A/N I had to rewrite this chapter because I didn't like some things about it, and I wasn't alone in that… I hope this version is better. I also hope to finish soon…

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters (except the OC-s) were created by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo.

Chapter Twenty-Six

It was decided to postpone the party, as Impedimenta insisted, since the evening was already near, and nothing was ready yet. However, there was the mood of a good fun coming up. It had been such a long while since the last big feast in the village that everyone was looking forward to this one. Cacofonix was composing a new song, obviously taking advantage of the others' overly bright mood.

Obelix was looking for an opportunity to talk to his friend eye-to-eye. He didn't like the idea of coming back to that theme but he was curious why Asterix had suddenly mentioned it. And why he had asked that question. Finally, he spotted the familiar winged helmet and its owner at his own quarry.

Asterix didn't know why he had come to that particular place. He already regretted about it as the memories of Obelix's "business" started flashing in his mind. "Wanting to be the richest and the most influential man in the village, he had forgotten everything… abandoned everything and everyone…" Being betrayed was a terrible feeling. Asterix hated it. And he hated the fact that he had felt it too often lately.

"Why are you here?" he heard a simple question. Somehow he didn't feel startled, although he hadn't seen Obelix coming near. There was no answer. Instead of it the small warrior just turned his head to the menhir delivery man, his gaze a bit too cold.

"Look, Asterix…" Obelix rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "What's wrong with you? You are nothing like yourself".

"Oh, so now you notice it," Asterix answered quietly with a sarcastic smirk. "What about then? Why didn't you notice it after having nearly smashed my head off?"

"What? Why…"

"Exactly. Why – is the question. I also wonder about it. I mean, first I am arguing with you, and the next thing I remember is waking up on a rock in the middle of the sea at storm. And when I tried to find something out from you, you behaved like I had committed some crime," he stopped to catch up with his breath.

Obelix's eyes widened.

"So you – you really don't remember… hi-hitting me… and what h-happened with Pana… I mean, Latraviata?..." he blushed and stopped.

Asterix remembered that Obelix mentioned something about Panacea and started seriously wondering what might have happened. But he decided not to ask about that.

"That's the point! I don't remember a thing! And if you noticed me doing something wrong why didn't you notice that something WAS wrong?"

Obelix didn't know what to say. Asterix sighed.

"I mean, I shouldn't have called you fat. I am sorry for that. But…"

"I am sorry," the red-haired Gaul interrupted. "It wasn't fair. It wasn't equal. I'm so sorry… I shouldn't have…"

Asterix sighed again. For some reason, he didn't feel any better. He just nodded and went home, leaving Obelix totally confused.

Once in his hut, the little Gaul sat down heavily. He was alone – his parents were probably helping with the ideas for tomorrow's feast or something. Obelix had always been like that – a big child, never thinking about the consequences of his actions. But he never meant anything bad, did he?

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Nakir and Nini froze where they were. They listened and listened but it was quiet again.

"I think we're overreacting," Nakir sighed with a smirk. "After all, the Romans are supposed to do at least something, even though they can't defeat these Gauls…"

Nini just nodded. However, she had some sort of a strange feeling she couldn't quite place.

"I… I think I'll get back to my watch," Nakir suggested, unable to hide her excitement due to the fact that seeing Newsix and thus her sweet revenge were getting nearer. Nini smiled bitterly (an expression that had appeared on her face too often lately, quite unnerving for her sister) and nodded her head.

"If anything, our animal communication is on as ever," Nakir added, her voice a bit dry.

"Sure," Nini answered absentmindedly, feeling that her sister was demanding something more than a nod. "Take care".

"You, too", the brunette mumbled, already on her way.

0101010

Centurion Sinisterplanus was looking forward to his victory. From the past experience he knew that the best way of defeating that village was fire. It was successful – the trouble was that nobody had ever done the thing properly. Well, he would be the first one to do that… Because now he had the best men under his command. And some "secret weapon" he had once brought from his journey to the East. Amazing land it was, almost unknown to the Romans… and amazing inventions they had. And he would be the first one to use them. Now all his hopes were for his best soldiers who were about to put some of that powder under the village walls… a little spark – and it will be destroyed, along with all of those nasty Gauls.

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Nakir was watching the village. The Gauls were moving slowly, as if sleepily. "Time always goes slowly when you are waiting", she thought. "I wonder what's wrong with Nini all the time. It's like she doesn't want to do what we are doing…"

This thought sent a shiver down the brunette's spine. She hated it – it made her remember being betrayed during that escape. What if Nini… no, no, Nini would never leave her like that, she was her sister after all!

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Nini lied down under a tree, slipping into her thoughts. The fatigue of the past days was catching up with her, all the almost sleepless nights she had had… She closed her eyes and soon was asleep with no dreams.

But it didn't last long – sometime later something woke her up. She got to her feet, on full alert at once.

"Nakir?" she asked into the darkness. "Is that you?"

That moment she could swear she saw somebody, and it wasn't her sister.

"Show yourself!" she demanded. "Whoever you –"

She didn't end her statement as a hand from behind covered her mouth. The attacker was, however, defeated soon as she threw him to the ground quite easily. Looking at him in the dim moonlight, she saw a Roman soldier. When she looked up, she gasped: there were more of them around her. She opened her mouth to call for help but didn't have the chance to, a wave of pain going though her.

The soldiers knew their main objective in the mission: be quiet by all means, even if it meant killing whoever and whatever made any noise. They had to silence that girl (what was she doing in the forest at this time of night, anyway?) down, and they did.

0101010

Nakir ran at her top speed, ignoring the branches and other obstacles in her way. She only hoped she hadn't gotten the message to late. As soon as she saw her sister, she knew it was bad. Really bad. She felt her insides boiling with a mixture of fear, pain and rage. The rage that made shiver.

"Who did it?" she demanded, shaking with her anger and pure hatred against whoever was responsible.

"The Romans," the blonde replied weakly. "They…"

But Nakir could not stay there. She couldn't stand sitting there and watching her sister die. The main thing now was to make them pay… She got up and whistled, gathering her "forest friends". Soon she was after them, trying to focus only on her anger. And it was easy…

Nini watched her sister go, tears running down her cheeks. Soon Nakir would find out how wrong it all was. But it would be too late. And Nini felt sorry for her… and for herself, too. A few moments later her tears dried out… as well as her eyes, unseeing and glassy. The last thing she heard was a terrible noise from everywhere… but maybe it was her dying mind playing with her? She never found out.