Old GW fic that I'm moving

This part is G but it ranges the story is on my website complete if you want to read the whole thing now:

. Fanfiction section down to Lives.

THE BEGINNING

Duo lay sprawled comfortably against a thick oak tree absently twirling a blade of grass around his finger. Looking up at the sky he smiled relishing this quiet moment. Downtime was a rare and precious thing; thoroughly enjoyed. It was easy to forget that a war was going on just outside of this forest—glade---whatever the fuck it was it had trees and silence and warm moss scented sunlight streaming down on his face warming him and his beef and cheese burrito with extra guacamole stuffed belly. Life was good.

Everyone was so relaxed even Heero and Wufei…kinda, but I guess you could consider six straight hours of non-stop endurance training relaxing…for Wufei at least he wasn't yelling about justice, duty or even worse at him. Duo purred slumped back against the tree and settled in for a good long nap.

"MAXWELL!!!!!"

Bye-bye nap.

"MAXWELL!!!!"

Hello pissed off Wufei. Duo sat up and groaned wondering what he could have possibly done now. He hadn't been near any of them all day.

"DUO!!!" the voice came again, with another sigh he stood up and headed towards the voice at a dead run. He was only about five minutes out from the safe house, and despite seclusion Wufei should really know better than to shout like that…well unless they had been compromised.

"Oi! I'm right here!" he said stepping out of the woods. For a brief moment he thought he saw relief on the other pilots face. " Sheesh Wuffie you scream loud enough to wake the dead! What is it huh? Mission? Someone got hurt? "Duo trailed off with a mischievous grin." Or did ya just miss me?" As predicted Wufei gave him an irritated snort and a sneer that would curdle sour cream, then turned away back towards the house.

"Quatre told me to get you. He found something—interesting" Wufei supplied with a frown, "Well most likely not interesting to you."

"Well that was uncalled for." Pouting Duo glanced back toward his new found spot before heading after Wufei. He wasn't sure what it was exactly that made everyone think he was stupid.

Wufei muttered something at him in Cantonese, and kept walking. It really wasn't fair considering he'd gone through all the trouble of learning Mandarin and Chinese just so he could be certain Wufei was cursing at him and not muttering endearments. It was curses—very creative and not nice curses at that. If he were anyone else he'd be offended.

Well it was his own fault Wufei had switched, if he'd just pretended he didn't understand when the pilot had called him a fish sucking *bleep**bleep* whore after a particularly bad accident involving turnip juice; instead of shooting back with balding shiny headed *bleep* *bleep* in kind, and then a very through heap of insults ranging from his ancestry to his piloting skills in mandarin. Leaving Wufei momentarily shell shocked which was enough time for Heero to grab him from behind and tell Duo to make himself scarce for a few weeks. (Heero didn't speak mandarin.)

Ah well. Now he'd just have to learn the Cantonese dialect, vaguely he wondered how many of the surviving 100 dialects Wufei knew. He decided one day when Wufei was in a good mood (*snort* HA!) he'd ask. Probably get cursed in at least 47 other dialects but he'd ask anyway.

Two steps after he'd made that decision, he was back to his old self. Wufei walked though the open front door of the safe house and tried to close it on him.

" OW! Hey bastard!" he grumbled catching the door, then kicking it closed behind him. Wufei ignored him. "Quatre whatcha-Ohhhh" he said his eyes lighting on the big black book sitting on the table. "What's that?"

"It's a thing called a book, literate people use them for information and at times entertainment." Wufei replied dryly.

Duo narrowed his eyes at him, and then very precisely taking care to round his vowels accordingly, told him to go fuck a goat in mandarin. Then turned his attention back to the book. It looked very old. He leaned closer to it, taking a seat on Trowa's crossed legs at the table ignoring both Trowa's silent glare and Quatre's squawk of disapproval. Heero yanked him onto an empty chair beside the silent pilot without a word.

