Po Ming straightened the front of her scarlet and crimson robes nervously. If she'd thought she stuck out in the gold edged robes of a Noble House in China, it was nothing compared to the sight she made when she actually reached the Outlands. Walking down the tiny streets that the outlanders put beside their main streets for walking on she attracted outright stares. Truly, had these people never been taught any manners? Yes she knew her clothing looked different, but they were the only clothes she had and she didn't have time to waste in getting a disguise. She had to hurry and find her sister so she could warn her.
Father never gave up what was his, and in his mind Sai-Li was his by right of blood. It was his sovereign right to see to the disposition of his marriageable daughters in whatever way he so chose. Marriages brought alliances, alliances brought power and prestige to their House (or so Father had told her, at length, many times). Sai-Li was one of his daughters and so in his mind he had the right to see her married off to a man of his choosing, nevermind that Sai-Li was likely to take rather volatile exception to the whole idea. (Like the second time father had tried, and Sai-Li had merrily hit the detonation switches that had blown up her dowry to the other nobleman.)
Still, Ming had every confidence that things would work out all right in the end. Sai-Li was too clever to be taken in by Fathers' ruse to get her home so he could surprise her with the marriage ceremony and have her married off to Yo-Kin of Unicorn Clan in a double ceremony in which Ming would also be married to Zon-Kow of Snake Clan. Ming just had to reach her elder sister in time to warn her! She and one of her Elder Brothers had slipped out of Clan Grounds, leaving the others behind to cover for them in the hopes that they would arrive ahead of the messenger. Ming had to warn her sister for both Ming's and Sai-Li's fates were riding on this.
Ming simply couldn't disobey Fathers wishes in this case, but she still held out the hope that Sai-Li would come up with some way to stop Father from marrying both herself and Ming off to those two fat fools who called themselves noblemen. Ming did not wish marry Zon-Kow. He was, in Ming's personal, private, very-well-hidden opinion an odious oily snake of a man who resembled exactly the Guardian Spirit of his Clan.
Sai-Li keeps trying to tell me that I have the right to decide my own destiny and who I shall marry, thought Ming, waiting patiently for her Elder Sister to return to fetch her. Before Father had announced Ming's own impending marriage to the Snake-man as she'd privately nicknamed him, Ming would have been shocked and dismayed at the rebellious thoughts currently running through her head, would have prayed to her clan spirit for forgiveness for harboring such unworthy notions. But that was then.
Perhaps I shall…Perhaps I shall even take Sai-Li up on her eternal offer to leave the Clan Grounds and come live with her in her home, thought Ming bravely. The spirit of rebellion was upon her, after all why should she marry a man whom she did not love? Sally certainly didn't seem to intend to. She had even won her own freedom with her martial arts prowess. But leaving Po Village would mean leaving behind her family, and the only home she had ever known. It would mean becoming an outcast like Sai-Li had become. All the wives back in Po Village warned their daughters that if they were not dilligent in their duties and studies of the feminine arts, they would all end up like that Sai-Li, who lived among men whom she was not married to, unchaperoned! Oh the disgrace! It was all fine and well to think about the freedom she might have if she left to live with Sai-Li, but being surrounded by strangers and living in a strange land with strange customs was just a little too daunting for sheltered little Ming.
But Sai-Li had done it, so it could be done.
These thoughts are…crazy! I'm not strong and brave or rebellious like Sai-Li is! thought Ming. But what if…
Ming was far beyond surprise at this point, nothing, absolutely nothing could have surprised her. She was already so surprised at her own audacity by venturing out beyond her safe homeland and
I hope this is the correct place, she thought. That man from the port told me that this was where I could find the headquarters of that "Prevention" group Sai-Li joined.
Gathering up the last of her overtaxed courage Ming walked up the steps and into the building. There she was met with a woman sitting behind a desk talking on a vid-phone and taking notes. Ming moved to walk past her.
"Excuse me Miss," the woman called out to her kindly. Ming paused, afraid she'd done something wrong. "The embassy is just down the street a little ways."
It took Ming a minute to translate what the woman had said to her in her head. English was such a difficult and confusing language, all the words were in the wrong places and their cases were a nightmare to try to learn. Really, what kind of a crazy language put the object of the sentence after the verb!
"This unworthy one not looking for em-bass-y," Ming said carefully. "This unworthy one look for the people that are preventing."
"Oh! The Preventors," said the woman her face indicating that she knew what Ming was talking about. "Well, you're in the right place. How can I help you?"
After another pause, in which Ming ungarbled the sentence the woman threw at her Ming said.
"I looking for sister here. Po Sai-Li? You've seen?" Ming said, her voice hopeful. She really had to make it in time.
"I didn't know Sally Po had a sister. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. Come right this way and I'll take you to her office," said the woman who rose from her seat, beckoned to Ming and continued briskly down the hall, into an elevator, then out into a labyrinth of cooridors which she thankfully passed by before proceeding down into more proper halls, a few more turns and she stopped outside a door like all the others.
"Here we are," said the woman. "This is her office, and since Sally never leaves early she should still be in there. I'll just leave you to talk with her."
