'...' thoughts
/.../ telepathy
Daystar's Prophecy Part 29
Deep within the safety and security of his own mind, Duo continued to float gently in a sea of blackness and quiet that blanketed him like a well worn cloak. But not even his hiding place could grant him a total reprieve from the events transpiring in the conscious world. Every so often he would catch a sense of the battle that was still raging mercilessly around him; flashes of visions, brief moments of feeling, and unbearable smells that threatened to force him even deeper into his subconscious. Only the soothing feel of Shinigami's presence kept him from slipping any further; the reassuring feel of the spirit's touch holding him steady when those sensations assaulted him. So he continued to simply drift in that special place that allowed him, at least for the moment, to forget.
He had just settled once again following a particularly vivid vision of the bloody battlefield that had left him mentally shaken when he felt the attack that sent Shinigami flying across the field. The terrible pain caused by the attack that radiated throughout his bruised and battered body only dulled by the distance the spirit had placed between him and it. And as Shinigami fell closer and closer to unconsciousness from that same pain, the feelings became more and more prominent. So much so that he felt himself being forced out of his safe place and dragged toward consciousness. Then, with a jolt, the already severe pain flared to unbearable levels that even he could not be shielded from and his screams echoed through the darkness along with Shinigami's. For one brief and horrifying moment, he found himself in control of his body once again; control that he regretted almost instantly as the full blown pain of his shredded back and wings gripped his mind.
Thankfully, that control only lasted a moment before he was once again safely floating in the darkness, the pain dull and distant. But the memory of the shared pain and the look of triumph on Zallithus' face as the possessed elf gloated down at him, prompted the longhaired fairy to seek out the spirit of darkness for the first time since he fled deep inside his mind.
/Shinigami?/ he called from the darkness, even as he allowed himself to move closer to the level the spirit inhabited in his mind.
/I'm here, little fairy./ the spirit's voice whispered back, full of pain and exhaustion and Duo could tell from the sound of that barely there voice that Shinigami was close to draining himself completely. Something he knew he could not allow to happen, not before Zallithus had been defeated.
/Let me help. I could take over again./ he said quietly, his voice breaking ever so slightly at the thought of rejoining the fight taking place in the conscious world. But he refused to let the fear stop him, not when there were others counting on him to succeed.
/It's alright, Duo. I can handle it./ Shinigami reassured him, his voice and presence regaining some of their strength, but whether it was forced or not, the violet-eyed fairy could not tell. One thing was sure though, the spirit was not nearly as strong as he had been when the fighting started. /You should go back, the fight's gonna get rough again in just a little bit and I don't want you close enough to feel anything./
/But--/
/Please, Duo. You have to trust me to do this for you./
/I do./ Duo protested. /But that's just it, you said this was my fight and the first thing I did was run and hide when I saw Solo..../ His throat immediately clamped shut as the memory of the councilman's sword entering his brother's back returned. Before he could even allow himself to push it away again, another thought hit him, causing the fear in his heart to increase to almost unbearable levels. /Gods, I don't even know if he's alive. And Heero.../ Swallowing sharply past the hard lump, the braided fairy fought down the panic attack that threatened to overwhelm him. Once again, it was the spirit of darkness' presence that provided the comfort and stability he needed to keep him grounded.
/I wish I could tell you, one way or the other./ the spirit of darkness said in a sad voice even as he continued to soothe the small boy. /But I haven't had the opportunity to look for them./
/I know; I didn't really expect you to./ the violet-eyed fairy said softly. Then with a resolve that had been tempered by years of servitude to the council, he pulled himself back together, forcing the fear as far to the back of his mind as he could. /Tell me what I can do to help./
/If you really want to help, then go back. There's no place on this battlefield for you./
/But Heero and the others, I need to at least try to protect them./
/No. What you need is to let them and me protect you./ Shinigami stated, his voice taking on a commanding quality that left Duo momentarily stunned from its intensity; then the words that the spirit had spoken registered in this mind, and it was quickly replace with a seething anger. As the blood began to rush in his ears, he just barely heard Shinigami's final statement. /That's the way it's supposed to be./
/I'm not helpless dammit!/ Duo finally snapped, his voice becoming heated as he pushed himself further from the recesses of his mind and more into Shinigami's space. /So stop treating me like I am./
/You're a fairy, Duo./ the spirit stated, his matter-of-fact voice containing just a touch of exasperation, which only served to increase the violet-eyed fairy's ire. /You weren't created to take lives, no matter what the circumstances. That's what I'm here for./
/You said your people put you inside the Seekers to balance the darkness, how can I do that if you won't even let me try!/
/That's right, you are supposed to balance my darkness and that's exactly what you've done./ Shinigami shot back. /Just by your presence, you've kept me from destroying everyone and everything on this field. But balancing doesn't mean that one of us loses everything that we are and that's exactly what would happen to you if you were to bloody your hands. Killing is my job in this, yours is keeping me sane. Now go./ With that said, the spirit turned his consciousness back toward the battle, taking only a moment to send a mental push at the violet-eyed fairy that sent him spiraling back down into the inky void.
