Title: Walking in the Shadows. Pt. 9/?
Authors: Deathangelgw and Nightshadow
Disclaimer: They aren't ours....but we can sure as hell play with them!!!
Note: NS: *pokes DA* psst…DA you forgot to mention another pairing!
DA: o.O;; I did??
NS: HAI!
DA: whoopsie…who was it again?
NS/cast of fic: -.-;; BAKA!!
DA: WHAT?? Okok…here's the thing! We have another pairing to add! It's…*drumroll* Shay and….who was it again?
NS/cast: *anime fall*
DA: *grins sheepishly* we'll tell ya'll later! For now…read on and see what evil we've concocted!! Please review!!
//telepathic speech//
'thoughts'
*thoughts*
******flashback*******

+++++++++

"I'm sorry, Duo...I didn't know...honest..." Wufei said softly, resting his head dizzily against Duo's chest. He felt the warmth spreading quickly down his legs and looked to see a trail of blood behind them. He suddenly found himself shivering, teeth chattering. "Duo..."

Running for the door, Duo kicked it repeatedly, holding securely to his lover as he shouted. "Get Larak! Now!." *Life hates me...*

The door opened swiftly as Heero came in. He'd sent Trowa to fetch his lover as soon as the pounding was heard. "What happened...oh gods of the air!" he said in shock as he rushed over to the two lovers.

Wufei trembled, his face paling as the bleeding increased somehow. "Something's...not right..." he managed to say through his trembling. "Duo...scared..." he whispered softly.

On the bed, the egg glowed brighter, seeming to pulse an almost bloody red, as the king's lifeblood flowed out.

*Damnit...what can I do? He's fading fast...fading fast...fading.*

***********

"Jor? Joren? Wake up!" Shaking the slight figure he kneeled beside, a twelve-year-old Duo looked at the Healer he'd called.

"He's fading fast, your highness. Your Royal Father was in too much of a temper to watch himself this time. You should not have baited him with your stunts this afternoon." Pulling the sheet back into place, the man moved to leave the room. "I must see to the necessary arrangements for his disposal on the morrow. You should not act so. He is only a slave."

Watching the despicable man leave, Duo turned back to his friend. "You're not just a slave...you're my friend! The only one in this whole damn place who doesn't suck up to me or try to show me up." Taking the limp hand in his own, he called his silvita, getting it to form a small blade. Slicing a scythe blade into his palm, he moved to do the same to Joren's. "If I must lose you, then it will be as a brother." Pressing their palms together, he smiled sadly. "Soon as I get any family worth having, I lose them..."

"Lose what, youngling?" asked a soft voice.

Looking up quickly, Duo met the pain-filled eyes of his friend's, now brother, cool green gaze.

*****************

*It worked then...who's to say it won't work now? The heart instead of the palm though. 'Fei has enough brothers, not that I'm much of a lover...* Gently, Duo laid his love down upon a carpeted part of the floor. "Shh, 'Fei." Calling the silvita to him, Duo turned his unmarked palm up, slicing the scythe mark deeply into the soft flesh before resting the blade lightly above his lover's heart, pressing just enough to break the skin and no more. Leaving the silvita to reclaim its position, he pressed his bleeding hand to Wufei's chest, praying it would work the same now as it had all those years ago. Wufei cried out softly, arching up underneath his lover's touch. He gasped as he felt fire flood through him from where Duo connected to him. Heero watched with wide eyes as a golden glow flowed from the connection, spiraling to encircle the two lovers. He looked over as Trowa ran in with Larak, eyes wide as he saw what was happening.

Ducking through the door, Shay and Shalon just managed to stop short of crashing into their younger brother, staring at the sight in front of them before they started to speak, voices rising as one. " 'Arak...are we seeing what we think we're seeing? Cause we're seeing a golden glow and two lovers... Doesn't that normally equate to a newly born Bond?"

Wufei's eyes slowly opened and locked onto Duo's, shining with a mixture of love and dismay. //Duo...why? Why did you? If you do this...we're bonded for life...life or death...when one dies, the other dies...Don't do this....you're too loving and special...I'm not worth it...// he whispered softly through their newly formed bond, his hand coming up to rest over the one on his chest. The glow increased, binding them slowly as he tried to stop it desperately.

Heero swallowed hard as he looked over at Larak. Trowa whispered, "Dear gods of the air...if they bond..." he trailed off, biting his lip and unable to do anything else.

