Beyond Omega

by Maria Rocket

In the far distant future, an ancient prophecy spells out the end of the world. Pulled into the heart of controversy, innocent little Quatre must find the truth for himself. An AU fic. Pairings included are 1xR, 2xH, 4xD, and 4x3. See Author's Notes

6. Chapter 5

Beyond Omega
by Maria Rocket

***


Graffiti decorations
Underneath a sky of dust
A constant wave of tension
On top of broken trust
The lessons that you taught me
I learned were never true

Now I find myself in question
They point the finger at me again
Guilty by association
You point the finger at me again

Paper bags and angry voices
Under a sky of dust
Another wave of tension
Has more than filled me up
All my talk of taking action
These words were never true

I wanna run away
Never say good-bye
I wanna know the truth
Instead of wondering why
I wanna know the answers
No more lies
I wanna shut the door
And open up my mind

Gonna run away

~"Runaway" by Linkin Park

***

Chapter 5


Cold white ash sifted through his fingers. Crouched on an outstretched tree limb, the young prince Heero lifted his head of messy dark hair. Over his shoulder were two backpacks. One was small and black. The other was faded purple, tattered, and had been discovered deep inside a mountain. Without making a sound, he leapt from the seven-story tall tree, landing with gentle bounce on the forest floor.

He'd recognized the backpack found inside the mountain as belonging to Duo. Coming across the pack, he had suspected the worst, since he could think of no reason why they would abandon their supplies. But when he came to the place where the mountain springs flowed to the surface, he was relieved to find no trace of the boys. It meant that somehow, they had survived, and were now somewhere out there, in the White Woods. The question was, what condition would they be in when he found them.

With noiseless footsteps, Heero moved through the skeletal trees. He hated this forest. To him, the place was nothing but the world's largest burial ground. Only once before had he come there, and had never wanted to see it again. It was in that forest that he had finally come to the conclusion that he was truly alone in the world. His people reduced to colorless sand and ash.

His body jerked back as hysterical screams pierced the silence. Moving instantly, he zeroed in on the source of the noise. Heero could hear the crackling of trees being crushed into splinters. Mechanical screeches steeled his blood for what he was about to face.

Breaking into bright moonlight, his fears were confirmed. The packs he held fell from his shoulders onto the forest floor with duel thuds. Before him was what looked like a giant, steel-plated lizard, with wing-like extensions that curved high off its back. With a metallic hiss, it turned its arrowhead-shaped head towards him, round, almond-shaped green glowing eyes staring blankly. It was the deadliest mecha-monster still rumored to be roaming the White Woods. It was a Silverhead.

Now as it turned towards him, he could see the unmistakable shape of Quatre, looking utterly terrified. Then in a lightning fast movement, the Silverhead whipped around, sending the boy flying with its huge armored tail. It then rushed towards Heero.

"Quatre!" He yelled, barely jumping out of the way as the rampaging mecha pitched at where he had been standing, jabbing the two sharp fang-like spikes jutting out beneath its head into the soft ground with a thunk. It half-reared with a frustrated scream.

"Heero!?" It was Duo.

"Duo!" Heero didn't have time to search for the voice, as the Silverhead was charging him again. With a leap, he crashed down on the mecha's back. "I'm glad you're still alive!" His fingers squeezed and crunched the metal in his grip. Sparks went flying about him, and the Silverhead reacted violently by screaming and buckling, thrashing about. "Because I'm going to kill you!"

"Well hello to you too!" Duo yelled back. "Wufei would be happy too, but he's been knocked cold. I can't see what happened to Quatre from up here..."

Heero threw himself flat, narrowly missing being hit by something long and snakey that had roped out from between the Silverhead's fangs like a tongue. It flashed past him, the round and flattened end of the cord hitting a tree. Heero's eyes narrowed in dawning horror as the tree shriveled, the leaves falling all at once. As the mecha's sucker snapped away, the dead tree toppled over on its weakened roots. The sucker swiveled around, and Heero could see what looked like a small mouth circled by sharp hookish fangs. It swung back at him again.

His heart pounding, Heero made a half-slide from the mecha's back at the last moment, avoiding the suckercord again. But this time he darted his hand back up, grabbing at the cord as it sped by. Yanking it back, he gasped as he suddenly found himself staring into the grotesque little mouth of teeth. In a flash, he ripped the cord apart, sending the sucker falling lifelessly to the ground.

The scream of the Silverhead was deafening.

"Shut up!" Heero shouted back, now ignoring the sputtering cord which now flailed at him in a useless panic. Anchoring himself with one hand and foot on the thrashing mecha's back, he grasped one of the wing-like objects firmly. Unlike the rest of the monster, the wings had a reflective surface that shimmered like an oilslick. Solarcells. Thank the Prophet, if the thing had been crystalpowered, it would be much more difficult to handle. With a cry, Heero ripped the metal wing away with a loud metallic screech.

Next thing he knew, the long tail whipped up and coiled tightly around him, jerking him into the air. He struggled against the metal coils as they threatened to crush him. His feet kicked wildly while the precious breath was squeezed out of him. This was the worst position he could be in. Without the freedom to move his limbs, he couldn't break free. Heero bared his teeth in a snarl. There was no mistake the mecha knew in its small artificial mind what it was doing. It was designed to destroy GESS, after all.

"Hey! Let him go!"

Craning his head around, Heero was surprised to see Relena standing there, waving her arms at the monster. "Relena? What are you doing!? Move!"

The warning came almost too late, as she barely jumped back before the Silverhead could lunge at her with its head spikes. Relena stared in shock at how close she had been. The monster's head was embedded in the ground right in front of her. So close the glow of its eyes illuminated her in a sickly light.

"Relena don't--!" Heero's next yell was choked as Relena gritted her teeth and suddenly grabbed the mecha by the head, and proceeded to swing it against the treeline. The creature hit hard, sparks flying from the damage already inflicted. For a moment, Heero saw stars as he also hit, but the impact loosened the Silverhead's grip. Quickly, Heero pushed his arms out around the coils, and lifted himself out.

Wasting no more time, he leapt down to the creature's back, and ripped out the other wing, which was already damaged from Relena's throw. The Silverhead screeched again. But now with its energy steadily seeping away, it thrashed with less vigor.

Jumping to the ground, he kicked it hard in the head, caving in a huge dent, and shattering one of the eyes in a shower of emerald shards. The kick also sent the monster swerving away, so Heero ran towards Relena.

"Princess, what were you thinking!?" He grabbed her arm and started pulling her away. "You could have been killed!"

"Is that any way to thank me? You were the one in danger!" Relena shrugged him off and returned his glare. "I may only have a little GESS blood in my ancestry, but I can take care of myself, Heero!"

"I don't care! You don't know what you're doing! If I hadn't already taken care of the suckercord, you wouldn't be talking right now!" He was fuming. How dare the princess endanger her life that way! He was trying to keep himself from shaking.

"And if I hadn't done anything, you wouldn't be talking right now either." Relena bit back.

Heero was trying to sputter a reply, when Duo started yelling again. They both turned away with wide eyes, to see the Silverhead ramming against a large tree across the meadow.

"Hey! Remember me!? You guys!? I could use some help here! Wufei's gonna fall!" Duo yelped.

At that moment, something even bigger than the Silverhead swooped out of the sky. The mecha sparked violently and screamed as it was crushed to the ground, big claws sinking into its metal plated skin. Its head swung up once, before falling heavily, the glow of its remaining eye fading into an empty blackness. Snarling, the Draca Queen stepped away from the wreck.

She lifted her neck towards the tree where Heero could now see Duo huddling next to Wufei in the branches. It looked like the young Draca prince had been thrown there from the way he was awkwardly sprawled over a tree branch, and since Heero doubted Duo could have lifted him there very quickly. He seemed to be having a difficult time keeping Wufei from falling over. Reaching up, she startled Duo by easily lifting them out and setting them back on the ground.

The movement seemed to revive Wufei a little, as he opened his eyes. He was surprised to see his grandmother there, but the queen seemed preoccupied with Duo. Heero recognized the queen's entourage as they fell down around them in great leathery flaps. Somewhere nearby, he heard the familiar rumbling of a hovership, no doubt Relena's hoverjet approaching. He ignored the tense vibes he suddenly felt. Probably all the dragons around.

Relena ran over and hugged Duo so tight, the braided boy made a choking noise. "Duo, you horrible idiot! What ever possessed you to do this!?"

"Geez princess, loosen up the grip!" Duo gasped.

"Relena, let go before you break his back!" Heero carefully removed Relena's grasp on Duo. Then he turned and seized Duo by the neck and started shaking him furiously. He was actually being extremely gentle, but what's gentle by GESS standards could be considered brusque by most normal people.

