Title: Between Darkness and Light - Renewal of Promises
Pairings: 2+1+2, 5+1, 3+4, H+2, R+1, M+5, 13+6, past 6+9
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the GW characters but the story and all additional characters are mine though.
Warnings: Shounen Ai, slight OOC, some violence
A/N: All the boys are different ages in this story, they are as followed: Heero's 15, Duo's 18, Trowa's 19, Quatre's 18
and Wufei's 16.
~#~#~#~ = Change of scene
The night torches were softly burning, giving off little light now that the sun was beginning to rise, casting the marbled
hallway's throughout Enlizer in a soft yellow glow. One by one the palace staff began to surface, the kitchen staff immediately
began work on the morning's breakfast menu. Various fruit and cheese platters were being created, as many crystal jugs were
filled with a variety of wine's and other liquids. While breakfast was being prepared, other palace servants began their
morning routine of cleaning and preparing the Great Hall in preparation for the daily meetings.
The sound of clanking armour could be heard as two guards walked side by side down the empty hallway that lead to the resting
chambers of their Jurei. There was a feeling of unease shared between the two guards, the area around them seemed to be
too quiet. Usually at this time in the morning there were the peaceful sounds of the birds singing, but all that greeted
them this morning was total silence. As the guards past the large wooden door that connected to the Jurei's bed chamber, a
faint groan could be heard from within. The sound instantly made the two large men suspicious as Thomas the first guard
motioned for his partner Derek to cover him while he entered the room. The door creaked when it was opened slowly, before
Thomas entered the room as quietly as possible.
The sound of cursing and a weapon being drawn was all that Derek needed, he rushed into the room taking out his own sword in
the process. With his weapon held high, the large dark haired guard ran over to aid the other as he began to restrain the
intruder. From over his shoulder Thomas shouted "I can handle him! Derek you go and check on the Jurei, see if he's been
harmed at all" Running through the room, Derek threw open the doors that lead to the bed chambers. He gasped loudly just
before a string of muttered curse's erupted from his lips. Fear gripped his insides as Derek desperately searched every inch
of the room in a vain attempt to locate the missing chosen child. When it was obvious that the boy was not in the room, Derek
rushed out of the room and franticly yelled "He's gone Thomas!" Anger flashed in Thomas's green eyes, as he looked down in
disgust at the prisoner below him. Not being very gentle, he lifted the bound and gagged man from the floor and practically
threw him towards Derek. In a voice full of barely suppressed hatred and anger he ordered "Take that bastard to the dungeon,
we'll let the prison guard's deal with him until he decides to talk. I'll go and inform the Royal Family and the High Priest
about what has happened"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
Long pure white robes fanned out around him as the High Priest J knelt on the patterned marbled floor in front of the Goddess
of Life statue praying. The temple doors suddenly burst open, interrupting all of the priests in the mists of their prayers.
The clanking of armour could be heard echoing off the large pearl white stone walls as the guard made his way towards the
High Priest. Raising a fluffy white eyebrow, J lifted himself off the floor and turned his attention to the direction of the
disturbance.
Thomas half ran half walked into the temple, all the while still trying to show some respect to the Gods resting place. He
soon found the High Priest standing in front of the statue dedicated to Jurei and unconsciously gulped at the annoyed
expression on the old priests face. Lowering to one knee in respect, Thomas said in a voice barely above a whisper "Pardon
my intrusion Holy One, but we have a serious situation that requires your immediate attention" Curious as to what the
situation could be, J motioned for the guard to follow him into his study chambers.
Once they were both seated inside the room, J looked seriously into the others green eyes as he said "What is so urgent that
you feel the need to interrupt our praying time?" Sweeting under the intent gaze the old priest was giving him, Thomas forced
himself to calm down as he answered "It seems that the Jurei has been kidnapped Holy One" With his eyes going impossibly
large, J jumped up from out of his chair and yelled "WHAT!?! Do tell me that this is some really bad idea of a joke!" The
seriousness in the priest's voice made Thomas want to run and hide from what he was just about to say "This is no joke Holy
One. We have captured an intruder within the Jurei's resting chambers, and the Jurei himself is missing"
A crackling noise caught the attentions of the priest's still praying out in the main temple, as the area around them began
to sparkle with white sparks of energy. The temple priests all looked at each other, the same worried expression was evident
on each of their faces at the sight. The very idea of their usually calm High Priest loosing his temper was unthinkable. But
to upset the old priest so much that he looses control over his power, that is what worried them the most. All their thoughts
were situated around the same question, what could have happened to cause the High Priest to act this way?
Trying to calm himself from the anger and fear cursing through his body, J took a deep breath as he stole a quick glance at
the fire place and said "Have the Royal Family been informed?" Not missing a beat Thomas replied "Yes Holy One. I informed
them myself of the situation, there is to be an emergency meeting within the Great Hall" Composing himself as he walked
over to the door, J turned to look at the guard before he left and ordered "I will head for the Great Hall after I have sent
one of my priests to the dungeon in order to help with the prisoner's interrogation. I would like both the Dragon Child and
Master O to be in attendance at the Great Hall also, they both deserve to hear the news with everyone else. But it is of the
utmost importance that you do not tell them anything before hand, is that understood?" Thomas wasn't certain but for a split
second he saw something akin to a deep fear showing in the old mans eyes before the priest left in a hurry though the door.
Not long after the Priest left, Thomas was also out the door rushing in the direction of the shrine dedicated to the Dragon
God Shenlong to deliver his message.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
Through the many windows of the Great Hall, the blue sky outside began to darken and cloud over forcing the servants to
relight the torches around the room. Up on the throne sitting next to his father, sat the blonde Prince of Enlizer. His
golden bangs fell across his pale skin and light blue eyes that were filled with worry and concern as they sighted the
whispering advisors gathered within the Great Hall. Bringing up his hand to unconsciously rub at his chest, his blue eyes
landed on the young Chinese boy standing not too far from him. On the outside the younger boy's face was calm, but Quatre
could sense a great deal of fear and worry flowing off of his childhood friend.
The feeling of someone touching his shoulder jerked the Prince out of his thoughts as the voice of his father spoke softly to
him "Quatre, are you sure you want to be here when the others find out about what has happened?" Quatre's worried filled
eyes had a look of determination in them as he turned to face his father. In a quiet but firm voice he said "Not only am I
the Prince of this Kingdom and feel it is my responsibility to be here for our people at our greatest time of need. But I
also want to be here because the Jurei was...is one of my closest friends" The Kings gaze softened at his son's answer and
smiled as he said "Very well, you better prepare yourself then. I don't want you too strain yourself too much, there will be
a lot off strong emotions once word gets out" A slight smile graced the blonde Prince's face after hearing his father's words.
