by Arithkenshin
Disclaimer: Stop rubbing it in, I don't own them, just playing.
Notes: *glomps* to CYT for her usual Musingly bouncy help. Must expressly bow before Sol for having the patience to beta this for me, while my muse was otherwise occupied. thanks hon. Go War Room!!!
~#~ indicates flashback
Wufei didn't want to be asleep. But he realised he probably wasn't actually asleep if he could think that. He felt restless.
He felt confined, and he didn't like it.
A low chuckle sounded in the back of his head. Suddenly, it was as if he were standing in a field, but it wasn't an average field.
It was blackened and charred. The skeletons of trees were just the solid side of ash, as if the smallest movement would make them turn to dust. The scent of burnt flesh hung in the air, tinged with the metallic taste of blood on the wind.
Not far from him, a being stood, with majestic wings spanned to either side, the blood red mixing with the colour of the horizon. Black hair whipped in the wind, making the alabaster skin seem even more transparent.
The being inclined its head. "I greet thee, Wufei."
Wufei blinked. He knew the being in front of him. He knew him well, yet he couldn't place the name. Then it came to him.
"Arioch." Wufei's voice held disdain.
"Oh come now, Mr. Chang. I'm a part of you. You can't deny."
"I can deny you, and I will deny you. This is my body."
Arioch shook his head and tsked. "Actually, I beg to differ. You are the vessel. You were chosen for me. You should not be resisting like this." His voice lowered, seductively persuasive. "Let me take what is mine. You know you want me to."
Wufei's face hardened. "No! I am me! I will not lose myself!"
Arioch lost his temper. "Human beings are so fucking selfish!" The metallic wind picked up, releasing Wufei's hair from its bind, whipping it around his face. The ground began to heat, feeding off Arioch's ire.
The being's voice was silky smooth ."I can take you if I have to, without your consent, without your will. It is more difficult, but I can do it. This is too important for some egotistical human to ruin."
Wufei practically spat the word out. "Egotistical?"
"Look at you. Awww. Duo is a bad man, he killed my family. He killed all my staff." The Fallen's voice was mocking, full of contempt. "Did you ever consider why any of that was done."
As Wufei's face showed dawning comprehension.
Arioch chose to push his harshly won advantage. "If you weren't woken, if I didn't come into my powers, if he didn't slaughter each host's family, there would be a hell of a lot more death in the future than you can even hope to realize."
Arioch held up a hand to stop the Chinese man from speaking and continued. "Listen. Astaroth is right. For once in your existence, listen. We need to figure out a way for us to share this, for us to either exist as one or co-exist without fighting. If we can't do that, Duo will have no compunction in doing just what he has threatened."
Wufei didn't like the fact that what he was hearing was logical. He didn't like the fact that what he was hearing sounded plausible. "Will I lose me?"
The being shook his head. "No. you just need to accept it. It's how Trowa merged. He is a part of Zakkiel now."
At the mention of the green-eyed angel Wufei felt a blush colour his cheeks. "Trowa is. you. we know Trowa. Yes?"
Arioch's face softened. "Yes. He is our. balance."
"Oh." Wufei was struggling with himself. "I.I'm not sure that I can do this."
"Yes, you can."
Wufei scowled. "You're going to need to show me this. I can't promise anything though."
The smile that creased Arioch's face was nothing short of pure evil. And yet somehow it made Wufei feel comfortable. "Then let me show you."
"No, you're listening too well."
His durmanis just shrugged good-naturedly. "I've been around you too long."
Duo raised an eyebrow sardonically. "Apparently so." He winked at her.
She smiled, her strange eyes lighting up for a moment. "He's with him, you know."
A sigh escaped Duo's throat. "Yeah. I know." He could feel Treize's presence in the lounge room and motioned his hand irritably.
"I don't have the patience for this tonight, Hilde. Just make sure he doesn't try and wake Heero. That can't happen, not yet."
She nodded and returned to her desk. Before focusing her eyes on the tome in front of her, she spared him one last glance. "Your room, yes?"
Duo simply nodded before heading towards his sanctuary, his shadows bobbing happily in his wake.
Trowa didn't feel like watching the happy reunion between master and servant that was taking place. In fact, he only really felt like one thing. He felt like seeing Wufei.
The house was silent as he walked up the stairs. He concentrated on the flow of power running to his newly sprouting wing stubs, satisfied with the strength.
A flash of his hand and the door to Wufei's room opened. The only sound Trowa could hear was Wufei's breathing. Or maybe it was the only sound he wanted to hear.
His body and heart ached to see that familiar figure on the bed, to read that aura that belonged to him. . Trowa didn't just want Wufei's balance; he needed it. It took everything he had not to reach out and touch that flawless being in front of him.
