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The Shadowman	By : ColdSilence Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2328 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing/AC, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 18
- 19
Title: The Shadowman

Author: Cold Silence

E-Mail: writer.coldsilence@gmail.com

Category: Alternate Universe. Medieval Times.

Pairings: 4 x Relena, Odin x Catherine, 5 x Merian, 1x2, 3+1, 6x3, Relena + 3, Tsuberov x 9

Warnings: Potentially NC-17, Yaoi, OOC, (I'm TRYING to keep them IC...but I don't think I've succeeded.) Death. Squick. Incest. Rape.

The Shadowman

-Chapter Eighteen-

    "Kichigai yo! (1) shouted Heero. He couldn't believe that Duo just proposed. The shepherd was so beside himself that he couldn't speak the common language anymore and raved in Nihongo.

    Duo winced at the shouting. This wasn't exactly how he envisioned his proposal of love to go, not that he had a lot of time to prepare for this moment. When Heero began to storm off, he lurched forwards and grabbed his shirtsleeves. ”I know it's crazy, will you just listen for two seconds!"

    Heero paused in his retreat to shoot Duo a boiling glare. Already, he was counting those two seconds down in his mind.

    "I think this can get my powers back," said Duo quickly while he still had an opening. "The reason I feel drawn to you is because I'm supposed to be with you. Everything in this world has to be balanced. Light, Dark, and Chaos. Right now the Chaos is out of control. Nowhere in history did a Mystic ever make a pact with a monster, and now they're completely under their control. Do you realize what that means? If they win, there's never going to be peace. People will be living in fear."

    Heero laughed derisively. "Same as everyone lived in fear of you and the king."

    "They might have been afraid, but Quatre was always as fair as he could be," said Duo defensively. "He didn't hunt people down for fun. He didn't burn villages. He didn't turn friends against friends!"

    The shepherd looked away with his hands clenched at his sides. Memories of Trowa and what happened to his family surfaced, and it made his blood boil with impotent anger.

    "I know, he's no angel. Neither am I," continued Duo. He pushed up from the floor and staggered to his feet. Weakness threatened to make him keel over, but he held on to what strength he had left. "But not everyone is all evil. Heero, don't you believe that now? We can still change. This whole world can still change."

    "And this can be achieved through marriage?" said Heero flatly.

    "A bonding ceremony," specified Duo. "A tying of your spirit to mine. My Darkness, to your Light. It's what all Shadowmen have done before me. Its just never been done with a purebred of Light before. Eh... or a guy for that matter." A sheepish look accompanied that last sentence.

    "And if it doesn't work?" asked Heero, now pivoting to face Duo again.

    "Then you'll just be my wife," said Duo with a simple shrug. At Heero's answering growl, he backed up a bit with his hands raised upwards in mock surrender. "Husband! Husband. Sorry."

    "This is ridiculous," ground Heero through his teeth.

    "Don't look at me, I don't write the cosmic rules for these things," said Duo. "For what it's worth though. If it lets me be by your side a little longer, then I'm all for it. You're beautiful to me, Heero. I've never met anyone like you, and I know I never will again."

    The shepherd couldn't help but be flattered by those words. He tried not to show it as he turned away. "I have to think about it."

    "That's fine," said Duo. "No pressure."

    Even though right at that moment, all of Sanc was in peril. Relena, Quatre and Wufei could die, along with everyone else that they knew in the castle. The entire kingdom could be razed to the ground in the time that it took Heero to decide whether or not it was worth bonding with Duo.

Newp. No pressure at all.

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    Duo's final act for the House of Winner had been a blessing. He single-handedly culled the number of monsters down to an amount that was manageable by Quatre's remaining forces. The Mystics and their armies were forced to regroup away from the castle and its courtyard, which granted some respite to the denizens of Sandrock.

    The king wasted no time calling an emergency meeting. He requested that all people who were not involved in protecting the inner city of Sanc to gather in the throne room. Nervous soldiers, nobles, and even the liveried servants gathered to hear what their monarch had to say upon their darkest hour.

    Quatre stood on the dais. Relena stood off to his left with a tight expression on her face, and a solemn Wufei flanked the opposite direction. The grim looks on all of their faces set the stage for what was to happen.

    The noise level in the chamber increased as more and more people arrived. Everyone was wondering what was going on. Was it true that the Shadowman was gone? Were they all forsaken by Shinigami at this point? If true, what would become of the beautiful kingdom that they had worked so hard to protect?

    Quatre raised his hands, and immediately the voices in the chamber fell silent. Every eye was upon him as they waited for some kind of instruction on what to do next. He could feel the weight of that responsibility pressing down on his shoulders as heavy as a shirt of chainmail.

    "People of Sanc, I beseech that you listen," he said in a loud voice. "My name is Quatre Raberba Winner. I am the heir of a legacy of revenge and hatred. My family has oppressed Mystics and Warriors for generations upon generations through the black powers granted by the Shadowman. Now, a day of reckoning has come. The remaining Mystics of this world have allied themselves with monsters, and they are crying for blood. The blood of the house of Winner. My blood!"

    The audience was rapt with attention to the king's words.

    "The burden of revenge has been carried for too long. I have watched too many people suffer at my hands and the hands of my enemies. But no more!" Quatre straightened as tall as his body would allow. "From henceforth, this is my burden. Warriors, I release you from your oaths! Any who have sworn fealty to the house of Winner, you are all free to live as you please, to worship as you please, for I am no longer your liege. I am Quatre Raberba Winner, a mere peasant in robes of a king!"

    An astounded gasp ripped through the audience. At first, no one knew how to take this news. No one expected to be released from their bonds so suddenly. Then, as the realization sunk in, people began to rejoice. Warriors of Light held their weapons up in the air and suffused the room with a bright glow. People were crying out, "Praise the Light! Praise the Light!" at the top of their lungs.

    Relena's fisted hands shook as she watched Quatre seal his own fate. Her brother finally saw things her way, but Quatre had also been right - to end the cycle of misery caused by their ancestors, they had to give up everything, even their lives. It was the noblest sacrifice she had ever born witness to, and the saddest part of it all was that no one would see it that way. Quatre would be painted as a villain for all of history as the pervert king that committed horrible acts within his family and against his people for the sake of power. It's not fair, Relena thought to herself. Tears began to sting in her eyes. We didn't ask for this. We were born into this misery!

    "Winner!"

    At the rude shout of Quatre's last name, the crowd began to grow quiet again. A person had detached himself from the celebrations - the recently pardoned Lord Treize Khushenada. He looked up at Quatre from the base of the dais and asked in a loud voice, "What do you intend to do now that you have renounced the throne?"

    "I intend to turn myself in to the Mystics to end this bloodshed," answered Quatre.

    "A noble end," said Trieze. "But do you honestly believe that such a move will bring peace?"

    "There is nothing else that can be done," said Quatre quietly. "I have no power left. I can only hope that this satisfies them."

