Author's note: I asked, and the answers I got (most of them anyway) said that Mueller was blond and Walker was the brunet. If I'm wrong, just picture the right guy with bleached hair.

Through the Vortex
Bane's Desire
Part 6 - Skip to My Loo

Unsettled by my interaction with Heeron and Relna, not to mention the strange, fragmented things I'd learned so far about this foreign world I'd been thrown into, I felt the urge to do something, to put myself into action and figure out what I was going to do. First, I decided, I had to figure out this place called Erith. So I began with what was available: myself and the room I was in.

I looked down to study what I was wearing, realizing that it was some sort of nightshirt. The long, loose and almost weightless garment was sleeveless, and I decided it was probably styled that way in order to display my arm bands. I felt the fabric, rubbing it between my fingertips, and was amazed at its softness. I dropped it after a moment and brought my hand up to touch the area around my neck, discovering my lone garment had a round, collarless neckline that was cut an inch below the metallic band that encircled my throat. The fabric was purple, a deep violet shade, and my nose wrinkled with distaste. I just don't wear purple, not ever, considering it too effeminate. I consoled myself with the fact that at least it was somewhat modest as it fell to my knees, covering the fact that I was wearing nothing underneath. Though I'd never worn anything like it in my life, it certainly wasn't something I'd ever pick out for myself, I decided it was unbelievably comfortable.

My gaze returned to my slightly stinging arm, to the two tattoo bands that were now a permanent part of my body. Okay, I recalled that I was a Purple, whatever that meant, and the person whose place I had taken had some sort of contract with Mistra Hildah, who was a Red. I really didn't completely understand all that I'd been told by Sallah, Wudon, Hildah or Herron, but I was determined to figure this place out.

What did the different colors mean?

It was obvious that color identification was important in this society and that it was essential for me to understand exactly what the role of each color was as well as what my role as a purple entailed. Even though I understood pretty much what was being said, our language being similar, the people here spoke differently and it added to my confusion. Yet, somehow, my obvious confusion, lack of knowledge of my circumstances, the removal of the bands and even my acting strange hadn't revealed me as an impostor, nor had those differences terminated the agreement of the contract with Hildah, from what I could tell anyway. I could only figure that I must closely resemble Duwan.

From what I'd gathered, I was Hilde's double's Chosen. Did that mean I was her lover, her servant, or her all around, good-looking house-boy boot licker? Frustrating as it was not knowing what was going on, all my guessing wasn't going to tell me anything. I figured I'd just have to wait for the answers to all my questions until Herron came back. I wondered if a cycle meant an hour, a day, week or month. I didn't have much choice other than to find things out as they happened. I just needed to stay sharp and try to memorize everything I could.

I thought about getting out of bed to begin learning more about the strange world I'd been dropped into, but my aching body protested at the slightest movement, the tattoos on my arm stung and the thing around my neck was bugging the crap out of me. I carefully eased myself back down on the very comfortable bed and pillow, pulled the blankets up to my chin and closed my eyes.

Once I was settled, I tried to take a deep calming breath through my nose as Wufei had often instructed me to do when I was stressed. I realized on my first lung full that even the air of this world was different. It smelled clean and surprisingly sweet. There was a definite absence of the smell of auto exhaust or factory fumes. Of course, that could be because I was indoors and the air was filtered, but I have a pretty good sense of smell and I really didn't sense any odor that was familiar with living in a city. I forced myself to relax and took my time in filling my lungs with the unpolluted air again, enjoying it and letting it calm me.

"Chosen Duwan?"

My eyes snapped open to the sound of the unfamiliar voice and to see a brightening of the lights in the room. A handsome, blond man that I figured was slightly older than me stepped into the room with a tray laden with what looked like food and drink. "Who are you?" I asked, grunting as I forced myself back into a sitting position.