"Duo, you bastard! Are you completely out of your mind!? No, wait, you would need a mind to lose! Not only did you risk your own life, but you risked Quatre's life, Prince Wufei's life, and Princess Relena's life! How could you be so stupid!?"

"Damnit, leggo before you kill me, Heero!" Duo barked angrily. "We can't all be frickin' perfect soldiers! We were just having some fun!"

"Please," Wufei coughed, barely standing on all fours, his wings hanging limply at his sides. One was twisted at an ugly angle. "This is not his fault. I gave them the idea, and I brought them here. I wish to take responsibility for this."

"Wufei, that was very foolish," Silva scolded, even as she examined his wing with concern. She seemed to have lost the interest in Duo that Heero had noticed earlier. "You are a prince. You should know better."

Wufei cringed.

"Hey, no way, you can't take the blame, Wufei!" Duo pushed at Heero's face, uselessly trying to kick the older boy off. "I made you bring us here! It was my idea!"

"No one makes me do anything," Wufei growled, avoiding his grandmother's disapproving look. "So be quiet!"

"Where's Quatre?" Relena looked around.

Heero stopped strangling Duo, and turned his face back towards Relena. In all the excitement, he had forgotten about Quatre! Duo began squirming even more frantically in his grip. He let go, quickly moving away towards the last place he had seen Quatre.

Rubbing his sore neck, Duo stumbled to his feet. "You mean he's not here!?"

"I saw the Silverhead knock him down, just before it attacked me." Heero searched through the trees with his keen eyes. The others were close behind him when he found what he knew would be there. Sprawled beneath a ghostly willow tree, was a small form half hidden in darkness.

Heero was relieved to hear him breathing regularly. Just as he reached him, Relena did as well. Despite the heavy direct blow he had received, Quatre looked well. Relena knelt down and smoothed the hair away from his face.

"Quatre?" Then she glanced up worriedly at Heero as Duo and the dragons approached. "Heero, he's the one the dragons are looking for. They want to kill him... We can't let them take this as an opportunity."

"What?" Heero frowned, not quite understanding what she was saying.

"Quatre!" Duo yelled, pitching down next to Relena. "Is he..."

At this, Quatre finally opened his eyes with a grimace. "Duo, shut up... Argh, my head hurts... What hit me...?" He rubbed a fist across his eyes and his forehead.

Duo laughed happily, ignoring another glare from Heero. "Would you believe a real life, freakin' huge mecha monster? We beat death again, buddy boy!"

"Oh... Again." Quatre groaned, covering his face with his hand. "Can we go home now?"

"Right away," Relena smiled.

Removing his hand, Quatre blinked up at the princess in surprise. "Relena?" He squinted over at Heero. "Heero?" Then he tried to focus on all the huge shapes looming up behind them. "Oh my..."

"This is Quatre." Queen Silva stepped up on her hind legs, staring intensely down at the boy. "Yes. He looks just like his mother."

"What?" Quatre's eyes widened cluelessly.

"Heero..." Relena hissed.

Taking in the situation, Heero realized what Relena had meant by her previous warning. It was unbelievable, but Heero wasn't going to take chances. And as a pure-blooded GESS, he was not intimidated by dragons. A dark corner of his more primal, genetically programmed mind was hoping the dragons would give him an excuse to tear into them.

Then the queen's breath caught and her eyes narrowed. She bared her fangs. "See for yourself! He bears the mark on his leg! The Omegastar!"

Heero looked back just in time to see Quatre automatically clutch at his leg, his face stricken. All he could see was something red showing through his fingers. Was he bleeding? Relena, who had apparently seen more than Heero, had suddenly gone very pale.

"J-just a birthmark..." Quatre stammered, clearly frightened of the huge dragon, who was becoming increasingly aggressive. He reached around, probably looking for the black band Heero had always seen him wear before, but it had been knocked off during the attack, and was nowhere in sight.

"Demon..." Silva hissed, and the other dragons echoed her. "Tesler spirit, the source of all evil... Just as the Prophet foretold, just as it was born as the wizard Char to create and enslave us, now it has been reborn as the Omega to destroy us all! He must be destroyed before he shows his true face!"

The queen lunged.

"Grandmother, no!" Wufei cried out.

Behind him, Heero heard Duo and Quatre scream. Knocking full-force into the queen, he managed to bring her to the ground. With a roar, she moved to knock him away, only to find his arms hooked around her long neck, the hands that had been gentle with Duo just minutes before, now threatening to crush her windpipe. He had her in a tight grip. Just like GESS, the Draca's worst weakness was being caught in such a hold. She froze.

"Stand back from them, or I'll kill her." Heero snarled at the other dragons, who were all ready to jump upon him, fangs and claws bared, their eyes threatening certain death. Perhaps he already would have killed her, but the shock and fear in Wufei's eyes had stopped him. Clearly, he had nothing to do with what was going on. For Wufei, the only dragon he felt any kind of respect for at the moment, he would not go any further than they forced his hand.

Behind him, Relena was shielding Quatre with her body. Quatre's blue eyes were terrified, and he was shaking badly. Next to them, Duo's mouth had dropped, and he seemed to be in shock.

"Release me at once," Silva demanded coldly.

"Princess Relena has not given you permission to do anything to Quatre." Heero growled in reply. "Are you defying the will of the Crown Princess of Cinq? The Crown Princess of Peacecraft, the leader of the free kingdoms? Do as you will, but if you defy her, you will perish at my hands."

"Heero!" Relena shouted. "Let me talk to her!"

"I don't think she wants to talk," Duo said weakly. "What the hell are they talking about? Why're they after Quatre?" He looked to his friend, only to be met with eyes that were just as confused and frightened.

"This is all a big mistake." Relena answered slowly, pulling Quatre to his feet, her eyes never leaving Silva's face. "Your Majesty, I must insist that you and your entourage leave now. Return to Cinq Palace, and we'll continue to discuss this problem in a more civilized manner." Her face screwed up into what Heero recognized as Relena's command look. "Quatre will remain in my custody until this is sorted out to my satisfaction. No one is to harm him in any way, is that clear?"

Silva finally stopped struggling, her face grim. "Yes, your highness. We shall do as you command."

"Let her go, Heero."

With some reluctance, he did as he was told. His fists clenched, he moved aside. The Draca Queen fell to all fours and turned away.

"Just remember my princess, that every mountain was once a small rock, and every great tree was once a small seed. Likewise, when the evil within that boy reveals itself, we shall not be able to move it nor cut it down."

As the dragons moved away, Wufei still stood, stunned. He was looking between Duo and Quatre, clearly at a loss for words. From the look on his face, he seemed to be struggling with something. Finally he gave up at a firm call from his grandmother, slowly moving away, still looking back. With a shadow of regret on his face, the young dragon prince turned away, leaping into the woods after his grandmother.

From the corner of his eye, Heero saw Rashid emerging from the forest. With him were several royal guards. Heero realized they must have been on the hoverjet he had heard earlier. It must have taken them a while to find a suitable place to land.

"Quatre!"

At the sound of Rashid's voice, the boy broke away from Relena and ran to him. Still covering his leg, Quatre was sobbing barely coherent words. "...I tried to hide it, it was an accident, Rashid, I'm sorry..."

"Here. Cover yourself." Rashid put his long-sleeved, dark blue duster coat over Quatre's shoulders. "It wasn't your fault, Quatre. She already knew. I tried, but it was only a matter of time before she found you."

"Knew what? What does she want me for?" Quatre rubbed at his eyes and looked over at Heero and Relena with a troubled worry furrowing between his eyes. "Those things she was saying..."

"Wait a minute!" Duo cut in, giving his best friend an anxious look. "You think maybe they got all in an uproar like that 'cause we trespassed in Skysteppe? C'mon, what kind of crazy people demonize you for just taking a little detour through the bottom of a mountain!? In that case, they should take it up with me too!" Then Duo scowled. "Hey! And what about Wufei!? How could we be trespassing if he let us through there!"

"This is much more serious than trespassing, Duo." Heero wanted to have a serious talk with Rashid and Relena about what had just happened, but he did not think it was a discussion that would be suitable for Duo, and especially Quatre to hear. Quatre... Heero knew the implications of what had just occurred had not fully sunken in yet. If anyone had told him only an hour before, that Quatre was the prime suspect in the darkest of all the ancient prophecies, he probably would have laughed until his sides hurt. However, if the Draca believed it, then it was no laughing matter. Right or wrong, this meant big trouble.

"Then what..." Quatre frowned.

"We'll talk about this when we get home," Relena interrupted firmly. "We've all been through a lot tonight, and we'll need some rest before arriving back at the palace."

"But..."

"That's enough." Rashid put a hand on Quatre's shoulder. "The princess is right, this is not the time or place for talk."