    "And satisfied we shall be," declared a loud, female voice. The crowd parted again, both willingly and unwillingly. Cloaked mystics were making their way to the dais, and anyone who didn't move out of their way was tossed aside by a burst of wind. A shocked murmur went through the crowd as they recognized the female to be none other than Dorothy Catalonia. The nobles now realized that they had fallen for a ruse - the woman had never been raised by the gentry, she was a Mystic all along.

    Trieze automatically reached for his sword, but Quatre stalled his actions with a wave of his hand. The former king looked down at Dorothy. "I will come peacefully. Please do not hurt the people of Sanc anymore."

    "I will accept that trade, Quatre Rebarba Winner," said Dorothy with a wicked smile. "However you have forgotten one important detail. My revenge is against all members of the Winner family, so I shall be taking your wife as well."

    "No!" shouted Quatre. "Leave her out of this!"

    Relena stepped forwards at this point. "I don't need to be coddled. I will go as well. I also accept this burden."

    "Relena," murmured the former king with anguish.

    "Then it's decided," said Dorothy with triumph. "You both will come with us. There is someone that I am dying to introduce you to!"

    Wufei grit his teeth as he watched the former monarchs descend the dais and deliver themselves to their enemies. There was nothing he could do to change Quatre's mind or to reverse the current action. Without the backing of his clan, he was only one man against an army.

    "And so it ends," murmured Treize. "With a soundless whimper."

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    The temple was beautiful despite years of neglect. Its exterior was practically falling apart; the jungle was swallowing up the stones that stalwartly remained throughout the test of time. Yet, inside of the building, the marble remained untouched. Columns shaped as beautiful nymphs held up the domed ceiling, and channels of water cut through the floor in precise designs that accentuated the decor.

    While Duo rested, Heero explored the depths of their sanctuary. The more that he walked, the greater the feeling of deja vu intensified. He followed the pools of water, trying to figure out how they were feeding in through the walls. Eventually, he was drawn to a statue of the goddess of Light. She was depicted as a voluptuous beauty with wide hips and wings on her back. On one hand, she held a sword, on the other; she held a basin full of water.

    Heero recognized the symbolism. The water was the pool of life, and the sword was the strength to protect it. All creatures that lived drank from the water, and Warriors were charged with protecting it.

    The statue called to Heero. He slowly walked towards it, his head craning upwards as he regarded the serene face of the goddess. His hands moved of their own accord to plant themselves on the basin that she held. In a trance-like state, he began to lower his face to the water.

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    Exhilaration carried Heero forwards as she ran through the dense forest. She had been this way before. Every day at twilight, she stealthily made her way through trees, drunk with anticipation and made foolhardy by the sword at her back. Her clan would be up in arms if they that she did this every day, but she didn't care. She was driven by a force that was beyond her comprehension, something that made her heart pound and her spine electrify.

    She finally reached her destination. Heero stopped at the edge of a clearing just before she could be seen, her battle braids falling over her shoulders with momentum. Quietly, she pushed aside the leaves that were obscuring her view.

    As the sun faded, darkness fell. Creatures of the night began clicking and singing to greet it. A gentle wind tugged at her tunic and loose strands of her brown hair. The coolness made the nipples of her breasts harden. She barely breathed as she continued to watch the clearing, waiting.

    Eventually, what she was waiting for happened. A male figure rose from the pool of darkness at the center of the grassy glade. A violet glow surrounded him, illuminating his short, jet black hair and lean body. He held his arms outwards as if to greet the night, and then he began to dance to the sounds of crickets chirping and cicadas clicking.

    Heero watched with wide eyes. No matter how many times she saw that man dance, she never got tired of it. Over and over, she kept returning for more. Despite how much her clan would disapprove, and despite the fact that the stranger was a Mystic, she always came back. What began as a happenstance, a chance meeting n the eve of twilight, became a habit, and then a near obsession.

    The dance ended like it always did. Heero released a breath of air that she had been holding. That was as far as this ever went. The boy would disappear into the shadows, and she would be left to return home with a heavy sense of longing. How she wished that she could dance the way the mysterious Mystics did, with movements that defied all fear, even that of death.

    As expected, the boy vanished. Heero pursed her lips as she watched the clearing a few moments longer, hoping that the figure would return. It surprised her when she suddenly heard someone speak from behind.

    "Does the dance attract you, darling?" asked a low alto voice.

    Heero whirled around and found herself facing the very person that she had been watching. The boy was standing so close that she had to lean away to maintain her personal space. Amusement danced in the Mystic's violet eyes.

    The warrior's first instinct was to unsheathe her sword. It was angled dangerously at the figure before him. "Stay back Mystic," she warned.

    "You come here every night to watch me, and when you finally get a chance to actually speak, you threaten me with your weapon," said the Mystic. He tut-tutted at Heero and waved a chastising finger at her. "That's no way to make a love confession."

    "Who said anything about love!" said the Warrior, voice high with indignation. She attacked the Mystic, but her swing missed, not that it was a serious attempt at his life. Heero felt a strange weakness in her limbs; her knees threatened to knock together and send her falling to the ground. What was this strange power that the Mystic had over her?

    The Mystic laughed as he jumped into a shadow. Moments later, he re-emerged behind Heero and draped his arms around her. "You have a strong spirit. Most girls would have melted to the ground by now after watching the dance so many times."

    "I'm not like most girls. I'm a princess of the Dragon Clan," said Heero with all the authority she could muster. Yet she couldn't bring himself to shake the Mystic off.

    "I noticed," cooed the Mystic. He nuzzled his cheek against Heero affectionately. "Don't worry, I like you too. And lucky you, I just so happen to be prince of my coven. So. Right pedigree, check. Animal attraction, check. So let's get to the good part where we become lovers."

    The Mystic traced his hands down Heero's body until they were able to encircle and grope the warrior’s breasts.    This earned the Mystic a hard jab in ribs. As he doubled over in pain, Heero danced away and turned an outraged glare at the boy. Her cheeks were coloring red with embarrassment. "How dare you! I'm not cheap!"

    "Heh, I can't help it," said the Mystic. He straightened up from his hunch, although he still cradled his ribs. Heero certainly packed a lot of punch. "You're so beautiful. That body, I'd chase it through a thousand lifetimes."

    "Is that all I am to you?" said Heero bitterly to the Mystic. "Just another pretty thing to look at? It would have been better if I was born a man."

    "If your goddess rebirthed you as a man, then I'd have no choice than to learn how to make love to a man," said the Mystic cheekily.

    "You're incorrigible," said Heero incredulously.

    "No," said the Mystic easily. "I'm Duo."

    They didn't know why the gods had brought them together like this. The legends say that Shinigami and its counterpart were always chasing each other in a circle, much as how the moon always followed the sun, and vice versa. Perhaps, since the gods could never meet, they had picked two mortals to be the proxies of the eternal pull between darkness and light.

    Unfortunately, their romance was forbidden. Heero was betrothed to someone else, and most people were suspicious of Mystics. Their meetings were in secret, and that only added to the thrill of the stolen kisses or heated arguments that happened between them.

