Sleeping Baka
part fiveHeero groaned as he was pushed into the dark cell, his hands bound behind his back with large black shackles. Peacecraft laughed at him, the sound chilling, freezing his soul with the maniacal noise.
"You may rest here. Don't get too comfortable, though. It won't take me long to prepare my spell. Then you and Relena shall be wed, bringing the last of my plans into order."
Heero spat at him, unable to do much else, "I'll never marry her! No magic is strong enough!"
"Perhaps you love another, hm?" Peacecraft laughed again, "You fool. Solo, or perhaps Duo as you're lately addressed him, is dead. Killed by love's first kiss."
Heero's eyes grew wide, speaking volumes of emotions no voice could describe. The door closed with one last bout of laughter. Heero threw himself into the door, putting all the force he could muster into the blow.
"You bastard!" he shouted, "It was your spell! I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!"
He rammed his body into it again, grunting at the force. The door wouldn't budge.
"Damnit Duo," he sank to the floor, his body aching from his futile attempts, "Why didn't you tell me that you were Solo… I'd have never kissed you." He pounded his shackled hands into the floor, "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME!?"
"Excuse me, some of us are trying to sleep."
Heero jumped, "Who are you?" the darkness spoke nothing, "Where are you?"
He heard the movement of chains and looked to see a small, bared window linking his cell to another, adjoining one.
"My name's Wufei, one of the three- just- fairy- men- who- just- happen- to- have- magical- powers- and- wings- but- are- in- no- way- effeminate- unless- you- count- the- blonde- one."
Heero nodded, "I've heard of you. You're the ones who guard over the royal families."
"I used to. I failed." The was a pause and a drawn out sigh, "I came here to plea for the life of a boy I'd fallen in love with, and in doing so I inadvertently told the Great Peacecraft that he was unguarded. I don't know what's happened to him… but he must have died if Peacecraft is back here in his castle and in such a good mood. I should have never come here.."
Heero moved closer, "You bestowed gifts on the children of royalty, did you not?"
"Yes, in the days of peace and prosperity, me and my partners did."
"Tell me then, what gifts were given to help Prince Solo after Peacecraft cursed him. Is there anyway to save him?"
Wufei gasped, stepping closer to the window but not being quite tall enough to see over it and into the other cell, "Solo died as a child, Boy. " Wufei corrected.
"Very well then. What did you do to help Duo."
Shock clutched Wufei's heart and squeezed it tightly till nothing was left inside him, "You know about Duo? How? Are you the boy he met in the glenn?"
"Yes. Wufei, please, is there anyway to save him?"
Wufei clenched his eyes shut. So Duo loves… this boy., "I don't know how to save him. I cast a spell of Death's essence. He sleeps now, forever, waiting for someone to awaken him. Of anyone though, you have the best chance of doing so." Wufei tried again to look over the window, to see the face of one who charmed there way so quickly into the heart of his Duo, "Don't die. You may be his only hope."
The boy in the other cell grunted, "If Peacecraft gets his way, I won't remember my love for Duo. I'll be head-over heals in love with Relena Darlian."
"Relena?" Wufei shook his head, "My boy, I know of only one Relena in these lands and her name is not Darlian. Her name is Relena Peacecraft, sister of Milliardo Peacecraft, the great sorcerer whose castle you are now imprisoned in."
"Relena.. Peacecraft?" Heero's eyes widened, "So that's what this is all about?"
Wufei raised an eyebrow in question, "What's what about? Boy, what are you talking about?"
The sound of the door opening startled the two, a black raven flying into the cell which Heero occupied. Wufei sneered, the sound of batting wings informing him of the new being, "Dorothy… you could have been a great ally had you joined with me and my partners. Instead, you joined Peacecraft. Look at you now you old crow!"
The raven cawed, "Peacecraft promises a battle to remember. I'll follow him to the end and you will watch as your futile resistance crumbles at his power!"
"That's no true power," Wufei spat, "That's manipulation! If Trieze were still here-"
"His Majesty Trieze is dead and so are the ideals of OZ and the former Sanq kingdom. Peacecraft will shape a new future and destroy all those opposed, starting with the Yuy kingdom."
Heero stood and starred at the black bird, "No. It all started with the Churchill kingdom. Peacecraft wanted to keep Yuy and Churchill from uniting so he cursed the heir, Solo, to end the family line. With Churchill out of the way, his sister, Relena, and the Darlians could rise to power. A marriage between Relena and myself would unite both kingdoms and by rule of blood, Peacecraft could overtake them both with one quick swipe. And no one would ever have seen it coming."
