Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny ❯ The Adventure Begins ( Chapter 6 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Reisuji 
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Martial Arts / Mecha / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 05.07.2002 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 586 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Martial Arts / Mecha / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 05.07.2002 | Pages: 4 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 586 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: The fic is the only thing that's mine; characters aren't, unfortunately. All rights to these amazing ANIMEs belong to Clamp, Kodansha, Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, yadda yadda yadda, so don't waste your time trying to sue me. Your 'corporate boogeyman' won't get anything valuable from me anyway, except for a handful of lousy grades, some leftover cookie crumbs, a Pentel point 5 ball pen, and some crumpled research papers.
Author's Notes: I had to almost kick my sister away from the PC in order to upload this,*giggles*
Oh, and Li Wei, if you're reading this, let me know right away if I make any more mistakes. I really appreciate your help.
Guys, some spoilers ahead! I forgot to tell you earlier that the VOID CARD thingie did not happen at all, 'kay? I'm going to use this story for both Sakura-chan's and Duo's confessions of lurve...(Ooops! Heheheh did I just say that???!?!?!)
DESTINY by rei-chan
Chapter Six: The Adventure Begins
Heero woke to the sound of clinking metal and yelling coming from outside. Noiselessly he grabbed the gun that he had hidden under his pillow and stealthily made his way towards the window. Being careful not to be seen, he cautiously peeked one eye out to see what was going on outside.
The 'kid' and his butler were both out in the yard and was in the middle of what Heero recognized to be a katana drill. He had seen his comrade Chang Wufei perform this same exercise almost every morning, and was aware that the exercise was very complicated and required a huge amount of skill and grace. Though skilled in weaponry himself, the Perfect Soldier had long since resigned himself to the fact that swordmanship was well beyond his limitations. It was a wonder to Heero to actually see a boy not taller than five feet performing the katana series effortlessly, while his butler and instructor called out commands to him.
As he stood there watching the scene being played below him, a soft noise from his door caught his attention. In a blink of an eye the Wing pilot had spun around and was pointing his gun at the intruder, which turned out to be Duo Maxwell.
Completely ignoring the pistol aimed directly at his head, Duo mumbled a "'Mornin." and languidly stretched his hands over his head, revealing a strip of creamy skin under his white sleeping tee. Heero snorted at his partner as the braided pilot padded towards where the other stood, immediately peering out of the window. When he saw Syaoran in the middle of his training, the violet-eyed boy let out an excited squeal. "Oi, Hee-chan! He's really good! Betcha twenty bucks you can't top that!!!"
"Baka."
"C'mon, man! I mean, just look at him move! I don't think even Wufei could do that cool spiral thing he just did."
"Wufei is a Gundam pilot, Duo. Not a freaking magician."
"Well, yeah, maybe you've got a point there. But it's also possible that Wuffie's just plain stup--oh, hey! Wow! That was soooooo cool! Where'd he get the fire from?"
As the two boys continued watching Syaoran train, with Duo's commentary getting louder each second (Man, that was brilli---what the fuck!--where the hell did all THAT came from?), the Wing pilot couldn't help but feel a little proud as he listened to Duo's impressed coos concerning his little brother's ability. He had to admit, the kid 'was' pretty good, magic or no magic. The steps that he executed were fluid, his moves and slashes flawless and graceful as he attacked. Heero even secretly agreed with his partner on Duo's opinion about the katana skills of their Chinese co-pilot. He hoped to god Wufei would never hear about it.
While watching Syaoran train, Heero still could not help but feel that Ieran and the Elders had made a terrible mistake of assuming that he was the heir to the clan. His magic only manifests itself when provoked. Without the other clan member's magic to nudge his awake, his powers were useless. Maybe he and Duo were just at the wrong place and time...
"...calculated last night." His partner was saying. Heero immediately jerked himself out of his thoughts and turned his full attention to the other boy, who was still watching Syaoran below.
"Nani?" he asked, slightly ashamed that he had not been paying any attention to his comrade.
Duo turned a pair of slightly annoyed eyes at him. "I said," he began, stressing each word as the shouts and pants coming from outside began to get louder, "that I calculated last night." he repeated, raising his voice ever so slightly as another yell echoed from where Syaoran was still in the middle of his training.
"What about?" The Perfect Soldier asked.
His long-haired partner sighed a little as he ran a slender hand over his face. "We weren't alone in the time jump, Heero." he said seriously. Heero could feel his stomach sinking as he understood what Duo was trying to tell him. "Yuy, the--"
"The battalion was included." the dark-haired boy finished hoarsely. Shaking his head, he turned and leaned out the window, his mind a jumble of numbers and equations as he calculated the figures available. "I should have figured that out sooner. The Elders told me last night that the radius of the portal extended to over thirty miles." He paused for a few moments.