Heero nodded. "Let's go, people."

***

The rain was coming down hard. He could hear it pelting relentlessly against the glass panes. Thunder rolled somewhere in the distance. Opening his eyes, he saw nothing but pitch black.

Curled in warm blankets, Quatre was confused for a few minutes. "Duo?" He whispered. "Wufei?" As he pulled himself up, the haze of sleep began to clear away from his memory.

"Rashid?" When there was no reply, he cleared his throat to speak more clearly. "Lights on."

Instantly, he was bathed in bright illumination as the room's voice-activated system hummed to life. He was in one of the spacious, rose-hued guestrooms of Cinq Palace. Legs slipping over the side, he left the bed, the long blue coat he still wore trailing after him.

He stepped into the dark sitting area of the guestroom.

"Lights on."

There was no one there. Only velvet couches and a small polished wooden table with matching chairs. He turned around and looked at the bed beside the one he had slept in. There was no sign that the other bed had been slept in, though he remembered Rashid being there.

How long had he been asleep? Quatre spotted a clock on the wall. It was 6 minutes past noon. It had been early morning when they had finally returned to the palace. He dimly remembered Heero saying that the dragons had been delayed because of the storm, but he had been half asleep, having slept through most of trip back on the hoverjet. After he and Rashid were escorted to the room, he had immediately fallen back to sleep.

On the undisturbed bed was a pile of clothing and a small paper note. He picked it up and read it.


Quatre,

Wear these clothes, and do not let anyone else see your birthmark. I know you are very confused, but I must speak with the prince and princess now. Do not leave the room, it is too dangerous for you to be wandering around right now. I will explain everything to you as soon as I can.

-Rashid


Putting the note aside, Quatre looked down at the clothes his guardian had laid out for him. What in the world was going on?

At least Rashid didn't seem to be angry, he thought as he slipped out of his coat and pulled on the white shirt. He had expected him to be furious. Untying his loincloth, he pulled it off and folded it neatly before setting it down on the bed. Then he lifted up the white briefs Rashid had left him with a feeling of dismay. Those things were so constricting.

He pulled them on anyway, and the pair of loose-fitting black pants after them. He had to tighten and tie the drawstring, and fold up the legs a bit to make them fit, and even then they bunched up at his ankles. Then he took off his sandals and put on the fresh pair of socks and the brown hiking boots. Strange, he thought as he tied them up, he did own a pair of sneakers. Usually he only wore his hiking boots when he and Rashid went on a trip. Was Rashid expecting them to leave soon?

After tying the last boot, he put his foot on the floor and picked up the blue duster. He was now certain that whatever trouble he was in had nothing to do with his crazy adventure with Duo and Wufei. It had something to do with his birthmark, the Draca Queen had turned on him after she had seen it, saying bizarre stuff about demons and wizards. Then she had tried to kill him.

Quatre felt a wave of sickness. He sat down on the bed, then lay on his side, holding the wrinkled coat against his chest. Something bad was happening. He wanted Rashid to come back and explain it away, and make him feel better.

Closing his eyes, he listened to the rain fall. Was this the reason Rashid had warned him never to show anyone the birthmark? Was there really something bad about it? He had never liked to look at it himself, even though it was a part of him. It looked like an evil face staring out from the inside. The only person he had ever shown it to was Duo, and even he was creeped out by it.

He wished Duo was there with him. Feeling a little better, he crawled off the bed, pulling on the coat for extra warmth. He crossed over to the back wall, and put his hand on the cold surface.

"Window up, please."

The wall wiped away, becoming a transparent surface, revealing the rolling black stormclouds and a sheet of grey rain, raging through the winds. Quatre searched the sky with a sigh.

He disliked rainy days. The clouds were depressing.

Leaving the room, he attempted to sneak out. Only to find himself by the two guards by his door. They blocked his way.

"Sorry, Quatre, we can't let you out. The princess has ordered you confined to this room until she or the prince says otherwise."

"It's okay Rio." Quatre recognized the guards. Being a regular pest around the palace, he knew most of them by name. "But could you at least smuggle me something to eat? I'm starving."

"Can do."

"What's going on, anyway?" The other guard, a redhead named Keth asked, looking once over his shoulder. "Everybody's been put on a state of alert, and there's rumors the Draca tried to assassinate Princess Relena. You and Duo didn't incite a war this time, did you?"

"I hope not." Quatre blinked at the two young guards, truly hoping they were just gossiping.

"Hey, we're not supposed to talk to him, remember?" Rio reprimanded her partner with a glare. She pushed him. "Now go get him some lunch!"

She turned to Quatre with a smile as Keth stalked off grumbling. "Now you stay in your room like a good boy, okay?" She said as she shooed him back. Then she pushed a button on the wallpanel, and the door slid shut.

Quatre ran a hand back through his hair. It seemed he was going to be trapped there a while. Facing the room again, he found himself staring at the lonely painting on the back wall.

It was a richly detailed painting of the Cinq Kingdom's forest valley at sunset. So realistic, it was practically glowing. He enjoyed looking at the light, it made him feel warm inside. It reminded him...

Soft white light... A shadow of light...

A chill passed through him as the memory of the cloaked man returned to him. He had almost forgotten about him and the ghostly light he had seen. Strange that he could possibly forget, but he really hadn't remembered until the painting reminded him. Quatre dropped his gaze to the floor with a shiver.

What was happening to him?

He stood there so long, lost in his thoughts, that when the door behind him suddenly opened and closed, he gave a startled shriek. He jumped around to see Duo standing there with a covered tray. The braided boy's violet eyes were round with shock.

"It's only me, sheesh." He looked over Quatre's clothes with a raised eyebrow, then went to set the tray on the table. "Well, don't we look all adult today. What's with the getup?" He pulled out a chair noisily and straddled it, draping his arms over the back.

Quatre shrugged and shook his head, flushing lightly. "It's nothing. Rashid just thought I needed to cover up better after what happened... What?" Duo was staring at him in a strange, almost analytical way.

Duo smiled with a nod, then his expression melted into a seriously somber look. "The security around here is so tight, you wouldn't believe it. I talked Keth into letting me bring your food in, cuz I really had to talk to you. ...Did you know about...y'know? What's going on?"

"I'm beginning to think you know a lot more than I do." Quatre glanced over at the door, then back at Duo. "So if you know something, please let me in on it!"

Duo rubbed his fingers together apprehensively. "Well, some of the names Queen Silva mentioned back there sounded familiar, and I thought I might be able to figure out what she was on about if I did a little research. So, even though my Mom grounded me for the rest of my life, I snuck out and went over to the library."

"And...?" Quatre coaxed him to continue, a little impatiently.

Duo looked at him, and once more Quatre felt as though his friend was examining him as he might a puzzle game. Then Duo's eyes turned away at the wall, and he rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. He sighed heavily, dropping his gaze to the floor. "Quatre... You'd better sit down for this."

***

The royal garden. Usually bright sunlight would be streaming through the transparent walls, setting aglow the hanging green vines and the brightly colored, exotic wildflowers. Instead all was dark and grey, no light breaking through the chaos of rain and swirling black clouds.

Sheltered within the indoor palace garden, three sat alone in the shadows, the garden surrounding them closely as though it were trying to hide them. They spoke in hushed voices,

"Rashid, we need to know everything if we're going to help him. You understand, don't you?"

"Yes, princess," sighed Rashid. "I know. I'm sorry to have gotten you involved in this."

"Let's just get down to it." Heero sat hunched over his knees, his eyes closed. "How do you know Queen Silva, and what is the truth about Quatre?"

Heero could almost hear him collecting his thoughts. After a moment, Rashid started speaking. "I was born and raised in the Flynn Kingdom, up in the Northernland. You were too young to remember, but the War against the Wizards had been ongoing for generations, and there was no one alive who had known a world without war. Like so many, I joined the Peacecraft armed forces as soon as I came of age. Eventually, I became a pilot in Cinq's Royal Air Corps. My fellow pilots were like family, and my closest friend among them was a brilliant young woman named Quaterine."

"She wouldn't happen to be Quatre's mother, would she?" Relena asked quietly. Heero remained silent.

"Yes..." Rashid answered in a gravelly tone. "I was shocked when she confided her pregnancy to me. She wouldn't tell me who the father was, and I didn't pry. It was causing her much distress, and I promised to help her conceal it as long as possible. The war was growing in intensity, and we knew something big was happening. Even with her child at stake, Quaterine refused to leave the battlefield when we needed help more than ever. I think our Captain suspected something was wrong, but she managed to avoid him, and I distracted him when I could. I thought it could only go on for so long, but Quaterine grew very little during her pregnancy. It worried me so much I almost gave her secret away a few times, but she held me to my word." A pained look crossed his face. "Many times I've wished I had reported her. It would have been better to lose her friendship than for Quatre to have never known his mother. Maybe none of this would be happening now."

