Author:Lyndaura Warnings: General Lyndaura weirdness
C&C: Need, want, yearn for, desire, long for, crave, require, hunger after, pine for and covet feedback.
Authors Notes: Pyro George strikes with inspiration! ***ALL BOW BEFORE PYRO GEORGE*** He can be really great once you get past the holding your teddy bears hostage and burning off all your hair. ***GLOMPS PYRO GEORGE*** Expect Heero torture in the next chapter…… right now just a lot
of weirdness.
Duo: As usual.
Lyndaura: Shut up!
Duo: What you say it yourself all the time.
Lyndaura: Yes, but I say that so that others will tell me that it isn't weird, and so I don't get flames saying that I'm psycho. ***Pauses*** Oops.
Duo: Silly Lyndaura, sugar is for REAL people.
Lyndaura: Hey! I wouldn't talk if I were you! Sic ''em Pyro!
Duo: Meep!
Lyndaura: Now back to the weird story.

Part 5: The Marking

Quatre placed a hand on Luke's arm. He would have preferred a shoulder, but due to height restrictions, an arm would have to do, "Then we go with you."

"We need to leave now," Luke felt a sweeping sense of relief wash over him.

"What about Katara?" Duo looked at the beauty before him. She looked so innocent and sweet when she was unconscious. Her hair swirled around her back and tumbled over her shoulders to frame her breasts.

But the bloodstain on her neck was worrying Quatre. He knew that the transformations were too much for her, and her brain was hemorrhaging. Quatre wished there was something that he could do, but he was left weak
and powerless, a position all too familiar with the lithe pilot.

"I'll take care of her," Luke shot Duo and Quatre a warning glare of resentment as he saw the lustful way that Duo was staring at Katara, and the concern in Quatre's features. Duo immediately diverted his view to other places and Quatre followed suit.

"Where are we going?" Heero swiftly mounted his horse with skill and precision.

"To the Angel's Forest," Luke answered grimly, "To find the fairies."

"Fairies? What next giants, gremlins and trolls?" Wufei snarled to himself habitually.

"No gremlins and giants, but trolls are a well known enemy of the fairies. They have been fighting for years. The fairies are usually quite peaceful, but when you get a fairy and a troll in the same space, one of them is going to die," Luke explained mono-toned and secured Katara on his horse.

"Why are we going to go find the fairies?" Heero asked bringing his horse up to Luke's.

"Fairies are renowned for their healing capabilities. If Katara is going to get better we have to go find the fairies," Luke glanced over the site for any missing or forgotten items.

"What IS wrong with Katara?" Duo asked taking his eyes off Katara again after another warning from Luke in the form of a very powerful glare.

"I don't know," Luke looked to Quatre but Quatre only reverted his sight to his hands, "Are you going to tell me what's wrong with her?"

Quatre was silent. He didn't want to tell Luke that his love was dying. He didn't want to tell Luke that she had to struggle every waking moment, and sometimes when she wasn't even conscious, to keep whatever was in her under control. He didn't want to tell Luke that she was being permanently, mentally scarred. He didn't want to tell Luke that if she didn't let the demon out soon, that it would kill her physically and mentally. He didn't want to tell him that Katara was on the verge of a mental breakdown that could fuel the creature's power to an extent that it could, and would, destroy the entire world. He didn't want to tell Luke that he knew the only way to save her. He didn't want to tell Luke that she would never be the same again.

"I understand," Luke brushed a stray strand of hair away from Katara's face and whispered a kiss on her unblemished forehead.

"We should get going," Heero interrupted Luke's thoughts and he was thrown back into reality.

"Yes, we should. The forest is about 20 miles north of here."

For the first three hours, everyone was silent, save a rambumtious Duo who needed to get the extra sugar intake out of his system. Quatre tried not to look at Katara, knowing the struggle that she was battling even
though she was not currently in a state of consciousness.

A small forest had sprung up and they found themselves accompanied by lush forestry along the riverside.

Closing his aching eyes, Luke sighed heavily. He knew that something was wrong with Katara, and if Quatre wasn't going to tell him what was wrong then it had to be bad.

Was she dying? Was she sick? Was she in pain?

