Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Fellowship of the Gundam ❯ The Quest Begins! ( Chapter 8 )

Chapter 8: The Quest Begins!

“How far is it to Mordor again?” Heero demanded.

“We should be able to get there by spring,” Gandalf replied. He puffed a cloud of smoke from his pipe. The council was over and Gandalf and Aragorn had accompanied the Gundam pilots and the hobbits back to their suite.

“By spring?!” Heero stared at him. “But it's the middle of winter!”

“It's a long way.”

“So why are we walking? That's ridiculous. Roku, do you have a plane in your storage space?”

“Ye…” Roku began.

“No!” Quatre interrupted. “He doesn't!”

“But…”

Quatre glared Roku into silence. “Just suck it up, Heero. You're getting flabby anyway. A nice long walk will do you good.”

“Flabby?!” Heero stared in horror at his completely flat stomach ridged with hard muscles, his firm, smooth thighs and burnished, muscular arms.

“You're butt's been tighter,” Quatre noted.

Heero looked over his shoulder, trying to see his own ass.

“There's nothing wrong with your butt, Heero,” Duo assured him. “Quatre's just messing with you.”

Heero flexed his gluts and poked them experimentally with a finger. “I better do more training,” he muttered.

Wu-Fei rolled his eyes. “Thanks a lot, Quatre! Who do you think is going to have to do all that sparring? You owe me.”

Quatre eyed Wu-Fei's stomach. “A few workouts wouldn't do you any harm either. You spend too much time with your nose in a book.”

“I do not!” Wu-Fei jumped to his feet and yanked up his shirt, displaying his magnificently sculpted abs. “My abs are perfect!”

“We're all getting out of shape,” Quatre continued, undeterred. “All that soft living on Mars is taking its toll. I think, in addition to maintaining a brisk traveling pace, we should spend a portion of each day in training. When was the last time any of you did a full kata?”

Guilty expressions and utter silence were the response.

“I thought as much,” Quatre said archly. “I will assign a full program of kata and sparring to each of you to follow during our journey.”

Merry and Pippin exchanged a look and began to giggle.

Quatre frowned at them. “Don't think I'm letting either of you off,” he snapped. “A little muscle tone under your fat wouldn't hurt.”

Pippin gulped. “But we don't know anything about fighting!”

“You'll learn,” Quatre replied sternly. “Now then,” he smiled around the room, happily talking charge. “I assume we'll be departing in the morning, so let's get organized. Duo and Roku, go to the kitchen and get supplies. Trowa, check on Bill and make sure we have enough blankets for everyone. Aragorn, find out what the others are planning to bring and get with Trowa to make sure it will all fit in Bill's packs. Gandalf, Treize and I would like to look at any maps you have of where we'll be going. The rest of you look around the suite and make sure we don't leave anything behind because I'm not flying back to get it. All right, let's get to work.”

“You notice how Quatre always takes charge?” Duo remarked to Roku as they left.

“Mama likes telling people what to do.”

“Yeah, but he's cute, so we let him.”

The elves were quite disappointed that they would be losing their guests so soon and kept asking if couldn't some of them, at least Hadeya anyway, stay on in Rivendell while the rest went off to destroy the Ring. “It's been a long time since this place was so lively,” several complained.

“Elrond wants to pack us all off to the Undying Lands,” one handsome elf confided mournfully over dinner.

“It's Undying Boredom,” another elf whispered, glancing quickly toward Elrond to make sure he was not overheard. “Nothing new or exciting ever happens there. That's why we came to Middle Earth.”

“I heard the Mirkwood elves were planning to stay in Middle Earth,” said the first.

“I suppose they can do that,” the second elf sighed. “They're not High Elves like the lot in Lothlorien or Half-elven like us. We could try sneaking off to Mirkwood.”

The first shook his head. “I'm terrible with the bow,” he said sadly. “They'd never have me.”

“Ah, that's true.”

“I guess it's off to the Gray Havens for us as soon as everyone leaves,” the mournful elf continued, “and goodbye Middle Earth.” He lifted his wineglass. “A toast to the memory of good times.”

“To good times.” The other elf lifted his goblet and the two drained their glasses. “More wine!”

“They make immortality sound pretty miserable,” Duo commented.

“They're doing it wrong,” Hadeya said. “We were never bored in Asgard, since you never knew if you would get killed in battle the next day or not.”

“Yeah, I imagine the fun of getting slaughtered and revived would put some spring in your step.”

“Well, you just don't appreciate a good feast until you've had your head lopped off,” Hadeya said seriously.

Duo blinked at him. “That's happened to you?”

“Just once.”