Smooth clapping echoed in the room as a dark figure entered, "Very good. So, you figured it all out." Peacecraft asked, impressed but not in the least bit afraid his plans had been detected.
Heero scowled, "Ingenious plan. I would have worked too. But then you found out Solo was still alive. He could take the thrown away from Relena causing your plans to fail. But how did you know I would be the one to kill him?"
Peacecraft smiled, "I knew. From the day I saw you looking over him in that crib, I knew. The three- just- fairy- men- who- just- happen- to- have- magical- powers- and- wings- but- are- in- no- way- effeminate- unless- you- count- the- blonde- one had tricked me, hiding him and faking his death. But Dorothy found you in the glenn and heard your invitation for him to join you at your party. Then Wufei came, he told me he was missing. I had the when, the where and the how. Those clothes he wore were given to him by me. They'd have never let him in looking the way he was before. From that point on it was nothing more than a wait. I'm pleased to note you didn't disappoint me, Heero Yuy."
Wufei gasped, "Heero?" This boy is… I should have know!
Peacecraft used his magic to pull Heero from his cell, "But now, your time has come. You'll not remember any of this. All you know is that you love Relena Peacecraft dearly, as if there never had been a Solo Churchill or a Duo Maxwell."
Heero fought against the strange power, unwilling to give up. The door to his cell closed behind him, Wufei's anger reaching its peak.
"First Duo, now Heero? I don't think so!"
He raised his magical middle finger and pressed it to the chains that restrained him. Blue sparks erupted but nothing seemed to change.
"I need more power!"
"Psst!"
Wufei turned his head, "Hm?"
"Wufei! Over here!"
Wufei looked to the other side and noted the two miniaturized bodies of his friends.
"Trowa! Quatre!"
Trowa put a finger to his lips, "Shhh. Dorothy's guarding the door. She'll hear you."
Wufei nodded and extending his hands, "Mind lending a finger?"
Trowa and Quatre returned to their regular size and pointed their index and ring finger at the black shackles. The red and green powers united with the blue. Suddenly, the chains opened wide, freeing Wufei. Trowa threw them to the side, "We didn't expect to find you here. We're looking for Heero."
Wufei nodded, "You just missed him. We have to hurry though. Peacecraft took him. I'll let you in on the details while we go."
Wufei miniaturized along with the other two and headed for the door. Dorothy waited outside, standing guard.
"How do we take care of her?" Quatre asked.
Trowa aimed his finger like a gun at the raven and shot a burst of red power at it. Within moments, it had turned to stone.
Quatre frowned, "Poor thing…"
"Let's go. Follow me." Wufei whispered, leading them in the direction he believed Peacecraft to have taken Heero.
Heero glared at the large iron pot that bubbled over in the center of the room. Peacecraft stood beside it, staff at hand and a ladle moving on its own to stir the evil contents.
"Are you ready to awaken to your future?" Peacecraft asked.
Heero narrowed his eyes with scorn, "Why did you go through all this trouble? You have your own kingdom so why take mine and that of the former Churchill's? It can't be for power. I remember stories of the old Sanq kingdom. I find it hard to believe one of Peacecraft blood could do stoop this low."
Peacecraft snarled at him, stepping close to look deep into the other's eyes, "You know nothing. I am fighting for peace. To accomplish this, all those who oppose and who are found at the root of the problem must be disposed of. Trieze believed as you did. He believed in people, that they could accomplish good when forced to see their own evil. What did he accomplish though. He's dead."
Heero shook his head, "There was no evil in these lands till you arrived."
"No!" Peacecraft waved his staff in the air, a cloud of fire and death storming out of the cauldron, "The ruling bodies of your kingdoms are corrupted! Only I can bring peace back!"
"You're insane…" Heero looked from his shackles to the pot and back to the sorcerer, "Omea o korosu."
Peacecraft threw his head back in laughter, "I'd like to see you try!"
Heero smiled, lifting his hands and shoving them in Peacecraft's face. In a bright flash of blue, green and red, the chains became ivy vines. Heero ripped his fists apart, breaking free of the restraints. Peacecraft looked shocked for a moment then fell back as Heero grabbed a hold of his robes and smashed his head into his own.
