Timeless
Part Four: Fate's Cruel Tricks




"But, you destroyed the Death Stinger. How can the gods be that cruel? Don't they care about human life?" Van asked, hearing Leon's reason for everything before them.

"My casting of the Lord Ultimate on the Death Stinger and Hiltz is how you call... the monkey wrench in the gears. You see, Flyheight, fate and destiny may seem like great and wonderful things in the eyes of the ignorant... But I had seen for way too long their downgrading jokes. The overall rule of fate and destiny is this: No matter how great the victory is, there is always tragedy ten times greater than the victory itself."

"So everything that's happened up to this point is the fates' way of getting even?"

"Yes." Leon sat by the camp torch, staring into the blue flames.

"Leon..." Karl stroked Leon's long black tresses, his fingers entwined with each silky strand. "I don't care if it was fate that did all this. What matters is, it's the same fates that brought you back to me."

"Yes..." Leon pulled Karl into his arms and smiled, but his smile faded when he saw the look on Van's face. "Something wrong, Flyheight?"

"You said... great victories are shadowed by greater tragedies. Does that apply to everyone?"

"No one is immune to the great scheme of things."

"That confirms it."

"What?" Moonbay asked, her attention on Van.

Van stood up and turned toward the Blade Liger, his hands loosely on his hips. "These series of dreams I been having... dreams of sorrow and loss."

"Explain."

"I can't seem to, even to Aethelwulf. It's all a big blur but when I wake up... I'm usually crying." Van frowned, then turned back up to the Blade Liger. "It's like I lose something when I destroy our ultimate opponent."

"Triumph and tragedy are bedfellows in the face of war." Leon adjusted his glassed, his words brought a small degree of comfort to Van.

"Well, we should turn in for the night." Moonbay stretched, yawning. "We got a lot of road to cover before entering Lucca."

"Lucca? As in Lucca Harbor?" Leon asked sternly, standing up to look at the others.

"Leon, we have to take Karl back to Heimatland, he is in no condition to lead and to fight anymore!" Van pointed out, his eyes stared into Leon's. "He already attempted suicide twice and he can barely walk anymore because of a serious spinal injury!"

"Leon, please... stay with Karl and let us handle Prozen." Irvine asked politely, he folded his arms slightly. "It's no point to get killed again."

"That's right." Moonbay replied, a smile on her face. "You are no good to us dead again."

"And odds are, Hiltz is back from the dead as well." Van put his hand on Leon's shoulder. "Your zoid is more than enough to handle Hiltz... and Karl needs you more than life itself."

"Alright." Leon nodded, complying to their request. "I'll take Karl home and stay with him." He smiled sweetly and contently, then stretched and yawned. "But I think I'll take Moonbay on her offer for sleep."



"Leon?"

Leon opened his eyes, only to look into Karl's handsome smiling face as he played with some of the blue strands of hair. Karl's shirt was half-buttoned and he was struggling to get comfortable. Leon spotted the wheelchair by his sleeping bag, and the overturned quilt.

"You should be in your bag, Karl." Leon whispered, letting him slip into the bag with him.

"I wanted to talk to you about a few things." Karl answered quietly, his soft expression went back to his serious, rock-hard gaze.

"Yes?"

Karl looked back at the sleeping campers and back at Leon. "I want to return to active duty. Thomas insisted I retired..."

"But from the stories I heard, you needed to... if only until you are able to perform again. I knew that you wouldn't accept your paralyzation at a permenant affliction. You're much too strong to succumb to defeat. I mean, you took on the entire Republican army with a killer headcold."

Karl just kinda chuckled and looked up at the stars, Leon did the same, sighing deeply.

"What was Hell like?" Karl asked out of the blue, looking at his lover and partner-in-crime.

"Nice place to visit but wouldn't want to roast there for all eternity." Leon smirked in his usual way, looking at Karl.

The colonel smirked and looked back at the stars. Then a frown found itself back on Karl's face. "I want to return to active duty, Leon. I don't feel right sitting around and doing nothing while the others fight the battles for me."

"I know, Karl." Leon turned onto his side, facing Karl, there was a sparkle in his indigo eyes.

"Leon..." Karl leaned forward, their lips softly touched at first. "Heal me, Leon..."

Leon kissed Karl again and again, each kiss getting more passionate and erotic. Clinging to the black fabric of Leon's uniform, the retired colonel's body trembled with unmatched desire and lust. But there was sorrow in Karl's eyes, sorrow that Leon easily saw and picked up on. Instead of doing his normal sexual acts, Leon stroked Karl's cheek with his hand, his thumb against Karl's lips.

"Don't be sad, Karl... sorrow doesn't look good on you." Leon smiled compassionately, then kissed the blonde again.

"Oh Leon... you...." Karl smiled as a tear fell, then he kissed Leon's thumb. "You always find a way to make me feel better."

"We'll surprise them all, kitten... just you wait. We'll knock 'em all dead." The exemplar kissed Karl's cheek and pulled him in his arms. "Now, let's get some sleep... we got another day's worth of traveling to go to get to Lucca Harbor."




--Continued--