The Chronicles of the Black Unicorn

Book 1: Restoration

Chapter Three: Memories...

Pardon any misspellings...-Li Cruz

Salazar gave a cold grin to the group in general. Helga, who knew Laz well enough, ignored his grimace as she elbowed the slender boy in the ribcage. Laz made a face at the back of Helga's head as they took a seat on the lower table. Lord Gryffindor took the next bench and leaned on the table.

'The old man showing whom he's going to side with. Nice.' Salazar thought as he automatically noting the emotion and gestures each of the 'players'.

'Godric must be still pissed about the last meeting.' Laz thought as he traced patterns into the wood. He stopped himself from accidentally casting spells. He tapped as Godric and the 'higher' group talked.

"So, we don't have a choice about our location." Godric said his disapproval slightly on his face. "But the house idea has gone through 3 against 2. And the names shall be Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin."

"Why are you leaving Laz out of this? There are five founder, not four." Helga pointed out.

"Salazar doesn't have a proper last name." Aries pointed out, sneering. "It would make better sense if you use my name instead."

"Besides." Gryffindor said with a dramatic pause. "We're using his personality traits for the house."

Lord Gryffindor muttered something only a certain sharp eared thief could her. "He definitely takes after his mother."

"So why am I here if you really don't need me?" Salazar drawled. "I could have finished calling out the stables in the time you're taking to blather about nothing."

He heard the elder Lord snickering into his glove as Godric turned several incredible shades of red and purple. Salazar didn't think that particular color was humanly possible. Salazar gave a smirk to cover up the sigh as he strolled out of the Main Hall. He had a stable to clean and Ami to visit.

When he was done, Salazar was surprised to see the old man, leaning against the pasture fence.

"Had things been different, Salazar. Had I not listened to my wife. You would have been my heir." The old man said. "You're loved by wizards, humans, and non-humans alike. You give them the time of day while my own flesh and blood doesn't give his underlings a passing glance."

Salazar leaned over the fence. This was familiar territory for both of them. "He'll learn. He is still young."

"No, his mother made sure of that. If he does, it will be too late." The old man sighed. "It's funny, ya know. I have let you alone out of all the thieves in my kingdom to continue to steal until Helga brought you in."

"Why?" Salazar knew the old man was going to spill the secrets he kept so long from him.

"I wanted to take you in, but Myrtle convinced me otherwise. She was afraid of you. She still is."

"I'm the son of your enemy." He said flatly.

"Yes, but I saw a boy with potential to become more than I or his father. I saw you as you, not as an extension of your father. You have become more than either of us and I think one day you will rival Merlin himself."

"I'm sorry, my boy, for not being there to stop those wizards from killing your parents and many of your siblings. I didn't keep a good enough eye on them."

"It wasn't your fault, old man. We all knew you were busy with rebuilding your kingdom and keeping the Southerners out. Besides I believe, my father's quarrel was more in line with your father than you."

"Yes, I was a fool to burden that feud. That is why I offered a truce to your father. I didn't expect it to be broken by those who followed me." The man's voice was tight with pain. There was a long awkward pause.

"So, I guess I'm a Slytherin, right?"

"Yes. And Aries..."

"Is my brother. Bloody hell. Makes me sound like a bloody Dark Wizard. Salazar Slytherin. I prefer Salazar Foxfire better."

Ami's voice came behind the two. 'You'd better explain why one Godric Gryffindor gave me a hassle when I walked through the side gate.

Salazar turned to the Black Unicorn with a sigh. The old man chuckled as he slipped away. Salazar knew what everyone else viewed his relationships with certain spirits. He sighed as Ami butted her head to his chest.

Harry found himself at Lazarus' bedside, watching the shallow fall and rise of Lazarus' ribcage. Lazarus had been correct when the Ministry completely torn down the old castle and it apparent destroyed some place called the Convent Garden. Snape explained in so little words that Lazarus and Hogwarts was nearly one and the same. Lazarus was the human counterpart of the Hogwart's sentient spirit which was some sort of animal. So when the school and the Garden was destroyed, it nearly killed Lazarus. The adults weren't sure about the sentient spirit which served Hogwarts for centuries.

