The Blood of Peace
Third Movement, the Twelfth Part: a Grand Concerto
"I'm going!"
"No, you're not!"
"I AM!"
"NOT!"
Meiran and WuFei exchanged heated monosyllabic words over and over again. Their voices were ringing off the walls in their bedroom and scaring the servants passing by. Eventually, a very peeved Heero and a mildly amused Duo peered into their room because their voices had reached the furthest corners of the West Tower.
"Uh, guys, want to keep it down a bit? We're scheduled for war in about an hour."
Duo's silly comment was drowned out by more yelling from the combating couple. Meiran was shaking her fist at WuFei, while he looked as if he would throttle the life out of her. Married life must have agreed with them. Suddenly, WuFei whirled towards Heero and Duo.
"Would you please talk some sense into this insane girl! She is not going into battle!"
Meiran would not be outdone.
"Would you tell this chauvinistic boy that I can fight better than most men!"
Then the screaming twosome went back to yelling at each other, ignoring the previously addressed pair. Heero and Duo just watched their word fight with identical bemused expressions on their faces. Soon, they were joined by Quatre and Trowa who had finally gotten curious enough to venture out of their private sanctuary and into the mess.
"So, how long do you suppose they will go on like this?"
Trowa's mild question was met with shrugs from both Heero and Duo. For all they knew, WuFei and Meiran could yell at each other for eternity.
"I don't see why I can't fight! I'm good at it and you know it!"
"Girl, must you give me yet another reason to worry about you? Stay home!"
Meiran and WuFei kept screaming at each other, apparently oblivious to their attentive audience. By now, they were both red in the face and their gestures were becoming more aggressive and erratic. Then, as the voices escalated into decibel levels yet unattained by human beings, Heero took measures to ensure the future of their ears. He picked Duo up by his waist and threw him at WuFei. Duo, who was extremely surprised that Heero would physically throw him, did not have enough time to react or evade. He simply found himself airborne, flying straight for WuFei's back. Then there were two boys on the ground moaning and snarling. Duo got in the first words while WuFei moaned in pain beneath him.
"Heero, you son of a bitch. Did you have to throw me so fucking hard?"
Heero could tell that Duo was not happy. Maybe throwing his lover had not been the best of ideas, but it did end the argument effectively. In fact, Meiran was staring at her prone husband and Heero with a dumbfounded expression on her face and WuFei still had not recovered from the assault. Considering all factors, Heero only had one thing to say.
"Mission: Accomplished."
"Fuck the mission. Help me up. If you throw me around like that I'm not going to be in any condition to fight!"
Shrugging his shoulders, Heero walked to Duo and gave him a hand. Meiran then immediately scuttled to WuFei and shook him. WuFei raised himself up by his elbows and gave Heero a very wry look.
"Heero, if we weren't going into a huge battle today, I would have to deck you."
WuFei stood completely with a bit of assistance from Meiran. He then dusted off his clothes and turned to his concerned and doting wife.
"You are still not fighting today."
Meiran crossed her arms in front of her and huffed.
"Husband, you can't forbid me. I will go whether you say yes or no. Live with it."
WuFei let out a frustrated sigh. His wife was a stubborn woman and she would most likely do whatever she wanted, whatever he said. Oh well.
"Fine. But you don't leave my eye sight or I'm going to personally bundle you up and carry you back."
Meiran beamed. She had won her victory. It was about time.
"Okay by me, husband. We'll fight side by side. You watch my back and I will watch yours."
At that, Duo stopped glaring at Heero and let out a coarse laugh.
"If you guys are too busy watching each other's backs, you might be too distracted to fight!"
Duo laughed at his joke while the rest of the boys shook their heads. Duo's mind certainly knew how to ferret out the dirtiest meaning in any sentence. To Duo's surprise, Meiran joined in his laughter. Smiling even more broadly, Duo slapped Meiran's back in a friendly manner. Finally, someone would laugh at his dirty jokes. When the laughter died down, Heero issued commands. The battle would commence soon. It was time to get serious.
"How do they feel?"
Quatre asked Trowa in a gentle voice. After WuFei and Meiran's little spat, they had come back to Trowa's room to get ready for battle. It was then that Quatre had handed Trowa Heavyarms.
"They feel right to me. I vaguely remember using them. Should I go into battle with these, Quatre? What if I'm not as good as I was?"
Smiling, Quatre patted Trowa's hands and leaned in to peck his cheek with a chaste kiss. Trowa seemed to worry about everything nowadays.
"You'll be great. Even if your mind can't remember, your body will. That is the way with all things you think you have forgotten. Remember us?"
Quatre blushed at his last sentence. Of course Trowa would remember what they had done last night.
"I do. And I will put my faith in your assessment."
Carefully, Trowa put Heavyarms into their harness at his waist. He then reached out his right hand and caressed Quatre's cheek softly.
"You will be careful today."
Although Trowa's voice was steady, Quatre felt the trepidation and worry wash over his mind. Even though they were both warriors, they still worried about each other's safety. They both knew battles were unsafe. There was always the possibility of death. But it helped to say words of concern to each other.
"I will, Trowa. You too."
