Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Rise of the Golden Phoenix ❯ Phoenix Prince ( Chapter 4 )

I love Gundam Wing. Oh I do not own the G boys or the names I use in my fic they belong to whoever made them. I sorry I dont know who you are.
What is in a name
I dont play the sue me game
If it is me you want to blame
Remember I dont have money cus I'm lame

AU, fantasy, and action - Heero, Duo, Trowa, and Wufei, are all warriors in a mythical world full of danger, monsters, and gods. They embark on a journey to capture the Golden Phoenix and rescue the Prince of Sandrock. 3x4 and 1x2

This chapter is dedicated to Nolwe II, Wolfje, tyleet88, Maskelle, Yura Dark Angel of Death, Ai no miko500, RurouniTriv, Annoyerdanny, Solo, Sophonisba, Phantom MousE, D-chan, DemonikDreamer, and Sekari. Thank you for taking the time to review and encourage me to write more.

Special thanks to my beta reader - Sekari.

“…” Talking
‘…’ Thoughts
//…// Flashbacks

The rise of the Golden Phoenix

Part 4

by Markanovanlink

The heat of the sun felt like it was burning his skin the closer he got to the temple. Trowa bit his lip in pain as his hands ached from the hot sensation of Nanashi’s fur and feathers. His grip on his precious Nanashi started to slip. Reluctantly, he redirected his gold and brown griffin to the ground. Jumping down from his beast, the tall warrior reached beneath his black cloak and pulled out a small brown canteen. He poured water on his hands as a white winged horse landed next to him.

“The heat getting to you too.” Heero said while he dismounted Wing and reached for his own canteen. Trowa only nodded his answer as Heero started to pour water on his own hands. After drying his hands, he looked towards the sky and watched Duo and Wufei exchange bets on who could fly closer without given into the heat. Turning his gaze back to Trowa, he wondered why his comrade had been acting so impulsive today. Trowa was always the one to think before he acted.

As if reading his thoughts, Trowa gave him an answer. “I don’t know why I have been acting like this. I had this strong urge to get to that temple. I feel like something is calling me, and for some reason I cant resist it.”

“Is it the Prince?”

“I don’t know,” Trowa responded with a sigh. He sat in the sand and watched the flying dog and dragon race towards the temple. The two-headed hound would bark at the winged serpent when she got to close to him. Nataku ignored the beast and continue to get closer using her long snake like body to make circles around Shinigami. Trowa closed his eyes and listened to Duo, Wufei and their beasts argue. Trowa let his mind rest on the sleeping boy he saw in his vision. ‘Who are you?’ As he asked the question to himself, a new vision interrupted him. The sleeping boy’s eyes were now open wide in shock. He could hear the boy talking about going crazy. Trowa felt like he was in the room with him.

As the boy spoke again, Trowa focused on his light blue eyes. “I am the Prince of Sandrock.” Feeling the need to answer, he told the Prince that he had been sent to rescue him. He introduced himself and tried to assure the Golden Prince that he wasn’t going crazy. When he tried to reach his hand out towards the blonde, a sharp pain shot through his head. The pain ripped the image of the young man from his mind.

Heero watched Trowa gripped his head with his hands. The action was so swift that it caused Trowa to fall backwards on the sand in pain. Heero rushed over to the tall warrior and fell to his knees in the sand. Heero tried to question his pain stricken comrade but the other had passed out. As Heero tried to wake Trowa, he could feel the wind stir from behind him as Shinigami landed in the sand.

“What happened?” Duo said as he ran towards Heero.

“He fainted again.” Heero got up and watched Duo tend to the fallen boy. He felt ashamed of his feelings. Jealous feelings, that only came out when Duo fussed over Trowa. He never understood why he always felt like this. They all were friends, but Trowa and Duo were inseparable. The green-eyed mortal was like Duo’s shadow. That is why he was surprised that Trowa would take off for the temple before Duo did. He was always two steps behind Duo, no matter what. Heero wasn’t quite sure what he was jealous of. Was it their friendship? Or was it something else? Thoughts of his first meeting with Trowa flooded his mind.

//The Prince of War watched as the Prince of Death offered eternal youth and friendship to the dirty mortal. Heero really didn’t like mortals even though he was half mortal himself. Dirty mortals killed his mother, his mortal mother.

Heero shook those thoughts away and watched his new best friend talk to the mortal. It was something about Duo that he couldn’t resist. Ever since they became friends, he found himself giving in to Duo’s every whim. When the Prince of Death wanted to hunt down a certain mortal, Heero tried everything to convince him not to. Duo wanted so badly to see him, that Heero finally gave in and helped his friend track down the boy.