Three men materialized behind him, each looking pissed off to say the least.
"You picked the wrong the three- just- fairy- men- who- just- happen- to- have- magical- powers- and- wings- but- are- in- no- way- effeminate- unless- you- count- the- blonde- one to mess with!" Wufei shouted.
Peacecraft grabbed his bleeding nose and turned towards the three-just-fairy-men.. ah to hell with it! He turned towards 'The Guys', "And just what are you going to do about it?"
Wufei raised his magical finger.
Quatre sweatdropped.
"Of really now. That's rather inappropriate isn't it?" Peacecraft asked.
"Not as inappropriate as Destruction."
Trowa glared, "Prate."
"Destruction!"
"Prate!"
"Shut up!"
~"Jerk!"~
"Get down!"
The three- just- fairy- men- blah-blah-blah hit the deck as a small round stick flew across the room and landed at Peacecraft's feet.
Peacecraft looked at it and laughed, "A stick of dynamite? Prince Heero, for one so blessed with an air for prate it's rather interesting to see you've neglected to light it!"
"Destruction," Quatre corrected.
Peacecraft raised a brow in curiosity, "Does it make a difference?"
Trowa nodded.
"Then what does prate mean?"
~"WE DON'T KNOW!"~
Peacecraft sweatdropped, "Either way, it doesn't change the fact that you threw an unlit stick of dynamite at me."
Wufei smirked mischievously as he once again raised his magical middle finger. On the tip, a blue flame erupted, "Ya want fire? I got your fire. This is for Duo!"
He shot the flame from his hand and watched as it landed perfectly, a spark igniting the dangerous explosive. Before he knew what was going on, Peacecraft was blown to a million pieces, splattering the floor and walls with a black scorched flesh.
Heero breathed a sigh of relief, "My kingdom is safe now."
Trowa shook his head, "Not just yours. All of them."
Quatre sniffed, "I love happy endings."
"What about Duo?" Wufei asked.
Heero's gaze softened, "Duo… where is he?"
"In the cottage in the glenn. Heero, he's-"
"I know."
Heero stood and brushed himself free of guts and gore, "I need a ride." He stated, looking over his shoulder at the… do I really have to say is again? ::sigh:: Okay, the three- just- fairy- men- who- just- happen- to- have- magical- powers- and- wings- but- are- in- no- way- effeminate- unless- you- count- the- blonde- one.
Quatre smiled, "No problem. Leave everything to us."
Heero ran up the stairs of the cottage and into the room the others had said belonged to his braided love. He lay in his bed, still dressed in his elaborate black attire from the ball with his arms and braid slung neatly over his chest. Heero walked to him and knelt at his side.
"Duo? Can you hear me?"
The boy neither spoke nor moved, remaining only deathly still.
Heero reached for his hand and kissed it, willing for life to enter the cold body. "Duo, you can't be dead. The bad guy is defeated. It's time for us to ride off into the sunset. It's time for our happily ever after. Duo… it's time for the Heero to win the hand of his one true love."
He stood and leaned over the face of his beloved, pressing his lips softly and hopefully against those of the silent boy. Nothing. His lips were cold and unfeeling under his, denying all hopes. Tears wound their way out of his heart and into his eyes, a gasp rising from his soul, "Damnit, Duo. True love is supposed to conquer all. Wake up… please…"
A single tear rolled down his face and fell between Duo's stilled, cold lips.
"Does it hurt?"
The braided boy nodded his head dumbly.
"Why aren't you crying?"
"I don't know how to……I've never cried."
" Do you want me to cry for you?"
Heero felt a flutter of lashes against his downcast face. He raised his head, his eyes searching the angelic face below him. Amethyst eyes starred back. A cold hand raised and wiped a stream of tears from Heero's face.
"You're my best friend, Heero-chan…. Thank you."
Heero smiled and began to laugh lightly, "You're okay too, I guess." He wrapped his arms around Duo, pulling him in to a tight embrace, "Don't ever scare me like that again."
Duo nodded, nuzzling his head in Heero's warm chest, "I won't."
Trowa, Wufei and Quatre sat on a couch in the middle of the castle.
"I can't believe it," Wufei said, shaking his head.
Quatre nodded, "I know. First Heero and Duo run away then somehow Relena Peacecraft becomes Queen over all three kingdoms."
Trowa smiled, "She'll be a good Queen though. Not only that, but we did get a raise and a new job."
