Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Time's Wheel ❯ Ch.22: The Search Begins ( Chapter 24 )

Dragon Lady

Time's Wheel

Ch.22: The Search Begins

Disclaimer: The same as it always is.

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Luc heaves a small sigh, sinking into the cushions of the chair beneath him and concentrating on ignoring the pain in his head. He had finally talked Eileen into going to sleep for the night, although she had not agreed until he promised to watch her precious patient until morning, not that Duo really needed to be watched at every moment now.

Three weeks had passed since the attack on Cecil, the town slowly returning to normal, reconstruction of the town in full swing. Luc, Duo, Eileen, and Alaois had remained at the small inn, waiting for Duo to recover.

Luc leans over, resting his elbows on his knees, his white hair falling over his shoulders as he does so. His eyes fall upon the sleeping boy on the bed, his chestnut hair, normally done up in a neat braid behind his head despite the conditions he has been living in, is fanned out around him, dark tresses hiding the white sheets that lie beneath him. His breathing is normal now, easy and strong, his chest rising and falling slowly with the coming of each intake of air. Without his shirt on, it is easy to see the marks life has left on his young body.

Luc had been a little surprised when Duo's bloodied shirt had first been stripped from his body. His stomach had been a mess, War's sword having impaled him, creating a horrid gash that let loose a torrent of blood, but that had not been what caught Luc's attention.

Scars litter the young man's body, coving various areas on his chest and back. Most of them appear to be knife wounds, one of which stretches from his navel to his right shoulder. Other scars seem to have been left by various weapons, one on top of the other. The area on his right shoulder for example appears to have a deep groove in it where the skin has been sliced away- a mark clearly left by a whip. There are also several round scars on his body that appear to come from a weapon Luc is not able to identify. At first glance, he though they might have been left by arrows, but as he is staring at his comrade now, he is beginning to doubt that earlier thought; the holes are too small to have been left by an arrow's head.

Duo's body twitches slightly, his brow furrowed, his fists clenched. He twists violently to his left, uttering something in a language that Luc can not comprehend. Rising from his chair, he moves towards Duo's bedside, taking a seat beside the dreaming boy. With as much gentleness he can muster, more than he has shown anyone else in years, he brushes his fingers over Duo's brow, soft brown locks brushing against his skin. Luc draws on the connection between, adding his mental voice to physical comfort. Slowly, Duo's body calms, his struggles ceasing as his mind drifts into a less troubled sleep.

"You seem to get along very well with that boy." The door behind him creeks open and light footsteps approach the bed where Luc is sitting. In one, swift, graceful, movement, Luc gets to his feet, his eyes meeting the cool stare of the tengu behind him. A small smile graces Alaois' face, nearly reaching his eyes, which seem filled with pity. "You see him in Duo don't you?"

Luc closes the distance between them, shaking his head slightly at the remark. "I suppose I do; it brings back a lot of memories."

"Good or bad?"

Luc pauses for a moment, letting his lids cover his steely eyes. Finally, "A little of both I suppose. The memories themselves are good ones, it is everything after that adds salt to the wounds."

"I see." Alaois falls into silence for a moment, letting the conversation hang in the air. "So, you're planning on setting out tomorrow."

A statement not a question; quite omniscient aren't we Alaois? "Yes, Duo will be well enough tomorrow to travel, or so he claims."

"Understandable, he wants to go after Hotaru."

If she's still alive, Luc thinks, but refrains from voicing his thoughts. Somehow, he also hoped that the girl was alive.

"Good luck."

"You're not coming?" Luc says, not surprise evident in his voice.

"No, it is about time I left, my job is done, although I would like to return something before I leave." With a quick flick of his wrist, Alaois tosses something into the air, its metallic surface reflecting the sunlight as it spins through the air.

Luc catches the object easily, already knowing what he is holding before he opens his hand. Luc traces the cool surface with his fingers, feeling the outline of a winged dragon on one side and the Seal of Solomon on the other. The Pendant of Hate. Tears unexpectedly gather in his eyes, remaining unshed but still present none the less. Luc quickly wipes his eyes, ashamed of his momentary weakness.

Alaois turns to go, but stops once he reaches the room's threshold. "Let the past go Luc before it consumes you alive. This world needs you whole whether you or it realizes it or not. It is time this foolish war ended at last."

