Gundam Babylon
A Gundam Wing / Tokyo Babylon crossover
Part 2: To Drown Your Sorrows
By Beth 

Rating: G to PG-13 now, later R (for violence)
Pairing: Heero + Duo, Seishirou + Subaru

WARNING: Shounen-ai ahead

DISCLAIMER: Gundam Wing owned by Bandai, Tokyo Babylon and CLAMP Campus Detectives (CLAMP Gakuen Tantei Dan) owned by CLAMP. This is an unauthorized not-for-profit work inspired and using elements of both for purposes of personal and shared entertainment. Some of the best mangaka get their start in doujinshi... I'm trying to see if the same goes for writers ^_^

mini-dictionary:

shinto - official Japanese religion; polytheistic with deification of spirits (particularly ancestors and heroes)
sakura - cherry; cherry tree; cherry blossom
onmyoujitsu - yin-yang magic
sou ka - "I see"
onmyouji - a master of onmyoujitsu
mitsu-in - mystic gesture; what is called 'mudra' in Sanskrit
ofuda - piece of paper with mystical symbols on it; used to cast spells, especially wards and attacks
neesan - older sister

The last lesson of the day was finally over, and Heero scowled at the back of the Arts teacher, then quickly fell into stone-face mode as said teacher turned towards him. Luckily it was Subaru, sitting right next to him, that had apparently caught the teacher's attention.

"Sumeragi-kun, have you completed the homework assignment I gave you?" The teacher's face was much less stern than when he'd preached about the evils of western art invading the purity of traditional Japanese lines.

"Yes sensei, I've got it right here," Subaru said as he opened his backpack. He opened a sketchbook and took out a spectacular drawing.

It was the famous Yasukuni shinto shrine in all its glory, drawn with simple black ink. Subaru had been precise in depicting the elegant lines of the shrine itself, but his real skill showed in the delicate rendition of sakura trees surrounding the temple. Beyond the traditional building, five figures rose, vaguely human-shaped. Heero's heart skipped a beat as he recognized the sword and wings of one of them, the bat wings and scythe of another, scimitars held by the third one. The last two were partially hidden by the trees, but he knew their outlines as well as the lines on the palm of his own hand. Subaru had used a different way of drawing, watering down his ink and barely suggesting the deadly strength of the statues of the five Mobile Suits. Oh heroes who have laid down your lives for our motherland, hear our prayers...

"Very good, Sumeragi-kun." the teacher said softly. "That takes care of your grade for last semester. I look forward to having you in class this term, hopefully more often."

"Thank you sensei."

The teacher left and Subaru started to pack his books. Suddenly a hand snatched the picture.

"That's real good."

"Eep!" Subaru winced and dropped his physics handbook - all nine hundred pages of it - on his left hand. "Ouch!"

"You all right?" Heero asked.

"Subaru held his injured fingers and tried to keep the tears from falling. "You scared me. I didn't hear you get up..."

"Here, let me see." Heero took hold of Subaru's gloved hand. "No bones broken, but you might have bruises." He started to slip the glove off.

"No!" Subaru snatched his hand back, then noticed Heero's startlement. "Sorry - I'm so sorry! I'm alright, really. I just - my grandmother said I should never take my gloves off in front of others. It's an onmyoujitsu thing."

"Sou ka." Heero seemed to consider it as they exited the classroom.

"Magic is a great responsibility," the black-haired boy continued. "I cannot be careless about it in any way. My duty is to help others."

Duty. Ninmu. Mission.

...

"Sumeragi-kun! Sumeragi-kun!"

The boys turned to see two girls in CLAMP Junior-High uniforms running towards them. When they caught up, it took them several seconds to get their breath back.

"Utako-chan, Nagisa-chan, what is it?" Subaru asked.

"There's all sorts of weird noises in the girls' locker room at the swimming pool," said the black-haired girl Subaru had called Utako. "We think it might be Rei-chan..."

"Rei was the girl who fainted and drowned there two weeks ago, right?" Subaru demanded.

"Yes, and the sounds are coming from her locker! We're all sorry for her, but- Is there something you can do?"

"It shouldn't be too hard," Subaru smiled. "If you'll excuse me, Heero-kun."

"Can I come with you?" Heero asked.

Subaru was pleasantly surprised. "If you can spare the time..."

After pointing out the deceased girl's locker, Utako and Nagisa took off rather quickly. Subaru closed his eyes and concentrated. Heero was silent, immobile, only his gaze following his companion's hands as they moved through a complicated series of mitsu-in.

Finally the onmyouji sighed and sat down on a bench, propping his head on his hands. "The girls were right, it is Rei. Her soul is restless, but I cannot determine the reason - I will have to hear it from her. All we can do right now is wait until she appears again," he said.

They sat in silence. For about ten seconds.

"Heero-kun, do you - have you ever had a friend that you thought was - more?"

Heero considered this. "Yes."

"And - when you realized this, what did you do then?"

"I tried to let my feelings be known."

"Did that solve things?"

