21-Sep-2000
Wufei's POV. YAOI. OOC. AU. 5x1, 2x1, 2+4, R
Foreword: This fic should be readable as is, though of
course, it's always best if you read Part I first.
^_^ I'm trying to encourage more new readers to pick
up my stories by making each section more independent.
The AU GW characters have their own names:
Cloud - Heero Yuy
Wind - Duo Maxwell
Frost - Trowa Barton
Muse - Wufei Chang
Charity (deceased) - Quatre Raberba Winner
Muse finished combing his long white hair into their customary braids at last and put away the tortoise shell comb. The old man smiled to himself as he looked into the mirror for one last time, amused by his own vanity. He wondered when he'd finally get used to seeing the fine lines on his face, the wrinkles around his eyes and lips and the brown spots that marred his once golden skin.
A soft sweet scented breeze tickled his nose and Muse turned to the open window, noticing that the sun had long since started its climb. Once upon a time, when his braids had been ebon black, he had risen with dawn break but now. Muse stretched his arms out slowly, his muscles protested loudly at being dragged out of the bed before noon. He yawned widely as he thought of the long story that he had told the children on the previous day. Muse shook his head as he remembered the children's request for the second part of the story. At the time, lost in his memories, he hadn't fully considered the appropriateness of the story for children but now, in the bright daylight, he knew that he couldn't tell them what had happened when they had visited the cave of the fire beast.
Cloud. all of a sudden the frail old man shivered, touched by a chill he had long forgotten. 'I wish.' Muse closed his eyes as he tried to vanish the painful memory, 'oh how I wish.' he sighed loudly.
'Yes Muse?'
Muse snapped open his eyes, his heart leaping into his mouth as he heard the familiar voice.
'What do you wish?'
Muse stared at the beautiful face, untouched by time, as Cloud stood in front of him, as young and vibrant as ever. The thick dark brown hair was tumbled around his shoulders and the dark blue eyes glittered brilliantly as the soft lips parted with a sweet smile.
'Cloud.' Muse whispered hoarsely then stumbled to his feet and into his lover's arms. 'Nothing.' He murmured happily as he pressed his lips against the silken hair, 'I don't want anything except you.'
Cloud laughed gently and tightened his grip around the old man fiercely.
Muse sighed happily in Cloud's arms and closed his eyes in bliss. He wondered suddenly what had happened to the five strangers who had come into their lives so unexpectedly and left just as abruptly. He wondered if they had managed to get back to their own world or were still travelling around other worlds in hopes of returning home one day. He wondered what happened to Heero.
<flashback>
I hated caves. I really did. Even before the trip to the Firebeast's cave. But afterwards. I really hated caves.
I hated the darkness. And the dank cold, the miserable feeling that something nasty was going to turn up out of those wretched holes that led to who knows where. So why did I let Duo talk me into joining their little expedition to the Firebeast's cave? My entire raison d'etre can be summed in a single word, Cloud. Cloud was going to the Firebeast's cave, so off I followed, trotting after his shadow.
Heero looked at my tense face and then surreptitiously took hold of my hand, earning my undying gratitude for his small kindness. I clutched his hand desperately, hoping the others wouldn't notice how much the dark bothered me. Duo was ahead of us, walking and chatting happily with Wind, who was telling him all about his encounter with the fierce Firebeast and the wondrous effect of the fire berries that saved his life. I glared at Duo's back, offended by his good humour and cheer, the dratted man actually acted as if he was going on a picnic.
Cloud walked silently behind the noisy pair, his eyes watchful of the shadows lurking in the cave. I followed closely behind him, my hand held firmly in Heero's grip. I didn't say anything, not even when Heero would occasionally direct a quiet observation or comment to me. I was too afraid that my voice would crack and squeak from the terror and tension, and I didn't want the others, especially Cloud, to know that I was frightened. Heero seemed to understand.
Behind us came the others. Wufei and Trowa, absorbed in an esoteric discussion concerning the actual nature of the strange object they called Widget. I really didn't understand what they were talking about at all. And lastly, came Frost and Quatre. The two had been whispering to each other from the moment we entered the caves. I had no idea what it was all about but they kept on glancing at Wind and Cloud a lot as they talked.
I stiffened as I felt the brush of warm heated air against my cheek and nodded in grim confirmation to Heero's silent question. We had reached the cavern where the fireberries were. The small bushes glowed red and the fireberries glittered ominously with pulsating heat, mesmerizing us with their beauty.
'Um. are you sure we can just pick those things?' Duo asked in a subdued voice as he stared round-eyed at the beautiful fruit.
I smiled slightly to myself as Wind nodded confidently and strode forward, reaching out his hand to pluck the nearest glowing fireberry.