With that, Alaois walks away, closing the door behind him and as the new day dawns upon the horizon, Luc stands beside the window to watch, light from the newly rising sun reflecting of the tiny droplets of water streaming down his cheeks.

The heat of the morning sun touches Duo's skin and he groans inwardly, wishing only to return to sleep. Even though he has been away from his world for months, his internal clock still seems to be working, his body waking up at the crack of dawn. Slowly, he opens his eyes, waiting for the fuzziness to disappear as the room before him solidifies. Without moving he throws a quick glance around the room, noting the fact that he is alone although he could have sworn he had heard Luc's voice dimly only moments before.

Duo rises slowly, ignoring the dull pain that arches up his stomach and into his chest. Carefully, he swings his legs over the bed and remains seated, concentrating on breathing, the bindings on his stomach still making the act of taking in air difficult. Reaching over toward the nightstand beside the bed, he grabs a brush that is resting on the top and begins to brush though his tangled hair, starting at the ends and working his way to the top. Finally, he weaves his hair into its normal braided style, tying the back with black elastic that is still around his wrist.

He gets out of bed slowly so as not to cause a sense of vertigo and walks toward a chair a few feet away, grabbing his black jacket from the piece of furniture. Duo does not bother to button the garment, allowing it to hang loosely around his thin shoulders. No use in causing more pain than absolutely necessary. His movements are a little stiff, his body encumbered by his injuries. He had not felt this bad in-well, ever.

After a little more effort, he makes it to the door, fastening his sword to his side on his way out. Rounding a corner, he makes his way toward the stairs, leaning on the banister for support. The trip is slow going, the tightness in his stomach being the result of each step, the old wooden steps creaking with the added weight. At last, he makes it to the bottom, wiping a few drops of sweat from his brow. He grimaces as he thinks of the strain that the journey is going to cause him if the simple act of walking down a flight of steps is almost enough to bring him to his knees. But Hotaru can't wait, it's bad enough that we've left her alone this long.

"Duo, how are you feeling?"

Duo glances up, pinpointing Eileen sitting with Luc near the fireplace where they had talked the first time. He manages a false smile, hoping silently that the grin isn't wavering; he can not afford to appear weak. Whether he is in good condition or not, he can not let injury hold him back. "I'm doing alright," he replies, putting as much strength into his words as he can. How the hell does Heero do this all the time?

-Bull, Duo, you feel like shit.

-I've felt worse and besides, we can't dawdle here any longer.

Luc smirks, shaking his head slightly. -Thought you'd say that.

Duo glances around the room, suddenly noting an absence in the room. "Where's Alaois?"

"He had to leave, but-" Luc holds out his hand and there, in is outstretched palm lies another key to Heaven's Gate. "He left us a little gift."

"Well, at least that's a step in the right direction." Duo moves over beside Luc and sinks into a chair at the table. "So, do we have any idea where they took Hotaru?"

"I already told you, Hell."

Duo looks at Luc blankly, "Sorry, I think that just went in one ear and out the other, but I could have sworn you said that Hotaru's in Hell."

"She is," Eileen says from the corner, finally looking up at Duo. Her eyes are puffy and dark circles surround them. Her actions seem a little slow and her eyelids droop slightly, a clear sign that she has gone with little sleep in the past several days.

I guess that's my fault. She was always there when I woke up, she must have been by me constantly. Thanks Eileen, I'll make it up to you, I promise.

"The Four Horsemen are the messengers of the apocalypse," Eileen continues, "and yes, they do reside in Hell. This world is divided into four separate worlds two of which, the human and demon worlds, sharing the same space, separated only by thin dimensional barriers created by magic."

"Hold on a second," Duo says, suddenly recalling something. "Are you saying the human and demon worlds are the same world? I could have sworn they were two separate places."

"Please don't interrupt, this is going to take long enough as it is and you can ask all the questions you want later," Eileen says, sounding a little annoyed beneath her calm exterior. "To answer in full would take more time than we have, so I'll try to simplify it as best I can. The two worlds share the same space, the same plane, but because of divisions between the two races long ago, there has been a barrier set up between the two worlds by magic, creating the illusion of having two planes of existence or detentions. That's why it is so easy to move form the human world to the demon world. Do you understand?"

