Beyond All Doubt Part 16
After a long moment, Duo's still body began to slowly disappear into a cloud of light with a multitude of colors. Gasping sharply, Heero shook his head as his tears continued to fall. Trying to hold onto him as much as he could, he murmured, "Please don't disappear... please."
Within the blinding light, where the fey's chest began to fade away, appeared the jeweled hilt of a sword. Heero's eyes widened a bit at the sight as he remained unable to move. When Duo disappeared completely, the long, magnificent Blade took its full form. It hovered with its metal glowing under the sunlight that broke through the trees as it hovered where Duo had once been.
Blinking at last, Heero moved a hand forward, lightly touching the cool metal of the weapon before gripping it by the handle. The moment that his hand grasped on, his body was suddenly encased within shimmering body army of the same mystical steel of the Blade.
Kumi and Trowa watched from the mouth of the cave, their eyes wide in shock and disbelief. Then the hilt of the dagger that Duo had given Kumi began to glow. Removing the sheathed weapon, the young woman gasped as the hilt then took on the shape of a horn.
At the sight of the horn, she had recalled the fey's words that the horn was only to be used in the most dire of times. With the battle that was still being waged, Kumi's eyes narrowed as she pressed the mouthpiece to her lips and sent a deep call, which echoed out to the forest for miles.
Heero rose to his feet, the tears gone from his eyes, but the remnants of the countless ones he cried still on his face. All around, a strange mist suddenly spread for miles. Gripping the hilt of the Blade tightly in his right fist, he gasped as from the mist, the shape of what looked to be human forms began materializing. From the backs of those beings, transparent wings of every shape and color slowly sprouted.
One of the beings, with brown hair just past her shoulders, began to move towards the Japanese soldier. While every detail of the fey's body, wings and face were as vivid as they would have been had she actually been standing there. However, there was a transparency to her, as with the countless others behind her.
Noting the human in his full armor, the fey's brown eyes fell on the Blade in his hand before she turned her gaze back to look into his eyes and smiled sadly. "Heero, in our realm across the Border, I am known as Lady Une. I am to be Duo's successor as the Blade."
His hand gripping the Blade's hilt tightly, the boy's eyes widened in shock. She saw the flood of questions behind the blue depths of his gaze and she explained in a calf, soothing voice, "From across the Border, Queen Dorothy and I watched Duo's progress in accomplishing his mission. We are both aware of everything that happened to him during his stay here."
At the slight blush of the silent youth's cheeks, she chuckled deeply, "There is no need to be ashamed of anything, Heero. Duo never knew true happiness before he met you."
Trowa and Kumi both made their way to the scene and stood before Heero. Feeling their presence with him, the Japanese solider felt a bit more reassured to speak and asked, "But if you're all here, then what has become of the Border?"
Lady Une gestured to the gold and silver plated horn still gripped in Kumi's right hand as she explained, "Our assistance was called upon. We have not actually crossed the Border, we are merely now able to use our magic from across it now that the horn was sounded. We have manipulated the spirits of the trees, air, water, and all elements of these woods to take our shapes and perform on our behalf."
Her eyes settling on the weapon in the human's hand again, she stated firmly, "We are here to fight with you, to protect you all as Duo had died for."
The three humans gave small smirks at the announcement. Turning his head to the side, Heero whistled and the three horses at the cave rode to their riders. Once they were all mounted, they looked over the sea of fey before them. As one, the countless beings brought a fist to their chest in a salute in readiness. With a firm nod to them, Heero turned his horse along with Trowa and Kumi, shouting, "This way!"
The three horses rode as fast as their legs could carry them, Heero's leading the way as he gripped the Blade in his fist. His eyes narrowed in determination, he whispered, "Guide my hand, Duo." In response, there was a faint glow around the beautiful weapon for a moment before the light faded again. The massive wave of fey behind them took to the air, their wings spread as they followed closely.
* * * * * *
Sette panted heavily, nursing her injured left shoulder as she struggled to push the dead Clan member off of her. He gave her quite the fight before she was finally able to slice him through the middle with her clawed hand, bringing him to collapse on her. In the process of their struggle, he had managed to cut her shoulder with the blade of his sword.
The tomboy made it to her shaky feet, straightening herself before long, and made her way back to Wufei's side. It took some time, and knocking some of her attackers to the side, before she reached the Chinese Captain. He had a deep gash in his left arm and seem exhausted along with all of their fellow soldiers, but seemed to be faring all right.