//Because you're worth it...because I've lost too many and I won't lose you! Me too loving? 'Fei, you took a damn stranger into your life and gave him a chance! And the dying part? I've been dying my whole life...I think it's time I started living.// Pressing his free hand atop theirs, Duo smiled softly. //Please...//

Nodding, Larak watched the proceedings. "Yes, it is a Bond forming. Stop looking so shocked. It's as it should be, just happening sooner than I'd thought. Hadn't any of you wondered why they got along so well? Bonds are always between people. It's just rare that one would become a True Bond. Mainly because very few people wish to share what one brings." Stepping forward, he watched the slowly fading glow. "It's almost complete."

Watching his younger sibling, Shalon grinned, shaking his head. "I knew YOU knew something and weren't telling." Heero swallowed hard as he watched his king and his newest friend bond deeply. It reminded him strongly of what he had with Larak. Trowa sighed softly, longing inside for the same bond.

Wufei locked eyes with Duo, his ebony eyes taking on a slight hint of violet as he stared into his soul mate's eyes. //Alright...but we live then....together...// he said softly, his head falling down to the floor weakly as he kept his gaze locked with the other's. He squeezed the other's hand, feeling everything as they were joined completely....body, mind, heart...and soul.

//Yes, together.// Gazing into his mate's eyes, Duo lost himself to the joining. *I can call him that now.*

Stepping back from the couple, Larak walked over to his own mate, leaning against him with a soft smile. //Remembering, love?//

Heero smiled softly as he gazed at his lover, leaning back. //Yes...always...//

Smiling, Shalon watched the couple with his twin beside him. //Guess things worked out after all, huh, sis?//

Gazing at the newly made Bond, she nodded. //I suppose. Think we'll ever find anything like what they did? Wufei and Duo, Larak and Heero?//

//I don't know. Maybe, if we're lucky.//

//Maybe.//

Leaving each other to their own thoughts, they turned back to their King and his new Mate.

Wufei lifted a weak hand up to his love's face, smiling gently. //Yes...together...always and forever till the end of time.// he said softly. Their wounds healed, he relaxed slightly, just gazing into eyes that matched his own.

Trowa smiled gently at the new mates then went over to the bed to grab a blanket. Gently, so as not to disturb the final bonding, he placed the blanket over them.

Sighing, Duo kissed his mate's temple before curling up next to him, pulling the blanket tighter around them. //How's the one wound?//

//I know.// Larak said softly while squeezing his mate's hand before leaving to kneel beside his king and friend. "How are you feeling? Truthfully..."

Catching sight of the state of the bed, Shay and Shalon tapped both Trowa and Heero on the shoulders, motioning towards said furniture before beginning to remove the sheets and coverlets. "Why don't you two get fresh covers and so forth while we clean this up?"

Wufei snuggled weakly against his mate, then smiled gently up at Larak. The glow faded until there was nothing to show of their bond except for the likeness of their eyes. "We are fine....though I am a bit weak." he admitted ruefully.

"Finally you admit something..." murmured an exhausted Duo. Wufei chuckled softly as he held onto his lover, drifting off into an easy sleep safely in his love's arms. Snuggling closer to the warmth beside him, Duo sighed in his sleep.

"Well, that is to be expected. You two rest while we tend to what needs be done, though I doubt you were thinking of anything else." Laughing softly, Larak left the two mates curled together upon the floor, moving to join the other's around the bed.

Trowa and Heero moved to help when Trowa stopped them all. "Wait...what's this?" he asked softly as he picked up the slowly pulsing golden and red swirled egg lying on the covers. He winced at the intense heat and dropped it back onto the coverlets.

Heero looked at it in wonder. "Is that...what I think it is?" he asked in shock, his face paling.

Shaking his head, Shalon continued staring at the egg till he found a hard slap delivered to the back of his skull. Sighing at her twin's antics, Shay delivered a quick thwap. "Stop that." Turning back to the egg, she reached out to touch it, jerking her hand back quickly. "Well...if you're thinking Phoenix egg...then yeah, I'd have to agree."

"A Phoenix egg...but there hasn't been one made in over three thousand years!" Heero spluttered in disbelief as he stared at the glowing egg.

Rubbing his head, Shalon glared at his twin. "Well there certainly is one now!"

Trowa frowned, then looked over at the sleeping mates. He glanced up as Larak joined them. "Larak...what know you of the Phoenix egg?" he asked softly, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Hmm? Oh, it feeds from the power of a Guardian, becoming beneficial to its caretakers or destructive depending upon who and how it is raised. It also brings about an entirely different and much rarer bond. The Phoenix bond. It's more obvious in its bearers than a true bond. The strength of the bond decides the overall strength and nature of the Phoenix as well. A Phoenix can have a good nature and still be destructive. The same is true in the opposite situation." With the closing of his narration, Larak opened his eyes to look at the others again. "That's the basics of it."

