Author's Note: Dammit! I didn't want to have this many chapters. This one and Chapter 5 were supposed to be the same one, but it was too long. Hn! ::pouts, then gets dirty looks from G-boys, muses, and readers:: But enough rambling... On with the fic!
Disclaimer: I don't own the G-boys, this version of the Greek Gods is really messed up, shounen ai, switching of POV, OOCness most likely, and general weirdness. Squiggly lines ~ ~ are for emphasis.
"Meiran?" Wufei breathed in shock. It couldn't be... She was dead... He belated remembered that he was in the Land of the Dead. Oh, yeah... Still, she was Buddhis. What was she doing here?
"Of course. What are ~you~ doing here? Are you dead? And why have you got wings on your back?" she demanded, brisk and borderline rude as ever.
"~I'm~ here to rescue my - er - friend, and I'm far from being dead. I've been made the Avatar of Justice," he said with pardonable pride. Then he waited for the inevitable jibe about how unworthy he was for such a task. He was taken aback when Meiran chuckled.
"Always knew you had it in you. Was wondering what it would take to get you to believe it, too," she said smugly, as if ~she~ had personally been responsible for this turn of events.
"What?"
"Really, Wufei, for a scholar you're being particularly dense. Do you honestly think I would waste my time on a ~male~ such as yourself if I hadn't thought you had potential?" she asked in exasperation. Wufei was about to retort when he paused to think whether he was being insulted or complemented. "Who's this - ahem - ~friend~ of yours?"
"His name is Duo. He was kidnapped by Hades and Thanatos told me he'd be here," Wufei replied then grimaced. He'd disobeyed his orders, he'd stopped. Would he be able to Duo now? A gasp from Meiran distracted him. "What is it?"
"You mean - Shinigami is a mortal? Dammit!" she cursed. "Injustice! I was wondering what was going wrong. The stars have been coming out. Well, I suppose I'll take you to him. The sooner you get him out of here, the better off we'll all be. Come on, Dragon."
She began to walk through the trees. Wufei stared after her, then gave a snort of irritation. He'd almost forgotten what she was like. He hurried to follow, not wanting to get lost in the Underworld.
"Onna, don't you dare get us lost!"
"Don't 'dear' me, Hades!" Persephone said sternly, putting her hands on her hips. "Just what do you think you're doing? Killing all my beautiful flowers, ruining Mother's crops, driving Pan and the satyrs mad with all this death and other nonsense! I leave for one hundred years and ~look~ what happens! And what about Shinigami? What have you done to that poor boy to keep him here, hmmm? Given him a tour? Introduced him to Sysiphus and Tantalus? Have him trying to train Cerberus to roll over?"
"Of course not, honey - " Hades began, but Demeter advanced on him, shaking a finger.
"How ~dare~ you, young man? Trying to destroy all my hard work before those poor mortals can harvest. I ~knew~ you were a rotten egg to start with, I said so right from the beginning. My daughter could've had Apollo or Hermes, and I daresay she'd have been better off for it. Don't say I didn't warn you, Pesephone, I said he was no good, and if Zeus hadn't stepped in I'd've tanned your hide for even considering him," she ranted, glaring daggers at Hades.
"Demeter, what a - pleasant - surprise," Hades said with a watery smile. Thanatos grinned. His father had never been a match for either woman, and now was practially cowering before the wrath of them both.
"Don't you talk to me, little mister! I don't need any of your lippiness. Now, you just scoot and put my great-grandson back on Earth, get all your bloody stupid sand back down here, and close the Gates. Have you ~any~ idea of the worry you've caused? Poor Zeus is frantic trying to figure out how you got up there in the first place. This is just perfect, my daughter is in love with an escaped convict!" Demeter then burst into dramatic tears.
"Now look what you've done!" Persephone cried, rushing to comfort her mother. She glared at Hades from over her mother's shoulder. She transferred her gaze to Thanatos and her expression softened. "Honey, why don't you go get Shinigami out of here? Your father and I need some time to talk this over."
"But sweetie - " objected Hades, but was silenced by a look from his wife.
Thanatos gave his mother a smile and snapped his fingers, vanishing without the slightested puff of smoke. Demeter detatched herself from her daughter, and likewise left, not without a considerable amount of venomous looks at Hades. Finally they were alone together. Hades gave his bride a nervous smile. She merely narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Persephone, darling, let me explain - "
"No! I don't want to here it, Hades! This stupid grudge you've held against Zeus has gone on long enough. What were you ~thinking~?"
"Dear, I -"
"You ~weren't~ thinking at all! And you'd better clean up this mess you've made or - or you won't get ~any~ nookie for the next few millennia!" Persephone declared, spamping her foot in the sand to make her point. Hades locked gazes with her. Eventually he looked rather like sulky puppy as lowered his pitch-black eyes and nodded. She smiled then, and kissed him. "Though you're sooo sexy when you're all maniacal and evil, I want my sweet little Hades back, mmkay? And I promise to reward you later... I'm not going to be leaving for a few hundred years..."
Hades looked reluctant as he pulled away, but the thought of having Persephone to - er - keep him company in - uh - creative ways was enough motivation for him. He could wait to avenge himself as long as he had ~her~ with him... She was the reason he was imprisoned in the first place anyway. Plus he was just relieved that her harpy of a mother had left, and that she herself had stopped nagging and threatening.{1} And - he justified to himself - if the gods really were in a tizzy about this little attempt at overthrowing Zeus, then they must not be as distant as he thought. He snapped his fingers, and the winds stopped, then reversed, pulling the sand back into the Underworld. Then he eagerly embraced Persephone.
