Duo hadn't really appreciated how powerful they really were in comparison to normal humans before. They'd never really tried to fight them using their powers, using illusions to either frighten them off or running themselves. As the five of them sort of plowed their way through the palace, he realized that there was absolutely nothing that any of the normal humans could do to stop them. Magic could counteract almost any weapon that Duo had ever seen, and it even made poisoning them difficult, if they'd been stupid enough to accept food from the Oz soldiers, which didn't look as if it was going to happen, based on how the soldiers kept running at them with weapons drawn.
Quatre sort of shoved his way through them, blocking any attempts at attacking him with a basic shield and then overwhelming their minds with sheer power. Even so, Duo did notice that that Quatre hadn't actually killed anyone yet. Still Quatre, even after all of that. The sheer ease with which Quatre was dealing with most of the guards in Treize's palace was kinda mind-boggling, though.
And it made Duo uneasy. He didn't think that anyone should have that kind of power, much less a half-crazy faery like him. Sure, Heero was helping him with that, as much as he could be helped, but look what had happened to Quatre, who was definitely the most 'normal' of them all, and probably the most stable, too.
:Don't be so certain,: Heero told him quietly.
:What?:
:Quatre's got problems of his own, or he wouldn't have gone crazy,: Heero pointed out.
:You know, that's what I love about you, Hee-chan,: Duo said, wrapping an arm around Heero's waist, not caring if anyone saw him. Actually, there was no one conscious to see him, so it wasn't much of a problem. :You're so friendly.:
Heero made a show of grumbling and gave Duo's braid a slight tug, but it was gentle, and Duo could feel that he was satisfied with himself.
:But that doesn't change the fact that I'm a murdering, half-crazy mage,: Duo continued. :Even if I didn't use my powers most of the time, I'm still not exactly the sort of person who should be trusted with powers like ours. Wow, I think Quatre's beginning to get a little irritated,: he commented, watching as one of the guards went flying through the air before he collided with a wall and collapsed.
:They should have figured out by now that that isn't going to work,: Heero said disapprovingly, watching as Trowa placed a hand on Quatre's shoulder, raised the other to the hall, and suddenly the stone floor opened up, and all of the soldiers waiting for them fell through. A few seconds later the stone was back in place (minus the rugs) and they walked through the rest of the hall unmolested. :And you are a good person to have the power,: Heero told him.
:What?!:
:Baka,: Heero muttered.
:You've been spending too much time with Wufei,: Duo observed. :And what the hell are you talking about? Giving the power to someone who killed his best friend wasn't exactly a brilliant move on destiny's part.:
:You didn't know. You've never intentionally hurt anyone using your powers, have you?:
:No.:
:Have you ever used your powers to gain advantage for yourself?:
:Not until I met you guys.:
:If we survive, will you use your powers to make yourself wealthy or hurt other people?:
:Of course not!:
:And you don't think that others wouldn't?:
The question made Duo pause. Would others do that? He couldn't... wouldn't ever... It was more than just what had happened to Solo, although that was a large part - he just couldn't picture himself using the power that way - it wasn't right. It was as simple as that - his powers weren't supposed to be used that way. Would someone else see it differently?
:None of us used our powers to help ourselves aside from a bit of healing. Most people wouldn't be that scrupulous.:
:I guess so.:
:Between the five of us, we have enough power to completely destroy the world, or to take it. What would Treize do if he had the power?:
Duo shuddered. :He'd probably use it to take over the entire world. No one would stand a chance against him.:
:Or against us.:
:Yeah, I see what you mean. There are a lot of assholes out there that I wouldn't want to give that sort of power to. But that doesn't mean that I'm anyone's first choice, either.:
:Duo,: Heero said, getting that stubborn look on his face. Duo could tell, his lips tightened a tiny bit, and tiny little creases appeared around the corners of his eyes. Yup, definitely in stubborn mode. :You were given the power because you were the best for it. So was I. So were all of us, because we wouldn't use it that way, even though we could, and because we are willing to risk our lives, even though we don't have to. You should have the power. You wouldn't be you without it. Baka.: Heero gave his braid one last tug.
Duo stared at him. I think that's the single longest statement I've ever heard from him when it wasn't required, Duo found himself thinking, then shook himself out of it. If Heero really believed that he was the best person to have the power, even if he was half-crazy, maybe there was some truth to it. Heero gave him a smug smile.
They ascended another flight of stairs, and entered another hallway full of guards and soldiers. Are they funneling their entire army into these stupid halls? Duo wondered, then asked, :Hey, Q? You want me to take some of them for a while?:
:That's quite all right, I can handle this,: Quatre said primly, and Duo sighed. He was beginning to understand that Quatre used politeness as a mask just as often as Duo used acting like an idiot. He thought acting like an idiot was more fun, but to each his own. Anyway, that meant that Quatre was still very angry, or hurt, or something, but wasn't ready to let the rest of them know.
:Are you sure? I'm getting a little bored back here.:
:Well, if you really want to...:
Duo sighed. He couldn't believe that Quatre was prepared to be polite over which of them was going to beat up the guards as they stormed the enemy's palace. :No, that's OK. I bet you have a lot of aggression to work off, anyway. Keep at it, you're doing fine.:
:Thank you,: Quatre replied, then Duo felt some sort of effort from him, and every one of the guards dropped unconscious. Definitely getting irritated.
:This might be easier if you just knocked out everyone in the palace and let them sort it out later,: Duo suggested.
:Good idea,: Quatre murmured, and Duo felt another wave of power come out from him. Suddenly the entire palace was unnaturally silent. :Let's get this over with.:
:We don't have to, if you don't want,: Trowa said softly, but Duo caught the comment.
Quatre pulled himself upright, straightening his shoulders. :No. He's done too much. He's gone too far. We... I have to end this.:
:We're here with you,: Duo told him.
:Thank you,: Quatre said softly.
They continued up three more levels without any interference from anyone, all the way straight to Treize's personal quarters. Suddenly there was a woman with glasses and her hair done in severe buns standing in front of them. She was dressed in pants, and both carried a crossbow and held up a glowing hand. "Stop," she said in a cold voice. "I cannot allow you to harm King Treize."
:Who is she?: Duo asked the group.
:Lady Une. She's a Hunter, and one of Treize's top aides,: Trowa said, his mental voice sounding strained. :She's the one who captured me the first time... and she took care of me when I had no memory.:
Duo grimaced. :What do you want to do?:
"Lady, you were kind to me when I had no memory, and for that I am grateful," Trowa said out loud. "But you also hurt Quatre, and kept me from him, and I can't forgive that. This one time I will let you go. If I see you again, I'll kill you."
Her lips tightened into a thin line and she didn't move.
"Hey lady, you don't stand a chance against us," Duo said. "Just get out of here."
"I will not allow you to reach Treize," she repeated. Trowa made a slight motion with his hand, and she vanished. Duo traced the magic signature down to the dungeon right near where they'd found Quatre.
:It should take her some time to get back up here,: Trowa remarked quietly.
"Good," Quatre said out loud, his face expressionless. "Lets get this over with." He pushed open the door to Treize's study and stepped inside. The others immediately followed him, with Trowa barely a step behind, on hand on Quatre's wrist, ready to provide support, either emotional or magical, if he needed it.
Treize looked just the way Duo remembered him from that one short meeting all those months ago. Cool, composed... it still made Duo want to rip his face off. He sat behind his desk, an unconcerned expression on his face, but Duo could feel his... well, it wasn't quite fear, exactly, but he was nervous, at least.
Quatre took another step into the room and stopped, staring at Treize, his face outwardly composed, although Duo could feel the tension radiating off him in waves. He was so tense that Duo was surprised that he wasn't vibrating.
"So they found him," Treize said calmly, looking at Trowa.
"It was only a matter of time," Quatre replied in the exact same tone of voice. "We're linked by our magic. The only reason that your trick lasted as long as it did was because I lost my magic, and they thought that was because of his death. Once they found out that it was me they weren't sensing, they knew he was alive, and then they found him." Quatre paused for a moment, then continued, "Why did you do it? You could have endangered the entire world."
"So you do know what is coming," Treize murmured.
"And so do you. So how could you do it, knowing everything that was at stake?"
"But that's why I had to do it," Treize said quietly. "This will be the greatest battle in over a thousand years of man's history. I am given to understand that after this battle, mages such as yourselves will become common, and my kind - the weak mages now known as faeries - will disappear. After the battle, we will be inconsequential. This is the only chance I have to participate."