Now that they had found him, how would he fit into their travels? Heero didn’t want to protect that mortal from any dangers and didn’t want Duo putting himself at risk to protect him either. ‘Why does Duo want this mortal baggage following us?’ Heero watched the ground as the three of them made their way down a rocky road.

“Heero, I am hungry.” Duo started to whine as he latched his arms around Heero’s neck. “You should pick some fruit for me and Trowa.” Duo said with a smile as he released the other boy. Heero nodded with a curse under his breathe and walked towards a group of trees down the road. Duo turned towards Trowa and started to say something but was cut off by a rock that hit him in the back. Mad violet eyes glared looks of death towards the direction of that rock.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t two little lost girls. Do you ladies need a ride home?” Said a dark hooded man on a black horse. There were two other men on brown horses that laughed at his choice of words.

Duo spit on the ground and smirked at the man on the horse. “I would never lose my way coming from your mother’s house.” The two men on the brown horses laughed again, until the hooded man yelled for their silence.

“You are one disrespectful tramp. Someone should shut you up.” The hooded man yelled as he approached Duo. Trowa stood to the left of Duo and never said a word or made a move during the whole altercation. The man jumped down from his horse and stared at the two boys. “I should kill you and your mute.”

Duo was going to respond until a gush of wind hit him in the face. His eyes widen in shock as he looked at the tip of an arrow that was just centimeters away from his forehead. His eyes darted to the hand that had caught the arrow and then to the hooded man who was holding a crossbow. Duo never saw it coming; if it weren’t for the green-eyed mortal he would have been dead. He didn’t even see the man pull out a weapon or his new friend move. Trowa threw the arrow to the ground and stood in front of Duo. Duo couldn’t see due to Trowa’s height, but he could hear Heero’s footsteps running towards them. By the time Heero got to where they were at, the hooded man laid on the ground with a dagger in his throat. The gargling of blood drowned out the sounds of the retreating horses. The other men rode away as quickly as they had appeared.

Both Princes watched as the tall youth walked silently towards the fallen body. Bending down on one knee he retrieved his dagger from the dead man’s neck. As he wiped the blood off his dagger, Duo ran over to him and proclaimed that this was the second time he had saved his life.

It suddenly struck Heero as to why Duo wanted to find him. ‘He was the one who saved him from those thieves all those years ago.’ Heero may have misjudged this mortal. He found himself impressed by the clean kill.//

Ever since that time, Heero started to struggle with the attention that Duo would give Trowa. ‘After all these years, I still feel like this.’ A hand on his shoulder interrupted his thoughts. He mentally cursed at himself for not noticing someone approaching him from behind. Wufei squeezed the Prince of War’s shoulder and leant in close to his ear.

“I sense the fiery beast is responsible for this.” Wufei whispered as he watched Duo put Trowa’s head in his lap. “There are no entrances or stairs. There is however, a small opening at the top of the temple.” Wufei sighed as he squeezed Heero’s shoulder again. “When will you tell him how you feel?” The question caused Heero to snatch his shoulder away from the ex-dragon slayer. The raven-haired warrior smirked at the death glare he was receiving.

“What do you mean by that?” Heero said in a harsh whisper.

“I have seen how you look at him, watch him.” Wufei’s smirk turned into a full smile as he continued, “You should just marry him.” The Chinese warrior barely had a second to draw his sword as a battle ax came crashing towards him. Holding Heero’s ax at bay with his sword, the Wufei laughed. “Did I strike a nerve?” Using both hands to hold his sword he pushed the ax and its holder back. Each sharp metal edge made sparks until the weapons parted. Heero grunted and swung his double-sided ax so it would collide hard into Wufei’s sword. The force caused the tip of both weapons to land in the sand.

A flash of metal streaked in between both warriors and crashed down on their weapons. A long curved silver blade trapped both weapons, leaving the warriors to look to the owner of the scythe’s long wooden handle. “What the Hell is wrong with you two. Am I the only one with sense around here?” Duo found himself yelling out in frustration. Pulling his scythe back in the air and over his shoulder, he yelled again. “Put your toys away. We have a temple to break into.”

Neither warrior noticed that Trowa was standing behind Duo until they put their weapons away. “Are you okay?” Wufei asked as he dusted sand off his tunic. Trowa nodded as Duo approached Heero.

“Why did you attack Wufei like that? What is wrong with you? We are all friends and we don’t need this kind of crap right now.” He said as he pointed at Heero with his index finger.

Heero nodded and huffed a sorry to Wufei. The Chinese warrior bowed back in reply. “I am sorry as well.” Turning towards Trowa, Wufei sighed. “There appears to be only one way in; the very top of the temple. I say we should wait until nightfall to enter, so that you two wont be so bothered by the heat. I believe the surface of the temple is using the sun’s rays to generate that heat...”

