Mountain Camp

"Add a little bit of that."

Relena looked from the pot of spice he had pointed out then back to Quatre skeptically. "What is it?"

Quatre giggled. "I don't know! I found it among the cooking supplies these people keep. It tingled my tongue a little, so I think it might make those hot cakes you're trying to make a little tastier."

Relena frowned at him. "They might also make us higher than kites."

"All the better!" Quatre giggled again.

She pushed aside the spice, opting for some she trusted. Had Quatre always had such an annoying laugh? "In all the excitement last night, I didn't get a chance to ask you how things are going with you and Dorothy. When we left…"

"I'm hoping that this separation will make Dorothy come to her senses! I confronted her about Lars Nelson and she didn't deny cheating on me."

His declaration had its usual overabundance of emotion. "I'm sorry, Quatre, but I think you are better off without her."

"Nelson was just using her!" Quatre obviously didn't agree with Relena. "He was hoping Trynity would get jealous. Ass! Anyone with more than one brain cell can see that Trynity and Duo will go the distance together. When offered the opportunity to go to L10 Nelson hopped on a transport without so much as a look over his shoulder at her." Quatre sighed. "I'm not even sure that could make her open her eyes to the futility of a relationship with him. At least Hilde has seen the writing on the wall. She told Lars before he left that if he didn't have any room for anyone but Trynity in his heart, then she wouldn't be waiting for him when he returned."

"Trynity can't love anyone but Duo," remarked Relena with a sigh as she balled up the dough she had created, flattened it, and then placed it on the hot griddle resting on the stones around the fire. She couldn't believe half of Calabria's population was equipped with space ships, lasers and electronic security systems while the other half cooked over stones like primitive cavemen.

"I just hope this whole mess between Duo and Trynity gets sorted out before we return to L10 or its only going to get worse," she commented.

"Why didn't Duo and Trynity tie the knot when you guys did?" asked Quatre, staring intently at Relena. He was a hopeless gossip. Then again, so was she.

Relena frowned. "Duo wants Trynity to take that fellowship and study in deep space so that she won't have any regrets about staying with him. To complicate matters, Trynity is…"

"Do I smell something burning?" Heero emerged from their tent and looked straight at Relena.

She gasped and turned quickly to look at the biscuits she was preparing. They were not burning. Then she felt Heero's lips against her neck as he whispered in her ear. "Or do I hear someone blabbing to the wrong person?"

She felt her face grow hot, and she turned to kiss Heero. "You are a savior."

"As usual." Heero straightened and looked around the small camp. "Where is Wufei?"

"Trowa…I mean Prince Trey rode out early to the pirate camp," said Quatre. "He went with him. Trey didn't want to wake anyone."

"Do I smell something cooking?" Duo walked up to the griddle and pulled off a hot cake. "Yow!" He tossed it from hand to hand.

"You aren't actually going to eat that?" asked Trynity as she sat near Relena. "Relena made it, not Quatre."

Relena looked at Trynity and announced, "I received a good grade in cooking class."

"I heard you bragging to the other girls that the chef at the palace made the meals that you were required to make for homework." Trynity raised a brow.

Relena blushed. "I…I lied. I didn't want them to think I was spending any time in a kitchen! In fact, the chef only helped a little."

Heero grunted. "Yeah, in the mixing of the ingredients, the cooking, baking…"

Relena turned and swatted Heero with the back of her hand. "At least I tried!"

"I'll give you credit for finding the kitchen." He smiled at her. "If you actually did."

She felt her insides melting. Was she actually married to him? Maybe this was all some dream and she would wake up in her lonely room at that lonely palace to face another day of watching Miliardo and Noin prove how depressing her own life was.

Heero looked away from her to Duo. "What happened to you guys last night?"

"There's a hot spring over that way," he jerked his thumb in the direction opposite the stream. "Trey was nice enough to point it out."

