Labyrinth - Gundam Wing Style Part 2
Now Duo had read many books, which involved shape-shifting characters, be they villains or the good guys, but he'd never dreamed he'd see such a thing in real life. And he never ever dreamed it would happen on his bed of all places! Of all the strange things to happen he just had to have a beautiful and magnificent owl swoop into his room and land on his bed, where it proceeded to change into a man. Meanwhile all Duo could do was stand there dazed as it happened, blinking and rubbing his eyes to constantly test if what he was seeing was real. It wasn't that he wanted this amazing thing to be untrue, but he knew that fantasy was just that, a fantasy. Or at least it was until now.
The owl landed on his patchwork quilt and padded around the bed for a second, as if testing the ground with his claws. After it seemed to be satisfied it ruffled its feathers and began to glow. Wings lengthened into slender arms made of pure white skin, while the head tilted back and shifted into a perfect sculpted face with pale red lips and beautiful shimmering blue eyes, the color of the sky just before sunset. The small clawed legs also grew to become beautifully thin legs wrapped in skintight leather, which look almost to be painted on to his perfect body. The feathers on his back grew; lengthening themselves into a long feathered cloak that spilled off the bed and onto the floor.
Duo reminded himself to breathe as the owl-turned-boy tilted his head and glanced at Duo, a sexy smirk crossing his lips. His eyes shone so brightly from beneath his tousled brown bangs that Duo would have sworn they were stars or something even brighter. Swallowing hard, he couldn't come up with any words, so he just stared.
The strange boy lifted an eyebrow in amusement and stood up from the bed, moving across the room in such a smooth movement, he practically glided over the floor. Soft fingers touched the side of Duo's cheek and slid down his face, cupping around his chin. The strange boy brought their lips to meet and Duo drew in a shuddering gasp. The boy's hands and his lips were as cold as ice! Snapping back to his senses he jumped back, landing on one of Solo's CD cases with a distinct crack.
Laughter chorused around the room but when Duo looked for the source of the noise it stopped and there was nothing. He turned to find the strange boy still smirking and watching him closely.
Duo blinked and his eyes widened. Racing past the boy he jumped onto his bed and retrieved his book from the floor on the other side. Sitting back up he quickly flipped to the page. When he reached it the book fell limply out of his hands and crashed onto the floor, staying open to the page. The strange boy eyed the picture and gained a look of amusement.
"Holy shit!" Duo managed to choke out. "That's you! You're the goblin king!"
The boy nodded and gave a deep flourishing bow. Snickers could be heard around the room once more, but Duo still couldn't find their source.
"And you...you took Solo."
Now the boy stood up from his bow, but still nodded. "As you asked me to," his voice shimmered. Yes, I do mean his voice shimmered. It wasn't really a sound, more like the shimmering of sunlight on glass, a beautiful sound that was soft and sweet, almost like a breeze. Duo shook his head to clear away the words while they seemed to echo softly in his mind.
Duo gathered the book and closed it, setting it back on his bed. "Bring him back."
The smirk melted off the boy's face and he shook his head, just slightly. "I can not. What's said is said."
"You can't be serious! I was only joking!" Despite his seemingly honest wish Duo knew that no matter how annoying his brother got, Solo was still his brother. He couldn't deny that he hadn't enjoyed, at least in a small way, the way his brother had followed him around when they first met and their parents got married. And they fought, true, but no more then any other siblings would have. It wasn't Solo's fault that he'd been particularly annoying on this specific night. After all, Duo was sure there were nights when his brother could barely stand him. So there was no excuse and no real meaning behind the comment of the wish that he'd made. It had been a joke, merely to annoy his brother.
"Once said, words can not be retracted." The boy replied.
Duo frowned deeply. "I didn't mean it, I was only joking because of how annoying he was being, with his music on and all. So it doesn't count! He's not really that annoying and I want him back."
The strange boy shrugged slightly and turned to look at the side of the room that was Solo's. "If he is that annoying then why wish him back? He is gone now, isn't that what you wanted?"
