Disclaimers: WuFei and Sally aren't mine. I don't own them, Sotesu does. *sniff* Don't get me started.
Thanks for all of those who reviewed this.... It's nearly finished.
SINS OF SILENCE.
Chapter 3
The Winds Called Freedom
*You're the bravest of hearts. You're the strongest of souls.*
"You have a beautiful house."
Sally could not help but admire her surroundings, WuFei's house was charming.
It blended traditional Chinese culture with the more western style of living. It was quite aesthetic, with simple accessories here and there. Her eyes were drawn the jade dragon she caught a glimpse of in the darkness of the lounge.
Sally couldn't help but wonder where he had found a place like it, there weren't many around.
WuFei was leading he to the kitchen, turning on lights as he went. He did not offer her a tour. But Sally had not been expecting one. Perhaps later....
"Yes, it suits my needs." Came the reply.
Her mouth twisted wryly, trust WuFei to humble it to the basic necessities.
Whether he knew it or not, his home seemed to reflect him, his philosophies, and his spirit, his nature. Sally could see a little of it in the simple furniture, practical, but tasteful as well. She could see it in the Chinese scroll hanging in the kitchen near the door, the small show of his heritage. His pride in who he was, displayed in the jade dragon. Sally saw his need for perfection mirrored in how his house was kept so orderly. The systematically and methodical approach he would take to his problems.
She also realized how peaceful his home appeared.... WuFei was striving for this peace inside as well.
*You're my light in the dark. You're the place I call home.*
She glanced to the rain outside, the house making her feel... safe and....warm.
"It's.... cosy." She commented.
At this remark WuFei gave her a look over his shoulder that clearly stated he disagreed. Her only reaction was to smile. She took her seat and watched him prepare the kettle to boil. His movements deft and easy, well practiced.
She knew WuFei loved tea.... He hated coffee though, with a passion. Sally adored coffee. She couldn't live without the stuff.
"Coffee?"
She blinked, slightly surprised. Her partner scorned coffee, he always maintained that you should be able to function without it. Whenever he was offered it, that would be his reply.
"You have coffee?! You don't drink coffee."
"No." he agreed, not turning around.
Sally was even more confused now, frowning, she asked, "Then why have coffee on you shelf?"
"You drink coffee." Came the bland reply.
The answer was so simple and said with such candidacy that Sally did not know how to reply to it, so she merely stared at him. Or his back, rather. Finally she blurted, "But you don't drink it."
Now WuFei turned to give her a measuring glance, one elegant eyebrow raised in perplexity.
A slight quirk of his lips and he retorted, "I believe we have already established that."
It took Sally a moment to realize that teasing note in her partner's voice. Again he had surprised her within a space of seconds. Sally was not quit sure what to make of this new face to WuFei, the slightly lighter side. It was as if in those simple words of understanding, a part of him had loosened. Something inside him had been released.
Because he had let go.... He had said he would try to understand... to learn.
*You can say it's all right, but I know you're breaking up inside. *
That was enough for her. That he was willing to try. She prayed that she would not push him too far. Sally was uncertain how to proceed with her quiet partner. The woman did not want to crowd him, even though it had worked earlier on.
She had a feeling that once was the limit.
She nodded her thanks as WuFei handed her the coffee and sat opposite her.
"Milk, no sugar." He said.
A little mystified, Sally nodded.
He was drinking tea of course. Sally sipped at her drink and glanced again to the window, the rain had developed from light drizzle into full blown downpour. It did not look like it was going to let up. She also noted the bowl of mandarins on the counter.
They were both silent for a long time, and Sally had a feeling that this was new territory for WuFei as well as it was for her. Both of them were hesitant to take the next step.
Sally gave a light laugh then, causing her younger partner to look at her in query. Still smiling slightly, she spread her hands and shrugged, "It's funny... I came to talk... and now..." she gave a wry smile. "Now I don't know what to say..."
