Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Willing Slave ❯ Chapter 15

Part 15

Zechs and Noin rode at the head of the White Fang, leading the small group out of the garden and into the empty streets. Filling up the space behind them, Treize came into view riding head of the regular guard. Quatre's Maganac guard followed after them. Behind them, nestled along the walls, Une had changed her civilian clothes for a military uniform and ordered her troops to nock their arrows.

"If you have any ideas," Heero told Wufei, "now's the time." Before he had his answer, Heero ran along the battlements and climbed down to the ground, followed close by his brother. The two cut through Heero's forces and headed for the front wall.

The sorcerer held his arm out. Nataku climbed down his sleeve and launched into the air, swirling into the air. Wufei took Shenlong in one hand and raised his other towards the sky. Instead of clouds, light gathered above them, spiraling in visible streams as sunlight left other parts of the city, leaving it dark. Light upon light formed into a tiny ball, no bigger than Duo's cross, that grew brighter than even the sun for all its density.

Treize looked up at the small group on the battlements, and he stared at his lover, bathed in light with wind roaring around him. "Be careful, Wufei," he whispered. "Come out of this alive for me."

On the other side of the fight and riding a doll twice his size, Laoshi O stared at the ball of light and motioned at the necromancer with mushroom hair. "G, do you recognize that spell?"

G shook his head. "No. I can't tell if it's defensive or not."

On the ground, Noin looked at her husband. "Do we wait for the kid to finish?"

Zechs nodded. "I don't want to commit to a charge before we know what's going to happen."

One last yell from Wufei echoed through the palace garden, and the light exploded out in broad rainbow that swirled into a circle above them and streamed towards the ground, leaving a bubble surface in its wake. The Romefeller group halted, but the four necromancers increased speed.

"We'll never make it in time," Laoshi O yelled over the wind.

G growled and nodded. "Get ready to fire the canon."

Flying to their left, the shortest necromancer zoomed in close. "We don't have time to charge it up."

"Then we cheat," G said, holding his hands up and pooling lightning between them. "Grab old metal nose and use him to charge it."

Twisting his mustache, he nodded and maneuvered his doll backwards until he flew above the last necromancer. Before the other noticed him, he dropped straight down, squashing his victim between their dolls and sucking up the life essence before it could dissipate. Cackling wildly, he flew forward and threw the life force into G's hands.

Wufei saw the rise in power and grit his teeth, bringing the Shenlong into the air and slamming it down again, dragging his hands down the shaft to force the spell down faster. Nataku squawked and flew back, landing on the Shenlong's tip. She stretched her wings out and trilled out one note, tapping into the same source she'd found when transforming Treize again.

G cursed and held his hands above his head. "Damn brat...deal with this. Libratanas fire!"

The other two flanked him and formed a triangle, steadying the spell and giving him aim. A beam of yellow energy shot out directly at Wufei.

Wufei fell to his knees, yelling as he forced the spell farther down. Nataku saw the beam and sang louder. Their rainbow shield slid faster, touching the ground the instant before the light hit. Energy rippled along the shield, crackling down the center and spreading into the air before disappearing, weakened but still enough to fling Wufei back. Like liquid, the surface of the doom rippled with hues, coloring the palace yellow and blue one moment, green and white the next.

Duo lunged forward to catch Shenlong before it fell, but to his surprise it remained standing. "Wow."

"All right, he's done it," Zechs said. "White Fang, charge!"

Standing in front of her archers, Une raised her arm. "Aim!"

As one, the archers raised their bows.

"Fire!"

A volley of a thousand arrows darkened the sky, passing through the bubble shield as if it wasn't there, and the vanguard dropped out of the sky. Dozens of dolls plummeted, looking like pin cushions, and shattered on the ground. The necromancers pulled their dolls back, flying nearly upside down in their rush to escape, and the Romefeller soldiers behind them caught their arrows.

Wufei groaned and sat up, hands on his head. "Ah, that hurt." He looked at the Shenlong and winced. "Damn. If that's holding up the Peace of Millions, I can't use it to fight." Closing his eyes, he pictured his usual black staff still inside his room, and he called to it. In his mind, he could feel it rushing towards him.

"Hey, Wufei," Duo yelled, picking up his Deathscythe. "Can that spell of yours hold off those dolls?"

"No, just other spells." His staff arrived and he ran back to his Shenlong, switching the silver staff out for the black one. "Get ready. They're about to break through."

Another volley of arrows took the front of the next wave out, but then Une had to order her troops to aim to the sides to avoid their own troops moving down the center.

Their white bodies emitted a whining sound as the first dolls came through the air, swooping through the shield at the three boys standing along the palace battlements. Normally white, the dome now colored them red with black streaks. Duo leaned forward as he sliced, cutting his first doll in half, and he turned a hundred and eighty degrees to behead the next one. Beside him, Quatre kept his back to Duo and sliced the arms off his first doll, taking off its legs on the second sweep and then diving backwards before it collapsed on top of him.

"Look out!" Duo yelled, backpeddling into Quatre.

The blonde turned and spotted one of Duo's still coming at them despite having no head. Quatre threw one of his kamis and missed, but they both saw it curve around and come back, taking off the doll's legs before Quatre caught it again.

"Wow," Duo said. "I wonder if mine'll do that."

"Look!" Quatre said, pointing.

