"Who the hell are you?" Wufei snapped. The woman smiled and did not answer, and Setsuna took a moment to study the stranger. Not very tall, probably no taller than herself. Hair that was some shade between dark red and pitch black fell loose to her waist. She was dressed all in black: black turtleneck, black gloves, black pants that were embarrassingly tight but looked extremely touch-friendly, black boots, and a black trench coat that was cut off at her knees in the front. Even the scabbard and hilt of her short sword were black. Kage, Setsuna thought for a long moment. It's like she's a shadow, except for that too pale skin.
"Who are you?" she repeated Wufei's earlier question, her voice considerable calmer.
"Most people call me Oneesan."
"Masaka," Duo whispered.
She grinned jauntily. "You've heard of me?" she asked, her voice too pleased. Then suddenly her face went blank. "We were tracking down a demon, and instead we find a group of children trying to take on Thanatos."
"We?" Setsuna repeated.
The black-clad woman waved a negligent hand, dismissing the question, and calmly stepped into the training room as if she owned the place. "Have you seen it, by any chance? Last I heard, it was walking around in that Peacecraft girl's body."
"Relena's dead," Heero stated shortly.
"But the demon isn't." She peered closer at Heero, bending over just a bit and staring sharply into his eyes. "It's in you, isn't it? It left that ningen baka Peacecraft girl's body, and now it's in yours." She grinned. "I guess that makes you a hanyou now."
"A half demon?" Heero repeated. It was apparent by his voice that he was fast losing patience.
To hell with it. If anyone's kicking Heero's ass, it's gonna be me. "Heero, calm down," Duo ordered. Prussian blue eyes locked on his, hotly demanding why he should. He shrugged. "If she is the Oneesan -"
"What do you mean 'if'?"
" - she's an Elder Goddess. She could beat you senseless in under a minute. Probably without ever once laying hand on you."
From the gleam that appeared Heero's eyes in response to his statement, Duo almost saw it coming before anyone else did. Somehow, the once perfect soldier was fast turning into a cauldron of explosive emotions.
Heero let out a snort that seemed to say, I'd like to see her try. Usagi made a noise half in protest, half in worry, as if she knew what the Elder Goddess would do next.
Oneesan's eyes flashed, and for a second, it seemed like the fiery embers of hell burned within that gaze. Without warning, Heero found himself flying across the room and she had somehow followed suit. A sword was leveled at his throat, where his heart felt like it had lodged. The air fairly crackled with electricity as he met her gaze full on, returning all the visible hostility and then some.
"I wouldn't try my patience if I were you," she hissed out, her voice suggesting barely restrained violence threatening to explode within her at any moment.
He cursed his emotions and wished for his human self that never used to be able to feel to come back. Usagi suddenly appeared in front of him, squeezing into the slight space Oneesan had left between his throat and the tip of the blade.
"Onegai, please, don't hurt him. We can find another way to get rid of the demon?" she pleaded, and he felt his heart twist at her words.
Oneesan's lips curled in some private amusement, bringing the sword back slightly. "Why should I? It would be so much easier if I just took them both out. I mean, he's just a baby right now, and I doubt his powers would ever grow to be a nything significant. Not with that demon inside him. He's useless to us and a liability to boot; he could turn full demon at any time, and I'm sure that's how Thanatos found you. So why shouldn't I just finish him off here and now?"
"Because.. because he means something to me."
She laughed, tossing her head back before staring at them again. "I hate to be the one to break it to you, but that doesn't really matter to me. I could kill you to get to him, Hyperion's daughter or not."
"Then you'll have to. I would protect him with my life."
Usagi's eyes met hers dead on, fearless in nature, though Duo saw the determined glint in the other woman's eyes. He watched in horror as Oneesan simply brought the sword back before swinging it down ruthlessly at the pair across the room, her eyes cold, uncaring, and unforgiving. Too late he was too late, his mind cried, his body too shocked to respond. Heero barely got a yell out and an arm around Usagi to take the blow and protect her before what they heard next shocked them all.
A dull clang sounded out, metal slamming down against metal, and Oneesan raised an eyebrow quizzically.
"I'm afraid I can't allow this."
20 May 2001
Closing notes from Eternal:
- Again, no reviews, no updates. If anyone notices this... Somehow, I doubt it. 10+ reviews means another.
- I'm going to let you know now: I will only be working on this for a while, so that I can concentrate on my original writing that I'm prepping for publishing. So in other words, Gods and Other Creatures will be the only thing I update for a while.
- Please, people e-mail and/or review for Chibi Tenshi. She finally convinced me to quit holding fics for ransom, but I'm still going to keep asking you.
- I want to take this opportunity to thank those who have inspired me: Katsu no Miko-sama!!!!! She's listed under my favorite authors; her stories have inspired me a lot on this, especially Acherontia Atropos and Pyractomena Borealis... Madam Hydra-sama, for Maxwell's Demon; the ideas it gave me... Chibi Tenshi-amiga!!!!! Do I need to go into all the reasons why?... Usa-chan!!! Do I need to go into the reasons?... Meri-san, of the Temple o' Trunks (Where'd it go!?!?!?) because her videos always give me inspiration... I know I'm missing people, but I'm trying to be a good and responsible writer and thank the people who inspired me.
- Again, no reviews, no updates. If anyone notices this... Somehow, I doubt it. 10+ reviews means another.
- Did you catch the fact I repeated one?
Ja!!!
-ESM