WuFei's lips curved ever so slightly and he studied his cup of tea.
Sally realized he was trying to hide the tiny smile. She frowned slightly, he shouldn't have to hide it when he felt joy. She wondered why he did so. The blue-eyed woman felt her heart go out again to her partner, at what it must be taking him to be here, now, talking to her.
On impulse, Sally reached her hand across the table and grasped WuFei's. The youth's gaze snapped to her own, the question written in his face.
*I can see it in your eyes. Even you face the night, afraid and alone*
"WuFei," she began, "I.... meant what I said, earlier. But I-I don't want to push you."
Then she stopped as a flash of lightening illuminated the house for an instant, followed almost immediately by a deafening clap thunder. They both were still after that. Listening in wonder as the noise slowly resonated around them, and finally faded away.
"Wow." Sally eventually said.
A slight smile again, and WuFei agreed, "You could say that."
She scowled at him playfully at his remark. It faded as WuFei continued.
"I.... I realize...."
He stopped and frowned, trying to gather the right words, he was no good at this kind of thing. Expressing himself with words always seemed a task for WuFei. They lacked the real meaning of what he was trying to convey when he spoke them. They were, in his view, inadequate. Actions proved his feelings and emotions far better.
"I am not... accustomed to... this." He looked up at Sally again.
"It is something new for me.... I am-" Now he broke off completely, stood and grabbed his empty cup, then he turned and put it in the sink. It was difficult, he had known it would be the moment he had agreed to try. He would try...Staring out the window for a moment, he spun to face Sally and tried again.
"I am uncertain.... But.... I will try.... It is all I can offer you."
Sally had been holding her breath, she released it now, silently and trembling. The emotion in his words went straight to her heart, sure as an arrow and just as deadly. She would not be letting this young man go now, she knew. Not when he was just on the brink of discovering who he was again. Sally would stay until he found what he was searching for. As a partner and as a friend.
*That's why I'll be there. When the storm rises up. When the shadows descend.*
She stood as well and nodded. "All I ask, WuFei, is that you try." She did not add that it was already far more than she had hoped.
He nodded sharply as another flash of lightening lit the night, more thunder followed. They both waited until the sound had abated. Then WuFei held out his hand. In offering.
"What would you like to know?"
Her eyebrows rose at the abrupt question, but he was giving her that chance to ask, so she did not back down.
"Tell me something about who you were... before Shenlong."
WuFei had known she would be asking something along those lines, and he nodded again, but remained standing. He said nothing for a while, then he answered. in a detached voice.
"I was trained from early childhood to be both scholar and a fighter. I had perfected the ways of the warrior by my tenth birthday. I practiced the art of Wu Shu,* mainly shantung and ch'uan-fa. I studied intensively, literature and the humanities, in fact I enjoyed learning more than fighting." He stopped then went on. "I was.... not the first choice for Shenlong."
She was surprised at that, she was also dazed to hear that WuFei had once enjoyed the learning more than the fighting. And Sally could not but help wonder what had changed his views so drastically.
She heard the tone in his voice, there was old pain there, and the way he was talking... WuFei sounded like he was stating simple fact. The flatness of his voice sounded to her as if he was trying desperately to escape the feeling's held behind his memories. That they did not mean anything to him. Sally knew that there was far more to it than that.
"Who was the first choice?" Sally's voice was soft.
He had left his last sentence as an opening for Sally, knowing that her bright intelligence would pick it up and ask him. He was prepared. Or at least as he would ever be.
*Every beat of my heart, every day without end. I will stand like a rock.*
He said, very quietly, each word precisely controlled.
"My... wife was."
Sally's eyes closed. She heard the hidden pain in his voice. Opening them again, she watched him closely.
"Your... wife?"
Steeling himself, WuFei took a deep breath and nodded. "Arranged marriage," he said. "We were both fourteen. It was.... not that unusual for my colony." Although he tried desperately to remain dispassionate, WuFei could not help the emotion from creeping into his voice.