Duo followed his friend's hand and started moving back faster than before. The legless, headless doll was dragging itself forward, arms reaching towards them. Duo tried to bring his scythe up, but the maneuvering was bad and the staff kept hitting the floor. Just as the doll grabbed his ankle, light flashed green behind it, and it slumped forward, its grip loosening.

Wufei jerked his spear out of the doll's back and spun it around to clear it of debris. "Keep those things off my back," he said as he knelt. "I've got an idea."

After helping Duo to feet, Quatre turned and hurled one of his kamis at the closest doll, cutting through the center of its body and sending the two halves to the ground, where guards below hacked the flailing limbs to pieces.

Duo looked at his scythe for a moment, then ran several feet away, out of reach of Quatre. Two dolls landed on the wall next to him, one in front and one behind. He stood sideways, trying to keep both of them in sight. The one furthest out rushed him, swinging its arms like a scarlet windmill, and Duo swung his scythe through its body, cutting through its shoulder down its stomach and out its side. While the top half sloughed off to the ground and guards below, the legs ran forward. With his attention on the first doll, the second turned and stomped towards the sorcerer bent over the fallen doll.

The steps sent tremors along the wall, and Duo knew the other doll was after Wufei. One of the dismembered legs kicked high at his head, and he dodged sideways, using his momentum to swing around and drag the scythe after him, sending it flying through the knees. Before it could even hit the ground, Duo had turned and attacked the second doll from behind, taking off the head and arms and aiming for the chest.

Distracted by the heavy steps, Wufei turned and found the doll nearly on top of him and Duo behind it, soul blade poised to strike. "No, Duo. Leave the main body intact. Only take off the limbs."

Adjusting his aim a little, Duo swung his blade. As the body started to topple forward, Duo put his hand out and yanked at nothing. The doll halted in midair, then fell backward, missing Wufei. A similar crash made them look back at Quatre, who stood on top of two broken dolls while slashing a third in half. In the brief lull, he turned and looked at them.

"Are you done with whatever you're doing?" he asked.

Wufei stood and twirled his spear, tearing two small gashes into the doll's back. "Duo, step in those."

"Huh? No way, I'm not going anywhere near--"

The sorcerer tilted his head at him, lightning gathering in his hand. "Don't make me force you."

Duo waved his hands and shook his head. "No problem, Wufei. Right on those little slits, right?" He stood on top of the doll and put his boots through the two gashes. "But why?"

Wufei knelt again and ran his hand over the white surface which felt much like the bones King J had experimented with. It rippled and flowed over Duo's boots, sealing him in like concrete.

Duo balked and tried to step out. "Hey, Wufei, what are you--"

"It's just so you don't fall off," Wufei said. "Now...how to do this..."

"You mean you don't even know?"

While the two bickered, Quatre heard another doll land behind him, so he ducked low to the ground and sent one kami through the doll's legs and another through its front, sending it backwards onto the heap. He jumped onto its body and cut off one arm as it came towards his head, then took off the doll's head. When he heard a scream, he turned around too fast and nearly fell on his ass, his veil fluttering around his face.

Wobbling back and forth without any balance, Duo clung to his now-inactive scythe as the doll body he stood in hovered five feet above the ground. Wufei stood with his hands on his hips, yelling at him.

"Dammit, I told you. Just tell it to go one way or another. It won't drop you."

Duo shook his head. "I don't know how to make it go."

"Guide it as if it was a horse."

"I never rode a horse before."

Wufei leaned back on his heels. "Never? Mm. Guide it with your legs, lean the way you want to go."

"But it feels wobbly."

"Duo, our lovers could be dying out there for all we know, and you're bickering about how wobbly you feel?" Wufei narrowed his eyes. "Will you explain that to Heero's corpse?"

Tears sprang to Duo's eyes, and he blinked hard. "What?"

"He is fighting down below. If you want him to survive, then you damn well better get off your ass and fight!"

Duo looked over his shoulder at the clash in the street in front of the gates. The white of the dolls mixed with the dark White Fang uniforms. Every few seconds, a flash of gundam green lit up the street. Duo turned a little more, and the doll's chest turned with him. Re-igniting his scythe, he leaned forward and flew straight down towards the thickest fighting.

*

Heero slashed the nearest doll and ducked back before it crashed onto the ground and broke into pieces. Before he could climb over its body, another doll stepped on top of its fallen comrade, its foot shattering the dead doll's head, and flailed at Heero. Its rounded lump of a fist slammed into his side and he flew into the near wall. Sparkles dazzled his eyes, but he stood and raised his Wing, ducking as the doll punched at him. Its fist went through the wall where it stuck fast, and he sliced its legs off before destroying the head. As the body slumped against the wall, he stumbled out to find his next target.

On a pile of doll parts, Trowa knelt and fired dozens of arrows, each thunking into the head of a doll facing a White Fang soldier. With their heads incapacitated, the dolls moved too slow to dodge the men's swords.

Zechs finished off his fifth doll and moved onto the next, wrapping his Epyon around its neck so he could rip off its head. Before he could pull back, the doll brought its arm down on the whip and forced it off. Zechs stumbled back and tried again. The doll let the whip wrap around its arm, which cracked and shattered, sacrificing it to get in range to slam him to the ground. His boots caught on a broken doll leg, and the doll took the advantage to ram its fist against his head. Knocked on his back, he groaned as the doll planted its foot on his chest to hold him still. He cringed, watching as it raised its other arm, its hand balled into a club.

