I don't own Gundam Wing or Escaflowne. These are my interpretations of their characters. I don't want to make any money. Etc........
Pretty exciting chapter if I do say so myself. Things are finally heating up and the big climax is approaching. *chews fingernails nervously*
~Crazy Tom~

Zechs made his way along the winding dirt road that led to Baslam. The path twisted and turned, completely surrounded on all sides by thick forest. His normally shiny black boots were tarnished and covered in brown dust from the road. He had been traveling at a jog the entire night and was only now approaching the borderland to what he had gradually learned to accept as home. But it wasn't his home, not really. Zechs wondered whether at last Treize would be able to fulfill his promise. Would he finally be able to walk along his home country's beautiful streams as a friend and not a fugitive?
The young man's thoughts continued to explore various futures and plans as he continued his journey. A short time later Zechs became aware of the sound of hooves on the path ahead of him. Though he was probably in no danger, the knight reached down and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, confident he could handle any possible danger. A few seconds later, two riders rounded the bend in the road. Both were on horseback and dressed in armor. Zechs noted that they carried flags with two serpents in the shape of hooks crossed over each other: Baslam's symbol.
As the two guards approached, Zechs reached up and, with one hand, pulled back his hood so that his face was exposed. The two horses drew to a halt and one of the riders jumped down. To his amusement, Zechs noted that they hadn't recognized him yet. "Well," Zechs reasoned, "I have been gone quite a while."
"Please identify yourself," the man instructed curtly. The platinum blonde smiled, realizing that though the man looked to be slightly older, he seemed almost juvenile compared to the Lightening Count.
"Take a good look at me, soldier," Zechs replied, managing to come across as regal despite his dingy appearance.
When the man's eyes widened as he realized who it was he had been disrespectful to, Zechs almost burst out laughing. Instead he saluted sharply, in crisp military fashion. The two soldiers returned his salute and the one who had dismounted spoke, "I wish to apologize for my tone, Lord Merquise. I wasn't aware that you were returning."
"No apology is necessary, cadet. You were just doing your duty. Now, might you escort me to his Excellency. I have orders to report into him as quickly as possible."
"Of course," the soldier replied, "Please take my horse."
Zechs nodded, walking over to the animal and stroking its mane. "Thank you for your assistance. If I might inquire, what are your current orders?"
As the count mounted, the other rider reported, "Lady Une has ordered us to guard this road and thoroughly question any intruders before allowing them to pass." The man paused for a second before adding, "There's a war going on, sir."
Zechs raised an eyebrow, his pulse quickening. In a harsh tone he spoke, "I wasn't aware of that. Who are we at war against, cadet?"
The young man blushed at Zechs's cold look and replied, "Well it hasn't been officially declared, but with this new alliance with the Dragon Clan it's obvious that Baslam is going to march against Asturia."
Zechs frowned, his thoughts immediately going to Noin and Allen. His two friends. Would they become enemies? "Thank you, cadet," he said distractedly, not even looking at his subordinate. With a cry, he spurred his horse into movement and galloped toward the capital. "Treize," he murmured as the trees and foliage of the forest fell away from him on either side of the path, "What have you done?"

Duo threw the knife high up into the air, watching its lazy arch out of one eye. Then, as it sailed downwards, the restless Emperor snatched it out of the air and threw it at the target that hung on the door in one swift movement. Bull's eye. The knife quivered in the center of the target and with a sigh Duo got out of his chair and moved to retrieve the blade. Lord Maxwell was bored out of his skull. Across the table from him in the mess, Wufei was trying his best to ignore the other commander.
Duo smirked at the other boy as he pried the weapon out of the yellow mark it was firmly stuck in. The oriental warrior was pretending he wasn't annoyed by Duo's repetitive actions and the way the weapon always flew so close to his face every time his ally threw it but he wasn't doing a very convincing job.
