9.One last time:
Narrator's POV:
As soon as they came to the outskirts of the base, Samra let out a sharp whistle to announce their arrival. The answer came quickly, as a man they recognised as a Maganac came out to meet them. He led them to a stable and helped the pilots dismount, then followed Samra into the heart of the base itself.
"What happened?" asked Duo again as they ran down the corridors.
"I don't know," replied Samra. "But I know it's not good –Rashid!" she called as a heavily built man came into their view: the leader of the Maganacs.
"Anisa – " he began, but she cut him off.
"Tell me what happened?" she insisted. Rashid held back a surprised cry as he saw the teenagers standing beside her. He had met some of them during the wars, and he knew their connection with his young master. But what surprised him was that they came back to Quatre now, of all times. He recalled what had happened a few hours ago...
~Flashback (the night before) ~
Rashid managed to catch the blonde in his arms before he hit the ground. Blood was flowing freely from his right arm; they had been quick in dealing with the matter, yet his strength was fading fast.
"Rashid," the blonde managed to gasp.
"Hush, Quatre," whispered Rashid. There was no occasion nor time for the usual 'master'. "You'll be alright."
"No," the other replied, tears welling up in his azure eyes. "I'll never get to see them. I am denied the last time. If you ever meet them again, tell them I'm sorry. Thank you, Rashid, for everything..." he murmured before surrendering into the darkness, tears streaming from his eyes.
Though he had never asked before, only given, Rashid was sad that his friend's only wish was rejected. The blonde had only wanted to see them just one last time...
But life was not always fair, nor did it give people much time. And it seemed that it was too late to answer the call...
~Flashback end ~
"Master Quatre was attacked, Anisa," he finally replied. Samra gasped, curling her hands into fists.
"What was it?" she whispered, trying to stay calm.
"A sand viper. He managed to remove most of the venom at the spot with the help of Fahad."
Samra let out a small gasp of relief. Duo tapped her shoulder impatiently.
"What the hell is going on?" he demanded in a sharp whisper.
"Quatre was attacked by a sand viper – " she began.
"A what?" interjected Trowa.
"It's the Arabian horned viper," she explained. (And that is true, according to my knowledge of Arabian reptiles.)
"How dangerous is it?" questioned Heero in a voice that wavered slightly.
"Its bite is not necessary fatal, but must be well attended to. It seems that Fahad, one of our men, was with Quatre when the snake attacked. He must have helped Quatre on the spot."
"Where is he now?" said Wu Fei.
"He is resting in his room," replied Rashid in a stony voice. Samra looked at him sharply and shook her head.
"Lakad samahahum (he has forgiven them)," she told him in Arabic.
"Kanat ro'yatuhum akhira ma talabhu ya Samra (seeing them was the last thing he asked for, Samra). Arjo an la yakonou muta'khirin (I hope they're not late)," he added grimly as he opened a door for them to enter.
Holding their breaths, the pilots followed Samra into the chamber, hoping that they were not too late.
It was a cool, dimly lit room, but their attention was attracted towards the bed in the middle of the room and its occupant. A man had been kneeling beside the blonde when they entered. He got up and greeted them quitely.
"Fahad," whispered Samra, "how is he?"
"Most of the venom has been removed, and we have given him the antidote, Anisa. It's up to Master Quatre now. But you know how it is for the body to fight the venom. Tonight will be a long one for Master Quatre," he said sorrowfully, shaking his head, before excusing himself and going out with Rashid.
They carefully approached the still figure on the bed. Guilt shot through the pilots as they saw their friend lying on the bed, his ashen brow dotted with sweat as he fought for his life. Every now and then he would take a ragged breath as moans fought to break from his lips.
"What – what is happening?" asked Duo in a horrified undertone.
"His body is fighting against the venom, Duo," answered Samra sadly. "Come on, brother; you went through more than this." She held his hand as tears formed in her eyes. Samra began to whisper in her native tongue,
"Lakad 'aadou ya Quatre (they're back, Quatre). Hiyya ya akhi (come on, brother). Arjook (please)." Heero put a comforting hand on her shoulder. On the other side of the bed, Trowa was gently brushing the wet bangs from his friend's face. (Aw... cute, isn't it? They're going to pay for leaving Quatre. ^_^)
Quatre was battling against the darkness that threatened to engulf him. Exhausted and unable to even open his eyes, he called on his empathy to try and figure out his surroundings. There were many sources of sadness and worry around him: the Maganacs and perhaps his sister. So he was still at the desert base. So far so good. But suddenly he could sense something more than the sadness and anticipation. He could feel... guilt. Yes, guilt radiated powerfully from four sources around him. But why would the Maganacs feel guilty? Being bit by a snake was not a miracle in the desert. In his pain, Quatre had unconsciously dropped the barriers he had formed against his comrades.
He fought against the mist that froze his mind, and clung to those four sources. His heart nearly stopped at what he felt: a haze of fake indifference concealing love for friends, a dark yet cheerful aura, a nameless sensation of deep-rooted friendship, and an honour bound sense of justice. He didn't dare believe it, but his empathy had never failed him before. Could it be what he thought it was?
Deciding that there was only one way to find out, he blinked his eyes open with great difficulty to see... the very incarnation of his heartfelt hope.