A sword sliced the arm off, sending the fist into the ground inches above Zechs' head.

"Really, Mr. Milliardo," Dorothy said, "you shouldn't let your guard down like that."

"I owe you, Dorothy," he grumbled, blood dripping down the side of his face as he stood.

"I think I'd better stay by your side," she said. "I'd like you live long enough for me to collect that favor."

He wiped the blood from his eyes with his sleeve. "As you will."

A crash farther down the street made them look up in time to spot two dolls fall out of the sky and hit the ground, sending plumes of dust into the air.

"What the hell was that?" Dorothy said, staring up into the sky.

A green streak shot by, slicing through another doll before turning a sharp corner and heading for another target.

Zechs pushed his hair back as he tilted his head back. "Oh my God. It's Duo. How'd he get up there?"

Dorothy shook her head. "Worry about it later. The next wave's coming."

*

Dust filled the street, kicked up by the dolls' heavy steps and the soldiers' quicker jumps. Arrows lined the buildings and broken dolls served as cobblestones. Once in awhile a drape would open and someone would look out before disappearing again, hiding in their house. Colors swirled around palace and made the area turn yellow, then green.

The sky turned purple, and Trowa now couldn't aim as the dolls blended into the walls. He cursed whatever spell Wufei had used until he saw another flash of light and looked up at the necromancers firing another of that Libratanas attack, screaming loud enough to tell the entire army what they were doing. He heard a scream and turned. A doll stepped down through a guard's head, pulverizing it on the sand, and he fired an arrow into its head as another guard stepped over his friend's body and continued the fight.

A fist struck from behind and sent him tumbling down the pile onto the ground. He rolled on his back and fired again, sending three arrows through an approaching doll's chest before the crossbow clicked hollow. Colored green as the light swirled, he doll came through the pile, scattering parts with sweeps of its arms. It raised its arms up, fists together. Trowa flipped out the heavy knife, the blade glowing red, and moved up on one arm, ready to thrust.

Something loud flew over him and knocked the doll backward. A moment later, a burst of green light dazzled his eyes and he looked away.

"Are you all right?"

The assassin looked back and found Quatre hovering over him on a floating slab. "How the hell are you doing that?"

"Wufei's spell," Quatre said, showing Trowa a little green ball. "Look, he made one for you, too. Drop that into a doll's chest part and you'll be able to fly."

Trowa held his hand out and took the offered spell. "You aren't hurt, are you? You shouldn't be out here. It's too dangerous for you."

Quatre shook his head. "I'm fine. I just came down 'cause you were in trouble." He waved and looked up, blue light coloring his face, and he rose into the air, one kami already flying toward an airborne doll.

*

Leaning on his staff, Wufei watched the battle in the streets, the dolls exploding apart in green flashes of light, dolls falling in pieces at the regular guards' swords, and human bodies falling next to dolls in the dust. "Nataku," he said, "how are those dolls being controlled?"

The dragon perched on his shoulder flipped her tail and chirped. What does it matter?

"It matters," he snapped. "If I can turn off all those dolls, then we'll only have to fight Romafeller's human forces."

Just kill them then.

"Kill who?" He looked up at the colored sky and the dolls zipping around Duo and Quatre until he spotted the three puppet masters hovering outside the dome. "The three...but...three necromancers? Nataku, I'm not that strong."

Still no confidence? She nudged her snout against his cheek.

"This isn't a lack of confidence," he whispered. "Those three necromancers are far older and more powerful than I am."

Exactly.

"What?"

Do you think their old bodies are so durable? Look at them, riding ahead of their army, feeding on each other's souls when it's convenient. They are cocky and vulnerable. One strong attack and they will falter.

Another blast came from the three necromancers, and the dome trembled, rippling like water, and straightened again.

This peacemillion won't hold together forever. Hit them and keep hitting them until they are dead, torn and strewn beneath their own spells. That's the only way to be sure they will never hurt you again.

Wufei tightened his hands around his staff. "Then you know how we must attack."

Begin. I will follow.

*

Treize rode beside Noin, both of them zigzagging around dolls and leading their soldiers through towards Romafeller's human forces behind the puppets. Two dolls moved side by side to block their route, and Noin reared her horse up. Covered in mail, her warhorse's hooves slashed one doll down the middle and trampled it when it fell. Treize turned his horse to the side and sliced the doll's head off, then kicked it backwards and rode over it. Behind them, their soldiers finished tearing the dolls apart.

"Can you see Zechs?" Noin yelled over the horse's hooves.

"No." Treize looked ahead and veered his horse one way, dodging a doll's strike and leaping over another. "Can you see anyone of our forces?"

"I think we're the farthest in. Look, regular soldiers now."

Treize turned in his saddle. "We're not too far ahead. Everyone's coming up behind us."

"Yes, and leaving a swarm of dolls for Une to deal with."

"I pity the dolls." Treize hacked off the nearest enemy's head and continued the cut, slicing another soldier's throat. He drew his sword back but missed on his next stroke, only cutting across the man's eyes. Blood and white fluid ran down the soldier's face and clothes and he fell to his knees screaming before a White Fang soldier ran him through from behind and kicked him off his sword.

While Treize continued killing, a Romafeller soldier with a heavy ax came close enough to strike and raised his ax. Red light glistened off the edge and reflected in his eyes.

