"Elements of Great Design"

Written By: SkyLark

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Gundam Wing, or its characters. I just love playing with them.

Pairings: Future 1x2x1, 5xOC, thinking out the others

Warnings for Overall Series: Angst, Violence, Sap, Lemons/Limes AU- Fusion of elements of Final Fantasy and Gundam Wing

Betaed by ShenLong *hugs*

Rating: NC 17

Inspired By This Pic: http://sharona1x2.com/lj_pics/GWweek2/November/44-3.jpg

Archives: http://www.gundam-wing-diaries.150m.com/gw/SkyLark/gwSkyLark.htm and http://www.mizunoamy.bravepages.com/skylark/skylarkfics.html

Summary: In cities in a world used to living in peace, an unknown darkness is approaching and slaughtering all in its path. It is up to Heero and five others he's never met to stop the relentless charge. But just who are these five and what is their relationship to the elements?

"Elements of Great Design"

Chapter 1

Word of the strange darkness that blackened a ring in the sky traveled quickly to the other fighters standing guard at Romefeller's walls.

Every officer moved in where Heero had stood watch alone to stare out worriedly at the foreboding clouds. Whispering amongst themselves with profound concern on their faces, the red-and-gold armored lot made their own theories to what the anomaly might mean... none of the concepts pleasant.
 
Too preoccupied in getting answers as opposed to creating guesses to what was happening, Yuy remained ahead of the pack, his cobalt eyes never leaving the looming clouds that never moved. He did not need to voice that this was indeed the start of something bad. That was more than obvious. What mattered now was finding out what it meant for the rest of Gaia that was untouched by the mid-day night.
"Look alive, men! Our Queen approaches!" one of the sergeants shouted by the stairs. Their armor clanging in their turning just in time to see Relena climbing up with Dorothy close behind, the fighters quickly took to a knee and bowed their heads.

Gracefully lowering the hem of her gold dress that was in her hands when she reached the top, the Sovereign accepted the hand offered to her so that she could take the last tall step. The sergeant gave the same aid to the Oracle before bowing before them along with the rest of his charges. Biting her lip, Relena moved to the raised ledge of the wall and gazed out to the still clouds.
 
Slowly stepping up just behind her with her focus on the same spot, Dorothy frowned deeply, "It is beginning, my Queen. We must alert the citizens of our retreat straight away."

Blinking in surprise, Heero raised his head as he repeated, "Retreat?" All around, the soldiers were peering up with the same disbelief. Pointing to the northwest, the young fighter stated, "The Paramecia Empire is a long journey away from here. And if there is a threat to us, we can stand up to it."

"You cannot," Catalonia declared as plainly as if she were announcing that it was a sunny afternoon. "I had a very clear vision of the future that will not change course, no matter what we may try. Romefeller is in grave danger and we must hurry if we hope to take our people to safety. Even now, there are demons the likes of which Gaia has never seen storming in this direction."

Everyone present froze. Well aware that an Oracle's ability was limited to what came when it came, no one dared question the certainty of the future that they saw for it was a certainty. How the gift was triggered did not matter nearly as much as what was displayed to the talented seers of what was yet to come. Biting her lip, Dorothy scanned the dozens of frightened faces watching her as a breeze picked up to play with her flowing robes and long, blonde hair. "There are only two options for us now," she declared. "We can stay here and be devastated, or we can gather every soul here and help them live to see as many more days as we can."
 
The silver headband that dipped at the Oracle's brow to display the opal at the middle of her forehead sparkled in the sunlight as she continued to run her gaze over her audience. "I know that it is not in your training to run," she went on, "however your first duty is to preserving the lives within these walls through whatever means. If that means that we must leave, that is what you must see to."
 
Heads around nodded, a grim understanding and reluctant acceptance in their eyes. Given the plainness of their dire situation, no one was about to tempt the fates of their people.  As the beautiful Catalonia had said, it was the safety of the men, women and children that they had sworn to protect that mattered more than their will to take on any threat to their civilization.
 
One of the senior officers chewed on the inside of his cheek nervously before he frowned, "My ladies, most of our people have never been beyond these walls. They have never dealt with... Strangers or the creatures of Gaia. we could have a great deal of trouble in convincing them to leave what they know behind."

