Distortions Of Reality

Note: I really don\'t have alot to say about this story other than I LURV it and I hope the same goes for the rest of you. If things are mispelled I hope its not so bad that it interrupts the over all flow to much much. And maybe I satyed in the right tense this time but not likely. Please R/R I\'d love it if you did!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the idea I have aplied to this story. In other words I don\'t own Trowa, Duo ,Wufei, Heero, Quatre, Relena, Dorothy, Hilde, Treize, Zechs, and any other character from the Gundam wing Universe. I\'ve simply taken the characters put them in an ulternate universe adn I am doing so for my amusement and the amusement of others. I am MAKING ABSOLUTELY NO MONEY OR PROFIT FROM THIS!!!! So don\'t sue me or the website that was kind enough to arcive me. Thanks much.


Chapter One

Trowa stared over the ruins from ontop of the large hill with the group of young Archyologists in training. He had to admit digging in the dirt was a bit odd but it was also quite exhilerating at the same time. Of coarse he wasn\'t the one spending hours digging his Grandfather, Dekim Barton\'s men were, he was only there for the guided tour and to find out what they had found for the old man.

The ruins, of what looked like to be a large castle, seemed forboding and it made his heart jump to a beat all its own. Something about this place seemed to be all to familar, and what\'s more it seemed to have a specific sadness to it, some deep dark depression. The place was permeated with the feeling and Trowa had trouble breathing at all. As he stared barely breathing the surroundings began to color and repair. The hill he stood on turned green with long billowing grass, wind russled through his hair and over his skin sending a shiver. Castle walls uncrubled rebuilding brick by brick until they stood at there true crowning height of glory.

\"Trowa?\" A femanine voice called to him placing a hand on his shoulder causing everything to crumble back to its desimal state.

Trowa shook himself out of the daze and found he could breath once more. Glancing over his shoulder he stared into the grey eyes of his beloved elder half sister. He smiled incouragingly at her letting her know that he was indeed fine. She started at him unconvinced for a little longer giving him a once over before she allowed her hand to slide from his shoulder.

\"If your sure...\" She commented unconvinced.

\"I\'m fine, really, just a little over whelmed is all. It really is quite the find and Grandfather will be pleased.\"

He heard her growl something improper at the mention of the man she hated who hated her equally as much. The only reason why the man even tolerated Trowa was the fact that he was a male not a female. Though Trowa had no intention of caring on the good name of Barton, he hated that side of the family and its conections. He much more enjoyed his sisters side of the family they actually treated him like family not just someone to pass genes on to the next generation.

\"Mr. Barton the tour...\" A timid servent mentioned from the side lines.

Trowa sighed, waving a dismissle to the man, before following the group. Cathrine stayed beside him not talking anymore understanding he was in no mood to talk at the moment. She knew all to well that there was countless people to willing to find anything to put her younger brother in constraints. If he got in trouble publicly it doubled when it came to privately. She still didn\'t understand why he put up with it the way he did.

For one he didn\'t like that side of the family and they only tolerated him. The second reason being the fact that he had no intentions of producing an heir he was a homosexual in all meanings of the word. He dated ocassionaly off to the side and in secret while his family tried to get him to \'fall in love with a rich and lovely woman\'. Cathrine knew he was never going to get married to anyone let alone a woman, she only wished her younger sibling didn\'t have to worry about so many things.

\"Don\'t think to much on it Cathy you\'ll only give youself ulcers and die.\" He commented dryly.

She huffed before replying. \"If that was true you\'d be dead.\"

\"Hm, I\'m diffrent I was born into the role, you were not.\"

She opened her mouth to ask what the hell he ment but caught the look he gave her and she instently understood. Shutting her mouth her face became grim and she stared forword. There was no use arguing with his logic he always won, no matter what her complaints were.

--00--

Trowa was only half listening to the woman as she detailed this particular part of the find. The walls were grey and cracked what used to be magnifisent white marble was nothing more than eroding rock and rubble. He could see faint instenses where gold had been painted but it to was fading. The floors were nothing more than cracked glass every step the took a cracking and crushing sound was made.