To see Katara in suffering was more than his heart could bear. He loved her with an undying intensity that would not permit him to take his mind off her condition. He only wish for the strength to cope without sleep
so he could remain with her through the nights, but he would have to settle for wrapping his powerful arms around her for the night.

Luke gazed up at the noonday suns and knew that lunchtime was approaching. Duo was ravenous…… he had made that clear through his jumbled proclamations hours ago, and now Luke was suffering from the same affliction.

"Time to eat," Luke halted his horse and carried Katara off gracefully and carefully.

"Awesome! More fish?" Duo more than enjoyed the sugary treat.

"No, please no more fish!" Quatre held his stomach in protest.

"Sorry Duo, but I think I would have to agree with Quatre on this one, we need a little variety in our diet," Luke tried to keep good company around them, but with Katara in distress, Luke was finding the task difficult.

"What's on the menu then?" Duo rebounded back into his cheerful nature immediately.

Luke paused for a moment, "Rabbit."

"You have rabbit?" Wufei looked him over critically.

"Yes, okay? I have explained this more times than I wish to Wufei, sometimes animals come through and they multiply, such as the horse that you are riding and the rabbit that we are about to eat Wufei! I don't know why you are so judgmental of me right now! If what you have seen doesn't prove that you are in an alternate dimension by now then you are as thick headed as I first assumed!" Luke's horse bucked up and threw its front hooves in the air in a glorious display of power and aggressiveness.

"Thick headed?" Wufei shot Luke an evil glare that would put Heero to shame, "You are the one that is in love with a demon!"

"She is not a DEMON!" Luke retorted, "Now shut up and leave her out of this you arrogant fool!"

"Arrogant fool?" Wufei roared in response and Luke and Wufei were instantly locked in a combat of glares.

"Please! Wufei! Luke! Stop it! Please don't fight!" Quatre physically guided his horse in between the narrowing distance between Luke and Wufei.

Duo quickly joined Quatre and tried to break the two up, "Come on you guys! Let's just get some food, okay?"

Duo's attempts were rewarded with a satisfactory grunt from Wufei and several rabbits charging from the depths of the forest. In a moment Luke spun around and stared at them viciously. Immediately, there were
deceased rabbits in their wake. The effect was humorous in the eyes of the pilots, as it appeared that Luke had killed the animals by a mere glance, but they knew of the powers that dwelled within him. If Luke was
only aware of the power that resided in Katara.

"I thought you said that you didn't kill animals like that," Wufei smirked tauntingly.

"I'm not in the mood for this shit Wufei," Luke threw a fireball twice the size of his head at a pile of sticks that had seemed to magically appear. Normally this would disturb someone, but lately the pilots had been learning to expect the unexpected.

"How far until we reach the fairies?" Heero found himself purposefully changing the subject once again. He hated to play mediator with a passion that burned furiously inside. He was about to go and settle the feud with a few of his own words, but stopped himself with amazing self-control.

"Another ten minutes and we reach the forest, but finding the fairies will be much more difficult," Luke shook his head mournfully. Katara's time was diminishing and he needed to find the fairies and utilize their healing capabilities.

"How do you find them?" Trowa wanted a strategic viewpoint on the current situation.

"They have the capability to reduce their size to 1/100 of their original size, so they tend to be able to hide quite well. We need to find them either by their energy residue, or by finding the lair and talking with them. They are peaceful and will help when needed, but only when asked, other than that they keep to themselves," Luke explained while cooking the first rabbit.

"Wise," was all Wufei said as he eyed the roasting rabbit.

"Very," Luke commented as he let his eyes wander over Katara. She was radiant when she slept.

"She's beautiful," Duo saw Luke's loving gesture and smiled.

"She's more than beautiful, I just wish I could conjure a word that would accurately describe her elegance and beauty. I also wish that I knew what's happening. The fairies will know. They have to, they are her only hope, MY only hope," Luke tried to prevent the tear from falling, but it crept its way down his face slowly. Teasing and tickling all the curves and crevices of his face, reminding him he could still feel.

"We'll find them, I know we will," but Duo could feel something eminent in the air. Something catastrophic was going to happen. He knew that Quatre could feel it, and Heero probably was sensing it but not acting on it. Then again, what was there to do? How could you prepare yourself for something you knew nothing about? Duo sighed and picked at his rabbit.

