Disclaimer: I do not own the Gundam Wing characters, nor am I making any money from this. The idea of a Confessor is from Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth novels. I am doing this without permission. Warnings: AU, shounen-ai, violence Pairings: 1+2 3+4 The Confessor Series Part 11 Battle at King's Gorge [Three days after Duo made his decision]. Major Heero Yuy stalked into the barracks, stripping off his jacket and gloves. He had just come from his final briefing for their mission. All they had to do now was finish packing up and leave. Only Quatre was there, sitting on his cot and studying his spell book. He looked up at Heero and put his book down. "Are we leaving now?" he asked. "Yes," Heero answered. He pulled out his pack and started sorting though items, categorizing necessity and optional. He had done this many times before but the routine was so ingrained that it felt almost relaxing. "Where are the others?" Quatre frowned and his eyes lost focus as he concentrated his will. He had been practicing some new spells and the Locate spell was working quite well. "Wufei is on his way, Trowa is getting the horses ready and Duo is in the library, as usual." Duo. The confessor was still a complete enigma to them. They were to accompany the powerful young man on what was considered a suicide mission to eliminate the Golgathan wizards. Duo had said he would do it, indeed he was the only one who could, but Heero couldn't help but wonder about why the braided boy had agreed to do it. One day he would ask, but until then Heero decided to keep a close eye on him. It wasn't that he didn't trust Duo; it was just that he didn't understand him. Heero shook his head in irritation. Duo confused him and Heero didn't like being confused. "I'll get him." Ever since Duo had learned of the library, he had spent every spare minute there, studying the phenomenon known as the confessor. The journals his mother had left him were woefully incomplete, leaving large gaps of information out of his education. He now took this opportunity to fill in those gaps and learn to utilize his power to its greatest potential. He learned that his magic stemmed from the Wild magic, as opposed to the High magic used by sorcerers and wizards. A confessor could not be separated from this power, it was forever a part of them until they died or were killed. Nothing human could resist the power of a confessor's touch. He could understand Treize's fear of them, but they had been dedicated to peace and justice in the midlands. He was glad that his race had been a noble one, defending their beloved midlands from evil. Now it appeared he would be carrying on his ancestors work. Quiet footsteps echoing through the vast library alerted the Duo to Heero's arrival. He looked up into the cobalt eyes and once again felt a weird shiver run up his spine. He really didn't understand the reaction, because he only felt it when he looked into the Major's eyes. He closed the book and stood up. "Guess it's time, huh?" Heero nodded and together they left the maze of books. They walked side by side in silence. Duo was now wearing a military uniform like the others. His (un) official rank was lieutenant. It was imperative that he could pass for a soldier. The only thing that gave him away was his braid. They entered the barracks, neither of them having said a word on the way back. The others were there waiting for them, all packed and ready to go. Duo grabbed his pack and made sure it was all set. "Let's go." Heero said. They made good time. The midsummer weather stayed mild as they made their way east back through the mountains and then turned south toward the vast Korona Plains. The horses were fit and eager to be off each morning. Wufei and Duo continued the sword lessons at night. The confessor and the bladesmaster were becoming good friends. Trowa spent the day scouting and hunting, more and more often taking Quatre with him. Duo grinned as he watched them. They would often ride ahead of the rest and be waiting for them to catch up. "When do you suppose those two are going to stop beating around the bush and admit they have feelings for each other?" Wufei who was riding Shenlong on Heero's other side, snorted. "Knowing Trowa, never. But Quatre is persistent enough to get through to him." Wufei knew about their feelings for each other before either one of them had become aware of it themselves. "I think it's great. They deserve some happiness." Duo commented, a grin plastered on his heart-shaped face. "Hn." Was Heero's only comment, but Duo sensed some disapproval in his tone. "I take it you don't approve, Heero?" Duo asked. "No, I don't. Getting emotionally involved with another person when preparing for battle isn't wise. It distracts the focus and a person looses their objectivity." Duo frowned. He understood where Heero was