"What happened to you wife?" Sally asked quietly, though her tone indicated that she had already guessed.
WuFei looked away for an instant, his dark eyes darting around the room. The pain was still there, even after five years. It would always be there.
"Killed...." He confirmed. "Trying to save our colony from the Alliance. She was a fighter... as I said, I was a scholar.....A 'page-turner' she called me..... She was the reason I accepted the mission to fight.... Meiran.... Nataku.... It was... justice. For me." The distant tone was lost now, WuFei kept no pretense of maintaining it.
Sally closed her eyes again as she heard those words. She felt the sudden pain in them, in his soft voice, and she knew in her heart that they were true, in every sense of the word. She also knew, then, that Chang WuFei was far beyond what she would be able to understand. But Sally would try anyway.
'Complete justice' she though.
She took a deep breath and nodded in understanding. She saw clearly for the first time what life had put him through. Forced to fight, then forced to live in a world where it was wrong to fight. A world of peace. Struggling to understand and to justify his existence in a world without war. She wondered then... How long it had been since anyone had taken the time to really look at her partner....
*I will bend till I break. Till there's no more to give. If that's what it takes.*
Sally walked over to WuFei and placed her arms around the dark Chinese youth, holding him against her.
"I'm sorry. " She whispered hoarsely.
WuFei stood very still in her embrace. Then he relaxed slightly, and slowly put his arms around his partner. He tightened them quickly, then released her, and moved away. He did not hide the small smile this time and Sally could not help but wonder at it's charm.
"Xiexie," he said, and bowed, formality coming to his rescue.
The tension seemed to dissipate with that simple ritual movement. His soft smile. His unmistakable words of thanks hiding a world of meaning to Sally.
She felt her spirit lift at those simple words. Chang WuFei was thankful to her. Sally could not stop the sudden elation inside her at that. Then she gave a soft low laugh. WuFei followed her gaze to the Chinese calligraphy hanging on the wall.
She walked over to it and studied the parchment intently.
"Is it yours?" she inquired. The former pilot followed her after a moment and answered quietly. "Yes."
Still keeping her eyes on the script, "I had no idea you knew shu fa*." She mused.
"My grandmother taught me, 'jing xi zi zhi, zi xing cang li.' *" he quoted.
'Respect and cherish words, there is a hidden logic within their shape.'
His grandmother was a wise woman.
*When you smile like the sun, that shines through the pain.*
Sally read slowly, softly, savoring the words. The fine lettering of the scroll.
"Something undefined and yet complete. Was born before heaven and earth. Silent and boundless. Existing alone and forever unchanged. Pervading over all without fail. She may be considered 'Mother of all under heaven'.
I know not her name. I call her justice. And in the absence of knowledge. I name her the great."
She stopped. And her gaze lowered. "It's beautiful..... I could never do anything like that."
WuFei's eyes shot to her face and he answered with some of his usual fire. "Do not underestimate your abilities. You could do this, it you had been taught."
Still quiet, her answer to that was, "But I was never taught, WuFei."
Her dark partner heard the sadness in those words, softly spoken. There was a hint of bitterness there too. At the sound, his resolution hardened and he said.
"If you tell me why.... I will teach you."
Sally's gaze flickered to his own, surprised at his willingness and his request.
But she wanted to tell him. And she wanted to learn too.
So, with her soul lifting at the gesture, Sally nodded.
And she told him.
*That's why I'll be there.*
Her eyes opened and she blinked in the morning light.
Then they widened as the previous night's events flooded back to her in a rush. It seemed so unreal. The quiet company her partner provided. It was difficult to believe that this young man was the same youth she had stormed at in the office.
But it was, and Sally knew she would enjoy getting to know Chang WuFei very much. They had spent the night talking and learning about each other. WuFei was an excellent listener. He knew when to interrupt and when not to. She also discovered that her partner had quite a dry sense of humor. One that Sally enjoyed immensely.