Noin spotted the motion and screamed at her captain to move. Treize only had time to look at the man standing in front of him, unable to get his Talgeese to the other side.

With one step forward, the soldier buried his ax in the horse's neck, cleaving it in half. The horse had time to scream, a high pitched whinny that drowned Treize's cry as he toppled down with his horse. Its body landed on his leg, and he winced as the bone snapped. He heard the soldier's boots hitting the ground as he walked forward, and he looked around for the Talgeese. He spotted it three feet away, and he lay flat, stretching his arm out, fingers scraping the few inches towards his sword.

The axman's shadow fell over him, and he closed his eyes.

The ground started to vibrate, shifting the sand over the bodies on the ground. Treize coughed and felt the sword's hilt tap against his fingers. He grabbed it and turned as much as he could under the horse and swept his arm in a wide circle. The blade flashed to life midway and cut through open the axman's stomach. Entrails and blood spilled out as he fell to his knees and collapsed over the horse. Hot blood gushed onto Treize's uniform and his soldiers ran around him, eager to attack human enemies that made more satisfying targets, but he ignored them. The houses around them visibly vibrated, slight cracks running down the walls.

"He's going to move the dome," he whispered. He tried to see the palace battlements, but he was too far out and could only see the top tower. Five of his men gathered around and started heaving the horse off of him, and he turned his attention back to extricating himself.

*

Wind colored blue and white gusted in little tornados at the palace walls, pulling the tie off of Wufei's hair. He undid his top coat and shrugged it off, letting it pool at his feet. After several deep breaths and one more blast from the Libra that shook the dome, he whispered to his staff, his breath coming out in hues of blue.

As he whispered, he watched the necromancers flying around each other into a triangular pattern again. Once in their triangle, G on top again, they zoomed closer, intent on a pointblank shot. Wufei waited until he heard their scream, then tightened his grip and leaned forward.

The dome moved with him. Light appeared like mist on the ground, an excess earth energy that startled Une's troops and everyone still inside the half bubble, and he now used that energy to slide the dome as fast as it could move.

Magick shot from the Libratanas spell, but instead of striking the dome, it merged with the dome, spreading over the surface until the area now shone a stable electric yellow. Solidified for an instant, the bubble became a rock hard wall that two necromancers hit at full speed. Even at that distance, Wufei heard their bodies crunch and then fall to the ground.

And then the spell broke. The dome's hardened surface flaked away, large chunks of hard light dissipating before they touched the ground. Through the gaping holes in the wall, Wufei saw Laoshi O fly around in a broad circle and come back towards him.

Wufei held his staff out and shouted a variation of his fireworks spell. His words were lost in the sudden explosion of sparks from the tip of his staff that singed O's clothes. It would have taken O's skin if he hadn't forced his doll up to take the brunt of the attack, but the move set the doll on fire.

"Cute trick, child," O said. "But I have one better." He jumped from his flaming doll and landed on the battlements, bringing his own staff with him. "I didn't want to bring you back in a bloody mess, but if that's the way you want it, I will."

Wufei spun his staff around and crouched, spear tip forward. "If you are so powerful, why face me with a staff and not your magick?"

O grinned, showing his teeth. "Don't bait me, boy. Besides, if I fought with magick, this would be over too quickly." He swung his staff around, making it whistle through the air, and Wufei ducked, thrust his own spear to the side, aiming for the man's side. O twisted and cloth tore, bits of fabric torn from his shirt drifting to his feet.

O slid his staff through his hands, narrowly missing his target, but he brought the end up so fast Wufei couldn't dodge. Pain swelled in Wufei's head before he realized he'd been struck. As he scrambled backwards, he tripped over a doll and fell against the stone floor. He felt something press on his chest, and he looked up to see O standing over him, his foot on his chest.

"Stupid child. Never wear yourself out with powerful spells before a fight."

O reached in his robe and took out something that glistened in the sunlight. For a moment, Wufei though it was iron, but the way O held it ruled that out. His enemy dropped it, and he felt the cold metal against his throat before the collar snapped shut, locking in place. As the pain in his head died, he had enough time to recognize the silver's touch before slipping into a haze of ecstasy. Vaguely aware of someone turning him onto his stomach, he hardly felt rope wind around his wrists and bind them behind his back, securing his ankles at the same time.

As he finished tying Wufei, O noticed a trickle of blood on his prisoner's face. He ran his fingers over the top of the flow and found the cut, smoothing the boy's hair back to make sure the wound was small. He laughed when Wufei groaned and leaned closer to him.

"You like that, hmm? Heh, maybe I'll just keep you for myself and hire you out to your clan. Would you like a new master, boy?"

Wufei smiled and nuzzled the warm body against his own.

"I thought so. Let's just wrap up this fight and then I'll take you home."

*

A chunk of a doll three times the size of a human landed on top of group of soldiers from both sides, squashing them into a mess of blood and bone. The shock of its landing made the ground shake enough to knock Zechs off his feet. When he tried to get back up, someone's boot planted in his chest and kicked him back down, stepping hard to keep him there. He put his hands around the boot and tried to push back, but the man standing on him was at least twice his size.

Before the enemy could raise his axe, a sword cut through his chest and arms, cleaving off most of his upper body. His eyes widened as he looked down at himself before his head and chest fell backwards into the dust. His body dropped at the knees and toppled on its top half.

