Mage vs. Guard Sidefic 6
"Help!"
Heero leaned against the wall and smirked at his guard. "I thought you didn't need my help."
"This damn thing is caught on my hair- if you don't help me, I will be forced to do something horrible to you in your sleep." The blink dragon on top of the bookcase chittered in amusement.
"And that's different than usual, how?" Heero asked, even as he reached out to free Duo's braid. "There. Is that better?"
"Much." Duo smoothed his surcoat down and frowned at Heero. "You aren't in your formal robes."
"I never wear my formal robes and you know it."
"But- Milady insisted. She said everyone had to wear them to the exhibition."
"And since I'm not going, what's the point?"
Duo frowned. "You mean you aren't going to come and cheer me on?"
"Duo, I know you'll have lots of people cheering you on. You don't need me there."
"It will be fun!"
"Sitting in the sun and watching people beat each other up for hours is fun?" Heero shook his head. "If you aren't the one doing it, then no."
"Well, there is that Mage Exhibition later, didn't Milady rope you into that?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I told her I was only willing to do a transformation exhibition."
Duo snorted. He knew his mage. "You mean you were willing to turn people into frogs."
"Yes, and for some reason she couldn't find any volunteers."
Rolling his eyes, Duo pinned Heero against the wall. "Quit smirking and give me a good luck kiss at least."
"You don't need good luck. I know you'll win."
"Kiss me anyway."
~*~
After Duo left, Heero went into his workroom. As the trumpets played outside, he flipped through one of his books, making a few half-hearted notations. He heard the first match called and gave up. Going to his window, he looked out over the tournament grounds. His familiar joined him, craning her neck out of the window.
"Just go down there and watch, silly thing," he told her. "Relena's pet is on top of the stables- there's plenty of room for you." She nudged him affectionately and sailed out of the window.
He was watching Duo beat his sixth opponent when someone knocked on his door. Half expecting a 'where are you?' message from Relena, he took his time going to answer it.
One of the castle's servants stood there, panting and out of breath. "This just came for you, sir! The messenger said it was urgent!"
Heero took the letter and frowned at the seal on the back. "Thank you," he said to the servant. "Please wait just a moment?"
The young man leaned gratefully against the wall and took a few deep breaths. Heero figured that he must be new, the more experienced workers took their time on the stairs- urgent messages or not.
Heero cracked the seal and read the letter. It was short and to the point- not too surprising, considering who it was from. He picked up a pen and scribbled a note at the bottom before handing it back to the servant.
"Please take this down to Milady? You don't have to rush," he added. "It's just so that she knows where I'm going."
The young man nodded, took the letter and dashed down the stairs. Heero hoped he didn't break his neck.
He closed the door with a sigh. Returning to the window, he saw that Duo had moved on to another opponent. It wouldn't be good to take his guard away from the tournament at this point. He really didn't need him anyway, he told himself as he turned to his storage cupboard, trying to ignore the chill moving down his spine. The rumors about his old mentor were only rumors after all- and more along the lines of the old man going a little batty- not outright evil.
Still, he tucked a few small vials into his belt pouch. Better safe than sorry. One more look out the window at his guard, and then Heero closed his eyes to recite the 'port spell. Hopefully he'd be back before the tournament was over.
~*~
Duo acknowledged his opponent's bow and then turned to face the stands. He wasn't doing too badly- it looked like the last match would be him and Chang.
Thinking about what had happened the last time he'd faced Chang in the ring, he glanced up at Heero's window. He'd spotted the mage early on, secretly delighted that Heero had been watching no matter what he'd said earlier. Heero wasn't in the window now, and Duo wondered where he'd gone.
He sat down on the bench and pushed his sweat soaked bangs off his forehead. Hopefully Chang would take a little bit of time beating this last opponent of his, so Duo could get a good rest in.
