Living Legends
Part Nine
A half-human howl shook the palace. The Phoenix would have had a fit had he been home to hear the disturbing sound. After a few words of warning from Kerry, the Phoenix family had made themselves scarce during the day over the past three weeks. The howl was followed by a shriek and a wail that moved up and down the scale from as soft as the leaves on the wind to loud enough to shake the stone blocks that made the palace.
Kerry floated in the air, almost standing on the courtyard cobblestones, her white hair floating about, her eyes starting to glow with blue light, responding instinctively to the sheer amount of magic she was demanding of her pupil.
Above her, floating high in the air, Duo screamed out with even more power than ever before, looking impressive with his bright violet aura and glowing violet eyes. As Duo's scream reached its peak, his hair band snapped and his hair flew free of constraint.
Very impressive, Kerry nodded. More than good enough, far more. Don't overwhelm yourself, Duo.
The scream ended and Duo slowly lowered himself to the ground. Once he was standing on the ground, he stood, out of breath, chest heaving uncontrollably, for a moment, before dropping to one knee. Duo stayed on his knee, hands on the ground on either side of him, his head tucked to his heaving chest, hidden behind the chestnut curtain of his hair.
Kerry floated towards the young man and waited for him to catch his breath. She watched as his breathing slowed, silently. His head began to raise and the shimmering curtain shifted to reveal Duo's heart shaped face, lit by his satisfied smile, and the tips of delicately pointed ears poking through the strands.
"Now, you are a true banshee, Duo Maxwell," she informed him softly. Duo's eyes widened in surprise, followed by his smile.
Duo and Kerry sat on sunbathed steps, drinking lemonade, soaking up the sunshine and talking quietly.
"No one can deny that you're a banshee now. You'll never be mistaken for a pureblood, being male, but you are a banshee beyond a doubt. Now, about those ears..."
"Ears?" Duo asked. He raised a hand to one of his ears, brushing away his unbound hair to get at it, and felt the change in the shape. "What happened to 'em?"
"You're a banshee in the truest sense now, your body reflects that. You have fae ears instead of human. It's the only visible change. You were already what humans might correctly describe as a 'fae youth.' I'll show you a simple spell to hide the difference from humans."
The Phoenix and Heero flew over head and landed in their customary places for the Dusk Blessing and began to sing. Angela came through a portal and held it open to escort Kerry home. The two banshees bid each other farewell and Duo sat down to listen to the Blessing, only partially charmed by the end and not really resisting the effects.
Heero landed beside Duo, silently eyeing Duo's normally braided hair and ears. Duo turned to him with a huge grin.
"She says I'm a real banshee now. That was the last lesson."
"Hn," Heero responded. After a while he spoke up. "Tomorrow we'll go to see Quatre and Trowa. Can you open portals? If not, I'll show you how before we go."
"You wanted me to get through training," Duo smiled at Heero, "it was supplied. I can."
"Tomorrow morning, a few hours after Blessing," Heero told him.
"You're in a rush to get rid of me. Are you really that sick of me?"
"Hn," Heero responded and Duo wondered if he imagined the sad undertone of the sound.
"So you're leaving us in the morning, Duo," Angela stated a few hours after supper, as she walked up behind Duo.
"Yep. I've been away from the Colonies for three years now. It's time to go back. Thank you for the hospitality."
"You're welcome. Do you plan to visit?"
"Sure! Not for a while, I have a lot to straighten out in the Human Realm, but once things calm down, I'll be back to drive Heero crazy."
"He'll look forward to it. He's sad to see you go," she told him softly.
"Heero? I'm surprised he hasn't already dragged me out by my braid after all the trouble I've been."
"My son cares for you. You are his best friend. Never hesitate to visit or ask us for help, Duo."
Duo shouldered his pack of clothes and cast the spell Kerry had taught him to hide his ears. "Bye Angela!" he said cheerfully with a smile.
"Goodbye, Duo," Angela replied. "Remember what I told you last night."
The Phoenix flew down and landed on the set of steps Duo and Kerry had sat on the day before, spread his wings and began to sing. The song conveyed to Duo a farewell, well wishes and an invitation to return. The magical song failed to charm Duo, who had developed some resistance, and at its end the banshee smiled. He replied in a haunting, soft, and wordless banshee-song as his goodbye to the Phoenix.
