Genre: AU, Fantasy

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 6x5

Disclaimer: Don't own nothin' but these words

Special Note: Dedicated to darkneko666 and Demonskid, this was a request to me. Hope you both like it!

Warnings: Yaoi, lemon, language, angst-ish, MPreg (sort of, probably not what you're expecting), demons

Author's Note: I'm trying not to drag out the build-up, because then we can get into the actual plot. Yayy.

The Road To Light

It took them six days to reach the province Sovinth, and while once or twice Quatre sensed the closeness of the demon-hunters, they never ran into them. Heero had Wufei scouting high and far overhead as a falcon, watching for any hostile groups. When they reached the edge of Sovinth they pushed straight through, heading toward Etharod. Heero didn't let up on their relentless pace until they were practically in Etharod. By that time the horses were beginning to show the strain of his stamina-enhancing spell, so he decided to let them stop in the early afternoon for the rest of the night.

The farming village Trinta sprawled in a peaceful, lazy fashion over the landscape, everything looking lush and green. Wufei had come down out of the sky and had draped himself imperiously over Heero's shoulders as a lithe black cat. He didn't even bother to get down and take his human form as their horses walked up the road and met the first farmhouses. A dog or two started barking, causing the men and women in the fields and yards to look up from their work. Heero had to resist the urge to smile against their open curiosity.

A strong-looking man thrust his shovel into the ground and headed toward the road, and Heero obligingly slowed Crimson to a stop. The man took off his straw hat and wiped his brow, a friendly smile on his tanned face as he held up a hand in greeting.

"Welcome, boys!" he said as he strolled alongside the mare. "Just passin' through, are ya?"

Heero cast a quick glance at Quatre. The sprite just gave him a benign smile, letting him know there was no hostility or anything suspicious on the man's mind. Just friendly conversation. So Heero responded in kind.

He didn't, however, smile. Those he reserved for Duo. "Mostly," he agreed. "We would like a place to stay the night, if you can direct us to a decent inn."

"Only inn here is decent enough for any man," the farmer said with a chuckle. "But you boys are just kids, so you'll stay right here with me and my wife and sons. Got plenty o' room for ye, even that pretty little demon-cat on your shoulders."

Heero felt Wufei bristle at those words and actually couldn't help smiling this time. "Thank you, but really we don't want to trouble anyone-"

"No trouble at all!" the man cut him off. "Our family does well for itself, so we have expansive stables for your horses. They look a mite worn out."

"We've come a long way," Heero said, nimbly dismounting. "Thank you for your hospitality." He felt Wufei tense a little to keep his place as he reached up and offered his arms to Duo.

Looking pleased by the offer, Duo accepted as he always did. Heero was pleased as well - any excuse to get his hands on the demon-nymph hybrid was a good one. He easily lifted Duo out of the saddle and lowered him (a bit too slowly) to the ground. He saw Trowa and Quatre dismounting as well, and the four of them followed the burly farmer up the dirt path to the farmhouse.

"Rajen!" the farmer yelled as he led them out to the stables. "Come on in for a second, boy! Gotta job for ya!"

A tall, lanky youth of maybe twenty jogged in from the field. "What is it, Dad? Who are these guys?"

"Guests," the farmer said. "Boys, this is my second-oldest son, Rajen. He'll take care of yer horses for ya, you five just follow me into the house. I'm sure the missus could rustle up some lunch for you."

They relinquished the horses' reins, and Heero led his friends into the house.

"Name is Randel," the farmer said. "Maive! You around, Maive?"

A stocky woman with apple cheeks bustled around the corner. "What is it, Randel-oh! My goodness. Wherever did you find these handsome boys?" She wiped her hands on her pink-and-white apron.

"Boys, this is my wife," Randel said.

Inclining his head, Heero took over. "Pleased to meet you," he said. "I'm Heero. This is Duo, this is Trowa, this is Quatre, and the cat's name is Wufei."