Duo heaved a deep sigh. "Meaning," he stated flatly, "that the entire eighty-battalion troop is out loose here in Hongkong, wreaking havoc on God knows where." Duo blew at his bangs in frustration. "And our Gundams are nowhere to be found." he added glumly.
"Aa."
Now this just added to his problems. It was bad enough that he had a thriving clan to lead. Now those Oz bastards had to add to his task. The Wing pilot was so lost in his thoughts that he completely missed Duo's frantic "Duck!"
A second later, Heero Yuy ws slumped down on the floor, unconscious.
~ 0 ~
"Ano, Raiu," Ieran's voice was hesitant as she stared at the huge bump on Heero's forehead during breakfast that same morning. "What happened to your head?"
Duo began sniggering uncontrollably and Heero glared darkly at him. "The little sword-wielding kid hit him with a piece of wood while we were watching him train earlier." he choked out, his face turning a light shade of red from suppressed laughter.
Feimei and the rest of the girls burst into giggles at this announcement. Even Ieran had to bite back a smile of her own. The only ones not amused were Heero and Syaoran.
"I lost control of my Wind ofuda, Mother. It was an accident." The amber-eyed boy defended himself amidst the hearty laughter around the table. "I was distracted..."
"Oooohhh! The Wittwe Wolf was distwactedddd!" Li Fuutie suddenly sing-songed. "I wonder what distwacted him to lose control of his magwic!!!"
"It's probably--" Feimei said, throwing meaningful winks at her sisters.
"KINOMOTO-CHAN!" They all chorused.
Duo looked around the table in confusion. "What?" he asked.
Ieran just shook her head at him.
"Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan!" The girls were chanting. Feimei had jumped up from her seat and was making kissy faces at her brother, who shrank away from her in disgust as Fanren grabbed both his arms and Futie began tickling him, all the while chanting.
"Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan!"
"Stop it!"
"Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan!"
"Mother, make them stop!"
"Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan!"
Syaoran managed to extricate one of his limbs from Fanren's grip and he pulled out his tassel, swinging it sideways and turning it to his sword. Duo and Heero watched with interest as the younger boy struggled to free his other arm while yelling colorful Chinese curses at his sisters. Breaking free, he produced one of his ofudas and yelled.
"Raite sho--"
"Really now, Syaoran! There is no need to electrocute your sisters! Girls, leave your brother alone."
All four reluctantly stopped tormenting their little brother and returned to their places. Fanren stuck her tongue out at the glaring Syaoran.
After some semblance of order had been attained, Ieran clasped her hands primly in front of her
and focused all her attention to her still-fuming youngest son. "Syaoran?" she addressed him gently.
"Nani?" the boy snarled, glaring at Shiefa as she mouthed 'Kinomoto-chan' at him.
Ieran threw her daughter a look, and she stopped. Turning back to Syaoran, she said. "Regarding the Card Mistress--"
"Argh!" Syaoran slammed his sword on the table, making everyone, even Heero, jump in surprise. "Not you, too!"
Ieran held up a hand. "The Elders think that it is best if Raiu trains with the help of the Clow Cards. And since Kinomoto-chan has them," she paused as her son positively glowered as the girls started giggling once more. "We have decided to send you, Raiu, Wei, and Duo-san, if he will agree, to Japan in order to seek the collaboration of the Card Mistress."
Silence met Ieran's announcement, save for the soft sounds of giggling as Shiefa's head emerged from under the table with her hair pulled back into two small pigtails.
"Nipon." Heero said slowly, his eyes fixed on Ieran's face as his fork hovered over his plate of eggs.
She nodded firmly at him.
Duo then bounced excitedly on his seat. "Oh, can we go, can we go, can we go, can we go, Hee-chan, huh, can we can we can we?" he pleaded, violet eyes wide as he turned to his stoic partner. "I haven't been to Japan since AC 195, and that was for a mission..."
Heero clamped a hand over the Deathscythe pilot's mouth. immediately putting a stop to the upcoming ecstatic babble he knew was coming. "We will if HE does." he told his partner flatly, motioning with his head towards Syaoran, who was still glaring at their giggling sisters.
Ieran--and Duo--turned expectant eyes at the younger boy. "Well?" Ieran prompted, her dark brows raised.
Syaoran took one look at Shiefa's hair and snarled. "When do we leave?"
