A/N: More beautiful fanart! From Draconayzia! Click on 'GRAPHICS' It's such an awesome pic!

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Reactions

Grapes.

Wufei tasted like grapes.

Well, why wouldn't he? That's what he had been eating.

********((At an Army Camp))********

Zechs finished giving the General the last memory and opened his eyes, waiting for the other man's response.

He didn't get one for a long moment - the General just sat there, eyes closed, an odd expression on his face.

Then he finally spoke. "You do not have permission to take your Others to Haven Village."

"But, sir...!"

"You do not have permission. You do not need permission."

Zechs blinked. "Sir?"

The General's eyes opened, and Zechs was surprised to see tears in them. "We will all be going to Haven Village, as soon as we retrieve your WarCraft. Go and inform the other Commanders."

"Yes, sir!" Zechs saluted happily and left the tent, still wondering over those tears but beyond pleased that Heero's little Fire Talent would be getting his justice.

*

Inside the tent, General Athar put his hand to his face, hiding the tears that streamed down his weathered cheeks from anyone who might come in. "Xiong Ru..." he whispered, and the words sounded horribly loud in the still air. "So that's what happened to you..."

He swallowed, hard, at the memory of a panicked, pained face - at the way his old friend had struggled across the floor to reach his tiny son.

At the way that same small boy was hit so hard he was knocked across the room...

At the thought of Chang Xiong Ru's firstborn son waiting on tables in a filthy inn, while peasants pawed at him and their children mocked him.

He remembered when he had rushed to respond to an urgent summons from his friend, worried that something had happened to him, only to be met with a grin. Remembered the pride on Xiong's face, the beautiful smile on Bao's, when they had placed their newborn baby in his arms.

He had looked down at that tiny, sleeping face, marveling at the new life he held. Xiong Ru's firstborn had been eagerly anticipated - for so long Bao had seemed unable to conceive and they had all feared their Clan name would die with Xiong.

He'd been thrilled that they trusted him to even hold the precious creature - and more proud than he could ever hope to explain when his friends had named him a Guardian of their child - they had as well asked him to take care of the future of their Clan.

And he had failed, miserably.

Through no real fault of his own - he had been stationed far away when they were attacked, had returned weeks later to the charred remains of their houses and the knowledge that no more than two or three of the Exotics had escaped, that no one had known where they went, though the neighbors were fairly certain Xiong Ru had been among the few who had been left alive.

Athar had looked for his friend, but he'd vanished like mist in the morning sun. There had been no trace left.

He had no idea, until now, that little Wufei had survived as well. He thought of the frail little boy in the last memory Zechs had shared, sitting on a rumpled bed with surprise in his dark eyes... those eyes that where so much like Xiong Ru's... he must be fourteen or fifteen now, but he'd been so undernourished, on top of his naturally small frame, that he'd looked no older than twelve.

A determined look settled on Athar's face. He had failed in his responsibility to protect this child once.

He wouldn't fail again.

********((Cordia Township))*********

Greyso closed the door behind him as he and Tania went back to the room they had established her Others in. He'd rescued her from the back wall when he noticed that his little wife, who could usually keep control of any conversation, had begun to look dazed and confused, her eyes glazing over as that little braided Water Talent babbled at her.

Then the Spirit Talent and the Air had showed up, the former still inclined to glare at Tania, and he had decided to get her out of sight.

Hopefully, it would be out of mind, as well.

He took a breath. It was time for a little chat with his beloved.

"You should not have asked that of them."

"Greyso, they are babies! They should not be involved in this horrible war!"

"They are powerful, Tania, and therefore needed. What good would come of sparing them now, only to have them die on some Rhom soldier's blade? And are you that eager to die, yourself? To see Corbett, or little Yyssa, lying in a puddle of their own blood?"

Tania scowled at him. "There is no need to be so graphic. And no, of course I don't want to see that!"

