Wing Warriors

Author: Abby Ebon

(UnBetaed At -The- Moment)

By then the dyheli King-Stag had arrived and was impatient to get back to the herd. He assured the brothers that he could reach the boys mind without him coming out of the ekele, though no-one had ever seen it done before.

Which was why Wufei found himself with a splitting headache and the memories (and language) of a Tayledras K'Chona scout and mage. Obviously- he was none too pleased to see the scout and mage when they arrived at the ekele (the unnatural tree-house) pale and a little shaky.

Wufei glared at the two young men in front of him, both were young-looking, but older then him.

Wufei eyed the two young men with roots of silver-stranded hair, dyed chestnut brown with wing-imprints in one boys case (Darkstorm, his mind supplied helpfully, along with images of Darkstorm doing things with a black haired…person) the other (Silverwing, his mind supplied, this time without 'unpleasant' images engraved) wore his silver hair proudly to his waist braided in with feathers, beads, and bits of shiny stuff.

Thanks to his headache Wufei knew where he was, though in relevance to anything familiar, that information was useless.

As was the fact that theses two were brothers, and trying their best to act as if his memories, emotions, and imprinted knowledge of his language … (and every language he knew) had no effect on them.

"Um, uhm…Hi? Urmh, sorry about the splitting headache…" The younger one, Darkstorm, attempted to introduce himself. They were pathetic liars in body-language, and apparently they knew it.

"We used an ally's ability to get your customs and language quickly; we've also taken the liberty to give you ours in return." Silverwing muttered, after jabbing his baby-brother in the side to shut him up- Wufei grunted.

Darkstorm reminded him of Duo. His heart twisted, and he glared at the two brothers.

"I'm well aware of that. As well as who you are, what your people do, and what it all means to you. All very well and good, now as you know about me, let me go." Wufei demanded, eyes searching the two brothers for possible weapons- that he could use.

It hit him suddenly when the memories of the Mage stirred, the Avatars or the Star-Eyed Goddess had told then that the Gundam's and passably they themselves were magical.

The question was could he use the Mage's memories to use magic against them? Wufei felt uncomfortable at the idea, it was like using a new weapon, and you didn't know how it'd fire till you tried. The worst time to try was when you were in an unpredictable situation.

He'd hold off a magical defense until there were no options left, but he was quickly ruining out of choices in any case. The two glanced at each other, a little intimidated by him, but unwilling to give in so quickly.

"Where would you go if we do? What would you do? You're not from around here, if in fact you are from this world at all." Silverwing stated plainly, and Wufei knew they would have to earn each others trust to get anywhere.

"The owl, your people can see through their eyes, and communicate with them?" Wufei asked, though the thought of always having a bird follow him around was an annoyance.

"Yes. That's right." The younger of the two brothers said, neither looked as if they had followed the abrupt change in subject. "Then I'll 'bond' with one, and your kith or kin could, if they wished, look in on me at any time, correct?" Wufei insisted, aware of a growing unease from within, and a need – more then a want, to be with the other pilots that was impending itself on him.

"I suppose." Silverwing said coldly, "But which bird would be willing to bond with you?" The elder of the three asked, the snowy white owl who had been watching Wufei with laughing eyes flew on silent wings to Silverwing, and the Mage smirked at him.

As if by this action he was proving a point, if he had a point to prove, Wufei would rather he say it, because it was likely to 'subtle' for him.

Wufei used the feeling he now identified with magic, to stretch out his 'senses', and search for such a bird. He didn't particularly care which would choose him, he just needed one to be able to leave these people.

A good distance away a Firebird, which could be called a type of Phoenix, cocked its head to the side; 'hearing' the messy call fueled by need, and desperation that it could identify with. It shook gold edged and red and crimson feathers, and letting out sparks that would die to embers in moments, it set out to be companion to the caller.

Wufei shook himself, the double-vision of his 'bird', and the thought-feelings, a confusing mix at the best of times- were near unbearable now; though he sensed the intelligence in the 'bird'. When he glanced at the Mage's face, and his scout brother, he saw a mix of emotions.

Awe, apparently his 'call' and 'need' had been great enough for even those who weren't 'birds' to feel it. Where awe tread, fear was a close companion, if one had the power to call for a bird-companion with such strength. Wufei didn't doubt that the Mage and others in the Clan were wondering what else he could, or might, do- untrained as he was.

The firebird would be here by next dawns light. The magical bond-link between Wufei and the bird had already been formed; all that was really needed was to reinforce it physically, with touch and sight.

