Tenshi Child, Dragon Child Part 3
Heero's small form involuntarily shuddered as they reappeared. It was cold and silent here. They were standing alone on a marble pedestal, a gentle wind running through their hair and over their bodies with a frozen questing touch. As Heero cautiously surveyed this new place unsatisfactorily he had to admit it was very beautiful.
Tall craggy cliffs rose endlessly from soft hazy clouds having no base on earth. Crystal clear streams of water followed unmarked paths through the air falling and pooling in lakes that dotted the atmosphere. Far above Heero could discern floating landmasses and see tiny dots flitting between them.
He felt so scared and terribly alone. Scoffing at his newfound weakness, he withdrew himself into that dark corner of his soul, which he knew so well. That is where she waited, her golden hair unbound and her blue eyes glistening with tears. She was a gatekeeper. Holding the key to his strongest powers until the time was ready, she never seemed to see him but gazed off in the distance. A separate soul still bound to the plane of the living until her duty was complete. It was where he hid whenever life began to come to close to hurting him. Funny just one night, a few short hours of kindness and he had almost forgotten. It was like J had taught him again and again. He was alone; a chimera of two hated races, even his parents had abandoned him. It was simply his place to endure everything in silence. He had no right to expect his life to be anything but endless fear, pain and loneliness.
The purple haired woman took off her cloak and wrapped him in it till he resembled nothing but a pile of laundry. He tried to fight down the claustrophobia, which started to chock him, and ended up completely stiff as he felt himself being lifted gently. No matter how kind she acted, she had taken him away from that boy. And for that alone he could hate her.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" There was a deep pride in her voice as she spoke, "this is the sacred land of the Tenshi's. This is probably where you were created and would have grown-up if that Akuma hadn't stolen your egg and some how managed to turn you into a chimera." Heero wanted to deny her words, to scream at her idiocy. The boy had saved him from hell! But he couldn't find the strength to speak. What did it matter now anyway? She pointed up to a large land mass.
"Up there is King Zech's castle. He'll be able to turn you into a normal Tenshi! I'm sure of it. The only problem is since you have a dragon taint, we can't just materialize in the castle, the warding spells would kill us instantly, so that means we'll have to go the old fashioned way, flying."
*****
Duo's eyes were completely black as he paced the confines of his sizeable room, surveying it with a depth of calmness that would have sent anyone who knew him running in the other direction gibbering in fear. Duo Maxwell, the heir to the throne of Shinigami was never calm. Occasionally he was silent or still, but he was never calm. Not unless something has angered him beyond the point of rage. That was the only time he was calm, because he was focused on one thing to the exclusion of everything else. Don't get me wrong use to Duo got angry all the time, just like he got happy or sad. But they were fleeting emotions that never made a true impression on him. Soon they became more extensions of the mask he wore for everyone, nothing ever truly betraying what he felt inside.
But this calmness, this unnatural rage went deeper then that. He didn't care that they had sent an assassin to kill him. The thought was laughable, the son of death dieing? He didn't mind that much that someone had found away to defile the private sanctuary of his chambers. No, what really boiled his blood was the fact that someone had dared to touch his Heero, that they had stolen him and were the reason that he didn't have his Hee-Baby in his arms at this very moment! And to top it off, his father had forbidden him to chase the Tenshi. If he entered the land of the Tenshi, the fragile cease-fire that had been called would be broken.
"Too many lives are at stake to risk for a simple pet, we'll send a diplomatic envoy and check about this next time." His father had said in the throne room earlier when he had shown him the dark feather, which had been left on his floor. And now Duo was mad enough to kill. Just one night and Heero had already become such a permanent fixture in his life Duo couldn't let go.
"Who is Heero?"
The question startled Duo, he hadn't noticed anyone else in his room. Turning he eyed the asker mistrustfully, why had The Dragon King followed him after he had stormed out of his father's presence? Wufei was standing still in the corner, his dark eyes watching Duo with an almost frightening intensity. Shaking off the feeling of unease that touched him at that look, Duo shrugged and answered,
"I don't know."
"Do not mock me Akuma, You would not be planning to risk war, disobeying your father and sire for a stranger. A stranger wouldn't send you rushing from the throne room with fear and panic in your eyes."
"I am not lying Wufei, you know I hate lying. I won Heero in a sorcerer's duel just last eve. He had been abused and mistreated by his previous owner. He was such an odd little creature yet... He makes me feel. It has been such a very long time since I felt true emotion... I never realized I had stopped. Then last night..."
"So he is your lover..?
"No! Heero's well... I can hold him in my arms with ease. He's no larger then a dragon pup."
"So is he your pet?"
"No, Heero is..." the words drifted away to silence as Duo tried to think of a word to encompass all that he felt for his Hee-baby. Watching him Wufei suddenly sat in a nearby chair, he felt too old for this. Even if he were a young dragon, years of war spent trying to destroy the one he still loved, would always love. Had their toll. What was he doing here? He had important things to discuss with Asuka, and yet he couldn't let his friend suffer like this. There was just one more thing he had to know, "Why did choose to name him Heero, Duo?"
"I didn't name him, I don't think. It just came to me in my sleep."
"What is he?"
"I don't really know."
"Do you love him?"
The question suddenly stilled the room as if time itself held its breath waiting for an answer. Duo looked at Wufei and one word was all that was needed.
"Yes."
"Then I shall help you."
"What?!?"
"I know you'll go there no matter what anyone tells you. And getting into the kingdom of the Tenshi without starting a war will be a feat in itself. The castle of The Tenshi king has strong warding, it would leave you weak, defenseless and clinging to life if you tried to teleport into it. The gateways are far below the castle and your black leather wings would alert the guards before you could even take flight. Since I have life mated with the bastard," at that admission Duo's eyes grew huge, it was beginning to get clearer that J might have been telling the truth. "Zechs is connected to me and would know the second that I or anyone dragon touched entered his kingdom. That is why I have never used it. But I know of a path through the shadow lands that will let you enter into his castle wherever you want."
"Why would you do this for me?"
"I could say it's my way of forgiving you for sprinkling my sword with pixy dust."
"I wouldn't believe you."
Wufei's eyes grew distant as he looked over Duo's shoulder into the remnants of the past.
"Then let's just say I like the name Heero."
TBC...
Well how was part 3?
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