Temptation and Salvation in the Desert

Warnings: AU, 3x4, yaoi, language

By NostalgieMalaak

Sand was everywhere. Blindingly bright against the glittering sunlight. Everywhere the boy looked there was nothing but mountains of the fine gritty sand. It was in his cloths, his hair. It blew into his eyes and made a sickening crunching sound every time he brought his teeth together.

And then there was the problem of being lost. Separated from his sister and friends during a vicious sandstorm that had left him disoriented, confused, and utterly alone.

For days the tall slender youth had stumbled and crawled through the layers of sand, squinting finely shaped eyes against the ever-present glare. The thick bundle of hair that was styled to drape over his face was matted and sticky with sweat. Time after time he reached a hand, covered with cracks from lack of water and a layer of permanent dirt, to sweep back the mess that was his hair, only to have it cling stubbornly to his sunburned face.

He had to keep going. There was no lying down to rest. If he did he would die. The red hot sun would burn his body and the hunger that ravaged his innards would destroy him. Then the sand would come in and bury his body and he would be truly lost forever.

Hunger and the sun unfortunately would not be the end of him. Thirst would claim him first. He had taken his last sip of water some time ago.

"Have to…find…someone…water…shade…anything…"

"What…sand…so much sand…all over me…feel so dirty…wish I could take a bath…"

To anyone watching it would appear that the boy had finally been driven mad from his circumstances. But no one who could help him was near. Only one who could torment.

"You look horrible Tro! What happened to you?" came a bright cheery voice. The boy stopped and looked up, not believing what he heard.

With a hoarse voice he cried out, "Who's there?"

"Hey! Don't tell me you forgot your old pal Duo? How could you forget me?"

Sitting upon the ridge of a large dune was a young child, bright eyes flashing in merriment and long hair swinging to and fro.

"You…you're not real," Trowa gasped out, "You're just a figment of my imagination. Go away. I'm not crazy yet!"

"How can you say that about me?" the imp asked. "I'm here, you're here…and you can obviously see me or else why would you be talking to me?"

"You're not real. You died a long time ago Duo. Leave me alone."

"Crabby, crabby! You'd think that you'd be happy to see me then if I've been gone for so long," the other boy said giving the dying youth a wink and a broad grin.

Trowa sat down on the sand, the last of his flagging energy used. Head in hands, he turned a dark green eye on the younger boy who looked perfectly content to be in the middle of the Sahara.

"Where'd you come from?"

"Where do you think?" Duo answered, turning a cartwheel and clambering happily down the steep sand bank to the valley below where Trowa was resting.

"I think I'm going crazy. You're just a hallucination, right?" the youth asked a little desperately.

"No."

"You have to be!"

"No I don't."

"Then what are you?"

"Maybe I'm here to take you away. Maybe I'm an angel and I'm coming to lead you home."

"That's not possible…it's just…not!"

"And why not Trowa? Look at yourself. You don't have long to live buddy boy."

Trowa took in his appearance with a critical eye. He was dead tired, hungry, sunburned, and hadn't had anything to drink for longer than he could remember. It was at that moment that he realized he would probably die out in the desert with nothing but a hallucination or angel or whatever he was to keep him company.

"You might be right about the whole dying thing. I've certainly felt better," he replied, casting a smirk in the direction of the other.

"'Course I'm right. I'm an angel and I've come to collect you."

"Well what are you waiting for? I must be pretty close…"

"Nuh-uh. Doesn't work that way. You gotta do something before you go."

"And what would that be?"

"You have to give up your soul." The younger boy answered. Behind the smile that seemed glued to his face was a deadly seriousness and no small amount of malice. The wind caught his hair, swirling it around and whipped through his black outfit.

"Give up…my soul?"

"Yes of course. It's easy. You just say that you'll give over your soul to me and then I'll take it back with me. Easy-peasy."

"I don't know…"

"It's what happens Trowa. Would I lie to you? Me? Duo? I thought we were best friends?"

"We were…but, this just sounds too strange…"

"Fine then," Duo spat out. Anger contorting his face into a hideous snarl. With that he picked himself up and started to walk off, small hands jammed into his pockets.

"Wait…I didn't…"

"I'll be back tomorrow Trowa! Just remember, you'll continue to suffer until you do this."

With that the boy disappeared beyond Trowa's vision like a small storm cloud and the tall boy was left alone again. Too weak to stand, he decided to try and conserve his energy by sleeping. Someone would find him eventually. They had to! Duo was wrong, he wasn't ready to die yet.

The night washed over the barren land and with the darkness came millions and millions of lights in the form of stars. Trowa had never seen anything so beautiful or peaceful in his entire life and despite the cold of the desert in the night, he fell into a dreamless sleep.

XXXXXXXX

"So! You're still here!"

Trowa jerked awake at the sound of his returned friend. Blinking rapidly to clear his eyes, the youth took stock of where he was. He remembered that he was in the desert, lost from his friends and sister who had wanted to journey like Arabs across the sands. He remembered falling asleep looking at the beautiful array of stars. And he also remembered the strange visitation of the day before.

Pushing himself with some difficulty into a sitting position Trowa noted that his body was stiff and sore from sleeping out on the open ground. Already the sun had begun beating down on him, almost hot enough to burn through his clothes. Even with the warmth of the sun he felt cold all over. The already existing burns chaffed at him and made him wince in pain as his clothing caught and rubbed against them.

