? This checkerboard, and all its pieces is all we know. It's everything that exists to our knowledge, right? Another nod. Now, believe me when I tell you that there is more...stuff...that exists, but it's outside this checkerboard. Beyond our ability to see, hear, or feel. You with me? "I think so." Alright. Now, God, demons, the Devil, and all that jazz, are things that exist outside this checkerboard. We have our beliefs, our dogma, our opinions, but we really don't know what they are. And we'll never actually see them because they exist in places we cannot go. "Okay, but, why? Why earth? Why humans? It all seems so...petty." It's not just earth, or humans. These things are occurring on every inhabited planet, to every civilization, in every universe. We are just a drop in the bucket. "Why, though?" Sweetie, if we knew that, we'd be billionaires. Duo grinned, looking around at the others. Or, well, we would be if we were still...never mind. You know what I mean. The closest thing I've come up with as an explanation is that it's some kind of test, or game. Relena was gobsmacked. "What? You mean they're doing this for fun?" We don't know that. Trowa spoke up. Just like we can't comprehend what lies beyond our scope of understanding, we can't comprehend their motivations, either. It really doesn't matter anyway. The point is, it happens all the time, and now it's happening to our kind. She looked at Heero. "You said, right before I passed out, that I would need my strength. That I would be fighting like I've never had to before. What did that mean?" Duo pressed a finger to the side of his nose. Legendary smirk on his lips, but his eyes were frighteningly serious. It means you are going to battle, baby girl. "But, what could I possibly do?" You are going to have to fight to the best of your ability, win, or lose. It's the only thing you can do. Fight, and try to win. "How?" You're going to have to get to Preventer's Headquarters. Une is there. She has minimal knowledge of what's going on, but she knows bad things are coming, and she's preparing. Bensen is headed her way, though, so you're going to have to be careful. "Bensen...who is he? What does he have to do with this?" The blood in her veins seemed to turn to ice. "Is he...this Devil you speak of?" Heero shook his head. No. But he's his - its - right hand man, so to speak. He's a demon, masquerading as a human. The Devil, at the moment, cannot do much of anything because its trapped behind three seals. He paused. Actually, only one seal now. The other two have already been broken, thanks to Bensen. His job is to break them all. If he succeeds, the Devil will be free and it will bring about the end of the human race. In fact, it will kill every living thing on earth. Nothing will survive. "What are the seals?" They're barricades, protecting our planet and its inhabitants. We think that God, or whoever created our universe, put them there to give us a fighting chance, though I'm afraid it's not much of one considering the kind of power we're dealing with. According to the scriptures your friend Ginetti was talking about, the three seals were dubbed the Martyrs, the Bloodline, and the Peacemaker. "You know about the scriptures?" Quatre nodded. There was prophecy, one that claimed that the earth was protected by the Three Seals of God to keep out the influence of a very powerful being whose intent was to bring about the end of humanity. We don't know who wrote it, or who prophesied it, but we know that that powerful being was predicted to take human form and go about breaking those seals in order to let in something even worse. Something that would destroy us all. A thought occurred to her, just then. "You guys. You're one of those seals, aren't you." Quatre hesitated, unsure if he was about to cross the line. Then, resigned, he nodded. Yes. We're the Martyrs. Mariemaia Khushrenada was the Bloodline - "Mariemaia?" Relena's hand rose to her mouth, consumed by horror. Yes. She was also killed, I'm sorry to say. Relena swallowed down emotions that she couldn't bring herself to deal with at the moment, and asked the question that had been plaguing her mind. "Who killed you? Was it Bensen?" More hesitation. Quatre glanced at Heero, this time deferring to his judgment. Heero's head dipped slightly in affirmation. In a sense, yes. He gave the order, but he has...people...working under him that carries out those orders. "What people?" A sixth sense in Relena's mind was sounding an alarm, a red flag waving, and she realized she was headed down a path of no return. Information that would change everything was about to be shared, and she wasn't ready, wasn't ready to hear it. But she knew she was going to anyway. Denial was on the tip of her tongue. A shake of the head. No, no, please. It couldn't be. But Quatre knew she made the connection and his expression was sad, sympathetic. "No..." A hoarse whisper. But it was a lie. She knew it was. Not him. Not her own brother. 'Fraid so, sweetheart, Duo said. His eyes were sober, no trace of the jokester to be found. A desperate glance at Wufei, a silent plea that her brother's own lover would defend him, but Wufei's expression was closed off. His head turned away, mouth turned down, and she knew. She knew it was true. Emotion, uncontrollable, flooded her senses and she choked on them, dizzy with grief and despair. "Oh, guys I - Wufei! I'm so sorry!" Oh, God, how could he? Relena, Heero's voice filtered through her grief and she lifted her head, sniffled. Have you ever heard of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse? Yes, she had. Through years of indoctrination taught by one of her "spiritual" tutors. She remembered reading about them in scripture, a story that often kept her up at night as a child. "Yes." Heero's voice was grave, but firm. Your brother is one of them. Duo tutted. Your brother was involved in some majorly shady shit when he was alive. He got chummy with Treize Khushrenada and Quinze who were already heavily influenced by Bensen. Somehow, he