Title: Between Darkness and Light - Dream's and Memories
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.
~What happens to Hee-chan in this chapter is dedicated to you Yume-chan, you will know exactly what part I mean when you get
to it *grins* I hope you like it ^_^ That goes for everyone else also....enjoy~
~#~#~#~ = Change of scene
"Come out come out where ever you are pretty boy.....we're not going to hurt you, we just want to talk" Called out a mocking
voice within the darkness. From his hiding place a child no older than seven years of age peered out from within the bushes,
his teary blue eyes searched fearfully in the dark for his perusers. The occasional flicker of the night torches inside the
palace made it possible for the young child to see the outlined silhouette of two figures as they began to search the gardens.
"There is not point in hiding Heero....you know we will find you eventually" Shaking violently with fear the young child
shrank back further into the bushed as silent tears continually streamed down his face.
Only the sound of the trees shadowed branches could be heard rustling lightly in the night breeze for some time, until the
silence was broken by the high pitched shriek that escaped from the boy's throat as he was ripped from his hiding place.
Struggling for all he was worth, the blue eyed child screamed out "NO!" But it went unnoticed as the large man tightened his
hold and called out "Found him George!" Before walking over to his companions and throwing the child harshly to the ground.
Ignoring the quietly sobbing boy, George the leader of the group leant down and roughly grabbed the boy's messy chocolate
hair forcing Heero's tearful blue eyes to look into his own. Sneering at the sight the man spat "Pathetic" As he released
his hold on the boy dropping the child once more to the ground. The man looked down at Heero, blonde wisps of hair gently
swayed across his grey eyes as he coldly said "Hold him down boys, I'm gonna make him pay for insulting me earlier" Moving in
closer the two other men tightly took hold of the child's thin arms, causing the boy to cry out in pain. Pulling out a small
dagger from beneath his tunic, the blonde man said "This will teach you for not properly welcoming guests to the palace"
With that said George slowly lowered the weapon to the child's throat. Grey eyes turned icy as a sadistic smile spread
across his face "I'm gonna enjoy seeing you bleed boy"
Closing his eyes in fear as the cold metal of the dagger made contact with his throat, Heero prayed silently for help when
he felt the stinging pain of the blade piercing his skin. Just as the first traces of blood could be felt falling down the
child's neck, the dagger and the hands which were holding him were gone and the sounds of weapons hastily being drawn could
be heard. "What the hell do you want?!? Cant you see wer.." But whatever else the blonde man was going to say was cut short
as the sound of two heavy thuds could be heard. Opening up his eyes out of curiosity, Heero looked on in shock at the sight
before him. There sitting right in front of the young boy sat the severed head of his blonde attacker. Eyes that once looked
at him icily, were now glazed over and frozen with a look of fear and surprised forever etched into them. Feeling a numb
sensation begin to spread all over his body, the messy haired child slowly looked up to find a dark armoured figure standing
over him with a large sword drawn.
The two other attackers took a few steps backwards, attempting to put some distance between themselves and the new arrival.
Fear coursed through each of their bodies at the sight of the armoured man as he took up a protective stance in front of the
young child, his mustard coloured cape gently swaying behind him in the breeze. In an emotionless voice, the dark figure spoke
up "Only death awaits those foolish enough to harm my little Jurei" The next moment the dark figure leapt forward with inhuman
speed and slashed out violently with his jewel embedded sword. Two more heads were swiftly separated from their bodies and
fell to the ground to join their comrades. Turning around the large sword in the dark figures hand disappeared, both were
silent for a few minutes before the armoured man spoke up "You must leave here immediately my little Jurei, he is beginning
to awaken and you are no longer safe" Suddenly a huge ball of fire descended from the sky above, engulfing the dark figure
with its burning hot flame. Heero looked on in horror when the flame began to consume the armoured figure then quickly began
to creep towards him, but before the child could stand the ground beneath him began to tremble forcing the blue eyed boy to
stay seated.
Invisible hands began to roam over his small body as soft mocking words ghosted past his ear in a language unknown to Heero.
Black rain descended from the heavens causing steam to rise up on its impact with the flames but even with the water hitting
it, the fire did not show any signs of dieing down. The three dead bodies on the ground, soon started to jerk and twitch back
to life. Standing up on their feet again, the headless corpses walked slowly over to their respective heads and placed them
back where they belonged. Loud cracks were heard too late through all the other noises, as the ground beneath Heero fell
apart swallowing the boy up and sent him falling to the dark depths below.
Hitting the ground with a hard thump the messy haired boy tried to scrambled up to his feet, but quickly found himself
tumbling over something on the ground. Heero's blue eyed widened in horror when a sliver of light from above illuminated
the floor beneath him and found himself to be completely surrounded with rotting human remains. The bones surrounding the
young boy suddenly sprang up into the air and created a large cage around Heero. Eyes darting wildly around the dark cavern,
the messy haired child gasped in shock when he spotted a pair of yellow eyes that were staring straight back at him from deep
within the darkness of the cavern. "You will not escape from me this time my dear Jurei....and once I have you, I will make
sure you never escape from me again" Came the whispered words from the creature.
From out of the darkness a giant figure stepped out, with each step it took the light from above slowly began to reveal the
creature before him. A pair of deep yellow eyes were imbedded within a copper fur human face, two jet black horns protruded
out of either side of the creature's skull while a large golden horn was set proudly on top of its head. Looking away from the
sight before him, the young boy felt his stomach turn at the sight of the creature's vile body. Large puss filled blisters
covered the grey and green rotting flesh of the creature, as a line of the same thick copper fur that was on its face ran
down the creature's back. Five large bone fingers came out of either side of the giant beast's back, each were covered with
a thin leather strip of skin creating giant wings on its back. The creature's mouth parted to allow its slimy forked tongue
out to swipe over its lips hungrily, while at the same time revealing the sharp fangs hidden within. A long thick tail
whipped around behind the creature as it began to slowly advance towards the blue eyed boy. Frozen with fear, Heero could
only sit there locked within his cage and watch helplessly as the vile creature drew closer.
The creature extended out its clawed hands towards Heero but before it could get close enough to touch the child, a black
light engulfed the young boy. From out of the light a deep voice came "You will never be able to have him Akujin, not so long
as I am around" The light then struck out at the giant beast, attacking it straight in the chest. Taking a frustrated step
backwards the vile creature let out an ear piercing howl before it shattered into a million pieces.