"These last second saves are becoming a bad habit," Dorothy said, offering her hand.

Zechs took it and stood. "Not my fault this time. That thing dropped out of nowhere."

Dorothy walked over to the white block that still glowed green around the edges. "I think it's one of grandfather's little toys."

"It looks like that thing that fired on us the first time." Zechs nudged it with the hilt of his whip. "Libra something?"

"That's what they were yelling." She jumped on top of it and found G's staff still stuck in the middle of the doll. "I guess this is how you drive it."

Zechs climbed up after her and looked at the fighting around them. "If we can figure out how to fly this, we could end the battle now."

"But neither of us knows how to use magick."

"The staff's still here, and this thing looks intact. Let's try something and see what we get." He put his hand around the staff and pulled it back.

The Libra lurched forward, bouncing like a fat frog a few times over any soldiers that didn't see them coming in time, then took off into the air. Dorothy screamed and grabbed Zech's waist before she slid off, and he jerked the stick the other way. Libra went into a nosedive. Below them, soldiers screamed and scrambled out of the way.

"Dammit, stop it!" Dorothy yelled.

He hardly heard her over the roar of the wind. He pulled the staff again and they straightened out, skimming only a few feet over the ground. "Let's go find Dermail!"

*

Heero put his boot on one soldier and kicked him off of his sword just in time to slice through the next enemy's throat. Blood dripped from his fingers to his elbows, covered his boots and splattered his face, but his crazed laugh frightened more human soldiers than his looks. His voice echoed through the streets, over the yells of his men and the screams of the dying. He'd hardly noticed the dome's disappearance, and he never looked behind himself, confident that his guard followed behind.

High pitched whistles sounded above him, and he ducked into a doorway, pressing against the wall as arrows from both sides landed in the street. When they'd stopped falling, he looked out to make sure another wave wasn't raining down before moving into the fight again.

"Must've moved pretty far in," he grunted, chopping a doll in half and stepping through before it fell. "No time to look and see, though."

He stepped over another soldier, this one with three arrows stuck in his stomach. His boot went through the cracked ribs, dragging a groan out of his enemy. He looked down for a moment and saw that one of his eyes had been hit with an arrow. The soldier gurgled something, blood slipping past his teeth, and he raised one hand towards him.

Heero stomped hard and kept moving.

Seconds later he heard the whine of a flying doll coming up behind him, and he turned, slashing down as he moved. To his surprise, the doll veered to the right and settled on its stomach in the dirt. "Duo?"

His lover grinned and leaned against his glowing scythe. "Yup. Need a lift?"

A smirk bent Heero's lips. "Can you get me to Dermail?"

Duo held his hand out. "Climb aboard. I'll get you there five seconds ago."

Heero took his hand and stepped onto the doll part, standing behind Duo and putting his left arm around his waist. "Wufei's work?"

"Uh-huh. Hang on." Duo leaned forward and angled the doll up as they flew. "We're gonna hafta go through those archers."

"I trust you."

With a firm grip on his scythe, Duo pushed the doll even faster. Great, he trusts me. I better not screw this up. He cast his eyes up towards heaven for a moment. Oh, Lord who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name...

While he continued his prayer, he focused on avoiding the dolls still in the air. Since Heero had his own hold, Duo could use both hands to cut apart the dolls that came too close, letting the heavy pieces crush their enemy below themselves.

"Which one's Dermail?" Duo asked, yelling over the whine of whatever spell fueled the doll.

"Look for the biggest doll," Heero said. "He'll be on it."

"I see it." Duo whistled and banked to the right. "I don't think I could miss it."

Heero looked over his slave's shoulder and silently agreed. Compiled from the material for countless dolls, Dermail's chariot advanced slowly through the main street, its white wheels large enough to grind men beneath them. At least a story high, it hardly fit in the streets and moved with the same whining energy that the dolls did.

"Can you get close?" Heero asked.

Dermail's archers fired, and Duo swerved higher out of their range. Arrows whistled around them, and sweat ran down into Duo's eyes as he mentally blocked off the ones that would have hit them. Heero pressed his body against his slave, burying his face in his braid.

"It's all right," Duo said. "Give me a few more seconds."

"We may not have a few seconds."

"Aw, come on. They didn't even get close that time."

"That's not what I mean." Heero pointed down at Dermail. "Look."

Laoshi O swept down on a new doll, Wufei slung limp in his arms. He landed behind Dermail and stood straight, looking over the battlefield. Most of the dolls were broken and their army lay scattered in dying heaps, but Heero's forces also lay amongst them in slightly lesser numbers.

"Bring us down," Heero whispered.

Duo opened his mouth to say something before he realized that he heard Heero whisper. The battle still raged, but now behind the main army, the sounds of metal against bone faded into the background. He brought the doll down dozens of feet until they hovered level with Dermail. They heard two more dolls pull up alongside them, but neither turned as Trowa and Quatre flanked them.

"Is that Wufei?" Quatre whispered. "He's got silver on him. A lot of it."

Heero turned to his brother. "Find Treize. He might be able to snap Wufei out of that trance he's in."

Trowa nodded and jumped from his slave's flying doll, landing easily and disappearing down the bloodied road.

"So this is the great Prince Heero?" Dermail yelled from his perch. "Hiding behind a pair of harem slaves?"

