Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ DragonLance - the Shinigami Rewrites ❯ Pax Tharkas ( Chapter 8 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: kenderlyn 
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 08.31.2001 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 288 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 08.31.2001 | Pages: 2 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 288 | Status: Work In Progress
The Shinigami rewrites - DragonLance Chronicles.
Gundam Wing isn't mine. DragonLance isn't mine. Nothing is mine, not even my hair colour.
I thought that with all the descriptions of Duo, it would be funny to see Heero interact with a kender. Then I thought of this. Yaoi, X-over, AU. Duo as a kender... scary. Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.
Hmm, when I read this part of the novels for the first time, I didn't care whether Eben or Gilthanas were the traitor, I hated them both. I figured that anyone reading this already knows which one of them was the real traitor, so I'll just tell it as I go - if I give it away, I give it away.
/thoughts/
Part 8 - Pax Tharkas
Duo looked around him. He had felt Fizban shoving him toward the chain. It wasn't until they got to the top, that he realised that he had been separated from the others. /I hope they're alright. Trowa too./ Duo patiently listened to Tas and Fizban arguing.
"Fizban, you can't go down there, it just isn't safe." Although Duo said this, he wondered briefly whether he really believed what he was saying.
The pair had settled to get some rest, and Duo wrinkled his nose, glancing at Tas.
"Hey Tas, can you smell-" the kender sniffed carefully, then, looking around, he sighed and tugged on the mage's sleeve.
"Uh, Fizban, your hat's on fire."
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"Flint," Tanis said sternly, "for the last time - I feel as badly as you do about losing Tas, but we cannot go back! He's with Fizban and Duo. Knowing those three, they'll all manage to get out of whatever predicament they're in."
"If they don't bring the whole fortress down around our ears," Sturm muttered. Heero and Quatre exchanged worried glances. They hadn't bothered to suggest searching for Duo, after the dwarf - obviously Tanis' closest friend - had been told 'no' so firmly. But still... /Duo please be alright,/ they both thought, worried. Heero tried to keep a rein on his anxiety about his friend, while Quatre was obviously upset. They were so worried about Duo, that they only barely noticed Eben trying to further fracture the group. They listened to Gilthanas' plan to go and disguise them as women to free the children. Heero smirked.
"Pity Duo isn't here, imagine his face at hearing the plan." Quatre smiled for the first time since Duo had been separated from the group.
"True. I do hope he's alright."
"So do I. But then, I hope Trowa and Wufei are alright. Do you know where Wufei is?"
""No, I think Duo dropped him north of where you had crashed, but it's been so long now that he could be anywhere. Heero nodded. They followed when they realised that the others were heading out.
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They had been crawling for more than an hour, among the boulders and chains in what Tas had dubbed the mechanism room. Finally Fizban had noticed light, and they crawled through a tunnel, leading them to a crack in the wall. It led to the Highlord's throne room. They could hear everything, and even see a little too, through the tiny crack. Duo was fascinated when he saw the huge crimson dragon transform into a slender human man in red robes. Duo and Tas both recognised Fewmaster Toede instantly. They watched as he denounced Sestun as a traitor. /Baka. As if a gully dwarf knew what he was doing. Hell, he was just helping to free someone who was kind to him./ he listened to Verminaard humiliating Toede. Not that he felt sorry for him, of course. Then he smirked at Verminaard's next words.
"So you have captured a gully dwarf and a spy who can neither hear nor speak, well done, Toede. Perhaps now you can go out and pick me a bouquet of flowers."
"If that is your lordship's pleasure." Duo grinned, as he heard the scathing retort and the hobgoblin's reply. /I almost liked him for a moment. What a put-down!/ Then after the Highlord left, a draconian entered, informing the dragon about the traitor. /So there is a traitor. Is it Gilthanas? But, I don't think so. I think Heero was starting to suspect either Raistlin, Fizban or that new guy, Eben. Eben mostly since he doesn't like elves. My quisalas is so defensive of me. So who is it? Would Raistlin really turn on his brother?/
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"Stop that, you bold man!" Caramon simpered. The women in the room were laughing hard. Heero paused in his own cross-dressing experience, to look at Quatre, they were both getting in on this. They were determined to find Trowa. And that meant turning transvestite. He smiled as one of the women helped him adjust the clothing. Eben grinned.
