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 please keep reviewing!
Chara: Hehe! *giggles insanely, then smooches chibi Heero and Duo, making them squirm in terror* Thank you!
KaT aka Mistress Shinigami: Sorry for taking this long... I hope you're still with me! And I love fantasy fics too. About the characters and the interaction... well, I guess I love the guys too much to stuff them up. Hehe!
Mariel Yuy: Hi! I've finally revised the whole fic... took longer than I expected, cos I kept reading instead of proofreading. *sigh* Anyway, I'll be sending it too you within the next week; gomen for taking forever. And your Anokiv piccie must be so cool! About the snake - well, great minds think alike... hehehe. And come to think of it, Khushrenada *is* kinda like Theoden, hey? The coughing bit, and the evil, being manipulated bit... freaky. Oh well, at least it isn't too much like the actual books!
Stephanie Yuy: Your review was scary... I didn't realise how many people I was killing. Oh well, it's war. *shrugs* Guess you'll find out... still rather scary, though! And no cliffhanger this time, be glad of it! *grin*
heather: You're back! Thanks for reviewing!!
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Part XXIII: Duty
Wufei hesitated for a mere second. Then, he grabbed Jorad's arm, dragging him forcefully away. He must have underestimated the old man, however, because before they traveled ten paces, the man had shaken free. Wufei looked back. "Hurry, we have to get away from here!"
"And leave the lass? Not on my score, boy." With that thrown over his shoulder, Jorad spun around and moved towards the fighters, only to be dragged back by a strong arm. The man bit back a curse. "Why aincha helpin' her?" The abrupt tilt of his head gestured unmistakably towards Sally.
"There's no time. We have to get you out of here!"
Jorad scowled. "No lass will die for me, boy."
With a quick twist, the man was free, and Wufei found himself noting - belatedly - the man's flexed muscles and the ready stance. Damn. The Asian covered the small distance in three strides, but just as his hand paused on the hilt of his katana, a fighter leapt towards him. Before he could react, Jorad was before him, shielding him from the blow. The man fell.
Wufei's eyes widened and blinked once. Then, in a single, swift movement, his katana was in his hand, and his body was doing what it had been trained to do for years - fight. The fight was over in less than a minute. Ignoring the dead bodies. Wufei knelt beside the fallen man, his fingers moving of their own accord to press at certain pressure points to stop the bleeding. Sally reached out for the man's wrist, then shook her head wordlessly. Wufei's lips tightened, and he whispered softly, "Hey, hang in there."
Jorad stirred. Sensing Wufei's presence, he muttered, "Yer not hurt, boy, are yeh?" Wufei shook his head, unable to speak. Almost curiously, the man queried, "Why didn't yeh fight?"
A hesitation. "I have no power. The weak... cannot fight."
There was a choked chuckle. "If I had even half the strength you had, boy..." The man drew a sudden breath, and his arm jerked involuntarily. In another moment, he was still.
Without looking at Wufei, Sally smoothed the eyelids shut. "I guess he was too weak to fight, huh? So he had to die." Sally's voice was cynical. Her face was still its usual picture of calm, but something in her eyes made it clear that she was referring not only to the man before her, but to other deaths. Wufei dropped his eyes. After a moment, the girl rested a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Wufei. I'm... frustrated." Sally sighed. "It's happened again - a repeat of senseless deaths, by senseless people. War uses peoples' lives as mere playthings. That's why it's important to keep fighting." She looked at him, taking in both the stoic expression and the clenched fist. Then, in an entirely different tone - "I'm sorry, Wufei. Truly I am."
It was Wufei's turn to sigh and shake his head. "No... you're right. It's my fault. He need not have died." He turned away. "It's not he who was weak... it was me. I'm the one who should have died."
Sally glanced up at him. "Wufei... don't you see? You are strong. You have everything it takes to help save the people. You saw how quickly the fight ended when you joined in." She stood up, facing him squarely. "You can get them, Wufei. Destroy Oz. Avenge all the innocent people." She paused. "Avenge your wife."
He did not reply. After a long silence, she pressed, "Why won't you help us?"
When Wufei finally spoke, it was as though he had not heard a word of what she said. "Why did you stay behind? You could have simply stunned the men with your anti-Healing gift."
He realised, huh? "I wanted to show you that even the weak can fight."
"So you risked your life?"
"I realised that healing your heart was more important than my life. I was sure of that."
He stared at her, then, his onyx eyes searching her blue ones. "...and do you still think so?"
"Yes."