Bolting straight up from his makeshift bed, Heero covered his face with his hands as the cool night air gently cooled his
sweat covered skin. Panting loudly the blue eyed boy sort to control his heavy breathing before it woke the others. Lowering
his hands down to his lap, Heero whispered out loud to himself "Akujin....masaka" Shaking his head in denial, Heero quickly
got to his feet and silently walked out of the camp and in the direction of the beach. As he walked off, the messy haired boy
was unaware of a pair of emerald eyes watching him silently with concern hidden within them.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes while yawning loudly, Duo sleepily looked around the camp then frowned 'Something's missing'
The braided boy thought to himself. Taking another look around it finally dawned on him, the violet eyed boy jumped out of
bed as he asked "Where's Heero?" Looking up from where he was polishing his crossbow, Trowa quietly said "He awoke a few
hours ago" Seeing the slight look of panic in his friends violet eyes, he then quickly added "You can find him on the beach"
Grinning at the banged boy, Duo cheerfully said "Thanks Tro-man" Before heading off in the direction of the shore.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
The sight that greeted the braided boy when he finally reached the beach was enough to take his breath away. There Heero sat
on the white sand, his wild chocolate bangs swaying gently on the breeze. The sunlight danced over his tanned skin, causing
the dark blue of his eyes to stand out even more than usual. His hands were resting in his lap as the blue eyed boy sat on
the sand crossed legged. In front of the younger boy silently sat a flock of sea birds, Duo's arrival though caught their
attention and soon enough the birds flew back into the air. It took the braided boy a few minutes to realise that Heero's
intense blue eyes were now focused entirely on him. Feeling slightly uncomfortable under the younger boy's gaze, Duo awkwardly
grinned and said "Morning Heero" As if some sort of trance was just broken, the blue eyed boy blinked a few times before he
quietly muttered "Morning" Duo was slightly relieved when Heero's attention turned back to watching the waves. Taking a seat
in the sand next to the messy haired boy, Duo joined him in watching the waves as they broke upon the shore.
A few minutes of total silence passed between the two before the braided boy decided he couldn't take it any longer "So are
you going to tell me where you're from?" Surprise and confusion were shown on Heero's face as he once again turned his
attention off the water to faced the violet eyed boy. His intense Prussian eyes searched Duo's face for a short while as if
they were trying to see if there were any hidden agenda's in the question. Still suspicious of the braided boy, Heero finally
asked "Why do you want to know?" Another grin spread across Duo's face as he answered "Well it would be helpful to know,
since I have decided on escorting you all the way back home" Heero raised an eyebrow at the other boys unexpected answer and
with disbelief clearly in his voice, the blue eyed boy asked "You barely even know me, yet you offer your aid to a complete
stranger?" Duo winked at Heero as he said "I don't just offer my help to anyone Heero, only the cute mysterious ones" Turning
a few shades of red, the blue eyed boy muttered a quiet "Baka" While at the same time deciding that the sand looked like
something interesting to look at.
Leaning back on his hands, Duo's violet eyes carefully watched the messy haired boy as he asked once again "So where are you
from?" Turning his attention to the sea once more, Heero answered "The temple of Amara" "Amara? I've never heard of that
temple before. Which village is it in?" Asked the intrigued braided boy. Looking hesitant for a few seconds, Heero finally
decided to answer the question "It isn't within any village, the temple of Amara is situated within the Holy Palace Enlizer"
The blue eyed boy was surprised to see shock and disbelief written all over the other boys face. Opening and closing his
mouth a few times, Duo attempted to say something.....anything, but found that not a single sound would come out.
Taking the other boys silence as a negative response, Heero's Prussian eyes hardened as he got to his feet. In an emotionless
voice he said "I would like thank both you and Trowa for your help, but it is best that I be on my way" Snapping out of his
shock, Duo did the first thing that came to his mind and tightly grabbed the other boy's slim wrist as he quickly blurted out
"No, don't leave. I'm sorry I was rude, I just never expected that to be you answer that's all" Fear and panic flashed in the
messy haired boy's eyes as he looked down at his captured wrist before quickly pushed them aside, narrowing his eyes Heero
asked "And why would that be?" Laughing nervously, Duo grinned as he said "Well you see not too many people outside of the
royal palace have seen it, so Enlizer has become sort of legend. Most people nowadays believe that it's all just a fairy tail,
you know like magic and dragons" Feeling himself relax again, Heero took a seat on the sand once more as he quietly said "Hn"
Giving the younger boy a look, Duo simply said "You're not much of a talker are you?"
Suddenly a sea bird landed right in front of the pair getting both of their attentions. Looking from one boy to another, the
white bird took a hesitant step towards Heero while keeping a careful eye on the braided boy. Duo watched in astonishment as
slowly the blue eyed boy reached out his hand and began to softly pat the bird. Not taking his Prussian eyes off the small
creature, Heero quietly said "You can touch her if you like, don't worry she will not harm you" With a bewildered look on his
face, Duo reached out his hand to copy what the younger boy was doing. As he gently began to run his fingers over the soft
feathers a genuine smile began to spread across Duo's face, with his voice full of amazement all the braided boy could say
was "Wow" Duo was so focused on the bird that he didn't notice it when his hand accidentally brushed over Heero's, causing the
younger boy's hand to jerk away. He only came out of his thoughts when the bird suddenly flew away. Turning his attention
away from the retreating creature, the braided boy noticed Heero's face had a slight pink tinge to it.
Smiling to himself, Duo leant back on his hands again as he asked "So what is a priest doing so far from his temple all by
himself? If you don't mind me asking" The violet eyed boy didn't miss the sudden tensing of the younger boy's body and raised
an eyebrow in curiosity. Heero was silent for a few minutes before he replied "I'm not a priest" The blue eyed boy's voice was
carried so softly over the wind, that Duo wasn't entirely sure that he had heard anything at all. "Not a Priest hmm......well
are you some sort of choir boy or something then?" The small smile that he saw appear on Heero's face made the braided boy's
heart begin to beat faster for some reason unknown to him. As quickly as it came, the smile disappeared as Heero answered
again "I'm no choir boy either" Sitting up straight, the braided boy thought aloud "So if you're not a priest or a choir boy,
then what exactly do you do then?" Turning to face Duo, Heero thought about his answer then replied "I translate the old texts
given to us by the Gods" The blue eyed boy hoped that Duo didn't ask anymore questions about his duty for the temple, ever
since he could remember he had been told that no other outside the temple and palace must ever know about his existence.
"That's so cool, is that why you were out here travelling? I bet you would find heaps of interesting stuff to translate!"
Sighing in relief, Heero thought it best to agree, so he just nodded his head in response.
Thinking that he was safe from any more questions at least for little while, Heero let his guard down and began to relax. No
sooner had he done that, the braided boy finally dropped the bombshell "So what's that mark on you forehead for anyway?" His
entire body froze in fear as his mind rapidly processed plausible answers that would allow him to keep his secret. Finally
after a few seconds Heero allowed his body to slowly relax as he calmly answered "This mark simply symbolizes my duty within
the temple" After receiving an understanding "Ahh" The pair just sat there in silence listening to the waves roll onto the
shore until Trowa's voice broke the silence "Breakfast is ready if anyone is interested" The mention of food brought a huge
grin to the braided boys face as he eagerly bounced to his feet saying "Its about time, I'm starving!" Rolling his visible
emerald eye as Duo ran by him, Trowa carefully studied Heero before saying "Duo will eat all the food if you do not hurry,
we wont be able to eat again until we reach the next village" Nodding his head in acknowledgement the blue eyed boy couldn't
help the smile appearing on his face as he heard the braided boy's loud whine "Not rabbit again!"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
For the past few hours it had just been the three of them walking towards their destination, with only the occasional sound
of Duo's voice breaking through the silence. During their journey, Heero had slowly began to relax around the other two,
knowing that for the moment he was safe from those who had wanted to kidnap him. The blue eyed boy's relaxed nature rapidly
disappeared though the moment when the trio ventured into the village, as more people began to fill up the dirt roads around
them. Without realising what he was doing, Heero unconsciously began inching closer to the braided boy.
Chickens scurried all along the dirt road as the three boys passed many stalls filled with rice, grain and various vegetables.
Ignoring all the sellers, the boys made their way to the centre of the village to decide on their best course of action.
