Standard disclaimers apply—none of this belongs to me, except for the plot and idea. All characters, except for ones of my own creation, belong to the wonderful and life-saving people who created the show.
Warnings—Swearing, AU, some OOC, homosexuality, supernatural elements
Note: Last chapter was really short, and for the next little bit they all will be. This fic isn't intended to be hugely long or anything, so…eh. We'll just see how it goes, shall we? And the next chapter might not come for a while; I got a lot of other stuff I gotta work on.
But thanks so much to Dreamweaver, who somehow got my ass working on this, whether he/she knows it or not. *grins* Another chapter and new ideas running rampant all because of you. Hope you keep bugging me, Dreamweaver, because out of everyone you're the one who finally got me to want to continue this. How can I not, when you have such lovely ideas? And no, I don't mind the influx of ideas at all! In fact, send more! Whether I use them or not doesn't matter; your enthusiasm is awesome enough!
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"The Magic is in me—the Magic is in me. It's in every one of us."
The Secret Garden; Frances Hodgson Burnett
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The city that's born of nerve and steam,
The city that queens the inland sea,
Lay under the sky with a flash and a gleam—
A something wonderful fair to see;
And guests come in by lake and stream
To see another Midsummer Dream.
Colours flashed in the glowing light,
And colour ran on each brilliant street,
And music thrilled through each beaming night
And lightened the fall of ten thousand feet;
And voices ran in a flood-tide strong
That sounded afar like a charmed song.
The hill was proud of the light-lit bay,
And the bay was proud of the lordly hill,
And both were proud of the town that lay
Locked in their embrace fond and still;
And Venice was never as fair as she,
That glowed on the shores of the summer sea.
Her sons come home from far-off lands,
And, beaming, looked on her splendid face;
She welcomed them back as she took their hands
With a mother's love and queenly grace
They felt as they saw her beauty there
None other was half so fond and fair.
—The Khan
A poetic tribute to Hamilton, circa 1890
Falling Into Hell
Part 4
Written by Azreal
pippin_elf@yahoo.com
Quatre blinked owlishly, his cerulean eyes wide as he slowly turned, gazing at his surroundings in fear and awe. Sitting amidst a pile of colourful bed-sheets and frilly pillows, the teen found that, while he was very afraid, he was comfortable. There was a calm feeling in the air around him, a sense of security that he couldn't place the origins of. Outside, he could see flames dancing and casting shadows on the green fabric of the tent he was in, and every few seconds a humanoid shadow would pass by hurriedly, and soft voices spoke hurriedly.
Dimly, he wondered where he was and where his friends were. He knew he had followed Duo and Heero into the fire-pit, but where were they now? And Trowa, and Wufei…they had followed him, he knew it. They weren't the type of people to abandon their friends.
Frowning, the blonde pushed the blankets that covered him away, only to gasp and yank them back on again as a cool draft touched him. He was naked!!!!!! What in the world—
A head peeked into to the tent. "So, you are awake," a woman's voice said warmly. Looking up quickly, Quatre saw a blonde woman with waist length hair pulled into a high ponytail, clothed in a warrior's outfit of iron and animal skins. She smiled at him and stepped into the tent. "We were wondering when you would finally awaken. Great Mother told us you would very soon, but no one believed her. Your injuries were intense."
Quatre blushed, pulling the blankets up to his chest to hide his nakedness. "Umm…yes? Who are you? What happened? And where am I?"
The woman frowned, her eyes gazing at him pityingly. "You are amongst the Tri Obla, young one," she replied. "A nomadic people with no place to truly call home. The country we are in is named Shadowstone, called the Fairland amongst my people. I am Gwen, daughter of Or."
"Oh."
Gwen frowned again, canting her head at him. "Are you well?" she asked, moving forward to come to kneel beside him. The teen blushed more and clutched the blankets tightly. "You do not look well," she said, looking at him closely.
Quatre's flush deepened. "Um…where are my clothes?"
She blinked. "You had no clothes when you fell from the sky," she said.
The blonde's jaw dropped open. "HUH???"
Gwen's eyes sparkled with mirth at his embarrassment, though she still retained her look of concern. "When Dia found you after seeing you fall from the sky in a ball of flames, your flesh was badly burned and scalded. It was as though they had been burnt right off of you." Her frowned returned. "We did not know if you would survive the healing process after such terrible injuries." Her smile returned. "But it seems as though you are very strong, foreigner. How came you by such endurance?"
Quatre blushed again, hands fiddling with the sheets. "War does that to you," he murmured softly. Gwen nodded, her face once again dropping into sadness.
"Yes, it does." She replied, her voice taking on a sad note. "A terrible pity, to live in times as these." The blonde teen nodded, silently agreeing.
