Title: Dragon's Blood
Category: AU, Fantasy, RPG-ish magic, shounen ai
Warnings: Shounen ai, for those who don't read that sorta thing. Bitchy Relena. Violence, creepy monsters, individuals with insane or
icky minds. Whole lotta angst-ing goin' on.
Pairings: 1+2, 3+4, probably others eventually
Spoilers: Um, little personality trademarks, personal histories, etc., from entire series.
C & C huggled and appreciated. Tell me what I'm doing wrong, I'll try to make it better. Tell me what I'm doing right, I'll be imbued with
the great power that can only come from positive feedback, and will be doubly quick to get the next chapter out ^_~.
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sotsu Agency, I think, um, Sunrise, and lots of other people who aren't me. If you
believe I invented these characters, I got some oceanfront property in Arizona that you might be interested in. For those people who
do own Gundam Wing, don't sue me. I have nothing but a couple thousand dollars in tuition debt to give. College and anime have
sapped my feeble funds. Besides, I do this only out of deep love and respect for these guys, am making no money off it, and will
return them (relatively) unharmed. Oh yeah, and any elements herein that do not belong to Gundam Wing belong to me, so as
Emperor Kuzco would say, "No touchies!"
*Word* is bold.
Word(1) is footnote.
Chapter 5
Rumination
Dream, my brother. You forget NOTHING you have interest in;
You forget, instantly, those things you do not care to know.
-Destruction, Sandman: Brief Lives
In pitch darkness three men sit, as only the flare of light from a single candle illuminates their ancient faces. It shines on the ridges of
knotholes in the worn tabletop, dances over stone floor and nearby wine racks. The dull gleam off colored bottles resembles stained
glass in darkened church windows, an impression which suits the solemn whispers made between sips of liquid crimson.
"So...what of the boy? Does he suspect anything?"
"No. Still, I think it's as much his doing as my own. He has no desire to remember."
"I wonder..."
"Eh?"
"No need for such a defensive tone. I've merely been thinking..."
"For you, that's a dangerous hobby."
"Idiot."
"...Well?"
"...When are we going to tell him? Eventually he'll find out. He may recall on his own, which would be risky, or *they* will find him. It's
best to do it now while-"
"Does your oath mean nothing to you? We all agreed. No interference. *This* one's already broken that rule a thousand times over,
hovering around the boy everyday, protecting him-"
"You'd rather I let them kill him?"
"If that is his fate. He is not the first, likely he won't be the last."
"Now look here-!"
"If he is meant to survive to rebirth, he *will*, no matter what you do."
"If that's truly the case, then where is the harm in telling him?"
"That's exactly what you said a hundred years ago...just before the Blood went insane and destroyed three kingdoms."
"....."
"Are we agreed?"
"...Yes."
"...Agreed. I don't approve...but you've made your point. The boy will have to fend for himself when the time comes. May fate protect
him. He sure as hell needs it..."
* * *
The trio filed into Quatre's quarters by unspoken agreement. Heero leaned against the wall, disregarding the ante-chamber's several
chairs, while Wufei smoothly lowered himself to the floor, sitting cross-legged, despite the chill of the stone through the plush rug.
Quatre merely rolled his eyes as he locked the door then took a thickly cushioned seat by the fire. Unlike the soldier and the warrior,
he had no qualms about indulging in a little luxury. He soaked in the fire's reassuring warmth, and buried himself deeper in the chair's
comfort.
"Quatre, did you sense any animosity from them?"
Leave it to Wufei to ruin his moment of peace. Wufei, all business. Indeed.
Quatre thought back on the eventful evening, remembering things through his heart's empathy. It was useful, being able to sense
strong emotions nearby. Now if only he could interpret what he was sensing from...he shook his head and turned back to the matter
at hand. "Not at all. There was a great deal of negativity, of course, but none of it was directed at us."
There was silence for a time, as Wufei seemed to consider that. Finally he turned to Quatre, staring him straight in the eye. "...Well?"
"'Well' what?" Quatre knew where this was going, but somehow he didn't want to be the one to bring it up.
Wufei seemed to understand. "Do we aid them or not?"
