Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Kondomo no youkai ❯ Chapter one ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Title: Kondomo no youkai


Category: Gundam Wing


Author: gundam06serenity


Beta read by: xXxMirokuisMinexXx! (Thank-youuuuuu!!!!!!!!!)



Genere: Supernatral, Angst, Romance


Warnings: Mentions of slavery, AU (alternative Universe), OOC (out of character), bad language, and references to abuse, slavery, may contain mentions of child abuse, may contain references to non-graphic rape (may not be included-- may only be implied), non- main character death, YAOI (MALE-MALE SLASH), Yuri (may be mentioned).


Rating: pg13 / R (may go up in the near future)


Pairings: .......? (You'll have to wait and see, now, wont you?)


Author’s notes: .......I have no excuses for this. Forgive me & please read & review!.. The result of late-night saiyukai reading mixed with fanfic-reading.......


Disclaimer: I own nothing.... :(... the characters belong to the lovely people at Bandai and Sunrise and in Japan.... If I did, it would not have been suitable for little children to watch....... It would have been full of slashey-goodness :)


Summary: In a world where humans rule supreme, the full-blooded supernatural keep themselves to themselves, the abominations, the half-breeds, are treated as lower than dirt, as personal servants, as pit-fighter, as play-things, as slaves. The old generations condoned it, the new know not the truth, the kondomo no youkai suffer in silence, those who rebel, falling out of favor. Those living on the streets, more often than not, captured, forced to be pit-fighters. Chances of surviving training: 70:1, life expectancy once training is completed; 3-6 months max. Chances of four friends surviving & making it out of there? Zero.

Key words:

If any of the following words' translations are incorrect please e-mail me! Thank-you!


Kondomo no youkai = child of demon. I've been reading waaaay too much Saiyuki recently.... In this fic humans will use youkai or kondomo no youkai as an insult (unless some wonderful person out there wishes to tell me the Japanese term for demon spawn or half blood, or abomination)


hambun-chi = half-blood


kitanai-chi = dirty blood


also called Children of Taboo -- used to be called children of tabpp before bred for fighting & slavery because many saw it as an offence to the gods & a risk of angering both demon & human gods by cross-breeding


Key:


_* FLASHBACK*_ = flashback


- Dream - = dream


'blablabla' =thoughts


" ladedadeda" = speech

WARNINGS: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS non-graphic violence, non-main character death & briefly mentions minors having sex/ being lovers. THIS IS A YAOI, SLASHY FIC PEOPLE! IF MALE-MALE RELATIONSHIPS OFFEND YOU, PLEASE STOP READING!

Chapter One: Never Change


Tap Tap Tap


The sound of pacing broke the eerie silence of the night as the irate, Chinese teen paced around his shared prison-like cell, head held high, scowling darkly at the three grim, grey, dirt and blood stained walls, eyes glancing up at the three small black-stained steel doors, eyes darting to the fourth bar-covered wall,, his anxiety masked carefully behind his fierce glare as his eyes again searched the third wall, past the floor-to-ceiling length iron bark, onyx orbs searching desperately, ears straining to hear the slightest sound in the still, damp, dungeon-like place.


A tall, nineteen year old teenager with waist-length crimson-streaked platinum blond hair stood, strong, muscular arms folded, leaning back against the slightly damp stone wall, head tilted down, long blond bangs masking ice blue eyes; eyes that followed his Chinese companions every movement. His pale, cream-colored skin glistened in the dark, almost completely covered by his work, dirty blood-red cloths.


Moonlight filtered through the one impossibly high up, A5 sized barred window, their only link to the outside world, illuminating the third figure in the cell, that of what looked to be a fifteen year old boys with a long, messy, chestnut, crimson, black and amethyst streaked mid-thigh length braid. He sat on the floor, one knee up, one leg laying flat against the floor, sprawled out in front of him, elbows rested on his knee, head in hands, cold, hate-filled violet-indigo eyes staring down at the floor, his pale, too pale. paper-white skin almost glowing in the dark, a slightly worn, torn black and crimson bandanna covering his forehead and the tips of his ears, his long bangs falling forward, covering hi snow softening eyes.


