Shizuko: More Duo torture!  Wahaha! 

Astra:  *sigh*  I don't know why we keep picking on him.

Shizuko: *shrug* 

Note to reviewers:

            A few of you asked some stuff, thought I would just put it up here for all to see, I hope you don't mind! 

                        A.  Quatre and Trowa will not be paired in this fanfiction, no yaoi at all.   

                        B.  Sorry if some of you think the fanfic is going to fast!  We'll try to add more description as we go along. 

                        C.  We're typing out chapters as fast as possible, sorry if you think they're short!  It's a get a short chapter, or wait for a longer one kind of thing…

                        D.  And we are SSOO sorry it took so long to update!  We we're both on overlapping vacations, and all the computers Astra could use were either too slow or she didn't have the time.  Sorry! 

Chapter Six

            Quatre's sisters' place was really more of a small compound.  It seemed relatively empty, though, aside from the numerous animals that wandered about the courtyard.  "Halloooooo!" yelled the normally quiet Quatre.  "I'm heeeeeeeere!"  He grinned as a large white bird flew from a windowsill and alighted on his shoulder.  It gave a whistle and he smiled.  "Yeah, I'm sorry I haven't been by in a while.  I've been busy.  You know how it gets."

            Duo watched the unusual exchange feeling a bit awkward.  He had no idea this guy talked to animals like they understood him or something.  What a weirdo.  He spotted a calico cat sitting by his feet.  Picking it up, he held it as Quatre continued to chatter on with the bird.  Unconsciously, Duo ran his fingers along the cat's back.  Suddenly, it dug its claws into his arm and leapt away with a sharp hiss.  "What?? What did I do?  Come back here, kitty…"

It gave him an indignant glare, and, to his utmost shock, changed abruptly.  It stretched and elongated until an incensed young woman stood before him.  She backed away slowly, glowering fiercely.  "Don't…touch me!  Quatre, who is this…this…disrespectful…"

Quatre turned.  "Oh, I'm sorry.  I forgot to tell you, Duo.  All of my sisters are shape-shifters.  Don't be angry, Rhea.  He didn't know."

            Duo put a hand to his pounding heart.  "Thanks…Quatre…yeah…"

            The white bird whistled again.  Quatre nodded.  "I suppose you should change to your human form.  I don't think Duo's used to shape-shifters."

            The bird took off, hovered, and also turned into a young woman.  She smiled at Duo, trying not to laugh.  "Welcome, Duo.  I'm Iria."

            Duo gaped.  Her eyes…were uncanny.  The pupils were slits instead of circles, though the rest of the eye was normal.

            Iria cocked her head for a moment, confused.  Quatre nudged her and gestured towards his own blue eyes.  Realization dawned on her, and she blinked momentarily.  When she looked at him again, everything was exactly like any human.  "Sorry, Duo.  It's the mark of a shape-shifter.  We can change it on a whim if you like, though.  It's pretty much as easily altered as anything about us."

            "Except when their minds are made up," laughed Quatre.  "There isn't a chance of change then.  I should know."

            Iria smiled warmly and brushed her fingers through his hair.  "Not true.  You know we've all got a terrible weakness when it comes to our sweet little brother."

            "But I'm always outnumbered twenty-nine to one."

            "You usually make a pretty good case for yourself."

            Duo just stared.  The deer in the bushes next to him had just turned human too.  It gave him chills the way they could simply melt from one form to another.  At least they weren't hostile.  Quatre seemed perfectly happy here.  Of course, it only took a glance to tell that all of his sisters spoiled him terribly whenever he was around.  Duo shrugged.  I wonder if this is what it's like to have a real family.

*

            Relena tried to lift her head from the charred ground but failed.  What had happened?  All she remembered was a black sky and then…blank.  Wait…why is the ground charred?  Didn't the dragons breathe ice?  Then Trowa was there, pulling her up.  "Okay?"

            "I'm fine.  What happened?"
            "I forgot to warn you about the ice magic.  It comes with the attack and can knock you out pretty good if you're taken completely unawares.  I was so caught up in watching the events unfold, I didn't think about warning the two of you.  It's all exactly like I thought.  At least, I think.  I missed some because of the magic as well."

            Midii struggled up too.  She had apparently also passed out.  "What are you talking about?  And why did you make us do something as terrible as fleeing like traitors??"

"Look.  I made a decision, whether it was wrong or right doesn't matter."

"The fact that we left everyone behind to die doesn't bother you?" put in Relena, staring at him in horror.

"Do you know they're dead?" Trowa gazed back at her challengingly.

"Well, no..."

