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"Magic, Mischief, and Miracles"Written By: Honor Disclaimers: I've contracted some guy named Doctor
Draken to steal the boys. It's part of his mad scheme to take over
the world. Nifty, huh? Pairings: 3x4, 1x2 already established Warnings: AU, violence, language, supernaturalness,
LEMON, yaoi, etc. Spoilers: nada Author's Insane Ramblings: Okay, this is the result
of watching too much Inuyasha. I was sick, and to keep myself entertained,
I bounced back and forth between watching Inuyasha and writing GW
fanfiction. This...is the result.
" Magic, Mischief, and Miracles" Part 7 It took four days before they were healed enough to travel. Quatre slept for nearly two days straight. Fortunately, Trowa slept most of that time as well, so Duo didn't have to put up with his worrying tendencies. It was on the fourth day that Quatre mentioned Terandl's power signature was moving. All of them had hoped that the demon was too badly injured to really fight again -- the sign of his mobility wasn't met with enthusiasm. Gathering themselves up, they left the shrine and started to follow. A day into traveling, Heero looked up at the sky with a frown. "It'll rain soon." Duo was used to these predictions and looked over his shoulder to see his face. "How soon is 'soon'?" "An hour or two." "How long is it going to last?" "A day...maybe more." Trowa mewled in distaste. "We'll have to find shelter." Heero inclined his head toward the mountain on their right. "I'm feeling several caves up near the top." "That should work," Quatre agreed. "Lead the way." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Even inside the cave, the sounds of rain and lightning could be clearly heard. Quatre looked around him, turning a thought around in his mind. Heero was fast asleep, Trowa nearly so -- Duo was bored, and trying to wake up Heero by tickling him. Judging from the lack of reaction, Heero wasn't ticklish, but that apparently wasn't going to deter Duo... They had a small pool of water near the back of the cave, and time on their hands. Hm. That last battle with Terandl had nearly done them all in, in one way or another. He'd felt the loss of his world's medicines very keenly. They hadn't had time to think about such things once they were on their feet again -- they'd moved out to chase after Terandl. But now they had the time. All day, to be precise. "Duo?" Distracted from his fruitless efforts, Duo looked up. "Yeah?" "How difficult would it be to send me back to my world?" Trowa's eyes snapped open. Duo's hand wavered a back and forth. "Not very. A good night's sleep and I'd be as good as ever. Why? You wanna go back?" "No," Trowa growled immediately. Quatre held up a hand to forestall the rest of the protest. "Wait. Just listen. Now, if that last battle was anything to judge by, we're going to get fairly banged up. I'd like to have some medicines from my world so that I can treat everyone better. And it would be nice to have another change of clothes, and a few other things. We've got the time now -- we can't go anywhere until that storm lets up. Why not let me take a quick trip back?" "No," Trowa repeated with more force. "You have family there -- they'll stop you from coming back." "No, they won't." "Yes, they will." "I'll sneak around," Quatre promised in exasperation. "Iria is the only one that was really around the house to begin with. Everyone else lives in different cities. It'll be easy to get what we need and then come back." Trowa still didn't like it. There were too many factors that could go wrong, too many things he didn't understand about Quatre's world for him to fully feel comfortable with it. But he did trust Quatre -- and that left him with only one choice. "Fine. Five hours, no more." Quatre smiled, and nodded firmly. "Five hours should be more than enough time." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- His return to the other world was just as dramatically clumsy as every other time -- only this time he landed on all fours. "Damn, isn't this supposed to be easier with practice?" Grumbling, he got up and snuck over to his bedroom door and paused, listening carefully. No sounds were evident. Good, maybe no one was home. He eased the door open and poked his head out. The house felt empty -- wait a minute. Focusing, he brought his second sight to bear and realized that his powers were still fully functional. Odd. They'd never worked on this world. Maybe practice had made perfect in this case. At any rate, he was free to wander around and get into everything. He immediately went up into the attic and dug out a sturdy backpack he used for campouts and the like, as well as a sleeping bag. Then he went into Iria's room and grabbed as many first aid kits as he could find. Since she was studying medicine, there was quite the assortment. For some reason, she collected gauze and bandages the same way most girls collected fingernail polish. He dumped armloads onto his bed and started sorting out what he needed and what he didn't. When she found how he'd ransacked her room, she would be pissed -- actually she'd just be confused. Iria had no idea where he was, after all. Hm. Pausing, he looked at his computer. There was a small camera attached