Dawn over the city came slowly now that winter approached. To one whose life had changed the ending of one season was somehow appropriate. Auliya watched from her bedroom window as the night slowly gave way to the dawn. It had just been a little over two weeks since Max's funeral and after months of worry Auliya found herself in a strange place. With Kiswa and the twins gone she had no team to go back to and even if Max had survived he would never have been given back to the humans, not after everything that had been said and done. Most likely he would have been required to begin training as the successor to the High Lord.

     Auliya smiled just imaging Lord Gea trying to teach Max the priestly concepts of Richese's religious sect. With Max gone from the team most likely Auliya and the others would have gone back to their separate lives. The twins would begin their temple training along with Max and Auliya would return to begin learning her father's business. Kiswa would have most likely begun his temple training, as well, just to be near Max and the twins. Auliya laughed softly just imaging all the trouble the boys would have gotten into; silently betting that by the end of the month the temple would no longer be standing. Auliya laughter quickly changed to tears as reality once more set in that Max and the others where not coming back.

     Auliya dried her tears and once more pulled herself together she looked towards the box Max's grandfather had given her after the funeral had ended. Made of dark ebony and delicately carved with Max's house seal, the dragon and crane. The box was no bigger than the flat of her hand; inside the lid was a carving of the phoenix burning representing the end of Max's life. Contained within the box was what remained of Max's ashes.

     Max's body had been cremated according to Tleilaxion custom. Burned as the sun set on the third day of his death his ashes were to be scattered on every rising for the next two weeks and today was the last day. Normally this would be a shared duty between the surviving team members and the family but because Auliya was the only one left and Max's Lady Mother found it to hard to let her son go it was now her job to comfort the dead on their way. She sang an old earth song that Max had told her about as she scattered the last of his ashes that somehow seemed to fit the moment; " I will remember you , will you remember me…".

     As the song ended and the last of Max's ashes blew away in the morning breeze the tears began fall once more but were quickly whipped away for Auliya knew that somehow she and Max would met again and that death for Max was not the end but just another road to be traveled. As others in the house began to awaken Auliya set the box aside for the last time and quickly began to get ready for the day, for while her team may no longer exist life as a merchants daughter never stopped and today was a new day.

     The High Lord studied the irate human and wished once again for understanding. The Earth delegation had attended the state funeral and all three had expressed sadness at Max's loss, all but this lone human, Heero Yui, the human that had been used as bait to draw his grandson and his team into a trap. Lord Gea felt his anger stir as he once more recalled the lost and hurt look on Max's face. The humans truly did not understand what it meant to lose such a powerful team.

     At a little over five feet six Agent Yui could have given the smallest Tleilaxion a run for their money. Built along slime lines he none the less had a well defined upper body and a face, that according to rumor, that had most of the noble ladies "drooling in their cheerios" as Max would say. Thinking about how Max would have loved to witness the noble ladies "drooling" over a human Lord Gea felt some of his anger fade.

     With piercing blue eyes and messy chocolate colored hair he could understand why his grandson felt such an attachment to this human in the first place. Lord Gea also felt certain that if it wasn't for the ongoing negations Agent Yui would have been less then gentle in his question asking process. As it was the human was becoming a danger with his constant questioning of Max's death. He had to put a stop to it fast before the human once more brought danger to his grandson, "Agent Yui the fact that you persist in this delusion is more a statement towards your inability to cope then the chance that I or our government is lying to you. Not only do you insult me and my house but to suggest that I would cause my daughter and her husband so much grief as a type of joke is unforgivable at best." Which was true, for while it was necessary for all concerned the hardest part was watching his grieving daughter and her husband deal with the loss of their child. It was only today that Lady Isis had found out that she was with child. For the first time in weeks it was tears of joy she shed instead of grief. Standing up from the chair he was seated in when Agent Yui came to call he handed Heero an envelope, "I found this in Max's things. Take it and leave, you are no longer welcome here," with that said Lord Gea turned and walked away silently praying that for once the stubborn human would just let it go, for all their sakes.

     Heero felt his hand clinch in anger as he held himself in check. Beating the High Priest of Richese religious sect to death was not a good idea, especially given how hard Quatre and the others had had to work to re-open trade talks after that stupid shit commander almost got Duo and his team killed. To learn that Duo had been alive all this time had filled Heero with such a mix of emotion that it left him shaking; anger, joy, sorrow, and betrayal all fought within him.