\'Who ever had owned this place had been filthy rich and then some.\' Trowa though ruefully.

\"So what do you think this was exactly?\" Trowa asked facing studying his surroundings.

\"We think it may have been a room fo...\"

He had heard every word she\'d spoken but at the same time didn\'t hear any of it. The building was rebuilding itself again in Trowa\'s mind and he was once again unable to breath. The people faded into the back ground until they became non-existent. The glass underfoot unshattered, every crack returning to its perfect shine and reflection. Trowa watched as lights clicked on and almost fainted when he realized they were electric and not flame. The walls were a briliant color of white and gold glimmering with the light. Glancing to his right to see what had been an out look to the disimal grounds were now floor to ceiling arching windows to the outside garden. An asortment of ferns, bushes, flowers, and trees could be seen in the dimming light of the evening.

\"You must listen to me.\" A woman called softly from behind making Trowa jump and turn.

He saw a woman with black silk trailing behind her, the strands swaying with the breeze of her movements. The dress she wore an elaborate mixture of blues and silvers. Tight around her bodess and loose from the waste down made it look like she glided over the mirrored floor below her. Dimonds were twined into the black silk that was her hair and round silver circular earings hund from her hiden ears. Skin a dark bronzen color and her eyes were alomnd shaped. Soft brown pools in the middle of white looked concerned at the young child beside of her.

\"I don\'t have to listen to a word you say woman.\" The boy repied huaghtly.

Trowa blinked and his eyes went wide, the boy couldn\'t be more than five and he was already back talking her like she was nothing. His clothing was the color of a deep blood red with gold trimming the edges and gold thread making out designs of the Chinese tiger on one side and the dragon on the other. His clothing seemed more like royal robes layers of rich silk and fine cloth wraped around a spoiled child. His hands and arms crossed in front of him but hiden in the overly large sleeves that touched the ground as the child walked. A red hood covered his head making it hard to see his face, but Trowa caught a glance and saw the same features as the woman.

\'So they\'re both chinese...\' Trowa thought to himself.

\"I\'m your mother!\" The woman cried out in exsaperation.

\"Then you need to stop acting like my fathers whore and more like a mother Meiren.\"

The woman stopped a moment her foot tread faultering watching the boy walk down a stair way that formed after he had touched a square of the wall. After a look of hurt passed over her she followed him into the passage, and Trowa realized he to was being pulled down into the hidden room. He stared at the candle light lit room and found himslef wondering why this room wasn\'t lit by the modern technology of the time. Glaning around he found himself shrouded in darkness except for the marked pathway and a pool off towards the far right. The pool was filled with what looked like a black substance at first glance, but as he further inspected it he realized it was filled with a deep purple of some sort.

\"You will listen to me.\" The woman hissed.

\"Go to Hell you whore.\" Came the snide remark.

\"How DARE you.\" Meiren cried out rising her hand back and swinging it towords the boy.

\"DON\'T YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON HIM!\" Screamed a voice from beyond the darkness.

Trowa jupmed back in a flash startled to point he amost peed his blue jeans. The woman dropped to her knees and put her face to the ground imediately. Whispering her repects as she bowed. The boy only pushed back his hood and nodded in the direction of the voice. His hair was barely brushing his jaw line, and he almost looked his age with his face lack of emotion and his eyes closed.

\"You sent for me M\'lord?\" The child asked cofidantly.

\"That I did.\" The voice paused a moment before adding. \"Go now woman before I decide I\'m being leneant.\"

Meiran quickly rose and skittered out of the room picking up her gown showing she wore no shoes. The boy only smiled smuggly at her retreating form before turning his attention back to the voice.

\"You shouldn\'t treat your mother that way.\" The voice commented calmly.

\"Ha! She\'s nothing but a whore to my father.\" He replied back walking towards the pool of water and glancing down at it.

\"Which makes you one as well Wufei.\"

Trowa say the boy stiffen his eyes widening and then swiftly turned and glared out into the darkness.