And that was when a thunderous roar echoed through the vast cavern and we turned in shock and fear to face the legendary Firebeast.
'I thought you said that you killed this thing!' Duo screamed out, in a mixture of fury and terror as he fled for the meagre shelter offered by a large stalagmite.
'I did.' Wind protested mildly as he joined his counterpart behind the shelter. 'At least I'm pretty sure I did.'
'Then what the hell do you call that?' Duo yelled in outrage, before squeaking in alarm as the huge head of the Firebeast turned menacingly in his direction.
'The fireberries must have restored him.' Frost offered in a cool voice as he and Cloud took position around the terrifying monster. 'When Wind ate the fireberry, he was dying. From the poison(1) as well as the bite of the Firebeast. So, when he left the cavern, the Firebeast must have eaten a fireberry as well.'
'Now you think of that?' Duo spat out in a soft voice as he tried to tuck himself more thoroughly behind the stalagmite. 'I don't remember you mentioning any of this when we were getting briefed on this mission.'
'It was speculation at best.' Quatre answered curtly as he and Wufei joined the other two in surrounding the huge creature, whose lion-like head started to turn, trying to figure out which of these fragile and impudent beings posed the greatest threat. 'And after all, Wind was able to kill, or rather almost kill, it the first time. The five of us shouldn't have too much trouble getting rid of this creature.'
Wind reluctantly emerged from his shelter and took his place around the Firebeast. 'I really don't to fight you again.' He blurted out to the growling beast. 'Are you sure we can't just take the berries and run for it?' He asked in a plaintive voice as the Firebeast tensed into a crouch, looking ready to spring.
I stepped back, my hand still clutching Heero's, wishing that I could be of more help and hoping that no one would get seriously hurt in the coming encounter. Duo was glaring at the fierce creature from behind his shelter, making rude faces. I looked at Heero and saw his lips twitch slightly when he observed Duo's antics. I hadn't noticed where Trowa had gone to in the confusion, and blinked when I finally located him. He was standing next to the fireberry bush, a small pouch in his hand. I shook my head in reluctant admiration when I realized that Trowa intended to take advantage of the fight to pick the fireberries without interruption.
The Firebeast must have reached the same conclusion that I did because when it finally moved, it leapt in Trowa's direction. Someone screamed out loud, I'm not sure who and I put my hands over my eyes in terror, unwilling to see the ugly scene. That was when I heard a loud howl from the Firebeast and I opened my eyes and peeked from behind my fingers. I gasped and dropped my hands when I saw the big patch of ice on the Firebeast's shoulder. Apparently Trowa had managed to avoid the gaping jaw of the Firebeast as it jumped at him and at the same time, use his Frost fist attack as he ducked out of the way.
Before the Firebeast could turn around fully, Cloud and Wufei launched their attacks simultaneously. They used the underground spring that had been keeping us company, to form long snaking whips of water, that slammed heavily into the Firebeast's body, throwing it against the cavern wall. Then Frost stepped in and used his Frost fist to freeze the water around the Firebeast.
'That was unbelievable!' Duo gushed as he dashed out from behind the stalagmite. 'I can't believe how quickly you guys finished it off. Wow! I'm so impressed!' He laughed as he clapped Wufei on the back soundly, earning a black glare from his friend.
'So am I.'
We all turned around as the silken sweet voice reverberated around the cavern. I felt very confused as I tried to figure out who had said those words. We stared at each other blankly, though I noticed that Duo had gone very pale all of a sudden. He was staring very hard at the shadows dancing in the dark cavern, with a grim look in his violet eyes.
'Who is that?' Cloud asked sharply as he spun round and round, trying to figure out what was going on. 'There's someone in here with us. I can feel him.'
'Mmm... Perceptive as well as powerful. I like this one.'
I felt a prickling sensation on my neck as I too started to look around the empty cavern frantically. I was pretty sure that I did not like the owner of this voice. He sounded far too arrogant. The others looked pretty edgy as well. Wind leaned over to Quatre and whispered something then the two of them suddenly leapt into the air and started spinning. I yelped as a strong gust of wind sent me staggering, then felt a warm flush on my cheek as a pair of muscular arms closed snugly around me, holding me securely. I looked up at Cloud's serious face and felt bubbles of happiness floating up from my pounding heart.
The winds continued to tear at us, and I saw that Heero had managed to reach Duo, the two of them trying to shelter behind the convenient stalagmite that Duo had used previously. Wufei threw up a water shield, hiding from the buffeting winds behind his shimmering globe.
'This is a pretty display of power but I'm at a loss to see what the point is.' Came the mocking voice, a ripple of laughter threaded through the calm sweet tones.