Her voice was firm, resolute, showing none of the pain that was evident in her voice just moments ago. For some reason, it reminded him of Meiran - they were both strong, infinitely proud... and both of them had an unshakable sense of right and wrong. Perhaps it was the thought of his wife that coaxed his next words.
"Meiran once told me... she once told me that true honour exists only in fighting for a cause greater than oneself. In fighting for what is right. I... I have always argued otherwise. I believed that honour could only exist for each individual, on a personal level." He met Sally's eyes, then, allowing his vulnerability to show for a single instant. "I'm no longer certain about that."
She took in his words, understanding the reason behind them perhaps even more than he did. "Oh, Wufei... I wish I have answers for you, I really do. But I know only what I think. I believe that all people should fight for a cause they think is right, a cause that reflects their own values. And I believe that honour lies in striving to make a difference in the name of the cause." She reached out, touching his forearm, before meeting his eyes once more. "Tell me honestly - do you believe you can make a difference?"
A silence. Then, almost unwillingly - "Yes."
"Then why not do so?" [1]
Wufei opened his mouth, then shut it again. His eyes snapped around, and the moment was lost when he associated the echo of running footsteps with the two faces that appeared at the junction of the corridors. Trowa reached them first. "You two alright?"
The Asian nodded. Duo glanced at him, then ran his gaze intently over the bodies. Something in the violet eyes grew even bleaker. "Deaths again, huh?"
Nobody replied; the truth was self evident. Finally, Sally broke the silence by asking, "How is the fighting going outside?"
"Quatre says that they're alright... Quatre!" Trowa doubled over, clutching at his chest. Duo reached out to support him, but Trowa just folded limply onto the floor, his face ashen. Then, he suddenly seemed to notice their worried faces. "I... I'm alright. Quatre was struck by a dart; it should have gone partway into his chest." There, the youth frowned in confusion. "But... he has no wound. No sign of injury whatsoever."
Sally raised an eyebrow. "Can you show me? Mentally?" Instead of replying, Trowa held out his arm, holding a wince that the action caused. He glanced quickly at his chest, and the Healer frowned at him. "Trowa, are you injured?"
Trowa lowered his arm and lifted his shirt. His eyebrows drew together sharply when he saw the freshly formed scab on his flesh. "How... is this possible?" He glanced at Sally. "This is where Quatre was hit."
Duo moved to inspect the injury. "You're saying that you somehow took Kat's wounds?"
Trowa shook his head. "I'm not saying anything. I have no idea what happened."
Sally looked at him thoughtfully. "Let me get this straight. Quatre was attacked, and should have taken an injury in his chest. Instead, he shows no sign of injury, while a scar has formed on your chest." She pondered the matter for some moments. "Think about it carefully, Trowa. I'm assuming that you and Quatre were mind-linked at the time of the attack. Did he actually feel the attack at all?"
Trowa frowned. "Yes. The pain... it receded quickly, within one or two seconds. That was immediately before I felt any pain."
Sally studied him in silence for a long while. Finally, she asked carefully, "Trowa, would I be right in saying that you and Quatre are more than close friends?"
That drew a look of surprise from Wufei, and one of curiosity from Duo. Trowa, however, met her gaze evenly. "You would."
Sally smiled at him. "Then I think I understand. Trowa, have you heard of soullinking? The Sahivare bond?"
"Like the relationship King Merrik of Ghandol was said to have with his lover?"
"That's the type. Not everybody believes in the Sahivare, and even those who do believe it is a rare occurrence. Furthermore, it only happens among couples of the same gender." She took a deep breath. "I think you and Quatre just confirmed that Sahivare bonds do exist."
Wufei seemed ready to interrupt, but Sally quelled him with a look. When the Asian noticed the odd look on Trowa's face, he, too, subsided. Finally, Trowa asked simply, "How?"
"The legend tells of a young man, Sahi, who, when his lover Varel died, defied the Goddess and demanded that his own life be exchanged for his lover's. Zolte punished him for his impudence, but again and again, the man would return to the Holy Vale and alternately beg or make harsh demands. Finally, Isydril took pity on him and granted him a magic bottle. The bottle, which bore the inscription 'Un re...', or 'One and...', contained the essence of life - Sahi's life. Isydril told him that Varel would be restored if he drank the essence, but that Sahi would lose some of his own life with every drop his lover drank."
"Undaunted, the man prepared the mixture and fed it to his lover, in small portions as required. When Varel awoke, however, with half the essence taken, he refused to let Sahi feed him the rest. Then, Isydril appeared to them, telling them that they had both passed the test. Both were willing to sacrifice themselves for the other. She waved her arm and handed them Varel's essence, also stored in a bottle. This bottle was labelled '...tu svun', or '... the same'. [2] This time, Varel prepared half the bottle for Sahu. Thus, each man was changed into a being made up of both his original self and his soullinked."
