Warnings: R, 3x4, 1+R, 2+H, 5+S, 13+11, 6+9 - Sap, Angst, Lime, AU
Disclaimer: As always I make no claim to Gundam Wing or any of its characters!
A big thanks to Katie for beta reading this for me!
FALCON'S REVENGE
Part Four - Destruction
Silence descended on the room as the full meaning of Wufei's words sank in. Quatre felt his body begin to tremble as he stared at the magician.
'What happened?' His voice was barely audible and he could feel tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes. Angrily he wiped his arm across his face.
The Kashion hesitated for a moment before beginning 'My Lord, I'm not sure if you're strong enough to.'
Quatre cut him off with a wave of his hand, 'Don't make me order you to tell me, Wufei.'
Sighing the man sank down into the chair Trowa placed behind him. 'The evening you left the city was attacked without warning. An army of over a thousand men marched on the city, supported by ships from the Maelstrom Straits. Yesterday afternoon the city fell, the invading army decimated our forces and burnt Rebalion to the ground, bar those who managed to flee before the army marched into the city, everyone is dead. There is nothing left but ash and ruin. We thought you dead also, but I cast a tracking spell once I got clear of the city and found you here.'
The magician's fists shook as he spoke, his attention riveted on Quatre's reaction to the news.
The blonde was silent for a long time 'How could this happen?' he asked partly to himself.
'Magic,' came the answer causing the duke to whip his head up towards the Kashion. 'Very powerful magic, capable of causing a rift in the fabric of time and allowing a large group to move instantaneously from one place to another.'
'Only one magician has been known to possess power to do such a thing and he died two hundred years ago. No one saw the army coming until it was too late, magic is the only plausible explanation.'
Quatre nodded and although he had been listening it was obvious the distraught young man was not capable of making much sense of the information. His eyes were glazed and he looked very nearly on the verge of breaking down. The sudden grief over the loss of not only his father but also his entire city, coupled with his weakened state was proving too much.
To everyone's surprise Trowa moved to the blonde's bedside indicating for the others to leave.
'I'll take care of it' he said quietly, watching as the two men regarded him for a moment before turning and leaving the room.
Trowa placed a comforting arm around the shaking blonde's shoulders and pulled him against his body. For a moment Quatre looked as if he would resist, but then his defiance crumbled. He buried his face in the ranger's chest and wept for his father and his people.
It was close to an hour later when the ranger finally emerged from the room. The moon was high in the sky and the night air cool and crisp. Quatre now lay in a deep but troubled sleep and Trowa felt it safe to leave the lord's side so that he could speak with Wufei.
The magician sat close to the fire a platter of meat on his lap as he spoke quietly to Heero.
Trowa came up behind them clearing his throat to make his presence known. Heero stood up as the ranger approached, 'How is he?'
Trowa shrugged. 'Holding up well considering the circumstances. He's resting now, he'll be able to deal with this with more clarity in the morning.'
He turned to Wufei. 'What happened?'
The magician sighed his fatigue clearly showing, 'I have little more information than what I told Quatre. Not long after he and Heero left the keep a runner was sent from the western outpost with word of an army marching on the city. We had a little over three hours before they attacked. We were able to evacuate many of the civilians to the hills behind the city but a large number were still trapped inside when we were forced to close the gates. We held out for close to two days, but the northern wall fell early this afternoon. Once the enemy was inside the city there was nothing we could do.'
'The duke ordered me from his side with orders to find Quatre. Honestly I thought him dead. We assumed he must have run into an advance party while patrolling the southern reaches, you can imagine my relief when I found him.'
All three men were silent for a while, each alone with his thoughts, 'Wufei' Herro's voice was low and hesitant, the magician nodded in understanding, placing a comforting hand on the captain's shoulder.
'Relena is safe Heero. She was evacuated at the beginning, she wanted to stay but the duke ordered her and Sally to leave with the townspeople to supervise the evacuation.'
The captain let out a relieved sigh. 'Thank you. Wufei you need to rest, Trowa do you have anywhere he can sleep?'