"I did my part... now, what's my reward?" he murmured. He was pleasantly surprised.
Meiran led him around so many bushes and streams that Wufei was sure she had no idea where she was going. He let her know this, too, and this made for some interesting conversation as they walked, usually involving their doubts about the other's ancestry and/or intelligence. Finally Meiran stopped and pointed at a clearing. Wufei's heart soared. There sat Duo, looking perfectly content on the soft ground as a woman who bore a slight resemblance to him brushed his incredibly long unbound hair. She was talking in a steady flow, not unlike Duo often did, and surprisingly Duo was silent except for an occasional laugh.
"There he is. Go get him, Dragon," Meiran said, mock-punching Wufei on the arm. "It was... good to see you again..."
"Yes... Thank you for your help..." Wufei responded awkwardly.
"And... Wufei..." she paused, figetting, not meeting his eyes.
"What?" he asked, puzzled. He'd never seen Meiran nervous before.
"I - I'm... sorry. For being a weakling and dying like that," she said in a rush, a pale blush coloring her features. "Don't... hesitate to tell him how you feel. Because you never know when you might not be able to anymore..."
The import of what she was saying hit him, and he looked at her in shock. "Meiran...?"
"Don't make the mistake I did. Good-bye, Wufei. Never loose sight of Justice," she said, and before he could respond, she'd kissed him on the cheek and run out of sight. He just stood there, blinking repeatedly as he touched his cheek. Then he shook himself. He could puzzle out her actions later, when he'd delivered Duo from here. He entered the clearing.
"- and then your father said, 'Well, at least the shoes go with it!'" Kayla declared, and both she and Duo went off into fits of laughter. A sudden polite cough sounded from beside them. Duo looked up and his eyes widened as Wufei stepped into the clearing. Or at least, it looked like Wufei... except, when did Wufei get large green dragon-wings?
"Wu-bear? Is it really you?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he recalled the psuedo-Wufei from he vision Hades had created.
"Of course I am, Maxwell," the Wufei-dragon-boy said, annoyance, tension, and something incomprehensible thick in his tone. "And don't call me Wu-bear!"
"Wufei! It ~is~ you!" Duo stood and bounded over to him, glomping a very startled Wufei. Then he felt something moist on his chest as Wufei stuggled weakly in his arms. He pulled away, looking down. Something red was smeared on his chest, and there were dark stains on Wufei's ragged-looking tanktop. "Fei, what happened?"
Wufei looked embarrassed. "We haven't got time for this. The Underworld is merging with the real one, and we've got to get out of here before it's too late."
"What?" Kayla cried, jumping up. "What was I thinking? Of course you need to get out of here, dear. The Gates of Hades won't close if there's a living mortal in here!"
"What?" Duo shouted, feeling a wave of understanding wash through him. He'd been neatly tricked into staying here, unwittingly doing exactly what Hades wanted. "Dammit! We've got to get out of here!"
"No, really?" Wufei asked sarcastically. Then he turned away. "Unfortunately, I seem to have gotten lost... I don't know the way back to the Gate."
"Well, you could follow me," a soft reedy voice said before anyone's hopes could sufficiently be crushed. Duo whirled, reaching for a gun that wasn't there. Behind him stood a short lithe man with a cloud of white hair and glowing purple eyes. "I know the way."
"Thanatos?" Kayla whispered as if not believing her eyes. She ran over to him, much as Duo had done to Wufei, only this pair shared a passionate kiss.
"Hello, Kayla. No time to chat really," Duo's father said. "I don't know if Mother succeeded in convincing Hades to let Duo go, and I'd rather not stay to find out. I'll come back for you, love."
"You'd damn well better," she whispered back throatily. She relinquished her hold on the God, and turned to Duo. "It was good to see you, son. I hope we can again, some day. But it had better not be soon."
Duo blinked back a sudden stinging in his eyes as his mother hugged him fiercely.
"It won't be. I love you, Mom," he whispered into her ear so no one else could hear.
"I love you, too. And honey, you should tell him how you feel. You'll feel better, trust me," she said back in similar fashion. Duo started and pulled back. His mother was grinning widely, and she gave him a large wink. Then she suddenly ran off into the dense forest around them. Duo stared after her. Had he been so obvious...?
"We'd better hurry," Thanatos reminded him, putting an arm on his shoulder. He nodded absently. "Then come closer around me. I shall attempt to take us to the Gate."
As they came closer to Thanatos, Wufei spoke.
"Attempt? You mean it might not work?"
"Due to the nature of the Gate, it is constantly moving within the Underworld. Only Hades himself knows exactly where it is all the time, and I don't think he'll be willing to help with this."
"So it's basically hit-or-miss," Duo said, rolling his eyes. "Perfect."
"Brace yourself, this may feel a little weird," Thanatos said then snapped his fingers.
Quatre bit his lip worriedly. Wufei had been done there an awful long time. And the change of the direction of the sand was startling. The sand was retreating much more rapidly than it had appeared, and the rift in the earth was closing just as quickly. At this rate, even if they managed to get out of the Underworld, they'd be crushed before they could reach the top of the chasm.
"Come on, you guys," he whispered. "Hurry."