Wind and Quatre finally stopped spinning when it became obvious that the owner of the voice had been totally unaffected by their miniature tempest. I was surprised to see the look of fury on Quatre's face when the two finally dropped to the ground, panting slightly from their exertions. Whenever I saw Quatre, I still tended to get him mixed up with Charity, and it was a little disconcerting to see the perfect serenity of the familiar features distorted with rage.
'Who the hell are you?' Duo yelled out in exasperation as he stepped away from Heero, his violet eyes sparking with anger. 'What do you want?'
'You are so direct.'
I felt my jaws dropping as the wavering shadows suddenly pulled together and a tall hooded man started to rise from the middle of the cavern. Then I gasped involuntarily as the tall man pulled back his hood, revealing the exact same violet eyes as Wind and the same, long, knee length, chestnut hair that rippled around his lean body. I blinked and blinked as I stared at the three identical men. And I had thought that it was confusing when there had only been two of them!
'Shadowlord.'(2) Heero hissed out from somewhere behind me.
'You remembered me.' The Shadowlord beamed warmly at Heero, even as his friends bristled defensively. 'I'm flattered.' He raised his hand in a smooth elegant gesture and a blue light surrounded him. 'I was worried that you might have forgotten me by now.'
'What are you doing here?' Duo asked belligerently as he stepped between the Shadowlord and Heero. 'How did you get here? And where's your friend? Why are you alone?'
The Shadowlord smiled and I shuddered, chilled by the predatory gleam in his violet eyes as he stared back at his mirror image. I suddenly realised why Duo had hated this man so much. Apart from their physical similarity, there was nothing in common between the two men. I noticed Wind starting towards them and sighed with relief when I saw Quatre grab hold of his arm. It was complicated enough with just those two.
'We never got the chance to get properly acquainted, did we?' Shadowlord replied smoothly in mock politeness. 'I could ask you the same questions.'
'Oh no you can't.' Duo snapped back quickly, 'my friends are all with me.'
'For now.' Shadowlord returned coolly. 'Why don't we try this again another time?' He raised his hands above his head and I stifled a scream as the blue light suddenly flooded the cavern. When the light died down and I looked around, I felt a sick twisting in my guts as I realized that the mysterious Shadowlord had gone, taking Heero with him.
'That son of a bitch!' Duo screamed in fury as he too looked around and came to the same conclusion. 'He's taken Heero. My God.' Duo choked back a sob as he stared around him in helpless grief and anger. 'What are we. what am I going to do? He's taken Heero.'
'I... I don't know.' Quatre replied in a shaking voice as he took Duo into his arms. 'But I do know that we're going to get him back.' His voice firmed with resolve as he shook his devastated friend gently. 'Duo? We'll get Heero back. You'll see.'
I didn't know what to say, or do, as I stared at Duo weeping in Quatre's arms. Then I noticed that Cloud was missing.
I felt my heart miss a skip as I started to look around frantically, trying to see Cloud. Surely I had felt his arms holding me still in that instant when the blue light had died away. didn't I? When was the last time I had seen Cloud? I turned to ask Wufei and stifled a gasp of dismay when I realized that he had disappeared as well. I fought the urge to scream and ran to Trowa and took hold of his arm tightly.
'It's okay, Muse.' Trowa spoke quietly. 'The others just left the cavern to look for Heero and the Shadowlord. They'll be back. All of them.'
I looked into his worried green eyes and knew that he was trying to convince himself, as well as me, but I nodded anyway. Then I crouched down on the ground and waited. I think that was the darkest moment in my life. Sitting on the cold floor, weird shadows dancing madly in the red glow of the fireberries, listening to the slow dripping as the ice surrounding the Firebeast melted and trying to block out sounds of weeping from Duo while I waited. I wanted Cloud to come back. With or without Heero. I knew I was being selfish but I didn't care. Deep inside I was terrified that Cloud might never come back.
Trowa and Frost also left the cavern, leaving me alone with Duo and Quatre. I hadn't realized how close the two men were until now, when I saw the way Duo clutched on to Quatre. Funny how I'd missed the warmth beneath the frequent bickering between them. Made me wonder what else I missed about the relationships between the five strangers really. I hoped that the others could find Heero.
As I waited for what seemed an eternity, a thunderous rumble shook the cavern and we had to scramble to our feet and run for the exit, as dust and stalactites started to fall all around us. Quatre dragged Duo and me out of the caves, using his windkick powers to occasionally fly us across the chasms gaping beneath our feet. As we fled, with Duo still casting pain-filled glances behind him, I didn't know what frightened me the most, the prospect of being crushed to death by falling rocks or losing Cloud. I was praying fervently that he, that all of them, would make their way out of the caves safely, all the while fearing the worst.