Looking at the shaded stands, he caught the moment when Relena was approached by an out-of-breath servant. Duo saw her read the paper he handed her and look up at Heero's tower- a worried frown marring her features. She glanced back at the paper and then looked at Duo, catching his eye and tilting her head to the side.
Duo got to his feet. Something was going on- and it didn't look good.
He made his way to the side of the stands, watching as Relena murmured excuses to her guests and moved to meet him.
"What is it?"
"Heero- well, he got a urgent request to visit one of our old instructors- I'm hoping he didn't leave yet. I'd feel a lot better if you could go with him..." She caught the quizzical look on his face. "Supposedly the mage has gone a wee bit mad."
"Should I go try to catch him?" Duo looked up at Heero's window. Still no sign of him- had he gone without his guard?
"I sent a servant to tell him to wait for you- the Captain is almost done with his match." Relena shaded her eyes and frowned at the field. "I know the two of you would be able to make a showy spectacle for the last fight, but I think it might be better just to rush it through."
"Or we could say I was injured and forfeited."
"Would you mind?"
"Heero's safety is more important to me than a prize."
A cheer went up. "There's the end of the match," Relena looked at the keep. "Where is that boy?"
"Milady!" A voice gasped behind her. Duo reached out a hand, the poor servant looked like he was going to fall over. "Mage Yuy is not in his rooms."
Damn it, Duo swore silently. Why hadn't he waited? Heero's familiar landed suddenly on his shoulder, making a soft worried keening sound in her throat.
"You didn't go with him either?" He asked her and she rubbed her cheek against his. "This isn't good."
Relena took a deep breath and gave Duo a falsely cheerful smile. "It might not be bad, if Heero didn't feel the need for any kind of protection..."
"You could 'port me there."
"I don't know where it is. A lot of older mages hide themselves once they go into retirement- only letting a few trusted people know where they are. Heero is the only one who knew where Jay hid himself. We could trace Heero, but it might take a while."
"How bad do the rumors say he is?"
Relena looked at the stands and gestured at a mage sitting on one of the edges.
A moment later he was beside her. "Milady?" The dark haired mage bowed. "How can I help?"
"I need you to do something for me, Mage Cho. Jay called for Heero- sent an urgent message. I need a trace on Heero-"
"I can do it. It will take a while, but once I have it, I will send a messenger." The mage smiled at Duo. "Good luck in your next match."
Duo nodded and headed out to face Chang. Once this was done, he could focus on Heero...
~*~
Heero ducked behind the desk a knife whizzed over his head. "Getting slow!" Jay cackled and Heero cursed. Why had he thought this was a good idea?
He conjured a shield and stood up again, neatly deflecting the next two knives. "No wonder the school thinks you've gone mad."
"Trying to distract me?" Three more knives headed for him and Heero uttered a short incantation. The knives reversed in mid-air and flung themselves back towards Jay. The old mage ducked and Heero took the opportunity to reinforce his shield. After the firestorm Jay had called up when Heero had first 'ported in, he wasn't going to take any chances.
"Not too bad," Jay straightened up and squinted at Heero. "You always were one of my best students."
"Thanks." Heero lifted an eyebrow. "Are we done with the preliminaries yet?"
"Sure, sure," Jay waved a hand in the air, his shield dissipating. "Just checking your skills, m'boy."
"Right." Heero didn't drop his shields all the way- he knew Jay too well. Cautiously, he walked around the desk and joined Jay in front of the fireplace. "So, why did you call me?"
"Sit down, my boy. Sit down. You know how I hate to discuss business right off."
Heero scanned the chair for spells before sitting down. "You said it was urgent."
"It is, it is, but let's get through the niceties first." Jay picked up the teapot that was on the small table beside him and poured a cup. "How are things at the school?"
Heero accepted the cup carefully, but didn't lift it to his lips. "Things are fine, just like always."
"Plenty of students?"
"Of course." Heero narrowed his eyes. "Are you thinking of coming out of retirement?"
"Hardly. It's just pleasant conversation."
