I do not own Gundam Wing in any way, shape or form. The fic is my own creation.
The Warriors of Gundania: part 2
The Tournament
The ten men circled Heero and he threw his ninja stars into them, they winced in pain as they were clutching the stars. He pulled out his katanas and cut off the arms from the barbarians and he cut the monks' staves in half. He was too fast for the barbarians and too strong for the monks. The paladins were both strong and fast, but not near as strong and fast as Heero. The battle was quick and easy for him.
"Well done!" the Princess stood up and started clapping.
Milardo was surprised at her reaction, "Relena!" Millardo raised an eyebrow, unsheathed his sword and walked to the ninja, "you have skills. I want to fight with you."
Heero sighed and twirled his swords.
"Millardo, don't!" Relena cried.
"Don't worry about me, Relena," Millardo shouted over his shoulder, "I'll be fine."
"You're not who I'm worried about," she whispered to herself.
"For his reward," she said with a smile, "a kiss from the princess."
Milardo lunged toward Heero but he flipped over Millardo and crouched, crossing his katana blades in the form of an X. He stepped closer, slowly, shuffling his feet and keeping his eyes on Millardo's. Millardo stepped to the left. Heero to the right so he was in front of him. He followed Millardo's every move. Then cut Millaro's arm and then lunged forward, almost stabbing the prince through. Millardo lost his balance and he was impressed, but scared at his abilities. He propped himself up with his arm and raised his sword to Heero as Heero held both swords at Millardo. They were about to run each other through when Relena stood up.
"Noo, stop it you two!" She cried, running between them, "Nooo!" she grabbed Millardo and put her arms around his neck, "please, stop! He already proved his greatness, Millardo. There's no point in another duel!" she looked up at the ninja, "please don't harm my brother."
Something in Relena's eyes made Heero bring his swords to his sheathes. "Another time," he murmured to Millardo.
"Well done," Milardo whispered as he came to his feet and he and Relena returned to their thrones on he stage but Relena remained standing.
"I want to give him a kiss for his reward," she couldn't keep her eyes off the ninja.
He almost didn't approve, but he looked into her eyes and couldn't say no, " Of course." He looked at the Ninja, "Come, my sister wants to give you a reward."
Heero walked up to get his prize. He took off his mask, "My name is Heero Yuy, pleasure." His face was emotionless and he stood still as the princess kissed his cheek. He didn't want the kiss, but he took it anyway.
"This man here proves worthy as a Gundania warrior!" the Prince said. "Now, who's next?" he looked across the field and saw one man holding a scythe and wearing a black cloak. He overlooked him before and then called him up. "You there, who are you?"
"I am Shinigami, the god of death."
The Prince and the rest of the warriors, except for the ninja, began laughing. "Let him show off his skills," the ninja said.
"You don't look like a warrior," the Prince said, "what are you?" he looked at his scythe, "a wheat harvester?"
"Shepherd."
Everyone started laughing again. "You? You actually think you, a shepherd is the God of Death?"
"Watch me, I can fight about as well as the Ninja."
"You lie."
"It's true!" Hilde shouted, "he killed about five guards yesterday and he saved my life."
"Is that so?" Milardo said, "well, let me find you an opponent." He looked over the crowd and picked a barbarian.
"This is my opponent?" Duo mumbled.
"Afraid?" Prince Milardo grunted.
"I fear nothing!" he turned to Hilde and gave her his scythe, then took his cloak off, revealing a priest's uniform and his strong muscles. Hilde held his cloak for him as he fought his opponent, "may the lord bless and keep ye, because thou art about to die!" he raised his scythe up and cut off one of the barbarian's hand, which he used to hold a battle axe.
The barbarian screamed as he held his hand, just as Duo twirled his scythe above his head, set the end of it down and kicked him in the face. The barbarian fell backward, grunting. Duo screamed and swung his scythe, beheading the barbarian. The headless barbarian fell next to Duo's feet. Millardo nodded to another barbarian who was friends with the dead man at Duo's feet. He started to walk behind Duo and he raised his weapon.
"Duo, behind you!" Hilde cried.
