Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Is there really such a thing as Dreaming? ❯ Chapter 4

Title: Is there really such a thing as Dreaming?

Author: Skeren Dreamera

Archive: http://www.gundam-wing-fanfiction.net/

Category: Yaoi/Shounen Ai, Fantasy, and Partially AU

Pairings: R+1, 1x2

Disclaimers: I do not own Gundam Wing! I do however own all original themes, names and characters created over the course of this story! I disclaim all that I cannot claim!

Rating: R until further notice.

Warnings: Supernatural, crossdressing

Spoilers: None

Feedback: Mickeofas@yahoo.com

Notes: All right, so cool, I've gotten a review! Kt, thank you! Nope it's not a haunted house, they were in different places when the dreams hit, remember? I think we might be getting to our pairings! Well, some of them.

Duo couldn't help it; he stared at the girl as though she'd grown another head. For all of three seconds. He then remembered the fact that he was wearing a dress and had some funky dual thing going on, but still. Lady?? Duo sighed slightly and looked back into the room he had just emerged from with a slight regret before looking back to the servant.

"Yes, would you happen to be able to get me something to eat?" He pitched his voice up, a little shocked as how convincing he was, his voice turning huskily feminine with an almost eerie ease. He liked the looks of this entire thing less and less.

"Of course Milady. Please, if you would, I was sent to extend an invitation to court this evening. I will return presently with your meal." She held out a piece of paper, having come up from her bow. Upon Duo taking it from her hand, she buzzed off down the hallway.

"This is getting.. Quite weird." Not willing to miss his meal he turned around and went back into the room. He could explore after he ate, since it didn't look like he was in any danger of being poisoned. He moved back to the bed and flopped down onto his bed, opening the note that had been carefully folded and stamped with an ornate dragon in the wax.

*Duo Maxwell, or should I say, Lady Duest Maxwell?

At the moment, I have decided to aquaint you with the life you have been living. I know you, both in this life and the other. I know why you are wearing one of those lovely dresses you are so fond of, if for some reason, you do not. As well as that your hair is not as you would normally see it. I know many things about this version of your life. Don't get too confused before I get to explain things to you, I've been waiting many, many months for this opportunity, as I realized you were not doing the same thing as I in regards to this place. Come to court; just let the servants lead you there, because I'll have a carriage ready for you at precisely seven o'clock tonight.

See you soon,

Sorcerer Chang WufeiP.S. If you just be sure to pay attention to everyone, you will do fine.*

Duo closed the note and was even more perplexed now than he had been before he read the note. Wufei knew what was going on, obviously. He also seemed to think that Duo was perfectly safe wherever here just happened to be. At a loss as to why on earth Wufei would posses the knowledge of why he was in a dress while he didn't have a clue, Duo sat back and just waited for his meal. This was getting too strange for him.

-__________________-

Heero couldn't keep his amused smirk off his face. When he got to play around in his dreams, he didn't bother to hide everything away like in real life. This place was different, so he was allowed to be different as well. Thus why rather than flinching away from Relena, who, in her normal mode of annoyance had barged into his private space, he had his stalker, both in and out of dreams pinned up against the wall by her throat with a knife tracing her cheek.

Tilting his head to the side Heero considered her. "In what way do you know me Relena?"

She seemed lost for a moment before the confusion cleared from her eyes, though the panic did not. "Gundam pilot."Heero nodded once, a flick of the blade causing blood to trickle down her cheek before he released her, licking the blade clean in a few well angled swipes of his tongue before re-sheathing it. "Good girl. Now come along Relena, I have a guest in my home that I haven't properly met with since I arrived." He issued his words as an order, quite certain that the persistent blond would trail him as told.

Heero moved through the hallways with ease, quite aware of where the stab victim from the evening before was currently residing. He shook his head in amusement over the entire situation, curious to see precisely what sort of... Clues... that he had been given as to what was going on. Heero himself thought he was lucky that his memories of his dreams returned to him, but he was none too sure if the same had happened to Duo upon his waking. He already knew that since he could move, and Relena knew him as someone other than a member of the court, that he was not alone.