"Ami..." Came a soft moan.

Harry touched Lazarus's hand. Lazarus jerked and opened his eyes. Harry recoiled from them. They had been normal eyes if not oddly colored but now they were flat planes of color, reflecting seemingly nothing. Lazarus blinked and his eyes turned back to somewhat to normal.

"Water." Lazarus coughed.

Harry helped Lazarus sip a cup of water. Lazarus motioned it finally away. He smiled at Harry wryly.

"So I take it you know."

"Somewhat." Harry admitted.

Lazarus nodded as he pushed himself up. "I need to talk to the Headmaster."

"He's at the Ministry, trying to get Fudge impeached." Harry said softly. "Are you okay?"

"Not really. Ami's here but not here." Lazarus leaned with a sigh against the headboard.

"Is Ami Hogwarts?"

"Yes." Lazarus's eyes were half-lidded in thought.

"What do you mean by that phrase?"

"Er, it's not really important." Lazarus sighed.

"Okay. So who or what are you?" Harry watched as Lazarus' eyes glazed over for a few minutes. Lazarus then focused on Harry completely.

"You always were suspicious." Lazarus said. "You once trusted me but after she undid it all, you never trusted me again."

"Huh?" Harry frowned.

"You're still the same. Always formal. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so stupid." Lazarus smirked rather sadly. "I ... I still care after all these years what happens to you."

Lazarus tilted his head as he looked back up. Harry was quite confused. Did Lazarus think he was someone else? Lazarus sighed.

"Sorry." He looked away. "If I had been stronger back then. None of this would have happened if I had done the right thing in the beginning."

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"Ask your 'best friend', the redhead." Lazarus said tiredly.

Lazarus closed his eyes and within seconds, he was back to sleep. Harry stared at the sleeping boy. What the hell just happened? Some many questions and they all died in his throat.

"Yo, Conan."

"Not Conan! Dante!"

The boy with the braid laughed. "Sorry, 09. It's just."

Dante muttered obscenities into his bandana as Duo laughed harder. Granted Dante had mentioned a favored manga series of his from the turn of the twenty-second century when they found out about their predicament. Duo and surprisingly Zechs had taken to harassing him about it. Was it his fault that Doctors' last joke on them had been an incurable youth formula. Dante focused on the past.

Unlike 01 to 06, he and his companions 07 and 08 had been sent to Earth to do serious spying. Sadly 07 and 08 had either gone crazy or had been executed for treason. 00 had died during the early experiments for the professors. 09 had been the only Earth-born Gundam Pilot. He had been just a back-up pilot so he hadn't had the chance to use the Gundam and preferred not ever having to. He had been under the Zero system before and had hated it. He actually never understood why Doctor J had kept him alive or why his mech, the ShadowRunner had remained intact. He never used it.

When the Colony War had finished, he had remained to his spying duties in both the crime world and had an eye out for any rebellions. Une had never known just who had been providing, just that he was reliable. Occasionally he' d have a mission, but spying was his main objective. J had ingrained that into him just like he ingrained Heero into being the Prefect Soldier.

Boy, was Une pissed when he hadn't been able to deliver his info when the Meiranda Incident happened. He couldn't have helped that. He had at least ten bones shattered and he couldn't remember how much lead and drugs in his system. He had made sure to disappear once he was out of his coma.

After a year or so, they had stumbled on him when he was patching himself up after delivering his message. Heero recognized him and both of them had drawn their guns on each other. It had been a strange situation to say the least.

After he settled into the group, they were ordered to investigate one of J's lab. They had found out more about the whole Gundam Project and Zechs' number to his surprised. Duo had been freaked out to find other Gundams all in construction but his Shadowrunner. Zechs accidentally tripped the alarm and a gas filled the base. By time the other Preventors managed to get into the base, they were all young.

Which brings Dante to the present a couple of months later. The Preventors had tested some modified technology which could restore them to normal. Feh. Normal? Dante always felt disjointed even as a baby. He didn't belong here for some reason he felt. He could tell the others did to some degree.

The preparations were noisy and despite trying to appear professional, they often turns or look at various things while they were forced to stand in a row like young kids.