"Vaguely."

"Okay, so the human and demon dimensions make up on world. This plane is called Midthguard, or `The Middle Plane.' Besides this dimension there are two others connected to this one by the Trilok."

Duo gives her a puzzled look that Eileen quickly picks up on. "The Trilok is a giant tree which bridges the universe located on the island of Niyati. It is the center of life for us. Besides Midthguard, there are two other worlds, Asgard, also called Heaven, and Niffleheim, also called Hell. The Darkness resides in Hell, as does his minions. If you want Hotaru back, this is our next destination. I can't say that it won't be dangerous, it just so happens to be suicide. I can not recall anyone coming out Hell alive and sane; The Darkness claims everyone that enters his domain."

Eileen falls silent, her explanations complete. Duo closes his eyes, calmly absorbing the information that he has been given, blocking out the surge of emotion that the thoughts cause and putting them at the back of his mind for the moment. He has switched modes, his happy-go-lucky attitude vanishing beneath the cool, hard, battle-worn, mask of Shinigami. His arms automatically fold against his chest as he leans into his chair, the defensive position closing him off to everything outside. Danger, so what else is new. I've failed too many people already and I refuse to fail her too.

Duo raises his head so that his eyes connect immediately with Luc's-it is all the demon needs, easily reading his friend's thoughts. "So, we're going after her," Luc whispers, a hint of a smile in his voice even though the emotion doesn't reach his face. He doesn't wait for a reply; he already knows the answer. "We can go from here to Daisho by river. The town has a large port and hopefully we can find someone there crazy enough to take us to Niyati Island." He rises from where he seated in one swift, graceful motion and makes his way toward the exit. "Get ready to go, we'll be leaving as soon as I can make arrangements for a ferry. I should be back by the end of the day and if all goes well, we can leave tonight after dinner and be in Daisho by midmorning."

With that, Luc drifts through the common room, barely causing a stir as he passes. Meanwhile, Duo gathers he strength and rises slowly from the chair with a great deal less grace than his companion, stumbling slightly as his bandaged leg hits the ground. Then there is a firm grip on his elbow, holding him steady and keeping him from falling face first into the floor. Eileen's angelic face appears before them, emerald pools filled with concern.

Duo leans gratefully into her, letting her take some of his weight. "Thank you," he says, the pain easing somewhat.

"You're most welcome." Eileen pulls him toward the stairs, helping him up each step as they move. Finally, they reach his room at the door near the stairs. Eileen pauses for a moment, her grip on Duo's shoulder and iron clamp, keeping the young man in place until she finds the words that she is looking for.

Finally, she simply states, "I'm coming with you."

For a moment, Duo doesn't say anything; he can't help not feeling any surprise for some reason. She has no reason to stay, and is willing to risk her life for a group of people she hardly knows.

"Why?" Duo asks, finding his voice.

"I'm not entirely sure," Eileen remarks hesitantly, "it could be that I saw something in Hotaru that I don't want to lose, or maybe it's just that I can't stand to see anyone taken by The Darkness. I could say that it is my duty as a Cleric of Light, that it is my job to battle darkness, but I'm not sure that that's it either. I guess the best thing I can come up with is that I don't want to see anyone else hurt, and I don't mean just Hotaru."

Eileen pauses for a moment, frowning slightly as she draws lids over her green eyes. She bites her lower lip, appearing to be considering something. "Duo, I don't know you very well-I don't know any of you, however, there is something about you, Luc, and Hotaru that pulls me. I have fought this evil for a long time Duo, for the better part of my life, ever since it took the lives of the people in my village. You can stop it; the three of you are capable of stopping centuries of pain. I will do everything in my power to help you succeed."

Duo stares at her for several moments, dumbstruck by the emotion in her eyes, a mix of hope, pain, anger, and even a tinge of fear. She was right, there is no reason she should trust them, no reason for her to lose her life other than the fact that she believed in a hope that most people in this world seem to have lost long ago.

What do you say to someone who would willingly give up their life to someone you care about, no matter what the reason for it? Thousands of responses roll through his head and he grabs blindly at each one, none of them suitable for his purpose. Normally, he would try for some kind of sarcastic response, getting a laugh out of her, but now wasn't the time for it. Really, there is only one thing he can say, even though the simply words seem largely inadequate.

