Title: Mirrors
Author: Daine Artillo
E-mail: atia@crosswinds.net
Rating: high PG (violence - no more than what is in the show)

Part Seven: The Tempest Strikes

Duo started at Hilde, or more accurately, the person who had taken over Hilde's place.

"Finish this?" he questioned. "What are you talking about?" He had managed to figure most of it out, but there were still some holes in his understanding of what had been going on.

"Exactly what I mean," Hilde replied. She now had color in her face as well as a gleam in her eyes. If Duo had not known better, he would have thought that this was Hilde.

The mysterious figure in the room walked up behind Hilde and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Hilde reached up and entwined her fingers with the other. "Let's get started, shall we?"

Blanching, Duo looked at the being that was standing behind Hilde. It was the reflection of himself.

¤¤¤¤¤

As soon as Hilde had uttered the words, Duo was tackled by his counterpart. They struggled for a few minutes on the floor, but neither seemed to be getting the advantage. They were, after all, exactly the same - in a physical sense.

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Hilde turned to her reflection in the mirror and smiled slightly. As if she was pulling on invisible strings, she yanked the thin air. The bound Hilde, the one who had been in the mirror, tumbled forward and crashed on the floor from the momentum. Still tied and gagged, all she could do was lie motionless.

Unlike her counterpart who seemed to be radiating health, the bound girl was a pasty white and seemed to have lost all her energy. Mirror Hilde sneered and cut the invisible ties on the other girl's wrists and ankles. She then roughly forced the Hilde to her feet.

"Well, it looks like everything is almost done."

Hilde looked at her impersonation with pleading eyes. Her silent request was ignored.

"I'm going to take over," Mirror Hilde chuckled. Glancing over at the two fighting boys on the floor, she smiled, as it appeared that the reflection of Duo seemed to be winning. "And so is he."

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From within the invisible barrier, Hilde and Duo's friends continued to try to find a way to break through.

"What... in... Nataku's... name... is going on here?!" Wufei yelled as he repeatedly tried to tear through the wall of air using his shoulder.

"We don't have time to explain!" Relena yelled, also trying to get through. "We have to get through and save Hilde and Duo!" She yelped and jumped aside as Heero began to fire repeatedly at the wall with his handgun. The bullets seemed to be absorbed into thin air, disappearing from visibility. Everyone jumped when they heard a heart-wrenching scream; it seemed to surround them.

Catherine shook slightly. "That wasn't Hilde or Duo."

They began to attack the wall again in desperation and in fear.

"Do you know what will happen if we don't get there in time?" Quatre asked, frantically, hysterically, watching the four people on the other side.

"We'll lose both of them," Trowa responded gravely.

¤¤¤¤¤

Duo felt faint when the back of his head hit the wooden floorboards. Hard. Crouched above him was his rival, himself. He felt blood trickling up from the back of his throat. Choking, Duo spat what he could of it up. With his eyes half open, he looked at the void of colbat eyes that were staring directly into his own.

"Just what exactly do you mean to accomplish?" Duo asked feebly.

His reflection laughed cruelly. "You expect us to tell you? Rule number one, Duo," he said, seeming to be thoroughly amused, "never tell the enemy your plans." The eyes hardened. "I will tell you this though. Once our work here is done, you and your friends certainly don't have much of a chance."

Duo's reflection glanced over to where the two girls outside the barrier stood. Pinned to the floor, Duo also looked over. If he was not sick all ready, he was now. "Hilde...!"

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Hilde felt herself pushed sharply against the cold, unfeeling surface of one of the mirrors. One either side of her, she felt vice like hands holding her up. In a quite literal sense, she had been drained of all energy; she could not have moved even if her life depended on it.

Opening her heavy eyelids half way, she saw eyes that now reflected the faint light in the room. Hilde could not see it herself, but her own waterspots were almost gone. Mirror Hilde smirked. "And now to complete the job..."

Pain ripped through Hilde's entire being as she frantically tried to move any limb she could. Her desperate scream filled the night.

¤¤¤¤¤

"No! Hilde!" Duo yelled as he tried to move himself. However, his counterpart managed to keep him well pinned to the ground.

"Don't worry," his reflection told him coldly, "you'll get a taste of it yourself."

A massive wave of pain seemed to be trying to tear Duo's being in two. He had suffered before, that was true, but nothing seemed to compare to this.

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Catherine held a hand up to her mouth in silent horror. This had to be a nightmare. What her two friends were going through seemed to be a magnification of what everyone else had gone through.

Dorothy slammed her fists against the barrier. "Is there nothing we can do?!" Everyone watched and waited, powerless to help either of them.

