**


Duo's eyes snapped open despite his condition as he heard Heero's scream break the air around him. It somehow managed to break through the thick haziness in Duo's head, enough to make him force himself back into a fairly good imitation of consciousness. Duo forced his eyes to open and looked across the field to where Heero knelt, his wings ruffling and literally dripping with blood.

Duo coughed painfully as he tried to move but his body protested with a heavy dose of dizziness and spinning. Duo let himself drop back to the ground and waited impatiently as the spinning stopped. All the while he watched the blurred image of Heero kneeling on the ground and crying out in pain. This attack was by far the worst, or at least it was as far as Duo could tell. Heero's entire body was shaking and he had long since dropped Lybra to the ground, unable to control his hands and the shuddering of his body. Duo watched with tear filling eyes as the feathers in Heero's wings all turned red then began dropping to the ground. Finally the last feather fell and Heero collapsed to the ground, completely still.

"Heero…" Duo whispered softly, reaching out into the air from where he lay. Silently he prayed Heero would move. Oh please don't let him be dead!

Treize had stood there, just watching the entire time. As soon as Heero collapsed he took a slow step forward and knelt down, wrapping his hands around Lybra. Then he stood up and backed away slowly.

"No…" Duo whispered softly as Treize's body began to crackle with white energy. Duo may not have known how to use Lybra, but he could definitely tell when some one else was about to use a ancient magic item. Gritting his teeth he closed his eyes and focused all his energy into his hands.

"No!" He choked out louder and pushed all his energy out, sending a huge ball of swirling purple energy right for Treize. Duo was able to keep his eyes open long enough to see the ball of energy slam into Treize and wrap around him, mingling with his white energy. Then everything exploded in a wave of light. A wave of energy shot across the field, moving through everything in its path. When it hit Duo he mercifully blacked out.

**

Quatre raised his sword to strike at Trowa but he didn't have time to strike. His eyes widened as a huge wave of light exploded from where Treize stood and shot across the field. The wave of light moved quickly, heading straight for him. At the last moment Trowa stood up and wrapped his arms around Quatre, hitting the sword up so it only caught him in the shoulder as he used his body to shield Quatre from the explosion. Both were thrown to the ground and Trowa landed on top of Quatre.

The wave of light passed over them and they lay there silently, Trowa didn't move. Quatre's eyes filled with panic and he shook Trowa slightly. "Trowa?"

Trowa didn't answer.

Quatre's eyes went wide and he pushed himself off the ground, rolling Trowa on to his back. Quatre's eyes immediately went to the wound from his sword, which had caught Trowa just above the heart. Quatre shook his head.

"No… I… you can't."

Trowa didn't answer Quatre's soft plea, but then again Quatre didn't really expect him to. After all, he'd just killed him. There was no way anyone, human or angel or even Old One, could survive a blow that close to the heart. Quatre stumbled back from Trowa's still body and swallowed a sob, shaking his head.

"I didn't mean to kill you. I just… I…" Quatre finished the sentence silently as he leaned forward, resting his head sadly on Trowa's still chest. I just wanted you to know how I felt when you betrayed me. "I'm sorry," he whispered softly as tears moved down the side of his face.

Quatre wrapped his arms around Trowa's silent body and just lay there, sobbing softly. He didn't care that he'd laid his head right next to the wound and the blood was slowly seeping into his hair and across his face. He didn't care that the field had suddenly gone silent. Nor did he care that the sun was just beginning its accent into the sky. All he cared about was Trowa, and the huge mistake he'd made.

He'd never meant to kill Trowa or Heero. It was just that when they didn't come looking for him after he ran away… and that paired with what Treize revealed to him about the results of the coupling of the Old Ones and his kind… He had been so angry he hadn't been thinking. He'd never really wanted them to die. Never! That was never his intention.

"It's not his fault," Quatre whispered silently to himself. "It was mine to begin with." If he hadn't run away in the first place a lot of the events would have been avoided. And… and at least Trowa would have still been alive.

He lay there quietly, sobbing and hugging the body. Around him in the field a small gust of wind kicked up and spread across the field in exactly the same way the wave of light had. But in stead of knocking everything to the ground in silence, this movement of air was calming in a way. Almost like the soft whisper of a kiss from a parent to a sleeping child.

Quatre opened his eyes and sat up, looking around the field as the wind moved around him. He spotted Wufei and Zechs, lying unconscious on the ground near the old house. Turning in the other direction he caught sight of Heero lying on the ground, not far away from a pile of charred ashes. Duo's body lay next to the tree he'd been thrown against, his head had finally stopped bleeding. Quatre bit his lower lip as he looked across the field. Suddenly a horrible thought occurred to him.

Am I the only one left alive?

Quatre shuddered at the thought. It couldn't be true, fate couldn't be that cruel… could it? To leave him as the only one alive out of everyone else… Quatre felt horrible and sick at what he had done. He certainly didn't deserve to be the only one left alive. Not now, not after all of this.

"Quatre?"

His eyes widened and he jumped, whirling back around to look at Trowa. Quatre gasped in surprise as he found that Trowa's eyes were open and his chest was moving, albeit very slowly. But even more amazing then the fact that Trowa was suddenly breathing and conscious again was his wound. Quatre watched with wide eyes of surprise and disbelief as the skin began to knit itself together around the sword. Quatre managed to shake off the shock quickly enough to reach forward and pull the blade out before the skin healed around it. Dropping the blade forgotten to the ground he just watched as the deep cut healed, and the skin covered over as good as new.

