Fire Mated Part 13
It all happened so fast that Quatre had to stop and close his eyes for a moment to grab his mental footing. One minute they were walking down the path at a leisurely pace, just watching the trees and plants around them, and the occasional deer or squirrel. Duo had taken the lead, followed by himself while Treize brought up the rear, watching the surroundings with his eagle eyes.
The trees had split and revealed a murky pool of water before them, obviously natural in its creation. It was obvious the small lake had seen better days. Perhaps once, long ago, it was actually a clean lake that animals could have lived in or people could have drank out of, but not anymore. Now plants grew on the sides and in the edges of the water, making it look more like a small marsh area then a lake. It would have made a great movie set or a place for children to have a very messy mud fight.
When they reached the lake Duo had stopped, completely frozen in his steps and just stared. It was times like those that Quatre really wished he was psychic or something. He would have given nearly anything to know what had gone through Duo's head to make him freeze like that and turn so pale. Yet, at the same time that the color washed away from the boy's skin his eyes had taken on a light of happiness... no more like anticipation.
Quatre had gone to ask him what happened and then the next thing he knew the braided boy had shoved past him and taken down the path at top speed. Quatre was nearly sent falling to the ground from the strength of the shove, but he managed to maintain his balance, at least physically. But now he was completely confused.
What had caused Duo to take off like that?
"No time to sit there, we need to go after him." With those words Treize ran past him, nearly diving into the trees after Duo. Quatre blinked and shook off his confusion then raced after his uncle.
His uncle was right, they needed to keep up with Duo, or none of this would ever get explained, least not in the near future. So Quatre ran after them, just barely able to keep his uncle in sight as he wove his way around trees and tried desperately not to trip over the roots and vines which had decided the path was the best place to grow.
Branches slapped at his skin and thorns latched onto his pants, tugging at them feebly. Thank goodness he'd worn jeans that day to school! But he imagined his uncle's khaki pants weren't holding up nearly as well.
The trees before him seemed to break off sharply and suddenly he found himself in a clearing, nearly colliding with his uncle's back. Catching himself on the taller man Quatre stepped past him and leaned over for a second to pant and catch his breath. He hadn't run that much since the track section in gym class his first week. Standing back up he glanced at his uncle and opened his mouth, but Treize stopped him.
Quatre followed his uncle's gesture and saw Duo standing before them.
The trees had fallen away to reveal a small clearing, enough room for a house and a normal sized yard, now that he thought about it. And in fact there was a house before them, or at least the remains of one. A mix of rotted out logs, which were burnt to a dark black, lay in the center of the field in a haphazard form. Rocks jutted out from the pile, speaking of some form of primitive foundation or perhaps an old fireplace? Plants have grown over the burnt ruins, a small tree sprouting near one of the back walls.
Off to the side of the house was a large boulder of a deep gray. And that's where Duo stood. Duo stood next to the boulder, one hand resting on the smooth stone. He looked small against the clearing, small and meek, like a child. As he stood there his entire body quivered lightly and Quatre noticed small tears were sliding down his cheeks.
"Duo..." he whispered softly, not able to get up enough courage to speak any louder.
But Duo didn't hear him, or if he did he didn't respond. Instead he pulled his hand from the rock and slowly walked toward the burnt ruins. His steps were careful, calculated, the kind of steps a person would take when they weren't quite sure if their legs would hold them. Moving slowly Duo made his way to the ruins, and when he got there he dropped to one knee. Quatre watched him purse his lips together as he dug his fingers into the ground, ripping away plants and digging into the dirt.
It looked like he was digging near where the center of the cabin would have been. Why? What was he digging for?
"Should we... help him?" Quatre didn't know what to do, all he knew was he didn't want to just stand there and watch. He wanted to talk to Duo, wanted to find out what was going on in his friend's head. Wanted to know what he was thinking and why he was acting the way he was.
Treize rested a hand on Quatre's shoulder. "You might be too young to remember, but when your mother died you would still walk up to her room every morning, expecting to wake her up with breakfast."
Quatre blinked in surprise. Yes, he remembered that, but what did that have to do with Duo?
"No one stopped you," Treize said quietly. "Even though you knew she was dead you would still make breakfast for her and take it up to her room like you did when she was sick, like you expected her to be there when you opened the door."
"I did, for a while." Quatre whispered, still watching Duo dig into the earth. He'd moved now, digging a little ways away from where he'd started.
"He expected to find someone here. He expected to find a fully built cabin and a person."
Quatre's eyes widened. "He thought we'd find Heero?"
Treize nodded.
"So then what is he searching for?"
Treize didn't get a chance to answer, because as Quatre asked Duo had found something. Sitting back he pulled something from the earth that neither of the two could see. He held it in his hands for a moment then pulled it closer to his body, nearly cradling the small object, and closed his eyes, his body shaking with his sobs.
At this time Quatre decided he'd had enough. He pulled away from his uncle and slowly approached Duo. Kneeling down in front of him he waited quietly for Duo's tears to die away and for the boy to calm down.