The man looked startled for a moment and his steps faltered before he proceeded to the bed. I quickly took in his appearance, noting that he was taller than me by at least four inches. He wore a pale lavender, well... outfit is the only word I could come up with to describe what he was wearing. It consisted of a sleeveless, loose-fitting tunic that looked to be made up of the same soft material that my nightshirt had been crafted from. Beneath it he wore matching, loose-fitting pants. On his right upper arm there was a tattoo similar to my own purple stripe, but he lacked an upper stripe of color. I noticed too that the color of his clothing was definitely a lighter shade than mine. After I studied it for a moment, it was easy to see his arm tattoo matched his clothing perfectly, and that the color of my purple band matched my nightshirt. I wondered what that meant. I desperately hoped it didn't mean that I'd have to wear the color purple for the rest of my life. If that was the case, I was pretty sure I had died and was permanently stuck in one of those rings of hell I'd once read about.

"I am Mueller," the blond man answered my question with a worried expression on his face. "Mistra Hildah sent sustenance and instructed that you consume all that you desire in order to regain your strength." The tray was set down on the table next to my bed and then the man's blue eyes rose to meet my own. I saw honest worry and concern in them. "Are you sound in mind and body?" he asked in a quiet voice, then quickly added, "I was informed by the medicinal center's workers as to what happened to you after I left you in the treatment space." He bowed his head deeply before continuing. "I ask your forgiveness for not being by your side when you had need of me, Chosen. I was also kept from your presence while Mistra Sallah assessed your damage, but I faithfully remained outside your resting space all the while, worried for your well being."

"Thanks for caring," I answered the stranger, keeping a wary eye on him. "I'm not so sure about how I feel," I continued. "I'm sore just about everywhere and I don't remember anything. Not who I am, where I am or what's going on here."

"Even me? You have no memory of me, your caregiver?" There was a trace of hurt in the man's voice and I wondered what he was to me, or rather to the person I'd replaced. A caregiver?

"Yeah, even you." I gave him my best look of apology and it seemed to soften his being hurt by my forgetting him. I looked down to study the tray and the variety of food. Honestly, I'd never seen anything like it before. Most of it looked like some sort of fruits and vegetables and maybe a few nuts thrown in, but I couldn't be sure. I was almost certain that there was no meat on that tray. Did that mean everyone here was a vegetarian and that I would be forced to eat like a rabbit? At that thought, I dropped down into a lower level of one of those rings of hell. Damn, to not have another juicy cheese hamburger, topped with all my favorite dressings, was almost more than I could bear.

From out of the corner of my eye I saw the other man bring a fancy stool from out of the corner of the room and set it down next to my bed. He sat on it, then reached out to draw the tray on the table closer to him. Curious, I watched as his soft-looking, long-tapered fingers moved to the platter of food and picked up a round disk that looked like some kind of flat bread. He tore off a piece of it and then used it to pick up a small portion of bright orange food that I thought was fruit. He then shocked the hell out of me when he brought it up to my mouth.

"What the hell?" I asked, drawing away from his hand. Mueller's eyes widened with alarm. "What are you doing?" I demanded.

"Serving you," he answered, appearing confused by my response.

"I can feed myself," I told him firmly. "I'm not a damn invalid."

"Duwan," the other man looked nervously behind his back as if he were fearful of someone overhearing our conversation. He lowered his voice to a whisper as he continued. "Have you perfectly forgotten your training as well? The Chosen, especially in the stages of preparation, are to be taken care of in every way. I've offered you your sustenance since you came to Mistra Hilda's abode. You must follow your training and comply with your contract or you will be punished." He lowered his voice further and added in a tone of fear, "Maybe even made a White."

Half of what he said didn't make any sense, but I knew somehow that it was important. The way he spoke of being made a White made it sound as if it was the worst thing that could happen to me. The blond man looked at me as if he really cared about what might happen to me, or rather Duwan, so I decided to be honest with him, at least as much as I dared to at that point.

"Listen, Mueller. You seem like a nice enough guy, but honestly, I don't understand any of this."

"Please," the man said looking anxious. "I am Purple. My contract is with Mistra Hildah and I'm subordinate to her and all Red and Blue and I do as I am told, just as you and all other Purples must. Do not ask me to violate my contract by not fulfilling my tasks. I have not been chosen yet and I need this placement. I was selected by Mistra Hildah and agreed to be your caretaker, to see to all your needs in your place as a Chosen. It is my honor and obligation to serve you as well as Mistra Hildah."

