Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Prophecy ❯ Eco Vera ( Chapter 5 )

Author's Note: Major face-lift and minor revisions made to the fic before this point. The revisions in the story itself mostly consist of wording and are negligible but if anyone bothered to read the glossary at the bottom then the definitions of the Three Great Spirits, Shinigami, and the Burning Leaf were slightly altered and might be worth looking at.

 

This story is also being written without a beta so I apologize for any problems. Kindly point them out to me and I will fix.

 

Prophecy

By: Lotus-chan

Eco Vera

 

The stars twinkled overhead in the warm summer night as three travelers made their way through a secluded forest road near the northern boarder of the Roma Empire. The road was wide enough to accommodate Trowa, Quatre, and Duo's horses side by side as they rode sedately on their way to Eco Vera.

 

Trowa's senses were alert to any noise that did not belong or any unexpected movement beyond the trees. This trip to Eco Vera's capitol, Torelle had his nerves on edge, especially with the Oracle's warning still fresh in his mind. He felt as though he were willingly leading the two most important people in his life straight into the lion's den, knowing he would not be escaping with them both.

 

He spared a glance to the night sky above him and glared at the stars as though they were the Spirit of Outer Space itself. `How could you do this?!' he thought angrily. `After everything we've been through, after how long and well we have served you?' Because Trowa knew what was coming. The prophecy had to be fulfilled. He was a warrior and as such it was his duty, as Duo's divinely appointed guardian, to protect him no matter what the cost… even if the cost was the life of the person he loved most.

 

His gaze drifted from the sky to his beloved, riding the horse slightly behind him. Trowa didn't kid himself believing that Quatre's immortality would save him. Not after what Silvia had told him. Quatre had already expressed the desire to pass on the Oracle's gift as soon as possible and once rid of it, both his and Quatre's immortality was merely the cause of a curse, and curses could be lifted. Would they finally find a way to free themselves from it only to die immediately thereafter?

 

His gaze shifted to Duo and he realized that Duo had been whispering something to Quatre.

 

“… doesn't work!” Duo said in hushed but worried tones. He was gesturing with the hand not holding onto the reigns and finally Quatre took his hand and closed his eyes.

 

When his lover's face grew concerned and Quatre shook his head ominously, Trowa spoke up, “What's going on?” Trowa asked bringing his horse to a halt.

 

Quatre opened his eyes and looked at Trowa. “I think we have a problem. Duo can't seem to summon the elements.” He said as he and Duo brought their horses to a stop when they pulled up beside him.

 

A thrill of alarm shot down Trowa's spine but he quelled it quickly to keep it from showing in his face and calmly replied, “That has happened before. Duo's been using his powers a lot lately. He might just need time to rest and recover.”

 

Duo was shaking his head, “I thought so too at first but I haven't been able to use any of my gifts since we left Belvai two days ago. That's longer than I've ever gone without my powers and Quatre can't seem to make heads or tails of it either.”

 

“Can you still heal?” Trowa asked, growing more than a little concerned despite himself.

 

Duo blinked and took his hand back from Quatre. He cupped his palm and closed his eyes in concentration. After several seconds a white light began to emanate from his skin and pooled in his hand. Duo sighed in relief and opened his eyes to see the healing light swirling about in his hand like water before re-absorbing it.

 

“Then why on earth…” Quatre shook his head and turned back to Trowa, “Listen, I know you wanted us to ride until we crossed the Eco Verian border and believe me, I want to get there as fast as possible too, especially now but… I'm getting a strong feeling that we need to stop here and rest for the night.”

 

Trowa sighed. Experience told him that with the pace they'd been keeping since leaving the Oracle's temple at Belvai, they could only be about six hours from the border but… “You're the Oracle now, Quatre.” Trowa said, giving their surroundings another wary glance. “If you think we should stop for the night, we'll stop.”

 

That earned him a dazzling smile that made his heart skip a beat.

 

Quatre assessed their surroundings for a moment before turning his horse into the trees on the right, “this way.” He said leading the way. Trowa waited for Duo to follow and led his mare in behind them.

 

They trotted at a leisurely pace for fifteen minutes before coming upon a clearing in the forest. Quatre nodded to himself as he came to a stop, “this is where we need to be.” Duo looked at him curiously as he dismounted and tethered up the horses. Quatre was psychic and often had a feeling for things they needed but he didn't often speak with such certainty.

 

Duo watched covertly as Quatre began picking up debris from the clearing without a light as though he knew where things were and with complete disregard for the hazards that could be lying in wait on the forest floor. Quatre's movements were deliberate; he wasn't wandering about, he moved as though he knew exactly where to step and where he needed to go next. Even as powerful a psychic as Quatre was, this was new. It was the sort of calm and confidence Duo had often seen Silvia.

 

Trowa interrupted his thoughts when he re-emerged from the forest with an armful of dry logs and Duo remembered his duty to the horses. “I didn't find anything unusual out there, but we'll build a fire to ward off anything curious.” Trowa said, dropping the logs in the center of the clearing. They'd fed the horses and eaten earlier that evening because they'd intended to ride all night. So Duo busied himself brushing the road dust from their horses' coats as his brothers set up camp. By the time he was done, Trowa had started a fire and Quatre had laid their pallets out around it.