_* Flashback *_


"Aaaaah!" A four year old boy whimpered, kind, expressive, innocent yet slightly hardened violet-indigo eyes welled with tears, desperately blinking them back, right hand clutching at his badly-swollen legit arm that was caked with day-old blood, probably broken, unfortunately, the blinding-white pain in his arm returning now that it had been jarred.


Slumping down onto the dirty, rubbish-strewn back-ally ground, cradling his arm to his chest, the street-rat, as he has so often been called during his short months-stay on the streets as a free boy, trying desperately to muffle his small, heart-wrenching sobs with his pale, dirty hand, clutching tightly at the small piece of paper that he needed to stay free; his ownership papers.


The older slaves, the ones now born into the Master's house nor born into slavery, ha often talked about live, a life they longed for and had once lived; Life as free men and women, life without orders or masters or punishments. He had always listened on in fascination, especially to Helen, one of the master's oldest slaves at twenty-eight. He had loved those stories, especially the ones about the large, green open-spaces and tall brown and green things tables were made of; The countryside, Helen had called them, and meadows, and forests. Master had been going to cell him, anyway, not liking the way his youngest daughter, Ann, had grown so attached to him, caring so deeply for him and his barely still-intact innocence and naivety only children could poses. So, when the Master had taken him out of the large house, the manor, to go to the slave-market, and had been arguing with the slave-trader, a tall, bear-like man, over his price, he had grabbed his papers, and had ran. He had ran and ran and ran, but he had still yet to find the open-lands and forests Helen and the others had spoken of so often. He had, however, found that, on the streets, meals were even fewer and further-between than they had been back with the master, and others were strictly not to be trusted, nor taken lightly. That was how he had gotten his arm broken hours earlier.


His previously neat and fairly clean cloths; black trousers, an overly big black peasant shirt that hung off of one shoulder, and black silk ribbon the master's daughter had given him for his hair, were now even more worn-looking, scuffed and dirtied with blood and grime. Loose strands of chestnut, crimson, black and amethyst-streaked hair escaped his now messy braid, curtaining around slightly pointey-tiped, elf-like ears.




"Hey, kid" The chestnut-haired boy jumped, eyes darting around, looking for an escape route, finding none, before eyes wide, settling on the newcomer.


He had tanned, dirt-streaked skin, dirty blond, slightly shaggy, shoulder length hair and street-hardened emerald-green eyes. He looked about six, seven years of age.


Gently taking hold of the boys injured arm, he said, in a soothing voice as the four-year old whimpered, struggling, and trying to back away. "Shush, come on, kid, its ok, I'm not going to hurt'cha. I just need ta see ya arm, 'kay?" cradling the broken arm in both hands, he turned it, inspecting the swelling with a frown, muttering something unintelligible under his breath. the boy's struggling ceased as a fain, lime-green glow surrounded the blond-haired boy, moving out of his hands, down, through into his broken arm, surrounding it for a moment, before fading, leaving a now completely healed arm behind.


Letting out a sigh of relief, the boy rolled his shoulders, looking up, smiling warmly at the indigo-eyed boy. "I'm Solo." He introduced himself. Tilting his head to the side, studying the wide-eyed boy, taking in his appearance; everything from the wide, oddly-colored indigo eyes, to the tips of his tiny pointed ears, to the small, deceptively insignificant-looking piece of paper clutched tightly in his small, grubby hands. Seemingly coming to a conclusion, he continued. "I'm a half-werewolf. I also know basic healing , barrier and concealing magic."


The boy’s eyes widened, incredibly, even further, his little mouth hanging open. "Your not 'asspost to tell people that you're a hambun-chi 'nd that you have kitanai-chi" He whispered.