The ranger nodded an affirmative, he stood and motioned for the magician to follow him, returning to the campfire only once he was sure the man was settled.
The morning dawned clear and calm, belying the simmering tension in the ranger's camp. Quatre awoke feeling light headed, having gained little real rest the night before.
Swinging his legs onto the ground he shivered as his bare feet came into contact with the cold stone. He felt emotionally worn but more focused than the previous day and was determined to cope with anything he needed to deal with.
In the harsh light of the morning the news of his father seemed almost a distant nightmare. But the young duke knew he could not loose himself in his grief, there were matters that had to be attended to and they were now his responsibility.
Crossing the room he sat down on the small wooden chair to pull on his boots before heading out into the common area. His side still ached causing him to wince slightly as he moved but he merely pushed the pain from his mind, focusing on his duties.
He knew it would be hard enough to convince the others that he must travel back to the city that day. If he let them see how much pain he was in the task would be impossible.
Heero, Wufei and Trowa sat around the blacked remains of the previous night's fire breaking fast, they looked up as the lord approached and rose to greet him.
'How do you feel today?' Trowa's question was softly spoken with none of the chastisement Quatre expected, he found himself warmed by the ranger's few words and smiled in spite of himself.
'Better, thank you' Quatre took a deep breath, well it was now or never.
'Trowa would you please have someone ready a horse for me. I will travel back to the city today. There are many things I need to take care of.' The ranger merely nodded and moved to take care of the duke's orders, he did not get far, though, as Heero placed a hand on his shoulder.
'Absolutely not!'
The captain's voice was shaking with anger, as he spoke, 'I will not allow you to leave in your state!'
Quatre could feel his own anger rise to meet that of his captain's. He rarely contested Heero's decisions, preferring to follow the man's lead rather than assert his own rank, but not this time.
The young lord's voice was quiet and collected as he spoke, but the tone left no doubt that he would not back down. 'I understand your reluctance to let me travel Heero, but the population needs to see for themselves that I am alive and able to receive my father's title. They need encouragement and I cannot hope to do that while I am cooped up here with you mothering me. This is not open to discussion!'
The captain's hands were fisted by his side. 'You will do no one any good dead, surely you can see this, myself and Wufei will.'
'That is enough Heero! If I have to give you I direct order I will, I do not ask for your opinion on this I am ordering you to accompany me back to the city. Trowa, have the horses made ready, we leave as soon as possible.'
Quatre spun on his heal, hiding the pain that shot through his side and strode back to his room. Once inside he let the façade drop, sliding to the floor behind the door he held his side and muffled a sob of pain.
With a great effort he made his way across to the bed, falling onto it and closing his eyes against the waves of agony surging up his side.
A quiet knock at the door caused him to open his eyes. He sat up and watched pensively as Wufei entered the room. 'Are you here to try and talk me out of going?'
The magician shook his head 'I think you're capable of making these decisions for yourself Quatre, but don't be too hard on Heero he's just worried about you.'
Quatre lowered his gaze. 'I know, but I can't allow him to make these decisions for me anymore. I have responsibilities to take care of and they won't go away just because I am injured.'
Wufei nodded and moved to the side of the bed motioning for the blonde to lie back on the pallet, kneeling down on the floor he spoke softly, 'This spell should dull the pain somewhat, at least enough for you to be able to ride without too much trouble. Bear in mind though that this is covering up the problem, not fixing it, you will still need to take it slowly to ensure you do not break the stitching.'
The magician positioned his hands bare centimetres above Quatre's body and began to chant softly under his breath. Quatre shut his eyes and sighed slightly as the pain in his side began to fade, leaving only a dull ache in its place.
Sitting up he laid a hand on Wufei's shoulder. 'Thank you' he said simply before rising and helping the magician to his feet.
Moments after there was another soft knock at the door and Trowa slipped silently into the room, he carried Quatre's sword and a light green tunic much like the one he wore. He handed them both to the blonde. 'I thought you might need these, the horses are ready, so we can leave whenever you wish.'