 

Duo sat down on his and Quatre handed him a waterskin, “It's a pity we couldn't make it to Eco Vera tonight, but the spirits are insisting we need to be here.” Quatre said and sat back against Trowa's chest.

 

Duo took the waterskin and noticed it was wet on the outside. He realized when he drank the surprisingly cool water that one of his brothers must've found a stream nearby to refill it. When Quatre said that though, he nearly spat the water back out. “The spirits are speaking to you?” Duo exclaimed.

 

Quatre looked away uncomfortably, “I was rather hoping you'd be able to here them through our bond as well but…” Trowa gripped him tightly around the waist and Quatre lifted a hand to cover Trowa's. “They don't talk to me often with words… sometimes it's a compulsion. Sometimes I just know things… It's hard to explain…”

 

It was already more than Sight and more than merely being Psychic. What made the Oracle's gift of Sight unique from ordinary Sight was her, or his, direct connection to the Great Spirits. It was what gave the Oracle authority in the eyes of the rest of the world; it was what made him or her sacred. The Oracle was divinely inspired. The only other people in the world who could claim to even come close were the High Priestesses of the Temple to the Great Spirits in Torelle, and even they prayed long hours and purified themselves constantly in order to hope for a response from the divine.

 

Duo knew this was what was playing through Trowa's mind as he held his lover protectively, because it was also playing through Duo's. He took another swig of the waterskin and glanced up at the stars, `I wonder how this will change things…' he thought idly. All he knew was that he felt nothing. It was as though nothing in Quatre's mind had changed.

 

He probed their link briefly, sending his brother a swell of comfort and love experimentally. Quatre smiled at him from his pallet and sent one back. Duo brought his gaze back down and smiled at them both. At least things hadn't changed where they mattered. The rest they would learn to live with in time.

 

“Tomorrow when we cross the border I'd like you to try summoning the elements again, Duo. Eco Verian land enhances gifted power so I'm anxious to see if that will help you recover faster.” Quatre said with a reassuring smile.

 

Duo was about to respond when they heard a noise coming from the forest on the opposite side of the fire. It was coming from a distance and approaching fast. Trowa immediately pulled away from Quatre and reached for the sword he'd lain beside the pallet. Quatre rushed to his feet and instinctively placed himself between Duo and the approaching threat.

 

Duo cursed his luck and took a few steps aside so that Quatre was not directly in front of him. Both he and Quatre we trained in the use of a sword but their swords had been left behind on Asia Minor with most of Duo's personal possessions. They were usually more than capable of defending themselves without weapons but Duo was without his gifts and he hated having to be protected by others.

 

Abruptly Quatre held out a hand to Trowa whose sword was unsheathed and ready and said, “wait, this is why we're here!” Trowa hesitated, a question blooming on his lips. It was enough of a distraction to save the girl who stumbled and fell into their camp.

 

She was teenage with short dark hair wearing a white layered skirt that reached her knees and a white off the shoulder top that stopped just below her breasts and exposed her belly. The star patterns in silver embroidery stood out harshly in the firelight. She was barefoot but the uniform was immediately recognizable. “Please!” she cried to them hysterically, “Please, My Lady is ill. She's dying! Please help! Do you have any medicine?!”

 

It was the uniform of the attendants to one of the Eco Verian High Priestesses.

 

Duo eyes widened as he stepped out completely from behind Quatre and walked toward her, “it's you!” He exclaimed, as he walked up to her and helped her up.

 

She gasped when she saw him and her face split into a smile of relief so great it brought tears to her eyes. “The Healer!” She declared with a sob of relief. Duo blinked and could not believe his eyes. It was the girl from the pirate ship, the one he'd healed. “Surely this is fate! Hurry, come quickly, she is near death!” The girl said urgently and began pulling him into the forest.

 

“Duo!” Trowa called, and began to advance on the girl to stop her.

 

“No, wait Trowa.” Quatre said rushing between them, “I'll go with him. Start getting our things together, I'll come back to help you when I know he's safe.”

 

Trowa frowned at Quatre for several seconds but eventually nodded, “go, hurry.” Quatre gripped his arm briefly and ran off to catch up with Duo. Trowa re-sheathed his weapon and began breaking camp with haste. He wouldn't wait for Quatre to come back for him. The faster he caught up, the faster this great sense of unease would abate.

 

-------

 

“What the heck happened to you? How'd you end up here?” Duo asked as the girl pulled him forward. They ran as fast as the thick foliage of the forest would let them and Duo worried they wouldn't get the horses through the thinly spaced trees.

 

“Nevermind that now! I'll explain later, but right now you have a patient waiting and I'll lose everything again if she dies.” Her grip on his arm tightened and he could see the tears in her eyes but her face was set and resolute. She was coming back with help and she would wrestle Shinigami himself out of the way if she had to in order to get them to their destination.

