Something Furry Part 15

Duo wished he could see. He tugged on his bindings and wondered how the hell the tigers had managed to capture him- he remembered stepping outside the store- he thought he'd seen something hovering outside the door- and after that...

What had they done to him?

How had they gotten around Heero's protections?

He knew where he was- he recognized the scents and sounds all too well- the arena- and he was in the cage meant for the spoil of the challenge- how had it happened?

The tigers must've done something- he wished he could remember- but his head felt fuzzy- had they drugged him?

He heard the clock strike the hour- heard the hush fall on the crowd. He couldn't scent his mate- where was Heero? Had the tigers done something to him as well?

The boom startled him- he flinched backwards at the sound, felt a rush of hot air ruffle his hair. What was that?

"I'm here," said a voice he knew, and Duo shivered at the cold tone. He'd never heard Heero speak like that before... "Shall we get started?"

"Whenever you're ready, magician," he heard Relena hiss and he tugged once more, trying to get free. He needed to see!

~*~

Wufei watched the line of his pupil's back and narrowed his eyes. Heero was angry- hell, Heero had been angry for hours- ever since they discovered Duo missing. But when they'd walked into the area and Heero had caught sight of Duo in that cage- surrounded by tigers- bound and blindfolded-

Angry just didn't seem to cut it.

He lifted an eyebrow at his wife and she nodded. They had been in enough battles together- she would know what to do if things got ugly.

She had her eye on the tigers on Relena's half of the ring- if anyone tried anything sneaky, Meiran would spot it. He could watch the battle- and Relena- to make sure no one was tampering magically there.

And someone had been tampering- nothing he could get a handle on- it wasn't a magic signature he recognized- not Winner - not any of the other magicians that he knew. Someone had blocked Sally- someone had managed to spirit Duo away. Wufei wanted to know who...

"Whenever you're ready, magician," Relena hissed at Heero and Wufei almost pitied her. Unless she was somehow the unknown magician, she wasn't going to be able to hold her own against Heero.

Heero didn't reply. He simply took a deep breath and held it. His form blurred for a moment, changing from man to jaguar, his clothes simply fading away. Relena frowned slightly, but she followed a moment later, shaking off her simple dress and morphing into an enormous tiger.

Wufei studied her for a moment, wondering why she was so confident. Wasn't she worried about facing a magician?

~*~

Relena slipped into her tiger form, feeling the rush of adrenaline flood her veins. At last! The magician was going to pay for what he had done to her brother- and once he was gone- well then, Une wouldn't have him on her side. She could be brought down and a new order could come to the council...

She glanced up at her lion spouse, sitting in the first row, her blonde hair gleaming in the light, a faint smile curving her lips. Dorothy had waited for a long time to make a move- this battle would be her opening gambit- the first victory.

Once Relena got rid of the magician, the council would see Une's policies for what they were- too safe, too old-fashioned- and then Dorothy could make her own challenge.

Relena snarled at the jaguar across the circle from her. He had courage, the magician did, a feeble human in jaguar form wasn't going to be able to defeat her- he had to know it.

A pity his magic wouldn't work when he was in this form... though even if it did, Relena was sure she'd be faster than any spell he could throw.

Relena sprang at him, eager to crush his neck in her jaws, to lap his blood, snap his bones-

The bolt of lightening hit her mid-leap, shorting out her thoughts, sending pain racing along her nerves-

How had he done that.....?

~*~

One step at a time.

Get to the challenge.

Switch forms.

Take out the tiger.

That was easy enough- so easy- a blast of energy...

He paced towards the tiger stretched full length in the center of the ring. She was still breathing.

Incinerate her.

No.

A lesson. He needed to make this a lesson. To make sure no one ever touched Duo again.

Besides, death was too easy.... she deserved worse than that for taking Duo away from him.

He placed his paw on the center of her chest, ignoring her twitching muscles, the look of shock in her eyes.

The magic flowed over him, fed by his anger, it was so very strong...

The tiger shuddered hard, and the change flowed over it. Relena, in human form, eyes wide and staring, singed and bruised, didn't move as he took his paw off her chest.

Free Duo.

Turning, he called his human form back, reformed his clothes around him, and focused on Duo's cage. It was surrounded by Pride- the tigers most likely. They were scowling at him- and one took a hesitant step in his direction.

I don't think so.