Emperor Maxwell smirked to himself at the other boy's snotty attitude. Wufei thought he was so much better but when it came down to it, he was the same as the rest of them. Heero, Trowa, Wufei, himself... heck even Quatre. They were all the best fighters in Gaea. True Duo had been raised on the streets and wasn't noble born like Heero or Wufei, but he kept up with them well enough. There was no need to be condescending. They all served High Lord Heero faithfully, though Duo most of all of course. That was the important thing.
Duo threw the knife again, this time catching it with his left hand. With a small yell, just to see if he could startle Wufei, he threw the dagger as hard as he could toward the target. To his horror as he released the weapon he realized that the door on which the target hung was opening. Too late to stop, he could only watch as the deadly knife flew steadily towards the individual.
In a movement so fast that even Duo's quick eye had difficulty following, Heero grabbed the weapon with one hand. He stayed perfectly still for a moment, looking at Duo's knife which had stopped a mere two inches from the front of his face with a blank expression of neither fear nor surprise. "I think this is yours," he finally said, throwing the knife so that it skittered along the table and came to a halt directly in front of its owner.
Despite himself, Duo's jaw dropped. The guy hadn't even blinked! Heero still amazed him, even after being with him for over a year. Over to his right, Wufei's smile reminded him of a predatory cat, having launched itself at its prey and knowing that on this hunt, victory was immanent. "What are our orders?" Wufei asked, coming to attention as Heero sat down at the head of the table across from Duo.
The High Lord glanced at his two loyal followers and replied, "Duke Kushrenada suggested that we evaluate their army's size and abilities before making any more decisions. I have decided I agree with him in this case. Therefor we will be taking three of our flying fortresses and a small detachment of troops to survey his forces. I have decided to do this personally. Libra began moving an hour ago. We, along with our ally the Duke, will be arriving within the day."
Wufei was nodding, to Duo's annoyance. Who was he to agree or disagree with High Lord Heero? Heero was their lord, after all, their supreme leader. Duo felt himself filling with pride. Heero was the only pure blooded Draconian left alive, the last truly royal member of their proud race, and they had the honor of helping him carry out his dreams.
While he had been thinking, Heero had stopped talking. Duo waited respectfully for Heero to tell them that they were dismissed but to his surprise, the High Lord did not. Instead, he took a deep breath and continued his briefing. "I would also like to inform you that Trowa Barton and Quatre Raberba Winner are no longer our allies." Duo felt his throat tightening. He looked at Heero's face intently but the High Lord gave no indication of his feelings. Neither his expression or his voice betrayed any trace of emotion. "They have decided to take up arms against me. From now on they are known as traitors and enemies of the Dragon Clan. If you should encounter either of them, your orders are to capture them and bring them before me. If you are unable to capture them or they resist, kill them. Please pass on these orders to the men."
"Heero..." Duo let the name escape between his lips without even realizing it. His leader continued speaking in a business-like manner.
"These orders also pertain to Van Fanel. He will most likely be with them... Also," Heero added suddenly, as if he had just thought of something else. Suddenly he seemed to change his mind, "Never mind," the High Lord muttered, adding so softly that Duo could barely hear him, "I'll take care of her myself."
Heero looked up, and nodded at his two remaining circle members, indicating that they were free to leave. Wufei got up fairly quickly but Duo was too immersed in thoughts to smirk at the other boy's wince as he quickly clutched his injured side. "What could have happened to Trowa and Quatre to make them forsake Heero?" he thought. His shock and sadness quickly turned to anger. "How could they do this to him? How could they do this to us? We; their clanmates, their friends. Surely that meant something to them."
By now Wufei had left the room and Duo and Heero were alone. Duo examined the other boy's face. Heero was as impassive as always but Duo, the Shinigami, could sense something different about him. "Heero..." he thought to himself, "could it be that you are feeling as frustrated and betrayed as I am?"
Out loud he ventured a question, "How do you feel, Heero?"
"I am fine," the High Lord replied. Duo swallowed. It was too late to turn back now. Heero had to open up some time. He couldn't bottle up all his feelings forever.
"Why do you suppose Trowa and Quatre abandoned the cause so quickly?" he asked as nonchalantly as possible though he was completely focused on Heero's face.
