The Blood of Peace
Second Movement, the Fifth Part: a Requiem
The Fourth Moon was coming. In nine days, the five boys had promised to make their way back to Earthian. In nine days, everything could be turned upside down.
Heero and Duo sat on their bedrolls going over all the information gathered by them and their brothers during their spy mission. From what they could tell, this large army would be just the first wave to weaken the defenses. This army was filled with incompetents who would tired out the enemy before fresh and more deadly army came to finish the job. So all around Heero and Duo were walking and talking dead men, not knowing that they were dead. It was sad, really, but in a war, sadness was a given. So when this army got decimated by superior forces, Treize would send his fresh and experienced palace infantry and attack a tired army. Good planning, but they knew about that now. They would be better prepared if the war came to their doorsteps.
Trowa's information had been more than valuable since he had found out that Une's special elite forces would be protecting the princess. Apparently, Treize planned on taking his daughter on the war campaign with him and if they had no other options, she would make a great hostage. WuFei had given them information on Dermeil's strategies and plans to flank the palace infantry so they could outmaneuver and counter the enemy. The plans were brilliant from what Heero could see, but Duo had a point that he could not answer. Why all this planning just to attack Sanque? So far, no one had discovered if Earthian would be attacked. It was logical that they would be, but when, how, where, why? All these questions could not be answered with any certainty. And that bothered Heero to no end.
"Hey Heero, in nine days we leave. That gives us a month or so to protect Sanque from this invasion. It is not enough by a long shot, but at least we can hold them off at the Tertian mountain passes. For pacifists, I gotta say that they chose some choice defensive spot to make their country."
Duo's mind was already on war. His plans were good, precise and accurate. For someone who acted like he had no plans, he made some good ones. And Heero was finally grateful that Odin had chosen him as an advisor. Not only was Duo a great planner, but he was an incomparable assassin. He had proven that when Mueller was taken out. Heero had not seen him leave or come back, but when the morning had come, Mueller was dead and no one could fathom who and why this assassination had occurred. Tuborov had come only two days later to inquire into the mystery and Heero and Duo had been able to confirm their theories and formulate more plans. Their mission was a great success as was their brothers. And in nine days, they would all head back and be together again.
The afternoon was waning into evening while Heero and Duo discussed their strategies and future plans. They still had not had a chance to have any type of physical intimacy, but their heart and soul sang within each other's presence. They could not wait to return to Earthian and renew some neglected aspects of their relationship. But those plans came to a halt when Tuborov stepped out of his tent to announce the end of their world.
"Saddle up, soldiers!" Tuborov's raspy voice rang out into the evening. Heero and Duo turned to look at him, confused that he was talking to the army. He had never done that.
"We are going on the march in the morning! We have been given orders to attack Earthian's southern border! We are going to reap the glory of war!"
That was a major shock to Heero and Duo's systems. Earthian? This army was going to attack Earthian NOW? WHAT THE HELL?
The two boys exchanged looks of utter disbelief. All this spying, all that work, and nothing was going the way it was supposed to go! This army would be at Earthian's border in less than three weeks. They had no methods to send out messages now. They had no options. With grim looks and barely concealed anger, Heero and Duo packed up and waited for the night. They would leave this very night and get back to Earthian as soon as possible. It would be war. And they weren't ready.
WuFei slipped out into the night and saddled his horse. Making no noise, he led his horse as far from the camp site as possible without alerting the sentries. He could not believe today. Dermeil had received a missive from Treize to march toward Earthian. It had also said that conquering Sanque would not require armies so Earthian was to be conquered. How could that be? He had listened, he had done his utmost to find out their true intentions only to be blindsided by this revelation. Damn it, it wasn't the Fourth Moon, but he was going back to Earthian. Nothing had worked out the way they had planned because Treize had changed his plans. Or he had always intended this and the five of them had fallen into a trap. Or they were just unlucky. Whatever the reason, it was imperative that he returned to warn Odin and protect Earthian.