coming from, but that didn't mean that he had to agree. "I don't know about that. It seems to me that a person should grab happiness whenever they can. I mean, chances are none of us will be coming back from this little venture. So would it be so bad if they shared something special? Live for today because tomorrow never comes anyway." "Hn." Was Heero's reply. Duo and Wufei looked at each other behind Heero's back and Duo smirked. They knew Heero wanted to argue but that would mean using up his ten-sentence quota for the day. Then Trowa and Quatre came into view, sitting on their horses and looking pleased with themselves. Quatre was beaming from ear to ear and Trowa had a little smile on his face too. "Wonder what those two were up to." Duo remarked, his smirk growing bigger. "None of our business." Heero stated firmly. He knew that Trowa was very protective of the slight blond mage. If Duo started teasing him, Trowa might be tempted to use one longhaired confessor for target practice. "Heero is right, Duo. Leave it alone." Wufei ordered and Duo acquiesced. He genuinely liked Quatre. The blond was the first person to treat him like a friend and Duo had come to think of him more a brother. He wanted them both to be happy. They made their way to the opening of the King's Gorge. It seemed different from the last time they had been there. At some unacknowledged signal they stopped and inspected the entrance. The wind sobbed though the stonewalls like some wounded beast. Wufei scowled at it with unease. "I don't like this. Something's different, it has something to do with magic." He shook his head in frustration. He could sense it, screaming down his nerve endings like metal filings. His unease transferred to Shenlong and she pawed the ground in agitation. Quatre reached out with his mind, trying to determine what was disturbing Wufei. He could sense High magic vibrating in the air like the last note of a violin string, but he couldn't determine a purpose or who had cast it. He shook his head and opened his eyes. The towering yellow walls seemed to stare forbidding back at them, daring them to enter. "I can sense something, but nothing specific. Someone cast a powerful spell here, but I don't know why. I think we should be very careful. Whatever happened here is still happening. Be ready for anything." Quatre said, blond hair stirring in the breeze as he stared hard into the gorge. Heero nodded. "I'll go first, then Trowa. Quatre and Duo next and Wufei, you bring up the rear. Be ready to run at my signal. We'll go the same route we took before, any detours will only take us deeper into the Gorge. Let's go." Gathering Wing's reins, Heero nudged the white stallion into a walk making their way toward the entrance. Cautiously, the others followed, not one word was spoken. It was as if they were trying to sneak through without being noticed. The wind screamed to a higher pitch, sounding for all the world like demented beast. It toyed with their hearing; grating on their nerves. All of them were constantly looking around, trying to see in all directions at once. The walls seemed too close, crowding in behind them and reluctantly parting ahead of them. This went on until they were about half way through the canyon. Trowa suddenly reined Heavyarms, holding up his hand for silence. They obeyed, each one listening with all his might. But all they could hear was the wind's insane scream. Heero looked questioningly at Trowa, but Trowa was fixed one something only he could hear, cocking his head off to one side. As Trowa whipped his head around and stared intently at the passage they had just come from, the horses began snorting and shying as a bellow of some monstrous beast echoed through the walls. "Run!" Trowa said in a calm voice, which contrasted with the urgency of the situation. As one the steeds wheeled around and hit full speed within three strides. They belted along the narrow twisting passage, turned a corner and slammed to a halt, with Wing standing on his hind legs screaming in protest. A huge monster with the body resembling a human and the head of a bull complete with razor sharp horns sticking out on either side, standing fifteen feet tall roared in rage at their appearance. The lower half of it was covered in thick black hair over bulging muscles. Clawed hands ripped through the air as it flailed about in insane hatred. Another was right behind it. The horses screamed shrilly as they fought for their heads, trying to bolt in terror. "Minotaurs!" Trowa yelled. "What the hell are they doing here?" Wufei demanded, his sword already drawn. Shenlong also reared, neighing shrilly. "I don't know and I really don't care!" Duo shouted as he clung to Shinigami's mane to keep from getting thrown in her panicked shying. "How are we getting out of here?" "Back!" Heero commanded, spinning Wing on his haunches