Heero chewed on his lip for a minute, then said softly, "So...it feeds off of....so, that's why his majesty was losing blood so quickly? Because of the egg?" he asked in concern, his gaze narrowing in suspicion at the egg.

Trowa tapped his chin. "If that's true....then we should destroy it somehow. We can't risk either of their lives." he said firmly.

Looking from Wufei and Duo to the egg, Shay turned to Larak. "Ok. They've had their say. Now, Shalon and I want yours."

Glaring at the two hearing impaired males, Larak sighed. "Trowa, Hee-chan...Did you hear the word 'bond' in my speech connected with 'Phoenix' and those two? If so...what happens when one of a Bond dies?"

High-fiving each other, Shay and Shalon grinned. "Score one for the Twins!"

Heero shot a glare at his mate. "Alright, alright...so, we can't destroy it. What do we do then, hmm? It could kill them either way." he said coldly. 'Larak's getting it later...'

Trowa frowned slightly at the slight insult and tossed a cool gaze at Larak before looking at the sleeping king and his mate. "More importantly, what are the affects on them?" he asked softly, green eyes filled with worry.

Sighing, Larak shook his head, missing the look in his lover's eyes. "The bond was unbalanced before Duo completed it. Now it drains off only the excess power, not all the power and life force. It'll be like having a bunch of powerful kids rolled into one. What we do is play Uncles and Aunt, helping to provide a stable environment for it. Actually liking it would help as well. They are, for lack of better words, its parents. Which means they get to experience the joys and trials of parenthood with a kid that can turn to ash whole buildings. It won't kill them, now that the bond is complete and balanced. It's the rest of life we have to worry about."

"Uncle?? Me??" Heero spluttered out, rage and disbelief in his tones as he glared first at his lover for the cruel joke, then at the egg for being there.

Trowa sighed softly, looking heavenward. "Gods of the air....save us." he said softly in supplication.

"A kid? We get a kid to spoil?" Laughing, Shay turned to her brother. "What kind of toys do you think a Phoenix would like?"

Leaning against a nearby bedpost, Shalon turned his mind to the new and most pleasant of recent quandrys. "Fireproof of course. Rings for catching in flight or rolling across ground?"

"Yes, Uncle, you." Smiling slightly, Larak's buried hope surfaced for a moment. *Maybe this is the chance he needs to believe he can tend a child. Then maybe...one day we can find our own. Maybe.* Sighing he softly kissed his lover's lips, pressing against his side. "You'll do fine."

Heero tried to glare at his lover. "At least we won't have to change diapers." he said, trying to be grouchy through the smile that was playing on his lips. He knew of Larak's secret wish, if only because his lover talks in his sleep. Someday he hoped for it as well....there were spells...

Trowa rolled his eyes at the twins' antics "You do know his majesty will be very upset if we interfere." he said teasingly.

Wufei mumbled softly in his sleep then woke up slowly, glaring at the bodyguards half-heartedly. "Watch it..." he mumbled sleepily.

"Hmm, true." Resting his head against Heero's shoulder, Larak smiled.

Raising an eyebrow, Shalon smiled. "We won't be interfering..."

"...just playing the Aunts and Uncles to a rambunctious, flying kid." continued Shay, crossing her arms with a decisive nod.

Wufei leaned up slightly, careful not to wake his sleeping mate. "I suggest that if you five wish to discuss the Phoenix, that you do it OUTSIDE of our rooms." he said rather coldly, though his eyes glimmered with slight amusement.

Trowa looked over at Wufei and frowned sadly. "As you wish, my lord." he said softly, then looked at the others, gesturing for them to follow him out.

Pausing for a moment, Shalon looked at the bed covers again. "But what about the bed? It's not exactly the most ambient of places at the moment." Nodding, Shay wrinkled her nose in agreement.

Shaking his head, Larak tugged lightly on his mate's hand. People changed only if they wished and change was slow by nature. The slight spark would have to do, for now.

Trowa glanced sharply at the twins. "Don't question, Shay...Shalon. Where have your manners gone?" he hissed out, noting that Wufei's eyes were glinting now with traces of anger.

Heero smiled softly at his love then glanced over at Trowa and the twins. "If it is the will of our king, then we must obey. Leave the bed. One doesn't care too much when they are on the floor and comfortable." he said softly, a slight smile on his lips as he winked. Bowing slightly to the king, he gently tugged his mate out of the room, followed by Trowa. Bowing to his floored leader, Shalon guided a grumbling Shay from the room after she too had bowed. Following his love, Larak waved as he passed the young King. Sighing softly as he lay back down, Wufei drifted to sleep immediately, snuggled close to his mate and dreaming.

TBC