Chapter Five: The eye of the beholder
As the day wore on, Wufei became more and more suspicious of Qahlen. Surely she had cast a spell on Heero, he hadn't spoken this much in his life. Yet as the day continued neither stopped the ceaseless chatter, stories about Duo of all things, and Heero wasn't even telling the best parts. The woman on the other hand held nothing back, but baby stories are useless against someone with no memory of his childhood.
/~\~/~\~/~\
Misca listened to her sister as she spoke. She hadn't told those stories in years, and certainly never with as much joy. There was no doubt that the stranger was good for her, though he was definitely softening the tales he told, probably for the better. Qay was already disturbed by the fact that her son had so dangerous a profession. These Gundams he spoke of sounded like mechanical demons, but she knew better. She had seen cars and computers. These creatures were just creative combinations of the two. She was glad her nephew was so well protected in battle. She looked ahead, by mid-afternoon their path would merge with the highway. She did not wish to camp on the road, but knew they'd never make it out of the forest before nightfall.
/~\~/~\~/~\
Quatre looked up a tall winding flight of stairs. He could barely hear voices coming from that direction. "Trowa? Is that you? Duo? Come on guys, this isn't funny. What are you doing up there?" Slowly began his way up the steps in the highest tower.
/~\~/~\~/~\
Duo's skipping brought him deep into the forest. When he realized Trowa hadn't followed it didn't seem to matter. Nothing mattered really except being here in this beautiful place, running amongst the trees. Now that he thought about it, why was he staying on this boring road. The wood was far more interesting off the beaten path., and there was a cute, happy little light hovering beside a towering oak a few yards off. Now wasn't that odd, a floating light, but it made him feel so happy to see it, that he just had to get a closer look. He approached the light, and reached out to touch it. The light chose that moment to jump and run off zigzagging among the trees. Duo laughed and ran after it, eager to join in it's game. A dozen tiny points of light followed as the teen was led deeper into the darkest regions of the forest, and one broke off to fly ahead, and report. The cave was ready, and Mother would want to know her guest was on his way.
/~\~/~\~/~\
Just as they reached the road, Misca called the company to a halt, and called her sisters off to the side.
"Watch them, we know the dangers of the open highway, they do not. Their wounds haven't healed enough to keep them from smelling like blood. Laki, I want you to walk with Wufei. He's most likely to become a target. Qay, I want you to lead. I'll walk with Heero."
"But . . ."
"But nothing. I need you as a first defense."
"Yes, ma'am." She started out and the others could nothing but follow.
"Qay . . . don't . . . oh forget it." She caught up with Heero in time to stop him from going to Qay's side. Laki fell in step beside Wufei, though the young Chinaman protested mightily. Heero turned and waved a very large silver ring at him. The boy was instantly silenced, though he never stopped glaring at his 'friend'.
"What is that?"
"This." He held up the large circlet. "It's duct tape. Useful in all things, from repairing cars to silencing the overly vocal."
"One day you'll have to show me how it works, it sounds absolutely wonderful."
"Sure." He put it back in his bag, and nodded toward Qay, who was stalking dejectedly ahead of them. A confused sadness hinted at the edge of his features. "Did she say why she wanted to walk alone all of a sudden."
Misca smiled and kept the boy satisfied with a reasonable explanation, similar to the on she'd given her sisters. He quickly lapsed back into his old silence. She didn't mind it was much easier to read him when she didn't have to keep a conversation going as she went.
She began to concentrate on his aura, but nothing happened. Confused she tried again, harder this time, but still got nothing. Finally she focused all of her will into the spell, it bounced back and knocked her off her feet. Heero caught her deftly and had her back on her feet before the two behind them caught up. She stared at him in confusion, but he didn't seem to notice. Suddenly she realized what was going on and threw a glare at the woman in front of them.
What are you hiding, Q
You'll know in good time, sister, but I need to handle this alone. For now, stay out of it, I beg of you.
Stay out of it. Stay out of it! Who is in charge here?
If you command it of me, I shall obey, you know that. But also know that I will never be more than a subordinate to you if you do.
"Are you alright?" Misca noticed that the boy had already said it three times.