convinced Treize that he could achieve total peace under a unified tyrannical rule. He promised Dekim Barton and Quinze full liberation of the colonies. He needed only one more vessel to achieve his goal of breaking the first of the three seals. Relena gasped for breath, "My brother." Duo nodded solemnly. Bensen already had three of his four top generals. Zechs was his fourth and his ticket to success. Bensen lied to him. Told him that in order to stop the impending war, Zechs had to help him. I don't know how he managed to convince him, but whatever he did, your brother fell for it, hook, line, and sinker. "But what could possibly convince him to kill you guys? To kill his own lover?" She glanced at Wufei. He stood silent, eyes down, face unreadable. By the time that happened, the man you knew as your brother was no more. You must understand that he is no longer human. When he joined forces with Bensen, he, for all intents and purposes, died, both physically, and spiritually. The only thing that exists of him now are the remnants of his war-torn self. He's nothing but a mindless soldier following orders, just like the other three. They are the puppets, and Bensen is the pulling the strings. This was too much. "So...what, or who, is the third seal?" She was met with silent stares and she felt her stomach drop like a lead weight. "No...no, me?" You are the Peacemaker. The third and final seal. If you die, all is lost. Why do you think we're breaking the rules to help you? We have to do whatever we can to keep you from getting killed. Overwhelmed, she asked, though she dreaded the answer, "So, what do I do?" Like I said, you have to get to Preventer's. You and Ginetti will have to travel on foot, under the radar. You need to establish contact with Une. From there, you will have to try to get to ESUNH, with Une's assistance and protection. The Prime Minister is there. He is currently setting up a military stronghold for battle. He's preparing for war. He knows. He knows what's coming. It's the safest place you can be right now, but getting there will be a challenge. Bensen is hunting you as we speak. There was a ripple in the air, just then. Relena couldn't be sure exactly what it was, but it made the pilots jittery, and that didn't sit well with her. Heero regarded her with a new sense of urgency. You have to go back now. You've been here too long. But she wasn't ready. Not yet. "But -" We'll be in touch, Duo waved, but he seemed far away now. They all did. Like she was looking at them through the end of a long tube. There was a lurch, a sudden jolt, and with a heaving shout, she was inside her own body again, sitting up, gasping in great gulps of air. There was a heavy press on her legs and her frantic mind registered it as a pile of quilts. Bedding then, not a threat. She looked around, momentarily confused. A bed, bedroom, small, quaint. There was a chair beside the bed and in it sat a man. Dark hair, tinges of gray at his temples. She struggled for the name, her memory in chaos. Gil - Gen - Ginetti. That was it. He appeared to be asleep, slumped over, neck in a position that would likely be sore when he woke up. Relena reached over, lightly grasped his forearm, shaking him. "Albert. Albert, wake up." Ginetti stirred, then jumped, flailing in the chair. Relena was quick to soothe him. "It's okay. Albert, it's okay." He stared at her for a minute like she was a stranger. Then recognition returned to the wide eyes, quickly replaced by concern. "Relena! You're awake! Are you alright? What happened?" She waved him off. "Yes, I'm alright. Great actually. I feel like a million bucks." She was somewhat surprised to realize that was actually true. She felt stronger, much stronger, and more alert than she had in a long time. Maybe ever. She wondered if the boys had done something. Given her strength somehow. She remembered what they told her in her dream - vision - whatever that was. She brushed off Ginetti's questions, instead taking both his hands in hers. "I need your help. I have to get to Preventer's Headquarters as soon as possible." Ginetti's eyes were the size of saucers. "But, Miss Relena! You aren't in any shape to travel. You just had some sort of seizure and you were sick and -" "I'm fine now. Really. Albert, please. This is of the utmost importance." Heero had said they had to travel "under the radar". Well, Ginetti had no vehicles anyway, but... "Your horses. We'll need them to get us there. I have to meet with the General." Ginetti was hesitant, concerned about her health. Relena leveled with him, the only way she knew how. "Albert, let me be clear here. I'm going to take one of your horses, and I'm going to go, whether you like it, or not. The choice is whether you're going to stay here, or come with me, but I'm leaving no matter what. Will I go alone, or will you help me?" He stared at her. Relena had the sense he was assessing her mental state. After a moment, he acquiesced. "Yes. I can see that I cannot change your mind, so I will help you. Under one condition. We leave first thing in the morning. It's late and a good night's sleep can't hurt you after everything you've gone through." He held up a hand. "Deal?" Relena grasped the man's hand, shaking it up and down. His palm was warm and dry. "Deal," she conceded. A good night's sleep sounded like a wise idea. It wouldn't do to start off on the wrong foot. She gave Ginetti a cursory once-over, noticing the difference in attire. "Did you change?" Ginetti blushed, looking sheepish. "Er...yes. You, ah...threw up all over me." Mortified, Relena groaned and dropped back onto the bed with her arm flung over her eyes. "Sorry about that." "No worries," Ginetti chuckled. He got up to leave, but turned at the doorway, eyes warm and soft. "Get some rest." He flipped the light switch, engulfing the room in darkness. Relena settled against the pillows, contentedly sleepy despite what lay ahead and everything that was at stake. "You, too, Albert. And thank you."
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