and spurred him back through the gorge. They raced back the way they had come, only to wind up face to face with three more of the enraged beasts. "Now what!" Duo hollered over the scream of the wind and terrified horses. Heero looked around for a place to make a stand. He spied a narrow passage off to the side, almost invisible among the crags of the wall. He pointed at it with his sword and ordered them into it. Duo and Shinigami made the gap first, with Quatre and Sandrock at their heels. Heero, Wufei and Trowa came last; Trowa had his bow out and fired an arrow right into the left eye of the nearest minotaur. The great beast bellowed in agony but merely brushed at the arrow with one clawed hand as it charged. "Get back!" Heero ordered. They fled down the narrow corridor, single file. And skidded to a halt when they saw it open up to a small box canyon with no other exit. Quatre and Duo were already there staring up the vertical walls in dismay. "We're trapped." Quatre noted. "No, really? I hadn't noticed! Boy, nothing gets by you, Quatre." Duo snapped sarcastically. "Shut up, Duo!" Trowa glared at the braided confessor. No one talked to Quatre like that when Trowa was around. "They're right behind us you guys! Stay on the subject, will you?" Wufei had leaped down off of Shenlong and charged to the opening, brandishing his sword. "What's causing this? I thought minotaurs didn't live in this part of the gorge!" Heero demanded, following on Wufei's heels. "Something is driving them mad." Trowa readied his bow and grabbed the quiver from Heavyarms' saddle. "It's that spell!" Quatre exclaimed. "Someone cast that spell to drive the minotaurs crazy and ambush people going through the gorge." "Here they come!" There was no more time for talking. Another bellow heralded the arrival of the first minotaur. The corridor was too narrow to allow more than one at a time. The minotaur was the one that Trowa had shot, the arrow still sticking out of one eye as clear liquid ran down its cheek. Agony and rage contorted its features turning it into some kind of living nightmare. The horses crowded away to the back of the canyon, reins and stirrups flying loosely. Wufei met the monster in the opening. He was a bladesmaster and this was his chance to show what that really meant. With a war cry, he hacked at the sinewy wrist as the minotaur grabbed at him. The blade bit deeply, causing huge amounts of blood to gout from the wound. Faster than the eye could see, Wufei brought the blade down again, this time severing the hand completely. The monster threw its head back and roared in rage as Wufei's blade scythed straight across its midsection. Intestines spilled around its feet and with one last choking bellow, it sank to the blood soaked earth; the next one was already clawing its way over its dying companion. Heero fought at Wufei's side, his face set in a grim scowl. Though he was not as fast or as skilled as Wufei he knew more about swordsmanship than most people ever would. He cut and hacked with long acquired competence at the fur-covered body in front of him. Heero knew this mission was of utmost importance and if he had to die he would take as many as he could with him. Trowa fired arrow after arrow, shooting for the eyes in an attempt to blind the monsters. He took extra care to aim, not wanting to waste a single one. When he ran out, he would pick up his sword and fight alongside the two soldiers. The next minotaur fell to the onslaught of the defenders and the third one soon after. Quatre focused his will, reaching for that bright place deep inside. He spoke a single Word of Power and pointed at the minotaur trying to crawl over the one engaged in battle with his friends. The beast roared in pain as the High magic ruptured several of its vital organs, but it refused to give up and die. The young mage realized that whatever was driving these beasts mad was too strong for his power. So he tried a different tactic. He turned to his companions and concentrated. Gesturing with his hands, he began to cast spell after spell on them until he began to feel lightheaded and sweat began to bead on his forehead. Duo was standing nearby with his sword drawn; he knew that he would be in the way if he tried to help. The narrowness of the opening wouldn't permit more than two people to fight without getting in way. He turned, noticed Quatre starting to sway and moved quickly over to support the sagging mage. "What are you doing?" he questioned worriedly. "Buffing the others. I can give them a temporary boost in speed, stamina and strength. It won't last too long but it will help them get through the battle. Those monsters are resistant to my Direct Damage attacks. I'm not strong enough to hurt them." He finished with frustration. The soldiers were visibly fighting faster and better. But there was no end in sight