Disclaimer: Though all the GW characters from the series aren't mine, the story is, and so are the other characters. I'll send Heero after anyone who steals them!

Warnings: shounen ai, swearing, magic

Notes: Thanks for the reviews, and I hope they keep coming!

Chara: Yummy!! Thanks soo much! *offers some to Duo* He can have some too, since I don't want to get too fat. :) Thanks again!

Mariel Yuy: Hey, just wanted you to know, I tried sending Ch. 2 to you but it didn't work. Do you have space in your inbox? I'll try again later. Anyway, I'm glad you liked the last chappie and I hope you like this one as much!

hikari hime: I know! I reckon teachers don't know any other subjects exist but their own ones. They *all* give enough for eight subjects put together! But you're an exchange student? That sounds cool. What's it like?

beckboo: Hehe... well, he doesn't seem to smile all that much, does he? And assuming people smile when they're happy, and assuming that he's not often happy, it kinda makes sense. Mission: Make Heero Smile!! :)

megster: Thanks a lot!! I'm really glad you enjoy it, though I'm sorry that you don't like Quatre and Trowa. The story isn't going to revolve around their romance, though, don't worry about that. It's more like they'll be there for each other. There's a lot more plot, dialogue and battle in this bit, so I hope you like it!

heather: Hi! Well, I actually have started another one, one that is even more complex than this one, but I'm not sure I will upload any of it. Finishing Roeplay will take forever already. Finishing another one will keep me in front of thus computer until I'm thirty!



Part XXI: Jigsaw

"Good morning, Wufei."

The Asian had registered the presence before it spoke, so his about-turn was unhurried and his slight bow graceful. "Good morning."

When he made no sign of continuing with the exercises, Sally moved closer. "Am I interrupting?"

Brushing a bead of sweat from his bow, Wufei shook his head. "No, I was finishing up." He retrieved his white robe from where it was slung across an overhanging branch. "Did you need me for something?" She made a negating sound but did not elaborate. After a moment, he gave a small sigh and pressed, "It is rather early for a morning stroll."

Sally smiled and shrugged carelessly. "Who knows? Mt Sera has a nice view - I might be someone who likes the sunrise." Rays of red and gold glinted off her hair and her twinkling eyes, but she made no move to explain. Wufei's lips twiched slightly in exasperation. Finally, Sally grinned and said, "If you really wish to know, I was taking a breath of fresh air before going to the meeting. The one your friend invited me to. "

"Zechs?" He frowned. "Why?"

"I offered to help in whatever ways I could, and he accepted."

The frown deepened. "But you..." She raised an eyebrow at him, so he finished, "You are a female, and a Healer. People like you should not be fighting!" [1]

"By whose decree?" He did not reply and she grew serious, both in expression and in tone. "Wufei, I may not be strong, but I believe I can make a difference. Either way, I have to try."

He hesitated. "Sally, it is possible that they slaughtered your entire clan. Why fight an enemy you don't stand a chance against?"

"Because it's a fight that I must take on!"

"Why? Nobody ordered you to fight them."

"No, I'm fighting because that's what I've decided on! I've had enough of people who slaughter in cold blood - Wufei, even if they did not murder my people, other such killers did. Could you stand by and let them run free?"

Wufei stilled, then after some moments, he turned away. Almost to himself, he murmured, "I don't know..."

Seeing the turmoil etched onto his features, Sally's pose softened. "Wufei, why did you fight?"

He was silent for a while. "Oz... they killed my wife, and slaughtered hundred more. It was my duty to avenge them."

She nodded. "So is it not my duty to fight and thus, in principle, avenge my own people?"

Wufei shifted to face her once more. "You are too weak to fight. So am I. I'm a coward. I don't have the right to fight." His hands dropped to his side and he bowed his head.

Slowly, she shook her head. "I don't see how you could ever call yourself a coward."

He glanced at her and sighed once more. "I am one because I lost. To one stronger than me. I'm a coward who can only win against those weaker than myself!"

"Is that why you're giving up?" Sally demanded. "Weren't you fighting to avenge your wife? Your people? To win back peace?" He did not reply. "You know, Wufei, you may be right. I am weak. We all are, by ourselves. That's why people join and fight together. To overcome that weakness. The same way you did."

