warnings: 1x2, 3x4, yaoi

SUMMARY: quatre and duo have magical powers, and are betrothed to 2 of the most feared and powerful sorcerers in the land. trouble brews when another wants that power.

DARK MOON RISING

Quatre Raberba Winner-Ravenscar stood in front of a full length, gold framed miror, pondering his reflection. On his small body was a robe of pure white silks andsatins. The long, loose sleeves were gathered in places. The top clung to his flat chest and flowed in many layers around his legs. The hem and the neckline were dripping with diamonds. Silver rings, some with diamonds, decorated his fine, agile fingers while bracelets of the softest silver hung on his thin wrists. His hands were hidden by his sleeves. Around his slender throat was a soft white satin choker with a huge diamon in the center. A circlet of braided silver crowned his soft, silky spungold hair.

His cherub like face shone with happiness and a touch of nervousness. His big, sapphire eyes, which stood out against his pale skin, glittered like the very jewels the resembled. His cupid's bow mouth, which had a frosty white gloss on, were curved in the ever present, gentle smile. Shimmery powder dusted his face and his short, thick lashes were coated with sparkled.

Quatre turned away from his reflection, his skirts and lace petticoats swishing. He sat down upon the vast, over-done canopy bed, wincing when his tender flesh was pinched in the hard metal of his chastity belt. He sighed softly.

Soon the Ceremony of Virgins would begin. It was to celebrate and strengthen the recent and unstable peace in the aftermath of one of the bloodiest war in Krynn's history. The Ceremony hadn't been held in centuries, since before the War of Chaos had ravaged the lands. Much argument had occured, but the rulers of the nations agreed eventually to have it at the Romefeller Foundation, the main building and center of OZ.

His eyes widened when he heard the giggling voices of the maids who'd dressed him. He shuddered at the memory. They had taken hours to prepare him. He slipped his stalkinged feet into the soft, white satin slippers that had a huge diamond cluster on each toe. He grabbed a small, painted wooden box and quietly left the huge guest chamber before those....those...fledgling harpies got their claws on him once again.

Quatre walked down the elegant, overly ornate halls of the Castle, his expensive skirts whispering on the heavy red carpet. He went down the stairs and past the expansive library. A young girl in a white, woolen robe trimmed with the barest traces of silver walked out of the brightly lit room carrying a stack of books. Her rich, bron hair was pulled into a bun,, from which stray wisps escaped to frame her pretty face and brown eyes. Quatre recognized her as Belle, the Chief Librarian. Her father was one of the crazy inventors who studied the science of magic and was often left alone. Of all the inventors, he was the kindest yet most ecentric. (Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast)) Even innocent, naive Quatre knew to stay away from those scientists- they were very dangerous and secretive, and rumor had it they had even studied at one of the few remaining Towers Of High Sorcery.

Belle saw him and curtsied as best she could, murmuring a polite, formal, and heartfelt greeting. Quatre, although known for his kindness, stood, for he was of a much higher station than her, and not permitted to return her courtesy. He did, however, bow his head and smiled at her. Her armload of books fell to the floor. She gasped and bent to pick them up. His kind heart wouldn't allow him to remail aloof, and he knelt down to help.

Just as he reached for a book, out of nowhere, a man's voice filled the cold castle air, seperating them. "Little One, you must remember to act as befits a Ravenscar bride."

Quatre blushed at the reminder of his high station. He was the son of Lord Winner, a member of Miliardo of the Cinq Kingdom's Court; he was also the promised bride of Lord Trowa Ravenscar. This had been arranged since before his birth. He was surprised that his peace loving, magic hating father would give him to the Ravenscars. Lord Trowa was 18 to Quatre's 15.

Lord Wufei Ravenscar helped Quatre to his feet. He curtsied low, murmurring his thanks and greeting. He gazed at him through downswept lashes. The elegant, graceful and proper sorcerer wore a velvet gown of dark blue with silver swirls. He had tan skin and his shiny, jet black hair was pulled into a pony tail at the nape of his neck, secured with a saphire studded clip. His deep black eyes were unnverving and penetrating, a typical Ravenscar trait.

Lord Wufei said nothing more. Quatre's form vanished as Wufei's silent spell transported him to the garden. Wufei acknowledge Belle's prescence. Just as suddenly as the little one had disapperared, so did he, leaving Belle by herself to gather her books and finish her work before the Ceremony began.

The sweet scent of roses filled Quatre's senses. The large, gently flowing fountain was surrounded by scattered bushes of every type of rose on Krynn. This was just a part of Emporer Treize's, who was hosting the Ceremony, private garden, which expanded in every direction for miles.