*************************
Solo had watched with growing hopelessness as the elven army slowly closed in around them, wondering not for the first time if he would ever see his wife again, let alone be there for the birth of their child. But even with the despair of his thoughts weighting upon him, he never lowered his weapon, nor did he even consider surrender. Not that they would be allowed mercy in any case; he had little doubt that the council had given the army strict orders concerning their fate, and fight or die were the only options.
But just as the gathered crowd of elves began to push forward once again for the next round of attacks, a large shadow past over their heads, only a second before the first screams of terror and anger from the outer reaches of the battlefield reached their ears. For one brief moment, the fighting was all but forgotten as they and the elves turned their attention toward the sky. The sight of the dragons as the great beasts laid down complete and total decimation in their paths was like the answer to a prayer he did not remember makings. But seeing the flames consume and destroy was nothing compared to the feeling of heat that seemed to surround them on all side, but never once touching. Within no time, the entire field was filled with deafening roars, terrified screams, and thick, black smoke, forcing them to their knees as they tried to find clean air to breathe.
*************************
With the first breath of fire that struck the field, the long period of peace for the dragons came to a deafening end. It had been over a millennium since Josadia and his kind had been at odds with the other races. And even then, they had tried to avoid fighting whenever they could. By choosing an active role in this battle, he and his dragons would not be able to simply return to their airy homes in the mountains and act as if nothing had happened. The people of this world feared dragons for a reason and now that they have shown once again the true power they possess, they would be declared as evil; creatures to be hunted and killed for no other reason then the fear in the people's hearts. It will not even be remembered which side they fought for, just that they had and that will be all the people needed to vilify their race. Only the fairies will remain true to them, for the fairies did not judge. But it would be a very long time before one of their kind was seen to the east of the Solan Mountains again.
Josadia refused to let those thoughts stop him though or slow him down as he circled protectively over the spot where the five chosen warriors crouched, using his fire to keep the elven army at bay while his dragons dealt with the rest. He was as much aware of the prophecy as the fairies were and therefore, he knew that only the combined magic of all six warriors could defeat Zallithus once and for all. But unless something was done soon, Duo would not last long enough to see the end of the fight, let alone be of any use to them, which was why he was there, to level the field and give the chosen the chance they needed to win.
Even knowing his role in the fight, Josadia could not help but be grateful that the members of the council had been dealt with prior to their arrival. The elven army was still dangerous just by their sheer number, but they did not possess the power that the twelve members of the council could wield when all together. Unfortunately, even their now superior power did not guarantee that he and his dragons would not last without casualties of their own. And as if to prove the fact of his thoughts, he had just banked to avoid a particularly vicious attack when the roar of pain from one of his dragons drew his attention toward the right where he saw one of his youngest, a green by the name of Lillyack, battling to stay in the air with a torn and broken wing.
It was a lucky strike from an elf that Lillyack was just about to incinerate. But luck or no, the damage was now done, leaving the wing's delicate lining and bones in a tangled and tattered mess. With that kind of damage, the young dragon could not hope to continue the fight, he would be lucky to reach the relative safety of the mountain peaks as it was. But still he continued to sweep fiery death across the land, the wing leaving him unbalanced and slow, leading to several more hits before he finally dropped to the ground. Josadia could do nothing but watch as the elves swarmed forward toward the fallen green only to meet Lillyack's flames as the dragon continued to unleash his breath on those around him. The youngster could not defend from all angles though and even as he was able to clear a wide berth to the front and sides, he could not stop those that managed to avoid his lashing tail and attack from the back. Within mere minutes, Lillyack lay still, and for the first time in over a millennium, dragon blood stained the ground of their world.