Wufei would have given a sarcastic laugh at Thanatos's words. 'A little weird' didn't even begin to describe the strange, stomach-lurching, mind-bending, limb-rending feeling that came after the snap. He was thankful that it lasted only a fraction of a second, but his head continued to pound afterwards. Duo moaned and stumbled. Wufei caught him before he'd hit the ground.
"Are you all right?" he asked, gritting his teeth against the pain in his head.
Duo grinned weakly at him. "Yeah, just a little whoosy. Are we there yet?"
"Nearly. The Gate is over there," Thanatos said, gesturing. "I'm afraid I can't follow you into the mortal world. But I shall distract Cerberus for you."
"Thank you," Wufei said formally, nodding slightly. Duo straightened, letting go of Wufei slowly, and smiled widely at his father.
"Yeah, thanks Dad. And do me a favor, would you? Don't invite me to any of the family reuniouns," Duo joked with a big wink. Thanatos smiled more widely this time.
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that. Good bye, Shinigami and Avatar of Justice. Fare you well," Thanatos said.
Without further hesitation, Wufei tugged Duo away, breaking into a run for the strange Gate. They had reached the Gate when a resounding growl rang out. Wufei threw Duo forward, putting himself between the montrous dog and his friend, ready to to battle. Then he himself was pushed out of the way.
"Didn't I say I'd distract him? Go!" Thanatos yelled over a roar, hurling a large white wedding cake at the
Wufei took the hint scrambled out after Duo. They stood at the bottom of the pit and sand blew into their eyes and faces. The wind was howling, picking up speed, and the walls were closing much to fast for their comfort. Wufei grabbed the coughing form of Duo and lifted him up.
"HOLD ON!" he shouted over the wind.
"GOOD ADVICE, FEI-BABE!" was the mildly sarcastic responce in his ear as Duo wrapped arms around his neck. Wufei readjusted his grip, trying not to get tangled in Duo's mass of hair, then sprang into the air.
Wind buffeted him, making it incredibly hard to gain altitude and even harder to stay in control. Grimly he struggled, ever mindful of the cliff walls closing around him. The fact that Duo's hair only whipped him in the face as much as the sand did only made it worse. A sudden strong gust forced him off course, smashing him against the side. He heard a sickening crack as his wing broke. He spread his unwounded wing wide, trying desperately to stay aloft.
"WUFEI!" Duo shouted.
"Duo..." he said, his words getting lost in the sound of rushing wind. They were tossed about, striking the side again. He did his best to shield Duo with his body. Stars of pain clouded his vision and they began to fall. "I've failed you..."
"WUFEI, DON'T YOU DIE ON ME NOW, DAMMIT!!" Duo screamed into his ear. "COME ON! WE'RE ALMOST TO THE TOP!"
"Sorry," Wufei said, futiley trying to pump his wings as wind wrenched the dragonic appendages around. In a haze of pain, he found his gaze locked with Dou's. He recalled Meiran's advice, and, certain he was about to die, took it to heart. "I love you."
He was aware of the violet eyes widening in shock. He himself was surprised Duo had heard him at all... Or maybe he'd read his lips... Wufei disorganized thoughts fled as there was a horrible twisting of the world as he hit the ground.
The Gods and pilots watched with sinking hearts as the chasm closed completely. Neither pilot had emerged. Quatre let tears flow unashamedly, and was surprised when Trowa wrapped him in a comforting hug, which he returned gratefully, weeping into the taller boy's shoulder. Thalia was likewise teary-eyed, but Aphrodite and Eros looked philosophical.
"Their efforts weren't in vain," Aphrodite comforted. "They obviously escaped, else the Gates wouldn't have been able to close. They saved your world."
"Ninmu kanryou," Heero said reverently.
"So... this... is heaven," Duo said aloud. He couldn't help but feel extrememly disappointed.
White. It was really really white. He looked around. Yep. ~Everything~ was white. And misty. He was alone. Where was Wufei? A stab of hyper-intense worry shot through him.
"No, not really," a deep, resonating masculine voice said from behind him. Duo whirled to see a tall man with curly dark brown hair and golden olive brances tucked behind his ears. And his toga was white too.
"Then where am I? Where's Wufei? How did I get here?" he demanded. He was too worried about his Fei-chan and too sick of gods dragging him off on whims to be polite. The chestnut-haired god merely smiled soothingly.
"Calm down, Shinigami, or Duo, whichever you call yourself. This is Mount Olympus, home of he Gods. When you escaped the Underworld, we transported you here. Your beloved is safe, and his wounds are being tended to by Athena as we speak. But while he is being healed, I have to talk with you about certain things," he said, giving Duo a stern look. "One of which is your apparent godliness."
Duo, adrift in warm relief upon hearing Wufei's safety, nodded. "Let me guess, you don't want me to be a god?"
"Something like that. You see, here on Olympus, we all have remained static for the past few millennia. There aren't any real job openings, especially in your end of the field. It would be imprudent," the god said, looking quite practical. "And do you really want to be a god anyway? Think carefully. I won't force you to deny your godhood. If you wish it, you may become a full god and live here among us."
"What exactly does that entail? I assume there are catches to being a supreme being," Duo said with a mocking grin.
"Well for one you will have to give up your mortality, and your mortal friends. You'd have to find a theological niche to fill, and then you'd have to do that for the rest of eternity. It gets boring. And your contact with the mortal world would be severely limited. While there are some rule brekers up here, myself, your father, and Eros included, generally we are forbidden to fall in love with mortals. I think this would be the most helpful factor in deciding," the god added after a meaningful pause.
