Part Ninety-three: Teal
A clatter of feet on the stairs was our only warning. Duo was at his desk, head
resting on his crossed arms, a bit tired from these last few days. Dealing with
a vortex of Wyverns will do that to you. He raised his head drowsily, blinking
at the noise. Enrique moved that way in defensive mode; people generally don't
run on those slippery stone steps without good reason.
I cut short my conversation with Trowa and also headed that way. Before Enrique or I got to the doorway, though, a gasping male burst through, eyes wild, hair flying, and blue-green-purple kilt swirling.
"Duo?!" he yelled.
My Banshee started to his feet, eyes wide.
"Teal?! Ohmigod! *Teal!*" He was over the desk and across the room and into his uncle's welcoming arms in under a heartbeat. Perhaps he teleported the 12 meters.
Enrique raised one eyebrow at me; I shrugged. "He's been anxious for their arrival."
"Ah," said the Forest Elf, and returned to what he was doing.
"Where's Dael?" Duo demanded.
"Being spoiled rotten by a very nice Witch downstairs. I think her name is Raia," Teal smiled. "I stopped at the director's office to ask directions."
Duo relaxed with a sigh, melting into Teal's embrace. The elder Banshee cocked an eyebrow at me, and I joined them with a smile. He freed one arm to extend a brief hug to me.
"Good to see you, Heero," he grinned. "Looks like you've done a good job with him."
I shook my head. "If I'd been doing my job, there wouldn't be any reason for this."
He rolled his eyes. "Fine, you stubborn rock. Tomorrow morning, then, I'll kick your butt around the parking lot. Will that make you feel better?"
Strangely enough, it would. All this unconditional forgiveness for my lack of attention to my duty made me uncomfortable and even more conscious of my failure.
"Yes, please," I shot back with a grin.
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Dael had settled down to sleep immediately; the child had been going since morning.
Teal, Duo and I arranged ourselves on the spacious veranda of the Victorian house. Teal lounged near the playpen to be close to his daughter, while Duo perched on the wide railing above him. I chose a wicker chair on his other side. Duo is not the bundle of raw, twitching nerves now that he was a few weeks ago; I have to admit to a certain relief that Teal did not actually see Duo in that fragile and vulnerable state. I might not be sitting here so comfortably now.
We have discussed my role in this mess, and Duo's uncle seems not inclined to blame me for any of it. I suppose my self-flagellation is more than enough.
We've also been over our jobs; Teal has been introduced to everyone in the office and quite a few people outside of our office. The office females made some pre-mating preening gestures and Teal flirted back. It took less than two hours for Teal to find this house, using the list Duo had put together for him, and acquire a room for himself and Dael. The landlady, an elderly Witch, was delighted to have a pair of Banshees in the house. We toured the town and had dinner and Teal gave us all the details of his stay with his mother's Clan, including the massive storm.
And Duo asked hesitantly if Teal could tell him more about Danc. The elder Banshee embraced my Chosen warmly.
"Yes, Duo; I will tell you whatever I can. Come over tomorrow? We'll have time then."
And so we were here....
Teal picked up his glass of iced tea, running his fingers lightly over the sweating surface. It's a warm day; unseasonably so. By mid-afternoon we'll all feel like napping.
"I know," said Teal softly, "that you want to know about Danc; what she was like, the sort of female she was. And I know you want to know the circumstances behind your birth. It's not unexpected. Danc wanted you to know and Shar was prepared to tell you whenever you asked, but she wanted to wait until you asked. As I promised, I will tell you whatever I can and maybe we can divine the rest between us. It begins, for our purposes, with a death..."
"I'm a bit...older, so I was able to see what happened with a more mature eye. Shar and Caz were just children.
"They were essentially abandoned by their mother; that's why Danc returned to the Clan. If their mother had done right by them, Danc might still be alive. But we might not have you.
"When Kli was killed, it caused a major shake-up in the Council. A great deal was made of the fact that it happened through errors on both sides of a Banshee/Human venture. That part isn't necessarily relevant, but I can tell you later if you want to know. Or rather, my mother can tell you; she was there through it all, while I came in somewhat later. In any case, Kli died, and blame was thrown from all sides. A war – of words only, fortunately – ensued, and when the dust settled, his female was Matriarch.
"She immediately set about consolidating her power and began to remake the structure of the Clan the way *she* wanted.
"She wasn't without opponents, but they gradually fell by the way, unable to convince those who supported her that they were on the wrong track.
"At the time, Danc was living and working in a city, enjoying her life and the challenges she found. She came home when Kli died, and stepped into the middle of the storm. And she took the side of the opposition. Rather than see her brother and sister suffer for their mother's ambition, she took them and she raised them. Mika disowned them all."
Duo started and nearly fell off the porch railing. Teal and I both reached automatically to steady him.
