Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Hidden Secrets ❯ Hidden Secrets 9 ( Chapter 11 )

A/N: Filled up my first notebook with the first two pages of this chapter! A milestone!

Also, the song Sky Dreamer is from Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors, a character song sung by Touma/Rowen Hashiba. A surprising tribute to my first series that I joined into the online fandom for.

Key:

Thoughts are in ('Italics')
Telepathy talk is in (~Italics~)
Normal talk is in ("Plain")
Song lyrics are in (Bold)
Espherian is in (/English/)

Staring at his feet as he climbed down the stairs, Sil was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the raised and clearly…agitated voice at their base. He was halfway through the large sitting room, subconscious leading him to the main dinning room, when he was snapped back to the here and now.

“Huh?” he looked up and around blankly, stopping where he stood. Brown-green eyes falling on a bemused Trowa and an irritatingly-concerned Quatre, Sil just stood there and blinked at them before realization dawned and cleared his eyes. One of them, Quatre no doubt, had been calling his name. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly, right hand coming up to rub at the back of his head and neck.

Releasing a gust of breath, Quatre’s hands dropped from his sides and he shook his head. Trowa meanwhile was giving the dark-haired youth a curious look, his amusement still present even as piercing emerald studied the youth unnoticed.

“Don’t worry about it Sil, you’re clearly preoccupied with something,” he said with resigned exasperation, waving a hand. “Has something happened?”

“Hmm?” Sil sounded, looking back up, eyes telling of his continued distraction. “No, not that I’ve been made aware of,” he shook his head, turning back on his path. “I’ve checked on the girls already, everything should be in order. Don’t worry so much Q.”

Quatre stared after him, waiting until after Sil had vanished through the arch before releasing an aggravated breath. Running a hand through thick golden locks, he turned on his heel to stare at Trowa. “That’s all well and good, but he never answered my first question. And what the hell do you find so amusing Trowa?”

Ceasing his silent chuckling, Trowa held his hands up palm out and shook his head. “I didn’t say a thing.”

“Exactly!” he snapped, arms crossing as he turned his side to the other boy. “You could have stepped in and said something before he took off again. Or make a suggestion on what to do next, preferably before Heero or Wu Fei come down.”

Finally moving, Trowa walked up behind Quatre and wrapped his arms around the shorter boy. “Calm down love,” he spoke softly into the youth’s ear. “You’re becoming as frustrated as Wu Fei just after the alley. Take a moment to breath and think clearly.”

Holding onto his anger and frustration for a few moments longer, Quatre sagged back against his lover and released them both, leaving behind only hurt and confusion. “He promised Trowa. He gave me his word,” he whispered, eyes tearing. Closing them, he turned his head to press the side of it into Trowa’s chest, his hands coming up to hold the arms around him.

“Then do not be so quick to doubt him,” Trowa replied, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Quatre was silent for a long moment, the two standing motionless together in the middle of the sitting room. A single laugh forced its way out of the blond youth and his lips twitched against his will. “You’re right,” he assented, resigned and self-derisively. “He’ll make himself known in his own time. Just because we couldn’t find him doesn’t mean he’s not here. It’s just been so long and so hard….”

Shaking his head, Quatre straightened and turned around in the embrace. Leaning forward, he placed a quick kiss on Trowa’s cheek and gave the other a small but genuine smile. “But that’s no reason for me to doubt him.” ****

For all he was aware, Sil was the only one sitting at the dinning table, a plate of mush before him. Fork in hand, he was staring with unseeing eyes as he mixed and mashed the various entrées on his plate. Sighing, he dropped the fork half on the plate and leaned back in his chair, arms crossing before him.

‘Maybe I should have brought my notebook down with me,’ he thought on the verge of depressed, unable to even work up a bit of frustration at his inability to put his thoughts and emotions into order. ‘Bah, like I’d be any better if I had; I’d still be zoning everybody out. Wu Fei wouldn’t let it go then. And I’m surprised Quatre didn’t hound me further, or at least follow after me. I should have asked what was bothering him so much….