"You have to feed me?" I asked, not wanting to get him into trouble, but neither did I want to be treated like a helpless baby. Mueller nodded enthusiastically. "What else?"

"I fulfill your physical needs by feeding you sustenance, cleansing your body and preparing you for each cycle. I make certain your living space is properly maintained as well as your apparel. I deliver you to your engagements and make sure your emotional and physical needs are satisfied."

With each word he spoke my eyes widened with disbelief, and I'm pretty sure the horror I felt at his job description showed on my face. "Physical?" My voice actually hitched up a notch, like a prepubescent teenager. "We don't have sex do we?"

It was then the other man's expression mirrored my own. He hastily stood and stumbled back and away from the bed, bowing at the waist with his hands folded behind his back. "No!" he answered firmly. "I have contracted with Mistra Hildah to be your caretaker. As an Unchosen in our ranks it is required of me to serve Blue, Red and Purple in whatever task that I'm required to perform. To become intimately familiar with you, as your caretaker, would be a breach of the trust placed on me and would cause me to be stripped of my Purple, to become a White." He had that tone of horror in his voice again in speaking of that color rank. Then urgently, he pleaded, "Please, let me serve you your sustenance while it is still fresh."

Looking at the man bent in half, I tried to absorb the information he'd been giving me. I felt like I was just on the outside edge of understanding something fundamental about the world in which I was now living. I needed more information and decided that if Mueller was a permanent fixture in my life as my caregiver, then he was the man who was going to give it to me.

"Tell you what," I said, coming to a decision and watching as he straightened to face me once again. "I'll let you feed me if you'll tell me about the colors and what they mean. What's their purpose?"

The blond man frowned with obvious confusion, probably caused by my asking for information about something that was so fundamental to the people living on Erith. It was obvious by his dumbfounded expression that I needed to explain things to him. "As you know, something happened to me in the medicinal center," I began, wondering how I could possibly tell him what had happened to me without him checking me into a mental institution, if they had those kinds of places. I decided to be vague about my switch with Duwan until I could gage what his reaction might be. "I was sucked up into a... a swirling storm that was the result of an experiment. When I woke up, I found myself in the medicinal center, knowing nothing of this place or the people living here."

"I was told by Mistra Hildah your bands had been removed and that the heramones in your body were negated. Have you truly forgotten yourself and every thing pertaining to Erith?"

I quick nod my head answered to his question.

He gave me a returning nod and a slight smile. "I will speak to you of all the things that you desire and will instruct you on what you need to comprehend as I serve you your sustenance."

Long after the plate of strange yet delicious food had been consumed, Mueller sat on the service stool and answered my questions. The information session ended suddenly when a beeping sound came from the metal band on his wrist and it brought the blond promptly to his feet.

"We must bathe you for Mistra Hildah will arrive in one unit. She desires for you to present yourself soon after her arrival so she can be assured that you are well."

Because I was feeling a bit grimy, the thought of a bath was pretty enticing. "Sure, just show me the way," I said, brightening at the prospect of a good long soak in a tub of hot water to ease all of my aches and pains.

Mueller pulled back the blankets and took my elbow and help me as I eased my aching body out of the bed. Once I stood alongside the bed, gasping and wincing at the pain, he released my elbow and took my hand in his own cool and soft one. I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't like anyone being so presumptuous. I tried to wrench my hand out of his grasp. "Hey, what gives?" I asked as his hold on me held firmly.

"This is how it is done," he said simply.

"You have to hold my hand?" The idea seemed preposterous.

"Yes. I guide your steps to where you need to go, always. Come after me."

I had little choice but to follow behind him, wearing my sleeveless nightshirt and nothing else but a frown. I wondered and worried at the time just how hands-on this guy planned on getting with me. As we walked, I noticed I also wore thin metal ankle bracelets, one around each ankle. I supposed they were some form of identification like the collar and bands on my arms were, so I didn't bother asking about them. I just figured they went along with being a Chosen. Then looking down at Mueller's bare feet, I saw that he wore the metal ankle bracelets also, so I guessed that maybe they were just some kind of jewelry the people of Erith wore.

