Disclaimer: I do not own or have any title, interest or right in either
Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon or Shadow Skill. This fanfiction is not being
used for commercial purposes. I own all other rights (to the extent
legally permissible) in connection with this writing.
CHAPTER 3: THE TRAVEL TO THE HOLY CITY
* * * * *
Koumafuin Trowa Barton had not spoken more than a few words since leaving the city of Felisha. He seemed to be content walking in silence to the capital of Juliannes.
The young raven-haired Sui Rame sorceress walked alongside him. She kept to herself and did not seem to appreciate his presence. In fact, she continued to cast suspicious looks at him as they continued down the large path through the forest.
Trowa stopped walking and raised a hand. Rei paused, but did not appear particularly happy about his non-verbal instruction to stop. He seemed to be studying their surroundings with intense interest. Eventually, he continued walking and signaled for her to follow.
His silent gesturing was beginning to fray the young woman's nerves.
"It's usually considered polite to verbally ask someone to follow a request," Rei informed him crisply.
Trowa simply responded, "We're being followed."
Rei glanced around at the surrounding forest, but she could not see anything out of the ordinary. She also had the power to detect the presence of evil, but her senses did not seem to indicate anything malevolent was lurking out in the woods.
"Are you sure about that?" she asked suspiciously.
Trowa nodded.
"Is it an animal?" she inquired with a frown. Rei realized that there were plenty of hungry predators roaming the forests. Such creatures were not inherently evil, and her magical powers would not be able to detect them.
"Not quite," he replied simply.
His right hand slipped beneath his cloak. In a blinding movement, his hand whipped out and a glint of metal flashed out of his hands. Trowa's dagger flew into a nearby tree.
"Ow!" a voice cried out from the tree's thick foliage.
After a moment, a figure hopped down and perched onto one of the lower branches of the tree. It was a young man wearing a dark robe and cloak. She noticed that there appeared to be a long, chestnut colored braid swaying behind the youth. Rei's eyes widened as she noted that two feline ears protruded from the top of the young man's head.
His ears were a tell-tale sign that he was a member of the Fang Clan. The Fang Clan was a race of catlike humans who lived to in the city of Lekitor, which lay north of the city of Juliannes.
The young member of the Fang Clan was tenderly licking the back of his hand, his amethyst-blue eyes glaring at Trowa.
"That hurt, Trowa," the stranger stated, sounding somewhat upset.
"It's your fault," Trowa shrugged. He did not appear surprised by the sudden appearance of the stranger.
"Do you know this man?" Rei whispered in a hushed voice.
"Yes, he knows me! But I don't trust him to make introductions," the stranger called out. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am the magnificent Duo Maxwell of the Fang Clan. I am your humble servant and I offer my services to you, pretty lady!"
Rei's eyes widened in surprise. She had heard rumors that the members of the Fang Clan had heightened senses, but she didn't realize that their hearing was quite this good. She had barely made an audible whisper. The people of the Fang Clan were also reputed to enjoy the more physical aspects of love. Rei quietly hoped that those were not part of the services he was offering.
"What do you want?" Trowa demanded.
"I'm curious as to why you're travelling with such a beautiful young lady," Duo replied casually.
"It's business," Trowa stated in an even voice.
"...in Ashlianna," Duo surmised.
Trowa ignored him and continued walking down the path. Rei glanced back and forth between Trowa and the young man named Duo. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of this entire exchange, but she hurried off after Trowa.
"Hey, that's rude, Trowa!" Duo griped, and hopped down from the tree. He caught up with them with surprising speed. He turned to look at the Sui Rame. "So what's your name, my lady?"
"You may call me Rei," the raven-haired sorceress responded.
"Lady Rei...I like the sound of that," Duo grinned. He turned to look at Trowa. "I'm heading to Ashlianna myself. Can I come with you?"
"No," came the terse reply.
"Why not?"
"No."
"Are you afraid of competition?" Duo snickered.
Trowa questioningly turned to Duo. "Competition...?"
Duo grinned. "For the affections of this gorgeous lady, of course! Are you afraid I'll steal her heart before you get a chance to court her properly?"
Trowa shook his head in exasperation and continued to walk.
"So you're not afraid of competition? That's great! That means I can come along! By the way, did you ever hear the story about..."
Rei was walking in shock next to the two men. The journey had begun with an oppressive silence, and was now quite the opposite. She was struggling to decide whether this was a good turn of events.
* * * * *
Five travelers headed northwards from the city of Kuruda towards the holy city of Juliannes. The group of travelers had departed before dawn and were nearly a quarter of the way to their destination. On foot, it usually took a little more than a day and a half to travel from Kuruda to Juliannes.
