Disclaimer: I do not own the Gundam Wing boys, nor am I making any money off of this. The concept of a confessor and the Mord-Sith is from Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth novels. Warnings: AU, violence, shounen-ai Pairings: 1+2 3+4 The Confessor Series Part 15 "How many do you think there are?" Wufei muttered to Trowa as they lay side by side on a low hill overlooking the encamped army. All of them were lying flat on their stomachs surveying the disconcerting scene in front of them. "I would guess about 75,000. That would be about a third of the Golgathan army if the reports were accurate," Trowa answered in a low voice. "Why wouldn't they invade with their whole army?" Duo questioned from the other side of Wufei. "Because the Emperor has other borders to guard. Golgatha is a huge empire and Odin Lowe has made many enemies. If they thought he was occupied elsewhere, they wouldn't hesitate to attack," Trowa explained patiently. "Sounds like he's a real popular guy," Duo observed as he gazed down over the plains that were literally crawling with enemy soldiers. "So why is he trying to take over the midlands?" Duo wanted to know. "Because they make an easy target. Up until recently, they were just a loose collection of small countries. Treize united them so they could defend themselves from this," Quatre spoke up from the other side of Trowa. "Hooray for Treize," Duo muttered snidely. Heero reached over from where he was lying beside Duo and gave the long braid a tug. Duo shot the cobalt-eyed soldier a mock-glare and pointedly removed his braid from harm's way. "So, fearless leader. How are we going to get from here to there?" Duo gestured into the distance where there was an army between them and the fortress Bitterroot. "Hn," was his answer as Heero studied the considerable obstacle. Long moments passed as cool breezes mussed their hair and caused the long golden grasses, in which they were hiding, to sway to and fro. The warm sun was high in the summer sky and despite the nearness of the enemy, the soldiers had to fight to stay awake. Duo yawned and laid his head on his arms; his violet eyes blinked sleepily. Quatre put his head on Trowa's shoulder and dozed. Wufei just rolled his eyes at them and continued to stare with wolf like hunger at the massed army below. Heero thought of and discarded scenarios, trying to think of a way to get through the army unnoticed. Then his lips twitched into what, for him, passed as a grin. "How do you feel about joining the Golgathan army?" he asked. S was bored. Maintaining the madness spell was a constant drain on his power, but other than that, there was simply nothing to do. There were no spell books around so he couldn't pass the time studying. He would have liked to talk to the other wizards but he had to be very careful about what he said. One never knew when Odin would "arrive". He saw J walking by and wondered what the white-haired wizard was doing. J was the most powerful of the five and for that reason Odin Lowe had targeted him most frequently. Tormented him too. J had fought the Emperor long and hard, but even J couldn't fight against the power of the Golgathan throne and win. S knew J had been the head instructor at the Magics' Academy in Erudin, the Golgathan capital, a long time ago. Three hundred students were attending at the time J was teaching there. They had all come to learn from him. Well known as a wise and powerful mage, J was just as widely known for his good humor and generosity. Then Odin had ascended the throne. As punishment for resisting the emperor, Odin had taken over J's mind and power. Helpless to stop him, J watched in horror as Odin cast Wizard's Fire on the whole student population, which was gathered in an auditorium. Wizard's Fire was very nasty stuff. It couldn't be put out by any means. The liquid flames simply burned until there was nothing left to burn. It is said that to this day the smell of burnt meat still clings to the charred Academy walls. Now, his curiosity aroused, S followed J through the huge stone fortress. The gold and maroon robes that had marked him as a fellow First Rank wizard were easy to spot as J climbed the steps leading to the plateau. S followed a little more slowly, not wanting to be seen by that powerful, but broken old man. J walked to the very edge of the steep plateau, and looked out over the encamped army. He spread his arms wide and lifted a foot to take a step forward. S didn't move. His heart ached for his fellow wizard. Such death attempts were futile gestures. They had all tried this at one point or another. The results were always the same. The old wizard froze, every muscle in his body contracted. S knew what was happening. Odin was keeping a close eye on them, making sure his "pets" didn't harm themselves so late in the game. J's body took a step back, then another. His muffled