\"And you are nothing more than a coward who lurks in the dark. Your a joke, nothing more than a man who\'s power is over exasgerated to scare the royal children into subission. I will tell you now that I for one am not that stupid.\"

\"Really now.\" The voiced purred and finally a man stepped out of the darkness.

The man was in black that shimmered deep purple when the light hit his clothing just right. A deep violet robe hung from the thin powerful arms of the man and milky white skin contrasted with the darkness. Chest nut hair was woven into a braid tied off with a black string layed peacefully over his shoulder and fell to his waist. Violet swirls glowed with mishief and was accented by coal out lines around his eyes. The man was beautiful in every since of the word his presance was dangerous as well.

\"Yes.\" The boy answered turing around to glance up at the man unperturbed by his presance, or simply to arragant to allow the other to see his fear.

\"That arregance of yours can get you killed. You need to get a swift kick.\"

\"I\'d like to see the man brave enough to do it.\"

Trowa watched as the other man gave a quick smirk before covering it up in a look of indeffrence.

\"To bad that can\'t be me. I\'m here to test you.\"

\"Then do it already I have other things to attend to.\"

\"That\'s the test. How long can I detain you before you give up and leave. There is, ofcoarse, a harder test that I have yet to see done by your family. Well since T-\" The man faultered on his words then opted to no longer to speak.

The boy looked at him funny raising a single black eyebrow before turing back to the waters. There was silence for a long moment just the two of them looking into the water before the boy breathed deep.

\"May I ask you something?\"

\"You can but it doesn\'t mean I\'ll answer.\" Came his reply.

\"What is your real name. Because I sure as hell am not going to be calling you m\'lord any longer. That is a joke in my opinion.\"

\"You have a lot of opinion don\'t you?\"

\"Are you going to tell me or not. Because I can come up with quite a few unflatering names to call you.\"

\"Lay one on me and then I\'ll decide if its worth it or not.\"

\"My father calls you the bastard of the dark, my Uncle calls you a beast with blood lust, or to siplify it a murderer.\"

Trowa watched as the other winced at the names but didn\'t give any indication of telling the boy his name.

\"So I thought Death\'s Whore would be apropriate, or maybe worthless cu-\"

\"Don\'t finish that sentance or I WILL kill you.\" The man gritted out.

The boy smirked in triumph while Trowa winced. The kid was to cocky for his own good, and he was going to get himself killed.

\"So are you going to give me a name or not?\"

\"You can call me Duo Maxwell you fucking brat.\"

\"Maxwell is it? An American name if I\'m not incorrect. Why even bother with such a thing when you are a demon from the depths of Hell?\"

Trowa jumped when Duo back handed the child across the face with his right hand. Wufei\'s eyes were closed but he didn\'t make a face only turned his eyes back to the other. Duo glared down at the boy eyes narrowed and pointed at him warningly. The boy only stared at him as though it never happened and he had nothing to worry about.

\"If you don\'t think I won\'t hurt you when you need it then you have another thing coming kid.\"

\"Then I suspect that I\'ll be getting hit often because I refuse to curb my thoughts just so I don\'t affend anyone.\"

\"Is that so?\"

\"Very.\" He replied seriously.

\"Then you need to take a look in the mirror and realize that your nothing but a kid who\'s opinion means jack shit and will continue to because your Daddy\'s little Prince, and your Mama\'s baby whore.\" He replied snidely.

\"How dare you talk to me like that I\'m the Prin-\"

\"Sucks to be talked down to huh? I\'m not going to curb my thoughts if you aren\'t. If you can dish it out without a sweat you better be able to take it just as well to.\"

Wufei glared at Duo a moment longer before a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. The braided one smiled as well and Trowa\'s eye twitched. He didn\'t know what had happened there and he wasn\'t sure he wanted to either. The Chinese buy turned to the water once agian and stared eyes contemplating.