"Thank you."

Duo pushes away from her, leaning on the doorframe for support. "I've got some packing to do, I'll meet you back in the commons room when Luc comes back." Eileen nods and turns to leave, Duo waiting until the creaking sound from stress being put on the old wooden steps to quiet before opening the door. He slinks into the room, moving somewhat stiffly, though the pain is finally beginning to ebb.

It is time I let down the mask.

As Duo, Luc, and Eileen prepare for their journey, the town of Daisho several leagues to the north is just rising for the night. Although the upper half of the city, the better half so far as most people are concerned, is getting ready to sleep, the slums are just coming alive. Lights from taverns and bars shine in the night, accompanied by the sounds of the customers inside-sailors just returning from weeks at see, eager for a little company, women in short dresses and heavy make-up, some trying to find a partner for the night, others trying to avoid one. There were men from the upper class gathered around tables with the lower class trying to find some fun for the night in the arms of a mistress, some feeding off the zest of youth, others wishing only to get away from a wife at home. The night concealed its fair share of thieves and other ruffians, all hoping to make a fortune from the witless bums wandering the streets at the late hour.

A lone figure moves through the streets while sliding along the shadows, his gait purposeful and confident, obviously not as drunk as the hopeless fools around him. He stops suddenly as the door to the bar nearest to him swings open forcefully, an older gentleman falling through the threshold and onto the street, landing flat on his back with no signs of rising. The figure kneels down beside him, pushing his face near the fallen man's while at the same time giving him a light shove in the side with the long staff he holds in his hands.

The figure grins, shaking his head slightly. "Yup, just as I thought," he states quietly under his breath, "drunk as a doornail."

He rises slowly, turning toward the door the drunk had just fallen through. Catching sight of a window near the door, he can not keep his eyes from drifting. Amber eyes catch the light of the warmth from inside of the bar, the gaze of a hunting cat. Pale blond hair, slightly messy but obviously clean hangs sensuously over his eyes, framing his angular face. His body beneath a slightly open white shirt and lightly tan britches is lightly muscled, tall, and somewhat tanned from hours spent in the sun; a body well suited for his dexterous movements. The figure can not help keep a smile from his lips at the image of his reflection, a perfect smile with pearly white, straight teeth. Absently, he brushes his hand through his hair, moving a few strands back into place before entering the door.

A few faces glance up from glasses of ale to regard the newcomer, but quickly leave again; overall, he goes unnoticed. He looks around for a moment before making his way over to an empty table in the far corner from where he can watch every group in the room, including a rather comely serving girl making her way around the tables. Pulling a chair away from the table, he sinks down into it, leaning his staff against the wall behind him where he can easily reach it in the span of a single breath should the need for it arise.

I could be here awhile. In an effort to make himself comfortable, he props his feet up on the table and leans the chair back so that it is balancing on two legs, putting his head against his chest and closing his eyes. Blocking out the sense of sight, his hearing goes into overdrive, picking up conversations from all over the room. After several minutes, his brow creases and he grimaces. He still hasn't heard what he has been waiting to hear. Why couldn't one of these lousy drunks say something useful? Why should he care about what Lord Blough's wife looks like, or the horrible drought that has been damaging crops further inland?

He slams his chair down loudly, surprising some of the men nearest to him, his frustration finally reaching its peak. Just as he is about to try elsewhere however, his ears pick up on the words from a conversation four tables down from him.

A man with eyes like a weasel is speaking with the bartender, his voice rising over the din. The man gestures with his hands, accenting what he is saying causing his overly fed belly to jiggle up and down with each movement.

"I tell ya, I seen it m'self jus this morn'in! The ol bat git his `ands on that pirate's sword. An what a beauty it es too!" The man hiccups, stuttering slightly over his words, swaying slightly from the over consumption of alcohol.

Finally! Some information, I knew if I was just patient enough-

The newcomer kicks his chair away and grabs his staff, moving toward the drunkard near the bar with alacrity. "A pirate's sword! You don't say?"

The drunk whips around, jumping at the sound of a strange voice behind him. "What! Ya don be'live me!"