 

Duo felt the corners of his lips curl slightly. That was the spirit he remembered. “At least tell me your name. My name's Duo.” he asked, jumping a stray log in his path.

 

She glanced back at him for a moment, then looked forward again when a few lights became visible in the distance. “Hilde.” She said shortly and he noticed the slight blush of embarrassment on her cheeks.

 

He smiled but anything he was about to say was cut off when she led him through the trees and out onto the road where a carriage was waiting. The carriage was one of the biggest he'd ever seen. Pulled by three sets of horses and eight wheels, it was the sort of carriage nobles used when traveling long distances. The carriage was surrounded by a uniformed escort dressed in white who immediately unsheathed their weapons at the sudden intrusion.

 

“It's me!” Hilde said, letting him go and raising her hands to the men surrounding the carriage. Some of them relaxed when they saw her but others were giving Duo a measuring glance as if not sure whether to classify him friend or foe. “Let us inside, I brought back with me a Healer.” She turned back to Duo, grabbed his arm again and pulled back the sleeves of his shirt to expose the arm guards. “He will save our Priestess!” she said turning back to them.

 

A few surprised faces stepped aside and she quickly flung the door open and hauled him up into the carriage. “My brothers are following me!” he yelled at the guards before Hilde closed the carriage door behind them, “make sure you let them pass!”

 

Hilde elbowed him hard, “be quiet! You're in the presence of an ill woman!” she said in a stage whisper and pulled him forward. The inside of the carriage was illuminated by candles and massive compared to every other carriage he'd been inside of. It was like a small but luxurious bedroom. The traditional cushioned bench seats were to the right of him and to the left, the floor of the carriage was covered in seating cushions. Most were empty but the ones closest to the far wall were occupied by two more girls Hilde's age dressed in the same uniform. They were crying over a woman who was stretched out over a futon lying on a slightly raised platform.

 

Hilde led him to that platform and he heard her whisper to the other girls, “don't worry, I told you I'd bring help. Come now, let him close to her.” The girls nodded and moved back to give them room. Duo sat on one of the previously occupied pillows next to the head of the high priestess's futon, and looked down at her. Her skin was pale and sweaty, her cheeks flushed and her breaths uneven. The auburn hair that framed her face lay limp and scraggly over the pillow as if already dead and merely waiting for the rest of her to catch up. A damp cloth had been draped across her brow and there was a bowl of cool water beside the futon.

 

Duo removed the cloth and pulled the sheets down to her waist over her nightgown before he closed his eyes and summoned a minute amount of power, just enough for a glow to be visible in his hands. He then leaned over her and placed his fingers on her temples. “What happened to her?” he asked Hilde without looking at her.

 

“We don't know.” She said, watching what his hands were doing. “Lady Catherine was returning from a visit to Sank when I joined her. She seemed fine, then all of a sudden yesterday she started complaining of a headache, then she was nauseous and we had to stop the carriage here because she couldn't tolerate the movement anymore. She took some medicine and thought she'd be well again soon but a few hours ago she lost consciousness and never woke up.”

 

There was a noise from outside and the door opened again as Quatre stepped into the carriage. Hilde spared him only a brief glance and turned back to see one of Duo's hands slide down the center of her priestess's chest and settle on her belly. “What are you doing?” Hilde asked impatiently. “Why aren't you healing her, why are you touching her like that??”

 

Hilde was about to reach out a hand to stop him when Quatre grabbed her wrist. “He needs to know what he's healing before he starts otherwise it won't do either of them any good.” He said patiently to her as he sat down beside her.

 

Hilde sat back and looked away stubbornly but nodded. “Just hurry, she's not well…”

 

“No, she isn't.” Duo confirmed, pulling away and opening his eyes again. “The poison has already reached her heart.” There were a few gasps from behind him but Duo ignored them, “but it started here.” He said gesturing with a hand to the priestess's belly.

 

Hilde stared incredulously but Duo's attention was now for the priestess alone. “You said she'd just gotten back from Sank?” Quatre asked as Duo pushed up his other sleeve. Hilde nodded. “The anti-Gifted sentiment in Sank is very high,” Quatre started as he watched Duo close his eyes again and center himself. “The Burning Leaf are given free reign there and they often sneak Draconian grown fruits and vegetables in with the rest of the produce at markets or in shipments for noble houses. The Draconian soil makes anything grown in it poisonous to the Gifted and unfortunately, it's very difficult to tell the difference between something Draconian grown, and something safe.” He finished solemnly.

 

Hilde raised a hand to cover her mouth in horror. As a bright white energy began to pool in Duo hands she watched numbly as he leaned over the priestess again, placing one hand over her heart and the other on her belly. “This is going to take a while.” He said gravely.

 

It was half an hour of silent anticipation before noises from outside caught the attention of the carriage's occupants. The door to the carriage opened again and Trowa walked inside, closing the door behind him. Hunched over, he walked the short distance to Quatre's side and sat down in front of him.

 

Duo was lost in concentration beside him and from the way Quatre was watching Duo so intently, he was likely keeping up with Duo's progress. “Quatre.” He prompted.