Trying hard to hide his nervousness, Heero couldn't help but glare at himself when he heard the braided boy say "You look beat
Heero, why don't you go and get us a room at the local inn while Tro-man and I finish our business" Throwing a small brown
leather pouch, the blue eyed boy easily caught it as Duo said "There should be more than enough there for you to get us a
room each, we wont be too long" Before Heero could utter a single word, he found himself alone. Looking all around him, the
messy haired boy let out a sigh of frustration as he said to himself "Like I really know where the inn is" Pushing aside
the feeling of helplessness, Heero decided that any direction was good enough, then turned and walked down the road opposite
to the one that Duo and Trowa had taken.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
"You sure it's them? I mean I thought there were only suppose to be two of them, so who's the other brat then?" A figure cloaked
in darkness regarded the speaker in front of him before looking over in the direction where three boys stood in the middle
of the village. A frown crossed the mans shadowed face as he said "Who he is does not matter, it is Shinigami and the Silencer
who are your target. Our master can not have them meddling in his plans any longer. They are beginning to get too close
and we can no longer afford to keep them alive if our masters plan is to be put into motion" Seeing the two targets separate
from the unknown boy, the dark figure quickly spoke up again "Keep a close eye on them, once they leave the village I want
them disposed off" A maniacal grin spread across the others face as he said "It would be my pleasure boss, As soon as they get
far enough from the village, my men and I will get rid of them once and for all" "Make sure you do, you know what the price
of failure is" The cloaked figure said right before he disappeared into thin air.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
While trying to find the way to the inn, Heero thought back to what he remembered of his kidnapping. The leader of the men
he was certain was the same one he and Wufei had bumped into earlier within the palace, but what confused him more was the
fact that he came upon the same ship that Duke Noventa was on. They had never had problems from any of the visiting Sanq
representatives or their crew before, but just as that thought went through his mind a cold shiver passed through his body
as Heero remembered his dream. Shaking his head, the blue eyed boy ignored the memory as it tried once again to resurface.
The sound of a child crying broke Heero out of his thoughts. Looking over in the direction of the noise, he saw a little girl
on the ground holding her knee. His first thoughts were to just let it go and continue to the inn, but the quieting sobs of
the young child quickly broke down his resistance and finally he gave in. "Daijoubu?" The blue eyed boy asked quietly as he
knelt down next to the little girl. Teary hazel eyes looked straight into his own as the young girl sobbed "I fell over and
hurt my knee" Turning his attention down to the injury, emotionless eyes softened slightly as they saw thin trickles of blood
seeping through her little fingers. Coming to a decision Heero looked back up to the little girls face as he asked "Would you
like for me to make it better?" A tearful nod was all that he got for an answer and without wasting any more time Heero said
"Could you remove your hands" Reluctantly the young girl's hands left the wound as more blood began to spill from the injury.
Placing one of his hands on the wound while the other went to wipe a tear from the girls face, Heero softly said "Do not
worry, the pain will be gone soon" Closing her eyes in an anticipation to more pain, the girl's quiet sobs were all that
could be heard. Not long after white spots of light began to appear around Heero's hand as slowly the wound began to heal
itself. In a matter of seconds, the injury had been completely healed.
Feeling no more pain, the young girl cracked open one red rimmed hazel eye and looked down at her knee. Surprise was written
all over her face as she found it to be completely healed. Moving her leg up and down a large smile appeared on her face as
she happily said "Arigato onii-chan" Looking at the young girl oddly for a moment, Heero chose to ignore what she called him
and helped the girl to her feet. Thinking that his job was done, Heero turned to leave but his blue eyes widened in surprise
as he felt a small hand clasp onto his own. He looked down at the little blonde girl as she said "So where are we off too
Onii-chan?" Heero raised a thin eyebrow at the sudden turn of events as he simply asked "Excuse me?" Smiling brightly the
young girl giggled happily as she said "Silly Onii-chan, I said where are we going" Not knowing how to handle this situation
Heero was about to suggest going their separate ways, but that was until he found himself looking into her dancing eyes and
saying "I need to find the inn" Without releasing his hand, she began dragging him off down one of the many dirt streets as
she said "I'll show you where it is, then when we can play" Realising that whatever he said or did would not deter the young
girl away from following him, Heero sighed in defeat and allowed the blonde to drag him along.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
"Another dead end.....seriously I don't know how much longer I can take this Tro!" The violet eyed boy stated as he kicked
over a broken chair on the floor of an abandoned hut near the outskirts of the village. Turning one visible eye to his
companion, Trowa calmly asked "Are you giving up then?" Sighing loudly the braided boy put his hands behind his head as he
said "There's no way in hell I'm giving up on this until I get my revenge......Its just that all these dead ends really blow"
With a satisfied look in his eyes, the banged boy said "That's good to hear, because we are being watched" Cursing silently to
himself, Duo casually looked over his shoulder and out the window to find two figures attempting to bend in unsuccessfully
with the shadows "Damn it, I wonder why I didn't notice them before....must be loosing my touch" With a hint of humour in his
voice, Trowa casually said "Maybe because this time you have been distracted by a pair of blue eyes?" Choosing to ignore the
comment, violet eyes darkened as Duo said "Should we take care of them now Tro?" Shaking his head, the banged boy calmly said
"No, we will wait"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
Attempting to get his land legs back as he walked unsteadily off the ship, Wufei made his way as quietly as possible past the
few sailors and guards that were scattered all over the place. The gold circlet glittered in the sunlight from the position
around the Chinese boy's head. The jewel effectively covered Shenlong's mark on his forehead, which Wufei was greatly pleased
about. The raven haired boy had also noticed that ever since he placed the circlet on top of his head, he had been feeling
a faint tugging in his mind telling him to go west. Smiling to himself, Wufei was very glad to know that the circlet did
actually do what it was said. Stealthily making his way past the few guards, Wufei successfully made it through the port
undetected. Now in the main streets of the capital of Sanq, the raven haired boy kept to the back streets as he made his way
to the west gate not noticing the tiny shadow that followed close behind him.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
The sight that greeted the pair as they entered the inn left them both completely speechless. There sitting on one of the
wooden benches was Heero, but what shocked them into stunned silence were the bright pink ribbons that were tied into a bow
in his chocolate hair. It was the look on the younger boys face though that really put the whole scene into perspective.
Sitting there with his arms crossed across his chest, his face was set into a tight frown with the occasional look of pain
flashing each time the young girl sitting on the table behind him tugged too hard on his hair. The sight of the usually
stoic boy sitting there with pink ribbons all in his hair was too much for the braided boy to take. Unable to hold it in any
longer, Duo clutched his sides as laughter erupted from his mouth. A cough from beside him that suspiciously sounded like a
laugh was barley heard above his own.
Glaring at the pair for all that he was worth, Heero growled low in his throat as Duo caught his breath long enough to say
"Hey there Hee-chan, I must say that pink is really your colour" Heero was about to say something right before the braided
boy could erupt into another round of uncontrollable laughter, but another voice beat him to it "Leave my Onii-chan alone you
big meanies!" To everyone's surprise, the young girl then took up a protective stance in front of Heero. The trio stared at
the child in silence until Heero softly said "Thankyou Elly, but it's ok" Turning her glare away from the two still shocked
boys, Elly unhappily said "But they were being mean to you onii-chan" Smiling softly at the little blonde, Heero placed his
hand on top of her head as he said "Its getting late, I think your parents will start worrying if you do not return soon"
Looking back and forth between Heero and the other two boys, the little blonde sighed in defeat as she unhappily said "I
guess you're right" Within the next split second her mood changed as she bounced towards the large double doors. Before she
ran past them, Elly turned around and finally said "Seeya later Onii-chan" Then left the inn.
