Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing. I do own the characters I created and their world.
Enjoy!
Chapter 3:
Wufei swam up out of warmth and darkness. He felt calm, at peace, but something niggled at the back of his mind. He frowned; what could possibly be wrong with these peaceful sensations?
Realization and memory hit him and his eyes snapped open. That was a mistake. Bright light pierced his sensitive eyes and he pressed them shut again, snarling inwardly as his eyes burned. As his eyes adjusted, he used his other senses to explore.
Birds twittered, a little muffled, and he could hear a couple squirrels chattering angrily. Scent and touch told him that he was in an aged stone room; musty, cold, and rough as he brushed fingertips against the wall. He blinked cautiously.
"You're awake!"
Wufei shot upright with a startled curse in Chinese, his hand going to his hip. It grasped empty air.
Of course they would have disarmed me. He growled inwardly.
A tiny hand was placed on his arm and he reacted with his customary lethal efficiency. He had the intruder pinned within seconds, ready to crush his windpipe…till he got a good look at the enormous blue eyes, soft black hair, and cherubic face. He immediately backed off.
"What are you doing here?" Wufei demanded sharply, still shaking at how close he had come to killing a child.
The child smiled brightly, seemingly unfazed by his brush with death. He bowed respectfully at the surprised pilot.
"My name is Donni! I'm your attendant!"
"What? You're just a kid, how…" Poor Wufei was having a hard time understanding this situation. Donni giggled and ran a small hand through his hair, revealing tiny ears…tiny POINTED ears.
"I'm not a child." He said cheerfully, walking to a large wardrobe and pulling the doors open. He disappeared into the voluminous wardrobe with a statement that shocked Wufei to no end.
"I'm a brownie!"
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Heero sat on a stone bench in what seemed to be a courtyard, glaring balefully at everyone and everything. Trowa, holding his customary mask of indifference, crossed the flagstones swiftly. He slid into a spot beside his friend.
"I can't find out where the others are located."
"I thought as much." Heero's eyes narrowed at a child-like figure that suddenly whisked by. He plucked at the strange brown tunic he was wearing. "This doesn't feel real."
"We're certainly not in Kansas anymore, Toto." Trowa muttered, staring down at his own tunic. Heero blinked at him.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Master Yuy, Master Barton."
Both pilots stood, a little confused by the strange title. An elderly woman, wearing dark blue robes and leaning on a cane, tapped her way forward. Then a smirk made it's way across her face, which before had worn a gentle expression.
"So, you two are part of the Five."
"Where are our comrades?" Heero demanded, leveling a cold glare on her. She ignored him, to Trowa's surprise.
"The Mistress wishes to see you. Come."
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Cold. It was so cold. Quatre moaned and clutched at his chest, where his heart was pounding painfully. Everything was dark, he was kneeling on a black surface, there was no light whatsoever in this horrible place.
Another wave of pain washed over him; he screamed as cold needles seemed to pierce his soul, icy claws tearing at his soft flesh.
Guys, help me! Somebody, please! Help me!
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A scream echoed around them, the pure pain and fear in the voice cutting through the heart of everyone who heard it. Trowa and Heero were running before they could think, ignoring the imperious voice of the old woman as she called them back.
Wufei slid around a corner, his tunic unlaced as if he had not bothered to finish dressing. He joined his friends with barely a nod of acknowledgement. Only one thing was running through their minds.
Quatre.
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Trowa, by virtue of his longer legs, was first into the room. Heero and Wufei stumbled in behind him, to see Quatre writhing on the bed. Mana squeaked as they entered and intercepted them.
"Stay back! You'll get hurt!"
Wufei snarled and pushed forward, brushing past the girl. "I will not stand by as—"
He skidded backward into Trowa as a strange shield shimmered into place. A boy with short, silky black hair and deep crimson eyes stared at him, his black-gloved hand holding up the strange shield.
"Do not come any closer. You'll be tainted, and we cannot deal with more such cases as this." His voice was low and resonant.
"He's our friend." Heero's voice was colder than winter. He glared at the boy, whose eyes widened at the homicidal look on the former pilot's face. "If you have hurt him—"
"As if!" Sparrow appeared behind them with a snort. "You guys are our hope for the future! Right now, we're doing our best to save him."
"Then why is he screaming?" Trowa asked coldly, trying to ignore Quatre's tortured whimpers.