"Yes, I'm fine, I just tripped on a stone." Heero looked at her quizzically. He had been staring at the ground for the past twenty minutes; there hadn't been anything for her trip on, stone or otherwise. He pondered this for a moment, but soon something far more important came along. Namely a dragon, and it was attacking Qay.
/~\~/~\~/~\
It came out of nowhere. It just dropped out of the air, barely missing Quatre's head. The chandelier shattered on the second story landing. "Aah!" He abandoned the stairs and ran for the nearest room. Ducking inside, he slammed the door behind him. He turned around and leaned on the door, sliding all the way down to the floor. Then he looked up, and screamed.
/~\~/~\~/~\
Trowa pulled at the web, but the more he struggled the more entrapped he became. If he could just get to the knife on his belt . . ., but his belt was too far from his hands. Angrily he resigned himself to capture, and somehow fell asleep.
/~\~/~\~/~\
The dragon loomed over Qahlen, roaring angrily, it reared back to roast her with its fiery breath. Heero ran and placed himself between her and the oncoming flames. He put his hands up to protect his face and waited to die. When he didn't feel the heat coming, he looked up . . .just in time to be pelted with millions of jellybeans. Wufei, Laki, and Misca laughed. Heero glared. Qay growled.
"Shinku, that wasn't funny." The dragon looked down, and Heero noticed for the first time that it was pink.
"You never let me have any fun, little Q." Heero stared as the dragon shrank and quickly morphed into the form of a young woman with short red hair and true Irish green eyes. She wore a symbol at her throat that he did not recognize, and the long black gown she wore fluttered in the breeze as she stood imposingly before Qahlen, which was quite a feat as this woman was at least four inches shorter than Qay. "I didn't hurt him, I didn't turn him into anything repulsive. All in all I think I behaved rather well."
"Qay, who is that?" Heero had recovered from his shock, and back behind the rock-hard mask of soldiers.
"Heero, this is my sister, Shinku."
"That's the Almighty Glorious Shinku to you." She extended her hand like a queen holding court and Heero ignored her, turning his back to her, to speak to Qay. To say she was angry about being ignored would be an injustice. The woman was livid, and Shinku had ways of dealing with those who wronged her.
"You would ignore the Great Shinku? I will teach you some manners, child." She snapped her fingers and Heero found himself caught up in a small whirlwind. When the world finally stopped spinning, he realized two things, one being that he was now very small, and the other that a large leather boot was about to come crashing down on him. He leapt out of the way, and was scooped up by two giant hands.
"Shinku! What are you trying to do?"
"I wouldn't have killed him, just squashed him a bit till he apologized."
"Shinku, change him back."
"Do it yourself, if you want him back so badly."
"You know I can't." Heero tried to glower at her, but his face had suddenly grown stiff. "See look, he's sorry, you can see it in his face."
"One of these days, I'll teach you about cricket expressions." Cricket. Heero was shocked. He was a cricket?! He tried to look at himself but he couldn't turn enough to see.
"Look, he knows not to cross you now, isn't that enough."
"Shut up, Misca, or you'll join him."
Misca glared, but held her tongue. Shinku looked into her sister's disapproving gaze. "All right. All right. Here." She gestured at the cricket and Qay quickly put him back on the ground. Heero was relieved a moment later, when he was his own size and shape again., but Qay, still looked angry. Heero looked down at himself and realized his skin was dead white and covered with large black cow spots.
"All of it Shinku."
"Party-pooper." She gestured again, and Heero's skin returned to its former shade.
"Thank you. Now if you will excuse us, we'll be on our way."
"Ooh, can I come."
"NO!"
"I didn't ask you." She glared at Misca and Laki, who had protested simultaniously.
"No, Shinku. Please just let us get goin."
"I won't do what you want till you call me---"
"Chibi Shinku, I know, I know." She cleared her throat. "Chibi Shinku will you please allow us to depart, we would all be eternally grateful." She bowed formally and Shinku disappeared. The disembodied voice of Shinku made one last comment.
"You know, you were a lot more fun a hundred years ago."
Qahlen sighed in relief when her sister had finally departed.
"Qay, what's she doing here?" Misca had found her tongue again in full force.
"I don't know, but you can bet this trip is going to get a lot more interesting from now on."