"Can we skip the pleasant conversation? There is a delegation at the school and I need to get back soon." Heero knew the tournament had to be over by now- so much for hoping Duo wouldn't notice his absence.
"You didn't used to be this impatient. Very well, I wanted you to have a look at this." Jay produced a scroll out of the air and handed it to Heero.
Heero unrolled it and squinted at the text. Getting up, he moved closer to the window for better light. His eyes blurred for a moment and he blinked to clear them as he scanned the text. It took him a moment to realize what he was reading. His eyes widened in disbelief.
"This is one of the forbidden scrolls!"
"Yes, amazing isn't it?"
"They were supposed to have all been destroyed!"
"But they weren't. I found this one- where I won't tell you. But the secret it contains! Such a spell!"
"For such a price." Heero cast the scroll away from him. "You told me once that those who turned to the Blood path were fools."
"I was wrong." Jay watched his former student's reaction through narrowed eyes. "That's why I called you here."
"I won't help you." Heero shook his head. Why was he feeling dizzy?
"But you will. You read the scroll. I need a life- a young one- a powerful one- one like yours."
Heero snapped out an incantation, his voice faltering on the last word. There was a small sharp crack, and Jay pulled a small metal circle out of his robe. "I warded myself," he said with a smile, and watched as his former student fell to his knees. "I also poisoned the scroll."
Fighting to stay conscious, Heero tried the port spell, but he couldn't remember the last few syllables. His memory hadn't failed him before! Jay laughed. "Just give in, Heero," he said with a smile. "You can't fight me and the poison too..."
~*~
"It's only a scratch," Relena soothed as Sally blotted the blood off of Wufei's cheek. The whelping on her shoulder snorted in agreement.
"Well, several scratches," Sally amended as Wufei opened his mouth. "Don't talk. Your jaw needs a few minutes to heal, even with magic." She glanced over her shoulder at Duo. "Sit down, Guard Maxwell, you're making me nervous."
"I can't." Duo turned to pace the other way across the small space of the healers' tent. "How much longer?" The blink dragon on his shoulder rubbed her cheek against his ear comfortingly.
"Patience, Duo. I know Mage Cho is doing the best he can. He just needs to get a trace on Heero's life force and then we'll know exactly where he is. It's a tricky spell- give him time."
Sally finished and stepped back. "I think that's it. Just a few more minutes for that jaw and shoulder bone to finish healing and you'll be as good as new."
"I really am sorry, Captain." Duo peered over Sally's shoulder. "I was distracted-"
Wufei grunted.
"Milady!" A tall redheaded guard stood at the entrance to the tent. "Master Cho sent me to ask you to join him immediately."
He quickly moved out of the way as Duo and Relena flew by him, Wufei and Sally a step behind.
The mage was waiting for them by a scrying pool. "I have the trace- do you want to see? Or just have me keep a watch on it?"
"See please," Duo requested.
Cho nodded and touched the water with a fingertip.
"See?" Relena chuckled as the picture appeared. "We were so nervous and he's just having tea with Jay." They watched as Heero took the scroll Jay handed him over to the window.
"You're right," Duo said with a sigh. "Nothing to worry about. Heero's never going to let me live this down." He looked over at Wufei. "Sorry Captain."
"It was still a good show though," Sally consoled him.
Wufei shook his head violently, his eyes on the water and Duo turned back to the image just in time to see Heero fall.
"What the hell-?! What's happening?" Duo leaned over the water, one hand reaching to the tiny figure of Heero.
At the same moment, the image rippled and vanished. Mage Cho staggered away from the pool, Relena reaching out to grab his arm. "The trace I have on him- it's fading..."
"But that would mean-" Relena turned, her hand still tight on Cho's sleeve. "Duo! Come here!"
~*~
His eyes wouldn't stay open. Heero lay gasping on the floor, trying to focus. He was going to pay for stepping into this trap but- he'd told- someone- where he was going... hadn't he? They wouldn't be able to rescue him, but at the very least they could track down Jay... He struggled to remember... why couldn't he remember?