‘Arg, this is getting me no where! Just calm the hell down and things will be fine.’ Releasing a heavy breath, he calmly uncrossed his arms and reached for the glass sitting beside his plate. ‘And I’ll get the notebook in a few hours. …Once they let me out of their sight again. Oh Light,’ he dropped his head back against the chair after only a single sip. ‘We’re going to be here all day going into the details they’ll want.

‘Screw it,’ he decided, setting the glass back down onto the table with a thud as he stood, chair scrapping as it was pushed back. ‘After breakfast is just as good. It’ll give them time to wake up,’ he reasoned, dropping his napkin onto the table. ‘And give me time to get my fucking head straight.’

Not even looking up as he walked pass Quatre and Trowa, unaware of them both and the separately curious and concerned looks he received, Sil continued through the sitting room and to the stairs. ‘Damn it, I thought I’d gotten all of this worked out in the shower this morning.’

Groaning, he continued up the flight of stairs to the third floor, hand holding the railing for something to do. ‘Running and hiding.’ He snorted, ‘You know damn well you won’t go back down until they come and find you.’ ****

“That was odd,” Quatre commented, turning his curious gaze to Trowa after Sil was out of sight.

“Indeed,” Trowa agreed with a nod, his own eyes still watching where Sil had vanished from. A few moments later Heero and Wu Fei appeared, each looking freshly showered. “You two look in better spirits. Did you finally speak with Sil?”

“Mm,” Wu Fei nodded, quite relaxed and even smiling faintly. “And quite the tale he has to share.” Glancing at Heero beside him, he received a faint nod then motioned the group towards the dinning room. “Have you two eaten yet?”

“No,” Trowa shook his head before Quatre could respond. “I believe Dorothy and Relena are still there.”

Heero’s expression did something funny then, causing Quatre to stare at him curiously. “Everything alright Heero?” The blue-eyed pilot shook his head, but said nothing out loud.

~Do you think…that Relena knew? All this time?~ Heero asked quietly, his emotions indiscernible. Wu Fei was already thinking along the same lines, a derisively amused sound vibrating within his throat.

~Most likely,~ his voice sounded sour, yet beneath that bemused. ~Though I have to wonder how much of it she did on her own, and how much Sil encouraged. You realize she’s probably the “Lena” he was talking to before he disappeared last time.~

That gave Heero pause, though he didn’t show it. They entered the dinning room to find Relena and Dorothy were indeed present, and both looking far too pleased with themselves. Heero took note of that, before realizing Sil wasn’t there.

“You two look like a pair of cats that stole a whole carton of cream,” Trowa observed.

Relena hummed softly, while Dorothy’s smile grew ominously. “I take it at least one of you cornered Sil last night?” Dorothy mussed, ice-blue eyes glinting with sadistic glee as they watched Heero and Wu Fei. Her question caught Quatre’s attention, causing him to wonder if that might have been what had been bothering Sil so much. Refusing to answer, Wu Fei arched a brow at the woman as if to ask what gave her that notion.

“I’ve simply never seen him so…inattentive,” Dorothy continued simply, waving a manicured hand towards the body-guard’s decimated meal and crooked chair.

“He was rather distracted when he came down,” Quatre agreed, turning to look at his two friends curiously. “Did something happen?” Unnoticed by the two in question…by all three pilots except Trowa, the two girls shared a knowing smirk and silent giggles.

Wu Fei was frowning, his body angled towards the door they had just passed through. “Seems the ‘run and hide’ bit still holds true,” he muttered, receiving nothing but obstinate silence from the familiar presence within his mind. ~Nerves, I’m sure,~ he assured Heero, feeling his partner’s frown.

“Wu Fei?” Quatre pressed, mirroring the other’s frown. The emotions he was sensing from the two were confusing him. ‘Frustration and irritation I expected, but exasperated affection? And so much concern from Heero…. What is going on here?’

Jerking his head towards the door, Wu Fei led the group back the way they had just come. “He’s likely up in his room. Putting this off isn’t going to make it any simpler, so we should just corner him there.”

