Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me, except on VHS and DVD. If you sue me, that is all I have, so please don't take it.

A Fish Out of Water- Chapter 2

When Trowa left home, it was already night; and the sea was more crowded than usual. He weaved through the sleeping figures in their waterbeds. After dodging one more sleeping shark, he was there. The surface looked so different from how it did in the daylight. Except for a few stars, the world was pitch black. Trowa could barely make out his hand in front of his face. There was no moon that night, but he'd known that before, as it was the source of illumination for the sea, as well as for the earth. He groped his way through the darkness, trying to find any bit of land to sleep on. His hand touched cold stone and he pulled himself up on the very rock he'd lounged on that morning. It was completely deserted; the sea lions had someplace else to sleep that night, and all of the other animals had gone to their own homes. Or so he thought. He rested his head on a soft pile of straw, intending to wait there until the morning, when some of his animal friends would arrive. He'd nearly drifted off already when he was roused by a shrill cry. It was no ordinary straw that he'd tried to sleep on, but a makeshift and very poorly made nest (This is why the females usually do it.) belonging to none other than the sweet but excitable seagull who'd nearly bit Catherine's finger off that very afternoon.

"SQUAAAAAAA!" The horrible sound jerked Trowa awake.

"Sorry," he said groggily. Then he came to his senses as a flurry of wings beat in his face. Wha- Are you okay?" he asked his feathered friend. The bird squawked in a scolding way. "I'm sorry," Trowa repeated, truly guilty for upsetting the poor animal, who had suffered enough trauma that day (and more than Trowa knew). "I didn't see you there, it's really dark out here."

The bird looked away for a moment and turned up its beak haughtily. But Prince Milliardo didn't say that Trowa had a way with animals for no reason. He reached out and tickled the creature, gently at first, then more vigorously. It couldn't stay mad for very long after that. Its eyes were tearing, as if it was laughing, and it fell on its back, kicking its legs in the air. Its reaction was far more human than animal, and perhaps it was at that moment, Trowa started referring to the bird as a "He", instead of an "It." In any case, it worked, and Trowa was soon forgiven. As a gesture of goodwill, he scooted over to let Trowa rest his head in his nest. The merman did so gladly, but not without putting in another request first.

"Do you know where this came from?" Trowa asked, taking the feather out of his bag. The bird cawed with excitement and began flying around in a circle, like a dog chasing his tail. When he was finally satisfied that nothing important was missing, he calmed down for a second, only to start again. It was as if he was having a panic attack; and Trowa had to splash some water on his face to calm him down. He did, and collapsed in his nest.

"Easy, easy. Does that mean that you do know where it came from?" Trowa wondered, not expecting any reply. So he was surprised when the bird moved his head up and down. "Was that a yes?" It nodded again. "Can you help me then? I'm trying to find these bird people, so they can tell me whose it is. I really need to know; you see, the princess is missing…" At this, the bird got up again and started speaking in what even his own kind would consider gibberish.

"What's the matter? It's all right, you can tell me," Trowa said soothingly (which really wasn't a true statement, as he wouldn't understand him if he did). He offered his arms to the bird, but he refused. Instead he flew in a dizzy circle and then landed in the water with a splash.

"Careful," Trowa began, but he was now doing something else. With very un-seagull like behavior, the bird, his body half in the water, began swimming backwards, with one wing to his chest. He pulled himself up onto the rock, laid flat on his back and started to gag. Trowa reached out to try and help him, but he popped back up in a second, pressing his wings to his chest with his eyes round and bulging. Then he began walking, teetering and tottering like a drunken man. Suddenly he was flying again and coming in for another landing. He quickly moved to another section, jumped into the air and screamed as best as a bird could, with his wings on his breast. Trowa gazed at him in wonder throughout the scene, trying to comprehend what exactly he was telling him.

"If I were you, I wouldn't go into acting," Trowa said solemnly. The bird glared at him, done with the theatrics (or hysterics, whichever one), and trying to figure out if he was serious or not. Probably not, Trowa was much more friendly with animals than with people; and thus more likely to make jokes. Going back to the earlier topic, he asked, "So you can bring me there?"