Duo Ravenscar, promised bride of Lord Heero Ravenscar and ward of the warlock Lady Sally Grimstead, sat on the edge of the marble fountain. His robe was made of pure silk with tight, long sleeves that flared out and covered his hands and was alot like Quatre's; just as expensive and, except for the sleeves, of the same style. It clung to his softly curved body and hung over his many petticoats. It didn't have as many diamonds on it as Quatre's but had more silver embroidery. His hair hung in soft, thick honey brown waves past his pert, tight little ass. Tiny, sparkly diamonds shone throughout his hair and his silk slippers a small diamond on each toe with silver embroidery racing around the top and bottom of the shoes. He wore the same jewlery, make up and lightly scented perfume as Quatre.

His big, purple eyes sparkled and he worried his pouty lower lip. He was focusted totally upon the water. Quatre still felt the tingling of Wufei's magic along his sensitive body. Once he felt it wear off, he sat next to Duo and laid his box on the grass besides the fountain's marble base. "Hello, Duo."

Duo glanced up, brushing back soft, gem adorned bangs. "Hey, Quat." He returned his attention to the water. Quatre was concerned; Duo, under normal circumstances, was never this serious, or this focused. Duo's own gold-painted box lay open besides him.

Quatre paled. "Uh-oh." he whispered. Duo's box held, or should have held, his golden ball, but it was empty, the ball nowhere to be seen, and Duo concentrating hard on the fountain. "You didn't! She'll kill you!" Quatre fought off his panic. Their boxes were gifts from the head Ravenscar herself, gnarled, twisted old witch Morwen, who lived in the Black Forest. "Duo!"

Duo's wide eyes flew to Quatre's, which were just as round. "It's alright. I think I know a spell that'll work."

"The whole purpose of those balls are to help us harness our own powers!" Quatre reprimanded. As Ravenscars, they had enormous power, but they couldn't control it, and it wasn't fully awakened yet.

Duo suddenly turned to Quatre with a pleading light in his eyes. "Hey, Quatre...you have your ball...would you....please??"

Quatre's eyes stubbornly met Duo's. "No, I'm sorry Duo, but absolutely not! You know we aren't supposed to do any magic without supervision! You're not going to drag me and yourself into further trouble!"

"B-but Quatre! What about my ball?"

"What about it?" A deep, raspy voice croaked. It was human, yet it was not. They looked around for the owner of the voice. "Down here, dorks."

"Hey!" Duo growled, but Quatre squeezed his hand. Duo was able to bite his tongue as they glanced down at the fountain. At the end near them was a small group of lily pads with a few white and pink flowers. Hidden by a huge white flower sat a big, slimy green frog.

"Y-you spoke?" Quatre trembled until he felt Duo squeeze his hand reassuringly. His eyes were huge blue saucers in his face as he stared unbeleivingly at the frog. Never in all of his sheltered 15 years had he heard an animal speak. He knew of magic, and that the Ravenscars dealt with its darker side, but he had just been getting ready to move to _____ , the residence of Lord Trowa and his sister Catherine Grimstead. He had, however, been to visit Duo at Wolfinger Abbey, Heero's home. The expansive, ancient place had reeked of powerful magic. Despite the magic that flowed through his veins, Quatre had only cast 1 or 2 spells, under Lord Trowa's supervision.

Duo, on the other hand, while still an innocent, was more educated that Quatre. Living with Sally and Lord Wufei, on nights when he was unable to sleep and staring out of his high window, or sneaking down to the kitchen for a snack, he had caught glimpses of just how dangerous the Ravenscar power was. He had grown up surrounded and protected by magic. He was unsurprised by this, just a little annoyed that the creature had spoken to them so harshly. Well, he was a little surprised- this was the first time he'd ever met with magic unsupervised.

"D-Duo, did that frog just s-speak?"

"No, the flower did. Jeez, are you stupid."

Quatre trembled at the hostile tone. Duo edged closer to him. "He's probably just a person turned into a frog. An enchanted prince or something. That's all."

The frog mocked Duo's words. "Just an enchanted prince! I'm Raja the Magnificent! I'm the greatest prince there ever was-"

Quatre did not like this frog one bit. He had had very limited exposure to magic, and that all came from the family he was marrying into. A family of awesome power. If they possessed such powers, what unfathomable horrors could this creature unleash? He shuddered. Duo also wasn't crazy about the frog. He, however, knew this sort of basic enchantment meant it was harmless, and he was growing more and more annoyed with it. Who did it think it was, anyway? And it was upsetting Quatre. "What do you want?" Duo snapped impatiently, unintentionally causing his friend to jump.