Pursing his lips, Quatre looked over his shoulder towards Trowa, only to find his older lover was as confused as he was. “You know,” he spoke softly, his words slow as they climbed the stairs. “I expected such a conversation…but in regards to Duo. Are you both so infatuated with Sil now that you’ve forgotten him? Do either of you even realize he’s missing again?” His voice was steadily rising; the more he said, the more emotion he felt.

Pausing a few steps above Quatre and Trowa, Wu Fei shared a look with Heero before meeting the blonds’ gaze. “I can assume from your tone, that you’ve already been to Duo’s room.”

“You don’t sound surprised,” Quatre pointed out, able to hold onto his frustration because of the growing amusement he could sense in the elder pilot. “Or concerned.”

Wu Fei shook his head. “I--we,” he motioned towards Heero, “spoke with Duo last night. That’s why all four of us are going to see Sil.”

Baby-blue eyes blinked at onyx, and the young blond slowly deflated. Sighing heavily, Quatre waved his hands at the two in front of him. ~I swear, Wu Fei’s deriving some kind of enjoyment from this.~

~Mmm,~ Trowa hummed, his own smirk clear. When Quatre glanced back to glare at him, he wore an expression of innocence. ~I know you’re worried about Duo love, but I think you’re going over-board. You didn’t even give thought to how naturally Sil used a nick-name for you, when just yesterday you were both begging off formality with each other.~

Climbing the stairs from the second to the third floor, Quatre frowned as he gave Trowa’s words thought. Thinking back to the incident, he realized his older lover was in fact, correct. ‘He was completely informal, and very familiar. Just what is going on here?’ His frown deepened when he caught a feel for Trowa’s unvoiced thoughts. ~You’re not implying Duo and Sil are the same person, are you?~

~Why the instant disbelief? It wouldn’t be his first undercover op.~ Trowa questioned in return. Finally frowning faintly himself. ~…Quatre? You’re hiding something.~ It wasn’t intended to sound like an accusation, but his surprise gave it a hint of an edge.

~Duo promised to talk about it with us all today. It’s what we were talking about yesterday, before you came for me. He promised…as long as I promised to not say anything until then.~

~Which is why you were so upset this morning,~ Trowa reasoned, understanding better the emotions behind his young love’s seemingly irrational behavior. ~But it also explains why Heero and Wu Fei are more intent on Sil. Wu Fei’s already said as much.~

‘I suppose…,’ Quatre reluctantly consented, if only to himself. They were already on the third floor, and their two friends were waiting for them before Sil’s door. “You’re not going to knock?” he asked, surprised to see Heero’s hand already on the knob.

Heero just shook his head. “He was suppose to meet us downstairs to eat before we started talking. He’s already run off once.”

“There aren’t any windows in there,” Wu Fei reminded, bemused. “He’s not going anywhere this time.” Quatre and Trowa shared a look, but neither said anything as Heero opened the door. Shrugging, they followed the two pilots in. Four pairs of eyes immediately locked onto Sil, who was sitting at his cluttered desk, half-hidden by the book-filled shelves.

Hunched over his desk, Sil was either too engrossed in whatever it was he was working on to notice the intrusion, or was simply ignoring them. Heero glanced at Wu Fei, who had an odd mix of a smirk and frown on his face, while Quatre stared at the both of them, a hand subconsciously rubbing at his chest. The dark-eyed youth moved past Heero to stand behind Sil, to read over his shoulder, seeing the older boy was writing in a well-worn leather bound notebook. “You and your music,” he murmured, recognizing the pattern before he read the lyrics. He felt Sil start, and knew the surprise was genuine. Still, the other finished penning what he was working on before acknowledging everyone. So Wu Fei skimmed over the last few sections, his expression slowly falling.