Ready to take her role as leader at that, Queen Relena straightened her back and addressed the tall man near the back of the soldiers before her as she replied sternly, "That is why you all must take up your responsibilities to them and convince them that this is the only way for them to survive. Help them. Guide them. Console them if they need that as well. Whatever you must do, make sure that it is done so that we can be on the move by sunrise two days from now."

As one unit, the soldiers rose to their feet and stood tall before their Sovereign. Clanging their gloved fists against their chests, they made the solemn vow to carry out her wishes. "Get to it, men!" the brute of a sergeant by the stairs bellowed. "Make sure that we have every horse, cart and other means of travel prepared and spread out to be sure that everyone in Romefeller is alerted."

Like a swift river of glistening red and gold, the fighters filed out and descended the access stairwells until the crowded wall was nearly cleared out.

One of the last to leave, Yuy was stopped when Relena called a desperate, "Heero!" Pausing in his departure, he turned just in time for the young woman to throw her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. Blinking widely, the fighter held her back loosely as she whispered by his ear, "I am so very frightened."
 
There was the Achilles’ heel where it came to Heero's dealing with the girl with the elementary crush on him. He hated to see her anything but happy. And truth be told, he was scared as well.

Shaking her head against his shoulder, his ruler whimpered, “My brother and sister-in-law are so close to the Paramecia Empire. What if they’re in danger as well? We would never be able to get help to them in time if there was an attack on them,”
 
"I’m sure that they’ll be away before anything happens. And we'll find a way through this," he reassured as confidently as he could.

Of course, there was no guarantee of that but he was not about to have the leader of his nation and long-time friend fall apart now... not when she would be needed the most. Just because he might never have the feelings for her that she had for him did not mean that she didn't deserve his support.
 
Pulling back, the young Queen dried her shimmering eyes with a sniffle. "You're right. We'll find a way through whatever this nightmare is," she nodded shallowly, her own certainty wavering in her voice at the words. Gesturing back to her Oracle, she said, "That you have seen the fork in the road of the future where we are on the move is a great comfort. You have not seen our demise down that path."
 
Yet. She did not add 'yet,' but she thought it.
 
A tight smile spread across Dorothy's face as she bowed her head and responded, "That is correct. So long as we have that, there is always hope."
 
Catalonia had made an exclusion in voicing her thoughts as well...
 
...She did not have it in her heart to mention that nowhere in her visions did she see Heero traveling along with them.
 
       *                *                 *                 *
 
Late that same evening...
 
King Zechs and Queen Noin were stirred from their deep slumber at the banging knocks against their heavy bedroom door. Sitting upright, the couple stared at each other in wide-eyed fright when the voice of their fighter standing guard cried over the pounding, "Highnesses! Highnesses, you must wake up! The city is about to fall under attack!" The first to spring from his bed, the long-haired king threw a dark blue robe over the long white sleep pants that he was wearing. Only in the middle of his rushed changing did he hear the deep resonating of the warning horn from Coneria’s protective walls. That had his wife on her feet and throwing on some assembly of decent clothes.
 
Rushing to the door to pull it open, Zechs took in the frantic expression of his sweat-soaked soldier standing in the dim torch-lit hallway on the other side.

His brown eyes as large as they could be, the young man shrieked, "Sire, our lookouts would never sound that alarm without having the confirmation from our scouts that there are enemies approaching! We must move now if we are to have the time to get you and Queen Noin to safety!"

"Mariemaia," the king hissed under his breath. "Only fitting that the child would choose to close in on us in the middle of the night when we are unprepared."

Such tactics would have to be discussed later. Time was already working against the people of Coneria.

Nodding firmly to the terrified soldier as other fighters were running and shouting on their way past, Zechs told him, "See that the men get as many of the civilians stirred and beyond our walls as possible. This night is not going to end well for anyone who is still here when the army strikes. Noin and I will be away shortly to help with the escape." Giving a smart salute, the guard's blue-and-gold armor clamored as he turned and charged along with his fellow combatants.
 
Quickly closing the door once more, the king's eyes took in the glow of the candles that his wife had ignited when his back was to her. Stuffing handfuls of clothes into a large sack, Noin met his eyes and frowned deeply, "We underestimated her. I did not think that she could possibly have the courage to bring on an attack against a neighboring city."

Such was likely going to be the grave mistake of countless other lands, Merquise thought to himself.

Rushing by his bride's sides to gather only the necessities that they could carry, he urged, "That is enough. We must go and oversee the escape efforts." The queen nodded and took his free hand, their others slinging their sacks over their shoulders as they rushed for the door.
 