His blue eyes scanned the people in attendance as he quietly replied "Thankyou for your concern father but I will be fine"
Quatre's gaze fell once again on that of Wufei's form as he whispered to himself "But I'm not the one to worry about"
Many voices were whispering to one another by the time the Hight Priest entered the Great Hall. The large double doors were
shut behind him by the door guards as J walked past the court advisors. At the end of the red and gold carpet sat the King
of Enlizer and his son Quatre, the crowned Prince. The Kings strong voice boomed over the hushed whispers of the court as he
began "My fellow subjects I have grave news indeed to inform you all of, sometime during the night our Jurei was forcefully
taken from within his resting chambers. We have one of his kidnappers in the dungeon and he is being interrogated as we
speak" Outraged shouts were could be heard from all attending the meeting, as each advisors voice their own opinion of the
Kings statement. Ordering silence, the Kings gaze hardened as he asked his captain of the guards "Were there any ships that
arrived after that of the Duke Noventa?" The aging captain's eyes widened slightly before he answered "No your majesty, but
we were informed this morning that Noventa's vessel set sail sometime during the night" Angered shouts erupted from the
people gathered within the Great Hall once again, standing up from his throne the King bellowed "And no one thought it to be
the least bit suspicious about its sudden departure?!? What of the Duke Noventa himself? Did he also depart along with his
crew?" "No your majesty, I believe he is still within the guest chambers as we speak" Bowing the captain took a step back
then continued "I shall order my troops to escort the Duke right now with your permission your majesty" After receiving the
Kings approval, the captain rushed through the large doors and barked out his orders to the first guard he saw.
The Great Hall became silent once more as the Duke Noventa walked down the red and gold carpet with the Kings guards
escorting him all the way. The Duke bowed stiffly before the King, then looked up with a disgruntled look on his face and
said "I came here as the representative for the Sanq Kingdom by order of Queen Relena herself to discuss trade agreements
between our two Kingdoms. Now you treat me like some common criminal, what is the meaning of all of this?!?" Calmly the
King said "I care not for your false words Duke Noventa" He paused for a second, then asked "Are you aware of the fact that
your ship is no longer within our port?" Surprised by the question, Noventa raised an eyebrow as he said "No your Majesty"
The King carefully regarded the man before him, then spoke once more "Are you also aware of the fact that last night this
palace's most valuable and priceless possession had been stolen from us. Add this to the fact that your ship is no longer
in our port leads us to believe that you and your crew had something to do with this unforgivable act" Noventa's face paled
at the Kings words, taking a step back from shock he barely managed to say "I had my most trusted men with me on this
voyage......how can this be? There must be some sort of misunderstanding" "This is no misunderstanding" The Kings gaze then
turned as cold as ice and continued "For your unforgivable crime against the Royal family and the people of Enlizer, your
life will be forfeit and until an execution date can be set you will spend your remaining days within the palace prison.
Guards! Please escort Duke Noventa to a holding cell" Two of the guards surrounding Noventa drew their swords, while the
remaining two each took hold of the Dukes arms. His eyes widening with fear as Noventa pleaded "Please, you can not do this!
I am positive this is all just a simple misunderstanding"
Before anything else could be said the large door were thrown open as one of the prison guards came rushing into the Great
Hall. The King raised an eyebrow at the interruption just as the guard spoke "Your majesty, we have just finished interrogating
the prisoner" Motioning all in the room to be quiet, the King asked "What did you find out?" Looking hesitantly between the
King and Noventa, the guard carefully choose his words as he answered "The information we pulled from his soul told us that
a little over half of Duke Noventa's crew were in fact a group of thieves who call themselves the Sweepers. Apart from that,
the only other information we got from his soul told us that his companions did in fact get what they came for your majesty"
Just after those words were said, all the torches around the room suddenly blazed out of control sending angry flames quickly
up the walls. The ground below them began to tremble violently as the already dark sky darkened further. Black clouds rolled
across the sky blocking all traces of sunlight as far as the eye could see, creating an eerie red glow around the hall due to
the flaming torches. The sound of thunder could be heard directly over the palace, as a bolt of lightning illuminated the
entire hall with its bright light. Harsh winds continually howled as it whipped through the towers that peaked from Enlizer,
causing the many glass windows around the palace to crack and break under its pressure. Panic quickly erupted throughout the
Great Hall as the people within attempted to shield themselves from the pouring rain and falling glass. Looking through the
broken windows, Quatre was not surprised to see the fierce storm that was brewing. The sound of a door slamming shut though
jolted Quatre out of his thoughts as he felt a strong feeling of guilt and fear flowing from his long time friend. The blonde
Prince stood up then made a quick retreat through the same door that the Chinese boy just went through, all the while hearing
his fathers strong voice trying to calm the people down.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
A flash of lightning reflected off the long marbled hallway blinded Quatre for a few seconds, then slowly the silhouette
of someone sitting on a window sill came into view. Already knowing who the person was, the blonde Prince walked over and
took a seat opposite his troubled friend. In the younger boy's lap sat the small green dragon Nataku, who at the moment was
looking up at her master with worry in her gleaming red eyes. Reaching out his hand, Quatre gently scratched the tiny dragon
on the head. Nataku though, did not turn her attentions away from her master. The three of them just sat there for some
time in total silence. Wufei's attentions fully focused on the dark storm clouds rolling through the sky, while Quatre sat
there patiently waiting for his Chinese friend to speak.
The ground had already stopped trembling the moment Wufei left the Great Hall, but the sound of thunder still rumbled loudly
all throughout the palace. Wufei slowly raised his hand to touch the glass window where the rain drops ran down his
reflection's face, mirroring the silent tears falling from his own, quietly he said "I have failed him" Trying to take
as much sympathy out of his voice as possible, the blonde Prince replied "No you haven't Wufei, there was no way you could
have know this was going to happen" Another bolt of lightning snaked its way across the black sky as Wufei spoke again
"I vowed to myself long ago that I would always protect him, and when he needed me the most I was not there to help. I have
disgraced myself and I am no longer worthy enough to carry the honour of being Shenlong's chosen child......I am nothing but
a failure" Shock flashed over Quatre's face at the Chinese boy's words, before it changed into one of sadness. Sighing the
blue eyed boy took hold of Wufei's hands and calmly said "If you are a failure, than so am I" Holding up one of his pale
hands to stop any protests the other might say, he continued "Yes I am, and so is the whole of the Royal Family. For it was
my family's duty given by the Gods themselves to protect the children chosen by the Gods and Goddesses. We failed our given
duty the moment Heero was taken from us. But fear not Wufei, our Jurei is not lost to us yet. Father will most probably
order the Holy Maganac Knights to go out and search for him"
Standing up from the window sill, Quatre straighten out his outfit as he said "Why don't you go to my study chambers. It will
be quiet there, and it will also give you the opportunity to think over what I have said without being disturbed. I will be
returning to the meeting, once they are over I will join you.....Don't be too hard on yourself Wufei, there was nothing you
could have done" For the first time since settling on the window sill, Wufei turned his attention away from the window and
looked at his friend. The thunder sounded distant now, as thin rays of golden light began to penetrate the thinning black
clouds. The raven haired boy carefully picked Nataku off of his lap before he stood. Cradling the small dragon in his arms,
all Wufei could answer with was a tiny nod of his head before he silently walked off.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
After order was restored, the Hight Priest J walked up to Noventa and looked deep into his eyes. He took his time regarding
the other man, before he finally came to a decision. Turning to his King, J said "If I may speak with you your majesty?" The
King's face had a look of surprise on it before he motioned for the priest to continue. Taking one more look at the Duke, J
walked up to the King then lent down and whispered something in his ear.