/I’m so lonely that night also a falling star
I didn’t say anything when I noticed it./

/Dreamer who’s lost tomorrow, now alone in the sky
I’ve closed my heart, seeing only myself in my dreams
Someday at the time the dreamer meets you
I’ll recover my smile, I believe in that time for you./

Wu Fei could tell these two were older, the ink was lighter, more settled. And yet… ‘The last two lines look as if they’ve been changed recently. Oh Valinus….’

/Embraced in stars dreamer soon will awake
The thing I lost I may be able to seize in this hand.
Someday at the time the dreamer meets you
I’ll recover my smile, I believe in that time for you./

Smiling sadly as he finished reading the Espherian words, Wu Fei laid a hand on Sil’s shoulder. “You are far to easily read through your music.” He won a twisted chuckle from the elder, who had yet to turn around.

Watching silently, Quatre was piecing together the events that were hinted at taking place the night before, while Trowa stood a step behind him, faint confusion in his green eyes. Like Wu Fei before him, he’d skimmed the books on the shelf, but was questioning his belief that Sil and Duo were one and the same. ‘If he’s Espherian, then he can’t be Duo…. Right?’ Shaking his head, Trowa urged Quatre further into the room so he could shut the door behind them, giving them the privacy they seemed to need. /“You’re Espherian.”/ It wasn’t a question.

Releasing a quiet breath, Sil touched the hand on his shoulder before pushing his chair back. He spun it around so he could face the group and motioned for them to take a seat. “Yes, I am Espherian,” he answered, seeing the hint of confusion in Heero’s and Quatre’s eyes. ‘They don’t know how to open the gate, they don’t speak the language…. I know why Wu Fei doesn’t know how to…but how is it Trowa is so fluent in the language, but doesn’t know either?’ Sil blinked and was drawn from his thoughts when he realized he was being pulled from his chair and redirected to the head of the bed, where he was prodded and maneuvered to sit beside Heero. Wu Fei took the spot on his other side, both twisted so they could see him, leaving the foot of the bed for Trowa and Quatre, to create an odd, five-point circle.

“This isn’t an interrogation,” Heero pointed out almost drolly, surprising Sil. Wu Fei nodded while Quatre claimed his seat, tugging Trowa’s hand behind him. “Though if you run away again, we will do something…drastic.”

Quatre chuckled, while Trowa rolled his eyes and crossed his long legs. “Alright, so what is going on?” the emerald eyed youth finally asked.

Quatre popped in with his own two cents before anyone could answer. “Yes, what is going on Duo?” Beside him, Trowa made an aggravated sound, while Heero and Wu Fei looked vaguely amused. Sil just grinned and laughed.

“How’d you figure it out?” Wu Fei couldn’t help but ask. “Just minutes ago you were dead certain they weren’t the same person.”

Calming down, Sil shot a smirk at his dark-eyed companion. “Because he saw me cast that protection spell in the streets yesterday. He rounded the corner before any of you, and I was too slow to cover myself properly.”

“Which is also why I sensed you,” Wu Fei added quietly, thinking back to the alley. The prelude to their fist fight made so more sense to him. Opening his mouth to apologize, he felt Sil squeeze his knee; looking up, he saw the elder was shaking his head, understanding lighting his violet-green eyes.

“I think it best to start back at the beginning, for those of us lagging behind,” Trowa spoke up before anymore byplay could be caused, faint annoyance lacing his tone.

Meeting the pilot’s gaze with open, clear eyes, Sil inclined his head, dark hair falling over his shoulder. “You are correct, of course. Wu Fei, Heero, and I were up late discussing these things, forgive me. I stopped where Duo is concerned, so we could all talk together,” he glanced at Quatre. “As I promised.”

The blond blushed faintly, but didn’t look away. “So just who are you? We were dead-certain Duo was human during the war.”

Drawing in a deep breath, Sil held it for a moment before releasing it. “That’s because he is human. The orphan child Dr. G trained for Operation Meteor was--is human. But a year before the launch date, something happened. No report was made, not even to the other doctors; that was one of my requirements, if G wanted my help. …I think a little history may be necessary before this,” he relented, listening to his own words as if he were not the story-teller, and understanding how confusing it was starting to sound.

