| Gundam Wing: Legend of Mystiks Chapter 8 Cosmos stumbled downstairs--knowing her hair was severely messed up but not particularly caring--and into the kitchen. � Onna,� Wufei started angrily, � you�ve got some stuff to ex---� � Urusai!� Cosmos snarled as she slid into a seat at the small table there. Wufei intelligently did as he was told. Duo glanced up from his cereal and grinned. � Morning, Sunshine.� Cosmos glared at him. � That went for you too, no da.� � If I don�t listen to Shinigami, I�m not listening to you.� � About that.� Cosmos finally began working on her hair. � Shinigami-sama is really pissed at you for using his name without his permission.� � So? What�s he gonna do? I�m not afraid of death, no matter how painful.� � That�s not it. You should�ve asked.� � Oh? And how was I supposed to do that? I still don�t know how I got to you and that old guy in the first place.� Seraph seemed slightly sick. � How can they talk about their job over breakfast?� Halcyon shrugged. � It�s a Death thing.� *~*~* � How did you do that?!� Cosmos looked over at Duo. [Do what?] � Change your shape! I thought you were a dragon!� [I am. This is my second form. I have to go through this form to be a dragon, but not to go from dragon to human.] � Sou ka?� Duo went over to her. � You look like a dinosaur.� [Ore wa. This was the closest form to a dragon that could be found.] � Hm. Can I ride you?� [Nani? . . . Anou, I suppose.] � Great!� He vaulted up onto her back and looked around. � Kakkoi!� He made a better evaluation of the area. At the edge of the forest Zechs and Trowa leaned against trees, keeping in the shade as they talked and watched a wolf and lioness stalk each other in the tall grass. Further away Wufei held a hawk-like bird on his arm and repeatedly launched it into the sky only to have it dive into the grass and return with a mouse or rabbit. In the opposite direction, Heero and Quatre first watched a pure white horse and a silver horse race each other, then slid onto the creatures and raced bareback. <Looks like we�ve all picked our favorite Mystik,> Duo thought. <Or were we drawn to them?> He looked down at the back of Cosmos�s head. She�d begun to jog slowly toward the forest. <Why do I get the feeling we�re supposed to be paired like this?> Cosmos took the clearest path she could to make sure Duo didn�t hit his head on anything. He was her trainee, after all, and even if that weren�t the case, Shinigami would be disappointed if she got Duo hurt. Disappointed was an understatement. More like royally pissed and ready to make heads roll, no matter what her record was. She headed for a secret place that not even the other Mystiks knew about. Cosmos, though awfully talkative, could keep a secret if it suited her. And this suited her. She wanted to have a place to retreat to when the world was too cold. She didn�t know why, but she wanted to share this secret with Duo. So she continued to the pristine pond, pausing at the edge. [Duo?] � Hai?� [Can you keep a secret?] � Depends. If it�s going to hurt somebody, no way.� [It won�t hurt anybody. Anou, I suppose I might feel betrayed.] � What is it?� [Can you swim?] � Sure.� [How long can you hold you breath?] � For just a regular dive? About two minutes.� [Would you mind getting your clothes wet?] � . . . I guess not.� [Good.] Cosmos gave a full body shake, throwing Duo into the pond. He came up sputtering. � Oi, what was that for?!� [To get you wet.] Duo peered up angrily through his soaked bangs. � Well it worked.� Cosmos shifted to her human form. � Excellent. Follow me.� She dove under the surface and swam toward the rocks at the base of the waterfall. Her hand came up to grab them, followed by the rest of her. She looked back. � What are you waiting for?� With a grumble, Duo paddled over to her. � Now what?� She grinned and pushed up off the rocks, arcing gracefully over them and through the curtain of the waterfall. Duo gaped a moment before following. But he paused as he came out on the other side. There was nothing there. � Cosmos?� Nothing for a moment, and then Cosmos�s head appeared through bare rock under him. She pulled back in surprise, disappearing under the water, before rising back up. � You surprised me. Hai?� Duo scrambled back until he was sitting directly under the waterfall. � Where in Hell is the rest of your body?!� She looked down and giggled. � Not in Hell. This must be a bit surprising.� � Surprising?! It�s downright fucked up!� � Don�t worry, it�s just a hologram I set up. The rest of me�s still here.� She brought her hand up and waved. � See? It�s safe.� She brought her other arm up and pulled herself out of the hole. Duo settled himself beside the place where Cosmos was. He pushed his hand at the place she�d been, but only met with solid rock. � Nani?� � You have to believe it�s there, no doubt, or else you can�t get through. I would�ve put a different one in, but it�s the only one I know right now.� Duo cleared his mind. <This is just like that little magic lesson G gave me. Nothing to it but faith.> Cosmos dove into it headfirst and Duo quickly followed. There was just enough room to swim comfortably. Every so often were little places that had been dug out of the side to allow one to turn around. Duo glanced around in wonder, his vision strangely crystal clear, like the water. <There�s no way this can be real.> He was suddenly encased in stone. |