He still said nothing, and finally, it was her turn to sigh. "Very well, then, Wufei. If that's what you believe. You promised Zechs you would stay and help the cause. Ask for permission to come with me. I will take you to the Tiger clan. You can seek support from them. That way, you will not have to fight actively."

This time, Wufei looked up, his surprise evident. He did not have time to answer, however, because at that moment, Quatre and Trowa approached and wished them good morning. They were looking refreshed; it seemed that they, too, had been exercising in the cool morning air. As they entered the building and headed towards the meeting room, Sally did not bring up the topic again, and Wufei was left to ponder over their conversation in private.

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"Good morning," he called cheerfully.

The Mage looked up. Normally, he would only nod, but he suddenly recalled the events of the previous day. Awkwardly, Heero muttered, "Morning."

Grinning at him, Duo remarked, "You're up early." If he was surprised at the unexpected reply, there was no sign of it.

"Hn." Heero knew that Duo knew what was going on, but since he seemed intent on making conversation, the Mage felt obliged to remain civil. "Meeting."

"Hmm..." The braided boy stretched, covering a yawn. "I wonder if we will leave directly after it?"

Heero stood. "Probably. Why?"

Duo hesitated slightly. "I'd like to see Siter Helen again. And Father Maxwell. To thank them."

Broken sentences were unlike his cousin. Heero hid a frown and repeated, "Why?"

Duo's expression bore a hint of defensiveness. "Why not? They were nicer to us than they needed to be." A pause. "Besides, I like them. They're nice people."

"You cannot have attained an accurate understanding of them within such a short time," Heero stated. Privately, he felt confused; why would 'nice' matter anyway? Duo had barely spoken to them. "And Zechs will thank them for us."

The braided youth stared at him for a moment, then sighed. "Heero, thanks aren't necessarily a ritual. I say 'thank you' when I'm grateful for something, not just because it's polite."

Heero considered that. Then, slightly curious, he asked, "What are you grateful for?"

A silence. Then, quietly, "Friendship."

The Mage frowned once more. "You cannot form bonds of friendship within such a short period of time, Duo."

This time, the frown was reciprocated. "I can too! What the hell do you think friendship is, cousin-mine?" Heero did not reply. "Well, I'll tell you. It's caring about someone. Being able to enjoy yourself with them. Knowing that they accept you with no strings attached. It's about trust, and loyalty, and understanding, and... oh hell, Heero, it's all about love. You get that?"

The Mage still said nothing. Finally, Duo finished more softly, "Father Maxwell and Sister Helen may simply be conveniences to you, Heero, but they're people too. And all people have their own stories, their own feelings, and their own gift for the world, whatever it may be. Theirs... theirs is love. They try and make the world a better place. And the least I can is love them in return."

The violet eyes were sad, and the sparkle within them had dimmed. Duo seemed to be recalling something, but Heero could not tell what it was. Indeed, he was not trying to; his cousin's words had echoed and brought back similar ones from the previous day. Words about people, and the importance of each person to the world... and about the power of a single smile. For some reason, he could not forget the soft smile on Suri's face when he agreed to visit Relena. It was strangely reminiscent of other smiles he often saw - from Duo and Quatre, from some of the others... and, once upon a time, from his mother.

...Heero, always follow your emotions. Follow your heart... let yourself care about others, and let yourself love... That's the only way you'll be happy, my son...

He blinked.

...Oh hell, Heero, it's all about love...

After an eternity, Heero looked up again; his head had been bowed, and his eyes felt unusually heavy. Duo was staring at him. He swallowed. "Let us go. We will be late."

Without a word, Duo nodded and followed him into the building, then through long corridors towards the room situated at the opposite end of the cloister. Zechs had given them the directions earlier. It took quite a while, for their pace was unhurried, and the awkward silence was punctuated only by the sounds of footfalls upon bare rock. Finally, they reached their destination. The others had already arrived, so, without looking at each other, they took their respective places and Zechs closed the door behind them.