When he turned to face the blue-haired girl, Wufei's dark eyes widened as he shouted, "Sette, you're bleeding!" The tomboy looked at him in confusion, blinking in uncertainty for why he seemed so worried.
Once he managed to reach her, he placed a hand on her blood-soaked shirt when she realized his concern and shook her head, stating, "It's not my blood." He stopped his search for an opening in her shirt to reveal where the blood came from and sighed deeply in relief as he straightened himself. Sette smiled brightly, "Aw, you were really worried about me, huh, Wuffie!?"
Too tired from the battle and too relived that she was all right, he didn't care to respond to the name and replied sincerely, "Fine, yes, I was worried, you little pain." He smirked at her and squeezed her uninjured shoulder in a friendly manner before they took to the fight again.
It was nearly impossible for them to see past the dark uniforms of the enemy. They just seemed to be everywhere in the gully, pushing forward to snuff them all out. As they took on their own opponents with their back to each other, Wufei shouted over the loud sounds of the battle, "Sette, whatever happens, it's been an honor fighting with you."
At that, Sette smiled sadly, "Same to you, Fei." Their concentration was forced back to their own struggles when there was a deafening roar of voices coming from the forest ahead. Nearly lowering her weapon, tears of frustration filled the tomboy's eyes as she whimpered, "Not again... not now."
Suddenly, she gasped sharply when she saw Heero ride out into the Sephron Gully from the trees. The body armor on him glistened under the sun along with the massive sword in his hand. With Trowa and Kumi close behind him, the loud shouts chased after them.
Breaking through the tree tops, thousands of fey-like creatures filled the skies. "Wufei, look!" the girl cried with wide eyes, his own attacker looking up in shock and disbelief.
His own opponent pausing in their fight to pale at the sight above, Wufei gasped when he saw the new army approaching. All around, those soldiers still standing to fight had frozen at the sight of countless winged creatures covering the sky. Raising her own sword, Lady Une shouted, "Attack!" They swooped from the heavens, a wave from the sky, as they fell upon the soldiers below.
Wufei looked over to his frightened and stunned men and yelled, "Start pushing them back!" As if ice water had been dumped from them, his units snapped back to their reality and fought with a renewed fire as their opponents struggled to get their bearings.
All around, the fey army hit the Clan and Gragon soldiers, taking all of them on as they tried to escape. The yells of those trying to call for a retreat were quickly buried over the sound of metal to metal and the screams of those cut down.
Trowa and Kumi took to the fight, jumping from their horses as they fought alongside Wufei and Sette. "Sorry we took so long, Captain," Trowa smirked to the Captain. His friend smiled at him and they clasped hands tightly.
"Good to have you back, Commander," Wufei said sincerely. Gesturing to just a few of the thousands of fey that joined the fight, he grinned, "Thanks for bringing your friends with you." With a laugh, Trowa turned back to the matter at hand.
Heero rode through the confusion and madness, raising and dropping the Blade onto those who attempted to knock him from his horse. As he stormed through the gully, he aided those of his comrades in need while seeing that any of the enemy that tried to escape had been stopped. There would be no mercy for those who sided with Treize and King Rashon.
* * * * * *
Several hours passed and as the sun just began over the horizon, the battle to decide the fate of the Shay and Prusia kingdoms had finally ended. There was a loud cheer that echoed through the gully and spread over the sea behind the army as the last of the Clan and Rashon forces fell. Panting heavily, many had fallen to their knees as the exhaustion and realization of what had happened began to sink in.
With a long cut running down the right side of her face and bleeding, Kumi walked over to where her lover was panting and wiping the sweat from his brow. At the sight of her, the Commander opened his arms and held her tightly. Tears of relief running down her cheeks, his mate whispered, "I was so worried about you, Trowa."
Kissing the top of her head, he whispered back, "It's all right, koi. It's over now." When they pulled back enough, he kissed her soundly before holding her tightly to him again. The sheer truth of the fact that the war was actually over, that they had won, was something that Trowa knew would take time to truly hit home.
Holding Kumi's face in her hands, he met her gaze with determination in his eyes as he told her, "I am going to resign from the army when we get home. I've been fighting for too long."