"What in God's name?" Duo started to turn and the barbarian almost sliced Duo in two when Hilde's anger began to rise, along with her uncontrollable supernatural powers (I just saw Sailor Moon S and I thought Sailor Saturn/Hotoru was so cool! And since Duo calls himself the God of death and he carries a scythe and Sailor Saturn carries a glaive, I thought I'd use supernatural powers for Hilde.)
"What's the matter with that girl?" people cried.
"No…not again…" Hilde groaned. When she got angry, sometimes her power took control of her. But she didn't want Duo to die in front of her. Her eyes began glowing red and she came up behind the barbarian, turned him around and melted his weapon. Then she reached her hand to his head and began to fry his brain.
"Noo…make her stop!" he screamed.
She put another hand to his heart and began to make it beat too fast as the barbarian fell to her feet. Everyone could do nothing but watch. The barbarian's ears began to bleed and he went into a violent convulsion, but she kept her hand on his head and his heart. Then she reached her hand into his chest and ripped out the barbarian's heart. (Yes, Hotaru never did that before. Didn't mean to gross you all out! But I thought this is still kind of cool.) The barbarian's mouth hung open, gasping and gurgling. Hilde's eyes flashed like firecrackers. She pushed him back and turned in a circle, holding the barbarian's heart over her head. People were disguested and frigtened by her act.
"She's a demon!" everyone cried, "she's not even human!"
Some didn't think so, "a girl rip out a man's heart? What power!"
"No," Duo shouted in her defense. "She just has a power she has no control over."
Hilde came to her senses and closed her eyes. Her eye color came back and she dropped the man's heart. She turned to Duo and smiled. Hilde came up and put his cloak back on him. "Told you he was the God of Death," Hilde snarled.
"And she's just a death angel," Duo corrected. "No demon."
Millardo crossed his arms, "you've proven yourself worthy," he muttered, "and you milady, try to handle your….gift."
"Yes, your majesty."
Duo went up and stood next to Heero, "you fought well," Heero said.
"Almost as well as you."
Trowa Barton stepped forward, "I have something I want to try."
"you want to fight a barbarian too?" the Prince said.
"No, a bull and after that, lions."
"You want to fight animals??" the prince demanded, "Animals?! Can't you fight men?"
"Your majesty," Treize whispered in his ear, "he seems very brave. He must know how to battle with wild animals."
"Very well," Milardo muttered. "I don't think I've ever seen a man mauled by a bull before!"
"I can fight men after the animals. I am a skilled archer."
They all migrated to an arena, everyone sat in the stands, while Trowa stood in the middle of the arena, waving his cape. Doors opened, and an angry bull came charging him. Trowa waited until the bull came closer, closer, closer. He could see steam from the bull's nostrils and as the bull was about to ram him, he moved to the side, turned and slapped the bull with his cape.
"I'm impressed so far," Milardo muttered.
"Me too," muttered another voice, soft and pleasant, but strong as well.
He turned and saw an amazon looking at him, he smiled.
"I'm Lucrezia Noin," the amazon said, "permission to sit with you, your highness?"
"Permission granted."
She smiled back and sat next to him. "I've waited years to finally meet you, your highness."
Trowa smiled at his own victory, the bull came back charging at full speed. Trowa bit his lip, jumped and did a spin in mid air, opened his cape and threw it onto the bull. The bull grunted and then Trowa pushed slew it.
"He's an acrobat too," the prince said, "not bad." He stood up, "now, let's see how you play with lions."
From all four gates came two lions, eight in all, not a problem for Trowa to solve. The lions roared and ran toward Trowa, but he stood still and waited until they came closer, closer, even closer than the bull. They lunged for him and Trowa jumped in the air, came back to stand on one hand on the lion's back.
People began clapping, "I feel like I'm in a circus." Many said.
Catherina laughed when she saw Trowa with the lions, she made a sigh of relief, "oh Trowa, where ever you go, you know how to teach an animal how to play."