~ 0 ~
Syaoran growled almost rabidly to himself as he slashed another deep cut on the tree trunk in front of him. Pulling his sword back, he let himself imagine that the trunk had the ugly faces of all his four sisters combined. Angrily he slashed through the tree again, damaging it so deeply that sap started seeping out of the cut. He grinned. That felt good. He slashed through it again. And again. And again.
He had just raised his sword to deliver another slash when a cheerful male voice boomed directly on his ear. "Man, you really did a number on that poor tree."
"ARGH!!!" Syaoran shrieked, jumping back to face his attacker, sword up and ready.
Duo Maxwell smiled sunnily at him. "Hiya!" At Syaoran's defensive pose, the braided boy chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender. "You can put the freaking sword down, kid. I ain't gonna hurt you." he assured the younger boy.
The amber-eyed lad slowly lowered his weapon and glared at the pilot. Plopping down on the soft grass, Syaoran let out a "Hn."
Duo laughed softly at this. "Man, you and Heero really are a lot alike." he told the other boy cheerfully, squatting to sit in front the younger Li. "Looks, expressions...hell, even your grunts sound the same!" he crowed.
"Aa."
The long-haired boy then started laughing hysterically. "See, see?" he squealed, grabbing his shins and leaning forward as he doubled over in laughter.
Even Syaoran had to smile at that. He HAD noticed that too.
After Duo's laughter had died down, Syaoran picked up his sword and nonchalantly swung it sideways, returning it to its tassel form as Duo watched on in interest. He slipped the thin chain around his neck and gazed expectantly at his visitor.
The Deathscythe pilot gave him another smile. "I guess Ieran-san really wasn't shitting around with that magical hoopla." he began casually.
Syaoran shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah. Runs in the family." he replied.
"Really? Then my pal Heero must also have his fair share of the abracadabra."
The younger boy snorted. "Are you kidding? The Elders were almost skipping with joy when you guys turned up in our backyard."
Duo gaped at him in disbelief, the picture of the huge clearing and the farms surrounding it still vivid in his mind. "THAT huge, freaking FARMLAND the size of Texas was your BACKYARD?" he almost shrieked.
Syaoran nodded.
The older boy let out a low whistle. "Man. You guys are probably richer than Quatre, then." he mumbled to himself.
"Eh? What's a Quatre?"
Duo shook his head. "No, no, not what! Who! Quatre is," he waved his hand dismissively in the air, "a comrade back in AC 195. He fights alongside your--uh, brother and I in the war. Up to now I thought he was the goddamn richest guy in the planet. Seems I was wrong, though." Duo silently congratulated himself on his self-control. He only faltered a little bit when he referred to Heero as the kid's brother.
There was silence between the two boys as both thought of something to say to each other. Clearing his throat, Syaoran started. "Maxwell-san?"
"Just call me Duo, Li-kun. Plain old Duo. Don't bother with honorifics 'cuz once you find out what I do for a living, you'd wish we'd never met. And while we're at it, can I just call you Syaoran?" The other boy nodded. "Good. Can't risk running around your house calling you 'Li' when half the peole there answer to that name. What was that you wanted to ask me?" He said all this in a rush.
"So, DUO," Syaoran began, stressing Duo's name without the honorific and smiling as Duo nodded in mock appreciation. "Uhm, has your friend always been like that?" he inquired.
"Who? Heero?" At Syaoran's confirming nod, the Deathscythe pilot's brow furrowed. "Like what?" he wanted to know.
"Oh, you know," the younger Li hedged as he fidgeted nervously in his seated state. "Cold, expressionless, kind of always mean to everyone?"
Duo shook his head slightly and smiled at the boy's discomfort. "Well, yeah. Always have, always will, I guess." he said laughingly.
"Can you tell me why?"
"Hmm." The braided boy murmured. Frowning, he turned to Syaoran, his expression suddenly serious. "I'm not really sure if I should be the one to tell you that, Syaoran. But let's just put it this way, okay?" he cleared his throat and scooted forward. "Heero's had a shitty upbringing as far as human relations go. There were certain things that were done to him--hell, to US, for that matter--that made him what he is now. His being an outright bastard is just the way he deals with the stress, I guess."
"Stress from what? The war?" The amber-eyed boy held up a hand to stop whatever was going to come out of Duo's mouth as the latter's head snapped back to stare at him. "The Elders told me that you guys were--are-- soldiers in the future." he informed the braided pilot.
"Oh." Was Duo's only reaction.
