Until the End of Tomorrow
By: Starlight-x
Chapter 6: Take my Hand
This was too much to handle. Relena felt her composure threaten to give way as she knelt next to the bed where her brother and his lifemate lay wrapped in each others arms. She glanced over to where the healer stood, hands touching both Zechs and Noin gently. "It is not a normal severing. Their life threads are still intact. Only their bond has been undone. By what force I cannot tell. They are whole in all other ways." The woman stood and shook her head slowly. "I do not know what to tell you. I have never encountered anything like this before in my life. I am almost afraid to try and restore their lifebond. I fear I will do more harm then good."
"Thank you." Relena managed, giving a nod to dismiss her. After the woman left she bent over her brother, touching his hair tenderly. His eyes stayed closed. Noin opened hers as Relena caressed her hair in turn. "How are you feeling?" Relena asked.
"Like I'm only half here." Noin closed her eyes as a shudder shook her entire body. Zechs instinctively clutched her closer to him.
Relena found herself at a loss for words. "But you are alive…"
Noin turned her head so she could stare directly into Relena's eyes. "There are some things worse than death."
Relena felt the tears in her eyes overflow down her cheeks. "I'll find out how to fix this, somehow I will." She touched her brother again, leaning down to kiss him softly on the forehead.
Zechs stirred and opened ice blue eyes. "Relena," His voice was raspy. "Be careful. Whoever did this was one of ours. No one else could have the necessary spell mastery. Trust no one."
"I know." Relena bit her bottom lip. "Relax Milliardo." Her hand came up to clasp the Key of Truth that hung around her neck. "I won't be deceived."
Relena left the room. Outside, Heero straightened from where he'd been leaning against the wall. Relena shook her head to the silent question in his eyes. "I don't know what caused the dissolving of their lifebond or how to remake it either."
"Someone obviously knows what happened."
"Yes." Relena let out a sigh. "And that's what worries me. That someone could break such a sacred bond deliberately, one of my own people too."
"Hm." Heero frowned. He could feel the turmoil Relena was in. "You should rest. You have a meeting with the Elders later don't you?"
"Yes. We've tried to keep what happened to Zechs and Noin secret for now. If the rest of Asthernell found out there would be a panic. As it is the Elder's council is in an uproar. I was hoping I would have some good news for them after my visit with my brother but unfortunately I'm as clueless as before." Relena tightened her hands into fists.
"Relena!" Hilde leaped to her feet as Relena and Heero entered the room. "How are they?"
Relena froze, staring at Hilde and Duo. Her emotions roiled together and she could feel the fear she'd been suppressing rising to the surface. "I – I don't know." Tears swam in her eyes. "I don't know."
"Oh Relena." Hilde approached her slowly, reaching out with cautious hands to pull her friend into a hug.
At the touch Relena's tears overflowed.
"She needs to rest."
"You're right." Hilde nodded at Heero. "Come on Relena."
Heero turned as Hilde led Relena to her bedroom.
"Where are you heading?" Duo spoke up for the first time since the two had returned.
Heero paused, his hand on the door. "I want to check something out. I'll be back in time to escort Relena to her meeting with the council."
"All right." Duo crossed his arms. "Don't do anything stupid. She really needs you right now."
Heero didn't reply, instead leaving without looking back again.
00000
Heero stepped through the wards surrounding the area where Zechs and Noin had been found. The ward itself was a simple misdirection spell to keep other elves from stumbling onto the magic remnants that littered the area until they were cleaned up. But the remnants were exactly the reason he was here. There had to be some trace of the magic used by the perpetrator lingering here somewhere. If he could locate it maybe he could figure out who had cast it.
Closing his eyes Heero concentrated. Immediately his senses were overwhelmed with the remnants of the wind spell Zechs had conjured. Traces of that spell were as numerous as the debris that littered the ground.
Still keeping his eyes closed so as not to be distracted, Heero began to move away from Zechs' spell while pushing his senses out to capture any other trace magic that might remain. His search suddenly ran into another magic, live and like his own, but different on a very basic level. Heero's eyes flew open and he glanced around. Orestaphal stood looking back at him. For a moment the two just stared at each other.
"Mage." Orestaphal gave a curt nod.
Heero returned the nod.
The silence was broken again by Orestaphal. "It appears that we both had the same idea."
"So it would seem." Heero wasn't trying to seem unfriendly, but his feeling of caution warned against giving away too much. "Zechs' magic is all I've been able to find so far."
"His wind magic is very overwhelming here." Orestaphal agreed.
As if by unconscious assent both began their search again for some trace remnant of magic that might lead them to the culprit behind the lifebond separation.