After their meal, they cleaned up and washed in the nearby river. Luke came back to a troubling sight. Katara was stirring in her slumber and her face was that of terror and panic.

"Katara……" Luke barely dared to whisper her name. Panic begged to overcome him, but he stubborn self-control took over and he tried to rationalize it.

"Luke!" Katara cried out in her unconscious struggle and Luke rushed to her aid.

"Katara! What's wrong, speak to me, PLEASE!" Luke held her hand and saw the blood making its way down her ears, and the crimson fluid spill forth from her nose, "Someone! Get me my staff!"

"Luke! It's coming! I can't stop her! I…… I…… I don't want to stop her, she's hurting! She wants me! Luke! I don't know what to do!" Katara was crying. Luke squeezed her hand. He wished there was something that he
could do. Quatre was by his side in a moment and presented Luke with his staff.

"Katara……" Luke was hurting inside, the excruciating pain overtaking him slowly. No stubborn pride or self-control would be able to stop the worry and concern threatening to bring him to a breakdown of sobbing
tears. She was dying in his arms and he didn't know what to do.

He raised his staff and prepared himself to use his power when he was hit with a powerful wave of energy. He was blown back thirty feet and Quatre was recoiled as well.

"What the fuck?" Duo struggled against the wind rising to frightening speeds, and Katara being slowly levitated off the ground. She practically was luminescent as the power surged through her. She cried out in pain as the blood trickled down her face and was raised around her, swirling in scarlet circles. Katara's hair flung violently in the wind and Katara was left sobbing in anguish.

"Katara!" Luke called out to her but it was too late, the power was already overtaking her. Her facial features contorted and disfigured till the face of the demon was left. The demon curled herself into a fetal position forty feet above the ground. Heero strained to see her against the sand and dirt that was being blown in his face by the ever-increasing wind speeds. She wrapped her arms around her legs and placed her chin in between her knees in a more child-like manner.

"Heero!" she suddenly burst out. The cry was followed by a sudden blast of energy and Heero was knocked off his feet.

Katara was suddenly dropped to the ground and Luke was by her side momentarily holding her and shedding unbidden tears.

"What the hell just happened?" The other pilots accompanied Duo at Luke's side shortly.

"Whatever happened, that was powerful," Luke sighed. He was starting to understand what was happening. He knew that the long lost part of Katara was coming out again, but he didn't realize that she was more powerful
than ever, and she wanted to be in control of Katara permanently. Luke now knew that he would need a VERY powerful fairy to help Katara.

"What is wrong with her? Who is that demon that keeps coming?" Trowa was angry, but didn't let his image portray the overwhelming emotion.

"You deserve to know," Luke sighed and cradled the bloodied love against his chest, "A long time ago Katara was much different. She was much more aggressive, more…… powerful. She was the best soldier that the Fallen
Angels had. She was best friends with Terra too. That's how bad it was. I was sent to be her partner to keep control over her, to make sure that she didn't do anything counter-productive. After about thirty years of
working together, we got a new member to out team. Her name was Emily."

"Thirty years?" Wufei scoffed.

"Hey! Listen Wufei…… I know it sounds ridiculous but time passes different here than on Earth okay? It travels a lot faster and I don't want to get into the details," Luke took a cleansing breath and resumed his story, "She was a remarkable person. She was a great friend and colleague, and eventually, her and Katara grew a strangely strong bond despite their differences. There was a battle, and I was injured, and I was sent off the team for a week.

"During that week Emily and Katara encountered a class 5 ghost. Katara killed it by casting a purity spell. The only problem with purity spells is that they are so strong they affect the caster of the spell as well as the enemy, leaving Katara suffering the consequences of the purity spell. The result was that her personalities were split. The kinder personality presiding, and then the more aggressive, evil side being suppressed. It's hard to explain, but she was left changed, kinder, softer, and I guess weaker.

"After the battle with the ghost, Emily was severely hurt and the fairies couldn't help her. There was nothing anyone could do, so Katara did the only thing she could think of. She merged with Emily. Emily and Katara are now one person, sharing Katara's body. I was upset that that had happened to Emily, but I liked the new Katara. Sometimes, Katara would lose control and the darker side would come and then wreak a little havoc, but then the real Katara would always come back. Now I don't know why the darker Katara is constantly coming out. Katara said something about her coming and she couldn't stop her. She said that she wanted her. I think the darker Katara wants to become the leading personality permanently. I think she plans to kill the good Katara," Luke instinctively clung tighter to Katara.