Quatre, Duo and I finally came to a stop at the bottom of the island(3) and felt the sea breeze tugging briskly on our hair as we stared up at the cliff surface and saw red flames spitting out of the various cave entrances. Finally a brilliant green stream of energy spurted out of the top of the island and we saw dark figures falling from the sky. Duo jumped to his feet, his eyes intent on the falling men, desperately hoping to see one in particular. I understood how he felt. I was doing the same. We stood and waited, feeling sick with dread, as one of the men started to glow with blue light.
Then I saw two men call up streams of water from the sea, forming glistening shields around themselves and broke into a loud cheer. Cloud was safe. I saw Quatre look at me with a semi amused, half exasperated glance before turning his attention back on the sky. There was a mutter by my side as Duo squinted up at the sky anxiously. I had to turn away to hide my grin, I heard Duo promising himself that he'd make Cloud teach him how to make the water shield before they left.
We tensed as we saw two bodies breaking away from the rest, one falling rapidly with the second, in obvious pursuit. I recognised the spinning figure in the air as Wind but couldn't quite make out who he was trying to reach. Then we all gasped as we recognised the falling man and saw the black energy coiled and crackling around Heero's useless wings.
Up in the sky, the man glowing with blue energy continued to battle furiously with the two circling water-encased foes. Since both Wufei and Cloud carried a passenger behind their water shield, Frost and Trowa were now accounted for as well.
Cloud's water shield was shimmering with a green glow and I felt a sense of uneasiness when I saw Wind's eyes gleaming with the same green energy. Wind finally managed to catch up to Heero's plummeting body and desperately tried to slow down their rate of descent, but was unable to stop from plunging into the freezing water with the unconscious Heero in his arms. I felt a sudden blur by my side and saw Duo and Quatre leap into the cold sea without a second's hesitation. The two men assisted Wind in dragging Heero, who was a dead weight, back on the ground. I started towards them, my hand reaching out to Heero, to start the healing when the black energy around Heero's back crackled and spat at my hand.
Wind and the others, also backed away hurriedly when it was clear that anyone trying to touch Heero would be attacked by the black energy that had completely surrounded his wings and were in the process of creeping down his legs.
'Now what do we do?' Duo licked the salty water from his lips as he squeezed his heavy braid. 'That stuff won't let us near Heero. Can't you do anything Muse?'
'I don't know.' I answered shortly as I stared at the roiling mass of black energy on Heero's back. 'What happened to him?' I asked absently, not really expecting an answer.
'It was my fault.' Wind responded grimly. 'I gave him a fireberry.'
I shot a startled look at Wind and took in the unnatural pallor of his complexion, as well as the green glow lurking inside the violet depths of his eyes. 'You ate one as well.' I observed quietly then took a sharp breath as I looked back at the sky and at the green light glittering in one of the floating watershields. 'My god. You gave a fireberry to Cloud too. Didn't you?' I asked, my voice roughening with fear. 'I told you not to take a second fireberry. I warned you. Damn you, Wind.' I broke into a shrill yell as cold panic gripped my heart.
Wind stared back with the green glowing eyes, his face showing only steady resolve, 'I had no choice. Resyn(4) was just too powerful. Without the fireberries, we'd all be dead by now.'
'Oh my god.' I breathed, as I raked my eyes over the flying combatants in the air, 'the others. Wufei, Trowa and Frost. They ate the fireberries as well didn't they?'
'Yes.' Wind answered simply. Then added, 'and Resyn. The Shadowlord. He ate a fireberry as well.'
'What?' Quatre interjected sharply. 'Are you telling me that the sorcerer's powers have been boosted by that wretched fruit as well? How could you let something like that happen?'
Wind raked his hands through his thick hair in distraction. 'I... it's...' He looked at the sky and saw the twin watersprouts summoned by Wufei and Cloud, spinning wildly in the air, striking out futilely at the agile sorcerer, who dodged their attacks with ease. 'Damn. I'm going to have to help them first. I'll be back. Just keep an eye on Heero.' He called back hastily as he soared off towards the gathering storm.
'Great.' Duo muttered sourly as he stared at the darkening sky. 'I swear if he gets himself killed before he tells me what happened... I'll... I'll personally hunt him down in the afterlife and make his life a living hell.' Then he turned his attention back on Heero, who was lying motionless on the rocks and his face twisted with concern. 'Jeez. Muse. Are you sure you can't do something? Anything?'
I shook my head solemnly and sat down, suddenly feeling drained and emotionally spent from the turmoil of past events. I sighed heavily as Quatre sat down beside me, his brow puckered into a frown, as he also stared at Heero. Duo started to pace around us, and began speaking to himself after a while, waving his hands widely, I couldn't tell about what, since I couldn't hear the words clearly. This was a complete disaster. I still didn't understand why this Shadowlord had taken Heero, or how the others had caught up with them. I tried not to think about what the second fireberry would do to Cloud, and to Wind. For that matter, I had no idea why the fireberry had affected Heero in such a strange way.