"All of this... you did all of this, killed my father, killed my people, hurt me, hurt Trowa... so you could participate in a war?!" Quatre demanded, a horrified expression on his face.
"Destiny," Treize corrected.
"You were wrong," Quatre said, his voice taking on a bit of a chill. "It may not seem that way to you, but there are more important things for you than the defense of this world - like the lives of your people. It's our destiny to fight for this world, not yours."
"And if you kill me, what will happen to my people..."
"There's a war coming - they need a leader who will protect them, not who is off chasing destiny," Quatre cut him off. "This is the second time you've ordered your men to attack your own people - the first time was when you turned everyone against us mages, and the second time was at my home. You don't care what happens to the people."
Now Treize began to look a little upset, but Duo was more interested in the power building up in Quatre. "That's not fair," Treize stated. "What about you? If you were truly interested in the welfare of your people, you would have remained hidden. You knew you could do more for them as heir than as a faery, but you chose to save one child instead. What is one child compared to an entire province?"
:Asshole!: Duo hissed to Heero. :How can he compare Quatre saving someone's life with him taking ours away?!:
"Everything," Quatre said softly. "And it had to happen, or I would never have met them," he gestured to the others. "It's been planned for a millennia, and you're not included in that plan."
"Better to die like this than live in obscurity," Treize replied calmly, standing up and removing the pendant that made him look completely human.
Duo felt the power in Quatre rise to a crescendo as he raised a glowing hand, clenched it into a fist, and then made a gesture towards Treize. Duo shielded his eyes as the power washed over all of them, then he felt shock from Quatre... opened them... Treize was still standing there, watching Quatre. Quatre tilted his head slightly, looking at Treize, his hand still poised to strike... why had he pulled the blow?
Suddenly Quatre's eyes opened wide, and he took a step back, partially covering his face with his hand. Duo saw horror there, just as he gasped, "By the gods... oh no!" He turned his head away, as if he couldn't bear to look at Treize.
:Quatre, what's wrong?: Duo actually beat Trowa in asking that question.
:He... I... oh gods...: Quatre repeated, then took a deep breath and backed up another step, never taking his eyes off of Treize, who looked as puzzled by his behavior as everyone else. :We're leaving,: he said shortly. The panic was gone, but not the shock and horror.
"What?" Duo asked, so surprised he reverted to physical speech. "Are you sure you don't want to kill him?"
Quatre shook his head emphatically. :We can't. We have to leave now,: he insisted.
Trowa reached out to touch Quatre, who shook off his hand. :I'm fine, really, but we have to leave now, before it's too late.:
Suddenly Wufei stiffened and muttered a curse in his own language. :He's right. We must leave.: He turned and headed out the door.
"Wait, what's going on!" Treize demanded, looking frustrated. For once Duo knew how he felt.
"I'm sorry," Quatre said in a half-whisper, looking at Treize.
"You can't leave like this..." Treize protested.
Quatre bit his lip and shook his head, still backing towards the door. "Be careful what you wish for," he murmured, and then turned and fled, Trowa on his heels.
Duo turned to look at Heero, who was looking at Treize. After a few seconds, he shook his head slightly, looked at Duo and raised his shoulders an eighth of an inch, his version of a shrug.
:Come on!: Quatre said, his voice urgent.
Duo shrugged himself, then the two of them went to join the others. Quatre had a whole lot of explaining to do.
--------------------------------------
"All right, Quatre, now what was that?" Duo asked a few minutes later. Quatre had hustled them to the nearest window and jumped out before he even popped out his wings. Duo's heart had nearly jumped out of his mouth, and he was quite certain that he'd never seen that expression on Trowa's face before. A few seconds later Quatre had risen back up to window level, looking at them and demanding to know when they were coming. They'd all popped their wings out and then followed him.
He'd led them at top speed north, away from the Palace, and then finally landed just outside the city gates before landing, ignoring the stares that they were getting. He didn't bother to hide his wings, either.
"And shouldn't we be hiding, or something?" Duo asked, glancing at a couple of travelers who'd stopped to stare at them. Heero glared at them, and they decided that they had pressing business elsewhere.
"It doesn't matter, now," Quatre said. "It's almost time. We've got to get moving."
"All right, Quatre, slow down. First you have to explain what just happened, and what the hell you're talking about. Why did you pull the blow and let Treize go?"
Quatre stared at him. "You didn't feel it? I didn't pull the blow."
Duo stared at him. "What?" he asked blankly. "That' s impossible, if you didn't pull it, it should have flattened him..."
"I didn't, and it should have," Quatre said, shaking his head.
"But how..."
"It's him, he's the enemy," Quatre said. "But he doesn't know it yet."
"What?"
"The enemy. Don't you remember? Except for the demons they send across the enemy operates almost entirely through humans - mages - from our world?" Quatre asked, his voice rising with every word. "They've chosen Treize, and he doesn't know it yet, and they're protecting him. It's good planning, on their part, actually - he's got enormous resources, dozens of mages, and thousands of soldiers that the demons can possess and throw at us."
"So why did we have to get out of there so fast?"
Quatre shook his head again. "I just made the situation worse. Again," he said, shame-faced.
"How?" Heero asked before Duo could come up with anything to respond to that.
"He doesn't know, not yet. But he's going to figure out - soon - that I didn't pull the blow, and then he's going to figure out how much power he really has, and then it's over," Quatre said, looking sad. "It's like possession - it's probably been creeping up on him for a long time - the Treize I remember as a child would never have ordered the imprisonment of the faeries, or the attack on my home. He was cool, sometimes, but never that cruel. When he realizes... they'll take over completely. They'll probably take over most of his staff, too, and his soldiers during battles..." Quatre shuddered. "We're going to have to fight most of Oz's army to get to him. And he's the one we have to kill." He looked even sadder at that.
"Woah, if we have to kill him, why didn't you just kill him?" Duo asked.
"I couldn't. The possession isn't complete yet. They were protecting him, anyway. We need to wait until the possession is complete before we strike. Don't you remember, our predecessors tried that, before the possession was complete, but all they did was kill the human host and then the demons chose another."
Duo paused to access the memories Thantos had given him, and he could feel the others doing the same. "You're right," Duo said after a minute. "Shit. All this time sneaking around, and it turns out Treize was it all the time? So how long do we have until he figures it out and they take over?"
"A few weeks. Maybe. He's not dumb. That's why we have to hurry."
"Hurry? Where?"
"We're going to head to the border of Sank. Do you think you can find that woman... Po, was her name?" he asked. "She said that she had a lodge on the edge of Oz's territory, right? We'll go there first."
"First?"
"I think it would be best if we pulled back to the fort down in the Southern Desert - the Manganacs will provide some physical protection, and there's less there to destroy. We don't need to turn all of Oz into another wasteland."
Duo felt as if he was missing at least half of this conversation, and switched to the often-more-clear mental communication. :All right Quatre. Slowly now. Why are we going to see her, and why would we go to the Southern Desert?: he asked silently.
:There's going to be a war: us versus Treize and all of his people. We're more powerful, but he's got a lot more people. We're going to her to tell her what's going on, to get her people to pull out, if they can, or they'll get caught up in this. She can also inform Relena of what's going on. We can also collect all of the mages in Sank and bring them back with us. We'll collect the mages from Oz as we travel south, and then hole up in the fort down there. That ought to protect us from physical attacks, and we can concentrate on defeating the magical ones. Got it?:
:The other mages?: Wufei sounded surprised.
:Yes, of course, that's why we were captured in the first place, so I could meet them,: Quatre said, once again disregarding logic. :I've already sent out word - they know what's happening, and will start moving towards the main road, so we can pick them up as we move. We're going to have to move fast,: he mused to himself. :Trowa, that spell you used to transport us, can you use that to move many people down to the base at once?:
:Possibly, if we can get a big group of them together...: Trowa said slowly, his eyes narrowing. :There's a nexus of energy a few hours walk from the base - I can send them there, and they'll have to walk the rest of the way.:
:Good. We'll have to stop at my home for supplies for a siege,: Quatre said, then faltered. :Iria... was all right?: he asked haltingly.
:She was fine, last we saw her,: Duo assured him. :Last we saw her, she'd gathered all the survivors together to hold the place until your soldiers could arrive. We healed all of the wounded, too.:
Quatre visibly flinched when he mentioned survivors, but nodded gratefully when he finished. :Then she'll be all right, at least for now. I hope they have enough supplies...:
:If they don't, we can magic them,: Duo said.
:If we have enough magic to spare,: Heero said grimly.
