by Maria Rocket
Author's Notes: There's a reference to Quatre's Episode Zero in this chapter. I've used names from the online translations of it rather than the Viz comics translation, just in case there's confusion. And this is 3x4 fic!
Not even the icy waters of the pool could take away the warmth Quatre was feeling. Despite all the awfulness of the last two days, he just felt so happy. He knew he was smiling like an idiot, but he didn't care. It was almost like he was falling in love all over again.
A shadow sitting in the grass beside the pool, Trowa had already finished washing, and was busy pulling on his rather damaged clothing. His beautiful, wonderful Trowa. His mate. It was a strange term to hear coming from himself, but he didn't care about that either. None of it bothered him anymore.
"At least he didn't destroy the belt," he could hear Trowa muttering.
Quatre chuckled softly to himself as he emerged from the water. His bottom was a little sore, but he knew from experience that it would subside within the hour. One of the advantages of being a werewolf. Finding Trowa's black leather jacket lying in the grass, he tied it back around his waist.
As Trowa stood, he caught him in a kiss. Behind them, he could smell the Magaunacs coming closer. His euphoria began to fade under sobering weight of encroaching reality. Why did all of this have to happen now? This was the way he wanted it, to be alone with Trowa. This was how it was supposed to be.
With a sigh he stepped back and met Trowa's gentle eyes with a smile. He could hear the crunch of leaves underfoot behind him, and saw Trowa's eyes lift beyond him. It had been wonderful while it lasted.
Never had Trowa thought he'd be so glad to see that beat-up little cabin again. After hours of marching through the forest, he could see it through the trees. He felt his mouth twist wryly at the thought of what anyone would think if they saw the strange scene coming down out of the deep woods. A large group of mostly naked men and a few scattered wolves walking along like they'd just been out on a nature hike. God, he was glad Duo wasn't there, or he never would've heard the end of it.
As they came through into the campsite clearing, Quatre broke into a run ahead of them, heading for the cabin. Not wanting to let him out of his sight, Trowa headed after him.
"Rashid!" Quatre cried as he entered the cabin. On one of the small, old couches within, sat the big man himself. He was wrapped in a long gray robe, as was Ahmad, who seemed to have made it his job to make sure Rashid stayed put. There was a nasty scar across Rashid's left eye. "Are you alright?"
"Master Quatre, thank goodness you're alive." Rashid pulled away from the couch and went to embrace him. "I'll be fine. Ahmad and the others have been treating me like some sort of invalid." He snorted.
"Rashid, that monster almost killed you!" Auda announced his presence loudly. "We couldn't risk you putting yourself in further danger while you were still healing! And see, we found Master Quatre and Master Trowa."
"Rashid, what's going on?" Quatre asked as he accepted one of the gray cloaks from Ahmad and pulled it around his shoulders.
"Overall, nothing good." Rashid growled. "The strangers are survivors of the Moonblood, an ancient pack of werewolves who believed they had the right to dominate the human race. We Magaunac, and those who eventually joined us, were persecuted throughout the ages because of the crimes they committed. For the sake of our race, as well as all humankind, we were forced to fight them until almost all werewolves had been killed off from the fighting. Up until now, we believed the Moonblood were completely wiped out."
"And now they're back, just like Tala told Quatre," Trowa mused quietly. He met Rashid's stare. "You do know they're after Quatre. One of them told him her father wanted to kill him."
"Yes, I know." Rashid's eyes left Trowa to look sharply at Quatre. "It would seem the Moonblood have been successfully hiding from us and plotting for a very long time. During the battle yesterday, the blows between their pack leader and I became severe enough to force us back into our human forms, and I learned a few things before he ran away."
"Tala's father?" Quatre's face twisted, and Trowa wasn't sure if his lover was angry or ill. "You actually talked to him?"
"His name is Fenris," answered Rashid with a nod. "And he's grown impatient with their usual underhanded attempts to kill off the last of us." His dark eyes looked away, as if seeing something far off. "From what he said, he's been waiting for the right moment to seek revenge on you, Master Quatre."
"Revenge?" Quatre blinked with mild surprise. "But I can't think of any reason why he'd want revenge against me." He suddenly shook his head in frustration. "I've had death threats from families of those I hurt or killed during the war, but..." He lifted his wide, pain- tinged eyes to Rashid, then to Trowa. "Could that be it?"
"Master Quatre, this isn't any fault of yours." Auda growled, with an animalistic sound that made Trowa's skin crawl. "I'll tell that idiot..."