Then I sneezed as a sudden gust of cold wind struck us, followed by a small tidal wave that completely drenched all four of us. Duo growled crossly as he squeezed uselessly at his sopping braid, and turned his attention to Heero, ignoring the angry hissing of the black energy, he grabbed Heero under the arms and started to drag him away from the rocks. I helped Quatre to get stiffly on his feet and we both started forward to help Duo with Heero.
And blue lightning crackled around us, we froze as the Shadowlord, looking a great deal worse for wear, with his cloak in tatters and his face grimed with smoke, landed behind us.
'Shit.' Duo spat.
'You have my property.' Resyn spoke succinctly, ignoring Quatre and me. 'I want him back.'
Duo glowered at his counterpart, his chestnut hair matted and dripping with salt water, his arms clutching Heero's limp body defiantly. 'Go to hell.' He answered shortly.
'I don't care where I go as long as I'm with him.' Resyn spoke with surprising sincerity. 'Without him? I'm not going anywhere.' He finished with grim determination.
Duo suddenly grinned, his violet eyes sparkling with amusement. 'Same for me. Heero stays with me. Why don't you go back to your own Heero? The one you called lightbearer?'
Resyn's eyes darkened with an emotion that I couldn't identify. 'He's... indisposed.' He managed to get out at last and for the first time I felt a spark of pity for the sorcerer. Then the spark died as Resyn broke into a cold laughter and continued, 'so I'm afraid that I'm going to have to settle for your Heero. He needs me. Let him go.'
Duo glared furiously at Resyn and even before he spoke I knew exactly what he was going to say. 'Over my dead body, you slimy bastard.'
'Ahhh... That's easy enough to arrange.' Resyn smiled sweetly and I felt repulsed by the sheer cruel enjoyment in his eyes as he lifted his hand and pointed in Duo's direction.
I started to run towards Duo, pausing when I saw Quatre hitting Resyn in the back with his windkick and the sorcerer went flying. Unfortunately, he recovered his balance almost immediately and threw a blue power bolt in Quatre's direction. If Wufei had been a second slower in getting to Quatre and throwing his watershield around the both of them, the blond man would have been pulverised, like the rocks in their vicinity. I tensed as Resyn turned his attention back on Duo who was now trying desperately to drag Heero away and opened my mouth to warn them, even as Resyn sent another bolt of energy streaking in their direction.
I saw Duo clutch Heero tightly as he fell to his knees and stared at the energy bolt flying towards him. Then there was a terrible spark as a dark figure suddenly interposed his body between the two men and the energy bolt. I bit my lips as I recognised Frost. I couldn't tear my eyes away as Frost used his Frostfist to literally punch the energy away from him.
Then I scrambled to my feet and dashed towards Duo and Heero. I had seen Heero stirring slightly in Duo's arms as the blue energy sizzled around them.
Behind me, I could hear the clashing sounds of the battle as Cloud came swooping down on Resyn with his lifesword(5) in his hand. I went down on my knees and gently brushed the heavy wings out of my way, revealing the angry red welts on Heero's back where the black energy had manifested. Heero was breathing unevenly, his eyes flickering open as he rested his chin on Duo's shoulder, Duo was supporting his prone body, so that I could examine the back. I put my hand on Heero's back and closed my eyes, searching for his ki.
That was the first time I had ever examined someone who had eaten a fireberry. I couldn't stifle a soft gasp as I saw the ki lines gleaming with golden energy. Normally, they are silver. And I couldn't find the black energy that had been twisted around his shoulders, where the wings sprouted. I suspected that when Heero ate the fireberry, his own ki energy must have been boosted to the extent that it was able to expel the foreign energy in his body. I started to inspect Heero's wings carefully, wondering what would happen now that the original spell that had created them had been destroyed.
Heero was groaning slightly and I realized that he was in a lot of pain. I touched his wings and felt dismay when I found the black energy that I had been looking for. Duo was holding Heero protectively, his eyes filled with anxiety and worry. I sighed as I dropped my hands away from Heero's wings and shook my head.
'I'm sorry Duo.' His face paled at my words and my hand twitched towards him in silent sympathy. 'We are going to have to ask for Resyn's help. He's the one who gave these wings to Heero. Isn't he?'
'Yeah.' Duo admitted reluctantly.
'No.' Duo and I turned to Heero in surprise. 'I don't want to ask that man for anything.' Heero gasped out as he twisted out of Duo's arms. He glared at us defiantly. 'I'll be fine Duo.' He grimaced as his wings shifted behind him and pain shot through his body. 'I can deal with it.' Heero managed to grit out at last.
