Follow the Lights

- Six -

The vision begins as the others have:

The sound of a human heart beat. Muffled and steady.

The feel of the strangely dry mist against his skin.

The bright flash of light as he ascends.

Mist and light coalesce until a lone figure is revealed. He moves toward the young man, not noticing the long braid hanging down his back until he is almost beside him. The solemn, sad expression on Duo's face is a surprise but his thoughts are even more startling.

I have to protect the others... Quatre doesn't realize what he is or what he's capable of... Jesus, Q. I don't want to do this. I don't. But what choice do I have? What course of action have you left for me? You wouldn't even listen when I tried to explain...

Duo sighs heavily and shakes his head.

You're a vampire.

Wufei feels his friend's acute sorrow and reaches out a hand to grasp his shoulder. He half expects the vision to dissolve, but it doesn't. The direct contact provides an immediate and powerful rush of knowledge. He can feel Duo's shock and disbelief at learning of Quatre's negative powers, his gradual acceptance of what must be done, his unwavering determination to ensure the safety of his friends.

"Wufei?"

He nearly starts at the sound of his own name echoing through the vision. He watches with a frown as Duo turns to address him gravely, "You realize I did what I had to, right? I didn't want to... Do you... do you think, someday, Heero and Trowa will forgive me for what I've done?"

"I... I don't know, Duo."

In silence, Duo nods. The moment passes with Wufei's hand still resting on Duo's shoulder.

"Will you come back to us now?"

Wufei replies, "Is there anything else you want me to see before I do?"

Duo's smile is crooked and a little shy. He reaches up and settles his own hand over Wufei's. And as their skin connects, Wufei finds himself on the plane flying across the golden expanse of a desert. Then offering a wan smile to the familiar presence of Rashid as he descends from the plane.

"It is good to see you again, Master Duo..."

With those few, disjointed impressions, Wufei feels himself falling into Duo's memories. During the span of seconds which seem like long months, Wufei lives with the Bedouin as Duo had. Learns of their ways and their fears, feels his body and spirit begin to strengthen under their care, listens with shock and disbelief when they tell him the truth:

"Every gift comes with a price, Master Duo. Even a gift such as Master Quatre's... Especially a gift such as Master Quatre's."

And Wufei hears himself demand, "How can I help him? If all of you have sworn your allegiance to him and cannot intervene, show me what I must do."

"Very well..."

Duo's hand slides away from Wufei's and the original vision shifts back into focus once more. He regards Duo carefully and summarizes, "You were trying to help him."

"Yes. I was."

"How did they know you would be able to...?"

Duo takes a deep breath. "I spent a lot of time with Quatre after Heero self-destructed. I was unguarded and yet I remained strong. Rashid figured out that I had some sort of natural resistance..." Duo shrugs. "And when I went back to visit them, to thank them for all of the risks they'd taken during the war for me, they gradually showed me what I could become."

"And what is that?"

Duo smiles. "Your friend, Wufei."

Wufei's lips curve slightly in reply.

"So... are you ready to wake up now?"

With a frown, he replies, "Wake up? I am not dreaming..."

Duo tilts his head to one side. "In a way you are."

Wufei arcs a brow in question.

"I decided to meet you here so we could talk. So I could explain." Duo shrugs. "There wasn't much time before. And you were really out of it."

"If I am not meditating, then how do I get back?"

Duo grins. "Ah, well, with that I can help you. Just follow the lights, man. Follow the lights..."

...ooo...

Once again, Wufei opens his eyes to the dim interior of a room. He deliberately focuses his gaze on the door which is no longer hanging drunkenly from its remaining hinge.

"Trowa fixed it while Heero and I took Quatre to the airstrip," a soft voice says.

Wufei turns his head toward the sound and finds Duo sitting beside his bed, leaning an elbow on the mattress.

"The airstrip?"

"Yeah. We got him to agree to go back with Rashid so they can try to help him."

Wufei makes a small noise of comprehension in the back of his throat. "Is he all right, otherwise? I heard you hit him."

"Yeah. I just knocked him out, like he asked. No harm done."

Wufei nods. Their whispers seem to fade back as the quiet of the darkness creeps forward again. Wufei takes the chance to study the room again, this time noting the figures seated on the only other bed in the room. Trowa leans back against the wall with his legs crossed on the mattress. Beside him, Heero is lying on his back with his shins dangling over the edge. Both have their eyes closed.

"What will you do?" Wufei hears himself ask quietly.