"I know."
There was silence for a long moment, before Quatre's mind clicked on something. He looked up at Gwen, whose eyes were downcast and face sad. He frowned. "Did you find anyone else who fell from the sky?" he asked, almost hopefully.
She shook her head, shattering any hopes. "I fear not," she said. Then, curiously, "Why?"
Quatre sighed. "Four friends of mine…my family almost, fell into a hole in the earth," he replied softly. "Duo…he was the first. Then Heero. I followed them, and…Wufei and Trowa followed me. I know they did." He shook his head, pushing back the tears. "I can't…I have to find them!" He looked at the woman, who gazed back at him with a blank look on her face.
She was silent for a long moment, just looking at him. Finally, she spoke. "Perhaps the Great Mother can help," she said.
Quatre blinked. "Who?"
Gwen smiled secretly. "I will show you." There was a pause. "After we find you some clothes."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Wufei followed the boy through the twisting alleys, their feet pounding against the ground in time with the thundering of hooves they heard on the other side of the buildings, tramping through the streets. His hair, loose from its ponytail, blew behind him in a black cloud, and sweat dripped down his face as the heat from the burning buildings overwhelmed him. Yet still, refusing to give up, he followed the red-haired boy as he dashed through the shadows.
"Where are we going?" he demanded, panting and nearly out of breath as they rounded another corner.
"Anywhere that is safe!" the boy replied.
"And where would that be?" Wufei sounded annoyed despite his gasps and coughs. The boy glanced back at him with a frown.
"I cannot say where, but I can show you," he replied. At the Chinese teen's astounded and growing angry expression, he added, "There are soldiers everywhere…and not all of them are human. They hear everything."
Wufei's eyes widened, then narrowed. "What…do you mean, not all of them are human?"
"No time to explain," the boy said, stopping for a moment to look around. "There!" He ran toward a ladder that went up to a rooftop, and he began to climb. Wufei followed a bit more slowly, not sure if he could trust the boy.
Throwing caution to the wind, knowing that this boy could very well be his only chance to find his friends, Wufei crawled to the top of the roof and followed him at a run, leaping from building to building as the boy ran. He panted furiously, hair flying back behind him as his arms pumped wildly and he lunged from one building to another, leaping the short spaces between them and dimly noting that there were, indeed, soldiers below. Luckily, none of them noticed him and as they came to a stop atop one large, decrepit home, the Chinese teen breathed a sigh of relief.
Looking around, the boy beckoned to him. Wufei came forward, and frowned slightly as the boy grabbed his hand. "Hold on to me," the boy instructed, turning toward the edge of the building and taking a step toward it.
Wufei gasped as he was pulled into mid-air, his eyes widening as he immediately imaged an imminent fall to the ground and having his head break open like a watermelon.
None of that happened, however, as a strange bluish-purple portal opened up before him, and the red-haired boy pulled him through, into a world of heat and mountains. The Chinese boy gasped again as he looked out over the vast expanse of rocky terrain, wondering how in the world such a place could exist from walking through a hole in the sky.
The red-haired boy looked at him, seeming to understand Wufei's silent question. "We just walked through a gateway to my homeland," he told the stunned teen. "They're everywhere, if you know where to look. And only those of the Wyrm Blood can use them."
Wufei nodded, for once speechless.
The boy canted his head at the Chinese teen, eyeing him carefully. "So?"
"So? What do you mean, so?" Wufei asked, turning his eyes from the landscape to the red-haired boy, his face pulling into a frown.
"So, why could you get through?" the boy asked.
Wufei blinked. "What?"
The boy rolled his eyes. "I said only those of Wyrm Blood can use the gateways. Nobody, and I mean nobody else can. Not even if one of Wyrm Blood takes them through." He frowned. "I knew you had Wyrm Blood the moment I saw you, but I know everyone who does. There are so few of us left that we all know each other. Who are you? Where are you from?"
Wufei sighed, closing his eyes and letting his shoulders slump in defeat. He was confused beyond any kind of confusion he had known before, and he was ready to give up.
"Kansas." He muttered.
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"Great Mother, the boy who fell from the sky is here to see you, as you predicted," Gwen whispered, bowing deeply to an old woman who half-lay on a pile of pillows and soft blankets, her ancient eyes looking blindly in their direction. Those eyes, white all around, were focused directly on the blonde, who swallowed. She smiled an old, weathered smile, and beckoned him forward.
For his part, Quatre was feeling decidedly uncomfortable. He was clothed in a bear-skin kilt that barely reached past the middle of his thighs, held up by a thick leather belt with a circular clasp. A pair of tough brown doeskin boots that reached to his knees were upon his feet, and a thin vest with a large shoulder guard was strapped across his chest, all of which made Quatre Raberba Winner feel like some weird kind of barbarian. He could feel goose pimples forming on his bare skin, and a cold chill swept over him when he looked into the old woman's blank white eyes.
