Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / GetBackers Fan Fiction / Weiss Kreuz Fan Fiction ❯ Consequences of our past ❯ Chapter 30 ( Chapter 31 )

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Chapter 30

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“Quatre, who are the Elders?” Duo asked, worry swimming in his eyes. He didn't like how the smaller teen had shuddered when he had mentioned them, nor did he like the way Wu Fei and Trowa seemed to tighten their hold on his friend.

The blonde sighed, “The Elders are the leaders of Esselte, the founders of Rosen Kruetz and any of the sub-groups that have emerged from that school, including NWF. They are very, very old… Centuries old. They are so powerful that they seem to be immune to death. Every time one has been assassinated, they've come back stronger and angrier than before. Few have been summoned into their presence and have lived. They are a hateful, spiteful, evil…” Quatre wrapped his arms around himself as he buried his face into Wu Fei's chest.

“They have no honor.” The Chinese teen continued. “They would sell their souls to reach their goals.”

“What did they want with Q?” The braided boy frowned.

“I-I can't answer that right now.” The Empath whispered.

“Can't or won't?” Violet eyes flashed angrily.

The blonde refused to answer.

“Out.” Hiiro ordered suddenly, pinning Quatre with his patented glare. “All of you.”

The three of them started to protest, but a quiet, “Go.” from the newtype forced them to comply.

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Once they were alone, the Japanese teen sat on the bed next to his friend and took the thin hands into his own. “Okay, Quatre. Now what's really going on?”

“How much do you know about Newtypes, Hiiro?” Quatre asked almost voicelessly after a few sounds of silence.

“Just whatever Dr. J trained me in and then what I've learned from you, Trowa and Wu Fei today.”

The blonde shook his head sadly, “Did you know, for as long as human history has been recorded, Newtypes have been around? Yet in all that time, there hasn't been more than one empath born at any given time.”

“No.” The Japanese pilot frowned. His comrade suddenly seemed a lot older than he should be. Tired and resigned to his fate.

“The ability to feel everyone else's emotions… With every empath, a Juggernaut is also born. An opposite to balance it out… one that feels nothing at all… no pain… no happiness… no remorse… I've often wondered what that would be like… one big void…”

“Quatre?”

“For as long as human history has been recorded… few empaths have survived past the age of sixteen. None have survived to the age of twenty… They get worn out, overwhelmed. Some commit suicide; while others allow the emotional turmoil to tear their bodies apart… several were murdered by their heartless counterparts.”

The newtype wrapped his arms around himself, trying to ward off the chill from his body. He seemed so frail. “I thought… I thought since I had lived through the wars, that I had nothing to fear… That I'd be different… I could live and be happy…” Quatre angrily wiped at his face, brushing tears away. “But I was arrogant and foolish… I don't know why… but I am dying. It's the reason Esselte is so determined to find me. They want to bottle or reproduce my gift because, if I die, they'll have to begin their search all over again… and the heartless will run rampant- completely out of anyone's control… Hundreds of people would lose their lives.”

“Quatre…” Hiiro shook his head, “You don't mean tha-”

“I love them.” The smaller boy whispered. “Both of them, with my entire being… but it's not fair, Hiiro… For me to claim them as my own only to… They've lost so much already. I can't do that to them- I won't.”

“Don't you think that's for them to decide?” Hiiro frowned, reaching out to tilt the other teen's chin up so that their eyes could meet. “Don't you think that with everything they've lost, they'd want to treasure you while they can?”

“You don't understand, Hiiro.” Quatre shook his head. “Would you be able to watch as Duo shrank away? Fading to nothing? Would you be able to stand feeling the sorrow and grief day after day? Knowing that you're the cause and there's no solution? Even the strongest of men couldn't handle that!”

“So you'd rather die alone?” The perfect soldier sounded angry. “And what happens when they hear that you've died -not saying that you're going to- but what then? They'd feel lost and alone and guilty because they didn't do everything in their power to help someone they cared for. After everything that has been stolen from them, let them fight to keep you.”