"Just because someone's half-youkai it doesn’t mean that they’ve got dirty blood. We're children of Taboo, we are. We're not monsters, not human's playthings, not demons gone wrong, we're just different Is'all".


_* End of Flashback *_


The fifteen year old teen with violet-indigo eyes smiled bitterly, head falling back, pale neck arching, head resting against the damp stone wall. The irate Chinese teen, still pacing, was now muttering darkly in Mandarin, furious onyx eyes gleaming in the dark, ice blue orbs now lowered to watch the floor, eyes almost closed, a blank look masking his features.


_* Flashback *_


"Come on, kid, stop hiding back there and get out here so I can introduce you to the others." Solo called back as he entered the old warehouse, the indigo-eyes boy, warily hiding behind the door, ready to bolt is needs be.


The warehouse was full of activity. Almost eighty, by the looks of it, street-urchins, ages ranging from two to nineteen by the looks of it, almost all hambun-chi's of some sort, all children of taboo, as Solo had called them, all of them.... free.....


The indigo-eyed boy reluctantly crept forward, eyes watching Solo, his savior, arguing with a group of about eight other kondomo no youkai, the other occupants of the warehouse gathering around to form a circle, trying to see what Solo, their young-leader, was arguing so fiercely about.


"Hey, kid, come over here for a sec" Solo beckoned to him, the other half-youkai's parting, moving out of his was as he cautiously crept forward to stand beside Solo.


"Solo, you're gotta be shitting us! Ya really expect us ta believe you spent the last four days followin' that?!" One of the older gang members, a half were-leopard, sneered, looking down at the tiny violet-indigo eyed boy, who was still tightly clutching at the small, all-important piece of paper.


"Yea, Solo, he doesn’t look very useful-- more of a liability, if you ask me" Another girl, a half neko-jin added, glancing at the tiny wide-eyed boy. "Looks human" She spat.


"Don’t. You. Dare." Solo growled possessively & protectively, pinning her to the wall faster than any of them could follow. "Are you questioning my judgment, Sarah?" Solo's head shot around, hard green eyes softening as he caught sight of the scared-looking four year old.


Dropping Sarah, Solo walked forward, crouching down so he was at eye-level with the smaller boy. "Hey, kid, it's ok. There's nothing to be scared of here, 'kay?" The indigo-eyed boy nodded, sniffing. "Now, these guys here won’t let you stay unless you can prove that you're not human an' that you won’t be a liability. 'Kay? Can ya do that, kid?" Solo asked him gently.


Looking thoughtful for a moment, the young boy nodded, holding up the piece of paper that he had been guarding so fiercely for the past month.


Solo took the paper cautiously, eyes flicking over it. "Hey, Hilde, get over here!" Solo called loudly, a small, blue-haired girl, dark-eyed, pale-skinned girl, looking to be about a year, maybe two years older than the violet-eyed boy, came over. A were panther, by the looks of her.


"Yes, Solo?" She asked, smiling friendly over at the young boy who was now trying, unsuccessfully, to hide behind Solo's legs.


"Read this an' tell me what it says" He ordered, passing her the small document, ignoring the boy's panicked gaze.


"It's ok, kid, Hilde's only readin' it for us-- she used to be a slae, ya see-- they taught her how ta read, for some reason. I think the Lady had a soft spot for her 'cause she kinda looked like her deat daughter or somethin'. So, Hil', what's it say?" Solo asked, turning to face the small half-panther youkai.


Wide-eyed, mouth hanging open slightly, she stared at the violet-eyed boy, gawping. "Holy shinigami! Solo, you'll never believe this! Fuckin' hell, kid, why the hell'd anyone want ta sell you?! Bloody hell, either ya previous owner was a complete human or-- oh wait, we are talkin' 'bout humans here, ain't we? Jesus-fuckin'-christ!"


Blink-blink.


