Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Elven Mage ❯ Of Battles and Hunts. ( Chapter 6 )

Warnings: Shonen-ai, Relena bashing, possible OOCness, though I hope not. Uh… evilish type Treize.

Pairings: I'm going to stop putting this here… I don't want to tell yet!

Disclaimer: I don't own the g-boys (unfortunately if I did, Relena wouldn't exist and Heero and Duo would kiss each other at least once per episode) However, I do own Nihrana and Shiakara and also Tia'ara. I think that's it. Any other original characters I might have forgotten, I own also.

Author's note: Beh… Sorry this has taken so long. I've been very busy, what with first week at Uni and all. Would you trust me with your children's minds? I'ma be a school teacher! :D Yay me! Well, anyways, that's why this has taken so long, because I've been busy. BUT it's finally here! :D Have fun!

* * *

"Duo…? There is such a thing as too much practice and you've just found that fact," Heero said as he woke Duo and helped him up from his collapsed position on the floor.

"I tried to get him to stop, Master, but he was determined to keep on," Shiakara said apologetically as Duo's eyes fluttered open and he muttered to himself.

"'S fine… I wanted to s'prise you, Heero…" Duo said softly, burying his nose in the soft folds of the robes over Heero's shoulder. He was so very tired he didn't care what he did or how much of a fool he made of himself.

Heero gave a wry little smile and touched two fingers to Duo's temple, giving the elf a little of his own energy. It was enough to perk him up and get him standing on his own two feet looking faintly embarrassed at his behaviour. His belly chose that very moment to give a growl of monumental proportions.

"Oh… geez, do you have any idea of appropriate times?" Duo snapped out, glaring at his offending stomach.

Shiakara giggled while Heero gave a long suffering sigh, turned on his heel and began leading the way to the dining room.

"It's okay. Whenever you push yourself to exhaustion, you'll get really hungry. Though, pushing yourself to exhaustion is not the best thing to do," Shiakara said as she walked beside Duo.

Duo nodded absently, watching Heero's back. He was holding himself strangely, all stiff and almost… self-conscious? Duo snorted. Surely not. Maybe he wasn't feeling well. Maybe he'd left so suddenly after Duo's mistake because he felt sick? He picked up his pace a little until he drew level with Heero, putting out a hand and touching Heero's shoulder.

"Heero…? Are you okay? You sick or something?" Duo asked.

Heero blinked and looked strangely at Duo as though trying to decide how to put his next words. He eventually shook his head and only gave a noncommittal "hn".

Duo persisted.

"Shiakara says she knows what's wrong, only she won't tell me because she says "it wouldn't be fair". I only wanna know because… well… I don't know why I want to know… because I should hate you for kidnapping me and forcing me here and I damnwell will!" Duo's tone grew angrier through the last of this and he fell back again, internally berating himself for ever having felt sorry for the mage. He had to remember Heero was bad and evil and a bastard who didn't deserve Duo's pity.

Heero said nothing. Shiakara sighed and shook her head at Duo, displeasure showing in her stark white eyes.

~He doesn't truly mean it, Master. He doesn't hate you, really,~ Shiakara thought to Heero as they walked.

~It doesn't matter anyway,~ Heero replied in a monotone.

~Master…~ Shiakara said, but she couldn't think of anything else.

Heero gave another "hn" then shook his head a little and said nothing more.

"You were doing that head talk thing, huh?" Duo said softly.

"It's called telepathy, Duo, and yes, I was speaking telepathically with Master."

"What did you say?"

"That you don't really hate him."

"Yes I do… mostly… What did he say back?"

"He said it didn't matter anyway…"

Duo halted and his eyes flickered with hurt for a moment before they grew steely.

"Well I do hate him and I won't stop hating him because he kidnapped me!"

Shiakara stopped also and whirled on him.

"He "kidnapped" you for your own good! A Talent gone untrained is a danger to its wielder and the whole planet! For the gods' sakes, Duo Maxwell, don't hate him for saving your life. And don't even think about hating him because he isn't an elf! Don't even think it! Race differences don't matter! Look at me! You don't hate me because I walk on four paws and have fur! Don't hate him because he hasn't got pointed ears!" Shiakara's voice had risen in volume and the traffic in the corridor had stopped to watch the exchange.

"He hates my kind because we do have pointed ears! Why shouldn't I hate him right back?"

"Because the human race is pigheaded and stubborn! Don't give their hate foundation by being arrogant and full of self-importance!"

"Why the hell not? We are better than them! We don't destroy everything as soon as look at it!"