It would've been tempting. All that power, no more war, and all the ambrosia he could eat! But the thought of living for eternity without his Fei-chan decided him against it. Even if he did break the rules, Wufei would still be mortal and would eventually die. From his mother's reaction to Thanatos showing up, he guessed that it didn't happen very often, if ever. And Duo wasn't willing to risk it. Especially since he had an inkling of what Wufei was trying to tell him before they'd been puffed here.
"It's a good offer, but I think I'll pass. Being a demi-god is enough for me," Duo said.
The god sighed with relief.
"Good. Now that ~that's~ settled, would you like to go back to your world?"
"I want Wufei, ~then~ I'd be glad to take him and get out of your hair," Duo replied. The god smacked himself on the forehead.
"How forgetful of me. Of course," he said and snapped his fingers. Wufei and a tall woman in silver armor appeared in a puff of white smoke. The woman stood from her crouching position next to the prone body of Wufei.
"Father, I wish you wouldn't do that. Mortals aren't made to handle our method of transportation," Athena said with a professional frown.
"What's wrong with him?" Duo asked, worry coming back full force as Wufei didn't stir.
"Nothing. Healing takes a lot out of mortals; he'd sleeping it off to regain his energy. He already used up quite a bi of it with those rediculous wings. Next time, tell Eros not to give him the bow and arrows. I think that's what triggered it," she said, still calmly professional. "He'll be fine in a few hours. Just don't transport them back to earth. Not in the usual way, at least. That could make him slip into a coma."
"You're the healer," Zeus agreed with a jaunty smile. "Now, how to send you two home... I've got it!"
As he said this, he snapped his fingers. Duo found himself next to Wufei, floating on a puff of white cloud far bove the earth, which looked as it did from space. Only it couldn't have been space because there was plenty of air to breathe and it wasn't cold. He looked back, expecting to see clouds or any sign of the place he'd just left, but there was none. So he sighed and watched as they drifted lazily down toward earth.
He was almost asleep from boredom when he heard Wufei move next to him. He snapped to alertness and watched anxiously as Wufei sat up, blinking slowly.
"D-Duo?" Wufei asked, clearly puzzled. "What happened?"
"Well, we were falling and then I thought we died and I'd gone to heaven, but it was only Mount Olympus and Zeus tlaked to me about being a god, and I said I didn't want to and then Athena came with you and Zeus put us on this cloud thingy and now we're going back down to earth, and gods 'Fei don't you ~ever~ do that again!" Duo said in one breath. "I thought you were ~dead~!"
After a stunned pause as Wufei organized Duo's babble, he said, "So did I. Did you - did you hear me say something? Before we got puffed to Olympus?"
"Ah... maybe... wanna refresh my memory?" Duo asked innocently as he could. Here it came...
Wufei looked embarrassed and his mouth worked but couldn't seem to form words. Then he looked away from Duo and mumbled something.
"What? I didn't catch that."
"I said 'I think I love you,' dammit!" Wufei shouted suddenly, glaring up at Duo and turning red.
Duo, for all his hopes, was shocked into speechlessness. He'd actually admitted it! Duo resisted the urge to swoon, as he'd probably fall off the cloud. Wufei looked away after the silence went on for a few moments.
"I know you don't like me, but I thought I should tell you," he said quietly, evenly. Had Duo not known him as well as he did, he would've missed the slight tinge of hurt underlying the words. He felt angry at himself for not acting faster. But was the Chinese boy ~really~ that slow on the uptake? Without thinking, he tackled Wufei.
"Baka! You are so dense! Not ~like~ you? Come on! ~Everyone~ else saw it, even my mom! And ~she'd~ only just met the both of us!" he shouted into Wufei's face as he pinned the unresisting boy to the soft fluffiness of the cloud.
"What are you saying?" Wufei asked, confused. Duo rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"I'll say this in words even you can understand. I think I love you, too!" he said plainly, then kissed Wufei.
After the initial shock, Wufei responded, wrapping arms around Duo's neck. He was half-expecting to wake up and find that this whole episode was a dream, but the warm reality of Duo was too good to be false. Tingles ran down his spine as the kiss went on... and on... and on...
Finally they broke apart for breath. Duo grinned at him from above, face flushed.
"Get it?" he asked, panting a little.
Wufei gave him a wry smirk.
"I think I'll be able to piece it together," he assured him, then pulled him down for another kiss. He was utterly dismayed, though, when a wave of dizziness passed over him. He broke the kiss and squinched his eyes closed.
"Fei-babe, are you all right?" Duo asked worriedly.
"I feel... dizzy," he answered. He opened his eyes as Duo got off of him.
"Oh yeah, I shouldn't've done that. Athena, the chick who healed you, said you're recovering your energy. She said you'd have to sleep it off, and you kinda woke up early or something," the American explained sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess I took a lot out of you."
"So this means - "
"Right... But we can still cuddle..." Duo offered, blushing cutely.
Wufei felt himself blush as well. "Er - Duo?"
"Yeah?"
"How do you cuddle?"
His flush deepened as Duo grinned at him.
"I'll show you."
{1}- Who'd have thought Hades would be so whipped? ^_^ whi-chishh!
One more part to go! Epilouge! Review! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!