The indigo-eyed boy blinked at the rather colorful-language the small blue-haired half-youkai came out with.


"Wanna put that in English for us, Hil'?"


Eyes shining, Hildi squealed, hugging the indigo-eyed boy tightly, before letting go, visibly bouncing up and down. "Calm down, breath, explain" Solo ordered, ruffling the four-year old boy's hair.


"Oh Solo, if you knew! You'd be just as excited, So', I swear!" Calming slightly, Hilde continued, a note of aw in her voice. "It's him, Solo, he's him!"


"Hilde, you're not exactly makin' any sense, kid."


"She never does! Comes from spendin' too much time with humans when she was younger" Another half-youkai laughed at the small girl.


"He's shinigami's current incarnation!" Hilde firmly said above their laughter, quickly silencing them. "It has to be him, it's all here! Look- 'shows signs of being a shadow-mage, necromancy, appears to be immortal-- real age unknown, healing, advanced strength, speed & stealth--- exceptional flexibility and weaponry skills-- both in making, using & repairing, advanced sight and hearing, gifted with explosives-- thought to be a half dark elf-- it's gotta be him! You ever heard of any other youkai, let alone a half-breed able to use necromancy & shadow magic?! And at his age! If he's not the new Shinigami, than I'm not a were-panther!"


"I always thought she was a common tabby-cat! A few muttered agreements came from the other half-youkai present.


"Shut it" Solo snapped, glaring around at those who were bad-mouthing the petit blue-haired girl. Crouching down, looking straight into indigo-violet eyes, he quietly, calmly and gently asked him. "Hey, kid. You know how I helped you heal your arm earlier?" He nodded vigorously. " And you know how it helped you ta trust me?" Again, he nodded, this time slightly slower.


"Well, I need you to show these guys here some of the stuff you can do, ok?" Solo asked. The boy looked thoughtful for a moment, seeming to consider it.


"I'm not 'asspost ta use my powers-- that's what Helen said 'caues when I do people get asscared an' normal kondomo no youkai aint asspost ta be able ta do that sorta stuff.. buuuuuuut......... seein' as you helped me........ Helen said ta always say or show thank-you sooooo........ 'Kay!" He smiled brightly. Solo blinked. "Ummmm, I need you guys ta move back a bit" He said.


Standing in the middle of the circle of kondomo no youkai, he closed his eyes, hands held loosely by his sides, concentrating. After a few moments, a deep, void- like aura began to surround him, crackling, and emanating raw, pure power. Controlled, he slowly lifted both of his arms, cupping his hands together, creating a ball of black and grey energy, purple-eyes glowing eerily, before, with a flick of his wrist, hurling the crackling energy ball down at the ground beneath his feet, a large, void-like crater opening beneath him. With a flash of pure-black, he sunk down, through the ground, into the hole, the void closing and disappearing behind him.


Blinking, gawping, they all stood, staring in shock. Solo's eyes darted around the room, looking for where the young boy had gone.


"Psst! Solo, was that 'kay?" A small voice whispered.


Solo's head shot around, facing the shadowy corner behind him. Empty. Then, suddenly, the small, unearthly pale figure of a four-year-old boy pushed its way out, seemingly, from he shadows themselves, materializing, seconds later, besides the taller blond, stepping out of his shadow.


"Holy fuckin' Shinigami!"


"I told ya so!" Hilde crowed.


"Yes, kid, that was 'kay; more than ok" Solo smiled down at the beaming boy. "Ya got a name, kid?"


"He shook his head. "We weren’t allowed name before cause we hadn’t earned them-- only really, really old kondomo no youkai had names, like Helen. She was, like, twenty-five!"


Chuckling, Solo studied him, smiling. "Well, seeing as I'm one, Solo, I think we'll call you two. Duo. Now, you'll never be alone, ok?"


"'kay!" Duo chirped, hugging Solo's leg tightly, beaming up at his savior, Solo.


