Warnings: yaoi, fantasy, magic, AU

Disclaimers: *pouts* I don't own them, I'm just borrowing them *cries* They're just so kawaii!!

Comment: Yes I'm lazy and don't update like I used ta so sue me.

Author's comments: Yes I noticed all my typos late I'm sorry for the inconvinence of being sloppy and forgetful in rereading over my work, and I swear I'll try my best to catch them all in this chapter. *bows* Gomen nasai, gomen gomen. Anyway's let's move on shall we? ^^ I'll revise the other one later *blinks*

Spellcaster 3

"Hilde?!" Duo's eyes stayed wide in shock staring down at the girl who grinned back up at him sheepishly. She coughed for a second then struggles in her restraints.

"You think you can give me a hand here, Duo?" she asked looking up at him with pleading eyes.

"Uh…yeah sure." He reached back behind her shaking his head at the sloppy knots and quickly untied them. "What are you doing out here, Hilde? You're supposed to be in town. You know this forest is full of bandits and such."

"I had to look for you, Duo." She stood up wincing slightly as she rubbed where the ropes had been tied around her wrist. "There's a problem back in town. You have to hurry back here, Duo!"

"Whoa, slow down." He rested his hands on her shoulders and stared her in the face, smiling slightly to help keep her calm. "What's going on back in town that'd make you run out here looking for me?"

The panicked look in Hilde's eyes died down some as she visibly took a deep breath before starting. "Something's about to happen soon. I overly some guys at Howard's bar talking about destroying Maxwell Church! They set it up to happen within two days!"

Duo blinked at this. "You serious?" he asked.

Hilde nodded. "They might have been drunk and there were only two of them, but they also mentioned there being others to help out."

"I don't get it," Duo said shaking his head and sighing as he turned walking into a pace. "The church never did anything to hurt the people. In fact, it provides sanctuary, especially for the hurt. Why would they even think about destroying Maxwell Church?"

Hilde looked down as something bumped her leg, then smiled at Scythe reaching down and rubbing behind his ears, listening to the low rumbling of satisfaction from the beast. "They said something about using it for an example to show how wrong Queen Relena's thoughts of peace and pacifism were."

"Gah! Those bastards!" Duo growled and slammed a fist against an open palm baring his teeth in anger.

"That's why I came out here looking for you. We have to hurry back! Those guys that capture me were part of there evil crew."

"You mean they're part of the group that's trying to destroy the church?!" Duo stared at her with wide eyes. "Why didn't you tell me that in the first place?!"

"Well…"she grinned at him batting her eyelashes cutely for a moment before continuing. "I WAS tied up and gagged at the moment. By the time you freed me, they were already panther food."

"Right right," Duo grumbled looking down at Scythe who stared back at him with innocent looking yellow orbs. "And I don't think we'll get the answer we're looking for talking to Scythe's tummy. Ain't that right, boy?" Scythe purred at that walking to him and rubbing his head against the side of his leg affectionately. Duo blinked slightly as he listened to what Scythe said. "What about the guy who had my cross? Well…he's heading to the same place so chances are we'll meet up again. Besides, I still have to get my knife back. You have any idea how hard it is to find a knife with good qualities like that one?"

"A guy?" Hilde asked looking at him questioningly. "You mean someone stole your cross?!"

"Well…not exactly…heh heh." He rubbed behind his head grinning sheepishly as he saw the glare on Hilde's face then whistled before turning and starting to walk off. "But that's not the important thing right now, first we have to get back to Sanc to stopped the evil baddies from trying to destroy the church and everyone in it." He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Do you have any clue as to how many guys are in this little group?"

Hilde shook her head starting to walk as well, moving up to walk beside him. "Not at all. I didn't get to catch all that much. I only came in at the end."

"Ah…very helpful," he said sarcastically reaching up and resting his hands behind his head. "So we have one day to save the church…sounds easy enough. Course they WOULD wait until I was out of town to try something like this, the bastards. I'm glad they got eaten. There are a lot of kids still in that church and to even THINK of destroying it, that's just plain cruel!"

"So what do you plan to do when you get there?"

"I'm not sure yet," Duo said quietly looking straight ahead, Scythe walking loyal by his side. "Maybe I can get them all out. I mean not only are they threatening lives, but they're threatening a home too…my home. And for that, I can't forgive them. Shinigami will surely have his way with them."

Hilde frowned slightly glancing out the corner of her eyes towards her friend. Shinigami…the dreadfully feared God of Death. No one survived an encounter with him…no one but Duo. Duo was touched by death often but never claimed. He was the pawn for this so called leader he proclaimed to follow and believe in. Duo and Shinigami…they were one in the same and at the same time, totally different. Duo the cheerful wide-eyed male who cared so much about the people. Then Shinigami…the cold and dark one who had no feelings and no regrets in killing its prey.