The Japanese teen sighed as he watched the silent tears cascade down the pale boy's face. “What about you, Quatre? What about all that you've lost? Don't you think you deserve something after all that? Won't you give yourself and them this perhaps only/one chance of happiness?”

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Duo paced irritably in the hall while Trowa and Wu Fei watched the door with earnest. “What the Hell!?” The braided teen exclaimed, kicking at the wall in frustration. “Why can't he just tell us!?”

Onyx eyes saddened with realization. “He's dying…”

“What!?” Emerald eyes gasped as a chill rushed through his heart. “No.”

“It's the only thing that makes sense.” Wu Fei shook his head. “Why he's pushing us away. Why Esselte is after him so adamantly… He doesn't have a lot of time left…”

Trowa choked down a silent sob as he wrapped his arms around himself and slid down the wall. He couldn't loose the blonde again, not after everything they had been through. It was too painful to even contemplate.

Violet eyes stared at the other two pilots in disbelief. “There's got to be something else! Some other reason!?”

They didn't answer.

“Isn't there anything we can do!?” Duo pressed. “ANYTHING!?”

“There is something that could save the young master in theory.” Rashid stated, startling the three Gundam pilots with his presence. He waited until they had recognized him and lowered the weapons that seemed to have appeared out of no where.

“What are you talking about, Rashid?” Wu Fei demanded.

“I'm honestly not sure. Master Quatre wouldn't tell me -I think he didn't want to get his hopes up-. He just said that it was something the two of you,” he pointedly glared at Trowa and Wu Fei, as he continued down the hall. “…needed to figure out for yourselves.”

“How are we supposed to figure something out if he didn't even tell us he was sick!?” Chang snapped, punching the wall above Trowa's head.

“Triad.”

“What?”

“Quatre said that the only way to defeat the Hunters was by being part of a Triad.” Duo began, trying to unravel his own thinking. “Q is very meticulous about the way he words things. What if… What if that's not all a Triad is good for?”

“Fei, did Quat say anything to you?” The banged teen looked up at the other boy, hope reflecting in his terrified emerald orbs.

The Chinese Preventer bit his lip as he closed his eyes to block out distractions while thinking through the conversations he had had with the empath. “Just what I've already shared with you guys…”

Trowa reached up and grasped the oriental's hand, startling the raven-haired teen. “Please, Fei…”

Onyx orbs enlarged at the trusting hope that the banged teen was showing him. He was certain that Wu Fei knew the solution. Taking a deep breath, the Chinese preventer kneeled in front of the other pilot. He was surprised at the sudden urge to protect the green-eyed teen. “He said that a Triad was a balance of power between three people… usually siblings or lovers…”

“That must mean a deep bonding relationship.” Duo thought, “Didn't he give examples?”

Trowa nodded, “Earth-Water-Wind. Fire-Ice-Electricity. Needles-Thread-Cloth. Mind-Body-Soul… He said that there were hundreds of combos.”

“Some rarer- some stronger than others.”

“Why would he name those specifically?” The braided boy pressed. “Needles-Thread-Cloth is kinda strange.”

“That's what Juubei, Kazuki and Sakura were. They were a weak Triad.” Wu Fei shook his head. “Juubei and Kazuki were lovers and Sakura was Juubei's older sister.”

“Mind-Body-Soul… Guys… what if… What if that is supposed to be you?” Violet eyes glimmered with hopeful excitement. “Think about it! Quatre is obviously the Soul, Fei is the Body and Tro-”

“I don't have any Newtype abilities.” Trowa reminded.

Shinigami grinned, “Not that you know of. Fei could have been using his ability for years without knowing it. Who's to say you aren't the same? Maybe you do have an ability that you just don't recognize?”

“The puppeteer was able to control me.” The banged boy shook his head. “I don't have powers.”

“Quatre said that gifts shouldn't be used on another New Type… He didn't say that they couldn't be.” Wu Fei bit his lower lip in effort to contain the smirk that threatened to take over his face. “Trowa, you are the Mind.”

