Disclaimer: Gundam Wing and all of its characters belong to their respected owners.
Author: Mieko
Rating: R
Pairing: 1x2x1, 3x4
Warnings (may change as the fic progresses): Yaoi, Lime, Angst, Dark
Category: AU
Summary: A legend is told about a key that will unleash an unimaginable power. In order to stop opposing kingdoms from unleashing this power, the key must be protected. One by one, the kingdoms learn of the keys presence, and the boy who holds the key is hunted down. One man with a mysterious past chooses to protect this boy, but one man against several armies is not enough.

CHAPTER ONE:

Something was wrong…

No, something was following him.

Heero could feel it on the back of his neck; a tingling sensation.

Don't stop.

Keep moving.

If he could make it to the bus stop, that feeling would go away.

He was almost there – about a hundred feet or so. The warm, welcoming yellow light of the bus stop beckoned him, offering him sanctuary from the cold chills running down his spine.

Ignore the goosebump's.

Ignore the little hairs standing on end.

Make it to the bus stop. If only he could make it to the bus stop.

There were no footsteps behind him; no indication that anyone else was in the park with him. All he could hear was the sound of gravel rubbing against the bottom of his shoe, and the dull buzz from the overhead lighting, which flickered as he went by.

Move faster.

A gust of wind lifted his frayed brown hair, whistling an eerie tune against his ear. Quickening his pace, Heero shoved his hands deep into his coat pockets, forcing his attention on the bus stop ahead of him.

Then he heard the 'crunch' of a twig snapping.

Freezing in his tracks, Heero felt an icy finger run down the length of his spine.

"Heero…" a voice whispered, coming to him as if from a distance.

Don't turn around. Don't turn around.

Body tense and fully alert, Heero clenched his hands in order to regain control.

It was unlike him to lose his nerve. There were few things he experienced in life that had invoked fear, and this fear he was experiencing, this innate sense of panic that swirled all around him was unlike anything he had ever felt before; a deer caught in headlights; frozen in a sixth sense of dread that made his heart pound violently - so violently, he was having trouble steadying his breath.

"Heero…" it called again, a tickle against his ear. The voice, which he couldn't recognize as male or female, came from behind him.

Slowly, unable to resist an unknown pull at his senses, he turned around, the toes of his shoes grinding gravel as he faced the call.

A dark figure stood ten feet away from him; its lean form hidden between the shadows of two trees. It moved slowly and sluggishly to the sidewalk. Dressed in a dark battered cloak, his name came again from those unseen lips.

"Don't look!" A deep voice commanded, followed by the sound of boots landing on pavement from a high distance.

The dark figure made a snarling sound, moving back a step as the stranger placed himself in front of Heero.

Hidden behind the stranger, the cold chill that taunted him against his will began to lose its hold over his senses. The man in front of him was several inches taller than him, completely obscuring his vision of the dark figure; all he could see was a long, thick braid that fell down the length of the stranger's back, swaying fluidly with the wind.

"If you look at his face, he'll be able to control your mind and stop you from moving… among other things," said the stranger, who seemed to be digging in his pockets for something. "Start running to the bus stop if you don't want to die," he added, apparently finding what he was looking for as he held a circular device to the light for Heero to see.

An explosive.

The stranger made a snap with his fingers, and the explosive ignited in a shower of orange sparks.

Heero watched for a moment as the orange sparks sailed through the air, in the direction of the dark figure, before he turned on his heel and made a mad dash for the bus stop. He could hear the stranger running behind him; could feel his hands on his back as he urged Heero forward.

"Dammit, we're not gonna make it!"

Heero felt the weight of the stranger on his back, pushing him to the pavement with a hard 'thud'. The 'boom' from the explosive followed quickly, and Heero could feel the rush of warmth wash over them.

Feeling blood trickle down his chin, Heero was unable to identify where the bleeding was coming from. He felt no pain, only the weight of the person on top of him.

Shock. His body was still in shock.

"Are you okay?" the stranger asked, pulling himself off of him.

"I'm fine," Heero replied, sitting up and looking at the small fire that ignited the sidewalk.

The dark figure was gone.

"You shouldn't have turned around," the stranger sighed, not quite hiding his look of disappointment. "I can't keep you safe here anymore."

"What was that?"

The panic and dread seemed to have disappeared with the figure, leaving behind a feeling of being worn out and confused.

Forcing himself to stand, Heero took a couple of deep breaths, forcing control back into his body.

"That was Shinigami, also known as the god of death," said the stranger. "If you had made it to the bus stop…"

"What's so special about that bus stop?"

"I placed a charm in the lighting. I've got them set up all over the place. But it seems like someone's been removing them," the stranger said with a frown, "this park, for example. I had charms hidden between different trees, but I don't sense them around anymore."

Heero frowned, taking a chance to study his features.

The man was dressed for the shadows: black boots, black jeans, and a black shirt. His skin was pale; his face heart-shaped. He was tall and slender, appearing to be three or four years older than Heero himself, who was seventeen. And when he met his eyes, he found them to be an odd shade of violet, round and luminous.

"Who are you?" Heero asked suspiciously, taking a step back and positioning his body into a defensive stance.

"I'm no one important," the stranger said softly, "but you can call me 'Duo'."

"Duo," Heero repeated.

The man nodded.

"If that was Shinigami, what did he want with me?"