Duo: Hey, look! Wufei and I actually got some! *V*
Wufei: ::blushing:: Hn... EEP! ::is glomped by Duo::
Disclaimer: I don't own the G-boys, this version of the Greek Gods is really messed up, shounen ai, switching of POV, OOCness most likely, and general weirdness. Squiggly lines ~ ~ are for emphasis.
"Meiran?" Wufei breathed in shock. It couldn't be... She was dead... He belated remembered that he was in the Land of the Dead. Oh, yeah... Still, she was Buddhis. What was she doing here?
"Of course. What are ~you~ doing here? Are you dead? And why have you got wings on your back?" she demanded, brisk and borderline rude as ever.
"~I'm~ here to rescue my - er - friend, and I'm far from being dead. I've been made the Avatar of Justice," he said with pardonable pride. Then he waited for the inevitable jibe about how unworthy he was for such a task. He was taken aback when Meiran chuckled.
"Always knew you had it in you. Was wondering what it would take to get you to believe it, too," she said smugly, as if ~she~ had personally been responsible for this turn of events.
"What?"
"Really, Wufei, for a scholar you're being particularly dense. Do you honestly think I would waste my time on a ~male~ such as yourself if I hadn't thought you had potential?" she asked in exasperation. Wufei was about to retort when he paused to think whether he was being insulted or complemented. "Who's this - ahem - ~friend~ of yours?"
"His name is Duo. He was kidnapped by Hades and Thanatos told me he'd be here," Wufei replied then grimaced. He'd disobeyed his orders, he'd stopped. Would he be able to Duo now? A gasp from Meiran distracted him. "What is it?"
"You mean - Shinigami is a mortal? Dammit!" she cursed. "Injustice! I was wondering what was going wrong. The stars have been coming out. Well, I suppose I'll take you to him. The sooner you get him out of here, the better off we'll all be. Come on, Dragon."
She began to walk through the trees. Wufei stared after her, then gave a snort of irritation. He'd almost forgotten what she was like. He hurried to follow, not wanting to get lost in the Underworld.
"Onna, don't you dare get us lost!"
"Don't 'dear' me, Hades!" Persephone said sternly, putting her hands on her hips. "Just what do you think you're doing? Killing all my beautiful flowers, ruining Mother's crops, driving Pan and the satyrs mad with all this death and other nonsense! I leave for one hundred years and ~look~ what happens! And what about Shinigami? What have you done to that poor boy to keep him here, hmmm? Given him a tour? Introduced him to Sysiphus and Tantalus? Have him trying to train Cerberus to roll over?"
"Of course not, honey - " Hades began, but Demeter advanced on him, shaking a finger.
"How ~dare~ you, young man? Trying to destroy all my hard work before those poor mortals can harvest. I ~knew~ you were a rotten egg to start with, I said so right from the beginning. My daughter could've had Apollo or Hermes, and I daresay she'd have been better off for it. Don't say I didn't warn you, Pesephone, I said he was no good, and if Zeus hadn't stepped in I'd've tanned your hide for even considering him," she ranted, glaring daggers at Hades.
"Demeter, what a - pleasant - surprise," Hades said with a watery smile. Thanatos grinned. His father had never been a match for either woman, and now was practially cowering before the wrath of them both.
"Don't you talk to me, little mister! I don't need any of your lippiness. Now, you just scoot and put my great-grandson back on Earth, get all your bloody stupid sand back down here, and close the Gates. Have you ~any~ idea of the worry you've caused? Poor Zeus is frantic trying to figure out how you got up there in the first place. This is just perfect, my daughter is in love with an escaped convict!" Demeter then burst into dramatic tears.
"Now look what you've done!" Persephone cried, rushing to comfort her mother. She glared at Hades from over her mother's shoulder. She transferred her gaze to Thanatos and her expression softened. "Honey, why don't you go get Shinigami out of here? Your father and I need some time to talk this over."
"But sweetie - " objected Hades, but was silenced by a look from his wife.
Thanatos gave his mother a smile and snapped his fingers, vanishing without the slightested puff of smoke. Demeter detatched herself from her daughter, and likewise left, not without a considerable amount of venomous looks at Hades. Finally they were alone together. Hades gave his bride a nervous smile. She merely narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Persephone, darling, let me explain - "
"No! I don't want to here it, Hades! This stupid grudge you've held against Zeus has gone on long enough. What were you ~thinking~?"
"Dear, I -"
"You ~weren't~ thinking at all! And you'd better clean up this mess you've made or - or you won't get ~any~ nookie for the next few millennia!" Persephone declared, spamping her foot in the sand to make her point. Hades locked gazes with her. Eventually he looked rather like sulky puppy as lowered his pitch-black eyes and nodded. She smiled then, and kissed him. "Though you're sooo sexy when you're all maniacal and evil, I want my sweet little Hades back, mmkay? And I promise to reward you later... I'm not going to be leaving for a few hundred years..."
Hades looked reluctant as he pulled away, but the thought of having Persephone to - er - keep him company in - uh - creative ways was enough motivation for him. He could wait to avenge himself as long as he had ~her~ with him... She was the reason he was imprisoned in the first place anyway. Plus he was just relieved that her harpy of a mother had left, and that she herself had stopped nagging and threatening.{1} And - he justified to himself - if the gods really were in a tizzy about this little attempt at overthrowing Zeus, then they must not be as distant as he thought. He snapped his fingers, and the winds stopped, then reversed, pulling the sand back into the Underworld. Then he eagerly embraced Persephone.