"The couple then mixed the remaining essence and stored it in a safe place. When they died, nobody knew what to do with the bottle, so an old priest took it to the Holy Vale and offered it back the the Goddess. Isydril then appeared again and turned the liquid into a vapour which soon disappeared into the air. It is said that whoever is touched by this vapour will have a chance to experience the Sahivare."
"And you are saying that Trowa and Quatre have the Sahivare bond." Duo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"He is showing one of the discerning symptoms - if that's the right word. He has taken his companion's injuries." She thought for a moment. "Has this happened before in any way?"
"No to my knowledge," Trowa replied after some moments.
"Wait," interrupted Wufei. "Duo, do you remember the gypsy camp?"
Duo frowned, then snapped his fingers. "Yes! Quatre kept getting headaches and pains, and sometimes, he was so white you could see through him. I've wondered about that."
"I take it that you were injured at the time, Trowa?"
He nodded slowly. "I almost died. The doctor was shocked when I recovered so quickly. I guess this explains it."
"And the bond will also explain why Kat was able to sense you in Sahkron when none of us could."
Trowa was silent, his expression almost withdrawn. Sally glanced at him. "Is something wrong?"
A pause. "I don't like the idea that if I'm injured, Quatre's life would also become at risk." He turned to Sally. "Is there a way to control this bond?"
Sally pondered the question, sometimes closing her eyes as though trying to see beyond the physical realms. Finally, she answered, "I don't see why not. Once this is over, I'll take a look at the two of you and see whether you can create a partial shield."
"Only partial?"
She smiled. "Good things can come through the link too, Trowa. Practically speaking, you would be able to track each other at all times, and would be able to sense when the other person is injured or unhappy. But if your relationship becomes... well, physical, you may find that there are other advantages too."
Ignoring Wufei's flush and subsequent frown, she continued, "I don't mean that in a crude way; the Sahivare bond is a very intense, very deep form of rapport. You will be able to feel everything the other person feels, and if your relationship grows stronger, you may also be able to read each others' thoughts. It will take some getting used to, but as I said, shields should help limit the bond if you so desire."
"I see. I think we will appreciate that." His eyes were still shielded, though his expression seemed less inscrutable than before. "And the battle should be over. Apparently, some gypsies joined the fight at a crucial moment, and helped defeat the soldiers."
"Then let's go and see," Sally suggested.
Wufei nodded, but Duo seemed to hesitate suddenly. "You guys go. I... I'll go tell the people that Trowa and I evacuated that it's safe to come out."
With a long sweep of his braid, and without waiting for a reply, Duo hurried off. Sally raised an eyebrow, glancing silently at Wufei and Trowa. The youths were alternately looking at each other and at Duo's retreating form; she suspected that some private conversation was taking place. Finally, Wufei jerked his head towards the exit, indicating that they should leave. As she followed, however, she could not help but notice the worried looks that the youths were sending after their disappearing friend...
Hilde rushed out, unheeding of the the other fighters and realising this too late. A bolt slammed into an invisible barrier a mere inch from her face. On the other side of the field, she heard a gasp, and glanced up quickly, taking in Heero's raised hand and Quatre's pained look. Damn... Heero took the shield off Quatre to save me, didn't he? Then, to her bewilderment, the blonde brushed himself off and stood, looking questioningly at his own chest. Maybe not.
Sending a quick thank you to the Mage anyway, she turned back to her Father and the blonde-haired female on the ground. Hilde's heart twisted as she noted the angle of the hilt buried in the Mage's chest. Oh Father... that was the Duar Svun-i, wasn't it? The Duar Svun-i was a suicide attack, one used in extreme situations. When well-practiced, it guaranteed the death of the target because the attacker would rush in with a particularly dangerous thrust regardless of what the target was doing. What it usually meant, however, was that neither party would survive; thus, the name 'both, same fate'. [3]
Seeing that the Mage - the female Mage, she reminded herself - was still unconscious, Hilde spoke softly, "Father?"
There was a half-smile that looked more like a grimace. "You foolish girl."
"Father, I'm sorry." It sounded very lame.
The Elder made an effort to sit up; Hilde noted belatedly that the fight swayed away from where the three of them were because both sides had an injured person there. Reaching out, she supported the man's back. Luiordo glanced at her almost amusedly. "For my injuries, but not for your desertion?"
His teasing, almost gentle tone warred with her memory of him. She had not heard that voice for a long time. Too long. Again, there was a twisting feeling within her heart. "Father, I..."