sobs confirmed S's suspicion. There was no escape for the wizards, not even by suicide. With a shake of his head, S turned and quietly walked back down the steps. He knew that J would be receiving a "lesson" now, and he didn't want to witness it. Getting into Bitterroot was surprisingly easy. Donning the stolen black-trimmed-with-silver officer uniforms, they simply timed their way past the sentries and strode purposefully through the camped army, looking for all the world like they belonged there. Duo had tucked his braid down the front of his jacket so it wasn't conspicuous. After walking ten miles through the camp, the sun was setting as they came to the gates of Bitterroot and like that, they were in. "That was easy," Quatre whispered to Wufei as they entered the fortress courtyard and climbed the wide stone steps into the fortress. "Yeah, a little too easy," Wufei murmured back, making sure there were no guards within earshot. "So guys, where do we find these wizards?" Duo wanted to know as they strode unchallenged along a long corridor. "I don't know, this is a big place," Trowa said as he leaned out a window and craned his neck, peering through his long bang to look up at the watchtowers overhead. "Yeah, a little too big," Wufei said quietly as he inspected a set of fortress guards walking past them. "What is with you and the superlatives?" Duo asked Wufei, who looked puzzled. Duo rolled his eyes, "Never mind." "Did you notice that the army seemed to be getting ready to move out?" Trowa asked. They turned a corner that led to a large doorway opening onto another roofless courtyard; the setting sun cast long shadows on the plateau before them. Heero, who was leading the group and ignoring their quiet exchanges, stopped suddenly. The others nearly fell over trying not to plow into him. Ignoring their irritated protests, he looked up, studying a figure walking along the top of the plateau. It was wearing maroon and gold robes. Heero's cobalt eyes narrowed. "This way," he ordered in a low voice. As they made their way deeper into the huge stone fortress, they came to a large bare room with four doors at various intervals. A small noise from the far corner caused them to halt. It was one of the wizards. The man was the weirdest-looking person they had ever seen. He was wearing a false nose and his hair stood straight up. He was dressed in gold and maroon robes. He stared straight at them, absolutely immobile. For a long moment nobody moved. The wizard that had once been known as Symin, now just S, looked at the officers that had just entered the room. They didn't seem quite like the other Golgathan officers he had met before. On impulse, he closed his eyes and 'looked' at them. What he saw confirmed his suspicions and hopes. Surprisingly, the wizard broke into a joyous laugh that didn't seem quite right to Heero's group, and ran to Duo, who backed away uncertainly at the old man's approach. The others were as stunned as Duo, but Heero moved to intercept the old wizard before he could touch the braided boy. "Oh, you are a confessor aren't you?" he asked, his eyes bright with unshed tears of relief. Duo was flabbergasted. Usually when people realized what he was, they ran the other way. "Please, touch me! Hurry! Do it before HE comes. Please!" the wizard begged. The confessor glanced uncertainly at Heero, who looked as stunned as Duo felt. Heero released the wizard and stepped back, shrugging at Duo, who stepped forward and touched the wizard's bare hand. Still looking doubtful, he unleashed his power. Thunder impacted the air without a sound, violently sending a jolt of agony through the joints of the onlooking soldiers. They had never before stood so close to Duo when he released his powers before and the shock of the concussion it caused surprised them. The wizard's eyes lit up with worship and reverence. "Master, what do you want of me?" "Tell me why you wanted me to touch you," Duo answered. For the life of him he could not figure out what was going on. The noseless wizard beamed at Duo. Heero motioned for the others to take up guard stations at three of the doors. He and Duo stayed to question the wizard. "Not even Odin Lowe can override a confessor's touch, Master. Because of you I am free of him. He can't force me to do anything again! Thank you master," said S, his face was filled with adoration that Duo ignored. "What was he forcing you to do?" Duo asked a bit impatiently. "Cast the madness spell over the King's Gorge! I didn't want to but he can take over my mind and make me do it. It hurt me badly but I couldn't fight him because he's so powerful," the wizard explained, still beaming. "When will the army move out?" Trowa asked from nearby. "Tomorrow after the General arrives. They will march on the Sank Kingdom first. There they have orders to kill every man, woman and child in the country as an example to