Jay must've done something.... Mixed some sort of spell with the poison on the paper?
Didn't matter- someone would come after Jay.
The memory of a long-haired guard floated to the surface for a moment in response to that thought.
Not him. They wouldn't send him after Jay- it wasn't safe. Heero tried to remember the guard's name and failed... But he thanked all the gods he hadn't brought the guard with him. He was safe. He'd get assigned another mage...
The old man- what was his name?- leaned over him, the scroll floating in the air beside him. "Don't look so desolate, myboy. This will only hurt for a moment-" He pulled Heero's tunic open, exposing his chest. "Just need to pull out your heart-"
Heero wet his lips, mind racing to remember a spell, any spell... but they slipped just out of reach.
Fingers tapped against his chest. "I think if I open your chest right here... I should be able to get it out in one piece..."
Letting his eyes slide closed, Heero prepared himself for the pain. It would be over soon.
"Bastard!"
That wasn't the other mage's voice. Heero opened his eyes just in time to see the guard from his memories fling the old man across the room.
"No-" His lips formed the word. It wasn't safe-
The guard leaned over him anxiously. "Heero? Heero can you get up?"
"Watch out-" the words rasped from his throat.
"He's knocked out. What's wrong with you?"
"Can't remember..." He closed his eyes. There was something else... "Poison. On the scroll. Don't touch it..."
A warm hand touched his chest, but it was too much effort to lift his eyelids again. "I am so getting you out of here. Give me just a minute-"
Heero wasn't sure he had a minute.
~*~
"I want to be in there!" Duo knew that forcibly trying to remove the head of the school away from the door wasn't the best way to keep his job, but he didn't care.
"Sally needs to concentrate! He'll be fine!" Relena crossed her arms and looked stern.
"He wasn't breathing when you ported us back! He's not fine!"
"Sally's doing her best. Try to be patient." The Captain appeared by Relena's side. "That's an order."
Duo closed his mouth and stalked away from the door.
"It will be okay," Relena assured him. "I have to get back to our guests- and check on our captive. Can I have your word that you won't go bursting in there and interrupt Sally?"
"Yes Milady."
Duo threw himself down on the bench by the door as Relena and Wufei left. Rubbing his head he tried to calm himself. Sally knew what she was doing. He had to trust her.
If only he'd realized what shape Heero was in when Relena had ported him into the room. He'd wasted precious time grabbing Jay and securing him before giving Relena the signal to port them back. When they'd landed in Cho's rooms, Heero had stopped breathing.
Covering his eyes, Duo tried to block the image of Heero lying at his feet, pale and waxy looking...
"Guard Maxwell?"
His head snapped up. One of the healing apprentices stood in the doorway, eyeing him anxiously.
"Yes?"
"I'm supposed to tell you that Mage Yuy is out of danger. Mage Po said to tell you to go back to your rooms, get out of that armor and rest. She'll send word when he'll wakes up."
Duo surged to his feet. "I can't see him?"
The apprentice shook her head. "Not yet. He's still unconscious, and we don't think he'll be waking up anytime soon. He needs to rest so that his system can purge itself of the last of the poison." She gave him a sharp look, one she had obviously learned from Sally. "You look ready to drop, if you will forgive me saying so sir. You should rest too."
"I'll rest better if I can see for myself that he's out of danger," Duo tried.
"Mage Po said no-"
"Could you go ask her?"
Before the apprentice could decide, Sally herself appeared in the doorway, a faint smile on her face. "For a guard, you don't take orders well," she noted. "You should be on your way to your rooms by now."
"I just want to see him for a minute, Sally, please?"
"All right. But then you have to go rest. You haven't even changed out of your tournament armor," she pointed out as she ushered him through the doorway.
"I will. I promise."