“Umm… I thought only the heroes of Valhalla could be revived from death.”

“Oh, anybody can be revived as long as they enter Valhalla before sunset on the day of their death. That's why the battles always ended in the afternoon; so there was time to carry the dead and all their bits and pieces back to Valhalla before sunset.” Hadeya chuckled. “You wouldn't believe how annoyed some heroes would get if a finger or an ear got left behind and they healed without it.”

“It can't be reattached after that?”

“No.” Hadeya shrugged. “But that's why my mother decided it was all right for me to leave and look for my father. She was worried that I might lose a body part, and she hated seeing me brought back dead.”

Duo blinked. “Well, I could see where that might upset someone.”

“I thought she was being a little unreasonable,” Hadeya said. “It's not like I was going to stay dead. But still, it did get me permission to leave, so I suppose I shouldn't judge her too harshly.”

Elrond stood up and cleared his throat to draw everyone's attention. “My friends and brothers,” he intoned in a deep, resonant voice, “Tomorrow, our comrades will embark upon the gravest mission ever undertaken in the history of Middle Earth. Upon their shoulders rides the hope of the whole world, of every creature large and small, and with them goes our deepest faith that they will succeed, for we have no other choice but to pray for their success. So lift your glasses, one and all, and let us drink a final toast to those who will risk their lives to save us all.” He raised his glass into the air and everyone did likewise. Slowly, he moved the glass to his lips and took a long sip. When he lowered his glass, he looked around the room solemnly. “It saddens me to say that this may be the last time some of us meet, but so it must be. So make your goodbyes tonight, for in the morning, our ways must part.”

Several elves immediately descended on Hadeya. “Please join us for a goodbye bath, Hadeya! Let us savor your beauty and charm for one more night!”

“Ah!” Hadeya cried out, but he was already being dragged away.

Duo chuckled. “So much for abstinence.” He grinned at Heero. “Feel like working off some of that butt flab?”

“You said my butt was fine!”

“It probably is, but would it hurt to give it a nice workout?”

“What do you mean `probably'?” Heero scowled. But he nevertheless poked worriedly at one of his butt cheeks again.

Duo stood up and took his hand. “Come on. Let's go outside. I will examine your bottom close-up and give you a detailed report.”

“All right, but you better not try to stick anything in my ass while you're looking.”

“Who, me?” They went outside and Duo led the way under a nearby footbridge. “This is good. Drop your drawers.”

“What?! Right here?” Heero looked around, but as the sun had set, it was fairly gloomy under the bridge. “Why can't we just go back to the room?”

“Because if I check out your ass in complete privacy, I am far more likely to try to stick something in it,” Duo said, grinning. “So come on. Show it to me.”

Grumbling under his breath, Heero shed the voluminous elven trousers he was wearing to reveal his normal tight-fitting spandex shorts. He peeled these down and presented Duo with his nicely-shaped buttocks.

“Bend over.”

“No! You'll claim it was an invitation.”

“Oh, fine.” Duo stepped closer and grasped Heero's bottom with both hands. He massaged the firm flesh in silence for several long seconds.

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

“You're supposed to be checking for flab! Have you found any?”

“The skin's a little loose right here.”

“That's my asshole, asshole! You're supposed to be checking the meaty bits!”

“Right, right.” Duo continued to massage Heero's ass.

“I think you're just feeling me up,” Heero accused.

“Would I do that?” Duo's hands wandered around to the front. “Besides, if I was feeling you up, I'd be fondling this bad boy right here.”

“Get your hand off my dick! There's no flab there!”

“I'll say, although it's hard to tell when it's all soft like this. I can fix that.”

“Unh!” Heero grunted. “Would you please stop rubbing that?”

“But I'm getting rid of the flab. See? All fixed.”

Heero groaned. “If I wanted a hand-job, I would have asked for one.”

“Well, since I've already started, why don't I just finish? I'm having fun.”

“Pervert,” Heero grumbled. Then he looked up. “I think someone's on the bridge.”

Duo stopped rubbing and they both listened to the footsteps that were crossing the bridge from the far side. Then more footsteps came from the nearer side, accompanied by Aragorn's voice.

“Oy, Legolas, have you found what you were looking for?” Aragorn said.

“Yes, thank you. The armory was quite well stocked and I found a number of arrows that will work with my bow.”

The two men stopped almost directly overhead.

Duo pulled Heero closer and started rubbing again.

Heero moaned under his breath. “Stop that!”

“Keep it down,” Duo whispered. “They'll hear you.” He put his other hand over Heero's mouth and kept rubbing.

