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Cherry Blossom: Well I'm glad some people decided this fic was worthwhile and reviewed.
Matteo: Yeah it was getting kinda scary there for a moment.
Cherry Blossom: Hey, this fic might not bring in a whole bunch of reviews but I'll stick with it anyway. I haven't chucked a story yet.
Matteo: What about that Sailor Moon thingie?
Cherry Blossom: …that wasn't chucked. It was discontinued.
Matteo: Oh big distinction there.
Cherry Blossom: Just…shut up.
Matteo: : P
Cherry Blossom: Oh and Lara, this is the next chapter. Happy? Good. So…where's my DuoxHilde lemon, hmmm? Where is it?
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. So there.
- Notes: This fic has no Yaoi in it. Not because I don't like Yaoi (take a look at my other fics) but just because I wanted to try something different. Now the pairings are probably going to be something like this: DuoxHilde (just 'cause I like this pair), QuatrexDorothy ('cause it's so damn interesting!), TrowaxMidii (for green-chan who likes this pair), and the rest I'm making up as I go along…if I include the others. I don't quite know what I'm doing as of yet but…I'll figure it out. Hopefully. Oh crap.
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And if you spin your love around the secrets of your dreams
you may find your love is gone
and is not quite what it seemed
to appear
to disappear
beneath all your darkest fears
- Thru the Eyes of Ruby
Smashing Pumpkins
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Shadow Embraced – Chapter 1
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I suppose my first clue that the shit was about to hit the fan was Midii's message. I hadn't thought anything of it at the time but I really should have been paying more attention. Still, it wasn't very threatening, at least not to me. Midii was one of my best friends, and the only other person besides Quatre who knew who I truly was. That in itself should have told you the amount of trust between us. Of course, Midii had her own secrets, some that even I couldn't get her to open up about. You see Midii wasn't like other humans around her, she was different. I believe they have different cults that boast the kind of power that Midii has been trying to keep underwraps since her youth. Wicca and other pagan societies. We always use to call them mystics, us being the vampyres of course. But you'd probably know her better as a witch.
Vampyres and witches never really got along. Both sides usually kept to their own kind unless some emergency forced them to work together. I can't even remember the last time that ever happened, if it ever happened at all.
But Midii was different. She was cast out of her own clan for doing something others have not dared to do: she loved a human.
We have a lot in common, Midii and I.
Dorothy CataloniaFebruary 5th, A.C. 196
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Dorothy wandered through the alleyways of downtown Soho, trying to ignore the fact that it was nearly 8 o'clock in the morning and she still hadn't found anything to eat. Sure the usual amount of crazies and bums were out but Dorothy didn't want to take from them.
"Who knows what filthy disease's they've got running through their systems?" she muttered, hopping a gutter with an easy grace that conveyed the slight (okay, large) predatory nature of her intent. Hunting used to be much easier. There used to be hundreds of soldiers, all conveniently gathered in one place, all in perfectly good health, just begging her to take their blood. Feast after feast was laid out for her and no one monitored her eating habits at all. And Dorothy could never get fat…
Smiling slightly, Dorothy drew her fingers slowly across her throat, almost tasting the sweet flow of red nectar that would wash her hunger away. Then she scowled.
'No chance of that now. Total pacifism has taken its hold on the earth, thanks to Miss Relena's meddling. And besides which, there is Quatre…'Ah yes, Quatre. That maddening little Arabian had taken to observing Dorothy's feeding patterns. Not that she ever killed anybody nowadays. Oh no, the guilt was far too developed for that. But she did forget every once in a while and feed a bit too hard…hey a few days of severe anemia is not that bad.
'They should just be glad that they're not dead.'Still, whenever Quatre got wind of Dorothy's little slip ups he would call her to him and ask her about it. And then his face would get all hurt and puppy-doggish and Dorothy would feel like scum. So…
No unauthorized snacks.
Which was unfortunate because Dorothy was very, very hungry tonight. She observed a group of children playing baseball in the street and had to tear her eyes away from their frantically beating pulses.
