Title: Elemental Guardians
Author: AznSage
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4
Archived: FF.net. If you wanna archive, ask and it's always a yes.
Rating: PG-13

Part III

"Great, now we're LOST! Husband, why are you always so incompetent?" Meiran curled her nose in distate of their situation. Wufei and her had gotten lost after she decided to gallop ahead of him, making him have to chase her and lose their position on the map.

"Be quiet, wife. I'm following the position of the sun to get us back onto more familiar roads. If you hadn't run off, I wouldn't have to do this and take longer than we had already."

"Well, I'm just supposed to be some stupid girl, so it's not my fault. It would be my husband's fault for not being able to teach me properly, wouldn't it?" Her condescending tone angered Wufei further and they started to argue.

If squirrels could sweatdrop, they probably would have by now.

***

Trowa and Quatre talked about their dreams well into the morning. The prince had pried a considerable amount of information from the stranger and had found him quite intriguing. He had almost accidentally let his own identity slip when he was speaking about himself, but quickly caught the mistake and saved himself the trouble of having to explain what he was doing out here.

The morning rays caught Trowa's hair playfully and made it look a beautiful auburn color, whipping it gently in the air. Quatre couldn't help but smile from his seat on the mossy ground as the taller boy stood up to stretch his limbs.

"We should probably get going. It's morning already. I'm sure that you have somewhere to go?" Trowa smiled at the blond and questioned.

"Iie. I go where you go." The prince found himself surprised for answering in such a way, but it was true and was the most appropriate answer.

Trowa chuckled. "I am honored that you hold me in such high regard, but didn't you say you needed to find your brother?"

Quatre blinked. He had forgotten about Heero so quickly thanks to his own soul-searching. But he needed to find the other prince as well. Destiny called for it. He smiled quickly in thanks to Trowa for reminding him before getting up and stretching his own limbs. "I suppose so. If you don't have anywhere in particular that you're headed for, perhaps you would like to join me?"

The uni-banged boy could feel his heart thumping in excitement. Even though they both knew they needed each other, he didn't think he would be able to see the boy again until he was finished with his quest. But here he was offering, to take little old peasant Trowa with him. This would certainly be a change in the monotony he had experienced before. Quickly, he bowed and swung his hands in the direction of the road. "Shall we then?"

Before Quatre could answer, the duo heard a pair of quarrelling voices in the distance. The prince's instincts took over and he got rid of any evidence of the recent campsite and grabbed Trowa to hide behind some shrubery. They hid quietly before the voices came into the clearing.

"See husband? Thanks to _my_ superior knowledge of the cardinal directions, I was able to lead us out of the forest, not you!"

"Had it not been me that solved the puzzle in the glyphs, we'd probably still be stuck by that bear cave that _you_ led us to!"

Quatre and Trowa both sweatdropped at the sight. Seeing that the travellers were only civilians, Quatre found it appropriate to stop hiding and introduce himself. If they were lucky, maybe his charisma could help him get a horse for Trowa. So he slowly walked out of his hiding place, not wanting to startle them.

He coughed discreetly at the couple as Trowa too started to walk away from behind the bushes and reveal himself. When the first cough didn't work at the squabbling couple, he cough again, louder this time.

Two heads whipped around to face him, both yelling a resounding "WHAT?" before registering the blond's existence completely.

"I was wondering if we could have one of your horses for my friend here. He is a bit weary from having walked the whole forest through and I cannot give him my horse since it is still too tired from a whole day's worth of tracking and cannot bear my weight for long. His own horse was killed by a man who attacked him last evening and we must rush to catch up with my brother."

The boy on the horse was skeptical as he looked at the blond suspiciously, the blond beginning to sweat under his scrutiny. "And who may you be that I shall allow you to have my steed?"

"I am Quatre. It's a pleasure to meet you." He bowed politely at the boy and his, apprently, wife, even though he looked the same age as himself. The prince brushed it off as a lack of knowledge on other cultures.

"Of which nation do you herald from?"

"From Soro, dear sir."

"Hm...had we not found it necessary to head towards Soro, we would have accompanied you in order to regain our trusted steed, but it seems that we are heading in opposite directions. You may have my steed, when you are finished with him, release it near the Grey Woods and it shall find its own way home."

"Thank you, dear sir. And would you pardon my asking, but where are you headed for in Soro?"

"The circus. And then after that, the courts. We wanted to pay a visit to the princes of Soro before their coming of age ceremony."

At this Trowa stiffened and Quatre let out a hearty laugh. Wufei looked at him annoyingly and narrowed his eyes warily at him.

"And what, pray tell, may be so funny about that?"

"Dear sir, the ceremony was yesterday! And if you're looking for the princes, then you should follow me instead of going to Soro!"

Wufei ground his teeth in frustration. "See wife?! Had it not been for your stupidity we would have arrived yesterday _in time_ for the ceremony!"