'But Heero.' Duo wrung his hands in agitation as he stared at his friend, 'are you sure about this?' He reached out and cupped the pale face with his hands.
Heero touched Duo's hand with a brief smile and nodded firmly. He started to get to his feet unsteadily, put off balance by the huge wings on his back. He looked behind himself and scowled with fierce concentration. I clenched my hands nervously as I realized that Heero was trying to will the wings away as he had done in the past. Then Heero screamed out loud and fell to his knees again, his wings still dragging heavily behind him.
'What's going on?' Duo asked me even as he dashed to Heero's side.
'It's the fireberry.' I sighed again. 'It's increased his ki energy to the point where the alien energy introduced by Resyn has been forced out of his system. Unfortunately, since Resyn's spell had fixed the wings directly onto Heero's ki, there's no way to separate the two without causing irreparable harm to Heero. Even more unfortunately, thanks to the fireberry, Heero's ki has been strengthened to the state where it simply will not allow the alien energy to re-enter his body. So we have an impasse. Unless we can get Resyn to cancel his spell.'
'No.' Heero spat out, 'not even if I have to go around with these stupid wings on my back for the rest of my life. There's no way I'm going to ask Resyn for help.'
'I couldn't agree more.' Duo nodded cheerfully and hugged Heero tightly. 'But we are going to ask Resyn for help.' He shrugged as Heero looked up at him with pain-glazed eyes. 'What did you expect?' He grinned and winked at me, as I watched them silently, 'I'm not going to risk losing you. Not now. Not ever. If I have to humble my pride and ask that stuck up no good sorcerer, who really is very good looking you have to admit, then that's what I'll do.'
Heero sighed, and laughed a little, before nodding tiredly. I knew that he was in agony from the constant conflict between his own ki energy and the sorcerer's energy still resting in his wings.
'So.' Duo stood up and studied the fighting men above us. 'All we have to do is get their attention, make them stop fighting and talk Resyn into removing his spell. Simple.' He placed his hands on his hips confidently and strode off, the heavy chestnut braid swinging behind him.
I looked at Heero, whose face had gone ashen from the strain. 'Simple he says.' I chewed my lips worriedly.
'Don't worry Muse.' Heero spoke softly, his voice dying down to a barely audible whisper. 'Duo will come through. I trust him.'
'Do you love him?' I blurted out impulsively, as I gathered his hand in my own and smoothed the cold brow. Suddenly, it was very important to hear Heero's answer.
Heero stared back at me with dazzling eyes identical to Cloud's and I swallowed. He thought for a while and hesitated visibly before opening his mouth. 'I love Duo.' He sighed as he took in my reaction. 'He's my best friend. I need him.'
'That's not the same.' I retorted unthinkingly.
Heero's lips quirked into a smile, 'same as what? Resyn told me that he loved me.' Heero sneered unconsciously as he spoke the sorcerer's name and I felt disconcerted by the contempt I saw in his eyes. 'He doesn't know anything about love. He thinks that lust and love are one and the same. Resyn is a fool.'
Heero wrapped his arms around his body and shivered.
'When Cloud came after us, you should have seen Resyn's face as he compared the two of us.' Heero scowled as he continued. 'This is after he told me that he needed me as a replacement for Vailyn.' Heero choked back his fury as his eyes darkened from the ugly memory. 'His precious Vailyn had been taken from him.(6) I'm assuming he's dead, since with Resyn's personality, I doubt he'd have let him go without a fight. And since he's already modified me,' Heero ground out, 'he's decided that I'd make a suitable replacement. So he was rather pleased to run into me in this world. Except when Cloud came after us, Resyn suddenly found himself with two, instead of one copy of his Vailyn to choose from. So,' Heero rolled his eyes, 'he decided to have both.'
I felt sick as I heard Heero's words. I could understand why he had been so reluctant in seeking Resyn's help and couldn't help feeling concerned at finding out that the sorcerer was also interested in Cloud.
'Cloud,' Heero suddenly laughed, 'had other ideas. When Resyn tried to place a spell on him, he got slammed into a wall for his troubles. We've been trying to fight him to a standstill since.'
'What about the fireberries?' I couldn't help asking urgently. 'How in the world did all of you end up eating them?'
Heero's eyes had closed heavily when he stopped talking, and I didn't like the faint blue tinge in his lips. 'Trowa.' He managed at last. 'Trowa had a small pouch with him. The fight was going badly for us and when Wufei got hurt badly, he took out one of the fireberries and that's when everything went to hell.' He brushed his heavy fringe out of his eyes. 'Resyn got very excited when he saw the restorative powers of the fireberry and tried to grab the pouch from Trowa. During the scramble, the pouch spilled and the fireberries went everywhere. When Resyn swallowed one of the berries, he exploded with energy and the rest of us ended up taking a fireberry just to survive the resulting inferno.'