"It isn't anyone's fault," Rashid cut him off roughly. "Fenris brought it on himself." He turned back to Quatre. "You see Master, during the war, the Moonblood infiltrated our ranks, planning to betray us to the Earthsphere Alliance's military. They had hoped the Alliance would eliminate us for them."
Quatre's eyes widened and his mouth fell open. "You can't mean..."
Rashid nodded, meeting his eyes. "Their spy was Judas, the traitor you caught during our very first meeting. The man who might have killed me, if not for you. His real name was Skoll. He was the eldest son of Fenris."
"I see." Quatre said with a small frown. "Fenris wants revenge on me because I'm the reason his son was killed."
"Master Quatre, it isn't right," Auda started again. "I was the one who killed the bastard. You shouldn't be taking the heat for this."
Closing his eyes decisively, Quatre shook his head. "No, Auda. Rashid is right, Skoll was responsible for his own actions, his own death. It's better this way. At least now we know they're there."
A small, nagging worry began at the back of Trowa's mind. This Moonblood pack had apparently managed to keep themselves hidden from the Magaunacs for hundreds, possibly thousands of years. Only to reveal themselves for a simple case of revenge? Were they really that stupid or just extremely arrogant? And if that were the case, surely they would have appeared much sooner than this... Something didn't feel right.
Glancing up, he saw Quatre staring at him, and Trowa knew he was thinking the same thing. Even though Quatre denied it, at times like these he suspected Quatre really could read his mind as well as his heart. Whether it was just another aspect of Quatre's werewolf nature, or something more, was anyone's guess.
"Rashid," Quatre said, his eyes still locked with Trowa's, "do you have any idea how many of them there are?"
"I'm afraid not. There are at least a hundred out there in the forest, but there's no telling how many could still be hiding."
"No room for error." Quatre said almost to himself, pulling his gaze away from Trowa back to Rashid. "We have to be prepared for anything. Rashid, I need you to teach me complete control over my transformations. If I don't have my wits about me, I'll just be a liability to you. My lack of control is my greatest weakness, and they've already tried to exploit it." He had a very determined look. Trowa was a little surprised. Quatre had always been afraid of transforming before. This was the first time he had ever seen him wanting it to happen.
Rashid seemed a bit taken aback as well. But not at all displeased. He nodded with a small smile. "Yes, we should see to your training right away." He glanced back at Ahmad. "That is, provided certain nursemaids allow me to move about on my own."
Ahmad grinned. "I believe you're well enough to handle that much."
"Well, then, with your permission," Rashid raised an eyebrow at him, "it's time Master Quatre was properly educated within the Magaunac pack."
The cabin door banged open, and Trowa turned to see Wufei step into the room. The Chinese man's black hair was a bit frazzled, and his forest-green Preventers jacket torn, but he had an energetic glint in his dark eyes, and an almost mirthful twist to his lips. His hand was loose on his sword hilt.
"So you're all alive after all!" Wufei looked between Trowa and Quatre. "We weren't sure what had happened to you for a while there." He pulled a gun out of his jacket and handed it to Trowa. "Here, I found this back in the forest. You really don't want to lose that around here."
"I'm glad to see you're doing fine," Quatre smiled.
"Wufei, I think you really have been stuck in the office too long," Trowa said dryly, accepting the weapon. He wondered how he was going to explain to Sally, should things go badly, that her husband was eaten by werewolves.
Holding Trowa's hand for support, Quatre tracked into the woods with his head held high. Rashid led the way before them, keeping a sharp eye and ear out for trouble. Despite leaving with only Rashid, several four-legged shapes darted in the dark underbrush around them, a hidden guard of Magaunac wolves.
A tingle of excitement whispered through Quatre, the now familiar call to join his brothers. Soon, very soon, he knew he would gladly answer it. Feeling the anticipation build, he gave Trowa's hand a squeeze. His mate interpreted it as anxiety, and brushed his thumb across the back of Quatre's hand to reassure him. Quatre just smiled happily back at him.
Finally they reached a small shaded glade that seemed to satisfy Rashid. He turned to face Quatre, his arms folded casually across his chest. "Now then," he said, "I assume you've been practicing the meditation techniques I taught you. In any situation, those are useful for ordering your mind. But alone, they are not enough. If you are to have complete control of yourself, you must learn to be true to what you are. Let the transformation flow freely from within, and allow your mind to fully become one with your wolf form. It is as simple as that, but it can be difficult at first to completely let go and let it happen naturally. Are you ready to begin?"