Quatre averted his eyes. He knew exactly what he wanted to do, but he wouldn't ask his friends to go along with it, not unless they
really wanted to. "I...I will aid them, yes. But you don't have to come if you don't wish to. I can take care of myself, and Tro...uh, the
captain of the guard will be there as well."
He was unprepared for the fond smiles that met his answer. Wufei got up and came over to his chair, and placed a reassuring hand on
his shoulder. "Quatre, we are your guards, and more importantly, your friends. We *want* to be with you, wherever you go-"
"-And whoever you wish to follow," Heero added, with a smug grin.
"Yes, no matter where you go...or who you follow...we'll be there for you."
The caring that emanated from them washed over Quatre, warmer than the crackling fire, and he couldn't help but smile till his face
hurt. "All right, I guess it's settled then. I should go tell King Khusrenada, then we can pack."
He rushed to the door, flung it open...and slammed right into a wall. At least, it felt like a wall. He was thrown to the ground and
landed hard.
"Quatre, are you okay?"
He stopped rubbing his aching rear end when he recognized the voice, and blushed crimson. "Trowa?"
The boy reached down to help him up. "The king sent me to await your decision. I was just about to knock, I'm sorry."
"No, don't be. I'm fine, really. I was just about to go see his majesty-"
Heero cut in, the barest hint of a smile on his face. "Quatre, why don't you allow Trowa to escort you to the king? Wouldn't want to get
lost, you'd never make it back in time to pack." Quatre could feel his blush deepen, and he threw his best glare at Heero. He had no
idea the boy could be so calculating. 'I'm going to kill him.'
"I could help you pack, if you'd like. I'm already prepared, I've got the rest of the night free."
Quatre's heart literally skipped a beat at those words, and he decided he'd have to thank Heero instead.
Once the pair had left Wufei and Heero exchanged knowing smiles. To most people, 'cold' was an understatement when dealing with
them, but their blonde friend had been able to make his way past their carefully constructed 'anti-human-contact' barriers.
They left Quatre's room and Wufei headed for his own quarters, while Heero started in the opposite direction. "Where're you going?"
Heero turned a defensive glare to him. "A walk."
Wufei rolled his eyes and entered his room, closing the door behind him. He knew exactly where Heero was going, even if Heero
didn't. "May fate save me from these lovesick fools."
* * *
Heero traveled silently down the castle's dark corridors, with no specific destination in mind. All his training had not been able to drill
out the occasional spell of wanderlust. The aimless meandering was usually a sign of some confusion on his part, confusion which
often worked itself out through walking. He had long ago learned to use it as a form of meditation. Some of his colleagues had even
joked about it (though not to his face, that had dire consequences). They called him 'the wandering samurai'(1), a title which he, for
the most part, ignored.
Eventually he came to a narrow, spiraling passage leading upwards on a slight incline, one of the many turrets of the castle. The
sconces lighting the passage were farther apart here, and some had gone out, leaving large patches in shadow. The curve of the wall
kept him from seeing more than a few feet ahead at any time, but he continued through the silence, somehow certain there was
something to be found here.
He finally came upon a hint of moonlight in an area without torches. Drawn to it, he crept forward slowly, solemnly. A tiny alcove led
to stairs that were bathed in silver light, forming a smooth mirrored surface, a river broken only by ripples of shadow on the steps. A
soft breeze ruffled his sleeves, filling him with the sudden urge to be outside. Slipping out of his house sandals to avoid disturbing the
peace, he ascended silently.
The breath caught in his throat at the sight that greeted him. The stairs let out on a small balcony. The dark stone was nearly white
with the glow cast by the moon, which almost filled the sky. Its shine picked out the silhouette of a figure leaning on the ornate carved
railing along the balcony's edge, his back to the door. His normally chestnut hair was tinted silver, as was his black clothing. It all
blew gently in the strong wind, his long braid dancing playfully over his perfect...Heero shook his head and turned to go, not making
a sound. The boy obviously didn't want company. Otherwise he wouldn't be hanging around what had to be the least frequented
portion of the castle. Heero would just slip away quietly and leave him to his thou-
"Heero?" He froze, heartbeat speeding at the sound of his name, rolling so perfectly from those lips -why did it sound so good when
he said it?- and turned back, careful to keep any expression from showing. He barely managed it, as he found himself face-to-face
with Duo, whose pale skin shimmered softly, framed by stray strands of silvered chestnut.
