Genre: AU/Fantasy/Drama
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 4+2, 3+1, 5x6, 6+2, 5+1 (good grief!)
Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words
Warnings: Yaoi, lemon (copious amounts, probably), slavery, magic, nekos, some smut, sap, peril, abuse
A/N: Apparently I've become addicted, too.
Mystic Beings
Heero opened his eyes, and for awhile he stared blankly at the ceiling. This wasn't his room. He blinked, and it came back. He was still in Sheneva. And his hand hurt like it had no right to hurt. Raising it to eye-level, he frowned at the clean white bandages. Yesterday, he'd gone mad. He remembered irrational anger. Smashing the mirror simply because there was nothing else to smash. Then . . . pain. Terrible, terrible pain. Like axes trying to break out of his skull. Axes left in embers for hours and hours, so that the metal had turned solid, glowing red.
Someone had tried to kill him. By itself, the knowledge wasn't enough to spook him. But the bizarre way they'd attempted . . . a shiver racked down his spine. Reaching over, wincing at the stiffness in his injured hand, he touched the ring on his other. He barely had time to blink and Wufei was there, his black eyes more stormy than usual. He leaned down and kissed Heero full on the mouth - that was happening to him a lot lately.
"Finally, you're awake," the sorcerer said, straightening and brushing back a lock of hair from Heero's forehead. "How do you feel, my little prince?"
"Fine," Heero replied, irritated. "Hungry. A little confused. I have a headache. And my hand hurts like hell."
Wufei grinned softly. "That doesn't add up to fine, Heero. But I'm glad you're awake. I'm going to do what I should have done years ago and place a strong ward-web around your mind. That way no one will be able to attack you like that again. It will feel . . . very strange. It won't hurt."
"Can't it wait until I've had something to eat?" Heero grumbled.
"No, cheyeha, it can't."
To his consternation, Heero flushed. That word, the native language spoken by the An'Cresse natives, meant 'beloved little one.' Wufei had first called him that when he was a little boy. "Fine," he muttered, resigning himself to wait. His stomach protested anxiously. He couldn't believe how hungry he was.
Wufei was right. It did feel strange. The sorcerer didn't move, but Heero could still tell the moment he began. It was freezing cold and boiling hot at the same time, though for some reason it wasn't anything more intense than uncomfortable. He could feel it, reaching to all corners of his mind, drawing him into a very soft net. It flexed when he experimentally pushed against it, not restraining him in any way. But he couldn't break out of it.
"You'll always be aware of it," Wufei told him, "and it won't break until I dispell it or I'm killed. There isn't a creature on this world that could get past it."
He sounded smug. Heero carefully sat up. This would take some getting used to. "I'm hungry," he demanded.
Chuckling, Wufei leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I'll bring you breakfast."
Heero glowered. "I'm not an invalid. I'll get it myself. I feel fine." Which was truer, now. The pain in his head was gone, and it was more muted now in his hand.
"I suppressed the pain," Wufei explained. "But I suppose being up and moving around would do you good. You've kept a lot of people around here very worried."
"How long was I asleep?" Heero asked with a frown.
"Almost three days. That spell, whatever it was, almost killed you."
Heero blinked. "You don't know what it was?"
"No. I've never encountered one like it before. In fact, if it weren't for Quatre I probably would have lost you." His eyes clouded.
It was a chilling thought. Wufei was the most powerful man he'd ever met. He squared his shoulders. "But you didn't," he pointed out. "And now the attack won't work again."
A soft smile curved Wufei's lips. "No, it won't. Why don't you get dressed, then we'll take breakfast in the study. Your brother has been breathing down my neck these last three days."
A warmth spread through Heero's chest at the reminder of Trowa. He could vividly recall his brother's voice, pleading with him to open his eyes and look at him. The relief when he did. The soft kiss that brought back memories of their childhood together. As children, Trowa had often kissed his brother when they were alone. Didn't brothers kiss each other? he'd inquired innocently when Heero had given him a startled look. Heero, who'd never had a brother, conceded that they must. After all, his father kissed him, if not on the lips. Brothers must share an even closer bond.