"You two are real pretty. I wonder if that elven friend of yours would clean up as well." Heero gave Eben a 'Glare of Death'(tm). The fighter blanched. Quatre gave a satisfied smirk of his own at that reaction. /Serves him right for making that sort of comment about Duo. They listened to the conversations around them, then followed as the draconians led the 'women' out. Raistlin had stayed behind.
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Tas had picked the lock to some sort of art gallery. Duo sat with Tas, as they tried to work out where the dragon's lair was. Unlike Tas, Duo wasn't eager to see a red dragon close up. Fizban called the kender over to him, and they stood for a moment looking at a picture. Duo glanced over at them, but disregarded them. /Maybe this is how the others feel when I go into kender mode... I think that maybe I'll tone it down now. Maybe now I can work this out./ Duo had just worked it all out, when Tas came back to him. Duo grinned.
"You don't remember? I think Fizban must be rubbing off onto you." Tas grinned back at him, at this echo of his own thoughts. The trio walked in the direction that they had decided on.
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Heero sighed. /just like during the war. We only want to help, but they won't accept us. Duo would have convinced them by now. Koi, where are you?/ They listened to Hederick's tirade against Goldmoon. No-one was listening to him, so Heero quickly decided against using a pressure point on the raving fanatic. /If I knock him out, it will just convince people that he may be right./ Quatre glanced at him. His uchuu no kokoro told him that Heero was worried about Duo again, but he was a little wary about letting the others in the group know about that little secret. He leaned forward.
"Heero," he whispered, "Duo is fine. I'm sure of it." Heero glanced at Quatre.
"Uchuu no kokoro?" Quatre nodded. Heero relaxed slightly. "Good." They didn't say any more. Then they saw him. Trowa, leaning over a sick man, who had called out an answer to a question Laurana had asked. The man, Elistan, Maritta called him, seemed a little snappish. He was dying of a wasting sickness. When Goldmoon went to Elistan, Trowa glanced up at Heero and Quatre. When they both nodded, he stepped back, allowing the cleric to approach the sick man. The three young men clasped hands. Then Trowa asked.
"Where are Duo and Wufei?" It was Quatre who answered him.
"Wufei we still haven't found, Duo got separated from the group. He has to be somewhere in the fortress." Trowa didn't answer, he just nodded. The three of them looked up at Sturm's harsh declaration.
"Both Eben and Gilthanas are gone!" /So it's true, there is a traitor./
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Tas seemed shell-shocked. But then, Tas was an amazingly trusting person. Duo knew better, after all, he had survived a war and the Mariemaia incident. And he hadn't survived them by being naive and trusting. Then he focused on Tas words.
"I'm not supposed to be the one that thinks. I just come along for the fun. We can't warn Tanis and the others, because we don't know where they are. And if we start wandering around to look for them, we might get caught and only make things worse!" Tas appeared to slump for a moment. Then he got a thoughtful look on his childlike face. "You know, I asked my father once why kender were little, why we weren't big like humans and elves. I really wanted to be big." Tas fell silent, his face wistful after that almost whispered comment.
"What did your father say?" Fizban asked. Duo listened closely to this. He wondered if the answer would be like Father Maxwell's response to a almost eight-year-old half-elf/Half-kender. It was.
"He said kender were small because we were meant to do small things. 'If you look at all the big things in the world closely,' he said, 'you'll see that they're really made up of small things all joined together.' That big dragon down there comes to nothing but tiny drops of blood, maybe. It's the small things that make the difference." Duo smiled. /Wisdom is wisdom. It doesn't matter if it comes from a human priest on L2, or an kender's father in Kendermore./ The half-kender smiled again as he heard Tas announce that they would be rescuing Sestun. /Sometimes I really love the kender./
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Heero sighed. He was sitting with the others. Trowa was waiting patiently with the men in the other cell. He was probably Elistan's strongest supporter. They were waiting quietly, then Quatre touched Heero on the shoulder.
"Heero, we have to talk," he whispered in Japanese. Heero nodded. /Good idea Quatre, I don't think any of them will understand Japanese.
"What is it Quatre?"
"This plan, it doesn't seem right."