"Mika!" he yelped. "No fucking way! Teal, are you saying that *Mika* is my *grandmother*?!"
"Unfortunately," he sighed.
"But... But she was the one who banished me!"
Teal just nodded.
"But..." Clearly, Duo was having difficulty with the idea; I brushed my hand against his leg. "But *why*?"
Teal shrugged. "That I don't know. From as far back as I can remember Mika was ambitious. She joined the council around the time that Shar was born. She had a penchant for stirring things up; for seeing problems and dangers where none existed before."
"In other words, she was a troublemaker," said Duo flatly.
"Pretty much," agreed Teal. "A lot of people listened to her, though, and she gained power. Danc was in her 30's then; she'd already been exposed to the outside world, and she felt that a lot of Mika's fears and ideas were ridiculous. She didn't hesitate to say so, whenever she came home, either. Kli did his best to referee, but getting between two angry females... Not very smart in the first instance, and fairly futile in the second. Danc mostly stayed away; Kli visited her in the city a few times. He wasn't a wanderer, but he wasn't afraid of humans either. Mika seemed determined to make the Clan fear Humans. I don't know why."
"Power," I offered. "Control their interaction with the outside world, and she could control *them* more easily, make them dependant on her for guidance." I hadn't liked that female when I first caught her trying to sneak into Teal's home; I liked her even less now.
Teal nodded slowly. "Yes, control and power, certainly. And she didn't have to try too hard; other Clan members hung on her every pronouncement, but my parents thought her a fool.
"Then Kli was killed, and it seemed to validate everything she had been saying. Danc came home and joined the furor. My mother sent for me – she was quite fond of Danc; I think she rather hoped that Danc and I... might find a mutual attraction. In any case, she felt that Danc needed all the support she could get.
"By the time I got home, though, it was pretty much settled. Mika was Matriarch; Danc had Shar and Caz to care for and those who had opposed Mika had retreated in defeat."
Teal sighed softly, looking down at his hands. "I suggested that Danc take the children and leave. I offered to go with her and help support her and them, either in the outside world or at Merry Brook. My parents would have gone to Merry Brook with us; my father was disgusted with the whole affair and angry that his own Clan would behave so... so cowardly. Danc refused to leave, though. She said, quite rightly, that Mika's bad behavior wasn't going to chase her out of her own Clan. We stayed then to help her as we could.
"Shar was only seven then, and Caz barely a year old. Danc chafed at being held down with the responsibility for them, but she never let them know it. She loved them both dearly and was never away from them for more than a few hours until Shar was nearing seventeen.
"Danc would make daytrips into the city to sell her wares, usually to the decorators' shops. At the time, I was also brokering for other members of the Clan who were too afraid to deal with Humans. We sometimes went together, though not always. That was one immediate consequence of Mika's fear-mongering; our trade with the Human communities dropped precipitously. A number of Banshees were secretly overjoyed that Danc and I made those trips. Even though they couldn't openly oppose Mika, they could at least sell their crafts and bring something back to the Clan.
"It was on one of Danc's solo trips that she met him..."
"My father?" Duo whispered.
"Yes. She was literally dancing when she returned. She told me she had met the most fascinating creature, but she refused to elaborate. I think she wanted one thing, one small area of her life that was hers alone, and not shared by anyone else. She was entitled, I think; she'd given up a rich, independent life to raise her siblings, while trying to shake some sense into her Clan, and keep Mika from driving us down any further. She was more than entitled to the happiness she found with him."
Duo stirred, confusion plain on his face. "But Teal... What about...? You offered..."
The blond Banshee stretched in his chair, sighing. "Why didn't I try to win her? I'm... not really sure, Duo. Your mother was certainly beautiful, charming, talented and intelligent – all traits that you share, by the way – and at one point in my life I remember being absolutely head over heels in love with her. But... I suppose I'm a rather strong-willed male; I think we would have clashed eventually if we had tried to form a romantic relationship. We were friends; good friends, strong friends. Danc could count on me to back her up about anything. Maybe if she had asked me..." He shook his head. "I just don't know, Duo. It never came up." He looked down at his daughter sleeping so peacefully beside him. "I loved Shar, but..."
"But differently...?" Duo said hesitantly.