To be continued...
Narrator's POV:
As soon as they came to the outskirts of the base, Samra let out a sharp whistle to announce their arrival. The answer came quickly, as a man they recognised as a Maganac came out to meet them. He led them to a stable and helped the pilots dismount, then followed Samra into the heart of the base itself.
"What happened?" asked Duo again as they ran down the corridors.
"I don't know," replied Samra. "But I know it's not good –Rashid!" she called as a heavily built man came into their view: the leader of the Maganacs.
"Anisa – " he began, but she cut him off.
"Tell me what happened?" she insisted. Rashid held back a surprised cry as he saw the teenagers standing beside her. He had met some of them during the wars, and he knew their connection with his young master. But what surprised him was that they came back to Quatre now, of all times. He recalled what had happened a few hours ago...
~Flashback (the night before) ~
Rashid managed to catch the blonde in his arms before he hit the ground. Blood was flowing freely from his right arm; they had been quick in dealing with the matter, yet his strength was fading fast.
"Rashid," the blonde managed to gasp.
"Hush, Quatre," whispered Rashid. There was no occasion nor time for the usual 'master'. "You'll be alright."
"No," the other replied, tears welling up in his azure eyes. "I'll never get to see them. I am denied the last time. If you ever meet them again, tell them I'm sorry. Thank you, Rashid, for everything..." he murmured before surrendering into the darkness, tears streaming from his eyes.
Though he had never asked before, only given, Rashid was sad that his friend's only wish was rejected. The blonde had only wanted to see them just one last time...
But life was not always fair, nor did it give people much time. And it seemed that it was too late to answer the call...
~Flashback end ~
"Master Quatre was attacked, Anisa," he finally replied. Samra gasped, curling her hands into fists.
"What was it?" she whispered, trying to stay calm.
"A sand viper. He managed to remove most of the venom at the spot with the help of Fahad."
Samra let out a small gasp of relief. Duo tapped her shoulder impatiently.
"What the hell is going on?" he demanded in a sharp whisper.
"Quatre was attacked by a sand viper – " she began.
"A what?" interjected Trowa.
"It's the Arabian horned viper," she explained. (And that is true, according to my knowledge of Arabian reptiles.)
"How dangerous is it?" questioned Heero in a voice that wavered slightly.
"Its bite is not necessary fatal, but must be well attended to. It seems that Fahad, one of our men, was with Quatre when the snake attacked. He must have helped Quatre on the spot."
"Where is he now?" said Wu Fei.
"He is resting in his room," replied Rashid in a stony voice. Samra looked at him sharply and shook her head.
"Lakad samahahum (he has forgiven them)," she told him in Arabic.
"Kanat ro'yatuhum akhira ma talabhu ya Samra (seeing them was the last thing he asked for, Samra). Arjo an la yakonou muta'khirin (I hope they're not late)," he added grimly as he opened a door for them to enter.
Holding their breaths, the pilots followed Samra into the chamber, hoping that they were not too late.
It was a cool, dimly lit room, but their attention was attracted towards the bed in the middle of the room and its occupant. A man had been kneeling beside the blonde when they entered. He got up and greeted them quitely.
"Fahad," whispered Samra, "how is he?"
"Most of the venom has been removed, and we have given him the antidote, Anisa. It's up to Master Quatre now. But you know how it is for the body to fight the venom. Tonight will be a long one for Master Quatre," he said sorrowfully, shaking his head, before excusing himself and going out with Rashid.
They carefully approached the still figure on the bed. Guilt shot through the pilots as they saw their friend lying on the bed, his ashen brow dotted with sweat as he fought for his life. Every now and then he would take a ragged breath as moans fought to break from his lips.
"What – what is happening?" asked Duo in a horrified undertone.
"His body is fighting against the venom, Duo," answered Samra sadly. "Come on, brother; you went through more than this." She held his hand as tears formed in her eyes. Samra began to whisper in her native tongue,
"Lakad 'aadou ya Quatre (they're back, Quatre). Hiyya ya akhi (come on, brother). Arjook (please)." Heero put a comforting hand on her shoulder. On the other side of the bed, Trowa was gently brushing the wet bangs from his friend's face. (Aw... cute, isn't it? They're going to pay for leaving Quatre. ^_^)
Quatre was battling against the darkness that threatened to engulf him. Exhausted and unable to even open his eyes, he called on his empathy to try and figure out his surroundings. There were many sources of sadness and worry around him: the Maganacs and perhaps his sister. So he was still at the desert base. So far so good. But suddenly he could sense something more than the sadness and anticipation. He could feel... guilt. Yes, guilt radiated powerfully from four sources around him. But why would the Maganacs feel guilty? Being bit by a snake was not a miracle in the desert. In his pain, Quatre had unconsciously dropped the barriers he had formed against his comrades.
He fought against the mist that froze his mind, and clung to those four sources. His heart nearly stopped at what he felt: a haze of fake indifference concealing love for friends, a dark yet cheerful aura, a nameless sensation of deep-rooted friendship, and an honour bound sense of justice. He didn't dare believe it, but his empathy had never failed him before. Could it be what he thought it was?
Deciding that there was only one way to find out, he blinked his eyes open with great difficulty to see... the very incarnation of his heartfelt hope.
To be continued...