Lightening the Shadows

A/N: Now I’m sure you’re wondering why exactly I said that there were 5 shadowlords when 5 minus duo and fei = 3 right?? Well you forgot to add Zechs and Treize. They need screen time (or something time) too! ? and I promise they will be important later.

To Ennao: o: *grins* it’ll tell you that later in this chappy. ? well to be honest i don’t know what’s up with that letter yet. but i\'m sure the muses have a good reason for it. :) as for that poor guard, he’s my outlet for aggression. *evil grin*

thankx falcon! see? fix fixed it!! :):):) p.s. it\'s slave to the muses btw :)

Part Five


Duo looked up from the letter that was saturated in the blood of his slave. *What is this supposed to mean? ‘Do you know exactly what you’re keeping for a slave Shinigami? Perhaps it would do you well to watch your back. Your thing may turn on you. After all animals do that, especially stupid ones.’*

The men before the enraged Shinigami trembled in the face of his anger. They glanced uneasily at each other and as one the two turned to look at the door. Unfortunately for them it was directly behind their enraged prince.

“What do you mean ‘you don’t know who sent it’?” He bit out carefully.

“My lord-“ the braver of the two ventured carefully. “Someone left it on the table in the main hall. We never saw-“

“You never saw them? So now you’re not only telling me that you have no clue where this came from, but also that someone was in my castle without anyone’s knowledge?”

“We’re sorry, Sire.”

“Are you? Not half as sorry as you wi—“ Suddenly Duo could feel another heart beat throbbing through his body. His own heart sped up, desperately striving to match the other, and he could feel confusion, fear, and a little bit of carefree happiness invade his mind.

When their master stopped in the middle of his sentence, the spokesman of the two risked a quick glance upward. Shinigami’s eyes were closend hnd his face was composed in an unreadable mask. The god of Death’s eyes flickered open. “Get out.”

“Yes master!” The two scrambled for the door, grateful to whatever power had saved them.

Duo fought to separate the emotions roiling through him. His heart calmed into a steady rhythm that matched the other. The collar. Wufei had put on the collar. And obviously he had done so of his own free will. Duo couldn’t help but wonder if the human boy had any idea of what exactly he had done.

*****

Wufei trailed a bit behind Quatre as they walked down the dim halls. Tentatively he fingered the collar that rested gently around his throat. It felt a bit odd. It wasn’t tight but curved around his tender skin lovingly, like it had been made for him and him alone. Once he had it on he had instantly calmed and he almost felt like he was being continually cradled lovingly against someone’s chest. He could even hear their heart beating in tandem with his.

“Quatre?”

“Hai Wufei?”

“What exactly does this collar do?”

The blond thought carefully before answering. “It shows everyone that you belong to Duo. Did you see the violet in the stone?”

“Hai.”

“That color is only used for the crown prince of the royal family. They are the only ones who have eyes that are that color. That collar can also only be placed on one who wears it willingly.” He decided to stop his explanation there instead of informing Wufei of exactly what the black that was now weaving through the stone meant.

Wufei thought about his companion’s answer for a moment. He wasn’t sure that he really liked everyone knowing that he was Shinigami’s slave. “Quatre?” He asked again.

“Yes?”

“What did you mean about this collar protecting me? I mean, I don’t see why I would be important enough to need protection.” *and wouldn’t it conveniently leave out protecting me from the ones I needed it to most?* (A/N: he’s only supposed to be frightened of being used by the Shadow Lords and Shinigami himself remember. That’s what his father told him would happen.)

Quatre heard the unspoken question and sighed, turning to face the human. “Wufei. I told you before, none of the Shadow Lords, and especially not Duo, would ever hurt you.”

Wufei started to ask another question, when he stopped suddenly, eyes growing wide in a swiftly paling face. The figure that stepped suddenly out of the shadows behind his blond friend was tall. Graceful wings folded delicately over his back and were almost blinding compared to his black, formfitting clothing. He gasped when this new Shadow Lord stepped further into the light and much closer to Quatre. One eye was covered by a fall of soft looking brown hair while the other brilliant green orb stayed focused on him.

Quatre looked in askance at Wufei when the boy paused and a frightened expression passed over his face. He started to ask what the matter was when a familiar pair of slim arms wrapped snugly around his waist and pulled him tight against a firm chest. He lifted his hand to stroke lovingly over one of those arms and smiled reassuringly at Wufei. “This is Trowa, Wufei. He is—“

“I am his lover.” The brunette finished easily. The taller boy released his love’s waist and paced closer to the now terrified Wufei. “So you are Duo’s new slave.” Trowa circled him like a predator stalking its prey and Wufei Quatre a pleading glance.

The blond gazed back at him reassuringly. “It’s alright Wufei. Trowa won’t hurt you. I promise. Remember what I told you about us?”

Shocked, Trowa looked hard into Wufei’s eyes. “Of course I’m not going to hurt you! Whatever gave you that idea?”

Deciding that the expression of offended horror on the other’s face was genuine Wufei timidly answered, “i—I—nothing.” Black eyes dropped to the floor.

*What the hell is his problem?* Trowa quizzically asked his lover telepathically.

*He has been taught to fear us, love. We will have to be very careful of him. Do me a favor. Keep Heero away from him for another day or two. I’m not sure he’s ready to deal with him yet.*

Trowa nodded almost imperceptibly before turning his attention back to the boy before him. He deliberately kept his voice quiet and reassuring when he spoke again. “It was nice meeting you Wufei. I hope you enjoy your time in the gardens.” And he was gone just as quickly as he appeared.