But instead the tears didn't stop. They only seemed to get worse and Duo began to rock slightly, cradling whatever the object was against his chest. His eyes were shut tightly and still the tears poured out. In between sobs he was actually murmuring words, nearly incoherent to Quatre.
Quatre frowned. "Duo... Duo?" He wasn't a fool; he recognized the similarities between what was happening and what had happened when Duo went into shock before. But he didn't know what to do. He didn't think hugging Duo would help at the moment, in fact it might make things worse. He didn't know what to do!
What happened in the next second was one of the most amazing things that Quatre or Treize had ever seen. In the end it was something that neither of them could believe. No one would have believed it, unless they'd witnessed it right before their eyes.
~*~
Trowa stopped by his front door and rummaged through his pocket for his keys. Mariemeia was at the hospital, having them check over her stitches and stuff and wouldn't be home for a while. Meanwhile Duo... Duo hadn't been in class that afternoon actually.
He frowned and stopped searching for his keys. Instead he wrapped his hand around the doorknob and turned it; not at all surprised when he found it unlocked. Trowa just smiled softly and shook his head as he stepped into the apartment.
"Duo? You home?"
The house only answered him with silence.
~*~
The vision was like magic; something that not even the most talented artist could have reproduced. Quatre watched in amazement as Duo sat there, rocking slowly back and forth as he murmured to himself and hugged the hidden object.
What happened next could only be described as something liquid. The change was so smooth that Quatre couldn't tell where it started or where it stopped, all he knew was that the person before him was changing, and it was no longer Duo.
Simultaneously everything about Duo changed, melting into another form. His clothes remained but moved as the body beneath them changed and shifted to another form. And after the transformation had taken place Quatre found himself kneeling next to the same boy he'd seen nearly a week ago at the burned remains of Duo's home.
Before him knelt a boy with chocolate brown hair, arranged much like it hadn't been touched since he woke up that morning. His body was thinner than Duo, as was evidence by how the clothes hung from his willowy limbs. The entire body shook and when the boy opened his eyes Quatre found he had the same bright blue eyes as before.
The boy opening his eyes was what broke Quatre from his strange trance and he fell over backward, crashing to the ground while his side hit a half-buried rock, hard. Crying out in pain he sat up and rubbed his side, then blinked and looked back to Duo.
But Duo was gone. And the other boy was still sitting in his place.
"Who are you?" Quatre choked out.
The boy blinked back at him and his body shivered. His brows furrowed together and he glanced around himself in wonderment, not really seeming to notice Quatre was sitting before him, or that Treize was watching a few steps behind. Instead the boy uncurled his hands and looked at the object he held in his hands. He stared at it for a moment then wrapped his fingers back around it, tighter this time.
Struggling on shaky limbs he stood to his feet and looked around, turning slowly until he'd seen the entire clearing around them. Then he walked, or rather stumbled, over to the boulder where Duo had started and grabbed onto it hard, his entire body trembling.
Quatre stood up but did not approach the boy. "Duo?" He asked.
The boy shook his head, but otherwise did not look up from the boulder that he clutched with a death-grip.
Treize stepped forward. "Heero."
At that the boy's body jerked. Still holding tightly to the rock for support he turned and met eyes with Treize. He opened his mouth but no words came out. The boy swallowed hard and coughed once, then tried to speak once more, and this time he succeeded, his voice scratchy from disuse.
"How... do you know... my name?"
Quatre's eyes widened and he stepped forward. "Your name? Who are you? What happened to Duo?"
The boy shook his head, holding in one hand for a moment as if he were in pain, then he shook it off and frowned. "I don't... I can't..." The boy took a deep breath and tried again. "He's in shock again... isn't he?"
"Again?" Treize asked.
"It happened before..." Heero closed his eyes and rubbed the side of his head. "By another burnt house," Heero let the sentence fall away, looking quite confused.
"That night!" Quatre moved forward. "Some one lit a fire near him and it affected him in a strange way, he ran out of the house into the night. Trowa and I went looking for him and we found you by the ruins of his old house."
Heero's body shivered and sweat was beading slightly down his forehead as he struggled to stay standing and not fall forward. The entire image of Heero reminded Quatre of someone who'd been in a wheelchair all their life and for some reason had just attempted to stand after who knows how many years of not using their legs.
Treize stepped forward and stretched out his hand to Heero. "This place holds powerful memories for both of you, that much I can tell. Perhaps it would be a good idea to find a neutral place to discuss things, a place that isn't so... emotionally charged."
Heero eyed Treize's hand for a moment, considering the suggestion, then nodded his agreement. Hesitantly he reached his hand forward and placed it in Treize's. Finally he let go of the boulder and leaned on Treize, his body relaxing just slightly.
Quatre walked over and took Heero's arm, placing it over his shoulders to help support him. He figured he would be better off helping since Treize was a good amount taller then both of them. Moving at a light pace the three started back down the path, leaving the burnt remains behind them. But Heero still clutched the yet unseen object in his hand.
