Intro: This fanfic is brought to you by TWO authors-- Duo's Only Chick and myself. So, PLEASE keep that in mind when you review! Don't forget to stop and praise Duo's Only Chick for her half of the effort! I know I still do! ^-^' -Michiki
Part Nine:
Duo groaned as he struggled to sit up. The world around him was black and, as he brought his hand up in front of his face, he found that he couldn't even see his fingers. Doing a quick mental check for wounds, he decided that he was fit, and groaned as he struggled to his knees. Feeling around blindly with his hands, he stumbled across a chair, and lifted himself onto it, sitting down with a distinct thud.
"What happened again?" He demanded himself, trying to remember. The memories came flooding back to him. the two cities of Light and Dark had been betrayed by the sand city, and he was being held hostage because of some stupid birds, and a greedy man. Duo sighed. They'd knocked him out for easier transportation, and apparently they weren't too concerned about their cargo's well-being.
Heero had cared. Duo mused to himself with another sigh. He'd only recently met the bandit, but they had grown attached to each other. He brought a finger to his lips, closing his eyes, remembering the feeling of having the short haired prince so close...
Duo jumped as the sound of keys in a lock could be heard from behind him. Bracing himself for anything, Duo found himself completely surprised to find a small girl not much younger than himself push open the door slowly and peek in. "Who are you?" the braided prince demanded, glaring at the figure and bracing his eyes against the sudden light.
"I've come to get you out, orders of Master Quatre." The girl replied, entering the room, and closing the door behind her. "can you walk?"
Duo nodded, and grumbled a yes. "What's your name? And who's master Quatre?"
"My name is Hilde." The girl replied softly, placing her torch in a holder on the wall. "I was orphaned at the age of three, and the palace took me in as a maid. Quatre is my master, he felt pity for me, and so made me his personal servant and his friend. I would do anything for him, even disobey Prince Treize and his father."
Duo quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, I know Quatre. He was at the meeting...which means I can't trust him. Everyone in the sand city has betrayed me and my city, and the dark city as well. If i am to die here, than so be it."
Hilde shook her head. "You don't understand. It's the prince and the king who are against you. Master Quatre, and his friends Trowa and Wufei are helping your advisor, Howard, as we speak. You have to come with me, and you have to come now. If we have not returned by the time the last grain of sand has fallen from the hourglass, Prince Heero is going to fetch his dark peafowl."
Duo sighed heavily. Part of him had known that Heero would do that, and another part of him felt strangely pleased, and loved. But another part told him that he was being selfish. Heero should not be putting everyone's lives in danger to save his own. He must have trusted her. Duo thought, reffering to Hilde. He must have trusted her to get me out...and in that case, I will trust her as well.
"I'll come with you. I'm bruised, and sore, but i can walk. I trust you know the way out of here?"
Hilde nodded. "Please follow me." She ushered him, taking her torch and heading to the back of the room, where she pushed in one of the sand coloured bricks on the wall. a doorway slid open, leading into a hallway, and a long downward spiraling staircase.
Duo got to his feet and followed Hilde down the stairs and, after what seemed like forever, they stepped out into fresh air.
"Where are we?" Duo asked curiously, glancing upwards at the stars in the sky. His wish came rushing back to him. A smile crossed his lips as he turned back to the girl, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind. "And where are you taking me?"
"There is an oasis not far into the desert from here. There are two horses tied behind that wall. Master Quatre, Trowa and Wufei are waiting for us there." she explained as she mounted her torch on the wall inside of the passageway, and closed the door with another push of a brick. She then led the way to the said wall.
Duo nodded and followed Hilde to where the horses were bieng kept. They mounted, and with a small word to her horse, Hilde rode off into the desert, Duo hot on her heels.
*~* Change of scene *~*
Quatre glanced at the hourglass again. Hilde had less than ten minutes, and they still had to get to the dark city before Heero left. Not that he doubted in his maid's loyalty, but he was still worried.
"It's going to be ok." Trowa murmured from behind him. "You're all tense. Relax, Hilde will be here."
Quatre nodded. "I know, but still. we're cutting it close, Trowa."
"Would you two be quiet? I think I hear horses." Wufei grumbled from the other side of the small clearing they had found.
Quatre closed his mouth, and directed his attention to listening for the horses. He'd been imagining the sound of hooves on the desert sand ever since Hilde had left, but this time he knew it was for real. The three gathered up what little things they had with them, and led their horses to the edge of the oasis.
Quatre pulled his cloak closer around himself as a sharp breeze blew by, sand whistling around his sandalled feet. They could see the two horses approaching at a distance, with the gap between them slowly closing. With a knowing glance, the three mounted their horses, and rode forth to meet the oncoming two.