"I did my part... now, what's my reward?" he murmured. He was pleasantly surprised.
Meiran led him around so many bushes and streams that Wufei was sure she had no idea where she was going. He let her know this, too, and this made for some interesting conversation as they walked, usually involving their doubts about the other's ancestry and/or intelligence. Finally Meiran stopped and pointed at a clearing. Wufei's heart soared. There sat Duo, looking perfectly content on the soft ground as a woman who bore a slight resemblance to him brushed his incredibly long unbound hair. She was talking in a steady flow, not unlike Duo often did, and surprisingly Duo was silent except for an occasional laugh.
"There he is. Go get him, Dragon," Meiran said, mock-punching Wufei on the arm. "It was... good to see you again..."
"Yes... Thank you for your help..." Wufei responded awkwardly.
"And... Wufei..." she paused, figetting, not meeting his eyes.
"What?" he asked, puzzled. He'd never seen Meiran nervous before.
"I - I'm... sorry. For being a weakling and dying like that," she said in a rush, a pale blush coloring her features. "Don't... hesitate to tell him how you feel. Because you never know when you might not be able to anymore..."
The import of what she was saying hit him, and he looked at her in shock. "Meiran...?"
"Don't make the mistake I did. Good-bye, Wufei. Never loose sight of Justice," she said, and before he could respond, she'd kissed him on the cheek and run out of sight. He just stood there, blinking repeatedly as he touched his cheek. Then he shook himself. He could puzzle out her actions later, when he'd delivered Duo from here. He entered the clearing.
"- and then your father said, 'Well, at least the shoes go with it!'" Kayla declared, and both she and Duo went off into fits of laughter. A sudden polite cough sounded from beside them. Duo looked up and his eyes widened as Wufei stepped into the clearing. Or at least, it looked like Wufei... except, when did Wufei get large green dragon-wings?
"Wu-bear? Is it really you?" he asked, his eyes narrowing as he recalled the psuedo-Wufei from he vision Hades had created.
"Of course I am, Maxwell," the Wufei-dragon-boy said, annoyance, tension, and something incomprehensible thick in his tone. "And don't call me Wu-bear!"
"Wufei! It ~is~ you!" Duo stood and bounded over to him, glomping a very startled Wufei. Then he felt something moist on his chest as Wufei stuggled weakly in his arms. He pulled away, looking down. Something red was smeared on his chest, and there were dark stains on Wufei's ragged-looking tanktop. "Fei, what happened?"
Wufei looked embarrassed. "We haven't got time for this. The Underworld is merging with the real one, and we've got to get out of here before it's too late."
"What?" Kayla cried, jumping up. "What was I thinking? Of course you need to get out of here, dear. The Gates of Hades won't close if there's a living mortal in here!"
"What?" Duo shouted, feeling a wave of understanding wash through him. He'd been neatly tricked into staying here, unwittingly doing exactly what Hades wanted. "Dammit! We've got to get out of here!"
"No, really?" Wufei asked sarcastically. Then he turned away. "Unfortunately, I seem to have gotten lost... I don't know the way back to the Gate."
"Well, you could follow me," a soft reedy voice said before anyone's hopes could sufficiently be crushed. Duo whirled, reaching for a gun that wasn't there. Behind him stood a short lithe man with a cloud of white hair and glowing purple eyes. "I know the way."
"Thanatos?" Kayla whispered as if not believing her eyes. She ran over to him, much as Duo had done to Wufei, only this pair shared a passionate kiss.
"Hello, Kayla. No time to chat really," Duo's father said. "I don't know if Mother succeeded in convincing Hades to let Duo go, and I'd rather not stay to find out. I'll come back for you, love."
"You'd damn well better," she whispered back throatily. She relinquished her hold on the God, and turned to Duo. "It was good to see you, son. I hope we can again, some day. But it had better not be soon."
Duo blinked back a sudden stinging in his eyes as his mother hugged him fiercely.
"It won't be. I love you, Mom," he whispered into her ear so no one else could hear.
"I love you, too. And honey, you should tell him how you feel. You'll feel better, trust me," she said back in similar fashion. Duo started and pulled back. His mother was grinning widely, and she gave him a large wink. Then she suddenly ran off into the dense forest around them. Duo stared after her. Had he been so obvious...?
"We'd better hurry," Thanatos reminded him, putting an arm on his shoulder. He nodded absently. "Then come closer around me. I shall attempt to take us to the Gate."
As they came closer to Thanatos, Wufei spoke.
"Attempt? You mean it might not work?"
"Due to the nature of the Gate, it is constantly moving within the Underworld. Only Hades himself knows exactly where it is all the time, and I don't think he'll be willing to help with this."
"So it's basically hit-or-miss," Duo said, rolling his eyes. "Perfect."
"Brace yourself, this may feel a little weird," Thanatos said then snapped his fingers.
Quatre bit his lip worriedly. Wufei had been done there an awful long time. And the change of the direction of the sand was startling. The sand was retreating much more rapidly than it had appeared, and the rift in the earth was closing just as quickly. At this rate, even if they managed to get out of the Underworld, they'd be crushed before they could reach the top of the chasm.
"Come on, you guys," he whispered. "Hurry."