"They're getting better, Duo, and they're only going to get better still if people like you and I who know how to live in harmony with nature show them how!"

"They don't listen and you know it, because they're too arrogant to let us tell them anything!"

"Duo. Shiakara." Heero's voice was very soft, but it cut across Shiakara's next words and every eye, which had been fixed on the arguing pair, turned to look at Heero.

"Master," Shiakara said at the exact moment Duo said "Heero."

"No more. I would thank you to argue elsewhere where it won't embarrass us 'pigheaded humans' and more importantly, your Master…" Heero said, voice still soft but filled with steel.

"Oh, gosh… I'm really sorry, Heero… I… wasn't really thinking I guess… I'm really, really sorry. I completely forgot you are one of them," Duo sneered, then turned and stalked to the dining hall by himself.

"I truly am sorry, Master. I should know better…" Shiakara said softly, falling automatically into a submissive posture, but Heero gestured her to her feet again, glaring around at the gathered mages and apprentices until they scurried back to their business.

"I understand Shiakara. You only want what's best for him and you don't want him leaving. Just remember to keep it private next time, okay?"

"Master," Shiakara said in agreement.

"Now, we better go and find out what other havoc our dear elf friend is causing… Or if he's eating the University out of its entire stock."

Shiakara giggled and the two of them walked the rest of the way to the dining hall in an amicable silence. When they got there, they found it was the latter of Heero's predictions as to what the elf would be doing and not the former, which was partly a relief and partly a worry.

Duo was currently working on a plate of sweet meats, but by the looks of it, he'd been through three or four plates of different foods already in the short time he'd been there. He was already gathering a crowd of enthusiastic apprentices urging him on as though it were a competition.

Heero rolled his eyes but said nothing as he glared a path through the apprentices and seated himself beside Duo. Shiakara climbed up beside Heero.

"Oh, Heero. Come to make sure I don't steal the silverware?" Duo snarled between bites. Heero said nothing as Duo continued eating.

"You!" a voice suddenly snapped across the hall, silencing everyone and causing heads to rise. Duo ignored it and continued eating, but Heero's eyes narrowed as they fell on Relena Peacecraft.

"Relena, don't be foolish," he said simply, rising to his feet.

"It's his fault my brother's gone! He's the one! Everyone knows it! Nothing like this happened until he came!" Relena screeched, and everyone but Heero, Shiakara and Duo drew back as twin bolts of pink-tinged lightening leapt to her hands.

"Relena, this is sheer stupidity," Heero said softly as he carefully wove a shield about himself and the two either side of him. Shiakara quickly threw her energies into the shield as well, strengthening and tightening the weave.

"It's not," Relena said simply before the bolts flew through the hall, singing their deadly song as they came, only to shatter to death themselves on the combined shield of Heero and Shiakara.

Relena took only a moment for a short gasp before four more bolts followed in quick succession.

Duo had lifted his head at the sound of the first two bolts hitting the shield and he cowered away as the next four came to the same fate.

"Don't worry, Duo. Heero and I won't let her get to you," Shiakara said reassuringly before turning her attention back to her job, which was to watch for weaknesses in the shield and patch them up.

Duo watched as a very small ball of green-yellow light formed in Heero's hand and floated up, seemingly of its own will.

~Now you see the difference between a mage and master mage,~ whispered an unknown voice in Duo's mind. He looked around for the speaker, but couldn't find him.

The green-yellow ball darted away from Heero and made it's way over to Relena, dancing and weaving as it went to prevent its being hit by anything else. If worked, too, as nothing Relena sent at it hit home. Heero smiled slightly and closed his prussian blue eyes as the light touched and enveloped the pink-clad mage's shield. She gave a tiny shriek of "no!" just as Heero balled his hand into a fist and the light shattered her shield. After that it was a simple matter of Heero's flicking a hand and casting a quick sleep spell, which even the weakest mages could cast without a problem.

Heero gave a small smile of satisfaction and carefully spun the energies of the shielding back into himself and Shiakara.

As Duo watched him, he felt a warm sense of pride deep inside and smiled himself, then fought it down, wide-eyed at his reaction. What was that? He hated Heero… didn't he? Well, maybe hate was too strong a word, but he certainly wasn't proud of the mage, that was stupid. He was just happy Heero had saved him. That was it.

Shiakara made a face and ordered an apprentice to take Relena back to her room while Heero sat himself back down beside Duo.

"S'pose I'm s'posed to thank you now, huh?" Duo said idly, obvious sarcasm underlying the words.