"So what happened to her?" Relena seemed to glow for a brief moment as another flash of lightning crashed far beyond their sanctuary.

Rashid's expression grew dark. "The final battle. Doomsday."

Heero's fists clenched unconsciously. A burning memory of white light flooding the skies, turning night into day. The silent sound of untold thousands screaming their last. His people. His mother and father.

"She went into labor right in the middle of the battle." Rashid bowed his head. "I immediately evacuated her from the battlefield, but we ran into bad weather near the Ashlock mountains." His eyes, lost in memories turned towards the storm clouds rolling outside. "Our craft was struck by lightning, and I was forced to make an emergency landing in the mountains. Our descent was seen by Queen Silva, who had been on her way back to the battlefield, and she came to our rescue. When she arrived, I was fine, but Quaterine was in bad shape, and about to give birth. Silva was ready to deliver the baby right there, but then we heard the atmosphere become unnaturally silent. We looked up to see a brilliant white light spreading out from the distant horizon, reaching out towards us. Everything in its path disappeared, and the sky above us was becoming as bright as day.

"Frightened, we escaped into a nearby cave. Deep underground, we heard what sounded like a tremendous demonic roar as the ground shook around us. I'll never forget how scared Quaterine was, with tears running down her cheeks as she gave birth to her son. When Silva saw the birthmark on the baby's leg, she started talking about prophecies I had never heard of, and demanded he be destroyed immediately. Quaterine pleaded for his life, and I was ready to lay down my own. But the queen took pity on Quaterine and agreed to let the child live for a little while. As my friend lay dying, and her newborn son screamed, I promised I would protect him.

"When we emerged, Quaterine was dead, and the world was transformed. The forests of the eastern foothills had been stricken white as chalk. Everything beyond that point had been wiped away, everyone was gone. As if they had never existed. The once Endless Plains were nothing but desert, a vast, empty desert of ivory sands.

"I named the baby Quatre, after his mother. I raised him, thinking I could hide him from the dragons. But after so many years passed and nothing had happened, I began to let my guard down. Then one day Quatre came home talking about how he and Duo were going to go see the dragons that were visiting the kingdom the next day. Suspecting the worst, I tried to keep Quatre at home. It was my plan to lie low while I prepared our departure from the kingdom." He frowned deeply with regret. "I should have done so long ago. Now, it's too late... You know the rest." Rashid finally finished.

"What a sad story." Relena pulled her arms tight around herself as if she had a chill, despite the warmth of the climate-controlled garden. Heero restrained himself from reaching out to comfort her the way he wanted to, and instead stared out at the grey sheets of water coming down hard outside.

"I'm assuming her name was Quaterine Raberba, since Quatre doesn't share your name, Rashid Kurama." Heero said, without turning his stare back towards the robed man. "Was there anything unusual about her? Anything at all?"

"She was quiet and tended to keep to herself a lot," Rashid mused, "but nothing unusual that I could tell. She was an excellent pilot, the best in our unit. Other than that, she resembled Quatre a great deal, in all ways. And he is clearly no more a demon than she was."

"I'm afraid the birthmark cannot be dismissed so easily," Relena sighed. "I saw it. It really does look like something terrible... Even for the brief moment I saw it. Rashid, regardless of what your personal feelings are, is that really the Omega mark?"

"It is... as the mark is described..." Rashid answered hesitantly. "But Princess Relena, whatever it means, I simply refuse to believe that Quatre could be what the Draca say he is!"

"It could be..." Heero turned to face them again. Rashid was angered, and Relena was shocked. "That Quatre is the Omega. With the evidence so far, I doubt we'll be able to persuade the Draca otherwise. Rashid, I understand how you feel, but denial can no longer help Quatre. We must put our own feelings aside and look at the facts."

"Heero!" Relena gasped.

"Your Highness, are you suggesting Quatre handed over to those... those MONSTERS when he has done nothing wrong!?" Rashid was livid.

"Of course not." Heero answered cooly, if mildly indignant. "Just bear with me. Now, are you sure you don't know who his father was? You know why this is important, don't you?"

"Yes..." Rashid calmed down somewhat. "I'm afraid I really don't know. I thought there was something going on between Quaterine and our Captain, but he didn't know anything about her preganancy." His eyes flickered around nervously. "But..."

"What?" Heero raised his eyebrows. "Rashid, don't hold back."

"I don't know if it's even worth mentioning." Rashid looked up apprehensively. "It... It's just an odd memory that haunts me. A few months before she revealed her pregnancy to me, Quaterine had an emergency that stranded her out on a plateau. She was alright, but when I went to retrieve her, I could see from the air that she wasn't alone. Quaterine, standing in front, waved towards me. And behind her... A man in a dark cloak..." Rashid shuddered. "It was too far away to make him out, but even from that distance, I could tell he was looking at me, and for some reason it scared the hell out of me. By the time I landed, he had turned and walked away. I asked Quatrina about him, but she didn't want to talk about it. I didn't push the matter."

Heero was quiet.

"According to the prophecy, the Omega will be descended from the slave class and the wizard class," Relena murmured. "So do you think it could have been a Wizard out there with Quaterine?"

Heero could tell from the look on Rashid's face that it was exactly what Rashid believed, even if he refused to acknowledge it. He didn't want to believe it either. But the building evidence was damning. However...

Overcome with the tension, Relena slapped her palm on the ground. "No, just listen to us, this is ridiculous! Quatre is obviously not some demon wizard!" She cried, covering her eyes with her hand. "Prophecy or no, I won't let Quatre be killed! Something isn't right!"

"Don't worry." Heero stood and stretched. "If the Draca want Quatre, they'll have to prove their case, and I know the prophecy as well as any dragon." He smirked, a gleam in his eye. "And despite all the very strange coincidences, there's still some details of the prophecy that just don't add up."

***

Sitting there in the hard wooden chair, Quatre stared at Duo. The boy with the big violet eyes had been talking for at least an hour, and had finally stopped. Quatre swallowed, his mouth very dry, even though he hadn't spoken a word.

"What!?" He squeaked.

His legs up on the table, Duo looked back at him with his hands behind his head. "Yeah, crazy, isn't it? But if you're the Omega," he smirked sarcastically, "then I'm the God of Death." He pushed back his bangs back with a sigh. "All kidding aside, this really is serious. The Draca want you sacrificed for the good of humanity. They're hovering all over the place like a bunch of vultures. I wouldn't be surprised if we went to war if Relena refuses to hand you over, they're that crazy."

Quatre held his head in his hands. Crazy was right... Had the entire world gone crazy? Or was this just a bizarre dream? He glanced up. Duo was still staring at him, probably expecting him to suddenly grow horns or start making things explode with some kind of magic powers.

"Duo, what about Wufei? He's their prince, right? Why doesn't he tell them I'm not a Wizard?"

Duo shook his head. "Haven't seen Wufei around since they took him away last night. I think he was taken back to Skysteppe. For all we know, he believes you're evil incarnate like the rest of 'em."

With a heavy sigh, Quatre dropped his hands between his legs and leaned back in his chair. "I should have listened to Rashid... I should have stayed home..."

"Sorry for getting you into this." Duo put his feet on the floor with a gloomy look on his usually cheerful face.

"No, it's not your fault," Quatre managed to smile. "There were some scary moments, but overall, before it all blew up, I was having fun. Being with you is always fun, Duo."

With a faint blush, Duo smiled back.

***

It had been a week since the last time he had been outside the palace. Quatre was sorely tempted to make a run for the wide open grey sky exposed on the other side of the towering royal courtchamber. Even if there was nothing but a very long drop on the other side. Except that the reason it was exposed was to allow entrance to the several dragons that stood between himself and freedom. Some of them glared at him. Others looked afraid. They all wanted him dead.

Feeling sick to his stomach, Quatre turned away from their stares, down towards the mirror-like surface of the pearlescent floor. At his side, Rashid stood like a great stone statue. He had told him nothing more than what Duo had about a prophecy Quatre had never heard of before. Rashid had promised everything would be okay, but Quatre didn't think he could do anything if this went badly.

To Quatre's right, stood the Peacecraft throne, a solid crystal chair that stood high above all others in the chamber. In the mist that fed the lush greenery that curled and blossomed from behind it, the throne sparkled like a prism. Above where Relena sat, set in the great throne, aqua-blue crystal gleamed, the diamondstar that was the symbol of Cinq and Peacecraft.