The pair came to the door nearly the same moment as the little servant that Duo had sent to fetch his meal. The poor woman caught one look of the pair approaching from the opposite direction and nearly dropped her burden in her haste to curtsy for the lord of her home. The meal was lightly tipped back into balance with one delicate, callused hand as Heero looked at the woman with chastisement in his eyes.

"Careful, you might spill." Plucking the tray from her hands after the soft, oh so sweet statement, he watched her, his tone turning icy and flat. "Off with you, I will deal with her myself."

Relena watched the entire interaction and was utterly lost, trying to understand where her reserved little soldier went. Her voice was hesitant when she spoke up. "Who is... Her?"

Heero didn't bother to grace the poor girl with an answer, thrusting the tray into her hands forcibly before pushing the door open, a wicked grin lighting his features. It was an evil and gleeful expression the occupant of the room had yet to experience first hand.

-_______________________-

Trowa sighed. He'd been down here for a few hours since he had woken up and there was simply nothing left to look at. He'd taken into account every brick in the place, and even managed to figure out how his bonds were attached. All he'd managed to do was conclude that he wasn't going to go anywhere. Thus, Trowa was on the verge of taking a nap when he heard the jangling of keys and the opening of a door off to the right and behind him, where his last visitor had come through.

The footsteps didn't immediately approach him however, rather, he felt one singular emotion flood his mind, suprize, as well as a sense of familiarity. The pause was brief before the steps quickened and a familiar, bright figure came into his sight, dipping down immediately to undo the bonds on his feet.

"I had no idea it was you down here Trowa, otherwise I would have come sooner." Quatre gave a slight smile, stretching up on tiptoe to undo his wrists.

Trowa blinked a couple times, trying to work that little statement out. {He had no idea it was me..?} "What?"

Quatre rubbed at Trowa's wrists then cast his glance over him, wincing a little as he felt the residue of his brother's pain magic on him. "I would have not let the other people here hold me up if I had known that you were Lord Nanashi. It's.. Well, lets get you upstairs before I try to explain what I know."

Trowa nodded a little, watching as Quatre set the keys over one of the hooks by the cellar down, his demeanor changing from what Trowa knew as his usual to a cold, disturbing look alike. He couldn't help but stare as Quatre gave an icy nod to one of the servants that was moving around the kitchen stopped mid-motion and bowed.

~I'm not known as being a nice person here Trowa. From what I understand, we are nowhere near earth as we know it.~ Quatre turned his head to look at him, a flicker of his sweet smile crossing his face when no one was looking, though he didn't pause in his steps. ~Only reason no one is concerned I'm leading you around like this is due to the little reputation I've discovered that nobles have. You can't be a noble if you don't have magic, though, you still have to be born noble.~

Quatre led Trowa into the room he started out in, leading him to the bed and gesturing for him to wait before going to the door and saying something to a servant outside of it, his voice light.

"Alright, now, no one is listening. You have a really quiet mind most of the time Trowa, I could only hear you once in that entire time." Quatre sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his forehead a little as he felt the last of the servant retreat from his empathic range, if not his thoughts.

Trowa gave Quatre a puzzled look, and leaned up against the bedpost, waiting for him to elaborate. It didn't take long for his silent urging to get answered.

"Alright, first thing. I woke up and I could hear people's minds... People called you a lord, though. It was Lord Nanashi. Do you know why they are calling you that?" Quatre paused, looking over at Trowa.

Trowa nodded, but didn't try to tell him the reason behind it. He was curious himself as to why he wasn't called by either of his other names himself.

Seeing that no history was forthcoming, Quatre decided to continue. "There are no longer any colonies, if there ever were any. I say that because there are two moons up there. You can learn quite a bit when you hear the babble of about 200 people upon first waking up. I don't think I would have been able to stay awake if I hadn't already had my spaceheart."

Trowa took this in as well, a faint smile crossing his face before he rested his hand on Quatre's shoulder. "And you, here?"

"I'm the lord here. Apparently I've never been a kind person wherever here is, so I feel the need to act the part. And instead of an unending list of sisters, I have a brother. It is all incredibly odd..." Quatre stopped talking as he felt a mental prod, the sensation new enough that he stopped talking.