Duo's shoulders wilted slightly. "At the time yes but I-"
The boy turned and faced Duo and Duo paused, not sure what to say in defense of himself. The 'Goblin King' twirled a slender hand before his face and then pointed to Solo's side of the room. Slowly, as if it were a reflection on water shattered by a skipping stone. Solo's things wavered out of existence and Duo's own belongings spread out across the room. A brand new bookshelf appeared against the opposite wall, overflowing with even more books, while various new stuffed animals took the place of Solo's computer books and CDs. Duo's eyes widened and the boy turned back to him with a smirk.
"The room is yours now. And he is forgotten."
Duo shook his head. "Not by me. Where is he?"
The boy's eyes narrowed and all around in the room there were small squeaks of fear as small feet scurried to hide in the shadows. The illusion covering Solo's side of the room snapped out of existence and he glared at Duo, who managed to swallow his fear and glare back.
"Where is my brother? Give him back!"
A gesture and the world outside Duo's window shifted. No longer was it night with a small rainfall brushing against the street below. Instead there was a barren land of sand and brown shrubs, with a vast stone structure in the distance. Twists and curves surrounded a large stone structure that towered over the entire maze. Duo took a few steps forward and blinked in wonder.
"I don't believe this is happening," he murmured softly.
The strange boy walked over and stood next to Duo, side by side. Facing the maze and castle before them he glanced back at the awed boy. "No harm will come to him in my care."
Duo blinked and looked at the boy in confusion. It was almost as if this 'goblin king' was trying to comfort him and rid him of his guilt for wishing his brother away; how strange. But Duo still shook his head, firm in his decision. "No, I need to get him back. He belongs with me, at home."
The boy turned to face Duo completely and stepped back toward the maze, a new gleam in his eyes. He looked excited and intrigued. And Duo could tell it was not often that those eyes expressed such emotions, they had looked so dead when the boy first appeared.
"You have thirteen hours to reach us and take him back. Or I choose my prize." The boy gave a deep bow and disappeared, his image shattering into nothing.
Duo stepped forward quickly, reaching toward him, but not fast enough. "What do you mean you choose your prize?!" He yelled angrily at the blank landscape before him. Nothing answered back. Not even a breeze to sweep up the loose dust and dirt. Duo frowned in confusion but shrugged, deciding he'd worry about that later. Right now he needed to get through the large maze before him and get through it fast. Solo was waiting.
Picking up his feet he headed toward the labyrinth before him, not once looking back toward the room and window from which he came. He didn't need to look to know that his room was gone. Despite that strange boy's words Duo knew he had no intention of letting him just return to his own world. This was now a game to the other boy, a challenge that both had to meet. The other boy found it amusing, Duo didn't. And it only made Duo walk faster to know that he'd beat this challenge and wipe that amused smirk off the other boy's face, for good.
Now from up on the hill the labyrinth laid out before Duo had merely looked impressive and fun, almost like a huge playground looked to a kid as soon as it was warm enough to play safely on the metal bars, wonder and enjoyment seemed to be everywhere. However, as Duo drew closer to the large stone structure, his sense of adventure and fun faltered. Even the grin he'd painted across his face wilted as he came to realize exactly how tall those walls were. And if the height of the walls were any indication...
"I'm never gonna get through this mess in thirteen hours!" He exclaimed in exasperation as he came face to face with the first wall. He sighed loudly, blowing the bangs up from his face. Still, he would not turn back. Walking along the expertly laid wall he searched for a door, and found absolutely nothing.
In fact he probably walked around the smooth wall for a good hour and still found no hint about how to get in. The scenery around him didn't change either, no matter how far he walked. Just sand and brown plants, dotting the world around him which seemed endless in the other direction. The only thing of any note was a small manmade pond lined with moss and algae covered bricks. The water was a light yellowish color, matching the landscape perfectly.
Growling in frustration at the wall Duo turned his back to it and sat down in front of the pond. Resting his chin on his hands he closed his eyes and tried to think of what to do next. Before him he heard a soft splash. Duo's eyes snapped open but he was greeted by nothing, even the water was still, not a single ripple. Frowning he leaned forward and peered into the pool, at a loss for what else to do in his current situation.