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The chamber was ideal; not overly big, and equipped with a sturdy table, sufficient light and most importantly, thick walls. He had studied it when the Father showed it to him for the first time, because although the chamber was situated at the far end of the clositer, it was always better to be secure than to have any cause for future regrets.

The cousins had just entered and were busy avoiding each others' eyes. It could have been awkward, but he had arranged the seats so that they were at diagonals to each other because of the previous day's incident, so the discomfort was masked somewhat. Suri sat next to Heero, and he himself sat next to Duo. Sally was seated beside Wufei because she had made his acquaintance before making theirs. Inwardly, Zechs was relieved when Wufei walked in with the female Healer; he had been concerned that the arrangement would make the Asian youth uncomfortable.

"Well," he said after they had greeted each other, "good morning to you all, and thank you for coming at such an early hour. Several things have occurred to me during the past few days, some of which I would like to clarify. They centre around certain events that I have either heard of, or experienced firsthand."

Was he being too formal? Perhaps he was; the orderliness was making him lapse into the speech patterns he had known since birth. His companions did not seem bothered, however, so he continued, "I'll describe them briefly, as best as I can and in an order that appears chronological. The most recent of the events include a series of slaughters that occurred in cities along the larger towns along the northern route."

"Sahkron, Yvanole and Zhahilvar are north from Sanq's capital, while Lymont is to the south. Three of them we have passed. In the first two, which are stronger economically, all the townspeople were held by coercion, while at the same time, the soldiers were shielded. In Zhahalivar, the soldiers were clad in Oz colours. Both events occurred in areas where Magical energy ran thin - all the larger towns except the capital are situated in such locations because they were established in an era when power ran amok from their sources. There should not have been enough power to do anything near what they did."

"Don't forget that there was only one Mage at those times," Suri added. "Even if that much power was available, there is only so much a Mage can control at once, right?"

The question appeared to be directed at Heero, and the Mage nodded. When he did not elaborate, Duo remarked thoughtfully, "We kinda discussed this before, a few times, but I'll say it again - why would they do it? Oz would not want dead cities, or even worse, rebellious ones."

Zechs nodded. "I have a theory on that, but for the moment, I'll simply add one other confusing aspect of it. We discussed this also - do you remember how nobody in Zhahalivar knew what happened at the palace, even after two days? The distance between the two can be covered by a fast horse in a matter of hours. We had several hypotheses on that. One was that a decent sized army was sent to capture all the people travelling to and from the palace, and that shields were erected to stop Telepaths from relaying messages. The power needed would have been enormous, but that does not seem to be a problem for them. Still, it seemed rather improbable."

"Another possibility that occurred to us later was that anyone who wanted to or planned to travel to and from the capital received a little 'nudge' from a coercer. That is possible, and is certainly less taxing on resources. But either way, the question stands. *Why*?"

"They desperately needed the two days, perhaps?" Rashid suggested.

"That occurred to me," admitted the prince. "It seems like the only logical one. But it has bad implications. We have not heard of any major happenings in the palace, though we kept an ear open at all times. That means that the time was needed for some hidden purpose."

Trowa cleared his throat lightly. "It was probably related to the conquest of the capital. Having two days to secure power would have made a significant difference if any rebellions occurred."

"But why, then, would they attack the towns?" Quatre thumbed his tunic. "I suspect that it would be part of the reason, but not the entire one. Temporary prevention of rebellions would not have been worth the expenditure in energy."

Zechs nodded to himself; the discussion was raising some interesting points, which was partially the aim of this meeting. "Let us stop, though, and go back even further. The massacre on Zolte did, at least, seem reasonable, but again, from whence did the energy come? To operate on so many fronts, and yet disappear without trace, only to seize the palace early the next morning. How was that possible?"

Nobody commented aloud, though all seemed to be considering his points. At least, Zechs hoped they were; he was trying to fit together an incomplete jigsaw in a way that - he hoped - would allow them to see what he realised the previous day. Some tenuous links that explained certain events but raised many more questions that would need to be answered...

"Now, going back some more months, Sally's clan was attacked. It would be a year ago, now?" Sally nodded, so he continued, "A large amount of power was used to shield against the powerful anti-Healing energies, and yet, at the end, the killers could still teleport away. Keep in mind that this violence was used against a peaceful, neutral Hearer clan, one which abhored all killing. Once more, the questions stand - how, and why?"

