Disclaimer: I don't own or have any relation to Gundam Wing or any other Gundam series. I'm not making any profit from this, unless you count reviews.
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4 and likely 5x6… or if you want, 5x6x13?
Princes and Thieves
Chapter Two: Five for Silver, Six for Gold
"So, how did you know his name?" Quatre asked conversationally, a flick of his head indicating the boy slumped in Heero's arms.
"…Knew him as a child."
Quatre frowned as something occurred to him. "He wouldn't be the thief you saved from a beheading when you were ten, would he?"
A raised eyebrow followed by a suspicious frown was his reply.
"Hey, come on, you're my friend! I make it a point to know all about you, and that includes digging into your past. So, how'd you get to know him?"
Heero considered ignoring the blond, but then decided it would only give him a headache when said blond pestered him until he gave in. "He sneaked into my bedroom when we were five."
Quatre's eyes widened. "That's the time you started to more openly resist J's training! Is he the cause?"
Heero glared at him. Exactly how much had the blond researched about him? There should be a limit to best friend nosiness. "Yes," he said curtly, then spurred Wing into a faster trot with a slight jerk on the reins. Scythe increased her pace to match his, not leaving Duo's side for a second.
The blond sighed, but let him go, keeping Sandrock cantering at her previous pace. Trowa drew up alongside him, green eye curious. "…?"
"That boy – Duo – is apparently the one who caused Heero to resist J when he was younger," Quatre sighed. "Heero cared enough about him to trade his freedom for the boy's life. The bastard had him shipped off somewhere instead. And after that…" he shrugged helplessly. "Heero just – gave in. Became who he is now."
"…?" Trowa tilted his head towards Wing and his two passengers.
"I don't know why he didn't go back to the city. I mean, if he were able to get into the castle when he was five, it wouldn't be a problem, right? Maybe he lost his memory or something. Hey! That could be it! We could ask Father Maxwell."
Trowa nodded. Quatre beamed. "Maybe we can finally get Heero to loosen up!"
"…"
"Yeah, I know, impossible, right? But you didn't see Heero's reaction to the boy – no, his name is Duo. I could feel his pain and shock, Trowa. Minute and barely there, but considering that I usually can't feel anything from him, it's amazing. I have a good feeling about this, about Duo."
A small smile, only for him, flashed on Trowa's face, and Quatre smiled back. He understood Trowa's silences like no one else, and he knew Trowa understood how worried he was for Heero. They continued riding in silence.
The soldiers ignored them as they rode past, but Father Maxwell was waiting anxiously at his fence, together with another blond, motherly-looking woman. The both of them hurried forward when the five horses drew up in front of them, two of the riders holding unconscious figures in their arms.
"Duo!" the woman cried, hovering by as Trowa dismounted and carefully took the braided boy from Heero so that the king could dismount. Quatre did the same for the Oriental boy in Zechs' arms. The two carried the boys into Father Maxwell's house while Heero and Zechs tethered the horses to the fence and then hurried after them.
They found Trowa and Quatre on the second floor, gently laying Duo on the bed in what apparently was his room, while the other boy was placed on a temporary bed on the floor made of a few blankets. "What happened?" Father Maxwell asked.
"They were attacked by bandits, but we fought them off. Duo is fine; he just had an emotional overload. The other boy – "
"Wufei," Father Maxwell supplied.
" – thank you, Wufei was knocked out, but he should be fine. It's a minor wound, though he might have headaches for a while."
"Thank goodness," the lady breathed. She turned to the four boys with a smile. "Thank you for saving them both, young masters. I am Helen Maxwell, Hector's younger sister. Duo and Wufei are like sons to us, and we're glad you brought them home safely."
Father Maxwell smiled. "Yes, we are. Come, let's find somewhere more comfortable to sit, shall we?"
"Actually, if it's all the same, we would rather sit here," Quatre said quickly, shooting a glare at the others to warn them not to protest. "We can brief Duo and Wufei when they wake up, which I don't think will be too long. They'll want to know what happened."
Father Maxwell raised an eyebrow, but nodded. "Very well, my Lords. Perhaps you'll want some water, though?"
Quatre smiled in relief. "That would be wonderful, thank you."
The adults left, and Heero glared at Quatre. "What is this about?" he demanded icily.
"He's your childhood friend," Quatre said calmly, but the glint in his eye spoke of determination.
"He is but a stranger now," Heero said coldly. "It is best if he remains that way."
"You can't say he doesn't mean anything to you. When he fainted you rushed to catch him, and when Zechs and his squadron arrived you didn't want to relinquish him to the care of the soldiers!" Quatre snapped, annoyed.
"I was already holding him," Heero replied coolly. "And my mastery of Wing is better than anyone else's, so it would make sense for me to hold the boy. With their inept horsemanship, they would just drop the boy."
"How about me? Trowa? We could have held him."
Heero was already regretting his impulsive possessiveness of Duo. "Didn't Zechs hold the other boy? Why aren't you nagging him on it?"
"He likes Wufei! Didn't you see the way he looked at him?"