"Then leave them be, Tania, and let them do what these sad times require them to do. I like it no more than you, but better a few children grow up too quickly than thousands of children never grow up."

Tania bit her lip, glancing at the bed and the still-sleeping children in it. Then her eyes shifted to Paulos and Gwenneth, who had fallen asleep together on a nearby sofa. She sighed. "I suppose you are right. I won't go further - until their Commander arrives. If he is truly their Council, then I will say no more. But, Greyso, if he is not..."

"If he is not, Tania, my love, then I am on your side. We won't leave them with him. But, remember, you have promised! If he is..."

"Yes, yes!" she rolled her eyes in exasperation and he laughed at her.

She grinned back, and stood on her tiptoes to steal a kiss.

And of course he kissed her back. He loved her, after all.

He supposed it would be rather dull if Tania weren't Tania...

*

"How do you think it's going?" Duo asked, staring up at the lighted window of their room. They hadn't heard screams, and there were no flames shooting out of the open window panes.

"I don't know. Well, I hope. Heero?"

Their Spirit Talent shook his head. "I refuse to eavesdrop on something like this."

"Hee-chan, you are no fun at all! I dunno what Zechs sees in you!"

Heero scowled. "Duo..."

"Oh, come off it, Hee-chan! We both know you're crazy about him, and Trowa does, too! And I'll bet my braid that even Wufei can tell, once we meet up with our sexy Commander." He grinned, then frowned. "Hey, when will that be, anyway?"

Heero blinked, then looked horrified. "Argh! I forgot to Speak back to him! He's probably having a fit!"

Duo and Quatre both laughed. "Way to start off your romance, Hee-chan!"

Heero's face turned red. "I'll kill you!"

"No! Quatre, save me!" Duo dived for his koi, wrapping his arms around the blond's waist.

Quatre looked from his koi to Heero, who was scowling darkly as he advanced on them. "Duo, love?"

"Yeah, Q-chan?"

"You're on your own!" Quatre wriggled out of the embrace and ran.

"Traitor!" Duo screamed, and ran after him.

Heero, of course, ran after him.

The innkeeper, who had been sweeping off the back steps, watched them, grinning.

He wished all his guests were this much fun.

*

Trowa tasted like apples.

Wufei thought that rather odd, since he knew Trowa hadn't been eating apples...

But he didn't really care.

********((Somewhere Else))********

A door opened softly, and a man moved quietly into a dark-paneled room. "Sir?"

"What is it?" an irritable voice replied.

"The army will be moving from their planned route. They are turning toward Cordia Township. We just received word."

"What?! No, they can't do that! I have to get there first - how quickly can I make it?"

"It will take them at least three days - you could arrive in two if you left within the next two hours."

"Fine! Inform the servants - I want everything packed and ready! No excuses! I'll have the lot of them flogged if they are not prepared to leave when I am!"

"Yes, sir."

"And that includes you, so step lively!"

"Yes, sir!" The man withdrew, closing the doors behind him.

The man he left behind looked down at the map he had been studying and swore. This was moving rather quickly - he had hoped to have more time to prepare. Ah, well, it would be of no real importance. He could modify his plans on the way.

Nothing was going to come between him and the goal he had worked to accomplish for so long.

Nothing.

He started gathering the papers he would need.

********((Traveling With an Army))*********

"Lu! Lucrezia, where are you? Sally?"

Both women looked up at Zechs excited voice.

"Zechs?" Lucrezia jumped up. "Is something wrong?"

"No!" Zechs caught her and hugged her, twirling her around and then letting go. "Everything is perfect!"

Sally eyed him suspiciously. "What's going on? Why are you so happy?" She could count on one hand the times she'd seen her Council this excited.

"We're going to Cordia Township!"

Blink.

"What's in Cordia Township?" Lu demanded. She had her suspicions that it had something to do with their WarCraft, since Zechs had Spoken with Heero earlier, but he'd only informed her of that - that he'd Spoken with Heero - and nothing more. He'd rushed off to request audience with the General before she had managed to get one question out.