"Then, even further back, almost three years ago by now, a heavily shielded area in Sanq's capital was broken into. An Elementalist with astonishing potential -" did he see Heero turn away? "- was undertaking an exam there, and his channels were open. Elemental energy targetted those channels. The Elemental Adepts discovered that the elemental channels had been uprooted, and that they only attacked strong, unguarded energy channels. Research led back to Anokiv Ronterdo, whose father, Oz's chief Mage Bocherik Ronterdo, had a grudge against Sanq."

Zechs paused then, and glanced at the Mage. His friend was stoically staring ahead, his face bearing no hint of emotional reaction to the painful events recounted. He sighed inwardly. Forgive me, Heero... He had no words, and knew none of the others did either. So he did the only thing he could do; he raised his voice and spoke again.

"You may wonder where all this is headed. I will now ask a for the retelling of a story I heard only two days ago, from Rashid, the leader of the Maguanacs." He gave the mercenary a courteous nod. "At the end, perhaps you will understand where I am drawing this discussion."

The man coughed slightly. "Well. You probably knew of the Maguanacs long before you met any of us; we had a reputation as being deadly, ruthless and well... good mercenaries, to boot. Ready and willing to do anything if the price was right, but honouring all contracts and codes of the mercenary trade. Our price was high, and we were all devoted killers. None of us have family or even friends outside our band."

"Yet we had not always been so. Half a decade ago, we were all simple men, Tribesmen from the eastern deserts. We lived simply, in small villages, and spent our days herding and hunting and generally living happily. We were all strong, though, and had long mastered long-distance running, hunting, climbing and coordinated fighting. See, we were on the outskirts of Sanq, and over the years, as the cities expanded, we had shifted further and further away until we were outside the borders of the country itself."

"No patrols guarded our villages from the eldebeasts, and they came in large packs, and frequently - hondrelaks and kyleir in warmer months, and gothnarks, rattlers and joraep in others. All the villages had strong bands of trained, fighting men. I belong to the Ryhon, the easternmost village, and the strongest of them because we were the furthest from Sanq."

"One day, during council, a jargnu - a messenger bird - brought us a message from Andok. They had been raided, their women and children taken and their men killed. The message came from a narur boy, one who tended the animals. He had not been present during the attack. The next day, similar tidings came from other villages. The attacks seemed to happen first to those who lived near the city, then progressed further and further away within days. By the third dawn, we had heard from almost half the villages, and all the messages bore the red handprint telling us that assistance would be useless."

"We became worried, and split our forces; one half remained as guards, while the other half, me included, left to join with another village in hope that a combined force would fare better. It was a half-day away. By the time we arrived, it, too was gone. We returned. It was too late. Our village had also been razed. Nobody knew we had left, so we changed our appearances and formed a mercenary front. We would put ourselves up for hire. At the same time, we sought information on the attacks that had been so strong, so well-coordinated and so utterly secret."

Rashid sighed then, and drew to a close. "It's been five years. And we're no closer than ever we were. Unless what Zechs suggests is true."

There was a silence when he finished, and Zechs sat, observing their reactions and giving Rashid a respectful nod. The man bowed his head in response. Finally, Hilde, who had been quiet until that point, murmured, "If the incidents are indeed linked, a great many questions will be answered."

He glanced over; yes, the gypsy leader was shrewd. And his instincts told him that her people knew something else, something which their neutrality contracts prevented them from revealing. Zechs waited another moment, then Suri spoke up. "The question of motivation, at least, would have something of an answer."

Sally frowned. "Would power really be enough of a motivation for such acts?"

"It is more of an elimination of power within Sanq, ian't it?" Duo dug his knuckles into the tabletop. "The Tribesmen's fighting prowess, Sally's clan's Healing and anti-Healing powers, Heero's Elemental potential... so many powers have disappeared within the last couple of years, and we never even noticed."

Quatre looked up and shook his head slowly. "I wish it wasn't true. That would make Oz barbarians, instead of just enemies in war. It... it saddens me, to have to believe that of anybody."