Luiordo stopped her by gripping her knee tightly. "Daughter, listen carefully. The time for pretense is over, both between you and I, and between Oz and the gypsies. Ruiore has been assassinated by Bocherik Ronterdo. The neutrality contracts have been broken. Take the able people from our group and continue aiding the prince of Sanq, but first, find Ruiore's people. Escort all the children and the elderly to the Hideout. The people there have weapons and provisions that may help." He broke off, drawing deep breaths.
Meanwhile, Hilde was staring at him in shock. Piecing the knowledge together. Her tone disbelieving, she whispered, "You knew?"
Luiordo closed his eyes. In that moment, all his wrinkles seemed more prominent, as did the grey in his hair... and the gaping wound in his chest. "Of course. Hilde, you were always spirited, even as a child, and too keen to act upon your own ideas of right and wrong. But the customs governing our people are strict, and there is much that only the Elders are permitted to know. Our hideout, our secret sources... our plans for various situations. I tried to be more severe with you, to quell some of your impulsiveness, to make you aware of how intricately our survival is linked to our obedience to those customs."
The Elder sighed. "Several years ago, I realised that would never work, so I steered your impulsiveness in the right direction by blatantly taking the opposite path, one you disagreed with. Hilde, news had already begun flowing in about possible wars. Some of the information I kept secret, some of it - parts which I knew would provoke anger - I leaked to you. But now, the war has started, and the neutrality pacts are gone. You can act upon your desires, as long as you keep something in mind."
He gazed at her intently. "As an Elder, you must learn to act warily, to act not only for the good of your clan, but for the good of the gypsies as a whole. Had we not been on the brink of war, your actions could have cost us the neurality contracts, and one-sided as those may have been, they protected those of us who were too weak to fight." Again, Luirdo broke off, coughing.
Hilde stared at her father - the unreasonable coward, the stubborn conservative... the manipulative genius. She suddenly wondered how many of her actions had been the result of her father's indirect taunting. She had guessed his relation to her leaving when her people appeared, but she had no idea how deeply rooted his coercions were. Then, the gypsy realised it no longer mattered.
"Hush." Her voice was surprisingly gentle. A part of her mind wondered at that, then another replied with the obvious - her father was dying. "I hear what you say. You... you should conserve your strength." There would be time for her to sort out the rest of the confusing words later.
A wry look. "Whatever for?" His face turned serious. "There's one more thing you have to know. We do not know who is behind all of this, but we have found out how he or she is getting the amazing amounts of energy. Hilde, somebody has invoked the Hareisva."
Her heart stopped. For a moment, she stared Luiordo in shock, then the last piece of the jigsaw clicked into place. "Oh my god... that's why..."
The Elder was looking at her calmly, watching her form her own conclusions. Finally, she nodded. "I know what I have to do."
"Good girl." For a moment, the aged face softened. Then, Luiordo gave a small sigh. "You have to go, Hilde. Go and fight."
"But Father, you..."
He shook his head, gently. "It's for the people, Hilde. Everything is."
It took her some moments, but she accepted it. With her head bowed, Hilde nodded. He raised his hand, ghosted it over her braid. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, the Elder was pressing an object into her palm. "Here, take this." It was the ruling signet. "You're the Elder now, daughter."
Hilde looked at the object for some moments, the lump in her throat making speech impossible. Then, with new determination shining from her eyes, she swallowed and clasped the object around her neck. "Rest, Father. May you find peace in the Goddess's halls." She stood up.
"Good girl," Luiordo said again. For some reason, she felt as though he was making up for a decade's worth of encouragement, of support. Impulsively, she leaned down and kissed his forehead, whispering, "Thank you, Father. And goodbye." Then she left him and joined the dying fight.
"Goodbye, my daughter... Elder. And fare well." With that, the gypsy Elder closed his eyes and drew his last breath.
When Zechs caught sight of Trowa some time after the battle ended, Wufei and Sally, he motioned them over. Trowa reported briefly on what had happened within the cloister, leaving out the history of the Sahivare bond. The prince raised an eyebrow, sending a swift glance at Quatre, who was checking for injured gypsies and mercenaries. Then, Zechs regarded his friend. "Perhaps you would like to explain the story to him yourself?"
Trowa nodded, then gestured to the unconscious blonde behind bound between Rashid and Abdul. "Who is that girl? She does not appear to be dead." He looked at them more closely. "And Hilde seems to be glaring at her."