/~\~/~\~/~\
As the day wore on, Wufei became more and more suspicious of Qahlen. Surely she had cast a spell on Heero, he hadn't spoken this much in his life. Yet as the day continued neither stopped the ceaseless chatter, stories about Duo of all things, and Heero wasn't even telling the best parts. The woman on the other hand held nothing back, but baby stories are useless against someone with no memory of his childhood.
/~\~/~\~/~\
Misca listened to her sister as she spoke. She hadn't told those stories in years, and certainly never with as much joy. There was no doubt that the stranger was good for her, though he was definitely softening the tales he told, probably for the better. Qay was already disturbed by the fact that her son had so dangerous a profession. These Gundams he spoke of sounded like mechanical demons, but she knew better. She had seen cars and computers. These creatures were just creative combinations of the two. She was glad her nephew was so well protected in battle. She looked ahead, by mid-afternoon their path would merge with the highway. She did not wish to camp on the road, but knew they'd never make it out of the forest before nightfall.
/~\~/~\~/~\
Quatre looked up a tall winding flight of stairs. He could barely hear voices coming from that direction. "Trowa? Is that you? Duo? Come on guys, this isn't funny. What are you doing up there?" Slowly began his way up the steps in the highest tower.
/~\~/~\~/~\
Duo's skipping brought him deep into the forest. When he realized Trowa hadn't followed it didn't seem to matter. Nothing mattered really except being here in this beautiful place, running amongst the trees. Now that he thought about it, why was he staying on this boring road. The wood was far more interesting off the beaten path., and there was a cute, happy little light hovering beside a towering oak a few yards off. Now wasn't that odd, a floating light, but it made him feel so happy to see it, that he just had to get a closer look. He approached the light, and reached out to touch it. The light chose that moment to jump and run off zigzagging among the trees. Duo laughed and ran after it, eager to join in it's game. A dozen tiny points of light followed as the teen was led deeper into the darkest regions of the forest, and one broke off to fly ahead, and report. The cave was ready, and Mother would want to know her guest was on his way.
/~\~/~\~/~\
Just as they reached the road, Misca called the company to a halt, and called her sisters off to the side.
"Watch them, we know the dangers of the open highway, they do not. Their wounds haven't healed enough to keep them from smelling like blood. Laki, I want you to walk with Wufei. He's most likely to become a target. Qay, I want you to lead. I'll walk with Heero."
"But . . ."
"But nothing. I need you as a first defense."
"Yes, ma'am." She started out and the others could nothing but follow.
"Qay . . . don't . . . oh forget it." She caught up with Heero in time to stop him from going to Qay's side. Laki fell in step beside Wufei, though the young Chinaman protested mightily. Heero turned and waved a very large silver ring at him. The boy was instantly silenced, though he never stopped glaring at his 'friend'.
"What is that?"
"This." He held up the large circlet. "It's duct tape. Useful in all things, from repairing cars to silencing the overly vocal."
"One day you'll have to show me how it works, it sounds absolutely wonderful."
"Sure." He put it back in his bag, and nodded toward Qay, who was stalking dejectedly ahead of them. A confused sadness hinted at the edge of his features. "Did she say why she wanted to walk alone all of a sudden."
Misca smiled and kept the boy satisfied with a reasonable explanation, similar to the on she'd given her sisters. He quickly lapsed back into his old silence. She didn't mind it was much easier to read him when she didn't have to keep a conversation going as she went.
She began to concentrate on his aura, but nothing happened. Confused she tried again, harder this time, but still got nothing. Finally she focused all of her will into the spell, it bounced back and knocked her off her feet. Heero caught her deftly and had her back on her feet before the two behind them caught up. She stared at him in confusion, but he didn't seem to notice. Suddenly she realized what was going on and threw a glare at the woman in front of them.
What are you hiding, Q
You'll know in good time, sister, but I need to handle this alone. For now, stay out of it, I beg of you.
Stay out of it. Stay out of it! Who is in charge here?
If you command it of me, I shall obey, you know that. But also know that I will never be more than a subordinate to you if you do.
"Are you alright?" Misca noticed that the boy had already said it three times.