"I know. Trowa and I were discussing it. That's why he stayed with Elistan rather than coming back with us. The less the traitor knows about -our- numbers, the better."
"So there really is a traitor? I do hope Duo is ok."
"Hai. There is a traitor. Near as I can tell, it is either Raistlin, Gilthanas or this Eben."
"Who do you think it is Heero?"
"My preferences run to Eben."
"Why Eben?"
"He was too eager to lay suspicion on Gilthanas as a traitor. Raistlin is perfectly right in not trying to defend himself. None of them are willing to trust him, although he has never once betrayed us yet. Same with Gilthanas. They were so willing to believe he is the traitor, but there is no proof, beyond the fact that he is secretive. But we all have secrets. I certainly haven't told them about all I can do, you haven't told anyone about your uchuu no kokoro, I noticed. Duo's been hiding bits and pieces. We all have secrets. But Eben..."
"What is it exactly with him?"
"First, he was trying to break up the group, setting the humans against the elves. He started on Gilthanas, and moved onto Duo and Laurana. Laurana is silly, but she wouldn't help an enemy of her people, or Tanis."
"Good point. Is it just me, or does she act like Relena did during the war?"
"It's not just you. Eben is too suspicious. I can't bring myself to trust him. I'd almost rather have Dekim Barton on my side." Suddenly Quatre spoke shrewdly between his giggles.
"Do you dislike him for trying to break up the group, or because he accused Duo?"
"Both." There was silence for a moment. Then Heero returned to the original topic. The shocked look on Tanis' face said it all. /He's figured it out./ "Ne Quatre, there is a big problem with the plan."
"What is it Heero?"
"It's a big set up. Verminaard will use it as a way of getting rid of us without dirtying his own hands. He really doesn't want to face Goldmoon." Quatre nodded, then settled down to get some sleep, as Tanis called out.
"Heero, can you and -Quatre was it?- take the second watch?"
"Hai, we can." Heero answered calmly.
"Better get some sleep then Heero." Came Flint's response. The ex-pilot nodded, and leaned against the wall. He dropped straight off to sleep.
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Heero had stayed awake after his watch. He couldn't get back to sleep. Quatre was already sleeping like a baby. Sprawled across Heero's lap. Heero, despite his wakefulness, was feeling remarkably relaxed. Sitting like this, silent in the dark, with Tanis and Riverwind, reminded him of the good old days with Trowa and Wufei, just waiting for that braided baka to wake up and spoil the silence. That was before the idiot had stolen his heart. Now he needed that chatter. For a moment, fear clenched his heart. /Duo no baka, where are you?/ Then he relaxed again. /Nothing I can do yet./ He glanced at the other two. He had done his shift, so they weren't expecting him to help watch. He did anyway. /Can't lose all my training./ As dawn approached, Heero waited. This would be it. They had to free the women and children, then lead the men in a revolt. /Hn. I hope this all works. And Duo, please be alright./
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Tas, Fizban, Duo and Sestun were all running out of the dragon's reach. Duo gasped as he felt a brief heat on his ass, the dragon had breathed on him. /Death can't die. Just keep telling yourself that. I have to get out of here, find Heero, and... oops, not good to think X-rated thoughts while you're trying to escape a fire-breathing dragon./ They kept running. They had finally reached the secret door that had led them to the hidden art gallery, heading back to the mechanism room. They were waiting for the dragon to break through to them. /So this is it, is it? I don't even get to see Heero one last time... much less kiss him./ then, the crazed mage cried out.
"Down the chain!" as the old man cackled, Duo sighed. Then the other three followed him. Duo started to pray to the god that Father Maxwell had taught him of, a god he wasn't sure he believed in, then stopped. /Here goes, I haven't done this since I was five./ Making up his mind, remembering Goldmoon, he prayed again, but this time, he thought there might just be someone listening. /Paladine, I know that I haven't kept faith, but I don't know if I could bear to let Heero down. I'm not asking for me. I'm asking for him, please let us survive this./ He noticed that they had finally reached the great chain. Taking a deep breath, Duo followed Fizban down the chain. He glanced up to see Tas directly above him. Then the dragon broke through the wall. Duo huddled on the chain. He knew that Tas hadn't considered the possibility that the dragon's fire breath would melt the chain. But Duo had. Something that Fizban was doing protected them from the flames, but it wouldn't protect them from meeting the ground hard. The chain snapped, and the wheel was released, activating the ancient mechanism. Duo heard the old mage try one more spell.