 

Quatre blinked and started, surprised to suddenly see him there. “Trowa! I'm sorry I didn't go back, I…”

 

“It's alright, I'd rather you were with Duo in case he needed you.” He said, waving off Quatre's apology. Trowa glanced at the priestess, “Has he been at it this whole time?” He asked, a bit surprised.

 

Quatre nodded solemnly. Hilde looked from one to the other, “I knew this was taking longer than it should. Why…?” but she trailed off when a sigh from Duo brought her attention back to him.

 

Duo sat back, wiping sweat from his brow and shook his head. “This isn't working.” He said, the frustration evident in his voice and Quatre nodded slightly to himself. It was what he'd been sensing through the bond as well.

 

“What do you mean it isn't working??” One of the priestess's attendants said from the bench seat near the door. “I thought you were a Healer! Healer's can heal anything!”

 

Duo turned around and glared at the girl, “you don't know what you're talking about! Your priestess has had this poison in her system for at least a week now and it's had plenty of time to ravage her from the inside!” He turned back to face his patient and said more softly, “not only do I need to burn the poison from her system but I need to fix what was damaged. The fact that this is Draconian poisoning only makes things more difficult. I'm using the same kind of energy to heal her that this poison was created to attack. It's slowing me down and requiring more energy of me than I usually need.”

 

Duo did look tired; exhausted. He ran a hand through his hair and when he looked up, there was a cup with water waiting for him in an outstretched hand. Duo looked up to the owner of that hand when he took the offered cup. Hilde was holding a bottle and a foreboding expression. “Can you save her?” She asked with all the calm of someone preparing themselves for the worst.

 

Duo gulped down the contents of his cup gratefully and looked back down at the Priestess Catherine. He stared at her for a long time before he finally said, “I can trade places with her.”

 

That caused a number of things to happen at once. “No! You are not taking that risk!” Quatre declared angrily. The girls gasped loudly and quickly came back to the front of the carriage as if to encourage that decision.

 

Trowa grabbed Duo's arm and attempted to pull him towards the door, “we're leaving, now!”

 

Duo resisted and just then, the door opened and one of the guards from outside poked his head in to check on all the noise, “What's going on?” he demanded.

 

“Nothing,” Hilde said quickly. “Everything's fine, Captain.” The Captain gave everyone inside a scrutinizing glance, finally settling on Duo and his arm guards.

 

“You,” he said to Duo, “How is the Priestess?” he asked curtly. Trowa glared at the man menacingly.

 

“She'll be fine soon.” Duo reassured. Trowa's glare shifted to Duo as the man nodded and closed the door.

 

“Last time you did this…” Trowa began.

 

“Last time was different. It was more than I could handle...” Duo began.

 

“This is more than you can handle!” Quatre hissed. “Your Gift gives you immunity to illness not poison.”

 

“You know I can still fight it off better than normal people. At this rate, I'm going to run out of energy before I can get her to the point where she'll be able to recover on her own. I've already burned away a lot of the poison, if her body were in better condition she wouldn't be in danger anymore. If I take the poison into myself I can fight what's left of it without any lasting damage and she'll still be alive for me to finish healing when I get better.” Duo said.

 

Hilde and the other girls were keeping out of the argument which was fortunate for them because Trowa was livid. “I forbid you from taking that risk. You've done everything you can and now we are leaving.” He said, his tone leaving no room for argument. He tugged on Duo's arm again but Duo didn't budge.

 

“I'm not going,” Duo said calmly. “Because I haven't done everything I can.” He glanced up at Trowa, “I know what you're trying to do but I'm not going to let you do it.” He said simply. “I'm sorry.”

 

Trowa's eyes widened and he turned to Quatre in exasperation. But Quatre had bent his knees and was resting his forehead against them. His hands were in his hair and he shook his head as if he knew Trowa was looking at him. “The Spirits want this, Trowa. We have to let him do it.”

 

A moment went by in stunned silence before Trowa collapsed onto the floor where he'd been standing. Just a moment ago, Quatre had been just as adamant that Duo not take the risk as he was. But as Trowa watched Quatre shake his head again and pull at the strands of his hair, he knew that the decision had not been his.

 

Hilde's voice cut through the silence hesitantly, “the spirits…?” she asked Quatre, a bit confused.

 

Duo leaned over Catherine again and replied to Hilde's question without turning around. “Quatre's the Oracle.” He said bluntly and began his work before anyone could think to stop him. The distraction worked and he ignored the gasps of shock and the sudden influx of questions from Hilde and the other girls. Duo placed his hands over Catherine's heart and stomach once again and concentrated on the poison within her.

 

It didn't take long before the white healing light that covered his hands dimmed and turned black, casting purple shadows on the walls. He absorbed that energy into himself little by little and pulled his hands away with a tremor when he was done. Duo blinked and all of a sudden the agonizing pain in his head was too much. Catherine's blue eyes were the last thing he saw before he passed out.