When he reached his destination, he strapped his pack to the horse and buckled Altron to his waist. He was about to mount when a rustling noise caught his attention. Faster than the wind, WuFei had unsheathed Altron and had its blade resting on the intruder's throat. The girl.
"What the hell are you doing here, girl?"
He spoke quietly but with a deadly intent. Meiran, for her part, did not look scared or threatened. With calm eyes, she looked WuFei in the eyes.
"Where are you going, boy? Back to Earthian?"
WuFei showed no shock – after all, the girl was not an idiot. Anyone should be able to guess where he came from by now.
"Yes. I need to return to warn my countrymen and my king. I'm sorry, but you cannot live now that you know. You may draw your sword and fight me in combat so that you can go to the next world honorably."
With that, WuFei withdrew his sword from her neck and waited for her to attack him. However, she simply stood there looking at him. Always watching. Always.
"No, I don't want to die. And I don't want to see you leave either. So, I think you'll have to take me with you."
Now WuFei showed shock. She wanted to go with him? To Earthian? Damn, women WERE crazy.
"You. Want. To go. With. Me? What are you thinking, girl? I'm your enemy! Draw your sword and show me that you're a warrior."
"No, WuFei. I happen to disagree with this war. The last one destroyed my homeland and killed half my family. I came to this camp to sabotage the war effort. Going with you would be my best option now. So, take me with you."
WuFei looked at Meiran closely. She was sincere, he was sure of that. And also, she had not called him boy, so she must be serious. Or maybe she just wanted a chance to kill him.
"You're not coming with me if you are planning on spying for Oz. You're not coming with me if you plan on killing me on the way. You're not coming with me if you think to do anything against Earthian."
"Fine. I guess then I'm going with you."
Meiran walked to the horse and mounted. WuFei looked up at her serious face and sheathed Altron. Now he was the one watching. He was still watching when Meiran looked down at him and said, "The night doesn't last forever WuFei. Let's get going."
So he got up on the horse behind her and they galloped northwest, in the direction of Earthian.
Duo and Heero were out of the training field and were heading on foot towards the forest cover ahead. They had to forego the horses because they would be too much trouble. They would steal horses later, but for now, their top priority was to get out of this area. The moon was high and the silver light showed them the way quite clearly. It was so bright that they had worried about the lack of cover on the open fields. However, they had no choice and they took the risk in stride. Almost near the forest, so close that they could smell the pine, they sensed people coming up behind them in full gallop. Soon, the noise of horses was heard and they stopped and looked back. Soon, a small detachment led by their idiot sergeant came to a halt. There were twenty of them excluding the sergeant, all on horses, armed to the teeth. They had no torches since this night was as bright as day thanks to the full Third Moon cycle. They dismounted and the sergeant swaggered over to them with a sneer on his lips.
"Well, if it ain't the pansies. Running off to mommy now that you know you have to fight? Got scared? Well, pansies, I can't let you go off AWOL or anything. Gotta take you back for some discipline."
His sneer intensified as the men behind him chuckled in response. He looked behind him, gave them a superior smile and turned back to the two boys who had always made him mad. One of them always looked at him like he was inferior and the other one was constantly laughing. He did not care if the laughing thing was a condition that could be fixed or not – he was going to have a good time teaching these two a hard lesson. He stepped forward to grab them when Heero spoke in a voice that rivaled the chill of winter.
"I wouldn't step closer if I were you. Go back to your army. Pretend that you never saw us. Live."
The little whelp was giving him attitude, was he? So what if his voice made him quake in his pants and made him want to run off? He wouldn't do anything to make him look cowardly in front of his men!
"Don't be fresh, pansy boy. You better come with me or you'll be real sorry, you got that?"
The sergeant felt his ugly face turn red when that idiot Maxwell started laughing. It was a merry sound, full of life and humor. It clashed so wrongly with the tension that he was feeling and it mocked him.
"Bwahahahahaha. Did you hear that Heero? WE are going to be sorry. US!"
Duo continued to laugh, nearly doubling over from the hilarity of this moment. That idiot was threatening them. Oh, gods, that was too funny.
