Akbar
Chapter 5 'It was only a dream.' She thought as she stretched her legs and felt her rough, homespun sheets against them. 'It was only a dream,' her heart sang as a warming desert breeze swept across her face. The very smells in the room confirmed to her that she really was back at her home with Mamoru and the four sweet-faced orphans. The smoky smell from the fireplace spiced the scent of the apple pie they had had last night. The smell of soap, sand, last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast were savored by Usagi. And for the first time in years, she opened her eyes to the new day without prompting. The stratified rock that stretched around her was golden in the sunlight and couldn't have been more beautiful. Tumbling out of the bed she swept away her curling bangs and was laughing from the glad moment. "It was only a dream Mamoru." She called out as she shoved the cloth barrier aside.
Her eyes were instantaneously locked with Mamoru's. Another desert breeze blew through the room and through Usagi, leaving her empty. Her breath of joy had been taken from her and she clutched the curtain in her spasms of panic. The midnight sky that had been caught in Mamoru's eyes, was glazed and empty. His twisted body lay on the floor, rotting in its own crimson liquid. The stench rushed up to Usagi and forced itself down her throat and into her lungs, filling them with their disease. Her pale, pale hands flit away from the faded curtain and began to shake.
"Don't worry love, death is a part of life." A voice from behind her said.
Usagi swerved around to find Adaron's pronounced figure standing before her. Usagi's muscles seized in gross surprise and she covered her mouth in a silent cry of horror. "Come back to me." He said, stretching his hands out to her. His hands which had touched and probed at Usagi, his dirty, filthy hands were groping for her again. 'I am alone.' Her tears were squeezed out of her and she trembled and cowered away from him. "You're supposed to be dead." She sobbed, every inch of her skin was recoiling and shuddering in terror of its fate in Adaron's hands. "Come here." Adaron said sweetly smiling at her, absorbing her, sucking her up into his empty soul. He was drinking her soul away from her, he was taking away her laughter and her smiles and her pleasure's; because he had had none. And no matter how hard she tried, Usagi couldn't tear herself from his gaze, from his power. Her wounds opened and began to bleed out. Adaron was taking her blood too. Usagi swayed, paralyzed to the spot. As she felt her very last ebb of life being snatched away from her, Usagi was seized by a pair of iced hands and shaken violently. Usagi was twisted back around, away from Adaron's haunting gaze, to stare into Orin's milky orbs. The magus's blind eyes frightened Usagi, they were like two all-seeing moons. "Miserable girl," he screamed at her, spitting in her face, "Miserable girl!"
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Usagi came awake screaming and fighting with the ox-like strength of someone who wanted to keep living. Her un-dilated eyes were shocked by a harsh light and her hands began itching from the feel of the coarse sheets wrapped around her. When she felt Orin's hands still on her shoulders she felt her distressed magic explode out of her. The grip on her shoulders was immediately torn away, leaving her to sweat in her blind fear. Still sightless from the piercing light she clutched the blankets to her. Usagi could feel the strange presence of her magic as it swirled around her, warm and protective. When Usagi felt the trickle of dust on her head and the shaking of the Earth beneath her, she was enveloped by another surge of panic. This time Usagi could feel the magic's smashing fury as it spilled from her and gouged the walls and ceilings in its might.
Another pair of hands seemed to come from out nowhere and grab her arms tightly. Usagi's magic rushed back to her and would have crushed the life out her attacker had he not said her name so lovingly.
"Usagi, stop, what're you doing? It's just me, Cat." Instantly, Usagi's magic dissipated. Her disbelief and desire at the statement being true was pounding through her veins so violently that she was afraid she was going to burst open. Closing her straining eyes Usagi clenched the sheets, "Cat?"
"Quatre, Quatre's my real name Usagi."
The voice and the name stilled her frayed mind. Shivering Usagi's hands slowly reached forwards. Her fingers touched firm, well-defined cheeks and went up to trace the bridge of a proud nose. "Quatre?" She mumbled hesitantly, "Quatre..." Her mind was buzzing with the information.
Quatre reached up and clutched her hands in his, "Yes. I've come back to you."
Usagi pulled her hands from his and clutched at her aching head. A shiver went up and down her spine, it was starting to get cold again. "Why can't I see?" She whined, pulling her knees up against her body.
"Open your eyes again, you opened them too fast before." Quatre's heart was pounding, when she opened her eyes she would see him again for the first time in 5 years. He was afraid of what she would think or say or do. But at the same time his heart was pounding in exhilaration; he would at last be able to look into a pair of azure eyes that he had longed to look into every second of the five years he had been away.
Usagi's tightly clamped eyes blinked open. The first thing they saw was the black-clad figure of a much-abused Hurda. Her sparkling blue eyes lifted and, almost warily looked into Quatre's. She let out a long breath when their eyes met, "It's you, it's really you... And me," She lifted her hands and stared at them, "I'm alive, again." Under the sheets she wiggled her toes, "I really am alive again." When she lifted her gaze from Quatre she realized that the harsh light that had pierced her eyes had been nothing more than a small oil lamp hanging from the ceiling.
"You were always alive Usagi, just soulless for a day or so." Quatre replied.
Usagi shivered again and shifted her position so that she was closer to Quatre. The Hurda swallowed in nervousness. "Are we still in the desert?" Usagi asked softly. Quatre frowned at the question, "Where else would we be?"
"I don't know...it's just so cold here. Are we in a cave?" She asked as she gazed at the sloping ceiling above her. Quatre abruptly rose up from the bed when he saw Usagi's blood. "You're bleeding!" He exclaimed in shock.
"Really? I can't feel anything." Usagi said unperturbedly.
"Wufei!" Quatre called out, "Come quickly!"
Usagi winced as she looked about the room, the temperature seemed to be steadily dropping. The room had been whitewashed and adorned with dried flowers and paintings of swallows. Long ropes of pepper and garlic hung from the ceiling which was crisscrossed by wooden beams. She saw the evidence of her magic strength all about the room. There were deep fracture lines in the walls and a couple beams above her had cracks running along their lengths. A drawer or table that had stood in the corner of the room had been turned into splinters. The room was, otherwise, barren of any furniture besides the bed. When Usagi's gaze traveled to the doorway she gaped in amazement. The man, no, the boy standing there bore a frightening resemblance to Mamoru. His midnight black eyes, which were resting on her, were unmoving and strong. And because he was shirtless Usagi could see the stunning dragon tattoo that had been emblazoned on his chest. She then became aware of the curious faces and bodies that stood behind the boy. The pane-less window and the door-less doorway, which led out into the hallway, were filled with these curious people's faces. As the temperature dropped another ten degrees she stared back at them wondering how they could dress so lightly in the cold.
Wufei stepped down the three-or-so steps and entered the room. Murmuring a few words under his breath he held out his glowing hands to her. Usagi's brows furrowed in confusion, she glanced into Wufei's eyes wonderingly. Quatre felt an uncalled-for spark of jealousy as Wufei gently took Usagi's hands in his. Her eyelids sealed shut and she held Wufei's hands tightly, almost desperately, in hers now. The rhythmic sound of her breathes didn't sooth Quatre at all as he watched her cling to Wufei. Quatre felt his body tingle when Usagi's eyes slid open to reveal their smoldering pits. Dropping her head abruptly she continued to clasp Wufei's hands. Her flaxen hair dripped down like a silk sheet and shielded her face from Quatre.
When Wufei finally unclasped his hands from Usagi's, her skin had regained its healthy color.
"Are you warm now?" Wufei asked as he massaged his hands. Usagi touched her flush cheeks and nodded. "Why was it so cold?" Usagi savored the feeling of being warm.
"A symptom of the spell." Wufei said laconically. His obsidian eyes went from Quatre and then to Usagi, seeing the obvious discomfort between them. "We'll be waiting for both of you in the Olin." Turning, Wufei left the room, shooing the masses of people away from the doorway and window as he went. Usagi stared at the clearing doorway for a long moment before she allowed herself to look at Quatre.
"You've gotten older." Usagi finally said in a tender voice.
Quatre smiled weakly at her, "Five years older."
Usagi smiled back at him, swallowing Quatre in its warmth. "Could you heal my wounds?" She asked, indicating her back.
Quatre's eyebrows leapt in remembrance, "I'd forgotten. Let me get Heero for you, he's the best at healing." He rushed to the door and was surprised when her hand clamped onto his shoulder. She had leapt from the bed and grabbed him just before he would have left the room.
"Wait!" She said, her eyes showed their alarm, "Don't leave just yet. Not yet." She exclaimed. Then the years upon years of guilt and self-hate burst from Quatre. He couldn't stop himself from clutching at her hands like a child and saying, "Forgive me Usagi, oh please." The plea left his dry throat, "I didn't want to leave you, I really didn't, but it was for the better of all the people in OZ who were suffering."
Usagi's eyes narrowed and she grew pale. Uttering a thin laugh she lifted Quatre's head so that she could look once more into his eyes. "I never thought that I would see you again. Don't ruin it." She mumbled, her skin was pale as if in anger and her hands fell to her side. Quatre felt his heart squeeze in its sickening grief, "Usagi, will you ever forgive me?"
Usagi leaned forwards and pressed her lips to Quatre's cheek, "That's what friends are for." She answered indistinctly. Quatre felt his mind somersault at the knowledge, 'Friends?'
"Are we interrupting?"
Usagi and Quatre looked up to find Duo and Heero in the entranceway. Duo's arms were crossed over his chest and he bore the look of an exasperated child. When Usagi's murderous gaze flitted to Heero, she saw that his expressions were just as blank as when she had last seen him. Quatre looked hopefully into Usagi's face but he could only see the coldness that had come from the depths of her. Without a word, Quatre broke away from Usagi and disappeared into the hallway.
"Jeez, you guys should go get a room with a door if you're going to do things like that." Duo said huffily. Usagi raised her voice slightly, "I would never love a man like Quatre, he's a man apart from me."
Duo glanced down the hallway to see if Quatre had heard the harsh remark. The shifter winced when he saw his friend slump heavily against the corridor wall, he had. Duo hopped into the room and dragged Heero with him, he didn't want to exploit Quatre's pain anymore than necessary. "That was nice of you, breaking the guy's heart." Duo said viciously, and before she could reply he gestured to Heero, "Here's Heero anyway, the healing wonder."
Usagi felt her heart pound in her chest, she was so angry. "I don't want him to touch me." She snapped. Duo blinked in astonishment, "You're bleeding all over the place and you're telling me you don't want to get those wounds sealed up?"
"And I thought Hurda's were supposed to save people." Usagi said bitterly to Heero.
Duo's eyebrows practically shot to his hairline, "Hey, what're you inclinatin'?"
Usagi grit her teeth and glared at Heero, "I wouldn't have had my soul sucked out of my body and nearly gotten raped by Adaron if it weren't for Heero!" She nearly hissed the last words. Heero stared at Usagi for a swift moment before, lightning fast, his hand shot out and wheeled Usagi around so that her lacerated back was in his view. With a single move he had pinned her to the floor. Planting his hands on her back he sent a quick bout of healing magic onto her back before rolling off of her. Usagi was scarlet in her embarrassment and anger, rolling over she opened her mouth to scream something at Heero when Duo stepped in-between them.
"Don't yell at him, it's probably not his fault." Duo said stiffly. Usagi snorted, "I had to suffer the death of my husband and my children to OZ and then my soul was taken and I was touched and prodded and made to do things that I would rather impale myself then do. And you're telling me not to blame him when it's his fault!"
"Yes, or at least forgive him!" Duo glared condescendingly at Usagi, "Heero can't help being the way he is."
Usagi's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Then I can't help hating him." Raising herself up she pierced Duo with her seething gaze. "Why would you want to protect a wraith anyway?"
"Why?" Duo said indignantly, "Because it's wrong for people to shun him and make him suffer just because he's a wraith!"
"I think I've suffered more than either of you. What makes you think that you've suffered more than I have? You don't even know how it feels to have your mind screaming constantly at your body to stop whatever its doing because it's lost control!" She yelled at Duo; her eyes were becoming teary in remembrance, "You don't know!"