He sat himself on the bed, careful not to make too much movement. Reaching out to flick a bit of black hair away from the sleeping man's eyes, he snatched it back in time. Instead, he watched him sleep, thinking about old times and hoping that things would be the same.
Duo walked into his room, idly touching the shadows slinking around his body. The entire room felt alive, charged. It made him feel at home.
Shadows twirled and danced through the room, feeding off the mood of their master. Duo smiled and made his way to the tiny waterfall. It was easiest to think there. He climbed to the top and removed his clothing.
Sitting himself on the moss covered rocks surrounding the source of the waterfall; he let go of the illusion that encased his wings. Impatiently he pulled the band off his hair, letting it cascade down his back.
He leaned back on his hands. His wings splayed to either side and dangled his feet in the water. Shadows weaved their way around his naked body, tasting his flesh and revelling in his power.
Duo let himself relax, reverting to his true form. The glow of his body fed the shadows. His hair of blood spilled down his back, the liquid evaporating before it could soak into anything. Violet eyes let themselves be completely taken over by a pool of blood, and he let his head fall back to look up at the domed ceiling.
He felt free, and he remembered a time of power.
~#~
Dark clouds roiled overhead. Trowa's laugh could be heard above all else. The insane timbre to it leant strength to each of his family. Gale winds tried to tear wings from their bodies, but the Angels remained in control.
Trowa's hair was windswept brilliance, his eyes a glowing sea of blood. His wings spread out, dripping like a clear green crystal that wasn't yet fully formed. He was beautiful, his flail held like a trophy. Almost as beautiful as fire.
Wufei's hair was no longer black. It flamed around his face The wind whipped his hair in unpredictable and dangerous arcs. His wings were the blood red of fire, as solid flames flickered in them. Fire was an essential part of him. The blood in his eyes simmered, occasionally boiling over the confines and pouring down his face. Fire bolt after fire bolt was hurled at his counterpart, flaming sword brandished fiercely. The grin on his face bordered on insanity. He drew his power from the element that was so fitting for his temperament. He was fire incarnate.
Milliardo hovered in the air, his ice blue wings spread to their fullest extent as he worked his magic. Blood tears of laughter snaked their way down his cheeks, as he grinned at Raguel, triton held loosely in his left hand. His skin was pale, yet somehow reflected the texture of the water, giving it a slightly blue tinge. He was liquid in his movements, just as in his element.
A stretch of earth exploded, obliterating anything in its area. Heero laughed, his bo die resting on the impact point. Uriel was sent flying against a stone wall, indenting its surface. Heero's laugh had never been quite sane. His eyes looked like boiling pools of lava. The molten substance filled his the sockets, looking like it could erupt at any moment. His wings, folded tightly behind him, came out to balance him when he needed it. Bronzed feathers shone in the light of the fire coming from his brother. An evil smirk graced his lips.
Duo's let his glance slide over the rest of the battlefield while resting an arm on his scythe, the crystal in its base glowing maliciously. He smiled cruelly as he observed the demolished structures and the human bodies littering the area. Naturally there were some, but that meant there would be enough people to gather strength from when it was over.
The force was necessary, and human beings expendable.
His attention turned to his lover, whilst Duo waited for Michael to dust himself off. Quatre was glowing, his crossbow slung over his shoulder, not even needed. So pure was the gold, that it made Duo's knees weak. Pride swelled in his chest as he watched the barrage of attacks that Quatre fended off with obvious ease.
And then it happened.
A muffled cry came from the left of him, where the /durmanis/ were sheltered in shield of his own making.
"Duo. look out."
Duo turned, just in time to try and fend off a growling Michael. He hadn't heard the white angel and was angry with himself for his own lapse He was too busy berating himself that he registered the obvious only too late.
Pain erupted in his left side, sending him to his knees though he tried desperately to stand upright. He grunted involuntarily. He knew the others would be feeling the pain he was going through, due to the bond they shared. But he didn't have time right then to think about it.
A searing agony shot through his entire being, and he found himself writhed on the ground. His face had paled even more, and his cascade of blood had stopped and become sluggish. He knew what had been on the blade. He knew it instinctively.
"You, bastard." He spit the words out, at Michael's feet, contempt for the actions evident in his voice. "You couldn't beat us fairly, so you cheated."
"Cheated. Embellished for our own purposes. Take it whichever way you want, Abaddon." Michael leaned down until he was nose to nose with his agonised opponent. "How I achieved it does not matter. The fact is, we have you now."