"Just like old times, huh?" Heero took a biscuit from the griddle.

Duo took a bite from his. "Hey, this ain't half bad, princess."

"I smell food." Apolo came upon the group.

Relena glanced at him. "Too bad you don't have a woman to cook for you."

"I would have better use for a female. In fact, I think I will pay a visit to the village to see what I can find on the auction block. I have a few zenos to spare."

Relena frowned at him. "I don't think Trey would approve."

"Better I buy the women than some brothel owner. Besides, if I don't get some women in this camp, they are going to notice that you two are the only ones and might want you guys to share."

They heard a baby crying, and all turned towards Trey's tent.

"I can't believe Trowa is a father!" exclaimed Quatre with a laugh. He looked at Duo. "I thought for sure you would be first."

Duo swallowed his mouthful of food. "Some of us are a little more careful than that. Right, babe?"

"You bet, all-knowing god of death." She looked at Relena and they both laughed. Heero also chuckled.

"I don't like the sound of that," commented Duo.

"You couldn't be a bigger ignoramus," mumbled Relena.

The baby was still wailing. Apolo frowned. "Why isn't Arora taking care of Shamara?"

"Maybe she's changing her diaper. She does an awful job, according to Trey," said Quatre. "I think I heard just about every detail about his daughter on the way here yesterday. He's going to spoil the dickens out of her."

"I'm going to check on her." Apolo left with Duo and Heero following.

Quatre glanced at Trynity. "So, I guess congratulations are in order for you?"

"I suppose Relena told you."

"I did not!"

"Ha! I was right!" Quatre got up and did a little dance. "Duo's going to be a daddy!"

"Don't you dare tell Duo or I will turn you into a pretzel," threatened Trynity.

Quatre laughed as he sat down again. "Ignorance is bliss. Maybe when he can't get his arms around you he will get a clue."

"If he is with me that long. He brought up that damn fellowship again last night! If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was Dr. Plume's way of getting revenge for his claim that I drove him into early retirement. Why did that old bastard have to recommend me?" Trynity sat glaring at the biscuits.

The baby was still crying. The group around the fire sat silently listening. Relena imagined her own baby and wondered if Heero would help her care for it as Trey did with Arora. She didn't know anything about infants! Trey's extensive knowledge came from watching the telecom, that much he admitted. Good for him, because Relena didn't think Arora knew anything beyond sharpening, polishing and swinging her sword. While Trynity would probably absorb what knowledge she could from books, Duo actually seemed the most likely to be a good father with his sense of humor and good nature. Too bad he seemed least likely to want to be a father.

The crying became whimpers, and they looked in the direction of Trey's tent. Apolo emerged carrying the baby. "Have you seen Arora today?"

None of them responded. Then Quatre said, "Maybe she went with Trey."

"They wouldn't have left Shamara behind," pointed out Heero.

"Trey must have left without consulting with Arora," said Apolo. "She may have gone after him to protect him, but she would never have left Shamara behind." He turned to look at the tent where Dax was held prisoner. "Has anyone checked on that bastard today?"

"I thought we'd just let him rot," Heero answered with a snort.

Apolo pushed Shamara into Duo's hands and strode toward the tent. Heero followed, ignoring Duo's sputtering about the whimpering baby being placed in his charge. "He was thoroughly tied," said Heero. "I checked him myself before I went to sleep."

"Did he say anything to you?" Apolo was walking faster. "I don't trust him!"

He shoved open the flap to the tent, and Heero almost bumped into him when he suddenly stopped. "Arora!" He quickly entered, and Heero followed. Arora was in the tent, sitting facing her father. Neither moved as they stared into each other's eyes, their hands joined.

Heero reached down to pull her away, but Apolo grabbed his hand. "Don't touch them! They are in a trance. You may harm her."

"Can't you do something?" asked Heero. He knew that Apolo was not a full-blooded Calabrian, that his mother had been the descendant of a tribe of mystical beings with phenomenal psychic abilities.

