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"Years Come Around"Written By: Karen The Huntress Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or its
characters Rating: R Warnings: AU, supernatural Pairings: 1x2, 3x4+5 Summary: Two vampires and three Paranormal Hunters
travel through seasons of time. "Years Come Around" New Orleans, Louisiana Fiery "Dragon Eye" sun, hovering on the horizon, casts a scarlet glow over St. Louis Cemetery. Timeless nomadic warriors traverse the City of the
Dead. Step in step Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell meander amongst labyrinths
of above ground, age-pitted crypts guarded by limestone skeletons
and mournful maidens. Side by side Heero and Duo pause at the tomb of Marie
Laveau, the legendary Creole Voodoo Queen, laid to rest in 1881. For
decades true believers have made pilgrimages to this final resting
site to offer trinkets, coins and flowers for blessings or faceless
cornhusk dolls to curse unbelievers. "Will Madam Marie acknowledge our entreatments?" Heero inquires of his braided lover. Duo gazes across ghostly silhouettes of oak trees cloaked in tattered shrouds of Spanish moss. Beyond arched iron gates Basin Street makes a straightway route to Jackson Square populated by artists and musicians, soothsayers and illusionists, preachers, priests and whores. "Always." Duo reassures with certainty. ****** Purple tendrils of twilight snake over sandy ground. Dusk caresses headstones, obelisks, effigies and timeworn epitaphs. Ashen fog, wafting from the Mississippi River, bumps softly against a trio of Paranormal Hunters, always together on their cyclical journey to the City of the Dead. Tallest of the three, Trowa Barton, the Sentinel, wears black jeans and black turtleneck sweater beneath an ankle-length black leather overcoat. Jackboots crunch along pea gravel pathways. Long bangs shield hazel eyes for covert scrutiny of a crow perched on a birch branch or shrewd surveillance of phantom stalkers. Blond hair and blue eyes contrary to his Arab ethnicity, Quatre Winner, the Empath, has dressed to match his husband's nocturnal attire. Ever watchful for harbingers of death, he sees auras of golden eyes, hears muffled heartbeats and senses feral spirits. Chang Wufei, shoulder length ebony hair secured in a braided ponytail, is clad in silky black trousers, plum colored Mandarin collar coat and soft black shoes. In sync with all natural elements the Chi Master acquires strength and insight from earth, wind, fire and water. ****** First to discern stealthy movements through rows of tombstones, Quatre proclaims with eager anticipation, "Duo! Heero!" Greetings are conveyed by salutations and embraces. No desire for severance, Quatre lingers in his hugs. "You both have been missed here and here." is indicated by touching his head then heart. "It has been too long since our last meeting." Wufei states with delight at the long awaited reunion. Usually dispassionate, Trowa questions sincerely, "Has Fate treated you well?" "Time is a cruel mistress." Heero states factually. Poles apart from his world-weary lover Duo responds with uninhibited exuberance. "Damn we've missed you guys." Obscured by darkness, five immortals share a bench forged from a slab of blue veined marble and recount seasons when they journeyed on supernatural quests. ****** ~Winter~ Wiltshire, England. Trek to Stonehenge for Winter Solstice. Shortest day. Longest Night. Druids. Chanting. Wine. In tune with the astronomical phenomenon of blood moon transmuting to sunrise, the Sentinel channels solar flares through twin conductive stones. Acting as conduits, nimble fingers manipulate daybreak rays to resurrect ancient remnants of cremated ashes and bones. Finally Trowa diffuses vestiges of heat and light to reconstruct face and form then, as a regenerative intermediary, liberates the reborn essences from Death's persistent embrace. ****** ~Spring~ Kyoto, Japan. Buddhist monks summon the Hunters to track a powerful Onryo, a malevolent ghost that slithered through a rift in time to avenge her brutal murder. In most cases of justifiable retribution the monks would not interfere, but the vicious slaughter of eight people was deemed deplorable. Three days. Onryo's wrathful aura is traced to Ginkaku-ji Temple. A girl of sixteen sits in the Silver Pavilion beneath a canopy of cherry trees laden with pink blossoms. Filthy ragged kimono is permeated with the stench of decay. Long matted ebony hair, like a mourning veil, curtains an ashen, gaunt face. Hollow eye sockets behold the Empath with a vacant gaze. Quatre mentally links with the forlorn