"What's being a soldier like? You don't have to answer me if you don't want to." Syaoran added hastily upon seeing the dark expression that suddenly crossed the Deathscythe pilot's face as he he heard the question.
The pilot held up a hand in assurance. "No, no. It's okay." His brow furrowed once again, and for the first time, Syaoran saw the stress lines on his braided visitor's face as Duo's lips pulled down into a frown. "Bad." he said after a few seconds of thought. "Real bad. Almost like hell, I guess." Duo snorted as his normally expressive eyes went blank, envisioning the horrors that only he could see as he struggled to find the proper words to describe his experiences. "I really don't want to have anything to do with killing anymore, but I, Heero, and the other pilots really don't have much choice in the matter. I-It's sickening, you know that? All those lives I've ended...all those people I've hurt just because I HAD to kill..." He shook his head.
Syaoran clamped a firm hand on the older boy's shoulder in an effort to comfort him. "I'm sorry to hear that, Duo. I really am." he told the other boy softly.
Duo gave him a thin smile. "Hey, s'okay, dude." he said lightly. "I mean, Heero, Q-man, Tro, Wu, and I had gone through hell and back unscathed. We'll live." He let out a short bark of sarcastic laughter. "Somehow."
In the hopes to lighten the dark mood that had descended upon them, Syaoran leapt suddenly to his feet and started brushing dirt off his pants. "You know what, Duo?" he said between brushing, "I never got around to finishing my breakfast, no thanks to my good-for-nothing sisters. What do you say you come with me to a nearby noodle house." he offered, staring directly at his companion's face as he waited for his answer.
"Sure, as long as it's your treat." Duo smiled brightly, his jester mask firmly back in place as he followed the boy's lead and started brushing leaves off his own jeans. "After all," he added, a hint of mischief in his amethystine eyes as turned to follow Syaoran. "You wouldn't want KINOMOTO-CHAN to find out how stingy you are."
"DUO!"
~ 0 ~
"Raiu?"
Heero looked up from his paper when he heard Ieran call his name. "Aa?" he asked.
"Wei-san managed to procure tickets for the four of you. You will leave tomorrow."
"Aa."
She stared curiously at his paper. "What are you doing?"
He reluctantly held the paper up, covered with calculations. "Working on a plan to decimate the mobile troops that had been sucked into the time portal with us." he replied flatly.
Ieran sank into the couch in front of him. "Mobile troops?" she asked, confusion gracing her slight features as Heero grunted at her.
"Robots. Machines. They are dangerous when left to their own devices. I am currently working on trying to determine their exact location."
"They are probably still lost in time."
Her son's head snapped back up to look at her.
Ieran rubbed her temples warily. "Though they were within the range of the portal when it opened, they were not near enough to the center of the power. Eventually their number will end up in this time, but not for at least a while."
"I guess that buys Duo and I some time to look for our Gundams and formulate a battle plan." Heero murmured, almost to himself as his soldier's instinct started kicking in. Mission parameters, back up plans...
Ieran shook her head at his plan. "There is no need to look for your, uh, mobile suits, Raiu. They have been recovered and magically concealed for you."
~ 0 ~
"Moshi-moshi. Daidouji residence."
Syaoran twirled the telephone chord nervously between his fingers as he asked to speak to Tomoyo. After a few moments, a soft voice picked up from the other end. "Hai. Tomoyo desu. Dare ?"(1)
"It's me."
His introduction was met by a very long pause. Just as he had started to think that Tomoyo had hung up, she spoke, surprise evident in her voice. "Oh."
Syaoran sighed. "Yes. Uhm, listen, Daidouji, due to, uhm, certain circumstances, I and some friends are flying back to Nipon tomorrow morning."
"Ashita? Honto ni?"(2)
"Hai. And before you get too excited and tell everyone, may I please just ask you not to tell a certain brown-haired, green-eyed girl that I'm coming?"
"May I ask why?"
Syaoran blushed deeply before he answered. "Let's just say that I want this to be a surprise." he told her softly.
~ 0 ~
Tomoyo picked up the phone on the first ring. Thinking that it was Syaoran, she asked, "Did you forget to tell me something?"
"Nani? What are you talking about, Tomoyo-chan?" Kinomoto Sakura asked from the other end in confusion.
The violet-haired girl flushed. "Oh, nothing." she said softly, her eyes straying towards one of the many photographs lining her bedside table to focus on a picture of an amber-eyed boy and an auburn-haired girl sitting together in the carnival. "I just thought you were the one I was talking to earlier, and was calling back." she told her best friend.
"Really? Who was that?"