Apolo looked closely at Arora's eyes, then his father's, and the color seemed to drain from his face. "It cannot be true!" He took a step away from them, clearly horrified. "My…my father is Guerani!"

"What does that mean?"

Apolo clenched his hands impotently as he stood over them. "He could be killing her wherever he has taken her! I have to help her!" Heero stepped away as Apolo began to glow, and the tent began to flap with a sudden wind. "Release her, you demon!" His dark hair began to whip around him. "Let her go!"

When Apolo reached out a glowing hand to put on the clasped hands before him, what appeared to be a force field enclosed the man and woman. When Apolo touched it, he was thrown back.

Heero could hear eerie laughter. "You shall not interfere!"

"Stay away, Apolo!" It was Arora's pleading voice although her lips did not move. "You must protect Shamara!"

"The child! She must be the one! I must have her!"

As black mist rose from the motionless Dax, Apolo scrambled to his feet and dashed outside. The mist took the form of a huge translucent serpent, and Heero ducked as creature shot out of the tent after Apolo. Heero managed to regain his wits and stumbled out to see that Apolo had beaten the sinister mist to the baby whom he snatched away from Duo. He threw out an arm and a force field similar to the one Dax had created now surrounded both Apolo and Shamara. The mist made several attempts to penetrate and could not. It reformed into what appeared to be a giant fanged creature that struck out at Apolo, but the force field he had created did not waiver.

"You are strong, my son, with her power to aid you!" The voice was laced with pure evil.

"You will not have her!"

The eyes of the monster glowed dark red as it stared down at them, then the beast roared with fury and struck again. Apolo's protection kept them unscathed. As the men of the camp fled in terror, Heero and his friends remained, although they came together with little less fear than the superstitious Calabrians. Heero thought they had every right to be superstitious.

"What the hell is that?" exclaimed Duo as he held Trynity close to him. "This is like one of your games, Heero."

"I don't have any magic points to combat that," remarked Heero with a nervous laugh. They would all be doomed if the entity turned its attention from Apolo and the baby.

The beast roared with frustrated rage then was sucked quickly back into the tent thought the stream of black mist. Apolo remained in the strong force field he had created around him and the baby. Duo was right. This was like some fantasy virtual game.

"I cannot leave here," he told them. Heero noted that the baby was no longer crying, and that the glowing field that formed around them came from her as well as Apolo. "You must get Trey!"

After hunting down a frightened horse that remained almost uncontrollable, Heero managed to mount one. All of Apolo's men had fled, so Heero would have to make the short trek to the pirate camp alone. Heero guessed that the women would be safe because Dax seemed to be a single purpose; to destroy his offspring. He spared one worried glance at Relena, but she nodded to him and he knew that she understood he had to leave.

Despite the heat of the two suns, Heero made good time in reaching the pirate camp although his horse was half-dead when he arrived. He found Wufei who told him that Trey had been with the pirate woman in her tent most of the morning after seeing that the gundams left the surface on a transport. Leaping from his horse, Heero hurried to the tent Wufei had pointed out, and pushing his way through the opening, he was not surprised to see them sitting close, Trey's arm around the woman as she spoke to him. But they turned with surprise at his intrusion.

"I'm sorry Trey, but you will have to cut this little reconciliation short."

Trey stood, his mother following and still holding his hand. "What has happened."

Heero didn't know where to start.

"Is it Dax?" asked Virineia.

"Dax is…is…" Heero didn't know how to put it. "Arora is caught in some kind of Guerani trance with him," he finally said, "And he is trying to take Shamara by using his powers."

"What powers?" Trey was confused.

"Dax is a Guerani," Heero told him.

Virineia gasped. "All this time…That animal has spent his life hunting down his own people!"

"Apolo sent me for you."

To Heero's surprise, Trey hesitated at first, the color drained from his face, although he hadn't even seen what Heero had. But his mother squeezed his arm. "They need you, Trey."

