Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Fellowship of the Gundam ❯ The Council of Elrond ( Chapter 7 )

Chapter 7: The Council of Elrond

Over dinner, the elves hung on Quatre's every word, utterly riveted by the story of the pilots' adventure in Arthurian England. Of course, the elves were completely unfamiliar with the context of the story, but they were nevertheless enthralled, since the concept of kings, sorcery and valiant knights was close enough to the world they knew. But when he got to the part about inadvertently turning himself into a girl, there was an outburst of exclamations.

“How is that possible?!” one gorgeous, long-haired, male elf exclaimed. His eyes gleamed with eagerness. “To change sexes…”

“Believe me,” Duo said, rolling his eyes, “it's dismayingly easy.”

“Do you mind?” Quatre said archly. “I'm telling a story here.”

“Sorry.”

“Anyway,” Quatre continued, “since I had not intended to turn myself into a woman, Merlin wasn't quite sure how to undue the spell. So I was stuck that way for several days.”

“That sounds… fascinating!” the same elf purred dreamily. He gave the equally handsome, long-haired gentleman seated beside him a sultry look. “Does the penetration feel different?”

“Yes and no,” Duo said quickly. “It can go in more easily but it feels just as good.”

“I don't think the graphic details are necessary!” Quatre interrupted.

“But he asked!”

“Just because someone asks a question doesn't mean it always requires an answer.”

“I was just being polite.”

“You just wanted to talk smut.”

Duo winked at Quatre. “But you liked it when I talked smut in your lab that day.”

Quatre blushed furiously. “That was a lab experiment!”

“You do great experiments,” Duo grinned.

Trowa frowned. “I would like to here more about this experiment.”

“It was just a boring old lab test,” Quatre said hastily. “Let me get back to the story, please.” He blinked several times. “As I was saying, it took several days to undo the spell and during that time, I, uh…” He paused and his blush returned. “I had one or two encounters with my companions.”

“One or two?!” Duo burst out laughing. “Try one or two a day!”

“It was probably more like three or four,” Heero pointed out calmly. “There are four of us, after all, but I think Wu-Fei may have skipped a day or two. He was always bathing.”

“Oh, but Trowa most likely made up for that,” Duo chuckled.

While they were talking, Quatre's blush got brighter and brighter. “Would you please shut up and let me tell this story?”

“I was just being factual,” Heero said. “You were pretty promiscuous.”

“You never fucking talk and now you have to be factual?!” Quatre screamed. “And I wasn't promiscuous! You horny bastards couldn't keep it in your pants for five minutes! I was the innocent victim of your unbridled lust and you knocked me up!”

Now every elven eye was glued on Quatre in rapt fascination.

“Knocked him up?” an elf murmured curiously.

“It means we got him pregnant,” Wu-Fei clarified.

“All of you?!”

“It seems unlikely, but Roku does carry traits from all of us.”

“But he's a large cat.”

“It doesn't show as much when he's not in his human form.”

Quatre took several deep breaths. “Please, allow me to continue.” He glared at his companions. They all blinked back innocently, except for Heero, who looked faintly exasperated. “As I was saying, I became pregnant. Sometime after that, Merlin was able to return me to my normal form, but I stayed pregnant.”

“Amazing!” The elves exchanged excited looks. “Who would have imagined such a thing was possible?”

“Oh, it's possible, all right,” Zechs murmured.

“Being pregnant isn't comfortable,” Quatre continued, valiantly attempting to ignore the interruptions. Several female elves nodded sagely. “When I went into labor, I found it very distressing.”

“I'll say,” Heero muttered. “You whined like a girl.”

“You might not want to say those thoughts out loud,” Duo cautioned. “He pulls the trigger on that transformation spell pretty fast.”

“Excuse me!” Quatre said loudly. He scowled darkly at Heero. “I admit I handled the labor pains with less aplomb than I might have. I thought that it might be less difficult to give birth in a larger form, so I changed myself into a tiger.”

“In the middle of labor?!” one elf maiden squeaked, her eyes wide.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Quatre replied. “So anyway, when Roku was born, he came out as a tiger, because apparently when I changed myself, I also changed him. But it seems that the only real side-effect of him being bathed in magic from before birth is that he was born a very powerful sorcerer. And he has a preference for being a tiger rather than a human.”

Roku, who was sitting at Quatre's feet throughout his story, flicked his tail. “It's just more comfortable,” he said.

“You can change between forms at will?” one elf questioned excitedly.

“Sure.” Roku shimmered into his human form and sat up. “It's easy. I can do other forms, but usually I'm either a tiger or a boy.”

The elves applauded enthusiastically.

“What a wonderful story!”

