Guardian: The Broken World

-Shen Wei-

A laud whistle make Shen Wei go back to reality. He had been so immerse in his worry for the man he was trying to merge with, that he forgot once again they were not alone and this time they had an even bigger audience that back in the underworld when only Chu was there or the cat later on Zhao's apartment.

"Oh come on, get a room you too..." Zhu said, as the first thing she saw when waking up, was the pair of lovers in the middle of a heated kiss. Zhao laughed, as Shen Wei pretty much push him away back to the ground, reversing to being the shy Professor that blushed quite furiously.

"I... sorry that was out of line..." Shen whisper in embarrassment to the members of the small group.

"Out of line my a.s.s, that's normal between lovers, better for them to get used to it, because it will not be the last time they see us kiss. He is my official wife now, you all witness it." Zhao announced without a hint of shame.

"Seriously, Yunlan, that isn't helping." Shen scolded, but Yunlan simply ignored him, sitting on the snowy ground and winking to his lover, which flushed even more under Zhao teasing smile.

"Come on babe, don't get angry. Life is short for a human, let's not waste it." Shen sighed. He was too relieved that Zhao had come back to him alive and well after so many hours of being missing, to be truly mad at him. He had been almost at the border of insanity and try to break the barrier with everything he got. But a god's seal was at a different level, so nothing he did against to the barrier worked.

"Hey you pervert, what just happen to us? Why is even nightfall already?" Zhu asked, realizing the rest of the team had prepare a camp, just outside the barrier protecting the pillar of nature and the only light illuminating the freezing cold mountains, was the campfire they made in the middle of the circle of tents and the shining moon up above in the sky.

At that unexpected small info,

Shen frowned in wonder. Didn't both of them disappeared at the same time and came back together? Then why the descendant of Nuwa couldn't recall of the missing hours? Just where were they? Why were they taken and what about the pillar of nature? He sensed something different about Yunlan too, now that he thought about it. His inner energy that he had come to recognize it so well had exponentially raised too.

"Calm down Shen, I will explained it all to you." Zhao whisper to him. Was he really that transparent to Zhao?

"Yeah, Chief, what happen? You

were gone for so long and the Professor was wo... " Lin was going to add, the Professor was worry sick for him, but halted midway, as he remember he was also the Ghost Slayer. Better not to anger him.

"Ah, you guys will not believe this... but let's move closer to the fire first, because I'm freezing in here." Zhao said while letting Xiao Wei help him stand. He was a little unstable after whatever thing Kunlun had done to him, but at least he still could see the members of his team as well as his beloved, before eventually embrace the coming darkness.

After they all gather around the campfire, Zhao told them about his encounter with the founder of the Order, although he didn't mention it was actually an odd encounter with himself, as most of his team didn't know he was the reincarnation of Kunlun.

"That's quite impressive Chief. Not every day you can meet a god and a mayor one at that. The god of the mountains or earth as some call him. I which I could have such an honor." Lin said. Zhao laughed amused by the irony. The man had been working under say impressive god for years and yet, he didn't show too much respect for his human side.

"Who knows, maybe you'll have your chance. There are other artifacts to be collected and a god who will protect it. You go next time." Zhao suggested, ignoring Shen's disapproving stare. He was having fun with this.

"I just wonder why Zhu wasn't able to meet him... not worthy enough?" Lin jocked.

"What's so impressive about meeting Kunlun? I am a god's descendant and we all know Nuwa is the strongest goddess of Heaven." Zhu said, giving herself the deserved importance.

"You are? I didn't knew, that's... quite amazing." Guo shyly said.

"Of course it is little Guo." Zhu said quite pleased.

"She can transform into a huge snake, be careful when she is hungry..." Lin added, making Guo swallow a bit scared.

"Please, don't scare him too much, he is under my care." Shen finally said, making them momentarily stop their bickering.

"I forgot, he is the almighty Ghost Slayer, he is even more impressive..." Lin whisper to Zhu.

"I like the Professor better..." Zhu whispered back.

"No you don't, I told you he is mine." Zhao said, making Shen sigh. His team was quite fitting, giving his personality and he honestly didn't mind them. He knew they all cared about their Chief, even if they constantly bicker and in a way, it felt like they were an odd family.

"Should we head back to the village? It will be warmer inside the inn." Shen asked, once again stopping they current discussion.

"Come on Xiao Wei... why not enjoy the moment while we still can." Shen eyed him suspiciously.

"I mean, you went to the trouble of making such a lovely camp and this magnificent campfire. It had been a while since we Guardians have an outing and even rarer at night, which is usually our busier time. Are there any signs of stronger ghost or demons?" Zhao asked, succesfuly distracting him as he concentrate to check.

"The Hanga ghosts are all gone, there is nothing out of ordinary for hundreds of miles away, except the fairy cat who is pleasantly sleeping on your bed, back in the village." Shen said.

"Such a lazy fat cat. He should have join us, what's a bit of walking..." Lin murmur.

"Well, if he were to like walking, he wouldn't be fat on his old days..." Zhao added.

