Kokoro Mitsukeru Heiwa - Chapter 1
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Duo kept the conversation going during dinner, much to the chagrin of the two others at the table. Wufei was pointedly ignoring the braided one, and Quatre was too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice much of anything. More than once, Duo had cast his gaze to the Arab pilot, frowing faintly as he saw the slender hand reaching up almost unconsciously to grasp at the fabric covering his chest. Wufei hadn't really seen the actions of his comrade, he was too intent on ignoring Duo. Heero and Trowa may have noticed, but they weren't here. It was very rare that the pilots were all in the same place at the same time... less of a target if they split up.
"Hey Quatre?" Duo's brows furrowed as the other boy nearly jumped out of his chair, obviously startled by the sudden words. "Are you alright?"
"I.. yes... no." He sighed, bringing his other hand to rub at his forehead. "I don't know. I just feel strange."
"Define strange." Wufei had now taken note of the conversation and his attention was riveted on Quatre. Duo had risen from his chair and was standing to the side of the blonde, shifting his gaze between the two.
"If I could explain it, it wouldn't be strange." Quatre shook his head slightly, bringing up his gaze towards them. "Remember when Heero self-destructed? I felt something similar then, but this isn't as strong as that was, and I..." He paused, looking to Duo and Wufei and seeing their expressions of confusion. "...and I'm not making any sense, am I?" Their silence was answer enough. They were concerned about him, that much was obvious, but they probably also thought he was a few cards short of a deck at the moment. "Nevermind. I'm going to go lie down. Maybe that will make me feel better." He pushed back from the table, rising to his feet and making his way out of the room towards the stairs.
As his form disappeared from sight, Duo remained where he stood, one hand grasping the back of the recently vacated chair. A quick glance to Wufei showed that for once, the two of them were thinking along the same lines. Whatever was happening, they'd better keep a close eye on Quatre.
The object of their concern had turned down the hallway, one hand absently rubbing at the center of his chest as he tried to pinpoint just where this troubling sensastion was coming from. It wasn't any of them here, that much was certain. If it had been Heero or Trowa, it likely would have been much stronger. The softly lilting tone of his voice flitted through the darkness as a string of Arabic curses left his lips, his mind unable or unwilling to figure out just what his heart was trying to tell him. Quatre moved into his room, his eyes adjusting to the dim light... only to let out a stifled gasp at what he saw. His bed was in shambles, the covers all gathered in the center and the precious books scattered on the floor nearby. Darting forward, he slid to his knees, picking up the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho with trembling hands. Oh Allah, if anything had happened to the book, Wufei was going to KILL him! Only then did his mind register the fact that he had NOT left the room in this condition.
He got to his feet, backing up quickly as his eyes narrowed, his gaze slanting about the room quickly. *Stupid, Winner, that was just STUPID!* He thought to himself. If anyone had been here to take him out, they would have had ample opportunity already. That only left one other area to check. Setting the book down without a sound, Quatre reached over to the blankets. His fingers curled around one edge, getting a firm grip before he moved with the speed of a viper, yanking the coverings off the bed. A startled yelp and cry of pain coursed through the room, and it only took the pilot an instant to take the three steps to the nightstand and flick on the light there. His eyes widened, taking in the image of the trembling form on the floor. Violet hair... the clothing reminiscent of China in days long past... Allah, this couldn't be.
His thoughts were stopped as a few softly whispered words came from the stranger. Dazed rose-tinted eyes glanced up to gaze directly into his own, and in that instant... all hell broke loose.
* * *
Duo fairly flew up the stairs as the resounding crash echoed through the house. Wufei had gone outside shortly after Quatre had gone to his room, leaving the Deathscythe pilot alone on the lower floor of the safehouse. As he skidded to a stop in front of Quatre's door, his jaw hit the ground. Quatre stood in the center of the room, pistol drawn and aimed for the figure that was pressed back against the wall. The figure in question was glaring at the blonde, but there was something about his actions that just wasn't right. Duo stepped into the light, one hand reaching to the small of his back and bringing out his own gun. "What the hell's going on here?" He growled, keeping his attention focused on the one person he didn't recognize.
Nuriko let his gaze flick between the two, crouching down faintly in an attempt to gain a better center of balance. There were only two... he could take them easily, but that would still leave him not knowing just where the hell he was. "Who are you...." He whispered, the words echoing in his still-sensitive hearing. "Where am I and how did I get here?"
Quatre faltered for a moment, the lyrical speech hitting his ears with a semblance of familiarity that only teased his mind. He knew this language... but not well enough to tell what the other was saying. Almost as soon as that thought had cleared, another appeared to take it's place. His hand released its hold on the gun, letting it fall to the ground as he brought both hands up in a show of peace. He could almost hear Duo's astonishment, but stopped the braided one before he could even speak. "Go get Wufei."
"What the-.."
"NOW!"
Duo had never heard that tone in Quatre's voice before. While he was hesitant to leave him alone and unarmed with this stranger, Quatre seemed to know what he was doing. Stepping back into the hall, Duo disappeared down the stairs as fast as he could run.
