Disclaimer: I in no way own Gundam W or AD&D. Don't sue; I'm simply an E5 in the USN, therefore I have no money. Ha.
A/N; /magical spell/
A/N 2; Kudos to those who can identify all of the cameo appearances of Gundam W characters in this chapter. Heh heh.
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Quatre sighed quietly, staring vaguely into the nothingness that surrounded him.
Seated in the middle of the gloriously vast sea of sparkling silver grasses known to the Realms as the Shining Plains, Quatre sulked in his solitude, his aqua eyes immune to the beauty that surrounded him. They watched unblinking as a light breeze whistled from the west, stirring the grasses around him and spreading about him for seemingly all eternity, causing the silvery reflection thrown upon the tall stalks of plant life to shiver and rustle like moonlight dancing upon waves on the ocean. Black sky gently caressed silver grass, the sparkling stars above assisting the full splendor of Selune, the moon that hovered in the Torilian sky, in lighting the plains as brightly as possible, making them shine and gleam as brightly as they would under the full light of the burning sun.
Quatre didn't care for the beauty around him. His mind was still seated in that small tavern, drifting to that small down that lay at his back for an undetermined distance.
'I crushed him.'
Burying his face into his arms, he shook with fatigue, his shoulders and mind already weak from the strain of accessing the Psychoportation science of Teleport. He had no idea where he was - all he knew is that the area he was in was near a small town named "Ormath"; that much he gleamed from his continual rape of Wufei's mind.
'I've run away. Like a cowardly human, I've run away. But I didn't have any other option; I couldn't remain around him, seeing that pain in his eyes, feeling that broken spirit, seeing that shattered aura... knowing that I'd done that to him. Gods, Quatre, why? You dumb ass. What Wufei said was true... I'd waited too long to tell him. I'd let him fall in love with me. I'd let his relationship with me progress - hells, I'd encouraged it. Letting him take liberties with my person, letting him touch me, letting him call me by name. How could I be so stupid? How could I be so careless, so callous? So cruel?'
Shivering as the night's calm breeze caressed his bare torso, snaking underneath his large black cloak to stroke his naked chest with its cool tentacles of wind, Quatre closed his eyes and bowed his head.
'I swear, I'm becoming more and more like them every day. Ever since leaving the care of the VonWinner manor, I'm... I'm being assimilated.'
'And I'm allowing this to happen.'
'I'm losing myself - I'm losing my identity. I'm forgetting what I am... why? Why am I wanting to relate myself with those inferior beings? Why am I wanting...'
"Why am I wishing I were human...?"
He stiffened as a voice quietly and mockingly whispered behind him, "I was wondering just what you were, dearest little intruder. Thank you for specifying, at least, what you are not."
Quatre stiffened. 'Why was I not able to detect something approaching...?' And, turning, he stared, sweat springing to his brow.
The lich smiled, its rotting lips forming more of a grimace than the desired gesture.
Staring at the gaunt, skeletal form, aqua eyes locked onto the black and empty eye sockets which harbored fierce pinpoints of light for eyes, Quatre slowly began to ease away from the monstrosity, shuddering as the aura of cold and darkness which radiated from the robe-clad, rotting carcass caressed him. "Lich..." he whispered under his breath, eyes wide and filled with fright.
Nodding his skull once, the undead being clad in the robes of the magi took one step forward. "So what, pray tell, are you to have the ability to teleport with those bands laced with /Magical Absorption/ seated upon your arms?"
Narrowing his eyes, Quatre remained silent, his face losing its fear and falling into grim determination. 'I'll simply detonate him. Why am I feeling fear? Why am I allowing his aura to affect me? Heh. He's only a lich...'
"Ah, you are a psionisist then." The lich cackled softly, lifting one skeletal hand, his rotting lips forming the words of the arcane and twisting them to manipulate the Weave and form his spell.
'What is he casting! No fear, Quatre. No fear. It won't affect you. The bands will absorb the effect. Just concentrate. Concentrate! I have some power left... I have some...'
Leaning over stiffly, the skeletal undead gently picked up the small animal which had appeared upon the ground before it, setting it in his flesh-coated hands and gently petting its back.
Quatre screamed.
"And if you are a psionisist, then you'll be affected by the feedings of a Brain Mole, yes? Why yes, of course you will be." Caressing the little animal, the undead wizard cackled softly. "Eat up, little beast. I'm certain this one will keep you well fed. Drain him; ensure he won't be a threat to me."