"Well, husband, it's still _your_ fault for not being able to control your wife!"

"Why you...!" He was about to throw another insult and retort back at her but Quatre's cough caught his attention. The gears in his mind began to work again and it suddenly struck him. "You're the prince, aren't you?"

Quatre smiled. "Glad you finally noticed. How many other people go by the name of Quatre in this world?" He stated it matter-of-factly and shrugged his shoulders for the effect. "Doesn't matter, I have to find Heero and I need a horse, if not for me, then for Trowa. He's too tired to even keep up with me if I were to walk through this forest quickly." He motioned towards the boy behind him. "Isn't that right, Trowa?"

Upon turning around to address him, the blond noted that the boy was frozen in surprise. "I should have known!" Trowa got on his knees to bow to his prince as a sign of respect and honor. "I am sorry I did not recognize you before, but even though I hail from Soro, I rarely leave the circus to find out about political matters."

The shorter boy rushed to his side and picked him up off the floor. "Trowa! After all that discussion last night about how our destinies are intertwined, you cannot still believe that titles matter in our connection!"

"But, my ignorance..." Trowa shook his head. "It is unforgivable to be unable to recognize your own prince."

"It does not matter to me. You are the one I see in my dreams, dreams that are very lucid, dreams that bind you to me in more complicated ways than we could possibly understand. You are now my equal and should not have to bow or kneel in order to show your friendship to me."

Wufei dismounted from his horse and brought it over to the pair, intent on stopping this conversation. "If you don't mind Prince Quatre, we should get going. I suppose since there is no real reason to go to Soro anymore, we could accompany you to find Heero."

"Aa, yes. Thank you..."

"Wufei. Chang Wufei of the Dragon Clan. And that is my wife Meiran." He pointed at the girl on the other horse and she nodded back in recognition. "The circus is not as important as seeing Prince Heero, so we shall go where you go."

Quatre nodded. "Please, no titles are necessary among friends. You must have travelled very quickly in order to get from the Stone Forest all the way to the Forest of Glyphs. Are you sure you can keep up with our pace?"

"No worries. Our steeds are the finest in the world and should have no trouble travelling great distances over long periods of time." He motioned towards Quatre's horse. "What are you going to do about that beast though?"

"He will come with me. We have bonded and I do not wish to leave him lost in the woods. Without me on him, he should be able to travel at the same pace."

Wufei nodded. "Then I assume that you will be travelling on the same horse as your friend, Trowa?"

The blond nodded in affirmation. "And I suppose you'd ride with your wife if she lets you on her horse?"

The raven-haired youth chuckled at him. "You catch on fast." His visage changed to a more serious one almost immediately. "We must hurry if you wish to catch Heero. We all know how determined he can be."

"Aa, we should be off now." Trowa mounted the horse as soon as the words left Quatre's lips and pulled the blond up with him.

"Come, wife. I shall ride with you."

And for once, Meiran did not protest.

***

After a long morning of washing dishes, one that went well past the noon hours, Heero and Duo finally completed their task, and then some. The innkeeper gave them a few extra coins as well and Heero sold his horse to an old man for a few gold. He had decided that he was in no rush, as long as Duo was on his side, and they needed the extra money anyway.

So down the road they went, leaving the small town in companiable silence and comfort. Occassionally, one would steal a glance at the other and then shirk back when the other had sensed his eyes on him. With no horse, no goal, and almost no money, the two decided to stop to fish at a nearby lake for rest, relaxation, and lunch.

The lake was a bit off of the main road and was connected to a small river. The sparkling waters of the lake glistened in the afternoon sky, the hue of blue an absolutely magnificent sight to see. The braided boy smiled at the memories of such clear waters in his own homeland and ran off for a dive while Heero went to find some firewood and poles to make the rods out of.

Upon his return, the prince had found the camp devoid of any human being, but many fishes were thrown onto the land beside the lake already.

"Well, so much for fishing rods." He sat down and began to lay down a fire for himself and Duo. Where the boy was became a mysetery to the prince as he couldn't find him at all from where he stood. It shouldn't have been too hard since the area was devoid of any forestation or vegetation that was higher than his waist. "Duo! Where the hell are you?"

At his voice, a brown head popped out from the water joyously, splashing Heero liberally so as well. "Heero, old buddy! Did you get the firewood?"

The dark-haired boy nodded and pointed towards the fire, already made and ready for their lunch. "I didn't know you were good at catching fish."

Duo laughed. "It's a thing you learn after living in Elleswood for so long. You know, what with the whole nation being surrounded by water. Besides, I always loved to swim and the fish seem to just come to me without me even trying. They seem pretty much willing to let me eat them all the time if I go down to look for food."

Heero nodded. "So you have an affinity with fish? Or water?"