Growls from Shinigami invaded the warriors’ conversation. They watched as each of their beast started to face the temple. Shinigami’s pitch black bat wings fanned out as he continued to growl in the direction of the temple. His left wing touched the long outstretched one of Wing. Wing snorted harshly as she stared at the temple. The feathers of her wing seemed to intertwine with Nanashi’s, as he stood to her left. Nataku stood behind all the other beasts as she used her long scaly body to stand and outstretch her wings over them. Her wingspan caused a shadow to fall over Shinigami, Wing and Nanashi.

All the warriors stood still as they searched the desert with their eyes. “I don’t see anything. What has them so spooked?”

“I don’t know Duo, but be ready,” Heero said. Trowa was the first to draw his weapon. He pulled a long wooden bow from a brown cylinder shaped bag on his back. Holding the middle of the bow’s curve with his left hand, he positioned an arrow onto the string of the weapon with his right.

“Okay really, what are you aiming at?” Duo said as Trowa pulled his arrow back against the string.

Trowa shouted, “Arm yourselves!” All the warriors had drawn their weapons but only Trowa and beasts seemed to know what was going on.

Without warning, the ground beneath them started to rumble and shake. Duo tried to keep his balanced with his scythe by placing the long wooden handle in the sand. As the ground stopped shaking, Duo noticed that Trowa’s back was to him, Heero was on his right and Wufei was on his left. He wanted to inquire about what just happened but his mind went blank when Trowa turned around swiftly with his arrow aimed at him. Duo’s eyes went wide as Trowa narrowed his and shot his arrow.

He didn’t have a chance to blink, as the arrow whizzed passed his face and stuck something behind him. Turning around, the long haired warrior saw a gigantic scorpion fall to the ground. “What the Hell?” he screamed. “I have never seen a bug that big!”

“Well, get prepared. Here comes some more,” Wufei said as he pointed his sword towards a squadron of scorpions emerging from the sand. The black shiny shells of the huge insects seem to glimmer in the sun as they surrounded the warriors and their beasts.

“So Heero, if you could count, how many would you say?” Duo said as he began to twirl his scythe with both hands.

Heero grunted in anger as he placed the black handle of his battle axe over his shoulder. “I would say 752 to be exact. Scorpions are venomous try not to get stung. I doubt if any one of us will suck the poison out.”

“What kind of a friend would let me die? I would understand if one of them had stung me on the di…”

“That is quite enough Duo!” Wufei shouted as he started to run towards Nataku. The bronze skinned warrior grabbed the end of Nataku’s long tail as she took flight. The light green and yellow dragon flew over the large group of black insects that surrounded the others. Releasing his hold on her tail, Wufei landed on the back of one of the scorpions, sword first. After the six foot tall insect fell to the ground, the Chinese warrior removed his sword from the head of the insect. He watched as Nataku swooped down and used her long body to throw back the other scorpions that were advancing on him.

Heero watched Nataku take to the air again only to come back down blowing fire from her mouth onto the scorpions. He could see Wufei fighting his way through the hoard and Duo slicing them in half with his scythe while Shinigami guarded his back. Turning his eyes upward, Heero saw a reign of arrows fall from the sky. Each arrow found its way through a scorpion’s head. He knew that Trowa was an excellent marksman even while riding on the back of Nanashi.

‘Why aren’t any scorpions attacking Wing or me? It is like they don’t see us.’ Heero watched his comrades fight the oversized insects as he mounted Wing. “Come on Wing, it’s time to be seen and heard.” The Prince of War and his steed took flight. Wing’s feathered limbs moved swiftly through the air as she flew above the clouds. The dark blue-eyed warrior held his battle axe high above his head and yelled, “stand clear!”

Duo and Wufei immediately disengaged from the battle and ran towards their mythical creatures. When Shinigami, Nataku and their riders joined Trowa and Nanashi in the air, the sky started to grow dark. The wind picked up as rain began to fall. Heero’s eyes turned completely white as he called forth the thunder and lightening.

Lightening stuck the Prince of War’s axe and caused it to illuminate. Taking his illuminated weapon he launched it downwards causing it to spin wildly towards the Earth. When the axe landed in the sand, bolts of lightening sparked from it. The bolts scattered across the desert hitting the remaining scorpions. The scorpions seem to seizure as the electricity surged through them. One by one, they began to fall over and curl up.

Duo smiled brightly as the sky cleared up and revealed a desert full of dead insects. “Wow, I am truly impressed. You really know how to step on roaches.”