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“You're late.” Relena announced as her study door opened, admitting three men. “The other guests have left. How are you supposed to fix Hiiro's memories if he's gone!?”

A tall, dark haired, young man in his mid twenties smiled condescendingly as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “My dear Lady, why should we help you, if you couldn't even keep your end of the bargain? Winner wasn't present at your party, therefore, we had no reason to show ourselves.”

“Mr. Crawford, I would have expected better than that.” Relena sneered, not realizing how dangerous the men she was speaking to were. “Winner was invited, just as I promised, it is out of my control if he didn't show up.”

“The Little Heart probably isn't physically capable of going anywhere.” The red-head mused, “It really was too much to expect of him, Bradley.”

The first man's eyes glimmered for a brief moment. “Maybe so… Farfarello, would you please extend an invitation to Lady Relena to join us? I think she'll find it most entertaining when we locate our wayward Heart.”

The girl's eyes widened as the scarred, one-eyed man approached her with a predatorily gleam in his eye. “What do you think you're doing!?” The politician demanded, backing away from her assailant. “GET AWAY FROM ME! DOOOROTHY!”

/“Is this really necessary, Brad?”/ Schuldig mentally demanded as the Irishman groped his unconscious hostage. “That girl is going to be a pain in the ass.”

“You know what the Elders have ordered. Just be grateful they haven't commanded your execution. It's no less then what you deserve, betraying Esselte like you did.”

The German didn't reply.

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Quatre absentmindedly nibbled on the toast his friend had forced into his hands as he thought about Hiiro's words. He was simply awed by the vast improvement the stoic boy had made since the end of the wars; especially if the `emotion's are weakness and get in the way of missions perfect soldier' was capable of giving sound advise on matters of the heart.

The blonde chuckled humorlessly, `And that's supposed to be my area of expertise.' He sighed, rubbing his tired eyes, “I can't think straight.”

“I was under the impression that love was more about feeling than thinking.” Hiiro raised an eyebrow towards the smaller teen.

“Duo's been very good for you.” Quatre offered a small smile.

“I love him very much.” The Japanese teen nodded. “But getting back to the issues at hand? You need to continue your explanation. The solution to your dilemma with Barton and Chang will reveal itself in time. Until then, if you could please continue?”

“There's not much more to say.” The blonde mused, nibbling some more at the crisped bread as he ordered his thoughts to where the story had left off. “To say I was less than pleased to be summoned in front of the Elders again is a sad understatement. They never cease to be creepy by themselves, but then to have their most loyal followers present as well… It's never a good sign… Especially if Farfarello is there.”

“Who is that?”

“Jay Farfarello, member of Nagi and Schuldig's team, Schwartz; he's a one-eyed, Albino Irishman, professional assassin with masochistic tendencies. Farf has more scars than you and all of them are self inflicted as some sort of deranged penance for un-absolved sins. He's certifiably insane and my juggernaut counterpart.” Quatre shifted his weak body so that he was leaning against the bed's headboard, pillows supporting his back. The movement caused him to hiss as his stitches pulled.

“You're hurt?” Hiiro frowned, pushing the smaller boy's hands out of the way so that he could see for himself. “What happened? Why didn't you tell us!?” He demanded, lightly tracing the outline of the injury.

The blonde shook his head, dismissing the seriousness of the wound. “Farf was a little more accurate in his attempt to kill me than he has been in the past. It's so difficult to read him. He has no emotions, so it's like he's not even there; and his body language is so erratic that it can be very misleading. I should have moved left instead of right and was stabbed because of my carelessness. The tip of his knife broke and became lodged in my hipbone after slicing through several crucial organs.”

The blonde shook his head in mild amusement. “Actually, I really should thank Jay. Whatever the Elders wanted me for was postponed. I was turned over to the NWF, whose surgeons operated in order to save my life… Ironic, really.”

Quatre nibbled on another piece of toast. “The next thing I remember is waking up afterwards.”

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To be continued…