"Not quite," the brown-haired boy shrugged. "He's got some misconceptions for some reason."

"He?!" Subaru blushed, then laughed. "Well, I'm not amazed, what with the way you treat him-" he winked "-Hee-chan."

Heero's hand shot out with the clear intent of pushing his companion off the bench, but the green-eyed boy was faster. He ducked the shove, laughing heartily. The ex-pilot found his face twisting into a smile as well.

"Seriously, are you two together?" Subaru asked after getting his breath back, then promptly blushed. "Oh - forgive me if I'm too nosy..."

"We were," Heero said curtly. "Not anymore."

He remembered that moment very clearly. The celebrations after the final battle had lasted well into the night, and the clock had struck two hours past midnight by the time Heero managed to detach himself from Relena. He had gone straight to his and Duo's quarters, only to see the other boy packing up his belongings.

'You have your princess now,' Duo had explained. 'You don't need a loudmouthed brat like me.'

Heero had wanted to protest, but the sudden tightness in his throat - tightness, he had realized, induced by equal parts anger and despair - had prevented him from uttering a word. Before he got his breath back, the American had his hand on the doorknob. Then his lover - ex-lover, Heero had reminded himself - turned and swiftly brushed his lips over the Japanese boy's cheek.

'I want you to know one thing,' the Deathscythe pilot hissed. 'I've had great fun.'

He had been gone the next moment. The next time Heero saw him had been a year later, when the Mariemeia crisis erupted. They had maintained a facade of friendship, but he could well see an underlying uncharacteristic bitterness in Duo's behavior.

"Not because I wanted it to end," Heero continued softly, talking more to himself than Subaru. "He's just got it into his head that Relena's the one for me."

"I saw the way Duo looks at you," Subaru noted. "I think you have a chance still, but you're in a tangle now." He sighed. "Saa, I'm the one to talk."

"You mean that so-called boyfriend of yours?"

"I don't know whether Seishirou-san is my boyfriend, and that's the problem." Subaru shrugged, blushing slightly. "He's always joking about it with Neesan, but then there are times when he looks at me, and I'm suddenly out of breath... And he's so much older than me, almost nine years..."

"Know him long?"

"Close to a year now. We have so much in common... he's a veterinarian, and I want to become one too. We can talk and talk for hours - and he doesn't mind the magic thing. He even helps me sometimes... I feel like he understands me, completely. It's a rare feeling."

"I'm no relationship genius," Heero said quietly. "All I can say is follow your feelings. Talk to him."

"And you should talk to Duo." Subaru's green eyes looked him seriously. "Tell him about your feelings."

"We'll both tell. Deal?"

"Deal." Subaru hooked his little finger through Heero's. They smiled at each other.

Suddenly soft wet footsteps echoed through the locker room. Both boys turned at a patch of seemingly empty space.

"Om Sanmaji Handomei Kiriku," Subaru intoned, taking a sheaf of ofuda from his pocket.

"Om Sanmaji Handomei Kiriku..." He shaped his hands in a triangle mitsu-in.

"Rin. Pyo." His voice picked up in volume.

"Tou. Sha. Kai. Chin. Retsu. Zai."

The last word was a command that could not be disobeyed. "Zen!"

As the syllable fell from his lips, the air coalesced into a semi-transparent figure of a girl. No older than thirteen, her blond hair plastered against her head by the same imaginary pool water that made her swimsuit glisten. Her skin pale with a blue tinge. She approached the locker Utako had pointed out as the source of the sounds and attempted to open it, dismayed when the lock wouldn't give.

"Hello Rei-chan," Subaru said. "What are you doing?"

The ghost turned her haunted brown eyes towards him. "It won't open," she complained.

"Why do you want to open it?" the young onmyouji asked patiently.

"I think... I need to leave. I want to leave. There's people waiting for me, I can hear them but-" she gestured to her swimsuit "-I can't, I mustn't go out like that!"

Subaru was visibly perplexed. "Your clothes aren't here, Rei-chan. You don't need them anymore. You can go as you are - I can help you to get to the other side."

"But I can't go out without clothes!"

"No-one will see you," Subaru persuaded.

"I will... good girls don't go around without clothes... good girls are nice..." she sobbed. "I won't... I won't shame... no shame to my family... I'm a good girl..."

Subaru's face expressed his dismay.

"It'll be a shame..." she muttered.

"No it won't," Heero said. He stepped beside Subaru. "You've left it all behind now. You're not a good girl, or a bad one, or a shame or pride anymore. You can do as you want - as your heart tells you. If you want to leave, then go."

"He's right," Subaru added. "You are nothing but yourself - nothing more and nothing less."

The spirit looked at them through her tears. "Nothing but myself..." she whispered. "Then, Sumeragi-sempai... I, myself, want to leave." She smiled softly.

"As you wish." Subaru smiled back. He put his hands together as if in prayer, but with the index fingers extended and touching. "Om Bazara Dharma Kiri Sohaka."