"Pveathrf-" the word was cut off with a scream. A bone crushing thud, as the magician fell. Duo paled. Then it began snowing. Chicken feathers. /Oh damn. This is it then./ Duo closed his eyes, growing calm. /I will not go to Shinigami without my dignity./ His face grew peaceful as the ground rushed up to meet him. /I'm sorry Heero./ Everything went black.
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Trowa frowned. That man, Eben, had run in. he had shouted some bull about Tanis wanting them to meet in the courtyard. /Damn. Heero was right about him. I guess we all thought he was just touchy because the bastard insulted Duo. I should have remembered. Heero isn't bitchy./ As the people milled together, Trowa looked desperately for Heero and Quatre. Finally he found them.
"Trowa, we need to find Duo! The dwarf said that the mechanism's been activated! We have to find him or he'll be trapped inside!" Trowa glanced at Heero for confirmation.
"It's true Trowa, Flint knows what he's talking about. We have to find Duo, and fast." They looked to where the men from their group were fighting the Highlord. Heero moved forward a step, then shook his head, and turned toward the fortress. They saw Eben and another man standing at the gates, as the massive rocks dropped on them. Heero paled, then let out a whisper.
"Duo..."
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Tas searched desperately for some sign of his larger companions. Where was Duo? He wasn't dead, was he? Tas wondered why Duo didn't speak, unaware that Duo's larger size had made his landing a lot harder than that of the diminutive kender and Aghar. Tas searched frantically, seeking some sign that his half-kender friend was alright.
"Duo! You can't die, otherwise Heero will really kill me!" then he found it. A thick brown rope, about three foot long. Attached to a head. Tas shook Duo hurriedly. "DUO!" the kender yelled. "Wake up, we have to go!" the braided boy mumbled something.
"G'way Hee-Chan, too early." The kender sighed with relief, Duo was alive. Then he shook the half-elf again. "Heero, s'that you?" he mumbled.
"NO!" the kender yelled.
"Tas? What happened?"
"We fell. Fizban is dead, I think, Sestun is fine, are you alright?" Duo catalogued his various aches and pains. /I'm alive.../
"I'll be fine Tas, let's get out of here. The mechanism..."
"I know, let's go." They left in a hurry, Sestun in tow, in relative silence. Silence for a kender and a half that is.
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Heero, Trowa and Quatre were sitting apart, worried. The others were working to help Elistan and the plainsmen with Goldmoon and Riverwind's wedding vows. They were just hoping that Duo was alright. Flint came over, he took one look at the trio, then spoke softly.
"If you're going in there, tell me. I want to make sure that doorknob hasn't caused too much trouble." Heero looked at the dwarf. From his seated position, Flint was almost level with him. He nodded. Then there was a call.
"See! I told you this was the right way! There's Heero there! The voice grew more joyful. "And see there's that blonde guy, you called him Cat or something, right Shin? And Flint! Hey Flint! Did you miss me?" The laughing response made Heero's heart leap.
"Yeah yeah, I see 'em Tas." Heero didn't pause. He was on his feet, and running to greet Duo at a run. The pair embraced. Quatre smiled.
"Good to see you made it out Duo." Then he smiled. "Come on Tas, Tanis will be glad to see you made it out safely." Calmly the Arabian led Tas, Trowa and Flint out of the clearing, while Duo and Heero showed each other just how worried they had been.
Quatre smiled. Next to that, Goldmoon's wedding was unimportant.
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Wufei sighed. Nemesis had left only yesterday. For a woman, she had been... interesting. He wondered where the others were. Then sighed. He was going to have to move soon, maybe to the north. /I wonder if they found Yuy yet./
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Nice long chapter, huh? I wanted to get Pax Tharkas over with in one chapter, so it's longer than normal. Like it? Let me know! I'm not going to bother with the wedding, (cause weddings bore me silly!) so this marks the end of volume one! Will I continue with Winter Night? You tell me!