Eventually, the lions didn't feel threatened by Trowa and didn't want to kill him. They lost their hunger for flesh, and gained a new hunger for entertainment. Trowa knelt down and lion ran to him, fell on his back and Trowa started rubbing his belly and began playing with him. (I've always wanted to do that!)
The gates opened again and warriors came out. Out of nowhere, an arrow shot Trowa in the arm. The lions growled at Trowa's attackers and lunged at them, ripping them to shreds. Trowa went to a slain archer and picked up his bow to being firing back. The warriors got tired of the game and ran off.
Prince Milardo made his way down, "I didn't know someone like you could prove worthy as a warrior of Gundania. A Ninja, a shepherd and now a clown, what next, a magician?"
Quatre smiled and stood up, "maybe so. Would you like some tea?" He snapped his fingers and immediately everyone had a cup of tea.
"What else can you do?"
"I'm also a musician." He snapped his fingers again, revealing musical instruments in the arena. With a confident smile, he went to the piano and started playing. After the song, everyone started clapping, tired of the sight of blood. Dorothy, however, was not, but found the stranger handsome.
"Can we see some real combat please?" the prince demanded. "People did not come here for tea and to watch someone play music!"
"Fine," Quatre said, snapping his fingers again, making all the teacups and musical instruments disappear. "I have other talents."
"I'll fight him, your majesty!" Dorothy cried, making her way to the arena.
"But you don't fight," he shouted. "You're only a gypsy, a fortune teller."
"And I'm also an enchantress," she smiled at Quatre, "I am Dorothy Catolonia."
"And I'm…." Quatre began.
"I already know who you are," she said, "Quatre Rabera Winner. I'm a gypsy, after all."
"Begin!" Prince Milardo ordered.
Dorothy laughed as she shot a blast of lightning at Quatre, "I have a few tricks myself!"
Quatre put his hand forward, forming an invisible shield and blocking the attack.
"Interesting," she murmured and put her arms straight over her head, her hair started flying around and her eyes glowed like fire. She screamed, breaking the shield, sending Quatre back. Her arms still up, she sent another bolt of lightning at Quatre, a far more powerful one. Quatre gasped, but blocked the blow with a gust of wind. "I don't need to read your palm to know what you're thinking," she teased. "You're scared."
Quatre grunted and threw a fire ball at her, singeing her dress. He put his hand up and took a breath, looked at the ground beneath her feet, within seconds, he made the ground shake. She screamed in surprise. A pillar began tilting and was about to fall on her. Quatre leaped up, grabbed her and they rolled out of harms way.
She felt the hot ground on her back and felt his eyes burning into hers. She felt like she was on fire, but she was actually sweltering with embarrassment. "Why'd you do that?" she demanded, "you were supposed to kill me!"
He stood up and snapped his fingers, making a long sickle sword appear in his hand (hey, his gundam had one…I couldn't resist!) His sword began glowing. He held it down to her. "Surrender, and I'll spare your life."
"No."
He slit her arm once and she winced in pain. "I don't want to kill you."
"You're a coward."
He slit her other arm. "I'm kind. I won't tell you again."
She came to her knees and took his hand, reading his palm. "You are a kind and generous man. I see you have a long life ahead of you."
"You don't need to read my palm," he said, but he left his hand in hers.
"I surrender, for now," she said, still embarrassed. She couldn't fight him under these conditions.
"Good, because there will be no point in killing you now," he stepped back, letting go of her hand. Still holding his sword in his right hand, he took his left hand and put it in front of the sword, so she couldn't see it. Slowly, he pulled his hand down, revealing a rose where the sword was. He gave it to her.
She stood up and took it. Running off, she looked him as if to say, "this isn't over."
"Well," Milardo put his hand on Quatre's shoulder, "that was interesting. You didn't kill her, but you certainly embarrassed her in front of thousands of people, which makes her feel even worse."
"Forgive me, your majesty," Quatre apologized, "but I don't want to kill anyone unless I really have to."
"I agree," Milardo said. "Which makes you worthy of being a Gundania Warrior. I don't think the warriors of Gundania are to be blood thirsty warriors, but kind as well.:"
Quatre smiled, "thank you, your majesty."
