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Heero: *wakes with a jerk and looks around the ceiling slowly before sitting up quickly and looking over to where Duo should be. Gets out of the bed and ventures to the bathroom, looking in. Eyes narrow and pulls off his towel and tugs his leggings on along with his boots, getting used to his bare torso because of Duo borrowing his shirts. Leaves the motel room and goes down the stairs, wandering into the dark streets to search for the long haired boy.*
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Heero: *slips the strap of his pack onto his torso. Walks down the street, unsuccessful from searching for his companion. Enters a dark shop and grabs a few items from the shelves, purchasing them.* Have you seen a young man walk by here— he has long hair and...?
Man: Long chestnut hair? Yeah, he went strolling by.
Heero: Alone?
Man: Yeah.
Heero: Which way?
Man: Headed off into the woods. I wouldn't want to be out there at this time of night.
-----
Heero: *sits on a log, silent and staring off with his hands on his knees. Shivers lightly in the dark, just staring into the trees. Snaps out of his daze again when some logs begin to burn. Glares at the flames, looking around after a moment, reaching out with his powers to find anyone— unsuccessful. Watches the flames then uses his telekinetic power to lift rocks and barrier the fire. Sighs slowly and silently. Gets up from the log and walks over to the fire, looking at it. Slowly circles it then stands away and glares angrily at the mysterious flames then stares as ice lifts from the ground and over the rocks, falling into the fire and completely freezing to become ice. Looks at the iced flames then levitates and sits in the air, placing his hands on his knees and closing his eyes.*
-Heero's Mind.-
Heero: *stands in the midst of an extremely dense forest, the trees giving no way of entering or exiting, leaving a dirt arena with boulders and sand dunes scattered over the small circle. Stares forward, knowing the place of everything. Exhales slowly and begins to sort out his powers for a check.*
- Slowly a boulder floats; telekinetic, and a dragon appears from the trees in a bright flash of yellow light; telepathy, and Heero finds himself floating from the ground; levitation. -
Heero: *views the powers that are lines before him, speaking to the winged dragon through his mind. Stops abruptly and looks over and around them as the trees are consumed by a holograph of fire, the wood not actually burning, and a ring of ice forms over the ground by the flames before lifting and creating a sheet of ice around the area, just before the trees. Watches the fire's reflection off the ice that creates beautiful patterns and light around him.*
Dragon: 'This has not happened before, Heero.'
Heero: 'Yes, I know, Wing.'
Wing: *bristles his shining red scales that chink and tap against one another like metal. Shoulders reach Heero's stomach and a long neck twist to view their surroundings, his sleek head with small, white horns protruding, feathery mane of white and black running down his neck and stopping just above his back.*
Heero: 'I don't know what's going on.'
-Voices. Heero looks around with Wing quickly to see the intruders of Heero's mind, finding no one there in the arena. Wing growls loudly in warning.-
Voice 1: Not knowing how to control your powers could one day destroy you.
Voice 2: Yes. And destroy the ones you hold dear.
Heero: Who are you? Show yourselves.
Voice 1: *appears in long white robes.* I am Chang Wufei.
Voice 2: *appears beside Wufei in long dark green robes.* I have no name, but you may call me Trowa if you must. We've come to help you, Heero Yuy.
Heero: I don't like others tapping into my mind and viewing my personal profile.
Wufei: We already know you, Heero. We've been in your past.
Heero: My past? No, everyone in my past is dead.
Trowa: We are very much alive, but also in very much danger. Not only us, but also all on this planet.
Wufei: As you know, Shinigami has been taken.
Heero: Shinigami?
Wufei: Yes, you should know by your teachings when you were younger.
Heero: No, I don't. I was only seven when I ran.
Wufei: You ran?
Trowa: Ran away from your school? *surprised with Wufei.*
Heero: Yes.
Wufei: Why would you do that? Why would you run from safety and learning to control your powers?
Heero: Safety? They were abusive there.
Trowa: *looks at Wufei when the Asian looks up at him. Looks at Heero again.* You were.. the one who destroyed the school?
Heero: Yes... I killed them all.
Wufei: Because of their abuse?
Heero: Yes.
Wufei: I knew those people, the instructors, and I know that they would never have done anything to those children.
Heero: Then, I understand, that you didn't know them very well.
Trowa: *stops Wufei before the man can object in anger. Nods slightly.* Would you be willing to tell us what happened?
Heero: Why not just go through my life memories to find out?
Trowa: You made it clear that you did not enjoy that treatment.
Heero: It would save some time.
Wufei: *sighs.* We have come to help.
Heero: By going back ten years into my life?
Wufei: Forget that. We are here, now, to talk about your present and future.
Heero: Not yet. I want you to explain yourselves and how you know me.
Trowa: *looks down at Wufei, glancing at the growling dragon, and nods slightly before looking at Heero once again.*
Wufei: I am Chang Wufei, Silver Master of Mind. And this is Trowa Barton, Emerald Mage of Power (meaning he knows just about anything you can about any power named and known).
Trowa: We have come because Shinigami has been taken by the Black Mage of Mind, Trieze Kushrenada.
Heero: Who is Shinigami?
Wufei: Shinigami is the Lord of Death and Destruction. His human name was Duo Maxwell.
Trowa: *looks at Heero's stunned expression.* Yes, you're Duo.