At the early hours of the morning, she was not sure exactly when, she had fallen asleep. She had been awoken by WuFei, who offered to let her sleep there, rather than go home. He had pointed out that it was still raining, and there was a spare room. Unless Sally was in the mood for getting wet all over again, it seemed a reasonable option. The best one.
So Sally had taken him up on the offer. They said their good nights, and she had gone to the room WuFei showed her.
She had been asleep as soon as she hit the pillow.
With a yawn, she stretched languidly and just lay there, enjoying the peace that only came with days off. WuFei had work she knew. Her partner had a report to hand in...
Just as her eyes drifted shut she was startled back into wakefulness by noise coming from elsewhere in the house.
*Every second I live, that's the promise I make.*
She blinked. It was a song. She couldn't make out any music, but the vocals could be barely heard through the walls. Sally did not know that WuFei was any great music lover, she had him penned as the classical music type. Still she was curious as to exactly what her partner liked to listen to now. So she threw off the covers and grabbed the robe WuFei had given her the night before. Stretching again, Sally strode towards the door and opened it silently. She peeked around the corner, feeling suddenly very young again. She was going to catch him listening to the song, then he could not deny it.
As she listened, she zeroed in on where it was coming from. With a tiny grin, Sally crept down the hall, then stopped outside the door.
She frowned. The song had stopped.
She could hear the sound of running water... The shower? It was the bathroom! What-?
Then she jumped.
It had started again, the singers voice was sweet and strong. The sound rising and falling easily. A smooth tenor with a powerful air.
Unable to help herself, Sally took a step back. She knew that voice. It was the same voice she had strained to hear more of for the last two years...
A gasp of pure delight escaped her lips and Sally took another step closer to the door, aching to hear the words of the singer.
She was rewarded. Faintly, through the door....
"Exposing my heart to the wind called freedom.
Faster than light,
I rise to the sky... Oh yeah!
More than the dream in front of our eyes
We pursue the dangerous game
We are knocking on the door to a faraway tomorrow......"
Even through the door, Sally could hear the emotion in the words and the strain of the powerful way in which it was sung.
Ranging from soft to strong. It seemed to cry a freedom of the heart.... WuFei's voice rising to a crescendo on the last note.
Sally walked slowly back to her room. Her eyes had mysteriously misted over again. The second time Chang WuFei had caused her to weep with joy.
Sally would enjoy learning to understand her partner....
*Because that's what I'll give.... If that's what it takes.....*
*Through the wind and the rain, through the smoke and the fire,
When the fear rises up, when the wave's ever higher,
I will lay down my heart, my body, my soul.
I will hold on all night, and never let go.
Every second I live.... That's the promise I make.
That's what I'll give, if that's what it takes.*
End of Chapter...
Next; Epilogue.
Any of you recognize the song WuFei was singing in the shower?
Yup, it's one of WuFei's character songs.
"Asu e no door wo takake", Knock on tomorrow's door. Sung by Ryuzou Ishino, who is the voice of WuFei.
It's my personal favorite. I love the inflections in his voice, especially when he goes, "Oh yeah!".... ^_^
I was going to use the Japanese translation, but I thought this would make more sense.
*Wu-Shu is a mandarin phrase, it literally means, 'martial arts.' Shantung is the 'Black Tiger'. The Shaolin fighting art of north China. It utilizes the use of weapons. While ch'uan-fa is 'the artful use of the fist'. No weapons.
*Shu fa is Chinese calligraphy.
The other song is my favorite song of all time, it's called 'If that's what it takes' from Celine Dion.
It's longer than what's here, I had to cut out parts. But it is a beautiful piece. If you don't know it, you should go out and listen to it. The lyrics and the music are both absolutely wonderful.
Again, I'm not sure if I like the way WuFei turned out in this chapter. It's hard to keep him in character.... But it's the best I can do.