The brilliance of her smile at the idea of him no longer being on call to put his life in danger was more than enough for him to know that he was making the right choice. While he had only been in the Shay army a couple short years, the battles that Trowa had fought in that time and the things that he had seen and was forced to do forced him to age beyond his years. He was more than ready to leave the life of a soldier behind to enjoy the peace that he had fought to protect. There would be no regrets for his decision.
Within the largest of the healing tents, Quatre, Catherine and Sally worked franticly, along with the healers present, to look after their wounded. Catherine quickly ran with a bowl of water to the bed of a young soldier who's leg would have to be removed. Sally was already at the man's side when the red-haired healer approached the other side of the bed. Quatre was not far, helping another healer with another injured patient.
Before Catherine could reach the bed, she stopped, his eyes wide as she watched two forms enter the front of the tent. Her skin paled as her limp hands dropped the bowl of water to her feet.
Seeing how her apprentice acted, Sally feared the worst, that the enemy had healed the tent and were about to massacre them all. However, when she turned to see what Catherine continued to stare at in dear, her own breath hitched and her eyes widened as well.
Two beings, humans with wings that seemed but a haze as they could be seen through, gazed on the scene in the tent. At the sight of them, Sally knew they were fey, the same creatures that her mother would tell her stories of when she was a child. More fey entered, moving towards the beds of the men moaning and crying out in pain. Quatre and all the healers had frozen in their tasks as they watched in shock and fright.
Sally watched as one approached her, looking to be no older than her red-haired apprentice. The male fey gave a small smile and said in a reassuring voice, "We are here to heal your wounded."
Blinking in disbelief, the braided healer couldn't find her voice. She looked around, finding more fey had entered, a fey at every bed as they laid their hands on the wounds of the soldiers lying there. Before long, the cries and moans subsided as every wound was cured, leaving the startled soldiers as healthy as they had been before the battle.
Again, Sally blinked in shock, then turned back to the fey before her. She hardly recognized her voice as she whispered, "There are others... many others that we couldn't get to."
The creature smiled kindly at her and nodded as he replied, "Then lead us to them." She turned back to Quatre and Catherine, where they watched huddled close together. At the determination in her eyes, they quickly left the tent with her, spreading out along with the fey behind them.
* * * * * *
It was only a matter of time before the scout reached the Gragon gates. Having rode hard for hours to reach the kingdom upon seeing the events he witnessed, the tired man rode his way towards the palace. He was not stopped as he ran through the castle's entrance and down the halls, his face and uniform recognized by the guards there.
"Sire!" he shouted as he ran into the thrown room. King Rashon was gazing over his land as he turned to the scout, the man falling to his knees. Before he could ask was wrong, he was advised as the scout shouted between his panting breaths, "Your Majesty... I... I watched the battle in the Gully north of here.... The... The Clan... Our men... They were outnumbered..."
Rashon's eyes widened as he continued, "I could not get close enough to see who was reinforcing Shay and Prusia, but there were enough of them to swallow our forces ten-fold! Sir, you must escape! I came as soon as I knew our men would fall! Before anyone comes for you, you must leave!"
Without needing another word, King Rashon managed to hide himself in humble rags and approached the walls of the great kingdom that he ruled for more than twenty years. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he left alone, not wanted even one armed soldier to assist him.
Once he rode his horse through the gates, he looked back over to what had been his land one last time. The gates closed behind him and he quickly urged his horse to run down the path through the woods.
Laughing quietly to himself, Rashon silently reassured himself that eventually, he would regain what was his. A few years of hiding, a few men that shared his greed and lust for wealth and he would take back his place on the thrown. It was only a matter of time.
He reasoned better to run now and fight another day than to have the people turn against him when they realized that he had thrown them into a battle that would devastate them and their connection to their neighboring kingdoms.
There was still enough light to make it to a small town that he knew lay nearby. He would rest there and think of where he would be able to make a heaven for himself until he was ready to rise to power yet again.
After traveling several miles from Gragon, no less than twenty horses with armed soldiers sprang onto the road from their hiding place amidst the forest. His eyes wide, he recognized their uniforms to belong to the Shay kingdom. He watched in shock as the men that held him, surrounded him, parted just enough for another rider to approach. Removing the hood of their cloak, he gasped in fear, "You..."
Princess Relena smirked at him, "Leaving so soon, Rashon? And when we have so much to discuss over your hand in this war?" The tall man shrunk in his saddle, never turning his eyes from her icy gaze. Her eyes narrowing, the Princess turned to her men and ordered, "Chain his hands and legs. We'll give him the warm welcome into Shay that he deserves."
