'...' thoughts
/.../ telepathy
Daystar's Prophecy Part 8
For a long moment after Gaison had vanished from the clearing, Wufei was too stunned to do much except stare at the staff he was still gripping tightly in his hands. However, as the intense swirl of magic within him began to calm, his emotions began to push their way back to the forefront of his mind. At first, he felt awe at the events that had just transpired and the part he had played in them, after that came disbelief that it had truly happened at all, as his analytical side tried to reassert itself. Then there was outrage that his mind had been literally violated by an entity that he had not personally invited. Finally though, curiosity seemed to win out for which he instantly felt guilty.
/It is alright to be curious, little dragon, and do not fret; all of your questions shall be answered in time./ the female voice in his mind began. /Unfortunately, that time is not now. My help was needed in order to protect the Seeker so I had to awaken prematurely but now I must sleep once again./
/No! Wait!/ he cried as he felt the voice begin to fade from his mind. /I want to know what the hell's going on!/
/Ask the Seeker, he cannot answer many of your questions, for he does not know the answers himself, but he can help you to understand better what has taken place. When the time is right for me to do so, I shall answer what questions you have that remain. Now good night, my little dragon./ the voice whispered in his mind, gradually growing fainter until it was finally gone. The moment the voice disappeared, the staff began to glow with a soft, red light before condensing into a ball the size of his fist. Then, just as the ball of light had exited Duo's body not fifteen minutes earlier, it zipped toward Wufei and entered his chest.
"What the...?!" Wufei cried, stumbling back a step and placing one hand over the spot on his chest where the light had vanished.
"Don't worry, Fei." was the soft reply from Duo, who was now awake although still wrapped securely in Heero's embrace. "It'll reappear when you need it again."
"What are you talking about?"
"The staff, its spirit has chosen you as its master. I don't know why, only the spirit can answer that, but now that it has, it'll be there whenever you need it. Or, at least that's what the book says."
Wufei could only stare at Duo, his mouth gaping slightly open. The spirit's suggestion of talking to the braided fairy ran through his mind but instead he swiftly spun on his heels and stalked off toward the edge of the clearing, muttering to himself about "stupid spirits and delusional fairies" as he went. Quatre, feeling his friend's distress, turned to follow but Trowa's restraining hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"He needs to work this out on his own." was all the tall brunette said before turning and sitting down beside the fire. Quatre breathed a sigh but realized Trowa was probably right and after casting one last look in the direction Wufei had disappeared, turned back to the fire also.
"Dammit Duo, just lay still. You need to rest." Heero said, tightening his arms around the small fairy who was trying unsuccessfully to extract himself from Heero's embrace.
"I'm ok, Heero. Really."
"Hn. Baka, you collapsed remember. You are definitely not ok."
"Heero's right, Duo, you need to rest." Quatre said.
"Yeah, but..." Duo began but stopped, realizing it was no use arguing with them. Sighing heavily, he relaxed in Heero's arms and rested his forehead on the other boy's shoulder; simply allowing himself to be held. Of course, he had not in truth been struggling very hard since he felt safe with the other boy holding him close, something he had not felt for a very long time. Soon the heat from the fire and the sound of Heero's heartbeat lulled him to sleep.
********************
Wufei had heard the other boy's approach long before he had even gotten close but instead of turning to acknowledge the other's presence, he continued staring into the darkness that now surrounded the area. Nearly three hours had passed since he had stalked off to be alone to think and in that time he had finally managed to calm himself down, but more importantly he was beginning to accept the events that had transpired just a few short, hours ago. Although he still did not understand what had happened, he knew he could no longer fool himself into believing that what he had seen, felt, and heard had been an illusion. He had just been considering returning to the fire when he had heard the boy and had decided to wait instead to see what the other wanted. However, after several minutes of silence, he was quickly becoming irritated having the boy just stand there, staring at him.
"What do you want, Maxwell?" Wufei growled suddenly, causing the boy to jump.
"I just..." Duo trailed off.
"Spit it out already."
"Well, I just wanted to see if you were alright, that's all." Duo said quite timidly causing Wufei to turn and look at him. Duo was standing about five feet away and Wufei could tell that his head was bowed, but it was the way he was fidgeting with his hands that made Wufei realize just how nervous the fairy was.
"That's all?" Wufei prompted almost softly, most of the irritation having left his voice at seeing the small boy looking so upset.
"Well, no actually. I also wanted to say thank you. You know, for protecting me from Gaison. You really didn't have to, but you did, and well, thanks." Duo finished, realizing he was dangerously close to babbling.
Wufei sighed heavily and hung his head, seeing the normally smiling fairy acting so nervous around him made him finally realize just how awful he had treated the boy ever since they had arrived here. Knowing his honor was at stake, he knew there was only one thing for him to do.
"Maxwell, I want to apologize for the way I've been treating you. I've been rude and arrogant and for that I ask your forgiveness." Wufei said as he stepped forward and bowed to the fairy. At the apology, Duo's head snapped up and he stared at Wufei for a moment then a broad grin came across his face.