the rest of the midlands of what happens if they resist the Emperor," S answered calmly. Stunned, Heero's group could only stare at the noseless wizard in shock. It was beyond their comprehension to understand how one person would calculatingly order the death of an entire population. The sickening sense of helplessness filled them. Heero saw movement out of the corner of his eye and turned. There was another old man in gold and maroon wizard robes, standing in the one unguarded doorway, where there was no one guarding. Long white hair fell about his shoulders. He was pointing to the roof above Duo's head and chanting a spell. "Look out!" Heero slammed into the braided confessor, sending the young man sprawling across the floor just as the stone roof exploded above of the cobalt-eyed soldier. Duo looked back and saw Heero disappear under tons of rubble and debris. For a brief second, time seemed to slow and broaden, and then it stopped. "NOOOOOOO!" With a sickening lurch, time started again. Duo's anguished wail was still echoing through the room as he leaped to his feet and ran to the buried soldier, landing on his knees he began clawing frantically at the large blocks. Quatre was there a heartbeat behind him, pulling him away from the mound. "Let me go!" Duo fought the young mage's arms as he reached back to the place where Heero was dying. "Duo! Listen to me! I can get him out of there! I need you out of the way!" Quatre shouted, trying to get the confessor's attention. Trowa stepped up and took Duo from Quatre. Quatre, relieved of his furiously fighting burden, stepped back to the mound and bent down. Gathering his power, he concentrated. The stones began to shift up and away from the floor. Soon, a battered, bloodstained form was uncovered. The blond was sweating from the effort. Seeing Heero uncovered, Duo broke free from Trowa's restraining arms and ran forward. Kneeling, he gently touched the inert form, trying not to cause more damage. Trowa also knelt beside Heero. "Heero?" Duo whispered, then louder "Heero?" He stripped off his jacket and placed it over the bloody body, trying to keep Heero warm. "He's alive, barely," Trowa reported, feeling a pulse. "Can you heal him?" Duo turned to Quatre, his violet eyes pleading desperately. "I'll try." Quatre's reserves were starting to get depleted, but he didn't think twice about trying to save Heero. He closed his eyes and focused. While waiting for something to happen, Duo looked around and saw the wizard who had cast the spell still standing in the doorway. Frowning, Duo wondered why the wizard was just standing there, not doing anything. Then the wizard stepped into the room and Duo saw Wufei behind him, a razor-sharp blade held to the old man's back. "No matter how powerful a wizard is, a knife in his back will seriously cramp his style," Wufei smirked as he quoted his favorite axiom. Duo jumped to his feet and ran at the wizard; grabbing hold of the robe's collar he shook the wizard like a rag doll. "If he dies, I'll make you wish you were never born!" he promised, his violet eyes almost black with killing rage. Incredibly the old man smiled. It was twisted and cruel. Duo stared into his eyes, absently noting they were cobalt blue, the same shade as Heero's. The smile only enraged the furious confessor. He grabbed the skinny, wrinkled neck with his good hand and began to squeeze. A gnarled hand reached up and latched onto Duo's. "Do you know who I am?" the wizard croaked out under Duo's throttling. "I don't really care," Duo gritted out as he continued to squeeze. As if he were swatting a fly, the old man slapped Duo's hand away from his throat. The neck had a white handprint that was fast turning red. Stunned, Duo took a step back. He could sense that something was not right, but he didn't know what it was. "I am Odin Lowe, you little fool! Do you think you can defeat me? My army will destroy you." The old man stepped menacingly toward the confessor, forgetting, for a minute, about Wufei. At that proclamation, everyone, including Quatre, looked up, stunned. Odin Lowe? Here? It was Duo who broke the stunned silence. With exaggerated casualness, he looked the old wizard up and down. With a sneer he commented, "I thought you'd be taller." That seemed to throw the man claiming to be the Emperor for a second; then, with a cry of rage he recovered and pointed at Duo and gathered his power once again. By this time Duo had had enough. Quicker than the eye could follow, he once again grasped the old wizard's throat. "I don't give a damn who you are, you're dead." Knowing that whatever was in front him could only see his merciless eyes, Duo unleashed his power once again. Odin seemed to sense something a split second before the concussion hit and fled the wizard's mind. The tearing shock was too much for the wizard known as J; he fell dead at Duo's feet. "It was