The tiny brain mole squeaked, it's mole-like body curling in the lich's hand as the undead mage grasped the screaming psionisist by an arm and dragged him in a random direction by Quatre's muddled senses.
The blonde was already unconscious before they reached the lich's underground lair.
Upon situating the fainted boy to hang by his wrists upon one of the walls of his dusty lair, the lich turned to his other captive and smirked, laying the mole on the ground near Quatre's feet. "You, girl, will be given your freedom if you can determine what he is."
The small dishwater blond girl lifted her blue-eyed gaze and wrinkled her nose. "Just keep that mole of yours away from me, wizard..."
"Of course. View his aura."
Nodding, she let her eyes become unfocused, latching upon the power that resided in the back of her mind.
She gasped.
"Feathered... aura...?"
"Meaning?" the lich quietly interjected.
"Solar..."
A twisted, diabolical sneer took the lich's lips. "Finally. What I've been searching for this entire unlife - the ultimate vessel in Godly power, with magic unrivaled by any upon the Prime Material, who's remains leave those talented with the manipulation of the Weave with spell components able to draw upon magics able to rival those of the deities themselves!"
"May I go, now?"
"Of course, dear little girl," the lich quietly cooed, laying his skeletal hand upon the young woman's head, "you may leave. Leave now and forever this world of the living."
She screamed as her very life was drawn out of her body by the /Vampiric Touch/ spell.
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Trowa frowned as he faced the band of unarmored, fez wearing, scimitar carrying mercenaries. "You're certain you didn't see anyone on the road into town? He couldn't have gotten far enough to evade your sight."
The large burly man before him snorted quietly, his wolfish features enhanced by his scowl. "I swear to you, lad. We saw not another living soul upon the road during our travels yester eve nor this morn. We've no reason to lie to you." Crossing his arms over his broad chest, the dark-skinned, black-haired man smirked wryly, setting his moustache askew over his lips. "You doubt the words of an honorable warrior of the southern deserts, do you?"
"Of course not. I'm... worried. That's all," Trowa muttered, bowing his head and glancing away.
"Very well. Then, best of luck with your searching." Nodding once, the man walked past Trowa, accompanied by his small troupe of similarly clad warriors.
"Any luck, Tro?" Duo called, walking calmly over to the acrobat's side with a frown upon his lips.
"None."
"Dammit," Duo muttered, looking around, "I just don't get it. Where could he have gotten to? And why in the name of the Nine Hells would he just run off like that?"
Bowing his head, Trowa sighed. "It's my fault."
"Your fault?" Arching a brow, Duo stared at his friend.
"Yeah. I confessed how I felt..."
"Well, duh. You've been doing that forever, my friend."
"And he told me that he didn't feel the same."
Duo stared, his pacing stopped dead in its tracks, his violet eyes huge. "What...?"
"He told me that he could never love me."
"What the fuck!" Grimacing, Duo's hands balled into fists. "That little wretched bastard... did he at least give you a fucking reason?"
"He's a Solar."
Duo blinked. "Repeat that."
"A Solar."
"That little bastard's a fucking angel?"
"Yeah."
Shaking his head, the mage grumbled, "I don't believe that."
"Think about it, Duo," the acrobat began, casting a critical look at his long-haired friend, "the bands, the spells upon them, his power despite having those devices in place, his attitude - it all makes sense. He ISN'T any child of VonWinner. He's an extraplanar being. An angel."
"And now, he's missing."
"Because... of me."
"What did you ever do?" Arching a brow, Duo scowled. "Just because you love him isn't any reason for him to take off running."
"Because I think he cares... and because I think he feels that he hurt me with his proclamation."
"Did he?"
"Momentarily."
Nodding, Duo scowled. "So you're thinking he ran off..."
"To keep from hurting me further."
"Fucking moron. He obviously doesn't know the workings of the human heart, then, does he?"
Trowa simply arched a brow.
Continuing, Duo flung a hand to the air. "Otherwise, the little idiot would know that abandoning you would hurt you more than having him around, even if he never loved you, neh?"
Nodding, the acrobat sighed, wrapping his arms around himself as he started his slow, long walk back to the tavern.
'It's all my fault.'
'I'm sorry, Quatre.'