Sally showed him into one of the small side rooms off the main infirmary. Heero was in the bed, his eyes closed, looking somewhat better than he had the last time Duo had seen him. His chest rose and fell in even breaths, and the color was coming back into his face.
"Two minutes," said Sally and closed the door.
Duo reached out to put one hand on Heero's wrist. Relaxing a little as he felt Heero's pulse under his fingertips, he frowned at his unconscious mage.
"Bastard! What the hell were you thinking?" Heero didn't reply, but then Duo didn't really expect him to. "After all this time- you know not to go off alone! Even if he was your old teacher you knew he wasn't safe! Why didn't you wait for me? If it was such a rush I would've left the damn tourney- you know I would!" Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to drop his voice. "You know you're more important to me than winning, idiot."
Knowing that Sally was no doubt out in the corridor with one eye on the time, Duo lifted Heero's hand up to his lips. "I have to go. Sally says I need to rest and she won't let me stay with you. So hurry and wake up so I can come back."
Sure enough, the door opened a moment later. Sally crooked her finger at him and Duo left Heero's side reluctantly. "I don't see why I can't stay," he said as she closed the door. "It's not like I'll wake him."
Sally put one hand on his arm and tugged him down the hallway. "It's not that, Duo. If I thought he would just sleep, then I'd let you stay." Behind him, Duo heard Heero's door open again. Looking over his shoulder he saw two healers slip into the room.
"Sally- what is it?"
Her hand tightened on his arm. "When we... when we got him breathing again- well, it wasn't pleasant. He- was aware-" She stopped and Duo pulled her to face him.
"What?"
"He didn't know me. He didn't know his name. He didn't know where he was. I asked him, and he didn't know- half the time I don't think he knew the words to answer me. He- panicked. I think he would've thrown a spell at us if he could have. He went into convulsions-"
Duo half turned, ready to go down the hall again.
"No!" Sally held him tight. "Look, Duo- he might not know you. And if he doesn't remember you- how is he going to react to a fully armed stranger standing over his bed?"
Duo forced himself to admit that she had a point. "All right. I'll go change, but-"
"Duo- you've been on your feet since early this morning. You had a dozen fights and then went to battle with Jay. You need to rest. It won't do Heero any good if you fall over. Besides, he should be unconscious for at least the next eight hours- we medicated him pretty heavily to make him sleep."
"All right." He let her lead him down the hallway. "But I'll be back here in six hours- and I want to stay with him after that."
"That's fine." She opened the infirmary door and ushered him out. "Rest well, Duo."
Duo trudged back to the rooms he shared with Heero. When he opened the door, the little blink dragon was perched on the mantelpiece waiting for him. She chirped questioningly at him.
"No, sweetheart, he's not coming home tonight." He scratched her head as he passed her. "I've been ordered to stay away until I get some sleep."
She made a soft sound and followed him into the bedroom. "I know, but Sally insisted. She said Heero had lost his memory-" he started pulling off his clothes, trying to ignore the lump in his throat. "Hard to think he'd forget me- us," he amended as he struggled with the mail shirt. It caught on the tip of his braid and he gave it an impatient tug; swearing under his breath as he lost a few hairs to the rings. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he tugged his boots off, tossing them carelessly to the side.
He didn't bother to pull down the covers; he simply lay back on the pillows. It wasn't like he'd never slept alone in this bed- Heero often stayed up late with his research- but it felt bigger than usual.
"He has to get his memory back," he said softly. "Not that I'll love him any the less- but I need him to know me." The blink dragon curled up beside his head on the pillows, rubbing her cheek against his soothingly. "I know that sounds terribly selfish, and you're the only one I'll ever admit it to," he said to her. "But if he doesn't know me- then he won't love me. Sure, I could try and get him to fall in love with me again- but it was so hard the first time... what if I don't succeed again?"
The blink dragon chirruped indignantly at him, nudging him with her nose.
"Right. Can't give up before I start." Duo closed his eyes and tried to focus on sleep. Sally wouldn't let him in if she thought he hadn't rested enough.