Sighing softly, Quatre remained where he was, not making any sudden motions whatsoever. "I know you can't understand me," He said softly. "But you're safe here." Neither of them were completely relaxed, but for the moment it seemed that they both understood that the other didn't really mean any harm. Or so it seemed. Tension hung thick in the air between them until a faint pounding alerted them to the fact that the others were returning. Wufei came to a stop in the doorway, his hands pressed to the frame as he looked between the two in the room.
"Quatre, are you-..."
"I'm fine, Wufei, but he's not." He made a motion towards the one across the room. "He can't understand a word I'm saying, and unless I miss my guess, he's speaking Chinese. It may be an archaic form of the language, but you've got the best chance of all of us. He's scared to death and doesn't know what's happening."
Wufei looked skeptical at best... Duo had told him what he knew, which wasn't much, admittedly. However, it troubled him greatly that someone could have infiltrated this place without their knowledge. Sighing inwardly, he decided to give Quatre the benefit of the doubt and stepped forward, his hands raised at his sides as he shifted his thoughts and speech over into Chinese. #"You're safe here. What is your name?"#
Nuriko's eyes widened and he whipped about to face Wufei. #"You... you can understand me?"#
Deep brown eyes focused intently as Wufei took another step forward slowly. It was definately an older form of his native tongue, but not impossible to understand. From the sound of it, the other was having little trouble comprehending his own modern version as well. #"I understand you."#
#"Who are you?"# The voice trembled faintly, and Wufei could see the agitation and pain behind those eyes. The nervousness he could understand, but what was the cause for the other?
"Quatre, do you know what happened to him?" The Chinese pilot never took his attention off of the one against the wall, but switched easily between the two conversations. #"My name is Wufei. Who are you, and how did you get here?"#
"I can't say for certain, Wufei." Quatre began, even as he heard the violet-haired one answer simultaneously. Once the other had stopped speaking, he heard Wufei respond before turning to face him directly. "I was reading that book you told me of... the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho, and I could swear he's a character from there."
"Nuriko." Wufei said flatly. "His name is Nuriko and he has no idea how he got here. He fell asleep in his quarters and awoke here."
Quatre's hands dropped to his side as his lips parted as if to speak. Shock prevented anything from emerging, however, and he simply stared at Nuriko. The Seishi looked between the two of them, then focused on the third, who had been forgotten in his unusual silence. Duo threw his hands up into the air, half turning towards them.
"You mean to tell me that this guy stepped out of some book Quatre's reading? Oi, if it were that easy, I could think of a few I'D like to see come to life!"
Wufei just growled softly, shaking his head. This was going to be interesting to say the least.
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TBC
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Duo kept the conversation going during dinner, much to the chagrin of the two others at the table. Wufei was pointedly ignoring the braided one, and Quatre was too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice much of anything. More than once, Duo had cast his gaze to the Arab pilot, frowing faintly as he saw the slender hand reaching up almost unconsciously to grasp at the fabric covering his chest. Wufei hadn't really seen the actions of his comrade, he was too intent on ignoring Duo. Heero and Trowa may have noticed, but they weren't here. It was very rare that the pilots were all in the same place at the same time... less of a target if they split up.
"Hey Quatre?" Duo's brows furrowed as the other boy nearly jumped out of his chair, obviously startled by the sudden words. "Are you alright?"
"I.. yes... no." He sighed, bringing his other hand to rub at his forehead. "I don't know. I just feel strange."
"Define strange." Wufei had now taken note of the conversation and his attention was riveted on Quatre. Duo had risen from his chair and was standing to the side of the blonde, shifting his gaze between the two.
"If I could explain it, it wouldn't be strange." Quatre shook his head slightly, bringing up his gaze towards them. "Remember when Heero self-destructed? I felt something similar then, but this isn't as strong as that was, and I..." He paused, looking to Duo and Wufei and seeing their expressions of confusion. "...and I'm not making any sense, am I?" Their silence was answer enough. They were concerned about him, that much was obvious, but they probably also thought he was a few cards short of a deck at the moment. "Nevermind. I'm going to go lie down. Maybe that will make me feel better." He pushed back from the table, rising to his feet and making his way out of the room towards the stairs.
As his form disappeared from sight, Duo remained where he stood, one hand grasping the back of the recently vacated chair. A quick glance to Wufei showed that for once, the two of them were thinking along the same lines. Whatever was happening, they'd better keep a close eye on Quatre.
The object of their concern had turned down the hallway, one hand absently rubbing at the center of his chest as he tried to pinpoint just where this troubling sensastion was coming from. It wasn't any of them here, that much was certain. If it had been Heero or Trowa, it likely would have been much stronger. The softly lilting tone of his voice flitted through the darkness as a string of Arabic curses left his lips, his mind unable or unwilling to figure out just what his heart was trying to tell him. Quatre moved into his room, his eyes adjusting to the dim light... only to let out a stifled gasp at what he saw. His bed was in shambles, the covers all gathered in the center and the precious books scattered on the floor nearby. Darting forward, he slid to his knees, picking up the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho with trembling hands. Oh Allah, if anything had happened to the book, Wufei was going to KILL him! Only then did his mind register the fact that he had NOT left the room in this condition.