"Hilde, you made it." Quatre exclaimed as they met up in the middle.
The maid nodded. "Master Quatre, I would never have failed."
Duo remained silent on his horse, watching hte other four of the party from the corner of his eye. Heero trusted them. he kept reminding himself. They're on our side.
"We'd better get going. The prince is waiting." Trowa reminded his blond friend quietly.
Quatre nodded. "Yes. I'll lead the way. Everyone, stay close, and be on your guard. We only have a short amount of time to reach the dark city."
Duo's eyes widened. "Its hours away! How on earth are we going to make it that far?"
Trowa reached into one of his saddle bags, and pulled out five black tail feathers of the dark city's peafowl. "With these." He stated.
Duo took one of the offered feathers and looked at it doubtfully. "This feather is going to help us go faster?"
Trowa nodded. "Hold on tight."
Quatre glanced at the group. "Try to stay within view of each other. The horses know the way, but they might need a little bit of guidance."
He turned his horse around, and spurred it on, and with amazing speed, the horse took off into the night, four others following closely.
Soon enough, the dark city came into view. Quatre pulled his horse to a stop, and dismounted as he approached the broken gates of Heero's home. The blond winced as he crossed through them, knowing that it was the cause of the sand and light cities that this one was so broken. They hadn't given it a chance, jealous as Treize and his father had been of its riches and glorious peafowl. He led the way to the crumbling palace, and when they reached the outer gardens, servants came and took their horses. Heero was waiting for them on the doorstep, and Duo's heart stopped beating for a moment as he took in the dark city's prince.
Heero was standing at the top of a staircase that led up to the passage, and peafowl were moving behind him. His black cape was blowing slightly in the wind, his tousled hair moving with the same breeze. His face remained unfeeling and serious as he caught sight of Duo down below.
Duo followed Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei up the stairs, an HIlde stayed below with the horses and the other servants. they met with Heero at the top of the stairs, and Duo had to restrain himself from jumping into the other's arms.
"Hello, King Duo." Heero greeted the braided prince with a bow. "Our city is honoured to have you here."
"What do you mean King?" Duo asked. "My father...where's my father?" His eyes widened in shock. "Hilde said that you were meeting with Howard. Does that mean...my father, is he..."
Heero nodded solemly. "King Dhul passed away when you were kidnapped. He left the city in your hands. Howard is waiting for us inside the palace. Please follow me."
Duo held back his tears. He was a king now. Kings needed to be strong. The tears would come later, when he was alone. When he was alone, he could cry.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Part Nine:
Duo groaned as he struggled to sit up. The world around him was black and, as he brought his hand up in front of his face, he found that he couldn't even see his fingers. Doing a quick mental check for wounds, he decided that he was fit, and groaned as he struggled to his knees. Feeling around blindly with his hands, he stumbled across a chair, and lifted himself onto it, sitting down with a distinct thud.
"What happened again?" He demanded himself, trying to remember. The memories came flooding back to him. the two cities of Light and Dark had been betrayed by the sand city, and he was being held hostage because of some stupid birds, and a greedy man. Duo sighed. They'd knocked him out for easier transportation, and apparently they weren't too concerned about their cargo's well-being.
Heero had cared. Duo mused to himself with another sigh. He'd only recently met the bandit, but they had grown attached to each other. He brought a finger to his lips, closing his eyes, remembering the feeling of having the short haired prince so close...
Duo jumped as the sound of keys in a lock could be heard from behind him. Bracing himself for anything, Duo found himself completely surprised to find a small girl not much younger than himself push open the door slowly and peek in. "Who are you?" the braided prince demanded, glaring at the figure and bracing his eyes against the sudden light.
"I've come to get you out, orders of Master Quatre." The girl replied, entering the room, and closing the door behind her. "can you walk?"
Duo nodded, and grumbled a yes. "What's your name? And who's master Quatre?"
"My name is Hilde." The girl replied softly, placing her torch in a holder on the wall. "I was orphaned at the age of three, and the palace took me in as a maid. Quatre is my master, he felt pity for me, and so made me his personal servant and his friend. I would do anything for him, even disobey Prince Treize and his father."
Duo quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, I know Quatre. He was at the meeting...which means I can't trust him. Everyone in the sand city has betrayed me and my city, and the dark city as well. If i am to die here, than so be it."
Hilde shook her head. "You don't understand. It's the prince and the king who are against you. Master Quatre, and his friends Trowa and Wufei are helping your advisor, Howard, as we speak. You have to come with me, and you have to come now. If we have not returned by the time the last grain of sand has fallen from the hourglass, Prince Heero is going to fetch his dark peafowl."