*************************
The sound started out softly, steadily building until it had developed into a keening wail that echoed across the battlefield, drawing Heero from his attempt to protect himself from the dragon's flames. Never before in his life had he ever heard such a distressing sound and once he had lifted his head from the shielding protection of his arms to try and locate the reason, he hoped in his heart to never hear it again. By this time, a stiff breeze had blown itself up from the plains, drawn upward by the beating of dragon wings and carrying the smoke and fumes away from the ground and hopefully out of the valley. To his utter disbelief and sorrow, as he gazed across the now clear field, he could see the fallen form of a dragon not twenty feet from where they crouched. The sources of the soulful sound that of the dragons still in the air, mourning the death of one of their own.
Even as he listened though, the sound changed from one of sorrow to one of fury and the blue-eyed, human boy could only watch as the dragons renewed their attack on the elves. Only this time there was far more purpose in their movement. Those elves that managed to escape the flames were snatched from the ground where they were torn to shreds by claws and teeth. And while the dragons received more injuries and he had to watch as two more fell, nothing would stop them.
Finally, after what felt like a short eternity to Heero, the elven army was nearly gone and those that remained quickly turned tail and ran for their lives, throwing down weapons and armor as they went. Still the dragon's followed, determined in their anger and grief that none would escape. Only once there were no more alive upon the field did the dragons turned as one toward the Southern Mountain peaks, their grieving song following them as they disappeared into the clouds.
When they were completely out of sight Heero finally allowed himself to crawl back to his feet, giving the blackened battlefield a cursory glance and finding them now alone. Or at least he though they were until his eyes fell on Zallithus' back, where the elf stood not fifty feet away. And at the elf's feet was Duo, his little lover lying quite still upon his back. Heero could almost feel his heart stop in his chest as seeing that still form and before he even realized what he was doing, he had started across the field. First just a few stumbling steps before his feet found their rhythm and in no time he was running full out, not even stopping to look back to see if the others were following him.
*************************
"By Allah." Quatre whispered as he too climbed unsteadily to his feet and took in his first sight of the now destroyed battlefield; the charred grass, ground, and bodies giving the area a macabre visage. On his left side, Solo and Wufei were survey the damage as well if their twin looks of horror were any answer, while on his right Trowa was gripping his hand as if he thought he would disappear if he did not have something to hold on to. It was not until Heero took his first steps, which he felt more than saw, that the blonde boy turned in the direction the dark-haired boy had been looking. "Duo, no." the startled gasp escaping his lips even as he started after Heero as well.
There was just no way he could catch up to Heero though, no matter how hard he tried, so he could only watch as Heero lowered his head and shoulders just before he bowled into the elf standing over Duo's small form, knocking him down and sending the both of them rolling across the ground. He and the others were just arriving at the longhaired fairy's side when the two came to a stop, with Heero ending up pinned beneath the possessed elf whose face was twisted in a look of pure fury at being interrupted in his taunting.
"Little fool." the elf hissed even as he wrapped one hand firmly around Heero's throat. "I will destroy all of you for this." But just as he was raising his free hand to do just that, a blast of pure dark magic hit him in the side, throwing him several feet away and leaving him momentarily stunned.
"I don't think so Zall." Duo's tired and stretched voice floated across the field, causing Heero to snap his head in the voice's direction. The joy and relief that washed through the blue-eyed boy at seeing the braided fairy slowly climb to his feet with Solo's help was nearly overwhelming while at the same time, the sight of his precious lover's beaten and battered body caused his heart to twist painfully in his chest.
"Duo." he whispered breathlessly as he too scrambled to his feet and started toward the violet-eyed boy, all his own aches and pains momentarily forgotten.
