Disclaimer: The story is mine, and so are about half of the characters. I'll send Heero after anyone who steals them!

Warnings: eventual shounen ai, swearing, magic

Notes: Thanks for the reviews, both before and after I revised Ch. 12!

Finny: You're cruel! Poor lil' Quatre... oh well, he'll be fine soon. I think. *crosses fingers*

AyanamiChan: Thanks! And I think I'll be writing as long as I have ideas and reviews! *grin*

Mariel Yuy: The emails finally got through, ne? *rolls eyes* Took long enough. But thanks again for the fanart! Suri is the coolest, especially in that outfit. And Hilde as a gypsy... you can cross your fingers and hope she'll come back later on in the story! Oh, and did you get the email I sent you after you sent me the ponytailed-Trowa pic?

Liliku: Oooh, thanks soo much! *jumps around ecstatically* Me got money!! Now I can do less part-time work and do more on this fic! Or I would be able to if we didn't have exams coming up... grrrrr.

Rokjai: Thanks! Hey, did you get my email reply? It *should* have been sent, but I really don't trust that server much.

Landlady of the Universe: Did you read the revised version? It sorta sped up a little. Anyway, please keep reading!

Emcron: Thanks - I'm so happy when readers like Suri. You never know how OCs will be received O_o. I love the way you said Quatre "thinks Trowa got squashed"... it cracked me up, for some reason. *grin*

*** IMPORTANT ***

To those who read Ch. 12, I have revised it (the revised version came out one week after the first one), and added about three thousand words to it. It's quite a lot, and something important happened, so if you haven't read it, you may not understand what happens in this chapter. Please go back and read it first! It begins after "two weeks later". Sorry for the inconvenience - I won't do it again!

Part XIII: Debt of Honour I

"Triton?" The girl peered out through the window of the wagon, then jumped down and called once more, "Triton!" A muffled sound came from the direction of the cages where the animals were kept and Catherine turned to investigate. When she saw the shadow crouched on the ground, she hurried over. "Triton, are you okay?"

There was a silence, then the youth gave said in a half-dazed murmur, "Trowa."

"Huh?"

He looked up, then. Emerald eyes stared right in to hers, but without the carefully hidden frustration from before. Rising, he repeated softly, "My name. It's Trowa. I... I remember, Catherine - Cath."

She didn't know how to react. Firstly, to the fact that his memory had returned. That she could no longer pretend. Then, secondly, to what he called her - Cath, instead of Catherine. She had been asking him to do so for the last to weeks, but he had never done so. Until now.

He seemed to be expecting her to say something, but her tongue remained stubbornly silent. She couldn't look up, though he was now at eye level. A breeze ruffled her hair and she trembled slightly - she hadn't noticed before, but it was approaching the middle of winter. She felt cold. Then, something warm brushed across her cheeks and she glanced at the youth before her. Trowa, he had said his name was. Not Triton. Never Triton. She was as alone as before. [1]

The touch came again, smoothing away the tears that trickled down her face. Tears? Yes... how strange, she hadn't noticed she was crying. That must have been what Tri... Trowa was doing before. Brushing her tears away. He was still waiting, though - she could sense it. Catherine looked up, steadying herself as much as she could. In a whisper - she wasn't sure she trusted her voice - she asked, "You remember? Everything?"

Trowa shook his head slowly. "Not everything. But vague memories are coming back. He... he's in many of them."

"He?"

The single eye sought hers again. "The one who helped me remember. He's crying."

"Huh?" She could only manage one word at a time - she would berate herself for that, later. But not now. Not yet.

"He's crying. Hurting. Cath... I have to go to him."

The voice was soft, apologetic. But firm. She knew his mind was decided - in a way, she had known that he would be leaving her ever since he said he remembered. I had hoped for a brother... but I guess it would never be. I'll never have a proper family... It was strange - she hadn't known she'd be able to care for someone so much in such a short space of time. As he rested for the last two weeks, they had talked - or rather, she had talked, and he had listened patiently, and when her words ran out, they had sat together quietly in each other's company. He was a great listener. She had to say something now, so after a moment of blankness, she chose, "But your injuries..."

The youth shook her head. "Not even the doctor was able to explain how I healed so quickly. I'll be fine."