to the monitor. He could record a message for her, explaining things -- well, at least some things -- while he was packing. Darting over, he turned the machine on and went to his chest of drawers, digging out a few shirts, pants, underwear, socks and a better pair of shoes. After he had rolled all of that and scrunched it tightly in the bottom of the bag, he went back to the computer and booted up the program -- Audacity. His lips twitched at the name, he couldn't help it. He'd always found the name amusing. It was nice to see computer programmers with a sense of humor. He started the program up, and hit the record button. "Okay, is this working properly -- yes it is. Hi, Iria. And whoever you show this to. Um...normally I'd just sit down and talk to you about where I've been and everything, but I'm really pushed for time right now so I'm going to be multi-tasking." Spinning around, he went back to the bed and started cramming bandages, antiseptics, medicines, a small sewing kit, a few hygienic necessities and the like inside. "As you've no doubt noticed by now, Iria, yes I went through your room. Sorry, it was just the fastest way to get the supplies I need. I'll make up for it later -- I hope. Um...geez, Iria, don't you have more gauze than this? I hope this bottle of alcohol doesn't spill and ruin everything...Erk, getting sidetracked. Right, um...you're probably not going to believe this but I've been in another world and..." While his mouth ran, a part of Quatre's mind hoped that everything he was saying actually was semi-coherent, and not just babbling. He had a tendency to babble sometimes. He had the bag packed, and the sleeping bag rolled up and ready to go. He went out of the camera's view to change clothes. It would be nice to have a hot shower, but he was getting dangerously close to being here for five hours already, and if he didn't come back on the dot Trowa was going to pitch a fit. Coming back into view he shrugged helplessly. "I wish I could tell you in person, but...anyway. Sorry, Iria. Love you. I'll try to come back when all this is done. You'll love Trowa -- and Duo and Heero. I might get them to come back to visit, or maybe bring you there. Anyway, I have to go. Trowa only let me come back for five hours and if I don't show up in the next five minutes I'll never hear the end of it." He stopped the program, saved it, and then sent it to her email address before shutting down the computer. It was the only sure way he had of making certain that she saw it. He was just about to touch the mirror and call for Duo when his door burst open. "QUATRE!" Spinning around, he choked, "I-Iria?" Sobbing, his sister fell against him and hugged him tightly. "You idiot! Where have you been?! I've been looking everywhere for you!" And he had just spent the last two hours explaining everything, too. Hugging her back, he tried to find a way of explaining. "Iria -- I'm sorry I worried you so badly." [Yo Q~! Lover boy over here is getting anxious, you ready to go -- oh crap.] Quatre twisted around to see that Duo was in his standing mirror. Iria was only a second behind him, her eyes comically wide in her face. "H-he's in -- how is he -- Quatre, what by all that is holy is going on here?!" Quatre gave her a big smile, which was only slightly strained. "I just recorded a two hour file telling you all about it." "Well, you get to tell me about it now! And you can start by telling me who that is and how he's in your mirror!" ...he should have listened to Trowa. Apparently, the demon had a better idea of the laws of Murphy than he did. "Um...Iria, this is Duo. He's a clairvoyant -- he specializes in reflections. He's kinda using my mirror as a portal to communicate with me." Iria glared at the mirror -- Duo was wincing -- then at her brother. "You have never in your life lied to me." "And I'm not now!" Quatre resisted the urge to rub at his forehead. "Duo, can you call back later?" [Sure, man, but I wasn't kidding about Tro. He's been pacing for three hours now, and Heero's about ready to strangle him or something. And that's only if he beats me to it.] From somewhere in the background there was an irritable growl. [Why isn't he HERE yet?!] Quatre gave Duo a sympathetic glance. "Sorry. Tell him to give me another hour." [Q.] "Yes?" [You know that ain't gonna fly.] "...you're right. Okay, let me talk to him." While Duo called him over, Quatre tried to give Iria a quick explanation. "I've been on another world, Iria." "...come again?" "A world somewhat parallel to this one," he continued quickly. "It's hard to explain how and everything, but I stayed for a very good reason. There are people there that need my help. Lives -- a lot of lives -- are at stake. I'm the only one that can do it, and...er, hi Trowa." Trowa glared at him. [You said five hours.] "I'm all ready to go," Quatre protested a touch impatiently. "I didn't expect for Iria to show up. Look, give me an hour to explain everything to her." [No. She won't let you go easily.] "Damn right I'm not!" Iria inserted firmly. Quatre turned the glare to her. "Sis, that isn't helping." "He can't do much from where he's sitting," she shot back. "Actually --" Trowa growled in the back of his throat. [Duo. Is this completely open?] [Uh, yeah.] [Good.] Trowa's