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Duo had managed to keep from yelling out loud, but it seemed it was all he could do. He slowly turned his head to the side. Seeing Hilde, he barely managed a whisper.

"Hilde..."

¤¤¤¤¤

"Hilde..."

The German girl managed to stop screaming for a moment as she looked over to the origin of the word. Too tired and in too much pain to wonder how she had managed to hear it, she turned her head saw Duo in a similar predicament.

So, I've now managed to hurt the person closest to me as well…

Tears filled her eyes, from the physical and emotional pain. "Duo..."

¤¤¤¤¤

"Duo..."

The braided American had never stopped looking over in his best friend's direction. Now, Duo saw that Hilde had somehow managed to hear him, and he could see her mouth forming his own name. He smiled despite the pain he was feeling, and felt his heart leap when she faintly smiled back. It was a real smile. It was really her.

Duo and Hilde now held the other's gaze. With his eyes saying more than his mouth could, Duo comforted Hilde as best he could. She drunk in what she saw hungrily.

Licking his lips, Duo tried to force his parched throat to speak. The sentence he managed to utter made all the difference in the world, even though it was barely above a whisper. "I believe in you… Hildey..."

¤¤¤¤¤

The candle on the right side of the door in the mirror room flickered uncertainly, as if it was unsure whether it was supposed to stay lit or go out.

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Trowa held his sister closely as she shuttered at the sight that lay before them.

Wufei had his eyes clenched tightly, much like his fists.

The mask not covering his face for once, Heero had traces of sadness and remorse, as if he had seen something like this too often.

Dorothy had her hand over her mouth out of disbelief. She felt like she was going to throw up.

Quatre felt tears forming in his eyes and a lump in the back of his throat.

Relena knelt against the barrier with her hands pressed against it. She had tears streaming down her face, following a well-worn river on her cheeks. I'm only two yards away from them, and I can do nothing!

She started yelling. "Hilde! You just need to conquer your emotions! Please! Don't let this happen!" Relena started to sob.

"They can't hear you," Heero said as gently as he could.

Relena kept yelling and crying.

¤¤¤¤¤

Duo now held his eyes closed. The pain had become so intense he seemed numb. He could not fight any longer.

¤¤¤¤¤

Hilde slumped against the wall, not having the strength to make herself stand. With no control over her body, she fell forward. Her head now rested upon the upper part of her arm.

¤¤¤¤¤

Mirror Hilde could feel the transition slowing down. Looking across the room, she could see that Duo's reflection felt it as well. They were almost done here.

¤¤¤¤¤

"You just need to conquer your emotions!" Hilde frowned slightly. Who was that? With a great amount of effort, she looked up to see Relena two yards away from her, pounding on an invisible barrier in the air.

Her body throbbed. "I can't...!" Hilde cried.

¤¤¤¤¤

Mirror Hilde stared at the candle on the right side of the door. It looked like it was caught in a heavy windstorm.

¤¤¤¤¤

Hilde saw Duo lying across from her. He was not moving. The tears started to stream from her face. Was he...? Did she...?

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Mirror Hilde frowned when she saw that the candle seemed to be recovering from the invisible gust of wind. Why was it taking so long?

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"NO!"

Hilde weakly pushed herself up as she tried to crawl toward her reflection. The other Hilde did not seem to see her.

¤¤¤¤¤

They... they started this all! Hilde thought as she forced her weary body to stand. Hilde nearly fell as her legs screamed at having to take the burden of her full weight.

And... they will be the one's the make things as they were! Hilde feebly tackled her image to the ground.

¤¤¤¤¤

As she was knocked to the ground, Hilde's reflection looked up to see who would dare interrupt her at this stage. "What?!"

¤¤¤¤¤

Hilde now straddled her reflection and placed her hands around her throat. Mirror Hilde gagged slightly as the German girl pushed down. "Change him back."

Hilde's reflection, still being the stronger of the two, pushed Hilde off of her as they struggled. "You're too weak! The emotions you feel are much more capable of leading your life than you yourself!"

Managing somehow to tackle the girl to the floor, Hilde screamed, "I will not let you control me!"

¤¤¤¤¤

Duo's reflection smiled. He was almost done here. His victim's breathing seemed to slow as the seconds ticked by.

¤¤¤¤¤

Hilde's reflection dodged her twin's tackle, but seemed off balance.

Is this what you meant, Relena? Hilde thought as she saw her reflection stagger slightly. The reflection had acted like she had received a physical blow, although Hilde had been no where near her.

¤¤¤¤¤

Not even able to open his eyes now, Duo moaned out one last word, "Hildey..."