Hope you enjoyed it!
Ja ne!
Orin.
Thanks for all of those who reviewed this.... It's nearly finished.
SINS OF SILENCE.
Chapter 3
The Winds Called Freedom
*You're the bravest of hearts. You're the strongest of souls.*
"You have a beautiful house."
Sally could not help but admire her surroundings, WuFei's house was charming.
It blended traditional Chinese culture with the more western style of living. It was quite aesthetic, with simple accessories here and there. Her eyes were drawn the jade dragon she caught a glimpse of in the darkness of the lounge.
Sally couldn't help but wonder where he had found a place like it, there weren't many around.
WuFei was leading he to the kitchen, turning on lights as he went. He did not offer her a tour. But Sally had not been expecting one. Perhaps later....
"Yes, it suits my needs." Came the reply.
Her mouth twisted wryly, trust WuFei to humble it to the basic necessities.
Whether he knew it or not, his home seemed to reflect him, his philosophies, and his spirit, his nature. Sally could see a little of it in the simple furniture, practical, but tasteful as well. She could see it in the Chinese scroll hanging in the kitchen near the door, the small show of his heritage. His pride in who he was, displayed in the jade dragon. Sally saw his need for perfection mirrored in how his house was kept so orderly. The systematically and methodical approach he would take to his problems.
She also realized how peaceful his home appeared.... WuFei was striving for this peace inside as well.
*You're my light in the dark. You're the place I call home.*
She glanced to the rain outside, the house making her feel... safe and....warm.
"It's.... cosy." She commented.
At this remark WuFei gave her a look over his shoulder that clearly stated he disagreed. Her only reaction was to smile. She took her seat and watched him prepare the kettle to boil. His movements deft and easy, well practiced.
She knew WuFei loved tea.... He hated coffee though, with a passion. Sally adored coffee. She couldn't live without the stuff.
"Coffee?"
She blinked, slightly surprised. Her partner scorned coffee, he always maintained that you should be able to function without it. Whenever he was offered it, that would be his reply.
"You have coffee?! You don't drink coffee."
"No." he agreed, not turning around.
Sally was even more confused now, frowning, she asked, "Then why have coffee on you shelf?"
"You drink coffee." Came the bland reply.
The answer was so simple and said with such candidacy that Sally did not know how to reply to it, so she merely stared at him. Or his back, rather. Finally she blurted, "But you don't drink it."
Now WuFei turned to give her a measuring glance, one elegant eyebrow raised in perplexity.
A slight quirk of his lips and he retorted, "I believe we have already established that."
It took Sally a moment to realize that teasing note in her partner's voice. Again he had surprised her within a space of seconds. Sally was not quit sure what to make of this new face to WuFei, the slightly lighter side. It was as if in those simple words of understanding, a part of him had loosened. Something inside him had been released.
Because he had let go.... He had said he would try to understand... to learn.
*You can say it's all right, but I know you're breaking up inside. *
That was enough for her. That he was willing to try. She prayed that she would not push him too far. Sally was uncertain how to proceed with her quiet partner. The woman did not want to crowd him, even though it had worked earlier on.
She had a feeling that once was the limit.
She nodded her thanks as WuFei handed her the coffee and sat opposite her.
"Milk, no sugar." He said.
A little mystified, Sally nodded.
He was drinking tea of course. Sally sipped at her drink and glanced again to the window, the rain had developed from light drizzle into full blown downpour. It did not look like it was going to let up. She also noted the bowl of mandarins on the counter.
They were both silent for a long time, and Sally had a feeling that this was new territory for WuFei as well as it was for her. Both of them were hesitant to take the next step.
Sally gave a light laugh then, causing her younger partner to look at her in query. Still smiling slightly, she spread her hands and shrugged, "It's funny... I came to talk... and now..." she gave a wry smile. "Now I don't know what to say..."
WuFei's lips curved ever so slightly and he studied his cup of tea.