When J had finished speaking, the King motioned his soldiers to bring the Duke before him once more. Quietly regarding
Noventa for a few moments, the King finally spoke up in a tone that held no arguments "In light of the new information, I
have decided against your execution. How ever, the trade you proposed will be null and void until I decide otherwise. You
and your remaining men are free to leave the Holy Palace of Enlizer, we will supply you with a vessel to carry you home"
Taking a moment to look at all the people's angry expressions around the Great Hall, the Kings eyes narrowed slightly when
he turned his gaze back to the kneeling Duke and spoke again "Punishment is still needed however, for even though you held
no knowledge of the danger you allowed to gain entrance to the Palace. The Royal family, the temple priests of Amara and the
people of Enlizer, still hold you personally responsible for the loss of what was stolen from us. Therefore once you leave
this island, you will be forever banished from ever returning. I will have my guards load you belongings after this meeting
is over and done with. While you await your ships departure, you and your men will be confined to the guest chambers. You
are now dismissed Duke Noventa"
The guards helped the Duke up to his feet, looking up at where the King sat Noventa asked "If I may ask your majesty, just
what was stolen from your palace? Perhaps if you provide me with a decent description of the item, I could get my people to
begin a search for the missing treasure" Before he could finish though, the King's strong voice interrupted him "No you may
not, this matter no longer any concern of yours. You are dismissed Duke Noventa" The Duke bowed before the Kings, the turned
and left the room accompanied by his escort of guards.
The King then dismissed all of his advisors, then motioned for a private meeting between himself, the High Priest J, Master O
and Rashid the leader of the Holy Maganac Knights.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
Once the door closed behind them, each of the men took a seat around the large square table situated at the centre of the
room. As soon as everyone was seated Master O demanded "What was your reason behind letting the Duke live Priest? You of all
people should be the one wanting justice for his crimes whether he knew of them or not, since it was your Jurei that was
taken from us" Calmly the old priest looked at Master O as he replied "You're right I do want justice, but I do not want to
see an innocent loose their life because of their failure to recognize a potential threat. Yes Noventa should have taken a
lot more care with the selection of his crew, but he is not the one responsible for the kidnapping of our Jurei"
Silence followed after J's statement, all seeing the wisdom in the old priest's words. Not wanting to waste any time Rashid
broke the silence and asked "With your permission your majesty, I will leave at once along with the other Maganac knights and
begin the search for our missing Jurei" After hearing Rashid's words, the old priest immediately said "Your majesty though it
pains me to say this, I must strongly advise against sending any of your men out to go in search of the Jurei. Our best
course of action for the time being is to stay within the palace walls" A shocked gasp could be heard behind the old priest
as he turned to see the Prince standing in the doorway.
Anger flared up within Quatre at the words he over heard them all talking about. Ignoring everyone else in the room, his
blue eyes narrowed as he looked at the High Priest and said "I can not believe that you of all people would say such a thing
priest, we can not just stand by and do nothing! The Jurei's life is a stake" Sighing, J looked at the blonde boy with
sadness in his eyes as he said "We can not run the risk of starting a war with either of the neighbouring countries by
sending our most powerful armies into each of their kingdoms to go in search for something the majority of these people know
nothing about. This sort of action will only lead the other rulers to believe that we have declared war over matters of
what they believe to only be some sort of sacred treasure that was stolen from us. No, unfortunately we must sit tight and
hope for the safe return of our Jurei"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
"This is injustice! How can they just sit back and wait! What cowards they all are, for all we know Yuy could be dead!"
Giving his long time friend a sympathetic look, Quatre softly spoke up "Calm down Wufei, you are getting no where by just
walking back and forth yelling. Now would you please take a seat and listen to the rest of what I have to say" The Chinese
boy stopped his pacing, then grudgingly took the offered seat and waited for his friend to continue "Unfortunately we can do
nothing but wait, since my father has ordered that there is to be no search for our missing Jurei. Not even the Holy Maganac
Knights are allowed to go in search of him, and after the ship leaves port tonight no other will be allowed to dock or set
sail. My hands are tied in this matter, for not even I can go against the Kings orders"
Sensing the distress in his friend, Quatre stood up from his chair and walked around the table to stand in front of the
Chinese boy. Looking thoughtful, the Prince looked at Wufei with a strange glint in his eyes as he added "I just hope that no
one is foolish enough to attempt sneaking aboard the ship that is leaving this evening to take the Duke Noventa back to the
Sanq Kingdom. Anyone caught doing so would most certainly be thrown in the dungeons for their complete disregard of their
Kings wishes. But if someone does actually manage to sneak aboard" Shrugging his shoulders he then continued "Well I guess
that can't be helped now can it?" Wufei's face lit up with a sinister smile as he casually said "I do not know who indeed
would be foolish enough to attempt the Kings wrath?" Clasping his hands together as he grinned, Quatre happily said "Now
that we got that all sorted out, there is something I want to give to you before you leave" When he only received a blank
look, Quatre moved over to the door saying "You will have to follow me in order to find out what it is"
Entering the Royal families treasure room, the blonde Prince walked up to a large jade statue of a winged angel that stood
proud and tall in the middle of the large room. Held within each of its delicate hands were two simple looking gold circlets.