Heero's familiar watched as the guard finally fell into a fitful sleep. Then she curled herself up a bit tighter and ported herself down to the infirmary. She had two humans to keep an eye on tonight.
~*~
It was dark. He blinked again, trying to find some sort of light. There was a glow in the corner- golden and faint. A fire. He held the knowledge of that word close to him. When he'd woken up before he couldn't remember any words- only pain as worried-looking people had hovered over him. Now more and more were sliding into his head as he looked around the room.
Sitting up carefully, he scanned the room. Where was he? Was that horrible old man still here? No, this didn't look the same. There was a blond woman dozing in the chair beside the fire- for a moment her name danced on the edge of his tongue- but it slipped away.
His head ached, and his vision was blurred. Where was he? Was it safe here? He slipped out of bed, past the woman and towards the door. He didn't think he belonged here. There was something else he needed to do. What was it?
Focusing hard, he tried to remember. Waking earlier to pain- and before that the old man with the knife in his hand... he'd been poisoned... thought he was going to die. How had he gotten away?
The guard. Standing over him. Tossing the old man across the room. Had he gotten away? Was he all right? Heero opened the door and looked out into the deserted hallway. There were lots of doors. Maybe the guard was behind one of those?
Something chirped above his head. Looking up he saw a funny animal sitting above the door, blinking at him. He searched for a name for it, and couldn't discover one. What was it?
It didn't matter. He had to find the guard. He had to make sure he was okay.
As he moved into the hallway, the animal launched itself into the air over his head, chirruping madly.
This wasn't good. It might wake up the blonde woman. "Please-" he said to it. "The guard-" He couldn't think of the words he needed, but the animal stopped making noises. It hovered in the air in front of him, it's head cocked to the side. "The guard-" he made a gesture behind his head. "He has- something here," he couldn't think what it was called. "I need- to see- him-" He tried instead.
The animal- a lizard?- nodded at him and flew a little ways down the hallway, watching him over its shoulder. Did it understand?
He followed it down the hallway and out another door. There were lots of hallways, dark and deserted, and stairs that seemed to take him forever to climb. He was too tired to try and identify the things he saw, he only had the strength to follow the tiny lizard, hoping it understood what he was looking for. He was damp with sweat when he finally reached a door at the top of a long flight of stairs. "Here?" He asked the lizard, and it chirped at him.
The door swung open at his touch and he stood in the doorway, trying to catch his breath.
This place was- familiar, he realized with a rush of relief. He knew this place. Making his careful way across the room, he opened another door. Inside was a bed, with a small lamp burning at the head- and in the bed was the guard.
Standing beside the bed, he found the word he needed at last. "Duo."
~*~
Duo opened the eyes at the sound of his name. Heero stood beside the bed, white-faced and swaying on his feet.
"Heero?" Was he dreaming?
"You're-" Heero paused for a moment, wetting his lips. "Duo- you're all right?"
"I'm fine." Duo reached up to touch Heero's arm- warm and reassuringly real. "What are you doing here?"
"Needed you- needed to see-"
Duo tugged Heero down on the bed beside him, curling himself around his lover. "I'm here, love. I wanted to stay with you, but Sally sent me out. She said you needed rest-" Heero curled up in his arms, closing his eyes.
"Can rest now. Needed... this."
"Me too." Duo kissed the top of Heero's head and closed his eyes.
The blink dragon curled up in her favorite spot on the top of the bed with a satisfied sigh.
Sally discovered them all there an hour later, and swallowed her lecture. Instead, she backed out of the room without waking them and went down to report to Relena. Heero was already looking better, and she doubted she'd be able to move him back down to the infirmary anyway. Somehow he'd found his way back to Duo- and if he remembered that much then the chances were good that all of his memory was on its way back as well.
Now, all they had to do was deal with Jay. She wondered if Relena was open to suggestions...
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