Sally realized he was trying to hide the tiny smile. She frowned slightly, he shouldn't have to hide it when he felt joy. She wondered why he did so. The blue-eyed woman felt her heart go out again to her partner, at what it must be taking him to be here, now, talking to her.
On impulse, Sally reached her hand across the table and grasped WuFei's. The youth's gaze snapped to her own, the question written in his face.
*I can see it in your eyes. Even you face the night, afraid and alone*
"WuFei," she began, "I.... meant what I said, earlier. But I-I don't want to push you."
Then she stopped as a flash of lightening illuminated the house for an instant, followed almost immediately by a deafening clap thunder. They both were still after that. Listening in wonder as the noise slowly resonated around them, and finally faded away.
"Wow." Sally eventually said.
A slight smile again, and WuFei agreed, "You could say that."
She scowled at him playfully at his remark. It faded as WuFei continued.
"I.... I realize...."
He stopped and frowned, trying to gather the right words, he was no good at this kind of thing. Expressing himself with words always seemed a task for WuFei. They lacked the real meaning of what he was trying to convey when he spoke them. They were, in his view, inadequate. Actions proved his feelings and emotions far better.
"I am not... accustomed to... this." He looked up at Sally again.
"It is something new for me.... I am-" Now he broke off completely, stood and grabbed his empty cup, then he turned and put it in the sink. It was difficult, he had known it would be the moment he had agreed to try. He would try...Staring out the window for a moment, he spun to face Sally and tried again.
"I am uncertain.... But.... I will try.... It is all I can offer you."
Sally had been holding her breath, she released it now, silently and trembling. The emotion in his words went straight to her heart, sure as an arrow and just as deadly. She would not be letting this young man go now, she knew. Not when he was just on the brink of discovering who he was again. Sally would stay until he found what he was searching for. As a partner and as a friend.
*That's why I'll be there. When the storm rises up. When the shadows descend.*
She stood as well and nodded. "All I ask, WuFei, is that you try." She did not add that it was already far more than she had hoped.
He nodded sharply as another flash of lightening lit the night, more thunder followed. They both waited until the sound had abated. Then WuFei held out his hand. In offering.
"What would you like to know?"
Her eyebrows rose at the abrupt question, but he was giving her that chance to ask, so she did not back down.
"Tell me something about who you were... before Shenlong."
WuFei had known she would be asking something along those lines, and he nodded again, but remained standing. He said nothing for a while, then he answered. in a detached voice.
"I was trained from early childhood to be both scholar and a fighter. I had perfected the ways of the warrior by my tenth birthday. I practiced the art of Wu Shu,* mainly shantung and ch'uan-fa. I studied intensively, literature and the humanities, in fact I enjoyed learning more than fighting." He stopped then went on. "I was.... not the first choice for Shenlong."
She was surprised at that, she was also dazed to hear that WuFei had once enjoyed the learning more than the fighting. And Sally could not but help wonder what had changed his views so drastically.
She heard the tone in his voice, there was old pain there, and the way he was talking... WuFei sounded like he was stating simple fact. The flatness of his voice sounded to her as if he was trying desperately to escape the feeling's held behind his memories. That they did not mean anything to him. Sally knew that there was far more to it than that.
"Who was the first choice?" Sally's voice was soft.
He had left his last sentence as an opening for Sally, knowing that her bright intelligence would pick it up and ask him. He was prepared. Or at least as he would ever be.
*Every beat of my heart, every day without end. I will stand like a rock.*
He said, very quietly, each word precisely controlled.
"My... wife was."
Sally's eyes closed. She heard the hidden pain in his voice. Opening them again, she watched him closely.
"Your... wife?"
Steeling himself, WuFei took a deep breath and nodded. "Arranged marriage," he said. "We were both fourteen. It was.... not that unusual for my colony." Although he tried desperately to remain dispassionate, WuFei could not help the emotion from creeping into his voice.