"Yes," Quatre said, giving Trowa's hand one last squeeze before letting him go. He saw Trowa move back in the corner of his eye as he let the cloak fall to the ground. Then he untied the leather jacket that was still around his waist, and let that fall as well. The forest air was cool against his skin. "How do I...?"
"All you need to do is think about the change. Think about being a wolf." Rashid said in a rumbling voice. "You'll feel it, even as just a whisper, waiting beneath your skin. Pull it out and let the change happen. Don't fight it. As you probably have already discovered, fighting the change when it's already on top of you can cause it to be extremely painful. Do not obstruct it, and there will be no pain. A transformation brought on by negative emotions will also be very painful. Perhaps I have no right to say such, but always remember to keep your emotions tempered in any case, Master Quatre. That's what the meditation techniques are mostly for."
"It's okay, Rashid," Quatre said softly. "I think I understand... I'll try." He gave one last glance back at where Trowa stood, a few feet away, watching him. Behind the wiry tangle of his hair, Trowa's jade eyes smiled with encouragement.
Thank you, Quatre thought quietly with a gentle smile as he turned his attention back to the waiting Rashid, before dropping his gaze to forest floor before him. His eyes unfocused as he felt for the familiar humming, the tingling sensation inside. For the first time, he seized at it and embraced it.
A gasp tore from his lips as his entire body shuddered. It wasn't painful, but it was very jarring. His first response was to push it back as he was accustomed to doing, and he felt the first twinge of the agonies he usually felt.
"Master Quatre, don't fight it!" He heard Rashid bark. Also, he could now smell acutely, Trowa's fear and worry nearby.
With a hard swallow, he forced himself to loosen up. Realizing his eyes were tightly closed, he opened them, and at the same time let go of his last hold on his transformation. Like a flood, it flowed, raged through him, shaking him savagely. It was frightening, but he rode the flow, letting the transformation run wild through every sweltering cell in his body. The heat was intense, and he could feel the fur pushing through his skin, signaling that it was only just beginning.
His limbs were twisting and popping, and it quickly became impossible to stand upright. He fell to all fours, panting as the transformation rush became overwhelming. He could feel his small form expanding as muscle rippled beneath his fur, contorting in harmony with his changing skeletal structure to create a new shape to his form. There was a terrible pressure along his spine as a long tail split away from his body, blossoming with thick bushy fur.
A slight panic came over him as he realized what was coming next. His head, already distended and distorted, was starting to seize up. At the same time, he could feel the peculiar sensation of his internal organs dancing around inside him, rearranging themselves in strange ways. His mind was beginning to slip away. Panicking, he threw his head from side to side.
"Calm down! Quatre!" This time, it was Trowa.
Half wild, Quatre swung his head around to look at him with wide eyes. Trowa's own eyes widened quite a bit, but he recovered quickly. "Quatre, please, just let it go. For me."
Only half comprehending, Quatre found Trowa's voice soothing, and somewhat reluctantly let himself go. His clawed hands, clutching at the ground, grew into large padded paws. His vision blurred as his face stretched away into a slender snout, his ears stretching up to the top of his head. He whined at the sensation, and staggered slightly when his head finished taking its wolfish shape, his vision coming back into crystal clear focus.
With a slight, fading echo of the transformation still humming within him, Quatre quivered on his four legs as his newly formed body settled. With a blink, he was surprised to find his mind coming back into focus as well. It wasn't quite the same, the feral instinct of his wolf mind was still at the forefront, taking everything in and reacting, but he was still fully conscious and in control. He swayed there, adjusting to the new sensation of being one with his wolf side.
"He's fine. Just give him a moment."
Rashid? He snapped out of his daze.
"Quatre?"
Trowa! Lifting his head, he saw Trowa standing closer than he had been before, looking down at him in concern. Joy welled up in him, and before he could check what he was doing, he had leaped onto his mate, eager to share his feelings with him. He forgot that he was much heavier in that form, and Trowa toppled over under his weight. He was already lavishing him with affection in the form of a warm, wet tongue, before his senses kicked in. Rashid was laughing loudly, and Quatre almost thought he would blush if he could. Meekly, he lifted himself off Trowa.
With a soft chuckle, Trowa wiped at his face. Then he reached out and pulled the golden wolf into a tight hug, tucking his face into the ruff of fur at the back of his neck. "See," he whispered. "I knew you could do it." He gave Quatre's furry underbelly a rub, and the werewolf whimpered and leaned into him.
"Ahem," Rashid cleared his throat loudly.
Quatre had to shake himself out of the stupor that Trowa's pleasant touch had put him in. He tried to concentrate on what Rashid was saying.