The liberties he took with me, Heero thought with an inward smile. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, he slowly stood up and was pleased to find his legs didn't waver. Wufei waited for him to dress, watching Heero with barely-veiled interest. For once, Heero managed not to fumble, but he still felt a little flushed. He pulled the full-leg breeches up over his hips and pulled up the knee-high, soft leather boots of buffed black. Lacing up his white shirt, he pulled a black-and-blue tunic over the top. He quickly washed his face.
Smiling, Wufei fell into step beside him as he walked into the hall. And despite Wufei's words, when Trowa found them he greeted his younger brother with tender formality. He fell in on Wufei's other side, brushing his fingers over Heero's injured hand. Heero glanced at the bandage, then flashed Trowa a reassuring look.
"It hardly hurts," he said softly.
Trowa gave him a peculiar smile, one laced with both love and sadness.
A moment later the three of them heard footsteps racing up the corridor toward them. Heero's captain, with the captain of the castle guard, came skidding to a halt in front of them.
"Your Highness," the guard panted, "Princess Relena has somehow escaped."
o0o 0o0
Duo started out of a light doze when the door opened. The scent of an unfamiliar human and warm blood hit his nose at the same time, and beside him Quatre tensed. Duo's ears pricked, alert, the beginnings of a warning growl starting in his throat. Every muscle in Quatre's body coiled, Duo felt him readying to spring. The human male gave off a sour fear-stink, setting his burden down. It looked like a deep pot of fresh, raw meat. He stumbled out of the room as fast as he could, slamming the door behind him.
Quatre hissed laughter, rising from his sprawl and padding toward the pot. "I'm not very hungry, but I'm sure you are," he said.
Duo huffed a little sigh, watching Quatre's powerful body move. He couldn't wait until he could take his wild form. "I'm hungry," he said aloud. He glared down at his splinted leg. It was causing him less and less pain, but the black-eyed sorcerer had assured him he couldn't take the stupid splint off yet. The remaining scars on his body were little more than thin white lines. Quatre, on the other hand, looked like he'd never been injured. All traces of the wounds were gone, and he'd regained almost enough weight.
His friend tore the chunks of meat into bite-sized pieces, snapping down a few chunks of his own despite his words earlier about not being hungry. Duo ate appreciatively. "D'you think Heero's okay now?" he asked. "I was hoping he'd bring us breakfast."
Quatre looked up at him, sitting back on his haunches. "I don't know," he said, licking his chops. He started washing the blood off his face. "I'm sure he is better. The spell could have killed him, but it couldn't have caused any lasting damage. We'll probably see him later today."
Duo glared again at his leg. "I wish I could walk!" he spat, tail lashing in irritation.
By now, the two of them could finish a pot of meat this size. Quatre had gone hunting this morning, so he gave Duo more than he ate. By the time they finished, Duo felt ridiculously full, but the wild animal in him couldn't turn down the tasty meat. Even when it was so plentiful. Stretching, he laid back on his side and started purring. Quatre hopped up beside him, stretching out as well, continuing to wash his face and paws. In moments his purring had Duo drowsing off.
He noticed it because he'd never felt anything like it before. Some time passed, and he felt a strange twisting in his gut. A little painful, quite unpleasant. Propping his weight up on his elbows, ears back in distress, he looked up at Quatre. Who, apparently, was feeling similarly afflicted. He transformed into his secondary shape, pulling Duo closer to him. He clenched his teeth.
"I know what this is," he ground out. "This is nausea. This is what it feels like to be sick."
Duo blinked. "Myda don't get sick," he offered.
Quatre nuzzled his ears. "Not normally." His eyes narrowed. "Possibly that meat was poisoned." He growled. "It didn't taste strange."
Duo relaxed somewhat. Poison, like venom, couldn't kill a Myda. Normally, of course, it didn't even make them sick. They were completely immune. He shifted, eyes closing. "I don't like this," he mumbled, rubbing his face against the smooth skin of Quatre's chest. He tried to imagine who could want to poison them.
o0o 0o0
Trowa walked purposefully through the halls, trying not to run through them like a scared boy. A servant had told him in the kitchens that the two Myda had already been fed, even though neither he nor Heero nor Wufei had done it. The order had to have come from somewhere, but the servant wasn't sure who. He'd just obeyed orders to bring them the pot of fresh meat. For once he didn't even bother knock before entering their room. Both of them lay on the bed, which was nothing new. The pair could be quite lazy. Quatre wasn't in his wild form, but it wasn't relaxation on their faces.