Yes, that was true. The doctor had been downright shocked - according to the initial diagnosis, Tri- Trowa should have taken months to recover. If he recovered, the phrase was. After all, not that many people recovered after having their organs literally torn apart. But he had, and was as healthy as any other youth she knew. "So... I guess it's goodbye?" She hadn't meant it as a question, though it came out that way. After all, she knew the answer.

A nod. "I will see you again."

For some reason, she felt anger building up inside her. How dare he leave, after... after she had bared her soul to him. How dare he leave her alone again, when... And how dare he lie about coming back, when she knew he never would. Then, she saw the look of pain in the emerald eyes. The look of pain that echoed the glint in the eyes of the hardened war veterans she'd met, the look that came from having seen too much, having done too much. From having tasted death firsthand. And she felt her anger melt away. "Trowa... just how much do you remember?"

For the first time, the youth allowed a flicker of uncertainty flash across his face. "I'm not sure. But there is something I need to do, something that affects more than just me, or the people I know. And he's linked to it, somehow." Trowa's eyes searched hers, looking for what? Understanding, perhaps. "I have to finish it, or I'll never be at peace."

She nodded mutely, accepting his choice. He reached out, awkwardly, and held her in a half-embrace. Then, he turned to leave. She hesitated for a moment, then called, "Wait!"

Trowa looked back in question. She took one step closer to him, then reached into her pocket and withdrew an object, pressing it into his palm. "Take this - it brings good luck. I hope it keeps you well."

He looked down. It was the silver locket he had returned to her two weeks ago, the one with the jaaniva bloom engraved on it. The sole possession that her parents had left her. He stared into the moist blue eyes for a long moment, then caught the look of fierce determination inside. Pocketing the locket, he nodded once, then graced the girl with a rare smile. "Thank you... Cath. Goddess bless."

The tears fell again, but this time, Trowa didn't brush them away for her. He was already walking away. Softly, almost inaudibly, she whispered into the wind, "Goddess bless. And Trowa... though I'll never see you again... you'll always be my brother."

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Wufei spun around at the sudden noise, his hand drawing his katana in a swift motion. Then, catching sight of the approaching figure, he relaxed and lowered his weapon. There was a low rustle as his companions did the same. His onyx eyes were alert, though - Quatre was running towards them, his movements less coordinated than usual. He would never have made this much noise, normally. What happened? Wufei, like the others, had assumed that Quatre was resting early. Now, it was obvious that the blonde had been doing otherwise.

Suri and Duo had already risen, both moving to stand beside the trembling figure. The girl's face was a mask of concentration - Wufei assumed she was using Empathy. Catching the look of pain flash across her face, he felt a sudden surge of respect for her. His family had never been one to encourage the display of emotions - and he agreed with them. When feelings were suppressed, they could not distract him. But that made him all the more uneasy when others did show theirs, as the Healer was so blatantly doing at the moment. He didn't know whether he would have had the strength of mind to actually reach out for other peoples' emotions. He would have to apologise for calling her an onna two years ago - it was dishonourable, judging her on the basis that she was female. Especially since she had risked her life with them and with less reason - after all, if she had chosen to leave and continue life working in inns, she could probably have avoided a lot of pain. And she was no longer as sarcastic or disrespectful as she had been at the beginning.

The girl was whispering softly to Quatre, and slowly, the blonde sank to the ground, glanced around at all of them, and made a visible effort to pull himself together. Wufei heard Suri's ask, What happened, Quatre?

The mind voice carried a strong soothing touch; Wufei had a feeling it was directed at all of them. For a moment, he wondered why the girl used Telepathy, then recalled the training sessions he had undergone at the Psychic Collegium and nodded to himself. Of course. I should have realised - mindspeech is more intimate, so he'd be able to feel our support, or at least, 'hear' our supportive thoughts. And we'd be able to catch any stray thoughts in his mind.

I- I think I saw Trowa.

What?!

Duo's mindvoice echoed Wufei's thoughts. After a stunned silence, Zechs sent gently, Are you sure, Quatre?

There was a hesitation, then the blonde answered, Yes... his Empathetic aura was the same as Trowa's. I felt it and followed it... and found him, near some circus cages. He... he did not recognise me.