"Ah, that's alright Fei. I know this whole thing was a really big shock for you guys and you had every right to be a little bit pissy. So all's forgiven."
"Thank you. And my name is Wufei."
"Whatever you say, Fei."
"Maxwell." Wufei growled but Duo simply laughed and skipped back to the others. Shaking his head at the braided fairy's antics, Wufei followed him back to the fire. Secretly however, he was relieved to see Duo back to his usual self.
"You seem to be feeling better, Duo." Quatre smiled, seeing the braided fairy practically hopping around after his meeting with Wufei.
"Yup, now that the staff is gone, my energy is starting to return. By morning, I should be completely myself again." he answered as he flopped down beside Heero, his wings and braid flying out behind him. Quatre quickly look around at the other four boys, his eyes wide with apprehension. Wufei, who had been about to sit down, froze and stared back at the blonde; sharing the same expression and while Heero and Trowa did not give away any facial expressions, the minor tremor in Heero's hand while he was stirring the fire and the pack strap that slipped through Trowa's normally nimble fingers, showed their alarm. For some reason the thought of a fully recharged Duo sent shivers down all their spines.
"So Duo," Heero began, clearing his throat as he gave himself a mental shake. "are you ready to finish our conversation from the inn yesterday?"
Instantly, Duo's fidgeting stopped and he gulped loudly before nodding his head yes, he had managed after all to put it off as long as he could and now he knew it was time to deliver on his promise. "Where do you want to start?"
"With the last question I asked at the inn. What did you mean by fairies blooming?"
"Well, you see, fairies aren't born the way that elves are and, since I'm guessing that human and elves reproduce the same, humans either." he stated, staring at his hand as he fought the blush that was trying to tint his cheeks.
"If you weren't born, then how did you get here?" Wufei asked.
"I said we weren't born the same, not that we weren't born at all. When a new fairy is needed then two of us with compatible magic signatures are found and their magics are combined in a special ceremony; it's all very complicated and to tell the truth I've never seen it so I don't know what exactly happens. Anyways, the result is a flower seed, which is then planted in a special garden where it's allowed to grow. It can take up to a year to do so completely and when the flower finally opens, or blooms, the baby fairy is inside. That's why we say that we bloom although it's really the same thing as being born, it's just our way of doing it."
"How small are fairies when they're born?" Quatre asked in disbelief.
"We're the same as baby elves, just without the pointed ears. Why?"
"How could a flower grow that big?"
"It's not a normal flower, Quat. Fairy flowers grow on the ground, not on a stem like most flowers. They're usually about two feet high and about three feet around at the base when fully grown. Until they bloom, the pedals are closed tightly and there can be anywhere from six to eight of them. They can also be just about any color, mine were lavender, or at least that's what I've been told."
"But, how do you survive and grow inside them." Heero asked.
"Just as an elven or human child does until it's born, it's just that our womb's a flower while the earth gives us everything we need until we're born. That's why the earth's the source of both our magic and life-force."
"So there's no, um, sex, in your creation." Quatre asked, blushing brightly.
"Uh, no. Fairies don't... I mean... it's not something we... ah hell." Duo said before burying his face in his hands as he finally lost the battle. However, the other boys could clearly see the blush, which extended all the way down his neck. Beside him, Heero sat stunned; the implications of that revelation screaming through his mind.
"So fairies aren't made any differently than elves or humans?" Trowa asked, although whether he was asking out of curiosity, or if it was for a certain cobalt-eyed pilot's benefit he did not let on.
"And how exactly do you know what Quatre's talking about if you've never..." Wufei started.
"Oh gods, can we please change the subject." the braided fairy wailed, his face still buried in his hands, the blush deepening to the point he was beginning to feel dizzy.
"Just answer the questions Duo, and we'll move on." Trowa insisted, the corners of his mouth twitching.
"No, we're the same, we just don't... you know. And my best friend is an elf and I was... curious so I asked, ok? Now, next question please, and it had better not be anything else about how fairies are created." Duo growled and fixed each of them with a glare. Quatre, who was still blushing almost as deeply as Duo, was just as glad to change the subject.
"Why were they calling you, your Highness?" Quatre asked. "Does it mean you're royalty?"
"Ch, yeah right." Duo snorted, just the thought of the counsel, and what they had done was more than enough to calm his embarrassment. "Fairies don't do the whole hierarchy thing or whatever it is. I mean, come on, we don't even raise our own children, what makes you think we can lead and govern each other. No, like I told you back at the inn, a fairy is born to a specific purpose and that's what we do."
"Then why..." Heero started.
"Because that's what the counsel wants and what they want, they get." Duo said with disgust. "I don't even know when they started requiring everyone to address me like that or, to tell you the truth, why."
"Who's the counsel?" Quatre asked, feeling disturbed by the venom in the small fairy's voice.
"And what about your father? Why is he at the capitol? Isn't he supposed to be doing something else?" Wufei asked.
