Shinigami's Gem

AN: Hey! I'm back… and I know it's been a while and I am very sorry about that but I'm having an awful time with my computer currently plus I have exams all next fortnight so the last few weeks have been revise, revise, revise… a few notes before this chapter. The story jumps forward about 9-10 years so go along with that, even I'm not that sure of the timeline and I'm writing it! But I guess that's fic-writing, ne? I'd like to thank Death's Daughter, once again, for beta-ing stuff for me and taking time off from her busy schedule.

DD: **bows**

Any way:-

Thank yous:

Rena Lupin- Thanks, and in this fic, as I'm hoping will become clear later on, Shinigami is just Duo's nickname… however that will get slightly more complicated as it goes on ^_^ I like sub-plots!

Aspara-thank you ^_^

Fire of Phoenix- You curse in Japanese too, thank God I'm not alone, although saying arigato to dinner ladies is rather confusing for the poor women! ^^;;

XpockynoMikoX- Thankees, you hate AUs? I love 'em… mainly because I haven't actually seen much of the series (although I'm getting DVDs, yay me!) and as for OOCness uh… I have a feeling that is yet to come, there are more than enough chapters for it!

Shadow clone- ah, the mysterious man will be revealed… sometime… I'm not entirely sure when but I know who he is so, I'm babbling aren't I. Glad you liked it!

Icefalcon- I think that's the first time one of my stories has been called intriguing. Thanks! And here's the more.

Disclaimer: I don't own them… why'd ya hafta go and rub it in?

Chapter 1

Darkness surrounded him; suffocating him. He wanted to call out, to scream, but his body wouldn't let him. He felt as though he were on fire, every square inch of his skin burning with a ferocity he had never experienced, but in the shadow, he could see no flame. He wanted to ask where he was, but again no sound came out. There was a chuckle in the background, malicious and evil, but, at the same time peaceful. He shuddered as blackness separated itself from blackness and became a shadowy figure. He squinted to see it more clearly, but jumped in shock as two brilliant purple eyes opened, laughter in their uniform depths.

And in the real world Prussian eyes snapped open.

Heero calmed his breathing down to a normal rate. Nightmares did not befit a young man of his stature.

At the age of 18 Prince Heero Yuy had grown into his body. It was slight, but deceptively powerful with the true muscles one gets from hard work, rather than the impossibly large ones seen on the prize knights and wrestlers. Nobility and royalty were lined up to marry their daughters off to him, but he showed no interest, ignoring the million women falling at his feet and choosing, instead, to spend his time on training and learning under his mentor, Sir Odin Lowe.

Someone else was in his chamber. He could sense them, a shadow that was too dark, a small sound that was not usual, something out of place.

Then it moved, and Heero sat up properly.

"Wufei," he said, a small smile not quite making it to his lips. The Chinese dragon detached himself from the shadows and bowed almost mockingly to his friend.

"Your highness," Heero glared at him, quasi-serious. Wufei just laughed and sat at the foot of the bed. There was no ceremony here, between two of the oldest and closest friends, but much teasing.

"You were having another nightmare," Wufei pointed out, giving his reason for being there and an opening for a conversation all in one sentence. Heero turned his eyes slightly, noting the shadows, so similar to and yet different from, those in his dream.

"Hn," was his first comment, lost in thought as he was. Many would have found it rude however Wufei knew better.

"Want to talk?" he asked, keeping his eyes fixed on his good friend. Heero turned back to him, eyes guarded.

"It was the darkness again," he admitted, Wufei nodded slowly, this was a common factor in his friend's nightmares, "and I couldn't breathe." One hand twitched slightly, as if intending to go to his throat, but checked just in time. "But this time there was someone there." Silence. "He was… it was... like darkness personified," a sage nod of understanding from his confidante. "Except his eyes…" Heero trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished. "Violet , pure violet, not a change in shade or texture." Wufei waited a second, before deciding his friend had actually finished.