* * * * * *
Outside, after all of the injured had been healed, Trowa wiped the sweat from his brow and limped his way over to where Noin was sitting atop a large rock, panting after the strain of her efforts that day. Her sullen face suddenly brightened at the sight of the missing Commander as he approached.
Rising from where she rested, she embraced the younger man tightly as he hugged her back. When they pulled back, both smiling, the tall woman greeted, "Welcome back, Commander Barton."
He nodded in response, "Good to be back, Noin." Seeing the disbelief in her eyes as she took in all the fey creatures around her and their armies as they all, only now, allowed themselves a chance to gaze closely on the fey army hovering around them.
After a pause, he followed her gaze over to where Heero stood a few feet away, still shining under the sun in his armor and the white Blade in his hand. Frowning deeply, Trowa lowered his head and closed his eyes as he explained in one, quiet word, "Duo." Noin gasped as her eyes widened in sudden understanding.
Kumi walked close to her brother, staying close enough for him to know that she was with him, but not close enough to be in arm's reach as she watched him sadly. Wufei, Sette and Quatre ran up to fall in behind the silver-haired young woman.
Lady Une returned, her wings spread as she lowered herself to stand before the brave young man that held the Blade. Closing her eyes, she lowered her head in a respective bow to him before she stepped aside.
Heero's eyes widened with a sharp gasp as a beautiful fey with long blonde hair that nearly touched the ground and butterfly-like wings with every color in them approached. All the fey, thousands as far as the eye could see, fell to a knee with their heads lowered.
The humans that had been standing around, confused and unaware of what was happening remained on their feet. However, at the sight of her, Heero removed his helmet and whispered, "Queen Dorothy," and quickly fell to a knee with his head bowed.
The beautiful fey smiled warmly down on the young soldier as she stopped just before him. "There is no need for that, my boy," she spoke softly, still smiling at him. "I owe you a great deal for all that you've done."
Slowly, Heero rose to his feet, hesitantly looking up into her piercing blue eyes. Such beauty as she held was something that he never dreamed. Licking his dry lips, Heero fought the tears that threatened to fall and whispered brokenly as he looked to the weapon in his hand, "But I couldn't save him..."
While the Queen fey was not actually there, he somehow felt her fingers as if they were real, gently lifting his head to meet her own shimmering eyes. A small, sad smile graced her face as she replied just as quietly, "You gave him something to live for, Heero. That's more than he ever had before he met you. For that, I am eternally grateful to you."
Unable to hold the tears back anymore, Heero bit his lip as a few drops rolled down his cheeks. Leaning in, the Queen's eyes closed as she placed a tender kiss on the human's cheek, her lips feeling very real against his skin.
When she pulled pack and smiled at him, his own face was wet with tears, grieving as a mother would grieve her son. Heero suspected that while she was not Duo's actual mother, Queen Dorothy did not see any difference in her love for the Blade as any other loving parent.
Gazing over the humans behind the brave young man, she stated, "When we leave, and before they wake from their rest this evening, we'll remove the memories of all those who saw us today. They will only remember that they fought valiantly and true against their predators and were successful."
The Queen sensed concern in the young man before her as his eyes widened, she smiled again and reassured him, "Your memory, however, will remain." Gesturing to Kumi and Trowa not far beside him, she added, "Along with the two of you. After all that you did for Duo while he was here, I could not allow myself to let you lose all of him. He thought of the three of you as his family. Earning the trust of any fey, let alone the Queen, is not earned easily. Yet, I know that trust is safe with all of you." Kumi and Trowa shared a look before grinning in relief to the Queen, quietly thanking her for that.
Lady Une stepped forward and leaned in to kiss Heero's other cheek, her lips also feeling as if they were actually there. When she pulled back, she sighed deeply and frowned sadly before saying, "Duo was like a brother to me. Although I always knew I would follow in his place as the Blade for our kind, I always dreaded when the day would come because I did not want to lose the friendship I had with him." She raised a hand to her eyes, to dry them as a few tears threatened to fall.
Taking a deep breath, she continued, "One of the duties of the new Blade is to guide their predecessor's spirit to eternal rest. I promise to you that I will see to it that Duo's soul will be at rest and eternal happiness."
New tears coursed down Heero's face as he nodded and spoke faintly, "Thank you. That's all that I ever wanted for him, so I... feel better knowing that he will have that." Satisfied with that, the two fey nodded to him.