    When the time came for Heero to be married, she renounced her engagement and declared her love for another man. Her betrothed was livid with the rejection. Unable to accept that he had been made a cuckold before his marriage, he secretly followed Heero until he could discover the identity of the one that had stolen his fiancée’s heart. The man was enraged to find out that out of all things, Heero had been cavorting with a Mystic.

    What happened afterwards was a tragedy. Heero and Duo had taken to meeting in the nearby village between their two territories. It served as the neutral ground for their secret liaisons. However, rumors of what they were doing had spread to their respective territories, and their clansmen and coven members congregated in the village to confront the lovers. They could not accept a union between a Mystic and a Warrior.

    Blinded by the rage of jealousy, Heero's ex-fiancee made an attempt on Duo's life. He aimed a crossbow at the Mystic's heart and shot with deadly accuracy. It was only Heero's quick reflexes that protected his lover. The arrow was intercepted by Heero's own body, which he threw in the line of fire in an act of self-sacrifice.

    The Mystics were livid at the fact that a Warrior had just attempted to end the life of the prince of their coven. They boldly attacked with magic, and the Warriors responded with weaponry and skillful precision in the art of killing. The townspeople who were not involved in the dispute believed that the Mystics had finally gone mad, and so they gathered pitchforks and swords to defend themselves. This caused the ire of the coven to turn towards the village people as well.

    Within an hour, the entire village was razed to the ground. The battle left few survivors. Duo took his wounded lover in his arms and was anguished to feel her soul being pulled to Shinigami. In an effort to reverse Heero's death, he dived into the shadows with his dying love and rushed to the Light's Temple of Bonding. There, he pleaded with the goddess to allow his Heero to live a bit longer.

    However, there was nothing that could be done to save her. The most that the goddess could do was to grant them the bond that they desired. It was a short-lived marriage as Heero only had a few minutes left to live. Duo bowed over her cold body and held her close. The weight of his mourning made him tremble violently.

    "Heero," he said hoarsely. "No matter where you go, I will find you, even in death. I've never met anyone like you, and I know I never will again."

    Heero's vision blurred. All sensation left her body, and she could feel her soul floating. Duo's last words were whispered in her ears.

    "I will defy Shinigami until I find you again. Darkness damn my soul to remain tethered to this earth until I have you."

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    Heero pulled his face out of the basin with a gasp. He didn't know how long he was underwater, but it was long enough to make him gasp desperately for air. As he coughed and choked, he looked up at the statue of the goddess in disbelief. That vision just now, was it real? Was he once a princess of the Dragon Clan, now reborn into this life?

    He couldn't help but touch his chest to make sure that he was still in the same body. The vision was so real, he could still remember what it was like to be a woman. In a daze, he staggered back to where he had left Duo. His friend was lying on the hard marble floor, eyes tight with fitful sleep. He was still recovering from the excessive use of his power. Heero knelt down next to Duo and began shaking him awake.

    Duo protested the rude awakening with a mutter, but upon realizing that it was Heero, he blearily opened his eyes and pushed himself into a sitting position. "Heero?" he questioned, half hoping that the other had finally come to a decision.

    "I wanted to ask you," said Heero in a low voice, "how old are you?"

    Duo blinked at the unusual question, and then answered cautiously, "I'll be 18 summers old by the next harvest. Why are you asking?"

    Heero let out a breath. If Duo had really cursed himself so many years ago, then he would have been a very old soul. Even so, he couldn't shake the thought that the black-haired Duo of the past was the same as the one that was before him now. "How old do Shadowmen usually live?" he questioned.

    "Far as I know, they live until they get married," said Duo with a shrug. "They fall in love, have a baby, and then poof. They disappear. Why are you asking me this?"

    "What if they didn't disappear?" asked Heero quietly. "What if he's just reborn as the next Shadowman?"

    "Then that would be way bizarre, because that would mean that my father was me, and if I have a son, then that son is also me," said Duo incredulously. "Why are we even having this conversation?"

    Because you damned yourself you baka, (2) Heero thought to himself. Shinigami probably forced Duo into the servitude of Shadowman as payment for his request. He had damned his own soul into this hellish existence, all for the sake of seeing Heero one more time.

    The shepherd couldn't help but shudder. Was Duo's soul free to pass on now that he was no longer the Shadowman? Was this honestly and truly the last time that he would ever see Duo alive ever again? Even if the goddess rebirthed him in another form, would Duo be waiting for him, or would they live apart, never to cross paths again?

    "Are you alright, Heero?" asked Duo. Concern made him sit a little straighter.

    "I've decided," said Heero quietly. "I want to do the bonding ceremony."

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    It wasn't pleasant to be a captive of the Mystics. Quatre and Relena were treated mercilessly as they made their way through the Shadowlands. By the time that they emerged from the darkness, their clothing was ripped and there were splotches of blood staining the fabric of their once luxurious robes. Dorothy laughed every time a trolloc got too forceful with its spear and gave the ex-monarchs a poke that went a little too deep.

    Once they were out of the shadows, Quatre kneeled down to support his sister, who had fallen to her knees because of her wounds. "Hang in there Relena," he said quietly to her. Then he turned an angry look at Dorothy. "Where are we?" he demanded to know.

    Dorothy ran a hand through her extraordinarily long hair. "The mountains of course. These are the lands you tried so valiantly to purge of the monsters of this world, but alas you failed. For you see, my dear former king, these monsters belong here as much as we Mystics."

  "There is no place on this world for murderers and the depraved," spat Quatre. "I understand what you were trying to accomplish, but you put the lives of civilians at stake. People have died because of you, Dorothy!"

    "And in due time, at least two more will be dead by my hands," said Dorothy smoothly. "Now, do hurry. Your presence is expected by our good host."

    Quatre managed to pull Relena to her feet. They were given another rough shove by the trolloc, forcing them to stagger their way into the cave. The stalactite-covered roof prevented sunlight from piercing into the caverns, and the deeper they went, the darker it became. If not for the lanterns that lined the walls, they would have been in pitch darkness.

    In the distance, they could hear the sound of something rattling and dragging across the ground. Relena stalled in her walking when she realized that they were heading directly towards whatever it was. "What is that?" she asked nervously.

    "Our host of course," simpered Dorothy. The ex-monarchs were given one last shove, and they stumbled out of the passageway and into a natural chamber. The craggy rooftop extended several kilometers above their heads, and the floor was littered fallen pieces of rock of varying shapes and sizes. A wind buffeted against their faces, and then reversed direction and practically sucked them in.

    They had to close their eyes against the push and pull of the air. A deep chuckle reverberated through the open space, followed by an insidious rattling sound. There was a roiling mass of flesh before them, and when they were finally able to perceive it, Relena screamed.

    An enormous monster dominated the interior of the cave. Its body consisted of a bubbling, shapeless mass with a mouth filled with jagged teeth at its center. A small platoon could have been destroyed with one swallow of its giant maws. Extending from its body were dozens of rattlesnake tails that swept across the floor and twisted through the air with a life of their own.