On the throne, Relena sat straight and tall, if a little too stiffly. She had told Quatre once that she felt uncomfortable sitting in the crystal seat. But even if she didn't feel comfortable there, she certainly looked every bit the princess she was. She was wearing her gold circlet, the aqua-blue jewel of the diamondstar rising above her brow. For once her hair was not pulled back, her honey-brown hair falling over her shoulders in waves. She wore a long, blue silk gown bearing diamondstar sapphires in the hems at her ankles and on the wide sleeves. Over this she wore a golden silk robe, embroidered with silver diamondstars. According to Relena, the robe had once been worn by King Amuro himself, and by all Peacecraft Monarchs since. The robe itself had been crafted in Bluedawn, a kingdom that no longer existed. The toes of her blue silk slippers didn't even reach the top step of the crystal pedastal the throne sat on. She seemed small and delicate, but no one would dare approach her without permission.

The main reason stood to the right of the crystal Peacecraft throne. Heero was glaring at the Draca, the blood-red diamondstar jewel in his silver circlet almost glowing with the tension coming from him. It hung between his eyes like a dagger, shadowing his eyes in a way that made him look more brooding than he usually was. From beneath his jaw and down, he was covered in what appeared to be skin-tight quicksilver. It didn't simply stretch as he moved, it FLOWED to fit his form. Woven with thousands upon thousands of whisper-thin fibers of wizard crystal, such cloth was virtually indestructable. Such garments were the ancient traditional attire of the GESS, originally devised by the Wizards as battle armor. They took painstaking care and detail, as well as time to create, making them extremely hard to come by. Once they had even been handed down as heirlooms. It was said that the GESS armor was the only material that could withstand a true GESS to GESS battle. All other clothing and footwear would rip away under the superhuman abuse. Although the armor was a complete one-piece bodysuit, Heero still wore matching silver boots and elbow-high gloves. On his chest, in brilliant red, was etched a diamondstar within a diamondstar, the symbol of the GESS, the Protectors of Peacecraft, and Guardians of the Cinq Kingdom.

Two rows of massive white columns, reaching all the way up to the brightly lit ceiling, were spaced widely, leading from the Peacecraft throne to the great opening on the other side of the courtchamber. Between these columns, on both sides, were stands carved in blue stone, crawling with the same blossoming ivy that embraced the great columns. They were filled with people, some colorful, others subdued. Some wore exotic clothing, and others wore almost no clothing at all. They were the members of the Peacecraft Royal Court, representatives from all the free kingdoms that had survived the Doomsday War. The people who would decide Quatre's fate.

Right now, they looked like they would rather be anywhere else. Between Heero's obvious bad mood, and the hostile stances of the Draca, being caught in the middle was not a good place to be at the moment. With a small sigh, Quatre turned his eyes towards the open sky once more, fiercely wishing the clouds would clear up.

Finally, Relena spoke.

"Queen Silva of the Draca, you have demanded the life of one of my subjects. I ask that you explain to the Peacecraft Royal Court why I should sacrifice a seemingly innocent young boy. Tell them, and tell me."

Although she gave an air of serenity, Quatre could see the chill in Relena's eyes. She had spent most of the week trying to settle the problem in direct discussion with Silva, only to find herself forced to take it to the court. And Relena hated this degree of formality. And of course, she hated being forced to put Quatre at this big a risk. If the court took Silva's side, he was done for.

Stepping forward gracefully, Queen Silva bowed before the throne, her spread wings almost filling the chamber before she folded them again. "Thank you, your Highness."

And so she began.

Most of it was the same old. The legend of Char, the first Wizard, the young demonchild who gave rise to civilization and the Wizards themselves. Of the Great Revolution, and the story of how King Amuro slew Char and founded the free kingdoms of Peacecraft. And of the prophecies given to him and the Draca by the Prophet. Prophecies that all came to pass. All but the last and the worst. The Omega Prophecy, which warned of a boy born of Wizard and Slave descent, the reincarnation of Char, an all-powerful creature destined to destroy all of creation. That the Omega would come from the east, across white sands, bearing the Omegastar. On and on, she went. After a while, Quatre stopped paying attention.

Then she started telling a different story, about the end of the Doomsday War. About a woman named Quaterine and a man named Rashid. And Quatre's eyes widened. As the queen finished her tale, Quatre glanced sharply at his guardian, who was now avoiding his eyes.

Rashid hadn't told him how the dragons had first been made aware of his birthmark. He hadn't told him that part. So his mother hadn't died in Doomsday. Not really. What else could Rashid be lying about? His chest and eyes were beginning to burn, but he held it down. Why hadn't he told him the truth? Why?

"I acknowledge that what I ask of you is not a pleasant thing." The Draca Queen said sincerely. "But if you do not heed the warnings, the warnings that were handed down to us from the very beginning, you will see all that we have struggled for the past thousand years be swept away in a storm of chaos!" She turned her gaze across the entire court. "I know he looks like an innocent boy, but so did Char when he took power. He is the Tesler Spirit, the source of all evil, in human form, just as Char was. The Draca have always guided you rightly through the ages. We do not lie now. Especially not about something as serious as this." She bowed once more, stepping back.

"May the light which guides the Prophet, guide you."

Quatre turned to find that most of the court was now staring at him. It was mostly curiosity, but it made him horribly uneasy. He sure hoped he didn't look like some kind of evil omnipotent being. He sure hoped he wasn't going to throw up in front of the entire Royal Court. His head was starting to spin, he had to look away.

Turning his eyes from beneath his bowed blonde locks to Heero, he saw the GESS Prince restraining himself from making some rude comment. His arms were crossed over his chest, clenching his fists almost compulsively. Quatre bit his lip. Why, why was this happening because of him? He didn't want to hurt anybody. He didn't even have any powers.

It was only a freakish birthmark. Nothing more.

The court was whispering amongst themselves now. The name Prophet seemed to be floating around a lot. Prophet. Could it be the same Prophet he had met in the White Woods? He remembered the foreboding words the cloaked one had given him, bitter, ugly words. Nothing troubled him as much as that memory, and he had not confided it to anyone, not even Duo.

After bowing before Princess Relena, Heero turned and glared firey death at the Draca Queen. His tone, however, was ice cold. "It's true that the Prophet's prophecies have always come to pass. They are flawless. But that's just the problem. Quatre does not fulfill the all the signs given by Prophet himself." He turned his head to look at Quatre. "Come here, Quatre."

Nervously, Quatre stepped forward.

"Quatre, push me down." Heero said.

"What?" Quatre stopped in mid-step. "I can't..."

"Just try." Heero frowned. "Try like your life depends on it."

Because it does, Quatre thought with a nervous twitch. Somehow. But what was Heero up to? He knew he couldn't do it! No one could move Heero if he didn't want to be moved.

"If you say so..." Moving behind Heero, he put both hands on his back and pushed. And pushed. And when that didn't work, he leaned against him and put his shoulders into it, his boots squeaking loudly against the polished floor. Heero wasn't budging at all.

"Your Majesty," Heero said, ignoring as Quatre kicked at his boots hopelessly, "I think you left some little details out of your grand declaration of Quatre's demonhood. According to the original Omega Prophecy, as recorded in the ancient texts of Rainsoul, the Omega will not be descended of just any Slave class, but of GESS blood. As you can see, Quatre is no stronger than any other boy his age. He can't so much as nudge me out of the way." Heero looked absolutely feral at this point. Quatre decided to quit kicking at him, and moved a step away. "Obviously Quatre does not have superhuman strength anymore than he has magical power."

"It's a trick!" Hissed one of Silva's personal court.

"I'm not finished." Heero continued. "According to the prophecy, the Omega arrives from across white sands." Heero glanced at Quatre. "Your suspect has lived in this valley kingdom his entire life."

"Prince Heero, you are skirting the issue." Silva growled. "Let the court see the boy's mark themselves. Mysterious discrepancies aside, the mark is clearly not of any natural origin, a warning sign of this boy's true nature that you would be foolish to ignore!"

Fear buzzed through Quatre's nerves as he saw Heero glance from him, back to Relena where she sat on her crystal throne. He turned and looked back at Rashid, who was helpless to do anything but stand there. His stomach fell as Heero spoke again.

"Fine. Quatre, please remove your pants and let the court see your birthmark."

"I will not!" Quatre cried with a touch of horror in his voice. Dropping his pants in front of strangers didn't really bother him. He was used to going around nearly nude. But his birthmark was different. To him, it was the most private part of his body, and not only because Rashid had drilled it into him to keep it hidden. When people looked at it, Quatre felt like his soul was exposed to view, and he felt extremely uncomfortable at the thought of just anyone staring at it. His hands clenched painfully tight.

"He's trying to hide it," Silva snorted. "Even he knows there is no way to explain away the mark."

"Quatre, take them off now." Heero's voice was very tense, almost angry. "Or I will do it for you."