They all fell silent, sifting through their predecessor's memories of the utter exhaustion they'd felt near the end of the war, when they barely had enough energy to move, let alone fight, and their power was the only thing sustaining them. They'd had none to spare then.
:We'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen,: Quatre said firmly.
:Wait, are you sure that you're all right?: Duo asked as Quatre spread his wings and prepared to take off again. :I mean, have you eaten in the last couple of days?:
:My power will sustain me until we get to the border,: Quatre assured them, and Duo noticed that he avoided actually answering the question. :I'll get some food there.:
Duo frowned, remembering that incident back in Sank when they'd first managed to successfully combine their powers when Quatre hadn't told anyone about how exhausted he actually was and had ended up getting himself knocked unconscious. He was about to mention it when he heard a whisper of communication between Quatre and Trowa, and Quatre paled slightly. "I'm fine," he insisted. "I'm not going to burn myself out, I promise."
Trowa raised one eyebrow, and Quatre blushed slightly.
"I will eat when we get there, and then I will sleep," he said coaxingly, opening his eyes a little wider. Manipulative little thing, Duo observed as he watched Trowa's reaction to that (the lowering of said eyebrow), and felt Heero's slight amusement and agreement with that statement. "I'll be very careful, I promise, but we don't have any time to waste."
"Burnout?" Trowa asked quietly, putting a wealth of questions into that one word. Duo had noticed that he seemed to have made an art form of that practice. Even Heero tended to use two or three words when he grunted his replies. He wondered if Trowa talked more when he and Quatre were alone.
"I know we can't afford to have me burn out right now," Quatre responded. "But I won't, and if we don't get up there right away, it won't matter if I burn out or not. We need to get there now. I promise I'll rest when we get there."
Duo glanced first at Heero, then at Trowa.
:I'll keep an eye on him,: Trowa said silently.
"Ah, guys? Remember, I can hear all that stuff," Quatre said hesitantly. "Sorry, but I can't help it."
"I remember," Trowa said calmly, and Quatre flushed again.
"Oh. Well, can we go then?" Quatre asked, looking at Trowa, obviously seeking his permission. That was something Duo didn't remember seeing before, and wondered if they'd done this before in private or if something had changed because of what had happened to them. He found himself hoping that it was the former.
Trowa's lips twitched upwards, and Quatre beamed at him before becoming serious again. He spread his wings and slowly rose into the air. "Come on," he called, and suddenly took off.
:Quick little bugger,: Duo remarked, but the only response he got was a grunt from Heero and silence from the other two as they struggled to catch up. Except for Wufei, they all had somewhat 'normal' wings, so they actually had to work to fly, whereas the other two just sort of moved.
Whatever weakness Quatre was feeling because of his imprisonment was not readily apparent as he flew, obviously determined to reach the edge of Oz before sunset. Duo was about to shake his head at the urgency that Quatre was practically radiating, when he realized that he felt the same urgency himself. They all felt it - Trowa had to, or he would never have let Quatre exert himself like this. For a moment he was transported back to the dream they'd shared, all those months ago, back in the compound when they were Treize's prisoners.
Now the urgency they all felt was real, and the battle was coming... in the dream - nightmare, really - they'd been too late.
That wasn't going to happen this time.
--------------------------------------
They did make it to the border of Oz before sunset, where Quatre promptly broke his promise to eat something. He was too busy explaining the situation to Sally Po, who was remarkably quick in getting over her shock and moving on to actually being useful. She immediately pulled out a map and told them where the concentration of Oz's forces were, at least in the last few weeks.
"Miss Po," Quatre said after a long while. "You have to pull all of your people out of Oz."
Sally stared at him. "I can't do that."
Quatre shook his head emphatically. "You don't understand. Any of them that are actually working for Treize... if they stay, they won't be your people any more. The demons are going to take over his forces, and once they take one of your people, they'll know about your entire network, or at least as much as that person knows, and they'll work through it as quickly as they can."
Sally stared at him some more. "Possessed?"
"Yes. They're not going to be in charge of their own bodies anymore. They'll be like... puppets, dolls... not really even people anymore." Quatre's expressive face revealed deep sorrow.
Sally paled slightly. "I'll send out the orders immediately," she said, rising and walking back out into the main room.
Heero glanced around the room, testing the atmosphere. Quatre looked exhausted, which was no surprise, under the circumstances, and Trowa was a hair away from putting Quatre to sleep using his power. Actually, Duo was pretty close to doing the same thing, and had been shooting Quatre dirty looks for the past hour, especially after Quatre started yawning, politely excusing himself each time. Wufei had withdrawn into the corner as soon as they arrived and hadn't said anything, content with muttering and grunting to himself. Heero didn't care enough to ask what it was, but he'd seen Wufei mouth the word 'onna' more than once, and given the way he was glaring at Sally, it didn't take a genius to figure out what was the problem.
Heero had been cautiously impressed by her apparent competence and skill when they'd arrived. She'd taken one look at them as they walked into the front room of her lodge, cloaked in illusions to make them look human, and told an assistant to take over for her, immediately ushering them into a back room and closing the door. It appeared to be some sort of office, but Heero's sharp eyes had immediately picked out several discrepancies - things that should not have been in the office of a woman who ran an inn. Like the sword carefully hidden under the table, strapped to the underside, invisible unless you knew what to be looking for. There were also far too many maps visible, carefully stored away and labeled, but with no good reason to be there. He also thought he saw a number of other weapons hidden around the room, but they were well concealed.
Sally apparently noticed his eyes resting on the concealed sword, because she smiled apologetically. "It's not great, but I don't let many people back here, anyway, and those that do - the ones who notice - just think I'm paranoid."
She'd also correctly identified them all by their full names as soon as they were in her office and didn't ask any stupid questions about how they'd gotten here so quickly. She listened to the entire story and Quatre's plans without interrupting, and then produced those maps. And the entire time she patiently ignored Wufei glaring at her, Trowa's blank gaze, Duo's barely-hidden skepticism, and his own intense gaze. Maybe she could be useful.
She had told them one piece of interesting, if not useful, information. She had more access to the prophecies that Treize had been obsessing about than they did, and told them that Treize was usually called the Seeker. It was just as Quatre had said - he was looking for destiny, and it was going to find him.
A few minutes later she reappeared carrying a large tray with several plates of food on it. She set it down on her desk. "I've already sent word, but I'm actually going to have to travel through some parts of Oz to recall some of them," she reported. "And you're welcome to stay here as long as you need, although I agree with you that speed key right now."
Quatre nodded, then glanced at the tray. "What's that?"
"Dinner. I apologize, but if you don't mind me saying so, you look terrible," Sally said honestly. Quatre jumped slightly and shot a guilty glance at Trowa, who raised his eyebrow. The corner of his lip twitched upwards, too.
"Ah, thank you," Quatre said, immediately picking up one the plates and carefully taking a bite of the bread she'd provided. "It's kind of you to notice."
"Sorry, kid, but I have to be honest - you'd have to be half-blind not to notice," Sally said, and Wufei snorted and muttered something under his breath.
:Did I just hear Wufei complaining about someone being rude?: Duo asked with a grin as he took a big bite of the meat on his plate. The result was rather disgusting, as Duo had known it would be.
:Baka,: Heero muttered before getting a plate himself.
Trowa also retrieved a plate for himself, but Wufei showed no signs of coming out of his corner. Sally apparently noticed. "You want this?" she asked, gesturing to the plate but making no move to carry it to him.
:Good for her,: Duo remarked, his mouth full. As Wufei had once complained right after they gained the ability to speak mind-to-mind, having food in his mouth was no longer an obstacle to Duo's talking. Of course, it wasn't much of an obstacle before. :What's his problem anyway?:
Heero let his silence speak for him. He didn't know why Wufei had a prejudice against any women, but suspected that it had something to do with his deceased wife. From what little Wufei had told him, Meiran had emphatically not been weak, maybe he was comparing all other women to the memory of his wife.
Duo snorted, not at Heero's thoughts, which he'd been careful to keep masked for Wufei's privacy (what little he knew had been told in confidence, and he wasn't about to break that), but at Heero's silence, which he took to mean that Heero didn't know. He made a lot of assumptions like that, sometimes. Then he levitated the plate using his magic and floated it over to Wufei. :Come on, Wuffie,: he coaxed, using a name that he knew Wufei hated. :It's not going to kill you just because it was made by a woman. Most food is, actually.:
Wufei growled something intelligible, but he did snatch the dish out of the air and started eating, shooting a positively poisonous glare at Duo.
:Wufei,: Heero said warningly.