Walking up to the statue, Quatre carefully retrieved both circlets then made his way back over to his friend. Holding out
one of his pale hands, Wufei slowly lifted his own hand to grab the offered item. Looking down at the circlet in his grasp,
he couldn't help but admire its simplistic beauty. Embedded in the front of the circlet was a dark green jewel that had
bright red and gold swirls making intricate waving patterns on the gem. The rest of the circlet consisted of only a thin
gold band. Looking up questionable at his friend, Wufei raised a delicate eyebrow as he asked "What is this for?" Smiling at
his friend, Quatre answered "Well you are going to need some help in finding Heero. That circlet you are holding was given
to our family by the Gods, legend says that the sacred jewel Shinji reside within each of the two circlets and that only the
ones who bare the mark of the Gods can wear them. I don't know too much about them myself, but what I do know is that when
you wear this you will be able to feel were Heero is. It won't be as strong as it could be since Heero isn't wearing the
other one, but at least it will give you a clue as to where he might be" Handing over the other jewelled circlet to Wufei,
Quatre also added "Take this one with you also for when you find Heero, you never know it might come in handy" Looking down
at the object in his hand, onyx eyes widened at the sight of the jewel embedded within the second circlet. This one was a
dark blue colour with thin white, red and gold streaks swirling throughout it, all along the outside of the gem was surrounded
by small light green stones that at the moment looked dull and lifeless. Taking his attentions off the circlets, Wufei looked
up and said with a smile "Perhaps I have not yet broken my promise to protect Heero......Thankyou Quatre, you have no idea
how much this means to me" Returning his friends smile, the blonde boy replied "You can thank me by returning our Jurei to
us in one piece. Now you better get going, you wouldn't want to miss the boat now would you?"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
The sound of a fire crackling was the first thing Heero heard as he began to wake, he could see soft yellow and orange colours
as they danced across his closed eyelids. Groaning from pain as his head felt like it was about to split in two, the blue
eyed boy attempted to sit only to have someone's hand push him back down. A firm voice amusingly said above him "Looks like
sleeping beauty's finally awaken" Frowning at how he was being addressed, Heero cracked open one eye in an attempt to see the
speaker. A slight gasp was heard above him as his eyes tried to focus, but he could only make out a blurry figure hovering
over him. In the same amused voice, the person above him spoke again "You still need rest, you've been in and out of it
almost all day now, but don't worry you're safe"
The sound off dripping water was heard, then Heero felt a damp cloth being place upon his forehead. Again the voice spoke up
"Care to tell me how you ended up this way, or am I going to have to play twenty questions with you?" Closing his eyes, Heero
concentrated on his last memory. The image of five large men attacking him from all directions quickly flashed in his mind,
and in an automatic response Heero ignored his aching head and leapt away from the speaker. When Heero landed he collapsed
down to one knee panting, he continued to ignore his protesting body as he gathered enough strength to stand. Fixing the
older boy in front of him with a glare, he angrily yelled "Where are they?!?"
Duo was startled when the blue eyed boy below him suddenly leapt out from under him. Hearing the younger boys question, Duo
quickly replaced his shocked expression with one of confusion as he said "Where are who?" The messy haired boy's eyes
narrowed as he spat "The cowards who attacked me!" Raising his hands up in a gesture of peace, Duo stood up slowly as he
said "Calm down there buddy. you were alone by the time we found you. They probably stole your money then split, that happens
a lot when people travel alone you know" The braided boy saw the suspicious look in the others eye, then quickly added "I'm
not asking you to trust us or anything. But right now it looks like we're the only friends you have"
Heero raised an eyebrow when the braided boy before him mentioned there to be others once again. Taking a quick look around
the area they were to spend the night, he found that there were only the two of them. Heero's body tensed in readiness as
he simply asked "We?" A grin came across Duo's face when he heard the question, he didn't waste any time and replied "My
travelling partner's out gathering food in preparation for tonight's meal" Relaxing a little, Heero gaze still held suspicion
in it as he said "And who might you be anyway?"
The braided boy slapped his head for his forgetfulness as he said "Sorry about that, Duo Maxwell at your service. I run
and I hide, but I never tell a lie" As he held out his hand, Heero just looked at the offered hand strangely not really
understanding why people always insisted on wanting to touch one another. Taking a small step away from the braided boy,
Heero looked straight into his violet eyes as he said "Heero, Heero Yuy" Dropping his hand in defeat, Duo sighed slightly
as he said "It's nice to meet you Heero" Before anything else could be said, Heero's fatigue came back with full force.
Falling down to his knees, his blue eyes widened in surprise when he felt strong arms wrap around his waist preventing him
from falling any further. Not use to so much contact from another person, Heero's body automatically tensed up when he felt
Duo's warm breath brush across his face. With the amusement back in his voice, Duo said "You need to take it easy there
buddy, don't want you passing out on me again now do we?" When it was obvious that Duo wasn't going to release his hold on
him anytime soon, Heero's eyes hardened as he demanded "Let me go" But to the blue eyed boy's surprise, Duo quickly and
easily lifted him off his feet and said "I will" He chuckled lightly, then continued "Once I tuck you back into bed that is"
A slight pink tinge spread across Heero's face just before he send the braided baka the best death glare he could produce.
The sound of someone approaching drew Heero's attention away from his dilemma for the time being as he heard a calm voice
speak up "I'm not even gone for thirty minutes and look what happens" Alarmed by the voice Heero was just about to attempt
jumping out of Duo's hold, but the braided boy just tightened his grip and laughed "Hey Tro-man, so what's on the menu for
today?" From over his shoulders, Trowa threw to the ground two freshly killed rabbits. "Not rabbit again! Couldn't you find
us something that we haven't already been eating continually for the past five days!" Whined the braided boy, suddenly the
noise of someone clearing their throat caught Duo's attention. Duo's violet eyes widened when he remembered that he was still
holding the younger boy within his arms. With a sheepish grin, Duo looked down at the blue eyed boy and said "Sorry...by the
way, that talkative guy over there is none other than Trowa Barton, Trowa this is Heero Yuy" Both Heero and Trowa nodded
their heads in acknowledgement just before they heard a soft sigh coming from Duo. Raising an eyebrow, Heero asked "What?"
Shaking his head, the braided boy simply muttered a frustrated "Nothing" Before he cheerfully said "Guess I should be
putting you to bed now shouldn't I, it's probably way past your bedtime anyway" Another glare was send his way but all Duo
could do was smile at the cute sight.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
A solitary figure hung back in the shadows carefully watching the movements of the men around him as the last of the Dukes
belongings were being brought aboard the ship. Moving with the shadows the young Chinese boy quietly made his way onto the
ship undetected. Once on board, Wufei easily found a suitable hiding place. Carefully placing his bag onto the floor so that
he wouldn't damage the two gold circlets within, the Chinese boy then sat down and prepared himself for the voyage ahead of
him.
TBC
Notes: Wow, I just want to say BIG thanks to Pink Cherry Blossom, Ladye Black, GoldenRat, DreamWeaver, Shinigami's Minion,
CinC, Yume Maxwell-Yuy, Hakumei, x1-TaKeN-oVeR, Emily Hato, tenshiamanda, Black-Winged Angel, Kyra, Konpeitou,
aka-kitsune-chan, Alchemy, Nanashi Kage Enjeru and last but defiantly not least Hikari for all your great reviews for the
first chapter, I'm glad that you all liked it ^_^ Your reviews really help with my inspiration and my writing, so please
keep them coming.
