Disclaimers: I don't own GW. I'm poor. This story is for entertainment only. It has mention of yaoi, hentai, and it NOT a death fic. The real story starts 2000 years after this fic, so chill and wait for it. ;) If you can't deal, don't read.
Sorry, but I was off line for a couple of days again and it drove my Muses nuts. Gomen for all the writing guys. This is just the prologue. The real fic starts 2000 years later, so don't panic of Duo's death!
The ceremony for Knighting was always held in the Great Cathedral. It was a massive building capable of holding all the Knights in the kingdom. It was a good thing too, as every Knight filled the holy place. They were here to see the completion of almost a century's worth of searching. After all that time, the healers had been found and now would take their rightful place among the Knights. Together , they would sweep the Dark Lords from the face of the planet. Of course, no one had bothered to tell the two healers about this little plan. No need to worry them before they even accepted their role as Knights.
The two in question enter the Cathedral dressed in formal Knight's attire. Everyone stood at attention creating a line on either side of aisle. Duo and Ashi stared at the sight before them.
"Too late to back out now," Duo muttered and promptly was smacked on the back of his head by one of the Escort Knights. Ashi giggled. This of course got her smacked as well. Neither healer noticed the smiles their actions brought out. They were the youngest at the castle and most saw them as a little brother and sister.
Swallowing hard, the young healers began to walk toward King Quatre as he started the ancient spell that would make them Knights and almost immortal. Both shot looks at their escorts. Knights Sephiroth, Zelgadis, Miklotov, Camus, Flik, and Viktor. Two in front, two besides them, and two behind.
'We're surrounded,' Duo jokingly quipped to his friend. They had long ago discovered the ability to share thoughts.
'If we wanted out,' Ashi returned seriously, 'they would let us go.'
'Yeah, but then we'd miss out on tonight,' Duo shot back.
All the Knights noticed the sudden rise of red in the pair's cheeks and knew what they were thinking. It was the custom of the Knights to have new members spend the first night with one or more Knights. Not only because the extreme of pleasure often brought out hidden magic, but because the life of a Knight was filled with pain. The best way to start this new life was with joy, not fear of the future. For these two, the night would be very interesting as both were virgins when they were brought to the castle; their trainers had worked hard to ensure they stayed that way. The reason became obvious shortly before the ceremony was scheduled.
Once the ceremony was over, Duo and Ashi would be taken to separate rooms and later joined by the ones chosen to initiate them. Normally, no Knight knew who they would be paired with, but the two soon-to-be Knights did know. It had been impossible to keep the knowledge from the clever friends. Duo would be paired with Lord Heero Yuy and Knight Trowa Barton, while Ashi was with Lord Treize and Knight Wufei Chang. Knowing who had only made Duo and Ashi more tense. These were the men who'd spent the last ten years teaching them everything about self-defense, the laws of the kingdom, and what was expected of them as Knights. Then came the final blow to their calm: The men had requested the honor of initiating Duo and Ashi. The two friends had never been so nervous in all their lives.
Doubts filled them. They worked very hard to make their teachers proud. Today wasn't just for them, but for everyone who had cared for them, especially the trainers. Those men had protected them, comforted them, and never betrayed any trust the pair gave. What if they disappointed them tonight? Neither had any experience in the bedroom. Sighing, Duo and Ashi looked at each other and silently prayed they would not be complete disasters.
Finally, Duo and Ashi stood before King Quatre. The escort walked off to the sides. Duo found himself facing a widely smiling Heero and Trowa, while Ashi stood before Treize and Wufei. All the men had a predatory look in their eyes. The pair looked at each other. 'What have we gotten ourselves into?' was written all over their faces. Suddenly the power in the room swirled around them, freezing them and it was too late to run even if the had wanted to. The spell grew around them and within them, beginning the changes that would make them true Knights.
Standing by an alter, flanked by two dark robed priests, the Golden King chanted an ancient spell that would bind them, body and soul, into his service for all eternity. They would fight darkness and evil. It was what the pair had been training for. They had spent the last ten years of their lives preparing for this day and now the chant was almost done. Ashi and Duo shared nervous looks. That was when the last part of the ceremony would begin. The four men in front of them smiled down at them, promising something. The young friends shivered.
Just as the chant reached is highest pitch, cold laughter rang through the cathedral. The calm and solemnity of the moment was shattered. King Quatre ceased the spell and looked around. Several Knights drew their swords. A Dark Lord was here.
"So," a booming voice filled the room and grated on nerves. The simple sound of it felt like something cold and wet oozing over the skin and mind. "These are the two you have been searching so hard for. You don't really think we will let you keep them, do you?"
The pronouncement caused a flurry of activity. Drawing their weapons, Treize and Wufei jumped in front of Ashi. Heero and Trowa did the same with Duo. Every Knight took a defensive position and drew his or her weapon, eyes searching for the source of the threat. Even King Quatre stepped forward with his most deadly spell ready. For their part, Duo and Ashi stood still, consumed by fear. Dark Lords were almost unstoppable. How could they defend themselves? Most of their magic couldn't be used to attack; it was for healing and the simple self-defense techniques they had learned wouldn't even slow a Dark Lord down.
"Now, now," the voice continued and a living shadow took form at the center of the chapel. "There's no need to get all excited. I didn't come here to fight. Indeed, everything's already taken care of."
The last word of the sentence coincided with a soft sound, like a gentle sigh. All eyes turned to the pair still standing on the front of the cathedral. Duo and Ashi stood with twin looks of pain, surprise, and terrible realization on their young faces. The two priests had used the distraction created by the Dark Lord to drive swords through the pair's backs and hearts.
Had the King completed the chant, had they become true Knights, they would have stood a chance of surviving the wounds, but they were not Knights. Falling forward, the pair slid off the blades, dead before they hit the ground. The Dark Lord had only meant to lure everyone away from those they needed to protect. The creature's frigid laughter echoed again as more shadows began to appear throughout the Cathedral. More than a dozen hovered over the Knights. Someone shouted about the wards being down, but it was obvious to everyone. Then the chaos began.