Taking out the ribbons one by one while glaring at the two older boys as they took a seat before him, Heero narrowed his
eyes further as he darkly said "If I hear one thing about this from either of you...omae o korosu!" Scrunching up his face
in an effort not to laugh, it took the braided boy a few moments to calm down enough to ask "So why did you let her do it to
you in the first place then Hee-chan?" Raising an eyebrow at the nickname, Heero carefully placed the ribbon on the table
before attacking the next. After a moment of thought the blue eyed boy replied "She asked if I wanted to play with her"
Shrugging his shoulders Heero continued "And I didn't have anything better to do while I waited for the two of you, so I
accepted. I did not realise her version of play was to decorate my hair with those things though" He finished by pointing his
finger at the innocent looking ribbons. Duo grinned at the younger boy's answer, while Trowa's mouth formed into a slight
smile.
As if just remembering, Heero turned his glare from the ribbons to the braided boy and growled out "That reminds me, Hee-chan?"
Duo just grinned at the younger boy as he said "After seeing how cute you looked with those pink ribbons in your hair, how
could I call you anything else but Hee-chan?" Once again a pink tinge spread across the blue eyed boy's face as he quietly
questioned "I'm never going to live that down am I?" Placing his arm around Heero's shoulder, Duo gave him a firm squeeze as
he continued grinning "Not as long as I'm around you wont"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
"How many?" Calm emerald eyes surveyed the inns dinning room, scanning each of the occupied wooden tables. Eyeing each person
carefully, Trowa's green gaze turned back to Duo as he answered "Three as far as I can see, probably more elsewhere though"
Standing up and stretching, the braided boy cheerfully announced "I better go and check on Heero, who knows what trouble he's
gotten himself into without me there" Turning around, Duo strolled past all the other tables and headed straight for the
staircase at the other end of the room. Rolling his eyes, Trowa leant back and waited patiently for their return.
Knocking on the thick wooden door, Duo loudly asked "Hey Hee-chan, you ready for dinner?" When he didn't receive a reply, the
braided boy frowned then slowly opened the door. Peering into the dark room the sound of soft whimpering instantly caught
Duo's attention. He quickly ran over to the bed where a figure restlessly slept curled up into a fetal position. Kneeling
down next to the bed, Duo gently took hold of one of Heero's hands while his other went to brush the sweet soaked bangs away
from his eyes. In a soothing voice the violet eyed boy quietly said "Hey Hee-chan, its time to wake up" Slowly Heero's eyes
lids fluttered open to revel confused Prussian orbs. In the same soothing tone Duo said "Hey there Hee-chan it was just a
nightmare, you're safe" After seeing the boy slowly begin to relax, the braided boy asked "Do you want to tell me about it?"
Looking up to see warm violet orbs above him, Heero turned his head away as he quietly said "No" A little disappointed at the
younger boys answer, Duo replaced his slight frown with a grin and said "Alright then but you better get ready though, cause
its dinner time and I'm starving" Still not looking at the older boy, Heero silently got out of bed and walked over to where
he had placed his cape. Fastening it back around his neck, the blue eyed boy then walked out of the room without so much as
a sound. Worried violet eyes watched every moment of Heero's retreat, before following not long after.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
Heero was startled out of his sleep when he felt a hand cover his mouth. Instantly awake the blue eyed boy was about to
struggle when he heard a familiar voice whisper in his hear "Its just me Hee-chan" When the hand retreated from Heero's mouth,
the younger boy asked "What are you doing in my room this early in the morning?" Though the room was still dark, the blue
eyed boy could just feel the grin spread across the others face as he replied "Time to leave Hee-chan" Frowning to himself,
Heero's brows knitted together as he asked "Why so early though? The sun hasn't even begun to rise yet" Duo bent down next to
the boy and gently slapped him on the back a couple of times as he said "I just thought that you would be wanting to get back
to the temple as soon as possible that's all..... its not like you need the beauty sleep or anything Hee-chan" For who knows
how many times since their meeting, Heero blushed once more at Duo's words as he quietly said "I'm not beautiful" Absentmindedly
Duo answered "Sure you're not" While he gathered up the younger boys clothing then handed them to him "Are the two of you
ready?" Asked Trowa as he silently slipped into Heero's room. Giving his thumbs up, the braided boy grinned as he said "Just
waiting for Hee-chan to get dressed, then we're good to go" Nodding his head in approval, the banged boy was thankful that
the room was still dark enough to hide his smile as Heero grumpily said "Stop calling me that!"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
They were half a day's travel from the village when the trio decided to sit and rest, before continuing on with their journey.
Stretching his arms out, Duo sat himself down on the ground and said "Man I can't believe we travelled this far already, if
we keep this up we should be in Sanq within the next few days" Yawning loudly, the braided boy said "I'm gonna take a little
nap, anyone care to join me?" Looking hopefully over toward the blue eyed boy, Duo was not in the least bit surprised to see
Heero looing anywhere else but at him. Picking up his crossbow along with a few bolts, Trowa calmly began walking off as he
said "I'm going to find us something to eat" Heero decided it best just to ignore the braided baka and walked over to a
shady spot beneath a tree, just as he was about to sit down a large blur dropped down from the branches.
The sound of the younger boys gasp got both Duo and Trowa's attention, turning in the direction of the noise an angry growl
escaped from Duo's throat at the sight before him. Standing behind Heero holding a large dagger to the blue eyed boys neck,
stood a tall hooded figure. Before Duo or Trowa could do anything, seven more men suddenly appeared out of nowhere. With a
hint of satisfaction in his voice, the hooded figure spoke "Its nice to finally be able to meet you Shinigami" Looking over
to the banged boy, the man casually added "You too Silencer" Heero's blue eyes widened with fear at the mention of the name
Shinigami, but before he could think more of it he found someone was quickly binding his hands together. The men surrounding
the other two quickly disarmed them before tying Duo and Trowa's arms and legs with rope. With a voice barely suppressing
his rage, Duo icily said "If you even think about hurting Heero, I will kill each and every one of you" From all around the
captives, the group of attackers laughed. Still holding his hostage, the hooded man finished his laughing then said seriously
"Play time is over" And with the blade in his hand, the man threw it at the braided boy. The large dagger embedded itself
deeply into Duo's chest, causing his violet eyes to widen in surprise. With a cry of pain, Duo's body slumped to the floor
while a river of blood began to spill uncontrollably from the wound. With a satisfied smirk, the hooded man turned his
attention to Trowa as he said "You're next to go Silencer"
TBC
Notes: Now before I run and hide I want to give a big thanks once again to Pink Cherry Blossom, Ladye Black, GoldenRat,
Yume Maxwell-Yuy, CinC, x1-TaKeN-oVeR, tenshiamanda, Konpeitou, Emily Hato, Black-Winged Angel, Ashly, sapphire angel,
shinchansgirl, Aasae, kt, :), Kyra, ShadowEyedCat and japanese blader girl for all your great reviews, I'm so happy that
you all like this story ^_^
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.