him, Odin Lowe," S said sadly. "He takes over our minds and uses our bodies." For several heartbeats, no one moved. Then Quatre, who had been trying to heal the fallen major, gasped and swayed. Trowa was instantly beside him, steadying the young blond with a gentle hand. "He's seriously hurt. I can keep him alive, but he's too badly hurt for me to heal. We need to get him to a healer fast!" Quatre closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to clear it. Duo tried to think, but all he could see was Heero's lifeless form and all he could think was of the thousands of people in the Sank Kingdom that were going to die. The helpless feeling grew stronger until he thought he might be sick. How could they hope to defeat an entire army? Even if they managed to get all the wizards out of the way, there was still that army out there waiting to invade. With no defense, the entire population of the Sank Kingdom would be put to the sword. Duo knew they must do everything in their power to prevent that. If only he could use his power to do something useful. Swearing in frustration, he slammed his injured fist into the stonewall; the knitting bones grated painfully in the splint. "Dammit!" He was supposed to be powerful, but he couldn't even use that power to protect the person he loved. Then it came to him. Maybe there was something he could do. But the price, oh god the price. "Dorothy" Dorothy Catalonia sat up in her bedroll at the sound of the Emperor's voice in her head. Never before had she heard it so weak. "My Lord?" she asked in confusion. 'How far are you from Bitterroot?' She could barely hear him. "Less than a day's ride, my Lord," she answered quickly. "Hurry and get there, ride all night, stop them." Then he was gone. Dorothy got up and strode into the largest tent and proceeded to kick General Tubarav awake. "Come on, we're heading out," her voice was ice cold, the voice of a Mord-Sith. The general knew better than to argue. Duo looked at Heero's limp body under his jacket. He remembered Heero helping him brush his hair, the gentle hands wrapping his broken wrist and that kiss.. Duo's lips tightened with resolve. He would do it. He had to do it. Once he made his decision, he felt cold calm descend over him like a familiar cloak. He was prepared to do what had to be done, but first he had to make sure the others were safe. He walked over to where S was standing. He spoke quietly to the wizard and was rewarded with an affirmative nod. He turned around and looked at Trowa. "Get Wufei, now," he ordered; his violet eyes were flat. Trowa looked uncertainly at Quatre who nodded that he should do as Duo said; then the tall ranger hurried out into the corridor where Wufei guarded their position. "Duo, what are you planning?" Quatre demanded, a trace of suspicion in his voice. He took hold of Duo's arm, forcing the confessor to look at him. The dead violet eyes terrified him even though Duo had done nothing. Yet. "You have to get Heero out of here. The Emperor might try again with one of the other wizards. I'm going try to get to them before that happens," Duo explained. "Duo, what are you planning?" Quatre asked again. He knew that the braided boy was up to something more than he was admitting. Duo looked squarely into Quatre's eyes. He was at peace with what he was about to do. He didn't want to tell Quatre what he planned. But the blond mage wouldn't be satisfied until he knew what was going to happen. "Do you remember the gorge?" Quatre was puzzled for a moment. The gorge? What did that have to do with anything? Then understanding hit him like an icy wave. The young mage went white to the lips. The huge blue eyes were the only color left in his face. Slowly, his lips stiff with shock, he managed to get his words out. "Duo, no! You can't!" "I can, and I will. I'll destroy the fortress." Duo's calm demeanor was far more frightening than his earlier rage. Quatre let go of Duo's arm and took a step back, looking at Duo as if seeing him, really seeing him, for the first time. This wasn't the fun loving, talkative Duo Maxwell, the boy he had spent the past few weeks laughing with and fighting beside. This was a Confessor, one of the most powerful creatures on the planet. "But you can't control it!" Quatre tried to argue, remembering those terrifying moments in the gorge. "No, but I can stop it before it gets out of control. I'll use S over there and the others if I can get to them. If I do this, then the midlands will have time to get ready. I don't plan on dying, but if I'm going down, I'll take as many as I can down with me." The unholy gleam in the confessor's eyes reminded Quatre of that day the Duo made the bandit leader eat his own balls. By this time Trowa had returned with Wufei. They looked from the confessor to the mage uncertainly. There was something going on but they were at a loss as to know what it was. Duo