Wufei supposed he should name it- in truth he was in awe of it, a Firebird, a Fenghuang - a Phoenix, his people had held the mythological birds in high esteem for eons; even going so far as to allow it to represent the Empress on emblems. For a name Wufei had already decided that if male it would be 'Feng', and if female 'Huang'.

Given his show of magical strength, it was no wonder it took a while for the two brothers to recover- but recover they did.

"H-how did you do that?" Silverwing asked shaken by the blunt show of power, and he knew Wufei had not even touched to surface- nor reached for the Gundam to help strengthen his call, even if Silverwing had felt it ready itself to assist if needed. But it hadn't been, and the 'call' had spread in all directions- quickly.

Silverwing had felt it touch, breach, and go pass the Vail, and reach their nearest Clan's Vail before touching the Firebird. For mages, like most Hawkbrothers, this show of magic had been 'seen' like a brightly glowing green sign in the dark.

Wufei shrugged, unconcerned and unknowing of what, exactly, he had done. One thing was certain for Clan K'Chona, it knew it would have to teach this new-found Mage, and they knew they couldn't hold him against his will.

--

Duo, Trowa noted worriedly, had become increasingly frantic.

"Duo, I do not think they will come out of space until they reach us, giving us perhaps a minute to communicate our status, yelling at the communication systems will not help us." Trowa sounded surprisingly calm in Duo's ears. His voice echoed in the cockpit of the Deathscythe, and even though Duo know he was in the Heavyarms, the 'nearness' calmed him.

"Rodger, but they are coming in too damned fast to contact them just after reentry." Duo stated, repeating old information. Even with the 'Companion' to calm him, it didn't, to Trowa, seem to be doing much good.

"I know. They are here. They do not look pleased." Trowa sounded calm for a guy who might be seeing the afterlife soon, Duo thought dryly. Then his eyes hardened. No, Q and Heero weren't going to kill them, not the people of this Kingdom, and especially not their fellow pilots…

--

Quatre tilted his head to the side, as he reentered the atmosphere, and he felt Wufei. The blonde's bland blue eyes took in the land underneath him. A glacier mountain, barren, yet he felt the lives there, misguided as they were. They were not what he sought.

Duo…

With Wing Zero beside him, they caught the city on their scanners, and caught the signature of Trowa's Heavyarms with Duo's. In the center of the circular and walled city, they caught sight of the sun glinted metal, they dared hover closer.

Unperturbed at the screams and running of civilians; methodically, and not expecting an answer, Wing Xero made an attempt at radio contact.

"02, do you read me? This is 01- report. To whoever hears me, if pilots 02 and 03 are harmed, you will be destroyed." Heero's monotone voice betrayed nothing. Not that he hoped his friends were alright; not that he didn't truly want to destroy these people- and put more blood on their hands.

There was static, then Duo's voice.

"Do not, I repeat, do not attack! Heero! Q?! 01- 04, respond damn-it!" Heero noted mechanically that Duo sounded frantic, and it could be a recording…

Something humane lit in Quatre's eyes for the first time since Duo's emotional shut-off. Heero felt relief, for the first time in 48 hours and it was profound, and he allowed himself to smile.

"We don't know if it's real, I can't feel him…" Quatre whispered, voice empty, except Heero though he heard hope.

"Then let's ask him something only Duo would know." Heero suggest, even with both Gundam's with weapons primed, and the city helpless beneath him, he remained cool and rational.

Quatre nodded, and spoke into the commutations system. "02, your Gundam's code-name?"

"Deathscythe, Q, and if you blow us all to hell, Shinigami is going to have words with you!" Now Duo sounded relieved- if a bit worried.

"Good to hear from you too Duo," Quatre stated, sanity returning, if slowly. "Is Trowa alright?" The blond asked, slightly, but not wholly, shammed by his actions. It had yet to be proven that Duo was in one piece.

"Perfectly fine, if a bit perturbed that his communications aren't functioning…" The braided boy laughed, and Heero looked around for a place to land. "Why would that be?" Quatre asked, suddenly suspicious.

"I, uh, used his communications to boost mine, ergo – his are disabled- for the time being..." Quatre chuckled, and Heero gave landing instructions, and didn't stop the smirk at Duo's courage- Trowa could be scarier then any of them when pissed.

At the meddling of his Gundam's communications, he would be very upset indeed.

AN: -crickets chirp- Urm, sorry for the delay….I'll get the next chapter up quick, you lot deserve it…