Duo stared at Usagi in bitter shock, "I don't know how it feels to lose control of my body? Is that what you're saying Usagi?" His lips lifted in a wistful smile, "because I of all people know what that feels like Usagi, I'm a shifter."
Usagi's lips flew open in amazement and she stumbled backwards.
"For two years, much longer then your single day of being helpless," Duo retorted, "I couldn't control whether I was animal or man. I couldn't control my shifting at all. And you think you've suffered? I lost my family and my friends, everything! And you're sobbing and throwing a tantrum because of one day where you had no control? Over a few people's lives! Goddamn it Usagi, I'm still a shifter, I will always be one because I just am. You, you still have your control, your life, your future. So I don't know what you're so angry about." Duo's voice had fallen to a low whisper. His hands hung limply by his sides showing his open defeat of him against the world.
Usagi felt a tear streak across her cheek and she rubbed it away. "It's still," she whispered between her skipping breaths, "hard."
"You have Quatre, and all of us and...and your smile." Duo ruffled his hair so that his eyes were shadowed by his bangs. "I'm still not allowed anywhere near my home or family because of the shame. Because I couldn't control my shifting they abandoned me." Duo shook his bangs away, the indignant flush filling his cheeks again, "What are you so angry at, what can you possibly be so mad about?" His violet eyes were like a cut-out of the heavens, "who, are you so angry at?"
Usagi's cast her eyes to the floor and let her heart sink. She shook her head and covered her face before anyone could see her escaping tears. Duo took a step forward and touched Usagi, "Why are you so angry?" He asked quietly.
Usagi lifted her glistening eyes. In parting her lips she found that she couldn't speak, her throat was too swollen with emotion. When Duo's agile arms reached forwards and enveloped her she couldn't stop her tears from spilling forth. She pulled Duo tightly to her so that she could smell his dusty scent and feel the coarseness of his shirt, so that she could feel what reality was again. She sobbed and cried into his chest, "Why me?" He ran his hands up and down her back, trying to sooth her. He tried to tell her that she wasn't alone and that she was beautiful and full and should never cry. But he could only rub her back and try to sooth her, try to help her come to that conclusion by herself.
Her toes skimmed the ground as she was carried to the squashy bed. In Duo's lap Usagi soaked in his warmth as she shook out her wracking despair. She hardly noticed the switch from his arms to his lap because of the rending sensation of her aches and pains flooding from her core. When Usagi became quieter she felt a comforting weariness in her bones and a sense of peace that had wound itself around her. Duo wrapped his arms around her still- heaving body. He loved the sensation of her small body against his.
"You're all wet." She sniffed moments later, her voice was muffled against his shoulder. Duo eased back from her and unbuttoned his black shirt to throw it into some corner. Usagi stiffened at the action, Duo was still a stranger to her. Glancing behind her, Usagi discovered that Heero had left the two alone in the room. Shrinking slightly, Usagi licked her cracked lips.
"Look Usagi, if I had wanted to have sex with you I would have taken off my pants and said those were wet too." Duo said with a laugh.
Usagi giggled at the comment but soon fell into serious contemplation. Meeting Duo's eyes she uncertainly set her head down onto his bare shoulder. Her tired and sore eyes closed briefly before she wrapped her arms around Duo. "I was so angry Duo." She said hoarsely.
"I could tell." Duo murmured, smiling slightly.
"I couldn't believe Heero would leave me...I couldn't believe Quatre would leave me...and everybody was dead, I even died for a day."
Shivering she hugged Duo closer, "I'm tired of living in a world where everyday I get to wake up and know that everything I had is dead." She whispered, clutching Duo harder.
"Don't be tired, you never know if the next day will be better." Duo said gently into her ear, "You never know." Usagi's hands found the tie that held Duo's hair in its tight braid. Pulling on the band she drew back to stare at Duo's released hair. "You have long hair like me." She said with a smooth smile, "I never thought another man would have long hair like mine."
"It's not quite as long as yours." He said modestly. Usagi shrugged as she let her hand run through his hazel locks, he had beautiful hair.
"Usagi," Duo said firmly as he removed her hands from his hair, "Why were you so angry at Heero?"
Usagi met Duo's remarkable violet eyes steadily, "Because he left me after he had promised that he wouldn't. He had promised," Usagi's eyes grew distant, "he left me just like Quatre did."
"Is that why you were so mad at him? Not that you didn't have the right or anything after what happened to you." Duo said lightly.
Usagi grinned sourly, "...It was partly because I couldn't believe that Heero would just step aside to that magus so that my soul could be taken. And I was partly angry because I didn't have anyone else to scream at, I couldn't scream at Quatre even though I wanted to."
Duo stretched his arms back and began to re-braid his hair, "Why Quatre, he's a good guy. Isn't he?" One of his brows was furrowed in doubt of Quatre being 'bad'.
"He is good, he's always been good." Usagi said wanly.
They sat in silence for the longest time, each sharing their warmth. It was only when a stale breeze rolled into the room that both of them awoke from their soul-searching. Duo blew a strand of her hair from his shoulder, "We should go for dinner now. Are you alright now?" Usagi nodded her head. Sleepily she untangled herself from him and stepped onto the cool, earthen floor. Duo went and picked up his shirt from the corner. Making a face when he felt the damp spot on his shirt he bunched the black cloth into a ball. "I'm going to go and change shirts, if you just take a left you'll find yourself in the Olin." He said mildly.
"But I'm in my nightclothes." Usagi said in an excuse to not be alone.
Duo eyed her skeptically, "You're wearing what you were wearing the night of the ball Usagi. That is DEFinitely not a nightgown."
Usagi's eyes flew downwards at the statement to take in the sheer velvet cloth and gauzy sleeves. Making a face worse then Duo's she shook her head. "I'm not wearing these. I want new clothes."
Duo waved a hand, "Well, get them after dinner."
"No, now! I'm not wearing this thing a moment longer!" She said urgently. Duo rolled his eyes, "I think it looks nice on you."
"I don't care. I don't want to wear it anymore, is there some change of clothes that I could have? I don't want to wear these anymore!" She said fiercely. Usagi didn't want to have anything to do with OZ, even if it was just a dress. Duo smiled, "Relax, I'm sure we'll find someone to lend you some clothes." Lightly stepping into the hallway he motioned for Usagi to follow him and be quiet. As they walked, Usagi's bare feet took immense pleasure in feeling the sand and dirt beneath them once again. The hallway was dimly lit and each doorway that they came across was like the yawning mouth of darkness. Duo's room was the only one that had light pouring out from it and into the hallway. They both turned into the room, Usagi with apprehension, and Duo with anticipation.
Heero looked up from his bed which was across the room from Duo's to see who had entered. Usagi froze when she spotted Heero. But there was no hate left inside of her because she had emptied it all out onto Duo's shirt. Biting her lip in nervousness Usagi met Heero's eyes, "I'm sorry I got so angry at you Heero." She waited for his reply in such a state of anxiousness that she was sure that she'd faint in a matter of seconds.
"It won't happen again." Was all that he said before returning to the stack of parchments that lay beside him on the bed.
"Here you are Usagi." Duo said as he stuffed his black breeches and black shirt into her hands. Usagi stared at the breeches, "Can't you show me to a woman so that I can get a skirt? I've never worn breeches before."
Duo laughed at the comment, "Oh please, breeches are really comfortable and nobody's going to look twice at you. Every woman here works at least once in her lifetime and she wears breeches when she does it so don't worry about appearance."
Usagi shrugged her shoulders and went into the adjoining room where she quickly dressed. When she emerged from the room she had to hide her smile at the fact that Duo was in another, clean black shirt. Duo eyed Usagi critically, "If I didn't know any better I'd say my breeches were tighter then your dress."
Usagi flushed and looked indignantly at the breeches, "You told me to wear them! And if they're 'that' tight on me then how can YOU possibly wear them?"
"I don't wear them anymore, they're way too tight for me." At the face she was making Duo quickly came up with something to say that would ease her, "...Um, I guess it looks nice, for a guy anyway." He added with a chuckle. Usagi sighed, pulling at the loose black shirt as she did so.
"Heero are you going to come with me and Usagi to the Olin?"
Heero didn't even glance at Duo as he spoke, "I already went."
"Alright, see you later then hero."
Usagi made a sound of surprise as she followed Duo out of the room. "You have a nickname for him?"
The braided Hurda grinned widely, "Much to his annoyance, yes. I can't wait to eat, I'm so hungry."
Usagi nodded her head, her eyes and ears were focusing on the large room that was at the end of the hall. Streamers and flowers were hanging across the entrance to the room and she was desperately wondering what was behind it. The sounds were like honey to her ears, laughter and music.
Quatre looked down at the table when he saw Usagi enter the room. Trowa noticed and sighed. "She can't hate you forever Quatre."
"It's easy for you to say." Quatre said briskly as he reached for another piece of bread. Trowa shrugged his shoulders, "I killed her family so I'm just as guilty as you," the prince said without much ado. The hubbub of the Olin easily filled their cheerless silence. Quatre happened to look up and spotted Wufei making his way towards their table. Quatre tasted a tang of jealousy when he saw the Dragon Clan's heir. Immersed in his doubts, Quatre silently wondered if Wufei and Usagi were possibly having an affair together. His mind was still burning from the way Usagi's eyes had smoldered when Wufei had touched her. Quatre almost couldn't bring himself to be angry at Usagi. The Asian Hurda was extraordinarily fit and handsome. The blue-eyed warrior allowed himself a wry smile at the fact, princes were always stunningly handsome. Wufei seated himself next to Trowa, his fingers were wrapped around the handle of a steaming mug. "She finally came." He said as he covered his mouth to hide his yawn. Leaning forwards Wufei let his eyes slide shut for a minute or so. He was still weary after their long journey to the canyon camp.
"I should be going to bed, I'm just as tired as any of us." Quatre mumbled, feigning a yawn. Trowa nodded his head, "I'll be following you soon. I'll tell you if anything develops."
Quatre hardly had time to nod his head before he escaped into the hallway. Once Quatre had left Wufei allowed himself to finally touch his burning shoulder, grimacing as he did so. Trowa noticed the movement and was stabbed by surprise from the meaning of the small gesture. He knew, as well as any other Hurda, that the right shoulder, the one Wufei was hesitantly touching, was the shoulder that was branded with a curling H, marking him as a Hurda. Every Hurda, after taking their oath to protect magic and the people had to be branded on their right shoulder. The brand was then spelled by an elder Hurda.
Throughout a Hurda's life, doubt and regret would plague them. This was because from the moment they were branded they weren't allowed to leave their solitary path for even a split second. One taste of freedom could be enough to draw a Hurda forever away from his lifelong mission: protect the people and magic of the desert. This was why the brand spelled with fire, was created. The brand helped cure the plaguing disease of doubt and regret for a Hurda very quickly. A burning ache in the shoulder of the Hurda would spread throughout their entire body, wracking it with a burning fever. If the Hurda's doubt continued for too long, the fever would catch to his brain and kill him.
"A Hurda with doubt is as good as a dead Hurda." Trowa quoted inaudibly. Slipping his hands under the table Trowa clamped onto the handle of his sword. "Does your shoulder hurt?" His luminous green eyes fastened onto Wufei's face, scrutinizing it for any signs of pain. A corner of Wufei's lips went up in a smirk, he had heard the silent accusation from Trowa.
"You mean the Hurda mark, Trowa? ...Yes, it's trying to burn all doubt out of my mind as I speak. " Wufei showed the glowing red H on his bared shoulder to Trowa, "the Hurda mark burns me every now and then to remind me that my family isn't as important ...as the people and the magic" Wufei said coolly.
Trowa's grip on his sword relaxed, he understood very well what Wufei meant. "Without the mark I would have stopped trying to save the people of OZ long ago." Trowa said, his voice was nearly a whisper. Under his shirt and cloak Trowa could almost feel where his Hurda mark was, where it had burned. "The odds are against us." Trowa's hands completely left his sword and he continued to meet Wufei's unreadable gaze. "I doubted the strength of the Hurda's once, long ago." Trowa said, a tinge of longing was in his voice.