Daidouji Tomoyo's dark eyes glinted mischievously as she replied in an angelic tone of voice. "Oh, no one important, Sakura-chan. No one."
TBC
== *yawns*
Like it? Hate it? Let me know!
FOOTNOTES:
1. Translates to: "Yes, This is Tomoyo. Who are you?"
2. Translates to: "Tomorrow? Really?"
Author's Notes: I had to almost kick my sister away from the PC in order to upload this,*giggles*
Oh, and Li Wei, if you're reading this, let me know right away if I make any more mistakes. I really appreciate your help.
Guys, some spoilers ahead! I forgot to tell you earlier that the VOID CARD thingie did not happen at all, 'kay? I'm going to use this story for both Sakura-chan's and Duo's confessions of lurve...(Ooops! Heheheh did I just say that???!?!?!)
DESTINY by rei-chan
Chapter Six: The Adventure Begins
Heero woke to the sound of clinking metal and yelling coming from outside. Noiselessly he grabbed the gun that he had hidden under his pillow and stealthily made his way towards the window. Being careful not to be seen, he cautiously peeked one eye out to see what was going on outside.
The 'kid' and his butler were both out in the yard and was in the middle of what Heero recognized to be a katana drill. He had seen his comrade Chang Wufei perform this same exercise almost every morning, and was aware that the exercise was very complicated and required a huge amount of skill and grace. Though skilled in weaponry himself, the Perfect Soldier had long since resigned himself to the fact that swordmanship was well beyond his limitations. It was a wonder to Heero to actually see a boy not taller than five feet performing the katana series effortlessly, while his butler and instructor called out commands to him.
As he stood there watching the scene being played below him, a soft noise from his door caught his attention. In a blink of an eye the Wing pilot had spun around and was pointing his gun at the intruder, which turned out to be Duo Maxwell.
Completely ignoring the pistol aimed directly at his head, Duo mumbled a "'Mornin." and languidly stretched his hands over his head, revealing a strip of creamy skin under his white sleeping tee. Heero snorted at his partner as the braided pilot padded towards where the other stood, immediately peering out of the window. When he saw Syaoran in the middle of his training, the violet-eyed boy let out an excited squeal. "Oi, Hee-chan! He's really good! Betcha twenty bucks you can't top that!!!"
"Baka."
"C'mon, man! I mean, just look at him move! I don't think even Wufei could do that cool spiral thing he just did."
"Wufei is a Gundam pilot, Duo. Not a freaking magician."
"Well, yeah, maybe you've got a point there. But it's also possible that Wuffie's just plain stup--oh, hey! Wow! That was soooooo cool! Where'd he get the fire from?"
As the two boys continued watching Syaoran train, with Duo's commentary getting louder each second (Man, that was brilli---what the fuck!--where the hell did all THAT came from?), the Wing pilot couldn't help but feel a little proud as he listened to Duo's impressed coos concerning his little brother's ability. He had to admit, the kid 'was' pretty good, magic or no magic. The steps that he executed were fluid, his moves and slashes flawless and graceful as he attacked. Heero even secretly agreed with his partner on Duo's opinion about the katana skills of their Chinese co-pilot. He hoped to god Wufei would never hear about it.
While watching Syaoran train, Heero still could not help but feel that Ieran and the Elders had made a terrible mistake of assuming that he was the heir to the clan. His magic only manifests itself when provoked. Without the other clan member's magic to nudge his awake, his powers were useless. Maybe he and Duo were just at the wrong place and time...
"...calculated last night." His partner was saying. Heero immediately jerked himself out of his thoughts and turned his full attention to the other boy, who was still watching Syaoran below.
"Nani?" he asked, slightly ashamed that he had not been paying any attention to his comrade.
Duo turned a pair of slightly annoyed eyes at him. "I said," he began, stressing each word as the shouts and pants coming from outside began to get louder, "that I calculated last night." he repeated, raising his voice ever so slightly as another yell echoed from where Syaoran was still in the middle of his training.
"What about?" The Perfect Soldier asked.
His long-haired partner sighed a little as he ran a slender hand over his face. "We weren't alone in the time jump, Heero." he said seriously. Heero could feel his stomach sinking as he understood what Duo was trying to tell him. "Yuy, the--"
"The battalion was included." the dark-haired boy finished hoarsely. Shaking his head, he turned and leaned out the window, his mind a jumble of numbers and equations as he calculated the figures available. "I should have figured that out sooner. The Elders told me last night that the radius of the portal extended to over thirty miles." He paused for a few moments.