Wufei glanced at the ranger his eyes questioning. 'We?'
Trowa shrugged and turned to Quatre. 'I want to go with you, with your permission my lord, I would see this for myself.'
Quatre nodded solemnly, 'If that is what you want, then you are welcome, please let Heero know we are leaving, with or without him.'
Trowa inclined his head to the blonde and slipped back out of the room to find the Captain. Quatre watched him leave, his eyes unconsciously wandering appreciatively over Trowa's retreating figure, Wufei coughed slightly and raised an eyebrow when the duke glanced over at him. Quatre felt his cheeks burn and quickly pulled the tunic over his head to hide the flush creeping up his face.
He buckled his sword belt around his waist and motioned to Wufei that they should join the others outside, 'Remember what I said about taking it easy. The spell will last for about 8 hours, after that you'll be on your own, just promise me you won't struggle on just for the sake of it!'
Quatre once again laid a hand on the shorter man's shoulder, 'I promise Wufei, once we get there and I make some sense of all this, I'll rest.'
Wufei inclined his head. 'Your will, my lord.' They both walked out into the autumn sun to where their horses were being held by Trowa's men.
Quatre felt a slight twinge of pain when he vaulted up into the saddle, but as Wufei predicted it was little more than that, and certainly nothing he couldn't handle. Glancing across the clearing Quatre could see Heero also seated on his mount a few meters away. Suddenly feeling guilty over his treatment of the captain, he urged his horse over to where the man waited.
'Um, Heero I.'
Heero shook his head. 'It was me that was in the wrong Quatre, I should be the one to apologise.'
Quatre merely smiled. 'I think maybe we were both in the wrong. It's behind us now, though. We have more important things to focus on.'
Heero returned the smile and nodded before rising in his stirrups and shouting to Trowa who was on the other side of the clearing. 'Ho Trowa, are you ready?' The ranger inclined his head to indicate yes.
'Well then' Quatre said, 'lets move out.'
TBC.
Disclaimer: As always I make no claim to Gundam Wing or any of its characters!
A big thanks to Katie for beta reading this for me!
FALCON'S REVENGE
Part Four - Destruction
Silence descended on the room as the full meaning of Wufei's words sank in. Quatre felt his body begin to tremble as he stared at the magician.
'What happened?' His voice was barely audible and he could feel tears beginning to form in the corner of his eyes. Angrily he wiped his arm across his face.
The Kashion hesitated for a moment before beginning 'My Lord, I'm not sure if you're strong enough to.'
Quatre cut him off with a wave of his hand, 'Don't make me order you to tell me, Wufei.'
Sighing the man sank down into the chair Trowa placed behind him. 'The evening you left the city was attacked without warning. An army of over a thousand men marched on the city, supported by ships from the Maelstrom Straits. Yesterday afternoon the city fell, the invading army decimated our forces and burnt Rebalion to the ground, bar those who managed to flee before the army marched into the city, everyone is dead. There is nothing left but ash and ruin. We thought you dead also, but I cast a tracking spell once I got clear of the city and found you here.'
The magician's fists shook as he spoke, his attention riveted on Quatre's reaction to the news.
The blonde was silent for a long time 'How could this happen?' he asked partly to himself.
'Magic,' came the answer causing the duke to whip his head up towards the Kashion. 'Very powerful magic, capable of causing a rift in the fabric of time and allowing a large group to move instantaneously from one place to another.'
'Only one magician has been known to possess power to do such a thing and he died two hundred years ago. No one saw the army coming until it was too late, magic is the only plausible explanation.'
Quatre nodded and although he had been listening it was obvious the distraught young man was not capable of making much sense of the information. His eyes were glazed and he looked very nearly on the verge of breaking down. The sudden grief over the loss of not only his father but also his entire city, coupled with his weakened state was proving too much.
To everyone's surprise Trowa moved to the blonde's bedside indicating for the others to leave.
