And it's no sacrifice... Just a simple word
It's two hearts living... In two separate worlds
But it's no sacrifice
No sacrifice... It's no sacrifice at all
-Lyrics to Elton John's 'Sacrifice' covered by Sinead O'Conn
Elements of Great Design Part 21
All thought ceased for Heero, his ears filled with a ringing bought on by his instantly raised blood pressure.
Pale-faced and slack-jawed, the Fighter stared in disbelief at his best friend who continued to speak, but the words were completely lost. Finally shaking his head, he closed his eyes and raised a hand as he stammered, "W-wait. Please tell me that I did not hear you right and you did not say that you are actually going to kill Anna."
Frowning deeply, Duo paused and blinked his violet eyes in confusion. "No, that was exactly what I said," he replied matter-of-factly. Tilting his head, he commented, "I thought that you caught at least that much, but of course there is more to it than that."
Suddenly overwhelmed with a protectiveness that he had not been aware that he had for the Fire Keeper, Yuy's fists clenched at his sides as he gritted, "More? How much more to that can there be? Dead is dead... you have made that very statement yourself."
A sad smile of realization tugged the Black Mage's lips. Resting his hands on either of his partner's shoulders, he urged quietly, "Focus, 'Ro. You know me better than anyone, so you should also be more than aware that I would never hurt Anna let alone allow her to truly die, I have been spending the last ten minutes or so explaining what I intend to do, but apparently you only got as far as the start of my opening statement."
Regret washed over the soldier, his frown returning over his ever questioning Maxwell's intent. How long had he spent in silence that day to contemplate whatever it was he had come to decide? Obviously there was indeed more to what was being suggested and it was only right to hear it all.
With a deep sigh, Heero's tense shoulders eased and he nodded firmly, "Alright. Just... at least let me take a seat before you go on to tell me everything."
* * * * * *
"These are the items that I am going to need from the market," Duo said as he handed over a list of the items he had eyed as ones that he wanted to get his hands on over to Heero. Turning to Quatre, he draped an arm around the White Mage's shoulders and led him from the rest of the team as he grinned, "And I have a few special requests for you to pick up for me, if you wouldn't mind."
Winner smiled, "Of course. What are they?" A second list was presented that he took. This one was neatly folded over a couple of times.
As the Water Keeper opened the paper to glance over it, the braided Mage scanned around to make sure that the others were well out of earshot. Wufei had slipped back out to the countryside before the sun came up, so his enhanced hearing was not a problem. The rest of their friends were too busy packing their belongings onto their horses' saddles to pay them any mind.
Craning his head close to the blonde, he informed softly, "I need those specially made by that Chemist back in the square. And I need as many vials as she can make up with those specific ingredients. Start off by seeing her to order that concoction. How ever much she can produce before you return at the end of your stay in the market will have to do."
His eyes growing, Quatre lowered the list from his gaze to stare in panic at his friend. "Duo," he breathed, "this is..."
Maxwell winced, "I know. I know it looks bad, but there is not time to explain what I need that mix for. You're just going to need to trust me on this one."
"I do trust you," the White Mage was quick to reassure. Shaking his paled face, he looked back to the sheet of paper in his slackening hand as he muttered, "But a Stranger asking for this drink is going to make the Chemist nervous. There are going to be questions that she'll expect me to answer if she had any idea to what these ingredients would bring and I do not know how answer."
Nodding, the son of Shinigami replied, "Most likely. But I have every faith that you'll be able to handle whatever she may throw at you." He reached up to pinch his would-be enemy's cheek, pouting, "Who could ever doubt a sweet wittle face like dis?"
Winner rolled his eyes and swatted his fingers away. The smile on his face fading, Duo became serious once more and stated, "In all actuality, you'll get an easy pass with her even if you are a Stranger."
A light of understanding grew in the aquamarine eyes that grew before him. "Because I am a White Mage... someone who could only use magic for good," he murmured. Maxwell smiled. Quatre frowned, sighing, "I do wish that we did not live in a world where its people were so quick to judge before getting to know anyone because of prejudices that have been longstanding towards every class."
"Me too," the braided youth replied. Shrugging, he smirked, "But if we cannot beat the system, at least we can use those stereotypes to our advantages. Who knows, maybe when this war is over the people lucky enough to make it through might actually see Strangers differently... give them a chance to know each other before drawing conclusions about each other."
Brightening at that, Winner grinned wistfully, "That is a nice thought. I most certainly hold out hope that such a thing may come about."
