Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Skywind ❯ Chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Gundam Wing, and I do not make any money from the writing of this fanfiction.

 

Chapter 10

 

~Begin dream~

 

I want to run away.

 

So why don't you?

 

I'd leave so much behind.

 

That's the point, isn't it?

 

Yes, but not everything here is…

 

Bad?

 

Yes. There must be a way…

 

To what?

 

To keep the good things, and throw the bad ones out.

 

Nothing that's good lasts.

 

True. Hey, I thought you were supposed to cheer me up.

 

I'm your other self, not a miracle worker.

 

Oh, go away.

 

Not happening. Besides, didn't you know? Voices in your head always come back.

 

……….

 

Will you do it?

 

…No. That's the one thing I can't do.

 

Cannot or will not?

 

If I did that, do you know what would happen?

 

…

 

Do you?

 

If you won't do it, then never mind.

 

I asked you a question.

 

And I'm not answering.

 

That still gives me an answer of sorts, you know.

 

Oh, shut up.

 

…You're going to do it, aren't you? What that demon said? You can't ever resist a challenge.

 

I said to shut up.

 

And what are you going to do if I don't?

 

This.

 

Hey! No, you can't -!

 

(quiet laughter)

 

You evil bastard. You scared the hell out of me. What's wrong with you?

 

You know that better than I do.

 

Huh. I meant besides that.

 

I…

 

Don't know.

 

Finishing my sentences now?

 

Our sentences. We're really the same, you know.

 

…Maybe.

 

What's that supposed to mean?

 

Nothing. Shut up. I want to sleep.

 

(sigh.) You must be the only person in the world who can order around the voices in his head.

 

If I can order you around, then shut up.

 

Shutting up now.

 

Good.

 

Good night.

 

Good night. Didn't I tell you to shut up?

 

I shut up. You're the one making all the noise now.

 

…I give up on you.

 

Good. It's about time.

 

Aaargh.

 

~End dream~

 

 

Quatre opened his eyes slowly. It was still night; Lian was sitting up, his eyes scanning the darkness alertly. As the conversations from the dream replayed in his head, he felt his control begin to slip - and let it. He was angry, angrier than he'd ever felt before, and he no longer cared about the consequences of his actions.

 

Lian felt the guards around Quatre's magic drop, and sprang to his feet, hair on end. Duo jolted awake as Quatre's aura flared brilliantly about him, and stared at his guide in shock.

 

Quatre had forgotten about the voice in his mind during his stay at Veran Hall, and once his memories had been retrieved, he had dared to hope the voice was gone for good. He hadn't thought about the voice in the months he'd traveled with Lian, and it had been a blessed relief.

 

He hadn't thought about that one particular conversation, either.

 

You're going to do it, aren't you?

 

Quatre found himself on his feet without remembering how he'd gotten there. His eyes landed on Lian, who was backed away from him, fur on end and teeth bared. “Lian?” he murmured, his voice pulsing with power.

 

Get back! Lian snapped at Duo. That's not Quatre!

 

Quatre watched, puzzled, as Duo hastily moved behind Lian. Then a voice spoke inside his head, a voice of menace and evil. Such power, it purred. You are quite a worthy vessel.

 

Nooo… Too late, Quatre realized what losing control of his power for that brief moment had done. His shields had dropped, and a demon had felt his power, and taken advantage of it. He was possessed.

 

With his last control, he teleported himself away from Lian and Duo to an open field some miles away. And just in time, as the demon made its first bid for complete control of his body. Power blasted across the field as he fought.

 

No! I - will not - let - this - happen - again!

 

Quatre, listen to me! Another voice rang in his mind - the voice of his other self, the voice Quatre had dared to hope was gone forever. Quatre, you have to join your power with mine!

 

Tears burned in Quatre's eyes as the temporary peace he had obtained traveling alone with Lian flew away like the summer birds with the first hint of fall. NO.

 

Quatre swayed, struggled to get his wayward powers back under his command to help fight the demon.

 

QUATRE!

 

The word was mental roar that drove him to his knees. He looked up and saw Lian and Duo standing on the edge of the clearing. Power poured into him from Lian, and his voice rang in Quatre's mind again. Now!

 

Quatre took hold of the demon in his mind and, using the combined strength of his magic and Lian's, unceremoniously threw the demon out. It let out a last defiant shriek before vanishing from his mind. You cannot fight us all! Pain shrieked through his mind as the demon lashed out with a last flare of strength. Lian's power immediately touched his mind, soothing away the pain, but he could not soothe the anger that was surging in Quatre.

 

I…hate to say this, but that thing's right. The voice of his alternate self was shaky. You must join your strength with mine again, Quatre. I have respected your wishes and remained silent these past months, but I cannot do so anymore. You nearly destroyed the entire wood with your lack of control.

 

NO. The tears still burning in Quatre's eyes spilled. I turned from your path, gave the responsibilities to another. All I want is to be left alone. I will not be controlled by that stupid thing people call duty!

 

You damn stubborn IDIOT! You were never controlled, you just felt like you were!

 

SHUT UP. With his last strength, Quatre magically took hold of the other presence in his head, shoved it into the far reaches of his mind, and used the greatest amount of power he could manage to set barriers to keep him there.

 

“Quatre!” The last thing Quatre saw was Duo tearing across the field toward him before his legs gave out beneath him and everything went black.