Wufei's eyes met his for a brief instant, and he saw something like apology in them for a moment before it disappeared. Wufei inclined his head ever so slightly in Heero's direction, then resumed eating, this time without glaring at Duo.
Quatre finished his food very quickly. Sally had been carefully studying him as he ate, and when he finished, she asked, "Were they starving you?"
Quatre's head snapped up before he could control his reaction. "What?"
"I am a bit of a healer. Not like you guys, but I know something about herbal healing, and I know how to diagnose people. Have you eaten recently?"
"I'll be fine," Quatre said with a nervous glance at Trowa, whose visible eye narrowed slightly, then narrowed further, and Quatre suddenly jumped to his feet. "I... I think I'd like to go to sleep now," he said in what was probably the most awkward attempt at grace that Heero had ever seen Quatre make.
Sally looked more than a little confused, but nodded towards the door. "I've had my people prepare a room, go upstairs, it's the third one on the right."
"Thank you very much," Quatre said as Trowa also stood up, placed a hand around Quatre's shoulder, and guided him towards the door. Heero saw Quatre lean his head against Trowa's shoulder just before they disappeared from view.
:Awe, isn't that cute?: Duo remarked. :You think they're ever actually going to become lovers, or are they just going to think about it forever?:
:Duo!: Wufei exclaimed, sounding horrified.
"That's the first time someone's ever taken my advice so seriously," Sally remarked, a puzzled frown on her face, and Duo burst out laughing.
"Sorry, but that wasn't you. I think Trowa finally put his foot down," Duo told her. "Quat has this nasty habit of not telling anyone when he's not feeling well, and I think Tro's getting a little tired of it."
"Oh." Sally apparently decided to accept that statement at face value. "Well, as I said before, you're welcome to stay for as long as you want. The two rooms next to the one they're in are also yours."
As Duo started to babble his thanks, Quatre's voice said, :Oh! I almost forgot! We need someone to stay up! The mages from Sank will be arriving all of tonight and most of tomorrow!:
Heero glanced at Duo, who had paused. :Don't worry, I'll take care of it,: Duo quickly said, and then continued his babbling.
:They're going to be confused,: Quatre continued. :Because they don't really know why they're coming here...: he suddenly broke off with a startled cry.
:They can handle it,: Trowa said firmly, as Heero wondered what Trowa had done to make Quatre react like that. :Go to sleep.:
Whatever protests Quatre might have made went unsaid as they felt him suddenly fall asleep, thanks to Trowa.
:Aren't they cute?: Duo remarked cheerfully as he continued to talk at Sally, whose eyes were beginning to look a little glazed despite her best efforts to pay attention to the rambling speech patterns that Duo fell into when he was relaxed.
:Baka.:
----------------------------------------
The first normal mage arrived a few hours later - it was a young woman mage with her normal husband, both of them completely confused, the man upset and more than a little angry. Duo, who was not the most polite of people under the best of circumstances, made a few rude remarks in response to something that the man said to him, and the pair were on the verge of leaving when Sally intervened, drawing them aside and offering them both some food and clothing, since the woman had apparently dragged her husband out of bed in the middle of the night to come here. After he found that out, Duo calmed down pretty quickly and explained the entire situation to them. They were considerably less happy after that, but the woman firmly declared that she had to stay, and surprisingly enough, the man listened to her and agreed to stay.
Wufei watched the woman firmly tell her lawful husband that they were staying, saw him capitulate to the demand, and decided to leave.
He walked out into the main room, where there were a bunch of quiet travelers finishing up their dinners. Sally was standing behind the bar, cleaning some glasses. She glanced up as he entered the room, and he deliberately avoided her gaze. This was one of the things he really didn't want to deal with right now. He headed outside.
It was dark, and it took his eyes several seconds to adjust. There was only a sliver of the moon showing, and even the magic he could see in the air all around him seemed muted, quieter for once. The only illumination came from the lone torch outside the door to greet travelers. Wufei looked around, then called his wings. It suddenly became a lot brighter as the fiery appendages sprung from his back. A few sweeps of his wings, and he was up on the roof of the two-story building. Since he'd gotten wings, he'd discovered that he enjoyed sitting on the roofs of buildings, staring at the stars. There was a better view from rooftops, and you were less likely to be disturbed there.
As soon as he'd settled himself, he made his wings disappear. He discovered, through experimentation, that they didn't just look like fire, they actually were fire, and he didn't want to set fire to the roof. Sally didn't deserve that.
He frowned as he realized that his thoughts had returned to *that* woman again. He wished he'd never met her.
His clan was one that prided itself as scholars first, warriors second. By the time he'd been instructed to get married, he'd had a very firm conception of how women were supposed to act, both in general and in respect to their husbands. Subservient, somewhat docile, always obedient... he'd been taught that all of these things were proper and to be expected in a wife.
Meiran had been none of those things. She was from a clan that was warriors first, and prided themselves on that above all else. Meiran had been their pride and joy - and a nightmare as far as Wufei was concerned. She was loud, outspoken, a warrior herself... she cooked less than he did, complained loudly in public about being saddled with a bookworm for a husband... the list went on and on. One week before their wedding, she'd challenged him to a fight. He'd refused, on the grounds that she was a woman and only weaklings fought women... well, she'd... pressed him into it.
He'd beaten her, but only just barely. It was the first time he'd actually taken the time to see her fight, and he'd been surprised. She actually was quite good. Not better than him, but still very skilled, and strong for her age.
She'd been angry, of course. Very angry. But she'd still picked herself up out of the mud and bowed carefully to him, as any honorable warrior would. He bowed back to her, and saw the surprise in her eyes, and only then realized that he was treating her like another warrior, not a woman. He'd stammered something awkwardly, cursing himself as he did so, and quickly walked away, leaving his soon-to-be-wife staring after him.
Things had changed after that. Things were still very awkward between them, although not as strained. He'd suddenly decided that if she couldn't cook, then he wasn't going to insist that she make their meals, especially since her sullen efforts had nearly poisoned both of them before. And she surprised him more than once by coming up to him while he was studying and quietly (for once) asking him what he was doing. He'd discovered that while she was no scholar, she was not stupid, either. Her questions had led to several rather violent arguments about the nature of virtue and whether or not a person had to be contemplative in order to live well.(1) They still fought, but it was a distinct improvement over infantile name-calling.
He'd had only one short week to try to adjust to the changes between them, and by the time their wedding arrived... well, they weren't in love, not even friends, but there was a grudging respect that hadn't been there before. Then came the disastrous wedding. He'd been married to her for less than fifteen minutes when the demons came, and started slaughtering the guests. At first they'd both fought alongside their families, but it soon became clear that nothing they were doing was hurting the demons, and the priest (who he now knew must have been some sort of minor mage) told them to run. He could still feel her hand in his as they fled. Then there was a snap in the back of his head as the man's shields shattered, and he stumbled. Meiran turned to look back, and suddenly jerked her hand out of his and turned to fight the demon that had just killed her uncle. He was still trying to recover his equilibrium from the strange snap in his head, and by the time he turned to pursue her, it was already too late, and she was lying on the ground at the feet of the demon in a puddle of blood. Her sword was still in her hand.
He'd frozen. In that instant, he wasn't sure if he really wanted to be the only surviving member of two Clans. He'd almost been relieved when the demons came after him. Then he started sprouting flames, and the decision was taken away from him.
When he'd finally arrived in this land, it had been easiest to fall back into his old habits and perceptions of women. It was easier, really, and most women here did fall well within his perceptions. Weak, foolish... just look at Relena's ladies-in-waiting. Even the Queen herself tended to become quite foolish when she was around Heero, although she was not that way when ruling her country. But it was easy to ignore that part of her, and it didn't bother him.
Sally... he could not ignore, couldn't dismiss, like the others. She reminded him, strongly, painfully, of Meiran, and that made him think of the future that they should have had together, the one that was now denied him. He didn't know if he ever would have been happy with her as his wife, but it would have been... interesting.
Sally was everything that a woman wasn't supposed to be, strong, independent, a fighter (if the weapons she stored in her office were any indication, which Wufei did not trust until he actually saw her fight)... everything that Meiran had been. Which was wrong, right?
Wufei clenched a fist, trying not to remember. He couldn't wait to leave.
1. This is what happens when I write a story right after studying for a test on Aristotle and the best possible life.
So, how'd I do with Wufei? I have such trouble getting into his head, but I didn't want him turning into a stereotypical two-dimensional character. Any comments (or even flames) on that would be greatly appreciated.