The bird nodded in confirmation, seeming disappointed that his new companion wasn't very good at charades. Tired, he fell back into his nest, leaving room for Trowa. This time, the youth took it gladly, and after briefly wondering what his elder sibling was up to, soon fell into a deep sleep next to his feathered friend.

* * * * * *

It took about five or six hours after her brother's departure, when the dawn was just peeking over the edge of the water, for Catherine to realize that her means of exit was blocked. A person would think that, after such a sincere, albeit brief, speech, Catherine would have no desire to follow after her brother and would respect his wishes. That person obviously didn't know Catherine very well. Fortunately, Trowa did. He'd not only sealed the door to their cave with a stone as he normally would, but also barricaded it with various pieces of debris and driftwood that he'd found lying around and thought useful enough to save. Good fortune had made Cathy too tired to set out until morning; and the neighbors, for the most part, were spared of being awoken by the clatter she made while trying to get out.

Their next door neighbor and healer, the previously mentioned Sally Po, was the one to reply to her cries of distress. She had left her home early that morning to bring food and medicine to her husband and his search party. Wufei was awfully strict, and she knew that if she didn't get there early enough, he would be gone already. Still, there was always a time to help a friend in need, she liked to say. And quickly and efficiently, her raging friend was freed and in need of a cup of soothing, salty tea.

After Catherine had told her the story (most of which Sally had already heard from her husband) she said, "If he thinks I'm going to stay home and knit while he's off gallivanting, he's got another think coming. We have to stick together."

Sally patted her hand comfortingly and gave her a cup. "Drink this, it'll make you feel better," she commanded. Catherine obeyed her concerned friend/serious doctor without protest.

"No way am I g-going to- Ah!" Catherine yawned and slumped down in her seat, fast asleep.

Sally clucked her tongue apologetically. "I'm sorry, Cathy, but Trowa would never forgive me if I let something happen to you." She took out a little packed from her medical bag, simply labeled "Sleeping Draught". "Who knew this sample I got would work?" she asked rhetorically, sounding impressed. She tucked her friend in her bed and left her to sleep, safe, snug and imprisoned once again.

* * * * * *

Trowa was stirred awake the next morning by the blazing sun on his back and an incessant pecking at his cheek. Like a normal (present day) mortal would smack his alarm clock shut, so he did his own, much to the gull's displeasure. He apologized hurriedly, saying it was a reflex.

"I do it to my sister all the time," he said, half-joking, but the bird wasn't at all convinced. As punishment, he began what would become a daily grooming ritual: trying to fix Trowa's hair. Trowa slapped at him again.

"Such a sensitive little creature," he commented, and was rewarded by a bite on the finger. "Ow, I said I was sorry." Once that battle was over, with a lot of screaming from the animal and a lot of complaining from Trowa, they went out in search of breakfast.

In this endeavor, the seagull turned out to be a most useful companion indeed. In only two shakes of a fish tail (that was a mer-saying for very fast), he was away and back, bringing with him two juicy crabs. Trowa held out his hands to help crack them, but the bird missed, or did he? When Trowa went to examine his breakfast, the shells were in two even halves each, with the legs scattered about around them. With a quick word of praise, Trowa dug in, suddenly starving. His companion did the same. Once those were done, he flew to get second helpings.

Feeling less savage, Trowa took time during the second course to examine the beast, if you'll pardon my use of the term (It gets so tiring referring to him as "The Bird" all the time.), since he hadn't gotten a chance the day before. Though he visited frequently, his calls were too short for them to fully bond. Like humans, or mermen, Trowa thought that each animal had his own distinctive characteristics; no one looked the same as the other. But this was the strangest difference he had ever seen. As he was being inspected, the bird stared at Trowa with round pale blue eyes. It was a rare color even for a human, but for a seagull it was almost unheard of.

"How'd that happen, little guy?" Trowa asked softly. The bird moved his upper body up and down in the semblance of a shrug. Trowa smiled. "Pretty bird," he cooed, making the animal hide his beak in his wings, as if he were embarrassed.

After they'd filled their bellies to the brim, it was finally time to set out on their quest. With a brief glance at his new home, and an even longer one in the direction of the old one he couldn't see, Trowa swam off in the opposite direction, east, with the seagull flying overhead.