Duo's thoughts turned to Quatre, and he yelled through their link for him to run. A whimper escaped Duo's throat as he felt two of his brothers taken down at once. It was more than just pain, more than anguish. He was losing parts of himself. They were his family. They helped form his power base, and he was being stripped.
With the last of his energy, Duo struggled to his knees, hoping to distract the White Angel from what Duo was really doing. "You can't beat us fairly, so you use Zaun. You bastard. That's against every rule we've ever had in this."
Again, Michael shrugged. Duo was glad the angel was distracted, or he certainly would have heard the cry Duo sent to the durmanis and his lover a final time.
"I don't really care," Michael was saying. "We refuse to leave the world in the hands of Fallen ever again. If it means winning through. lesser means. then so be it."
Duo felt the presence of Quatre fade into distance, and he let himself blissfully begin to fall. "We'll get you for this."
Michael shook his head, eyes burning into Duo's soul. "No. I don't think we'll let that happen."
Shock crossed Duo's features. "You can't do that! The balance, Michael. Are you Stupid?"
In hindsight, it was probably the wrong thing to. Duo flinched as the poisoned blade sliced his chest. The pain welled up inside him, overwhelming him.
"You fucking bastard," Duo muttered, and slid into unconsciousness.
Michael's whispered answer was far more jovial than it should have been. "You're repeating yourself.Fallen."
~#~
Duo felt rejuvenated. Whenever he got worried, all he needed was to remember that betrayal of the way things were supposed to be. The mere thought was affirmation that his plans were right.
Awareness crept back to him, and he raised his head. He smiled.
Quatre was sitting not far from him. A visage of beauty which Duo found more breathtaking every day. That was a lot of days. The blond had let his tamed façade fade and was sitting in bright gold brilliance.
The waves of light rolling off Quatre were entertaining the shadows. Duo let a smile cross his face as his golden Angel stood and sauntered over to him. It was obvious Quatre had taken a lead of some sort from Duo.
He was butt naked.
He straddled Duo's legs and leaned in to kiss him. A low purr rumbled from Duo's throat.
"A penny for your thoughts, Abbadon?" Quatre's voice was silky smooth, golden.
"I was . thinking about the past." The blood-haired man spoke quietly, almost introspectively.
Quatre managed to contain his flinch. "Are you alright?" He kissed each of Duo's cheeks, holding his lovers' face in his hands.
"Yes. I am." Duo leaned into the caress and just enjoyed the feel of his lover's skin against him for a little while.
"Quatre?" Blood filled eyes slowly reverted back to violet. "Love me?"
Although it could be taken as many things, Quatre knew what was meant. "Your wish is my command, lover."
A small trickle of laughter, in sync with the waterfall, escaped Duo's throat as Quatre pushed him back onto the moss-covered stone.
The shadows danced and played with the light, watching as their master moaned and delighting in it.
Onyx eyes flickered open, coming to rest on the ceiling. Wufei felt strange. He still felt like himself, but somehow, like so much more. It wasn't an unwelcome feeling. In fact, it gave him power. He liked that.
Slowly he became aware of new senses and realised that someone was sitting next to him.
Craning his head so that he could look up, his own eyes met deep- green ones and his breath caught in his throat. Recognition hit him, and this time Wufei didn't try to fight it. Instead of speaking, he smiled tentatively and reached out a hand.
Trowa caught the proffered hand in his own, raising it to his lips to kiss gently.
They simply looked at each other, drinking in the presence of the other after having been separated for millennia.
"Wufei."
The way Trowa said his name, made heat flare throughout Wufei's entire being. The Chinese man snaked a hand around to pull Trowa down to him. It felt right, as he kissed Trowa gently. Savouring the taste and the experience as if it was the first time.
Wufei felt like everything was falling into place.
Zechs felt something strange, a long time before he saw it. Ceasing his late practice session with his training partner, he waited in the duelling hall.
He felt the presence approaching. It was something he had always been able to do, at least when thinking clearly anyway. The presence had power, that much he could tell. And he doubted it was human power, because it felt nothing like the power that Heero had.
A brief well of misery tried to rose up as he thought of his now ex- lover, but he forced it down. Instead he turned towards the open window and waited.
A figure bathed in a slight golden hue alighted on the windowsill, its wings outspread. Shock registered briefly over Zech's face as the being jumped into the room.
The aristocrat bowed deeply. "Hail to thee, Lord Gabriel."
The Archangel smiled, condescension evident in his every move. "Ahhh, Prince Merquise. Just the man I was looking for."
Depsite his upbringing, Zechs found himself straightening to face the Angel, a frown on his face. "Why would that be."
Gabriel decided to let the breach of protocol go for the moment and instead focused on why he had come in the first place.
"We require a service from you."
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