For those of you who know, how will I split the boys at Tarsis? Guess... will I be sadistic? Will Wufei become related to Duo?? What about Quatre or Trowa? Ha ha! Please review!
Gundam Wing isn't mine. DragonLance isn't mine. Nothing is mine, not even my hair colour.
I thought that with all the descriptions of Duo, it would be funny to see Heero interact with a kender. Then I thought of this. Yaoi, X-over, AU. Duo as a kender... scary. Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.
Hmm, when I read this part of the novels for the first time, I didn't care whether Eben or Gilthanas were the traitor, I hated them both. I figured that anyone reading this already knows which one of them was the real traitor, so I'll just tell it as I go - if I give it away, I give it away.
/thoughts/
Part 8 - Pax Tharkas
Duo looked around him. He had felt Fizban shoving him toward the chain. It wasn't until they got to the top, that he realised that he had been separated from the others. /I hope they're alright. Trowa too./ Duo patiently listened to Tas and Fizban arguing.
"Fizban, you can't go down there, it just isn't safe." Although Duo said this, he wondered briefly whether he really believed what he was saying.
The pair had settled to get some rest, and Duo wrinkled his nose, glancing at Tas.
"Hey Tas, can you smell-" the kender sniffed carefully, then, looking around, he sighed and tugged on the mage's sleeve.
"Uh, Fizban, your hat's on fire."
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"Flint," Tanis said sternly, "for the last time - I feel as badly as you do about losing Tas, but we cannot go back! He's with Fizban and Duo. Knowing those three, they'll all manage to get out of whatever predicament they're in."
"If they don't bring the whole fortress down around our ears," Sturm muttered. Heero and Quatre exchanged worried glances. They hadn't bothered to suggest searching for Duo, after the dwarf - obviously Tanis' closest friend - had been told 'no' so firmly. But still... /Duo please be alright,/ they both thought, worried. Heero tried to keep a rein on his anxiety about his friend, while Quatre was obviously upset. They were so worried about Duo, that they only barely noticed Eben trying to further fracture the group. They listened to Gilthanas' plan to go and disguise them as women to free the children. Heero smirked.
"Pity Duo isn't here, imagine his face at hearing the plan." Quatre smiled for the first time since Duo had been separated from the group.
"True. I do hope he's alright."
"So do I. But then, I hope Trowa and Wufei are alright. Do you know where Wufei is?"
""No, I think Duo dropped him north of where you had crashed, but it's been so long now that he could be anywhere. Heero nodded. They followed when they realised that the others were heading out.
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They had been crawling for more than an hour, among the boulders and chains in what Tas had dubbed the mechanism room. Finally Fizban had noticed light, and they crawled through a tunnel, leading them to a crack in the wall. It led to the Highlord's throne room. They could hear everything, and even see a little too, through the tiny crack. Duo was fascinated when he saw the huge crimson dragon transform into a slender human man in red robes. Duo and Tas both recognised Fewmaster Toede instantly. They watched as he denounced Sestun as a traitor. /Baka. As if a gully dwarf knew what he was doing. Hell, he was just helping to free someone who was kind to him./ he listened to Verminaard humiliating Toede. Not that he felt sorry for him, of course. Then he smirked at Verminaard's next words.
"So you have captured a gully dwarf and a spy who can neither hear nor speak, well done, Toede. Perhaps now you can go out and pick me a bouquet of flowers."
"If that is your lordship's pleasure." Duo grinned, as he heard the scathing retort and the hobgoblin's reply. /I almost liked him for a moment. What a put-down!/ Then after the Highlord left, a draconian entered, informing the dragon about the traitor. /So there is a traitor. Is it Gilthanas? But, I don't think so. I think Heero was starting to suspect either Raistlin, Fizban or that new guy, Eben. Eben mostly since he doesn't like elves. My quisalas is so defensive of me. So who is it? Would Raistlin really turn on his brother?/
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"Stop that, you bold man!" Caramon simpered. The women in the room were laughing hard. Heero paused in his own cross-dressing experience, to look at Quatre, they were both getting in on this. They were determined to find Trowa. And that meant turning transvestite. He smiled as one of the women helped him adjust the clothing. Eben grinned.