Heero: *glares again with a dangerous and demanding voice.* Where is he?
Wufei: We're not sure, just yet. All we know that he is in great danger if held by Trieze.
Trowa: ...We were the founders of the schools for the children with hidden powers.
Heero: I see.
Trowa: We trusted all our fellow men in training the children well. We had no idea about abuse being used to do so.
Wufei: Our apologies. But we must not think about the past. The lives on the planet are in your hands, Heero Yuy.
Heero: Why me? You are obviously more powerful than I.
Wufei: ...Yes... But Shinigami has chosen you.
Trowa: You, Heero Yuy, are his Perfect Soldier. The Legendary Warrior that has walked the Earth with no other purpose but to guard Shinigami when he revealed himself... You have answered his calling and now you have become his warrior and protector. There is no other that he -will allow- to save him...
Wufei: You are our only hope, you are his only hope.
Heero: *thoughtful for long moments and beckons Wing back to him. Strokes his long time friend's reptilian head, avoiding the sharp prickles above the dragon's eyebrow ridges.* I will do it. Tell me how.
Trowa: I will teach you everything that I know in the arts of power and I will try to uncover any other powers that you might have hidden within.
Wufei: And I will train your mind and make is stronger.
Trowa: You are faced with a dark and bloody battle, Heero Yuy.
Wufei: If you succeed, you will be Legendary.
Heero: Train me.
---
Trowa: Milliardo Peacecraft is Trieze's apprentice and dearly loved one. He changed his name to Zechs Merquise after his family, the rich and powerful Peacecrafts abandoned him when they learned of his powers. He is the one you met in the forest, the man with the platinum hair... And he's the one who discovered your powers with fire and ice. I will train you well, Heero, but it is you who must fight against all odds and save Shinigami.
Heero: *nods sternly.*
---
Wufei: Trieze Kushrenada was once a praised White Mage of Mind, but once he could no longer train to be better and was sent out of the academy to live in the world he became outraged. He didn't think he was at his maximum power... he was hungry for more, wanting all the power in the galaxies to rule. Trieze is extremely powerful and he has found and taken Shinigami to sacrifice him to the gods for the ultimate power. If he succeeds he will be utterly impossible to defeat. We must find his location and save Shinigami.
---
Heero: *sits in silence, levitating with a ring of fire around his form, training in his mind, hard and long; possibly days on end. Mind completely set on the task of saving his beloved from being sacrificed.*
---
Wufei: You want your dragon friend put into the higher place (heaven)?
Heero: Yes, he has been a good friend to me since I was a boy, but he is growing old and tired. I wish him peace and serenity.
Wufei: As you wish, Heero.
----------
Heero: *sits silently in a restaurant, eating a plate of food slowly and dazedly with the villagers in the restaurant chatting and laughing around him. Slowly drinks from the goblet above his plate and looks around wearily at the amused people. Closes his eyes slowly and sighs heavily.*
---
Heero: *lays in bed, in a disturbing and restless sleep. Nightmares swarm to corrupt his dreams and eat away any joy left in his isolated life. Snaps awake just before a dragon's fire consumes him in his nightmare. Breathes heavily and looks around in the motel room. Sits up and wipes his brow, going to the bathroom and rinsing his face. Looks at his reflection then closes his eyes and hangs his head.*
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Heero: *cleans himself in the bathroom then walks out, drying off his body, and into the main room. Starts getting dressed, slipping on black leggings embroidered with a golden dragon down one of the legs. Slips on a silky button up shirt and walks to stand in front of the bathroom to look at the mirror at himself then stops and looks at the shirt. Peels it off again and holds it in his hand, looking at it. Closes his eyes, thinking of beautiful Duo. Sighs heavily and folds the shirt, placing it in his pack then pulls out a new and clean midnight blue tunic to slip on with his black boots.*
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Heero: *looks around frantically, crouching on a roof top.* 'Who are you?'
Trieze's Voice: 'I am your master's capture.'
Heero: 'D.. Shinigami.'
Trieze: 'Yes, Shinigami. I have him here, he is still in one piece.'
Heero: 'I know what you want. Show me him and I will come.'
- Flashes of the amazingly dressed Duo fills Heero vision. -
Heero: 'Tell me where.'
Trieze: 'Go into the forest, my servant it awaiting your arrival.'
Heero: *runs across the building top, flipping in the air as he reaches the edge, lands in a deep crouch then dashes again and runs through the streets to find the forest. Jumps over carts and walking people, not caring who notices. Runs down the final street, seeing the trees and then slows when he enters the forest. Walks silently, looking about him from the corner's of his eyes.*
Zechs: *appears from the darkness behind the Soldier, white hair gently gliding on the wind. Puts a hand gently on the bark, letting a twig snap under his foot as he watches him*
Heero: *looks off to the corner of his eye, stopping and standing still. Silently turns to face the man with a blank expression.*
Zechs: My name is Zechs. You are to come with me.
Heero: Of course, Milliardo.
Zechs: *eyes darken deeply* That name is dead.
Heero: The name is fresh within my mind. Take me to him, now.
Zechs: *offers his hand stiffly, eyes narrowed upon him*
Heero: *looks at the hand slowly then up at Zechs again and lifts his own to just barely touch the pale flesh with his fingers.*