Pairings: 2+1+2, 5+1, 3+4, H+2, R+1, M+5, 13+6, past 6+9
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the GW characters but the story and all additional characters are mine though.
Warnings: Shounen Ai, slight OOC, some violence
A/N: All the boys are different ages in this story, they are as followed: Heero's 15, Duo's 18, Trowa's 19, Quatre's 18
and Wufei's 16.
~#~#~#~ = Change of scene
The night torches were softly burning, giving off little light now that the sun was beginning to rise, casting the marbled
hallway's throughout Enlizer in a soft yellow glow. One by one the palace staff began to surface, the kitchen staff immediately
began work on the morning's breakfast menu. Various fruit and cheese platters were being created, as many crystal jugs were
filled with a variety of wine's and other liquids. While breakfast was being prepared, other palace servants began their
morning routine of cleaning and preparing the Great Hall in preparation for the daily meetings.
The sound of clanking armour could be heard as two guards walked side by side down the empty hallway that lead to the resting
chambers of their Jurei. There was a feeling of unease shared between the two guards, the area around them seemed to be
too quiet. Usually at this time in the morning there were the peaceful sounds of the birds singing, but all that greeted
them this morning was total silence. As the guards past the large wooden door that connected to the Jurei's bed chamber, a
faint groan could be heard from within. The sound instantly made the two large men suspicious as Thomas the first guard
motioned for his partner Derek to cover him while he entered the room. The door creaked when it was opened slowly, before
Thomas entered the room as quietly as possible.
The sound of cursing and a weapon being drawn was all that Derek needed, he rushed into the room taking out his own sword in
the process. With his weapon held high, the large dark haired guard ran over to aid the other as he began to restrain the
intruder. From over his shoulder Thomas shouted "I can handle him! Derek you go and check on the Jurei, see if he's been
harmed at all" Running through the room, Derek threw open the doors that lead to the bed chambers. He gasped loudly just
before a string of muttered curse's erupted from his lips. Fear gripped his insides as Derek desperately searched every inch
of the room in a vain attempt to locate the missing chosen child. When it was obvious that the boy was not in the room, Derek
rushed out of the room and franticly yelled "He's gone Thomas!" Anger flashed in Thomas's green eyes, as he looked down in
disgust at the prisoner below him. Not being very gentle, he lifted the bound and gagged man from the floor and practically
threw him towards Derek. In a voice full of barely suppressed hatred and anger he ordered "Take that bastard to the dungeon,
we'll let the prison guard's deal with him until he decides to talk. I'll go and inform the Royal Family and the High Priest
about what has happened"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
Long pure white robes fanned out around him as the High Priest J knelt on the patterned marbled floor in front of the Goddess
of Life statue praying. The temple doors suddenly burst open, interrupting all of the priests in the mists of their prayers.
The clanking of armour could be heard echoing off the large pearl white stone walls as the guard made his way towards the
High Priest. Raising a fluffy white eyebrow, J lifted himself off the floor and turned his attention to the direction of the
disturbance.
Thomas half ran half walked into the temple, all the while still trying to show some respect to the Gods resting place. He
soon found the High Priest standing in front of the statue dedicated to Jurei and unconsciously gulped at the annoyed
expression on the old priests face. Lowering to one knee in respect, Thomas said in a voice barely above a whisper "Pardon
my intrusion Holy One, but we have a serious situation that requires your immediate attention" Curious as to what the
situation could be, J motioned for the guard to follow him into his study chambers.
Once they were both seated inside the room, J looked seriously into the others green eyes as he said "What is so urgent that
you feel the need to interrupt our praying time?" Sweeting under the intent gaze the old priest was giving him, Thomas forced
himself to calm down as he answered "It seems that the Jurei has been kidnapped Holy One" With his eyes going impossibly
large, J jumped up from out of his chair and yelled "WHAT!?! Do tell me that this is some really bad idea of a joke!" The
seriousness in the priest's voice made Thomas want to run and hide from what he was just about to say "This is no joke Holy
One. We have captured an intruder within the Jurei's resting chambers, and the Jurei himself is missing"
A crackling noise caught the attentions of the priest's still praying out in the main temple, as the area around them began
to sparkle with white sparks of energy. The temple priests all looked at each other, the same worried expression was evident
on each of their faces at the sight. The very idea of their usually calm High Priest loosing his temper was unthinkable. But
to upset the old priest so much that he looses control over his power, that is what worried them the most. All their thoughts
were situated around the same question, what could have happened to cause the High Priest to act this way?
Trying to calm himself from the anger and fear cursing through his body, J took a deep breath as he stole a quick glance at
the fire place and said "Have the Royal Family been informed?" Not missing a beat Thomas replied "Yes Holy One. I informed
them myself of the situation, there is to be an emergency meeting within the Great Hall" Composing himself as he walked
over to the door, J turned to look at the guard before he left and ordered "I will head for the Great Hall after I have sent
one of my priests to the dungeon in order to help with the prisoner's interrogation. I would like both the Dragon Child and
Master O to be in attendance at the Great Hall also, they both deserve to hear the news with everyone else. But it is of the
utmost importance that you do not tell them anything before hand, is that understood?" Thomas wasn't certain but for a split
second he saw something akin to a deep fear showing in the old mans eyes before the priest left in a hurry though the door.
Not long after the Priest left, Thomas was also out the door rushing in the direction of the shrine dedicated to the Dragon
God Shenlong to deliver his message.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
Through the many windows of the Great Hall, the blue sky outside began to darken and cloud over forcing the servants to
relight the torches around the room. Up on the throne sitting next to his father, sat the blonde Prince of Enlizer. His
golden bangs fell across his pale skin and light blue eyes that were filled with worry and concern as they sighted the
whispering advisors gathered within the Great Hall. Bringing up his hand to unconsciously rub at his chest, his blue eyes
landed on the young Chinese boy standing not too far from him. On the outside the younger boy's face was calm, but Quatre
could sense a great deal of fear and worry flowing off of his childhood friend.
The feeling of someone touching his shoulder jerked the Prince out of his thoughts as the voice of his father spoke softly to
him "Quatre, are you sure you want to be here when the others find out about what has happened?" Quatre's worried filled
eyes had a look of determination in them as he turned to face his father. In a quiet but firm voice he said "Not only am I
the Prince of this Kingdom and feel it is my responsibility to be here for our people at our greatest time of need. But I
also want to be here because the Jurei was...is one of my closest friends" The Kings gaze softened at his son's answer and
smiled as he said "Very well, you better prepare yourself then. I don't want you too strain yourself too much, there will be
a lot off strong emotions once word gets out" A slight smile graced the blonde Prince's face after hearing his father's words.