maiden trapped in an endless purgatorial vortex between Heaven and Hell. Minds meld. Dregs of pain. Shudder. Raw anguish. Sorrow for what might have been. Lost. Alone. Quatre transmits a psychic assertion to evoke her tormented soul, "Your horrific death has been avenged." Aloud he commands, "Return to your burial chamber. Rest with a peaceful spirit." Tears laced with blood. Mouth gapes wide in a silent primal scream. Trees shivers. Cold squalls whip up whirlwinds of cherry blossom snow. Release. The beautiful girl of sixteen, garbed in a pristine white kimono, twinkles away into the ancestral cycle of reincarnation. ****** ~Summer~ Dunvegan Castle. The oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland has been home to the Chiefs of Clan MacLeod for 800 years. A cryptic letter from Duncan MacLeod beckons the Hunters. Vicious poltergeists plague the castle. Chairs, tables and lamps levitate. Knives fly across the kitchen. Windows slam. Doors jam. Icy mist seeps from crevices. Portraits ooze fetid slime. Multiple presences materialize in the domed conservatory. Restless. After centuries of peaceable coexistent who or what has provoked such venomous hostility? Wufei attempts contact. Mental link splinters violently. Wrath. Walls, vaulted glass ceiling and stone floors ebb and flow like heat mirages. Spectral radiance ripples in waves of static electricity. Phosphoric globes, many parts of the whole, twirl and whirl. Wufei draws his plasma saber. "STAND BACK!" he warns as the foxfire spheres merge to create a massive Celtic dragon. Red eyes glow. Hundreds of razor sharp teeth. The beast rears back on muscular hind legs. Serpentine tail thumps. Windows rattle. Nostrils flare. Blue fire spews forth to engulf the fearless swordsman. Wufei slides into a defensive stance. Double hand grip tilts the bladed weapon at a refractive angle. Most of the stream glances off, yet, flickers of icy particles sting like pinpricks on exposed flesh. Dodge. Parry. Vexation incenses the beast. It springs forward. Saber slices through a torso of pure energy with no effect. Ordained. Impaling the beast's frozen heart is the only way to kill. Wufei also knows the saber will complete a reverse circuit to direct lethal power into his own heart. Regrettably no one lives forever. Chang Wufei charges. Blade pierces the target. Currents of lifeblood surge through the saber. Braced for the end, "Farewell." is whispered in calm submission. Chi Master is encompassed, not by blue cold but crimson warmth. Trowa stands behind. Arms spread wide. Hands emit protective flames. "Not your time." the Sentinel validates his pact with Destiny or, perhaps, the Devil. ****** Fifty years, three months and eighteen days since Duo Maxwell sired Heero Yuy. In contrast to Duo's two hundred years of continual existence, five decades is a mere blink in time. ****** ~Autumn~ Duo is summoned by a prominent Elder of the High Council. Boujour mon ami, I am writing with a request from Clan Lioncourt for your expert skills as a Coven Enforcer. A pack of recently spawned then forsaken vampires are preying on innocents near the Barrière d'Enfer (Gate of Hell) at the South entrance to the Catacombes de Paris. Your promp resolution to this problem will be greatlty appreciated. Lestat de Lioncourt ****** Paris, France Midnight. Moonless. Quartier Rouge. In human guise Duo and Heero stroll down Boulevard de Clichy among crowds of unsuspecting mortals. Along every street in the Red Light District gaudy neon signs advertise adult sex shops, rowdy bars, Le Femme Nue Topless Review and Le Folie's Pigalle Dance Club. Red windmill on the roof identifies the Moulin Rouge. Duo nods, "This way." Alongside the famous Cabaret the stealthy pair slink down a gloomy alleyway. Metal door screeches on rusty hinges. Single bare lightbulb barely brightens concrete steps. In the basement, behind ductwork for a massive furnace, Duo brushes away thick cobwebs, depresses a recessed pressure plate. Deceptively solid brick opens to expose a pitted stone stairway. Step through. Scrape. Breach reseals. Descend. First level: Illuminated by dim amber light from no visible source. Dank. Beady-eyed gray rats squeak and scamper. Second level: Water seeps through limestone. Walls streaked white. Stalactites jut from the low ceiling. Traction is treacherous on steps encrusted with slick mineral deposits. Third level: Rock floor slants downward. Cavernous. Unnatural night. Duo and Heero utilize enhanced eyesight to navigate a labyrinth of subterranean passageways. ****** In 1786 nightly convoys of wagons transferred skeletons and newly interred bodies