'I'll take care of it' he said quietly, watching as the two men regarded him for a moment before turning and leaving the room.
Trowa placed a comforting arm around the shaking blonde's shoulders and pulled him against his body. For a moment Quatre looked as if he would resist, but then his defiance crumbled. He buried his face in the ranger's chest and wept for his father and his people.
It was close to an hour later when the ranger finally emerged from the room. The moon was high in the sky and the night air cool and crisp. Quatre now lay in a deep but troubled sleep and Trowa felt it safe to leave the lord's side so that he could speak with Wufei.
The magician sat close to the fire a platter of meat on his lap as he spoke quietly to Heero.
Trowa came up behind them clearing his throat to make his presence known. Heero stood up as the ranger approached, 'How is he?'
Trowa shrugged. 'Holding up well considering the circumstances. He's resting now, he'll be able to deal with this with more clarity in the morning.'
He turned to Wufei. 'What happened?'
The magician sighed his fatigue clearly showing, 'I have little more information than what I told Quatre. Not long after he and Heero left the keep a runner was sent from the western outpost with word of an army marching on the city. We had a little over three hours before they attacked. We were able to evacuate many of the civilians to the hills behind the city but a large number were still trapped inside when we were forced to close the gates. We held out for close to two days, but the northern wall fell early this afternoon. Once the enemy was inside the city there was nothing we could do.'
'The duke ordered me from his side with orders to find Quatre. Honestly I thought him dead. We assumed he must have run into an advance party while patrolling the southern reaches, you can imagine my relief when I found him.'
All three men were silent for a while, each alone with his thoughts, 'Wufei' Herro's voice was low and hesitant, the magician nodded in understanding, placing a comforting hand on the captain's shoulder.
'Relena is safe Heero. She was evacuated at the beginning, she wanted to stay but the duke ordered her and Sally to leave with the townspeople to supervise the evacuation.'
The captain let out a relieved sigh. 'Thank you. Wufei you need to rest, Trowa do you have anywhere he can sleep?'
The ranger nodded an affirmative, he stood and motioned for the magician to follow him, returning to the campfire only once he was sure the man was settled.
The morning dawned clear and calm, belying the simmering tension in the ranger's camp. Quatre awoke feeling light headed, having gained little real rest the night before.
Swinging his legs onto the ground he shivered as his bare feet came into contact with the cold stone. He felt emotionally worn but more focused than the previous day and was determined to cope with anything he needed to deal with.
In the harsh light of the morning the news of his father seemed almost a distant nightmare. But the young duke knew he could not loose himself in his grief, there were matters that had to be attended to and they were now his responsibility.
Crossing the room he sat down on the small wooden chair to pull on his boots before heading out into the common area. His side still ached causing him to wince slightly as he moved but he merely pushed the pain from his mind, focusing on his duties.
He knew it would be hard enough to convince the others that he must travel back to the city that day. If he let them see how much pain he was in the task would be impossible.
Heero, Wufei and Trowa sat around the blacked remains of the previous night's fire breaking fast, they looked up as the lord approached and rose to greet him.
'How do you feel today?' Trowa's question was softly spoken with none of the chastisement Quatre expected, he found himself warmed by the ranger's few words and smiled in spite of himself.
'Better, thank you' Quatre took a deep breath, well it was now or never.
'Trowa would you please have someone ready a horse for me. I will travel back to the city today. There are many things I need to take care of.' The ranger merely nodded and moved to take care of the duke's orders, he did not get far, though, as Heero placed a hand on his shoulder.
'Absolutely not!'
The captain's voice was shaking with anger, as he spoke, 'I will not allow you to leave in your state!'
Quatre could feel his own anger rise to meet that of his captain's. He rarely contested Heero's decisions, preferring to follow the man's lead rather than assert his own rank, but not this time.
The young lord's voice was quiet and collected as he spoke, but the tone left no doubt that he would not back down. 'I understand your reluctance to let me travel Heero, but the population needs to see for themselves that I am alive and able to receive my father's title. They need encouragement and I cannot hope to do that while I am cooped up here with you mothering me. This is not open to discussion!'
