Magatama Chapter 16: Lost Souls

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and it's characters do not belong to me.

Magatama Chapter Sixteen

Scene 1: Missing the War


"So what's the deal, do you think you can just intervened in other people's battles?" Duo snarled as he entered their temporary bedroom.

Hilde, startled by her boyfriend's rudeness, said nothing. However, her eyes followed the movements of his body, watching the glistening skin, still wet from the shower.

Duo moved to the closet to pick out clothes for the day, aware of the girl's eyes on him. If he had been in a more honest mood, he would have smirked and played it up, but he felt the need to act angry.

"I didn't think that I was intruding," she said finally.

"Well....you were," he said.

"Was I really?"

"Yes. You came in right in the middle of the battle with nothing but a sword and a hand gun," he said, pulling a black shirt of his head. "That's fucking dangerous."

"I knew what I was doing," She claimed.

He picked up a brush and attempted to tackle his hair. "I seem to remember you promising me that you wouldn't just jump into battle again."

"I believe I said I'd be more careful. I didn't say I wouldn't fight. You left me at home during Mariemaia's War, that was quite enough, thank you."

"You weren't doing well then. Besides, what could you have done?"

"I would've done something," she said, trying not to giggle at Duo, who was still struggling with his hair.

"We're talking about the other day," Duo said, attempting to untangle a chunk of hair he could barely reach.

"Fine..." Hilde said. "Come here, let me help." She stood while Duo sat so his hair hung down over the edge. Hilde sat on the floor with the brush and started from the bottom up. She'd figured this out from her two years of practice. If she started at the top and worked her way down, she wound up with a whole humongous, painful rat's nest at the end.

"I know we're talking about the ELF battle, but I was just out of it before hand. I'd been acting weak and submissive. That's not me. I got up and helped you out. Don't think I didn't, because I saved your ass. Do please don't chew me out like you did after the Eve Wars, because I know you don't really want to anyway. It's not your duty." She yanked a little too hard on a knot.

"Ouch," Duo scolded.

"Sorry," she said, and continued.

"You're right," Duo said after a few minutes. "I don't want to yell at you."

Hilde smirked. "Told ya."

"I was actually kinda relieved when you showed up. And fighting with you by my side was pretty exhilarating."

"Really?" Hilde said. Now on her knees brushing around the middle of his back. Little water droplets were spraying her face with every stroke. She smiled a little and wiped her face.

"Yeah, definitely Shinigami's mate. Yup, my little Hildegarde is moving up in this world. Where'd you learn to fight like that anyway?"

"I told you this already. When I first joined Oz, I was too young to fight, so they put me as an assistant to Meiran. In the afternoon she would give me fencing lessons."

"I don't think you ever told me about the fencing."

"Oh, sorry."

"You're good though. I liked watching you fight."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. It's pretty sexy."

"Me?" she said jokingly, still combing through the upper part of his hair, right near his head.

"You're always pretty sexy," he teased.

"You're always pretty full of shit."

She set down the brush and he pulled her up to where he sat.

"We work well together, you know."

"If you say so," she said, and kissed him.


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Scene Two: Human Touch

Quatre's new room, and its traditional hospital furniture was decorated with blue flowers. He had spent his last three and a half days in that room unconscious.

His wounds were not lethal, but enough to cause excruciating discomfort to him, had he been awake to feel them.

No one knew why he had not yet woken. The doctors said they saw no biological causes for his coma.

The doctors said....


The brow faux-wood door cracked, then slowly revealed Heero Yuy. His feet slid over the threshold cautiously, soundlessly. The was clean shaven, his hair was some what calm, and he wore jeans and a clean coffee colored Oxford shirt. A light jacket was draped over his arm.

He left the doorway without shutting the door. The black jacket was lain over the back of the chair that Heero sat himself in a moment later.

His blue eyes studied Quatre's still form. He wasn't pale, and he looked almost healthy. If it weren't for a few bandages, some bruising, and a gash above the left eyebrow, Heero would have said Quatre looked perfect.