    Quatre clung to Relena as he stared at the abomination before him, face slackened with horror.

    "Winners, I would like to introduce you to Lord Khans," said Dorothy with a sinister smile. She curtseyed before the monster, and then turned to face the ex-monarchs. "He is leader of the monsters of this mountain, and ally of the Mystics."

    The monster bellowed out a loud laugh that shook the very walls of the cavern. Quatre ducked and covered Relena as shards of rock fell all around them. When the tremors ceased, Quatre lifted his head and yelled, "Are you mad?! You can't possibly trust their kind. They exist to destroy all humanity! Even if you are a Mystic, you are still human!"

    "That, I understand," said Dorothy. "Which is why I have made a pact with Lord Khans. His monsters can kill and pillage all the humans it likes, so long as they are not Mystics."

    "NO!" yelled Quatre in shocked despair.

    Lord Khans continued to laugh, and it shot its tentacles directly at the ex-Monarchs. They encircled the bodies of the blondes and ripped them off their feet. Quatre and Relena were hoisted over the beast's head, Relena screaming in terror and Quatre crying out from the pain of being crushed.

    Was it all for nothing? thought Quatre. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes. Is everyone going to die after all? Duo.. I'm powerless without you.

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    Duo explained to Heero the procedure of the bonding ceremony so that the shepherd would know how to prepare for it. There were points in that conversation that made Heero blush, but he accepted what it was that he had to do.

    First, he had to purify himself. Heero bathed in the sacred pools of the temple, completely alone. He could not lay eyes on Duo until they were on the verge of their bonding. As he floated on top of the still water, he contemplated the paintings on the ceiling and the fact that there wasn't anyone left in this world that he cared about, except Duo.

    Ever since he met the Shadowman, all the people that were important to him lost their lives. A part of him resented Duo for it, but the other half was irresistibly drawn to the other boy. In the end, he decided that it was useless to fight against it. What was the point, now that everything that mattered was gone? Protecting the people of Sanc was the only thing that gave his life meaning now. Even if it meant marrying Death itself, he was willing to do that. At least then, he would have a reason as to why he was the only one left behind.

    After purifying himself, he had to walk through a corridor that led to the bonding chamber. Duo had warned him that it was no ordinary space, that his resolve to actually go through the bonding would be tested there. He stood naked before the large double doors that would lead him to where he had to go next. There was a rather threatening sculpture of Shinigami embed into the heavy marble of the entrance. Shinigami was represented at a bat-like beast of a man carrying a scythe. Heero hesitated for a moment, and then he pushed on Shinigami's chest to make the doors give way.

    The entrance to the corridor parted ways with a heavy groan. What he saw beyond the doors made his eyes widen in disbelief. There was nothing beyond the threshold but pure sky and white clouds. There was no floor to walk on, just a drop to depths unknown. Heero took a step back away from the impossibility of what was before him. Was this some kind of trick? How could something like this exist in the middle of the jungle?

    It had to be an illusion. This corridor was supposed to test his resolve, after all. Apparently, either the very brave or the very stupid attempted to perform the bonding ceremony. Heero couldn't say if he was one or the other, but at the end, it didn't matter because he didn't care if he died at this point. So he stopped hesitating, and took a step beyond the doors. Miraculously, he didn't fall. When the second foot jointed the first, he was floating in blue sky.

  There was nothing left to do but walk. The corridor had no markers that said to turn left or right or even go up or down, so he simply went in a straight line. The air was cold, and when he strode into the clouds his skin became moist and chilled. He covered his shoulders with his arms and pressed on; hoping that beyond the obscuring whiteness would be Duo.

    Instead, figures began to emerge from the fog. One by one, they formed two lines on either side of him, creating their own sort of corridor that led forwards. Heero's steps got a little faster, because he was naked and he didn't want to be seen by these strangers. The fleeting glances that he took told him that he didn't know these people personally, but somehow he knew that they were his ancestors. They were looking at him with grim, smiling faces, as if approving of what he was about to do, but also pitying him at the same time.

    He nearly broke into a run as he continued down the line of those patronizing looks, faster and faster, until he was close to the end. Heero would have continued on in this manner if not for the fact that he saw faces that he recognized. His stride came to a dead stop at the sight of his father and Catherine standing side by side. They gave him a wave, as if he was merely running down the countryside instead of the current situation.

    His first instinct was to go to them. To tell them how much he missed them and regretted the things that he did in life before they were taken away. However, the moment that he took a step towards them, the other nameless figures began to advance towards him.

    Heero stopped in his tracks, and so did the apparitions. He didn't know what their intentions were, but he had the feeling that if he lingered here, then he would become a permanent spirit stuck in the skies, just like them. The shepherd grimaced when he realized that he had no choice but to leave Catherine and his father where they were. His lips parted to murmur a soundless "gomen nasai," and then he continued forwards (3). Heero was sad, but the time for crying was over. There was a burden waiting for him that he had to carry for their sake.

    Beyond Catherine and Odin were two more figures. One was a woman with long black hair and slanted eyes. Unlike the others, she was looking at Heero with pride. She gave the distinct impression that she had no regrets about her life or the current situation. Heero stopped before her. He only had vague memories of that woman, but he knew for certain whom she must be. "Okaasan," he said in awe (4).

    She gave Heero a nod, and then looked to the side. Standing directly in Heero's path was one final spirit - Trowa. He was waiting for Heero with a secretive smile on his face. The sight of him sent shivers down Heero's spine. To this day, he still had nightmares about the moment of his friend’s death. When he turned to face Trowa, his friend responded by opening his arms.

    Heero knew that if he got close to these spirits, then they would take his soul too. However, Trowa was standing in his way. He was the one, penultimate regret of his life. He couldn't save him, and he didn't acknowledge his feelings towards him. All this time, he professed to be Trowa's best friend, but he never did touch the other's darkest secret. Heero closed his eyes and clenched his fists at his side.

    I am sorry Trowa. If I could do it over, it would have been different. And now here I am, about to be with another man. I don't deserve your forgiveness.

   Trowa canted his head to the side, and continued to wait with open arms.

    The shepherd steeled his resolve and opened his eyes. He couldn't spend his life floating in an endless sky, asking for a forgiveness that could only come from beyond the grave. He stalked forwards and walked directly into the circle of Trowa's arms. The apparition folded his arms closed, and Heero could feel the faintness of that touch. It made him stall, just to have that one moment, and then he walked on. He passed through Trowa's ghostly body, and in the next moment, found himself inside of another chamber.

    He had made it to the bonding chamber. The doors automatically came to a close behind him, sealing him away from skies and all those memories and regrets. When he realized what he just went through, Heero sagged to the floor in near collapse.

    "It wasn't that bad, was it?"

    The voice made him look up. Before him was a majestic room. Marble inlaid with veins of gold held up a domed roof that bore the painting of a blue sky with peaceful clouds. The walls had paintings of beautiful creatures: cherubs, unicorns, god-like beings; all prancing and frolicking among a green grass. Water fell from fountains along the walls and fed directly into channels that were cut into the floor. These waterways flowed around a raised dais, where a round bed with a crème colored coverlet waited.