"How do we stop it?" Duo wanted nothing but to help Katara.

"The fairies will know. They have to……" Luke fought back another wave of tears as the emotions hit him hard. He couldn't stand the pain anymore.

Heero rubbed his eyes. The hit of energy had somehow exhausted him. He felt older and tired. He didn't want to help Katara now; he just wanted to sleep for an eternity. Graceful, calm and peaceful slumber.

"Heero?" Duo looked at the painfully tiresome eyes of Heero and was suddenly worried. They usually were stone cold and intense, now they were weak and faltering. He had never seen Heero with that expression
before…… never.

Quatre gasped as he suddenly collapsed into Trowa's arms.

"What the hell?" Duo looked over to Quatre.

"Something just came through the barrier," Luke inhaled sharply. He could feel a shift in the energy. Whatever it was it was drawing energy towards itself and Luke didn't like that at all. He wished that he knew what it was.

Was it Terra again? The armies might be already after them. He needed more time before they found him. He knew that he would have to face the inevitable, but he needed to save Katara. The armies would permit that.
Luke prayed to every God and deity he could think of for the ''thing' not to be the armies.

Heero ignored Luke's obvious worry and held his side. Something was wrong with him. He knew it. A deep sense of unnerving, irrational fear consumed him as he felt the tightening restraints of an invisible enemy.

Heero took a deep breath. He would be of no use to the team if he was in this state of mind.

Luke took Quatre from Trowa's arms and laid him on the ground. He grasped his staff firmly in his hand and lightly touched it to the ground. A small plant suddenly sprouted up and grew slowly but surely until it was five inches high. A small blue ripe fruit hung lightly from on of the entwined branches. Luke picked it and ripped off a piece gracefully. Luke gently opened Quatre's mouth and placed the morsel in and closed Quatre's mouth.

Trowa looked on cautiously, but as he was rewarded with a stirring Quatre, Trowa nodded his thanks and looked Quatre deeply in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" Trowa didn't let his voice betray the worry that his eyes were laced with, but Quatre was an expert in reading ''Trowa' and understood what he meant and what he was feeling.

"I'll be okay, I just need some sleep," Quatre was helped up by Trowa gratefully and brushed off some grass and a twig or two.

"Good to hear," Luke nodded to Quatre genuinely, even though his thoughts were far off of Quatre.

Katara lay mere meters away.

"Heero, you sure you're okay bud?" Duo asked Heero as soon as Quatre had been confirmed as in good condition.

"Hn," Heero gave his traditional curt and non-emotional response. But Duo was a great specialist too. A specialist in reading ''Heero'. He knew and understood that he meant that he was feeling like crap but would put up with it for the sake of a mission. It was a familiar ''hn' in Heero's life.

"You need anything, just ask okay Heero?" Duo knew that Heero would never ask anything unless it was pertinent to the mission, but regardless Duo was drawn to say something of the sort to his friend.

"Hn," Heero allowed a small grunt and Duo was left back in the dark as to Heero's real state of health.

"Are we to continue riding or are we to stay until Katara and Quatre are in better states to travel?" Wufei inquired of Luke.

"We continue to ride, we need to find out what came through that barrier," Luke mentally groaned, he didn't want to ride.

As they mounted Heero's hand drifted to his side again. He glanced down at his green tank top and was shocked to find the unfamiliar pattern on his chest. A design resembling a long and winding dragon was ''growing' across his ribs and the right side of his chest. Heero adjusted his top to cover the foreign marking and resumed his normal impassiveness as he followed Luke down the river.

~End Part 5 -- The Marking~

Author's Tidbits: Okay, I tried to explain Katara's story a little there. I know that was short, but you will have to wait till the next chapter to get all the good juicy Heero torture like requested. By the way…… just finished school so more chapters faster…… well as fast as the web hosts will post them. Everyone thank the kind web hosts for me! Yeah! You guys are great! And love + kisses to Tiff! Thanks for your support!
~Lyndaura + Pyro George~

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