"How can I help them?" He put his hands to his head as if confused. "They…they have always frightened me with their powers."

"They have never harmed you, have they?" she asked as she put her hands on his shoulders. "The Guerani chief saved Zeno's life by using his healing powers, Zeno's father realizing how dangerous they could be, had them hunted and killed. The old chief had wanted to make peace with the Calabrians because his tribe was dwindling. They had never used their powers for any but peaceful purposes, even when the Calabrian warriors butchered them." Virineia gently took his hands from his head. "Trey, you must not fear Apolo and Arora. Neither they nor their people had ever hurt anyone."

"Think about your wife and daughter," added Heero. "They are depending on you."

"You are right." Shaking his head, Trey straightened his shoulders and strode from the tent although Heero could still see the fear in his eyes. He could imagine the tales Trey had been told as a child about the tribe that lived in the sacred hills, and how having heard them, he felt to find himself surrounded by Guerani. Now Trey would have to confront those fears head on, and Heero thought Dax was probably the embodiment of every terrifying tale told to Calabrian children.

As they rode back to the camp, Heero filled him in on what had happened. Trey did not betray his thoughts, but Heero knew he was anxious for his family. When they arrived in the camp, they found everyone still safe and Trynity told them nothing had changed in the tent between Arora and Dax. But the sky overhead had become dark, and Trey stood staring in mortification as lightening streaked through the black clouds. The wind was howling through the mountain cliffs evoking the image in Heero's mind of hundreds of innocent Guerani men, women and children dying under the imperial Calabrian swords.

"It's just a storm," Heero reminded Trey. He hoped he was right although he heard Trey mumble that there were never storms on Calabria. Heero thought Trey might be wrong until the wind raised the tent where Dax and Arora were and tore it away. A shiver ran down his spine and made the hairs rise on the back of his neck. Although the wind was devastating the camp, not a single hair on either Arora or Dax was disturbed as they sat facing each other, their hands clasped.

"Trey!"

Trey turned to look at Apolo. He moved cautiously closer to them. "What…what is happening?" he asked, his eyes riveted now to his glowing daughter.

"Dax is trying to absorb Shamara's essence so that he can become more powerful."

"What about Arora?" Trey turned back to look at his wife.

"I don't know what he is doing to her. To become this powerful, he must have killed our mother to draw off her power to have become this strong."

"What can I do?" asked Trey anxiously.

"I…I don't know," confessed Apolo. "Dax is blaspheming all our beliefs! I just don't know how far he can go or what he will do. Stay away from him, Trey."

But Trey ignored him and left Apolo to approach Arora and Dax. Heero could see that he was trembling. "This isn't happening," he heard Trey murmur. "Wake up! Wake up, Trowa Barton! There's a test in math today! Your composition isn't finished, and Heavyarms needs repairs."

Heero was on the verge of informing Trey that this wasn't a nightmare, but his little litany seemed to be calming him.

"You have to meet Catherine between Art and Phy Ed. Do physics, work on the composition, take Cathy to a movie…" He came to a stop near Arora. "She's bleeding."

Blood was soaking her robe on her sleeve as if she had been cut. Another stain of blood appeared on the other arm. "What are you going to do?" asked Heero.

"I cannot stand by and watch her die." Trey drew his sword.

"If you kill Dax," warned Apolo from behind them, "Arora will die with him and you will doom her to spend eternity with him."

"You have to do something!" cried Relena.

Heero wanted to slap Relena, but Trey said, "She's right. I have to do something." Taking a deep breath, he tossed aside the sword and moved forward, pushing through the force field around them. Heero lunged after him, but he was blasted back, and as Relena hurried to him to help him up, he heard Dax's laughter.

"Puny human! This is not your battle. Without your gundam, you are nothing."

Heero watched helplessly as Trey reached out his hand.