Hours later, when the sun was up and their city was completely leveled, they would wonder how many more lives they might have been able to save if they had forgone their swift packing.
 
    *                *               *              *
 
At early light that morning...
 
Violet eyes blinked open to stare at the dark place in the sky that had spread just that little further beyond the Paramecia Empire.

"Wonder how much further those clouds are going to move before it's too late for anyone to do anything about it.?"
 
     ~             ~                ~              ~
 
The sharpening of a spear was stopped so that its owner could stare up at the heavens with growing dread. The danger that he had been watching was already escalating... "And it will only get worse before it gets better," he whispered to himself.
 
    ~              ~              ~            ~
 
A white scarf was lowered from the nose and gaping mouth that it covered as the young man behind the veil breathed, "By the Creator."
 
   ~              ~             ~          ~
 
Stationed high on a cliff, the sight of the darkness brought on a low growl from a black wolf staring out at it. A slight, calloused hand reached down to run its fingers through his long hair while his female companion's voice reassured softly, "I know, my love. Patience. Our revenge will come."
 
     *             *             *           *
 
Preparations for the evacuation were well under way in Romefeller well after the report of the spreading clouds far in the northwest. Those few civilians who were reluctant to pack and leave what they knew were suddenly very compliant to the notion at the disturbing sight of the blackness's growth. "I do hope that if we find any Strangers that they will be kind to us," an elderly woman muttered to her equally aged husband. It was a worry that Heero ha d heard for the umpteenth time over the course of helping the people ready for the great move. And he couldn't blame their trepidation. Few ever traveled far from the city. To expose themselves to the outside world and the Strangers walking it was a frightening thing.

Even the young fighter, himself, was leery about meeting up with people he had never met before.
 
Anyone not of Romefeller would need to work to be deemed as friends as opposed to Strangers. And with the clear danger to their world, trust would be hard-won. Where familiarity was no longer something that could be afforded, nerves were going to be frayed.

Dealing with the unknown was every bit as troubling as the present threat that was befalling Gaia.

To say that this trip was going to be a challenge was a great understatement.

Securing the last of his charges’ personals onto their horse-drawn cart, Yuy rubbed his hands together and announced to them, “That’s the last of it. We’ll be leaving Romefeller at first light tomorrow, so be sure to get as much rest as you can before then. You’ll need it as I do not think we’ll be stopping until we find a safe location to set up camp.”

“Oh, the Creator bless you, young man,” the old woman wished softly, the start of her tears thickening her throat. Pressing one hand against her chest, she took one of his with her other to squeeze it. “I have no doubt we have the best fighters in all of Gaia right here. Thank you for all that you and your fellow soldiers are doing.” His head nodding firmly, the elderly man stepped up for a firm handshake.

Heero smirked, “No need for thanks.” As for the comment about Romefeller having the best fighters, he was not about to argue against that. To be able to accomplish their duties, every soldier had to believe that they were the greatest. It was what helped the teenage boy soar up in his ranks as quickly as he did before his time.

Wishing the pair kind farewells and wishes of good luck along with the Creator’s blessing, Yuy waved to them and moved for the stable. A fisted hand pressing against his right breast plate, he felt the armor slip away from his body in its removal.

In the blink of an eye, he was back in his plain blue tunic, brown pants and black boots with the glowing orb of his fighter shield in his clenched hand. Carefully securing it in the small pack tied against his right hip, he sealed the lid over the sphere to hide it from the world once more.

Coming up to the stall where his silvery-white steed was waiting patiently for him, Heero opened the door as he greeted, “Hello, Wing. Let’s head home, shall we?” Snorting as though he understood the question, the stallion bowed his head while his rider mounted the saddle atop his wide back.

Throughout their trot back to the castle, the sight of every household being cleared of the necessities within by their residents became eerie. What was the most unnerving about the whole picture was how quiet the process was. There should have been voices rising in conversation and laughter, a clamor of the items being packed. But there was none of this.

Few people took the time to talk. What items could be carried and secured on carts or wagons was done so carefully. There would be no laughter this day… no pleasant topics to be discussed between neighbors or amongst families. Even the children were on edge, staying close to their parents without an inkling to play or run around.

Heero frowned deeply to himself as he traveled through the sights and deafening quiet. Where he might have been a little scared before, now he was terrified… not that he was about to make that known.

