Full summary: An angel and a devil, Heero and Duo, fight for the soul of mortals about to die

Full summary: An angel and a devil, Heero and Duo, fight for the soul of mortals about to die. But what if things aren't what people have always believed? Now it's Quatre's turn and things conspire to be the toughest Trial either being has worked before.

konpeitou: I'm not even going to bother trying to explain all the reasons I've been so late x.x; Sorry that it is, and I'm trying to get this finished up soonish before life takes another huge bite out of my free time.

Apocryphal Reality: Risky Solution

Heero sat, half reclined on a large white cushion, glaring darkly at his longtime friend and wondering if, quite frankly, the other angel was mad. "Excuse me?" he muttered after a moment, not entirely sure he had heard the previous words correctly.

"I said 'there is a way', Yuy."

Okay, so he had heard it right.

"Surely you jest, Chang."

"Most assuredly," the Chinese angel agreed without a hint of irony "But about this I do not. You ask for a solution to the impossible and I assure you there is one."

"How?" Heero asked, frowning. It didn't make any sense and he suddenly found that he was curious despite himself at the idea. "How can an Angel go to Hell and still make it back?"

"Ah, that's not exactly what I said," Wufei chided. He reached out to a small, low-set table between them and poured them both another cup of tea from a small porcelain pot. Sitting back again against his own cushion and taking a slow sip of the hot drink, Wufei regarded his guest over the cup's rim. "To be precise, Heero, you came here about the problem you have with your Fledgling. He wants to see a devil and you believe it cannot be done. I tell you that it can. I never said that you had to go to Hell to do it."

"All right," Heero conceded grudgingly, mildly irked by the gentle scolding, but overall just feeling frustrated by the whole recent ordeal. He'd come over to Wufei's for a respite and hoping for some advice on his Fledgling's absurd idea of visiting his devil friend. He hadn't expected an answer that would cater to the boy's wishes over his own – which was to stay as far from Hell as possible for eternity. Still, he asked and now he had to follow through, whether he liked the answers he was getting or not. "How then is it possible to meet a devil without Falling?"

"You have to meet in the places in-between."

Heero continued to stare, waiting for some further explanation of the cryptic statement, but Wufei just drank his tea and calmly refused to oblige. When the silence dragged too long, the frustrated angel grit his teeth and asked the question that begged asking. "Where are the places in-between?" Then, as he thought about it, he hazarded a guess. "Earth?" Silence. "Purgatory?"

"Now you're thinking, Yuy." Wufei commended him.

"But… but how?" Heero asked, almost whined, because he still couldn't seem to understand and the inability to grasp what his friend was leading to made him feel slow and frustrated. What was he missing about all this? It didn't make sense. "You can't honestly expect me to believe that they will miraculously manage to be in the same place just because we wish them so." Wufei's eyes narrowed with a glimmer of mischief and Heero had the sinking realization of what his last statement implied. No, he had not meant to include himself in that wish. He had no desire to see the devil, it was a mere slip of the tongue. But he could not correct himself and so deliberately ignored the knowing look his friend was giving him.

"Indeed, miracles do not usually go along with Fallen ones. That is why you need a contact – an acquaintance, if you will – in Hell to pass the message along. Then they will know to show."

Heero leaned back into the cushions again with an exasperated sigh, "So it's impossible after all. I have no such acquaintances."

"Ah, but I do."

Blue eyes snapped back to his friend's face in naked surprise, mouth opening but unable to push any words out into the sudden silence. What? Who? How? Who did Wufei know? How did he meet this being? How did he keep contact? How did he keep from getting caught? Was it even against the rules? It must be.. so how did he do it? Why did he do it? The questions and more raced through his mind, too fast to stop and pick one to verbalize, swimming around and chasing one after another until he couldn't even think. But the thoughts must have shown on his face, a rare occurrence for the normally stoic angel, because Wufei soon shook his head and clucked his tongue chidingly.

"You seem to forget, Yuy, I have been around a very long time. Don't worry about the why's and how's of it, just be assured that it can be done if you choose."

Heero grunted an acknowledgement and settled down again, still a little overwhelmed by the cryptic information and no little chagrined at his friend's ability to read him so easily. He didn't like losing control of himself like that, even in front of someone he trusted.

"So, would you like me to arrange it then?" Wufei asked eventually, after Heero had regained his composure.