We entered a bright yellow tiled room that I figured was a bathroom, though it looked different than anything I was used to. It was empty, just a large, square box lined with tiles. The floor was surprisingly warm under my bare feet. Once the door slid silently shut behind us, Muller turned his head and gazed on a flat, rectangular and brushed-metallic plate and it beeped in response. The plate slid open to reveal a control panel. Though the man hadn't batted an eyelash, I noted several unrecognizable symbols lite up on a small gray screen, corresponding to small beeping sounds. At the sound of movement, I turned my head to see the floor shift and begin to split apart with the opening doors disappearing underneath the floor, revealing a large sunken bathtub big enough for several people. Immediately, water began flowing from small slits set around the white, porcelain-like sides, reminding me of Niagara Falls. Another series of beeps were heard and a portion of the wall to my left slid open, revealing a smaller, identically tiled room with something inside that looked oddly like a toilet.

"Do you need to eliminate your waste?" Mueller asked as casually as if he were asking me about the weather.

"Um, yeah," I answered, then noticed that there was a lack of a door and that my companion didn't look like he was going anywhere. "I've got a bit of a shy bladder. Do you mind?"

"Mind what?" The blond's head canted to the side in a pose of curiosity.

"Do you mind leaving the room so I can... you know, go?"

"I always stay with you, as stated in my contract," Mueller stated blandly, much to my frustration.

"You've got to be kidding me?" Now I was getting angry. Sure, it wasn't the guy's fault, but who the hell wrote his contract saying he had to stay with me while I used the facilities? What a crappy job! "If you tell me you plan on wiping my butt, I'm gonna clock you one," I warned, not kidding.

Maybe the other fellow wasn't as dense as I thought he was because he merely blinked at my tone of voice and put up his hands, seemingly ready to explain something. "Violence is forbidden and my cleansing of your posterior is unnecessary. If you will sit on the washaway and eliminate your waste, all you need to do is tell me and the chair will take care of any remaining residue and cleansing."

That got my curiosity up and running, replacing my indignation. I cautiously stepped into the little room, tiled ceiling to floor with the same yellow squares as the main bathing room. The seat that I thought of as a toilet seat was made from a brushed metal material, constructed in an odd shape from what I was used to. I quickly understood from its design and placement that I was to straddle it. The front end was curved up slightly - probably to catch an errant stream of urine - and the back was slightly wider and tilted up. It reminded me of some weird kind of metal saddle. The top, which was definitely meant for sitting on, was rounded for comfort. I hitched up my nightshirt, just enough to sit, and straddled the thing. I immediately noticed two things: the toilet seat was warm and the water within the bowl began to swirl.

Looking over my shoulder, I noticed Mueller behind me, watching me from a distance. "Turn around, man, and give me some privacy," I snapped, almost feeling bad about it when the blond jumped to do as I asked.

It was difficult to do what needed to be done with the other man present. Even living with Heero I'd always used the toilet in private. It was one of my quirks, I suppose. Despite Mueller's close presence, need took over shyness and I relieved myself and finished as quickly as I could. With a curious glance, I looked around for the toilet paper. Not seeing any, I hesitantly called out to the other man. "Hey, Mueller. Where's the toilet paper?"

"Are you asking to cleanse yourself?" the other man asked, looking confused.

"Ah... yeah."

"Push the placard to the right of you." I was glad to see the other man wasn't standing there watching me but was focused on setting some odd-shaped bottles around the large bathtub filling with water. I looked to my right to see the outline of a circle within the square tiles. I pushed it, expecting a roll of toilet paper to pop out of some hidden compartment. Instead, the front and back of the toilet seat shifted and actually seemed to stretch as it closed around my lower body. An instant after it stopped, a spray of warm water softly shot up from the bottom of the basin. I almost jumped off the seat at the unexpected method of cleansing, but the portion of the seat that had conformed to me, keeping the water spray contained, kept me from doing anything other than waiting for it to stop. After a moment, the water stopped abruptly and a warm burst of air dried the area just cleaned. It was the most unusual sensation I've ever felt. I remember thinking that this system would be a great way to save millions of trees from being turned into toilet paper. Maybe, if I ever got back to my world, I would invent something similar to it, and I'd make a fortune and probably win a Nobel Peace Prize for singlehandedly saving the environment by eliminating the need for toilet paper. As the seat retracted, all I could say to express my thoughts about it was, "Cool."