~What happens to Hee-chan in this chapter is dedicated to you Yume-chan, you will know exactly what part I mean when you get
to it *grins* I hope you like it ^_^ That goes for everyone else also....enjoy~
~#~#~#~ = Change of scene
"Come out come out where ever you are pretty boy.....we're not going to hurt you, we just want to talk" Called out a mocking
voice within the darkness. From his hiding place a child no older than seven years of age peered out from within the bushes,
his teary blue eyes searched fearfully in the dark for his perusers. The occasional flicker of the night torches inside the
palace made it possible for the young child to see the outlined silhouette of two figures as they began to search the gardens.
"There is not point in hiding Heero....you know we will find you eventually" Shaking violently with fear the young child
shrank back further into the bushed as silent tears continually streamed down his face.
Only the sound of the trees shadowed branches could be heard rustling lightly in the night breeze for some time, until the
silence was broken by the high pitched shriek that escaped from the boy's throat as he was ripped from his hiding place.
Struggling for all he was worth, the blue eyed child screamed out "NO!" But it went unnoticed as the large man tightened his
hold and called out "Found him George!" Before walking over to his companions and throwing the child harshly to the ground.
Ignoring the quietly sobbing boy, George the leader of the group leant down and roughly grabbed the boy's messy chocolate
hair forcing Heero's tearful blue eyes to look into his own. Sneering at the sight the man spat "Pathetic" As he released
his hold on the boy dropping the child once more to the ground. The man looked down at Heero, blonde wisps of hair gently
swayed across his grey eyes as he coldly said "Hold him down boys, I'm gonna make him pay for insulting me earlier" Moving in
closer the two other men tightly took hold of the child's thin arms, causing the boy to cry out in pain. Pulling out a small
dagger from beneath his tunic, the blonde man said "This will teach you for not properly welcoming guests to the palace"
With that said George slowly lowered the weapon to the child's throat. Grey eyes turned icy as a sadistic smile spread
across his face "I'm gonna enjoy seeing you bleed boy"
Closing his eyes in fear as the cold metal of the dagger made contact with his throat, Heero prayed silently for help when
he felt the stinging pain of the blade piercing his skin. Just as the first traces of blood could be felt falling down the
child's neck, the dagger and the hands which were holding him were gone and the sounds of weapons hastily being drawn could
be heard. "What the hell do you want?!? Cant you see wer.." But whatever else the blonde man was going to say was cut short
as the sound of two heavy thuds could be heard. Opening up his eyes out of curiosity, Heero looked on in shock at the sight
before him. There sitting right in front of the young boy sat the severed head of his blonde attacker. Eyes that once looked
at him icily, were now glazed over and frozen with a look of fear and surprised forever etched into them. Feeling a numb
sensation begin to spread all over his body, the messy haired child slowly looked up to find a dark armoured figure standing
over him with a large sword drawn.
The two other attackers took a few steps backwards, attempting to put some distance between themselves and the new arrival.
Fear coursed through each of their bodies at the sight of the armoured man as he took up a protective stance in front of the
young child, his mustard coloured cape gently swaying behind him in the breeze. In an emotionless voice, the dark figure spoke
up "Only death awaits those foolish enough to harm my little Jurei" The next moment the dark figure leapt forward with inhuman
speed and slashed out violently with his jewel embedded sword. Two more heads were swiftly separated from their bodies and
fell to the ground to join their comrades. Turning around the large sword in the dark figures hand disappeared, both were
silent for a few minutes before the armoured man spoke up "You must leave here immediately my little Jurei, he is beginning
to awaken and you are no longer safe" Suddenly a huge ball of fire descended from the sky above, engulfing the dark figure
with its burning hot flame. Heero looked on in horror when the flame began to consume the armoured figure then quickly began
to creep towards him, but before the child could stand the ground beneath him began to tremble forcing the blue eyed boy to
stay seated.
Invisible hands began to roam over his small body as soft mocking words ghosted past his ear in a language unknown to Heero.
Black rain descended from the heavens causing steam to rise up on its impact with the flames but even with the water hitting
it, the fire did not show any signs of dieing down. The three dead bodies on the ground, soon started to jerk and twitch back
to life. Standing up on their feet again, the headless corpses walked slowly over to their respective heads and placed them
back where they belonged. Loud cracks were heard too late through all the other noises, as the ground beneath Heero fell
apart swallowing the boy up and sent him falling to the dark depths below.
Hitting the ground with a hard thump the messy haired boy tried to scrambled up to his feet, but quickly found himself
tumbling over something on the ground. Heero's blue eyed widened in horror when a sliver of light from above illuminated
the floor beneath him and found himself to be completely surrounded with rotting human remains. The bones surrounding the
young boy suddenly sprang up into the air and created a large cage around Heero. Eyes darting wildly around the dark cavern,
the messy haired child gasped in shock when he spotted a pair of yellow eyes that were staring straight back at him from deep
within the darkness of the cavern. "You will not escape from me this time my dear Jurei....and once I have you, I will make
sure you never escape from me again" Came the whispered words from the creature.
From out of the darkness a giant figure stepped out, with each step it took the light from above slowly began to reveal the
creature before him. A pair of deep yellow eyes were imbedded within a copper fur human face, two jet black horns protruded
out of either side of the creature's skull while a large golden horn was set proudly on top of its head. Looking away from the
sight before him, the young boy felt his stomach turn at the sight of the creature's vile body. Large puss filled blisters
covered the grey and green rotting flesh of the creature, as a line of the same thick copper fur that was on its face ran
down the creature's back. Five large bone fingers came out of either side of the giant beast's back, each were covered with
a thin leather strip of skin creating giant wings on its back. The creature's mouth parted to allow its slimy forked tongue
out to swipe over its lips hungrily, while at the same time revealing the sharp fangs hidden within. A long thick tail
whipped around behind the creature as it began to slowly advance towards the blue eyed boy. Frozen with fear, Heero could
only sit there locked within his cage and watch helplessly as the vile creature drew closer.
The creature extended out its clawed hands towards Heero but before it could get close enough to touch the child, a black
light engulfed the young boy. From out of the light a deep voice came "You will never be able to have him Akujin, not so long
as I am around" The light then struck out at the giant beast, attacking it straight in the chest. Taking a frustrated step
backwards the vile creature let out an ear piercing howl before it shattered into a million pieces.
Bolting straight up from his makeshift bed, Heero covered his face with his hands as the cool night air gently cooled his
sweat covered skin. Panting loudly the blue eyed boy sort to control his heavy breathing before it woke the others. Lowering
his hands down to his lap, Heero whispered out loud to himself "Akujin....masaka" Shaking his head in denial, Heero quickly
got to his feet and silently walked out of the camp and in the direction of the beach. As he walked off, the messy haired boy
was unaware of a pair of emerald eyes watching him silently with concern hidden within them.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes while yawning loudly, Duo sleepily looked around the camp then frowned 'Something's missing'
The braided boy thought to himself. Taking another look around it finally dawned on him, the violet eyed boy jumped out of
bed as he asked "Where's Heero?" Looking up from where he was polishing his crossbow, Trowa quietly said "He awoke a few
hours ago" Seeing the slight look of panic in his friends violet eyes, he then quickly added "You can find him on the beach"
Grinning at the banged boy, Duo cheerfully said "Thanks Tro-man" Before heading off in the direction of the shore.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
The sight that greeted the braided boy when he finally reached the beach was enough to take his breath away. There Heero sat
on the white sand, his wild chocolate bangs swaying gently on the breeze. The sunlight danced over his tanned skin, causing
the dark blue of his eyes to stand out even more than usual. His hands were resting in his lap as the blue eyed boy sat on
the sand crossed legged. In front of the younger boy silently sat a flock of sea birds, Duo's arrival though caught their
attention and soon enough the birds flew back into the air. It took the braided boy a few minutes to realise that Heero's
intense blue eyes were now focused entirely on him. Feeling slightly uncomfortable under the younger boy's gaze, Duo awkwardly
grinned and said "Morning Heero" As if some sort of trance was just broken, the blue eyed boy blinked a few times before he
quietly muttered "Morning" Duo was slightly relieved when Heero's attention turned back to watching the waves. Taking a seat
in the sand next to the messy haired boy, Duo joined him in watching the waves as they broke upon the shore.
