07-Dec-2000
Disclaimer: I own the freaky Spanish soldiers... Not much else.
Warnings: shounen ai that'll progress into slight yaoi, au, angst
Pairings: 3+4/4+3, 5+M, 1x2/2x1
Spoilers: o.0
Archive: GW Addiction
The day dawned so dark it seemed to take hours too long, and when the weather finally reared, it was in sleet and wind, thunder so loud it shook the very foundations of the castle, and lightning that lit up the dusky sky, as if nature herself was crying for the situation of the kingdom.
The castle itself was in the worst shape. Although the building was in mostly the same condition, almost everyone inside it had been slaughtered by the soldiers. There was some sign, how you wore your sword or where you were at five o clock in the morning, that had depended on whether one lived or died.
Quatre Raberba Winner had, fortunately, been doing whatever that was. However, he reflected silently, oh so many had not. His heart ached with more than emotional pain, the small magyk[1] gift he'd been given not one he wanted at the moment.
He'd been let in with not resistance, which could mean several things. Most likely, and most unfortunately, the resistance had so many people with them they couldn't be bothered checking them all, and just assumed everyone still alive was with them. His eyes narrowed as his heart tightened again, and his head felt too light. Someone - no, many people - had been killed here. He wished he hadn't ordered his companions to stay behind as he swayed, the last memories of the victims slamming into his brain.
A man... I don't know who - NO! Don't let him! He's got- Whatever the person had been thinking was cut off with a last image of him holding his own intestines, screaming in horror as a strange stench filled the air and he finally fell -[2]
His shoulder caught on something, and he assumed he'd hit the wall as he was jarred back to the present, the horrifying image and terrible pain fading away. As he slowly regained his senses, he realized that it wasn't that his shoulder had caught - it had been caught. He struggled against it, dreading that he'd been found out and was about to find out just where that man whose memories he'd seen had gone when he was stopped by a soft voice.
"I'm not going to ask what just happened, but stop." It was totally emotionless, but held non of the malevolence he'd have expected, so he complied, and looked up toward his tormentor, his still-fuzzy gaze met by one green eye.
"You?" he asked, incredulous and enraged. He was one of the ones responsible for this... this slaughter? He smacked the other boy's arm away from his shoulder, scrambling back a few steps into the opposite wall. Instantly he was assaulted by the scent of still-fresh blood, he saw it slick on his hands as he lifted them to his field of vision, felt the sword pushed through his breast, the same sword which held him to the stone wall his blood flowed down, pooling in cracks and crevices and eventually streamed to the polished stones of the floor, smooth from so many feet. But he refused to scream, refused to let the satisfaction already dawning in the gray eyes of his tormentor broaden. He couldn't die! He had to warn -
A hand on his arm, the sound of screams in the distance slowly were eclipsed by another voice, calmly insisting he snap out of it, calm down, come back. He tried to obey, suddenly aware that it had just been another pirated memory, but it was so hard... the strength of the character and depth of the feeling all depended on how well he perceived it. One's own death almost exclusively caused the highest reaction of both, and thus were the easiest to see and the hardest to break free of. He pushed-
And fell, free of the sword and the contented gray eye, sliding down the wall until he was caught up by strong arms, and he stared at that oh-so-familiar green eye until it was all he saw - and then he saw no more.
"What do you mean, you don't know where she is? She's the royal dignitary from China! You don't just lose ambassadors!" Chang Wufei could be threatening when angry, and he used that to his advantage, pressing it, as he gesticulated wildly at the helpless aide. "If Meiran has been killed, your whole country will pay... Dearly." He seized the collar of the aide, brought him, more than significantly cowed, and then let him drop as he accented the last syllable with just enough spittle to be sufficiently demeaning.
He stalked out, making sure he showed in his posture none of the uncertainty he was feeling, both at Merian's disappearance and the entire situation. The country was in an uproar, confusion reigned, and here... He stared at the foreboding gray stone of the castle, a bare smudge of color through the thick sleet. He could see slightly better the myriad of banners displayed to the country as a reminder that they were now ruled by the Kyugetsu Federation, unfortunately some of the people least fit to lead... Power hungry all, they were simply another group among the many who hadn't been at ease with the king. They were also, however, the most daring, and had, through bribery and deceit, managed to secure a sizable army within only a few months. The entire country had been caught unaware, and now it was too late to do anything. The Federation held the castle, and claimed to hold both the King and his son in their custody. No other survivors had been reported, outside of a few suspected of working with the Federation.. He feared the worst, as did most others he knew.