'No children,' she scolded herself. 'Quatre would never forgive me'.
Dorothy walked on, peeking through the different shop windows that lined the city's main square. Usually she could find a willing donor at a bar. But Dorothy didn't much like the taste of an alcoholic's blood, or the headache it gave her later on.
Deep in her own musings, Dorothy was startled when her wanderings took her straight to the door of an old friend, a very old friend.
Midii Une.
The shop window read Yolandra's Magic Shoppe—charms, books, and potions.
The shop was actually just a cover up. A little something for the tourists, not real magic. Yolandra didn't even exist. If you were really after some magic supplies you would enter through the back door (actually it was a side door but let's not be picky) that had the symbol of Midii's clan, or what used to be her clan, a blood red lily with silver tipped leaves. This door is protected by a warding spell, which means only witches and other immortals allowed. Not just anyone can get in. If a mortal tried to get through it would lock tight. If a malevolent spirit tried to get through it would hurt like hell. Dorothy just happened to belong to the 'in-group'. She pushed on the door and it swung open. Easy.
"Midii, you home?"
The place was dark but that was usual for a Sunday morning. Dorothy could here a rattling coming from one of the back rooms. She headed in that direction.
"Midii?"
Dorothy paused at the door, unwilling to interrupt her friend if she was in the middle of a spell or something…she decided to just knock.
The rattling stopped. After a few moments of silence the door creaked open to reveal a cloud of light blond hair framing a small heart-shaped face. Below the shock of hair blinked a pair of deep blue eyes, lined by heavy dark brown lashes, a small, slightly pointed, nose, and a pair of deep red lips that were curved open in an expression of surprise.
"Dorothy! I didn't hear you come in."
Dorothy laughed softly and said, "I can be really silent when I want to be. What are you up to, Midii? You don't usually lock yourself away in your study at this hour. Must be something important…"
A guilty look crossed the smaller girl's face but she quickly pushed it aside and said, "Oh no, nothing important at all, actually. So what brings you here, Doro-chan? Weren't you supposed to be meeting Quatre today, hmm?"
Midii's eyebrows wiggled up and down suggestively at the mention of the young Winner heir. Dorothy rolled her eyes in disgust.
"Don't look at me like that. He's only checking up on me once again, making sure I don't take over the city or something. It's damn irritating the way he thinks he can control my life!"
"I was under the impression that you actually enjoyed these meetings with him Doro-chan," Midii laughed. "You can't lie to me. You like him, don't you?"
Dorothy glared at her friend. "Don't change the subject. What were you doing that was so enthralling you couldn't hear me come in."
Midii grabbed a lock of her hair and twisted it around her finger, a nervous habit. Midii never was good at poker.
"I was just going through some old files. Nothing interesting, at least, not to you."
"Well then you won't mind if I come in," Dorothy reasoned as she swept past Midii into the room and looked around.
The place was a mess, papers everywhere and there was a strange smell, like incense or something burning.
"See?" Midii said, standing a bit behind Dorothy. "Nothing interesting at all."
Dorothy walked over to one of the desks and lifted up the file closest to her. She read the title.
"Trowa Barton…"
Her gaze snapped up to look at Midii who now looked even more nervous and a bit ashamed.
"I...it's just for research. About the gundams…"
Dorothy flipped the cover open to reveal a nice colour photo of gundam pilot 03, long shock of brown hair falling over his face, visible jungle green eye gazing off into another direction. Dorothy observed the picture critically. He was handsome enough, but really nothing compared to her Quatre…
'My Quatre? Where the hell did that come from?'
Dorothy shook her head and shifted her gaze down to the article below the photo.