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"We just can't leave him, Heero. Leaving that boy unsupervised is like inviting disaster to come knocking us over our skulls."
Heero simply arched a brow as he stirred his stew with his spoon, staring critically at Wufei with one brown brow arched over a piercing Prussian blue eye. "Why are you suddenly so concerned about this, Wufei? But a few days ago, you'd have gladly wished the boy dead. Now you are suggesting that we abandon our eastbound journey towards the riches of Cromyr to go looking wildly for him? What you are suggesting is ludicrous."
Rubbing his forehead, Wufei grumbled, "I know it sounds obscure, but to leave him as he is... it is not in our best interests."
"And why do you say this? As I asked earlier, why is this suddenly such an incredible concern? If you'd simply explain yourself, maybe I'd be able to understand your mind-set easier, my friend. After all, I've not the power to simply grab your reasoning from your mind as you seem to be able to, Mr. Psionisist."
"Hmph." Crossing his arms, Wufei scowled at Heero before shrugging. "Very well. You want to know the truth? I'll tell you."
"How very kind of you."
"The boy's a Solar."
"Really. I didn't know it was in your nature to tell tall-tales, Wufei," Heero muttered, lifting his soupspoon to his lips and blowing on the steaming stew.
The tiny pseudodragon, sitting primly and properly upon the table next to the Eastern warrior, snorted quietly, its multi-colored eyes swirling madly with oranges and reds.
Nodding towards the dragonette, Wufei sighed. "Even this little one has seen it. When the creature who claims itself to be VonWinner's flesh and blood supplied his own health to Duo to save him from the grim reaper's clutches, his psionic defenses dropped and allowed his aura to be fully seen. Now, you know the workings of auras, don't you, Heero?"
"Enlighten me again," the warrior grunted as he slurped his stew.
"Each individual has their own aura, their own coloration, their own pattern depending upon what they are and what paths their heart follows. Humans, for example, hold a smooth aura that billows like the fingers of foggy clouds about them. Elves' auras are ancient rings that surround them, either smooth along their edges with the touch of good or spiked like throwing stars if tainted with evil. Dwarves are a solid wall that surrounds and encases them, gnomes hold a floating aura that flickers madly, halflings resemble those of humans, as their mindsets are so similar to our own. Every life form holds their own aura. And that boy's is unique in one specific fashion."
"Which is?"
"It's feathered."
Heero's spoon stopped halfway on its journey between his mouth and his bowl, his eyes narrowing slightly. "And this had lead you to the conclusion that he is a Solar?"
"That, and the fact that the boy has told me himself. I know that he has told me the truth."
"You sensed such?"
"Yes."
Heero returned his spoon to his bowl and frowned. "Then... we've a wild Solar running amuck without supervision. And you're worried because...?"
"What if he happens to discover a way to remove those armbands which restrain his true power, Heero?"
Staring, Heero swallowed. "M... my God..."
"The entire Realms could be in danger. With his hatred of human-kind as deep and resonating as it is..."
"He won't stop in killing whoever dares be present in his vicinity. And if he truly is a Solar..."
"There will be nothing that can be done to stop him."
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Duo sighed quietly, slowly gripping the forked stick as he stared down the road. "Now, my range isn't all that impressive, 'kay?"
"But you'll be able to detect whether or not he's in the region."
"That's about it," Duo muttered with a shrug, nodding to Heero.
"Do what you can, lover," Heero sighed, laying a hand upon the mage's slender shoulder.
"No problem. One /Locate Object/ spell coming right up. Now, to find those damned armbands of his!" Grinning wildly, Duo began to chant.
Stepping back, Heero watched with fascination as the gentle magical light of the weave began to flow along Duo's fingers, running over the forked stick he held like golden water dripping from his fingernails.
Concentrating, Duo slowly turned, his eyes open to be naught but violet slivers upon his face, watching the gentle rivers of the weave reach about him, searching desperately for the armbands he had pictured in his mind.
After minutes had passed, he sighed in resignation and lowered his arms, his spell canceling out. "He's not within range of my spell, Heero."
"Meaning?"
"The kid's a psi, right? Meaning he probably used Psychoportation or something like that. He could be millions of miles away by now."
"Damn," Heero sighed quietly.
Nodding, Duo sighed as the stick he held crumbled to dust, the magics of the Weave having destroyed it thoroughly. "There's nothing we can do."
tbc...
