Chapter Three: "Just Follow The Yellow Brick Road, What Road? There's Only Sand Out HERE!"

The rays of the dawning sun stung at the faces of the gundam pilots and their enemies as they tried to cling to sleep. The night had seemed very short for the exhausted bunch. They probably would have all slept longer if it hadn't been for Duo who so kindly woke them all up.

"I'm hungry!" Duo complained loudly enough to startle those who had been sleeping from their slumber. Groans were heard from those who had just been torn apart from their date with REM (note: Rapid Eye Movement, a deep period of sleep when dreams occurred; ok, back to the story).

"I agree with Duo, some food would be nice," Quatre stated cheerfully. He had aroused earlier to watch the desert sun creep across the sky. Nostalgia churned within him at the sight of a desert.

"Well, I'm sooorrrryyyy, but you aren't back at home where you can have everything brought for you on a silver platter!" Wufei fumed. His own stomach was growling, and he couldn't think of any way to handle it but to thunder at others.

"Calm down Wufei," Heero whispered, "or else we'll make sure that you don't eat when we find food." Wufei needed an ultimatum; he was a very strong willed young man and didn't readily listen to anyone. Heero knew that all to well. He was the same way, just not as openly demanding.

"If we find food," Trowa sighed. His point was all too valid; Heero hoped it wouldn't cause everyone to panic even more.

"Our current goal, should first of all be, to find the nearest city because if we don't there will be more things than food that might kill us," Zechs commented. Once again all the boys turned and stared at Zechs. "What is this some sort of staring contest?!" he asked rather exasperated.

"Hey isn't he cute!?" Duo stated from a few feet away walking towards them and opening his hand to reveal a lanky black creature.

"DUO! That's a scorpion!" Quatre screeched, "put it down it may be venomous!" He jumped back in astonishment that Duo would do such a thing as to play with death by picking up a scorpion. But he should have figured, Duo didn't mind death. He *was* death.

"Sorry, 'ol pal, but Q boy says I have to let you go," Duo sighed putting the scorpion on a nearby rock.

"I wonder," Trowa articulated quietly, "if we would be able to find an edible animal here." Duo's little escapade had given him an idea.

"We could just use cacti as our water source," Zechs added. His throat was parched; oh, how he would pay to have some water to drink.

"I think I'd pass," Duo replied his mind playing the image of himself covered in cactus spikes.

"Well, It's not going to help to just stand around yapping!" Wufei dictated, "Come on let's go!" He felt as if standing around was just wasting precious time.

So the boys trekked on while Duo sang rather spiritedly "Follow the Yellow Brick Road". The sun had a scorching affect, and Zechs and Treize were forced to take their OZ jackets off, though that still didn't help because of the long sleeved shirts they wore under them. Several times the group stumbled along struggling to withstand the heat. Beads of sweat were even trickling down Quatre's face who loved the desert.



"I see lights!" Quatre shouted pointing ahead, "Come on you guys, run!" His eyes couldn't believe what he saw.



"No! QUATRE NO!" Heero tried warning him but it was too late. Quatre began to sprint and then he tripped over a rock and fell face first into the sand. Heero sighed; he had hoped of all people, Quatre would have recognized a mirage.



When Quatre lifted his head, he asked in a dizzy voice, "Where did the lights go?"



"I TRIED to warn you, but would you listen?" Heero stressed the tried part, "it was only a mirage." Sweat poured down his faces like raging torrents even though he was the most lightly dressed of the group.



"I knew that," Quatre answered innocently trying to cover his blunder and rubbing his face with pain. "I can't believe I didn't realize that was a mirage," he muttered to himself, "this heat really must be getting to me." He found himself wishing all of a sudden to be on the battlefield, for it had a better survival rate than here. "I'm being quite capricious," he thought.



"Get up Quatre, we still have a long way to go," Wufei walked by him without even offering him a helping hand to get up. Quatre pulled himself up from the sand and brushed his clothes off. This was not going to be an enjoyable experience.

The boys slowly inched their way towards, well they didn't know exactly WHERE they wanted to go, but as long as it had food and water that's all that mattered. At noon they decided to rest with the sun blistering above their heads. All around them was a sea of sand.



"Say, there aren't waves in the desert are there?" Duo asked filled with curiosity at something that had caught his attention.



"No, Duo," Trowa answered irritated by Duo's question because it reminded him of how thirsty he was. He remembered a time when food was scarce, as was water, but he had never been so thirsty in his life before.



"Oh, so I supposed that is a mirage too," Duo stated pointing behind Trowa. They all turned to face what Duo was pointing at. It was a behemoth of sand rising high above their heads and thundering forward at an alarming rate.



"THAT'S NOT A MIRAGE!" Zechs shouted in horror and realization, "That's a sand storm!" His long hair slapped around behind him like many blonde whips.



"RUN!" Treize ordered shuddering at the sight. If they didn't move, they would all be dead. "Perhaps then the war would be over," he thought, "No, we cannot die."



"I don't take orders from Oz soldiers with scary eyebrows," Duo answered intimidated. He knew he wasn't helping the situation, but if he was going to die, he was going to die, and it wouldn't be right after taking orders from an OZ member.



"We don't have much time for arguing, Duo, just run!" Zechs exclaimed, frustrated. This was no time for taking sides. When life was in peril, they would have to agree or die. It bothered him as it must have bothered Duo, for he was not fond of the pilots either. After all, they had killed many of his own men, and now when he had the perfect opportunity for revenge, he couldn't use it to his advantage if he wanted to live.



"Alright!" Duo answered with an afterthought of, "I need to listen if I want to live. No joking around here, Maxwell. No. No. I need to make them laugh. I need to laugh. Or else the tears would prevail."

The sand storm roared behind them like a treacherous monster hunting down its prey. It seemed the faster they ran, the faster the sand storm became and it all seemed hopeless. "This is the end, buddy," Duo thought to himself, "Man, how stupid. I die in a sandstorm. I'd rather die in battle."

The sand storm blocked out the sunlight, which was some relief, but it also made them see how trivial the scorching sun had been in comparison to the sand storm. "I'll never talk to my sisters again; I'll never have the joy of riding in Sandrock again."

Their muscles ached yet they knew that they could not stop. "Catherine… stay strong," Trowa thought.

"Meilin, no, I mean Nataku. Forgive me. I tried," Wufei sighed.

"Lady, please don't despair," Treize thought morosely.

"Father. Forgive me for choosing the bloody path of revenge."

The sand was about to consume them when. . .

Author's Note: I hope you've enjoyed the revision of Chapter 3. Hope you Review!