\"Finally someone who deserves my respect.\"

\"Heh, I could say the same for you kid.\"

They smiled at eachother openly before turning away from one another and back to the dark waters. Kneeling down Wufei held back his sleeve and Trowa say slim elegant fingers touch the waters experimantally. Ripples ran from the spot he\'d desturbed languidly and as they did the waters lightened minutely and only a moment. Duo\'s eyes widened slightly before going back to normal as Wufei looked up at him.

\"What is this water for?\" He questioned glancing back down at his wet finger tips.

\"Judging the souls of man.\" Duo answered quietly.

\"Why is it so dark? Does it reflect the state of mankind as it is now or is it reflecting something else?\"

\"I\'d like to hear what you think it is first.\"

\"I think it refelcts the fact that you want people to believe this is the state of your soul but in reality it refects the darkness of how lonely you feel.\"

Duo remained unmoving and unstunded by his words. Giving away nothing to the child at his feet staring at his fingers. Glancing back at the water his mouth thined into a grim line eyes growing sad and distant. Breathing in deep Duo brought himself back to the presance and looked back at Wufei.

\"What makes you say that?\" He asked currious.

\"Because its true.\" Wufei stated as he stood up. \"Besides old man,\" with that Duo chuckled. \"Beast, monster, or human, no man is an island.\"

\"This is true kiddo.\" He replied patting Wufei on the head receiving a glare.

Trowa found himself smiling at the shared moment before the image faded fast and he found himself looking at the woman tour guide. SHe was still talking and as his ears began working again he was astonished to realize that time had not passed.

\"...For watching the outside. Something elaborate and decorative. This whole room must have been a sight to see sir.\" SHe finished.

Trowa blinked once or twice before he found his voice threw the confusion of his mind.

\"Are you sure it was a room and not a hallway of some sort?\"

\"Why would you ask such a thing?\" She questioned looking at him stupidly.

\"Meaning do you have enough evidance to come to that conculsion. Where the peices of furniture or markings of them ever being here. I find it rediculous if your insinuating that they came in here just to -stand- and look outside ma\'am.\" He replied as calmly and diplomacticlly as possible.

It wasn\'t like he could just tell her he\'d had some kind of vision, flash back..? He wondered to himself. He almost growed in frustration of the whole thing.

\'What the Hell just happened?\'

\"We think it may have been a room sir we\'er not totally sure of that yet. Like you said we need more evidance to conclude are speculations. But as you can clearly see it has four walls so we just persumed it was a room.\"

Trowa stared and realized that there was infact four walls, crubling and practically non-existant but four none the less. His eyes narrowed at the two walls that he hadn\'t seen in his what ever you wanted to call it and wondered why they hadn\'t been there before. His eyes widened as the answer presented itself, someone had turned it into one later on. Wondering why and who he turned back to the tour guide.

\"You can carbondate these walls right?\"

\"Well yes but I fail to see the-\"

\"Just do it I need to know something. In fact take a piece of every wall and carbondate it as well. I have reason to believe this isn\'t such a new find after all.\"

\"Are you suggesting some one found it before and altured things sir?\"

\"Yes and as you know money is no problem. If anything comes up notify me at once. My Granfather will not be pleased if what I suspect is true.\"

Turning away from the woman he walked out of the \"room\" and into what used to be the garden. Hearing Cathrine follow him he was prepared to answer her.

\"Trowa what was that all about?\"

Turning to face her and answer the question she\'d asked, he found himself once again in that secret room only this time the boy was older than before. Wufei was at least ten now and his clothing was still just as elaborate.

\"Not again...\" Trowa whimpered and the scene brodened and the dark room could be seen more clearly.

T.B.C.

After Note: Woot!!! I love this plot line!!! It just came to me when I was in bed last night. In actuality I tried to write it once before but it didn\'t turn out so good. This is definately turning out better. I love my muses sometimes! Anyway stay tuned for the next chapter. I know I\'m like working on three diffrent stories here but it helps me more to be able to do that. If I work on one for to long I loose interest and then nothing is finished. This way I can jump back and forth and get things done! But before I get back to the other two stories I\'m working on I\'ll probably get at least another chapter of this done, if I\'m lucky more than that. This plot Fu!&#&^@#^ rocks!