The captain's hands were fisted by his side. 'You will do no one any good dead, surely you can see this, myself and Wufei will.'
'That is enough Heero! If I have to give you I direct order I will, I do not ask for your opinion on this I am ordering you to accompany me back to the city. Trowa, have the horses made ready, we leave as soon as possible.'
Quatre spun on his heal, hiding the pain that shot through his side and strode back to his room. Once inside he let the façade drop, sliding to the floor behind the door he held his side and muffled a sob of pain.
With a great effort he made his way across to the bed, falling onto it and closing his eyes against the waves of agony surging up his side.
A quiet knock at the door caused him to open his eyes. He sat up and watched pensively as Wufei entered the room. 'Are you here to try and talk me out of going?'
The magician shook his head 'I think you're capable of making these decisions for yourself Quatre, but don't be too hard on Heero he's just worried about you.'
Quatre lowered his gaze. 'I know, but I can't allow him to make these decisions for me anymore. I have responsibilities to take care of and they won't go away just because I am injured.'
Wufei nodded and moved to the side of the bed motioning for the blonde to lie back on the pallet, kneeling down on the floor he spoke softly, 'This spell should dull the pain somewhat, at least enough for you to be able to ride without too much trouble. Bear in mind though that this is covering up the problem, not fixing it, you will still need to take it slowly to ensure you do not break the stitching.'
The magician positioned his hands bare centimetres above Quatre's body and began to chant softly under his breath. Quatre shut his eyes and sighed slightly as the pain in his side began to fade, leaving only a dull ache in its place.
Sitting up he laid a hand on Wufei's shoulder. 'Thank you' he said simply before rising and helping the magician to his feet.
Moments after there was another soft knock at the door and Trowa slipped silently into the room, he carried Quatre's sword and a light green tunic much like the one he wore. He handed them both to the blonde. 'I thought you might need these, the horses are ready, so we can leave whenever you wish.'
Wufei glanced at the ranger his eyes questioning. 'We?'
Trowa shrugged and turned to Quatre. 'I want to go with you, with your permission my lord, I would see this for myself.'
Quatre nodded solemnly, 'If that is what you want, then you are welcome, please let Heero know we are leaving, with or without him.'
Trowa inclined his head to the blonde and slipped back out of the room to find the Captain. Quatre watched him leave, his eyes unconsciously wandering appreciatively over Trowa's retreating figure, Wufei coughed slightly and raised an eyebrow when the duke glanced over at him. Quatre felt his cheeks burn and quickly pulled the tunic over his head to hide the flush creeping up his face.
He buckled his sword belt around his waist and motioned to Wufei that they should join the others outside, 'Remember what I said about taking it easy. The spell will last for about 8 hours, after that you'll be on your own, just promise me you won't struggle on just for the sake of it!'
Quatre once again laid a hand on the shorter man's shoulder, 'I promise Wufei, once we get there and I make some sense of all this, I'll rest.'
Wufei inclined his head. 'Your will, my lord.' They both walked out into the autumn sun to where their horses were being held by Trowa's men.
Quatre felt a slight twinge of pain when he vaulted up into the saddle, but as Wufei predicted it was little more than that, and certainly nothing he couldn't handle. Glancing across the clearing Quatre could see Heero also seated on his mount a few meters away. Suddenly feeling guilty over his treatment of the captain, he urged his horse over to where the man waited.
'Um, Heero I.'
Heero shook his head. 'It was me that was in the wrong Quatre, I should be the one to apologise.'
Quatre merely smiled. 'I think maybe we were both in the wrong. It's behind us now, though. We have more important things to focus on.'
Heero returned the smile and nodded before rising in his stirrups and shouting to Trowa who was on the other side of the clearing. 'Ho Trowa, are you ready?' The ranger inclined his head to indicate yes.
'Well then' Quatre said, 'lets move out.'
TBC.