By purple mountains... And round every bend
All roads lead to you... There is no journey's end.
Here is my heart and I give it to you... Take me with you across this land
These are my dreams, so simple and few... Dreams we hold in the palm of our hands
-Lyrics to 'Never-Ending Road (Amhran Duit) performed by Loreena McKennitt
Elements of Great Design Part 22
Duo's eyes grew with a sharp gasp, his violet irises glowing at being so close to a soul that was slipping away. Even as he engaged his gift to intercept it, he saw Anna's own eyes close while her lifeless body collapsed to the ground.
"Somebody catch her!" he cried desperately, too occupied to keep her from completely leaving the world to progress another step forward.
Just before the redhead made contact with the cave floor, Heero was there to scoop her in his arms seconds before Wufei and the others hurried in. fighting for his breath, the Fighter straightened himself and stared down at the still Fire Keeper in shock.
As Maxwell had said, the skin of her cheek nestled against his shoulder was cold to the touch and there was hardly any movement but for the subtle, slowed rise and fall of her chest. In all actuality, Fraise appeared to only be in a deep and peaceful sleep that left no hint of pain in her relaxed face.
The team's attention shifted then to the wolf that had released a prolonged howl. Spinning their bodies and enlarged eyes towards the beast, Yuy and his comrades watched in awe as the black animal stretched himself flat out along the sandy ground.
His fangs bared, gritting with a low growl rumbling though him, Chang's muscular body arched up as his eyes squeezed closed.
Midnight fur turned into a gold-kissed hue before it retracted back into smooth skin of the same color that glowed in the light of the campfire. Every inch contorted, shifted, starting with the long muzzle that shortened against the head that rounded out more.
The back legs took on the toned shape of their natural form as the paws became toed feet. Arms and hands took form where the front legs were extended out past the lowered cranium to bury their fingers in the loose earth.
Finally, the wild grunts and snarls became human in the last seconds of the transformation. And with a deep sigh, the naked young man that remained collapsed in a sweat-covered, panting heap. All that remained anything akin to the animal that he had been was the loose, black hair on his head that was so similar to the fur that until recently had covered him.
Stunned, the rest of the Alliance stood frozen as they stared at the Earth Keeper in his true shape with their breaths held fast in their lungs.
Quatre was the first to come out of his stupor, blinking widely at the exposed form before him and springing for Sand Rock in the next instant to go through his gear that he had not unpacked. When he came to the brown, hooded cloak that he had sought out, he quickly freed it and returned to the Monk that groaned in his slow wakening.
Carefully draping the long robe over Wufei to give him some measure of decency, Winner hurried back to his lover's side.
Arms shaking as he pushed himself up, Wufei's harsh breath eased and the granules that had stuck to his body fell away. Grunting in the effort of moving himself, he managed to rock back onto his feet and held the cloak around him closed with one hand.
Onyx eyes wide, he slowly rose, legs trembling and attempted to walk. When his unused muscles struggled to work, he gasped at nearly toppling over and caught himself against the cave wall with his free hand.
Trowa and Quatre moved to come to his aid, but the other teenager shook his head politely to them in a silent request to allow him to get his bearings on his own. Swallowing roughly, the pair stayed back.
With a deep breath, Chang straightened himself and pulled the garment around his muscular body, using its tie to seal it closed. Finished with the lacing, the reality of having himself back seemed to set in and he raised his hands towards his awe-filled gaze.
Releasing the air that had frozen in his lungs in a long sigh, he pushed his shoulder-length hair back and moved again, each sluggish step that he took in approaching his teammates more sure and strong than the last.
A profound concern filling his gaze that he kept on his lover, he breathed his first word in five years in a voice crackling from years of silence... "Anna." Breaking from the surprise that had gripped him, Heero's eyes grew anew and closed the distance between himself and the Keeper so that he may be close to his betrothed.
To the shimmering gazes watching him, Wufei reached forward to cup the redhead's face in his hands. Feeling the chill in her skin, any wonder that he may have felt at being able to finally touch her once more was lost.
Wincing, he frowned deeply with steadier whispered, "So cold...." Tears shifted his vision as he raised his head to look on the son of Shinigami, asking, "Is she... were you able to...?" Unable to complete a haunted question, he shook his head.
Duo, the violets of his irises no longer glowing, smiled reassuringly as he stretched his opened right hand out so that his palm was facing upward. Hovering above his skin, a brilliant bulb of white light appeared to cast off a warm light that outshone the dying flames that remained from the spelled fire.