Quatre glanced back at Rashid, who nodded solemnly. So, his eyes fixed on the floor, Quatre saw himself pull his pants off. His face burned as Heero pulled the duster away to reveal the hellish red mark on his thigh. Several gasps and commotion came from the court. He could hear the Draca hissing at him again.

"T-That is enough, Heero." Relena said shakily. "Quatre, you may cover yourself now."

Hastily, he did so, and pulled his duster tighter around himself. Only then did he lift his eyes to see the people staring at him, no longer merely curious. He saw the gleam of suspicious fear in their eyes, keeping their gazes locked on him even as they whispered to each other behind their hands. Quatre slouched slightly as he turned away from them.

"I think you just made things worse," he whispered sullenly as Heero moved past him, back towards the center of the courtroom.

"As you can see, Quatre is not hiding anything." Heero told the court, though he was looking back at Quatre when he said it. "He possesses an unusual mark, but that is the only piece of the prophecy he fits. And I can assure you that he has never shown any sign of power or malicious behavior.

The court was murmuring amongst themselves as Heero led Quatre back towards the throne. "Don't give them reason to suspect you of anything." Heero whispered to him in warning. "Few of them have any real belief in the prophecies. Without a solid case against you, the Draca can't win this."

Behind them, the Draca were growling again. As he and Heero turned around, Quatre knew that with their excellent hearing, they had picked up everything the prince had said. The corner of Heero's mouth twitched as though he wanted to smile, his cold eyes staring defiantly back at the giant creatures.

As the dragon queen stretched up on her back legs to stand at her full height beneath the enormous ceiling of the courtroom, Quatre thought she was going to attack them. Her vivid blue eyes were burning. Shifting in their seats, the court seemed alarmed. Above, Relena rose from her seat.

"The situation is worse than I imagined." Silva said quietly after a long uncomfortable silence. "Long ago, my people were the first to see the truth and to escape from the cruelty of Illuminus, the Wizard Kingdom, in ancient times. We were the people the Prophet chose to carry and keep his prophecies. We have always served the Peacecraft Kingdoms faithfully, and been the guardians of Cinq's eastern border. Remember this before dismissing our warnings. These past fourteen years have been very quiet, but do not allow yourselves to be caught off guard. The worst is still to come."

***

Heero was right. After it was all over, the court had decided there was not enough evidence to support the accusation against Quatre. Certainly not enough to warrant his death.

At first he was relieved. Heero had proven the prophecy to be wrong, and everything could go back to the way it had been. But the dragons didn't go away. More of them came. Queen Silva claimed she had nothing to do with the sudden influx of dragons into the kingdom. But even as she claimed to respect the decision of the royal court, the Draca muttered amongst themselves, keeping constant watch on the palace. They seemed to be waiting for something.

Staring outside, he could see them staring back.

"Aren't they ever going away?" Quatre moaned. "It's been three weeks since the trial. Four whole weeks I've been kept in here like a prisoner, even though the court decided in my favor! What do they want from me?"

"Your head on a platter is my first guess." Duo said from where he lay on the couch. "They sure are convinced you're the real thing."

"If I was," Quatre grumbled, "wouldn't I have brain-zapped them into leaving me alone or something by now?" He was so tired of being inside. Walking away from the window, he draped himself over the couch and looked down at Duo. "I can't take this anymore. I'm suffocating. You've got to get me out of here."

"I've gotten you into enough trouble." Duo pushed himself up on his arms. "Don't you get it? You go out there, you'll be dragon chow. That's why Heero and Rashid are keeping you in here."

"For how long?" The rusty light of the setting sun was slowly moving away across the room. Another day was ending. Another day of pacing around a slowly shrinking room. Another day just like the one before. There seemed to be no end to it. "Forever? Duo, I'm going to go crazy. Rashid doesn't think they're going away."

"Neither does Heero." Duo said softly. "Relena's still trying to negotiate with them, but..." He shook his head. "Rashid and Heero have been talking a lot lately, y'know. I don't know what they're up to, I can't get a word out of them." He smiled weakly. "But hey, Hilde says hi. I'm going to try smuggling her in later tonight."

"No." Quatre pulled himself over the back of the couch and pounced onto Duo, pinning him down. "You're smuggling me out to Hilde."

"No way!" Duo frowned. "If anything happens to you out there, I'd never forgive myself!"

"Duo, please," he pleaded. "Help me. I'm getting out of here whether you're with me or not, but you know I'm no good at sneaking around."

Duo's face contorted, and Quatre was sure he was going to protest again. Instead, he let out an exasperated breath and scowled. Then he pushed Quatre off, and leaned over the side, his braid falling over his shoulder as he eyed him almost suspiciously.

"Are you sure you don't have some kind of brain-zapping power?"

Quatre only smiled happily.

***

Thick red smeared across the pristine pearl-gold of the corridor wall as his clawed hand dragged across it, ripping through vines and white blossoms. With a strangled scream, Duo slid down to the floor, an oozing red mess. He lifted his eyes to meet the horrified looks on Keth and Rio's faces as they rushed up to him.

"Duo! What happened!?"

"I can't find a wound... Duo!"

Flailing around on the ground, Duo pulled away from them, screaming louder. Past the guard's frightened faces, he saw Quatre quietly slip out of his room. With a quick thumbs up, the blonde darted down the other end of the corridor, his duster flying behind him as he turned out of sight. Duo stopped screaming and started laughing.

Keth's mouth dropped open in shock. "Why you little...!"

Outraged, Rio drew back, and glared at the red gunk on her hands. "Ketchup! Duo Maxwell, you idiot! That wasn't funny!" She lunged at him, but Duo dodged away before the aqua-haired girl could catch him.

"Bye!" Duo's sandals left scarlet skid marks on the polished surface of the floor as he made his quick escape. Keth looked angrier than he could remember ever seeing him. But mostly Duo didn't want to stay in the path of Rio's legendary temper. He hoped Quatre appreciated his newfound freedom that Duo would undoubtedly be paying for later.

***

The cool of the autumn night was so peaceful and pleasant, all seemed right with the world. Quatre felt like a dreamer who had awoken from a nightmare. Being trapped inside for so long had that effect. Throwing off the white shawl Duo had hidden him beneath while slipping him past the palace guards, he laughed and spun around, soaking in the moonlight. The trees seemed to laugh with him as the wind flew vigorously through the dying leaves.

"Good thing those guards were more concerned about intruders getting in than you getting out." Duo was looking over his shoulder once more. "But once they find out, I don't know if you'll be able to break out like this again."

"That's no problem, since I'm not going back." Quatre said matter-of-factly, watching the white shawl riding the wind, floating up into the air until it swirled away in a wild wind to be lost in the treetops.

"W-whoa, hold on, you can't be serious!" Duo grabbed Quatre's arm roughly, pulling him out of the moonlight, into the shadows. "Maybe you STILL don't get it, but those dragons want to KILL you! Relena and Heero's protection is the only reason you aren't dead right now!"

"I know, I know..." Quatre's eyes glanced back towards the forest path that led back to the palace. "But Duo, it isn't right for them to be fighting over me. If Draca and Cinq became enemies because of me, I couldn't bear it. But nothing'll happen if I just disappear, right?"

Duo sputtered in the darkness. "I never should have brought you out here, if I had known what kind of ideas you'd gotten into your head...! Runaway!? Isn't that what dropped us into this mess in the first place? Besides, where do you think you could go? All of Cinq must be swarming with dragons by now!" He glanced over his shoulder, clearly still expecting one to fall on them at any moment.

Instead, Hilde appeared through the trees. She looked from one to the other, her blue eyes round with surprise. "Runaway? You two still haven't learned your lesson?" For once she wasn't in uniform, wearing sandals like Duo's, and a raspberry colored loincloth and wraparound top. Shiny red beads sewn into her clothing tap-tapped together as she moved.

"Calm down, I never said anything about leaving Cinq." Quatre drew away from Duo and crossed his arms anxiously. "Just a hiding place that no one knows about. Maybe if I go away, they'll all forget and go away." Even as he said it, he didn't really believe it. The Draca were completely obsessed with him. It was very likely that they would never leave him alone.

"Maybe, but if they catch you, there's no telling what they'll do to you..." Hilde shivered slightly. "They say you're..."

"They're crazy." Quatre turned his eyes away to stare into the surrounding dark woods. "You don't believe them, do you, Hilde?"

There was a moment's pause. "Of course I don't." Hilde replied hesitantly. "It's just really strange that they'd target you. The Draca aren't known to make outrageous accusations like this. I can't help thinking there must be something we're all missing here." She shook her head. "But that doesn't change the fact that you'd be much safer back at the palace!"

"See, she agrees with me!" Duo marched in front of Quatre. "And if you take off like this, you'll only make yourself look even more guilty!"

Quatre frowned. "Guilty!? I was cleared by the court! I have every right to go where I please! Duo, if you were in my place, would you just sit around in the palace until you grew mold?"