His blue eyes scanned the people in attendance as he quietly replied "Thankyou for your concern father but I will be fine"
Quatre's gaze fell once again on that of Wufei's form as he whispered to himself "But I'm not the one to worry about"
Many voices were whispering to one another by the time the Hight Priest entered the Great Hall. The large double doors were
shut behind him by the door guards as J walked past the court advisors. At the end of the red and gold carpet sat the King
of Enlizer and his son Quatre, the crowned Prince. The Kings strong voice boomed over the hushed whispers of the court as he
began "My fellow subjects I have grave news indeed to inform you all of, sometime during the night our Jurei was forcefully
taken from within his resting chambers. We have one of his kidnappers in the dungeon and he is being interrogated as we
speak" Outraged shouts were could be heard from all attending the meeting, as each advisors voice their own opinion of the
Kings statement. Ordering silence, the Kings gaze hardened as he asked his captain of the guards "Were there any ships that
arrived after that of the Duke Noventa?" The aging captain's eyes widened slightly before he answered "No your majesty, but
we were informed this morning that Noventa's vessel set sail sometime during the night" Angered shouts erupted from the
people gathered within the Great Hall once again, standing up from his throne the King bellowed "And no one thought it to be
the least bit suspicious about its sudden departure?!? What of the Duke Noventa himself? Did he also depart along with his
crew?" "No your majesty, I believe he is still within the guest chambers as we speak" Bowing the captain took a step back
then continued "I shall order my troops to escort the Duke right now with your permission your majesty" After receiving the
Kings approval, the captain rushed through the large doors and barked out his orders to the first guard he saw.
The Great Hall became silent once more as the Duke Noventa walked down the red and gold carpet with the Kings guards
escorting him all the way. The Duke bowed stiffly before the King, then looked up with a disgruntled look on his face and
said "I came here as the representative for the Sanq Kingdom by order of Queen Relena herself to discuss trade agreements
between our two Kingdoms. Now you treat me like some common criminal, what is the meaning of all of this?!?" Calmly the
King said "I care not for your false words Duke Noventa" He paused for a second, then asked "Are you aware of the fact that
your ship is no longer within our port?" Surprised by the question, Noventa raised an eyebrow as he said "No your Majesty"
The King carefully regarded the man before him, then spoke once more "Are you also aware of the fact that last night this
palace's most valuable and priceless possession had been stolen from us. Add this to the fact that your ship is no longer
in our port leads us to believe that you and your crew had something to do with this unforgivable act" Noventa's face paled
at the Kings words, taking a step back from shock he barely managed to say "I had my most trusted men with me on this
voyage......how can this be? There must be some sort of misunderstanding" "This is no misunderstanding" The Kings gaze then
turned as cold as ice and continued "For your unforgivable crime against the Royal family and the people of Enlizer, your
life will be forfeit and until an execution date can be set you will spend your remaining days within the palace prison.
Guards! Please escort Duke Noventa to a holding cell" Two of the guards surrounding Noventa drew their swords, while the
remaining two each took hold of the Dukes arms. His eyes widening with fear as Noventa pleaded "Please, you can not do this!
I am positive this is all just a simple misunderstanding"
Before anything else could be said the large door were thrown open as one of the prison guards came rushing into the Great
Hall. The King raised an eyebrow at the interruption just as the guard spoke "Your majesty, we have just finished interrogating
the prisoner" Motioning all in the room to be quiet, the King asked "What did you find out?" Looking hesitantly between the
King and Noventa, the guard carefully choose his words as he answered "The information we pulled from his soul told us that
a little over half of Duke Noventa's crew were in fact a group of thieves who call themselves the Sweepers. Apart from that,
the only other information we got from his soul told us that his companions did in fact get what they came for your majesty"
Just after those words were said, all the torches around the room suddenly blazed out of control sending angry flames quickly
up the walls. The ground below them began to tremble violently as the already dark sky darkened further. Black clouds rolled
across the sky blocking all traces of sunlight as far as the eye could see, creating an eerie red glow around the hall due to
the flaming torches. The sound of thunder could be heard directly over the palace, as a bolt of lightning illuminated the
entire hall with its bright light. Harsh winds continually howled as it whipped through the towers that peaked from Enlizer,
causing the many glass windows around the palace to crack and break under its pressure. Panic quickly erupted throughout the
Great Hall as the people within attempted to shield themselves from the pouring rain and falling glass. Looking through the
broken windows, Quatre was not surprised to see the fierce storm that was brewing. The sound of a door slamming shut though
jolted Quatre out of his thoughts as he felt a strong feeling of guilt and fear flowing from his long time friend. The blonde
Prince stood up then made a quick retreat through the same door that the Chinese boy just went through, all the while hearing
his fathers strong voice trying to calm the people down.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
A flash of lightning reflected off the long marbled hallway blinded Quatre for a few seconds, then slowly the silhouette
of someone sitting on a window sill came into view. Already knowing who the person was, the blonde Prince walked over and
took a seat opposite his troubled friend. In the younger boy's lap sat the small green dragon Nataku, who at the moment was
looking up at her master with worry in her gleaming red eyes. Reaching out his hand, Quatre gently scratched the tiny dragon
on the head. Nataku though, did not turn her attentions away from her master. The three of them just sat there for some
time in total silence. Wufei's attentions fully focused on the dark storm clouds rolling through the sky, while Quatre sat
there patiently waiting for his Chinese friend to speak.
The ground had already stopped trembling the moment Wufei left the Great Hall, but the sound of thunder still rumbled loudly
all throughout the palace. Wufei slowly raised his hand to touch the glass window where the rain drops ran down his
reflection's face, mirroring the silent tears falling from his own, quietly he said "I have failed him" Trying to take
as much sympathy out of his voice as possible, the blonde Prince replied "No you haven't Wufei, there was no way you could
have know this was going to happen" Another bolt of lightning snaked its way across the black sky as Wufei spoke again
"I vowed to myself long ago that I would always protect him, and when he needed me the most I was not there to help. I have
disgraced myself and I am no longer worthy enough to carry the honour of being Shenlong's chosen child......I am nothing but
a failure" Shock flashed over Quatre's face at the Chinese boy's words, before it changed into one of sadness. Sighing the
blue eyed boy took hold of Wufei's hands and calmly said "If you are a failure, than so am I" Holding up one of his pale
hands to stop any protests the other might say, he continued "Yes I am, and so is the whole of the Royal Family. For it was
my family's duty given by the Gods themselves to protect the children chosen by the Gods and Goddesses. We failed our given
duty the moment Heero was taken from us. But fear not Wufei, our Jurei is not lost to us yet. Father will most probably
order the Holy Maganac Knights to go out and search for him"
Standing up from the window sill, Quatre straighten out his outfit as he said "Why don't you go to my study chambers. It will
be quiet there, and it will also give you the opportunity to think over what I have said without being disturbed. I will be
returning to the meeting, once they are over I will join you.....Don't be too hard on yourself Wufei, there was nothing you
could have done" For the first time since settling on the window sill, Wufei turned his attention away from the window and
looked at his friend. The thunder sounded distant now, as thin rays of golden light began to penetrate the thinning black
clouds. The raven haired boy carefully picked Nataku off of his lap before he stood. Cradling the small dragon in his arms,
all Wufei could answer with was a tiny nod of his head before he silently walked off.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
After order was restored, the Hight Priest J walked up to Noventa and looked deep into his eyes. He took his time regarding
the other man, before he finally came to a decision. Turning to his King, J said "If I may speak with you your majesty?" The
King's face had a look of surprise on it before he motioned for the priest to continue. Taking one more look at the Duke, J
walked up to the King then lent down and whispered something in his ear.