“It's the best we've heard in ages!”

“We must write it all down at once and add it to the library!”

“I have notes!”

“So do I!”

As the elves chattered excitedly about the story, repeating their favorite parts with dramatic flair, Quatre scowled at Heero. “I whined like a girl?”

Heero blinked. “It was just a figure of speech.”

“Mind your temper, Quatre,” Trowa said.

Quatre made a face.

Elrond approached them with Glorifindel beside him. He walked sedately with his hips swaying slightly, so his upper body remained still and there was no chance of an inadvertent breeze caused by too brisk a pace stirring up his hair. “Thank you so much for entertaining us with your wonderful story, Quatre,” he said gravely. “Your narration was utterly compelling. I suspect you have other equally fascinating stories you could relate.”

“One or two,” Quatre muttered.

“Unfortunately, I think we will have to postpone more tales to a future date. I have received word that representatives of the various peoples of Middle Earth are on their way here to discuss the future of the world. The first of them should arrive tomorrow, so I have scheduled a council for the day after. You are all invited as well.”

“Including the hobbits?” Treize asked. At the moment, Sam, Merry and Pippin were having dinner with Frodo in his room, along with Gandalf and an elderly little hobbit named Bilbo, who was apparently Frodo's uncle.

“Just Frodo. As the Ring-bearer, his participation is critical. The others are unnecessary.”

“Very well.” Treize turned to Zechs. “We can leave Alexa and Jett with the hobbits while we attend the council. The lot of them should be able to keep each other out of trouble.”

“Sam may be the only stabilizing influence out of that group,” Zechs replied. “And he'll be outnumbered.”

Alexa scowled at him. “I'll behave!” she grumbled.

“Thank you, dear.”

Elrond bowed carefully. “Then I will bid you good night. I have a few matters to attend to before retiring.” He floated away with his arm looped through Glorfindel's.

“Elf minds are too easy to read,” Duo muttered. “I need a drink.”

“You have a drink.” Wu-Fei pointed at the elegantly crafted hand-blown wineglass in Duo's hand.

“This is wine!” Duo said plaintively. “And good wine at that. You have to sip this all delicate and ladylike and everything. You can't just chug it.”

“Well, I haven't noticed the elves offering up mugs of ale, so I guess you'll just have to make do.”

“It's not fair.” Duo sipped his wine and eyed Wu-Fei. “If I can't get drunk, maybe I should just have sex instead.”

“Why are you looking at me?” Wu-Fei shot back. “Heero's sitting right here.”

“But you never joined us last night,” Duo pointed out. “Where were you?”

“I stayed with Hadeya last night to keep him company.”

“'Keeping company' is a new way to phrase it,” Duo grinned.

“You spent the night in Hadeya's room?” Heero growled.

Wu-Fei abruptly stood up. “All right, Duo, let's go.”

“Yay!” Duo clapped his hands.

“What a minute!” Heero said. “I want to hear more about last night. Just what were you doing in Hadeya's room?”

“Sleeping,” Wu-Fei said shortly.

Duo tapped the side of his head. “I can say on good authority that sleeping did indeed occur in Hadeya's room last night.”

“See?” Wu-Fei said quickly. He grabbed Duo's hand. “Let's go now.” He dragged a grinning Duo from the room.

Heero looked at Hadeya. “Well?”

Hadeya blinked several times and pressed his lips together. “He said you wouldn't get as mad at him.”

“I knew it!” Heero snapped. “I can't trust either of them around you.”

“It was my fault,” Hadeya confessed. “I've been trying to cut back.”

Heero rolled his eyes. “That's pointless.” He waved a hand at the roomful of elves. “Just pick out three or four and let yourself go. If you can't get in a good fight every now and then, sex is the next best outlet for excess energy. Although I wouldn't say no to a little sparring right now. I feel rusty. I wonder if any of these elves can handle a sword.”

“Why don't you ask Aragorn?” Treize said. “He is apparently supposed to be an exceptional swordsman.”

“There's an idea.” Heero looked around. “Oh, there he is. Excuse me.” Heero marched over to where Aragorn was seated next to an attractive, dark-haired elf maiden. From their manner toward each other, it appeared that Aragorn and the elf were quite close. “Aragorn, I was wondering if you'd be interested in a little sword practice. We've been traveling so hard, I haven't had time for a decent sparring match with anyone.”

Aragorn smiled. “I would be happy to oblige you, Heero.”

The elf maiden's brow creased into a delicate frown. “But Aragorn, we were going to spend the evening together reading poetry!”

Aragorn patted her hand. “Our guests will only be here briefly, my dear Arwen. I would not want to be a poor host.”

