Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ❯ Part Twenty ( Chapter 20 )

Part Twenty

After a few days they realized they couldn't stay in the forest forever. Food was an issue, along with sanitation and clothing.

Duo, however, didn't really want to *see* people. He felt overwhelming guilt about killing all the innocents in the school and became unbelievably paranoid. He *knew* people would know his selfish deed and often times burst into tears for no apparent reason. One would say he became bi-polar.

Quatre was also affected quite harshly by the passing events. Often at night he would think about what he did and rock back and forth, sobbing, sometimes vomiting from the memories. He, contradictorily to Duo, almost *needed* to see people once more. Promise them he'd never do such a thing again.

Wufei was awed by the spectacle. Awed by the fact he had the ability to end someone's life. Was life that fragile? He had the power to take a person's soul away from them and for once in his life he felt strong. Powerful. He had something over everyone else for once and it made him feel mighty. He had no idea why Duo and Quatre found this notion morally incorrect. He had never learned.

Trowa understood why it happened. The sight of the people he killed he would forever carry with him to his grave and it would always affect him emotionally, however he knew he had to keep strong for Quatre because he was suffering.

Heero was totally cold to watching all those people die. Right now his biggest worry was that Quatre and Trowa would want to settle down right away. Or Duo would run away. Or Wufei would go mad and start killing people on a power high. They had to stay together still.... Unless they wanted to see more people die....

Yet he didn't think it was the right time to tell them just yet....

They had created little figures out of stone and wood with their Talents. This was hard for Duo because he didn't feel like making happy things. Nothing around him was happy.

But he did it and they walked to the nearest town.

First on their agenda was buying new clothes. The rags they had from the school were washed, but still rags. Second was a bed for the night. Third was real food. This they agreed on.

Heero also wanted a sword for some means of defense without having to give away the fact he had a Talent. He also promised Duo he'd teach him how to use a bow, now that they had "all the time in the world".

Duo seemed not to ever want to break up from the group, and seemed like he was clinging to the fact that they would always be together. Unable to admit to himself that they might ever want to go their separate ways.

Maybe that was a good thing.... That way Heero's plans would be more concrete....

But that was a double-sided blade. What would Duo do when he found out Quatre and Trowa wanted to settle down?

That afternoon they wandered into the town.

Duo, who was the least willing to go into the town, was the most enthralled by it. Every few minutes he'd stop to gawk and every few minutes Heero would grab his braid and drag him along.

There were people everywhere, milling around, talking, passing.... People in rags, people in riches.... There was color everywhere. Every second another thing was happening and Duo wanted to concentrate on it all. Take it all in. Keep it with him forever. This was something special, something new. This he wanted.

"Heero!" he cried, eyes sparkling. "It's just like you imagined! It's all like you said!"

Heero smiled as they sat down on the porch of an inn and took out the figures they had made.

"Would I lie to you?" he murmured back.

Duo couldn't answer that question.

They sold all of the little figures quite quickly, mostly to children, until they got two handfuls of pennies.

Heero smirked up at his friends.

"Watch this."

Before their eyes the pennies turned into gold pieces.

"How did you...?" Quatre whispered.

"Simple. I changed the metallic composition of the coins," Heero replied as if it were nothing. "Come now. We'll get us some horses and some clothes that look somewhat presentable. Not royalty by any means, but clothes that will gain us respect."

Everyone but Quatre stared at him stupidly.

"What do you mean?" Duo asked, scratching his head.

Heero sighed, but Quatre spoke for him.

"In the world, the kind of clothes you wear and your manners are based on the amount of money you own which is based on how much respect you are given. You just have to trust us on this one."

Heero nodded, pulling his tunic over his head and handing it to Duo.

"Take this. Wear it. I say that people will become suspicious of five men of decent clothing traveling together. I think that Quatre and you should dress as women to deceive them. You must cover your chest if you want to pull this off."

Duo's jaw practically hit the floor. "What?"

"Duo, we have to pass as women in this town. Don't think too much of it, we will get by easier than the men will," Quatre tried to speak rationally.

"I...I.... I don't know what to say. I don't want to do this," Duo replied stubbornly.

"Do you want to be thrown in prison on account of susceptibility? What good will that do? We'll be right back where we were before," Quatre explained gently, resting a hand on his arm.

Duo sighed. "Fine then." He pulled the tunic over his head and tried not to smile too wide.

It was warm and it smelled of Heero. He loved the way Heero smelled. It made him feel safe, protected.

But he didn't have long to dwell on that.

They left the gold in Heero's possession and went off to find some horses.

They purchased two from a man for one gold piece. He was so exhilarated that Heero knew they were being ripped off and that he was going to make a great profit, but they were good horses so he wasn't complaining.

With that they walked back into town, Wufei and Heero both leading the horses.