Ami glanced nervously over her shoulder at Heero.
"Is it all right for him to be carrying all that?" she asked nervously.
Haruka snorted. "Of course, it's part of his training."
Heero was wearing an enormously large backpack full of clothes, food, water and other supplies. Haruka had insisted that the young man carry all of the group's belongings for the duration of the trip. The weight of the pack looked like it could easily immobilize the average man. Ami was astounded that any one could even lift it, much less carry it.
But the young man quietly plodded along without a word of complaint. His eyes blazed with fierce determination, as if carrying the backpack was the most important thing in his life at the moment.
"Don't worry, dear. Haruka makes him carry our things all the time," Michiru smiled lightly.
"But..."
"If he can't carry it, we don't want him with us," Haruka interjected in a harsh voice.
Michiru took Ami to the side, as they continued walking to the north.
"Heero is a Valle, an apprentice in training under Haruka. He wants to become a Sevalle. It takes a lot of physical strength, mental discipline and hard work to become a Sevalle. As terrible as this looks, its really for his benefit," Michiru explained.
"Heero can handle this," Hotaru chimed in confidently.
Ami looked nervously at the large backpack. "I suppose. He seems to be doing fine..."
"How long have you been a healer?" Michiru inquired, guiding the conversation to a different topic.
"I have only been a healer for the past three years. I learned from my mother, who is a well-respected healer in Kuruda. My mother would normally have been sent to Juliannes, instead of me. But she had previously left to another city to treat some other patients," Ami explained.
"You must be quite accomplished. There are many other healers in the city of Kuruda, but King Vy Low chose you," Michiru observed.
Ami blushed. "Thank you. I pray that I deserve the king's confidence."
"I am sure you will be able to help the princess, my dear," Michiru smiled supportively.
"I truly hope so," Ami said in a quiet voice.
Michiru caught the troubled expression that briefly flitted across the young girl's face.
* * * * *
Chang Wufei strode proudly down the path towards Juliannes. He was clearly making an effort to ignore the two young girls that were walking a few paces behind him, as well as the chatter that seemed to follow.
"So what's it like being a Raze Rame?" Minako inquired.
"Nothing terribly exciting," Makoto responded. "I spent most of my youth training with one of the Raze Rame of Ashlianna. I learned how to harmonize the Sohma and use it for various purposes."
"Including fighting...?" Minako asked eagerly.
"Yes, including fighting. But a Raze Rame is principally employed for more general purposes, such as making sure that each city has a proper flow of..."
"Can you show me how you use it in combat?" Minako interrupted.
"Maybe some other time," Makoto told her.
"But..."
"So what's it like to be a Gouken-shi?" Makoto asked, quickly changing the subject.
"It's a lot of training, but it's actually quite fun," Minako beamed. "I've been training with the sword for the past six years. Si-Hing has been training several more years than me."
"Have you learned how to summon a Shen?" Makoto queried. Makoto knew very little about the Gouken-shi. But everyone knew that these swordsmen had developed a special skill that enabled them to summon a Shen, or a fighting spirit, in combat.[1]
Minako's smile faded slightly. "Not quite. Si-Hing is quite accomplished and was able to summon a fighting spirit when he was very young. Most of my sword skills are for display purposes."
"Display purposes?"
"There are many sword skill competitions among the clans that practice Gouken-shi. I know my sword forms very well, so I am always recruited to compete in the tournaments. My fighting style may look pretty and be technically correct, but they are not as effective in combat as the skills of Si-Hing," Minako said with a sad smile.
Wufei cleared his throat.
"Si-Mui, you still lack a warrior's spirit," Wufei declared loudly, without even bothering to turn around to look at her. "But I give you my word that I will help you find it. I simply hope that once you find it, you'll stop annoying me with all your useless chatter."
Minako nearly fell over in surprise. She wasn't sure whether she should be thankful or offended by his statement. She glanced at Makoto, who looked somewhat confused as well. The two young women turned to stare at Wufei, who continued walking westwards, as if he had not uttered anything at all.
* * * * *
Lord Treize Kushrenada reclined comfortably into the plush chaise located on the open balcony to his chambers. The elegant man was carefully reading an old tome, his gloved hands gently turning the worn pages.
There was a knock on the door.
A hint of annoyance briefly flickered across his blue eyes. He spoke up, "Enter."
The door creaked open and a tall, lean man strode in. He had a warrior's gait and wore the uniform of the royal guard. Long blond hair flowed down to his back. But his face was concealed by an elaborate, metal helmet.