Wufei would have given a sarcastic laugh at Thanatos's words. 'A little weird' didn't even begin to describe the strange, stomach-lurching, mind-bending, limb-rending feeling that came after the snap. He was thankful that it lasted only a fraction of a second, but his head continued to pound afterwards. Duo moaned and stumbled. Wufei caught him before he'd hit the ground.
"Are you all right?" he asked, gritting his teeth against the pain in his head.
Duo grinned weakly at him. "Yeah, just a little whoosy. Are we there yet?"
"Nearly. The Gate is over there," Thanatos said, gesturing. "I'm afraid I can't follow you into the mortal world. But I shall distract Cerberus for you."
"Thank you," Wufei said formally, nodding slightly. Duo straightened, letting go of Wufei slowly, and smiled widely at his father.
"Yeah, thanks Dad. And do me a favor, would you? Don't invite me to any of the family reuniouns," Duo joked with a big wink. Thanatos smiled more widely this time.
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that. Good bye, Shinigami and Avatar of Justice. Fare you well," Thanatos said.
Without further hesitation, Wufei tugged Duo away, breaking into a run for the strange Gate. They had reached the Gate when a resounding growl rang out. Wufei threw Duo forward, putting himself between the montrous dog and his friend, ready to to battle. Then he himself was pushed out of the way.
"Didn't I say I'd distract him? Go!" Thanatos yelled over a roar, hurling a large white wedding cake at the
Wufei took the hint scrambled out after Duo. They stood at the bottom of the pit and sand blew into their eyes and faces. The wind was howling, picking up speed, and the walls were closing much to fast for their comfort. Wufei grabbed the coughing form of Duo and lifted him up.
"HOLD ON!" he shouted over the wind.
"GOOD ADVICE, FEI-BABE!" was the mildly sarcastic responce in his ear as Duo wrapped arms around his neck. Wufei readjusted his grip, trying not to get tangled in Duo's mass of hair, then sprang into the air.
Wind buffeted him, making it incredibly hard to gain altitude and even harder to stay in control. Grimly he struggled, ever mindful of the cliff walls closing around him. The fact that Duo's hair only whipped him in the face as much as the sand did only made it worse. A sudden strong gust forced him off course, smashing him against the side. He heard a sickening crack as his wing broke. He spread his unwounded wing wide, trying desperately to stay aloft.
"WUFEI!" Duo shouted.
"Duo..." he said, his words getting lost in the sound of rushing wind. They were tossed about, striking the side again. He did his best to shield Duo with his body. Stars of pain clouded his vision and they began to fall. "I've failed you..."
"WUFEI, DON'T YOU DIE ON ME NOW, DAMMIT!!" Duo screamed into his ear. "COME ON! WE'RE ALMOST TO THE TOP!"
"Sorry," Wufei said, futiley trying to pump his wings as wind wrenched the dragonic appendages around. In a haze of pain, he found his gaze locked with Dou's. He recalled Meiran's advice, and, certain he was about to die, took it to heart. "I love you."
He was aware of the violet eyes widening in shock. He himself was surprised Duo had heard him at all... Or maybe he'd read his lips... Wufei disorganized thoughts fled as there was a horrible twisting of the world as he hit the ground.
The Gods and pilots watched with sinking hearts as the chasm closed completely. Neither pilot had emerged. Quatre let tears flow unashamedly, and was surprised when Trowa wrapped him in a comforting hug, which he returned gratefully, weeping into the taller boy's shoulder. Thalia was likewise teary-eyed, but Aphrodite and Eros looked philosophical.
"Their efforts weren't in vain," Aphrodite comforted. "They obviously escaped, else the Gates wouldn't have been able to close. They saved your world."
"Ninmu kanryou," Heero said reverently.
"So... this... is heaven," Duo said aloud. He couldn't help but feel extrememly disappointed.
White. It was really really white. He looked around. Yep. ~Everything~ was white. And misty. He was alone. Where was Wufei? A stab of hyper-intense worry shot through him.
"No, not really," a deep, resonating masculine voice said from behind him. Duo whirled to see a tall man with curly dark brown hair and golden olive brances tucked behind his ears. And his toga was white too.
"Then where am I? Where's Wufei? How did I get here?" he demanded. He was too worried about his Fei-chan and too sick of gods dragging him off on whims to be polite. The chestnut-haired god merely smiled soothingly.
"Calm down, Shinigami, or Duo, whichever you call yourself. This is Mount Olympus, home of he Gods. When you escaped the Underworld, we transported you here. Your beloved is safe, and his wounds are being tended to by Athena as we speak. But while he is being healed, I have to talk with you about certain things," he said, giving Duo a stern look. "One of which is your apparent godliness."
Duo, adrift in warm relief upon hearing Wufei's safety, nodded. "Let me guess, you don't want me to be a god?"
"Something like that. You see, here on Olympus, we all have remained static for the past few millennia. There aren't any real job openings, especially in your end of the field. It would be imprudent," the god said, looking quite practical. "And do you really want to be a god anyway? Think carefully. I won't force you to deny your godhood. If you wish it, you may become a full god and live here among us."
"What exactly does that entail? I assume there are catches to being a supreme being," Duo said with a mocking grin.
"Well for one you will have to give up your mortality, and your mortal friends. You'd have to find a theological niche to fill, and then you'd have to do that for the rest of eternity. It gets boring. And your contact with the mortal world would be severely limited. While there are some rule brekers up here, myself, your father, and Eros included, generally we are forbidden to fall in love with mortals. I think this would be the most helpful factor in deciding," the god added after a meaningful pause.