"Dreams show us things," he said, "so I won't tell you to ignore this, because to ignore a clear warning would be foolish." Heero nodded, absorbing his friend's advice. "And yet," the young bodyguard hesitated, "I do not understand it, so I would advise you not to dwell on it. Just keep it always in your mind. I am sure, when you need to, you will understand." Heero nodded once more.

"Arigato Wufei," he murmured.

Seeing his friend was still not ready to return to sleep but was unwilling to admit to this weakness, Wufei began to talk again.

"Has your father spoken to you about the new Princess arriving in court tomorrow?" he asked the Prince. "Relenda or something."

"Hai," Heero replied, disgust and irritation thick in his voice. "Relena," he corrected, voice dripping with distaste. Wufei chuckled. He was one of the few people who knew that no matter how many girls his father lined up, Heero would turn them down because he just wasn't interested in women.

"I've been hearing horror stories about that Onna," he warned the prince. "The servants say she always got what she wanted when she was younger so now she makes sure she gets what she wants." Heero snorted in disbelief.

"Well, she's not getting me," he said certainly, Wufei agreed with a nod.

"She won't be easy to dissuade…"

"Then we'll have to do it the hard way," Heero stated simply. "I'm sure she'll get the picture." Wufei smiled at his friend's assurance. "My heart is mine to give to whom I choose, not hers to steal." He lay back down and Wufei stood up, time for him to leave.

"Oyasumi, Heero," he said with a small bow.

"Oyasumi, Wufei," the prince replied sleepily.

Wufei returned to his room, wondering whom Heero would give his heart to.

"Princess Relena," King J inclined his head to the blonde in front of him, dressed from the tips of her toes to the ribbon in her hair in pink. "May I present my son, Prince Heero of Elleins." Heero stepped forward as his father's hand beckoned and bowed to the Barbie-like girl in front of him. She curtsied in a very lady-like fashion, as any well brought up Princess should and offered her hand, which he dutifully pressed his lips to. She blushed on cue and fluttered her eyelashes slightly making both the prince and Wufei, standing once more at his right shoulder, want to laugh or throw up. However, as it was a court function, they restrained themselves.

Relena clung to Heero all night, dancing with him, linking her arm in his, simpering at him and choosing to ignore every one of his death glares. Wufei had to literally pry her off him before he could get some peace, and even then the only thing that stopped her from running after him and screaming 'HEEEEEEEERROOOOOOOOO!' at the top of her lungs was the presence of the other 100 dignitaries.

At long last the torment was over and Princess Relena was escorted, forcefully, back to her embassy. Wufei went looking for the Prince in the usual places.

He'd tried the balcony, the pond and the kitchen by the time he found his friend, leaning against the old tree in the garden, staring at the stars.

"Now that was a nightmare," Wufei commented, joining his friend's perusal of the skies.

"Hai," Heero agreed, amusement evident in his tone, "She was rather." And that was all either of them said on the subject.

"For a while they stood in companionable silence, neither seeing any need to break the still peace. But then Heero spoke.

"Do you remember when we were younger and we went off to explore the city?" he asked, still staring into space.

"Yes," Wufei nodded, knowing there was a point to this, Heero never initiated a conversation without a point.

"Feel like doing it again?"

And suddenly the full charismatic force of the cobalt eyes was turned on him and he felt himself smile in spite of himself as he nodded.

"Why not?"

The tavern was bustling. Business was good and the place was practically full with people. Mostly regulars, or gang-members although there were a few unknowns as well.

Duo sat by the bar, nursing his ale and watching the other customers playing poker or darts, or drinking one another into a stupor. Solo was over there, showing some newbies how to cheat at cards. Hilde was to one side, showing grown men how to drink and Ace was in the corner giving an excellent example of how to win at darts. He smiled to himself. His friends were happy and that was good. This lifestyle suited them, and him, down to the ground. Stealing, fighting, drinking… this was as good as it could get for one of them.

He heard someone sit down next to him quietly and order a beer.

"It tastes like cat's piss," he warned them, watching Solo trick someone out of a lot of money with a simple dealing trick.