The frog glowered up at him. "All I was going to do was offer my services in retreiving your lost ball. The fountain is quite deep and I am an excellent swimmer." It's voice grew softer, kinder, and hopeful. Duo looked at Quatre, who was no longer so flustered. Quatre nodded, encouraging Duo to accept, so he did.

The frog dove down and soon returned with the magic ball. Quatre murmurred a polite, insincere thank you. Duo, after the frog's rude attitude before, didn't feel like thanking him.

"So?" the frog said smugly as they turned to walk away, "Now, you owe me. You'll take me to the palace with you, I'll sleep in your bed, eat off your plate, and, after you kiss me, and I return to my handsome self, not that I'm an ugly frog, mind you, we'll get married. I must say, you're a much prettier princess that the other one. I didn't know Relena had a sister-"

That was it for poor Duo. He whirled around, skirts flouncing with his swift movement, hands on his hips and eyes shooting violet sparks. "No! I'm not a princess! I'm not even a girl! I'm Duo Ravenscar, if it's any of your business."

"Ooh, a Ravenscar! Even better!"

"No! I'll not marry you!" Duo stompt his little foot and a bright burst of fire shot up from it. Utterly taken by surprise, Quatre's heart flew into his throat and he let out a sharp cry and ducked down, covering his head and got lost in his voluminous skirts. Duo leapt back with a little surprised cry. The frog jumped from the fountain's edge back into the water and peeked out from under his lily pad.

Silence hung in the air until the smoke cleared. The grass where Duo had stompt was burnt. Duo stood, shivering. Quatre was huddled into a little ball. Duo snatched up their boxes, found Quatre's hand and pulled him to his feet, then the 2 took off running before the frog knew what had happened. They ran out of the garden and back into the castle, sneaking past people (after what had just occured, they really didn't feel like being around anyone). They found a quaint little side parlor for entertaining unimportant guests. It looked empty, so they slipped inside.

As they were making their way towards a seat, they heard the rustling of fabric and halted their own movements so they wouldn't be heard. Five giggling girls walked past. They all wore white robes of cheap, imitation satin. The cut of the dresses were simple; high waisted and flowing straight down. A few bits of jewlery, a pearl bracelet, necklace and earrings, were their only decorations. Nothing fancy. It was Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom and her entourage.(in case you haven't guessed, this is Sailor Moon.) The princess's hair, which hung nearly to the floor, was in 2 pigtails. "Meat ball head" a girl with long, black hair called her. A girl with long blonde hair giggled at that. The girl with shorn cadet blue hair was deep in discussion with the girl with curly brown hair pulled into a pony tail. "I heard this is going to be the biggest Ceremony ever. All virgins are to attend. Everyone from miller's daughters to princesses. Even the brides of...you know who..."

"You mean the legendary Lords Tro-"

"Yes! Fool, don't say their names!! You know what might happen-"

"I never thought you, of all people, would beleive such silly supersti-"

"Shut up!"

"Sheesh, allright, all right. Speaking of those two, the blonde bride, do you think it's true? That, well, you-know, is only marrying him for his power? I mean, his family is strictly non-magic. And he supposedly posseses strong magic power. Enough that he would want him."

" I agree. I really pity the poor boy, who knows what he'll do to him?"

The rest of their conversation was lost as they drifted past. Duo turned to Quatre, whose big blue eyes brimmed with tears and hurt. He hugged Quatre to him. "Quatre-"

He hugged Duo back, burying his face in the crook of his neck and sobbing. "They're right, Duo. It's always been weird, my family always opposed to magic. Then Daddy just gives me away like that. It's just for my power. It's too simple, really; he just put Daddy under a spell, the marriage contract was signed in blood. My fate is sealed. It's not for love. All these years, as my sisters were married off, I told myself I was different, that Lord Trowa loved me. I've met him a few times, and he's not all that bad, and it was easy to fool myself into beleiving I was in love."

Quatre sobbed harder, choking off his words. Duo just held him tightly and led him to a small sofa, where they sat under a big, sunlit window. Duo bent his head, using his hair as a curtain to shield them both from any unseen prying eyes. He could sympathize with Quatre's pain. He felt the same desire and need as him; the need to be loved. All his life, he'd lived with his guardian, but he was always busy with his spells and potions to pay him much mind. Only to tutor him. He'd often been left to his own amusement. He wanted someone to love him for him, to be able to open up his heart and let someone see into his soul. Quatre had grown up the youngest in a throng of siblings, each competing for their parent's attention. As the youngest, he had often been overlooked. Attention he'd only gotten when it was necessary, never out of affection. They both wanted to feel cherished and loved.