"No Trey!" But Apolo's shout was too late.

Trey put his hands over Arora's where they were joined with the Demon.

"I knew you would be strong, Arora." Dax stood several feet away facing her under the hot suns facing each other.

She still could not believe what she was seeing. "This is a trick!"

"No trick, my dear child."

"You are not Guerani! You could not be!"

He raised a brow. "You know that I am, Arora. My father was the last Guerani chief, my mother, the high priestess of our gods. In the year that my sister was born, my father decided to contact the barbarians who lived on the plains, those that call themselves Calabrians. He hoped to bring them into the understanding light of our gods, to lift the curse on their people, to bring new blood to our tribe."

Arora already knew the story because Apolo had told it to her as their mother had told it to him. "How did you survive?"

"By my wits! When those animals slaughtered my father's tribe, I fled with my infant sister. I left her with a childless couple in Joran's tribe who were so grateful to have her that they did not care that she was female or that she might be Guerani. I lived moment to moment on the streets of the village, hiding in fear, stealing food, until one day I overheard a spoiled imperial brat bragging about his appointment to the imperial guard of the crown prince. The emperor did not even know them, but had given the honor to one of the captains responsible for destroying our people. So I waited until dark, and I followed them into the Wasteland. They did not even wake from their sleep when I slit their throats."

She should not have been surprised by his cruelty. "You are a beast!"

Dax ignored her. "I took the boy's identity, and when I arrived at the imperial Edgeland fortress, bedraggled and half-dead, I blamed the attack on Guerani survivors. And I decided that I would have my revenge for what those filthy swine did to us."

"You gave Zeno your blood oath!" cried Arora, outraged. "All the while you planned to destroy him!"

He shrugged. "His father had lured mine to trust him. I owed him nothing! From the moment I entered Zeno's life, he has been mine to command. When I could no longer bear the sight of the filthy swine that ruled the Calabrians, I gave Zeno the idea that his father would not approve of his human mate. I enjoyed watching the traitorous bastard die under Zeno's blade."

"And my mother?" she demanded. "Did you enjoy killing her?"

Dax smiled, and there was no feeling in his eyes, but he did not directly answer her question. "Valerya and I were bonded. Her senses recognized me immediately when she came to the imperial palace, and she understood the necessity of becoming my mate. We were the only two Guerani left alive."

Arora stared at him in horror as understanding dawned on her. "She…she was your sister!?" She backed away from him in disgust. "What did you have planned for me? You wanted me to mate with Dilan!"

Dax laughed. "Hardly! That half-Calabrian dimwit was nothing more than an amusing mistake. I put you in Trey's suite so that Apolo would grow to love you."

Her stomach churned at the thought. "He would never…"

"He should have! It is our way! But he wouldn't even look at you!" Dax spat. "He spent so much time mounting the Calabrian dogs skulking in the palace that he could not see the gem I had placed before him. Your child would have been powerful beyond imagining and we could have gotten our revenge for what those Calabrians did to us!" There was a fanatic gleam in his eyes, and Arora realized he was surely completely deranged.

"You never intended for me to live when I was born! If it had not been for Zeno's inability…"

Dax interrupted her. "I knew he wouldn't allow you to die, just as he couldn't remove his own female. So I allowed you to bond with him. That way the most powerful man in the empire would always protect you. Had I spared you myself, Zeno might have become suspicious of my motives."

"And now?" she demanded. "Trey is my mate, and I would never accept Apolo as you want."

Dax raised his brows. "You are useless to me anyway. I thought that you had inside you something I sought."

Arora caught sight of something glinting in the sun in the sky, and looking up, she watched as a sword descended, end over end towards her. Although she knew she would die, Arora did not move. She would not give Dax the satisfaction of seeing her fear.

But the sword did not slice through her as she expected. As it buried in the ground at her feet, she saw that it was Trey's sword.