"Heero is! And his Others! And their Fifth!"

"They found their Fifth?!" Sally shrieked, delighted. "Oh, oh... tell us about them! Was it a boy or a girl?!"

"Boy," Zechs replied, flopping down on a chair, still grinning in a way that reminded them of Duo. "An Exotic."

"Really?" Lu blinked. "How did they find an Exotic way up North? I thought the few that were left were in Helia."

Zechs shrugged. "So did I. But he was there... I just wish Heero hadn't cut off so suddenly. I didn't get much of a chance to ask him anything. I wish I knew how far their Joining was."

"Why did he stop so suddenly?" Sally went from happy right back to suspicious. She was always wary of harm coming to any of the Talents under her care. Even the ones she hadn't met yet.

"He didn't say. Just that he had to go. He sounded rather surprised, but not as if he were in danger."

"Oh... well, maybe he'll Speak to you again soon."

"I can only hope," Zechs said, but he refused to worry about it right now. He'd yell at Heero - maybe - when he Spoke to him again, but finally hearing from him, and knowing that they were well and had finally completed their Five was enough to make him happier than he had been in months. He reached for one of the small sweet cakes the women had sitting on the table.

"So... did Heero have time to share any memories with you? Do you know anything about the new Fire?" Lu asked innocently.

Zechs hand froze.

********((Cordia Township))********

Trowa finally lifted his lips from Wufei's, gazing at the smaller boy with hopeful eyes. Wufei had been very still at first, and he'd thought his heart would wither and die right there - but then the soft lips had cautiously returned the caress.

The big dark eyes that met his were confused. "Trowa... why did you do that?"

"I told you... I like you."

Wufei's fingers wandered to his mouth, touching his lips like he wasn't certain that the kiss had actually occurred. "You like me like that..."

"Is it a bad thing, Wufei?"

The boy didn't reply for a long moment. "No... I guess not..."

"Wufei?" Trowa wasn't sure what to think of that response.

His Fire looked very uncomfortable. "What... what exactly do you want?"

It was Trowa's turn to blink in confusion. "I don't know what you mean?"

Wufei blushed. "I - I mean, if you like me like Duo likes Quatre... does that mean you want to do what Duo and Quatre do?"

It took Trowa a moment to realize what Wufei was asking. "Oh... no, Wufei, don't worry about that. I'm not going to rush you into anything... I just... I hoped that you liked me, too."

Now he got a timid smile. "I do."

He stared. "Y-you do?"

Wufei nodded.

Trowa swallowed. "So... can I kiss you again?"

Wufei bit his lip slightly. "I guess so... but, Trowa..." he held up a hand, stopping the taller boy short as he leaned forward. "I d-don't want you to think badly of me, but..."

"But what?"

"I..." Wufei hesitated for a moment. "I... I know what they do. Quatre and Duo, I mean. I'm not sure that I... that I can..."

Trowa couldn't stop himself from wrapping his arms around his Fifth, his heart sinking. "Wufei... did someone... did someone hurt you that way?"

"No..." Wufei whispered miserably, "but they tried. Torlin, he... he stopped them... but I - I'm afraid of... getting too close to people.... touching, I mean..." he trailed off rather weakly.

"But you're letting me hug you right now..."

Wufei blinked softly. "I am, aren't I? M-maybe it'll be okay... but... I know, but I don't know... I mean, I sort of know what's going on but I don't know what to do..." He stopped, not quite sure how to explain what he meant.

He didn't have to.

"I understand, Fire. And I said I wouldn't rush you into anything. I meant it. I really like you... that's what matters to me. I won't even kiss you if you don't want to."

Wufei's head came up. "What?! I already said you could! I - I haven't been kissed... I liked it..."

"Really?"

"Really..." Wufei smiled again, a little bolder than before.

Before Trowa really registered what was happening, he was the one being kissed.

It was just as nice as before.