"No. It's my duty to protect you…" Heero stated, slipping a slice of meat off Duo's plate and nibbling delicately at it. He closed his eyes and tested the strength of his personal shielding while he ate. He thought for a moment, then slowly began forming a set of solid shields about Duo that wouldn't fall unless something very strong hit them, or Heero himself took them down.

Shiakara sensed his actions and gave him a quizzical look, but he didn't catch it as his eyes were still closed.

Duo stared at Heero after his reply, feeling strangely hurt by his comment of it being his duty. His mouth worked, but no sound came out, and he gave up after a short while and just concentrated on eating, which he was very good at. Eating didn't require thought. When you were eating, you didn't have to be careful of doing it the wrong way. Duo sighed and let his thoughts wander to Hilde and his friends. It was only three days until the spring festival now. So, he'd been away five days… It seemed like so much longer… He found his eyes wandering to Heero.

The mage's brow was furrowed in concentration and he only nibbled at the meat every so often. His free hand moved almost unnoticeably and Duo could see his eyes moving slowly beneath his lids, as though watching something only he could see.

"Heero, what-?" Duo started, but the mage held up his hand for silence.

Duo fidgeted in his seat, pulling his braid over his shoulder to twist his fingers in the thick rope of hair. It was a nervous habit and he knew it, but even knowing it, he couldn't control the gesture.

After what seemed like forever, but could only have been five minutes at the most, Heero opened his eyes and finished off the last of his meat with three quick bites.

"Come. We must continue now with your training. Evidently, you need to be shown how to tell when to stop," Heero said abruptly, and stood, walking off in a swish of robes.

Duo blinked and didn't move until Shiakara prodded him with her nose. He jumped, looked at her, and then followed after Heero, muttering darkly to himself.

* * *

Treize ignored the twittering of the creature at Milliardo's door and swept into his room, dark blue eyes falling on the meditative mage in the centre of the bed. He leaned against the wall, perfectly relaxed and let his gaze wander freely over the wonderfully-built Milliardo.

He licked his lips, heat gathering in his groin at the thought of what was hidden by the white robes. He would have Milliardo Peacecraft and, until he did, he would relish the chase.

A small smirk played across the man's lips and he brushed two constantly loose locks of hair back from his forehead, only to have them fall back again immediately. He strode over to the bed, then, and ran a gentle hand through the platinum blond silk of Milliardo's hair.

* * *

Milliardo floated through images and snatches of conversation, which, for the first time in a long time, he could make no sense of. This was akin to his Seeings before he had even begun training, and it should not be like this. He reached out with a skilled and practiced hand, trying to catch and strengthen at least one of the images or conversations, but to no avail.

He frowned, then, and delved deeper within himself, looking for the information which usually came so easily to him.

Pain.

Anger.

Loss.

Sadness.

Milliardo winced away and moved on. Those feelings had not been his own, but someone else would feel them in the future. The nuances of emotions within his Seeings were hard to distinguish, but he had been doing this long enough now to know these would not be his.

"He's gone… Did he ever even really know how I felt…?"

"Yes…"

The reply. "Yes…" That would be Milliardo's, but to whom and of whom? He couldn't put an identity to the voice. He reached out again, still unable to grasp or strengthen and gave a soft growl. It should not be like this…

Three predator cats. A faery. A sense of tension in the image.

Nothing was solid or clear or even almost clear. Everything was in a blur.

"He is mine!"

Laughter-sobs-laughter.

"No!"

Milliardo snapped out of his Seeing with a sharp intake of breath and an explosion of pain within his skull. He'd been shocked out.

When he could open his eyes, they fell on Treize and he growled.

"Didn't that thing at the door tell you not to disturb me?" he muttered, as he waited patiently for the pain to dissipate, which, thankfully, it did.

"Yes, but I had to see you…" Treize replied, running his hand through the mage's hair again.

Milliardo jerked away and flowed gracefully to his feet, having to stand still for a long while until the room stopped spinning. He strode over to the window and stared out, wishing Treize would just leave him alone to puzzle over what he'd Seen. He didn't need this distraction right now - ever really. Treize sent the wrong sort of shiver down his spine… Not the kind of shiver he got from…

~ ~ ~

"Nihraaaaaaaanaaaaaa!" an annoying voice sang across the great hall, and Milliardo turned to see who his sister was yelling to. His ice-blue eyes widened marginally when they fell on the… being.

Milliardo wasn't sure if he was human or not. He looked human enough, aside from the pair of almost-blindingly-white feathered wings adorning his back. But then, Milliardo reflected after a moment, he must be human or they would have heard about his struggles to get a place at the University by now. They'd heard nothing of the sort, so he must have gained his place without too much work.