Wufei shrugged and lifted the warm mug to his lips, "Being raised in my family makes it no easier to bear this mark. The spell that was put on the mark means to keep us to our oath 'To destroy OZ and protect the people'." He said bitterly, fire spat up in his coal-eyes, "I want to quit this endless journey to death...how are we going to even come close to OZ's king? They have my family, his soldiers, wraiths, Orich and Orin, and the crystals all against us." Wufei said broodingly, "how, with one girl, and five Hurda's, are we supposed to kill him?" Wufei grit his teeth as the Hurda mark sent a particularly volatile wave of hot pain down his backside.
"I don't know." Trowa shrugged his shoulders, "But I am bound to the mission..." His voice was dull and tired, "...I'm only glad that we have Heero with us. He's been planning the end of OZ for centuries now."
The Dragon prince's forked tongue slipped out, "Heero's mark, the Auri-un, must burn like a hellfire." Trowa nodded his head in agreement, "He's bound to his mission by a higher order." They became silent when they saw Usagi and Duo weaving their way through the tables towards them.
"Hey you guys." Duo chimed out. Before the two could say anything more Duo collapsed onto the cushion next to Wufei. Usagi managed to find a place between Wufei and Trowa on the low, rounded table. Duo's head whipped around towards Wufei when he smelled the strong odor of liquor. "Are you drinking ale Wufei?" Duo glanced at the steaming mug in Wufei's hand before he shoved his nose into it and took a deep whiff. "You are!" Duo exclaimed in gleeful surprise, "You're drinking ale! I thought you said the Dragon clan didn't drink such a foul liquid!" He said, wagging a disapproving finger at Wufei.
Wufei looked disgusted as he pushed the mug towards Duo, "I have no desire of finishing it now that you stuffed your filthy face into it."
Duo grinned widely, "Anytime Wufei," Duo punched out before downing the mug of ale in one go. Usagi watched in alarm as Duo called for a jug of ale. She watched Duo intently, looking for any signs of illness. Usagi gave a quick look up at Trowa and Wufei to see what they thought of Duo's dangerous drinking. Wufei was able to instantly snare her in his unsmiling eyes, "Disgusting isn't he?"
Usagi had to laugh at the comment that was said so seriously. She pushed back her rampant gold hair and eagerly reached for the loaf of bread lying in the center of the table. She was in her own world, a world full of pink clouds and sunrises and sunsets. Trowa longed to be a part of it, to have her show him how she did it: made herself happy. He felt a tug at his elbow and he was drawn to her porcelain face. "Excuse me, could you pass me the jug right there?"
Her gaze continued to burn a hole in him as he passed her the jug of water. Usagi unceremoniously dumped some of the water into her cup and guzzled it down. She was too thirsty to care for propriety. As she reached for the jug again she spoke to Trowa, "Aren't you the son of Treize Kushrenada?" She poured more water for herself and peered inquisitively into Trowa's face.
"I am. Or I was." He answered simply. Usagi nodded her head, "I had thought you were, but I wasn't sure..."
"Hey Wufei's a prince too, you know." Duo said around the meat in his mouth. Usagi shrugged her shoulders, "I know, I could tell by his tattoo Duo." She stopped what she was doing when she realized that Duo was on his third mug of ale. Tugging at Trowa's cloak urgently she leaned forwards and whispered, "Isn't it dangerous for someone to drink that much ale?" She asked worriedly. Trowa felt a faint heat in his cheeks as her breath tickled his ear. What made it worse was that Duo was flashing his uncontrollable violet eyes laughingly at Trowa.
"Well?" She asked, tugging on his arm insistently. Trowa shook his head. Usagi frowned and glanced at Trowa under his long bangs, "You don't talk much do you?"
He was surprised by the statement and could find nothing to say to it. Usagi smiled at his lack of words, "See...I knew it, you're one of the silent types. I suppose it's because you wouldn't be able to find much to talk about with your family."
Trowa's brows drew together, "What do you mean by that?"
"Well," Usagi began slowly, she was still anxiously watching Duo as he went onto his fourth mug of ale, "you're obviously on my side so that means you don't like OZ. Why else would you have saved me?" Her wide-eyes turned to Trowa, waiting this time for a spoken answer.
Trowa could imagine her head set with a beautiful tiara studded with diamonds and inlaid with gold. He could imagine her by his side as his queen wearing dresses of silk and fine linen. But as he opened his mouth to speak he realized none of this would ever happen. She would never sit quietly at a table like a doll or do as she was told. She would be a beautiful bird in a marvelous gold cage. "Because you have the crystal inside of you."
Usagi's mouth dropped open. "How'd you know about that?"
Duo snorted, "You didn't exactly keep it a secret. You told Adaron and Trowa figured it out for himself, how else would a commoner have such immense magic powers?" Usagi bit her lip, "I didn't mean to tell Adaron."
"We know, you were under his control then so there was nothing you could have done about it anyway."
At that precise moment ten or so men stormed into the Olin. Usagi watched in amazement as the group quickly circled a struggling figure. Each man had a thick iron chain in his hand. The chains wound around the prisoner's thin body, keeping him from escaping. The only thing that Usagi could make out was a pair of crimson eyes peeking out from between the chains.
"Where are the newcomers?" A man yelled gruffly as he stuffed his saber back into its sheath. Trowa and Wufei rose up in response to the question, Duo simply turned to stare at the gruff men. The people in the Olin were silent, watching as the three were addressed.
"We caught this man trying to enter into the canyon. He said he must speak to you all." The rough looking man eyed Usagi beadily when he spoke the words. He suddenly yanked on his chain in response to the captive's renewed struggles.
Duo rolled his eyes and sighed, "Why don't you go and find Quatre and stay with him for awhile while we deal with him." Duo suggested to Usagi while he pulled himself up into a standing position. Usagi rose up next to him, "Who is he Duo?" She asked, gesturing to the captive.
Duo grinned offhandedly at her, "Quatre's probably at the top of the canyon. Tell him nothing of what's just happened. Me and the others will deal with it."
He pushed her towards the opposite doorway, away from the captive, before joining Wufei and Trowa as they silently made their way towards the encircled prisoner. Usagi took a last look at the serious procession behind her before she escaped from the deadening atmosphere. All the time she was trying to remember where she had seen those ruby eyes before. Continuing down the hallway it occurred to her that she didn't know where she was going. Looking hopefully up at the far wall she spotted, to her relief, three hands pointing in different directions with words underneath.
Reading the crumbling text under the hand that pointed upwards Usagi turned right and found the ladder it had spoken of. Climbing it she calmly thought of what she would say to Quatre. She would apologize and...Usagi didn't really know what she'd do after that. The ladder led her up to another hallway lined with rooms, rooms with doors that were locked. Usagi's only greeting in the cold upper floor was the distant and spectral iron-barred exit at the end of the hallway. She could just make out the soft glow of the night sky stretching its yearning arms into the hall. Usagi laid her hand on the smooth rock wall to guide her down the dim corridor. Her bare feet slapped hollowly against the floor as she walked, she grew more nervous with every step. She only stopped when she came to the barred exit of the hall.
She pressed her face to the thick bars and peered out. The royal blue sky stretching above her was an awesome sight. The stars were sparkling gemstones sewn into a blanket made of a marvelous silk. And, swollen like a fruit about to burst, the moon hung by itself in the middle of the vast heavens. It alone dominated the night sky with its refulgent, pot-holed face. With trembling hands Usagi reluctantly undid the latch to the gate and stepped out. The scorching scent of the desert instantly rose up to meet her in a playful breeze. The canyon's top was completely flat and seemed to reach for the sky before dropping away sharply into another flat face.
The night sky and the sharp drop from canyon top to canyon bottom couldn't distract her from searching for Quatre though. Usagi nearly missed spotting Quatre because of his disguising black garments. His sun bleached hair had been the only thing to alert Usagi to his presence. Curling her fingers into fists she courageously made her way to Quatre who was sitting at the very edge of the cliff, staring into the sky. Whether he heard her coming or not, most likely he did, he didn't bother to help her walk the narrowing path to him. It was only when she collapsed down next to him that he spoke.
"Do you remember what my father told us about the stars when we were little Usagi?"
Usagi turned her face and looked at Quatre for the first time in a long time. His face had thinned a little but he still had his proudly curving nose and expressive mouth. "Yes...but tell it to me again." She murmured while looking out into the stretching night-sky.
"My father said that shooting stars meant you were in true love and were meant, by fate, to always be together. Then he told us that he hadn't had shooting stars with his first two wives who were crooks but with his third wife Sari he had five shooting stars. He told us that the five stars were a sign of future fortune and true love." If Usagi could have seen into his face she would have seen Quatre's eyes glowing with passion. Casting her eyes downward Usagi timidly touched Quatre's hand. "It was wrong of me to be so mad at you." She said before Quatre could go on.
"Was it really Usagi?" Quatre's face twisted in pain for Usagi, and for himself. When Quatre saw Usagi smiling at him, the same smile he had seen so long ago, he forgave her and stopped his mourning for their lost years together. In that instant he fell in love again with her honest mouth and smiling blue eyes.
"If you keep asking questions like that, it'll be hard to forgive you Cat Raberba Winner." Usagi said, she smiled at the distant moon before turning her face to Quatre. "I missed you..." Seeing his solemn face Usagi continued, "I was angry that you had left me so long about but that was wrong of me." She reached forwards and held back his shadowing bangs, "How about this, as a friend I'll forgive you and you forgive me. Okay?"
Quatre had to smile at the simplicity of the matter, "Anything to resolve this."
Usagi nodded her head, "It's a deal then." Her hand remained in his soft hair for just a minute more before she withdrew it. "You really do look older now Cat."
Quatre shrugged, "So do you. You look a lot older."
Usagi felt her forehead bunch in regret of the comment because she didn't want to look old. Being wrinkly and 'looking older' she had thought would happen a lot later in her life. She didn't pick at the subject though, their wound was still fresh and had just begun to heal. The wind tickled her feet as she swung them back and forth against the canyon wall, wondering what she should say next. Lying down onto the hard ground, with her legs still dangling out, she tugged at Quatre's shoulder. "Come down here with me. Sitting at the edge of a canyon isn't very safe." Quatre rolled onto his side and propped his head up on an elbow so that his face loomed only a few inches from her face. Usagi smothered her laugh, "Not exactly what I was expecting."
"Usagi are you in love with anyone?" Quatre asked, studying her. Usagi must have shown her alarm at the question because Quatre rolled onto his backside with a sigh. "I had hoped that you weren't, because I was going to ask you to marry me."
Usagi swiftly rose up, "You were? Just like that?" She said in amazement. Quatre nodded his head, "But it seems that you're in love with someone else."
"Well, no I'm not. But I can't believe that you'd want to marry me!" She said, stumbling over her own tongue.
Quatre's sad features broke into a grin, "So you're not in love with Wufei then?"
Usagi snorted, "He's already engaged to somebody." At the thought, Usagi instantly remembered where she had seen the rose-red eyes before. At the ball she had met with the princess for a moment or two but she was the kind of person that you could never forget. Usagi remembered the girl had been very agitated for a princess that's life was based around radiating calmness.
"Quatre, you remember the girl that Wufei's been arranged with, don't you?"
Quatre shrugged his shoulders, "How would I remember something like that?"
"Well I think that she was just captured as a prisoner."
"What?" Quatre shot upright at the words, "That's impossible, I and the canyon dwellers are the only ones who know the way to get to this canyon! If she made it here then it's possible that the whole of OZ could be right behind her!"
Usagi sprang upright and dashed to the tunnel-like entrance into the canyon's interior. "I'll race you there." She called out as she ran.
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The coarse canyon soldiers shuffled uneasily around their captive, still holding tightly onto their chains. Wufei, Duo, and Trowa entered the room behind the men, waiting to see who would be unveiled underneath the thick chains. The canyon soldier's thick arms, together in one motion, jerked the length of their chains. The shackles began to instantly unwind and fall away. Loose tan breeches and then a baggy yellow top were revealed before the chains unraveled from the hostage's face. A perfect complexion and violent red eyes were mind-bending features for the Hurda's who had expected an unshaven, hard-faced desert man. As the final chain unwound from around the captive's head there was a snap as a hair band came loose. Rich locks of sable hair cascaded down and framed what could now be assuredly defined as a female's face.