Wufei snickered and looked to Quatre, "Ah yes, the three- just- fairy- men- who- don't- know- what- prate- means- and- that- just- happen- to- have- magical- powers- and- wings- but- Wufei- can't- use- his- magic- finger- cause- it's- vulgar- and- inapropriate- and- they- are- in- no- way- effeminate- unless- you- count- the- blonde- one- who- has- a- crush- on- Trowa." Wufei waited till Quatre had fulfilled his total body blush, "A nice change if I do say so myself."
Quatre buried his face in his hands, "Why me?"
Trowa shook his head and smiled, "Don't worry. She's changing it tomorrow."
"Oh great!" Quatre shouted, sitting up.
Wufei couldn't help but smile, "That's only because Trowa finally found himself a dictionary."
"Would you like to know what prate means, Quatre?"
Quatre nodded vigorously, "It's driving me insane! Please tell me!"
Trowa hide a smirk behind his long bang, "Prate is to talk excessively and pointlessly babble."
Quatre fell to the floor, a huge tear drop forming over his head, "You mean that's MY fault!" tears began to stream down his face.
Trowa sighed and rolled his eyes before leaning down and kissing the poor blonde boy. Quatre jerked his head back and looked frantically at Trowa.
"Wh-what was that for?" he asked, feeling his face grow warm.
Trowa smiled and leaned in again, "Nothing. It's just that a kiss can make everything feel better."
Quatre sat back on the couch, "It, um, worked…"
Wufei uncrossed his legs, "This is unjust! Heero gets Duo, Trowa gets Quatre and I get stuck alone as usual!"
"Excuse me,"
Wufei turned to see a bangless woman standing behind him, her hair falling over both shoulders in two twists.
"Is this seat taken?" she asked, pointing to the spot on the couch next to Wufei.
Wufei frowned, "It is now." he moved his foot to take the place.
The woman turned in outrage, "I swear. Kids today. There's no justice in this world!"
"Justice!" Wufei jumped off the couch, "What do _you_ know about justice, ona?"
"Enough to know your abusing it!"
"Ona!"
Trowa hung his head, "This is embarrassing…"
Quatre nodded then turned his head to look with shock at Wufei, "OMG!"
Wufei and the woman were involved in a rather steamy make out session at the time, articles of clothing seemingly disappearing from there bodies.
"That's a fairy tale for ya." Trowa said with remorse, "Too bad Duo has to wake up, ne?"
"Yeah." Quatre frowned and leaned into Trowa, "Too bad Duo has to wake up."
"Wake up…"
"Wake up…"
"Duo, wake up."
"Is he alright?"
"He's still breathing."
"Duo?"
"I think he's coming around."
"Duo?"
Duo opened his eyes, a white light and a growing pain in the back of his head greeting him first.
"Don't try to move just yet." Someone instructed. Quatre?
"Quatre?"
"Yes?"
The white lights died down a bit, faces now forming out of the large blur. There was Quatre, Trowa, Wufei, Hero and a few strange people all standing around him.
"What happened?"
A strange man stood up, "We found you on the floor in our ladder department."
The ladder department? Oh! Of course! They had gone to the hardware store to pick up some screws for some necessary repairs and upgrades to their Gundams. He had been walking around and the next thing he remembered was something hitting him in the head.
"Someone hit me in the head." He said at last, sitting up and relieve the stress the floor caused is throbbing head.
The stranger nodded, "We're sorry for that. Are you feeling quite alright?"
Duo nodded," Yeah, I'm fine. Man, I had the weirdest dream though!" he looked around the circle of friends, "You were there, and you were there, and Heero, you were wearing these funny looking tights. I never thought I'd see you in anything more.. uh.. body defining than that spandex you live in."
Wufei shook his head, "He's just fine."
The stranger nodded, "Okay. Do you want me to call an ambulance just the same?"
Heero glared at the man, "That's not necessary."
Trowa offered Duo his hand to help him stand but two arms had already wrapped around the braided boy and had lifted him off the ground. Duo looked to find himself being carried by Heero.
"Let's go. We've got what we came for."
Duo nodded and smiled, leaning into Heero, "Yes, we sure did."
Heero ignored him and headed for the door with the others.
Duo turns his head around and looks at you, winking slyly, "Who says happily ever after only exists in fairy tales." You watch as he turns back to Heero and close the book. The last page has been turned.