It would've been tempting. All that power, no more war, and all the ambrosia he could eat! But the thought of living for eternity without his Fei-chan decided him against it. Even if he did break the rules, Wufei would still be mortal and would eventually die. From his mother's reaction to Thanatos showing up, he guessed that it didn't happen very often, if ever. And Duo wasn't willing to risk it. Especially since he had an inkling of what Wufei was trying to tell him before they'd been puffed here.
"It's a good offer, but I think I'll pass. Being a demi-god is enough for me," Duo said.
The god sighed with relief.
"Good. Now that ~that's~ settled, would you like to go back to your world?"
"I want Wufei, ~then~ I'd be glad to take him and get out of your hair," Duo replied. The god smacked himself on the forehead.
"How forgetful of me. Of course," he said and snapped his fingers. Wufei and a tall woman in silver armor appeared in a puff of white smoke. The woman stood from her crouching position next to the prone body of Wufei.
"Father, I wish you wouldn't do that. Mortals aren't made to handle our method of transportation," Athena said with a professional frown.
"What's wrong with him?" Duo asked, worry coming back full force as Wufei didn't stir.
"Nothing. Healing takes a lot out of mortals; he'd sleeping it off to regain his energy. He already used up quite a bi of it with those rediculous wings. Next time, tell Eros not to give him the bow and arrows. I think that's what triggered it," she said, still calmly professional. "He'll be fine in a few hours. Just don't transport them back to earth. Not in the usual way, at least. That could make him slip into a coma."
"You're the healer," Zeus agreed with a jaunty smile. "Now, how to send you two home... I've got it!"
As he said this, he snapped his fingers. Duo found himself next to Wufei, floating on a puff of white cloud far bove the earth, which looked as it did from space. Only it couldn't have been space because there was plenty of air to breathe and it wasn't cold. He looked back, expecting to see clouds or any sign of the place he'd just left, but there was none. So he sighed and watched as they drifted lazily down toward earth.
He was almost asleep from boredom when he heard Wufei move next to him. He snapped to alertness and watched anxiously as Wufei sat up, blinking slowly.
"D-Duo?" Wufei asked, clearly puzzled. "What happened?"
"Well, we were falling and then I thought we died and I'd gone to heaven, but it was only Mount Olympus and Zeus tlaked to me about being a god, and I said I didn't want to and then Athena came with you and Zeus put us on this cloud thingy and now we're going back down to earth, and gods 'Fei don't you ~ever~ do that again!" Duo said in one breath. "I thought you were ~dead~!"
After a stunned pause as Wufei organized Duo's babble, he said, "So did I. Did you - did you hear me say something? Before we got puffed to Olympus?"
"Ah... maybe... wanna refresh my memory?" Duo asked innocently as he could. Here it came...
Wufei looked embarrassed and his mouth worked but couldn't seem to form words. Then he looked away from Duo and mumbled something.
"What? I didn't catch that."
"I said 'I think I love you,' dammit!" Wufei shouted suddenly, glaring up at Duo and turning red.
Duo, for all his hopes, was shocked into speechlessness. He'd actually admitted it! Duo resisted the urge to swoon, as he'd probably fall off the cloud. Wufei looked away after the silence went on for a few moments.
"I know you don't like me, but I thought I should tell you," he said quietly, evenly. Had Duo not known him as well as he did, he would've missed the slight tinge of hurt underlying the words. He felt angry at himself for not acting faster. But was the Chinese boy ~really~ that slow on the uptake? Without thinking, he tackled Wufei.
"Baka! You are so dense! Not ~like~ you? Come on! ~Everyone~ else saw it, even my mom! And ~she'd~ only just met the both of us!" he shouted into Wufei's face as he pinned the unresisting boy to the soft fluffiness of the cloud.
"What are you saying?" Wufei asked, confused. Duo rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"I'll say this in words even you can understand. I think I love you, too!" he said plainly, then kissed Wufei.
After the initial shock, Wufei responded, wrapping arms around Duo's neck. He was half-expecting to wake up and find that this whole episode was a dream, but the warm reality of Duo was too good to be false. Tingles ran down his spine as the kiss went on... and on... and on...
Finally they broke apart for breath. Duo grinned at him from above, face flushed.
"Get it?" he asked, panting a little.
Wufei gave him a wry smirk.
"I think I'll be able to piece it together," he assured him, then pulled him down for another kiss. He was utterly dismayed, though, when a wave of dizziness passed over him. He broke the kiss and squinched his eyes closed.
"Fei-babe, are you all right?" Duo asked worriedly.
"I feel... dizzy," he answered. He opened his eyes as Duo got off of him.
"Oh yeah, I shouldn't've done that. Athena, the chick who healed you, said you're recovering your energy. She said you'd have to sleep it off, and you kinda woke up early or something," the American explained sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess I took a lot out of you."
"So this means - "
"Right... But we can still cuddle..." Duo offered, blushing cutely.
Wufei felt himself blush as well. "Er - Duo?"
"Yeah?"
"How do you cuddle?"
His flush deepened as Duo grinned at him.
"I'll show you."
{1}- Who'd have thought Hades would be so whipped? ^_^ whi-chishh!
One more part to go! Epilouge! Review! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!
Duo: Hey, look! Wufei and I actually got some! *V*
Wufei: ::blushing:: Hn... EEP! ::is glomped by Duo::