Nihrana's head turned and he smiled when he caught sight of Relena, dark-as-night blue eyes sparkling with mischief. His red-brown thigh length hair swished behind him as he almost-skipped over to the female mage. The staff resting easily in his right hand seemed to pulse gently with a reddish light.

Milliardo couldn't tear his eyes from Nihrana, who, by the staff's power output, was obviously a sorcerer. Then those dark eyes caught his and Nihrana gave him a knowing smile and a wink, running his tongue seductively over his upper lip. Milliardo's body responded instantly and Nihrana knew. He smirked, then turned his attention to Relena, flirting with her and leading her on shamelessly, knowing he would never really touch her.

A shiver of anticipation ran the length of Milliardo's spine.

~ ~ ~

"Milliardo…? What were you thinking of…?"

Milliardo started out of his memory with a shudder at the sound of Treize's voice and flinched when the man rested a far-too-friendly hand on his behind. He turned a little to dislodge the hand, and Treize took the hint, letting it drop back to his side.

"I was remembering… something… None of your business. Can I go now? I gave you the extended Seeing you wanted. You know everything that could happen for the next year if nothing important changes before then, so you don't need me anymore. Let me go back to my sister and my apprentices," Milliardo said, his eyes still somewhat distant.

"But, Milliardo… There's so much more I want from you…" Treize whispered, leaning forward to lightly kiss just below Milliardo's ear.

"Mr. Khushrenada, which part of "no" is the part you cannot understand?" Milliardo hissed, stepping away from and turning to the man.

Treize looked at him a moment, a slow smile spreading across his face and before Milliardo had the chance to ask what he was smiling about, he swept out of the room.

Milliardo could only blink after him, wondering what the smile was all about.

Treize ran a long-fingered hand through his short hair as he strode through his abode, the smile still playing across his features. It had been so long since he'd had to go on an extended hunt, and he was looking forward to it. And the prey was well worth the effort he'd have to take to capture it.

* * *

"Wufei… please… can you stop that now…? The door's no closer to giving than it was however long ago you started… and it's giving me a headache…" Quatre said in a pleading voice as he watched the black centaur still pounding at the door.

Wufei shot him a derisive look, as though amazed he'd even dared to talk to the centaur. Noin sighed and shook her head.

"He's right, Wufei…" she muttered, crossing one foreleg over the other as she lay on her belly, tail swishing at the flies which seemed to be breeding and multiplying every ten seconds.

Wufei stopped and stared at the two of them, then snorted, but settled himself down beside Noin, remembering to keep his knees level with her shoulders. He muttered to himself about dishonor and injustice, but Quatre tuned him out and stared at the small patch of light coming in through the bars on the door. It was flickering firelight and he couldn't tell what time of day it was.

He closed his eyes and ignored everything around him, focusing on the place where his telepathic awareness of Trowa used to rest. There were traces, but they were leftovers. The pantherin was too far for him to reach, but… perhaps if…

Quatre pushed his awareness out and up, searching as far as he could reach in every possible direction, slowly becoming more and more depressed. Either Trowa was too far, or Trowa was dead. But, Quatre was certain he would have felt it if Trowa had died, no matter how far he was. They'd been in mental contact since they were both tiny, and he was so used to his friend's presence, he was certain he would have felt it if that presence was completely gone.

He sighed and drew his knees up to his chest, resting his forehead against them and wishing fervently he were anywhere but here.

"Are you comfortable…?" came a hissing, teasing voice from the other side of the bars.

Quatre lifted his head and squinted at the small barred window, seeing a snake-like head with shifting eyes and a leering smirk. Whatever it was giggled and eyed Quatre right back, wriggling little fingers that reminded the faery of lizard toes. He shuddered, making the thing's grin widen.

"Do we look it?" Wufei snarled, moving to his four feet in one graceful movement and pawing at the floor and making that distinctive ringing sound.

"Perhaps not… I see your point. Faery, you are in contact with the cat-thing… We know… Where is it?" the thing hissed, its eyes swiveling to fix on Quatre.

Quatre blinked a few times, and couldn't help but smile. If the thing didn't know where Trowa was, then it and its friends hadn't caught him and put him somewhere else and they hadn't caught and killed him. They also didn't know where he was and, judging by the look of the little thing, they were in trouble if they didn't find him.

"I don't know where he is," Quatre said truthfully and happily.

"You lie…"

"No. I lost contact with him a long time ago."

"You lie!"

"Nope!"

"You must lie!"

"Not at all. I'm telling the entire truth." Quatre smiled brightly at the thing.