"Anna is perfectly safe with me," the Back Mage informed. "I was able to intercept her soul, here, and she will remain in sound condition until I return her to her body. This bit of a workaround of Mariemaia's spell was a risky move, but it paid off in spades. But you should know that she feels no pain... she is just dreaming about you... and she is very happy."
Melting in relief along with the rest of his friends, Wufei stared at the beautiful light of his beloved's soul as thick drops flooded his eyes. "Happy," he repeated in a breath. After a pause, he muttered, "She trusted you completely." Raising his head again, the Monk offered sincerely, "Please forgive me for not showing you the same, Duo. You have been nothing but a friend... a brother to the both of us."
Taken aback by the sentiment, it was Maxwell's glowing eyes that turned misty as the Fire Keeper's soul vanished once more. Smiling as the light from his gaze faded, the braided teenager nodded firmly rather than trust his voice a response.
Unable to hold back his overwhelming desire anymore, the Earth Keeper looked back to the Fighter. Opening his arms, he requested softly, "May I?"
"Of course," Heero was quick to agree, gingerly lowering his redheaded 'sister' into the long-deprived care of her lover.
The moment Anna's light weight settled against him, a sharp breath rushed out of Wufei. Craning his head towards her brow, he closed his eyes as he pressed and held a kiss against it... reveling at the feeling of that simple touch.
Intense emotions overcame Quatre as his already growing tears flowed freely down his face. Caught up in the heartbreaking adoration that Wufei had in how he handled and gazed on his fiancée, Trowa sniffled quietly and hugged his own partner from behind.
A small laugh escaping him, Chang allowed the display of his overwhelming feelings through his smiling, wet face.
"Dear Creator, I have dreamed of being able to hold her like this every day and night for the last five years," he said so quietly that it was nearly lost to the others as he could not take his eyes off of the redhead in his arms. "Maybe it is not as perfect a moment as I had hoped, but... this is far more than I had dared to hope for a long time now."
Yuy shook his head, "Ever since we met the two of you, we all have so many questions that we have wanted to ask you."
Snickering, Wufei took in his fellow Alliance members. "Well, now that I am in a position to answer," he smiled, "I would be most honored to do so."
* * * * * *
Heero smirked to himself as he removed the neatly folded and wrapped square of white material hidden within Anna's quiver. Removing it, he announced over his shoulder, "Well, you were right. She kept your robes safe." He straightened himself and returned to the ring of travelers gathered around the dimming fire pit.
Taking the only open space between Duo and Wufei, the Fighter couldn't help the grin that widened down on the sleeping archer who's head had been rested comfortably in her lover's lap so that he could keep running his fingers through her long locks. It was all too like how Fraise would unconsciously run a hand along her partner's fur when he was in his wolf form.
Just as he had promised, the Monk had taken the time to answer every question that his friend had for him- inquiries from Eblan's landscape to his training as a martial artist to what life as an animal for the last five years had been like for him. Every response was patient and honest with a feeling of relief behind them at being able to speak them.
And there was even a bit of a training session for Trowa and Quatre in their gifts as well with the more experienced Keeper's guidance. One of the nicer tricks that he taught Winner was how to spell the canteens so that they would never run out of water.
A small grin of amusement spread across Chang's face as he accepted the familiar white fabric with ornate red designs that trimmed the edges. "I thought that she might have done that for me," he chuckled softly as he shook his head. As good as it felt to be reunited with the robes of his past, his whole transformation was already too overwhelming for him to feel comfortable to change back into them.
Peering beyond the hood that he had pulled over his head, he sighed deeply, "I'll wear them again... when it does not feel so... new being back in my body." His comrades nodded in silent understanding.
"I am so sorry about what happened to your home... to your neighbors," Quatre was the first to offer, his voice soft and thick with sincerity. Swallowing roughly, the others nodded again.
Wufei smiled sadly, "Thank you. I have had more than my time to grieve, though the pain of that kind of loss will never completely go away. I have made a vow to my people that I will not go on feeling sorry for myself or look for pity. Instead, I will make them proud by living for them and making their story known so that there will never be another Eblan disaster if there is any way that can be helped."
Still, his hand never paused in its loving strokes through Anna's curls.