"SHUT UP, you laughing fool!" The sergeant bellowed. He would not take this shit now, not if he could help it. "I'll show you sorry, you pair of pansy ass boys!"
Heero drew Wing. The white blade reflected the moonlight and shimmered like mist. It was ethereal and beautiful, gleaming in the darkness like a beacon.
"Nice sword, pansy. I'll take that and make it my sword when I'm done with you."
The sergeant and the men behind him drew their swords. The sergeant was so glad that swords were drawn. Finally, he would teach these two a lesson and get that exceptional sword. Such a thing should not be used by useless boys.
"You can take my sword if you live."
Heero's calm voice carried in the night and Duo smiled. Heero certainly knew how to make statements. Well, if there was to be a fight, then he would have to join in and help out. And he would show these fools the might of his own weapon.
"Well, sergeant, I guess we got a fight on our hands, ne? Why don't we get started?"
The sneer on the sergeant's face only became more pronounced. What was that laughing idiot talking about? He didn't even have a sword! Then his eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped to the ground. His men had the same reaction at the scene unfolding before them.
Duo pulled up his sleeve to his right arm to his elbow. Then he put his arm out to the side so that the men could see his forearm. He smirked and willed Deathscythe to appear. Deathscythe slid out of his arm blade first and stopped when the handle was grasped by Duo. The black blade made darkness seem bright and it sucked in color and life near it. But more so than the blade, the sergeant and his men quailed at his face. It was Shinigami who scared them more than this strange and deadly blade that surfaced from his arm. Heero saw the emergence of Deathscythe and nearly swallowed his tongue. What the hell was that thing? No wonder Duo said he always had Deathscythe. It was in his fucking arm! Then he remembered that Duo had forbade him from looking at his weapon or his face when it was out. So Heero looked away from Duo and turned his eyes towards the men who were already showing signs of fear.
"What the hell are you? Who are you guys?"
The sergeants voice shook as he asked. Then before he knew it, the two were advancing on him and his men at speeds that he had not imagined possible. Then the sergeant realized that he was looking up at the night sky. It was a beautiful night, really. He just couldn't understand why he was looking up at it and why the moon was beginning to blur. He could not turn his head to see that the lower half of his body was lying five feet from the upper half and he could not hear the screams of his men as they died.
Heero made quick work of his half, the power of Wing and his deadly skills melding to decimate everyone in his way. A powerful slash decapitated one just moments before a downward stroke of the same movement cut another from shoulder to hip. Blood flew in the air in streams, ribbons of red that glinted violet in the blue moon light. Everywhere Heero was, bodies fell. The whiteness of his blade no longer showed.
Duo's Deathscythe cut through the night and men with equal fervor. He was in his element – it was night, there were men, and his blade, one with his body, arced out to kill. Within a minute or two, twenty men were dead, either from Wing's power or Deathscythe's mercy. As Heero wiped Wing clean and sheathed it, he heard the sharp hissing of Deathscythe as it sailed through the air to land with a loud thunk into a body. Duo had thrown it at the man who had tried to run from the fight, one man whom Heero did not kill because he was running away. Heero watched as Duo walked over to the man with Deathscythe in his back and yank out the weapon. He was still watching when Duo flipped the dying man over to whisper something to him before burying the blade into his heart. He had not heard what Duo had said, but he had read his lips. Duo had given the man absolution. Heero stood immobile, mesmerized by his love's terrible beauty in the moonlit darkness.
'Even death is beautiful when it is Duo.' thought Heero.
"Heero, we're done here. Let's go."
Duo's words penetrated his musings. Heero looked at Duo who no longer held Deathscythe or wore the face of Shinigami. His eyes held compassion for the dead but no regrets. Heero reached out and grasped Duo's right hand and raised it to his lips. The flesh was warm and coppery from the blood of the dead. And the two ran into the forest hand in hand, leaving the still warm corpses behind them. The wind blew gently across them, as gently as Shinigami's whispers, and sang them their final song, a requiem. Soon, the wind would sing this song for all of humanity.
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