|
"Center Ring"Written By: t-shirt Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and its characters are
copyright to Sunrise, Bandai, Sotsu Agency, and associated parties.
I make no money with this fic. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: AU/Fantasy/Adventure, Angst, fluff,
sap, mile gore at one point, mild lemons, mild language Pairings: Eventual 1x2, Singular 2x4/5x2 encounters,
3x4, Eventual 5x6x9 Summary: The last of the world’s half animal hybrid’s face the adventure of a lifetime when they are sent to capture a rogue that appears determined to start a war. However, it is unclear as events unfold what his true purpose is and exactly who is hunting who. This is an unbeta’ed version. View Art for Center Ring: Pic
1, Pic
2 " Center Ring " Ch 3 It was only a ten minute flight before they found themselves staring into the mouth of a very dark; very narrow opening in the side of a cliff. “Quatre?” Hiiro asked gently waiting for the affirmative nod before venturing into the thin crag. It was only a short walk down a mild gradient before the tunnel spilled out into a huge cavern with dozens of smaller tunnels leading off in every direction. A quick glance at Quatre yielded nothing more than a shrug of his delicate shoulders and an apologetic look. Hiiro took point but it was impossible for him to fit into the smaller passages. Trowa and Wufei were forced to explore while Quatre and Hiiro waited. Minutes passed unnoticed by the rock walls as their partners scouted the catacombs. It was frustrating to have to sit and wait but there was little the Eaglet could do other than stand there and fume. He was close, he could feel it. He was there in the cave, under that mountain. He could smell him, feel his breath on the air, feel his heart beating. His own heart suddenly raced as something dark and fluid dropped from the ceiling where it had apparently been hanging watching them fidget in their preverbal shoes. The thought of this creature just lurking up there making a fool of them really just pissed Hiiro off but his anger was instantly crushed under the purest, most heart felt astonishment he’d ever known. He could feel the heat of his eyes as the creature’s huge, black wings spread catching his slight weight on the air. Hiiro stood silently, his jaw lying in his lap, completely and inexorably stupefied. He was the single most beautiful thing the Eaglet had ever set eyes on. Long chestnut hair neatly confined in a thick rope of a braid that reached right down to his shapely thighs. Clad entirely in black save for the tawny skin that appeared soft and radiant where it winked from beneath the ebony shell to reflect the small amount of light that filtered in through the cracks in the ceiling of the cavern. Wings as black as pitch, so black they looked like nothing more than dark shadows hovering above his slowly descending form, the shape of his body, the liquid grace of his motion and those burning amethyst eyes. Hiiro couldn’t find it within himself to breath more or less speak as he watched him float gently down on the air. He knew he was lost before the boy ever smiled. It was a wickedly evil smile that set Hiiro’s blood to boiling instantly just before he wrapped those ebony wings of his so tightly around his thin body it looked as if he’d turned into a drop of liquid darkness then suddenly plummeted into an opening in the cavern floor. Hiiro never thought twice as he dove after him leaving Quatre to call his name out into the emptiness where he’d once stood. The blond was decidedly uncomfortable being alone. He had no real defenses of his own, just a pretty smile and knack for coercion. Most people were no threat to him but he’d felt the touch of this creatures mind and it scared the living shit out of him. There was no way he’d be able to deal with this thing alone. He was just about to slip into the last tunnel Trowa had gone down when he heard the tiny cry of a very small voice coming from another. The child. There was no mistaking it. There was no time to wait for his lover or Wufei to return. He had to find it and get it out of there before that demon came back and got them all. His decision made he headed off in the direction the sound had come from. Hiiro chased the wraith for over twenty minutes before he realized he was being led in circles and decided to try another tactic back tracking instead of following the trail. When he heard the almost imperceptible sounds of another moving along the passages it had turned out not to be his black winged ghost but Trowa instead. “Did you see him?” Hiiro asked glancing down every tunnel. “Who?” the lion inquired then “Where’s Quatre?” Hiiro realized his mistake suddenly feeling like a complete idiot as he turned and rushed back to the surface after the swift footed feline. When they arrived Quatre was no where to be found. They both just about jumped out of their skins when Wufei’s dark head popped up out of the floor and stared at them curiously. “Where”s Quatre?” he asked reminding them of their