turned to them. "Take Heero and get ready to go." His voice was so calm it sent dread straight through their hearts. "Where?" Wufei demanded. Duo looked over at S and nodded. S started a series of gestures with his hands, chanting strange words of magic. Off to their left, near the center of the wall, a small hole opened up in midair. It grew larger; soon it was high enough for even Trowa to walk through with out ducking. "There," Duo said shortly. "A gate. But where does it go?" Quatre asked. "It will take you to where we left the horses." Duo looked back at Quatre, his violet eyes softening a little as he looked into the blond boy's pleading gaze. The mage stepped forward and took the confessor in his arms. Duo slowly brought up his arms to hug him back. Quatre's mind searched frantically for an alternative, but he couldn't seem to think clearly. "Tell Heero," Duo whispered in Quatre's hair. "If I fail, promise me you'll tell him that I tried to complete the mission, I didn't run." Duo took the piece of silk ribbon that bound his braid and untied it. He handed it to Quatre, saying everything with his eyes that his voice couldn't. "I promise." Quatre stepped back. He stuffed the ribbon into his pocket then let his hands fall limply at his sides, his large blue eyes pooling with unshed tears. The dread in the pit of his stomach insisted that this was wrong, so wrong, but he knew by the look in those violet eyes that Duo could not be swayed. Maybe if Heero was OK, he could talk Duo out of this. But the major was deathly still. Wufei sensed that this was goodbye and bowed respectfully to the confessor. He didn't quite understand what was going on, but the solemnity of the situation kept him from questioning it. "You are a good student, Maxwell," he said with a catch in his voice. "Thank you for teaching me, Wufei." Duo bowed back respectfully. Trowa didn't say anything, he just held out his hand. Duo looked at the offered hand a moment then hesitantly took it in his own. Looking up into Trowa's green eyes, Duo lips quirked into a ghost of his old smile. "Take care of each other." Wufei carefully picked up Heero's unconscious form and walked to the portal. Trowa and Quatre followed. Just before they entered, they turned around. Duo hadn't moved. He was still standing at the spot where they said their goodbyes, watching as they left him behind. He looked so lost and alone. As he watched them, there was wistfulness in his eyes. He raised his bandaged hand in a brief gesture of goodbye, offering a ghost of his cocky grin. "I'll see you soon." Quatre, Trowa and Wufei, holding Heero in his arms, stepped though the portal out onto the plains once more. The gate closed behind them with a silent snap. They were gone. Duo turned to S. His violet eyes were once again flat with determination. "Where are the others?" "This way, master." Duo followed S though the corridor and up the stone steps. They climbed until they reached the plateau above Bitterroot. The three remaining wizards were standing there, looking out over the plains. Without hesitating, Duo walked up to them and in a triple echo of silent thunder, touched all three. The torches flickered and the air itself jumped with the concussions as the confessor released his power. The wizards known as O, G and H turned; their eyes filled with reverence and worship. "Master?" they chorused. "Which spell will utterly destroy something?" he asked conversationally. "Disintegrate," the wizard known as S answered immediately. "Start the spell." The four captive wizards nodded and Duo could feel the rapid rise of power. Currents of magic stirred around them, streaks of black snaked through the air as the wizards gathered their strength. "Destroy the fortress," he commanded. "Master? Disintegrate is a single target kill, it is not an area-effect spell. We don't have the power necessary to convert it," O said. Duo smiled. There was no mirth in it, just an awful knowing. This is what he was waiting for. "Tap into my power." The four wizards immediately closed their eyes and Duo felt the drain. This was no trickle as with Quatre in the gorge. He could feel power rushing out of him like a river, but no matter how much they pulled out of him, there was no limit. He was a male confessor. He was infinitely powerful. His hair, no longer tied, started to unravel from the braid. It floated about his shoulders as the magics in the air began to react to each other. The wizards were showing signs of strain, their wills began to fray as the two different magics clashed and sought dominance. The air began to glow an eerie white as the spell started to spin out of control. The low, sonorous tone like a huge iron bell began to hum, at first almost ultrasonic but growing louder until their bones felt like they were shaking apart. Duo raised his arms out from his sides and tilted his head back, closing