    Sitting on top of the mattress was Duo. He was perched in the middle of the bed with one leg bent and the other resting beneath him. Like Heero, he was naked, and his hair was completely free of the braid that normally tamed it. Chestnut-colored waves spilled all around him; only the shorter strands and uneven bangs were left to frame his heart-shaped face. He looked as if he belonged in this chamber of blessed beings.

    Heero straightened up from the crouch he had fallen into. He drew in a shaky breath that was unable to calm his pounding heart. "Did you see the same things?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Duo. For a moment, his face looked dark. "Not exactly how I wanted to meet my parents. But, beggars can't be choosers." He stretched out a hand to Heero, beckoning him to come. "You ready?"

    No, he wasn't, and Heero knew that he never would be. It was his resolve that carried him forth. His feet dipped into the waters surrounding the bed, and then he climbed up the dais. He stretched his hand out to clasp Duo's, and then he was hoisted up onto the enormous bed that waited. By now, he thought he would pass out from the thunderous beating in his chest.

    Duo gave Heero a knowing smile as he took the other's hands in his own. "Don't faint on me now, Heero."

    "Urusai," (5) bit out Heero. The fact that Duo was ribbing on him actually helped to calm him somewhat.

    "Maybe later," said Duo. Then he added in a deeper voice. "Because right now, I'm making you mine."

    The moment had come. Looking at Duo's earnest face, it was obvious that he was doing this whole-hearted. After all this time, the chase between them was coming to an end. The knowledge of what was about to transpire made Heero feel heady. His feelings for Duo felt both new and old at the same time. He wanted to know where those feelings would lead. Even if this was the wrong body for it, Heero wanted to experience what Duo could make it feel.

    "I am here before you to give you my heart and soul," began Duo. The fountains in the chamber seemed to respond with an extra gush of water. At the base of the bed, the channels overflowed and began to flood the room. "You have my fidelity, my bravery, and my life. When you pass, so shall I. My power unto yours. My love, always yours."

    Duo's hands began to glow with purple energy. Heero could feel the truth of those promises seep into his skin. All his life, he had been nothing more than a mere shepherd, and now he was discovering power, adventure and love in ways that his wildest imagination had never supplied him. He resented Duo for what he had lost, but he was also grateful for what he was gaining. That was why Zechs could not hold him in his thrall. He was already too enchanted by Duo to be taken over by anyone else.

    "I accept your heart and soul, and give you mine in return," said Heero quietly. His own hands began to glow white, and the flow of water in the background grew stronger. "My fidelity, my bravery, my life is yours. When you pass, so shall I. My power unto yours. My love, always yours."

    Duo breathed in sharply, and then he broke into a smile. The fountains stopped flowing, leaving the chamber inundated with several feet of water that stopped just two inches shy of flooding over the bed. Droplets from the silent fountains plunked nosily into their suddenly quiet room. The boys stared at each other, hardly able to believe the enormity of what they had just done.

    "Heero," said Duo in a hush. Any louder, and his voice would have echoed. The water's reflection was sending roaming lights over their bodies, making everything appear as if it was a dream.

    "Nani?" responded Heero (6). He looked at Duo expectantly.

    "The gods are waiting for us to consummate," answered Duo. His grin turned into a distinct leer as he began to advance on Heero.

    "Ah--" was all that Heero managed to say before his mouth was conquered in a feverish, hungry kiss. It took a few moments to remember that he could breathe through a kiss, and his nostrils flared for air as Duo pushed his tongue past his lips and delivered a pleasure he had never felt before. Heero wrapped his arms around Duo's neck, tangling in all that light brown hair as he clung to keep from swooning. Duo's hands rubbed his back soothingly as he drank deeply from the sweetness of Heero's mouth.

    A dazed look clouded over Heero's cobalt-colored eyes. He didn't think that a mere kiss could make him flush and get hard. Their cocks brushed together as the line of their bodies met, and he gasped at both the feeling and the memory that they were two men about to have sex. Duo detached their lips when he felt the change in Heero, his mouth going dry at the sight of his lover’s swollen mouth, red cheeks and desirous eyes.

    The shepherd parted his lips slightly in quiet supplication for more, but he didn’t initiate a second kiss. Duo chuckled. It was obvious that Heero had no idea what he was doing. Neither did Duo for that matter, but at least he had some tutoring on the matter. "You know, you're allowed to touch me too," he playfully to Heero.

    Heero's eyes automatically lowered to Duo's penis upon hearing those words.

    "Sheesh, is that all you can think about?" said Duo with a smirk. "Don't get so obsessed with my dick."

    A glare was shot at Duo's face. "It's really not that impressive."

    "You remember where it's going right?" asked Duo with a grin. His hands were now caressing Heero's sides. He was unable to stop touching him in any way that he could since they started.

    "Why do I have to be the bottom?" muttered Heero sullenly. Just the thought of having Duo's dick up his ass was killing his mood.

    "Because I said the first half of the vow," said Duo. Then he pushed Heero down into the mattress, to which the other boy responded with a soft 'oomph.' "Sucks for you, but Shinigami knows that I'm going like it."

    Heero was alarmed to be on his back, because it meant that he was in position for what Duo had to do next. He pushed himself up on his elbows. "Are you really going to do that now?" he asked nervously.

    "We can't wait Heero, anything could be happening back at Sanc," said Duo. He reached for one of the pillars that were close to the bed and slid open a secret compartment. Inside, there were glass bottles of clear mineral oil. He popped open the cork of one of them and poured the liquid into his hand. This he transferred onto his cock, which he squeezed with a pleasured sigh.

    Heero watched Duo lather himself up with a dubious expression on his face. This was like sending a stable hand to do the job of a matador. Duo was intent on walking into the bullpen with a red flag and no hope of surviving the stampede. Sadly, the one that was going to get trampled in the end was Heero. "Duo," he said in an edgy voice. "Are you sure you know what you are doing?"

    "Of course I do," said Duo with false bravado. "I've been training for this marriage thing for a while now. You've got nothing to worry about." Then again, Duo had only trained for marriage with a woman. The amount of knowledge that he had for sex with a man amounted to the one quick and dirty conversation that he had with Tsuberov. Naturally, he neglected to tell Heero this.

    The fact that Duo seemed so confident about it put Heero on further edge. When Duo advanced on him on all fours, cock glistening with fresh rosemary oil and a leering look on his face, the shepherd backed away until he was at the very edge of the round bed.

    "Hey, don't be scared," said Duo with amusement. "I mean I know it looks big. Huge, even. So massive that it's a wonder that I'm even able to walk without falling sideways--"

    "Duo," cut in Heero with a glare. "Urusai."

    "Alright alright," said Duo, although the amusement never left his voice. He threw up his hands dramatically, because the gods knew that Heero would never gain a sense of humor in this lifetime. "Just open your legs and let me go to town already."

