This ficlet is based on the song "No No Raja" by Moxy Fruvous (from their album "Live Noise"). Although it's about a raja, and Indian/Pakistani ruler, the music has a definitely Persian/Middle Eastern feel to it. ^_^ (Because Jian, one of the band members, is of Iranian origin--he sings this song, and I believe he wrote it). (side question: do Iranians/Persians have sultans or rajas? Or shahs?)

In no way am I trying to mock alcohol and drug interventions with this fic... It's just that, late at night, when Ryoko-oneechan and I were coming home from seeing "X" in Cleveland, this song inspired a lengthy Quatre-discussion: what if he was addicted?

warnings: nothing concrete, other than grossly OOC. ^_^

C&C welcome

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The Intervention

//I wanna taste it,

give me a little taste.

I wanna taste it again. //

Quatre sat in his room, replacing a string on his violin, when the other four pilots silently entered. Their expressions were severe. Heero looked ready for action; Trowa's face was etched with unusual concern; Duo radiated pity; Wufei was stern, with a grimace and furrowed eyebrows.

"Hey guys," Quatre greeted. "Is something wrong?"

//Oh, no, no Raja,

don't you go back to her.

No, no Raja, don't you.//

Trowa stepped out of the cluster, taking Quatre by the shoulders with a firm grip. "Yes, something's wrong. You need help; you need to *stop*."

Quatre looked up at the other pilots with wide eyes, then looked back at Trowa. "Stop what?"

//I wanna smell it,

just a little smell.

I wanna smell it again.//

"Quatre," Wufei began in a condescending tone, "we know what you've been doing--late at night when you think no one's looking."

Quatre's eyes narrowed visibly. "I don't know what you're talking about."

//Oh, no, no Raja,

don't you go back to her.

No, no Raja, don't you.//

"Believe me--I was addicted to it, too," Heero confessed. "I would wait until everyone was asleep, so I could try it without anyone knowing. I would sneak around, I would make excuses. I've been there."

//And it's so hard,

khaili mushkileh, [1]

it's standing so hard again. //

Quatre shook his head, stepping backward. "N-no. You don't understand! It makes me stronger! I can't fight without it!"

"Yes you can!" Duo insisted. "You're no weaker than any of us--you don't *need* it!"

//I want it stupid,

just a little feel.

I wanna feel it again. //

Tears welled up in Quatre's eyes as he shook his head in denial. "I can't! I won't! I need it to think clearly--to help me make my decisions."

"It's not real," Trowa urged. "It's not helping you--only hurting. You'll be better off without it."

//Oh, no, no Raja,

don't you go back to her.

No, no Raja, don't you. //

"You're not gonna do it anymore, Quatre. We won't let you. We won't stay off your back until you kick the habit once and for all," Wufei insisted through clenched teeth.

//For Raja, quiescence was wrong from the start.

Now Raja bleeds out his broken heart.

I want it stupid.

Just a little feel.

I wanna feel it again. //

Quatre sobbed, falling to his knees. "But..."

"No buts," Heero said firmly, kneeling beside the troubled Arabian and placing an arm around him. "I'm not letting you use the Zero System anymore."

//Oh, no, no Raja,

don't you go back to her.

No, no Raja, don't you. //

The End.

[1]Thanks to Nancy McGrath for this info: The foreign language muttered during "No No Raja" is Farsi, which is the language of Iran (Persia). The words said are, (transliterated into English characters) "khaili mushkileh," which translates as "big problem" or "very problematic."

Hmm... does this mean that Quatre's turned on by Zero-System Sandrock? <snicker> Not that I'd be surprised...