Duo heaved a deep sigh. "Meaning," he stated flatly, "that the entire eighty-battalion troop is out loose here in Hongkong, wreaking havoc on God knows where." Duo blew at his bangs in frustration. "And our Gundams are nowhere to be found." he added glumly.
"Aa."
Now this just added to his problems. It was bad enough that he had a thriving clan to lead. Now those Oz bastards had to add to his task. The Wing pilot was so lost in his thoughts that he completely missed Duo's frantic "Duck!"
A second later, Heero Yuy ws slumped down on the floor, unconscious.
~ 0 ~
"Ano, Raiu," Ieran's voice was hesitant as she stared at the huge bump on Heero's forehead during breakfast that same morning. "What happened to your head?"
Duo began sniggering uncontrollably and Heero glared darkly at him. "The little sword-wielding kid hit him with a piece of wood while we were watching him train earlier." he choked out, his face turning a light shade of red from suppressed laughter.
Feimei and the rest of the girls burst into giggles at this announcement. Even Ieran had to bite back a smile of her own. The only ones not amused were Heero and Syaoran.
"I lost control of my Wind ofuda, Mother. It was an accident." The amber-eyed boy defended himself amidst the hearty laughter around the table. "I was distracted..."
"Oooohhh! The Wittwe Wolf was distwactedddd!" Li Fuutie suddenly sing-songed. "I wonder what distwacted him to lose control of his magwic!!!"
"It's probably--" Feimei said, throwing meaningful winks at her sisters.
"KINOMOTO-CHAN!" They all chorused.
Duo looked around the table in confusion. "What?" he asked.
Ieran just shook her head at him.
"Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan!" The girls were chanting. Feimei had jumped up from her seat and was making kissy faces at her brother, who shrank away from her in disgust as Fanren grabbed both his arms and Futie began tickling him, all the while chanting.
"Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan!"
"Stop it!"
"Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan!"
"Mother, make them stop!"
"Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan, Kinomoto-chan!"
Syaoran managed to extricate one of his limbs from Fanren's grip and he pulled out his tassel, swinging it sideways and turning it to his sword. Duo and Heero watched with interest as the younger boy struggled to free his other arm while yelling colorful Chinese curses at his sisters. Breaking free, he produced one of his ofudas and yelled.
"Raite sho--"
"Really now, Syaoran! There is no need to electrocute your sisters! Girls, leave your brother alone."
All four reluctantly stopped tormenting their little brother and returned to their places. Fanren stuck her tongue out at the glaring Syaoran.
After some semblance of order had been attained, Ieran clasped her hands primly in front of her
and focused all her attention to her still-fuming youngest son. "Syaoran?" she addressed him gently.
"Nani?" the boy snarled, glaring at Shiefa as she mouthed 'Kinomoto-chan' at him.
Ieran threw her daughter a look, and she stopped. Turning back to Syaoran, she said. "Regarding the Card Mistress--"
"Argh!" Syaoran slammed his sword on the table, making everyone, even Heero, jump in surprise. "Not you, too!"
Ieran held up a hand. "The Elders think that it is best if Raiu trains with the help of the Clow Cards. And since Kinomoto-chan has them," she paused as her son positively glowered as the girls started giggling once more. "We have decided to send you, Raiu, Wei, and Duo-san, if he will agree, to Japan in order to seek the collaboration of the Card Mistress."
Silence met Ieran's announcement, save for the soft sounds of giggling as Shiefa's head emerged from under the table with her hair pulled back into two small pigtails.
"Nipon." Heero said slowly, his eyes fixed on Ieran's face as his fork hovered over his plate of eggs.
She nodded firmly at him.
Duo then bounced excitedly on his seat. "Oh, can we go, can we go, can we go, can we go, Hee-chan, huh, can we can we can we?" he pleaded, violet eyes wide as he turned to his stoic partner. "I haven't been to Japan since AC 195, and that was for a mission..."
Heero clamped a hand over the Deathscythe pilot's mouth. immediately putting a stop to the upcoming ecstatic babble he knew was coming. "We will if HE does." he told his partner flatly, motioning with his head towards Syaoran, who was still glaring at their giggling sisters.
Ieran--and Duo--turned expectant eyes at the younger boy. "Well?" Ieran prompted, her dark brows raised.
Syaoran took one look at Shiefa's hair and snarled. "When do we leave?"
~ 0 ~
Syaoran growled almost rabidly to himself as he slashed another deep cut on the tree trunk in front of him. Pulling his sword back, he let himself imagine that the trunk had the ugly faces of all his four sisters combined. Angrily he slashed through the tree again, damaging it so deeply that sap started seeping out of the cut. He grinned. That felt good. He slashed through it again. And again. And again.