Wufei saw Suri wince in pain as the last sentence was sent, and involuntarily tightened his grip on the katana. Can it be true? The gypsies said he was dead. But auras can't be counterfeited - that's why we were warned never to let anyone except those we trusted see our auras. Because once another person got a single glimpse of an aura, they would be able to recognise it at any time, in any place, no matter what disguise or shield was used. But that means... He glanced around and saw his companions reach the same conclusion. This time, Suri was the one who sent, Did you talk to him?

The blonde nodded. That's how I knew he didn't know me. He said he worked with the circus.

Suri closed her eyes in concentration. At length, she opened them again, saying, I can't sense him - either my gift is not strong enough, or I don't know him as well as I need to.

There was a pause, then Zechs glanced at each of them. I guess we go physically, then. At their affirmative, the prince continued, He's in Sahkron? Another nod from the Healer. Then lead on, Quatre.

The blonde stood again, his face tired, and Wufei saw Suri give his hand a squeeze. Duo did the same and they walked on, silently but briskly. Zechs' face was worried, though he hid it well. For his half-brother, and for all of them. Wufei did not envy his role - it was selfish of him, but he did not want the responsibility for other peoples' lives, especially when those people were his friends. As they drew near a cluster of colourful wagons - rather extravagant ones, Wufei thought privately - the blonde stopped. Aquamarine eyes flickered across the area, the blonde head shook slowly. He isn't there anymore. I can't sense him.

Wufei hid a frown. If only I could be sure Quatre didn't imagine Trowa - I wouldn't have blamed him for it, if he had. It's been... stressful. His thoughts were interrupted by a mental whisper from Suri. Don't doubt him - he didn't imagine it. There is... it's hard to explain, but there's a feeling around here. It's something I've only ever felt around Trowa and Quatre, and even then, only when they were together.

The speech was sent to the four of them privately, so Quatre didn't hear any of it. But when Suri also supported Quatre's claim, Wufei found he could not, in good conscience, doubt the blonde. So he looked around carefully, then said, That onna standing there - she looks as though she's a part of this troupe.

Zechs nodded. Come, Quatre. We'll go ask her.

As they approached, the girl turned. Wufei was slightly taken back to see the streaks in her makeup, but as with the rest of them, refrained from comment. Quatre and his half-brother exchanged a glance, then the blonde shook his head and moved forward, obviously deciding to do the talking himself. "Excuse me... do you know a boy named Trowa Barton? He's fifteen, quite tall, with a long brown fringe and emerald eyes. Oh... and he may have called himself Triton Bloom."

Wufei raised an eyebrow at the last sentence - Quatre hadn't mentioned the name. Th girl looked at them for a moment, then glared at Quatre. "Are you the person he talked to?"

The blonde blinked. "I... guess so."

There was a pause, then a sudden 'slap' made them all jump. Quatre's hand was pressed against his cheeks, his blue eyes opened in surprise. Wufei felt a rare anger build inside him. Zechs lay a brief hand on his soldier, restraining him, and said in a cold voice, "Excuse me, lady, but I am concerned that you attacked my brother without provocation. I would ask that you answer our question honestly."

At the sudden formality of Zechs' speech, Catherine, too, blinked. In that instant, the fight seemed to go out of her and she turned away. At length, she whispered, "I love him like a brother."

"Pardon?" The prince wasn't sure whether he heard her correctly.

"He had no memory - we found him at the brink of death two weeks ago. The doctor wasn't sure whether he'd ever recover but he did. Because he didn't remember anything, I called him Triton, after... after my missing brother." The girl looked at Quatre. "Then you came along. You did something... I don't know what... but you made his memory return. He - Trowa - is gone. To search for you."

A shark intake of breath. Wufei watched both the Healer and the girl carefully, but neither moved, both simply staring at each other. Silence stretched on, then Quatre nodded. "Thank you. Which direction did he take?"

Silence again. Then, a curt answer. "Northwest. He'll be going out of Sahkron."

The blonde thanked her again. They were turning to leave when he added quietly, "I love him too."

Blue stared into blue and for a moment, all was still. Wufei felt something in his heart constrict - Quatre had meant his words. The girl's eyes moistened. "If you find him, take care of him."

The Healer reached into his sleeve, withdrawing a handkerchief and offering it to the girl. "I will."