"You can't... Find him?" A fist clenched, an iron jaw clenched, and the gray eyes narrowed menacingly.
"No, my Lord." His General shifted from foot to foot. He may have been one of Katsudan's most favored men, but he knew when to be nervous.
"But be assured, we're doing everything we can to find him. And if he was killed by accident -"
"We bluff." The familiar glint was returning to Katsudan's eyes, the sharp mind working at top speed as he contemplated how he could turn this possible downfall to his advantage.
"Bluff, sir?"
"Yes."
"If you don't mind my asking, why, sir?"
"Because, Marco... The people don't care about that king there. And I agree with them. They want their cute little Prince, and he's the only bargaining chip I've got!"
Marco nodded. He was loyal a fault and a brilliant tactician, but didn't have the brains for manipulation that Katsudan did, nor the charisma of a born leader. So, while a good General, he wasn't one for leading the Federation.
"So, Marco... I'd suggest you organize some sort of organized search for our young Maxwell." He sighed. "It's too bad we killed anyone that would know," he said in a voice devoid of all woe and in fact just mocking. "Ah, well... Bygones are bygones, eh, Marco?"
But Marco was already gone, leaving Katsudan's smile to fade quickly and be quickly replaced by unadulterated anger. We should have killed him when we had the chance. He's caused nothing but trouble, and is nothing but disposable in the first place. And he's too close with the Target. Too much of an influence, he'll get in the way. Resolve not strengthened, for he knew how to draw the Prince out, he went to join the search. But he was looking for one body, and for an entirely different reason...
Treize Khushrenada, for one of the few times in his extensive political career, had no idea what to do except to sit and simmer for a while. The entire country of Unshinau was in an uproar, citizens rioting over the takeover of their government and being mowed down by the same soldiers they were protesting. The ambassadors from dozens of countries had been killed, and suitors from just as many, anyone who was still in the castle and not associated with the Federation. He couldn't understand what Katsudan was thinking... Not all of those countries were weak, and many were stronger than Unshinau, especially in the state the country was in now. The armed forces were scattered and hiding, those who dared reveal themselves, in disorganized and frightened clumps, quickly subdued by vastly greater Kyugetsu forces. Come to think of it... Where did all those soldiers come from? And so quickly; The country barely had time to react before they were under the thumb of the Federation. There were, as far as he could tell, five of the six dozen known countries allied with Katsudan. Of them, three were insignificant, barely worth the hassle of including their opinion. Just on the surface, maybe? Those same three countries were also fairly unknown. While basic facts could be found out as easily for them as any other country, anything beyond population density or per capita capital was undefined.
And, in contrast, Kyugetsu - the country the Federation centered around, as well as the country Katsudan was from, was one of the most powerful countries in the world.[3] Most couldn't figure out why Katsudan would waste his time with small, insignificant countries. but Treize believed it was because he would have no opposition. Being the most powerful, large, and rich meant he had complete control over the other five countries. He didn't Katsudan particularly well, but his impression was of a man who was smart, devious, ambitious, manipulative and incredibly power-hungry. All in all, not a good combination.
And now he could add a sixth country - Unshinau. He probably wouldn't get much protest, either, outside of the county itself. Countries were constantly being created and conquered, the boundaries and names changing so quickly that often changes weren't even mapped before they'd been replaced themselves. And to most, Unshinau was simply another blip to be replaced. Only the countries who had been helped - whether by the present King or, most likely, a previous leader - seemed to care if Unshinau became another statistic, another footnote in a history book.
As for Romefeller, he had no idea. Their position would be decided once each angle was analyzed and it was clarified by which way they could benefit most. Personally, he had no greater wish than to see Katsudan put in his place, and quickly. However, is Katsudan's claims were true and he had the King and Prince, there wasn't much anyone could do. And information from the country was sorely short, so all he could do without causing a national incident was wait... And simmer.
Heero Yuy woke to a familiar but strange feeling. His eyelid twitched as a cold splotch dripped onto it, catching on his eyelashes and beading there. It was, however, entirely unfamiliar to wake like this. His body was a strange array of contradictions, but back cold and quickly getting soaked, his chest and stomach warm. There was a strange weight around his back and his face was pillowed into a strange heat. He opened his eyes - and jumped, clear off of the phantom warmth and into a kneeling position about a foot away.