“Really, he must have missed one.” Wufei said after Nataku landing in the sand.

“I know, but Fe Fe I would miss you.”

“Wufei! My name is Wufei and I would suggest that you not forget it if you want to keep your tongue.” Wufei jumped down from his beloved dragon and held up his medallion. “Nataku, return! You deserve your rest.”

“I wish I could lock you up in a medallion,” Duo said under his breath. “Shinigami, return!” Duo watched the other two warriors call their beast back. Duo sighed and turned his violet eyes on Trowa. “So what’s the plan?”

While the warriors talked about their plans for attack on the temple, one lone Prince made plans of his own. Quatre sat on the floor with his legs crossed in deep meditation. ‘Why am I still alive? Why did a phoenix attack my kingdom? Why would it?’

‘In order to protect you my Prince.’ Quatre didn’t move or panic. The new voice that was now inside his head felt warm and comforting. He did feel a little silly at having another conversation with a voice inside his head.

He sighed and relaxed himself so he could fall deeper into his meditative stance. ‘Who are you?’

‘I am the child of fire, the mother of heat and the servant of the one who bore you.’

‘Who?’

‘Your blessed Mother.’

‘How…Why?’

‘Your life was in danger. Due to her punishment, you can never know her love or experience the resting place of those with a pure heart. If you were killed your soul would never know peace for neither Heaven nor Hell can welcome you. Since your Mother resides in Heaven, your soul is forbidden to enter the Kingdom of Light and your pure heart will cause the doors of Hell to lock you out. Your soul would wonder the Earth, as a shadowy figure even when Earth is no more. I was sent to protect you.’

‘Then why did you attack my kingdom? Why didn’t you protect my father?’

‘Your father’s death was written; I have no control over that. Your death is written as well.’

‘Written? What does that mean? If my fate is the same as my father’s, why am I still alive?’

‘For I will be the reason of your death. Only a phoenix can consume an angel.’

‘I am no angel!’

‘But you are. Your mother is an angel and your blood is heavenly. Traitors have summoned me to kill you and your soul, but unbeknownst to them I will resurrect you as well. I have lived a long time. My death is written on the same hour as yours. I will ignite our surroundings and we will burn fiercely and be reduced to ashes, from which a new and young phoenix will arise. That phoenix will be you my Prince. You will be born again as the Phoenix Prince. You will be a burning soul that will never wonder. You will be a soul of purpose and destiny. Unimaginable powers will flow through your veins, empathy will invade your heart and your tears will cure the sick. You will be seen as a threat to all the gods, angels, demons and monsters who bow before the Lord of Light. For the Lord of Light has made you in a reflective image and has plans for you. You will become your own trinity; human, angel and phoenix.’

‘This is all too much. Do I have a choice? Who has the right to decide my fate?’

‘The Lord of Light, of course. The Lord of Light is above all and can change one’s fate with only a blink. As for a choice, The Lord of Light has given you a second chance and a future due to your pure heart.’

Quatre’s mind was flooded by the last words of his dying father. “…beware of the great fiery beast. Do not let the beast consume your heart.” Quatre’s body shook violently as tried to open his eyes. With every try, his body doubled over in pain. He sighed and stopped trying to open them.

‘Will you consume my heart?’

‘No, I have no control over your free will. The Lord of Light has given free will to all. It is up to you if you let the powers consume your heart. As I said before, The Lord of Light can change one’s fate, but only you can direct it.’

‘I do not want this.’ The other voice didn’t answer him. He felt a sense of emptiness as he searched his mind for the phoenix. The phoenix was gone. He curled up into a ball on the cold floor. Tears fell from his eyes as he thought about his fate. ‘Am I to die like this; alone and scared with a soul that can never enter a place I send my prayers to. I feel so alone.’

‘Don’t, for I am here to save you my Prince.’ That voice. It was that voice again. Quatre shot open his eyes but was greeted with an intensifying pain. He fought the burning spasms that threaten to destroy his mind and body. Opening his eyes again, he realized that the room was engulfed in flames. The fire was everywhere. There was no escape and no relief from the heated pain.

The fire bit into his skin and bones and evaporated any tears that would dare fall from his eyes. He closed them and focused on that voice. His soul hugged the presence of that voice.

‘Trowa, is that you?’

‘Yes it is my Prince.’

Quatre struggled against his dying soul in order to talk to Trowa. ‘I want to thank you for your valiant efforts. I am afraid it is to late for me. Please protect my kingdom and remember me as Quatre.’

‘Quatre, it is not to late; I will save you.’

Quatre felt himself smile for no one except his father had ever said his name. Pain shattered the last resistances of his soul. With his last breath he whispered, “Thank you.”