~I have heard you are having a little private time with our little houseguest in your room?~

Quatre held a hand up as he saw Trowa's questioning glance. ~Indeed, little brother, I'd think you would approve if I remember your penchant for taking your hobbies somewhere... private.~

~Touche~ The smirk in his sibling's voice was obvious to Quatre. ~You have been requested to court this evening big brother, shall I be accompanying you?~

~Yes, and so will Lord Nanashi, as I have full confidence he will remain silent on his method of arrival here.~

~You are quite mad, you know that Quatre?~

~Of course.~ The sudden thought of the name of the person who was his brother in this place came to his mind. ~As though you are any better Vier?~

~I know I am much worse. I shall leave you alone to your playtime then, brother.~ With that flippant statement Vier retreated, allowing Quatre to blink a bit and reorient himself. He really needed to get used to that.

Lowering his hand, Quatre looked to Trowa, who had a puzzled look on his face. Before he could say anything however Trowa shook his head. "I heard it all."

"You did?"

"Yes, but I can only hear you. Just like I could only ever feel you before we came here. His side was less clear."

"So, would you like to get ready to leave for court then? It seems like we are both about to learn what is going on around here."

"You never said why I was brought here."

Quatre smiled slightly at that and blushed. "Apparently you refused me an audience before now. I rank no higher than you do, so I had my brother fetch you... I don't know why else. At least, why else for the person that I'm standing in for."

Trowa nodded a little before looking around the room. "So, what am I going to wear?"

-_____________________-

Duo looked to the door as it swung open and rose to his feet in an instant, only to freeze in place when he saw Heero standing in the doorway. The expression on his face by no means encouraged Duo to believe that this was his Heero. His Heero did not ever look at him like that. Hel, he'd never seen Heero with that expression on his face before, ever.

Heero was by no means oblivious to Duo's paralysation. He moved up to Duo and tilted his chin a little so that he could look him in the eye. "Something wrong Duest?"

Hearing the feminine name he had apparently given himself seemed to snap Duo out of his trance. "You know what I am doing here?"

Heero tilted his head to the side, seeming to consider this question, before he glanced towards the doorway, briefly. Leaning in close to Duo, he brushed his lips over his cheek. "Please, we have an audience Duo darling, act accordingly. Remember you are a lady, hmm?"

That one little sentence shut Duo up. He had no idea how to act like a lady. And he didn't know how to handle Heero acting so... touchy feely. Not to say that he didn't appreciate it, it was simply unnerving.

Seeing that his order would be obeyed for at least a moment Heero decided to answer his question. "Don't you remember? I found you stabbed and bleeding last night. Do you know who caused you hurt? I would very much like to tend to the person who would hurt my fiancé in person." Heero ran his fingers over Duo's cheek once before spinning around to face the immobile Relena.

She stared back at Heero soundlessly when he gestured her into the room, looking very lost. Then again, Duo looked just as shocked to have Heero calling him his fiancé.

"Relena, bring that in here, I can close the door." Heero sounded amused. The emotion rang in his voice as he commanded the Sanq princess to bring the food tray in, further stunning his two companions.

Relena obeyed the order out of sheer reflex, staring first at Heero, then at Duo. The look she gave Duo was decidedly less than civil, though it was obvious that she didn't recognize him.

Duo looked from one to the other. "Relena?" Suddenly catching sight of the blood on her cheek, Duo moved over to her, even if she was his rival, she was still his friend. He took the tray from her hands, setting it on the desk before turning back to her. "Are you alright?"

Relena opened her mouth to answer him when Heero cut in. "She's perfectly fine, she simply got a little scratch. Right Relena?"

Relena took one look at Heero and closed her mouth with an audible snap, then nodded. "I'm going to wait outside." She turned on her heel, opening, then re-closing the door with a bang behind her.

Duo blinked at the suddenness of her departure before turning to look at Heero, entirely lost as to what was going on around him. "Heero?"

"Who else would I be, Duuuo?" He drew out his name in a light teasing tone as he leaned up against the desk behind him, acting far more casual than Duo had ever seen before.

"I don't know, but you sure aren't acting like the Heero I know!" Duo backed up a little, giving the room another glance, as though expecting someone to appear out of thin air.