Rei's spirit-body glowed, but the light was flickering and would not rise about a certain intensity. Subaru frowned and bit his lip.

"Om Bazara Dharma Kiri Sohaka..." Drops of sweat appeared on the boy's brow as he gathered his energy. "Om Bazara Dharma Kiri Sohaka..." Still no effect. Subaru trembled slightly under the strain.

"Exorcizo te, spiritus, in nomine Dei omnipotentis, et in nomine Mesach et Abedingo et in nomine aeternam Aphriel Diefriel, Caratium, Adeo, Mora et Manasseo, ut descedas ab hoc terra Dei." Heero's voice was quiet but sure. "Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine: et lux perpetua luceat ei."

The girl's form flashed an almost blinding light. She began to fade.

"It's so beautiful," she whispered. "White feathers... Thank you..."

The two boys were alone in the locker room. Subaru slumped against a wall. Tired green eyes looked up at Heero.

"How did you know to cast that spell?"

"I don't know," the ex-pilot shrugged. "It was just what I had to do." Magic is a great responsibility...

The door opened and Utako popped her head into the room. "Is it over?"

"Yes," Heero answered for the dazed Subaru. He helped the black-haired boy out of the room. "See you, Utako-chan."

"Bye Yuy-kun, Sumeragi-kun!" the girl grinned. "And thanks!"

"Let's find Duo and Hokuto-chan," Heero said. "Their history class should be over by now."

"Subaru-chan, what happened?" Duo immediately took hold of the Sumeragi's other arm, taking some of the weight off Heero. His partner quickly outlined the events of the past hour.

"How can you be so thoughtless, Subaru!" Hokuto fumed. "You haven't recovered after your last investigation, you should know better than to overextend yourself like this!"

"You're too thin, too," Heero remarked. "That's why you get tired so quickly."

Subaru shot him a betrayed look.

"Oh, he's hopeless!" Hokuto exclaimed as the group headed towards the subway station. "Sei-chan and I try to make him eat regularly, but he's always rushing somewhere, one job after another."

"Now that's stupid." Duo smiled to lessen the sting of the insult. "You barely touched lunch today too - believe me, food wasn't put on Earth to be scorned!"

"I try..." Subaru protested.

"Just don't take Duo's example too seriously," Heero smirked. "With the amounts he eats, I'm surprised he isn't spherical yet."

"Hey, I need the energy!" Duo grinned. "Especially with your tendency to knock me around... Hee-chan."

Hokuto elbowed Heero's side before the boy could react. "Behave, Heero-kun!"

They found themselves at the stairs to the station.

"So it's nine a.m. tomorrow at Shinjuku subway station, right?" Duo asked.

"I'll be there!" Hokuto assured him and then hugged him within an inch of his life.

Hero and Subaru nodded at each other before Hokuto dragged her brother down the stairs and into the train just before the doors shut.

Duo waved at the siblings, then looked at his partner.

"I guess you'll want to find Relena now..."

"There's a free-for-all basketball tournament in thirty minutes from now," Heero remarked casually.

Duo's violet eyes widened. Without thinking, he threw his arms around Heero's shoulders. He stiffened as he realized what he had done, but then strong arms hugged him back, tightly, before Heero freed himself. "The court's that way."

The braided boy grinned savagely. "Let's go and wipe the floor with anyone who dares to challenge the Perfect Soldier and Shinigami!"

End-of-chapter notes:
This is the part where the fic really got out of control. I wanted Duo and Subaru to become friends, but I left the idea to boil overnight, and the next thing I knew Hokuto and Shinigami were plotting fashion mayhem while Heero advised Subaru on his love life! Then suddenly Heero developed magic on me, and Duo did something even weirder (wait and see)...

The Yasukuni shrine is a real place in Tokyo, and a very famous one, both for its war memorial and its sakura trees. It is dedicated to the spirits of those who died fighting for Japan. Official site
Nagisa and Utako are characters from "CLAMP Campus Detectives" (CLAMP Gakuen Tantei Dan) and "Twenty Masks" (20 Mensou), all rights reserved by CLAMP
Both onmyoujitsu spells in this chapter are taken verbatim from the first volume of Tokyo Babylon as transcribed by Ronny Hedin and found at Sakurazuka Val's page.
The first sentence of Heero's spell is a Latin exorcism mixed with some Kaballah stuff from an old manuscript I found online (literally "I exorcize thee, ghost, in the name of yadda yadda, that you be gone from this God's Earth"), and the second one's simply "May the Lord allow him to rest in peace, and may the light eternal shine on him", likewise in Latin. I couldn't find any equivalent in Japanese, and I always say it's the will, not the words *massive sweatdrop* As for just why he was able to cast the spell, you'll have to wait... till chapter five at least ^_^

In the next chapter: Will Quatre's credit rating survive Hokuto's rampage? Will Heero let Duo call him Hee-chan as a token of his true feelings? Will Duo get a clue? And who exactly is Seishirou Sakurazuka? Find out in Chapter 3: Haute Couture!