"I will give you the warrior's death you have earned," he stated, and Arora saw that he already had a sword in his hand.

Arora seized the sword and swung with all her strength at Dax, but he easily parried the blow.

"You are stronger than I expected," remarked Dax as he circled her. When he swung at her, she barely saved herself from being cut in half. Before she could counterattack, he stepped away from her reach. "Although you and Apolo have foiled all my plans, Arora, I realized that when you returned from the other world, dishonored by that human, that the good to come of it is that child. Trey is not worthy of you or her."

"I love him!" she cried angrily, clenching her sword.

"Love is a useless emotion that only makes one more vulnerable." For just a second Dax seemed to have trouble holding his sword, but before Arora could capitalize on his apparent weakness, he threw out his arm. "Do not interfere!"

Arora closed her eyes and saw Apolo stumble back. "Stay away, Apolo! Protect Shamara!"

"The child! She must be the one! I must have her!"

As Arora charged at him again, she could do nothing but pray that Apolo could protect her daughter. Dax struck her back, and then put out his hand, which radiated a blast that knocked her down. As she was trying to rise, Dax swung his sword and she turned in time to avoid certain death again, but the tip slashed her arm and she felt the burning stinging pain.

"You cannot hope to defeat me!"

She rose unsteadily. "I can! I will!" When she swung her sword, he met it with such force that it flew from her hands and she felt another slash on her other arm. The sword continued to spin away through the air end over end, just as it had come to her. Knowing he was going to kill her, that he controlled every facet of this trance, she stared with fascination, as it seemed to rotate slower and slower through the air. Then she noticed that the horizon began to shimmer like water just before ripples spread out, and she gasped as a hand reached through the ripples to grasp the sword.

Trey stepped through, the sword grasped firmly in his hand.

"No! Go back!" When Arora tried to run to him, Dax seized her by the hair and struck her head with the hilt of his sword. She fell back on the hot sand, stunned and disoriented. For a moment she thought she was back in the Wastelands waiting to die, the birds circling above, watching for her last breath.

Trey wanted to go to her, but he was wary of Dax. This place seemed so calm compared to what he had left behind, but it was as deceptive as the smile on Dax's face.

"So good of you to join us, son of Zeno."

"Now you acknowledge who I am!" Trey had begun to doubt himself again, but to hear Dax now reassured him that his cause was just.

"Of course I do. I have known since the moment of the female's birth that you would return. She brought you back."

Trey's stomach twisted with the fear he fought.

"Foolish Calabrian, you cannot hope to defeat me. You are too frightened!" Dax threw back his head in laughter. "Son of the Butcher is a coward!"

Raising his sword, Trey took a step toward him, but before his eyes, Dax transformed into what appeared to be a dragon. As the creature grew larger and larger, Trey stumbled back, his heart pounding with terror, the sword wavering in his trembling hand.

"You cannot defeat it with your sword!" cried Arora. She was standing several feet away. There was blood running down the side of her face from the blow she had taken. "You must use your thoughts to defeat it!"

The dragon breathed fire and Trey dived out of the way in time to avoid being burned to cinders. That attack was much like that of Nataku, and the Trey regretted that he wasn't in his gundam. His gundam. Too bad he had destroyed Heavyarms. They had gone through so much together, but he could no longer depend on his old friend. Or could he? Although the dragon was bearing down on him, he closed his eyes tightly and summoned an image of his destroyed gundam.

Hearing the dragon shriek he opened his eyes and saw the gundam he had conjured. Its massive firepower was strafing the dragon, which stumbled back. Heavyarms advanced, firing missiles when the bullets ran out. The dragon charged the gundam and sank its huge fangs into a shoulder and when it jerked its head back, it tore an arm from Heavyarms.

In answer, the gundam flipped out the blade on its remaining arm and swung as the coiled dragon sprang out to attack again. The sharp blade sliced cleanly through the neck of the creature, and when the gundam hacked again the head rolled from the dragon's body and fell to ground, exploding on impact and creating a wall of fire that shot to the sky. Trey saw the eyes of the gundam glow before it slowly turned and walked away before disappearing behind the wall of flames.