Heero regarded him carefully, his brows furrowed. Then, he also shook his head. "That cannot be the entire reason. The groups Duo mentioned had reason to be eliminated, but there remains no explanation for the city slaughters. Fear cannot be one of them - no sane ruler would want a fearful populace. Economic downturn would be even more irrational."

The Mage turned suddenly and stared at the prince. Zechs returned his stare evenly. Finally, Heero gave a slow nod of understanding. "That's what you are suggesting, isn't it? Oz is *not* behind these attacks." He paused. "Anokiv Ronterdo is."

Zechs waited some moments for the statement to sink in. He could see the gradual realisaion come to each of them, in turn, as they reconsidered everything he described and put them all together. The motivation was hatred. The method was attacks with amazing amounts of power. The means... that was the missing piece in the puzzle.

Finally, Rashid said very, very calmly, "It makes sense. Too much sense for comfort."

Duo nodded. "It doesn't bode well. We have a maniac on the loose, one with way to much power on his hands. One who wouldn't care less if every single person in Sanq is destroyed."

"And," Trowa remarked thoughtfully, "he just happened to be behind all of the attacks except the one on Sanq's capital - that would have been coordinated by King Khushrenada. Does that seem slightly suspicious?"

Suri tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"It would have taken a great deal of power and wealth to make all those attacks, and there will have to be others we have not heard of. The Ronterdos do not have that much power or influence, even if they are the chief Mages in Oz."

Hilde looked at him for a long time, finally saying, "The King is too old. He could be almost redundant. If my peoples' suspicions are correct, then he is even less than that."

"A puppet king." Now, Zechs was alert. This had not occurred to him before. "Do you know for certain that he may be under somebody's control?"

'Almost a decade ago, things began happening to gypsy groups that ventured too close to Oz borders. Some policies in the contracts were changed. Others were removed altogether. The Elders discussed the changes frequently because they seemed strange - King Khushrenada had always fostered good relations with us. That was when we started to suspect."

"An that was when Bocherik appeared on the scene. You're right. It's too much to be coincidence."

"What do you do when your loyalty to your people is different to that to yourself? ... Things can affect one loyalty and not another. And when that happens, you end up treading a path you do not like, but that you are bound to. Duty, too, can become a burden..." Wufei's voice was quiet, contemplative. "Prince Treize Khushrenada told me that. I think I finally understand what he means."

They waited, so he continued, "His duty is to his people, to lead them and protect them. His country and his army is under his command, and he cannot desert either. It is his duty. But he does not feel that it is right."

"So you're saying that Treize does not agree with the orders of his father."

"Yes. But he did not know of the city slaughters, so he must not know what the Ronterdos are doing."

They were all nodding, when suddenly, Rashid frowned and stood abruptly. "There's trouble. Abdul said there's fighting." They were up and moving even as he spoke, and while they hurried through the halls, he continued, "Blue and gold livery, veiled faces... strong shields. Inpenetrable. Ceaseless attacks, both Magical and physical. About forty altogether."

"Shit."

They ran on, twisting here, turning there. Then stopped simultaneously.

"Oh Goddess..."

"Sister Helen!" Duo was the first to break out of the spell and move towards the broken door - the bodies lying beneath it. "Father ... Sister... open your eyes!"

Suri kneeled beside him, reaching over to check their pulses. Wordlessly, she shook her head. The braided boy seemed to crumble before her eyes. "Oh gods..." He ran a trembling hand over their eyelids. "Father, Sister... I'm so sorry..."






Notes:

[1] - I'm paraphrasing quite a few ideas from the Wufei-Sally exchanges in episode 12, so if you remember it well, you may recognise some resemblances. They are in a different context, though, and my friend's transcript may not be entirely accurate, so see what you think!

There you go, the action has begun. This is the twenty-first chapter... I can barely believe that. But Part II of 'Roleplay' is almost over now. And when it is, Part III will begin... finally!! Thanks and hugs and kisses to everyone who has stuck with me so far, and in particular, to those who have continued to review - I live on those, so keep them coming!

If anyone wants alerts in the future, drop a note in a review. I'll also send out notices if I can't write for any prolonged period of time, ie. a month or more.