He had just raised his sword to deliver another slash when a cheerful male voice boomed directly on his ear. "Man, you really did a number on that poor tree."
"ARGH!!!" Syaoran shrieked, jumping back to face his attacker, sword up and ready.
Duo Maxwell smiled sunnily at him. "Hiya!" At Syaoran's defensive pose, the braided boy chuckled and raised his hands in mock surrender. "You can put the freaking sword down, kid. I ain't gonna hurt you." he assured the younger boy.
The amber-eyed lad slowly lowered his weapon and glared at the pilot. Plopping down on the soft grass, Syaoran let out a "Hn."
Duo laughed softly at this. "Man, you and Heero really are a lot alike." he told the other boy cheerfully, squatting to sit in front the younger Li. "Looks, expressions...hell, even your grunts sound the same!" he crowed.
"Aa."
The long-haired boy then started laughing hysterically. "See, see?" he squealed, grabbing his shins and leaning forward as he doubled over in laughter.
Even Syaoran had to smile at that. He HAD noticed that too.
After Duo's laughter had died down, Syaoran picked up his sword and nonchalantly swung it sideways, returning it to its tassel form as Duo watched on in interest. He slipped the thin chain around his neck and gazed expectantly at his visitor.
The Deathscythe pilot gave him another smile. "I guess Ieran-san really wasn't shitting around with that magical hoopla." he began casually.
Syaoran shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah. Runs in the family." he replied.
"Really? Then my pal Heero must also have his fair share of the abracadabra."
The younger boy snorted. "Are you kidding? The Elders were almost skipping with joy when you guys turned up in our backyard."
Duo gaped at him in disbelief, the picture of the huge clearing and the farms surrounding it still vivid in his mind. "THAT huge, freaking FARMLAND the size of Texas was your BACKYARD?" he almost shrieked.
Syaoran nodded.
The older boy let out a low whistle. "Man. You guys are probably richer than Quatre, then." he mumbled to himself.
"Eh? What's a Quatre?"
Duo shook his head. "No, no, not what! Who! Quatre is," he waved his hand dismissively in the air, "a comrade back in AC 195. He fights alongside your--uh, brother and I in the war. Up to now I thought he was the goddamn richest guy in the planet. Seems I was wrong, though." Duo silently congratulated himself on his self-control. He only faltered a little bit when he referred to Heero as the kid's brother.
There was silence between the two boys as both thought of something to say to each other. Clearing his throat, Syaoran started. "Maxwell-san?"
"Just call me Duo, Li-kun. Plain old Duo. Don't bother with honorifics 'cuz once you find out what I do for a living, you'd wish we'd never met. And while we're at it, can I just call you Syaoran?" The other boy nodded. "Good. Can't risk running around your house calling you 'Li' when half the peole there answer to that name. What was that you wanted to ask me?" He said all this in a rush.
"So, DUO," Syaoran began, stressing Duo's name without the honorific and smiling as Duo nodded in mock appreciation. "Uhm, has your friend always been like that?" he inquired.
"Who? Heero?" At Syaoran's confirming nod, the Deathscythe pilot's brow furrowed. "Like what?" he wanted to know.
"Oh, you know," the younger Li hedged as he fidgeted nervously in his seated state. "Cold, expressionless, kind of always mean to everyone?"
Duo shook his head slightly and smiled at the boy's discomfort. "Well, yeah. Always have, always will, I guess." he said laughingly.
"Can you tell me why?"
"Hmm." The braided boy murmured. Frowning, he turned to Syaoran, his expression suddenly serious. "I'm not really sure if I should be the one to tell you that, Syaoran. But let's just put it this way, okay?" he cleared his throat and scooted forward. "Heero's had a shitty upbringing as far as human relations go. There were certain things that were done to him--hell, to US, for that matter--that made him what he is now. His being an outright bastard is just the way he deals with the stress, I guess."
"Stress from what? The war?" The amber-eyed boy held up a hand to stop whatever was going to come out of Duo's mouth as the latter's head snapped back to stare at him. "The Elders told me that you guys were--are-- soldiers in the future." he informed the braided pilot.
"Oh." Was Duo's only reaction.
"What's being a soldier like? You don't have to answer me if you don't want to." Syaoran added hastily upon seeing the dark expression that suddenly crossed the Deathscythe pilot's face as he he heard the question.