"Thank-" Ming started, but the odd lady was already walking away, her funny shoes clicking down the hallway. Ming knocked on the door three times hopefully. Aside of the seriousness of her reason for venturing so far away from her home, Ming was genuinely looking forward to seeing her favorite sister.
After their mother had died, and Father had never remarried (stating that he had enough children) Sai-Li had taken over the raising and caring of all seven of her brothers and her five other sisters. Ming's Elder Sister Sai-Li was as much mother figure as she was beloved sister. It had been she who had kept father from marrying Ming off to a doddering old nobleman in exchange for a lot of land. However, that had not ended Ming's own troubles with marriage-alliance proposals, merely postponed them, and time was running out. But that was not why she was here today.
There was no answer. With a feeling of dread clenching the pit of her stomach, Ming knocked again, a little louder.
"She isn't there," came a voice from behind her. Ming squeaked in surprise and turned around.
A head poked its way into her room. Ming stood transfixed to the spot she stood in by the tall, handsome, young man who was currently looking back at her inquisitively. He was built like a warrior and so very handsome.
"Are you looking for Sally?" questioned the young man, a trifle impatiently.
Afraid that she had somehow offended the handsome young man with her blaintant stare, Ming quickly lowered her eyes and abased herself as was proper in a mans presence.
"This unworthy one would dare to say that she come to look for sister to tell that she need come home for wed- Um, for family emergency Honorable sir," said Ming, bowing twice after answering his inquiry. Ming still had a lot of troubles with the strange Outlander tongue of English. Of course it had to be because Ming was slow and stupid, she only hoped that this noble warrior before her would forgive her clumsiness with the language. She studied him from underneath her lashes, her heart was positively pounding. He only got handsomer upon further study.
"Family emergency huh?" said the man leaning against the door jamb. Ming quietly swallowed. He moved with the sinewy grace of a tiger. Surely he must be some kind of nobility! "I was not aware that Sally had family."
"No one talk about her much," Ming answered honestly.
It was partially true anyway, most of the rest of the Clan had washed their hands of her, but Father was forever ranting about how she had completely ruined four separate weddings bringing shame to their Clan and House. Then about how she'd had that spectacle (as if he had nothing to do with it) every year for five years. "Phoenix Clan and Po Family will never live it down," father kept saying."Well I wouldn't have had to if the old codger would stop treating me like chattel trying to marry me off to any doddering old goat or horny young puppy that makes an offer!" was always Sally's answer to that.
"It's alright," Wufei said in Chinese, his dialect was strange, but Ming could understand him. "You don't have to struggle with English around me."
"You speak Chinese!" Ming exclaimed in surprise and releif.
"I am Chinese," he told her. "And judging by your clothing, you're a long way from Home. What's your name Miss? And what brings you here?"
"This unworthy one is Po Ming-Na, Third Eldest Daughter of The House of Po, Phoenix Clan," she said bowing three times before and after her introduction. "I've come here looking for my sister Sai-Li, it is urgent that I find her."
"Oh, I'm sorry, you just missed her," said the young man. "Why not just call her?"
Ming looked at him, uncomprehendingly. Call?
"Oh, I see. I'd forgotten that some of the other Clans turned their backs on technology in order to live more simply," he said. "Well if it's that urgent, we shouldn't waste any more time. Follow me and I'll see if I can reach her at home."
Ming followed the handsome young man who moved like a fighter into the room, making certain to keep the door open. If she'd been back in the Clans and alone in a room with a young man who was not of her House it would have been grounds for a wedding. The handsome youth, who, now that Ming looked at him, was only a year or two older than she was, sat behind his desk and punched a button on a strange…Ming didn't know what it could be. In a second, it emitted a series of strange sounds while he waited impatiently. Then, Ming was shocked to hear Sai-Li's voice come out of no where! Sai-Li was speaking the Outlander tongue so Ming couldn't keep up for long. She looked around eagerly. Where was Sai-Li?
"You just missed her at home too," he said. "I only got her machine. She must have already left."
"But I just heard her," Ming protested. "Where is she?"
He looked at her for a moment as if trying to find the words to tell her something.
"What you just heard wasn't actually her. It was a recording. A machine made a copy of her voice and kept it even when she was no longer there. Kind of like an echo, but not quite."
"I think I understand," said Ming, sitting down in the chair in dejection. "This is terrible."
"What is? Why do you need to reach her so badly? Does it have anything to do with that letter she received earlier from your Clan?" asked the man. Ming looked up at him in surprise and dismay.
"She already got it? That must mean she's already on her way back Home!" she said.
"What's this all about?" he demanded as if he had every right to know. Ming looked at him in surprise at his tone.
"Who are you?" she asked finally, realizing that he had never given her his own name.
"Chang Wufei," he said. He looked for a moment, like he was going to say something further but closed his mouth abruptly. "I'm Sally's partner here at the Preventors. If she's in any kind of trouble I'm sure I can help."
"She's in very big trouble," said Ming. "But it's Clan business, I don't know if you would understand it."
"Try me," he said. "I have some familiarity with life in the Twelve Clans."