Once again with the good news and bad news - we've caught up with as much as I've written, so things are going to slow down now. I have about half of Part 13 written, but after that it's going to be a couple of weeks between sections, because I don't write these things for a living (although I wish I did), so I can't spend as much time on them as I'd like. Hope everyone's enjoying it so far!
Marika 5/4/01
Quatre sort of shoved his way through them, blocking any attempts at attacking him with a basic shield and then overwhelming their minds with sheer power. Even so, Duo did notice that that Quatre hadn't actually killed anyone yet. Still Quatre, even after all of that. The sheer ease with which Quatre was dealing with most of the guards in Treize's palace was kinda mind-boggling, though.
And it made Duo uneasy. He didn't think that anyone should have that kind of power, much less a half-crazy faery like him. Sure, Heero was helping him with that, as much as he could be helped, but look what had happened to Quatre, who was definitely the most 'normal' of them all, and probably the most stable, too.
:Don't be so certain,: Heero told him quietly.
:What?:
:Quatre's got problems of his own, or he wouldn't have gone crazy,: Heero pointed out.
:You know, that's what I love about you, Hee-chan,: Duo said, wrapping an arm around Heero's waist, not caring if anyone saw him. Actually, there was no one conscious to see him, so it wasn't much of a problem. :You're so friendly.:
Heero made a show of grumbling and gave Duo's braid a slight tug, but it was gentle, and Duo could feel that he was satisfied with himself.
:But that doesn't change the fact that I'm a murdering, half-crazy mage,: Duo continued. :Even if I didn't use my powers most of the time, I'm still not exactly the sort of person who should be trusted with powers like ours. Wow, I think Quatre's beginning to get a little irritated,: he commented, watching as one of the guards went flying through the air before he collided with a wall and collapsed.
:They should have figured out by now that that isn't going to work,: Heero said disapprovingly, watching as Trowa placed a hand on Quatre's shoulder, raised the other to the hall, and suddenly the stone floor opened up, and all of the soldiers waiting for them fell through. A few seconds later the stone was back in place (minus the rugs) and they walked through the rest of the hall unmolested. :And you are a good person to have the power,: Heero told him.
:What?!:
:Baka,: Heero muttered.
:You've been spending too much time with Wufei,: Duo observed. :And what the hell are you talking about? Giving the power to someone who killed his best friend wasn't exactly a brilliant move on destiny's part.:
:You didn't know. You've never intentionally hurt anyone using your powers, have you?:
:No.:
:Have you ever used your powers to gain advantage for yourself?:
:Not until I met you guys.:
:If we survive, will you use your powers to make yourself wealthy or hurt other people?:
:Of course not!:
:And you don't think that others wouldn't?:
The question made Duo pause. Would others do that? He couldn't... wouldn't ever... It was more than just what had happened to Solo, although that was a large part - he just couldn't picture himself using the power that way - it wasn't right. It was as simple as that - his powers weren't supposed to be used that way. Would someone else see it differently?
:None of us used our powers to help ourselves aside from a bit of healing. Most people wouldn't be that scrupulous.:
:I guess so.:
:Between the five of us, we have enough power to completely destroy the world, or to take it. What would Treize do if he had the power?:
Duo shuddered. :He'd probably use it to take over the entire world. No one would stand a chance against him.:
:Or against us.:
:Yeah, I see what you mean. There are a lot of assholes out there that I wouldn't want to give that sort of power to. But that doesn't mean that I'm anyone's first choice, either.:
:Duo,: Heero said, getting that stubborn look on his face. Duo could tell, his lips tightened a tiny bit, and tiny little creases appeared around the corners of his eyes. Yup, definitely in stubborn mode. :You were given the power because you were the best for it. So was I. So were all of us, because we wouldn't use it that way, even though we could, and because we are willing to risk our lives, even though we don't have to. You should have the power. You wouldn't be you without it. Baka.: Heero gave his braid one last tug.
Duo stared at him. I think that's the single longest statement I've ever heard from him when it wasn't required, Duo found himself thinking, then shook himself out of it. If Heero really believed that he was the best person to have the power, even if he was half-crazy, maybe there was some truth to it. Heero gave him a smug smile.
They ascended another flight of stairs, and entered another hallway full of guards and soldiers. Are they funneling their entire army into these stupid halls? Duo wondered, then asked, :Hey, Q? You want me to take some of them for a while?:
:That's quite all right, I can handle this,: Quatre said primly, and Duo sighed. He was beginning to understand that Quatre used politeness as a mask just as often as Duo used acting like an idiot. He thought acting like an idiot was more fun, but to each his own. Anyway, that meant that Quatre was still very angry, or hurt, or something, but wasn't ready to let the rest of them know.
:Are you sure? I'm getting a little bored back here.:
:Well, if you really want to...:
Duo sighed. He couldn't believe that Quatre was prepared to be polite over which of them was going to beat up the guards as they stormed the enemy's palace. :No, that's OK. I bet you have a lot of aggression to work off, anyway. Keep at it, you're doing fine.:
:Thank you,: Quatre replied, then Duo felt some sort of effort from him, and every one of the guards dropped unconscious. Definitely getting irritated.
:This might be easier if you just knocked out everyone in the palace and let them sort it out later,: Duo suggested.
:Good idea,: Quatre murmured, and Duo felt another wave of power come out from him. Suddenly the entire palace was unnaturally silent. :Let's get this over with.:
:We don't have to, if you don't want,: Trowa said softly, but Duo caught the comment.
Quatre pulled himself upright, straightening his shoulders. :No. He's done too much. He's gone too far. We... I have to end this.:
:We're here with you,: Duo told him.
:Thank you,: Quatre said softly.
They continued up three more levels without any interference from anyone, all the way straight to Treize's personal quarters. Suddenly there was a woman with glasses and her hair done in severe buns standing in front of them. She was dressed in pants, and both carried a crossbow and held up a glowing hand. "Stop," she said in a cold voice. "I cannot allow you to harm King Treize."
:Who is she?: Duo asked the group.
:Lady Une. She's a Hunter, and one of Treize's top aides,: Trowa said, his mental voice sounding strained. :She's the one who captured me the first time... and she took care of me when I had no memory.:
Duo grimaced. :What do you want to do?:
"Lady, you were kind to me when I had no memory, and for that I am grateful," Trowa said out loud. "But you also hurt Quatre, and kept me from him, and I can't forgive that. This one time I will let you go. If I see you again, I'll kill you."
Her lips tightened into a thin line and she didn't move.
"Hey lady, you don't stand a chance against us," Duo said. "Just get out of here."
"I will not allow you to reach Treize," she repeated. Trowa made a slight motion with his hand, and she vanished. Duo traced the magic signature down to the dungeon right near where they'd found Quatre.
:It should take her some time to get back up here,: Trowa remarked quietly.
"Good," Quatre said out loud, his face expressionless. "Lets get this over with." He pushed open the door to Treize's study and stepped inside. The others immediately followed him, with Trowa barely a step behind, on hand on Quatre's wrist, ready to provide support, either emotional or magical, if he needed it.
Treize looked just the way Duo remembered him from that one short meeting all those months ago. Cool, composed... it still made Duo want to rip his face off. He sat behind his desk, an unconcerned expression on his face, but Duo could feel his... well, it wasn't quite fear, exactly, but he was nervous, at least.
Quatre took another step into the room and stopped, staring at Treize, his face outwardly composed, although Duo could feel the tension radiating off him in waves. He was so tense that Duo was surprised that he wasn't vibrating.
"So they found him," Treize said calmly, looking at Trowa.
"It was only a matter of time," Quatre replied in the exact same tone of voice. "We're linked by our magic. The only reason that your trick lasted as long as it did was because I lost my magic, and they thought that was because of his death. Once they found out that it was me they weren't sensing, they knew he was alive, and then they found him." Quatre paused for a moment, then continued, "Why did you do it? You could have endangered the entire world."
"So you do know what is coming," Treize murmured.
"And so do you. So how could you do it, knowing everything that was at stake?"
"But that's why I had to do it," Treize said quietly. "This will be the greatest battle in over a thousand years of man's history. I am given to understand that after this battle, mages such as yourselves will become common, and my kind - the weak mages now known as faeries - will disappear. After the battle, we will be inconsequential. This is the only chance I have to participate."
"All of this... you did all of this, killed my father, killed my people, hurt me, hurt Trowa... so you could participate in a war?!" Quatre demanded, a horrified expression on his face.
"Destiny," Treize corrected.
