Author: Phoenix Storms
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: 1x2, 3+4, 5+?
Warnings: Yaoi, AU
Archives: My Site, FF.Net, Mediaminer.org, Gundam Wing Universe Fan Fiction Archive.
Disclaimer: I don't own any Gundam characters but I do own their Guardian counterparts. Thank you.
The Shifter Part 1
He ducked as a tree branch swept over his head. Dashing forward, the small figure was no more than a blur as he sped through the forest. He could hear his pursuers gaining on him. How was that possible? There's no way they could be catching up to him! The boy's thoughts were a jumble as he ran on, desperately trying to escape the men that followed. His sensitive ears didn't detect the sounds of dogs but that didn't matter, they would have been no use against this lovely creature. 'They're catching up!' His mind screamed. He knew he could run like this for at least a day but that wouldn't matter if he couldn't keep ahead of his hunters. 'I'm running out of options!' The hawk in him screamed for him to fly away, but the wolf still believed that it was best to run. The cougar, on the other hand, thought it best to hide. It was up to his human side to decide. Finally, he agreed with his hawk instincts. Stopping dead in his tracks, an eerie light began to glow around the boy. The strange aura centered around his shoulders and back, when it dimmed, the boy had an impressive set of wings. The new appendages were a chestnut brown that matched his long braided hair. These beautiful additions to his form were strong, yet deceptively delicate in appearance. His wingspan reached an easy six-feet. His pursuers came to an abrupt halt as they saw the vision before them. A lovely boy was standing a few feet into a small clearing, wings spread, eyes closed, braid swinging gently in the breeze. He could have been mistaken for an angel had it not been for his delicately pointed ears. A small blonde member of the party gasped quietly, but the sound could not be hidden from the sensitive ears of the elfin creature. His eyes snapped open; an audible gasp escaped his cherry lips as his beautiful violet eyes widened in terror.
Without a word, the boy took to the wing, flying as high and as fast as he could. The blonde's aquamarine eyes widened as he turned to one of his companions. A tall, green-eyed boy, with long bangs that covered one of his emerald eyes. "Trowa! He's getting away! You know what the king will do if we don't bring him back!" The smaller boy shook slightly as the green-eyed warrior grabbed his bow. "Calm yourself Quatre. He's not getting away." He stated calmly. He strung an arrow to the bow, aimed with deadly accuracy...and released the string. The arrow flew through the air, hurtling toward his target. The boy in the air was beginning to feel safe again as the wind beat gently under his wings. Suddenly a searing pain shot through his right wing. Letting out a scream, that resembled more hawk that human, the boy fell back toward earth. Hitting the ground hard, he was too dazed to notice the small group of men that approached him. His neck ached terribly and his wing felt as if it were on fire. Quatre gasped looking down at the slight form before him. The boy's body was curled into a ball, his right wing crumpled under him, an arrow pierced through its joint. A large bruise was beginning to appear on his neck. The blonde kneeled next to the figure and brushed some unruly hairs behind one of his pointed ears. A small moan escaped from the boy's lips as his eyes snapped open. With a startled gasp, he attempted to back away from the boy kneeling over him. He failed miserably, only managing a few inches before his body gave out beneath him. Quatre reached out a gentle hand in an attempt to calm the shaking figure. He gently stroked the boy's face, frowning when he flinched in fear. "Shh. We're not going to hurt you." The boy turned his startling violet eyes to Quatre's. "I promise." He whispered quietly, not wanting to startle the boy anymore. "Do you have a name?"
