Lightening the Shadows

A/N: Ok… for all who are wondering, the Shadow Lords are not demons. They are servants of Shinigami who are able to walk through any shadow and then re-enter this realm through any other. Straightforward, ne? Also, yes Duo is the ruler. Sometime later, when he and Wu are actually talking, he’ll tell him about what happened to them. Right now I don’t want to spoil the surprise. :):) And keep voting people!!! I need ideas and it’s tied!

Part Seven


Lady Une looked up from the report in her hand to see Rashid fidgeting in front of her desk. *Well that’s odd.* Carefully she kept her tone even and ordered, “Report, Captain.”

Rashid snapped to attention. “Chang is in the Lion’s Den, drunk off his ass, and mumbling something about ‘those two finishing off that little snot’. If you excuse the assumption Lady, I’d guess that he’s referring to that young slave.”

Une nodded. “Supposition excused and noted, captain. Dismissed.”

Rashid fidgeted again and Une looked up from her paperwork again. “What is it?”

“I wish to offer another hypothesis, ma’am.”

Une lifted a brow and waited.

“I think that he was talking about Treize and Zechs. I know that they are planning a meeting with him sometime later, but have been unable to discover when.”

“This was not in your report, Rashid.” She chastised. “However, I will excuse your oversight. This time.” Her expression promised that this would be the only time. “Dismissed, Rashid.”

Rashid quickly decided not to push his luck and left the room as silently as he entered.

*****

Treize settled the cloak over his shoulders and turned to his lover. “Zechs. Calm down, love.”

“But Treize. That—that man--“ The blonde pulled harshly on a lock of hair.

“I know darling. But we have to go now.” He settled the heavy cloak over his agitated lover’s shoulders and squeezed them gently. “It will be all right darling. We’ll find him.” *We have to.*

Tear filled ice blue eyes lifted to meet his. “Promise me?”

“I promise, koi, we’ll find him.”

“Thank you.” Zechs whispered softly.

Together the two Shadow lords walked out the door, each step bringing them closer to Chang Maru…

*****

“Wufei!”

The boy in question pouted and reluctantly turned his attention from the book in front of him to the blond Shadow Lord bouncing before him. The excited young man’s wings showed his eagerness in the slight fluffing of the white feathers behind him and his blue eyes sparkled in enthusiasm. Despite himself, Wufei felt an answering thrill inside him and he wondered why his friend was so happy.

“What is it, Quatre?”

Quatre bounced again and giggled. “Heero’s taking us riding! Come on!”

Wufei’s eyes widened comically when Quatre grabbed his hand and tried to drag him out of the chair. He almost panicked. *Riding? I can’t ride!* unable to escape the tight grip that the other had on his hand, Wufei sluggishly followed him. “Um… Quatre?”

“Yes Wufei?” He answered somewhat distractedly.

“Who’s Heero?”

The little blond jerked to a halt with a wide-eyed expression of surprised horror. “Oh! I’m so sorry Wufei! Heero is—“ he paused, searching for an appropriate explanation. Preferably one that wouldn’t send Wufei into an instant panic. Swiftly coming to a decision he continued. “Heero is my lover.”

“Your lover? But I thought—“ confused, Wufei stopped.

Quatre smiled softly. “He is. Both Trowa and Heero are my lovers. Now come on!” Quatre grabbed his hand and commenced to pulling him down the hall toward the stables.

Quatre dropped his hand just inside the stable doors. Black eyes took in his surroundings with awe. Wufei had never seen so many horses before. The ones populating Shinigami’s stables came in every age, size, and color. He continued to follow he erstwhile guide, albeit at a distance this time and he paused every once in a while to peer more carefully into a stall though he was too timid to actually touch one of the horses that watched him with soft, large eyes.

Suddenly he came face to face with an absolutely huge gray mare. He gasped sharply and flinched back, making Quatre whirl around to see what had caused the sound. The Shadow Lord quickly identified the horse blocking his view of the mortal and he began to ease toward them. One of those large gray ears flicked back in his direction, and he knew that the horse had heard him. He stopped. In a soft voice he commanded, “Stay very still Wufei. What ever you do, do not move until I tell you.”