"I would've ditched much sooner than this." Duo mumbled in defeat. "Alright buddy, if this is what you really want to do." He looked up at him sternly. "We can keep you at the lake hideout. It's the only one Heero doesn't know about."

"Thanks, Duo." Feeling relieved to have Duo firmly on his side, he turned cautiously to Hilde. "You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"What do you think?" Hilde shook her head ruefully. "I can keep a secret. But I'd like one in exchange." She smiled over at Duo.

"What?" His large violet eyes looked wary.

"Where's this lake hideout?" Hilde smiled wickedly.

"Uh oh..." Quatre couldn't help smiling a little as Duo slumped over wearily. Poor Duo... It just couldn't be helped.

"So much for the last remaining sanctuary." The braided boy sighed.

***

Lake Lament. It was the place where most of the rivers in Cinq converged before flowing away through the western mountains into the ocean. The crystal surface rippled as the wind whistled across. Here, on the far western edge of the city of Center, it was illegal to build on the shores of the precious waters that sustained most of the kingdom. Therefore it was usually deserted.

Sitting among thick gnarled roots of a mulberry tree, Quatre rubbed a big, yellow, floppy leaf between his fingers. A few years back, it had been struck by lightning. Most of the insides had been burnt to charcoal. When the boys had discovered it, they'd hollowed out the large tree, creating a small hideaway for themselves. It had been used a great deal during the summers when they'd come out to swim. Now it was Quatre's only retreat.

Letting the leaf go, he watched the wind sweep it away down the steep, root-tangled shorebank. It settled with many others like it, spinning around in the waters below. With a small sigh, he leaned forward on the large root until he was lying on his stomach facing the lake like a contented housecat.

Despite its name, he had nothing but happy memories associated with the lake. Many summers had he lain in the same way, lazing the blazing hot days away beneath the leafy shade of the mulberry with Duo. Watching the sunlight dance across the lake's wide, crystalline horizon, he almost felt like everything was right with the world again.

"You know why they call it Lake Lament, don't you?"

Startled to hear a voice after hours of solitude, Quatre gave a start, almost sliding off into the water as he pushed himself up. It was Hilde, standing next to the tree, holding a basket in her arms. She was still in uniform, meaning that she had come directly from the palace.

"Legend..." Quatre found his voice a little rusty from disuse over the past two days. "...says that it was created from the tears of the Prophet."

"Oh, boo hoo." Duo suddenly appeared at Hilde's side. "What the hell does he have to cry about anyway? Seems he's the one causing us all the grief!" He pulled the basket from Hilde. "And you're supposed to feed 'im, not harass 'im!"

"Sorry." Hilde idly kicked a stone into the lake, sending up a splash of white foam. "All this prophecy business lately has gotten me interested in the old legends. Some of them are really bizarre."

"Is that why we didn't see you earlier?" Duo lifted an eyebrow at her as he handed the basket over to Quatre, who eagerly dug into it. "Got lost in some old book?"

"No." Glaring at him, she sat down. "I think someone might have been trying to follow me this morning. I couldn't be sure, so I ended up on a long hike through the thick of the city."

Quatre choked on the milk he was drinking. Both his friends were at his side in an instant, pounding on his back. He knew they were only trying to help, but he had to wave them away before he could get his breath back. "Who was following you? Hilde, are you sure about this?"

"Pretty sure. Something up in the trees, I could hear it moving behind me, but it was too far up to see." Her eyes darted up to the treetops as if she could still hear it. "I didn't go back to make sure, because I really didn't want whatever it was to know I knew it was there. But it was fairly large, bigger than a squirrel, anyway."

"A dragon?" Quatre almost croaked.

"Could be." Duo's amethyst eyes narrowed in thought. "They were furious when they found out you'd disappeared. The whole bunch have been swarming around like angry hornets. Queen Silva is convinced Relena had something to do with it, and Heero's this close," Duo held up his thumb and forefinger, squeezing them together with a nervous grin, "to just kicking the shit out of all of 'em."

With a sigh, Quatre dropped his head between his legs and clasped his hands over his head. "This isn't working out at all. I thought the dragons might leave if they thought I'd run away, but things have only gotten worse for Relena. What do I do? I can't go back, I just can't. But if I stay..."

"Stop talking like that!" Duo snapped. "It's only been two days. It's too soon to tell anything yet. And give Relena and Heero some credit. They'll be alright. Just worry about your own neck."

Quatre couldn't help cringing a little. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. It's good to be out in the open again." He dropped his arms and lifted his head to meet Duo's almost expressionless face. What was he thinking? When he had that look, it meant he was thinking very seriously about something. Did he think Quatre was what the Draca claimed he was? No, that couldn't be it. Duo didn't believe in the prophecies. Duo was his best friend.

Even so, he was relieved when the familiar grin returned to his friend's face. "We'll be fine, you'll see."

***

A whispering. That's what it sounded like. A low, deep whisper, alternating between frustrated and angry mutterings. If there were words, they were of no language that he knew of. And he knew every language that had survived the Apocalypse.

"Master Treize, he's stirring up trouble again." Reflected in the cold crystal glass, a woman in a flowing burgandy robe stood behind him. Her long brown hair was tied in an elaborate bun, pinned with several thin reeds of golden crystal, creating a sort of halo. He couldn't help thinking she looked even more radiant than the sun.

"My Lady, he is only a boy. Can not grown men and women, the Chosen of Char, no less, deal with a mere child?"

The woman made a contemptuous sound. "The Chosen grow weaker with each generation. Yourself being the exception of course, Master. The boy is the blood of Char... They are all too aware of what he could bring down upon them at the whim of one of his moods."

"Indeed." He frowned at his own reflection in the glass. The whispering almost sounded pleading now. "Send Dorothy to him," he went on absently. "She seems to distract him well enough."

"Only a girl, and she can do what all those pompous fools out there can not. She is truly of your family's blood, Master Treize."

His reflection smirked. "I believe she may have charmed the young cobra. I could not have planned anything quite so fortunate and convient. If we're lucky, we won't have nearly as much trouble as we did with his father."

"A disgrace," she muttered with a shake of her head.

The pleading had turned to sounds of despair. It was not the first time Treize had heard it, but there was a new intensity to it that was unusual. Something new was happening. And where THAT one was concerned, Treize had reason to worry. The fits of a spoiled child were trivial in comparison.

Noticing his concentration, Lady Une stepped closer, her voice low. "Are you hearing the Ancient again?" She was fascinated, of course. They all were. It had been hundreds of years since a Chosen outside of Char's blood had been born with as much power as he possessed.

The power to hear the minds of others was an extremely rare gift that he had used well to his advantage since his childhood. His control allowed him to tune out the thoughts of others at will, but there was one mind he was never able to block out completely. No matter what he did, it was always there in the background, a presence humming with sheer power.

"Yes. Something is distressing him more than usual. I imagine you and even many of the others can sense the power that has been flaring in the far west these past weeks."

"I try not to notice, provided it remains far from us." Lady Une replied, her mouth tight. "Even Char avoided the Ancient. We would be fools to meddle in what we could not hope to understand or control."

"Yes, very true." Many times Treize had considered confronting the Ancient himself, to learn his secrets, to know what his power was. To know who and what the Ancient really was. But for all the fantasies, Treize was not a fool. The Ancient was as a force of nature. Yet, unlike most of nature's works, the Chosen could not control him. As long as the Ancient did not interfere, it was far wiser to leave him be.

"Do you believe we should be concerned now?"

There was fear in her eyes now. She had enough trouble handling their young charge. He could keep watch on this situation on his own. His reflection gave hers a reassuring smile. "Not yet. He has a history of going into unpresidented rages, but as you say, as long it remains far from us, there is nothing to worry about."

It was more than a simple rage. Of that, he was certain. The view beyond the crystal glass was black and empty. The world created over a thousand years ago. Into this he stared as he tried to comprehend the meaning of mutterings that seemed to reach from beyond even time.

***

A cold autumn breeze tickled across Quatre's cheek, waking him to the sound of insistent insect calls and the swell and break of water against the lakeshore. The large hollow tree in which he slept, moaned and creaked as something very heavy moved through the branches. Cold fear suddenly shooting through him, Quatre opened his eyes to find he could see nothing in the darkness. But he could still hear it, just outside.

Next to him, Duo still slept soundly. Suddenly very glad Duo had decided to stay the night, he shook his friend's shoulder urgently.

"Uh... Huh?" Duo mumbled. "Quat?"

"Shhh!" Quatre whispered nervously. "I heard something."

"Wha?" He could practically hear Duo frowning at being woken up. His voice was scratchy, almost growling. "Are you sure? I don't hear anything."

A moment passed. The treetops were silent.