"Eh?" The braided boy climbed out of the lake and wrung his hair dry. He quickly clambored into the bushes where his clothes were hidden and dressed quickly. "Well, I have no idea what you mean by that Heero, but..." He looked up at the prince to see him blushing and staring. "Uh...Heero? Gaea to Heero?" Duo made his way over to the prince, half-dressed, and waved his arms in front of him to get his attention.

Snapping out of his trance and blushing even further in humiliation, Heero turned around and stalked towards the fire. "You should've told me that you were coming out of the water. And that you were naked."

Again, the long-haired boy laughed and patted him on the back. "Heero, buddy, we're all boys! Besides, I would prefer nude over naked because naked means that you're ashamed of your body."

Heero kept his head low and blushed even further, thinking to himself that there was definitely nothing on that boy's body that he could be ashamed of. In a low voice, he replied "Aa, sou ka."

Duo returned to where his clothes were, finished dressing, and walked back towards the prince. "But to answer your previous question, I doubt I have an affinity with fish. Not _all_ fish like me. Just the cute little ones, the whales, and the ones that we eat a lot. But with water...well, I don't know. It could be."

Heero smiled at this. "Have you ever heard of the legend of the elemental guardian?"

"Sure. Every little kid on Gaea is told that story. When we were younger, back at the orphanage, all the kids would always pretend to be one. But we'd always get in trouble with the nuns when they found some kid being over-enthusiastic and violent." Duo smiled at Heero a genuine smile. "I always got to play the water guardian."

"Did you know you have a mark on the back of your neck?"

"What? I do? I never really noticed since my hair's always in the way."

"Well, you do. And if I'm not mistaken, that's the symbol of the water guardian. At least I found one out of five." He sighed and began poking at the fire again with one hand, another holding a fish-on-a-stick over it.

"What?! You've _got_ to be kidding right? I can't possibly be a legendary hero! Besides, there's no trouble in the world right now, why would _I_ be needed?"

"It's just a precaution. I guess the power I was seeking are the five of you. As the crown prince, I can gather the five of the guardians and have them as my generals. It would ensure peace for Soro for as long as they live."

Duo shook his head. "And how would you know how to find the rest of them? It's not like you can strip search all of them for the symbol of the guardian."

"I suppose, but it's always worth a shot."

"And how would we even _know_ where to begin looking for the others anyway?"

"Well, I once overheard from one of the wizards back home say that my brother, Quatre, is probably the guardian of the wind. I went to spy on him when he was bathing once and I did see the mark on his inner right ankle. I don't think he's aware of it and only thinks that it's a birthmark. So that's one." Duo nodded and waited for Heero to continue.

"I also overheard from the wizards once that I may be the guardian of fire, so I went in search of the symbol on my body, but found none. So I guess I'm not the guardian of fire, but that doesn't mean that I cannot find the five of them."

"Hm...well, if you overheard it from a buncha royal wizards, it must be true! But not finding the mark is a bit weird..." The braided boy's face twisted in thought and lit up almost immediately. "I know! We can go to the palace of the high priestess and find out more about the legend! Maybe you're really the guardian of fire and you just forgot some important part of the legend or couldn't find the mark. There are blind spots on our body, you know."

"Aa, sou ka. I suppose you are right. After lunch, we should set out." He lifted his head to regard the boy across from him. How he had been that intelligent while still being so child-like was beyond him. But Heero was not amused at the sight in front of him. "What are you laughing about now?"

Gasping in between laughs, Duo choked out a reply. "Heero wa hentai desu! Peeking in on your half-brother! Naughty naughty Heero!"

A vein twitched atop of his head and Heero smacked the boy on the squarely on the back of his head. "Urusai!"

"Hentai hentai hentai!" Duo jumped away from the second hit, their lunch forgotten, and started taunting Heero again. "I didn't know you were into incest Heero!"

"Kisama!" He leapt into the air and tackled Duo, pinning him to the ground and straddling him. "Now for some revenge!" He started to tickle the boy under him mercilessly, unyielding to his pleas in between loud bouts of laughter.

"Well, this certainly is an odd position to find the prince in." A new voice from the road snapped Heero and Duo from their play and turned their heads in the voice's direction.

"You!" Heero leapt off of Duo immediately and drew his sword.

"Eh? Who's that?"

The voice smiled and leapt off her horse. "Hilde Schebeiker of the Temple of the Rising Sun."

Heero sneered at her. "What do you want?"

"The high priestess has been looking for you. She has urgent matters that she would like to speak to you about."

"Shimatta." He sheathed his blade and helped Duo up off the ground. "If I go, he comes with me."

"Fine. Follow me." She tapped her horse gently to begin it's canter.

The two boys began to walk behind her slowly, Heero giving Duo a look that told him to be wary of her.

"Should we be worried? I mean, she's leading us where we wanted to go anyway."

"Let's just put it this way, it's never good news when the high priestess sends someone after me."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"The damned lune wants to marry me."

End Part III

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