"Please, Zhao, give him some credit. He fought quite hard in the war to protect the humans, alongside with both, me and Kunlun." Shen disapproved.

"Oh, that's right... I saw Da Qing's human form. He was such a brat." Zhao said.

"Seriously, why do I even bother..." Wei whisper more to himself, but Zhao still hear him. As they were sat quite close to one another, Zhao simply took his hand and hold it.

"Xiao Wei, don't get us too seriously. We may make fun of him from time to time, but that's alright, because we all love him in our own particular way. We are a family after all and now, so are you, babe." Yunlan said, slightly kissing him in a cheek.

"Look, who knew the Chief had such a soft spot." Zhu murmur to Lin.

"Yeah and maybe if the Professor hangs around him for a while, we may get some extra bonus at the end of the year, which is only a few weeks away." Lin added quite exited.

"Lucky us... a shame Wang and Sang went back to the office..." Zhu whisper.

"Which is why the lovely ghost couple will get their bonus, unlike the two of you." Zhao join them.

"What? Not fair..." Lin pretested first.

"You evil Chief and after you put my life at risk..." Zhu try to appeal to his conscience.

"Nice try, but still no bonus." Zhao laughed.

"He is such a demon, why did Uncle Four insisted on me joining the Order, I will give him a piece of my mind when I got back home..." Zhu resigned herself.

"Yeah, I should have read my fortune and avoid catastrophe the day I accidently stumble with him..."

"You are right, it was quite the hassle case, that one." Zhao faintly smiled, while remembering such night a few years ago.

As the Guardians keep up their battering, both Guo and Shen, couldn't help but watch them with some admiration, because those Guardians were indeed an extended member of a family, one that Shen also wanted to keep safe, not only because they were precious to Zhao, but also because he found himself liking them as well.

-Yunlan-

After a few hours off telling some embarrassing stories of each other in tuns and getting along even better, Zhao call off the night. Shen Wei had added a barrier to keep the camp safe while they sleep and also to keep the cold out for the most part. Zhao was to share his tent with Shen, of course, Lin with Guo and Zhu was to sleep alone, which was just fine with her as she stated that men only snored and smelled like wet dogs.

Zhao was really tired by the time both of them had make of two sleeping bags as their joint cover and bed. He was a bit nervous, because he still have few things to tell to his beloved Shen Wei and hoped he would understand his decision to let go of his sight for a few days and embrace the use of his third eye in full.

"Okay Zhao, you can tell me now what you didn't share with the others." Shen Wei begin while watching his lover, lying on his back with an arm under his head.

"Care to put an extra layer of a barrier, to make this tent soundproof?" Shen arched an eyebrow, having a bad feeling about the coming conversation.

"Why?" Shen couldn't resist but to ask.

"I don't want to disturb the others because they should be tired and there is a slight possibility you may yell at me loudly enough they may heard you back in Hell." Instantly, Shen's heart dropped a beat, already fearing the worse. However, he did as Zhao asked.

"Done, now tell me."

"Come and kiss me senseless again, first. I honestly loved that one the most."

"Zhao Yunlan, Chief Guardian of the Order, I swear, if this is just another perverted way of teasing me..."

"I'm totally serious. Please, indulge me this one time." Zhao pouted and after a bit of hesitation, he pulled Zhao close and kiss him. At first, he intended to keep it innocent and fast, but as he have a full access to Zhao's mouth, his own repressed d.e.s.i.r.e took the better of him.

He fully explored Zhao's mouth with his tongue as he wished, moving his exited body to cover Yunlan's with his own, occasionally making Zhao m.o.a.n when he gently bite a bit of his lower lip. After a few heated kisses, Shen was about to tear apart Zhao's shirt which was on his way, but then the pain hit him full scale, making both of them yelp in pain at the same time.

Despite momentarily losing control of himself, it didn't go unnoticed to Shen Wei that Zhao's had actually feel his pain as it was his own and that alone froze him as he sat over Zhao's lower torso. He was more or less tolerant to the pain by now, but as he carefully watched Zhao, he knew that Yunlan was barely holding another yelp and then he panic. That wasn't supposed to happen and there was just one possible explanation.

"Yunlan, just what did Kunlun did to you? Or more of what did you agree to do to yourself? Tell me now!" He angrily asked, making Zhao half smiled.

"Ah... I knew you were going to yell at me." He joked.

"I'm serious Zhao! What happen to you back in Kunlun's temple? I notice your inner energy had even change ever since you came back from within the seal."

"So you notice right away?"

"Of course I did! I care too much for you and you disappear on me so suddenly and for most of the day. Worse of all, I couldn't do anything to reach you. Then you came back a little different from before disappearing, and now, you are even either sensing my pain, which you couldn't before or experiencing it as your own, which shouldn't be possible."

"Well, it is now..."

"Yunlan, just what..."

"Xiao Wei, clam down, okay?" Zhao try to pacify him, while managing to sit with Wei still over his l.a.p. Although the disruption caused by his pain had chase the excitement away, it still felt good to have him this close. However, Shen was quite angry and try to move away, but Zhao was a strong man and hold him in a tight hug.