Duo sighed heavily. Part of him had known that Heero would do that, and another part of him felt strangely pleased, and loved. But another part told him that he was being selfish. Heero should not be putting everyone's lives in danger to save his own. He must have trusted her. Duo thought, reffering to Hilde. He must have trusted her to get me out...and in that case, I will trust her as well.
"I'll come with you. I'm bruised, and sore, but i can walk. I trust you know the way out of here?"
Hilde nodded. "Please follow me." She ushered him, taking her torch and heading to the back of the room, where she pushed in one of the sand coloured bricks on the wall. a doorway slid open, leading into a hallway, and a long downward spiraling staircase.
Duo got to his feet and followed Hilde down the stairs and, after what seemed like forever, they stepped out into fresh air.
"Where are we?" Duo asked curiously, glancing upwards at the stars in the sky. His wish came rushing back to him. A smile crossed his lips as he turned back to the girl, pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind. "And where are you taking me?"
"There is an oasis not far into the desert from here. There are two horses tied behind that wall. Master Quatre, Trowa and Wufei are waiting for us there." she explained as she mounted her torch on the wall inside of the passageway, and closed the door with another push of a brick. She then led the way to the said wall.
Duo nodded and followed Hilde to where the horses were bieng kept. They mounted, and with a small word to her horse, Hilde rode off into the desert, Duo hot on her heels.
*~* Change of scene *~*
Quatre glanced at the hourglass again. Hilde had less than ten minutes, and they still had to get to the dark city before Heero left. Not that he doubted in his maid's loyalty, but he was still worried.
"It's going to be ok." Trowa murmured from behind him. "You're all tense. Relax, Hilde will be here."
Quatre nodded. "I know, but still. we're cutting it close, Trowa."
"Would you two be quiet? I think I hear horses." Wufei grumbled from the other side of the small clearing they had found.
Quatre closed his mouth, and directed his attention to listening for the horses. He'd been imagining the sound of hooves on the desert sand ever since Hilde had left, but this time he knew it was for real. The three gathered up what little things they had with them, and led their horses to the edge of the oasis.
Quatre pulled his cloak closer around himself as a sharp breeze blew by, sand whistling around his sandalled feet. They could see the two horses approaching at a distance, with the gap between them slowly closing. With a knowing glance, the three mounted their horses, and rode forth to meet the oncoming two.
"Hilde, you made it." Quatre exclaimed as they met up in the middle.
The maid nodded. "Master Quatre, I would never have failed."
Duo remained silent on his horse, watching hte other four of the party from the corner of his eye. Heero trusted them. he kept reminding himself. They're on our side.
"We'd better get going. The prince is waiting." Trowa reminded his blond friend quietly.
Quatre nodded. "Yes. I'll lead the way. Everyone, stay close, and be on your guard. We only have a short amount of time to reach the dark city."
Duo's eyes widened. "Its hours away! How on earth are we going to make it that far?"
Trowa reached into one of his saddle bags, and pulled out five black tail feathers of the dark city's peafowl. "With these." He stated.
Duo took one of the offered feathers and looked at it doubtfully. "This feather is going to help us go faster?"
Trowa nodded. "Hold on tight."
Quatre glanced at the group. "Try to stay within view of each other. The horses know the way, but they might need a little bit of guidance."
He turned his horse around, and spurred it on, and with amazing speed, the horse took off into the night, four others following closely.
Soon enough, the dark city came into view. Quatre pulled his horse to a stop, and dismounted as he approached the broken gates of Heero's home. The blond winced as he crossed through them, knowing that it was the cause of the sand and light cities that this one was so broken. They hadn't given it a chance, jealous as Treize and his father had been of its riches and glorious peafowl. He led the way to the crumbling palace, and when they reached the outer gardens, servants came and took their horses. Heero was waiting for them on the doorstep, and Duo's heart stopped beating for a moment as he took in the dark city's prince.
Heero was standing at the top of a staircase that led up to the passage, and peafowl were moving behind him. His black cape was blowing slightly in the wind, his tousled hair moving with the same breeze. His face remained unfeeling and serious as he caught sight of Duo down below.
Duo followed Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei up the stairs, an HIlde stayed below with the horses and the other servants. they met with Heero at the top of the stairs, and Duo had to restrain himself from jumping into the other's arms.
"Hello, King Duo." Heero greeted the braided prince with a bow. "Our city is honoured to have you here."
"What do you mean King?" Duo asked. "My father...where's my father?" His eyes widened in shock. "Hilde said that you were meeting with Howard. Does that mean...my father, is he..."
Heero nodded solemly. "King Dhul passed away when you were kidnapped. He left the city in your hands. Howard is waiting for us inside the palace. Please follow me."
Duo held back his tears. He was a king now. Kings needed to be strong. The tears would come later, when he was alone. When he was alone, he could cry.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*