The Phoenix chirped in approval as his son opened a portal. With a squawk from Heero, bidding his parents goodbye, the pair of ex-terrorists left the Realm of the Phoenix.
Duo stepped out of the portal and looked about. Noise assaulted Duo's supernatural hearing and it took him a moment to readjust to the natural sounds of city life. Duo looked about the dark, narrow, alley and wondered where they were.
"We're in the L4 Colonies, within walking distance of Quatre's mansion. The one he normally lives in," Heero informed Duo as his wings disappeared into his back and the phoenix symbol faded from sight. He pulled on a green tank top and was the very image of the boy Duo had first seen at the start of the war... minus the gun levelled on the future Queen of the World.
The pair exited the alley and joined the pedestrians on the sidewalks. Duo quickly got his bearings, having been in the area once before, visiting his friends. They arrived at the gates of the mansion and were admitted without problems. Quatre made sure his friends could visit him.
A short, blue eyed ball of excitement with blond hair shot out of the mansion's front doors. "Duo! Heero!" Quatre cried out happily as his friends approached. As Quatre stopped his flight in front of his visitors a more sedate Trowa, highly amused by his lover's antics, approached as well.
"Q-man! Tro! How's it going?" Duo asked them.
"Fine," Quatre replied. "But I should be asking how you are. Wufei told us what happened, then later told us that you were doing your best to get Heero to follow through on all his death threats from the war."
Trowa reached the little reunion and nodded to Heero. Heero nodded back.
Duo shook his head. "Silent types! I tell ya, Q, I never met anyone, other than these two, who would go to visit his friends and stay quiet." Duo turned to the others. "There's this little greeting called 'hello.' Would it really hurt to use it? I know you two can speak - well, I know Heero can. I'm not so sure about you, Tro!"
Quatre laughed as Duo got no more than a tolerantly amused look from Trowa's visible emerald eye and a glare from Heero. In spite of what had occurred over the past three years, nothing had changed. Duo still played the part of a 'class clown' among his friends and Heero, quiet as ever, conveyed more with his eyes - of a deadly nature - than he bothered to with words. Quatre had no doubt that the rest of their natures were still as they once were as well. Once things calmed down, so would Duo, who, in truth, was never the clown he made himself out to be, and in quiet conversation, Heero would join in.
"Lets go inside," the blond Arabian businessman suggested. "It's a hot day and we have a lot of catching up to do."
Hours later Duo and Heero walked down on of the many halls of Quatre's mansion, towards the side by side rooms Quatre had given them. Duo opened the door to his room and looked over his shoulder.
"Goodnight Heero," Duo said to the one he secretly loved and entered his room. Heero didn't respond, but Duo heard his friend stop at his door, rather than continuing down the hall to his own room.
Duo turned around to see what Heero wanted and felt his voice die in his throat. Heero stood, silhouetted by the hall light, in the doorway of his dark room. He looks much like he did the day he opened that cell door, determined to silence me, Duo thought.
"Somethin' wrong, Heero?"
Heero did not respond. The cobalt eyed being moved into the room. His hand snapped forward and grasped Duo's left wrist, pulling it toward him.
"Heero, what's going -" Duo was interrupted as Heero began a Phoenix-song. In spite of himself, Duo quieted, lulled into relaxation by his near - addiction to Phoenix-song and his trust and love for Heero.
Duo's eyes glazed over as he listened. This one is very nice, he thought dimly, almost completely charmed by the song. The room was filled with the soft combination of magic, wind chimes and birdsong that made up Phoenix-song. It must be another tale of unrequited love between a love-struck mortal and Heero's father. I can relate to the women who lost their hearts to an uninterested Phoenix over the eons. I've lost mine to his son... Funny, it sounds almost like Heero's singing of his love for me. Imagination can be both kind and cruel at the same time.
Duo's wrist began to throb with a dull pain, further dulled by the fact that he was less than half-conscious. A vague memory of a similar pain occurring drifted through his foggy mind. Heero had just rescued him from Oz and he had been in rough shape after the beatings he had received from the soldiers. He had been drifting off as Heero placed his index and middle finger against his neck. The pain had gone almost unnoticed on top of the rest of the pain he had been in. The hazy memory slipped away and Duo's mind soon followed suit under the effects of Phoenix-song.