"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the fourth Gundanium Warrior!" Milardo told the townsfolk. They cheered.
Quatre made his way to where the first 3 were standing. "Just one more to go," Heero murmured to himself, but the other 3 heard.
"Aye," Duo said, "I wonder who he is."
"Now, which one of you think you're the remaining Gundania Warrior?" Milardo shouted to the soldiers.
Everyone began shouting, "I am, your majesty, me! I'm the fifth warrior!"
"Stop it," Wufei muttered, then his voice came to a scream, "Stop it!" He waited for silence, "You're weak. How can you believe you're the warrior after what you saw today? Do you actually think you are worthy?"
"Who said that?" Treize asked, walking forward. "Your majesty, do you know who said that?"
"You, come forward!" Milardo demanded.
Soldiers stepped aside, making a path for Wufei. They whispered around, surprised by his words. He was in his Chinese soldier armor and his head was tilted to the ground. He raised his head slowly and took a step forward. "Your majesty, all these men may look strong, but they are weak. Nobody can posses the strength of a Warrior of Gundania."
"So you say that the four warriors up there are failures?" Milardo demanded. "Are these men behind you nothing but cowards?"
"Why give someone a quest knowing that it cannot be done? It's pointless! Those who are weak should not fight!"
"Are you weak?" Treize asked. "Why are you here?"
Wufei gasped, took a breath and raised his voice, "what you're asking these men to do is impossible!" he held his hand out to the four gundanium warriors standing next to each other, who were exchanging confused glances and then to the men standing behind him. "I've been studying martial arts in the Shaolin Temple for years and even I am not strong enough! I started out as a weak boy who became a monk and now I'm a Chinese soldier. I have fought against the Huns and kept them from invading my home, but hundreds of my friends and family were killed!"
"I admire your strength," Treize said, impressed.
"What strength?"
Sally looked at her to amazon friends, "I think he's strong and brave."
Lucrezia looked at her, "they all are." She turned her head to Lady Une, "Don't you agree, Une?"
She was silent and kept her eyes on Treize, "he's so handsome…."
Sally and Lucrezia exchanged glances.
"I challenge you to a duel," Treize said, taking out his sword.
"I accept," Wufei withdrew his own sword, a broad Oriental Dragon sword. "My name's Wufei."
"I'm Treize Khushrenada," Treize said, "good luck."
They began their duel, Treize taking the lead. Their swords clashed against each other. Clang, clang. Swish, swish. Treize was surprised but impressed with Wufei's sword play techniques. He would hate to kill him and he'd hate to die by Wufei's sword. Wufei felt the same thing. Treize jabbed forward, only clashing his armor. Wufei gasped, if he wasn't wearing his armor and only his monk's attire, he would have been run through. He lunged forward, tangling his sword, through Treizes' and making it fly off and hitting the ground a few feet in front of t hem. Wufei held his sword up to his throat.
"You're beaten," Wufei muttered.
To his own defeat, but to Wufei's victory, Treize smiled, "well done. You are strong."
"You made me win, Treize." Wufei accused.
"Did I now? Well, I guess I'm weak then. Kill me."
"No, then I would become a weak coward." Wufei withdrew his sword and put it in the sheath, "I'm already weak enough. You tricked me into winning. You did it on purpose."
"Only to prove your strength," Treize explained, "Now go and stand by your comrades. You've proven worthy as a Gundanium Warrior."
"He's right," Milardo added, "a weak and foolish man would have killed him, but you are strong and wise. And that makes you the fifth Gundanium Warrior."
"You all fight well by yourselves," the Princess broke in, "imagine how you will fight as a team."
"We will train them," Treize said.
Wufei stood by the other four Gundanium Warriors. They looked at each other as if they all knew each other from another life, as if they were destined to be here.
"We will have a great celebration in your honor." Milardo told them, "for years we've waited to meet the Warriors of Gundania and now we have!"
Everyone cheered, except for the remaining warriors who hoped to be a Warrior of Gundania, "what about us? So, are we failures, weaklings? What makes these fools any better than us!" they shouted. "They're kids, look at them!"