Name: Unknown
Codename: Trowa Barton
Age: Unknown (14-18)
Sex: Male
Birthdate: Unknown
Nationality: Unknown / Caucasian
Eye Colour: Green
Hair Colour: Brown
Height: Unknown
Weight: Unknown
Blood Type: Unknown
Origin: Unknown
Spouse: Unknown
Family: Unknown
Skills: Aerobatics, Auxiliary, Unknown
Interests: Reading, Music, Aerobatics, Animals, Unknown
Subject's past remains unrevealed even after months of questioning. He never engages in conversations and when pressed to talk his responses are generally limited to as few words as necessary. He rarely, if ever, talks of his past. He never gives his name or background information about himself freely, and only the deepest mind-searches to uncover his name will reveal anything, and only then his codename, Trowa Barton. He if he does speak of his prior life, he will speak of the circus and from his cat-like movements and aerobatics skill one could easily assume he was a performer at a circus in his past. While this may or may not be true, it is apparent there is more to him than a boy who was a former circus performer. His appearance is always cool, calm and collected. He fears nothing. He enjoys solitude and is never fond of interior places because of his dislike of noise. On occasion one might catch him unaware, looking off into the distance, lost in the secluded memories of his mind. Only then might one catch a glimpse of the face of the boy in his essence and not the solider-like appearance he puts out.
Dorothy glanced up at Midii who was now biting her lip hard enough to draw blood, which wouldn't have done Dorothy any good at the moment.
"Midii…"
"It was OZ's file, okay? I took it out of their database a long time ago. It was a long time ago—"
"Still hurts, hm?"
Midii's eyes closed and her head dropped down to her chest, defeated.
"Every minute of every day," she whispered. "I still love him Dor. I just can't let go."
"Then why don't you go see him? It's been so long, he can't still be mad. I'll get Quatre to give me his address and—"
"No!"
Midii's harsh protest startled Dorothy and she took a step back in surprise. Midii's hands were clenched so tight they were turning white and her shoulders had started to shake.
"Midii…"
"No! You don't know! You don't know what happened. He'll never forgive me, never. You don't know…"
"I will never know unless you tell me Midii."
The smaller girl's shoulders only shook harder and wet tears slipped silently down her cheeks. Dorothy's anger faded and she rushed over to comfort her friend.
"It's okay. You don't have to see him if you don't want to. It's okay, shh…"
Slowly, Midii's tears dried up and she sniffled loudly, reaching into one of her pockets for a tissue. Dorothy supplied one for her and gave her a little hug.
"Daijobu desu-ka?" Dorothy asked softly.
Midii blew her nose and said a little shakily, "H-hai. Daijobu."
There was an awkward silence for a few minutes until Dorothy finally said, "So…are you behind on rent or something? 'Cause that outfit is just screaming street urchin."
Midii smiled and said, "Oh yeah? And what about your outfit, hmm?"
"There's absolutely nothing wrong with my clothes," Dorothy protested, looking down at her outfit. She was dressed in an impossibly short black mini-skirt and a red top covered by a gauzy black material that slightly muted the effect. Wrapped around her shoulders was an open black trench coat with silver buttons down the sides. Her long platinum blond hair hung freely down her back and a silver pendant lay nestled in the hollow of her throat. Her too pale skin looked even more devoid of colour next to the darkness of her clothes and her dainty feet were enclosed in high, leather-topped, high-heeled black boots. She looked exactly like a vampire was supposed to look.
Midii often wondered why Dorothy dressed that way if she didn't want to be discovered, but it was all quite rational in Dorothy's view. No one really believed in vampyres anymore and those that did wouldn't expect a real vampyre to dress like the leading actress in an old monster movie. Dorothy figured she could blend in rather nicely with all the other wannbe vampyres that roamed the streets, trying to look dangerous in their silver chains and black spikes. Sometimes the best place to hide and object is in plain sight…
But anyway, Dorothy's change of subject was a relief to Midii and she tossed her a grateful glance as she headed out of the room.
"So, you never did tell me why you dropped by. Need some supplies, a love potion for this afternoon perhaps?"
Midii fluttered her eyelashes outrageously for a moment and Dorothy laughed.
"Don't try to act cute. I certainly do not need one of your fake love potions for Mr. Raberba Winner."
"Of course not," Midii teased. "You can seduce him all on your own."
