Sorry, I haven't updated. Spring break started and I went to DC with my family. Next week is CAT and Star Testing week, so I just wanted to get another chapter out I'm swamped with work and preparing for culmination.

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Shadows of the Rising Sun

Chapter 2

Thunderheads

Quatre's POV

"Quatre, why don't you take a break and I'll take over?"

"Thank you, Sally. I'll go for a walk. Please call for me if you need anything."

Sally is a trained nurse and wife of Wufei. When the war began, she traveled around the country helping the wounded men in the army hospitals. During the three days of skirmish at Gettysburg, she had helped me patch up the numerous soldiers who were left to my care.

The air outside was cool and fresh, refreshing my mind and soul. I relished the tranquility of the moment and thought about Duo's situation. The truth is no grudge is truly held by the citizens of the Union and the Confederacy. Outside of the battlefield they still considered themselves fellow countrymen, though they would thoughtlessly slaughter said comrades upon the battlefield. However, many towns in the north, such as this one, are bitter towards the Rebels, because of deceased relatives who died due to the war. The town had isolated Duo because he was a southerner. Duo was lucky that Wufei was capable of convincing the townspeople that Duo wasn't a Confederate spy or Duo might have been locked away with no trial or due process.

"Quatre!!!! Quatre, come on!!!!"

I blinked. Duo's words seeped into my mind. One of the soldiers was awake and I needed to check up on him. I gave Duo an assuring smile as I ran over to him. Together, we made our way wordlessly to his house. Upon entering, I glimpsed a young man with messy sable hair and sharp azure raptor eyes. The youth glared coldly at us.

"I appreciate you for saving my life, but I don't need your pity."

I sighed. This young man seemed determined to be difficult about the situation and view us as his enemies.

"Duo," I nodded toward my braided friend, "saved your life out of compassion and kinship."

Two pairs of narrowed eyes scrutinized me: one out of anger, and the other out of confusion. I shrugged off their stares casually and explained to the young soldier.

"Duo, here, is from Louisiana."

Duo glared angrily at me, while the youth upon the bed cast a questioning look at Duo with one of his eyebrows raised in an inquisitive manner.

"I'm not a deserter if that's what you're thinking," exclaimed Duo.

"Then what are you doing up here in the north," questioned the raptor boy harshly.

"I…I didn't really think I could kill another human being, never-the-less another American. All the reasons for fighting this war seemed wrong to me."

"You didn't care that the Yankees were destroying our way of life and taking away our rights?!"

"It isn't our right to enslave other human beings!!!"

"We're saving the Negroes. They'll go to heaven. We're directing them towards the right path, not the barbarous path that their ancestors chose."

"God created all men to be equal."

"God created the race of white men to help the race of black men find salvation."

"God would not have the race of white men enslave the race of black men like the Egyptians enslaved the Israelites."

Silence followed that statement. However, the blue-eyed youth was still determined to justify his point.

"The Northerners were oppressing us."

"We had government people up in capitol hill. It's they're job to look out for our rights. If they couldn't do their jobs properly, then we can't blame the North."

"They can't do their job because the North has more people up there than us and they out vote us."

"I thought that everything was working out just fine."

Another moment of silence followed. The tension in the room was only broken when the other brunette soldier let out a low moan of pain and opened his eyes tiredly.

I was pinned in place by the intense emerald gaze of the youth. Then the young man turned his eyes toward his fellow soldier.

"Heero, where are we and who are these people," spoke the lanky youth hoarsely before an intense cough overtook him.

I frowned, and went to the adjacent kitchen to prepare some willow bark tea for both of the soldiers and a mixture of honey, mead, and mint to soothe the cough of the green-eyed soldier. In the sitting room, I heard the three Southerners talking.

"We're in Duo Maxwell's house in Gettysburg, and that longhaired man is Duo Maxwell. I think the blonde is a doctor."

A pregnant pause followed before Heero's comrade directed a question to Duo.

"Why?"

"…I guess cause we're all…buddies," stated Duo hesitantly.

"You're," coughs broke Trowa's sentence, "a Yank," more coughs ensued, "not MY buddy."

I heard what sounded suspiciously like a sigh from Duo.

"I'm a Louisianan, I just came up here when the war started to avoid it. I didn't want to kill other Americans over things like slavery."

After that, all three of them stayed silent until my return to sitting room.

"My name is Quatre Winner and I'm a doctor who doesn't judge people by where they came from," I introduced myself as I set the herbal remedies on the table.

The blue-eyed youth nodded and introduced himself proudly, "I'm Heero Yuy and that's Trowa Barton. We're soldiers of the Army of Virginia."

I smiled at them both and nodded in acceptance. This would be the beginning of two beautiful friendships, I know for sure.

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Sorry about the short chapter once again, but it's 9:34 PM and I have the Star tests for social studies tomorrow.

Please review so I can get a morale boost and not screw up the test.

^_^