Title: The Ribbon and the Ring 14?
Author: Seraphim Grace
Archive: if you want it ask, I just like to know where they are. Always appreciated and replied to.
Rating: 18 (This is an open rating so I don't have to worry).
Pairings: 1x2
Warnings: Angst. Some gore. Some incredibly bad French.

Notes: AU, and features necromancy. The boys arrive in Halcyon to meet some old friends and some new.

After being abandoned by Heero and Duo Gereint led the other boys into a small sitting room where a fire blazed merrily. The furniture was sturdy though the cushions were threadbare. "Help yourself to kir and bread, I'll go see if I can find someone."

Quatre sat down on a pile of cushions and began to tug his boots free. "Feet hurt," he told Trowa distinctly, as Aia knelt down to help him.

"If only life was that simple," A young male voice said opening a door and entering the room, he was about their age with a shock of sandy blonde hair and staggering grey eyes. He was a very good looking boy. He wore clothes that he was yet to grow into in a sturdy black weave. "Your feet hurt, you remove your boots. Can I ask what brings you to Halcyon?"

"Can I ask your name?" Wufei said moving between him and Quatre, he suddenly felt the lack of Fenrir who had accompanied Heero and Duo to the yellow parlour, he got the impression no one would have been so forward with such a large animal in front of them and more than capable of ripping out their throat with his teeth.

"He's the prince." Quatre said brightly then fell back on his pillows.

"Then what is your intention in Halcyon?" The boy repeated. Trowa thought it strange that this boy was the same age as they were but he considered him a boy.

It was Aia who answered, "we are the entourage of Shinigami no Duo-Tennosha, he has business in Halcyon with Danan D'Karioni, your highness. He awaits him even now in the yellow parlour, we accompanied Sir Gereint from Sidi."

The prince, who was not dressed like one, measured up what she said, "shit," he said, "we better find Bunny before they do then." He looked at them, "wait here, or I'll have you put to death." He said but it sounded an empty threat.

Duo looked up at the boy before him, "you're not Danan D'Karioni," he said in shock, "he's older than you are, I don't care if you're trying to protect him, bring him here."

"But," the boy protested, "I am Danan D'Karioni, I am the seventh son of Mikhail D'Karioni, there is no other Danan D'Karioni."

Heero leaned in to whisper into Duo's ear but he didn't hear it.

"You are not him, he killed Mina, bring him here to face judgement." Duo shouted standing up, Fenrir looked between them.

The door opened and a tall man came in. His clothes were in a better state of repair than those of the boy. "Is there a problem here, Bunny?" He asked, he had his hand obviously on his sword and in reaction Fenrir started to growl.

"These men were looking for me but they say I'm not who they are looking for." The boy said cowering behind the young man who couldn't have been older than twenty-five at the most. "Devlin, I think," the man, Devlin shushed him.

"You are looking for Danan D'Karioni?" he asked calmly, he had loosened the sword in the sheathe. "You'll have to get through me."

Heero's smile was slow and cold. "I have no issue with that, but," that word was like an explosion, "I want to make sure that it is the right Danan D'Karioni that I eviscerate for my lord. This is not the man we seek. He looked more like you, he was about your age with grey eyes."

The door opened again. "For crying out loud, Devlin," the newcomer said, "I can't leave you alone for a minute, but you're picking fights with someone, can I?" it was another boy, this one wore a farmer's smock and a pair of leather shorts like Trowa's. He had red brown hair and the most piercing pair of golden eyes, much like those of Fenrir. He was easily as tall as Trowa and his feet were bare.

Devlin, who stood a good head and shoulders taller than everyone else in the room managed to look cowed. He had black hair that was inexpertly cut and a pair of soft black eyes but he was pale as if he had spent too long out of the sun, but he held himself competently. "They were going to attack Bunny."

"They don't want Bunny," a familiar voice said from behind the boy, pushing his way into the room was Tobin D'Cevni who looked exactly the same as he had before, "they want Danan D'Karioni, hello, Duo, Heero." He bowed his head to them both, "it's been a very long time."

Duo pulled himself off the couch for the first time, "Tobin, what the fuck is going on here? Where is everyone, we asked to see Danan D'Karioni and we get this boy trying to protect him? Then this one comes in and says "over my dead body" and Heero is more than willing to oblige him, and at this rate I think I might have to carve out a little of my bad temper on him, and then this boy comes in and says he's jumping to conclusions and the man backs down and everyone's calling this boy Bunny and then you're here. Where's Alister, and Aeka and all the servants? What the hell happened here when we were gone, it wasn't that long."

"Six hundred years." Tobin answered calmly. "You were gone six hundred years."

Duo was silent, he opened his mouth to speak a few times but nothing came out but his expression remained flummoxed.

"Then how do you still live?" Heero asked.

"I'm not sure I do." Tobin answered calmly. "I belong to the Forest and I have served it since after you left, the loom is snarled and some us have been caught in limbo." His answer was sad and quiet. "There are a few of us. But Duo, this isn't that Danan, but he is a Danan, the one you want died in an insane asylum six hundred years ago."

"That Danan?" Bunny asked from where he hid behind Devlin. "He was really mad, he wouldn't go anywhere without his mirror and so they locked him in Amon Mar because he bit this woman and…"

"That's enough, Bunny." Tobin said quietly, "he suffered for his sin, that's all they need to know." He looked across at Duo with his poison green eyes, "I'm sorry, I know you wanted to kill him yourself for what he did."

"Did he have children?" Heero asked.

"No," Tobin answered. "He died mad and alone in Amon Mar and was buried in a pauper's grave." Then his entire demeanour changed, "well, it's good to see the two of you back, come on, we'll have a feast, I'll send Jose down into the town to get some fish, is there just the two of you, and the wilding obviously, oh, and while I remember, Duo this is Deakon," He looked at the boy with the golden eyes, "Deakon," he pointed across the room, "Duo, he can talk to the dead too."

Author's note:

Cast list, I didn't want to give you one of these until I had actually introduced them.

Jored Baatorin : Crown Prince of Aatoria.

Taira Deakon : 2nd in line to the throne of Aatoria

Caspian Baatorin : the king's bastard son.

Devlin D'Aino : Heir to Amitre, very protective over Deakon

Bunny D'Karioni Aka Danan : Jored's playmate.

Danev of Melc: Their guardian.

the Cadacus (aka Takehito Mamoru) : the erstwhile Senshisha

Sir Cameron : A disgraced Seraphim angel – the prince's tutor.

Sir Gereint : Sir Cameron's research partner

Cedric : Sir Gereint's errant.