“I am glad you will be accompanying us, Legolas,” Aragorn said. “The bowmen of Mirkwood are renowned throughout Middle Earth. I fear we will have need of your skill before our task is done.”

“I am honored to be of service,” Legolas replied. “Although I have not traveled far beyond the confines of my forest home ere now, I am ready to face the trials ahead.”

“I have traveled in Mirkwood,” Aragorn remarked. “That place is no easy home. I am sure the people raised under those dark boughs are of unquestioned strength and bravery. No doubt you will be at the forefront of the action should we find ourselves engaged in combat.”

“With you at my side, I am sure,” Legolas said. “The Rangers are known the world over for their cunning and loyalty.”

“Geez!” Duo muttered. “These two should give up on the weak attempts at verbal foreplay and just make out.”

“Aragorn!” Arwen's melodious voice, sounding a bit less melodious than usual, rang out from the far end of the bridge. “I have been looking for you.”

“Good evening, Arwen,” Aragorn said. “I believe you have met Legolas of Mirkwood. He is soon to be my companion on our quest.”

“Yes, we've met,” Arwen said shortly.

“My lady,” Legolas said gravely. “If you will excuse me, I have a few more preparations to make.” His footsteps receded off the bridge.

“What were you talking about?” Arwen asked. “You looked very intent.”

“We were just discussing the quest,” Aragorn said.

“Oh.” Arwen drew a breath. “I have something for you,” she purred in a sultry tone.

“This is your pendant!” Aragorn exclaimed.

“Yes,” Arwen replied. “By giving it to you, I show my intent to be yours one day.”

Duo made a choking sound. “I think she's got that backwards,” he muttered. “She's putting her brand on him, if you ask me.”

Heero groaned.

“Did you hear something?” Arwen exclaimed.

“No,” Aragorn answered. “Shall we go inside?”

They walked off the bridge and Duo uncovered Heero's mouth. “Was that good? It's always good for me if there's a chance of getting discovered.”

“I'm not you, you pervert!” Heero snapped. He pulled his shorts up and snatched up his trousers. “I'm going back to the room.” He stamped away.

“Ok!” Duo skipped along after him. “I'll come too. You can punish me for abusing you.”

Heero just growled and shook his head.

“Please? You can spank me!”

“Why do I put up with you?”

“Because you love me.”

Heero rolled his eyes, but he let Duo take his hand.

“Let's find Wu-Fei and give him a bath,” Duo said cheerfully. “I bet he needs oiling.”

“You just want to get his clothes off.”

“It's his fault for showing off his sexy little tummy. And anyway, once we hit the road and Quatre dumps his training program on us, who knows when we'll next have time for a nice quiet threesome?”

“When are you ever quiet?”

“I was quiet just now.”

“That's because you weren't the one getting the hand-job!”

Duo giggled. “So let's get Wu-Fei all slick and oily and see if he can be quiet during a hand-job.”

“Whatever,” Heero sighed.

The next morning, everyone turned out to see the Fellowship off. Standing by the placid Bill the pony, Trowa made a few more adjustments to his pack.

“How's that feel, Bill? Not too heavy?”

“It's fine,” Bill replied. He tossed his mane, which was gleaming and silky-smooth. “I'll miss this place. These elves really know how to use a curry-brush.”

“You do look mighty smooth,” Trowa chuckled.

“And sweet-smelling!” Bill added, flicking his tail.

Quatre joined them. “How's Bill? Ready to go?”

“Yup.” Trowa patted Bill's side. “And he's proved that the elves can't escape the need to bathe and brush anything with hair.”

“He does look good. But I think Hadeya wins.” Quatre nodded toward the young demi-god. “I'm not sure Freya would recognize him with his hair like that.”

“It looks good on him, though.”

Hadeya slumped up to them and leaned against Bill's side. “I'm cutting my hair,” he groaned.

“But you look nice with braids.”

“And the jeweled ribbons?” Hadeya complained. “Are they really appropriate?”

“The colors compliment your skin.”

Hadeya groaned and rubbed his temples.

“Are you up for this?” Trowa said. “We're going to be walking a long way today.”

“I'll run to get away from these wretched elves!” Hadeya responded fervently.

Quatre chuckled. “Let's hope everyone shares your eagerness.” He turned to survey the crowd. “It looks like everyone's here.” He went over to where Gandalf was talking quietly with Elrond. “Daylight's wasting, Gandalf. We should hit the road.”

“You are quite right,” Elrond said, answering for Gandalf. He stepped forward. “My friends, I wish you good luck on your journey. Rely on each other, for you are all bound with a common purpose, and that purpose will give you strength. Be vigilant; be strong; be true to each other. I will watch over you from afar.”