"Come here, child," the crone whispered, her voice raspy yet gentle, warm and commanding. Quatre rubbed his arms nervously as he stepped forward, watching the old woman fearfully and with a great amount of nervous tension. Kneeling down directly in front of her, he kept his movements slow and tentative, ready to bolt if need be.
He could feel something coming from this "Great Mother." Some kind of aura was around her; a powerful one at that. He didn't know how he knew, but he knew this woman had some kind of strange ability, like his uchuu no kokoro, only stronger. He could almost see it in her blind, white eyes. He didn't even notice that Gwen had left the tent, his attention focused fully on the ancient woman before him.
She regarded him quietly, carefully; despite the fact that she was blind, she was still looking right at him, and her gaze was searching. The two stared at each other, both of them searching: Quatre looking for any sign that he could trust her, and the crone…well, he didn't know what she was looking for in him, but he supposed it was similar to his own reasons.
It seemed like an eternity later when the old woman smiled, her face almost becoming younger as the large, almost impish grin broke out. "Well now," she said, her voice a little deeper than he would have expected. "You seem like a nice young man. How may I help you?"
Quatre blinked. The cold chill in the room lifted; replaced by a warmth that buried itself under his skin, soothing his nerves. Unconsciously, he relaxed. She wasn't dangerous; not to him, anyway. At her smile, he found he had to echo it and smiled back, though it was a little forced. "I need to find my friends," he said quietly. "But I don't know how."
The crone smiled. "I believe, child, that I may be of service to you."
Looking up, the blonde frowned and cocked his head to the side. "How?"
"I will show you."
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The creature growled, slipping through the broken and dry underbrush silently. Its large, taloned feet left huge imprints in the dry earth; its steps so heavy that they crumbled the ground beneath it. Its yellow eyes flashed briefly as it sniffed the air, searching for the two creatures it was following. It raised its head for a moment and let out a low snort.
There they were.
Two humanoid creatures wandering in its forest; its very own territory. The land it had stolen from another of its kind, the land it fought hard for and won. The previous owner was dead; its throat ripped out by the great beast's massive jaws. It had won this land fair and square, in a battle for territory. And now these human things were trespassing.
How dare they?
Behind it, it could hear a softer snuffling. Glancing back for a moment, it spotted its little spawn following closely, watching it carefully. A slight grin, ugly and deformed, crossed the beast's face. Its child would eat tonight. Feast on the trespassers.
It looked back at the humans as they moved through the trees, almost as silent as it was. One was tall and moved like a cat, the other shorter but moving with a purpose. They spoke in hushed voices, seemingly concentrating only on each other as they went, oblivious to the creature's presence.
It bared its teeth and growled.
Yes. It would kill the trespassers and feed its child.
Tonight looked like it would turn out rather well for the Ka Klan.
Hunching its shoulders, it bunched its muscles and prepared to leap.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"How do we know we're going in the right direction?" Trowa whispered, looking around at their surroundings warily.
"I don't," Heero replied shortly.
The taller boy snorted. "Oh well that's wonderful," he muttered.
Heero said nothing, and only continued walking. His thoughts were focused solely on Duo, and how in the hell he was going to find him.
'I know you're here somewhere,' he thought. 'I can feel it. Wherever we are, you're here too…somewhere. And I have to find you. No matter what. I WILL find you. I love you too much to let you go.'
"We're being followed," Trowa whispered suddenly.
Heero stiffened, but kept walking. "By what?" he whispered back, eyes scanning their surroundings carefully.
"I don't know," the taller teen hissed back. "But it's big."
"Hn," was the Japanese pilot's only reply. He kept one hand ready to go for his gun, though he didn't make any obvious movements that would signal to their stalker their knowledge of its presence.
Trowa abruptly stiffened, his head going straight up. His nostrils flared ever so slightly as his breath quickened, and he slowly balled his hands into fists. It was almost upon them.
A great roar ripped through the silent forest as a large, shadowy beast leapt from the shadows alongside them, springing into their paths and blocking the way. It reared up before them as Trowa and Heero both stepped back, its hulking mass casting a shadow over the two boys as they took battle stances.
The beast thumped its fists against its chest like a gorilla, yellow eyes flashing dangerously as it bared its fangs. The two boys stared levelly at it as it took a hulking step toward them, a deep growl rumbling in its throat.