Once again, he ran his gaze over the items on the creased paper in his hand. Whatever the reason behind the concoction, he had been trusted with a mission for his friend and was not about to let him down for showing such faith. Drawing a deep breath, he secured the list within the confines of his loose pants and nodded, "Alright. I'll be returning with your request."
"Thanks, Quat," Duo sighed in relief, patting his fellow Mage on the back. "I knew I could count on you."
* * * * * *
'Maxwell must have been mad for ever counting on me with this,' Quatre thought to himself moments later.
Recently filled with every confidence that had been placed in him, the Water Keeper found himself frozen in place when he actually stepped up to the little shop where the Chemist was beginning to set out her wares.
The crowd was thin in the waking hours of the morning, the most activity coming from the sellers who were putting the finishing touches on their carts and display racks. Still, the early shoppers were treated to bargains and especially friendly service for the business opportunities.
Swallowing roughly, he actually considered walking away before the slight girl noticed him when she lowered a large case of vials and raised her head to peer straight at him. A warm smile brightened the merchant and she waved to the only potential customer standing close by as she greeted, "Hello, there. You seem to be a young man on a mission. Is there something that I can help you with?"
At the word 'mission,' Quatre blinked widely as he thought of how Duo needed him to see this through. Straightening himself, he cleared his throat and retrieved the paper in his pocket. "Actually, I have a few items here for a special order for a concoction that I need to have created by a skilled Alchemist," he opened, hoping that presenting his request as a challenge might be a ways of appealing to the lovely young woman.
Tilting his head, he smirked, "I am hoping that you might be up to the challenge, Miss..."
"Hilde Schbeiker," the Chemist provided with a pleased smile. "I love special orders, especially ones made by gifted people like yourself since the principles of most ingredients is widely known by our kind." Rubbing her hands together as she neared her visitor, she commented, "I just might break a sweat over this, which would be a nice change for me." She held a hand out, smirking, "Now let me have a look at that list of yours."
Winner held his breath and handed over the brown paper, silently amazed that he was still upright on account of his trembling knees.
Document in hand, the short-haired girl read over the hand-written elements... her grin fading away and her eyes growing with every ingredient she read. When she lowered the list to her side, she fixed the Keeper with a heated glare and shot her hand forth to grip his wrist tightly. "Come with me," she demanded in a growl.
Not giving her panicked customer a chance to respond, Hilde spun and dragged him behind her display cases.
Throwing aside the cloth curtain that blocked off her place of operations, she closed it once more when they were safely away from any roaming eyes. It all happened so quickly that Quatre was dizzy, though happy that she had not called for any one of the patrolling Fighters he had seen making their rounds. Peering around, he blinked in surprise at just how large the room that he stood in was.
In the center of the space was a massive, black caldron surrounded by shelves and more shelves lining the walls bearing everything from mixing bowls and measuring tools to glass after glass bearing a different element to be used in a spelled potion. Any and everything that a Chemist could possibly want at their fingertips was at the ready for his captor.
Unable to help himself, the White Mage let out a low whistle. "This is... impressive," he praised in a breath. When he met Schbeiker's gaze again, her heated expression had not ebbed in the slightest and so he gulped and ducked his head.
Raising the crumpled paper in her hand towards his face, Hilde demanded, "You have only a moment to explain to why you need an elixir created by these ingredients. Soul Spring. Dragon Breath, Crushed Viper Mouth just to name a few of the things you have here are fine on their own... but together..." She shook her head, "This is something the likes of which only a person who has only the worse of intentions in which to use it." [1]
Quickly, Quatre raised his hands in the air, insisting, "Look at me. Would any White Mage associate themselves with such a creature?"
The Alchemist lowered the list from his face, gritting, "In case you have not noticed, there is a growing black hole in the sky where it should be blue. A Stranger like yourself asking for something like this is not exactly settling well. You could be a royal or a Dragoon for all I care and I would not be any more thrilled about being asked to create this.... this poison."
Clenching her fists, she all but shouted, "If I had a right mind, I should not have even bothered to give you the chance to tell me what is going on and just called for a Fighter to arrest you for suspicious behavior instead! Nowadays that is more than enough grounds for a person to serve in prison!"
"Pease!" the Keeper all but shouted in defense, "You don't know everything that is going on... and in many cases it is better that you don't know the details!"
His own frustration building, he settled a glare of his own on the girl, biting out, "I cannot tell you all of it, but you are just going to have to believe me when I say that the fate of Gaia and all in it might very well depend on you getting past your paranoia and making that damned drink. Right now, you have two options- either you help me or you work against me... and believe me when I say that you do not want it to be the latter."