The girl nodded and turned, walking slowly back towards the wagons. Wufei realised they didn't even know her name. Zechs gave his half-brother a squeeze and said to all of them, "Shall we split up? There are several trails that branch from Sahkron's north." They nodded affirmative. "We'll meet back at our camp in two candlemarks. Quatre, I want you to go back. You won't be of any help to Trowa if you become ill." The blonde was about to protest, but Zechs added, "And if he changed direction and headed south instead of north, I want someone there to meet him."

There was nothing the Healer could say to that, so he bit his lips. "Take care, all of you."

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Trowa stilled himself, listening for the slightest noise. There's a fire over there - and people are surrounding it. I wonder if he is there? Much to the youth's frustration, he still barely remembered his past. He just knew that he must find the blonde. Taking a careful step forward, he let his body find the places where the leaves wouldn't rustle, where no small animal would sense him and make a noise in fleeing. This exercise seemed familiar, somehow. So familiar that when his preoccupation made him step on a small Mage-trap, he had the presence of mind to spring into midair, draw his dagger and meet his attackers with a blade.

There were about ten men in all. They're average fighters, and not trained as a unit. I have a feeling I'll be able to beat them. But by then, the noise would have alerted whoever's in charge - though if reinforcements come, this is the best place to fight. Not many can stand around me at once, and it's too small for ranged weapons. But assassin-tricks... He wasn't sure how he knew all of this, but somehow, he did, and he intended to make the best use of that information. The boulder to his east that had a thick trunk beside it; he slashed and leapt up, catching the man beside that boulder unaware. A quick stab and the man fell, leaving the protective spot empty. Trowa ducked, grabbed a few rocks off the ground and aimed them at the closest three faces, then backed up against the spot before drawing the blade through the closest throat. Across from him was a cluster of bushes - they were too closely packed for a man to hide in. Two of the ten were dead, three more had fallen. That left five.

He ducked again as another blade came at him, then something in his mind flickered and he saw a small layer of ice crust around the attacker. I can do that? Yes... I remember, now. Transferring the dagger to his left hand in a fluid motion, he used his free hand to grab the sword from the man before launching the dagger at one of the remaining soldiers. Three left. He no longer needed the protection of the boulder - it had stopped an assault before, but now, it simply limited his movements. Trowa waited till the next attack came, then without warning, launched himself into the air, pushing his feet against the trunk and landing on the other side of one of the remaining men. He slashed. Two left. Hooking his feet beneath one of the bodies, he sent it into the face of the closer man. In that brief moment, he grabbed another discarded weapon and hurtled it into the chest of the other. There was a gurgle. One left. The last man was beginning to look nervous. Trowa took full advantage of that and attacked, wielding the sword with an ingrained expertise. Lunge, duck, parry... there! He drove his sword into the exposed flesh, then drew back, automatically wiping the blade on the clothing of one of the bodies. He had just retrieved his dagger when, suddenly, he sensed movement behind him and spun around.

A figure stood in the shadows, holding a bow. The arrow was trained at his throat. As he rose, slowly, the figure drawled, "Well, you certainly fought well. Ten men, was it?"

He ignored the question, staring straight at her. When she spoke again, the drawl was gone. "Ten of my men, I might add. New recruits, of course - real soldiers would never be so lax or so careless. I would suggest you come back with me before I loose this arrow at your throat."

Emerald eyes quickly surveyed the situation - there was no escape. She was too far to disarm, and he had a feeling she didn't care much whether he was dead or alive. Then, suddenly - "Let him go."

The woman turned slightly, eyes widening at the blade next to her neck. She froze for a moment, then smirked. "You kill me and your friend dies with me. Treize doesn't particularly like his soldiers being slaughtered - if I don't bring anyone back, I'm likely to face punishment anyway."

An Asian youth moved out from the shadows, keeping careful watch on the woman. Trowa? Are you alright?

He nodded - something about this boy sparked memories. His name was... Wufei?

A mental nod. I'm glad you remember. Now listen carefully. The moment her arrow is not aimed at you, leap up and cut to the southeast. Follow the trail until you reach Sahkron again, then go south. You should find a camp there. Tell the others not to come looking for me. Do you understand?