A few minutes of total silence passed between the two before the braided boy decided he couldn't take it any longer "So are
you going to tell me where you're from?" Surprise and confusion were shown on Heero's face as he once again turned his
attention off the water to faced the violet eyed boy. His intense Prussian eyes searched Duo's face for a short while as if
they were trying to see if there were any hidden agenda's in the question. Still suspicious of the braided boy, Heero finally
asked "Why do you want to know?" Another grin spread across Duo's face as he answered "Well it would be helpful to know,
since I have decided on escorting you all the way back home" Heero raised an eyebrow at the other boys unexpected answer and
with disbelief clearly in his voice, the blue eyed boy asked "You barely even know me, yet you offer your aid to a complete
stranger?" Duo winked at Heero as he said "I don't just offer my help to anyone Heero, only the cute mysterious ones" Turning
a few shades of red, the blue eyed boy muttered a quiet "Baka" While at the same time deciding that the sand looked like
something interesting to look at.
Leaning back on his hands, Duo's violet eyes carefully watched the messy haired boy as he asked once again "So where are you
from?" Turning his attention to the sea once more, Heero answered "The temple of Amara" "Amara? I've never heard of that
temple before. Which village is it in?" Asked the intrigued braided boy. Looking hesitant for a few seconds, Heero finally
decided to answer the question "It isn't within any village, the temple of Amara is situated within the Holy Palace Enlizer"
The blue eyed boy was surprised to see shock and disbelief written all over the other boys face. Opening and closing his
mouth a few times, Duo attempted to say something.....anything, but found that not a single sound would come out.
Taking the other boys silence as a negative response, Heero's Prussian eyes hardened as he got to his feet. In an emotionless
voice he said "I would like thank both you and Trowa for your help, but it is best that I be on my way" Snapping out of his
shock, Duo did the first thing that came to his mind and tightly grabbed the other boy's slim wrist as he quickly blurted out
"No, don't leave. I'm sorry I was rude, I just never expected that to be you answer that's all" Fear and panic flashed in the
messy haired boy's eyes as he looked down at his captured wrist before quickly pushed them aside, narrowing his eyes Heero
asked "And why would that be?" Laughing nervously, Duo grinned as he said "Well you see not too many people outside of the
royal palace have seen it, so Enlizer has become sort of legend. Most people nowadays believe that it's all just a fairy tail,
you know like magic and dragons" Feeling himself relax again, Heero took a seat on the sand once more as he quietly said "Hn"
Giving the younger boy a look, Duo simply said "You're not much of a talker are you?"
Suddenly a sea bird landed right in front of the pair getting both of their attentions. Looking from one boy to another, the
white bird took a hesitant step towards Heero while keeping a careful eye on the braided boy. Duo watched in astonishment as
slowly the blue eyed boy reached out his hand and began to softly pat the bird. Not taking his Prussian eyes off the small
creature, Heero quietly said "You can touch her if you like, don't worry she will not harm you" With a bewildered look on his
face, Duo reached out his hand to copy what the younger boy was doing. As he gently began to run his fingers over the soft
feathers a genuine smile began to spread across Duo's face, with his voice full of amazement all the braided boy could say
was "Wow" Duo was so focused on the bird that he didn't notice it when his hand accidentally brushed over Heero's, causing the
younger boy's hand to jerk away. He only came out of his thoughts when the bird suddenly flew away. Turning his attention
away from the retreating creature, the braided boy noticed Heero's face had a slight pink tinge to it.
Smiling to himself, Duo leant back on his hands again as he asked "So what is a priest doing so far from his temple all by
himself? If you don't mind me asking" The violet eyed boy didn't miss the sudden tensing of the younger boy's body and raised
an eyebrow in curiosity. Heero was silent for a few minutes before he replied "I'm not a priest" The blue eyed boy's voice was
carried so softly over the wind, that Duo wasn't entirely sure that he had heard anything at all. "Not a Priest hmm......well
are you some sort of choir boy or something then?" The small smile that he saw appear on Heero's face made the braided boy's
heart begin to beat faster for some reason unknown to him. As quickly as it came, the smile disappeared as Heero answered
again "I'm no choir boy either" Sitting up straight, the braided boy thought aloud "So if you're not a priest or a choir boy,
then what exactly do you do then?" Turning to face Duo, Heero thought about his answer then replied "I translate the old texts
given to us by the Gods" The blue eyed boy hoped that Duo didn't ask anymore questions about his duty for the temple, ever
since he could remember he had been told that no other outside the temple and palace must ever know about his existence.
"That's so cool, is that why you were out here travelling? I bet you would find heaps of interesting stuff to translate!"
Sighing in relief, Heero thought it best to agree, so he just nodded his head in response.
Thinking that he was safe from any more questions at least for little while, Heero let his guard down and began to relax. No
sooner had he done that, the braided boy finally dropped the bombshell "So what's that mark on you forehead for anyway?" His
entire body froze in fear as his mind rapidly processed plausible answers that would allow him to keep his secret. Finally
after a few seconds Heero allowed his body to slowly relax as he calmly answered "This mark simply symbolizes my duty within
the temple" After receiving an understanding "Ahh" The pair just sat there in silence listening to the waves roll onto the
shore until Trowa's voice broke the silence "Breakfast is ready if anyone is interested" The mention of food brought a huge
grin to the braided boys face as he eagerly bounced to his feet saying "Its about time, I'm starving!" Rolling his visible
emerald eye as Duo ran by him, Trowa carefully studied Heero before saying "Duo will eat all the food if you do not hurry,
we wont be able to eat again until we reach the next village" Nodding his head in acknowledgement the blue eyed boy couldn't
help the smile appearing on his face as he heard the braided boy's loud whine "Not rabbit again!"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
For the past few hours it had just been the three of them walking towards their destination, with only the occasional sound
of Duo's voice breaking through the silence. During their journey, Heero had slowly began to relax around the other two,
knowing that for the moment he was safe from those who had wanted to kidnap him. The blue eyed boy's relaxed nature rapidly
disappeared though the moment when the trio ventured into the village, as more people began to fill up the dirt roads around
them. Without realising what he was doing, Heero unconsciously began inching closer to the braided boy.
Chickens scurried all along the dirt road as the three boys passed many stalls filled with rice, grain and various vegetables.
Ignoring all the sellers, the boys made their way to the centre of the village to decide on their best course of action.