Wide-eyed, Hilde stared at him with a paled face that only revealed a profound fear. "Well," she managed, clearing her throat to steady her voice. Brushing down her green robes, she nodded, "You are a White Mage, after all. You would never associate with any persons short of good and just." Smiling nervously, she asked, "How many vials do you need?"
To set her more at ease, Winner physically relaxed and answered, "As many as you can fill before I come back at the end of my walk through the market." For just a second, there was a flash of protest at that, but the start of his eyes narrowing quickly remedied the Chemist's initial reaction to having to create that much poison as she considered it.
"It's going to cost quite the pretty coin to pull that off," Hilde warned, the raise of pitch in her voice at the end hinting to how it was her last desperate attempt to get out of the deed charged on her.
Reaching into his other pocket, Quatre smirked and tossed one of his many purses filled with gold from his wealthy upbringing in Onrac. Easily catching the satchel, the Chemist's eyes grew anew as she appraised how large and heavy the offering was. "There will be another payment like it if I am happy with how much you produce when I return."
All of a sudden, whatever trepidations that Schbeiker had literally melted away. Money, after all, wielded magical powers of its own in winning people over. Beaming, she nodded vehemently, "We are in business, my friend."
* * * * * *
Heero managed to keep Anna distracted with discussions over weapons and fighting techniques just as Duo had promised Quatre he would while he was dealing with the Alchemist. She had never noticed the times that her fellow Keeper was missing, or how absolutely dumbstruck he was over his performance in handling what could have been a disastrous turn of events for the team.
But through the hint provided by the Black Mage, Winner knew that the thief was somehow obviously involved with the potion that was being created. And that kept him ill at ease. Fraise already felt like family... another sister that he'd never had and would treat as one of his own.
Still, when his fellow teammates had decided after a couple hours of shopping that it was time to return to their inn and retrieve Maxwell, the Water Keeper dutifully returned to Hilde's shop to gather up whatever she could provide. At the sight of the large, flap-closed carrying case that was held out to him, Quatre stammered, "W-wow... how many vials do you have in there?"
"Fifty exactly," the girl grinned widely. "I counted them myself since I had to stop when my largest bag, here, was too full for any more. I hope that this is to your satisfaction."
Returning the smile, Quatre pulled the strap of the carrier over his shoulder as he replied, "It is beyond what I could have hoped." He reached into his pocket to produce another purse like the first and tossed it to his seller. "Thank you for your help." Wincing, he added, "And I hope that you understand that I am only doing as I must... I did not mean to scare you before. I am not exactly one to use threats but-"
Hilde raised a hand to cut him off, giggling, "No apologies needed. I should know better than to question there being any logic in this world considering what is happening. I remember the group that you came into Gysahi with yesterday, the Fighter, that hooded Black Mage and the others..." Trailing off, she snorted, " You all make up quite the unlikely lot."
Nodding, the veiled gifted laughed, "I admit we are that. They will also appreciate your services."
Gesturing to the case, she informed, "I also threw in a few extra treats of mine that might come be of use to you. Your friend will most likely recognize them since he used dark magic. Consider that an olive branch for the way that I behaved earlier... as well as my own bit of a hand."
Deeply bowing his head, Winner sighed, "Thank you, Hilde." Extending a hand, he introduced, "Quatre Raberba Winner. I hope that we meet again. But in the meantime, you really should get yourself and as many people in Gysahi that will listen to leave and get as far from that spreading darkness as possible. The sooner the better."
Her back straightening rigidly, the Chemist gave a shallow nod as her neck shifted from her rough swallow. Giving her one more kind smile, the White Mage pushed the cloth curtain aside and stepped back out into the world. Not more than a few feet beyond the shop, he heard the girl call after him, "Quatre!"
The boy turned to find Hilde standing at the edge of her little store. Biting her lip,, she said sincerely, "Whatever you and your friends are heading into... good luck to you all."
Moved by that heartfelt sentiment, the While Mage smiled warmly, "Thank you." With a wave, he turned on his heels and hurried off to catch up with the rest of the Alliance.
* * * * * *
In the last moments of daylight in the sky hours later, the team had come into a steady rain when they were well beyond Gysahi's walls in a cave that they had discovered. With the aid of Wufei's scouting, they came upon a hidden cave within a tall hillside. Guiding their horses through the cavern, it was discovered that there was more than enough room set camp for the night within the dry space.
"Good work finding this place, love," Anna praised as she ran a hand through the wet fur of the back of her partner. Chang grunted as she lowered herself and reached back to take hold of her thick locks that had flattened out from the weight of the rain. Shuddering, she grumbled, "I hate being wet." In spotting Winner, she winced, "No offense."