Duo follows the direction of his gaze and a strangely affectionate yet exasperated look affects his features. "I don't know. That depends on them."

"What do you mean?"

Wufei watches as Duo's expression changes into one of embarrassment. "Ah, well... Undoing what I've done... well, that gets a little complicated..."

"You mean you don't know how," Wufei accuses.

Duo opens his mouth to reply but a soft voice interrupts him.

"He knows how."

Wufei looks over at Heero and says nothing. His silence communicates his desire for an explanation effectively.

Heero smirks. "We just haven't given him permission to dissolve the ritual."

Cracking his eyes open a little, Trowa further explains, "Being Owned by Duo has certain side-effects that are rather... pleasant, Wufei."

Heero arcs a brow. "The phrase 'Better than sex or your money back' comes to mind."

Wufei shifts his attention to Duo who he can see is fighting a slight blush. The long-haired young man sighs dramatically. "They won't let me set them free. At least, not yet." With a glance in the direction of his charges, Duo continues, "But when they realize how difficult our lives are going to be if we remain connected I think they'll change their minds."

Heero snorts in disbelief.

Trowa merely shakes his head and almost smiles.

Wufei inquires, "How difficult?"

"Well, we're going to have to be near each other as often as possible. That's going to make Trowa's working at the circus, my cargo piloting, and Heero's job as a Preventer, an impossibility..."

"We already told you we'd figure something out," Heero replies, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"You need us, Duo. And we know it," Trowa concludes.

Duo sighs, not bothering to argue. "This is what I get for trying to save the day..." He shakes his head. "I should have taught both of you how to protect yourselves, then we wouldn't be in this mess."

"But you didn't have the time," Trowa reminds him unnecessarily.

"And this isn't a mess," Heero asserts.

Duo just arcs a brow at Wufei. "And this is only the beginning, man." He shakes his head again. "Be glad I didn't have the energy left to try to convince you to join us..."

Wufei lets out a long breath. "Trust me. I am." He looks from Heero to Trowa to Duo and asks the one question that's left on his mind: "So what happens now?"

Duo grins and leans back against the edge of the other bed. He loops one elbow over Heero's right knee and nudges Trowa's left thigh with his other arm. Sandwiched between them, thus, he grins, "Life, Wufei. Life."

...ooo...

He gazes out over the golden ocean to where it meets the nearly-white sky and tries not to think of the others. He tries not to remember the way Trowa and Heero had attempted to shield Wufei from him with their bodies. He tries not to remember the casual touches Duo had given Heero and the way Heero had leaned into each of them. That had been the last thing he'd seen before the plane had taken off.

And now here he is.

Home.

Or as close to it as he can get.

Quatre stares out the window and stops trying to think of his friends. He relishes the thought of Duo's grin, Heero's intent gaze, Trowa's gentle voice, Wufei's fierce independence. He stares out across the land knowing that half of the Earth separates them and nonetheless reaches out toward them, wanting to feel their presence, needing to taste—

"Master Quatre?"

"Yes?" he replies, still leaning against the stucco window sill.

"It is time for your morning exercises."

"I'll be right down."

The door closes softly as his messenger retreats but he barely hears it. He resumes his search, feeling the power within him sweep over the landscape in search of the ones he knows will satisfy his thirst.

Mine... They are mine... And he will regret that he has taken them from me... You will regret it, Duo Maxwell... For you have not seen the face of Death until you have seen me... And I am coming...

Quatre closes his eyes and listens to the whispering creature within him. Oh, they think they are making progress with him, teaching him how to control it.

The beast curls tightly around itself, suppressing its excitement.

Oh yes, he is learning to control it.

But not the way they have intended.

"Someday..." he whispers to the sands, reveling in the latent power rippling and shifting beneath his skin. "Someday..."

Quatre smiles into the distance and knows that with each passing hour, the time of his freedom approaches.

"Duo Maxwell," he breathes softly, relishing the sound of that name on his lips. Duo Maxwell had brought this power to his attention, awakened him, enlightened him.

"Thank you for showing me what I am..."

Quatre's lips curve upward into a smile that is neither gentle nor warm.

"And someday I will repay you for your kindness..."

Oh, yes. Someday...

"Soon."

- The End -

From The Manwell: As you can see, this is a major departure from what I usually write. I'm not sure if I really love it... But I have to admit, the thought of continuing this story intrigues me. What say you, folks? Does "Follow the Lights" need a sequel?