"Over there," Rashid said, pointing towards a nearby treestump.
Quatre stared at it, then back at Rashid. Then back at the stump. Reluctantly pulling away from Trowa, he trotted over to the treestump and sat himself down in front of it. He stared back at Rashid, wondering what was going on now. The Magaunac leader was now talking to Trowa, who was still sitting sprawled on the ground.
"Quatre!" The golden wolf perked his ears at attention at the sound of his mate's voice. "Come back here, Quatre!"
What am I, a dog? Quatre thought to himself as he stared back at the man sitting across from him. With a panting grin, he let his furry rump remain parked where it was. None of this obedience school business for him, thank you.
Rashid and Trowa exchanged a frown.
"Is something wrong?" Trowa asked Rashid, before staring back at Quatre.
"Hmm." Rashid stroked his beard. "Come here, Quatre."
Quatre gave himself a good vigorous scratch.
Rashid raised an eyebrow. "I'm beginning to get the feeling Master Quatre may be ignoring us."
"Is that so." Trowa's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Quatre, come here, or else."
Narrowing his own blue eyes back at him, Quatre sent his own silent retort.
Trowa smirked. "I think you know what else."
It was best not to take chances. With a flick of his tail, Quatre trotted back over to Trowa. Taking the back of his shirt in his teeth, he dragged him off across the grass. Trowa flailed about in surprise.
"Hey! Haven't you done enough damage to this shirt!?"
Rashid was roaring with laughter. "Alright, I think that's enough, Master. Now try to go back to your human form. Do the same as before. Falling back into human form is usually easier and faster, just relax and let it happen."
Letting Trowa go, Quatre gave a whine. He didn't want to go back to being human yet. It felt good to run around. He loved the feel of the wind in his fur. He wanted to roll with Trowa some more! He looked around, wondering if he could get away with running off on his own.
"I'm sorry Master Quatre, it isn't safe." Rashid said with a knowing smile. "And it's better for you to complete the basic full transformation cycle so you don't risk getting stuck for a time in any one form. Please change back now."
Feeling the hum again, Quatre let the change take him once more. This time, instead of expanding, he felt like he was shrinking in on himself. His head pushed in on itself, compacting back into his human face. His tail smoothly withdrew into his spine. His paws stretched back out into slender fingers, while his limbs and body rearranged themselves back into his smaller human body. It happened so quickly, almost taking his breath as his shape seemed to snap back like a stretched piece of rubber that had been released. The fur receded into his pale skin, leaving him crumpled on the grass in his completed human form, gasping for breath.
Tired... He was so tired. He moaned as he felt himself being gathered into someone's arms. Trowa's scent was thick, and he pushed his face against the warmth and breathed deeply. "Mmm..."
"The transformation always takes a lot of energy," Rashid was saying, somewhere nearby. "There's always some loss of stamina afterwards. But getting totally wiped out like this is something we only see in young ones or those who rarely transform. The more we transform, the quicker our bodies learn to adjust. Just like exercising a muscle, the more often we transform, the more we can take over time. He'll see..."
Trowa's heartbeat by his ear, Quatre shut out the rest, and fell asleep.
Outside, howling went up as the Magaunacs continued their patrols of the surrounding forest. So far none of the Moonblood had attacked, but it was only a matter of time. Inside the stuffy little cabin, it was dark, except for a few rays of light filtering through the old ragged curtains. In a corner chair, Wufei was sprawled out with his sword held across his chest, snoring softly.
On the couch, Trowa sat with Quatre in his arms. Quatre was still asleep, draped with a small blanket. Trowa smiled as he felt his lover begin to stir. He was so proud of him and how far he had come. With a light touch, he stroked the pale silk of Quatre's hair.
His thoughts drifted to what he had seen that morning. He had seen Quatre transform several times before, but it had never been like that. Despite a few tense moments, it had been so peaceful, especially compared to the painfully violent transformations Quatre had endured before. It was so good to see Quatre finally coming to peace with himself. Everything seemed perfect now.
Except for the Moonblood. Obviously Quatre and the Magaunacs meant to fight them, but Trowa didn't see how they could stand up against numerous Moonblood. And Quatre was learning, but he had doubts that Quatre was strong enough yet to fight those monsters. Of course, there was nothing he could do to stop him.
Pale fingers tugged gently at Trowa's hair. Sleepy blue eyes were studying his face. Trowa freed his bangs, lacing his fingers with Quatre's. Forgetting everything else for the moment, he closed his eyes as Quatre's warmth pushed him back against the couch, pressing a tender kiss to his lips.
to be continued...