his violet eyes. His chestnut fall of hair spilled loose down his back as he reveled in the power. The confessor was determined to obliterate everything in the fortress known as Bitterroot. He knew he had to hold on for a little while until the spell had ran its course. But something unexpected happened; he had miscalculated the magnitude of the power of the magics. The results were terrifying. The wizards died instantly, crushed in the tidal wave of uncontrolled force. The roiling mass of power expanded outward. Stonewalls crumbled to dust and soft human flesh crumpled to blood-smeared remains as the rapidly expanding force rolled over the inhabitants of the fortress. Following the force was incinerating heat, scorching anything remaining into ash. Surprised by the sheer destruction he had wrought, Duo tried to stop the spell the same way as before when he jolted Quatre with the full force of his Wild magic. He relaxed the restraint on his power. Silent thunder filled the seething air as he dropped the blocks on the awesome power bottled within him. It was like high winds on a raging wildfire. Quicker than light, the Wild and High magics combined and exploded with murderous fury. The very air screamed as it was incinerated. The fortress ignited in a blinding burst of white light. The two magics of chaos and order thundered deafeningly in a seething wrath of power. Duo stood at the center of the maelstrom, caught up in the power he had unleashed. He felt the white-hot magic sear his body, but he held on. He was so connected to the destructive force that he could feel the soldiers in the encamped army around Bitterroot dying under his power. Thousands and thousands of men and women died screaming in agony, and he felt each and every one of them. Duo felt his mind began to tear. Each death he was experiencing shredded his senses. Chaotic powers swirled madly about him. He opened his mouth to scream, but found he was laughing instead. There was no sanity in that laugh; it was a match for the forces around him. 'I am the bringer of death,' was his last coherent thought. Then the world turned white. Fifteen miles away, the gate deposited Quatre and the others near the stream where the horses were. Three steeds trotted up at Trowa's whistle. They all noticed Shinigami's absence, but refrained from commenting on the finality of it. Wufei gently laid Heero's body on the ground. They hurried to tack up their mounts, in case they needed a quick getaway. Quatre kept his healing power centered on Heero while they watched the horizon, wondering if they would know if Duo's plan had worked. The pre-dawn sky was dotted with bright stars and the setting moons cast long distorted shadows at their feet. "Look!" Trowa shouted. In the direction of Bitterroot, a half-sphere of light began to rise out of the ground like an erupting volcano. It grew rapidly. With a fascinated horror, Quatre realized it was expanding in all directions, including theirs, at such a rate that they could never outrun it. He knew they had only one chance. "Blindfold the horses," he instructed. As Trowa and Wufei hurried to follow his instructions, Quatre readied his power. Focusing with all his might, he created a power shield about twenty feet in diameter. "Hang on!" The blast struck Quatre's shield like a hammer blow. Quatre leaned forward, splaying his hands and pushed as if against a wall. He called on his power, feeding everything to the shield. He could feel the power burning out of him at a tremendous rate but he wouldn't give up. Gasping for breath, he pushed even harder, calling on all the magic within him to hold back the weight of the chaos swirling around them. Behind him, the horses screamed in terror, but being unable to see, they stayed in the protective cover of the shield. Trowa and Wufei were grimly hanging on to them for dear life. Heero never stirred. After what seemed an eternity, the terrible pressure lessened, then stopped. Quatre fell to his knees gasping for breath as he let the shield dissipate. Finally, he looked up. All around them, except for where the shield had provided protection, was desolation. There was no grass or water or even dirt. Nothing remained except blasted, barren rock for as far as their eyes could see. Nothing had survived that incredible display of magic gone horribly wrong. The air was utterly still. 'I wonder if the whole world is like this?' Quatre thought just before he passed out. Trowa and Wufei took the blindfolds off the horses, and then stared at the seared plains, numb. They couldn't seem to move. A hot wind began to blow, but on the slagged plains there was nothing to stir, not even dust. It was a horrifying tribute to an ultimate sacrifice and the extinction of the race of Confessors, Trowa thought. "May you be granted eternal rest, and forever let light shine upon you. Farewell Duo," Wufei murmured.