"Quatre," Heero said sternly. "You shouldn't hide. It doesn't make the pain subside any. I know you're hurting more than any of us, but that's why you were given the empathy. You are human.

"I thought I could be more human as Odin Lowe, but it is as Heero Yuy that I truly became human."

A pair of healed Mary Jane's planted themselves politely in the doorway, and stopped to listen quietly.

"I wanted to thank you, because I know you have felt what I feel. You have helped me to see that I am Heero Yuy, even without speaking to me directly. Thank you."

Two soft, electric arms wrapped themselves around his neck, embracing him gently. Warm breath brushed by his ear and the sweet scent of mint and perfume tickled his nose.

"Relena..."

Leaning over the chair, she pulled herself closer to him and allowed her lips to press against his cheek, where the lingered.

He locked his eyes with hers, communicating a questioning confusion.

"Welcome home Heero," she smiled, letting her arms slither from his shoulders.

The door click shut behind her.


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Scene Three: Get Over It


Meiran sat in a chair near the small shrine in Wufei's living room. Her eyes were closed as the incense smoke curled around her. She inhaled the scent of Frankincense. She still did not consider herself religious, but the familiarity of the setting was relaxing. She needed something comforting in the midst of this stifling confusion.

Wufei had been missing for a good three days. It wasn't long enough to legitimately worry about him, but it was enough to make her uncomfortable.

That Sally woman certainly wasn't helping. She'd hung around the house during her down time. True, most of the others had been paying visits there regularly, but Sally's presence was unlike that of the others. It was as if she didn't trust Meiran to care for the house correctly in Wufei's absence. (Which was entirely insane, since Meiran was not noble enough to keep up with the house hold chores. That's what Hilde was for.)

Trowa sat in the corner. Sally glared at Meiran, who looked to be praying, or at least contemplating something in the presence of a chosen deity, even if was her own mind. Sally was playing watch dog, waiting for Meiran to flub. Sally wanted Meiran to disprove herself in the eyes of Wufei. Maybe if she could only prove to him that Meiran was only as human as she. Meiran was not Nataku. Wufei was.

Wars are not merely waged on the battlefield, Trowa mused.

Meiran's eyes welcomed light and explored the room to find that she was accompanied by two others. Trowa was no bother. He was a terrific soldier. Sally, on the other hand, was becoming somewhat of a pest.

"How are you feeling today Meiran," Sally asked curtly, seeing that the girls' attention was free.

"Quite well. Thank you."

"You've been healing very quickly for someone with injuries to the extent you have sustained."

"My clan has a history of quick recovery, Doctor Po. I'm growing impatient myself."

"Impatient?!" Sally scoffed. "You should be thankful that you're mobile! After all, it has only been a few weeks since you were injured."

"I should not have been injured at all."

"You are just as proud as he is..."

"Where do you think he learned it?" she snapped, ready to be through with the annoying woman. Sally felt much the same way.

"Wufei is an honorable man..." Sally said.

Trowa looked on silently, observing an interesting female conflict.

"Why are you so threatened by me, Doctor Po?"

"I am anything but threatened by you."

"Then what is it that you have against me?"

"I blame you for Wufei's capture."

Trowa snorted, but it went unnoticed. He'd never known sally to be so ruled by her emotion.

"It's funny that you blame me, while I was inside when he was captured."

"I think it's funny that the organization which you founded is the one that now holds him captive."

"The ELF is no longer the organization I founded."

"I believe I shall make some tea," Trowa said, more or less to himself, as he exited to the kitchen.

"So you say, but isn't the timing just uncanny? You show up and all of a sudden places are being bombed left and right. You conveniently get injured in a staged meeting that all of us are foolish enough to attend. you come up with just enough data to keep us preoccupied while your troops move into the mountains. Then, in the battle you husband is the only one to be captured. I can only imagine how you had nothing to do with it. I'm not blind. If you think that you can pull--"

"Oh yes, I forgot. You, Miss Po, are the freedom fighter. You were a traitor to Oz. You left to help China be free. I'm surprised you have not yet left the Preventors to join the ELF. Their current ideals match those of yours during the War.