/It's Shinigami, Heero./ Reestlin corrected gently, not knowing exactly how the dark-haired boy would take it once he realized that the little fairy was not longer in control of his body. But Heero only stumbled slightly at the comment before covering the remaining distance that separated him from his love. Once there, he gently grasped the boy by the upper arms and look deep into those violet eyes he would treasure for the rest of his life.
"Duo?" he whispered once again, his voice pleading for the answer he so desperately needed.
Shinigami gave him the brightest smile he could manage before raising his right hand to cup the other boy's cheek. "He's fine Hee-chan, I did promise to take care of him didn't I?"
"But where...? How...? Is he...?"
Raising his other hand, the spirit placed it on Heero's other cheek, silencing the halting string of questions before allowing his smile to soften somewhat. "He's still here," he whispered softly, meeting the other boy's searching eyes with his own. "just hiding until the battle's over. Please trust me Heero, I know what I'm doing."
For another long moment, Heero continued to meet the spirit's eyes, eyes that belonged to the one who solely held his heart, before he finally gave Shinigami a tight nod of acknowledgement; not trusting his voice to be steady enough to speak. He did not like the idea of the switch, the idea that Duo was not the one in control of his own body, but he knew they did not have the time to argue about it. And as if to prove his thoughts correct, a deep and malevolent laugh from behind him quickly drew all of their attention.
"These are the ones chosen to defeat me?" Zallithus scoffed with a rueful shake of his head. "The five of you must have been really desperate to rest the fate of the universe in the hands of these... children." The last word from the dark mage's mouth was practically spit from between his lips as his contempt for them showed through the mocking smile he was wearing.
"You really shouldn't underestimate them." Shinigami shot back, his hands dropping from Heero's face. "After all, that was always your biggest weakness."
With a derisive snort, Zallithus carefully levered himself from the ground with as much grace as he could muster. The blast Shinigami had managed to hit him with caused more pain than he wanted to broadcast.
/We have to work quickly, before he recovers completely from Shin's attack./ Diadona mentally advised Quatre. /You must form the circle, now./ With a barely distinguished nod of this head, Quatre reached over and took Trowa's hand in his own, relaying the instructions through a series of hand signals made against the other boy's palm. Once the orders were given and the tall brunette started moving, he did the same to Wufei, trusting the black-haired youth to pass them on to Solo, who was standing on the boy's far side. All of this was done while Zallithus' full attention was still on Heero and Duo, allowing them to completely surround the dark mage without him realizing it.
"Just give it up, Zall." the spirit of darkness shot at his one-time friend, giving Heero a wink as the blue-eyed boy moved to stand at his side. "You know you can't beat us this time."
"The only way to stop me, is to kill me." Zallithus answered back. "And just like last time, you don't have the nerve to do that, do you Shinigami?"
"You'd be amazed at what I'd do now-a-days." Shinigami said softly, a sardonic smile twisting his lips. "I will admit that I kept them from killing you out right the last time, but this is different. This time it has to end, and if you won't go on your own, we'll just have to do it for you."
Zallithus' snort of contempt echoed across the broken and bloody field as he once again steadied his footing. "I'm not worried."
"Maybe you should be." Quatre said softly, causing the possessed elf to spin around, for the first time noticing what position they had him in; flashes of the last time they cornered like this him going through his mind.
"Not this time." he snarled and immediately began pooling his magic in his left hand, intending to use his new attack, which combined the powers of gaia and darkness, before they were able to begin their own spell.
"That's right." Quatre agreed as he too began pooling magic into his hands. "Not this time."
The strike that hit Zallithus in the next instance though came from his right, breaking his concentration even as it seemed to drain his partially crafted spell from his body, sending him crashing to his knee yet again. Snapping his head in that direction, he found himself looking into Shinigami's determined face.
"You're not the only one who found a new combination of gaia." the spirit of darkness offered, his hand dropping from where he had unleashed the attack that brought the dark mage to his knees. "But instead of combining it with darkness, I managed to find a way to combine it with light. They say that opposites attract, but they can also counteract each other. You can't win this time, Zall."
With disbelief written all over his face, Zallithus found himself only able to watch as the six gathered warriors began to chant from the circle they had formed around him, making it back to his feet just as they raised their right hands in tandem, palms flattened in his direction. They then released the power of their elements, the spell they weaved causing the magic to bind together when it reached its destination, swirling around the dark mage in bright bands of energy before wrapping around him tightly.