"And you behind borrowed magick?" Heero yelled back.

"I think you're just upset I stole your sorcerer." He reached back and stroked Wufei's cheek, chuckling when he heard the boy's pleasurable moan. "Quite a willing boy, I think." He frowned and looked around his chariot. "You said he had a dragon. Where is it?"

Laoshi O shrugged. "Little lizard must have flown off when she saw her master fall. She's not important."

Duo put his hand on Heero's. "Now what do we do?"

"We won't do anything," Heero whispered. "I just hope Treize isn't dead."

"Heero!" Dermail called. "I'll make you an offer. Stand down, and I'll make your deaths quick and painless."

"I could offer you the same," Heero said. "Don't think you've won just yet."

"Are you insane, or perhaps overly optimistic?" Dermail said, laughing. "You can't win."

"All your dolls are destroyed," Duo yelled. "All your soldiers are dead."

Dermail frowned and looked over the red streets. "Mm, almost. No matter, I still have my archers. Last chance, Heero. Stand down."

"Think you could hit him from here?" Heero whispered in Duo's ear.

"I don't know. I've never tried that before."

On his chariot, Dermail raised his hand and the chariot rolled forward again. Duo dropped the doll so fast Heero thought his stomach would fly into his throat. The chariot dwarfed them both, and they could hear the wheels popping the heads of dolls and humans alike. They flew in close, and Heero tried to pull Duo back.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm gonna stop it." He came to a halt at the front of the chariot, near enough to see the blood splatters along the underside. His scythe's glow faded and disappeared. For a moment, Heero thought they would be crushed.

And then the chariot stopped.

On the top, Dermail stumbled to his knees as the chariot jerked. The fall saved his life as two kamis spun past where his head had been and instead decapitated the archers closest to him. Quatre caught his weapons when they came back and prepared to throw again, aiming at more archers.

"Dammit," Dermail said, "what's holding us back?"

"I think we're stuck on something," one archer said, looking over the edge. His body went slack and his legs twitched violently, and when Dermail pulled him back to see what was the matter, he found the man's head was gone. With a snarl he grabbed the bow out of the dead man's hands and yanked an arrow from the quiver, taking aim at Quatre. When he fired, Quatre dodged and caught his kamis again.

Duo only noticed a few items dropping from the chariot, too focused on holding it back to see what they were. His doll now lay on the ground, his feet still stuck in it.

"How are you holding up?" Heero asked.

"It's hard...but Quatre's distracting him..."

Trowa sped down the road, bloody dust thrown up in his wake, until he pulled up next to his brother. "I've got Treize!"

Heero looked at his captain, pale with one arm slung over Trowa's shoulders. "Wufei's been captured. He's being held at the top with Dermail and Laoshi O."

"Oh no..." Treize closed his eyes, immensely tired. "Can we get him back?"

"That's not what I want. He's positioned perfectly and they don't think he can do anything. Go up there and order him to attack."

A smirk slowly crept onto Treize's face, and he nodded. "Understood. Trowa, get me up there."

Two more heads dropped by the time they joined Quatre in the air. Without saying anything, the blonde covered his master as they flew into the range of the archers.

"Wufei!" Treize called out. "Can you hear me?"

Laoshi O laughed. "He's too silver-tupped to hear you."

"Wufei..." Treize took a deep breath. "You have to attack them. Kill everyone around you."

Wufei's eyes fluttered for a moment, and he leaned his head to one side to see Treize. It all felt so good, and he was so warm...

"It's not working," Trowa whispered.

Treize frowned. "I'll damn well make it work. Wufei, either you kill them or I'll whip you!"

Wufei tensed. Whipping?

"Attack them now, damn it!"

Laoshi O's laughter grew louder and louder until he realized he was feeling warmer by the second. He looked down and saw Wufei's eyes crackle with light. O cursed and stumbled over a spell to block Wufei's fire, but a high pitched screech distracted him. He looked up in time to see Nataku descend on his face, scratching his eyes and throat. Everything in O's world erupted into bright red. As the necromancer's body burst into flames, the fire spread to the few people left on top of the chariot. Several jumped to avoid being burned and instead died on the ground. Still bound, Wufei lay on the floor next to O's charred body. He turned on his side and tried to ignore the pounding in his head while Nataku went to work on his ropes.

Seeing his victory snatched away, Dermail slowly stood and drew his sword. "You little whelp...once I kill you, nothing will distract me anymore."

"Zechs, watch where you're flying!"

Everyone turned to the sound of those voices. Zechs still had the Libra in the air, but it wobbled and dipped and flew through any dolls that were still bent upright. Dorothy, having long lost her footing, sat on the floor clinging to Zech's left leg.

"How do we get this thing to fire?" he yelled back.

"How the hell should I know?" She looked up and saw Dermail's chariot ahead. "Never mind, just ram it!"

Zechs pushed the staff as far as it would go, sending the Libra hurtling towards Dermail. "Jump!"

Dorothy closed her eyes, about to let go, when Zechs leaped from the Libra. Without anything to hold onto, she slid off the Libra and fell towards the ground screaming. Halfway down her descent slowed and she landed gently on her feet, next to Zechs. Without wondering how they had landed, the pair ran as fast as they could from the soon-to-be crash site.

The Libra slammed into the chariot, sending green flames and blue light in all directions. After the initial explosion, the flames sucked back into the chariot, which started to collapse in on itself. It crumpled up like a little ball of paper and vanished, leaving behind a spot of darkness that swirled and grew.

