Other Worlds
Chapter 11
There's a lot of sap, fluff, and more Heero OOCness. MAJOR sap warning! I hope you enjoy it and please review! ^_^
…. = denotes thought
When Nikita had finally calmed down, they decided to go back and get their things. Their stuff wasn't hard to find, they just had to follow the trail of destruction that had been left behind by the dragon during the chase. They then continued their journey to Canderis. They had traveled in silence, neither knowing what to say to the other. Nikita was embarrassed by her show of weakness and Heero was confused by all that had happened with the dragon and the image he had seen. They had been pleased when they discovered that they were closer to Canderis than they had previously thought and they managed to make it there before dusk. Nikita had been right about the gold they had stolen from the bandits' treasury; it did come in handy. They had managed to get a good room at a fine inn. Heero found himself looking very forward to sleeping in a nice warm bed. They got a good meal and even had enough money to pay for a bath and have their clothes washed.
Now they were sitting in their room. Heero was perched on his bed, back in his tanktop and shorts. Nikita was leaning against the wall and looking out the window, wearing a large, sleeveless white tunic that hung down to her knees. She had let her laziness get the better of her and had decided not to re-braid her hair, opting to simply tie it back in a loose ponytail. It hung in golden waves down her back, almost past her knees. Heero tried to study her discreetly, unable to look away from the beautiful picture that she made as she leaned against the wall next to the window.
"Heero, what are you staring at?" said Nikita suddenly.
"Nothing." said Heero, quickly looking away.
"Oh really?" said Nikita with a small smile. "It looked like you were looking at me." Heero said nothing, a little embarrassed at being caught staring. Nikita sauntered over to Heero, her honey-blonde hair swaying around her hips with every step. Heero watched her warily as she made her way over to him. She startled him when she climbed onto his bed and sat behind him, resting her cheek against his back.
"Then again, I could be wrong." she murmured playfully. "Maybe you were just looking out the window. It is a beautiful night."
"Yes, beautiful…" whispered Heero. He could feel his breath catch in his throat and his pulse speed up as Nikita wrapped her slender arms around his waist.
"What…what are you doing?" asked Heero, his voice slightly strained. He felt unsure what to do and that made him nervous. No one had ever shown him any sort of affection before, other than Relena, but she never caused the same reactions in him that Nikita did. The warm feeling that ran through him as Nikita molded herself against his back was startling in its unfamiliarity.
"I like being close to you like this, Heero." she whispered. "It feels…"
"Familiar." finished Heero softly. Heero was confused for a minute as to why he had said that word, but then realized it was true. Though he had only known her a few days, it felt like much longer, like they had grown up together or something like that. Maybe that's why he wasn't afraid to trust her so completely. He had never placed all his trust into anyone else but Dr. J before.
Maybe that's also why I want to protect her…
"Yes, familiar. That's it." she murmured. "I've only known you for a short while, but it feels like longer, much longer. Like I've met you before."
"I feel the same way. It's strange." said Heero as he reached down to twine his fingers with hers.
"And when you hold me," she continued softly, "It feels like you've done it a thousand times before. Almost like I belong in you arms…"
Maybe you do.
Heero gently pulled her arms away from him and turned around to face her. He tilted her chin up so she was looking up at him. She watched him intently while he studied her eyes. The irises seemed to be moving, swirling in the orbs of her eyes. The green and the blue were two separate entities, conflicting with each other in their space, pushing against each other like oil and water, but at the same time, fusing beautifully, hypnotically. Heero found it hard to look away. She blinked suddenly, releasing Heero from the hold her eyes had over him. He moved to pull his hand away, but she grabbed it and pressed against her cheek.
"Will you hold me tonight, Heero?" she asked, placing a soft kiss against his palm. "While we sleep?"
"If you want me to…" said Heero. She nodded.
"I do." She reached out and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him down so he was lying on the bed next to her. He wound his own arms around her smaller form and held her tightly against him. She buried her face against the crook of his neck, sighing happily. Heero nuzzled his face against the top of her head, breathing in her scent of strawberries and cream.
"Good night Heero." she whispered as she curled herself against him, her eyes sliding shut.
"Good night, Nikita." he whispered back. She didn't hear him; she was already asleep, her rosy lips curled into a happy little smile.
Heero felt strange, light and airy, like he was floating. He opened his eyes, expecting to see the inn room and Nikita curled up in his arms, only to find that he was surrounded by white, empty space.