The fairy gulped slightly. He was frightened, but this boy was very kind, and he knew he didn't have to be. "Duo." He whispered. "What was that?" Duo looked up. "Duo Maxwell." Quatre smiled. "My name is Quatre Winner. This is Trowa Barton." He said, indicating the tall boy with the long bangs. "And this is Chang Wufei." He pointed to his third companion, a tall boy with black eyes and black hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. Duo eyed the three boys and relaxed slightly. Quatre sighed in relief when he saw Duo's muscles loose some of their tension. "We don't want to hurt you Duo, and we won't as long as you come with us. We're going to take you to our king." Duo instantly tensed again. Wide violet eyes looked pleadingly into aqua. "Please, don't take me there." He whispered. Trowa's eyes narrowed. "Why?" The small boy looked up to the green-eyed boy. "There's dark magic there. I can feel it every time I pass close to your kingdom." His voice was strained as he spoke. The others looked confused. "I don't know what you're talking about. Our kingdom has a court mage of course, but she's not evil." Wufei spoke up. Wary violet eyes focused on him. "How can you be sure?" Duo asked. "I can feel it and it's strong. Please...don't take me there." He begged. Quatre shook his head. "We have no choice. I'm sorry, but if we don't bring you back the king will kill us and our families. Do you understand?" Duo's eyes narrowed and he appeared insulted. "I'm not stupid." He replied. Wufei chuckled. "He's a little spitfire."
"We'd better return to the castle. Can you walk?" Trowa's voice was calm as he examined the lithe framed of the elfin boy. "Can you get this arrow out of my wing?" Trowa looked the wing over and nodded. "Then please do it." Duo closed his eyes and braced himself. This was going to hurt...a lot. Trowa wrapped his hand around the arrow. Luckily, it had gone through the wing, meaning he didn't have to push it the rest of the way through. Snapping off the arrowhead, Trowa prepared to pull. Duo nodded quickly and Trowa yanked. With a heart-shattering scream, of hawk and human, Duo fell back against the tree behind him. His breathing was shallow and sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead, but he remained conscious. Gulping, Duo retracted his wings and opened his eyes. "Are you alright?" Quatre asked worriedly. "Yes. Without my wings I don't feel the wound, but the wound will not heal if my wings are not out." Duo explained. He stood shakily then pitched forward. Wufei caught him easily. Duo's eyes glazed slightly and his world went black. Wufei scooped the boy up and carried him to his horse, laying him gently across the saddle. "Well, now I see why the king wants him." He stated solemnly. Trowa nodded. "He's beautiful. Such a shame." Trowa's normally monotonous voice seemed to hold a bit of concern. "You don't think..." Quatre trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. "I don't think the Prince would like it very much if the boy was hurt." Trowa soothed the small blonde next to him. "That's if the prince knows about him." He added silently.
Duo awoke as they stopped in front of Incaras' portcullis. Duo groaned as he looked up at the castle. As he had suspected, that dreaded feeling of dark magic was there, floating about the eerie walls of the castle Incaras. "So you're awake." Wufei said as Duo slid from the saddle. He shivered unconsciously as the portcullis was raised. The small boy was escorted to a large study. At a desk, far from the door, sat the King Treize. He smiled sadistically as Duo was pushed in. Waving the guards off, Quatre gave an apologetic smile as he left. "So we meet at last." Treize stood and walked over to Duo. He examined him from his pointed ears to his small feet. "I don't know what you're talking about sir." Duo said. His eyes flashed as the king stepped up in front of him. "I've never seen you before in my life." Treize's smile grew. "But I know you and I knew your brother too." Duo's eyes widened. "That's right. I know about Solo. Now little Duo, what am I going to do about you? Maybe the same thing I did to your brother how does that sound?" Duo growled, not a human growl, but the growl of an enraged wolf. "So it was you. You killed my brother!" Duo lunged, long, black claws appeared where his fingernails once were and he slashed at the king, but his blinding rage made him unable to notice the king's subtle attack. Before he knew it, Duo was pressed against the wall. Treize had pinned his wrists above his head with one hand and held his throat with the other. "Now, now, bad little Duo. I have to admit, you have more spirit than your brother. Perhaps I should keep you around after all." Suddenly a wide, manic grin spread across his face. "I know. My nephew, the prince, could use a new pet. You'll be perfect." He laughed loudly and called his guards. Duo hoped that perhaps the guards that were summoned were the same ones that had brought him in. These hopes were dashed however when the guards entered. Two tall and very scarred men stepped up to the king. "Put this one in chains." He said, nodding to Duo. The men looked Duo over hungrily as he struggled in vain against the wrist and ankle cuffs that were fastened around him. "Now don't get any ideas you two. I want this boy taken to the prince. Tell him, his new pet has arrived."