Wufei obeyed, all of his attention now riveted on the large equine in front of him. He knew what that tone meant. He was in danger. Closely studding the expression of the animal, he couldn’t find any indication of that and wondered what had Quatre so nervous.

The animal paced closer and Wufei trembled with the need to run. Even though he could feel no threat from this being, Quatre was scared. And Quatre didn’t get scared without reason.

Slowly, gently, the gray nose reached out to nudge his shoulder. Hot breath blew his hair around his face, and that large mouth opened…

Quatre panicked. “Heero!”

…to nip softly at Wufei’s shirt. The proud head lowered to push itself gently into his hand, silently asking to be scratched. Wufei complied.


Heero rounded the corner at a dead run, having reacted to the fear in his lover’s voice, to see Nataku blocking the way. Quickly glancing around the stable he could see no sign of Shinigami’s pleasure slave. *Shit. Where is he?* he looked to his lover.

“There.” The blond pointed to just beyond the Shadow steed.

“Holy fuck. She’ll kill him! How did she get out?”

Quatre was nearly in tears. “I don’t know! Do something!” He wailed.

The two terrified Lords watched in trepidation when Nataku reached out to Wufei and opened her mouth. She lipped gently at Wufei’s shirt and tried to get the frightened mortal to scratch her ears. Their mouths dropped open. In unison they spoke. “What the hell?”

Wufei looked from them to the horse in confusion. “Anou… Quatre? What’s going on?”

The two looked from him, to the horse, and then back to each other. “We don’t know?” Quatre offered uncertainly.

Heero was studding the proceedings carefully. It almost looked like Nataku had bonded to the boy. But Shadow steeds didn’t bond to anyone other than Shadow Lords. Or at least they never had before. *What the hell?* he wondered again. Taking a chance he spoke. “May we approach your chosen, Nataku?”

The horse transferred her gaze from Wufei to Heero. She sensed the mortal’s fear of this one but he held no such sentiment for the little blonde. *You may not. The blonde however may come closer.*

Wufei flinched when he heard a woman’s voice ring through the room. “Q-Quatre?”

The blond eased closer, being sure to seem as unthreatening as possible under the watchful stare of Nataku. When he was close enough to insert himself between Nataku and the boy he carefully tried to maneuver himself in front of Wufei. Impatiently the horse pushed him back. *You will not come between me and my chosen one. Speak now Shadow Lord. What do you want with him?*

Quatre swallowed. This would require great tact. If Nataku decided that he was in any way a threat to her chosen she would kill him. not as easily as she could Wufei, perhaps, but she was capable of doing so nonetheless.

“He is my friend Lady. I would see to nothing more than his welfare.”

Her look was measuring and Quatre strove to show the mare that he was sincere. Apparently she decided that he was, either that or it was the fact that she felt no fear of him from her chosen. Either way she said, *You may approach.*

Nataku carefully watched her chosen for any sign of trepidation. She saw none. She knew that her chosen one was not like the Shadow Lords that her kind bonded to. He was almost the same but there was something different about him. Just what that was, she couldn’t tell. But somehow she knew that he was more fragile than the other Lords. She would have to make sure that he was protected.

“Are you alright, Wufei?” Quatre inquired as he came close enough that he didn’t have to raise his voice.

Quatre decided to skip the details and improvise a little on the situation. “The horses here are different. Nataku has decided to be your mount.”

“But you looked so worried…”

The blond decided to tell a little white lie. “I was just afraid that she’d scare you. Are you ready to go for that ride?” He changed the subject and added a little smile for effect. He turned to Nataku. “With your permission that is, Lady.”

The Shadow steed nodded though she cast a suspicious glance at Heero. *That is acceptable. You, however, shall stay between my chosen and that one.*

“Hn.” Heero grunted both his assent and irritation at being ordered by a horse, be it Shadow steed or not. With a sharp whistle he called both Wing and Sandrock to ready them for the ride.

Both of the new arrivals nodded to Nataku. *So you have finally chosen?* Sandrock, being the more talkative of the two, asked. Wing was characteristically silent, though the other two could tell that he was definitely interested, and he also waited impatiently for the answer.

*I have.*

*But Nataku, he is--*

*No, Sandrock, look deeper. Whatever he is, he is not mortal.*