Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ❯ Part Twenty-Two ( Chapter 22 )

Part Twenty-Two

Duo had slept across the room from Heero, in the other bed that night, and never did he feel more alone. He knew that Quatre and Trowa were snuggling together in one bed in the other room and that just doused an extra bucket of cold water onto his disposition.

But that morning they were prepared for travel, which was the other outfit that they bought. Heero promised that once they got out of town, they would buy more clothing in the next one. Maybe even stay for an extended period of time in a city just to buy accommodations and get used to being around people once again. However, Heero explained that they could never be in one place for too long without it seeming highly odd. Two weeks would be the maximum.

Heero sheathed his sword after dancing around the room, practicing formations as Duo watched in awe. His body flowed so naturally with the sword.... As if it were more of a dance partner than a weapon. Or a lute singing a swift melody and beat.

He clapped lightly against his thigh as Heero walked around, gathering things up to put on the horses.

"Don't. I'm rusty. That was nothing to clap about," Heero told him.

"I think it was. You don't have to believe that, but I think so."

Heero looked up at Duo, dressed in a woman's riding clothes. He couldn't avoid the fact that Duo looked nice with the skirts and his hair brushed and braided.

So he just didn't look at Duo and turned his eyes back to the task at hand.

"We're ready!" Quatre called, walking in and standing beside Duo. "How do you like your swords?"

"The fancier one is mostly just a show sword, but the other was meant for fighting. I feel almost as though it was designed for my hand, even though I know it's not. Strange.... I haven't practiced in a while. I need some more time."

"I thought he did just fine," Duo added afterward.

Suddenly Heero walked out of the room and into the other, most likely to converse with the other 'males'.

Duo sighed and rested a hand on his hip. "I'm really getting sick of this woman thing...." he muttered. "Makes him think he has the right to just blow us off...."

"No," Quatre replied with a light smile, "I think he's uncomfortable with the compliment."

Heero had strode up to Trowa and took him aside as Wufei, once more feeling neglected, was left to busy himself with his thoughts.

"Here." Heero handed him the emerald dagger he had won last night.

Trowa took it and slid it into his belt, then looked at Heero with questioning eyes.

"I know that you are not experienced with the sword, so I give you that. Use it to protect yourself and Quatre, if worst comes to worst," Heero whispered and Trowa's eyes shone with understanding.

"Thank you."

Heero nodded, then turned away, but Trowa called him back.

"Heero," he murmured. "Maybe I haven't been as appreciative as I should be. You are the only one who knows much of anything, but.... I suppose I don't like to not know the path that's before me...."

Heero nodded once more. "It's fine, yet you must get used to it. Not even I always know the direction in which I turn."

Trowa acknowledged that with his own small nod.

"One last thing...." he spoke, using an extra soft tone in his voice. "How are you to teach Duo the bow, as you promise him, when he has a lame arm?"

Heero smirked. "I'm not quite sure just yet, Trowa, but I have ideas. Right now he's just trying to hold on to a little dream. Let him. It's not hurting anyone."

"Okay. I was just...."

"Wondering. I know. It's fine."

With that, Heero announced that they would leave and walked into his room to grab some bags.

They saddled up the horses and, Duo and Quatre ridding, set off into the horizon as the sun began to rise, coloring the sky in splendid shades of pink and blue.

After a short while of walking, finally out of the outskirts of the town, Quatre spotted a figure on the road ahead.

Heero tried not to visible tense up, but he rested a hand on the hilt of his sword in what seemed a nonchalant fashion as they continued on. Everyone felt that Heero and unofficially taken all speaking rights when they came upon this figure, if need be.

The closer Heero got to the brown robbed and hooded figure, the more nervous he became.

He knew who this was....

Dammit! They weren't prepared yet!

"Just keep moving," Heero whispered to the others as they approached the person.

And they walked right past without a word.

Then came a rough voice with a distinct 'hiss'.

"So you ignore me? Are you really so ignorant?"

Heero spun around, drawing on all his Art, grabbing firmly at the hilt of his sword.

"No," he spoke quietly. "Just hopeful."

From under the cloak the decided man snickered.

"Get off the horses," Heero growled softly.

"What the fuck is going on?" Duo snapped back as he climbed down, becoming more scared at Heero's tone and drawing on his own Art, feeling the air and readying himself.

"His name I don't know, but he is the Keeper of the First Gate of Death."

The man chuckled. "I'm honored that you know my ran, but be warned, you will not survive to tell my name. However, I think I will tell you so when you lie dying you will play my name over and over in your head and know that I defeated you.

"I am known as Treize."

Quatre gasped and took a step back.

He knew his country's history.

Treize ruled Yuotain a hundred thousand years ago. He led a great army and conquered much land, making the country everything it was today.

But he died a hundred thousand years ago, too. Bitten by a snake. A very unhonorable death for someone so grand.