"What is it, Zechs Marquis?" Treize inquired, without bothering to look up from his book.
"I have made the necessary arrangements with the representatives of Soulafan," replied the man named Zechs Marquis.
"Very good," Treize acknowledged. He raised his head from his book, and turned to look eastward, towards Juliannes.[2] "It's quite unfortunate about her."
"Are you referring to Lady Rei?" Zechs asked politely.
Treize nodded. "Yes. She is a remarkable woman. Both in spirit and in beauty. It is unfortunate that I cannot have her."
Zechs murmured, "I thought you could have any woman you desired, my lord."
Treize shook his head sadly. "I cannot have that woman. No one can..."
* * * * *
Footnote:
[1] In the original Shadow Skill, the Gouken-shi summoned a "Fang" in combat. Of course, the original Shadow Skill also used the phrase the "Fang Clan" to describe the people of Lekitor. In order to avoid confusion, I decided to use the term "Shen", instead of Fang (for the Gouken-shi). "Shen" means a spirit or supernatural being in Chinese.
[2] As a point of clarification, the city of Juliannes is located at the center of the Holy Kingdom. Juliannes is protected by four city-states: Lekitor to the north (Duo), Kisholana to the east (Makoto, Minako and Wufei), Kuruda to the south (Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, Ami and Heero), and Felisha to the west (Rei and Trowa).
Author's Responses/Comments to Reviews:
Sadie Joyce - Myst Lady - Thanks for your review. You're right, I don't secretly loathe Usagi (sorry to disappoint, but I really don't loathe any main protagonists from either Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon). I'm glad you like the fantasy/adventure elements reminiscent of LOTR. I think Treize is actually a very interesting and complex character, who probably doesn't get enough character development. I might be tempted to write one or two more GW/SM cross-overs in the future. To be honest, the main reason I started writing fanfiction was to get input on my writing style (especially on areas that I felt that I was weak on) to help me improve the original fiction/novel that I'm working on. Yes, I have delusional fantasies about being a published author (one can dream, right?)!
Kaiya - I'm glad you found the last chapter interesting, and hopefully this chapter continued to keep your attention. I'm glad you agree with me about twists and not revealing pairings (though I hope I didn't offend anyone else by refusing to disclose). I will definitely consider your request (but once again, I won't reveal pairings, so I can't give you a definite answer one way or the other).
I would appreciate any reviews/comments/criticisms. Thanks!
CHAPTER 3: THE TRAVEL TO THE HOLY CITY
* * * * *
Koumafuin Trowa Barton had not spoken more than a few words since leaving the city of Felisha. He seemed to be content walking in silence to the capital of Juliannes.
The young raven-haired Sui Rame sorceress walked alongside him. She kept to herself and did not seem to appreciate his presence. In fact, she continued to cast suspicious looks at him as they continued down the large path through the forest.
Trowa stopped walking and raised a hand. Rei paused, but did not appear particularly happy about his non-verbal instruction to stop. He seemed to be studying their surroundings with intense interest. Eventually, he continued walking and signaled for her to follow.
His silent gesturing was beginning to fray the young woman's nerves.
"It's usually considered polite to verbally ask someone to follow a request," Rei informed him crisply.
Trowa simply responded, "We're being followed."
Rei glanced around at the surrounding forest, but she could not see anything out of the ordinary. She also had the power to detect the presence of evil, but her senses did not seem to indicate anything malevolent was lurking out in the woods.
"Are you sure about that?" she asked suspiciously.
Trowa nodded.
"Is it an animal?" she inquired with a frown. Rei realized that there were plenty of hungry predators roaming the forests. Such creatures were not inherently evil, and her magical powers would not be able to detect them.
"Not quite," he replied simply.
His right hand slipped beneath his cloak. In a blinding movement, his hand whipped out and a glint of metal flashed out of his hands. Trowa's dagger flew into a nearby tree.
"Ow!" a voice cried out from the tree's thick foliage.
After a moment, a figure hopped down and perched onto one of the lower branches of the tree. It was a young man wearing a dark robe and cloak. She noticed that there appeared to be a long, chestnut colored braid swaying behind the youth. Rei's eyes widened as she noted that two feline ears protruded from the top of the young man's head.
His ears were a tell-tale sign that he was a member of the Fang Clan. The Fang Clan was a race of catlike humans who lived to in the city of Lekitor, which lay north of the city of Juliannes.
The young member of the Fang Clan was tenderly licking the back of his hand, his amethyst-blue eyes glaring at Trowa.
"That hurt, Trowa," the stranger stated, sounding somewhat upset.
"It's your fault," Trowa shrugged. He did not appear surprised by the sudden appearance of the stranger.