form disappeared, and the mirror started to glow a bright white. Recognizing the sign, Quatre shoved his sister out of the way and opened his arms. Trowa slammed into him a second later, and they both toppled to the floor. "Quatre!" Trowa scrambled to his knees quickly. "Are you alright?" "Ow." The blond cracked open an eye, but the room wasn't spinning in circles so he hadn't really injured himself, despite what his head was telling him. "Fine." Trowa lifted him up easily, tilting his head to look at the back of Quatre's head. "Let me see." "I'm fine! Stop fussing!" He didn't, of course, and ran insistent fingers through blond hair. Quatre suffered this indignity and talked to Duo instead of acknowledging the demon who was, really, a worry-wart in disguise. "I have the feeling this might take longer than hour." [More like three,] Duo agreed with a smirk. [Just call when you're ready.] "Okay. Thanks, Duo." [No prob, man. I can always play with Heero while I'm waiting.] Poor Heero. Duo vanished, letting the mirror go back to normal. The silence hovering in the room was rather impressive, really. Trowa, satisfied that Quatre was fine, was standing right behind him and frowning slightly at the blonde woman trying to keep his Quatre. Iria, not at all satisfied by all of the things she couldn't explain, was outright scowling back at him. "Quatre. I want that explanation." NOW her tone added. Quatre waved her to his computer chair, and settled Trowa on the bed. As soon as the demon sat down, he pulled the blond into his lap. Quatre was close enough to get something of a reading on his emotions -- Trowa was highly irritated, a mass of confusion and doubt with something like anxiety mixed in. Great. Iria had an eyebrow raised at seeing her little brother wrapped up in another boy's arms, but she didn't say anything -- vocally. This left Quatre smack in the middle of the two of them. This wasn't going to take an hour -- it was going to take Duo's predicted three. At least. "Okay, from the top." The process of explaining was hampered a little by Iria. She kept stopping to ask questions. What her brother was telling her was fantastic, and she wouldn't have believed him if it weren't for that trick with the mirror or for the boy sitting there on the bed, holding him. Iria just knew by looking at him that he wasn't human. His ears were slanted, hands too similar to claws to belong to a human, and there were strange marks along his cheeks and arms -- there was just something about him that was otherworldly. Iria had never possessed the same sense with people that Quatre did, but she was sensitive enough and right now intuition told her that her brother was in over his head. When Quatre finally stopped, she felt like her head was splitting. "And you plan to go back? Despite how dangerous it is, and how badly you were all injured in this last fight with what's his name?" "Terandl. Yes, I'm going back. We have to stop him, Iria. We're the only ones who have a prayer of doing it." "Forgive me, but I don't like the idea of you going back into a world filled with demons, mad sorcerers, and evil dudes with powerful weapons." "He'll be safe," the weird boy assured her quietly. "Maybe. Things aren't always in our control. I don't think you can really guarantee that. And what, precisely, are you? During this whole thing, my brother has been very careful to not mention how his friends are fighting the bad guy. And frankly, you don't look human." Quatre wondered how his sister was going to take the explanation to that question. Then he wondered if he could make it to the mirror and have Duo grab him before she could stop him...probably not. "He's a cat demon." "...cat demon." Iria repeated neutrally. "You're telling me that he's a demon, and that you trust this guy? More than trust, apparently, because you're sitting in his lap and he's been acting possessively toward you the entire time." How could he diplomatically explain the complex relationship that he and Trowa shared? They weren't really boyfriends, weren't anywhere close to being lovers, in fact they hadn't even admitted that they liked each other, it had taken weeks worth of work on Quatre's part before Trowa showed any kind of affection at all, but he knew without a doubt that Trowa would always be there for him, and that he'd do anything to keep him safe -- no, there was no way to explain any of that without making it sound weird. "Yes, he's a demon, but not in the evil way that you're thinking. In his world, it means that his body is made differently -- that's all. Demons are rather like people, some are good, some are bad." And some were REALLY bad...he wasn't going to mention that last part. "And I'm acting possessively," Trowa added acidly, "because Quatre is vital to me. I have no guarantees that you won't try to keep him here." "Don't kid yourself, demon-boy. I am keeping him here," Iria growled back. "The hell you will. He's mine." "I'm going to hit both of you if you don't stop fighting over me," Quatre snapped at them. "I think I should decide which place I want to be." "Quatre, you just told me that you're staying with these guys to hunt down someone so evil that they took out a village of people just to experiment with their new