"That looks painful," Duo called out cheerily, the darkness that had turned his mood so quickly the day before seemingly gone.

"Yes," Trowa replied wearily. His head was pounding from the lack of water and harsh sunlight in his eyes.

"I can take you from all of that you know. Just like that!" the small boy said snapping his fingers for effect.

"But…I don't understand. Why are you here? I didn't think it worked that way…"

"How would you know how things work after you die? You're still alive Tro, at least you kind of are. You just gotta trust your old pal Duo."

"But it's not-"

"Hey Trowa," Duo suddenly cut in, "Do you remember that day at the beach? When we found that jellyfish washed up on the beach? You felt so sorry for the ugly thing. Spent all day looking for something to use to pick it up and throw it back into the water. By the time you found that piece of driftwood to push it back with the tide had come in and washed it away."

"Yeah, but what does that..?"

"You ready to give me your soul yet?" the boy who seemed anything but a child turned his hard dark blue eyes on Trowa and asked with a hardness in his voice that Trowa had never known while he was alive.

"Duo, I can't. Something's not right with you."

"Alright then. See ya later buddy boy!"

And with that the strange child disappeared into the distance, much like he had done the day before.

Trowa sat on the shifting sand and tried to sort through what had just happened. He must surely be mad now. There was no way his former best friend could be here in this place with him now. A drunk driver had seen to it that Duo would never experience this earth again.

Maybe he was an angel though. After all, he did know about that day at the beach. They had been the only ones there that day. Trowa still remembered the despair he had felt at looking at that little creature thrown up on the shore, unable to go home. He decided that he felt a bit like that jellyfish at the moment. Only there was no cooling ocean to come sweep him back where he belonged. Only the sun and the sand.

XXXXXXXX

The next day Duo returned and again asked him for his soul in that chilling steely-edged voice. Again Trowa refused. There was just something not right about the whole thing.

Everyday Trowa grew weaker and weaker but each morning awoke, still bound to the earth. Perhaps Duo was right. Maybe he would continue to be tortured day after day by the sand and sun and thirst until he gave up his soul. But the tall youth knew he was not likely to give up soon. His will to live was too strong and too pure to be given over lightly. But it was so hard.

"You know Trowa," the shorter boy began with a small smirk playing across his innocent features, "you've been out here for a long time. Maybe you should give it up 'bout now. After all, you're not getting any better. In fact, you look terrible."

Trowa turned his head into the sand bank and tried to ignore the boy. He had stopped talking altogether almost a week ago. Had it really been that long? He must have been out here now for almost a month. That didn't seem possible. In fact, it wasn't possible. He should be dead.

"You should you know. Everyday you resist me you screw with mother nature and she can be a cruel bitch when she wants to." Duo sneered.

Trowa turned onto his side with a pained grimace trying to avoid looking at the boy by his side.

"It's so simple Trowa. All you have to do is say the magic word and then it'll be all over. No? Alright then. See you tomorrow."

The exhausted youth stared out over the expanse of sand and tried to empty his mind of the raging thoughts that had scurried through his brain since being condemned to the desert. The more he thought about the situation, and more specifically about Duo, he came to the conclusion that this must be some sort of test. There was simply no way this was the true order of things.

When Trowa's mother and father had died it had been sudden and nearly instantaneous. There had been no waiting around for them. Cathy said they had gone to heaven, but of that Trowa had never been sure. His present circumstances seemed to agree with that. After all, Duo hadn't gone to heaven. Duo was still here with him, tormenting him day after day. Unless…

Unless it wasn't Duo.

XXXXXXX

When the creature that looked like Duo and sounded like Duo and moved like Duo but who was not Duo returned the next day it was to find Trowa sitting in the sand desperately trying to find the energy to stand.

For a while it just watched. Eerily blue-blue eyes captivated by the youth's pitiful attempts.

Finally with a shrug it sat down in the sand to watch.

"You want some help?" it asked in a hopeful tone.

"No. I can do this on my own. I don't want you near me."

"Why? All I've ever wanted was for you to be taken care of Trowa. Now you're just going to waste all of your energy on foolishness. Just give up Trowa. You aren't going to win."

"Watch me!" Trowa bit out, breath coming in great heaving gasps.

Like a very young child the boy finally made it to his feet. Swaying back and forth, eyes closed with triumph and exhaustion, he heaved a sigh of relief. With small deliberate steps he began to walk forward once more.

"What do you think you're doing! You know Trowa, I was patient before, but you're seriously pissing me off right now!" The creature growled and stalked after Trowa. He never touched him though, just kept small angry fists balled up at his sides.

"Don't just walk away from me! I told you buddy, this is the only way out for you!"

"You're a liar. But I guess that should be expected from you. Just never thought you'd stoop so low as to come looking like my dead friend."

The black robed creature twisted its face into a mocking sneer.

"Now leave me alone," Trowa said, his voice ringing with finality. "Don't tempt me anymore. My soul is my own."

With that the youth staggered away through the sands. If he had bothered to look back he would not have seen anyone else present.

There were cliffs and stone structures all around him now. He couldn't remember when he had reached such a place, but suddenly there he was. The massive rock formations provided him with some shade and respite from the whipping wind, but even so it was still unbearably hot. Trowa didn't know how long he had been wandering in his semi-coherent state. He only knew that it had been at least forty days since he had eaten or drank anything.

With his last vestiges of strength the boy pulled himself into a shallow alcove in the rocks and laid down to sleep.