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"The Gobanme Star"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/Galactic Adventure, Lemons (non graphic), some bad language, somewhat fem Quatre, yuckables ^-^, fuzzies and fluff abound lol, some angst, clueless Relena in the begging Beta'd by Mechante Fille Pairings: Eventual quintette w/(1x2)x5),3x4 dominance
though it begins briefly with 1x4, 2x5 Summary: Five young men learn through their trials
and adventures that they are not only bound together in every possible
way but the key to order and prosperity in the universe. Enjoy! ^-^ "The Gobanme Star"
Ch 21 Aribi was a four hour flight from Annon Shugi. It was a desert planet but it was far from barren. The place was known throughout the galaxy for its abundant life. On the surface it looked to be nothing more than a desert wasteland, however, looks can be deceiving. Just under the surface was an echo system so teaming with life it had reached out to the very stars all on its own. The most well known and beloved of these life forms where the Tenshi: Luminous, winged creatures twice the size of a man that moved in enormous swarms in the outer stratosphere and open space near the planet. Ships were often drawn near to the planet just so they could witness them as they fed off the solar energy of the planet’s suns. The ion particles of the ships’ engine wakes were an enticement the winged bits of light found irresistible as they ran with the ships through the icy void of space. Duo dropped them out of hyperspace almost dead in the middle of one of these huge schools of Tenshi, sending them scattering for a moment before they regrouped and engulfed the ship. ‘Wooow,’ the braided boy sighed as the glowing angels reflected in his violet eyes. He stood from his chair and reached out to touch the glass separating him from them as one came in close enough to look at him. He could feel the heat of its body right through the glass as its black marble eye mirrored the starry sky. ‘They’re so beautiful,’ Hiiro breathed, joining Duo where he touched the glass. ‘There’s so many,’ Wufei added, smiling at the enormous horde as it ebbed and swelled over them like a florescent tide. ‘Where’s Quatre?’ Trowa suddenly asked. They’d been so caught up in sight of the Tenshi no one had noticed him disappear. ‘Shit!’ Duo barked as the blond boy appeared outside on the hull through one of the elevated service hatches. ‘What in the hell’s he doing!? Quatre!’ he barked, opening a comm but the boy didn’t answer him. ‘Quatre tie off!’ he yelled again but it was too late. ‘QUATRE!’ the braided boy screamed as one of the huge beasts swooped down and carried their blond friend away. ‘It’s alright,’ Trowa soothed, laying one hand on Duo’s shoulder as he began to hyperventilate. ‘They wont hurt him,’ he smiled, watching as the blond boy was tossed about in the sea of incandescent light. ‘You gotta be shittin’ me,’ Duo breathed. Quatre’s light laugher could be heard over the open comm as the creatures dipped and swelled in the ion currents carrying him along on a wave of pure light. ‘Follow him!’ Duo gasped then decided against that and ripped Wufei from the copilot’s seat taking the controls himself. ‘Son of a bitch! How can he do that?’ the braided boy grinned as he followed the swelling tide and listened to Quatre’s delighted laugh. ‘This is his home,’ Trowa grinned as he was overcome by the sheer joy of his shimmering lover. ‘Incredible,’ Hiiro breathed delightedly. Quatre’s joy was insidiously infectious and soon had them all laughing at his antics as he played and swam with the creatures through open space. Trowa sighed and smiled warmly as they dipped and swirled about. ‘He’s home,’ he said softly again as his heart swelled at seeing his lover so utterly alive. When they collected the blond boy he was fairly vibrating with energy. Trowa had taken him straight to their cabin, snagging Hiiro along the way. Duo had made to follow but a quick shake of the head from Trowa woke him up pretty fast. If he got involved with Quatre already glowing like he was they’d light up the entire damn planet. He let the other three go without him but the light was still burning deep in his eyes. He’d had to let Wufei take them down because of his distraction. He hadn’t felt so off balance since before Aiken. ‘You ok?’ the Chinese boy asked as the sweat beaded up on his forehead. ‘He’s hot,’ Duo replied, trying again to shake it off. ‘I’ll be alright once he cools off. ‘If he cools off,’ Wufei grumbled. ‘Shit,’ the longhaired boy exclaimed, shaking his head again. ‘Get us down. I need some distance. Damn! It’s like...pure, raw energy.’ ‘Almost there,’ Wufei told him as the ship hovered over the landing pad. ‘Fei,’ Duo breathed as his chest began to heave. ‘What?’ he replied, alarmed by his lover’s tone. ‘Duo?’ he added as the ship touched down and Duo’s head rocked back against the head rest, his eyes closed and his mouth falling open. ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, unbuckling and going to his side. ‘Hiiro,’ Duo whispered distantly as his eyes snapped open and revealed the inner glow that he and the Japanese prince had shared during the bonding. The moment they locked with Wufei’s the boy’s black eyes lit up as well, drawing him down into a tight embrace with his longhaired lover as they both shook with the fury of the release they shared. ‘W...was that... Hiiro?’ Wufei gasped when he could breathe again. ‘Couldn’t you taste him?’ Duo panted. Wufei nodded his head. He had indeed tasted their Japanese lover’s energy but there had been such an overwhelming influx of Quatre he wasn’t sure. ‘Was that because of the bonding?’ Duo wondered. Again Wufei nodded as he dragged himself off of the longhaired boy and sat down in the pilot’s chair. ‘Damn,’ Duo chortled. ‘Those bloody dragons really know their shit.’ ‘Duo.’ Duo followed his gaze and looked out the window to see dozens of huge mobile suits surrounding them. ‘Shit,’ Duo breathed, reaching to open a comm link. ‘Home!’ Quatre’s elated voice suddenly sounded behind them. He looked like he’d just been rolled in a pile of happy rags. His hair was disheveled, his clothes, what he was wearing, were only half on, leaving a good deal of his creamy pale skin exposed as he danced into the cockpit with brightly shining eyes. ‘Rashid!’ he sang when he saw the suits outside. ‘Master Quatre!’ a booming, deep bass tone answered him happily. ‘I’m home!’ the blond crowed jubilantly as he snatched Duo up and kissed him madly. ‘Home, home, home!’ he sang as he darted out of the cockpit and toward the main hatch. Duo sat gaping at his seat-mate for a moment before Hiiro appeared in the doorway looking much the same way the blond boy had. His clothes were at least mostly in place as his broach would allow for nothing less but his spirit was obviously a notch off as he stood for a moment grinning at them then suddenly bolted for the hatch with Duo and Wufei right behind him. Trowa was already there grinning like a madman as he held his overexcited lover and the ramp lowered. Quatre was fairly vibrating with anticipation. The moment the ramp was down far enough the blond boy bolted. Duo and the others were hot on his heals and saw him dancing on the platform under the watchful eye of the huge metal suits. ‘Rashid!’ the blond boy sang, letting the warm desert air swirl around him, touching his skin as it played with his shimmering blond hair. ‘Welcome back,’ the booming voice called from one of the suits as it’s hatch hissed open to reveal a large, dark haired man with a huge grin. He stepped out just in time to see Quatre bolt for the edge of the raised platform. The boy’s companions all took a step forward, frightened for his safety as the slight, blond boy launched himself off the edge into the two hundred feet drop to the desert floor and shouted ‘I’M HOOOOOOOOOOMMMME!!’ as he fell into the abyss. ‘Quatre!’ Duo barked but found himself restrained by Trowa’s strong hand. When he turned the grin on his face put his fears to rest but his heart was still hammering. He’d taken his eyes off his little blond lover for less than a second but when he looked back, instead of the boy having tumbled to the ground, the very sands of the desert had risen up to meet him and carried him high into the sky. ‘Holy shit!’ Duo panted through the huge grin on his face. ‘How in the hell does he do that?’ ‘They love him,’ Rashid’s deep baritone answered as he joined them. The rest of the mobile suits were being abandoned as well as the men inside climbed down to the platform. ‘Who?’ Hiiro asked, watching as Quatre was propelled along a current of sand that had taken the shape of a large bird to amuse him. ‘The sakyuu,’ Rashid explained. ‘You must be very dear to him for him to allow you to see such wonder,’ he added, smiling fondly at the romping boy. ‘This knowledge is sacred. Keep the secret well.’ ‘What?’ Duo replied, still mesmerized by the sight of his friend being tossed about by sandy formations in the desert floor. ‘That he plays horsy with the sand?’ Rashid chuckled low in his chest. ‘There is no sand on Aribi,’ he laughed, slapping the braided boy gently on the shoulder and nearly knocking him over. ‘They are the sakyuu,’ he explained. ‘Each and every singular grain has a life and consciousness of its own. Their numbers are infinite but their thoughts are as one.’ ‘You’re shittin’ me?’ Duo smiled, watching the great sand bird bear his little blond lover toward them. ‘So you mean like... the entire planet is alive? Even the sand?’ ‘The sakyuu are the most abundant,’ Rashid confirmed as Quatre was deposited on the end of the platform. ‘But there are many life forms here,’ he smiled as the men began to drop to the floor and crowd around Quatre, kissing the hem of his pants or the tail of his shirt or his fingertips if he offered them as he smiled brightly at them all. ‘Quatre is sublimely linked to all life,’ Trowa explained, stepping up beside his longhaired friend. ‘But none so much as here. This is the center of his universe. Outside, with us, he’s incredible. Here,’ he said with a fond smile and a warm hand on the braided boy’s shoulder. ‘He is a god.’ They watched in wide-eyed wonder as the very sands of the desert rose up around them while the men paid their respects. Long tendrils of sand reached out from the terrain to nuzzle the blond boy’s cheeks as he made his way back to them, slowly fading away as he approached. When he stood before them again, his face as bright as the sun itself, the planet seemed to be nothing more than a desert wasteland once again. It didn’t matter to Duo, all he could see was the beauteous blond boy that stood in front of him radiating the sweet heat of the planet’s heartbeat. He took a breath, then another and snatched him into his arms and kissed him as the desert around them burst to life once more. Rashid’s eyes went wide with wonder as Duo magnified the boy’s heat, calling forth huge serpentine creatures from the sand, lithe swarms of birds and reptilian forms of every shape and size. Butterflies and bees, everything from small rodents to sakyuu came crawling out of the planets surface to see what was happening as the two pulsed with life and energy. ‘Hiiro!?’ Duo suddenly barked, pulling back, his eyes aglow with the heat but his lover was overcome with the power as he hit the pavement; a moment later Wufei joined him, his eyes alight as well. ‘Trowa,’ Quatre whispered softly, still locked in the braided boy’s embrace but he was already there. He reached out and laid a hand on the back of Quatre’s head, instantly grounding him and the power began to recede, leaving them all drenched in sweat and gulping for breath. ‘Wha...what was that?’ Duo giggled, stepping back and trying to stay on his feet as the elation ebbed from him. ‘I dunno,’ Wufei breathed. ‘But can we do it again?’ he grinned as his chest heaved. Duo and Hiiro laughed as Quatre sank back into his lover’s arms with a happy little smile on his face. ‘They like it,’ he said softly, nuzzling Trowa. ‘Like it, hell!’ Hiiro chortled. ‘I’m with Fei. Duo… do it again!’ ‘Not now,’ Trowa laughed. ‘He’s tired. We should rest.’ The creatures returned to wherever they’d appeared from as they were lead beneath the planet’s surface. Aribi’s main human population lived well under the planet’s crust. Not much could survive for long on the surface with its sand storms and blistering temperatures. There were a few small villages here and there and people were known to spend short periods of time out in the pure light of the three suns, doing sports or just soaking up some rays, but it was a bit severe for most. The general populace preferred the filtered rays that permeated and shown down on their underground world. Everywhere they went the people stopped and sank to the ground, showing their respect for their blond companion. Quatre smiled a lot but he hardly seemed bothered by their behavior. Hiiro got the feeling this was just how it had always been. The people truly seemed to love him as much as the boys did. Well, maybe not quite the same way but they obviously loved him just the same. They were taken through a low lying city with simple buildings that accommodated the local inhabitants very well. An open market provided them with a snack along the way. They were offered an amazing variety of fruits, nuts and baked goods along the road. Not one of the venders would accept so much as a penny in return, offering them freely to Quatre’s group of friends with smiling faces. It also amazed the foreign boys how many of the people seemed to have pets. Everything from monkeys to horses to some odd looking creatures that resembled snakes with legs and feathers. Life just seemed to be everywhere. Even the sky was filled with