"Hey. Pay attention!" Une snapped over the microphone as the test room emptied out. Dante knew when she jumped that she wasn't used to having complete attention from the 'little Gundams'.

"Start the procedure." They heard. Duo shuffled in place nervously.

The column sent out waves of waves of energy. Dante didn't feel anything in particular. Just a mild discomfort. Then an explosion. Bright lights. Scream. Pain. And blessed darkness.

Lazarus turned in his sleep, grimacing as he pulled one of his wounds. He muttered. "Sheik" before slipping into the depths of dreams.

A pair of intense, blue-green eyes bore a hole into his head. Link frowned into his bandana as he picked the complex lock to the Temple of Time This was what? Tthe third time he had broken in during these repetitive years. Ignoring Ganondorf's drunken song in his head, Link finally undid the lock.

'Shut up, Gan.'

'Ah, fearie boy needs to get laid.' Came the distant mental voice overlaid with pleasure and intoxication.

'No thank you.' Link snapped back.

'I wonder how long is that sword up your whoopee daisy.' Ganondorf should honestly give up the bottle Link thought.

"Fearie boy, I found the Harp of Naryu." Sheik said coming up to the disguised ex-Hero of Time. "What is so important to have this again?"

Link winced at the fearie boy comment. He was so going to get Ganondorf later for that. He took the Harp out of Impa's son's hands. Link began examining the Harp. He almost didn't see the inscription, but it confirmed his worst 'nightmare'. He almost gagged at the thought.

'Thanks for that particular vision.' Came the now somber Ganondorf. 'Did not need to see it.'

"So?" Came Sheik's impatient question.

Link merely rewrapped the harp and gave it back to him. "Return it."

Sheik had returned empty-handed. "I don't understand you! Why in the Golden Realm did you want to break into here? You didn't steal anything."

Link leveled a glare at the exiled bodyguard. "Knowledge."

Link felt a bit of angry at Sheik, which quickly die. Sheik thought he was just a common thief. In other words, immoral and dishonorable. Link mused over that. Sure he was reduced to a lowly thief after Saria and Mido banished him out of the Koriko Village, but he still clung to his code that he had ever since he had been the Hero of Time. He only stole for food, but often than not spend his days raiding the various ruins around Hyrule for treasure and sellable junk.

'Hey, Linky. Navi has returned with some nice news about our dear 'princess'.' Ganondorf sneered.

"Home." He told Sheik.

Sheik watched him warily. The small Hyrule was making quick tracks toward the gate after they snuck out of the Temple courtyard. Sheik pulled his borrowed cloak closer to himself. Link kept an eye on the tall teen as they wove through the marketplace.

Harry was spacing out when Lazarus muttered words which sounded as if he was ordering someone or answering them. There was an overlay of some slightly older voice. Harry shuttered at the sound.

"Yami." Came a broken voice. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have dragged you into this."

There were other voices yammering as the broken voice tried talking without crying it seemed. The voices were unsure and amazed at something.

He couldn't feel anything but listen to the broken voice. It was that voice that kept him sane. It reminded him of the love of the twins he left in the care of his sister. The siblings that he hoped to reunited one day. The eggs he had left in the coral. Of harvesting food for winter. Of the magic school where he promised to lecture about magic in fighting. Of the promise to visit his favorite neko in her temple. Of the underworld which he promised to take the boy to meet the Wisdom. Of talking with his friends in the village. Of seeing a race reborn. Of helping the Toys of War find peace. Of the festivals he promised to take his friends and his family to. Of telling his childhood companion stories and one day bringing him to see the desert. And living the rest of his days in relative peace in his chaotic adventures. Of his best friend, the boy in the sand colored cape.

Lazarus jerked awake as his head throbbed with all the dreams and memories. He flinched when Harry's hand touched his shoulder.

"Are you okay?"

Lazarus looked up at the brilliant green eyes. Lazarus could see traces of the past in Harry's face. He sighed.

"Just dreams, Harry-san. Just dreams."

"About what?"

"The past. Nothing major."

Harry looked like he wanted to press but he didn't. Staring at Lazarus, Harry swore that he knew Lazarus almost from a long time ago with that pensive look on his face.