"They're not even men!" they advanced the true Warriors of Gundania, "kill them, kill them!"
"Maybe we'll see how they'll fight as a team right now," Treize whispered to Milardo, "let's give them some room, shall we, your majesty?"
The five Warriors of Gundania stepped forward, taking their weapons, Heero leading them, "We only fight because we have to," he said to them encouragingly, "and now.."
"We have to!!" Duo finished for him. "Let's go, lads!"
Heero chucked ninja stars at the oblivious soldiers like poker cards (did they play poker back then?) and took his katana's, slicing off limbs like tomatoes. "I will destroy my enemies!"
Duo raised his scythe as he pulled his cloak hood over his head to make a more threatening approach. Twirling his scythe over his head, he cried, "I am the God of Death, fear me, fools!" he chopped off a frightened warrior's head, "or die by me."
Trowa reached his hand into his quiver of arrows, grabbed one, leaped forward and shot it into one of the a soldier's neck. He took another arrow and shot it into a soldier's heart. Watching the two men fall, a necromancer advanced to him. Trowa bit his lip as he reached his hand into his quiver again, finding only one more left. As he was about to fire, a lion jumped from behind Trowa and onto the necromancer, chewing his arms and legs off. More lions came to Trowa's aid. In surprise but in gratitude, Trowa lowered his bow, "thank you, friends," he murmured.
Quatre, not wanting to kill, only to injure and frighten (not to mention mortify!), held his finger out, and zapped all the warrior's weapons away. They looked at their hands, blinking in confusion. He pulled his hand back, screamed, "Surrender, and I'll spare your lives!" and pushed his hand forward with incredible force, sending a strong wind toward the soldiers with the strength and speed of a hurricane. They stood up and came toward him anyway.
"Surrender, to a bunch of children? Never…go back to your mothers, boys!"
Because Quatre didn't have much of a choice, held his hand out before them, "so be it!" he shouted and raised his arm up high sending a wave of fire, burning them all into a crisp. "You should of surrendered," he whispered sadly.
"Weaklings, fools!" Wufei cried, thrusting his sword into the soldiers. "Why fight a battle you know you cannot win?" He rammed his sword in a warrior and twisted it so hard, he broke it in half. The warrior fell backward and Wufei looked at his useless sword and threw it aside. He took of his helmet and threw it at a warrior's head and began fighting without it, kicking and punching and screaming.
"Look at them fight, Princess Relena," Dorothy murmured to her friend. "Isn't it exciting and wonderful?"
"Not quite if you ask me," Princess Relena muttered, looking at Heero. "They're destroying one another!"
Many of the ignorant warriors lay dead on the ground and the remaining ran away.
"Ye had better be running!" Duo shouted, "aye, what a bunch of fools!"
"What made them think they had to fight us?" Quatre wondered aloud.
"They were jealous," Trowa answered suggestively.
"And weak," Wufei added.
"And cowardly," Heero continued.
"And foolish," Duo finished, shaking his head in disbelief, "Damn foolish cowards."
"I suppose they don't need training as a team," Treize told Milardo.
"They practically are one," Milardo observed. He looked at the young warriors, who stood next to each other. Wufei picked up the broken pieces of his sword and Quatre mending them back together by his magical powers. "Warriors of Gundania, you are strong and brave. Let us celebrate!"
"Why?" Quatre asked, "We haven't found the city yet."
"Ah, but we've found you," Treize said, "we will celebrate meeting you."
Rashid put his hand on Quatre's shoulder, "just like at home, there's a celebration after every battle."
"And we need to give you food for your journey," Milardo said, "celebrate with us!"
"Aye, it's been awhile since I've been to a great celebration." Duo said. "And it might be some time until I'll be at another one!
Maidens came by carrying great platters of food, setting them on tables. The battling arena quickly became an amusement park. The dead bodies were gone, replaced with jesters and magicians, food platters and dancers. The Warriors of Gundania didn't know what they were in for!
Part 3 "Enchanted Love" will be here soon! While the celebration goes on, Dorothy seduces Quatre and Relena finds that she has feelings for the dark and mysterious ninja, Heero Yuy!!