Frowning deeply when the last of his lover's flames were about to die out after being without her power for so long, the Earth Keeper bent at the waist and lowered his free palm against the sand at his feet. A trail of his own gift worked through the ground and crushed branches rose within the confines of the drawn circle.
Once the wooden limbs made contact with the glowing tongues, they ignited to bring forth a full, bright display of fire that lit the space like daylight. Chuckling, Wufei gazed down to the redhead resting against him. "Our elements suit our relationship in so many ways," he commented. "Anna scorched me... and I hope that I provide her with everything that she needs to thrive in this world."
Duo replied, "You should never doubt that you do." To the wide onyx eyes that turned towards him, he smiled and shrugged, "I think that the fact that she was so quick to risk herself for you only proves how much she needs you. After everything that's happened between you, I can't imagine how either one of you could live without the other."
Releasing a shaky breath as a stray tear rolled down his face, Chang smiled. "That does pretty much sum it up," he nodded. His gaze softened once more as it settled back onto his partner. "I cannot think of how any one person could be honored with the kind of love and devotion that my Firefly has shown me every day since we met... but I will forever be grateful for it."
Another companionable silence, he gazed to his fellow journeymen and said, "Every moment you spend with her... talking to her... laughing with her... cry with her... being able to touch and hold her... I envy you, brothers." [1]
The Dragoon lowered his head to rub away the shimmer from his closing gaze. Lightly nudging him as he brushed a droplet that ran along his cheek, Quatre snorted under his breath, "And you tease me for being emotional." Snorting, Trowa rolled his emerald eyes and nudged his lover back.
Ever the strategist, the Fighter roamed his eyes over his teammates for a mental play-by-play of what might come about when they reached Mariemaia's army. "We are going to have to find a way to have all four of you Keepers in your true forms together or our chance of stopping the darkness will fail," he muttered.
"Yes," Maxwell agreed, nodding fervently. "What I managed to do in holding Anna's soul as I am is not the complete solution that we need when it comes to securing our full strength in the war." Gesturing to the Monk, he continued, "However, it does show that there was a workaround to the guidelines of her spell. And if this was possible, there may be another solution as well that I will need more time to consider."
Wufei shook his head, "This alone was more than Anna or I could have ever hoped for while Mariemaia's magic is still at work. For the first time in years, I am hopeful that I might actually be freed from it. For that alone, I am forever in your debt."
A bit of a blush coloring his cheeks, the son of Shinigami waved off the heartfelt sentiment with a snickered, "Aw, no need for that. It was just bothering me to Abaddon's hell that you haven't been able to be with your soul mate the way that you should be. I do not consider helping out friends to be anything that I should be thanked for."
Smirking at that, the Monk complimented, "Ever the remarkable so-called 'Demon.'" To the sound of the chuckles from the others, Maxwell ducked his head in embarrassment as a smug Heero hit him in the arm as a silent seconding of the remark. Snorting, the braided teenager flashed his partner a small grin.
Trowa did his best to fight off the wide yawn that came over him, but the exhaustion of the busy day had caught up. "Much as I hate to suggest this since I feel as though we are all finally just meeting, we really should get our rest so that we can be on the move again," he said quietly.
"We still have a Mage Elder to find and a lot of ground to cover before we reach the darkness we are supposed to confront. Unfortunately at this rate, Abaddon's forces will catch up to us before we meet them on our own terms."
His comrades nodded, though they all had the same hesitance over having to end their discussion.
"If it would be alright, I would humbly request a night to just have Anna in my arms," Wufei asked, his gaze already back to his beloved. "When we need to travel again, I'll be happy to have her soul returned so that I can carry her." Biting his lip, he asked Duo, "Is there going to be any issue with your keeping her soul safe overnight?"
Duo grinned, "No issue at all. I can sleep through the night and she will not go anywhere." Calmed, Chang couldn't hide his anticipation at finally being able to spend an evening with his lover the way he had dreamed of since his turning.
On behalf of the others, Heero smiled, "Well then, it is decided. There are more than enough of us to cover the rest of the evening for watches. I'll take the first shift." That said, he rose to his feet and headed for the mouth of the cave.
While the Fighter stepped away from sight, the remainder of the team took to their bed rolls. With tender care, Chang set his Anna comfortably atop the one that they would be sharing. Pressing a hand against the ground, he pulled back some of the branches that he had created to dim the fire to a softer glow by which the team could sleep.