 

------

 

Duo woke up several hours later when a cool breeze brushed against his face. He opened his eyes to find himself staring horizontally out one of the open windows of the carriage. The forest scenery was moving passed the window and the sound of horses trotting along outside told him they were moving. Something shifted beneath him and he looked up to find Trowa asleep above him. Duo was lying down on the bench seats near the carriage door and his head was resting in Trowa's lap. One of Trowa's hands was resting on his chest as if there to make sure Duo's heart was still beating.

 

Duo was suddenly overcome with a great deal of guilt. He'd put his big brothers through a lot lately. “I'm glad you think so, Duo.” Quatre said from the other side of the carriage.

 

Duo turned his head saw Quatre sitting at the foot of the Priestess's futon, where Hilde had been before. The Priestess was sitting up in her futon, propped up by a few pillows. She still looked weak, but undeniably better and she was smiling at him. Duo sat up slowly, bowed his head in greeting to her and turned to Quatre. “I'm sorry about everything.” Honestly, he felt like a child who'd been caught doing something wrong.

 

Quatre gave him a long look but eventually sighed and shook his head. “You did what had to be done. It's probably the two of us who need to accept that you're not a child anymore.” He said sadly and looked away.

 

Duo frowned to himself, not knowing what to say. That's when he noticed the odd looks he was getting from the Priestess's attendants. One was asleep along the wall but Hilde and another girl he hadn't been introduced to were staring at him in awe. He was about to ask them what was the matter when Lady Catherine's words put a screeching halt to his thoughts.

 

“It is a pleasure to meet you, your Highness.” Catherine said serenely. “It's also an honor to know that the Vistarian Prince placed himself in jeopardy to save my life. You have my eternal gratitude.” She said and bowed to him from her seated position on her futon.

 

He blinked. Really, what else could he do? One of the High Priestesses of the Temple to the Great Spirits had just bowed to him. She smiled, slightly amused by his reaction and beckoned him over with a delicate hand. “Please, come closer so that we may be formally introduced.”

 

Duo did as she asked. He slid off the bench and walked over to the unoccupied pillow by the head of her futon. When he sat down she said, “I am Lady Catherine Bloom, High Priestess to the Spirit of Outerspace at the Temple in Torelle.” And she gave another slight bow by dipping her head forward.

 

Duo did the same, “My name is Duo Maxwell. I'm honored to meet you My Lady.” He said nervously.

 

She smiled but shook her head, “but you are only half introducing yourself, your Highness. You are Prince Duo Maxwell, heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Vistaria. The secret of your identity is safe in my hands and in those of my attendants so formal introductions are acceptable. When I introduce you to the Council of Elders in Torelle, it will be with your name and title, for they have been expecting you.”

 

“… and so were you.” Quatre added.

 

Catherine nodded, “Silvia once told me that the Vistarian Prince would save my life and that I would be able to help him in return but I never imagined it would happen like this, or now. I'm saddened to hear of her passing.” She said quietly and paused for a moment of silence before she turned back to Duo.

 

“You and your brothers need not worry about finding a place to stay in Torelle. After the Eco Verian monarchy fell, the Council of Elders took up residence in the palace and they provide lodgings for the Gifted nobility and royalty who come for the purification ritual.” She said smiling at him again.

 

Duo's brows furrowed, “I appreciate the offer, My Lady but I thought we agreed my identity needed to be kept secret…”

 

“Ah, but Quatre's doesn't.” She replied with a grin.

 

Quatre smiled, “we'll be staying in Silvia's rooms in the palace. The official story is Silvia decided to stay in Belvai to meet the next Oracle and on our way to Torelle, one of my body guards,” Quatre grinned, “was able to be of some assistance to Lady Catherine - to explain why we're traveling together.”

 

“Which is mostly the truth.” Duo said returning Quatre's grin.

 

“With one exception.” Catherine added, “The attack on the Oracle's temple we will keep to ourselves until we meet with the Council.” She said looking at both of them. Duo nodded to her realizing that Quatre must've brought her up to speed on everything that had happened to them while he was unconscious. “The Council is very busy this time of year but when I tell them of you, I am certain they will make the time to see you. In the meantime I will see to it that you are comfortable and you may take part in the ritual when you are ready.”

 

“That's right, can you tell me about that? What's the ritual like? What do you have to do?” Duo asked curiously.

 

Catherine looked at him strangely and Quatre decided to clarify. “We have been unable to bring Duo to perform the ritual yet, My Lady. It's not been safe for us, so this will be the Prince's first ritual.” Duo blinked at Quatre's use of his title. He wasn't sure he was comfortable with that.

 

“Ah,” Catherine said and smiled mischievously at him. “The ritual is a unique experience for everyone, your Highness. It would simply not do it any justice to explain it in words.”

 

Duo opened his mouth to ask for a bit more than that but a voice from behind him cut him off before he even began. “You shouldn't bother to insist because they won't tell you.” Duo turned around to see Hilde regarding him from a spot beside the door.

 

She started nervously, as if surprised at herself for speaking up and bowed hastily. Duo felt disappointed by her awe in him and he was suddenly glad that he wouldn't need to tell many people who he really was. “Why is that?” he asked coaxingly.