toy! There's no way I'm letting you go back there!" "Iria," Quatre replied gently, "you don't have a choice. You cannot keep me here. For one thing, Trowa won't let you." "I want you safe," she whispered brokenly. "Safety doesn't exist. What I've found with Trowa, and Duo and Heero -- is hard to describe. But I'll risk everything for it. I love them, Iria. And I'll fight for that, to see them alive and happy. That is my right -- respect it, please." "Keeping him here won't make him safe," Trowa said softly. His eyes were softened a little in compassion. He understood her desire to safeguard Quatre -- he felt the same way. "It will just cage him. I've learned the hard way that you can't do that." Iria sank into her hands, feeling helpless. She'd dreamed about finding Quatre again, but this wasn't what she had envisioned. She knew her brother well enough to know that she couldn't hold him against his will. He'd find a way out, and back to them. Quatre pulled free of her and touched her hands gently. "I'm sorry, sis. I must do this." "I know." Standing, she pulled him into a hug and held him tightly. "I know. At least keep me posted, alright? Let me know you're still alive." "I can do that," he whispered into her shoulder. Pulling free, he grinned. "And maybe when this is all over, you can come over yourself and see what its like." "I think I will." Iria finally let him go. Satisfied that things were settled, Trowa went to the mirror and touched the surface. "Duo." ... "Duo!" Quatre started laughing, a hint of pink on his cheeks. "Um, you don't think they got distracted...do you?" "Lecherous human," Trowa grumbled under his breath. "DUO!" [Whoa, hold your horses, I'm here!] Duo did appear slightly flushed, however, and his clothing was a little rumpled. [Okay, we're ready to go now, right?] "Right," Quatre agreed cheerfully. "Here, catch." He tossed the backpack through the mirror. Iria was grumbling about 'that not being possible, dammit', but Quatre didn't bother trying to explain how the whole transportation thing worked. For one thing, it still didn't entirely make sense to him. Duo's explanations had a tendency to leave one confused. He bent to scoop up the sleeping bag next. "Quatre, what is that?" Quatre blinked at the navy blue roll in his hands. "Uh, it's a sleeping bag." Trowa frowned, eyes narrowing. "We don't need it." Why was Trowa hurt because of the sleeping bag? Quatre cocked a perplexed eyebrow at him. "Well, it's getting colder. I thought another layer between us and the ground would be a good thing. Think of it as padding." Abruptly the hurt vanished, but the frown was still there. "It's bulky." Now that was something Quatre hadn't considered. "Damn, you're right. I don't really have a good way of carrying it." [I do!] Quatre canted his head. "You do?" [Yup. I can shrink things, so we'll just put it in that bag you threw at my head.] "I told you to catch. I didn't know you could shrink things." [Well, it's not something I really use that often. I don't have a need for it, most of the time. Anyway, it's really easy to do. Toss it through -- actually, if you have another one for me and 'Ro that would be really great.] Quatre thought on that. Wasn't there another one upstairs...? "I think we do. Hold on a minute." He dashed back to the attic, grabbed the green bag, and then sprinted back downstairs. "Yup. Okay, catch." Quatre turned to give his sister another fierce hug. "I'll try to contact you once a week, alright?" "Okay. I'll keep a mirror handy. Stay safe." "Sure you betcha." With a wink, he dove into the mirror. Trowa nodded to her before following the blond through. He was rather hoping for an easier landing than the last time, but as usual with Duo in control of the mirror, he landed hard. At least he didn't land on top of Quatre this time. Rolling to his feet, he gathered Quatre up off the floor. "Ow." Quatre rubbed at his elbows gingerly. "Duo, is there a trick to this that I don't know?" "Uh...roll with the landing?" "In other words, there is no trick." Duo shrugged sheepishly. "Pretty much, yeah. How does this sleeping bag thing work?" "In a minute, I need to talk to Trowa first." Taking the demon by the arm, he dragged him toward the mouth of the cave. Satisfied that they couldn't be overheard, he turned to face him. "Why were you upset about the sleeping bag?" Trowa's eyes lowered to the floor. Quatre could only think of one reason, but it didn't mean it was the right one. When Trowa didn't say anything, he prodded him with it. "Was it because you thought I didn't want to sleep with you anymore?" "...you only sleep with me because it's necessary." "That was the original reason," Quatre admitted softly. Lifting his hand, he tilted Trowa's head up so that he could look in his eyes. "Now, it's mostly because I just like touching you. Trowa...you always look so uncertain and confused when I say something like that. Why is it so hard for you to believe that I want to be with you?" Trowa wrapped both arms around the blond and pressed his face against his hair, caught without an answer. Resigned, Quatre hugged him back and let the matter drop. Apparently, he still had a lot of work to do where Trowa was concerned.
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