Acquainted With The Night

Part Two

 

          “Of course you would!  That was my clan.  We’re descended from dragons.”

          Quatre gave him a tiny smile.  “More so than any of you any of you realized Wufei.  But your clan isn’t what I’m referring to…”

          “Wait… just back up a moment.”  Theirry said from his place by the window.  “What do you mean ‘more than you realized.’?”

          Quatre sighed heavily.  “Things are a lot different in the future.  The Night World is nearly extinct.  The first house of the Shape shifters, those of dragon’s blood, doesn’t even know of their ancestry any longer.  Wufei… is the very last descendent of the First house and doesn’t even know it.”

          Thierry peered closer at Quatre and Wufei.  “How would you know if he doesn’t?”

          “I have a great deal of influence and money in this life.  I remembered a few things and it was only a matter of time before I retraced some lines and learned more.”

          “If that’s so, what didn’t you find out about Duo?”  Delos had his arms folded over his chest, starring down at Quatre despite their sitting at eye level.

          “Duo’s history starts at about age six.  There’s no record of his parents or him until then.  It’s pretty vague up to age ten when he disappeared for a year and then resumed at age twelve to present as vague as before.  There was no way of tracing his bloodlines unless through medical means which would involve co-operation from Duo… an explanation and it would become to complicated.”

          Wufei during this time had sat perfectly rigid.  “Quatre care to repeat what you said?”  His voice was low, almost a whisper.

          But a voice from the doorway answered him.  “He said you were of the first house descendents.  Dragon-blood… a shape-shifter.  He’s telling the truth because I can sense it in you.”

………………..

          Wufei turned to the voice ready to object but stopped at the familiar sense the blond-headed boy produced.

          The boy nodded, “You feel it too.”  He smiled.  “I’m Galen first son of the first house. likely an ancestor of yours.  I’m a Shape shifter, a…”

          “Leopard.”  Wufei finished for him.  At Galen’s surprised look Wufei shrugged.  “I saw a few once, you give the same aura they did.”

          Galen tilted his head to the side, “If you could pick an animal to become which would you choose?”

          Wufei found that the room had gone completely silent.  “Why would I choose an animal?”

          Before Galen could answer him Quatre spoke.  “He’s not exactly like you Galen. His Dragon’s blood is stronger.  You can’t sense it right now because  he hasn’t had it awakened.  He’s nearly ¾ Dragon.  His blood isn’t diluted.”

          Galen blinked, “But how’s that…?”

          “His father was the head of his clan, his mother was half dragon and half normal Shape shifter.”

          “If that’s true Quatre he should know how to change…”

          Quatre’s blond head shook earnestly.  “No, the knowledge was lost so they never learned how and a Dragon’s power comes in knowing what they are.”

          Having had enough Wufei stood and gave them both a steady gaze.  “I know I have dragon’s blood in my viens but it makes no difference.  I am as I always will be, Chang Wufei, the last of the Dragon clan, defender of honor and justice, pilot of Nataku.  The rest means nothing so let it be.  If you’ll excuse I am going to look in on Maxwell.  Good Day.”

…………………

          Duo had his eyes closed but he was awake.  He knew Thea and Blaise were in the room with him as was Death.  He had to resist the urge to suddenly laugh… they HAD asked for a dark warrior and they definitely got it.

          The door to the room opened and he heard Wufei’s soft footsteps and his low voice.  “Perhaps you two should go downstairs… things appear tense and your presence may help it along.  Don’t worry, I’ll watch Maxwell till you return, do not hurry.”

          The two girls must have agreed because two sounds of footsteps left, the door closing behind them.  Wufei sat in Thea’s chair next to the bed in silence and Duo was nearly going to go back to sleep from boredom when he spoke.

          “Duo.  What have you gotten us into now?  Did you know that they’re saying I’m a Dragon… well ¾… that I’m a Shape shifter, that my entire clan was.”  There was a loud sigh.  “I never truly thought that you and Death were… as close as you are but I should have known, like you said you don’t lie.  Why is that Duo?  Why don’t you lie?  You go out of your way to do other things and yet… you never lie.”  There were sounds of him getting out of the chair and then a warm hand held his own.  A strange, almost electrical shock ran through him… his eyes opened wide meeting Wufei’s and a word echoed in his mind as he saw a silver thread briefly flicker between them.