Treize stopped breathing. "Wufei..."

"Is right here," Quatre said, flying down beside Trowa and Treize. In his arms he held the limp sorcerer, and Nataku perched on his shoulder. "No one saw me get behind that thing."

In too much pain to hold him, Treize could look at his love and brush his fingers over his cheek. "A silver collar. That explains it."

Back near the ground, Duo put his hand on Heero's arm. "I don't think that black thing's getting any smaller."

Heero watched the dark swirl increase to twice its size, then three times. Sand and blood flew in and vanished. The wind rushing into it grew stronger, and everyone moved backwards out of range. Bodies on the ground just under it rose into the air and disappeared inside. Fast enough to drag people with it now, the wind roared through the streets, carrying much of the sand with it.

With a deep breath, Heero drew Wing one more time. "Duo, hold very still."

His slave watched him touch Wing's tip to the flying doll and open up the slits holding his feet. "You can't be thinking what I think you're thinking."

"I'll be all right." When he wouldn't move, Heero pushed him off the doll and rose back into the air. "Get out of here!"

"Heero, are you crazy? You'll get killed!"

He ignored Duo's yells and flew forward until he hovered several meters beyond the darkness. The gravity well pulled him closer, like hands dragging on his clothes and hair, and he let the doll fly farther. After a few seconds he tried to fly backwards but only managed to slow his progress. As the winds drew him in, he forced the doll back harder and harder, but the winds roared so loud and clawed at him, blasting him with sand, that the doll couldn't help but sink forward even faster.

The darkness left from Dermail's chariot now dwarfed him, twenty times his size, and in it he saw nothing. None of the bodies that had flown in, none of the dolls, not even chariot or the Libra itself. He wondered if this was Barton's parting shot, a last ditch effort to destroy him and his kingdom in case Dermail failed.

Wing glowed in his hands, and he concentrated on increasing the light of his blade, forcing it to grow stronger. The roaring winds grew loud enough to hurt his ears. Inch by inch his doll slid forward and Wing shone brighter, eclipsing Heero in its light. Behind him, Duo tried to watch, but the green light steadily turned white and overpowered his eyes.

Heero heard Duo scream his name once more, and he smiled. It's okay, he thought. I will survive.

He raised Wing, now too bright to look at, and dived at the shadow in front of him. Nothing but the deafening rumble of wind and the darkness looming in front of him. He couldn't see if Wing sliced through the shadow or slid into it, but the explosion as the two magicks met flung him backward, off of his doll and onto the twisting sands below. The light and shadow coiled on themselves like warring snakes, the dying wind their hisses, until finally they both disappeared. The sands stopped moving and a final breeze ruffled Heero's hair.

"You're alive!" Duo ran forward and fell to his knees into Heero's arms, hugging him tight. "Are we done now?"

Heero stared at the streets behind him. His own guard lay twisted among the enemy but in far fewer numbers. His living soldiers moved amongst the wounded, collecting their fallen comrades for Sally's care and giving the lost causes quick release. Dolls littered the ground, and people slowly came out of their houses, a few to pilfer from the dead but most to help tend the wounded.

"Yes. We're done."

*

In three days, the battlefield stench hadn't cleared but only strengthened, even though all the bodies were long since moved and burned on a pyre inside the palace walls. Treize limped along with the aid of Wufei's old black staff, easing his way around corners in the garden and walking towards the smoldering ashes that remained of the pyre. His lover knelt beside it, examining the last few bits of dolls left behind, and Treize called out his name.

Wufei looked up and his eyes widened. He dropped his Shenlong on the grass beside him and ran towards Treize, steadying him as he swayed.

"What are you doing up?" he asked. "You're not well yet."

"I was lonely for my other half," the captain said softly. "I woke up and you weren't there."

Wufei helped him to the wall and let him lean against one of the trees. "I only have a silver hangover, not a broken leg."

"But it's not broken anymore."

"I mended the bone, but it's still weak." Wufei slid his hand across Treize's face, slowly curving it down his throat and chest.

Treize closed his eyes and breathed deep. "God, I can hardly believe you're here with me. I saw you tupped and bound and...I thought I was going to scream."

"A shame I don't remember much of it." He lay his fingers on Treize's lips, shushing him before he could speak. "I know you didn't really mean you'd whip me. You don't have to apologize for it."

"I'm glad you know that." He glanced at the pyre and the pieces left on the side. "Is that all of it?"

Wufei nodded. "Every last soldier and doll."

"Love...what were the dolls, really?"

"Human souls."

"I thought they might be." Treize sighed and looked away. "They were necromancers, after all. Explains the guards, though."

"What?"

"Oz. The fake guards. They hid behind our uniforms and probably slaughtered as many people as they needed." He looked around at the scorched mess and the bloody stains still in the grass. "I don't think we'll ever know how many."

"More than that," Wufei said, stroking his lover's arm. "You said King J's death was not accidental but a long term assassination."

"Yes, so?"

"Whatever killed him must have been planted a long time ago. I know this country suffered a plague several years back. That would've brought enough death to fuel...perhaps," he mentally counted, "half their army. The rest could have been killed later."

Treize cursed under his breath. "Damn necromancers. They planned this years ago. They had it all figured out, even before Trowa's invasion into Corazon."