Dorothy took a playful swipe at Midii and she ducked under it, laughing.
"Seriously, why are you here?"
Dorothy's eyes got a vacant look in them. "No reason, really. I was just out wandering…" Her hand went to her throat in an unconscious gesture. She was so hungry.
"Have you fed yet?"
Startled at the closeness of the voice, Dorothy looked up. Midii was standing beside her, a look of concern on her face.
Dorothy sighed. "No, not yet. And it's been far too long. I'm hungry."
Midii looked troubled. "I wish I could help you out, Dor. But…"
"It's okay," Dorothy waved her off. She knew that Midii couldn't help her in this area. The blood of a witch was like poison to a vampyre. Their systems were just not compatible at all. Something about the balance of magic in the blood…
"I forgot to tell you," Midii said, pulling Dorothy from her reverie. " Loki's in town."
Dorothy's eyes widened a bit. "You mean Loki I-wanna-destroy-the-whole-world Loki?"
"Yep."
"Great," Dorothy sighed. "Well he'd better stay the hell away from me."
Loki was a very disturbed vampyre. There were rumors that he fed off a Norse priestess once and her family wasn't too happy with him. They performed a ceremony and called down a curse on him, making him go crazy, or so the story goes. Dorothy didn't much believe it. She maintained that Loki was probably already crazy before he was changed and becoming a vampyre just made him worse. In either case, Loki wanted to destroy the earth and all humans living on it. Which, was admittedly a very stupid thing to want since without the earth and humans to feed off, vampyres couldn't exist either. Most well-respected vampyres stayed well away from Loki. Still, the guy had a few followers, mostly young vampyres who still haven't let go of their rage at being changed. Dorothy wasn't especially worried, though. Neither Loki nor his followers had the power to actually destroy the earth. All the powerful vampyres were quite comfortable with the way things were, they had no wish to change it.
"Just thought I'd let you know," Midii said. "Everyone's talking about it."
By everyone, Midii meant the Lunis Iscariot: A clan of mystics that were relatively peaceful. Certainly they did not meddle in mortal affairs like other groups and they were not openly hostile to vampyres, although Dorothy wouldn't exactly call them friends. Long ago, Midii had once belonged to her own clan of mystics, but they had disowned her when they found out about her love for a human, namely Trowa Barton. Evidently they had cut Midii off from most of her powers and made her an outcast in most of the witch society. Dorothy still didn't know what exactly happened to her friend but she knew that it must have been painful and she harbored an intense resentment for the family that would dare put her through that kind of pain.
"Thanks for telling me. I'll be sure to stay away from him. That guy creeps me out."
"He creeps you out? Dorothy, the baddest vampyre-babe in history is afraid of little old lunatic Loki? I'm in shock."
Dorothy rolled her eyes and snorted, "Afraid? Yeah, right. I think that blond hair of yours is finally getting to you Midii."
"Speaking of blondes," Midii remarked. "Weren't you supposed to go see Quatre soon?"
Dorothy looked at the clock on the wall and cursed.
"Great. Now I'm going to be late. Sorry Midii-chan but I've got to go."
Midii smiled. "Then go, by all means. Can't keep your koi waiting."
Dorothy gave Midii a glare that could have wilted flowers.
"You know, one of these days I'm going to lose my patience with you."
Midii just smiled wider. "Patience? You?"
"Just keep it up," Dorothy growled, taking a menacing step towards Midii.
Midii took a step back and said, "You're going to be late if you keep hanging around here."
Dorothy tossed one last snarl Midii's way and then vaulted herself out the door and down the street towards the Winner Corporations Complex. She had a date.
Quatre paced nervously around the room, almost wearing a hole in his brand new carpet with his incessant motion. It was almost 10 o'clock. Dorothy was supposed to meet him here at 9:30. So where was she?