"Hey! I didn't – " Zech's protest died on his lips as he saw the look on Quatre's face that just dared him to say it. "Okay, so I find the boy attractive," he mumbled.
"See?"
At that moment there came a knock on the open door, and Father Maxwell smiled amusedly at the startled looks on the boys' faces. "Don't mind me," he said cheerfully. "Just continue to work out your teenage frustrations."
Zechs and Quatre blushed, looking slightly mortified. Heero just looked impassive.
"I was told to tell you of the dinner feast we'll be hosting in your honour tonight," Father Maxwell informed them. "One of the villagers will come to fetch you from your camp. And – my Lord! Your arm!"
Heero glanced at his bandaged arm, which he had taken care to hide from the adults' view previously. "I will see the doctor to bandage my wound properly," he announced, ignoring Quatre's indignant look. He nodded curtly to Father Maxwell before striding off.
The older man sighed and smiled sadly at the boys still in the room. "He needs some care, young'uns. Such a shame you all have to shoulder adult responsibilities when you should be enjoying your youth."
Quatre seized this chance to speak. "Father, Duo is not your child, is he?"
"Only in the figurative sense. J's soldiers dumped him in the square, unconscious and his head bleeding, when he was about ten years old, seven years ago. Helen and I took him in. When he awoke, he had no memory of his past years, only his name."
The blond nodded. "That explains it. Thank you, Father."
The man knew a dismissal when he heard one, so he gracefully bowed and left, closing the door behind him this time. Quatre looked at Duo. "I wonder if he remembered?" he mused. "Before he fainted, I could feel shock and realization, so he must have remembered something."
"Or maybe he just realized the boy who'd saved him was the new King," Zechs said dryly. "And what were you thinking! Treize would have my head if he knew I'd let you three dash into battle without even a few extra soldiers to guard you!"
Quatre shrugged. "It's not your fault no other horses can compare to ours."
"You tell the Commander that," Zechs said, irritated.
"We fight better than any average soldier, Zechs, you know that," Quatre sighed. "We can very well protect ourselves."
"I repeat: you tell the Commander that."
A groan interrupted them, and they glanced at the two unconscious boys, only to find that one of them was slowly waking up. "Unh…"
"Ah, Wufei, isn't it?" Quatre said cheerfully, keeping his voice soft so as not to worsen the headache the Oriental boy was sure to have. Zechs moved over to the boy and helped him slowly sit up.
"Where… why am I in Maxwell's bedroom?" a slightly accented voice croaked as black eyes blinked hard, adjusting to the light.
"You were knocked out by one of the bandits," Quatre replied. "Just after we came to help. They're either dead, or being held by our soldiers until we can talk to them."
Wufei fixed a steady gaze on Quatre. "Then I thank you. I – and Maxwell – we are in your debt. You are…?"
"Oh! How silly of me, I'm Quatre Winner. This is Trowa Barton, and the guy hovering beside you is Zechs Marquise." The blond hid a grin as Wufei locked eyes with Zechs, and a faint blush stained both their cheeks.
"Thank you," Wufei murmured, watching Zechs.
At that, the long-haired man grimaced. "Not me. I only arrived after the fight was over. There is one more person you have to thank, and that's Heero Yuy."
Black eyes widened. "The king? Then – I am a fool. I am sorry, I did not recognize your names. I apologise for any – "
"Stop, stop. Please, don't stand on formality!" Quatre said sternly. "We're friends, understand?"
Wufei cracked a small smile. "Yes, my Lord. May I ask where is the king himself, if you all are here?"
"He… er…" Quatre looked at Trowa pleadingly.
"Left."
Quatre shot him a 'oh-that's-so-helpful' look. Trowa shrugged.
"Why'd he leave?"
The voice was soft and weak, and startled everyone in the room into turning to stare at the figure lying on the bed. Wufei was the first to speak. "Maxwell! How long have you been awake?" he demanded.
"When you introduced yourselves." Violet eyes caught Quatre's gaze. "Why isn't he here?"
Seeing Duo struggle to sit up, Quatre moved forward to help him. "He… had other pressing matters to deal with."
"Like what?"
"Who knows?" Quatre shrugged lightly as he propped Duo against the wall with pillows. "Kingly matters, I suppose."
Duo laughed mirthlessly. "You can't lie very well, Quatre. Can I call you Quatre?"
The blond sighed, sitting down next to Duo. "No, I can't, and yes, please do."
Duo closed his eyes. "What's happened to him?" he whispered. "His eyes were so dead… he's changed so much. What did that bastard do to him?"
Quatre blinked. "You… remember?"
There was a sigh. "Yes. Back in the clearing… hearing him call my name and just seeing him again brought back all my memories. It was too much for my mind to cope with, I guess, so I fainted."
"But you aren't…"
"Panicking? Screaming? Showing it?" Wufei supplied. "He has a great control over himself."
Duo nodded. "What he said."
Quatre hesitated. "Well then… I will speak freely, but what I say must not go out of this room."