Prince Heero Yuy paced his room. His friend Quatre had just informed him, that a strange boy had been brought to the castle and forced to meet with his uncle. Heero didn't like this one bit. He remembered quite well what had happened to the last boy that was brought to see the king. Heero had to see the body...or what was left of it. He could tell that the young man hadn't been human. Not with those pointed ears and delicate features. He shuddered at the memory of his beaten body being dragged from the castle. He must have been very beautiful before his uncle got a hold of him. Now another boy was in his hands. Heero would not let the same thing happen to this boy. Suddenly a knock at the door startled him out of his thoughts. "Who's there?" He asked, his voice cold. "Your majesty? The king sends you a gift." A husky voice replied. Heero opened the door. "What are you talking about?" Heero's glare could have frozen a blazing inferno as he stared at the two guards. "He's givin' you a pet." The taller of the guards laughed as he flung a small boy into the prince. "He's a pretty little thin'. Hope you take car' of 'im." They walked away laughing. Heero looked to the small creature that he grasped in his arms. The boy's head was bowed but Heero could plainly see his pointed ears. He held in a gasp, remembering they were in the hallway. He couldn't let anyone other than his closest friends know that he wasn't the cold prince everyone thought him to be. He pulled the chained boy into his room and shut the door. The boy was shaking as Heero removed the chains. He noticed the bruises on the boy's wrists and ankles, along with the large one that marred his neck. What caught his eye the most were the bruises in the shape of fingers around his throat. Heero's ears picked up at a small whimper and he looked up to see the boy watching him.
The fear in those expressive violet eyes stung. The boy pulled away and slowly backed toward the wall. He kept going until his back was pressed against it. He slid down it, drew his knees up to his chest and buried his face in them. Heero could see him shaking. Walking slowly, so as not to startle him, Heero approached the slight form that seemed so helpless. He reached out and took one of the boy's hands. When the boy looked up he spoke gently. "My name is Heero Yuy, what's yours?" The boy searched his face for a moment before responding. "Duo. Duo Maxwell." Heero smiled. "Well, Duo, you don't have to be afraid of me. I'm a friend of Quatre's. I won't hurt you." Duo still seemed unsure, but nodded slowly. "Now do you mind telling me what you are?" Heero asked. "Are you an elf or a fairy?" Duo shook his head. "Neither and both I guess. I'm a forest shifter." Heero looked confused so Duo continued. "I'm human but not completely. I guess you could say I have four sides to my being. The main part is the human, elf, fairy, whatever you pick. But I also have the instincts of a hawk, a cougar (a/n cougars are also called mountain lions.), and a wolf. I can transform into those animals or call on a characteristic of their being." Heero waited patiently for Duo to explain. "The characteristics I can call upon are the wolf's hearing and sense of smell, the cougar's grace and claws, and the hawk's wings and eyesight." Heero nodded satisfied.
"Why don't you transform and escape?" Duo shook his head. "Before they brought me to you, the guards took me to see the court mage. She said her name was Lady Une. I don't care what her name is. She reeks of dark magic. She put this on me." He pulled up the sleeve of his left arm. A gold band was secured tightly around his light bicep. "It keeps me from transforming. It's darks magic and it scares me." His point was emphasized by his shivers. Heero didn't like seeing the boy frightened. He reached out and placed his hand gently on the boy's throat, his fingers cupping the back of his neck. He stroked the boy as if he was petting a distraught animal. To his surprise, Duo's eyes slid shut and he began to purr. Actually purr! Like a cat! Exactly like a cat! Duo began to nuzzle Heero's hand and soon, Heero found the braided boy leaning against him, face buried in the hollow of his throat, purring contently. Heero embraced the lithe form, stroking his back; he began to murmur to him. "Shh. Don't worry. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you. I'll protect you no matter what. I promise." He felt Duo sigh as he drifted off to sleep. Heero lifted the smaller boy into his arms and carried him to his bed. "Sleep little one. God knows what my uncle has in store for you." He stroked the sleeping shifter's face. "But I won't let him hurt you."
TBC...
So what do you think? Should I keep going? Reviews are appreciated. Thanx. : )
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