"Do you know this man?" Rei whispered in a hushed voice.
"Yes, he knows me! But I don't trust him to make introductions," the stranger called out. "Please allow me to introduce myself. I am the magnificent Duo Maxwell of the Fang Clan. I am your humble servant and I offer my services to you, pretty lady!"
Rei's eyes widened in surprise. She had heard rumors that the members of the Fang Clan had heightened senses, but she didn't realize that their hearing was quite this good. She had barely made an audible whisper. The people of the Fang Clan were also reputed to enjoy the more physical aspects of love. Rei quietly hoped that those were not part of the services he was offering.
"What do you want?" Trowa demanded.
"I'm curious as to why you're travelling with such a beautiful young lady," Duo replied casually.
"It's business," Trowa stated in an even voice.
"...in Ashlianna," Duo surmised.
Trowa ignored him and continued walking down the path. Rei glanced back and forth between Trowa and the young man named Duo. She wasn't entirely sure what to make of this entire exchange, but she hurried off after Trowa.
"Hey, that's rude, Trowa!" Duo griped, and hopped down from the tree. He caught up with them with surprising speed. He turned to look at the Sui Rame. "So what's your name, my lady?"
"You may call me Rei," the raven-haired sorceress responded.
"Lady Rei...I like the sound of that," Duo grinned. He turned to look at Trowa. "I'm heading to Ashlianna myself. Can I come with you?"
"No," came the terse reply.
"Why not?"
"No."
"Are you afraid of competition?" Duo snickered.
Trowa questioningly turned to Duo. "Competition...?"
Duo grinned. "For the affections of this gorgeous lady, of course! Are you afraid I'll steal her heart before you get a chance to court her properly?"
Trowa shook his head in exasperation and continued to walk.
"So you're not afraid of competition? That's great! That means I can come along! By the way, did you ever hear the story about..."
Rei was walking in shock next to the two men. The journey had begun with an oppressive silence, and was now quite the opposite. She was struggling to decide whether this was a good turn of events.
* * * * *
Five travelers headed northwards from the city of Kuruda towards the holy city of Juliannes. The group of travelers had departed before dawn and were nearly a quarter of the way to their destination. On foot, it usually took a little more than a day and a half to travel from Kuruda to Juliannes.
Ami glanced nervously over her shoulder at Heero.
"Is it all right for him to be carrying all that?" she asked nervously.
Haruka snorted. "Of course, it's part of his training."
Heero was wearing an enormously large backpack full of clothes, food, water and other supplies. Haruka had insisted that the young man carry all of the group's belongings for the duration of the trip. The weight of the pack looked like it could easily immobilize the average man. Ami was astounded that any one could even lift it, much less carry it.
But the young man quietly plodded along without a word of complaint. His eyes blazed with fierce determination, as if carrying the backpack was the most important thing in his life at the moment.
"Don't worry, dear. Haruka makes him carry our things all the time," Michiru smiled lightly.
"But..."
"If he can't carry it, we don't want him with us," Haruka interjected in a harsh voice.
Michiru took Ami to the side, as they continued walking to the north.
"Heero is a Valle, an apprentice in training under Haruka. He wants to become a Sevalle. It takes a lot of physical strength, mental discipline and hard work to become a Sevalle. As terrible as this looks, its really for his benefit," Michiru explained.
"Heero can handle this," Hotaru chimed in confidently.
Ami looked nervously at the large backpack. "I suppose. He seems to be doing fine..."
"How long have you been a healer?" Michiru inquired, guiding the conversation to a different topic.
"I have only been a healer for the past three years. I learned from my mother, who is a well-respected healer in Kuruda. My mother would normally have been sent to Juliannes, instead of me. But she had previously left to another city to treat some other patients," Ami explained.
"You must be quite accomplished. There are many other healers in the city of Kuruda, but King Vy Low chose you," Michiru observed.
Ami blushed. "Thank you. I pray that I deserve the king's confidence."
"I am sure you will be able to help the princess, my dear," Michiru smiled supportively.
"I truly hope so," Ami said in a quiet voice.
Michiru caught the troubled expression that briefly flitted across the young girl's face.
* * * * *
Chang Wufei strode proudly down the path towards Juliannes. He was clearly making an effort to ignore the two young girls that were walking a few paces behind him, as well as the chatter that seemed to follow.
"So what's it like being a Raze Rame?" Minako inquired.
"Nothing terribly exciting," Makoto responded. "I spent most of my youth training with one of the Raze Rame of Ashlianna. I learned how to harmonize the Sohma and use it for various purposes."