"Nikita?" he called, but the only answer was the echoing of his own voice. He looked around, but there was nothing to see, just the endless whiteness that surrounded him.
"Where am I?" he wondered aloud. He looked down and saw that his body was surrounded by the same strange blue glow from earlier. He raised his hands in front of him and studied them, the strange blue light that glowed and pulsed around him. That feeling of power ran through him again, pulsing through his veins. It felt like little sparks of electricity were running through him. A strange feeling came over him and the glow intensified. Heero spun around and saw someone standing there behind him. The person's back was to him. It was a man, dressed in a plain black tunic, pants and brown boots. He had long golden-blond hair tied back in a loose ponytail. Heero had the strange feeling that he knew who this person was, but he couldn't remember from where he had seen him.
"Who are you?" he called out to the stranger. He didn't answer. Heero walked over to stand behind the stranger. He was glowing as well; the strange blue light that surrounded Heero emanated from him as well. The stranger turned around slowly to face him. Heero let out a small surprised gasp. This person looked exactly like him. The same haunted, stormy blue eyes, the same facial features. Even their hairstyle looked the same, except that the other's was longer. The only real difference was their colorings. One was golden and the other was dark.
"Who…who are you?" Heero repeated weakly. The strange look alike smiled gently at him. Heero looked at him, recalling Nikita's words, that he looked good when he smiled. She had been right.
Wait a minute, what the hell am I thinking?…
The blond-haired man's lips moved, like he was trying to speak, but Heero could hear nothing.
"I can't hear you…" said Heero, frowning. The man seemed to become frustrated at Heero's words and tried harder to get Heero to understand him, but still no sound issued from his lips. He looked desperate, pleading with his eyes for Heero to understand him.
"I'm sorry, I don't understand…" said Heero softly. The man looked like he was going to try one more time, but gave up, his shoulders sagging in defeat. He looked at Heero with such sad eyes, but Heero had no idea what he could do.
"I'm sorry…" Heero whispered. A sad smile crossed the taller man's face. He straightened suddenly and the glow around him intensified. Then suddenly, large golden wings sprouted from his back. Heero watched with wide eyes as they slowly unfurled themselves and spread out behind the golden-haired stranger. Stray feathers fell loose and floated down around him in a soft golden shower. One of the golden feathers fell into Heero's open palm.
"A golden feather…" The blue light surrounding the golden stranger grew brighter. It was starting to hurt Heero's eyes. He turned away, shielding his eyes with his arm. He closed his eyes tightly against the blinding light, still clutching the golden feather in his hand.
Heero blinked groggily as he woke up, the sun glaringly bright in his sleepy eyes. He felt a little confused for a moment like he had forgotten something important. He dismissed the idea and yawned broadly, shoving his messy brown hair out of his face. He looked down at Nikita, who was still asleep, happily curled up in his arms. He smiled and gently brushed back her long bangs. She sighed and wriggled closer to him. He lazily ran his hand through the golden curtain of her hair, just enjoying the feel of the silky strands slipping through his fingers. He nuzzled his face against the top of her head and closed his eyes.
"You're so beautiful…" he whispered. He felt Nikita shift and pulled away to look down at her. She yawned and blinked sleepily up at him. She smiled sleepily.
"Good morning, Heero." she said while wrapping her slender arms around him and pressing her cheek against his chest.
"Good morning." replied Heero. "Did I wake you?"
"No, not at all." she sighed happily. "This feels so nice."
"What does?" asked Heero.
"Waking up here in your arms." replied Nikita. "We should do this more often."
"Maybe…" said Heero softly. The two lay there for a while, soothed by the sound of the other's quiet breathing. There was suddenly a loud knock at the door, startling them out of their peaceful moment. They both jumped at the loud sound and Heero glared at the door.
"Who's there?" he called out.
"There's somebody here to see ya, travelers." the rough voice of the innkeeper called back.
"It's probably my brother." said Nikita. "He always manages to find out where I am."
"We'll be down in a minute." Heero called back. The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard as the innkeeper walked away.
"Well, I guess we'll have to get up now…" said Nikita. She sat up and was about to get off the bed, when Heero suddenly grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down against him.
"Not yet…" he growled into her hair as he pulled her smaller form tightly against him. She struggled half-heartedly and turned her head to look back at him.
"Heero, we need to get going. My brother is waiting." said Nikita.