When J had finished speaking, the King motioned his soldiers to bring the Duke before him once more. Quietly regarding
Noventa for a few moments, the King finally spoke up in a tone that held no arguments "In light of the new information, I
have decided against your execution. How ever, the trade you proposed will be null and void until I decide otherwise. You
and your remaining men are free to leave the Holy Palace of Enlizer, we will supply you with a vessel to carry you home"
Taking a moment to look at all the people's angry expressions around the Great Hall, the Kings eyes narrowed slightly when
he turned his gaze back to the kneeling Duke and spoke again "Punishment is still needed however, for even though you held
no knowledge of the danger you allowed to gain entrance to the Palace. The Royal family, the temple priests of Amara and the
people of Enlizer, still hold you personally responsible for the loss of what was stolen from us. Therefore once you leave
this island, you will be forever banished from ever returning. I will have my guards load you belongings after this meeting
is over and done with. While you await your ships departure, you and your men will be confined to the guest chambers. You
are now dismissed Duke Noventa"
The guards helped the Duke up to his feet, looking up at where the King sat Noventa asked "If I may ask your majesty, just
what was stolen from your palace? Perhaps if you provide me with a decent description of the item, I could get my people to
begin a search for the missing treasure" Before he could finish though, the King's strong voice interrupted him "No you may
not, this matter no longer any concern of yours. You are dismissed Duke Noventa" The Duke bowed before the Kings, the turned
and left the room accompanied by his escort of guards.
The King then dismissed all of his advisors, then motioned for a private meeting between himself, the High Priest J, Master O
and Rashid the leader of the Holy Maganac Knights.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
Once the door closed behind them, each of the men took a seat around the large square table situated at the centre of the
room. As soon as everyone was seated Master O demanded "What was your reason behind letting the Duke live Priest? You of all
people should be the one wanting justice for his crimes whether he knew of them or not, since it was your Jurei that was
taken from us" Calmly the old priest looked at Master O as he replied "You're right I do want justice, but I do not want to
see an innocent loose their life because of their failure to recognize a potential threat. Yes Noventa should have taken a
lot more care with the selection of his crew, but he is not the one responsible for the kidnapping of our Jurei"
Silence followed after J's statement, all seeing the wisdom in the old priest's words. Not wanting to waste any time Rashid
broke the silence and asked "With your permission your majesty, I will leave at once along with the other Maganac knights and
begin the search for our missing Jurei" After hearing Rashid's words, the old priest immediately said "Your majesty though it
pains me to say this, I must strongly advise against sending any of your men out to go in search of the Jurei. Our best
course of action for the time being is to stay within the palace walls" A shocked gasp could be heard behind the old priest
as he turned to see the Prince standing in the doorway.
Anger flared up within Quatre at the words he over heard them all talking about. Ignoring everyone else in the room, his
blue eyes narrowed as he looked at the High Priest and said "I can not believe that you of all people would say such a thing
priest, we can not just stand by and do nothing! The Jurei's life is a stake" Sighing, J looked at the blonde boy with
sadness in his eyes as he said "We can not run the risk of starting a war with either of the neighbouring countries by
sending our most powerful armies into each of their kingdoms to go in search for something the majority of these people know
nothing about. This sort of action will only lead the other rulers to believe that we have declared war over matters of
what they believe to only be some sort of sacred treasure that was stolen from us. No, unfortunately we must sit tight and
hope for the safe return of our Jurei"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
"This is injustice! How can they just sit back and wait! What cowards they all are, for all we know Yuy could be dead!"
Giving his long time friend a sympathetic look, Quatre softly spoke up "Calm down Wufei, you are getting no where by just
walking back and forth yelling. Now would you please take a seat and listen to the rest of what I have to say" The Chinese
boy stopped his pacing, then grudgingly took the offered seat and waited for his friend to continue "Unfortunately we can do
nothing but wait, since my father has ordered that there is to be no search for our missing Jurei. Not even the Holy Maganac
Knights are allowed to go in search of him, and after the ship leaves port tonight no other will be allowed to dock or set
sail. My hands are tied in this matter, for not even I can go against the Kings orders"
Sensing the distress in his friend, Quatre stood up from his chair and walked around the table to stand in front of the
Chinese boy. Looking thoughtful, the Prince looked at Wufei with a strange glint in his eyes as he added "I just hope that no
one is foolish enough to attempt sneaking aboard the ship that is leaving this evening to take the Duke Noventa back to the
Sanq Kingdom. Anyone caught doing so would most certainly be thrown in the dungeons for their complete disregard of their
Kings wishes. But if someone does actually manage to sneak aboard" Shrugging his shoulders he then continued "Well I guess
that can't be helped now can it?" Wufei's face lit up with a sinister smile as he casually said "I do not know who indeed
would be foolish enough to attempt the Kings wrath?" Clasping his hands together as he grinned, Quatre happily said "Now
that we got that all sorted out, there is something I want to give to you before you leave" When he only received a blank
look, Quatre moved over to the door saying "You will have to follow me in order to find out what it is"
Entering the Royal families treasure room, the blonde Prince walked up to a large jade statue of a winged angel that stood
proud and tall in the middle of the large room. Held within each of its delicate hands were two simple looking gold circlets.