Opening his mouth, he paused for a moment as he thought on something, then looked towards Trowa. “A question first. Your fluency in the Espherian tongue…have you ever been to Espheria?”

Canting his head to the side, Trowa nodded after a moment. “I was born there,” he answered. “My pack was moving, and I was separated from them in one of the darker forests. I fell through a small gate to Gaia.”

Sil nodded, understanding. “The darker forests are filled with trickster spirits,” he agreed. “You must have been young, to have not learned how to open the gates to return.” He could read a lingering touch of uncertainty in Trowa, and couldn’t blame the youth for it. He himself was still an unknown to the two before him, despite Quatre’s apparent unquestioning acceptance.

“Forgive my questions, please. I don’t want to make assumptions to anyone’s knowledge.” He paused for a moment before continuing. “Many Espherian’s may live dual lives, possess dual forms. Their Mystic form, and a Human guise.” Trowa and Quatre both nodded, drawing a faint smile from Sil, who shot a glance at Wu Fei. “Seems Trowa’s more considerate of his counterpart then Fei is.” Wu Fei just huffed while an amused sound escaped Heero, who ducked his cobalt gaze when he realized the others were looking at him in surprise.

Laughing once more, Sil nudged the younger boy before claiming his hand to squeeze it reassuringly. “If it weren’t obvious, I do live that dual life. Sil has been my human persona since I learned to shift. My Mystic, as I was born, is Valinus. Valinus Jadsilion….” Sil trailed off, seeing Trowa pale, reading more in the boy’s eyes then he usually could. Quatre twisted and laid a hand on his lover’s arm, sensing…something. “Crap,” Sil muttered.

Instead of answering Quatre’s mental questions, Trowa looked towards Wu Fei. “He’s serious?”

Squeezing the hand he’d claimed, Wu Fei nodded, his expression steady though his eyes were a touch sheepish. “I knew Valinus in Espheria, years before I left for L5.”

Curiosity lit twin sets of blue eyes, as Heero and Quatre looked around the group. “Seems we’re the ones out of the loop this time,” Quatre mussed, catching Heero’s gaze. He grunted in agreement. ‘Explains your reaction to his magic though,’ Quatre thought. “How do you know him Trowa?”

The brunette shook his head, emerald eyes still resting on Sil’s…blushing form. “I don’t. But the name I do. It’s a…rather well-known one, in Espheria. …Much as Winner is here,” Trowa added as an afterthought. His eyes skimmed down to rest on the orb and claw that rested against Sil’s throat. “That I know you cannot fake.”

Wu Fei glanced at the trinket and nodded. “Alright, you’ve semi-established who you are. Why take such a risk in Duo, in fighting a human war? In choosing sides?” It was Heero’s turn to make a questioning sound.

“We are all Mystics,” Heero pointed out. “Why would only his choice matter?”

Two sighs, but Wu Fei answered. “Espheria was created for the Mystics’ protection. Those that choose to live among the humans do so not only at their own risk, but at the risk of Espheria herself, should they be from there as Trowa and I are…as Sil is. Mystics…Espherians are forbidden from interfering in Human affairs on such grand scales. In becoming demi-gods to them, as once happened when the Mystics tried to reintegrate the two races on Gaia. For an Espherian to become so involved in such a large-scale war as this one was, is…beyond forbidden. You and Quatre were born here, you had right to fight, to protect your home. I was sent to protect L5, the humans descended from those that once protected my clan millennia ago. Through uncontrolled events, Gaia became Trowa’s home. Mystics are not expected to watch the humans war amongst themselves, when their own home, their family are at risk. We still have to be discreet, as we were, to protect our Espherian counter-parts. Understand?”

