Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Specters ❯ Chapter 3 ( Chapter 4 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

~ Yes, I know it's been a while. I've just been extremely busy lately. Hopefully things will move a bit faster now... I'm really hoping they do. Anyway, here's chapter 3 for your reading enjoyment!

Disclaimer: None of the character's are mine. I don't claim to own them in any way. (Other people do though!)

Specters

Chapter 3

By: Penybright

Relena stared at the door accusingly, as if it were the cause of all her problems. Agitated and extremely worried, she tried the door to see if it was unlocked. Surprisingly, it swung open with ease. Taking one more quick glance outside, Relena began to haul Heero's limp body into the cottage.

Startled blue eyes took in the sight of strangers in her home. What were they doing here? It was terribly rude to enter someone's home without permission.

"Who are you?" Relena heard a feminine voice growl. Her head snapped up, and she almost passed out on the spot.

"You're--- But how? I mean..." Relena stuttered helplessly. Standing before her, was a humanoid cat with angry blue eyes and strawberry pink shoulder-length hair.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in my home?"

Relena swallowed thickly before answering, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"My- my friend is injured. Please, could you..."

The cat-woman was at Heero's side in a flash.

"Why didn't you say so in the first place," she mumbled irritably under her breath.

"I'm sorry, I didn't---"

"What kind of injury is this?" she asked, interrupting Relena. Her blue eyes were filled with confusion as she stared at Heero's back.

"They're gunshot wounds," Relena answered, dread forming in the pit of her stomach.

"I've never seen anything like it. How is it treated?"

"Oh god..." Relena whispered, taking a deep breath. "D- do you have tweezers?"

The cat-woman nodded.

"I'll go get them. You get him on the bed in that room over there," she said, pointing to a room on the left. Relena grimaced but complied.

About thirty minutes later, Relena was siting beside a freshly bandaged Heero. Her hands were covered in his dried blood. She fought the urge to vomit when she caught a glance of her hands. She never wanted to do anything like that ever again. Relena shuddered at the memory.

The cat-woman entered the room then, carrying a basin of water. Relena eagerly washed the blood from her hands, feeling considerably better once they were clean.

"You should get some rest," the cat soothed. "We'll talk in the morning."

Relena nodded tiredly, and allowed herself to be led to another room much like the one she had just left.

#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#

Heero slowly opened heavy lids. A face swam into his blurry vision as the conscious world began to seep back to him.

"Relena?"

"Ah, is that the young lady's name? I never had a chance to ask."

"Who are you?" Heero asked, squinting as his vision began to clear. He couldn't be seeing right. The woman before him was half... cat?

"I'm Merle. You're not from around here, are you?"

"Where is here?"

"You, my boy, are on the planet know as Gaea in the back-counrty of the Kingdom of Fanelia."

Heero suddenly became very alert.

"Where's Relena?"

"She's in the next room, sleeping. Wait! What do you think you're doing?" Merle screeched as Heero began to get up.

"I'm fine."

"You are not fine!" Merle cried, near panic. She had never seen anyone recover so quickly from grievous wounds. Was he some sort of daemon or something?

"Y- you really shouldn't get up. I don't think---"

"Heero!"

Heero's attention quickly became focused on the figure in the doorway. A disheveled Relena was standing there, her arms crossed, and a grim expression on her face. He suddenly had the sinking suspicion that he wasn't going anywhere for a while.

"What, exactly, do you think you're doing?"

"Relena..."

"Don't 'Relena' me Heero Yuy. I'm the one who had to drag you here and dig the bullets out of your back. You are getting back in that bed, and staying there until I say otherwise!" Relena huffed, advancing into the room.

Heero took one look at Relena's eyes, and instantly decided to follow orders. In his experience, women were a force to reckon with, especially when you pissed them off. Unfortunately, he was stuck in the middle of god-knows-where, with two women who would be all to willing to make his life a living hell.

Merle giggled at the display between the two. It reminded her of a certain other couple she knew. Heero turned his gaze on Merle, glaring at her with pure venom. Relena almost could have sworn she saw his lip curl up in a snarl.

"Heero," she warned, "be nice to our hostess. We'd be out in the cold if not for her."

Relena managed to earn herself a glare as well. She just shrugged it off, stepping over to the bed and tucking the covers in around him.

"Relena," Heero growled, the anger evident in his voice. He couldn't believe this! She was actually smiling?! If his limbs didn't feel like jello, he would have bolted from the room long ago.

"Grow up, Heero," Relena chastised seriously. "It's not the end of the world, and I know you would have fallen on your face if you tried to walk anyway."

Heero opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off before he uttered a word.

"She's right, you know. I'm going to leave you two here while I go get breakfast ready. I'm sure you need some time alone," Merle said, winking at Relena. Relena's face lit up in a blush as Merle exited the room. Heero watched in fascination as her ears turned red as well. What had that cat-woman meant when she said... The implied meaning finally hit him, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"She thinks..."

"Well, what did you expect her to think, genius?" Relena grumbled. "We argue like a married couple."

Relena clapped a hand over her mouth in horror.

"I did not just say that! Oh my god..."

Heero wisely remained silent. He didn't want to get himself in any deeper. Things were already spinning out of control. With a heavy sigh, he focussed his attention on the ceiling above him. How had they ended up on another planet, and what kind of... species was their hostess? It all seemed so illogical, and Heero was a very logical person... most of the time. As soon as possible, their "hostess" would undergo an interrogation. He wanted answers.

~ Ah, so they are on Gaea. But, why does Merle live in a cottage in the back-country?