"Including fighting...?" Minako asked eagerly.
"Yes, including fighting. But a Raze Rame is principally employed for more general purposes, such as making sure that each city has a proper flow of..."
"Can you show me how you use it in combat?" Minako interrupted.
"Maybe some other time," Makoto told her.
"But..."
"So what's it like to be a Gouken-shi?" Makoto asked, quickly changing the subject.
"It's a lot of training, but it's actually quite fun," Minako beamed. "I've been training with the sword for the past six years. Si-Hing has been training several more years than me."
"Have you learned how to summon a Shen?" Makoto queried. Makoto knew very little about the Gouken-shi. But everyone knew that these swordsmen had developed a special skill that enabled them to summon a Shen, or a fighting spirit, in combat.[1]
Minako's smile faded slightly. "Not quite. Si-Hing is quite accomplished and was able to summon a fighting spirit when he was very young. Most of my sword skills are for display purposes."
"Display purposes?"
"There are many sword skill competitions among the clans that practice Gouken-shi. I know my sword forms very well, so I am always recruited to compete in the tournaments. My fighting style may look pretty and be technically correct, but they are not as effective in combat as the skills of Si-Hing," Minako said with a sad smile.
Wufei cleared his throat.
"Si-Mui, you still lack a warrior's spirit," Wufei declared loudly, without even bothering to turn around to look at her. "But I give you my word that I will help you find it. I simply hope that once you find it, you'll stop annoying me with all your useless chatter."
Minako nearly fell over in surprise. She wasn't sure whether she should be thankful or offended by his statement. She glanced at Makoto, who looked somewhat confused as well. The two young women turned to stare at Wufei, who continued walking westwards, as if he had not uttered anything at all.
* * * * *
Lord Treize Kushrenada reclined comfortably into the plush chaise located on the open balcony to his chambers. The elegant man was carefully reading an old tome, his gloved hands gently turning the worn pages.
There was a knock on the door.
A hint of annoyance briefly flickered across his blue eyes. He spoke up, "Enter."
The door creaked open and a tall, lean man strode in. He had a warrior's gait and wore the uniform of the royal guard. Long blond hair flowed down to his back. But his face was concealed by an elaborate, metal helmet.
"What is it, Zechs Marquis?" Treize inquired, without bothering to look up from his book.
"I have made the necessary arrangements with the representatives of Soulafan," replied the man named Zechs Marquis.
"Very good," Treize acknowledged. He raised his head from his book, and turned to look eastward, towards Juliannes.[2] "It's quite unfortunate about her."
"Are you referring to Lady Rei?" Zechs asked politely.
Treize nodded. "Yes. She is a remarkable woman. Both in spirit and in beauty. It is unfortunate that I cannot have her."
Zechs murmured, "I thought you could have any woman you desired, my lord."
Treize shook his head sadly. "I cannot have that woman. No one can..."
* * * * *
Footnote:
[1] In the original Shadow Skill, the Gouken-shi summoned a "Fang" in combat. Of course, the original Shadow Skill also used the phrase the "Fang Clan" to describe the people of Lekitor. In order to avoid confusion, I decided to use the term "Shen", instead of Fang (for the Gouken-shi). "Shen" means a spirit or supernatural being in Chinese.
[2] As a point of clarification, the city of Juliannes is located at the center of the Holy Kingdom. Juliannes is protected by four city-states: Lekitor to the north (Duo), Kisholana to the east (Makoto, Minako and Wufei), Kuruda to the south (Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, Ami and Heero), and Felisha to the west (Rei and Trowa).
Author's Responses/Comments to Reviews:
Sadie Joyce - Myst Lady - Thanks for your review. You're right, I don't secretly loathe Usagi (sorry to disappoint, but I really don't loathe any main protagonists from either Gundam Wing or Sailor Moon). I'm glad you like the fantasy/adventure elements reminiscent of LOTR. I think Treize is actually a very interesting and complex character, who probably doesn't get enough character development. I might be tempted to write one or two more GW/SM cross-overs in the future. To be honest, the main reason I started writing fanfiction was to get input on my writing style (especially on areas that I felt that I was weak on) to help me improve the original fiction/novel that I'm working on. Yes, I have delusional fantasies about being a published author (one can dream, right?)!
Kaiya - I'm glad you found the last chapter interesting, and hopefully this chapter continued to keep your attention. I'm glad you agree with me about twists and not revealing pairings (though I hope I didn't offend anyone else by refusing to disclose). I will definitely consider your request (but once again, I won't reveal pairings, so I can't give you a definite answer one way or the other).
I would appreciate any reviews/comments/criticisms. Thanks!