'I'm not anxious,' he told himself. 'I'm not. I'm just concerned about her welfare, that's all. I just want to make sure she's not doing anything…immoral.' Ever since he first laid eyes on Dorothy he knew that there was something different about her, something dangerous. He didn't quite know how to explain it but whenever she walked into the room she would bring this presence with her, a darkness that pulsed and throbbed. She was evil and yet…she wasn't. Quatre could sense that underneath all that bloodthirst was really a kind and gentle person. He had proved that point when Dorothy cried. No truly evil being can cry. 'Dorothy…'He could picture her in his mind's eye. Her long blond hair sweeping down her back, her pale, porcelain-like skin, those light blue eyes that could turn as cold as ice one moment and flash with heat and passion the next. She was beautiful.
'I'm in love with a demon.'Quatre had realized his feeling for Dorothy very early on. He knew that he loved her with all his heart and he longed to take from her the pain he saw whenever she allowed her emotions to get the best of her. Quatre knew that Dorothy loved him as well. He could see it in her eyes, the way she fiddled with her hands whenever they were in the same room together. But Quatre also knew that Dorothy wasn't ready to admit that she loved him just yet. Which was fine with Quatre. He didn't want to push her. He was happy just being with her, providing comfort from time to time.
A sudden noise at the window made Quatre start and he turned around defensively just in time to see Dorothy slip through.
"Morning Kat. You really should have more security around here. I got in with no problem. How's things?"
"Do you ever use the door?" Quatre said dryly.
"But what would be the fun in that?" Dorothy blinked innocently, the small smile belying her innocuous expression.
"You're late."
"So~rry," she said. "I was checking up on an old friend, okay?"
Quatre sighed and then said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I just get worried about you."
"I can take care of myself," Dorothy said defensively. "You don't have to baby-sit me."
Quatre sighed again and dropped his head down on his chest, knowing that he had upset her. "I know. But I worry anyway. It's just my nature."
There was silence for a few minutes. Then Dorothy made her way over to stand in front of Quatre, moving with a cat-like grace that nearly screamed "predator". She took one finger and placed it under his chin, tipping up so that he was looking her straight in the eye.
"Then you do whatever 's in your nature and I'll do whatever's in mine," she murmured softly.
"And what might that be?" Quatre asked, bringing his arms around Dorothy's slim waist.
"This," Dorothy answered, bringing his head down towards her lips for a searing kiss. They stayed that way, lips pressed together, until Quatre noticed that she was trebling inside the circle of his arms. He drew back, concerned.
"What's wrong."
"Nothing." But Dorothy couldn't stop shaking and her skin seemed even paler than usual. Quatre took hold of her wrist and noticed how skinny and stick-like it was. The answer came to him.
"You haven't fed, have you?"
Dorothy avoided his eyes and replied, "Not for a week. There's not really that much selection out there I can choose from Quatre and I didn't want another drunk."
Quatre grasped hold of Dorothy's shoulders and shook her a bit.
"You know that you have to feed once a week or you'll die. It was stupid to wait this long."
Dorothy's eyes flashed with anger.
"First you don't want me to feed off humans. Then you do want me to feed. Make up your Goddamn mind already would you?"
Quatre winced at the coldness in Dorothy's tone. Then he did something completely unexpected. He held his wrist out as if in offering. Dorothy stared at it, confused.
"What?"
"You need to eat," Quatre said calmly. "So eat."
Dorothy visibly recoiled.
"You…you want me to what?"
"I won't have you making yourself sick on my account," Quatre insisted, still holding out his arm. "Go on, feed."
Dorothy shook her head vehemently. "I can't! I can't feed off you!"
"Why not? Aren't I good enough for you?"
"That's not what I meant!" Dorothy snapped back. "You don't know what you're asking me to do."
"But I do know," Quatre said, softly. "And I trust you. Please, Dorothy. Will you trust me enough to let me do this for you?"
Dorothy looked at him in silence for a few moments, conflicting expressions of want and fear crossing her features. Finally she sighed and put her hand in Quatre's.
"Fine. But if we're doing this then we're doing it the old fashioned way. It'll hurt less."