"He can wait a little longer…" he ran his hands playfully up her sides eliciting a small giggle from the lovely elven maiden.
"Heero, stop!" she laughed.
"Why?" asked Heero, enjoying himself. "I like hearing you laugh…" His fingers danced up and down her sides, causing little shrieks of laughter to emit from the blonde elf.
"Heeeroo! Stop…hahaha…we need to get dressed…hahaha…" she giggled. Heero did not cease in his attack on her though. He just tickled harder. Nikita was laughing hard and struggling like mad to get away from Heero and his torturous ministrations, tears running down her face. She managed to squirm around so she was facing him and grabbed his evilly grinning face. She pressed her lips to his in a warm kiss. It only lasted an instant, but it was enough to make Heero stop his assault against Nikita and go completely slack with surprise.
"Now," she said, smiling triumphantly, "We need to get dressed and go meet my brother. He may have news." Heero didn't say anything, still a little shocked by what had happened. Nikita grinned.
"C'mon Heero! Get up!" she said while she hopped out of bed. Heero just looked after her for a few moments with a strange look on his usually stoic face, before climbing out of bed himself.
"Eulysia! Eulysia, where are you?" called Derek as he searched the dark woods for his elusive partner.
"I'm over here Derek." a velvety feminine voice called back. The half-elven mercenary turned and walked in the direction of the voice. He soon reached a small clearing where his partner was waiting. The red-haired woman was sitting on the lush green grass, holding a small crystal orb in her hands.
"What are you doing?" asked Derek, standing behind his partner and peering curiously over her shoulder. She turned her golden eyes to look up at him and held a slender finger to her full red lips.
"Shh. I'm trying to contact Lady Shara." she said. "We need to inform her of what happened with Alden Forest Bandits that way we don't get blamed."
"Oh, I see." said Derek. He waited while Eulysia said the spell to activate the crystal orb. When it was completed, the ball glowed briefly, then a pair of ruby red eyes appeared.
"Eulysia, Derek," said the dark sorceress, "What news do you have for me?"
"Mistress, we have news concerning the bandits that you hired in Alden Forest." said Eulysia. "It seems they could not detain the boy long enough for us to arrive and deliver him to you." The red eyes narrowed.
"I didn't think they would. Do you know where he is now?"
"We're tracking him now, Mistress." said Derek. "We should be able to find him in no time."
"You had better." said the sorceress. "I will be needing him very soon."
"Yes Mistress." said Eulysia and Derek.
"We'll contact you as soon as we find anything on his whereabouts." said Eulysia.
"Very well." the red eyes vanished from the glass.
"That woman gives me the creeps." said Derek with a small shudder. Eulysia smacked him upside the head. "OW!"
"Don't say things like that about our boss!" said Eulysia. "I don't care how creepy she is, she pays well and I want to keep working for her."
"Sorry." mumbled Derek, rubbing his now sore head. Eulysia placed the ball back in her pouch.
"C'mon. Let's get going."
"What's taking them so long?" grumbled Aldrich. He had been waiting at this table with Duo for his sister and Heero to show up for nearly an hour and was growing more impatient every second. He looked over at Duo who still seemed surprised to be here and had been asking Aldrich questions almost non-stop on their way here and was now fascinated with a pair of dwarves and a halfling sitting a few tables away.
"Hello!" called out Nikita cheerfully as she walked to Aldrich and Duo's table with Heero following. Aldrich looked up at the sound of her voice and turned in his chair so he could see her. He had been worried sick since the dragon attack. He caught sight of the bandages on her shoulder and was immediately up and at her side.
"Nikki, what happened to you?" asked Aldrich in a concerned tone, examining her bandaged shoulder.
"It's nothing too serious, just a scratch." replied Nikita nonchalantly. "Sit back down so we can talk." They all took a seat at the table. A surprised look crossed Heero's face as he saw the familiar braided pilot already seated at the table.
"Duo?"
Duo looked up at the sound of his name. A big grin spread across his face when he laid eyes on Heero.
"Heero! Man, am I glad to see you!" exclaimed Duo. "You wouldn't believe all the crazy shit I've just been through!"
"You two know each other?" asked Nikita looking curiously over at Duo.
"Yes." said Heero.
"Oh, I see." Nikita turned back towards Duo, smiled and held out her hand. "Well, my name is Nikita, but most call me Nikki. It's nice to meet you." Duo grabbed her hand and shook it.
