Old Bonds, New Flames

.-Shen Wei-

"Shen Wei… Shen Wei… wake up… Shen Wei…" The voice that keep insisting for him to wake up was a familiar one, he kind of miss it.

"Ye Zun?" He asked, still with his eyes closed, unable to move from where he was resting. He felt too tired to even do that much. He could only mentally connected with his other half trough the seal of hell.

"It's the curse… but don't worry, it will be removed soon."

"Ye Zun, are you alright? What's happening in hell?"

"A lot of things you should be aware of them. I'm no longer in the palace, so if you come here, don't look for me there."

"Why did you left? Did something happen to you?"

"Not really, I just make mad a nasty crow that want to use us to revive our father…"

"What do you mean?"

"So, he didn't told you?"

"Who? Yunlan?"

"Yes, that damn bastard you call boyfriend."

"He is not a bastard."

"Yes he is. It was because of him that we end up separated."

"I left your side not because of Kunlun, but because I didn't want a war."

"Yet, you still fight in it and by his side, instead of mine."

"I told you to stop many times. Taking the world of the humans wasn't right."

"Then us, living in darkness was it?"

"Our father create us in darkness, it's not the human's fault, nor the gods."

"Yeah, yeah, you are always so stubborn."

"Me alone? I think we both share that trait. Tell me, what did Yunlan hide from me?"

"Oh, so you won't argue with me for accusing him of keeping things from you?"

"No. I know when he is hiding things from me. He was elusive when explaining the tribes of what happen in the realm of the gods."

"So he went there? As a human?" Zun laughed. "I guess he had a death wish…"

"He was taken there." Shen internally sighed.

"By who? Seriously, are the gods too bored these days?"

"It was Lord Rong, the fire god and I brought him back soon after he was taken."

"Sure you did, you have always follow him not matter the danger or the place. Lucky bastard…"

"Ye Zun, please tell me… I must be inside the seal now."

"Yes, you are part of it. Each time you go to deep sleep, your dark energy become part of the seal, which is a good thing for me right now. Shen Wei, the sundial is no longer in the human realm, it's here. The damn crow have it for a bit."

"…"

"Shen Wei? Are you still there?"

"Yes… are you safe?"

"Please, as if a half crow half god can do anything to me. I'm a King, you know?"

"Then why you left?"

"I kind of stole the sundial from him."

"Ahhhhh, Ye Zun! Why is it, that the two men I love the most are equally reckless?"

"Don't compare me to him."

"You are the same! Stay hidden and safe until I got you."

"Are you really coming, Wei Ge?"

"Yes, wait for me, Ye Didi."

"Ah, how I miss you calling me like that. Alright, I will hold on the fort for you for a little while, but I will not promise not to try killing your lover when I see him again."

"He is strong, he can handle himself…"

"Such faith… well at least, he will free you from your pain…"

"Then, our promise ends here. You have paid your price for your past crimes, as I have paid mine from leaving you behind. When we see each other again, I will free you from your prison."

"Aren't you afraid that I will act against the gods again?"

"If you have wished for that to happen, you wouldn't have stolen the sundial of resurrection from those who could have been your allies. We both have change over the centuries and not even the gods can deny that fact. Wait for me Ye Didi. It's time for us to be one again."

"Sorry Wei Ge, but I don't like your lover, so if I ever go out of here, I will stay as far as I can from that shameless god." Shen inwardly smiled.

"You will got along… somehow…"

"Don't dream too much…"

"I know, Ye Zun… our connection, even if separated, as we have been for so long, will never broke nor disappear. What's in the past, should stay behind, move forward and a new world will be open for you. I promise."

"We'll see…"

"I need to go back now… don't let them find you, nor hurt you in any way. You are strong, Ye Zun… remember that…"

"Yeah, yeah… you be careful too. The wick for the lantern should be in the Rainbow Mountains, but that place is close to the crow tribe.

"Don't worry about me. I will keep my promise, as I always did."

"Go now or your half god will panic for leaving your body again."

"You know him well, already…"

"Hey! That wasn't what I meant…"

"See you soon Ye Zun… very soon." And after that, their connection was gone, as Shen Wei was brought back to his body.

-Yunlan-

"Lord Yawang, I hope you don't find it disrespectful if I end this game as soon as possible." Zhao said as he looked the Go/Weiqi board in front of him. The old man had an undying passion for the strategic game and he knew that will be his price. Last time they played, when he was still a god, he had defeated him, so this so called 'price' was nothing more than an old man, trying to have a re-match and perhaps an excuse for a talk as well.

"Oh, I don't mind at all Lord Kun… I mean Zhao Yunlan. I know you are impatient to have your Ghost Slayer back on his feet sooner than later, but well… just indulge an old man, with old stories to tell." So that's why he asked for a price? Did something happen back in the celestial realm? Was that the reason, Nuwa's temple had being replaced by the fairies hell?

"Go ahead then. I will like to hear them..."

