Location: Vermont, USA

Time: Midnight

Date: September 31, AC 199



Duo stood motionless looking out over the rolling hills and fall colored leaves. He let a sigh escape his lips and a small smile linger after it. Here. In this very spot, he found completion. Something about being alone in the middle of nature, on the night of all hallows eve, with only the wild wind whipping at him for company.

Letting the smile fade, his thoughts drifted to something that had happened nearly a year ago, in that very spot.



**September 31, AC 198**

After a mission for the Preventers the Gundam pilots had decided to take vacations. Each had gone there own separate way. Wufei to China, Heero to visit Relena, Quatra to see his sisters, and Trowa back to the circus. Duo, unlike the others, decided to go somewhere new. He's taken out a map and pointed to a place to it. America. He'd taken a larger map of America and pointed to a spot on that. Vermont.

"Some place." Duo murmured a week later. He'd been there two days and found quaint towns, quiet forests, and green. Fall was beautiful there. But nature had never really been his style. "God help me but I'm lost."

Duo had decided to take a walk because he couldn't sleep. It had been strange how'd ended up coming to a place where nothing but nature existed. "How in the hell do I get back?" He asked himself.

"Your lost then?" A voice, filled with suppressed laughter asked from the shadows.

Duo spun around and faced a woman with long black hair that hung loosely to ankles, placed unto her head was a silver crown. Sparkling stormy blue eyes. She wore a dark blue dress, one out of a movie from medieval times. A cape draped over her shoulders and a basket in her hands. She looked no more then twenty-one and held herself with a magical sort of air.

"Yes."

"Tell me where your headed and I'll tell you the way."

"I'm not exactly sure."

That hadn't been what he'd meant to say. Yet it was the truth. He didn't know where to go with his life, but why had he just told a stranger that. The woman smiled.

"I'm not sure I can tell you then, but I can tell you this. Stop looking; let life find you." She granted him a dazzling smile and started on her way again.

"Wait!" Duo called after her. Something inside him told him not to let her leave. She stopped and turned to him. "What's your name?"

"Shadow."

Duo smiled, "That's a beautiful name."

"Thank you kindly sir, but if that's all you'll be wanting I have to go. My friends are waiting for the festival to begin."

"What festival?" It had him intrigued.

"Are you telling me that you, a child of sister moon, haven't heard the tales of All Hallows Eve Hill? And the witches that haunt it on this very night?"

Duo gulped, something had him wanting to know. Needing too. "No."

"Well then, come and let me tell you the tales and legends, that aren't quite that. For you see sir, I am a sister to the sky, earth, air and spirit. I am that of the waters. I am Shadow of the West. Witch of Hallows Hill."