Wufei smiled. "Almost."

"Almost?" Treize frowned, and then a slow smile crept over his face. "Ah. I see." He brushed his knuckles along Wufei's cheek. "Who'd have guessed the captain would fall in love with his strongest enemy?"

Wufei glanced back at the pyre, then lay down next to Treize. "I love you. I'll never leave your side," he said, snuggling his head against his lover's throat. "You belong to me."

Treize put his arm over his shoulders and hugged him close. "I always will, love."

*

Across the garden, Noin smiled and tilted her head. "Oh, they look so cute together."

Zechs followed his wife's look and spotted the captain and sorcerer sitting together. "Right. Cute. Meanwhile they're taking a break and we're picking up extra duty."

She tugged on his hair, brushed to a silky sheen and bound in a small tube between his shoulder blades. "Not so hard, considering we're not injured."

"Everyone else is."

"That's not true. Une's archers are all right."

Zechs shook his head. "Either they're out patrolling or Une's put them to work with Sally. The White Fang's been cut in half, some of the poor bastards literally, and the guard's a skeleton crew now."

"We'll get some help soon. Heero's already told our regular army they can try out for the guard."

"And who gets to monitor the try-outs?"

She lay her hand on his shoulder. "I'll try to rope Une into doing some of it, okay?"

He sighed and let his shoulders droop. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so...difficult."

"You're just tired. Everyone is." She leaned against the gates and looked out. "The city's been pretty quiet lately."

"After everything they just saw, I think I'd be quiet, too."

"It wasn't all that bad."

Zechs leaned against the opposite gate and smirked. "A giant chariot, a big bubble over the city and dead bodies piled up on top of each other?"

A breeze blew through the street and Noin turned her head aside."It'll be awhile before all the blood comes out of the sand. Damn, but it smells."

"Yeah. I'll be glad to get out of here for a little while."

*

Water spurted out of the fountain and splashed the shallow puddle around it, sending ripples across the colored tiles and against Duo's legs. Sitting beside him in the cool water, Quatre breathed deep and nestled his head further into Trowa's lap. Side by side, the two brothers pet their slaves and avoided rubbing the bruises and bandaged cuts on their arms and sides. Heero looked up at the sun for a moment, blinking back the light until he had to turn away again. The afterimage burned in his eyes.

After a moment, Duo climbed next to Heero and lay his head on his master's shoulder. "Water's getting cold."

Quatre shook his head and smiled. "Just right."

"Don't sit there for too long," Trowa said. "You'll catch a cold."

"I'll come up in a few more minutes."

Duo nuzzled Heero's throat and ran his hands down along his shirt. "Wanna go upstairs to bed? It's been awhile..."

Heero kissed him but didn't move. "You're not hurt but I'm still sore. There'll be plenty of time for that later."

"Not too much later, I hope."

"I promise."

Duo grinned and kissed his nose. "I'll hold you to that."

Out of sight on the other side of the wall, they heard boots strike the garden stones. They all looked up, but only Une came around the corner, bearing a sheet of paper.

"Do we have a list of our casualties ?" Heero asked.

"Two hundred," Une said and handed him the list. "Including a Lady Dorlan who seems to have disguised herself to get in. Of all the rest, no one of name."

Heero read over Sally's messy handwriting and nodded. "It's better than I'd hoped. Dorothy has taken Dermail's estate, I trust?"

"She's already there with the Queen. Before she left, she said she'd clean out the undesirables and let you come and see whatever you want."

He shook his head. "Not necessary. We already know Barton is behind all of this. Now we take the fight to him."

"Relena said to tell you that if you want them, she can give you use of half her army."

"No, she needs them for her own defense. Besides, we have our gundams and a sorcerer. With an army as backup, we shouldn't have any problems." He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "We can start planning tomorrow."

"Understood." She inclined her head slightly, then turned and walked away.

The fountain splashes filled the small space, cooling them as the day warmed. The sun moved a few more inches across the sky before Quatre rose and nestled in Trowa's lap.

"Are we going home?" he asked.

"Yes, very soon," Trowa said, stroking his slave's hair. "And into another war."

"We'll be all right," Duo said. "We have our gundams."

Quatre shifted in Trowa's arms. "I'll check anyway, just in case. It's been awhile since I read the stars."

"As long as you start before the trip," his master said. "I don't want you too tired when we arrive."

"Mm."

The short answer surprised Trowa, and he looked down at his slave, smiling when he found him fast asleep. He eased him around in his arms and picked him up, taking him inside without a word.

"My body's still sore," Duo whispered. Heero rubbed his back and shoulders, and he smiled. "It's nice resting for so long."

"Just a little longer," Heero said. "Then we prepare our caravan and head towards Corazon."

"We'll be okay, right?"

"Of course." The young monarch looked at the fountain, listening to the splashing water, and beyond that the screaming merchants and customers. Now that he'd been outside, the wall didn't seem so imposing, still a cage but one with the door wide open. He sighed and closed his eyes. "Just one more fight. That's all."

Duo smiled and drowsed on Heero's arm, not feeling when his master carried him back upstairs and put him to bed. Heero sat beside him and watched his breathing, not bothering with the blankets in the hot weather. After a few seconds he stood and walked to the window, staring out over his city. Tonight he would keep the window wide open, without fear of assassins or enemies, in a show of defiance.

The End