A word and they were scattered like leaves, blown away from the cage, howling in pain. A murmur came from the stands, but Heero ignored it.

A gesture, and the cage fell to pieces, freeing his mate. Duo reached up and tore the blindfold off of his face.

~*~

Duo tried to calm his panicked breathing. He scented Heero's change- and then Relena's- all the while wishing desperately that he could see. He heard the roar of the crowd- knew Relena must've made her usual opening attack- and then there was the sharp smell of ozone in the air.

The crowd had gone completely quiet. What had happened?

He tugged on his bindings again- and suddenly his hands were free. He reached up and yanked off the blindfold, pulled at the gag-

Heero stood in the center of the ring, in human form, his gaze fixed on Duo. Behind him-

"NO!"

~*~

Relena shook herself. What had happened? She'd leaped- and something had hit her-

She inhaled sharply, the scent of burning fur clogging her nose. She coughed.

Wait- how was she back in human form?

The magician stood a few steps away- his back to her- he was in human form too! Had he switched back and hit her with a spell?

The cheater!

His attention wasn't on her- he was watching his little precious gift- the one that rightfully belonged to her brother!

Relena lurched to her feet and flung herself at his unprotected back, willing herself to return to tiger form-

"NO!" Duo had seen her- had sounded a warning- but it was too late-

The magician turned just as she reached him and stepped to the side, catching her arm and flinging her forward, using her own momentum to throw her at the ground.

She landed hard, her ankle twisting, and snarled up at him- and then stopped.

Her voice- she hadn't changed back. She was still human... why hadn't she...

The magician gave her a look that sent an unwelcome chill down her spine. "I won. Why are you still fighting?"

"The fight goes on until one of us is dead, magician," she spat at him. "You broke the rules when you changed forms! Cheater! We fight until either jaguar or tiger dies! Those are the rules!"

He shrugged. "Well then, I still won."

"You did not! I'm-"

"Try to change forms," he said and she saw the cruel curve of his smile.

Once again she tried to will her beast back- and she failed. "What did you do to me?"

"Your tiger is dead. You are only human now." He said and looked past her to Une. "Is that sufficient?"

Une smiled slightly and nodded once. "Very merciful of you, magician."

Relena stared at her hands. Again she tried to will their shape away, tried to call her beast. "No... no... you can't...it can't be gone..."

The magician ignored her, holding out his hand to his mate. Duo joined him quickly, and the dragons moved to flank him.

"Well played," said Une and got to her feet. She swept her gaze over the stands of Pride. "Not only did the magician play within the rules, but a jaguar defeated the head of the tigers. And you all know what that means..."

Relena paid no heed to the rush of shocked murmurings from the stands. She simply sat, gazing at her hands, still trying to will them into paws...

~*~

"So, explain it to me again?" Sally asked from her place on the sofa. She accepted the cup of tea Meiran handed her.

"Heero defeated the head of the tigers. Since he's a jaguar- a lower rank- once he beat her, all the jaguars' rank went up."

Sally blinked. "But didn't that make the tigers mad?"

"I'm sure it did." Wufei blew out a smoke ring. "However, none of them were willing to try anything- not after they watched him take away Relena's tiger form so easily."

Sally blew out a breath. "It did play merry havoc with the time lines, that's for sure."

"I wonder if that's why you couldn't see anything-"

"Too many possibilities? It hasn't happened to me before, but mother had it happen to her once- during the last Elven battle-"

"That was a mess."

"So was this- so many ways it could go. I guess it's an explanation- and I've never heard of a magician being able to block a psychic- but- you truly couldn't read anything on him?"

"Not a damn thing- and Heero checked Duo on the way back. No magic that he could detect."

"Duo doesn't remember what happened?"

"Not a thing. It's possible he was drugged- we know the Pride metabolize that sort of thing quickly."

"Damn- how did they get around his protections then?"

"Meiran found the loophole," Wufei nodded at his wife, who smiled faintly.

"They were discussing it in the car- the protections only work if someone means Duo harm- so all they had to do was find someone who didn't think they were hurting him- or didn't want to hurt him- and-well, there's the loophole." Meiran shrugged. "It seems likely."

"Damn," Sally swore again. "Guess Heero will have to rethink those."

"I know it's on his agenda." Wufei leaned back and sighed.