The minute the possessed elf felt the magic touch his skin, the semi-trance he had been in broke and he renewed his struggles but by then it was too late. Slowly, the combined magic tightened around him and within a few seconds, Zallithus' found he could no longer move within its confines. Once he was completely still again, Shinigami took the few steps forward that separated them so he could look the other mage in the eye.
"It's over Zall." the spirit of darkness said in a pleading voice. "Just give up, don't fight us anymore."
"And just let you win? Never!"
"Then you've left me with no other choice." Shinigami sighed and with one last sad look at the dark mage, he turned his sight to the heavens above, raising both hands above his head as he began the spell that would finally bring an end to it all.
Heero meanwhile remained rooted to his spot, watching Shinigami prepare the final spell. He had to keep reminding himself that Duo was not the one in control of that small body he loved so much. So intent was he on keeping an eye on the spirit, he was not paying much attention to what Shinigami was actually doing. So when the bright flash of white light came streaking down from the sky, hitting both Zallithus and the spirit, it shocked a surprised cry from him and caused him to stumbled back a step; the beam of magical energy he had been directing at the dark mage dissipated as his concentration broke. But not before the new light managed to latch onto it and follow it back to it source, namely Heero, engulfing him in its power and blanking everything else out.
*************************
Heero's first thought upon regaining consciousness was to wonder how the hell he had ended up flat on his back. The next thought was to wonder about the soft breeze and sweet smell that assaulted his nose. The realization that he could no longer smell the charred ground snapped his eyes open and he immediately sat up, only to find himself sitting in the field of white flowers from before. Only this time, he was alone.
"Good to see you're awake." Reestlin's voice said from behind him, startling him and causing him to whip around to face the mage.
"Where are the others?" he demanded even as he pushed himself to his feet. "And what the hell happened to the fight?"
"The others are safe, they're with their spirits." The spirit of light offered. "As for the battle, it's over."
"What? How...?"
"Shin completed the final spell, banishing Zallithus' spirit from the elf's body and sending him into the ether where he'll spend the rest of eternity in a sort of limbo. One that he can never escape from."
"How can you be sure?"
"Because it's where we had originally intended to send him." Reestlin answered. "Only we did not have the power then to complete the process. Only the lifeforce of you and your friends could boost our magic enough to accomplish the task."
It took Heero a moment to completely digest that bit of information before turning his searching gaze back to his bonded spirit. "So now what?"
"Now you have a choice to make."
"What choice?"
"So much has happened to the six of you since this started." the mage said as he turned to look out across the field, his hands gripped tightly behind his back. "Some of it good, but most of it bad. The choices you've made so far have allowed me and my friends to finally put to rest our greatest failing and have now allowed us to rest as well. For that, and the many sacrifices you've made, we will use the last of our powers to grant you each a wish." At that, the spirit turned once again to look Heero in the eye. "For the four of you from the other world, you may, if you so desire, remain here in this world. Or, we can send you home."
"Home?" Heero whispered in a broken voice. For the first time since not long after arriving in this weird and crazy place, he really gave some thought about returning to his own world; and the war that awaited him there. The thought of going back to that fight sent a spike of sorrow though his mind and something of it must have shown on his face because Reestlin immediately stepped forward and place a steadying hand on his shoulder.
"No more fighting for you, or your friends." the spirit said. "Your disappearance caused quite a stir; each side believed that the other had had a hand in it, having developed a strange, new weapon. In the end, they arrived at a tentative cease fire only a few weeks later and are now on the right track to peace. Your duty to them is over."
Numb with shock and not a little relief, Heero could only stand in the soft grass and stare at the white clad spirit before him. 'Peace. Could it really be true?' he could not help thinking. 'No more fighting or killing? The chance to live my life for myself?' At that thought though, the remembrance of sparkling violet eyes in a heart-shaped face appeared before his mind's eye.
"So, what's your choice, Heero." Reestlin asked. "Will you stay here or return."
"Dr. J--"
"Does not control you any longer. Neither do your precious colonies. This choice must be made for yourself, not them. So tell me child, what do you want?"
"Duo." Heero whispered immediately and Reestlin could not help the smile that spread across his face.