"You were wrong," Quatre said, his voice taking on a bit of a chill. "It may not seem that way to you, but there are more important things for you than the defense of this world - like the lives of your people. It's our destiny to fight for this world, not yours."
"And if you kill me, what will happen to my people..."
"There's a war coming - they need a leader who will protect them, not who is off chasing destiny," Quatre cut him off. "This is the second time you've ordered your men to attack your own people - the first time was when you turned everyone against us mages, and the second time was at my home. You don't care what happens to the people."
Now Treize began to look a little upset, but Duo was more interested in the power building up in Quatre. "That's not fair," Treize stated. "What about you? If you were truly interested in the welfare of your people, you would have remained hidden. You knew you could do more for them as heir than as a faery, but you chose to save one child instead. What is one child compared to an entire province?"
:Asshole!: Duo hissed to Heero. :How can he compare Quatre saving someone's life with him taking ours away?!:
"Everything," Quatre said softly. "And it had to happen, or I would never have met them," he gestured to the others. "It's been planned for a millennia, and you're not included in that plan."
"Better to die like this than live in obscurity," Treize replied calmly, standing up and removing the pendant that made him look completely human.
Duo felt the power in Quatre rise to a crescendo as he raised a glowing hand, clenched it into a fist, and then made a gesture towards Treize. Duo shielded his eyes as the power washed over all of them, then he felt shock from Quatre... opened them... Treize was still standing there, watching Quatre. Quatre tilted his head slightly, looking at Treize, his hand still poised to strike... why had he pulled the blow?
Suddenly Quatre's eyes opened wide, and he took a step back, partially covering his face with his hand. Duo saw horror there, just as he gasped, "By the gods... oh no!" He turned his head away, as if he couldn't bear to look at Treize.
:Quatre, what's wrong?: Duo actually beat Trowa in asking that question.
:He... I... oh gods...: Quatre repeated, then took a deep breath and backed up another step, never taking his eyes off of Treize, who looked as puzzled by his behavior as everyone else. :We're leaving,: he said shortly. The panic was gone, but not the shock and horror.
"What?" Duo asked, so surprised he reverted to physical speech. "Are you sure you don't want to kill him?"
Quatre shook his head emphatically. :We can't. We have to leave now,: he insisted.
Trowa reached out to touch Quatre, who shook off his hand. :I'm fine, really, but we have to leave now, before it's too late.:
Suddenly Wufei stiffened and muttered a curse in his own language. :He's right. We must leave.: He turned and headed out the door.
"Wait, what's going on!" Treize demanded, looking frustrated. For once Duo knew how he felt.
"I'm sorry," Quatre said in a half-whisper, looking at Treize.
"You can't leave like this..." Treize protested.
Quatre bit his lip and shook his head, still backing towards the door. "Be careful what you wish for," he murmured, and then turned and fled, Trowa on his heels.
Duo turned to look at Heero, who was looking at Treize. After a few seconds, he shook his head slightly, looked at Duo and raised his shoulders an eighth of an inch, his version of a shrug.
:Come on!: Quatre said, his voice urgent.
Duo shrugged himself, then the two of them went to join the others. Quatre had a whole lot of explaining to do.
--------------------------------------
"All right, Quatre, now what was that?" Duo asked a few minutes later. Quatre had hustled them to the nearest window and jumped out before he even popped out his wings. Duo's heart had nearly jumped out of his mouth, and he was quite certain that he'd never seen that expression on Trowa's face before. A few seconds later Quatre had risen back up to window level, looking at them and demanding to know when they were coming. They'd all popped their wings out and then followed him.
He'd led them at top speed north, away from the Palace, and then finally landed just outside the city gates before landing, ignoring the stares that they were getting. He didn't bother to hide his wings, either.
"And shouldn't we be hiding, or something?" Duo asked, glancing at a couple of travelers who'd stopped to stare at them. Heero glared at them, and they decided that they had pressing business elsewhere.
"It doesn't matter, now," Quatre said. "It's almost time. We've got to get moving."
"All right, Quatre, slow down. First you have to explain what just happened, and what the hell you're talking about. Why did you pull the blow and let Treize go?"
Quatre stared at him. "You didn't feel it? I didn't pull the blow."
Duo stared at him. "What?" he asked blankly. "That' s impossible, if you didn't pull it, it should have flattened him..."
"I didn't, and it should have," Quatre said, shaking his head.
"But how..."
"It's him, he's the enemy," Quatre said. "But he doesn't know it yet."
"What?"
"The enemy. Don't you remember? Except for the demons they send across the enemy operates almost entirely through humans - mages - from our world?" Quatre asked, his voice rising with every word. "They've chosen Treize, and he doesn't know it yet, and they're protecting him. It's good planning, on their part, actually - he's got enormous resources, dozens of mages, and thousands of soldiers that the demons can possess and throw at us."
"So why did we have to get out of there so fast?"
Quatre shook his head again. "I just made the situation worse. Again," he said, shame-faced.
"How?" Heero asked before Duo could come up with anything to respond to that.
"He doesn't know, not yet. But he's going to figure out - soon - that I didn't pull the blow, and then he's going to figure out how much power he really has, and then it's over," Quatre said, looking sad. "It's like possession - it's probably been creeping up on him for a long time - the Treize I remember as a child would never have ordered the imprisonment of the faeries, or the attack on my home. He was cool, sometimes, but never that cruel. When he realizes... they'll take over completely. They'll probably take over most of his staff, too, and his soldiers during battles..." Quatre shuddered. "We're going to have to fight most of Oz's army to get to him. And he's the one we have to kill." He looked even sadder at that.
"Woah, if we have to kill him, why didn't you just kill him?" Duo asked.
"I couldn't. The possession isn't complete yet. They were protecting him, anyway. We need to wait until the possession is complete before we strike. Don't you remember, our predecessors tried that, before the possession was complete, but all they did was kill the human host and then the demons chose another."
Duo paused to access the memories Thantos had given him, and he could feel the others doing the same. "You're right," Duo said after a minute. "Shit. All this time sneaking around, and it turns out Treize was it all the time? So how long do we have until he figures it out and they take over?"
"A few weeks. Maybe. He's not dumb. That's why we have to hurry."
"Hurry? Where?"
"We're going to head to the border of Sank. Do you think you can find that woman... Po, was her name?" he asked. "She said that she had a lodge on the edge of Oz's territory, right? We'll go there first."
"First?"
"I think it would be best if we pulled back to the fort down in the Southern Desert - the Manganacs will provide some physical protection, and there's less there to destroy. We don't need to turn all of Oz into another wasteland."
Duo felt as if he was missing at least half of this conversation, and switched to the often-more-clear mental communication. :All right Quatre. Slowly now. Why are we going to see her, and why would we go to the Southern Desert?: he asked silently.
:There's going to be a war: us versus Treize and all of his people. We're more powerful, but he's got a lot more people. We're going to her to tell her what's going on, to get her people to pull out, if they can, or they'll get caught up in this. She can also inform Relena of what's going on. We can also collect all of the mages in Sank and bring them back with us. We'll collect the mages from Oz as we travel south, and then hole up in the fort down there. That ought to protect us from physical attacks, and we can concentrate on defeating the magical ones. Got it?:
:The other mages?: Wufei sounded surprised.
:Yes, of course, that's why we were captured in the first place, so I could meet them,: Quatre said, once again disregarding logic. :I've already sent out word - they know what's happening, and will start moving towards the main road, so we can pick them up as we move. We're going to have to move fast,: he mused to himself. :Trowa, that spell you used to transport us, can you use that to move many people down to the base at once?:
:Possibly, if we can get a big group of them together...: Trowa said slowly, his eyes narrowing. :There's a nexus of energy a few hours walk from the base - I can send them there, and they'll have to walk the rest of the way.:
:Good. We'll have to stop at my home for supplies for a siege,: Quatre said, then faltered. :Iria... was all right?: he asked haltingly.
:She was fine, last we saw her,: Duo assured him. :Last we saw her, she'd gathered all the survivors together to hold the place until your soldiers could arrive. We healed all of the wounded, too.:
Quatre visibly flinched when he mentioned survivors, but nodded gratefully when he finished. :Then she'll be all right, at least for now. I hope they have enough supplies...:
:If they don't, we can magic them,: Duo said.
:If we have enough magic to spare,: Heero said grimly.
They all fell silent, sifting through their predecessor's memories of the utter exhaustion they'd felt near the end of the war, when they barely had enough energy to move, let alone fight, and their power was the only thing sustaining them. They'd had none to spare then.
:We'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen,: Quatre said firmly.