"That is what we are trying to figure out." Heero replied frowning at said book. "Quatre found it when he was cleaning out the vents." Duo frowned.

"Why were you cleaning out the vents?"

"I have allergies, and I was checking for asbestos." Quatre said eyeing the book with fascination. "Just look at this thing... it has to be thousands of years old." He said.

Duo looked at the book again, not yet willing to let Wufei be right—a book whoopee-- it was a bit bigger than he had originally thought, about the size of Heero's beloved laptop, and three times as thick. He guessed the correct term for it would be 'tome' the thing looked like it weighed at least 60 pounds. That was interesting at least. 60 pounds of paper ha ha. He absently ran his fingers over the cover it was smooth cold metal, large loping characters were etched into it evenly he absently followed them with his fingers; they tingled as he traced them.

"Hey what do these marks mean?" he asked continuing to trace.

Everyone looked at each other strangely then back to Duo.

"What does what say-oh my." Quatre gasped as the book for lack of better word—thrummed on the table.

Duo hastily took his hand away from it; his fingers were still itching and tingling. He wiped them on his pants, even as the book thrummed again. "Tell me it's been doing that since you got it…"

"It's been doing that since we got it." Trowa replied.

"Really?"

"No."

"Then why did you-never mind what the hell is it doing?" Duo asked backing away from the book.

"I don't know." Quatre replied leaning closer to it. That was when something on the book clicked and whirred, like someone had pulled a zip cord.

Four guns and one sword were leveled on it two seconds later.

Duo edged closer to examine the book; realized he had a gun aimed at it—felt stupid and put it away. Come on it was just a book right? Right? Cautiously he stuck out a finger and flipped the front cover open and jumped out of what he hoped was blast range.

Nothing happened.

An (imaginary) collective sigh filled the room as everyone edged closer to the book again, all weapons going back into hiding.

"Hm. It's blank." Duo griped, "All that for nothing…" he absently flipped the page over.

As soon as he did a bright flash of white assaulted the room. Knocking all of them to the floor. As suddenly as it had come it faded.

"What the hell was that?" Duo's slightly panicked voice cut the silence.

"What did you do Maxwell?"

"Nothing! I just turned the page!"

A low ahem floated from somewhere, and immediately the weapons returned.

"Who's there?"

You have summoned me. The voice whispered.

"Who are you?"

I am Skye. Keeper of time. It said.

"Okay…so what do you want?" Duo asked.

Nothing.

"Then why are you here?"

You summoned me.

"No we didn't." Heero

You opened the book. That summoned me.

"Oh." They all said in unison.

"So…um what do you do?" Quatre asked.

"Grant wishes?" Duo's eyes lit up at the prospect.

No.

"Then what?"

I am the keeper of time.

"Huh?"

"We got that part—what do you do?"

I assist. I guide. I teach.

"With what?" Duo this time; starting to get annoyed.

Passing the test. No soul may move on until they have repaired the flaw they have chosen. Souls repeat this journey in the dunya.

"The wha-" Duo again. "What's a dun-yaah?"

"Dunya. This world from an Islamic standpoint it basically means…but you cannot be—there is no reincarnation in Islam." Quatre.

The voice sighed, nor am I. I am a creation of the creator. I guide, I teach, I assist…

"I'm not following the whole dunyah business, but I get that you don't grant wishes. That sucks. I'm going outside to take a nap later. "

No child it does not…suck. I am the keeper of time, and space. My existence came to be as the ether was setting, my existence will end when the ether has drained. I control the flow of vapor and spark. I am the—

"Okay yeah. You assist, you teach, you guide-got it. I didn't ask for your life story. Not interested." Duo cut him off, on his way back to the door.

"Um... what my friend means to say is thank you for the kind offer but no thank you." Quatre replied glaring at Duo.

The voice seemed to smile if that were at all possible. Arrogant children. You misunderstand. You do not have a choice.

Before the boy's could protest further-- the flash of white of light returned.