The pilot held up a hand in assurance. "No, no. It's okay." His brow furrowed once again, and for the first time, Syaoran saw the stress lines on his braided visitor's face as Duo's lips pulled down into a frown. "Bad." he said after a few seconds of thought. "Real bad. Almost like hell, I guess." Duo snorted as his normally expressive eyes went blank, envisioning the horrors that only he could see as he struggled to find the proper words to describe his experiences. "I really don't want to have anything to do with killing anymore, but I, Heero, and the other pilots really don't have much choice in the matter. I-It's sickening, you know that? All those lives I've ended...all those people I've hurt just because I HAD to kill..." He shook his head.
Syaoran clamped a firm hand on the older boy's shoulder in an effort to comfort him. "I'm sorry to hear that, Duo. I really am." he told the other boy softly.
Duo gave him a thin smile. "Hey, s'okay, dude." he said lightly. "I mean, Heero, Q-man, Tro, Wu, and I had gone through hell and back unscathed. We'll live." He let out a short bark of sarcastic laughter. "Somehow."
In the hopes to lighten the dark mood that had descended upon them, Syaoran leapt suddenly to his feet and started brushing dirt off his pants. "You know what, Duo?" he said between brushing, "I never got around to finishing my breakfast, no thanks to my good-for-nothing sisters. What do you say you come with me to a nearby noodle house." he offered, staring directly at his companion's face as he waited for his answer.
"Sure, as long as it's your treat." Duo smiled brightly, his jester mask firmly back in place as he followed the boy's lead and started brushing leaves off his own jeans. "After all," he added, a hint of mischief in his amethystine eyes as turned to follow Syaoran. "You wouldn't want KINOMOTO-CHAN to find out how stingy you are."
"DUO!"
~ 0 ~
"Raiu?"
Heero looked up from his paper when he heard Ieran call his name. "Aa?" he asked.
"Wei-san managed to procure tickets for the four of you. You will leave tomorrow."
"Aa."
She stared curiously at his paper. "What are you doing?"
He reluctantly held the paper up, covered with calculations. "Working on a plan to decimate the mobile troops that had been sucked into the time portal with us." he replied flatly.
Ieran sank into the couch in front of him. "Mobile troops?" she asked, confusion gracing her slight features as Heero grunted at her.
"Robots. Machines. They are dangerous when left to their own devices. I am currently working on trying to determine their exact location."
"They are probably still lost in time."
Her son's head snapped back up to look at her.
Ieran rubbed her temples warily. "Though they were within the range of the portal when it opened, they were not near enough to the center of the power. Eventually their number will end up in this time, but not for at least a while."
"I guess that buys Duo and I some time to look for our Gundams and formulate a battle plan." Heero murmured, almost to himself as his soldier's instinct started kicking in. Mission parameters, back up plans...
Ieran shook her head at his plan. "There is no need to look for your, uh, mobile suits, Raiu. They have been recovered and magically concealed for you."
~ 0 ~
"Moshi-moshi. Daidouji residence."
Syaoran twirled the telephone chord nervously between his fingers as he asked to speak to Tomoyo. After a few moments, a soft voice picked up from the other end. "Hai. Tomoyo desu. Dare ?"(1)
"It's me."
His introduction was met by a very long pause. Just as he had started to think that Tomoyo had hung up, she spoke, surprise evident in her voice. "Oh."
Syaoran sighed. "Yes. Uhm, listen, Daidouji, due to, uhm, certain circumstances, I and some friends are flying back to Nipon tomorrow morning."
"Ashita? Honto ni?"(2)
"Hai. And before you get too excited and tell everyone, may I please just ask you not to tell a certain brown-haired, green-eyed girl that I'm coming?"
"May I ask why?"
Syaoran blushed deeply before he answered. "Let's just say that I want this to be a surprise." he told her softly.
~ 0 ~
Tomoyo picked up the phone on the first ring. Thinking that it was Syaoran, she asked, "Did you forget to tell me something?"
"Nani? What are you talking about, Tomoyo-chan?" Kinomoto Sakura asked from the other end in confusion.
The violet-haired girl flushed. "Oh, nothing." she said softly, her eyes straying towards one of the many photographs lining her bedside table to focus on a picture of an amber-eyed boy and an auburn-haired girl sitting together in the carnival. "I just thought you were the one I was talking to earlier, and was calling back." she told her best friend.
"Really? Who was that?"
Daidouji Tomoyo's dark eyes glinted mischievously as she replied in an angelic tone of voice. "Oh, no one important, Sakura-chan. No one."
TBC
== *yawns*
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FOOTNOTES:
1. Translates to: "Yes, This is Tomoyo. Who are you?"
2. Translates to: "Tomorrow? Really?"