:Wait, are you sure that you're all right?: Duo asked as Quatre spread his wings and prepared to take off again. :I mean, have you eaten in the last couple of days?:
:My power will sustain me until we get to the border,: Quatre assured them, and Duo noticed that he avoided actually answering the question. :I'll get some food there.:
Duo frowned, remembering that incident back in Sank when they'd first managed to successfully combine their powers when Quatre hadn't told anyone about how exhausted he actually was and had ended up getting himself knocked unconscious. He was about to mention it when he heard a whisper of communication between Quatre and Trowa, and Quatre paled slightly. "I'm fine," he insisted. "I'm not going to burn myself out, I promise."
Trowa raised one eyebrow, and Quatre blushed slightly.
"I will eat when we get there, and then I will sleep," he said coaxingly, opening his eyes a little wider. Manipulative little thing, Duo observed as he watched Trowa's reaction to that (the lowering of said eyebrow), and felt Heero's slight amusement and agreement with that statement. "I'll be very careful, I promise, but we don't have any time to waste."
"Burnout?" Trowa asked quietly, putting a wealth of questions into that one word. Duo had noticed that he seemed to have made an art form of that practice. Even Heero tended to use two or three words when he grunted his replies. He wondered if Trowa talked more when he and Quatre were alone.
"I know we can't afford to have me burn out right now," Quatre responded. "But I won't, and if we don't get up there right away, it won't matter if I burn out or not. We need to get there now. I promise I'll rest when we get there."
Duo glanced first at Heero, then at Trowa.
:I'll keep an eye on him,: Trowa said silently.
"Ah, guys? Remember, I can hear all that stuff," Quatre said hesitantly. "Sorry, but I can't help it."
"I remember," Trowa said calmly, and Quatre flushed again.
"Oh. Well, can we go then?" Quatre asked, looking at Trowa, obviously seeking his permission. That was something Duo didn't remember seeing before, and wondered if they'd done this before in private or if something had changed because of what had happened to them. He found himself hoping that it was the former.
Trowa's lips twitched upwards, and Quatre beamed at him before becoming serious again. He spread his wings and slowly rose into the air. "Come on," he called, and suddenly took off.
:Quick little bugger,: Duo remarked, but the only response he got was a grunt from Heero and silence from the other two as they struggled to catch up. Except for Wufei, they all had somewhat 'normal' wings, so they actually had to work to fly, whereas the other two just sort of moved.
Whatever weakness Quatre was feeling because of his imprisonment was not readily apparent as he flew, obviously determined to reach the edge of Oz before sunset. Duo was about to shake his head at the urgency that Quatre was practically radiating, when he realized that he felt the same urgency himself. They all felt it - Trowa had to, or he would never have let Quatre exert himself like this. For a moment he was transported back to the dream they'd shared, all those months ago, back in the compound when they were Treize's prisoners.
Now the urgency they all felt was real, and the battle was coming... in the dream - nightmare, really - they'd been too late.
That wasn't going to happen this time.
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They did make it to the border of Oz before sunset, where Quatre promptly broke his promise to eat something. He was too busy explaining the situation to Sally Po, who was remarkably quick in getting over her shock and moving on to actually being useful. She immediately pulled out a map and told them where the concentration of Oz's forces were, at least in the last few weeks.
"Miss Po," Quatre said after a long while. "You have to pull all of your people out of Oz."
Sally stared at him. "I can't do that."
Quatre shook his head emphatically. "You don't understand. Any of them that are actually working for Treize... if they stay, they won't be your people any more. The demons are going to take over his forces, and once they take one of your people, they'll know about your entire network, or at least as much as that person knows, and they'll work through it as quickly as they can."
Sally stared at him some more. "Possessed?"
"Yes. They're not going to be in charge of their own bodies anymore. They'll be like... puppets, dolls... not really even people anymore." Quatre's expressive face revealed deep sorrow.
Sally paled slightly. "I'll send out the orders immediately," she said, rising and walking back out into the main room.
Heero glanced around the room, testing the atmosphere. Quatre looked exhausted, which was no surprise, under the circumstances, and Trowa was a hair away from putting Quatre to sleep using his power. Actually, Duo was pretty close to doing the same thing, and had been shooting Quatre dirty looks for the past hour, especially after Quatre started yawning, politely excusing himself each time. Wufei had withdrawn into the corner as soon as they arrived and hadn't said anything, content with muttering and grunting to himself. Heero didn't care enough to ask what it was, but he'd seen Wufei mouth the word 'onna' more than once, and given the way he was glaring at Sally, it didn't take a genius to figure out what was the problem.
Heero had been cautiously impressed by her apparent competence and skill when they'd arrived. She'd taken one look at them as they walked into the front room of her lodge, cloaked in illusions to make them look human, and told an assistant to take over for her, immediately ushering them into a back room and closing the door. It appeared to be some sort of office, but Heero's sharp eyes had immediately picked out several discrepancies - things that should not have been in the office of a woman who ran an inn. Like the sword carefully hidden under the table, strapped to the underside, invisible unless you knew what to be looking for. There were also far too many maps visible, carefully stored away and labeled, but with no good reason to be there. He also thought he saw a number of other weapons hidden around the room, but they were well concealed.
Sally apparently noticed his eyes resting on the concealed sword, because she smiled apologetically. "It's not great, but I don't let many people back here, anyway, and those that do - the ones who notice - just think I'm paranoid."
She'd also correctly identified them all by their full names as soon as they were in her office and didn't ask any stupid questions about how they'd gotten here so quickly. She listened to the entire story and Quatre's plans without interrupting, and then produced those maps. And the entire time she patiently ignored Wufei glaring at her, Trowa's blank gaze, Duo's barely-hidden skepticism, and his own intense gaze. Maybe she could be useful.
She had told them one piece of interesting, if not useful, information. She had more access to the prophecies that Treize had been obsessing about than they did, and told them that Treize was usually called the Seeker. It was just as Quatre had said - he was looking for destiny, and it was going to find him.
A few minutes later she reappeared carrying a large tray with several plates of food on it. She set it down on her desk. "I've already sent word, but I'm actually going to have to travel through some parts of Oz to recall some of them," she reported. "And you're welcome to stay here as long as you need, although I agree with you that speed key right now."
Quatre nodded, then glanced at the tray. "What's that?"
"Dinner. I apologize, but if you don't mind me saying so, you look terrible," Sally said honestly. Quatre jumped slightly and shot a guilty glance at Trowa, who raised his eyebrow. The corner of his lip twitched upwards, too.
"Ah, thank you," Quatre said, immediately picking up one the plates and carefully taking a bite of the bread she'd provided. "It's kind of you to notice."
"Sorry, kid, but I have to be honest - you'd have to be half-blind not to notice," Sally said, and Wufei snorted and muttered something under his breath.
:Did I just hear Wufei complaining about someone being rude?: Duo asked with a grin as he took a big bite of the meat on his plate. The result was rather disgusting, as Duo had known it would be.
:Baka,: Heero muttered before getting a plate himself.
Trowa also retrieved a plate for himself, but Wufei showed no signs of coming out of his corner. Sally apparently noticed. "You want this?" she asked, gesturing to the plate but making no move to carry it to him.
:Good for her,: Duo remarked, his mouth full. As Wufei had once complained right after they gained the ability to speak mind-to-mind, having food in his mouth was no longer an obstacle to Duo's talking. Of course, it wasn't much of an obstacle before. :What's his problem anyway?:
Heero let his silence speak for him. He didn't know why Wufei had a prejudice against any women, but suspected that it had something to do with his deceased wife. From what little Wufei had told him, Meiran had emphatically not been weak, maybe he was comparing all other women to the memory of his wife.
Duo snorted, not at Heero's thoughts, which he'd been careful to keep masked for Wufei's privacy (what little he knew had been told in confidence, and he wasn't about to break that), but at Heero's silence, which he took to mean that Heero didn't know. He made a lot of assumptions like that, sometimes. Then he levitated the plate using his magic and floated it over to Wufei. :Come on, Wuffie,: he coaxed, using a name that he knew Wufei hated. :It's not going to kill you just because it was made by a woman. Most food is, actually.:
Wufei growled something intelligible, but he did snatch the dish out of the air and started eating, shooting a positively poisonous glare at Duo.
:Wufei,: Heero said warningly.
Wufei's eyes met his for a brief instant, and he saw something like apology in them for a moment before it disappeared. Wufei inclined his head ever so slightly in Heero's direction, then resumed eating, this time without glaring at Duo.
Quatre finished his food very quickly. Sally had been carefully studying him as he ate, and when he finished, she asked, "Were they starving you?"