The sudden movement woke Duo up, as well, and he stretched like a cat, while Heero composed himself, before he, too, opened his eyes.
"Ohayo," he said quietly, his eyes meeting Heero's gaze and not looking away.
"Ohayo," Heero muttered back as Duo slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, in the process moving enough so that any space Heero had put between them was negated.
"You..." Duo calmly reached up and rubbed his thumb across the bridge of Heero's nose. "have blood on your face." Leaving his hand now situated on Heero's cheek, he bridged the few inches and pressed his lips to where his thumb had just been. He stood, leaving a slightly stunned Heero to realize he'd forgotten the chilling sleet absorbing into their still damp clothes.
"Saa, Heero, I think it's time to go." Heero simply nodded and stood to collect his bloody sword and bag.
Kurai looked up in surprise at the sudden intruders, two icy cold boys, no more than fifteen or sixteen, who clung together for the simple lack of heat outside. She'd kept the sign in the window merely for routine, not expecting anyone new to come to the village in the current crisis. A chill still ran through her body when she thought of Maxwell-kotaishi captured by that savage Katsudan and his followers. All day, there had been minimal activity... Children didn't go to school, mothers didn't go pick up meat or vegetables for supper, men didn't make their pilgrimage to the bar. In fact, the first people she'd seen in hours were these two, dripping in the doorway, hanging onto each other.
"We need a room for the night," stated one, his cold blue eyes daring her to question what they were doing.
"And a bath! A hot bath!" put in his companion, a boy with large violet eyes and hair so long she might have thought him a girl - had his clothes not been clinging so close to his body.
"Of course!" Past her initial shock, she moved quickly to do what any good owner would do; Taking their bags, she quickly got them each a blanket and sat them down at one of the tables. The first one, wiry with sloppy brown hair dripping water into his face and onto his clothes and the blanket, regarded her suspiciously, his calculating blue eyes following her movements exactly, as it he were wary of her grabbing the fire poker and trying to beat him with it. His eyes made her slightly nervous, a sharp contrast to the wide, easy gaze of the other, a soft blue bordering on violet. He seemed to be warming up, leaning forward and resting his chin on his hands as some color returned to his face. The other sat straight up in his chair, and she could tell from across the room that his whole body was tense as a drawn wire.
"Would you like something to eat? It would help you warm up," she asked, hoping it would relax the blue-eyes boy somewhat. "And my name's Kurai." She held out her hand. The boy with the long hair took it shook hands casually.
"Solo," he said, smiling easily at her. "Yoroshiku!" She smiled back and turned expectantly to the other.
"Shiuta," he deadpanned, and subsided totally, offering no other information. She nodded.
"I'm sorry for the lack of preparation, we weren't exactly expecting anyone, what with Kyugetsu..."
"What of it?" Shiuta asked abruptly, seeming to be interested for the first time.
"Well... Apparently they claim to have both the Prince and King in custody, and say that if we don't comply, they'll kill them."
"And the army?" She could fairly see the gears in his head turning, his gaze focused totally on her as he calculated something she couldn't guess.
"Supposedly, there have been a few uprising that were quickly quelled... But it does take about half a day for any news to reach us." The village was about an eight hour's walk, if once was in no particular hurry, from the castle and the county's capital.
"So it was Kyugetsu?" Shiuta asked, a slight frown settling between his brows.
"Hai." Neither Solo nor Shiuta seemed to have any more questions, so she stood and headed for the kitchen.
"I'd better get that food started," she said from the doorway. Shiuta stood as well.
"Could you have that brought to our room?" She nodded.
"I think... The second room on the right is in the best shape." He nodded once, picked up the bags, and headed up the stairs, closely followed by Solo.
TBC...
I debated writing more on this part, but that would have put some people too far ahead of others, so...
I'm getting these out in a disturbingly timely manner...
Notes:
[1] I'm debating how big a part ‘magyk' will play in here... what do you guys think?
[2] Yes, I've enhanced Quatre's abilities a bit. ^^
[3] Assume its just a continent, but they think of themselves as a world.
Ryan Harbin
Please send comments to: rioroute_vilgyna@yahoo.com