    A furious blush stained Heero's tanned cheeks to a dark red. He couldn't believe that he was doing this. Was it too late to escape before Duo stuffed him like a turkey on the day of first harvest? The boy eyed the Shadowman, who was looking back at him with this hopeful expression. It made Duo look incredibly vulnerable, which made Heero's heart melt the slightest bit.

    Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Heero rested his back on the mattress and reluctantly parted his legs. His hands moved to his crotch to cover himself out of modesty. He turned his head away out of embarrassment of this act, refusing to meet Duo's violet eyes.

    The Shadowman's mind went blank at the handsome picture that Heero made as he sprawled on the bed. He was turned on before, but now every cell in his body was screaming for the coupling that was to happen. Gently, he took his love’s hands away from his genitals and pinned them to the mattress. Duo's long, chestnut hair spilled over them both as he leaned over Heero to position himself.

    "You're shaking," said Heero quietly. He could feel Duo's hands tremoring over his own.

    "Can't help it," answered Duo in a husky voice. He was rutting his shaft against the cleft of Heero's ass, searching for the way to get in. "It's my first time."

    That's what I'm afraid of, thought Heero to himself. He closed his eyes tightly when Duo let go of one of his hands so that he could assist the head of his cock past the flesh of his buttocks. Heero squeezed Duo's other hand tightly as he felt the first push dig the penis deeper towards his anus.

    "Open your legs more," huffed Duo, the warm air from his lips heating Heero's cheek.

    Slowly, Heero gulped and opened is legs wider. His hips shied off the bed when he felt Duo push against the tight ring of muscle that was his entrance.

    "Stay put," said Duo gruffly. Now that he was so close to being inside, he had lost his mind for anything else but this act. He pressed heavily against Heero's hip to keep him still while grinding his way past the other's sphincter. His mouth fell open when he finally began to sink inside, centimeter by centimeter with paralyzing pleasure.

    Heero's eyes went wide at the feeling of penetration. It was like nothing he had ever experienced before and his body automatically tried to reject it with a spasm of his pelvic floor. Searing pain from the clenching muscles made him yell at the top of his lungs.

    "Sssh sssh, it's okay," whispered Duo. He knew that Heero was going to hurt, but he wasn't expecting the intensity of it. Still, he couldn't bring himself to withdraw, because although the contractions of Heero's body were causing his love pain, they were an absolute heavenly gift to Duo's throbbing dick. "You just have to get used to it, I think."

    "You think?" hissed Heero. Another yell tore from his throat when Duo seated himself deeper despite his obvious discomfort. The Shadowman wasn't holding himself back at all, not even for Heero's sake. "Itai!! Itai!!!" (7)

    "Ow!" cried Duo with a wince. Heero had grabbed a fistful of his hair and was pulling as if he intended to rip it out of his scalp. "Will you stop that? That's not romantic at all!"

    "Get out of my ass," ground out Heero as he continued to pull; desperate to put an end to this pain.

    "No way, it's my ass now," said Duo with dirty smile. He wiggled his hips, causing his dick to rub along Heero's channel. The shepherd gasped at the new feelings, and the fingers which held onto Duo's hair went lax. "Besides, if you really didn't want it, then your dick wouldn't be hard. Right now, you're boned enough to chisel marble. So stop complaining and let me fuck you already."

    "You already took my virginity, do you want to take my dignity too?" asked Heero with defeat. He was resigning himself to the fact that their coupling was not going to be pleasant for him at all.

    "Your body, your heart, your dignity, I'm taking it all," said Duo without repent. "You're all mine now Heero, and I'm not letting you get away."

    Heero bit his lip as Duo began moving in and out of him at a quick pace, as if to accentuate the point that the shepherd was now eternally his. His muscles eventually gave out, allowing Duo's lubricated cock to glide deep inside of him with less resistance. The Shadowman murmured in pleasure when he felt the change, and he bowed his body over Heero's until his face rested in the crook of the other male's neck.

    "Ooooh yeah Heero," crooned Duo against Heero's ear. His face was melted into an expression of happy bliss and his lips stretched into an ecstatic smile. Duo held Heero by his shoulders, keeping him pinned while he sunk into the other's body so deep that his balls slapped noisily.

    Heero grabbed the mattress with one hand, feeling as if Duo's enthusiastic thrusting was going to send him flying off the bed. His other hand was draped over his eyes, as if shutting the world out was the only way that he was going to be able to endure this ordeal. Sweat broke out all over the shepherd's skin, and he uttered a soft "tsu" with every shallow breath that he took.

    The pain was still there, but not as strong as it was before. It left him with the ability to focus on the feeling of being filled and thoroughly conquered by the Shadowman. He desperately clung to the parts of this that were actually pleasurable: The feel of his cock rubbing against Duo's stomach, the way that Duo's hair covered them in a soft blanket, the utterly entranced look on Duo's face. Heero held on to all those things, and every now and then, he felt a spark of pleasure from deep inside of him.

    Duo made an animalistic little growl as he bit Heero's shoulder. He wedged himself deep into the other's body, and then his balls and shaft began to twitch. Heero grunted in surprise when he felt his insides flood with hot ejaculate. He was caught in a vice-like grip as Duo ground against him and exhaled a pleasured "haaaaaaa" at the peak of his pleasure. The liquid inside of him burned as it flowed down Duo's shaft and touched his sore sphincters, making Heero’s eyes tear up.

    When Duo was done riding the wave of his climax, he collapsed tonelessly on top of Heero and panted. The shepherd hesitated a moment, and then he circled his arms around Duo to simply hold him. It wasn't the best sex in the world, but he still felt strong feelings towards the Shadowman. Embracing him was enough to satisfy him for the moment.

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    The air in Sanc was electrified. News of the capitulation of the king to the Mystics spread like wildfire through the streets. Reactions to this new turn of events were mixed. People who bore blood of the Mystics in secret took to the streets in celebration. The Warriors of Light who gave their loyalty to the king were now free of their bonds, but were uncertain as to what it meant to be ruled by Mystics.

    Most of the commoners were simply afraid. They had already lost so many lives to the recent skirmishes, and more was sure to come as the balance of power continued to shift. Already, there were pockets of people attempting to flee the unstable kingdom of Sanc. Long lines of carriages dotted the cobblestone streets as citizens frantically packed their belongings together and attempted to flee the impending civil war.

    Thunder ravaged the sky and rain poured down. Pools of mud caused horses to slip and people to skid as they carried their belongings out of the houses. In the middle of the chaos was Wufei, who stood like a lone, red statue among the rushing people. His crimson clothing was thoroughly drenched, and somewhere between the trek from the castle to the town he had lost his hairtie.

    He had left the castle at the will of the Mystics, and simply walked and walked until he came to a halt right at the very place that he stood. He didn't know what to do. Merian's blood stained his hands. By all rights, he should have returned to his clan as leader, but it didn't feel right. Even if what Meiran did was wrong, she loved her people, even more than Wufei. He could see that now. The Dragon Warrior felt unworthy to return to his people, and there wasn't anyone to tell him what to do now. Quatre had given up before the battle even started, and now he was most likely dead. Wufei was disillusioned and broken.