Quatre's head snapped up before he could control his reaction. "What?"
"I am a bit of a healer. Not like you guys, but I know something about herbal healing, and I know how to diagnose people. Have you eaten recently?"
"I'll be fine," Quatre said with a nervous glance at Trowa, whose visible eye narrowed slightly, then narrowed further, and Quatre suddenly jumped to his feet. "I... I think I'd like to go to sleep now," he said in what was probably the most awkward attempt at grace that Heero had ever seen Quatre make.
Sally looked more than a little confused, but nodded towards the door. "I've had my people prepare a room, go upstairs, it's the third one on the right."
"Thank you very much," Quatre said as Trowa also stood up, placed a hand around Quatre's shoulder, and guided him towards the door. Heero saw Quatre lean his head against Trowa's shoulder just before they disappeared from view.
:Awe, isn't that cute?: Duo remarked. :You think they're ever actually going to become lovers, or are they just going to think about it forever?:
:Duo!: Wufei exclaimed, sounding horrified.
"That's the first time someone's ever taken my advice so seriously," Sally remarked, a puzzled frown on her face, and Duo burst out laughing.
"Sorry, but that wasn't you. I think Trowa finally put his foot down," Duo told her. "Quat has this nasty habit of not telling anyone when he's not feeling well, and I think Tro's getting a little tired of it."
"Oh." Sally apparently decided to accept that statement at face value. "Well, as I said before, you're welcome to stay for as long as you want. The two rooms next to the one they're in are also yours."
As Duo started to babble his thanks, Quatre's voice said, :Oh! I almost forgot! We need someone to stay up! The mages from Sank will be arriving all of tonight and most of tomorrow!:
Heero glanced at Duo, who had paused. :Don't worry, I'll take care of it,: Duo quickly said, and then continued his babbling.
:They're going to be confused,: Quatre continued. :Because they don't really know why they're coming here...: he suddenly broke off with a startled cry.
:They can handle it,: Trowa said firmly, as Heero wondered what Trowa had done to make Quatre react like that. :Go to sleep.:
Whatever protests Quatre might have made went unsaid as they felt him suddenly fall asleep, thanks to Trowa.
:Aren't they cute?: Duo remarked cheerfully as he continued to talk at Sally, whose eyes were beginning to look a little glazed despite her best efforts to pay attention to the rambling speech patterns that Duo fell into when he was relaxed.
:Baka.:
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The first normal mage arrived a few hours later - it was a young woman mage with her normal husband, both of them completely confused, the man upset and more than a little angry. Duo, who was not the most polite of people under the best of circumstances, made a few rude remarks in response to something that the man said to him, and the pair were on the verge of leaving when Sally intervened, drawing them aside and offering them both some food and clothing, since the woman had apparently dragged her husband out of bed in the middle of the night to come here. After he found that out, Duo calmed down pretty quickly and explained the entire situation to them. They were considerably less happy after that, but the woman firmly declared that she had to stay, and surprisingly enough, the man listened to her and agreed to stay.
Wufei watched the woman firmly tell her lawful husband that they were staying, saw him capitulate to the demand, and decided to leave.
He walked out into the main room, where there were a bunch of quiet travelers finishing up their dinners. Sally was standing behind the bar, cleaning some glasses. She glanced up as he entered the room, and he deliberately avoided her gaze. This was one of the things he really didn't want to deal with right now. He headed outside.
It was dark, and it took his eyes several seconds to adjust. There was only a sliver of the moon showing, and even the magic he could see in the air all around him seemed muted, quieter for once. The only illumination came from the lone torch outside the door to greet travelers. Wufei looked around, then called his wings. It suddenly became a lot brighter as the fiery appendages sprung from his back. A few sweeps of his wings, and he was up on the roof of the two-story building. Since he'd gotten wings, he'd discovered that he enjoyed sitting on the roofs of buildings, staring at the stars. There was a better view from rooftops, and you were less likely to be disturbed there.
As soon as he'd settled himself, he made his wings disappear. He discovered, through experimentation, that they didn't just look like fire, they actually were fire, and he didn't want to set fire to the roof. Sally didn't deserve that.
He frowned as he realized that his thoughts had returned to *that* woman again. He wished he'd never met her.
His clan was one that prided itself as scholars first, warriors second. By the time he'd been instructed to get married, he'd had a very firm conception of how women were supposed to act, both in general and in respect to their husbands. Subservient, somewhat docile, always obedient... he'd been taught that all of these things were proper and to be expected in a wife.
Meiran had been none of those things. She was from a clan that was warriors first, and prided themselves on that above all else. Meiran had been their pride and joy - and a nightmare as far as Wufei was concerned. She was loud, outspoken, a warrior herself... she cooked less than he did, complained loudly in public about being saddled with a bookworm for a husband... the list went on and on. One week before their wedding, she'd challenged him to a fight. He'd refused, on the grounds that she was a woman and only weaklings fought women... well, she'd... pressed him into it.
He'd beaten her, but only just barely. It was the first time he'd actually taken the time to see her fight, and he'd been surprised. She actually was quite good. Not better than him, but still very skilled, and strong for her age.
She'd been angry, of course. Very angry. But she'd still picked herself up out of the mud and bowed carefully to him, as any honorable warrior would. He bowed back to her, and saw the surprise in her eyes, and only then realized that he was treating her like another warrior, not a woman. He'd stammered something awkwardly, cursing himself as he did so, and quickly walked away, leaving his soon-to-be-wife staring after him.
Things had changed after that. Things were still very awkward between them, although not as strained. He'd suddenly decided that if she couldn't cook, then he wasn't going to insist that she make their meals, especially since her sullen efforts had nearly poisoned both of them before. And she surprised him more than once by coming up to him while he was studying and quietly (for once) asking him what he was doing. He'd discovered that while she was no scholar, she was not stupid, either. Her questions had led to several rather violent arguments about the nature of virtue and whether or not a person had to be contemplative in order to live well.(1) They still fought, but it was a distinct improvement over infantile name-calling.
He'd had only one short week to try to adjust to the changes between them, and by the time their wedding arrived... well, they weren't in love, not even friends, but there was a grudging respect that hadn't been there before. Then came the disastrous wedding. He'd been married to her for less than fifteen minutes when the demons came, and started slaughtering the guests. At first they'd both fought alongside their families, but it soon became clear that nothing they were doing was hurting the demons, and the priest (who he now knew must have been some sort of minor mage) told them to run. He could still feel her hand in his as they fled. Then there was a snap in the back of his head as the man's shields shattered, and he stumbled. Meiran turned to look back, and suddenly jerked her hand out of his and turned to fight the demon that had just killed her uncle. He was still trying to recover his equilibrium from the strange snap in his head, and by the time he turned to pursue her, it was already too late, and she was lying on the ground at the feet of the demon in a puddle of blood. Her sword was still in her hand.
He'd frozen. In that instant, he wasn't sure if he really wanted to be the only surviving member of two Clans. He'd almost been relieved when the demons came after him. Then he started sprouting flames, and the decision was taken away from him.
When he'd finally arrived in this land, it had been easiest to fall back into his old habits and perceptions of women. It was easier, really, and most women here did fall well within his perceptions. Weak, foolish... just look at Relena's ladies-in-waiting. Even the Queen herself tended to become quite foolish when she was around Heero, although she was not that way when ruling her country. But it was easy to ignore that part of her, and it didn't bother him.
Sally... he could not ignore, couldn't dismiss, like the others. She reminded him, strongly, painfully, of Meiran, and that made him think of the future that they should have had together, the one that was now denied him. He didn't know if he ever would have been happy with her as his wife, but it would have been... interesting.
Sally was everything that a woman wasn't supposed to be, strong, independent, a fighter (if the weapons she stored in her office were any indication, which Wufei did not trust until he actually saw her fight)... everything that Meiran had been. Which was wrong, right?
Wufei clenched a fist, trying not to remember. He couldn't wait to leave.
1. This is what happens when I write a story right after studying for a test on Aristotle and the best possible life.
So, how'd I do with Wufei? I have such trouble getting into his head, but I didn't want him turning into a stereotypical two-dimensional character. Any comments (or even flames) on that would be greatly appreciated.
Once again with the good news and bad news - we've caught up with as much as I've written, so things are going to slow down now. I have about half of Part 13 written, but after that it's going to be a couple of weeks between sections, because I don't write these things for a living (although I wish I did), so I can't spend as much time on them as I'd like. Hope everyone's enjoying it so far!
Marika 5/4/01