"Besides Duo, if you pretend you're a woman, you can pretend you're married to Heero and say it's part of the act," Quatre whispered as they followed behind the three 'men'.

Duo smacked his friend in the back of the head. "I would never do such a thing."

Quatre rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I'm not foolish, Duo, nor am I blind. You must stop denying it and tell him."

"And you must stop kidding with me."

"Fine then...but I bet anything he likes you."

"I said you stop being foolish!" Duo cried. "He could never like me for he has spent the past four moons taking care of me. I am a burden, not a loved one. He knows too much about me to love me.... Besides, one does not love a burden."

Quatre's eyes widened as he stared at the other. "Aren't loved one's supposed to know everything about you?"

"Not me...." Duo replied softly.

But before Quatre could get another word out, they were at the clothing shop and tying up the horses, marked by a wooden sign with a needle and thread on it, for illiterate people. Heero explained as they walked in that some royalty was illiterate and most women so it would do Quatre and Duo best if they pretended they couldn't read.

Once more Duo was ruffled by such an absurd suggestion, but the idea of pretending to be Heero's wife and having it be part of the game hooked him and now....

Now he would go along with just about anything.

Heero once more had all the ideas and picked out all their clothing. Though it was hard to get good clothing without preordering it and having it fit to perfection, Heero was not at all disappointed with the clothing they got, even if they had to spend twelve gold pieces on it.

As they watched the men saddle up the horses with their newly acquired clothing, Heero gave them in the details.

"Okay, we are simply traveling lords and ladies, got that? If you must tell a country, say that you are from Kuna. Say the capital, L'Kunie. That country is close to here and the style of the clothing isn't much different," Heero spoke.

"You know your cultures," Duo muttered.

"And you're the one that saw my past," Heero replied and Duo winced.

Heero was right. He did pass through many countries to get there and so he knew many different cultures. Not to mention he was also an Incarnate. After that realization, Duo felt pretty stupid.

"You 'girls' might want name changes."

"I need one," Quatre whispered and they turned to him. The urgency in his voice struck them. "Do none of you know my full name?"

Duo gasped as it hit him.

The others shook their heads.

"I'm Quatre Raberba Winner.... Rightful heir to the Yuotain throne."

"Oh dear Divine...." Duo whispered, knowing it was coming and dying as he heard it on Quatre's lips.

"Fuck...." was Heero's response. Quickly he picked himself back up. "This will be simple. You will be Quatranine Barton, Trowa's wife. If you can't remember his long female name, call him Kat, for short."

Quatre said the name softly to himself a few times, before turning and smiling at Trowa, who seemed in some sort of shock.

"Trowa?" he whispered, touching his hand gently.

Trowa blinked and looked at Quatre as if he'd never seen him before.

"I can't believe.... I don't.... I--"

Quatre sighed, but then seemed upset, his lips tightening and brows furrowing in upset.

"Don't let things change between us. I love you. I always will. Just because I'm royalty doesn't mean--"

"No, Quatre, you aren't just royalty, you are a prince," Trowa restated, looking at the ground as he spoke the words. "I should not even be in your presence. I am the offspring of a whore. A complete mistake. You are royalty. There is no place for me in your life. Change your name to Quatranine Chang. It should fit you better."

Quatre glared at the floor as his eyes filled up with tears and he realized that everyone was watching them argue.

"There is no time for this argument right now. I am Quatranine Barton whether you love me or not," Quatre replied, chewing his lower lip.

"Duo, you shall be Duet. Whatever defining name you can think up is fine," Heero decided easily, before unhooking the packages from the horses and handing some to Wufei, some to Trowa, and carrying the rest himself.

Duo fell back with Quatre, who looked about ready to burst into tears, and rested a hand on his shoulder.

"It will take Trowa some time to get used to, but he loves you, and eventually he'll see that none of that matters, as long as you don't decide to announce yourself as the rightful heir. And why would you do such a thing? You cannot provide offspring anyway, why humiliate yourself?"

"I hope you're right Duo," Quatre whispered back. "I need him...."

Duo gave his friend a quick hug, but before they knew it, they were being led through a door, down a hall, and into a room Heero must've paid for.

Actually, it was two connected rooms with a bathroom in-between.

It was first rate. It had a water heating fire underneath the brass tub and a water pump inside the actual room.

First thing was first. They all stripped themselves of their rags and began to set up for bathing.

The tub was quite large. Big enough to fit three of them with space to move. And so they decided Quatre, Duo, and Heero should bathe first. Women's clothing took much longer to put on and Heero was the only one who really knew how to do it.

There were many different perfumed soaps on a shelf in the wall and such little things awed Duo. Quatre explained the different purposes, happy to be somewhat back in his element.

Heero washed quickly and exited quickly because he needed to talk to Trowa. Even though Quatre smiled, the pain in his eyes was unspeakably obvious every time he glanced at the other.