"Really?" Heero blinked at him, not having expected that question. Sweeping Duo's court invitation off of the desk, Heero read it quickly before looking back to him. "How are you used to me acting my Little Dark Angel?"

"You mean you don't know?" Duo stared at Heero; the endearment sounded oddly right coming from Heero, even if he wasn't acting like himself. "You know, cold Perfect Soldier, not.. Not...." Duo waved at him, unable to express how odd he found his current actions.Heero seemed genuinely suprized, and leaned closer to study Duo's face before speaking. "Do you know what a gundam is?"

Duo couldn't help it, he laughed. "Of course I know what a gundam is, I do pilot one don't I? I am not as stupid as you are always accusing me of being you know!"

Heero sighed, shaking his head a little. "You know, you really just spoiled all my fun." Heero looked over Duo, considering him for a few long moments of thought.

"Wha...? How did I do that?" Duo looked back at Heero, seeing the familiar poker face coming as something of a disappointed relief.

"Because this means that my dreams have changed since that little incident in the school dorms Duo, and that is bad. Hmm, maybe I don't have to think of it that way, after all. Relena is herself here tonight too." Heero moved across the room to Duo, leaning close to study him, nearly touching noses with him.

"Uhhh, Heero, whatcha doin?" Duo's eyes widened as Heero got closer to him, finding this entire thing like something out of a strange novel.

"Duo, in this place you are a commoner who is posing as a woman of noble blood, because you couldn't pull off being in court as a man. I found out because the person who you got to sponsor you engaged you to me without telling you. When I decided to see what I was getting, you had your illusion down, and since, I have seen through it. Your name here is Lady Duest Maxwell, as I see Wufei decided to tell you. I never had control of my dreams before today, but I remember them. You, obviously, do not. Besides, I have no want to change how I get to act around you in these dreams, so I'm not going to, just like I see no need to change how I act around Relena here. Apparently they aren't dreams as much as I thought, but I refuse to change anything. Understand?"

Duo gave a mute nod, his violet colored eyes wide as he stared at Heero. He had never before heard so many words come out of his mouth at one time. "How... How do you usually act around me in your dreams Heero?"

"You are my fiancé Duo, and since you are a male, I never had to worry about pregnancy, now did I?" Heero leaned close, nipping his lower lip with his teeth. "Are you interested in men Duo?"

If possible Duo's eyes grew wider with the statement, and the dropping of his jaw was taken advantage of by Heero's teeth. The final question was what finally got him to do more than just sit there though. "Very much Heero, especially you." Duo leaned up to Heero, giving him a firm kiss, the first one that he remembered ever giving his teammate. Heero responded to the kiss readily enough, wrapping his arms around Duo and pulling him close as he deepened the kiss in just the way that Duo liked, startling the poor long haired man for just a second before he melted into the kiss. Duo wrapped his arms around Heero's neck just as Relena decided she'd had enough waiting and reentered the room. Her little gasp is what brought the two out of their kiss, their eyes meeting for a moment of silent communication. This changed how things were going to be in the real world... If they ever got back to it.