I nodded grimly, remembering the terrible explosion that I had witnessed from the outside with Duo and Quatre.
'Of course.' Heero's lips twisted into a bitter smile as he touched the edge of one of his trailing wing ruefully. 'If I had known that it would have this kind of an effect on me, I probably would have just taken my chances with being burned in the aftermath.'
'Nah. I don't think burnt and raw really suits you.'
'Duo.' I turned around with a happy smile that faded quickly when I saw the grim faces of the men who surrounded us.
Duo came forward and placed a possessive hand on Heero's shoulder and stared silently at his doppleganger. 'Resyn's going to remove his spell. But there's condition.' Heero snorted scornfully, I think he'd guessed what the condition was. 'He wants to stay with us for a while.'
'What?' I blurted out in shock, and blushed hotly when everyone turned in my direction. I wanted to disappear into the ground, especially when Resyn raised an elegant eyebrow at my presumption.
'I need companionship.' Resyn spoke smoothly while his eyes travelled intimately over Heero's body, totally ignoring the cold glare he received from the indignant man. 'And while I'm not too happy about having to put up with these others, especially since one of you resembles that oaf, Firelord from my world,' Wufei growled wordlessly, 'but if it means I can stay with you, Heero. Then that's just what I'll have to do.'
Heero looked at Duo, consternation and anger warring in his eyes. 'I don't think this is a good idea.' He said at last.
Duo shrugged with a grimace. 'No kidding. But that's the condition for Resyn removing his wretched spell. We don't really have a choice right now. Better the devil you know, right? Besides which,' he smirked, 'he can make himself quite useful.'
Heero sighed heavily and looked at his friends. 'Have you all agreed to this?'
Quatre nodded, tight lipped, and Trowa murmured his soft assent. Wufei glowered at Resyn sullenly before muttering, 'yeah, we all agreed. Gods. Two of them. I hate my life.'
'Well?' Duo snapped impatiently as Heero nodded at last. 'Get on with it you bogus witch doctor. Take your damned spell off him.'
Resyn smiled coldly, his hands glowing with blue energy and started to chant under his breath. I watched spellbound as the blue glow surrounded the tall man, then extended itself to Heero, slowly lifting his limp body until he was standing on air, his wings extended widely behind him. When I squinted, I could see the golden ki lines gleaming faintly in Heero's body but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't see anything in Resyn except a black darkness. Then the blue glow intensified and I had to turn my face away, as did the others. After a moment, the light died away and we turned back and saw Heero lying crumpled on the ground.
Duo ran towards him and picked him up carefully. I looked up at Cloud who stood behind me in silent curiosity and he suddenly stepped closer and tucked his arm around my waist. I leaned against him and watched the five friends as they gathered together. I felt a pang of fear and distrust as Resyn smiled smugly, his eyes never leaving the slender figure in the centre of the group. I was glad that Resyn would leave my world. I didn't wish him on Duo and his friends but gods, I didn't want him staying in my world.
After a while Heero stood up from the middle of his friends and walked towards me. His hair was short now, even shorter than Cloud's. He put out his hand and smiled. I felt dazzled. I wondered, I hoped, that one day, I would see such a smile on Cloud's face.
'Thank you.'
It was the only goodbye Heero said. The others took a lot longer to say their farewells, especially Wind and Quatre. I still don't know what took them so long, when they went off on their own. Duo had a faint scowl on his face when they came back but he was far too busy trying to keep Resyn away from Heero to interfere with Quatre. I had my moment of nervousness when Wufei and Cloud faced each other. The two men just stared at each other for a long while then silently bowed. I thought it was nice gesture. I kicked Duo hard in the shins when he started sniggering.
I really didn't want to say goodbye to Duo. To make matters worse, Resyn was staring at me with that condescending amused grin he always wore when looking in my direction. In the end, I just muttered something incoherent and hugged Duo, tightly. He didn't bother to hide his tears as he said his goodbyes to me, and to Wind. He wasn't quite as sentimental when it came to Cloud or Frost. The loneliness in Frost's eyes startled me when he parted with Trowa. I had no idea that the two had gotten so close.
And then they were gone. Resyn had directed a power bolt at Widget and the small white object had distended into a large arch that vanished with the six men. That was when I understood what Duo had meant by Resyn making himself useful. As long as the sorcerer accompanied them, they wouldn't ever have to hunt for another power source.