Maive's eyes widened a bit. "Goodness! A little demon cat!"

Wufei hissed.

Heero's lips twitched. "He may take offense, mistress," he warned.

Maive laughed brightly. "None of that now, Heero! You boys just call me Maive."

"They'll be stayin' a bit with us, Maive," Randel said. "Would you whip 'em up a quick lunch? I've to get back in the fields before Zechs and his brother get back from town. Looks like it might rain."

"Leave them to me, dear," Maive said, shooing her husband out. "Why don't you dears follow me?" She bundled them into the kitchen. "There's the wash basin right there, I'll make you some sandwiches. Just roasted the chicken this morning!"

"Thank you," Heero said, moving to the basin. Wufei didn't move, even as he began to wash his hands and face, surveying all with an imperious look on his face. Smirking to himself, Heero didn't try to make him get down.

"You will have to share a room," Maive said, slicing thick chunks of bread. "We have only two guest rooms."

"That's all right," Heero assured her, moving to her side. "Wufei doesn't take up much room. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"There's some cheese keeping cool in the stream out back, how about you bring that in and slice some nice chunks?"

As he obeyed, Quatre moved to his side to help. This is strange, don't you think? the sprite murmured into his mind.

It was Wufei who answered. A bit. I know small-town folk are friendly, but offering to let us stay in their home? That seems a bit too friendly to me.

Ehh, suspicious as ever, Wu-chan, Duo snarked, appearing on Heero's other side.

Call me that again, Maxwell, and I'll cough up a hairball right on your face when you're asleep tonight.

Shit no! Duo exclaimed, trying to control laughing out loud. You're such a jerk! He reached up as if to ruffle the black cat's ears, but Wufei jerked out of reach with a hiss, rearranging himself on Heero's shoulders so his head and torso were on the opposite side as the nymph.

I wouldn't have warned him, Heero said, contemplative. Now he'll sleep with one eye open.

Not you, too! Duo cried in mock-outrage. You're supposed to take my side, 'Ro!

I get the feeling, Quatre drew them back to the topic at hand, that even the farmer doesn't know why he's being so friendly. His own attitude seemed to puzzle him a little. He just felt like it was something he had to do.

Interesting, Heero mused. I wonder if that means we're finally in the right place?

To meet the champion? Duo piped up, the excitement showing on his face. D'ya suppose it's someone in this village?

That would be nice, Quatre sighed. No more searching.

By the way, Wufei chimed in with a lazy drawl, does anyone know what we're going to do when we find this champion?

Silence met the question. It was a very good question, Heero thought privately. He'd never gotten that far in his plans. Finding the champion of light had taken all his focus. It's something we can discuss when we find him, he decided.

Wufei accepted that, but Quatre seemed slightly offended.

What if it's a her, not a him? he demanded.

Heero raised an eyebrow, sampling the cheese. Then we'll discuss it with her when we find her. Sometimes the sprite was sensitive about the oddest things.

I heard that, Hee-ro, Quatre grumbled, putting the same emphasis on the sylvan's name that Duo always did.

Not feeling apologetic, Heero just shrugged. "This cheese is very good, Mistress Maize," he commented. "Is it from your own goats?"

She flashed him a beaming smile. "Most people can't tell it's goat cheese. It certainly is, and what's this Mistress? Didn't I tell you to call me Maize?"

Allowing a hint of a smile, Heero inclined his head. "So you did."

She chuckled, now spreading butter on the bread. "Such a wonderfully polite boy."

o8o o8o

After lunch, the fey and demon boys helped Maize set up sleeping space in the two guestrooms. Wufei stayed on his comfortable perch on Heero's shoulders. Really, she had four sets of hands helping her. Why did she need one more? Heero was his favorite perch - the sylvan was strong and so graceful his liquid movements rarely jostled the cat. He caught Maize giving him covert little looks now and then, as though she would love to reach out and stroke his gleaming fur. He appreciated her admiration, but had she tried he would have given her a little something to make her think twice about it in the future. He didn't mind the odd stroke or caress from his friends, but a human?