There was an answering snort of amusement. And he turned round to find himself looking into the most amazingly blue eyes he had ever seen. He almost choked on his own cat's piss beer and missed the flinch the other man gave when he caught the sight of his eyes.

Wufei, however, caught the flinch and looked the boy at the bar over carefully. Nothing that unusual. Wiry frame, big grin, wearing all black. Admittedly there was the long braid of hair but nothing too… then he too caught sight of Duo's eyes. Brilliant violet. He stiffened, but then relaxed as Heero seemed to recover.

"Duo Maxwell," the boy said immediately, eyes not leaving Heero; He stuck out his hand and gave them both a firm handshake. Wufei thought quickly. Their names weren't too unusual, and many people were named after the prince.

"Chang Wufei and Heero… Wing," he responded. Duo glanced at him and nodded, his grin not leaving his face before returning his eyes to Heero. He just couldn't stop staring.

The young man in front of him was a dream come true, great figure, good-looking and those eyes. His smile grew wider. He knew he'd kick himself later for giving out his real name to a complete stranger but something about this guy and his companion seemed familiar; a distant memory trying to be heard over his mental static.

Heero, on the other hand, had no difficulty in placing the violet-eyed youth sitting in front of him. There couldn't be two with such eyes, or hair, in Elleins. This boy, sitting there, was the self-styled God of Death that had saved them a fight on their last jaunt into the city unauthorised.

Wufei recognised him as well, though not as quickly, and looked around. Sure enough the rest of the gang were there, the red head, playing cards, and a few others dotted about.

He wasn't expecting any trouble though. It was unlikely they remembered them. And even if they did it was virtually impossible that the vendetta would have lasted this long, especially after Heero's gift. He sighed and reached for his beer, just as Heero took a sip from his.

"Ugh!" The Prince exclaimed, spiting the putrid stuff back out. Duo's eyes danced merrily.

"So it can talk…" he said, "and I did warn you." He smirked as Heero glared at him, completely unfazed.

That startled Wufei a bit. No one was unfazed by the Yuy glare of death. Even Relena had been scared. Nataku, it even scared him when he knew Heero wasn't joking. But this boy just laughed it off, interesting.

He decided against tasting his own beer, choosing instead to watch as Duo happily chatted away to them, well more to Heero than himself, but that didn't really matter. His friend didn't seem to mind, so he didn't see that he should either.

Gradually Duo showed them around the whole tavern, introducing them to every person he knew and even some he didn't. Solo, the redheaded gang leader gave them a highly suspicious look, after he was introduced, and continued to watch them all evening. But as long as it was just watching, Wufei was fine with that. He got the sense Solo was more interested in Duo's welfare than them.

Soon they had been accepted into he community like old friends, an effect that Duo seemed to have on everybody. He grinned at them and they fell helplessly under his spell. He even felt himself slipping and he was sure Heero was well gone.

It wasn't long before the three of them, and one of Duo's friends, Ace, were embroiled in a darts battles to the death, or to whoever won first, at least… The two of them were thrashed at that, and then Duo pulled them into a game of poker, in which Heero lost a ring, but won it back again next round by utilising techniques - as dodgy, if not dodgier than, those of his opponents - that Wufei was surprised he knew.

It seemed no time at all before they had to return to the palace, as Wufei reminded Heero, who, although he didn't say much, clearly wanted to stay longer.

Before they went Duo extracted a promise from each of them that they would return ASAP, promise they both fully intended to keep.

They snuck back into the castle, minds full of the sights and sounds of the lower city, and stealthily made their way back to their rooms without anyone noticing their absence.

Wufei was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, falling into dreams of lively dances and smoke-filled rooms.

Heero stayed awake longer, thinking things over in his mind. But eventually he too fell asleep. His mind floating in dreams of big purple eyes and long chestnut hair.

TBC

AN- still taking ideas about where I got the plot from, no one's even tried to guess yet… I dunno if it's that obvious yet, but it should be soon, possibly… Sorry for taking so long with this, again. I hate my PC sometimes, y'know!

DD: **is gagged in the corner to stop herself from giving the plot away, dammit****waves pompoms again**

R&R