Ming studied him closely for a moment, even though he was dressed in Outlander clothes he carried himself with the same kind of nobility as the ranking members of the Noble Houses that Ming had seen. Ming could almost sense that he had a strict code of honor as straight and sharp as a sword. After a moment of deliberation she decided that she would test him a bit before she trusted him fully. This was a sensitive matter after all and Ming did not wish to cause her sister trouble here in the Outlands where she lived by airing out her private business for all and sundry to turn into gossip.
"Before I tell you, you must answer three questions so that I can verify or myself that you are not merely a nosy stranger," she said.
"Sensible of you," he said agreeably. "But Sally hasn't told me anything about her home or her family and I didn't want to pry so you'll have to ask about something else."
"First, how long have you known my sister?"
"About seven years. I met her in 195, and we've been working together since the end of one nine six," he answered.
"How does she like her tea?"
"She usually drinks coffee, but when she does drink tea she likes it with honey and sometimes lemon."
"What style of martial arts does Sally excel in?"
"I haven't noticed that she uses one style overly much. She generally seems to use whatever best fits the situation but she's better at skirmishing and guerilla tactics than she is at hand to hand," he said analytically.
"Okay, you passed, I trust you. Wow, if my sister is better at skirmishing then she is at hand to hand, you must be happy to have her on your side," said Ming.
"Yes," was all Wufei said. "Now what's this all about?"
"My Elder Sister Sai-Li is the daughter of Po Tzu, who is the head of our House and the one who manages Po Village. Even though she is only a halfblood, she is still the eldest daughter of a Noble House…" the Ming went on to give a quick explanation about her sister's constant defiance, and the martial arts tournament and how Sai-Li had won her freedom. Then went on about how their Father Po Tzu refused to give up his claim to her (and her potential as a marriage-alliance bounty).
"…So now he has called a meeting of the Grand High Council and she will be tried on the grounds that she has," here Ming paused, trying to get her mouth around the despicable word. "Dishonored herself with an Outlander. If she is found guilty by the Council they could have her put to death, but it is more likely that Father will plead with them to show her mercy and hand her over to him to ah, provide for. More than likely he will then give her over to a nobleman from the other Clans for a hefty prize."
"I think Sally would sooner die than have her wings clipped like that," said Wufei grimly. "And for the record, Sally has not "dishonored herself" with a man here in the Outlands. I've known her a long enough time to know that."
He recalled a conversation he'd had a year ago with Sally in which they had been discussing marriage, which was the first time he'd told her about Meilan his wife. So that's why she was so sympathetic about the arranged marriage, he thought. She had said at the time that she hadn't ever found any one of the Outlands that she would care to fall in love with, and Wufei was certain that Sally wasn't the kind of girl who would do…the other thing…without love.
"Sai-Li is too proud to lower herself to that kind of level. She is too honorable to. I tried to tell Father this, but he would not listen. There is no one in the Clans who will speak for Sai-Li, she has defeated and embarrassed too many young men, and I think they will be glad to see her fall. The only ones who care about what happens to Sai-Li are myself, her other siblings and her old mentor Dirhann. She has no one to speak for her."
"I will speak for her," he said.
"But you are an Outlander," she pointed out. "You are of no more use to her than I am. They will not listen."
"Oh I think they will," Wufei said enigmatically with an inscrutable smile. There was such complete and utter confidence in his voice that Ming wondered what kind of an ace he had up his sleeve.
"Well, if we do not hurry and get back to Po Village you will not have the chance to speak for her," said Ming.
"I can arrange for your transportation back," he offered.
"I thank-you," she said. "But my brother is waiting for me. He came also, to help save his sister. She has been like a mother to us and we are all proud of her strength and courage, even if Father is not. I will meet you back in Po Village. And thank you Honorable Mister Chang. Thank you."
"Don't waste time thanking me, get going. If the meeting is with the Grand High Council and Sally has as small a support base as you say she will need all the help she can get. Hurry back to your village and perhaps you and your brother can warn her before she is brought before the Council and the charges are made. I will join you shortly."
Ming bowed quickly, three more times, and left. Wufei then proceeded to Lady Une's office to ask to leave early.
"This is sudden," Lady Une replied when he had made his request. "My two best agents asking to leave early so suddenly. Why didn't you just ask to leave with her?"
"I did not know at the time that she would be needing me," was Wufei's stark and honest reply. "It's urgent that I leave as soon as possible."
"Okay. You have my permission Chang. I trust you…as much as I trust anyone. Get out of here before I change my mind."
Wufei departed without another word, left for home to grab his bag of clothes and provisions that he always kept ready (battle habits died hardest) and one other thing he thought would come in handy later then headed out. He debated whether it would be quicker to steal a plane, or call in a favor. Calling in a favor won out as the more sensible course. He knew several people who flew tiny two-seater planes or "bush planes" as some called them, and one or two of them owed him a favor. He'd take the plane back once he was through with his business in China. Within half an hour he was in the air and headed towards China.
* * *
Whoops, forgot the disclaimer! My bad.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. The show and its characters are the sole creative property of Sunrise, Bandai and Sotsu Agency as well as its creators Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Matate. The Twelve Clans and all of its affiliated work is the sole creative property of me.