No sooner had I stepped away from the waste elimination unit, or the washaway, as Mueller labeled it, my hand was taken and I was led to the sunken bathtub. The blond man began to take off my nightshirt, and when I protested, trying valiantly to push it back down and cover myself, he reminded me that it was in his contract to dress and undress me and to see to my physical needs by cleansing me.

"All right," I told him, aggravated. "Just don't look. This is pretty weird for me."

"It's not like you've got anything that I haven't witnessed before," Mueller said with a slight annoying grin on his face that stayed there until his face disappeared when he pulled the garment over my head. I heard his startled gasp and tuned my head to see a look of revulsion on his face.

"Wh... what has befallen your body?" he asked. "These markings were not apparent before and you have... body hair."

I blinked at that last statement. "Yeah, well... what about it?" And to myself I added, doesn't everyone? I then realized that he was probably reacting to the deep bruises I'd gotten within the vortex. But then he ran his fingertips over a few of the scars on my shoulders and arms that I'd gotten when I was young, living on the streets and during the war. I flinched at his touch; those scars were personal. "Did being caught up in the strange storm do this to you?"

I shrugged and shied away from his questing fingers. "I guess you could say that." I wasn't sure what kind of explanation to give him, realizing the truth would probably sound... ludicrous. I mean, who would believe me if I told them I was sucked into their reality from another world, replacing one of their own people? That thought led me to another, startling a new line of thought. If I was here, replacing Duwan, then where was he? Was he on Earth in my place, with my lover and friends? If he was, I wondered how long it would take them to figure out what had happened, that the apparently spoiled and pampered Duwan was not me. I chuckled to myself thinking about how the guys would react to my counterpart. Well, maybe Duwan was a nice guy, I told myself, giving the fella the benefit of a doubt. He was probably malleable, obedient, maybe even eager to please. Then a dark thought struck me that maybe Heero and the guys might like Duwan better than me. Wouldn't that be a kick in the shorts.

A finger tracing the scar I'd gotten on a Preventers' assignment brought me back from my troubled thoughts. Without thinking I said, "It's a scar made by a bullet hole, from my job," I explained to him. Mueller looked up at me in response to words that were obviously foreign to him. "Never mind." I waved him off.

"Mistra Hildah will be displeased," Mueller said, frowning deeply as he gazed at my imperfect body.

"I'll explain them to her, all right?" At least I hope I can, I said to myself. I could see my caregiver was worried by his furrowed eyebrows and the slight crease between his eyes. No doubt the pampered, cosseted Duwan had a perfect, unblemished body, I thought jealously. I just hoped I could come up with a good reason to explain my old scars on my not-so-perfect body. I thought I could blame just about everything on the vortex, which, honestly, seemed to be the only viable explanation to the differences between me and Duwan.

My hand was taken again and I was led to the edge of the sunken tub. Mueller looked once more at the panel on the wall, and after another beep sounded, the gushing flow of water stopped abruptly.

Beneath the water's surface I could see there were three tiled steps. I was led to step down them and instructed to sit on the bottom one, bringing the water up to an inch from the top of my shoulders. The water covering my body was very warm, just the way I liked it, yet its texture against my skin was slightly different than what I associated with bath water, it was softer somehow, maybe even a bit oily.

I took a moment to close my eyes and enjoy the comforting warmth surrounding my aching body. I had plenty to worry and stress about, but at the moment I just wanted to relax and forget that I was in a strange world where I didn't know the rules yet. Damn, I wondered how I ever got myself into these things. I could almost hear Heero's voice speaking to me, with a hint of affection in his voice and a crooked grin on his face. "Only you could manage this, baka."

TBC