"I thought you'd say that." the spirit said and with a wave of his hand, the field disappeared and Heero found himself back in the cave where they had started this whole adventure.
"Heero!" Quatre's excited exclamation greeted him only a moment later. Turning his head in the direction of the cry, he was pleased to see his three friends near the mouth of the cave. He gave them a small smile before walking over to meet them halfway.
"Did they tell you?" the blonde boy asked once he had reached them. He was practically bouncing on his toes with excitement and Heero had a feeling he knew what the reason was. "They said they can send us home. Isn't that great?"
"Yes, Quatre, it is." Heero said and while he tried to keep the sadness that had fallen over him from his voice, he could tell from Quatre's eyes that he had not tried hard enough.
"Aren't you happy about going home?"
"Yes, Yuy," Wufei chimed in from Quatre's left side. "I figured you more than any of us would be happy to leave this place. Especially with our war over as well."
From his vantage point on Quatre's right, Trowa watched the exchange closely. He already had an idea of why Heero was not as thrilled about the idea of going home as the rest of them were and could not help but ask softly, "But Duo's not in our world, is he Heero?" his own voice taking on Heero's sadness as well.
The blue-eyed boy's small nod and downcast eyes answered the question far better than any words could have.
"But he can come with us, can't he?" Quatre asked, turning to give his spirit a look. "I mean, I just figured that wherever you go, he would too."
"A fairy would never fit in our world, Quatre." Heero sighed. "I won't let him be treated like a freak or oddity. And don't say that we could hide who he is." The boy continued at seeing the calculating gleam in the blonde's eye. "It's too much of a risk that someone would accidentally see him and there's no way I would ever tell him he couldn't go flying whenever he wanted. Keeping him in a cage like a pet bird would kill him."
"So what does this mean?" Wufei asked. He could see the dawning realization in both Quatre's and Trowa's faces, as well as the tears that were beginning to develop in Quatre's sea blue eyes.
"It mean's that I'm staying here." Heero answered with a heavy heart. The three people standing before him were his first and only friends in his life, and the thought of never seeing them again hurt.
"You do remember that he's immortal." Trowa had to ask, even though he knew it would not make a difference; he just wanted to make sure his friend took into account what he was getting himself into.
"I know, but I want to be with him for as long as I can. Even if it means growing old while he remains as he is, I'll take whatever I can."
"You really love him, don't you?" Quatre's choked voice asked and Heero could only give him a small smile and nod of his head. At that, Quatre launched himself forward, wrapping him arms around the dark-haired boy's neck. "I'm going to miss you so much." he breathed through his tears.
"I'm going to miss you too, all of you." Heero said, looking up and catching Wufei and Trowa's eyes as well to include them in the statement.
After a few more minutes, Quatre finally pulled back from the hug and quickly wiped his cheeks dry. Then turning a brilliant smile toward Heero he said, "I know you'll be happy with him, so I'm not going to wish that for you. But I do wish you a peaceful life."
"Thank you." Heero said with a slight bow of his head.
"I'm sorry to interrupt." Alinia said from where the spirit's were standing, giving the four of them time to say there goodbyes. "But it's time."
With one last look and smile, Quatre went to stand beside Diadona in preparations for the return to his world. Following behind him, Trowa took only a moment to clap Heero in the shoulder, his eyes reflecting his own wished for Heero's life before continuing on. Wufei however, bowed deeply before whispering, "I believe that all things are connected, whether it be in this world or our own and because of this, I know we will meet again one day, which is why I will not say goodbye. But until that time, I bid you safe travels."
"As I bid you the same." Heero intoned back as he bowed in return. Straightening once again, he turned and watched as Wufei went to join the others. Only a second later, they began to waver, becoming less and less substantial, before disappearing from the dreamscape all together.
"Are you ready to go back now, Heero?" Reestlin soft voice asked after a few minutes had passed. He had known that none of them would take the separation very well and now only wanted to give his bonded the comfort of his fairy lover, hoping it would ease the pain he could feel flowing from the boy.
"Yeah." came the equally soft reply and although Heero never turned to look at Reestlin as the cave itself began to fade away, the spirit could clearly hear the tears in the boy's voice.
TBC...
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