"Yes; that would describe it quite well." Teal reached up to clasp Duo's hand, watching his face. "I was a wanderer, Duo; I came and I went. I roamed the world while Danc stayed at home and bore the responsibility of children who weren't hers. And as those children grew up, I found... affection for them." He looked oddly uncomfortable at that admission. "Duo, angel; I hope you can understand... I loved all of them, in different ways, at different times. There is just something about them... and you... that draws me in. I loved Danc, I loved Shar and I loved Caz. It's very possible that I could have made a life with any of them. But... Danc and Caz were both... strong and bold; independent. Caz would have wandered with me, if not for staying to help with you. Shar... Well, Shar was neither bold nor independent, and maybe that's why I came to love her so desperately. She needed me. She needed me to be there, to support her, to stand beside her, and I loved being needed that way... For her need of me, I stayed home for eight years, and didn't regret a moment. Well, not a moment with her. If I could have convinced her to come with me, to leave the Clan, we would have been gone overnight. But I would have happily spent the rest of my life in her company." He exhaled a great sigh, ruffling his long bangs. "There is just something about you all; it must have come from Kli, because it certainly didn't come from Mika!"
Duo grinned down at him. He was paler than normal, but he was making an effort. "I guess that would be the bad side of the family," he smirked.
"Absolutely!" laughed Teal.
Duo slid off the railing to wrap his uncle in a hard hug. "I don't think you did anything bad; you made Shar so happy. I know she loved you!"
"Thank you, angel," Teal murmured huskily. "It means so much to me, that you understand..."
Duo leaned close and whispered something that I could not hear. Teal's eyes widened and he looked at my Banshee with an expression of... consternation.
"Duo..."
My Banshee shot me a smirk. "If it weren't for him," he said brightly to Teal.
The look Teal gave me was just... indescribable. Apparently he'd just been taken for a ride on the Banshee-coaster. I couldn't help myself; I snorted, thinking of all the times I had been taken for that same ride, and began to laugh. Both Banshees stared at me, twin expressions of... indignation? I laughed harder. It took me several minutes to recover, and if you had asked what I found so funny, I couldn't have said. It just was.
When I finally got myself under control, with only a smirk remaining, Teal eyed me warily and returned to his narrative.
"Three years after she met him, Danc told Shar and me that she was pregnant with you. She was ecstatic; I had never seen her so happy or so beautiful. She still wouldn't give up any information about your father, except to say that they were a perfect match and that she was amazed to have had the good fortune to have met such a creature."
Duo shook his head and snorted a bit derisively; I could see his anxiety, could see him becoming irritated with himself for that anxiety. "I can't believe she called Death a *creature*! Like it's just another Fairy or Elf! My mother must have been crazy."
Teal glared. "Don't call your mother ‘crazy', Duo. Whatever it was, it made your mother happier than she'd ever been in her life! And it – he – is part of *you* now! Death, if that's really what...he is, is certainly not some disembodied wraith. The last I knew, wraiths did not father children. Don't think I haven't wondered myself all these years. Whatever you call him, your father was real and solid enough, as well as properly equipped to produce you."
My Banshee sighed and moved over to perch on the edge of my chair, leaning against me as if for security; it gave me an oddly warm feeling and I had to stop myself grinning like an idiot.
"Okay... So, what is my father then, Teal? Mika called him Death. I saw him take souls that day." He paused thoughtfully. "I saw him *release* souls," he corrected himself; "they didn't stay with him, they just rose and...vanished. And what the hell is a ‘Deathscythe'? She called me that. I know what a scythe is; hell, I even used one once, helping a woman cut wheat. But what do the words mean together? What is so wrong with me that my entire Clan is scared shitless of me?"
Teal leaned forward, hands clasped. "I think – think, mind you; I don't actually *know* – that the...entity that we label Death is just another type of Magical Creature."
"But...no one ever sees it... Except me..."
"That you know of," corrected Teal. "How often do any of us see Centaurs or Lamia or Leprechauns? There are plenty of Magical Creatures that simply do not like to be sighted, by anyone. They are far more reclusive than Banshees. Even Vampyres and Trolls are seldom seen." He looked to me for confirmation. "Heero, don't you find that you only encounter some Magical Creatures when they've gone bad or revenant? Never in the regular course of your life?"
"Yes, that's true. I've dealt with Vampyres and Werewolves and Trolls, but only because they've caused problems. And I met with a delegation of Centaurs once, but that was because a Human developer wanted to build a thousand houses practically on top of their Clan-hold and Q sent me to mediate."
Duo snickered, clutching at the digression. "Did you mediate that dispute the same way you assist the Magical Relations Office?" he teased.
I glared at him. "Of course." He fell back against me, laughing. I took the opportunity to wrap my arms around him.
"You should see that, Teal!" he laughed. "He turns into this huge, scary monster, complete with growls and snarls, and scares the living crap out of Humans! It's a hoot to watch!"
"Like you did at the Clan?" Teal asked with interest.
"Oh, much better than that!" declared Duo. "He wasn't even trying there!" Teal raised an eyebrow. Duo settled down again. "Okay," he sighed. "I get what you're saying. Maybe Death isn't... death. Maybe it's just some Magical Creature no one ever sees. Well... yeah; that would make sense. I saw it, but no one else did, even when they seemed to be looking right at him. It. Whatever. Maybe he's invisible."