Arwen's lips turned down in a pretty little pout. “I suppose so,” she murmured.

“I knew you would understand.” Aragorn stood up. “There is a nice open area for sparring just across the bridge.” He held out his hand to indicate the direction and the two of them walked away. Arwen watched them leave with a completely astonished look on her perfectly shaped face.

Quatre leaned toward Trowa. “I don't think she expected Aragorn to go.”

Trowa nodded. “I daresay she's accustomed to getting her way with that little pout.”

“Little pouts do work,” Quatre said. He gave Trowa a little pouty look.

“At the very least, they get you kissed,” Trowa replied, and he kissed Quatre on the nose.

Quatre giggled. “That tickles!”

“Oh, really? What about this?” Trowa leaned over and licked his ear.

“Oh!” Quatre flushed. “You shouldn't do that in front of people.”

“Then let's go to our room.” Trowa took Quatre's hand. “I suddenly have this urge to do more than just lick your cute little ears.”

“You're very naughty,” Quatre purred.

“That's my plan.”

The two of them strolled out of the room.

Roku stood up. “Who wants to take a bath?”

“Me!” Alexa shouted.

“Me, too!” Jett chimed in, rattling the wineglasses.

Zechs stood up. “I think it's probably my turn to supervise the bath,” he said.

“I'll come with you,” Treize replied.

They followed the kids out of the room, leaving Hadeya all alone. A handful of elves immediately moved closer to him.

“You were not mentioned in the story,” one elf, who might have been female, said.

“No, I didn't join them until later.”

“I think you must have a fascinating story, also,” said a second elf. This one was almost certainly male.

“Not really. I grew up with my mother and uncle, and then left to find Heero, who is my father.”

“Your father?!” the first elf exclaimed. “But you look the same age! Is he immortal?”

Hadeya coughed. “Um, in a way.”

The second elf slid closer. “You're very handsome.”

“Thank you.”

“I would love to experience ecstasy with you.”

“What?!” Hadeya rasped. He cleared his throat. “You want to, uh, be intimate?”

“Yes! Very intimate.” The elf leaned closer. “We can use sweet scented oils to massage each other's bodies, followed by deep, pleasurable caresses.” Two other elves nodded eagerly at his words.

“I… I…” Hadeya stammered. “I suppose that's all right.”

“Wonderful!” The two nearest elves grabbed his hands, pulled him to his feet, and hustled him out of the dining room.

After that, other elves began leaving in twos, threes, and sometimes larger groups, until the only one left in the room was Arwen. She remained seated on her divan with her lips pushed out in an angry little scowl.

Everyone slept rather late the next day, so it was nearly midday when Frodo tottered into the room looking for them, accompanied by Sam and Gandalf.

Roku, who was sprawled on his back with his paws splayed out, was the only one in the sitting room to greet them when they arrived. “Hey, Frodo,” he purred lazily. “You look none the worse for wear. Wanna rub my belly?”

Frodo sat down rather stiffly next to Roku and ran a hand over Roku's soft belly fur. “I thought I looked a little pale,” he said.

Roku waggled a paw. “Maybe a little. How do you feel?”

“Much better, thank you. Where is everyone?”

“Still sleeping. It's nice and peaceful here.”

“Yes, it is.” Frodo sighed. “I wish we could stay, but I suppose we'll be heading back to the Shire now that I've brought the Ring here.”

“We will decide that at the council meeting tomorrow,” Gandalf said gravely. “In the meantime, you should just relax and not think too much about it.”

“That certainly does sound easier.”

Alexa and Jett bounded into the room.

“Frodo!” Alexa squealed. “I thought I heard you talking!” She pounced on the unprepared hobbit, promptly bowling him over.

“Be careful, Miss Alexa!” Sam cried. “He's still not fully healed yet!”

“I'm fine, Sam,” Frodo laughed, despite being under a dog pile formed by Alexa and Jett. After several seconds of giggling, the two girls helped Frodo sit up.

“You stopped my belly-rub,” Roku groused.

“Sorry!” Jett said. She and Alexa sat down on either side of Roku and proceeded to rub his belly.

“Ah! That's better. You can help, too, Frodo.”

“All right.” Frodo stuck a hand back in. “It seems odd to be talked to by a creature I'm petting.”

“Good heavens!” Quatre exclaimed as he entered the room with Trowa. “Roku sure is getting spoiled.”

“Ummmm…” Roku purred.

Soon everyone was up and talking about getting some lunch, so they went to the dining hall to see if any food was available. Once there, they found Hadeya draped across a divan looking exhausted.

“Where have you been?” Zechs said. “You look like you haven't slept at all.”