"What happened to you wife?" Sally asked quietly, though her tone indicated that she had already guessed.
WuFei looked away for an instant, his dark eyes darting around the room. The pain was still there, even after five years. It would always be there.
"Killed...." He confirmed. "Trying to save our colony from the Alliance. She was a fighter... as I said, I was a scholar.....A 'page-turner' she called me..... She was the reason I accepted the mission to fight.... Meiran.... Nataku.... It was... justice. For me." The distant tone was lost now, WuFei kept no pretense of maintaining it.
Sally closed her eyes again as she heard those words. She felt the sudden pain in them, in his soft voice, and she knew in her heart that they were true, in every sense of the word. She also knew, then, that Chang WuFei was far beyond what she would be able to understand. But Sally would try anyway.
'Complete justice' she though.
She took a deep breath and nodded in understanding. She saw clearly for the first time what life had put him through. Forced to fight, then forced to live in a world where it was wrong to fight. A world of peace. Struggling to understand and to justify his existence in a world without war. She wondered then... How long it had been since anyone had taken the time to really look at her partner....
*I will bend till I break. Till there's no more to give. If that's what it takes.*
Sally walked over to WuFei and placed her arms around the dark Chinese youth, holding him against her.
"I'm sorry. " She whispered hoarsely.
WuFei stood very still in her embrace. Then he relaxed slightly, and slowly put his arms around his partner. He tightened them quickly, then released her, and moved away. He did not hide the small smile this time and Sally could not help but wonder at it's charm.
"Xiexie," he said, and bowed, formality coming to his rescue.
The tension seemed to dissipate with that simple ritual movement. His soft smile. His unmistakable words of thanks hiding a world of meaning to Sally.
She felt her spirit lift at those simple words. Chang WuFei was thankful to her. Sally could not stop the sudden elation inside her at that. Then she gave a soft low laugh. WuFei followed her gaze to the Chinese calligraphy hanging on the wall.
She walked over to it and studied the parchment intently.
"Is it yours?" she inquired. The former pilot followed her after a moment and answered quietly. "Yes."
Still keeping her eyes on the script, "I had no idea you knew shu fa*." She mused.
"My grandmother taught me, 'jing xi zi zhi, zi xing cang li.' *" he quoted.
'Respect and cherish words, there is a hidden logic within their shape.'
His grandmother was a wise woman.
*When you smile like the sun, that shines through the pain.*
Sally read slowly, softly, savoring the words. The fine lettering of the scroll.
"Something undefined and yet complete. Was born before heaven and earth. Silent and boundless. Existing alone and forever unchanged. Pervading over all without fail. She may be considered 'Mother of all under heaven'.
I know not her name. I call her justice. And in the absence of knowledge. I name her the great."
She stopped. And her gaze lowered. "It's beautiful..... I could never do anything like that."
WuFei's eyes shot to her face and he answered with some of his usual fire. "Do not underestimate your abilities. You could do this, it you had been taught."
Still quiet, her answer to that was, "But I was never taught, WuFei."
Her dark partner heard the sadness in those words, softly spoken. There was a hint of bitterness there too. At the sound, his resolution hardened and he said.
"If you tell me why.... I will teach you."
Sally's gaze flickered to his own, surprised at his willingness and his request.
But she wanted to tell him. And she wanted to learn too.
So, with her soul lifting at the gesture, Sally nodded.
And she told him.
*That's why I'll be there.*
Her eyes opened and she blinked in the morning light.
Then they widened as the previous night's events flooded back to her in a rush. It seemed so unreal. The quiet company her partner provided. It was difficult to believe that this young man was the same youth she had stormed at in the office.
But it was, and Sally knew she would enjoy getting to know Chang WuFei very much. They had spent the night talking and learning about each other. WuFei was an excellent listener. He knew when to interrupt and when not to. She also discovered that her partner had quite a dry sense of humor. One that Sally enjoyed immensely.