His three listeners nodded as one. While he had explained, Quatre had shifted to lay against Trowa’s shoulder, enjoying the contact and relaxed air that was settling around the group. Sil stepped in to continue. “It had been….” he trailed off, rethinking his phrasing. “As Wu Fei said, we knew each other in Espheria. When he left for L5, he promised to keep in touch once the humans taught him and his partner the secrets to opening the gates. Obviously, they never taught him. And in Espheria, we…the clan, myself and my sisters….” Quatre’s lips twitched, curious then because of Trowa’s comparison between Winner and Jadsilion; he couldn’t help but wonder how many sisters Sil had to deal with. “…We felt the death of Wu Fei’s partner. And still years passed with no contact, no word. Tradition denied the dragon clan the ability to check on L5, on Wu Fei themselves. But no such laws bound me, despite my resolve to honor them for Wu Fei’s sake. So I traveled to Gaia, and took a ship to L5.” He could feel Wu Fei’s eyes on him, could feel his soul-bonds’ disbelief and denial.

“They never told me,” he whispered, as if to deny what Sil had yet to say.

Even so, Sil nodded once, slowly. “I realize that now,” he assured, voice soft. Looking over to Wu Fei, he released the younger’s hand and instead wrapped an arm around him, to hold him. He brushed his senses over Heero’s emotions, doubting the other would be comfortable with the same, but unwilling to exclude him. He was correct in his thoughts, and threaded their fingers instead. Whether it was because they weren’t alone, the subject matter they were discussing, or because they were still learning each other…. ‘Doesn’t matter. This is enough. And after last night, I know he’s not the type to shy away.’

“But when I arrived and met with the clan elder to ask after you, I was given the round about for hours while they ‘looked for you.’ I was informed that you wanted nothing to do with your guest, and was asked to not return, before being escorted back to the Port. Chance or Fate, the next ship out was to L2. I wondered around there for days, debating with myself whether I should return to L5 for another try, and how I would do so.” Wu Fei shifted against him, understanding the many implications of that. “Before I could make a decision though, a Fairy found me. Or rather, I felt her cry for help. L2 is not a safe place, even for a Fairy that can hide herself from human sight. I found her with a human boy in an alley,” the “of course” was left unsaid.

“A gang, and the smell of blood. When I looked harder, I could see a group of smaller children in the shadows, behind the boy and the Night Fairy. I intervened, much to the young boy’s distrust.” Pausing, he stretched his legs out before curling them once more. “To shorten the story, the boy was Duo, Dr. G’s pilot. A year before the Operation’s slated start, he was about twelve or thirteen to my eyes. Duo had been getting information from the kids, when the gang happened upon them.

“A faction from the Alliance had discovered G’s lab and were preparing a raid. I joined them, at Fay-Lin’s, the fairy’s request. My curiosity at her companionship with the boy was a welcomed distraction at the time.” ^^^^

The raid had already started by the time they arrived. Duo and Fay-Lin had been delayed by the gang; Duo refused to leave the children alone in their presence, even knowing the danger the Doc was in, the gundam and the operation. The two dove right into the midst of it, while Sil hesitated for a moment. The forces were smaller then what Duo had described. ‘Were the children mistaken?’ he wondered, though he didn’t think so. ‘Or prone to exaggeration?’

The stench of blood announced them. “More from behind!” Sil bellowed, pulling his staff from behind; his dark hair long enough to cover whether it had actually been there or not. He joined the fray and met the new comers head-on. “They’re coming from below!”

“The Suit!” someone shouted. Minutes seemed like hours, and they were stone-walled. The faction soldiers weren’t budging, so no one could get down to the suit. Nobody spoke it, but the humans quickly realized why. Explosives, no doubt enough to destroy the suit and their quarter of the colony.

Sil never noticed the kid slip through, pass both sides. If he hadn’t felt Fay-Lin’s presence pass him, unseen by the humans, he never would have realized where the kid had gone. Sil was doing minimal damage to the faction, maintaining his human guise despite the fight. Fay-Lin paused in her pursuit of Duo long enough to explain to the disguised Mystic what they suspected, and what those explosions would do to the colony’s uninvolved inhabitants. With the threat to innocence, Sil ceased holding back. Time seemed to freeze seconds before the dimly lit lab was engulfed in brilliant blue flames. And where before Sil had been subduing the enemy with a restrained hand, he now cut through them like a demon from hell.