"I believe it had something to do with Van Fanel and Hitomi Kanzaki. However it doesn't really matter. They have become enemies. We must defeat all our enemies to create a new Gaea."
Duo smiled sadly. Normally he'd be practically begging Heero to talk about what the future would be like once they'd created the new world. However, for some reason he wasn't so eager that day. Maybe it was losing Trowa and Quatre, maybe not. But for some reason, his heart wasn't fully in it that day.
"Heero," he thought as he watched the other boy's impassive face, "Please stop pushing yourself. I will stand by you till I am sure that all your scars have healed. I will be with you Heero, till the very end."

Zechs's hair streamed behind him as he rode swiftly toward the castle. Soon he would arrive. As the forest fell away behind him, the Lightening Count tightened his grip on the reigns, his expression turning grim. In front of him, the might city that was the center of Baslam loomed ominously. In the air surrounding it were several flying fortresses, black against the blue-gray sky. Even from the distance, dark shapes that were obviously Guymelefs could be seen.
The Baron's first thought was that Baslam was being invaded but he quickly pushed it aside knowing full well that Treize would never give up without a fight. "This must be the Dragon Clan that the soldier was talking about," Zechs thought. As he approached he could see Baslam's own forces shifting about, preparing, Zechs realized, for war.
When the Lightening Count reached the large stone gates which shielded the capital, two flying Guymelefs flew over the wall. With a loud hissing sound of steam being released and a heavy crash of metal hitting solid ground, the pair of large humanoid suits landed behind his horse, causing it to rear and almost knock Zechs off. With a quick snap, the visor of the Guymelef's helmet opened and he could see a man's face. The soldier recognized him and called out, "Lord Merquise. You've returned to us at last."
"What is going on, soldier?" Zechs asked, his voice coming out more aggressive than he intended.
"Our new ally, the Dragon Clan, is inspecting our forces. With their help we can conquer Gaea in no time. Rumors have it that we will be moving against Asturia and Freid in a matter of weeks," the man reported.
Zechs exhaled and replied sharply, "Do not believe everything you hear, cadet."
"Yes, sir!" the man voiced his loyalty.
"Now, open the gate and allow me to pass!" the Lightening Count ordered. A few seconds passed before the gates slowly began to swing open. Zechs spurred his horse into movement and flew forward, passing through the gap before the huge doors had fully opened. All around him the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of soldiers preparing for war met his senses. Everywhere he looked, a Guymelef of armed warrior was gearing up or sharpening a weapon. Occasionally a small group of more inexperienced troops practiced the motions that had been drilled into them for months, excited about the chance to finally experience action. The rancid smell of human sweat and hot iron blended together, stinging Zechs's nose and throat. The sounds of the clanging of metal against metal and dull crash of a group of Guymelefs marching from one place to another filled the air. It was an unpleasant, if somewhat familiar, scene.
Several minutes later, Zechs found himself at the doorway to Treize's briefing room. His borrowed horse was being taken care of, though he himself had yet to bathe and eat. To his surprise he realized he heard several voices coming from inside the room. Never being one to hesitate, the Baron of Baslam knocked on the door. There was a pause as the dialogue inside stopped and then the Duke's familiar voice called out, "Enter!"
Zechs opened the door and stepped inside. Treize was sitting at his usual spot at his desk. However along with Lady Une there were two additional people inside the room. Both were young men, looking to be several years his junior. One had long brown hair which spilled down his back in a long braid. The other was an oriental teenager with jet black hair and serious eyes. The first was sitting across from Treize, leaning forward as if he had just been deeply involved in a conversation. The other was leaning back against the wall, quite some distance away watching with a cool, detached expression on his face.
If Treize showed some surprise at his arrival, he did not show it. Instead he smiled at his friend, standing up politely. "Ah, Zechs. You have arrived at last! Duo Maxwell and Wufei Chang, I'd like you to meet my friend and colleague Zechs Merquise. Zechs, these are two of the highest ranking members in the Dragon Clan."