~*~
Trowa dropped his school bag and flipped on the light, stepping past the living room to the kitchen. Grabbing a drink he headed back for the bedroom.
How odd, the house was almost never this quiet, even when Duo was in one of his writing moods. Frowning to himself he stepped into the bedroom, finding the room completely dark. Trowa flipped on the light and glanced around, yet he found no trace of Duo anywhere.
"Duo? You here?" After a second he added. "Mari?"
If neither of them were home why was the front door unlocked?
Trowa blinked as he noticed light coming from the bathroom on the other side of their bedroom. He hadn't left the light on that morning. Setting his drink on the bedside table he walked toward the bathroom. Why was the light on?
~*~
The moment they stepped out of the woods back onto the school grounds Quatre located the nearest phone and called them a taxi, so Heero wouldn't have to exert anymore of his severely waning energy. Before they knew it they were back at Sally's house and in the room which had been given to Treize. Luckily Sally was out for the day, leaving a note on the table that she and Lucrezia had gone for a long shopping day at the local antique house. Next to the note there was an envelope addressed to Treize Kushrenada.
Quatre led Heero to the couch and gave him a blanket to wrap himself in along with a warm yet watered down mug of tea, which he had requested. Quatre sat down next to him on the couch, just waiting silently, while Treize entered the room and stopped in the doorway. Frowning lightly the older man regarded Heero with a serious glance.
"When I started this search, realistically I didn't expect to get any results. But I believe we have succeeded."
Both Heero and Quatre glanced at Treize in question.
Treize quickly recounted the summarized version of how they both knew about Heero and had traced his name from Japan to the current day in hopes of proving the old Greek mythology of the soul mates. Heero listened quietly without any response, only listening and occasionally nodding.
"It occurred to me we might find one person who had been reborn. But to find two souls... But I'm getting ahead of myself. Correct me if I'm wrong Heero, but you knew Duo in your previous life didn't you?"
Heero set down the mug and nodded slowly.
"Did you both die in that cabin? When it burnt to the ground?"
Once again Heero nodded, showing no emotion. Quatre found himself amazed, to say the least. Either Heero didn't have emotions (which was an absurd thought) or he hid them perfectly.
"Then I believe it is safe to say that my conclusions are correct, or at least on the right track. I can't be sure, I haven't traced Duo's name back, but I believe we found not just one, but two souls. Two souls who are mated together and, after finding each other in the last life and dying together..."
Quatre's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "They ended up in the same body."
Treize nodded.
And after a moment Heero nodded as well, confirming the amazing truth.
~*~
Trowa stepped forward and pushed open the bathroom door. His eyes flickered around the lit room, crossing the sink, the mirror, the bathtub, the window and the small closet for toiletries in the corner. No Duo to be found.
So where was he?
Trowa shivered lightly, getting a creepy feeling from the whole circumstances. But he didn't get a chance to act on that strange feelings, for at that moment he felt something slam into his back, shoving him into the bathroom.
Without warning he stumbled forward, just barely managing to catch himself on the edge of the tub as the door behind him slammed shut and he heard the door lock securely.
Trowa whirled around and grabbed the doorknob, pulling on it with all his might, but it didn't budge, he was locked in. On the other side of the door he could hear scraping and other sounds... sharp sounds soon accompanied by the sharp smell of smoke.
He was locked in and someone had started a fire!
Racing to the window he pulled away the curtains, only to find the small window was securely nailed shut on all sides, without a chance to budge it. Not to mention that thanks to an old style divider even if he could break the glass he wouldn't have been able to slip out without a large amount of difficulty.
Turning he noticed smoke starting to seep under the door.
He couldn't think, he was trapped in the room and the smoke was going to quickly get worse, not to mention the fire would probably come through the door soon. Instead he turned and grabbed the bath towel rack from the wall, ripping the fancy antique from its support; it had been loose for years.
Swinging as hard as he could he hit the doorknob once.
Nothing.
Swinging again with a cry of frustration he hit it once more.
The doorknob broke out of the side, splintering the door and landing on the floor to roll somewhere under the sink.
Kicking open the door Trowa raced out of the bathroom into a room full of smoke and fire... but he didn't make it far.
For at that moment something hard crashed against the back of his head and he crumbled to the floor, unconscious.
~*~
"You may find this interesting." Treize said softly, pulling a plastic coated piece of paper from the envelope in his hands. Taking a deep breath he handed the paper to Heero and Quatre.
Both boys recognized it immediately as the photo Treize had mentioned earlier.
There were three people in the picture, holding hands and standing together posing for them camera in old 18th century style clothing. Quatre only expected to recognize the two men on the side, but he also recognized the person in the center.
Duo stood on one side, dressed in fairly high-class clothing for that time, his signature braid of hair hanging down off to the side. To the opposite side of him was Heero, dressed in a more middle class outfit, his clothes rumpled from a days work, dirt smudged slightly over the clothing.
And in the center, between both of them, was he most unlikely person in the world.
Heero's voice caught in his throat and came out in a low growl.
"Hilde."
TBC...
Click here to see the photo.
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