Muse sighed and snuggled closer to Cloud, enjoying the sun warmed scent of his hair. He caressed the thick dark strands gently with his hands and felt the pang of old guilt and remorse.
At the time he had been so concerned with the effect of the fireberries on Heero that he had neglected to check Cloud or Wind. And after a while, he had been so caught up in the excitement of his new life with Cloud that he had forgotten that the two men had taken the fireberries, not once, but twice.
No one noticed the effects at first. It wasn't until a visitor mentioned the strange youthfulness of the two men that their attention had been drawn to Cloud and Wind's apparent lack of aging. When Muse had examined their ki lines, he had found the silver lines pulsating with a strange green energy. He hadn't been able to figure out a way to remove the excess energy, or to predict what the consequences may be. But as time went on, it became more and more obvious that Wind and Cloud were not aging.
At first Muse had been desperate, to try to find a cure, or to figure out a way for him to remain youthful as well. As he saw the greying of his hair and the faint lines around his face, Muse became more and more frightened of losing Cloud. Wind had accepted his seeming immortality with his usual serenity. He chose to withdraw from interacting with others, save close friends like Muse and Frost, and disappeared into the mountains. Cloud chose to stay with Muse.
As he found himself getting older, Muse knew that his time with Cloud was running out. He began to worry, not that Cloud would leave him, not anymore, but what would happen to Cloud when he found himself alone, again. So he asked Cloud to try to find Wind. And after a long argument, Cloud finally agreed. Muse suspected that Wind wouldn't be too hard to find. He wondered if Cloud would turn to Wind as he hoped, when he was gone.
Cloud. Muse smiled absently as he stroked the pale brow of the sleeping man. He remembered what Duo had said a long time ago.(7) 'Whatever it takes, I'm going to make him see me, and no one else, when he sees me.' He whispered to himself silently. He was no longer jealous of Charity. He knew that Cloud still loved the golden beauty in his eternal sleep(8), but was content with the warmth that he saw in the dark blue eyes when Cloud looked at him. Muse wondered if Duo had found similar contentment with Heero. He remembered the look in Heero's eyes when he said, 'I love Duo' and smiled wistfully.
Then Cloud stirred and opened his eyes and Muse forgot everything except the dazzling beauty of the fierce eyes looking up at him.
'I love you.' Cloud whispered to him.
~ Owari ~
Notes:
(1) I didn't get the chance to explain this bit in the
earlier part. In the movie 'Storm Riders', Wind is
poisoned by the retainers of Conquer when they go to
the Firebeast's cave.
(2) The Shadowlord is another AU Duo. The GW boys met
him in Track I in the 'Shadows and Reflections'
series. He's also starring in 'Chasing Shadows', a
'Ripples' fic.
(3) The Firebeast's cave is located inside a cliff in
an island (or something like it) in the movie.
(4) The Shadowlord's real name is Resyn. You never do
find out how Wind learned about it in the fic. But
Trowa knew his name from 'Shadows & Reflections' and
probably used it during their fights.
(5) A feature of the movie 'Storm Riders' were the
special swords that they had. Cloud had 'lifesword'
for example. I forgot the names of the other swords.
^_^;; (well, that's why I was waiting till I could
get my hands on the video)
(6) This story is covered in 'Chasing Shadows'. Go
read that one if you want to know what happened with
Vailyn.
(7) This bit was in Part I of 'Storm Riders'
(8) ditto
Kat: This got a lot sappier than I intended. Oh
well. ::coughs:: That's what happens when you try to
give someone a happy ending. And yeah, I know. I
don't know how Resyn made his way into this story. I
just found it hard to get rid of him. Still, Heero's
back to 'normal' now. No more long hair and wings.
::sniff:: This fic is quite different to Part I.
Mostly 'cause I didn't draw on the movie much in this
part. (see? this is why I wanted the video!) Would
you believe I was trying very very hard NOT to centre
on Heero? I'm not going to bother in the future. I'm
a hopeless Heerophil and proud of it. This is
probably the last 'Broken Shards' fic for a while. I
do find the first person narrative a lot harder than
the third person narrative. Besides which I have to
get back to 'Shadows and Reflections', since I left
them stuck in track 3 for a long time. As well as
playing with 'Ripples', where I can go back to the
different 'tracks' they've been to. And yeah, it's
not impossible to come back to 'Storm Riders' world
either through 'Ripples'.
By the way, re the pairing, you do realize that the 5x1 is actually Muse and Cloud? And that 2x1 is more Resyn and Heero (well Vailyn or whatever, LOL Resyn doesn't seem too particular). The 2+4 belongs to Wind and Quatre. I'm not telling what happened when they went off to say their goodbyes. ^_~ As for Duo and Heero? Weelll... That's another story. ^_^ Ja neh.
Katana
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