Trey thought that he had defeated Dax, but he realized he had failed when Dax walked through the wall of fire unscathed, not even a hair out of place. He put up his hand and the fire disappeared.

"Nicely done, son of the Butcher."

"You were the butcher!" accused Trey angrily. "You pushed my father to hunt the Guerani."

"There were no Guerani left, but if there had been, I would have taken their powers before they perished. Zeno never did anything he did not want to do. Like you, he was frightened of us. Now you will die, son of Zeno. Go to the beyond knowing that I will consume the life force of your mate and your female offspring. They will make me all powerful." He raised his sword and dashed at Trey with such speed that he didn't realize he was coming until it was almost too late for him to attack.

But Trey dashed at his father's imperial guard, leaped high, flipped around and landed behind Dax.

Dax proved why he was Zeno's guard when he spun in time to stop Trey from burying his sword in his back. Now they fought at close quarters, and Trey took the offensive, swinging at him with the gundanium blade with all his might. But Dax parried him with ease, laughing outright at his efforts.

Finally, his strength drained, Trey used all in one last blow, but Dax met it with his blade and drove Trey to his knees.

Dax made a sound of disgust. "To think I was worried about you! I wondered if the gods had charmed your life. But I was mistaken."

The tip of Dax's sword was against Trey's throat and he moved the blade up so he was forced to look at him. "If you are going to kill me, just do it!"

Dax's eyes were dark as he glared down at him. "Arora was destined for something greater than to serve you, Trey, son of Zeno. She has carried the spirit of a god within her! And you are nothing but the spawn of a barbarian and a feeble human. To aspire to be her mate is blasphemy, and I will carry out the punishment of the gods." He was about to slide the tip into his throat, but a voice stopped him.

"No, Dax! You must not do this!"

"Stay out of this, Valerya!"

Suddenly a woman appeared beside Dax. She was young and beautiful, with dark, long hair, and Trey knew that she was Valerya, Arora's mother. How could she be here? Dax had killed her after Arora was born.

"What you are doing is wrong," she said softly. "I cannot be a part of this."

"You have no choice," he hissed. "We are one!"

But the tip of the sword moved away as if Dax had no control over it, allowing Trey to escape. He scrambled to Arora and pulled her into his arms. She gripped him tightly and sobbed against his chest as they both watched the eerie scene before them.

"We can no longer be one, Dax." Valerya reached out a hand to caress his cheek. "You have let the beast eat away at you until there is only evil in your heart. Did you forget that I was there, Dax? Your actions have driven me out."

He reached out for her. "Valerya!"

But she moved away before he could touch her and he stood unmoving with his arm outstretched as she seemed to glide across the sand to Trey and Arora. She hovered before them, a vision of ethereal beauty. "I am so sorry! I believed that together we could control the beast within him. After you were born, my dear Arora, I lay dying. My beloved brother came to me, and he wanted to save me with his power of healing. But I knew the price would be too high, that if Dax saved me, the gods would demand his life in return. I could not bear to watch him die, and I knew his strength would always keep you and Apolo safe. And so, as he put his hands on me, I surrendered my essence into him before he could sacrifice himself. That way I could remain with him and be near you and Apolo always. I could not have known that his grief would release the beast hiding in the depths of his essence. I have fought it and failed, and this is the result."

Arora reached out a hand to her, but Valerya did not take it.

"I am sorry, my precious child, but I cannot touch you. Dax is still joined with me, and I do not know what the beast would do to you." Her eyes rested on Trey. "The gods have favored you, Trey, prince of Calabria. You will bring justice and hope to this place. I knew when Virineia gave you life that your destiny was to protect the last of my people, my children. My father would have been pleased to see that his ultimate plan to mingle our blood with the people of the plains had succeeded." Then she looked back to Arora and she smiled sadly. "I have felt great pride in watching you grow, both you and Apolo. But I must leave now, to join my people. It is the only way."