 

When Hilde saw that he wasn't upset by her interruption, she said hesitantly, “well, it's tradition not to tell first timers what to expect except perhaps the bare minimum.” She glanced at Catherine briefly as if to ask permission and Catherine smiled encouragingly.

 

Addressing Duo again, Hilde said, “next to the royal palace in Torelle stands the Temple to the Great Spirits and behind the temple is the Atrium. The Atrium is where the ritual takes place. It's a large dome made of opaque glass panes - to keep curious people from looking in. The rumor is that the gifted are taken inside the Atrium from underground because the dome has no door… that's all I've heard.”

 

Catherine nodded, “and you've heard correctly.” She confirmed.

 

Duo crossed his arms and regarded Hilde curiously. “Then, have you never performed the ritual either?”

 

Hilde looked at him surprised, “me? Oh no, I'm human and I'm from a small Roma settlement on Asia Minor. I've never so much as been off continent before now.”

 

He frowned, “that I understand but what does being human have to do with it?”

 

“Human's aren't allowed inside the Atrium,” she said surprised, as if to imply that the answer should've been obvious. “The gifted jealously guard the secrets behind their ritual and certainly never discuss them in front of…” Hilde slapped a hand to her mouth and bowed deeply to her priestess. “I'm sorry, I meant no disrespect.”

 

The Priestess waved away the apology. “It's alright, you spoke only the truth.” Catherine said seriously.

 

Duo glanced at her with a frown, “why this segregation of humans?” he asked, not liking what this conversation was revealing. “I don't understand, isn't it enough that the Burning Leaf do it to us?”

 

“Duo!” Quatre exclaimed in shock.

 

“No, it's alright.” Catherine said, halting Quatre's admonishment before it came. She regarded Duo curiously, “Our secrecy does not stem of hatred or a desire for segregation. It is left over from darker times when the Gifted were accepted even less than they are now. If we were to preserve the sanctity of this ritual, its location, and the lives of the participants, we needed the secrecy. That is why humans are not allowed inside the Atrium. Humans could not perform the same ritual we perform even if they were allowed inside because it requires our gifts.

 

“Recently though things have changed and humans are now allowed to perform a modified version of the ritual in a secluded section at the Atrium's base. The non-Gifted come from all over to seek healing and spiritual cleansing at the Pools of Dry Water. There, they sit in the pools and meditate until they sense their time is up. During that time they can achieve peace and healing for mind, body, and spirit.

 

“Even members of the Burning Leaf are allowed to participate if they so wish but that's also part of the reason why they can't be allowed into the Atrium itself. It would be too dangerous for the gifted. Many of us come anonymously from other kingdoms and can't afford to be recognized. Imagine what might happen to a Gifted noble from Higashi… or Sank?” She finished ominously.

 

Duo nodded understandingly, “I'm sorry for what I said before.” He said honestly.

 

Catherine only smiled. “It's quite alright. As High Priestess, it's my job to explain these things.” She turned to Hilde who'd been paying attention. “I hope you find this explanation acceptable as well.”

 

Hilde smiled and nodded, “Yes, My Lady.”

 

Quatre's own smile split into a grin as he looked out one of the open windows. “I think we're approaching the Eco Verian boarder.” He gave Duo an expectant look. “Get ready, once we've crossed the border I want you to try summoning again.”

 

Duo glanced out the window but didn't see anything special. “How will I know when?”

 

Still grinning, Quatre said, “You'll know.” Duo raised an eyebrow but sat back against the side of the coach and let Quatre have his fun.

 

A few minutes later though, Duo shuddered as a warm surge of energy shot through his senses like tiny bolts of electricity. It eventually settled like a warm blanket in his mind and his awareness of his connection to the Spirit of the Earth was all of a sudden greater than it had ever been.

 

“Eco Vera!” Someone shouted from outside, but the occupants of the carriage already knew.

 

Quatre seemed to be savoring the sensation but Duo's attention was suddenly on Hilde who was rubbing her arms and Trowa who'd come awake suddenly. He was about to ask his brother if something were wrong when Quatre interrupted his thoughts, “Duo, try it now.”

 

He sighed but nodded and looked around the inside of the carriage. On the wall, sitting in a small bracket was a half spent candle. Duo stretched out a hand on the floor and concentrated. That familiar blue-green glow of power encircled his arm and solidified into a flowing liquid electricity. It spilled from his hand to the floor and shot up the wall towards the candle but when Duo's power encircled the candle, nothing happened. Duo concentrated harder and after a few more seconds, a blue-green flame to come to life at the end of the charred wick.

 

Duo breathed again and relaxed. As his power dissipated, the flame's color returned to yellow and winked merrily at him in the breeze. Everyone's congratulations filtered out into white noise as Duo gazed at his hand worriedly. Eco Verian soil was supposed to double his power and that tiny flame had taken far too much effort to summon…

 

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Lady Dorothy Catalonia stepped around the debris strewn over the floor of the Oracle's private chambers. The injured soldiers had been removed and were being treated downstairs in the great hall. While she finally had the freedom to walk wherever in the temple she pleased, it was not for the reasons she wanted. Side-stepping a heap of broken wood that had once been an antique something or other she walked up to the bed where a pile of dust was identifiable as having been human only because of the dress that covered it.