"Ah, you are so respectful of the elders. Very well… there was once a little kid that loved power over all things and he seek to dominate and rule over a world, but he was defeated soon after he defy the heavens…" So he was talking about GongGong?

"Really? That's good, right? I mean, if he was hungry for power, then he wasn't exactly a good kid…"

"Indeed, but this kid grow up and have a son."

"Who seek power too?" Zhao asked as he keep moving his pieces in the board.

"Yes, but this other kid is not alone, you see, he had a beautiful godly lover that help him get something he shouldn't have."

"Ah, I bet it was a tool."

"Mmm, something like that and with it, he went to a very bad place to find another kid he could use."

"Did he got him?" This one he needed to know. Shen Wei will kill him if something happen to his brother, when he knew he was missing in hell.

"Not yet, but who knows when that could happen. So the big ones had decided to act and help the lost kid and the kind one, for the sake of the world."

"Really? So that's why the fire keep showing up?" Zhao asked.

"I guess, the fire kid offer himself to end the mess he involuntary created, although others may show as well and also it's why the gods temples had been replaced with challenging ones. One tool was already stolen, we can't let another one fall in the wrong hands again."

"Well, moving the tools to better guarded places is good. Just one question, who was the one in charge of the stolen one?" Zhao asked curiously.

"The fire kid, he liked the girl who stole it from him, that's why he offer himself."

"Ahhhh, damn fire! He flirts with every beauty, including mine!" The dark Lord laughed.

"I like you more now. A shame you are in such haste."

"Shen Wei stopped breathing again. It make me nervous." Zhao said.

"Of course, he means a lot to you, but don't worry, right now your sleeping prince is having a reunion with someone from the other side of the seal." This piece of information make him look back at his lover, still resting over the stone altar.

"Oh hell, don't tell me he is visiting his brother."

"The one and only."

"Sorry old man, I have to finish this now. He is going to kill me when he find out about Ye Zun being missing." The man laughed again.

"Worry not, your other half can't be mad with you for long, but I guess I need to remove his curse now. Lord Zillah it's getting impatient too."

"Zillah?" The name ring a bell inside his mind, but he could not remember who he was.

"You will remember in due time. Come, let's free the Ghost Slayer of his suffering." The man said, as Yunlan had already win the game.

Zhao followed the king of the fairies hell and held one of Shen Wei's hand. He couldn't feel his pulse, but he knew his Wei was fine in the other side. The old man put a hand on Shen Wei's shoulder, in which the cursed was concentrated.

"I'm sorry my boy, that one curse from my book of darkness, which Gongong learned, had keep you in such hell for so long. Be free now." He recited a few words in an ancient language and a black and red symbol appeared a meter above Shen's body. He stirred a bit as the symbol became a set of octagonal gates one inside the other and begin to rotate in different directions, opening to a dark void.

Then, a thin line of black liquid emerged from Shen's shoulder, going up inside the gates in a thin twister. Shen arched his body as the curse moved up, until it was removed from him and when there was no more dark liquid, the gates closed and disappear. Zhao clearly hear when Wei sighed, probably in relief and he smiled, gently taking the man in his arms once again.

"You are free now babe. I can kiss you all I want without worries…" Zhao whisper to his lover in his surprisingly red ear.

"Seriously Zhao… so shameless already…" Shen whisper back and Zhao laughed.

"Ah, but you are so cute, I can't help myself." Zhao whisper in good humor.

"Yunlan? What happen to you?" Shen asked as he finally open his eyes to look at him. He wasn't expecting to see Zhao with long hair and amber eyes, nor with even more inner energy.

"Long story Xiao Wei. I will tell you everything later… hey, old man can we had the lantern now?" Shen looked at his left and saw Lord Yawang smiling at him.

"My Lord… Zhao, be more respectful, he is…"

"I know who he is and don't worry, he said he likes me more like this." Shen wanted to face palmed himself already.

"Have this…" The dark Lord said as an small obsidian obelisk stone descended from above into Shen Wei's hand.

"This stone held inside the guardian's lantern. Guard it well. Now go back and have some real rest, oh brave Ghost Slayer. We shall assist you this time." Shen Wei blushed a bit more, surprised for the unexpected praise, but before he could reply to the old man, they were suddenly transported back to the Ghost Slayer temple. Shen Wei was even more surprised as he had found himself back to his shared bed, with Yunlan still holding him in his arms.

"Ah, cunning old man… at least you give your 'boy' privacy before I could embarrass him again." Zhao said before softly kissing his Wei for a second.

"That's all Yunlan? Just a feathery kiss?" Shen asked, although blushing even more.

"Of course not babe, I have been upgraded from a wolf to a beautiful white tiger. You know, they said tigers can be a match for dragons because it also guards the heavens." Shen actually laughed.

"So you are now a bigger cat, Yunlan?" Shen asked, letting Zhao place him fully on the bed.

"Well, let's see how big, shall we..." Zhao said bending to truly kiss his smiling Wei, with all the passion he was waiting for.

AN: LOL Thanks for reading.