 

Duo reached Quatre's side, hastily grabbing his wrist to feel for a pulse. He's unconscious, but he will live, Lian said shortly, joining him. Duo was not paying him much mind, scanning the area with his magic. He picked up something and let out a powerful stream of obscenities in several languages that, in other circumstances, Lian would have found fascinating. As it was though, What is it? Lian demanded urgently.

 

“We're about to have company,” Duo said grimly. “You'll have to take care of the ones from above.”

 

Lian bared his teeth savagely and took off into the sky with a feral hunting call. Duo remained by Quatre's side, his hands flying through the air as he began tracing the most powerful shielding symbols he knew around them. There was no time to flee; the demon he had sensed was too close.

 

Duo swallowed as a storm began to build. Above, he could hear roars and shrieks of rage and pain, feel power flaring as Lian and the winged demons who had been drawn to the clearing by Quatre's power flare fought. Wishing the reanlos all the luck and power of the world, he turned to face the demon who stood on the ground just outside the clearing.

 

The monster was vaguely human-like, walking on two feet upright, with somewhat humanlike facial features. But this thing had claws instead of hands and feet, horns rose from the top of its head, fangs gleamed in its mouth, and in its eyes glowed a red fire that was not human in the least. That fire was merciless, unrelenting, complete in its evil.

 

Duo's breath was knocked out of him as he realized what the thing was - a master demon. The thing began to pace across the field toward Duo and Quatre, apparently in no hurry, and a moment later Duo realized why as the power of his shields began to drain away, flowing into the demon and giving it strength.

 

Oh, gods.

 

Duo swallowed, and began the chant for a spell that would destroy the creature. But his strength was flowing away from him, and there wasn't going to be enough time. His sight began to blacken around the edges.

 

Lian, splattered in the purple and green blood of the monsters he had slain, landed directly beside Duo, and leaned against the man. All of a sudden, fresh strength, alertness, and power flooded Duo, and his hands came up. Violet fires lashed from his hands to wrap around the demon.

 

The creature paused, and curiously examined the fires that would not absorb into it. It touched the fire with one claw, and that set off a reaction. The fires flared from slender threads into a blazing bonfire, and the creature let out an animal shriek of rage and pain. Black fires rose to combat Duo's spell, and the violet power grew even greater. It turned into a pillar of flame, a pillar in which the master demon was completely consumed. It disappeared with a roar of absolute agony, leaving Duo's spell still blazing.

 

Duo no longer had control over the spell; its one purpose was to destroy demons, and once enacted, it continued until it burned out, which could take days. Finished with the master demon who had dared to attack Duo and Quatre, the violet pillar swirled into a cyclone, and headed for Ransem Wood. A series of howling and roars that soon rose up into the night told Duo the spell had found more victims.

 

Duo found himself lying on the ground next to Quatre with no real idea of how he'd gotten there, his newfound strength gone. “Did he know you could do that?” he asked Lian, his eyes flickering to Quatre. “Lend your strength to a human like that?”

 

Of course not, was the smug answer. He may be my kestra-an, but I don't have to tell him all my secrets.

 

“Lovely.” Duo's eyes were closing. “Wake me up if the world ends, but make sure it's a really spectacular ending first.”

 

As you wish, Lian answered, knowing Duo was already dead to the world. The reanlos settled himself between Quatre and Duo with a sigh. Once again, he was stuck with guard duty.

 

 

 

 

 

Quatre woke to the sound of thunder and the soft hiss of rain. He blinked, wondering why he wasn't wet, and looked up. A black wing blocked his view of the sky, completely shielding him.

 

He turned his head to look at Lian, who was lying on his belly between Duo and himself, wings spread over them to keep them dry. He was soaking wet, rain dripping from his very whiskers, and definitely not happy.

 

I - HATE - rain, came his savage snarl inside Quatre's head.

 

He sat up, Lian's feathers brushing his face and shoulders. He put his arms around Lian's neck and hugged him tight. Thank you, kestra-an.

 

The snarling feline softened a little, and nuzzled his neck. You didn't tell me you were a reincarnation.

 

He pulled away from him a little, frowning. A - what?

 

Lian stared at him for a moment, then Quatre felt a ripple of realization run through him. You really don't know, do you?

 

“Know what?” he asked in annoyance.

 

He answered his question with another. Why was the Winner clan attacked by a horde of demons and nearly completely destroyed?

 

Quatre went pale and pushed him away, staring. At that precise moment, Duo stirred, groaning. He turned toward him, still very pale.

 

Duo's eyes flickered, then focused blearily on his face, and he smiled crookedly. “What a wonderful view to wake up to,” he murmured. He slid an arm under Duo's shoulders and helped him sit up.

 

“What happened after I lost consciousness?” Quatre wanted to know.

 

Duo opened his mouth to answer, but at that precise moment, Lian folded his wings and began to stalk away, abruptly exposing the two humans to the rain, so that instead of answering his question, Duo let out a protesting, “Hey!”

 

You're awake now, so find your own shelter, was Lian's cross response.

 

Duo opened his mouth to complain some more, but Quatre put his hand over it. “He has a point, you know,” he murmured, and pushed himself to his feet, helping Duo to do so as well. “Do you have any idea where our camp is, by the way?”

 

Duo's gaze rested on Quatre's face for a moment before he answered, “Errr, somewhere that way?” with a general wave toward the forest Lian was heading for.

 

The feline glanced over his shoulder at the two. I know where the camp is, just follow me.

 

“At least one of us knows what they're doing,” Quatre muttered half-heartedly, starting after Lian. Duo, still exhausted from his fight with the master demon, waited until Quatre was a good ways ahead of him before giving him the disbelieving look Duo could not suppress.