Trowa's brow rose in elegant surprise at the sight of the wily female standing before them. Wufei was the only one in the room who hadn't taken the arrival of the slim female so graciously. Taking quick steps forwards he grabbed his wife by the arm and shook her violently. "What do you think you're doing here Rei?" His voice was filled with malice.
Before Rei could speak, she was roughly hauled away from her husband by a worried looking Duo.
"Easy Wufei, she's your wife." Duo said as he supported Rei. The princess gave Duo a haughty look before shrugging Duo off. "I brought you something from OZ that will help you." Rei said in defiance to Wufei's rage. Reaching into her pocket she proudly pulled out a gleaming blue stone. The large, blob of a stone shone innocently in the chandelier light of the cave-like room. Upon seeing it Wufei's hand clasped onto the handle of his sword while his other reached out and slapped the stone out of Rei's hand to send it skittering onto the floor until it hit the far wall and shattered. Rei yelped in pain from Wufei's fierce action and held her hand against her chest protectively. "Why did you do that? I was just trying to help you! That's a crystal of power!" Rei yelled at Wufei as tears sprung to her eyes.
"There is no place for woman like you here! How many times must that be told to you, you infuriating woman! That is a tracking stone." Wufei drew his sword as he spoke and sent every ounce of hate in him to her through his blazing black eyes. "The stone was a device that allows OZ to track its movements. Now because of you OZ will be storming the canyon gates in a matter of days!" Rei collapsed to the floor in wide-eyed shock, "I wanted to help you!" She cried out finally in frustration.
"How's the tracking stone work?" Duo asked curiously as he examined the hundreds of blue shards that littered the floor.
"Duo get away from tha," Wufei was cut off as the hundreds of blue shards erupted into the air. The shifter had lifted his arm in time to save his eyes but nothing else. The blue splinters stung with a poison worse then any snakes'. They went straight through Duo's skin and buried themselves into his upraised arm and chest. The eyes of the shifter widened into twin violet moons as daggers of pain rocketed through him. Letting loose a cry of pain he fell to the floor in the form of a thrashing wolf and then rose as a lumbering, clawing bear. Maddened with pain Duo swiped at the walls and people with the blizzard blindness of his intense hurt.
Rei was dragged to the side of the room just as Duo shifted into a python that would have taken two men to circle round. Whipping his knifelike tail in the air, hissing, and shooting venom out of his gaping mouth Duo suddenly shifted into the heaving form of a sweating stallion. Scrambling to its legs Duo struck out at the walls and screamed only as a horse could scream. Trowa hurried forwards with his hands thrust forwards, full of sparking green magic. Wufei had his sword before him in a defensive gesture but wasn't saying a prayer for protection but was instead reciting a hurried spell.
When the four trembling legs of the steed finally gave way Duo rose up again as a snarling tiger. Trowa threw out great walls of green magic to contain Duo as he lashed out in pain. Just as Wufei lowered his sword and sent his spell soaring to Duo, Usagi and Quatre tumbled into the room. The spell Wufei had sent split into four and wrapped around Duo's velvety paws and held him to the ground.
Usagi gasped when she saw the snarling tiger. With each of its massive efforts to lift its paws Wufei's spell became a little weaker.
"What happened to Duo?" Quatre yelled over the screams coming from the rippling body of the orange and black striped beast. Usagi couldn't tear her eyes away from the frothing and screaming tiger, she couldn't believe that it was Duo. She remembered Duo telling her that he hadn't been able to control his shifting's his first two years. But she hadn't clearly imagined the suffering that must have come with his lack of control. She had felt nothing when she was out of control of her body but Duo had had the presence of mind to be humiliated and hurt he was cast out from all that was familiar to him.
Duo had been there when his family had said that they would never see him again. Usagi came out of OZ still untouched and accepted and Duo had come out of his experience as a ruined man. Usagi didn't want to see this crazed animal in front of her because it represented the standing fact that she had suffered little compared to Duo...to all the people under OZ's tyranny. 'Why have I been so blind?' Usagi asked herself, In that second Usagi came to terms with herself. It was an epiphany. It had been OZ that had killed her parents, pulled Quatre away from her, burned her village, killed Mamoru, slaughtered the orphans, and was now destroying Duo. She remembered how nice he had been and now he was an uncontrollable beast.
"Usagi! Snap out of it!" Quatre shook Usagi's shoulder, "You need to help Duo."
Usagi glanced at Duo and shook her head, "No, I can't help him Quatre, I don't know!" She said in fear. Quatre's eyes hardened, "Usagi don't be stupid. You're the strongest one here, you're the only one that can help him. Please!" He pleaded.
Usagi let one shudder run through her body before she turned and ran to Duo. The beautiful creature had just managed to free one paw when Usagi set her hands on his rapidly rising stomach. A burning sensation came to Usagi's fingertips but she fought it away with her magic. She piled all of her magic force onto her hands, trying to stop and destroy the burn that ravaged Duo's body. Trowa realized, much too late, that something had gone wrong. Usagi's hands had stiffened spasmodically before she painfully began to clench at the skin of the tiger.
Quatre shoved someone away who had been holding him back as he leapt for Usagi. Duo's orange and black-striped fur melted away into human skin. Usagi continued to keep her hands buried in Duo's fur, afraid that she would involuntarily rip them away and break the bond she had formed. Whiskers and throat-crushing jaws gave way to fluttering eyes and soft pink lips. The spell was finished and Usagi tottered away from Duo's still form. She was abruptly thrown off of her feet when a brutal wind tore through the room. The wind whirled in on itself into a miniature tornado. Rei steeled herself for battle and summoned up what little magical ability she had, now was the time to redeem herself. Ripping the canyon warrior's restraining arm from her shoulder she locked her fingers together with her thumbs and forefingers sticking out.
"Fire Dragon!" She yelled as she released her spell. The snapping flames of the orange dragon hurtled towards the undulating tornado. The dragon was taken from its path in the air and was twisted around and around the tornado. The roaring wind turned into a twisting inferno. From Usagi's place on the floor she heard Orin's distinct laugh as a column of flame reached for her. Screaming she covered her eyes against the cracking heat as it flew towards her. Seconds later, when she found that she was still alive, she looked up to find Heero Yuy standing in front of her. The mark of Auri-un was blazing like star on his neck as he held back the funneling column of fire.
Struggling to her feet Usagi watched as the tornado, encased in flame, took the pear-like shape of Orin's body. Frozen in fear Usagi watched as five individual fingers separated from a fiery fist. She watched, paralyzed, as the flaming features of Orin's grinning face appeared. "Usagi, I've found you at last."
Usagi's terrified eyes swiveled towards Heero. He looked weak to Usagi as the charging magic of Orin continued to eat away at Heero's spouting black magic.
'Give me your magic.' At first Usagi had thought that someone else had spoken to her because Heero's lips hadn't moved. But the voice and command came again to her and Usagi, in shock, understood that Heero had indeed spoken to her. Physical strength was leaving him as he fought off Orin's spell but his magic strength was still coursing throughout him. He had spoken to Usagi through magic instead of voice, reaffirming that Heero really was in need of her help. Usagi slowly got up and reached her trembling hand forwards to touch the glowing mark on Heero's neckline. The connection was instant. Usagi's magic poured from out of her hand and into Heero like warm water.
The black funnel of magic that Heero was fighting Orin with had turned gray and then white as it surged with new energy. The funnel that Heero and Usagi had created together went straight through Orin's flaming arm like an arrow. Orin's fingers collapsed back into a ball of fire and his face melted back into the spinning wall of fire as white light cracked through his spell. Piercing the whirling tornado Heero summoned his final reserves of magic from both Usagi and himself and sent them at Orin. The tornado split in half and melted into thin air. Both Heero and Usagi tumbled onto the ground in sheer exhaustion. Quatre had Usagi in his arms before another minute could pass.
"Usagi!" He crooned in alarm, cradling her limp body. The crescent moon that had just moments ago been shining with light was fading from her forehead. Heero had fallen onto his hands and knees and looked up to watch Quatre pulling Usagi closer to him. Letting his heavy head fall back down Heero concentrated on sending oxygen in and out of his suffering lungs. Wufei let his sword fall from his hands and he turned to his wife and stared at her. She refused to meet his gaze and stared at a far wall.
Trowa was the one to set a healing spell onto Heero and Usagi. "Thank god you arrived in time Heero." Trowa said in a grateful whisper as he helped the weary wraith up. Heero couldn't reply because he was so drained. The wraith only looked over his shoulder to see if Duo was being taken care of. Wufei was kneeled next to the shifter. Wufei's body was glowing with magic as he channeled all of his anger into the single healing spell.
Usagi had never before been so tired that she couldn't vocally complain about it. She didn't know that the question, 'Are you alright?' had been repeated to her at least six or seven times. All she could marvel about at the moment was how she could actually hear the dum-dum of her heart. It was like gauze had been stuffed into her ears so that all she could hear was that impenetrable and repetitive dum-dum, dum-dum of her heart. She was exhausted to the point where speaking was an unthinkable waste of energy. Her mind meandered aimlessly, as most sleepy minds do, through memories and dreams without stopping to examine any of them. The ceiling and Quatre's face blurred together seconds before she let her heavy lids fall shut.
When Usagi awoke the sun was warming her face and piercing through her sheets and skin to run up and down her bones in warm tingles. Groaning she turned on her side to turn away from the light. She still wanted to sleep in this perfect beam of gold. But it was not to be.
"Usagi if you're awake it would be helpful if you came over here."
Usagi knew the voice belonged to Wufei because no one she knew had a voice quite as cultured as Wufei's. Sighing a long, heavy sigh Usagi wrapped the sheets around her and sat up. Her cheeks immediately turned pink when she realized that half a dozen men were in the room staring at her.
"Wufei!" Usagi squealed as she wrapped the sheets tighter around herself. Wufei didn't even budge, "We need to speak with you now."
Usagi's blush vanished at the remark, the sunny disposition that the room had had just minutes ago turned grim. "What's wrong?" Usagi's eyes widened considerably when she recalled the events of last night. "Is Duo alright?" She asked worriedly.
Wufei nodded his head, "He's already up and packing, as is Heero."
"Packing? Why? Where are we going?" So many questions were flying through Usagi's mind that she could hardly focus on what Wufei was saying.
"We're leaving the canyon, Treize's army will most likely be here in a matter of days."
"But," Usagi searched the stern faces of the canyon's council men in desperation, "We destroyed the stone, and defeated Orin!" She burst.
Wufei gave an impatient sigh, "Orin was trying to use the tracking stone as a way to immediately travel from OZ to our location as a surprise attack. He almost succeeded if you and Heero hadn't been able to stop his attempt."
Usagi nodded her head rapidly, wanting to know everything at that moment.
"And," Wufei continued, "Rei stupidly brought that stone here thinking that it would help us in our mission to destroy OZ. The other princesses and Haruka were with her but they were ambushed while Rei was scouting ahead."
"We're going to save them aren't we?" Usagi interrupted.
"Unfortunately, yes. That is why we must go, now."
Usagi sprang up and grabbed the clothes which lay at the end of the bed. "Okay, I'll be ready to go in a few moments."
"Usagi." Wufei said tolerantly.
Usagi turned to him in impatience, "What?"
"I and the canyon-dwellers are all here to tell you that you're going to lead us from now on."
**********Right...yeah...um, right. I kinda didn't have a lot of time to revise this so that's why the chapter might be a little uh, boring and rough. Sorry about that and how long it took me to get this out, you wouldn't believe how hard it is to sit down and reread my chapters over and over again to check them for mistakes. Well, review and I hope the chapters enough for you to at least enjoy it, a little bit. Toodles- Qt~chan P.S. Yes this entire story came from my own brain and not somebody else's.