Wing was taken into the care of the castle stablehands at the fighter’s arrival. Patting his trusted steed on his way past, the handsome soldier made his way from the building to take the tall stairwell leading into the glistening white palace.

If the sights of the outdoors were unsettling, the image of every member of the royal staff rolling up the colorful flags, grand paintings and portraits was that much more difficult to take.

Something about those marble walls being stripped bare made the seriousness of the situation at hand hit that much harder. Never before had those spaces been cleared of their relics.

The transport of those items would not come easily, however, no one was about to argue the importance of keeping that piece of Romefeller’s history preserved. No doubt Mariemaia’s demons would destroy anything left behind that would serve as a reminder of the lives that had once lived and ruled there.

When he entered the throne room, Yuy found Relena pacing before her tall-back seat of power atop the elevated back half of the space. Looking up in time to see him enter, the lovely Queen wailed, “Heero!”

Gracefully lifting the long hem of her dress, she rushed down the short stairs to the floor. Throwing her arms around the surprised young man’s neck, she whimpered, “There is no question that Zechs and Noin have been attacked. And I simply have no way of reaching them to see if they’re safe.”

Holding her back loosely, the fighter reassured, “They must have had time to escape. A scouting team has already been sent out to learn what they can. Once they have news one way or the other, we’ll find out what is happening. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re already traveling in this direction.”

Dorothy opened the door to her private chambers, her eyes wide and her skin pale as she announced, “He’s right, Relena. A series of visions recently came onto me. In one, I saw King and Queen Merquise ordering their fighters to escort their survivors this way. Coneria has been completely decimated, but there are many that made it out including your family.”

Her arms falling from her long-time crush, Peacecraft spun to face her Oracle. Biting her lip, she peered back into Catalonia’s room. Through the darkness within, a magnitude of colors glowed in abstract shapes on the walls and floor. It had been hours since the gifted young woman had locked herself away for something to relay regarding the future.

That Zechs and Noin were alive was a relief the likes of which brought tears to the Queen’s eyes as she embraced her tired friend. Under her breath, she managed, “Thank you, Dorothy. You have no idea how I appreciate how hard you’ve worked to see anything that would bring me a little peace of mind.”

Pulling back however, Relena frowned in still seeing worry in the face before her. “What’s wrong?” she asked hesitantly. “There is more that you’re not telling me?”

With a deep and shaky breath, Catalonia nodded, “I saw other visions… one in particular that was troubling of what more is to come from Mariemaia. Things are… far worse than anything I had originally feared. I cannot even begin to go into the horrors that I have seen… of the lives that are going to be in ruins.”

Shoulders sagging heavily, it was the Queen’s eyes that widened. It was her skin that paled. “Dear Creator,” she breathed. “Is there any hope for us?”

“In… a most unexpected way, yes,” Dorothy replied. She looked to the very still Heero and informed softly, “I also have my answer to why I have never seen you traveling away with us to safety in any of my visions before now.”

His back straightening all the more rigidly, Yuy blinked in surprise. No one ever questioned the gifted seers of what was yet to come. He was not about to do so now, regardless of how his heart was hammering in his chest with the quiet panic that was rising in him.

Relena was back at the fighter’s side, resting a hand on his arm between them as she looked onto her Oracle in confusion. “Of course Heero is traveling with us,” she all but whispered, shaking her head. “Where else would he ever be but with us, where he belongs?”

Slowly walking towards her long-time friend in the solider, Catalonia kept her clear blue eyes locked onto his growing cobalt irises as she declared, “This is no longer where you belong. There is a much higher calling for you than escorting our people away from the dangers that threaten this world, Heero. Few to ever exist in the entire span of our world are asked to rise to the greatness that is being asked of you.”

Coming to a halt just before him, she went on, “While nearly all others will be fleeing as far away from the darkness that will only continue to spread, you will be moving towards it as one of the only beings in this world that can rid Gaia of it.”

Once again, the Queen’s arms fell heavily at her sides as her mouth opened and closed a couple of times before she could manage, “T-that cannot be. We cannot allow him to risk his life by going into the belly of the beast.”

“I truly might have the ability to stop Mariemaia?” Heero spoke so softly that his words were nearly missed. Never breaking his attention from the Oracle, he muttered, “You see that I might find a way?”

Finally, a small and pleased smile spread across Dorothy’s lips. Holding a hand out to him, she urged, “Come with me, my friend. We have much to discuss… alone.”

TBC

Chapter 2

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