Quatre took Trowa's hand in his. They exchanged a kiss filled with promises and love. Then they walked out together hand in hand to fight the greatest battle that they would ever experience.
Une cursed bitterly as she retreated from the battle. Somehow, her battalion had suffered immense weapon losses before the battle and now they were just a liability to the Oz forces. She ground her teeth and stalked towards the unit that Treize was personally commanding. Since her army had failed so miserably, she would go and help Treize, the only man she had ever loved. Une ran swiftly through the fighting men, cutting down those who dared to challenge her as she made her way towards her emperor. He was the only one she would worry about now. Mariemeia was safe back in the camp with Relena - they would be watching the battle from their awesome vantage point high up on the hills. They had nothing to do except watch and pray. Perhaps learn. Treize's unit was still far from where she was and she was becoming frustrated by the number of idiots barring her way. Snarling, Une mercilessly tore through the Earthian fools who got in her way. No matter what, she would reach Treize. She had to protect him from this battle, from himself.
Zechs fought off the soldiers coming at him. It was just barely past noon and the battle seemed unending. What was supposed to have been a sure pincer maneuver had turned into a mild disaster because Une's forces had lost their weapons to some treachery. Not only that, the Earthians seemed to have new life, fighting Oz forces like they had nothing to lose. That was always the danger of cornering an enemy; one took the risk of making the enemy stronger through desperation. More than that, Dermeil and Tuborov's forces were sadly undertrained. They were of no help except through sheer numbers, but they were being butchered. There were more corpses which bore the Oz emblem than Earthian.
Treize's plan had gone to hell, but victory was not the point to this war. It was to show everyone how pointless a war was and how precious peace could be. To Zechs, it had never really mattered whether Oz won or not, as long as his sister could practice her pure ideals on a corrupt world. This battle was for her, Relena, the Queen of Peace. Gripping his sword tighter, Zechs continued his massacre of the lesser trained. Close to him, Noin fought with him. She had refused his insistence and had come to fight along side him. She hated war, she despised killing, but for him, Noin would defile herself beyond redemption. Stamping down on the guilt that threatened to overtake him, Zechs averted his eyes and concentrated on other things. After all, there were men out here with death blazoned across their eyes. He should accommodate them.
Duo smiled his most unearthly smile as he decimated his victims. Once in a while, he heard a man run away from him screaming something about demons of hell.
'Well,' thought Duo, 'I AM Shinigami. I am probably the closest thing to a demon they have seen.'
More than just killing, Duo was intent on protecting Heero. Heero fought extremely well, almost a perfect soldier in battles. However, Duo would have to be dead and buried for a century before he stopped watching Heero's back. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Heero fighting with a grim intensity. There was so much noise on the battle field that he could barely make out Heero's deep throat growl. However, Duo was certain that everyone within a fifty feet radius could hear his own menacing and demonic laugh. Duo's motto was, 'if you can't beat them, then scare the living fuck out of them before you kill them all.' Granted, it did not make too much sense, but Duo was content with his little saying. Continuing to keep Heero in sight, Duo watched him fight fearlessly while he himself fought without regret or mercy. If this was to be the final battle, then he would give them the best Shinigami had to offer.
Trowa felt his body move fluidly like water. He was a dancer on this gruesome field, gliding around the fallen bodies to kill swiftly and elegantly. Quatre had been right - he could feel Heavyarms work with his movements. The feel was so familiar and comforting, the way the weapon weighed in his arms and the noise it made when it flew true to strike enemies ahead. Quatre was fighting close by and that also felt right. Heero and Duo were fighting side by side, while Meiran and WuFei stuck to each other like glue. And here he was near Quatre. It was as it should be. He was fighting side by side with his lover on the same side as his brothers. He did belong here, even if Cat could not completely understand why he needed to fight.
Soon, this war would be over and he could explain things to her. Then maybe he and Quatre could invite Cat over for some tea and crumpets - Quatre was very fond of tea, as was Cat. His sister and his lover would get along wonderfully because they both were gentle and fiercely loving people. Thinking about the future, Trowa fought on. There were some things worth fighting for. It wasn't peace. Such high idealism was too much for his solid mind. He fought for himself, his love, his sister and his brothers. He fought for the ones who had not forgotten him and the ones who had found him.
Dorothy breathed deeply as she whipped her slim sword down yet another body. Her skills as a sword wielder had been underrated in the past, but now was the chance for her to shine. Relena had no idea that she was out here fighting Earthian, but some things were best left unsaid. Her queen had enough to worry over. As she made rote movements that deprived people of their lives, she thought about her misplaced queen. Relena had no idea that the entirety of her Sanque court was fighting for Oz. Zechs was out on the field with Noin and here she was. Relena was the only one who had not tarnished her hands with blood. And that would be the way. Her loyal subjects would sully themselves in order to make their queen more pure and golden. She had told Relena that she would help her change the face of war and that was exactly what she was doing. Oz had lost the advantage it had and Earthians were fighting better than expected. Therefore, there would be no victor in this battle or this war. It was to be a stagnant stalemate and she would see to it that Relena would be there to sweep the ugliness of war under the cover of peace. If anyone should win, it would be Relena, the only one who had remained pure. It was only fair to all those who had given their lives.
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