current problem. A small chirp that sounded remotely like a person being startled sent them all scurrying down the small passage where the sound appeared to have originated. Quatre walked as silently as possible reaching out with every extra sensory talent he possessed in his effort to protect himself from whatever beasties might lurk in the shadows of these dark tunnels. He could hear the soft singing of a small child, a girl from what he could gather, coming from up ahead somewhere but he knew he must be cautious. Whatever they were dealing with had a dangerous aurora and was capable of rending the local live stock limb from limb in its desire for a meal. He didn’t want to become its next nibblet. He already knew it was too late when strong hands suddenly clamped down on his frail shoulders lifting him upward into a crevice in the ceiling of the tunnel, the short bark of surprise the only sound he could make as he was wrapped up tight in strong arms that cupped his mouth as the creature carried him away through the very cracks in the mountains flesh. The thing appeared to have four arms, two holding Quatre firmly subduing both his mobility and his voice and two, large, dexterous appendages that allowed him to sail through the cracks in the stone with an ease born of most small creepy crawly things that usually had multiple legs and antennae. His heart cried out for Trowa as he felt himself being helplessly born away by the demonic creature. By the time the three friends found the little girl Quatre was long gone. Hiiro took her out of the cave and waited in the first chamber while Trowa and Wufei searched for their lost friend. There was little the Eagle could do underground. He was too encumbered by his wings so it fell to him to look after the child. His guilt over leaving the blond boy alone was eating him alive but he had to do what was best for the team. Deep down in his heart he just couldn’t make himself believe that the black winged hybrid would harm the unicorn. Of course, convincing Trowa of that was another matter entirely. He was amazed that the little girl appeared to be unaffected by what should have been a traumatizing experience. She sat quietly playing with the little doll she held ignoring Hiiro’s existence for the most part as he watched. “What’s your name?” he asked in curiosity. “Matilda” she replied. “And this is Patty” she introduced her doll. “Hello, Patty” Hiiro entertained her squatting down beside her. “Isn’t Patty frightened being in this dark place?” he asked using what little child psychology he knew in an attempt to not frighten her further. “Naw,” she shook her head setting her cute, dark curls in motion. “The black bird said you would come so we weren’t afraid,” she told him. “Black bird,” he repeated slowly. “He told you I’d come?” he asked hoping he’d heard her wrong. “Yep,” she replied combing Patty’s blond hair with her fingers. “It was a fun game,” she told him. “And I got to see an angel just like he promised,” she smiled brushing one small hand down Hiiro’s right wing in fascination. DAMN IT! How could he have been so fucking stupid!!!???!!!! “Excuse me sweety,” he said out loud masking his fury for her sake. “I need to call my friends,” he warned her. “Ok,” she piped up setting Patty on the stone beside her as she covered her ears with both hands. He couldn’t help but smile at her. “Good girl,” he told her before he lifted his throat and sent out a resounding Eagles cry. It was less than five minutes later that Trowa and Wufei emerged eager for whatever news Hiiro might have. They weren’t thrilled with what they heard. “It was a trap,” Hiiro informed them quietly over by the wall where the girl couldn’t hear. “What?” Wufei gasped glancing at the child. Bait? “We were set up,” the Eaglet elaborated clearly furious with himself. “You mean he meant to take Quatre?” Trowa asked, his fury readily spilling from his emerald eyes. “Or one of us at least,” Hiiro told him then thought about the nights events once more. “Yes,” he corrected. “He meant to take him all along. I’m sure of it. Trowa wait!” he barked grabbing the cat by the arm to keep him from diving down the closest hole in search of his lost mate. “He’s not here anymore,” he assured him. “Then we’ll find him,” Trowa insisted. “Yes,” Hiiro agreed. “We will,” he told him with utmost confidence. “But we’re not going to find him here tonight,” he reasoned but the cat was in no mood for reason and snatched his arm away. “Trowa!” Hiiro snapped again regaining his grip but he backed off when the lion tuned flashing green eyes on him and growled menacingly. “We have to return and do the show,” he reminded him but the words only earned him a nasty snarl and angry roar as the feline broke free once again and headed for the nearest tunnel. “If we don’t perform and they find out about this the armies will be in here tomorrow night blowing this place to hell and back and they’re not going to give a shit if one more hybrid goes down for the count with him,” the Eagle said loud and