As mentioned before there was nothing spectacular about the little pond, the water didn't even look drinkable. Duo couldn't see to the bottom so it seemed to be pretty deep. Other than that, though, there was nothing even worth mentioning about it. Still, Duo received the shock of his life when he spotted his reflection.
It wasn't him!
Peering back up at him from the other side of the water was a thin and angular face with long brown hair, which covered one eye. A shimmering green eye looked back at Duo while scales laced down the side of his face and across his body. Webbed ears stuck out from the sides of his head and when Duo brought his hand over the water he found the reflection's fingers were webbed with light green skin.
"What the-"
Reaching forward Duo ran his fingers along the surface of the water, the reflection moving with him. But when his fingers touched the water's surface he didn't feel the water, he felt soft skin. Duo jerked his hand back in surprise, as did the reflection.
"What are you?" He asked softly.
This time the reflection didn't mimic his movements. Instead it rose out of the water, revealing itself to be a boy, slightly taller and thinner built then Duo himself. The boy rose out of the water and stepped lightly onto the sand surrounding the pool. Glancing at Duo he blinked and proceeded to shake the water off of his scaled body much the same way a dog or cat would have. Once finished with this the boy turned to just look at Duo, as if waiting.
"Ooookay," Duo said, taking a deep breath. "I take it you live in that pool?"
"Some of the time." The boys' voice was a soft tenor and almost as emotionless as the Goblin King's had been. Still, he had answered, so Duo tried another question.
"Do you know how to get into the labyrinth?"
The boy nodded. "Of course, I live here."
Duo grinned. "Great! So can you tell me how to get in?"
"No."
Duo's grin melted away. "Why the heck not?!"
The merboy shrugged and sat down next to the pool, moving in motions that were as calm as the pool itself. "Heero-sama ordered me not to."
Duo rolled his eyes. "Oh man! Not fair! This game is rigged!" In frustration he kicked a small hill of sand toward the pool and watched the tiny rocks sprinkle into the water. The merboy continued to watch him quietly. "So how the heck am I supposed to get in there and get to the castle?"
The merboy shrugged once more. "You are to ask me."
"What?! I just did but you said you couldn't tell me how to get in?" Duo clenched his hands into fists and forced himself to just stand there. He forced himself not to strangle the merboy before him, no matter how much he wanted to.
The merboy flashed him a look as if to say that the answer should be so obvious. It didn't help with Duo's resolution not to punch him. Standing up the boy brushed away the sand, which had stuck to his wet scales. "I can not tell you," he said softly, walking past Duo and heading to the wall. "But I can show you."
With those words the boy placed his webbed hands against the wall and opened his mouth. A sweet tune drifted from his lips, a song that seemed to caress the listener merely then touch their ears. Duo watched in amazement as the wall before the boy shifted to reveal an opening, just large enough for him to walk through. Duo raced over to the wall and walked through the opening, making sure it wasn't another illusion.
It wasn't.
Turning back he smiled at the merboy, and now the urge to punch him was replaced with an urge to hug him tightly in thanks. Once again Duo resisted. Duo turned to start into the labyrinth but paused and turned back to the merboy, who still stood there watching silently.
"Umm... do you have a name?"
A scale-covered eyebrow arched in question and then the boy shrugged. "Trowa," he spoke softly.
Duo grinned. "Thanks a lot Trowa!" Then he raced off down the passage.
Trowa stepped into the passage and watched after him with a look of amusement. In fact, he chuckled softly. Turning his head he glanced toward the castle, whose outline could just barely be made out in the sky.
"You're allowing a human into your territory Heero? What's so special about this boy? Why treat him any differently then the others?"
Silence surrounded Trowa and he closed his eyes, not really expecting an answer. Shrugging to himself he turned back to the opening and waved a hand. A swirl of water from the pool lifted up and sealed itself over the opening, shifting to match the wall. Once again there was no door in sight, only this time both Duo and Trowa were now within the labyrinth. Chuckling softly to himself Trowa started down the passageway, following the path the braided boy had taken.
TBC...
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