    A distant scream arose from amid the chaos. In the distance, a massive, centipede-like creature had burrowed its way out of the ground, and wagons were being upended as it barreled through the streets and snapped at peasants with its enormous pincers. People were now running past Wufei in a panic, some of them bumping his shoulders in their mad dash to safety. One of them slammed square against his chest, and this person gripped his outfit and stared up at Wufei with wide, frightened eyes.

    "Why aren't the dragons protecting us!" cried the man in terror.

    Wufei stared blankly at the peasant. The dragons weren't here because there was no Shadowman to force his clan to obey anymore. It was a simple answer, and yet so very complicated. Wufei could have ordered them to do it anyway, but what would they gain? Meiran had sacrified her life for their freedom.

    "There will be no dragons," said an imperious voice. The peasant slowly released Wufei as Treize emerged from the crowd. He was walking against the flow of people, and his eyes were on the beast currently on the loose. "The time to rely on the strength of the Shadowman is over. For too long, the Light has been suppressed by the Darkness, and I for one will not stand idly by as one shroud gets replaced by another."

    Treize shifted his eyes over to Wufei. "I understand that your people have been isolated, but the Light basks on us both. Warriors exist to give glory to all life. Theirs. Mine. And yours."

    Wufei stared at Treize.

    "No longer will I allow history be decided for me," declared Treize. "Today, I take back the heritage that was taken by the will of the Winners. I will fight for a world where life can exist freely. If you are even half of the blood, you would understand that course."

    The blonde warrior saluted Wufei with his sword, and then he ran into the fray of people, heading in the direction of the giant centipede.

    Wufei watched Treize go with wide eyes. Then he clenched his hands into fists at his sides. Quatre had given up all of his bonds and his life so that the people of Sanc could live on. It was the perfect trade for the years of oppression that his family had caused. For that reason, Wufei chose not to interfere.

    However, now the honor of that sacrifice was being sullied. The people were dying anyway. It was clear that the Mystics had no intentions of sparing the innocents of the Sanc Kingdom. He understood now what Treize had meant. If he remained standing still, then the world would be shaped into one that was filled with injustice and chaos; a world where his clan could not thrive.

    “A world where life can exist freely,” murmured Wufei. It was a grand and probably impossible ideal. Even so, his people could live freely in such a bright future. A righteous world where injustice was rectified, starting with Quatre’s first sacrifice.

    It was ultimately what Meiran had wanted.

    With a mighty cry, Wufei unsheathed the blades of his gauntlets and rushed into the fray. A new age was about to begin, and he wasn’t going to be left behind.

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    Time seemed to stand still in the bonding chamber. Duo had fallen into a light doze, and Heero had turned on his stomach for the sake of reducing pressure on his bottom. He was idly tracing his fingers in the water as he remembered the faces of the people that he saw in the corridor. The way that his ancestors reacted towards him bothered him. Was there a tortured fate waiting for him beyond the grave? Did Trowa not have his rest yet?

    Duo began to stir. He had curled himself close to Heero and draped one arm over his waist. His hair was a messy tangle of wavy strands, and he winced when he felt it snag underneath him. With a mutter, he let go of Heero so that he could twist up the loose threads behind him into a ponytail. "One of these days, it'll be fashionable to be bald,” he groused.

    "Leave it," said Heero absently. "It makes you look more like an onna." (8)

    "Aw come on. You're not still sore about being the bottom are you?" asked Duo. At Heero's silence, he rubbed his forehead. "Was it really that bad?"

    "You were terrible."

    "Ow, right to the heart," said Duo jokingly. "Well it can't be helped. It is what it is." He gave Heero's ass a playful, heavy-handed smack, earning him a choked growl from his lover. Duo then began rolling the other's gluts, watching as it caused some of his cum to dribble out of Heero's hole. "You know, something seems off."

    "What do you mean?" asked Heero as he clenched his fists. He could feel liquid squelching and rolling down to his body's exit, and he reflexively tried to hold it in out of embarrassment. His cheeks were starting to burn red.

    Duo was watching Heero's ass as if he was utterly fascinated with it. He spread his love’s cheeks apart to try to coax the white fluid out, even going so far as to press his thumbs around the corona of tight pink flesh and gently attempting to pry it apart. "I figured that there would be some show of the god's appreciation or whatever. They could have at least pulled the plug on the water."

    "Duo," growled Heero as he buried his face in the mattress. He cared more about what the Shadowman was trying to do to him than the god's peep show right now.

    "You probably shouldn't let all that stay in there," said Duo as he began massaging the ring of muscle. "Don't be so embarrassed, I'm your husband now," he added in a playful lilt.

    "Ksooo," (9) cursed Heero. His body trembled at the humiliation of this moment. He felt Duo lean over him, his hair spreading over his legs in a ticklish curtain, and press deep kisses to the skin of his ass. A sensation at the pit of his spine burned like white hot fire, and everything beneath it turned to water. His muscles finally gave out, and more of Duo's semen bubbled out of him in a rush.

    "So much," said Duo in wonderment. He coaxed all of it to come out by jiggling one of Heero's cheeks. "You've been clenching this whole time, haven't you."

    Heero continued to shake in humiliation. He couldn't understand Duo's fascination with this. Even worse, he couldn't believe that it was turning him on. Maybe it was the fact that Duo could look at the worst parts of him fearlessly and love it all the same as the rest of him. Or maybe it was the ease that he handled his body, making him feel as if he was well cared for and pampered. Or perhaps, it was because he finally let go of all his inhibitions and gave himself over completely to Duo.

    "Anyway, as I was saying," said Duo. He was using his middle finger to press a short distance into Heero and help channel the ejaculate down. "I think there's something else we're supposed to do."

    "N...Nani...." uttered Heero as he began to squirm. Did they have to do that horrible sex again?

    Duo let out a sigh, obviously not wanting to say the following words. "Complete the circle."

    It took a few moments for what Duo said to sink in and make sense. When Heero realized what the other meant, he suddenly sat up from his prone position. Immediately, he grabbed a fistful of Duo's hair and used it to force him down into the mattress.

    "OW! Hey, what's the big deal!" cried Duo as he clutched at the hairs closest to his scalp to reduce the pull.

    "When were you going to tell me this?" demanded Heero as he continued to punish Duo.

    "I wasn't sure, even Tsuberov didn't know. All he knew was that I had to be on top because that's how it's been for generations. Of course it was by default, but you can't hold that against me," groused Duo.

    "Yes I can," said Heero tensely. He released Duo's hair and smacked one of the pillars with his fist. It caused the secret compartments to open, and he fetched the bottled lubricant with an air of determination. Heero uncorked the bottle and applied the fragrant mineral oil liberally to his dick.

    "You might want to slow down," said Duo nervously. Heero was looking a little too scary for his taste right now. "You really don't know what you're doing."