          Unconsciously he found himself saying, “It’s you.  We’re... we’re… soulmates.”

          Wufei blinked at him before stretching his hand away like it had betrayed him.  “Your really sick Maxwell.  First of all, there’s no such thing and Second, you and me… never.”

          Duo watched in dismay as he backed away from him.  “Wu?”

          “I’ll get Thea.  Stay put.”  Without a word he left.
          Duo wasn’t quite sure what was going on but he knew that it was too important to just let go of.  Gritting his teeth against the pain he sat up and started after Wufei.

……………….

          Wufei entered the living room only to receive glares from Thea and Blaise but it was Blaise who spoke, “I thought you said you’d stay with him.”

          He was about to open his mouth when someone from the doorway beat him to it.  “He is.  He’s just a little quicker than I am.”

          Without turning he knew it was Duo.  And the fact that he hadn’t stayed in bed made him angry.  If the Baka wasn’t careful he’d hurt himself.

          Quatre smiled at Duo, though everyone else seemed to move away from him.  That only seemed to make Wufei even more upset but he quickly smothered it, after all he was doing the exact same thing and that would mean he was a hypocrite.

………………….

          Duo kept smiling despite the way the people in the room kept giving him looks that were plainly wary.  He could deal with that, as long as his fellow Gundam pilots… He felt his heart sink as he saw the same look on their faces, even Quatre’s eyes held it.

          Knowing he wasn’t welcome he gave them a large grin and a wink, “Just wanted to see for myself that everyone was getting along alright.  Now that I have I think I’ll just go back to my room and catch some z’s.  Au-revoir.”  As soon as his back was turned he felt his smile slip away but he forced his step to be light as he went up the stairs.

          Flopping on the bed he stared at the ceiling.  “Alone again… well at least this time they’re all still alive… my life’s a pattern, alone-Solo-alone-Maxwell Church-alone-rebels-alone-Dr. G and the Gundams-and now alone again.  Heck I don’t even have Deathscythe with me.  Just goes to show you that I’m still being punished for all my sins… guess no matter what I do I’m going to hell.”  Hot tears burned his eyes but he gripped his knife letting the sharp edge slice his palm.  “I’ve survived hell and a lot worse… I will NOT be broken by lonliness.  Shinigami can have no friends… therefore… I have no friends.  Man, how I love logic.”  As was his lifeline to reality he focused on the normal, comforting sense of pain.

……………..

          Wufei felt his heart ripe in two as he watched Duo’s retreating back.  Duo might be a good actor but he couldn’t hide his pain from him.  He knew Duo too well for that.

          As soon as he was sure Duo was gone he turned on the others.  “That was injust!”

          Most just stared at him but Galen gave him a puzzeled look.  “What?”

          Wufei ground his teeth together.  “The way they’re treating him.  He’s still Duo Maxwell!  That hasn’t changed.  It shouldn’t matter that he’s a witch or that he’s Shinigami’s partner!  How many times has he risked his life to save ours?”  He was now glaring at Heero, Trowa and Quatre.  “Heero you’re supposed to be his best friend!  That goes for you to Quatre… Trowa… I had thought better of you.  Duo’s life has been Hell!  We all know the facts but we don’t know how any of it effected him… why?  Because he won’t trouble us with his problems.  He gives us all that he can and he expects nothing in return… and you treat him like that!”  He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head in disgust.  “I can expect it of them…”  He waved his hand at the others in the room.  “… but you know him… at least the part of him that counts.  Let me just ask you one question… what do you think drove him to seek Shinigami’s help?  Right now… you all just showed him he’s alone… what does he have left?  Shinigami.  DEATH has been more of a friend to him than any of us have.  Yes, even I’m guilty of this horrendous crime but I’m also going to make amends for my part in this right now.”  With that he turned on his heel and made his way to Duo’s room, shoving the voice that told him it was a bad idea to the back of his mind.