clear. Trowa stopped but anyone could see the pain his stillness caused him. It showed in the tension in his spine. “We will find him,” Hiiro told him going to his side. “I don’t believe he’ll harm him,” he added just to set the lions mind at ease but it seemed to do little good. Wufei clearly didn’t have Hiiro’s confidence however, and chose just to keep his big mouth shut for once. It was easy enough to return the child though Trowa appeared to be in no mood to deal with the humans leaving the kid on the doorstep of the first person she said she knew. She smiled and waved as if leaving her grandmother’s house perfectly confident in her own safety. Hiiro couldn’t help but wonder at a creature that could inspire such undaunted trust in a child. He even had her believing in them and they’d never met her before. It didn’t escape his attention that the dark angel; as he’d come to think of him because of his remarkable beauty; had done his homework. He knew way too much about them for it to be a coincidence. The main question on his mind was why had he lured them there and what was up with stirring up all the trouble with the humans? The more pressing matter, why had he taken Quatre and what did he intend to do with him? These questions would have to wait however, as they had a show to do. He was none to thrilled about having to tell Treize his favorite pet had been abducted by a demonic creature with a talent for ripping livestock apart. Trowa was practically useless in his worry over his missing lover and Wufei wasn’t helping with his doubts and negative thoughts. The mood was grim the next day when they touched down outside the big top where Treize stood waiting for a report. “Where’s Quatre?” was the first thing out of his mouth. “He’s been taken,” Hiiro told him bluntly shaking his feathers straight as Wufei let Trowa down and landed beside him. “No,” Treize breathed sinking to one knee as his legs refused to bare his weight all of a sudden. “He’s alive,” Hiiro assured him going to his side. “At least we think he is,” Wufei commented finding himself suddenly two feet off the ground and pinned to a stake pole by a very irate young lion that was ready to rip his throat out. “He’s alive! He’s alive! Geez, chill out!” the dragon huffed as he was dropped carelessly on the ground while the emerald eyes feline glared down at him. “He is alive,” Trowa told the Ring Master who was on his feet again, a small smudge on the knee of his pristine attire as he was already dressed to do his job at that evenings show. “We’ll tell the crowd he’s ill,” Hiiro informed their distraught keeper who nodded absently still floored by the idea that he’d lost his precious foal. “We’ll get him back,” he promised. “But we cant let this get out,” he said pulling them all in the direction of the big top. ** Where the hell was he? It was so dark here and he’d been carried through so many fissures in the mountain, through caves and tunnels, over underground rivers and under falls he had lost all sense of direction. His captor was taking great care not to allow him injury or even discomfort for that matter. He’d stopped several times to offer him water from the clear pools that hide in the depths of the mountain. Kindness. It was an odd character trait for a demon. That’s what he was. There was no doubt in the young unicorns mind. Oddly enough he didn’t really have a problem with demons; it was dragons that made his skin crawl. Demons were usually straight up about things. This one was being uncharacteristically mysterious. It was easy enough to deduce that he’d been purposely kidnapped. He couldn’t help but worry for the child but he was fairly confident that this being, as darkly decadent as he was, wouldn’t have harmed her. He was certainly taking great pains to see that Quatre was well cared for. It seemed; as he was still sitting on this weird rock that was covered in a bed of soft moss; that they were done traipsing for the night. Perhaps his wayward captor intended for him to sleep on the deep, sweet smelling bed. It would have been most comfortable. He could try to escape but his bright eyes had already discerned that the opening in the ceiling where they’d entered the small moonlit cavern was the only way in or out. When he saw the beautiful demon again a few minutes later he bore with him a huge bowl of delicious looking foliage that he promptly offered to the ravenous foal. “Your very kind for a kidnapping demon,” Quatre smiled accepting the offering and letting some small amount of his charm seep out to brush along the demons senses. He wasn’t sure if he could enchant this creature, he was sooo damn provocative himself but it was worth a try. Apparently, he was a little hypersensitive to the spell as he leaned in instantly and captured Quatre mouth in a long, simmering kiss. “Eat,” he commanded once he’d released the young foal leaving him just a little shaken. He did as he was told doing his best to get his toes to uncurl in the process. Hm. To ask or not to ask. Would he spill his guts