Chapter 5 'It was only a dream.' She thought as she stretched her legs and felt her rough, homespun sheets against them. 'It was only a dream,' her heart sang as a warming desert breeze swept across her face. The very smells in the room confirmed to her that she really was back at her home with Mamoru and the four sweet-faced orphans. The smoky smell from the fireplace spiced the scent of the apple pie they had had last night. The smell of soap, sand, last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast were savored by Usagi. And for the first time in years, she opened her eyes to the new day without prompting. The stratified rock that stretched around her was golden in the sunlight and couldn't have been more beautiful. Tumbling out of the bed she swept away her curling bangs and was laughing from the glad moment. "It was only a dream Mamoru." She called out as she shoved the cloth barrier aside.
Her eyes were instantaneously locked with Mamoru's. Another desert breeze blew through the room and through Usagi, leaving her empty. Her breath of joy had been taken from her and she clutched the curtain in her spasms of panic. The midnight sky that had been caught in Mamoru's eyes, was glazed and empty. His twisted body lay on the floor, rotting in its own crimson liquid. The stench rushed up to Usagi and forced itself down her throat and into her lungs, filling them with their disease. Her pale, pale hands flit away from the faded curtain and began to shake.
"Don't worry love, death is a part of life." A voice from behind her said.
Usagi swerved around to find Adaron's pronounced figure standing before her. Usagi's muscles seized in gross surprise and she covered her mouth in a silent cry of horror. "Come back to me." He said, stretching his hands out to her. His hands which had touched and probed at Usagi, his dirty, filthy hands were groping for her again. 'I am alone.' Her tears were squeezed out of her and she trembled and cowered away from him. "You're supposed to be dead." She sobbed, every inch of her skin was recoiling and shuddering in terror of its fate in Adaron's hands. "Come here." Adaron said sweetly smiling at her, absorbing her, sucking her up into his empty soul. He was drinking her soul away from her, he was taking away her laughter and her smiles and her pleasure's; because he had had none. And no matter how hard she tried, Usagi couldn't tear herself from his gaze, from his power. Her wounds opened and began to bleed out. Adaron was taking her blood too. Usagi swayed, paralyzed to the spot. As she felt her very last ebb of life being snatched away from her, Usagi was seized by a pair of iced hands and shaken violently. Usagi was twisted back around, away from Adaron's haunting gaze, to stare into Orin's milky orbs. The magus's blind eyes frightened Usagi, they were like two all-seeing moons. "Miserable girl," he screamed at her, spitting in her face, "Miserable girl!"
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Usagi came awake screaming and fighting with the ox-like strength of someone who wanted to keep living. Her un-dilated eyes were shocked by a harsh light and her hands began itching from the feel of the coarse sheets wrapped around her. When she felt Orin's hands still on her shoulders she felt her distressed magic explode out of her. The grip on her shoulders was immediately torn away, leaving her to sweat in her blind fear. Still sightless from the piercing light she clutched the blankets to her. Usagi could feel the strange presence of her magic as it swirled around her, warm and protective. When Usagi felt the trickle of dust on her head and the shaking of the Earth beneath her, she was enveloped by another surge of panic. This time Usagi could feel the magic's smashing fury as it spilled from her and gouged the walls and ceilings in its might.
Another pair of hands seemed to come from out nowhere and grab her arms tightly. Usagi's magic rushed back to her and would have crushed the life out her attacker had he not said her name so lovingly.
"Usagi, stop, what're you doing? It's just me, Cat." Instantly, Usagi's magic dissipated. Her disbelief and desire at the statement being true was pounding through her veins so violently that she was afraid she was going to burst open. Closing her straining eyes Usagi clenched the sheets, "Cat?"
"Quatre, Quatre's my real name Usagi."
The voice and the name stilled her frayed mind. Shivering Usagi's hands slowly reached forwards. Her fingers touched firm, well-defined cheeks and went up to trace the bridge of a proud nose. "Quatre?" She mumbled hesitantly, "Quatre..." Her mind was buzzing with the information.
Quatre reached up and clutched her hands in his, "Yes. I've come back to you."
Usagi pulled her hands from his and clutched at her aching head. A shiver went up and down her spine, it was starting to get cold again. "Why can't I see?" She whined, pulling her knees up against her body.
"Open your eyes again, you opened them too fast before." Quatre's heart was pounding, when she opened her eyes she would see him again for the first time in 5 years. He was afraid of what she would think or say or do. But at the same time his heart was pounding in exhilaration; he would at last be able to look into a pair of azure eyes that he had longed to look into every second of the five years he had been away.
Usagi's tightly clamped eyes blinked open. The first thing they saw was the black-clad figure of a much-abused Hurda. Her sparkling blue eyes lifted and, almost warily looked into Quatre's. She let out a long breath when their eyes met, "It's you, it's really you... And me," She lifted her hands and stared at them, "I'm alive, again." Under the sheets she wiggled her toes, "I really am alive again." When she lifted her gaze from Quatre she realized that the harsh light that had pierced her eyes had been nothing more than a small oil lamp hanging from the ceiling.
"You were always alive Usagi, just soulless for a day or so." Quatre replied.
Usagi shivered again and shifted her position so that she was closer to Quatre. The Hurda swallowed in nervousness. "Are we still in the desert?" Usagi asked softly. Quatre frowned at the question, "Where else would we be?"
"I don't know...it's just so cold here. Are we in a cave?" She asked as she gazed at the sloping ceiling above her. Quatre abruptly rose up from the bed when he saw Usagi's blood. "You're bleeding!" He exclaimed in shock.
"Really? I can't feel anything." Usagi said unperturbedly.
"Wufei!" Quatre called out, "Come quickly!"
Usagi winced as she looked about the room, the temperature seemed to be steadily dropping. The room had been whitewashed and adorned with dried flowers and paintings of swallows. Long ropes of pepper and garlic hung from the ceiling which was crisscrossed by wooden beams. She saw the evidence of her magic strength all about the room. There were deep fracture lines in the walls and a couple beams above her had cracks running along their lengths. A drawer or table that had stood in the corner of the room had been turned into splinters. The room was, otherwise, barren of any furniture besides the bed. When Usagi's gaze traveled to the doorway she gaped in amazement. The man, no, the boy standing there bore a frightening resemblance to Mamoru. His midnight black eyes, which were resting on her, were unmoving and strong. And because he was shirtless Usagi could see the stunning dragon tattoo that had been emblazoned on his chest. She then became aware of the curious faces and bodies that stood behind the boy. The pane-less window and the door-less doorway, which led out into the hallway, were filled with these curious people's faces. As the temperature dropped another ten degrees she stared back at them wondering how they could dress so lightly in the cold.
Wufei stepped down the three-or-so steps and entered the room. Murmuring a few words under his breath he held out his glowing hands to her. Usagi's brows furrowed in confusion, she glanced into Wufei's eyes wonderingly. Quatre felt an uncalled-for spark of jealousy as Wufei gently took Usagi's hands in his. Her eyelids sealed shut and she held Wufei's hands tightly, almost desperately, in hers now. The rhythmic sound of her breathes didn't sooth Quatre at all as he watched her cling to Wufei. Quatre felt his body tingle when Usagi's eyes slid open to reveal their smoldering pits. Dropping her head abruptly she continued to clasp Wufei's hands. Her flaxen hair dripped down like a silk sheet and shielded her face from Quatre.
When Wufei finally unclasped his hands from Usagi's, her skin had regained its healthy color.
"Are you warm now?" Wufei asked as he massaged his hands. Usagi touched her flush cheeks and nodded. "Why was it so cold?" Usagi savored the feeling of being warm.
"A symptom of the spell." Wufei said laconically. His obsidian eyes went from Quatre and then to Usagi, seeing the obvious discomfort between them. "We'll be waiting for both of you in the Olin." Turning, Wufei left the room, shooing the masses of people away from the doorway and window as he went. Usagi stared at the clearing doorway for a long moment before she allowed herself to look at Quatre.
"You've gotten older." Usagi finally said in a tender voice.
Quatre smiled weakly at her, "Five years older."
Usagi smiled back at him, swallowing Quatre in its warmth. "Could you heal my wounds?" She asked, indicating her back.
Quatre's eyebrows leapt in remembrance, "I'd forgotten. Let me get Heero for you, he's the best at healing." He rushed to the door and was surprised when her hand clamped onto his shoulder. She had leapt from the bed and grabbed him just before he would have left the room.
"Wait!" She said, her eyes showed their alarm, "Don't leave just yet. Not yet." She exclaimed. Then the years upon years of guilt and self-hate burst from Quatre. He couldn't stop himself from clutching at her hands like a child and saying, "Forgive me Usagi, oh please." The plea left his dry throat, "I didn't want to leave you, I really didn't, but it was for the better of all the people in OZ who were suffering."
Usagi's eyes narrowed and she grew pale. Uttering a thin laugh she lifted Quatre's head so that she could look once more into his eyes. "I never thought that I would see you again. Don't ruin it." She mumbled, her skin was pale as if in anger and her hands fell to her side. Quatre felt his heart squeeze in its sickening grief, "Usagi, will you ever forgive me?"
Usagi leaned forwards and pressed her lips to Quatre's cheek, "That's what friends are for." She answered indistinctly. Quatre felt his mind somersault at the knowledge, 'Friends?'
"Are we interrupting?"
Usagi and Quatre looked up to find Duo and Heero in the entranceway. Duo's arms were crossed over his chest and he bore the look of an exasperated child. When Usagi's murderous gaze flitted to Heero, she saw that his expressions were just as blank as when she had last seen him. Quatre looked hopefully into Usagi's face but he could only see the coldness that had come from the depths of her. Without a word, Quatre broke away from Usagi and disappeared into the hallway.
"Jeez, you guys should go get a room with a door if you're going to do things like that." Duo said huffily. Usagi raised her voice slightly, "I would never love a man like Quatre, he's a man apart from me."
Duo glanced down the hallway to see if Quatre had heard the harsh remark. The shifter winced when he saw his friend slump heavily against the corridor wall, he had. Duo hopped into the room and dragged Heero with him, he didn't want to exploit Quatre's pain anymore than necessary. "That was nice of you, breaking the guy's heart." Duo said viciously, and before she could reply he gestured to Heero, "Here's Heero anyway, the healing wonder."
Usagi felt her heart pound in her chest, she was so angry. "I don't want him to touch me." She snapped. Duo blinked in astonishment, "You're bleeding all over the place and you're telling me you don't want to get those wounds sealed up?"
"And I thought Hurda's were supposed to save people." Usagi said bitterly to Heero.
Duo's eyebrows practically shot to his hairline, "Hey, what're you inclinatin'?"
Usagi grit her teeth and glared at Heero, "I wouldn't have had my soul sucked out of my body and nearly gotten raped by Adaron if it weren't for Heero!" She nearly hissed the last words. Heero stared at Usagi for a swift moment before, lightning fast, his hand shot out and wheeled Usagi around so that her lacerated back was in his view. With a single move he had pinned her to the floor. Planting his hands on her back he sent a quick bout of healing magic onto her back before rolling off of her. Usagi was scarlet in her embarrassment and anger, rolling over she opened her mouth to scream something at Heero when Duo stepped in-between them.
"Don't yell at him, it's probably not his fault." Duo said stiffly. Usagi snorted, "I had to suffer the death of my husband and my children to OZ and then my soul was taken and I was touched and prodded and made to do things that I would rather impale myself then do. And you're telling me not to blame him when it's his fault!"
"Yes, or at least forgive him!" Duo glared condescendingly at Usagi, "Heero can't help being the way he is."
Usagi's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Then I can't help hating him." Raising herself up she pierced Duo with her seething gaze. "Why would you want to protect a wraith anyway?"
"Why?" Duo said indignantly, "Because it's wrong for people to shun him and make him suffer just because he's a wraith!"
"I think I've suffered more than either of you. What makes you think that you've suffered more than I have? You don't even know how it feels to have your mind screaming constantly at your body to stop whatever its doing because it's lost control!" She yelled at Duo; her eyes were becoming teary in remembrance, "You don't know!"