"You two are real pretty. I wonder if that elven friend of yours would clean up as well." Heero gave Eben a 'Glare of Death'(tm). The fighter blanched. Quatre gave a satisfied smirk of his own at that reaction. /Serves him right for making that sort of comment about Duo. They listened to the conversations around them, then followed as the draconians led the 'women' out. Raistlin had stayed behind.
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Tas had picked the lock to some sort of art gallery. Duo sat with Tas, as they tried to work out where the dragon's lair was. Unlike Tas, Duo wasn't eager to see a red dragon close up. Fizban called the kender over to him, and they stood for a moment looking at a picture. Duo glanced over at them, but disregarded them. /Maybe this is how the others feel when I go into kender mode... I think that maybe I'll tone it down now. Maybe now I can work this out./ Duo had just worked it all out, when Tas came back to him. Duo grinned.
"You don't remember? I think Fizban must be rubbing off onto you." Tas grinned back at him, at this echo of his own thoughts. The trio walked in the direction that they had decided on.
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Heero sighed. /just like during the war. We only want to help, but they won't accept us. Duo would have convinced them by now. Koi, where are you?/ They listened to Hederick's tirade against Goldmoon. No-one was listening to him, so Heero quickly decided against using a pressure point on the raving fanatic. /If I knock him out, it will just convince people that he may be right./ Quatre glanced at him. His uchuu no kokoro told him that Heero was worried about Duo again, but he was a little wary about letting the others in the group know about that little secret. He leaned forward.
"Heero," he whispered, "Duo is fine. I'm sure of it." Heero glanced at Quatre.
"Uchuu no kokoro?" Quatre nodded. Heero relaxed slightly. "Good." They didn't say any more. Then they saw him. Trowa, leaning over a sick man, who had called out an answer to a question Laurana had asked. The man, Elistan, Maritta called him, seemed a little snappish. He was dying of a wasting sickness. When Goldmoon went to Elistan, Trowa glanced up at Heero and Quatre. When they both nodded, he stepped back, allowing the cleric to approach the sick man. The three young men clasped hands. Then Trowa asked.
"Where are Duo and Wufei?" It was Quatre who answered him.
"Wufei we still haven't found, Duo got separated from the group. He has to be somewhere in the fortress." Trowa didn't answer, he just nodded. The three of them looked up at Sturm's harsh declaration.
"Both Eben and Gilthanas are gone!" /So it's true, there is a traitor./
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Tas seemed shell-shocked. But then, Tas was an amazingly trusting person. Duo knew better, after all, he had survived a war and the Mariemaia incident. And he hadn't survived them by being naive and trusting. Then he focused on Tas words.
"I'm not supposed to be the one that thinks. I just come along for the fun. We can't warn Tanis and the others, because we don't know where they are. And if we start wandering around to look for them, we might get caught and only make things worse!" Tas appeared to slump for a moment. Then he got a thoughtful look on his childlike face. "You know, I asked my father once why kender were little, why we weren't big like humans and elves. I really wanted to be big." Tas fell silent, his face wistful after that almost whispered comment.
"What did your father say?" Fizban asked. Duo listened closely to this. He wondered if the answer would be like Father Maxwell's response to a almost eight-year-old half-elf/Half-kender. It was.
"He said kender were small because we were meant to do small things. 'If you look at all the big things in the world closely,' he said, 'you'll see that they're really made up of small things all joined together.' That big dragon down there comes to nothing but tiny drops of blood, maybe. It's the small things that make the difference." Duo smiled. /Wisdom is wisdom. It doesn't matter if it comes from a human priest on L2, or an kender's father in Kendermore./ The half-kender smiled again as he heard Tas announce that they would be rescuing Sestun. /Sometimes I really love the kender./
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Heero sighed. He was sitting with the others. Trowa was waiting patiently with the men in the other cell. He was probably Elistan's strongest supporter. They were waiting quietly, then Quatre touched Heero on the shoulder.
"Heero, we have to talk," he whispered in Japanese. Heero nodded. /Good idea Quatre, I don't think any of them will understand Japanese.
"What is it Quatre?"
"This plan, it doesn't seem right."
"I know. Trowa and I were discussing it. That's why he stayed with Elistan rather than coming back with us. The less the traitor knows about -our- numbers, the better."