"Come back to me, Valerya," snarled Dax angrily. He still stood with his arm outstretched.

She turned around to face him. "I do not know you, but I know that the dear husband and brother whom you have trapped inside is still there. There is nothing more that I can do." Valerya came near Dax, but before he could reach out for her, a pillar of flame burst around her.

Dax stared at the pillar in outrage for a moment, then his knees buckled, and he shouted with rage. "You fool! You cannot do this!" But Dax stumbled to the pillar and fell to his knees and reached up his hands to where her face was becoming obscured by the bright flames. "Valerya! Valerya, my love, do not leave me!"

"I am sorry, Dax." Her voice was like a whisper on the wind. "The hatred inside you is too strong for our love. I must go."

"No! I cannot live without you! Valerya!" He thrust himself into the flames, and Trey watched in pity and horror as Dax wrapped his arms around her waist to hold her tightly. As the flames consumed them both, Valerya leaned down to lay a loving hand on his head. The flame became blue, then bright white, but before it disappeared, the black mist that had terrorized them, shot straight up and out of sight.

Trey was staring at nothing until a baby's cry brought him back to reality. He felt cold and wet, and when he shook his head, he realized that they were back at the mountain camp, rain pouring down on them. Arora still sat with her hands clasped to Dax, the rain mingling with tears and blood streaming down her cheeks. Dax's head hung forward, chin against his chest, his eyes closed.

"He's dead." Apolo stood over them, Shamara fussing in his arms.

Before Trey could go to Arora, Apolo thrust Shamara into his arms and he gently pried Arora's fingers from her lifeless father. Then Apolo took Shamara from Trey and placed her daughter in her arms. "She is hungry, Arora."

She looked down at the baby, still unsure if this was real or a cruel hallucination given to her by Dax. Then Shamara gave out a lusty, hungry cry that brought down her milk so fast that she winced with the pain. Arora quickly peeled back her sodden robe and let the baby nurse. Trey watched her in silence as his human friends, the only people to remain loyal to him despite what was happening, set up the tents that had been blown down in the storm.

Apolo gently wiped the blood from gashes on her arms and her face. "I am sorry I cannot do more," he said to her. "I have been drained of my power."

Trey pulled off his cloak and held it over them so the driving rain would not soak them further. Arora could see that he was exhausted. "I cannot remember the last time there was rain in the wastelands," he said quietly.

"Our mother saved us," Arora told Apolo, her voice cracking. "All this time she was in him!" Although her stomach twisted with disgust, she told Apolo what she had learned. She wasn't sure she understood everything.

He sighed and put his arms around her. "You never knew our mother, and I don't think you ever knew our father. But I can tell you that I remember them as a happy, loving couple."

"How could she have done such a thing? He was a monster!"

"She once told me that he was driven by bitterness and vengeance when she first came to the palace. But when they found each other, he forgot everything but his love for her." Apolo shook his head sadly. "I wasn't sure what happened the night you were born, Arora. My mother sent for me, and when she held me in her arms and kissed me, I felt as if her spirit had passed into me. I think I knew that she was dying."

"She passed her essence into Dax," Arora told him.

"Whatever it was she gave me, I passed it to Shamara when I breathed life into her." Apolo sighed as he touched Shamara's head. "We are now truly the last, Arora."

The clouds began to part, and the rain became a soft, warm drizzle. Arora was amazed to see a bright rainbow appear from one side of the horizon, then another, the two intersecting over the mountains.

Then she saw them high in the hills, standing beneath the intersected rainbows. Valerya and Dax. He held her for a moment in his arms as they both looked down at her, Apolo and the baby, then they turned, and hand in hand they disappeared into the sacred valley of the gods.