and tell Quatre everything if he did? He thought not but again it was worth a try. “Are you going to kill me?” he asked getting right to the nitty gritty of his own personal concerns. The thought of what his lion lover would go through if he were to die was just more than his heart could handle. “You have nothing to fear,” the demon replied. His voice was so odd. Not like Wufei’s harmonious thrum but light, singular and collective all at the same time, like the song of a thousand birds all mixed up together to form oddly foreign sounding words. It was spellbinding. Quatre felt himself respond to it much in the same way other people usually responded to him causing him to shake his head in an attempt to clear the cob webs away. Dangerous. This boy was very dangerous. He also hadn’t directly answered the question. Not being afraid had nothing to do with whether or not he was going to die. Oh well, perhaps he could be reasoned with. He really didn’t care to listen to him speak anymore but at the same time he couldn’t wait to feel the impact of his voice. “They’ll come for you you know?” he told him munching on his salad. It was very good. All his favorites. “He’ll come for you first,” the demon countered. He was sitting on a rock nearby lazily watching the unicorn eating, one long leg dangling off the edge, his massive ebony ..`wings?` if you wanted to call them that; waving gently in the air. They did give him the power of flight but they were the strangest wings Quatre had ever seen. He could actually grasp things with them, each feather like appendage having a singular life of its own like a thousand fingers embedded in his flesh. This was why he could skim through the rocks so effortlessly. He literally had ten thousand fingers to grip the stone with. They also appeared to have no ridged bones which meant he could wrap them around and back or up and down or curl them up and tuck them against his back so that they were all but unnoticeable. At the moment they were spread comfortably behind him looking very much like a negative image of Hiiro’s great white ones. As to who he meant by the comment, Quatre’s first image was of Hiiro, their leader and protector but the sly grin that curled the demons supple lips brought the truth of his words crashing down on the bright little colt in an instant. “Trowa,” he breathed dropping what was left of his dinner on the hard cavern floor. The broadening smile on the demons face confirmed his worse fears. “What do you want with him?” he asked suddenly very frightened indeed. Just what in the world did this dark creature want? “Don’t worry,” the wraith smiled moving so fluidly to his side the foal almost didn’t realize it until he was sitting right beside him. “I just couldn’t let you cross over without him,” he explained breathing the words so close to Quatre’s neck he could feel the moist heat of it along his skin. His tone was so deep and husky the blond found he simply couldn’t find enough air to sustain him anymore as his very skin screamed to be touched by this darkly delicious creature. The words `cross over` hadn’t escaped his attention though. “C…cross over?” he breathed willingly laying his head to the side to offer his pale neck to the demon. “Yessss,” the wraith hissed running his wet, warm, enticing tongue up the length of the young foals exposed pulse. “To…. where?..” Quatre managed to ask though the answer to that question was becoming less important by the moment. All that really mattered was ending the burning in his body and the only way to do that was to let the demon take it away. Was this how he would do it? Suck his life away while in the throws of passion? Well, that certainly wasn’t a frightening way to die he had to admit but, he still didn’t want to go. Not without Trowa. Trowa……. “Heaven,” the demon promised. A devil promising heaven? It seemed a little odd but at that point, as the boy’s strong hand slipped around Quatre’s waist and began to divest him of the thin, wispy garments he wore he really couldn’t think of anything else but the heat building in his body and… “Trowa.” “That’s it,” the demon purred pulling his naked body into his arms, the strange, black wings on his back wrapping around them touching every single part of his shivering body as he kissed him deeply then spreading to their full width as he pulled back and smiled. Quatre was a little shocked to see the tiny fangs; he’d missed that part before. “Fly with me,” the beautiful demon smiled as his wings began to beat the air. Quatre felt every cell in his body light on fire as they lifted off, the demons hands roaming his already over heated flesh as he carried him into the black sky. It was the most tremendous feeling he’d ever known soaring through the velveteen night sky with the wraith holding him close. It was different from flying with Hiiro in one main respect really; the demon was intent on blowing his freaking mind. He took him high enough to brush the bottom of the dark clouds that hung just below the mountains peaks, not high