"So there really is a traitor? I do hope Duo is ok."
"Hai. There is a traitor. Near as I can tell, it is either Raistlin, Gilthanas or this Eben."
"Who do you think it is Heero?"
"My preferences run to Eben."
"Why Eben?"
"He was too eager to lay suspicion on Gilthanas as a traitor. Raistlin is perfectly right in not trying to defend himself. None of them are willing to trust him, although he has never once betrayed us yet. Same with Gilthanas. They were so willing to believe he is the traitor, but there is no proof, beyond the fact that he is secretive. But we all have secrets. I certainly haven't told them about all I can do, you haven't told anyone about your uchuu no kokoro, I noticed. Duo's been hiding bits and pieces. We all have secrets. But Eben..."
"What is it exactly with him?"
"First, he was trying to break up the group, setting the humans against the elves. He started on Gilthanas, and moved onto Duo and Laurana. Laurana is silly, but she wouldn't help an enemy of her people, or Tanis."
"Good point. Is it just me, or does she act like Relena did during the war?"
"It's not just you. Eben is too suspicious. I can't bring myself to trust him. I'd almost rather have Dekim Barton on my side." Suddenly Quatre spoke shrewdly between his giggles.
"Do you dislike him for trying to break up the group, or because he accused Duo?"
"Both." There was silence for a moment. Then Heero returned to the original topic. The shocked look on Tanis' face said it all. /He's figured it out./ "Ne Quatre, there is a big problem with the plan."
"What is it Heero?"
"It's a big set up. Verminaard will use it as a way of getting rid of us without dirtying his own hands. He really doesn't want to face Goldmoon." Quatre nodded, then settled down to get some sleep, as Tanis called out.
"Heero, can you and -Quatre was it?- take the second watch?"
"Hai, we can." Heero answered calmly.
"Better get some sleep then Heero." Came Flint's response. The ex-pilot nodded, and leaned against the wall. He dropped straight off to sleep.
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Heero had stayed awake after his watch. He couldn't get back to sleep. Quatre was already sleeping like a baby. Sprawled across Heero's lap. Heero, despite his wakefulness, was feeling remarkably relaxed. Sitting like this, silent in the dark, with Tanis and Riverwind, reminded him of the good old days with Trowa and Wufei, just waiting for that braided baka to wake up and spoil the silence. That was before the idiot had stolen his heart. Now he needed that chatter. For a moment, fear clenched his heart. /Duo no baka, where are you?/ Then he relaxed again. /Nothing I can do yet./ He glanced at the other two. He had done his shift, so they weren't expecting him to help watch. He did anyway. /Can't lose all my training./ As dawn approached, Heero waited. This would be it. They had to free the women and children, then lead the men in a revolt. /Hn. I hope this all works. And Duo, please be alright./
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Tas, Fizban, Duo and Sestun were all running out of the dragon's reach. Duo gasped as he felt a brief heat on his ass, the dragon had breathed on him. /Death can't die. Just keep telling yourself that. I have to get out of here, find Heero, and... oops, not good to think X-rated thoughts while you're trying to escape a fire-breathing dragon./ They kept running. They had finally reached the secret door that had led them to the hidden art gallery, heading back to the mechanism room. They were waiting for the dragon to break through to them. /So this is it, is it? I don't even get to see Heero one last time... much less kiss him./ then, the crazed mage cried out.
"Down the chain!" as the old man cackled, Duo sighed. Then the other three followed him. Duo started to pray to the god that Father Maxwell had taught him of, a god he wasn't sure he believed in, then stopped. /Here goes, I haven't done this since I was five./ Making up his mind, remembering Goldmoon, he prayed again, but this time, he thought there might just be someone listening. /Paladine, I know that I haven't kept faith, but I don't know if I could bear to let Heero down. I'm not asking for me. I'm asking for him, please let us survive this./ He noticed that they had finally reached the great chain. Taking a deep breath, Duo followed Fizban down the chain. He glanced up to see Tas directly above him. Then the dragon broke through the wall. Duo huddled on the chain. He knew that Tas hadn't considered the possibility that the dragon's fire breath would melt the chain. But Duo had. Something that Fizban was doing protected them from the flames, but it wouldn't protect them from meeting the ground hard. The chain snapped, and the wheel was released, activating the ancient mechanism. Duo heard the old mage try one more spell.