Part Nine
A half-human howl shook the palace. The Phoenix would have had a fit had he been home to hear the disturbing sound. After a few words of warning from Kerry, the Phoenix family had made themselves scarce during the day over the past three weeks. The howl was followed by a shriek and a wail that moved up and down the scale from as soft as the leaves on the wind to loud enough to shake the stone blocks that made the palace.
Kerry floated in the air, almost standing on the courtyard cobblestones, her white hair floating about, her eyes starting to glow with blue light, responding instinctively to the sheer amount of magic she was demanding of her pupil.
Above her, floating high in the air, Duo screamed out with even more power than ever before, looking impressive with his bright violet aura and glowing violet eyes. As Duo's scream reached its peak, his hair band snapped and his hair flew free of constraint.
Very impressive, Kerry nodded. More than good enough, far more. Don't overwhelm yourself, Duo.
The scream ended and Duo slowly lowered himself to the ground. Once he was standing on the ground, he stood, out of breath, chest heaving uncontrollably, for a moment, before dropping to one knee. Duo stayed on his knee, hands on the ground on either side of him, his head tucked to his heaving chest, hidden behind the chestnut curtain of his hair.
Kerry floated towards the young man and waited for him to catch his breath. She watched as his breathing slowed, silently. His head began to raise and the shimmering curtain shifted to reveal Duo's heart shaped face, lit by his satisfied smile, and the tips of delicately pointed ears poking through the strands.
"Now, you are a true banshee, Duo Maxwell," she informed him softly. Duo's eyes widened in surprise, followed by his smile.
Duo and Kerry sat on sunbathed steps, drinking lemonade, soaking up the sunshine and talking quietly.
"No one can deny that you're a banshee now. You'll never be mistaken for a pureblood, being male, but you are a banshee beyond a doubt. Now, about those ears..."
"Ears?" Duo asked. He raised a hand to one of his ears, brushing away his unbound hair to get at it, and felt the change in the shape. "What happened to 'em?"
"You're a banshee in the truest sense now, your body reflects that. You have fae ears instead of human. It's the only visible change. You were already what humans might correctly describe as a 'fae youth.' I'll show you a simple spell to hide the difference from humans."
The Phoenix and Heero flew over head and landed in their customary places for the Dusk Blessing and began to sing. Angela came through a portal and held it open to escort Kerry home. The two banshees bid each other farewell and Duo sat down to listen to the Blessing, only partially charmed by the end and not really resisting the effects.
Heero landed beside Duo, silently eyeing Duo's normally braided hair and ears. Duo turned to him with a huge grin.
"She says I'm a real banshee now. That was the last lesson."
"Hn," Heero responded. After a while he spoke up. "Tomorrow we'll go to see Quatre and Trowa. Can you open portals? If not, I'll show you how before we go."
"You wanted me to get through training," Duo smiled at Heero, "it was supplied. I can."
"Tomorrow morning, a few hours after Blessing," Heero told him.
"You're in a rush to get rid of me. Are you really that sick of me?"
"Hn," Heero responded and Duo wondered if he imagined the sad undertone of the sound.
"So you're leaving us in the morning, Duo," Angela stated a few hours after supper, as she walked up behind Duo.
"Yep. I've been away from the Colonies for three years now. It's time to go back. Thank you for the hospitality."
"You're welcome. Do you plan to visit?"
"Sure! Not for a while, I have a lot to straighten out in the Human Realm, but once things calm down, I'll be back to drive Heero crazy."
"He'll look forward to it. He's sad to see you go," she told him softly.
"Heero? I'm surprised he hasn't already dragged me out by my braid after all the trouble I've been."
"My son cares for you. You are his best friend. Never hesitate to visit or ask us for help, Duo."
Duo shouldered his pack of clothes and cast the spell Kerry had taught him to hide his ears. "Bye Angela!" he said cheerfully with a smile.
"Goodbye, Duo," Angela replied. "Remember what I told you last night."
The Phoenix flew down and landed on the set of steps Duo and Kerry had sat on the day before, spread his wings and began to sing. The song conveyed to Duo a farewell, well wishes and an invitation to return. The magical song failed to charm Duo, who had developed some resistance, and at its end the banshee smiled. He replied in a haunting, soft, and wordless banshee-song as his goodbye to the Phoenix.