enough to bring a chill but far enough from the ground he felt completely detached from the world he was usually so intimately in tune with. Unlike Hiiro he reveled in his ability to twist and turn playing with the up drafts that sent them swirling through the night sky in great spirals then dropping them a thousand feet only to catch the wide birth of his wings and carry them right back up again. It was like being on the most thrilling roller coaster ride of his life and all the while the demon supped on his passion, pushing him deeper into a world of pure pleasure. “What is your lovers name?” the demon asked holding him close as they hovered on an updraft just above the peak of the highest mountain, the starlight softly illuminating the foals golden hair baring a warm contrast to the wraiths darker chestnut glimmer. “Trowa,” he replied honestly wishing the lion cub was there with them enjoying the bliss he was being offered. If he honestly had a choice between the life he led in the circus and a death such as this, he knew he’d prefer death. “He is dear to you,” the demon said softly folding him into him. Quatre instinctively wrapped his legs around the wraiths slender hips and moaned longingly as he bent his head back allowing him to fully explore his neck and chest. “Yes,” he answered feeling a heat in him that was up until that point in his life unparalleled by any other he’d known. He couldn’t get the image of Trowa out of his head. His skin and scent, those amazing emerald eyes, the way he looked at him when they made love, so tender and true. He could feel the dark one preparing him, he knew the pleasure in his body was being given to him by the dark creature but his mind was so completely wrapped around the vision of his lover he was having trouble separating the two. “Love him,” the demon commanded taking them higher than he had yet to rise this night as he prepared to take his body and soul to heaven. “Love him with all your might,” he told him suddenly folding his wings inward wrapping the trembling boy up in a blanket of night, each feather in his wings caressing his body as absolute terror flooded his soul when they suddenly plummeted towards the earth. The stark fear in his heart was suddenly overshadowed by the pain of the demon taking his body closely followed by the unmitigated pleasure that such a union would inescapably grant. It was all too much, the blind free fall toward the hard ground, the pain and pleasure of being wholly taken, pushed beyond his capabilities and all the while his mind swam with visions of his beloved. He felt his body shake and tremble as it reached its limit and spilled his rapture, pain and pleasure all in one convulsion, there was only one thought on his mind as he felt his vision fading away into endless darkness…. “Trowa.” Shinigami has come for you “QUATRE!” Trowa barked suddenly bolting upright from sleep, his terror etched in deep lines on his once young and beautiful face as the vision of his lover falling to his death in the arms of a black demon pulsated in his mind. He could still feel the pain, the fear… the pleasure. He was on his feet moving silently through the underbrush before the ghostly cry stopped ringing in his mind. * “Trowa’s gone,” Wufei informed his white winged friend early the next morning as he prepared to resume the hunt. “Shit,” Hiiro cursed. “When?” “Not sure,” the dragon told him. “His bed is cold.” “Why would he go alone?” Treize asked adding another wrinkle to his already care worn brow. “Maybe he had a night mare too,” Wufei sighed. “Nightmare?” Hiiro suddenly snapped rounding on the startled reptile. “Y...yeah,” Wufei answered a little shaken by the reaction. “What? You have one too?” “About Quatre falling to his death?” Hiiro asked cursing again when he saw the curious confirmation in his black eyes. “He’s lured him out,” he surmised out loud as he prepared to leave. “You’re not saying Quatre’s...” Treize began but was unable to finish the thought out loud. “Their alive,” Hiiro insisted. “We hope,” Wufei snorted. “Their alive!” the Eaglet reiterated much more forcefully and Wufei cowered back. “How can you be so sure?” Treize asked dejectedly, his worry over his lost charges showing clearly in his depressed expression. “He won’t hurt them,” Hiiro assured him. “But the dream...” “I don’t care!” Hiiro snapped. “He won’t!” “Do you honestly believe that or has your brain been muddle by the seductive power of that black feather your always coddling!?” the dragon growled loosing his patience with the entire ordeal. “What?” Treize asked clueless as to what he was talking about. “Hiiro? Are you... taken with him?” he wanted to know clearly concerned for the fledgling now. He didn’t want to loose anymore of them to this demon. “He’s one of us!” “He’s a demon!” Wufei snarled bent on making his kinsman see reason. “He won’t hurt them,” Hiiro said once more before suddenly lifting off into the air. “Wufei?” All the dragon could do was offer his keeper a tired little smile and follow.
~ * ~ tbc... |