"I'm Duo Maxwell." said Duo. "It's great to meet you too. Are you Aldrich's sister?"
"I am." she replied. "How did you meet my brother?"
"I found him being gnawed on by a ghoul." said Aldrich.
"Is that what happened to your shoulder?" Heero asked Duo, gesturing to his makeshift bandages.
"Yeah." Duo winced at the memory and rubbed his shoulder.
"You were bit by a ghoul?" asked Nikita. She turned to her brother. "Why hasn't he turned into a ghoul yet?"
"WHAT?!" exclaimed Duo. "I'm gonna turn into a what?!" Aldrich shrugged.
"I still haven't figured that out myself yet." replied Aldrich. "I thought it was odd that he was still human by morning. Maybe ghoul bites don't affect him. I'm still going to take him to cleric however, just to be safe."
"That would be best." said Nikita. "By the way Aldrich, what happened to your sleeves? You look ridiculous."
Aldrich sighed miserably and pointed to Duo.
"He's wearing them."
"Oh." said Nikita. "I guess we'll just have to get you a new one."
"And just how are we going to do that?" asked Aldrich. "In case you've forgotten, we're running a little low on gold."
"Not anymore!" grinned Nikita. "While you were gone, I picked up a little extra cash."
"Where?" asked Aldrich.
"Heero and I we're captured by bandits. " said Nikita. "It turned out Turk was there on a job. He was impersonating a bandit so he could find a special book or something."
"Oh really?" said Aldrich.
"Yeah, we got really lucky. He let us out and while we were looking for the exit we came across the bandit's treasure room." said Nikita. "That's where Heero got his sword and I found this strange looking broadsword." She un-strapped the broadsword from her back and handed it to Aldrich. "I think it might be magical." Aldrich examined the sword. He could feel a faint magical energy radiating from it.
"I think you're right." said Aldrich. "We should have it identified later."
"Turk helped us out a little when we were fighting our way out." said Nikita. "I got pinned to the wall by a dagger. That's why my shoulder is bandaged."
"I see."
"So how did you get here Duo?" asked Heero.
"Well, I was out looking for you when I came to this weird lake. It had some sort of weird lightning storm going on above it." Duo paused. "It was only in that area though…and there was no rain, just blue lightning."
"Blue lightning?" asked Heero.
"Yeah…I got hit by one of those bolts and then the next thing I know, I'm in a field full of zombies and one of them is gnawing on my shoulder!" said Duo.
"Blue lightning…" murmured Heero. It sounded familiar to him, but he wasn't sure.
"Maybe you got here the same way, Heero." suggested Nikita.
"Maybe…I still can't remember." replied Heero.
"I may be able to find something here in this town to help you restore your memory." said Aldrich. "In the meantime, Nikki may I have a word alone with you?"
"Sure." said Nikita as she followed Aldrich to an empty corner of the room. Heero looked after them, wondering what was going on.
"What's up Aldrich?" asked Nikita once they stopped. Aldrich looked at her with a solemn expression on his face. Nikita had a feeling she wasn't going to like what he said.
"Nikki," said Aldrich, "I saw my friend Taren a few days ago. He told me…some interesting news, regarding our new friend Heero."
"What kind of news?" asked Nikita warily.
"His appearance here may not have been by accident." said Aldrich. "He may have been brought here for some specific reason. And I highly doubt it's for the good of the Realms."
"What do you mean?"
"The sorceress Shara is looking for him." said Aldrich, "And she wants him bad. She's been hiring bandits all over the countryside to go look for him. She even equipped a few with seeking crystals, that's how desperate she is to find him."
"Heero?" Nikita looked back at the table where the cobalt-eyed boy was sitting. "Why would that evil woman want Heero?"
"I'm not really sure." replied Aldrich. "But I think it might be wise if we headed somewhere safe for now, until we can figure everything out."
"Alright." Nikita nodded. "Where do you think we should go?"
"I think it's time we went back home." said Aldrich. "To Vesey."
What will happen to our heroes once they arrive in Vesey? Will they even get there or will Derek and Eulysia reach them first? You'll just have to wait and see. Sorry, but this is the last chapter I'll be posting for a while. I'm going to my mom's for the summer and won't be anywhere near a computer the whole time. *sob* I'm also sorry that this chapter took so long, my muses were lazy and so was I. Gomen minna-san!