"Do you know the people from Southern are dead?  You said yourself there weren't any bodies.  Someone with the power to control not only one ice dragon, but a hoard of them isn't out there to kill everything and everyone off.  They want something.  And they seem to think the Rider and Flyer groups have it."

            "What??"

            "This precise manner of attacks…I've studied it.  No one seems to remember where it was used, but it all fits: attacking with ice, knocking out everyone in the area, making them vanish somehow, and then burning the place to the ground."

            Relena glanced over her shoulder.  Sure enough, all that was left of High Straits was a flat field of ashes.  It looked so much like Southern Range had.

            "Wait.  You said they had ice magic, how did everything get burned again?"

            "The old fashioned way.  With torches.  At least I think, as I said, I passed out towards the end." Trowa said quietly.  

"So what are we going to do?" asked Midii quietly.

"Follow them," said Trowa, a hard light in his eyes.  He pulled out an unusual looking map.  "I marked your arrows with magic, Midii.  When you hit those dragons in the eyes, they were marked too.  This map shows the whereabouts of anything that carries that certain spell.  See?"  He pointed to the map.  Slowly, a green dot was moving across the paper.  Their eyes widened in unison.  It was headed towards Crest Falls.

            Relena stood abruptly.  "We have to go." Heero and Commander Chang…

            "What about transportation?" asked Midii.

            Trowa snapped his fingers.  Their three mounts appeared on the rocks just below them.  "I thought they might be safer away from the group," he remarked casually.  "Let's go."

            "One more question, Trowa," Midii began, "Why did you take us?"

            Trowa paused for a moment and looked at her, and then he shrugged and said, "You two were nearby and you seemed competent.  Anyway, without your arrows we wouldn't have the map." 

*

            Hilde was annoyed.  Very annoyed.  She hated being the decoy.  Well, it's better than being left at camp like a load of luggage.  Time to launch my acting career!

            Hilde flung herself out of the woods nearest to the front gate, groaning out loud.  She forced herself to stumble towards the door and fall into it.  She slid down its smooth surface and "weakly" knocked on it.  

            A masked guard looked over the edge and barked, "Who's there?"

            Hilde took a breath, here she goes, "Rider Schbeiker," she said weakly. 

            "Hmf, you injured?" the guard said. 

            Hilde just nodded. 

            "Stay there," the guard said to Hilde.  Then his head disappeared and she heard him tell someone else to watch her.  Shoot.  Couldn't have been really dumb and just let me in, could he?  Well, maybe I'll get lucky. 

            She stayed still, acting as if moving any would further injure her.  After a few minutes, she once more heard footsteps and whispered conversation above her.  Then, the gates slowly opened.  She let her self fall to the ground as they did, keeping up the pretense of being badly injured. 

            Her fall had left her looking at the ground.  After another seconds she heard footsteps walking up.  The footsteps stopped next to her.  She felt the other person kneel down.  Hilde didn't move, suddenly she felt very apprehensive.  She felt her head being lifted by her hair and came face to face with another woman. 

            "Why, here's the little mouse who snuck out of the med room.  I knew you would be back soon.  Search her." 

*

            Trowa glanced at their map.  What the…  He quickly reined his mount, Yoshi, to a stop. 

            "Relena, Midii, the group heading towards Crest Falls is splitting up."

            Relena and Midii also stopped.  "Where are they heading now?" Midii asked.

            "Well, there are at least two groups, one with each of the dragons you hit in each.  But there could be more.  One is still heading towards Crest Falls; the other is heading towards another base, just north."

            "Great," Midii groaned. 

            "Look, I'll take Chenoa and go to…"

            "No," Trowa said. 

            "What do you mean no?" Relena asked.

            "Midii can go to the Northern base…"

            "Why do I have to go by myself?" Midii snapped.

            Trowa found himself cornered by two fairly confused and peeved girls.  He stared at them unblinking, hoping they'd give up.  They didn't.  Finally, he gave in. 

            "I'm not letting the heir to this very state go off by herself," he said simply and turned Yoshi back on the trail. 

            "WHAT?!" Relena hissed.  She would have screamed, but they needed to be quiet. 

            Trowa looked at her, "It isn't my place to explain."

            "Well guess what, you're going to.  Though I quite believe you delusional…"

            Midii had been silent until she finally stammered out, "You mean…this is…Relena PEACECRAFT?  Oh boy.  I feel like I should have been bowing, or something."

            Relena looked at Midii, "You mean you know about whatever this is too?"

            Midii slowly nodded.  Trowa didn't do anything.  Relena tapped her foot on the ground, arms crossed around her chest.  She wasn't moving until someone decided to tell her everything. 

Astra: Hope you like! 

Shizuko: We'll probably update again tomorrow or later today!