The Phoenix chirped in approval as his son opened a portal. With a squawk from Heero, bidding his parents goodbye, the pair of ex-terrorists left the Realm of the Phoenix.
Duo stepped out of the portal and looked about. Noise assaulted Duo's supernatural hearing and it took him a moment to readjust to the natural sounds of city life. Duo looked about the dark, narrow, alley and wondered where they were.
"We're in the L4 Colonies, within walking distance of Quatre's mansion. The one he normally lives in," Heero informed Duo as his wings disappeared into his back and the phoenix symbol faded from sight. He pulled on a green tank top and was the very image of the boy Duo had first seen at the start of the war... minus the gun levelled on the future Queen of the World.
The pair exited the alley and joined the pedestrians on the sidewalks. Duo quickly got his bearings, having been in the area once before, visiting his friends. They arrived at the gates of the mansion and were admitted without problems. Quatre made sure his friends could visit him.
A short, blue eyed ball of excitement with blond hair shot out of the mansion's front doors. "Duo! Heero!" Quatre cried out happily as his friends approached. As Quatre stopped his flight in front of his visitors a more sedate Trowa, highly amused by his lover's antics, approached as well.
"Q-man! Tro! How's it going?" Duo asked them.
"Fine," Quatre replied. "But I should be asking how you are. Wufei told us what happened, then later told us that you were doing your best to get Heero to follow through on all his death threats from the war."
Trowa reached the little reunion and nodded to Heero. Heero nodded back.
Duo shook his head. "Silent types! I tell ya, Q, I never met anyone, other than these two, who would go to visit his friends and stay quiet." Duo turned to the others. "There's this little greeting called 'hello.' Would it really hurt to use it? I know you two can speak - well, I know Heero can. I'm not so sure about you, Tro!"
Quatre laughed as Duo got no more than a tolerantly amused look from Trowa's visible emerald eye and a glare from Heero. In spite of what had occurred over the past three years, nothing had changed. Duo still played the part of a 'class clown' among his friends and Heero, quiet as ever, conveyed more with his eyes - of a deadly nature - than he bothered to with words. Quatre had no doubt that the rest of their natures were still as they once were as well. Once things calmed down, so would Duo, who, in truth, was never the clown he made himself out to be, and in quiet conversation, Heero would join in.
"Lets go inside," the blond Arabian businessman suggested. "It's a hot day and we have a lot of catching up to do."
Hours later Duo and Heero walked down on of the many halls of Quatre's mansion, towards the side by side rooms Quatre had given them. Duo opened the door to his room and looked over his shoulder.
"Goodnight Heero," Duo said to the one he secretly loved and entered his room. Heero didn't respond, but Duo heard his friend stop at his door, rather than continuing down the hall to his own room.
Duo turned around to see what Heero wanted and felt his voice die in his throat. Heero stood, silhouetted by the hall light, in the doorway of his dark room. He looks much like he did the day he opened that cell door, determined to silence me, Duo thought.
"Somethin' wrong, Heero?"
Heero did not respond. The cobalt eyed being moved into the room. His hand snapped forward and grasped Duo's left wrist, pulling it toward him.
"Heero, what's going -" Duo was interrupted as Heero began a Phoenix-song. In spite of himself, Duo quieted, lulled into relaxation by his near - addiction to Phoenix-song and his trust and love for Heero.
Duo's eyes glazed over as he listened. This one is very nice, he thought dimly, almost completely charmed by the song. The room was filled with the soft combination of magic, wind chimes and birdsong that made up Phoenix-song. It must be another tale of unrequited love between a love-struck mortal and Heero's father. I can relate to the women who lost their hearts to an uninterested Phoenix over the eons. I've lost mine to his son... Funny, it sounds almost like Heero's singing of his love for me. Imagination can be both kind and cruel at the same time.
Duo's wrist began to throb with a dull pain, further dulled by the fact that he was less than half-conscious. A vague memory of a similar pain occurring drifted through his foggy mind. Heero had just rescued him from Oz and he had been in rough shape after the beatings he had received from the soldiers. He had been drifting off as Heero placed his index and middle finger against his neck. The pain had gone almost unnoticed on top of the rest of the pain he had been in. The hazy memory slipped away and Duo's mind soon followed suit under the effects of Phoenix-song.