Closing the door and bolting across the room, Trowa knelt by them. "Quatre," he said quietly, urgently. "Are you both all right?"
Cloudy aqua eyes lifted to meet his. Quatre licked his lips, ears going flat. "No," he croaked in a dry voice. "Sick."
Duo lifted his head, ears pinned back, and nuzzled Quatre's chest at the sound of his voice. Trowa touched both foreheads and was relieved to find that while both had a fever, neither was very high. Their hearts weren't racing and their breathing wasn't labored, more good signs. He stroked Quatre's ears. To his shock, the Myda leaned into the touch, expression distressed.
"I'll be right back," he murmured. "You two stay like this, share your body heat." He drew a blanket over them both. "Don't move around either. You could cause the poison to spread faster."
The words made Duo look at him. "It was . . . poison, then?" he faltered.
Trowa stroked his ears, too. "Yes, I'm relatively certain. But I'm going to get Wufei and found out for sure. He can help you, all right?"
Nods of consent, and Trowa rose and quickly left again. Wufei was in the study with Heero, who was sitting with the Venya scribes. Drafting Sheneva's new laws, no doubt, as well as choosing the new governor. Heero still looked too pale to Trowa, but he did look better than yesterday. He looked up at Trowa and frowned immediately.
"What's wrong?"
"Quatre and Duo," Trowa said quietly. "I believe they were poisoned, and I'm certain I know who it was."
Dark and silent, Wufei rose to his feet. He looked down at the scribes. "Continue this. We'll be back shortly." He held out his hand to Heero.
Moments later, the three of them appeared in the Myda's room. Wufei glided to the bed.
"What happened?" Heero asked, stepping closer to his brother.
"A servant brought them meat, but he couldn't remember who sent him. It's too coincidental that this happens shortly after Relena escaped."
Heero's expression darkened as Wufei straightened from his examination. "They're all right," the sorcerer said. "Sickness is a new feeling for them - Myda don't get sick. And their immunity to all natural toxins gives them tremendous resistance to man-made toxins. The poison will be flushed out of their systems by tomorrow."
Relief settled sharp and heavy on Trowa's chest. He momentarily closed his eyes against it. He looked at Heero, now. "We must return to Venya. You know I would normally never use my authority over you, Heero . . . but as your general and protector, we're returning to Venya. I'm making it an Imperial order. I don't care what happens to Sheneva. Your safety is the only thing I care about."
Heero gave him that look. It was one of utmost love and trust, one of acceptance and obedience. There was, Trowa knew, no other person to whom Heero directed that look, not even Wufei. Who, at the moment, was nodding his agreement.
"I'll have the captain of the castle guard organize a search for Relena," Heero said. "The scribes should be done by tonight with the laws. We should be able to leave tomorrow."
Trowa nodded, satisfied with that.
Venya had some traditions that were viewed as strange by other countries. The military's power was one of them. No noble in Venya had a higher position than Trowa as the General of the Imperial Army. His rank was second only to the Warrior King and his heir. However, though the General could not order around his monarch, he could issue an Imperial order if he felt the danger was too great. It was the General's task above all others to protect the Warrior King - and his son.
Trowa would forever guard Heero with his life.
o0o 0o0
By early evening, Heero was inordinately worn out. His hand throbbed and his head pounded, and he felt somewhat dizzy from Wufei's ward-web. He was ready to go to bed and sleep for a year, but the decision wasn't left to him. The chamberlain came running for him just as he was ready to head for his bedchamber.
"M'lord," he panted, "you have a visitor."
Heero blinked, irritated. "Send them to the guest chambers and tell them I'll see them in the morning."
"Ah, she was extremely insistent, Highness. And if I may without overstepping my bounds, I would suggest you see her. She's not the kind to make wait."
Unless she was a goddess, Heero thought with a wordless growl, she could wait. However, he rose and followed the man to the audience hall. Wufei and Trowa fell silently in beside him, flanking him.