Duo stared at Usagi in bitter shock, "I don't know how it feels to lose control of my body? Is that what you're saying Usagi?" His lips lifted in a wistful smile, "because I of all people know what that feels like Usagi, I'm a shifter."
Usagi's lips flew open in amazement and she stumbled backwards.
"For two years, much longer then your single day of being helpless," Duo retorted, "I couldn't control whether I was animal or man. I couldn't control my shifting at all. And you think you've suffered? I lost my family and my friends, everything! And you're sobbing and throwing a tantrum because of one day where you had no control? Over a few people's lives! Goddamn it Usagi, I'm still a shifter, I will always be one because I just am. You, you still have your control, your life, your future. So I don't know what you're so angry about." Duo's voice had fallen to a low whisper. His hands hung limply by his sides showing his open defeat of him against the world.
Usagi felt a tear streak across her cheek and she rubbed it away. "It's still," she whispered between her skipping breaths, "hard."
"You have Quatre, and all of us and...and your smile." Duo ruffled his hair so that his eyes were shadowed by his bangs. "I'm still not allowed anywhere near my home or family because of the shame. Because I couldn't control my shifting they abandoned me." Duo shook his bangs away, the indignant flush filling his cheeks again, "What are you so angry at, what can you possibly be so mad about?" His violet eyes were like a cut-out of the heavens, "who, are you so angry at?"
Usagi's cast her eyes to the floor and let her heart sink. She shook her head and covered her face before anyone could see her escaping tears. Duo took a step forward and touched Usagi, "Why are you so angry?" He asked quietly.
Usagi lifted her glistening eyes. In parting her lips she found that she couldn't speak, her throat was too swollen with emotion. When Duo's agile arms reached forwards and enveloped her she couldn't stop her tears from spilling forth. She pulled Duo tightly to her so that she could smell his dusty scent and feel the coarseness of his shirt, so that she could feel what reality was again. She sobbed and cried into his chest, "Why me?" He ran his hands up and down her back, trying to sooth her. He tried to tell her that she wasn't alone and that she was beautiful and full and should never cry. But he could only rub her back and try to sooth her, try to help her come to that conclusion by herself.
Her toes skimmed the ground as she was carried to the squashy bed. In Duo's lap Usagi soaked in his warmth as she shook out her wracking despair. She hardly noticed the switch from his arms to his lap because of the rending sensation of her aches and pains flooding from her core. When Usagi became quieter she felt a comforting weariness in her bones and a sense of peace that had wound itself around her. Duo wrapped his arms around her still- heaving body. He loved the sensation of her small body against his.
"You're all wet." She sniffed moments later, her voice was muffled against his shoulder. Duo eased back from her and unbuttoned his black shirt to throw it into some corner. Usagi stiffened at the action, Duo was still a stranger to her. Glancing behind her, Usagi discovered that Heero had left the two alone in the room. Shrinking slightly, Usagi licked her cracked lips.
"Look Usagi, if I had wanted to have sex with you I would have taken off my pants and said those were wet too." Duo said with a laugh.
Usagi giggled at the comment but soon fell into serious contemplation. Meeting Duo's eyes she uncertainly set her head down onto his bare shoulder. Her tired and sore eyes closed briefly before she wrapped her arms around Duo. "I was so angry Duo." She said hoarsely.
"I could tell." Duo murmured, smiling slightly.
"I couldn't believe Heero would leave me...I couldn't believe Quatre would leave me...and everybody was dead, I even died for a day."
Shivering she hugged Duo closer, "I'm tired of living in a world where everyday I get to wake up and know that everything I had is dead." She whispered, clutching Duo harder.
"Don't be tired, you never know if the next day will be better." Duo said gently into her ear, "You never know." Usagi's hands found the tie that held Duo's hair in its tight braid. Pulling on the band she drew back to stare at Duo's released hair. "You have long hair like me." She said with a smooth smile, "I never thought another man would have long hair like mine."
"It's not quite as long as yours." He said modestly. Usagi shrugged as she let her hand run through his hazel locks, he had beautiful hair.
"Usagi," Duo said firmly as he removed her hands from his hair, "Why were you so angry at Heero?"
Usagi met Duo's remarkable violet eyes steadily, "Because he left me after he had promised that he wouldn't. He had promised," Usagi's eyes grew distant, "he left me just like Quatre did."
"Is that why you were so mad at him? Not that you didn't have the right or anything after what happened to you." Duo said lightly.
Usagi grinned sourly, "...It was partly because I couldn't believe that Heero would just step aside to that magus so that my soul could be taken. And I was partly angry because I didn't have anyone else to scream at, I couldn't scream at Quatre even though I wanted to."
Duo stretched his arms back and began to re-braid his hair, "Why Quatre, he's a good guy. Isn't he?" One of his brows was furrowed in doubt of Quatre being 'bad'.
"He is good, he's always been good." Usagi said wanly.
They sat in silence for the longest time, each sharing their warmth. It was only when a stale breeze rolled into the room that both of them awoke from their soul-searching. Duo blew a strand of her hair from his shoulder, "We should go for dinner now. Are you alright now?" Usagi nodded her head. Sleepily she untangled herself from him and stepped onto the cool, earthen floor. Duo went and picked up his shirt from the corner. Making a face when he felt the damp spot on his shirt he bunched the black cloth into a ball. "I'm going to go and change shirts, if you just take a left you'll find yourself in the Olin." He said mildly.
"But I'm in my nightclothes." Usagi said in an excuse to not be alone.
Duo eyed her skeptically, "You're wearing what you were wearing the night of the ball Usagi. That is DEFinitely not a nightgown."
Usagi's eyes flew downwards at the statement to take in the sheer velvet cloth and gauzy sleeves. Making a face worse then Duo's she shook her head. "I'm not wearing these. I want new clothes."
Duo waved a hand, "Well, get them after dinner."
"No, now! I'm not wearing this thing a moment longer!" She said urgently. Duo rolled his eyes, "I think it looks nice on you."
"I don't care. I don't want to wear it anymore, is there some change of clothes that I could have? I don't want to wear these anymore!" She said fiercely. Usagi didn't want to have anything to do with OZ, even if it was just a dress. Duo smiled, "Relax, I'm sure we'll find someone to lend you some clothes." Lightly stepping into the hallway he motioned for Usagi to follow him and be quiet. As they walked, Usagi's bare feet took immense pleasure in feeling the sand and dirt beneath them once again. The hallway was dimly lit and each doorway that they came across was like the yawning mouth of darkness. Duo's room was the only one that had light pouring out from it and into the hallway. They both turned into the room, Usagi with apprehension, and Duo with anticipation.
Heero looked up from his bed which was across the room from Duo's to see who had entered. Usagi froze when she spotted Heero. But there was no hate left inside of her because she had emptied it all out onto Duo's shirt. Biting her lip in nervousness Usagi met Heero's eyes, "I'm sorry I got so angry at you Heero." She waited for his reply in such a state of anxiousness that she was sure that she'd faint in a matter of seconds.
"It won't happen again." Was all that he said before returning to the stack of parchments that lay beside him on the bed.
"Here you are Usagi." Duo said as he stuffed his black breeches and black shirt into her hands. Usagi stared at the breeches, "Can't you show me to a woman so that I can get a skirt? I've never worn breeches before."
Duo laughed at the comment, "Oh please, breeches are really comfortable and nobody's going to look twice at you. Every woman here works at least once in her lifetime and she wears breeches when she does it so don't worry about appearance."
Usagi shrugged her shoulders and went into the adjoining room where she quickly dressed. When she emerged from the room she had to hide her smile at the fact that Duo was in another, clean black shirt. Duo eyed Usagi critically, "If I didn't know any better I'd say my breeches were tighter then your dress."
Usagi flushed and looked indignantly at the breeches, "You told me to wear them! And if they're 'that' tight on me then how can YOU possibly wear them?"
"I don't wear them anymore, they're way too tight for me." At the face she was making Duo quickly came up with something to say that would ease her, "...Um, I guess it looks nice, for a guy anyway." He added with a chuckle. Usagi sighed, pulling at the loose black shirt as she did so.
"Heero are you going to come with me and Usagi to the Olin?"
Heero didn't even glance at Duo as he spoke, "I already went."
"Alright, see you later then hero."
Usagi made a sound of surprise as she followed Duo out of the room. "You have a nickname for him?"
The braided Hurda grinned widely, "Much to his annoyance, yes. I can't wait to eat, I'm so hungry."
Usagi nodded her head, her eyes and ears were focusing on the large room that was at the end of the hall. Streamers and flowers were hanging across the entrance to the room and she was desperately wondering what was behind it. The sounds were like honey to her ears, laughter and music.
Quatre looked down at the table when he saw Usagi enter the room. Trowa noticed and sighed. "She can't hate you forever Quatre."
"It's easy for you to say." Quatre said briskly as he reached for another piece of bread. Trowa shrugged his shoulders, "I killed her family so I'm just as guilty as you," the prince said without much ado. The hubbub of the Olin easily filled their cheerless silence. Quatre happened to look up and spotted Wufei making his way towards their table. Quatre tasted a tang of jealousy when he saw the Dragon Clan's heir. Immersed in his doubts, Quatre silently wondered if Wufei and Usagi were possibly having an affair together. His mind was still burning from the way Usagi's eyes had smoldered when Wufei had touched her. Quatre almost couldn't bring himself to be angry at Usagi. The Asian Hurda was extraordinarily fit and handsome. The blue-eyed warrior allowed himself a wry smile at the fact, princes were always stunningly handsome. Wufei seated himself next to Trowa, his fingers were wrapped around the handle of a steaming mug. "She finally came." He said as he covered his mouth to hide his yawn. Leaning forwards Wufei let his eyes slide shut for a minute or so. He was still weary after their long journey to the canyon camp.
"I should be going to bed, I'm just as tired as any of us." Quatre mumbled, feigning a yawn. Trowa nodded his head, "I'll be following you soon. I'll tell you if anything develops."
Quatre hardly had time to nod his head before he escaped into the hallway. Once Quatre had left Wufei allowed himself to finally touch his burning shoulder, grimacing as he did so. Trowa noticed the movement and was stabbed by surprise from the meaning of the small gesture. He knew, as well as any other Hurda, that the right shoulder, the one Wufei was hesitantly touching, was the shoulder that was branded with a curling H, marking him as a Hurda. Every Hurda, after taking their oath to protect magic and the people had to be branded on their right shoulder. The brand was then spelled by an elder Hurda.
Throughout a Hurda's life, doubt and regret would plague them. This was because from the moment they were branded they weren't allowed to leave their solitary path for even a split second. One taste of freedom could be enough to draw a Hurda forever away from his lifelong mission: protect the people and magic of the desert. This was why the brand spelled with fire, was created. The brand helped cure the plaguing disease of doubt and regret for a Hurda very quickly. A burning ache in the shoulder of the Hurda would spread throughout their entire body, wracking it with a burning fever. If the Hurda's doubt continued for too long, the fever would catch to his brain and kill him.
"A Hurda with doubt is as good as a dead Hurda." Trowa quoted inaudibly. Slipping his hands under the table Trowa clamped onto the handle of his sword. "Does your shoulder hurt?" His luminous green eyes fastened onto Wufei's face, scrutinizing it for any signs of pain. A corner of Wufei's lips went up in a smirk, he had heard the silent accusation from Trowa.
"You mean the Hurda mark, Trowa? ...Yes, it's trying to burn all doubt out of my mind as I speak. " Wufei showed the glowing red H on his bared shoulder to Trowa, "the Hurda mark burns me every now and then to remind me that my family isn't as important ...as the people and the magic" Wufei said coolly.
Trowa's grip on his sword relaxed, he understood very well what Wufei meant. "Without the mark I would have stopped trying to save the people of OZ long ago." Trowa said, his voice was nearly a whisper. Under his shirt and cloak Trowa could almost feel where his Hurda mark was, where it had burned. "The odds are against us." Trowa's hands completely left his sword and he continued to meet Wufei's unreadable gaze. "I doubted the strength of the Hurda's once, long ago." Trowa said, a tinge of longing was in his voice.