flocks of birds silhouetted against the bright blue expanse of the underworld sky. As amazing as the entire place was nothing could have prepared them for the sight of the temple where Quatre obviously resided. It stood some mile or so from the northern boarder of the town surrounded by a lush tropical forest heavy with fruits and huge flowers of every color. The intensity of life here was like nothing they’d ever seen before. Every square inch of the place seemed to be crawling with some type of living thing be it plant, animal or insect and even the bugs were amiable as they came to Quatre as if to welcome him home, especially, the butterflies and birds. There was a never ending swarm around the blond boy almost constantly giving him an even more ethereal visage. All of this paled in comparison to the temple itself as it loomed several hundred feet high looking out over the valley. It was Quatre. A mammoth likeness caved out of the side of the mountain. They gapped in wide-eyed wonder as they approached the behemoth rendition where it sat on the mountainside. Upon closer inspection they saw that there were windows throughout the chest, stomach, legs...even the head had places where the inhabitants could look out but it took nothing away from the awesome sight. The image was smiling which belied the fact that there were two blue/green rivers flowing from the eyes that made it seem like it was crying. The smile, however gave the impression they were tears of joy as the waters cascaded down the great stone figure in two beautiful waterfalls that pooled at the feet and meandered off into the woods. ‘Damn, Quatre,’ Duo breathed as the walked between the huge feet toward the thirty-feet high double doors. ‘You like it?’ the blond boy smiled, looking around fondly at the inhabitants as he played with a blue bird on his hand. ‘It was a gift from the master artist Akiem Alahandra in the east. Took him over forty years to complete it,’ he smiled, letting the bird flit back to its nest as the doors shut behind them. ‘Forty years?’ Wufei whistled low. ‘How is that possible?’ Hiiro asked, walking along side Duo as they looked the interior of the great room over. ‘You’re no more than fifteen.’ Rashid chuckled and ushered them into a lift. ‘Master Quatre looks very young for his age,’ he smiled. ‘How old are you?’ Duo asked suspiciously. He didn’t look a day over fifteen. ‘I don’t know,’ Quatre replied, distracted by a small white mouse that had climbed up to his shoulder to say hello. ‘We’ve prepared a feast in your honor,’ Rashid informed them. ‘Please, eat and rest yourselves. Tomorrow we’ll take you to your suits.’ ‘Hey, Rashid, babe,’ Duo called, motioning for him to step aside with him while the others exited the lift in front of them and joined the milling crowd of servants that had prepared the festivities for the night. ‘Hm?’ Rashid bent low so Duo could speak to him quietly. ‘Is there any way to fix that little power problem we had on the landing pad?’ the braided boy asked as the man’s face split into a huge grin. ‘Ya know? Maybe tone it down a bit so things don’t get too hot befooooore…’ ‘You would need to speak to Trowa about that, Master Duo,’ Rashid chuckled, leaving him to ponder that one on his own. Duo stood for a moment in thought before he turned and located his next quarry. ‘Umm, Trowa?’ The evening found them lazing about on huge pillows in the company of Quatre’s entourage. Many of the men that served as the boy’s personal body guards had turned out to be his best friends and took the opportunity to reacquaint themselves with him as he lay with Trowa on a big red pillow in the center of it all. Duo thought to himself how very exposed he’d have felt if he’d been out there on display like that but Quatre didn’t seem to mind at all. On the contrary, he was more than comfortable with all the attention. It also bothered the braided boy that there were a multitude of girls as well that came to his shining blond lover and offered him kisses on the cheek and affectionate hugs. It wasn’t too bad as long as they stayed where Quatre was but he sure didn’t want any of them coming up on the step he, Wufei and Hiiro were occupying next to Rashid. After about the twenty fifth time he watched this scene play out his curiosity got the better of him and he asked. ‘Rashid?’ ‘Yes,’ the big man smiled, watching his charge kiss another of the young women on the cheek. ‘Who’re all the babes smooching dew drop’s cheeks?’ ‘Hm?’ Rashid looked over at him puzzled for a moment then realized what he’d meant and chuckled. ‘They are his sisters.’ Duo’s eyes went wide as a shiver ran through his body and Hiiro chuckled. Wufei shifted in Hiiro’s lap and the circle was complete. ‘All of’em?’ Duo asked, turning a bit green in the face. ‘There are 29 all together,’ Rashid informed him and Duo just about swallowed his tongue. ‘Damn!’ he gasped. ‘You’d think their mom would’a put a stop to that shit pretty quick!’ ‘They were artificially incubated,’ he told him. ‘All except Quatre.’ ‘Really?’ Hiiro mused, smiling at the blond boy as he glanced over at them from his nest in Trowa’s arms. ‘Where are his parents now?’ ‘Oh, they’ve been gone for... some time,’ Rashid replied. Duo got that funny, ‘he’s not saying something,’ feeling in his gut again and decided it’d be a good time to explore the subject. ‘What’s... some time? ‘We don’t know exactly,’ Rashid replied, taking another date from the platter beside him. ‘Nearest we can say is about five hundred years.’ Duo choked on his drink. ‘What?’ ‘You’re saying he’s five hundred years old?’ Hiiro gasped, wiping the juice from his face where Duo had sprayed him. ‘Holy shit!’ Wufei threw in, gaping at the blond boy on the floor. ‘Then his sisters too?’ he asked. ‘Quatre is very special,’ Rashid informed them. ‘His father was the king of Aribi. A just and noble ruler but he was unable to sire an heir. It is said the goddess Raberba took pity on him and came down from the mountain to become his bride and bear his children. She’d fallen in love with the King because of his great kindness and beauty but again the King failed to sire an heir so they took matters into their own hands and began to use science as a means of procreation. It worked for the most part,’ he smiled wryly. ‘The only problem was all they were able to bear were girls. Finally the goddess couldn’t take it anymore and upon the birth of their 29th female child insisted that the King impregnate her with a fertilized egg. She managed to carry the child to term but the task spent her humanity and left her to die before she’d even seen her son’s face. We know now why her burden was so heavy. You see before you the fruit of their loving commitment. The king was overjoyed with the child and raised him until the age of fifteen when the goddess finally came to claim the King and take him back to the mountain with her. Quatre and his sisters were granted immortality for the sacrifice to the mountain goddess.’ ‘Oh, gods, what about Trowa? Does he know?’ Duo asked. The thought that their little blond lover would have to watch them all grow old and die was one thing, but for him to loose Trowa just seemed so totally unfair. Rashid chuckled again. ‘You haven’t had much time to sit down and talk, have you?’ he asked. ‘What d’ya mean?’ Duo asked. ‘Trowa’s been around longer than Quatre has,’ Rashid laughed as their mouths fell open again. ‘You don’t get to be the High Priest of Aiken in fifteen years,’ he chuckled. ‘Shit, you mean they’re both immortal?’ Wufei asked wondrously. ‘That I cannot say,’ Rashid replied. ‘Aiken and Aribi share similar traits as far as the life force goes. Quatre has told me that Trowa underwent a similar process as himself to extend his time in this realm. I believe it is his intent to invite you three to join them in their reign.’ ‘That’s possible?’ Hiiro asked softly, clearly awestruck by the opportunity. ‘It is,’ Rashid assured him, leaning forward. ‘Your worlds are interconnected by the five points of the Gobanme Star,’ he explained, drawing a diagram in the sand at their feet. He drew five circles to represent their five home worlds and demonstrated his point by linking them all together with a straight line. When he finished the lines between the worlds formed a perfect five point star. Then he drew a sixth circle showing them that Annon Shugi was located smack dab in the center. ‘It is feasible that you five could ensure peace and harmony through this galaxy for a good, long time to come,’ he smiled, leaning back to look down at the bright face of their blond companion once more. ‘Relena,’ Duo whispered softly, calling Hiiro’s attention to the obvious. ‘You think your dad knew about this?’ he asked quietly. Hiiro couldn’t answer. He’d been swept away so many times by one thing after another on this trip he just didn’t know what to believe anymore. There was only one thing for sure. Libra had to be destroyed. If they lived past that there would be time to contemplate the future. Right at that moment all he wanted was to relax and enjoy the moment of blissful quiet and peace this place offered and the back of Wufei’s neck seemed like a pretty good place to start. ~ * ~ tbc... |