“Good speech,” Heero muttered. “Nice and short. Let's go.”

Gandalf clapped a hand on Frodo's shoulder. “The Ring-Bearer will lead us,” he announced.

Frodo blinked in surprise. He looked around quickly at all the expectant faces and nervously straightened his shoulders. Then he turned toward the gate and marched out with Gandalf right behind him. The others followed him out, with Heero, Duo and Wu-Fei bringing up the rear. Once beyond the gate, Roku ranged ahead of them.

Hadeya caught up with him, apparently determined to put as much distance between himself and Rivendell as quickly as possible. “Do you know where you're going, Roku?”

“Not really, but Gandalf said we needed to go south, so I'm going south.”

“Makes sense.”

“You smell good.”

Hadeya sighed. “It's the jasmine perfume. They put it in the bath water and combed it through my hair. Let me know when you smell a stream. I want to rinse off.”

“But you're already clean.”

“Don't remind me,” Hadeya grumbled. “I'm clean in places that no man should have cleaned by someone else.”

Roku chuckled. “I thought you smelled unusually fresh.”

The trail they followed went up a series of ridges climbing toward distant peaks, cut by swift streams that Hadeya forded with considerably more splashing than was necessary. Around midday, they crested a particularly high ridge that afforded them a panoramic view of the surrounding valleys and the sharp peaks rising ahead of them.

“Let's stop for lunch,” Quatre ordered. “I think it's time for some training.”

The hobbits flopped onto the ground panting.

“But we've just walked for longer than any hobbit has ever walked in the history of hobbits!” Pippin groaned loudly. “I can't raise my arms right now, much less a sword.”

“Oh, nonsense!” Quatre waved a hand. “That little jaunt was just to get the kinks out of our legs. We'll be going even farther tomorrow.”

“He wants to kill us!” Pippin groaned to Merry.

“Don't talk to me!” Merry groaned back. “Listening hurts!”

“Are you all right, Mr. Frodo?” Sam asked. “Is your shoulder bothering you?”

Frodo rubbed the spot where he had been stabbed. “It aches a little, but I'm all right.”

Roku strolled over and sniffed Frodo's shoulder, which was just a little bit higher than his nose. “It still smells kind of tainted,” he said. “I don't think I can make that go away, but I'll try.” He touched Frodo's shoulder with his nose. “Bene corpus.”

“Oh!” Frodo touched his shoulder. “The ache is gone!”

Roku frowned. “Yeah, but the taint is still there. That's annoying. It's really sticky, like tar. I'm sorry.”

“That's all right, Roku,” Frodo said. “It's nice that it doesn't hurt anymore. Are those sausages?”

“Yup.” Duo, Gimli and Trowa were busily building a fire with a pile of sausages sitting on a rock beside them.

Jett, in panther form, inched up to the rock unnoticed on her belly, snatched one of the sausages and made a break for it.

“Hey!” Duo dived after her and just managed to catch a hind paw. “You can wait just like everyone else, young lady.” He pried the sausage out of her mouth.

“Aw man!” Jett grumbled. She slunk away and plopped down under a bush.

“Nice try, Jett,” Roku said. “Next time, take a big jump and then start running.”

Duo pointed a cooking fork at him. “You just keep your distance, Stripey. And quit giving her guidance on how to misbehave.”

“Misbehaving, like any activity, should be done properly,” Roku replied sagely. He stuck his nose under his left front leg, produced a sausage and tossed it to the sulking little panther. “Here you go, Jett.”

“Yay!” Jett gulped the sausage down happily.

“Where did you get that?” Duo demanded suspiciously.

Roku just smiled.

Once the hobbits had a few dozen sausages under their belts, they perked up considerably, so Quatre put everyone to work either sparring or performing katas. Since the Middle Earthers seemed to have no idea what a kata was, he had them spar with the hobbits while he led the others through a series of complex forms. Even Jett and Alexa were not let off the hook. Nor was Roku, whom Quatre insisted return to human form so he could train, too.

“What nonsense!” Gandalf muttered. “All this prancing about when one is supposed to be resting.”

“I quite agree,” Gimli huffed. “We dwarves are always at our physical peak. It is just part of our superior breeding.”

“That's your physical peak?” Legolas said disparagingly. “An elf as pudgy as you would be laughed off the practice range.”

“Pudgy?!” Gimli exploded. “I am not pudgy! This is pure muscle! If you doubt it, come over here and I'll flog you over the head with my pudge!”

“I wouldn't waste my time,” Legolas sniffed. “I doubt I would even notice your weak little fists flailing at me.”

“Weak… little…?!” Gimli appeared at a loss for words to express his outrage.