There wasn't much other then the remnants of wind magic. Heero didn't dare try to widen his search for fear of overlooking something. It was possible that whoever had cast the original earth spell hadn't been the same one who had dissolved the lifebond. Heero felt a gentle tug on his lifebond. He'd been carefully shielding his activities from Relena, to keep from disturbing her while she rested. But now it appeared that she had awoken and was searching for him. He sent assurance back toward her and abruptly ended his spell. "It's nearly time for the council to meet." He turned toward Orestaphal. For an instant he caught a glimpse of unbridled horror and disbelief on the elder's face. It disappeared in the time it took him to blink.
"Of course. Excuse me."
Heero watched as the elf disappeared into the trees heading back to the meeting room. Heero waited for a bit before moving over to where the elf had stood. Closing his eyes he reactivated his search spell and found nothing. Not a trace of magic remained. Opening his eyes Heero glanced about. There had been something here; something the elf had noticed that told him who had cast that the lifebond dissolution spell. The look on Orestaphal's face confirmed it.
"Heero?"
Relena's touch through the lifebond was stronger. "Where are you? It's almost time for the council to meet."
He felt the worry she carried. "I'm coming."
Regardless of anything else, Relena needed him right now. Duo had been right about that.
Heero turned to leave. What Orestaphal had found could wait until after the council meeting.
00000
Noin came awake slowly. The blank emptiness that had replaced the warmth, strength and light of her lifebond nearly sent her into a frenzy.
"Shhh. I'm here."
The softly whispered words registered along with the arms wrapped tightly around her and a familiar scent. Milliardo.
Noin relaxed. She was alive. Zechs was alive. Their lifebond was gone. Noin closed her eyes and buried her head against Zechs' chest. Her sensitive hearing picked up the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. She felt as if she was walking along the lip of a very deep, dark chasm and there was nothing to keep her from falling. Nothing but the thin thread of the physical connecting her to her Zechs.
A low rumble caught her attention and she raised her head slightly to hear what Zechs was saying.
"….fer to you my soul, the essence of who I am. I offer to you my life, the length of time in which I have to live. I offer to you my body, the form in which I reside.
Giving all that I am and accepting all that you offer me I look forward to a future not alone, but together with you until the end of time."
Our lifebond vow. Noin settled her head against Zechs' chest once again. It wasn't just the physical that kept her from tumbling into the chasm of despair; there was love there too. Maybe she couldn't feel it the way she was accustomed to, but the feeling itself hadn't changed regardless of whether the lifebond was there or not.
We'll get our lifebond back, no matter what. Noin closed her eyes, joining in as Zechs began repeating their lifebond vow again.
"I offer to you my soul, the essence of who I am…"
00000
The council meeting was degenerating rapidly. The main issue of concern, the dissolving of Zechs and Noin's lifebond by an unknown person had only been touched on briefly before several of the members had regressed to a shouting match.
"It is clear that we have allowed too much laxity in our administration of our people, to allow outsiders in was the utmost stupidity."
"Don't be so quick to blame outsiders for the problems we are currently experiencing." Reneial rose to his feet. "We at least must take some responsibility for what happens within our city."
"But what reason would one of our people have to break a lifebond? None."
"What reason would either of the humans have to break the lifebond either? The mage is bound to our princess while the other human is obviously a very close friend." Reneial wasn't giving up. "Besides neither Duo or Heero can use elven magic which is what severed the bond between Lord Zechs and Lady Noin."
"Please, this arguing is getting us nowhere." Relena raised her hands. "It is a very serious matter that we are discussing. The most pressing issue should be the restoration of the bond between Zechs and Noin. Getting angry at each other will not shift responsibility away from any of us."
"Responsibility? If you wish to lay responsibility for this incident anywhere look no farther then yourself princess. You were the one to allow humans into our city while openly embracing a lifebond with one of them. You have taken our most sacred act and made it less in the eyes of our people by your actions." The elf elder pointed an accusing finger.
Relena's face had gone so white Heero would've thought she was about to faint if he hadn't been able to feel the fury building beneath her otherwise serene exterior. "How could you even think to imply that?" Relena gripped her medallion, her voice shaking slightly.
The sound of soft clapping interrupted them. The entire council turned to see a tall young man standing in one corner.
"Who are you?" Melliad demanded.
"The Watcher." Relena rose and bowed slightly.
"So this is where the pride of the elves has brought you, sitting in a council meeting pointing fingers all around. For such a long-lived people you can be incredibly short sighted. You want to look elsewhere for the problem when it's been in your midst this entire time. The decay in the Glade of Elai isn't due to some outside influence. Ha'derkaath wasn't responsible, neither are the humans. The atrophy of the spring is the fault of your people. Hidden inside your city you have forsaken the world and forgotten how to live. Your fear eats away at you. The spring is only the outward expression of how far you have fallen. "
Shocked silence followed Trowa's speech.