_* End of Flashback_*


"Something's wrong. He's taking too long. Oh, Nataku, something must have happened to him" The Chinese teen moaned, pacing becoming faster and faster.


"Wufei, calm down. There's nothing to worry about; he'll be fine. Nothing has happened to him" The blond calmly said, ice blue eyes opening to watch the anxious Chinese male, Wufei, who had, upon hearing his words, stopped, eyes hardening, turning to glare at him.


"Zechs, how can you say that?! He's not ok, I know he's not! He's like a brother, for fucks sake! I know that something has happened!"


_*Flashback*_



"something's wrong, I know it is! Solo's been gone for too long! Something must have happened to him! I know! For fuck's sake, So's like my fuckin' big brother!" The now eight year old Duo, eyes blazing, a faint black aura surrounding him as he began to loose his temper, shouted angrily.


In four short years, Duo had gone from possible liability to second in command of their gang, now of just over two hundred. With Solo' help, he had began to master his powers, and with Hilde's help, he had learned all about his heritage as Shinigami's current incarnation, and about other gods whom may also have incarnations at that time, or in the near future.


"You fucking cowards! You may not give a shit, but I do! I'm gonna save Solo!" He shouted, turning away from the others, running, determined to find his 'older brother', as the others thought Solo was to him, in reality, his first lover.


After half an hour of shadow-shifting (A/N what Duo did in previous flashback) from place to place, followed by almost an hour of flat-out running, he found him. He laid, near death, in a rapidly growing dark crimson pool, deep-red smears covering the walls of the alleyway, as he slowly, painfully, bleed to death.


"No...no.....nononononononono" Duo chocked, falling to his knees, crawling over towards his half-werewolf lover, head bent, eyes brimming with tears as he cradled his lovers broken, too-pale body in his lap. "No, Solo, no, please no!......."


"Boys....don’t cry, kid....." Solo coughed, slightly glazed emerald green eyes opening painfully. "I love you, Duo...."


"I love you too, Solo....please, don’t leave me, not like this, please! How can the gang survive without you, how-how can I got on without you?" He sobbed.


"I'm sorry, D..uo.... You will make a great leader, I know it..... Look after them for me.....look after...... yourself....move...on" Solo gasped, breathing starting to slow.


"Who did this?!" Duo asked coldly.


"Duo-"


"WHO?!" HE shouted, clutching at Solo's shoulders, pulling him up into a sitting position.


".......youkai....full-blood....s...." Solo breathed. "I love you, Du...o..... One......last kiss......for..... old Solo?"


Duo leant down, firmly but gently pressing his ruby-red lips against his dying lovers blue-tinged lips, staring deep into glazed emerald green orbs, two crystalline tears trailing silently down his pale, dirt-streaked cheeks as his savior, his brother, his mentor, his lover, his whole world died in his arms.


They stayed like that for minutes, hours, days. To Duo, time lost all meaning.


Once kind, joy-filled, loving violet-indigo eyes opened, now cold, bitter, pure-hatred and fury clouding them. Energy crackled around him as he hovered, shadows forming around him as a black cloak, violet-indigo eyes now flecked with crimson, a color that would forever haunt him. A pale, green-white orb left Solo's lifeless body, hovering for a moment, before allowing itself to be absorbed by the furious god-of-death, the first soul he would ever reap.


With a blinding, abyss-like flash, Duo appeared back outside their gang's---no, his gang's hideout, using his dark-elfin powers, mixed with his newly-acquired barrier magic, to hide his new-found look and current lapse of control over his form, using a glamour spell to hide it from the others.


Pushing the large steel-door open with an echoing, eerie 'screeeee' sound, he immediately sensed that something was wrong. Blood. The stench hit him. Blood, everywhere; painted on the walls, smeared across windows and few, meager possessions that belonged to various gang members, dripping from the ceiling, pooling on the floor. Bodies. Over one hundred bodies. One hundred and ninety-three. Some decapitated, some partially eaten, disemboweled, mutilated, raped, tortured, spines snapped, limbs missing, bite-shaped chunks of flesh and bone missing, some, fully drained of their life-giving crimson fluid.