Trowa frowned inwardly - he understood. Enough to sense what was being left unsaid. What are you planning?

My sword is too far away from her to kill her without her loosing the arrow. I don't know how good her aim is, so I can't risk it, but my other hand is next to a pressure point. Jabbing it will make her knees buckle for an instant, so she wouldn't be able to shoot any vital areas.

And you?

I will fight my way free.

Trowa stared straight at him, instinctively knowing that the Asian boy would never do so. His honour prevented him from fighting women directly. You know I won't leave you here.

You will. I owe you. Wufei, too, was looking straight into his eyes.

How?

Quatre was attacking me. You saved me at the risk of your own life. I'm in your life debt.

And you'll have to repay it before you can accept yourself again. His memory was returning; Trowa could feel it. He would have to let the Asian repay the debt, or Wufei would never be at peace. What are the official words again? I remember learning them once... ah. Very well. Chang Wufei, you owe me a debt-price equal to that of a life. If you repay to me that life, you will be officially discharged from that debt. We will once more be equals and your honour shall be redeemed.

There was a silence. Then - Thank you, Trowa. Fare well.

And to you. Trowa took one last look at the boy he knew was his friend, then steadied himself, preparing his muscles for a launch and somersault.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wufei saw the other boy glance at him and knew it was a signal of readiness. He focussed the strength of his arm into his index finger, then, in a swift motion honed by years of training, pressed into the woman's pressure point. She gave a low gasp and Trowa was off, his body springing above the skewed arrow. The woman rose almost instantly but Wufei kept his sword at her neck, preventing her from moving until he thought Trowa was sufficiently far away. Then, he lowered his sword and bowed slightly, saying, "I apologise for raising my weapon against you. I offer my sword to you as a sign of apology." [2]

He caught the incredulous look on her face, then the slow glee as she realised that the something that kept him from killing her just then would continue to stop him doing so. She took the offered sword and glanced at him once more, as though checking to see whether he would leave. Stupid. She has the weapon now - besides, even if I *could* best a blade empty-handed, I can't attack her without her attacking me first. When he didn't move, she smirked and dragged him by his sleeve, bringing him past some small trails to a campfire. As she walked past, the people bowed their heads slightly - he wondered what her rank was. There was no time to contemplate, however, because she led him into a sombre tent, literally handed him over to a pair of guards and moved to whisper something into the ears of a person whose face was hidden in the shadows. At length, the figure nodded and motioned for the woman to leave, before turning to Wufei. The Asian boy bit back a gasp.

"Well." Treize Khushrenada of Oz said, his blue eyes almost amused. "You corner Une, attack her to free your friend, then offer her your sword and apology. Now would you like to introduce yourself?"

Notes:

[1] - Is this really OOC for Catherine? I really don't know. I actually have no idea how her character is like, so gomen if it's totally wrong. In this context, though, I think it works okay.

[2] - I know I would never do something like this, but I'm Chinese - some people *did* do that. You can't fight women, you can't fight unarmed people, you can't... you get the point. To do so would be a blight to your honour, and you had to make up for it. And the life debt - there's a saying that goes "a life for a life". If someone rescued you at the cost of their life, you would rescue them at the cost of your own. It's custom. And no, it doesn't mean that if a woman attacks you, you can't fight back, but it means you can't be the one to draw the sword first. And Une never attacked Wufei.

Different POVs this time - I really hadn't meant for the story to become totally Suri-orientated. It's easier to write from her POV, though, most of the time. But at least this time, I stuck to my promise and won't be revising - that's why this is Part I. Part II will have a confrontation between Treize and Wufei - I'll enjoy writing that. And yes, I *will* explain Trowa's miracle healing... anybody want to venture a guess? If you leave an email address and guess correctly, I'll email you back. And a hint - it's got something to do with Quatre.

My broken finger is still driving me mad - and the doctor says I've overused a finger on the other hand. Must have come from trying to do everything with my left hand. *sigh* I'll go for a fortnight, though. Expect the next chapter out by then!

At the moment, I'm saving up - in a couple of chapters' time, I'll be able to send all my reviewers on a 3-day cruise. At the moment, though, I only have a couple of days' salary plus the five dollars Liliku gave me. But please review anyway? *chibi eyes*