He got to his feet, backing up quickly as his eyes narrowed, his gaze slanting about the room quickly. *Stupid, Winner, that was just STUPID!* He thought to himself. If anyone had been here to take him out, they would have had ample opportunity already. That only left one other area to check. Setting the book down without a sound, Quatre reached over to the blankets. His fingers curled around one edge, getting a firm grip before he moved with the speed of a viper, yanking the coverings off the bed. A startled yelp and cry of pain coursed through the room, and it only took the pilot an instant to take the three steps to the nightstand and flick on the light there. His eyes widened, taking in the image of the trembling form on the floor. Violet hair... the clothing reminiscent of China in days long past... Allah, this couldn't be.
His thoughts were stopped as a few softly whispered words came from the stranger. Dazed rose-tinted eyes glanced up to gaze directly into his own, and in that instant... all hell broke loose.
* * *
Duo fairly flew up the stairs as the resounding crash echoed through the house. Wufei had gone outside shortly after Quatre had gone to his room, leaving the Deathscythe pilot alone on the lower floor of the safehouse. As he skidded to a stop in front of Quatre's door, his jaw hit the ground. Quatre stood in the center of the room, pistol drawn and aimed for the figure that was pressed back against the wall. The figure in question was glaring at the blonde, but there was something about his actions that just wasn't right. Duo stepped into the light, one hand reaching to the small of his back and bringing out his own gun. "What the hell's going on here?" He growled, keeping his attention focused on the one person he didn't recognize.
Nuriko let his gaze flick between the two, crouching down faintly in an attempt to gain a better center of balance. There were only two... he could take them easily, but that would still leave him not knowing just where the hell he was. "Who are you...." He whispered, the words echoing in his still-sensitive hearing. "Where am I and how did I get here?"
Quatre faltered for a moment, the lyrical speech hitting his ears with a semblance of familiarity that only teased his mind. He knew this language... but not well enough to tell what the other was saying. Almost as soon as that thought had cleared, another appeared to take it's place. His hand released its hold on the gun, letting it fall to the ground as he brought both hands up in a show of peace. He could almost hear Duo's astonishment, but stopped the braided one before he could even speak. "Go get Wufei."
"What the-.."
"NOW!"
Duo had never heard that tone in Quatre's voice before. While he was hesitant to leave him alone and unarmed with this stranger, Quatre seemed to know what he was doing. Stepping back into the hall, Duo disappeared down the stairs as fast as he could run.
Sighing softly, Quatre remained where he was, not making any sudden motions whatsoever. "I know you can't understand me," He said softly. "But you're safe here." Neither of them were completely relaxed, but for the moment it seemed that they both understood that the other didn't really mean any harm. Or so it seemed. Tension hung thick in the air between them until a faint pounding alerted them to the fact that the others were returning. Wufei came to a stop in the doorway, his hands pressed to the frame as he looked between the two in the room.
"Quatre, are you-..."
"I'm fine, Wufei, but he's not." He made a motion towards the one across the room. "He can't understand a word I'm saying, and unless I miss my guess, he's speaking Chinese. It may be an archaic form of the language, but you've got the best chance of all of us. He's scared to death and doesn't know what's happening."
Wufei looked skeptical at best... Duo had told him what he knew, which wasn't much, admittedly. However, it troubled him greatly that someone could have infiltrated this place without their knowledge. Sighing inwardly, he decided to give Quatre the benefit of the doubt and stepped forward, his hands raised at his sides as he shifted his thoughts and speech over into Chinese. #"You're safe here. What is your name?"#
Nuriko's eyes widened and he whipped about to face Wufei. #"You... you can understand me?"#
Deep brown eyes focused intently as Wufei took another step forward slowly. It was definately an older form of his native tongue, but not impossible to understand. From the sound of it, the other was having little trouble comprehending his own modern version as well. #"I understand you."#
#"Who are you?"# The voice trembled faintly, and Wufei could see the agitation and pain behind those eyes. The nervousness he could understand, but what was the cause for the other?
"Quatre, do you know what happened to him?" The Chinese pilot never took his attention off of the one against the wall, but switched easily between the two conversations. #"My name is Wufei. Who are you, and how did you get here?"#
"I can't say for certain, Wufei." Quatre began, even as he heard the violet-haired one answer simultaneously. Once the other had stopped speaking, he heard Wufei respond before turning to face him directly. "I was reading that book you told me of... the Shi Jin Ten Chi Sho, and I could swear he's a character from there."
"Nuriko." Wufei said flatly. "His name is Nuriko and he has no idea how he got here. He fell asleep in his quarters and awoke here."
Quatre's hands dropped to his side as his lips parted as if to speak. Shock prevented anything from emerging, however, and he simply stared at Nuriko. The Seishi looked between the two of them, then focused on the third, who had been forgotten in his unusual silence. Duo threw his hands up into the air, half turning towards them.
"You mean to tell me that this guy stepped out of some book Quatre's reading? Oi, if it were that easy, I could think of a few I'D like to see come to life!"
Wufei just growled softly, shaking his head. This was going to be interesting to say the least.
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TBC