At the early hours of the morning, she was not sure exactly when, she had fallen asleep. She had been awoken by WuFei, who offered to let her sleep there, rather than go home. He had pointed out that it was still raining, and there was a spare room. Unless Sally was in the mood for getting wet all over again, it seemed a reasonable option. The best one.
So Sally had taken him up on the offer. They said their good nights, and she had gone to the room WuFei showed her.
She had been asleep as soon as she hit the pillow.
With a yawn, she stretched languidly and just lay there, enjoying the peace that only came with days off. WuFei had work she knew. Her partner had a report to hand in...
Just as her eyes drifted shut she was startled back into wakefulness by noise coming from elsewhere in the house.
*Every second I live, that's the promise I make.*
She blinked. It was a song. She couldn't make out any music, but the vocals could be barely heard through the walls. Sally did not know that WuFei was any great music lover, she had him penned as the classical music type. Still she was curious as to exactly what her partner liked to listen to now. So she threw off the covers and grabbed the robe WuFei had given her the night before. Stretching again, Sally strode towards the door and opened it silently. She peeked around the corner, feeling suddenly very young again. She was going to catch him listening to the song, then he could not deny it.
As she listened, she zeroed in on where it was coming from. With a tiny grin, Sally crept down the hall, then stopped outside the door.
She frowned. The song had stopped.
She could hear the sound of running water... The shower? It was the bathroom! What-?
Then she jumped.
It had started again, the singers voice was sweet and strong. The sound rising and falling easily. A smooth tenor with a powerful air.
Unable to help herself, Sally took a step back. She knew that voice. It was the same voice she had strained to hear more of for the last two years...
A gasp of pure delight escaped her lips and Sally took another step closer to the door, aching to hear the words of the singer.
She was rewarded. Faintly, through the door....
"Exposing my heart to the wind called freedom.
Faster than light,
I rise to the sky... Oh yeah!
More than the dream in front of our eyes
We pursue the dangerous game
We are knocking on the door to a faraway tomorrow......"
Even through the door, Sally could hear the emotion in the words and the strain of the powerful way in which it was sung.
Ranging from soft to strong. It seemed to cry a freedom of the heart.... WuFei's voice rising to a crescendo on the last note.
Sally walked slowly back to her room. Her eyes had mysteriously misted over again. The second time Chang WuFei had caused her to weep with joy.
Sally would enjoy learning to understand her partner....
*Because that's what I'll give.... If that's what it takes.....*
*Through the wind and the rain, through the smoke and the fire,
When the fear rises up, when the wave's ever higher,
I will lay down my heart, my body, my soul.
I will hold on all night, and never let go.
Every second I live.... That's the promise I make.
That's what I'll give, if that's what it takes.*
End of Chapter...
Next; Epilogue.
Any of you recognize the song WuFei was singing in the shower?
Yup, it's one of WuFei's character songs.
"Asu e no door wo takake", Knock on tomorrow's door. Sung by Ryuzou Ishino, who is the voice of WuFei.
It's my personal favorite. I love the inflections in his voice, especially when he goes, "Oh yeah!".... ^_^
I was going to use the Japanese translation, but I thought this would make more sense.
*Wu-Shu is a mandarin phrase, it literally means, 'martial arts.' Shantung is the 'Black Tiger'. The Shaolin fighting art of north China. It utilizes the use of weapons. While ch'uan-fa is 'the artful use of the fist'. No weapons.
*Shu fa is Chinese calligraphy.
The other song is my favorite song of all time, it's called 'If that's what it takes' from Celine Dion.
It's longer than what's here, I had to cut out parts. But it is a beautiful piece. If you don't know it, you should go out and listen to it. The lyrics and the music are both absolutely wonderful.
Again, I'm not sure if I like the way WuFei turned out in this chapter. It's hard to keep him in character.... But it's the best I can do.
Hope you enjoyed it!
Ja ne!
Orin.