of the monsters. Quatre started another series of buffs, gasping as his own energy started running dangerously low. Duo looked on with ill-disguised worry. Then he thought of something. "Quatre, where do you draw your power from?" "Myself, why?" Quatre clenched his teeth and focused yet again. The bright place within himself was beginning to dim, but he wouldn't stop. They needed him. He cast more spells, starting to feel dizzy. Nearby, Wufei danced out of reach of a vicious swipe of razor-sharp claws, ducking back in and slashing the hairy throat, coating both his sword and himself with hot blood. Another leaped over the back of it and Wufei was forced to retreat a step to avoid getting squished. Heero moved fluidly behind it and hacked at one strong knee. The horned beast fell to one knee with a roar and Heero plunged his sword deep into it's back. Wufei stabbed it through the heart and twisted his sword, leaping back to avoid the falling body. A few steps away, Trowa shot the next one coming behind it in one eye, and aimed an arrow for the other. The monster turned away at the last second and the arrow went wild. Swearing quietly, Trowa nocked yet another and waited for the next opportunity to present itself. Duo watched the battle while he considered carefully what Quatre had told him. Then he nodded to himself. "Can you draw from another source?" He asked, an idea forming in his mind. "I don't know, I think so but there isn't another source here." Quatre had sunk down to his knees with exhaustion and he could feel his heart laboring. He wiped a hand over his mouth and it came back streaked with red. He knew he couldn't keep it up for much longer; the strain on his body was too great. Hot and cold flushes raced up his spine and he fought to remain conscious. "Quatre, listen to me. You can draw from me, ok? I'll be your power source. Can you do it?" Duo shook the nearly unconscious mage, trying to wake him up. The blond mage drew a deep breath and shook his head trying to clear it. He turned and looked at Duo. "Are you sure?" He closed his eyes briefly and reopened them, willing them to focus. "Yeah, I'm sure. I'm supposed to be pretty powerful, but I can't control the power. Maybe you can. We have to do something, they can't hold out forever." Duo watched with growing frustration as yet another minotaur appeared in the corridor. Quatre nodded, he could feel his body begin to recover a little from the strain. His head felt a tad clearer and it was getting easier to breath. "Can you do it without touching me?" Duo asked. He didn't want to hurt the young mage. Nodding again, Quatre maneuvered to his feet, standing next to Duo. "Stand near me, and try to clear your mind." Duo nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating on his power. Quatre also closed his eyes and in his mind's eye he could see the lights that were the others. The three in front of him shone strong and clear. Then one flickered slightly and he heard Trowa cry out in pain. One had gotten through and Trowa had gone for his sword. The beast was bleeding from a dozen wounds already but refused to go down. Trowa stabbed at it's unprotected midsection and felt a satisfying jarring of his arm as the blow struck home. The creature writhed in pain and it clipped the scout's head as it flailed in its death throes. Taking a deep breath, Quatre blocked out the distractions and focused on Duo. He studied the confessor's light, feeling awe at the brilliance and subtle tones that made up Duo's essence. He shone like a sun, power pulsing through the light like a sun storm. Focusing his will, Quatre brought all his High magic to bear on Duo's Wild magic. With a thought, he tapped into the brilliance beside him and immediately knew his was in trouble. The Wild magic roared upon him like a giant pulse, strange and utterly inhuman. Quatre staggered under the impact of Duo's magic as it collided with his own. He fought back fiercely, trying to control the ancient power. The two magics, one of order and one of chaos struggled for domination of the young mage. Quatre felt he was drowning in a swirl of light and colors, and then with a chill of horror he understood: the Wild magic was the power to create and destroy. [create and destroy] Calling on all his training he fought back. Slowly he gained control, using his High magic as a focus he opened his eyes, staring at the attacking monsters. Bending his will even more, he filtered the High magic through the Wild magic. [create and destroy] Duo felt the rapid rise in power next to him and he too opened his eyes. He saw Quatre slowly point at the opening of the corridor, now clogged with carcasses of minotaurs, with yet more trying to fight their way in. He sensed rather than saw Quatre gather his will and knew that something terrible was going to happen. [create and destroy] "Get