"Maybe it heard us." Quatre whispered.

"You stay here." Duo moved to his feet. "I'll take a look."

"Duo, don't!"

There was no use arguing. Duo had thrown back the blanket hung over the doorway, making Quatre squint in the bright moonlight that washed into the small hideaway. Duo's shape moved through it, and was gone, dropping the blanket and the hollow back into darkness. With an agitated growl of his own, Quatre fumbled out after him.

Despite the moonlight, the surrounding woods were a mass of black shadows. Even the lake surface looked black, except for sinewy ripples of light moving across the water. Duo was standing nearby, staring up into the mulberry's dark branches.

"We should stay out of sight," Quatre whispered, glancing into the branches nervously.

"Quatre!"

He turned around to see Duo, terrified and rushing towards him. With a cry of surprise, he had no time to react as Duo ran right into him, pushing him back off his feet. Falling back over the bank and into the lake, he saw a big, dark green shape plow right Duo, driving him into the ground. The nightmarish sound of flesh ripping was all Quatre heard before he hit the water.

His head impacted something hard beneath the lake's surface, and in a white flash of pain, he lost consciousness.

***

Heero's hands wouldn't stop shaking. What had he done?

At his feet, a young, green dragon lay motionless, his neck brutally crushed. There had been no choice, he told himself, the dragon had been moments away from killing Duo. He had been aware of the boys' hiding place since the night of their escape from the palace. He had been keeping an eye on them, until he could finish preparing for his next planned course of action. Now it seemed he would have to implement his plan earlier than expected. It was a miracle he had arrived in time. He had been on his way to secretly see Rashid, when an urgent tickling had started in on the back of his neck. A tickling that told him he should check on the boys one more time. He shivered.

What bothered Heero more, was that he had enjoyed killing the Draca far too much. The entire scenario before him had unfolded too quickly, his almost immediate response of lethal action, too eager. Unsteadily wiping the sweat from his brow, he moved back from the dead dragon and edged around it. He had dealt with mecha before, and monsters. He had experienced the world around the Cinq Kingdom. Never, had he considered himself an innocent. But this frightened him, unlike anything he had ever known. He had killed another sentient being. Another human being.

He forced himself to look away. He couldn't fall apart now. He had to act fast. Everything depended on his actions now. Duo was nearby, lying unconscious on his back. Five bloody slashes, from a dragon's claws, had ripped his chest open. His chest moved weakly, and his breath rattled.

"Duo..." Heero gritted his teeth. He hurriedly pulled off his jacket and lay it over over the wounds. Then he remembered Quatre. He looked over towards the lake, and saw his other friend's limp body floating, half-submerged in the water. His dark duster drifted to either side of him like shadowy wings.

"Damnit!" Jumping in, he pulled Quatre out onto the lakeshore. Luckily, the blonde was still breathing, but he was out cold.

Heero looked from one to the other. He couldn't leave either of them here. But there was no way he could carry both without risking further injury to Duo. If Quatre was discovered here by other Draca, he would be killed. But Duo needed help now, he couldn't wait.

His heart jumped as a shadow fell across them. Looking up, he was afraid it was another dragon. Afraid of how much he hoped it was.

A shadowy figure stood there on the lakeshore, wearing a dark gray cloak and hood. A round blue clasp at his neck shone brightly. There was something oddly familar about his voice. "Take care of Duo. I'll deliver this one to Rashid."

"Who are you?" Heero demanded suspiciously. This guy hadn't been there a moment ago. And no one could sneak up on him like that.

There was the briefest of pauses. "A friend. Sometimes a guardian angel. Sometimes a preying demon." He shook his head. "You have little choice in this. Take Duo, or he will die. I swear this... boy... will come to no harm."

Wet blood soaked through Heero's jacket, staining his fingers. He swallowed hard. "Alright. We'll do this your way. If Quatre isn't safely at Rashid's house when I get there, I promise I'll make you wish you were never born."

A strange, high-pitched giggle came from the stranger as he knelt beside Quatre. Heero was feeling uneasy about this arrangement, but as he carefully lifted Duo, he knew there was nothing he could do about it. He had to move quickly. He could simply intercept the stranger and take Quatre back on the return trip.

"He'll be at Rashid's before you return," the stranger said quietly. "Hurry. There's little time..."

"Take care of him, and keep out of sight!" Heero growled in warning, holding Duo carefully in his arms. Then he turned and disappeared into the night. Dark wind seemed to beat against him as he ran, unseen branches cutting and pulling at him. Duo rasped, struggling for breath against his chest.

Hurry, hurry... He had to get back for Quatre's sake. And what of Relena now? What was going to happen to any of them, now? What were the Draca capable of? There was no time to think. Hold on Duo, he thought, just hold on...

***

Screaming... Oh, God, make the pain stop... Make the screaming stop... Quatre moaned, twisting violently. The screaming, it had brought him half out of sleep, but now it held him, torturing him at the edge of waking, like a nightmare. But this wasn't a nightmare... A hand was touching his neck. It was so leathery, maybe a glove. It made him feel sick.

"You can feel it, can't you?" A soft whisper, echoing from far away. "Poor, wretched creature..."

"Help..." Quatre croaked so softly, he wasn't really sure if he had spoken. He could feel tears rolling down his cheeks. It hurt so much. Not a physical pain. The screaming torture was buried so far deeper than anything his body could feel.

"Tears won't help you. You'll shed enough tears to drown the cosmos, but it will not bring you any peace." He voice seemed closer now. "There's only one way... I may be damned for all eternity for what I've done, for allowing this to continue when I know what I do... But it is the only way. I can't risk losing... You understand, don't you?" There was a high-pitched giggle.

With a concentrated effort, Quatre tried jerking his body into full consciousness. His eyes opened wide. He gasped and thrashed... He could almost focus... A face was looking down at him. In the blur, he could only see that it had dark hair hanging in locks over his face.

"H-Heero?"

"Of course not," the blur seemed to mumble to himself. "You'll hate me as strongly as you ever loved..." The leathery glove moved from his neck to his cheek, and Quatre felt his stomach lurch violently.

"There must be a way to kill you," the stranger suddenly said with an angry passion. "And if the end is inevitable, if that is indeed the only way... Then so be it!"

Pure rage, undying hatred and despair flooded through Quatre. With a scream, Quatre arched in agony, his vision snapping into painful focus. There was no one there.

"Quatre!"

Slowly, the sickness faded away, and he found himself looking up at Rashid. He frowned as the world solidified around him. "R-Rashid?" He squeesed his eyes shut, still feeling a slight ache, a shadow of what he had endured. "What... Where am I?" Had he been dreaming after all? The sickness and the aches he felt... Had it all just been a fever dream? But he didn't dream...

"You're home." Rashid said quietly. "How did you get out here? I heard you scream. What happened?"

"I'm not sure..." Quatre frowned deeper, putting a hand to his face. "I- I was with Duo, and then I fell in the water..."

"Rashid, is that Quatre?" Heero stepped out from the forest trail around the side of the cabin. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a green tanktop. Quatre blinked and struggled to get up.

"Yes, did you bring him here? I thought we had agreed..."

"There's been an incident." Heero growled. "We'll have to leave tonight."

"So they've found him."

Heero nodded, looking around intently. "Where is the cloaked man that brought Quatre? I wanted to talk to him. He shouldn't have been able to get here and leave before me."

Rashid glanced around and frowned at Heero. "A cloaked man? I saw no one. I heard Quatre scream, and when I came out here, there was only him, thrashing around on the ground."

"P-Prophet..." Quatre pushed himself up to his knees. "I think it was him..."

He gasped as Rashid pulled him up roughly by the shoulder. He shrunk back a little at the fierce look his guardian was giving him.

"Quatre, it's dangerous for you to assume these things." Rashid growled. "It could have been anyone. Even someone working for the Draca, trying to concoct another reason to incriminate you."

Quatre stared in amazement. Veteran of the Doomsday War, survivor of Doomsday itself, his very own Rashid, was actually scared. He looked upset, but Quatre could see the fear in his eyes. Please, he thought, don't be scared, Rashid. You can't start believing this insanity too... Please don't...

Heero was quiet. When Quatre finally turned to look at him, it seemed to prompt the prince into action, and he strode forward. His eyes were steeling themselves for something Quatre knew he didn't want to hear.

"That isn't important right now." Heero easily hefted the large pack on his shoulder. "Quatre, the Draca have started sending assassins after you. And as you've realized, Relena can no longer protect you without jeopardizing the welfare and stability of the entire kingdom. The only way we can help you now is to get some real answers."

It was useless to argue. Quatre just shook his head sorrowfully. He hadn't been able to bring himself to go all the way. But it was the only option left.

"We're leaving Cinq, Quatre."