"Yes, I'm fine, I just tripped on a stone." Heero looked at her quizzically. He had been staring at the ground for the past twenty minutes; there hadn't been anything for her trip on, stone or otherwise. He pondered this for a moment, but soon something far more important came along. Namely a dragon, and it was attacking Qay.
/~\~/~\~/~\
It came out of nowhere. It just dropped out of the air, barely missing Quatre's head. The chandelier shattered on the second story landing. "Aah!" He abandoned the stairs and ran for the nearest room. Ducking inside, he slammed the door behind him. He turned around and leaned on the door, sliding all the way down to the floor. Then he looked up, and screamed.
/~\~/~\~/~\
Trowa pulled at the web, but the more he struggled the more entrapped he became. If he could just get to the knife on his belt . . ., but his belt was too far from his hands. Angrily he resigned himself to capture, and somehow fell asleep.
/~\~/~\~/~\
The dragon loomed over Qahlen, roaring angrily, it reared back to roast her with its fiery breath. Heero ran and placed himself between her and the oncoming flames. He put his hands up to protect his face and waited to die. When he didn't feel the heat coming, he looked up . . .just in time to be pelted with millions of jellybeans. Wufei, Laki, and Misca laughed. Heero glared. Qay growled.
"Shinku, that wasn't funny." The dragon looked down, and Heero noticed for the first time that it was pink.
"You never let me have any fun, little Q." Heero stared as the dragon shrank and quickly morphed into the form of a young woman with short red hair and true Irish green eyes. She wore a symbol at her throat that he did not recognize, and the long black gown she wore fluttered in the breeze as she stood imposingly before Qahlen, which was quite a feat as this woman was at least four inches shorter than Qay. "I didn't hurt him, I didn't turn him into anything repulsive. All in all I think I behaved rather well."
"Qay, who is that?" Heero had recovered from his shock, and back behind the rock-hard mask of soldiers.
"Heero, this is my sister, Shinku."
"That's the Almighty Glorious Shinku to you." She extended her hand like a queen holding court and Heero ignored her, turning his back to her, to speak to Qay. To say she was angry about being ignored would be an injustice. The woman was livid, and Shinku had ways of dealing with those who wronged her.
"You would ignore the Great Shinku? I will teach you some manners, child." She snapped her fingers and Heero found himself caught up in a small whirlwind. When the world finally stopped spinning, he realized two things, one being that he was now very small, and the other that a large leather boot was about to come crashing down on him. He leapt out of the way, and was scooped up by two giant hands.
"Shinku! What are you trying to do?"
"I wouldn't have killed him, just squashed him a bit till he apologized."
"Shinku, change him back."
"Do it yourself, if you want him back so badly."
"You know I can't." Heero tried to glower at her, but his face had suddenly grown stiff. "See look, he's sorry, you can see it in his face."
"One of these days, I'll teach you about cricket expressions." Cricket. Heero was shocked. He was a cricket?! He tried to look at himself but he couldn't turn enough to see.
"Look, he knows not to cross you now, isn't that enough."
"Shut up, Misca, or you'll join him."
Misca glared, but held her tongue. Shinku looked into her sister's disapproving gaze. "All right. All right. Here." She gestured at the cricket and Qay quickly put him back on the ground. Heero was relieved a moment later, when he was his own size and shape again., but Qay, still looked angry. Heero looked down at himself and realized his skin was dead white and covered with large black cow spots.
"All of it Shinku."
"Party-pooper." She gestured again, and Heero's skin returned to its former shade.
"Thank you. Now if you will excuse us, we'll be on our way."
"Ooh, can I come."
"NO!"
"I didn't ask you." She glared at Misca and Laki, who had protested simultaniously.
"No, Shinku. Please just let us get goin."
"I won't do what you want till you call me---"
"Chibi Shinku, I know, I know." She cleared her throat. "Chibi Shinku will you please allow us to depart, we would all be eternally grateful." She bowed formally and Shinku disappeared. The disembodied voice of Shinku made one last comment.
"You know, you were a lot more fun a hundred years ago."
Qahlen sighed in relief when her sister had finally departed.
"Qay, what's she doing here?" Misca had found her tongue again in full force.
"I don't know, but you can bet this trip is going to get a lot more interesting from now on."
/~\~/~\~/~\