Tears, unbidden, sprang to Duo's eyes, and he buried his face against Quatre's shoulder. The two clung to each other and sobbed, their tears mingling as they shared each other's pain.

The air around them shimmered. Slowly, like ripples across a pond, it cleared, revealing Lady Dorothy Ravenscar. She wore a tight black velvet top and skirt with slits up to her hips. The outfit was studded with diamonds, amber and silver. Chunky, high healed shoes with thin, diamond studded straps completed the ensamble. A plain black choker and the copper Ravenscar pendant were her only necklaces. She had 9 diamon stud earrings on her right ear, and 5 amber stones on the left, and one small diamond on her nose. Her long, silky blonde hair, the same color as Quatre's, was pulled back with a diamond and amber clip. Her outfit accented her wickedly curved body, and her breasts, which were not small by any standards, threatened to spill out from the top. Her full lips and pale, cornflower blue eyes were accented with black lipstick and powder.

She hung suspended in the air for a few moments, enjoying showing off her power. Duo and Quatre both sniffed then looked slowly up at her as her feet touched the ground. Her arms were crossed, and she had a stern look upon her face. Quatre flinched, threatening to spill more tears. Duo bit his full, pouty lower lip to stop it's quivering.

This was the first time either of them had seen Lady Dorothy in the flesh. They had heard about her; they knew each of the Ravenscars by name and deed, but many they had never met. Lady Dorothy was one of the more prominent figures in the Inner Circle, which was the Ravenscar's Court- the place where the met and discussed important issues/events and governed over the minor branches of the family, such as the Grimsteads, which had vast power themselves, but nothing compared to the Ravenscars. It was sort of like the feudal times pyramid of rank- the Grimsteads compiled the lower, more populous base, with the aristocratic Ravenscars on top. Lady Dorothy was one of the Counsel's (another name for Inner Circle) highest ranking leaders. She was equal in power with Lords Heero, Wufei and Trowa. She, however, had a mean streak a mile wide, and her magic often was a shade nastier than theirs. And, prefering to operate in silence and in shadows, she was less known than her comrades.

Lady Dorothy said nothing, did nothing physically, but the air wavered once more and the room disappeared as she transported them to Quatre's room. The boys plopped down on the bed, their small forms getting swallowed up by their massive skirts. Lady Dorothy stood before them, still silent. The door turned on its own, clicking as it locked. The echoes in the vast room caused them to wince. Duo tried to rise, but found his body was held immobile by some force- the female Ravenscar. He waited a few minutes, the attempted to scoot his butt sideways, only to have his chastity belt pinch his sensitive flesh, and he cursed the metal soundly.

'Damn,' he thought, 'she's good!'

'She's furious.' Quatre thought.

'I'm both.' Lady Dorothy read both their minds. The two blinked in astonishment to have been read so easily, even with all of the protective wards on them. She shrugged. 'Mere child's play.' Giving them no time to recover, she spoke for the first time. "Now, I'm going to teach you a simple spell..." She taught them a basic transportation spell. "....Transporting youself is easiest. Taking people/objects with you requires more skill, power, whatever you'd like to call it. And transporting something/one by itself is the hardes. Most magicians and mages only reach the level of taking things with them. You, however, have much more power than ordinary mages. You are sorcers of the highest calibur." Here she smiled, unnerving both of them, and looked Duo straight in the eye, holding him hostage and making him come close to peeing his skirts. "By the way, Duo, we were very impressed with your little flame at the pond."

"B-but I didn't even know I did it!"

"Exactly. It shows how much power you have." In a flash of bright light and multi colored smoke and sparkles, she left. They coughed and rubbed their eyes. "I can't wait until we can add extra flair to our transportation spells." Duo said, once they could breathe.

"Assuming we ever learn how." Quatre added, then changed the subject. "We still have a while before the Ceremony begins. Lets do something."

Duo thought then eyed his box meaningfully. Quatre understood and grabbed his own and opened the lid. Soft music filled the air. He reached in and withdrew a glowing silver ball. It hoovered a couple of inched above his cupped, beringed hands.

They tossed it back and forth, laughing as they played. The balls were a combination of the Ravenscar's strong, disciplined power and their own untapped magic. it kept up the protective wards placed upon them and was generated by their own power, which helped to awaken it from dormancy.