The trembling, blood-spattered figure of nine-year-old Hilde, knees pressed against her chest, curled up in the far corner of the room, eyes wide, unseeing, unable, unwilling to comprehend the horrors she had been forced to watch, unable to face-up to the death of her childhood friends, her family, her entire world, destroyed in the space of a few hours.


Standing in the centre of the room, admits the carnage, they stood. Eight full-blooded vampires and six full-blooded werewolves; the cause of all of the carnage, the deaths, Solo's death......


Duo, trembling with rage, barely able to keep his glamour in place, asked the one-question that he needed to be answered, the one question that would haunt him, the one answer that could save or destroy him.


"Why.... why did you do this? Why did you kill them, your own kind! I could understand if they were humans, but not this?! Why did you kill them, why did you kill Solo?!" Duo, voice deadly calm, wavered slightly, as the full-blooded youkais turned their attention on him.


Laughing cruelly, one of the vampires answered him. "Our kind? Child, they, you, are nothing more than a filthy half-breed. You and they are not our kind. You are even more worthless than the lowly, dirty, corrupt humans. You, they were nothing more than a mistake."


_*End of Flashback*_


Wufei and Zechs' arguing fell silent as the faint sound of steadily approaching foot steps reached them. The guards were approaching.


_* Flash Back*_


Furious, Duo lowered his head, trembling with rage, a few crystal-like tears spilling from rage-filled eyes.


"Awww, look, the ickle hambun-chi's crying" The vampire taunted him.


"You will pay...... YOU WILL PAY!!!!!!" Duo shouted, unable and unwilling to hold the darkness, his darkness, back anymore, violet-indigo orbs clouding, becoming crimson as the shadows returned to aid their master, as the recently deceased were called back from their eternal slumber to serve their master, to avenge the deaths their masters enemies had caused, that had caused their masters pain and anger.


In the end, only a severally weakened, unconscious, eight-year-old half-youkai, Duo, and nine year old Hilde were left alive, all alone, among the bloody, corpse-filled room that had once been so full of life, of activity, of love, that had been their home.


_*End of flashback*_


Duo opened his eyes slowly, crimson-flecked violet-indigo staring, emotionlessly, unseeing, as the barred-wall slid open, two guards, one obviously experiences, one new, threw a bruised and bloody figure of a fifteen year old blond-haired boy, aqua-marine eyes closed, unconscious. Before the unconscious boy's body could hit the floor, Wufei darted forward, catching him, cradling him gently in his arms.


Zechs stalked forward, growling animalistic ally, baring tiger-like fangs at the new guard foolish enough to step too far into their territory. The older guard quickly grabbed his foolish, younger colleague, slamming the bars silently shut, nodding his apology to the furious half white tiger.


Crimson-flecked eyes now in focus, Duo fixed his gaze on the cocky, slightly shaken younger guard and the older, more experienced and more likely to survive of the two, both taking a few steps back when they met his furious, terrifying stare.


"Bring bandages, and clean water" Wufei, voice deadly-calm, unwavering, ordered, as he brushed the blonds’ blood and sweat soaked bangs away from his forehead.


"Oh? And why should we listen to a dirty hambun-chi?" The younger of the two guards sneered.


Duo turned his gaze back on him, crimson flecked violet-indigo gleaming in the dark, almost glowing. "How would your employer like it if not only did he loose one of his most prized, popular, entertaining and valuable fighter-healers, but also two of his worthless, overpaid, over confidant guards as payment for what belongs to me"


"Sh-Shi--" The younger guard stammered, backing away. The second guard, the older of the two, having left minutes earlier, returned, approaching the small metal hatch, pushing the bandages, a medium-sized bowl of warm water, extra food and a small, once sky-blue blanket through the barred hatch, Duo nodding his thanks & approval, Zechs collecting the supplies, taking them over towards the other two younger teens.