Trowa and Quatre were curled up together under their covers briefly before they were sleeping soundly. Not far behind them, Duo sighed deeply at the opposite end of the ring as his eyes closed during his retreat from the world.
Biting his lip, Wufei peered over his shoulder to stare down the long stretch of the cave in the direction Heero had disappeared. His mind made up, he smiled down on his beloved and pressed a kiss against her lips. "I'll be back soon, Firefly," he whispered. "But first I have to see to something that you would want me to take care of." Pushing himself up, he moved for the opening of the cave.
In finding the soldier that he had sought out standing just within the mouth of their haven, the Monk came to a near stop.
Staring out into the rainy night, Yuy was half-leaning against the wall of rock as Chang said, "I have to credit you, Fighter. I do not believe that there are many others who would have handled stepping into the Unknown the way you have. The Creator made a wise decision in choosing you for this mission, even if you do not understand why."
Yuy spun around to blink in surprise at his friend. "Thank you," he smiled back sincerely. "I was just fortunate that finding the five of you was as easy as it was."
"Easy," the Earth Keeper snorted. "You are as good at taking compliments as Duo. however, that humility is refreshing in light of how important you are to the fate of Gaia and all living in it." Coming to a halt beside the soldier, he also stared out to the thick fall of droplets that pitter-pattered against the grass and rocks beyond where they stood.
After a long, comfortable pause, Wufei stated, "It is not normally like me to get involved in the personal lives of others. However, there is one matter of which I cannot keep quiet..." Smirking, he removed the hood of his robe to reveal his pulled back hair as he chuckled, "That is not only for my conscience, but because Anna would kick my ass if I did not take this opportunity to have this word with you."
His cobalt eyes growing once more, Heero turned towards the Monk to give his full attention. Drawing a deep breath, Chang met his gaze and told him, "My friendly advice to you... when you feel deeply for another person, do not assume that time is on your side in making your emotions known. Especially now with the war, nothing in this life is guaranteed."
The Keeper shook his head, frowning deeply, "If I had never told Anna of my intention to love and marry her before Mariemaia had cast her spell on me, I very well would have lost the one thing that keeps me alive and fighting... her love in return."
Caught completely off guard by the counsel, Yuy straightened upright and swallowed roughly past the lump that constricted his throat. "I would not wait much longer to tell him if I were you. He has given more than enough hints to you as to where he stands," Chang went on, a lopsided grin spreading across his face.
Raising an eyebrow, the Monk shrugged, "There is no point for me to elaborate on who I am speaking of. Nor is it my intention to make you uncomfortable by bringing this very personal thing up." Heero bit his lip with a short nod of appreciation as sweat began to bead along his brow.
"As I have already said, this conversation is only taking place because I simply could not keep silent in good conscience after what Anna and I have endured," Wufei sighed softly. "There are few things more remarkable or precious than love... than being loved by the one who has forever captured your heart without their even trying."
Leaning close, he warned in little more than a breath, "But that gift can be taken away from us in the blink of an eye. It is up to us to be certain that it is not taken for granted. Whatever fears or doubts we might have must be put aside so that we do not lose our chance while we still have it. You understand?"
Once again, Heero nodded... this time much more assuredly as his heart pounded in his chest. it had been his own worries that had kept him from being honest with Duo when it came to his feelings... and he was still scared. However, he could not deny what his friend was suggesting... not with his own experiences.
The smile on his face growing, Chang slapped the Alliance originator on the arm. "Good," he said with a wink. "My conscience and Anna will be happy that I have done my part here. I will leave you to the rest of your watch, then." Bowing at the waist, he turned on his heel and headed back down the long corridor of sand and stone.
Under his breath as he watched the Keeper walk off, Yuy murmured sincerely, "Thank you, Wufei." Releasing the breath that he had been holding, he slowly stared back out into the wet night to lose himself to his thoughts.
There was no question in the Fighter's mind that he would follow his comrade's advice. It was only right that Duo know that he had fallen in love with him. Already, Heero had admitted to himself to being jealous of what the rest of their team had with their partners... knowing that he wanted the same with the Black Mage.
Perhaps the how and the when of his admitting his feelings to Maxwell were still a bit unclear, but it would have to come sooner than later...
A glowing pair of eyes deep within the black recesses of the cave had been watching the Alliance closely... and they were sharing all that they saw with the Mistress half a world away.
TBC...
[1] A bit of a warmed line from Ladyhawke so that it could fit my spin, but there is a nod to one of my favorite movies.
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