| Gundam Wing: Legend of Mystiks Chapter 9 All around him, almost too tight to allow him to breathe. Of course, the first thought was to panic. So Duo Maxwell, self-proclaimed Shinigami and fearer of very little, panicked, thrashing in the shallow water under him. But he abruptly calmed at the soft voice that invaded his mind. �It�s all right, Duo. Don�t panic, you�ll just make it worse. Just calm down, it�s all right. You�re going to be just fine.� Despite his predicament, Duo did as he was told. �Good. Now don�t breathe because it�s just an illusion. You�re still in a tunnel full of water. Iie, don�t do that. Stop scaring yourself. You�re not going to die. Just remember what I said. Believe in it and it will be there.� Duo cleared his mind a second time and the rock disappeared. Cosmos, waiting right before him, took his hand and gently led him on. They surfaced and took deep gulps of air. Duo almost immediately got the hiccups, but ignored them for once. � Daijibou desu ka?� He turned to look into Cosmos�s concerned face. � Hai, daijibou.� � Sure?� � Hai. It certainly was terrifying, but I�m okay.� He hiccuped. � Anou, mostly. I�ve got the damn hiccups again.� Cosmos laughed, relieved. � I hope this hasn�t scared you into not coming back.� � Nah. I had to go and think �This can�t be real�, so I�m just going to give myself a lesson on not thinking things that�ll get me into trouble.� Cosmos tugged him toward the shore. � Let me show you around. Maybe we can find a cure for your hiccups on the way. There�s a cure for just about everything here.� As they pushed through the exotic plant life, Duo stepped into the edge of a small pool of water. � Oh man! And I was just drying off!� Wavery images that weren�t his reflection caught his eye. � Nan da?� Cosmos glanced over from where she was holding a robin-sized, neon-pink and green butterfly. � That�s the scrying pool. You can check on someone anywhere in the universe as long as you know their name and the planet they�re on.� � Any particular spell you have to cast?� � Iie. Just say their name and the planet they�re on.� � What if there�s more than one?� Cosmos shook her head. � There should be only one person on the planet with the name you say. If there happens to be more, just say �another� until the one you�re looking for appears.� � Does it show the past?� � Only the present.� Duo paused, then gave the scrying pool a decidedly skeptical look. � Solo of Earth.� The pool shimmered and the image already there distorted. When it settled, a small boy was playing tag with several other kids. He tripped and his five-year-old body went tumbling head over heels down a small incline. The boy ended up sitting, his legs splayed out to either side. He looked around in confusion a moment, then shook his head, got up, and returned to the game. No tears; just a small frown of bafflement, but even that disappeared after a while as the event was pushed aside for the more important tag game. Duo sucked in a surprised breath. � Nani?� � He . . . He looks exactly the same!� � Not surprising. Many souls come back looking the same because nobody will recognize them, especially since they�re born in another place.� Duo looked up at Cosmos and the huge pink and green butterfly now perched on her head. � So he wasn�t born in the L2 dominion again?� � Iie. Not this time.� � Good.� Duo sat in front of the pool and watched the boy play for a while. � . . . At least he�s happy . . .� Cosmos walked past him, paused, and frowned. � We�re being summoned.� � Huh? By who?� She looked at him, subsequently revealing the set of cat-sized praying mantises, one on either shoulder. The butterfly was still on her head. � Halcyon. Only she�s strong enough to reach us in a place like this.� � So we have to leave?� Something buzzed by his head. He ducked. � What the hell?!� � It was a gnat, that�s all.� � It sounded like a herd of fifteen thousand horses!� She shrugged, making the insects around her take off and leave. � I would�ve said twenty, but close enough.� She took his hand and led him back to the pond they�d come from. � Oh, don�t ever get lost in here. Everything�s poisonous. You can live longer, and possibly get out, if you don�t eat anything at all. But you can drink the water, it�s safe.� Duo made a face as Cosmos backed out into the pond, pulling him with her. � I don�t want to go.� � Oh stop being a baby. You can come here whenever you like, whether I�m here or not. And you can watch your friend if that�s what you want.� Cosmos gave a final tug, sending Duo into the deeper water. He came up, sputtering indignantly. � Oi!� � Let�s go.� Cosmos dove past him and swam for the small hole in the wall. With a grumble, Duo followed. |