The colony shook like a quake on Earth, though notably centralized. He quickly realized his containment spell hadn’t been necessary; the blast had been less then a fraction of what Fay-Lin had described, and centralized directly beneath his feet. ‘Fay-Lin…the kid!’

The faction, what little remained, attempted to retreat then. Sil made short work of them, cutting their ranks down as he made haste to the lab’s lower chambers, leaving only the fallen but breathing for G’s remaining guards. “Fay-Lin!” Sil shouted. Her magic permeated the lower floor, her fear as thick as the smoke, chocking him with equal efficiency. “Fay-Lin!” he bellowed once more, having no eyes for the human mechanisms surrounding him. The scent of blood was rising above that of the smoke.

“Here!” Fay-Lin’s panicked voice called from the wall to his left. “Please--! I can’t stop the bleeding!” Her voice was pained to Sil’s ears, but not enough to warrant her panic. ‘The child then. Did he limit the explosion?’

He found the two the instant he rounded the corner. The dark-green glow surrounding the two was unmistakable; Fay-Lin was attempting to heal the child. “Please Lord Valinus! Help him.”

Sil was already on his knees beside the two, easing the child from Fay-Lin’s arms while water fell around them, drenching the human machines and fires. Green-violet eyes took in the damage to the child’s back. He pressed two fingers beneath the worse of the damage, his own violet colored energy mixing with Fay-Lin’s. “Tell me, young one,” Sil spoke. “What is he to you, that you’ll risk so much?”

With a distressed sound, the Night Fairy increased her focus while the air around her tensed. “I know,” she spoke quietly, her voice breaking. “I know how odd this must be. But he is my clan. Please….”

Releasing a quiet breath, the air around the two heated and shimmered. Power faded and the magic wrapping itself around Duo increased. Fay-Lin looked up in protest as she was pushed back, but her voice was lost. She had sensed the elder’s identity, but actually seeing the mystic was something altogether more. “I am not skilled enough for him, but he cannot be moved either; you’ll have to retrieve my sister. Give me your hand.”

She felt a point of warmth in her palm where his two fingers touched. It quickly grew into a burning sensation that bordered on painful, then faded into a warm pulse. Whimpering quietly, she looked up to the one responsible and realized he had opened a small portal for her. “Fly quickly young one, and return as swiftly.” ^^^^

Sil fell silent as he relived that particular struggle. His skills in healing were truly limited; he had been so focused on keeping Duo from bleeding out, that he’d never noticed G joining him. Beside him, Wu Fei shifted with a faint frown. “An Unselie claimed a human child as one of her clan?”

Making a curious sound, Sil looked up and nodded after a moment. “Unheard of, I know. The Unselie Court, among other things, still holds a grudge against the humans for the massacre that led to Espheria’s creation.” Looking between the four, Sil dropped his gaze with a heavy sigh. “The child’s spine was exposed. It was all I could do to keep him from bleeding out.” He hadn’t noticed the arms around him until then; Wu Fei and Heero both squeezed him, anchoring him. A kick at his shin drew his leg out and he quickly found his ankle trapped beneath Quatre’s. They had all seen similar results; they had all caused them as well. The fact that it was Duo, the one they knew or not, struck too close to home for them all.

Sil drew in a deep breath before he continued, grateful for the connection. For the continued trust. “It took Fay-Lin an hour to find Son-Ja and return. I…our spirits were touching, to keep him anchored. By his own will.” Sil was shaking his head in disbelief, a notable touch of awe and respect in his tone and within his eyes. “Such strength and determination in one so young…. He refused to just lay there and die.”

Sil found Trowa’s legs tangled with Quatre’s and his own; he couldn’t recall when it had happened, but the security of being accepted back by the four…words escaped him. He twisted his legs to tangle their feet further and offered a grateful if wan smile. Then stilled himself to continue. “Forgive me if I skimp on the details. The spinal and nerve damage were…too severe, too absolute for even Son-Ja. He was paralyzed from the hips down.”