¤¤¤¤¤

The girl's eyes widened as she whipped around to see Duo. He seemed so still. "No..."

She tackled her reflection with her remaining strength. "NO!"

A bright flash filled the room. Everyone in the invisible cage shielded their eyes.

¤¤¤¤¤

Duo moaned as he tried to move what he thought was his right arm. I'm supposed to be gone by now, aren't I? He managed to navigate his arm toward his left and gingerly felt the side of his head.

He was alive.

¤¤¤¤¤

In the mirrors around the room, the reflections seemed slightly dulled. They no longer seemed as sharp as they had that first evening. The white flash of light seemed to have contained a great amount of energy, because a long, jagged crack was now seen on the mirror on the right side of the door. Looking around, Hilde noticed the others had fainted from the sudden burst of light and were now unconsciously lying on the ground. They seemed to be all right.

But...

"Duo..." Hilde started sobbing as she collapsed to the ground.

¤¤¤¤¤

Duo turned his head to the side at the sound of someone crying. His eyes widened as he saw his best friend hunched over, arms wrapped around her fragile body as she cried like her heart had broken.

He stood without a second thought and stumbled over to where she was crouched on the ground.

¤¤¤¤¤

Hilde gasped as she felt someone wrap their arms around her. She jerked her head up and saw Duo's concerned eyes looking at her. Her eyes filled with renewed tears. "D-Duo!" She collapsed against him and held him tightly as if she would never let go.

Hilde buried her face in his chest and cried. Duo simply held her.

¤¤¤¤¤

Hilde finished writing the note and posted it on the door, much like Aunt Marie had done before.

"Do you think she'll believe us?" Duo asked as he loaded the bags on the tired van.

Hilde smiled. "She might. Aunt Marie did know enough about the mirror room to tell us to stay away from it in the first place."

Duo nodded. "Good point."

The sun was shining for the first time in three days. Remnants of the ice that had arrived on the third night now lay melting and dripping. Everyone else had piled into the car, and were waiting for Duo to finish loading the bags into the car, and for Hilde to post the note.

Hilde climbed in the van and made a slight face to see that she once again was going to be squished in the back in between Duo and Heero. She sighed slightly, as she climbed in and shut the door behind her.

After all that happened this weekend, I think I can handle a two-hour drive sitting like this, she thought wryly as she buckled her seatbelt.

¤¤¤¤¤

Half an hour into the drive, the comforting warmness in the car had lulled many of the passengers to sleep. They were all worn out after the events from the previous night. Relena, Duo, and Catherine were the only ones who seemed to be awake.

Relena smiled slightly as she felt Heero unconsciously lean over in her direction and rest his head on her shoulder. He remained in that position as she took his callused hand in hers and held it gently.

Feeling someone's eyes on her, Relena looked up to see Duo in a similar situation. Hilde had also fallen asleep, her head supported by the American's shoulder.

Duo smiled at her slightly. "You know, Ojou-san?"

"What?"

"Maybe there are such things as soul mates after all."

Duo kissed the top of Hilde's head as she continued to dream. In her sleep, Hilde smiled.

END

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Author's Notes:

So, minna-san (everyone), how did you like the story? This is the very first chapter story that I have ever finished - no kidding.

And, as always, every good author has people 'behind the scenes' to help them, ne?

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May-chan: This is the wonderful, wonderful person I have the privilege of calling my best friend. Not only did she come up with half of the events that happen during the switchings of the characters (Heero, Dorothy, Trowa, and Quatre) and suppling numerous ideas, but she suffered thorough who knows how many hours of me discussing "Mirrors" and bouncing ideas off of her.

She was also my common sense check a couple of times (Duo wouldn't tell Relena that Hilde was acting strangely because he wouldn't want to worry her. *slaps forehead* I knew that...)

Cyberwolf: All those fun e-mails you sent concerning Storm and "Mirrors" were a great picker-upper. Thanks! ^_^

Readers: All of you, yup you, who are reading this story right now, I couldn't have done it without you! ^_^ Thanks for all the comments you sent. ^_^

Webmasters/Webmistresses: All of you who wanted to post "Mirrors" (and give it publicity)…. *sniff* Thank you all!

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*looks at the list* I think that is everyone. If I forgot anyone, I'm really, really sorry! ^_^;;

One more additional note, the Epilogue for "Mirrors" can be tied into the main story, but it also sets it up for… well, you read it and see. ^_^

-Daine
Completed 7-23-00

Disclaimer: All characters, trademarks, etc. of Gundam Wing are copyright of Sunrise, Sotsu Agency, Bandai and others. All story content is copyright of Daine. Please ask before using.