Quatre helped Duo to wash his hair as Heero dressed quickly then stalked through the bathroom and into the room in which Trowa and Wufei sat talking.

Both felt they needed to bow in Heero's presence. He wore the robes as if he were a king and the glare on his face felt as if it threatened their lives.

"Trowa," he spoke, his voice having a heightened tone of command. "We must talk."

Trowa stood before the other and realized a few things at once.

Heero was not fifteen. Not mentally, at least. He was much older and that was obvious.

Heero had silently declared himself their 'leader'. This did not surprise Trowa, it only seemed natural.

Heero was driven by something he figured none of them knew about. Possibly not even Duo, who he seemed closest to. Heero didn't care about them as much as it looked like he did. There was a deeper motivation.

"What?" Trowa asked.

"Do you not care about Quatre?"

Trowa's emerald eyes immediately lit into flame.

"This isn't your business!"

"Like the Gates of Hell it's not!" Heero retorted. "Don't you think he's going to be affected by this? Don't you think he's going to be looking for comfort? Sure, caste matters, but he can't claim the throne!"

"And why not?" Trowa replied, growling. "Contrary to your beliefs, you don't control our actions."

"Because he loves you!" Heero replied angrily. "Are you stupid? What good would it do if he claimed the throne, unable to produce an heir?"

Trowa was silent. He did have a point.

"That's what concubines are--"

"What, Trowa? Do you *not* love Quatre, or is he too good to be true and so you have to take him away from yourself?" Heero sneered and turned his eyes away from the other boy. "You offend me. Grow up, baby."

Then Heero turned and stormed into the other room.

Duo and Quatre were drying themselves off when he entered, not hearing word one of the previous argument between the other two.

Duo turned and tried not to melt.

"Y-you look nice, Heero," Duo stuttered.

Heero's face softened to a very small smile at the compliment.

"Come on. I'll get you two dressed."

Dressing was quite an ordeal. Corsets and multiple layers of skirts and ruffles.... Duo found it all quite itchy and stuffy and restricting. Not to mention his lame arm certainly didn't help matters. Quatre, though, was thrilled. He always wanted to see the world from a women's view. Walk as his mother did.

Heero stood back and examined his work. He grabbed another bag from the ones that contained the clothing and opened it up. Pulling out several little bottles and brushes, he approached Quatre. He looked over the little labels before popping off the top and sticking a little brush inside, pulling it back out. Duo was in awe to have found that it was covered with a red substance nothing like blood.

"What is it?" Duo asked softly, dragging all his skirts over to get a closer look.

"All women wear it," was Heero's explanation as he began brushing it on Quatre's lips.

Duo watched in fascination as he opened up another little bottle and dipped a different brush inside, covered this time with a light blue that Heero stroked over Quatre's eyelids. Then he opened a little box and took yet another brush and dipped it in some powder, brushing that on Quatre's cheeks.

Standing back he once more gazed over his work.

"It shall have to do for now. Your turn, Duo."

"Me?" Duo asked in surprise, backing up a little. "I don't know...."

"Oh, come on! It doesn't hurt," Quatre urged, smiling.

Duo sighed and gave in and let Heero brush the different powders onto his face. It was highly uncomfortable and itchy, just like everything else he was wearing, but knew that he'd just have to get over it.

"I must try to get some real jewelry for the both of you. This was the only piece that struck me in the shop," Heero announced, pulling out a tight silver chain bedecked with purple gems.

Duo gasped when he realized that it would become his.

Heero handed him a mirror and put it in his hand, holding it up.

"What do you think?" Heero whispered in his ear as he clasped it on from behind.

Duo shifted the mirror in his hand, getting a good look at himself.

He looked so pretty.... He looked like a woman.... Such a beautiful...woman....

"Heero...."

"Hmm?"

Duo turned and faced him, anger in his eyes.

"Why did you do this to me?

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want to see me as a woman because that is what you want? Do you dress me up this way because that is what you want me to be?" Duo asked, his voice containing a note of definite pain.

"Duo...." Quatre whispered, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"That was not at all my intention!" Heero replied, surprised. "I never thought that you would react this way."

"You just want me to be your predetermined puppet. Why else would you have made me so beautiful?"

"Beauty is something that cannot be hidden. Even without the make-up, you are beautiful," Heero spoke softly, lifting one of his gloved hands.

Duo yanked his hand back, holding it to his chest. "No. That's not true! You want me to believe your lies! You want me to be something I'm not. You want me to be a woman...."

Heero clasped his upper shoulders in his hands and leaned down, brushing a kiss across his forehead.

"Do you really believe that?"

Duo gasped.

Heero gave him one last glance before walking into the other room.

Nothing done was ever easy....

Nothing done was ever right.

~Til Then~