With Trowa gone, Wufei seemed to regain some of his confidence. “Who was that Quatre?”

*****

The garden was full of light and flowers and Quatre watched with an indulgent smile while Wufei frolicked in the small stream there. The boy lightheartedly chased tiny gold fish through the water and laughed when they tickled along his calves. When he was done permanently traumatizing the poor fish he moved on to the wildflower beds. Quatre giggled with him when he placed a newly woven wreath of flowers in his hair and the two happily rolled in the grass.

Finally exhausted the two collapsed in the shade of a large oak and Quatre gently fanned his wings, stirring a small breeze. Wufei’s panting slowed and the sweat cooled on his over heated brow.

A burning gaze watched them from the edge of the forest. An expression of longing crossed an angelic face when he saw the dark collar encircling the exposed throat of his slave. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately depending on your point of view, Duo was to far away to see the new pattern in the amethyst stone.

“So Wufei,” Quatre ventured. “What was it like where you lived?”

The darker boy tensed slightly when he heard the question. Still, he felt that he could trust Quatre with the answer. “It was nothing like this…”

The Shadow Lord fought to keep his expression just mildly curious while inside he was doing a little dance of victory. *He’s answering!* “How’s that?” He asked mildly.

“Father didn’t allow me outside. He said he didn’t want people to see…” the boy stopped.

*No, no, no, no, no… don’t clam up now!* Quatre pretended to be very interested in shredding a blade of grass. Inside though, every iota of his attention was on the other boy. “See what?”

“His disgrace. He said that he didn’t want people knowing that he had such a weakling for a son.”

*Weakling? Why that miserable-* Swiftly he decided to change tacks. “Where did you live, Wufei?”

Wufei’s eyes grew sad. “We had a modest little house in Elfiv.” (A/N: get it?? Elfiv=L5?? Hehe) “mother used to let me go out when father was gone. She said it wasn’t healthy for a boy to be inside all day.” He gave a wistful smile.

“What was your mother like? What was her name?”

“Her name was Sakura and she was beautiful. She had waist length black hair and soft black eyes. And she always told me what a good boy I was and that she loved me.” Wufei’s eyes brimmed with tears.

“What did she say about your father selling you?”

“Nothing. She’s been dead for a year.”

Quatre gasped and swiftly changed the subject. “Can you read Wufei?”

Just as quickly as he had saddened, the young mortal lit up like the proverbial candle. “I love to read!”

*Thank the Gods. A safe subject.* “Would you like to go and see the library?”

Seemingly completely recovered, Wufei bounced up from the grass. “Yes!” He squealed. “Let’s go!”

*****

Wufei was in heaven. He’d never seen so many books in his life. The library was a huge room with arched cathedral ceilings and shelves that stretched all the way to the top of the walls. The only breaks in them were the tall windows, also floor to ceiling, that were spaced periodicallyng tng the walls, and the large double doors that were the entrance to the room. He sighed happily. He could read one book a day fhe nhe next forty years and he still wouldn’t make it through them all.

Quatre looked on indulgently while he watched the excited child attempt to choose one to read first. When Wufei was content with his selection, the boy settled into a plush chair that was set conveniently close to a table and lamp and prepared to read.

Before he got too settled, Quatre decided to interrupt. “Wufei.” He waited patiently for the black eyes to tear themselves away from the page and raise to meet his. When he felt he had at least a portion of Wufei’s attention he continued. “You may go back to the gardens or come here, whenever you wish. As a matter of fact you have the run of the ee cae castle and grounds.”

“But don’t I have to wait for you?”

Quatre grinned. “Of course not.” He lifted a hand to forestall Wufei’s next comment. “However, if I were you then I’d wait for a bit until you were more used to this place before you went too far on your own. We wouldn’t want you getting lost would we?”

Wufei looked relieved.

After reading for about an hour and a half of so, Quatre rose fluidly to his feet. “Come Wufei. You have had a full day and you’re tired. It’s time for bed.”

Black eyes focused wistfully on the book that Wufei had been reading and inwardly Quatre cursed the boy’s father. Outwardly he smiled. “You can take it with you. Come on now.”

Onyx eyes glittered with happiness and he clutched the book tightly to his slim chest as he followed Quatre back to his room.

*****

Heero pushed sweat dampened bangs back off of his face. The three Shadow Lords glowed in the aftermath of their loving and the cobalt-eyed boy really didn’t feel like breaking the mood. However, after another fruitless day of searching for Wufei’s father, he had to ask.

“How did it go today Quatre?”

The blond tensed slightly. “I got what we needed.”

Trowa and Heero both sat up. They both knew that that tone didn’t mean that he had learned good things. Together they spoke. “What did he tell you?”

“I’ll start with what arnearned when I first probed him.” He sighed. He’d wanted to keep this to himself but they needed to know.

Heero and Trowa sat through Quatre’s briefing. Outwardly they looked calm and composed but inside they were seething. “So that’s why he was afraid of me and why you asked me to keep Heero away from him.”

“Yes.” Was Quatre’s weary reply.

The banged Lord looked at his chocolate haired lover. “Tomorrow we will go to Elfiv.”

Heero nodded sharply and the two settled down to an uneasy sleep next to their exhausted lover.


A/N2: here\'s where you come into play. i\'m taking a vote. would you rather

a) have them kill Fei\'s father and Fei run away, leaving Duo to look for him and make up

b) try to kill fei\'s father and he comes back to cause mayhem


c) fei get kidnapped by his father and get tortured and duo find him and then kill his father?

or

d) some combination there of

Please vote! i need help!!! :):) ~happyonna