"The watcher is correct." Orestaphal rose. His normally sharp gaze was weary. "The problem is among us. The outsiders didn't bring it. Their presence only exposed what was already corrupted in our midst." Turning he moved slowly, leaving the council room without another word.
"Orestaphal?" Relena rose, concern in her voice.
No. Heero sent the feeling to her. Let him go. He watched the elf elder leave, eyes narrowed slightly in speculation.
00000
"Finally," Quatre looked around. "We made it."
Dorothy followed his gaze. Nothing appeared different, just the same forest they'd been walking through for a while now. "Are you sure?"
"Oh, I see." Sally smiled. "Right here, correct?" She waved her hand through the air. "This shimmer shows you right?"
"Yes." Quatre smiled. His hand traced the same path Sally's had taken.
Dorothy fought the urge to squint, to try and see what the other two were talking about. With the disappearance of Askar she had lost any slight magical abilities she might've possessed. She turned away. "Well, I guess this is where we part company."
"What?" Sally turned to look at her. "Are you serious?"
"I told you I'd escort you to Asthernell. I never said I'd go in with you." Dorothy said simply.
"What will you do now?" Quatre asked.
"I've got somewhere to go. Don't worry about me." Then before they could try and convince her otherwise she turned and walked away.
"So how exactly do we get into Asthernell?" Sally asked. "I know we can see the entrance, but I've never been inside before."
"It's been a while but I think I can lead us inside." Quatre reached out a hand.
Sally took it without hesitation. "Now what?"
"Close your eyes. It makes the journey easier."
"All right." Sally closed her eyes. She felt Quatre's hand tighten around hers and then she was led forward.
00000
So tired. Errandal had no energy. He rolled over on his side and sighed. This was the one repercussion from his spell that he hadn't anticipated. When he severed Relena and Heero's lifebond he would have to plan carefully. Fainting at the scene of the crime wouldn't be wise. As it was he'd very nearly been caught after breaking Zechs and Noin's lifebond. It'd had taken all the reserves of strength he'd had left to teleport away.
Mella had found him in his room and helped him to bed. He'd made up an excuse to satisfy her curiosity, instructing her to bring him strengthening food after he woke up.
When she returned she brought news of the uproar the city was in. The council of Elders had attempted to squelch the rumors about what had happened to Zechs and Noin. The truth had slipped out however, stirring panic and fear to ever increasing heights. Errandal settled down to recover, satisfied with his test.
A soft knock on the door interrupted his musings. Errandal frowned. Mella had just been in and he wasn't expecting her back for a while.
The knock was repeated. "Errandal? Are you in there?"
His father. Errandal took a deep breath. The one person who'd always been able to see through him. Errandal glanced about the room. Nothing out of place, not a stray trace of magical energy lingered, all signs of his spell safely hidden away. Another deep breath, then. "Come in."
The door opened. Orestaphal entered. "I heard you weren't feeling well."
Errandal watched as his father glanced about the room before turning back to his son.
"Have you had a healer in yet?"
"No." Errandal shook his head. "It's nothing serious. A few days rest and I'll be perfectly fine."
"Oh." Orestaphal picked up the empty bowl Errandal had placed on the small table next to his bed. "You've had enough to eat?"
"Yes Father."
Orestephal set the bowl down and stared at Errandal long enough to make him feel uncomfortable, then the older elf laid a hand briefly on his son's head. "Rest then." He turned away and left quickly.
Errandal felt the tension drain out of him. He closed his eyes and prepared to fall back asleep. He still had a ways to go before he would be back to his normal strength.
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Orestaphal walked away from his son's room. He had to school his features into a mask of serenity. Inwardly he prayed to avoid the princess. She would be able to see through his pretense easily with the Key of Truth she wore.
Why, why, why?
He barely missed a small child who darted around him. Orestaphal froze, watching as the small boy ran off laughing joined by friends. He clenched the hand that had been only moments before laid on Errandal's head. Why?
His son had been responsible. The eyes he'd always been able to read before had been carefully hidden behind a wall he couldn't penetrate, a shadow that was as apparent to him as Errandal's weak condition.
Errandal wasn't sick, he was recovering from a spell that had drained his strength.
Why?
Orestephal concentrated, making himself invisible while he sank down on a bench and let the tears that filled his eyes fall down his cheeks. Errandal, my son, foolish child, what have you done? What have you done?