Dorothy went to stand behind Quatre, snaking an arm around his waist and using the other to lean his head back on her shoulder. Then she brought her mouth around to the exposed vein at his neck, giving it a gentle kiss before biting down. There was an instant of pain as sharp canine teeth punctured the previously unblemished skin. Then the pain was washed away as Dorothy began to feed, lapping at the sweet red pool of blood that welled up from the puncture marks. Never was Quatre more connected to Dorothy then at this moment. Her defenses were down and she was completely open to him, directly tapping into his own emotions with hers. He could feel her hunger, her satisfaction, her passion, her love for him that she could never reveal on her own. He could feel the magical gift of immortality and the almost animalistic sensuality that came from her in waves. He could even taste the own sweetness of his blood through her and the pleasure of it almost made him collapse. He moaned deeply in his throat and pressed back against Dorothy's mouth, seeking more.
Dorothy could hardly believe that this was happening. This was her secret fantasy. This was what she could not even think of for fear of incurring Quatre's disgust and fear. And now it was really happening. She could taste him, feel him, feel all of him. The warmth of his blood as it slid smoothly down her throat almost made her feel alive again, the feel of his body pressed close against hers was driving her mad. She could hear his heart beat and for once shining instant, pretend that it was hers and she was not dead and that they were just lovers sharing a kiss. It was sinful, it was terrible, it was wicked. But at that moment, Dorothy couldn't have cared less.
Duo almost skipped up the stairs to Quatre's office, bubbling over with energy and nearly ecstatic joy. He fingered the small velvet jewelry box in his pocket and smiled. Today was the day.
'I know I shouldn't be bothering Quatre so early in the morning but I just couldn't wait to show him the ring I got for Hilde. I just know she'll love it but I want him to give his opinion first. Quatre always knows what girls like.'The ring in question was a rather large black sapphire surrounded by tiny diamonds. It was an engagement ring. And tonight, Duo planned to ask Hilde to marry him.
Hilde, his perfect angel. She was the one who had stayed with him all through the war, never once leaving his side even though he had pushed her away often enough, certain that any relationship with him was sure to be a disaster. And now, after all this time he was finally going to ask her to spend her life with him, to make him the happiest man on earth.
'Will she say yes? She's got to say yes. We've been living together for like forever and I know she loves me. Oh God, what'll I do if she says no?'Duo lost his grin for a second by got it right back.
'Nah. She won't say no. My Hilde-babe loves me and by ten o'clock tonight we're going to be Mr. and Mrs. Maxwell. Hey, maybe Q will let me use one of his beach houses for a honeymoon…'And with this thought, the braided pilot burst through the office door.
"Hey Q-man, guess what—"
He stopped short. Quatre wasn't alone in the room. In fact he was with a girl. This in itself was surprising but what was really surprising was the fact that the girl was Dorothy Catalonia, someone Duo wasn't particularly fond of. What was even more surprising was the fact that Dorothy seemed to be giving Quatre one hell of a hickey. And the whole thing was giving Duo a bad feeling although he couldn't really explain why. Then he saw it, the way Quatre's eyes seemed glazed over, almost dead, the extreme paleness of his skin, the way he trembled and lay weakly back against Dorothy who seemed to grow stronger with each second. He saw the blood…
'Oh fuck…'To be Continued…
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- Cherry Blossom: Uh oh…
Matteo: Well now you've done it. You've shmucked things up. And left everybody with a cliffhanger.
Cherry Blossom: Sorry, sorry. But I can't write any more tonight and plus this was getting really long. I mean, I don't usually have more than ten pages for each part in a story. I have a feeling this is going to get longer too.
Matteo: Hey, I wonder if anyone is still interested in this? I mean, it's kind of….what's the word I'm looking for?
Cherry Blossom: Weird?
Matteo: Yes. That's it.
Cherry Blossom: ::sigh:: I dunno. I've been watching too much Roswell and this is the result. Sorry.
Matteo: Well let's put it out there and see the results.
Cherry Blossom: Review onegi! I need feedback!