"Omae o korosu," Heero growled, whipping out his gun and firing at the beast as it came for them.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Duo opened his eyes slowly, moaning softly as he came to consciousness once more. The last thing he remembered was falling into a pit of fire, and then hearing voices above him saying something about a ceremony of some sort…but his mind was so muddled he wasn't even sure that was what they had really said. He also remembered something about punishing someone in the name of the moon…but he couldn't be sure of that either.
Frowning, he blinked groggily as his head spun just enough to make him feel sick. There was a strange smell in the air, like brimstone. It was horrible, and he coughed and choked a bit before he learned not to breathe through his nose. As his vision slowly came into focus, he noticed that he was in a very, very strange place.
Bones, carvings made of stone in the walls, flesh-made drapes and a long row of skulls that lined up on either side of a small path that led to a huge altar, where a stone slab sat, runes and weird symbols carved into it. Tall candles stood burning just about everywhere, lining the small path and making shadows dance on the walls. Small windows were carved into the stone walls, and demonic creatures of all shapes and sizes peered out from the darkness.
'I'm guessing this isn't Kansas anymore, Toto,' Duo thought to himself with a slight wince. He kept his movements slow and careful, just in case he had any injuries that, as the bad ones usually did, would only make themselves known when he moved. Blinking to clear his eyes, he gave his surroundings another cursory look, memorizing it all in case he had to escape.
Sighing in relief as no bone-jarring, head-splitting agony attacked him, Duo went to sit up but was stopped. He frowned, falling back as he realized that his wrists and ankles were cuffed; a thick chain was attached to a pair of shackles that were locked tightly around his slim wrists and feet, hooked into the stone slab he lay on. And he only knew he was laying on a stone slab was because a) he could feel the cold stone beneath him, and b) he was butt-naked except for a strip of cloth across his waist, and the texture of the rock was aggravating his smooth flesh.
Feeling a draft down there, Duo mentally cringed. 'Oh, this is just great,' he thought mournfully, curling his lip in distaste as he looked down and scowled at the ragged, rotten cloth that barely defended his most sensitive spot. 'I fall into a hole in the ground after having a nightmare, wake up to find myself shackled and half-naked and at the mercy of…of whoever did this to me and…I'm naked! Partly! And what clothes I DO have are…like…rotten! Fuck! This is so gross!'
"Well, well, well, look who finally decided to grace us with his consciousness."
Duo frowned, turning his head to find the owner of the soft, throaty voice that had spoken. Footsteps could be heard moving toward him from somewhere behind him, and he felt a cold chill run up his spine.
A hand reached out of nowhere and grasped his chin, sharp claws poking into his soft flesh. He yelped as a hideous face appeared in his line of sight, riddled with large, dripping pustules and wrinkles that made it look like some sort of ugly hound. A flat nose and fat, leathery lips smirked at him from the face, and two small, beady blue eyes that were nearly hidden under thick folds of skin stared at him. Duo shuddered again, terror gripping at his heart.
The creature smirked at him. "After all these years, I have finally found you," it hissed. "Now I may finally have my revenge…"
Duo screamed, arching his back as he fought against his shackles. Blood began to drip from the cuts in his wrists as he surged against his restraints, and his ankles bled as well from the iron chains. He threw himself forward as far as he could, before lunging back and then forth once more. He shrieked in fury and pain as the three large, demonic creatures watched him with raised eyebrows and slight smirks on their faces.
"A feisty one, he is," one said. "He'll be hard to tame."
"I've no need for taming him, Balroth," said the largest one, the ugly-faced demon clothed in ebony silk and strange adornments made of bone. "All I have to do is mate with him."
"Explain to me again, my lord, how this works?" said the third demon, watching as Duo growled at them, spitting and snarling as he thrashed in his binds. "He is a male, so…how in the world can he have your child?"
"It is not a question of masculinity or femininity, servant," the large demon growled, licking his lips as he watched the braided teen, who scowled at him. "It is the magick. If he is the one we have been looking for all this time, then it will not matter if he is not a woman. When two magicks combine, they create a new, more powerful magick. This new power will grow within him, and when it is ready to take on a physical form..." He trailed off and smirked. "Then we will no longer need him."
The first demon looked sad. "And such a waste of beauty, too," he muttered. "Will you not keep him for playing with, my lord?" His eyes gleamed wickedly as he looked at Duo, who flinched away from the lustful glare.
The large monster chuckled deeply, scratching his chin in thought. "Perhaps," he purred, before turning away. "Now, my servants. Get back to work. The Ceremony MUST continue!"
Duo's eyes narrowed as the three demons walked away, and he felt a shudder run through his body. 'Over my dead body!' he thought with a growl. 'Only one who's gonna fuck me is Heero! Not some nasty-ass fucking demon guy with an ego the size of China!'
To be continued…