Chapter One

Bloodstained

Duo looked around at the beautiful room. Everything in here looked so expensive. He reached out to touch the ornate scythe hanging on the wall but jerked his hand back as soon as it slid into his view. Staring down at his hand he let his mouth hang open in wonder. It was young, pale and fleshy. Not the gnarled, frail and translucent thing it had been less than ten minutes ago. He brought his other hand up to inspect it when he heard the voice.

"Duo? Duo is that you?" Turning he looked over at the doorway he had come through and saw Quatre and the others there. Though this was impossible. Everyone was there, except Wufei. But everyone was dead. They had all died peacefully in their sleep spanning 7 years ago. But there they stood, looking as they did during the war. He grinned at them and let his young legs walk him over to his friends.

"Hi guys. Yeah Quatre it's me. I'm so glad to see you guys again. But I'd really like to know, are we freakin' DEAD!" Quatre smiled at him.

"I'm not sure Duo. The last thing I remember is – oh my!" Quatre gasped and didn't complete his sentence. Duo waved his hand in front of his face impatiently.

"Hey Quat! What's wrong?" He turned his head and saw him sat there. Sitting there as if he owned the place. His black hair was loose and flowed over his shoulders, reaching the middle of his back. His black eyes blinked lazily as he watched them. Duo felt his head becoming heavy as he tried to take in the vision in front of him. Finally, the man sat there spoke.

"Well, this complicates things slightly." Duo hit the floor with a thump.

"Duo! Duo are you alright? Say something! How many fingers am I holding up?" Duo opened his eyes and Zechs swam into view, holding four fingers in front of his face. He groaned as he sat up, reciting the number of fingers and rubbing his head.

"Zechs, please tell me Wufei wasn't sat on the chair when I passed out? I'd hate for him to start calling me weak and yelling dishonour at me." Zechs struggled to keep a straight face while he nodded.

"Sorry Duo. Wufei was sat there, just as he's sat behind you now." Duo yelped and turned to see Wufei stifling a laugh as he uncurled his legs and stood, before waling over to his fallen comrade.

"Do you feel alright Duo? That was a nasty bump you got." Duo nodded as Wufei's slender fingers felt his head for any swelling and pressed lightly against a growing lump.

"You just banged it a little, it'll be fine before long. This must have been a big shock to you huh?" Duo nodded again.

"Umm, 'Fei? Are we all dead or something?" Wufei sat back on his chair and pulled his legs back into their previous position of curled under him.

"Or something Duo. We are all very much alive." Duo stood and perched himself on the arm of the chair Wufei sat on.

"You see- maybe we should gather the others before I explain this. I hate repeating myself." Zechs nodded and walked out of the room, going to gather the other ex-pilots before Wufei spoke of how they got here, especially since all they remembered was old-age, and darkness.

"Well I really don't know how to start this. It's all so very complicated you see. The thing is I'm not human. Don't say anything until I've finished or it'll just tangle the web even further. Like I said, I'm not human. My mother was a demon and my father an angel. Lucedique and Zaniel. After my younger sister was born my father left, saying he had no desire to be with a woman who feared what people may say about her being married to an angel. After that my powers started to show, I could so simple things like make things explode, or disappear into shadows. It wasn't until Tobias came to our home that I was told I was a Mystic. A Mystic is a being that can control an element, and they are sworn to protect their wards until the end. My ward is this country, and my element is Darkness. I was taken from my home to Mystica, where the Mystics reside when they are not needed. I was taught everything I needed to know there, how to control the darkness and shadows, and how to create them. I was taught to summon beings to aid me in battle. I can tell by the looks on your faces that this is unbelievable. Imagine how it must have appeared to a 5-year-old child. When I was thirteen I was able to do things that no other Mystic could perform until they were thirty. So they considered me dangerous, unstable, and I was to spend the rest of my days in a coffin until I was needed. I slept for over two years. Then I was woken and told that there was a war that needed fighting. I wondered why I had to go aid a war that was not even in out own world, and then I saw you. Then I knew you all had to be protected. So I carried on fighting. After the war was won I returned home, back to the mountains to continue my sleep. Answering Duo's question, you are dead. But only in the other world. In this world you are almost immortal. Like the elves you can only die if you are slain. So what else you want to know?" Wufei smiled at them and Heero started forward.

"What do you mean we had to be protected?" Wufei shook his head.

"I cannot answer that yet, it has to be consulted with the kings and the other Mystics first. Anything else?" Duo looked at him.

"Yeah! Why the hell are we here?"

"You're here because you're here. The answer to that question reflects Heero's, so again I cannot answer you." Quatre timidly looked up.

"Are you really a half-breed?" Wufei smiled kindly.

"Yes. Here they call me Hybrid. Apparently I'm not supposed to exist in any world. But angels and demons are nothing like in Catholic mythology. There is no heaven or hell here. Just Dracaena and Celestia. The countries each species are from. But each species does have certain traits, like angel having feathered wings and demons having a bloodlust. Those are true."

"Do you have wings?" Wufei turned his attention to Trowa.

"Of course I have wings. I got the traits from both species. But mine are different, unique." He looked at the expectant faces and sighed.

"I suppose you want to see them? I suppose it couldn't hurt." Wufei reached up and swiftly unfastened the laces that held his shirt together before pulling it over his head and laying it carefully aside.

"No sense in wasting a good shirt." They all watched in fascination as a bright violet light took over Wufei's body and it seemed to shift before them. Shapes erupted from what they assumed to be his back and the light died down. Wufei stood there, same as before. The only difference they could see was his now violet eyes and the large wings on his back. They were more ornamental than suited for flying and seemed sharp. The feathers shone violet in certain light, yet seemed a glossy black in others. Yet they did not seem to be feathers at all, rather glossy light. They stared in fascination.

"Just don't touch them. They may look as if the feathers are soft and downy, but they cut as easily as a razor, and they are laced with poison." Zechs reached out and placed his hand lightly on the sharp edge of Wufei's left wing.

"It's amazingly soft. Almost like a baby rabbit or other fuzzy animal." Wufei seemed shocked.

"You knew where to touch it. Hardly anyone knows that. You really are him." Zechs raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"I really am who? Wufei what are you keeping from us?" Wufei shook his head.

"I can't tell you. Please don't ask me anything else. I have told you all I can." The wings retracted into Wufei's back and he pulled the shirt back over his head, lacing it expertly.

"Come on. The other Mystics will be here soon and I have to have you put in the right attire." The others all looked at each other before following Wufei out of the room.