Heero couldn't speak, didn't know what to say, but Duo took it as reticence, and seemed to think he'd insulted him. "I-I'm sorry,
Mr....uh, Mr. Yui, sir? Or should I say Lord Yui, rather, um..."
Heero shook himself out of his shock (he had been doing that an awful lot lately, what was going on here?) and answered, sure to
keep his voice as non-threatening as he could, "'Heero' is fine." Duo brightened at that, and walked over to the railing again. Heero
tried to force down the irrational urge to follow, and moved to go, but Duo called to him, with a quizzical tone to his voice.
"Where you goin'? Don't you wanna' stay for a while? It's a hell of a view."
"I thought you might want some privacy." His feet were already moving of their own accord, and he joined the boy at the edge.
"Nah, I've had enough quiet time for now. It's good to be alone every once in a while, but a lotta' silence is a bad thing. It gives you
way too much time to think, and thinking invariably leads to things best left un-thought."
"Hn." Heero was admiring the view. The city sprawled below, its streets lit by lamps, making a latticework of orange light down the
slope of the hill. Beyond it lay forests stretching to the horizon, the land they would be traveling at daybreak. "Ninmu ryokai(2)."
"Huh?"
Heero hid the smile caused by Duo's puzzled expression. "The mission has been accepted. We'll be accompanying you on your
journey."
"Really?! Great! Damn, that makes me feel better." Duo realized what he'd just said, and fumbled. "I mean, it'll be great to have
someone else along. Relena's nice and all, but we've never really gotten along, and Trowa can be so quiet sometimes, and Dorothy,
well Dorothy just freaks me out, all that weird magic she does...well, it'll be good to have you along. You guys, I mean..." he let his
words trail off, uncertain, and they stood in nervous silence.
Heero was trying to come up with something to say when clear notes began to ring in the air. Music. He looked over at Duo, who
was now caressing the strings of a lyre. Heero started to wonder how he could've missed it, but the melody(3) washed over him,
soothing, driving away all thought. He could only stare as Duo's nimble fingers flew over the strings. The boy's face was a study in
tranquility, his lips parted slightly, eyes closed, dark lashes brushing his cheeks. Heero closed his eyes as well, and let the slightly
bittersweet song take him where it would.
"Utsukushii(4)."
"What does that mean?" Deep starlit violet met his gaze when he opened his eyes, and an ungrounded fear suddenly gripped him.
"Nothing. I have to go, I must prepare for tomorrow."
Duo looked disappointed. "Yeah, I guess I should get ready too. I'll see you then, I suppose."
Heero nodded, then disappeared down the stairs. In his haste, he almost forgot to put his sandals back on before rushing down the
hall. This boy was having an unsettling effect on him, and he needed to step back from the situation and try to figure it all out. At
least there would be time for that. Nearly a month with the braided boy...maybe he'd be able to get it all worked out then...if it didn't
drive him insane first.
* * *
Footnotes:
1. "Rurouni Heero: Wandering Samurai" :D I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. (Note, author does not own Rurouni Kenshin, anymore
than she owns Gundam Wing. Duh.)
2. Ninmu ryokai, or mission accepted. I've only read this in fanfics, so if I've got the wrong version of Heero's little catch-phrase let me
know, please.
3. For anyone wanting a soundtrack for this chapter, I was writing with a certain song in mind. "Sasurai", from Slayers TRY, an
absolutely exquisite guitar piece played by Zelgadis (^_^ Aaaah, Hikaru...). Of course, as far as I know a lyre is NOT a guitar, but I
figure the piece could probably be altered to play on many instruments. Oh well, I know diddly-squat about the mechanics of music,
so whatever. If I'm wrong, I apologize ^_^.
4. "Utsukushii" or 'beautiful'. At least, to the best of my knowledge. I'm armed with a really lame Japanese-English-Japanese
dictionary and zero understanding of Japanese grammar, so if this needs correcting, by all means, let me know, onegai! ^_~