Trying hard to hide his nervousness, Heero couldn't help but glare at himself when he heard the braided boy say "You look beat
Heero, why don't you go and get us a room at the local inn while Tro-man and I finish our business" Throwing a small brown
leather pouch, the blue eyed boy easily caught it as Duo said "There should be more than enough there for you to get us a
room each, we wont be too long" Before Heero could utter a single word, he found himself alone. Looking all around him, the
messy haired boy let out a sigh of frustration as he said to himself "Like I really know where the inn is" Pushing aside
the feeling of helplessness, Heero decided that any direction was good enough, then turned and walked down the road opposite
to the one that Duo and Trowa had taken.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
"You sure it's them? I mean I thought there were only suppose to be two of them, so who's the other brat then?" A figure cloaked
in darkness regarded the speaker in front of him before looking over in the direction where three boys stood in the middle
of the village. A frown crossed the mans shadowed face as he said "Who he is does not matter, it is Shinigami and the Silencer
who are your target. Our master can not have them meddling in his plans any longer. They are beginning to get too close
and we can no longer afford to keep them alive if our masters plan is to be put into motion" Seeing the two targets separate
from the unknown boy, the dark figure quickly spoke up again "Keep a close eye on them, once they leave the village I want
them disposed off" A maniacal grin spread across the others face as he said "It would be my pleasure boss, As soon as they get
far enough from the village, my men and I will get rid of them once and for all" "Make sure you do, you know what the price
of failure is" The cloaked figure said right before he disappeared into thin air.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
While trying to find the way to the inn, Heero thought back to what he remembered of his kidnapping. The leader of the men
he was certain was the same one he and Wufei had bumped into earlier within the palace, but what confused him more was the
fact that he came upon the same ship that Duke Noventa was on. They had never had problems from any of the visiting Sanq
representatives or their crew before, but just as that thought went through his mind a cold shiver passed through his body
as Heero remembered his dream. Shaking his head, the blue eyed boy ignored the memory as it tried once again to resurface.
The sound of a child crying broke Heero out of his thoughts. Looking over in the direction of the noise, he saw a little girl
on the ground holding her knee. His first thoughts were to just let it go and continue to the inn, but the quieting sobs of
the young child quickly broke down his resistance and finally he gave in. "Daijoubu?" The blue eyed boy asked quietly as he
knelt down next to the little girl. Teary hazel eyes looked straight into his own as the young girl sobbed "I fell over and
hurt my knee" Turning his attention down to the injury, emotionless eyes softened slightly as they saw thin trickles of blood
seeping through her little fingers. Coming to a decision Heero looked back up to the little girls face as he asked "Would you
like for me to make it better?" A tearful nod was all that he got for an answer and without wasting any more time Heero said
"Could you remove your hands" Reluctantly the young girl's hands left the wound as more blood began to spill from the injury.
Placing one of his hands on the wound while the other went to wipe a tear from the girls face, Heero softly said "Do not
worry, the pain will be gone soon" Closing her eyes in an anticipation to more pain, the girl's quiet sobs were all that
could be heard. Not long after white spots of light began to appear around Heero's hand as slowly the wound began to heal
itself. In a matter of seconds, the injury had been completely healed.
Feeling no more pain, the young girl cracked open one red rimmed hazel eye and looked down at her knee. Surprise was written
all over her face as she found it to be completely healed. Moving her leg up and down a large smile appeared on her face as
she happily said "Arigato onii-chan" Looking at the young girl oddly for a moment, Heero chose to ignore what she called him
and helped the girl to her feet. Thinking that his job was done, Heero turned to leave but his blue eyes widened in surprise
as he felt a small hand clasp onto his own. He looked down at the little blonde girl as she said "So where are we off too
Onii-chan?" Heero raised a thin eyebrow at the sudden turn of events as he simply asked "Excuse me?" Smiling brightly the
young girl giggled happily as she said "Silly Onii-chan, I said where are we going" Not knowing how to handle this situation
Heero was about to suggest going their separate ways, but that was until he found himself looking into her dancing eyes and
saying "I need to find the inn" Without releasing his hand, she began dragging him off down one of the many dirt streets as
she said "I'll show you where it is, then when we can play" Realising that whatever he said or did would not deter the young
girl away from following him, Heero sighed in defeat and allowed the blonde to drag him along.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
"Another dead end.....seriously I don't know how much longer I can take this Tro!" The violet eyed boy stated as he kicked
over a broken chair on the floor of an abandoned hut near the outskirts of the village. Turning one visible eye to his
companion, Trowa calmly asked "Are you giving up then?" Sighing loudly the braided boy put his hands behind his head as he
said "There's no way in hell I'm giving up on this until I get my revenge......Its just that all these dead ends really blow"
With a satisfied look in his eyes, the banged boy said "That's good to hear, because we are being watched" Cursing silently to
himself, Duo casually looked over his shoulder and out the window to find two figures attempting to bend in unsuccessfully
with the shadows "Damn it, I wonder why I didn't notice them before....must be loosing my touch" With a hint of humour in his
voice, Trowa casually said "Maybe because this time you have been distracted by a pair of blue eyes?" Choosing to ignore the
comment, violet eyes darkened as Duo said "Should we take care of them now Tro?" Shaking his head, the banged boy calmly said
"No, we will wait"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
Attempting to get his land legs back as he walked unsteadily off the ship, Wufei made his way as quietly as possible past the
few sailors and guards that were scattered all over the place. The gold circlet glittered in the sunlight from the position
around the Chinese boy's head. The jewel effectively covered Shenlong's mark on his forehead, which Wufei was greatly pleased
about. The raven haired boy had also noticed that ever since he placed the circlet on top of his head, he had been feeling
a faint tugging in his mind telling him to go west. Smiling to himself, Wufei was very glad to know that the circlet did
actually do what it was said. Stealthily making his way past the few guards, Wufei successfully made it through the port
undetected. Now in the main streets of the capital of Sanq, the raven haired boy kept to the back streets as he made his way
to the west gate not noticing the tiny shadow that followed close behind him.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
The sight that greeted the pair as they entered the inn left them both completely speechless. There sitting on one of the
wooden benches was Heero, but what shocked them into stunned silence were the bright pink ribbons that were tied into a bow
in his chocolate hair. It was the look on the younger boys face though that really put the whole scene into perspective.
Sitting there with his arms crossed across his chest, his face was set into a tight frown with the occasional look of pain
flashing each time the young girl sitting on the table behind him tugged too hard on his hair. The sight of the usually
stoic boy sitting there with pink ribbons all in his hair was too much for the braided boy to take. Unable to hold it in any
longer, Duo clutched his sides as laughter erupted from his mouth. A cough from beside him that suspiciously sounded like a
laugh was barley heard above his own.
Glaring at the pair for all that he was worth, Heero growled low in his throat as Duo caught his breath long enough to say
"Hey there Hee-chan, I must say that pink is really your colour" Heero was about to say something right before the braided
boy could erupt into another round of uncontrollable laughter, but another voice beat him to it "Leave my Onii-chan alone you
big meanies!" To everyone's surprise, the young girl then took up a protective stance in front of Heero. The trio stared at
the child in silence until Heero softly said "Thankyou Elly, but it's ok" Turning her glare away from the two still shocked
boys, Elly unhappily said "But they were being mean to you onii-chan" Smiling softly at the little blonde, Heero placed his
hand on top of her head as he said "Its getting late, I think your parents will start worrying if you do not return soon"
Looking back and forth between Heero and the other two boys, the little blonde sighed in defeat as she unhappily said "I
guess you're right" Within the next split second her mood changed as she bounced towards the large double doors. Before she
ran past them, Elly turned around and finally said "Seeya later Onii-chan" Then left the inn.