"And now," the Queen began with a sad smile, "we must go." The countless fey behind them all began to fade, their shapes fading into small particles that floated away with the wind, carried back to the woods where their spirits took shape. The soldiers behind Heero gasped in shock at the sight of all those creatures suddenly vanishing.
Queen Dorothy laid her hand against Heero's cheek in a gentle caress as she whispered, "Just as your kind have tales of our kind, I will see to it that our kind will forever spread the tales of Heero Yuy and what he did for our Blade in the face of danger. I will see to it that your actions and courage are never forgotten in our world."
The depth of that realization flooded over him as he was unable to find the words of his appreciation. Understanding his silence and feeling his sincere gratitude, the Queen chuckled deeply before speaking. "Take care of yourself, my boy." With that, the two fey's shapes began to slowly fade, their particles lingering and hovering for a moment.
Glowing brightly, the armor on the youth's body faded, leaving him in his loose clothing once more. The Blade in his hand shimmered many colors as he raised it to his face. From the metal, Duo's voice whispered, "I love you, Heero."
At that, the Japanese soldier gave a small whimper before whispering back, "I love you, too, Duo... with all that I am." With those words, the Blade dissolved into a bright, glowing ball of light. After a brief moment to look down on his love one last time, the soul of the fey Heero came to know and love faded away with what remained of Queen Dorothy and Lady Une's shapes.
Heero continued to stare off where Duo's soul had lingered in its last moment and whispered faintly, "Sleep well, my love." He took a few steps back and turned to where his sister and her lover were waiting. They watched him quietly and finally, Heero allowed the wall holding back the flood of grief in him to crumble. He all but fell into his sister's arms and she embraced him tightly as he sobbed against her shoulder.
* * * * * *
The following morning, when the Shay and Prusian armies awoke in the Gully, they prepared to break camp to return to their kingdoms. As Queen Dorothy had advised, only Heero, Trowa and Kumi remembered anything of the fey that aided them in the battle that decided their fates. Only they remembered Duo. As far as the other soldiers were concerned, they fought their hardest and managed to fight off the enemy to their last.
Several days later, Trowa, Kumi and Heero rode their horses up the hill to their secluded cabin over the city below. Dismounting from their horses, the trio looked to the house almost in disbelief, not having seen it in what seemed years. Stepping into their home again, Heero quietly went to his room, closing his door behind him as Trowa and Kumi watched him depart with sad frowns.
When he closed the door behind him, Heero went to his window, looking out to the world as he sat on the ledge. The sun was just beginning to set, the end of their long journey finally sealed. Running a hand through his unruly hair, he was still unable to begin to sort his pain. Duo had been right in telling him before the war that fighting was not as he thought it would be. The thoughts of joining the army to fight a glorious battle intrigued him so in the past. Now that he had a chance to really experience it, he knew that he never wanted to live it again.
More so than that was fact that the only person that he allowed into his heart was gone. Shuddering as if a cold breeze went through him, he allowed the tears to fall again. He wasn't sure if there would be any true end to the grief of losing Duo... His lover. His best friend.
Sighing deeply, he rubbed his eyes and walked over towards his bed, stopping short and gasping as his eyes widened. On his wall, opposite of the bed, there was what looked to be a covered frame hanging, a frame that was not there the morning that he, Trowa and Duo were called to battle. Walking over to the frame, he lowered it from the wall. With a trembling hand, he removed the silken sheet that covered it. His eyes widened further at the beautiful portrait framed in the silver-plated frame.
It was a picture of Heero, his arms opened and a bright smile on his face as an image of Duo, his beautiful wings spread as he swooped down from the skies into his waiting arms. The fey's violet eyes sparkled and a peaceful smile was spread on his face as he wrapped his own arms around the form of his love. Covering his mouth to bite off the sob that escaped him, Heero read the inscription at the bottom of the breathtaking image: 'I'll always be with you, Heero. Thank you for catching me. All my love, Duo.'
Heero soon realized that Duo must have conjured the picture and left it in the room after their night of escape, the night they consummated their love. It was as if the fey knew that they would be separated. Smiling through his tears, Heero held the framed image tightly to him, thankful to have something of Duo that he could hold onto. As he closed his eyes, he smiled and whispered, "Always with me, love." Somehow, he felt a little more at peace.
Somehow, he didn't feel so alone.
TBC...
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