"Oh, no!" says the stranger quickly, "I believe you, in fact I find it most fascinating." He pauses slightly, reaching to his side for the money pouch that lies under his tunic. "Bartender, please serve this gentleman another round, on me!" He flips a silver piece onto the counter and the bartender stares at it with shock. The stranger meets the bartender's eyes and winks; the bartender in return nods, smiling wickedly. He got the message easily enough `keep the drinks coming.'

The easiest way to get information from a man is to oil his tongue-or please his desire, but the former is so much easier.

"Thank ya kindly sir," the drunk says, taking another swig of ale.

"Oh, its no problem," the stranger replies, the words falling like liquid from his mouth. "Please, continue to tell me about this sword, you have my undivided attention."

"Weel, ya know that `is lurdship ex'cuted a pirate a fortnight ago, right? Weel, when the lurd fin'ly nabbed `im, he took from `im a great sword which was supposed ta be sev'rl `undred years ol an forged by the God Akhilesh `imslef. A'first, I didna believe it, but when I went to the hall yes'day ta make a plea for my lan', I saw it, hangin' above the mantle." The man takes another deep gulp of ale, swaying slightly after he does so. "Yup, saw me'self, yup…"

The stranger frowns slightly, the drunk becoming more and more incomprehensible with each word, but no matter, he has gotten the information he came for. Lord Artair's estate huh? This may be harder than I originally planned. Perhaps I should have brought the others with me.

Suddenly, a scream from the other side of the bar catches his attention, followed closely by a loud crash. The stranger moves away from the drunk and around a pillar to find the serving girl he had spotted earlier being held against her will at sword point by a rather unfriendly looking man with torn brown shirt and leggings, big belly, strangely black hair, and an unkempt beard down his chest.

"Come on Binne, I paid you yesterday!"

The girl, Binne, moves away from the man's hold, only to find her self backed against the wall. "Get away from me!"

Moving forward at a rapid pace the stranger taps the man on the shoulder. I have had enough of this. No man should ever lay hands on a lady like that without her permission!

"What? Who the Hell are you?" the man asks, his voice deep and scratchy, filled with a little too many spirits.

"Please get your hands off of that young lady now before you regret it," the stranger says, his voice calm and even.

The man stares at the stranger blankly and then releases the girl roughly, laughing as he does so. "Or I'll regret it? What are you going to do, beat me with your stick?"

The stranger smiles, bringing his staff in front of him. "Yeah, something like that. Who knows, maybe you'll get a splinter and die from the pain."

Grinning evilly, the man lets out a savage yell, raising his sword above his head and preparing for a strike.

How clumsy. The stranger easily sidesteps the attack and brings the butt of his staff up against his opponent's knee, blowing out the limb and sending his assailant to the floor. Then, with a practiced precision, he flips the staff around and connects the wood with the man's nose. When he is sure the man is down for good, the stranger kneels down and searches for a pulse, a chill running up his spine when he finds none. Damn, a little bit too hard.

Outside, he hears the unmistakable sound of boots on wood and the swish of swords as they leave their sheaths. The door swings open and a middle-aged man in heavy armor, a little shorter than him with black hair and eyes plastered onto a weather beaten face comes into the room, grinning upon seeing the face of the stranger.

"Jin, so nice of you to drop in. I was hoping you would have been more of a challenge to find. Oh, well, tough luck. In the name of Lord Artair, you are to be captured and hung within the week. It's been a merry chase though, hope you don't hold that against me."

"So Artair, you finally found me, I can't believe it took you so long. I can't believe you kept me waiting." Damn! This didn't turn out at all how I expected it. Looks like I'll have to improvise.

Duo looks up as a knock sounds on the door and Eileen peeks her head through a crack in the door. "Luc's back Duo, we're leaving in a few minutes, so whenever you're ready."

Duo nods. "Thanks Eileen, I'll be down in a moment."

The door closes and Duo waits for a moment until the retreating footsteps disappear. Finally, he grabs his priest jacket from the bed and puts in on, buttoning it up so that it covers the scars on his body.

After a moment, he reaches into a pocket on the inside of the jacket, feeling a familiar presence of cool metal. Carefully, he slides his gun out, releasing the nearly empty cartridge inside and replacing it with his last full one before replacing it and making sure the safety is on.

No more games, Shinigami is calling for your deaths Horsemen.

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These stories are getting a little shorter J