Quatre's eyes moved to meet Trowa's and the two just stared at each other for a long time.

"You're alive?" Quatre whispered.

Trowa gingerly lifted a hand and lightly fingered the area where the sword had been. Slowly he sat up, yet he showed absolutely no pain. "So it appears." His eyes moved around the field. "What happened?"

"I… I don't know. There was a huge wave of light, and you dove into the sword. You…" Quatre bit his bottom lip and didn't finish. Instead he looked away, the guilt plain on his face.

"Shh." Trowa leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Quatre tightly. He held the blood tightly, happiness flooding through him. Whatever had happened it had shocked Quatre back to normal, and that he was thankful for. Hugging Quatre tightly he gave a soft smile.

**

Heero sat up slowly, his head feeling surprisingly light, he glanced around him. Immediately his eyes fell on Duo, and before even thinking of anything else he forced himself to stand up and move toward the still form of his lover. Heero knelt down next to Duo and pulled the boy's body into his arms.

With surprise he noticed the wound from Duo's head was long gone, there wasn't even any blood. It was as if Duo had never been hurt. As a test Heero shook his lightly and he stirred, his eyes fluttering open.

Duo blinked and looked around, finally grinning up at Heero. "Good morning, how's it going?" He asked quietly.

"Are you all right?" Heero asked.

Duo sat up on his own and moved his arms, glancing down at his body. He ran a hand through his hair. "Surprisingly yeah, what happened?"

"That's a good question." Trowa said softly as he and Quatre walked over to Heero and Duo. Quatre stayed a step behind Trowa, avoiding his brother's eyes.

"Quatre?"

Quatre took a deep breath but still refused to look at his older brother. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking, I was just so angry and-"

"Forgiven." Heero stated plainly, with a small smile.

Quatre glanced at him in surprise and smiled back.

Heero helped Duo to his feet and the four stood there for a moment not sure what to say. Finally Trowa broke the silence.

"What was the last thing you two remember?"

"I saw Heero doubling over in pain from the wings, and Treize picked up Lybra. The last thing I remember was summoning up all my power and shooting it at him, then I blacked out." Duo glanced toward the pile of ashes where Treize had stood. There was no sign of Lybra save for thousands of small pieces of green tinted glass.

"It would appear that your power combined with Treize's overloaded Lybra, causing it to explode. The blast hit all of us and…" Trowa paused as he lightly touched his chest where his wound had been. "It seems to have healed us."

Heero nodded.

"But then what happened to Tr-!" Quatre's sentence dropped into a low cry as he doubled over, dropping to his knees and sweat beading across his forehead. Seconds later Heero echoed his movements, both clutching themselves against the pain. Duo's eyes went wide with fear.

"Their wings are gone, what's going on?! Heero?" Duo jumped forward to wrap his arms protectively around Heero but stumbled backwards as there was a bright flash of light. Duo and Trowa blinked against the brightness and just stared as it faded away.

Between them knelt Quatre and Heero, each with glowing sets of white wings. Heero stood up slowly and glanced over his shoulder, regarding the wings with disbelief. Meanwhile Quatre's face lit up with an equally bright smile. Trowa chuckled softly.

"It seems that Lybra not only healed us, but them as well."

Quatre jumped forward and wrapped his arms happily around Trowa, hugging him tightly. "Fly with me," he whispered softly in Trowa's ear an Trowa smiled.

Duo and Heero watched as the two took off to the sky, happily flying up to disappear into the clouds.

Duo smirked. "Think we should follow their example? Want to give your new wings a try, He-ko?"

Heero shook his head. "Not just yet. Come here you." Heero grabbed the front of Duo's shirt and yanked him cose, his eyes narrowing. "Just what were you thinking running off with Lybra like that?"

Duo swallowed. "I guess I wasn't thinking."

"Don't ever do something that stupid again, understand?"

Duo nodded numbly.

With that Heero gave a small smirk and pulled Duo aqgainst him, siezing the boy's lips in a hungry kiss. Duo eagerly kissed back as Heero's hands slid down to cup Duo's ass and pull them up against each other. Duo gave a small gasp and pulled away, looking with surprise into Heero's eyes.

"I take it I'm forgiven then?" Duo murmured.

Heero smirked. "Not quite yet."

Duo grinned. "Then I guess I'll just have to earn your forgiveness, ne?" Duo chuckled and renewed the kiss.

Heero made no movement to complain or stop him.

**

The door bell rang and Relena stood up from her chair, walking to the door. She opened it and sheilded her eyes against the bright light of the rising sun. Blinking until her eyes got used to the light she starred at the figure in the doorway.

"Who?"

The figure moved slightly off to the side, blocking the light with his body… and wings.

Relena's mouth dropped open and she grabbed the door frame for support as her knees began to feel weak.

"Brother?" She choked out.

Milliardo smiled softly and stepped forward wrapping his arms tightly around his sobbing sister.

"I'm home," he whispered softly.

**

Wufei smiled quietly from where he stood beneath the tree, watching as Relena shut the door to her house and she and Milliardo disappeared inside.

Finally it seemed that everything was over. Those with the blood wings had been healed, and since Lybra had been destroyed there should be no others created. The Old Ones were free to do as they pleased, after a long eternity of waiting. And finally there was hope of the white winged angels and the black winged angels getting along. Wufei smiled softly to himself and turned away from the house. In the rainbow light of the rising sun there was a snapping and all four of his wings appeared for the first time in many long years. Wufei took off into the sky to return home and inform the ancient ones that all had turned out well after all.

The End