“What's that?” Alexa pointed at the horizon.

Everyone turned to look, squinting against the brightness of the sky.

“It's birds,” Roku said.

“Crebain from Dunland!” Legolas clarified in alarm.

“Hide!” Gandalf ordered quickly.

People began diving under bushes and behind rocks, dragging belongings with them, except for Roku, who just changed back to tiger form and hopped onto a rock to watch. As the birds neared them, their loud screeches echoed across the ridge. Once they were overhead, the birds circled the spot where they were hiding a few times and then flew off, still screeching raucously.

“I think they saw us,” Roku said.

“Undoubtedly,” Gandalf agreed. “We dare not go past Isengard now. We'll have to go over Caradhras.” He looked toward the mountains, where a towering peak encased in snow and ice glittered above them.

“Excuse me?!” Gimli exclaimed. “You expect us to go over that?”

“There's a pass. It's a little high, but we should be able to make it if it doesn't snow.”

“Famous last words,” Zechs murmured.

“Why don't we just go through the Mines of Moria?” Gimli complained. “There would be no snow to contend with and my cousin Balin recently reopened the mines. We'd have warm beds and good food for a few nights.”

“No!” Gandalf quickly shook his head. “Not the Mines. The pass is safer. We'd better get moving.”

“Is this wise?” Boromir murmured to Aragorn as they set out. He and Aragorn were bringing up the rear this time. “The hobbits are barefoot and we have two young girls with us. Hiking through knee deep snow hardly strikes me as a good idea.”

“We must trust that Gandalf knows what he's doing,” Aragorn murmured back. “He has battled Sauron for centuries.”

Boromir frowned and studied Frodo's back. “I still say it would be better to use the Ring to defeat Sauron. Beat him at his own game.”

“And then become him?” Aragorn retorted softly. “We cannot fight this evil except with the strength of our arms.”

“Then we are destined to lose,” Boromir replied stiffly. He pushed ahead, looking sharply at Frodo as he moved past him.

“I don't like the way Boromir talks,” Zechs said to Treize. “Just how tainted with evil is this Ring?”

“We should talk to Roku,” Treize answered. “We may need to plan for people falling out of their right minds at some point.”

“We could just start stuffing them in his storage space if there are problems,” Zechs said. “Roku said living things just go into stasis there.”

“That's a viable option,” Treize agreed.

Duo looked over his shoulder at them. “Quatre is never going to let you stuff people into Roku's storage space.”

“We weren't planning to leave them there.”

“I'm not sure he'd see the distinction.”

“Nevertheless, we should keep it under consideration.”

“It's your hide,” Duo shrugged.

Roku came trotting back down the hill. “There's snow on the next ridge!” he reported.

“There should be a cave up ahead where we can make camp for the night,” Gandalf said. “I don't want to try the mountain slopes until morning.” The sun was starting to sink in the west, stretching their shadows toward the east.

“That's the first sensible suggestion he's made,” Heero grumbled. “I still say we should have brought horses.”

“Horses would have a tough time getting over that pass,” Trowa said. “I'm not sure how we're going to get Bill over.”

“Bill's tough,” Heero said, “which is more than I can say for these chubby little hobbits. We're going to end up carrying them again.”

“We can manage!” Merry spoke up defensively. “We've walked all over the Shire! We love hiking! Isn't that right, Pippin?”

“Uh, yeah, I guess.” Pippin stared up at Caradhras, which loomed over them like a forecast of doom. He sidled closer to Heero. “I wouldn't mind being carried if it gets really steep.”

“Pippin!”

“At least one of you is not delusional,” Heero stated.

They crested the ridge and climbed onto a steep meadow that sloped up to the base of a sheer cliff. Snow covered the meadow and lay in the crevices of the cliff.

Gandalf gestured toward a dark smudge on the cliff face. “There is the cave,” he said. “We will stop there.”

But when they arrived, Gimli stared around in disgust. “You call this a cave?! It is little more than an indentation in the rock!”

“You can always dig it deeper for us with your great big muscles,” Legolas sneered.

“And I'll use your head as my pickaxe!” Gimli retorted hotly.

“Would you two quit sniping at each other?” Gandalf exclaimed wearily. “Let's light a fire and eat. In the morning, we will brave the mountain pass.”

Standing at the front of the shallow cave next to Bill, Trowa pursed his lips. “What do you think, Bill? Can you get over that mountain?”

Bill blew steam out of his wide nostrils. “I may not have to. It's going to snow in the morning.”

“Bill thinks it's going to snow,” Trowa reported.

“Like I said,” Zechs sighed. “Famous last words.”