“I haven't,” Hadeya groaned. “I've been up with the elves all night. I don't think they need to sleep at all.” He rubbed his eyes with his fists. “I don't think I was this tired after a day of battling with the heroes of Valhalla, followed by a night of feasting.”

“Yet you look remarkably clean and tidy,” Zechs noted. “Your skin is glowing, your hair is perfect and those clothes look brand new.”

“That would be because I've been bathed, brushed, screwed, dressed, undressed, massaged and screwed repeatedly,” Hadeya moaned.

“Sounds like fun,” Duo murmured with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

“I notice you said screwed twice,” Treize said.

“That's because that happened more often than the rest. Is it time to eat?”

“Yes!” Jett announced sternly.

Gandalf winced and rubbed his ear. “I'll go find someone.” He wandered out, but returned very quickly trailed by a dozen or so elves carrying trays of food, one of whom was Glorfindel.

“Good day, my friends,” Glorfindel said. “How are you enjoying Rivendell?”

“It's a beautiful place.”

“Thank you for saying so,” Glorfindel replied, his eyes sparkling. After making sure the food was adequate, he took a seat. “The council meeting should happen as scheduled tomorrow. Several of the expected groups have arrived already, and we believe the remainder will have arrived by nightfall.”

“Who's coming?” Quatre asked. “Elrond mentioned it yesterday, but he wasn't very specific.”

“People from many lands will be here, including Men, Elves and Dwarves. Sadly, there is not a lot of love between these groups, so the meeting should be quite interesting.” Glorfindel seemed delighted by the prospect of possible conflict.

“Well, we look forward to participating.”

Gandalf cleared his throat. “Where is Elrond? There are a few matters he and I should probably discuss ahead of the meeting.”

“He's with his attendants, of course.” Glorfindel chuckled. “You should interrupt them. Elrond will thank you.”

“Hmph!” Gandalf snorted. “Perhaps I will. No one needs his hair brushed that much.”

“That's what I kept saying last night,” Hadeya muttered.

Gandalf took his leave, accompanied by Glorfindel.

“So what shall we do today?” Treize said.

“I want to go exploring!” Jett announced.

“Me, too!” added Alexa.

“Hey, why don't I take you to the waterfalls Roku and I found yesterday?” Duo offered. “They're magnificent.”

“Ok!”

In the end, everyone went to tour the waterfalls and wander through the beautiful stone buildings of Rivendell. Frodo eventually got tired, though, so Sam accompanied him back early in the afternoon. The others returned quite a bit later tired and hungry, so after a bath, they had dinner in their suite and went to bed.

The next morning, Aragorn arrived to fetch them for the council. He looked regal in a long black tunic with silver stitching, his long sword belted around his slim waist. “All of the participants have arrived for the meeting,” he said. “Elrond wants to get an early start, I think because he expects a lot of arguing.”

Heero groaned. “Can I skip the meeting?”

“No,” Quatre said firmly. “We're all going.” He turned to Merry. “Do you mind watching Alexa and Jett, Merry?”

“I'd be glad to.” Merry puffed up importantly. “I'm very responsible.”

Pippin goggled. “Since when?”

Merry made a face. “Someone has to make sure you stay out of trouble.”

“That's funny,” Sam muttered. “You're the one always in the lead when the two of you head into trouble.”

“My point exactly,” Pippin declared.

Merry folded his arms across his chest. “But I'm the one he asked.”

“He wouldn't know any better,” Sam said.

“When the three of you stop arguing,” Wu-Fei interrupted calmly, “perhaps one of you will stop Jett from climbing out the window and sneaking away.”

“What?!” The three hobbits whirled to stare at the window, where Jett and Alexa had pushed a chair up against the sill. Jett was in the act of climbing through the window while Alexa steadied the chair.

“I thought you said you would behave,” Zechs remarked dryly.

Alexa grinned sheepishly. “We were just testing.”

“I think I don't want to see anymore,” Quatre said with a shake of his head. “Let's go.”

The council meeting was being held on a patio surrounded by exquisite stone arches covered in flowering vines. The outer edge of the patio overlooked a green lawn interspersed with beautiful trees and graceful statues. Chairs were set up around the edges of the patio in a wide circle, although it was immediately apparent that there was not enough seating for everyone. Subsequently, almost everyone remained standing, clumped together in groups mostly defined by race, eyeing everyone else suspiciously.

Elrond stepped onto the patio looking the very image of elven perfection. His long hair was braided in myriad small braids, which were then plaited together. The plaits were then worked into loops held in place with jeweled combs, whose gems matched the colors in his flowing silk robes. He took a seat on a large stone chair with a cushion, which was obviously intended for him.