 

“You win again, Silvia.” Dorothy admitted bitterly. “I just wonder what poor fool you gave your powers to.” She sneered at the pile of human remains in front of her. “How could you dishonor such a great and noble position as the Oracle by handing it over to some nobody just to keep me from having it? Could you really have been so petty?!” she said, her voice rising with every word.

 

“This goes to show that you were never worthy of the power to begin with, Silvia!” she shouted, her nostrils flaring. “How dare you die before I can have my revenge on you?!” Dorothy picked up a picture frame that had been sitting on the bedside counter and flung it against the opposite wall. It shattered when it hit the wall and glass shards rained down on the ground, adding to the debris on the floor. Dorothy hesitated. When the heavy frame had hit the wall there had been a hollow sound.

 

Dorothy walked across the room and stepping over the glass in her heals she pressed her hands flat against the wall. Knocking on it she noted the hallow sound again and smiled, `a false wall.' She thought and began looking for a catch, or lever; anything that would let her through. She followed the wall to a tall wardrobe; the only piece of furniture except the bed that hadn't been disturbed.

 

Her attempts to open it failed and she stepped back for a moment to think. Eventually she reached out her fingertips to the keyhole on the door and concentrated, hoping to prompt a vision. After several determined minutes a flash struck her and she ran back to the glass shards of the picture frame she'd destroyed. Sifting the shards aside with her shoe, she found a key. Dorothy grinned, picking it up and walked back to the wardrobe. The key fit, the lock clicked and the door opened.

 

It wasn't a wardrobe.

 

The wardrobe was a door to a hidden room filled with old books and scrolls stacked on shelves all the way to the ceiling. Dorothy stared in wonder as she walked inside and looked around. She knew what this place was. She's seen it in visions many times. It was the Oracle's secret cache of uncensored documents and treasures. She immediately shot for the back of the room where there was a chest on the floor beneath the shelves. She'd seen Silvia put it in this chest in one of her visions. The famed ruby: Shinigami's Tear.

 

Dorothy quickly pulled the chest out from beneath the shelves and opened it. It was filled with documents. She frowned and sifted through them but the chest was filled with nothing but stacks of papers. She checked all the other chests and in the drawers of a desk but the Tear had vanished. “Damnit,” she cursed, “you always had to be one step ahead of me didn't you?” she said to thin air. Dorothy sighed petulantly and glanced down at the large diamond in the broach on her dress. “I guess you'll have to due for a little longer.”

 

She was about to leave when something caught her eye. There was a table in the center of the room and on the table were several rolls of parchment. One was opened and there were large mineral stones weighing down the top and bottom to keep the scroll from rolling back up. Dorothy walked over to the table and peered at the ancient piece of parchment from above. “`The Vistarian Prophecy, un-altered as told by the Lady Silvia Noventa, the Oracle of Belvai…'” she read.

 

A slow grin took shape on Dorothy's face as she continued to read, “so the boy is a Healer…” she said to herself and picked up the scroll from the table to get a better look. “Two immortal guardians… not `two guardians sent by eternity'.” Dorothy laughed to herself. “You thought you were so clever, Silvia!” she shouted to the ceiling. She looked back to the scroll, barely containing her mirth. “All this time, people have been saying that the `guardians sent by eternity' had to be guardians sent by the Spirits, not that the guardians themselves were `eternal'!”

 

Dorothy rolled the scroll back up, grabbed the rest of the scrolls on the table and began checking along the selves for anything that might prove useful. “I'm glad I stumbled across these, it'll give that oaf Barton something to cool his head over when I return without Silvia's power.” She paused in her search and chuckled darkly, “I had wondered what Quatre and Trowa had done with themselves all this time.”

 

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Author's note: I wish I could've written something more interesting for this update but this bit was necessary. In the next chapter, Duo and Heero finally meet! Will tensions rise? Will sparks fly? I promise lots of good stuff on the horizon.

 

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(Not in ABC order)
Glossary:

1. Bonded/ or Bonds: Bonds are links of power created between an Ecomancer and a Celestial for there own protection. The clairvoyance of a Celestial and the power of an Ecomancer serve to help each other. These bonds create semi-weak telepathic links between the two bonded. Presumably, these bonds can only be done between two people. They are life long. There is no known way to undo them.

2. The Gifted: Made up of psychics, telepaths, seer's, telekinetic's and ecomancers, they are any man or woman who can speak to/use the power of the Three Great Spirits. The Gifted come in a great variety but ecomancers are rare and for reasons not understood, are mainly female. A gifted who can wield the power of the Spirit of the Earth cannot wield that of the Spirit of Outerspace and vise versa.

3. The Celestials: Psychics, telepaths, telekentics and seers. They are those among the Gifted who can touch the Spirit of Outerspace and use it's power. Their symbol is the Star.