Zechs sighed, recounting the battle briefly. When he was finished, they all stood silently for several moments, with different thoughts running through each of their minds. Finally, Heero broke the silence. "Suri, perhaps you should go and find Duo."
Suri turned towards the Mage thoughtfully. "Why?"
He looked away. "He... he needs a friend, right now."
Her gaze softened as she took a step towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The Mage glanced up, startled. Heero, I think you should be the one to go.
A frown. Me? I... have no skill in that area.
...What area?
Heero paused. Providing comfort.
She returned his gaze evenly. I thought he simply needed a friend? Besides, you seemed to comfort Relena pretty well.
That was different. He hesitated briefly. Besides, you... are closer to him. It should be either you or Quatre, and Quatre is engaged.
Suri closed her eyes for a moment, then looked directly into his eyes. It's you he needs, Heero. You can't deny it - Duo and I are close friends, but you're cousins. You're family. And you're the one who was there for him during the first major obstacle of his life - he told me that himself. A deep breath. Heero... people never forget incidents like that. Believe it or not, you're the one who Duo cares about the most. And you're the one who can help Duo the most.
Looking at the cobalt eyes that could not quite hide the confusion beneath Heero's stoic mask, Suri felt a pang of uncertainty. This feeling intensified when she released some of her Empathetic shields and was struck with 'leaked' emotions, the most dominant was a very, very strong desire to run and hide. She bit her lip.
I hope this is right... gods, I've been pushing him a lot these last few days, and he's still drained from the fights and everything else. I know he did look more... at ease after that conversation with Relena, but the meeting afterwards raised so many memories that any positive effects were probably negated.
Unbeknownst to her, Heero, too, was recalling incidents from the previous week. His mind was running over his conversation with Duo prior to the meeting, the words of which still echoed in his mind - oh hell, Heero, it's all about love. The Mage glanced quickly towards Suri, whose expression suddenly contained a hint of guardedness. Could that be what she means? Duo loves about me more because I'm his family, so he will be more open to comfort from me? His mind flashed back even further, to another confronting conversation.
...Can't we matter as friends and not as objects that serve a mission? ...
Heero chewed on his lip. ...Duo still wants friendship from me? He instantly rejected that thought. No. He knew me too well... that's why I had to push him away. I won't make him care again; not if I will have to hurt his feelings even more. And yet, at the corner of his mind, another voice repeated for the second time that week -
...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...
And suddenly, he had had enough. The voices had to stop - they were distracting him, and they were bringing back memories he had thought dead. Spinning around, he replied abruptly, Fine. And before the girl could reply, he was already pacing quickly towards the building.
Suri stared after him uncertainly. Catching her eye, Zechs sent, I could sense that - you were talking about something. Is there anything I should know about?
Silently, the girl shook her head. She found
herself crossing her fingers; if her instincts had deceived her, she would have
hurt two very close friends. And she had a feeling that Duo was nearing the edge
of his limits...
Notes:
[1] - Many references to my Episode 12 transcript and my Episode Zero scans in this section - the parts are altered, of course, so that they would fit into my storyline. So some sections are not in their original order, and there are direct quotes, indirect quotes (ie. with some words changed) as well as original statements. You may have noticed by now that I love doing things like that!
[2] - Oon reh-tu seh-voon (emphasis placed on un-italicized text) - note that 'and the' is pronounced as one word to make the phrase more rhythmical (and refer back to Ch. 20 for information about the faces of the Goddess if necessary)
[3] - Doo-ar seh-voon-i
As a bit of an explanation, un means 'one' while dun means 'two' and duar means 'both'; while svun means 'same' and svun-i means 'same thing'. Plus, in this context, svun-i means 'same fate'.
*** I'm not trying to design my own language or anything, but just as our world has... say, latin words that crop up in the oddest places (like my school anthem), so too should this AU. The words don't appear everywhere, as you may have noticed; it's usually for specific phrases or names, such as the sign on the door of the Cloister's old prayer-room, the name of an ancient attack or the inscription on mythical bottles. Just so you know. :P ***
And oh, about the Hareisva? You'll find out, don't you worry. Anyone feel like venturing a guess? I actually did reveal it quite early on, in one of the chapters, but you can also kind of work it out by piecing together the clues. Or, you can wait two weeks. By the way, I've finally explained how Trowa healed so quickly - I promised, didn't I? By the way, anyone knows who the Mage is? The first person to guess correctly can get their name in the story - unless the name is too long. Then I'll shorten it first.
Oh yeah. Reviews, pretty please, with a gazillion cherries on top? If I get more than five reviews within the next week or so, I'll do an extra long chappie so that Part III of Roleplay can begin by Ch. 25.