The blonde teenager removed his bedroll from Sand Rock's saddle as he chuckled, "None taken."
A relieved smile on her face, Anna bent at the waist and drew a perfect, wide ring with the edge of her finger dragged along the sand and dirt ground. She raised her right hand at the completion of the circle and low, smokeless flames rose up to bring an instant warmth and light to their surroundings.
Pleased with her work, the Fire Keeper brushed her hands together and smirked, "There. Now the place almost feels like home."
Not bothering with any of his gear, Duo took up the carrying case that Quatre had presented to him earlier while his friends were preoccupied with their gear.
Taking a seat atop one of the flat rocks that wrapped the fire pit, the Black Mage pulled back the protective flap to remove one of the vials within. Slowly bringing the long material before his violet eyes, he noted how even the glow from the close flames was unable to permeate the black liquid within.
Sending his magic out to test the properties of the concoction, he blinked widely at his findings. "This is just what I was looking for," he muttered under his breath. When a certain veiled gifted sat to his left, he smiled, "I knew you were the right guy for the job, Quat. I couldn't be more impressed with you or Hilde for pulling this off."
Happy as he was for the accolade, the rising anxiety in Winner only allowed him to reply with a nervous grin. Equally worried, Heero took his place at his braided partner's right, staring deeply into the black material within the vial.
"I have been wondering what was in that pack. What is it?" Trowa frowned deeply as he lowered himself beside his lover. Their own interest piqued, Anna and Wufei sat across from the son of Shinigami.
Taking a deep breath, Duo lowered the vial to meet the redhead's gaze beyond the fire and answered, "Something that I needed to be sure would work before I got any hopes up." her eyes thinning in confusion, Anna tilted her head.
At a bit of a loss now that this opportunity had come, he paused... suddenly unsure of himself.
When a hand rested on his lower back, the Black Mage gasped and turned to meet reassuring cobalt eyes. Biting his lip, Heero gave him a small, encouraging nod. At the trust that the Fighter was showing, footing was found once more.
Raising a finger to the redhead as he faced her again, Maxwell said, "I already told you that I could never take your life to end Mariemaia's spell..."
Her deep blue eyes growing, Anna sat upright and nodded for him to go on. Accepting as she was, Wufei's trust was quickly fading. Tall ears lowering and onyx eyes narrowing, the wolf began to rumble a low growl over what was being hinted.
Heero, Trowa and Quatre crept up to their own feet in defensive positions, their arms raised and hands and ready to react should their furry comrade move in to strike. Sure as they were that they would defend Duo, there was also more than enough concern in their expressions for the lovers as well.
"I believe that I may have found a way to trick her spell," the son of Shinigami went on, lifting the vial in his other hand. "This potion will bring you as close to death as possible... your breathing will all but stop... your heart will slow to almost no pulse at all... your blood and skin will turn cold..."
With every word, Chang's reserve fell away. Rising onto all four paws, he snapped and snarled at the violet-eyed boy. "Wufei!" his lover cried, wrapping her arms around his thick neck. "I trust him! Duo would never suggest this if he did not think I would be safe!"
Shaking his head vehemently, Maxwell vowed to the beast, "I can keep her soul from crossing through Death's door... from entering the world of the Creator beyond. This drink will give me the time to react and hold her here with us until she is returned to her body. At that point, you will return to the wolf that you are now. It is not a complete cure, but this is at least a step towards somehow breaking through Mariemaia's hold on you."
The black wolf only growled all the louder, his gaze wild with rage. "This is not your decision alone, Wufei!" the thief shrieked. "And this is not a sacrifice for me!" A high-pitched whimper escaping him, Chang's wide eyes snapped towards her in panic.
Before anyone else could respond, Fraise shot through the burning fire that never touched her. Grabbing the vial from Duo's hand, she ran deeper into the cave beyond the ring of her friends with it to the surprised cries of the others.
Spinning to face her teammates as they charged for her, Anna removed the cork stopper from the glass and threw the head back to send the bitter drink down her throat in a single gulp.
Before she finished swallowing, the world faded completely away.
TBC...
[1] A little creative editing there on my part. I want to see songs with an ethereal feel for this fantasy and Sinead's cover of this song is so moving and fits with this one lyric of the otherwise heartbreaking song. In this part of the tale, this stanza fits what is happening to Wufei and Anna.
[2] A cookie to whoever can tell me where I've used 'Viper Mouth' before- tell me the fic and the scene!
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