"And maybe you can see him because he is a part of you... Maybe that's what is meant by the Deathscythe. You can't be the only one, but it may be so rare that it's only known as a legend. Maybe there was something about Danc that allowed her to see what others can't. Merry Brook knows the legend, but they don't have the same horror of it that our Clan has."
"Oh, lucky us," said Duo sourly. "We get the dysfunctional Clan."
"With the dysfunctional Matriarch," Teal smiled.
"And that bitch is *my* grandmother! Fuck! What the hell did I do to earn *that*?!"
"I honestly don't know, angel; you must have drawn the short straw."
"Picked the wrong card."
"Chosen the wrong shell."
Duo snorted, blowing his bangs up and out. "So much for being Mr Lucky... Let's see... We've covered my dead grandfather, my duplicitous grandmother, my same rapacious grandmother's successful power-grab, my aunt and uncle being abandoned, my mother's affair with a dark shadow which led to me, and we've speculated on what the hell that dark shadow really is... I guess all that's left is for you to tell me why she died." He looked up from ticking the items off on his fingers. "How did she die, Teal? And don't try to tell me that it was nothing to do with me; I already know she died in childbirth."
"Technically," Teal said uncomfortably, "that's true. In reality, she died a few hours after you were born. The labor and delivery were normal, but she went into convulsions a couple of hours later. They couldn't get it stopped. It's something that happens occasionally in a pregnancy; Humans call it eclampsia. The midwife was young and had never seen it; she did everything she could, but it just wasn't enough." He sat there silently, staring down at his hands.
Duo had his head tilted back; I could see the tears welling in his eyes. He cried so much after his abduction, because of the drugs, that he becomes almost irrationally angry now when he cries, even at tearjerker films. He looks upon it as a kind of betrayal by his own body. I rubbed at his arms and his back and felt him trying to relax.
"They couldn't have taken her somewhere?" he growled finally.
Teal shook his head. "There were no porters in the Clan; I doubt that anyone even knew how to contact a port center. It's not something that Banshees use often, if at all. Humans have drugs to tame the seizures, but they couldn't have been used on Danc; I really doubt that there was anything that anyone could have done. I really hate to use this term, but I truly believe that it was simply fate."
"...crap..." Duo turned to crawl into my lap, burying his face in my shoulder. I could feel his tears; I didn't try to speak, just held him and stroked his hair.
Teal sighed softly. "I'm sorry, Duo; I know it doesn't help, but I am. I was there... She asked me to watch over Shar and Caz and to look after you." He hesitated, then forged ahead. "She said he might come to see you... But she never told me what he might be. I looked for a recognizable creature, even a Human male... But none ever came around." He rubbed Duo's back gently. "Maybe he did come and I just never saw him..."
Duo raised his head from my shoulder. "Teal, I destroyed a demon by blowing it to bits. I did the same to the... the guy who..." He faltered and had to take a deep breath before finishing. "The guy who raped me. Banshees don't have that power; do they?"
Teal shot me a startled look; I remembered that I hadn't actually told him that Duo had killed his attacker, only that the man had been destroyed. He stared at Duo. "No..." he said slowly. "No, we do not have that power. But you have the Voice in spite of being male... Maybe you inherited something from... from your father..." He swallowed and leaned forward. "Tell me about this," he commanded. "What are you doing about it?"
And that brought us to the training that Duo was now undergoing. We had to dissect the toad demon incident and the kidnapping again. Duo told of causing Wufei's blisters with barely a touch. Of course, I did not mention the similar damage done to Trowa and me. It took another couple of hours to relate the sordid details to Teal's satisfaction.
When Dael finally began to stir, Teal sat back with a sigh.
"That's just... odd, Duo. Not bad odd," he said hurriedly when Duo's eyes widened. "Just... odd. And I've never heard tell of Death blowing anyone up. He just takes them."
Duo looked somewhat defeated. "I was hoping that you would know what it is... what I should do about it."
Teal shrugged. "I'd say just keep doing what you're doing; learning to control it. In the long run, it really doesn't matter where it came from; you've got it, so you have to deal with it." He considered thoughtfully. "Maybe it's some throwback talent; I've met Elves that can do similar things, though not to the extent that you've described." He glanced at me, asking with that glance whether Duo was perhaps exaggerating a bit.
I shook my head. "No exaggeration; there was nothing left of either of them. The coroner's team had to use sponges." Duo shivered; I knew he was thinking of Wufei and the blisters that his frightened touch had raised on the Were-Dragon's chest.
Teal reached out to touch Duo's cheek, tilting his head up to meet his eyes. "It's only scary until you control it. You'll manage; you're Danc's son, after all," he smiled.
On that moment of gooey-centered sap, we adjourned inside to feed Dael and play with her.