"You cannot be serious?! Why waist so much on one worthless pit fighter-" The younger guard argued, being cut off by the older guard.


"You're new here, kid. You'll soon learn that no-one messes with those who belong to Shinigami--- Shenlong, Angel and Shiro-Neko. Those who do don’t last long around here." He warned, nodding one last time to Duo, before leaving.


As the sound of the guards echoing footsteps slowly faded, disappearing, Duo stood, stretching, now crimson-free violet-indigo eyes drifting over the cells other three occupants; Wufei, crouched, cradling the unconscious petit blonde’s body to himself, as Zechs, the older, taller blonds, spreads the blanket out for him to lay the unconscious boy on, preparing the supplies.


"Urrrg......" The small blond groaned slightly, bright, sparkling, innocently-naive aqua-marine eyes groggily, painfully blinking open. ".......owie......" catching site of Wufei and Zechs, he smiled sheepishly. "Um......oops?"


Zechs sighed, rolling his eyes as he crouched down, starting to gently clean and wrap his wounds.


"You tried to talk your opponent out of fighting again, didn’t you?" Wufei asked wearily, sighing as he just smiled faintly.


"Of course."


"Quatre.... You cannot continue this foolishness! You cannot continue to risk your life, time and time again-" Wufei fell silent as Quatre flinched and Zechs froze, as Duo approached.


"I-I'm sorry, Duo, truly I am! But I-I can’t! I cannot just kill them!" Quatre cried, eyes brimming with tears, turning his head to face away from the taller boy.


"Who was it?" Duo asked quietly.


"A half were-panther--- William, they said his name was, and three half were-phoenix’s; Roko, Hachi and Shichi (A/N six, eight and seven in Japanese)" was Quatre's whispered reply.


Sighing, Duo smiled faintly. "Quatre, never loose your faith and belief in others. Never become a killer; Don’t let them win. Keep that faith, kid. But please, try to stay alive, blondie, otherwise I'll have to let Shinigami loose for a week or three to avenge ya" Duo smiled down at his surrogate little brother, Quatre laughing quietly, smiling in return as Zechs and Wufei visibly relaxed.


Crouching down besides them, Duo brushed Quatre's bangs back, resting one pale hand, palm down, on his forehead, violet-indigo orbs locked with aqua-marine as he began to sing softly in elfish, a paint, fuzzy black aura surrounding them both, flowing into Quatre, most, but not quite all of Quatre's visible wounds fading, healing, within seconds, moments before Duo collapsed, silently falling sideways into Zechs waiting arms.


"Oh, Duo..... Why can’t you allow us to be strong for you, just once? Why must you do this all by yourself? Wufei and I love you, you know that..... Allow us to look after you for a change."


_* Zech's PoV *_


My name is Zechs, just Zechs. I have no past; not one that I can remember, anyway, and, until six months ago, no future either. Not until they accepted me; Shenlong, the fierce, honorable dragon-warrior, fire-mage; Angel, the part-angel, light-mage, physic healer, and shinigami, the most feared, most infamous of them all. We are the hambun-chi, the kondomo no youkai, the ones with kitani chi. We are the children of Taboo, half-human, half something else. Feared by one, the mistakes of another, despised by both, slaughtered and enslaved by them.


I am Shiro-neko, part white-tiger, genetically modified, not born as a child of taboo, or so They told me.


We are the children of Taboo, and we have had enough.




_* End of Chapter one *_


To be continued.............



Authors Notes:


Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? With all the coursework my evil-teachers have been setting, I honestly haven’t had time to update any of my fics recently. Plus, I have been working on this little old thing for about two months now....... Sooooo, what do people think? Good? Bad? Crappy? Down-right awful? Review-worthy?

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