-_______________________-

Wufei smiled slightly as he gazed into his mirror, studying the present situations of his friends as Duo and Heero... got it together. He was coming to honestly understand something about these dreams of his, and when he found he couldn't just snap himself back to his world of gundams like he usually would, he was nearly panicked. It was just an hour ago he was babbling less than coherently to Nataku about what he thought he did.

~~~~Earlier in that morning~~~~

Nataku stared at Wufei, clearly amused as her sorcerer sat on the rug on the floor and closed his eyes. He'd done that four times now, getting comfortable somewhere and closing his eyes then just... Waiting there. It was almost as though he expected something miraculous to happen, and the mere thought of it made the little cat dragon chortle with glee. Thus, of course, causing Wufei to open his eyes again, a slightly panicked look entering his usually calm eyes.

"I think I messed up very badly Nataku!"

"How do you think you did that, sorcerer mine?"

He glared at her briefly for the phrasing of her question, but it didn't last. "I think the spell I tampered with did more than it was supposed to."

Her eyes widened, their orange gaze coming directly before Wufei's gaze. "Explain to me."

"The spell I changed was meant to do something to our reality, in a manner I did not like, and eliminating all other realities. Such as dreams. I didn't care for that option, because this place was my haven, this place was my dream. Now, I can't wake up from this dream Nataku. I'm trapped here, and I don't know what I did. I thought I was just making it so my friends would remember their part in this little dream universe, not to bring them into it. Not to trap anybody here. I have done a very wrong deed to my friends."

As he came to an end in his guilty rant Nataku did the only thing she really could for her tormented sorcerer: she curled her scaled form around him where he sat. "You will find a way to fix things Wufei."

"That's what's worse Nataku! I don't know if I want to fix it! Even if I could I don't know if I'd want to take us back to that war. I don't know if I'm willing to cause such pain to my dearest friends... or even my enemies." Wufei couldn't help a slight quirk of his lips. "I'm not even sure my honor would make room to right this particular wrong, for who am I to snatch away the real potential for happiness this world has for us all if we cannot currently return to our own war torn world? Last I understood, our gundams were due for permanent retirement. So do I really have the right to take anyone I managed to get trapped here, back there?"

Nataku coiled herself more tightly around the distraught mage. "You will do what you must, but I want your happiness my sorcerer, in all manner of things. You must ask those you believe you brought with you to this place if they would really want their other life instead." Her soft, sweet voice was enough to finally calm Wufei and he cast her a slight smile.

"You are right. This evening I will see what people are not acting like their dream selves, aside from the two I am completely sure are here with me. Thank you."

~~~~End memory~~~~

Wufei sighed again; repeating the conversation over and over in his head would get him nowhere. So decided, Wufei rose and moved to his mirror, doing a simple tracking on his note. After a moment of consideration he had decided to check on Duo first, since his life was more thoroughly different than the life he led as a pilot was. What he saw in the glass, of course, did nothing short of baffle him. After all, he was now entirely certain that Heero and Relena were, as he'd decided to term it, 'awake'. But they were no means acting normally either.

-___________________-

Heero leaned back away from Duo, coming up to his feet and trailing his fingers over the lips he'd just finished getting kissed by as he turned to look at Relena, a clearly pleased look on his face. "I thought you were going to wait outside."

She drew a deep breath, then another, her lips moving soundlessly as she strove not to do something she might regret, like slap that girl who had been crawling all over Heero like that. She turned her gaze away from Duo, looking to Heero. He might have been acting oddly since she found herself here, but she knew it was him inside so she didn't care, she loved him after all. "I.. You.."

Heero looked at her a moment then turned to Duo, leaning down to whisper in his ear. "You know how to drop the glamour, yes? Do so, just remember how to put it back." Turning away from Duo he looked back to his errant stalker. "Yes Relena?"

"What is between you and that.. That woman?" She just couldn't get any anger to infuse the statement, rather just sounding immensely confused.

"You are my closest advisor here Relena, but I outrank you. Duo, however, is my equal. Show her Duo, as I just said." Heero glanced to Duo, and then back to Relena so he could appreciate her shock.

It was all that Heero could hope for, widened eyes, gaping mouth, helpless spluttering, and unfounded amounts of confusion. It did not, unfortunately, last. "What's this? What is Duo doing in a dress? What are you doing kissing Duo in that dress!?"

Heero merely smirked at the questions, patting the indignant woman on the head as he lightly pushed her from the room. Glancing over his shoulder he smiled slightly. "See you at court Duest darling." Then, looking back to Relena with cold eyes before she was out in the hallway. "Say nothing of what you saw, and remember that Lady Maxwell is my betrothed and I will take no slander of him, nor the stating of his true gender. Understood?"

At her reluctant nod, they departed, the door closing with an oddly heavy finality over the entire situation.

-________________-

Wufei stared at the mirror as he watched the door shut and redirected his attention to Duo as he tried, with a serious amount of work, to recreate the mild glamour. Once that was succeeded, Wufei found no further reason to spy on him, certain he would be taken care of until that evening. He tried to turn his attention to Trowa, but found the way blocked, and by the looks of it, it was nothing new. So, with a sigh he turned from the mirror, allowing it to return to its normal reflective state before looking to his dragon companion.

"I suppose all we have to do now is wait and get ready for this evening, don't we Nataku?"

To be continued.