Ugh.

Heero asked Maize if they could help out elsewhere, and she got all happy over the question. She shooed them outside to enjoy the rest of the day, refusing to hear any more talk of help. Wufei continued pondering the humans' inscrutable kindness.

It was nearing sunset when he heard the sound of horses trotting toward the house. Sometime during the afternoon and early evening, dark rainclouds had gathered overhead, obscuring most of the remaining light. Shifting from his lazy sprawl in mind curiosity, Wufei looked over to see two young men riding up the path to the house. One looked just like Randel, a neatly trimmed beard and a muscular build. The other was leaner and taller, bearing no resemblance to his companion whatsoever. He had a noble bearing though his eyes were kind, and his hair fell down his back in straight, shining platinum locks.

Quite attractive for a human.

Heero took interest, too, rising off the back stoop. Wufei noticed a large, hooded hawk on the platinum blonde's shoulder, and a small deer carcass was draped over the back of the brawny one's saddle. They didn't seem to notice the four boys and cat as they rode their horses straight to the stables, and it was some time before they emerged. They walked toward the house, and Wufei could practically smell their curiosity.

"Hello!" the brawny one called. "Dad told us he invited you boys to stay with us?"

"Yes," Heero answered as they stopped in front of the boys. "I'm Heero."

"Randel Junior," the brawny one introduced himself, "though you can call me Rand or Junior. Most folks do. This is my brother, Zechs."

Wufei decided Zechs must have been adopted, for he bore no resemblance to either Randel Senior or Maize.

Zechs smiled, holding out his hand. "Pleased to meet you."

The moment he and Heero touched, the first raindrops began to fall from the sky. Wufei fluffed out his fur, the significance not lost on him. Was this the Champion of Light? He could feel the sudden spike of interest in his four friends. It was Duo who spoke first.

"I like your hawk." It was predominantly dark brown with a creamy underside and a bright slash of blue around the throat. "Use 'er for hunting?"

Zechs smiled, reaching up to stroke the bird's breast. "Yes. I call her Lucrezia."

"Man's darn handy with 'er, too!" Rand piped up, slapping Zechs' free shoulder. "It's almost like he can see what she sees. 'E don't believe me when I tell him there must be some sort o' magic at work."

Wufei blinked, recalling the second sign. Sees through the eyes of a hawk. Interesting. It seems he's the Champion. But what about the third sign?

"Care to give us a demonstration?" Duo asked, a manic grin on his face.

What are you planning, Maxwell? Wufei demanded.

Duo flashed him a quick look. Just thinking about what we know about prophecy, and that it's self-fulfilling, he said, expression unrepentant.

Glad he was in cat form and therefore didn't have to hide his grin, Wufei turned to look at Zechs again. The human seemed pleased.

"Certainly." Reaching up, he removed Lucrezia's hood and made an upward gesture with his hand. She let out a little screech and took to the air.

The hawk spiraled so high into the air she was little more than a dot. Zechs closed his eyes, face drawn in concentration. "She sees a cacora bird," he reported as if it was nothing. "It's big with unusual speckles on its breast feathers."

Seems he really can see through its eyes, Wufei mused.

Lucrezia didn't appear again until she slammed into the bird directly overhead in an explosion of feathers. Wufei heard her sharp shriek, and several drops of red splattered down on Duo's face. It obviously startled the nymph, and he reached up to touch the warm spots. His fingers came away smeared red, and his grin nearly split his face.

"It's raining blood," he practically crowed.

Heero looked at the hybrid, and Wufei saw the sylvan reach a quick decision. He looked at Zechs as the hawk came down with a great bird dangling in her talons.

"Zechs, may we speak in private? There is something we have to tell you."