4. Ecomancers: Any man or woman who can touch the Spirit of the Earth and wield it's elemental powers, either just one or all four. If an Ecomancer can wield all four basic elemental powers he/she is granted the Healer's Touch. The Symbol of an Ecomancer is a half turned rose leaf. Healer's are recognized by their white gold arm guards.

5. Elemental Powers: Governed by the Spirit of the Earth: Earth, Wind, Water and Fire.

6. Healer's Touch: Power gifted to an Ecomancer who can control all four elemental powers. Considered to be advanced form ecomancy, this is the ability to heal illness or injury by using one's own life energy, or `chi'. Healer's are recognized by their white gold arm guards.

7. Three Great Spirits: The three spirits who have control over the world: the Spirit of the Earth, the Spirit of Outerspace and the Human Spirit. The first two are the Spirit Creators of the gifted. They are life givers and spirits that help bring peace and fertility to the world. The last is the dormant Spirit Creator of the non-gifted.

8. Two Great Spirits: Only referring to the Spirit of the Earth and the Spirit of Outerspace.

9. Oracle: Title given to the oldest and most powerful seer. Unlike the other Gifted, the power of seer can be transferred from one person to another if old enough. This is how a new Oracle is generally appointed. With the position of Oracle comes immortality. The Oracle cannot die until she/he passes on the old power.

10. Seer: One of the four major forms of the Celestial's power, (aside from the Psychics, Telepaths and Telekinetics). It is the power to see into the future spontaneously or via an object. The power comes to the seer at random and theoretically cannot be controlled, not even by the Oracle.

11. The Burning Leaf: A hate group with a near religious dedication to the eradication of all Ecomancers. Regarded as radicals, it is their belief that Ecomancers are actually followers of the Evil One in disguise. According to their beliefs, Ecomancers are rapists of the Spirit of the Earth who tap into it's power through the Evil Spirit and in turn weaken it. They believe that Ecomantic Healers are the most powerful followers of the Evil One who will rob a person of their soul while pretending to heal them. Their hatred toward Ecomancers runs deep enough to lead to acts of severe violence and/or murder. Followers of the Burning Leaf dislike of the Celestials almost as much because they will protect and support Ecomancers. Few Ecomancers will travel without the protection of a Celestial with them. The symbol for this cult is the burning rose leaf for obvious reasons.

12. Five Kingdoms: Sank, Vistaria, Roma, Nishi and Higashi. (Nishi actually meaning west and Higashi actually meaning east).

13. Asia Major: Largest continent where all life began. Ruled by the Five Kingdoms.

14. Asia Minor: Smallest of the two continents. Colonized on the east coast almost completely by the Roma Empire.

15. Council of Elders: Made up of the only six known Healers in existence and the six most powerful Celestials, this group of twelve elders is the high council that rules over all Gifted in every country. They set the laws that both protect and keep the Gifted in check. Working together with the rulers of each of the five kingdoms, they are responsible for looking after all matters concerned with the Gifted. The Council of Elders authority is second only to the Oracle who is also a member. The council resides in Torelle, the capitol of Eco Vera.

16. Shinigami: AKA the Evil One. A loner Spirit who rules over the nether world and the dead. He is a separate, lesser entity outside the control of the Three Great Spirits. Although many people believe that he is the embodiment of all evil and the bringer of death, destruction and chaos, Shinigami is a neutral spirit that does as he wishes and answers to none of the other Three Spirits.

17. True Bonded (Legend): Although any Celestial can bond with any Ecomancer, each time one gifted is born there is one other gifted out there that they are destined to bond with. Two people achieving all the powers a gifted can, the four elementals or the four psychic-related powers, and bonding together can give them a status/power alike to that of a demi-god.

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Place Names:

1. Vistaria: Empire from which Duo comes from. Fell to Sank 16 years earlier. (Except in prologue).

2. Sank: Enemy kingdom of Vistaria ruled by King Barton.

3. Torelle: Capital city of Eco Vera.

4. Eco Vera: Neutral no mans land between Sank and Vistaria. An enchanted sacred ground where Priests, Ecomancers and all other Gifted come once a year to seek peace and unity with the two great spirits. Place where all Gifted power is enhanced.

5. Draconian Desert: Desolate no mans land north of Eco Vera in which contact with the two great spirits is completely cut off.

6. Belvai: City just south of Eco Vera within the Roma Empire. It is where the Oracle lives.

7. Roma: Country south of Sank ruled by Emperor Khushrenada.

8. Oz: Capitol city of the Roma Empire.

9. Nishi: Ruled by Queen Midii Une

10. Higashi: Ruled by Queen Sally Po

List of who has what power:

Duo Maxwell:
Ecomancer: Earth, Wind, Water, Fire. Healer

Quatre R. Winner:
Celestial: Psychic, Telekinetic, Seer (Oracles gift).

Heero Yuy:
Celestial: Psychic, Telekinetic.

Dorothy Catalonia:
Celestial: Seer, Psychic.

Treize Khushrenada:
Ecomancer: Earth, Fire.

Silvia Noventa:
Celestial: Psychic, Telepathic, Telekinetic, Seer (Oracles gift).