Sparrow's face fell and he sighed, running a hand through his already wild hair. The three pilots suddenly noticed the dark circles under Sparrow's brown eyes.
"Because this particular spell is one we have never encountered before." The boy admitted softly. "We are trying to figure it out. At the moment, only myself and Kieve are allowed near him." He gestured at the dark-haired boy.
"But he's in pain!" Wufei exploded. "Can't you at least give him something to calm him?"
"Believe me, this is the calmest he's been since you were brought here." Kieve said firmly. There was misery in his crimson gaze. "At least your other companion is close to waking. For some reason, the spell did not affect him as badly."
Heero noticed the second bed in the corner, guarded by a fidgety Mana. Duo was calm; his eyes were closed, hiding the colors that still swirled beneath them.
"Now, I believe you were to meet with the Mistress…"
Heero cut Sparrow off. "We're not leaving them just because some woman wants to talk." He moved to sit in a chair between the two beds, folding his arms stubbornly. Trowa leaned against the wall, as Wufei settled into a meditative pose. The looks on their faces made Sparrow drop the subject. It was a wise choice. These boys weren't moving an inch without their injured comrades.
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The old woman leaned her stick up against the wall and plopped into a chair with a sigh. A low chuckle sounded.
"What's wrong, Jiga? Have a little trouble with the boys?"
Jiga snorted. "You saw everything that happened, Hwin, why ask?"
Hwin chuckled again and rose from her seat, carrying small, flat crystal plate in her hand. "Indeed." Her wise blue eyes twinkled at the older woman. "I think you like them already."
"They've got spunk." Jiga admitted. "Not a smidge of fear from either of them, and they have no clue what's going on."
"Well then, we shall enlighten them once Yovela returns. What of their comrades?"
"The braided one is near waking, though still under the spell's effects. Sparrow, poor child, is still working on the blond."
Hwin frowned. "I hope he can help the poor boy."
"Of course he can." A smooth voice said from the shadows, as a tall figure stood obscured. "He is, after all, our brightest young Healer. And Kieve is with him."
"Even so, Laiv." Hwin stared unseeing out the window at her bruised and tattered lands. "There are many things that can overwhelm them."
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There was something strange about Duo's supposed recovery, Sparrow suddenly realized, after seeing the boy stir, yet not awaken. He froze as a trickle of darkness slid from the boy's bed and wriggled its way toward the meditating Wufei.
"Look out!"
As if his shout triggered it, darkness burst from Duo, writhing and coiling as if it were alive. Wufei and Trowa fought harshly as tendrils wrapped around them, pressing them against the stone walls. Quatre began to scream again, his back arching as thin fingers buried themselves into the bedding. Kieve grimaced as the darkness slammed against his shield. Sparrow struggled against the darkness wrapping him, till a shout stopped him.
"Don't! It's okay!" Mana yelled from her place next to Heero. They were standing perfectly still, the darkness slipping over their shoulders and coiling around them. Strangely, it wasn't acting aggressive at all.
"It's Duo." Heero said softly. There was a look of confusion and slight fear in his cobalt eyes, but he looked calm enough. "I don't know how I know, but he's fighting whatever's holding him, somehow, with this."
"Whatever this is." Wufei muttered, as he and Trowa relaxed, trusting Heero's words. They were immediately lowered to the floor, as the darkness enveloped them and seemed to explore their facial features.
"Kieve, drop that shield." Heero said firmly. "He's trying to help Quatre."
Kieve scowled and opened his mouth to refuse, but another tortured scream stopped him. He sighed and banished his shield with a simple wave of his hand.
The darkness poured in, muffling Quatre's screams and swirling around the room.
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The pain cut off abruptly and Quatre collapsed, panting harshly. A hand dropped on his shoulder.
"Yo, Quat! C'mon, buddy, it's Duo!"
"Duo?" Quatre blinked up at his American friend. There were remnants of pain in Duo's violet eyes, echoing the pain in Quatre's.
"Something's trying to kill us. I need your help to stop it."
Quatre blinked, then his eyes hardened. He may be small and adorable, but he was still a Gundam pilot. There was no way he was going down without a fight. He grabbed Duo's outstretched hand and pulled himself up, a cold glint in his baby-blue eyes that matched the gleam in Duo's violet gaze.
"What do you need me to do?"