Wufei shrugged and lifted the warm mug to his lips, "Being raised in my family makes it no easier to bear this mark. The spell that was put on the mark means to keep us to our oath 'To destroy OZ and protect the people'." He said bitterly, fire spat up in his coal-eyes, "I want to quit this endless journey to death...how are we going to even come close to OZ's king? They have my family, his soldiers, wraiths, Orich and Orin, and the crystals all against us." Wufei said broodingly, "how, with one girl, and five Hurda's, are we supposed to kill him?" Wufei grit his teeth as the Hurda mark sent a particularly volatile wave of hot pain down his backside.
"I don't know." Trowa shrugged his shoulders, "But I am bound to the mission..." His voice was dull and tired, "...I'm only glad that we have Heero with us. He's been planning the end of OZ for centuries now."
The Dragon prince's forked tongue slipped out, "Heero's mark, the Auri-un, must burn like a hellfire." Trowa nodded his head in agreement, "He's bound to his mission by a higher order." They became silent when they saw Usagi and Duo weaving their way through the tables towards them.
"Hey you guys." Duo chimed out. Before the two could say anything more Duo collapsed onto the cushion next to Wufei. Usagi managed to find a place between Wufei and Trowa on the low, rounded table. Duo's head whipped around towards Wufei when he smelled the strong odor of liquor. "Are you drinking ale Wufei?" Duo glanced at the steaming mug in Wufei's hand before he shoved his nose into it and took a deep whiff. "You are!" Duo exclaimed in gleeful surprise, "You're drinking ale! I thought you said the Dragon clan didn't drink such a foul liquid!" He said, wagging a disapproving finger at Wufei.
Wufei looked disgusted as he pushed the mug towards Duo, "I have no desire of finishing it now that you stuffed your filthy face into it."
Duo grinned widely, "Anytime Wufei," Duo punched out before downing the mug of ale in one go. Usagi watched in alarm as Duo called for a jug of ale. She watched Duo intently, looking for any signs of illness. Usagi gave a quick look up at Trowa and Wufei to see what they thought of Duo's dangerous drinking. Wufei was able to instantly snare her in his unsmiling eyes, "Disgusting isn't he?"
Usagi had to laugh at the comment that was said so seriously. She pushed back her rampant gold hair and eagerly reached for the loaf of bread lying in the center of the table. She was in her own world, a world full of pink clouds and sunrises and sunsets. Trowa longed to be a part of it, to have her show him how she did it: made herself happy. He felt a tug at his elbow and he was drawn to her porcelain face. "Excuse me, could you pass me the jug right there?"
Her gaze continued to burn a hole in him as he passed her the jug of water. Usagi unceremoniously dumped some of the water into her cup and guzzled it down. She was too thirsty to care for propriety. As she reached for the jug again she spoke to Trowa, "Aren't you the son of Treize Kushrenada?" She poured more water for herself and peered inquisitively into Trowa's face.
"I am. Or I was." He answered simply. Usagi nodded her head, "I had thought you were, but I wasn't sure..."
"Hey Wufei's a prince too, you know." Duo said around the meat in his mouth. Usagi shrugged her shoulders, "I know, I could tell by his tattoo Duo." She stopped what she was doing when she realized that Duo was on his third mug of ale. Tugging at Trowa's cloak urgently she leaned forwards and whispered, "Isn't it dangerous for someone to drink that much ale?" She asked worriedly. Trowa felt a faint heat in his cheeks as her breath tickled his ear. What made it worse was that Duo was flashing his uncontrollable violet eyes laughingly at Trowa.
"Well?" She asked, tugging on his arm insistently. Trowa shook his head. Usagi frowned and glanced at Trowa under his long bangs, "You don't talk much do you?"
He was surprised by the statement and could find nothing to say to it. Usagi smiled at his lack of words, "See...I knew it, you're one of the silent types. I suppose it's because you wouldn't be able to find much to talk about with your family."
Trowa's brows drew together, "What do you mean by that?"
"Well," Usagi began slowly, she was still anxiously watching Duo as he went onto his fourth mug of ale, "you're obviously on my side so that means you don't like OZ. Why else would you have saved me?" Her wide-eyes turned to Trowa, waiting this time for a spoken answer.
Trowa could imagine her head set with a beautiful tiara studded with diamonds and inlaid with gold. He could imagine her by his side as his queen wearing dresses of silk and fine linen. But as he opened his mouth to speak he realized none of this would ever happen. She would never sit quietly at a table like a doll or do as she was told. She would be a beautiful bird in a marvelous gold cage. "Because you have the crystal inside of you."
Usagi's mouth dropped open. "How'd you know about that?"
Duo snorted, "You didn't exactly keep it a secret. You told Adaron and Trowa figured it out for himself, how else would a commoner have such immense magic powers?" Usagi bit her lip, "I didn't mean to tell Adaron."
"We know, you were under his control then so there was nothing you could have done about it anyway."
At that precise moment ten or so men stormed into the Olin. Usagi watched in amazement as the group quickly circled a struggling figure. Each man had a thick iron chain in his hand. The chains wound around the prisoner's thin body, keeping him from escaping. The only thing that Usagi could make out was a pair of crimson eyes peeking out from between the chains.
"Where are the newcomers?" A man yelled gruffly as he stuffed his saber back into its sheath. Trowa and Wufei rose up in response to the question, Duo simply turned to stare at the gruff men. The people in the Olin were silent, watching as the three were addressed.
"We caught this man trying to enter into the canyon. He said he must speak to you all." The rough looking man eyed Usagi beadily when he spoke the words. He suddenly yanked on his chain in response to the captive's renewed struggles.
Duo rolled his eyes and sighed, "Why don't you go and find Quatre and stay with him for awhile while we deal with him." Duo suggested to Usagi while he pulled himself up into a standing position. Usagi rose up next to him, "Who is he Duo?" She asked, gesturing to the captive.
Duo grinned offhandedly at her, "Quatre's probably at the top of the canyon. Tell him nothing of what's just happened. Me and the others will deal with it."
He pushed her towards the opposite doorway, away from the captive, before joining Wufei and Trowa as they silently made their way towards the encircled prisoner. Usagi took a last look at the serious procession behind her before she escaped from the deadening atmosphere. All the time she was trying to remember where she had seen those ruby eyes before. Continuing down the hallway it occurred to her that she didn't know where she was going. Looking hopefully up at the far wall she spotted, to her relief, three hands pointing in different directions with words underneath.
Reading the crumbling text under the hand that pointed upwards Usagi turned right and found the ladder it had spoken of. Climbing it she calmly thought of what she would say to Quatre. She would apologize and...Usagi didn't really know what she'd do after that. The ladder led her up to another hallway lined with rooms, rooms with doors that were locked. Usagi's only greeting in the cold upper floor was the distant and spectral iron-barred exit at the end of the hallway. She could just make out the soft glow of the night sky stretching its yearning arms into the hall. Usagi laid her hand on the smooth rock wall to guide her down the dim corridor. Her bare feet slapped hollowly against the floor as she walked, she grew more nervous with every step. She only stopped when she came to the barred exit of the hall.
She pressed her face to the thick bars and peered out. The royal blue sky stretching above her was an awesome sight. The stars were sparkling gemstones sewn into a blanket made of a marvelous silk. And, swollen like a fruit about to burst, the moon hung by itself in the middle of the vast heavens. It alone dominated the night sky with its refulgent, pot-holed face. With trembling hands Usagi reluctantly undid the latch to the gate and stepped out. The scorching scent of the desert instantly rose up to meet her in a playful breeze. The canyon's top was completely flat and seemed to reach for the sky before dropping away sharply into another flat face.
The night sky and the sharp drop from canyon top to canyon bottom couldn't distract her from searching for Quatre though. Usagi nearly missed spotting Quatre because of his disguising black garments. His sun bleached hair had been the only thing to alert Usagi to his presence. Curling her fingers into fists she courageously made her way to Quatre who was sitting at the very edge of the cliff, staring into the sky. Whether he heard her coming or not, most likely he did, he didn't bother to help her walk the narrowing path to him. It was only when she collapsed down next to him that he spoke.
"Do you remember what my father told us about the stars when we were little Usagi?"
Usagi turned her face and looked at Quatre for the first time in a long time. His face had thinned a little but he still had his proudly curving nose and expressive mouth. "Yes...but tell it to me again." She murmured while looking out into the stretching night-sky.
"My father said that shooting stars meant you were in true love and were meant, by fate, to always be together. Then he told us that he hadn't had shooting stars with his first two wives who were crooks but with his third wife Sari he had five shooting stars. He told us that the five stars were a sign of future fortune and true love." If Usagi could have seen into his face she would have seen Quatre's eyes glowing with passion. Casting her eyes downward Usagi timidly touched Quatre's hand. "It was wrong of me to be so mad at you." She said before Quatre could go on.
"Was it really Usagi?" Quatre's face twisted in pain for Usagi, and for himself. When Quatre saw Usagi smiling at him, the same smile he had seen so long ago, he forgave her and stopped his mourning for their lost years together. In that instant he fell in love again with her honest mouth and smiling blue eyes.
"If you keep asking questions like that, it'll be hard to forgive you Cat Raberba Winner." Usagi said, she smiled at the distant moon before turning her face to Quatre. "I missed you..." Seeing his solemn face Usagi continued, "I was angry that you had left me so long about but that was wrong of me." She reached forwards and held back his shadowing bangs, "How about this, as a friend I'll forgive you and you forgive me. Okay?"
Quatre had to smile at the simplicity of the matter, "Anything to resolve this."
Usagi nodded her head, "It's a deal then." Her hand remained in his soft hair for just a minute more before she withdrew it. "You really do look older now Cat."
Quatre shrugged, "So do you. You look a lot older."
Usagi felt her forehead bunch in regret of the comment because she didn't want to look old. Being wrinkly and 'looking older' she had thought would happen a lot later in her life. She didn't pick at the subject though, their wound was still fresh and had just begun to heal. The wind tickled her feet as she swung them back and forth against the canyon wall, wondering what she should say next. Lying down onto the hard ground, with her legs still dangling out, she tugged at Quatre's shoulder. "Come down here with me. Sitting at the edge of a canyon isn't very safe." Quatre rolled onto his side and propped his head up on an elbow so that his face loomed only a few inches from her face. Usagi smothered her laugh, "Not exactly what I was expecting."
"Usagi are you in love with anyone?" Quatre asked, studying her. Usagi must have shown her alarm at the question because Quatre rolled onto his backside with a sigh. "I had hoped that you weren't, because I was going to ask you to marry me."
Usagi swiftly rose up, "You were? Just like that?" She said in amazement. Quatre nodded his head, "But it seems that you're in love with someone else."
"Well, no I'm not. But I can't believe that you'd want to marry me!" She said, stumbling over her own tongue.
Quatre's sad features broke into a grin, "So you're not in love with Wufei then?"
Usagi snorted, "He's already engaged to somebody." At the thought, Usagi instantly remembered where she had seen the rose-red eyes before. At the ball she had met with the princess for a moment or two but she was the kind of person that you could never forget. Usagi remembered the girl had been very agitated for a princess that's life was based around radiating calmness.
"Quatre, you remember the girl that Wufei's been arranged with, don't you?"
Quatre shrugged his shoulders, "How would I remember something like that?"
"Well I think that she was just captured as a prisoner."
"What?" Quatre shot upright at the words, "That's impossible, I and the canyon dwellers are the only ones who know the way to get to this canyon! If she made it here then it's possible that the whole of OZ could be right behind her!"
Usagi sprang upright and dashed to the tunnel-like entrance into the canyon's interior. "I'll race you there." She called out as she ran.
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The coarse canyon soldiers shuffled uneasily around their captive, still holding tightly onto their chains. Wufei, Duo, and Trowa entered the room behind the men, waiting to see who would be unveiled underneath the thick chains. The canyon soldier's thick arms, together in one motion, jerked the length of their chains. The shackles began to instantly unwind and fall away. Loose tan breeches and then a baggy yellow top were revealed before the chains unraveled from the hostage's face. A perfect complexion and violent red eyes were mind-bending features for the Hurda's who had expected an unshaven, hard-faced desert man. As the final chain unwound from around the captive's head there was a snap as a hair band came loose. Rich locks of sable hair cascaded down and framed what could now be assuredly defined as a female's face.