Sil snorted a disbelieving laugh. “We were locked in a healing trance for two days. At some point he realized the damage….” Another laugh; Sil shook his head and continued. “Our spirits were still connected. I was…astounded to realize his acceptance spurred him to design modifications to Deathscyth that would allow him full and complete operation. All before the second day of the trance.” Three sharp breaths, and Heero’s stunned-silent emotions filled his mind.

“Amazing,” Trowa broke the silence. Sil nodded once, a sardonic twist to his lips.

“At the time, I thought it wishful thinking, despite his certainty of his calculations. Having learned mechanics from him…he was dead-on with them.” Leaning back into the arms around him and the headboard and pillows behind him, Sil tried to relax in their circle. “Dr. G…was an intelligent man. He sealed off the area, kept the rest of the humans away. Fay-Lin, between bouts of hovering over us, aided him in the clean-up. And after two days, we needed rest, and Duo was out of danger. He could move his upper-body without the danger of re-injuring himself.

“So while we rested, he and G brainstormed his ideas and intentions. Son-Ja was less then pleased when she heard them. With continued therapy and sessions, the damage could be undone. But Duo’s plan would destroy any chance he had at a complete recovery.”

“So…you offered to take his place?” Quatre asked, baby blue eyes glowing faintly. It all sounded like some great ballad for telling under the stars. Even without a string instrument, Sil had a story-teller’s voice; he weaved you into his world without ever trying. Even Trowa was on the verge of being lost.

“Aa,” Sil inclined his head. “I’m still not entirely certain how that happened,” he admitted, a touch sheepish.

“Your spirits touched,” Wu Fei spoke up, his tone thoughtful. “Were touching for more then a day…. Combined with the healing trance….” Blinking obsidian eyes wider then Sil or even Heero could recall ever seeing them, Wu Fei stared at Sil in astonishment. “It’s no wonder you took his place. His spirit, his drive, his life was your own. Please tell me you maintained your own shields?”

Blinking once, Sil blushed faintly at the simplicity of the explanation, and smiled sheepishly before the others could interpret his reaction wrong. “Yes, of course I did. I’ve never aided in a healing when the recipient didn’t know how to shield their own mind or spirit. That…never occurred to me.”

“So, his reasons for joining the Operation became yours?” Trowa’s quiet voice drew the group’s attention. His green eyes were narrowed in thought as he worked at the puzzle. “It was more then a decision?”

Sil nodded once. “As Wu Fei said, Duo’s drive became my own, was mine. The need for spilt blood in vengeance to let his dead rest in peace was…overwhelming, before my mind settled. It was a constant weight afterwards. …To this day I don’t know if that was how he felt about his reasons, or if it was simply my own interpretation. A good deal of his dead were of the church; I doubt they truly needed or appreciated the effort. But also…to prevent more ghosts, to prevent more children from being put into his position….”

Quatre broke the somber atmosphere with a small smile. “I’m sure your sister was put-out by the thought that he wouldn’t let himself heal.”

Catching Quatre’s eye, Sil laughed out-right at the notion. Beside him, Wu Fei couldn’t help but laugh softly as well. Shaking his head, Sil couldn’t catch his breath to respond, much to Wu Fei’s exasperation. The dark-eyed dragon rolled his eyes before looking towards the two sitting across from him. “I imagine she would have drugged him and spirited him back to Espheria, consenting or not. Fairies are not to be trifled with, especially when their aid is requested.”

Quatre chuckled, but gave the two a confused look. “But, you’re not--”

“No,” Sil interrupted, having just gotten his amusement under control. ‘I’ll go right back into fits if I hear him say that.’ Lips twitching, Sil shook his head. “No, we grew up together. Siblings in all but blood.”

~She’s the one you were talking about last night?~ Heero asked, his thoughts quiet. He felt Sil’s nod and the sense of Wu Fei’s affirmation. Storing that bit of information away, Heero shifted and gave Sil a curious look. “So…what are you?”

TBC