Heero nodded, "Might as well, at least then the brat can go off to his reunion and leave me alone." It was a relief, actually, to know that there actually was a solution to get rid of his current Fledgling problem. And if the kid got caught, so what? He was digging his own grave with this absurd insistence to visit his devil friend. It had nothing to do with Heero and he was fine with it that way. And if not, Quatre had promised to leave him alone.. it was a win-win situation as far as he could tell.

"Ah, I think you misunderstand me Heero," Wufei murmured gently, his tone carrying an odd quality to it that Heero wasn't used to hearing; it was almost foreboding and even a little apologetic. "You both have to go."

The quiet angel felt as though the proverbial heart skipped a beat to hear those words. "What?!" As quickly as he'd regained control of himself, he felt emotions struggling up within him again. He was suddenly distressed, feeling so many conflicting things at once. Confusion over why he must go; Fear that he would get caught and his wings Clipped; Excitement to do something forbidden; Anticipation for what he might see; Guilt that it was perhaps more a whom than a what that he might be wanting to see; Denial that he had any interest at all in going.

He hoped, belatedly, that Wufei wouldn't be able to read him so well this time, but given the pensive look on the face of the Chinese angel, the hope was slim at best.

"It's the only way, Heero," Wufei stated, taking the blurted out question at face value, "None but those who work Trials have the ability to Shift outside of Heaven. Quatre will need a guide to lead him out where you will meet."

"Then why can't you take him?" Heero blurted out, flustered and very much not wanting to go, "They will be your contacts, after all."

Wufei cocked an eyebrow and bestowed on him a look that Heero had no trouble reading as This is your problem without the words needing to be said. He ignored the question and continued coolly, "That is the condition for my help. If you want me to do this for you, you must accompany the boy to the rendezvous. It is non-negotiable."

The younger angel's breath hissed out through his clenched teeth as he exhaled in frustration. He was so close to being free of the Fledgling only to have his hopes crushed. "Why me?" he asked bitterly.

"Because I think you need to do this as well," his friend answered dryly. "Tell me," he continued before Heero could protest, "Have you thought of him?"

"What? No, of course not! What reason would I possibly have to think of his devil friend?"

"Not him. The other one."

He opened his mouth to reiterate the denial but found himself unable to speak the works. His jaw worked uselessly for a moment before he snapped it shut and turned his gaze away to glare at the floor rather than the penetrating onyx eyes of his comrade. He wanted to deny it, to say that he had no thoughts of his prior opponent now that the Trial was over. Until that moment, he'd even convinced himself that it was true. But the words called the devil's image to his mind as though summoned. Heero remembered the variety of emotions shown in the expressive eyes, the childish delight when he'd bounced around with the trailing whip of hair dancing around him, the righteous anger that made him mantle like a beast, the shy look up through long lashes when he'd move closer, the pained look when he'd stolen that kiss…

"It means nothing," he stated instead, trying to make himself believe it as well.

"Have you dreamt of him?"

Heero felt himself flush and kept his gaze averted in an attempt to hide the absurd reaction. "What kind of question is that?" he demanded gruffly.

"A valid one, I think. One that you are evading."

The irritated scowl deepened but still Heero did not answer. He wanted to assert that he hadn't and be done with it, but he couldn't in good conscience lie; it was unbefitting on an Angel. What he really wanted was for it to be the truth, though. Heero wished, emphatically, that he had never had such dreams of his opponent. What did it matter, anyway? It wasn't the first time he'd had dreams of others, nor did he expect it to be the last in his afterlife. That the subject matter of these dreams were significantly different than any others was besides the point. Heero surely thought nothing of them, so why should Wufei have such an interest?

"I will leave you to your secrets, Heero," the elder angel said finally with a small sigh that could have been from impatience or disappointment, "But I want you to seriously think about what I have asked you, and why. I believe you, as well, have some unresolved business to attend to concerning a certain resident of Hell. When you have come to a decision, you know where to find me."

Heero nodded, not trusting himself to speak, and took the offered exit gladly to Shift back to his own abode. Unsteady, he collapsed to sit on the floor exactly where he landed in the middle of the room, not even bothering to move to a chair. Think about it? Sad, mournful cobalt eyes flashed in his mind. No, he didn't want to think about it at all.

konpeitou: Review? ;o;