11.Same as old, yet different:
Heero and Trowa were walking in the grounds one sunny morning, enjoying the light breeze. Quatre was right: the weather was much better during the winter. They had been enjoying themselves a lot in the good hospitality of the Maganacs. Samra was obliged to go back to Ramda every now and then, but she was assured that her brother was well and happy.
And the pilots were happy. Even 'the three silent ones' (Trowa, Heero and Wu Fei), as Duo called them, were thrilled to discover the secrets of what they thought to be a barren, dead land.
"Good morning," Quatre greeted Trowa and Heero.
"Morning," they replied.
"Have you seen Duo?" he asked them.
"That baka is taking braiding lessons from Rama's older sister," replied Wu Fei, coming to join them. "Idiot," he added as an afterthought.
"From Maha?" asked Quatre incredulously. "Where?"
"In that tent," the Chinese replied.
Quatre, followed by the other three, approached the said tent when Duo burst out of it, chased by a woman's laughter.
The braided teenager ran into Quatre, eager to escape the laughter. In spite of his kindness, Quatre had to supress a snicker at the sight of Duo's disbelieving face. The other three beside him were having no trouble expressing their amusement. He wondered what had happened between him and Maha.
"Duo, what's wrong?" asked Quatre.
"What's wrong? You're asking me what's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong. What's wrong is that that Maha inside can braid ten branches in 15.02 seconds. 15 SECONDS! And when I ask her how, she just laughs. I'd take a minute to do it, and it would look clumsy. STOP LAUGHING!" Duo was about to explode. And no wonder: Shinigami was having a bad braid day.
"Duo," said Quatre evenly. "Nothing is strange in Maha's speed. She is, as all girls who live here, to such work. You shouldn't have challenged her. Anyway," he turned to the other three, who were trying to compose themselves, "I want to show you something."
"What is it?" asked Heero, finally controlling himself.
"Rashid wants me to give you a gift, on behalf of all of us," said Quatre in a that's-the-fact-and-there's-no-refusing-it tone.
"A gift? Is it something to eat?" inquired Duo hopefully.
"You'll see," the blonde replied with a smile.
They followed him away from the main base. It was a short distance so they preferred walking. Finally they came to a large oasis. There was a spring, and the plain was grassy and had some trees. But Quatre had wanted to show them the dwellers of the oasis, who soon came into view.
"Look at that!" yelled Duo in vain: they were already staring at the scene. A drove of Arabian horses spread in the plain before them. There were a few dozen stallions, mares and colts, spirits of the land of sands.
Quatre led them towards the herd. Two animals left the group and walked to the blonde, neighing happily.
"This," he pointed at the sand-coloured mare, "is Rimal. She belongs to Samra. And this," pointing to the darker stallion, "is Sakhr. I ride him. Rimal and Sakhr are twins, a real rarity in horses. We've had them for along time."
"We can choose any horse?" asked Trowa in wonder.
"Sure, Trowa. Go ahead."
In the course of ten minutes, Heero was patting a black stallion, Wu Fei was trying to mount a white mare, Trowa was silently speaking to his grey companion, and Duo was being chased by a rusty-brown steed. Selection was done, and now came the enigma of naming them. The four teenager stood deep in thought, wondering what to name them. It was a little strange for them after two years of thinking of nothing but defeating the enemy.
"Hey Quatre," said Duo suddenly. "Rimal and Sakhr, what do they mean? It's Arabic, isn't it?"
"Yes. 'Rimal' means Sand, while 'Sakhr' means Rock," replied Quatre.
"I see. Sand and Rock. These are Arabian horses, aren't they?"
"Yes, they are."
"I'll give my horse an Arabian name," announced Duo. "What does scythe mean in Arabic?"
"Minjal."
Duo looked at the horse. "Minjal... what do you think of the name? Reminds me of good old Deathscythe, but you shouldn't be called Death; you're life itself," he added sadly.
"No, Duo," said Quatre. "The scythe has nothing to do with death. It reaps crops for people to eat. It sustains life. You are the great Destroyer, but you now destroy sadness and worry with your laughter and jokes. We're still the same, but different. Minjal is a great name. Trust me."
"You're right," said Duo, lightening up. "Maybe I'll braid his mane, what do you think, Minjal?" And he began to chase the horse, howling with laughter.
His friends soon joined him with Heero riding Salam (Peace), Trowa on Cathy, Wu Fei on Nataku and Quatre on Sakhr. Their happiness and joy soared to the sky and went round, faster than a peregrine falcon. Things were same as old, but different...
To Be Continued...
Author's notes: Only the epilogue left! Hope you liked the chapter Please review if you can.