Trowa's brow rose in elegant surprise at the sight of the wily female standing before them. Wufei was the only one in the room who hadn't taken the arrival of the slim female so graciously. Taking quick steps forwards he grabbed his wife by the arm and shook her violently. "What do you think you're doing here Rei?" His voice was filled with malice.
Before Rei could speak, she was roughly hauled away from her husband by a worried looking Duo.
"Easy Wufei, she's your wife." Duo said as he supported Rei. The princess gave Duo a haughty look before shrugging Duo off. "I brought you something from OZ that will help you." Rei said in defiance to Wufei's rage. Reaching into her pocket she proudly pulled out a gleaming blue stone. The large, blob of a stone shone innocently in the chandelier light of the cave-like room. Upon seeing it Wufei's hand clasped onto the handle of his sword while his other reached out and slapped the stone out of Rei's hand to send it skittering onto the floor until it hit the far wall and shattered. Rei yelped in pain from Wufei's fierce action and held her hand against her chest protectively. "Why did you do that? I was just trying to help you! That's a crystal of power!" Rei yelled at Wufei as tears sprung to her eyes.
"There is no place for woman like you here! How many times must that be told to you, you infuriating woman! That is a tracking stone." Wufei drew his sword as he spoke and sent every ounce of hate in him to her through his blazing black eyes. "The stone was a device that allows OZ to track its movements. Now because of you OZ will be storming the canyon gates in a matter of days!" Rei collapsed to the floor in wide-eyed shock, "I wanted to help you!" She cried out finally in frustration.
"How's the tracking stone work?" Duo asked curiously as he examined the hundreds of blue shards that littered the floor.
"Duo get away from tha," Wufei was cut off as the hundreds of blue shards erupted into the air. The shifter had lifted his arm in time to save his eyes but nothing else. The blue splinters stung with a poison worse then any snakes'. They went straight through Duo's skin and buried themselves into his upraised arm and chest. The eyes of the shifter widened into twin violet moons as daggers of pain rocketed through him. Letting loose a cry of pain he fell to the floor in the form of a thrashing wolf and then rose as a lumbering, clawing bear. Maddened with pain Duo swiped at the walls and people with the blizzard blindness of his intense hurt.
Rei was dragged to the side of the room just as Duo shifted into a python that would have taken two men to circle round. Whipping his knifelike tail in the air, hissing, and shooting venom out of his gaping mouth Duo suddenly shifted into the heaving form of a sweating stallion. Scrambling to its legs Duo struck out at the walls and screamed only as a horse could scream. Trowa hurried forwards with his hands thrust forwards, full of sparking green magic. Wufei had his sword before him in a defensive gesture but wasn't saying a prayer for protection but was instead reciting a hurried spell.
When the four trembling legs of the steed finally gave way Duo rose up again as a snarling tiger. Trowa threw out great walls of green magic to contain Duo as he lashed out in pain. Just as Wufei lowered his sword and sent his spell soaring to Duo, Usagi and Quatre tumbled into the room. The spell Wufei had sent split into four and wrapped around Duo's velvety paws and held him to the ground.
Usagi gasped when she saw the snarling tiger. With each of its massive efforts to lift its paws Wufei's spell became a little weaker.
"What happened to Duo?" Quatre yelled over the screams coming from the rippling body of the orange and black striped beast. Usagi couldn't tear her eyes away from the frothing and screaming tiger, she couldn't believe that it was Duo. She remembered Duo telling her that he hadn't been able to control his shifting's his first two years. But she hadn't clearly imagined the suffering that must have come with his lack of control. She had felt nothing when she was out of control of her body but Duo had had the presence of mind to be humiliated and hurt he was cast out from all that was familiar to him.
Duo had been there when his family had said that they would never see him again. Usagi came out of OZ still untouched and accepted and Duo had come out of his experience as a ruined man. Usagi didn't want to see this crazed animal in front of her because it represented the standing fact that she had suffered little compared to Duo...to all the people under OZ's tyranny. 'Why have I been so blind?' Usagi asked herself, In that second Usagi came to terms with herself. It was an epiphany. It had been OZ that had killed her parents, pulled Quatre away from her, burned her village, killed Mamoru, slaughtered the orphans, and was now destroying Duo. She remembered how nice he had been and now he was an uncontrollable beast.
"Usagi! Snap out of it!" Quatre shook Usagi's shoulder, "You need to help Duo."
Usagi glanced at Duo and shook her head, "No, I can't help him Quatre, I don't know!" She said in fear. Quatre's eyes hardened, "Usagi don't be stupid. You're the strongest one here, you're the only one that can help him. Please!" He pleaded.
Usagi let one shudder run through her body before she turned and ran to Duo. The beautiful creature had just managed to free one paw when Usagi set her hands on his rapidly rising stomach. A burning sensation came to Usagi's fingertips but she fought it away with her magic. She piled all of her magic force onto her hands, trying to stop and destroy the burn that ravaged Duo's body. Trowa realized, much too late, that something had gone wrong. Usagi's hands had stiffened spasmodically before she painfully began to clench at the skin of the tiger.
Quatre shoved someone away who had been holding him back as he leapt for Usagi. Duo's orange and black-striped fur melted away into human skin. Usagi continued to keep her hands buried in Duo's fur, afraid that she would involuntarily rip them away and break the bond she had formed. Whiskers and throat-crushing jaws gave way to fluttering eyes and soft pink lips. The spell was finished and Usagi tottered away from Duo's still form. She was abruptly thrown off of her feet when a brutal wind tore through the room. The wind whirled in on itself into a miniature tornado. Rei steeled herself for battle and summoned up what little magical ability she had, now was the time to redeem herself. Ripping the canyon warrior's restraining arm from her shoulder she locked her fingers together with her thumbs and forefingers sticking out.
"Fire Dragon!" She yelled as she released her spell. The snapping flames of the orange dragon hurtled towards the undulating tornado. The dragon was taken from its path in the air and was twisted around and around the tornado. The roaring wind turned into a twisting inferno. From Usagi's place on the floor she heard Orin's distinct laugh as a column of flame reached for her. Screaming she covered her eyes against the cracking heat as it flew towards her. Seconds later, when she found that she was still alive, she looked up to find Heero Yuy standing in front of her. The mark of Auri-un was blazing like star on his neck as he held back the funneling column of fire.
Struggling to her feet Usagi watched as the tornado, encased in flame, took the pear-like shape of Orin's body. Frozen in fear Usagi watched as five individual fingers separated from a fiery fist. She watched, paralyzed, as the flaming features of Orin's grinning face appeared. "Usagi, I've found you at last."
Usagi's terrified eyes swiveled towards Heero. He looked weak to Usagi as the charging magic of Orin continued to eat away at Heero's spouting black magic.
'Give me your magic.' At first Usagi had thought that someone else had spoken to her because Heero's lips hadn't moved. But the voice and command came again to her and Usagi, in shock, understood that Heero had indeed spoken to her. Physical strength was leaving him as he fought off Orin's spell but his magic strength was still coursing throughout him. He had spoken to Usagi through magic instead of voice, reaffirming that Heero really was in need of her help. Usagi slowly got up and reached her trembling hand forwards to touch the glowing mark on Heero's neckline. The connection was instant. Usagi's magic poured from out of her hand and into Heero like warm water.
The black funnel of magic that Heero was fighting Orin with had turned gray and then white as it surged with new energy. The funnel that Heero and Usagi had created together went straight through Orin's flaming arm like an arrow. Orin's fingers collapsed back into a ball of fire and his face melted back into the spinning wall of fire as white light cracked through his spell. Piercing the whirling tornado Heero summoned his final reserves of magic from both Usagi and himself and sent them at Orin. The tornado split in half and melted into thin air. Both Heero and Usagi tumbled onto the ground in sheer exhaustion. Quatre had Usagi in his arms before another minute could pass.
"Usagi!" He crooned in alarm, cradling her limp body. The crescent moon that had just moments ago been shining with light was fading from her forehead. Heero had fallen onto his hands and knees and looked up to watch Quatre pulling Usagi closer to him. Letting his heavy head fall back down Heero concentrated on sending oxygen in and out of his suffering lungs. Wufei let his sword fall from his hands and he turned to his wife and stared at her. She refused to meet his gaze and stared at a far wall.
Trowa was the one to set a healing spell onto Heero and Usagi. "Thank god you arrived in time Heero." Trowa said in a grateful whisper as he helped the weary wraith up. Heero couldn't reply because he was so drained. The wraith only looked over his shoulder to see if Duo was being taken care of. Wufei was kneeled next to the shifter. Wufei's body was glowing with magic as he channeled all of his anger into the single healing spell.
Usagi had never before been so tired that she couldn't vocally complain about it. She didn't know that the question, 'Are you alright?' had been repeated to her at least six or seven times. All she could marvel about at the moment was how she could actually hear the dum-dum of her heart. It was like gauze had been stuffed into her ears so that all she could hear was that impenetrable and repetitive dum-dum, dum-dum of her heart. She was exhausted to the point where speaking was an unthinkable waste of energy. Her mind meandered aimlessly, as most sleepy minds do, through memories and dreams without stopping to examine any of them. The ceiling and Quatre's face blurred together seconds before she let her heavy lids fall shut.
When Usagi awoke the sun was warming her face and piercing through her sheets and skin to run up and down her bones in warm tingles. Groaning she turned on her side to turn away from the light. She still wanted to sleep in this perfect beam of gold. But it was not to be.
"Usagi if you're awake it would be helpful if you came over here."
Usagi knew the voice belonged to Wufei because no one she knew had a voice quite as cultured as Wufei's. Sighing a long, heavy sigh Usagi wrapped the sheets around her and sat up. Her cheeks immediately turned pink when she realized that half a dozen men were in the room staring at her.
"Wufei!" Usagi squealed as she wrapped the sheets tighter around herself. Wufei didn't even budge, "We need to speak with you now."
Usagi's blush vanished at the remark, the sunny disposition that the room had had just minutes ago turned grim. "What's wrong?" Usagi's eyes widened considerably when she recalled the events of last night. "Is Duo alright?" She asked worriedly.
Wufei nodded his head, "He's already up and packing, as is Heero."
"Packing? Why? Where are we going?" So many questions were flying through Usagi's mind that she could hardly focus on what Wufei was saying.
"We're leaving the canyon, Treize's army will most likely be here in a matter of days."
"But," Usagi searched the stern faces of the canyon's council men in desperation, "We destroyed the stone, and defeated Orin!" She burst.
Wufei gave an impatient sigh, "Orin was trying to use the tracking stone as a way to immediately travel from OZ to our location as a surprise attack. He almost succeeded if you and Heero hadn't been able to stop his attempt."
Usagi nodded her head rapidly, wanting to know everything at that moment.
"And," Wufei continued, "Rei stupidly brought that stone here thinking that it would help us in our mission to destroy OZ. The other princesses and Haruka were with her but they were ambushed while Rei was scouting ahead."
"We're going to save them aren't we?" Usagi interrupted.
"Unfortunately, yes. That is why we must go, now."
Usagi sprang up and grabbed the clothes which lay at the end of the bed. "Okay, I'll be ready to go in a few moments."
"Usagi." Wufei said tolerantly.
Usagi turned to him in impatience, "What?"
"I and the canyon-dwellers are all here to tell you that you're going to lead us from now on."
**********Right...yeah...um, right. I kinda didn't have a lot of time to revise this so that's why the chapter might be a little uh, boring and rough. Sorry about that and how long it took me to get this out, you wouldn't believe how hard it is to sit down and reread my chapters over and over again to check them for mistakes. Well, review and I hope the chapters enough for you to at least enjoy it, a little bit. Toodles- Qt~chan P.S. Yes this entire story came from my own brain and not somebody else's.