But he was still dead.

Heero quickly evaluated the situation. They couldn't use their Arts because if they left too much destruction then people would get scared and they couldn't have *that*.

And so he drew his sword.

"Show yourself! I want to see the face of the man I kill!" Heero demanded, the others still in disarray.

Trowa pushed Quatre back, standing in front of him and planning to stay that way. Duo stumbled over and grabbed Quatre's sleeve.

"Heero...." he whispered, biting his lower lip and wanting to run to him, take hold of his shoulders and shake him. Demand the answers to all the questions that ran so rapidly through his dizzied head--!

Wufei totally lost and trying to make sense of the passing events, sparked his hands into flame. He felt confused. He didn't like to feel confused. It made him scared. He didn't like to be scared.

So he would fight that which made him scared and show that force that he was stronger and that he wouldn't be scared anymore!

With one swift motion, the figure threw off his clock, drawing his sword.

And even Heero was disgruntled.

The man was tall, thin, handsome.... Until you got to his face.

The flesh on his neck turned slowly to thick, plated scales and shaped into that of a snake's. His eyes blinked rapidly and vertically, a bright gold that reflected the sun and dazzled almost blindingly. His thin black tongue shot in and out of his mouth at spaced intervals, testing the air for danger.

Yet from that long horizontal mouth came a voice near human, as it spoke once more.

"I see you are surprised? Then you do not know everything that you think you do, eh Shukan?"

Heero tried not to flinch as the others became yet more confused.

He stood his ground and slid his legs a little farther apart, holding the sword firm in front of him.

"I challenge you to a duel!"

"So old fashioned, so splendid. Once more you seem wiser than I give you credit, for you do not want to use your art and disturb people if this land looks as if the Lord has raged upon it, however I am not afraid."

Then, with a scream of rage, Heero charged at the other, and was blocked easily. Treize threw a blow at Heero, which Heero countered and spun around, trying to catch Treize from behind. Treize had already turned in the opposite direction and formulated a counter stroke, which Heero blocked, almost falling off balance, but catching himself and backing up, giving Treize almost full view of his body, but managing to block another thrust.

Waltzing around each other in a complicated weaving, they clashed as Heero's face came right upon the snake's.

It smirked and let its tongue flicker out, darting at the sweat on his face.

Heero sneered in disgust and drew back, skipping briskly backward as their swords smacked against one another, ringing through the road with a sharp metallic clang.

Then Heero turned the tides and was the one leading as Treize retreated backward.

Duo watched this all through amazed eyes and wished that he could do something...anything.

No one knew what to do but watch them fight. It was obvious Heero was straining and he began to pant as Treize brought his sword to the side and slashed his shoulder.

Heero felt the blood begin to trickle down his arm and soak into his shirt, his salty sweat sliding into the open wound, providing a stinging sensation.

Then his eyes ignited with a new passion.

This man had wronged him! He had gotten the first hit!

This would be avenged!

Had he not been such a stubborn, hotheaded teenager who didn't know that he was up against impossible odds, he might have given up right there. Yet sometimes the best things can come from the most ignorance.

Heero fought back more passionately. Forgetting his forms and making up his own. Confusing Treize and making him reevaluate his enemy.

Meanwhile Duo began to think.

They didn't want to use their Arts because it would destroy the land.

Fire would burn, Water would flood, Earth would reconstruct, Wind would knock down, but what would Spirit do?

"Quatre!" Duo hissed. "Quatre!"

Quatre's head jerked to Duo, his teary eyes exposed.

"What?"

"Mess with his mind! Use your Art to make him see double or something! Heero cannot win against these odds unless we help him out a little! He hasn't gotten one cut in! Soon he'll be exhausted! Right now they're on the same level, but just barely! Let's do something!" Duo begged and Quatre saw the beauty of his plan and, looking for Trowa's nod of assurance, opened up the channel inside of him that allowed all the Art in.

Letting his lids drop, he began to feel with the invisible eye inside of him and began to weave intense patterns and throwing them at the man's mind.

Heero tried not to be shocked when Treize suddenly stopped and looked around.

He threw slashes at his arms before he regained thought and they once more began their jousting.

Once more he seemed to become confused and Heero threw a good hit at his waist, tearing his soft flesh open as blood began to pour from the wound.

There was a snake-like screech as he ran into Heero. Heero jerked up through his heart as he ran, pinning him like a butterfly upon his sword until his chest reached the hilt, soaking the both of them in an outpour of blood, his entrails slopping out of his waist and threw the huge hole in his clothing.

"Why?" Heero demanded.

"The Lord will--" he stuttered before an overwhelming amount of crimson came from his mouth and added to that which already adorned Heero's outfit.

Then he died, his body falling heavily against Heero's before Heero fell to the ground....

Lost in the beautiful, deep, dark....

Unconscious....

~Til Then~