Walking up to the statue, Quatre carefully retrieved both circlets then made his way back over to his friend. Holding out
one of his pale hands, Wufei slowly lifted his own hand to grab the offered item. Looking down at the circlet in his grasp,
he couldn't help but admire its simplistic beauty. Embedded in the front of the circlet was a dark green jewel that had
bright red and gold swirls making intricate waving patterns on the gem. The rest of the circlet consisted of only a thin
gold band. Looking up questionable at his friend, Wufei raised a delicate eyebrow as he asked "What is this for?" Smiling at
his friend, Quatre answered "Well you are going to need some help in finding Heero. That circlet you are holding was given
to our family by the Gods, legend says that the sacred jewel Shinji reside within each of the two circlets and that only the
ones who bare the mark of the Gods can wear them. I don't know too much about them myself, but what I do know is that when
you wear this you will be able to feel were Heero is. It won't be as strong as it could be since Heero isn't wearing the
other one, but at least it will give you a clue as to where he might be" Handing over the other jewelled circlet to Wufei,
Quatre also added "Take this one with you also for when you find Heero, you never know it might come in handy" Looking down
at the object in his hand, onyx eyes widened at the sight of the jewel embedded within the second circlet. This one was a
dark blue colour with thin white, red and gold streaks swirling throughout it, all along the outside of the gem was surrounded
by small light green stones that at the moment looked dull and lifeless. Taking his attentions off the circlets, Wufei looked
up and said with a smile "Perhaps I have not yet broken my promise to protect Heero......Thankyou Quatre, you have no idea
how much this means to me" Returning his friends smile, the blonde boy replied "You can thank me by returning our Jurei to
us in one piece. Now you better get going, you wouldn't want to miss the boat now would you?"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
The sound of a fire crackling was the first thing Heero heard as he began to wake, he could see soft yellow and orange colours
as they danced across his closed eyelids. Groaning from pain as his head felt like it was about to split in two, the blue
eyed boy attempted to sit only to have someone's hand push him back down. A firm voice amusingly said above him "Looks like
sleeping beauty's finally awaken" Frowning at how he was being addressed, Heero cracked open one eye in an attempt to see the
speaker. A slight gasp was heard above him as his eyes tried to focus, but he could only make out a blurry figure hovering
over him. In the same amused voice, the person above him spoke again "You still need rest, you've been in and out of it
almost all day now, but don't worry you're safe"
The sound off dripping water was heard, then Heero felt a damp cloth being place upon his forehead. Again the voice spoke up
"Care to tell me how you ended up this way, or am I going to have to play twenty questions with you?" Closing his eyes, Heero
concentrated on his last memory. The image of five large men attacking him from all directions quickly flashed in his mind,
and in an automatic response Heero ignored his aching head and leapt away from the speaker. When Heero landed he collapsed
down to one knee panting, he continued to ignore his protesting body as he gathered enough strength to stand. Fixing the
older boy in front of him with a glare, he angrily yelled "Where are they?!?"
Duo was startled when the blue eyed boy below him suddenly leapt out from under him. Hearing the younger boys question, Duo
quickly replaced his shocked expression with one of confusion as he said "Where are who?" The messy haired boy's eyes
narrowed as he spat "The cowards who attacked me!" Raising his hands up in a gesture of peace, Duo stood up slowly as he
said "Calm down there buddy. you were alone by the time we found you. They probably stole your money then split, that happens
a lot when people travel alone you know" The braided boy saw the suspicious look in the others eye, then quickly added "I'm
not asking you to trust us or anything. But right now it looks like we're the only friends you have"
Heero raised an eyebrow when the braided boy before him mentioned there to be others once again. Taking a quick look around
the area they were to spend the night, he found that there were only the two of them. Heero's body tensed in readiness as
he simply asked "We?" A grin came across Duo's face when he heard the question, he didn't waste any time and replied "My
travelling partner's out gathering food in preparation for tonight's meal" Relaxing a little, Heero gaze still held suspicion
in it as he said "And who might you be anyway?"
The braided boy slapped his head for his forgetfulness as he said "Sorry about that, Duo Maxwell at your service. I run
and I hide, but I never tell a lie" As he held out his hand, Heero just looked at the offered hand strangely not really
understanding why people always insisted on wanting to touch one another. Taking a small step away from the braided boy,
Heero looked straight into his violet eyes as he said "Heero, Heero Yuy" Dropping his hand in defeat, Duo sighed slightly
as he said "It's nice to meet you Heero" Before anything else could be said, Heero's fatigue came back with full force.
Falling down to his knees, his blue eyes widened in surprise when he felt strong arms wrap around his waist preventing him
from falling any further. Not use to so much contact from another person, Heero's body automatically tensed up when he felt
Duo's warm breath brush across his face. With the amusement back in his voice, Duo said "You need to take it easy there
buddy, don't want you passing out on me again now do we?" When it was obvious that Duo wasn't going to release his hold on
him anytime soon, Heero's eyes hardened as he demanded "Let me go" But to the blue eyed boy's surprise, Duo quickly and
easily lifted him off his feet and said "I will" He chuckled lightly, then continued "Once I tuck you back into bed that is"
A slight pink tinge spread across Heero's face just before he send the braided baka the best death glare he could produce.
The sound of someone approaching drew Heero's attention away from his dilemma for the time being as he heard a calm voice
speak up "I'm not even gone for thirty minutes and look what happens" Alarmed by the voice Heero was just about to attempt
jumping out of Duo's hold, but the braided boy just tightened his grip and laughed "Hey Tro-man, so what's on the menu for
today?" From over his shoulders, Trowa threw to the ground two freshly killed rabbits. "Not rabbit again! Couldn't you find
us something that we haven't already been eating continually for the past five days!" Whined the braided boy, suddenly the
noise of someone clearing their throat caught Duo's attention. Duo's violet eyes widened when he remembered that he was still
holding the younger boy within his arms. With a sheepish grin, Duo looked down at the blue eyed boy and said "Sorry...by the
way, that talkative guy over there is none other than Trowa Barton, Trowa this is Heero Yuy" Both Heero and Trowa nodded
their heads in acknowledgement just before they heard a soft sigh coming from Duo. Raising an eyebrow, Heero asked "What?"
Shaking his head, the braided boy simply muttered a frustrated "Nothing" Before he cheerfully said "Guess I should be
putting you to bed now shouldn't I, it's probably way past your bedtime anyway" Another glare was send his way but all Duo
could do was smile at the cute sight.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~
A solitary figure hung back in the shadows carefully watching the movements of the men around him as the last of the Dukes
belongings were being brought aboard the ship. Moving with the shadows the young Chinese boy quietly made his way onto the
ship undetected. Once on board, Wufei easily found a suitable hiding place. Carefully placing his bag onto the floor so that
he wouldn't damage the two gold circlets within, the Chinese boy then sat down and prepared himself for the voyage ahead of
him.
TBC
Notes: Wow, I just want to say BIG thanks to Pink Cherry Blossom, Ladye Black, GoldenRat, DreamWeaver, Shinigami's Minion,
CinC, Yume Maxwell-Yuy, Hakumei, x1-TaKeN-oVeR, Emily Hato, tenshiamanda, Black-Winged Angel, Kyra, Konpeitou,
aka-kitsune-chan, Alchemy, Nanashi Kage Enjeru and last but defiantly not least Hikari for all your great reviews for the
first chapter, I'm glad that you all liked it ^_^ Your reviews really help with my inspiration and my writing, so please
keep them coming.