“Please be seated, my friends,” Elrond said gravely. After some milling about, several people sat down and the others moved to stand behind the chairs. Elrond nodded. “We of Middle Earth are faced with a grave danger,” he said. “Sauron is once again extending his reach across the land, bringing death and destruction to all we value. But we are presented with an opportunity to end it. Frodo, bring forth the Ring.”

Looking horribly uncomfortable, Frodo produced the shiny gold Ring and put it on a stone table in the middle of the patio. Every eye fixed on the glittering Ring, which managed to look bigger once Frodo set it down.

Roku, in tiger form and seated beside Quatre's chair with his tail around his paws, stared at it with interest. “I think I could make that,” he whispered to Quatre. “Except for the taint of festering evil. I'd have trouble doing that.”

“You'd probably want to leave that part out, anyway.”

“True.”

“This is the One Ring,” Elrond intoned. “Sauron seeks it and should he recover it, we are all doomed. We must destroy it.”

“But wait!” One of the Men, a handsome, muscular man in leather armor, quickly stood up. “The One Ring is a ring of great power. We could use it to destroy Sauron! We men of Gondor are prepared to take up this task!” He proceeded into what was apparently going to be a long-winded speech.

Heero shifted from foot to foot impatiently. “Who is this bozo?”

“He is Boromir of Gondor,” Aragorn murmured, “eldest son of the Steward of Gondor. He is a great man.”

Gandalf interrupted Boromir's speech. “We cannot use the Ring! It is evil! Our only option is to destroy it!”

“Gandalf is right,” Elrond concurred. “The Ring must be destroyed. Our only hope is to throw it into the cracks of Mount Doom, where it was made. Only the fires of Mount Doom are hot enough to unmake it.”

“That is impossible!” one of the Dwarves protested. “Mount Doom is in the middle of Mordor!”

“Nevertheless,” Elrond said, “that is our only choice, Gimli, son of Gloin.”

The dwarf Gimli scowled. “How do you propose to do this great feat, then?”

“One of you,” Elrond let his eyes slide over the group, “must take it there.”

“What?!” An explosion of voices filled the patio; some arguing for the plan, some arguing against it, and some just arguing.

“I will take it!” Frodo shouted, his little voice just carrying over the babble. “It's been my responsibility, so I guess I must continue to bear it.” He blinked uncertainly. “But I don't know the way.”

Gandalf sighed. “I will take you, Frodo, for this is as much my responsibility as yours.”

Aragorn dropped to one knee so he could look Frodo in the eye. “I, too, will accompany you, Frodo.”

“So will I.” An extremely handsome elf with long blond hair and very blue eyes stood up. “I am Legolas of Mirkwood, and it is my task to find a way to end the troubles that have been invading my father's lands.”

“Well, if some wretched elf is going, then I'm going!” Gimli immediately declared. “I wouldn't put it past you damned elves to say you're going to destroy it and then keep it for yourselves.” He propped a big axe on his shoulder.

“Frodo's not going anywhere without me!” Sam suddenly shouted. He dashed out from the shadows of an archway to stand at Frodo's side.

“We're going to!” Merry and Pippin called out and they scurried into view from another archway. Alexa and Jett skipped in behind them.

“So much for watching the kids,” Zechs muttered.

Boromir cleared his throat. He had a strained look on his face. “If this is the plan, than I suppose, as the representative of Gondor, the nation most affected by Mordor, and whose blood has already been spilling to defend your lands, I must offer my services as well. Surely one such as I, who has fought the evil minions of Mordor since boyhood, is best suited to see this difficult task through to fulfillment.”

“What the hell did he just say?” Heero growled under his breath.

“I think he said he's going too,” Trowa murmured back.

“So why didn't he just say so?”

“Some people need more words to get their point across.”

“Duh.”

“And some people need less.”

Elrond stood up. “Brave people,” he said, his voice resonating, “the task you undertake will be fraught with danger, but your brave hearts and strong wills can still carry the day. You nine companions shall carry the hope of the world on your shoulders.”

“Here's another one,” Heero grumbled. “Can't he just say `get going'?”

“There will be more than nine on this journey, Lord Elrond,” Quatre said. “The eleven of us will be going as well. Twenty is a much better number than nine.”

Elrond blinked in surprise. “Surely you will not take your little girls on such a dangerous mission? We would be happy to look after then here.”

“That's all right. We like to keep the family together.”

“Very well,” Gandalf said stiffly. “Tomorrow morning, we will begin our journey. Everyone should sleep well tonight. It is a long walk to Mordor.”

“Walk?!” Heero exclaimed. “Does no one in this stinking world ever ride?”