Taking out the ribbons one by one while glaring at the two older boys as they took a seat before him, Heero narrowed his
eyes further as he darkly said "If I hear one thing about this from either of you...omae o korosu!" Scrunching up his face
in an effort not to laugh, it took the braided boy a few moments to calm down enough to ask "So why did you let her do it to
you in the first place then Hee-chan?" Raising an eyebrow at the nickname, Heero carefully placed the ribbon on the table
before attacking the next. After a moment of thought the blue eyed boy replied "She asked if I wanted to play with her"
Shrugging his shoulders Heero continued "And I didn't have anything better to do while I waited for the two of you, so I
accepted. I did not realise her version of play was to decorate my hair with those things though" He finished by pointing his
finger at the innocent looking ribbons. Duo grinned at the younger boy's answer, while Trowa's mouth formed into a slight
smile.
As if just remembering, Heero turned his glare from the ribbons to the braided boy and growled out "That reminds me, Hee-chan?"
Duo just grinned at the younger boy as he said "After seeing how cute you looked with those pink ribbons in your hair, how
could I call you anything else but Hee-chan?" Once again a pink tinge spread across the blue eyed boy's face as he quietly
questioned "I'm never going to live that down am I?" Placing his arm around Heero's shoulder, Duo gave him a firm squeeze as
he continued grinning "Not as long as I'm around you wont"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
"How many?" Calm emerald eyes surveyed the inns dinning room, scanning each of the occupied wooden tables. Eyeing each person
carefully, Trowa's green gaze turned back to Duo as he answered "Three as far as I can see, probably more elsewhere though"
Standing up and stretching, the braided boy cheerfully announced "I better go and check on Heero, who knows what trouble he's
gotten himself into without me there" Turning around, Duo strolled past all the other tables and headed straight for the
staircase at the other end of the room. Rolling his eyes, Trowa leant back and waited patiently for their return.
Knocking on the thick wooden door, Duo loudly asked "Hey Hee-chan, you ready for dinner?" When he didn't receive a reply, the
braided boy frowned then slowly opened the door. Peering into the dark room the sound of soft whimpering instantly caught
Duo's attention. He quickly ran over to the bed where a figure restlessly slept curled up into a fetal position. Kneeling
down next to the bed, Duo gently took hold of one of Heero's hands while his other went to brush the sweet soaked bangs away
from his eyes. In a soothing voice the violet eyed boy quietly said "Hey Hee-chan, its time to wake up" Slowly Heero's eyes
lids fluttered open to revel confused Prussian orbs. In the same soothing tone Duo said "Hey there Hee-chan it was just a
nightmare, you're safe" After seeing the boy slowly begin to relax, the braided boy asked "Do you want to tell me about it?"
Looking up to see warm violet orbs above him, Heero turned his head away as he quietly said "No" A little disappointed at the
younger boys answer, Duo replaced his slight frown with a grin and said "Alright then but you better get ready though, cause
its dinner time and I'm starving" Still not looking at the older boy, Heero silently got out of bed and walked over to where
he had placed his cape. Fastening it back around his neck, the blue eyed boy then walked out of the room without so much as
a sound. Worried violet eyes watched every moment of Heero's retreat, before following not long after.
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
Heero was startled out of his sleep when he felt a hand cover his mouth. Instantly awake the blue eyed boy was about to
struggle when he heard a familiar voice whisper in his hear "Its just me Hee-chan" When the hand retreated from Heero's mouth,
the younger boy asked "What are you doing in my room this early in the morning?" Though the room was still dark, the blue
eyed boy could just feel the grin spread across the others face as he replied "Time to leave Hee-chan" Frowning to himself,
Heero's brows knitted together as he asked "Why so early though? The sun hasn't even begun to rise yet" Duo bent down next to
the boy and gently slapped him on the back a couple of times as he said "I just thought that you would be wanting to get back
to the temple as soon as possible that's all..... its not like you need the beauty sleep or anything Hee-chan" For who knows
how many times since their meeting, Heero blushed once more at Duo's words as he quietly said "I'm not beautiful" Absentmindedly
Duo answered "Sure you're not" While he gathered up the younger boys clothing then handed them to him "Are the two of you
ready?" Asked Trowa as he silently slipped into Heero's room. Giving his thumbs up, the braided boy grinned as he said "Just
waiting for Hee-chan to get dressed, then we're good to go" Nodding his head in approval, the banged boy was thankful that
the room was still dark enough to hide his smile as Heero grumpily said "Stop calling me that!"
~#~#~#~#~#~#~
They were half a day's travel from the village when the trio decided to sit and rest, before continuing on with their journey.
Stretching his arms out, Duo sat himself down on the ground and said "Man I can't believe we travelled this far already, if
we keep this up we should be in Sanq within the next few days" Yawning loudly, the braided boy said "I'm gonna take a little
nap, anyone care to join me?" Looking hopefully over toward the blue eyed boy, Duo was not in the least bit surprised to see
Heero looing anywhere else but at him. Picking up his crossbow along with a few bolts, Trowa calmly began walking off as he
said "I'm going to find us something to eat" Heero decided it best just to ignore the braided baka and walked over to a
shady spot beneath a tree, just as he was about to sit down a large blur dropped down from the branches.
The sound of the younger boys gasp got both Duo and Trowa's attention, turning in the direction of the noise an angry growl
escaped from Duo's throat at the sight before him. Standing behind Heero holding a large dagger to the blue eyed boys neck,
stood a tall hooded figure. Before Duo or Trowa could do anything, seven more men suddenly appeared out of nowhere. With a
hint of satisfaction in his voice, the hooded figure spoke "Its nice to finally be able to meet you Shinigami" Looking over
to the banged boy, the man casually added "You too Silencer" Heero's blue eyes widened with fear at the mention of the name
Shinigami, but before he could think more of it he found someone was quickly binding his hands together. The men surrounding
the other two quickly disarmed them before tying Duo and Trowa's arms and legs with rope. With a voice barely suppressing
his rage, Duo icily said "If you even think about hurting Heero, I will kill each and every one of you" From all around the
captives, the group of attackers laughed. Still holding his hostage, the hooded man finished his laughing then said seriously
"Play time is over" And with the blade in his hand, the man threw it at the braided boy. The large dagger embedded itself
deeply into Duo's chest, causing his violet eyes to widen in surprise. With a cry of pain, Duo's body slumped to the floor
while a river of blood began to spill uncontrollably from the wound. With a satisfied smirk, the hooded man turned his
attention to Trowa as he said "You're next to go Silencer"
TBC
Notes: Now before I run and hide I want to give a big thanks once again to Pink Cherry Blossom, Ladye Black, GoldenRat,
Yume Maxwell-Yuy, CinC, x1-TaKeN-oVeR, tenshiamanda, Konpeitou, Emily Hato, Black-Winged Angel, Ashly, sapphire angel,
shinchansgirl, Aasae, kt, :), Kyra, ShadowEyedCat and japanese blader girl for all your great reviews, I'm so happy that
you all like this story ^_^