"Things will get chaotic soon and it will become too much for you to handle it alone. We are the same Shen Wei, as much as you want me safe and protected, so do I with you, but you panic every time I try to help you with my limited power because I am only a human now. Well, Kunlun offer me a way to widen that line and I accept it quite willingly."

"Did he awaken the god inside you? Ahhh... that's..."

"Kunlun is gone, Shen Wei. Unless I'm dying or something among that line, his dormant part will remain exactly that way until I die. He wants your happiness as much as I do, well, technically we are the same, but..." He enclosed Shen's face on his hands. "Some of his power will begin to awake within me, giving me the chance to actually do something for you on your terms."

"Your human body will not be able to handle the strain of a god's power. That was even more reckless than anything else you had done so far and that's a lot to say..."

"Yet it will work. I'm not as fragile as you believe. I was never a common human to begin with. Can you see the campfire from inside the tent?" Zhao asked and Shen Wei, removed himself from over Zhao and sit by him, looking at the outside.

"Yes." Then, Zhao closed his eyes and concentrate on his third eye, eventually managing to see beyond the tent and, just as he did ever since he was a kid, he summon celestial fire on the campfire. He expected that the flame color changed from the usual red orange, to the white color of the celestial fire, but to his big surprise, it changed into a variety of colors, from white, green, blue, yellow and even a purple, without causing the usual drain that always follows. Shen stared at the rainbow flames, as if mesmerized by them and frowned.

"There is more right? How can you feel my pain now?" Shen asked looking back at Zhao.

"Of that one I'm not too sure. He said, that I should be mindful of your pain, maybe I teased you too much?" Shen sighed. You still do it, so if that was the reason, it was actually wasted on you.

"What else?"

"It will be more apparent in a few days, I guess, but..." Zhao avoided his intense gaze. Even if it was dark inside the tent, the moon rays make it possible for them to have a good look at each other.

"But what?" Shen pressed.

"I will be blind for those few days..." Shen first instinct was to portal himself back to the underworld and scream all his frustration out in the eternal darkness of his world, but leaving Zhao was not an option now because he didn't knew since when he will become blind, so he let himself fell back to the sleeping bag and closed his eyes.

What was done cannot be changed, even if he wanted it to. He trusted Kunlun knew what he was doing, he was a god after all, with more insight of their future than he could dare imagine. Yet, the frustration was a bit overwhelming, even when he told himself that it was Kunlun's and Zhao's own will. Nonetheless, to Zhao's horror, soon there were tears, escaping Shen's long closed eyelashes.

"Shen Wei, hell don't cry, just punch me if you are that angry..."

"I will never consciously harm you. Just let me be, I'm not angry with you anymore, just frustrated. It will not be easy for me to see you going blind, even if it is for a short period." And so Zhao keep it quiet for a few minutes, but eventually, unable to keep seen his lover in sadness, he dared to lie down by his side and hug him, as Shen didn't resist his embrace, he added...

"Everything that is meant to keep you alive and here with me, its worthy of any sacrifice. You did it for me many times and for far too long, let me be the one do it at least once for you. It's only for a few days and it's not that I will be that blind. Before, I could see more or less fine with my third eye."

"The demons will come tomorrow night, I'm sure of it."

"And we will fight them with all we got..."

"I will, on my own."

"Over my dead body."

"That can be arrange..." Zhao chuckle at his poor joke.

"As if, you just said you will never harm me..."

"I, no. Chu however, will be quite willing to do it for me." This time Zhao laughed.

"I bet he is indeed willing."

"You just have no idea."

"Oh, trust me I do. He dislike me, that's not exactly a secret."

"That he does..."

"So, will you move in with me?" Shen asked merrily, changing topic.

"You truly are a shameless former god." Shen sighed over Zhao's neck.

"But you still love it, right?"

"Yes, way too much..." Zhao smiled.

"So are you in?" Zhao hug him more tightly.

"What other choice do you leave me? You know I won't abandon you when blind." Or abandon you in general, I love you idiot too much.

"Right."

"I have a condition."

"Whatever you ask."

"No more teasing. I'm beginning to lose control of myself..."

"Ah, that... to be honest I don't mind, but your pain is no joke. I can wait until the curse is remove in Nuwa's temple."

"He told you that too?"

"Well of course, and you will ask her for your wish. Of that I will make sure." Shen didn't reply as he was becoming tired.

"As for the pain..." Zhao put a hand over the pendant hidden inside Shen's shirt and even if it wasn't a direct contact, the fire inside the pendant begin to shine.

"I know now how to help you until the curse is fully removed. Have your rest, my Xiao Wei, from here on you are no longer alone bearing this curse and I will bring you back the rest you so overdo deserve." Zhao kissed his hair, concentrating in giving his love one a painless night under the moon.

"Thank you." Shen whisper before letting Yunlan's fire lure him to deep sleep.

AN: Thanks.