"Pveathrf-" the word was cut off with a scream. A bone crushing thud, as the magician fell. Duo paled. Then it began snowing. Chicken feathers. /Oh damn. This is it then./ Duo closed his eyes, growing calm. /I will not go to Shinigami without my dignity./ His face grew peaceful as the ground rushed up to meet him. /I'm sorry Heero./ Everything went black.
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Trowa frowned. That man, Eben, had run in. he had shouted some bull about Tanis wanting them to meet in the courtyard. /Damn. Heero was right about him. I guess we all thought he was just touchy because the bastard insulted Duo. I should have remembered. Heero isn't bitchy./ As the people milled together, Trowa looked desperately for Heero and Quatre. Finally he found them.
"Trowa, we need to find Duo! The dwarf said that the mechanism's been activated! We have to find him or he'll be trapped inside!" Trowa glanced at Heero for confirmation.
"It's true Trowa, Flint knows what he's talking about. We have to find Duo, and fast." They looked to where the men from their group were fighting the Highlord. Heero moved forward a step, then shook his head, and turned toward the fortress. They saw Eben and another man standing at the gates, as the massive rocks dropped on them. Heero paled, then let out a whisper.
"Duo..."
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Tas searched desperately for some sign of his larger companions. Where was Duo? He wasn't dead, was he? Tas wondered why Duo didn't speak, unaware that Duo's larger size had made his landing a lot harder than that of the diminutive kender and Aghar. Tas searched frantically, seeking some sign that his half-kender friend was alright.
"Duo! You can't die, otherwise Heero will really kill me!" then he found it. A thick brown rope, about three foot long. Attached to a head. Tas shook Duo hurriedly. "DUO!" the kender yelled. "Wake up, we have to go!" the braided boy mumbled something.
"G'way Hee-Chan, too early." The kender sighed with relief, Duo was alive. Then he shook the half-elf again. "Heero, s'that you?" he mumbled.
"NO!" the kender yelled.
"Tas? What happened?"
"We fell. Fizban is dead, I think, Sestun is fine, are you alright?" Duo catalogued his various aches and pains. /I'm alive.../
"I'll be fine Tas, let's get out of here. The mechanism..."
"I know, let's go." They left in a hurry, Sestun in tow, in relative silence. Silence for a kender and a half that is.
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Heero, Trowa and Quatre were sitting apart, worried. The others were working to help Elistan and the plainsmen with Goldmoon and Riverwind's wedding vows. They were just hoping that Duo was alright. Flint came over, he took one look at the trio, then spoke softly.
"If you're going in there, tell me. I want to make sure that doorknob hasn't caused too much trouble." Heero looked at the dwarf. From his seated position, Flint was almost level with him. He nodded. Then there was a call.
"See! I told you this was the right way! There's Heero there! The voice grew more joyful. "And see there's that blonde guy, you called him Cat or something, right Shin? And Flint! Hey Flint! Did you miss me?" The laughing response made Heero's heart leap.
"Yeah yeah, I see 'em Tas." Heero didn't pause. He was on his feet, and running to greet Duo at a run. The pair embraced. Quatre smiled.
"Good to see you made it out Duo." Then he smiled. "Come on Tas, Tanis will be glad to see you made it out safely." Calmly the Arabian led Tas, Trowa and Flint out of the clearing, while Duo and Heero showed each other just how worried they had been.
Quatre smiled. Next to that, Goldmoon's wedding was unimportant.
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Wufei sighed. Nemesis had left only yesterday. For a woman, she had been... interesting. He wondered where the others were. Then sighed. He was going to have to move soon, maybe to the north. /I wonder if they found Yuy yet./
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Nice long chapter, huh? I wanted to get Pax Tharkas over with in one chapter, so it's longer than normal. Like it? Let me know! I'm not going to bother with the wedding, (cause weddings bore me silly!) so this marks the end of volume one! Will I continue with Winter Night? You tell me!
For those of you who know, how will I split the boys at Tarsis? Guess... will I be sadistic? Will Wufei become related to Duo?? What about Quatre or Trowa? Ha ha! Please review!