The first thing he noticed upon entering the chambers was a bright red-gold glow. Frowning, he looked around for its source. He didn't have to look far. She was large and impossible to miss. Not a goddess, but as the chamberlain said, Heero would not have wanted to dismiss this particular visitor. With jet black eyes and a proud bearing, before him stood a Phoenix.
She was twice the size of a horse. Gleaming talons that looked pure gold raked the stone floor a little as she shifted. Her feathers lay smooth, but the colors and light rippled and shifted like glittering fire. She was magnificent, and when she saw Heero the gold crest on the back of her head raised. Fierce black eyes regarded him and she turned her head slightly to the side, reminding Heero of a predator assessing its prey.
"She's showing you respect," Wufei murmured in his ear. "The raised crest and that slight turn, she's greeting you as an equal. Quite an honor. Phoenixes are proud creatures. Turn your head slightly to the side as well without breaking eye-contact."
Heero obeyed, and the Phoenix lowered her crest. She let Heero approach her, but she let out a bizarre hissing noise at the chamberlain.
"You, small-man, may wait outside. I have no further need of you."
The chamberlain scampered out, closing the large doors with an ominous bang. Heero looked up at her again. "I'm honored to meet you," he said. "My name is Heero Yuy."
"Yes," she said in a tone like the rushing and receding of echoes. "I am Wildfire. I acknowledge your strength, and I invite you to be One with the Flame."
"She wishes you to take her into your confidence," Wufei whispered in his ear. "Acknowledge her in return, and agree to her invitation."
"I acknowledge your strength," Heero repeated, "and I accept your invitation to become One with the Flame."
Formalities aside, Wildfire settled herself down on the floor like a great, nesting eagle. Heero was momentarily entranced by the way her glowing feathers spread dancing light across the floor. Wufei gently urged him to sit, as well.
"I have traveled a great distance to find you," Wildfire said, blinking slowly. "I am from the southernmost isle of Wythiera, and I was approached by a grieving Myda clan. They told me of a human who had dared trespass on our soils, and who had taken from them two of their precious kittens. I promised I would find them and bring them home."
Heero blinked. "You need search no more. I found them and have taken them into my care."
Wildfire shifted foward, now looking eager. "You found them? Were they harmed?"
"Yes, and the man responsible has been executed," Heero told her. "Quatre is well and able to return home, but Duo is not. He was the worse-off of the two, and I doubt Quatre would agree to leaving his friend behind."
Wildfire relaxed. "It is enough they are in the care of the Warrior King's son." She glared at Trowa and Wufei. "He is a sorcerer, Dragon Clan, if I am not mistaken?"
Wufei smiled and nodded. "Yes."
"And this one?" She looked Trowa. "You trust him, Heero?"
Heero followed her gaze. "With my life," he said simply.
Apparently that was enough for Wildfire. "I am certain you're aware of the turmoil in what you call the Southern Wastelands. We know those lands as Tsorkran, which means 'lost.' Tsorkran has become home to a very dangerous man, and we feared it was he who had his hands on the Myda kittens."
Heero frowned. "Who is this man?"
"We know not his name, and thus far he has proved elusive. We have several Wolves prowling Dream in an attempt to locate him that way. But there is worse news. The form of magic he uses, we were able to identify it. It is necromancy."
Beside him, Wufei visibly tensed. "It could not," he said.
Wildfire gave him a strange look. "It is the most perverse form of magic in existence," she said as though agreeing with him. "But it is what he uses. We do not as yet know how he even learned it. But if he has learned it, who knows how many others there are. Heero, your moving the Imperial army south, it was in an attempt to unify the Highlands against Tsorkran, wasn't it?"
Heero hesitated only a second before nodding. Wildfire rose.
"When the time comes, every Mystic being on the planet will stand by your side. It is no longer your father around whom the energies of the world swirl and form - it is you. You will be made Warrior King before your time, and when you are crowned everything will change. This is what the world has told us." She spread her magnificent wings. "Before I go, I should like to see the kittens. I need to know what happened to them, to determine their role in this."
Heero nodded, a heavy weight settling on him. Change was not only necessary, it was inevitable. But Wildfire had not said if the changes he wrought would be for the better . . . or not.