Zechs nodded politely to both young men though he secretly wished both of them were somewhere else. As if hearing his thought, Treize turned to Duo and Wufei and said, "If you'll excuse me, gentlemen, I must take care of some other business. Duo, we will continue this conversation another time. I must say your point of view on peasantry and social classes intrigues me. Until then, gentlemen."
Zechs watched impassively as the two young men walked passed him. So the great Dragon Clan which had everyone in such a commotion was led by a group of teenagers. In another situation it might have been funny but in this case it seemed almost fitting. After a look from the Duke, Colonel Une followed the other's examples. Zechs nodded respectfully to her, though he knew she didn't like him, though he still wasn't sure why.
After the door had closed, Treize reached out and took his friend's hand warmly. "Zechs! It is so good to see you. I am so glad you are here. Things are finally speeding up my friend. We will at last be able to carry out our mission. Gaea will finally be unified after one great conflict. The ends for which you and I have set out are finally approaching. Congratulations, Zechs."
To his own surprise, Zechs felt anger stirring in his heart and he released the Duke's hand, retracting his own. "Why do you call me that? You know that isn't my real name."
"I'm sorry... Milliardo," Treize replied, obviously startled.
Milliardo continued onward, his words plowing ahead, "Treize. I am worried about this new development. It is wrong to ally ourselves with this Dragon Clan. We do not know enough about them. They will greatly improve our progress towards conquering the existing nations but what after? The point was for you and your closest and most trusted associates to lead Gaea into a resolute and secure future. The road you are taking now will only lead to more bloodshed. Surely you do not think that the Dragon Clan will want us to share its rule once we have taken control? This will only result in another, equally bloody civil war."
Treize nodded, taking his friend's warning seriously despite his aggressive tone. "Oh, Milliardo. What tragic times we live in. What terrible, beautiful, majestic times. The human spirit will truly reveal itself during these trials. I understand your worries and I agree with them. However, we have no choice. I considered all the options before I made this alliance. Yes, the Dragon Clan will betray us, but not until they have taken severe causalities from the assault on the other nations. When they do turn on us, we will be ready. I have seen the way their leadership works. They depend entirely on the three Emperors who rule. Without them, their power will crumble. Have faith in me, old friend. Baslam will come out the better from this affair, and you and I with it. I will fulfill my promise to you."
Zechs looked into his friends eyes and spoke slowly and deliberately, "and what of the promise to remove Zaibach from the Sanc Kingdom? Have you forgotten the promise for justice you made to me all those years ago?"
Treize shook his head, his expression and tone deadly serious, "Never. I always keep my word, Lord Peacecraft. Always. I have prepared a strike force for you and it currently awaits your command. Zaibach's rule of your precious homeland has come to an end."
Zechs could barely believe the Duke's words. After all this waiting, the time was finally here. Would he finally be able to avenge his beloved parents and his people? Treize allowed a small smile to form on his lips as he took a step back. Straitening to his full height and looking Milliardo in the eye, the ruler of Baslam saluted Milliardo Peacecraft in his most respectful manner, "Good luck, King Milliardo of the Peacecraft family."
Almost as if he were in a dream, Zechs found himself saluting back. "Thank you, Duke Treize."
His old comrade nodded and spoke, "Your army is fully geared and ready to launch at your command. You will find your personal suit alongside mine in the underground warehouse. I made sure it was ready for you as soon as I realized we could afford to launch the attack."
"Thank you..." Milliardo replied, taking several steps toward the door before stopping suddenly as a thought occurred to him. What would happen to his relationship with Baslam once his own country had been established? When Relena was finally restored her rightful position as Queen he would finally be able to fight for his family's name. He would no longer have to serve Baslam or the Duke. "Treize..." he murmured, looking his friend in the eye. All he got back was a look of understanding and a smile.
"Do what you have to do, old friend," Treize replied, his voice strangely calm. Zechs nodded, and then ran out the door to his personal Guymelef, knowing fully well that it would probably be the last time he would see Treize Kushrenada as an ally.