It hissed and left them, muttering under its breath in a guttural language the three of them couldn't understand. Quatre offered a short prayer of thanks to his god for Trowa's being spared, then beamed at the two centaurs who only stared derisively at him.

"Let's hope that pantherin does something to get us out of here…" Noin muttered, then promptly closed her eyes and went to sleep.

Quatre just grinned.

* * *

Trowa sat nervously outside the entrance to a cave deep within the forest, trying to ignore the enquiring looks he gained from the gathering pantherin, both in human and panther form. He watched the entrance of the cave closely, ears pinned back and tail curled close around his paws. He wondered if he should change forms…

As "Shaman" stepped into view, he realized he should have as she was in human form. Her sandy blonde hair fell in two thick ropes either side of her face and her eyes were a strange shade of blue. Her ears and tail were the same shade as her hair and, when she smiled, her ears perked forward.

"This is going to be hard if you don't Change, Trowa," she said in a strange voice whose tone he couldn't put a name to.

He nodded and did as he was asked.

She nodded slightly and looked to Tia'ara, who stood respectfully to one side and back a little from her. The girl nodded and Changed, then dispersed the gathered group, using nips and growls wherever talk wasn't working.

When the area was suitably deserted, Shaman sat herself cross-legged on the ground and motioned Trowa to do the same, while Tia'ara prowled the border of their little area, making certain no one thought to come back and listen in.

"I'm more often than not called Shaman, but I know you'll be more comfortable with calling me Sally. Sally Po, if you want a more formal name," she said as she curled her tail around her feet.

Trowa could only nod.

"And I don't think this is going to work if you don't say anything!" she went on with a laugh.

Trowa blinked at her for a few moments, then found his voice.

"I'm sorry. I just never thought I'd ever see anyone else like me… And that wolf-beast said I was far from where the rest of you were.

"And you've traveled far, Trowa. Tia'ara had some help from me. I made it possible for you to move very fast and you've traveled the better part of half way across the continent. We live in the shadow of the human Khushrenada's forest killing palace, but we can't move. There are too many younglings and elderlings for us to do so… But as of yet, that doesn't concern you. What concerns you is your parentage and why it was you were left with the elves."

"Why did my mother leave me with them…?" Trowa asked, having wanted to ask the question since he could think.

"Your mother…"

~ ~ ~

The all black pantherin runs swiftly through the forest, a mewling tortoiseshell patterned pantherin kit clasped gently, but firmly in her jaws. The things pursuing her are gaining and she's afraid, but the foremost thought in her mind is protection of her kit. Her last kit. The only one to survive the sickness. Her precious, precious kit.

He squirms to get down and mewls at the top of his little voice, though silence would be advisable now.

The elves, they're the closest. Though she would far rather have her kit grow up with his own kin, there's no time and he must stay with whoever can keep him safe. She runs into the center of the elven village and hurriedly Changes, cradling her darling kit in her arms.

An elven girlchild walks up to her with the fearlessness of youth and innocence and introduces herself as Catherine with a huge grin. Her parents hurry up behind her and try to pull her away, but she stays and the pantherin mother crouches so the girlchild can see her kit.

"This is…" the mother stops a moment, realising the elves won't be able to pronounce his pantherin name. "This is Trowa." She stands again and looks pleadingly at the girlchild's parents. "Please… I… They're chasing me. Take Trowa and care for him as your own… I-"

A horrible, bloodcurdling howl echoes through the night and the pantherin mother's slitted eyes widen. She hands her kit, not to the parents, but to the girlchild, before reaching for the Change and reverting to her panther form, then disappearing into the night, drawing the howling and growling away from her child.

Trowa stills and goes silent, then, a tear shining in the corner of his panther eye before vanishing in his fur, as though he knows he'll never see his mother ever again.

~ ~ ~

"Oh…" Trowa whispered, casting his eyes down to the ground.

Sally smiled sympathetically and laid a hand across his back, gently rubbing.

"It's hard, I know. That's enough for now. Go and rest and we'll talk more later."

"But, my friends!" Trowa cried, suddenly remembering them and feeling terrible he hadn't remembered them sooner.

"We'll worry about them later. They're safe for now and we have sentries watching them to make sure they stay safe. We'll be told if their conditions change. Go and sleep, alright?"

Trowa stared at her a moment, then nodded slowly and followed Tia'ara, his feet indeed heavy and having to fight to keep his eyes open. He was happily relieved when she showed him a soft bed of grasses and the like and he collapsed onto it and fell instantly into a deep, dreamless sleep.