     As he lay recovering in Duo's home hope and joy at being able to see and talk to his best friend after all these years of believing him dead kept Heero from recovering as fast as he should have. To later be told that Duo was in a coma and unlikely to ever recover was like being sucker punched and made Heero want to scream at the unfairness of it all so he stayed with Duo's family waiting, hoping, and learning all about Duo's new life as Max. Heero rubbed his eyes tiredly, thinking back; once again, to the day his nightmares had become all too real.

     Amen, Max's housekeeper, had just delivered breakfast to Heero when a knock came at the door. Pushing the tray aside, Heero stood to answer the door, surprised to find Max's father, Lord Asar, on the other side looking pale. Seeing the look on Lord Asar face Heero somehow knew that life as he knew it was now and forever changed. The next thing he knew he was in the bathroom throwing up what little breakfast he had eaten. As Heero rinsed out his mouth the tears came and the sorrow at once again not being able to talk to his best friend grew.

     Max's body was displayed for three days to give the mourners time to grieve and for the final preparations to be made. Heero visited the body one night as the last of the mourners had left for the day. As he stared at the body of his friend he felt the tears come and as the sorrow built breathing became difficult until finally Heero gave in and let lose the scream that had been building. Amen found him, later that night, passed out and whimpering in his sleep holding tight to Max's hand.

     It was during this time that the Earth delegation had arrived to join Heero in once more mourning the loss of their friend. The night before the funeral fire was to begin was when Heero had had his first dream of Duo. 'Heero awake to darkness, instinctively knowing that he was not alone. He waited patiently for the other to show it's self. The other giggled before tackling Heero to the ground. Has he hit Heero automatically grabbed the other and flipped them so that he landed on top, with his fist raised, ready to strike. The darkness dissipated, reveling a laughing and grinning Duo, "Gotcha He-chan!" Heero froze in shock unable to process what he was seeing. Duo giggled once more and wiggled out from under the frozen Heero. Duo sighed softly seeing the loss look on Heero's face and gently reached up to run his fingers across his cheek, "You always did take things so personally." At Duo's touch the tears came, "You left me," he whispered as he silently look in all the changes that had taken place. Duo nodded, "Yeah, I know, am sorry about that but it had to be done." It was this point that Heero got angry, reaching up to grab Duo's shoulders he shouted, "Why! Why did you have to leave! Why won't you let us help you!?" Duo smiled one of his genuine smiles at Heero's outburst and leaned in to hug him, "You are why I am strong," Duo whispered as he leaned back and looked behind him. As he turned back both boys were now standing at a distance from each other, as Heero tried to reach out for him he left his body go heavy and his eye lids began to droop, "Relax He-man, you don't think a little thing like death could stop me do ya?" The last thing Heero remember was Duo's laughter as he disappeared into the dark.'

     It was as Heero watched the burning of Duo's body that he came to believe that it really wasn't Duo that they were watching being cremated but something else. Looking at the people attending the funeral Heero's eyes narrowed knowing that someone was lying but not the reason why. Breathing deep he turned to leave; he had two weeks in which to figure it out and possibly get Duo back.

     Quatre watched silently from his seat as Heero continued to stare out the shuttle window. Ever since Duo's funeral Heero had been acting crazy, accusing the High Lord of faking Duo's death and almost single handedly stopping the negations before they had even begun. Thankfully the Tleilaxion where able to except the excuse that grief had unbalanced him but his latest confrontation with the High Priest had gotten him banned from the planet. Turning back around in his seat Quatre sighed and rubbed his chest, the sorrow and the loneliness Heero radiated was enough to break Quatre's heart. With Quatre no longer watching him Heero relaxed his stiff poster and closed his eyes feeling tired down to his soul. Remembering the letter Lord Gea had handed him the day before Heero opened his eyes and reached for his bag, retrieving the white envelope. Leaning back in his seat he opened the letter and promptly sat up again. The letter was dated the day of the funeral and inside was Duo's hand writing. 'Hey He-chan you always did worry too much' Heero's lips twitched and a huge weight seemed to lift from his chest. It was all the proof he need to know that he really wasn't going insane. Quatre's eyes widened in surprise as he heard Heero's soft laughter, turning to look Quatre smiled, feeling the calmness that had come over Heero, whatever had happened Heero had found his center and was once more at peace.