"First off, Martelis is not my father; that elf died a long time ago. Second, he shouldn't be at the capitol. The counsel brought him there after the war thinking that, since he was one of the fairies responsible for my creation, he could be used as a representative for my people or something like that. He was a grower before that and they didn't even see fit to authorize the creation of a new fairy to take his place. Thank the gods that Lissia flat out refused when they asked her to come to the capitol." Duo said with a shake of his head. Then dropping his head, he reached for his braid and pulled it close to his chest; hugging it tightly as a haunted look came to his eyes. "As for the counsel, I... they..."
"It's ok, Duo, you don't have to answer." Quatre said quickly, the fear he felt coming from the boy was nearly overwhelming, even with his shields firmly in place. Nodding his head, Duo stared wide-eyed into the fire as one hand left the strangle hold he had on his braid and subconsciously stole to the back of his neck. Heero, noticing the gesture, narrowed his eyes as he realized he had seen the fairy doing it one other time. That being at the inn when Duo had told them about the staff after specifically telling one of the elves who had greeted them that it was the counsel who would have to release the information. Before he could question the boy however, Trowa brought up a subject that intrigued him far more.
"Duo, how exactly did you come to know Gaison? He doesn't seem like the type of person you would normally associate with."
"Well, that's a long story." Duo said, a blush once again coloring his cheeks and his hand instantly returning to his braid. "And I'd rather not go into the whole thing tonight. There are some things that I just won't talk about after dark, ok?"
"Does he scare you that much?" Quatre asked softly.
"Yeah." Duo swallowed and answered just as softly. "Remember, the other day I told you that my friends say I'm too trusting? Well, Gaison is a large reason why. I let myself believe when he told me he was my friend, even though everyone else told me not to. When he... betrayed me, I thought my heart had been ripped apart. I don't have that many friends to start with and for one of them to..."
"What did he do?" Wufei questioned, finding one more reason to hate the man; one did not betray a friend.
"He... attacked me."
"You mean he tried to take your magic." Quatre gasped.
"No." Duo blushed. "He... held me down and started... doing things to me."
Sudden realization dawned on the three remaining boys since Heero had already guessed the man's true intentions. However, he felt cold fury rise up inside of him at Duo's words, knowing the man had touched the beautiful fairy was enough to seal his fate and Heero would be more than happy to see to it that the man got just what he deserved.
"Oh Duo, he didn't..." Quatre started.
"No, Solo stopped him before..." Duo swallowed and ducked his head. "I thought Solo was going to kill him for a moment. Sometimes, I wish he had."
"Who's Solo?" Heero asked, a sudden pang of jealously racing through him.
"He's one of my best friends. You'll get to meet both him and Hilde when we get to Shantari." Duo said and smiled gently as some of his previous good mood returned. "We grew up together since his family was the one I was placed with and he was still a baby at the time too. We met Hilde when we were about five hundred years old and they finally got married two hundred years later. Talk about being dense, I didn't think those two would ever figure it out. They're trying to have a child now but the last time I saw them they still hadn't had any luck. Poor Hilde, she's been blaming herself for the whole thing."
"How long has it been since you saw them?" Quatre asked, smiling inwardly since he had not missed the relief on Heero's face following Duo's explanation.
"It's been nearly two years." Duo said sadly. "The counsel wouldn't let me return until I'd found the staff."
"That's outrageous." Wufei exclaimed.
"Like I said Fei, what they want, they get." Duo stated with a look of utter misery. When it looked like Wufei was about to protest further, Trowa laid a hand on his arm to stop him.
"Duo, you said your magic and life-force were derived from the earth. What exactly did you mean by that?" Trowa asked, once again steering the conversation away from the subject that so clearly upset the small fairy.
"Basically it means that we're a part of the earth and the earth is a part of us. See, since the earth gave us life, it also sustains our life-force. And since all magic is directly linked to a person's life-force, then ours is also directly linked with the earth. That's why fairy magic is called elemental or earth magic, which means we can control the four elements: fire, water, earth, and air. I'm sure you've noticed that fire and water are the ones I use the most. That's because I'm stronger with those two elements than the other two. Most fairies have one or two elements they can control better than the others." Duo explained. "Elves and those of the other races who use magic can eventually learn to use earth magic, some even become very good at it, but since their life-force isn't linked with the earth it's difficult for them. For us though, it's as simple as breathing since it's a part of who we are."
"Earth children." Trowa said quietly.
"Exactly." Duo stated.
"Huh?" the other three boys said in unison causing Duo to burst out in laughter. Even knowing they were the source of the longhaired fairy's amusement did not stop the feeling of relief that flooded the three boy's minds at the sound. Seeing the small boy so unhappy and frightened while they had been talking had unsettled all of them. Deciding that the fairy's laughter was far more important than trying to understand a concept that was so utterly alien to them, they choose to drop the questioning for the night.
"So Duo." Wufei began, seeing the opportunity for some good-natured ribbing.
"Yeah?" he asked once he had stopped laughing enough to respond.
"This elf friend who satisfied your curiosity. Was it Solo, or Hilde?"
The braided fairy instantly blushed a deep crimson, which Quatre could have sworn extended all the way to his toes, before he sprang to his feet and disappeared into the darkness surrounding the campfire; the laughter of the four human boys following him through the air.
TBC...
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