"You wanted everyone to be able to fight for themselves, did you not?"

"My beliefs rode deeper than that."

"So do the current ELF's."

"I was not a terrorist."

"Right. You were a guerilla. Wufei was the terrorist."

"He was better than that."

"Do you not remember what happened at Lake Victoria?" Meiran chided.

"How could I forget?"

Silence.



"My husband is not a saint Doctor Po. Non of the pilots are. To some they may be heroes, to others they are terrorists."

"To me," Sally started, "they are redemption."

"Then what is Wufei? To you?" Meian slyly poked in the nagging question.

"He is my partner," Sally lied stifly.

"Well, Doctor Po, he is my husband. Remember that."

Meiran closed her eyes to signify the end of the conversation.


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Scene Four: The Way Back to Humanity

Sometimes women simply need to be left to their own devices, even if they were rather silly. Sally had some feeling for Wufei, that was obvious. Of course, Meiran could see it as well as anybody. It upset her, whether it made her jealous, or just defensive Trowa didn't know. It wasn't his place to meddle in the fray of the two Chinese women, and he certainly didn't want to.

He had excused himself for tea, but decided on coffee instead. He wasn't really much of a tea drinker, and only said tea because it sounded polite.

He tried to be quick about brewing his coffee, but the coffeemaker was too quick for him, and was done before he could find the cabinet that hid the liquor.

He'd gotten into the habit of taking some sort of alcohol in his coffee while with the circus. He preferred the Vodka he could pawn of the Russian clown ,but was willing to take what he could get.

He didn't turn to meet the person, but kept pouring his drink.

The newcomer--male (Trowa could tell by the way he walked) make his way to the cupboard, and retrieved himself a mug.

Heero sat next to Trowa, poured some coffee, and began to sip it silently.

"Whiskey?" Trowa offered the bottle. Heer nodded and Trowa added a generous amount to 01's already full mug.

"The tension's kind of high here," Trowa said, motioning to the living room with a nod of his head.

"Yup," Trowa affirmed.

The two sat sipping at their drinks in silence. Trowa was waiting for Heero to voice his mind. Heero was searching for the correct vocabulary.

"I'm not Odin Lowe anymore," he said without hesitation. "I don't believe I ever really was."

"I understand," Trowa said, adding a bit more alcohol to his cup. "We're all just trying to find our way back to humanity."

They each took a sip from their respective mugs.

"Someone gave me some advice once. He told me that following one's emotions was the only way to live life well. I say, that you have done a superb job of that, Heero."

"Thanks..." Heero said, astonished. He poured himself some more coffee and whiskey, but mostly whiskey, and continued to drink.


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Scene Five: The Challenge

He heard the makeshift dumbwaiter lowering the day's package to him, and forced himself to meet it. As usual, there was a package of bread and cheese, and a bottle of water. He retrieved his provisions and set the basket back outside his "window" for them to pull up.

Wufei made his way to the back of his cave to ration his provisions into portions large enough for him to enjoy three meals.

The cranking and grinding of the dumbwaiter lasted much longer than normal. Wufei didn't think much tof it. He had begun to meditate, which is how he'd spent most of his time over the past few days. He had a great deal to contemplate, and until now, no time to contemplate it in.

A sudden CLANK! THWAP! made him jump, and put a definite halt to his meditations. On the ground, just inside his window sat the dumbwaiter basket, spilled over on its side.

He got up to investigate and found a long machete encased in a long, black, polished scabbard, much like his own. A note was tied to the hilt.

It read:

Herr Chang,

I believe the sword is much in likeness to the one you used to duel Treize. It is a gift from me to you. You may also keep it after our duel tomorrow, providing you are victorious, of course.

I look forward, with much excitement, to meeting the man who was successful in defeating Treize.

Until Tomorrow,
Devon Steele


 Wufei closed his eyes, and folded the letter despondently, muttering only, "I never defeated Treize."

Sorry that took so long to get out. I've been gone for more than half the summer, and I'm leaving again in two days!! Ack! This is craziness. I need sleep.