Hilde shivered unconsciously at that thought and hugged herself rubbing at her arms feeling goose bumps. Shinigami laid dormant within the cross. No one knew just how power that little silver cross was. It held the power over someone's life…or multiple people! She had only seen it happen once…seen Duo use it. From what she knew…that was the only time he had ever used the cross. Duo had changed a bit after that. He was still his cheerful smiling self however…a lot of times it seemed a forced cheer…and at other times he would call himself Shinigami, his eyes darkening for only a few seconds before he returned to his cheerful self. That cross had done something to him. In fact, he never let it out of his sight. Considering the amount of power it contained, she understood that letting it fall into wrong hands would be very very bad. But at times…it was like he was holding on to a piece of himself.

"….So I told the guy 'hey! I know you like me and all, and I appreciate it but I just don't swing that way!' And he was like 'you mean you're a guy?' And I couldn't believe this guy had tried to get a date with me! I mean come on! He thought I was a girl!! And…I don't even look like a girl!! I mean sure I have long hair and all but…hey Hilde? You listen?" Duo blinked and reached over poking her in the shoulder lightly watching as her eyelashes fluttered quickly as she returned from her daze.

"Huh…oh uh…yeah I'm fine." She smiled reassuringly winking at him. "But we better hurry, it's getting dark now."

"Sure thing."

Heero glared around at his surrounded in frustration. He hated this. He hated the birds that chirped cheerfully. He hated the squirrels hopping from tree to tree. He hated the way the trees loomed over them casting shadows. He hated how beautiful the day was. He hated a certain braided boy baka by the name of Duo. He hated everything. He noted in the back of his mind that maybe he was overreacting…but a soldier like him doesn't overreact. He also noted that the others of his company where getting weary of him.

…Ok well…Quatre anyway. Trowa was flanked on Quatre's left looking off towards the trees, a bird sitting on his shoulder chirping up a storm which when Quatre had seen it, he pronounced how cute it was. Trowa had smiled back at that. Those two were beginning to get sickening with their crush. Always peeking at each other and smiling shyly and laughing at the stupidest things. He hated it. Then there was Wufei.

Wufei flanked on Quatre's right, hadn't said a word. That worked in Heero's opinion; however, the constant clank of his metal armor was really aggravation. Not to mention every so often him grunting in reaction to whatever Quatre or Trowa did in a flirtatious manner to each other. He hated it. He hated it all. What he wouldn't do to be out in the fields fighting and killing instead of being stuck here monitoring some rich kid who had know knowledge of war at all and who was nothing more than a love sick puppy!

Heero grunted again squeezing his legs slightly to get Zero to speed up, the horse snorting slightly at its master's impatience but following its orders nonetheless. They were only a few more hours away from town. Then they would find an inn to rest. Heero fingered the knife at the side of his belt slightly then narrowed his eyes as it once again brought him back to his memories of the elf boy. No he wasn't an elf…just some kid with growth problems and abnormal ears. Still the thought of him just made him so…angry. Which was why he was in his bad mood right now. He'd think about the elf, then get angry and start to hate everything only to think about the boy again. Why was it so important?

Heero perked suddenly, his thoughts from the night before and his anger being pushed aside. He frowned once more as he looked ahead. A figure was running towards them down the trail, heading straight for them. Heero grunted as the figure neared them, finally slowing to a stop in front of them and panting as he tried to catch his breath.

"Please help me! My friend!"

Heero grunted, about to do his little proclamation that they were busy and on duty but Quatre beat him to the rush…with the wrong words. "Where is your friend?"

"H-he's in town! One of the guards just upright out of nowhere stabbed him! I think he's dying!"
"Lead us to him!" Quatre said. The man nodded and turned running off again expecting him to follow. Quatre started after him but was stopped by Heero as he held his hand out blocking his way and glaring at him over his shoulder.

"We have business of our own," Heero grounded out.

Quatre blinked slightly then shook his head. "It's our job to help the innocent…and I can't just let him die especially without even trying. Don't you have some sense of moral in you?" Quatre looked at him questioningly.

"Hn…." Heero thought about this. "No."

"I'm sorry…but I have to do this." Quatre rode off quickly catching up to the man that'd lead him to his friend.

Trowa rode up to a stop beside Heero, his eyes trained on Quatre up ahead just now going down the hill. "I'll keep an eye on him," he said petting the horse's mane slightly as he got it started up again. Again Heero grunted glaring after the both of them. He hated them too…he hated all of them. He couldn't wait until this was all over so he could go back to his real work…leading the troops on the battlefield…or really leaving them to fight on his own.

He started off after him at a gallop, Wufei following at his other side. Strangely, he had not said a word since last night. It wasn't all that unnatural but this was different. Wufei would have muttered something by now…but he said absolutely nothing. Maybe he was just as tired as he was. They'd all be better once the day was over.

TBC……


OK OK I know it wasn't much but I had to put up something not to mention I STILL have to revise part two. *sniffles* So much work so little time. Oh well! ^^ It's developing somewhat. And uh…now to work on Weiss only to go back to my vampire story! ^^ Then to come back here! It works better if I make up a system, oi? Review!