down!" Duo yelled to the others. [destroy] "Destroy" Wufei, Trowa and Heero all hit the deck. Light blazed in Quatre's eyes. Boulders and rocks were picked up and thrown aside and the minotaurs died bellowing in unspeakable agony as a vast invisible force crushed their existence right out of them. Like a tidal wave, the power moved across the gorge, destroying everything in its path. Smears of bloody bones were all that was left of the minotaurs. The three soldiers shuddered as they felt the magic roll over them, wild and unstoppable. The ancient Wild magic had been set loose, only held in check by High magic and the will of one young mage. The power surged out of Quatre in a never-ending stream. The walls of the gorge began to crack and crumble from the sheer intensity of the blast. With stunned awe, Heero realized that the opening was beginning to cave in. "Quatre! Stop!" Quatre didn't respond. He was lost in the power of destruction. "Quatre!" Trowa sheathed his sword and ran to Quatre, thinking to disrupt the spell. But as he neared, Quatre turned his eyes to him and he froze, seeing the strange yellow glow where there once had been sky blue. "Stay away from me or I'll destroy you!" Quatre hissed. "Quatre! Stop right now! You'll destroy everything!" Heero yelled, ducking away from the crumbling rock. Destroy everything "Destroy everything!" Quatre repeated, as if in a trance. "Great Heero, give him ideas!" Wufei shouted from across the box canyon. The stone walls began to resonate with a deep sonorous tone, like the peal of a huge iron bell. It started growing steadily louder. With a sinking feeling, Heero knew that sound heralded their destruction. He raised his sword and with a burst of strength, winged it end over end straight at Quatre. Trowa saw the sword coming out of the corner of his eye and he bit his lip to keep from crying out. He understood that Quatre must die before he could kill them all. However something alerted the mage. Faster than the eye could follow, Quatre gestured and the sword turned to slag and fell to the ground. Then with narrowed eyes, he turned to Heero. "I will kill you." He ground out. Duo watched with rising terror. He could feel Quatre tapped into his power. But it was only a slow trickle. He tried futilely to clamp down on the power, to prevent Quatre from using it to hurt the others. But it was no use, like trying to grasp a sunbeam with his fingers. So gritting his teeth, he tried the only other thing he could think of: he released his hold on the power. Silent thunder impacted the air. Wild magic hit Quatre's High magic like a tsunami, overwhelming it immediately. Quatre screamed in pain, as his will was shredded by Duo's magic like a cobweb in a tornado. Blackness rose up through the chaos, and the blond mage fell to the ground, unconscious. The silence was deafening. Trowa ran over to the prone mage and knelt down beside him. He turned the unconscious mage over, picked him up and cradled him in his arms. Quatre's breathing was unsteady and his face was chalk white. Softly, he soothed the sweat-damped bangs back from the pale forehead, ignoring the trickle of blood down him own forehead. "Is he ok?" Wufei stalked up where the others were clustered around the mage and the scout. "He's still breathing, if that's what you mean." Trowa said, not taking his eyes off of the blonde's face. "Where did he get all that power from?" Heero asked, though he suspected he already knew. "He used mine." Duo said. He appeared to be fine, though a little pale. "Yours?" "Yeah, he wasn't strong enough to do much against the minotaurs on his own, so I let him tap into my power." "Did you touch him?" Trowa's voice was ice cold. He didn't look up. "No, but he was connected my power when I hit him with a full blast. I had to do it to knock him out of the spell. He had lost control of it." "He had enough power to level everything for a five-mile radius it felt like." Wufei supplied. "Will he still be Quatre? Or will he be your slave?" Trowa asked, his voice rippled in agony. "I don't know." Duo shrugged, masking his horror and self-loathing. He knew he had no choice but this was Quatre, the one he felt like a brother to. He wished again that he could use his power on himself. "We'll find out when he wakes up." Trowa raised his head and stared at the confessor with undisguised hatred. Gently he put Quatre back down on the ground and stood up. His green eyes never left Duo's. He stalked toward the confessor, who stood his ground and met that emerald gaze squarely. Without a warning, he reached out and grabbed Duo's collar in both fists, pulling him forward until their faces were inches apart. "If Quatre isn't himself when he wakes up, I will kill you myself." Duo looked back into Trowa's pain-filled face and nodded. "If Quatre isn't himself when he wakes up, I'll let you do it."