    "I know exactly what I'm doing," said Heero as he grabbed one of Duo's legs and put it over his shoulder. He roughly dragged Duo's body close and gave the Shadowman a look of pure intent. "I'm taking revenge."

    Duo's first scream echoed loudly throughout the chamber.

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  The Puppet Master looked upon the carnage that was happening in the kingdom of Sanc from his place atop the towers of Sandrock. He could feel the lives of the fallen departing at a rapid pace. When he first teamed up with Dorothy to bring about revolution, he had dreamed of the moment that he would take revenge on the Winner family and liberate his people from centuries of oppression.

    Now that he was on the eve of achieving that goal, the fruit of winning didn't taste as sweet. His resolve had begun to waver once he met that Barton boy. All of his life, his skill in the art of manipulation was unparallel. He could seduce any mind, be it creature or human, and bend it to his will. It gave him an all powerful thrill to know that he could have the world in his hands if he wanted.

    However, Trowa had broken his spell. He had been the first to give such resistance. Next was Heero, who managed to save himself within minutes of being enchanted. These happenstances did not make him angry, in fact, they exhilarated him. Finally, he had found worthy men who could stand up to his power. Life had been much too easy until that point.

    To think that true Warriors of Light had such mental strength was nothing short of amazing. Zechs wanted to clash against them again and again to hone his abilities and survive against all odds to achieve his own personal glory. Nothing teased his palate more than breaking the minds of strong men.

    Now, an ethnic cleansing was taking place. All of the commoners and warriors were being vanquished. Soon, the only ones left alive would be those who shared Dorothy's vision of freedom. Those strong wills would vanish from the world, and Zechs would once again live on without the faintest glimmer of competition. After the act of revenge was completed, he realized that life afterwards would be empty and boring. His skills would be obsolete. Zechs would be a soldier in a world without war, completely useless and redundant.

    The dream that he once shared with Dorothy was starting to look like a nightmare, and this realization was coming too little, too late. He didn't want a peace that came with homogeneity. This was not a peace that would benefit him at all.

    Maybe things could still be changed. Zechs whirled around and stalked into the shadows. Dorothy had her revenge. Surely negotiating the freedom of some of the people would not be beyond his grasp.

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    Something was wrong, and it was annoying the hell out of Heero. Instead of flinching or screaming in pain, Duo was writhing beneath him in a fit of ecstasy. He moaned and yelled in pleasure, the very opposite of what Heero had intended for him.

    "More Heero more, ah..ah...ah," panted Duo. His hands wouldn't stop roaming over Heero's body in silent worship of what he was doing to him. He very wantonly wrapped his legs around the other’s waist as leverage for his own return thrusting. Never in his life had Duo experienced such agonizing pleasure.

    Heero couldn't believe that he had been the woman in the past life. Clearly there had been a mistake. He had more enjoyment wielding his cock than he had taking it in himself. Finally, this was a coupling that he could actually enjoy. He hoped the gods were burning harder than his dick as he shoved it deep inside Duo in a relentless pace.

    The Shadowman’s voice rose up in another scream of pleasure. He clawed his hands around his love’s neck to pull himself closer. Heero shifted so that he was seated on the bed with Duo straddling his hips. They breathed hotly into each other's faces, skin slippery with sweat. Duo bounced on Heero's dick, taking him in all the way to the root, and passionately kissed him.

    It was too much. Heero would have loved to punish Duo forever; to see his face remain permanently slack with mindless pleasure and to hear that begging until the end of time. However, something was building up between them. Heero could feel it both in his genitals and in his chest. With the impending orgasm came a new awareness that he never had before. He could feel his cock inside of him, pleasuring him in ways that he never knew that he could feel. His fingernails were biting into his ass as he held it open and used powerful strength to rise and lower himself onto his waiting dick. For a moment, he truly thought that he was making love to himself, but then he realized that what he was feeling was Duo's experience of being fucked by him.

    Duo had stopped kissing Heero and was simply arching his back with his head hanging loose. He gasped softly as his cock pulsed hot cum onto the other’s stomach. Heero felt the climax as his own pleasure, and he clung to Duo as his own semen pushed out of him and coated the insides of his lover. He felt himself filling up again even though it was now Duo that was christened from the inside.

    They remained locked in an embrace as they shared each other's orgasm. Both were caught in an almost endless loop of pleasure; Duo's climax was Heero’s, and in return Heero's release was Duo's. They fed on each other's wave of ecstasy; muscles tensed and sweat rolling off their bodies in rivulets, until every last drop of passion was squeezed out of them. Then they simply clung to each other and struggled for breath.

    "Heero," said Duo in a soft pant, "I can feel you."

    "Aa," agreed Heero quietly. He understood what Duo meant, because he was experiencing the same thing. Not just the out of body experience of being Duo for a moment, but also feeling the other boy's thoughts and emotions.

    This is the same kind of bond I had with Quatre, came Duo's words in Heero's mind. But it's so much stronger. I can't tell where I end and you begin.

    Is this going to change who we are? thought Heero.

    You've been changing who I am since the moment I met you, replied Duo. And when were you going to tell me that we met in a past life?

    You weren't supposed to know that.

    Don't be embarrassed because you were a girl. So I damned myself for you back then, huh.

    Hardly surprising.

    Maybe that's why there's so many souls in the corridor. They can't pass on. Families and loved ones are tied in death you know. Until the damned soul passes, all the ancestors are stuck in limbo.

    That explains your side of the family, but what of mine?

    We were already bonded back then. You're always going to share my fate.

    Heero slowly opened his eyes. He looked up at Duo, and said in a soft voice, "Your fate is to disappear."

    "Yeah," said Duo quietly. "I'm going to fade away. I don't know how long I have. Maybe until I kill Quatre."

    "You're not going to do that," said Heero with quiet resolve. He couldn't tell if that feeling was his own or Duo's.

    "And you're not going to fade quietly either," said Duo. When he finally opened his own eyes to look at Heero, his irises were revealed to be colored a deep purple. "I'll be there with you."

    The water in the bonding chamber began to drain. The white drapery that decorated the round bed was now turned a deep red. All of the statues in the room spouted water that was glistening with flakes of calcite. It flowed into the channels, which began to fill with the mineral and glow beautifully.

    "This love has been a curse since the beginning," said Heero somberly.

    "That's why the Light and Dark were forbidden from ever crossing paths," whispered Duo. "It's so powerful."

    Heero's power flowed through Duo, and Duo's energy fed Heero’s. It went back and forth between them, empowering them with new abilities and knowledge that they never had before. They dared to cross the lines so long ago, and the entire world was slowly torn asunder because of it.

    This one moment though. Was worth centuries of waiting.

    Neither knew who's feeling that was anymore.

TO BE CONTINUED

(1) Kichigai yo! - You are crazy!

(2) Baka – Idiot

(3) Gomen nasai – I’m sorry

(4) Okaasan – Mother

(5) Urusai – Shut up

(6) Nani? – What?

(7) Itai! Itai! – It hurts! It hurts!

(8) Onna - Woman

(9) Kso - Shit
- 18
- 19
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The Shadowman