~*~

"My scheming darling," Treize leaned down and kissed Une's cheek. "It all went beautifully, don't you think?"

She nodded, pleased. "It did. The tigers are firmly put into their places, Dorothy is neutralized, and the jaguars are very grateful."

"Do you think anyone will challenge the magician again?"

"After what happened to Relena? I doubt it. Not without magical backing- and they'll have a hard time finding that."

"Speaking of magical backing- the payment?"

"Accepted." Une's mouth twitched slightly.

"I'm still not sure how you ever got them to agree- despite the payment."

"I didn't ask them for help- they came to me. Something about making sure of Duo's safety." Une shrugged a little. "I wasn't going to turn away their help."

"I wouldn't think this little episode would make your grandson safer- if anything, he's the target that they will strike at-"

"Not unless they want the magician furious at them. You saw what happened today- he could've easily squashed the tigers- and didn't. They'll remember that."

"Let's hope so."

~*~

"I really am okay." Duo leaned a bit and touched his forehead to Heero's. His mate sighed.

"I know, I know- but that time you're missing worries me- and you heal so fast-"

"No one could have tried to hurt me," Duo pointed out, scooting a bit closer still. "You said yourself that the protections were intact- and I never activated the ring."

Heero frowned. "I need to talk to Wufei about fixing your protections. I never even thought- I'm so sorry-"

"It's all right." Duo reassured him. "I'm the one who's sorry- I got you into this whole mess, remember?" He hadn't known what he was dragging Heero into when he chose him- if only he had!

But, if he'd chosen someone else- he'd never have known Heero... never known how happy he could be...

"I don't think you made Relena challenge me." Heero's expression darkened. "Was she motivated by revenge only, do you think? Because I wouldn't take a tiger spouse? Or because of her brother?"

"It's possible- Relena has been known to hold a grudge." Duo shivered a little, remembering the look on her face when she had sprung at Heero's unprotected back. "She has some lion spouses- and she's on the council. It's also possible she was trying to take a shot at my grandmother through you." His smile widened. "If so- it did fail spectacularly."

"No kidding- the jaguars are higher now than the tigers? Une did say that, right?"

Duo nodded, still elated at the thought. "She did."

"Will it- change things, do you think?"

"I think it will- and hopefully for the better." Duo's smile changed, grew warm. "If it has half of the impact that I think it will- then I don't care what might have happened to me. It was worth it, whatever it was."

Heero tightened his grip. "Not to me," he said softly. "Duo- someone out there managed to take you and I couldn't stop them. I promised to keep you safe-"

"I am safe."

"Now, but-"

"You and Wufei will fix the loophole. I know you will." Duo ran his fingers over Heero's cheek. "You look exhausted, love." Had his mate slept at all the last day or so? "Let's get some rest and talk about it when you're rested, okay?"

"Okay." His mate agreed easily enough, curling close when Duo turned out the light. But Duo could feel the tension in his muscles, could tell his mate wasn't able to fall asleep so easily- no matter how tired he was.

So he turned his head just enough and touched his mouth to Heero's. There was one way he could think of- not only to relax and exhaust his mate, but to reassure him as well...

~*~

Heero listened to Duo's soft breathing in the dark. He was safe- at the moment. But there had to be a way to keep him safe- to make sure no one ever hurt him again-

He would find a way.

He had to find a way.

~*~

Quatre opened his eyes and smiled at the ceiling.

"Awake?" Came a voice out of the shadows beside him.

"It's happened."

"Has it? This late? I expected it earlier," Trowa materialized out of the shadows and raised an eyebrow at his lover.

"Look," Quatre leaned his head towards Trowa, who brushed his fingers gently over Quatre's eyes, stirring through the surface memories.

"So it has. All right. You win. This time."

"You admit that helping the Pride was a good idea at last?"

Trowa shrugged. "I never said it was a bad idea- and it's not like I get to use my powers all that often- but I didn't think it would be the one thing to snap that future into place."

"It's not in place," his lover corrected him. "It's now simply the strongest of the futures-"

"Then let's hope it stays that way."

~*~

Sally sat up, gasping, reaching for the light beside the bed. Shaking sweat soaked hair out of her face, she took a deep breath.

"Only a dream," she told herself. "Only a dream, brought on by the stress of the day- it wasn't a vision. It wasn't."

Heero would never do that to Duo... he wouldn't...

OWARI

 

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