from overflowing cemeteries to a network of mine tunnels. These underground ossuaries, known as Catacombes de Paris, safeguard the remains of more than six million people. Heero closes his eyes and clears his mind to focus on residual impressions. Confusion. Desperation. Ravenousness hunger. A certain sympathy can be mustered for disowned creatures destined to fend without guidance. Tragically, once rogues go feral, there's no cure for irredeemable souls. But for Duo's council and protection, Heero would have suffered the same piteous fate. Layer after layer of brittle skulls and bones, shrouded in primordial dust and discolored by inky mold, fashions an unhallowed warren. Duo sniffs chilly currents. Distinct from musty air, latent scents confirm the existence of reanimated corpses. "Close." he states from centuries of experience. Heero agrees by unsheathing the katana hidden beneath his black leather coat. Confident posture and single hand grip displays proficient expertise in the art of swordplay. Cautious steps. Passage expands into an unadorned chamber. Alas the peculiar space isn't empty. Bodies and brains ravished by the damnable vampiric curse, nine men in varying stages of transmogrification hunker down like rabid animals. Ironically, in numerology, nine signifies the finality of judgement. Filthy. Wild eyes. Pale skin. Canine fangs smeared with blood. Primal instincts. Devour prey. Pack attacks in unison. Duo intercepts the leader. Silver metal stake pierces his heart. Second assailant—same conclusion. Third. Fourth. Blur of motion. Heero severs heads until five decapitated corpses share release from tormented anguish. Silence. Duo and Heero regard the aftermath of battle. In a rare moment of compassion Duo makes the sign of the cross. "Andare con Dio." ****** New Orleans, Louisiana The full "Eye of Heaven" moon casts silvery brilliance over St. Louis Cemetery. From Jackson Square bells of Saint Louis Cathedral heralds the Witching Hour. This repetitive ritual synchronizes the rhythmic cadence of minutes and hours, months and years. As each mist-muted toll counts the cycle of midnight to daybreak, three Paranormal Hunters prepare to depart the City of the Dead. The Empath lingers in his hugs. "May your hearts be forever peaceful." "Et le vent guider vos ailes." Trowa adds. Wufei bows. "Blessings and wisdom always." "Safe journey through both worlds" Heero and Duo wish in unison. Double iron gates. Exit portals for Basin Street and beyond. Side by side by side the immortal trio merge with cat paw fog creeping over cobblestones. Smaller. Dimmer. Gone. Hand in hand Heero and Duo reserve directions, retrace paths often taken. Somewhere among trees, equinoctial leaves crackling like dry bone wind chimes, an owl queries, "WHOOOOO?" "No one." Duo replies. Unblinking stares petrified in stone, angels and demons grant no recognition. Fossilized lips offer mute testimony to the passing of time. Further into the innermost sanctum moon-traced shadows stretch longer. Ethereal illusions warp reality. Figments of forsaken souls, Duo and Heero feign human guises to fool the eye and bewilder the senses. Two preternatural beings stop beneath a gnarled oak shrouded in Resurrection Ferns. Certain that elemental laws do not rule their existence Heero states, "Seasons will hurry." "Time always runs ahead." Duo agrees. Heero enfolds Duo in his arms, entices his braided lover with a deep passionate kiss. Overhead a red doppelganger orb eclipses the full moon to bath St. Louis Cemetery in crimson obscurity. Locked in a ceaseless embrace, heartbeats quicken. Two bodies, as one, fray around the edges. Apparitional aspects of solid flesh and bone shed away like feathery wisps of smoke until nothing remains but sighs on the wind. Emissaries for the dead. Interveners for the living. Hunters. Lovers. Masters of the Night. Heero Yuy and Duo Maxwell will travel the Earth, crisscross multiple dimensions then gather again with Paranormal Hunters in the City of the Dead. Sunrise. Moonrise. Years come around.
"Et le vent guider vos ailes." Translated from French: "And the wind guide your wings." "Andare con Dio" Translated from Italian: "Go with God." Resurrection Ferns grow on trunks and branches of oak trees. The name 'resurrection' stems from how the ferns react to weather patterns. During dry periods they are brown, shriveled and appear to be dead. Following rain those same ferns are green and lush. Duncan MacLeod is also known as The Highlander Lestat de Lioncourt is a main character in The Vampire Chronicles written by Ann Rice.
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