Duo met his steady gaze, and something like sadness flickered within its violet depths. A heavy sigh slipped through his pursed lips, and he looked down the street as he said, "There's a Starbucks over there. We have some time to explain things." Taking a step forward and reaching into his pocket, Duo brandished a handkerchief and handed it to Heero. "You've got a cut on your cheek. Clean yourself off."

Wordlessly accepting the handkerchief, Heero followed Duo as he dabbed at his cheek. He could feel a slight sting now as his body began to calm itself down, but nothing unbearable, or anything that required stitches.

"Is a regular hot coffee okay? I don't have much money on me," Duo said, digging in his pockets once they stepped into Starbucks.

"That's fine," Heero replied, "I'll find us somewhere to sit."

At Duo's nod, Heero moved to the back of the store, finding a quiet corner and claiming it as his own. A part of him wondered why he had followed Duo with almost no question. He didn't quite trust the man, but his instincts couldn't sense any harm from him either. As for the previous panic he had in the park…

Heero frowned and looked at the table, his forehead wrinkling in confusion.

What was going on?

"Here you go, it'll warm you up." Duo handed him a steaming cup of coffee and took the seat across from him.

Heero focused on his cup. He could feel Duo watching him, and for an unexplainable reason, Heero refused to tear his gaze away from his coffee.

They sat there for a couple of minutes in silence; Duo, sipping his coffee and watching him; Heero, tracing the circular and squared patterns of the table with his eyes.

Finally, Duo tore his gaze away and said, "Shinigami came here to retrieve a key told in legends. He comes from another realm, a realm connected to yours. You call this world 'Earth'. We call our world 'Tarea'."

"There are few who know about the connection of our two realms. On Tarea, only those born of royalty, and those trusted by royalty are told of Earth. On Earth, only the highest government officials are told of Tarea. Reason being: both realms have realized a war between the two worlds would end in annihilation. The portals connecting both worlds are far too thin. If either side tried to take the other one over, the portals would snap and both worlds would cave in like a black hole. Neither side is peaceful, but both have agreed to keep these dimensions secret in order to survive." Duo paused, allowing Heero to soak up that information before continuing. "Shinigami wants you because of an old legend told five hundred years ago. On Earth, a Japanese boy born with blue eyes would possess the key to unlock an unimaginable power."

With a frown, Heero met Duo's gaze and felt those violet eyes pierce his blue ones. It was true that his eyes were unusual for a full-blooded Japanese boy – he had been told that from as far as he could remember – but he couldn't be the only boy in Japan who possessed blue eyes.

"We've looked, and you're the only one," Duo said, as if reading his thoughts. "Shinigami wouldn't have come for you personally if he wasn't sure."

"If you know this, then that means you work for Shinigami."

"There are other kingdoms on Tarea. Shinigami belongs to only one part of it – that's the reason why Shinigami seeks this ultimate power." Duo leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Tarea is at war. The three kingdoms have been fighting each other for decades. When rumors of the legend leaked to the other kingdoms, they too dispatched their own men to find this key. So you see, Shinigami isn't the only one who will be coming for you."

Heero couldn't decide whether or not Duo was telling the truth. Two different worlds, Shinigami, an ultimate power… For seventeen years, he lived in Japan. There was nothing unusual that had happened in his life. His parents had died in a car accident when he was three. After that, his grandfather J had adopted him. Now, he was a third year student at Osaka High (1). While his grades were slightly above average, there was nothing he really excelled at – except the computer. He had no weird birthmarks, nor any 'powers' that he was aware of… He considered himself to be an average guy.

"It doesn't matter whether or not you believe me now. The fact remains you can no longer stay here," Duo said, standing from his chair. "Shinigami's minions should be coming for you soon. We need to get you out of this realm and into Tarea – that's the only place where you'll be safe."

Duo reached for Heero's arm with surprising strength, easily lifting him out of the chair. Heero glared in protest, wrenching his arm away but unable to break Duo's grasp.

"Don't bother fighting me, Heero. You're coming with me whether or not you want to." Duo left no room for argument, and suddenly Heero started to think maybe his instincts were wrong, maybe Duo was mentally unstable…

"We should be able to create a portal in one of these alleys," Duo said as he pushed the door open.

Cold, night air chilled Heero's cheeks. Duo was still dragging him, making his way to one of the alley's to his left. It was dark, with the smallest hint of orange light flickering on the side of the building.

"Let me go," Heero stated, trying his best to plant his feet to the ground.

Duo turned to look at him and frowned. "I'm not trying to hurt you, Heero. Trust me."

"The only person I trust is myself."

"Well then, you've got issues."

Completely ignoring Heero's protests at this point, Duo yanked at Heero's arm one final time, pulling his body flush up against his. Too surprised by the contact, Heero stared at Duo as he was pretty much carried into the alley.

The violet eyes Heero found peculiar moments earlier slid closed, and words were spoken in a language Heero couldn't understand.

A faint, white glow started to flash in front of Duo. Turning towards the light, Heero saw a glowing slip of paper in Duo's hand. After a few more whispered words, the paper expanded into what appeared to be an oval-shaped portal. A white glow surrounded the edges, while a blank darkness filled its center. Heero felt Duo step forward, and feeling as though he were on a rollercoaster, they fell into the darkness. Clinging with all his strength to Duo's solid body, he felt annoyance surge when he felt the rumbling of Duo's chuckle against his chest.

Then they hit the ground, and Heero blinked open eyes he hadn't known he'd shut to look around…

To be continued…

1 – Osaka High from Hana-Kimi