Heero and Trowa were walking in the grounds one sunny morning, enjoying the light breeze. Quatre was right: the weather was much better during the winter. They had been enjoying themselves a lot in the good hospitality of the Maganacs. Samra was obliged to go back to Ramda every now and then, but she was assured that her brother was well and happy.
And the pilots were happy. Even 'the three silent ones' (Trowa, Heero and Wu Fei), as Duo called them, were thrilled to discover the secrets of what they thought to be a barren, dead land.
"Good morning," Quatre greeted Trowa and Heero.
"Morning," they replied.
"Have you seen Duo?" he asked them.
"That baka is taking braiding lessons from Rama's older sister," replied Wu Fei, coming to join them. "Idiot," he added as an afterthought.
"From Maha?" asked Quatre incredulously. "Where?"
"In that tent," the Chinese replied.
Quatre, followed by the other three, approached the said tent when Duo burst out of it, chased by a woman's laughter.
The braided teenager ran into Quatre, eager to escape the laughter. In spite of his kindness, Quatre had to supress a snicker at the sight of Duo's disbelieving face. The other three beside him were having no trouble expressing their amusement. He wondered what had happened between him and Maha.
"Duo, what's wrong?" asked Quatre.
"What's wrong? You're asking me what's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong. What's wrong is that that Maha inside can braid ten branches in 15.02 seconds. 15 SECONDS! And when I ask her how, she just laughs. I'd take a minute to do it, and it would look clumsy. STOP LAUGHING!" Duo was about to explode. And no wonder: Shinigami was having a bad braid day.
"Duo," said Quatre evenly. "Nothing is strange in Maha's speed. She is, as all girls who live here, to such work. You shouldn't have challenged her. Anyway," he turned to the other three, who were trying to compose themselves, "I want to show you something."
"What is it?" asked Heero, finally controlling himself.
"Rashid wants me to give you a gift, on behalf of all of us," said Quatre in a that's-the-fact-and-there's-no-refusing-it tone.
"A gift? Is it something to eat?" inquired Duo hopefully.
"You'll see," the blonde replied with a smile.
They followed him away from the main base. It was a short distance so they preferred walking. Finally they came to a large oasis. There was a spring, and the plain was grassy and had some trees. But Quatre had wanted to show them the dwellers of the oasis, who soon came into view.
"Look at that!" yelled Duo in vain: they were already staring at the scene. A drove of Arabian horses spread in the plain before them. There were a few dozen stallions, mares and colts, spirits of the land of sands.
Quatre led them towards the herd. Two animals left the group and walked to the blonde, neighing happily.
"This," he pointed at the sand-coloured mare, "is Rimal. She belongs to Samra. And this," pointing to the darker stallion, "is Sakhr. I ride him. Rimal and Sakhr are twins, a real rarity in horses. We've had them for along time."
"We can choose any horse?" asked Trowa in wonder.
"Sure, Trowa. Go ahead."
In the course of ten minutes, Heero was patting a black stallion, Wu Fei was trying to mount a white mare, Trowa was silently speaking to his grey companion, and Duo was being chased by a rusty-brown steed. Selection was done, and now came the enigma of naming them. The four teenager stood deep in thought, wondering what to name them. It was a little strange for them after two years of thinking of nothing but defeating the enemy.
"Hey Quatre," said Duo suddenly. "Rimal and Sakhr, what do they mean? It's Arabic, isn't it?"
"Yes. 'Rimal' means Sand, while 'Sakhr' means Rock," replied Quatre.
"I see. Sand and Rock. These are Arabian horses, aren't they?"
"Yes, they are."
"I'll give my horse an Arabian name," announced Duo. "What does scythe mean in Arabic?"
"Minjal."
Duo looked at the horse. "Minjal... what do you think of the name? Reminds me of good old Deathscythe, but you shouldn't be called Death; you're life itself," he added sadly.
"No, Duo," said Quatre. "The scythe has nothing to do with death. It reaps crops for people to eat. It sustains life. You are the great Destroyer, but you now destroy sadness and worry with your laughter and jokes. We're still the same, but different. Minjal is a great name. Trust me."
"You're right," said Duo, lightening up. "Maybe I'll braid his mane, what do you think, Minjal?" And he began to chase the horse, howling with laughter.
His friends soon joined him with Heero riding Salam (Peace), Trowa on Cathy, Wu Fei on Nataku and Quatre on Sakhr. Their happiness and joy soared to the sky and went round, faster than a peregrine falcon. Things were same as old, but different...
To Be Continued...
Author's notes: Only the epilogue left! Hope you liked the chapter Please review if you can.