Seeing Duo and Wufei nod, he began, "J tried to make Heero into what he thought was the 'perfect king' – cool, analytical, clear-headed, without bias, not too soft-hearted. It sounds good, yes, but it added up to him trying to hone Heero's natural intelligence while getting rid of his emotions. The reasoning is, if he doesn't feel, he won't be biased towards anyone, he will be able to deal out the appropriate punishments without feeling any pity, and he will be able to keep a clear head at all times since he has no personal thoughts interfering."
"That's unjustifiable!" Wufei hissed.
Quatre's eyes were sad. "Yet it is effective, and J did some things right, at least. Heero is fair, very much so. He cares for his country, and his people by default, if nothing or no one else. He is determined to see everyone, regardless of rank and status, living satisfying and peaceful lives with equal opportunities – although whether this is J's teachings or some other influence, I'm not sure. I suspect the latter. According to my sources, around five years old, Heero started resisting J's training, veering off J's well-plotted path. It was as if he had someone else teaching him how to care, which was everything J was teaching him not to."
"Me…" Duo whispered. He turned pain-filled violet eyes to Quatre. "It was me, wasn't it?"
"Yes." Quatre smiled a little. "You might not have known then, but you helped return him a bit of his childhood with your friendship. You helped create the fair-mindedness Heero has now."
"But then I was sent away…" Duo closed his eyes again, leaning his head against the wall. "I wasn't there to help him."
"No, you couldn't help it. It isn't your fault."
"It is! If only I hadn't gotten caught…"
"Excuse me, but I'm still in the dark here," Wufei interrupted.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Duo was a thief. He made friends with Heero when they were five, and got caught when they were ten. Heero bought Duo's life with the promise that he would co-operate with J if Duo were spared, and J sent Duo here. When he awoke, he'd lost his memory."
Wufei nodded slowly. "I see…"
"I need to help him."
They all blinked at Duo.
"I refuse to believe J got rid of Heero's emotions. It's impossible to do that. He must have taught Heero to control himself. Well, I'll break that control. I'm not going to give Heero up without a fight, dammit!" Duo growled, fists clenching.
Quatre smiled at him. "I'm glad you feel that way. Frankly, I think you're the only who can help. I've never seen Heero show as much emotion as when he saw you and watched you fall."
Duo looked at him hopefully. "Really? He still remembers me?"
"Of course," Quatre assured him.
"Then I'll go with you back to the city," the braided boy said decisively.
"Great! We'll need to come up with a reason why you – oh. Are you sure… are you willing to give up your family and friends just on the off-chance you might be able to help Heero?" the blond asked quietly, worriedly.
"I'm not going to give up all my friends – after all, you're a friend too, aren't you? And Trowa, there, and Zechs. You all care for Heero, and so do I, so we're friends!" Duo beamed.
Trowa blinked. "…"
"What kind of logic is that?" Zechs demanded, irritated.
"The kind that only people with higher mental processes can grasp," Duo said haughtily, but then spoiled the effect by grinning at Zechs. "You are a friend, aren't you?"
The Captain hesitated, and then sighed. "Any friend of Heero's is a friend of mine."
"See?"
"Then your family?" Quatre persisted.
Duo smiled a little wistfully. "Father Maxwell and Sister Helen will understand."
The blond considered that, and then nodded. "Yes, they would… Well! We should inform the adults that you two have woken up, and let them fuss over you while we get the camp – and ourselves, of course – in order before the feast tonight. Oh, and we need to check on Heero, too."
Duo latched onto his last sentence. "Heero? What happened to him?"
"Oh, I think it was when he was saving Wufei that his arm got cut open," Quatre said with a cheerful smile. "Don't worry, he heals fast, and he had no problem carrying you here, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal."
"Not a big deal!" Wufei almost yelled. "The king himself risked his life for me and got hurt in the process. I am truly in his debt." He took a deep breath, composed himself, and said calmly, "If you are not against it, I would like to follow Maxwell to the city with you. I will pledge my services to the King, and protect him as he did me."
Zechs raised an eyebrow. "Just because he got hurt?"
"My honour demands it," Wufei said firmly. "Besides, how could I leave Maxwell alone? You have no idea what he is capable of. The city would be destroyed."
"Hey!"
Zechs laughed. "We'll leave you two now, then. We need to get things in order, not to mention questioning the bandits."
"Make sure to think of something you could do that would benefit Heero's cause," Quatre added. "We need a solid reason to have you follow us, otherwise Heero would outright refuse to have you two around."
"Okay, then!" Duo said cheerfully. "See ya at the feast?"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."
[coughs] I really don't like this chapter. I really, really don't like this chapter. It's so… loopholey! So… so… contrived! So cliché! Argh! [tears hair out] I'm sorry, but I really dislike this chap. Gah. But… it was a necessary evil.
I apologise for the poor standard of this chapter, but I simply do not have the brainpower right now to edit it. So, please, bear with me for now. I promise the terrible obviousness of it will lessen.
And yes, 5x6 or 5x6x13?
[Ashen Skies][Devil in the wishing well]
